Victory!

Well, Ladies and Gentleman. The battle of the beans has come to an end. And it only took like 14 hours. Max chose to go to bed quite hungry last night. I KNOW he woke up hungry this morning...yet sat quietly watching everyone else eat their yummy breakfasts. He SAYS he was not hungry...but he was. I imagine that he might have gone most of the day hungry...except that I upped the ante a bit and mentioned that we MIGHT invite his friend to come along camping with us this weekend...except...oh yeah...he hadn't eaten his beans. Too bad. Well, that lit a fire under his butt and was all the inspiration he needed. He loaded those beans with blue cheese dressing and....slowly, but surely downed them. Of course...what was maybe a bite and a half of green beans became no less than 6 bites...the point is that he ate them and lived to tell about it! Who knows what veggies will be on his plate tonight at the campground? But we will see!

Battle of the Beans

The battle lines have been drawn. It is the beans against Max this time. When we were in for Maxwell's 11 year old check up his pediatrician was MUCHO unhappy about the fact that Max eats neither fruit, nor vegetable. She said that at his age, it is time to eat them....or else. And took QUITE the hard line against it. Her instructions were, specifically, that Max is to eat 4 bites of vegetable BEFORE any of the other courses are offered to him. So while everyone else can dig into their steaks and what nots...Max must first tackle his broccoli or whatever else is served in the vegetable lineup. The other night was, in fact, broccoli. You could tell he was miserable and there was much drama over consuming that one whole little broccoli top. In addition to the veggies first rule, there is also the stipulation that if Max, for any reason, decides to throw up, then the mess is to be cleaned up (I vote by him!) and he is to be served the same vegetable again. Now, honestly, this is a scenario that I TOTALLY see happening in our house. We will see. Tonight we had dinner at grandmas. She too, has been informed of the rules and had several nice veggie choices available to Max. I quickly knocked off the two easy freebies (potatoes and corn on the cobb), which left the choice of okra and tomatoes medley or green beans. Under great duress he chose green beans. I gave him a whopping TWO of them. Long story short....Max passed on dinner (which the doctor assures me is JUST FINE). And so now...it is green beans (with ketchup at this point) for breakfast tomorrow morning. I just can't wait to see what tomorrow holds for us. I mean...such anticipation...NOT!!!!!! I imagine my day will start with a healthy dose of vomit...which will mean making Max clean it up...which will SURELY NOT be to my standards...which will mean I have to clean it up myself....AND mop the floors...just to be sure. Oh yeah...big excitement tomorrow coming our way. These are the real moments of parenting that you could NEVER have imagined when you pictured what raising children would be like. I mean....sucksville...big time. Worse yet...I KNOW without a doubt that when I take Clara in for HER checkup in two weeks, the doctor is going to ask me about Max and the veggie quest. And it will totally suck to have to admit that my child is still a veggie virgin. No siree...that is MOST unacceptable. Thus...we press on...and it's green beans for breakfast. Let's hope the battle is won right there. We are going camping tomorrow and I really, really don't want to pack this baggie of green beans to take with us! Pray for us! Pray for me! Pray for a spirit of compliance and a real tempting and craving from the holy spirit for greenbeans!!!!

Two LONG Weeks

School starts for us two weeks from today on August 9th. Right now I am sure that this will undoubtedly be the LONGEST two weeks of my life. My children are driving me NUTS...to the point that they are being regularly banished to their rooms for long periods of time and so that I can regain my own control and not beat them! Max and Clara cannot even seem to be on the same FLOOR of the house without arguing. Clara is the QUEEN of drama...and I just don't DO drama...so that's a problem. They have all lost their video game priviledges, with the exception of Ben...who has managed to keep a very low profile through all of this. It has been a pleasant summer to this point. But this week has been a slippery slope into a very bad, place behavior and attitude-wise with my children. They have been mouthy and rude, inconsiderate of one another and argumentative. In addition, after repeated warnings about his lack of practice, Max has officially lost his guitar lessons. I refuse to pay for any more wasted lessons. It takes a chunk of cash and a chunk of my own time each week for these lessons...only to be completely forgotten about until the next week. So there is virtually no progress at all with him. And I am DONE. Of course, Max is VERY sorry (he tells me) and is begging for just one more chance. But he has already had one more chance several times and I am just done with it. Cancelling the lessons that he obviously is not really interested in will be a savings of $92 a month...which translates to a total of $1104 over the course of this next year(and THAT total is consevative as it only accounts for 4 lessons a month, even though some months will have 5)...not to mention the gas money I save on top of that. At the rate he is going, I might as well just flush the $1100 right on down the toilet and never even set foot out of my home. Needless to say, I am MAD, mad, mad about his lack of practicing and dedication to something he begged for forever. So...there is that.

I am ready for school to start. I am nearly desperate for the doors to open and take in my children and begin the education process for the year. I am pulling out my hair and to the point where I am just not liking them too much at all right now. It doesn't help that I am only TOO CRANKY about this stupid hip flexor injury that is totally keeping me from getting even one little bit of decent exercise. I am not a sitter. I am a doer. I have been sitting since Sunday...well, Tuesday...but still. It has been hurting since Sunday and I have officially been resting it for almost 48 hours now with NO exercise (considering it really hurts to even walk). I went into the gym and lifted some weights this morning...all upper body. But nothing fun. It stinks. This afternoon I am alternating ice and heat trying to get a hint of relief from it. Hopefully TOMORROW I will wake up cured. Honestly, ever since I turned 35 in September it has been one injury after another. If it isn't a herniated disk, it's a knee. And if it isn't a knee it's a hip flexor. And if not that, then it is a migraine. I have had just enough of this! It's like my whole body is just on strike since the big 3-5 arrived. Geez!

On a high note (those are few and far between right now), we are going camping this weekend. Destination: Showlow to Fool Hollow Recreation Area. We have been there before and it is really pretty. Huge lake...awesome campground. NICE showers...oh...and the best part...temperatures only in the 70's for the highs and 50's for the lows. That should be a delicious treat. The forecast is for scattered showers...but we are having those here anyway. At least while it is not showering we will not all be cooped up here together staring at each other. The kids have really enjoyed the lake in the past and I just think the getaway will be great for all involved.

Oh...one more high note. All of my new appliances get delivered on Tuesday!!! Hooray. I will have a whole new kitchen by Tuesday night! Wa-hooo! NO MORE WHITE STUFF! If anyone needs some lovely white appliances for their home, now would be a great time to contact us! And those of you who know me, know that the stove has BARELY been used!!!!! It's practically brand new! ha ha!

