Stones in Puerto Rico

My grandparents celebrated their 60th Anniversary this month, and in honor of that occasion, we all went on a 7 night Caribbean Cruise!  All of their living children were there, and as many grandchildren as could come.  From my family 7 of the 9 children were able to come, so we missed Jacob and Julianne!  But the rest of us had a really good time and made some extra memories just for them.

The cruise left from San Juan, so most of us flew in a day early to do some things in Puerto Rico before leaving on the cruise.  This first post is pictures from Puerto Rico.  Friday, we hiked to a waterfall in El Yunque rainforest, did the awesome Biobay Kayaking trip at night, and the next day explored El Morro and a little bit of Old San Juan.

A Beach in PR

El Yunque Rainforest

Beautiful cemetery in Old San Juan, overlooking the ocean.  

Wouldn't mind my bones chillin' out here for awhile.

New boy band:  No Direction

We found a kite that had crashed on top of El Morro, and Brandon got it to fly.

Emma in "secret tunnels"

cool triangle staircase

Even though it was time to head to the dock to board the ship, Nathan, Jen and I went on a speedy quest to find the beautiful blue brick streets with the bright colored houses.  Totally worth it.

Farewell, San Juan!

April Quotes

Sydney asked me one day which prince I liked better from Into the Woods:  Cinderella's prince or Rapunzel's prince.  I said I thought they were both handsome, and which did she prefer?  

Sydney: I don't really fink Rapunzel's prince is handsome.  I fink Cinderella's prince is handsome because he has stubble. 

Me:  Oh, you like it when princes have some facial hair?

Syd:  I like princes who have stubble on their face, like Dad.  Do you fink Dad is handsome when he has stubble on his face?

Me:  Yep, I do.

While watching Star Wars Episode 5, Arthur explained to Sydney that the snow beast was just eating a sandwich.  (A nasty bloody sandwich, I guess?)

Years ago, we made up silly words to the song, "Oh Mister Sun, please shine down on me."  Dallin was a baby and he had pooped in the tub and we started singing, "Oh Mr. Dallin, Dallin, Mi-ster Dallin, likes to poop in the tub, boom, boom, boom. . . " etc, you get the picture.  Well it caught on and we've sung it every time a baby poops in the tub.  So it tickled me the other day when I heard Bennett singing, "Mr. Mama, Mama, Mr. Mama likes to poop tub."

Bennett had a diaper rash that I was treating with Desitin.  One day I was changing his diaper and didn't put it on, so he pointed to his bum and said, "What about sour cream?"  

Mom:  Sour cream? (confused)

Bennett:  Sour cream, bum bum.

Mom:  Oh!  You need some sour cream on your bum? (holding up the desitin)

Bennett:  Yeah!! Sour cream!

One day, Sydney was playing with the dust on my dresser.  

Me:  I really need to dust that, huh, Sydney?

Sydney:  Well I like making smiley faces in it.

On Valentines Day we couldn't agree which movie to watch, so the girls went upstairs for a chick flick, (Ever After--the Cinderella story with Drew Barrymore) and the boys stayed down and watched Ender's Game.  Then for some reason a couple of months later, it came up in a dinner conversation:

Daphne:  On Valentines Day we chose to watch an appropriate movie.

Dallin:  Well, Ender's Game is totally appropriate for Valentines day because Ender's sister's name is VALENTINE!

Daphne:  Well our movie didn't have barf in it.

Dallin:  Well your movie had a nasty dude who tries to lick Cinderella's face.

Daphne:  Well that's how they kiss in France!

The rest of April

Tidbits from April

We helped clean the church one Saturday and enjoyed some donuts afterwards.  

Emma with Natalie's babies

Arthur flew me and Daphne out to CA for Emma's homecoming.  She returned home that month from an 18 month mission to Atlanta Georgia and she came home full of Southern Sass.  Love it.

It was so great to see her and sing and laugh and talk with her again!   

Practicing for singing in church.  We all sang "The Miracle" together.  Beautiful song, beautiful message, so special to sing it together with all the family who was able to be there.

Dallin earned a BUNCH of merit badges at a Court of Honor.

I turned 35.  

But this picture was taken the night before my birthday.  Last day my face was 34.

I taught preschool on my birthday, so we had cupcakes for snack, and I received a cute note from Audrey on her project that day.  

That night, Arthur got Pei Wei's take-out for us, and a delicious Chocolate Bundt cake, and we went to the theater with some friends.  

I received a very thoughtful birthday gift from my friend Amber who compiled a memory book of King and I with pictures and notes from lots of family, friends, cast and crew.   Thank you, Amber for working so hard on that book.  I treasure it! 

Bennett spends more and more time in just his diaper these days because he is so messy!  He constantly soaks his clothes in water , or whatever he's eating and it just simplifies the clean-up if it's just skin.  He doesn't mind. 

Sydney and Bennett soaking their feet after enjoying some popsicles.  These two are good little buddies.  It's so sad that Sydney will be going to kindergarten in the fall!  Poor Bennett will be bored with just me as a playmate.