Beach Day #2

On Tuesday we again stayed at the hotel to play at the beach. Miranda found it quite relaxing to lay on the beach and fall asleep. She was quite fussy and wouldn't go to sleep until I took her in the ocean. I think she was too hot. Once I cooled her off she layed right down and fell asleep. She is so cute all curled up and sleeping. She has taken to sleeping on her right side -- this is how she sleeps almost all the time now. On her right side with a blanket (or towel in this case) right up against her face. The day before we visited Ron Jon's Surf Shop and we picked up a few boogie boards. It wasn't long before all the kids had figured out how they worked.

KanyonKaydra

Kalli

The waves were perfect for them to learn on but again, not really big enough to satisfy the big people. We all had fun on them though and it was nice not to get plummeted by any really monstrous waves.

Terek

We went to the beach in the morning for a few hours and then we went inside to an animal show that the hotel put on. "Jungle Jim" came and showed us some snakes and alligators. It ended up being a little boring but the kids really liked the animals. After the show we went up to the apartment for lunch and then headed back to the beach for the afternoon. That evening we tried to put the kids to bed early so they would be well rested for the Magic Kingdom the next day. Leonard and some of my brothers and sister went to the pier to go fishing. They caught a few fish (I think three) and had a good time. They were only there for about an hour and a half but seemed to enjoy themselves. All in all it was a restful, fun, relaxing day.

Beach Day #1

Last Monday we woke up to a beautiful day. It was hot on the ocean but there were scattered clouds throughout the day so it kept the sun from shining on us continually. The water felt great! We started the day by attending a "Welcome meeting" at the hotel. Courtney and I went to learn about all the activities that they would offer that week. We ended up not going to very many of them because we had so much to do but it was good information. After the welcome meeting we took the kids to meet the "Children's Coordinator". Every day they had a supervised children's activity where we could drop off any children over 4 to the playroom and they would do a game or craft with them for about 30 minutes. The first day they all made bags that they could put all their stuff in for the rest of the week. The kids used them to collect shells and other things at the beach. After the activity we headed down to the ocean. The waves on this beach weren't very big this week. This was good for our little kids but kinda disappointing for the big people. The kids LOVED the water though. They were able to swim out past where the waves were breaking in their life jackets and still touch the bottom. We had a good time out there. The water felt good - it was just the right temperature. That day mom, me and Courtney went grocery shopping and stocked the apartments with snacks and other food. We had pizza for dinner that night and then we all got ready for our exciting kayak adventure.



I read about this in a magazine that I got and thought it would be fun for all of us to do when we got there. You can read the description about what was supposed to happen here. A short description of what we expected is that "bioluminescent creatures are so abundant that any disturbance such as a boat, a fish, or even a hand passing through the water can produce a shimmering light show. In bioluminescence, electrons are excited by a very efficient chemical reaction that generates no heat at all, hence the name cold light." I guess that I should have read the article closer because it specifically says we are going to MOSQUITO LAGOON!!! The point of the trip is that because of the bioluminescent phenomenon, you can see all the marine life that lives below the water because their movement causes light to shine around them. We were excited for the trip.

This is a picture of the launch site.

It started off on the wrong foot because we went to the address of the kayak company and not the launch site as we were instructed to do -- long story. So we ended up at the owner's house and not at the canal. This made us about 15 minutes late. They held up the tour for us, which was very nice. As we got there, there were about 20 other people also waiting for us to show up. We then had to sign waivers, get life jackets, paddles, glow sticks, whistles, and kayaks. This made many other people have to wait on us for quite awhile -- a little embarassing. As we stepped out of the car, the mosquitos started biting. We had a very small bottle of bug spray for all fourteen of us. Thankfully we had left the babies home with mom and Courtney. I am so glad that they weren't there getting eaten alive. We emptied the bottle of bug spray and climbed in our kayaks. The bugs continued to bite throughout our entire ride. We paddled down a canal and around into a lagoon. We then stayed there for about 30-40 minutes watching the fish jump and swim around us. It was pretty cool but hard to ignore the biting bugs. About halfway around to the lagoon my dad and Kalli's kayak was lifted out of the water by a manatee! They nearly tipped over but managed to stay afloat. It was pretty exciting. We then paddled back to our car. It was much harder paddling up the canal but somehow we all made it. By the end of the trip, nearly everyone was saying that it was cool - just too many bugs. Except the kids. They still say that the worst part of the trip was the kayak ride with all the bugs!



