Yet another post about...

...why I LOVE our backyard!!!!

Watching a sunset

And why Naomi loves it:

it's the perfect place for popsicles!

Why Gabe loves it:

soccer balls and slides!!

Matt probably won't be thrilled about mowing it, but

he hasn't had to mow a lawn in years!! The landlords provided

an electric lawnmower, which was interesting.

My super sleepy boy!

Really, I'd like to post about the triathlon. But that will not be quick and easy to post, so that will have to wait until later.

In the meantime, enjoy this picture of Gabe. Normally he doesn't start his morning nap until mid-morning or later, especially if I keep him busy or we're out and about. This day he must have been especially tired...he didn't even stay awake until I finished scrambling his eggs!

Naomi Ballerina

After awhile of hoping and wishing for dance classes,

last Friday Naomi went to her

first dance class!

I was worried she would be a bit shy, but she joined right in. She was calling the other kids by name within 5 minutes, and she was so thrilled about the whole experience! The most difficult thing for her was understanding why she has to wait a whole week before she can go to another dance class!

Um...she might have been so excited that it was difficult for her to stay in line now and then. :)

In the car, holding tight to her dance shoes!

Naomi's in the pink leotard with the black skirt.

Getting ready to work on "pizza feet"

Tri time!

I decided in 2006 that I wanted to start doing triathlons. This weekend will be my 3rd tri.

And I am excited!!

Many goals worth accomplishing require a journey and sacrifice. That includes triathlons. When I decided to start training for the triathlons, I did not realize that my decision would force my family to sacrifice as well. Despite my husband occasionally wondering if I've gone off the deep end, he has actively supported me and enabled me to be a triathlete.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I thank my family for allowing me to work towards this goal.

They are truly the best part of my life.

Bath shapes

Did you know that bath shapes stick not only to the bathtub and tile walls...
but to skin as well??

Naomi and I enjoy decorating Gabe during bathtime!

My absolute favorite thing about the new house...

...the BACK YARD!!
We are out there at some point almost everyday.

It has grass. In Tucson. Oh, yeah, baby!

And we've been watering it lots, so the grass it actually turning green.

Playing with Keira

Naomi & Keira...partners in crime!

Not lazy, just having problems unpacking boxes

Why I'm unable to unpack more than three items from a box at one time...

I'm always dashing off to save this little guy from hurtling off the edge of a raised surface!

And, of course, he thinks it's an absolutely hilarious game.

Tea Party

I don't want to make this family blog political, but I got to attend a "tea party" protest last Wednesday, and thought I'd post some pics.

The protest organizers, including our friends Trent and Jen Humphries.
The police estimated about 4,000 people at the peak. I had to leave before that, and would guess that there were at least 5,000 total.

My favorite sign was the "Don't Tax Me Bro". Reference.

1 Year Old!

Gabe turned one last week, but with the move to a new house, we didn't have much time to celebrate. So here he is chowing down on a birthday cupcake.

Spring Training

While Matt was at work, Val and the kids got to go see the final preseason game. And they got a free hot dog, drink, and a bag of chips. And a free hat. Thanks Jessica for the tickets!

Denver Wedding

At the end of March, Matt got to travel to Denver for the wedding of a college roomate. While this alone was worth the trip, he also got to see almost all of his college roommates, since they came as well. A few pics...



By the way, that's not the groom with some other woman; that's his twin.

Sibling Love!

Naomi discovered a few months ago that she can make Gabriel giggle, and she's been doing it ever since. She's an all-star entertainer!

My favorite of Naomi's current quirks is when she calls Gabe "boy". At any hour of the day, you can expect to hear her calling, "Come get it, boy!", "Go over there, boy!", even "I love you, boy!". I haven't the slightest idea where she picked this up, but it never fails to make me smile.

The Concept of a Drive-Thru

Naomi has been in a car when we've gone through a drive-thru, but she never seemed interested in it until...the Slivkas came to play! Zoey had Isaac and Naomi ordering food through the window, and now playing "drive-thru" is high on Naomi's list of entertainment thrills.

Slave Labor!

Another lesson learned...

Today I turned my back for a few moments while Naomi pushed the button which closes the van side door. She's done it plenty of times while I've watched, and we've talked about not sticking hands or anything back inside the van while the door is closing. I thought, "She won't have any problems at all". Then the screaming started...the bags in my hands hit the garage floor...and my little girl's fingers had to be rescued from the door.

Luckily there was only an indent line, a teeny bit of torn skin, and some tears. That's nothing that can't be cured by some Tylenol (more for the placebo effect than anything), some cuddles and a brief watching of Tigger & Pooh!

Perhaps the next few times I'll supervise from afar to make sure she's really got it down before turning my back again!

Hairstyle update

I have joined the world of folks with bangs. I LOVE THEM!

Fun at the zoo!

We've been to the zoo time and again.

Yet somehow we have never seen this peacock!

I project that we will hereafter visit the peacock on each zoo visit.

I love my little girl, but....

I strongly prefer that her hair is combed and in clips or ponytails. That occasionally results in all-out throw-down struggles (but usually she's easily distracted with the water spray bottle!). Lest you think I am unfeeling, I included the last picture to show you that minutes after the "lying on the floor sobbing" picture, she was happily playing with toys.