What do you DO?

I recently was visiting with some moms and I mentioned that we didn't have a T.V. Shocking I know. One of them asked, "What do you do?  So here is a little bit of what we do!

Getting into mischief...

Water park anyone?

McCormick's Train Park in Scottsdale

Still at the train park.

Playground at the train park.  I was amazed. The whole playground was covered and they had these sprayers to play in and keep cool - so different from home!

After Mark's softball game - run'n the bases with Papa.

Explaining the ins and outs of softball.. 

Finger painting... or paint eating?? Don't worry it's non-toxic and I try to regulate the eating of it!

My little artist

Make believe anyone?  Here is our sweet fort.  You must be in the fort or the monsters will eat you. Unless Zina casts a spell that covers you with a magic shield. Then you can sneak past the monsters and rescue all the people in their dungeon.  And you must must must have crackers and cheese in the fort to  give you extra energy.

More forts - except this time it was for Zina's ponies.

The finished artwork.  The purple one on the end was from our nature walk.  We found all kinds of treasures.  Rocks, twigs, flowers etc.

A few other things that we like to do on really HOT days (wierd, we use to do these things on really COLD days), are: make Gak or play dough, shaving cream play, baking.  Zina and Wilson love to help me make bread or cookies.  They are my number one helpers. Oh ya, and we love love love to go to the library!

Disclaimer - ok, so we DO have a computer and on special occasions like when I can't stand Zina's pleadings and crying anymore I do let the kids (mostly Zina, Wilson isn't interested) watch movies.

I'm so glad when daddy comes home...

Mark is gone a lot.  Please note that I am not complaining here.  Just stating the facts.  I am grateful to Mark and all the hard work he puts in.  Zina and Wilson have discovered how to optimize their " papa time."  I love it.  The pictures are pretty self explanatory and it happens pretty much every time he walks in the door from school.  I also enjoy them clinging to him instead of me for a change.  (Although most of the time I do enjoy the clinging)

Z's had a birthday, shout HURRAY!

Zina turned 3 on Sunday. She has been waiting for this day for a long time now and she was so excited!

She woke up and had pancakes with syrup & icecream on top.  Then she got a phone call from Grandma Judy.  Although she was a little confused because after we asked her who it was and she said Grandma & Johnny. :)

We let her open 2 presents before church and then after church she got birthday lunch - her favorite, Macaroni and Cheese! (with a few peas for nutrition's sake).

Zina wanted everything in pink so pink is what she got. Pink table, pink flowers, pink balloons, pink presents, pink cake, pink EVERYTHING!!

And here she is, Princess Zina!

New family pictures

This is one of the things that we did while in Utah.  Our photographer, Jami Broadbent, was amazing.  We were doing a huge photoshoot with all of Marks family and it was actually a lot of fun.

Here is the Thomas Clan - minus Brett & Tyson who will be photoshopped in...

There is really starting to be a lot of us!

Pizza Friday

 This is something that my mom always did when I lived at home (she still does it even though I'm not at home..).  Every friday we had Pizza no matter what!  My friends would all come over and we would eat pizza like crazy.  My poor mother!  I'm pretty sure that at one point she was making at least 5-7 pizza's to feed everyone.  

This is a tradition that I want to keep alive, and my family has no complaints. :)  So here's to Pizza Fridays!

A whole new world!

We have been having fun getting used to our new digs here in Glendale.  We (I) LOVE the heat.  Granted it hasn't been that hot.  I think the hottest it's been is 105 (40).  Right now it's a cool 93!  

Here is Mark heading out to his first day of Medical School.  Looks  excited doesn't he!  

Zina trying to scare the ducks at our complex.

A typical day at the pool.

Mark comes home and takes the kids swimming...again. (They sleep pretty good here) :)

Zina in her new swimming gear.  She is on a mission to the deep end.

Wilson just chill'n

We love the public library here!  There are lots of friends that Wilson likes to hang out with.

And Zina too...

Our trip to the Phoenix Zoo

It was pretty hot, but still fun.  I think Mark had the most fun. :)

San Blas - Panama Part II

Well, so much for clean.  At least the Islands don't stink.  The air smells like wood smoke.  Chickens and pigs push around the garbage.  The houses are made of stick walls with either tin or palm frond roofs.  Dirt Floors.  The light shines in between the sticks that are the walls.  I try not to think of the sanitation when they offer me food.  It hasn't worked that well so I've been a little stressed out - but not hungry - because I eat it.  Our hammocks are surprisingly comfortable - though there is no privacy.  Except for the outhouse over the ocean which you want to spend the least amount of time in as possible.  Many of the women wear traditional Kuna attire.  The older women have the middle of their nose pierced.  I feel like I am in National Geographic. 

It takes us about 3 minutes to tour the island.  Yup that's from one side to the other.  It's tiny and packed with huts, people, garbage, dogs, cats, chickens, pigs, and plants.  The children love to tease me and say my name.  It sounds beautiful with the rolled R.  Rebecca, Rebecca, Rebecca, everywhere we go they are calling me.  They are everywhere in the dirt playing jacks - staring at you with their big brown eyes.  

They are friendly people that all shout out, "Thomas" when they see us.  Everyone asks Mark questions, testing his Tulegia  - the Kuna Dialect.  He always passes the test.  We visit with one old man who has never been off the Island. Crazy.  His whole existance has been this 50x50yd Island.  His body is scarred and he sits in a wheelchair, but his eyes are bright and he has a ready smile.  

We sat at Desiderio's  house.  His wife and mother-in-law overwhelmed us with molas.  We sat on a little stool in the packed dirt and I looked at mola after mola.  The children looked at our pictures of Zina and Wilson.  Behind me they had a pet iguana tied to a stick.  Their grandma beaded my ankle in their traditional bracelet.  Soon it was dark and they brought out flashlights.  Then they gave me a beaded necklace as a gift.  They told me I was beautiful.  The little children run around me teasing - wanting attention.  

I woke up this morning at about 4:30.  The roosters are a little overactive here. 

 The Islands in the morning light are beautiful.  Little communities dotting the ocean - full of people and their everday lives. It is amazing.   Fidelo takes us back to the mainland to the airport.  We decide to walk through the jungle from the airport to the river rather than wait for the cars.  It takes us an hour and half.  I love it.  The jungle surrounding us with it's music, the heat beating down on us.  Spots of mud ankle deep.  We have go barefoot.  Then we wade through the brown river waist deep.

 

Then we go barrelling back to the city.  Barrelling because Tito drives fast.  He is the craziest driver on this planet.  It's pretty sweet.  The traffic in the city is super congested and Tito makes lanes out of the ditch on the side of the road.  He swerves in between cars like crazy and takes detours through parking lots that puts us ahead of at least 20 cars. No 50 cars.