The Mighty Hunter / Things I Hear The Kids Say

Levi had a successful hunt last week! He had asked for almost a full week off work so he could go chase the animals in the woods, but he ended up getting a nice 4-point on opening day. Yay!


I think his shirt is very appropriate. :)
But does anyone else feel like the deer is almost smirking in this picture??



I decided I'd better start using some PTO too, so while he was off being a manly man I went and played at Mom and Dad's. Ü

As I soaked up getting to be with my family for 3 days straight, I started really listening to the things they said (mostly Morgan and Zane). At our house, Levi and I talk about a) work, b) who has to teach the Sunday School lesson that week, c) Harry Potter, or d) how we can incorporate bacon with our next meal. That's pretty much it. I know. We're boring.

When they moved to Nebraska, Zane was 4 and Morgan was 7, so I still expect them to be . . . not so big and grown up! So allow me to share some of the conversations that I found most interesting/hilarious. (If you don’t know the kids very well, this will probably not amuse you in the slightest and I will not be offended if you skip to the next post now.)

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Mo and Zane (ages 10 and 7), discussing whether or not to watch “The Little Mermaid”.

·         Mo: "Ooo this was on at Speech last week! But I didn’t get to watch it, I just kinda saw the part where they’re all 'daadada dada dada daaaadaaaaa' [basically monotonous, incoherent singing], you know?"

·         Zane: "Oh, the Under The Sea song. Yeah, that’s a good part."

---

Mo and Zane, now watching the end of “The Little Mermaid”.

·         Mo: "Oh no! Is he going to try to steer the boat into Ursula?? What?!?"

·         Zane: "Well, he’s spent his entire life sailing the sea, so he’s pretty good at steering a boat by now." [Sometimes that kid’s logic surprises me.]

---

I made dinner.

·         Mo: "What are we having?"

·         Brit: "Enchiladas!!"

·         Mo and Zane: "Ohhh….. we don’t like enchiladas..."

·         Brit: "Oh good, I was just kidding – It’s Mexican lasagna….."

·         Mo and Zane: "YAAAY!"

---

I’m doing my makeup in the bathroom. Suddenly Zane’s voice is coming out of the heat vent at my feet.  Apparently they’ve discovered they can communicate from one end of the house to the other by yelling thru the heat vents. I was laughing too hard to be able to tell who said what.

·         "What are you doing??"

·         "Heating up my socks!! What are you doing??"

·         "Talking to you!! And looking for pants…"

---

I introduced the kids to the NFL Bad Lip Reading on YouTube. If you’ve never seen it, it is hilarious. For the rest of the weekend, I would randomly hear Zane spout off phrases from that video (which I'm sure Mom was thrilled about hehehe), such as the following:

·         “An orange peanut? An orange peanut for me? Wooowwww… Well I accept you.

·         “I want it now!! I want cake now!”

·         “Double side of Scooby snack.”

·         “Come pick up all your floor bags, you’re not living in southeast Asia!”

  

 So grateful to be so close to those we love!!  (And to have a full freezer for another year. Ü)

Adventures (& near drowning) at Lagoon

A couple weeks ago, Levi and I drove down to Lagoon Amusement Park in Farmington, UT to spend the day. As we left, I threw a few towels in the car, just in case we decided to do the Lagoon-A-Beach water park in the afternoon.

 

We ran around like crazies all day, enjoying the patches of autumn sunshine, eating carnival food, and trying to make sure we hit every ride at least once, especially once we realized it wasn't really hot enough to enjoy the water rides.

 

By about 5:00 pm, we were exhausted but still having fun.

 

 

Then we felt the raindrops. At first it was just a sprinkle. And then a steady drizzle. Levi said "Let's go on one last ride and then we can go, ok? I've never been on this one!"  I grudgingly agreed. It did look like a pretty cool ride.

 

Photo credit: Bing Images.
If I had taken this picture, there would be half as many people. And they would all be wearing rain ponchos.

 

And then . . . it poured.

 

Levi tried to shield me but we couldn't really tell what direction the rain was coming from. They had to keep stopping the ride between each group, to run tests to make sure it was still safe to run in the rain. So while we had waited in line for only a few minutes ALL day, this line took us 30 minutes to get through. And when we were finally the next in line to get on, we realized that we'd left the windows in the car cracked. Oops!

 

At long last we got on the ride, and as it got up to speed I thought Surely this is how it feels to be inside a washing machine... I tried hard not to scream, since I was pretty sure that would result in drowning. Levi giggled like a girl and had a blast, so I suppose the whole ordeal was worth it.

 

As we splashed away towards the gates of the park, we saw that none of the other rides were going anymore and most of the people had already left or were cowering under the eaves of the buildings. We were part of the few crazy enough to still go on an amusement park ride in the middle of a monsoon.

