The CRAZY month of May!

I think I am not the only one who has felt that this month has been insane! I can't believe all the things we have tried to cram into one month. Here is a brief recap:

Final lacrosse games and end of season party
Final t-ball games and end of season party
Cub Scout Day Camp
Burke's Graduation from U of U Physical Therapy School
Mother's Day
Stake Bishop's Wives dinner
Iron Girl Triathlon
16th Anniversary
Buying a car
Selling a car
3 major 6th grade projects...all due in one week!
Finishing Carter's make-up work
National Junior Honor Society Induction
Kindergarten Program
Training for upcoming 1/2 marathon
All this....on top of the "regular" stuff!


I am ready for a VACATION....but just from all the busy stuff! I have lots of things to blog for this month, but they will have to wait. Right now I am cleaning my office in preparation for company. My office is the last place in this house that gets attention. I can close the door and sort of forget about it. But, this afternoon, Chris' brothers' family is moving in for 10 days before they move to Arizona. Amy is expecting baby #5 next Monday...so they can't move just yet. We are happy to have them come and spend their last few days with us. With 7 kids and 4 adults under one roof....it is sure to be CRAZY! Thankfully the weather is warming up and we can send the kids out to the pool.

Well, off to my duties....update you soon!

Meltdown Monday

We have been very busy the last few weeks with school, ball games, and this past week cramming in as much time with Grandma and Grandpa Skousen as possible. In addition, I am training for a triathlon next week and a half marathon in June. Needless to say....our plate has been very full. We tried to get to bed early last night....but that didn't seem to do the trick. It must be the many late nights and crazy schedule we've been keeping, but this afternoon the big meltdown hit. Fortunately....mom wasn't the one having the meltdown...it was two little boys! I was able to remain relatively calm during the whole scene, but I was ready to put everyone to bed at 5pm!

I especially love when my kids tell me I am the worst mom in the world and they wish they wouldn't have met me! (Actually, it makes me sad....but I know they are just exhausted and really don't mean it!) Tonight Tanner had a great one...when he was sent to his room for the night, Chris took him dinner. I finally went up to get him in bed, mind you he had been crying for most of the evening, and he hadn't eaten anything. He told me that his dad gave him "garbage for dinner!" I said, "What are you talking about?" He told me, "Dad went to the garbage can and brought me this for dinner! It's junk and tastes gross!" (Well, thanks kid...that's what we all had for dinner!) That boy has a wild imagination! Oh well. We made it through, thankfully, but it reminds me how much more smoothly our lives run when we follow our routine!

Games are almost over for the season and there are only 21 more days of school. I am looking forward to summer and not having to worry about homework and being up and out the door by 7:45 to get the boys to school. We have a "low key" summer planned. I am still tired from all of our traveling last summer! Hard to believe this time last year we were preparing for our trip to Peru. We've just got to make it through the next couple of weeks with Cub Scout day camp and my triathlon to check those things off the list. Then we can get into the swing of summer! Can't wait!

Viva Las Vegas...out on the town!

My parents were visiting for their last week before they left on their mission to Madrid, Spain. We took them out on the town on Friday night for dinner at Lawry's and then went to see the new "City Center." It comprises two hotels, condominium towers, a mall and much more. It was enormous! Chris and I posed in from of this cool waterfall....that you can't see because I didn't have the correct flash. Oh well.

Mom and Dad...same waterfall.

Inside the mall there were these interesting "ice sculptures." We still aren't sure how they were formed....but they were pretty cool.

On Saturday, after our morning flurry of activities, which included an 8-mile training run for me, a t-ball game for Tanner and a lacrosse game for Parker (both of which started at 8 am), we set out to have lunch down on the Strip with the kids at Serendipity 3.

We bought a couple of pretzels to tide us over while we waited for our table. Here Carter is showing the cool "S" pretzel.

Serendipity is known for its "Frozen Hot Chocolate." Parker, Grandma and Grandpa share the yummy drink.

Tanner and his yummy french toast sticks with chocolate dipping sauce!

In addition to the "S" pretzels they had giant donuts! Yum!!

Parker sure LOVES dessert of any kind! This sundae was HUGE.....so he shared with the rest of us.

Grandma and Grandpa try to polish off a banana split....with a little help from the rest of us, of course!

Frozen Hot Chocolate statue....only in Vegas! Tanner and Parker pose with Grandma and Grandpa.

Hmmmm...looks like Donny Osmond needed a little treat before his next show! :)

Sheli and Grandma pose with the "S" pretzel....."S" for Sheli....or is it "S" for Skousen....who knows, but it is definitely unique!

All in all we had a really fun weekend taking in some of the sights of Las Vegas. Chris and I have lived in Las Vegas for 16 years now. It is still a little overwhelming to me to spend an evening on the Strip. Sensory overload!! I definitely prefer my quiet little life in the "burbs!"