In the cabin

Sometimes the best memories are created while doing nothing.

Heads

 

Why can't Spring Break be Spring Month? Pics courtesy of our Kohl's Ranch stay.  Did I mention that it was beautiful weather and just chilly enough for a jacket? We needed a month.

Bye 312!

Thank you for your warming fireplace, delicious grill, Jacuzzi tub, cowboy light fixtures and most of all for the great family memories.

Now back to the hot, well,...warm!

Grandparents, KFC and Guns

 

The good thing about going less than two hours away on vacation is that Grandma and Grandpa will come visit.  We showed them the creek, played games and had fun.  But not wanting them to leave without some excitement we decided to go back to Payson with them to have dinner and a little adventure.

 

As told by Grandma

 

Grandpa and I went up to Kohl's Ranch yesterday and enjoyed the mountain air and played with the kids.  We watched as they enjoyed the stream.  They were jumping across it from rock to rock.  I was not so adventurous. It was fun however.  We played a little tennis, horseshoes, and basketball.  Then went inside when it got too cold and dark and played games.  Courtney and I decided it was time to leave and Ondria and family decided to go to Payson with us to get something to eat.  We ended up at KFC.  While ordering Dionys accidently left his phone on the counter.   Apparently, some creepy fellows came up to the counter after them and asked the worker for change.  They didn't order anything.  They took Dionys phone and left.  😱  Dionys didn't realize he didn't have his phone until he was sitting down with the kids and eating. All of a sudden he realized it was missing and thought the counter was the last place he could remember it..  We asked everyone there if they had seen it and no one had.  

 

Then Ondria's phone rang, it was the guys who took the phone calling her phone!!!!  She said, "Hey, you have my phone, can I come and get it.?"   

The guy said he hadn't taken it,  he said it was his friend that took it.  He told her to go to an abandoned building a couple of streets away.  Well by this time, Dionys and Courtney were out the door walking in that direction and Ondria grabbed her keys and hopped in the car.  She past Dionys and Courtney and was at the appointed spot when she realized she was alone and that maybe this wasn't a good idea.  About this time, Dionys took off running to her and showed up at her car door. The kid who stole the phone came out of the dark and gave it back. 

 

At this point I guess Dionys' adrenalin came out,  and he turned on the kid and very angrily, asked why he had taken the phone.  Ondria didn't want there to be any trouble. She jumped out of the car and grabbed Dionys, " It's okay, it wasn't him. It was his friend.  We have the phone, let's just go."  

Now keep in mind while the three of them are off chasing the bad guys I'm sitting with the 5 kids in KFC. They were a little worried about their parents.  Then Alexandria said, "What do we have to be worried about?"  Papi has a pocket knife, and grandpa always carries a gun!"

Then DJ pipes up and said, "Ya, what are we worried for?" 😃😃  I felt like I was in a western movie somehow.  I had to work real hard to not laugh out loud.  Thing was, I knew they were right! 😉

** A few edits, the guy told me to go to an abandoned building but then decided a big blue house would be easier to find.  I knew it didn't seem like a good situation but I really wanted to get Papi's phone back.  Besides, it was Payson.  Although, it didn't help that the night before I had a dream that Papi lost Stella in the street.  I found her and got mugged walking home with her.  As soon as I pulled up at the big blue house I began to call Grandpa but then Papi appeared out of no where just in time like he always does. Later Alexandria specifically asked Grandpa if he was carrying a gun.  He replied, "lets just say I was prepared."

Pony bite

 

"Mom! I think the pony bit me." DJ showed me the red markings on his leg while in the Jacuzzi tub in the cabin.  Then, he looked at me with pain in his face, making his eyes like he needed help. This kid tries to get away with everything.  Luckily, I'm usually a step ahead but it's a challenge that I am always working on.  This time was an easy one though.

"Oh, dear! You could get pony rabies!" I lied. "We need to get you out now and cut that out of you." Fear crossed his face as he looked at his marked up leg.  I continued.  "Unless you think it might have been the intake for the Jacuzzi that made that mark? Then you're probably fine. You'll just have a funny looking tattoo for the rest of your life."

"Really, Mom?" he caught on.  I smiled, then told him not to do it again or he might get spots on his whole body.

Wild West Adventure

Secretly, I believe I was born to be a cowgirl. So we began our Ranch Vacation on an hour long horseback tour of Butterfly Canyon. The kids rode like they had been doing it their entire life!  I think we'll put them in the Rodeo. They must have Papi's horse riding abilities from riding to school when he was young and my built in desire to wear cowboy hats and spurs.

