Sisters' Weekend and 2nd 5K Race

I have the most adorable husband in the world! He just kept the kids for me for 3 whole days, while I went off to play with some of my favorite people...my little sisters. We have been holing up in a hotel room (not too far away from home!) for the past couple of days. We attended our church's "Women's Conference" at BYU where we went to classes on how to be less critical, how to evaluate our lives and re-set our priorities, how to have more meaningful prayers, improve our marriages and be better parents. I have been going every spring for the past 5 years and I come home re-charged and motivated to improve my life! Wish me luck!! I could use some improvement!

Wednesday was my sister Nancy's birthday and so we celebrated with dinner and a movie. Thursday night we attended a concert, Friday we ate out again (seems to be a favorite past time) and hung out in the hot tub. We also ATE and ATE and ATE....stuff like BYU's famous mint brownies with walnuts, and chocolate covered cinnamon bears (my favorite!).

This morning, however, there was no junk food in sight! We got up at 6:30 AM to get ready to run in the Provo City Half Marathon and 5K. It was so cold! About 41 degrees...and part way (I'm guessing about 3/4 of a mile into the 5K) it began to rain/snow/hail on us. When we got to the finish line we were soaking wet and pretty chilly. Magelby's had a french toast breakfast that they provided for all the runners and as we stood in the park, in the rain and the cold, waiting for the results to be announced....it started to snow/rain a little bit harder.

This was a first race for 2 of my sisters and 1 in particular was excited to find out her time and to see if she may have placed in her age group. Some of us (ok, mostly me) didn't really care to hang out in the rain to find out how I had done (there were hundreds of people who ran the 5K and what are the odds???)...and just wanted to head back to the hotel and that delicious hot tub. Since she wasn't ready to leave for the hotel without knowing the results...we decided to wait it out in the car where at least we could get out of the rain/snow and turn a heater on. About half an hour later, she came back to the car with a big smile and a medal around her neck!! She won 3rd place in her age group. Wahoo!

End of story? NO! She had a medal in her pocket for me! I also placed 3rd in my age group! I guess I don't deserve the medal, for not sticking it out in the rain to claim it...but it made being cold ALMOST worth it. And ultimately after about an hour in the hot tub, our body temperatures returned to normal and we feel like real people again! Maybe next time we ought to try a 10K!

Trip to Disney World and Cruise to W. Carribean

This December was my parents 50th wedding anniversary! So we talked them into taking a two week vacation with us and my sister Sue and her hubby. We stayed in a condo in Florida and did the whole Disney World thing for a week, then left for a week long cruise to the Western Carribean. It was sooooooo much fun! I love cruising. I am ready to go again!

St. George Trip and Tuacahn

I was lucky enough to be able to travel south with 3 of my sisters and my parents to St. George, Utah to attend the play "Footloose" at an outdoor ampitheatre recently. We had a great time. It was nice to be somewhere a little warmer than 60 degrees for a day or two. We even spent a lazy afternoon by the pool one day! Our good husbands took care of the house and kids for 4 whole days! It was heavenly! I guess I owe you, dear! Left to right: Susan, Kellie, Nancy and me. Just look at the red rock backdrop! It is so beautiful there. Mom and Dad! I'm not sure they knew what they were in for when they agreed to go on a trip with their wild and crazy daughters. Dad thought we were going to see "Any Which Way but Loose"you know, the movie with Clint Eastwood and the ape! I'm not sure they knew what "Footloose" was before this!

This is a picture of all of us standing in front of the St. George, Utah temple..

My childhood summer vacation retreat

I just learned that a historic building in my summer vacation town burned down last Tuesday. This is a picture of the National Park where it was located. We have a family cabin there and go every summer. Pretty dramatic pictures of the burning structure, eh?

It makes me sad. When I walk around town to exercise (and I mean literally walk around the outside of the town) this was on the pathway by the lake that is about halfway. I wonder if they will be allowed to rebuild. It was built in 1911. Here is a link to the newspaper story about it.

What a Handsome Group

This is a family photo taken with the Melvin crew that was at Grandma Vickii's house this summer. Todd's sister, Lorii was the only sibling missing, but lots of grandkids were MIA. Not a bad looking group though, eh? (We are Canadian after all!) Back row, left to right: Michael, Mitch, Laura, Todd, Julie, Lisa. Front row, left to right, Danny, Megan, Aimee, Grandma Vickii, Kelsey and Katie. I don't remember the dog's name (he belongs to a neighbor), but I'm sure my girls would.

