Honorable Mention

I think it was just over four years ago that Ryan came home from his first year of attending scout camp as a leader. He told tales of heroism and bravery, spumoni and . . . well, it was scout camp so I'd better not go into it too much. Needless to say, he bonded with a few of the other leaders in a big way, apparently sharing traumatic experiences does bring people closer together. So he told me that he met someone and that we are going to their house for dinner and they are so fun and it will be great, and yada yada yada. Jared and Trish were born into our lives.
We have shared many good times together and even though they moved to Utah (deserters! or is it pronounced deseret-ers?) they still haven't managed to shake us. We show up at their place sometimes and they come see us sometimes. We love the Ballards.

Oh, they are going to be so mad that I put that picture there!! This is great! In all fairness, since that picture was taken they have had extensive surgery* and are much better looking now.

*Knee surgery.

Katie O'Grady the Bald Headed Lady

So Kate's comment to my last post was that the pictures I posted were less than wonderful and it is true, they weren't her best moments. So this post is for you sweet Katie (watch out Jess, you are next!). When I first met little Katie she was 11 or 12 (?!) and I've had the pleasure of watching her grow from a dear sweet girl to a wonderful, capable, talented lady.

We love you Kate. Thank you for all you do.

Labor Day Weekend

Never mind that Labor Day was a week ago and I should have posted the pictures we took on our trip to Utah already. Just giggle at how nutty I am and enjoy seeing what we did.


We stayed with Ryan's sister Kate and her hubby Kent and baby Afton. They were too wonderful, they spoiled us and let us stay in their master suite (there was room in there for 2 extra blow up beds that the kids slept on plus a playpen for Pete). They are lucky we left - we had some sweet digs!

We visited Ryan's brother Justin in his dorm at BYU, he is a new little freshman and having lots of fun. Kent is the one with the halo, I think it's because he is an angel :)



Aunt Katie is a very talented ballerina and she gave the girls a lesson while we were up there. Kate teaches at a studio up the road from her house, her students are very lucky to have her.


On the way home we decided to stop at Zion's Canyon and do a little hike. It has always irked me a bit as we fly past the Grand Canyon, Zion's Canyon, Bryce Canyon, etc that we never stop to look, we're always in such a rush. But I'm so glad we planned for it and got to do it this time, it was beautiful and lots of fun too! So that is us at Weeping Rock, the trail was super short and easy and just perfect for a quick trip thru the park.

I love that picture! We stopped for lunch by a little stream and Pete was happy sitting in the backpack until Alana accidentally knocked him over right after this picture was taken and he got a face full of dirt. Poor kid. He cheered right up after he got cleaned off, he is a sweet boy.


I loved Zion's Canyon, it was absolutely gorgeous and the perfect little side trip. On the way out , on the road to Kanab, there is a mile long tunnel through the cliffs! It was awesome! I am, admittedly, very easy to entertain, but I thought it was super cool.




And here's a little peek at what the travelers are like on the road.

Leah the Bug

About 90 percent of the time my darling Leah is a well mannered, easy going joy to have around she is helpful, smart and kind hearted. From the very first Parent - Teacher Conference her teachers have given me glowing reports of academic progress and model citizenship.


This only makes the remaining 10 percent that much more pronounced and surprising.


So this morning we had an adventure. I've come to expect a few mornings like this every year, who knows what causes it? Perhaps it is the moon and stars aligning just so, or maybe she ate something that turned her into an ogre. Whatever it was she took it into her mind to have a large and ongoing fit about a pair of gaucho pants that Tessa was wearing and she wanted to wear instead. Tessa very intelligently did not get drawn into a fight with Leah, she stayed clear of the whole thing and let me handle the firecracker.

Jeffer tried to get in on the act by claiming he was sick and school “sucked” and he didn’t want to go (I gave him the language lecture). I told Jeff that I was sorry but Leah was being too grumpy that morning and he would have to have his anti-school rant another day, I only could deal with one horrible child per day. It mostly worked and he only grumbled the rest of the time with a few minor explosions.


