Utah vacation-The finale

Edited 8/22/10. Oops!!! I totally forgot to put that we went to Melissa's house for dinner on Thursday. So scroll down & find updated info. Sorry no pics though. I totally forgot to take any while at her house.

I've been back from vacation for 2 weeks now & I'm just getting around to posting about our last 3 days of vacation. Boy am I a slacker. But then, you already knew that.

We really didn't do much the last couple of days we were in Utah. On Thursday Andrea and I went down to Orem to do some more shopping and a little visiting.

We shopped at a clothing thrift store called Plato's Closet. It is geared more towards teenagers and young adults. But Andrea managed to find an outfit to wear to Taylor's wedding reception there. Andrea had fun trying on clothes, I just held the clothes & watched as she modeled each outfit. The place was hopping. Seemed like the "in" place to buy used clothes.

After shopping we went to "In & Out" for lunch. They finally have them in Utah now, and they are just as packed as the ones in California.

We then met up with some friends of mine, Launi & Laurie. They are sisters & lived in our ward in El Cajon when I was a teenager. I was friends with both of them. In fact, I was a bridesmaid when Laurie got married.

They moved to Utah after Launi & I graduated from high school. I moved to Utah a few years later. Launi was Brandon's babysitter for awhile when he was about 2 years old.

It was great fun getting to visit with them for an hour or so. Neither has changed much. And yes, I am looking through rose colored glasses. We are all still young and thin. Ok, ok, only Andrea is. But Launi is still a hoot. She has a blog called Gracious Rain. You should check it out, and see for yourself. I love Launi's sense of humor.

Here we are from left to right: Me, Laurie, Launi, Andrea

Next Andrea & I drove down to Provo to go to The Quilted Bear store. It's a store full of hand crafted items as well as home decor stuff. You know, my kind of store. They have 3 stores in Utah. Once upon a time they had a location in Las Vegas that I would visit. But it looks like they now only have the 3 stores in Utah.

The store was full of fall & Halloween decor.

I loved these blocks that spelled out "family". I may just have to make me some.

I mostly took photos of stuff that I liked that I thought I might be able to recreate. I know, I'm cheap and a cheater.

I am really looking forward to fall and the approaching holiday season. Just think, Christmas is in 4 months. I know that seems like a long time away, but it will be here before we know it.

I loved these signs as well.

And don't you love the orange bottle brush trees? I may have to make me some this year.


That pretty much sums up Thursday. I can't remember what we did for dinner. But we did hang out with Todd and the girls in the evening. We probably watched a movie since this is what we did most every night.

UPDATED 8/22/10: I now remember what we did for dinner on Thursday night. We went up to Salt Lake City to Melissa's house for dinner. DOY!!! How could I forget that? But I forgot to take any photos while there.

And for those of you in the family who don't know who Melissa is. She is Marilyn's daughter so that makes her my cousin.

We had a great time visiting with Melissa and Scott and met their 3 girls. They have a beautiful home. But would you expect any less from Melissa.

Melissa fixed pork tacos that were so yummy. We had a fabulous rice and black beans as well. And she had a killer salsa. Now I make a pretty killer salsa, but Melissa's was even better. I'll have to get the recipe from her.

On the way home it was lightning & thundering. We did see a bolt of lightning hit something far off in the distance as what ever it hit lit up like it was on fire, then there was a huge blue glow for a little bit. Probably hit a transformer of some sort. I tried to get some lightning on video, but kept just missing it.

On Friday I didn't take any photos. Andrea met one of her friends Amy for lunch a few miles from Todd's house. I dropped her off at the restaurant & then went shopping at Walmart. About an hour and a half later Andrea called me & said she was ready to be picked up. I said goodbye to Todd (he was working at Walmart) and he was surprised that I was still at Walmart. He had already been to lunch & back. I told him, I didn't even get to see everything in Walmart. I could be there for hours if I wanted. He was so surprised (I guess he doesn't know girls very well).

After I picked up Andrea we again went shopping down in Orem/Provo. Now that I'm thinking about it, it may have been Friday that we went to The Quilted Bear & not Thursday. If that was the case, I can't remember what we did Thursday afternoon. Oh well, I'm sure it was shopping. Seems like we mostly went shopping on this trip. My kind of vacation!!!!

