I know the majority of you won't believe this, but I've been getting some flack (is that really a word?) for my latest posts that show me having a great, wonderful, even heavenly time without Rus. Like that should even be possible. I'll have you know that I spend at least a good forty percent of my day away from Rus and if I couldn't have fun without him I'd be in BIG trouble. Plus, the time I do get with him is after work and church have sucked all the energy out of him and so I'm stuck with the self-proclaimed old man and his aching feet! (Likewise he gets stuck with the grumpy, haggard, sorry excuse for a wife who snaps at the kids and can barely move after dinner. We're a great pair.)
Anyway, all ribbing aside, I guess it wouldn't hurt for me to post a little more about the love of my life. Get ready for the mushy stuff...you asked for it. I've even decided to make "Rus Wednesdays" just for the purpose of telling you wonderful things about Rus.
Um...
So...
Um...
Just kidding. :)
Rus is a terrific provider. He is a man with integrity who I know is respected at work, both for his opinions and his abilities. He is honest and loyal in every aspect of his life, although he did share recently his favorite "words" that he mutters under his breath when something goes wrong at work. I shared mine, even. It might be d*mm*t. And I don't mutter. I exclaim. (That'll keep me out of the RS presidency!)
Rus is really, really good at seeing how things fit together and work. He can figure out engines, small motors, and even the most complicated Transformer.
Rus is an excellent teacher. He can take something really complicated and make it understandable for even the dumbest listeners...like myself. Rus has explained to me how a whole car engine works. He even drew little diagrams. It was really impressive. That is something I have always admired about him - his ability to teach hard concepts and processes in a basic way.
Rus is someone who mulls things over for a long time before making a decision. We have owned at least 10 cars in the last 8 years and that is because Rus is really good at studying different vehicles and finding the one that will best suit our needs and then patiently waiting until it turns up. In the process he is slowly figuring out the kind of vehicle that he really wants someday in the future when he can get whatever he wants. (Right now he has seven "favorites", one for each day of the week.)
Rus is very non-judgmental about me and my role. He may come home to the house being a certified disaster area and the kids running around like monkeys and smoke coming out of my ears, but he never says a negative word to me about it. Ever. I really appreciate that daily act of kindness.
See? I'd share more, but seeing as how this will be a weekly event, I don't want to give you all the good stuff right now.
Five more, Rus. (That's insider lingo for "I love you.")
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Jacob's Dragon
"Mom, I want a DRAGON made of WOOD!"
Jacob stared at me expectantly yesterday, as if I could produce his dream dragon with the snap of my fingers.
I can't snap my fingers, just so you know.
But I did make him a dragon. He wanted one just like Toothless in How to Train Your Dragon...
"Mom. He is blue. He has a broken wing on his tail, but mine doesn't have to be broken. I want him to have fire that comes in and out of his mouth. His fire is blue, not red. His wings need to go up and down. His legs shouldn't be bent; they have to be straight so he can stand up. He needs horns on his head..."
Phew! I promised Jacob I'd work on it during quiet time, even though I specifically found the fire and the wings quite daunting. Later that night he dragged me into the garage, pulled up a chair, and set about not-so-quietly observing just how I was going to make this thing. I decided to start with a 2x4. ("That will work, mommy.") I drew on the dragon's body, sans legs and wings, and cut him out on my band saw. Jacob watched. I cut out the dragon's front and back legs from a 1x6. Jacob approved. We had to stop there because we needed a dowel to run through the legs and the body so the legs could move. Jacob acquiesced. We went to our brand-new Lowes and proceeded to train at least three members of the staff on what a "dowel" is. When we got home we attached the legs. Jacob was a little disappointed in how floppy they were. "He keeps falling down!"
This morning was a long one with Jacob telling me every three minutes to "make the wings!" I promised him we would do it after we took Bekah to school, and wouldn't you know, the second we pulled into the garage Jacob was there with his dragon. I lucked out and had a pair of tiny hinges so we attached them with those ornery things. Again, Jacob approved, showing me how well the dragon could fly now that he had his big wings. Later we attached the rest of the wings and secured the legs a little so he could stand
and then painted him sparkly blue. Voila! 
