Joshua Tree

We just returned from camping in Joshua Tree with our great friends, the Billings. We haven't been the biggest campers for the last few years. Newborns...and all. We had such a blast together. Kids all were so great and haven't stopped talking about their adventures.

Here's everyone all piled in.

Both families brought propane stoves but no one remembered pans. Oops. We got a little creative by cooking our eggs and pancakes over the fire, in orange peels. Somehow worked. Good memory.

Fun night hike looking for coyotes in the light of a full moon.

Getting a little desperate for an escape from the heat.

Good, now stay there.

The only shade we could find. Frogs and tadpoles in green, stagnating water....appetizing?

Escaping from the heat with a popsicle and loitering in front of Staters. The manager showed his appreciation for our popsicle cheer (to the customers) by giving us the boot. Tyler's head was just spinning.

Shopping at the outlets.

Spring

We've been too lazy to blog, or too busy. One of the two. Anyways, life is peachy. We've put in a few gardens around the yard and they are jamming. We can't get tomatoes to grow, but we're not giving up. The kids have had so much fun with the yard these days. They beg their dad every day to go work together in the garden. Jumping on a shovel is more fun than jumping on the tramp I guess.











Brock and Tyler fishing together. After a while of not catching anything in the ocean, they started fishing in the tide pools and caught a bunch of little ones.














Alex's new favorite hobby. Archery. This will be interesting.




I wonder where Aaron gets his ideas from. hmmm. poor duckie.

The Tree

I like trees as much as the next gal, but for years I wanted our big sycamore down. It's the messiest tree ever, puff balls and leaves are never ending. It grows over the wires, the neighbor's yard and over the back wall. We had another tree belonging to the city just behind the back wall that hides the wires and we don't have to take care of it. So, the other day I was just done. I wanted it out, that day. I saw an opportunity and took it! I knew Tyler would understand about being spontaneous (of all people). He agreed. So, we called up our good friend/neighbor Ed, who is the pro-fix-everything-guy. He was kind enough to offer! After a few hours and a whole lot of help from fearless Ed, it is gone.

We were worried about the landing. One mistake, it would go through our wall and hit a car, or our even worse, our house. It took out a few of our other trees on the landing but we'll take it. At least we still had the city's tree.

Well, 2 days later, the city came and chopped all their trees down. oops. We're feeling a bit exposed. ha. I'm still so happy to have that sycamore gone. (Yes those are my maternity jeans, and nope....)

With all this wood, we have a goal to cook dinner over an outside fire once a week. What do you eat for dinner besides chili dogs and foil dinners? We will have to start getting creative I guess, or just pull out the smores!

With all this tree stuff happening, time for some good tunes. About trees of course. Tyler wrote this song back in the good 'ol days and it's always been a favorite of mine and the kids! Especially this week. (click the widget below)

Apple Tree.mp3

Hosted by eSnips

Fairwell Circlepix

After nine wonderful years here at CirclePix, I am now passing the torch and hanging up the gloves to move on to another new and exciting challenge. I've accepted a position to work with my 2 brothers in the home healthcare arena, working with the elderly.

As I have been slowly packing up my office over the last few weeks, so many memories of the early days have flooded my mind. Crazy. We started this company with just a few people in Rob's upstairs bonus room. Just a few of us buddies banging things out trying to figure some way to make things work. We went from just a few tours a month to over 10,000 tours a month, with over 400 photographers nationwide and somewhere around 150 employees in our corporate office, at one point. Although I'm so proud of all that we've accomplished together, the sweetest thing is the many friendships and memories that were made along the way. So thankul for all I've learned from everyone, past and present, at Cpix. I expect great things for the future of the company and wish everyone the best- and please keep in touch.

Thanks for the AMAZING ride!!


