We're back...

We are back from our Caribbean Cruise and had an absolutely wonderful time. It was so much better than either of us expected. A proper post is forthcoming, but I have a bunch of pictures posted on facebook for now. I just really hate the formatting with this program and I know it's going to be an ordeal... or maybe I'm not doing it right. Does anyone else have issues with Blogger being very un-user friendly??

To be continued...

Dunn's River Falls

Hiking a water fall in Ochos Rios, Jamaica

James riding the Flowrider on the ship.

Our cozy, comfortable stateroom.

Urban Logging

In our backyard we had a big beautiful palm tree… up until last weekend.

When James first moved into the house the leaves were barely over the retaining wall.


Now, just over 2 years later, it has grown at least 10 feet and has gotten way too big for its little corner. The sidewalk was lifting and, most importantly, it was threatening the pool.

Kevin, James’s brother, came over to help handle things. They had it all figured out and they had all the tools… and here’s how it went down…

The carnage...

Awww. So sad.

Kevin carefully cut the "trunk" into even, manageable 30" high sections so we can hopefully do something cool with them. Maybe some side tables?.. Tiki torch holders?...

Family Reunion

Last weekend was our annual "Hafen Family Reunion at the SUU cabin in Cedar City, Utah. I think this was the third year we have had it, but this is the first that I've been able to go to. It was so much fun. I love having everyone under one roof. Unfortunately James was not able to go, but he was missed. The party started on Wednesday afternoon and went till Friday afternoon. Grandma and Grandpa came up for a little while but that was before I got there.

After a full days work Dad came through Las Vegas and picked me up. It was fun to talk and spend some time with my dad; he's such a great man. We got to Cedar City at about 11pm, but everyone was still up playing games. That's how these things are. Everyone stays up way too late playing games.

In the cabin there are several single bedrooms and a larger room full of beds that we call "the orphanage". Only the "adults" get the single rooms so Cindy and I stayed in the orphanage. According to my cousin Hafen, you are not an adult unless you are married. Since my husband was not there I was not an adult and got to sleep with the kids. Most of the kids were actually sleeping downstairs trying to pull an "all-nighter". How successful do you think they were?

Over the three days the meal responsibilities were split up between all the families. Thursday morning breakfast was the Strebel’s meal so we did Belgian waffles and they were a big hit.

Spencer took it as a personal
challenge to eat an entre waffle...

and he did. Nice job Spence!!

After breakfast we started the process of making shirts. Last year they did actual tie-dying. This time we used a spray die instead. It was easier for the kids to do on their own, and less messy than actual tie dying. Everyone made designs on their shirts with masking tape as a stencil, and then sprayed the die. Lots of kids did their names and/or pictures and most everyone did the “A-Lazy-H”.

This is the brand that my Grandpa put on all his cows in his cattle business. (It stands for Arlo Hafen.) Heidi and I both have new nephews, so we made shirts for Ace and James. They turned out so cute even though they won’t be able to wear them for a while.

Kyle and Ashley

I made my mom a shirt too and came up with these cute flowers.

Then I helped make shirts with flowers for Aunt Jennifer, Cindy, Cousin Abbey, Cousin Lindsey and me. By the time it was our turn to spray our shirts most of the dye was gone except for red and purple so they all look pretty similar.

Spencer, Lindsey and Anna playing chess.

After shirts was lunch then a hike. We took a short drive up Cedar Canyon and took a trail to the bristlecone pine trees, the oldest trees in the area.
Aunt Jennifer and Anna

The Strebel gals.

Next was a stop at the Cedar Breaks overlook.

Marci and Dallin

Heidi, Jack, Marci and Anna

Then a little further up the road we stopped at the Alpine Pond trail. At this point Jack was not happy. Cindy carried him in the backpack and he cried a lot of the way. He had a tin lunchbox with his cars in it. Each time he hit Cindy in the head with it he very nicely apologized to her.

As everyone headed back to the cabin, Mom, Dad, Cindy and I took a drive to Brianhead. My Dad went to college in Cedar City and was a on the Ski Patrol at Brianhead. He wanted to check things out and see what it looked like. He said he didn’t recognize a thing. It was a completely different place.

After a delicious dinner it was time for a campfire and S’mores. Uncle Ned and Aunt Debbie brought a fun game that is strictly for the outdoors… you fill your hand with whip cream, throw it up in the air and try to catch it in your mouth. I did not play, but everyone really enjoyed it.

It was starting to get late which means that it is game time. I played a long game of Phase 10 with the cousins before heading to bed. (P.S. Ryan and I won!) Tonight again, the kids were planning an all nighter, however tonight somehow money was involved. Actually not “somehow”… I bet Hafen a dollar that he could not stay up all night until 2:30 pm the next afternoon (when they start their drive back up the American Fork Utah). Spencer got involved and thought he deserved 5 dollars if he could stay up. Of course they didn’t, but the next morning Spencer thought he deserved at least two dollars for the effort. They are so funny.

The intense ending of a long game of "Hand and Foot"

Saturday morning we got up, ate breakfast, cleaned the cabin and packed the cars.

While packing up, Jack thought the best place

for him was sitting in the doorway reading a book.

After leaving the cabin, Cindy and I stopped in Cedar City for a salad and breadstick at “The Pizza Factory”. You must have a breadstick if you are ever in Cedar City (or St. George). Then begins our drive up to Midway

Mmm. Pizza Factory Breadsticks.

Midway

Since we were already halfway there, Cindy and I had decided to head up to Midway Utah (neat Park City) where my Aunt Hilma (my Dad’s sister) lives, and some cousins. Calder and Starr live in Midway and just had a baby girl, Stella, and Amy and her family were visiting from Washington DC so we had to go. Our family grew up just down the street from the Stratford’s in Lake Arrowhead, so they are practically our siblings. Any time we get to spend with the Stratford’s is a real treat. We always re-live the days when Amy used to babysit and all the fun that we had.

Midway is so beautiful and the weather was perfect. We stayed at Hilma’s house, but spent a lot of time at the condo that Amy and her family was renting. We visited with them and played with Ella and Vera. The last time I saw Vera she was brand new, I can’t believe how big she is now!

Amy, Vera and Ella

Sunday dinner was out back at Hilma’s house.

Lagoon

Monday morning we met up with Aunt Jennifer and her kids, and Aunt Jill, Uncle Ivan and their family (from Cedar City) at Lagoon, an amusement park north of Salt Lake. It was so much fun!! It is so much more fun to go to amusement parks with kids. Between us and the two families we had 14 people. The park had a handful of scary upside down rides and lots of fun rides that everyone enjoyed. The one I did not enjoy was the rapids. I hate that ride because I get soaking wet every time, and then I’m wet all day long. Today was no different. I got soaked. Cindy, Hafen and I went right under the waterfall. I tried to block it with Hafen’s body, but he is a terrible shield.

Anna, Marci and Hafen

For the last two rides of the day Cindy and I took Spencer and Dallin on “Wicked”. This is supposed to be the newest and scariest ride in the park. They wanted to go, but they were nervous. Cindy and I had done it earlier in the day, so we spent a lot of time in line answering their question about it. We told them it wasn’t that bad and that they were scared for nothing. When we were in the seats they looked like they were about to cry, they were so scared. They were white knuckled, holding on for dear life, and Cindy and I each held their arm. Five seconds later it was over and they LOVED it. Loved it so much we got right back in line. They were much more cool the second time.

Spencer , Dallin and I in line for "Wicked"

I had such a great weekend. I missed James so much, but it was fun to spend time with family. My families, immediate and extended, are some of my favorite people and I enjoy and treasure every minute I get to spend with them.