Zoo Bears

And then we went to the zoo.  Because we love the zoo.



I know it looks like Kate does NOT love the zoo... but she was mad because Ryan had the map.

PS... this next picture was taken almost exactly a year ago... I cannot believe how they grow!!

Spring Break

Spring is a happy time for me... things are getting warm and sunny.  Green leaves are poking their tips out of the dirt and blossoms are covering the branches of the trees in my neighborhood.  Love it.  It's a sure sign that my favorite season of all is just around the corner.

But Spring Break is the universe's way of saying it has a sense of humor.  It has snowed all week.

Not that it slowed us down too much.  We headed to the University of Utah's Natural History Museum on Tuesday.  I can't remember the last time I went... I vaguely remember going with my dad- he was wearing a white sweatshirt and we looked at a lot of fossils and Native American baskets.  I think I was 7.  It's since been re-done and it's AMAZING!!



The kids had a great time- it was 4 floors of everything you could want to look at.  And probably some stuff they didn't.  I told them they had to tell me one thing they learned at the end of the day or they had to go to bed early.  They didn't disappoint.  Ty took in all there was to see/ learn about dinosaurs.  Ry loved the weather station and I couldn't pull Kate away from the dinosaur lab.

Here they got to "dig" for dinosaur bones...


And here, we were learning about erosion.


And here, the kids learned about magnets/ weights/ measures.


It was a super fun day- I'm kind of glad it snowed.

School Days

Maybe my title is misleading.  It's not so much school days as it is school pictures.  I kind of hate them.  I feel like I have an obligation to buy them each time they come around because it's a school picture.  We all have them.  Usually 12 in all by the time we get finished- showing a dizzying array of hairstyles and all the actual proof that we ALL went through that awkward stage.   Some of us (present company included) never really grew out of all that awkward- it's okay though.  I make it work.  Anyway- my point here is school pictures- I sometimes wish they did a better job of actually capturing the kiddo... or maybe capturing a little thumbnail of who they really are. 

I wanted this.  Pretty badly.  So on the first day of Spring Break, I bribed the kids.  I told them if they cooperated I would buy them a slushie from Sonic.  Totally worked.  Love it.  

This is Ryan.

And this is Ryan's cat Skippy.  He's old.  Really old.  And he's going bald.  He's long been without his whiskers and I've glued his eyes back on more times than I can count.  Ryan LOVES Skippy.  Skippy joined our family one hot summer afternoon at a parade.  One of the parade floats was throwing out stuffed animals and a little gray cat landed in Ryan's lap.  Skippy was named after Ryan's favorite book:  Skippy John Jones- a book about a cat that thinks he's a chihuahua.  You can see the appeal to someone like Ryan... he beats to his own drum too.  Ry rarely goes anywhere without Skippy tucked under his arm.

Or perched on Ryan's shoulder.

Ryan also has another favorite cat (too bad he's badly allergic to the real thing).  This one is a stuffed snow leopard named, Spottsy.  He picked him out from the zoo gift shop last year for his birthday.  Spottsy gets his share of the love now that he's around, and sometimes Ryan has a hard time deciding who gets to go to grandma's with him... Skippy or Spottsy.

I guess the reality is that Ryan LOVES them both.  A lot.

This is Kate.

These are Kate's toes.  They are pink because right now, my toes are pink.  When I change colors... so does she.  I kind of love it.  She's the cutest little shadow.

This is Kate looking deceptively sweet here.

I told Kate that I was going to follow her around one day and take pictures of all her funny faces.  This is one of my favorites.  I see it a lot when I ask her what she's doing.

This is baby Abby.  Kate LOVES baby Abby.  Abby joined our family on Kate's first Christmas- and has snuggled with our baby girl each night ever since.

Abby gets strapped into the car next to Kate, and has her own seat in the grocery cart.  There isn't much that Kate wouldn't do for baby Abby.

This is Ty's hand.  It's dirty.  He literally showered ten minutes before this picture was taken.  And he's already dirty.  That's how we roll.  He's also sporting his CTR ring (someone remind me to go and buy him a good one... his finger is turning green) that he got in Primary a few Sundays ago.  He's been wearing it this week to remind him to Choose The Right... he's been having some problems at school- maybe the little reminder on his finger will help.  I guess we'll just have to see.  He's also wearing a rainbow loom bracelet.  They are all the rage these days.  In fact- I think it was his buddy Jake that made this one for him.

This is Ty.  I'm pretty sure he's looking at braces in the next year.

This is the Ty that I see a lot of.  He's kind of a stinker.  But I love him anyway.

This is Yellow Baby Hoo Hoo.  I have no idea why it's called a hoohoo.  Ty used the name when he was 18 months old and it's kind of stuck.  Yellow Baby is getting pretty old.  I have to wash it in the gentle cycle now.