The Spring Break Creek

Spring Break!! I love you! We get to sleep in.  We go new places. And there's lots of family fun.

 

This year, it was Kohl's Ranch here in Arizona.  Grandma came to the rescue again after months of trying to find a place with no success.  She's great like that!

Upon arriving we explored the area and found this freezing cold creek where the kids had more fun playing than in the pool.

Except Stella, she preferred the hot tub in the cabin.  I'm with her.  Burrr!

Pony tail

Springtime surprises

Spring time is beautiful this year. There are surprises springing out all over our yard.  We've started our garden again.  AJ found eggs in a cute little nest in the citrus tree.  And the jasmine. . .I wish I could save that sweet honey scent of jasmine. I'm pretty sure if Heaven has a smell it's jasmine.

Eating Chicken

There's a moment in every city kids' life when they realize that eating chicken means a chicken had to die, be plucked of all it's feathers, chopped up, seasoned, cooked and served. We harvested one of our older chickens for the first time ever. When I held warm freshly killed meat in my hands a few years ago I went home and threw up. Then, felt a greater appreciation for every meal I eat with meat. Isabel decided to become a vegetarian. Even the yummy goodness of In n Out hamburgers wouldn't persuade her soft heart to change her mind. Instead she had a cheeseburger with no burger. Finally, after a few days of vegetarianism she gave up saying, "I want to but being a vegetarian is hard."  Then went on to eat her backyard chicken. 

Smart Wish

"If I could wish for anything I would wish to be smart." -AJ

AJ, you are smart!  And if you keep reading like that you can be as smart as you ever wish to be.  Just remember, "I'm smart. And I can do hard things!"

Baby Phones

 

What did babies play with before cell phones?  I'm sure there was nothing that existed before that could make her as happy as a cell phone does now.

Little construction

 

We've started work on another flip house.   Stella really tries hard to help out.  Her favorite part of the job is eating the oranges.

15 years!

This is the first time in years that we have been together on our anniversary.  I blame baseball, the other woman. In the beginning of our marriage this day would pass and I would be sad because we couldn't be together on our day. So as the years went by it became easier to just forget the day all together. What were we celebrating anyway? Soon the day came and went and neither one if us remembered or cared. Then this year happened. Our fifthteenth! Two miracles happened, 1. we remembered and 2. we were together. Finally, we could remember our day together.

 Papi, I'm thankful for the life we have built together and look forward to celebrating lots more "happy anniversaries" with you!

Baseball Beginnings

 

Papi is coaching again.  This year is their first year that they get to pitch.  I think we are working on a pitcher and a catcher. I'll be honest.  It's getting a little crazy with practices 3 times a week.  But it will be worth it, right?  I love my boys!

Stella's Shopping Cart

 

Her smile is contagious.  She spends all day pushing her shopping cart around with her treasures that she's picked up throughout the house. She had a dirty spoon in her cart so I tried to take it out to wash it but she was not happy that I had stolen something from her.  I tried to give her a different one but she only wanted the dirty one.  So we compromised...no, she won.  I let her have the dirty spoon.

Pouring Rain Memories

He makes me love being a mom.  Saturday night we hung out together. It was pouring rain when we pulled up to our first destination. I had to laugh as he warned me, "Mom, do not get out if the car. You are making a huge mistake!"

"Five, four, three, two, one!" We opened our doors and ran through the sheets of rain, laughing all the way into the store.  I have so much fun with him.  After wandering around the store admiring all the pretty dishes they had for Easter and waiting to dry off a little we finally decided we could check out. 

On our way home we drove by the waffle truck. Lots of people have said lots of great things about the waffle truck so we stopped to try it. As we were there being drenched in the rain I told AJ to go wait in the car. His cute little glasses were getting fogged up and spotted with rain drops. But he didn't want to leave me out in the cold rain by myself. So we both stood there under the cover of the citrus tree, soaking wet, waiting for our waffle with strawberries and ice cream. After what seemed like forever they called our name. We grabbed our waffle and ran to the shelter of the Pilot to eat. The waffle was good but the memories we created together were even better and way worth the wait in the cold pouring rain. 

Raise the Garden

 

It's been too long my little garden but thanks to Papi's hard work we are back in business! Hopefully, this time around we will have more continuous success with the new raised beds.  That grass was killing me...and you.