From the Redwood forest...to the San Diego waters

My favorite site to see on our way down to California was the Redwood forest.

I loved it. It was so beautiful.

We visited the San Diego temple for the first time. Breathtaking! And had a blast at the beach with the Teares.

Oregon Caves and the Wildlife Safari

We recently returned from our family vacation to Legoland California. Let me start by saying that a roadtrip with 5 kids borders insanity at some points and at other times you look around and you can't help feeling totally overwhelmed with joy. There were many moments of chaos packed in a van with snacks, pillows, crumbs, diapers, carbage (car garbage), tv-dvd cords, and everything else. We stopped at a few sights along the way. The line from National Lampoons WalleyWorld vacation popped into my head a few times...

"Or perhaps you don't want to see the second largest ball of twine on the face
of the earth that happens to be only 4 short miles away."

All in all we saw some amazing things and created some amazing memories.

Our first stop was touring the Oregon caves. Dave and the three older kids went on the full 90 minute tour of the caves. Squeezing though tight crawl spaces and up and down steep stair cases. Even though it was 90 degrees outside, as soon as you got to the cave opening it was like an air conditioner blasting you. It felt so good. The temperature in the caves was about 40 degrees. Lauren, Kurt and I got to go into the first "room" of the cave and then we went back to the lodge and Lauren worked in this work book and certified to be a Jr. Ranger. When she finished her work book this little old lady tour guide said "I'd like to announce that Lauren has become our newest Jr. Ranger!" Then every one in the little gift shop clapped. It was hilarious. Then Lauren had to repeat a ranger pledge. Something like..."I promise to preserve and protect nature. And to obey the rules of the park and have a good time." It was great.

We also stopped at the Oregon Wildlife Safari. You drive through this park and there are giraffes, buffalo, zebra, ostriches, rhinos, elk and many other animals along the way roaming free. It was amazing. We got our van washed by two elephants that sprayed our car and then the cutest part was when they pick up sponges with their trunks and washed the window. It was adorable!

One Awesome Dad!

I can't imagine a better Dad for our kids than Dave. He is awesome. In everything he does he is always teaching them. Whether it's life lessons or interesting facts here and there he has a way of telling them something and getting them excited to do it and to learn more. He is such a great man. I am so grateful to him for taking time to play with them, teach them and love them.

Goodbye...dang it.

I've finally accepted the fact that my sister Jandi doesn't live within walking distance anymore. I have been in denial for a month now. Finally after walking by her empty apartment a few times and banging fiercely on the door with no answer I think it's for real. I'm so happy that Jandi and Kenny and baby Myles lived here in Molalla the last 2 years...but this really bites to have them gone. Miss you guys! Move back soon!!!

A new school...

I'm so thrilled that my kids will be going to the new charter school that is opening this fall in Molalla. Here are some pictures of them in their school uniforms...

I'm excited about it for so many reasons. Originally I looked into it to find an alternative to that crazy middle school which Nicole would have been attending next year. It was just really great timing for us. I'm impressed with the board that has organized the school and we are excited for this new adventure. For those that know Molalla the charter school will be located at the Dickey Prairie school (which is closing this year due to budget cuts). It'll be a little drive for us every day, but it will be worth it.

Molalla River Academy here we come!

A Barn in Spokane

This post is inspired by my good friend Quincy who understands the magic of a barn. Ever since we went to our family reunion in Spokane last summer I just love looking at barns. Old barns, new barns, red barns, white barns, barns that look as if it could cave any second, ugly barns, well-kept barns. It doesn't matter, barns are just amusing me lately. I'm not sure why. Love barns. Maybe someday we'll have a barn and I can learn how to take care of baby chicks and sheep. It sounds like a lot of hard work and a lot of fun at the same time.

Nicole has a blog...check it out!

Nicole wanted to design and update her very own blog.

Here's the link...

http://www.nicolelinda11.blogspot.com/

How to draw an Alien

Today I am going to show you how to draw an alien in six simple steps. The first step is to draw a curved line for the head and thorns on the back. Then you make a big mouth. Then make another curved line under the mouth and a reptillish eye. If you are a girl do the face shown on the bottom of step one and don't do details or muscles. Step two is the body. Make two lines. Then make a collar of a shirt. Then you make the start of the arm then make two more lines under the start of the arms. Step three is the arms. First you draw metal armpads. Above the arm you put the three fingers. Step four is the belt and the thighs. Step five is under the thighs you put cloth and three toes on the foot, two in front and one in back. The last step is the details like shading on the arms, the legs and the top of the head. The details are also the ribs. And that is how you draw an alien. By Nathan Pederson

Nathan did his "How to.." 3rd grade speech on Friday. I was so proud of him coming up with his own idea and making the poster and practicing again and again. When I asked him how he felt right before he did his speech he said he felt really nervous and was going through his speech in his head over and over. Then I asked him how he felt after his speech and he said "I felt like the most popular kid in school. Everyone was clapping and one girl asked for my autograph and bought one of my pictures for $1. (which by the way I am not totally sure if they are allowed to actually sell things at school, but he was really excited). Nate you are awesome! My favorite part is drawing the reptillish eye.

