Little Darlin', Here Comes the Sun!

Allie munches on some corn at our community's Rodeo Round Up.

Hot dog and corn. What could be better?

The booths were sponsored by a local church. Notice the crucifix around Tessa's neck.

Ring toss around the Sahuaro.

Grace sucks on her thumb during the horse and wagon ride.

Hello, Dad.

Grace and Allie

To show her spirit on crazy hair day, Marie wore all her bows to school.

This is James' idea of inspiration for Ben.

Aint it a bloomin' shame? Can you believe they build houses that close together?!

Kids painting on a rainy Friday.

We built a tent under the kitchen table then had a campout.

So this is love...umm mmm umm mmm.

Tess holding the flosser that Marie gave her. I don't think its a match for all the junk they've had on Valentine's Day.

Ben modeling his new "Woo woo shoes."

Check out those eye lashes!

Marie, after school. She scored quite a few Valenties. (You should see the list of names Marie brought home from school. Tirzah? Itzel? Ysidro?)

Ever wonder what RED #40 looks like in cake batter?

James gets ready to pour syrup on pancakes. He surprised everyone with a rather festive breakfast.

Tessa and Marie up early for the pancakes James made.

This picture, slightly blurry because Marie took it, captures my new chair from James. Ever since we have been married, we've wanted a second office chair so we can work at the computer together.

A "Dirty" Little Secret

Now I realize that I am often mistaken for Martha Stewart. Many people believe that our house has never been messy. Well, folks, I have documented proof that I am, at best, sub par compared to Martha (plus the fact that I've never been in jail). The good news is that we worked really hard yesterday and got everything back to order in time for Sunday.

A Little of This and That

Over Christmas break, James started a project he has wanted to do since we moved in. Now that it is finished, I thought we'd share some before and after pictures. BEFORE: You'll notice in this picture that the bar is WAY to tall for any adult--let alone a child--to use. The stools are, in fact, bar stools.

AFTER: The height is considerably shorter, and the kids can now enjoy helping Mom cook.

Ben and James about to dig into a large pile of cookies.

So apparently if you want to attract guys, these Walmart-clearance shoes are the way to go. James' first comment when he saw me was that they were darling, and even the executive secretary came up to me today and told me that I had really great shoes.

Off to the Grocery Store

By our standards, it has been freezing here. Others would call it balmy. I just thought the kids were looking cute all bundled up for our outing.