Baumann Family Vacation Pictures

Kolob Reservoir Trip

About a week ago (Saturday the 26th) Jeff decided he was really in the mood to "get away", so we packed up all our picnic gear, a sun canopy, and our fishing stuff and headed up to Kolob Reservoir. In order to get there you have to drive THROUGH Zion National Park, so it was about an hour and a half each way. The drive was absolutely breathtaking, and on top of that, it was about to rain, so we had the windows down and got to enjoy the fresh mountain air and the smell of rain. It was so relaxing!!

We stayed for the entire afternoon and took turns fishing while the other entertained Mason and kept him from running into the water. We were pretty impressed that he was able to entertain himself for more than 5 minutes with just one thing - trowing rocks into the water. It actually lasted like 20 minutes!! After a while he'd had it and decided to play in the shade with his trains, which is where he stayed for most of the afternoon! He was relatively easy compared to usual - it was a great little escape!

Oh, and I forgot to add this part in - we didn't catch a dad-gum thing! The only thing you're allowed to use out at this lake is artificial lures, no power bait or live bait, and we just didn't know how to fish that way I guess. Plus it was a warm day and so we're sure the trout were hanging out in water deeper than we could get to from the coast. :) It's okay though! I'm sure we'll catch a ton up at Strawberry this week!!

Crazy Little Jumpin' Jack

You know, Saint George is one of the most beautiful, scenic places I've ever lived, but I've just gotta keep it real. IT'S JUST WAY TOO HOT HERE!! I take Mason to the park most mornings before 9:00 and it's already at or near 90 degrees by the time we head back home. Needless to say, we don't spend much (if any) time outside from about 10:00 am to 4:00 pm in order to avoid the hottest part of the day.

Well, last week I was just so incredibly bored to tears!! I had seen enough of these walls, and I finally understood the feeling that the walls are closing in on you!! I'd read on a few of my friends' blogs down here in St. George about a place called Jumpin Jacks, so I looked them up online and found a buy one get one free coupon good for Tuesdays only. My bored-to-tears day just happened to be Tuesday, so I located some socks (we never wear them - it's too hot!!), packed up Mason, and off we went!

Oh my gosh, I just have to say first that I am POSITIVE that I had more fun than Mason did. I had a blast! And I got a great workout too! Most of the stairs were too far apart for Mason to climb them, so I got to climb them while carrying Mason up! Not sure if you've ever played on the huge blow-up toys, but the climbing up part is pretty good exercise!! Mason had a blast too though. Enjoy the picture college!! (if you want to see the pictures bigger, you just click on the collage and it pulls it up in a separate window.)

Super Peek-a-Boo!!

This video is hilarious!! Mason's new thing lately is to hide somewhere (anywhere), then jump out and yell "bo" - meaning "boo"! This one was so fun. Enjoy!

Cute picture collages

So I just figured out how to make cute picture collages (thank you hayley and jenn!!), so here are a few recent pictures. Enjoy!

Doug's Wedding

Jeff's brother Doug got married this past weekend (on the 19th of July) in the Mt. Timpanogas Temple to Rheanna, who we all LOVE, LOVE, LOVE! They're just the most perfect couple ever (besides Jeff and I - j/k). Here are a few fun pictures from the temple and reception.

First picture is Jeff's brother Justin and his dad entertaining Mason while we waited for Doug and Rheanna to come out of the temple.

Second picture - the happy couple. Rheanna looked so pretty!!

Third picture - Jeff's family (Malia and Cole weren't there - Jen and Ryan got a break from being parents that morning. I wish we'd left Mason with someone too!!!)

Fourth picture - Me with Jeff, the love of my life. Isn't he cute?!

Last picture - Mason's only "still" moment all day - looking at the cows through the gate at Wadley Farms where the reception was held. The location was perfect. Lots of area for Mason to run around and be his crazy, hyperactive self.