We felt them the rest of the week. I counted 14 bites on the hairline around my face alone! The back of my arms were also covered from shoulder to elbow. There were many other bites scattered over arms, hands, legs, and feet. Kaydra and Leonard didn't get too many but Kanyon ended up with too many to count all over his legs! We coated on the calamine lotion for the next three days and even gave them some benadryl at night to help them sleep. The first night Kanyon woke up two different times because of itching - that's when I bought the benadryl.

So most everyone spent the rest of the vacation trying not to itch! We were very glad to climb into bed that night.

Home Sweet Home

For those of you wondering, we made it back from our vacation today. We had a great time but we are SO glad to be back home. This week I plan to post daily updates reflecting what we did the previous week so that by the end of next week there will be a complete update of our vacation. We will see how it goes because school starts this week also, so we have a busy schedule for the week.

The vacation started last Sunday. The day before, on Saturday we packed and got ready for the trip. The kids were so excited. Kanyon said that he was most excited for the plane ride. We also managed to go out and pick huckleberries -- yum! Then, on Sunday we woke up and loaded up the car. We met Jake and his family and Courtney and her family and then we all traveled together to Salt Lake. We stopped and had lunch before we got to the airport (saving money). We parked our cars at the Park N Jet and took the shuttle to the airport.

I hate the airport. Everything is always crazy when you travel with kids. The only time I remember it not being crazy in the airport was when I went to Korea with Michelle. There were some crazy moments then too; but nothing like trying to get through security with six adults, four kids, and two infants -- plus all their stuff! Everything always feels better once we get through security. We somehow managed to make it on to the plane and to our surprise, the flight (4 1/2 hours) went pretty smoothly. All the kids traveled very well. We were pleased to find that each seat had a small television and we were able to pick up satellite television so we were able to watch the Olympics most of the way there.

We got to the Orlando Airport just after 11:00 pm Orlando time. This actually worked out really well because it was only 9:00 our time and the airport was fairly empty so there was not too much chaos to navigate. We made it to the rental car desk and to our minivan. Mom and Dad were already there to meet us and help us with all our stuff and children and get us to our hotel. Thank goodness. It was good to see them walk up! Minivans are so nice. They have so much room. Leonard doesn't like them -- but they do have a lot of room!

The big shock to all was of course the humidity. Even though we expected it, you don't realize what an impact it has on the temperature until you are in it. When we stepped outside for the first time Kaydra said, "Why is it so hot in here?" We were under an overhanging roof so it appeared that we were still inside. I said -- "This is how Florida feels!"

We then had about an hour drive to our hotel room that we would call home for the next week. We were pleased with the hotel, you can see more pictures here if you want. The service was "okay" but they always seemed to be annoyed with our requests. Len and I had a room with a king size bed and a master bath with a jetted tub. It had a huge walk in closet that was big enough for the crib. If only Miranda would sleep through the night! We had a balcony with a beach view (sort of). You had to lean over the railing and look to the right and then you could see the ocean! Courtney and Dan/Jake and Jana's room had an ocean view balcony. There was another room in our little apartment with two twin beds that Kaydra and Kalli slept on for the week and Kanyon crashed on the pull-out sofa. We were quite comfortable in our little apartment. It had a full kitchen and a little washer and dryer so we could do laundry. It even had a dishwasher. This is MY type of vacation!

That night we all went right to bed. We were excited to finally be there and we were tired from our long journey. Miranda traveled better than I thought. She had some rough moments but for the most part did quite well. She also happened to be teething for the past two weeks. She now has two teeth to show for all her troubles. I am just glad that they are finally both through! She is six months today. Tomorrow she has her check-up so we will see how she is growing. I am not looking forward to the shots though! More to come about our vacation tomorrow!

