Free Trainrides and Ducks

So Thursday we went to the train depot/museum. This is about 1 mile from my house and I had never been in the three years we lived here. Shameful, really.

Anyway you saw the picture of Casey hanging out nearby the museum in an old ranchhouse that is on the property, quite pretty. Unfortunately, on Thursday, the train rides were not operating so I promised the kids we would return the next day. Normally I would not be keen on this but since Katie came with her cute kiddos it was infinitely more fun.

Pics of Case and Gillian on the steps. This is when I realized I am no photographer. But the place was pretty and the kids were cute.



















Kids on the train.





















Prior to the trainride, we went to feed the ducks with the old bread in Katie's freezer (she called and told me I didn't have to sacrifice my whole wheat stuff since she had a bunch). This duck made a guest appearance and we were really into his blue bill.




















I love this picture!




















Also this little girl has been kinda whiney lately and I appreciated the chance to spend some time with her cuteness. She was still whiney but I just love her little face.

Conference Weekend

1. It was absolutely beautiful here. A Eucalyptus tree fell in the front yard yesterday and the kids had a ball playing in the jungle. Don't you wish a tree would fall in your yard?















































2. Katie and family hosted a little get together between conference sessions and I made these little dealios:



























See all the shiny happy people?



























3. I am obsessed with Gordon Ramsay. I ran across one of his youtube videos and I was totally amazed by how quickly he does everything and how easy he makes it look. I made the profiteroles in the picture above in, no joke, about 40 minutes total. I think it might have taken longer to get it all assembled as you see it but it was so fun. Here is the vid

In Honor of Tax Season and Jammie Church

We got a hefty tax return as usual (sorry to everyone who doesn't have the massive number of deductions that we take a hit on daily) so we have some very exciting uses for it.

Not really.

But since this weekend is Jammie Church. We have two sessions today and two sessions tomorrow in which the President of our church, the 12 Apostles, and some General Authorities speak to us about topics that affect us spiritually and physically. Give it a listen if you have never heard it, good stuff.

Typically someone will talk about emergency preparedness so we have decided to send a portion of our sum on long-term food storage. Also we will probably get a talk on avoiding debt so we will pay off a portion of our debt as well.

Sounds fun, eh?

So here is the breakdown:

--1 Wheat Grinder
--1200 lbs of Wheat (we probably won't get it all at once)
--Big bucket of honey
--Salt
--Some canned stuff
--Property Taxes for the year
--Rice cooker
--Whatever leftover goes towards bills. Awesome.

Aren't you jealous? I just bid on ebay for a lot of 8 roxy tshirts so if I win you can add that to the list.

No Time for Friends

So lately I have discovered that I have to use my ical to schedule in my friendships. Doesn't that seem fake?

Would you want to be friends with someone who is like "hmmm let me check my schedule" ???

I think I can't have real friends, just digital friends. I am going to start asking people if they have a blog, twitter, or FB before I decide if it is worth investing in the friendship because it just ends in heartache.

Oh or skype. Word up landee.

Favorite Foto Friday

This post is dedicated to my eldest child whose sweet and contemplative nature has been captured by my aunt yesterday.

Dilemma

I will be in Indy on the 22-25 of April. Two days for travel are included so technically I leave on the 22 and get home on the 25 . I can't possibly fathom leaving my little Meg here and I have a lead for a sitter (holla K. Cook!) but I also can't imagine taking her with me. I have a very busy schedule on those days and I need the time to really focus on helping one my new schools get started. I only have two days and usually I go to dinner with them, etc.

Also I will be working from 7ish to 5ish not including evening dinner with the peeps (assuming they want to bond with me and all that) so the babysitting days would be long.

This summer during June and July I have to leave her for a week at a time so it is coming down the line at some point, I just don't want to do it now.

Steve is capable in spite of having left Meg at home during church and I am going to get an ankle monitor for her (kidding people) but don't you think it will be hard for him to be here by hisself? And what about Meg? Will she be so saddy?

The only consolation I have is that he is leaving fewer than four days later for two weeks and I will have all the kids by myself for all that time and the two days in Indy could be some solitude (sort of) so I could come home and take some vacation time and really just focus on the kiddies.

I won't think about the two weeks for right now, I am just focusing on the end of this month. What should I do? Will I regret it more if I take her or if I don't?

The After?

I don't know why my "after" pictures look like "before" pics here but I think you can kind of see the difference.

Here are the befores again:























































Welcome to our new garden:








































And for Katie: