Pioneer Day

Having been in Washington DC for the past three summers and realizing that July 24th is just another day, it seemed only fitting and proper that we celebrated Pioneer Day with gusto. And if gusto is what you want, then Monticello is the place to be. Oh, who am I trying to fool? While the parade and festival are fun, we all know the real reason to celebrate the 24th in Monticello is to partake of Grandma Pehrson's Navajo tacos. Just thinking about that delicious fry bread smothered in chili, cheese, and salsa is enough to make a man go to his happy place. Just ask Nate.

Because Grandma Steph was in Texas, Grandad had little Miss Bryn and Hudson all to himself. Hudson is such a sweetheart and loves any and all people. He easily made the transition to the "No Grandma Steph" weekend. Brynlee, on the other hand, took a little more convincing. My dad used the time wisely and cultivated a relationship based on treats, reading books, and letting Bryn chose the movies. Secretly, I think my dad was pleased to have Bryn all to himself. Usually when Grandma Steph is around, everyone else, myself included, become nonexistent. Being a grandparent suits him well; I don't ever remember him letting me watch Lion King eighteen times.

 The parade itself was nice. I was surprised by the amount of candy that was thrown. There was so much that kids stopped picking it up off the streets. Apparently, kids would rather go purchase their own candy from the store rather than exert the effort needed to bend down and pick it up. Sheesh. Kids these days. And while the temperature was a little on the warm side, everyone made sure to keep themselves cool with popsicles and plenty of ice cold water.

For all you uneducated folks, and I use the term loosely because until recently I was one, this tractor is one of only 10 known and functioning Emerson & Brantingham Big 4 tractors throughout the entire world. This tractor was built around 1914 and was used in the area for farming. After severe droughts and newer, sleeker models became available, this tractor fell by the wayside until a group of local tractor enthusiasts attempted to bring it back to life. A lot of money, parts, and labor were donated to restore the tractor. Kind of funny that in a small obscure Utah town lies one of the rarest tractors in the world. 

Immediately following the parade, we met up with Great Grandma and Grandad Pehrson. Brynlee was more than happy to show Grandma her loot and, while walking around the park, Grandad insisted on buying her a red balloon to tote around for the afternoon. At the Navajo Taco lunch, my Grandma spent more time with Brynlee picking berries from the strawberry patch than she did socializing with her other guests. I am so fortunate to have all four of my grandparents still alive and watching them interact with my children is priceless. 

And following a long hot day, a nice leisurely soak in the bath tub is the perfect way to cap off the day.

The Class of 2002

I will pretend nobody here knows how to do math and therefore will admit that my ten year class reunion was held this summer in Monticello. It still seems a little weird that I have been out of high school for ten years. It seems like only a short time ago I was spending my nights traveling for sports and hanging out at Woody's with people I have known since kindergarten. I had been debating whether or not I wanted to drive down to Monticello because we just went down there a month ago. Nostalgia won and I decided that I wanted to see the people who I grew up with. That's one of the advantages of growing up in a small town. It's enjoyable going to reunions because you know everyone there. Needless to say, I am very glad I went and am already looking forward to the next one. I had so much fun catching up with old friends and meeting their spouses that I literally did not take one picture. I stole these from my friends. 

Looking at the picture below, you might think that we didn't have a very good turn out. Sad as it is to say, we actually had quite the showing. Those pictured represent just under half of the graduating class of 2002. I told you I was from a small town. And believe it or not, our girl/boy ration was pretty evenly matched despite what it looks like here. Nate was great the entire night. He even went out of his way to talk to one of my friends' boyfriend who clearly felt out of place. This is one of many reasons why I love him. He can strike up a conversation with just about anyone and has a way of putting people at ease within minutes. When the evening ended, I had to admit it was fun wandering down memory lane, but oddly enough, it was even more comforting to be pulled back into the present, holding hands with Nate as we drove home to our awaiting kids. 

Best Little Buddies

These two little kids sure do love each other. After Hudson was born, I had a lot of people ask me if Brynlee was ever jealous of Hudson or unkind to him. I would have to say that she is the complete opposite. Bryn absolutely adores her little "Huddy Buddy" and certainly isn't bashful when it comes to showing it. Hudson is equally enamored with his sister and is constantly entertained by her crazy antics. Any time Hudson hears her voice, he is constantly looking around for her. Now, whether that is because he can't wait to see her, or because he wants to have a visual confirmation of her whereabouts at all times, has yet to be determined. 

