Saturday, March 17, 2012

A Quick Trip

We were overdue for a trip to Blanding. We left last Saturday morning and spent the weekend. We returned back home Monday. We all had a nice time.

We went to an Elk Farm that frankly gave Steve bull-fever. The numbers were impressive, but most impressive were the bulls and their antlers which they hadn’t dropped yet this spring.

 We also went to the elementary school that Steve’s mom worked at for many years, and where Steve and the rest of his family attended school. It was a nice day and enough breeze that we flew kites and threw the disc at the playground. If fact, the kite got away from TR and is now missing. It blew away and is likely on top of Blanding Elementary.
Julene brought her metal detector which is a lot of fun to hunt hidden treasures in the sand.  Zac made a fast friend. They found nails, coins, pencil ends and other “goodies”. One man’s trash is another boy’s treasure.


Prickly Pear
Yucca


Indian Ruins



Zac feels big here. Love it, Zacy!

Grandma Julene and TR



While we were there we also went for a hike to some Indian Ruins at Butler Wash. The weather was perfect. It was a lot of fun and the kids did great. We did a scavenger hunt. We saw a lot of great things. Grandma Julene taught the kids about the Yucca plant and Brighman tea, as well as cedar berries. We saw a little lizard, black moss, sandstone and prickly pear cactus. We found a walking stick and animal tracks. The weather was great.


Later that day, while the kids rested, Julene and I watched the Help. It was so good. “You kind. You special. You important.” Steve cooked for us- Mexican meat, and cilantro rice with mangoes. It was delicious. Julene made homemade cotton candy while Steve cooked. That was cool. I have never seen a homemade cotton candy maker.  The kids enjoyed playing outside and making the basement their special place.
 The drive home was better than the way there. Gage and Trev gave it up and slept some. The van was peaceful for a little while.
It was a fun trip! Thank you Scot, Julene and Brandon.

Pictures

Dilly Bars make me happy too!
Helping with laundry

Last week Trevor and Gage got their first real haircuts. I have been trimming Trev's hair, but it was getting and he was getting to hard to manage. We went to a pro. I am so happy with how their cuts turned out. Look at that face. Trev is not happy.

Happy St. Patty's

Last week Jenna was working on her Leprechaun project. She finished up on Wednesday. I helped her with some grammar and spelling. (scary, I know!) She told me that her teacher was having a friend read them, and they would choose the most creative one. Jenna informed me that she won her class Leprechaun project! It was announced yesterday at school. She was pleased. I was happy for her. In fact, I just smile to myself as I think about Jenna. She is growing up and while I love my babies, it is fun to see them grow up and make friends, and accomplish things that they are proud of.
I retyped it here:
 
From My Leprechaun’s Log Book...by Jenna Christensen, age 8          March 14, 2012
My leprechaun is happiest when she sings in the shower. Also, when she stands on her head. She is happy when she plays the flute, and when she goes swimming in the big pot of water. She is happy when she is pretending that my toys are real.
Sometimes I find her in my shoe, my sock, my toy car, under my pillow, and in my back pack playing hide and seek. I found her in my back pack once, and we played all day. I have also found her on my bookshelf, trying to read a book. She has also been in my teacher’s hair!
Her favorite colors are green, yellow, and gray or silver, because these are the colors of her coins. She likes to wear the color green.
 One day she really shocked me by cleaning my whole house in an hour. She gave gold to my brother! She made dinner! She gave my dog a bath. She caught a butterfly and rode it across the moon. She also shocked me when she was asleep in my shoe.
 Her favorite desserts are coin chocolates. She loves money. Also, she loves vanilla ice-cream with squashed chocolate and sprinkles.
 The funniest things about my little friend are her jokes and pranks, and the way she talks. She ties my shoes together. She tricks me a lot. Her hair and her hat, her fish, her gold and her shoes are funny. She plays in my brother’s underwear! She dances in my babysitter’s hair!
 While I am at school, she goes shopping for four leaf clovers. She eats all my bananas. She sleeps under mushrooms. She plays with birds. She explores my neighborhood and play jokes and pranks on my neighbors.
My strange little friend is always shy about going near my littlest brother and the neighborhood cats and dogs. She is also kind of nervous about butterflies because they can pick her up and fly away with her, and she thinks that she might get lost.
 She likes to collect pinecones and gold coins. She also really likes to collect daises and clovers.
I doubt my little elf will ever leave me!
Sometimes she likes t o wear her polka dot underwear, her many hats, and coin tiara. She also likes her many shoes. I just like jeans and a long sleeved shirt. She likes shirts with a dollar on it.
Her favorite songs are (made-up songs): “Dad and donuts”, “mom and dad,” “boom boom!”, “Bananas, bananas, bananas”, and a song called, “Special, special”.
 Someday I know she’ll go to the Grand Canyon, climb a tree, or see a bald eagle. She will climb and mountain or maybe steal my mom’s ring! She could get lost in my jewelry box.
 I thought for sure that she was lost one day, but then I found her squished in my dad’s wallet looking for treasure. Another time, she was swimming in my mom’s diet coke!
She always promises me that she won’t steal my earrings while I am asleep. Also, she promises that she’ll always be my friend. 

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Sledding

This has been a very mild winter, with very little snow. In fact, there hasn't been much opportunity for sledding in the valleys and only recently have the conditions been nice in the mountains for skiing. This has not troubled me. However, I feel like if it is going to be winter, then let it look and feel like winter. So this week we welcomed snow, and were glad that there was enough left to go sledding yesterday. We went to, hands-down, the best place ever to sled. It was safe, easy to get to, and even if there were 100 other people there, it would have been ok. It is a big park in Provo that my friend told me about and that Steve's boss confirmed was a great place to take the kids and sleds.
 Yesterday morning we got ready and loaded up to go sledding, which is no small feat. Locating snow clothes, boots, and gloves or mittens for everyone was an ordeal.  We had a couple of inter-tubes, and 1 disc, but our sleds otherwise were busted-up. Thankfully ShopKo still had some. They were on clearance and were practically giving them away.  
 Jenna and Zac had a blast. Trev and Gage were scared of going too fast. Trev did finally settle-in when he discovered that he could make and throw snowballs. Gage frankly was happiest after we loaded back in the van on the way home. Steve and I had a lot of fun too. The sledding and snowball fight were memorable. Too bad the snow wouldn't quite cooperate for a snowman, maybe another day we will make Frosty.
Still makes me smile.
Feeling confident in their fort and ammo
BYU students playing snow Frisbee/football in the background. Yes, the mountains are beautiful.



Trev was brave enough to watch the empty sled go down.

Gage is thinking, "humpf, I would rather be inside".

I love his adventure!



 It was a good morning, and we are glad that we went sledding this year.

Dad comes to Utah!

Day 2 Day 3