Spring Mornings

This is what Spring Break mornings look like at our house.

My bed always ends up being the

 comfy, cozy, happy (sometimes pesty)

 gathering place.

I wouldn't have it any other way.

King of all Laundry Piles

Time for bed but where is Scott? Watching cartoons on our massive laundry pile. He loves to lay in our bed even if he can't snuggle under the covers. It was a huge laundry week because of our Lake trip and I saved up all the folding so I could do it while watching my Thurs. night shows... Community, The Office, and 30 Rock.
Finally, Scott just pushed a little laundry over and wiggled down under the covers. And I just pushed it all off to the foot of the bed so I can go to sleep and deal with it tomorrow. One of those nights.

Camping at the Lake

"Help Me! Help Me! Help Me!",

 Was all a panicking Scott could say as he sat on his boogie board in one inch deep water.

Scott's "pledgeallegiance" (that's pledge allegiance, but he says it like it's all one word) shorts.
He can't wait to wear them swimming so we brought them with us and the first thing he did when we got to the lake was strip down and put them on.

Madeline shows she isn't afraid of a couple inches of water.

Karley takes Scott on an evening kayak ride. He's much happier in the safety? of the kayak.

Nothing like being out on the water in the evening. Karley and Scott in the kayak and Matt, Paige, and Madeline in the canoe. By the way, this was our first ever camping trip at the lake.

Dustin takes some little girls out on the lake in the canoe which FYI if you go canoeing with Dustin he'll want to be the only one paddling. Maybe he just hates the way I do it but I try to help, really I do.

Sunset on the Lake.

Dinner oooh yummy! We brought chicken and Mark brought steak. Nothing like eating outdoors it just seems to taste better.

Karley pulls Paige on the boogie board while Mark's pup enjoys a free ride.

Roasted Marshmallow Peeps. I tried some of Mad's and it was crispy from the carmelized sugar but I don't really dig on Peeps...

...but he does!!!

No limp peep jokes, please!

Our rip roaring, twiggy fire. It got chilly in the evening and we didn't have much firewood so Dustin kept shoveling dry brush over to us. This fire was lit by one of Mark's flares. Victoria and I sat by it until  we couldn't keep our eyes open anymore. When Daniel got there he drove past us and got stuck in the mud and Mark and Dustin were up 'til one in the morning trying to dig them out. Mark, Victoria, and Matt got stuck in the same mud earlier when they first got there but were able to get out much easier.

Right after breakfast these girls are ready to get out in the water. 

Living the sweet life.

"The mother of the children" ponders on the beauty of her surroundings or it could be that her boots just got stuck in the mud. Either way she takes a moment to reflect.

Mark's fun island or "relaxation station" We'd have fun towing out to the middle of the lake. Matt and Danny even jumped in the water ...and then jumped right back out cause it was so freezing.

Sadie the swimmin' dog. Everytime we'd go out in the canoe Sadie would start paddling out to us. It made me nervous laugh cause she's never done anything like that before. We'd be out in the middle of the lake and here she'd come. One time she tried to jump in the canoe and her paws slipped off the edge and she went completely underwater. I'm sad we never got a picture of it but she'd only do it when I was out in the water.

On Saturday afternoon we packed up and headed for home. There will be many more Lake adventures...we had a great time!

HOORAY!!!!

Guess who's going to Disneyland?!?

....ME...

and Dustin (but he's not as excited)


If anyone wants me to, I will:

• Eat at The Blue Bayou Restaurant and enjoy a Monte Cristo sandwich.


• Drink AT LEAST 3 Mint Juleps.


• Ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad backwards staring at the goat the whole time.


• Stare menacingly into the eyes of the abominable snowman on the Matterhorn.


• Tear up when I walk down Main Street.


• Watch a parade.


• Go to hell and back in Mr. Toads Wild Ride.


• Eat a churro (even though I don't really like churros.)


• Sit through Captain EO for old times sake and get motion sickness from the 3-D.


• Take a big deep whiff of the musty air in Pirates of the Caribbean.


• Go on the teacups just so I can listen to the music that plays while in line.
  
• Allow a grim, grinning ghost to sit on my lap in the Haunted House.

• Check out the back side of a waterfall on The Jungle Cruise.

• Close my eyes on Space Mountain WITH my hands up.

• Try to go on every ride, even the kiddie ones, just for fun.

ALL IN YOUR HONOR!!!

Thankyou, Disney Give A Day Get A Day!!!!

my favorite room

The Boy Team...

...in our house is only two members strong.

