Red Rocks, Rivers and Receptions

I know it has been forever since I posted, but it has been a crazy couple of months.

School Started...



Lancer starting the 4th grade



 

Ryker's first day of Preschool

Weddings and Baseball Games...

Our niece Alyssa

 

Bumble and the boys

We have also been prepping for ski season (See ya Snowbasin Alpine Team, The Rouglah's are headed to Snowbird!), Hubby is changing work, yard work, canning,etc. We needed a break.

So last weekend we took a trip to Moab to attend our friend Justin's wedding. We left Ryker at home with my parents and took Lancer, getting some quality time with our (soon to be) 9 year old.

Richie has been in the process of changing companies and so he was pretty stressed out.  He was weighing different options, and I hoped he would be able to "check out" and have a good time.
Friday morning about 36 of us along with the bride and groom, headed out for a day long river rafting trip.

36 people crammed in a old school bus-
Brought me right back to high school

I had never been on one before and it was so much fun. I can't wait to do another one again soon. Lancer loved it, but wished the rapids were higher. He really wanted to fall out of the boat. The guides of our 4 rafts fixed us an amazing lunch, and then guide taught lancer how to row the boat.

Lancer and Jay our guide

After a long but awesome day, we headed back to the hotel. When I called to check on Ryker, I got some horrible news that definitely put a damper on the day. While Ryker and my mom were feeding the horses that morning, they found our old horse moose had suddenly gotten very sick. The vet ended up having to come and put him to sleep. I was so sad that I wasn't there to say goodbye to him. I was even sadder that I had to break the news to Lancer that his best buddy was no longer with us. He took it as I expected. Let's just say he kept his sunglasses on for the rest of the night, and kept asking the waitress at dinner for more napkins. We talked about doing some kind of memorial to Moose, which Lancer liked and made him feel a little better.
Then next day we went to Arches National Park.

Delicate Arch

 We hiked around looking at the amazing scenery, but Lancer was not into hiking around for very long. We just wanted to get back to the hotel pool! I could have stayed there all day, but we gave in and left early so Lancer could swim and I could start getting ready for the wedding.



The wedding was very beautiful but HOT!!! Richie and I wore matching clothes by total accident.

Mr and Mrs Rouglah

Right after the ceremony we went and changed our clothes. Did I mention how hot it was?  After some fish tacos we were much more relaxed and ready to get our groove on.  

 Lancer seemed to be channeling John Travolta  because that boy danced. He was dancing on rocks, dancing on chairs, and dancing with all the ladies. He even did some dancing air guitar!  He seemed to entertain everyone.

The best part of the trip was that that my hubby got to get away from the stress of work and spend some time with his good friends. Since he has moved from SLC, he does not see these guys very often, and his good friend Frank recently moved to Moab to open a new sushi restaurant. Frank was able to come to the wedding and I was so glad to see Richie having such a good time.

Richie, Frank, and Johnny





Our Summer Vacation

It has been a busy summer at our house. We have been to Montana and Yellowstone, baseball
games and zoos. Did I mention how much time we have spent in the water? Between swimming lessons, pool parties, and boating, we all are a dermatologists nightmare.

Lancer found his dream car just outside Big Sky, Montana.
(No really, this IS his dream car!)

We had some awesome buffalo burgers at the Corral in Big Sky, Montana.

Spent some time with our cousins in Billings, Montana.

Did you know Bears in the Billings Zoo like White Cheddar popcorn?

Slip-n-Sliding in our backyard.

An indoor water park in Billings, Montana.

Swimming at a friends house.

Lancer on the high-dive at Dr. Iverson's pool party.
(I won a sweet snow cone machine at this party.)

Tubing on grandpa's boat.

The Summer is only half over. I think more swimming is in our future.

The Ladies Man

Ryker used this trip as a way to meet girls. I know he is only 4, but the boy likes the ladies! He is not picky about their age, however, he does like for them to be able to bring something to the table--IE pool toys.

Girl #1-- She did not have any cool toys to share, so he moved on after a hour or so.

I met some new friends at the pool. When I turned around to check on Ryker, he floated by with this little girl. I don't know if it was the pink floaties or the goggles.

Pretty soon he disappeared again. Richie found him by the water slide, using some other girls Elmo floaties.

This is Olivia. They met during our snorkel cruise.

These are students at Texas A&M. Ryker had no hesitation to ask them to hold his brothers coloring book open. Lancer probably treated the book for Girl Cooties after.

He would jump into the water, swim up to someone and say "Hi...I'm Ryker.. R-Y-K-E-R. .. I'm 4... I live in Salt Lake and in Utah...Where do you live?

I told him it is OK to spell his name to girls while he is 4. When he is 24, the girls might not find it so cute anymore.

Lancer's heaven

Most kids want to go to Disneyland. My son's version of heaven on earth is WWII museums. He couldn't wait to go to Hawaii so that he could go to Pearl Harbor. For MONTHS, it was all he talked about. We waited in line to get tickets and Lancer immediately spotted one of those machines that you put in 50 cents and they give you a pressed penny. He pleaded for 50 cents. After he put the $ in, he cranked the machine and out popped his penny.

"That's it.....all I got was a stupid penny?"

"Not just a stupid penny, honey." I told him. " A stupid penny engraved with the USS Bow fin on it."

First place we went was the USS Missouri. Lancer was in awe. When we met up with our tour guide Reggie, I thought Lancer might try to impress this former Marine with some push ups. But instead he followed right behind him, like he was following his idol.

