Donkey Basketball

     On Wednesday the girls and I got the opportunity, nay, the honor, to attend a game of Donkey Basketball in which Matt was a player.  The Springville High School FFA does a fundraiser each year, and they invite the fire fighters and the police officers to play a game of Donkey Basketball against each other.  The second game was played between the teachers and the students, and the third game was the championship game.  The fire fighters took home the trophy.
   
     For those of you who don't already know the rules of Donkey Basketball, let me explain.  Each player has a donkey, and he or she must be on the donkey's back to handle the ball.  If the ball gets dropped, you have to get off the donkey to pick it up, but you have to get back on before you can shoot or pass to another player.  Frankly, it's hilarious.

     Aside from the fact that the donkeys kept bucking the players off, Matt looks hilarious on a donkey.  The first game he played he rode the shortest donkey, and he looked really stout.  Pretty much everyone looked stout, but to see Matt that way made me laugh out loud. 

     It was a really fun evening, and even though both of the girls went to bed really late, they seemed to enjoy nearly every minute of all three games.  I know I did.

                                  This is Matt out in front on the donkey.  What an action shot!

    

Reagan can walk

     Two weeks ago in Sunday School I set Reagan on the floor, and she walked!  Up to that point, she had only ever taken one or two steps before falling down, but there in Sunday School Reagan walked from one person to another, handing them her sunglasses, so that they could put them on her face.  She looks really cute in those sunglasses, and it tickles her so much to look at the world through them. 

     Needless to say, I didn't pay very much attention to the lesson because I was so proud of my incredibly adorable daughter.  I was terribly tempted to pull out my phone to take some pictures and make a video, but I resisted the temptation and planted the memory in my mind.  She really was gregarious and won the hearts of lots of people in Sunday School that day.

     During the last two weeks, she has made a lot of progress and even seems to prefer walking to crawling.  Here are a couple of pictures I have taken of our little "Roo."

If you can believe it, it is kind of difficult to get a good picture of someone walking.  I'm not giving up on getting better pictures, but I did want to make the post before I erroneously decided I didn't need to record the experience after all.

Music Time at the Library

     Three weeks ago the girls and I went to the library for Music Time.  At the end of her presentation, Miss Dawn announced that she was looking for a volunteer to help her with Music Time, and if anyone was interested, they should talk to her about volunteering.  This is something I have been wanting to do since the girls and I started going to the library every week.  I was so excited to hear that she needed help.  So, as soon as she was done, I hopped up and volunteered.  It's so great because it's something I can do with the girls, too.

     The last two weeks have been fun, but of course, we are still getting used to working together.  Dawn doesn't always know what I might feel comfortable doing, which is honestly just about everything.  I am a clown when I am singing and dancing, especially with kids.  Not much is going to embarrass me in a setting like that, and she is starting to see that.  At any rate, I'm really looking forward to getting more involved with Music Time and sharing my ideas. 

     

Getting a Trampoline: A Dream Fulfilled

     This Christmas Marc and Beth Ehle fulfilled a childhood dream of mine by giving us a trampoline.   Oh, I know they think they were giving it to our children, but that trampoline is making me at least as happy as it makes Kirsten and Reagan.

     Matt set it up two days ago, and even though it was sprinkling and cold this morning, Kirsten didn't have to work hard to convince me to take them out to jump on it.  Yesterday it was beautiful outside, and we jumped on it for hours. 

     Here are some pictures and a video:

The train museum in Ogden

     Museums have been a passion of mine for a very long time, and one thing I've always loved about Matt is that he loves museums, too.  Museums are our thing.  You know, the thing that we do together and know that both of us will always enjoy.  Another big plus about museums is that visiting them, depending upon the museum, is typically a kid friendly activity.

     On Presidents' Day we decided to go up to Ogden to visit the old Union Station train station, which houses the Utah State Railroad Museum and the John Browning Rifle Museum.  Both museums were fascinating, but I definitely preferred the  train museum.

     We learned about the history of the transcontinental railroad, saw model trains, got to climb on a handcar, and received a tour of a hospital car and a post office car.  I was particularly interested in the hospital car and the post office car. 
     
      They used the hospital car during World War II and retired it some time after.  The bunks were three beds high.  Seeing the train reminded me of one of the worst nights of sleep I've ever had, prior to having children, that is.  I was on a sleeper car traveling from Vienna to Rome, and even though I was perfectly healthy, I tossed and turned all night.  Of course, those soldiers were coming back from the front.  So, perhaps the train was luxury in comparison.  I suppose traveling on the sleeper car was luxury for me, too.  After all, I was studying abroad.  At any rate, the hospital car interested me.  I wanted to know all the stories of the veterans who returned to their homes on that car.

    The Post Office Car was less interesting to see because there wasn't much inside except mail bags, but I was surprised to learn that the U.S. Postal Service used to have moving Post Offices on trains.  They sorted the mail on the train and left it in towns along the way without even stopping the train.  Yes, they just pushed it out the side of the train for postal workers in the town to pick up.  To pick up the mail, the traveling postal workers would use a metal hook to grab the mail bags left hanging from a metal pole in towns along the way.  The Postal Service did this until it became common practice to deliver the mail via airplane.

     Here are some pictures of the day:

                                          Kirsten walking between two trains.

                                          A few of the engines we got to see.
                                         

Reagan wondering if she was going to enjoy her day.  She did.  The model trains were her favorite!

                                        Kirsten inside the old train station.

                                          A model train.

                                          Kirsten loved the Handcar.

                                         

                                         I love this picture of me and my girls!

                                                    Matt and Kirsten on the caboose.