The Last Two Days

We started Tuesday with Ryan working on the well house. We sheathed it together (where I heard every woman's favorite words, "You just don't weigh enough!" That's because my job was to lift the sheets of plywood up while he nailed them in place. I stood on a lever to do this... and I just didn't weigh enough. Bring on the cookies!) I also helped him sheet the roof. I want to be a good helper, but I'm just not. I'm five kinds of whimpy, with the cold and splinters being high on the list. It was cold. I hate getting splinters. (I don't mind getting them out. It's the going in part I don't care for.)

These two were poking cacti. At 2:00pm we loaded up in the car and ended up...

here. The Los Angeles temple. The kids and I went to look at the lights. The Christmas lights were beautiful. The kids were SO EXCITED to go, and to stay the night. It was cute for the first hour. Seven hours later, I was ready for the excitement to subside.

This fountain fascinated us all- the kids because it was water, me because I had to figure out how to best photograph it in the dark. The kids really enjoyed the lights, and I did not. I had to be the one saying things like:

"Ed! Come back here!" and "Ed, where are you?" and "Ed! Get out of the ivy! No, it is not the jungle!" and "Please stop running down the hill, you are going to fall!" and "No, that is not a swimming pool, that is a fountain." and "Please walk on the sidewalks, that's why they are here."  And, last but not least, this has to be the best Karrie quote of the night, "IF YOU DO NOT HOLD STILL AND LET ME TAKE YOUR PICTURE I WILL EAT ALL YOUR DONUTS FOR BREAKFAST AND YOU WILL NOT HAVE ANY!!!" Because of this:

See Ed? Why did Will move himself away from the group? This was at least my ninth attempt. This is when the donut threat happened. Then, we tried again, and I got this:

Sure, Jessie is mid cough. And Ed couldn't hold still... they got to eat their donuts this morning.

We had a horrible night's sleep (but an excellent bath time- yay full sized bath tubs and lots of hot water!), and loaded up early this morning to come home. It was raining most of the way home. When we got back, we found out I had turned off the heater, so our trailer was a frigid 48*. We were all so uncomfortable that we got back into the car (after a long ride from LA) and drove to Ridgecrest, where we went to the best Walmart ever, the grocery store, and here:

We love going here, and can't wait to have some pens and stables to have some horses. I didn't get any pictures of the jackasses because a car came up behind us and we don't like people. These are BLM horses that are adoptable. These two were very friendly, which is rare. Someday (when we have a house) we will get some horses, and a donkey, and make mules so we can pack them into the high country. Good thing Ryan has been a packer and knows how to do all that. I'm here to learn. (I do want to learn to rope. I think I'll start practicing throwing this summer on foot, and I'll aim for the kids.)