Cam's Pizzeria

Cailey's dad makes insanely good pizza. Before the kids started college we went over to their place for games and pizza. I think I ate like 4-5 pieces. He likes to make it all from scratch and does such a good job. Camden was on dinner this week and made pizza. He did an amazing job. He made 5 pizzas, I'd say about 8 inches and only a half was left. Now I feel like we need to get better products so he can make us pizza again. 

Set It Off Take 3

Yesterday Beck, Jacks Emery and I went to Set It Off. This is Beck and my third time seeing them. They are great every time. This one was at the Knitting Factory, not a big fan of this venue, but it was still so much fun. Both Emery and Beck worked so we got there right as Set It Off went on. It really was the perfect timing. It was Jacks' first concert like this, in a small venue. He said it was really loud but a lot of fun.  

Next Round of Concerts

 

It's another round of concerts coming up. I have 3 pretty close and the first two are this week. Sunday we had Breaking Benjamin, Staind and Daughtry. All in all it was a really good concert. It was long but really good. 

There was another band at first and they came out saying they are here to bleeping hype us up, lets get ready to rock and headband. Then he started to sing and the most twang country voice came out. The juxtaposition was so not what I expected. They sounded good but weren't what we thought. 

Awwweee, the cute pictures. 

Daughtry sang some good old songs and a few newer ones. 

I forgot how many Staind songs I really loved. They can do an amazing slow song. 

We saw Breaking Benjamin 9 years ago and loved them. I think I knew all but one song. "Dear Agony" hit me in the feels. I loved that one.

We didn't think it was going to be that long of a concert, it started at 5:30 pm but we got home 11 pm. It got colder than we thought it would have been, but worth it. 

Next is tomorrow.

Cam's Weekend

 This blog is to journal all I can, that includes that even as the kids get older, I want to put in as much as they want posted. Camden went to Twin and Pocatello this weekend to see Cailey again. It's nice they can meet half way to be together. This is the weekend in his words. (He sent it to me over text, so a few things have been fixed, but kept the Emojis)

Friday we both drove to Target to start, I was lucky to have a huge wreck that made me forced to go on an exit and drive country and gravel roads for 40 minutes lol, but it worked out cause I made it there right when Jarom got home, picked him up and explored Target. (there was a wreck on the freeway and they had to take a random exit to go around it. Cam also took Jacks up with him, so Jacks could spend the weekend with Jarom, Bryan's family) I gave Cailey a "no time limit target shopping" experience  which she loved. Then dropped Jarom and Jacks off with snacks, I also bought this jacket, the hot pizza one. Played a game (The Mind) with Grandma and Grandpa Arrington and had burgers and fries and fruit for dinner. We played Micro Macro then went climbing at Gem stone. Cailey had nails and I haven't climbed in a bit so it didn't go the best lol, but she did a lot of difficult ones, climbed onto the boulder and forget how scary it was. We went home, played Fit to Print; I lost , played Tiny Towns and then watched "Yes Day" and just chatted, she fell asleep so I had to try and carry her but she woke up and went to bed and I finished the movie and slept on the couch.  

Saturday woke up at 8, ate breakfast, then went to Shoshone Falls, which was free and fun. We did the hike to the mountain, didn't go the full way up, just to the nice viewing spot by the tree, looked at the falls, then went back. We did clay until Grandma got back from dancing yoga, then went to Black Bear for lunch. Very tasty food and lots of talking. We then went to US Foods so Grandma could look at the fish prices and she was... not impressed  chilled for a bit finishing clay. Then we drove to Pocatello.  The drive was very fast and chill, except Google maps put Cailey on country roads  (the old highway) and got to the Airbnb. We went to old town.. not the most interesting  went back to watch The Uglies (horrible cgi/book to movie adaptation but I would recommend cause the story of it was cool.) We ordered Little Cesar's and Cold Stone, played Diablo 3 but realized 4th was better so started download and played more board games. When Diablo 4was done downloading we played that until about 10, and she went to the dorm and we talked for a bit on the phone but she went to bed early cause she wanted to wake up at 8 so we could hang a little more. In the morning we did the murder mystery just in time which was really fun and cool to do. Said good bye, fast (but safe) drive to Twin, got Jacks, got McDonald's and went home. (this whole things was sent almost all as one sentence... yes he's in college)

Sweet Sixteen

Tomorrow Emery turns 16 years old. Her sweet 16. Somehow the new tradition of opening her gifts a few days early happened again this year. Cam and Jacks were gone to Twin all weekend, so I guess it worked. 

