4th of July Festivities

Its no surprise that 4th of July is my favorite holiday of the year! We have lots of Sperry traditions that I love. Plus its really stress free! This year the boys went golfing on Saturday and we they were finished we took the kids to the Provo Carnival. Usually all the cousins go, but Mike and Kel were in Colorado and Rob and Janie'a's kids were in Arizona with her family. So it was my family and my mom and we had a blast. We walked around the booths and even got a few things. My mom got her toe nails glittered and Aspen got her face painted. Than we let Aspen pick out some carnival rides. I love this picture of Danny starting down Aspen very jealous that she is on the ride. Aspen had a pretty bad crash, but like the brave little girl that she is she didn't even cry! After the rides we went and did all the free craft things they have and ended the day with some snow cones! Delicious is all I can say.

We also took some great 4th of July pictures!

Than on the 4th we went to my parents house for our traditonal yummy breakfast! After that we headed up to play tennis. We always let the kids play first and than the adults play some while the kids play at the park!

After tennis we went back to my parents for swimming. It was fun to see Barb and Jax and their families there as well. We don't get to see enough of the extended Sperry clan.

Then we finished with a yummy bbq dinner and of course some fireworks. Aspen and Danny have so much fun with their cousins. They all get a long so good. Michael was absoultely amazed by the fireworks and you can tell he will probably be a pyro just like his daddy when he grows up. At times Aspen got a little scared of the fireworks and hid in the van, but she enjoyed them for sure. She was also found covering her ears from the "noisy" as she called it. I think Mike and Tyler enjoyed lighting the fireworks even more than anyone else enjoyed watching them. They are pyros for sure!

It really was a perfect day! Spending time with family doing what we love, doesn't get better than this! But it wouldn't be official until I thanked the men and women who fight for this country. I cannot even imagine what they and their families go through to keep us safe. I thank God for inspiring righteous men to create the Deceleration of Independence and for allowing me to live in this land we call AMERICA! God bless America, the land of the free!

San Francisco

Days 1 and 2:

We have been so lucky to go on so many trips this year! This time we got to go to San Fran, which is a place neither Tyler or I have ever been. Tyler's parents took us and it was a trip to remember! On the way there we decided to stop in Tahoe and sleep there. Luckily we got there before it got dark so we could enjoy Tahoe a bit. My kids were so excited to be out of the car they were jumping all over the place. Sunday morning we got up and went to church and than we took a scenic route down to Oakland. There was a beautiful waterfall that we stopped to see and than we were off to see the Oakland Temple. It was stunning and was definitely worth the trip!

Day 3:

Today we went to the Armstrong Redwoods. The trees were huge and unbelievable! This was just the perfect hike to get some energy out after 2 long days of driving. Nick had a great time carrying Danny through the forest and Aspen loved running around. There were even some great trees to jump off of!

Day 4:

Alcatraz! This was by far my favorite part of our trip! The tour was incrediable. To hear actually stories from the prisoners and guards with background noises similar to what it sounded like was so real! I can't even imgaine living in such a tiny cell for so long. Especially since they could hear the sounds of people partying so close in San Fran. But I guess when you are a criminal you kind of deserve it, right. Danny took a great little nap during the tour and Aspen was so excited when they gave her her very own set of headphones!

After Alcatraz we tried to find the stop where we could get on our double decker bus tour. We spent about an hour looking at maps and trying to figure it out. While we were doing that my kids had a blast chasing birds. Danny was so determined to catch them. I think this was his favorite part of the trip!

Day 5:

We didn't find the bus stop until it was to late yesterday, so we came back today to ride the double decker bus through the whole city! The was the perfect way to see the city.

Than we ate lunch at Bubba Gumps. Wow was that delicious. We all got shrimp and all of us loved every bite of what we ate! Aspen ate quickly because we had promised her if she ate she could ride the carousel after. We also walked the shops at Pier 49 and saw the Sea Lions!

