Freezing in Arizona's Heat

What do you do to cool down on a hot Arizona summer day?

Swim, of course!

So, I took the boys swimming yesterday at the high school.

They cooled down alright, so much so, that they began shivering.

So, I did what any other normal parent would do . . . I mixed up a pot of hot chocolate for everyone when we got home.

Summer Time

I was outside taking pictures of James and his Amazing Sunflower, and Jalen Andrew came out and posed himself in front of the sunflower. He looked at me expectantly, and wouldn't move until I took his picture. Very cute! Even if he does have remnants of oatmeal still clinging to his face. Erik took each of the kids (and me) for a little quad ride around the cul-de-sac. It's a novelty to us, and the boys keep heading out to just sit on the quad and pretend that they are driving. Jalen Andrew has even learned to make motorcycle noises as he "drives." Yep, we stole our cousins' idea of Nerf basketball in the house. This picture is actually deceiving - Jalen Andrew doesn't actually use the stool too often - he can stand on the floor and make the hoop just fine. He can also make it from the comfy seat of his potty chair. (Hey, whatever works!) Sometimes you just need to put your feet up and relax. Karaoke Afternoon at our house. James has been complaining that he needs a CD player so he can play his KidBopz CD that he got in his Happy Meal ANY time he WANTS. He found this kid friendly CD player at Savers for $5.00 What a deal. Summer reading program - Jalen Andrew will finish the library's summer reading program, no problem. He'll just read Ten Little Fish over and over and over again everyday. He loves this book. The kids sing the book to him, so now he will "sing" it as well - singing "nine, nine, nine, nine," for every page.

Sweet 16

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6 Year 7 Year 8 Year 9 Year 10 Year 11 Year 12 Year 13 Year 14 Year 15 Year 16

Thanks for the memories!

The Trekkers Return

Sometimes it's hard to begin . . . to find a place to start the story . . . even with the pictures in place, there is just too much to write down. So pardon the brevity . . . I simply can't write it all. Erik left on Monday the 8th; Christine left Friday the 12th to participate in our Stake's Pioneer Trek. Erik and I were both supposed to be up there helping with site prep, but I simply couldn't leave some of our kids (not to mention some of their issues) for someone else to look after. So, Erik went alone, to dig holes, to chop firewood, to cart water, to sleep on the ground when his air mattress went flat, to get stung on the tongue by a bee. (This is a good time to remind yourself not to drink out of a juice can that has been setting out). He was able to call home several times, and reported how cold it was (36 degrees at night), how windy it was (non-stop from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.), how wet it was (rained every night), and how tired he was (hitting the sack just as soon as dinner was done). Hard worker or hardly working - it's not for me to say. Pioneer Trekking Christine, ready to push a handcart, but not ready to say good-bye to little brother. All showered and clean, and ready to start walking. The Aloha Bucket, equipped with all her basic needs (not to include deodorant, makeup, electronic devises, etc.)

That was the BEFORE . . .

And this is the AFTER . . .

Look at this brown beauty - I'm talkin' about the skin not the dress. Lesson from the Trek #1 - brown people really do burn - Mom wasn't lying all those years she insisted on the use of sunscreen. Lesson #2 - walking in the dirt and not showering for 4 days produces a pretty layer of dirt in the ears, and a great amount of dirt encrusted under the fingernails. Welcome home weary travelers!

Sunflower Days

A boy went to kindergarten and learned about sunflowers.

He found an intact salted sunflower seed on the playground at school, and tried to plant it.

He talked incessantly about sunflowers.

Finally his mom bought a packet of sunflower seeds (not salted), and he planted a seed.

He watered the seed.

Visited the seed.

Worried about the seed.

And in time, the seed began to grow.

Still the boy watered, visited, and worried.

The seed became a plant. It grew and grew and grew.

Taller and taller it became - first it only reached the boys' knees, then his chest, and then finally it grew as tall as the boy, then as tall as his brother, then as tall as his sisters, then as tall as his dad, until one day it grew taller than all of them.

The leaves grew bigger too. Bigger than the boys' hand, bigger than his head.

Up, up, up the sunflower grew, reaching always for the sun.

Everyday the boy watered his plant, visited his plant, and worried about his plant.

Then one day, the boys' plant bloomed.

Just like the boy's smile!

(Seated on Christine's shoulders)

Here's the Poop

Tonight at dinner Joseph excused himself to use the Man's Room. A few minutes later, Jalen Andrew leaned over in his high chair and started making grunting noises. I asked him if he needed to go poopy, but he quit grunting and basically ignored the question. Usually when he starts to take care of business, we grab his hand and tell him to "run, run, run" to the bathroom - just to get him used to the idea that that's the room where poop belongs. Anyhow, a few minutes later, he said to me, "Mommy! Down. Down. Wo Wo (that's what he calls Joseph)" and he began pointing to the bathroom. I got him out of his high chair, and he began running to the bathroom. We had gotten the potty chair out the day before because he kept going over to the toilet and wanting to sit on it. He motioned that he wanted to sit on the potty chair, so I let him. I sat on the floor next to him, singing him songs, totally expecting nothing to happen, when all of a sudden there was a "thud." He went poop, and not some little token offering either, but a big old pile of it. Amazing! We were so surprised, except for Jalen Andrew, who acted like it was the most normal thing to do ever. Keep thinking that kid, and potty training will be a breeze.

12 Years Together

Happy "A" Day, Rebekah!

With Dad gone for Trek - he left several days early to help chop wood, dig holes, etc., Rebekah didn't feel like going somewhere to celebrate her day. It wasn't the same without Dad. So, she opted to rent a movie "City of Ember" and pop some popcorn.

Can't believe you've been with us for 12 years! My, how you've grown!

Bakers Aplenty

The young women in our ward had a fund raiser tonight to earn money for Girl's Camp. They served an Italian dinner, provided babysitting, auctioned off a service, and each made a dessert to auction off as well.

Christine, who has always been interested in decorating cakes had Grandma Sandy come over and teach her how to decorate. Christine did an amazing job, and surprised herself in the process.

Rebekah made a wonderful pan of cinnamon rolls. They were so good that we were reluctant to send it off to the auction. She has promised to make another batch for the family one of these days.

All in all the girls made $2300. Needless to say, they've paid for camp, and will be sharing the "dough" with the boys for Scout Camp.

Here are the little kitchen helpers. They seemed to show up whenever there was frosting to be sampled . . . James made cupcakes for Family Home Evening, and with the extra frosting from the weekend's dessert bake-off, the boys made some beautiful creations. I love how my kids love to bake in the kitchen . . . the boys too.