Tag, You're It!

Okay, so a friend of mine tagged me, in what I can only describe as a blogging chain letter. (Thank you Andrea!) I'm supposed to answer 6 questions about myself, then tag 6 people, posting their names here, and sending them messages on their blogs to let them know I've tagged them. They in turn answer the same 6 questions, and so on and so forth, alerting me when they've completed the task.

Question 1:

What are the 5 things on your To Do List?

1. Clean bathroom...bleh

2. Weed backyard...thanks to Roundup, that task is almost done!

3. Update the blog...with this post, I'm all caught up!

4. Balance check book

5. organize garage

Question 2:

Name 5 Snacks You Love

1. Homemade bread with homemade boysenberry jam...yum

2. Fruit

3. On rare occasions...this may gross some of you out...Little Debbie Oatmeal Cream Pies

4. Organic mozzarella string cheese

5. When I have them...Lindt Truffles, which I could eat all day till the cows come home...which is a big reason why I don't keep them in the house.

Question 3:

Name 5 Things You Would Do if you Suddenly Became a Millionaire

1. Pay off all debt, including house, vehicles, student loans

2. Travel

3. Buy a bigger house...cash

4. Invest it with the help of someone who knows what to invest in

5. Put money aside for my kids' educations and missions

Question 4:

Name 5 Places You Have Lived

1. Austin, Texas

2. Provo, Utah

3. Cedar City, Utah

4. Provo, Utah...I know this is a repeat, but I lived in 5 different places in the same city.

5. Round Rock, Texas

Question 5:

Name 5 Jobs You Have Had

This is a pretty sad list

1. Babysitter

2. Assistant Manager at Hot Dog on a Stick

3. Janitor

4. Food Server

5. Telemarketer

Question 6:

5 Things People Don't Know About Me

I think this is probably the hardest question of all, because as you all probably know, I can't keep a secret to save my life.

1. I have a fear of the unknown/unseeable...yeah, there's no way that's a word. This includes but is not limited to anything in the dark, and any body of water that isn't chlorinated. It doesn't mean I won't go swimming in lakes, rivers, or oceans...I'll just be secretly freaking out the whole time.

2. I like to eat dough...I usually try to do it on the sly so as to avoid grossing people out. Dough meaning bread dough, cookie dough, pie dough...you name it. It's not even like pie pastry or bread dough tastes that great...I know, I'm weird.

3. I like musicals. Old musicals...like Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and Thoroughly Modern Milly.

4. I hate scary movies. This one might surprise some of you, because before I had kids, I watched several scary movies...I can't stomach them now, though. I don't even like watching the previews for scary movies on TV.

5. I'm pregnant.

Okay, so not really, but I thought I'd try to freak some of you out, and well, it's been 8 months since the last one. I'm sure some of you expect that to be the reason we call when our name show up on your caller id. I really can't think of anything else.

Okay, so now I tag, Mom Valdivieso, Clarissa Wilstead, Kathleen Skinner, Catherine Valdivieso, Tammy Baird, and Alisha Morgan.

"I'm exercising"

I thought this was pretty funny today. Carly went into her drawer and pulled out an undershirt, or should I say "exercise shirt." She then asked me to put on the exercise video she's seen me do. She's a riot. She had the hand weights all ready for the cardio part of the workout. You go girl!

Library Days

We've already had a fun field trip since being home. We are now official library card holders. Woo hoo!! We went to the library yesterday with our neighbor friends Kesha and Chloe. The kids loved getting their hands stamped with dragon flies and dinosaurs, and then picking out their books. Of course, I helped pick out ones I thought they'd enjoy. They've already read about amphibians and tree frogs several times.

The library is in a great location down town...and just a block away from our favorite doughnut shop. So of course, doughnuts had to be a part of this excursion.

We had a great time, and I'm excited to get the kids started in the summer reading passport event. They just have to read 25 books, and then turn in their reading logs for prizes. I even signed myself up for the program...only 5 hours, and then I'll get a prize!!

Home Again, Home Again, Jigedy Jig

We had such a great time in California. We had so many fun adventures that filled our three weeks out there. The kids were excited to go home and see their Daddy. They were great on the airplane, with a little help from the new colors, and doodle pads they got for the trip home.

Say Cheese!!

V-Town

I had never heard that Visalia had a free trolley that took you down town, until Navarre and Catherine had a scavenger hunt over their open house weekend. I wasn't able to be there that weekend, and I couldn't believe that in the 6 years that I'd been visiting Visalia, I'd never ridden it. It was a must do in my mind.

You should have seen the big grin Carly had while we were riding the trolley. She couldn't stop smiling.

After our ride, we took a quick stroll of down town. There were lots of great shops, and in one antique shop window, we saw a porcelain pig for $3oo. Wowza.

