missing this

Despite the fact that I think Orem "City" is so ugly, I could never live away from the mountains. My dad took this last week right after that crazy snowstorm. I've been checking out the Alta photo of the day pretty regularly since.

warm summer night

me like-y summer

Our apartment pool is awesome! Until 10 p.m. that is, then the parties start and well, um, let's just say the cops have been called a few times. Kind of annoying. But during the day, before the Holy Ghost goes to sleep, it's a riot. Cody finally re-figured out the floaties and next month the kids start swim lessons. Inside, our walls are fast becoming covered with all the drawings. I decided to save all the kids work and tape it to the wall, at the end of the summer I'll take a big picture of it. Oh and those sparkly shoes are the object of Cody's desire. He begs for his own and wears them whenever he can sneak them away from Ellie's closet.

forth worth zoo

Last week we ventured to the very nice Fort Worth Zoo with Rachel and her kids Emily and Sydney and Whitney and her little Payton. Our favorite thing was feeding the little yellow and blue birds - the babies were so excited they were shaking!

i had no idea

These are from my bike ride last week around the lake. Very pretty - I wasn't expecting Texas to be so green and colorful!

mother's day

My goal for Mother's Day was to get somewhere where Justin wouldn't have cell service. His phone rings and gets texts continuously usually until midnight and starts again around 8 am. Makes for great dinnertime conversation. The thing I miss the most about our summers is not being able to have a fire and go camping. We just don't have room in our car for all the equipment. There there is a neat state park just a few miles away so I decided we would "pretend camp". We found an awesome site and made tin foil dinners, hiked and explored, picked wildflowers and took naps (or tried to) on our bed. The campgrounds here are missing one thing that Utah campgrounds have, dirt. Makes for very clean camping.

our first week!

Cucumbers at the Dallas Farmers Market in downtown.

So far so good! I think there will be a lot to keep us entertained here in good ol' Texas. Now if the wind would just take a chill pill I could go one of my many road bike rides I have planned. The kid count is small this year, only 6 kids and Ellie is the oldest, then Cody and another 3-year old Emily (her family lives in our basement in Orem so they are already great friends), and three 10 month olds, 2 of which are twins. I also just figured out that I can get fast internet at the pool! It's so nice this year to have kids that don't have to be held and followed all the time at the pool. We already found Cody a bike at a garage sale and two huge dump trucks and an F-150 - Cody is in heavy equipment heaven.

At Joe Pool lake. The water is warm and shallow.

spring!

Before leaving Utah, the blossoms were in full bloom, Timp had a ton of snow, and the days were sunny and beautiful. I had an extra roll of film from my photo class so I took the kids to the orchard by our home and of course, the ones of Ellie turned out extra cute. I promise I think Cody is cute too! It's just that a boy surrounded by white blossoms isn't quite the same.

...and in color

a few more from the orchard with my digital.

road trip

Driving to Texas with my dad was a great chance to spend some time together. We took the scenic route through Taos, and who knows where else. Up and over mountain passes covered in feet of snow, small towns tucked in green valleys - it really was worth the extra few hours. I'm sure my dad's head was ringing my the end of the first night - you have to build up a tolerance to the sounds of kids, the never ending sounds of kids. It was such a help to have him there and who wouldn't have fun sleeping next to Cody and his squishy legs?

Above: Stop at the sand dune in Moab, pretty scenery, Taos, Joe Pool Lake near our apartment. Ellie is showing me "Where the Sidewalk Ends."

priceless!

Below is one of the best Christmas presents I've ever received. The stage my kids have been at the last year or so has been priceless - I've really been able to enjoy them. So to have a painting done by my uncle Karl Thomas of my children at this sweet age is priceless. It took me a few months to get it framed and figure out where I wanted it.

my angel

I have a little angel in my house...and she has beautiful long legs!





I took Photo 1 this semester and these are a few photos that I am most proud of. I have tons more though. I plan on putting up all my projects from the last year once we get to Texas.

boring

I feel so boring lately. And I don't like it. I will be so happy to be done with school - is it a bad sign that my graphic design program makes me feel less creative? Anyway, I have lots of plans for this summer and I mostly just can't wait to play play play with my kids. Ellie came to class with me today. She hates UVU's preschool/daycare that they go to twice a week. The biggest reason is because she knows she has to go there because I'm going to school (a.k.a. I'm too busy for her). I couldn't resist her plea's this time. She sat quietly for a 3 HOUR critique, playing on my laptop and doing workbooks. The whole class just loved her. Every hour I went out to the vending machine and brought her back a treat. I love days where she feel like my friend and not just my kid.

