Picacho Peak, AZ

We decided to take a day and get away to somewhere new. Our destination was a camping area at a State Park in the middle of Arizona. Camping in the desert is warmer, less private (there are no big trees), and more urban (there always seem to be plenty of people even on a weekday). It really was the perfect time of year to go because it was not too hot or cold and we enjoyed our time together. Our hike to a little mountain near our campsite seemed like a good alternative to the huge peaks that loomed to our south. We scaled the top, enjoyed a snack with our view in all directions, safely made it to the bottom and sort of repelled an enclosure the kids considered a cave. The weather was excellent, our food tasted great and if certain boys, especially the two year old, would have slept more the night before I would have considered the whole trip dynamo!

Just a heads up for the family members who are camping with us for a big family reunion in the summer, camping with lots of toddlers might make for a really loud night or two, with little sleep, but it's better than being surrounded by a bunch of unappreciative baby booming city slickers! :)

Two new posts in a row--I've been putting it off too long!

Minuet in G

This is not nearly the whole song, (this was during the dress rehearsal), but this was a piece that both Natalie and Christopher have been working on for a couple of months to play for a group performance. (Christopher ended up playing with just his left hand because he sprained his thumb playing football two days before the concert--but he said he played that left hand perfectly. It's a good thing it was an ensemble piece!) They both play it quite well now, and love having a classic, recognizeable piece in their repertoire! I'm sure they'd be thrilled to play it for you! :) I learned it as well, and have enjoyed the experience, which also helped me be able to play the other hand as they learned each hand and keep them on their toes! (Memorization has been more difficult for old Mom, but I think I've got it now!)

Here they are dressed up in concert clothes, squinting in the sun.

And here is Andrew excited to see so many buses. He also drew some pictures and enjoyed much of the music, though he got burned out sitting in the dress rehearsal room for an hour before it started. He just HAD to be with Dad instead of out in the sunshine running around with David and I. I remember Christopher obsessing over being with Dad every possible second too at this age. He would even pound on the bathroom door, Dad, Dad. I'm happy that they adore their Dad, but it can be a pain at times, like when Dad has to leave or can't be there. Oh the trauma!

And this is David at the end of the day after bonking his head. He is a chill kind of kid. Sometimes I'll find him quietly playing with his cars, driving them on the floor with his head on the floor right up near the wheels. He is still a little delayed developmentally on his speech skills and gross motor skills, but the therapists told us to keep doing what we can, he's very bright, and he'll get there when he's ready. We're wondering if he would have gotten more therapy if the whole state hadn't just gotten huge budget cuts for the Early Intervention programs, but we'll keep working with him and loving him for who he is!We are now enjoying the slower pace and leisure of a two-week Spring Break. There have been many hours outside in our yard, pulling some weeds, watering plants, removing some garden plants, finding lots of bugs, and loving the chance to be outside doing whatever! We plan to get some bike rides in and play dates with friends, along with a couple of dental appointments, but it is so nice to have a break from it all at this time of year!

The birds and the bees

We've had many birds who enjoy visiting our yard this time of year. Usually they don't come very near us. However, we had a funny experience today that we tried to capture on camera. I'm not going to share all of the dizzying clips, but we were filming this poor little sparrow for at least ten minutes as we tried to help it figure out a good way to get back outside.

We've also had many bees who've decided our yard is the place to visit. It's mostly because I let a few of our plants go to seed and they have flourished in the sun. We have to be more careful in that area of our yard, but I think it's great that we're helping out a little bee colony, since I'm sure they will help us out with some pollination soon too!

This picture is to show what can happen when you enjoy great deals so much that you just can't say no. Obviously, I'm not a very organized person, especially when I'm stuffing as much food as possible into a fridge quickly. I have to rave once again about the food co-op in our valley because it has been so helpful and healthy for our family. We've been a part of this volunteer organization for a little over a year now, and we feel like it's Christmas every weekend when I bring home our produce. We began just going every other Sat. to a farm near our churchhouse, but we now consume enough of this delightful fresh food, that I now pick up organic produce at a different site too on the rotating weekends usually too (I have been surprised by the exceptional taste and quality of the organic food). I noticed that they have opened up a couple of sites in Brigham City and Clearfield, so some of you Utah people can now enjoy Bountiful Baskets too! $15 (approx.) is the price here for a laundry basket size quantity of produce; it has been worth it for our family, so you may want to give it a try. You just need to sign up at the website!