We prepared for this party for over a month. We sewed little Jedi robes for all of their friends, we made lightsabers from pipe insulation, we planned activities, set up a skit (wrote a script, got a costume), and constructed a Death Star pinata (how do you add the ~?). By today, Suzanne and I were SICK of Star Wars - we wish we could just force it all out of our brains. Ugh!
Kind of last minute, we built a small obstacle course - a cardboard box tunnel, a bench to crawl over, spots on the floor to run on, and balloons to beat the children at the end. I named it "The Kessel Run" (the Millenium Falcon made the Kessel Run in 12 parsecs, according to Han Solo, even though a parsec is a measure of distance and not time) and assigned a spacey name to each part. I narrated as each child ran it - "Out of the hangar, over the mountains, down the hyperspace corridor, and through the asteroid field!" To our surprise, it was the hit of the party. The kids LOVED getting beat up by the punch ball balloons at the end!
We trained the kids then to fight with a lightsaber, which was a lucky thing, because Darth Vader himself tried to crash the party. (Movie below - click the play button)
The kids made short work of him and he left behind a clue to the location of the Death Star. The kids went on a treasure hunt to find the Death Star and quickly blew it up.
Then it was time for cake and ice cream then back for more of the Kessel Run (at the kids' request) until the box tunnel fell to pieces and the adults were too tired to hit anybody with another balloon. The boys opened their presents...
After that, there were no plans. I don't know how things went to complete anarchy so quickly. The kids hit each other with balloon punch balls and lightsabers and there was no controlling them. The paint came off the lightsabers, glitter from the Death Star was tracked everywhere, and the noise level and energy level got higher and higher. We were very glad when the party ended. We said goodbye to the last guest, and we were exhausted but still had to clean up. I think everyone had a lot of fun and I hope the boys will remember it.
After that, there were no plans. I don't know how things went to complete anarchy so quickly. The kids hit each other with balloon punch balls and lightsabers and there was no controlling them. The paint came off the lightsabers, glitter from the Death Star was tracked everywhere, and the noise level and energy level got higher and higher. We were very glad when the party ended. We said goodbye to the last guest, and we were exhausted but still had to clean up. I think everyone had a lot of fun and I hope the boys will remember it. 
Carter and McKay have been obsessed with Lego Star Wars for the Wii for MONTHS. This is McKay with a toy golf club (which he tore apart to make a sword) showing off his Jedi fearsomeness.
Then 2 pictures of Easter. The first was at our house. It was cold and we found slugs on some of our plastic eggs.
The second at Great Grandpa Phillips' house in Redding. It was about a week later, if I remember right. I love the puzzled look on their faces. I think I had just said, "You missed one right around here..."
Suzanne loves this beach, so we go there a lot. I think it's because the waves crash on the rocks and you can sit close to the waves and never have to run from them.
Carter on the bridge over Fogarty Creek on the way back from the car.
Carter's soccer team was the Lions. He was the oldest kid on his team and was the one they trusted most to get the ball up the field. Here we are at one of his practices. The coach wasn't there so the parents got into the drills. We're going faster than we look... really! 
McKay got bored at practices and found interesting ways to entertain himself. 
"For you, Mommy!"
Carter's last game was the first game we remembered to bring the camera. After warming up he was sent off the field to wait until it was his turn to play. "It's not fair! I want to play first."
He did get to play - here's a corner kick that he learned from the Karate Kid. (Not really)
End-of-season party at one of the other kid's houses. Awesome treehouse with a shaky ladder. Here he's asking for help getting down.
The medal for finishing the season. He had a lot of fun.
Here's me paragliding. Just kidding. This guy was floating over our own Nye Beach. Suzanne said it looked boring but I want to try it.
We actually went to Nye Beach to get rid of some stale bread. We stood near the drainage ditch and fed the seagulls. It looks like they're flying past us but they're not. They're flying into the wind and hovering right there - right over my head. I didn't see him.
Now I do. "AAAAH! Shoo! Go away!"
Nice catch, bird! The birds that hovered and caught mid-air got a lot more bread than those on the ground or in the drainage ditch behind us.
We went to the bayfront later and this was the first time we've seen the capture cage. One sea lion had a chronic injury - a loop of twine wrapped around his neck and cut deep into his flesh. They couldn't risk a tranquilizer dart until he was trapped in this cage so he wouldn't escape into the water, lose consciousness, and drown. Once he was trapped, they darted him then the local vet and a couple of marine biologists cut the twine. They intended the cage for intermittent use but as you can see the sea lions love it! There are only 7 or 8 on the dock. The guy next to us on the overlook counted 23 in the cage. We laughed really hard when the big one nearest the gate climbed in on top of all the others. They all got mad and barked and shifted for a couple of minutes, then they all went right back to sleep. Lazy brutes.
My beautiful sweetie and handsome boys in front of the sea lion overlook. 
McKay and me seated on the same iron chain.
A couple of weeks ago we had a bonfire on the beach with some friends. Good thing it was on the beach and there was nothing nearby to burn because that fire was a lot higher than we expected (like 10 feet high). Maybe it was the gasoline. Yeah, I brought the marshmallows, the other guy was in charge of the fire. 
We had visits from Grandma Carter and Gramma and Papa Phillips within about a week of each other. Somehow we didn't get pictures of any of them, but the boys were in photo shoots the whole week - like them climbing on this turtle at the aquarium with Grama and Papa Phillips...
... and this hike with Grandma Carter
The hike is the Mike Miller trail in South Beach which ends at this little bridge over a pond. Suzanne couldn't wait for me to see it because last time she was there she saw tons of newts in the water. They swam up to the surface, curious to see what was causing that shadow.
This time they were not so curious. We were lucky to get this picture. I could have lied and said it was the Loch Ness monster.
We had an Easter egg hunt today (Saturday) in the primary room at church. I tried to take pictures of the actually hunting but all the camera was able to capture was a series of blurs and not-so-cute, ferocious-hunter glares from the boys. But here's a picture once they'd returned to normal.
The search party after the mayhem had calmed down.
Before you look at the next picture I want to be perfectly clear: We are NOT announcing anything. We are not pregnant. We have no intentions to become pregnant. The following picture reflects Carter's wishes and do not reveal anything about our family. Ok, that out of the way, Carter brought this home from kindergarten. His teacher wrote the caption. We thought it was adorable because Carter is CONSTANTLY talking about wanting a baby. Now he talks about it at school. The caption is "My family I want it to be like" then he wrote "Dad Mom McKay Carer (Carter) Baby" 
Hope you all enjoy the pictures! 
McKay is not ready to go without training wheels. He's still working on learning to pedal instead of scooting along Fred Flintstone style. (On Carter's old bike)
