MIA

Can you tell life has been crazy? I am normally a steady poster but it has been two weeks since I have even thought about writing in my blog. Thankfully, everything we have been busy with are good things but busy none the less. My biology class is picking up steam and I find myself needing to study more than usual, leaving me less time to browse my blog and the blogs of my friends. Most of my grades have been average so far and call me weird, but I really want to ace this class- just so I can say I aced a very difficult class, once. It is a pride thing, I know, I am weird. Anyway, lots and lots of memorizing but it is great to be learning. My days are spent reading books with two or three letter words and singing songs like "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes", making it feels good to stretch my brain in the evenings so it doesn't turn to mush like any other muscle would.

The kids are all good. Soccer is winding down for Aspen and Ash and they are gearing up to start wrestling season. Aiden has his first baseball practice this upcoming Saturday. I was surprised to hear Amanda wants to go out for softball! I can't wait to see her try it because she has always avoided sports so much. Alexis is out of any kind of sports until the fall but she isn't complaining. Her arms doesn't hurt anymore and she is getting anxious to get it off and wash her arm. Two more weeks and she will be finished.

My mother and father-in-law have been staying with us for about a month and are leaving this morning to go back to the ranch. My kids can't wait to go to the ranch this summer so they can go fishing again. Sounds like a dad trip to me!

Until next time...

Fractured After All

Yes, these pics are in backwards order but I am too tired to go back and fix it.

It's been a long day!The final product!
Getting plastered up

Alexis' temporary cast

Since Alexis fell off her bike on Saturday her arm has still been swollen. We waited a few days to see if perhaps it was just sprained. But this morning (Thursday) when she still couldn't turn her arm I knew I needed to take her in. X-rays confirmed that she had fractured her right arm just above her wrist. We got it casted today and she is ready for all of your autographs! Alexis did great during the procedure and I was proud of her- no tears, no worries, just brave as can be. She will be in her cast for 5 weeks and then in a removable cast for 3 weeks after that.

bedtime

Nothing much to post, I just thought this picture was sweet. Every night we read stories together in my bed and most nights the kids fall asleep before the stories are finished. This is what it looked like at our house last night- very typical. No matter what happens during the day I love quiet evenings on my bed because I don't have to share my kids with anyone or anything else; I don't share them with their friends, their teachers, their homework, sports or with the television. They are all MINE: to love on, tickle, cuddle with and just enjoy. Someday I know these evenings will end but for now, I relish this nightly blessing. That is enough to make me content.

Gymnastics and Bicycles Don't Mix

All cleaned up and 24 hrs later.

Yesterday we went to Discovery Park and rode bikes down the hills. On one of the runs down, Alexis decided to do a sommersault over her handlebars! Ok, it was an accident, she isn't THAT daring. I was at the other end of the park and Hailey had to come find me. The poor thing- when I got to her she had grass in her hair, in her mouth, she had ripped her shirt open, banged up her side, face and arms. By the time we got back to the car her right wrist was completely swollen and was turning purple! We took her back to my sister's house and bandaged her up and the poor thing was shaking and white as a ghost. (She doesn't handle pain well BTW) This morning the swelling has gone down a lot on her wrist and while she is still sore all over, I think she will live to ride again another day. I don't think she will ever brave that hill again though.

Cool Picture

I was reading my cousin's blog and in her "6th Tag" post (see my post below), she had this picture. It probably isn't of interested to anyone except family, but I love this picture. It is a picture of my mom and most of her brothers and sisters who are living, plus their spouses. The headstone they are behind is of my mom's parents, located in ShowLow. As a side note, Ash was named after this grandpa. And hey, I just noticed something- Grandpa didn't have a middle name. hmm... interesting.

In this picture are: Front row: Ernie Ellsworth, my mom Back Row: Marjorie Ellsworth (married to Ardell), Robin Ellsworth (married to Ernie), Ardell Ellsworth, Kent Johnson (married to LaRue Ellsworth, deceased), LoDema Ellsworth (married to Paul), Paul Ellsworth.

Deal Alert! Free Children's Museum

I have never been to the Phoenix Children's Museum but it looks like a blast! I went to their website ( http://www.childrensmuseumofphoenix.org/default.aspx) this morning and they are expensive! $16 for kids, $19 for adults. Great news though because the website also listed a few free days on their calendar. If you want to check out the museum, perhaps one of these deal days would work for you:

Free First Friday Nights Begins this month at the Museum!Come on down to the Musem on First Firday Night, February 6th and from 6pm to 10pm you can get in absolutely FREE! The Children's Museum of Phoenix will be open on First Friday Nights for the remainder of 2009 thanks to the generous support of Target. Visit our Free First Friday Nights page for more information.

Free Museum Admission on Shamrock Farms Day!The Museum will be open to the general public FREE on Saturday, February 21st as Shamrock Farms unveils its new Essentials to Grow On milk line. Try some free product smaplings, get your questions answered by a certified nutritionist, make a milk jug igloo in the Art Studio plus meet Rosie the Cow!

6th Tag

My cousin Theresa tagged me and I thought this one was fun so I am perpetuating it. Open your 6th folder, find the 6th picture then write about it. Aspen's folder is my 6th folder and this is a picture of him when he was three years old. We were living in my mom's house in Mesa while she was on her mission and we were building our home in Queen Creek. We still have that little older model car and boy does it have a lot of miles on it. Great gas mileage though.

Now I tag 6 others: Lori, Shannon, Delanie, Jocelyn, Robin, Beth, Michelle (oops- that's 7!)