Memorial Day

Peter did not work on Monday so we spent the morning doing yard work and then headed off for some fun!

We drove out to McKinney to the Heard Nature Museum and Sanctuary. The museum was not all that amazing but the trails were fun! We walked the Wooded Duck Trail and did not manage to see one duck, go figure. Enjoy these pictures from our fun day!

Joey had a fever all day on Sunday and we gave him meds before our hike but when we got home he was a toasty 102.5. He was a trooper and complained very little.

Gardener Peter

First, Grandpa Max did a ton of work getting our garden spot ready. Then Peter got busy planting and watering and I have weeded and the kids have been eager helpers. It is paying off!

Above picture taken May 26, 2010
And this was taken on May 31. It is really growing. There are blossoms and we have already been enjoying the spinach.

Great raspberries!

After removing all of the lava rock anda major rainstorm that proved we would need to terrace our front flower beds before planitng them, they are terraced and planted and look lovely!

Yes, I have Cala Lilies planted in my yard, something definitely not possible in Las Vegas.

And this little guy has taken up residence in our yard likely due to the abundance of green leafy treats for it to eat. He is small and Arabella is fascinated by him. We have seen about once a day for a week.

Silly Jon and Sick Jon

Jon had an end of year preschool program last week and it was so fun to watch!

He wanted his hair spiky for the special occasion.
What a great face!

That is the bee he made. He is quite the little artist!

The next day this is what he was like most of the day. He had a fever, without a known source. He was a pretty toasty guy that day but it was gone by Thursday morning. I had a class for work and so Peter stayed home with the kids on Thursday. Jon went to his preschool end of year outdoor party that day and when I got home from work this is what I found.

Our air conditioner had not been working for a few days and we were waiting for it to get fixed so we were not sure if the rash was a heat rash or if it was a reaction to the sunscreen from the party. It took 2 days before it was completely gone. I am glad to report he has made a full recovery. Arabella had croup the Thursday before and Joey started with a fever on Sunday. W should be good for awhile on the sick front, I hope. (Notice Arabella holding up her dress in the corner, she wanted in on the action.)

Below are two of my favorite clips from Jon's program. I love when his mama duck hand eats his baby duck hand.

Thoughts

• I love my Kitchenaid Stand Mixer. Last Fridy I used it three times. First, I ground some wheat into flour and then I turned that flour into bread. And finally for dinner I used it to make waffles. I love that it is blue, too.
• I love that my sweet husband gets me a corsage for Mother's Day every year. It is a tradition that I love and hope my children will someday carry on in their families.
• Asparagus fresh from your garden has a wonderful flavor eaten raw.
• It is okay to have pancakes for lunch if your 4 year old asks for them and it is okay for them to be gray (using varoious mixes of food color per 4 year old directions).
• And if your 18 month old sees the pancakes and has the wherewithal to get the spray whip cream out of the fridge while the door is open, then you should put it on the pancakes.
• The temple is a wonderful place! If you have not been in awhile, I suggest you go soon!
• The Tooth Fairy should not forget to come but if the tooth fairy does then leave a message saying you were held up at a dental confernece and leave an extra quarter the next night as a late fee and all will be forgiven. (Except, for the guilt you feel each time your child tells someone that he lost a tooth and they ask if the tooth fairy came and he says no.)
• I WILL learn to receive and recognize personal revelation in my life. I actually have been able to think of times I have felt prompted to do something but I have not always recognized that as personal revelation. I will then teach my children the importance of recognizing when and how the Holy Ghost speaks to them.
• Don't become concerned if your nearly 18 month old is not really talking because all in one week she will decide to say "Uh-oh, Joseph, Please, Thank you, quack (when she sees ducks or birds), bye bye" and mimic several other things as you talk to her. Go figure!
• Humidity does make heat feel worse. Although, I still don't think I will miss those 114 days of Vegas.
• Finally, play until you just can not play anymore. He fell asleep with the game running.(See below picture taken a few days ago when Jon insisted on wearing a sweatshirt even though it was 85 degrees outside.)

We finally went to this park that we have been hearing about.

Kids Kastle.

Great fun!

There is gravel all over and Arabella loves it. She picks up a rock and hands it to you like it is the most precious jewel in the world, until the next rock 5 minutes later.

Jon is about to cross the swinging balance beam.

Joey standing in one of the castle turrets.

There are slides and swings that make everyone happy.

Jon loves this rocket and you can not see him because he is using one of the 3 steering wheels inside of it to drive it to Mars.

Joey the great conquering explorer guiding his boat.

We also had another pack meeting. It was a Spacer Derby/Rocket Derby. It was really cool. The scouts all did a great job! Some of the rockets got serious airtime.

Peter all dressed up in his scout uniform-shorts even.

This is a bad video of the rocket our family made but you get the idea that it was really cool. The second time we launched it, it did loopty loops and went across the street.

As a quick side note, we have a contract with one of the people that offered on our house in Vegas. We resubmitted all of our paper work to the mortgage company and our attorney's office and now we get to wait for awhile. I hope it moves quickly.

Nothing and then BAM!

We officially placed our house "on the market" the day before we moved out of Las Vegas. We had one offer within a few weeks but it took forever to gather all of the paper work and then wait for the mortgage company to evaluate and decide if we could short sale or not. It came back as a flat NO. We had to call and ask why and nobody could tell us anything but that the investors must not have felt we were a high enough risk of default to short sale. Arrrrggh! But, Tuesday was a new day! We ended the day with 3, yes three, offers followed by a 4 yesterday. All of these wonderful people who would like to sign a contract before May 1st so they can ge the rebate. We hope the mortgage company is more willing this go around. Keep your fingers crossed!

Happenings and Ponderings

Yes, that is Arabella! Yes, I did that to her hair! And yes I have only done it once because she does not believe in holding still that long.
Our boys competed in a tournament in Forney, TX a few weeks ago. They both did an awesome job! They both earned two gold medals. All Tiny Tigers that compete get gold medals but they really did a great job! We are so proud of them.

Jon really was excited despite his expression in this picture.

Rain for a few days+last bit of topsoil waiting to be spread in flowerbeds+"Play outside while I make dinner"= the pictures you are now seeing.

Arabella was not one bit bothered by the mud on her face.

The big dump truck Joey is using was full to overflowing with thick mud.

"No throwing mud balls!"

Jon in time out for throwing mud balls and Arabella keeping him company. Nice muddy hands, knees, feet, etc.

Joey doing his form at the tournament.

Now for some ponderings.

It has been just over a year now that Peter lost his job. Last April General Conference, you never could have convinced me that I would be living in Texas before the year was up. It has been a strange journey. I am grateful for the experience though. Peter and I have learened how to rely upon the Lord and one another. We had so much love and support from our families and our friends. We MISS being closer to our family and our friends. We are still trying to sell our house in Las Vegas and that has been an experience in itself- mostly frustrating. The blessings we have are overwhelming though. We each have a good job that we enjoy and is supporting our family. We love our new house and the process of decorating to make it our own is fun. And our ward is great! It is wonderful to be in a place where you can serve and have the chance to meet so many strong members of the church. We know how fortunate we are, especially becasue some of our friends are still looking for a job. We are praying for them. All in all, this has been one of those times where we have been able to step back and see the Lord's hand in our lives leading and guding us in the ways he would have us go.