Family Trip to the Temple

Over spring break the kids and I met Dave at work to go out to lunch and walk around the temple grounds. He works just a couple minutes from the Portland temple and the Olive Garden. We had a great time.

LegoMania!

Nathan turned 9 on April 17th and Derek turned 7 April 18th. It was a CRAZY weekend, but so much fun! They are both lego-crazy right now so we did the same theme for both birthdays. These two sweet boys of mine are very different from each other in many ways, but one thing in common is their love for legos. They are best friends and have the best time together. Happy Birthday Boys!!!

Happy Easter

This is a music video I made a couple years ago for young womens. I used it in Primary on Easter. I had them each watch closely and choose in their minds their favorite picture of Christ. Then after the video we shared our favorites. It was the most beautiful sight to listen to these young children describe the pictures of Jesus. Happy Easter.

My Mommy Mission Statement

To create an atmosphere of laughter, learning and love in a clean home.
To encourage our family to live a healthy lifestyle. To value exercise as a fun part of life not as a chore. A cookie is a treat, not a snack, and one is enough. A bowl of ice cream should be small in order to really be enjoyed and savored. And to come to the conclusion eventually that the real treat is the apple.
To teach my children the benefits of hard work. Play hard, but work harder. Pull weeds. Fold laundry. Rinse dishes. Wipe off the toothpaste spit from the sink. Dust occasionally. Practice the piano.
To appreciate the sticky face, sticky table and sticky kitchen floor (and any other randomly sticky thing) and remember that the time is slipping by. The minutes and hours will continue to pass on. And remember someday I will miss all the sticky messes. Appreciate the sticky.
To behave my age. When my 11 year old is hitting like a 5 year old, and my 9 year old is calling someone a dumb dumb head, and my 4 year old accidentally pees her pants on the stairs, I will not have a 2 year old temper tantrum. I will act my age.
To allow my children to live their lives...not through a video game or a cartoon character, but through their own wonderful bodies. To see, smell, taste, hear and touch life everyday. By planting and picking flowers. By walking barefoot in the dirt. By picking berries then making something delicious. By watching birds with interest. By taking chances on new experiences and believing they will succeed. I will not allow them to waste their precious minds or bodies sitting slumped over on the couch with only their fingers feverishly twitching. Live. Live. Live.
To help them come closer to our Savior Jesus Christ by developing a testimony of the Atonement and a love for the scriptures.
To have an organized home; a house of order and peace. A home that is comfortable and clean. To delegate responsibility to my children so they learn how to "keep house" and so I don't have to do it all. I accept that this is a lifelong work in progress and will never be "done".
To give my children a happy childhood. So years from now, when they look back and recall their childhood, they will have warm memories of building a clubhouse together, making smores over the kitchen stove and going on treasure hunts. I hope to give them what I received; a happy childhood.

To create, encourage, value, teach, appreciate, behave, allow, help, have, delegate and give.

Emma and Eliza

I have been reading the biographies of Emma Smith and Eliza R. Snow. My father -in- law gave them to me for Christmas and said that these biographies were the most well done and accurate. I have enjoyed learning about these amazing women so much. I finished Emma a month or so ago and I'm almost done reading Eliza. I can't imagine enduring what these great LDS women endured. What strength. I don't have much spare time to read during the day, so I just read a few pages every night before bed. Last night I read a particularly funny paragraph I thought I'd share. Apparently Eliza was concerned about the young women of the church dressing immodestly...

This statement was given by one of Brigham Young's daughters Clarissa, "...but there came a time when Father called all of the girls into the parlor and announced that they were becoming entirely too adept in following the fashions of 'the world' and that he would like them to modify their manner of dress. Flounces were to be curtailed, bangs were no longer to be frizzed, bustles were to be subdued; in fact, they were to retrench in all the vanities and frivolities of the world and set an example for the rest of the daughters of Zion to follow."

I am just imagining this scene with all Brigham Young's daughters (the oldest 10 were referred to as the Big Ten, because I guess they were pretty hot and sought after by many young men...hmmm.) I imagine them gathered around with tight dresses and frizzed bangs. I was laughing out loud in my bed. Heaven forbid frizzy bangs! Amen Brother Brigham.

Little Lauren Leprechaun

Yes, we take St. Patrick's Day way too seriously around here. Here's the leprechaun we caught stealing all the gold.


Happy Green Day!!!

Spagetti anyone?

Here's Kurt with the famous baby spagetti pictures...

Before and After

Nicole and Lauren's Room before a deep clean...

...Here's their room after being rearranged and deep cleaned.

Family Bowling

Monday night we went bowling for the first time as a family.
(The Wii doesn't count does it?) We had a great time! I haven't bowled since my bowling class at Ricks...which was awsome. Dave and I did go on a date before we were married to the bowling alley at the Wilkenson center at BYU. Fun stuff!