Photos from Utah Trip

We had a wonderful trip to Utah last weekend. Dan graduated from BYU and Tanner went through the Logan temple in preparation for his mission to Russia. It was so nice to get together. We had a little photo op - realizing that this would be the last time we would all be together for several years.

It was so nice to see family in Logan after the temple session. We had a nice meal featuring Juniper Take Out's best - and Mom's amazing salads. I enjoyed working in the kitchen alongside Mom and the sisters the night before preparing . . . well actually I probably did less preparing and more playing - I was trying to multi-task and play Settler's at the same time. Anyway - it was truly refreshing to reunite with family. Grandma and Grandpa Watkins gave us a history that Grandpa wrote. What a treasure!

We spent Friday afternoon at a ropes course. We worked together as a family to accomplish various tasks. One task was to get from one side of a 'raging river' of grass to the other using planks and tree stumps. We had to do it saying 'banana' between each word. The boys and Natalie who all spoke spanish found themselves speaking spanish and putting banana between the words. It was pretty funny. Holly, Rex, and Tanner were all brave enough to try to jump off of a tree to try to catch a ring.

One of the highlights of the course was a giant swing. We had to pull each other to the top.

Anthony's acrobatics after the initial terrifying drop. He couldn't figure out where to put his hands after letting go of the rope . . . and he clung to the bar for dear life. We all thought something had malfunctioned - but soon he was doing tricks on the swing.

Allison and Emilyn took their turns on the rock wall.

After we all arrived Thursday morning - we headed to the zoo.

Giddy-up Horsie!

Other highlights of the trip: We enjoyed some tennis at the park, ate Aggie Ice Cream while watching Bedtime Stories at the condo, Mom's Sunday lesson on scripture study, conference jeopardy, which the guys won by the skin of their teeth - and a few technicalities.

Where your treasure is . . .

Yesterday I was teaching a piano student and her Mom was outside with the kids playing on the playset. Apparently Allison and her son Sam were playing 'pirates' - and Sam had just found a buried treasure. "I have a hundred gold coins! I'm rich!" he declared. Allison came back with - "Well, I have found 100 Dora and Diego movies!" That made me laugh. Now I know what her treasure is! :)

Easter and Baseball

We had a nice easter. The easter bunny forgot to get easter candy from the store until Saturday afternoon, and needless to say, all he could find was a bag of robin eggs and a 6 pack of Reese's Easter eggs. He ended up hiding all our hard boiled eggs we decorated Saturday afternoon, in addition to my 'Shaker Eggs' I use for nursery. The kids found most of them - although Monday night during FHE we found one we had missed. The Easter Bunny gave Carter 2 hats, an easter book, and a Diego Color Wonder book - and some plastic easter eggs that looked like different kinds of balls. The eggs were his favorite. You can see in the video what the easter bunny left Alli.

Allison and Carter went to the primary easter party Saturday morning. Anthony took them (I was practicing a musical number in the chapel) - and afterwards several people told me that Carter was a natural with the baseball bat they were using with the pinata. This week has been the week of baseball. He carries the bat around all the time - and wants to play any moment he can convince one of us to play with him.

And one other note - you'll see Allison insist on doing a 'bag story' in the baseball video. A few days ago I read an idea in a book where we put a bunch of random objects in a bag and the pull them out one at a time and use them to tell a story. She loves this game! We usually use a pillow case as the bag to hold bigger items.

Conference Weekend and Easter Party

Broomfield City had an easter party this last week I took the kids to. Alli got her face painted like a bunny rabbit and the kids were able to get their picture taken with the easter bunny. Carter was frozen stiff as he sat on Flopsy - I took about 3 pictures of them on his lap - and in all 3 his arms are held out stiff. But all week he would try to say 'Ee-er buhy'.

Conference Weekend was so nice. I love receiving counsel from the general authorites. While we listened Carter and Dad put together my new filing cabinets. Carter was a big help.

Speechless

Allison says things all the time that just leave me speechless. I've been trying to write them down when she says them so I don't forget. These are some recent ones . . .

