Frog Jump

Love when my kids get creative!! All they need is some paper...and they come up with so many fun things. We have bags of paper airplanes, paper ninja stars, paper fingers, paper flowers, paper boxes...you get the picture. And not only do they make them, but they "sell" them to each other with their own system of fake money and stores. Brendon even has his own "copyright": BPA.

One night we came home to Frog Jump, Brendon's made up board game with origami frogs and questions made on old business cards. So great, and the kids were all completely entertained!!

Burro Heaven

The weekend before Spring Break we wanted to get out of the house and enjoy the great weather after weeks of rain. So we went to Oatman, a little ghost town where "wild" burros roam free and visitors can buy food from every store to feed said burros.

The burros are about as tame as can be. Brendon's look of excitement sums up his feelings about the town, but Suzanna and Jonathan were a little more into the experience. Tyler was fine with everything as long as the burros stayed far away.

We caught the end of a staged gunfight, but sadly we didn't come on the right weekend to witness such exciting events like the bed race, egg fry or burro biscuit toss. Hmmm....

My favorite part of the trip was when we stopped at Target in Bullhead on our way home. Shopping heaven compared to Kingman!!

Spring Break

We stuck around Kingman for the first few days of Spring Break since Phil had some work meetings he didn't want to miss. We tried out the new frozen yogurt shop and loved it, went swimming at the indoor pool at the wellness center, played with friends and enjoyed having no schedule.

Then on Wednesday night we got out of town!! We stopped at Phil's brother Evan's house in Litchfield Park and had so much fun visiting with them. We loved being there and had to leave way too soon.

Our next stop was the park to visit all our old friends. We had fun catching up and letting the kids play. I am so sad to not have any pictures--I can't believe how much everyone has changed in nine months!!

While Phil golfed with his former boss/friend that afternoon, the kids and I shopped and shopped. I was pretty much in heaven--family, friends, shopping, great radio stations (I can't tell you how much I miss them!), warm weather--it was a fabulous day.

Then we headed to Thatcher to visit the rest of our family. I only got the camera out once while we were there for our fun barbecue with the Allreds.

We roasted hot dogs and marshmallows:

Played with cousins:

Let Elizabeth entertain us:

Segregated into the guys:

and the girls:

played with fireworks:

And lit the ole' Christmas tree on fire:

While we were there we also had fun visiting and staying with my parents, seeing my brother Cory, getting to go to the Temple (loving the 5 minute commute!), going out for a girls breakfast with Anna and my sisters-in-law and nieces, visiting our friends Tom and Suzanna, and so much more. It was a fabulous trip...except for the whole driving thing. By the time we got home late Sunday night, none of us ever wanted to see the car again! We were glad to bring Grandma Flake home with us though!!

Target Practice

Spring Break included a lot of target practice =)

Ty and Jonathan love it when Brendon shares his air soft guns. They really wish I'd let them get their own...but I'm trying to hold them off a little longer. I'm just a little over-protective (notice the awesome eye wear to protect their eyes), and I'd like them to be a little older before they're responsible for their own guns.

Chocolate Science

Lucky us, we got to spend part of our Spring Break doing Suzanna's science fair project. I am not a huge fan of science projects--mostly just because they take a lot of work--from the parent. But Suzanna chose a fun and yummy science project--which cup will keep hot chocolate the hottest. And no surprise, an insulated and lidded cup worked the best. Anna's friend Taylor came over while we did the project which made it even more fun!

Snow Trip

This trip was over a year in the making, and I was so glad we finally made it!! Last year I went with our ward's youth to play in the snow near Williams, AZ, and I loved it so much I couldn't wait to bring my family back. Seriously, this place is AWESOME!!

So I made plans, spent the winter finding good deals on snow shoes for everyone (good shoes is a must if you actually want to enjoy the experience), got everyone excited, and then got SICK two days before we were supposed to leave.

I guzzelled airborne, rested, and hoped that I would wake up Monday morning (President's day) feeling amazing and ready to go. It didn't happen.

But I was determined to go anyway. With cold medicine and a lot of help from Phil and the kids, we made it and had THE BEST DAY EVER!! It was everything I had hoped for: the perfect place, lots of snow, hardly anyone else there, and tons of fun for everyone.

And look--I even got a picture!!

And I think you all should be impressed that I even remembered the camera and took a picture!! So maybe it was only one picture right by the car before we even got started playing, but I was sick =). And who wants to have to worry about the camera when you're playing in the snow!?!

Not Pictured

We had a busy start to 2011, and none of it made it onto our camera. Six weeks of the camera not even making it out of the cupboard. Sad...but I'm sure no one is surprised with my track record with the camera.

As always, though, I want at least some record of what we did, even if it isn't as fun with out pictures. So here goes:

I spent a lot of January having fun putting together a baby shower for a friend who serves in young women with me. The girls (as in the young women) and I had fun planning the shower, making fun gifts like wood blocks, making yummy treats and putting the whole thing together. It's been a long time since I've had the chance to host a shower, and I had fun being all creative.

I also spent a ton of time in January practicing the piano so that I could not embarrass myself as I played for the ward choir. And I did pretty good when I finally came time to perform. Two weeks later when I played a duet with one of my Mia Maids, I did not do so hot. Nor did I do well when I accompanied the young women at a baptism in February. One step forward, two steps back. At least I will always remain humble about my piano skills =)

Valentine's Day was also a lot of fun for our family. It started off great when I received some beautiful roses from Phil, got busy in the middle when Ty and I helped out at Jonathan's class party, and ended with a fun dinner at home with the kids. We got Chinese takeout and had fun creating a somewhat formal dinner for the kids to practice their table manners. How do I not have this on camera!?!? It was a fun night with great food and an awesome way to celebrate Valentine's together.

I'm sure there were a million other moments I would love to have on film and in my memory. Is it too late in the year for resolutions? I'm in serious need of one about getting the camera out more....