Len's Birthday and our Anniversary

Leonard's birthday was on July 29. Our 10 year anniversary is TODAY! We decided to celebrate them together this year. I can't believe that we had been married for 10 years. It doesn't seem like that long at all. It's weird, I feel like I just turned around and discovered that I now have three kids! I feel so blessed.

We celebrated by going to dinner. We had prime rib at a restaurant called Stockman's. It was delish! We then stopped by the family softball game to feed Miranda. Thanks to Paul, Debie, Dad and anyone else who helped to watch my kids. My mom took Kaydra to a concert and Kanyon had a "special day with Grandpa" which he had been looking forward to for quite some time.

That night, Markell stayed with all the kids (yes, even the baby) and we stayed in a hotel in town. It was such a great "date" night. Thank you to everyone who helped make it happen.

This morning I said happy anniversary to Len as he came home from work. He said, "Ten years and we have never really had a fight." This is actually pretty true. We definitely have disagreements and some things we call "discussions" but we haven't really had a fight. I love that I have never felt like our marriage might end. I have complete trust in my husband and I know that he trusts me as well. This is a great blessing to us. I love the family that we have created. I love that he loves our children and that he loves to spend time with them. I love the differences that we each bring to our family. Len and I are very different. We didn't realize how different we were until after we were married.

I am a city girl. I like camping but would prefer to stay at a posh hotel. I love shopping. I love baking. I love to go to amusement parks and the county fair. I like city sponsored events (such as Art on the Green, or the Snake River Roaring Youth Jam).

Len is a country boy. He loves camping and hates spending money on hotels. He doesn't like shopping unless he has a specific thing that he needs or unless it involves spending money on hunting gear. He loves hunting and fishing. He hates amusement parks or anyplace where a lot of people might be (like city sponsored events). He loves hiking or just looking around outside in the woods.

We are pretty different but I really love those differences.

Here are some things my husband has taught me:

• Camping with Len is fun because he has all the equipment you need, he never forgets anything, he can cook REALLY well outside, and he knows just how to make everything perfect (like handing me a warm drink just as I step outside the tent).


• You don't need to call someone every time something breaks down. Chances are that if you take a look at it you will be able to figure out what is wrong with it. (It helps that he is pretty handy)


• There are thousands of animals on the drive to almost anywhere. I think before I met Len that I had maybe seen half a dozen animals on the side of the road as we were driving in my whole life. I now know that there are MANY more out there!


• I love prime rib. I never really tried it before we met - now it's one of our favorites


• He is a great husband/father. I had hoped this would be true before we met but now I know that it is. He knows just when I need extra help around the house. He is not afraid to do housework. He knows how to use the dishwasher, washing machine, and the vacuum all at the same time! He is also not afraid to be by himself with the kids. I can almost always find time to get away for a couple hours if I need or want to.


• My kids adore him.


• Len makes friends very easily and many people consider him a good friend.


• Len loves his parents and brother and sister. Of all the people he can choose to spend time with, he loves to spend time with his family the most.


• Len is the hardest worker I have ever met. If a job needs done, it will happen.


• Leonard loves me - I know I am tough to live with sometimes, but he never wavers.

I am so grateful for the 10 years that we have spent together and I hope for many more decades to come. I love you!

Twin Falls Temple

Here are all the kids. What a beautiful place.

Well, it's been awhile since I updated the blog and a lot has happened. I just put Miranda down for a nap so I thought I would start updating and see how far I get. On Monday we went to the Twin Falls Temple Open House. We were able to meet up with the Stephan family so we had a great time with cousins. The temple was beautiful. It was fun to finally see the inside of something we had watched being built. The kids enjoyed the tour as well and if you get a chance I would encourage everyone to try to make a stop there. The open house ends near the end of August (I think the 24 or so). While we lived in Twin Falls we were there while they were starting the build. In fact, they had all the primary children put their name on a rock and they put them all in the corner stone of the temple. The kids were glad to see it. It has definately changed the skyline of Twin Falls. You can see the temple from the freeway and it is very prominent in your view as you cross the Perrine Bridge into Twin Falls. We had a crazy car ride but a good day once we got there.

