Caboose

Zach got home Tuesday and Gabe suggested we do a family train around the living area. We all lined up tallest to smallest and choo-chooed around the living rooms and kitchen area in true Thomas the train fashion. The boys thought it was a hoot. I made a few laps before I ran to get the camera.  

Speaking of the caboose, his vocabulary has really been picking up "steam" lately. He's gone from a few words to over 50 in the past few weeks. He's trying out new ones every day. It helps that Mac likes to copy his brothers. "All aboard!"

Hallalujah

Zach has been gone in Rome at a conference for the past week and I'm SO ready for him to be home. The boys and I have had a good week, in no small part thanks to Aunt Tina and Aunt Joy, but it will be nice to be a family again. We will pick him up from the air port tomorrow afternoon. Welcome Back Zach!!

A pirate's life for me

This year we joined the Lindon Aquatic Center and it is somewhere between a pool and a water park. The kids love the pirate ship slides and and kiddy pool. I love that it cost half as much as joining the pool in Raleigh, even though its twice as big. Just this week it has been hot enough to really be summer and we've been loving our membership. Welcome sunshine. "Yo, ho, ho, a pirate's life for us."

A tale of two snails

I used to run, now I walk. I am the first snail. The other snail was one I happened to cross paths with on one of my morning walks. As I crouched down to examine this small creature I thought how it had form, contrast, texture, and beauty and I felt sorry for his amorphous cousin the slug. I wished I had my camera then, but of course I did not. I took the camera with me the next time just in case we should have another encounter. No such luck. I brought my trusty picture taker one more time and my persistence paid off. It had just rained the night before and there were many of my little spiraled friends out for their morning slime. Later on I took my two younger sons to go look at the snails and Daivd promptly stepped on a slug which encouraged Mac to step on a snail. Outing over. Sheesh! Here is my photo journal of sorts from that day.

Racing

The ugly relation

Papa bear, mama bear and baby bear. I wonder what they keep in the really big one? I was walking in a rather nice neighborhood obviously. These weren't their only garages.

 Someone was feeling patriotic

Rain from the previous night

               

                                                                                                                                                                               This mansion takes the cake. The property consumes an entire block or more. Can you see the red carpet rolling down the front steps? Just imagine hearing the fountains in the background. You can't actually see the fountains though because they are behind the 8 foot wall that surrounds the entire estate. (this picture is taken through the front gate)

Yes, that out of focus orb is the moon, sorry about that.

An urban stream

Thanks for coming on my walk with me. 

Our new family rhyme

My kids are of an age where sometimes we use rhymes as teaching tools. We won't dwell on the reasons why this rhyme was necessary, but since Zach made it up and I thought it was funny here it goes:

Even when you're in a rush,

Don't forget to wash and flush

Words of wisdom, no? 

When I think of my dad

When I think of my father I think of....

Walking on the beach together
Taking hikes in the woods
Homemade yogurt and grape nuts
Going out to eat
Taking trips to Grandma's house
Analyzing people
Patiently teaching
Working hard in the yard
Fixing things around the house
Button up shirts
A closet full of coats
Labels and organizing
Ski trips in the winter
Concern for my physical well being and the well being of the rest of his family. Am I warm? Am I sick?
Eating quickly
A quiet manner
Hugging the grand kids

I love my dad and he loves me. How do I know? I just know.

I'm blessed enough to have not just one but four great father figures in my life- my dad, a wonderful father-in-law, the father of my children, and a loving Father in Heaven. I'm a lucky girl.


P.S. I'm feeling a little guilty about not posting anything on mother's day, but I sort of selfishly think that I get the day off that day. Sorry moms. 

Cinnamon Roll Goodness

On the last week of classes I took cinnamon rolls to Zach's English class at BYU. Its a good dessert to share since it makes so much.  All the students were very appreciative and apparently some have asked me to post the recipe. (I hope you don't mind Jen, its your recipe.)

1c warm water
2 T yeast
1 c milk
2 eggs
1/2 c oil
2 t salt
1/2 c sugar

After dough has risen for about an hour roll out thin, spread with half a cup melted butter, cinnamon and brown sugar. (Probably about a cup brown sugar but I just use my hand to cover the dough evenly. ) Roll up and cut into 1 inch circles. Let rise a second time and bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until just golden.

Icing I used that day (sometimes I do butter cream or cream cheese frosting instead but this one is easy):
3 c powdered sugar
1 t vanilla
pinch of salt (to cut the sweetness)
a few table spoons of cream. Just enough to get the consistency you want. Its WAY better than using just milk.

If you've never made a yeast bread before and you need more specific instructions then call or email me and I'd be happy to walk you through it or come over and show you. Its a hands on learning experience the first few times. These are delicious, but make sure you have someone to share them with.

A good idea

Capri's at Khol's = $36

Jeans on the sale rack at Khol's = $13

Making your own shorts = satisfaction. Its nice to have at least one good idea once in a while. 

This picture makes me laugh

After I dropped off Zach at the airport a few weeks ago, I took a few pictures in Salt Lake. This one made me laugh. The guy on the left asked me if I was making a documentary of the trains and I told him no, I was just taking a few shots. You can't see from the back, but his hair is totally fluffy and crazy. I loved the guy on the right with his hairy back and guitar.Notice how his dog in also carrying a pack. It reminds you how different people's lives all are.

Cute

David: "Mom, Mac is really cute."

Mom: "Yes, he is really cute, but you are really cute too David."

David: "No, I'm not. You have to be little to be cute."

Mom: "Oh, excuse me. You're not cute David, you're too big to be cute."

Extra Source of Income

On Saturday BYU hosted the annual book festival. An event centered around trying to get you to buy books signed by the author.We went mainly for the free kid activities and miraculously Zach didn't buy any books.

 A puppy dog in the making

 A python snake twisting around his cheek

Mac LOVED the slide. Zach took him down 5-6 times and he was still begging for more.  

At the end of our family outing we made our own activity and let the boys hop in the fountain to collect change. When you're only making 12 cents a day, being able to just pick it up off the ground is a big deal. (Zach assures me that undergraduates stick their feet in all the time and BYU just has to clean out the fountains anyway. )

Mac wasn't so sure he wanted to join in collecting of these small wet metal objects for fear of slipping.

David made out with about $0.75 and Gabe scored big with some quarters at around $2.00. Score!

Just reading in the kitchen

This is me and the wee one. We have an unspoken agreement that if he brings me a book I'll stop whatever it is I'm doing and read it to him. This happens most often when I'm doing dishes in the kitchen, sometimes cooking. We don't even bother moving to the couch, we just sit right down and read it, sometimes a few times, and then he toddles off to do the next thing on his baby to do list. It only takes a few minutes and it is a welcome break from my dishes. I told Zach, some kids are 90% work and 10% worth it, but this one is 90% joy 10% work. How'd I get so lucky?