Must go get ready now for the last guitar lesson. I would have already cancelled,except it would be rude not to give him notice. After all...he will be there waiting on Maxwell. Should be a fun afternoon. Can't wait.

Middle School

Today was registration day at the middle school where Max will be a sixth grader in two short weeks. It was exciting (and a little scary) to see where my son will be spending the next three years of his educational life. Today's process involved getting his picture made for his i.d. card and the yearbook, signing up for parent newsletters, finding out about and registering for the bus schedule, getting his class schedule, buying yearbooks, purchasing p.e. uniforms (which, according to his schedule he would need), purchasing school spirit t-shirts, getting lunch cards loaded, and getting checked off with the health office that all immunizations, etc were up to date. Then we got to actually walk his schedule and try to find all of his classes. We located all of those, along with his locker. Opening the locker proved to be quite a challenge for Mr. Max! In addition to just being a new experience for him (the combination lock thing), there was a bit of a trick to it. It took several attempts to get it open and then we were successful only with the help of a veteran student. Once we were let in on the trick, I had Max open it about 10 more times just to be sure he could do it! When we left I think he was feeling fairly confident about it all. He found out while we were there that one of his best buddies is going to be in the first 5 of 7 classes. And there lockers are only about 3 or 4 apart there...so the two of them are planning to stick together! That makes me feel a bit better about it all! I think he is really excited...a bit nervous, but really excited. In addition to the new school, will come the added challenge of riding the bus. To make it more exciting, he will ride a different bus home in the afternoon than what he rode in the morning. To tell you the truth, mom was just stressed out over so many complicated changes...but Max seems to be either pretty okay with them, or just still currently oblivious to them. Anyway...it was a good and informative morning. I'm not sure I am any more relaxed about the start of the year after it...maybe just the opposite! But either way the big day is fast approaching!

Headache is all gone today. It persisted right through 5 p.m. yesterday. A very long and drawn out episode for sure. I had to do my first photo session ever with a nasty migraine going. That was interesting and I wondered for a time if I would be able to get through it. But alas, I did! I pretty much lived on ibuprofen yesterday...but I got through it. And the family that came was so totally fun and their pictures were SO good. They will be appearing on the website VERY soon. I actually have quite a bit that needs to go up and change out! I'm sure Chris won't be too excited about it...but I sure am. I LOVE some of the new stuff that is going up!

And while my headache is better, I have definitely injured something in the front of my leg. Not sure if it is a quadricep or hip flexor or groin muscle...but it has been singing painfully now since Sunday. Pretty much every step I take really. really hurts a lot. So...no running today. Heck...it took 4 ibuprofen just to be able to walk around the campus with Max this morning at registration. There might be a couple more quiet days here in my future...though I would be overjoyed to wake up and find it cured tomorrow morning!

The rest of the day is somewhat busy. I have pictures tomorrow for one little one that I am very excited to see. She has the funniest little expressions and I hope she will be up to sharing them tomorrow morning! I am off today to buy a goldfish and bowl for her shoot...something I want to try with her. Hoping it will come out precious! After that I have another couple of errands to do...and THEN...I am going out on a date with my hubby! We are going appliance shopping tonight! Hooray! When they built our house, the original owners put white appliances in...even though the countertops are very nearly black and we have black iron hardware on all of the cabinets. It just doesn't look right. So tonight we will begin the process of looking at some new ones! HOW exciting!!!! Then after that is a girls night out at Applebees...so I gotta figure that one out too! Anyway...lot of fun and excitement tonight! Can't wait!

So that is what is going on in our house today! Life is good here in the desert!

Headache

Woke up with this one. It's a doozy. Intense. Very painful...right side, sharp stabbling pain, pressure behind my right eye. I am nauseas when I move around and the light is just painful. Something interesting though...I noticed last night that I was having trouble focusing on Chris while I was talking to him. I finally took my glasses off, it was so bothersome. I felt like he was too close for me to see clearly...but I was on one end of the couch and he was on the far other end...we weren't really that close. Having trouble with it this morning too...but the house is flooded with light and using my eyes is just painful all around right now. Getting the kids set up with what they need and then I have to go back to bed. Three ibuprofen taken a while ago are not touching this, and I have SO much to do today and a picture appointment at noon. I do NOT have time to be incapacitated today. Got to get a handle on it....like NOW. So...back to the dark...for now.

That's My Boy

Here are some of the latest pictures of our Ben! Nine...going on ten here shortly. Fourth grade...sweet as they come. That's my boy!

Counting Down the Days

It is exactly 2 weeks and 5 days until school starts. Our summer has been just wonderful. Full of some fun and awesome adventures, times with friends, swimming, reading, and relaxation. No complaints here! But alas...all good things must come to an end in exchange for even better things...like school! I tackled the VERY dreaded back to school shopping list a couple of nights ago. Target had all the schools lists out so I grabbed it (since I keep forgetting my copy at home) and started fulfilling the appropriate grade level necessities. $80 later...and that is STRICTLY the supply list...I am happy to report that three backpacks are full of supplies and ready to go. Three backpacks are NOT included in that $80 total. No...that would be an additional $50...and we haven't even begun to tackle the back to school wardrobe! It's an expensive season, to be sure! Still to do...haircuts for the boys (that's a MUST), clothing update for the boys and a couple of other items for Clara, new lunch box for Max...since he's a big middle schooler now and can't be seen carrying a babyish basketball looking lunchbox anymore...and registration day for Max next Tuesday. Apparently they will be doing yearbook pictures and everything THAT day...before the school year even technically starts. Interesting, to be sure. Of course...I really have no interest in school pictures. The yearly "mug shot" is something I have been passing on now for several years...for obvious reasons. Those pictures rarely look like my kid...and I have to buy an outrageously expensive package of like way too many....I just always get better ones of my kids myself. And somehow...even though I never order a package, I STILL end up with at least a couple or three of their school picture anyway! I think their teachers get a few for projects and what not...but rarely use them all...and so they come home to me! I have had several folks complain about the school pictures and I have fixed more than a couple of picture disasters...I think I am going to do a back to school special for those parents wishing to bypass the generic mugshot...something like 1/2 price units...pick your pose...something. I still have to think on it some, but I have had enough requests that it would seem a good idea. Not to mention that I just hate to see folks stuck with "the mug shot". Those school pictures are often the only professional picture done of the child that year. But...enough about the picture business...for now. As the "big" day, August 9th approaches, feelings are all over the board in our house. There is total excitement by Clara. She is SO ready to go to school and to have some homework. I think Max is fairly excited...really looking forward to the pre-algebra math class he has been placed in. He's vowed that he is going to be extra organized (LOL!!! Bless his heart...it will interesting to see his efforts!) Ben is not especially excited about school. He never is. Although, the knowledge that his best pal will be in his class with him for the third year running is boosting his spirits a bit! And as for mommy...well it's a mixed bag. I am excited for all three of my kids and the adventures ahead for them. I am excited about the possibility of having a clean house that stays that way most of the day. I am thinking that I will most definitely cherish the calm and quiet...to a point, but am pretty sure I will miss the sweet cloud of never ceasing chatter that comes with my dear girl. She and I are quite tight...and I fear it is her absence that I will feel the most. I've tried not to think too much on how I will be setting her off into the world of school and about how she will now spend more of her day with others than with her dear old mom and siblings. The thought that others will be privy to all of her smiles and laughter and chats and goings on...and not me...well. That's when the tears start flowing. And so...on that note, that is probably enough for today.

