Coolest Coke Machine Ever!

So, last night Weston and I went to see Bare Naked Ladies perform at the Red Butte Gardens Amphitheater. It was a blast! I haven't been to many concerts, but they are the most entertaining I've ever experienced. My awesome little sister got us tickets about four years? ago to see them at the E Center. I was a little hesitant because it was Weston's early Christmas present and I didn't care too much for them at that point. I had so much fun at their concert that night and now I love their music! Anyway, they are hilarious.

Before we got to the concert so late (my fault) we had to sit in the very back of a side section behind two gross people who had too much to drink and were very much "in love", we went to Cafe Rio (on 400 S.) to pick up dinner. While we were waiting for them to bring our called in order, I turned around and watched a man getting his drink from one of these:

I had to watch him and another person to really make sure that was what I really saw. This is the coolest coke machine ever! According to an article I read on-line, it dispenses 106 different drinks from one machine! The new microdosing technology depends on cartridges and not syrup bags anymore. I really loved the concert, but I think I was more excited about this machine than anything! If you want to check it out yourselves, there are also machines at:
Larry H. Miller Theatre
9335 S. State Street
Noodles & Company
1152 East 2100 South

Fourth of July on the Third of July

(I was still in "probation" at work on Saturday, July 3rd, the day we celebrated the 4th,

so I will try to tell about the night the best I can.)

We decided to eat an early dinner because I had to leave for work at 5:10. Weston barbecued his delicious Kraft Foods steak with a spicy rub and baja citrus marinated shrimp. We also had corn on the cob and some other usual barbecue items.

While we were waiting for the food to cook, Eliza and Ellie blew bubbles in the backyard. Windu loved chasing them and would jump as high as he could to get them. The girls also ran through the sprinkler after dinner was over, but we didn't get any pictures of that.

Ellie got to hold Eliza's baby sister. She is in love with babies and always wants to hold every one that she sees, even if the baby is bigger than she is!

After dinner, I left for work. I tried to call in before hand and get out of work, but they were only offering that to eight people and I was the ninth to call! Frustrating! Then I tried to "early out" so that I could see the fireworks, but no luck.


Weston, our parents, and Ellie watched Sherlock Holmes while they were waiting for it to get dark. Ellie ate lots of popcorn! Magna was having their 100th celebration of the 4th. Their fireworks looked like they were pretty decent (from pictures Weston took). They have always been pretty good in past years as well. Ellie had a lot of fun spending time with both sets of her grandparents and I'm sure Weston was glad he wasn't alone for the festivities.

Happy Birthday America!

Ellie's First REAL Haircut

The Finished product!

About a year ago, I cut Ellie's bangs for the first time. I saved them, but it really wasn't much. I've trimmed her bangs every time they get in her eyes and it looks funny for a week or so after I do. This morning, Ellie had her first real hair cut. Being the "cheapie" that I am, I decided to do it on my own and if I really messed it up then I would take her to a real salon. I'm not ready to open my own salon, but I think I did a pretty decent job!

The Shaggy Mullet
The Wet Shaggy Mullet
I did it!
After a little styling

Ellie did awesome! She was watching Toy Story 2 and we pulled out the high chair from storage for this special occasion. She sat very still and hardly flinched when I pulled out the blow dryer. I think I can manage cutting Weston's and Ellie's hair for awhile. Now I just need to control my own. By the way, that reminds me that when I was looking on-line for tips to cut Ellie's hair, I saw this product. It looks pretty interesting. Who would've ever thought to put a leveler in a hair cutting tool?

June 2010

June was such a crazy month that I didn't get around to posting anything about it. So here is a month in review (very long, sorry):

June 1st was Ellie's last day of daycare until next school year starts (usually very beginning of September). She loves it there and so do I. The fact that she goes to daycare at a high school where they observe traditional school calendars posed a problem because I still had two weeks of school left until the end of my school year on A Track. Thankfully, my awesome cousin Lisel, my mom, and my teaching partner's daughter, Maddi, were there to fill in. I couldn't have done it without them! Thanks!

June 3rd was Ellie's very first sleepover! Can you believe I hadn't been a single night away from my two-year old? She got to stay over at her Grandma & Grandpa Reynolds' house. I'm pretty sure she had a blast! I don't think she missed us a bit.

We also celebrated our FIFTH wedding anniversary! We had a gift card to eat at Tucanos Brazilian Grill. It was delicious! I highly recommend their Brazilian Lemonade. I got passion fruit flavored and Weston got strawberry. We were even so bold as to say this place is better than Rodizio. We then stayed at the Armstrong Mansion (same place we stayed the night we got hitched).

