Monsoon Season

This is the time of year in the desert when the long, hot days build pressure to erupt into storms when the sun goes down.

For reasons unknown, it's called "The Monsoons," and we desert-dwellers look forward to the rain and the cooler (a relative term, of course) temperatures-- even if we have to start putting up with humidity. (All the photos below were taken by our Morganne.)

Here are the storm clouds beginning to build:

This next one is from this evening:

It may get HOT here, (I think Louis L'Amour called it "Hell without the fire") but on the bright side, we don't have earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, ice or snow! And the sunsets and lightning shows during the monsoons can't be beat.

(However, truth be told, I WILL be counting down the days to Halloween. That's the first day it begins to cool off at night...)

'Kay, I gotta end this post with a cute baby:

Grayse Dawn-isaur

I need a place to just be me...

Our Family on Gavin's baptism day

Okay, so I'm writing nothing inspiring-- in fact I don't really have a good reason to write this post at all! I just want to post some stuff that's going on in our home right now. How about we have some kid updates?


Morganne is such an angel. How can one girl have so much grace, and yet still have to deal with all that comes with being fourteen, not to mention with Asperger's Syndrome and the kind of hyper mother she's got? (Being the oldest child of an oldest child is probably the pits!) She can also make one mean batch of cookies!!!


As of the end of July, Brennan is now thirteen. He's a really good kid, and still our "charismatic dictator." He can motivate the troops to clean the family room in no time flat. He is an avid reader and loves to play strategy games (table-top and/or computer). His ambitious nature is really going to take him places, if only his parents can guide it in the right direction!


Lliam will turn 12 in just a couple of weeks, and can hardly wait to move on to the Deacon's quorum. He's now found his own passion for reading, and is still our most curious kid. He's asking for an electricity kit for his birthday-- should I be worried? Knowing Lliam, YES. But he really has a good heart, and helps out willingly with the little kids. Oh, and he's begun to show a real talent for COOKING. He takes after his dad...


Bonny is the born-organized child of the family. Her favorite thing to do in her spare time is to clean her room, unless it's already clean (it usually is) and then she'll work on someone else's. She has struggled with reading, but is plugging forward and starting some larger chapter books. Her determination and talents amaze me! She's learning patience while enduring her fly-by-the-seat-of-her-pants mother, and teaches me something new every day. She is a wonderful worker and has a great attitude.

Gavin-- what to say about him? He's all boy, and can even take on his big brothers in a wrestling match. He loves anything that takes brute force! He turned 8 this past Spring, and had a beautiful baptism day. He enjoys Cub Scouts, even though he's still learning how to make friends. (He's another one of ours with Asperger's. Social skills are a mystery for him.) He reads well, but isn't that keen on it-- yet. He keeps himself busy by playing and following his big brothers around.


Dierdre is six going on twenty-six. She is very smart and knows it. She and Ronan get themselves into all kinds of trouble and drive their mama cuh-ray-zee! She executes all her brilliant plans without going through the logic of how things will go with Mom and Dad when she's found out. She loves to do as many workbook pages as a girl can cram in to one day, and is getting better at writing. She'll soon be reading up a storm!


Ronan is into one thing: CARS. The boy has had motor oil running through his veins since he could recognize a vehicle, and he shows no sign of losing interest. His newest ambition is to have his name legally changed to "Speed Racer." He just turned five and happily for Mom, still loves to cuddle. He and Dierdre get into more trouble than they should, but probably not any more than typical five and six year olds.


Our Miss MacKenna got a haircut today, and I tried my best not to weep as her curls fell. So now she has an adorable bob, and I can't get over how much darker her hair looks. She's been so fun today-- she knows she looks good! She shares a room with Morganne, and loves having all the attention her big sister gives her. She's so much like her mother was as a little girl-- her daddy some days just shakes his head in wonder. As long as she is the center of the action, she is happy!


Grayse Dawn is getting closer and closer to her "D-Day"-- or perhaps I should say, her "N-Day." She's now 16 months old, and her daddy can't WAIT until she goes to the nursery on Sundays. (I teach the CTR 6-B class, so Russell gets quality time with her in the foyer during Sunday School and Priesthood. Then, come late-November/early-December I'll be spending lots of time in the Mother's Lounge. Ah, parenthood!) She is walking all over creation and loves giggling and playing with her older sister MacKenna. Her latest trick is screaming for anything and everything, whether she's happy or sad.

Oh! And last, but not least...

(Originally there was a pregnancy counter here, but too much time has passed now, and it broke...)