He is pretty cool, if I must say so myself. Even Jacob approves. :) 
Now I just have to figure out how to make him breathe fire. Yikes.
Jacob stared at me expectantly yesterday, as if I could produce his dream dragon with the snap of my fingers.
I can't snap my fingers, just so you know.
But I did make him a dragon. He wanted one just like Toothless in How to Train Your Dragon...
"Mom. He is blue. He has a broken wing on his tail, but mine doesn't have to be broken. I want him to have fire that comes in and out of his mouth. His fire is blue, not red. His wings need to go up and down. His legs shouldn't be bent; they have to be straight so he can stand up. He needs horns on his head..."
Phew! I promised Jacob I'd work on it during quiet time, even though I specifically found the fire and the wings quite daunting. Later that night he dragged me into the garage, pulled up a chair, and set about not-so-quietly observing just how I was going to make this thing. I decided to start with a 2x4. ("That will work, mommy.") I drew on the dragon's body, sans legs and wings, and cut him out on my band saw. Jacob watched. I cut out the dragon's front and back legs from a 1x6. Jacob approved. We had to stop there because we needed a dowel to run through the legs and the body so the legs could move. Jacob acquiesced. We went to our brand-new Lowes and proceeded to train at least three members of the staff on what a "dowel" is. When we got home we attached the legs. Jacob was a little disappointed in how floppy they were. "He keeps falling down!"
This morning was a long one with Jacob telling me every three minutes to "make the wings!" I promised him we would do it after we took Bekah to school, and wouldn't you know, the second we pulled into the garage Jacob was there with his dragon. I lucked out and had a pair of tiny hinges so we attached them with those ornery things. Again, Jacob approved, showing me how well the dragon could fly now that he had his big wings. Later we attached the rest of the wings and secured the legs a little so he could stand
and then painted him sparkly blue. Voila! 
He is pretty cool, if I must say so myself. Even Jacob approves. :) 
Now I just have to figure out how to make him breathe fire. Yikes.
Monday, August 23, 2010
A Good Day
The clock this morning greeted me with a red 5:56. Rus seemed to relish pushing me out of bed and pulling my pillow close enough to spoon...a mirror image of what I normally do each morning. I made it blindly downstairs, let Colonel out of his crate, took an allergy-barricade-the-snot-pill, and sat on the couch waiting for Grace. Grace is in first grade, like Bekah, and stays with us in the mornings so her mom can head in to work. This morning Grace got to sit on the couch and tell me all about the Jillian workout she and her mom did while I did pilates (mine was not as hard, in her opinion.) When my twenty minutes were dutifully done I headed to the kitchen to immediately make up for all the hard work I just did. Rus was going to be home for breakfast (since he had to catch a flight to CA later), so I wanted to make him something delicious and buttery, something quite exactly resembling the blueberry muffins with a crumb topping from the sacred Yellow (aka Gourmet) cookbook. Later he enjoyed no less than three of those wonderful things while I doodled on post-it notes to hide in his luggage (one of them a sunshine with sideburns).
As the clock edged closer to schooltime, Grace's stomach faked(?) illness and did it well enough to stay home from school for the rest of the day. Her mom was relieved that I could watch her, while Grace just sat there crying for her own home and couch and mother. I decided to make it a good hooky day.
We dropped Bekah off and headed to the Walgreens Redbox...Jacob picked out the Super Hero Squad and Grace chose Alice in Wonderland. When we got home Rus popped a movie in but I wasn't quite ready yet.
"Sick Day means we need a Cozy Tent!"
So Jacob and Grace and even Beau collected all the pillows and blankets they could find. I outdid myself making a tent that enclosed the TV and the two couches like a big triangle. After being finally situated we started Super Hero Squad. (Jacob won paper-rock-scissors.)
