Science projects and cookies

This week we did something in our family we've never done before -- a school science project! Every fourth grader had to do a science project for the science fair in order to get an A. Having never had to do one before (neither Darren or I ever had a science fair when we were in school) we weren't sure what to pick. I started looking at some of the suggested websites for ideas and I called Rose for help since she is a science teacher. All were great ideas. But then I saw one that I knew would be the best. It was "Can you make a photograph without a camera?" Darren was on board with it (he had to be because I couldn't help with this topic). And, of course, Kevin had to agree to it since it was his project. Darren and Kevin spent a few days at the photo lab and out in the yard working on projects. My job was to help type up the report and do the display (it takes a lot of patience waiting for a fourth grader to type a report - Darren actually helped finish that because I didn't really know everything they had done). And Kevin actually thanked Darren for helping him with the project and said he enjoyed it. The day of the science fair he was able to show others what he had done and he said they were all impressed.















Darren and Kevin working on the display.
















The cyanotypes (questions regarding the process have to be addressed to Darren or Kevin)















I can't remember what these are called but you use special paper, put the leaves or whatever you are photographing on the paper, put them under glass and put them in the sun for a while.
















Kevin and the finished display. The pictures in the middle are scanograms (scanned on a scanner).

The other day Jacob brought me some cookie cutters, and in a sweet voice with a sweet look, asked if we could make cookies. The other boys weren't home so it was just the two of us. This type of cookie is not my favorite to make because it causes a big mess. But with only Jake it wasn't too bad.




















Jake "helping" roll out the cookies.



















Decorating and eating the finished product.

Our Weekend

The end of April began baseball season for Kevin. When my brother, Gary, was a kid he was on the Cardinals team. I remember them having a tough time and not winning very much that year. So when I found out Kevin was on the Cardinals I wondered if that team name was jinxed. So far, it seems to be. All the other teams are much better and Kevin's team spends 3/4 of the game in the outfield. Hopefully it will get better. But he does look very handsome in his uniform.



















Darren's parents came to Rexburg for a few days. Since they are now retired they decided to take advantage of experiences like watching a grandson's play and baseball game. Friday night we went out for ice cream cones. Jacob really got into his.






























Ethan's kindergarten class put on "The Three Little Pigs". Ethan was one of the narrators and he did an awesome job. He had a lot of lines to memorize and he needed very little prompting from his teacher.















Ethan's class before the play.















Since Pat and Carl were staying at a hotel with a swimming pool, we had to take advantage of that. I was the only one that didn't get into the pool or hot tub. Once you are an adult you're not as willing to get your picture taken in a swimming suit but here are three of the swimmers.
(Jacob liked his "big muscles")

Salt Lake weekend

This weekend we made a quick trip to Utah for my father in law, Carl's, 65th birthday party. I forgot to bring my camera. So all the great photo opportunities were lost. We had great food, great cake and great conversation. We enjoyed shopping, live soccer, hanging out and lots of traveling (okay that part we didn't enjoy so much, just endured). When we got home I took pictures of the only things I could to represent our trip.















When we were watching Parker's soccer game, the boys were playing behind us on a grassy hill. I wasn't present but apparently, Jake was rolling down the hill and hit a metal pole. His ear was a little bruised but not much. After a full day, though, it has a nice black and blue look over the whole top half. It's ugly but doesn't seem to bother him.















This is a picture of my new running shoes. I joined a running group through the city of Rexburg recreation dept and went to the first meeting on Wed. It turned out I was the only new person and everyone else has been running together for a year. They all had just gotten back from running the Salt Lake Marathon. I was very much intimidated. But I did find out that the best place to buy running shoes was at Ossines on Redwood Road in Salt Lake. So when I was down there this weekend Darren and I went there to get me some new shoes. They also have a free service where they analyze your feet and watch you run. Then they help you pick the best shoes for your feet and running style. I tried them out this morning and so far, so good.

Easter 2009 and a few extras

I know I am a week late but I took pictures of our during conference activities specifically so I would update my blog and never did it. So following are some of those.
