Than we headed to Stinson Beach. Poor Sarah got so car sick on the ride there, but she was a good sport. It was kind of late by the time we got there so we didn't change into our swimsuits, but that didn't stop us from having a great time!

Day 6:

Today was also one of favorite days! We went to the beach. It was a little windy but still who could complain about laying out in the sun playing at the beach. I was brave and even got in for a minute. Although I quickly got out because it was FREEZING! It was great to have a chill relaxing day and my kids enjoyed it as much as I did!

Day 7:

Today was also great! We got to bike the Golden Gate Bridge. Thankfully there were only a few hills because I am not in as great of shape as I would like. There were some parts that it was pretty windy, but overall it was a really enjoyable ride. I just think its cool that I can now say I have rode a bike across the golden gate bride. Really how many people can say that! We rode all the way into Sausillto and ate lunch there. After lunch Sarah and Tyler were brave and rode their bikes back up the steep hills, while the rest of us took the ferry! Aspen was so excited to go on another boat!

After the bike ride we went to check out Ghirardelli Square and got some cupcakes at Kara's Cupcakes. They were worth the $3.50 a cupcake and I don't really like cake so thats saying a lot! Danny got so excited eating it that everyone was watching and laughing. He also got very mad when there was no more left. He is my sweet tooth for sure!

And of course a trip to San Fran just wouldn't be complete without driving down Lombard street, it's got eight different switchbacks in a very short period of time. Than we headed over to Filbert street, which is the steepest street in the western hemisphere at 31.5% grade! Wow who needs roller coasters when you can go down streets like this!

Than it was time to leave San Fran! Look at this amazing picture Sarah took. Can you think of a better way to leave San Fran than seeing the lights from across the bridge.

Day 8:

Although we said goodbye to San Fran our trip was still not over. We actually stayed in Windsor which is about 1 hour north of the city. So on our last day Tyler, Nick, the kids and I went to the beach. Nick and Tyler really wanted to go surfing and I wouldn't miss that for anything! Plus the beach is probably my favorite places to be in the whole world. We lucked out because it was the warmest nicest day we had had the whole trip! Also we went to rent the surf boards the guy was nice and let us have a buggy board for free. So the boys got their surf on while the kids and I played in the sand. Tyler was nice enough to come in for a bit so I can try buggy boarding. The water at this beach was a little warmer and I enjoyed it so much! What a perfect way to end an awesome trip!

After the beach we rejoined Tyler's parents and Sarah and all went swimming. We actually went swimming quite a few days and the hot tub everyday, but these are the only pictures I have of it!

The last day we drove the whole 13 hours back in 1 day. With our new van Tyler and I took turns sleeping the back while the other one drove so it actually went really fast! The kids were so good and we only made a few stops. This trip will fill us with memories for a lifetime. We are so thankful to Tyler's parents for making sure this trip happened and I can't wait to go on another family trip. Aspen said her favorite parts were the boats, the bus and the beach! Tyler's favorite parts were biking the bridge and surfing. And my favorite parts were Alcatraz and the beach! We also all love spending so much time with family!

The Northwest

I finally got to visit the Northwest! We went and stayed at my good friend Jamie's house in Vancouver Washington for a few days and than headed down to the coast. The first part of the trip both Andrew and Tyler had to work so Jamie and I had a great time playing mommy. We took the kids to the park when it was sunny and to the library when it was rainy. During nap times Jamie and I would sit and read or chat quietly and we even got in some time to take naps. It was great to spend so much time with Jamie just relaxing. At night Tyler and I went exploring. Tuesday night we went and hiked up to the Multnomah Falls. Wow the pictures I took of this place don't even do it justice, the place is BEAUTIFUL! The top water fall has a 542 foot drop and the second tier has a 69 foot drop. And yes Aspen pretty much hiked all the way to the top by herself! She loves waterfalls and even after the trip was over said it was one of her favorite parts. At the top you walked onto a ledge and could see the top tier's drop off as well as a the best view of the Columbian River.