I kissed Rus goodbye, good enough that he'd miss me for the next four days.
I put up some tomatoes while they watched their movie. (I love saying "put up" instead of "canned", it makes me feel wonderfully old fashioned). Two hours of hard work yielded four pints. It might sound like a waste of time, but I think of it as preserving my garden so that it lasts months after the green turns brown.
Grace's mom called around one while we were watching Alice and Beau was taking a nap. I told her what we'd been up to.
"Don't make it too fun!" she said.
Too late, I thought.
Afterward I tried to teach Grace to ride Bekah's bike. Don't wait until your child is six to teach them to ride a bike. They are much too heavy. But Grace was super brave and concentrated really hard. A few more tries...
I picked up Bekah at three-twenty. Grace's mom picked up a happy and healthy looking Grace. I loaded the kids up and we drove to Albuquerque for some library books that were on hold for the last day for me. We stopped at Sunflower Market (*happy sigh*) and bought some beautiful and cheap fruit. I bought some Blueberry Yogurt Dipped Pretzels. I ran into a girl that I had taken a motorcycle training course with and wound up showing her my crooked toes and laughing embarrassedly about my misfortune. On the way out to our van I noticed a nice new minivan with its side door wide open, carseat and diaper bag greeting every passerby. I knew that van. It reminded me of the way my van had greeted me after a quick run into a store when I had forgotten to push the button to close a door. After putting my kids and groceries in my van, I walked nonchalantly up to the open van and gave the door a tug. It whirred into action and shut itself and I couldn't help but wonder if anyone had ever had to do that for me.
I munched on some pretzels in the van on the way out of town and glanced at the nutrition facts. Serving size: 40 ounce. Servings per container: 246. WOWZA! This was a half a pound of pretzels and I had just eaten six! Apparently that was something like thirty servings, at least! The kids asked for some and I gave them each three. What could I say? "Here you go kids, one serving [handing them a quarter inch chunk each]."
Yikes. Watch out for those.
Tonight when we got home the sky was angry and beautiful. We sat out and watched it and I tried so hard to capture the moment forever in my head...Bekah twirling and singing barefoot in her plain blue school dress...Jacob singing about rock and roll in his deep voice, orange spiderman shirt and penguin boots...Beau sitting next to me barefoot, letting his toes get kissed by raindrops and smiling, laughing, and talking incoherently. It was a beautiful moment, almost as great as the one an hour before when Bekah told Tyler on the phone that yes, it was okay for Gina to be her aunt. In fact she wanted them to get married so she could have more cousins! (He said he appreciated her thoughtfulness.)
Right now the kids are all in bed. Sort of. Rus is gone, so we can be silly and the big kids can sleep in their tent downstairs by the TV. Sshh...don't tell Rus.
Some days just wind up being great.
Thanks for this one.
As the clock edged closer to schooltime, Grace's stomach faked(?) illness and did it well enough to stay home from school for the rest of the day. Her mom was relieved that I could watch her, while Grace just sat there crying for her own home and couch and mother. I decided to make it a good hooky day.
We dropped Bekah off and headed to the Walgreens Redbox...Jacob picked out the Super Hero Squad and Grace chose Alice in Wonderland. When we got home Rus popped a movie in but I wasn't quite ready yet.
"Sick Day means we need a Cozy Tent!"
So Jacob and Grace and even Beau collected all the pillows and blankets they could find. I outdid myself making a tent that enclosed the TV and the two couches like a big triangle. After being finally situated we started Super Hero Squad. (Jacob won paper-rock-scissors.)
I kissed Rus goodbye, good enough that he'd miss me for the next four days.
I put up some tomatoes while they watched their movie. (I love saying "put up" instead of "canned", it makes me feel wonderfully old fashioned). Two hours of hard work yielded four pints. It might sound like a waste of time, but I think of it as preserving my garden so that it lasts months after the green turns brown.
Grace's mom called around one while we were watching Alice and Beau was taking a nap. I told her what we'd been up to.
"Don't make it too fun!" she said.