       

And then there are times when Bryn "loves" on Hudson a little too much. I mean a guy can only take so many slobbery kisses and cheek squishes. On the rare occasion that Hudson is a little fussy, Bryn has two ways of diffusing the situation. The first is to say "Shhh. There, there baby. It's ok," in a very soft and soothing voice. Or she will shriek, "Hudson! Knock it off!" usually accompanied by the I-mean-business-finger-point. I seriously don't know how she comes up with this stuff. The only time I say "knock it off" is usually when she is flinging milk and cheerios across the kitchen. She not only remembers the phrase, but uses it in the proper context too. 

Bryn loves to play with Hudson although she is not fond of sharing any of her "good" toys. Whenever I ask her to give Hudson something to play with, more often or not, she will hand him a shoe or a burp cloth and expect him to be satisfied. Sharing is still a work in progress.

Bryn is really enjoying the "big sister role" aka being "miss bossy pants." A few weeks ago at church, we were getting ready to say the closing prayer and Bryn turns to Hudson and says, "Close your eyes!" She refused to close her eyes until she was satisfied that Hudson was being sufficiently reverent.

These two make me laugh, drive me crazy, and melt my heart all in the same day. I simply can't get enough of them. 

Hudson's Blessing

We blessed Hudson on July 15th at Nate's parents house. With both sets of our parents traveling so much this summer for business and pleasure, we kinda of just threw a date out there and hoped for the best. We caught Nate's parents in between one of Mark's conferences, so they were both in attendance. My Dad drove five hours, was only able to stay for a couple of hours, and then had to drive right back home. And as it turned out, my mom was in Phoenix with Clay and Heather. Sweet little Leila Clare made her debut on July 5th and my mom flew in for a week to help out. She was pretty distraught about missing the blessing and even considered flying in for the afternoon to attend it. I told her that was madness and convinced her that we would Skype during the blessing so she could be apart of it without forking over $400 for a plane ticket. We are fortunate to have such wonderful parents who are willing to go out of their ways to make sure they are apart of the big events in our children's lives. Nate gave Hudson a wonderful blessing filled with many great attributes and opportunities every mother would hope her son would possess. Needless to say, it was a great afternoon.

Here is the man of the hour, looking quite dapper in his little suit vest and tie

I still have a hard time believing we are a family of four. Sometimes I wonder 

who are all these little people and why are they calling me "mom?" : ) 

I have a feeling these three little hoodlums are going to get into a lot of trouble over the years. While their given names are different, I refer to them as Mr. Mischief, Ms. Mayhem, and Mr. Mellow. Seriously, trying to take pictures with these three was like herding cats. After about fifteen attempts, which is no exaggeration, we were finally able to get a shot where Hudson wasn't looking completely bored, Liam wasn't trying to escape the clutches of Brynlee, and Bryn wasn't acting like a hooligan.

And once all the pictures were over, Bryn gave a very vocal "hooray!"

Our Sixth Anniversary

Every year for our anniversary we like to celebrate by going on a trip or vacation. We alternate each year and this year it was Nate's responsibility, so he set about planning an amazing trip to a swanky joint in Park City. He had even arranged for his parents to watch our children so we could make a weekend out of it. And then at the last minute, I chickened out and didn't think it would be a good idea to leave my nursing baby overnight. Nate was quick to label me as "lame," but I thought I was being a good responsible parent. 

So with our original plans tossed out the window, Nate threw together an impromptu anniversary trip to Salt Lake City. We first stopped for lunch at an little Belgian restaurant called Bruges Waffles and Frites that somehow Nate stumbled upon. Apparently they are famous for two things: their waffles topped with fresh fruit and a concoction called a "machine gun" sandwich. I had the option of eating a delectable waffle smothering in sauce and topped with fruit, or lamb sausage sandwich topped with french fries and some type of "secret sauce." 

Guess which one I chose? Yup, I agreed to share a machine gun sandwich with Nate, and although it was interesting, I am still kicking myself for not getting a waffle. I suppose they only way to rectify the situation is to make another trip to the Bruges Waffles and Frites to try an authentic Belgian Waffle smothered in goodness and topped with heavenly fruits. 

