Happy 60th Dad!!

Last weekend(Memorial Day) my sisters and I took my parents camping for my Dad's 60th Birthday.(It was on the 11th) We decided on Escalante(Bryce Canyon area-ish) because he likes it there and we camped there a few times growing up. He worked there years ago, before I was born(yes I know, that was FOREVER ago). Anyway, we had so much fun. It rained pretty much the whole time and we are tent campers, so that made it interesting. After church on Sunday some people had a pet baby raccoon, I'm not really sure what they were doing with it at church but we were in Escalante so that's kind of like Wallsburg, so we understand a little. They let the kids hold it for a minute. It was really cute. Then we went on a 6 mile hike. What troopers those little kids were. None of us realized how long it was. Well, Dad did, but he didn't tell us. We have done the hike a few times in the past, but none of us remembered it being so long. I thought my knee was going to fall of by the end. I was worried I wasn't going to make it. On Saturday I had gone with my Dad to the Petrified Forest which is what the State Park is where we were camping. That was a 3 mile hike and a HARD one. Being that my activity level is a 0, I impressed myself at how well I did. I actually enjoyed myself. I was pretty miserable on the drive home Monday. Every time we would stop to get out, I couldn't move. Literally. Court was laughing cause I looked weird.
Hayden on the drive there. It was only supposed to be an 8 hour drive and it took us almost 11 because it was raining so hard and when you pass Page it's all one lane through small towns for about 4 hours, except in the rain with slow cars it takes 6 1/2. It was a long day.
The first morning it rained so hard, the kids sat in the car and watched movies.
I had to post this picture as pay back for the "two dudes" picture on Shi's blog. As well as all the others where I was sporting a super cool head wrap.
Hayden and Natalee slept with Grandma and Papa and had so much fun.

The kids taking a break while hiking 6 miles.
Family Picture at the beginning of the hike. Don't we look so happy? I'm glad we took the picture at the beginning because by the end, we were exhausted and had been rained on several times. We were not as happy at the end.
The middle of the hike. You go back into a canyon to this waterfall. It was to cold to play in, though some people(Natalee) were.
The baby raccoon
Bennett is so funny. He's got the cutest smile. He was so excited when he saw the raccoon.

We took a few pictures after church when we got back to camp since we looked all fancy. It was about the only time it wasn't raining.
Sitting on the big gray rock with Grandma. I remember playing on this rock, even in this little hole when I was little.
Next generation rock crawlers!
We had so much fun. The drive home was better. We made it in 8 hours like our GPS said we would. Hayden keeps asking when we are going camping again. All this past week when we would go swimming Hayden would say, "but I don't want to go to the waterfall swimming pool" When I ask him why he said "It was a really long walk" I just realized that I didn't get any pictures of my Dad. Funny huh? His trip and there are no pictures. We took a family one at the waterfall but it's on his camera. I will have to wait to get it. I had fun on my hike with him. No one else wanted to go because it was raining. PARTY POOPERS!! We had fun without you. Happy Birthday Dad! We love you!

Sit out

I put my baby in a sit out this afternoon. Court and I were talking and forgot about him. When we realized how quiet he was being we found this.
Kinda makes since now why he was being so naughty.
He was all sweaty and had marks all over his face. We had a good laugh, than remembered that he was in a sit out and we needed to be serious and talk it out. Then we laughed again. I'm not really sure how effective that sit out was.

Reality Television

This post isn't finished. I'm trying to get more pictures on here, but with my computer issues that I have already complained about, it is taking to long. Check back later, I need to get dinner started.

I am, well used to be, a HUGE fan of Reality T.V. I watch all the shows, called and voted, sat on the edge of my seat during eliminations, you know, the normal stuff. That all changed a few months ago.
Like many of us here in America fell in love with Jason on the Bachlorette and were crushed when he was rejected.

Then we were all excited when he came back as the new Bachelor!! I tuned in with so much excitement and immediately started passing judgements and picking favorites, which by the way Melissa
was a fave from the beginning while I could not stand Molly.
As the season progressed, I began to realize what a dork Jason actually was and how, oh my BORING he got. So, in the end I was actually happy when he broke up with Melissa and picked Molly cause Melissa is way to cute for him. Anyway, during the season I got some second hand knowledge of how things go on behind the show from someone in the house this season. They set up every "private conversation" the producers interrupt and tell them what to say, major editing goes on. Remember crazy Megan?
He wanted to get rid of her the first night but they wouldn't let him. Those are just a few examples of 'unreal' it really is there. It made me question reality t.v. which come on, are we all that stupid to believe that it is actually real. I always thought it wasn't but wanted to believe. So, I swore I was done watching the show. Then, they announce that Jillian is the next bachlorette.
She was also a favorite of mine, probably more that Melissa. I thought, crap now I have to watch. Do I really? Haven't decided yet, but I probably will.

So, that brings me to my next show
Dancing with the Stars:
I had decided not to watch this season cause I don't have time to keep up with everything, but after learning that my sweet Melissa showed up on opening night,
I started tuning in.
What a good season has this been. So this past Monday, did she really do that bad? Why were the judges picking on her? I agree that Gill
and Shawn
are amazing, but I think Melissa is pretty dang good too. So we'll see. This is the first season, I will say, that all 3 finalists are actually good enough to be there. Oh, and Lil Kim?
She was so trashy and weird looking. I thought she looked like the biggest freak while "shaking her bionic booty" I was glad to see her go. She was good, but just bugged me. Onto another one.
The Biggest Loser:
Again, we were not going to watch this season, but then found out that there was a contestant(actually two) that Court went to High School with so we watched. By the time he got voted off, which was lame, we were hooked so kept watching. So, why did Ron weigh in as an "at home contestant" when he was on the ranch as long as the final 3? And I did not like Helen, but how hilarious is it that she actually won.
She was below the yellow line on several occasions and no one saw her as a threat. She actually was okay sending her own daughter home! I still haven't gotten over that one. All the other parent/child teams, the parents fought to keep their kids there. I didn't like her. Ron and Mike played dirty,
but that's how you play to win, even though it didn't work. Tara just bugged me,
so of the final three, I didn't really care who won. Okay, what's next......
The Amazing Race:
Love this one. I don't think I will ever stop watching. I was sad though. I liked all 3 finalists, which usually doesn't happen. Deep down I wanted Margie and Luke to win.
They were at the final task and almost done when the other teams showed up, but he got stuck and couldn't figure it out. I almost cried, but Tammy and Victor also raced well, so they deserved to win.
And now the best one:
American Idol:
Somehow every year I get stuck watching this one. I own a few albums of past winners and contestants and have enjoyed watching it the past several years. So about this season, I could name the contestants one by one and give you my opinion, but I'm sure you can tell from my updated play list who my 2 favorites are. So lets talk the final three.
Danny Gokey: Sorry MarKey, I hear you love him, but seriously what is the deal with Danny. I don't get it. Yes, he is talented, they all are, but he's not that good. I don't enjoy any of his performances and he looks almost as bad as Taylor Hicks did when he dances. So why do the judges love him so much. It's sad that your wife died, I get that, but it will only get you so far. In my opinion, your not good enough to win, but a lot of America disagrees with me on this one.
Adam Lambert: Do I like rock music? Not at all. I don't enjoy when he gets all crazy up in that, but for real, how stinkin talented is he? I have loved is songs where he doesn't do that. I was so excited last night when he started "One", he sounded so good and then he got all weird but the beginning was great! 'Cryin' is one of my favorite songs, but I didn't like all the screaming he did. I agree with the judges that he is one of the most talented contestants ever, though I don't like his style and probably wouldn't buy one of his albums. But singles; heck ya!
Kris Allen: My Favorite from the beginning. How cute is he? Yummy!! And can you seriously say that Danny was better than him last night? Come on? For some crazy reason, the judges want Danny more than him and that's why they pick on him. With all the instruments he plays and his range, oh, just love him. I think he will be so much more successful than Danny no matter who wins. (Remember season two's winner) Kris is also one of the most talented contestants ever. We'll see how tonight goes, but they way 'reality t.v.' goes, I'm expecting to see Danny and Adam next week, though it should be Kris and Adam. But I didn't vote, so I won't be able to complain either way. I'm kinda over the voting thing. I'm just not as into it as I used to be. Go Kris!!
But again, how "real" is it all. With all the editing they do. They are trying make good t.v. and lets face it, real life is boring!! I like the scripted stuff better these days. We'll save those for another post. My poor dvr is so busy with all the shows we watch.

Escape to the Pines

As you all know, we live in the Desert. And by Desert, I mean Desert. Dirt, cactus, dirt, heat, dirt and more dirt. This past weekend Court took me on a much needed trip together to Payson. Yes, we have a Payson in Arizona too. It's about 70 miles north of Mesa. About the time you hit the city limits you are in the pine trees and mountains. Now, growing up in the mountains, I know mountains. I love that Court, who grew up in Mesa, thinks that Camelback Mountain is actually a mountain. It's more like a big hill to me. But, you drive north a little bit and you are actually in the mountains. So, we stayed about 20 miles west of Payson at the Kohl's Ranch Lodge. It is the first trip we have taken together since our honeymoon. We have been on trips since, but with our families, never by ourselves. Hayden is 3 and I've spent one night away from him last year when I went to a conference in Tucson. We missed him so much and are grateful that Grandma and Papa didn't spoil him to much while we were gone.

This is the little creek that runs back behind the lodge. We walked along it both mornings it was so pretty.This was the porch on our cute little one room cabin
On Saturday we decided to go "in town" for lunch. On our way we saw the sign for the fish hatchery. Court thought that sounded interesting so we went. It was okay. We got there right when the were feeding the fish and it made us miss Hayden cause we knew he would have loved that. We are planning to take him there for a day trip in a few weeks.
Then I got a pedicure
Court didn't.
We had such a nice time together. It is the cutest little place. There is so much to do there. They have horse back riding, hiking, heated pool and spa, game room, library, work out room. The restaurant was pretty good also. The area around the Lodge has so much too. I didn't get a lot of pictures, I'm not sure why. I usually take a lot of pictures. We had a blast. Thanks Court for FINALLY making this happen. I love you!

