One fish. Two fish. Dead fish. Blue Fish.

Do you remember our pet Lizard, the fish that we just welcomed into our family? Well, Zack tried to murder him. I guess (for those of you who speak in legal terms) it was more like involuntary man (fish) slaughter. We had him a total of 2 days when Zack confessed that he had squirt liquid hand soap in his fish bowl. We found him alive, but barely. He was missing a fin and not moving-- at all. I wanted to flush him right away (because I can't stand looking at a fish whose dying a slow, painful death) but Aaron said we should change the water in his bowl several times and see if he can survive. Turns out, he's a fighter! After five days of laying on it's side without making the slightest of motions, he flushed out all the soap from his system. Unbelievable. He is now happy and swimming around in his bowl-- minus one fin. I was seriously writing his obituary in my head. So glad he made it through his first Zack-Attack.

And because one fish wasn't good enough (or because we need a back up just in case Zack's attempt to kill the fish is successful) we now have a second fish. Our dear friends, the Baileys, moved away :( and gave us their beta fish. He came with the name Blue, but has since taken on the name Puff Daddy. This cool beta puffs up his face when you approach his bowl. I believe it's some kind of defense mechanism to scare off unwanted onlookers. And honestly, it really does scare me! Thanks Ashlee for being such a wonderful friend, for giving us your scary fish and for allowing me to steal the picture of him off your blog....

You may or may not have noticed that I replaced our side tab photos. Over Memorial weekend, we ventured out to a little ghost town about an hour away. The plan was to take a few pictures and explore the town. It turned out to be more frustrating than we hoped, but I am still so glad we went. Kashina and Todd almost ran out of gas so they piled in our car... Zack fell asleep on the drive and would NOT cooperate for the pictures. And Simon-- our happy-go-lucky baby pooped like he's never pooped before all over the only outfit we had for him. We spent the first 30 minutes at the Ghost Town trying to clean off his shirt and shorts with only a few wipes. Aaron was SO happy about that. The rest of the time we were all avoiding holding the poop-stained baby. But all in all, we got some fun pictures and will know better what to plan for our trip next time. Kashina has the pictures posted on her blog. She is such a fun friend and I am so glad she moved to Vegas! I'm really looking forward to updating the old photos in my home... after 7 months, it's time that Simon becomes an official part of our picture wall. And if you live in Vegas, this Ghost Town is TOTALLY worth the drive. My friend Azy had her incredible family photos there and we just had to check it out!

fun at the drive-in

We could not have picked a more perfect night to hit the drive-in theater. Last night was breezy and beautiful. We invited friends and took the kids to see Shrek and How to Train Your Dragon. I would give a couple of movie reviews, but I did more talking than watching. And that's the beauty of being at an outdoor theater. The kids had a great time eating junk food, running around in the dark (there was hardly anyone else there) and laughing at Shrek burp and fart... that's all he does, isn't it? No-- I caught the last minute or so of the movie and it was rather cute.

Check out Zack's powdered-face in the picture above. He came to me with that face and said, "Mom, is there another bag of donuts?" His favorite part of the night was finding the highest mountain, reaching up into the air and yelling, "I'm king of the world!" A big thanks to Ben for capturing it on film.

In between shows, we played at the park. Because going down a slide is fun, but going down a slide at 10 PM is so much better.

The only adults left for the second show.. love these women. We fit perfectly on the air mattress bed we made in the back of the van.

And because we must take advantage of EVERY second that Cindy is here, we were crazy and moved our car to watch a 3rd movie... Letters to Juliet. Loved it again. It was so worth staying until 1 AM. There's nothing like watching three movies for the price of one... rather 50% of the price of one. I paid $6 for my family to see these movies. That's what I am talking about, Willis! I wish the drive-in could be a regular summer activity, but any day now, it's gonna be too hot to be outside, even at midnight. One of the joys of living in this God-forsaken city.

Memorial Day 2010

We had a great weekend... we cleaned, shampooed carpets, did LOTS of laundry, organized closets, unpacked our summer clothes, BBQ'd, gave the boys (& the dad) a haircut, hit the pool and found a little time to relax. I love having my man around and wish he didn't have to go to work ever! Making a living ruins all our fun!

This is what happens when your husband gets a hold of clippers. Am I upset? Never. I will buzz the mohawks off before Sunday. Hair is optional in the summer. I tried to talk Aaron into sporting a mohawk too but he opted out. Poor sport.

The highlight of our Memorial weekend was MOST DEFINITELY the arrival of Auntie Cindy!!! We are so happy to get her all to ourselves this summer!

We celebrated our first day with Cindy by picnicing at Spring Valley Ranch and hitting up Bonnie Springs.

