Yard Sale and Stake BBQ

It's been a fairly quiet week for us I think. Cameron is finishing up preschool tomorrow. Channing has about 3 weeks to go. I'm not sure what we're going to do all summer long, but I'm sure it will involve a swimming pool and many indoor activities. The high today was 97 degrees (anyone want to come and visit)? Hahaha!

On Saturday we had a combined yard sale with our good friends the Eyre's and Foutz'. We made a whopping $60 on toys (it was a slow day). The highlight of the sale was that someone stole a watch we were selling. The watch was some gosh awful thing that only someone needing serious "bling" would wear. Bob won it in one of those arcade "claw" machines at a company party. The big laugh is that someone probably thought it was valuable! The laugh will definitely be on them!!!

Saturday afternoon was our Stake BBQ. If there was ever an award to hand out for best food at a church function, this would take the cake! The carne asada was fabulous. Cooked right there on 3 gigantic grills. Equally good was the chicken, marinated for 2 days in freshly squeezed lemon juice (and probably some other ingredients that I don't know). Of course there was guac. & salsa and chips and salads etc... If you ever want a good meal, come visit us in April and we'll take you to this awesome party! We did our part by baking nearly 200 cupcakes - with the help of 3 of my piano/voice students. We had a great time together and the girls did a fabulous job decorating all the cupcakes!

Cameron finding money in pool of sawdust - Cason also trying to get in on the action.

Bob & Channing eating an awesome dinner. Danya & Cason sitting at the table (well, he's actually standing on a chair).

Cason loved the ball bouncing around on the parachute. He squealed and squealed with delight!

So that's about it for the week. Other than that I have just been teaching piano/voice and holding Stake Choir rehearsals on Sunday nights at our house. Our friend Francelle and her 5 kids came over for dinner and FHE last night, so that added some excitement to our Monday evening. It's the little things in life that make us happy!

Spotlight of the Week - Channing

Channing is our lucky winner this week. Channing is 6 1/2 yrs. old today and he is fairly tall for his age. He currently attends Kindergarten at Desert Marigold Waldorf School, just a few minutes drive from home. He loves school and all his friends. Channing has been learning to read and write at home and he loves to do "homework." We bought him a workbook last year and he has nearly worked all the way through it "for fun!" He loves to learn and is constantly asking questions. "How do I spell.......(such and such), or what is 4+12. He really seems to like numbers and math.

Channing also loves to play games on the computer and his favorite movies are Star Wars and Harry Potter. He loves to play soccer and he is learning to jumprope and shoot hoops. Channing likes to play with his little brothers although sometimes he picks on them so we have to get on his case about it! They usually play well together though, despite their age differences. He can change diapers (a useful thing if you ask me)! He loves to go to primary and he is a great little singer. He is currently learning the basics of playing piano. He's just getting started, but he learns quickly. He is growing up so fast!

Finally Better! Science Center & Zoo too!

Well, after 6 days of being sick, I finally started to feel better last Friday. That was a nasty long virus. Of course the kids still needed to go to school etc...and that just compounded the issue for me since I had to drive them there. I really don't like driving my kids to school when I have the flu. Not fun at all!

After mostly recovering, we went to the AZ Science Center on Friday and to the zoo today. Bob had Friday off so he went with us for the first time. The kids had lots of fun. We even found a new room that we've never been in before. Then we went to Chipotle for dinner (yummy guacamole)! And of course we ended up at our favorite store, Costco. Super exciting huh? LOL!

Channing building an awesome tower! Cameron on a chair pulley.

Cameron pulling Cason on a chair pulley! Bob with Cason and Cameron - doing a puzzle.

The zoo was hot today, but it's really the end of the "cool" temps. From here on out we will be 90s or hotter. Yuck. It was only 85 today. Cason is finally starting to really notice the animals and he yells at them and laughs. He was pretty cute yelling "monkeek" at the spider monkeys. After we had seen enough and walked enough (ouch my aching back - that wagon is heavy with 2 kids in it), they played in the water fountains to cool off. Cason refused to go near them, so I had to drag him over and hold his feet in it. Such a nut! Channing & Cameron were soaked within a matter of seconds. We always have a good time at the zoo. Thank heaven for zoo memberships (and a zoo within 15 min. of home)!

Me & Cason Channing pulling the wagon! Yay!

Cason "sitting out" of the fountains Cameron - totally soaked and shivering!

Channing surrounded by fountains!

Sickies and other fun

Well, this has been the week of being sick. Bob was sick for 2 days (Thurs and Fri) and he graciously shared with me. (what a guy). LOL! It's some kind of flu bug without the hurling (for which I am ever so grateful). My body feels like a mack truck hit it and my nose refuses to stop running - I'm about to buy stock in Kleenex-LOL!

We had a busy week and a half though. We've attended 4 birthday parties, had great fun at a couples night out playing games and eating dinner, watched general conference on tv, I have scrapbooked a few pages for the first time in ages, and Cason has gone to a little music class (pics of that will have to come next week - the batteries ran out on the camera). So it's no wonder we are all getting sick now. We've been everywhere and have done all sorts of things.

We were surprised last weekend when Derek came to town with some friends. So we went to see him for a few hours while Bob went to the priesthood session of conference. We ate dinner at In & Out burger and went to the mall for a while. Then we had ice cream cones. Yum!

So we've been busy and now we're sick, but this too shall pass. Hopefully the house can stay in one piece while I recover!

Spotlight on Cason

Cason is our lucky winner this week! Cason is 20 months old and of course he's into everything. What's fun about this stage he's in now is that he is talking up a storm. He said/copied our family prayer the other night and it was so cute to hear him try to say all the words (until he started laughing at Cameron who was hiding under a blanket).

Cason loves his teddy bear....and Channing and Cameron's teddy bears as well. He also loves his gloworm and my cabbage patch doll which he just calls "baby."He loves "treats," yogurt, cheese, and applesauce. I think he lives on those and milk & water. He cries when you shut the fridge if you don't give him a string cheese.

He is an independent little guy who can occupy himself by playing with toys in the toyroom for hours. He loves to bang on the piano and he can sing cute little songs right on pitch! He is super cute with sweet little dimples when he's happy and smiling and he has a crack-up of a scowl when he pretends to be mad (oh, that is so funny)! He's got a cute little tummy that sticks out a bunch. We love to tickle it!

Training Update

It's been a while since I've given a status of my training. My weight is down to 195 and I ran 3 miles in 21 minutes on the treadmill a couple weeks ago. Last Monday, I thought I would try the road again and ran about 3 miles before I strained my calf again. So I've been icing and heating all week and it's starting to feel fine again. Once I get over this cold, I'll start up again. I wish I knew what was causing my calf so much stress when I run on the road. My calf problems seemed to appear after I got my orthotics to treat my achilles. I think I might try the heel cups instead of the orthotics and see if that makes a difference. July is approaching quick. I've got to find a way to avoid injury so I can maintain some semblance of training. It may just come down to training on the treadmill and hoping for the best on race day. Should be a fun race regardless.