Ellie's Favorites (late)

Favorite Color: Light Green aka Lime!
Favorite Food: Ramen Noodles (not a foodie!)
Favorite Treat: Chocolate donuts with SPRINKLES
Favorite TV Show: Sponge Bob!
Favorite Movie: Tuck Everlasting (good one!)
Favorite Activity: Swimming with my friends
Favorite Friend: Zoe, Berkley, Maddie, Chloe, Ashley, Reagan, Jainan, Kylie (Lots!)
Favorite Ice Cream: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
Favorite Song: Stuck Like Glue by Sugarland
What do you want to be when you grow up: Teacher
What present did you get for your birthday?Make up, Zoobles, Hair stuff, you know, girlie things.

The Joy of Living in Arizona

It's official. Yes, that is the number 99 on my car thermometer. It hit 100 just a few minutes later but I was busy with kids and driving. You'll just have to trust me. What an April Fool's joke Mother Nature pulled on us Arizonians. Oh well. If it were balmy and 80 degrees, everyone would live here, not just the tough.

Since it is General Conference today, I made packets for each child to cut, color, write and generally keep quiet so BJ and I can listen to conference. It worked, but it also brought some funny moments. Here they are dressed in the Armor of God! Go Blinston Warriors.
Ellie's got the fierce look down! I'd run if I were the enemy.
Side note, they are currently preparing for a battle royal in the back yard complete with marshmallow stones for their slingshots. I'll let you know if it turns out like Helaman's Army or whether there are causalities.

When we left Utah 7 years ago, I had just completed my Master Gardener certification. So after 7 long years of pouting about the climate differences, I've decided to try gardening in AZ. Here is our first attempt.
I found out I have a fellow gardening lover; I don't know if he likes the gardening and growing or just playing in the dirt.

Last week of Spring Break

This was our second week of Spring Break. Most of the kids' friends had gone back to school so it was quieter, but a bit more "boring." So we went on a lot of adventures this week. Monday we were supposed to go to the zoo, but because of rain (yes in the desert it does rain occaisonally) we went with option two. Each child picked a recipe and we made it. We made our list, shopped (learned how to bargain hunt), and created our masterpiece. Levi made cookies, Ellie made a cookie pizza, Sam made a s'more bar cookie and Nick saved us for lunch with a Taco Ring. It was great. Next time I hope less sweets and more healthy food, but it was our first time doing it.

Tuesday was the zoo. We loved the weather and the animals were fresh and moving from the rain the day before. It was a super day to go to the zoo.

Wednesday we went to the Boyce Thompson Arboretum. We had never been there before. It has a great trail to hike and lots of little theme gardens. The kids enjoyed it and we got to eat a fun picnic lunch there too.
This is the suspension bridge the kids loved to bounce on. It freaked Lia out a little, but I think that is why everyone else liked doing it.

Thursday was our ghost town. We went for a mine tour and heard spooky ghost stories. We went for an awful train ride where we couldn't hear one word the conductor was saying, but it was Grace's favorite activity, so it wasn't a total bust. We also went through a house of illusion where it was built crooked.That is why we all look like we are leaning in the pics. I kept getting dizzy. Walking uphill was down and vice versa. It was weird, but the kids loved it.


We also got to watch a wild west shootout! Definitely Levi's favorite.

Friday Levi went to Polar Ice with a friend then we all went and saw Yogi Bear in 3D. I'm sure I lost brain cells during the movie. Not the worst we've seen, but . . . . Hmmm. What was that my mom used to say, if you can't say something nice . . . . You get the picture. But we did have a victory at the movies, Lia and Grace sat (yes SAT) and watched it. Hurray! We are growing up. We may survive summer movies this year with all five. I usually leave the two little's home because they can't sit.

So tonight I'm trying to decide whether to be happy or sad that Spring Break is over. I'll miss our Adventures and their sweet company, but I may actually get the laundry caught up and the house cleaned. Just sayin'.

Horse Back Riding

Spring Break is here again and I refuse to leave the state because AZ is so beautiful this time of year. We always joke that if it were this nice year round, we wouldn't be able to afford to live here.

So last week we had lots of adventures, but one of the kids' favorites was horse back riding.

Grace and Ellie rode CITT, which I learned stands for Constantly in Terrible Trouble. Thinking about renaming one of my kids that name . . . . hmmm.


Sam and Lia rode Chewy, a sweet tempered girl. They both loved it.


And Levi rode Rubie, a VERY large Clydesdale horse that he adores. This is the horse he rode for lessons. Cori was very patient with 3 kids on horses in her ring (two very inexperienced kids) and they are begging to do it again. We'll see . . . .

Ear Infections . . . Again

Grace has an ear infection tonight (yes, again and they really hurt) and to keep her mind off of it, I'm FINALLY catching up on her birthday favorites. Yes, like 5 months late. But I am doing it. So all of you bugging me to update the blog, I am trying to be better.

Favorite Color: Blue
Favorite Food: Ramen Noodles
Favorite Treat: Fruit Snacks
TV Show: Dora!
Favorite Activity: Dance Kids! on the wii
Favorite Friend: Daddy (no, I'm not jealous as the Mom, just let me wipe away my tear . . .)
Favorite Song: I Love to See the Temple
What do you want to be when you grow up? I don't know . . . Dancer!

UPDATE: Poor Grace cried so much. We took her in to the late night urgent care and got her antibiotics for her ear. Poor thing. She may be our child prone to ear infections.

Lia at almost 3

Yes, this week is all about Lia, and since this is my journal we'll record some of Lia's favorites.

Favorite Color: Green
Favorite Food: Tuna fish
Favorite Treat: I don't know, (prompted by mom . . . donuts?) Yes.
Favorite TV Show: Dora, duh and Diego and Team UmiZumi.
Favorite Movie: Dora Movie
Favorite Activity: Swimming. We love swimming! and our swimming teacher Miss Heather.
Favorite Friend: Karen (Grace's respite worker)
Favorite Ice Cream: Chocolate with candies on it.
Favorite Song: Jesus wants me for a Sunbeam
What do you want to be when you grow up: Big Girl!
What present do you want for your birthday? Balloons.

Lia's Big Week

Lia's birthday is this Saturday and she will be 3! She is very excited and totally understands that this day is all about her. She knows that her day is Saturday, she'll be three and she gets presents. The most important part of course! She has chosen Strawberry ice cream, Strawberry Cake (see the theme?) and wants Pizza for dinner. Although today she said she didn't want dinner, just presents. Funny girl!


We just started dance lessons this last month. She loves it. She and Grace were together in Ballet and Jazz but Lia decided she liked the tumbling class across the hall better. So now she tumbles while Grace dances and both are so happy.

Lia waiting for her class to start.