Paddle Boats

Mondays Brad will often stay in town either for school (during the school year) or for volleyball (during the summer). So we will try and meet him down there to go to the zoo or play at one of the nice tree-filled parks (something we don't have in Meridian). But this time we decided to test drive the paddle boats. You can take them on a nice ride up the river to where it opens up into a little lake. Johnny loved the ducks and we found a family of little baby ducklings that we stopped to watch for awhile. Some people on the bank of the river tossed Alex a piece of bread so she could feed the ducks and they came swarming around her for food. You're only aloud 3 on a boat at one time so that is why we rented two. I was talking to my sister that evening and she reminded me of the lake we'd visit when we lived in Yuba City. We'd go there to feed the ducks and we'd always see people out on the paddle boats and wished we could do that too. Well the kids enjoyed it and Alex is already asking to go again.

Turning the clocks back a few weeks...

Here's our group picture...something missing? Yes, that'd be my husband. Don't worry Knudsen family, he will be coming out with me next time! Notice something new?

That'd be my cute future sister-in-law, Vanessa!

So what brought me to Eureka this time around? Mostly the chance to meet Vanessa. We went to the beach and took some awesome pictures of the two of them together...so cute! We all agreed that Vanessa is a lucky girl if only for the fact that Matt will cooperate for a photo shoot. She of course has us to thank for that! It doesn't hurt that we asked him in just about every picture to gaze into her eyes or give her a little kiss.

Of course while we were there we took the kids to the beach. Johnny had to follow the other kids up onto this gigantic rock that fell off into the river on the other side. Don't worry, I was hanging out just beyond the edge of the picture ready to bring him back down to safer grounds.

On the 4th of July...well...the kids were cranky and we wanted to watch the big fireworks over the bay. So we put them to bed early and the next day we told them it was the 4th, dressed them up in patriotic colors (for pictures of course) and had a little firework show in front of Grammie and Grandpa's house. They loved it! Johnny especially was very excited and oohed and aahed his way through the little package of fireworks.

Poor Vanessa missed out on the tour through the redwoods at Lady Bird Johnson Grove. It took us an exceptionally long time to make our way through the trail since everywhere we turned there was a great photo opportunity calling out to us. Here's a great picture of the sisters and our kids. Notice that everyone is smiling...a very rare thing to see. Johnny's learning the magic of the word cheese. When he says it, people take fewer pictures.

We had to take the kids to the Sequoia Zoo and Park. We got to see my long lost cousins and their cute little kids.

And no, the fun does not stop there. We followed the sun inland and took the kids to Maple Creek where we play in the river and caught some frogs. The kids had a blast letting them go and catching them again. Those poor frogs didn't know what hit them.


All in all it was a fun filled two week trip where we made lots of good memories. It's too bad we live so far away so we can't get together more often. I'm so excited that the next time we see them is less than 2 months away for Matt and Vanessa's wedding...YEAH!

Oh ya, and don't forget to see more pictures of the trip on my web album:
http://picasaweb.google.com/DayKids/2007

Trust in Mom

This is a picture of our new little pet "Mr. Green Jeans". I know, he's not green, he's brown, but this was the name of one I had growing up that we kept for quite awhile in a cage in our home. We fed him flies and took him outside for some fresh air once in awhile. Come to think of it I don't think the original Mr. Green Jeans was green either.

Anyway, I need to be careful, I can't be certain but I think I'm walking on a thin line of trust with my 4 year old right now. Yesterday we were getting ready to play in the water and found a praying mantis in our empty pool. Alex asked if she could hold it and I told her to go ahead (I caught them all the time growing up) and before too long she screams that he pinched her as she's now holding him by his back so he can't reach her with his claws. She is reluctant to let him go because she wants to make him a home but drops him in the grass anyway when I ask her too. Praying mantises don't do a lot of sprinting around so I wasn't worried about losing him. We gave him a home in our bushes where he still was this morning when Johnny woke him up with an invigorating shake of his branch and just to make sure he was awake, a knock (pet) on the head. Then this morning there was a little black spider in the bathroom that looked like it might be dead. One of it's legs was bent and everything. So I asked Alex to pick it up with a wad of toilet paper and toss it in the toilet. She didn't think twice about it and picked it up announcing "it's not dead!" But instead of freaking out (like I would) she just looks at it for awhile before tossing it into the toilet with my persistence. Ok, well she obviously has lost the fear of all creepy crawly things like she had last year. It started with the worms this spring and now she's picking up spiders at my request. She didn't seem to realize it but I felt bad that I told her that praying mantis were harmless and then she got pinched and then told her that the spider was dead and it was very much alive. I need to watch myself before she clues in that "Mom doesn't really know everything" and she stops trusting in me.

I put this picture in because I thought it was cute. Maddy wandered over from next door since Brad had the gate open while mowing. She stayed to play in the water with the kids and then made herself comfortable watching a movie and eventually eating dinner with us. We love our neighbors and love that Maddy is so comfortable spending time at our house. She of course is always welcome anytime!

Pioneer Day!

Our stake held a Pioneer Day celebration on Saturday. They had a covered wagon parade with the primary, horseback riding, and lots of games. Alex stood in line forever to ride the horse and for awhile I had her convinced she was going to ride it all by herself but in the end, she had me up on the horse with her. The night before, I rummaged through a bag of my old baby clothes from when I was little and found my old gingham bonnet and strawberry shortcake apron. I'm so glad I found them too because every little girl there was dawning a bonnet and apron. I was in charge of conducting our treck family choir with a song they learned to sing on treck called "Keepers of His Light". I got as far as our neighborhood Albertson's and heard a pop in my car and dust flew through my air vents. The last time this happened I was driving the truck and the radiator blew up and it cost us a pretty penny to fix. So I pulled over just in case and didn't have much time so I ran to my friend's house with Alex on my back and wearing the most uncomfortable pair of sandles I own. Our home phone wasn't going through so she leant me her car and when we got to the pioneer day celebration the choir was standing up ready to sing, I made it there without a second to spare. So I ran up in front, annouced that I was there and immediately brought them into the song. When I got home and had Brad go check out the car, nothing seemed to be the matter. His theory is that I ran over something that banged the undercarriage of the car and that could've been what happened. All that and nothing was wrong. Oh well, I guess it is better to be safe than sorry.

HAPPY PIONEER DAY!

P.S. Cali pictures are in the mail, I'll be posting some as soon as they arrive!