Friday evening Andrea, Todd, Julianna & I went to dinner at KFC. Mari couldn't go as she had to work.

Saturday morning we left Todd's house about 7am. We drove to Provo to pick up Andrea's boys from EFY. Sounds like they all have a blast. Simon said he had so much fun. I asked him if he wanted to go again next year. He said probably not, as he had more than his fill of Mormon's to last him a few years. He is too funny.

We stopped at McDonald's for breakfast before leaving town. We got on the road about 8:30am. Simon and his friend Fielding rode in the truck with Andrea and me. Andrea's nephew Troy was driving a car that followed us all the way home. Troy's youngest brother Eric & Andrea's son Nate road in Troy's car.

We stopped in Cedar City for gas and for Troy & Nate to trade off driving.

As we passed through St George I tried to get a photo of the temple. I finally got a somewhat descent one. It's hard taking photos while the car is moving. Especially with a point and shoot camera.
The prettiest part of the drive from Utah to California is when you go through the Virgin River Canyon in Arizona (between St George, Ut & Mesquite, NV).

The Virgin River actually had some water in it this time. But look how muddy it was.

We did stop in Mesquite, NV to go to the bathroom & switch drivers. Plus Del Taco was having 39 cent tacos. So we ate tacos and we were on our way again.

We again stopped in Jean, NV so Troy & Nate could switch drivers again. And one final stop in Barstow. Troy & Nate switched driving every time we stopped. Andrea & I only switched in Mesquite.

Our final destination was not home, but the OC (Orange County) Fair. Jamey was working at the fair. We were suppose to meet up at the fair with Jamey and my hubby Mike. We got there about 6pm. Met Mike in the parking lot so I could put all my stuff in our car.

Jamey then got all of us into the fair for free. And you know how I love free. He even had hotel rooms for us at the local Motel 6.

Once we were at the fair, we all split up & went our separate ways. Mike and I had a fun time at the fair. But I was soooo tired from driving all day.

Here are some of my favorite things about going to the fair.

Tablescapes. You know how I love tablescapes. And the fair is a good place to get ideas. I loved this pirate tablescape. But I think my own version from last Halloween is even better.

They had this cool, I mean cold, ice house with ice statues. It was put on by some local company that does ice sculptures. They were fabulous.

You know I love anything that is an Eiffel Tower. This one is made out of bread.

This birth of Venus statue is made from white chocolate.

A tribute to the OC Fair with bread.

I love all the colorful & bright food places. Too bad the food is so expensive. Mike & I only had corn on the cob while at the fair.

I love the fair at night. Especially the midway.

We had fun watching other people spend their money playing games. Lot's of people with stuffed animals they had won though.

And what is a fair without funnel cakes? Nothing! But did I have one? NO! I was trying to be a good girl.

And a ferris wheel screams, FAIR!!!! But we didn't go on any rides. Comes from not being able to ride any when I was a child. That, or, NO MONEY!!!! I think the 2nd reason is most likely the truth.

We did go in the petting zoo. I love seeing the animals at the fair. Just don't like the smell.

Mike & I spent about 4 hours at the fair. We pretty much saw everything we wanted to see. Afterwards we went to the Motel 6 where Jamey had a room reserved for us. Never did see Andrea and Jamey. But did see some of the boys in the swimming pool. I asked them where they had eaten dinner. Simon said there was a Jack in the Box down the street.

Mike and I were starving by this time so we got in our car to find some place to eat. Mike wanted to find a Denny's or a Coco's. Something like that. But we couldn't find anything. We finally stopped at a Circle K to ask. The workers had no clue, so I asked the customers. Some drunk guy who was buying more booze told me about "Norm's". Said it was like Denny's, only better. He gave me directions that turned out to be correct.

This was our first time eating at "Norm's". I had seen commercials for them on TV, just had never seen one. Let me tell you, the food was pretty good. And cheap! Plus you got a lot of food. Mike had a rack of ribs for $12.00. Came with soup and salad, bread, rack of ribs, french fries and coleslaw. I had the steak & shrimp special for $9.99. Mine came with soup and salad, steak, 6 big shrimp, baked potato and green beans. We couldn't eat all the food. Lucky for us, the motel room had a little fridge to put the left overs in.

