May

May 5- With Summer upon us we have been trying to get out more and more before it starts to get to hot. So we have been going into Snow Canyon and doing some of the little shorter hikes. The one we really love has been closed due to turtle migration, so we found a new "favorite" in the pioneer names trail. it is a lot of fun and has either two different way to get there or a big loop that you can do. Avery really loves going on these hikes with us as well which of course I have loved as well. :)

 She was sitting wherever she could find a spot and asking me to take her picture. :p

 Pioneer names that are still on the rock. :) COOL!

 What adventure would be complete without having a beautiful picture of one of us being "stuck" in an arch. :p hee hee

May 7- When we first moved here I had heard about this neat place you can go and collect crystal. I heard about it on a random blog; they called it "glitter mountain" but I later found out its really called the old gypsum mines. I have been wanting to go there for a long time now and finally we went. :) I got the coordinates on google map and off we went...to get lost. :( We were driving around and James kept saying that the turn off was suppose to be right here. Finally I logged onto the blog I found and pulled up the bloggers hand drawn map. It WORKED!!! I think its funny that a freestyle, hand drawn map had better directions than google maps. :p

So we finally found it and it did not disappoint! we got out of the car and were walking on top the crystals. Avery was beside herself with excitement, it took a while of convincing to get her down into the mine so she could ship away some of her own crystals.

She had so much fun, she filled up the gallon bucket that we brought with us and still wanted more. She kept telling us we could empty the bucket in the car and fill it up again. It was really the perfect day for it though, it was overcast and rainy so it was nice and cool and perfect. In fact the rain started back up again and that was what helped us convince Avery that it was time to go home. :)
She loves all her crystals and now we have to figure out what we're going to do with them all. :p hmmmm....jewelry anyone. ;)

 May 8- Happy Mothers Day! :) Avery and James surprised me with breakfast and a pretty picture in bed. :) it was so cute and Avery was so excited she could hardly contain herself. After breakfast I started getting things ready for church when I got a call from my mom. Dad's leg was swollen and he wanted to come to the hospital in St George, so she was calling to tell me they were on their way. At church James and I were so excited for Avery's first primary program. It was so cute seeing her up on the stand "singing" with the rest of the kids. :p actually she wasn't singing at all. :) just resting her head on the rail and looked bored. :p
Mom and Dad got to our house around 4:00, they unpacked their things and talked for a little bit, but then it was off to the ER. I went with thinking it wouldn't be that long. Six hours later the swelling in dads leg and knee had gone down, they had taken out some fluid, gave him a cortisone shot and he talked about knee replacement options with two different doctors and we were on our way home. :) They stayed with us for the week and they headed home on Saturday. It was a lot of fun having them down. Dad's leg was feeling better and better every day, so we were able to take them for a hike one day and many drives. Friday James had to work at Dixie so Mom and Dad treated us to dinner and we took it over to Town Square park and watched Avery play in the splash pad and river while we relaxed and ate. It was a really nice week with my parents.

Along with mothers day and the chance to see Avery "sing" in the primary program she also received this little note at church:

That's right Avery had the chance to give a talk in primary. :) So we talked about her topic for Family Home Evening and then either to or from school during the week I would talk to her about the priesthood and if she could remember what it was and what it meant, etc. May 22nd came and Avery was excited and scared. She did a great job! I was there to help her and James was able to come into primary for her talk. After she was done giving her talk she got a sticker and was so proud of herself. :) My big girl.

May also brought more rain and a new couch. :D Well new for us. We knew the couch was gross, we just didn't realize just how gross until I made the mistake of washing the pillows. Yeah it was bad. So I got on ksl classifieds and craiglist and started searching couches. we went back and forth to we don't need one right now to this thing is gross and needs to go. Finally not only did I decide that it needed to go, but I found a couch for $60 on craigslist in good condition that they would deliver to us. We went and looked at it, gave them half of the money and he brought it over first thing the next morning, and even helped James bring it in the house. Then we gave him the rest of the money and started enjoying our new clean stinkless couch. :p Seriously it was BAD...

 Old couch Yuck!

 "New" couch Hooray!

May also brought delicious fruit...apricots to be more precise. :) My co-worker Bonnie brought in a shoe box full of ripe apricots and said she didnt want them so if they were still there at the end of the day feel free to take them; so I did. :) There were more apricots in that little box then I realized so I decided to make freezer jam with them. so after 4 hours (or more... roughly) and a run to the store to get more containers and pectin I had freezer jam. :) Lots and Lots and LOTS of freezer jam.

I had 10 of the 8oz containers, 2 of the 16oz and half of a half gallon. So I decided to make some bread. I tried a new recipe. A honey wheat sandwich bread  recipe; it turned out really well and was delicious. It also made A LOT; I see a trend in my baking and homemaking-ness. I used up my little loaf pans that I still have from my wedding and got an idea. I took small loaves of bread with a containers of the freezer jam and gave them to my co-workers Bonnie, Zach, Katie, Paige and my boss Martin. I also took a small loaf to James' work so he could share with them and gave a container of freezer jam. Also Bob and Ilia came down for a visit and I sent them home with 2 containers. :p but thats for a different post. The bread was delicious and so is the jam. I am excited to not only have apricot jam but also strawberry jam in my freezer now for the summer. :)