On a side note, Jeff and his siblings were asked to "roast" Doug at the wedding dinner the night before, so they put together a survival kit for Rheanna full of things she'd need if she wanted to really last longer than a week with Doug. The kit included a gas mask, nose plugs and air freshener (for his wicked farts), a grab bag (full of things that Doug already owns) to select from for special occasions, since Doug always gives people for their Birthdays things that they already own that he's grabbed out of their closets. They also played a video of Doug's crazy dance moves so that Rheanna can learn how to keep up with him at parties (if you're wondering how he dances, just watch the portion of the movie "Hitch" when they show off their dance moves). It was hilarious!!

Doug & Rheanna, we're so happy for you! CONGRATULATIONS!!

Mason's First Pony Ride

We went up North for the 4th of July weekend, and it was actually quite the experience just getting there! My girlfriend Crystal was having a party for her daughter Addi's first Birthday on the night of the 3rd, but Jeff couldn't even leave Saint George until that night, so I found a ride up (for Mason, his HUGE carseat, and I) with a friend of a friend who was leaving St. George at 4:30 that morning. Mason refused to sleep in the car...so needless to say, it was an interesting ride.

Getting there early though was awesome because my mom and dad were in town staying with my grandparents in Pleasant Grove, so we got to spend lots of time with them. Mason sure gets silly when he sees his grandparents and great-grandparents. It's great!

Addi's party that night was so much fun. Our friends Maria and Rob offered their backyard for the event, which meant that there was room for Crystal to rent a miniature pony. Mason was so excited to ride it! They also had cupcake cones for the kiddos, and Mason thoroughly enjoyed his!

Addi was the cutest little princess. Before it was time to dive into her cake, she was all dolled up in a pink fluffy tutu and beads. Here's a picture of her attacking her birthday cake.

And last but certainly not least, it was so fun being able to see some of my girlfriends at the party!! Being in St. George, I'm so far away from all of the people I've been friends with for the last 6-8 years, so it's always so exciting for me when I get to see them! We can go for a couple of months without talking (sometimes longer) then when we see each other, it's like we never missed a beat. Those are real friends! (Adria, me & Mason, Crystal, Rosie & cute little pregnant Maria)

Toot, toot!!

So most of you know that I absolutely LOVED my mission...so much that I brought 30 pounds of Chile home with me as a keepsake!! Well, I lost most of that after I got home, but not all of it. Then I got married and had a baby...and I've never gotten back down to my pre-mission weight.

My friend Shellie has been doing a weight loss program for a few months now and has lost a good amount of weight, and looks SO HOT in her new bikini, so I asked her if she'd share her secret. She told me she was doing L.A. Weight Loss and exercising regularly, so I went to the L.A. Weight Loss center here in St. George and met with a consultant. We decided it was right for me, so I started on June 25th - making today my 8th day. I've lost 7.5 pounds!!

It's amazing what a healthy, balanced diet and exercise can do for you! I have never been a super healthy eater - I am used to having at LEAST a pack of m&m's or a candy bar every day, and I can get a little lazy with my exercise. This diet totally cuts out the crap, and makes me eat healthy. Here's what I get each day: 2 servings of protein, 2 servings of veggies, 2 servings of fruit, 2 starches, 1 serving of dairy, one fat (like light margerine or salad dressing), tons and tons of water, and a protein bar in between each meal. It's pretty durn easy!

So...I'm not usually one to toot my own horn, but today I'm gonna toot away! TOOT, TOOT!!!

I think I can, I think I can...

Two years ago I went on my first extreme hiking/rappelling excursion with Jeff and his crew to Zion National Park in Southern Utah. We did 2 days of 8-10 hour climbs/rappels each day, and I really had a great time! I have always had a little fear of heights, but I got over it real quck when I had to rappel over 100 feet into a huge bowl with tourists and water below, and canyon walls surrounding me.

We weren't able to make the trip last summer, but everyone found time this year. Since Jeff and I live 45 minutes from Zion Nat'l Park, everyone just drove down from SLC and is staying here with us. Jeff's brother Ryan and his wife Jen came, another brother Doug, and brother-in-law Cory.

