My Budding Craftsman

Dallin loves creating things.  Recently he made this little stepstool to be used in our boys' bathroom.

 

It is just what we needed and he did such a great job (with some help from his dad).

Thanks guys!  I love it!!

Grand Falls

The other day, we took a little day trip over to the Grand Falls of the Little Colorado River.  They really only run during the spring, so we took advantage of a nice day and went to see them.  They were pretty cool.  If you are ever in the Flagstaff area between March and May, they are probably running and it is worth a trip out to see them.  Just be prepared to get good directions first.  They are on the reservation, so the roads are dirt and they are not signed and GPS is not always reliable out there. (trust us on that one).

Here are a few pics.

Pinewood Derby

Last night was Dallin's first Pinewood Derby.  He wanted to make his car into a muscle car and try to win show.  I warned him that I didn't think that design would be very fast, but he didn't care,  he wanted that red Trans Am.  So here is a look at the final product.

It turned out pretty cool.  He and Jeremy worked hard on it.

It turned out that, as expected, his car was definitely not the fastest, but not the slowest either.  He had a great time racing regardless of whether he was first across the finish line or last.  I love that about Dallin.  He loves life and all his experiences and he doesn't always have to be "the best" in order to feel good about himself. 

Here are some pictures from the big event.

 

The decorations were incredible!!

Dallin getting ready for a race.

Dallin's car winning that race!  Yay!!

Tad cheering on from the sidelines. (And, by the way, isn't that such a cute, simple idea for a boundary?)

The boys watching for their cars at the finish line.  And again, aren't the decorations incredible!  So many details and sooo much work!!

Dallin ended up taking second in show and he was thrilled.  The boy who won first in show had an incredible looking car, but he didn't win a single race, so I think that Dallin was genuinely happy for him.  That Dallin is a pretty compassionate kid.

The silver medalist showing off his showpiece.

 

A look at the back of his medal.  Pretty cool!!

 

And a final look at his fun car and his medal.  Way to go Dallin!!

He says now that he has conquered show, next year he is going for speed.  Hope we can help him there.  There were some serious speed demons in our pack.

Next year we will have two boys in the pinewood derby.  Thomas already has his car conceptualized and named.  Should be fun!!

Allergies

Jeremy took the boys horseback riding today.  It was discovered during this outing that Jack is severely allergic to horses.  Poor kid, takes after his mama. 

Here are a couple of pictures taken after a shower, a dose of allergy medication and a couple of hours.

He was a trooper and never complained.

Spring is Here

Spring has officially begun.  I am not sure I am excited about that.  The wind is so terrible here in the spring, that I actually hate spring more than winter.  It stinks!!!!!  However, one little spring tidbit did bring a smile to my face yesterday.  I had been over to the elementary school to see Thomas be given the citizenship award, and when I was walking up to my door after coming home, I saw this . . .

One little brave flower had come out in my flower bed, like a little reminder that there are a few nice things about spring, even in Taylor.  I can't wait for the Forsythia to start blooming.

Now, wish me luck that those little flowers will get me through the next 3-4 months.

Dutch Oven Dinner, S'mores, and Glow Sticks = Good Times

Yesterday, the weather was really nice and Jeremy got off work early, so we decided to get out of town for a spur of the moment cookout before the bad weather returns next week. We had a good time and enjoyed being outdoors again.

Sorry, there are a lot of pictures on this post, but I will keep the words to a minimum.

We decided to try this simple version of a s'more, with fudge stripe cookies.  Definitely easier.  Jeremy liked them better than the real deal, I didn't like them as much, but regardless, they were enjoyed by all.

We got out the glow sticks at dusk.

Don't worry, we are not awful parents.  Jack asked for handcuffs, and he thought this picture was pretty cool.

Summer cannot come soon enough!!

Easter Grass Time

Hey all!  My boys and I will be planting our Easter Grass on Monday. If you want to join us you will need the following:

1. Planting Containers
2. Potting Soil
3. Grass Seed

Put a good amount of potting soil in your containers, sprinkle the grass seed on top and rake it in lightly, then moisten the soil and seed and keep it moist (not wet) until it starts to sprout, this should take about one week.  After that, just give the grass some water every other day, and in another week, your Easter Grass should look about like the picture above.

My boys and I look forward to doing this every year.  If you plant in the next few days, you should have a perfect, bright green centerpiece for your easter table.