things we have been doing

Things have been busy and fun around here.

I haven't spent much time on the computer and find I have a lot to catch up on.

We went on a little field trip to the PHX Wildlife Zoo with Gracie's preschool.

Miss Carrie is such a fun teacher. She went on the log ride half a dozen times with the kids. (I went too and was refreshingly drenched down one side for a couple hours.) Grant will be going to Miss Carrie for preschool next year, and he has been a bit shy about her. She took him on the log ride and secured a place in his little boy heart. Grace loved sitting right up front.

Cori took the big kids to the Ward social that happened the weekend Eden and I were gone.

Eden is sitting up by herself. Since I began composing this post ( a week ago... or two) she has started actively crawling and scooting everywhere. She doesn't like the feel of the carpet on her bare baby legs, so she does the "Mowgli crawl," as we call it, up on all fours most of the time.

The prolonged frost Phoenix endured over New Year's laid claim to five of our trees. Expensive. Bummer. We had been scheming about putting some palms behind the pool. Cori scoured the area for replacements and found some queen palms to throw in. We spent several evenings digging, raking, irrigating...

And the herbs have sprung over the tomatoes.

Coming along!

Blessings

I caught this picture of Edes during our extended layover in SanFran today. Our flight was delayed, twice. She was so good. We had stolen away for a weekend with my mom. Annie Barrows spoke in our little old home town. We met her and had her sign our books. I took Mom for an early-birthday hamburger and some pecan pie. And I got to be an only child in their home for 1.5 days. Eden and I visited with my Grandma Bettie. We rounded the weekend off with an Ace's game and then, as soon as we had gotten there, it was time to come home. Cori took care of the big kids and they had a great weekend too. (And the house was so clean when I got home!) This week, I am also grateful for:

More family time ahead. Sara graduates from law school this week, and we are headed to Utah. We'll get to spend some more time with my family as well as pass the Easter weekend with Cori's.

Easter week. I love celebrating this holiday. With our UT trip on the way, we are stretching out some of our traditions (most notably, our 3rd annual Jerusalem dinner) into next week. And we started some of the lessons and activities in FHE a couple of weeks ago. The atonement of our Savior is so precious. I need to be better about focussing on it like this throughout the rest of the year.

Lighter spirits. I've been a happier, better person since weening Eden a couple of weeks ago. Hormones are amazing. But sometimes, I hate them. I'm grateful to have been able to nurse Eden- and now to be feeling more normal, at last.

Eden

Things Eden is doing lately:

• Cutting teeth- two through (on top!) with 2-3 on the way.
• Eating with the fam at the table in her high chair.
• Yelling for attention. Loudly. With arms and legs locked straight with each exerted sound.
• Napping and sleeping quite nicely, except at church.
• Babbling and drooling.
• Drinking exclusively from a bottle. She has been fully weened for about a week and sippy cups make her very mad.
• Growing! At her doc. appointment last week she was in the 75th percentile for weight, height and head circumference. "The picture of baby health," quoth the pediatrician.
• Mesmorizing oncomers with fleshy cheeks and thighs.

studio bound

We put away Gracie's shin guards the same week we bought her ballet shoes. She and Makayla just finished a little class through the community rec. program. Grace is pretty enamored. After her first class she asked me about performing. I told her that there wouldn't be a big performance with this class. We were just trying it out for a little while to see how she would like it. I explained that she would need to be in a dance studio to do performances, and that they cost lots of money etc. etc. "Mom. I want to be on stage." Yeah. No surprise there. She did really well in the class. The laser beam focus she usually reserves for her 'projects' was in full swing for the entirety of each 40 minute session. She had so much fun. And I challenge the wide world to find anything more cute than a room full of girls chanting, "Tondu! Grand battement! Arabesque!"



Over the last 6 weeks, Grace has found many opportunities to ask if she can "go to studio." We are on the hunt!

growing in our gardens

so lovely

This weekend:

- we watched conference - it was so great

- we weeded the back yard

- Grace was busy with the activity packet her Sunday School teacher brought by.

- the weather was so lovely

- we swam in the pool

- I did a dozen cartwheels during a game of Mother May I

- we ate lunches and dinners outside

- we played in the teepee Grandma Sandy and Papa Ray made for the kids- isn't it great? It has been a favorite outside toy, but we brought it back in to watch conference "like Nephites"

not fooling around

I know I should be happy for her, but I don't think I'm quite ready for this.

Today, the munchkins and I are cleaning house and then hanging out in the back yard. There is quite a lot of weeding to be done back there. And Grace is having a hard time staying out of the pool. Our projected high today: 97* degrees. That is pretty serious.

Cori's family played a game growing up they call pinch and punch. One wins by being the first to give others a pinch and a punch on the first day of the month while saying, "Pinch and punch. First of the month." Once you're pinched and punched, you're out. The person with the most victories by the end of the day wins. Over the years, several rules have evolved: no getting people in their sleep, no waiting until 12:01 AM the night before, no pinching and punching over the phone or via email. Cori usually wins. Last month Grace took us all. Today, I dominated. Fair and square.

There is so much to look forward to this weekend. Cori and I are going to the Gammage tonight to see Fiddler on the Roof. Cori leaves early tomorrow morning to help with a move- Elder's Quorum President, after all. And then the rest of the weekend will be spent watching conference. Man, we love conference weekends!

You can watch a video about what General Conference is and why we Mormons love it so much here.