An Ode to the ketchup covered taco

I know that I am not the only one who does this. I know of at least 4 other people in the world who do this and one is not family. But I love ketchup on my tacos. It goes perfectly and tastes wonderfully. I can add more spices to the meat, add more green salsa and then drown it in ketchup. I know most of you think I am disgusting and there was a period of time when I felt a little ashamed about this habit of mine, but now I am proclaiming it to the world. (One of things I like about being 30 is that I no longer care what others think, don't need to impress anyone and am comfortable in my own shoes.) I love ketchup covered tacos. Yes they are not authentic from Mexico but I like that they are authentic from Wyoming where some of my blood is from too.

I want you to try one... go ahead. No one ever takes me up on the challenge but you will like it if you do. Corn tortilla, hamburger, cheese, lettuce, tomato, green salsa and ketchup on top. Try it, try it, I dare you!

Ali

This summer Ali wanted to go and spend it with Grandma, Stacey and Tony. She left soon after school was out. We met Stacey in Blyth and she is visiting for a while during the summer. She is having fun swimming, watching tv, running on the treadmill, going to dinner with Stacey and Tony, working on art projects, visiting the library and doing whatever else she wants. We miss her but are glad she can be having fun there.

Annika at 17 months

Annika is now 17 months old. She runs everywhere and is pretty sure she knows everything there is to know in the world. She likes going outside, loves the park and when she sees it she gets so excited (even if we are really only going to the post office.) Now she climbs to the top of the big slide and goes down on her own as if she were a pro.

Annika is my daughter. She loves water which she calls, "Awa." She loves to play in the hose or splash in the bathtub. She likes to drink water and enjoys the beach and the way the water grab at her legs. She likes the pool and the way the water envelopes her body. She likes to kick in the water, splash on top of the water and even blow some bubbles in the water. She is learning to swim quite quickly in our pseudo-summer. (It still has hardly reaches 70 degrees but it feels warm enough to us.)

Annika is learning to talk quickly. Her vocabulary has expanded and doubled and then doubled again. She is getting to the point where she will try and say a lot of single words. Her new favorite word is "down." She says this word clearly enough that anyone who is listening understands that she does not want you to hold her. She also says "up" when she wants to be picked up. I think it is interesting that she understands this opposite so well.

Annika loves to give the biggest best hugs in the world. She will curl her little body all around you and hold tight. She waits and keeps the hug for longer than most others. Her hugs are the best. The other night for Father's Day she gave Pa Pa a hug and held on tight. She didn't want to get down from his arms even when it was time to go. She just kept giving his love. ( I wouldn't doubt if he has a new favorite granddaughter.)

The world is exciting for this 17 month old and she can't get enough of it. We are very happy to enjoy watching her.

Ashling's preschool end of the year ceremony

This is Ashling and Illeana. Illeana is Ashling's best friend that she went to preschool with all year. The last couple days of the year they got to spend a lot of time together since Illeana's house had a leak and had to have a major remodel.

These are the kids singing to us for Ashling's preschool end of the year program. It was great and they sang the songs really well.

They made a scrapbook with things for each letter and pictures of things we did.

Family Night

Last night felt a little like a scene from my favorite vacation. I wore long pants and my mountain hardware long sleeve shirt for protection from mosquitos that weren't really there. The air was warm but not hot. You could go swimming if you were from the mountains or perhaps need a sweatshirt if you were coming from down the hill. The sky was deep June blue. That is the only way I can describe the sky that seems to extend forever and then disappear into a brown haze that those who live below have to endure in June.

We put the dog and the backpack in the car and roll the windows down. Annika sticks her hand out the window and grins. She enjoys the air blowing in her face and smiles. The drive up Keller Peak is beautiful. Wildflowers adorn the mountains at each turn. Orange, Yellow, red, and an occasional bright purple iris fills my eyes while the story of Academy Princess fills my ears. I especially like the orange flowers that are everywhere.

We stop near the gate and head down the road past the gate. We want to look at some rocks for possible rock climbing later. We hike through the weeds and over small streams that never usually exist this time of the year. I enjoy the smell of fresh running water and wish it was always there. We hike up to a large rock formation and the girls looked for an easy way to the top. We crawl under and over boulders that lean against the big rock but find an easy way to the top.

We head off to another rock formation finding wild onions along our way by their smell. This time we pick our way up the tall rock formation. It reminds us of the Sierras. My girls are so big they don't need help anymore. Ali reaches her long legs and easily climbs over the cracks. Ashling is more mountain goat than human (like her Dad) and she leaps and jumps between rocks. She looks like a professional rock climber instead of a girl who is barely 5. Cameron's eyes dance in delight and I can see his imagination working as he imagines her with a rope and harness.

We finally top out at the top of the rock! The girls are happy. On top we can see forever. We can see Mount Baldy and the way the Los Angeles Mountains crest and then fall towards the ocean. We can see the brown haze making its way up the mountains but a long way down from our location. We can see Butler Peak and enjoy looking at Slide Peak where we ski in the winter. Running Springs is calm and still below us. The girls hop around the flat rock on top and jump the cracks.

Soon we realize that although the sun is still high in the Northern Sky we need to get home because it is already past bedtime and we still have school. We find our way down the rocks cross a marsh land and get on a dirt road. The girls wonder where it leads and I say, "All roads lead to Rome." So they think we are headed to Rome but really we find our car. The drive down is beautiful and relaxing.

I love where we live! I love summer with never ending sunlight and beautiful lasting twilight. I love the sound of frogs, the smell of growing plants and the sight of wildflowers. I love Family nights where we go out in it.

Baptism Day

Ali was baptized on May 29th 2010. It was a special day for all. We appreciated having all our family up here to enjoy the celebration with us. I thought the baptism went perfect with excellent talks that were geared right for Ali and a wonderful spirit that made me cry. My mom made her baptism dress and it was beautiful. Here are some pictures of the day.

Annika at the beach

There is something about babies at the beach that is just so appealing. I had to have my own post just for Annika. Stacey took some amazing pictures of Annika and she looks so cute in the new bathing suit that she found. Annika really enjoyed the beach. She ran right out in the water and screamed a little when she realized just how cold it was. (The ocean is still especially cold for this time of year.) She managed to enjoy playing in the waves until one knocked her over, grabbed her and started dragging her out to the sea..... (It wasn't really bad but to her it seemed like the sea was alive.) After that she was more content to dig in the sand. She enjoyed chasing the sea gulls and throwing sand on a little boy who chased her around. It was a great beach day

for her and she didn't even get burned!