goodnight daddy

Isaiah singing Omar to sleep:

(To the tune of Brahm's Lullaby, more or less.)
"Lulla-bite and goodnight
And dad is my baby
To share and love each other
Goodnight"

So that's what the bite song is...

No Smoking!

In the Wal-Mart parking lot last weekend


Helaman: Dad, are adults allowed to talk to strangers?

Dad: Yes, buddy, adults can talk to strangers if they need to.

Helaman: Good, then you can tell that guy over there to stop smoking!

(And then it's Omar's fun job to explain why some people already know it's bad but choose to do it anyway, so you don't need to tell them again... )

At Disneyland on the Star Wars Ride in October


Operator: And there is no smoking.

Helaman (loudly): My dad never smokes!

Someone in the crowd: Yeah, no smoking!

(Everyone on the ride breaks out into cheers and applause.)

What a funny little guy!

Random January Fun

Omar and Helaman came up with a plan to plant seeds in 2-liter bottles. So of course Isaiah wanted to do it too! We went to home Depot and they picked out their seeds while dad was at work. Helaman really wanted to plant a tree, or red roses. Since neither of those grow well from seeds he settled on big sunflower seeds. Isaiah is super excited to grow peas. He says he loves peas? I have never seen him love peas, including that night for dinner, but he thinks he does!

After dinner Omar brought in a tray of potting soil and they had a blast filling their bottles and planting the seeds. Nothing has germinated yet, but it's only been 12 days, so we'll have to keep hoping... Omar is the cutest of all about the whole thing. He comes home every day after work and checks on the seeds. I sure love that guy!

I took the boys hiking during Omar's Taco Bell Thursday lunch a week ago. I was feeling stir crazy, and the weather was beautiful! They were really excited to go and loved finding cacti, mines, and crazy crumbling abandoned buildings. Helaman loves to call upside down triangles with rounded corners "u-tovers", and there were lots of trail markings with those. He was thrilled every time we saw one. And for every u-tover we passed we had to find one cactus or we couldn't turn around.

We hiked a lot further than we should have, they didn't want to turn around, but I knew they were going to be too tired! I ended up carrying Isaiah a lot of the way back to the car. The trail we were on wound around the mountain, but they had run out of patience by the end and we cross-countried it as the crow would walk if carrying a baby and being patient with a straggling preschooler. We still had lots of fun, and even found a non-fenced mine that freaked me right out with my two crazies!

We made it with no mishaps all the way to the almost end, when Helaman biffed it, back on the wide nice trail, when he lost his balance turning around. Sounds like something I would do! I was really glad to have a first-aid kit in the back of my car. Not that he was very hurt. It was just really comforting to him (and me) that I had everything under control and the tools ready to comfort and heal. As soon as we broke out the band-aids the world was right again. And they still remember it as a fun activity they are dying to do again. Well, that and the Subway helped. Helaman loves Subway, Omar does not. So they were excited to go because we never do.

I love hanging out with my boys and that we can go hiking in the desert in the winter. (And only in the winter! I'm scared to death of rattlesnakes.)



And finally, this is what happens to the cute little train set when mom leaves and the boys play. Look close, those are machine guns. And yes, they shot them! Scary right?

Today while the rain falls

It finally really rained today. The boys had a lot of fun playing in the rain and mud in the back yard. Finally when they were soaked to the bone they came in to get dry by our first ever fire (using spare wood from the shed). It was a cozy lazy day. When the fire burnt down we roasted marshmallows for an afternoon snack using a hanger daddy had "engineered" for that purpose! It's supposed to rain all week, it might not be fun for that long, but it was a great day today.

Tonight Isaiah was lesson for family night, and we all took turns saying something we were thankful for from this week. Helaman was thankful for playing the rain. Isaiah was thankful for nursery and spent a long time telling us all the things he did there. The funny part is, he still says he did it all with Sister Moran, even though she isn't there any more. We just spent so long trying to get him to go play with her that's what nursery is called in his head. Funny kid. I was thankful to get to do music in primary yesterday. I had a lot of fun, I really enjoyed the kids and learning the song. It was a crazy busy day, but it really flew by! Omar was thankful for getting to stay home today with us, and for roasting marshmallows in the fireplace.

It was a simple lesson, but we really are so blessed!