I HATE THIS THING

And that's all I have to say about that today.

Migraine

Woke up at 3:30 a.m. with this headache. It's one of the worst ever I think. My head hurt so bad I can't even describe it. Mostly the top, right side of my head...but everywhere is being drawn in, if that makes sense? I was up looking for ibuprofen just before 4 this morning. I thought I would die before I got to bed and got still again. Then the dog's breathing was bothering me, and Chris was in the shower to catch an early flight to Europe, so that was excruciatingly loud, and the hum of the ceiling fan...you name it. It is backed off a little bit this morning, but it is ramping up again as I sit here. I am nauseas as all get out and just miserable. It is nearly time for more ibuprofen. Ben is pushing the buttons on the toaster oven and it is SO LOUD...all those little beeps. I have a feeling that this is going to be a very, very quiet day for us! Got to find somewhere dark now. No small challenge on this very bright and sunny day!

And She Runs

Running won out in the exercise scheme of things yesterday. Only because when I got to my Bodyjam class the schedule had changed and the class was now at 5:30 instead of the 5:45 I showed up for. And I HATE, hate, hate being late. So I just came back home and did a short 5 mile run. Felt pretty great. NO problems. No real soreness. Could have run more I'm sure...but dinner was ready then! Oh...and no yuckiness afterwards! So that was greeat!

So Here's Something Funny...

I am actually sitting here comtemplating a run a little later today! I must be out of my fool head! Tonight is usually my Bodyjam class...WHICH I adore always. But I am sitting here and think that even after that nasty experience post 10 miles on Saturday, I might like to hit the pavement (or actually, the treadmill) again. Hmmm. Must be the heat getting getting to me! We'll see what the day holds.

Puppy Training-Week 1

We started puppy classes with Oscar last night at PetSmart. There are only 3 puppies in our class...two of them being my own and my mother in law's. Then there is Bailey, who is a 6 month old Scottish highland terrier thing. There was supposed to be a lab joining us as well, but was a no show. So just the three musketeers last night. We all got introduced and started working on a few basics. My thoughts on this whole thing thus far? I HATE that clicker thing. What a pain in the butt! I dreamed of clickers last night. Click, click, click, click, click, click, click. Not to mention that you almost need like extra hands to do it. NOT to mention the mental challenge of just making sure you click the stupid thing in the first place...and at the exact right moment on top of that. So...I'm feeling clicker challenged this morning. Despite the fact that I hate the clicker...I have heard good things about clicker training and this class and has witnessed firsthand some amazing transformations of good behavior because of it. And so...we will stick with it. At this point, I am wondering though if I can perhaps expand it to work also on my children. I mean, as long as I am clicking and training. Though I doubt they would do much of anything for a liver treat. No. I'm afraid I'd have to be dropping dollars into their little hands each click instead of liver yum yums. Too expensive. Besides that...I'd need another hand. One for the clicker, one for the liver snacks and one for the dollar dispensing. Okay....so clicker training the kids is officially off the table now.

Speaking of the kids...they are making me nuts! I am very certain that I am NOT the only parent saying that this summer, however, they really are just stepping up the "make mom insane" behavior here this past week. We have actually had a really great, easy summer thus far. But the past few days have yielded a whole new level of bickering and WHINING!!!!! You may or may not know this about me, but I simply do NOT do whine. And boys tend to do WAY less of it than girls do (though I did not KNOW that until we had Clara). I always thought that the fact that my boys were not whiney was due to my outstanding parenting skills. Then God smacked me right down a notch or two by blessing me with Clarabelle who can, at times, be the world's most skilled and most annoying whiner. Which, just really makes me nuts. We are in whiney mode here as of late...and DRAMA! Oh my! Clara actually told me just last night that we just don't understand how hard it is for her and how much tougher life is on her. We simply don't get it...the hardships of being a whole 4 years old. Clara is currently learning to roller skate. Chris brought the infernal things home with him the other day after Clara went with him supposedly to get a haircut! Along with these skates, she had also wrangled a new helmet, new set of knee and elbow pads (complete with water bottle) and a set of wrist guards. Now...I would not really be opposed to Clara getting the skates...IF she could skate. However...she does not. Not even close. So it requires the assistance of yours truly. WHICH might not be such a bad thing IF it wasn't 106 degrees...are you following me here? So we have been hitting the culdesac out front rather early each morning in full roller skate safety attire and it pretty much happens like this. I drag Clara by the arm and she complains that I am going too fast (even though my speed is like....hmmm...BARELY moving). I mean, it's taking like 15 minutes to go around the little traffic island there in front of the house. ONCE! Yesterday morning we were out skating and we started down the sidewalk and Clara nearly lost her footing and she shouts out "Mom! THINK of me!" The way she said it was SO funny and so dramatic and so out of nowhere. Then I got to laughing so hard that I did not think I was going to be able to hold the child up! All this while juggling my morning cup of coffee (GOT to have that!), which, is coming dangerously close to being WORN isntead of consumed due to laughing hysterically and trying to hold up Clara with my other hand. All of this happening, of course, right in front of the peekers house. The "peekers" are my VERY annoying old neighbors who have a closed circuit camera system monitoring everything that happens in front of their house (including the sidewalk we were standing on). They watch everything. Then they also tend to peek out of their blinds at my kids if they are racing around the outside of the house and climbing over OUR wall and what not. I'm pretty sure they can't stand my kids and we have probably single handedly removed several years from their life just in the worry caused that perhaps a child might actually TOUCH an edge of their property. That's FINE with me. Needless to say, there is NO love between me and the neighbors. Although, I'm sure they thought we were insane as this whole skate/coffee/ hysterical laughing while trying to hold up the child happened right in front of their little camera thing.

