Easters 2011

Easter is one of my favorite Holidays for so many reasons. Actually i think I say that about every Holiday, none the less....I love Easter. It always take me back to when I was a youngster. I remember the Easter Bunny working so hard to hide our baskets in the craziest spots. We always had a trail of jelly beans directing you into the unknown and once we found our basket...we had a new Easter Dress and of course chocolate bunnies.

One memory that came to me this year, that I shared with my girls, was when we would have an Easter Picnic out at the Sand dunes. Which is now a dang Lake! This was when I was 10, 11 maybe 12 yrs old.

We would run around the dunes while my parents made dutch oven or sandwiches whatever they wanted that year. They would hide the eggs around the dunes and  we would find them. We got to know the area quite well. Once we found all the eggs, we would have an egg rolling contest down a hill. You would start at the top of a little rock slope and let your egg roll. The point was to get it to the bottom without busting open. I remember doing this with my Grandma Goulding a few times.

The deal was...it was a "special egg." It was a really big silver egg. We had never see such an egg before...it was huge and I think reused every year. I remember one year the egg was pretty beat up and was taped in a few spots. Well, we figured out the "special Silver Egg" was actually a panty hose egg.

Great idea Gram! I loved those eggs!

I love walking down memory lane...especially with my kids. They love hearing how things were or were NOT when I was young.

This year, like every year, we colored eggs and then had a photo-shoot of their fave. eggs.

Lainie's says "EGG HEAD" on it.

Shelby of course named hers BOB. That's her favorite name to name anything! She cracks me up.

Carter worked hard on the colors and then put stars on them with a marker.

Creed's ended up so beautiful. I tried trading a few of mine for his...but he didn't bite.

Memphis was strapped in his high chair to keep the mess minimal!

We were able to make a trip to the Valley to attend the Easter Dinner at Mimi and Papa's home with all of Lukes' brothers and their families. We missed his Sister this year...but that shouldn't happen again! (RIGHT RUBY?)  Of course we enjoyed ourselves beyond. It's always such a treat to meet with these cool people. I love that we are all so different and love one another so much! It's a cool thing!
Mimi & Papa put a wonderful egg hunt on for all the kids. They collected eggs and candies and treats and trinkets....of course fun. WINNING!
And Luke and I got to rub shoulders with the family.

OH...don't let me forget the dessert!
WOW...I went home with a sugar headache.
Carrot Cake with healthy things stuffed into it with a lish icing, yumm-o eclairs if I do say so myself and then this ridiculous cookie dough pie.
FO-GET BoUT IT! Ridiculous!!

I mean really? These kids are just to cute!!

Now after all the egg coloring and Sugar photos!

Read this wonderful Easter Message for the True Meaning of Easter!

need some goose bumps?

Check this out!

Field Trip TIme!

I was able to attend a field trip with Carter's Kindergarten class to the Sonoran Desert Life Museum in NW Tucson. It was amazing. I loved it and want to take my other children back there one of these days. Of course Creed and Memphis tagged along, which made it fun and slightly slow going with the stroller. But, it was still a good time!

A fair is a veritable smorgasbord orgasbord orgasbord

A fair is a veritable smorgasbord orgasbord orgasbord

After the crowds have ceased

Each night when the lights go out

It can be found on the ground all around

Oh, what a ratly feast!

-Charlotte's Web

(but of course)

We just had to make our way out to the Pima County Fair this year. It is always a nice break from real life and puts you right in a freak show/good wholesome family fun.
Here are a few photos of our day.

can you see the items of interest?

letter from Savaii

Here is a tid bit of a letter I received from my mom, while serving a mission with my Dad in Savii, Western Samoa.
The things we have and the way we live!!!
Gratitude is not enough.

------------------
Dear Family,

We are enjoying the dry season now. It only rains once a day or so. In fact we miss the cooling effect the rain offers. When it rains the heat diminishes for a few blessed minutes. I’m sure Dace, Laurie and Dusk understand what I’m flappin my lips about. Today we had an earthquake. It was just a little shaker, but both Dad and I headed for the door of our office. I wasn’t about to be smashed in this old school. It didn’t take but just a few minutes until we were back at work because it wasn’t very big.