Next Stop: Fresno Chaffe Zoo

Zoo days are the best. The kids love the zoo. We weren't sure about going this time, because the weather turned so hot, but we powered through anyhow. It turned out to be a great day. We took plenty of water, frozen and not, hats, sunscreen, and lunches. We were ready for anything...I even had extra clothes for all the kids in case anyone decided to vomit, wet their pants, etc. Of course, since I brought them, we ended up not needing the extras...don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. Here we are at the start of our day. I didn't take a lot of pictures with my camera, and the cds we made at Costco of Elle's pictures aren't working on my computer...you'll just have to be satisfied with the few I took from Mama Tess' blog...I know our blogs are almost identical now!

There were a lot of great animals to see at the zoo. The kids always like to see the monkeys, tigers, and elephants. Those are probably Josh's favorite animals. He loves to makes their noises. We were lucky we went when we did, because they were also having a sting ray and shark exhibit, where we could touch them. Neat!
Josh was very brave and wanted to touch the sting rays very badly. Of course, in his efforts to get their attention by splashing, he was probably scaring them away. Carly didn't want to put her hands in the water. She said "they scare me." Touching sting rays isn't really my thing, but I wanted to show Carly that it wasn't scary. I was actually pretty proud of myself for doing it. They have a weird texture. Almost slimy.
The last time we went to the zoo with the Skinners in St. Louis, Carly wouldn't let Papa put her down when we were in the goat petting/feeding pen. This time she walked right in, pet a few goats, then grabbed a brush and started grooming one. Josh followed her lead and warmed right up to the animals. I think my dad is right though...they have creepy eyes.

Next, on to the Giraffes!!
I was pretty anxious for the kids to feed the Giraffes. Josh calls them Zebras for some reason. Probably just easier to say. You may wonder what he calls a Zebra. Those are Zebras, too. Josh fed the Giraffes first, and after his turn, I learned my lesson...don't give all the leaves at once, otherwise, they pull back too soon. Carly was pretty impressed with their long tongues. When she talks about it, she stretches her neck really long, and sticks out her tongue as far as it'll go.

There was also a great bird show at the zoo. There were several different species of birds, and they flew in and around us, sometimes literally right next to us. The kids liked the talking parrots the best. The trainers had them singing songs, and laughing. It was great.

I was feeling pretty brave, and so when they asked for a volunteer to participate in the show, my hand shot up. The trainer had me sit on a stool, and get my camera ready for a great shot...a large horned owl was going fly right at me and land just above my head. As luck would have it, right when I was supposed to take the picture, Elle's camera shut off.


The trainer gladly took this picture with the owl right behind me. It was quite the experience. The owl moved so silently.

It was such a great day, and a wonderful culmination of our time in California.

A Fun Uncle

Uncle Emmerson entertained the kids one evening by helping them play with the boxes left over from the many toys bought prior to their coming. The kids really loved all the quality time with Emmerson and Elle. Unfortunately, Emm was a little too sore to play with the kids a lot, because he had surgery the first Monday we were there.

Sequoia National Forest

I think we were trying to pack everything possible into this trip. I guess I figured since we were going to be in Visalia for three weeks, there was time to do a bunch. Mama Tess drove us up to see General Sherman one evening. It's such a beautiful drive, and one of my very favorite places. I am always awe-struck at the size and beauty of the redwood trees. It's such a peaceful place, I could live up there. I think the only thing keeping me from setting up residence in that beautiful setting are the bear claw marks we saw as soon as we got on the trail, the bear boxes all over the place, and the signs that say to hide the food in your car before leaving it. Yikes! I wish I'd taken a picture of the claw marks we saw in the asphalt trail. It's enough to put the fear in you. Of course, I put on a brave face for the kids. Josh was right at home in the woods. There's no stopping that kid...even getting car sick and vomiting a few minutes before.

It was a beautiful drive. Perhaps with a few too many turns for Josh's liking, though.

Tunnel Rock is before you actually get up into the Giant Forest. It's closed off now, but visitors used to be able to drive their vehicles under it.

Here we are before our hike to General Sherman.

This is a cross-section of a giant redwood tree trunk. Josh was off wandering along the trail. He didn't want to hold still for the picture, when there was exploring to do.

That's General Sherman behind us. The top part of the tree is dead, but the base continues to grow. It's the largest living organism in the world. General Grant is about an hour away in the forest, and is the tallest living organism in the world. I have yet to see that one. Is this a cute pose or what? I was cracking up. I couldn't believe I got them both to pose like this.

Josh and I are standing in the burn scar of a tree. This might give you a better appreciation for how large these trees really are.

It was getting pretty dark by the time we started to make our way back to the car, so the pictures are getting progressively darker. There was a tree that had fallen across the trail, and a hole has been cut for visitors to pass through. Carly was a little uneasy about it at first, but as long as she had Mommy and Mama Tess, she was fine. Josh on the other hand, could have done the whole trail alone. He has no fear.