"My eyes feel good." Said today as we were eating carrots and ranch dressing for lunch. I at first just nodded - just thinking it was a random comment. But she kept saying it - how her eyes felt so good. Anthony then realized she was saying that because I had told her before that eating carrots are good for her eyes.

"Z makes me thirsty." Said while doing starfall on the couch.

"Wiggling means I don't need to go potty. Dancing means I do need to go potty. Right now I'm wiggling." Allison explaining the signs of potty time.

"Because the table's not taped yet". Allison's response to Anthony regarding why she was putting tape all over the table.

"My tummy says I'm so excited!" Exclamation of excitement

"My tummy says it wants it louder." Requesting that the music be turned up in the car.

"The big water keeps us up, right?" Said with apprehension on the car ride to the swimming pool.

"Sleeping on the couch makes my brains go away." Discussing quiettime location.

March Sampler

Oh it's been awhile since I've posted anything. Here are some pictures for the past month . . .

We went down the the Children's Museum several mornings this month. We got a membership this year and I've discovered the best time to go is first thing in the morning at 9:00 - and we just go for an hour and a half. After 10:30 it gets way too crowded and busy . . . but we've enjoyed several fun mornings there. Carter's favorite spot is the mini basketball court. Allison has been enjoying the art room these past couple of times.

This was my attempt at an April Fool's day joke. I saw this in the Family Fun magazine this month. It looks like a fish stick, peas, and catsup . . . right? He he - actually it's a Little Debbie Cookie coated in peanut butter and corn flakes, taffy peas, and strawberry jam. So the joke was pretty much lost on Alli - but she did enjoy the treat :). There was another fun idea in Family Fun that we tried this month. I made a little 'passport' notebook for the kids as we went shopping one afternoon. Each had a list of items they had to find in the store and then put a little sticker by the item once they found it. It made the dreaded trip to Walmart a lot more bearable. Alli loved searching for the things on her list.

Hmm - so we did a lot of Family Fun things this month. Alli had a playdate with one of her friends and I made up a little house template out of construction paper and then had the girls and Carter cut up magazines to fill the rooms in their houses. I sadly ran out of gluesticks a few weeks ago . . . I purchased tons of them during the back to school sales last year - thinking they'd last me the whole year. But, alas, it's march - and they are all used up. We go through those things like water. I ended up using liquid glue - and just squeezed some in the egg carton and had the girls apply it to their pictures with a q-tip. It worked great!

So this is actually Allison's 2nd piece she's learned on the piano. The first piece she ever played was called 'Little Lost Kitty' in Faber's My First Piano Adventures. It is such a thrill to teach Allison. I've taught many beginning students - but engaging in the teaching and learning process with Allison has been such a treat. The first time she played little lost kitty - actually reading the notes off the page, it took me aback. I was trying to have her go through the steps of tapping the rhythm and playing it on the key cover and saying her finger numbers, and pointing to the notes on the page . . . but she didn't want anything to do with that - she just wanted to play it. It's a bit of a struggle because she has her own agenda, and as 'Mom' instead of 'piano teacher', she doesn't do exactly what I direct as my other students do . . . but it's a lot of fun to play 'piano lessons' with her.

I wanted to get some video of Allison and Carter doing starfall together. I love that Allison can now help Carter do the computer and I can have some time to clean the house or do other things. It's fun to watch Allison and Carter interact now that they are getting older.

Random

Alli and her pigtails.

We have a wall in our laundry room where Allison can hang up all her projects. After about a month it fills up, and so we take a picture, and then throw them all away.
Grandma came to visit for a little while last month - traveling back from Utah. It was such a treat to have her here for a few days.

I caught Carter sneaking into Allison's room after we had put them both to bed. Allison informed me that they were going to have a sleepover.

We enjoyed a fun evening with Nicole and John last weekend. We watched their kids while they went to the temple, and then that night we were able to celebrate Taylor's birthday with some cake and ice cream - and a little Wireless sports. Allison and Taylor were such good friends.