Okay, so enough commenting on the drama and whining in our house. Life is good. We are rocking along. Oh...I have nearly recovered from my 10 mile run. Can I just say that the hours following that run sucked most horribly?! It felt great WHILE I did it! But man...once I stopped...NOT fun. I was in a state of extreme YUCK for several hours post run. I'm really not sore at all from it. A little bit tight through my hip flexors, but not really sore too much. Not much planned today. Got to take my Max to the doctor for his physical! Fun, fun, fun! More on that later! Life is good here in the desert!

Headache

Okay...first day of my cycle...another annoying headache. More left sided this time. However, this one stayed fairly mild and responded well to ibuprofen. I tried to outrun it with my ten mile run...but when it was all said and done...it was still there. So...took MORE ibuprofen and just pushed through the pain as they say on the Survivor Tylenol challenges! Pretty much gone right now as I type this...but I am going to head on to bed before it comes back again!

I Ran Ten

Miles that is! That's right...I said 10! Feel free to leave your congratulations in the comments section below! I have NO idea what got into me. I just hopped onto my trusty treadmill for a quick spot of exercise and next thing I know I am rolling right over the 10 mile marker! It is amazing what you can do with some great music playing in your ears! I felt like I could have just run and run...which I did! It was QUITE an accomplishment. The first time this gal has run that distance, for sure. And while it felt great to do it...I will be the first to admit that it WON'T be happening tomorrow...or even the next day...or maybe not even this week again. Heck...it might not EVER happen again! It took forever to cool down from that run...and my body has been in a state of "What the hell was THAT?" ever since it happened. Can't say I'm feeling particularly fantastic right now since I've finished. No siree. Not fantastic at all. As a matter of fact, I have been downright nauseas since I got done! So...going to sit and suck down some serious water now and recuperate from my fitness quest of the day.

Dazzling!

This little beauty opened up in Jackie's yard this morning. SO gorgeous! So dazzling that I had to share!

Headache

Okay...it's a good one. Knocked somewhat back with ibuprofen...but by no means knocked out. I am due to start my cycle this weekend, if that counts for anything. Right side of my head...my skull...all the way up the top of my head into my hair and across right side of my forehead. Noise was hurting it worse earlier...along with movement, temperature...breathing...life just pretty much sucked there for a while. I am up and moving right now, but am by no means comfortable. Still hurting lots on the right side. Already looking forward to bedtime tonight and quiet!

Portrait of a Puppy
I have a new backdrop in the studio and I just had to try it out...on SOMEONE!!! My kids sure aren't volunteering! So I snagged little Oscar for his first ever, official portrait session! All in all, it went very well. He's a good little guy...very patient! The fact that he can't jump off the things I put him on yet and run away helps too!

Cardboard?!?

Okay...so I just got off the treadmill from doing my morning run. Thanks to the humidity I only managed 6 miles instead of 7 today. It's just too thick and sticky. Anyway...while I am running, I am watching t.v. I watched a little of this and a little of that...nothing really held my interest for more than a few minutes at any point this morning. However...I was watching the commercials and the new Tampax commercial comes on talking about "Time for an upgrade". And it shows a girl's blah blah boring closet turned into a super huge store sized closet with all sorts of glamorous stuff in it. It also shows a girl working out at the gym and her view is this big ugly guy...but then "it's time for an upgrade" and her view changes to this gorgeous hunk of a guy. Then it goes on to show tampons and says "time for an upgrade" and then I'm expecting something new and unique and they show "Tampax Cardboard". Cardboard? Cardboard is an upgrade? We're talking luxury closets and hunky men...and that's on par with cardboard tampons? What the heck is THAT all about and who is the marketing genius behind that one. Ooooh cardboard...those sound comfortable. And the box is ugly too...it's the usual TAMPAX in white letters on the blue box...but in a HUGE bright yellow box in huge letters it says CARDBOARD. Anyway...this entry pretty much has nothing to do with anything. Other than to say that that commercial does NOT entice my desire for cardboard tampons. I like the ones that say something like "Pearl" or "Comfort" or "Satin" or "Princess"...NOT cardboard. Cardboard may be the latest and greatest craze...but I'm going to have to go with the old lousy NOT cardboard ones. I want the ones in the pretty box that promise me comfort and freedom and everything else under the sun! Just my two cents.

Conversations With Clara

C-"Mom, my foot is really, really hurting."

Mom-"Oh? What did you do to your foot?"

C- "Well, remember when I kicked Ben? That's when I hurt it."

Mom- "Clara, if you hurt YOUR foot kicking your brother, then how does poor Ben feel?"

C- "OH! It didn't hurt him at ALL...he's just that much bigger than me!"

Another One Bites the Dust

Well folks...this morning we say goodbye to another green (or used to be green!)friend. His stay with us was short (as are the stays of all green things in this house!) and sweet. Clara brought me this little plant for Mother's Day this year. I made it ALMOST two months. That's pretty amazing for me! The past week he has been looking sadder and sadder...droopier and droopier. No amounts of sunshine or water seem to help...or lack of water. This guy is just ready to depart this world. I did my best (which rarely counts for anything in the world of plants!). So farewell, my plant friend. Happy travels!

Monsoon Arrival

We had rain tonight. Nothing really to write about...but then, rain in the desert is ALWAYS something to write about I suppose! It's been muggy and sticky all day. Working out this morning was just sticky and gross...felt like I was trying to do my step aerobics under water. We got in a nice afternoon of swim. The Newmans came over to swim with us, along with Vicki and her girls. It was a nice afternoon by the pool watching the clouds build. Then this evening I began to hear the first rumbles of thunder. It was actually pretty exciting. It sounded like we were maybe in for a good little shower...but then...not really. The lightning was impressive, as it always is here in the southwest. So of course...I feel the need to head right out into it with my camera to see if I can "capture the moment" so to speak. Didn't happen. But it sure was fun trying. Afterwards, I thought that that might not be the wisest choice of photography...lightning storms...but it was a real thrill tonight! A whole new challenge...right up there with the two year old challenge! But for now I am going to stick with my little kiddos...they still have my heart and make me smile! Anyway...the sky was really cool during my attempts to snag the lightning. It was cool to see the edge of the storm!