After Christmas/New Year Fun

A few days after Christmas we started getting a little stir crazy, and decided it was time for an adventure. We drove 2 hours south to check out Rancho Cucamunga. We'd heard the Bass Pro Shop was tons of fun for kids, and I wanted to check out the mall. So off we went. The Bass Pro Shop is on of my boys new favorite things. The love checking out all the trophy fish, and tacking the glass elevator under water. In fact they cried when we said it was time to leave. I think they would have stayed there all day.

Helaman now says that is where we need to move now. Before that it was always L.A., but I think we just haven't been there in a while. Could the giant fish be better than the beach? I am excited to save up and take them to a real aquarium now. (Just not this month when I have to pay my gigantic ticket! :( )

We also ate some delicious fudge, and very briefly checked out the rest of the store. They really wanted to try shooting the guns in the big hunting game, but we didn't have any quarters. Next time.

The mall was HUGE and overwhelming, and all we really did there was walk around for a little bit and use the bathrooms. I think that I was with the wrong crowd for that to be a fun part of the trip. After that we hit up Costco and had some great sample and bought some delicious uncooked flour tortillas that we just can't get enough of. Then we took the kids out to dinner at Chili's, which they didn't love, but we always do!

Chili's was right next door to a Krispy Kreme, and the hot light was on when we came out, so we took the boys to another one of their favorite activities, watching the donuts be made. They sat there through the whole big long cycle watching this little baby donut get stuck and then make it's way through. The guy at Krispy Kreme though they were so cute he gave it to them, plus some free mini-donuts (they got to pick any kind the wanted!) Needless to say, they though that was great!



For New Years Eve we splurged and took the boys to a Japanese restaurant here in town where they cook the food on your table and do tricks. They were excited to get shrimp and rice for dinner, but were not very impressed with the cooking. In fact they were a little terrified of the firey parts (Isaiah was in tears at one point). Helaman likes to tell me now that he loves eating rice with chopsticks. Who doesn't like shoveling the food straight into their mouth?

Then we watched the ball drop at 9, and put the kids to bed. Omar and I end up staying up until midnight almost every night anyway, so we did our usual and then kissed at 12. Then the crazy illegal fireworks started going off all over Ridgecrest, including right down our block. So we enjoyed the show in the freezing cold for a while and then ran for our warm bed. It was a fun night.

The next day Omar didn't feel very good so the only exciting thing we did was go to McDonald's that night. Helaman was very proud of himself because he went and ordered his own kid's cone after he was done with his dinner. He is much braver about "people" things than I am. I still get nervous ordering sometimes. I don't think we are going to have to worry about him being shy! I love this picture of Helaman, too. Such a handsome little guy!

The ONLY thing Helaman wanted to do to celebrate New Years was go to Fossil Falls. So, we took them next day when Omar was feeling a little better. We ran errands all morning, at lunch at Taco Bell and then headed up the mountains with some friends. The boys LOVED it. In fact, Omar gave a Family Home Evening lesson on goals that Monday, and Helaman's goal for the year was to go to fossil falls a lot. We couldn't talk him into anything else!

Omar had never been to Fossil Falls with us before, and he thought it was really cool, too. Helaman always cries when it's time to go. They are both little mountain goats out there, crawling around. Omar had heard it was scary with little kids, but we always have lots of fun. I don't think I would do it by myself, though. It's nice to have extra hands.

After we left we drove up to the Little Lake overlook and learned about all the volcanos in the area. In fact, for those of you who have gone with us, that weird red mountain where you turn to Fossil Falls that looks like a mining pile is actually the most recently active volcano in that area. I still miss lots of green and I really miss the water, but the desert is definitely cool in it's own unique ways.

I am so grateful for my family and all the fun we have together!

Christmas Time

We decided to stay home for Christmas this year. It was a combination of a lot of factors. We were sad not to be with our families, but we did enjoy the slow place and getting to spend lots of time doing nothing at all together. In fact, it was so chillax and fun, I forgot to take any pictures on Christmas!

We had a Family Home Evening lesson about giving at the beginning of December and took yummy corn flake wreathes to a few friends for activity. The boys thought they were really cool, but I am the only one who appreciated the hot dot holly berries. We had lots of fun, and the boys loved wearing their Santa hats and delivering presents. Then we talked about how they felt happy when they were giving stuff away. I think if I do this every year maybe by the time they are like, 20, they might appreciate the joy of giving over receiving. :)




We did Christmas tree crafts with glitter glue and scissors and everything! They were so proud of their creations, they kept them out all December and played with them almost everyday. They even left them on the fireplace of Santa on Christmas Eve. (He left them a sweet note telling them that he like them.) I love this picture. It is just so....them.