This is the Stephan Family

After the open house tour we went to a nearby lake and let the kids swim and play on the playground. We also enjoyed some pizza courtesy of the Stephans for Len's birthday. Thank you again to the Stephans! We were glad to be able to meet there. By the end of the day we sorta wished we were staying longer so that we could visit more but we headed back home. Sorry to all our friends in Twin Falls. We wished we had more time to see all of you. We planned on getting there much earlier in the morning but ended up having several errands to run before we could get out of town so this really limited our time. We hope you all are doing well and that you all have a chance to go to the temple!

Here we are. I don't know what my girls are doing!

Memories

I got this from my friend Heather's blog -- cute idea!

Oh, the Memories

This is kinda fun to see what everyone writes

This is how it works:1. Leave one memory that you and I had together, as a comment on my blog. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember! This is our family blog, so if you have a memory of Len, Kaydra, Kanyon or Miranda you can tell about that too.

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you. If you don't want to play on your blog, or if you don't have a blog, I'll leave my memory of you in my comments

Congratulations to Scott and Traci!

We are so excited for you! You can read all about it on my future sister-in-law Traci's blog HERE!

The Funny Things Kids Say

I got the title phrase from the Stephans' blog. Kanyon is trying really hard to understand every word that we use. If he doesn't understand what a word means he is constantly asking about it. Sometimes he just tries his "new" words out on us to see if he is using them correctly. This can lead to some funny moments. Here are a couple that have happened the past few weeks.

We were about to go swimming in Coeur d'Alene. He asked me, "What swimming suit did you bring for me?"

Me: "Your yellow one."

Kanyon: "Good. My green one is getting kinda small. (short pause) I think I'm getting used to it."

As he says this, he looks at me, wondering if he has used the phrase correctly. When I look at him a little confused he says,

"Mom, What does "used to it" mean?"

After I explain it to him he gets a sheepish look on his face as he realizes he has used the phrase incorrectly!

Another funny moment was last week at church. We had just sat down. We have always brought treats for our kids to have in church after the sacrament. We have recently started not bringing them on fast Sunday to help them start to learn about fasting. Just as we sat down Kanyon turned to me and said, "Mom, is today a fast Sunday, or a slow one?"

Even Kaydra started laughing. When we told Len about it later, he laughed and then said, "Son, they are ALL slow!" Pretty funny!

Uncle George's

This past weekend we went to my Great-Uncle George's cabin for the Lovell family reunion. My Grandmother was a Lovell and every year all of her brothers and sisters and all of their posterity get together. We have done this for as long as I can remember. We always loved to go to Uncle George's because it seemed like there was a new toy every year. He has a couple huge slides that go down the side of the hill, a water slide, and a couple of zip lines (one for kids and one for adults). There is also a barn to play in with a plastic slide attached to the side, a swing set, a trampoline and many games to play inside the house. We have a great time even though we don't know very many people there! I took the kids with my mom and dad this year. Len was sleeping because he had to work that night and he had also worked the previous night. They had a fabulous time. They loved the water slide and the zip line. All of us enjoyed the homemade rootbeer! There is almost nothing better! It seems to be a tradition that will carry on for awhile. This year they took some pictures. They took one of nearly everyone that was there but I don't have a copy of that yet. This picture is of my grandparents (first row on the left) and my grandmothers siblings and all of their children and spouses that were there. It is amazing the amount of people that are there that I am related to that I don't even know. And I know that there are many, many more that were not able to attend. It reminds me of the song, "All because two people fell in love!"