Tyler

Slingshots

We just took the kids out hiking in the Laguna Beach canyon. They were able to get their new slingshots all worn in. I think Santa really scored on these puppies. Out of all the toys and clothes they received, nothing holds a flame to these wrist rockets. Brock is sleeping with his. He wants to take it to the beach to nail seagulls. What has Tyler created? They are already talking about their next weeks adventure in the woods with their new slingshots.

Christmas Eve

For me, there's nothing like Christmas Eve! Greatest feeling in the air, good food, family, singing, gazoos, bells, skits, stories, kids all wired wondering if Santa is going to come through or not... Christmas Eve just simply rules! This year we had 40+ family members in town and all met at my sister Kim's house in Corona. They were amazing sports but I feel bad for her neighbors. Good times- Thanks Kim and Eric!

Merry Christmas

Things have been a little busy and we've slacked on posting anything. Here's a couple things we've been up to. Hope you all had a great Christmas!

Making Christmas gingerbread men.

Tyler just got released from his calling and called to be a ward missionary and to serve on the activities committee. The kids are so excited to sit with him again at church.

Sara and Cora as Costco "sample girls". (career night lesson - fhe)

Sara turns 11 on us. Happy Birthday Sara!! Our little baby is getting too old!

Then Christmas morning of course.

Poor Trevs!

Change of plans. Well, whatever they were, now Trevor has pneumonia. Yesterday, we took him in for a possible ear infection and came out 4 hours later with 3 perscriptions to treat him for pneumonia. Yikes. We spent last night doing laps together and snuggling. So sad to see him so sick. He's already seeing tons of improvement and we'll see what the dr says today at his next apt.

The kids have found creative ways to get him to sleep. They call it the "magic blanket train". I'm all for it.

The "Fun Zone"

We just spend the afternoon at the Balboa Fun Zone. We found this little tide pool museum and the kids thought they were at Sea World. Hope that counts for this year.

A while back, Tyler taught Brock how to catch a pigeon. I thought they were lucky the first time. Now, Brock catches them where ever he goes. It's hilarious, but this time the bird was trying to fly away so hard that half his tail ripped off. oops. The girls were ticked, but dad reassured them that pigeons are just like lizzards -their tales come and go as they please. huh?

Final Days of Maui

Karen wanted a coconut real bad. It had to be fresh. What do you do?














Sean challenged me to an all out eating competition. It was time to see once and for all who is the king. We ordered the "Bonanza" Burger which was like 1.5 lbs of meat.














As you can see, I got schooled. I guess I'm not a kid anymore. Nice work Sean.

Us, agonizing over leaving this place. I guess all great things must come to an end.

Thanks Rob and Lisa, Sean and Jen, John and Michelle. Couldn't have made sweeter memories!

Day 4

Karen and I got up early and went to Iao Valley which is up in the rain forrest. We found a sweet trail and went hiking a few miles. It was amazing. We picked fruit off the trees and had a fun picnic. Can't believe how beautiful the mountains are here. No one to be found, except a few local skinny dippers. (I didn't look, but I think Karen peeked)




















We found the coolest little, private beach on the way home and went snorkeling together.









Here we are cooking up a few of our fish we speared. Good stuff. Not quite as good as The Melting Pot restaurant where we went afterward. Man these guys know how to eat right. I'm new to all these restaurants, but they are teaching me the ropes.

Day 3 Maui

Each day, we've been getting up at like 6 am (3 hours difference). We all go on a long walk along the beach. So fun hanging with everyone.

We had breakfast at The Plantation, which is a real famous golf course with the best views.

Karen and I went spearing at Black Rock. We nailed 3 different eels but all beat us and got off. One was huge and had a perfect shot in the neck. We had quite the audience underwater and everyone was screaming and freaking out at the fight. When it finally wiggled it's way off, he turned around and went after me and almost bit me. I haven't been that scared for a while. We got to swim with 2 huge turtles. Karen was in heaven.

This sweet Hawaiian dude appeared from nowhere to light the torches. He looked like he needed a hand.