So yesterday we did Spry Canyon (one of Zion's "technical" canyons). Before the bulk of us drove up though, Jeff and Ryan had already headed up at 3:00 a.m. to wait in line for a permit for the hike they all wanted to do today (Mystery Canyon). They got it! Yay! Anyway, we started our hike into Spry around 8:30 Friday morning and it was tough from the get-go. It began in a wide, sandy wash that took us about 15 minutes (about half a mile), then we had to climb several hundred feet up a "slickrock watercourse". That was the hardest part of the whole day for me. It was the steepest climb I've ever done, and it was on this smooth sandstone type rock, so it was pretty much just using your calf muscles and loads of endurance (I must have forgotten to bring those things with me yesterday!). Anyhow, I had just done the cleansing stage of this healthy eating plan I'm on...and Thursday was my first day with all the food groups reintroduced, so on Friday I guess I just didn't have the energy and fuel my muscles needed. Jeff is the one who is typically the leader of the pack and is always in the front, but he stayed in the back with me, encouraged me, checked on me, kept making me stop to breathe and drink water, and eventually he took my pack so that I could make it up to the top.

After the climb, we began our descent through a dry riverbed surrounded by the high, colorful walls of the canyon. The first rappel was 165 feet if that gives you an idea of how huge the rappels were on this trip. Anyway, about 115 rappels later, we got to the bottom where we bouldered our way down to a pool of water (this is also the end of the Pine Creek trail too). What a sweet reward it was, about 9 hours after we began, to jump into that nice cool, clean water!! It was at least 105 outside, so we were ready for that perfect ending.

All in all, it was an incredible experience. It was so awesome to be able to enjoy God's creations up close and personal. I also really enjoyed being able to get to know the Baumann/Christensen family better!

Today the five of them are up again doing Mystery Canyon. It's supposed to be one of the hardest, yet one of the most beautiful trips in the park, so I can't wait to hear their stories! I wish I could have gone, but I couldn't handle the idea of leaving Mason with a babysitter for a second day. Plus, yesterday WORE ME OUT!

No, No!

Today we reached a milestone with Mason that I was hoping would come a year or so down the road rather than at 15 months.

There are several places in the house Mason knows he's not allowed to go, things he can't touch, and doors/drawers he's not allowed to open. He's not the greatest listener or most obedient child, but I am 100% positive that he understands what I mean when I say, "No, no Mason."

So as I was in the kitchen cleaning up a little bit, Mason was sitting on his little riding truck watching me and eating a strawberry. I reached for the trash can lid to throw some things away, and he let out this super girly scream. When I looked at him (with a baffled look on my face), I said "What, Mason?" To which he replied, "No, no!". I didn't know why he was saying that, but as I opened the trash can and he started to yell "No, no, no, no!" and try his best to shake his finger at me, I understood all too clearly.....if Mason's not allowed in the trash, neither is Mommy!

It was really cute, and now that he knows I laugh when he tells me no I'm pretty sure it will become his new game. Isn't motherhood an adventure?!

Our latest trip up to Sandy...

2 weekends ago (the weekend after getting back from El Paso), we decided to go up to Sandy so we could be with family for Father's Day. On Saturday, Jeff's parents' stake hosted a huge Family Fun Day complete with free food, a live band (they were so good!!), blow-up toys for the kids to play on, face painting, etc. Most of it was too big for Mason to really enjoy this year, but we'll take him again next year when he's a little bigger.

After that, we went back to Gma and Gpa Baumann's house so the kiddos could play in water in the back yard. It was a blast!! Mason and Malia play so well together - she's always so sure to watch out for him and make sure he's not doing anything he's not supposed to. At one point, she took all the toys he was playing with, and when I mentioned to her that they were Mason's toys, she said "yeah, but Mason can share". I died laughing. She's really figured out how to reason through things!

On Sunday, everyone came over and we formed the Baumann/Christensen rock band. Cory even held Mason on his lap so he could play the drums with him. It was so cute! Check out the pics and video!

El Paso Vacation

So the past couple of weeks have been sorta vacation-ish for Mason and I. On the 31st of May, the 2 of us flew out to El Paso to spend some time at my parents' house before Jeff and all the rest of my family arrived the following weekend for Taylor's high school graduation. It was so relaxing, and I really enjoyed having a pool in the back yard!

