Summer Hair Cuts

For years the boys have gotten buzz cuts each summer. This year, Lyman decided to join them. He wanted to see what a buzz cut would look like on him. He's gotten lots of positive comments, but I miss the long, wavy hair. Here's a picture so you can decide for yourself.

The Joys of Not Being Sick

No one likes to hear about other people's illnesses, so instead I'll tell you what I am grateful for after 5 days of being sick.
I'm grateful to have an appetite again. We have lots of fresh fruits and veggies that are calling my name and need to be eaten before they end up in the compost bin.
I'm grateful for my husband doing the laundry yesterday. Not sure I have the strength for it even now, and I was running low. He even hung it out to dry, like I love to do, although I wouldn't have cared if he had used the dryer.
I enjoyed reading four books this week. 1776 by David McCullough was an interesting read, and went much faster than I thought it would. Simple Living made me re-re-re-examine my life and where I can simplify things.
I'm grateful that Lyman's work is flexible and part-time so he could be here to make sure the kids got fed.
I am so grateful for massage and herbs and essential oils and the good old hot shower - all part of my recovery process.

Baby #5 Is...

It's a Boy! I must say I was surprised. I was thinking girl. And I used to be so good at that, got the first four right.

We had an ultrasound at Fetal Fotos and that was a fun experience. We even got 3D and 4D photos and movie. The little guy wouldn't stop moving around - typical for my children!

Maybe if I can get off my sick bed (wicked cold!) I'll even add an u/s photo to this post. Don't hold your breath.

Spring Update

It's been awhile, and you might be wondering what's up with us? Well, we've been busy having fun!

DJ and Gwennie started the Urban Fishing Club last week. They both loved it and were thrilled when they actually caught a fish - rainbow trout. We dutifully cooked them up for dinner and the report is they were delicious. Gwennie is counting down the days until she can go fishing again.

DJ and William have started spring soccer. Alas, the copious rain has cancelled their games and most practices so far. This week's abundant sunshine should remedy that.

We took a drive down to BYU to see the Walter Wick exhibit. It was like looking at I Spy books in large print form. There were also some models used to create the pictures. It was a good afternoon.

Last week we continued our (my) quest for us to be a "hiking family", by driving up Little Cottonwood Canyon to the Temple Quarry Trail. The gate was closed, but it wasn't locked, so we let ourselves in. There was a bit of snow still on the trail, but nothing daunting. It was a very short hike, good for getting our feet wet, in more ways than one.

Roots

On day two of our vacation, we did some more scenic driving. We visited Holbrook, AZ, the town I lived in until I was 9 years old. It's amazing how much smaller everything looks, now that I'm an adult! I never realized I could see the whole town from my front yard before.

We drove south a short 15 minutes to Snowflake, AZ. After some driving around, we found the LDS Temple. Here, in northern Arizona, where many of my dad's ancestors were born and raised. I teared up at the thought of what a temple here would have meant to them, and to my own parents, if they still lived in Holbrook.

Our last sight-seeing stop for the day was Pinedale, Arizona. The site of many Crandell family reunions. The cemetery was so lovely and peaceful! I would love to be buried in such a place, alongside my great-grandparents and great-great-grandparents.

Big Rock Candy Mountain

Our children love the child-friendly version (no alcohol or cigarettes) of the song Big Rock Candy Mountain. When William found out there was a Big Rock Candy Mountain in Utah, he was insistent that we go see it. We found an opportunity, on our recent drive down to Arizona.

Surprisingly, they were not disappointed by the mountain, just confused about where the box cars were and the lemonade springs, etc.
If you want to visit for yourself, it's a lovely drive south of I-70, just off of I-15, down US-89. We recommend you continue south on US-89, if you like a scenic drive, like we do.

Cub Scout Blue and Gold

We have a small Cub Scout group. It recently doubled in size to 4 boys! I am the Den Leader and the Committee Chair. So, this year's Blue and Gold was a big responsibility for me. Our theme was American ABCs.

Luckily, it all turned out great and we had plenty of food. We had All-American food for dinner; rotisserie chicken, mashed potatoes, corn, broccoli salad, and apple pie with ice cream. We put butcher paper on the tables with letters from the alphabet so the guests could write places in America that began with the letter near them.

DJ earned his third bead, which means he is 75% done with earning his Wolf Badge.