well hello there. I know my posts have been very lack-lustre lately. I've been thinking about a few really funny posts... then my hubby said, NO. ABSOLUTELY NOT. I know you are thinking since when did you listen to him anyway!? But since it directly relates to him, I won't post it. Although, it was some really funny stuff, personal stuff, that I won't reveal. Maybe later. When it itsn't so fresh in his memory. Or maybe when he's not so sore, and I'm not afraid he'll want to wring my neck for a little good natured teasing... just sayin' I'm not gonna tell. You can't make me.

On a less funny note. I have good news, Dave's buying a new camera today. We haven't had a camera for a couple months now. So I can get back to taking my breathtaking photos for you all to enjoy. Who doesn't love a good lizard on the head picture?

We haven't burned up. I'm waiting till judgement day for that.

Work Schmurk

I don't know why I didn't remember, but work, is really a lot of work. It takes so much time and effort, and the kids are so , so, so teenager-ish. They mope in with their floppy arms and feet acting as if the class, no matter how entertaining, will never meet their expectations. So I do the painstaking song and dance that I have carefully choreographed and they stare. They stare with eyes that would scare the most gruesome creature. They stare with sightless eyes. No wonder Twilight is so popular... Stephanie Meyer must have known they would identify with monsters. Let me correct that...Vampires and Werewolves. Anyway I made it through my first week. The monsters didn't eat me.

I know I have a zillion things to blog about!


Willow and Poppy started school. Poppy's first day was good. She lookes darling in her new little dress/tunic thingy with leggin's. She didn't seem nervous and took all the chaos in stride. Her only complaint was that the wood chips got in her sandals during recess. She is such a funny little girl.

Willow said, "this was the best day ever at Little Lake", so I think she likes her teacher. Willow's class has about 8 mormon kids in it so she had friends from church to play with.

Phoenix and Lily went to the babysitters (Kimmy)house and had a great time. They played and enjoyed themselves outside on her new swing set. Lily is still getting used to taking her nap a little later. They only see kimmy on Wed Thurs and Friday.

I started school (teaching spanish) the same day as the girls. I will be teaching at a small school in our district that offers excellerated courses. I teach 3 hours a day (2 /90 minute blocks)

Our days are pretty hectic, but it all works surprisingly well.

Willow got Baptized

Dave baptized Willow last weekend and we are as proud as we could be. She is quite an amazing young lady. I don't think I could capture what I really feel about her. Sniff. Sniff. I adore her. She is the lovliest parts of me... (and Dave) NO wonder these little spirits are so valiant. So beautiful. So fair. I wish for her all the blessings the eternities have to offer.

The Hostess with the MOstess

Your guess is as good as mine about how Tim caught this one...

This is definitely the Hostess with the Mostess. This is my sister-in-law, Leca, she's amazing. She took the bull by the horns and decided that it was high time we all got together and saw each other. She called and finagled and made lofty promises and pretty much orchestrated a Family Reunion. We all converged on her house in the middle of July and I was amazed at what I found. NOt only was the house immaculate but it was turned into TAYLOR MANOR. A room for each of us with comfy accommodations and all the clean linens you could ask for. My room was equipped with all the necessary amenities. Portacrib, pillows, sleeping bags, color coded towells,extra blankets, shampoo, and even little unopened soaps so that I didn't disgust anyone when I left a long black hair stuck to it! Dave swears he had mints under his pillow.... but I couldn't find mine, he must have eaten mine too.

But wait! The accolades didn't even make it to the Hostess with the MOstess... my husband, who was all in favor of staying at a hotel, commented many times on how nice it was. How nice it was for the Airport Shuttle (Tim's mini-van) to haul us all back and forth. How nice it was to have a car waiting for us at the rental place (Tim's garage). How nice it was to have a water park at the hotel for the kids to play at (Tim's backyard). How nice it was to have meals planned and prepared for us (Tim's Kitchen).

Then a few days after we arrived safely back home, my husband, paid the ULTIMATE COMPLIMENT to The HOstess with the Mostess... he said to me, "Can you just set up the house, just like Aleca did when my family comes?" Let me tell you she really is the Hostess with the Mostess. So from the bottom of my heart THANK YOU. The family reunion was wonderful because of you!

PS if you want to see pictures of the reunion check out Leca's blog (which never gets neglected).

The Tour de US is finally done

Did you notice that I was gone for a while? Well I did. I would look at that old blog post and think, "when is she going to update that?" then I would remember that SHE was me and that it would be rude to hog the computer while visiting someone elses house. We have had a busy month. With family reunions from both sides, an anniversary trip, a week at the beach, and a couple "sleepovers" with some friends kids. I'll post a couple about the trips and then I'll get back to posting about random stuff. Okay?

The Finger

Lily the wee tiny one at our house broke her finger. She loves to sneak outside. She loves to wander the neighborhood looking for mud, puddles, or morsels of food on the ground. She is one. You see my problem here right? It is not alright for a 1 year old to run around the neighborhood like an urchin. She isn't Oliver Twist. She isn't even Harry Potter. She has two parents who love her, cloth her, and even, yes, feed her. So being outside free like a lark (she must have know that's what I wanted to name her)is her goal in life. About two weeks ago she was trying to get out and Phoenix was trying to get her back in and the door slammed on her left pointer finger. The rest is pure guess because all I saw was the aftermath. I think it was caught in the door and she panicked and pulled it out. By that time it was pretty well squished. The nail was taken right off. All of it. It left a gaping hole where the little bone was exposed. ewww. We went to Urgent Care and waited the mandatory 3 hours and they said that the bone was broken and that the nail was totally gone. Sianarra. Adios. Chao. They bandaged it and plinted it and said to give her the antibiotic and tylenol.

NOw, lest you think I am an awful parent... we did all that the doctor ordered and the finger is looking better. Still no nail, but she is able to use it and the splint came off. The MD's think that the nail will do one of three things: 1) not grow back at all. 2) grow back and be warped, either wavy or bumpy. or 3) It will grow back and be perfect just like new. Hopefully it grows back perfect in everyway. The last thing I need is to be blamed for some horrible accident I couldn't control! I'm sure I will be blamed for lots of things that I can. Bring on the therapy!