5 STARS

We don't normally offer our free endorsements very openly, but this movie is worthy of such promotion. Joshua had nothing bad to say about this movie and even found it quite humorous. He said it surpassed his expectations. We both found the beginning very sentimental and it even caused a few tears to fall. German was a little nervous at parts, but that was mainly due to the noise, plus it was the first time we've ever taken the boys to a theatre. (Okay, German went like twice as an infant.)

My New Favorite Germanism

We were driving home tonight and Joshua was telling German all about how he walked through some houses that were under construction at his work this morning. Joshua paused and German said, "I wish I was a Man!"

Maybe you had to be there, but it was seriously the cutest thing ever; the boy wants to be just like his dad and I can't blame him!

Tombstone - The Town too Tough to Die

Eli in Jail - I wish I had gotten a picture of Eli and his friend Jackson. They are two mischevious little boys who love a good laugh. "Jackson" is also one of Eli's basic 10 words!

German and Madison. German just adores Maddie and she is such a good friend to him.

Me and my Cowboy.

Unfortunately, our Memorial Day weekend camping trip was cancelled, but fortunately we randomly went to Tombstone, AZ during "Wyatt Earp Days!" On Saturday we ventured south to Tucson to see an old steam engine and then we continued on south to Tombstone, where we saw just how rugged the west really was. Of course they've redone all the old buildings for tourists, but it was fun to see all the people dressed up and the carriages and horses. Thanks Ns for a good time and lots of laughs!

We had a fun weekend of BBQing with friends, swimming, and playing lots with dad. Now we're all sun burned, tired, happy, and on a bright note there's no camp stuff to clean up and put away!

Jewelry by Janine

My friend Treasure's mother Janine makes all kinds of jewelry (necklaces, bracelets, earrings) out of homemade femo beads and reused beads from older jewelry. Each piece is original and unique. I looked through a batch of probably 20 necklaces and would've taken them all, but I finally decided on the above necklace. Take a look at her blog if you're interested, I think those of you who are more artsy/retro inclined will really like what she has.

http://jewelsbyjanine.blogspot.com/

Diamondbacks v. Reds

This is a horrble picture of yours truly, but since there are so few photos with me in them, I figured I would put it on anyway.

This was our view - so close!

Joshua landed some nice tickets to the Diamondback game last Wednesday evening (and no, the D-backs did not win). We were on the 1st level, and only the 16th row back. It was easier to watch the actual game than it was to watch the huge screen version - a first for us. German loved watching the game, but mostly cheering whenever the ball and bat connected. Eli mostly liked the popcorn and flirting with the girls a few rows back. I figured we'd only make it through a few innings, but our boys were happy the entire game and could've stayed a while longer.

The Heat is Back!

In an attempt to stay cool, I purchased this little kiddie-pool for the boys to use on our back porch. They were so excited and entertained for nearly an hour! I think the main virtue to this versus the bath tub is that they were allowed to dump and splash water out of the pool - heaven to a small boy. The best part for me is that I could sit inside on my rocking chair in the a/c and watch through the glass door. We all had a nice afternoon - plus, Eli was so tired from playing that he took an extraordinarily long nap.

Camping Fun

We made our first camping trip of the year last weekend - man, have I been exhausted ever since returning (The aches and pains of being 32 weeks pregnant have also settled in, but that's another story). I find it interesting how adults are quick to realize that their children need sleep and lots of it, but slow to see that they actually need it as well.

We had lots of fun with the Niederhausers and the Wells'. German asked if we could move to the camping site and cried for about 20 minutes in the car on the way home because we had to leave. The boys loved getting dirty, going on lots of hikes, playing in the creek, seeing the fish hatchery, and being very dirty!

My Favorite Germanism of the Week

While driving around Sunday afternoon, looking at some houses we wouldn't mind being given, German gave us his list of musts for a house: #1 (and most important) a garage. #2 a grass yard. and #3 a lawn mower. He also reminded Joshua that he said once we have a yard Daddy will build them a play house.

The best part was when German got really excited about one house in particular. We asked him why that house and he said it was because it had a park in the backyard. We drove back around it and sure enough they had lots of grass and a fort. I think it's sad that our son mistakes a large lawn and a small playhouse for a park. We've got to get out of an apartment!

Other Happenings

Grandma Clark stopped in for a few days and we got to enjoy a nice visit with her. Not only was her timing impecable (I was serving on a jury and thus her services were needed), but the boys really enjoyed reading books and playing with grandma. Please take note in the picture that Joshua is reading a Santa Claus book to Eli - this is Eli's favorite book of all time and who knows why!