Tracie started this puzzle on Christmas day and it has been unfinished since then. So Saturday I worked on it. When I was this far done I had to move it into the living room to free up the dining room table, got caught up doing something and when I returned it was half way destroyed. So Tracie and I finished it again on Sunday during the afternoon session. I made sure Jacob and Ethan knew I wasn't happy, though.















We bought the boys these boxes at Ikea a while back. As with most things there you have to finish it yourself. Ethan begged to paint his so we did that Saturday during conference (I think that's why I moved the puzzle). Darren helped Ethan and it turned out pretty well.


















Kevin working on his box.




















A few days ago I saw Ethan and Kevin sneaking around, dressed weird. Come to find out, they were spies. Pretty creative in their outfits, I think.




















Kevin in his spy outfit.

















Before the Easter egg hunt. I take pictures like this every year - first the empty basket, then the full ones. It has been crappy weather every year since we have been going to them but it was great weather yesterday. Kevin had his first baseball practice so he didn't get to go. He didn't really care, though.



















The full baskets. Jacob froze when all the other kids started running for the eggs. By the time I coaxed him out there we only got two eggs before they were gone. A kindergarten friend of Ethan's was standing next to him and saw that Jacob only got two eggs. Without being prompted by any adult he took two of his eggs and put them in Jacob's basket. I thought that was so sweet. His parents weren't even around and I didn't know them so I couldn't tell them what a good kid he was.




















Jacob painting Easter eggs




















Kevin with one of his masterpieces.


















The boys acting normal. :)

















Easter morning - if Ethan had longer hair it would look like MaryAnn morning hair (no offense MaryAnn)




















Ethan with one of his eggs.
HAPPY EASTER, EVERYONE!!!

After the funeral

This post is all about our Utah adventures after the funeral. We stayed with the Mitchells for the first two nights. It's always crazy when my three kids and the Mitchell five kids are all together.




















Here's cute Michelle. She was walking around the couch with a tissue in her mouth so I took her picture.



















Thursday night many of my siblings came over to play games. Many brought treats so I took a pictures of that yummy display - and Ethan's hand reaching in to grab some jelly beans.




















Bachelor brother Ben was proudly displaying this shirt. Whatever, Ben, you'll change your mind eventually.
















Tracie and Jeff put on a scavenger hunt for the kids after hitting the dollar store. Here's Jeff playing Santa Claus and handing out the goods.

















A wild game of spoons.















After the Mitchells it was a couple of nights at the Clarks. Saturday we went to Orem for lunch at CPK and Shandy's soccer game. Here's the group of fans at the soccer game. The kids didn't last very long just sitting and watching. My boys were wild examples for Dexter.
















This is the best picture I got of Shandy on the soccer field. I promise it's her.


















Darren must have taken this picture. I like it because it's a candid shot.





















Saturday night Jacob watched The Incredibles with Shandy. It was a fun weekend but we had to leave early on Sunday to try and avoid most of the storm. We hit some of it in the Salt Lake valley but made it home right before the blizzard in Rexburg started. Whew!

Miriam Beth Lyman Christiansen

My grandma Christiansen passed away on March 21 and we went to her funeral on Thursday, March 26. She was a wonderful grandmother. I lived with her and my grandpa for a couple of summers and I feel like it was a great opportunity to get to know her better. I also learned a few new things at her funeral. She will be greatly missed. Funerals are sad but they can also be happy. It's a wonderful time to see family that you never get to see and I enjoyed talking to all of my cousins/aunts/uncles. All of my cousins on that side of the family were there.



















Here is a picture of my grandma with my mom, Rose and me at a Utah State mother/daughter activity.















The great grandkids (and youngest grandchildren) sang "Grandmother" from the Primary songbook. Here they are practicing. It's funny how half of them are not singing and just looking around.
















After the viewing on Wed night my siblings (that were there so far), their spouses and my parents went out to dinner. I love hanging out with my adult brothers and sisters and parents, especially without little kids to interupt us.















