Utah Vacation - Days 1 and 2

Our vacation began on Friday as we loaded up the car and left Bakersfield at around 3:00pm. We were destined to make it all the way to St. George, Utah to limit the amount of time we would spend in the car on Saturday morning. The boys rode well and enjoyed watching movies as we trekked across the desert. We all laughed at Matthew as we drove through the Tehachapi’s as he was taken back by the multitude of windmills. Every turn brought hundreds more as he squealed in delight from the back seat. I wish I had captured his excitement on video but, oh well.

We arrived at Stateline in Primm, NV at around 8pm and quickly changed the boys into their jammies and brushed their teeth in hopes that they would sleep the rest of the way. That was short lived as Vegas was 30 minutes up the road as they were mesmerized with the glow of the lights. I only wish we would have had time to drive down the strip so that they could see the full effect. We will certainly have to do that next time we drive through. Friday was certainly not the night for sight seeing. Jim and I enjoyed the last hour of our drive with silence in the back seat and settled on a Hampton Inn in St. George; a good decision. It was a very nice hotel and boasted free breakfast in the morning. The only downfall were the millions (at least that’s what it seemed like) of grasshoppers and fire ants we encountered in the parking lot when we arrived and left in the morning. My sister would have COMPLETELY freaked out!

We arrived at my sisters house at around 12:45pm on Saturday and were greeted with lunch from Café Rio – YUMMY! I swear this local joint has the BEST food! Unfortunately I was still under the weather and barely put a dent in my salad, but what I did eat of it was delicious. I unpacked our things and changed into my gym attire to join my sister. As expected, she worked me hard at the gym and I had sore arms for the first 2 days of our trip. Clearly I’m not a pro at the gym when it comes to strength training. At least I came home with some new “tricks” up my sleeve. I would have liked to visit the gym with her several more times during our stay, but at $10 a day for a guest pass I opted to decline the offer. What a rip off!

We awoke on Sunday morning and decided to take a trip to the Aquarium. Matthew especially enjoyed petting the Manta Rays and swimming fish, and managed to get himself soaking wet splashing around in the water. Joshua and Dominic enjoyed following their cousin Ella around and relished in pointing out all the animals and creatures that were caged here. There was a special Africa section that had a multitude of reptiles and spiders…ewww! It’s neat to see all the animals as long as I don’t have to touch them.

My sister’s neighbors joined us for a BBQ on Sunday night and the boys enjoyed playing outside. Matthew enjoyed the nice weather and even managed to soak himself with the hose. Needless to say the brand new shirt he was wearing was close to ruin with dirt stains and a nice black streak across the front. Thank goodness the Shout worked and brought it back to life. One thing we could have done without were the multitude of yellow jackets and bees that swarmed our food. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many of them in my life!






















I will add that Joshua lost two teeth during our trip. The first came out on Dominic’s birthday, and the second came out on Friday morning (yesterday) at my mom’s house. Unfortunately, they were both teeth that were not due to fall out yet so he will have a few spaces for a while. Here is a pic of his smile after losing the first tooth:

We're Home

We are home, unpacked, and ready to hit the fair for REO Speedwagon and Tim McGraw. I promise to update you on our vacation to Utah in the days to come. The postings will come in bits and pieces but we took a ton of pics and did tons of stuff. Thanks, Pattie and Mike, for your hospitality AND for a fun date night on Tuesday. I will keep the details of that one under wraps as not to embarass the drunk half of our party!

A Birthday Party Fit for "McQueen"

It was a Lightning McQueen party for Dominic this year. The only difference from years past is that it was a small affair at my sister's house in Utah. Although we did not have an entire housefull of people, my sister's neighbors joined us for a BBQ and cake which made the day fun for our special 4 year old. The party even came complete with a specialty cake, balloons, decorations, and goody bags. I am sure that Dominic enjoyed his day as did the rest of us.

Dominic received his very first Transformer thanks to Super Wal-mart who was kind enough to mark it down to half price before we visited their store on Dominic's big day. He was so proud of this cool new toy!

Even Matthew got in the groove and volunteered to put on a party hat........

as did Joshua........

....and the birthday boy! Like his birthday shirt?

We found these three on the back patio. They were so cute we thought we'd keep them. Oh wait, that's Dominic, Ella and Joshua being silly!

Dominic poses with his Cars cake. Wal-mart was kind enough to make several boo-boo's on it but what did I expect?