The boys love playing sports with dad!

German sure knows how to stretch out bedtime: Take the longest time to eat your dinner, but not so long that the option for popcorn is gone. Then when mom says there's no time for toppings, say in the cutest voice possible that it would be great if we could just have a little honey on it. And voila, you've stayed up an extra 45 minutes!

Better Late Than Never... Easter

The Neighborhood Hunt

Eli was just glad he found a Capri Sun

German on the Search for More Cool Stuff


The Boys in Their Easter Duds (and no, I did not make their shirts this year!)

We had a really nice Easter weekend. It actually rained most of the Saturday, so the neighborhood hunt was not as well attended as it has been in the past and those who did attend were abundantly blessed - it's just too bad the candy was all wet.

We also enjoyed a BBQ and second hunt with our other misplaced friends and a nice Sunday dinner as well. The boys looked a lot cuter in their matching shirts than this picture gives them credit - I just shouldn't have waited until late at night to take the photo!

The German Language

I thought we were doing a pretty good job at explaining to German the difference between his name and the language. But the other day he asked Joshua to read him a book "in Eli."

Joshua's Cargo Van

Some people might call him cheap, but I try to think of it as building our future wealth!

Due to my current obligation to sit on a jury panel, we've had some difficulty with the 1-car situation. On Thursday it became required for us to rent a car for the day. Our online search showed many $50+ options, but this beauty popped up for just $17! You can imagine Joshua's excitement at the prospect of saving all that money. The boys enjoyed playing inside and German had a lot of good ideas about how the van could be of good use for us: we could carry our Christmas tree inside, we could sleep in it or put chairs in it, or we could put all of our toys inside. Hopefully in the photo you can see how Joshua rigged the boys a safe seat by attaching their stroller to the passenger seat.

What We've Been up to...

Playing at the Park - Enjoying our moderate temperatures while they last!

Visiting the Local Sites - We spent a Saturday visiting Montezuma's Castle and the city of Jerome (a quaint little town for you art and antique lovers out there)

Just Too Cute Not to Post

Hanging With Livestock - This donkey just hangs out in the middle of a rural road in the town of Jerome. German and Eli thought that it was the coolest thing ever!

This One's For My Mom

I finally finished Eli's coordinating bumper pads, just in time for #3 to get some good use out them as well! Now the pale blue sheets are driving me nuts!

For anyone not familiar with my sons' room - my mom gave us my brother's old curtains and comforter and a bunch of leftover fabric. So now we enjoy a little of the wild west in their room.

Hiking in the Superstition "Mountains"

We set off yesterday morning for a fun filled day of hiking. German did such an awesome job hiking up a pretty rough route full of rocks. Eli of course would have loved to hike, but he did a better job just being carried by dad. We love AZ and many of the aspects of the desert, but as far as nature goes - it would have really been beautiful to see some trees and wild grass!

My favorite German sayings of the day:

At the trailhead: "Daddy, I'm tired of walking!"

Along the dusty and rocky desert trail: "Hey, look. I found some dirt."

One of the Golden Moments of Motherhood...

The Tallest Man Alive

Provo, UT

Just a few things I was missing about Provo the other day (in no particular order):

1) The duck pond. The ducks in our canal just don't get it and stay far away from the kids. Maybe it's time to ditch the canal ducks and head to a park.

2) The Conleys and Brick Oven Pizza. Lemonade, Brian?

3) The Louds and Fudruckers.

4) Our old rent payment - man, those days were good!

Eli is Learning to Walk

Eli is our walking-talking boy! (I'd post videos a lot more if they didn't take so long to upload) This Eli-boy loves to express himself. It's rare to not know what he wants, even though he only has a couple of words. Instead of words, Eli has a complicated set of screams that indicate what he needs. When he's not screaming out, he can be heard babbling on and on for a good hour or so, no kidding! As Joshua says, "When Eli talks he talks so seriously and expressively that I can almost understand what he's talking about!" WE LOVE OUR ELI!

Happy Valentine's Day!

We gave the boys coloring books and new crayons for their Valentine's Day gift. After coloring for a while German says he wants to write Eli's name on his paper. So, he did. German knew how to spell 'Eli' and write the letters (though it's difficult to see), even though we haven't really gone over letter writing. Then he says he wants to write his own name. 'German' is a little harder to spell, so we helped him sound it out and spell, but he did all the letters on his own. This boy loves learning and does such a good job listening to the things we teach him. I can see now why they say that children are so eager to learn; their minds are little sponges. WE LOVE GERMAN!