And now for a tour of our Motel 6 room:

The room was pretty sparse. Had laminate floor instead of carpeting. But it did have a flat screen TV. Also came with free WiFi, a little fridge and a microwave.

Here is the bed. I felt like we were sleeping in the Ikea showroom. The bed was sort of floating. The side tables were floating. And all the lighting was fluorescent.

The bathroom did have a cool sink.

And what is this on the wall? The room was a little too modern for my tastes. But much better than I thought Motel 6 would be.

All in all, it was a good room. Did have a good night sleep. By the time Mike & I checked out Sunday morning (11am), Andrea's family had already gone back to the fair. I was too tired to go back, so Mike and I headed home.

So there you have the final report of what I did on my summer vacation.

I had a great time hanging out with Andrea all week and getting to spend time with Todd and his girls. The food was good, the shopping was good and the company was even better. I told Andrea we need to do this every year.

Kim

P.S. And now for my contest. How many times did I mention Walmart in all my posts about this vacation? There are 3 different posts. The first person with the correct answer will win something. I don't know what yet, but I'll think of something. Probably something from Walmart. lol. Leave your guesses in comments. Contest ends when someone guesses correctly. And yes, the Walmart's mentioned in this PS also count.

A Giveaway - Here's your chance to be "GREEN"

Thought you might want to know about a cool giveaway that a friend of mine is doing on her blog. Her name is Launi and her blog is called Gracious Rain. It is a cool blog & she has lots of useful information, crafts, recipes, etc that she shares.

Well she just opened an "etsy" shop called greenWinkle, selling handbags crafted from recycled or repurposed shopping bags that she has crocheted. You know what shopping bags I'm talking about, those ugly white shopping bags you get at the store. But she has taken these ugly bags & turned them into something beautiful & useful. Talk about being green!!! Anyways, she is giving one of these wonderful bags away in her giveaway.

These handbags are not only sturdy. They are machine washable AND dryable. Who would have thought? I guess Launi did. She was always so creative and crafty.

All you have to do to enter is to go to her blog GRACIOUS RAIN (click on Gracious Rain & it will take you directly to the giveaway) to see how to enter. It's easy peasy. And who knows, you might end up winning a really cool looking handbag. Or you can just buy one from her etsy shop.

So scurry on over to her blog http://www.graciousrain.com/ to enter her giveaway. Tell all your friends and neighbors to enter as well.

You know it's hip to be green & you want to be hip, don't you? I knew you did!!!

And the winner is........

Jodi is the winner!!!! She ended up having the most entries in the giveaway. We had a total of 18 different people enter (including non family members). Jodi participated the most in the blog this past week, with Andrea a close second & Kira a close third. So those 3 had the greatest chance in winning & Jodi's participation really paid off for her as she is our winner.

Just to put all your minds at ease. There was no cheating involved in this giveaway (like I could cheat). No one even tried to bribe me (boo hoo), not even Jodi. Everyone had a entry for each time they participated in the blog this past week. If you participated one time, you had one entry, if you participated 11 times (as in Jodi's case), you had 11 pieces of paper with your name on it. I printed out the names & then folded up the pieces of paper teeny tiny. Then I had Brandon mix them up & he pulled one out. Jodi won, fair & square.

Thanks to everyone who entered. It was a fun giveaway. I'll try & do one every couple of months or so (depending on my finances & my mood).

But just because we aren't having a giveaway doesn't mean that you should stop participating in the blog. I hope that you will all continue to post things and/or comment on others posts on our blog. This is much more fun when everyone contributes. Otherwise, you will just get the Kim show. Which I don't mind, but you would probably like to hear about other family members as well.

Thanks again & Jodi enjoy your stuff!!! I expect cupcakes next time I'm down to visit.

Last day to enter

Don't forget the giveaway for the great Valentine stuff ends tonight at 11:59pm California time. So today is your last chance to post something on the blog, post a comment or sign up to be a follower. Remember for each thing you do, you get an entry in the giveaway.

Even Eric said he would be posting today (I'll believe it when I see it).

Right now, Andrea is the one to beat. She really wants the stuff. She has earned the most entries so far. Now it doesn't guarantee that she will win, but she will have the best odds at winning. So if you want to better your odds, today is your last chance, so blog away!

