June 22-July 1st California Beach House Vacation

July 22nd Terry got off work a little early and we headed down to Mesquite as excited as can be. We got there and it was super hot so we immediately headed down to the pool and swam for the next 2 hours. We all had fun. The kids loved having chicken fights and doing the things that are not safe enough to do around lifeguards. It was a long drive but the kids are such a great age it made it super easy to just relax and enjoy the drive.

June 23rd we drove and drove and drove and finally ended up at our destination. A beach house just one house away from the Newport beach on Balboa Drive. We couldn't believe it this is the house we were going to stay in for 7 full days and nights. We quickly unloaded our vehicles, went grocery shopping and we were ready for a week of pure fun. We planned to go to Sea World or Disneyland if things got boring at the beach. But I am telling you right now you won't see any of that on this vacation. Just alot of sun, sand, surfing and smiles.

I don't know if I mentioned it but this vacation is Terry's 40th birthday celebration. Terry just loves surfing he has always had a passion for the ocean. And of course any kind of board under his feet that provides a challenge puts a smile on his face. Terry and Troy are like a package deal you can't have one without loving the other. So here they are the two brothers that I have loved watching them enjoy so much of the same things. Two brothers + one ocean = 2 BIG SMILES! Love these boys!

As soon as we were unpacked and ready for the week we hit the beach and we had so much fun surfing, body boarding, and playing in the sand. I of course had the most fun just watching all the kids playing together without arguing and working together. That is always a mothers favorite part. It was hard to leave the beach that night to go back to the house for dinner. But just a 1 minute walk made it easier because we could always come back if we wanted.

June 24th the big boys woke up early to hit the morning surf. Me and the kids however, felt it was necessary to stay in bed and sleep just a little longer. After a while the boys came back and made us breakfast then we all headed to the beach for day full of beach! All day long we would just take little trips back to the house for this or that. Then back to the beach until sunset it was simply perfect.

Have I ever mentioned how much I just love this man? I love him to death and we just have so much fun together. He is so organized, smart, silly, and cute all at the same time. And he also knows how to put up with me and my semi-crazy attitudes that I might get from time to time. Happy Birthday Loverboy!

I also must say good ol' Kaye and Chuck sure did something right when they raised these boys because they are the best fathers I know. Both Terry and Troy take parenting to a whole new level. They both find it important to teach their kids to have fun but to work hard when they need to. They don't just let their kids get away with everything because its the easy way out. And they both take the extra energy it takes to play and teach their kids.

July 25th Treg has been wanting to go early morning surfing with the boys. So last night he went to be before anyone else so he could wake up earlier then everyone! So we wet suited up and away we headed to the beach. I was there to take photos and watch my cute boys play. Treg had a good time but after a few times he found it funner to play in the sand.. The water was a little to cold without the sun to warm him back up.

We had to take a few family photos just for the heck of it which I have to say I really like how they turned out.

The highlight of Tregs trip was when he found this sand dollar in the sand. I could not believe it. I have been looking for one of those every time I go near a beach for 30 years now and have never found one. Well I think I found one when I was about his same age when we visited grandma up in Washington state but since then I have never seen a real one. So I explained to him how magical that really was.

June 26th we took a trip all the way down Balboa Avenue to Newport beach. It was just fun to shop the shops for fun souvenirs and watch all the fun boats go by. We again took some family photos on this cool tree on the way to the beach.

Then we took a little walk down the pier and Uncle Troy bought everyone ice cream cones. But by the time they got to Troys cone it was so soft it ended up melting right off his cone before we could take the photo... Dang now that was one soft cone! We did have fun watching the skim boarders and the fun beach activities.

Another one of my favorite family photos. Its a good thing Troy was there to be our photographer so we didn't have to keep setting up the timer and running back to smile. Man that can be embarrassing in a place like this.

But look at this group of smiles. Man I love all these people like crazy. Sometimes I need to remind myself that I am Troys girls Aunt not mother. But I sure love them and I hope they know that. This trip just wouldn't be the same without everyone here.

June 27th took the day and drove to Laguna and beached at Woods Cove to do a little snorkeling and exploring the tide pools. We climbed along the rocks and had fun exploring all the little creatures of the sea.

Then we all got our wetsuits on except Treg didn't want to so he snorkeled for a little without his wetsuit but just got too cold and went back to the beach to play with Troys girls while we explored the bigger creatures of the sea.

Bowdee's highlight of the trip was when we saw these Tiger Sharks when we were snorkeling. It was crazy the biggest one we saw was the size of Terry's leg and it started swimming right toward Bowdee. That gave his heart a good shock then a nice relief when it swam past him. But he was able to capture this great photo before it swam away.

