Time for another post

So I had the chance before school got out to go on Isabella's field trip to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City- I just couldn't pass that one up.  I love a good trip to the museum!  It is really interesting how foreign museums can be for some people- funny how Don't Touch could mean something different to chaperoning adults!  

This is Izzi and her friend Sarah- really terrible picture, but that was as good as it could get from my phone.

This was a cool textured piece that is in the new Bloch addition to the museum.  We really connected to the harvest idea! Everyone loves a garden, right?

Izzi was all over this one- it is a slab of marble (I think) which has been sanded down in certain areas to reveal the different colors and patterns, like the mountain scene here.  Very cool- it is located in the Asian art section.

Then who's day could be complete with out a visit to The Thinker?

I'm thinking....I'm thinking.......

On a side note, I have had some people ask me what our back yard looks like- so I am adding that picture on here!  We are pretty attached to it!  We have a small garden to the left, but since I took this picture a few weeks ago, we actually have plants filling in those tomato cages etc.  And not only that but today, we had our first official picking of the cherries!  I don't know why I was planning on them in July sometime- but today worked out great too; really it was the girls idea to go out and pick, they did the majority of it with zero complaints!

Well we are just really looking forward to Joseph coming home- hopefully this coming Sunday night.  My next post will have to include our trip out to St. Louis and Nauvoo- we were happy to be able to stay with Joe for a couple of days, Thanks QPO!

Women Making America

So a brilliant friend of mine, namely Julie Savage and her equally brilliant sister, Heidi Hemming, have written the most wonderful women's history book.  I just got mine in the mail and my whole household has been devouring it, Zach especially.  It is thought provoking- truly what would it be like to learn history with a balanced view of the contributions of men and women alike!

We are looking forward to having a great course of study for the summer- this is it!!  You should go and check out their website Women Making America.

Now, you are welcome to borrow my copy, but you will have to wait in line!

Time Flies

It just isn't possible to keep up with each passing day.  We have been busily working in our garden over the last week(s).  On Saturday we planted our red and yellow raspberries, black berries, asparagus, rhubarb, elderberry, and currants, not to mention a few additions to the regular vegetable garden.  I picked a thousand peonies this last week and they are gorgeous and make me feel abundantly glad about life; this is what I call living!

The kiddos are winding down the school year, Zach had his first band concert, also the last for this year.  He is doing really well with the trumpet and looks forward to playing (through the summer) next year as well.

Bella just had her living museum at school where they were to select a famous American, research their lives and dress up as that person at school and tell classmates and families all about their particular person.  Bella chose Mary Cassatt.  I have to say she was a brilliant choice, I think there is a little artist in Isabella and she pulled it off beautifully! 

We started our first project of interior remodeling, starting on a small project, namely the mud room.  It has become the new home to our freezer- we will add a bench and some shelves later. Our hardest decision has been trying to figure out where to begin.  So alas we began outside, we will move the projects inside as the weather gets less lovely- for now it is off to mow the lawn for me!

Kaija has a birthday

Well today Kaija is a prime number- or rather, she has been on this good earth 11 years. Hooray, a birthday!  Wow, 11, can you believe that?

Kaija is a really fantastic gal and super talented.  She has a knack for music, and can play any instrument she picks up- (it just isn't fair!).  She is very skilled with crafts and origami- anything paper oriented is always a favorite with her.  She has a great sense of humor and has a new love... her voice and garage band; what a combination!

She has been reading up a storm, I can hardly keep enough books around that she hasn't read. This year she has done very well in school and has a 4.0- we are really pleased for her!  At the new house the girls have their own rooms...HEAVEN!!!!  Kaija loves having a special spot to call her own.  We love you Kaija!

Spring has sprung at Hamilton House

Well, we have officially landed at Hamilton House, and the blooming season is upon us- let us rejoice!  We love our new home and all the delectable springtime surprises.  I love waking up every morning to the sound of happy birds and the beauty of bright new leaves on the trees.  It is simply amazing what changes can take place in just a week or so.  We are so thrilled that we won't be able to see any of our neighbors from our windows as soon as all the leaves come out. (With the exception of the front of the house, but really, it is quite fantastic -our own in-city isolation!)

I really wish the blossoms could just last forever- they fill me with such tremendous joy!  The variety of plant life here is staggering to us, as it is the most we have ever experienced.  We, as usual, have intentions to add to it and have already planted 6 blueberry bushes and prepared the new garden plot.  Now if the rains will just wait a minute for us to get it planted!