The falls was very powerful and I just happened to get this great shoot of the water drops.
I figured out why Oregon is so green. Its not just because of all the beautiful green trees, but also all the beautiful green moss that grows from all the rain. I loved the vibrant colors!

On Wednesday night we went to downtown Portland. It was so much fun. We stopped and ate a local pizza place and it was delcious. Than we took the street car, which Aspen thought was a train. She has always wanted to ride a train and was very excited. Than after touring the city we went on the arieal tram. The tram travels 22 miles per hour and rises 500 feet over the I-5, the Lair Hill neighborhood and the Southwest Terwilliger Parkway up to the hospital. It is by far the best way to see all of downtown Portland from a distance and of course both my kids thought it was the coolest thing. The best part about our downtown trip to Portland is we didn't have to pay for anything except dinner. The street car was free and the guy that runs the tram decided to be nice and let us on for free!

Tyler and I love visiting historic places so Thursday we left a little early so we could stop in Astoria and see Fort Stevens. Fort Stevens was the primary military defense at the mouth of the Columbia River and served for 84 years beginning during the Civil War and closing at the end of World War II. It was a great break for the kids to run around and get some energy out. They actually have all the bunkers and different parts of the base still open so you can walk through them.

Than took a little scenic drive to see where the Columbian River and the Pacific Ocean meet and to see a shipwreck.

We finally got into Seaside very late Thursday night. After check-in we went to one of the best restaurants I have ever been to! Tyler got a 32 oz cheeseburger and luckily I convinced him to take some home to eat as a leftover because it was huge!

Friday Jamie and Andrew got in and we all headed down to the beach. Although it was kind of windy and a bit cold the kids were happy to play for hours! After the beach Tyler and I and the kids rented a surrey bike. The great thing is when I say rented, I mean we got it for free! We were asking the front desk of our condo where it was and they gave us a free pass. Yipee. We rode that bike all around town and even got to see some Lewis and Clark sites. Than after our ride we met back up with Jamie and Andrew and walked along Broadway in Seaside. We got some dinner and than let the kids ride the big carousel. Than we had to get some homemade ice-cream.

Saturday we woke up early and went to Cannon Beach. We got to see the famous Haystack rock and we let the kids play at the beach for a while. Than we went up to Ecola Beach and hiked! It was beautiful. We saw the Terrible Tilly lighthouse. It was about 1 mile away from the shore and is Oregon's only lighthouse that you cannot actually walk-up to. Later Saturday night we took the kids back to Cannon beach to see the tide pools at Haystack Rock. Grandma Mason gave Aspen a book all about tide pools and she has been talking about them ever since. This was actually Tyler's favorite part of our trip to. We got to see crabs, star fish, other fish, oysters and a few other sea animals!

Later that night Andrew and Tyler went back to Cannon Beach to take some pictures at sunset. To bad it was cloudy so you couldn't really see the sun setting, but Andrew helped Tyler to get some pretty great shots!

Sunday we were going to just get up and go, but we hadn't gotten a chance to see the Tillamook cheese factory or the air museum so we decided to make a detour. We figured out it would only take us an extra 45 minutes of driving time to see it and we had already driven 14 hours to Oregon so we might as well stop. The cheese factory was fun. My favorite part was at the end when you got to taste lots of different kinds of cheeses. The air museum was also great because you actually got to sit in most of the planes. Aspen and Danny loved it.

This trip was awesome. It was great to spend time with friends. Simon and Aspen play really well together and I can't wait to meet Jamie's little girl. She was about 7 months pregnant while we were there! I was really amazed at how well the kids did on the long drives there and back. They really are the worlds best kids and make it so easy to travel with them! Who says you can't have fun with 2 kids under 2 has not traveled with my kids because we had a blast!