Following lunch, we wandered into an Italian market and sampled a variety of cheeses and olive oils. After wandering through the shop, we headed to the local farmers market. I think farmers' markets are great. Not because I really buy into the whole "organic" way of life, but because there are so many interesting characters that you run into. We witnessed a vender selling "locally grown organic peaches" from a box that clearly said "California Peaches" on it. There were merchants hocking their wares, trying to convince people to buy their jewelry, knit hats, and beaded rugs. Hippies beating on their drums and playing their wooden flutes provided the perfect ambience as we explored the market. Then came perhaps the best part of the day. Some guy, who may or may not have been stoned, walked up to Nate and asked him, "Hey man! Do you have a minute for the environment?" He clearly wanted to discuss the finer points of recycling and global warming but didn't realize who exactly his audience was. No sooner had he gotten the sentence out of his mouth when Nate replied, "nope" and completely side stepped the guy without giving him a second thought. I could not stop snickering as I quickly followed him. Before law school Nate really couldn't tolerate stupid conversations and that has only grown exponentially since then. I still laugh when I think about it.

After the farmers market, we headed to the Gateway and did a little shopping. Our wardrobes have shrunk significantly over the last three years and are in desperate need of an complete overhaul. We made a few purchases while sipping on smoothies and when it started raining we called it a day and headed back to the house. 

Because Nate's brother was coming to town to celebrate his birthday, we went out to dinner with the family at Market Street Grill. After dinner, Nate and I went to the theatre and saw "The Hunger Games." Nothing spells romance like a bunch of teenagers pitted in a death match against each other right?

 A few days later we went out to dinner at Tucanos for our actual anniversary dinner where we took the only picture of our entire anniversary. I think that we were so caught up in not having kids around that the last thing on our mind was taking pictures. I know this anniversary wasn't exactly what Nate had in mind, but it turned out to be quite memorable nevertheless. After six years of marriage, Nate still has a way of keeping things interesting, and I find him extremely entertaining!

Fourth of July Festivities

This year to celebrate our nation's birthday, the entire Burk clan (minus Dr. Spence) headed to the local Kaysville parade. After collecting strollers, coolers, umbrellas, and other various parade paraphernalia, we headed out the door. I thought it was a bit unusual to pack so much food and water for an event that would last a mere twenty minutes. We got there and it quickly became apparent that my idea of parades was loosely based on the parades I went to growing up. You know, the kinda that are over in about fifteen minutes. Needless to say, these Davis county folks are pretty serious when it comes to their parades. We were there for over a hour and a half before the kids (and even some of the adults) got tired and cranky. When we left, the parade was still going on, and we actually had to walk through the middle of the parade to get back to the cars.

As you can see our normal happy go lucky little boy, was extremely annoyed with the whole thing and wanted to enjoy a nice bottle of cool milk while in the comfort of and air conditioned house. Bryn really did not know what to make of the whole event but was more than happy to eat treats and sip on her ice water. She received many compliments on her festive blue skirt with white stars that Grandma Steph bought specifically for the occasion. Of all the things that were tossed her way, Bryn's favorites were some Mardi Gras necklaces and a political voting sign which she insisted on carrying around for the rest of the morning. She liked the candy, but only if Grandma Charlene or I would pick it up for her. The thought of going out there and socializing with other children merely for the sake of candy was clearly beneath her. Little scamp. 

Immediately following the parade, a few of us decided to hit the nearest pool to cool off. Nate and Hudson relaxed in the air conditioned house along with Papa and Neal while everyone else went for a little swimming and sun bathing. Miss Bryn had the time of her life playing basketball with Grandma and practicing her swimming skills. At one point she decided that it would be a good idea to do a back flip off her floatation device. Grandma was right there and pulled the first thing she could grab which happened to be Bryn's leg. Bryn came out of the water wiping the water from her eyes with a surprised look on her face. She was about to cry until I said, "Yea Bryn!!!" Scott caught on and quickly added, "You were great!" Then a big smile broke out on her face you would think that she had just won the gold medal for synchronized swimming. 

