Easter 2013

We did a little morning Easter egg hunt this year.  That's what happens when you have late church :). The kids ran around grandpas yard like pros.  Each year they find the eggs faster and faster.  Time to plant some new bushes???  Maybe that will throw them off.

After the hunt, it's time to count your loot.  This will be the money that gets them through college.  When I hide the eggs, they end up finding pennies and scriptural quotes that chastise them for wanting worldly possessions. Needless to say, I only got to hide the eggs once.

Thanks Grandpa and Grandma!  My children's future education depends on your continued Easter egg generosity.

Sweet Maddie

Maddie always comes in on Sunday to help me in the nursery. One day she popped in while we were blowing bubbles. Her tower skills have improved from when she was little.  I don't think they get to do this in the "big" primary.  Being little can be a lot of fun.

Maddie also likes creating things.  We are often rewarded by her creativity.  Check this out!

Sooooo yummy.  I may be fat when all is said and done but, I will be happy too!

Love this girl.

The Whole Haun Clan

 Aunt Kati convinced everyone that it was time to get family pictures.  Our last photo shoot was 8 years ago and only had 2 of the grandkids.  Definitely time for a redo.  It also helped that Grandma Carole was retiring.  We had to have some great pics to display at her retirement party!

Aeva wanted to get in a few extra pics with moms phone while we waited.

Why not get all three of them?

The original Haun 5.

Troy's family with grandpa and grandma.

The whole Haun family.  Went from 5 to 14!

Grandpa and Grandma with all the grandkids.

Grandkids.

How lucky are we to have these two as our very own?  Can't ask for more.

Grandpa and Grandma, you have a pretty amazing family!  Thanks for making this all happen.  Enjoy your "time off," Grandma Carole!

Spring Break 2013

We had a fun Spring Break. Stayed home and just hung out around town.

Daddy took them bowling on Thursday while I was at work.  Apparently we have some star bowlers in the family.

Aeva broke 100 for the first time.

Gracie took 1st place with a score of 142.  She even beat out dad.  If you look at her score, she scored 9, a strike or a spare on all ten of her frames.  Very impressive.... Not sure I have ever done that...

  My all time high is 163.  Guess I will need to get some practice in so she doesn't beat me.

Grandma Rett took the girls to The Croods on Friday while Troy and I were at work.  We were glad to have her take them...this wasn't exactly on Troy's and my list of "must see" movies.  Grandma saved us from 90 minutes of torture.

Then we hung out with the Williams on Friday night.  We were playing at their house when someone looked outside and saw this.  We had to go in for a closer look.  The two little ones had decided to make a bed in the driveway.  They said they were star gazing.

One day we will have to teach them that start gazing is much better with the lights off.

The Annual IFA Trip

We took our annual trip to IFA to buy fertilizer. They girls LOVE this trip because they get to see what animals they have for sale. This year it was...

DUCKS!  

It's too bad our yard isn't incompatible with ducks...too many fox, bear and tigers in the vicinity.  

Sorry girls.

An Unsuspected Car Wash

Maddie was at her friends one day. I drove by as they were playing and saw that they were washing the family car. I decided to pull in and see if I could get a car wash too.

The best $3 I ever spent.  Thanks for the car wash, girls!

Brownie Boundaries

Gracie and her friend made brownies one night. I came back upstairs an hour later and found this.

Someone had taken their finger and dug a trench through the middle of the brownies.  I guess that's how you decide who gets what half of the brownies.  Go figure.  

The Hostage

Many of you know my mom, Grandma Rett. I also like to refer to her as "the hostage." She comes up to our house for Sunday dinner sometimes and when she does...she has to fight to get back to her home. My children are often found holding her hostage for hours on end.  They use various items that grandma must have to function as their ransom.

They often steal her phone or glasses so she can't communicate or see the outside world.

The taking of one or both shoes is also used quite frequently.

Eventually they trap her into staying for a movie and popcorn.  They surround her on all sides so that she has no escape route.  Sorry, Grandma Rett, you are stuck.

Unwanted Children

I've seen this sign in a couple of restaurants and I think it's great.

Threatening helpless parents with caffeine and cats. 

Funny, funny.

3rd Grade Drive-In

Every year the third grade has a drive-in movie. You can go to the movie if you have done your required reading minutes for the month. Each student designs a car that they can "drive" to the movie. They also take snacks, drinks and enjoy the afternoon at the drive-in. Gracie completed her reading and she and her dad began the process of making a car.

First problem, we needed a box big enough for her to sit in.  I told her she should call the local market and see if they had a box she could use.  She picked up the phone and began her speech...

Gracie:  "Hi, my name is Gracie Haun.  I am in the third grade and I need a big box for a project at school.  Do you have one I could use?"

Market manager: "How big of a box?"

Gracie: "Big enough for a body to fit in."

Hilarious!  I love that kid.  Anyway, after we convinced him that we wouldn't be hiding any dead bodies, he agreed to let us come over and get a few boxes.  