5 months

Today my baby is 5 months old. She is growing so fast! She is really starting to be a lot of fun to be around. I have always thought the best time to be around a baby is about 6-18 months. They are usually so happy! Miranda is getting into that phase. She still gets frustrated really easily but is starting to be able to play with things and keep herself entertained for short periods. She is rolling over in both directions and she can "tripod" sit (sort of) if someone is helping her. I love to see her try new things. I also love to watch her as she watches her brother and sister. She is enthralled by both of them. They both know how to make her stop crying and usually can get her to laugh as well. She has a great laugh. Her newest trick is to lay on her back and eat half her foot. She also tries to see more around her when she is laying on her back by lifting up her head and chest. It 's pretty funny. She is a joy to have in our home. We love the variety and the excitement she has brought with her. She still gets fussy and frustrated if she can't do something but she is easily calmed. Another funny thing is she loves to drink from cups, water bottles, juice bottles, ect. If I have a cup or the like in my hand she reaches and reaches until I let her have some. Today I gave her a juice bottle to play with and she was so mad that it wouldn't open for her. Of all my kids, she is the most interested in food. She wants to eat and try everything that we are having. I am trying to be good and wait until she is 6 months like my pediatrician recommended but I have to admit that she gets lots of "tastes". She is a good baby and we are so happy to have her in our home. We love you Miranda!

A little piece of Heaven

We love visting Coeur d'Alene. It is so beautiful there. My husband is much happier there. I think it's because there is always something to do. He spent much of the vacation building fence around the property. He says he feels like they got a lot accomplished and this makes him feel good! The hard work also helped him to get heated up and ready for the lake. It was still kinda cold but we were able to get used to it after awhile. Miranda didn't think getting used to it was a good idea. She would put her feet in but after trying to sit only once she decided she wouldn't do that again. Len was trying to make her sit again in the lake and she managed to keep her body super stiff so that she wouldn't bend at the waist. Pretty smart girl!

After our day at the library, we managed to talk the guys into babysitting the kids at the park so that Jodi and I could window shop down Sherman. It was fun playing tourists and we found a delicious chocolate shop that made the trip VERY worth it! Then we met up with everyone to eat lunch at The Olympia. A greek restaurant there downtown that is one of our favorites. Every time we visit Coeur d'Alene we have to go to The Olympia. It's yummy! That afternoon we took the kids to the beach while Jodi prepared for Dillon's birthday. He turned 2 while we were there and we had a little party. His favorite toy was definately his tractor from his Grandpa Throck. He carried it EVERYWHERE -- even to bed. It was pretty cute!

On Saturday the men worked on fence again and then we spent much of the day at the beach. The kids played and played. Kaydra and Cora snorkled. It was Kaydra's first time and she got the hang of it pretty good. She is a fish, just like her dad. They all had a great time at the beach.

Even Uncle Mike got in on the action!

Sunday we went to church and that evening we visited our friends, the Carpenters. They have a girl Kaydra's age and a boy Kanyon's age and so they had a fabulous time visiting and playing in their beautiful yard. The adults also enjoyed visiting and catching up with each other. Alethea made a delicious dessert that we enjoyed as well -- Thank you Carpenters!

On Monday we did more of the same. Played on the farm, built more fence, went to the beach. Took the kids to the chocolate store (never too much chocolate!), rode the four-wheeler ... perfect paradise. My kids think that Coeur d'Alene is the best place on earth and I have to say that I agree. Our goal is to someday build a house there. Hopefully sooner than later.

The ride home was pretty uneventful. It is always longer than the ride to Coeur d'Alene :) but we managed to wear the kids out pretty good during the week so they slept quite a bit. The thing about the drive home is that it is not very exciting for the last 3 hours or so. Just miles and miles of desert and fields. When we were at Roberts (only about 10 miles from home) the kids were begging to watch another movie. We told them we were almost home and they didn't believe it because it still looked like we were in the middle of nowhere. Pretty soon they were able to pick out the water tower and the temple and they finally believed us!

All in all we had a great trip. Thanks to Len's parents and to Jodi and Mike for putting up with us and keeping us entertained throughout our time there. We truly feel like we are a part of a little piece of heaven!

