Moab with Friends

We have some pretty awesome friends. Earlier this year, we got to go on a trip to Moab with the McQueens and the Livingstones to meet up with and see the Youngs. It was the first time we had seen Brody since he had been shot and nearly died the previous November while doing a routine car check. It was so fun to be all together. We all worked together as river guides (except for Nancy, but sometimes I almost forget that) so our friendships go way back. The best part is seeing our kids play together.

Of course we had to make a run on the river. The water was cold, but the sandy beach was perfect.



Eleven kids in all that weekend (and one in spirit--we will always miss River). How did that happen so fast?!? I swear we were just barely running the rivers with no one to worry about but ourselves...oh and the passengers. The kids played so well together, but I'm of the opinion that kids always play well when there are no TVs or toys around to fight over. We rented a big house in Moab so we didn't all bombard the Youngs, but next time we'll have to all go on a river trip or camping trip so the kids can play together even into the night.
On our way home, we stopped with the Livingstones at this crazy place outside Green River that Wendy told us about. It's called Crystal Geyser and there are really no signs telling you how to get there so if anyone ever wants to know, give me a call or send me an email and I'll give you the low down. The minerals from the geyser have made this amazing area right next to the Green River. It looks mostly pumpkin orange from afar, but as you get closer there are all kinds of colors--greens, reds, yellows, and even purple. It really was a cool place.

The geyser goes off every once in a while and videos online show it really exploding, but we only saw a low bubble. Guess we'll have to go back.

Time for Some Catching Up

First a photo from early spring. I know the boys are in Christmas jammies, but we wear those year-round around here. Max took the boys to Sportsman's Warehouse for something--fishing lures maybe--and the boys came home with these. What a good daddy!

Darth Jonah

Jonah is all about Star Wars right now. He worked very hard for several weeks to earn money towards this voice-changer helmet. He also spent quite a few hours learning both the Star Wars and Darth Vader themes. Since the arrival of the helmet we are visited by various Sith Lords ranging from a 2-foot diaper wearing variety who says, "Dun, dun, dun" (Darth Vader theme) to the 3 1/2-foot variety who warns that if you don't give him a treat he will be "forced to destroy you," to the 4-foot variety who wields a plastic light saber and shows no mercy.

March Winds

I'm always so excited for kite-flying in March. Yestderday (thats' right, I'm posting about something that happened yesterday) we went across the street to the big open field (that's right, just across the street, I love living in the country) to fly our cheap kites. I am a total convert to cheap kites. I used to think the fancy ones probably flew better, but no, the $1 kites are the best flyers for kids in my experience.

We bought the kites on Tuesday and each boy got to pick out the one he wanted. Wyatt chose the penguins from Madagascar (Max's tells a lot of attack penguin stories based on these fellas at bedtime). Jonah chose Star Wars (he plays the Imperial March on the piano probably 50 times a day--video coming soon). And Emmet chose Lightning McQueen (he says the word Cars and Speed probably 500 times a day).
I couldn't get a picture of Emmett with his kite because he wouldn't hold onto the string long enough for me to snap a photo. I even chased his kite through the field a few times trying.
Yesterday was a short surgery day for Max, much needed after two weekends of very busy call, and so he got to join us for a pretty perfect afternoon.

Puddle Jumping

The giant snow piles in front of our house are turning into giant puddles. Hooray for spring!! The first time we went out, when I took these photos, poor Emmett only had his snow boots and it turns out they were not puddle proof.Since then he and I got some rain boots so now we can all play in the water.
Max isn't doing too much jumping lately, so he hasn't been able to join us. He tore his ACL in December, had it repaired late-Febrary, and has had a pretty bad inflammatory reaction since. Whereas most people are walking without crutches after 10 days, he was almost 3 weeks. He's limping around now, but is pretty exhausted after work everyday. I don't think it helps that he has to stand up for work pretty much all day, but what can you do?

Somewhere under all that puffiness is his kneecap. We hope to see it again soon.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day

This is in the morning...by the end of the day he had two green, bead necklaces and a big, glittery, clover sticker on his cheek.

Basketball, Bowling, and Basketball

We took the boys to a BYU basketball game so we could see The Jimmer in person. It was fun to take them all and they did a good job. They would have done even better had they not stayed up with cousins at a sleep over at grandma's house the night before until 11:00 pm, but that made it so that Max and I could go on an early Valentine's date, so what are you going to do?

It's nice to be back near family so we can go on more dates (thanks g-mas and g-pas and aunts and unlces!). And I know my boys love playing with cousins.

Next we went bowling with Ribbit Reader. Wyatt gets to bring home Ribbit Reader from preschool a couple times a year. We're supposed to read the book that comes with the frog and then do something fun with him. We tried to go miniature golfing, but sadly, the mini-golf that just opened back in September must not have had enough business because it was closed up and completely empty. We went 3 times, why didn't anyone else? So instead, after a few tears about the out of business mini-golf, we took Ribbit Reader bowling. We basically had the whole alley to ourselves seeing as it was 2 or 3 in the afternoon.

On President's day, the older boys and I were invited to go to the Harlem Globe Trotters with the Linds--Max's boss's wife and her two oldest boys. I was probably more excited than the boys because I still remember going to the globe trotters at the Salt Palace when I was young. I think it was my dad, me, and my little brother and it was awesome.

Even though I was excited, with my own kids, I really try never to build things up too much. I'd rather they were happily surprised rather than let down. I often don't tell them until we are on the way that we are going to go do something just to avoid the disappointment of having plans change. I had a really hard time when plans changed as a child and sometimes I think Jonah is a lot like me. He doesn't like it either. However, I just recently took a Love and Logic parenting class and now I kind of wonder if I'm not giving them opportunities to deal with change and disappointment. Maybe I should tell them plans so that they can learn how to handle it when plans change, because even as an adult things always change and I'd rather they learn how to deal with it when I can help them than when they are in their early 20s. Anyway, back to the globetrotters...
They were just as funny as I remember them.
We all had a great time, and a little (or a giant handful of) cotton candy sweetened things up even more.
Big G was especially funny. You can see him on YouTube--good for a kid laugh.

This next picture is classic. Jonah gets more food on his face than any of my other kids. He doesn't even seem to notice most of the time and he'll have pizza sauce or blackberry juice almost up to his ear on one cheek or even toothpaste dripping down his chin. Right now, when I can still get him cleaned up it's okay, but I kind of wonder what will happen next year when he eats school lunch. Maybe we need to work on napkin skills this summer.