Tomorrow I am doing the work meeting for our ward. They wanted me to teach them how to cook something. I decided I would try to come up with a dish they could actually make in their fales. Very few of the families in our ward have stoves, refrigeration, or running water, so I decided to show them how to make chicken soup. If they have a pot they can make it over the fire.

We take so much for granted. They don’t have potato peelers, but then who needs a peeler when few can actually afford to buy potatoes. Their life sustaining product is taro, bread fruit and fruits and vegetables they grown in their own gardens. They eat a lot of mutton ribs, chicken drumsticks and corn beef. Span is very expensive here, about $6.00 US a can, so not many people can afford it.

Many people on the island go hungry. There are students here at the school without food. Every day I watch a bunch of kids that hide out so the others won’t see them. They are ashamed to be seen without a few tala to buy at least something. Dad devised a little plan with the principal to help a few students get a bite to eat at the local campus tuck shop, cook shack. It’s like throwing the starfish back into the ocean, we do what we can.
Think about camping outside in a tent everyday of your life with the rain pouring down. All your bedding is wet and you have no way to wash your few items of clothing or your body unless you have a bucket to save the rain water. It is impossible for us to understand the circumstances of the people in Samoa. They say the wind is the worst because when it blows the rain into the fales it never dries out for the duration of the rainy season, which is several months.
We are very blessed in this little village. Most all the teachers and Dad and I have nice houses, running water and electric. Dad and I have food on our table and clothes on our backs and we are thankful for this experience.

I hope we never have to return to life the way it used to be, without the basics of survival, but just in case times get hard we should do our best to learn some basic survival skills.

I am so impressed with the people here. They are happy, they sing all day long, they live without many things, but they don’t know anything different, so life is okay. Really, the only thing any of us have to do is to work our way back to the presence of our Heavenly Father. The Saints here in Samoa can do that as well as the Saints in any part of the world. We need to remember that righteousness doesn’t require massive riches, but simply a contrite spirit and a humble heart, and they have both here in Savaii.

I love all of you and hope you have a great day! Mom

Weekend for ME!

This past weekend turned out to be super busy, super enjoyable and super therapeutic.

Saturday started at 515am...

I got ready and headed out of the house to catch my ride by 530am. MissEmily picked me up and off we went to Catalina State Park for our 5.2 trail run. We had been keeping up on the weather over the past few days. It went from 70 to 64 and small chance of rain to 54 and better chance of rain...to 35, windy and high chance of rain. We arrived to wind and cold...I was excited to get started and to get warm.

The wind concerned me a bit...but what can you Do? So, we got in line and stretched out and awaited our mark.
The 10 miler started and then it was our turn...I looked up and realized there was no wind! Just like that..it had died down to nothing. I thought of the prayer I had said that morning and thanked Heavenly Father for being so thoughtful. Then it was our turn...and we were off.
At about .5 mile the rain came and didn't stop till we were finished with the run,  in the shuttle heading back to our car. At times it was heavy and then at others there was just drizzle. The trail was awesome and so so Beautiful! What a way to run...distracted by Mother Nature and all her glory. Just beautiful. The race was difficult at times..with its 2 flights of stairs totaling 140 in all. But..I have to say...it was so much fun and I learned so much about myself and my fellow running buddy. GOTTA love Miss Emily A.
Can NOT wait to do it again!
Oh and yummy bfast and smoothies were served afterwards. (just what the mother ordered)

I got home ( freezing and soaked through) at 10 am, changed and left with thee older 4 kids off to a  Primary activity from 10-11.
Back home we went to throw dishes and clothes in the washer for some quick chores, fed the kids and then out again I go at 2 pm back to the church for a girls camp certification dinner from 3-7pm.

I arrived home at 720 to an empty home. Sat down with a bowl full of brown betty a dollop of whipping cream and watched "Lark Rise to Candleford" for 20 minutes til then family showed up.

I made my way to bed at 10pm and Passed Out!

