Hiking Out to the Petroglyphs

About 20 miles outside of Rock Springs, out by Boar's Tusk and the sand dunes, are some rock formations that have many figures carved into the surface. Here is what the Wyoming Tourism site had to say:
"Hundreds of carved figures dot the sandstone cliffs at the White Mountain Petroglyph site in Wyoming’s Red Desert. As one of Wyoming’s premier rock art sites, the White Mountain Petroglyphs should be a stop on any tour of southwestern Wyoming. Etched into the stone surface some 200 to 1,000 years ago, several figures appear to portray bison and elk hunts while others depict geometric forms or tiny footprints. Handprints are worn into the rock as well, providing visitors with a compelling connection to those who used the site long ago."

We went down a dirt road for about 20 to 30 minutes, then parked at a little rest area. A fifteen minute hike later brought us to the base of the cliffs.


Walk it off, sister!

It was terribly windy today, more at the beginning than the end, but I was thankful all the kids made it.

The sandstone cliffs.


A baby inside the mama, perhaps buffalo.

Sammy took it pretty well. His first hike, and in Wyoming wind!

Licking the backpack was his main occupation. I wonder how many grandchildren have been hauled around in this thing?


Can you see it? Think reindeer.

Emma was so independent today. Every time we tried to help her climb over a rough spot, she would scream at us to leave her alone. Sheesh, two-year-olds.


I think this one is my favorite, the warrior astride his mount, wearing a headdress, and raising his spear.

Connor was fascinated by this small cave. He hemmed and hawed, pestering everyone to go in the cave before he would, because he thought it was scary.


I love the beauty of rock formations. So many interesting shapes, and wonderful warm stone colors.

Our one family picture of the day. There were a few other hikers out there, two older men, and a teenage boy about Gil's age, maybe older. One of them graciously took our picture, but of course, Connor and Emma were not cooperative. Gil is at High Adventure Camp this week, acquiring some blisters by going on long hikes.

Connor finally convinced us to go in the cave ahead of him, so I crawled in to show him it was safe, he climbed in after me, and then he didn't want to leave. What boy doesn't love a secret hideout?

On the way back, riding in the truck, Dani shared her MP3 earbuds with Emma, who was fascinated by the music coming out of them. "Look, she's just like me, " Dani said, "everyone should have a Mini Me." Oh, boy, those should be some fun years ahead.

We topped off our little trip with some yummy Chicken Bacon Artichoke pizza from Papa Murphy's. It's surprisingly light on the waistline, for a pizza anyway.

Awww, come on, how much trouble could I really get in? Besides, therapy's not THAT expensive, right?

Connor - for sassing his mother all the time and generally making everything a battle, refusing to eat healthy food, playing too much Wii (don't talk to me about how much that is my fault), taking Emma's toys, and repeatedly blowing in Sammy's face, even when I tell him not to. Sheesh, boys.

Emma - for trashing my house all the time. Sheesh, two-year-olds.

You Might Be A Redneck

...if you build a toy for your baby from PVC pipe.


Sammy liked it, so don't mock.

Birthday Addendum

Oops!! My bad!! I forgot to show the great gifts the Grammie sent to Gil and Emma:

Nothing beats birthday cake for breakfast the next day!

Emma always loves the singing cards. It sets her little dancer toes to tappin'! This one had Gloria Estefan's "Conga." Shake that thing!

A dollar for each year. Great thing for the 16-year-old! Could I get that on my 40th? Just kidding!

Gil's Sweet 16 and Emma's Terrible-2 Birthday

Zen was out in the field for Emma's birthday on June 17th, so we held off the family party until he was back in town. Gil's b-day was July 5th, so we had both Emma's and Gil's party on the Fourth of July.

Yummm, sneaking an icing lick is half the fun!

Ha, ha!!!

  
I made a strawberry-banana cake with Cool Whip frosting for Emma, and a blueberry cheesecake for Gil. Scary calories, but oh so tasty.




We all saw Toy Story 3 with Sue and her kids just a few days before this. I knew it would be a big hit, so I stocked up on the Toy Story figures a few months before the movie came out, thinking that the most popular figures would be sold out by the time her birthday rolled around.

Emma LOVED the toys...

...and so did Connor. He'd been begging for a Buzz Lightyear for months, and it was excruciating for him to see his sister get one before him. So I went out the next morning and bought another Buzz, without the popout wings. That one is "Emma's Buzz" and winged Buzz is "Connor's Buzz." Normally, I only buy the kids toys on birthdays and Christmas, but I made an exception this time.

Aahhhh, cheesecake pleasure! Blueberry cheesecake is Gil's favorite, and this is the fourth birthday in a row I've made one for him.

What does a 16-year-old want for his birthday? A car, of course. And as a matter of fact, that might happen. Zen has gone out to Dickinson, North Dakota, so many times, that he a a few coworkers were wishing they had a car to drive around while they were in town. One of them found this old car, in okay condition, for $500, and they all pitched in and bought it. Cheaper than a car rental, that's for sure. Anyway, the deal is that Zen gets to drive it home and keep it when the Dickinson rotations come to an end, supposedly in a few months. It's not a sure thing, but it's a probability, and Gil is excited about that. In the meantime, he'll have to content himself with the preorder of the Starcraft II computer game we bought for him, and which comes out on July 27th. He's counting down the days.

What the --?!!!! I'm Glad I'm Not Nursing!

"See me? Mmm... fingers are yummy!"

"Can I get my whole fist in my mouth?"



