Don't laugh! I'm just glad it still fits....sort of

I decided to put up the three pictures that turned out from my oh-so-fabulous "modeling" day. (I just had a flashback of my one and only oh so beautiful Mini World picture. Hahaha!) I only did this for a friend. She teaches at a hair salon academe and asked me if I would be up for a little hair and makeup. She needed some pictures of different wedding hairstyles. It was really fun getting pampered. I love getting my hair done and I don't think I've ever had my makeup done before, I have to say it was very relaxing. But that's where the fun ended. Trying to get myself stuffed, crammed and zipped into my old wedding dress was a little depressing... not to mention killer on my ribs! They still hurt from being unable to breath right for those few hours. The worst part of the deal was my lack of modeling skills...sooo embarrassing. I tried to warn my friend about that before hand. We really did have fun and laughed a lot...at me! I never took bridal shots when I got married, so this was like my nine years later bridals. ;)

I think every girl needs a day of pampering and photo shoot....maybe not in a wedding dress and all....just a fun "I still feel pretty" day.

Anyway before we left the barn I had her snap a few pictures of Ava with one of Sarah's horses and they turned out darling. I just want to throw her into riding lessons at 3 years old when I look at these cute pictures.

Two Down and One To Go

Two years ago we woke up one morning to our backyard cedar tree laying on our garage after a wind storm. We chopped it up and hauled it away and planted a little peach tree in it's place. This Saturday we took out a second cedar tree. This one was planted just to close to the house and looked like it was growing into our house. When I told Luke our plan to cut it down he cried and tried to talk us into keeping it. "No mom! I love that tree! It shades me! Don't cut him down!" (all said with tears streaming down his cheeks) Poor little Luke. I was sad to see it go too, but I knew it had to be done sooner or later. Grandma Barker and Rice came out to help us. Emmy came out after work and we all enjoyed a fun tree cutting party/barbecue.

Saying goodbye to our poor tree. It sure smelled good when we cut it down. It will make for some nice smelling backyard wienie roasts in the future.

And now in it's place is a pretty Japanese maple. I'm excited to see how it looks this summer with leaves on it.:)

The last cedar tree left in the yard is a HUGE one. Our sweet 9o year old neighbor, who was born in the house we live in, told us the story behind the big old tree. His father was a brick mason and had done some work on a man's home. The man ended up not being able to pay for the work, but later brought a small cedar tree down from the near by canyon as payment. Now many many years later it is home to Luke and Ava's little tree house and it shades half our backyard. We love it and unless it falls on the house (knock on wood) it will probably be here to stay.

Vegas Baby

During the week it's just the same old same old... but on the weekends it's time to party baby!

We have been so spoiled over the last couple months with little weekend getaways here and there. This last weekend it was Vegas Baby! Grandma Barker and Rice King booked us a 2 night stay at the Stratosphere so that we could all be together to celebrate Emilee's 21st Birthday. Because what's a 21st birthday if it's not in Vegas, right.:)

Partying it up at the RainForest Cafe! Happy Birthday Emmy!!!

I love Luke's face in this next picture when the crocodile moved. I think they thought it was really alive!:)

Posing in front of New York New York. Grandma Patsy and Papa John had just sent the kids a Statue of Liberty coin and post cards from their New York trip. Luke had to get a picture holding his coin to show them that we got to see the Statue of Liberty too. (He knew "for sure" it was the exact same one that they went to :))

Ava and Em with the M&M guy. Ava loooved him! She even danced with him. (Brought back really funny memories of her boogieing with Goofy.)

On top of the Stratosphere. It's the tallest building west of the Mississippi. Such a beautiful view!

A totally awesome picture of Luke's parachuting guy over the city of Las Vegas!

Our trip to Vegas was a chilly and windy one. We couldn't go up to the very top to ride any of the rides because of the wind. We checked out the hotel pool on the 8th floor, but to the huge disappointment of the kiddos the pool was also closed because of the high winds. It looked like the wave pool at Seven Peaks! Which might have been fun to play in if it hadn't so cold. So Ava and Luke just wore their water wings around the hotel room.

Cool Medusa head motorcycle!

At the MGM hotel we got to see the lions come out into their home. It was pretty impressive to see this big guy with his fabulous puffy mane come walking out. Ava named him Duce. He did remind me of Duce all dressed up in his lion Halloween costume.:) He even fished huge raw hide bones out of his pool to chew on.

