Summer

A friend is letting us borrow a little slide until her kids are old enough, and the girls just go around and around on it. We're trying to teach Savannah that she's supposed to climb up the stairs and go down the slide, but Clara's example isn't helping very much...

Gotta love the Sonic Cherry Limeade!

This girl loves her blanket

Pricketts Fort

Jason is working nights this week, so this morning we ventured forth to Pricketts Fort, which was built in 1774. At the time there were about 30 forts in the area, and this reconstructed one is a composite of several of them. It was like a mini-Williamsburg, with the living history people. We saw an Indian wigwam (Clara didn't think the hanging bear furs with the heads still one were real...sorry, no picture of that gem), a garden, spinning, a loom, sheep, chickens, the works. It was really fun, and the State Park it was in was beautiful. There was also a cemetery with graves in it from the 1820s. That's the earliest I saw, anyway. It was awesome.

We tagged along with a school field trip, which Clara loved. I think she felt like such a big kid. Then we ate lunch by the fort and the girls raced around. The best part was Jason's homemade chocolate chip cookies. Who knew there was such a gem just down the highway? Wild and Wonderful, I tell you.

Clara doing jumping jacks in front of the fort. The alternative was her putting her hat in front of her face.

 

 

Savannah's 'deadpan' face. Clara kept saying, "I'm getting such a deadpan right now!"

Dorsey's Knob Park

We discovered a gem this Sunday afternoon. we made our way to Dorsey's Knob Park and saw
1. Two longhorn cattle, which apparently are the oldest kind of cattle in America. Who knew?
2. A reconstructed log cabin...random.
3. A mosaic wall.
4. Beautiful trees, rolling hills, and a great view.

Three years

Angela passed away three years ago, today. It seems like yesterday and decades ago at the same time. She was such a wonderful big sister. She always let me follow her and her friends around the house, we'd count the glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling in her room, and go to aerobics class out at BYU. We were both out there for my freshman year, which was such a blast. We shared a car, and got to see a lot of each other as she showed me the ropes. Angela always treated me like I was her best friend.

As I'm sitting here remembering her, I can't articulate all the ways that I remember her and miss her. Clara knows that full moons and tulips remind me of Angela, and Clara always reminds me whenever there is a full moon, "Remember who that makes you think of?" I love that Clara knows about Angela in little ways. I miss Paul, too, and am grateful that he came to Savannah's blessing, Ashley's wedding, and comes to visit when he can. He took such tender care of her, which I'll always remember.

Angela loved Ewan McGregor, Rob Thomas, Fox Mulder, Frasier, pedicures, stars, the moon, sunsets, London, and traveling. I love being reminded of her in numerous little ways everyday. I read this quote from a book I didn't like, but this stuck with me, "Everything deserves to be remembered. If I dream about them, I'm thankful afterward. Even if it hurts. Because it hurts." It's wonderful to remember, and sometimes it hurts. But I want to remember. .

Family pictures

In December we had some pictures taken of all the families...here are a couple of my favorites.

April snippets

One evening we were playing outside when Savannah went into the garage and brought out these two 'soft' boards. Clara put one on top of her, and Savannah kept nodding emphatically when we asked if she was tired.



Savannah likes to run around the house with Clara's sword saying "Aarggg!" Then she added the eye patch...outfit complete.


Look at that face! I love this little girl.


On Easter they sat on the couch and compared their spoils. Savannah got little toddler snacks and devoured them on the spot. Clara was surprised how fast she gobbled them down.