Luke's Sci Fair Photos

Fun to take a closer look at Luke's SF project:

Science Fair 2012

The Scientists with their boards:

 The kids goofing off in the gym while we helped cleaned up after Science Fair:

 Their boards close up:

The kids had a great time getting to do experiments with Dad and learning a little bit more about the Scientific Process.  We had to laugh at one of the judges' reviews of Luke's project.  It was obviously a teenage boy from the high school who didn't quite get it.  He made comments like "Student answered only yes/no to questions asked, did not have a strong understanding of project, data incomplete, appears that father did most of the project..." etc.  We just laughed and laughed when we read it. Um... Luke is 5, in Kindergarten, and basically illiterate.  And no, we don't let him play with fire.

Angels on Earth

As most of you know... we do not feel well at our house.  We have already been in survival mode, as I have been calling it, for several weeks.  Just the bare minimum in getting by.  We have been so blessed by our wonderful and neighbors and friends who have brought us dinner on a number of occasions during my many weeks of laying on the couch.  This week has been the culmination of SICK.  Rachel, Wesley, Luke, Jason and I have all gotten sick with various things.  My lame attempts to somewhat feed my family on occasion and have a few clean clothes to wear went out the window as Rachel and I have layed on the couch or in bed now for days.  We have had fevers and coughs and pinkeye (argh!  I HATE pinkeye) and then Rachel came down with RSV.  Jason took her to urgent care and then back to the doctor again the next day.  It has been days and days and days of fever and labored breathing and being held constantly.  And that is when cousin *Keri stepped in.  She called me yesterday morning, told me she was bringing me dinner and to get 4 loads of laundry ready that she was going to whisk away and return clean at the end of the day.  What do you do when someone calls you and tells you that?  You hang up the phone and cry.

Rachel waking up and checking to see that Dad had just gotten home.  And then she went back to sleep.

*Keri is married to Jason's first cousin Rus.  We were so excited when they moved into our neighbor not too many blocks away.  They have 4 kids, all the same age and same sex as our kids.  It has been so fun and such a blessing to have them so close!  Keri is sooo talented.  She just made the centerpieces for a lunch with the visiting General Authorities.  And check out Wesley and Beau at a roller skating class.

Scientific Expedition 2012

Scientific Expedition 2012 Team: Allie, Elena, Luke, Wesley.

The mission: Take temperature readings in the Embudito Spring for Allie's science fair project.

Team Bios: 

Name: Allie
Title: Principle Investigator
Experience: Has granola bars, a math book, nice pink hat
Best attributes: An oldest sibling command of all situations
Woops: mismatched gloves

 

Name: Elena
Title: Measurement Expert
Experience: "Marches like a Marine"
Best attributes: Fastest hiker, can apply an infinite well of wisdom to any situation
Woops: Allergic to Allie's granola bars

Name: Luke
Title: Energizer Bunny, Vicious Creature Identifier
Experience: Hiked 1 mile in the snow Saturday, cool red boots, counts to 100
Best attributes: Ability to keep on going and going and going
Woops: Finger gloves are freezing, mittens next time

Name: Wesley
Title: Humility Coordinator, Team Security Officer
Experience: Extensive wrestling experience, can repeat what you say endlessly
More experience: Able to find water in any desert and fall in it
Best attributes: Can scream really LOUD if lost
Woops: Got cold, dad carried out on back... and pink boots

 

 

 

So, the stream gets warmer the higher you go and closer you get to the spring...

4.37 Seconds of Fame

Wednesday we woke up to 8" of snow. There was no delay and school was not canceled (unlike in Dec. when school was canceled with 3"). It was so bad, the school bus chose not to even try and get around in our neighborhood so I took the kids to school (after waiting out in the snow for 20 minutes). A news guy caught me on the way out- here is the link (my 4.37 seconds of fame are at 0:55).

http://www.koat.com/video/30468768/detail.html

Jason here: I was disappointed in Joy's debut. She could have beat out that last whiny guy on the news clip- no sweat. Joy could have given a bank account for donations or showed frostbitten appendages and demanded an apology from the President. Better luck next time Joy.

Happy Valentine's Day

I was trying to get a shot of the debris (and Rachel and who has finally started to stand and walk- a little). Can you spot my favorite Valentine that Luke got?! Made me laugh.




The kids came home from school with shouts of Happy Valentine's Day! And then they dumped out their loot. You'd think it was Halloween. No one was complaining though. I am sad that I missed the shot of Rachel with a sucker in each hand while trying to scoop up mini M&M with her little fingers.

Tonight is mutual and the youth are hosting a romantic dinner with child care included. We are all excited about that. :)

Death of a great friend...

I came home this evening to Joy and Allie who were crying. I found out one of my best college friends, Andre Peterson, died in his sleep. He was apparently had been ill for a week and was found in his bead by the missionaries who had planned to meet with him. Andre leaves behind a little 8 year old girl (Allie's age) who lives with Andre's former wife in Mesa, AZ. Andre was living in Battle Creek, MI working for Kellogg as accountant.

(best men at Andre's wedding in San Diego)

Andre had many friends and was an incredible guy. Super smart, UNC Chapel Hill wanted to give him scholarships based on his race. He told the school he would attend but only if they would give him the highest academic scholarships which they readily did. He was quite a complex guy who overcame immense odds emerging from a very rough childhood. I learned a lot from Andre and am a better person for the privilege.

He had a lot of old photos from his Facebook page from his Las Cruces days. Here are some great memories.

(games @ Bp. Ficklin's home in Las Cruces)

(@ college house in LC)

(goofing off in backyard, LC house)

(best men, San Diego)

Goodbye friend.