Melarky

Super proud to have such a hard working husband. He has the best work ethic of anyone I know. I’m also proud of him that he takes the initiative and is wanting to be better at what he does. This next year he’ll be working hard to add the title Audioprosthologist to his lab coat.

I know, what is that? From what I understand he will be learning advanced skills in fitting hearing aids. It’s supposed to be a really good course and he’s excited because it’s only offered in Utah every couple of years. It also means one weekend a month, for a year, Mark will be in Salt Lake. His classes start in January and we’re planning on joining him on the weekends he’s in Salt Lake as soon as we can, when the new baby is a bit older (baby is due in February). Hate to be apart!

I know he’ll be great at it! He’s great at anything he does. Basically he’s awesome.

Between lack of time, finances, and babysitters. It can be hard to go on a date, so we’ve started having dinner dates at home. We’ve done it three or four times now.

Basically we feed the kids first. It’s usually mac and cheese, something easy and quick or random leftovers I throw on their school trays. Then after they’re done eating Mark or I take turns making a fun dinner just for us.

This last dinner Mark made was an amazing, fancy steak stroganoff. It was probably the most tasty thing I’ve had in a long time (recipe to come later). He brought home flowers and Martinelles. We put on a table cloth, put out candles and dim the lights.

We’ve also used Sautes for Two from Stouffers before. They are WAY tasty and easy to make. Our favorite is steak gorgonzola. Put it with some garlic or pesto bread, a fancy drink and don’t forget dessert! We’ve had cheesecake before, doughnuts (fancy!) and lemon merienge pie.

While we’re eating our dinner, we turn on a movie for the boys. It’s pretty cute, they try to come in an sit at the table with us or sneak food. We try to shoo them away but by the time were eating dessert we give in and let them come in and have dessert with us. One time Welly came in and hanging out by the counter said, “I’m just going to watch you eat”. It was funny.

We have two of those Sautes for Two in the freezer and I want to try making beef Wellington sometime for us. I also really want to try to make some chocolate souffles sometime too.

I love our dinner dates and I love our time together. I love treating Mark and “US” to something special. It doesn’t take a lot of money or planning, but it means a lot and goes a long way for your marriage.

It seems crazy to me that Wellington is 5 now. Where has the time gone?

Welly had requested a pirate party this year and Saturday, a few days before his actual birthday, seemed like a convient day for his cousins and friends to come over. I love throwing parties, I have fun getting decorations, planning food, games and party favors all centered around a theme. I got a lot of good ideas from Mark’s cousin Kezia including a freebie of some cool pirate invitations (Thanks K!). Sister-in-law Heidi also had a ton of piratey stuff I could borrow (Thanks too!) I found some great stuff around town and by Friday night, the night before the party, I had the house decorated and everything ready to go.

In the middle of the night Welly woke up not feeling good and threw up a little. When Welly throws up its hard to tell sometimes if its him being sick or if it’s his incredibly sensitive gag reflex. In the morning he threw up again, but this time it was by the kitchen garbage which was full, and again it was hard to tell if he was sick or if it was because our garbage was stinky (he is way sensitive to smells too).

Mark and I decided we better do the right thing and call the parents and let them know he might be sick. I felt bad and wasn’t sure how to break it to Welly that he wasn’t having a party. He was so excited and psyched up for it. In the morning, he kept asking me when his friends were coming over. We decided that we’d go ahead and have his party with just us.

We had invited two cousins to the party, Mark’s sister’s boys, Holden and Gray. After Mark talked to Heidi on the phone to let her know Welly might be sick, she said it was fine if they came and could her two other kids come too. My Mom also came, which it was way nice of her to come.

It was fun and worked out. Welly had fun with his cousins. We made eye patches and spy glasses. They decorated cardboard swords. Got tattos. They played in the cardboard boat I made out of a refrigerator box. We turned on Sponge Bob too for a little while while they were playing.

We had a light lunch of Octopus hot dogs on a sea of macaroni and cheese. We had sea blue drink (kool-aid) and Blue jello cups with orange wedge boats. The kids all seemed to like it. Then it was back to more sword fighting.

At this point Welly started to cough here and there. Making me a little worried. We had presents next. Each of his cousins gave him a present (way nice Heidi and Gary). He got root beer, a personalized licence plate for his bike, a mario guy, a Tin Tin book. From us he got a sand digger, a bunch of wooden 3D puzzle things, walkie talkies, and a few other little things. Grandma gave him a cool taradactle guy that shoots things and a wooden kit to build a barn. I think he really liked all his presents.

