Petting Zoo

My kids are so funny! At least to me they are. Today we went to a petting zoo and instead of petting the animals they were climbing on the stumps and railroad ties. No I’m just kidding they did do that but they also pet the animals first. It was a little small but nice and shady. We went around at least twice seeing all the animals and had a pretty good time. The cow tried to eat the fence, which I thought was pretty funny. Maybe she just wanted a little bit of attention, who knows. They even gave out free coloring activity books to all the kids who came; since the petting zoo was free I thought that was pretty cool. No pigs though and they even had two ducks who were sitting on eggs still. I thought that was a little strange but who knows if they took the ducklings away and just to make new ones or if they decided they wanted to have summer ducklings instead of spring. I think the kids had lots of fun and we might go again if they ask to.

4th of July 2008

Happy 4th of July! We hope that everyone had a great time. This is the first year that the kids have had a chance to see a really good fireworks show done for the public. The first year we were in Utah we went to the West Jordan City Fireworks show and were rained out. And before we moved to California we just watched backyard fireworks. Needless to say they were pretty excited and really enjoyed seeing the show. We joined the other half of my family up close to Denton, Texas for a little swimming, food and fun. There are so many kids on that side of the family that our kids had so much fun. Plus add to the fact that they are now fish instead of children, they loved the whole day. My parents had even come up to celebrate with us so that was really nice. I counted up the weekends that we will see them this month and I think it came to three, what a change to see them three times in the same month from maybe three times a year. We are so blessed that we had the opportunity to move back to Texas. The kids have really enjoyed spending more time with their grandparents.




Back to our fun holiday, of course since there was a pool the boys had to have a little water jumping fun, to see who could flip, turn and jump the best. At least they were entertaining to watch. Three of the guys conspired to “soak” the people who were not swimming. Since we are in Texas and it is pretty much always hot was not too bad, I was one of the people watching and not swimming. Overall we had a pretty good day, the obligatory, business party and then the fun family party made for a great time and a wonderful holiday.

Texas

Ah Texas! While I was at the gym today I was watching CNN with no sound, and up comes a story about a man who shot some people who were on his property or at the neighbors at one time or another. The interesting part of this story is that the man does not receive any punishment for his actions. You always hear about the law that states you can protect yourself if anyone ever enters your property to try and cause you harm or something to that effect. Well today it has been put into action, and of course my first thought is oh my. Then as they continue on with the story I see the Texas flag, and that is when I think to my self only in Texas. First of all everyone in Texas has a gun, so they say so why would you want to try to rob a Texan. I know I am helping to perpetuate the reputation of Texas, but oh well. I still do not know the full story, my speakers for my computer took a dive on the move and I have not replaced them yet, and we currently do not have cable TV. So I will rely on you my readers to confirm if I am correct or incorrect on this story. I just thought it was interesting and that not everyone would have caught this story. I will put in two links, one is to a shorter version of the story and the second is a deeper commentary with Anderson Cooper.

Our Weekend

My MIL came to pick up the kids this last week, so Ben and I were childless for two full days. It was kind of nice. At first I did not know what to do with myself. They’re usually there to entertain me during the day and keep me going. When they were not here, I was a little lost for a short period of time but managed to deal with it and move on. Plus the other added advantage was that Ben and I actually got to spend time alone, together, without the kids asking a million questions or wanting something. We went to the movies and saw Get Smart, so funny. And we enjoyed a night at Shakespeare in the park. That was so much fun. We have not done that since before we had kids. We never did make it down to Cedar City to see the Shakespeare festival, while we were in Utah. Then on Saturday we did go and look at houses; the first time since we have been here to have a chance to do that. Nothing really knocked our socks off, so we’ll see what happens. Then after looking at houses and lunch, we made our way out to the kids. They were great, and had so much fun playing at Grandma and Grandpa’s house. Isabelle did not want to leave. I’m sure if I let her, she would have stayed.


