Memorial Weekend

We had such a fun Memorial Day weekend hanging out with Anton, Liz, Lilly, and Claire. I wish I would have gotten more pictures (especially of sweet Claire). Truman and Prentice so enjoyed playing with their cousin Lilly and Prentice couldn't get enough of holding Claire. We had a fun barbecue, got to watch the kids play on the slip and slide, went for a walk, and hung out in the wind at the splash pad.


On Saturday we went on a fun little hike out to Fort Pearce, just outside of St. George. Old Fort Pearce was built by the Mormon Colonists during the Black Hawk War of 1885-88, a period of conflict between Ute and Navajo Indians and the settlers. This location was selected to block the use of the springs below by hostile Indians. Originally, the walls of the fort were about 8 feet high. The structure was never roofed.

We also got to see some petroglyphs. We could tell they had made the sign for water and we thought there were also drawings of two forts with men inside them.


Truman, Monique, and Prentice were in heaven when they found a little water left in the wash where they could catch tadpoles. I love how with hiking you never know what you will find. It was a nice little hands on science lesson on tadpoles and frogs for the kids.


We were also able to go on a little farther and find some actual dinosaur tracks that had been left in the rocks. We had been telling Truman about them on the drive out there, so he was so excited to get his picture by one to show everyone. They were a little hard to see, but we found two sets of two different kinds of dinosaur tracks. Truman is just sure there were from a triceratops.
I just couldn't help but take a few pictures of our beautiful surroundings. The desert definitely has a different look and feel, but we think it is so beautiful. I loved how this yucca was blooming with the red rock in the background.

It was such a nice day with great temperature to be outside. We even avoided some of the holiday weekend crowds by getting outside St. George a little. The kids did great and Truman actually wanted to keep hiking, but it was time to head home.

Carnival of Animals

I can't tell you how cute this play was to see, but at the same time, how glad I am it's over. I am looking forward to not having as many commitments this summer, and my kids aren't even in school yet. My kids take a movement class at a place here called "Kidz on Stage." My sister Monique has taken there for a while and there are a few things I really like about it. First, you don't have to go buy expensive costumes for every performance, you just kind of wear what you can put together or buy cheap. Another thing is the actual performance is not an all day dance recital that you are supposed to stay for the whole thing even though your child is only in one dance. At this place they actually do a production or a play. It is also close to our house which is nice. Having said that, it is also so time consuming.

Truman ended up having the lead in the play as a little boy who gets lost at the zoo. Prentice was a duck and had one dance, besides being in the opening and finale. We have had 2 and 3 hour practices all week, so by the time the play came I was getting a little burned out. I had to be back stage with Truman for all the performances, because I knew the show and what his cues were to help him, so I actually only saw the performances from the side. They had a show Friday night and 3 shows on Saturday. It was fun to see how they got better and more comfortable with each one. Truman had a pretty big part and a lot to remember for a 5 year old, but he worked so hard. Both Truman and Prentice had a lot of fun and all the other kids were so cute with them.



In this part in the play Truman keeps changing the music as the janitor of the zoo is dancing to some pretty funny songs. We had to try and teach Truman the concept of pretending and looking at the audience. Here is a good shot of him laughing at the janitor as he dances. Truman got to where he knew the dances so well, he would dance to them off the side of the stage even when it wasn't his turn (especially the hip hop ones).

Here is the duck dance if you can call it that. I bought a video that I will try to upload because it is pretty funny.

It was so fun to be able to do the performance with Aunt Monique. She is such an amazing dancer. She stands out above everyone else because she is stunning to watch and has such a great stage presence. Not to mention she is beautiful. She had a crazy busy week getting ready for this and keeping up with school. Don't knew how she does it all at her age and keeps it all together. Thanks so much Monique for making this fun for the kids and helping them out on stage. They love you so much. Prentice thinks she wants to dance like you now. Hopefully she gets some of your talent!

Slipe and Slide

Yesterday was really the first hot day that it seemed like we could get out the slip and slide. I had a couple things planned for the kids that afternoon, but we bagged everything else because the kids were having so much fun playing in this...

I even forgot about the lunch dishes in the sink and a messy house that needed to be cleaned before the chaos of tutoring and getting my kids to their dress rehearsal began to just enjoy the nice weather and watch the kids.


Of course, Truman always has to sample the water, no matter where it's from.


They even managed to find some time to play with some roly polies. I love how this picture captures Prentice talking to Truman like she's his mother.

I did run in to watch them from the kitchen while I did some dishes (I couldn't help it). It was so interesting to watch and listen to their conversation as they decided to carefully line the slip and slide with rocks from our wash. You just never know what kids will come up with and find to entertain themselves.

They played outside for a couple hours and what was even more impressive was that they put everything away when they were done after only asking them once. Can't wait to get it out again because we only have warmer days coming. We may be spending every afternoon in the water over the next few months!

Just a Weekend

Haven't blogged for a while. Don't know that I have tons to blog about, but wanted to type a few things and put some pictures.

