Rinna's 4th Birthday Interview

I love this girl so much! Happy Birthday Rinna!

Noah Birthday Interview 6

I'm pretty awful at blogging, but we have to do the birthday interviews!! Noah is 6! Where has time gone?

Noah's 5 year old interview

I don't know when this kid got so big, but here is his birthday interview from March 13. And, here are links to his 3 year old and 4 year old interviews. Nevermind. Apparently I don't post 4 year old interviews. Oh well. He has grown up so much this last year. I love you, Noah!

Bradley is 6!

Watch Bradley's 6 year old interview above. I can't believe how big he is getting!

And just for fun, here is his 5th birthday interview, and his 3rd birthday interview. (Where is his 4th?!) I don't know. I'll have to find it another time)

I love this boy. He is such a great big brother to his younger siblings and a great help to me. He starts kindergarten on Monday! I am so glad he is my first. Happy birthday, Bradley!

**Update** I found his 4th birthday interview. And then vividly remembered why I didn't post it. He could not sit still! I was so frustrated. He was so four. But now, 2 years later, it's much funnier. I'm glad I didn't delete it. I will post it below.

Happy Mothers Day, Grandma!

Grand Canyon

So, when someone asks you to follow him into the biggest hole in the earth, what do you say? Well, yes of course!...Well, yes of course if he is asking literally and not spiritually, emotionally, mentally, or any other kind of -ally.

The Grand Canyon is amazing. It makes everyone look better. Just look how handsome the Grand Canyon makes this fellow look...

This next picture looks even better, not because the handsome fellow is gone, but because of what it took to take it. This next picture came after climbing to the bottom of the canyon and back...

...let's get a few details:

Detail 1: Don't climb down a hole a mile deep alone! Always take at least two people as good or better looking than you;

Detail 2: The Grand Canyon makes everything you do look cool--you could put your backpack on at home or school...or you could put it on at the Grand Canyon!

Detail 3: Just in case you didn't catch the first part, the Grand Canyon makes you look awesome, just look at this guy...

Detail 4: The Grand Canyon is so great is makes you want to stick tissues in your nose and start dancing...well maybe not the first part, unless you have allergies, but definitely dancing...

Detail 5: The Grand Canyon has a cool bridge at the bottom!

Detail 6: And a green oasis!

Detail 7: The Grand Canyon gives you Spring, Fall, Summer, and Winter weather all in one day!...

...well, that might not be a highlight, but (Detail 8), if you buy a beanie at the bottom (a better choice in my life), then you won't be cold the next day.

February Happenings

Here are some pictures from some of our recent excursions. The weather has definitely been helping. It has been in the 60's all week!

Yesterday, we hiked to the Volcanos. Right by our house, so a nice short hike, great for kids that are just starting out. Lots of whining on the way over, but Bradley really loved it when we got there. Noah pretty much complained the entire way up the mountain (hill, really...) but he happily talked my ear off on the way down. Rinna did not love the backpack idea, but she definitely loved walking around at the top.

Last Monday night for family night, we went on a walk. Bradley wanted to go down the huge steep hill with his scooter. I advised against it but he still really wanted to so we did. But he did not want to go back up that hill! But he did it and pushed his scooter every step of the way. I was so proud of his perseverance!

At the top of the hill

From the bottom of the hill

The Saturday before that (February 6), we went on a family run. Mike pushed Noah and Rinna in the stroller, and Bradley, on his scooter, ran with me the whole time. He sure is getting big.

Bradley and I stretching after our run

And, the Saturday before that, (January 31), we had a fun time playing at the park.

We are feeling really grateful for the beautiful weather we have been having!

Studio C Grade School Photos

This could happen to you.


Like it did to me. :)

Balloon Fiesta

So, apparently Balloon Fiesta is a big deal. We have been here two years, and we still haven't been to a morning ascension. (People in Albuquerque gasp in horror when they find out this fun fact about us) Well, Grandma and Grandpa came down this year, so we finally made it to a morning event. And it was pretty cool, I have to admit. The fact that our children are STILL recovering from being awakened at 4:30 that morning means that this may not be a super frequent occurrence, but I am still so glad we went. The pictures don't do it justice.

I love these pictures of us staring in awe at the sky.

Here is an awesome picture of my parents. I am so glad they came down! We had such a fun time.

A complete stranger came and gave Bradley this book of balloon fiesta. This boy would not let this book go for anything, or anyone. It was so nice! Thank you random stranger!!

And then just the rest of our fun time!

I know these pictures look almost the same, but my dad took one of all of us, and then someone asked if they could take a picture of all of us, but they cut out Rinna. :) So we still don't have one of all of us. Nice of them to offer anyway. :)

She is the only one that really did not think it was worth getting up before dawn to go see balloons. She was a bit of a cranky pants. But still so cute!

Kit Carson Hike

So what do you say when someone asks you to drive for four hours to carry 35 pounds across 5 miles and up 3,000 feet to eat food suitable for cats to get restless sleep for a few hours to wake up long before dawn to climb 2,500 feet in the dark with a helmet in case rocks fall on you to descend several hundred feet on steep ledges just so you can climb back up a few hundred more feet...and then climb down without dying?

...Well, YES, obviously!!

And this is why:

coming up on the mountain

trailhead with peak in the distance

the "...why am I doing this again..." moment

good to celebrate early on in case you don't have energy at the top

the campsite

Willow Lake

trailhead for day 2 (don't be fooled, this started about 3 am)

the brutal climb (it's worse than it looks, especially since this part was done in the dark)

early crack of dawn, partway up the brutal climb

about dawn, we reached the ridge, Challenger and Kit Carson peaks in the distance

ready for what's ahead

and finally the sun comes up

the climbing pose

the proof for Challenger

the proof the previous picture isn't a fake or stolen from someone else

the climb ahead-yes, after reaching 14,000 you now have to go back down just to go back up again

the perilous ledge to cross (it's actually not that bad, but this picture makes it look perilous for more effect)

the further descent-why am I going down just to go back up again...

the final ascent

THE TOP! - 14,171 ft

Enjoy the panorama...

the proof of Kit Carson (you'll just have to trust me on this one)

you can't really appreciate this view until you've been to the top and back again