USS Missouri

Lancer & Reggie

After the Missouri, we headed over to a airplane museum, and then had a quick bite to eat. Then we got in line for the ride out to the USS Arizona.

It is hard to explain the feeling when you are looking at a ship that has been underwater for 60 years. She is still leaking oil, and the smell of diesel fuel is still strong. You can see her underwater and in the distance you can see the Missouri, who they have anchored facing the Arizona, as she is watching over her older sister. It is surreal. The wall of names of those who lost their lives made me choke up, as did the small list next to it, of those who survived and upon their passing, have been cremated and returned to the ship and their shipmates.
The Bow of the Arizona.

I have a lot more pictures, but hate to post them all. After coming from the Arizona, we went to tour the USS Bow fin. This was probably my boys favorite part. They loved playing with the guns and touching all the buttons inside the Submarine.

The Bow fin

After the final submarine and of course a trip to the gift shop, we headed out just as the memorial was closing. It took us 7 hours, and we still did not get to see the USS Utah. It was a long day, but it was worth it watching my boys have such a great time.

A beautiful day!

I am so glad today is almost over. Today, Lancer had a ski race at Brighton. We did not have a sitter for Ryker and because I had some minor surgery a week ago, I decided it was best not to ski and just cheer Lancer on from the finish.
When I woke up this morning @ 5am, I had a feeling it would not be a good idea to take Ryker. So I told Richie that we were going to stay home and I went back to bed feeling like a crummy mom for missing my son's race, but something told me Ryker would not co-operate sitting outside from 7:30am to 1pm. About a hour later, Richie called me and told me that Lancer really wanted me to come, and we should come later around 9:30am. So I get Ryker up and we set out to Salt Lake. This is when the whining started.
"Mommmm.....My muffin doesn't taste good, I don't waaaaaaaaannnnnt it"
"Nooooo....Don't listen to the news. I can't hear my music"
"Whyyyyyy are we not there yet? It's been soooooooooo long!"
"I'm hungry!"
By the time we started up Big Cottonwood Canyon, my patience was starting to wear thin.
We got to Brighton and start over to the finish line to meet Richie. After a trip in the lodge for some cocoa and Doritos (Breakfast of champions!) I try to keep him entertained for a few minutes so I can cheer on the other Snowbasin kids.
"My cocoa's to hoooooooooot!"
"My cocoa's to coooooold!"
"I don't wannnnna stand outside"
"Hold me"
This last one is something I am not supposed to do after having surgery. But I risked pulling my stitches, just to get a few minutes of quiet.
Finally, Lancer's name is announced. He came over the ridge in a tuck, going really fast. Richie and I got really excited, thinking he would definitely place in the top few. Then I saw him skid. He balanced on one leg, with the other out to his side, still going too fast. Then his body went forward and he belly flopped, legs still split on either side. He got right back up and finished the race. Even after falling, he still placed #23.
This is when Ryker threw himself down on the ground and started SCREAMING. He wanted to go home. I tried to calm him down while I chatted with other parents. He continued to scream. I took him into the lodge. He screamed. I took him to the car. He screamed. His fit continued until I entered the I-215 belt route. That's when he fell asleep.
I decided to throw my diet out the window and stop at Pei-Wei in Bountiful. Ryker wanted a drink. I told him no. The guy gave him a sprite anyway. He took about 2 drinks of it and dropped it all over the floor. While I was cleaning it up. He piped up with "Wow, it sure has been a beautiful day today."
Later, Richie and Lancer got home and from 4:00-8:00 they argued about everything from which wii game to play, to who was getting the most Daddy time.
But it WAS a beautiful day.

Super Scary....

Last night, Richie and I put the kids to bed early and sat down to watch Paranormal Activity.

About a 1/3 of the way through the movie, during a really scary part, Lancer came SCREEEAAAMIINNG out of his room. Richie and I jumped about a mile high and we were sure he was going to say a shadow was coming at him or his pillow levitated off his bed or something, but...

........he saw a dog on his TV that looked like ours.

So This is Christmas.....

We had a wonderful Christmas at the Rouglah house. On Christmas Eve, we went to Grandpa Rich and Grandma Sandi's house for dinner and a round of gifts. The boys were so hyper, I'm sure people thought I had given them a straight diet of pixie stix and maple syrup. After dinner we came home and Lancer went straight to bed. Ryker fought going to bed for a while, but eventually gave in. It was hard to sleep however, because SANTA was making A LOT OF NOISE!!! Lancer ALMOST caught a glimpse of the old elf!!!

Santa was too quick for him however, but Lancer was out of his room again about a hour later when a stocking fell off of the mantle and the heavy stocking holder hit the tile. Finally, we all got to sleep and woke up about 7:30am. Richie and I actually woke up first, and I was able to get the cocoa made before the festivities began.

Lancer and Ryker each got the gift they asked Santa for. Ryker wanted a Tommy 20 dart gun and Lancer wanted a Camo "Army Suit". Although Lancer was excited to get it, the first thing he asked was why his suit smelled like Smith and Edwards. I told him Santa shops there sometimes. We got LOTS of movies. The boys got Gremlins and Goonies and The Karate Kid. Richie got the new Star Trek and I got Juno. We also got lots and lots of games.
Zuul enjoyed her first Christmas. She ran around like a mad woman, trying to play with all her toys at once.

After breakfast, we headed up to my parents for more fun. We had a great meal up there, complete with my mom's famous holiday dip.

What a wonderful Christmas, but I am glad it is over for another year.