Headache

I'm dying here. Had a very, very mildheadache the past two days...so mild that it really almost wasn't even a headache. Today...it is significantly amped up and I am miserable. Right side of my head is throbbing. I can literally feel the veins in my forehead throbbing with my heartbeat. Was okay when I got up this morning. Ran 7 miles. Took a shower...and now PAIN. Also have horrific heartburn the past two days...another wonderfully unpleasant sensation on top of my nearly exploding head. No fun on the fourth! It's a painful day here in the desert!

With Reality Comes the Victims

Okay...so I have been in TOTAL denial now for a couple of months that my dear friend was moving away for a year. I was just SO sure that it was so NOT going to happen. I just did not even break a sweat or waste a worry over it because I just knew it would be wasted since she wasn't really going to go. Even though we talked about watching her house and a gazillion other details...it was just conversation to pass the time because I just knew it WASN'T going to happen. My daughter went to her daughter's going away party (which was just silly since she wasn't REALLY going to go away!) And another friend and I took the dear one out to dinner as a "send off"...which again...was just silly since I had no plans to really "send" her anywhere. But reality hit home yesterday as final plans really finalized. And I really had my first inkling that she might actually leave for real when she showed up on my doorstep with...her plants. It was like someone knocked the air out me. The plants are like the FINAL final detail. Especially since this friend KNOWS I have a thumb blacker than any other found in the wide west. All things resembling foliage in my own home are silk. I simply wash the dust off of them every other month or so. But other than that...NO maintenance and they live FOREVER! My friend is not so cursed and manages to grow a great many things in pots both inside and outside the home. And so...she shows up with FIVE plants for me to kill for her while she is gone. And there is no sense pretending that anything other than that is a possible outcome! And it all just hit home that my friend actually intended to get on that airplane and LEAVE...and for a whole year at that. So it's been depressing around here...looking at all of these stupid plants that are SO out of place here in my house! I think they know they received the ultimate death sentence and are already looking paler today than when they arrived yesterday. It's a stark reality reminder that my favorite friend and walking buddy is no longer just around the corner...that I can't just call her and ask for "hypothetical" directions when I might be hypothetically lost...that I don't need to call and ask what she's wearing so that we don't show up in the same place wearing the same shirt (since I hooked her onto a particular favorite one that we both own a ridiculously high number of!). It is weird to think that it might be months and months before I see her. She has been my walking pal, my bible study pal, my mexican food pal, my dearest confidant and friend in the time I have been in Tucson...I think I may just be lost without her and her sweet smile. She left today...and I don't quite know what to do with that. I have managed to keep especially busy today so as not to think about it too much. My neighbor was kind enough to come over and swim for a short time with her little ones this afternoon and the distraction was SO needed. But now the day has come to a close and it is quiet and calm and all of my thoughts have turned to Mary and her long journey that she is even now on...and I miss her already. I would have given her a huge hug today...but she has an aversion to that sort of thing! So I have hugged her in my heart and will be holding her ever so close in my heart and prayers for the next 12 months. I am going to make a concerted effort not to kill her plants...but she knows better than to hope they will be here in a week or two...let alone a year! Happy travels, my friend. I will be missing you terribly here in the desert!

Here are more pictures of our Oscar. I keep taking a whole bunch because he is growing SO fast. He's still a teeny little thing...but there is definite and noticeable growth in the two weeks since he came to be a Roberts! These were taken yesterday. Before and after bath. Oscar wouldn't look at me anymore after a bathed him. Ignored me for a good two hours at least. His message was loud and clear! Not a water dog, this one! No sireee!

Remembering

Tonight has been an interesting night for me. My kids are off at a birthday celebration with a wonderful family...which has left me with...what's that foreign word my mind is reaching for?...oh yes...FREE TIME! Chris is out of town...and I have NOTHING requiring my attention...so it truly has been free time. I WAS a good steward with the time though and as soon as I dropped them off I headed straight to the grocery store and did two weeks of grocery shopping. I hate grocery shopping...but I REALLY hate grocery shopping with 3 kids along. So I really had to go while they were otherwise occupied. But then I got home and got all the groceries put away and it was SO quiet! So...I proceeded to put on my iTunes praise music on the computer and jam a bit while I took on a project or two. One of those projects was cleaning out my spice cabinet. Now...I know that those who know me probably think that could only take all of two seconds since I don't cook. But see...because I don't cook...I never know really know what I do and don't have...so I have way too much of everything up there! Like three salt shakers...all at different levels of fullness, and two full extra boxes of salt. Same with the pepper. And food coloring! I mean...how much food coloring can a girl have?! I counted 11 bottles. ELEVEN! Then there was the double ground mustard (two of those)...oh...and the vinegar! Holy cow. I think there are 7 or 8 bottles of vinegar in there. I just bought another tonight at the grocery store (just in case!). So...my spice cabinet was just out of control. Anyway...I set to work cleaning it out and organizing it. And it was while I was sorting and organizing that I found my thoughts returning to a very frequent obsession of mine lately...death. Don't know why...but I seem to be just thinking about it all the time here. Day and night. And absolutely everything seems to make me think of it. Today...it was the music I was listening to. First was I'll Fly Away by Jars of Clay (one of my favorite songs). I just love that tune. It is upbeat and joyful and just a good one. Then the song Remember Me came on. Another that I like...but really got to thinking on today. And then I got to remembering as well. And I thought about my grandmother and all the things that I remember about her. Like her snow white hair and her grin and the way she always made the BEST homemade pimento cheese. And tea cakes. My grandmother made tea cakes that were so amazing and light and delicious. I have the recipe. NEVER ONCE have they come anywhere close to resembling my grandmother's tea cakes. Heck...the darn things have barely even been edible the past couple of attempts. So I am now going down this remembering trail and I start to wonder what MY children and grandchildren will remember most about ME. I am PRETTY sure it won't be my mouth watering cooking (though those pizzadillas WERE quite the hit the other night!) or baking skills. It WON'T be for my love of sports. It WON'T be for my talent with a sewing machine. It WON'T be for my love of ALL God's creatures great and small. They are perfectly aware that there are 3 or 4 that I have some pretty intense issues with. I could guess all day at what it WON'T be they remember me for. But what WILL it be? Will it be my obsession with exercise? Or my need to have the house clean before bedtime? Or my total intolerance of laziness? That would be a bummer, but could really be reality. Reflecting on all of this has really made me think tonight. My kids are still young. I'm not sure that what I would HOPE they remember is what they WILL remember. And I realize that if I want them to remember certain things about me, then they really need to see those things played out in my life. If I want them to remember me as a patient lady...then by golly, I have some work to do! If I want them to remember me as a prayerful lady, then I need to spend a lot more time praying WITH them and not just FOR them. There are so many ways I would HOPE to be remembered. But if I died today, I am not at all sure they would remember me the way I hang my hopes tonight. That said...I would hope the most important thing they could remember, was that behind Jesus...there is noone else in this world that loves them more than their momma does. Noone! And that no matter what...no matter how messy they are, or how slow they move, or how they try to push boundaries and buttons...I love them so much my heart could just bust. I know that I FEEL all these things...but I am not sure that my children KNOW that I feel like that. I am not sure they know how I treasure and adore them and how great a blessing in my life I consider them to be. Tonight...before they go to bed...they will know. They will know without a doubt that I think they are so special and so precious and so unique and so very dear to me. I hope I don't die tomorrow (I need some time to work on this!) ...but if I did...at least my kids would know THAT. And with the REST of my days...however many God has recorded for me, I plan to work on the things that I HOPE my children will remember about me. Life is good in the desert. Thank you Lord for the sweet whisper of the Holy Spirit who brings me back on track...once again!

