Sparklers

Even if your mom was lame and didn't remember them for the 4th, luckily we live in Utah and have patriotic festivities to look forward to all month long.

It finally feels like...

And we are enjoying it.

Visits

On their way to Oregon for all the festivities, Nana, Vatti and Bridgett stopped by for a few days of fun. It was nice to have them around to help with the boys and to do lots of fun things with us. Though Gavin will vote not to go to "the German Restaurant" next time Vatti comes to town, he enjoyed having people to color with and play games and plenty of people to wake up in the morning.

The pregnant lady heads to Oregon

At the last moment that any good medical professional would allow, I headed to Oregon last weekend with my sisters to do some celebrating and sight-seeing. Schatzy had never been to Oregon and with Duane relocating it seemed like the last chance any of us would get in a while. One husband decided early on that he would stay home with his kids, and the other two quickly joined in that decision, so we girls were able to fly up to see Duane and Natalie- kid free.

The first day we hit the coast. The weather all weekend was chilly, but we enjoyed one hour of sun and next to no wind during our Cannon Beach and Haystack Rock stop.

Heidi, Schatzy and Me

Dad chasing our new nephew- Reginald (aka Reggie)

We added a DMD to the family resume... and only had to sit through the 2 hour ceremony to do it, oh yeah, and those four rough years of dental school.

We visited the Rose Garden.
And had lots of fun times and slumber parties with this fabulous girl.
We made a stop at the Portland Temple.And finally enjoyed a great party to celebrate the marriage, graduation, and moving of Natalie and Duane.

Besides all of that we even crammed in some truly Portland moments like a trip to Saturdays Market, and a walk down the water front that included a cop on a bicycle searching out which park patrons were in possession of "the really sweet weed," that we could all smell. It was a great time and helped me to realize how super pregnant I really am, and how much I love my siblings.

He's Finally Done It

After Christmas, Gavin started talking about wanting to ride a 2-wheeler, but was basically too nervous about falling. For his birthday we got him a set of pads to ease his mind. Finally at the beginning of April, Caleb was home and we had few minutes on a Saturday morning to get him riding. He did great the first day and if we helped him start he would go up and down our half of the block. Then freakish weather set in and he didn't ride for a week or more. The next time I took him out he was worried about if he should wear his knee and elbow pads, but I didn't want to find them and told him he was riding well enough not to need them... My big mistake. 10 feet after he started he rode up a small hill in the neighbors yard, he had forgotten that he had to steer, and then dove off onto the sidewalk. The end result was a super skinned knee and a mean mom trying to make him ride again. It might have worked, but the moment he got a good look at the blood that started to run down his leg, he processed to scream his head off. Then had to go home and cry it out for 30 minutes. It was not pretty. Since he wouldn't ride again for a few weeks due to the skinned knee and the snow that we kept getting, by the time he agreed to ride again he also would only ride if "Dad is here to help me." It seemed to annoy him that I couldn't hold his bike up and chase him down the street in my pregnant state.

Finally, after all of this, and several practice sessions with Dad running along next to him for moral support. He has overcome all fear and scabbed over knees and is finally riding, and doing it all on his own. He even wants to be the one to strap on his pads and helmet when he rides. We have taken full advantage of the elementary school play area to ride many many laps in the last few days. He keeps wanting me to invite people out to see him as well. And I will not be the one to tell him when I think it is safe to leave his pads off to ride... I can't shoulder that kind of blame again.Hurray for perseverance.

Last Day of Preschool

Yesterday was the last day of preschool. The teacher had planned a big party and made it a very happy parting. Gavin had a great time all year, and especially at the party. We could not have hoped for a better teacher for him. Colleen was funny and boisterous and caring and sensitive. What a great woman she is, and the perfect teacher for Gavin. I can only hope that we have as much good fortune in future years of school.
(the face paint isn't Gav's new look, just part of the festivities.)

Just to show off the little treat I put together for a teacher gift. I was pretty pleased with how it turned out. The view from each side.

A few things to keep me busy

For my mantel... though it currently sits on the shelf joining my living and dining rooms... while I wait for time to finish the next project for that shelf. I didn't make the plaque, I bought it on clearance, and I maybe need a new easel for it (?) but the flowers were all my painting and distressing handiwork.

Some magnet boards.
A picture frame for Bridgett's birthday.

For my kitchen... I love it and have used it several time in the past week since I finished it.

The fabulous girls from my Faith in God group and a little wall hanging they made. They are already super creative after only 9 and 10 years of life.

Heartbreakers

Even with a little squinting they still make me melt.

Spring Sing

After much practice, hard work and anticipation, last week was Gavin's Preschool Spring Sing. It was super cute. Each preschool kid memorized a silly rhyme and they sang a bunch of songs with actions and what not in between the reciting. It wasn't long, but just about right for a group of pre-k kids. Gav was so excited for this program and had no problem with his rhyme or the songs, he is a pretty big memorizer these days. He was nervous before we went, but didn't even blink and doing his part. We have some good video, but since I am still video-camera-challenged at the moment. These still will have to work for now.

