March: Spring Day

I love living near my in-laws. We were driving on North Phoenix and looked over and saw grandpa preparing the garden for planting.


So we stopped for a visit and a swing in the tree.




Or a pull up for Ethan.

March: Cake Boss

My friend Sharon's husband Raj loves to make fancy cakes. I sent this pic of his daughter Paige's bday cake to my brother-in-law Taylor who is also an amazing chef and cake decorator.


Sorry Taylor, this is the only solo pic I have of you and I think the fish hat is fitting for the crazy cakes you make!


Like the "epidural lady" for my husband.

Or the hungry caterpillar....


Or a train cake complete with rock candy and black licorice tile...


You and Raj both get the title of "Cake Boss" in my mind!

March: Roger is 70

Roger turned 70 in March. He officially stated he no longer wanted to tell people his age as he was now old. He still looks young to me. Our big night out included Red Robin with the grand-kids and then back to the house for brownies and ice-cream. Rozanne put together an album for him of pictures of his childhood and through the years. He loved it. His kids even sent him letters, probably the most cherished thing of the whole album. He will enjoy looking at that for the next 30 years...from the seat of a tractor.

March: Ranch Field Trip

I invited 5 families to come observe our farrier shod the horses. For most of these kids it was their first experience watching a horse get their horseshoes. They were completely enthralled for about 30 minutes. Then for the next hour, it was mass chaos as the kids all wanted to pet the chicken, see the baby chicks, and feed the horses. It was one day I was glad Roger wasn't around.

March: Spring Break

It's very hard for Brian to get time off around spring break so this year I decided I wasn't going to let his work schedule interfere with my spring break fun. I convinced my friend Sharon and Laurie to head with me to Portland to just get out of town for an overnighter. We told our husbands we just HAD to go to Portland for our sons to attend a YMCA basketball camp. And truthfully, we intended to have them go to this camp. Unfortunately, the registration date passed and we forgot to sign them up. We just didn't tell the men that the boys weren't going.


The fun began the minute they were in the car with junk food and a giant bag of popcorn. Our first item of business was shopping at the Woodburn outlets. Picture 3 women and 11 kids shopping together. We were quite the spectacle for people to watch. Regardless the shopping was fabulous and Lizzy scored some skirts, Sophie some sweat outfits, Andrew a jacket and shirt/shorts, and Ethan some shorts-all for under $50. I wished my mom and Rozanne could have been there for the bargains I got!


From Woodburn it was straight to the hotel where we dropped our belongings in our rooms and the kids ran to the pool. Despite the 300% chlorine content and the fact that our skin was melting off and lungs were getting burned, it didn't stop the fun!


After a swim it was off to the Cheesecake Factory where we indulged on yummy food and lots of cheesecake. Unfortunately, this is where the vacation ended for Laurie as from the moment before eating until the following Sunday, one of her children was continually wretching or vomiting. Sadly, all over their news clothes too!



That night the kids went swimming some more, then stayed up playing video games, and Sharon and I didn't stop talking until 1:30 am. The next morning it was an all you can eat buffet breakfast including made to order omlets and then it was off to the mall for lots of "wow this is what a real mall looks like" comments. Laurie departed, ready to end her vomiting misery and Sharon and I took our kids to OMSI.
Our only regret is that we left only 3 hours for OMSI and could have spent the entire day there. The kids were fascinated with the hands on displays.


And Ethan did not want to leave. He cried when told we were leaving. I think most people thought I was kidnapping him.

The road trip home was uneventful except for the occasional laughter fits by Sharon and I as we found even the lady at the take out at McDonalds hillarious. Overall it was a wonderful trip and definitely one worth repeating. As we pulled into Sharon's neighborhood, it was clear our men weren't mourning our absence, with belly's full of No Ho's, NCAA basketball with Duke on, and a lot of junk food in front of them.

March: Spring Piano Recital

Andrew and Elizabeth performed in a piano recital with 20 other performers. It was a great recital because we knew about half of the performers from our neighborhood. The both did well and in their little black performance outfits looked quite spiffy.

Lizzy even performed vocally and did a fantastic job, although it wasn't as dramatic as we expected with her vibrato she likes to practice with at home.

March: Peek-A-Boo

I remember some pics I had of Andrew in a cabinet of our entertainment center that Brian built playing peek-a-boo.


This time the hand is a little whiter, bigger, and the head that popped out a little blonder!

March: New Chicks

Dear Roger,

Thank you for the newest additions at the ranch. We love the 42 steer and 2 holsteins. We love the old red hen who greats you when you come to the barn. We tolerate the 3 horses and their whine for hay.


But there is nothing like a dozen baby chicks. My mouth is already salivating for new eggs.


And Brian is so darn handsome!

March: Lightning Strikes Twice!

To all parents who don't know my daughters luck at bingo, don't bet against her. To all families in the Hoover school district who play bingo at fund raisers, watch out if the Hall family is there.


Yes, Lizzy won, a small pot, but it was Ethan who walked away the big winner. $40 dollars later, he was ready to go choose a lego kit, and Hoover Elementary got the rest for a computer fund. And to all those of you out there thinking we are sinners....

March: Never Again

My friend Holly decided to have an early spring garage sale. Because my kitchen is still under construction, I didn't feel like much a garage seller. Plus, I had never been a part of one really (staying, sitting, haggling). But since I look into my toy room often because we are basically living in the basement, I decided that my contribution would be kid toys.


I gathered the kids up and asked them to each take a turn with me going through the toy room, asking them what they just "had to have" and what they could live without. I am already nervous about Andrew's saving pattern, the pattern being save all of it. But we did reduce our toy supplies by about 6 bin fulls and took them over to Holly's house for the sale.



Well, our friends Vicky and Sharon were suppose to contribute also and Sharon backed out and Vicky brought over high-end furniture that needed to go in a consignment shop and not on a front driveway. The kids were suppose to help sale the stuff but their interest lasted about 30 minutes and then they were off to jump on the tramp in Holly's backyard and her poor husband Eric ended up babysitting. I am sure he would have rather been in the ER seeing patients. Our small supply of items though were quickly picked over during the 6 hour sale. Apparently though, toys have to basically be free for people to take them. By the end of the sale I was giving dolls away 10 for a dollar and I had 2 bins of "freebies." I ended up with a small load to good will and $26 whole dollars in my pocket.

And to think I was going to hire a babysitter for 8 bucks an hour for the kids. So what did we do with all that loot? Andrew had a YMCA bball game later that day and they were having a fund raiser. They came around with basketballs with holes accepting donations. I hope it buys more than a tshirt and ball for some kid.

Our kids were furious. It was suppose to go towards the Wii fund. We are still about 180$ short on that fund and at this rate won't see one till the end of the summer. The lesson learned: Never again a garage sale. Just give it away, it's quicker and less of a headache.

March: Hard Hat Required

All of my children at some point have broken the kitchen chairs we have in our kitchen. While we have been remodeling, the chairs moved downstairs with a card table. It didn't take long for Lizzy to tip one over and break the back (which I have wood glued together multiple times).


Ethan broke another the next day. He told me though that he could "fix it."


The day that kitchen is done these chairs become kindling....ok not really, but will be a cheap buy at a garage sale.