June 4th is our actual anniversary. We had a yummy breakfast at the Armstrong Mansion and then walked around the Gateway. Weston kept getting phone calls from work so I told him he better just go in and get it fixed. We spent about two hours in his bosses office, who had an abscessed tooth and was flying high on Lortab. We finally left with the problem still partially unsolved so that we could see Iron Man 2 at Jordan Landing. After lunch at Cafe Rio, we finally picked up our daughter. I have to admit it was pretty weird not to have her around, but quite enjoyable.

The traditional gift for a fifth wedding anniversary is wood, so I decided to get Weston a bonsai tree for his office. I got him this teeny little boxwood that he could plant, shape, and care for. It really is no bigger than a baseball. He liked the first one so much that he bought a mini cypress to make into a bonsai tree as well. It's been really fun to see Weston "branch out" into a new interest that has nothing to do with video or computer games.Weston's Bonsai #2

June 8th the third grade A-track classes went to Timpanogos Caves for our field trip. It was a little bit stressful making sure none of our students fell off the trail or peed in their pants, but we all made it through tired, but happy. The scariest part of the whole trip was when we were leaving, the bus driver tried to turn the bus around on the two-lane canyon road. When she backed up, the back of the bus felt like it was hanging over the roaring river and the back of the bus was screaming "We're going to die!" I just white-knuckle gripped the seat in front of me, winced, and started to laugh. I know that doesn't seem like the right thing to do, but what else could I do? There was a bus full of eight and nine year old kids screaming we were going to die and if I panicked it wouldn't have done good to anyone, so I laughed. My teaching partner, Marci, thought I was crazy. :)

June 9th Weston left us to go to Moab for Youth Conference. He had been on the same river rafting trip with the young men a few years back. He wasn't actually in the Young Men's program anymore, but when the bishop gave him a new calling, he asked if Weston would still go (Weston is now the new Elders' Quorum Secretary). He had a lot of fun and told us all about it when he got home on the 12th.

June 10th was my last day of school! Well, of this school year anyway. We start a new year with a new class on July 26th. We had a really good class this year, but it was definitely time to say goodbye!

June 18th the wedding festivities began! Weston's little brother, Cameron, and his bride-to-be, Leila, had their wedding dinner at Westridge Golf Course. It was really good food and we had a lot of fun spending time with Todd and Brooke and the whole family. Ellie was "prettied up" for the evening and even let me curl her hair with a curling iron! Her Grandma Reynolds tatted some pink lace to go around the bottom of the dress she bought for her.

Ellie's curly hair

Cam & Leila

Ellie's Dessert Plate!
Ellie & Grandpa

June 19th The Wedding. I didn't bring my camera with me to the temple, but I got lots at the reception. Ellie was a flower girl that didn't want anything to do with being a flower girl. She didn't want to hold the flowers. She didn't want to walk "down the aisle" at the ring ceremony with the other flower girls. She was quite the pill for the first hour or so of the reception. She did want to sneak food before everyone ate, play in the puddle that was under the drinking fountain, and dance the night away.

Ellie and the other Flower Girls
Sneaking Food
Ellie & Aunt Brookie

Ellie & Uncle Marc (who was also called her Daddy at least once that day)
The Happy Couple
A BUG!
Dancing the night away
Playing in Grandpa's Car

June 20th Father's Day. We went to the Reynolds' house for "linner" as my family used to call it (dinner that was so early it's a lunch/dinner). I had to work (as usual) so I had to leave right after dinner. Before I left, Todd, Brooke, and Marc had brought out dessert that was so stinkin' cute! They made little hamburgers out of a cupcake and brownie and french fries out of sugar cookies. It was adorable. They got the idea from bakerella.

June 24th Ellie and I went to see Toy Story 3 with both of her grandma's. I was laughing so much during that show! I especially loved the first scenes when Andy is playing with his toys in the Wild West. Even though it was funny, I did cry. Silly? Definitely. I felt like a fool crying about kids toys, but what can I say? I'm just a bawl baby. Anyway, two thumbs way up for Toy Story 3.

June 26th Weston and I both had to work this night, but Ellie had her first night out on the town without us. Grandma and Grandpa Reynolds took her to Taylorsville Dayzz. She rode on all of the rides and Grandma said she was fearless and loved every bit of it. Then they watched fireworks and all I heard about for the next week was "Boom, Boom" while she threw her arms out like a firework exploding.

We had a lot of adventures this last month and will have many more in the next month. I will try to post a few times so you don't have to read a big long one like this again!