Julia gooolia

Doi'n the dishes?

Or play'n in the water?  what's the diff?

Giraffe preschool

We have been reading a lot of books about giraffes this week. 

Anna's favorite is this book and specifically this page about predators.  She uses the word predator often now and we casually talk about animals eating other animals for lunch.  It's odd but true.

Another favorite is 

The predecessor of curious George.  It's horribly boring and odd.  I hate reading it.

My favorite is

It is a fiction but has a lot of details about giraffe biology cleverly weaved into the story.  Anna is especially interested in the ants that live in the acacia tree, so we watched a few you tube national geographic videos about ants and acacia trees.  Pretty miraculous really what ants can do.

We also walked around like giraffes and practiced closing our noses like giraffes.

Yesterday morning daddy acted out the book "giraffes can't dance".   I definitely fell deeper in love with Richard after watching his act!  Giraffe suite and all.  He was in garments though so no video sorry.

I created a couple of activities that our cousins helped us finish:

We did this color by number 

Spelled giraffe out of acaia tree leaves.

I do these activities in the wash room because we can hide from Julia in there.  Yes that is Anna in the giraffe suit.

Amber helped Anna make this giraffe out of toilet paper rolls.

He even got to go outside.

Anna knows a few interesting facts about giraffes from all of our reading:

They live in Africa (she can point out Africa on a world map)

They have 2 toes

They are the tallest animal on the earth

They eat acaia leaves

 They kill lions by kicking them

They have 20 inch long tongues (longer than my arm she will say)

Plus an obsession about predators (she will tell you that hyenas and lions kill momma giraffes because they hunt in packs - leopards and crocodiles eat babies that wander off because they hunt alone).  It's odd, like I said before.  But I think its good to not try to sugar coat it.

That's about it.  Next up is ants. There is a really good magic school bus we've already watched.  Anna is obsessed with queen ants, so this ought a be good.

Couzoobies. Yup cousins and zoobies

My sister came to visit and surprise! Take Anna to the zoo.  Needless to say it was a wonderful Anna free day.  Until they all came back that is!  Just kidding it was so much fun to see my nieces and nephews.  It's amazing how much Anna and her 8 year old cousin gavn have in common.

My sis Amy and I if you wondered.  I think the only difference is that my smile is gummier than hers.

Winds of war

My sis in law bought it for me a year ago.  I just finished.  I stopped reading in prob November because the move was too much and I've finally started back up again.  Anyways it's a great historical fiction with a lot of details about the war plus a whole bunch of love stories to keep things exciting.

Motherhood = a trial of patience

As I write this Anna is totally naked and screaming : "I DON'T SEE THEM ANYWHERE MOM". I told her I wouldn't read her a book until she had her Jammie's on.  They are in the middle of the floor staring at her.

A few minutes previous I left my floor mopping job in the kitchen to find this. And yes, she did flush a toy down and it is stuck.  Rich will maybe take care of that for me when he gets home.

Earlier today we went for a walk.  We went to the high school near our house.  The girls enjoyed watching football practice.  Then we ran the steps on the bleachers.  From up high Anna spotted the high jump mat and ran to it.  She climbed up before I got over there and found a giant puddle!  Talk about a slip and slide.  She and julia had a great time getting wet.  Then I went away from them to get the stroller.  Awhile my back was turned Anna took off her wet pants and ran around the track totally naked.  I was real sad the iPad battery was dead!

Before that we made these strawberry bars that we love.  Julia enjoyed them the most of course.

Before our bear lake trip the girls went for their own trip to the moon in the cooler.

And they're entranced by the ants that have made their village on and under our garage.

ESP Julia.

Anna likes to do ballet everywhere.  She thought this was a great place for a performance.

While I'm typing this Anna is loading my arms with books.  Oh Anna.  She's off to look for the night gown again.  And.......success!  Looks like I've got to go read.  I should be a librarian with all these story time hours I'm getting!!

memorial day weekend in 49 pictures!

And we lost the camera for a whole day!

We drove up to bear lake to be with my brother bryan who lives in Denver.  Friday night we roasted hot dogs over the fire and attempted to let the girls fall asleep in the same bed.  2 hours later we gave up on that!  Sat. morning bryan and rich attempted a bike ride.  Bryan turned around.  Rich's road bike was a bit too speedy for bry's mountain bike!  Here are the girls watching bambi while rich and i went for a bike ride.  i got a flat (big surprise).  Rich kept going, we'll catch up with him in a minute.