While we were at Grandma’s house, we all did so much fun stuff. Isabelle played outside in the water and did really well at entertaining herself. Then on Sunday, after it stopped raining, we went fishing. I must say this is the first time that I actually had good fun fishing. Usually I do not like to fish because it is a slow process and I just do not have the patients for it. But this time it was actually fun. Isabelle actually caught the first fish, and did really well for the rest of the day. I mostly fed the fish, either with worms or minnows. I could not get a fish on the hook to save my life. But finally I caught my first one. Then the second fish got away, and the third fish was discovered to be the smart ones that were stealing all my bait. Who would have thought? This time we actually brought fish home to eat. Although for some reason we did not have fish Sunday night. I think Grandpa wanted to share with Grandma, but she was not feeling well. Then after lunch we went to play golf. The kids and I only made it through about nine holes, Bear was really tired. But they had so much fun. Of course since it rained, Bear and Isabelle found all the puddles to play in and were messy wet in a few minutes. Bear kept calling the club a bat which was really cute, and Isabelle kept trying to hit the ball left handed. Thanks dad for that one, he’s trying to teach her how to be a switch hitter. They had so much fun.

America's Dependency Part 3:

I wanted this part to come out sooner but hey I moved and that will be my excuse so without further delay:

Each time I go to fill my car up with gas I just cannot believe that I am so dependant on car companies and oil companies to provide me with the transportation I need to get around town. Yes I could use public transportation, but with two kids that can be a problem. Instead why can’t there be alternatives that consumers can use? GM created an electric car in the early 90’s that was great, and what happened, they bowed to the pressure from oil companies and the government to dissolve their electric car program and destroyed almost every model. Sure there are hybrids out there, but are they really the answer to the problem? Not for the long run, there needs to be other alternatives for everyone to get exactly what they want and need. Who knows if that will be a hybrid, electric car or some other unforeseen vehicle of the future. Unless consumers start to make some noise about oil prices and affect change the oil companies will continue to make money hand over fist to the detriment of America and other countries.

One of the more clever protests that I have seen recently has been the Nude Bike Ride to protest oil dependency. I think the protest originally started as a protest to environmental concerns, and has progressed to include other items as well. For example in Brazil they were protesting air pollution. Ironically many of these protests do stem from environmental issues, caused by cars and the oil and gas that helps them go. Now I might be as free as some of these people who are willing to ride nude through the middle of town, so what other choices do we have to show our displeasure of how high oil prices have gone. There is always the option of having one day per week that nobody would by gas. We could try to run all of our errands at the same time so that we do not have to go over multiple days. Then we could always write to our local congress person to let them know how we feel. After all I think I read somewhere that they consider one letter to count for 10,000 voices. How powerful could your voice become?

San Antonio

The kids had so much fun in San Antonio. They got to swim and play in the water to their little hearts content. Barrett even held on to a noodle and kicked himself all over the pool. That was pretty cool, since he has not done that before. Plus I think that Oma and Grandpa had fun spending time with the kids as well. I think it’s good for them to have little people around. We even had a great time at Schlitterbahn! Ben had a great idea to go visit the water park and it was a winner for everyone. I do not have any pictures there, mostly because I did not want to leave my camera at the table without me. The park we went to in New Braunfels is great because they use water from the Comal River to keep the rides going. Which is great, because then you do not have to be in the chlorine all day. They do have chlorine in parts of the park, mostly where the kid’s play, since you never know with kids, but it is not so bad. Isabelle and Bear really liked the kid area, and had so much fun playing on the different kiddy attractions. We did take them down a short tube ride and they loved it. It was perfect the park had tubes that the kids could sit in and not fall through the bottom. What a great plan. Overall our weekend was great fun and we hope to visit San Antonio again. Maybe next time we’ll visit Sea World.

Why do you have to travel??

I’m pretty sure that who ever scheduled Ben’s trip to Ohio this past week does not have small children who have not seen their father for weeks. Things are a little crazy with two kids and one very bossy, older sister pushing her brother around. Oh well, life goes on; at least they play well together usually.

Scottish Games

One of the other fun things that we have done since we returned to Texas was to go to the Scottish Games Festival. Isabelle had fun listening to the music and visiting all the Clan tents to get a special stamp from each one. I think Bear really enjoyed the ice cream. Ben wanted to watch more of the games but there were not too many going on while we were there. We did get to watch the Hay Bale Toss. It is always so amazing to me that these men and complete such amazing tasks. One of my favorite is the pole toss. They are so big and heavy, I am always impressed when they can toss them and turn them at the same time to see who can get the furthest distance. So cool! I still like the Ren fest the best but I have to wait until October to do that. Man it was HOT!!

Where's the Pool?

