Telluride, Colorado

Scott and I are blessed to have wonderful friends and family.  We escaped to Telluride while my parents  are watching the kids.  After getting off the plane in Montrose, we drove by this restaurant and just had to take a picture of it for my kids.  A favorite quote around our house is... "I'm Starvin Marvin."  That is how we know if someone is really hungry and has to eat immediately!

I couldn't decide which picture I should post to describe our day out on the slopes... but really, can pictures truly depict how amazing a place can be?  I feel most of the time you just have to experience it yourself.  We did ski the top run which is located on the ridge and is accurately called, "SEE FOReVeR."  Not only can you see forever but you can also fall forever if ya are not careful.  It drops straight down on both sides with some double black diamond runs and double black diamond expert slopes.  NOT for me!  I took the easy way down.

                                                

A beautiful start to our trip!

crazy kid

Samuel came running out of the bathroom... "MOM, look at my hair!  I put hairspray on it too so it will stay!"

white chocolate birthday cake

After finding out that Elder Flores was having his 20th birthday we just had to celebrate!  His request... a white chocolate with strawberries.  Wow!  That sounds amazingly delicious!  

Happy Birthday Elder FLORES!

Yes, we had to use 20 candles too!

SuNSHiNE"

you know it has been weeks since the sun has graced its presence in the sky when…

you wake up to a little boy bouncing on your bed yelling, "Mom! the sun is coming up in my room!  Look, Look, open your eyes so you can come and see it!"

yes, it was a beautiful, warm day today… the kids played outside all day!   in the front yard it was soccer AND in the backyard… it was the mud!

totally worth washing the filthy mud stained clothes!

P.S.  later i noticed that we had somehow accumulated lots of wooden boards in the backyard and that daniel had screwed a few together to make a playhouse.  when questioned about where the plywood came from he responded… "claudia, kaylea, and samuel found it in the neighbors trash pile out by the road!"

new pants

Claudia came home with huge holes in the knees of pants and then some small holes were beginning to appear on her rear.  So, together we came up with this...

Even though she can't wear them to school now, she will have some "new" pants to wear around on Saturdays! 

Daniel Boone

Daniel chose Daniel Boone for his research project.  He did the research, cut, glued, and painted the gun and gun powder holder thingy.  After I sewed on the dark brown material... Daniel cut the fringes on his shirt and pants.  Together we ordered his coonskin cap off of e-bay.    

Think he is ready for the Memphis City Think Show

His class has created a wax museum.  The kids have to research a character, find a costume, and then they will become that person for their show.   

Children's Museum

A Kinder trip to the Children's Museum.  

 

Kaylea's Project

Using Valentines Conversation Hearts... Kaylea had to make a bar graph, find mean, median, mode, and range.  This was the EASIEST homework that she has had in months... because She LOVeD it!

Kaylea's Birthday

Happy Birthday my sweet girl.   Nine years ago today, I saw the most beautiful baby girl with two adorable dimples and the darkest black hair that I had ever seen.  She stole my heart.  She was the perfect baby who never cried and made me melt everytime she smiled.  She never wanted to leave my side and cried if anyone took her from me.  I would look at her and think how I could be so blessed to have such a perfect baby girl.  I kissed her so much that I had to stop wearing my signature red lipstick!  She was tortured by her big brother but never complained and just laughed.  She was and still is my princess.  

 A few things about my Kaylea

1. She is caring and so thoughtful when it comes to her friends.

2.  She is always helping without even being asked.

3.  She makes things for others just because she loves them.

4.  Her favorite scripture story is Ruth and Naomi.

5.  She loves playing school with her brother and sister.

6.  American girls and Barbies are at the top of her playlist.

7.  Kaylea loves snuggles, especially on cold afternoons.

8.  She loves school, her teacher, and her classmates.

9.  Kayleas best friends... Daniel, Claudia, and Samuel

We all love our Kaylea.

Decorating Valentines...

tinker toys?

Claudia decided to hold a contest... What can ya make out of tinker toys?

The winner would win a trophy... made out of tinker toys!

 Samuel a lawn mower.

 Kaylea a stroller.

And the winner... Samuel!

Playtime with the Santos

  When Scott and I first got married... he did all the cooking and taught me everything I know.  Living in Phoenix, I mastered the grill, (during the summers, it was just too hot to cook in the house).  When we moved to Australia, I learned how to make bread.  Now, while living in Memphis, I am learning how to bake!  I have come a LONG way over the years... I'm still not a pro at everything, but am doing okay in most things.

 So now... It is a must, for each holiday, to make sugar cookies!  It wouldn't be a holiday without baking AND it's even better with friends!

While the cookies were baking, Sofia was helping Kaylea put together her Valentine Math Project. 

I hope their mom lets them come back over... after eating tons of sweets before supper, I'm sure their appetite for real food was gone!

CTR Pretzels

The BEST After school snack!

working on their valentines...

The kids came up with their own idea for their Valentines... Each kid wanted to do something different.  It would be much easier to buy them from the store, far less messy, my house wouldn't have a scrap paper trail leaving the office, and paint 

brushes along with paint splatter wouldn't be in the bathroom sink!  

BUT, really... buying them wouldn't be nearly as fun!  

 As I was walking into Samuel's classroom, I noticed two kids standing by a trash can throwing away their broken crayons!  Oh, NO... I can't even think of trashing crayons!!!  

Samuel and I had already discussed his Valentines this year and he wanted to make crayons for his friends... and so excited about it too.  It had been years since our last batch of home made crayons.  

His teacher laughed at me when I told her that I wanted those crayons.  She even gave me a gallon size bag to put them in.  Of course I went through all the trash, cubbies, and crayon buckets... I hit the jackpot!

 We spent one afternoon taking all the wrappers off and then another making the crayons.   

It didn't take long to melt the crayons.  Maybe three minutes on 350 degrees.

After taking them out of the oven, I put them in the fridge but then decided to stick them in the freezer to hurry up the process of cooling.  After 10 minutes... the crayons popped right out of the pan.  And 

Wah Lah!

Crayons!

Samuel's Valentines...