Monday, April 30, 2012

Nauvoo Rendezvous part 1

 We weren't sure we were going to be able to go, but through prayers coming from Jake's family and our own little family, our big Nauvoo road trip worked out fantastically. What a blessing! And what fun. Jake's parents are currently serving an LDS mission in Nauvoo and have been there almost a year, so this served as a kind of family reunion.
We left on Good Friday after Jake got home from work and made our way to Miami (my-am-uh....no, really, that's how you say it), Oklahoma for the night. Jake and I told the kids that I emailed the Easter Bunny about where we would be so that he would know where to bring the Easter treats. We do our Easter baskets on Saturday morning, so when we woke up Jake read an email from the Bunny on his phone that had clues as to where the Easter bags were hidden. That's what you can get away with when your kids don't read yet. Excited kiddos in the car with candy in tow, we headed for Independence, Missouri.
We have good friends who recently moved to Independence, so we briefly stopped to see their home and eat their food. Good friends, I tell you.
Jake's older brother and family were ready to meet us in Far West on their journey from Utah to tour some church historical sights. I was surprised at how beautiful this area and Adam-ondi-Ahman was. So lovely and peaceful.
Tessa and Cole immediately jumped to another level of happiness in being able to play with cousins. Paige was happy to begin her extended family meet and greet ....and dote.

And then we were on our way trying to beat the clock. We switched up the kids a bit in the cars, stopped for a quick dinner, and pushed on. I couldn't figure out why we were in such a hurry until I learned that we had to make it to see the Rendevous show that Jake's parents are involved in by 8:15pm. 
We pulled up at about 8:10pm.


They were fabulous.

Friday, April 20, 2012

Tornado Time

Early this month at least twelve tornados touched down in North Texas in one afternoon. That's just crazy. And scary. The sky was on the foreboding side even in the morning as we made our way too and from Paige's two month checkup and to pick up Tessa from preschool. It wasn't until later in in the afternoon that the weather really started to party. The news was soon saying that if you lived in certain counties (mine being one of them) that you should not go out. So, I cancelled my doctor's appointment that afternoon right before they called to tell me to stay home, and I kept the news on. You know that colorful radar they use to show you the direction of a storm? Well, the screen was a virtual rainbow with intense weather all over the place. We feel very fortunate that our city stayed in a pocket of less severity. But, that's hindsight! You never know where tornados are going to tango once they are on the prowl, and the weatherman kept making comments about getting to the bathroom or other safe place with blankets, etc. Our safe place is our bathroom --the tub as the safest spot. So, I figured I should listen and be prepared.
We've lived here almost six years and had the tornado siren go off several times, but this was definitely the biggest threat we've dealt with. I had Cole and Paige down for naps but felt like "better safe than sorry" was an apt cliche at the moment. I dragged those two grumpily off of their beds and tucked them into the blanket and pillow filled tub with Tessa and me. Emergency supplies close by, we had the TV up loud in the living room so I could hear when the worst had passed.
A heavy thunderstorm came tearing through, throwing some hail on the lawn, but that was over in a few minutes. With Jake in another city working, I worried that it might be worse there and just wanted him teleported home. It turns out that they were ushered into the work bathrooms where he was working that day. Jake turned ACDC's "Thunderstruck" song on his phone while they were in there for amusement (his own, mainly). He said that he could hear one of the women yelling and rebuking the storm in the lady's bathroom. Very different approaches. After the strongest part of the storm in that area had moved on, they went outside to check it out and saw hail on the ground.

 Really big hail.
This was Jake's last week helping out with this company before he was back to his office with covered parking in Dallas. The hail pock marked the entire top of his car. Some of the dents I would imagine could have knocked a person out if they had been hit. Even though his car suffered dent damage, it fared better than his coworker's car: 
That hail slammed right on through the windshield! Crazy.
Back here at home Paige and I were done with the crampy bathtub scene, but the "tormado" (according to Cole) leftovers were still pretty exciting to the older two kids. I gave them some animal crackers and let them go hang out, munch, and read in the tub. 

(That's a big sticker on Cole's head from the pediatrician. I don't know why it's on his head. It just is.)

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Kids' Stuff

We received a gift certificate to Cold Stone for Christmas (thank you!) and obviously enjoyed it:

Night time cuddles with new baby sister:
This was the most well behaved my children have ever been in DSW. I figured as long as they weren't ruining anything, stayed relatively quiet and in view, that trying on the clearance shoes was just great.
Booty tooch.
Night time snuggles for all three:
Blah!
Awesome thighs on this girl. We're so happy she's in our family.

More of Tessa's Field Trip

Here are more pictures that I believe I promised to post from Tessa's field trip to the Outdoor Learning Center:

Mmmm hhmm, that's right. It's a big pine cone.

And I had to put up all the pics Jake took of Tessa by the animals. She is doing her best impression of each of them.
This girl is not afraid of the camera.
She makes us laugh.




Sunday, April 15, 2012

Paige's Birth Day

Before I can synchronize the photos that both Jake and I took on our Nauvoo vacation, we must begin another great iphone photo dump. I will be selective in what I post, but here some come...

Paige at the hospital in her grand chubbiness! (And it's only gotten better. What a fantastically squishable baby.)