Posts I Missed in 2011 #4

Last year Emily was in a small singing group and one Saturday morning she had a performance at the local college for the Relay for Life.  I'm glad she is learning to sing and dance but I love these pictures for other reasons.

I had asked her brothers to please come and watch her perform, I thought it was fair after she had been to many baseball games to watch them.  The performance was at 9:00 in the morning, and Emily, Matt and I left the house by about 8:15.  I was doubtful that the boys would actually get themselves up and over to the college in time to see her sing.  I was so delighted that they showed up and made her feel so special.

After the performance, they walked a few laps around the track.  I just love the look in her face as she smiles up at her brothers.  It was fun to see that Scott's friend, Dino, also joined in the walk.

I know this sounds crazy but I had then and still have now a feeling of sadness when they are walking away from me.  They seem so content without me and I feel like I'm watching them through a window.  It is a sweet picture.

My Daily LIfe

Only 3 weeks of baseball to go....this is Doug, the "doubles-machine"

I sat at my desk one evening this week and began to hear laughter and voices in the backyard, I looked out to see Doug and three of his baseball teammates playing whiffleball.  I love these days, I love to hear them laughing and joking and playing together.  Sometimes I feel like I'm in a dream watching my life go by.  I know that in a few years when there are no mountains of laundry to do and the house is quiet, this is what I will miss most of all!!

Thomas had a great game this week.  Can you tell by the smile?  He was called in to pitch in the first inning after the starting pitcher let 7 runs score.  Thomas pitched the rest of the game, had only four hits and the team came back to win 9-7.  Happy Day!!

Just a little story about Emily.  Last week we had some turbulent weather.  While she was watching TV in the early evening, an Emergency Broadcast message was given, warning us of an approaching storm - quarter-sized hail was predicted and the possibility of tornado formation was announced.  It was really too bad that dad wasn't home and I was on my way out the door for a school meeting.  She was very concerned and luckily I could promise her that Doug would watch out the window for a tornado and he would know what to do in case one developed.  We did have a crazy storm but  no tornado.  So, that night as I tucked her into bed she told me what she really hates about tornadoes is that "they take your whole house, and then you don't have enough money to buy all the things you need."  She told me that she has $6.35 including the $2 bill from grandma.  I felt like I assured her that we would be okay but when I woke her the next morning, she was sleeping with her wallet tightly clasped in her hand.

Do you remember being very afraid of natural disasters?  I do.

Posts I Missed in 2011 #3

Dirt Biking in the Mojave Desert.
Emily loves to go to the desert, she is cautious on the bike and is quite content to go around and around in a circle.

These picture are from one year ago and Thomas has grown out of this bike. He also LOVES going to the desert.


I'm not sure where the helmet and chest protector are....I guess this was just a demonstration.

I think Doug understood the demonstration.



No, you won't see many pictures of me on a bike. It truly scares me to go more than a turtle's pace. I do love to be with the boys and always manage to read a good book while they ride.

Question of the Day

Emily sat on the kitchen table waiting for dad to pull her front tooth out. I told her of a time when I was a child and tripped and fell out in the yard, slicing my head open. Because my dad was a doctor he laid me on the kitchen and with all of my siblings watching, he stitched my wound together. A moment of silence passed and then Emily said, "Well if he is a doctor, why does work in the Temple?"

Posts I Missed in 2011 #2

One of my most favorite activities is hiking. I love this particular hike in April because of the wildflowers which grow in profusion throughout the first two miles of the trail. Hite Cove itself is an abandoned mining settlement some 4.5 miles down the trail. It was fun to have a day with only Emily and Thomas. I can't remember where Scott and Doug were but I imagine they were playing baseball.