No Krachel

Another day in the DISTANT FUTURE is what I should have written.

Awesome News

I got a special phone call today with some great news. Since you all can't see or hear me you cannot hear the extreme sarcasm in my voice. Hayden has Celiac Disease also. Yay!! Now that combined with all of his food allergies is going to make one interesting kitchen.
Poor little guy. I was getting worried that he had it because I do and so he had a 50% chance of getting it too. He wasn't showing any "signs" so his Dr. fought me on having him tested, but I won and he gave me the script. I let a few weeks go by because I was scared and then all of a sudden he started showing "signs". He was always complaining that his "tummy hurt" and the kid has turned into a pooping machine. His belly was always bloated, he's moody, blah, blah, blah. We took him last week for the test and got our answer today. I didn't really need it cause I already knew. Makes me sad. I called my Mom crying today. She hates it when I do that!! Luckily there are so many more choices today than there were when I was diagnosed 22 years ago. And MarKey, I love that new website you found for me. So there you go. Just wanted to share our happy news!! You all thought I was announcing I was pregnant weren't you. Well, we'll save that for another day.

Here goes nothing....

The date says the 2nd, but it's now the 3rd at 5:00 p.m. It's taken me that long to do this post. I had to keep stopping and rebooting. ANNOYING!!! Anyway, enjoy!!

Thanks to my wonderful and quite handsome cousin Jeff, I have a working computer. Sort of. It's not all the way fixed but it works a little bit at a time. I just need to get him on the phone and do a few more things, but he is a busy working family man that I don't like to bug him to much at once. So a BIG THANKS to him, and we will try it this way for now.

We have been so busy here in Arizona the past month. I want to tell(and show) you all about it. First off, let's play a guessing game. Who is responsible for this??
Yes, our baby boy got his first "official" shiner. So who did it? Let's see what's been going on and you see if you can figure it out.......
Let's start with Easter!! We had such a blast at Sharon's Easter party this year. We went to her house and everyone was there. We had a delicious lunch and then sent the kids on a treasure hunt. The ages of the kids range from 3-16 years, so we split them into 2 groups. They started in the same place and the last clue they came back together and had to unscramble the final clue. Jeff and Sharon made the clues and they were very clever!!
Super smart Sara reading a clue
Hayden stopping to pick a flower. We do that a lot these days.
Trying to figure out the final clue.
TREASURE!!!! Thanks to Aunt Sharon and Jeff for such a fun activity. And having a special "nut free" bag labeled for Hayden. She learned her lesson the first time!!
Egg Hunt time!!!
Now, on to Darrell's game. See for yourself.
Darrell and Mike demonstrating. You stand on round tube things and balance with the pole while trying to knock off the other person. It was actually a lot of fun.
Tayler and Kelsey
Heidi apologizing for hitting Tara in the head. Their game got a little heated. The stick broke.
Sharon attempting to go against me. She backed down when she saw my sweet form.
Darrell trying to be all fancy and tricky
It worked. This is me falling.
And of course, sweet Abby sat in the chair watching us all. Isn't she cute?
So that was Easter. Looks fun huh? Did his black eye come from that? You decide. Here's something else we've been doing.
Karate!! He started about a month ago and is so cute. Except for last week. Bad day. I don't even want to talk about it.
Is Mr. Gilbert responsible for the black eye?
Or did he get it at one of the Birthday Parties we've got to recently?
Did Mason miss the pinata and hit Hayden instead?
Or did Hayden hit himself?
"Joma" helping with the big wheel. His legs were a little to short. I work with JoAnn and her grandson turned 3(he calls her Joma). They had a big party and it was a lot of fun.
Then the next week Brody turned 1!! Here is is with his Daddy Bucky and Mommy Kim and of course, Hayden. Doesn't Hayden look like he fits right in that family? He loves them so much and is going to miss them when they move to Minnesota this summer. We wish they would stay forever and hope they come back when Bucky is done with school.
More pinata fun.
How cute is he?
Then we went to Kelly and Erica's house. Apparently this is how we watch t.v. at their house.
We took Dagyn to the Zoo with us. As you can see, he has the black eye in this picture but seriously, are they not adorable. Hayden absolutely LOVES her. She is so sweet to him even when she's bugged with him, she is still so nice. It probably has to do with her having 3 younger siblings.
While riding the train I looked over and saw this. Is that not so sweet?
Driving the boats at Bass Pro Shops.
Or was is Abby?
The way he carts her around. I wouldn't be surprised if she popped him one of these days.

So what do you think? Who, or what is responsible for this?
Do you give up? Okay I'll tell you........



wait for it...............



wait for it..............



wait for it..............









Yep, that's right. The chair did it. And yes, it was put in a time out.