Treehouse Preschool One Last Time

Because of our trip out to California, Morgan missed her first week of four-year-old preschool. But Wednesday morning we got to make the familiar trip (by scooter this time) four doors down to the Treehouse Preschool. Clayton loved going to school here and I'm sure Morgan will too. Mrs. Skousen is an excellent preschool teacher, and I look forward to seeing Morgan grow and learn this year. However, amid Morgan's cute smiles, I felt just a twinge of melancholy knowing this was my baby and my last year with a preschooler.

The Besaw Reunion

It's always tough when family lives far away; little windows of time become so precious. I don't just want my kids to know that they have cousins; I want them to BE cousins, which to me is like a natural friendship. Clayton loves to play with Adam, and Madison and Mackenzie love to play with Annaka. They seem to enjoy each other's company so much that wanting more time is just part of life.


Of course, with a NEW cousin around, the excitement was more intense. Everyone was anxious for a chance to hold baby Ashlyn. She is a sweet little angel and a welcome addition to the family. Examining the situation, I'm not sure anyone was more excited to hold Ashlyn than Melissa, but don't anyone get excited because we are perfectly content to just hold YOUR little cuties.

Rod and Terry's posterity is expanding thanks to Melissa's siblings. The more the merrier! Eleven now. But who's counting?

The ladies got it in their heads that they deserved to be pampered. And what better way for female bonding than the beauty shop?

So off they went for pedicures, manicures, and beauty shop talk! They returned with beautiful toes, lovely fingers, and warm smiles.


The Utah bunch stayed at a hotel not far from Carl and Amy's house, and we all had fun swimming in the pool one afternoon. After swimming, Carl and Amy treated everyone to a yummy dinner at their house; afterward, the kids got to hang out and play together, which is what they love most. I think the thing I enjoyed most about visiting Carl, Amy, and their family was time together talking about what is happening in their lives. Sitting and talking is so underrated!


Blessing baby Ashlyn is what brought us all together, and Sunday morning, the invited priesthood holders gathered in a circle in the chapel and Bishop Besaw blessed his baby. It was a great experience, and I'm grateful to have been able to participate. After church, we all got together for a fabulous lunch before we had to hit the road for the long trek back to Utah. It's always so enjoyable to visit with Carl, Amy, and their kids. This busy and hectic life we all live dictates our ability (or inability) to get together; it's just never frequent enough.

That little Morgan was quite the tease about giving her Uncle Carl a hug. Nothing doing time and time again, but finally in the end as she sensed that prolonged separation was for real this time, she gave him a great big hug! Morgan hugs are great!

A Day At The Beach

Who doesn't love boogie boarding? A fond memory of my youth is of going to Zuma Beach to boogie board with my brother and cousins. I'm glad my kids got a taste of the exhilaration. I didn't think that Grandpa Besaw would find it so entertaining, but hey, why not? Melissa couldn't resist getting in on the action, too. Thanks, Regan, for such a great idea and for getting the boogie board. Fun!


There's not much better than a day just hanging out at the beach: boogie boarding, building sandcastles, sunbathing, collecting seashells, reading, talking, relaxing, eating, laughing. We enjoyed spending the day with Grandma and Grandpa Besaw and Regan and Miranda; it was a day I'd like to do again sometime.

Dizzilyland!

Morgan calls it Dizzilyland and it kind of caught on with everyone in our family. She is funny how she has names for certain things even though we tell her the correct name many times. Despite the fact that she KNOWS Robin Hood is Robin Hood, she calls him Ribison Robison. She has a number of quirky but cute things like that.

Morgan was like Brer Rabbit on this trip, only her begging and pleading not to get thrown in the briar patch was anything but an act. Her fear was real, which made it tough to prod her along, but once she finally took the leap she'd find herself in the laughing place!

Clayton was quite pleased to be tall enough for ALL rides this trip. Morgan didn't really care that she was too short, but it made for a cute picture! Last trip we stuffed socks in Clayton's shoes so he could go on the Indiana Jones ride; he'd BEGGED to go on it. Why is it that we often so desperately want what we can't have? The shoe-stuffing worked, but he ended up being so flipped out by the ride that he had no interest in going on it this trip. He says, "California Screamin' and Hollywood Tower of Terror are TOTALLY AWESOME . . . but please don't make me go on Indiana Jones!"

This trip marked the beginning of a new era: Madison and Mackenzie had no interest in princesses; they mostly just liked fast roller coasters such as Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Space Mountain, and California Screamin' (which they probably went on 20 times). Morgan was still very interested, though, so Melissa took her to Ariel's Grotto for lunch and to meet the princesses. Morgan has always liked Snow White, but she discovered on this trip that she also likes Jane; she was quite excited to visit Jane's treehouse, and since we've been home she's watched Tarzan quite a few times.

I'll never forget one trip to Disneyland when Madison and Mackenzie's favorite ride was Splash Mountain, and we went on it again and again and again. I think I loved it every bit as much as they did. The image impressed upon my mind of that trip, though, is one of their itty-bitty hands raised in the air for the whole ride as they just laughed, giggled, and sang Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah; meanwhile I stressed and fretted over the possibility that they would tumble out of their seats because they were not holding on for dear life as I was!

I don't think Disneyland is really the happiest place on earth, but it is definitely a lot of fun; we love Splash Mountain! What a great ride.

We spent three days at Disneyland this time, which was just the right amount of time for us. We stayed for the fireworks one evening, but the other nights we left early and went swimming in the hotel pool where we had a great view of the fireworks. The kids seemed to enjoy that part of the trip every bit as much as the thrilling rides; they love to swim. Another fun ride, though, was the new Toy Story Mania ride. The yellow glasses enable you to see things that you shoot as part of the ride. We spent more time in Disney's California Adventure this trip than we did in Disneyland.

Clayton and Morgan did an impromptu version of their own monster mash while waiting to go on the Monsters, Inc. ride. We discovered on this trip that the Monsters, Inc. ride is pretty cool because there's never a line, it's fun, and it's air conditioned! Perhaps the funniest part about the ride, though, is the part at the end where the character, Roz, seems to have a personal message for you. She addressed the kids each time we rode, and to this day they all think there must be someone hiding inside her who talks to you.

Every time I have gone on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride I have been most intrigued that people were eating at a restaurant where the ride begins . . . and it always smells SO good. Yes, I have been quite jealous about that. So this time, we ate at The Blue Bayou; it was fabulous, and other people had to smell MY food! Ha-ha!

So I'll always remember trips with those cute little redheads and their hands in the air, but Clayton screaming his little lungs out on every roller coaster ride is what will stick with me from this trip.