Back Together & the Tulsa Zoo

Seth and I drove down to Oklahoma to pick up the kids from Grandpa and Grandma's house. They all had a wonderful month together, and now it was time to get back home. The drive back with a four and almost two year old was not as bad as I was expecting. I sat in the back between them for most of the way which kept the peace. I think I played "This Little Piggie" with Maggie about 85 times, but it kept the screaming down so it was well worth it.

Before we left Oklahoma we made a quick trip to the Tulsa Zoo. Thanks Grandma for the tickets! Ben is petting a bearded dragon after we learned about reptiles.

This is Oscar. He was around when Seth was a little kid.

We found Grandma's title.

Maggie loved the petting zoo. I think she was laughing at the goat.

They also loved the carousel, what a surprise that Ben picked the elephant:)

And the zoo trip couldn't be complete without riding the train.

Also, before we left OK, a little bird had built a nest in one of my mom's hanging planters on our front porch. We were so lucky to see one of the birds hatch the day before we left. This picture does not do it justice, it was the tiniest most amazing thing ever.

And now we are enjoying the amazing Idaho summer weather and eating fresh peas and carrots from the garden.

Oklahoma Friends, No Kids, the Seattle Coast, and a 10K

This month we had a great trip with our friends from back home. Thank you all for making it happen and a BIG thanks to Grandma for watching the munchkins. We started out with a very nice and relaxing kayaking trip around the San Juan Islands/Annacortes. Our tour guide let this nice little crab walk all over his hands. We did not see any whales, but we did see a really cute seal pop his head out of the water a couple of times.

Basking in the sun... the weather was amazing that day, it didn't even rain.

The views were beautiful. I think this is the highest point on Annacortes.

The girls.

The boys.

On our last day we drove up to Bellingham for the 10K trail run. It was crazy and a lot of fun. I wish I had a picture of inside those trees. We were on narrow paths winding up and down, over tree roots, small creaks and muddy paths. One of the runners described it like it was the Congo.

After the race, we were so happy it was all done and everyone completed the whole race in the allotted time!

We also ate some great seafood. I was so excited to try my first scallops. They were everything and more I dreamed they would be. We will definitely be doing more couples trips in the future.

Catching Up

Now that I'm done with school, Summer is finally here!! Which means... dirt cups, camping,

a zoo trip,

the Splash Park,

lots of popsicles,

and lots of MUD!!!

And Benj as Darth Vader.

I know, it seams like a whole summers worth of fun, but we have a crazy summer ahead, so we've been getting lots of family time in. Seth and I are about to head up to Washington for a trip away from the kids, then the kids and I will be in OK for a few weeks while Seth works hard at school, and then in July I have three more weeks of classes to continue the masters degree. We should all be back in August eating more popsicles and playing in the mud in our own backyard.

Happy Easter

We had a very nice Easter Sunday. This year the Easter bunny brought books and we had an inside egg hunt. Maggie did great finding lots of eggs. Benjamin found the hard ones that were up high, he really enjoyed that.

Maggie mostly enjoyed the candy. She LOVES candy and asks for it all the time, especially since she knows the sign for candy, she says it pretty well too.

It turned out to be a very nice day so after church the kids spent some time in the backyard.

We made our traditional Easter bunny cake. Benj helped put the face on.

Seth loves this tradition of carving/decapitating a cute little bunny. This year was especially morbid because it was the first time I have ever made a red velvet cake. I didn't have a cake mix so I looked up some recipes from scratch and thought I would try it, it turned out pretty tasty!

A Perfect Wedding Day

We had a wonderful weekend in St. George for Aunt Samantha and Barry's wedding. She was a beautiful bride, it was a beautiful sealing, and the weather was amazing. It really was a perfect wedding day. Here are a few of my favorites...

Who Knew?

Who on earth knew that brussel sprouts were so tasty?! I don't think I have ever had them before. My mother was a very good mother and did not make us eat many vegetables. She even made separate dishes without onions and peppers for us kids!! I know, we were spoiled. So at the grocery store I saw them and wondered what do those taste like? I was really excited about making them too! I checked with trusty Alton Brown and he suggested a simple steam with Kosher salt. Amazing! It looks like they can also be sauted, roasted, grilled, and wrapped with bacon. I can't wait! What do you do with brussel sprouts?

On the topic of learning something new... I saw the coolest video on YouTube about darning socks!!! Usually we throw holey socks away, but Seth has a nice pair of wool socks he's been wanting me to repair. I honestly didn't know how to darn socks. It is very fascinating, you should check it out!

The Year of the Elephant

So we painted an elephant on his wall, he was an elephant for Halloween, and so it was pretty easy to decide what kind of cake to make. Once again, I got the idea from my favorite website (coolest-birthday-cakes.com) I was pretty happy with how it turned out, except for the dry frosting. I tried a new recipe and must not have added enough milk. Oh well. The best part was seeing Benjamin's face when he saw it. In this picture he is making the elephant noise.

We had his party at a bowling alley and it went pretty well for his first time bowling. He certainly didn't last a whole game, but he had fun.

The best invention for kid bowling, it was the only way he knocked pins down.

Aunt Samantha came and Uncle Jeff and Rose too!

Plenty of presents.

And blowing out the candles.

Happy 4th Birthday Benjamin!!! WE LOVE YOU!!!