June 28th Terry's highlight of this trip was all the early morning surf sessions him and his boys got in. He just loves to go out there for hours and try and try to catch those waves. He did catch a few good ones which kept him coming back for more and more. I went a few times with him but I had more fun taking the photos and recording their surf session.

I got better photos then this of him surfing but, this one shows his smile the best. You can really tell he is having the time of his life!

We went to Costco and they had these foam boards there that were big and perfect for me and the kids to learn on. So just for $100 bucks each we got one and Troy got one to let the kids have some fun on them. This is a great shot of Bowdee having some fun in the weee morning hours.

After the last 2 days of traveling to other beaches we felt the need to stay back at our beach and have some more relaxing fun. So sandcastle competitions began... Boys against the girls this is what they boys came up with...

This is what the girls came up with... I still can't decide the winners so you can be the judges. I guess all that really matters is that both teams had fun working together to create something so special and temporary!!! I always have a hard time watching them wash away. :(

So we go the surf boards for the kids to learn on.. Then I hired the 2 hottest surf instructors there were... :) Then off to the races they went.

Matia's highlight of the trip was "seeing the dolphins and surfing". Matia wanted to be first so here she is tearing it up. She went for quite a while and when her lesson was up there was this cute boy who came running up to her asking her what her name was. He kept following her around saying your a pretty good surfer. Then he was body boarding by her. She was so embarrassed she would just keep quite but pretty interested in him as well. So silly!

Next it was Tregs lesson turn and of course this was his second time surfing since he took an early morning session with his dad a few days earlier. So he picked up on it pretty quickly and would ride all the way into the sand.

Then Bowdee was last and he pretty much just took words of advice from my hot instructor and away he went. They all loved the new surf board and found it pretty easy yet challenging to get up.

We spent the day again playing on the beach and having a good time. We even went to Huntington to walk around a little street shopping they had set up. I think we were all tired and a little sad to know that our fun trip was almost over...

The last night on the beach we had a little photo session in front of the setting sun. It was fun to make the moment last a little longer. We were all so sad to know tomorrow we would be leaving this beautiful place and going back to reality!

This was the boys endless summer photo... Pretty cute huh!

We packed up and left the house by 11:00 :( so sad! We drove and drove and drove until we hit Mesquite and we just couldn't drive any more. So we booked a hotel room and the kids hit the pool while I was perfectly happy to sit next to the AC reading a book. When I went out for pizza this is the reason I was so happy to sit in the hotel... I MELT in the HEAT and have been known to become irrational. So as quick as I could I headed back to the hotel... If I had known it was that hot I would have ordered delivery!

And that my friends will sum up the events of the best beach vacation we have ever had. Thank you Terry and Troy for making it such a fun time for me and the kids. It was a vacation I know we will never forget "The Most Perfect Beach Vacation Ever"

June 17-21 We will miss Gpa

So on June 17th (fathers day) Grandpa Hager passed away. Orson (Hap) Mathews Hager born March 29, 1917 he lived to be 95 and he was simply amazing. He always had such a cute smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye. I remember the day Terry was so excited for me to go meet his Grandpa and Grandma. We went to their little white house where they sat around the table arguing with one another in a cute way. Then Grandpa would go pull out his trusty little black journal to prove he was right. I remember ever since the day I walked through those doors I have always felt completely loved by those 2. In fact we gave Treg Grandpa's last name as his middle name because it just felt right to have his Hager name next to the Townsend name. We all admired the man that Grandpa is and all he has been through. May you now enjoy your dance with Grandma that you have been waiting so long for. We love you and we will miss you but we know you are in good hands that love you. Thanks for teaching us to be HAPPY no matter what is thrown our way.

After we learned of the passing of sweet Grandpa we went to the basement to finish tiling the little bit of tile we had left to do. After we felt good about the work we had done then it was time to play.

We packed up a lunch, sunscreen and our boat and headed to the lake. Here we just relaxed in the sun. We felt like it was our duty to teach the children how to not just work hard but to relax and play hard as well. So we did our parental duties and did just that. We swam in the lake, laid in the sun, and watched the kids run up and down pelican point exploring like crazy.

Then we came home and smoothered Terry with his father's day gifts and his 40th birthday gifts. I have to say he didn't get too much because on Friday we leave for a week at a beach house in Newport, CA with Troy and his family. That was Terry's real 40th birthday gift. But he loved his pontoon boat and BBQ fish dinner. Terry we are so thankful to have you as the father of this family. You are amazing in every way how you teach our children strength, courage, love and devotion. You are such a hard worker with great sensitivities to others. We do LOVE YOU!

