Just A Few Highlights...

I don't want this post to get too crazy, so I'm just going to give brief explanations of the things we've been up to :). Sorry, Cam is out of town and I'm exhausted, but I know I've put this off too long :) ...

 Welcome to our home...

This is our rental house for the next year (or however long we decide to stay here). So far we love it! No stairs and plenty of space for the kids to get lost play... what more could you ask for! :)

We have a lemon tree and a grapefruit tree in our backyard. Taya loves to pick the lemons, but has a hard time reaching them :) By the way, did you know lemon trees have thorns?? I cut myself one day and my thumb was swollen for 3 days! Yikes!

Our dogs- which I'm sure you've been DYING to hear about :) - couldn't be any happier here! They lay in the sun all day and love to go on walks with this princess...

Trey, Jami, and baby Indie came for a visit in March!! We had lots of fun, ate lots of great food and enjoyed the warm weather while they were here! ...

We said goodbye to our truck a few weeks ago... it was a sad day for all of us! I had a love/hate relationship with the thing, but it will be missed for sure. BUT gas prices got the best of us- and probably everyone else- so we decided it was time! ....

 Cam's new beauty....

On a lighter note- since all of you are depressed about us selling our truck too :) ...

YES, this really happened...

It was great. Didn't make a mess at all. ;)

.....

I'm not going to lie, most of our days consist of this...

 (Sorry for all of you who are freezing right now... but just remember we'll be scorched in a few more months if it makes you feel any better. And if that doesn't make you feel any better, there's a mosquito that's bit me about 4 times in the small amount of time it's taken me to write this post.)

If any of you have any friends in this area you know there's been crazy sicknesses going on- croup, pneumonia, etc. ... We were lucky not to have gotten pneumonia, but don't worry, the kids alternated being sick for over a month. It was AWFUL, but at least the kids were still able to entertain themselves being stuck inside all day...

Taya made lunch for her dollies, and apparently a bunny :) ...

Hide n' seek has been a daily game at our house lately. It's actually pretty funny. I hide with Dodger, who squeals and giggles the entire time, in hiding places that Taya assigns for us. It's very effective. And Taya either hides in the exact same spot the we just hid in or tells me before I start counting where she's going to hide. This is probably my favorite time of the day :) ...

And Dodger, we've learned, is O.B.S.E.S.S.E.D. with Dora. :( I'm not talkin' like the kid likes it, I'm talking OBSESSED! If the t.v. turns on and he doesn't see Dora within a couple seconds he hunts down the remote, brings it to us, and whines until Dora is turned on. I haven't decided whether I think it's cute or sad! Haha. But it sure is cute watching him sit on his knees to watch it. (Which, by the way, is the only way he will sit. NEVER EVER will he sit on his bum. In fact, when I'm holding him and reach to set him down he bends his knees so he can kneel down instead.) ...

We went and saw the Mesa temple last Sunday night. It's gorgeous! Our kids loved it-- loved the flowers, walking around, etc. Such an amazing feeling just to be on the temple grounds and get to escape "life" for a minute...

And last, but not least, we celebrated the big "32" for my handsome hubby this past Thursday. He didn't do or get much because 1. Without fail he ALWAYS picks out any kind of present he gets at least 2 months before the actual holiday (and I'm tired of feeling bad and caving so he gets double the presents :) ) and 2. Haven't found ourselves any babysitters yet, so until that day happens we're at the mercy of our children (wow that sounds bad :) ). But hopefully he still had a good birthday! He wanted Joe's BBQ for lunch, so he brought it home and got to use our new "special" plate for the first time...

(Thanks to Cam's mom! :) )

And of course we had cake and all that good stuff... with matches for candles (whoops!). Happy Birthday Babe! We love you!

***Sorry this was the most random post ever! Hopefully you made it all the way to the end :). We're still alive and kicking here though! Arizona seriously has THE NICEST PEOPLE EVER!!! Everywhere I go I cannot believe how nice everyone is. Grocery stores, gas stations, fast food restaurants... which usually you get the most ornery people out of, but here, there really is something in the air. Everyone genuinely cares about everyone. It really is awesome. And infectious! So, for now... Yes, we love it. :)

**Update... My sister just asked if that was poop on Dodger's face. No, my son is not eating poop. He got into a chocolate bar when I was out of the room and shoved the entire thing in his mouth. Apparently he's been food-deprived for too long. Dang allergies.