Oooh the cute little lion cubs! We found out that you could hold and bottle feed them for 5 whole minutes and it only cost a mere $200....yes, two hundred dollars! Ava thought that sounded like a great deal. But she just had to settle for this which was fine with her too. "Oh Daddy. Sssssssss." We probably could have come back at the end of the day to find her still in the exact same position, without a clue we had even left her.:)
Then there was the Volcano at the Mirage. Even though Ava is scared and crying in the video, she will not stop talking about how cool it was. It was definitely a favorite! We froze to death waiting to see it erupt.

They didn't have the white tigers out for everyone to see anymore, so Ava got her picture taken by the stuffed animal cage.

Jeremy's Dad grew up in Vegas so it was fun to drive around and check out his old high school,the house he grew up in and of course "Dead Man's Hill!" And when in Vegas you must must stop to eat at Macayo's mexican resturant. If you do eat there remember to buy lots ans lots of their wonderful chips and salsa to pack home. :) Mmmmm! To end the trip we stopped off to see the beautiful St. George Temple.

Thanks Grandma and Rice King! We had so much fun!

The Long and Short of it.

Get it? Dachshunds are long and short...anyways...
All for my Ava.

Just a few cute things for that crazy dog lover in my life.
I've gotta try making this...

and this...



...but for this one I first need to learn how to knit or crochet? (However this little pup is made?) I've always wanted to learn either or both. At one time I think I knew how to crochet but that was a long long time ago. I remember it was fun. Hopefully Grandma Barker or Aunt Elizabeth can help me out there? Please! :)
Do you know what I really really wish I had for Ava, Grandma Doty's big old toy dachshund that would "bark" when you mashed it. Does anyone else remember that? Karen I know you do. I wonder what became of him?

Bombs away!

Saying "cheese" for the camera is just not cool enough when you are at the Hill Aerospace Museum, so it was replaced with yelling "bombs away"!?

This place was a little pilot-wanna-be's dream come true! Very cool.

This is just the entrance! Inside are two huge hangers full of planes and jets and bombs and guns and rockets, you name it! Luke quickly took charge of the map that was given to us and always made sure we knew exactly where we were.

This was our favorite....the awesome SR-71 "Blackbird". It could fly from New York to London in TWO HOURS! Now how fun would that be to go for a little ride in! Dang!!! :) Pretty impressive!

Some of Luke's other personal favorites. (That would be pretty much any of the planes with shark heads or skulls painted on them.)





Just too busy for any smiling or "bombs away" posing here.

Showing of their lute from the gift store. Which they treasured right up until they saw the hotel pool. Then it was nothing but swimming. And more swimming.

We were heading up to Idaho for Robin's mission homecoming last weekend and decided to leave a day early so we could turn it into a fun little mini vacation and finally see the museum we kept talking about going to. On our way up to Idaho the next morning we stopped to see the beautiful Ogden Temple. It was such a nice warm day. Perfect for eating a nice 50 piece McDonald's chicken nugget meal outside. (Anyone else tried out that deal yet? 50 nuggets for $10.) We got a little nuggeted out by 30.:)

Next to the temple there is a little log cabin that is supposed to be the first home built in Utah.

This next picture I just had to stick on here. It's of one of our new windows! Oh... and two cute little kids. :) Plus an absolutely gorgeous sunset! Remember how there was that accident at our house and my kitchen window somehow got busted? Well Jeremy let me replace that one and a couple more. I LOVE them!!!!! (Thanks Luke and Ava for your craziness.) They are warm. They OPEN!!! And they have screens! So this summer I can get a nice evening breeze to actually come into my house. :) Plus they are sooo much easier to clean! I'm saving up to replace them ALL as soon as I can.

Luke "swimming" "under" the water!

It's fast and furious so don't blink or you might miss it. :) He was so proud of himself.

Mom: "Hey Luke."
Luke: "Hey, doll."

Because of this movie right here:

Our past 3 Friday nights have been spent cuddled up on the old comfy couch together watching the very cool Indiana Jones. Usually Ava is out cold within a few minutes into the movie, but one certain little boy is totally and completely glued to every second of the action. Jeremy and I find ourselves being more entertained by just watching Luke's facial expressions and listening to him burst out laughing or suddenly holler out, "Go Indiana Jones! Go!!!" He loves it.

This years Halloween costume...Indiana Jones.