I feel like time goes by so fast and I just don't have time to post everything I want to for my kids to reminisce upon someday, so I am going to write just a short summary of some of our goings on lately, and if I get time, I will do real posts about these later...photos and all....

The weekend before Chris's birthday, he took the boys to a monster truck rally. They had a blast and brought home a few souvenirs. They witnessed a crash that took out one of the walls of the building, which ended the show a few minutes early...

Chris had his birthday on the 21st, he had to work like usual, but we invited the missionaries over for dinner and had chimichangas and cheesecake. I finally broke down and bought him the TV he has been wanting for our bedroom. Now he can finally kick back on the bed and watch his sports in high-def.

The scenic loop (Hawk Ridge and Seven Bridges Road) near our house is finally open, I took Taron and Ella for a drive and we found a fun waterfall to throw rocks in. I am glad they like exploring as much as I do, there definitely are plenty of trails that need exploring still. Every day is something new here, and it's all within a few miles.

Sierra performed with a group of girls in the school talent show, they sang and danced to Hannah Montana's Hoe-down Show-down song. They put it together all on their own, with no help from grown-ups. Since we have a big open room with built-in speakers, our house was the designated practice place. Because of this, I was blessed with many sneak peeks before the performance!

Caden had his eighth birthday on the 27th. He wanted triple chocolate cake, so I made chocolate cake with chocolate chips and chocolate frosting (I discovered that chocolate pudding mix is a good substitute for cocoa when in a pinch). He got a new Star Wars Lego video game, and I am wondering why I didn't get it for him sooner -- this morning he actually woke himself up and got dressed so he could play his game before school. For those of you who know Caden well, you know this is a big deal. Most mornings I just get him dressed while he is still asleep... it's funny because he will finally wake up and say, "I don't want to wear this shirt, mom!" Sorry bud, too late.

Today I took the little ones out for one of our "adventures". We explored a little canyon across the street from the school, where daring trees adorn the ferocious cliffs, and quaint bridges conquer raging waterfalls (sorry, I'm waxing a bit poetic, but you just had to be there). With time to spare, we hopped back in the car and went somewhere a little more civilized -- the Children's museum. As usual on a weekday, we were about the only ones there and had free reign of the place. We snuck in the board room and I took some photos of Taron in the "bosses" chair at the end of a huge table. He thought he was pretty hot stuff, and told Ella she was "fired". All he needs now is a bad toupee...

On the way home, we drove on I-35, where "tunnel yelling" has become a tradition in our family. When the freeway was built through Duluth, apparently people didn't want it to be invasive, so they put much of it underground, and the tops are adorned with rose gardens and such. I found an interesting article on it with photos at http://www.mindspring.com/~tbgray/prch4.htm -- I guess it was a pretty unique project... Anyways, Chris used to honk through the tunnels, but I convinced the kids that yelling was just as fun and less disturbing for other drivers. So whenever we go through a tunnel, the kids drop whatever conversation they are having and let out a long yell until we are out again. It cracks me up -- "Mom, when I grow up I want to be a WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

And now tonight Solei is at the Great Lakes Aquarium for Young Women's activity, so I'm sure she is enjoying herself. They went with the coast guard on a boat a while ago and Solei almost fell in the lake and lost her shoe... we'll see if she has any such adventures this time around.

Conversation coming from the back of the car after dropping Dad off at work:



Taron: "I can't wait to be a dad"

Ella: "I can't wait to be a mom"

Taron: "Then I can get my driver's license"

Ella: "Then I can get my driver thingy"

Taron: "But, Ella, moms can't run fast."

Ella: "But I HAVE TO be a mom!!!"

What does this have to do with anything? Nothing really, I just thought it was such a typical, simple conversation that is so characteristic of those two. They are funny kids.

Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!

Taron, Ella and I were taking a drive around town and exploring Skyline Parkway when we ended up near Spirit Mountain, the ski resort at the other end of town. That reminded me of something I had heard recently; that the Lake Superior Zoo was located at the base of the ski resort.

"You kids want to go to the zoo?"
Pretty much a rhetorical question.

I found out that a year pass was only $55, so I made the investment -- two family visits would more than pay that off.

We started inside, where a sweet lady introduced us to Kermit the snake. Taron actually worked up the courage to pet it! She said they took all the animals out for exercise occasionally, and I asked (jokingly) if they took the cockroaches out to play... and she replied that they did! I guess cockroaches need their exercise too...

Here is the video evidence of Taron petting the snake:



Next we peeked in on the tigers, but they were just lounging around... So, we trekked over to the petting zoo. Luckily I had a quarter for the pellet vending machine, making both human and goat kids happy. Another video:



We also saw lions, kangaroos, a polar bear, and too many others to list, but we discovered more than just animals. I think the playground was actually Taron's favorite part, his face beamed as he slid down a giant snake's back, and rode on the shell of a larger-than-life turtle.