Count me in!

Whew! Just got back from Mars and I am glad I did as I see that my ol' cuzin Kim has gone crazy! She's giving away cool stuff and is calling it a bribe, or is it the other way around? Either way count me in! Figured it was time to chime in. Blog On Kim!

Love, Becky

Time for a Giveaway!!!!

OUR FIRST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Here we are at the start of a new year. OK, we are already 12 days into in the new year, but it is still a new year just the same. Did you also know that we have been doing this family blog for a year now. Well our blog anniversary was actually the week before Christmas, but I am a procrastinator to the core. So to celebrate the new year & our blog anniversary, I thought it was time for a giveaway. (Everyone can now jump for joy!!!!)

Don't you love getting something for nothing, well, almost nothing? Well, it won't cost you a dime (I'm the only one putting out money on this). But it does involve you doing something.

Here are the rules for my little giveaway:

The giveaway starts today (right this very second) & ends next Monday at 11:59pm PST (that's California time). This giveaway is open to everyone whether you be family, friend or foe, even if I don't even know you, or even if I do. We do not discriminate around here. Everyone is welcome & that includes you. You can earn chances to win for doing one of any or all of the following:

1) Leave a comment on a post. It can be on this post, a new post coming up this week, or an old post. I get an email every time someone leaves a comment, so I will still know if you comment on an old post (as long as the commenting is done within the above time parameters. Kapeesh?) Old comments already posted do not count, only new ones done this week. We love comments, they are the lifeblood of blogs.

2) Sign up to be a "Follower" of this blog. You will find the link on the right hand column. It is titled "Followers" (how original). Click on "Follow this blog" to sign up. It's that easy, peasy. The 4 people who are already signed up will get credit for already being signed up. So they are already 1 entry ahead of you. So everyone else needs to sign up as a follower. Even if you are a contributor to this blog, you still need to sign up as a follower. Anyone can sign up (family, friends, strangers, unless you are too strange, then go away. But if you are a friendly stranger, you are welcome to sign up). The more the merrier.

3) Contribute your own post to our blog. You must be signed up as a contributor in order to post. If you are not & want to be a contributor, just email me at kasmlc@hotmail.com & I'll send you an invite to be a contributor. Sorry, but I do discriminate here, posting is only for members of the Manning Family Tree (even though none of us have the last name of Manning, we just happen to be related to someone who did).

You will get 1 entry for each time you do one of the above. I will then put all entries in a hat & pull out a winner, or something like that. I promise I will not cheat (bribes will not be accepted, unless it is a really good bribe). You can enter more than once. The more times you participate in our blog, the greater your chance of winning.

My ultimate goal (you knew there had to be a catch) is that I'm hoping to generate more participation or blog readership with this giveaway.

What do we win Kim? I know you are all just dying to know. Right? Well let me tell you. I picked out two really cute dish towels. One has a heart that says LOVE, the other has a sweet cupcake. Then there is a cute washcloth. A rubber spatula with cupcakes on it, a heart shaped ice cube tray & finally some pink & white heart sprinkles. Just in time for Valentine's Day. Don't worry, I bought a 2nd set just for me (since it wouldn't be fair if I won the giveaway).

I know all you guys (that's the male gender) are thinking, why would I want any of this cute girly stuff? Let me tell you why. The woman or girl in your life will think these are so cute & would love to own them. But if you are a guy & win, be sure to give the goodies to your wife or girlfriend (for those who are not married. If you are married, you better NOT have a girlfriend or you may not have a wife for long) prior to Valentine's Day. This is not in "lieu" of a Valentine's gift. If you gave her this as her only Valentine's gift, I'm sorry to tell ya, you aint going to get any lovin'. This is a pre Valentine's gift. The real Valentine's gift you will need to be responsible for & it better be good (if you want any lovin' that is).

Winner will be announced on Tuesday 01/20/09 at what ever time I get around to announcing the winner. If you have any questions or concerns. Too bad, it's my giveaway & I make the rules, you WILL do as I say. LOL.

So there you have how you can win these fabulous prizes. Now, run, don't walk to your nearest computer & enter to win. You know you want this stuff!!!

Kim