So - trying to be not so boring. We hiked the Y on Saturday. One of those things that's fun after your done. I love these sunny days though. After the Y the kids came home and played in the backyard and then at the park with a friend for the rest of the day. It's a good day when baths at night are not an option because your kids have played so hard they just stink.

easter and conference

Easter and Conference fell on the same weekend this year. Justin had already left for Texas so I decided to take advantage of the opportunity to be alone at my house and listen to conference. It made such a difference! I was actually able to remember what I heard and since so many of the talks were about being a mother I felt very grateful to have been able to really listen this year.

Saturday I bbsat Molly and Ethan so I took them out to Mapleton for an egg hunt. There is a family out there that puts on a huge hunt including six bike give-a-ways, tractor pulls, games, and cookies and hot chocolate. Jann braved the cold with me and helped me not to loose the kids in the mayhem.





Some of my Easter decorations.

the last three months

have been full of long work hours and long work trips for Justin, and lots of school and homework for me. Not the usual trip after trip after trip like last year. But it's good. I like being busy though I'm looking forward to the summer as it's a chance to spend lots of one on one time with my kids. Ellie is very clingy the last couple months and throws lots of tantrums. She doesn't like when I leave her to go to school or the gym. So, well see what happens with school - my kids are the most important thing and I don't want them to have to sacrifice because I chose not to go to school when I should have. Hopefully once she starts school I can schedule classes during that time.

A few fun things to remember:

Skiing with Courage. Two whole runs on the big lift! The last half of the last run I had Cody between my legs and Ellie on my back. How's that for a leg workout? I tell you WHAT.


Playing hair salon with Braden. I really just needed this picture so I can trace circles around his cheeks with my mouse.


An attempt to redeem a bad day. Late night party at the park with hot chocolate.


"We are sitting in clean laundry with an umbrella watching a movie. Mom, it makes sense."


My mom's birthday lunch at their new condo. We have been helping with the painting and now my dad's putting in the wood floor. I wish I could go there everyday. I love a good re-model.


Playing at the Gateway with Erin, Levi, and Dana. They got us in the Children's museum for free but after an hour or so we couldn't stay inside anymore as it was such a pretty day.


Some kind of "scary" footprints at our house on March 17.


This is embarrassing.

busted

This is pretty funny, and in my case, so true.

my dream life...

If I could see this out my window it would be heaven on earth. You are noticing the garden right? Life is pretty good in ugly ol' Orem (aside from the mountains, this is one ugly city). The only thing that I think about a lot is that I wish my kids could roam free without worrying about them getting snatched or playing in the road. I want my kids to play in the dirt, and get so lost in their imaginative play that they forget to eat. I figure that if I start posting more photos of my dream life (white cottage included), that maybe I can attract it to me.

photo from here

cancooon!

Chichen Itza

I'm tired of trying to figure out my mac and photos - I thought it was supposed to be easier. I only have patience to load one photo - but the trip sure was fun!

st. george

I would say St. George is our families favorite place to relax. It certainly helps that we can usually stay at my in-laws house - without that I would say the St. George would be 70% less enjoyable. We spent Valentines there playing in the sand or the "galaxy", pulling the kids around in the burley on our bikes or pushing them on runs, visiting the Dixie Art Show (my uncle is in the show) making valentines for each other and leaving them at the door, and taking naps. Cody made sure we put Cars tattoo's on all his "shoulders".

no i not free, i four!

Cody thinks he is four - but on Feb. 4th he turned three! I hadn't planned anything but the day before it dawned on me that skiing would be a perfect way to celebrate. It was Thursday, which is our weekly playgroup anyway, it was a warm, sunny day, and the rope-tow is free.
The only thing I keep trying to figure out is how I used to teach a handful of four and five year old "never-evers" as we called them. I remember having everything under control - getting everyone up the tow rope and on the lift by the end of the day. But now, let's just say it was a good thing I had three other adults there to help - and it was still pretty chaotic.













Favorite food: anything he can get by climbing up the pantry shelves.
Favorite toy: Lightning McQueen "race car", and basketballs
Favorite saying: "No I not whining. I. Just. Talking!"
Calling Ellie, "Hun".
Loves to do whatever Ellie is doing, loves to wrestle dad, still loves the tag on his lambie, loves to play with his friends Ethan and Emily.

it takes a village

i miss this!

"I'm a mermaid mom." -Cody
Summer 2009, New Jersey