the summer, really?

So, it looks like summer might actually be on the brink for real this time.
I got to swim outside this morning. Praise be to PV for heating their pool.

Even though Memorial Day was still a smidge on the "hmmm...It feels like February" side,
we did get out and enjoy some sunshine at the park.

And, I took some cool pictures of another "I can't wait until I'm eight!" girl.

so. adorable.

Of course, I couldn't resist getting a quick shot of her cute brother. Awwwww.
Can we say: "arranged marriages for both Tate and Abby?"

Memorial Day Torture

As in...

the boys were forced to weed the backyard in preparation for building our jungle gym.

While being tortured in this way, they came across "Tiger" their new (outdoor) pet snake.

Thank goodness Brady (local teen hero/babysitter/yard attendant earning his summer moolah)
was here to show them the ropes of snake-acquisition.

Ironically, Tiger would rather die than endure the torture it is to be a pet of my two eldest children.

Tiger, I'm sorry you surfaced at just the wrong time. Next time you should really think twice about slithering yourself under that fence. Warn your family. If you can.

In her little white dress...

A cute friend of ours, Miss April, was baptized yesterday. Prior to the big event, she came over for some pictures.

She was so excited to put the dress on when she got here, she could hardly stand it.

Her baptism was beautiful too, just like her. Very fitting.

Congratulations April!

soup's on...(again)

So, it's the official first day of summer here in PV, and fitting that it's like 54 degrees and no one wants to go outside.

So, we recruited friends to come over,

put Kyle in the closet for his nap,

and I avoided all kinds of laundry while playing with a new editing program.

summer, we're ready for ya.

now. how about you send us some weather worthy of some sunscreen?

all the red flags...

Should I take it as a sign that I've got my hands in one (or three) too many fires if, while checking out at Costco, I have to divide my purchases into four groups in order to have four receipts?

I'm sure the 97 people waiting in line behind me thought so by the time I swiped my debit card for the fourth time.

Words that come to mind:
"Get a life Kerrianne."


Oh, and thanks UPS for staying up late and delivering my business cards at 8:59 last night. When you say 3 days, you're not kidding. I got my DBA certificate the other day too.
I guess I'm official now.

Today is the last day of school.
sniffle sniffle
Bring it on.
The free lunch, the public swimming, all the sibling bickering.
What else could a girl with five kids, four costco receipts, and her own business ask for?

daddy's resemblance

I've always thought Whitney was a Little Daddy's Girl.

She has eyes, his freckles, his hair...

Last night while editing some pictures I took of her, I had to double-check some old pictures of Doug. awwwwww....she's the lil' princess version of him. Don't you think?

Doug - age 5

Whitney - age 6

just some girls...at the park.

what do YOU do when the Men-Folk are campin'

and by that I mean:

• shooting stuff
• burning things
• throwing sticks and rocks at each other
• trying to sleep in one sleeping bag with one (or more) frigid boys that grind their teeth and slap you in the face
  with the other Fathers and Sons?

well, we go to the park with the rest of the girls.

We only had one fall off the table (mine) and a couple meet the wood chips face to face (if you know what I mean) at the bottom of the slide.

Now if my two year-old would sleep at 2:29 am. I could do the same.
Here's to tomorrow's campfire-y-laundry!

Mother Nature Mix-Up...

Yesterday was like something out of, oh....say NOVEMBER!?!?!
Rain. Wind. Snow on Mingus. Sick Children. Incessant Coughing. Fever. Tylenol. Chicken Noodle Soup. The works.

Wasn't I just beckoning summer?

Thankfully, today Mother Nature seems ready to make up for it.
Thank you, morning, for the 6 AM run

(sans the sideways rain).

It's gonna be a bright sun-shiny day.

on the Lawn at Liberty Traditional...

Last week the kids enjoyed their last "who-rah" at school before they retire for the very-short summer. They have carnival games and inflatables, food and prizes, what else could you possibly ask for?

(except for vallium, of course.)

They chose inflatables that were closer to the ground this year,

and thankfully, there was not a repeat of last year's craziness.

My kids' dentist volunteered (or should I say was volunteered by his wife)
to sit in the dunk tank. At least he had his shirt on to keep him warm.

Oh wait - it looks like maybe he DID take it off. It's hard to tell. :-)

Kyle, of course, wanted to sit perfectly still during the singing and band performances.

(Yeah, right.)

Bret manning the wood blocks, or xylophone, or whatever he is pounding on back there.
He's percussion. That covers a lot of ground, I guess.

Abby got her face painted, even with her "come-n-go" fever.
I don't think we've ever been to a Liberty on the Lawn when one of our kids wasn't sick.
It's a curse.

Bret's class sang a funny song about being in love with Pizza.

okay. sure.

Summer - we're looking forward to seein' ya.

The Rah-Rah Sisterhood...

So, In the absence of much else to blog about, and my kids are doing the lethargic-fever thing, I thought I'd post this video that I made for Erin and her Relief Society in Missouri.
While my heart is and always will be in Primary, I'm grateful for my calling as visiting teacher and kind of miss the camaraderie there is to be had in Relief Society.

Here's to the charge to "Live Like You Believe," no matter where you're serving in the church.

I love hearing President Monson's voice.

It's like a fleece blanket and a cup of cocoa all at once.

that newborn smell...

Yesterday, my friend and her newborn (still smelling like one -ahhhhh) came over for some photography fun. The following are a small sample of the results.

Who's next?

How 'bout some Whiskey with yer' 10K?

So... this morning as part of the
Whiskey Row Marathon

I ran the 10K with Denise, Marlene and close to six hundred others.

Funny that Denise and I met this girl Marlene at the Sedona Marathon, and bumped into her AGAIN just before starting THIS race.

Now - Prescott is, as you know... like 5400 feet up, and let me tell ya - - my knees and I are willing to testify to the rolling nature of that 5400.

Having only done the 5K'ers in the past, I was the slightest bit (or, in other words... A LOT) nervous about delving into the 10K bracket, but...I figured if I was going to turn THIRTY tomorrow, I had better go out with a bang, right?

Surprisingly, I actually QUITE enjoyed the run, (even though I missed my running buddy who is currently with child - bless you) and I'd like to thank Davids Cook and Archuleta who serenaded me via the Shuffle along the way.

After a Schnazzy ward service project at a local park, and doing our part in "Team up To Clean up PV," Doug treated me to an afternoon to myself for a pedicure and haircut, then to an enjoyable pre-birthday dinner and tickets to the Sundogs finals game.

We got home with a couple of hours to spare for me to complete and turn in an online assignment, and plan my sharing time for 8:00 am church tomorrow. What a birthday it will be getting my five children dressed, fed and reverent before that hour.

Happy (crossing over to the grown-up side)Birthday to me!

(in less than 2 hours, anyway!)