My dads birthday weekend celebration...

We spent this weekend in celebration of my dads 58th birthday. It seems like for as long as I can remember that we have gone to the years new Warren Miller Ski Movie for my dads birthday and this year was no exception. Although, it is not exactly the Warren Miller Ski Movie anymore since the rights were sold to Time Warner a few years ago. And, this year was finally the year where there was no evidence of the Warren Miller Ski Movies of the past. No Warren Miller voice "if you don't do it this year you will be one more older when you do", or "see you next year same time same place", or any of the other tag lines that have made the Warren Miller Movies so famous. This years movie was called the Children of Winter Never Grow Old and just to be honest, it was just really not that great. I think that we keep going hoping that this will be the year that the movie will be better than it has been. Besides, what other tradition could be better than going to a ski movie together for my dads birthday seeing as my dads excitement and passion for the sport was passed on to all of his children. We all love skiing and at 58, my dad is still skiing better than ever, and last year it was even hard for me to keep up.

On Sunday(which was my dads actual birthday) the celebration continued with a hike up the Coldwater Canyon Trail to a great view of the Ogden Valley. Of course my dad was the leader...it is so great that my dad is in such great shape. I really hope to be that fit when I am 58.

I have always looked to my dad for leadership in all areas of my life, as do all of the members of our family. He has so many great qualities. The one I admire most is his love and devotion for his family. I am so thankful for the closeness that our family shares and I know that it is in great part due to my dad and the importance that he has put in doing stuff as a family. Growing up we spent lots of time skiing, boating, four-wheeling, playing sports, vacationing, and just doing lots of things together. We had a great childhood and are having a great adulthood because of it.

When we got back from the hike we had dinner and cake and ice cream(not just any ice cream but Shalee's special yummy homemade ice cream). Jackson got to help put the candles in the cake and nothing could make him happier than lighting them and helping to blow them out.

He should have no problem blowing out his three candles next week, he has had lots of practice helping everyone else blow out their candles. After blowing out the candles his second favorite thing is taking them out one by one and licking all of the frosting off of each one. If you look closely you will see every color of frosting that was on the cake, on his face.

Later that night Mo and Jackson carved a pumpkin together- Mo was really excited about carving a pumpkin that was throwing up. Or yaking as he called it. Jackson wasn't as interested in carving pumpkins as he was making his little tissue ghosts fly. But, as you can see, Mo was pretty proud.

It was a really fun weekend which is almost guaranteed when we are all together. Especially when we were celebrating one of the best people I know. I am so proud to be able to call him my dad. And, I hope we will be celebrating my dads birthday every year for at least the next 50 years because he is such a big part of all of our lives and I can't imagine him not always being around to lead and guide us on our journey through this life.

I got tagged... whatever that means :)

I guess I am it- I haven't ever been tagged before but what I gathered is that I need to post my
6th folder 6th picture so here it is...


How great that it is a picture of my mom with Jackson right after he was born. I have the best mom in the world. She is always there for me when I need her for any reason be it... mom how do I make those brownies you always make, or how do I clean that spot off my carpet, or can you watch the boys while Mo and I go out on a date. I am so thankful for her. She has always been there to love and support me and she has provided me a perfect example for being a good mother, homemaker, and now grandmother. It makes me so happy to know that she was able to share in our experience of bringing both of our boys into the world. It provided me with such comfort to know that she was in the room with me. It is funny that even as an adult when I am hurt or sick, the person I want with me is my mom because just having her there seems to make everything better. Love you mom.

Lake Powell

Molester Mo.

Air chair... not even the biggest jump.

This is the kind of pictures Mo takes of me waterskiing.

Knee board wars semifinal round.

This is the kind of pictures I take of Mo waterskiing.

Mo surfing for the first time.

Friday morning heading to illusion canyon.


Illusion canyon...which way is up?


