Cheap Pool=Save On Gas

We don't need to drive anywhere this summer to have fun. All we need is our backyard and our el cheapo Wal Mart pool. I got this thing 2 summers ago and it's still going strong.

My kids have made it even funner by inventing new ways to get in to the pool:
Rex was doing this sweet kick out move when he jumped but he did it so quick, I was having a hard time capturing it.

Card Club

I remembered I was going to try and post all the cards I get every month from my card club but I slacked. I will try and do better because I want everyone to see the adorable cards that my friends make every month. Anyway, here are the cards I got when we met yesterday. The theme was "New Baby" and we could pick weather we wanted to do a boy or girl card.
Do you see the little hand at the top of the picture? That is Ella's hand. I had to hurry and take the picture and stop her before she started grabbing things.

Here is the card I made. I thought I was being tricky by using transparency as the card part, but it ended up being kinda floppy.

Day At The Zoo

We braved the heat yesterday and went to the Phoenix Zoo. I can't remember the last time I went there. I think it was when Tabby was a baby. So it was just as fun for me as it was for my kiddos. We went with my mom who was so kind to get a year membership with room for me and the kids on it. I'm sure I will be filling my blog with zoo trip pics. I'm know you all are holding your breath in excitement for that.

And this time, I only took about a bazillion photographs because my VERY generous parents bought me a totally awesome new camera!

So here are some fun pics from our day out:

When we came up to the otters, I told Rex that otters love to play. So he started yelling at the otters "OTTERS PLAY!"
They did. And they were the cutest darn things! Ella LOVED the otters. She probably wanted to get in there and wrestle with them.
Tabby was dying to see the flamingos. For some reason, she talks about them all the time. My guess is because they are pink and any animal that is pink is tops in her book.

Here she is showing them that she does in fact know how to stand like a flamingo.
Here are the kids watching the bear. Only Ella would give a friendly wave to a ferocious bear.
They have this old Jeep for decoration in one part of the zoo. Rex is giving me his best pouty face because I wouldn't let him sit in it. I would have except that it was covered in webs and dead bugs!
I don't know what it would take for all three of my kids to look at the camera at the same time. Maybe if it set on fire or something. Who knows.
One out of three is usually the best I can do.

Somebody needs to make a gigantic park with just trees and rocks for the kids to climb on. That seemed to be the best part for my kids.
Random animal pics:
Tabby likes to name things and she lovingly named this anteater "Mallory." I think it fits.
This baboon totally was posing for my camera! He looks like is about to bite in the last one but really he was just yawning.They have this gorgeous Lilly pond at the front.
The best part was when we were done, we headed over to their splash pad to cool down.
Here is Rex doing the "pee-pee dance." I only had to take him to the restroom about 50 times.Even though it was pretty toasty, we all had a blast and can't wait to go again!

I Heart Photoshop

On a scale of 1 to 10, my photoshop skills are about a 1.5. I'm totally self-taught so I never even know if I'm doing it right or if there is a better way. Regardless, I still have fun with altering my pics.

Here are some original and then "improved" pics:

Finger "PAIN"ting

Dale was away all weekend playing softball in Show Low so finger painting was one of the things I thought would be fun to do with the kids while he was gone. Well, fun until I realized I had an unbelievable mess to clean up!
This is what the table looked like after I took all the paper off:

Change

I was released from my calling as Relief Society Secretary today. I served in that position for 2 and a half years at it took me that long to start spelling "relief" correctly. Who else wants to put the "e" before the "i"?

Regardless of my spelling capabilities, I loved that calling and I loved serving all of the sisters in the ward. I learned so much and met a ton of people I probably wouldn't have met otherwise. I will miss being secretary dearly but it's truly time for a change. And that change is... Primary!

Dale and I will be teaching the 8 year olds together. Here's a moment of truth: I cringed just a little bit when they asked us to teach. I love teaching the kiddies, don't get me wrong. It's just that I've gotten really attached to going to RS. I'm totally going to miss it. I'm sure that as I get going on this new calling I will love serving in primary and not want to leave there either. I told Dale I was so happy that we were teaming up because now, I can slack off while he teaches the lesson every week! Kidding, I love to teach so this will be really fun for me.

