Early Summer update

Finally getting around to updating this blog - so sorry! Here's a few photos to tell a bit about what we've been up to:

First, I finally was able to purchase a long awaited camera, and have been having a little too much fun (a Nikon D80, for those fellow photography-obsessed). So these photos are a result of that new toy excitement.

We adopted 2 orphaned lambs, bottle-fed them, weaned them, then they graduated to grazing on the mountain with their herd. This one is my favorite. When you pet him, he nuzzles your hand as if saying, Keep petting me, please. He is a real sweetie.

Then we raised 4 baby chicks, were unable to get the coop ready in time, and so they were thankfully received by a friend who already had her own chicken flock (minus 2 chicks who got away, most unfortunately). They were very sweet creatures to have around, and we'll have to try again sometime, this time more prepared.


This and the next couple pictures are from a hike in Kanarraville Canyon - we love it, can you tell?

Enjoying a little r&r in Zion NP (Springdale), sans children.

The adventurous Narrows hike, in Zion Canyon.

As you can see, we've been having some fun, and luckily summer has only just begun (which means there is more fun ahead).

New Hampshire trip

I went to New Hampshire from Dec. 31st-Jan. 4th, and spent some time with some friends who were there for 3 months working on a presidential campaign. It was a blast, and yes, I went alone. It was strange to be childless, but also really great to get a break. Here are a few pictures from my trip:

My first morning there - taken from the back porch of the house

Can't say I've ever found cool stuff like this on a Southern Cali beach

Freezing outside, but so beautiful...

View of the ocean from upstairs

It's nice to see cities really care for their small businesses

Harbor in Portsmouth, NH - across the harbor is Kittery, ME

Downtown Portsmouth


Good friend, Laura and I, celebrating the beginning of the end (presidentially speaking)

Gorgeous morning high tide

A little morning road trip to Vermont, before flying home that evening

A visit to Goddard College, then turned right around and headed back to Manchester, NH for a long flight back to Las Vegas...

It was a great trip, and I look forward to more like it!

Serenity's Birthday...

This is a month late, but here are a few pictures of Serenity's birthday. She had an absessed tooth, poor girl, and ended up spending the evening with the dentist, but she had some fun, too.

Happy 5th Birthday, cute girl!!

It's winter...can ya tell? Brrr...

Here's two pictures of random winter happenings (or I suppose of Haven's random winter happenings)...

It finally snowed!!

I found him bringing in wood, so I made him stop and let me capture his strong boy moment on camera. It was pretty darn cute!

Christmas is for kids...(can I still be one?)

Just thought I'd post a couple pictures of the kids on Christmas morning...they sure were cute.

We're ready, mom!

We like to go on walks at night a lot (it's pretty nice when you leave with awake kids and come home with sleeping angels). Here's a few pictures from the other night when we actually let the kids walk (as opposed to smoothering them with 15 blankets in the jogging stroller - bless that thing!). They endured the cold pretty well.

Dad had to get in on the action, too...

And here's a cute picture from a year ago, so you can get the visual on what parental bliss looks like (yep, that's a puppy sleeping with Serenity, see it works on animals, too!).

Gingerbread Houses

On a whim the other night while out shopping, I decided to be sugar crazy and buy graham crackers, icing, and candy (who, me?) and let the kids make gingerbread houses (obviously minus the gingerbread, since I was too darn lazy to actually *make* anything like that). So here's the results. I think they turned out kinda cute, don't you?

Serenity decorated hers all by herself (after I made the house and put most of the frosting on).

No more pictures, mom!