Snow Day

Just when I thought we had the craziest storm last weekend,
I was completely proven wrong.
I gladly admitted defeat
when I looked out the window Sunday morning!

I literally squealed!
KIDS LOOK! IT'S SNOWING!!!

Ok so maybe it was more of a slushy/hail/rain/snow
But it was WHITE and covering the ground!

Then we headed to church.
Which happens to be about 20 mins north of us!

It slushy rained the whole way.
The clouds were sitting RIGHT on the mountains
just waiting to give us the biggest surprise!

All of the kids at church were SO excited
that we had to sing "Once there was a Snowman" in Primary!

After church,
the skies had cleared.
And a blanket of snow was left for our viewing pleasure!

Yes folks, that's REAL snow right behind our church!

I love living in the VERY MOST northern part of Phoenix!
We get all the excitement up here!

Oh and in all my glee, I sent pics/texts to my Dad.
His reply wasn't quite what I expected:
"Weird! I woke up to the same thing...that I have since THANKSGIVING!!!! I hate six months of white trampolines! But I'm happy for your misguided exuberance!"

I don't think he has the same love for "snow" that I do! lol

I purposely didn't mention that our "winter" melted that same day
and returned to 70 degrees the next day. :-)

Harbeck Zoo

I often compare my life to a Zoo.

It's as crazy as a Zoo.

But it also has similar occupants:
Some are mini humans.
Others are big humans.
And the rest are animals.

And I'm not talking about pets.

On a regular basis lately, I run into these creatures.

They were kind enough to make me wait as they crossed a major Anthem street
on Friday morning.
No worries, I'm not late for work or anything.
Take your time.

This is just the beginning of the list.

Some of my other favorite Harbeck Zoo inhabitants include:

The pack of coyotes that live right outside my backyard
howl, mate or perform sacrificial offerings every other night.
It's very soothing to fall asleep to.

Next favorite occupant:

The Friendly Lizard.

These used to freak me out
now I think they're kinda cute.
And they provide entertainment for my kids.
Until they break their tails or drop them on their heads.
I now understand why they can run so fast.
Life Saving Skills.

And finally in the VIP section of the Harbeck Zoo:

The Innocent Cute Bunny.

I thought they were innocent
until they devoured my lawn
and then replaced the grass with their natural fertilizer.
And the final straw, Taylee ate one of their pebbles.

However, their persistence is what landed them the coveted VIP slot.
It doesn't matter how many times we block the fences,
they will ALWAYS find their way back in.
And to punish us for trying to block them,
they'll invite 27 new bunny friends to the party.

I honestly think they liquefy and slip in through microscopic cracks.
There's no other explanation.

If you would like a free tour of the Harbeck Zoo,
visiting hours are Mon-Fri 6am-6pm.
As an added bonus,
we'll even throw in a kids scorpion hunt and maze!

The Best Sick Day

This week has been a whole lotta sick
which means a whole lottta missing work
to take care of sick kids

Monday: Holiday, no work
Tuesday: Sick Day - Anden NASTY cough
Wednesday: Normal Day
Thursday: Sick Day -Anden Ear Infection
Friday: Sick Day - Taylee throwing up

Well on Tuesday, we were already getting cabin fever.
So I packed us a picnic
and off we ventured to the park.

I'll take this kind of "sick day"
ANYDAY!

Taylee snuck away to share an intimate moment with her Nerds

Who says you have to be stuck in the house when you're sick?!

Long Month

Hope your February has been as awesome as ours!

I do admit I almost giggled with delight when I saw my cute festive pills.

Happy Valentine's Day to me.

Lovely Rainy Days

The forecast called for rainy skies and chilly temps all weekend.
We were beyond excited!

We woke up Saturday morning to the first drizzle of it.
Out came the gear and out went the kids!

Sunday was an entirely different level!
It had poured all night.
We woke up to this!

After Anden bounced all the "mini snowballs" off the trampoline,
it started pouring rain and hail again.

I forced the kids to watch from inside.
While attempting to get ready for church.

What?! I'm not outside in my church clothes Mommy!

It rained ALL day!
I loved it!!

After naps, I noticed it looked different outside.
I hurried and grabbed the kids and we rushed out
to find this amazing sight.

I'll never believe that a rainbow is simply a spectrum of colored light in the sky
caused by refraction of the sun's rays by rain.

It's so much more than that!

It's a little slice of happiness!
For all ages.
The kids were as enthralled as I was.

It kept their attention for an entire 10 mins.
And then they were back to tormenting each other!