Comi..comi..comi..comicon....

 

You ever wake up and think, "I want to dress up like a superhero,' well, since Eric was offered free tickets to Comicon (thanks, Thanos!) we thought we should go...so, I tried on my costume from last year...

 

 within seconds, all three of the kids were dressed in costumes...

 

and the day was set...with neighbors to mock! and take pictures (that's Aspers)

  

My favorite part of the day started as we had to park quite a ways and were instructed to , 'follow the freaks that are dressed up.' (thank you helpful pre missionary parking attendant)

Eric, not being strong in the ways of the Jedi navigators, was uncomfortable with these vague directions...so, he was overjoyed when he spotted a 'freak in costume...' as I inspected this older woman in a red velvet dress and pearls I asked Eric is she was dressed up as a character I was unfamiliar with...just then, she turned the corner and entered the Salt Lake City Greek Festival (which was apparently being held down the block from Comicon!

 

 How dare you...she's a nice lady!!!!

 Soon the obvious patrons were surrounding us....Lego Movie...I pretty much love any movie that Will Ferrel is involved in...so many all time favs...Austin Powers, King of the Hill, Wedding Crashers, Talladega Nights,Elf, Megamind, Zoolander...how you've carried me through the years!

 I am so happy we brought the kids...they had so much fun (thanks Jay & Linda for offering!)

 

Twin Belles? The girls loved the princesses!

 Mystique!

 Random guy with weird contacts!

 Some dad who went out and dressed up like spiderman

I got to meet Steve Sanders...he was so nice...and I fell for it all...hook line and sinker...he introduced himself, 'Hi, I'm Ian..." well of course you are I giggled..he shook my hand and gave me a hug and I think I babbled that I loved it all...'Sharknado, even the Christmas Hope...' sequel to the saddest Christmas movie EVER...the Christmas Shoes...I noticed he looked a little older...to which Eric informed me that he is 50! Can it be...I looked it up and indeed, Steve the lovable orphan is in fact 50! He looked great for fifty! I was smitten and so lucky to have my husband sneak photographic evidence of it!

The coolest photo ever...they offer it as a free service!!! May the force be with our FHE lovin' family!!! A few more pics to come...

Meeks 2014

 Let the gluttony commence!!! This summer seems to have flown by particularly fast! Meeks was upon us before we even realized it!

A beautiful flower along my trail back with the girls...back and forth back and forth!

 Grady and Adam...so cute...Grady kept yelling, 'Kiri, Lia...I caught one, I caught one!!!!'

 This was a beautiful flower that reminded me of Kiri & Lia

 Eric was in heaven fishing all day! I was happy to see him enjoying himself so much...

 His work is not always condusive to happy or calm feelings!!!

 With a fish...

 watching daddy reeling in another fish

 three Phillips brothers all doing what they love!!!

 I made Kiri a Sparkly pink stick and Lia a sparkly blue one...though my most proud was the Wonder Woman (Super Human) puppet I made this year!

 expecto patronum!!!

Chiu Summer Fun in Wyoming!!

 My family came for a week to visit us in Wyoming this summer...so, we took them to the Gorge...

 Peter and Parker on the Chestnut's Dar

 It was great to spend time with my family at one of our favorite places...

 We also took them to a few splash parks...Blairtown being one of my favorite...Lia with her Triscuits and cottage cheese!

 

Devon and Kristina enjoying the sun

Lia, Kiri,  Marshall, Parker and Max

 On the way down...

 Max never let go of Parker's hand...sweet cousins!

 Me and Kiri...

 Me and Lia

 All of us...

 

One of my favorite things to see in bed!

 Our neighbor was kind enough to lend us his Razor for an afternoon...

 Eric, Peter and I engaging in a selfie! I was surprised how many people thought that my brother was Max!

 An afternoon in Green River...on the Buzz Swing

 The girls having fun.. Lia and Kiri

 Silly sisters!

 A family shot

 The kids on a visit to Eric's office downtown...

 A recreation of a previous Thermopolis family picture...so much fun!!!

 Little sun shines of my life...

Outside the Thermopolis hot springs slide...so much fun!!!We went to a restaurant called the front porch where they served the most delicious sandwiches...my brother, mother and I split the German Burger (a Reuben sandwich on a hamburger), a Lobster Melt and a Brie, apple and Turkey Melt...Max had the BELT, Bacon, Egg salad, Lettuce and Tomato sandwich...now a Phillips household fav!!! It was so great having them here for a week...I can't wait until they can come again...hopefully with my dad next time. With Peter and Kristina expecting baby girl Chiu this fall...we might have to wait for a little.

The very next day, Max woke up and was so sad Pua-Pua wasn't there...he just cried and cried...Break. My. Heart. Awe miss you and can't wait for you guys to come back!

Max's First day of Kindergarten and the old woman's voice...

  Today was Max's first day of Kindergarten...he was so excited!

 Even though the school is just behind us...he was so eager to ride the bus!

The school system is so great here, they pick the Kindergartners in front of their houses!

 

max said, good morning and promised to say thank you upon departure! Love this kid!

 

A couple of the parents walked to the school to meet the kids...

 So cute!!!

 

Max was so happy to find out Faith is in his class!!! Fun buddies!!!

All week Max said he's been hearing an old lady voice...,it's been a mystery...but last night as I helped him brush his teeth, I started to get choked up, again...and he said, I didn't know you could cry...I answered that I was just going to miss him to which he replied, 'hey, that's the old woman voice!'...So, I guess when I cry, I sound like an old woman...mystery solved!!!

I've been sad all week...I guess because this is what I always think of...Max laying on my belly with the girls inside just hanging out with me...I love you Max and am so proud of you !

The Ham house...

When we were moving out of the Talladega house and trying to close on the Portland lane home...we were lucky enough to get in touch with a couple (the Cunninghams) who were relocating to Kemmerer and needed a place to live and needed renters for their home in Rock Springs...they decided to purchase our home in Kemmerer and let us stay in their home until we closed on the Portland house. Trying to keep all of the homes separate, the kids couldn't remember the Cunningham's..so they just shortened it to the ...ham house ....Max's friend asked if it was really made out of 'ham...' to which I replied...no, that's just Max being silly...it's made out of turkey!!!' 

Max was so thrilled with that answer, he and all of his friends and sisters referred to it as the Ham house for the rest of our stay!!!

 Lia, Kiri & Seraphina...the little ones growing up...

 The girls were great with all f the change & moving...

 they were so great...here the kids were enjoying the open space after Max's ESL testing...

long story on the ESL testing...

 Faith & Max at Blairtown park at the zip line...

The kids eating Edamame at the ham house!!!

 

at the slides behind the Portland home...

 Our first FHE at the Ham house!

The girls playing at Centennial Park...it was a great ride Ham house!!!