Tuesday the 19th was the kids first swim meet. They all did great! Treg wanted to swim a 100 IM so I signed him up and he did his best. I was so proud of him for trying something new and swimming his hardest. He got disqualified because when he jumped off the blocks he came up swimming free style and it starts with Butterfly. But he finished the race and did his best. Way to go guys! Bowdee took 1st in the 200 IM and 1st in the 50 Butterfly but DQ for 100 Butterfly. Matia took 3rd in 50 Back, 9th in 50 Free and 6th in 50 Breast. Treg took 2nd in 50 Back, 2nd in 50 Free and DQ in the 100 IM.

Wednesday the 20th was sweet grandpa's funeral. It was a short and very sweet viewing, then to the grave site to lay him to rest next to grandma. Grandpa was a pilot in WWII and then a commercial pilot after that. He loved to spend his summer in Why, AZ and he would always say "Why not" He had a super sweet happy disposition and he loved doing crafts to pass the time. He did amazing models, cross-stitching, nail art and loved reading old westerns. We will love you always and forever Grandpa!

After we enjoyed a nice lunch with the relatives we headed back to mom and dad Townsends and enjoyed some time with Terry's siblings and their kids. After they all left we stayed a little longer and had a BBQ with Terry's really good childhood friend Jason Wells and his cute family. So the kids all got to play and have fun, 2 of Matt's kids were there also and it was amazing to me how well they all get along even after such a long time!

We woke up the next morning to the sound of my alarm. I had completely forgot Treg had his first Scout Day Camp today and had to be at the church at 6:15. So we frantically ran around getting him out of bed and everything he needed. Drove him to the church and kissed him goodbye. He had such a good time but he looked so little I wasn't sure he should be going. He had a fantastic time and was so excited to buy himself a pocket knife there at the little store. His favorite part was the

Summer Time Finally! June 1-16

The first week of summer we just took it easy and tried to get into the swing of summer. All 3 of the kids made the Hast Summer Swim team again so each day from 12:30-1:30 we have swimming. I have been able to go with them and find a lane so I can swim at the same time. Which has been working GREAT!

We of course have been crazy busy with all the kids finishing up with their baseball games. It has been so fun to watch them all get a little better with each game they play. I love the encouragement they receive from their team and that they give to their team members and each other. At Bowdee's last game he hit a full on over the fence home run! He was so excited that was amazing to watch.

This week I have mostly been excited to go see Matia's dance performance on Saturday. She is such an amazing performer she stands out because of her amazing smile and attitude that she dances with. Thank you Matia for dancing for us you are truly amazing.

The second week of summer on June 10th Terry and I fell in love. For the longest time Terry and I have wanted to live on a farm to give our kids a little bit of what we grew up with as far as experiences, responsibilities and let them enjoy the magic of childhood that comes from a farm. We drove with my brother Kyle to a 5.25 acre farm down by my Aunt Dixies. But as of yesterday it is under contract. So we put in a backup offer just in case something happens.

Wednesday LanDesk (Terry's employers) took us to Lagoon. The kids had so much fun as Terry and I walked around dreaming about the farm and the possibilities. The rides make us so sick anymore that it is nice they are old enough to say "Have fun" and we just wave from the side lines on most of them. We stayed until they closed and we didn't want to leave we had so much fun!

Saturday we took another drive down to the farm by the lake and this time the kids found 3 kittens Matia would like to call the farm the Miracle Farm because she says some different kind of miracle happens every time we go there. We spent the rest of the day tiling our basement trying to finish it up for carpeting.

Vitamin F

This is really so perfect! I must say I feel so blessed with the friends I have. I feel like there are so many people who truly care about me and would help if ever I need it. Thank you to all my wonderful friends. I do love all of you and I truely appreciate all your differences!

Why do I have a variety of friends who are all so different in character? How can I get along with them all? I think that each one helps to bring out a "different" part of me.

With one of them I am polite. I joke with another friend. I sit down and talk about serious matters with one. With another I laugh a lot. I may have a drink with one. I listen to one friend's problems. Then I listen to another one's advice for me.

My friends are all like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. When completed, they form a treasure box. A treasure of friends! They are my friends who understand me better than myself, who support me through good days and bad days. We all pray together and for each other.