Too late, I thought.
Afterward I tried to teach Grace to ride Bekah's bike. Don't wait until your child is six to teach them to ride a bike. They are much too heavy. But Grace was super brave and concentrated really hard. A few more tries...
I picked up Bekah at three-twenty. Grace's mom picked up a happy and healthy looking Grace. I loaded the kids up and we drove to Albuquerque for some library books that were on hold for the last day for me. We stopped at Sunflower Market (*happy sigh*) and bought some beautiful and cheap fruit. I bought some Blueberry Yogurt Dipped Pretzels. I ran into a girl that I had taken a motorcycle training course with and wound up showing her my crooked toes and laughing embarrassedly about my misfortune. On the way out to our van I noticed a nice new minivan with its side door wide open, carseat and diaper bag greeting every passerby. I knew that van. It reminded me of the way my van had greeted me after a quick run into a store when I had forgotten to push the button to close a door. After putting my kids and groceries in my van, I walked nonchalantly up to the open van and gave the door a tug. It whirred into action and shut itself and I couldn't help but wonder if anyone had ever had to do that for me.
I munched on some pretzels in the van on the way out of town and glanced at the nutrition facts. Serving size: 40 ounce. Servings per container: 246. WOWZA! This was a half a pound of pretzels and I had just eaten six! Apparently that was something like thirty servings, at least! The kids asked for some and I gave them each three. What could I say? "Here you go kids, one serving [handing them a quarter inch chunk each]."
Yikes. Watch out for those.
Tonight when we got home the sky was angry and beautiful. We sat out and watched it and I tried so hard to capture the moment forever in my head...Bekah twirling and singing barefoot in her plain blue school dress...Jacob singing about rock and roll in his deep voice, orange spiderman shirt and penguin boots...Beau sitting next to me barefoot, letting his toes get kissed by raindrops and smiling, laughing, and talking incoherently. It was a beautiful moment, almost as great as the one an hour before when Bekah told Tyler on the phone that yes, it was okay for Gina to be her aunt. In fact she wanted them to get married so she could have more cousins! (He said he appreciated her thoughtfulness.)
Right now the kids are all in bed. Sort of. Rus is gone, so we can be silly and the big kids can sleep in their tent downstairs by the TV. Sshh...don't tell Rus.
Some days just wind up being great.
Thanks for this one.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Between Sisters
My new favorite phone conversation of all time:
Amy: Keri, I just want you to know I almost bought you a trophy for doing so good on our trip [to St. George].
Keri: Really? A trophy?! Thanks!
A: Yes! I was actually at the trophy store and I almost bought you an ice cube trophy for being so cool under pressure. Cool, calm, collected...[This may have reference to my epic meltdown on the drive home from St. George last year. Maybe.]
K: Thank you! I was cool under pressure. If you had bought me a trophy I would put it in my bathroom on the counter and everyday I would look at it and think of you.
A: I was so close [to buying it].
K: Well now, whenever I'm in my bathroom I'll just look at the counter where there's no trophy and I'll think of you.
A: No! You'll look at the space where there's no trophy and you won't think of me! [BWA-HA-HA!!!]
K: Yes! I won't think of you and the awesome trophy that you almost bought me! [HEHEHE!]
A: We're not even really having this conversation.
K: [AH-HAHAHA-GASP!] I'm not even going to say goodbye.
A: I'm not saying goodbye either.
Click.
[AH-HAHAHA-BWAH-HAHAHEHEAH!!]
It may be something that cannot be relived...but I swear, it was really, really funny.
Amy: Keri, I just want you to know I almost bought you a trophy for doing so good on our trip [to St. George].
Keri: Really? A trophy?! Thanks!
A: Yes! I was actually at the trophy store and I almost bought you an ice cube trophy for being so cool under pressure. Cool, calm, collected...[This may have reference to my epic meltdown on the drive home from St. George last year. Maybe.]
K: Thank you! I was cool under pressure. If you had bought me a trophy I would put it in my bathroom on the counter and everyday I would look at it and think of you.
