"What was that?"

"Schreech, boom, rumble rumble" "What was that?" my husband asked me. Still fairly bleary eyed I replied "What? I didn't hear anything." A few minutes later I did hear the blaring of sirens. Jeremy ran out to peek over our back fence that borders the road. There was a hole in the block fence directly across the street, and worse than that there was a car in the hole. It was quite an exciting event until I realized that the little teenager who had lost control of her car only needed to swerve right instead of left and that would have been our back yard instead of the one across the street.

Do you remember Sunday drives?

I remember Sunday drives up the canyon, my favorite were summer and fall. I have an especially fond memory of Sardine Canyon listening to conference on Dad's transistor radio.

I can still hear the wind rustling through the quaking aspen, the quiet roar of the river that cut it's windy way down the canyon and I can still feel the quick little glimmers of sunshine that broke through the dancing leaves to kiss my skin. It is in memory of those Sunday drives that we load up our car after church on Sunday and head up the little canyon close to our home. While it didn't hold quite the magic that the drives of my youth held it held a different type of magic. For 3 solid hours my sweeties didn't fight. We were a big happy family and any moment that helps creates that is magic. Dad and the boys tossed the football back and forth, we skipped rocks and competed to see who had the strongest rock throwing arm. When finally exhausted we piled back in the van and headed back down the mountain. The kids were sad to go, but happy to have gone. It's not the big things, it's the little ones.

Taylor's photo shoot at the zoo

A few years back Taylor was chosen to take part in a special photography class. The teachers picked one student from each class to go. They spent the next few weeks learning the basics of digital photography, but then school ended and that was that. I didn't hear much more about a camera till the scouts decided to go to the zoo. I decided to take the plunge and let Taylor take my expensive, Christmas present digital camera to the zoo and see how responsible he was... Needless to say, my camera came back in one peice and his efforts at photo journalism weren't half bad. The following are a few of his zoo experiences, from the eyes of a 10 year old.

Please let me see you...

I had done Allison's hair and was very proud of myself, I thought she looked very cute with her little wispys and I wanted to document it before she undid my work. But she knew what I was up to as soon as the camera came out.

She was off like a flash to the kitchen. "Allison, come back I want to take a picture, please". She hid behind the stools and with added pleading started to peek up at me.

Ahhh, there's my girl...

My baby after she had, as predicted ruined my hard work.

The Python

It's just a hunk of wood, of pine wood no less, but that small hunk of wood is the stuff of dreams, of hopes, and of desire. Little boys, big boys plan, craft, and plot, adjusting this and that till the fateful night arrives.

Sister teases as it is your turn to take to the tracks
That horrible feeling in the pit of your stomach as defeat is a possibility.

Then triumph!!!!

Taylor. Very proud of his winning Python.