 Bryan makes a good horse/rollercoaster.

 cute little Elizabeth.  She is 6 months younger than Anna and 20# lighter.  She and anna had a great time together.  The first night anna said "we are best friends because God gave you to your mom and God gave me to my mom"

 Poor Julia got shut out most of the time.   Elizabeth did not like her at all.  But she is spoiled by us so I guess its' okay.

 Going exploring in the woods.  Julia trying to follow.

 what a cutie.  thumb in mouth as usual.

 Anna always has to have a hiking stick when exploring.

 Then she decided we needed to go for a hike.

 So the three little gals and breea and I went for a little hike.

 ON our hike we found uncle bryan and he gladly gave us all a ride.

 then we saw daddy on the homestretch of his 50 MILE ride.  Way to go hunny!

 When we heading out for the ride richard told me had gloves for me but we couldn't find them ANYWHERE.  When he got off his bike, there they were, in his helmet.  He rode 50 miles with gloves in his helmet.

 Julia thumb in mouth.

 Bryan took her for a ride and she was in HEAVEN.  she was singing and laughing.  She did not want to get off.  None of them did actually.  My grandpa heiner would always take us for 4 wheeler rides on the farm.  Load up as many kids as you can and wander the fields.  This pic reminds me of that.

 Playing on the sand.

 A quick sighting of richard before throwing up and before his 3 hour nap.  That bike ride was a little rough on him because he didn't eat before.

 While rich got his beauty rest we took the girls to the beach.  Julia loved the water.  She also loves to eat the sand.  Anna and Elizabeth had a great time splashing running and playing in the sand.  Especially when uncle byan entertained them.

 Julia and Oliver.  He is 6 mo. younger than Julia.

 Isn't it beautiful.  I love bear lake.

 Breea and Oliver.

 Anna's bubble butt makes for a perma wedgie in any swim suit.

 King of the mountain!

 Hanging out at the cabin.  Aren't those cool bar stools?  my dad made them.

 Rich reading a bedtime story to anna.

 The girls gazing out at the "pool" as they called it.  They also called it the "sea"  But if you ask anna where we went she will say "bear lake"  hmmm.  Not connecting the dots.

 you can kind of see the sea.

 good bye hugs (this is right before we left)

 Peoa cemetery.  Where most of richard's mom's family was layed to rest.  They informed us today that they are buying 4 plots.  We aren't sure who for though.

 julia was a bit irreverent.  She especially liked great great great Jessie's headstone because it had a windmill thing on it.  Apparently aunt Jessie would be cross if she saw Julia messing with her stuff.  She lived to be 102 Richard says.

 Anna peed behind a lilac bush.

 And went rock climbing.

 Julia in front of her namesakes headstone.  Julia True and Grandma True.  We love Grandma True.

 dandelions.

We are blessed to have such caring grandparents.

 It's too bad we don't know who this person is that is under this headstone.  Thanks for the resting place/photo backdrop mr. Nix.

 Anna found her name in a book.  perfect.

 grandma and grandpa!  A cute pic!

 At my request we went to the high mountain drug.  We were feeling a little sick from eating too much junk on our trip, so rich and i didn't get anything.  (my brother bryan is a junk food extraordinaire which we love)   But they do have excellent burgers.  The girls (and grandpa) got ice cream.

It was an amazing weekend.  Not pictured is our trip to Bedford WY to visit Anna's great grandma Heiner (my grandma).  My cousin lives there with her 3 girls.  Im sad we didn't have my camera b/c they look JUST like anna!  And they all played so well in my uncle's Nolan's house.  Anna did NOT want to leave her new cousins.  She was starting to get confused though.  New grandma heiner, great uncle Nolan, great great uncle kim.  Too many uncles and cousins!  We also visited my grandpa and grandmas headstone in the Bedford cemetery.  I have been reading my grandmas journal (she died in 1983, 3 years before I was born, so i never knew her but she wrote everyday and now i know her!).  It was beautiful to visit their grave.  On the way home from Bedford we also stopped in Burn ID to pay respects to Richards Dad's family buried there.  Both cemeteries are high on a hill looking over mountain rimmed valleys.  Rich and I's love of the mountains is in our bones. So is our love of simplicity I think.  We are so grateful for our ancestors and all they did for us to get us here on the earth and for a day set apart so we can remember them!