 

This picture is super blurry because A) I was not about to stop moving towards the car, B) because my phone is inside the Ziploc I'd brought, in the event we suddenly decided to go on a water ride, and C) did I mention how hard it was raining?

 

It's not easy to run through a parking lot/swimming pool with drenched jeans that weigh 90 lbs, and it's impossible to do so and look even remotely graceful at the same time. SO glad we had brought towels!

 

Turns out - EVERY ride is a water ride in a downpour. Who knew. :)

Birthday Month

Holy cow this summer has been crazy! August is birthday month in our family - Zane's is Aug 11th and Morgan's is Aug 22nd. Thankfully, they're really good sports about celebrating their birthdays together every year. (I'm sure it helps that we have about 4 birthday parties for them total throughout the month.)

 

The first weekend in August, Uncle Rick and Aunt Sharon came over from Oregon and we got to spend a couple days shopping and BBQing with them. Morgan and Zane showed us how good they've gotten with their BB Guns they got on Christmas. And it's not a birthday party without cake - and Aunt Sharon found a good one!

 

 

Then this weekend, we celebrated some more! Levi and I drove up to Mom and Dad's on Saturday to go swimming at Jefferson Lake.

 

 

And then Sunday my family came out to the farm in Arbon Valley for the first time for even MORE partying. (I'm telling ya, it literally lasts all month!) My awesome balloon bouquets flew away in the wind before I could snap a picture, but trust me, they were adorable: Animals for Mo, and Spiderman for Zane. And they matched their gift bags perfectly. The kids had a blast running around with the dogs, playing on the swing set and hammock, and jumping on the trampoline.

 

 
They are such good kids. When we realized that Zane's birthday was only a couple weeks away (seriously, where DID July go??), Mom asked him what he wanted. "Mmmm..... I will be happy with whatever you get me!" :) After they left the farm, Ken and Melinda both commented on how easygoing and well-behaved they are. Made me feel like a proud momma - er, Big Sister. I only wish I could take credit!

Happy 4th!

Every year, I think "We're going to keep the 4th a simpler holiday this year. It shouldn't have to feel so chaotic." Aaaand then it ends up being CRAZY. This year, we drove to Pocatello on the 3rd to stay with our friends Dustin and Cami in their beautiful new house. Dustin is one of the M7 boys, and they've been our neighbors ever since we got married, so we're missing them a TON. (Now who am I supposed to borrow powdered sugar from at 10 PM when I randomly decide to make a cake??)

We went to the Pocatello parade in the morning, and tried our best not to melt away. It was HOT.

Levi's tradition is that you HAVE to go swimming on the 4th. So we found a spot on the river that was semi-shaded (although extremely dusty), ate our pizza, and then Cami and I decided we were done sweating to death. ...Plus, that water looked like you would probably start glowing green if you swam in it too long. So she and I packed up little Hadli, and went back to her house to take a nap while everyone else swam. :) THAT should be one of my 4th of July traditions... napping.... it's Patriotic right?

When everyone was finally together again, we had our usual M7 Independence Day BBQ, and then Levi and I jetted up to Mom's to watch the Menan fireworks. The kids were so excited that we made it in time.

Zane couldn't stand still long enough for a non-blurry picture.
Sparklers are just too exciting!

Our plan was to stay the night with Mom and Dad, and then come home, but what's the use of being young if you can't be spontaneous? Deciding that it would be a great weekend to go camping, we left Mom's at 11:30 PM Thursday night, made it home at 2 AM, and left the next day to go camping. It was definitely worth it though.

A thunderstorm rolled over us as we were cooking dinner, but other than that the weather was beautiful!

 

Tis the Season - For Weddings!

May arrived, school ended, and all taffeta broke loose. Hello wedding season! This summer, we have 8 weddings to attend within a 12 week spread! I'm hoping to make it to at least half of them. Add in 1 new M7 niece being born, a college graduation in Oregon, 2 of the M7 boys graduating from Utah State, Levi starting a new job, countless niece and nephew birthdays, and trying to take advantage of the nice weather and my parents living closer.......... I think I need a nap!

 

One of Levi's mission companions, Justin Despain got married on May 18th, and as Levi was a groomsman, we got to be involved in ALL the festivities. Jen and Justin wanted a "Disney Princess" wedding, so their theme was "Our Happily Ever After".

 



Levi made a beautiful groomsman.

The reception was all things Disney...

 



Each table centerpiece was based on a different Disney Princess.

The food was all things Disney... 



In case some of these are hard to see, those are (starting top left and going clockwise): Jasmine's Gold Sugar Cookie Coins, Pascal's Cupcakes, Button Cookies, Ariel's Sand Dollar Cookies, Rose's Cupcakes, Pocahontas Hummingbird Nests, the Snuggly Duckling Watering Hole, Fruit Flower bouquets, Mulan's Fortune Cookies, Cinderella's Mice Truffles, Pretzel Fairy Wands, Belle's Magical Rose Shortcakes, and a magical light up princess castle.