Trip to Coeur d'Alene

Well, we went to Coeur d'Alene this week to visit with Jodi and Mike before they head off to their new Post in California and to see Len's parents. It was a beautiful trip with only one really windy day. Otherwise it was the picture of beauty as Coeur d'Alene usually is. We had a great time there. We just got home today but I have a few pictures that I wanted to post today and then I will post more later. One of the first days we were there, Jodi and I took the kids to the library for a "special visitor". It ended up being an Entomologist and she had LIVE bugs! She talked to all the kids about her job and went into pretty good detail about the bark beetle which is killing many forests on this side of the country. Little did she know that she was talking to a group of future tree farmers! They were facinated by the "hissing cockroaches" that she let them touch and hold and they spent the rest of the trip looking for the "signs" she had told us about from the bark beetle. Everytime Kanyon sees a red pine tree he now says, "I think bark beetles killed that tree!" I guess that kids really do listen sometimes. :)

I think this is Kaydra touching the cockroach while the entomologists holds it.

This is Jodi's son Dillon touching the cockroach Cora

wouldn't touch it.

Here is Kanyon holding the cockroach with Emily touching it

-- look how happy he is holding a BUG!

Here is Kanyon holding the bug again.

The 4th of July

We had a great day yesterday for the 4th of July! I am so proud to be an AMERICAN! I love it here with all the freedom we enjoy and I am thankful to those who have served and do serve to protect us! THANK YOU! I was actually supposed to work but I got put on call so I was able to participate in all the festivities. The day started with a parade. It was VERY HOT! Everyone was perspiring greatly. Thankfully we had plenty of cold water thanks to Steve and Sharon! We then went to a BBQ at Steve and Sharon's house - it was delish! I took my kids home after that and we all took a nap to prepare for the long night ahead. After dinner we went to the river to enjoy the fireworks. The kids were good. Len had to miss the whole day because of work and sleep and we missed him greatly. It took us about 20 minutes to get home which isn't too bad considering the traffic after that event. I have to admit that I did go the wrong way down a one way street for about two blocks to help in my effort to escape. We had a great time though and the kids all went right to sleep when we got home! Can't beat that! Here are some random pictures from the day.

Fourth of July outfits

Enjoying the Parade in the HOT weather

Miranda enjoying the parade by taking a nap in the shade

Bunce Reunion

Last weekend we went to Lava Hot Spings for the Bunce Family Reunion. This is Leonard's mom's side of the family. They all get together every other year in June and this year it was at Lava. We had a great time. We arrived Friday evening and visited with family and met those that we didn't know :) Saturday morning we ate breakfast together and then a few of the families (including us) went to the pool. They have some great facilities there! The kids LOVED it. Even Miranda enjoyed the pool as it was, of course, warm from the hot springs. I haven't been there since I was little and they have really done some great improvements. They have two huge water slides that my kids loved! The first time, Leonard had to "help" Kanyon go down with a little push from the top of the slide. He was very nervous (read scared) to go down by himself but they don't let you ride together. I was waiting for him at the bottom and he was all smiles by the time he reached me. He immediately wanted to do it again! The slides are great because they just end in a long slide with only about 12 inches of water so the kids were just fine without life jackets.
Around 2:00 we left the pool and went to lunch with the reunion and then we floated the Portneuf River. Just adults went first and after that ride we decided that the kids weren't really old enough to go so Len took them each on much shorter rides down a calm section of the river so that they could say they went. They both loved it. After that the kids got in a hot pool that was near the convention center where the reunion was being held and then we headed back to the big pools and slide for a couple of hours. We went back to the convention center for a light dinner around 6:00 pm and then an ice cream social. It was a very busy day -- but it wasn't over yet!

After the social we headed back to our motel. It was not the best place we have ever stayed but we weren't there very much so it was okay. The kids were really tired. We put them in their pajamas and Kaydra and Miranda immediately fell asleep. Kanyon wasn't quite ready (he was the only one to get a nap earlier that day) so we turned on the baby monitor and went next door to visit with Len's parents and brother. We were there about thirty minutes or so and Miranda started to cry. I got up to go back in the room and get her but the door wouldn't unlock!