Once the whole family arrived, the real fun began. Mason, Isaac, Connor and Bennett had so much fun playing together! We were able to see just how aggressive Mason can be as he unleashed his hitting powers on Bennett a few times. I'm sorry, Mark & Bronwyn!! I guess it's time to work on that before it gets out of control.

Dad and I let our goofy side come out - the REAL reason it's so fun for the Donnelson clan to get together is that we're pretty much all a little crazy.

We had a graduation party for Taylor and his girlfriend April on Saturday, then their graduation was on Sunday evening. It was so cool, but I'm a sucker for sentimental stuff like that.

The trip was so much fun, but boy is it always nice to be home and back in the routine I'm used to. Enjoy the pictures!

Twilight

Well I would have never in a million years imagined that I'd fall in love with a vampire novel! Pretty much everyone I know has read "Twilight" and been so into it that they read it in a few days, so after Melea and some family members told me how much they loved it too, I decided to spend the $8 and get it.

I started it Monday night and finished it yesterday - Wednesday. I could not put it down!! I love to read, but I've never read a book that sucked me in from the very first page...until "Twilight". If you're a cynic, as was I, take a chance on this one! I promise you that you won't be disappointed!!

Peacock, anyone?

Well, of all the weird things to ever happen to me, I think tonight might top the list. I was driving home from a quick trip to Roberts (a craft/scrapbook supply store) - keep in mind that it's 9:00 and pretty dark outside - when all of a sudden I see A PEACOCK on the road right in front of my car. I was on the freeway going 70 with a semi in the lane to the right of me, and nowhere really to swerve. I swerved just a tad to the left, causing the poor bird to go under my tire, which ended up being a good thing for my car. No damage. Not such a good thing for the bird. I contributed to pushing the peacock species closer to endangerment.

But seriously, why on earth is there a peacock roaming free in SAINT GEORGE, UTAH? I mean come on! On the freeway? So strange.

So anyhow, the best part happened when I pulled over to make sure the bumper of my new car was okay (and that there weren't any bird parts hanging off the undercarriage). Some nice guy stopped to make sure I didn't need any help, and when I told him what happened he looked at me like I was on drugs. He was like, "You hit a what?"
Me: "Yeah, mister. You heard correctly. I hit a peacock. I'm fine. My car's fine. Thanks for stopping."

Anyway, I guess I shouldn't complain about how mundane and boring my days can be, or I might hit a rhino next time I go for a drive in the outback of St. George!

Hangin' Tough

I'm not quite sure how to write about this topic in a way that will allow others to feel the strange sense of nostalgia that I'm feeling, so I won't even attempt to cater to others' feelings. This is about me!

Most people who know me well know that I never quite got over my love for New Kids On The Block. It goes way back to 1988 or 1989 (maybe earlier). I very clearly remember an entire day of anticipation - I was in the 5th grade, and NKOTB was coming out with their new video. I was so upset that it was premiering while I was in school, but was way excited and surprised when I got home and my dad announced that he had recorded it for my sister Jenn and I.

We went to the NKOTB concert in Columbia, SC when I was probably 10 years old. I'm pretty sure it was 5th or 6th grade. I screamed the ENTIRE concert, and I haven't stopped since then! haha okay, maybe that's a little extreme, but I'm still a super fan. I wish I still had all my tshirts, buttons, pins, nightshirts, and Joey McIntyre doll! Oh - and don't forget all the cassette tapes. Boo yeah.

I proudly admit that I now own their Greatest Hits CD, and it's even on my iPod for my listening convenience (and those on the road around me when I roll down my windows and proclaim my devotion to NKOTB through my blaring speakers).

This morning on the Today Show they had their first concert in 15 years. It was so cool!! All the fans there were around my age, and it was great to see the loyalty. Fans are so excited about their reunion that the past two concerts to go on sale have sold out in less than 10 minutes (Toronto sold out in 4 minutes). They just posted new tour dates on their website and announced a show in Salt Lake City!! I seriously could not be more excited!

I WILL BE THERE!!! Why? Because I'm "oh-oh-oh-oh-oh hangin' tough"!

Games, anyone?

