Meanwhile, back at the ranch...

Okay, I know I've gotten behind (enough to make relatives start calling to inquire whether we are still alive) so I'm just going to randomly compile everything we've missed so I can feel like it is sufficiently chronicled and then move on with my life.

1. THE NEW CAMERA!
Yes we replaced the lens-less one and I am still learning how to use the newfangled little point-and-shoot which is apparently designed to do just that (and only that). I can't figure out how to change any of the settings like the old camera used to let me do. I have to say it was much fancier, but Travis liked that this one is tiny. Once I figure out how to successfully edit the pictures without all the "noise" that the whopping 10+ mp are cramming into each one, they will look much better. Maybe I should read the manual... And maybe I will try taking a picture of it. (The camera, not the manual.) You know, in the mirror or something.

2. BBQ at the Wheelers'
Our friend Andrew Wheeler recently graduated, so they invited us over for a BBQ to celebrate! This is all very mundane and irrelevant to you all, but I was proud of myself for bringing a camera, so here is a picture.
Ohhh how I wish we had a backyard! Even one with poison ivy! Thanks Wheelers for the great dinner!!!

3. Memorial Day!
Unfortunately Travis was crazy busy and I was a little under-the-weather (not to mention the WEATHER was a little under-the-weather... breaking out in thunderstorms all afternoon!) so we did not get a chance to visit my Grandpa Morgan in Arlington this year. Instead we went to the ward picnic (without Travis) and I forgot my camera. But it was fun and Shauna blogged all about it if you're really interested! Um it was pretty much the same story for us that she wrote - just subtract Travis and replace Logan and Bella's names with Kate and Brooklyn, respectively. (Oh and my kids did not brave the moon bounce. I managed to get Kate inside, but she freaked out.) That's right, I'm the cop-out blogger.
Here is a picture of the year we DID go to Arlington! (umm... it was a long time ago.)
4. We painted our apartment.
This was also a long time ago. Remember I gave you a preview? And then forgot to post the follow-up. To be fair, it's still not even done. There's a section of the kitchen (which was my job) that is still partly white, where I ran out of steam. Um I'll take some real pictures of the final effect later (feeling lazy today. Ever have those days?) BUT I did take pictures of the WORDS I put on the wall above the piano! That's right, we now have an official Mormon home, complete with vinyl letters on the wall! (I've been working hard to achieve this goal.) Vinyl lettering, check. Greg Olsen painting, check. Black-and-white, over-photoshopped pictures of my kids on each wall, check. Now if only I could learn to quilt an enormous throw with each temple on a square or something... Oh and figure out some kind of bee-themed display of Pres. Hinckley's 6 "Be"s.

Whoa. I got carried away. Back to my letters. I am proud of myself because (a) I know you can have these made or buy them pre-made or buy a machine to cut them yourself, all for a nice and hefty sum of money. Can you believe this all cost me under 5 bucks? Really considering the proportion of materials used, probably under $1. Did I mention I like to save money? And (b) it is from one of my favorites of Shakespeare's plays (A Midsummer Night's Dream), and music-related, so the piano fits in, right? (This is the wall above the piano. Did I say that already?)

And here's a close-up:

I had this done right before Mother's Day, so I was going to post it on Mother's Day and add that it is a tribute to my mother, who instilled in me a love of music. Nice, right? But that was when the camera broke. Pretend it is still Mother's Day. I spent my Mother's Day complaining about being a mother (I know, I'm such a brat) and did not really acknowledge my own mother. She is the most fun-loving, passionate, youthful, spirited, and musical person I know. She never runs out of energy, and everywhere she goes she is constantly humming or whistling something. (Also she has the broadest range of whistling you have ever heard.) I love you, Mommy! Happy Post-Mother's-Day!

5. I just thought this was funny.
I found Kate coloring in her favorite coloring book (the Minnie Mouse coloring book) the other day, with markers. (Don't worry, they were washable markers. I made sure that's all she could get her hands on.) Perhaps you remember using markers on a coloring book as a kid. They're just not as good as crayons. The colors are too dark and they bleed through the pressed-paper pages so you can't color the image on the other side. Of course every kid has to learn this for him- or herself. But Kate, always ready to think of a solution on her own, was not deterred by the disappointment of the marker/coloring-book situation.
It took me a few minutes to realize that I had heard her running back and forth to the bathroom several times, and heard the water running each time. I found these little wads of wet toilet paper scattered on the floor.

Just wash it off and start over, right?
(The tape was for taping the part of the page she ripped while washing it.)

6. As long as I'm letting others do the blogging for me...
Shauna did an awesome job of summarizing the impromptu sushi night we had last week! You can read about it here, since I don't have any pictures of my own and she did the telling better than I could anyway. I was in dire need of some sushi! Thanks, Shauna, for letting me plagiarize your blog! :) Eh heh...