Piper's Riding a Two-wheeler (Last flashback)

After a year of riding a glider bike (since it was too big for her to ride most of the year), we got Piper a cheap, thrift store two-wheeler.  She needed no help and just took off like she'd always ridden a two-wheeler.  Go Piper!

Soltice Canyon - May 2011 (Flashback)

Another lost draft post found.  I took the kids on this hike in Solstice Canyon last year.  It was in preparation for a ward hike we'd be doing the next week.  I wanted to make sure I knew the way so I could give direction.  Here's what we happened upon on our hike:

1 squirrel
10 lizards
2 butterflies
1 beehive
1 woodpecker

Cool beehive.  I had never seen a wild beehive before, let alone one actually in the trunk of a tree.  I felt like Winnie the Pooh.

The kids in front of a ramshackle old house that burned down years ago.

Botanical Gardens (Flashback)

I found this post sitting in my drafts folder.  How did I never get around to publishing it?!  It's over two years old but man, my kids are sure cute.  This was our first and last visit to the wonderful botanical gardens in Cleveland.  Piper made her own salsa at the kid's table.  She wolfed it down and wanted to make more.  

Enjoy the flashback.

11/11 - Veteran's Day Edition

Today my gratitude includes:

1. Good funeral potatoes.  Maybe I just haven't had them in a long time but they tasted so good today.
2. Piper did really well in her Primary Program in Sacrament meeting today.  She was very well-behaved, spoke her part clearly and from memory, and sang well too.  Her line was "I can show faith by helping others and by believing in Jesus."  She is such a good little missionary that she invited her school teacher to come - and she came!  It was so nice of her to support Piper.  The program ran a little long so I apologized for not having warned her that it would be about 70 minutes, which ended up being more like 90 minutes.  She rushed off to a hair appointment but made sure to tell Piper "good job" and gave her a hug before she left.
3. The general happy feeling we had in our home this morning.  We all had to wake up early but everyone was in good spirits.  I give part of the credit to the Pillsbury cinnamon rolls I made.  Also, I had some church music playing while I put the ham in the crock pot.  That helped too.
4. Thick, cozy sweaters.
5. A day-off with the kids tomorrow.  I think we may go to the zoo.

Extra: All my family and friends who serve or have served in the military.  Thank you for preserving my way of life and my freedom.

Thanks for Day 10

1. Sleeping in a little and avoiding a migraine this morning
2. Delicious dim sum lunch with friends.  The almond milk rice pudding was excellent as well.
3. Pepsi (see #1 - sorry Mom)
4. My birthday is approaching, next week
5. Prospect of trying out my friend Morgan's amazing apple crisp recipe tomorrow

11.9.12

1. Visiting with two of my brothers, one of whom I don't get to see very often
2. Homemade soup (Thanks Mom!)
3. Cute kid's haircuts
4. The weekend is here
5. Fuzzy slippers

Yesterday's Thanks

1. Rainy days.  It made it actually feel like autumn in Southern California.
2. Brownies
3. I found the charger for my Kindle Fire.
4. Piper has a newly cleaned out closet.  I organized her dress-ups, purged her too-small clothes, and moved her clothes to Simon's dresser since hers was too small to fit everything.
5. Lots of clean laundry and clean sheets, folded and put away, I might add.