Come see, Mommy!

This evening I was working some magic at the grill when Nolan came over and said, "There's a lizard up there. Come see, Mommy." He didn't seem all that enthusiastic but I thought I would help him get a close look. I asked him where it was and he continued to point to the side of the house. I still wasn't seeing anything... I figured it was a little baby that had already run away. We walked the length of the home and he finally said, "It's right there!"

Whoa!!! Lizard? More like a freaky wild dragon!!! Here is what he showed me:
I could hardly believe I was seeing this in my yard. It had to be just over a foot long with the tail and probably 3.5 inches wide at the belly. And Nolan didn't seem to think it was anything out of the ordinary. I ran to get Justin and the camera and headed back out. We thought it might be dead, but suddenly he jumped onto his feet in an aggressive charging position. I began screaming and yelling for the boys to get back. Later I said, "Justin, you know that was scary when he got up on his haunches like that." and Justin said, "The only scary thing was your screaming." Nolan just had this look of "What is going on?"
We made a few calls and the sheriff said he'd come help. We have no animal control here so he was the next best thing. He actually didn't know what to do with it at first. We figure that it is a bearded dragon that got loose from it's owner. He called a local pet shop and they said they'd take it. That way it will live and they'll give the owner a while to claim it. I'm pretty sure Sheriff Mott was not pleased about picking him up. I have a feeling he's more comfortable with handling criminals. But he did well. What an adventure!
Justin called a few of our immediate neighbors to ask if they had a missing pet. When they came out to have a look Justin later confided, "I figured you guys didn't have a pet lizard but I didn't want you to think this was a domestic abuse case." Nope - no wife beating tonight.

Youth Conference and much more!

This week has been so exciting. I'll start with last Sunday. When I awoke from my rare and glorious nap, my two nieces were at our home. Lacey had gone into labor! I just knew she wouldn't wait until Wednesday, her induction day. It was nice having the girls over to play with my boys since I had lots of packing to do for youth conference. Just before I left at 6:45 a.m. the next morning, we got word that the little guy was finally here. Lacey and baby Travis had a rough time (forceps and all), but they are doing well. We're happy to have another boy grandchild in the mix, especially one as cute as him! I'll get pictures soon to prove it.

So I left Justin with four children as I headed off for youth conference! I was so excited I couldn't sleep the night before. It did not disappoint. There were many fun activities, water fights, sports games, a fun dance, lots of good food (anything tastes better when I don't have to cook it), great spiritual moments, etc. etc. Our youth are awesome and I had a great time with the other leaders as well. If not for the lack of sleep I would have stayed a couple more days if I could! I felt like I was in high school again going to the dance and staying up late eating junk food and playing games. My bedroom even got slammed with water balloons at 1 a.m. The stake made a handful of boys write me apology letters. Poor kids... I thought it was funny! What an adventure. Justin did so well with the kids. He had the house clean and even had to take care of Kendyll's bloody nose. My mom only had to babysit one afternoon (thank you!!). It was a fabulous break for me. Next time we'll have to take a break together. Thanks, Doodah!

This week we've also been exploring in the moutains and tried a new local frozen yogurt shop. Delicious! We saw an official Home Depot stock car where Ezra tried his first cotton candy and Nolan threw another hideous tantrum. Justin took Nolan to an Elders Quorum activity this morning. They went shooting. Yes, we put a 22 semi-automatic rifle in the hands of our 3-year-old. Justin said that Nolan took a shot, looked around, and then continued shooting all over with a serious look on his face (Dad never took his hands off the rifle, of course). He then wanted to try the handgun... that's where Daddy drew the line!

A Good Day

It's only noon, and so far we've enjoyed the swings at the playground, went swimming with the cousins at Aunt Lacey's house, grilled hotdogs, and enjoyed shortcake with strawberries, blueberries, and real whipping cream. Could this summer day get any better? It might if only I didn't have to mop the kitchen floor.

Happy Summer!

Summer Days

Nolan recently completed swimming lessons at Deseret Peak. He was typically the first one to hop into the water, often announcing to his teachers, "Here I am!" There was a brief near-drowning experience with him and another girl. I looked over and saw them floundering underwater. I was able to reach Nolan and when I pulled him out it caught the attention of the lifeguard who jumped in for the girl. Scary, but Nolan recovered okay. He would come home and say, "I'm such a fast swimmer." Most of the days we would stay and swim afterward. Ezra loves the water and I even enjoyed going down the waterslide with Nolan. It was always fun to see our friends, Jaxon and Marshall, and our cousins, Ryan and Kendyll.

During one of his lessons, I was watching him from the side. I heard his teacher say, "What are you looking at, buddy?" as she tugged her swimming suit up. She looked at me and it was obvious that he was checking out her cleavage. I laughed and said, "Oh, his Mom isn't lucky enough to have that so he's very interested." A little awkward but she thought it was funny.

We also went to the Moulton Reunion which was held in Alton at my parents' cabin. At one point, we had 48 people in attendance. It was nice to have lots of space, good food, fun conversation, and time away from work and cleaning. Thanks to Grandma and Grandpa Moulton, and all of those who came. We missed you if you weren't there, especially Jodi and Daren's families.

The first morning, we woke up at 5:45 a.m. to drive to Panguitch for a Hot Air Balloon Festival. We were amazed at how much fun it was to see 36 balloons being launched all around us, all within 30 to 45 minutes. Nolan and Grandma K were hoping for a ride, but it didn't happen in the end. Luckily, Nolan did get to walk around inside the balloon part as they were blowing it up with the fan (not the propane tank!). It was quite a sight and worth the loss of sleep.

We did a little hiking and had some bad luck at Cascade Falls - which was closed. But I think everyone had a good time in the end, especially cooling off at the waterfall near Bryce Canyon.

There was a bit of excitement when I was reading my book in the corner of the family room and turned to see a chipmunk staring at me. I quietly alerted Justin so that we didn't alarm anyone. Well, all the children became very interested as we tried to direct the chipmunk out the sliding door. Soon there were children everywhere and the poor chipmunk couldn't find a direct path anywhere. After shooing him out from under the oven, we finally got him to turn the corner. He nearly ran right into Nolan and my feet, but we quickly scared him out the door. Victory! After that everyone was much more dilligent about keeping the doors closed.
The highlight of the trip (for Nolan and Justin) was a 3.1 mile hike at Bryce Canyon, with an elevation change of 1500 feet. We started on the trail, but many of us soon turned around when we realized how hot and tired the children would be. It was a good thing Grandma K turned back with me because she was able to carry Ezra back up. My back is too weak (I know, pathetic) so she was a big help. Ez cried nearly the whole way back. I was worried about Justin and Nolan. Nolan had insisted on continuing. I pictured Justin having to trudge up the switchbacks with him on his back as he took puffs from his inhaler. After lazing about at the visitor's center for 2 hours, Justin told me that Nolan was quite the little champ! He was the only tike that never complained or asked to be carried. We're so proud of our little hiker and spelunker (he liked the caves, too). In fact, all the family at the top cheered him on as he came over the rim. He later told me, "I'm a very good hiker!"