Leah blamed Tess for her bad fortune and insisted that Tessa was so selfish and she always gets what she wants and it isn’t fair. . . So she wouldn’t get dressed, but eventually did after being threatened. She wouldn’t get in the van, but she did. Wouldn’t get out of the van but I walked around and got her out. She went to sit on a rock in someone’s yard and fell off it (that was kind of funny and you’ll be proud to know that I saved my out loud laughter until later) and scraped her hand a little which couldn’t really increase her grumpiness as she was already at her limit (she had truly dedicated herself to her fit). Wouldn’t walk over to the crosswalk. Tessa scampered off as quickly as she could, she is a smart cookie. Jeffer lingered around trying to help Leah by picking up her water bottle when it got flung out of her backpack and trying to coax her along, but she was too far gone to appreciate him. I had to load her back in to the car and drive her over to the school to make sure she went, meanwhile the minutes are ticking away and I need to get Alana to preschool, I tried to tell Leah that she was making her dear sister late, but it didn’t make a dent. I pulled her out of the car, kissed her and told her she should probably go and get some breakfast before the bell rang. I left her standing on the curb, being very grumpy. In the rear view mirror I watched Jeff and another girl approach her in a gesture of friendship and peace but she cruelly pushed her loving brother away and crossed her arms in a fierce manor. Good times. I drove away praying that she would go to class when the bell rang.

P.S. Leah did attend school and came home happy as a clam. Not a word was mentioned about the morning's antics and this morning (the next day) went very smoothly, we're back in the 90's! :)

Ode

Okay, so I haven't written a new entry in a while and I was trying to think of something to write about. Lately I've been pondering our chickens. Now let me say that when Ryan first came up with the idea of getting chickens and he was searching websites and drawing up chicken coop plans I may have been secretly hoping that this dream would fall by the wayside. And when he came home with two big chickens and two scrawny and kind of ugly little chickens I may have secretly in a tiny way hoped that they would be eaten by a cat or something. But that was then and this is now and I've got to say that I am smitten with these dear chickens! They are pretty cute and they take care of themselves, they have little preening parties on the porch which leaves their feathers clean and shiny and a little pile of dirt on the porch to be swept off by the kids (okay, swept off by me.) They run over to me on their cute little legs every time I go in the backyard, mostly because every time I go out there I'm giving them watermelon rinds or potato peels or some other tasty treat, but I like to think it's because they like me. And today when I was out filling up their water and was heading back in the house they all ran over to me on the porch even though they had lots of tasty treats and water and things to eat. I think it was because they like me and they didn't want me to go so soon. So Fish Blob jumped up on the chair arm and I petted her for a few seconds. Now that is my kind of pet! They don't jump on me or bark or shed fur all over me. So maybe there is a pet out there for everyone. . . I'm glad mine is a chicken instead of an alligator.

Piggy

Here's my sweet Pete playing with Alana's piggy this morning. Don't be offended, he isn't sticking his tongue out at you to be rude, it means he likes you.



Here is a picture of Alana cuddling with same piggy when she was a tiny critter.


It is crazy to think that that little bitty orange-ish girl is my Wello and she is starting preschool soon. They get so big so fast, and piggy has hardly aged at all. . .

School : )

School has begun, some of you will be shocked to know that I have been looking forward to this a bit. We've now got first, second and third grade covered. Both Leah and Tessa have teachers that Jeff and Leah had last year so we only have to get to know one new teacher :) Alana starts preschool on the 18th, hopefully she will be in the same class as cousin Oliver so I can go to only one place to collect them.

So my days of leisure are fully here, in just a week and a half it will be only me and my sweet Pete for 3 hours in the morning, for four lovely days a week. What will I do with all my free time? I will make Pete's Christmas stocking, I will read books, I will fold laundry and iron clothes, I will prepare dinners, oh, it will be bliss. I will be calm and collected when my darlings arrive home from school and though they be in nasty tempers we will accomplish our piano practice and homework with the promise of cookies or a light snack before dinner. I ask you, is it only my children who are monsters after school? Jeffer requires a straight jacket and a stern talking to every day, it is awesome. But I digress. I am glad my sweet babies are in school, they have fun there and they learn stuff too, not too shabby.

P.S. Chickens love watermellon.