Ee i ee i o...

Here it is...Part 2 of our exciting week with the NH cousins...



After spending a night with us, Matt and Sue took the kids down to Lehi to visit other family. We joined in when they went to Thanksgiving Point to play. They have a great "farm" there where the kids can feed the animals, ride ponies, and run amuck.


The WELL fed cows were a bit intimidating, but curiosity won out and a few little hands couldn't resist rubbing the giant slobbery noses.

We couldn't pass up a quick photo shoot inside the tiny jail they had set up by the bunny cages.

Don't mess with this gang!

I guess when you are doing time, you don't really care who sees you pick your nose!

I wonder how many pictures we have of John in a stroller...again, I just had to prove he was there!

With 4 adults, you would think 8 little boys wouldn't be that hard to keep track of...*ahem*...In our defense there were a lot of children running in every direction...and we only lost 1 kid...and only for a few minutes! After a frantic search and rescue, we decided we needed to keep them all contained for a bit so...

Matt took 7 of the boys on a carriage ride...brave Matt! The rest of us sat on the grass and caught our breath!!!

We all came home tired and sunburned, but we had so much fun. Tommy, Joey, Isaac, we miss you guys already!!

New Hampshire Comes to Town...

We had so much fun when Matt and Sue brought the kids out last month. I got a little camera happy and had a hard time narrowing the pictures down, so this is just Part 1...

We picked them up after thier LONG flight that Wednesday and brought them back to the house. The boys were instant buddies...well...the 4 year olds weren't too sure about each other at first...

but they got over it, and it wasn't long before they were all in the backyard getting dirty and building bug houses.

more to come...

They're coming...

I'm still behind...We have been battling sickness and business the passed few weeks, but I WILL catch up soon. Until then, here is a darling shot of my little man sick as can be, but still smiling!

Michael

I have a photographer in the making in my house. This little guy has sneaked up to my bedroom more than once in the past month, quietly taken my camera, and documented the things he finds of great importance...most often my messy house! Here he is getting a self-portrait to capture his one-of-a-kind sense of style! Don't you just love the look of satisfaction on his face?!

I Call My Sugar Candy...

My sis-in-law, Jen, mother of 4 (soon to be five...like any minute!) is a kick-butt homeschooler. She often takes her kids on field trips to cool places and even gets a discount because they count as a school group. Since I HATE cleaning my house and LOVE getting out with the boys, I am ALWAYS a willing tag-a-long on such adventures. So when she mentioned a Sweets Candy Factory tour, I was all about it.

On the appionted morning the boys acted like it was Christmas. I have never seen them get ready so fast or be so kind to each other. We got there in record speed. Of course I was prodded the whole way, "Mommy, go faster...Are we almost there?... Do you think they will still have candy when we get there?"


If you ask me, the factory is pretty brave to let masses of kids walk through their very sterile building, passing out gooey melty samples along the way. As we started the tour, they handed everyone a hair net (which the boys thought was extra cool) and told us very sternly (from experience I'm sure) that if anyone crossed the forbidden yellow line and touched the candy, that whole tray would have to go in the trash. I have to admit, that was a little intimidating. The only thing separating my candy loving children from thousands of dollars of chocolate was a painted yellow line and a threat? I could picture Zach touching a tray just to see if they really would throw the whole thing out! To made it worse our tour guide was a boy barely out of high school who didn't seem too excited to be dragging 10 pairs of grubby little hands around for an hour.

Thankfully, I underestimated their willing obedience to a teenager with a microphone and we made it through the tour without any drama. I had promised the boys that they could each bring a dollar of allowance to buy a treat at the end of the tour. Do you know how much candy $1 can buy at the factory?! (No cameras allowed on the tour so this is the best you get...)

They ate and ate and ate... (I envisioned candy corn puke all over my carpets) and they ate some more. Their tummies hurt too much for dinner, but nobody threw up, I call that a good day!

August Rush

August was a crazy month full of all kinds of fun and family. Zach turned 4, the New Hampshire crew came for a visit, Michael started Kindergarden, and more. I have a bunch of posts to catch up on, so hopefully in the next week I can get them all up. Here is the first installment...

4 Years Old

A birthday is a huge deal for a little boy who feels like everyday should be celebrated with a party! Weeks before the big day, Zach wanted to begin the countdown. A package came 2 days early from Grandma Goostrey, and it was all he could do to keep his little fingers away for 2 WHOLE days. Couldn't he just tear open a corner and peek? What about giving them a good shake? With a very serious face he told me they smelled very important!

Finally August 7th arrived. As soon as the sun peeked out Zack came tearing down the stairs. "Where is my cake? Where are all the presents? When is the party?...." He didn't even pause long enough for an answer before bounding over to the table and insisting that his "Birthday breakfast HAS to be oatmeal!" That night the cousins came over and we played superhero games and opened presents.

Bad guys beware! I wouldn't want to run into this crowd in a dark alley!

Labor Day in pictures...Enjoy!

THE END.