The Group.
Mo and I just got back from a fabulous trip to Lake Powell. I was a little bit worried about how the boys and I would do without each other but we got back and everything went fine. I really didn't have anything to worry about because my boys couldn't have been with two better people than my parents. I am so thankful for my mom and dad who are so great to always help us out with whatever we need. If they even think we might need help with something they always offer to help, or sometimes they just show up. They are such great examples for both Mo and I. They are also wonderful grandparents. They love my boys so much- their faces just light up when they see them, and both of my boys love them too. Jackson had a lot of fun this weekend playing with his grandma and grandpa. They even took him for a ride on the frontrunner to Salt Lake and Jackson loves trains so he thought it was great. As for Mo and I, we also had a lot of fun this weekend. It was the first time since we have had Jackson that we have been on a trip together. I am so glad that Erika invited us. We left for Lake Powell Thursday afternoon and it took us exactly 5 hours to get there. Lane came to pick us up at the dock and we headed to the houseboat and had dinner waiting for us. There were 9 couples and everyone took a turn either making dinner or breakfast. The food was great- I got a lot of new recipes that I can't wait to make. Especially Wendy and Dane's homemade syrup. After dinner we played games and watched movies. Then we went to bed on the top of the houseboat underneath the stars. Friday morning after breakfast we headed to a canyon that Shawn and Lane named illusion canyon and to the Indian ruins (see the pictures). FYI- one of the women that were there studied archeology and she said that most of the indian drawings that we find are done by the children. After sight seeing we spent the rest of the day waterskiing, wakeboarding, and the guys had knee board wars(which is a no rules game where the last man to stay up on his knee board gets to claim all of the glory). Mo made it to the semi-finals but I am sorry to say that he didn't make the final round. Friday evening we had dinner, learned to play settlers, and watched Iron Man. Saturday was actually my favorite day because we went water skiing, and then spent the rest of the day learning how to surf which is great fun- we also got to see Shawn on the air chair which is so unreal (see the pictures). Then we headed home Saturday afternoon so that we could pick up our boys before bed time. Mo and I had so much fun together. It was nice to just be able to enjoy each others company for a couple of days and everyone on the trip with us was so nice and so fun. I hope we get invited next year. It was also nice to get back to our boys. We really missed them while we were gone. They are the source of our truest joy.

First snow

Sunday was the first snow of the fall/winter season and at our house we couldn't be happier about it. We love winter, for the skiing and hot chocolate of course. I am especially excited about this winter over all others because we are going to be able to teach Jackson to ski this year. It will be so fun to have him be able to enjoy the mountains in the winter with us. We are going to get him some skiis at the Park City Ski Swap(an annual Vogt tradition) which is on November 7th and 8th this year. I sold my skiis from last year and hopefully will be picking some up at the swap too.

Jackson woke up Sunday morning so excited about the snow- of course he wanted to go out and play in it so he and Mo suited up and went out. Jackson's friends "The boys"(Mathew, David, Jacob) came out to play too. Benton and I watched it from the window inside. They were having a snowball fight and Jackson even tried to hit me. They all had so much fun and when Jackson got cold he told Mo,"Let's go inside and get us some hot chocolate to warm us up." We have a lot of fun making hot chocolate together in the hot chocolate maker that Shalee gave me last year for Christmas (thanks Sha). Mo even drinks some with us sometimes.

Benton at 4 months old

We just got back from Benton's 4 month old well child check-up and the doctor said that he is doing great. He is a big one- in the 75% for weight and the 88% for height. He was as happy as ever with the doctor as the doctor was putting the stick in his mouth, the weird thing in his ear, and the cold thing on his chest- he just smiled and cooed. The only thing he didn't like was his shots. I think that shots have to be the most horrible thing moms go through. They ask us to hold our babies like everything is fine and then they stick them when they least expect it. I cry every time. At least Mo was with me this time so I could have him experience it. Benton is doing everything that the doctor said that he might be doing at this age and his feet are just fine(Mo and I have been a little worried because they turn in so much). I am so grateful that Benton is so healthy and happy. I have been enjoying the baby stage with Benton- I think it is because I am more comfortable being a mommy to a baby and also because I realize how fast the baby stage is over so I am enjoying every cuddle.