Spring Break 2010!

It rained the entire week we were home for spring break! A complete damper on our plans for playing outside and getting lots of yard work done! Not to mention, planting a garden!! We stayed inside mostly, watching movies, playing Monopoly, baking pretzels, and listening to our favorite music.
Here I am in the midst of it all! Trying to cook breakfast while photo snapping opportunities are going on all around me.
Here's Ella with her short hair! She begged for me to "cut it off" so one night I put it into a ponytail and chopped it! Cute, little bob!

Ella with Eli watching Raiders of the Lost Ark on a rainy, dreary day last week. We got good at just hanging out!
Ms. Stylish and always ready to pose! We went to the library, shopped, played with friends, read books, cleaned (I love this one!) and just enjoyed our lazy days.

October 09 Trip to Denver

Here's Brynn striking a pose in the window of the Plinth Gallery where Russell had his solo show.

Lookin' good...at the Arvada Center for the Arts near Denver. It was a brisk day at the outdoor sculpture park.

Three goof balls in Boulder at the top of some steep stairs we climbed to inquire at a violin maker's shop.

Brynn-age 8 on a beautiful, fall day in Denver park.

Here's Ms. Ella-age 5 in her favorite shoes...fairy slippers! She lost her shoes on this trip so she had to wear the slippers every day! Oh, darn.

Russell and Eli trying to be truckers in the King Soopers grocery store. They pulled these Bronco hats off the shelf. Eli begged us to buy him every hat he saw but we only let him get one!

Scenes of Summer in Toquerville!

Here's Ms. Ella with her first toothless grin! She lost it last night and was visited by the Tooth Fairy who put a note and a 50cent piece under her pillow. Ella was overjoyed and proud all day!

Patiently waiting for her swim lessons to start...Ella sits at the piano and makes up a song or two.

Wanting a picture for his profile on Facebook, Eli poses with Brynn who has wild eyes! Those two can't keep their hands off each other. Brotherly...Sisterly love, I think they call it!

The sounds of summer thanks to Eli and his budding talent as a violinist! He has graduated from his current teacher and is now moving on to a new one. A new chapter in our lives and in his, too.

A glimpse of Ella in dad's studio. Always a favorite spot for her to play and explore!

Ella feeding our chickens hay! She is a funny girl...not afraid of animals or their antics!

The kids decided to get serious and earn some money for the summer. They made a sign and sold all of the figs off of our tree. 25 cents each; what a bargain! They made almost $40 and then called it quits.

Setting up for the day...shade umbrella, big sign and cozy chairs!

Ella is our chicken chaser. She runs and retrieves the hens who regularly escape their coop. She's not afraid to man handle the ladies and throw them back into their play yard.

We went overnight camping in our 1956 Mercury Camp Trailer at Red Cliffs Campground near Leeds. It's about 15 mins. from our house. We had a huge rock wall behind our camp and the kids climbed on it nonstop from the time we got there to the time we left!

Eli and Brynn investigating.

They each found their own hole to sit in and get out of the heat. It was a fun spot!

Here's the camp trailer and our truck that pulls it. We brought our bikes and our propane for cooking...life was great!

Self portrait of Brynn..she grabbed the camera and took a few shots of herself. Notice the spider sac behind her. She was so intrigued by this. We have about six different pics. of it on our camera!

Ella pretended to be our puppy "Meatball" and went in and out of the dog kennel. Good times at the Wrankle's!

Mudballs!

Eli with his brand new braces!

Helping sister...always a good helper!

Bathing beauty on the rope swing!

For my 37th Birthday I took the kids down to Ash Creek in Toquerville and we spent the afternoon swinging from a rope, swimming, making mudballs and sketching! Definitely the way to spend a hot June day!

Christmas in St. Lou

Here's just a few of the many pictures I snapped while in St. Louis for a week to spend Christmas with my family and all of our cousins and siblings. We had a blast!

At the City Museum in downtown. A renovated building with over seven floors of tunnels, slides and activities...and its all recycled! Our favorite spot to visit when we're home.

A tractor ride around the yard with Papa. The kids loved the adventure!

Christmas morning with the cousins...mass hysteria with gifts and new presents!

We celebrated all of the birthdays while we were there, too. Might as well take care of it all at once! Cupcake celebrations.

Adorning the top of the tree with a Santa hat. Brynn was chosen to be "Tiny Tim" and get on Papa's shoulders to finish the job.

Ms. Torri Rachelle...our darling!

At Yates Auto Body with the crew and Reid and Michelle in the background.

Our new puppy, Meatball.