Birds and bees

This was my conversation with the boys tonight before bed:

Grant:  Are you ever going to be a Grandma?
Me:  Are you going to have kids?
Grant:  Yes.
Me:  Well, then I'm going to be a Grandma. 
Dallin:  I'm not gonna have kids.
Me:  What do you mean, Dallin, that you're not going to have kids?
D (smiling):  Never mind.  I'll have kids.

Slight pause in conversation...

D:  Mom, do kids just randomly come?
Me:  Nooo.
D:  Or are they something that Heavenly Father gives to you?
Me:  Sort of.  Heavenly Father makes it possible for us to have kids, but it has more to do with the choices we make to have children.
D:  What do you mean?
Me:  When you marry a girl and have her as your wife, then you do special things to make babies together. 
D &; G:  What kind of things?  Like being nice to each other?
Me (chuckling to myself):  Yup, like being nice.
K:  And going on dates?
Me:  Yup, going on dates.
D:  Then no wonder you have so many kids!
Me:  Why?
D:  Because Dad's really nice and takes you on lots of dates!

Growing into a lady

What is it about being 11 that turns you from little girl to young lady?  Whatever it is, it's happening to Mariah.  She has matured so much in the past few months and I love the young lady I see emerging. 

For her birthday, Mariah requested a camping party.  We set up tents in the yard, one for her and her friends, another for her brothers.  We got out the shade canopy and camping chairs.  We barbequed hamburgers and hot dogs and before bed we roasted marshmallows and ate smores.  Jason brought home silly string and glow-in-the-dark necklaces for nighttime.  It was a really fun party!

 

For whatever reason, Karina didn't think the silly string war was much fun.  I'm not sure what she thought it was going to be like, but as soon as the string started flyin', she started cryin'.

I'm looking forward to what the future has to bring for Mariah.  She is growing and changing, learning and maturing.  It's exciting to see her develop into something more beautiful as each year passes.

Summer heat

I had to chuckle when I saw a map similar to this one on the news yesterday.  Our sliver of the country is one of only a few small areas not enveloped in high summer temperatures.  Then I said a prayer of thanks for a mild Oregon summer!

Look what I got!

Yup.  A little man lawn mower.  He even thinks it's fun.

I'm more than excited!

Swimming and sunburns, cousins and caves

Our 4th of July weekend was filled with adventure and fun.  Unfortunately, I forgot my camera at home.  Can you believe that?  It should be a cardinal sin to forget something like that on a vacation.  I definitely felt guilty not documenting our time away, but oh well.

We started our adventure in Cave Junction, Oregon with a visit to the Oregon Caves.  What a neat place to visit!  Unfortunately, Karina wasn't tall enough to go into the cave, so Jason stayed behind with her while I took the rest of the tribe.  The kids were very well behaved in the cave, which I was a bit worried about.  There are strict rules not to touch the walls of the cave and there is quite a bit of climbing steep stairs and such.  I was wary the kids would provide a spectacle for our tour group, but they performed beautifully.  Whew! 

All day I couldn't help but think of my good childhood friend, Jenelle, as we enjoyed the area.  She was an intern at the caves after our high school days and I remember her really enjoying her time there.  I could see how it would be a great experience to work and explore the caves. 

After our caving adventure, we headed through the backroads to California and on to Jason's parents' house.  It was a long and winding drive, much of it following the Klamath River through the mountains.  I have never seen such winding roads, and that's saying something since I'm from the backwoods of Clackamas County.  We saw many small town businesses and signs boasting Sasquatch, as this area is known for Big Foot sightings.  We didn't see the creature ourselves, but it made for interesting conversation.

Cousins were reunited at Grandma and Grandpa's house, which is always a highlight for the kids.  Every time we get together I enjoy seeing their relationships grow.  Now that they're getting older, it's getting easier to manage their activity level.  I can envision a day when we'll all get together and they'll disappear together to play while the adults enjoy our time together without much interruption.  This scenario is already starting to unfold, which is wonderful.

Grandma and Grandpa's pool got plenty of use as the temperature climbed up over the century mark while we were there.  Every time we visit, the kids get more and more brave in the water.  I love seeing them comfortable and enjoying themselves.  By the time we left, all the kids except Karina were jumping off the diving board!

One day the kids got in the pool at 9:30am and didn't get out until late afternoon except to eat and pee.  Unfortunately, my kids aren't used to being in the sun and their fair skin didn't agree with the 7+ hours of sunlight, regardless of avid sunscreen use.  By evening they were feeling the heat of sunburns and by morning they were miserable.  I felt terrible about not being able to protect them more, but we all learn from experience and this will teach us all to be super cautious in the sun.  In fact, the day after we returned home I bought the boys sunguard swim shirts for the next time we see the sun. 

The day of the 4th we headed to Mt. Shasta where we enjoyed the typical holiday festivities--a parade, an afternoon barbeque, a visit with friends and family, and fireworks.  We left for home the next day with the memories of another great 4th of July holiday burning in our shoulders!

In defiance

Ever have a bad day?

Maybe you feel like doing this....

 

Or looking at your boss like this...

Or yelling about how much you don't care...

And that you wish people would just go away...

And quit staring at you while you grump around...

So you can just cry...

Wouldn't you feel the same if your bum looked like this?

It's what a puddle of mud can do to a person.