We then had cake. We had all the kids sit back at the table so that we could sing to Welly and he could blow out his candles at the table. Well when he saw the cake, he started to gag. And gag a lot. I had him go outside to get some fresh air. Mark had already lit the candles and then had to blow them out because I sent him outside. Welly ended up throwing up outside (lovely). We all waited for him to calm down, he came back in and sat on the edge of the couch near the door and we decided to just bring him one little piece of cake on a plate and have him blow out his candles from that. We sang to him and he blew the candles out. He was fine after that, but didn’t eat any birthday cake till later that night.

After all that fun, we had a pirate treasure hunt where the kids all followed clues to a treasure map, then they followed the treasure map to a suitcase full of treats and prizes.

The kids trying out one of Welly’s presents. A sand digger, which because of the season, it’s a snow digger.

Welly had a good birthday party and it was a good thing we had all that fun on that Saturday because he soon got a lot sicker. Late Saturday night, early Sunday morning, he woke up gasping for air. Welly gets croup about once a year, although I was hoping he would have grown out of it by now. We all stayed home Sunday since I wasn’t feeling great anyway.

Sunday night Hilyard started not to feel good and in the middle of the night he started the same thing. His croup seemed to be worse than Welly’s or maybe it’s because he’s littler and can’t really communicate very well and that made it seems scarier. So for the next three nights Mark and I took turns sleeping on the couch with the boys with the window open so that they could breathe better. It was pretty unfun, but I’m sure it was really unfun for Mark who had to go to work in the morning.

If your going to be sick, it’s funner to be sick with your brother. Here they are kicking each other and laughing.

It was so cold!!!! and uncomfortable for us all. There was one night Hilyard was really bad. I couldn’t get him to breathe very well even with the window wide open and us right by it. Mark took him outside a few times to walk around. That night Hilyard would get about 30 minutes of sleep at a time then wake up. After that really bad night I took the boys to the doctor. By that time Welly had lost his barky, tight cough and moved to a more wet, loose cough. It seemed like Welly was on the mend. Hilyard was prescribed steriods and they helped so much. They were in pill form and we ground them up and hid them in some ice cream. It worked great and he ate it all up. We tried the same trick with Welly’s over the counter Little Colds medicine, but he was wise to us.

The boys have been getting better. They still both cough a lot (that is supposed to last for another week) and we’re still trying to avoid people for the most part, except for spending 4 days in the house and not going anywhere is driving me and the boys crazy. I’ve been feeling better during the day, but at night and in the morning I’m still all stuffed up.

He looks so sad here.

On the 14th, Welly’s birthday we spend it mostly on the couch watching shows. We did puzzles and played legos. I felt bad Welly was sick on his birthday and I tried to make it fun and do all the things Welly wanted to do (legos).

Such a cute picture!

I sure love that kid. He’s my buddy and we’re sure lucky to have him in our family. Happy Sick Birthday Welly!

1. Seamless sink. Having the sink below the counter makes cleaning the counters so easy. Just sweep food and whatever else right into the sink.

2. Lighted display cabinet. I love having a place to display my fancier dishes, plus it adds some extra lighting.

3. Three extra long drawers. I really didn’t like the lazy susan that used to be in the corner. I couldn’t keep it organized, things would always fall in the back or get knocked over. Now there are three long drawers. The top I keep my silpat mats, rolling pins, pie weights, etc. Actually I have a lot of extra room in that drawer. In the middle, I keep all the Tupperware. And the third drawer has sugar and baking mixes.

4. Wider drawers and slow close. We kept the four drawers where they were, but now they’re about two inches wider and feature the slow close. I can fit so much more in those drawers and there are no baby fingers getting pinched.

Wellington and Hilyard Fall 2011

We’ve enjoyed fall. I always do. The cooler weather, the fall leaves, the colors, Halloween.

But I think we’re all excited for the snow to come. It snowed a little the other week. The boys wanted to be out in it constantly. Hilly wanted to eat “no” each chance he got. It seems were back to fall for a little while though.

We’ll do more leaf kicking in the mean time while were waiting for more snow.

I hate using public restrooms. It grosses me out for the most part. But when I was pregnant with Wellington and Hilyard and now with this baby I usually didn’t have the option of holding it until I get home. I have to go sometimes hourly and because of this I’ve become very familiar with the public restrooms of Logan.