Scarecrow Festival

Yesterday, was the beginning of UEA vacation for all the kids in Utah. It was also the first day of an annual event that we have at Thanksgiving Point called the Scarecrow Festival. It is a fundraiser for a non-profit organization called the West Ridge Academy. We had a great time in the Junior Haunted House (my 5 year old waited outside for us as it was "too scary"), and playing on a wide array of inflatable slides. Then we decorated and launched paper rockets. They really FLEW and Katie (7 year old) was convinced that her's flew the highest of everybody's. We rode in a "train", played all kinds of kiddie games, won prizes and candy, and even got to see some Irish Dancing from a local performing dance group. There was a Country Craft Store and pumpkin stand (where we picked out a couple of pumpkins to take home). It runs through Monday, Oct. 20 and if you are interested in more information visit West Ridge Academy.
Left to right: Gina Bagley, Katie Melvin, Cassie Bagley, Ginay and Jake Thurston, Calea Bagley, me, Kelsey Melvin, Lauren Williams (?). Front row: Korden, Jade and Kallin Bagley.

October already!

This past weekend, Todd, my DH and I went on a little 2 day get-away. We left our kids home in the capable hands of older siblings who have married and moved on! When we came home, we were greeted by a houseful of Halloween decorations. From a witch hanging on the front door with her black cat nearby to little wooden "BOO" blocks on the entertainment center. I can not believe it is fall already, and almost Halloween. It seems like school just let out for summer. Before you know it, snow will be falling (it has already on the mountain tops near us!!) and it will be--dare I say it?--Christmas!!! Where did the summer go?

Actually, fall is one of my favorite seasons. Crisp, cool air and crunchy leaves, a fire in the firplace, baking goodies! It just seems to be gone too quickly and, after about 3 days of winter, I'm done!! I love living in Utah with 4 distinct seasons, I just wish winter didn't seem like the longest one. Don't get me wrong, I love the snow...when I am inside and it is outside and I have NOWHERE to go! Just curl up with a blanket and a good book in front of the fire. Looking for a good one (book) by the way, if anyone has any good suggestions!

Our vacation to Waterton, Alberta, Canada

Our big family vacation this year was up to our family cabin in Waterton Lakes, Alberta. This is Todd with our cute little granddaughter Marisa up at Bertha Falls. We all hiked up there one morning, I think it was about 3 miles round trip. It was so beautiful!
This is our favorite place to throw rocks in at Waterton Lake. It is glacier fed and is very cold, so there is not a lot of swimming going on there!! We wade a little, but your feet freeze in seconds, so mostly we just throw rocks ! Cousin Ryan, Katie and Dylan (my handsome grandson!).

My sister and brother-in-law brought a couple of kayaks this year. The kids had a lot of fun with them. This is Lisa, Kelsey and Becca Brook at Cameron Lake. The day before, Lisa got dumped into the bay at Waterton Lake (luckily not too terribly deep, but VERY, VERY cold!!).

Tin foil Dinners and Bear Lake

Well, summer is over and it's back to school! I can't believe how fast this summer went. Besides our trip to Canada, we just got back from Bear Lake, Utah from our annual family camping trip. We had a great time! The weather was pretty good-could have used another 5 degrees higher temp. but it was perfect at night. We kayaked and swam and got sunburned had Bear Lake Raspberry Milk Shakes!! If you can't tell from my previous blogs, I'm all about the food!!

We did tinfoil dinners the first night and they were awesome! I par-boiled some baby red potatoes and put them in with a thin hamburger patty (sprinkled with au jus mix powder and onion soup mix), broccoli and onion and thinly sliced carrots. I added just a drop of oil and a little water for the au jus mix. The best thing I learned though, is to spray the tin foil with cooking spray (like Pam). NO STICKING!! I would love some other ideas for tin foil dinners, if you have them...just leave a post! Thanks in advance!

St. George and Les Mis

Over the weekend, I went to St. George, Utah with 2 of my favorite people: my sisters, Susan and Nancy. We had such a great time. We ate, and shopped, and watched movies, and ate, and swam, and ate, and went to an outdoor theater called the Tuacahn to see Les Miserables, and ate, and giggled like crazy the whole weekend. It was so much fun! The play was incredible--very well done. Unfortunately, it looks like my camera lens was dirty and I didn't get very good pictures. It was over 110 degrees the whole time we were there. The hotel we stayed in didn't have the air conditioner on in the hallway on the 3rd floor (where we stayed) and the candy bars in the vending machines were all melted and flopping over! Needless to say, we were warm! Thank goodness the air was working in our room!