Hiking the white rocks at Red Rock

Yes, Josh and I travel a lot. We are lucky to have that interest in common, and probably feed off each other a little too much. But sometimes the greatest beauty and fun family times are in your own backyard. We live just down the street from the beautiful Red Rock canyon and thought we would take advantage of the perfect spring weather. Maddie is learning about plants at school, so she pointed out all 278 cacti that we saw on our hike.

That last picture was of Maddie holding up her white silk rose purse  and stuffed frog that she carried the entire hike. She named her frog "Gwen Stefani," but Josh calls her "Gwen Stefroggi." 

Random Pictures of March 2009

I was lucky enough to go to my Grandpa Tingey's celebration luncheon for being a practicing lawyer for 40 years. I may be biased, but I thought his speech was the best. He spoke about all of the changes that occurred in the profession, the growing diversity of lawyers, and that lawyers can do good with their profession. I, as a woman law student who plans to do good with her profession, was touched. Way to go Grandpa!

Maddie has now graduated to "the real camera." I'm actually glad she did because I didn't even remember to pick up a camera and take pictures of our BBQ with our friends to celebrate the Hendersons being back in town. (Chris was an attorney at Josh's firm, not to mention best bud since they met on the mission.) So here are some of the pictures of the BBQ from her point of view. (I didn't post any nostril or bum pictures this time.)


This one is especially awesome because you can see the top of Alec's head on the bottom of the picture.

And another picture of her legs. She seriously has a variety of tights.

I was leaving my neighborhood the other day to be greeted by this huge inflatable rat. My first thought was, "That's kind of weird to choose for a kids party," and then I noticed a lot of angry people and realized there was a construction labor dispute. The best part is that the following night I had a dream that there was a UFO that landed and giant rats came out and started eating everybody. No joke. And no, I wasn't on any kind of drugs either.

We are still repairing from the awesome pipe leaks in my living room.

And here is Maddie happily showing off her new Easter dress from Aumi Karen. Doesn't she look adorable?

And here is Maddie grumpily trying to get out her stain from lunch. Isn't she still adorable?

Oceanside

We went down to my Grandpa Tingey's beach house in Oceanside over the weekend with my mom, Stan, and brother Brian's family. Maddie & Cole look and act like brother and sister. It was great that they had each other to play with the whole weekend:



Grandma took them out to play while the moms took a break. You would think this place was in the middle of a tropical forest, it is so green and beautiful!





Forts are the coolest thing in the world when you are small:



Here is the little One-Eyed Willy, whom I stole the whole weekend, with Grandma Linda. I told myself that I was doing Candace a favor, but really I was being selfish and a total baby hog.



And, I'd like to introduce the newest member of our family, Baby Emma. (Photographed by Maddie on her mom's iPhone.) Most kids have imaginary friends, but Maddie has imaginary siblings. She puts this doll in the nursery every night and goes and gets her every morning. She feeds, changes, and talks to this doll, and it goes everywhere with us. It is so sad and so cute. (I like to tell myself that this baby got her looks from Josh, because she is the funkiest looking doll I have ever seen.)

Newport is a happy place

I remember when Josh took me to Newport Beach the first time, I turned to him and said, in my most eloquent and flowing language that I am well known for, "Newport is a happy place."

Almost eight years later, I still feel the same way. This, right here, on my bike and with my family, is the happiest place on earth: (I may have stolen that from Walt Disney.)



The weather was finally super perfect for a kite fly with my family:






And Josh and Maddie played hide and seek again, forever! This time they updated it and communicated with walkie-talkies too.



Can you find the Madster?



And then we went to Disneyland, which is only about 15 minutes away. Annual passes are the greatest when you use them more than twice in one year!


Am I the only one who didn't know about the canoe ride? The poor guy behind Maddie got splashed like crazy.

And for the record, she definitely DID NOT like the Haunted Mansion.


Then we went to Spaghetti Factory, which is another of my happy places. Maddie insisted on getting Spaghetti with meatballs. I, trying to be a good mother, wanted to teach Maddie the only song I know about meatballs. I sang her the full rendition of "On top of spaghetti.....all covered in cheese.....I lost my poor meatball.....when somebody sneezed......." to which Maddie, very solemnly, replied, "That is so sad!" and thought about it with a frown for at least five minutes. That poor girl has inherited the Stucki girl curse of feeling empathy for all of the sad things in the world, including losing meatballs.....

"My Precious"

Gollum's obsession with The Ring has got nothing on Maddie's obsession with my iPhone. This is what she looks like ALL the time now. I have to tear it from her clenched hands numerous times a day.



Here are some of her pictures from my phone that she took. Apparently, she also has an obsession with her legs.

And other news.....

First, and most importantly, Happy St. Patrick's Day from the Madster:



I don't know where she got these glasses from, but she wore them all last night while she instructed Josh and me on the proper etiquette at tea parties. As my sister Jamie said, Maddie brings "color" into our lives.



There was another plumbing leak in our home, hence, another hole in my ceiling. This is getting old......



And I got to watch my little nephew on two days while he was in the hospital with RSV. He relished my undivided attention and took full advantage of the soft spot in my heart for sick little baby boys with tubes in their nose.....



I was there when they took the nose tube out, and look at how happy he was to have it off!!

Just a Little Bit of Love

Today, I told Maddie: "I am so lucky to be your mommy."

To which she replied: "I am so lucky to be your little girl." Pause, pause, pause..... "And Daddy is so lucky to be my daddy!"

The Squeaky Wheel Gets the Oil (Or is it Grease? I can never remember.)

I have always hated that phrase because loud people who complain bother me.

However, I have been harassing the photo developer guy at my grocery store to find my pictures, and guess what!? The loud complainer really does get what they want. (I wasn't actually loud or mean. I try to be squeaky with kindness!)

Here is Josh on a horse!!!!





And here is where I went to school and lived for four months when I was 19. It was a beautiful experience, and it was amazing to go back after so many years.

Here is the BYU Hawaii campus:


And my dorm:



Unsolicted advice also bothers me. So here is some for you. Don't lose your camera and have to get a disposable, underwater, no flash, no zoom camera when you go somewhere cool. None of your pictures will turn out. Also, if you ever get to the North Shore of Haleiwa on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, go out of your way for Matsumoto's Shaved Ice. It is worth the detour.