These are my babies.  And I love them all.

Schneeshulaufen

Did you know that at one time, I was fluent in German?  Why is this relevant you ask?  It's not.  I just wanted to point it out.  And also- schneeshulaufen is german for snow skiing.  And THAT'S what this post is about.  Skiing in the greatest snow on earth, on the most beautiful mountains on earth, and with a few of my very favorite people on earth.  

It has always been my dad's dream to ski with his grandkids.  Mission accomplished I think.  He has taught my oldest, is currently working on my middle and he thought that this was the year to start on my youngest.  Kate was stoked.  She hates being left out of anything- even if it's hard.  So we outfitted her in the cutest pink helmet we could find and set her loose on the mountain...  Actually what's funny about this picture- I have one of me at the same age doing the same thing with the same stubborn look on my face.  I should dig it up...

"Grrrr.  I'm ready.  Show me the mountain."

Look how tiny her boots are!!  The skis were to die for!  And... she actually did really well for her first time out!  That girl has legs of steel!  She was so cute to watch- she would sit and chant leg movements to herself.  "French fry.  French fry.  French fry." (straight skis) "Pizza.  Pizza.  Pizza." (snowpolow) "HAMBURGER" (that's code for fall on your butt).

And Ryan... as ever... looking stoked about having his picture taken.  Oh wait... no.  No he's not.  But he was excited to go skiing- even if he didn't look like it.  He's still pretty cautious on the slopes though.  And he has a hard time remembering how to turn when the run gets steep... he just about went off a cliff- until SuperMom sped in and saved him.  

At least I can always count on Ty for a goofy smile... he was excited too.  He loves skiing, and after today- I have to admit he's getting pretty good.  He can go just about anywhere.  He loves going fast too.  He left grandma behind in the trees on one run.

Love this bunch of skibums!

Hair's Away

Look at this gorgeous spring day!!!  The sun was shining, we went outside, bared our legs, and pulled out the sunglasses.  I LIVE for these days when the winter blues start kicking in.  And look who I found in the backyard... a cute little blonde haired girl...

Who's hair is getting really long.

Seriously.  Look at all that hair.

She and I decided it was getting to be TOO much hair.  Too many knots.  Too many tears.  So we called our favorite stylist, Jamie who promised she could help us out.

Here she is... securing  a ponytail...

Snip.  Snip.

Holy smokes!  Look ma!  No more  hair!

Kate was a total stoner while Jamie styled her... I was getting worried that our chances for a complete melt down was close at hand and we were going to have to glue her ponytail back on...

Turns out though... little Kate LOVED her new 'do.  

See?  She's even laughing.

She ended up cutting off about 10 inches, so we wrapped it up and sent it off to Locks of Love.  Kate was so excited to tell her dad about her "helping kids who were sick."  It was pretty darn sweet.

Happy Valentines Day!

I don't know if it's because I'm working now or if I'm going through some hormonal changes... but I am having a HARD time getting into the spirit of holidays lately!  Or maybe Christmas just seriously wiped me out!  My festive spirit is drained or something.  Anyway...  I tried to get into happy hearts day... but I tapped out after a few pictures.  

I took my camera to school with me in hopes that I would remember to take a few pictures of the kids in their v-day shirts and with their friends... but this was it... a couple silly pictures of my littlest ones.  They are stinkin' cute though...  

I love this first picture- Kate wanted to wear my heart necklace to school that day, and when I told her that I was wearing it, she rooted through my jewelry box until she found my sterling silver beads and asked (ever so politely) if she could wear it instead.  She was so surprisingly sweet- I said yes, and was more than a little relieved that it came home with her that afternoon.  

My little "Heart Breaker" hates having his picture taken right now.  I  had to bribe him with Skittles here- and I'm still not overly convinced it's a great shot.

And since Kate's school party was on a different day- we got to dress up in hearts AGAIN!

HA!  I even got her to hold still for hearts in her hair!  Love this kid!  And I think it's super-cute!

A Sunbeam!

Well it's official.  I'm old.  My baby is in primary.  Nobody is left in Nursery.  Every one of them is now in Primary.  And it's weird.  Where are my babies?!  

This Sunday marked Kate's first day in Primary as a Sunbeam... She looked so grown up! Ryan is missing from this picture because he is down for the count.  Poor kid came down with pneumonia over the Christmas break and is currently on the couch resting and drinking juice (all the while some pretty heavy duty anti-biotics are working their way through his system).  

Wish this kid would just stop growing.  Not only do I lose my baby and end up chasing around a sassy little pre-schooler, but it just plain makes me feel old!  All I can say is- it's a dang good thing all three are cute or I wouldn't put up with it!