Gavin and Lexi- they have had such a fun year together, and are looking forward to kindergarten in the same class. We couldn't have asked for a better preschool partner. They like to talk and play together, but they both also feel comfortable making new friends and hanging out with the other kids. It has been great.

Landon and Gav getting ready for the program. It was a green outfit day, I guess.
He made sure that we spotted him on stage.

You asked for it

31 WeeksPer Dad's request... and so Schatzy won't have to check our blog and say, "More pictures of the kids? Where are the belly pictures?" My personal photographer, Gavin, was nice enough to take these just this morning. (yes, my face is getting rounder along with my belly.)

Mother's Day presents can be painful

Friday morning Gavin was helping Caleb unload some things from the trunk in the morning, and I heard a loud scream followed by crying. Of course I ran out of the house in my bathrobe to figure out what had happened to Gavin. Caleb was already bringing him around the front of the house. He was holding his face, but complaining about his knee and hand. He had tripped over some chicken wire on the side of the house and was also wearing his clunky rain boots, which didn't help much. He cried for a while, and about an hour after Caleb left I noticed a little mark by his eye and assumed the chicken wire had poked him. A few hours after that he started to get a nice red bruise, which spread over the next couple of days. When I told him he had a black eye, he said, "When I tripped on the chicken wire, I hit it on the present that we got you for Mother's Day. It is metal." That was all he would say whenever anyone asked him what happened to his eye over the next couple of days. He was determined to keep the secret.

Here is my beautiful new Mother's Day gift that caused all the damage. I can see how landing on it with your eye would leave a pretty solid mark. I love it, and I love the extreme efforts that the boys will go to in order to keep a secret.

Sharks Soccer comes to an end

Saturday was the last game of the Colorado Blue Sharks Soccer team. We had a good season. By the end we realized that a little practice would help out little soccer player. We also realized that a few kids on our teach that were interested in playing soccer at all, would also have helped our team. It was a good learning experience though. And we finally got the thing Gavin had been longing for- The Trophy.

A quick breakaway.

Getting warmed up for a tough game.

Ahh- The Trophy.

Don't forget the team cheer... a good lesson in sportsmanship.

Geesch Mom...

My conversation with Henry tonight while waiting for Gavin to put on his pajamas...

M-"We really need to put some lotion on your face, it is really red."
Henry-"Mom, Star Wars don't wear lotion on their face."
M- "I thought you were cowboys, and I am sure cowboys had to use lotion on their cheeks."
Henry-"No Mom, I am Rex, and Clone Wars don't need lotion for their cheeks."
M- "Are you sure? I think Rex probably had to have lotion sometime."
Henry- "I don't think so, Mom."

Not much chance I am making them too girly.

Goblin Valley and Capitol Reef National Park

Ok- last camping trip post... I will finally get it done...
Goblin Valley State Park. Super amazing. Kind of out in the middle of no where, and a bit surprising to come upon. We spent a couple of house wandering around the Valley of the Goblins climbing on and exploring.

The goblins are all crumbly and made out of dirt and sand somehow packed together, but still amazingly strong. I was a bit afraid that this would break off with Caleb on it, but not even close.

Henry found another little "cave" to get inside and dig in the dirt.

Gav just wanted to get higher and higher, but we talked him out of it, since getting down presented a bit of a problem.
I found a sunny spot to sit and watch the boys climb.
It turns out that Goblin Valley is more of a stop than a destination. By the time we left we were very hot and pretty tired. There was almost no place to get out of the sun and even in early April it was quite warm already. Definitely worth seeing and enjoying, but I would choose wisely what time of year you go there.

We had reserved a camping spot in a small down about 20 miles from Goblin Valley, but when we arrived at the campground it looked more like a gravel parking lot with a run down restaurant and bathroom with a few over-grown trees and bushes. I found it super unappealing and it was still early enough in the evening that we would be spending a lot of daylight hours there. We decided to drive on the Capitol Reef National Park, and see if there might be a camping spot there, and just continue on home if not. Every place we had been for days was full, so we didn't expect much. We got to the Fruita Campground and discovered they had almost 20 sites to choose from. The campground there is in the middle of a bunch of fruit orchards and beautiful, but no reservations allowed, so most people pass it by. Perfect for us. We had a nice spot and got to see a bit of the park before we headed home the next day. Only drawback... turns out our air-mattress has a whole and a few hours after going to be, we were on the ground. Pregnant lady sleeping on the cold hard ground that can't only lay on her side= sleepless night and sore grouchy morning. We didn't stay long before starting our drive home.

We hope to head back to Capital Reef soon, and would highly recommend it.
Now we can move on, since I am sure all of my pictures have encouraged you blog readers to head to a few places that you may not have been. If not, well... you should. You won't regret it.