Of course this list ONLY includes ladies rooms! What?! Did you expect me to venture into a Men’s room just for the sake of a low-class Melarky post? Sorry male Melarky readers, I don’t care if you find a clean bathroom or not.

Pier 49 Pizza- For a pizza joint the toilet is pretty nice. This is a fairly new establishment, so everything is new. Favorite features include fancy tile and dark stained wood, large heavy wood door. This is a single bathroom, no stalls here! so there is plenty of privacy. So if your like me and your weird about people hearing you (classy I know) this bathroom will be perfect for you. It is located in Providence, just East of the maverick, and right by the movie theater.

Caspers Ice Cream- Just a few steps away from Peir 49 Pizza, is my next pick. This bathroom is shockingly nice. I was really surprised to find a nice changing table in the single bathroom and not one of those that folds down from the wall. It’s a fancy sleigh style wooden changing table, like one you might find in a pottery barn magazine. The decor is nice, and very modern. Every time I’ve been there It’s always been very clean and nice smelling.

Cache Valley Mall (west bathrooms)-Now there is the girls and boys bathroom and then there is the family one. I’m talking about the family bathroom. Whenever I’d gone in there it’s always clean. The family bathroom has smaller sized toilets that are lower to the ground for your little ones, or I guess if you have a small bum. I also really liked how they are against spitting on the floor (actual sign).

Macey’s-Probably the most consistanly clean grocery store bathroom. Then they also have complimentary diapers if you find yourself in a diaper emergency.

Cache Valley Women’s Center at the Lodge-This single bathroom definitely lives up to the number one spot. It’s located in a medical office, full of gynecologists, so its certainly geared toward women. I’m a fan of the tile going up the wall, the mirror and dark wood on the sink and mood lighting make this bathroom an oasis! It’s always nice and clean. Sorry no picture of the actual bathroom.

I don’t think so. I love my little valley.

Cache Valley summer sunset.

My husband and I would love to live here for the rest of our lives if we can, and it’s looking more and more likely that we’ll be able to, just as long as he can get into the graduate program he wants to when the time comes. I’ve moved over 20 times in my 30 years of life, and for the last 13 years I’ve called Logan home. I guess that’s why I get so defensive when I hear someone say that there is nothing to do here.

Let me give you some ideas of what you can do.

-Food tour! Visit local food factories to taste a sample of cheese, honey, chocolates, ice cream, cookies, artisan breads, jams and jellies and more! Made right here in Cache Valley. Need more info about the tour go to tourcachevally.com or call 435-755-1890 This would be a great date activity or if your a hermit and don’t like people, go on your own. I love the cheese factory the best. The boys love going and getting samples. We also love going up to Richmond to Peppridge Farms and Lowers Meats.

Wellington visiting Santa at the mall. FREE to take your own pictures.

-Cache Valley Mall. It’s no Mall of America, but you’ll find plenty to spend your money on. Over 35 shops, an arcade, play area for small children, and of course Trunker Treating at Halloween and Santa at Christmas. Find out more at cachevalleymall.com

Mark and Welly bowling at the Fun Park.

-Fun Park. There’s bowling, roller skating, lazer tag, arcade games and Northern Utah’s largest indoor playground. We love going here to play arcade games, but we’ve done everything here. The lazer tag was a workout (I’m out of shape), the bowling is really fun and especially cool because its kind of glow in the dark. I’ve even crawled around the softplay playground chasing around my kid. Roller skating is fine and just like any other rink pretty much. We like going but we’re big arcade nerds.

Porcupine Dam. Great drive out there, stop at Cracker Barrel on your way!

-The canyon. Just a few minutes away is hiking, camping, biking, great way to go for a car ride, bird watching, fishing (not for me though) and just general exploring. We usually go up Logan Canyon but theres many others to explore…Providence, Green, Blacksmith, Smithfield and Sardine (I’m sure there’s more). Porcupine Dam is fun too and a pretty drive out there.
-Movies. Lots of theaters in town. We like the Providence 8, because its the closest to us.

Seasonal Events:

Sister-in-law Korby knows what Summerfest is all about!

Demolition Derby
Rodeos
Friday Sidewalk sales (downtown)

Cache County Fair. Welly in line for his favorite attraction.

Art Walks
Sledding down old main hill
Polar bear jump

Welly at the Pumpkin Walk.

Sledding

Here’s some more fun places to visit.