The boys, who seem permanently stuck in adolescence, took it upon themselves to let of a few fireworks. I'm pretty sure there are still some parachute guys stuck on the neighbors' roofs. And of course the boys had to throw those little poppers at each others legs and backs. After a delicious BBQ and homemade ice-cream with raspberries, we went out to the golf course for the main event. We were only out there for about three minutes before mosquitos started feasting on me. I took the kids inside for baths and bedtime because I knew that once the loud booms started, Brynlee would want to leave anyways. Nate however got some great pictures and was able to enjoy the fireworks.

This is how Miss B looked the next morning. All bright-eyed and bushy-tailed ready for her next adventure!

Jen's Fourth 25th Birthday

For those of you who know me well, it would not surprise you to know that I am not a fan of birthdays. Let me rephrase that. I love birthdays, especially birthday parties for little kids. I just don't like my birthday. Once I reached 25, birthdays stopped being enjoyable and became a day of resignation to the fact that I am now a year older and getting that much closer to leaving my twenties. So, with that in mind, I stopped having birthdays after my 25th one. This may prove to be a bit awkward explaining this to my children once they become teenagers and eventually turn 25 themselves, but we will cross that bridge when we come to it.

One of the first places Nate took me to when we were dating in St. George was a little Hibachi grill called Samuri 21. The night started off with dinner and then somehow evolved into a night at a comedy club in Mesquite followed by our big Austrailian friend Ben playing black jack for the first time and walking away with a few hundred dollars. Because it was such an fun night, I always associate Hibachi grills with having a good time.

I thought if we went to a Hibachi grill we would get some good food and Bryn would be entertained by all the knife flinging and fire. I couldn't have been more wrong. Our previously fearless little girl has turned into a timid mouse. Once the first flame shot up on the grill, she was beyond done. She had her face buried in my hair while our chef cooked our food and kept saying, "I'm done, Mom. Go home now. No like the fire. I'm done, Mom." Once the chef was done, and with the promise of birthday cake, she agreed to sit back in her chair. All the hysterics must have used up all her energy reserves as she could not shovel in her noodles fast enough. Then again maybe she was just trying to leave the restaurant faster.

Here is my decadent birthday cake that Nate ordered for me from Gormandise. He made sure that the bakery included a big chocolate name tag for me just in case old age settled in and I forgot my own name. I will readily admit that my memory is not what it used to be and that somedays I feel like I am losing my mind. However, I blame that more on having children than on my age.

I even had a couple of surprise visitors show up. My mom and Aunt Patti were able to stop by for a couple of hours. They were driving through Salt Lake on their way to Texas. It was fun to see them even if it was only for a short time. Overall it was a great birthday. Nate and the kids spoiled me rotten, and I got lots of wonderful and generous gifts from my family. And while I am not a fan of my birthday, I will be forever grateful for another year. As my mom always says, "It sure beats the alternative." Here's to at least another 60 of those "25th birthdays."

 

Freedom Feast

Time is an interesting thing. Just a mere two years ago, our "friend gatherings" used to consist of dinner at a restaurant, bowling, movies, concerts, and board games. And then as little munchkins began to enter the picture, those gatherings slowly evolved into picnics, park visits, and lawn games. With the fourth of July right around the corner, all the little families got together for a little BBQ quickly dubbed the Freedom Feast. The kids had a blast as they scampered around the playground equipment taking frequent breaks for snacks and drinks. The ladies were able to chat while the men enjoyed a friendly game of bocce ball. At least I believe it was friendly, as the usual trash talking was noticeably absent. After all, little kids were present and Bryn tends to repeat everything that she hears.

 

When I saw this, I couldn't help but laugh. All the girls were fawning all over Hudson. Poor little guy was the recipient of many unwanted squishes, pinches, and squeals. Being the good sport that he is, he would coo and smile for the girls and that would set off another round of giggles. This little man seems to ooze charm and is already making me nervous for when he becomes a teenager.

 

Overall, it was a great way to kick off the Fourth of July. The weather was beautiful, the food was delicious, and the company was great. It was especially bittersweet for us as we sent Phil, Amy, and Libby back to DC and, for the first time, we would not be joining them. However, DC is currently in the middle of a record breaking heat wave and a summer storm has just knocked out the power to most of the metro area. With DC experiencing temperatures over 100 degrees with 90% humidity, I am perfectly fine enjoying a nice summer in the Salt Lake Valley.