The Aussie went fishing!

Talk about the most enjoyable weekend!

We stayed in the cabin in Overgaard again last weekend.

We packed up Luke's truck Friday morning

bringing our bikes and fishing poles.

The kids loved riding in the burley. It's pretty hilly around the cabin, so it made for great morning workouts. Especially for the one pulling the burley - Luke ;)

I don't think we can go on any vacation if there's not a swing around. Since we put a swing on our back patio when Miles was 6 months old, he's loved them. Even if he has to walk through the mud. Whee!

Masie sure loves her daddy. Aren't they both gorgeous? Masie crawling around the cabin. She was happy to find this table to crawl under and around like the one in our family room. Miles and Masie were both drawn to the stuffed bear in the corner. Miles kept giving him bear-hugs, and Masie felt nervous around him and always kept an eye on him.Fishing is serious business. Miles used his birthday Transformer fishing pole for the first time. It worked much better than the $30 pole I bought from Target.We caught one!!!Luke's first catch... ever!! Yes, even the puny ones count :) Masie! Please stop eating the plants!

Miles did NOT want to touch the fish. I haven't a clue what type of fish they were, but they were ugly and kind-of spiky. Just touch it Miles!

We finally got him to touch and hold it and he was only too happy to throw and release it back into the wild :)

YAY! He did it!... and please don't make him do it again. But we did. Luke caught 7 fish and every time we had to start the process all over again to get Miles to touch, hold, and release it. We're trying to toughen him up a bit :)

This was the "BIG" one :)

Then we stopped at Tonto Creek on our way home. Miles can throw rocks all day! Masie was happy to just chew on them and spit them back out.

Masie SO happy to sit next to Miles on the boulder. Hold on tight!

Dancing with my baby

Ok, so he's not my "baby" anymore, but watch him move-it!

(I'm sorry. I don't know how to rotate it. Anyone know?)

More fun in the sun with Miles, his best buddy Caleb, and Masie.

Final Draft

Thank you everyone for all of your comments.

This is the final draft... for now :)

Our Journey Begins Again!!

That's right fokes!

We're beginning our search for the 5th member of our family.

Of course when we add the "5th" we're really adding

a whole lot more b/c of our baby's birth family.

Start spreading the word!

We love adoption!!!

This is the rough draft for the front cover of our new

family profile...

What do you think?

Pat's Run

I think I had a fairly productive Saturday.

The day started early with Pat's Run.

Jena and I decided to set a goal to finish this 4.2 mile race. I said "finish" not actually try to win or even really race. I felt so good through the whole run (I did run the whole way) and was able to sprint across the finish line. I feel motivated to continue with my running. I have never ran competitively. I think in middle school I raced in the hurdles, but that's as close as I've ever gotten to racing. Well, besides the timed mile we had to do every year for gym class, and I don't think I ever got below a 6 minute mile even then.

Maybe one day I'll be able to do a 1/2 marathon :)

After the race, I booked it home to meet Xiaojun's parents. They flew in from SLC to buy our little Ranger and drive it back to Provo, UT. Miles is having a hard time parting with

"Daddy's little truck".

Luke still has his F150, but we haven't needed the Ranger for a several months.

I think we found it a great home.

Next we raced off to Hanna's 3rd birthday party. Hanna is a friend of Miles's from swim class. Her family is from Austria, and we love listening to their accents or hearing them speak German. Miles gets Austria and Australia confused - understandably ;) (Luke's shirt says "give blood, play rugby")
We made is home in time for Masie to have a nap but too late for Miles. So Luke and I hung out in the backyard with Miles while Masie slept.
We headed to A&W for dinner to celebrate my FIRST race - there will be others :) I downed a medium sized root beer float, so most of the calories I burned today are back on...

Better start training again.

Did the Easter Bunny go back to the mall?

That's what Miles wanted to know Easter morning after scrounging through his Easter basket.

"Did the Easter Bunny go back to the mall?"

We had seen him a couple of weeks ago at the mall, and Miles enjoyed waving to him, but I thought he'd forgotten about the big rabbit.

We're learning that Miles never forgets... never.
Happy Easter!

Enjoy some cute photos!

Masie's Easter dress made it through the first hour of church before she had her typical diaper explosion. Luke took her home for a quick outfit change.

So glad I took the photos before church!

9 Months Old and Standing

I'm not sure what I'm going to do with this girl!!

She's a mover!
She's already opening drawers and cupboards, speed crawling, and pulling herself up to stand. She forgets that she can't walk and is often bonking her noggin...

she's tough though.

Changing her diaper has become a serious, organized ordeal because I'll lay her down on the changing table and hold her legs to keep her still.

That's no good for this baby girl.

She just does a sit-up.

Seriously!

You grab her legs or feet and she'll do a full-on sit-up, no hands needed!

I'll catch it on camera and post it one of these days.

It is the funniest thing you've ever seen.
Man, we're so blessed to have this bundle of cheeky smiliness in our family.

Poke-a-fellow, Idaho

Luke took off for a week to spend time with family in AUS,

and my mom invited the kids and me to her house

so we wouldn't be lonely :)

A week in Pocatello, ID with my mom and three brothers still at home is a blast...

even when it's freezing!

Miles, Me, Masie and Taylor Hansan, Masie, Miles, and Dallan
Masie loved playing on Grandma's Luv Sacs

especially when Miles played with her.
Bundled to play in the snow.
There were a couple of days that Miles didn't ask to go outside and play...
Those were the days I enjoyed most :)
This boy loves ATVs!
My mom also has a motorbike in her garage. Even though these vehicles weren't moving, Miles loved to sit on them. He'd get on, get off, want me to sit in front, want me to sit in back, now Miles on this one and me on that one...
I'm glad he enjoyed himself :)

Climbing the hill in Grandma's backyard.

Yum! First taste of snow for the season.

Brickman, Noel, and Miles throwing snow at me -

It's ok, I told them to do it :)

I'm so glad my sister-in-law came from Provo to spend a few days. I offered to take the kids outside to play. Then I was trying to situate them to take a photo in the middle of the snow. Noel told me,

"I can't get in the snow!

My mom said not to get my shoes wet."

Are you kidding me, Xiaojun?!?!

Ha!

That little girl minded her mother though even when her mother wasn't around :)

Miles loving that everyone could sit on the ATVs.