The rising moon

This is the view from my kitchen sink window!
Callie has been studying the moon in her class so we have noticed it a lot more lately. This morning Callie, David, and I were up at 6:15am to see the moon set. David was also up to go catch a plane in Redding to go to San Diego on buisness. He said its suppose to be cold and rainy so don't be to jealous. Although his hotel is on the beach.

A day at the park

Yesterday was a beautiful day here in Northern California.

I told the kids that we would go to the park about a mile from our house. As we drove up and saw the snow still there we decided to find another park. We went by the elementary school and it still had some snow with tons of mud. There was another park across town next to a skate park. So we get there and there is no snow around the playground. The skate park was closed so the area was not very busy. There was a beat up van and a suburban parked there. Outside of the suburban was a man, woman, and 4 children. The van drivers side door was open and there was a drink on the table next to the van. The van belonged to them, I found out later. Lucy had fallen asleep so I sat in the car while Carson, Callie, George, and Ginger went to play.

While sitting there I was watching the man and the woman, I could see her sitting in the drivers seat with the door open and the man is standing in the doorway. I look over and they were passionately kissing off and on. My kids couldn't see any of this. The children that were with them were off playing. The little twins that were three, I found out later, would be around for a while, here and there. At one point he takes his shirt off then he puts it back on. They just keep messing around. David told me to call the cops but it was nothing horrible. I would have if it had gotten bad.

While this was going on 3 cars drive up and park off a bit. The people inside look like they are up to no good. They all get into one car. Then one car leaves. Then over by my kids a see an older man so I jump out of the car and lock it. I tell my kids its time to go. Then I realize I can leave Lucy in the car because I can see it and play with my other children. The older man ends up looking around then leaving.

The make-out couple goes off to play with their kids in the woods for awhile then comes back and disappears into the suburban while their kids are still playing. One of the twins came over by us and fell on the sidewalk scraping his hand. He wanted to swing so I put him in and pushed him a little. That is where I asked his age. After a little bit of time he wanted to get down because his hand hurt. After a little while the couple reimmerged.

The older man came back to the park and headed for the parked cars. There were other cars that had come and gone. I didn't see anything but it didn't seem like they were up to any good.

We ended up leaving after a while. Its amazing how aware you have to be now a days. Not that anyone was harming us but you never know. I'm glad the kids got a little energy out and were safe.

Valentine's Day

Growing up, my dad always got his girls, mom, myself, and my three sisters, a flower and some chocolates on Valentines Day. That is something that I have always cherished. I am pleased to see David doing the same for his girls. I was sick yesterday so I was glad to do without the chocolate. Ginger walked around the house half the day with her flower and once she said, "Now, I'm a real princess."

Callie arranged her flower in the vase she got 3 years ago, from Grammy, Papa, and her aunts, when she was in the hospital with a kidney infection. Lucy was just excited to be like her sisters. Callie had her clothes to wear to school on Valentines Day picked out two days in advance and she bought some magnetic heart earings with her birthday money to wear as well. Callie also got up at 6:30 to put hot rollers in her hair. She said to us,"Its okay to dress up for school." She was so excited to exchange valentines that she had them made a week before Valentines day all by herself. Anybody that knows me knows that I am not crafty that way so it made me happy to see Callie expressing herself.

Our righteous heritage

Lucy's crown says "I am a Child of God". I'm so grateful to know and to teach my children that we are all children of a Heavenly Father. And thanks to primary teachers that are prepared each Sunday.

Ginger, Ginger, Ginger!

During Sacrament meeting yesterday, totally out of the blue, Ginger leans over and asks if my bottom hurts. I had not complained at all of it hurting or anything. Although I had slipped and fallen a few times this past week.

I said, "No, does your bottom hurt?"

She said, "No."

I ask her, "Why would my bottom hurt?"

She replies, "Because your bottom is so big."

Don't ask me! She's a special little girl.

A week of snow storms

What do you do in cold snowy weather? Well, I like to bake. Here is a sweet potato pie that I made. I made one the week before for David's work, it looked better than this one but I forgot to get a picture. And the thing in the middle is supposed to be snowflake.

On Thursday we got a good amount of snow. The earlier snow had melted a little so there was an even thicker layer of ice underneath. We got the Suburban stuck twice because of that. With the fresh snow it packed just right to put the tires in hole and let them spin. The second time I got it stuck some firefighters were driving by and was nice enough to help me. Aren't firefighters the best!! :) It was at the bottom of our driveway and the kids were up at the house. After their help in getting the truck up to the house this is what I found of the kids. Lucy was in the house watching a movie and Callie, George, and Ginger were outside marching in the snow. Well, around the bushes it had created some snow drifts that made the snow look the same deepth as the rest of the snow they were walking in. They got a little stuck. It looks like George was the smart one with gloves. I guess Callie left one at school and Ginger couldn't find any because they were in the dryer.

Carson coming home from school.

The snow drift outside of the side door of our garage.

Mount Shasta usually gets more snow than in Weed where we are at.

This is a storage garage outside the church.

There is minimal parking so we have to get there early. This past Sunday there was not a lot of people there, and it was not because of Super Bowl Sunday.

We had another storm come through on Saturday.

Here is one of the two entrances to the church.

The other, of the two entrances, is in the bottom picture.

Our Satelite is not working as well. A combination of snow and wind damage.

Here is everyone ready for church.