Hatch again Hatch again, Jiggity Jig

Everything was quiet in Hatch, Utah, July 24 this year. It was 4:00 in the morning. A small cry broke out in the air. I knew that Kaitlyn wanted food. After feeding her, and settling her back into her cozy bouncer chair bed for the night, I looked at the clock and it was now close to 4:30. "Not bad," I thought. I could always sleep a little longer and get up for the 24th of July festivities in a couple hours after the cannons go off at 6:00 a.m. (literal CANNONS, a tradition of the town). But Alas, a half an hour later - BOOM!!!!!!!! then another BOOM!!!!!!!!! The cannons started at 5:00 a.m. for the next hour, every 15 minutes were sounded by more and more cannons as they rolled the cannon through town.

Finally, 5:45 a.m. (the last set of cannons)I thought I could finally catch a couple winks before I had to get up and get ready for the town breakfast at 7:00 a.m. WRONG AGAIN. 6:00 a.m. the town AMBULANCE was whaling all over the town with it's annoying siren on. I was beginning to wonder what I would have to do to get any sleep in this town. Again I tried to sleep but it wasn't long after that my darling 5 year old was waking me up excited to get ready for the town parade that would start at 10:00 a.m. and go until 10:10 - if that. It was a horrible start to my WONDERFUL trip to Hatch.

The 24th of July is my favorite part of our trips to Hatch. These people really know how to celebrate! First there is the town breakfast from 7-9:00 in the morning. After that, the children's parade (Danelle's favorite part because she rides around like Little Miss Hatch and throws out candy). Then they have what are called "the races." We bought Ellie a pile of tickets, and let her play some of their town carnival games. Then we all take a long break and visit until the town dinner (and what a heckova dinner it is!) at 5:00 p.m. Then they have their firework show at dark. It's times like these that I wished we lived in a community like they still have down in this sweet small town (minus the cannons and ambulance sounding from 5-6 a.m.).

This was a strange year for me in Hatch. Less ATV riding, and more laying back, visiting, and tending Kaitlyn; which I didn't mind. If you would have told me last Hatch trip in 2009 that I would bring a 2 month old with me the next year, I would have told you that you were crazy after everything we had been through to get Kaitlyn here. I was happy to bring Kaitlyn and show her off to the town and family that were down there. She seemed to be pretty content and happy about it too.

Danelle had a great time down in Hatch, as always. On the way down to Hatch, we stopped by Big Rock Candy Mountain for her first time (and bought candy rocks for the way home). She went on all but one ATV ride, and caught her very first fish with her very first set of caught night-crawlers. She was so proud to come back to Grandma and Grandpa Burrows' home after a couple hours of fishing to tell me that "she caught the big one!!!" She was so cute as she dared herself to touch the fish, and help daddy wash it out and get it ready to eat soon. Danelle also flew a kite for the first time in Hatch this year too. It's so wonderful to have one child that we can experience these exciting things with and one that is still a baby to snuggle and show and teach new things. It really is the best of both worlds. :)

We look forward to going down to Hatch next year. I already know that keeping our little 14 month old Kaitlyn out of everything will make next year "fun" but I can't wait to see her riding along in the Hatch Parade with her sister and show her every fascinating thing to her over again. If next year is like this past year, I know that a lot could change in my life by that time(hopefully for the better) but I also know one other thing; Hatch will probably stay the same.... and I like that.

One STINKY Memory :-s

Occassionaly you may hear someone ask "what is your most embarrassing moment?" I hate this question because there is one moment of my past I WISH I could forget - but more importantly than that - I wish OTHERS would forget. Every so often is is brought up and I become the family joke for the evening.... here is the story - my most embarrassing moment. The one that haunts me and I will never forget.

It was summer.... I am guessing I was about 6 or 7 at the time. I was rambunctious and full of energetic youth and curiosity. We drove up to American Fork Canyon for the day to spend time as a family at a little pond they had there. I was always a "mommy's little helper" so when Mom asked me to take Danny (4 or 5) and David (2 or 3) to the restroom with me so they could go, I thought nothing of it partly because SECRETLY I WANTED TO GO for I knew that it was outhouse style. Oh yes! For some SICK reason I looked forward to gazing down at the poop, pee, wads of toilet paper, and other gross and unmentionable things. It was fascinating to see the fly's hover around like they were enjoying a gross feast or something.