A: I was so close [to buying it].
K: Well now, whenever I'm in my bathroom I'll just look at the counter where there's no trophy and I'll think of you.
A: No! You'll look at the space where there's no trophy and you won't think of me! [BWA-HA-HA!!!]
K: Yes! I won't think of you and the awesome trophy that you almost bought me! [HEHEHE!]
A: We're not even really having this conversation.
K: [AH-HAHAHA-GASP!] I'm not even going to say goodbye.
A: I'm not saying goodbye either.
Click.
[AH-HAHAHA-BWAH-HAHAHEHEAH!!]
It may be something that cannot be relived...but I swear, it was really, really funny.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Clean
It's Sunday afternoon and my home is near spotless. Might have something to do with the big fat "FOR SALE" sign that greeted me when I returned home from St. George. I knew it would be there, but it still surprised me...and made me something in me ache. Changes are hard, no matter how good they are.
Anyway, I consider it a miracle that despite the kids' help my home is still so clean. We'll see if we can keep that up. Rus and I are having fun checking out desert landscaping books and home design books from the library...planning all the things we would like to do for our new house. We really want a blooming, beautiful, welcoming backyard...in native plants that don't need hardly any water. What can I say, if you grow up in the desert you either love it or hate it. We love it. If anyone knows any good home design books, let me know. I need good pictures and love a clean, welcoming, traditional look with some modern/contemporary flare. I am suddenly being reminded of why I majored in interior design! (Now let's see if I learned anything!)
On other topics, Bekah's two days of school went really well. She enjoyed her teacher and class ("Mom! Ms. Teacher has these chalkboards, and I couldn't see what she was writing, but then SHE SLID THEM OVER CLOSER TO ME!"), and loved recess on the big playground ("There's this spider web thing and you can climb to the top and then when you get down there's this spinney thing and you twist like this and you spin around but I couldn't do it because I didn't want anyone to see these yellow shorts under my dress because they don't match and I don't want to get in trouble will I ?"), and admitted that first grade is a lot more work than kindergarten.
Yesterday we all went on a hike. We drove up to Sandia Crest and took a little trail down with an amazing view of Albuquerque. It is one of the most beautiful places to hike, I have to agree with Rus. My kids loved fighting over wildflowers ("Kids! There are lots of flowers! Jacob! PICK YOUR OWN!"), and wanted to move in to the stone house that sits on the very ledge of the mountain, built by the Conservation Corps in the 30s ("Bekah there's no potty!j We can't live there!")
...And just for the record I have to share this conversation Rus and I had on the way down.
Rus: Keri will you drive I have an awful headache.
Keri: Sure. Now do I put it in second or third to help me not go so fast on the way down?
No, that doesn't really help.
Okay, then I guess I'll just be riding the brakes the whole way.
It's okay I put great brakes on here.
(FIVE MINUTES LATER)
Rus, everytime I go to slow down I keep having to push harder and harder on the brakes.
Pull over. Now. Your brakes are hot. I thought that smell was from the car in front of us.
(smoke comes out of the right front tire)
Rus: Alright let me drive.
(Rus starts driving, shifts it into third)
I thought that didn't help!!
GRUNT.
So are they sticking again, Rus?
No. I'm pumping the brakes. [Insert long, technical, detailed explanation of brake systems here.]
I could barely speak from the overwhelming fascination of it all. Really. It was very interesting. Just glad we didn't DIE because I hadn't known that at the TOP of the mountain! Communication is such a tricky little bug.
Three cheers for family trips, huh!
Anyway, I consider it a miracle that despite the kids' help my home is still so clean. We'll see if we can keep that up. Rus and I are having fun checking out desert landscaping books and home design books from the library...planning all the things we would like to do for our new house. We really want a blooming, beautiful, welcoming backyard...in native plants that don't need hardly any water. What can I say, if you grow up in the desert you either love it or hate it. We love it. If anyone knows any good home design books, let me know. I need good pictures and love a clean, welcoming, traditional look with some modern/contemporary flare. I am suddenly being reminded of why I majored in interior design! (Now let's see if I learned anything!)
