Seneca Valley

Are these pictures not BEAUTIFUL?!! Well, i am organizing some photos onto CDs currently and I came across these. This is the Seneca valley area in upstate NY. We were there the summer of 2007, while I was pregnant with a girl. This is the beauty that made us start thinking to name our baby girl, "Seneca." And our Seneka IS a beauty, that's for sure! The name fit her the moment we saw her.

(One day i'll print these and put them in her room.)

Mom and Daughter

So, here is a picture of Seneka in Lake Powell. The significance of the picture is she is wearing this little swimsuit cover-up that i had as a baby.

This is a picture of me in the same cover-up (most likely at Lake Powell as well). We are both giving crusties...two peas in a pod.

I love my girl.

HELLO LAKE POWELL 2009!

So, each year my entire family all tries to get together for one trip to Lake Powell. As kids we spent every other weekend there. It is always a lot of fun memories.

This year, however- the beach we came to camp at in Wahweep had E.coli in the water and so they recommended no swimming. Still people were swimming though b/c most likely they wouldnt be getting the water in their mouth. But with our little Seni Beni- it is a whole new story. I was immediately concerned b/c i know how she is at this current age and it would be near impossible to keep her out of the water. In addition, she has tubes in her ears and her plugs dont stay in...so that was an added concern. But we still made the best of it and actually spent a lot of time out on the boats and swimming in other areas of the lake.

Rod and Sheri's girls...Kayla, Brynna, Kiera, McKenna

Ashton water skiing for his 2nd time (once last year as well...click here to see)

Feeling like a big boy jumping off a cliff! (i know it is dangerous! But it was small and Troy was down below.)

Seneka obsessed with all the dogs on the trip... my mom has 5 yorkies and my brother has 2 dogs (this being one of them, Pepper). Unfortunately, they weren't too fond of her. She had great intentions...she only wanted to just kiss them, and kiss them some more, and then lay her head on them and pat them. Over and over. C'mon...what's the problem?

Rod and Marnie in high places...

Being that we were all chasing her the entire time so that she wouldnt get into the lake water, she succombed to sitting in the foot bucket instead (which we started filling with clean water). You see, Seni LOVES to put her face in any water she finds and drink it right up or blow bubbles...yeah, what a joy with our e.coli lake water- if you could only imagine?! Let's just say i got quite the workout this trip chasing her all around.

Rhett and Coen...how precious.

Sitting under our nice shade from our tent trailer's canopy. BTW- we really are enjoying our tent trailer...it is perfect for our needs right now...we love it.

This new sand hill in Wahweep that we found out about this year. The sand is heaven...so, so soft. It is quite the trek getting up to the top...but so worth it. The view was beautiful.

From the top...

Words of Wisdom

A friend of mine posted this same thing on her blog a while back. Since then I have continually thought about it. I just had to share the love too. (I am also printing it off to hang on my wall).

The verses below reportedly were written on the wall of Mother Teresa's home for children in Calcutta, India, and are widely attributed to her.
Some sources say that the words below were written on the wall in Mother Teresa's own room. In any case, their association with Mother Teresa and the Missionaries of Charity has made them popular worldwide, expressing as they do, the spirit in which they lived their lives.


___________________________________________
People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered.

Forgive them anyway.


If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.

Be kind anyway.


If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies.

Succeed anyway.


If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you.

Be honest and sincere anyway.


What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight.

Create anyway.


If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.

Be happy anyway.



The good you do today, will often be forgotten.

Do good anyway.



Give the best you have, and it will never be enough.

Give your best anyway.


In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.

Mistie turns 30!

So, i have to say I was a bit hesitant to turn 30 (not that i really have a choice anyway I guess). It seems though, it really is a milestone and from here moving forward- I am OLD!!!! But after speaking with different people, i am going to be more optimistic about turning the BIG 3-0. A lot of people say the 30s are the best of their life. I am starting to see how this could be. I really do feel great being 30. Really, i do. I am warming up to it.



The only bad thing is though, that I know my chance is now forever over to try out for AMERICAN IDOL!! Dang it!! I just kept telling myself "next year" and now there is no next year. But that is all right. There is more to life than American Idol. I can find another way to get on television, right? You know, i was the flower dancer on Regis and Kelley a bit over a year ago. More opportunities will arise. I have raw talent, you know?!



Anyway, enough of my ramblings.



