More fun

Brooke was not so sure she was glad to be in the hot sun in sticky sand. She did her best, but was glad to get back to the pool.

Mary spent a lot of time scooping shells out of the water. We won't mention what happens when a beloved cup of shells is knocked over by a brother. One of those wonderfully public moments as a family that just won't seem to end!

Jake loved being buried in the sand. He thought it was so funny. He sure has turned into a character these days.

Anna loves the water, and loved chasing the seagulls and other birds along the beach.

More fun in the waves

Waves, waves, waves

Jacob

Anna

Mary

The kids thought it was hillarious to be knocked over by the waves. It really was amazing how strong the under current was.

Fun on the beach

It is amazing how far you can get in 24 hours. The trip was set to take 20 hours of driving, and it took us 24. We planned to stop and sleep for the night, but sleeping children are a big motivation to keep going. You know it is a long drive when the kids are excited that there are only 6 hours left! They did great, and we are very grateful for the invention of the portable dvd player. Brooke had the hardest time, but eventually gave up the idea of getting out of her seat.

There is something about sand and water that is so appealing to kids. They played and played. They loved the waves, which I was surprised by, and there was no mention of shark attacks. The best part is just being away from the many, many responsibilities of life at home (especially cooking and cleaning!). The kids kept asking, "How many more days do we get to stay in the hotel?" I don't think we would even have to go anywhere for vacation. We would just have to stay in a hotel with a pool and free breakfast for the kids to be satisfied.

Poor Brooke needed her naps. The kids were so tired at night that they would just pass out without a fight.

A child's prayer

Mary is a very intense person, as many of you know, and her prayers have given us a lot of insight into the stresses she feels. I would have never guessed that so much could concern a little girl. The other night her prayer went something like this,

"Please bless us to never be separated as a family."
"Please bless us to all be together in eternal life"
"Please bless us to have enough food if there is a famine"

I wish I could remember everything she included, but Moss and I realize we have to be a little more careful about the things we discuss with her. In my excitement about getting food storage underway I showed her the things I had in the storage room. Later she asked, "What if our neighbors don't have food storage? Would we share with them?" When I told her we would, she asked, "but what if we don't have enough after that?"

Is it Spring?

Somehow it is April, and spring is still struggling to arrive. While the grass and flowers give you a sense of spring, it snowed over the weekend. Today at our playgroup we all showed up full of hope that the weather would prove to be warm, but instead we all froze in our sandals and bear ankles. The poor kids were subjected to our false sense of spring as well. Poor Jacob ran around with pink cheeks and goose bumps, but unwilling of course to put on his sisters pink fleece in the van. Fortunately it did warm up this afternoon and the wind quit blowing. Anna and Brooke stayed out as long as possible enjoying our backyard's natural habitat. Some might think we have weeds growing, but we prefer to call it our flower garden. Anna even picked some for a center peice.

Silky and Pip (squeak)

"I have a pet!" was Anna's joyful song after we brought home our two new hamsters Silky and Pip. I have been feeling so guilty for depriving her of her passion for animals, especially since we gave away her beloved Copper last year. She still sheds tears for her long lost Copper, but soft and cuddly Silky seems to be filling the hole for now.

Mary is equally thrilled with the new additions. She picked out the runt of the litter, hence the name Pip Squeak. They really have turned out to be the best pets for us- a little food, a little poop, and a little cage (not to mention the 2 year life span). Best of all, they want to be left alone and they don't want anything from me. (Well except to be recued on occasion.) So far they have proven to be friendly and docile. So if your kids are pressuring you for a dog, you might consider a teddy bear hamster!

My Red Kitchen

So I have been wanting to paint my kitchen red for several months now. After seeing my sister's red kitchen on my trip to Utah I finally decided to do it. It was a very tense morning as I remained convinced that it would look good despite Moss' and his mother's doubt. Charlotte worked all morning and into the afternoon with me to finish it. When it was all said and done, the common consensus was "I can't believe how good it looks. I would never had believed it." I really do love it and was relieved that it turned out as well as I'd hoped.

Easter Egg Fun

All I can say is that I am glad this only happens one time each year. Some how it just isn't as fun for me as it was when I was a kid.

This is right up Brooke's alley. Eggs, dye, and cups.

In the end we had a lot of beautiful eggs and happy kids.

The Annual Easter Egg Hunt

Every year since we have been here we have had an Easter egg hunt with all our friends. Unfortunately with Easter being so early, it turned out to be rather cold. Of course the kids were undeterred and were anxious to find the hidden treasures that awaited them. You would think that my children had been deprived of candy in their entire lives! Once it came down to only finding the specified number of eggs it all went down hill. Never-the-less, it was a good time with friends and a wonderful memory!

Grandma and Grandpa's house

There are a few things that must be a part of every trip to Grandpa and Grandma's house. On the way home from church before we left I overheard Anna saying to Mary, "Four-wheeler, Jacuzzi, Cousins, Cabin, Horses. And all this time I thought we were going to plain ol' grandma's house." While we didn't get to do everything on the list, we did do a lot.

Fun in the Sun, part II

We spent all day saturday outside in the beautiful weather having a great time with Aunts and Uncles and cousins. We played frisbee, and bocce ball, and flew kites. The kids had a great time just being with everyone.

Fun in the Sun

Sledding Arizona Style

They couldn't get enough. They rolled and rolled, and rolled, and they they all got a bath!

Thank you to Autumn for the delicious ice cream, and bubble gum.
FUN, FUN, AND MORE FUN.

Enlightening Conversation

My sister and I had a good laugh at this conversation. It is amazing what kids catch on to, and understand at such a young age. I am still not sure when Mary picked up on this.

Mary: When you grow up you are going to have to take care of everbody.
Christopher: Yeah, I will have to work like 24 hours a day. Well, maybe 12 or 11.45hrs.
Mary: Well, at least you won't have to go through the pain of giving birth!

Reminiscing...

On our way from Phoenix to my parents home in Southern Utah, we passed by the small town I grew up in. Its population is only about 7,ooo, and the town is 16 sq. miles. The nearest city is about 150 miles away. I loved growing up there. My childhood was bliss, and I thought all families were as happy as mine. I realize now that my parents worked very hard to give me that experience. I grew up in a home that was on the edge of the mesa and faced out over the canyons in the picture. I used to just sit on our front steps and watch the sunset. It is so beautiful, and to drive through there this past week brought back a lot of wonderful memories. Something many don't know about me is that I worked at the local scenic airport fueling the small planes like the one in the picutre. It was a great job, and nice to be outside. I would drive the big fuel truck up, pull off the ladder, put on the big gloves, and fill them up. I did get to go on a few tours over the lake and the Grand Canyon while I worked there.
This is a picture of slot canyon. we always called it the skinny caves. It has become a tourist site now and very regulated, but when we were kids we could just drive out to it and hang out. We would build big bon fires at night and have a great time walking through trying to scare each other. It actually took a lot of skill to avoid taking off your head on the ledges.

This is another scenic sight outside of page a few miles. It is called the horseshoe. If you floated down the river you would end up in the Grand Canyon. You can see why I might like to move back to this part of the country. Despite the lack of greenery, it is so beautiful. Maybe if I fill my house with pictures like this, it will grow on Moss too...