Sep 10 2009
Straight Out of the Simpsons
Ava is taking some liberties with her parents at only 2 1/2- years-old. Illustration:
“Hey Bud, can I have some of that?”
Sep 10 2009
Ava is taking some liberties with her parents at only 2 1/2- years-old. Illustration:
“Hey Bud, can I have some of that?”
Jul 20 2009
Grace: Ava, say “hell”… say “hell”…
[Ava not understanding]
Grace: That’s how you say “hello” in Spanish.
May 31 2009
The picture says it all. If only every trip was like this one.

May 31 2009
We drive past Peter’s Canyon Regional Park on the way to church. There is a hill in Peter’s Canyon called Big Red, which is a big bear, especially on a bike. Grace has been begging me to hike Big Red. So we went yesterday.
For our 1/2 hour hike, we packed a camelback with granola bars, pretzels (prentzels if you are Grace), and dehydrated fruit and tackled the hill.
And a video: Grace and Marlan on Hike
Apr 28 2009
I was getting Ava cleaned off after dinner the other night. She gives cookie monster a run for his money with the amount of mess she makes when she eats. Well, after getting a small scoop of rice on her plate, she proceeded to let them go swimming in her drink of water, making a rice mess everywhere.
As I lifted her out of her chair, I noticed that there was rice all over her pants. I said, “Hold on rice crotch,” under my breath as I went for the cleaning rag to avoid rice floor. She heard me and repeated “rich crotch” to Sally and me while laughing hysterically at herself for the next couple of minutes.
It’s kind of jarring hearing a two year old say the word “crotch,” but super funny at the same time.
Apr 13 2009
During Family Home Evening tonight, we were singing a song when suddenly Sally asked what Ava was eating. As dinner food and dishes had been put away previously, the mystery food was, well, as mystery.
S: “Ava, what are you eating?”
A: chomp, chomp, chomp [mouth wide open].
S: “What are you eating, Ava?”
A: chomp, chomp, “jungbabble”, chomp, chomp.
S: “What?!?”
A: [finished chomping] “Pie-apple.”
S: “Where did you get pineapple?”
A: “My pocket.”
S: “Your pocket?”
A: “Put pineapple in my pocket and EAT IT!”
Looks like we are doing laundry tonight.
Apr 05 2009
Heavenly Father…
Thank you day.
Thank you mama, dada, Caleb, Gracebella, me, mama.
Be good.
Sweet dreams.
Name of Jesus Christ, amen.
(Meanwhile, back on the farm, Grace is using her leapfrog keyboard to “type to her boyfriend.”)
Apr 04 2009
Staci, Jackson, and Paige were in town. Disneyland was in the works, as it often is when visitors come. After the little kids got tired, Staci, Jackson, Grace, and I went back to go on the fun rides.

As you can see, I was too cheap to buy the actual photograph.