unbelievable...

...that after 5 months without so much as a period added to this blog, it is still here.  I figured that the blogger people would have wiped it away due to inactivity and that anyone who checks here would have wiped it away for the exact same reason. 

It has been an eventful five months with plenty to write about.  So much that I am not even sure how to get about it.  Bullets seem like a good idea.  Lets see, we left off with Mother's Day and hammer head sharks.  Since then, we have:

 -sold a lovely home in Texas, saying goodbye to a backyard pool.
-been on a week long cruise to the western Carribean where we sailed, we ate, we laughed, we snorkeled, we hiked, we relaxed, we celebrated a 14 year anniversary and we stamped passports.  Yay! 
-finished up another school year, this time in Texas, saying good bye to some of the most wonderful teachers ever.
-sent E to another fun filled week at Nana's sewing camp with her cousins.
-watched another moving truck fill up with all of our belongings.
-said some tearful goodbyes to wonderful family and friends who welcomed us in Texas and moved back to Utah.  Still can't believe it. 
-spent two months 'bonding' with Grandma Deb and Grandpa Steve.
-spent a couple weekends away with some of our favorite friends in the world.
-bought a 3 acre patch of heaven near our old stomping grounds.
-got our dear sweet goats back and settled into our new home...sorta
-E started middle school and the pill continued on into 3rd grade.
-started a full basement renovation while the kids and Ripp share one space for sleeping (the kids) and working (Ripp).  Fun.  It is done now and lovely.

Which brings us up to speed.  I could have never predicted what the last couple years of our lives would like but am so grateful that I look back on them with fondness and no regrets.  I can't say that I have loved every step of the way, but they have all gotten us to where we are today.  And that is good.
It took a year away for me to realize that if I am lucky enough to live in Utah, then that is lucky enough.

mother's day

Aside from the fact that I had strict instructions to stay in bed in the morning (orange-vanilla sticky buns were being prepared), yesterday was just another day of being a grateful mother to two adventurous and sweet children.  

One of my most favorite parts of living here in Texas, is having the beach a quick drive from our home.  If we wake up, with no plans and lovely weather, we throw the boogie boards in, alongside a lunch, and we are off.  

Today, fun memories were made because of the children I get to mother.  If not for them, we may not have gone to the beach.  Which would not have given us an simple walk down the jetty, where we may not have spotted a hammerhead stuck in the granite.  Just a baby, the poor thing had gotten itself wedged and stayed until being spotted by us.  If not for my children, it would never have been paraded up and down the beach for people to ooh and ahh over.  If not for my children, I wouldn't have been privy to watching them become rockstars because of the two foot hammerhead in their hands.  It was awesome.  

We made it home, where I cooked dinner for my starving children and snuggled with them through the season finale of Survivor.  Yay Cochran!!! 

I love that it was just another day.  But even more, I love that because it was Mother's Day, I took a little extra time appreciated the greatness of it all.  

right now...

...it is early on Good Friday, ripp is still sleeping (not coughing, which is a great improvement) and the children are snuggled in to the couch watching Parent Trap.   We scrapped our plans to drive west for the holiday weekend and opted instead for a relaxing couple days at home.  It is amazing what 6 million people can do to your weekend travel plans.  If more of them would just decide to stay home like us.

Our weekend plans include lounging, walks to Starbucks, egg dying, burgers on the grill, treat making, going to see The Crood's and getting together with family and friends for a Texas size celebration on Sunday.  Happy Easter to all!

photobomb

i am sure that 5th grade is a memorable year no matter where you go to school, although I don't remember mine so much, but NCE seems to give their 5th graders amazing opportunities around every turn.  february turned out to be a very special month for my darling.  not only did she turn a year older, but she attended her first sockhop and went on a mission to mars.  

the sock hop fell on valentine's day and capped off an already exciting day at any school.  she started the morning out with a fainting spell, but rallied and made it to school in time to join in all the festivites.  she danced, hula-hooped, limboed, posed for many pictures, chased a couple boys and smiled the entire time.  

she still loves having us attend everything and we love that. 

just a week later she left for mars.  

at the beginning of the school year, she submitted an essay to be considered for her schools NASA program.  Nottingham Aeronautics Space Association.  this program happen to be started by her own teacher over 15 years ago and for many years was the only program of its kind.  it has now extended to a handful of other schools under his guidance.  it is AMAZING.  she interviewed her papa (a retiree from NASA) and her uncle (a current NASA employee) for her essay and was chosen for the beta mission.  she spent 8 weeks preparing and building a space shuttle, all in anticipation of spending a night at the school with 23 other students for a mission to mars.

ripp and i were fortunate enough to volunteer in 'mission control' for part of the evening and witness first hand what a organizational phenomenon this is.  each space shuttle was equipped with a tv and computer where they interfaced with mission control.  we were responsible for sending them research questions, coordinates for objects to locate on mars, minerals to study and restroom permission.  they played moon dodge ball, built satellites (shelves) while suspended from harnesses, experimented with a rover, watched Star Wars and stayed up almost the entire night.  i told ripp that it would have been worth moving here just for that.  it was that cool.  

we did attend johnson space center the weekend before and were lucky enough get inside actual Mission Control for the international space station. what an honor.  thanks uncle austin. 

phew...glad that is all over.  

throughout it all, she has been battling migraines and a freak fainting spell.  we met with a kind, eccentric and brilliant neurologist who gave her a clean bill of health.  excepts for the fact that she gets migraines.  one of the pitfalls of the move to texas, it seems. 

cougars basketball

the pill's second season of basket ball is in the books and after a relatively dismal season, they were able to finish the season with a win and some gusto.  

the thing about him is that he's fast, strong and quite coordinated.  however, he doesn't show this very often in basketball.  he is happy to watch, with arms folded, making the occasional sprint or hard block only to follow up with a hop, a skip or a pirouette.  in his mama's eyes he is just right.  i see too much killer instinct in some 8 year olds, sometimes encouraged by their parents, and it makes me want to snatch him off the court to go home and curl up on the couch with a book and ice-cream.

in his eyes, that would be just right too.

love day

we had the most fun with valentine boxes this year.  

i love the creativity in children.