This is the closest thing we have to a picture of Christmas. We traditionally give them new pajamas that they get to open on Christmas Eve, and that is what we were trying to take a picture of here, but they were not cooperating. Helaman got pajamas with a matching bathroom that he loves, and Isaiah got pajamas with "hot dog" (Mickey Mouse) on them, and he was super excited. He wants to wear theme very night, actually. Helaman had been dying ever since he brought his present for me home from preschool. When we told them they got to open one present that night, he thought that meant he got to pick, and wanted it to be that one. He was tearfully disappointed that that isn't what was happening, so I got to open a very special present that night, too. What a sweet guy!



On Christmas morning the boys woke up to a tent with tunnel, glo-doodle for Helaman and helicopters for Isaiah that Santa left. They were so excited to play with those things, we didn't get to opening any other presents for a long time. I forgot to take pictures because we were just having so much fun playing with them. They were so cute and excited, we loved spending that special time with them. Then we just played all day, stayed in our pajamas, and enjoyed each other.

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Fernando came Christmas night to enjoy some dinner with us. I must be getting old, because I can't remember what went wrong (so anyone who has hear the story and remembers, please remind me) but somehow Christmas dinner ended up not getting done until around 9:00. But at least it turned out to be delicious! I made ham and scalloped potatoes and homemade rolls and suated green beans with red peppers. It was beautiful and tasted great!



Also on my list of good things I have made lately were the next day after Christmas delicious cinnamon roles. I forgot to pinch the edges closed, so they spread as they cooked, and they were already huge, but they tasted great. I even got Fernando to eat a lot of carbs this trip. :)



The rest of the weekend was spent just playing around.





And laying around. Can't beat that.

Then the Brothers

After Cari and Josh were here we all spent the next week throwing up and really sick. Luckily, everyone got better just in time for Billy, Spencer, and Chris to come visit. I wish I had taken more pictures while they were here. We had a great time, with them as well. We got to go enjoy a mariachi at a Mexican restaurant in Inyokern, take Spencer to ogle at planes and weapons at the base open house, go to Corona and visit cousins, and really enjoy lots of laughs together. I really love my family and how much fun we have together. I'm so glad they were willing to drive down here and have a blast with us! Isaiah cried several times after they left because he wanted his "uncles" back. Cute lovingly little guy.

When we were at the base open house Survivability let us crawl inside real planes and helicopters and a friend sent me a couple of pictures of that.

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And then Cari and Josh

The weekend after Thanksgiving we were excited to have Cari and Josh come visit from Texas. We just don't get to see those two enough with all those darn states in the way! We had so much fun with them! Cari and I went shopping at the annual Christmas Craft Fair in Ridgecrest (which, for the record, is bigger than the actual fair here) and Josh and Omar went riding, and we all laughed and played the whole time they were here. Chris tells me he misses living with Cari because she is so much fun, and I know what he means! Our kids really love spending time with them, too. They are just such a barrel of monkeys.

The Christmas trains were running while they were here, so we got to take them to enjoy that uniquely Ridgecrest (and freezing cold!) time. And of course, we went to see Santa, too. We miss them lots, and wish they were much closer!

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Thanksgiving

Omar's family held with tradition and gathered at our house for Thanksgiving this year. It was lots of fun, and super crazy. We were so glad they came! There were games, motorcycles, dancing, laughing, hard work, and some nasty Thanksgiving food.



Omar's dad was a huge help with some of the projects we've been putting off forever. They stripped ugly cabin siding off the shed and replaced most of the wood for the roof. Grandpa Luis was so patient and cute with the little boys, letting them help pull out and hammer in nails. Daddy even got them their own, real, little hammers. And when Fernando arrived later in the day he had brought a whole little tool set. Needless to say, I had some happy tool loving boys in my back yard!



The boys also dug out my ugly hedges in the front! Yay! And that was no easy task getting them out of the hard desert dirt! I helped a little, I think, but I'm not even sure I was that helpful. My little guys had lots of fun trying to dig with everyone and loading stuff in the truck. Isaiah was so cute trying to take his wheelbarrow up the ramp just like daddy. He's at the stage I love where he wants to do everything just like daddy. Helaman has gotten a lot more independent, but Isaiah is in the hero-worship stage. And that combined with his belief there is nothing in this world he can't do, makes for some crazy stories! (Like the time he tried to ride his three-wheeler up the ramp after watching dad and Fernando load motorcycles--never look away from the crazy monkey!)



Meanwhile Llael and I were spending the day making batches and batches of jam and jelly. We made several batches of pomegranate jelly and one of Grandma Ruth's special apricot jam. We had completely run out, so I'm really grateful for all the Gridley fruit that came down to Ridgecrest this season! Helaman enjoys the fruits of our labors every day, and tries to talk me into peanut butter and jelly for every meal some days. :)

The real story of Thanksgiving, for me, however, was the dinner itself. It would be hard to imagine dinner turning out worse as a matter of fact! We had 3 times too much salt in our turkey brine, so it was suuuuper salty. As if that wasn't bad enough, one of the times I shut the timer off after basting, I actually shut the oven off. Hours the later the turkey wasn't cooking, because the oven was completely cold! It never did get done all the way, bleeding as Omar carved it. We just served the pieces on the outside that had gotten to temperature. Not that it was delicious anyway! Meanwhile, I had started the potatoes to get done when the turkey should have gotten done had the oven been on, so I left them soaking in the water for hours! Luckily, it was nothing a lot of butter and cream couldn't cover up. The rolls were undercooked. I forgot to put the pecans in the topping on my sweet potato casserole, so added them after it was cooked, but they just fell off. And in the flurry of finishing everything I accidentally dumped the milk into the gravy instead of the potatoes where I meant to dump. The gravy was so salty from being made from turkey drippings it didn't much matter anyway at that point! Hopefully, everyone wasn't too grossed out to ever come back...



Here are some pictures of all the fun, and I can't easily remove the ones already in the post, so just ignore those!

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Trip to meet Caysley

My brother Michael and his wife Tara welcomed a precious new little baby girl into the world on October 15th. It was one of my saddest days being away from home. We had so much fun being friends with them on Hepworth Row. I was coaching Helaman's soccer teams, and we couldn't leave town for a few weeks, but we were off for Gridley as fast as we could go, which ended up being the second week in November. The timing worked out great. Omar only had to take one day off because of Veteran's Day, Caysley was getting blessed that Sunday and Christopher was made an Elder, and we got to be there for all the fun!

We had a lot of fun with our family that we sure do miss a lot!



Grandma had delicious cinnamon roles for us, and my boys happily dug right in. Who says these two don't eat?



They had lots of fun picking Grandma's garden, too. In fact they talked about the most out of the whole trip when we got back, and it still comes up sometimes. We sure miss little Miss Ava, too. What's better in life than cousins?



We got to hang out with Ava Belle a lot, and had a blast with her. She has so much personality in that little girl body. We played at Grandma's, at the park, in Chico. I was worried she wouldn't remember us, but we only had fun! Isn't she cute?



And I got a lot of good Aunt time in with Caysley, too. I loved holding that little baby girl. I'm so sad we're so far away, still! She is perfect in every way, and I would have loved to just steal her away and bring her home with me!



We had a lot of fun playing with the other side of our family, too. These two are so funny, as soon as they get to Bompa Luis' house, it's straight to the balls, and it can't be put await as long as they are there. Grandpa and Jelly are such good sports with all the craziness and noise, and they love being at their house.



Can you tell he was having fun? Helaman is such a silly bug lately. Which is usually funny and sometimes drives me crazy (like bedtime!). Good thing he is so cute!



The only bad part of the trip was when we went to Bagel Works to meet Michael for lunch in Chico. As Isaiah was walking by one of the pictures on the wall he bumped, knocking one off the wall higher up. It fell and cut his head pretty badly and shattered glass every where. It was so heart breaking! We were sitting in the street cleaning his head with a water bottle while he cried, trying to make sure there was no glass in the cut. Sometimes it's so sad to be a mom!



Funny Isaiah at the big events on Sunday! He kept making this face the whole trip when he would say "cheese!" We've been working on smiling with big eyes trying to lose this face, but I'm glad it's recorded for posterity. :)



All the Melchizedek Priesthood boys. I am so grateful to have the priesthood in my family. It's made all the difference in our lives. And I'm so happy and excited for Michael and Christopher. We are so blessed!