Last week, Mason discovered that he's strong enough to open all the magnetic cabinet doors...JOY! He's obsessed with the game cabinet. He pulls out the Jenga game, any card games he can find, and the dominoes and just dumps them all over the floor. We already had to take the handle off the DVD cabinet - looks like it's time to babyproof the game cabinet too!

Swim time!

We started Mason's "Mom & Tot" swimming lessons last week, and today's our last day. It's been so much fun! He's a little fish - just loves the water. He's learned to jump in and go under (holding his breath under water), kick his feet, allow me to help him swim on his back and tummy, and blow bubbles.

His favorite part of swim class though is free time. The final 15 minutes each day is free time where we can go play in the big part of the pool where all the cool water features are. Mason loves to walk and throw himself under the water. He holds his breath until I pick him up, then he does it again! He's crazy - I'm really gonna have to keep an extra close eye on him around the pool when we go to my parents' house in El Paso.

Blessed

Today my thoughts and prayers are with my cousin Steven, his family, and his dear wife who is battling a vicious form of cancer. At this moment I can't help but see my life with a little bit more clarity and perspective. Life is a precious gift given to us by our Creator, and we need to savor and cherish every single second that He chooses to give us here with those we love and those who love us in return.

A few minutes ago as I put Mason down for his afternoon nap, he looked up at me and said "mama", then blew me kisses and grinned real big. He very rarely says mama, and never blows kisses - his sweet little spirit must know that I'm a little bit emotional today. So I took him out of his crib and decided to rock him for a little while. As I sang to him, he gave his stuffed dog a huge, wet kiss and then pushed it up toward me, wanting me to give it kisses too. So I did, then he hugged it tight, snuggled in close to me (very rare), and closed his eyes. What a special little moment I was allowed to share with my sweet Mason today.

The lyrics of the Martina McBride song "Blessed" came into my head while Mason snuggled with me, so I thought I'd share them. I love you all!

I get kissed by the sun each morning
Put my feet on a hardwood floor
I get to hear my children laughing
Down the hall through the bedroom door
Sometimes I sit on my front porch swing
Just soaking up the day
I think to myself, I think to myself
This world is a beautiful place

I have been blessed
And I feel like I've found my way
I thank God for all I've been given
At the end of every day
I have been blessed
With so much more than I deserve
To be here with the ones that love me
To love them so much it hurts
I have been blessed

Across a crowded room
I know you know what I'm thinking
By the way I look at you
And when we're lying in the quiet
And no words have to be said
I think to myself, I think to myself
This love is a beautiful gift

I have been blessed
And I feel like I've found my way
I thank God for all I've been given
At the end of every day
I have been blessed
With so much more than I deserve
To be here with the ones that love me
To love them so much it hurts
I have been blessed

When I'm singing my kids to sleep
When I feel you holding me
I know

I have been blessed
And I feel like I've found my way
I thank God for all I've been given
At the end of every day
I have been blessed
With so much more than I deserve
To be here with the ones that love me
To love them so much it hurts
I have been blessed

Uh-may-zing!!

After putting on my favorite pair of jeans yesterday and having a minor case of "muffin top" (translation: side fat spilling over the sides of the jeans), I decided that I'm cutting all crappy food out of my diet! None of this "I can only have sweets on the weekends" stuff. I'm only allowing myself a treat during special occasions, and even then I'm only allowing myself to have one thing. Period. My body doesn't need that stuff.

SO the first major step was taken tonight. We had a very healthy dinner - chicken and veggie/fruit kabobs! Here are the ingredients and instructions if you're interested! WE LOVED IT!! And it made 12 very full kabobs, so if you're feeding a small family, you'll probably have leftovers, which is never a bad thing, right?!

