Memorial Day

Our favorite toy to take to the pool is Justin!!! We invite Mandy and the boys quite often but usually before Dads get home. So when Justin comes too, it's fun for all....except maybe Justin. Keddi got in on the launching too. But I tried throwing Shar (just a bit) and when she came back up, she was not happy with me. I guess we'll wait until she has learned how to go under by herself and let her take things at her own pace.



Memorial Day consisted of a late breakfast followed eventually by a family errand and after we came home, we went to the pool with the Wilsons. After being at the pool for over two hours!!, we all went home. At our house, Joel had grilled up some Brats and hot dogs. We were starved and didn't bother to take the time to cook corn on the cob and potato salad. But we did do s'mores. The girls are off track so Joel is the only one who had to get up and go on Tuesday morning.

Memorial Weekend

We attended a Family and kids Expo on Sat. it had booths with displays, games and food. Plus the girls rode on ponies and pet some goats, ducks, chickens and a sheep at their petting zoo. One of the booths was a rock climbing wall. Tersa wanted to do it and Keddi decided she did too...until she got two steps up from the floor and then she was done! Tersa scaled the wall like a pro and was to the top in no time. Joel takes the girls on date nights every month and his and Tersa's next date will involve some rock climbing. (At least for Tersa. I'm not sure if he is going to participate or not, I haven't asked.)

Kindergarten Music Program

Last week Keddi performed in her Kindergarten program. She was center stage and knew every word and action of each of the songs. She wasn't the most animated child up there but you could see her personality come through as she performed! She thouroughly enjoyed herself and in between songs she would blow kisses to Joel. I lamented to find that our video recorder would not work and we missed some of the more entertaining aspects of the performance. ("What's that you say?" Ask us about it and better yet, have her show you if you are ever around her!)




Here are some of Keddi's school class friends. Mercedes, Grace, Keddi, Drew, Berkley, Alicia and Ryan.

Swimsuit Edition

Here is our swimsuit line up for this year. The open mouth on Shinara is a new trend in picture taking. She poses and opens her mouth every time now. ?!? I can't even begin to imagine why she's doing it or where she picked it up. Anyway, Mardi and Shinara are the only ones with new suits this year. That may change half-way through the summer,who knows! We've already been to the pool about 6 or 7 times and look forward to our Track break which begins next Monday and will allow pool visits every day!!

5th Grade Program

The fifth grade classes had a program last Wed. and this year they had a multicultural theme. Tersa had speaking parts and was in a dancing group for the performance. Oh, she played the bass drum for several of the musical numbers also. Her fifth grade year is winding down and she will be off to Junior high! She enjoys performing but doesn't always appreciate the time it takes to get there. Here is a picture of her costume and she is sitting by her friend Rachel.

Happy Birthday Keddi

Keddi Jane Barber turned 6 yesturday! We had the Wilson's over and went swimming. After
returning home we had dinner and opened presents. Keddi had a few requests this year that just could not be accomodated. So, Mom did something she never wanted to do and gave in to character bedding! Keddi loves princesses and was more than a bit excited when she opened her new bedspread and sheets. Shinara got lucky too because you can see her bed when it is tucked away and so it needed matching sheets. The Wilson's fulfilled the wish of having a new pink towel (and it came with a washcloth! BONUS!)

And then she got head-phones for the car. Unfortunately, there are jacks for the middle row but not the back. (Mom assumed... ooppps!) I guess she will be getting a personal cd player instead.

A busy 11 year old

This year Joel took Tersa to work with him on Career Day. He was hoping to take her to court with him but he took her to a deposition instead. That is the sole reason that Tersa will not be a lawyer when she grows up. It was a rather boring part of her day. But Joel had set up a "power lunch" with several women lawyers and they were very sweet to accomodate him. They were quite impressed with how lady like she was at lunch. And she got to meet women who own their own firms and hear them talk about the things they do. It was a long day and I'm not sure she would care to go again, but she did enjoy it.
Tersa gave up choir this year because she wanted to try Mallet Masters, the drum club. She like it fine but is getting a bit bored with always playing the bass drum. Evidently she is one of the few students who can keep a beat so she gets stuck on the bass drum. She would like to try something else!
A few weeks ago we went to orientation for Jr. High. We got maps and were able to walk around the 6th grade hall where she will spend much of her time. It is a little nerve wracking and her greatest concern is getting her combination on her locker to open and having enough time to get to class. It shouldn't be too difficult and we will practice with combinations before she ever has to go. They also have a "camp" that we can pay for her to attend and we will probably do that.

Uncle Jamin

As I was loading 2000 (the year) pictures, Shinara walked in and saw this one. She asked who this was and then she asked if it was her with him. I said no that it was Tersa and she whined that she wanted it to be her. I said I was sorry but it was Tersa. She said "But I want him....he's cute." A great compliment to Jamin but of concern to me. I've been hearing quite a bit from my three year old that she thinks this or that person in movies, on t.v., at the store... is cute!!

Swimming

It's official!! Summer is come. We reached 100 degrees yesturday so we went to the pool last night. Our visit was cut short when we noticed smoke in the distance and decided to pack up and go home before we caused some major breathing and allergy complications in some of us. Plus, the pool water was still a bit cold and Shinara was the only one still in the pool. But I am sure I will get a request today since it's Friday!

This is Shinara. It was taken in 2004 at an oasis just north of Vegas called Warm Springs. It's owned by the church and for a while there we were going every year and camping overnight. I remember it being a bit chilly that year but the water is always nice. It's the getting out and dry that was uncomfortable. (It must have been an April visit.)

Science Fair

Surprisingly enough I didn't take pictures at this event but I figured some might want to hear about it anyway. Tersa's project was about the rule of thirds in photography. She wondered if most photographers use it. She went through five photography books and found that most of them do. Even pictures taken back in 1846-1946 most often used this rule. We don't even think the concept has been around that long. Perhaps it would be interesting to research that. Needless to say, I will be taking my pictures a little differently from now on. She got a good grade for a job well done. Mardi was required to make an invention this year. She got the idea some time ago. She decided to make something that would allow her to remove the insides of a baked potato without having to wait for the potato to cool first. It's called the Baked Potato Pal. It would be lengthy to describe but I did take a picture for her display, I'll try to find and post it. For some reason, she didn't know what her grade was yet but I'm sure it is an A as well.

Spring...in Vegas?

I'm not really complaining, it's just so weird. See, usually we jump from winter almost directly into summer. In Feb. things begin to bloom and by the end of March, but certainly by the end of April we have our air conditioning on to stay. Sure, it's usually only up to the low to high 90's by then and we don't hit the 105's and up until mid to late June, but that is hot enough for us to have the air on. This week the air went off again because we got our windy and cooler March weather. Tersa wore her jeans to school again but what was funny to me was that she had her boots on too. I'm the one that gets the hottest and she certainly doesn't have my body heat but boots in May?!?!? In Vegas? Anyway, we haven't done much lately so I have no new pictures to post. Here are some golden oldies.

We were on a Sunday walk and Tersa and Mardi were running when Tersa took a spill. What do you think of Joel's "look." I think "ewww" sums it up for me. I don't like kissing "scruffies." (Referencing the hair not the person.)