A Tale of a Tail

My oh my, is this one brave puppy of mine? Or one very stupid puppy?! I had really thought him quite bright up until this morning! However...Oscar's newest endeavor is to grab Casey, our 14 year old doggy, by the tail! First, he bites her on the butt, making her sit down (otherwise, he can't reach her tail!). He then proceeds to grab her by the tail and play tug of war with her back end. Like I said....very brave, or very stupid. Casey tolerated this game for a while this morning. But all things must come to an end and eventually she put Scrappy Doo here in his place...game over. So...that is what is happening this morning in the Roberts house!

Doggone Cute!

Okay...snapped these two pix of our newest baby this morning...isn't he just the CUTEST thing ever! I really, really do have plenty to do in this house these days...I just can't get enough of this little sweetie though!

Rainbows In My Yard

I took this picture today of a prickly pear cactus in my back yard. Aren't the colors just exquisite?! I just love it! I want to frame it and totally paint a room around it! Nature is SO cool! What's in YOUR backyard?!

Oscar's Bug!

I was heading to bed tonight (or at least I THOUGHT I was!) and was taking the doggies outside for one last piddle opportunity when Oscar discovered this beetle bug. He was FACSINATED! He must have jumped on this poor beetle bug 50 times and would grab it and spit it out and grab it and spit it out and then watch it to see what it would do, and then when it would move, he would grab it and spit it out again! It was fun for Oscar...and fun for me too! And of course, I couldn't resist grabbing my camera!

AFTER

Ta-dah! All finished! One lovely chocolate cocoa wall! I used about a whole inch of paint from the gallon...so...anyone need a pretty full can of chocolate paint? I keep looking around and wondering "What else in this house is crying out to be chocolate?!" Shhhh! Don't tell Chris!

Pizzadilla!....Yum!

Trying to think of what in the world to do for dinner last night (Chris is away...again) and searching the pantry and fridge...VOILA! Pizzadillas were born. Similar to the well known quesadilla...we improvised and created the VERY popular pizzadillas. Tortillas, a little splash of pizza sauce, deli pepperonis and some cheese....fold it in half...throw it in the skillet for a minute or two and...presto...three of the happiest kiddos you have ever seen! I have to admit...they were YUMMY!

BEFORE

Project Time!

Okay...hubby is far, far away...so it's time to get busy on a certain project that I have been itching to take on for some time! It involves paint (NOT one of Chris' favorite things in this world!) and just a wee chunk of my time! So...I am off!

Gifts From the Ghetto

Yesterday I did another portrait session for the American Children's Photography Charity Guild. We do portraits for families of children with terminal diseases. It is all volunteer and is totally free to these families. They get a free session, as well as 20 to 30 printed pictures in varying sizes...all at no cost to them. Yesterday's child was a 16 year old boy with very advanced Muscular Dystrophy. As I was driving around looking for their home (I could NOT find their house number!) I was worrying and thinking to myself how small and run down these homes were and how I probably was not going to have a lot of room to work. After the third pass down the street I FINALLY locate the house number and realize that it's not a tiny house I am walking up to...but a duplex...TWO homes in what I already considered a tiny residence. And when I walked inside it was indeed itty bitty...very, very little room to work. Especially considering the fact that the child was in a large wheelchair and we had that to work around as well. So I improvised some equipment and made some adjustments to my original "portrait plan" and began to shoot pictures of this sweet and delightful family. While I was there I noticed that their tiny little dining area off the kitchen was full...full of a hospital bed with an I.V. drip bag hanging from a hook in the ceiling and then the only other space there in that little corner of the room would be taken up by his wheelchair. Someone had taken great pains to paint the ceiling above his bed in that little dining alcove like a night sky with a solar system and stars so that he would have something to gaze at. He could no longer turn, or even fully support his own head. This child has struggled with this disease his entire life. The earliest pictures of him around the house as just a little guy of two-ish or earlier show him with a tracheotomy in his troat and a wheelchair. It seemed such a very, very sad situation to me. Yet this family was so smiley and happy and adored this kid to death. His older sister had come home to be a part of the picture and they all laughed and joked with him and he joked right back. It was a home filled to busting with love. I initially saw this family as somewhat "destitute" and in a place of poverty that I have never in my life come close to knowing (though I thought I had before yesterday). His mom made a comment that since they had become so much more financially stable over the past few years she was exploring some arts and crafts hobbies. And I realized that this life was actually a big improvement from what they had previously known. And I was just struck as I left there by how unbelievably blessed I am. How completely over the top my life must seem compared to theirs. The things that I take for granted and NEVER give the slightest thought to would be pure luxury for these people. Right down to the furniture I sit on, or the car I drive, or the floors that I mop, or even the air conditioner that I run to keep cool. It is a different world and I am seeing it all in such different perspective today. We have SO MUCH. So much, that at times I think we cease to even see it or recognize it. I don't even know anyone that is not so richly blessed beyond reason it isn't funny. And I know that I am guilty of grumbling over what I don't have and thinking that one day...when we have a little more money maybe we'll do this or that or have this or have that. I'm on a roll here...but it was so life changing to be there. So as I sat sipping my coffee in the front living room this morning taking in my house I realize that I pretty much live in a palace. My home is beautiful and I am really seeing that this morning and really, really, really appreciating that. I am thankful BEYOND what anyone can imagine that my kids are healthy and have been spared the type of life this child has had. I am taken aback by our excessiveness here in our home and realize that my children have known treats and treasures and blessings way far and beyond what they have ever needed to know. I am so thankful and grateful for the opportunity to volunteer with this organization...to be able to meet these people and share a few moments of their life...to be able to give a gift, just because I can. I have said from the start that this photography talent can only come from God...it's not me. There has never been a course or a class of any kind...just me...and that's not enough! I know without a doubt God is behind that lens every time I pick up the camera. I wanted to be a servant with that talent and use it wisely and bless others through it. Only it's ME who is blessed over and over again. In ways that I could have never imagined. Every one of these ACPCG shoots have sent me to the ghetto areas...to very poor families with very sick children...and every time I go to supposedly give this family a gift of a portrait session...It is I who receive the gift...I who receive more blessing than I could ever anticipate. I am a different person today than I was before my first volunteer session back in February. In four months God has led me in directions that have completely opened my eyes and my heart and challenged everything that I know in life. I am thankful beyond words to be able to be a part of it. It's let me see life so differently from the very, very sheltered life that I lead. Life is so good here in the desert...so much better than I need or deserve. God has provided so unbelievably for me and my family. There is no comprehending the depth of his gifts...seen and unseen. I am humble today and seeing life anew here in the desert.

