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thirty-three isn't middle aged is it? The new middle years are now your sixties, right? so dad at 63 year young must be middle aged and pending a mid-life crisis, not over the hill headed for the grave. It was an interesting birthday, I spent the morning hanging on the couch with Audrey and Nicholas, Nicholas was sick, audrey was climbing over me and I was a sleepy head. I Then disected the cat for awhile, I am started to feel good about that. Had dinner with the kids and megan, Richard took me to a movie, a documentary about ID in science verses Darwinism. It was extrememly interested. Richard surprised me with a piece of yard art, I will have to take a picture when I get home. He prefaced my seeing the the present with it's really dorky... I don't know if he was proud of the dorkiness, or worried I would think it is dorky. Until later.

PS. The best part of the day. . . falling asleep in my Richard's arms.

I see your point

Same Princess colored trucks both GMC Richards is on the left and the manly diesel is to the right. Side by side I can see why Richard would think he needs to beef up the sweet little truck. So we need one lift kit for only a few inches more and 4 redneck manish tires.
The kids' love the truck and are always wanting to drive in it, even though they have more room in the van. I know, I appreciate Richards' compromise with himelf. no two ton diesel crew cab long bed...just a crew cab in a glowing color a mature decision with his family in mind.

IT"s a PRINCESS truck

Are the first words Audrey and Madison used to describe Richard's new truck, golden truck that is. Richard drove the truck to work and his student told him, it was a bit on the femalish side, but maybe if he lifted it and put a few decent tires on it, it would be ok. I couldn't help but tease him a bit after that about his fairy dust truck. So the other day when I drove it for the first time I couldn't help but put a bit of gold glitter in it. (his fairy dust) and the stickers here. I think he should let me drive the truck and he can have the mama mini van. I did change the words to say Silly instead of stupid, cuz stupid is a garbage word.

We took Audrey to purchase the truck on saturday. Sunday as we drove to church she pointed out the cool black one she was going to buy when she got bigger. I asked her why she didn't want a gold one like Pa Dad's. She didn't answer but I think she didn't think it was tough enough for her.

SwearinFishes in the Pool

Just a bunch of fishes, in the pool. We talked Richard into jumping in with us. Madison got him to play dead with her, tongue sticking out and all. We went to Levenworth for the weekend over spring break. We had such a good time. We went swimming the night we got there. Watched Charlie Brown's Easter movie that night we hadn't had the chance to do so over Easter. Audrey woke up early and insisted on going swimming again. So I raced down and swam a few laps with her riding my back like a horse. We had Breakfast at the lodge where the older gentleman chased Audrey with the alp horn

(she actualy hid behind Richard's legs) He totally reminded me of Grandpa Carsen. We went miniture golfing, checked out the apricots and cotlets factory. We walked a railroad turned bike path for over 3 miles. Audrey insisted on riding her Dora tricylce the whole way. she actually made it to the park and back. Nicholas and I played secrete nijas on the way back trying to sneak up on Audrey and Richard. The trees were a little too narrow for me. He hee he. Madison played with her stuffed dog in the stroller that we took along because we thought Audrey would need it. When we finally got back into the car audrey fell asleep before we hit the first light and was a crab during dinner, bless her heart, she said her legs hurt. We should have saved her from herself. Richard and I decided if we ever have to move that Wenatchee would be the place. It is a familiar area with trees surrounded, a river and two bridges, not to mention shopping is very close by (yes the shopping part is the reason why Richard wants to move there.)

Chester Puppy

Audrey insists that Chester is HER puppy. Evidently he is. The two are just part of the pack. Later in the morning Chester started sleeping on her head. Two thumbs up Chester. Audrey is either laying, hugging or jumping on mine

Whoo hoo!

GO speed Racer. Go speed Racer. GOOOO!

Speed racer is coming soon, to a theater to you. May 9th to be exact. When Nicholas and I saw the ad for the movie in the theater we almost screamed. we did do a little "whoo hoo" Greg's favorite cartoon growing up was Speed Racer so we have a bit of a tradition of watching the cartoon that came out on DVD more than a few years ago. When Nicholas was a baby Greg would dress him in this navy blue onesie suit, it had yellow stripes going down the side. too be honest it was pretty ugly. Jessica (my sister) always knew that when Greg was in charge of the kids because inevitably that is what he would dress him in, the speed racer outfit is what jessica and i ended up calling it. LOL . I bought a speed racer car the other night and will put it on the grave. FYI, greg's sibs.