Lately the only way we can get Scott to go to bed at night is if Dustin will tell him it's a race. Boys against girls to see who can fall asleep first.
That worked once, maybe twice.
He doesn't care who wins even if we try to appeal to his competitive side.
The past couple of nights he's come into our room with his pillow and special blanket and said, "Look who's here!"
He's beyond even starting out in his own bed.
Scott always ends up in our bed and I can't tell you how many times I've woken up to this.
He does think it's cool that he's on a team and it's just him and his Dad.

Even though I'm not a member I'm a huge fan of "The Boy Team."

death of a loved one

Just in case you can't read it, it says:

Finnigins Mom:

Karley

February 8, 2010

birth

How much I

love him as

much as my

family.

Deth: March 18

2010. Emotional Karley

Funnerall:

March 20, 2010

redrock...why did i ignore you for so long?

I love the mountains. Lucky for me we live in a Valley so we're surrounded by them. Any time we need a little adventuring all we have to do is choose the direction we want to go.

I've been to Spring Mountain Ranch more times than I can count and when we stayed at the Redrock Hotel for my birthday we had a beautiful view of Redrock but I've never hiked in Redrock, never even driven the loop.

When my family came to town for Thanksgiving some of us hiked in Redrock but Madison missed out and I loved it so much we had to go back.

Dustin shows off his climbing skills.

Actually he was never really that far off the ground.

Paige enjoys her pizza atop the sunbathing rock. Yes, we bring pizza on our hikes...it's much more satisfying than trail mix.

If you look close you can spy two little creatures hiding in that cave.

Karley feeling the chi.

Taking a little rest.

Dustin and all the kids climbed to the top of a hill.

What goes up must come down and that looked like the hard part so I just waited for them at the bottom.

I want to do a hike each month. I think with all the camping we'll be doing we'll meet our goal.

It's just sad

These are the ONLY pictures we've taken this year. Three months in and this is all I've got to show for it. I'm pretty sure I ruined my camera battery and we don't have a point and shoot so this is it.

Our way too sunny backyard. We need a patio cover and we're saving up for one.

Staff development day and no school. I was able to capture my two oldest in a rare moment. Playing High School Musical Sing It and getting along. Even taking turns and not crabbing at each other. I had to get proof.

Paige on Valentine's day. She was just the sweetest.

The rest of Oct.-Dec.2009

Madison turns 13. Yes, that's right, a teenager.

Happy Birthday, Maddy Moo!

Her favorite and Grandma Kris' specialty, the donut cake.


Madison and Karley get to try out their new Christmas gifts.

Dustin got this hat for Christmas from Karley, who found it at a garage sale. Yes, it says PEPSI on it but that's not all. Look at how truly great it is...

...Shades down...

...shades up.

You don't even have to say it, I know you're green with envy.

Madison got her beach cruiser

Karley got her longboard

Paige got her Moxie girls

Scott got his DS Christmas was very nice and Santa was good to us this year.


Dustin ran his first half marathon, the Rock and Roll LasVegas Marathon.

I don't have pics. but he completed the race in 1:51:33

division:231

gender:1356

overall:1869

Mad Props... that's all I have to say..
Mad props.


November

• For Thanksgiving we all got together to share our traditional meal. Joey and his family from Texas, Lizzie and her family from New Mexico, and Becky and her family from California. (The rest of us are still here in Vegas) This is the whole clan except for a few.

  It was great to have everyone together.

  I was very THANKFUL.
  

  All ten of us.

  Hopefully it will be sooner than later that we can take another one of these photos.
  

  The grandkids minus Elara and Cami.
  

  I came downstairs to find these one day while we were moving. I read the note and thought it was cute that Dustin was still calling me his girlfriend but couldn't figure out what he meant about the working part(since everyday feels like a hard day at work)

  Fresh flowers, old note.

  He said he'd found it in the garage while packing stuff.

  I love that he found an excuse to bring me flowers and

  I love him!
  

  We moved out of this house. I thought I'd need to post about all the things I would miss and about all the memories I would be sad to leave behind. I have none of that. The decision to move was the best decision we've ever made and there is only one thing I miss and that's a tall eucalyptus tree in the backyard.
  
  
  
  October
  

  Halloween night we went trick-or-treating with Francie and her family. Oh the food, the company, and the candy! Quite a night!!!
  

  Getting ready for our ward's Trick-or-Treat party. We were told to make a booth..ours was pretty sad.
  

  Scott as Charlie Brown for Halloween. That scowl is his Charlie Brown face. Poor Charlie Brown.