Everyone tried to unlock it to no avail. The baby was just crying inside. I tried to wake up Kaydra to try to open the door from the inside but she wouldn't wake up -- even with the baby screaming and mom and dad yelling her name through the window! She was REALLY tired!
Len decided to take things into his own hands and moved the air conditioner over in the window and crawled into the room. He broke the plexi-glass that was helping to hold the air conditioner in place but was able to hand Miranda out the window.
The plexi-glass was screwed to the top of the window and the air conditioner was screwed to the bottom but it would slide over. Somehow Len managed to fit through this window when the air conditioner was over to the right as far as it would go. The opening was only about 12 inches square!

Once he was inside he still couldn't open the door. It had become disconected inside the knob. Kay, Len's mom, went into the office to get the manager of the hotel and she was unable to get it open as well. They had to call a locksmith to come and fix the knob. All in all it was much too much excitement for me after such a busy day! I hate the feeling of not being able to get to my kids! If I choose to let them cry it's one thing... It's completely different if I can't help them at all! Everything eventually got fixed and we were able to go to sleep.

The next morning we had breakfast at the convention center and then we packed up to go home. While eating breakfast I put Miranda in the stroller and all the little girls at the reunion pushed her around all over the place. She was quite entertained and I should have brought out the stroller much earlier in the reunion! It was a fun weekend and I would like to take the kids back to Lava again as it was really a lot of fun.

We are thankful for birds...

I have been thinking about posting this story that was shared with me for awhile, but I just haven't had time. It is something that tells you about my kids and our family and it's something that I want to remember. Hopefully Tammi will add anything to the story that I missed.

In primary one Sunday, near the beginning of April, they were talking about birds during sharing time. The teacher asked the kids to name some of the birds that they have seen. The kids started shouting out expected answers like robin, blue bird, dove, ect. Then my two children shouted out "GROSBEAK!" My understanding is that the teacher was stunned and not too sure what to say. I think she said something like, "I have never heard of a grosbeak before". My cousin Tammi, who is a teacher in the primary said, "If Kaydra and Kanyon say it's a bird then it probably is."

Here is the infamous grosbeak which we were able to see many times in Coeur d'Alene the week before this experience happened. The nature loving attitude of my children comes from their dad and his parents who are always teaching them to enjoy nature and look out for interesting animals in the outdoors. For this I am grateful!

Four months old!

Miranda is now four months old. She is growing so fast! I took her to the doctor for her check-up and vaccinations. There was a newborn sitting next to us and I am just shocked at how little he looked. I still think she is pretty small but compared to this baby, she looked huge!

She is now: Weight: 14lbs 41/2 oz (between 50-70% for her age)

Height: 26 1/2 inches long (over 95% for her age)

She, like my other children, is very tall for her age.

She is a happy baby for the most part. She loves to be talked to and played with. She still doesn't like to be alone and she loves it when her brother and sister play with her. We were at the playground the other day and Miranda was showing her obvious distaste for her car seat. This is pretty normal for her as she does NOT like her car seat. I thought it was funny so I videoed her on my cell phone. The quality isn't great but it is funny to see her struggle to get out! She is a good girl and we are loving having her in our home. I am so blessed to have three great kids!

We got a package in the mail from Jodi and Mike yesterday full of Korea surprises. THANK YOU! The kids were SO excited to wear their pajamas and Kanyon is sure that he is a karate-choppin' kung fu man in his! I had to take pictures and even managed to get one of all of them smiling! They look so cute!

We have been staying busy with work and t-ball games. We are finally enjoying nice weather here and my garden is starting to grow really well. I think we lost one watermelon plant and a squirrel dug up some of my cucumber seeds but other than that it is doing well. And we are officially going to have peaches on our tree! I am really excited about that! Well, that's about all for now.