Mama Tess is exploring with Josh, showing him how to put sticks into the little holes between the rocks. You wouldn't believe the sounds of amazement and awe that came out of that little boy, just with looking at rocks.

The sun was setting fast, and we were walking as quickly as our legs would carry us. The poor kids were worn out by the end of it, and Carly was getting pretty nervous in the dark. We finally made it to the car, and Mama Tess and I committed to each other then and there that we'd be long distance walking buddies. Not that we'd walk long distances together, but that we'd both start a walking program in an effort to get into better shape. Now that I've committed us publicly, we'd better keep it up!

Cousins

Autumn and Gabriel came over to play one day. Gabriel is a sweet baby. Very easy and content. I was impressed by his ability to be happy on his own. It was great to see Autumn and hear how she's doing.
Jack was fascinated by the baby, and Carly couldn't get enough of him.
She's a natural born nurturer.

Murray Family Farms

I really don't know what we were thinking this day. Like I said before I really wanted to pick fruit while in California. Clarissa knew of a great place in Bakersfield for families to pick fruit together. They have a little animal petting area, and hay mazes. Of course, we waited until it was the very hottest part of the day to go...100 degrees! For some reason I thought we'd be in the shade, so I didn't even take Jack's hat! It's a miracle we didn't all walk away looking like lobsters. We didn't stay very long though, because the kids weren't diggin' the heat, and to be honest, I felt like my face was melting off. We've decided that next time we'll go in the early morning when the animals are still out, and it's cool enough to linger for more than half an hour.

Inside the barn is a little grocery area where you can buy the fruit already picked, or go outside and pick it yourself. We had some of both. It was very yummy.

I think there was a little sampling going on in the wagons. Josh loved to pull the wagons...quite the helper!

Well, now we know the kids are capable of manual labor! No excuses later!

Carly and Kaela picking nectarines.

Carly and Kaela are helping Elle pull the wagon.

The kids loved picking the fruit off the trees. There were pluots, apricots, nectarines, blackberries, raspberries, boysenberries, etc. It really was a neat little place. Yea for the San Joaquin Valley! Thanks to Clarissa for showing us a good time!

San Francisco Baby!

Our second weekend in California was marked by our Annual Girls Retreat. It was a blast. We went to San Francisco, and the best part of it all...being able to leave the kids and know they were well taken care of! A big thanks to Aunt Sharon, Papa Steve, and Emmerson for all you did!! We had our itinerary in hand, and several maps and directions from MapQuest, to our various locations. We first drove over the Golden Gate Bridge and parked so that we could get out and walk across the bridge. It was a beautiful day, and not too crowded. This is the view from in the car as we drove across the bridge.
Mama Tess had bought us all California Dreamin' hats for the trip. I forgot to put mine on before the picture. That's Jack strapped on to Mama Tess' front.
This is the view of the city from the bridge.
That's me, Clarissa, and Elle standing next to a section of cable like the ones used in the bridge.

After taking it all in at the bridge, we headed on over to Lombard Street.

"Lombard Street is best known for the one way section on Russian Hill between Hyde and Leavenworth Streets, in which the roadway has eight sharp turns that have earned the street the distinction of being "the crookedest [most winding] street in world." The switchbacks design, was first suggested by property owner Carl Henry and instituted in 1922, born out of necessity in order to reduce the hill's natural 27% grade, which was too steep for most vehicles to climb and a serious hazard to pedestrians used to a more reasonable sixteen-degree incline." (Information gathered on Wikipedia) Mama Tess pulled over before we made our way down Lombard street, and I got in the drivers' seat, so that I could brag that I drove down Lombard street.

We ended up only having Mama Tess, Jack, and me in the car, because Elle and Clarissa got out to hike down the street.

That stretch of Lombard Street is really beautifully landscaped with Hydrangea of just about every color in the rainbow. Truly exquisite.

Then we made our way over to Pier 39. Our next big objective of the day was to get on a ferry over to Alcatraz for a tour. Unfortunately, all the tickets were sold out for that day. We were still able to see some really great things.

The girls all humored me by walking down Pier 39 to look at a submarine and ship from WWII. It was great to soak in some history while we were there, and I wanted to take pictures of the different relics, because Jarod enjoys learning about the war so much. This is the submarine, which I can't remember the name of right now...ladies, help me out. This is an actual torpedo.

So, when we were done looking at the historical artifacts, we made our way over to a little restaurant for some fresh seafood. We decided to all try the fish and chips and clam chowder in a sour dough bread bowl. The seafood was delicious, and oh so fresh. While in San Francisco, we made a stop at Ghiradelli Square for our traditional ice cream fudge sundae, and free chocolate sample. Delicious. Whoever said diamonds were a girls' best friend, hadn't had chocolate yet.

We still had time to stop in lots of different shops an buy several souvenirs. It was a day filled with lots of fun things to see, great company, and lots and lots of laughter.