Craters of the Moon

 We went to Craters of the Moon with my parents, and we met my Aunt and Uncle who live in Twin Falls there. I couldn't believe how amazing it was there; I really just cannot express how cool it was. It was a volcanic waste land. Apparently there is a major eruption caused by an earthquake every 2,000 years, and we are over due. It is hard to imagine that this place has had two thousand years to grow back, and plant life is just barely breaking down the rocks.

 This is from the top of a cinder cone. Just one tree all alone at the top.

 We ate in Arco on our way home.

 I loved seeing my Aunt and Uncle. I have a lot of happy memories of them from when I growing up. They had a basket of instrument in their house. (Tambourines and bumpy sticks and things like that.) I loved singing Christmas carols at their house. Their house always had a special smell that smelled like happy memories.

 My dad and his big sister!

 The rocks had some minerals in them that made them sparkle.

Spatter Cones. These happen when the eruption slows down and just spits out little globs of lava. It forms these random rock formations.

One little man didn't want to ride in the stroller so Dad got to push around an empty stroller.

 Pahoehoe lava looks like ropes to me. To Edmund it looks like wrinkled blankets.

Mom and Dad!

Mom and Dad came to my last concert this year. It was so special that they came to hear me play. I wanted to tell everyone. I practiced so much, and I really learned that very difficult music, and I was proud to play for them. I love my mom and dad!

 My dad and Edmund took the boys fishing at a little fishing pond near our house. They both caught at least one fish!

Look how excited David is to catch his first fish!

 Jonathan got roller skates that transform to roller blades and Caleb got a bubble lawn mower just before they came.

 Bubba letting David try on his "ears."

 Caleb is watching from his high chair."Ears!"

 Reading books with Grandma Chelle

 We celebrated Bubba's birthday!

Cute eyebrow smile David.

More Fun

 I love the library. It takes a lot to get me there some days, but I'm always happy when we go. We have the best librarians who really help us find good books for the boys. We checked out about 5 science experiment books this week.

 We took David's best friend from across the street to the zoo with us. It was a little crazy. Everybody fell down and skinned their knee while chasing the Dingo.

 We played some incredibly difficult music for our last concert. It was so fun, and so much work!!

I bought a road bike about a month ago from Craigslist, and it has been amazing. It is so fast. I just feel like I am super woman when I ride it. I love going out in the country. We live in such a beautiful place. Beautiful.

 This looks like Trevor from Thomas and Friends.

Milestones

 Caleb loves cookies. He is now big enough that he can reach things on the counter, so I have to really push things back. He also officially can't walk under the counter anymore or he will hit his head. He is starting to know his colors. He says, red, orange, blue, yellow, white. His favorite colors are definitely orange and blue. He loved being outside and cries when it is time to come in. He can push himself along on a trike now. When he gets in trouble he runs, into his room.

Licking the bowl

 Jonathan lost his first tooth. It fell out while he was sleeping, and we could not find it anywhere, so we assume he swallowed it. The tooth fairy understood and left him some money anyway. His big tooth came in behind the baby tooth, so he had a nice shark tooth for a month or so.

 Eating popsicles outside. Spring finally came!

 Sometimes I like to take pictures of the messes they make. I know it won't always be like this, and I want to remember.

 Sweet, sweet David fell asleep in our bed.

 The boys like to make nests out of their pillows and blankets. This one is on Mom and Dad's bed.

 I love it when they read together.

 Jonathan started soccer, and he loves it! He loves the kids on his team, he loves his uniform, he loves practice, he loves the games. He is always wanting to practice soccer with Daddy.

 Color changing cars.

 Jonathan learned to ride a bike!!

Jonathan drew this bat, and we sent it in to Ranger Rick.

Stories:
Caleb pointed to a picture of Jesus at church and said, "Bubba." I said, "Jesus." He said, "No, Bubba!!"

I was buying Jonathan some much needed new clothes, and we decided to get Arby's on the way home for lunch. (There is an Arby's pretty close to our house.) We drove past an Arby's close to the mall, and Jonathan said, "Go to that Arby's, Mom." I said, "Let's go to the one close to our house." Jonathan said, "No, let's go here, so we can eat french fries on the way home!"

We were playing water balloons outside, and it was time to clean up. Jonathan wasn't listening to me, so I said something like, "If you don't clean up the water balloons (or turn of the water), you aren't going to be able to have a Popsicle." Jonathan replied, "It isn't nice to threaten your kids. When I grow up, I'm going to do whatever I want. I'm going to dump water balloons on my head!"

I finally took David in to see an audiologist, who informed us that his hearing is on the very low side of normal in his left ear. He has fluid behind his ear drums, but it is worse in his left ear. We have an appointment with the ear nose and throat in a couple of weeks. In the meantime, the audiologist told me to have him repeat things back to me, so I don't have to raise my voice. I can just say what he didn't hear again. The other day he was lying on the floor left ear up, and I said, "Are you riding your trike or walking to the park?" No response, so I said, "David what did I just say to you?" David said, "Get your shoes on." Good guess, David.

I love listening in on Jonathan and David's conversations.

Jonathan: "The spring is really nice."
David: "Yeah, and the South Pole is really cold and snowy."

David: "The atmosphere keeps us from floating off the earth."
Jonathan: "No, gravity keeps us on Earth. Without gravity, if you jumped, you would fall off the Earth.
David Jumps. Then says, "There is gravity today!"
Jonathan: "There is always gravity."