suppertime

I walked into the kitchen and I guess frankie was getting ready to
feed the dogs...

happy birthday bee!

Happy 5th Birthday Bee!!

So, here are a few funny Bee sayings from the last 12 hours or so....

So, each morning at school, Bee signs in her name. She can pick which
color marker she wants to use to do that. Today she picked black, and
I said to her "oh that matches my pants!" and She said, "Yah, except
for the Marky hair!" Honestly, I walk around with more Marky hair on
me than Marky does herself sometimes!

This morning when Bee got up she said, Mommy am I really 5 today? I
dont look five! I look just like I looked yesterday! So, anyhow, I
thought that was cute.

I guess Im out of bee sayings for the moment. I will think up some
more and edit this post.

hayfields

It may still be dark and cold, but we both LOVE LOVE LOVE the hayfields run (click here for the map)

Now mind you i would rather do this run in shorts, but I will take it layered in winter wear! Its a nice 9 mile loop that cuts through our neighborhood, across campus, and through the hayfields where the cows and sheep graze. If you do this run at the break of down, when you turn east onto the dirt road at mile 4, the sky is beautiful. This afternoon I took the girls for a walk to campus (about 1.25 miles) where we picked up the car and drove the rest of the route to get some pictures to share. Bee was the photographer. We decided to get the car washed after we looked at these pics because the few taken through the car windows make it seem we have snow falling = but no, that is just the salt encrusted windows.

Ok, so here is the view as you leave the house for this nice run.

then, here is mile marker 1. Its right at the red cedar river. If you turn your eyes west you get this beautiful view (well, minus Bee unless she is running with you!)

Then at mile marker 2, you head off the main part of campus and hit the agricultural side of campus, with the big pavilion where we have seen many a horse and cow show. The cool thing about the pavilion is that is has a 10kW photovoltaic cell -- the first one on campus.

Then at mile 3 you turn onto college road and run between the dairy cattle and the beef cattle fields.

Then at mile 4, you turn onto the dirt road that cuts by the beef cattle (up close and personal) and the sheep. You continue to run by them at mile 5, and also a number of barns. This is both scott's and my favorite part of this run. So lovely and peaceful... before you hit campus again and remember all that work that is not yet done!

Then at mile 6 you run by baby steer, and then the turf grass teaching and research and also a bunch of hay.

Then at mile 7 you are exiting the dirt road by the corn fields near the engineering annex and are turning back onto campus by the
children's botanical garden and the railroad tracks.

At mile 8 you've crossed the red cedar river again and are heading toward grand river and back to our neighbood. We live among the students, and Bee took this pic of a house with sparty on the roof so
you get a feel for our 'hood. (sorry about the dirty windows!).

Whew!! Im hungry!

let the thaw begin!

ahhhhhhhhhh.... starting tuesday we are forecasted to get 6 straight
days of 40+ degree weather. it may even it 50 on thursday. let the
thaw begin!!!!!!!!!!!!

Im going to start a movement

Honestly, its 6:40 am and the sun is just starting to come up. Its
just a little, little bit light out. And now, we are going to change
the clocks this weekend. That means on sunday the sun wont rise till
just a little before 8am. For you early risers out there, you know
what Im talking about! Im going to start a movement to put michigan
on the central time zone. Honestly, the kids head off to school in
the dark here year round. Oh yah, and i have to keep on running in
the dark in the mornings. ugh. I'm looking for the silver lining
here....but Im needing some help!

fun in the sun

On our last day in NM we went to the Explora! which is the children's
hands-on science musum. Between the musuem, the playground with a view and the sun, Bee was ready to pack her bags and move to New Mexico! One thing I liked about the museum was that it had alot of engineering type exhibits where kids could just build things. The girls loved that - oh and the they loved the wishing fountain too!

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After we went to the museum we walked over to the playground in Tigeux Park in Old town and had a picnic of beans, rice and tortillas. Yummy! I loved the view, and the girls loved the playground!

Then we went on to old town, took a ride on a few statues in front of
the history museum. Some is tired, eh? We then walked through Old Town and ate icecream cones that were the
smallest I had even seen. If I hadnt been laughing so hard at how small they were I would have remembered to take a picture before they were eaten.

zoo

We also made it to the Rio Grande zoo in Albuquerque. It was a bit warmer and really sunny.  The girls were very excited to see the elephants because of the pictures Scott took in India! We also saw seals and sea lions, chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans, elephants, polar bears, giraffes, hippos, camels, tamarins, koalas, Mexican wolves, mountain lions, monkeys, jaguars, zebras and rhinoceros! I only had my phone camera so my pics arent great, but I had to get a pic of the girls with the elephant!  The girls really loved the chimpanzees, and were quite taken by how much they resembled people! they really loved the baby chimps with the mommies! As you can see Carlie made it to the zoo, too. She has been all over the place!

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santa fe

In Santa Fe we went to the square in the center of town and watched a mariachi band play. We had just gone to the five and dime store and bought little shakers for the girls, and Frankie and Bee both wanted theirs so that they could dance with the band. Frankie ran up to the band and danced and danced. Bee later talked about how she helped the mariachi band by playing her shaker. Bee also told me she wants to move to New Mexico when she is grown up. She really has had a great time!

Sandia Point

We went to sandia Point today while scott had to work at UNM. Its
about a 15 minute ride from downtown Albuquerque. It was a cold but
beautiful morning. We took the tram to the top (2 miles high!), and
as you can see there was snow at the top, and it was cold! It was
14F, but the wind was calm. They say there is an 11,000 square mile
panoramic view from the top, and I sure do believe it. I almost think
I saw michigan! Of course both Carly and Zoes made it up to the top
with us! The girls loved the tram ride, and frankie kept her face
pressed to the window. Bee even took a few photos with my phone.
She's definitely got talent!