And, of course, since the zoo is in Duluth, there is a waterfall... those things are everywhere in this town! My kids never seem to get tired of throwing rocks in the water though. Here is the upper half:

And here is a video of the raging waters, if you watch it you may want to turn your sound down though, the water is LOUD!



We headed "under" the water for some of the exhibits; the kids loved watching the seal flip around but were a bit disappointed that the polar bear refused to take a swim. Oh well, that's what season passes are for!

Rapunzel, Rapunzel, Let Down Your Long Hair...

As a child, I remember countless bedtime hours spent in the world of "Let's Pretend". My dad came home from Kmart one day, loaded with recordings of his favorite childhood radio drama, and that was the beginning of a nightly bedtime ritual. Every night, princes wakened beautiful maidens with their kisses, giants threatened the countryside, and wicked witches tormented small children. This was also my first exposure to the story of Rapunzel and her tower of solitude. In my child's eye, I would imagine the tall stone tower looming in the woods, and this last Tuesday we experienced what it might have seemed like for the poor lass.

On top of a hill lies Enger tower, built in memory of a Norwegian fellow who donated the surrounding land for a park. We discovered great views at the top of the tower, along with a whole slew of feathered friends and their... droppings. When I looked straight down, I thought about all the times I had wondered why Rapunzel never just jumped -- I don't wonder anymore!
Even though the gardens weren't planted yet, we enjoyed the stroll through the park and discovered a large bell which we rang probably more than we should have (second photo), but there was nobody else there to tell us otherwise. There was only us three -- the slave-driving "witch", one golden-haired maiden, and a handsome prince to save the day...

And here's the video evidence that we made it to the top...

Let Me Explain...

Fellow bloggers: I know I've been posting replies as "Solei" to some of your posts, mostly because I type my reply and then notice I am logged in under her username (she has been on here a lot lately)...but if I try to log out and sign in again it erases my reply, and I have to retype it. So, being the lazy bum that I am... I just write my name at the end to explain that it is really me. I just thought I would clarify that, for those of you who may be wondering "what's up with that?"

So......... how's the weather???

Note:

I am doing my posts a little differently this time; there are three new posts -- so keep reading on after the first one... if you dare....

Over the River and Through the Woods -- Part II

We have a wonderful nature center not far from our home, with reptile exhibits, a bird watching station and animal puppet theater for the kids. There is no charge to visit, only for the programs, so it is a great place to entertain little kids. In the winter they have cross country skiing and snowshoeing, but now that the snow is all melted you can hike the trails in plain shoes again. We strolled up the path to Hartley Pond and threw twigs and rocks in the water and watched as they went over the waterfall -- a good lesson in what floats and what sinks.

On the trail

Crossing the waterfall

We don't really need to drive to get out in nature here though, just a half-block away from our home lie endless wooded trails, with fish-laden streams and ponds, riddled with all sorts of wildlife. Chris, Sierra and I took advantage of it on Saturday and went mountain biking. It was pretty muddy still, but we powered our way through the mucky spots and walked our bikes up the big hills (we are definitely out of shape!). I can't describe how much I love being out in nature like that, there is just something about the way it refreshes the spirit. We are anticipating this summer thoroughly; the harsh winters are definitely worth the reward you get in the summer.

I didn't take my camera with me that time, but I'm sure we will go again soon, so watch for photos in the near future.

Later that day, the primary had an "After Easter Egg Hunt"; everyone brought eggs filled with coins and at the end they dumped them all in a jar to give to the ward mission fund. I thought it was a clever way to raise money. We also had samples of the feast Jesus ate, with fish, bread and honeycomb.

Making banners to send to the missionaries

Counting the Loot

The fruits of their labors

Yo Ho Ho and a Bottle of Milk

Operation Buccaneer:
Objective: Collect buried treasure and stow it in Pirate's Cove

Ahoy, me hearties! With all these sunny days, why should I work indoors when there is plenty of yardwork to do?

My first project on the list was to landscape the little stream that runs around our house. When we moved in during the fall it was pretty dry, but now it has a good trickle going on and I thought it would be fun to accentuate that.

What started as a chore soon evolved into a pirate game -- digging up "buried treasure" (rocks from the yard), loading it in the "pirate ship" (our plastic sled) and sailing to "Pirate's Cove" (the stream) where we stowed our "booty". The kids delved into the game while I basked in the glow of their assistance.

Now, if I could just come up with a good "game" for doing the dishes...

