new car

This is the last thing I ever thought I'd be blogging about...We realized after our last vacation to Asheville, that there was no way we're going to be able to go to Orlando in January with three kids. I always dreaded having to get a minivan and thought somehow I would be able to get away with an suv as long as we didn't have 4 kids. But our last trip was so crowded we realized it was time. My sister Sara came home from her mission and was looking for a car so I sold her mine.

We couldn't find anything in Louisville so drove up to Cincinnati and found the perfect one- a Honda Odyssey with leather & dvd that seats 8 and is in brand new condition. I knew it would be more convenient and comfortable for our family but thought it would be a chore to drive. After driving it for two weeks, I absolutely love it. I never thought in a million years I'd not only be driving- but enjoying driving- a minivan. I guess I really am a mom.

The boys love the dvd and I like that I can change the movies up front rather than trying to reach behind me like before, and Ethan can't reach Joshua- he used to poke him when he'd fall asleep and make the poor kid cry. And suprisingly it drives just like a car, I never even know I'm in a bus except when I have to back up.

(I was too lazy to get the car out of the garage for a picture, but this is the color)

And here are some random pics of the boys. I was playing around in my photo room last week and the little stinkers wouldn't cooperate, but I did manage to get one good shot of them both. It's hard to believe Ethan's going to be three in less than 3 months. Joshua's almost 17 months old now but he's still such a baby. I'm hoping he'll get a bit more grown up before this new baby comes...

Articles of Faith

Ethan has been learning the Articles of Faith since he turned two. We have the songs on a primary cd that he listens to in the morning and he started repeating them. He's got the first five memorized now. He also knows all the apostles and prophets. He has Anthony's amazing memory, he just has to be told something a few times and he doesn't forget. So I finally got around to uploading the video of him reciting them.

Asheville, NC

We just got back from a last minute trip to North Carolina. Anthony has a goal to hit all 50 states high points and North Carolina's was closed last time he was there, so we decided the day before to take a trip out there for the 4th of July weekend. I'd been wanting to go to Asheville anyway, so we headed out there Thursday afternoon.

Our boys love camping more than anything, as soon as we set up the tent they're inside wrestling with each other and jumping around on the beds squealing like wild animals. And of course they love dirt, so they spent a fair amount of time digging and chasing fireflies.

We toured the Biltmore Estate- an impressive mansion with 250 rooms and beautiful gardens. It's in such a beautiful setting too, there's 200 acres of rolling hills and forest. We also did the trolley tour of Asheville. It's such a cute town, I love all the old houses, the architecture is just beautiful. Next we went to Chimney Rock Park and the real reason we came- Mt. Mitchell. Mt. Mitchell's the highest point in the U.S. East of the Mississippi and we were fortunate to have such a clear day, we could see for miles. It was so beautiful on top. It reminded me a lot of Germany, so green with lakes and mountains as far as you can see. This part of the state is just so beautiful, it was wonderful to be in the mountains again.

On our way home we stopped at the Ghost Town in the Sky. We rode the chairlift to the top of the mountain where they have a cool old fashioned ghost town. We got there just in time for the gunfight- I didn't realize they were going to use real guns, it was quite impressive although Ethan was scared to death by the gunshots. It's a pretty fun amusement park though, quite creative and can't beat the views.

Of course clumsy Joshua had to hurt himself on our last day. We were eating breakfast at this cute little cafe next to a creek. The boys were running back and forth across the bridge while we waited for our food, and Joshua tripped and landed right on his nose and forhead, his nose is swelled up and got a nice goose egg between his eyes, the exact wound he just healed from a week ago. We really need a helmet for the poor clumsy baby.