Ahhhh Spring!

Spring is springing at our house.  I LOVE seeing the blossoms on the trees.  They are the first thing to arrive.  With the budding of the trees comes the rumble of bumble bees and the sweet smell of the promise of fruit to come.

Unfortunately at our house, there is something else that is new.  Emelia has a(nother) new haircut.  Yes folks, she did it again.  It was almost grown out and she hacked it off again.

It doesn't get much shorter than this.  I told her that next time she cuts her hair, we are going to have to shave it!

The good news is that she is finally interested in bows and headbands.  These definitely make it easier for people to distinguish that she is, indeed, a girl.

The Wild Wild West

This here's the story of the Adams clan who done got all stir crazy in Georgia.  So they packed up all their belongings (You think I'm kidding?  Have you ever traveled with three kids and all your portrait equipment?  Our luggage piled on the cart at the airport was taller than Ryan!) and headed out to the wild west.  Utah, that is.

The young'ns were pretty dazzled by them big ol' jets!

Ya'll take extra precaution not to lose the this here baggage.

Waitin' in that there airport was a terrible kind o' torture for them babies.

Eme done found hidden treasure under them there seats!

Here we are at the Hardware Ranch.  Nice bunch of folks, but the food was a little crazy!  Guess all they had left was some Elk hoofs.

Watch out for them Utah natives.  Throwin' them snowballs comes mighty natural.  O' course Gabriel were askin' for it.

This here's the sleigh we done rode on.  Guess you can guess where all them elk hoofs done came from.  There was a huge swarm of 'em!

It can get mighty chilly up in them there hills!

Here was a nice little fella we done met on our sleigh ride.

The young'ns just loved seein' where their dinner done come from.

Next thing you know we were headed to this Antelope Island.

Hey there little bucaneer!  Ride 'em cowboy!!!

The ranch and museum on the island were awful pretty.  Can't say I envy 'em though.  Lots of coyotes out there.

Still not much to eat out this a way.  Couldn't find no bison hoofs to munch, so Gabriel started munchin' on the native water supply.

Havin' fun is what the little ones do best!

Them kids had a lot to learn about the native landscape.

Try not to let Pappy bury ya in the snow banks.

Pants don't stay dry here!

Tryin' to run up them hills is harder 'n it looks.

Here's the gang practicin' the ancient art of snowman buildin' 

(in a parking lot! hee hee hee).

We ain't had no carrots, but we found a apple.

When Gabriel got too darn rowdy Pappy tossed 

him out on the side of the road.  

We finally decided to bring him on home with us.  Thanks Granny and Gramps for a hootin' hollerin' good time!

(You can check out some more pics from our vacation on my photo blog!)

Venting

If you do not want to hear me whining, please stop reading here.

So, there should be some law ingrained in the universe that parents are not able to get sick.  There's no time for it.  I have had sick kids ALL week, and yesterday Ryan and I came down with it.

But being sick is not what I would like to whine about.  Gabriel is staying home from school today...I think I should have sent him anyway....for sanity's sake.  My children woke up whining and have not stopped.  Then Eme and Oliver BOTH spilled their cereal, which of course I get the honor of cleaning.  And all the while Ryan is getting ready for work, then abandons me to what I can only describe as the very pit of you-know-where.

Why does a regular day have to be so hard?  Why can't I wake up to happy, sunny, cheerful children and a stomach that does not roll and gurgle as if it is going to explode?

No, today is not that day.

Today, every room in my house smells like vomit.  Today, my children are all still getting over illnesses and they all need my attention.  Today, I have to clean cereal off of every surface in my dining room.  Today, I get to watch my husband walk cheerily out the door to a world that is full of adults and clean halls.  Totally not fair.

Today I am hoping for Divine intervention.