The Zoo!!

How could I have visited Ohio and not have gone to the zoo? We actually made it two days before my membership expired. I'm all for the zoo though. We used to live 10 minutes from it, and went all the time. I never took any pictures because we were there all the time. This time, I was a definite tourist, taking pictures upon pictures. I had such a good time with my g/f while we kept our kids happy and together. She was a saint too- leaving me the stroller to push the kids back to our car instead of walking. The weather was perfect- 80, sunny and windy. Perfection!

Chloe and her friend were so serious about where they were going to next. Note the hand holding in addition to the map sharing. This told me how much the girls missed each other while we have been in AZ! They couldn't get enough of each other, and it made for a wonderful visit! They ran together like - well, better than, sisters and I'm so grateful for the bond that they've shared.

At times during our zoo visit the girls would all line up like ducks along the fence and you would see all these little bums hip to hip. It was a cute picture to see them all peer into the exhibits with such excitement!

Later in the day the girls and I went to the Africa section and hopped on the carousel. Eva smiled from ear to ear the whole time, while Chloe... welll, this look and her white-knuckled posture didnt change the entire time. She really wanted the giraffe, but I convinced her to get on the rhino, that moved up and down. Eva's moved too, but she's such a thrill seeker it didn't phase her at all. Sweet things, and I can't get over how different they truly are! Chloe named her Rhioceros, Rhino, and Eva named her Gazelle, Gazelle. Creative spirits, yes?!

Remembering Green Thumbs...

On Memorial Day, it was a tradition for Nana to put in her garden growing up. When we were visiting for Memorial Day, she continued this planting tradition- one that I started when we had our house in Ohio as well - with the girls. They each were in charge of planting a pot that stays on her porch throughout the year. However, being in AZ has slighted them I believe. They can't play in the dirt a lot out here, because of things that 'be', so Eva who had been my excited little garden girl, was totally grossed out by getting 'dirty'.

Chloe who had played for hours in our garden and who would come in with dirt up to her elbows, smears on her face, and caked on her sandals or bare toes, was now much more 'proper' and couldn't be bothered to touch something without the magic glove that Nana gave her to use. However, with some mommy and Nana help both girls took their buckets and turned them into floral beauties!

This is such a Chloe pose!

This was Eva and her pot. I'm not exactly how much she actually planted due to her cleanliness issue, but she's sure excited it turned out great!

I've started tomato plants and pepper plants out here, from gardenerschoice.com. We will probably plant them when we move into our new house in town!

OH-yes... we are moving into town.. 20 miles closer to the city. I'm totally jazzed. Apparently, our new subdivision, which has a concrete wall around it, with each yard walled as well, has little to rare run-ins with the 'rattlers' as we call them out here. So, I'll be blogging more about that wonderful event soon. Please pray for a understanding heart from the current rental owner. They are being rather aloof about the consequences for terminating the lease early, which to my experience is never good. My new rental co., is so nice they are already talking about a patch of grass for the girls in the backyard! What a wonderful improvement!

A picture of the girls with their Nana. She provided the pizza and money for this wonderful event. It was super super fun! What sweet love, eh?

This is a picture from the vacation in Ohio, too-- there was a development next to my mom-in-laws that has a low key mood and
beautiful scenery. Its also one of Chloe's fav. spots. I let them play in the water, throw in money, eat ice cream and pizza by the fountain before we had to leave for AZ again. Beautiful simple things like this, just don't exist everywhere... *sigh* The girls can just run around and around the fountain, stick fingers in, and be totally enthralled with the whole thing for over an hour, easily. Amazing.

Crafty-ness

This is the apron that I made for the apron swap that I participated in. http://www.flickr.com/groups/aprons/pool/page2/ has a whole bunch of pictures of others' aprons. It was created in a large part, because of my mothers constant patience with me one entire day- when I was vaca in OH. I especially picked her brain because I didn't use a pattern. It was fun, and at the end, I've become psyched about making myself a similar one. I think a lot of people probably made two aprons once they realized how cool theirs were. My girls thought it was just soo fun and it wrapped around them quite a few times. I hope my swap buddy enjoys it!

We did some crafts at Grandma's the day my sis. was leaving... some keepsakes things, and for 1.00 / bank, I couldn't have thought of anything better!! Afterwards we celebrated with some serious bling... a ring sucker.

Eva has her purple piggy bank- she colored those ears and eyes sooo carefully!

Here's Chloe's Puppy Bank. She colored the muzzle all black, thinking it was just one huge honker of a nose. I thought it was amusing, so I didn't break her bubble. Imagination. Oh, yes, and both girls painted their banks toe nails.

This was the finale picture, and Grandma got to be the first to give to their futures with these banks! Among the collection of banks was a firetruck bank, and a bear bank. They turned out just adorable, and what a great happy pic for keepsakes, too!
We love Grandma's house- so many opportunities for great memories here!

B's proud new toy!

At the graduation party for his mom, B was surprised on his own to get a Wii. So, here he is that night, with his new toy, proudly playing the Hanna Montana game that came with the Wii and a whole bunch of other goodies. Thanks to his family for treating him to such a fun experience! He's such a goof, and I love him sooo much! He's singing into the wii here....