Ta da!  A brand new Jeep has been born.

Much fancier than what she would have got if her mom helped her.  Good thing she has an amazing dad.

Complete with a steering wheel.  We would hate for her to crash her brand new Jeep.

Aeva even got to make a car.  She decided hers was a Volkswagon.  Double duty for dad.

And here is the mechanical genius behind all of this.  The black, plastic glasses help him when he is "creating."

Reflections Contest 2013 - Anything is Possible

Every year my girls like to enter something into the Reflections Contest at school. This year the theme was "Anything is Possible."

Gracie painted this in her class at school and entered it into the contest.

Aeva painted a turtle.  We had recently seen one on our trip and she was pretty impressed with it.  We looked up some facts about turtles.  Apparently they can hold their breath for up to 20 minutes while they are underwater.  She thought that was pretty amazing and added this as her entry.  She earned Honorable Mention.

Gracie painted a scene under the ocean and added a Mermaid.  She wrote, "I believe in mermaids.  Anything is possible."  She also earned Honorable Mention.

Maddie entered some of the underwater pictures that she took while snorkeling.  There is a picture of herself snorkeling, a turtle and some mango fish.  She wond 2nd Place.  

Good work, girls!  I'm proud of the time and effort you place in your work.  You will go far and be successful because of the effort and time you put into everything you do!  You make us proud.

Poor Harvey

Every year, in June, I run on a race with a bunch of my friends at work.  We have a blast and always end up with a pink bunny on the top of our car as our trademark.  In fact, the bunny has been around so long that he eventually was named...Harvey. Harvey is the best friend of one of my co-workers, Tyler.  Tyler found Harvey at the DI and saved him from a most horrible death.  Since that time, Tyler and Harvey have bonded.  I think Tyler sleeps with Harvey when he feels sad or lonely.  I think he probably shares secrets with Harvey and strokes his pink, fiberglass fur when in need of comfort.  Needless to say, they are inseparable.  

Anyway, each year as the race approaches, Harvey, seems to become a target for various crimes around the clinic.  I showed up to work a few weeks ago and found this in my office.

Harvey had been hung with a note taped to his dirty, pink fur.  The note read:  Little Help Here Please.  As if, Harvey, had done this to himself!  What could the meaning of this be??? 

Perhaps someone thinks that I am somehow attached to Harvey and that this would disturb me.  Not true.  I am immune to violence against stuffed animals.

Perhaps I have an enemy at work that is trying to frame me.  Not likely.  I am too nice and loveable.

Perhaps someone was very bored and had 8 hours of time to kill on a Saturday.  

I guess the interpretations of this crime are endless.  All I can say is that I did indeed save this bunnies life.  Maybe he will repay me with a few chocolate eggs as I run behind him in June.

Moab Half 2013

Troy signed up to run the Moab Half Marathon a few months back. I love nothing more than taking a 2 hour activity and turning it into a 4 day vacation!  Bring on Moab!!!

We started off with a little hiking through Arches National Park.  First stop, Balanced Rock.

Wolfe Ranch inside Arches.

We made it to Delicate Arch.  An awesome 3 mile hike on a fantastic day.  Even Aeva's little legs made it with a little encouragement (and distraction).

I always like to compare pictures.  This is us in the same spot in 2010 - a much colder day.  Look how much growing occurs in three short years.  Yikes!

Aeva LOVED all of the little stacked rocks that marked our trail (finding them as we walked was major distraction #1).  She HAD to get a picture with one.  

She was also quite impressed with the rock steps (counting them - distraction #2).

This was a few days later as we hiked to Landscape Arch.  This sandy hill is a favorite to play on.

Kids playing in the same spot in 2009.

Aeva lost another tooth while we were there.  The tooth fairy had to fly all the way to Moab to give her some $$$.  Aeva was glad to give the tooth fairy a vacation.

This is what it looks like when you try to eat an apple with no lower teeth.

Buddies at Landscape Arch.

Maddie on top of Sand Dune Arch. 

This is pretty impressive.  Aeva is only about 2 feet off the ground but looks much, much higher.

Dead Horse Point.

Happy, happy Troy.  He loves his wives 4 day trips.

Dead Horse Point in 2009.

How does one get such amazing kids?  I can't get enough of them!

And finally, the reason for the whole trip has arrived.  The morning of the race.

We found several friends running along the way.

Troy at mile 11.  Still going strong.

Troy finished as scheduled.  He stayed under 10 minute miles.

We drove to Hole N The Rock but it was closed by the time we got there.  So, I got a picture of the outside and let the kids climb around on the sculptures.  I'm sure this kind of behavior is encouraged by the owners.  If not, they should have opened the gate and let us in.

Aeva was SO excited about this huge lizard on the side of the rock wall.  She may need one for her room.

At the end of the trip...I was still ready to do more climbing and be outside.  I may have to sneak in another trip very soon.  Maybe I can talk Troy into running another race!