I would love to share the smell of these gorgeous Lilacs with you, but I guess I will just have to go lightheaded in your behalf from all of the inhaling that I do each time I walk by.  There is nothing quite so wonderful as the warm sun releasing that glorious aroma to enjoy.  Aahhh, bliss!
Unfortunately there is still work to be done, and much of it.  I will be glad to not have to move again any time soon; it is so tiresome!  Oh, and we have too much stuff- we make ready the garage sale- out with the old, and out with the old!

Happy Spring- drop by anytime!

Less is more!

So I just have to apologize, to anyone who actually looks at my blog, for the last few posts. They were excessively long, but I have to record them somewhere or they won't get recorded at all, and then I will forget everything.  I will stick with Frank (Lloyd Wright) from now on- Less is More!

Today is Eli's 4th Birthday.  He is a real gem, a priceless young fellow.  He is my child who always wants to snuggle- it is amazing that I can get anything done for all the snuggling he wants to do!  He has the most delightful sense of humor and a very contagious laugh- we read the book called Piggies by Audrey Wood/Don Wood; he laughed every time we looked at the page with the dirty little piggies- and that was probably 15 times, with the same fit of hysteria; so precious!  I am glad he finally wants to read books together, in the past he would just rather play legos!

He has started singing more and really loves a new Primary song that we are learning at church called "My Eternal Family"- it has a pretty catchy little tune and he goes around singing it as he plays.  Well he is just a delight to have in our home and we are glad to have had 4 wonderful years with him, and are certainly looking forward to what the next years will bring!

Spring Break Part 2

I have been having some technical difficulty with this particular post and have had to try so many different things to make it work.  I guess doing it over and over again might be a good thing, or just make me crazy!  So now I will continue on with our story....

At this point we have made it to Wednesday on our journey, and that means that we are leaving Green River and going a little way down the road until we reach one of the greatest places on the planet, known as Goblin Valley.  Eli kept calling it Goblin Ballet, so you can imagine what fun we had with that while we were there!

Again, we could have spent a great deal more time exploring the valley, but we did find a substitute turtle for the one that we took pictures on during our growing up years- that particular one collapsed not too long ago.  We made it over to the cave which seems much smaller, now that I am much bigger!  

Anyway, we decided that since we were in the area we needed to go and hike up the Little Wild Horse canyon.  It is a really fun spot and the kids got to experience what a slot canyon is like; water really does amazing things to rocks!

From this point we head out, and make our way to Capitol Reef where we will camp for the night. We loved the campground there by the Visitor's Center; we woke up to find a herd of deer wandering through the campground, which Eli thought was just wonderful.  I think the herd is basically domestic as the grounds keepers were trimming the trees with chainsaws and the deer didn't even flinch!

After a yummy coconut pancake breakfast, we spent a few minutes at the Visitor's Center then on to check out the petroglyphs along the wall of the canyon. (OK petroglyph is where it is carved out of the rock, pictograph is painted on... right?) It was a most beautiful day, the weather could not have been more perfect through our Southern Utah portion of the trip, it was just delightful.

We followed up the petroglyph sighting with a hike up to Hickman Arch.  It was quite a little hike for Eli, but I had some fruit snacks and juice to bribe him with along the way.  Zach, Kaija and Bella seem to be little pack horses, they are naturals when it comes to the hiking- I was  just delighted to be able to take them, though I certainly wish Joe was there to enjoy all these amazing experiences with us- oh well, next time!

Now this part of Utah is some of my favorite territory, Capitol Reef, Escalante, Boulder Mountain and on into Bryce Canyon.  It is a perfect scenic drive and there is no place better to stop for a bite of lunch than at the lookout atop Boulder Mountain- which is what we did, ah heart be still.

Bryce Canyon was gorgeous with a little bit of snow remaining- we lucked out here because we didn't even have to pay the entrance fee- hooray, because $25 is a little steep for 45 min. in the park!  There were patches of snow all around and Eli had the most fantastic time throwing snowballs at Gram and Papa!  Bella liked it because it was orange, her favorite color!

I think what I love about all these places is obviously the beauty, but also the peace and quiet to be had.  You know the kind of quiet that makes your ears ring for lack of things to hear; so much the opposite from New York City life! 

The conclusion of this day was wonderful, as we ventured to my brother Paul's house in New Harmony, we had the most lovely sunset to enjoy, then the great delight of seeing Paul and DeAnn and Kenlynn.