 

Jen and Justin also asked each member of the bridal party and their significant other to participate in a Disney Princess photo shoot. Luckily, I already owned a green dress and had just found a box from Mom's that had my prom tiara in it. So we chose Tiana and Prince Naveen, from Princess and the frog.

 

Pretty good likeness, right? I told Levi to make a "suave" face lol.

 

As a whole, I think we looked pretty swell.  

 

Her dad and grandpa even joined in as kings.

 What a day!

 

Almost exactly a month later, it was Dallas (Levi's brother) and Laci's wedding. They went for more of an outdoor, superhero theme. It was beautiful!

 

 

Only 4 more weeks, and 3 more weddings to go! :)

Oregon Time

I was so ready for a trip home to Oregon! So when my cousin Zack asked if we were coming for his college graduation, I answered with a resounding YES! Levi and I only told Mom and the kids that we were going, and then Friday night we jumped in the car after work and drove to La Grande. You should have seen Grandma's face when we came walking up to the house Saturday morning. :) We got to spend all day Saturday with Dad's side of the family at Zack's graduation and the after party...

 ...and then spent Sunday with Mom's family barbequing and playing with the cousins at Grandma and Grandpa's.

 

  

Hopefully, we'll be back in time for Huckleberry season at the end of the summer...

Party for Presidents' Day?

I love school holidays, even if I'm not in school anymore! Mom and the kids came over to spend a few days since they had no school on Presidents' Day. There's not much to do in Cache Valley in February (unless you're a snowboarder or snowplow driver) so Mom and I took the kids down to Salt Lake City to visit temple square and the new City Creek mall. It was a cold day but fun to get out and run around.

 

After living in Utah for 2½ years, I've done the Temple Square thing so often that the new has fairly well worn off, but it was super fun watching the kids explore and see things that they recognized from watching General Conference.

 

 

 

As we walked into the Conference Center, Morgan's eyes got really big and she whispered: "This is where the prophet is!! Are we going to see him today?!?"

 

 

 

 

But our favorite part was taking pictures in front of the temple! The kids proudly said as we drove home "Best Day Ever!"

 

 

And finally, Levi's stepbrother and one of my good friends from high school, BRADEN came home last night! He's been serving a mission in Cuernavaca, Mexico for the last two years. Welcome home, Elder Campbell!

 

 

 

 

Holidays!!

Our friends all decided we should get together for a Halloween party this year, & it ended up being at our house. No biggie, until Levi said, "We're having a Halloween party! You can't have a party without decorations!!" And so... we decorated! 

I'm figuring out that all it takes to have a successful party is food and access to YouTube.
The boys were entertained for hours.

And then Thanksgiving was here! We spent the holiday in Arbon, giving our thanks and stuffing ourselves with Levi's fam. That evening, I was able to electronically be with all of my family at once! My uncle and his family flew to Oregon from Georgia, and so we all Skyped! We had Georgia Berrys (Mike's family), Oregon Berrys (the grandparents, Lloyd's clan, and Melinda's bunch), Nebraska Berrys (Mum and the kids - Dad does not Skype), and me - the Idaho/Utah Berry-Nutt.

This was the first time we've all "been together" since Levi and I got married. My heart was so full!

And then came Christmas!! We wanted to surprise Morgan and Zane, so we left Logan at 3 AM (yes, as in 0300 hours!) on Sunday morning and drove all the way to Nebraska in a snowstorm, so that we could hide in their rooms before they came home from church. So worth it! I WISH I had a picture of the looks on their faces when they found us.

Before we left UT, Levi and I had our own Christmas and opened all of our presents from each other. (We thought about waiting until we got back on Christmas night. And then we laughed and laughed and said "Yeah right!")

Yes, that is a "Santa-wrapped" present. I was pretty proud
of how it turned out!!

 

This was the first time since I graduated high school that I've gotten to be with my parents and the kids on Christmas. We had so much fun! 

We got up extra early Christmas morning to open presents, and then Dad had to go take care of the cows and we had to head back to Utah, so Levi could return to work the next day. We were hopeful that SOMEDAY we wouldn't have to take these lightening trips across dreary Wyoming to windy Nebraska to see my family....

 

 

  

We rang in the New Year with our friends out in Arbon, as we learned the joys of the "Just Dance" Wii games. I don't think I've laughed that hard in YEARS!

 

 

 

Day 730!

 

 

Funny how the last 2 years seems like it's flown by, but at the same time, it seems like we've already been married for forever! (In a good way. Ü) We took our traditional trip down to Salt Lake to wander through temple square with the crazies, looking at all the lights, and stayed at our favorite antique hotel, the Peery.

 

 

Benihana's was a FANTASTIC choice for dinner! And who knew we would end up sitting with a lady from SE Idaho who's son was in Levi's class, and one of my coworkers haha. Small world...

 

 

Love my best friend even more today than Day 1!