Family Reunion

 On our way to the family reunion this year, we stopped at two places for the kids. At the top, the place where dad and mom were engaged. Unfortunately, it was 106 degrees that day and we couldn't hike!. Below that, the place where mom and dad were married.  Then on to Alton, Utah to meet the rest of the fam.

I don't have many pictures from this week because I, along with a few of the kiddos (not mine) suffered from what felt like a 24 hour plague. I also have lost the group photo of the 39 of us. That's right, 39. All in one, large and pretty awesome cabin. The kids had so much fun playing with cousins, hiking at Bryce, making catapults and watching The Princess Bride outside at night.

FHE and Star Wars

The Boy taught Family Home Evening last week. He decided to tell the story of Lehi and his family, but he couldn't remember Lehi's name. So this followed:

The Boy: What's the name of the guy? The one that told the people in Jerusalem that they needed to repent or the city would be destroyed?

(Long pause)

The Girl: Ooooo, is it Luke Skywalker?!

Fourth of July

We stuck with our regular tradition of attending the Blues Game for the 4th and added in the really cute Cayucos Parade with our good friends.

We also went to the unparallelled party at the Harris ranch. They are always so generous to do this every year. Blow up houses, snow cones, corn hole, music, games, food, and all our friends....this party has it all!

Musician

I am so excited this is happening.

She's 6!

Church, beach, cupcakes. It was a good day for this not so little one. Amazing Grace, I just love you. You are a feisty and direct six year old. And you're smart. I love that you asked for a telescope for your birthday. You love talking to anyone who will listen. To you, no one is a stranger and every dog is immediately your friend. Sometimes you live in your own little world, and I bet it is an amazing place, Amazing Grace. Happy Birthday, sweetie.

Dual Purpose Father's Day

This year the Girl's birthday and Father's Day were celebrated together. Poor Dad...of course he gets overlooked when this happens. He got breakfast in bed, though. 

Warriors Game

I talked the Man into attending Game 7 of the NBA Western Conference Semi Finals with the Golden State Warriors and the Oklahoma City Thunder. I employed our friend, Scott, to get the Man to agree and he came along with us. We got to watch Steph Curry and Kevin Durant (now to be teammates next season), and it was MADNESS! So much fun!

Mothers Day

My husband bought me these beautiful flowers for Mothers Day.

 And my sweet Sunday School class wrote this note on the chalkboard for me.

Easter and Spring Break

Easter and Spring Break fell together this year. Fortunately, we have a fantastic group of friends that invited us to spend the week with them in Palm Springs. Unfortunately, the Man couldn't get the week off and we had to go without him. Nevertheless, the kids were totally exhausted after days of swimming and playing with friends.

 So grateful for friends and the Easter season to remember the life of Christ.

Family Pictures

My friend, Melissa, is so talented. When it was time to have family pictures again, there was no question that we would be going back to her. My family is amazing.

The Girl

She is so dang special. Her teacher sent me a picture of something she wrote at school.

I just love her.

I'm......in my Mid to Late Thirties!

The Man took me out to lunch and picked up the kiddos from school and made me a steak dinner and did the dishes. It was lovely.

I went on a serious hike with this hot mama.

I have been so fortunate to make good friends wherever I've lived. These fine ladies took me out to dinner. I love them all! Funny, I'm holding a baby in my lap in this picture, but you can't tell.

A Post on the Boy

He's had some things going on lately that I need to share.

First, he's still in tennis. Loving it (for now) and doing pretty well, I think.

Second, he moved up from a Wolf to a Bear in scouts! His blue and gold banquet was Star Wars themed, so he and I made light saber kebobs.

Third, he had a Fiesta party at school. They did some traditional singing and dancing for the parents and then we got to dance with them. It was a lot of fun dancing with my boy!

Zombies

The Girl is sometimes preoccupied with zombies. This is a recent observation she made:

"I'm curious about why Heavenly Father didn't give zombies a brain.....Zombies are so stupid".

It's Her First Award

The Girl got her first award at school for being a "Complex Thinker".  She often lives in her own world where, instead of solving the simple problem presented, she is working on something more complicated.

Her teacher gave this example: while the class was discussing a number line counting by ones, the Girl was busy figuring out how to do one counting by twos. Unfortunately, sometimes this makes it seem likes she's totally lost. But really, she has just moved on.

Turning 9

My boy is just growing and growing. And I love it.  And I hate it.

 He decided he wanted to go to Chuck E Cheese with his buddy Finley, have strawberry cupcakes with chocolate frosting from the same gal who made the cupcakes for their baptism, and then come home and play video games and eat Panera to his heart's content.

He's starting to act older, too (sort of, occassionally). Sometimes the things he says surprises me and makes me laugh. I love you, Boy!

Christmas in Arkansas

This year we went to my hometown for Christmas. Before that, though...we ice skated. The Man's group rented out the ice rink for the evening, and we all quite enjoyed it. The Boy skated and skated!

Then we opened our stockings on Christmas Eve, per tradition, and had our Bethlehem dinner that night. The rest of the day was spent getting ready for Arkansas. 

We left on Christmas Day. Not my favorite plan, but I must say, everything ran on time. 

 Still, we had to get up pretty early and it was a long day. We were glad to be done with that.

We got to see both aunts, our uncle, all the cousins, grandma, and great-grandma the next day for family pictures!

 The Boy could be found doing what he would always be doing if I let him.

Finally we had Christmas. I got to see my cousin that I was roommates with my first year in college! I hadn't seen her in nearly a decade. We opened presents and had a really nice dinner together.

The Man had to go home early to work, but the kids and I stayed an extra two days. The Boy went to the trampoline park with his baseball buddy from last summer while Aunt Jo and I took the Girl bowling.

On New Year's Eve it was time to go home. Another long day ahead, but my kids are absolutely amazing travelers. The day was made a bit longer by a monumental error on my part that serves as one of the low points of my life - I missed our last connecting flight for no other reason than lack of brain activity. I don't want to dwell on that. We made it home alive very late in the evening and that's what's important. I fell asleep just as the fireworks went off to ring in the new year. Happy 2015! 

I am so grateful to have spent it with people I love doing the things I love. We are truly blessed by the Lord.