Goldfield

We always love it when Grandpa and Grandma Fisher come out to Apache Junction for the winter! Our visits are always fun. Last time we went to the park -- they have a nice retro merry-go-round, which the kids just loved.

Grandma made all of Rand's favorite foods for lunch: macaroni and cheese, corn, and donuts for dessert. He was so thrilled. Then we went exploring! We stopped at Apache Junction's Movieland, where they filmed several westerns. Rand thought the stagecoach was super fun. We pretended that we were riding to the grocery store. We also saw a sleigh, and a jail, and a covered wagon.

Rand liked the view from the gallows. Thankfully Ella was still asleep!

Then Ella woke up and she and Grandma joined the fun. She also liked the stagecoach.

Next we went to Goldfield. I didn't think Rand would remember it since it had been a year since he had been there, but as soon as we drove in he asked, "Is this the place with the loud whistle?" Yep! I was impressed. Grandma and Ella were very coordinated all bundled up together.

It started to rain, but that was not going to keep us from riding on the train! This is Ella saying, "Train!"

Fun fun. We sure miss them when they head home to Indiana!

Prayers

Recently I started asking Rand to pray with me at bedtime. I ask him to think of one thing that he is thankful for, and one thing that he wants to ask God for help with. It's always interesting hearing what he comes up with!

Yesterday he was thankful for his Star Wars wii game and asked God to help make him better at it (although, he added, if he could practice it more he would get better at it on his own).

Tonight he was thankful that we moved to our new house (me too!) and asked God to help heal the scratch on his leg.

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Our house is slowly coming along -- the kitchen is still half painted, most of the walls still have scribbles on them from the previous owners, but the wall outside is fixed and I got padlocks on all of the gates, so that's two more things crossed off of my list.

I had twelve dogs staying for boarding this last weekend and business continues to be good. I started my 2nd group class (held at the house) last Saturday and am enjoying all of the work while it is here!

Botanical Gardens

A few photos from last week's trip to the Botanical Gardens.....

The boys had such a fun time playing inside the little huts -- they were very imaginative and pretending to cook soup and all kinds of delicious concoctions. It was a great outing.

Cousins!

Katie, Dustin, and Elijah made a quick trip out to Arizona a couple of weeks ago. We had a lovely time seeing them and spent one of the days in Apache Junction with Grandpa and Grandma Fisher.

Grandma feeding Ella grapes

Looking at birds

Sharing the TV buttons is hard.

Elijah is not quite sure what to make of his very dramatic cousin.


Phew, she stopped!

Reading with Great-Grandpa

Eating ice cream with two spoons!

More buttons!

Cousins!

Fun times ahead!

This morning Ella did absolutely, positively not want to put her diaper on. Or get dressed. After finally squishing her into her clothes, she laid on the floor and just sobbed for a few minutes. I walked into another room, started vacuuming, and look up to see Ella deliberately throwing her board books, one by one, down the stairs.

Daddy's helper

Yellow Submarine

Werner got Rock Band for his birthday -- he and Rand were playing "Yellow Submarine" and Ella started singing along.