Cave Without a Name

A couple weeks ago we decided it had been a while since our last Family Adventure. So, we found ourselves on the road to The Cave Without a Name. I was a little nervous to take our children to a cave where there would be limited light and echoing spaces.We had a good time though. It was a couple hours away so with Hannah's help we bought some fun food and prepared our picnic lunch. We arrived at the cave and hastily ate our lunch. We went down in the cave and on our way down the guide pointed out this little guy: It is a very tiny bat, about the size of Hannah's fist. We saw a few more down in the cave but luckily they were happily sleeping and oblivious to our noise.

It was really pretty and we enjoyed most of the experience. Jonathan wasn't very happy about being stuck in the kid backpack so about 2/3 of the way through the tour I just carried him. He weighs about 30 lbs or more so it wasn't the most fun but he was a lot happier and quieter.

Hannah enjoyed the experience and she did really well when they turned off all the lights and had us sit in the pitch black for a few minutes. She may deny that she liked it if asked but she really thought it was pretty neat.


I love caves so besides the crazy humidity and the slightly wet conditions--it had rained a lot recently--it was a nice Family Adventure.

General Update

I wish I could tell you something exciting has been happening to explain my absence from the blogging world. Something big like traveling the world, alien abduction, or some fabulous project keeping me really busy but alas, it's only due to my lack of organization lately.

There are so many pictures I want to share and so many little stories that I think about adding through my day but by the time I have to time/energy to put them up here a lot of the time I have forgotten what they were. So, I apologize.

We are doing well though. We are anxiously getting ready for a visit from Grandma and Grandpa H. They may have to sleep outside but we are so happy they are coming. Hyrum will also be home for about 4 whole week before he has to leave again. Whoohoo!! That always makes us happy.

Jonathan's vocabulary is amazing. I couldn't understand a word Hannah said until she was almost two but Jonathan has been talking since 13/14 months. He started off with balloon and bubble. Obviously those are important things to his sister. The other day, "Water, please" was distinguishable in his garbled toddler language. He is so fun. Everyday with him has been such a blessing.

Hannah is a blessing too for many different reasons. She helps me see what I need to change about who I am. She is so honest and helps me remember to "talk nice." She is growing up in so many ways. She loves learning and loves her little brother. Every night at bedtime her tongue goes crazy. She talks and talks and talks. It drives me nuts but I do really love to converse with her. She notices almost everything.

Hyrum is doing well. His job and school keeps him busy. I keep asking for dates and deadlines but he is patient with me and keeps working hard to get his Proposal finished and finally be an official doctoral candidate.

I have my hand in so many pots right now. I'm working on several sewing projects, I have a pretty big list of church stuff I have to do every week and I'm heading up a food committee for a church event in a couple weeks. I am really excited. I love event planning. It was so fun doing it at BYU and I am excited to be involved in a little way here. I will be teaching Hannah's preschool group again in a few weeks and that is a big challenge for me. The kids are great but, lecturing is not how you teach 3-4 year olds.

Life is kind to us and we are doing well.

February's Block

This week I finished my first blocks. The February blocks are the bigger ones on the bottom. The top ones are filler blocks to make the quilt a little bigger. I did my February ones so I'm ready to go for March and once I get my January ones I'll get those done. It was fun. Tuesday Reianna and I got together to sew. We got started a bit late just because by the time we got together it was time to get dinner going. We had a lovely dinner of pizza and carrot sticks and then got right to work. It was an adventure between monitoring children and making sure we sewed straight lines. At the end of the night we had managed to get one block almost done and Hannah's bed frame was in the crib while the mattress was in my room to avoid jumping on the bed. Apparently something way too tempting for two three year olds and an 17 month old. It was fun and last night I finished up the other blocks. I am really excited and thinking that maybe some of my old piles of material will turn into a similar quilt while I'm at it.

Block of the Month

Yesterday a friend and I signed up to do a Block of the Month quilt project through a local quilt store. I am really excited and I hope she is too. I love to make quilt tops. Actually quilting them can be a project but I love creating something that though someone might have the same fabrics you do, it will still be unique and all my creation. I am really excited and hopefully I can remember to post pictures of our blocks as I go through the year. Someday maybe I'll even have a finished quilt to display.

Happy Brithday to . . . me!

On Monday I turned 26. Pretty crazy. I look at my life and really it's pretty much how I figured things would work out. Granted, I wasn't planning on living in Texas and having a husband still in grad school but I'll take it.

I spent my birthday cooking and doing some minor picking up. In Provo there is a fantastic little Mexican fast food place with a great vibe. It is always busy. A few years ago I got recipes copying a few of their signature items. Now I can have Cafe Rio anytime I want, so Sunday the pork and black beans went in to cook. By Monday we had lovely Pork Barbacoa, with black beans, cilantro rice and the creamy tomatillo dressing. Yum. We washed it down with a great Boston Cream Pie. I love good food so it was a great birthday meal.

Hyrum surprised me with a fancy diploma frame for my diploma. It's something that I wanted but would never have bought so that was a really great present. Now my diploma looks nice in its new home. We just have to get Hyrum some for his diplomas so they can all look nice and fancy together. Hannah gave me a little piggy bank to save my pennies in. And Jonathan just smiled a lot. It was a good day.

I am so grateful to have my family. I love Hyrum and the kids so much. The Lord has greatly blessed us with more things than we could ever define. I look forward to another year of adventures. Hopefully I can be wiser, not just older by this time next year.