Party Like It's 1773

One thing my mom has instilled in me is the desire to get involved in a good cause and stand for what I believe in. On Wednesday, our city held one of these "Tea Parties" to protest the out-of-control government spending and taxation, so I ventured out with the kids. Taron and Ella helped me make signs; Ella's said "Don't mortgage my future" and Taron's read "My piggy bank is not your pork barrel". I was excited to learn that my good friend Tami was going, so I had someone to talk to while I was there, and she helped me keep the kids in tow. The crowd was so large we couldn't even see the speakers, and even with the microphones it was hard to hear. It gives me hope to know that there are so many other Americans out there who are willing to stand up for our freedoms, especially in our own community.

A funny side note: Taron came away a little disappointed that the "tea party" wasn't as fun of a party as he had expected...

Forty Something...And Lovin' It

No, I didn't magically age ten years, I'm talking about Farenheit -- The kids had the week off for spring break and mother nature has blessed us with a whole week of forty-something temperatures. Aaaahhhhhhhh, it has been wonderful -- especially since the previous week had gone something like this...

Of course, we had to take advantage...

Down by the lakefront there is a wooden "castle" park; one of those kind the kids can get lost in. We spent an afternoon soaking up the sunshine and getting lost in the mazes. Even though they have their "gloom and doom" faces on in these photos, I know the kids were enjoying themselves...

As we were leaving, we heard a low, loud horn so we raced over to the water and saw our first ship of the season coming in. It was a doozie...Caden says it was the biggest ship he ever saw.



Back at the homefront, we enjoyed the simple pleasures of riding bikes and jumping on the trampoline.


Of course, our week wasn't all fun and games; spring cleaning worked it's way into the mix. We had about 20 pounds of salty dirt caked on the garage floor -- all from one winter of snow melting off the tires. Solei used the ice scraper to pry it off and I swept...and swept...and swept...

Of course, with the garage finally clean, we had to make the car match... so out came the sponges and suds.

On Wednesday morning, the kids were dancing around and being their usual crazy selves, when Taron slipped and landed on his chin. Our floor is not very forgiving, and the impact split his chin wide open... not a pleasant sight. I took him into the clinic, thinking he would need stitches but the doctor was able to glue it back together and put a bandaid over the top. I was impressed with how tough Taron was, he cried a little because of the pain, but didn't freak out like most kids would. I guess he has had worse in his life...

After conference last weekend, I felt inspired to make this Easter more than just egg hunts and imaginary bunnies, so for our scripture study this week, we read excerpts from the last week of Jesus' life. I don't know if the kids got much out of it, but for me it made Easter more meaningful. We will have to add that one to our tradition list.

Of course, we still dyed eggs...

And the imaginary bunny still visited our house... Here is the video evidence....

By the way, my girls are insisting that I post a disclaimer that they were NOT raiding Ella's easter basket in that video, they were taking out some toys which she had left in her basket so she would have more room for her eggs -- at least that is their alibi...

I usually try to get new Easter outfits for the kids when I can, but time was not cooperating this year. I did score some handsome duds for the boys though..

And a hat to match Ella's pink dress...

So, from sunny Duluth, Minnesota.... Happy Easter Everyone!

A Not-So-Funny April Fools

So...

It has been over two weeks now with no running water in our kitchen sink...and the bathroom upstairs is still unuseable... but hey, we have two bathrooms that do work and running water in the ice maker for drinking, so we are surviving. The builder is blaming the realtors because they hired out the plumbing, and the realtors are blaming the builder because he bailed out before the house was finished. It's a big mess.

April Fools day brought us a blizzard, another foot or so of snow. Everyone is ready for spring, but apparently spring isn't ready for us. Our spring break is this week though, so maybe the weather will get the hint.

The animals are out in full force now; I see squirrels and bunnies hopping across the snow every day, and driving up the coast, we saw probably 70 deer along the road. Apparently they are tired of winter too.

That reminds me, I didn't write about our date night last week...nothing too big, we just took a drive up to Two Harbors and ate at a little resort on the lake. Their creamy wild rice soup was yummy -- wild rice is a main staple here, there is even a lake named after it. I didn't have my camera, but found a photo on the resort's website, we had a nice window seat with a great view.

The day after April Fools, I went to pour Ella some Mini Wheats, and out came Rice Krispies...ha ha ha, very funny Caden! What a jokester!

I have been feeling a little bogged down lately, mostly because the house is swimming in plumbing issues, and the news is all gloom and doom lately, but listening to conference today has helped lift my spirits and given me a boost of hope. I am so glad for the gospel and the prophets who give us inspired messages, I don't know where I would be without it.

Well, that's about it for the week, not too eventful...we will see how spring break goes though.