She was totally surprised for new shoes. The bad part about this, is her actual birthday day is anticlimactic. 

We tried to get her to do a party or hang out with friends, but she really will never have friends over here. She had Jenna over the night before homecoming. She also didn't want us to get her a cake so they could just make one. 

They ate pizza, watched movies, made slime and made a cake. Sounds like a fun night to me. 

I don't think it's a secret to the world that teens are ...fun. I don't think I prepared myself for some... or most of those random things that they do, I really don't think anyone can, they are so random and unpredictable. This year she has become more independent and 'typical' teen. She got her first job, which she loves, and is learning that while you have a job, it doesn't cover all you thought it would, especially now having to pay for gas. She's different from the boys and prefers the SUV over the small car. However getting in the SUV after her, we all hit our knees on the wheel because she has to be so close. She did say that the car will be cleaner and smell better than the boys car... that has yet to happen. Friends are her world right now, which is how it should be. She is either working or with friends now on the weekends. With having a car, it will just get more and more like that. She got a few crochet things for her birthday, and she still works hard going those and loves them. I love seeing new ones go up in her room. She's continuing her culinary classes in school. Emery still loves to cook; she's not a fun of her teacher this year, but hopefully sticks with it for the higher classes next year. Her and Brad still play Rock Band fairly often. We were able to get a new guitar for it as well. Emery reminds me of Brad and I, when I was younger I liked hanging out and holding or playing with the babies. She is the same, if there is a baby, she wants to be the one holding them. We missed the Barnes Reunion this year due to Vegas, and so she missed seeing a few new babies. Her favorite thing to try and talk everyone into getting her are Squishmallows. They are super soft and cute, but the 100 she has takes up a lot of space. I don't know how many she has for sure, but it's a lot. She's joined a few clubs this school year, she for sure joined Art and is thinking about Thespians. She doesn't want to act, she wants to do the background things. We've been going through the seasons of American Horror Story together. The first few seasons are pretty good, but watching them now, I realize how semi cheesy they are. She loves scary movie/shows now, so she seems to be liking them. Her favorite food is, Cam's yellow rice.  Her favorite subject is, Chemistry- because right now she understands it (that may change) and her favorite activity is crocheting.

 

HOCO

 It's homecoming time again. Emery went with her friend group again this year, but her friend had to make a sign. Have to love the phrases they come up with now to ask each other. Cam had a few 'interesting' ones as well

She wanted the same dress as Jenna, her friend, however we the mean parents, and don't allow strapless. Thanks to Aunt Michelle, she was able to add straps. They both look beautiful. She promised me one good smiling picture... this is what I got. Someday that will happen. 

The ended the night at IHop, which Emery hates, but I she had fun with her friends. 

Few Randos

About a week ago Emery got her license. No more having to let a teen drive me around, for a couple of years at least. In all reality I have been more calm as they drive than I thought I would be, however I can get to a place a lot quicker than they did, which is the hardest part of it all. And the parking. Emery wasn't bad and would park closer to the front, but the boys would only park the farthest away from any other car. She was excited to get it finally. Over night she went from loving to shop with me and not leaving the isle I was in, to taking a car out alone. Those milestones are the ones that people don't warn you about. Don't warn you how much that sucks/hurts more then watching them grow from an infant to taking to their first day of school. I'm still happy for each milestone the kids have, they just take more time to get used to. 

This is how far behind I am, this month had a Friday the 13th and we had a movie night with Cam and Jacks (the only two home). We made alien blood sliders,

And our infamous skin cookies. We watched A Quiet Place: Day One.

When teens get to be too teen-y, we still have these lazy mutts. They have had the kids all summer to sit with, but now, days when Camden is gone, they end up on our bed. Working and seeing them dead asleep isn't nice. 

Weekend in Twin

This weekend we went to Twin. Half of us went, the other two had to work. We saw both grandparents, made smores, ate some good food and watched the BYU game. 

Buddy is Grandma and Grandpa Barnes dog. He's tubby beast but very cute too. 

Smores at Gma and Gpa Arrington's. 

This weekend was Cam and Cailey's first year anniversary, so Cailey came down from ISU so they could spend some time together. They went mini golfing, and Cailey destroyed Cam. 

Jacks' Room

Jackson moves his figures around his room a lot. It's fun to see what he comes up with or the poses he puts them in. I think he has the best room in the house.