Ingredients:
1 whole pineapple
1 large green pepper (add a red and yellow pepper for more color IF YOU CAN AFFORD IT! Peppers are so expensive now!)
1 large zucchini squash
Mushrooms (I bought the little package of pre-cut mushrooms. Much easier)
3 boneless chicken breasts

Marinade for veggies:
1/2 cup Red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil (could even reduce to 1/8 cup if you want)
1/2 tbsp garlic powder (more or less depending on personal preference)
Hand-ground black pepper (amount also depending on preference)

Marinade for chicken:
Zesty Italian salad dressing (I buy generic)

Instructions:
Cut up the pineapple and set aside - don't marinate it (don't get rid of the pineapple juice on the cutting board. Just cut your veggies on top of the juice). Cut up all the veggies and put them in the veggie marinade, then add the pineapple juice that was left on the cutting board. I let the veggies marinate in a gallon size ziplock baggie for 4 hours.

Cut up the chicken into large cubes (i like mine pretty big), then put in a separate gallon size baggie with as much Zesty Italian dressing as you want. Let it marinate as long as you let the veggies marinate.

Stack it all on skewers and grill! We actually don't have a grill, so we used the broiler pan in our oven and set the oven on "broil - high" for 14 minutes - 7 minutes on each side.

Enjoy!!

I always knew there was a reason I hated laundry...

And now I know what that reason is!

Yesterday, while going about my usual housewife duties (none of which I despise, by the way, except for the laundry) - it came time to fold the clothes in the dryer. I bent down, opened the dryer door, and before I even pulled anything out, a little scream escaped my mouth!

The entire dryer drum was splotched and streaked with blue ink!! "Just breathe," I told myself as I pulled the first article of clothing out (my brand-spankin-new shirt that I got last week). As I looked it over, I started to cry. Yes, I'm a baby, but I rarely get to by myself something new, and this shirt was just the perfect shirt. It was casual enough to wear with jeans or shorts, but nice enough to wear it with a skirt to church too. Well, after one look at it, I realized that I'd never be wearing it with anything - it was covered in blue ink. Spots, streaks, little evil smiley faces laughing at me...it was hopeless.

As I pulled more clothes out, I realized that every single one of Mason's new summer shirts appeared to be ruined too. I mean, ink explosions in the washer are one thing - the stains haven't been set by the heat of the dryer yet. But these had been washed AND dried. I cried some more.

After I pulled all the clothes out, I found the 2 empty, broken ball point pens in the bottom. If my nightmare could have been turned into an animated moment, I'm sure they would have been laughing at me too.

I never have anything in my pockets, so I knew the pens weren't mine. Jeff always has ink pens in the pockets of his work pants, so it was easy to figure out where they came from.

Question: Is it my fault for not checking the pockets before I put them in the washer, or is it fair for me to be upset with Jeff for not emptying out his pockets before he threw his pants into the hamper, causing me 4 hours of scrubbing, washing, then more scrubbing & washing?

Conclusion: My job is to be a housewife and mother, since I'm staying home and am not out working. Jeff has told me before that he never remembers to check the pockets, so I'm going to have to swallow my pride (after reminding him each evening to empty his pockets) and check them myself. Give and take - isn't that what a good marriage is made up of?

Anyhow, thank you Mom Donnelson for helping me get the stains out of the clothes! It worked! For anyone else who might ever run into this problem, here's what she told me to do: (in this order!)
1. Spray the stain with ZOUT
2. Apply liquid Wisk detergent over the ZOUT - I applied it with a toothbrush and rubbed it in a little (she recommends the red bottle with blue cap)
3. Put OxyClean powder on top of that, and rub it in (i just used my finger)
4. Let it sit overnight if possible, then wash it in the hottest water the fabric can tolerate. I added 3 small scoops of OxyClean to the water in the washer.

To remove the ink from the inside of the dryer, on the dryer drum, we tried a few things, and only one of them worked.
1. DID NOT WORK: a product called Goof Off. It actually made Jeff high and sick to his stomach.
2. DID WORK (YAAAY!!): We soaked a bunch of old rags and towels in bleach water (LOTS of bleach), then put them in the dryer sopping wet and ran it for an hour at a time. After each hour, we re-soaked the towels and ran it again. We did this 3 times (total of 3 hours), and it worked!! The inside is clean as a whistle!

Anyhow, as much as I felt like I was in one of the dimensions of Hell yesterday, it's nice to feel relief today as I look at my spot-free clothing and dryer. :) Thanks for all the advice!