And here he's playing the guitarDon't worry, we did get some manly games for him to use too.
It worked out really nicely, and he sure didn't object to 'finding' room in his carryon to take this lovely gift back home. He'll have had a good 3 weeks daddy time before we get back to invade what will probably have become quite the manly arena!


And this, I believe was a hi-5 to the audience.... or touching hands. He made this look so fun, I tried it but apparently it was easier to watch than do. I'll try and be more coordinated now...

Dress Up with Grandma!

Grandma has shared some of her dress up things with my girls in these pictures.This picture will make B just sigh-- Chloe's got that 'and they lived happily ever after' part down, for sure.

Eva is just a hoppity little diva in her ballerina outfit. She feels so special with Grandma's necklaces, too!

Is this the look of an innocent thinking child? No way! She's got plans going on in that little girly head of hers, I just know it! We'll just have to keep the boys away from those girls' eyes!!

Here's Chloe dancing and twirling to all sorts of rythms.
Rejoicing in our femininity, and isn't that a rare commodity these days?

The two sisters, hand in hand... and no one is getting dunked, either!!

A Family Day!

After the hay days of packing, flying, graduating, and Mother's Day, we decided to have some serious family time. B was about to leave for the next three weeks, allowing us girls to socialize amongst the 'natives' and catch up on civilization as a whole. After a good massage, B was quite smiley. After my shopping, I was quite smiley. And the girls played with Ms. Laura's little girls all morning, so they were quite smiley. We had achieved happiness for that period in time. Instead of pushing our girls through the zoo, which they would have loved but not appreciated d/t the lack of energy, we decided on a low key McD's and Bob Evans picnic at a local park. Not just any park, but the one where we've gone to since B and I were dating. We've fed ducks for over 5 1/2 years there now, when occassion allowed us the time to visit it. The fountain they have and the ripples of the pond are just majestic with the large tree branches swaying over the water. The ducks found it interesting that Chloe was not throwing bread, but mud, so they learned to waddle or swim the other direction quite quickly.
Chloe was so excited to see this park again, the first thing she did was ask permission to take off her socks and shoes to walk around in the sand. And the next thing she did was run along the small tide lines. Eva had decided that food was difinitely a larger priority, giving her and Daddy the best time to snuggle and grab some great scrapping pics!
Afterwards, it was Eva and Chloe running along the beach, together finding all sorts of little odds and ends. I loved the peace and serenity of just 'being' around nature. The desert seems to be so primitive, unforgiving, and harsh in many respects and this peaceful park was certainly the breath of fresh air that I needed. Not to mention the water was the most amazing I'd seen in... a long time!
Here's a great commercial for a credit card company..
The food? 12.95
The car? 34.98/day
Being able to relax while I watch my kids play outside for the first time in months? Priceless.


After this, we came back to our little 'country hotel' and kissed our goodbyes. See ya soon dad!

Nana graduates!

So, B's mom graduated with her degree in Health Information Technology. She's worked so hard for four years now, I believe, and it made my heart leap for joy to see her finish. I think I was just as weepy as she was. Hmmm, hormones? I'm not sure. I know it was partly becuase I remember Patty making huge leaps for Theresa to make it to school. She believed in her sister so much, I know she was with us that night. So, a mix of all of that, and the fact that oh ya-- we flew into our native state, happenin' Ohio, at 5am? I had no sleep-hence, no pictures of me... And, we were running on straight adrenoline. I am visiting fam back here for a while, so expect more pics before I leave. To see someone work so hard and finally attain something, even if it's something as little as a certificate, or as big as a degree, isn't that something to rejoice in?
On a more spiritual note, I wonder if that's what the eternal life will be-- one big graduation day when we all get our assigned degrees, and our families will be there rooting for us. Not just our earthly family but ancestors past and future and the big man up top. His whole mission was to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. Eternal life... now that's a good thing. Eternal families? Even better! Happiness Neverending, now there's a trio of something I'm interested in. And it doesn't come without sacrifice. There's a hymn that comes to mind that says, ''Sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven.." No matter what we're sacrificing for, the reward is immeasurably sweet to our hearts. So, in this time of great trials for many of us, let's try to rejoice in the sacrifices because they will usher in the blessings from our Heavenly Father. I know it!
GOOOOO ETERNAL PERPSECTIVE! *Corny and super geeky, I acknowledge*

The Funny Run

Ok - I'm really sorry I've been slackin' on the posts. There's no excuse, I know, I know. Anyways, oh- about 3 weeks ago in good 'ol hometown off Rte66 there was an event called the Fun Run. I call it the Funny Run, just because of one of my favorite movies, Mickey Blue Eyes. This is one of maybe 10 events all year so I must attend, right?
The Event-This is when all these guys who love old cars and have lots of mula and time to spend on them, drive them in for other not so fortunates and hopefuls, and newbys to look at and go.. ooooo. Anyways, I'm a sucker for any ooo and aaa thing- I'm a girl! Shiny whatevers, I'm IN! lol, not quite, but anyways, we drove with my friend from town and saw all sorts of neat and important things. Nothing really struck me as life-changing but, then again, I'm a hard one to please. Being around my g/f was the fun part to me, and I got a good tan out of it. Go AZ Sun!! Oh, ya... did I mention I'm prego? Most of you probably already know, but that's my 'belly' at this point.. Don't look too closely. You'll hurt your eyes...