Auntie Carrie with Hilyard at the American West Heritage Center

-American West Heritage Center, Pony Rides, Wagon Rides, Cookouts, Children’s Victorian Tea Parties, Pioneer parties, complete with handcarts or pioneer games. On Thursdays and Saturdays you can enjoy a Tepee Party and play Native American games and other activities. Lots of seasonal activities like baby animal days.
-Renegade Sports. Rides, mini golf, rock climbing, go karts.
-USU has outdoor rental type stuff anyone can rent, like canoes. It’s very cheap, like under $10 bucks.

Wellington and cousin Sadie walking around the zoo.

-The Zoo. More than 400 animals are found at the zoo. It’s a great place for a fun date night walk, a pic nic, or to take the kids. Open daily 9 a.m. to dusk. Located in Logan.

Mark at the school playground by Adam’s park.

-Parks. So many parks to visit. Here is a long list of them. One summer me and my sister went down the list and visited a bunch of new parks we hadn’t been too before. That was pretty fun.
-Trails. So many trails! Here is a list and a map.
-Petsmart. The boys love to visit Petsmart and look at all the animals. Cheap fun.

Wellington and his cousins watching the skateboarders.

-Skatepark. The boys are a bit little for this. But we’ve gone before and watched the older boys skateboard.
-Pool. Right by the Skate park is the pool. This is way fun and not too much. We usually go when our Stake has a pool party.

Mark talking with the owner and sandwich maker at Logan’s Heroes. FYI-Cash or check only.

-Resteraunts. Always somewhere good to go eat. Here is a list of some of our favorites from the cheap to the fancy. A&W’s, Logan’s Heroes, LaBaue’s, Logan Burgers and Sandwiches, Papa Keleys and Henry’s, Mandarin Garden, Bluebird, Pita Pit, Callaways, El Sol, El Toro Viejo, Coppermill, Sizzler, Olive Garden, Elements.

Grandma and cousin Sadie at Charlies.

-And for the sweets. Caspers (great ice cream and juke box), Sweetly Divine (fancy, great pastries), Charlies (nice atmosphere).
-Library. The kids love to go and play on the computers. Again some cheap fun.

Mark feeling all sorts of regret at Aggie Ice Cream (word to the wise, they serve big portions)

-USU. We’re usually up there visiting Daddy at school. But we love to go there also for Aggie Ice Cream and the Marketplace, a great all you can eat place with great food. It’s pretty great actually, lots of things to choose from, great dessert bar. Great laid back place to take your kids.

Beautiful anytime of the year.

-Logan Temple. Fun to walk around outside. Pretty spot to see flowers and take pictures. It’s also pretty great if you can enter in it .
-Cox Honey. This is part of the food tour. Its fun to see the bees and sample foods.

Downtown Logan.

-Downtown. I love our little historic downtown. Its fun to walk up and down and look in the shops. We love to stop by the Bluebird, sit at the counter and order a soda or a dessert with the kids.
-Shopping. Tons of stores to shop at!

And my favorite place to be….

At HOME with my boys. This is the best place in Cache Valley! The funnest, safest, loveliest, most important place to be and the most important place to me. I love my home, my family, it just happens to also be in the best, most beautiful valley.

Cool app. Photosynth. It’s an app that uses your camera phone to make 3D images. It can kinda be tricky to get it right, and even then it doesn’t always match up perfectly (that might be a user problem). Pretty great for a phone app though. This is of Bridgerland Audiology (where Mark works). Note: After clicking “Click to View” you can expand the window for a larger view or zoom in and out.

This next one is of our Kitchen and Dining area…this panorama didn’t match up great. But I’ve been excited to get up a picture of the renovations all done, and I think this gives you a good idea of what it looks like now.

And here is one of our Living room, again, not perfect, but you can tell what’s what.

My sister-in-law’s put on a WAY FUN Halloween party for the cousins this year. The bar has been set very high! It was a Harry Potter themed party. So much thought was put into every detail. Personalized invitations, decorations, signs, food, games…it was awesome! There was a platform 9 3/4, Diagon Alley where the kids bought what they needed for hogwarts school. They had to visit GrinGott’s Wizard Bank. They also got their very own hand carved wand made my Mark’s brother, Scott. A few of the other activities included the sorting hat ceremony where they kids were put into houses, a potions class, Quidditch, and a big feast.

The kids and adults had a blast. Here are a bunch of pictures where you can see all the fun we had.

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Each child came away with their very own handmade wand and scarf and a black cauldron full of treats and toys.

P.S. I got pictures of all the cousins doing the sorting hat and outside before the party, I’ll try and email all those out so you can have the pictures of your kids.