Summer Festivities

We have a tradition in my family to go to the Orem Summerfest every year.  We went on Saturday.  This year is the first year it hasn't been raining since Tom and I have been married.  It actually felt like summer!  We did all sorts of wonderful summer things.  

Telisa and I rode the ferris wheel.

Telisa rode "the Tornado"

and "the Sizzler"

and... this ride.

Tom and I watching the parade.

Telisa is growing up.  She was riding the teenage rides more than the children's rides.  Tom and I enjoyed taking pictures.  I also loved looking at all the merchandise being sold and the artists displaying their work (I hope someday I will get to do that).  I bought a hat!  We all watched the parade, then we waited in long lines for fair food and had a two different booths run out on us.  But at long last we ended up with a funnel cake (mmmmm), some free cotton candy, a soft pretzel, and some steak and everything nachos which were very salty but yummy.  Last, we watched the fireworks.  Tom tried his hand at firework pictures.  I think these were successful, and I am trying to figure out which one to put as my new desktop.

Ahhh, summer!  I am determined to have a wonderful summer.  I get to teach a summer math enrichment class this week.  We are going to have fun and learn at the same time. (Just like regular school, right?) I am hoping it will still feel like mostly vacation time.  Class gets out at noon, and Tom can come pick me up around 3, so that means I have the fantastic opportunity to do some lesson planning for next year.  This summer I will do a lot of art, especially painting. (You can check out my art blog for updates.)  I also want to do a lot of cleaning and organizing.  We've been living in our condo since October, and we still have a few places of our house that are consistently messy.  I think we need to get a wardrobe, something to help organize bathroom supplies, and something to help with the top of my closet.  Lastly, I would love to replace the laminate and carpet in our kitchen area with tile.  If I can do all of that this summer, I will call it a super success and save the cruise for another time. 

"Amusement" Parks? Sometimes...

Well, as Lovetta has once again kindly pointed out to me, it's been a month and I haven't posted on our blog.  I apologize.  It's not even for a lack of things going on.  Heck, if anything, this last month has been pretty dang busy!  Lovetta just finished yet another wonderful school year and now is prepping for summer school.  I literally just finished working a long day at the Utah Festival of Books, which seemed to go very well.  Last month we took a trip out to Ohio for a romp in the old stomping grounds.  We went out for a few reasons.  These we shall go over in chronological order.

First, was the pilgrimage to the most holy of amusement parks, Cedar Point.  Ashley (my brother's wife) had never been to this wonder of the world and so we had to break her in.  And this we did do.  We hit all of the big coasters for sure.  The Raptor.  The Millenium Force.  The Maverick.  Still, there is one coaster at this park (despite my years of rollercoaster experience) that still makes me feel like I'm going to die.  That coaster is the Top Thrill Dragster.  Why might you ask?  Well let me tell you a story.

So we get in line for our first attempt at the rollercoaster in question.  We wait in line for about 10 minutes (the lines were super short all day long) and then the thing breaks down.  Now, you might think that this is reason enough to stop, but the Top Thrill Dragster is probably the one coaster in the park that breaks down the most.  So, really, this is quite normal.  We wait around.  Some people leave.  Others stay.  After a half an hour, we're pretty close to the front of the line and they decide that everything should be up and running.  Now, if you've looked at the YouTube link of the rollercoaster I made, you'll notice that the thing goes wicked-fast.  0 to 120mph in like 3 seconds fast.  This first car that they decide to "test run" has people on it.  It starts abruptly (more so than usual) and barely clears the top.  Second car?  Barely clears the top.  By this time we're getting seated on to the next car and the nerves kick in.  We get ready to launch and then all of the sudden, my whole world looks like this:

It's one thing to travel into hyperspace.  It's another to feel the pressure of traveling into hyperspace on your entire body.

Up, over and done all in about 17 seconds.  Whew.  That's over with.  I think my brain's about to explode but, it's getting better.  We get off, catch our breath and Dan wants to go for a Round 2 on this thing before we leave the park.  OK.  I survived once.  I can do this again.  We get back in line, and the ride breaks down again right as we're about to get into the next car.  They pull the cars back, we wait for another half an hour.  They send out a test car.  Barely clears the top.  They send out another car.  This time, after making its 120mph journey down the track and up 420 feet of more track, the car teeters at the top and then gently rocks down.  Backwards.  To the beginning of the ride. Backwards.  Did I mention that the thing traveled down the track backwards 420 feet towards the beginning of the ride? *shudder* At that point I wasn't about to let that happen to me (regardless if the riders of that car looked like they had the most awesome time of their lives) and I left the line.  That brought an end to our Cedar Point trip.

Lovetta after the Millenium Force

The remainder of our trip was somewhat less stress inducing.  Dan and Ashley had their Ohio wedding reception.  It was really nice, especially to be able to see so many faces I haven't seen from our old Toledo II Ward.

After the wedding reception was done and over, the only thing left was the sorting of my parents' stuff.  They're getting to a point in life where they are considering some downsizing and some estate planning.  We spent quite a bit of time helping in both of these areas.  We started claiming things that we'd like to have when my parents no longer have need of it and over all this was actually a good experience.  Especially considering that everyone I talked to about doing this were telling me horror stories of family feuds and awfulness.  I love my family! :D

We came back to Utah shortly after this and have been trying to play a lot of catch up.  I think we're just about there, so hopefully I'll start being a little better about prompt blog-posting!