"My thumb is the best part!" But, he sure has been diggin' his binky lately. I wonder why?

Wait for it...


"See my tooth? I'm such a big boy!!!!" This afternoon Dani yelled down the stairs at me, "Mom, you've got to come see this! Sammy has a tooth!!!" I'm sitting downstairs, concentrating on making some cards to go with my apology chocolate zucchini bread for the sisters I visit teach and my VT partner (forgot our appointments last night, yes, I'm a dork). Anyway, I heard that, and I kind of mentally rolled my eyes. "Man, she's delusional. It's waaaaay too early for teeth," I thought. Several hours later, I got around to checking in Sammy's mouth, and sure enough! He has his first tooth. Go figure! "I'm a big kid now!" Makes me glad I'm not nursing.

Things I Would Do If I Had All The Time In The World

I was going to do this huge post today, but it's after eleven, and I told myself I would quit staying up until midnight blogging. It's all part of my goal to maximize my time, be efficient, and get more stuff done. So, here's a fun, quick post. Things I would do if I had all the time (and resources) in the world:

FANTASY TO-DO LIST

1. Clean up my craft room, and build the ultimate storage system by making custom, interchangable storage units, like those I found on my fantasy website, ScrapNcube. I'd get to use all those woodworking skills I learned in high school and college.
2. Organize all the remaining papers and craft supplies, and put them into fun packages and to-do kits to resell.
3. Scan all my negatives, and make a master digital file of all the pictures I have ever taken, complete with notes and photo identification.
4. Frankly, I vacillate between the desire to be a productive person, and just wanting to vegetate my brain out. I'm in productive mode these days, but a part of me fantasizes about days I could structure according to what mood strikes me. But, I have played havoc with our finances too many times with credit cards, and my time is not my own, so I must study, study, study that Medical Transcription course and get it done, so we can have some financial stability.
5. Things I wish I had time (and money) to learn, so I could do them myself and be of useful service to other people - auto mechanics, computer technology, financial stock market, home construction, languages.
6. Unstructured, undemanding days where I could take me and the kids where the wind blows us. Just turn my brain off, and do what they wanted to do.
7. Service, service, service. Believe it or not, I often think of ways I could connect with other people, and hours of time I wish I had to help them. But, I'm the mom of five kids at home, and the time I can give to other people is limited.
8. Travel. This one I'm saving up for when the kids are older. Traveling with small children is a huge pain in the rear, in my opinion, and takes the fun out of the whole thing by worrying about their safety all the time.
9. Yard work and gardening - man, I just don't have time for this, but I love digging in the dirt. It's therapeutic and satisfying.
10. Books, books, books. Have I ever mentioned that I love reading? That's the understatement of the century. There is definitely not enough time for this. In fact, I have to stay away from books sometimes, because they are a huge temptation and can be a huge time-waster if I start one I find interesting.
11. Craft projects - too many to mention. I have an addiction for crafts, no doubt. But, specifically, I would make more cards, give out more cards, and also get into quilting. Sue and I were just having this conversation, because she is working on a quilt for the family reunion. Quilts are just beautiful, and I wish I had more time, and a lot of dough, to make some.

That's what I could come up with for now. Comment about your own wish list.

Houston, We Have A Problem

2 Jul
3 Jul
Sam definitely loves to suck on his fingers. One the one hand, it's completely adorable. On the other hand, you can't take away their thumb when they're older, and thumb-sucking isn't cute anymore.

Since taking these pics a little over a week ago, I have definitely made a concerted effort to get him addicted to, umm, I mean used to, a binky. I think it's working, because even though he mostly spits it out when he's awake, he definitely goes to town on it when he's tired and I lay him down for a nap.

Everyone Should Have A Suzi

It's very confusing sometimes, but Dani's BFF is also called Suzi. They are both in our ward together, and both will be in eigth grade together in the fall. They text each other all the time, and are spending lots of time together this summer.

Today, Dani was talking about the Rock Springs fair coming up in August, and she said something along the lines of, "Yeah, Gil hangs out with all his friends (last year they both went to the fair, and he ditched Dani to hang with his friends), but this year I will have Suzi." Yep, I totally dig your message. Everyone should have a "Suzi." I know I do.

Sam's Beautiful Blessing Day

June 6 was a beautiful day for a blessing, and we were thankful for everyone who was able to come, including Zen's parents, Zen's sister Mickie and her family, my Mom, Sue and her kids.

Zen gave a beautiful blessing, so articulate and special. It was a wonderful last-baby-blessing to cap our family with. I wish I could post it here, but it's too public. I really want to round up all my kids' blessings and get them in a binder sometime. It's amazing that even though most of the same things generally get said in a baby blessing, it can still feel special and unique.

Wow, here we are, all together!! Seven of us, hard to imagine. Zen and I both come from a family with four children. Sam broke the pattern, but that's a good thing. Zen suggested once that Sam kind of might be an "extra" spirit, but I basically told him to bite his tongue. Our Sammy is most welcome in our family.

Zen's parents and us. Sam is likely the last grandchild. Next come great-grandchildren.

A wonderful three-generation photo. I'm so glad Mom and Sue could be there.

My Mom was assigned the job of picking out Sam's blessing outfit. She did a wonderful job! It has a beautiful, crocheted look to it. I loved it!

Sue's pics had some beautiful compositions, but Sam was just a scowler. Doesn't he know yet how to cooperate with the paparazzi?


Hmmm... Mommy kisses remind me I'm hungry.

Sam, you are not allowed to outgrow Mommy kisses, yet.