Virginia Lee

April 2010

For the kids "after tax season I feel guilty from being a a working mom" gift, we decided to build them a treehouse. Well, Carl is building it, I am the GC, and chief-wife-kabitzer. Carl custom made some metal brackets to bolt to the trees, and then went from there. We had checked out a bunch of treehouse books from the library, and started. Carl took 2 days off work at the end of tax season, and spent a bunch of time on it to get it started.

Snuggles with Daddy.

Easter was really fun, it fell on Conference weekend, which we have made it a tradition to spend all weekend at the church for. We, arrive at noon, and leave at 6pm both Saturday and Sunday. We all get much more out of conference, and have a great time spending the family time together. We did dyed eggs at home and an egg hunt at the church.

Family Backpacking Trip #2. Momma didn't go and stayed home to work more. Tax season was almost done and I couldn't take the time to go again, sadly. They had a great time, didn't freeze to death, and also met another Mormon family backpacking as well, proves it is a small world. I did stay up late and finished knitting Virginia's new doll.

March 2010

Virginia sat up for the first time by herself without propping herself up with her hands!

We decided to make a great effort this year to do more outdoors activities, utilizing our local state parks, etc. So , we got the kids all equipped with new backpacks, and got a new lightweight backpacking tent, and set off on March 23rd. It was pretty muddy, but the nice thing was there was not bugs. Here are some of the notes Carl made...

1. Carrying a baby on the front and a pack on the back is not nearly as hard as it looks.

2. Camping out on the last weekend in march, there are no bugs, but it is 30 degrees at night

2a. Anna gets really mad and cranky when she is cold

3. The day after it rains it is pretty muddy, but still fun

4. Kids that won't eat oatmeal at home, will in the woods

4a. Kids that make you think they ate oatmeal, will fill up on left over smores for breakfast

5, Fruit snacks and trailmix go faster than you would think

6. Once again anything you strap to the dog, will get muddy and wet

7. Dont trust the state park map, go to the USGS

7a. Two miles is a lot longer than you think on a state park map

8. The wilds of Ohio, prompt your kids to change their names from Anna to Ashaline

9. On the way home from church the next day and your 3yr old will ask you to stop at a tree to go pee.

10. Barbie has to go along with the family

11. Take pictures iwth logos of your gear and send to the factory to try for free stuff (didn't work, we later found out, they didnt' care)

11a. Hope that Osprey does not discontinue their excellent line of kids packs

12. We would be plain crazy to not do this again next month.

Virginia eating a wheat thin

we were SO cold

A river we had to cross, and only Carl had waterproof boots, refer to Carl's note #7 above.

Carl's 37th birthday, the traditional chocolate peanut butter cake turned out pretty good.

Cute bunny ears. Easter is coming.

Some candid pictures before church one Sunday

A brief glance at the girl's room.

February events 2010

Every year I go to Utah for 1 1/2 weeks in February to do tax return, on this trip Karina (my bff) went to the South Jordan temple, we intended to go to Oquirrh mountain temple, and on the way drove by the South Jordan temple. I was following Karina in my car and she was looking at her GPS on her phone. We drove by the SJ temple and I was confused, so I called her, and said, "didn't we just pass it?" She didn't think so, and didn't see it, and I smartly said, "ya know, the big white building with the guy blowing the horn on top of it?". It was funny, we turned around and went to the SJ temple, not knowing that it was not Oquirrh mountain, but it was all good since we hadn't been to the SJ temple yet.

Virginia, after eating her first piece of licorice at her first movie.

Standing up in her awesome Nike shoes.

Emma went to the craft morning Lowe's, and had a great time, sorry Meme, this is coming, in a box, just not mailed yet.

The new kitchen I got for Anna, and she loves it.

James' playing outside with an enormous icicle.

My new haircut in Utah, I only got to Tammy! So, I only get it done 1 x per year.

James intended on growing out his hair to donate it, but the Momma, couldn't take it any longer and dragged him in to get it cut.

We had an awesome family day, I was on an antique hunt for humpback trunks, so we drove to Ripley, OH to a flea market. It was sort of a long drive, but a nice drive. On the way we discovered an awesome ferry that crosses the Ohio river, to Augusta, KY. We didn't have time to explore Augusta, but we had a really fun time, we are planning on going back and exploring there. It is where George Clooney is from...but that isn't why we will go back.

The ferry ride.

In Ripley, OH we went to a cute diner and got lunch, notice Anna in all pink! Pink ice cream, sweater, dress, shoes, socks, etc... It was a darling diner, and one thing we noticed that you will never see out west is that how teenagers get so into the college basketball. There were a couple girls working at the diner, pouring over ever play made on the radio for a college basketball game. So, funny for those of us out west where college basketball is not the end and beginning.