Isn't this great?

If you receive the New Ear each month, this should look familiar. Brandon and cousin Ryan were both attending conference for their first priesthood session. Jeffrey has since passed 8 years old and was there for the first time at the conference center. And we were attending for the first time since the mission and had our first mission reunion (our new favorite holiday...and it comes twice a year!) The boys ran into Roy Matsunaga, a former assistant from the AMM. So glad a real photographer was there to capture the memory!

Happy Halloween!

"I don't go looking for trouble. Trouble comes looking for me." HPotter

Dwight Schrute:	Jim, could you please inform Andy Bernard that he is being shunned?
Jim Halpert:	Andy, Dwight says welcome back and he could use a hug.
Dwight Schrute:	Okay, tell him that that's not true.
Jim Halpert:	Dwight says that he doesn't actually know one single fact about bear attacks.
Dwight Schrute:	Okay. No. Jim tell him bears can climb faster than they can run. Jim! Tell him!

Hole in the Rock

Looks interesting, huh? Hole in the Rock. Not beautiful, not ugly, just interesting. Brandon and Taylor helped work on an eagle project at one of Papago Park's trails. (The Park includes, the zoo, botanical gardens, the orienteering and archery courses, playing fields, army recruitment and training center and acres of bike and hiking trails/camp grounds.)  Brandon came home with great stories so it sounds like I'll need to make the climb. He pratically dared me to when he told me it was too hard for me. Mark's taken the boys before, but I haven't gone. Guess that needs to change.

Walk Like An Egyptian

Brandon loves 6th grade and his teacher Mr. Norris. They do some terrific things in class including some  whacky, creative writing projects, intense math challenges and in depth history units. Their Egypt project is the latest. He did such a great job on Tutankhamun's death mask. So proud of him!

Not ready to go back to school

Even if they had to start back to school, at least the kids can come home and play in the backyard. Jeffrey is having so much fun playing catch, but after each catch he stops, holds the ball, and then does a play by play of each move and why it was great or not so great. It takes a LONG time to pass back and forth just twice. I think his favorite game of the spring is going to be pickle. During family home evening, Brandon's New Year's Resolution was to play baseball with Dad every day. Pretty good idea!

It may be the middle of winter, but the weather is beautiful! I could sit outside and take pictures of my boys all day. I wish the break could last a little longer, but there's work to do. Put your shoulder to the wheel!

Say Cheese!

So here are some out-takes from our attempt at a Christmas card picture.  I just grabbed a few-and not any of the incredibly awful ones with strange expressions, closed eyes...

One of these at the fountain almost made the cut, but I was outvoted.

Jessica loved this picture, because she said it described all of our personalities. I can't remember all of it, but basically-Jeffrey is the star/center of attention. She's not jealous. ha ha. She'll need to comment and remind me what everyone's expressions say about our family dynamics.

The great thing about digital photography...

...you can take 100's of shots to gaurantee at least a handful of good ones to choose from.

The downfall of digital photography...

....you take 100's of shots!

And here are the fearless photographers, Adam and Rebekah! Actually Adam, took our family piture last year, too. So nice to have them close by!

They forgot the Elephants!!!

The boys were right. We did have a great trip to the zoo, but they forgot one of the best parts-the ELEPHANTS! We didn't go up top to see them, but we still had a pretty good view from the back fences by the zoo keepers entrance.

We couldn't figure out why this elephant kept spraying dirt all over his back. He would reach down and get a huge handufl and spread it all over his back. It wasn't hot. He wasn't wet. Bored?

Another reason I was glad they weren't too close. No dirt shower for me, thanks.

I remember trips to the Hogle Zoo in Utah. Back then, you could buy peanuts to feed the elephants. It was one of my favorite stops even though it was so scary to watch that big trunk come closer and closer to your hand. I was always afraid the elephant would swallow my fingers with the nuts, but some morbid thrill seeking center always kept me coming back.

The Phoenix Zoo

My Dad, Brandon and I are looking at some turtles at the zoo. There's this big long bridge before you get to the door and way down under you is a lake. There are lots of giant fish in the lake and some ducks and lots of turtles.
Here is one of the ducks.

And this is one of the turtles. He's really big, but it's hard to tell cause there's nothing else around him. There is moss growing on his feet and his shell.

We're looking at the turtles. I was asking my Dad about them. I was glad he took us to the zoo. I like doing things with him.

My mom really likes this giant fish. Every time we go, she tries to find it. Sometimes it is really far away, but you can still see it from the bridge, because the fish is so big and the bridge is up so high.

The Orangutan Family

On our trip to the zoo, we saw a family of orangutans. Above on the left we have the mom and on the right, the baby girl named Kasih.
The baby climbed across the rocks, dropped 2 stories down a rope and used her feet to grab some blankets. She hauled them up to the top and hid under them. It was so cute, she just threw them up over her head and put herself to sleep.

There is also a grandma. You can see just a little of her foot on the right of this picture. The Dad was waiting down below staring at a door, in the exact same position that I saw him last time we were at the zoo. (About a few months ago.) He could hear his zoo keeper inside getting everything ready for him to go in for the night. He had huge cheeks and ugly teeth.

He looked like.... hmmm.

The Land of the Dragons

There is a new exhibit at the zoo. We've been waiting and waiting for it to come. it is called The Land of the Dragons.

The Komodo Dragons weren't doing much when we saw them, but I still think they are raelly cool. There were two of them. One boy and one girl. The boy's name is Ivan and the girl is called Gaia. They are really big, but they don't live together. They live in separate cages.

It has really sharp teeth and powerful jaws. The grab on and they don't let go. If they do let go, the animal dies, because they're saliva is venomous. They are 8 feet long.

Sting Rays

My Mom and Dad took me to the zoo. Brandon came, too. One of my favorite things to see is the sting ray exhibit.

Brandon was reaching down to pet a shark. I was going to pet the shark, but I couldn't reach it. It was at the very bottom. It looks like my Dad is going to fall in the water.

The sting rays are so soft. At 10:00, you're allowed to get dead fish and feed them.

Right under that black sting ray is the shark that Brandon petted.

That little basket in the back has a baby sting ray in it. It's in a basket, because the other sting rays will eat it. They eat their babies. It was born on Veteran's Day (yesterday).
I was leaning over to pet the sting rays, when this one speed up and splashed me.

I had to use my jacket as a towel. It was funny.

It was a good thing my mouth was closed so salt water wouldn't get in my mouth.

My mom was the one taking the pictures.