This weekend seemed busy as usual. Jer and I are still waiting to have a free night to be able to go out to dinner for my birthday, Mother's Day, and just because we want a date night. Busy as it is, it is all good stuff. Truman, Prentice, and Aunt Monique are rehearsing for a play they will be in this coming weekend, so we have had a lot of long rehearsals. Because the kids are still so young to be gone for 2 and 3 hours at a time, I have gone with them and stayed. Which seems like a big sacrifice until you consider that it gave Jeremy plenty of time to himself at home to get some things done. I am grateful that he takes it upon himself to get things done, help around the house, and do projects he knows are important to me. He planted, hung the rest of our blinds (our whole house has blinds where we want them now), installed my post Mother's day gift (although I do think you love it as much as I do Jer)...And last but for sure not least, he has put up with what I am assuming must be my off balance hormones or just being home with 2 kids. I think having him gone during the week makes me really needy when he gets home. And then when he gets home, it feels like we are so busy trying to get things done and be with the kids that our time is the thing to give. I guess it's just the story of any married couple with kids. Minus the hormones maybe.

So, we also helped our neighbor L'Deane Friday morning and Saturday evening because she had to get many of her artwork to an art show in Santa Clara. It was funny because she asked Jeremy if he wished she did quilting instead of life size bronzes, so it would be a lot easier to transfer them from place to place. She did say she is planning on doing a bust of Prentice when her hair grows out a little longer and a water coloring of our family when we have a little free time. We had her and my family down for Costco pizza Saturday night.


The kids finished dinner, or at least had a few bites before the hose came out. I knew immediately that we better take off their clothes because they were going to get wet. It was all so funny that Truman was chasing every one with the hose, until he turned on me with my precious camera.


This is what boys look like who are in time out for trying to spray the camera and getting a lot of water in the house in the process.

Sunday Jeremy caught the kids being nice to each other, so I had to document it. Truman was laying on the floor and Prentice was rubbing his back, while she was rubbing her own ear.

Anyway, I am missing Jeremy and it's only Monday. Love him!

Being a Mom

Just put Prentice down for a nap and felt like I wanted to express how grateful I am to be a mother. I can't tell you how often I feel inadequate to have the title of mother, or how frequently I feel as though I'm not doing the best job or could be doing so much better. Luckily I have an incredibly amazing husband to support me and remind me that I'm doing great and a wonderful example in my own mother.

One of the things I love most about my own mother is her ability to embrace her role as a mother wholeheartedly. To her it is number one, and her kids and now grand kids always take priority. I feel as though she really understands and shows us that we are the most important things to her. I wish I could not worry about the little things quite so much sometimes and truly focus on the things that matter. Partly what prompted this post is before nap time I was reading the kids some books on mothers. I don't know why I do this to myself, but by the end both the kids were asking me why I was crying. One of them called "Let me Hold you Longer," talks about how quickly life really goes by and how you never know when will be the last time your child will do something. One day they will stop crawling onto your lap, pretending to be superman, wanting you to tuck them in, crying out in the night when they are scared. The list goes on and on. It made me realize, that even the things that seem so hard at the moment, will soon be missed.

Being a mother is truly the hardest and most demanding thing I have ever done. But it really is the most rewarding and important thing I could be doing right now. As I searched for bugs this morning, snuggled with my kids on the couch to read this afternoon, I could help but realize that I'm so grateful and lucky to be the one to be able to do this with them. I hope that they realize how much they mean to me and that everything I do is for them and Jeremy. I also read a book called "I Chose You," to the kids. Another tear jerker, about how different each child is but how in heaven out of all the children I chose them. The kids loved talking about how we all chose each other. Truman thinks that dad chose me, I chose Truman, and Truman chose Prentice. They couldn't stop smiling about the fact that a long time ago in heaven we wanted to be together as a family, no matter what the hardships and trials. We wanted to have the joy and love of our family.

Halloween Quilt

No big deal that my plan was to have this done last Halloween, right? I'm just pretending like I am just ready and very prepared for the next Halloween. It sat for a while with just the binding needing to be sewn on, but once I started (it's like a good book) I couldn't put it down. The pattern is called "Changing Lanes." Now I'm ready to start on Prentice's quilt for her big girl queen bed. Started cutting some of the squares last nigh. Which means I will probably get it completely finished in a year or so:)

A Visit with Claire

We planned a quick trip up north this last weekend. We were going to get some Leonard family pictures as well as see my new niece Claire. The weather did not cooperate for pictures, but at least we still got to see family and get away.

It was a full car ride. Monique got to ride in the back between the two kids and try to keep them entertained. Monique and Prentice are so much alike to me sometimes; thus they act and fight like siblings sometimes:) I do appreciate all she does for my kids. They love her so much! From the back seat, Prentice kept saying, "this is taking a long time."

My kids are at the age where they love going to visit Grandpa and Grandma and see all there aunts, uncles, and cousins. Prentice would tell Grandpa he was a "good boy" when he didn't tease her. Truman had a blast with his cousin Talon. It makes me so happy that he has a cousin that he has so much fun with. They spent most the weekend together, including sleepovers. We could hear them reading books and talking late into the night.

Truman got lots of late birthday gifts and both of the kids were doted upon by everyone. They are so lucky to have so many people who love them. My sister in law Melissa has two boys and one night while we were all watching the Jazz game and talking she asked us if we knew how lucky we were to have Prentice. It made me stop and realize that maybe I take my wonderful kids for granted sometimes. We are lucky to have her, attitude and all!

Aunt Melanie is always so good with the kids. When we go up to visit I fell like she is another mom to them. Prentice even slept with her one night and didn't wake up and cry for me.

And last but definitely not least, we got to see new baby Claire. She is so cute. Even cuter than the pictures or what I could have imagined. And like Jer said, she may have added to my baby hungriness. I can't help it.