chickens

I feel like something's coming. Something different. I feel all crisis-y
...is that even a word?
See, I'm a chicken. Not a pioneer in any way. I've ALWAYS lived here. I've ALWAYS stayed close to home. Never brave enough to try anything new.
But I feel a change. In me, in Dustin.
We're applying for jobs outside of Vegas. I hate the thought of leaving. The last couple of years have not been easy. The last couple months have been worse. I feel torn between comfort and adventure. I'm tired of being a wimp. Tired of feeling trapped.
I want my husband to be happy.
I want him to feel fulfilled.
He wants to work hard, use his brain, flex his muscles...be challenged.
I want my kids to see that you can start over. You can take control of your life. You can choose happiness.
I want to feel happy.

Gosh, I'm a bore...yawn...
I say I'm going to post more and then don't. This week has been really busy.

On Monday Archer had a little baby surgery that went way, way better than I had overly, dramatically imagined. Thanks to a great baby urologist. Just for the record, there was no "botching" involved. I'd hate for him to get a complex...
I can't express this enough. We have wonderful friends who help us out AND bring treats. So, thank you! Gosh, I love treats!

Scott's in t-ball (so adorable!) and Madison's swimming and Dustin is asst. coaching both!! Our Saturdays (well, and every other day of the week) are getting pretty hectic but today we were able to go to both. Sometimes we have to split up and/or send in the Grandparents. On top of it all, Paige had her dance recital tonight. Her last dance recital. Miss Jolynn isn't teaching next year and we're very sad. Her husband made a slide show of some of the past years and it was kinda nice to look back. Paige was so tiny when she started. We have so many fun memories of all the recitals and watching our girls and our friends' girls dancing. Now that part of our lives is over and I'm mourning it. On a positive note, looks like we'll be spending lots of time together at ball games and swim meets.

* If and when I can figure out how to get pictures from my phone to my computer there will be some...

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!

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.