Just then, I realized that my brother Danny had brought in a couple rocks. "What a novel idea," I thought!!! Let's throw in the rocks! So Danny, David, and myself threw in small pebbles. I sent Danny out for more pebbles, and when he came back he brought the most amazing rock of all. It was big and heavy and just right for a good splash and it would certainly startle all those flies! "GOOD IDEA!!!" I yelled to Danny to go get MORE big rocks - I wanted to throw in the first one!

With GLEE and a big smiling face, I gazed again down into the most disgusting hole I would ever see. I held up the rock, and bent right over the outhouse hole. "ONE.... TWO.... THREE!!!!" and I dropped the rock!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!SPLASH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

All of the poop, pee, wads of toilet paper, and other unmentionable stuff splashed all over me and the outhouse. It was in my teeth. It was in my hair. It was in my eyes, and ears. OH YES, I was covered in POO. I could taste it, smell it, feel it. Now the flies were hovering around..... ME.

I ran out of the outhouse screaming and about ready to lose my mind with the nasty feeling that was covering me! I think I cut the fun night short because we left the canyon in a hurry just after that. I remember when we were driving home my mom gagging so much we had to pull over for her to wash me with freezing cold water on the side of the road. It was a HORRIBLE ride home. When we got back to the house, I took a shower... make that a FEW showers. I washed my hair, skin, ears, eyes, EVERY PART several times worried sick that I might get a disease or something. I scrubbed my teeth so hard I thought they were going to fall out of my very mouth.

Never again did I have the same "affection" for the outhouse. In fact now I can't even USE an outhouse, let alone look down the hole anymore. Thinking back, I still wonder myself "what was I thinking?"

So - there you have it. One of the many embarrassing stories of my youth. I am sure I have a few more, but none more embarrassing or horrifying than this one.

Kaitlyn's Baby Blessing

We had no ordinary Sunday this week, July 11th. It was the day chosen months ago to be Kaitlyn's blessing day. It was long anticipated, and a lot of work to get ready for, but worth everything we put into it. Among a small group of our close family and friends, Shayne gave Kaitlyn a very tender blessing in our home. Having the blessing in our home gave the occasion a more personal feeling and the spirit was felt very strongly. After the blessing, we had a light lunch of either wraps or roll sandwiches, fruit and vegetables, jell-o, and punch. Overall everything went smoothly and Kaitlyn looked beautiful in the same blessing dress I was blessed in almost 28 years ago (with a couple of alterations just for her). It was truly a wonderful day. Thank you to everyone who was a part of it.

Baby's First 4th of July!

Happy Birthday America! To celebrate we spent Saturday night with the Burrows/LaTurner family. With my parents being in the middle of a move, we decided to skip the traditional 4th of July BBQ and ordered Two Jacks Pizza and cheesy bread sticks instead which actually turned out to be perfect for our night.

Evan impressed us with an awesome firework show! We had a sparkler, smoke balls, and pops pre-show and then the real show began! It was amazing. Evan had lined up all the fireworks in three sections. He ran around like a mad man lighting them in each section one by one; one in the first section, one in the section section, the third section, back to the first again! It was stunning and lasted easily 15 minutes or longer! The only thing that was missing was the music! I told Evan that the 4th of July is HIS holiday now (just like we sorta claimed Halloween). I am looking forward to next years show!

Sunday night we joined the Munn Family at Salem Pond for some family pictures. With Tyler and Jessica and their girls being in town, and Patrick being back home from his mission, it seemed only fitting to have updated photo's. We got plenty of great shots and I can't wait to see them!!! After pictures, we headed to Grandpa Underwood's home for a 4th of July BBQ. Everyone brought something to share. One thing I have learned to love about the Munn family is that we are never short of food and there is always an wonderful selection. YUM!

After a couple burgers, brats, or hot dogs, we met in the front yard for our firework show. They brought out the watermelon dessert and the sparklers started coming out. Ellie and her cousins were so cute when we started the actual firework show. They were clapping and cheering and it warmed our hearts to see them so happy! It was definitely the highlight of my night.

So I say once again, Happy Birthday America! We are proud of our country and happy to celebrate it! We hope you had a great 4th of July!

Welcome Home ELDER MUNN!

After two years serving the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Mission Elder Patrick Munn has returned with honor on June 30! We are happy to have him back and are so proud of him and for all his hard work teaching people about the gospel. WELCOME HOME! WE LOVE YOU!