Swimming, swimming, swimming. I think that is all Isabelle really wants to do. Everyday she asks to go swimming, which is great, since she has recently gotten over her fear of the water and is a wild swimming woman. She is all over the pool when we go and even started to jump into the pool over the weekend. She is getting so brown. Bear still likes to play on the steps or go out with Mom and Dad or float in a “raft.” He was very brave the first day and told us all to watch as he jumped into the pool. Needless to say someone was right there to catch him as he went in. Then later he fell in and is not so sure about jumping in any more. Probably because his previous floaty flips him onto his tummy instead of his back. But they are too cute in the pool. Watching the kids swim has actually made Ben start to think about finding a house with a pool. This weekend we are going down to visit my parents who happen to have a pool and go to a water park. Ben is really excited.

Americas Dependency Part 2

Each time the price of oil per barrel increases the price at the pump goes up accordingly. Early last week, the price fell to about $126 per barrel but did you see the price at the pump go down, NO! Even if the price per barrel were to drop dramatically it will take even longer for the price of gas at the pump to fall as well. Not only does it not help that the dollar is at its weakest point almost since its inception, what a great policy, in order to see change in the worth of the dollar the current administration needs to make some new decisions. Do you think things will change with a new regime? Alas I digress.

Recently there has been talk of a bill going through Congress to suspend the federal gas tax during the summer months. Now this bill is still in discussion the last time I checked, but here is the real kicker. The suspension was supposed to begin Memorial Day weekend and go through till Labor Day. They are a little behind and should really get things in gear and make a decision. With that said I think Congress should not suspend the federal gas tax during the summer months. In the end with no idea who will pay the tax it will just hurt our nation. If the money is to come out of the construction budget then what will happen to the roads that are in need of repair. I shop at a grocery store that will give you a discount on gas based on the amount of money that you spend, while it is nice to have that discount, they do adjust the price at the pump to be more than at other filling stations; who would control the oil companies from doing the same thing? After all it has been preposed that the Oil Companies pitch in from their deep pockets and pay the tax during the time off. I do not see how a three month break will really affect the bottom line of many American’s budgets, with no gas tax. It might do enough to set the country back as a whole but I do not feel it will get more people out there driving and traveling.

While I was checking out other items that Congress is working on all consumers should be happy to know that there is a bill currently on the floor to RAISE the gas tax up to 40 cents per gallon, over the next five years. So why not let the people have a quick three month reprieve of not paying the taxes knowing full well that a bill could later be passed to raise said tax even higher. Add that to the increased cost of gas at the pump and we just might have a crisis on our hands.

Background information: A bipartisan commission created under the 2005 highway law released a report recommending an increase of up to 40 cents per gallon in the federal gasoline tax. The commission recommended almost doubling the federal gasoline tax over the next five years, boosting it in increments of 5 cents to 8 cents per year. (National Write your Congressman website).

The Lone Star State

We are closing in on our last days in Utah. We are sad to leave behind the great friend we have made and know that each of you will be missed. We are excited to start a new chapter in our lives in Texas again as well as be close to family once more. With that said I just want to tell everyone that we had a great time during our stay in Utah and we hope that you will keep in contact with us over the years. Everyone is more than welcome to visit us in the Lone Star State, I recommend the months of April and October. All the others are fine too and we would love to have each of you come for a little vacation. To all my girls from MOM’s Club, I don’t know what I would have done without you. I’m pretty sure I would have been lost and confused if I had not joined. It was a great experience and I can only hope to find more people like you, but those who will never be able to replace you. To Missy and Jory, I was so happy to be close to you guys as you started your lives together and was able to be close by when your girls were born. Thank you so much for being such wonderful friends. You know our door and hearts are always open. Thanks so much to everyone who made our Utah home a good one.

Americas Dependency: Part 1

Last week the price of oil was up to $135 per barrel. Not a good prospect for the impending holiday weekend. Car travel is down across the nation as travelers resign themselves to use more public transportation and give up the American dream of their own automobile. Since the first car was made by Ford and the advent of the mass production line was invented Americans have always seen the automobile as a status symbol and a must have item. Now don’t get me wrong, not everyone has or uses a car but millions of people do everyday. The question is when and where will increased gas prices start to hit your bottom line? Will you notice that you have less disposable income; will your errands be completed closer to home? Or will you not go on a vacation this year because the cost of doing so is becoming increasingly more expensive. Who do you go to seek help in reducing our oil dependency and search out for alternative uses to run our cars and heat our homes? Is the government or private enterprise the right direction to help our energy needs to improve our way of life and decrease the amount we spend at the pump?