On other topics, Bekah's two days of school went really well. She enjoyed her teacher and class ("Mom! Ms. Teacher has these chalkboards, and I couldn't see what she was writing, but then SHE SLID THEM OVER CLOSER TO ME!"), and loved recess on the big playground ("There's this spider web thing and you can climb to the top and then when you get down there's this spinney thing and you twist like this and you spin around but I couldn't do it because I didn't want anyone to see these yellow shorts under my dress because they don't match and I don't want to get in trouble will I ?"), and admitted that first grade is a lot more work than kindergarten.
Yesterday we all went on a hike. We drove up to Sandia Crest and took a little trail down with an amazing view of Albuquerque. It is one of the most beautiful places to hike, I have to agree with Rus. My kids loved fighting over wildflowers ("Kids! There are lots of flowers! Jacob! PICK YOUR OWN!"), and wanted to move in to the stone house that sits on the very ledge of the mountain, built by the Conservation Corps in the 30s ("Bekah there's no potty!j We can't live there!")
...And just for the record I have to share this conversation Rus and I had on the way down.
Rus: Keri will you drive I have an awful headache.
Keri: Sure. Now do I put it in second or third to help me not go so fast on the way down?
No, that doesn't really help.
Okay, then I guess I'll just be riding the brakes the whole way.
It's okay I put great brakes on here.
(FIVE MINUTES LATER)
Rus, everytime I go to slow down I keep having to push harder and harder on the brakes.
Pull over. Now. Your brakes are hot. I thought that smell was from the car in front of us.
(smoke comes out of the right front tire)
Rus: Alright let me drive.
(Rus starts driving, shifts it into third)
I thought that didn't help!!
GRUNT.
So are they sticking again, Rus?
No. I'm pumping the brakes. [Insert long, technical, detailed explanation of brake systems here.]
I could barely speak from the overwhelming fascination of it all. Really. It was very interesting. Just glad we didn't DIE because I hadn't known that at the TOP of the mountain! Communication is such a tricky little bug.
Three cheers for family trips, huh!
Thursday, August 12, 2010
The Dish on St. George
It started last year. Epic. (As Emilee would say.) Four women and seven children, one massive house and a perfectly sized pool equipped with a diving board and an appropriate deep end. Five (ish) days of relaxation, sunburns, food, laughter and fun.
How could we not want to repeat it, now really?
This year there were six women and nine children...Momma Blau, Lindsey, Jamie (with baby Allie, nine months), Bryan (11), Amy and her kids: Joshua (10 almost), Luke (8), Sarah (5), Michael (3), me and my kids: Bekah (6), Jacob (near 5), and Beau (2), and my mom.
After a really long drive (no one could pin down the actual amount of drive time), to St. George there was only one thing on everyone's mind when we pulled up to the beauty of a home on St. James Rd...SWIMMING! The kids unloaded the vans and then adorned the stairway landing with their naked bums as they scrambled for their swimsuits. Sunblock was applied generously and life vests and floaties found their respective owners.
The water was deliciously cool...the perfect temperature where you barely notice entering the water. The grime of the road was quickly forgotten and play time ensued...Splashing, jumping, diving, laughing...kids yelling with excitement about new and forgotten discoveries. Sun on the shoulders, drops of water finding their way to sunglasses, feet scraping on the bottom of the pool. Shrieks and happiness relaxing every muscle and easing every tension.
Delightful.
That was our week at St. George. Throw in an evening walk, spray paint art, captive lizards and toads (RIP Todo), a hunt for an ambiguous, aged Fiesta Fun center (once was enough), and watching the Thriller scene repeatedly on 13 Going On 30, and you'll have almost all of the picture.
