Ryan & Erinn's Family: May Stuff

When we got back from Arizona, we had a ton of activities! Connor had his second Pinewood Derby at Cub Scouts. He designed and painted his car all on his own, although he had a little help with the power tools required to cut it. I was actually really impressed with his attitude at the race. He told me, "I went for looks rather than speed. If I come in last, that's okay. Somebody has to." He didn't win, but he certainly didn't come in last.

At the kids' dentist appointment, Elise had her stubborn top front teeth pulled. They were resisting falling out on their own, and were causing the adult teeth to come in wrong. She got a jackpot of two gold dollars under her pillow the next day.

Nana and Grandpa Al were able to come visit us for a few days. They helped us shop for a new couch, bought an awesome rug for our living room, and took a tour of Ryan's office. It was nice to spend time with them!

Elise turned seven! It's so strange how she's not a little kid anymore. She got a butterfly balloon, a giant stuffed dog, Anna and Elsa dresses (which didn't arrive until July,) and a ton of crafty stuff, including a rubber-band loom for bracelets. We celebrated with an ice cream cake she picked out herself. I was surprised how excited she was to start her goal of reading the Book of Mormon by the time she's eight. She read something like 45 pages in the first week.

Rainbow Loom Bracelets

Connor and Elise memorized poems for their school's annual Speech Meet. The homeschool kids had their own classroom this year, so it was cute to see all their friends get up and recite stuff. Connor did "Eight Balloons" by Shel Silverstein, and Elise did "Hurt no Living Thing", by Christina Rossetti.

One evening, we had the kids' friends over for a few hours. When things got quiet, I went to investigate, and found them basically having a hot tub party in the two bathroom sinks. They also made dozens of "spit balls" by wadding up wet toilet paper.

We spent Memorial Day weekend camping with friends in the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest. I was hoping to see a tree that went back to the time of Christ, but we discovered that the oldest one (they won't tell you where it is) is over five thousand years old. Older than the Great Pyramid. That's crazy. The funny thing about Bristlecones is that it's the ones that live in the worst conditions that live so long. They grow slowly, and stay small and twisted. The ones in good soil grow into tall, attractive trees, but they die young. We also spent Saturday in Bishop, for their annual "Mule Days". I guess it's a pretty big deal among mule owners.

Mule Days Parade

"Log-Pulling"

Evan got to join in towards the end.

The wood got seared with a Mule Days design as a keepsake.

Mule Eating Connor's Hat

Bristlecone Pines!

The dads went on a lot of bike rides.

On Sunday, all the families went on a four-hour hike. Everybody made it!

Snowballs in May

Sierra Nevada Mountains (In the Background)

I loved the colors in the wood.

Largest Bristlecone Pine

On the way home on Memorial Day, we stopped at Manzanar, which was a World War II Relocation Center for Japanese Americans. It made a strong impression on the kids. We watched a film, looked at some great exhibits, then took a driving tour of the site. It was a lot bigger than I expected. Besides kid books, we bought three Junior Ranger hats for the kids to keep their badges on (they earned a new one each at Manzanar.)

On the last day of May, Elise had her birthday party at Chuck E Cheese. After attending two of Connor's parties there, she had decided it was her turn!