I Know Some Super Talented Ladies...

It was Miss America time again in the Anderson house. This year I found out a girl I went to high school with competed in the real Miss America Pageant in 2002 as Miss Maine--crazy!

Anyway, the evening was a success! We had plenty of competitors and every one came to win. We had contestants from every walk of life: a pregnant-sun-worshiping Miss Florida and even a set of Sister-Wives "Yearning for Zion's Ranch". (No joke)

The "Little Miss America" portion of the evening was severely under-attended. I think this will be the last year I have a "Little Miss" Pageant. My girls get to come to the "Mrs. Miss America" party and I think that is enough.

Now, on to the embarrassing pictures and lame re-cap of the evenings events!!!

The Misses Yearning For Zion's Ranch (YFZR)-Miss California--Miss Mississippi (this was the first year I was not Miss Maine)---Miss Texas

Miss Stanford--------------Miss Ohio-----------Miss Florida (Coco Butter)-----Miss Washington DC

Miss Colorado--------Miss Nebraska -----The Miss Hot-Pinks-----------------------Miss Utah

Every one loaded on the sass for their introductions. I could tell right away there were plenty of women who wanted the win and wanted it bad... By the time the Talent Portion rolled around you could tell blood would be shed in an attempt to win the crown.

Miss Florida preformed and authentic Native American "Make the baby come" dance pantomiming each phase of pregnancy. She even brought her own set of back-up Native American's to play the turtle shell rattle and buckskin drums. It was genius. I am snorting out giggles as I type--it was so great.

Miss Texas impressed with her memory by reciting a lengthy poem with such passion! I am pretty sure (spoiler alert) her passion in the Talent Portion is what clinched her the win.

The Misses Yearning For Zion's Ranch preformed a magic trick duet wherein they magically tossed a red-glowing light back and forth between each other. Then they ate the light, pulled it out of a member of the audience's ear and ate the light again. Both of my little girls were beyond amazed. It was too cool.

Miss Stanford danced (she danced all night long). And Miss Massachusetts sang a lovely song about the Earth. Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant! They must get their super-talent from their father because their mother (Miss Mississippi) basically bumbled through Helen Reddy's classic "I am Woman Hear Me Roar" while moving around the room not-dancing for her talent.

No pictures of that one--and aren't you thankful--I sure am.

Miss Ohio also impressed with her memory by reciting the "One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish" story. Well played Miss Ohio.

Miss Washington D.C. preformed meditative and physically impossible stretches while reciting restful-Chinese phrases. Miss Colorado played an ancient Chinese tune on her Mandolin called "Tu-Ning" while Miss Washington D.C. preformed.

Miss Colorado serenaded us with her fabulous voice and Mandolin playing. I love it when people with real talent display those real talents. So impressive!

Some how, I missed taking a picture of Miss California singing Amazing Grace. She also has real talent and I am also so impressed!

And some how, Miss Utah and Miss Nebraska got off with out preforming a talent. Disappointing, I know!

Miss Texas was our Miss America Winner! (pictured above center) with Miss Florida and Miss Colorado taking first and second runners up. Congratulations ladies!

Lost...

I cannot find the camera.

The brand-spankin'-new camera.

The camera with loads of hilarious pictures from the annual Mother-Daughter-Miss-America Party.

The camera I want to use to take pictures of my kids in the sunshine--before the rain starts again.

Where is that blasted thing?

Another Walker...

My little baby has been walking for two weeks now. She started taking tentative steps on her own a couple of days after we got back from Yosemite. Here Adell is on the 11th of January--once she really got the hang of things.

Go baby, go!

Yosemite day two (or three)...

We let the kids spend all morning out in the snow on our last day at Yosemite--which is really all they wanted to do.

They built two forts, threw snow balls and tried to make snow angles. It was great.

We also took a short walk to the lower falls. Once again (on the very same walk as the day before) Adell lost her mind and screamed for most of the walk. Baby screams aside, we all had a lovely time soaking in the last bit of Yosemite beauty before heading back home.

"Here We Yo--Semite, Here We Yo!" (clap, clap)

That was the sound from our mini van as we pulled out of our parking lot and onto the road for the highly anticipated 3 hour 48 minute drive to Yosemite National Park.

The excitement level was off the charts.

We drove, and drove, and drove. After some minor slowing due to route miscalculation, rain and windy roads we entered Yosemite 4 hours after our cheering began. We paid the $20 bucks (You are very welcome National Parks Department.) and pulled off the road to put chains on our tires.

And that is where our happy adventure took a disastrously stressful turn...

Look at the joy on those faces! Even the baby knows we are some where special. Too bad it was not going to last.

Will tried our chains on the van tires--chains we bought six years ago for our little blue car on a drive out to Montana. Can you guess what happened next?

The chains did not fit. It was 5:00 on a Sunday evening, we were poised on the threshold of a national treasure and the kids were jumping out of their own skin to play in the snow. We however, could not go any further in the park with out chains for the tires.

Commence a 60 mile--90 minute--search for chains, in towns very small and very far away from our destination. Commence a 90 minute scream party for one tired and cranky baby girl who was "finished" sitting in her car seat.

Brutal.

As if the "no chains" drama was not enough--500 yards into the park we got stuck behind a broken snow plow for thirty minutes. The time spent was not totally wasted though, it was snowing and since traffic in both directions was stopped we let the kids get out and play in the road--er--snow.

Add another 45 minute drive through the park, checking into our hotel, our kids stumbling through slushy puddles and you get our happy(?) family arriving at Yosemite Lodge--8 loooooooooong hours after we started our "Here We Yo-Semite, Here We Yo!" cheer.

With promises of a better tomorrow, we tucked the kids in their beds and all got some much needed sleep!

And what a fabulous tomorrow it was. Will took the big kids skiing (all by himself) and I stayed at the Lodge with Adell. We took a little stroll around the park with our friends and it was so-so. Don't get me wrong, the sceenery was jaw-dropping. But my baby--who fell asleep 3 hours after her regular bedtime the night before--was not in the mood for a chilly stroll through a winter landscape. Adell started crying minutes into the walk.

The louder our babies screamed--the bigger our smiles got. Those babies were screaming at a fevered pitch by this point...

When we got back to the Lodge those screaming babies took a 2 1/2 hour nap. I spent the quiet time reading, relaxing and turning the heat up to a cozy temperature. It was glorious!

Will had his hands full with three brand-new skiers. He successfully got each child in boots and skis and made many trips up and down the slopes. The kids loved it--especially Clare. She cannot wait to go skiing again.

After dinner we spent the night ice skating at a rink near by.

Well, I think I'd better save day two for another post...it has taken me almost two weeks to hit "publish post" on this sucker.