It was very cold at the cemetary. There was a tent set up with a heater in the middle. I already had a spot with my kids right by the heater and I was too afraid to lose my spot. That's why this picture is taken from this direction even though I would have gotten a much better picture from the front. But then I saw Darren with his much better camera and skills in front taking pictures and I felt okay about staying in my kind of warm spot.
















The church felt so nice again all warm and cozy, especially with delicous smells coming from the kitchen. Here is my cute hubby.















Heather was going around with the camera taking pictures.















This is my cousin, Rebecca's, little girl, Gracie, jumping over the broom while Ben was trying to sweep. He was very patient and let her keep doing it over and over again, sometimes landing on the broom.
















My cousin, April, is working on becoming an EMT/paramedic. She had all the kids lined up as test subjects. She knows how to make good use of her time.
















Another dinner photo.

Saturday at the park

Everyone is talking about how great the weather has been and the past two days in Rexburg are no exception. We have made it all the way to 60 degrees. Yesterday I even went outside and raked the front lawn and cleared out one of the flower beds. I went running outside for the first time this year and it was so much more enjoyable than running on a treadmill. Today Darren helped Kevin get his bike tires pumped up so I followed the boys to the park so they could ride.
















Here is Kevin being a little bored. He wanted someone older to play with than just his little brothers.



















And here's Ethan being a little grumpy. He was mad that his friend and brothers didn't want to do what he wanted to do. He also fell on his scooter, scraped up his elbow and got a goose egg on his forehead so that didn't make him any happier. Especially when he had to walk home because we didn't bring the car. Darren and I both tried to get a picture of his injuries but he was in no mood by then to cooperate.



















Jacob had a wonderful time. Darren stayed longer with him at the park after I took the injured home because he wasn't ready to leave.

Grandparent trip

I finally figured out how to get cute blog backgrounds like everyone else. I know, I'm slow. I chose a spring background because I am optimistic that spring will eventually come to Rexburg. It was nine degrees when we woke up this morning - not the best spring weather. But the weekend forecast goes up into the 40's. I guess we'll see what happens.

Anyway, back to the reason for my post. This past weekend Darren was out of town again with a student trip. My kids were out of school half a day Thursday and all day Friday because of the end of the trimester. So I decided the kids and I could take a trip of our own. I am very fortunate to still have both sets of my grandparents around. My Grandpa Bartholomew has cancer and my Grandma Christiansen's health has been declining quickly. We decided to take a "visit my grandparents trip". Thursday we drove all the way to Fayette (that's a long drive with kids and only one adult). Friday we spent the day hanging out with my dad and also spent a couple of hours visiting my Grandma and Grandpa Bartholomew. There was a lot of talk about sheep -- I learned a few new things about my Grandpa. My mom had to work on Friday so she didn't get to hang with us until late afternoon. The boys had fun with four wheeler rides, carving with grandpa and pretending to not be afraid of the cat. (It's sad that my kids have so little exposure to animals that they are nervous around a cat.)




















The boys at Grandma and Grandpa Bartholomew's house. Why didn't I have my grandma and grandpa get in the picture, too? I wasn't thinking.




















My dad has some new carving tools. He let Kevin and Ethan each pick out a picture they wanted him to carve. He cut it out and then let Kevin do some of the carving on his. Ethan just watched my dad do his. The picture I had of my dad and Ethan wouldn't load for some reason.


















After 4 wheeler rides, carving, and lots of tickling my dad needed a nap.

Saturday morning it was my mom's turn to clean her parents house in Salt Lake City. So we drove up there and spent several hours cleaning, trying to get rid of ants and visiting. Rose, MaryAnn and Ryan also came to help so it made it more fun. When we got there my grandpa was sitting by my grandma's bed with a bottle of 409 trying to keep the ants off of her because she can't do it herself. It was hard to see my grandma like that because she has such a fiery personality - she can keep right up with my dad's brothers and that's saying something. It was very touching, however, to see how much my grandpa cares for her. We spent the night at Rose's house, went to church with them and then headed back to Rexburg. We hit a snowstorm around Pocatello and Kevin said he could tell we were in Idaho because the weather was bad.