Soggy Doggy

Today was bath day for Oscar(mostly because he fell in the pool and smelled like chlorine!). Folks...he is NOT a water dog! Not even a TINY bit fond of water! So basically, it was just a brief torture session for the little thing...he tried multiple times to escape and just shivered to death through the whole process. He then proceeded to race around the house like a wild man! He sure does smell perty!

WE DON'T DO 4:30!!!

So...it was like a party at the Roberts house at 4:30 this morning! NOT! Chris had to fly out to Europe on the customary dawn flight...so he had to get up at 4:30 this morning to get showered and dressed and out the door to the airport. No big deal...we are used to that. HOWEVER...he had not been in the shower long before our bedroom door creaks open and Miss Clara comes strolling talking of some dream and whatnot. My immediate response was Shhhhhhh (thinking "Let's NOT wake up the puppy.") and I reached out to pull her into my bed in an attempted lightning fast back to sleep maneuver. However...the child had to go potty. So she heads into the bathroom with Chris and now the bedroom is awash in light from the bathroom and full of the sounds of shower running (which, incidentally, was like, OUTRAGEOUSLY loud for some reason this morning) and the two of them are just chatting it up....all at 4:30 a.m. just steps away from my bedside. She finally gets back to my bed and seems rather ready to converse when I let her know that was not an option. Once again...the shhhhhhsh. But then our dog, Casey decided to participate in our ridiculously early morning antics and wants to go outside. GRRRRRRRR! I go and put her out, fulling meaning to leave her out there for the next while and while I was in mid leap back into my comfy bed....little Oscar decides that there is just too much excitement going on and wants in on the action as well. So now he's doing his whining and crying in his crate and the shhhhhsh I give him doesn't work. Imagine that. So now Mom is just getting cranky. We had already gotten to bed late as we had our Dinner for 8 group over last night. The folks left a little after 10:00...then there was the clean up since our home looked like we'd had a frat party all over the place! Then Chris had to pack for his trip and I have a photo shoot for the Charity Guild today, so I had to dismantle my studio and load it into the car...so it was coming up on midnight before we were lights out last night! So I am NOT ready to play, or converse, or do ANYTHING at 4:30. But ready or not, I am at this point in the way early morning standing out in the back yard with Oscar while he decides whether or not he really needs to go. I assured him that if we were UP and OUT at 4:30 he WAS going to go...and he seemed to catch my drift on that and piddled nicely so we could go back inside and TRY to sleep. So we all hop back in bed and I deposit Oscar in my bed as well because I know there is no way he will quietly go back in the crate at this point...and then we do the whole "Let't see if we can bite mommy's nose off" game and the roll around and eat the covers thing before he finally realizes he ought to settle down. So he settles down and I think...ahhhh...finally...sleep! And then about 45 seconds later Chris comes out of the bathroom to finish dressing and Clara needs to know why he is taking a shower in the middle of the night and that's when I had just had enough! I went on to inform ALL of them that we don't DO 4:30 a.m. We just DON'T. So Chris quickly gathered his things and kissed us and scooted out...Clara got still (even though she was still talking to herself under her breath!) and Oscar snuggled in, as did Casey and by now it is 5:00 am. It seems to take forever to drop back off to sleep after all of that and now the sun is coming up too. And then Clara is up and all bright eyed and bushy tailed by 6:15! I send her away into the house to turn on the t.v. and let me sleep some more. She's gone all of 10 minutes (just enough time for me to begin to feel the first tingle of sleep approach...again!) and she's BACK at my bedside to announce that I should cook her some breakfast because "I just heered my stomach growl and it was LOUD!" I told her to find something to hold her over and I would be there...eventually. Anyway. I finally gave up on sleep and we began the day. However...I am SO anticipating a nap this afternoon! I need a seriously strong I.V. coffee drip to get through this day!

On another note...I think I sprained my butt. I did notice it hurting a LOT during step class yesterday that I did immediately following the weight training class. But it seemed all right by the end of class. However...this morning, I am acutely aware that I have a butt and that it is attached to a very achy lower back! Fun, fun fun! And not contributing at all to my crankiness!

Despite all this early morning totally unwanted wake up call and achy brakey butt...I am resolved to find something to be thankful for in it all. So...here it goes...

I am thankful that I got to glimpse the first rays of sunrise this morning (something that RARELY happens for me!)

I am thankful that I can FEEL my butt (painful as it is) and that I am not paralyzed.

I am thankful that our dinner for 8 group was able to get together and enjoy fellowship last night and that everyone seemed to have a good time.

I am thankful for tiny puppies who can't resist giving you kisses to show you just how glad they are to see you and to be in your bed at 4:30 in the morning (even if there were tiny teeth lurking just inside those kisses!).

And I am thankful for little girls who need to go potty in the night and tell you about their weird dreams and want to know why in the world you would take a shower in the middle of the night!

And honestly...right now...I am so thankful for this cup of coffee and the one that came before it and the one that is sure to follow this one...because today it is truly "go juice"...and I know that I can put one foot in front of the other and do what needs to be done because of it! I am SO thankful for God's wisdom in giving us the coffee bean...really, really thankful!

So these are the musings of the weird and weary! Such as they are! Life is good in the desert...better at 7 am than 4:30...but good just the same!

Bountiful Beauties

Was I right? Or was I right? My cactus was all abloom in gorgeous huge flowers this morning! It looked like someone dropped a wreath of flowers right on the top of it. They were just amazing! And then, by 1:00 today....gone. Droopy, wilted, closed and soggy...they were gone. Here for such a short, fleeting time. How awesome that God would create something SO beautiful and have it here for less than a day...and now we have something to look forward to and anticipate again....next year!