Fathers Day!

For Father's Day this year, Ellie wanted to get her Daddy a BBQ grill - so we picked him up a little red charcoal grill. Kaitlyn "got him" a set of BBQ tools for it, and Mom and Dad gave Shayne a pair of the plaid summer shorts he loves so much. However, I think I gave him the BEST GIFT OF ALL! I took the baby during all shifts of the night AND let him sleep in all morning that day!!! :)

Finally, once he was awake around 11:00 a.m, we started to get ready to go to visit Grandpa Underwood and Shayne's Dad, Martin. Ellie was proud to give Popo a pair of HD Glasses! Grandpa Underwood has been having some hard times lately after his car accident when he was hit by a drunk driver. He broke 6 ribs, and his sternum, and has been in a lot of pain ever since - even though this was just over a month ago that it happened. Ellie has been very sensitive to Grandpa and spent much of her time there by him and escorting him when he needed to walk. I heard her asking Grandpa "do your ouchies still hurt?" It warmed my heart to see her having those moments.

Later on, we met with my family at our house for a Fathers Day BBQ and to try out Shayne's new grill. We had steak, shrimp, salads, bread, pork and beans, asparagus, California rolls, soda, chips, and cake. Grandpa got to open his presents from Evan and Monyka, and our family. I was pleased to FINALLY get him the Topsy Turvy upside down tomato planter he has been wanting for a couple of years.

It was great to spend time with so much family. Shayne is a wonderful father. He has always been helpful to me with raising our children. He is kind and compassionate to them - and really fun for them to play with. Ellie told her preschool class that one thing she loves about her dad is "when he reads to me." I am happy to have him as the father of my girls - they love him dearly. We are also grateful to our fathers in our lives, grandfathers, and Father in Heaven who love and take care of us.

Happy Fathers Day! We hope it was a good one!
Love, The Munns

Growing Pains

It seems like only yesterday that I watched Ellie go to her first day of preschool in 2008. I sent her in a brand new teal and maroon striped shirt and teal sweat pants... She wore her new Ariel shoes. Now here she was, two years later in her preschool graduation "cap and gown" and ready for Kindergarten..... ALMOST. There was one more dreaded thing that had to happen.... KINDERGARTEN SHOTS!!!

First you have to know how HORRIBLY this process has gone in the past... from about 9 months old, Ellie developed an almost sixth sense for knowing when it was shot time. From the moment the doctor left, and the nurse came in again it was TOTAL DRAMA!!! Flailing around, kicking, screaming, barely-breathing nightmare! It would literally send her to an ALL OUT panic attack. Even when her doctor visits didn't have shots involved, Ellie would have major anxiety over the very idea of going into the doctors office for ANY reason. (TRUE: Ellie has had a doctor visit in the CAR before.)

I tried a different approach this time. The dialog went something like this;

"Hey, uh, Ellie?"

"Yeah Mom? What?"

"Guess what? Next week is Kindergarten Day!"

"What's Kindergarten Day?"

"It's a day we need to go to the doctor to make sure that you are healthy for Kindergarten!"

"I DON'T want a shot!" (How did she know???)

"Well, Ellie you are going to need some shots, and they are going to hurt for a second, but only a second - and then after if you are a good girl we will go to the Farm (Thanksgiving Point) and Cabelas!!!"

"Ok Mom. I might just cry a little."

"It's ok to cry, but you won't need shots for a long time after that and I know that you are brave and can do this because you want to go to Kindergarten like the other kids huh?"

"Yeah."

And that was that. She walked into the doctors office. Let the nurses check her height, weight, blood pressure, eyes, and even poke her finger and collect a urine sample. When they came back in saying, "one more thing" Ellie did cry and need to hold her Daddy for the FIVE shots in both thighs but when all was said and done she was fine. Proud to show off her battle wounds (band-aids), a bag full of goodies, and the relief of knowing it was all over and we could go to the Farm and Cabela's. The exam was completely normal, besides finding out Ellie is near-sided and might need glasses before starting school.

A HUGE sigh of relief came over me too. It is so great to know that Ellie's vaccinations are all completed until 7th Grade. It also seemed like a bummer to remember that I have five more years ahead of me with Kaitlyn who is just beginning her vaccination process next month :-/. Maybe with some warning, Kaitlyn will handle the shots as well as Ellie did this last visit. It is true what they say, "LIVE AND LEARN."