Category: Family Time

We like to take our guests here

We try to take our guests to the Sonoran Desert Museum when they visit us. It’s gorgeous weather right now, so our outing with Joe was really a lot of fun.

On the drive to the museum, we travel on a rollicky up and down road through a saguaro forest. We raise our arms high in the van and feel our stomachs drop as we dip and turn.

Mark really gets into it.

At the museum, we learn about animals and plants. This was an American Kestrel we saw along the path. A docent patiently explained the life history and habits to each group that passed.

Buddy

The desert museum has an ice cream shop along the trail. Since it was lunch time, we decided to call our ice cream cones “lunch” because that’s what you do when cousins come to town.

Dear world, this is my family who loves me even when my hair looks like this.

Timothy the ham.

Cousins

Cave explorers

Joe and 3 of his kids

Excavation team

What is Richard so anxious about? A charging javelina? A desert tortoise in the path? You never know what you might encounter in the desert.

It was a good day and we were so glad to have family visit us.

Quotes from Mark

Mark’s friend: Here’s a candy apple for you!

Mark: Is it poisonous?

10-24-11

 

“Mom, just so you know, you’re carrying a 40-pound boy on your back.”

10-25-11

 

To Dad with messy hair at the breakfast table: “Wow, and I thought MY hair was funky. You look like a rock star!”

11-1-11

 

“I love you, Mom. I don’t think you even understand how much I love you.”

Baking with the kids

Daniel decided to take a photo of our cookie baking adventures last week. The kids cut out maple leaves, pumpkins, acorns, and ghost shapes.

The kids really enjoy decorating with royal icing. They came up with some beautiful designs.

The end.

Daniel’s birthday party

I thought we were going to have an easy birthday party for Daniel. We planned to meet his friends at the pizza restaurant up the street and we would stuff ourselves, sing, and go home. We had to change plans when the restaurant told us that “buffet night” is not the best time to try to get seating for a party at their restaurant. In normal towns with more than one boy-friendly restaurant, you could just go somewhere else. It is not so easy in Sahuarita.

We decided to do takeout and hold the party on the back patio. I spent the afternoon on the ladder, hanging lights and festive things. This is what I really enjoy doing, though, so I didn’t feel too sorry for myself.

There was no time to make up creative party games, so we pulled out Twister. It was a hit.

B. always seemed to get trapped.

We ate dinner under the lanterns. Richard is rolling his eyes that I didn’t adjust the settings on the camera before taking this. This is why people hire photographers when they are trying to host a party.

Who needs fancy party games when you can jump on the trampoline?

It’s not recommended that you let 5 boys jump on the trampoline in the dark all at once, but when they’re holding glow sticks, it’s pretty spectacular to watch. We let them do this for about 2 minutes.

Red velvet cake and cheesecake. Yum!

Priesthood Session age 12

Daniel and Richard are posing patiently so I can begin the chronicle of Daniel’s rise in height during the next few years. Paige and I have our photo taken before General Young Women meetings, so I’m starting the tradition of photographing Daniel and Richard each October before the General Priesthood meeting. They went out for pizza with his Young Men leaders after the the broadcast. He said to Richard as they drove away from dinner, “I think this is going to be a good year.”

Dan Man

Here’s the person of the day. He’s smart, creative, athletic, handsome, and carries tools.

I call him Dan Man…even though I don’t really want him to be a man just yet.

Daniel is missing in a lot of our photos because he’s usually blazing the trail for the rest of us. It’s nice to have a boy who is independent but will still give me a hug at night before bed.

He’s twelve and he’s a good boy. I feel so blessed to have him in our family.

Wide Brimmed Hat

This is my new big hat. This is also what I look like when I am watching Cub Scouts scaling slippery rocks on the mountain.

This is Daniel and his friend. They’ve been friends for 6 years but it’s rare to get them together.

This is one of 600 photos Paige posed for because she’s so beautiful and well worth photographing.

This is Timothy on a hike with the Cub Scouts.

This is my Markie. He likes to snuggle anywhere.

This was our picnic and Richard who carried everything up and down the hill.