More pictures of our baby!

Okay...Oscar is just so doggone cute that I had to post a few more of him that I took this morning! Enjoy!

Tonight is the Night (maybe!)

My blooms are getting ready to explode...any minute now...I am thinking tonight is THE night! I am VERY excited about their opening (as you can tell)! I will be poolside, in my p.j.s bright and early tomorrow morning and HOPEFULLY there will be gorgeous big blooms to photograph! Stay tuned!

Headache

It's Baaaaaaaack! I woke up with a headache this morning. A skull crushing, hurts to move kind of headache. I would have loved to just go back to sleep and see if it might just go away (though I know better), however, Oscar had other plans and we were up promptly at 5:41 a.m. So...hitting it with everything I've got so that I can function in two hours when I head to the gym for a step class. Water, ibuprofen, caffeine, caffeine, water. Hopefully it will budge. It's all on the right side of my head...I think my right eye might fall out. The left side does not hurt at all. All right sided...right up front and around to the side of my temple. Ouch.

Cutest Puppy Ever!

Okay...so Oscar is like, the cutest puppy of all time! He is SO so sweet and SO so cute and OH so loveable...just a little cutie, he is! The kids adore him and have had a blast throwing the ball for him and watching him jump and play. He's a good baby too. He has been going potty outside like a good boy. He no longer seems completely freaked out by the world beyond the sliding glass door! Last night also went really well as sleeping in his crate...sleeping being the main word in that thought! He slept through the night with nary a peep and nary an accident! He's the best and easiest baby ever to live in THIS family! That's for sure! He has been a real bright spot in this house the past 48 hours and we are all deeply and hopelessly attached to the little guy!

Anticipation!

Yippeeee! My night blooming cereus is getting ready to do it's "thang" as we might say in the south! It is busting with blooms and any day now there is going to be a show of huge and amazing blooms! I caught last years purely by accident and was SO excited about it (I think the picture is probably in June of last year's blog entry!). I have been waiting to see what this year would hold! Last year I had exactly 3 blooms...this year....TEN! This is my all time favorite cactus to bloom....and it blooms exactly once a year, in June. So...I'm a waitin! Camera is READY! Life is SO good in the desert!

A New Addition to Our Family

Meet Oscar. New to our family. 9 weeks old. Precious. Adorable. Sweet beyond words. Cuddly. It's neat and special to have a baby in the house again! More about this little guy to come!

Headache X 2

I have a headache tonight. It's a doozy. Had one yesterday starting at lunch as well. This would be day 4 and 5 of my cycle. Not than anyone cares one bit about my headache...but I keep saying I'm going to keep track (they seem to be really on the rise and way too frequent here lately)...but then I don't. So tonight, consider these last two headaches documented. The end.

Time to Beef Up My Workout!

My littlest one just woke up from a nap. She was unbelievably cranky this morning...so a nap was a non negotiable event today. She slept well over two hours...which means she was tired! And when she woke up she said "You're MY mommy. I love you so much." And I said that I loved her too. Then she proceeded to tell me how soft my skin was and how pretty my face was and just how "gooshy" I feel when she hugs me. So...since I am obviously on the "gushy" soft side...and five years olds don't lie...nor do they surgarcoat the truth!...I think that it is time to take my workout up a a notch! I am DEFINITELY up a good 5 to 7 pounds right now...the scale also does not lie (though Chris was SO sure that it did that he went out and bought another, equally truthful scale)...and Clara is all over the truth of this matter! It was a sweet, but eye opening comment from my daughter. I treasure her sweetness but have no desire whatsoever to be remembered as "my gooshy, squishy, mommy"! So...off to Target now to buy a pilates workout DVD!

God Breezes

Chris and I were doing our devotions last night (his idea to pick it up again!) and the topic was about feeling led to pray. It told a story about how it was laid on a mother's heart to pray for her daughter and she tried to put it aside...but it kept coming back. So she stopped everything there in her kitchen and prayed for the safety of her daughter and asked God to place a protective ring of angels around her daughter. A short time later a policeman knocked on her door to let her know that her daughter had been in a fairly serious car accident...but had only minor injuries. So then Chris and I got to talking about feeling the prompt of the Holy Spirit in our lives and giving examples of when we "hear" it. My friend in Florida had a term for those prompts...and she called them God breezes. When God speaks to your heart and touches it in a way that it is almost as if God himself whispers in your ear. It was a very interesting conversation...and in the midst of it, I realized that Chris had experienced a God breeze here recently, as it had been laid on his heart to pick up our devotions, and to work together, as a married couple, on living in the word of God and developing a strong foundation for the rest of our lives and for our family. It's neat how God works things out...is it not? Many, O Lord, my God are the wonders you have done.-Psalm 40:5

Conversations with Clara

So...this was a rather interesting conversation with my soon to be five year old daughter. It went something like this...

"Mom...you know the best part about going swimming?"

And I said "No Clara...what is the best part about going swimming?" And I expect her to tell me how it cools her off, or how fun it is to do her jumps or spins...or how she loves to dive to the bottom for the dive rings and toys. But no! She proceeds to tell me...

"The best part of swimming is right after you get out and you go pee and it's so warm on your tooty after after all that cold! I just love that warm spreading pee feeling."

So...now how's that for some interesting thought processes?! She never ceases to amuse us and keep us on our toes! On the bright side...at least she's not peeing in the pool!

Brushes With Nature

These were a few of our family's nature encounters in Zion National Park...up close and personal! Have I mentioned that this was the MOST amazing trip EVER?!

And Then They Went To...

Our camping journey finally found our family in Zion National Park in Zion, Utah. We spent three glorious nights camping in the most amazing scenery I have ever beheld! They originally called it Zion because it was so beautiful that they said God himself would have his throne there. I had to agree...the place was majestically gorgeous and mind boggling in it's sheer beauty. Our family had a fantastic time hiking the different trails such as the Emerald Pools and the Riverside walk, hiking the Narrows and getting to do the Ride with the Ranger tour through the park. We learned a LOT about the might power of water, and how it can change and shape the surroundings. It was one of the most educational and fun and beautiful places that I have ever been! I cannot wait to have the opportunity to return there some day. I would highly, highly, highly recommend this destination and feel so very blessed to have been able to see it all! My pictures do not begin to capture the awesomeness and beauty of the place! You simply have to go and see it for yourself!