We also celebrated Amy's birthday (I was her slave for the day...totally exhausting) and we were lucky enough to go see Much Ado About Nothing at the Shakespeare theater in Cedar City. Babysitting was provided by Momma Blau and Jamie...wonderful, thoughtful, thank you!...So my mom, Amy, Lindsey, and I all were able to enjoy the show. Beforehand we searched for a place for dinner. We made Lindsey pick because she somehow just knows. When we saw the sign for Ninja!, a sushi place, we all might have let out a shriek, with the exception of my mom. For the record she was very brave, but I don't know that she really enjoyed the five sushi rolls we purchased as much as Lindsey or Amy or me. Yum. Amy was right, I'm craving it again already.
The play was exceptional. I *heart* Benedic. He was hilarious and...really funny. :) Also enjoyable were the tarts beforehand. Yum. Here are some more scrapbooked pics from the trip (more still to come; I'm on a roll!)
And now I'm back home...Bekah started first grade today. Is it okay that I am really happy about that? Could have something to do with having two sleeping boys for naptime and no one else around to beg and plead for special girl time...Quiet. Blessed quiet. Ah. Sigh.
Here is my special girl on her big day of her own desk and playing on the big kid playground. I can't wait to hear all about it!
p.s. Like my background? Bekah picked it out. She's been bugging me to change it for months. Funny, huh...
How could we not want to repeat it, now really?
This year there were six women and nine children...Momma Blau, Lindsey, Jamie (with baby Allie, nine months), Bryan (11), Amy and her kids: Joshua (10 almost), Luke (8), Sarah (5), Michael (3), me and my kids: Bekah (6), Jacob (near 5), and Beau (2), and my mom.
After a really long drive (no one could pin down the actual amount of drive time), to St. George there was only one thing on everyone's mind when we pulled up to the beauty of a home on St. James Rd...SWIMMING! The kids unloaded the vans and then adorned the stairway landing with their naked bums as they scrambled for their swimsuits. Sunblock was applied generously and life vests and floaties found their respective owners.
The water was deliciously cool...the perfect temperature where you barely notice entering the water. The grime of the road was quickly forgotten and play time ensued...Splashing, jumping, diving, laughing...kids yelling with excitement about new and forgotten discoveries. Sun on the shoulders, drops of water finding their way to sunglasses, feet scraping on the bottom of the pool. Shrieks and happiness relaxing every muscle and easing every tension.
Delightful.
That was our week at St. George. Throw in an evening walk, spray paint art, captive lizards and toads (RIP Todo), a hunt for an ambiguous, aged Fiesta Fun center (once was enough), and watching the Thriller scene repeatedly on 13 Going On 30, and you'll have almost all of the picture.
We also celebrated Amy's birthday (I was her slave for the day...totally exhausting) and we were lucky enough to go see Much Ado About Nothing at the Shakespeare theater in Cedar City. Babysitting was provided by Momma Blau and Jamie...wonderful, thoughtful, thank you!...So my mom, Amy, Lindsey, and I all were able to enjoy the show. Beforehand we searched for a place for dinner. We made Lindsey pick because she somehow just knows. When we saw the sign for Ninja!, a sushi place, we all might have let out a shriek, with the exception of my mom. For the record she was very brave, but I don't know that she really enjoyed the five sushi rolls we purchased as much as Lindsey or Amy or me. Yum. Amy was right, I'm craving it again already.
The play was exceptional. I *heart* Benedic. He was hilarious and...really funny. :) Also enjoyable were the tarts beforehand. Yum. Here are some more scrapbooked pics from the trip (more still to come; I'm on a roll!)
And now I'm back home...Bekah started first grade today. Is it okay that I am really happy about that? Could have something to do with having two sleeping boys for naptime and no one else around to beg and plead for special girl time...Quiet. Blessed quiet. Ah. Sigh.Here is my special girl on her big day of her own desk and playing on the big kid playground. I can't wait to hear all about it!
p.s. Like my background? Bekah picked it out. She's been bugging me to change it for months. Funny, huh...
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
St. George 2010 Preview!
Last week was a week from heaven...here's a glimpse of what happened, more to come later!
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