Nicholas is helping Malac zoom around the island in the kitchen. The other day Malac was trying to sit in a chair with Nicholas, Nicholas isn't very found of anything younger than he is so i had to remind him, as he was pushing him down, that his Friend Chandler Grillone would have helped him up and talked with him. So Nicholas helped pull Malac into the seat and told him he was a big boy....then being who he is, tried to ignore him the rest of the time.

The Valley is a bloom with blossoms

It is a beautiful time of year that never ceases to take my breath away. The apple and cherry blossoms have always captured my attention. This year has been a challange for many of the farmers, they have had to battle strange cold weather. A few of the mornings Richard and I have driven to school with the smoke from the smudge pots hanging low above the trees, so thick, it seemed possible to walk on the layer of filth. Each afternoon I see the pink blossoms still glowing, indicating that life prevailed for one more night. I was driving through the Toppenish/Wapato side of the Valley the other day, it was a breezy day, I had been contemplating our spirit's nature and eternal exsistence. I then recollected words from a book Greg often repeated to me..."When the sun shines upon you it is my smile, when you hear the breeze stir through the apple blossoms, it is my whisper, I love you. Coincidence that I moved to a city surrounded by apple trees that has become an annual reminder of once was and I pray still is. Life much like Love prevails over death. I am grateful for the atonement of Christ. The never ceasing blessings, earth's majesty, opportunities for education and growth, new chances to love and grow, my family's devotion to my children and myself. I think that my decision to love Richard and accept his love for me has thrown some of my loving friends and family into a loop. Instead of happiness for new and happy circumstances, I have experienced rejection. I imagine that the others, much like myself, envisioned my life without a companion. talk about throwing people for a loop. I met, fell in love and got married all within a 3 month time frame. Is that a betrayl of Greg's love? Unfortunately some people think so or they might think I am just taking the easy way out? Got a man in my life so everything will be ok ????? Not only are people worried about my sanity in marrying a person so quickly but question why Richard would be interested in me, something my wavering self confidence did not need to take a hit on. I am not totally in the clouds, I realize if you use an worldly calculator I have some less than desirable attribute. You could call it, asstribute as in my bottom's size has increase beyond the world discription of boodilicious. I do have 3 children that at times feel like the challenge of a dozen, I am uneducate, but working on it. I have other faults but refuse to list them. When i felt the breeze blow through the apple blossoms I realized not only did Greg love me but he constantly reminded me of how extraordinary I was. Let me put this question out there... Perhaps accepting what the Father gives us, even the blessings, can be most challenging. Letting go of what should/could/would have been is harder than I thought. Trusting that future hopes and dreams are worth dreaming. Even loving yourself enough to believe that someone else could too. It might just be, that there are blessings/challenges out there that we need to accept into our lives, even the most unexpected blessings can challenge us to grow.

Silly Girl

Silly girl decided to finish cutting the potatoes for Ma mom and cut her finger instead 5 stitches and the biggest tears ever. she is all smiles again

I am making it for my DAD, mom!!!

Nicholas and Audrey, even Madison have been busy making creations for their Pa-Dad. The lastest from Audrey is the beautifully bright painting. She was very annoyed at me when I asked her if it was for me, she did reply in the most exasperated tone, "Iam making it for my DAD, mom!" she then insisted I put it on his bulletin board above his side of the bed so I would be sure not to take it. The hearts are from Madison. and the drawings are from Nicholas

Fish

Swift, Fast

Swimming, Groping, Eating

Swimming in a fish bowl

Animal

Here it looks like Richard andI are skateboarding under a volcano

Good-Bye Green House

The house sold last week to a family with a 2 year old. He is a commuter to Portland. Richard got his first and last tour of the famous, "green house" Audrey still asks if we can go home to the green house. Many wonderful memories were created here. We had beginnings, It had felt like we would never be able to purchase a home when everything fell into place to buy this one the sellers allowed us to remodel it before we even signed papers on it so we would be approved for an FHA loan. So many hours of remodeling. So much in fact that one of Nicholas's first sentances was "NO HOME DEPOT". We started to outgrow the house when Audrey was born, we smooshed her crib into our tiny room. . . We also experienced an ending within it's walls. I hope that laughter will echo thoughout the house again, making it a home.