Erickson Zone: May 2014

This week...

...we went to Mattawa for Memorial Day. Jason took an overtime detail. So between sleeping and the overtime and not seeing much of him, the kids and I decided to go play at Grandma Zirker's house. On the drive out there, I had to stop and snap some photos of this yellow blooming hedge of weeds. Yes, they were weeds. But they looked so pretty.

Back on the road...that old familiar road.

We took a drive down to the Columbia River to see the effects of the lowering of the water level in order to fix the Wanapum Dam. It was crazy to see so much dirt out in the River where the water should have been.

Just reading up on the dam...

I'm not sure what these two are looking at since their scopes are pointed in the absolute wrong way. Ha!

Emma found a rock shaped like a heart. We love to see what kinds of rocks we can find when we're out and about.

We also played Ticket to Ride and Rumikub. Paul was in heaven. He always tries to get me to play Ticket to Ride and I pt him off. I couldn't really remember how to play and it just seemed too hard. Well, once we played it again (and I had Aunt Shelly helping me over my shoulder), I realized how fun and easy it was. We played it twice. :)

...Benjamin made some impressive domino displays. Paul found a show on netflix where they could watch video from domino competitions-at least the part where they knock it down. Our dominoes have been played with more in the last couple weeks than the whole eight years we've had them.

This week...

...Lainey turned 4 on Sunday! She was happy being queen for the day. Jason and I were both in primary because Benjamin had a talk. When they called Lainey up to sing happy birthday to her, she stood so sweetly and turned back and forth from side to side with the most content look on her face. That was heaven for her-to stand in the front of everyone and have them sing to her.

Here she is with her fun cereal pick for the day.

It was fun to watch her open presents because she was SO eXciTeD about EVERYTHING! She would exclaim over random things, "This is what I always wanted!" She would squeal and say thank you after opening each one. She was actually excited over the new clothes and ran off to change in that very moment. We all had a good time watching her and felt like we had just witnessed what birthdays are really all about.

She really wanted this phone and handbag set. Jason took her through the toy aisle on one trip to Target and this is what she talked about forever after until her birthday.

"Where's the box?" Apparently, there was a box of some sort next to the phone set at the store. She really wanted that box, but I had no idea what she was talking about.

Aunt Shawnee gave her a humongous bag full of fun things from the dollar store. Lainey was in heaven. She's sporting her new dress up dress and strawberry shortcake bag that Aunt Shawnee made for her.

Aunt Shelly kept trying to take Lainey's new things. Lainey kept handing them to her and didn't really notice until Aunt Shelly put the scarf on. Then Lainey put a stop to it.

These dress up shoes were an obvious hit!

Here she's modeling the blanket that Aunt Shawnee knitted for her.

And the bag...

...Paul had some trouble with his trousers at church. The clasp totally broke. This is how Jason rigged them up so he could make it through church. Binder clips, who knew?

A fun tie toss-this is where it landed when Benjamin threw it to me after church.

...we saw a rainbow. That never gets old, does it?!

...we saw Lainey's perspective on the three of us riding in the Taurus. Dad, mom, Lainey!

...I went with Emma's class to Whitman Mission on a field trip. I was one of the lucky chaperones that rode the bus-not the most comfortable ride, but it was only an hour. And I did have a most lovely riding companion actually name Lovely. :) She was another mom from the class. We walked all around the site and Emma's teacher acted as tour guide. It was awesome! I thought they would have an employee show us around, not so. I liked it better with just the teacher talking.

She's such a sweet young girl. She is really so thoughtful and helpful it makes my eyes water just thinking about it.

What is the only thing written on the monument? (Marcus Whitman-the name of the man who founded the mission) It's a real question. Emma's teacher says people go back and forth over what is actually written there.

Me and my girl - right before my dumb phone battery died.

...I've been making sugar cookies a lot lately. Just trying out a new recipe. :) The kids are in heaven and so are the guys on Jason's squad. I also made some for the kids' teachers. And I ate a ton, of course.

Lainey was baking right along with me. I gave her her own spot with her own tools so that I could have mine to myself. She love it!

I was getting after Jason to wait for the frosting and this was his response. He's trying to say that they're just too good to wait and that they're basic baking perfection.

...Lainey was messing with the camera on the tablet and caught a good one of Emma and her piano teacher. Sister Hall is so great! Emma just finished up book three and is half way through book four. She's only been playing for a year and a half. She taught herself to play Walk Tall for her Activity Day group for a musical number in primary and she'll be playing again for them to sing in Sacrament meeting. We're so proud of her. :0) I'm just so glad that she enjoys it and is doing so well. I quit piano lessons when I was in middle school because that's when I started sports and stopped practicing piano. Once I got on my mission, in those Spanish wards and Branches where they would ask us sister missionaries if we played piano because no one else knew how, I saw what a great blessing that would have been for me to continue. I hope Emma can use her talent for the rest of her life.

...Jason did a Law Enforcement presentation for the second grade classes at Paul's school. Jason enjoyed having them do jumping jacks and push ups to show that they have to be physically fit. He also enjoyed handcuffing Paul - who pulled his hand out of the cuffs while Jason was talking (because his hands are so small) and proceeded to wave to the group, making them laugh. Jason contacted on of the Deputies on duty through his radio and had them talk to the group. That was a hit! He also startled the kids by turning on his siren and using his bull horn while they were out in front of his car.

This was also a highlight for the kids and staff alike. Jason handcuffed Paul's teacher and put her in the back of his car for a brief moment. She was a good sport.

...Paul left some telling chalk art on the patio before he went off to school. I thought it was cute. We have a special place in our hearts for cops. We're a little biased. But this is one of the few times that I've seen Paul, or any of the others make reference to a future as a cop. I say go for it!

...we went to the temple. I got some good summer shots. This time we had some extra time to walk around the grounds and not have to rush back home.

(yes, I had spots on my lens, makes me mad!)

And then it was back to the car and the cares of the world...Here's my Mr. Handsome taking us home.

...Claire showed off her rubber band bracelet chain. She threw it over the wall upstairs to see how far down it would hang. It killed me that she would get so mad when the others would grab it and tug on it. Well, then don't hang it over the edge!

...we hiked Badger Mountain for the first time as a family. Saturday morning dawned and Jason was sleeping. We needed to get out of the house. I called up a friend that serves with me in Young Women's and she came with us. All of my kids thought it was a blast. We went up the main trail and came down the less used, back trail.

Moving up to the head of the trail