I love September!

I don't know about you, but I love fall and I'm so happy that it's finally here! I seriously think I love everything about it...the cooler nights, U football games, sweatshirts and jeans, school starting, knowing that I survived Swiss Days and for this year...getting closer to having this baby! Overall I've had a pleasant pregnancy, but just this week I was thinking 'how much longer?'...Seriously I think the last two months are the hardest for me because I know that the end is getting closer but it seems like it lasts forever too. Ah the joys of pregnancy!
Anyhow Avery started her 2nd year of pre-school and she absolutely loves it! On her first day, Rich asked her what she learned and she said, "My teacher has so many polly pockets!" It was so funny but I wasn't surprised. She loves those things! Here's a couple of pics from her 1st day - (yes I know her hair was wet...we didn't get up early enough to do it!)

Oh how sweet!

Avery thinking "I can't wait to go to pre-school and play with all the dolls!"

As many of you know, Swiss Days is over. I say that with a partial smile on my face. It's kindof like Christmas - can't wait for it to come but afterwards can't wait to take down the tree! It's so funny because it takes us about 4-5 hours to set up the booth and neatly place all of the product inside. Everything has it's place and has to look just perfect! Come Saturday night at around 7:45 (doesn't end until 8pm) we get the itch to start taking down everything! It only takes about 2 hours start to finish when it comes to 'post' Swiss Days! By then I'm just feeling tired and hungry...what's new? The next day I did feel a little down after it ended because it's just such a fun time of year for my sister and I. This year was awesome for us and we are hoping to get in again next year. We will be applying in January, but will have to wait until March to see. It's so hard waiting all that time, but hopefully we'll get lucky again to be in there! I saw so many friends come up to Swiss Days this year - you are all so awesome for stopping by our booth and saying hi! It made my day! We took some cute pics of our booth so I will post them when I get them!

While I was at Swiss Days, Rich took the kids canoeing with all the relatives. They had a great time. I was so happy that they had something fun to do while I was away. I was a little embarassed about Hank's jersey - apparently Rich doesn't think it's getto to wear football jerseys without a t-shirt underneath! Oh well, I don't think Hank cared at all!

My sister's chiwuawua (no idea how to spell that one) had puppies last month and oh my goodness...they are adorable. We took their 'newborn pictures' the other day! It was so fun!

Aren't they so cute?

Ashley keeps telling me that I need to take one, but I don't think I can handle having a baby and puppy at the same time...but I sure love to go visit and hold them!

A great weekend up in Jackson Hole!

As many of you know, Jackson Hole is a very special place for the Vernon fam! Rich and I met up there 10 years ago, summer of '98, when we both worked up at the Lone Eagle Resort. He was a river guide for over 5 years and enjoys taking people (especially newbies) down the Snake River! We usually try to make the trip up there at least once a summer. For the past several years, our good friends Jesse and Ashly Hutcheon have invited us to go up with Ashly's family and stay in their cabin in Star Valley. It's been so fun staying in their cabin and in trade taking them down the river! So our annual trip with the Alter family was this weekend and we had another fun time!

On Friday, we decided to take the kids down a two hour float trip on the raft. This was a more calm section of the Snake, just above Hoback junction. It started out with sunny skies and it actually felt nice to put our feet in the water. Avery, Hank, Clark (almost 3) and Ava (almost 1) were troopers to wear their lifejackets and were having a great time. About 1/2 way into the float, we saw some dark clouds come over us and we were just about to make us some sandwiches on the raft. It started to sprinkle a little, but nothing major. Then...it happened. We heard thunder and then it downpoured. Rich pulled out enough raingear for everyone from the dry bag (in which I will never make funny comments on how much he packs for the river again!) Luckily Ashly brought an umbrella to protect Ava from the sun, but it came in handy for the rain too! It wasn't too bad, until the wind started blowing us upriver, the umbrella turned inside out, the pea size hale started pelting our skin, a lightning bolt struck probably just a mile away and we had to pull over on the side of a steep mountain side to run to the nearest tree for cover! Gosh sounds like fun huh? Well let's just say that our many prayers were answered and the 'perfect storm' only lasted about 10 minutes. The four little ones were pretty calm really, I think they must've been in shock or something. Right after the storm passed and we were back on the raft, both Ava and Hank fell asleep. The rest of the float trip was calm and actually not too chilly. Here are some pics!

Before the storm...After the storm...wet but still smiling!

On Saturday we ran the river twice down the whitewater section. The weather was absolutely beautiful - it couldn't have been better! Grandma Pat and Grandpa Ed watched the kids while we rafted for 1 1/2 hours. It was a blast! Avery was so funny calling Ashly's parents her grandma and grandpa! She definately didn't mind spending some time with them that day!

Well we sure had a fun time up in Jackson this weekend! Now it's back to reality and feeling a little 'under the weather!' I think that perfect storm on Friday gave me a cold...bummer!

American Idol Auditions!

Okay...so I guess my 'once a month' has turned into every 6 weeks! Sorry! I know I should be better at updating my blog or I shouldn't have one... right? Well alot has been going on lately and I guess by the time I have a few minutes to myself (rarely happens at all) it's very late at night and I honestly don't feel like walking down to the basement and getting on the computer to blog. I just feel like laying down...attention the belly is getting bigger by the second. Anyways I wanted to blog about the whole experience up at the auditions...but once I read what my little sis wrote on her blog I thought "I can't top that...so I'll just send everyone to read hers!" Sounds pretty pathetic I know, but I promise you won't want to skip over this one. We had such a blast and I'm soooo glad that we made the short trip of 30 minutes up there! Thanks to my wonderful babysitters so I could go! :)

My sisters blog is : http://amillionlittlequestionssolittletime.blogspot.com/

Anyways I didn't have my camera there (lame) so check out her slideshow for the pics!

Can't believe that Swiss Days is coming up at the end of the month. My sister and I have been working a little overtime trying to get ready! For all ya'll that need something fun to do on August 29th & 30th you should make a trip up to Midway (near Heber) and come to Swiss Days. There are hundreds of booths there selling everything you can think of...and if you're not in the mood to spend some $ - you've got to at least come up for the delicious food. Their scones, hamburgers, cinnamon roasted nuts and cookies are just a few of my favs! Hope to see some of you there!

Another month has flown by!

Gosh I'm having a hard time updating our blog just once a month...how sad is that?!? Now that I have a few minutes and I finally uploaded all of my pictures - I'm ready to blog again! Do any of you feel like that? I guess I just like to add pictures every time I post, since I'm not a very creative writer! (like most of you reading right now...e.i. Adhis, Ashley,etc.)

We have had quite the summer so far. I created a flippin' long slideshow, so sit back and relax because it's a full-on movie! We've been to Vegas for Memorial Day, BBQ'n with friends and family, camping at the ward camp-out, swimming at the pool, hanging out with our newest cousin Eliza and as you can see...I've been taking lots & lots of pictures with my new camera. I've been saving for almost a whole year to finally buy a good one. I love it!

Hope you are all having a great summer! :)

Spring is finally here!

Oh my goodness! Today was such a beautiful day and without wind too! Eventhough I got extremely sunburned from playing outside for 5 hours with the kids on the lawn...we had such a wonderful time! It's amazing how great I feel being outside! I asked my next door neighbor, Martha, if she could take some kandid pics of the kids playing and she totally captured them without them knowing. She did such a great job! Thanks Martha! Take a look...


My kids love being outside...playing with their friends and I love hanging out with my neighbors! I haven't blogged for over a month now...and I guess I should share our great news that we will be having another little blond, toe head this November! We are so excited, as well as Avery...she can hardly wait to hold and kiss him/her!? Our due date is Nov 13th. I am 14 weeks now and I have finally felt better in the last week, so I'm thinking I might be through with the 'afternoon sickness!' Hallellujah!