A Chair Full of Crazies

Here I am with all of Grandma's puppies in my lap. The two on the right are the official "crazies" Kimi and Suki. On the left is fat Einstein Pug and Lily Chihuahua. In the middle is my crazy, Adelaide. Plus Meghan peeking out from behind. We are all watching Grandma vacuum. I guess the puppies like to be safe so they don't get sucked up.

Camping in Florida

We went on the ward camping trip two weeks ago. Imagine my frustration when I learned I had forgotten the cameras! Fortunately, some kindly ward members took a few pictures for us and gave us a copy. Both the girls had plenty of fun. We were near a playground, which Meghan loved. It was less of a real camping spot and more like staking a tent in a city park, but you do what you gotta do. On the plus side, there were bathrooms.

The Mini Butt Christmas

Since we were in Utah for Christmas, we took the opportunity one evening to share gifts with the Vonn side of the family. First we had to clean up... and then fix the vacuum and clean up again.

The little children played



opening ceremonies performed


presents were opened



and Sam was ill with a headache (HeadOn - apply directly to forehead).



So a good time was had by all.

Tropical Storm Fay

This last week was very eventful. It was Kyle and Meghan's very first tropical storm! It started raining Monday evening and is still raining today. Tropical storms are usually no big deal and Florida just gets a bunch of rain and strong winds that pass before too long. However, Fay surprised us all by parking right over Brevard county and dumping nearly 30 inches of rain! It was historic flooding. The boys went to school Monday and had it canceled for the rest of the week because the buses can't get around. We went to visit with Grandma on Wednesday and we ended up staying until Thursday evening because the roads were so badly flooded we didn't want to drive home. It was so flooded Rudy canoed from Grandma's house to his friend's house down the road! Unfortunately there are no pictures of that because no one else was home.

These are pictures of the drive from my house to Grandma's house. Roads were completely covered. We were leaving a wake behind us as we drove. Along US 1 you couldn't see the other side of the Indian River lagoon because the rain was so bad. The park on the corner of Corey and Malabar was so flooded the water came all the way up to the bridge that was built over the ditch.

Grandma's yard was completely flooded. One of her small fishponds overfilled and I wouldn't be surprised if the fish escaped into the yard. It reminded me of when I was young and we would go swimming in the backyard after the big storms. Here are some pictures of Grandma's yard.

And here are pictures from our sleepover. Meghan watched way too much Dora, but there isn't that much to do when you're rained in. We played a lot of cards and Kyle even convinced some people to learn how to play bridge with him.


We returned home last night. The roads were pretty clear from a day a little to no rain (although its raining again today). Our home suffered no damage whatsoever. There was a little water in the patio and a little in the garage, but nothing serious.

You can check out hurricane, tropical storm and tropical depression activity out at http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/

Our New House

After a year in Maryland, Kyle decided to head south to warmer weather. We have moved to Florida where sunny skies and sandy beaches fulfill the most seasoned tourist's daydreams. And apparently, renting a place for 6 months or less is one condition of being a tourist which will result in an 11% tourist tax. So here is the picture of our house, at least for the next 6 1/2 months until we figure out exactly what we're doing down here.

Swiss Family Butt

We're going to live in my parent's treehouse! Well, we would if it looked as cool as this. Florida has enticed Kyle with its siren song promising warm, sunny beaches and verdant growth. So, we are moving south in June. Don't worry, we won't be destitute bums living off my parents. Kyle has a job lined up. Now my only problem is finding an ob-gyn who is VBAC friendly...

Florida Fun - Saturday Canoeing

On Saturday we also went boating in the Indian River Lagoon. There are little islands in the middle of the lagoon, but our favorite visiting place is Scout Island.

On arriving at the lagoon, Meghan delighted in playing in the sand and water. She even gave herself a cleansing sand rub - perfect for opening blocked pores. She made sure to apply lots and lots to her hair.

After a short time, Kyle arrived with his native guide paddling the red canoe. Meghan and I hopped aboard and set off for the island. Meghan was upset that we didn't just stay and play on the beach. She didn't like the life-jacket and didn't like just sitting in the boat. But once we were on the island she had fun playing in the sand again. Unfortunately, the boats took off again, stranding us there. We were about to start walking across the lagoon to reach shore but the natives spotted us and returned to pick us up.

Meanwhile, on shore, Corinna and dedicated Explorer Vonn had fun in the boats.

But be careful of the Florida natives - they're fierce.

After so much fun, it was time to change and have lunch. Unfortunately, Vonn forgot to bring a change of clothes and had to wear some spares. But since Grandma Alice only has granddaughters to watch at home, the spares belonged to Lelia and were quite pretty and pink.