Ben wanted to lay in front of train and pretend he was going to be run over. It's not often he will be spontaneous, lay on the ground and risk getting his shirt dirty. The mohawk has turned him into total rebel.

I don't need a mohawk to make me feel crazy and spontaneous. Sometimes I get the urge to make out with someone and I do it! The cowboy seemed rather stiff during the kiss (if you know what I mean.)

I can never get my kids to come into the women's bathroom with me when we're out in public. Imagine how difficult it was to convince them to enter a room with a ginormous brazier hanging on the door. Zack was the only one brave enough to join me. It takes a mighty secure man to enter this ladies' room.

We fed ducks at the green fish pond and Cindy was being adventurous and was willing to risk her finger for our entertainment. This turtle had a mean bite!

Just seconds after the above picture was taken, the turtle totally attacked (bit) a duck. It was awesome... I got it on video, but because the screen on my camera is broken, I got the turtle's back and not the actual fight on film. Must get my camera fixed soon.

I still can't believe how cute my baby is. I want to eat his face for dessert. Or possibly just lick it.

One of the best things about having Cindy here is the fact that Aaron and I can train early in the morning for our 1/2 marathon without worrying about the kids. I gave Simon a bottle before we left this morning and just loved watching him wrap his leg around his pillow while he drank. He totally gets his cuddling talents from me.

because I have been given much.

My dad served in the Army when my parents were newlyweds. He missed the birth of their oldest child and wasn't able to see my brother until he was 6 weeks old. Besides my father who served before I was born, I've never had anyone close to me serving in the armed forces. I don't know what it's like to worry about someone I care for. I can't imagine how hard it must be for those serving and those who are missing someone who is serving our country.

This Memorial Day we are trying our best to pay tribute to those who make sacrifices.. those who risk their lives for a greater cause, those who put themselves in harms way to fight for freedom, parents who are away from their spouses and children for months at a time, those who serve me and my family so that we can enjoy all that we have. I am so grateful to live in a country that allows me to experience the things that I do on a daily basis. I have my own house. I have food on my table to feed my children. I can sleep next to my husband at night. I feel safe. I worship as I please. I am free. I am truly grateful for the sacrifices made so that my family can have a better life.


This past weekend my grandpa, Fred Clawson, would have been 100 years old. He died when I was only 4 years old, but his legacy lives today. I am so grateful to my grandparents who put family first. They had 6 wonderful children who grew into respectable adults. Their children had LOTS of children. This picture was taken in 1973 (or so) when their clan was just getting started. Their oldest daughter Sandra had 14 children (all her own, no sets of twins!) Their oldest son, Don, had 12 children. My father and his brother Larry both had 10 children each. My uncle Dave got married late in life and had 2 beautiful girls. Their youngest, Nancy, never married but is the BEST aunt this side of the Mississippi. Every single one of her 48 nieces and nephews adore Aunt Nancy (including me!)


Today-- 100 years after the birth of my grandpa... The Fred Clawson family tree branches out with over 310 members. Hundreds of his decedents gathered together for a big celebration this past Saturday. I wanted to be there so badly, but I celebrated in my own way with my own little family. I love my grandparents so much, along with each of my aunts and uncles and my gazillion cousins. I consider myself truly lucky to be a part of THIS family tree and believe I have a legacy to live up to. My grandparents lives weren't easy. They were never famous or rich or successful in worldly means. But they worked hard. They put their family first and we knew they loved each of us. The example my grandparents set inspires me to work harder, endure longer and love deeper. When all is said and done, I hope to be just as "successful" as Fred and Roma were. I hope to make them proud.

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!

and not to toot my own blogging-horn,
but with 31 days in the month, 31 blog entries for May isn't too shabby..

Simon's personal watercolor

I got the best package in the mail today. My friend Sabrina sent our tent cover that she stole after our camping trip last weekend. (I have a pair of Hazel's shorts, btw.) Inside the tent cover was wrapped one of the best gifts I've ever been given. She painted Simon for me! with his eyelashes and fuzzy blond hair and everything!!!! (the scan discolored it and doesn't do justice.)

Check out Sabrina's site here. She sells her original watercolors and does commission work-- meaning she will paint your babies too! I am in love with the painting.... [and with the real baby.]

Why do they have to grow out of that cute, cuddly newborn stage? Why?

Sabrina and I have been scheming and dreaming recently. We've been on the phone until midnight the past few nights talking about an idea--- we're just so excited we can't even sleep! I will tell you in person about it but can't announce it to the whole world, just yet. It's gonna be awesome. Just keep your pants on for a couple of weeks and we'll let you in on our big exciting news. We're gonna need your help!