Real Age doctors tell us that friends are good for our health. Dr. Oz calls them Vitamin F (for Friends) and counts the benefits of friends as essential to our well being. Research shows that people in strong social circles have less risk of depression and terminal strokes.

If you enjoy your Vitamins constantly you can be up to 30 years younger than your real age. The warmth of friendship stops stress and even in your most intense moments it decreases the chance of a cardiac arrest or stroke.

I'm so happy that I have a stock of Vitamin F

Thank you for being one of my Vitamins!

Wow I still can't beieve it was 16 years ago that Terry and I made those sacred vows. To love and cherish each other for the rest of our lives. We have had an amazing life together so far. I am excited to see what the next 16 years will bring. But I do know I have loved the last 16 years even though there have been struggles, they only seem to bring us closer somehow in the long run. I do love being married to my best friend, the one I can truely be myself around and I know he will keep loving me. Love you baby thanks for all you have taught me and experienced in life with me this far. xoxo forever!

Yellowstone 2012 May 24-28

So here are just a few of our most favorite memories. This year we shared our vacation with Mom and Dad Covington and Troy and his girls. It was great we had a memorable Idaho Falls with these 2 Canadian Geese that had like 100 goslings. They were so dang cute they just kept coming and coming. The blossoms on the trees were beautiful as the air was filled with excitement to begin our vacation.





We got to West Yellowstone and we were all starving so Gpa took the kids swimming because they just couldn't wait one more minute and we responsible adults went to get KFC which Treg has been begging us for since we went to Gma Townsends and she shared some with us back in Feb. So that was the highlight of the first day of our trip.

The kids woke up early ate a quick breakfast and headed to the pool before check out time. Mom and I went for a little shopping downtown West Yellowstone and had to check the roads since it was snowing and we weren't sure if it would still be open. Then we headed back to the hotel and had to pry the children away from the pool. But they were all excited to get to the park and see what there was to see.

Once we got into the park we headed to Mammoth to get our cabins and of course they were not ready yet so we headed to Tower for a quick drive. This was the first year that the Tower Gift Shop was not open so we walked to the falls and then headed back to Mammoth. And on our way to Mammoth....

We saw this amazing site. This young bear was so cute playing by the road side exploring the trees and playing peek a boo with the people watching him. The rangers had scared him off earlier that day but he came back for more. He wasn't shy at all and we sure had a good time watching him, all within reach of our car doors!

The next morning we woke up to at least 6-8 inches of fresh snow covering the grounds. That morning walk to the bathrooms was not the best of memories. So we headed to the ranger station to see what the road conditions were like and well this is what we saw....

Yep it was official we were stuck there in Yellowstone so we watched some movies in the ranger station and looked through their museum and just spent time shopping and eating ice creams. Then we took a drive over to Lamar Valley. There we saw off in the distance 2 wolves frolicking in the fields.

This was also the first year that the Slough Creek campground was closed so we parked it by the trail head and ate our lunch. It was a crazy time with the weather not knowing what it would do from snow to sunshine moment by moment. I guess it kept us on our toes. The Mountain Goats were fun to pull over and watch for a while.

It was kinda sad to leave Yellowstone that last day we woke up to more snow and the kids loved saying good bye to their Yellowstone Snowman friend. This year it seemed to be another Yellowstone in Wintertime. We got our fill of bear watching and snowplows.

But I can't remember Mammoth being quite so amazing the snow really brought out such beautiful coloring it reminded me of how it was during my childhood when I would just stare at it and all I could think of was the most amazing Carmel sundaes. Oh how many wonderful childhood memories I have of this place.

On our way to Jackson Hole we stopped by Old Faithful for Troy and his girls. This was their first experience at Old Faithful so I busted out the stick on mustaches and was determined to make this a memory they would never forget. Of course Old Faithful was as amazing as ever. Never disappointing!

The kids were so excited to go swimming we made a quick stop at Wendy's then down to the pool for the rest of the night. Dad Covington was amazed at the ability that both Troy and Terry have of staying underwater for so long. So of course we had to have a few competitions, I was the official timer and I just couldn't help myself watching them all floating around was just too silly to pass up a good photo.

The next day we checked out then went shopping. Dad and Mom decided the kids all needed some special souvenir to remind them forever of this fun trip we all shared together. So these are the sweet necklaces they bought them for that sweet reminder of all the fun times we had. I am just so grateful to have parents who love us for who we are and who care to be part of our lives!

We drove home the longer way so we could enjoy the views of Bear Lake... Man I miss this place. We stopped and enjoyed some good old Raspberry shakes before we jumped back into the car to finish out our amazing Yellowstone trip of 2012.