I was happy to have a SHINDIG to celebrate my milestone. Both of my family and Troy's were all able to attend...which really meant a lot to me. I love when all of our family can be together...life can be busy so it is a milestone when it happens. And a lot of my different friends from different parts of my life were able to come by. It was great to see people. If people only knew really how much it means to me to have the support! I really was blown away. I am SOOO blessed to have crossed paths in life with so many wonderful people and also, that i have been able to keep in touch with so many of them.



I've always thought that life is really about RELATIONSHIPS. Whether it is a neighbor, a coworker, a family member, someone at church, someone at school, someone you meet on the street, really wherever it may be...Life is forming friendships and trying to find ways to come together even though we are all so different. I am the first to admit that it is hard to come together at times b/c we ARE all so different. And sometimes it is hard to make the effort b/c of differing opinions or even just because we are all busy with life. But when I do take the time and energy to come together, it is like magic. And effort usually pays off and the result can hopefully be a friendship.



I love opportunities to make memories and come together with friends and family.



So, anyway- THANKS to all for making my day SPECIAL!!! Love you all.

And i have to point out that i was so impressed with my hubby for coordinating things and putting the whole thing together. He really didn't want me to have much to do with it. He even went and decorated the area with a banner and crape paper and balloons. He wanted to do this for me and it was so sweet of him. I really am lucky that i have such a great husband. He always tries his best to do nice things for me and make me happy. I love you hon!!!

(BTW- also thanks to my long time friend Candace for being my photographer and capturing so many moments at my party!!)

AURORA

tHe foURtH of JuLy ...

has always been my favorite holiday.

Maybe it is because my birthday is on the 6th of July or maybe it is because every year of my life I spent the fourth of July in Aurora and Salina, Utah- where i have very fond childhood memories. Both my parents grew up in these two little towns and as kids they brought us back to the festivities there year after year. It has been so fun to introduce my kids to it as well. It is hard to put it into words but it has this charm to it, that makes me so happy to be a part of. Maybe it is because it is a small town or maybe it is because it has always brought my family together? Or maybe it is because Aurora is where my mom's parents lived - who both passed away within the last few years... and they meant so much to me. So, maybe when i go back to Aurora- it reminds me of them and for a moment, they live on inside of me. I know it may sound cheesy but AURORA has a special place in me. The sad thing is though, is that i know eventually the tradition will die because there are very few family members left down there and so fewer and fewer of my family continue to go each year.

Therefore, i am just going to enjoy the tradition and memories while it lasts...

UNCLE ROB... we are so happy he is moving back to UTAH next month! He has been gone to California far too long.

One of the many games at Aurora park... Ashton could barely see over this Plinko game to see what he was doing

THE RACESYes, this is me trying to hold on for dear life to Troy... while we are racing in the husband and wife sack race at Salina park.

The Father and Son sack race

I had to get a picture of this.

Yes, they are chasing after a chicken. Yes, they "GET" to keep the chicken if they catch it. Yes, people are on the sides chanting and cheering. Yes, this would only happen in good old Aurora!

Seneka starting out her race in the {1 to 2 year old} category at Aurora park!!

Here is her 3rd place ribbon!!! WAHOOO!! You go girl!

Ashton was a bit disappointed he didn't get a ribbon. Truthfully, he got 3rd place as well as Seneka but the guy watching wasn't paying attention (we have the video to prove it!). Oh well, he still got a box of cracker jacks and he was happy with that!

Oh, by the way- when Ashton was only 10 months old and was crawling- we persuaded them to change their rules and allow a new category to the races for "crawlers." My mom and I had a little laugh when we realized they now offer a race for crawlers as the standard. I need to go into politics...look at all the changes i help create to make the world a better place!

THE SALINA PARADE

By the end of the day, you are exhausted...but it is so much fun for the kids and it is making memories to remember for a lifetime.

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!!!

The Wolff's lovely visit

SOOOO happy to see some of our friends from NJ!

The Wolffs were passing through town in search of a job and new home...and we were lucky enough to steal them for a day or two.

It was fun to catch up and remember the good old days back in NYC/NJ!

We really do LOVE our lives now here but we also still really savor our memories of our time back east. We were so blessed to have met such great people, such as the Wolffs, and we plan to always stay in touch with all those we are fortunate enough to call our friends.

We just hope that all our friends one day find some roots back WEST - so we can see them more often (no pressure!). Fortunately the Wolffs are looking at states close by us. YAYY! Ashton keeps asking when he gets to see Ethan again.

Can i mention what a hot babe Naomi is with her new sexy bod?! She is a marathon running, buff, ittybitty machine!

Hey, that's MY blankey!

Ashton was happy to reunite with his buddy, Ethan! They didn't skip a beat.