Wanna race?

Well, if I'm not two months behind, I'm usually at least two weeks!

Caden missed our ward pinewood derby by 1 day. He was there watching though and they sent him home with a car kit so he could race at the district race. He was itching to start on his car. Everyday the second the he came through the door after school. "Mom, can we build my car?" That's dad's department I'd say and he'd go out and wait on the lawn till Spencer drove up from work. After putting him off for a couple of days they got started on it.

Each day Caden would go out and whittle away on that block, forming his car. He really enjoyed getting it ready. His plan was to make it a police car and call it the "Pinewood Patrol". But being short on time, they just went simple on the design. (that and Spencer said he wasn't that great at building cars, based off how he did as a scout himself years ago. and we joked around that we couldn't have the patrol car getting beat by all the other speedsters. just doesn't look good!)

Well, turns out, someone was a bit modest about his car building skills. They built a winner! Caden went to the district race and never lost a single race. He took first in wolves and also took first overall, beating out a weblow! He came home with two trophies, a medal and the checkered neckerchief! Obviously he was thrilled! This upcoming weekend he'll get to go to Tempe and race again. So maybe I'll get that post done before oh, what do you think? Late May?!

Daisy rides

Daisy learned to ride her bike the first part of March. She is a riot most days. So fun to talk to and she's so precocious, as Grandma Susie would say.
If you ask her "What are the rules for riding your bike?" her answer... If I dont wear my helmet I will crack my head, but if I do wear my helmet then I wont crack my head.
She always wants to go out now and "ride my bike in the road". She prefers to ride in the road vs. the sidewalk right now, because she moves around alot and doesn't always ride a straight path.

Caden turns 8

The last week of February, Caden turned eight. We spent a day in the valley and took him & the other kids to Makutu's Island. If you haven't been there, you have got to go! It is fun for the adults too. It reminded me a little of Swiss Family Robinson house they built in the tree.

It is a huge tree in the middle with rope ladders, tube slides through the tree, caves, tunnels,a designated toddler area and a zip line to name a few of the highlights. Oh and there is a bridge that is oh, I don't know, 30 feet up in the air or so. The kids just disappeared for big spaces of time, then would reappear with some wild story of what they had done.

There is a theater and fish aquarium as well as video games and of coarse a little area for food. It was awesome. And unlike most places, you pay only a small fee for the adult to enter. Kids were like 8.50 and adults 3.50 or something like that. It peeves me that so many places charge adults a big fee just to take their kids to the place. And it's not like the adult is dying to go play at these places. Although I wouldn't mind going back here myself! It was fun and I enjoyed it. Anyhow, it's in Chandler and you should check it out!
Pics don't do it justice, but here are a few. Like I said, the older kids just took off, so pictures are mostly Calvin & Daisy.

We did cake and presents at home as well as taking cupcakes to school for his class.

Loving Daisy's bed head here

The most exciting part of this birthday though was of coarse, getting baptized. The baptism was on Saturday and we had most of our family there. G-pa's & G-ma's from AZ. as well as from MO. were able to come for the special day. We had a fun time getting to see all our family, we only wished we could of had more time to visit with everyone. We were glad to have those that could make it there to support Caden in his decision to be baptized.

And I'm so bad, this was the only picture I got that day. I was hoping for at least one family one.