And a huge thanks to Stacy Johnson (the pres.) for being one of the best examples of service I have ever seen. That woman doesn't stop. She must have figured out how to squeeze two extra hours out of every day because I don't think I could ever do as much as she does in a 24 hour period. I'm grateful to have served under her and to have learned so much from her. I understand that everything happens for a reason and it happens on the Lord's time so I gladly accept this change and I'm happy to serve anywhere He wants me to.

Graduation!

I can't belive my tiny baby girl is ready for Kindergarten this fall! She had her preschool graduation yesterday. I absolutely LOVED Tabby's preschool teacher Mrs. Tiffany. I can't say enough about her. She did amazing things with the kids.
Who taught my little lady to sit like this?Tabby and her good friend Morgan who is moving. We will miss this sweet girl!
Not graduated yet...Now we are!

I dunno...

I stole this quiz idea from blogging superstar Kim Skinner. Have to say, I hope it's not right because it makes me seem like a big fat jerk! I promise you I have no "urges to crush the weak."

What Alys Means

You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection. You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive. You have the classic "Type A" personality. You are relaxed, chill, and very likely to go with the flow. You are light hearted and accepting. You don't get worked up easily. Well adjusted and incredibly happy, many people wonder what your secret to life is. You are a free spirit, and you resent anyone who tries to fence you in. You are unpredictable, adventurous, and always a little surprising. You may miss out by not settling down, but you're too busy having fun to care. You are the total package - suave, sexy, smart, and strong. You have the whole world under your spell, and you can influence almost everyone you know. You don't always resist your urges to crush the weak. Just remember, they don't have as much going for them as you do.

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

Happy Anniversary!

This is Dale, hijacking Alys' blog again! Today is the 7th Anniversary of the best day of my life. It's the day that Alys became my wife. I still don't know how I managed to get her to say yes, as any fool can see that I must be a lucky guy to have married a girl that is way better than me! I am so grateful to be married to Alys. She makes me a much better person. She's my best friend and I can't imagine what it would be like if she wasn't mine. My wife is kind, loving, dynamic, extremely talented, righteous, a great mother, and very very hot! Here's the 60 or so more years, sweetie! I love you Alys!

GAAAAAAAA!

Everyone pretty much knows by now that my sweet little Ella is actually a very naughty baby. She is smart and cunning and she uses her mischievous powers to torture the rest of the family as evidenced here and here. But she has upped her game.

Last Saturday, I was out in the front yard washing the van with the kids when I looked up and Ella was out in the road. When she goes in the road, her punishment is that she has to go in the house. So I put her inside and quickly finish up knowing that she is unattended and all sorts of misconduct could be going on in there. Well, she proved me right. I get inside and see that she is covered in dirt (from being outside) and stickiness. I figured she had just gotten into the plates left out from that morning when we had waffles for breakfast. So I wash her off and put her down for her nap. Then, when I came out from her room, I see the real reason for her stickiness. WHICH IS THIS:
HALF A BOTTLE OF SYRUP!!!!! And she couldn't have just dumped it out on the kitchen floor. Noooo, she had to do her DIRTY WORK on the carpet!!!! It's almost like she said, "Sweet, I'm in here by myself. Partytime. I'm gonna get my mom back for punishing me. Hmm, what's the worst thing I can do? Ooo, there's a bottle of syrup. Let's see how bad I can mess her up with THIS!" She even left the bottle next to the spot as if to create a little display for me!

I've cleaned that spot over five times now and it still totally smells like maple. I did manage to get the brown stain out. However, it is still sticky so dirt gets caught in it and the spot turns brown again! Meanwhile, my house is going to smell like breakfast for the next 2 years.

She turns 2 in August and I think she and I need to go to therapy together before this gets any worse!