Going to the Zoo Zoo Zoo

Some of the monkeys after playing in the splash pad.

What a perfect day for the zoo! Hanging with our beloved Mitchell family, seeing the orangutans get fed, feeding the stingrays fishheads and scoring free hot dogs. It almost makes us forget the magnificent whining we heard on the car ride to Phoenix. :)

Gid, Lindsay and Eli

Gid, Lindsay and Peter feeding the Stingrays

Curtis, Thomas, Katie and Eli feeding (themselves?) to the stingrays.

Gid doing his stingray imitation. Ha, ha!

Happy Gardening Everyone!

My herbs and flowers with a few peas along the back. Happiness!

I know I must be shifting generational gears when I realize that I love my blossoming tomato plants more than shopping or American Idol. Or is it just the tonic of spring breezes, warm sun and the smell of dill and cilantro emanating from my hands as I merrily putter around my garden boxes? Whatever it may be, age or season, I'm having a ball!

The kids have joined in too. Every day Gideon accompanies me on a tour of the back forty (feet) to inspect the crops. He's especially interested in his wa-kini (Zucchini) plants and was most upset when I thinned the eight little sprouts he planted to two in the same box. He'll understand very quickly when they transform into behemoths producing ten zucchinis a day!

Eli planted peas, alas they went in too late for our freakish seasonal patterns. We might get a few early pods before the sun burns them up. He also planted cantelopes which will be so fun if we don't kill them (always a possibility around here).

Hannah planted wildflowers. Curtis, Jonah and Cody planted a random selection of carrots, cucumbers, onions and peas. Jonah was pretty mad to discover that little green caterpillars find new little pea vines divinely tasty. He picked off dozens of them and Gid relished the sight of green gushy insides squirting on the ground. Yummy!

When harvest time comes I can't guarantee the boys will love the crops as much as the process, but I sure will. Soon enough they'll grow into veggie loving adults with gardens of their own. =)

Tomatoes and onions and Ren, oh my!

First Spring Day at the Lake

Unseasonably warm is not usually what we Arizonans want to hear, especially in the summer. But an occasional 90 degree day in March is kind of an anomaly so we'll take it! Sitting on the cool, grassy banks of the lake while Gid feeds himself and Hannah the bread meant for the ducks is a heavenly reminder of what joyful experiences life holds. Watching the pale naked backs of my boys frolicking in the water completes the experience. I'm not sure what Eli biking in swim goggles signifies but I love it! Happy Spring Everyone!

What do you think?

This picture from our Bear Lake reunion with the Byers this summer really lets our true personalities shine through, dontcha think? I pondered using it for our Christmas card picture, but I just couldn't do it. So I share it with the cyber-world and remind us all to have a crazy fun time with our friends and families while we celebrate the holidays. This time of year would lack so much without them. Have a Merry (not harried) Christmas! (or alternate winter holiday of your choosing)

Boom Boom Bells

Here's a little something for Christmas from my kids and our friends the Packers. They call these tubes "Boom Whackers." Music and violence all in one -- what could be better?

What's Wrong With this Picture?

Thank you Wal-mart for making my season picture perfect with this
darling little nativity...well almost. Does anyone else notice a
horrific figure in the back? It is none other than the headless
wiseman! He came in the box that way but it just doesn't seem worth it
to me to trek back to the store to return a $7 nativity set, time is
too precious these days. So there he sits on my mantle to teach us a
profound lesson. The lesson that...uh...we shouldn't lose our heads at
Christmas. Yes! That's it! So happy to share my wisdom. Ren would
certainly say the lesson is never, EVER shop at Wal-mart. Well, what
does he know?

I'm Beginning to Feel It

I wanted to make this Christmas different. I wanted to remember the magic and the sweet spirit I've felt before. I didn't want it to be me in a frenzy, over-analyzing and stressing about buying all the right gifts for the eight other people in my house. I wanted to feel the joy of serving my neighbors, loving my family and remembering God's gift of his son, Jesus Christ.
So I called a family council and we planned our Christmas season that it might unfold with a purpose. We planned fun family activities, service projects, and quiet moments to listen to Christmas stories and read scriptures about our Savior. Each night, whoever is home, gathers in the family room and we light two red candles. We read sweet stories of service and love that paint a picture of the Christmas spirit in action. We sing Christmas carols (the other night 4 year-old Gid asked, "Why are we all sitting here singing?") and we invite the Christmas spirit to be here. And I'm finally beginning to feel it.

While it seems to be a wonderful start, now I'm thinking about the concept of giving gifts to Jesus. When we give each other presents, it is symbolic of those gifts given by three wise men so long ago or even more importantly the gift of God, given in His son. But there still seems something lacking in that sentiment. I still hear my kids listing and revising all the things they hope to get. Gid cries every morning because he just can't wait to for Christmas to come so he can get his Star Wars action figures. Something inside me says I must teach my children a deeper meaning in the giving, but how?

This morning, while watching Christmas messages on LDS.org I found a video that struck home for me. It warmed my heart and provided the answer I was looking for. I guess I should have realized all along that my handbook for life (the scriptures) would hold the key.

"Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."

Matthew 25:40

I know we won't be perfect, but remembering this scripture will help.

Merry Christmas everyone.