Dominic poses with his party guests; Owen and Ella, Joshua and Dominic, and Kacin and Kyler

Happy 4th Birthday, Dominic!

Dear Dominic,

Four years ago today we welcomed you into our "little" family. Mommy still remembers that warm summer day and every minute of your arrival. How could I forget seeing your precious little face for the very first time? You were a beautiful baby and have grown into a handsome and rambunctious little man. So today, Dominic, I wish you the best 4th birthday any little boy could ask for! May the next year of your life bring you new experiences, new memories, and lots of love and happiness.

I love you, buddy!

On the Road Again

Finally....it's that time of year for the first of two Riggio summer vacations. Today we leave Bakersfield for the long treck through the desert en route to American Fork, Utah to visit with my sister and her family. Although I am very much looking forward to a fun week, the head cold that has consumed me will probably make the travel a bit unbearable. Please say a little prayer that the boys ride well and that my head clears a bit.

We will update you once we arrive.

A Day for Deals

It had been a while since my last "quality" shopping trip to Costco so I decided Thursday would be the day to go. Matthew had a doctor's appointment for an immunization so I opted to keep him home on Thursday to avoid any fever that might send him home from Daycare. It just so happened that when we were preparing to leave that morning, Dominic started complaining of a stomach ache as well. Heaven knows that he would be sent home for sure which would put a damper on my day, so I opted to keep him home as well. Thank goodness I did because his stomach ache turned into a 24 hour bug. He was completely fine if his stomach was empty, so after three failed attempts to put food in it, we resorted to just water for the day. ( I will spare you the details ).

Matthew weighed in at 26 pounds on the big boy scale and measured 30 1/4 inches tall. He was diagnosed with low Iron and prescribed vitamins to reverse this. Out of three boys and many trips to the doctor and dentist, we have never once been offered a fluoride treatment. Matthew was to be the first on Thursday. He was rather uncooperative with the process, but dealt with it. The good thing is that since he was so upset about the gel being painted on his teeth, the shot he received didn't seem to faze him. Mommy was happy to hear that he would not need anymore shots until his 2nd Birthday. Dominic, on the other hand, is scheduled for 2 next month and a final one when he turns 5. I'm pleased that he is cooperative and understands that "shots", although sometimes painful, are a necessary part of being a kid.

After our visit to Dr. Herzberg, we picked up Miss Cynthia and her son Daniel, and headed to Costco. $282 later we had a car full of goodies, including these cute jammies for the little boys! I just couldn't resist.....I love brown and blue together and the Monkey with the banana sealed the deal.

We also made one last stop at Gottschalks before they closed for good and found more great deals on shorts and shirts for Joshua and Dominic. I think I've spent around $120 and purchased 5 pairs of pants, 8 pairs of shorts (or more), 12+ shirts and a pair of shoes for the two of them. What a steal!

Because Dominic was not feeling well on Thursday, I felt it best to keep him home Friday as well. The best part for him was that Mickey Nana (my mom) was off work and agreed to watch him at her house since I needed to work in Bakersfield. They had a blast visiting the Lori Brock children's museum and enjoyed chicken stars at Carls Jr - Dominic's first meal in two days. He was so upset when I picked him up at 3:30 to come home. He was in tears which upset Mickey Nana too. How blessed I am to have such a terrific mom and grandma for my boys. Mom, you are truly a vital part of all of our lives and my boys think the world of you! Thanks for all you do for us!

A Tribute fit for a King

I've been working in Santa Barbara for many years and never realized that Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch is a mere 4.2 miles off the road I take several times per month. One of my best friends, Deneene, is a HUGE MJ fan and has had a difficult time dealing with his death. Yesterday I thought I would do her a "favor" and memorialize in pictures MJ's favorite location.

The pictures don't do justice to the gorgeous red rose wreaths on the gates, nor the multitude of bushes that surrounded the area. Although many of the news vehicles had departed, there were still several of them cluttered around the road and probably around 30 other fans paying tribute to the pop star. I could not believe the number of balloons, flowers, posters, pictures, and other items that were posted all over (and I mean everywhere!) the entrance to this beautiful piece of property in Los Olivos. The house is set way back in the hills, but if it is half as magical as the entrance to this fantasyland is, all I can say is WOW!

I am glad I was able to partake in the remembrance of MJ and will forever be moved by this glowing tribute to a great performer.

Here's to you, Deneene..................