6:20am came quickly for Sunday preparations for our 8 am church block. Out of church at 11am and home to await our dear friends the " Bryces". They show up, we eat, the kids play and the 4 of us adults start in on our therapy session.
We talk about life, love and the pursuit of happiness. We (Harmonious and I) moved our conversation from the living room to the garage to the side of a bathing child to the kitchen (of course) to the loft and then finishing it off at the park down the road.
We had many break through (husbands and wives). I have to say..it's SO nice when you can be real around a couple that know that they are going to love you anyway.

We miss the Bryces and can't wait till our next visit!

Hope it's sooner than..well you know!

Gourmet Fancy Food

Maybe not the kind you were thinking of.

I thought this was pretty comical.
While at the local 99 cent store I came across the "Gourmet Fancy Food" aisle.

Ooohhhh Fancy!

RIP Ladybugs

The other day we went for a walk and came across all theses ladybugs....it was fun!
The kids had a ball looking through the thick, tall grass for these little buggers.
Unfortunately while looking and stepping and crawling...I am sure many lost their lives due to us not being too careful in the pursuit. Poor lil guys.

read this

Just finished an amazing book..."Ultra Marathon Man" by Dean Karnezes. I say anyone that wants to be inspired and realize how strong you really are...READ THIS! Its wonderful.
I learned so much and loved all the quotes and the story.
go get this book from your library TODAY!

book lover here!

You know you've read a good book when you turn the last page and feel a little as if you have lost a friend.

~Paul Sweeney

Books...I am a lover of a good book.
I have been overwhelmed in good books lately.
For Christmas this past year, my lover gave me an e-reader and it's occupied my time, wisely!
I am loving it. I carry it around with me everywhere. It's just like the quote says, when I have it with me, it's like my friend is always there. strange huh?

Well...here are my past 5 books read:
The Hunger Games Trilogy
The Help
Sisters of the Quilt Trilogy
Lost Symbol
Ford County

Here are a few I am currently reading:
The five Languages of Love
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
The UltraMarathon Man

And 5 on my wish list:
A Reliable Wife
Sherlock Holmes, volume 1
These is my words
Maze Runner
Uncle Tom's Cabin

If you can suggest a few good ones...please let me know!

I need that!

Shelby would be so mad at me if she knew I was jotting this down....but I couldn't let another day pass with out posting it for my memories sake.

My little Shelby has the hardest time concentrating on her work when she gets home. There are just way to many distraction...TV, Music, snacks, toys, bikes, trampoline..whatever!

I have had numerous conversation with her about just settling in and concentrating. I have been setting the timer lately for her to complete her work in the time allowed. It seems to work..if the consequence is something extreme to her...like...not playing outside for that afternoon or the next 2 days or a week. So...we have been learning how to help her focus.

Just the other day i made a quick trip to Costco and came home with a super concentrated JUG of fruit punch. The kids were asking me what it was and I said "it's a highly concentrated jug of syrup that we can make into punch". About an hour later, while sitting at the table doing her homework, I heard lil miss Shelby say "Concentrating Juice, Yeah...I need that."
 I just had to crack up. She's a funny little gal.

Extra extra things to do.

We just added a few more things to our calendar for the next few months.
Take a look.

The girls started Track with a team called "Sahuarita Speed". They are learning a great deal about running, posture, and endurance. I am very proud of both of them...the coaches aren't playing around.
Example of their practise:
They line up on the starting line for a 100 yd dash. They sprint that and then walk briskly around the turn and then line up for the other side of the tracks 100 yd dash again. Back and forth and back and forth till they have ran 8 - 100 yd dashes and walked 8 - 100 yd dashes. The next practise they do 2-100 yard dashes then 2-200 yard dashes, then 2 more 100 yard dashes...this is after of course a 20 minute warm-up.
They work really hard and have done so well! I am so proud of them.

Mr. Carter just started coach pitch baseball. He has a great time and does really well. The coach will pitch about 10 to 12 pitches and then if the player hasn't hit it once...they are done. Mr. Cedar hits the ball pretty far on the first or second pitch. He is learning about grounding the ball, throwing the ball and of course hitting the ball. He's a little stud and I am super proud of him as well!