I think that many everyday Americans do not realize how much they are yet spending at the pump each time they fill up, sure you might complain that you had to spend a little bit more, but what changes are you making to adjust for the increase in the price of fuel? Have you noticed other items increasing that you spend your money on as well? While the price of fuel continues to increase, so will the end products that consumers have to purchase on a daily or weekly basis. Food, clothing and general necessities all across the board continue to go up in price partly due to the cost of shipping goods and how far those goods have to travel before they reach your local store.

It’s just business and business’s are out their to make money, as stated by on Exxon Mobile rep at the shareholder’s meeting held this week, in Dallas, Texas. Exxon is not a charity and should not be thought of as such and they should have every right to make a buck or a billion plus. Right? But to what cost to the end consumer, when will people stand up and say enough, is enough.

Water Fun

Memorial Day fun in the clouds. That does not sound right but alas the weather in Utah has been very unreliable. No spring, oh well. We can move to Texas and move right into summer. Well the weather did not stop the kids from playing in the water. We went to a pool party where they played in the pool until they were told to get out for the hundredth time and then were splashed after their other clothes had dried enough to bring them home without any issues. They had lots of fun playing with the water and their friend Gia. It was a good time all around.

Camping Out??

I have found one more way that the human race is not as intelligent as we previously thought. People were camping out by the Chick-fil-a that is about to open. Upon opening the first one hundred people will receive one free chicken sandwich per week for a year. I’m pretty sure that is not enough reason to camp out in the rain, after all it’s just a chicken sandwich.

John Deer Dress

I was at the fabric store yesterday, to pick up some presmocked fabric for Isabelle when I saw the most adorable stuff ever. And to top it all off, it had to have been the easiest dress to make ever. I think it took all of five minutes. Isabelle just loved it and she looks so cute. (Where does she get her smile from? I think it is from Ben's side of the family).

Indiana Jones

At last the movie gods have decided to make yet another Indiana Jones movie. I am so excited; I think that for a lot of people in my generation this is almost like a cult classic. Now don’t get me wrong this movie will reach out to hundreds of thousands of people of all ages, I can hardly wait. But I guess I will have to until Ben come home again. Maybe we’ll be able to see it together at the drive thru. The question is are you ready for the next installment of Indiana Jones? In theaters nation wide on Friday, May 23, 2008.

I fell asleep where. . .

You know you have had a hard day, when you fall asleep on the stairs. I thought that Bear was going to make his way down the stairs to us but instead he stopped at the top to take a rest and ended up asleep. Isabelle was nice enough to yell down at us that he fell asleep and could we please get Bear off the stairs.

Summer Fun??

Ah the joys of warmer weather and just being a kid. While Ben was home this weekend we got a lot of stuff completed. Of course one of the tasks was to make sure all the sprinklers were working. We had to replace a couple of the heads but managed to get it all to work fairly well. The front set stays on the whole time, no telling why. While the sprinklers were being fixed Isabelle and Barrett enjoyed the water party. Isabelle was a little braver about running in the water, and Bear was just not sure about the sprayand tried to hit the water with the bat. Either way, they both had fun and cooled off on a rather warm day. Even Ben said the water felt good.

Animals Everywhere

After Isabelle’s performance and around lunch time, we made our way down to one the kid’s favorite places to go, The Farm, at Thanksgiving Point. They truly enjoy looking at the animals, and petting the few they feel brave enough to approach, and spending time with their friends. It’s always nice when they can play well with others without causing any harm, which of course is not what happened, but fortunately nobody was hurt badly, just more shaken up than anything, sorry Anjie. But injuries not included the kids had lots of fun, and Bear was so excited to ride the ponies. Once he caught sight of them, he really had a one track mind, and kept trying to drag us over there. Too Cute!

Spring Show

It is every parents pride and joy to see their child perform in front of family, friends and other parents. Twice a year Isabelle’s school does a nice little performance for the parents so that we know they are doing more than just learning. It was so much fun to see all the kids and hear their little voices sing as they entertained up for fifteen (15) minutes. Some of the kids are shy, while others are very boisterous. Isabelle ironically is somewhere in between. I know when she is at home, she sings her little heart out, but when she is in a group up in front of people, she is a little more quite. I think my favorite part was when they did a rendition of the Where the Wild Things Are, the kids “acted” out the parts of the wild things. At one point they all walked in a circle, and in true Isabelle fashion she moved the entire circle to the middle. It’s amazing how kids will move when they are attached to one another. It was a lot of fun, and I was sad that Ben missed it live and in person, but he’ll get a chance to watch it on video.