Random morning conversation between the boys...
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Fun at the Park
Our local park turns on its water area every summer for the kids to play in. It's local, free, and fun! We met up with some friends at the park and the boys had a blast playing in the water. Bode especially had a great time, and was the wettest of them all. And I got to hang out with the mommies, so it was a win-win situation for all of us.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Quotes from Bode #7
Last night in the car, Bode was being a bit sensitive...
Me: Bode, you're so stinkin' cute.
Bode: No, I'm not. Cute means I'm little.
(insert random dialogue from everyone in car)
Darin: Bode, you're so stinkin' tasty.
Bode: No, I'm not a tasty treat.
Me: Bode, you're so stinkin' cute.
Bode: No, I'm not. Cute means I'm little.
(insert random dialogue from everyone in car)
Darin: Bode, you're so stinkin' tasty.
Bode: No, I'm not a tasty treat.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Blueberry and Raspberry Picking
One of our favorite times of year is blueberry season. Since we don't have a garden of our own (yet), we are very grateful for the local farms. Underwood Family Farms has a location in Somis where you can pick your own blueberries. This year they've also added raspberries. And I was told by one of the employees that they are hoping to have blackberry bushes next year. Hurray for berries!
The new raspberry bushes were a huge hit, especially with Ian. He spent most of his time there, until the end when we coaxed him into the blueberry bushes.
We did not neglect the blueberry bushes, and made sure we picked lots. This is where Cole, Bode, and I spent most of our time. I had a hard time leaving because the pickings were so good, but we still took home quite a load of berries.
We came away with lots and lots of berries. The kids love to just eat them fresh, so we don't cook many. But I will definitely be making a Blueberry Buckle because it is so yummy and this is the only time of year I make it. These fresh-picked berries spoil us so we can't enjoy the berries in the supermarkets. It's a good thing my boys are good berry pickers.
The new raspberry bushes were a huge hit, especially with Ian. He spent most of his time there, until the end when we coaxed him into the blueberry bushes.
We came away with lots and lots of berries. The kids love to just eat them fresh, so we don't cook many. But I will definitely be making a Blueberry Buckle because it is so yummy and this is the only time of year I make it. These fresh-picked berries spoil us so we can't enjoy the berries in the supermarkets. It's a good thing my boys are good berry pickers.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Weekend Fun
My generous parents offered to watch the boys this weekend (Thursday night to Sunday night) so Darin and I could have a weekend to ourselves. After a busy homeschool year, a busy month of May with traveling, and working most weekends myself, this was a welcome invitation.
It is amazing how quiet a how is without three boys running through it. I missed my boys, but I didn't mind the quiet either. I'm not the type to call them every night to check on them. If there was a major problem, I know my parents would call. Plus, I don't want to disrupt what they are doing and create any homesickness that wasn't there. So Darin and I enjoyed a quiet house for three days, and my parents were surrounded by crazy boys for three days, lol.
Darin and I enjoyed spa appointments (that my Mom got us) on Friday that included facials, massages, foot scrubs, and hand therapy. Loved it! Our favorite was the facial, which we'd never had before. I'd love to do that again. We also enjoyed the quiet atmospere of the spa for some reading time. Relaxing with a good book is always a welcome treat. We also had a lovely dinner at our favorite sushi place.
Saturday morning, we went on a nice hike. Of course, much of the time I was imagining how much the kids would like part of the hike (the easy beginning part with lizards, squirrels, and tadpoles), but that comes with being a mom. Don't worry, I enjoyed the hike with Darin, too. But I think I'll take the kids back there this week for a little nature exploring. After catching up on some stuff at home and cleaning up, we enjoyed a nice dinner (Greek food) and then went to the movies. We saw Xmen: First Class. We actually enjoyed it a lot, but it is definitely not for kids.
Sunday we enjoyed a yummy lunch in Santa Barbara at Palazzio. Of course, this was after a little bickering between us, which we resolved once we finally got to the restaurant. Funny thing is that we ran into my parents and the boys there - small world. We chatted a bit, but the boys were having a great time with their grandparents and went on their merry way. Did I mention it was raining? Luckily we had an umbrella, so we walked around downtown SB and enjoyed the shops (and I found some cute earrings and rings for myself). We'd also brought our bikes because we'd come to SB with the intention of going on a bike ride. Well, Darin wasn't to be deterred. The rain had stopped, so we headed to Goleta beach, just outside of UCSB, and rode our bikes to the campus. It was actually a lovely ride. It has been many years since Darin and I went to school there, so we have many memories of the place. There are also lots of new things to see. Did I mention we were dressed a bit nerdy? First of all, college students don't wear bike helmets, so we stuck out like a sore thumb. Luckily it wasn't very crowded there. We were also wearing bike gloves and camelbaks, so we looked a bit out of place. Oh yeah, and I was wearing a black trenchcoat. I hadn't brought a proper jacket, but had thought ahead to bring a trenchcoat in case it rained, so I wore that because it was cold. But I lucked out because 2/3 of the way through our ride it started to rain, not super hard but enough to get us wet (but not the part under my trenchcoat). It was still a great ride and I'm glad we did it. We even rode around the lagoon and near the beach. We love SB!
My parents did some great things with the kids this weekend including: Knott's Berry Farm, miniature golfing and arcade, Santa Barbara and Solvang with a bike ride. The kids had a blast and love their grandparents. I think the experience helped my parents to appreciate peace and quiet, lol. The boys came home crazy as usual, talking up a storm, and taking over the house. I love my boys, and I love my parents. We are truly blessed.
It is amazing how quiet a how is without three boys running through it. I missed my boys, but I didn't mind the quiet either. I'm not the type to call them every night to check on them. If there was a major problem, I know my parents would call. Plus, I don't want to disrupt what they are doing and create any homesickness that wasn't there. So Darin and I enjoyed a quiet house for three days, and my parents were surrounded by crazy boys for three days, lol.
Darin and I enjoyed spa appointments (that my Mom got us) on Friday that included facials, massages, foot scrubs, and hand therapy. Loved it! Our favorite was the facial, which we'd never had before. I'd love to do that again. We also enjoyed the quiet atmospere of the spa for some reading time. Relaxing with a good book is always a welcome treat. We also had a lovely dinner at our favorite sushi place.
Saturday morning, we went on a nice hike. Of course, much of the time I was imagining how much the kids would like part of the hike (the easy beginning part with lizards, squirrels, and tadpoles), but that comes with being a mom. Don't worry, I enjoyed the hike with Darin, too. But I think I'll take the kids back there this week for a little nature exploring. After catching up on some stuff at home and cleaning up, we enjoyed a nice dinner (Greek food) and then went to the movies. We saw Xmen: First Class. We actually enjoyed it a lot, but it is definitely not for kids.
Sunday we enjoyed a yummy lunch in Santa Barbara at Palazzio. Of course, this was after a little bickering between us, which we resolved once we finally got to the restaurant. Funny thing is that we ran into my parents and the boys there - small world. We chatted a bit, but the boys were having a great time with their grandparents and went on their merry way. Did I mention it was raining? Luckily we had an umbrella, so we walked around downtown SB and enjoyed the shops (and I found some cute earrings and rings for myself). We'd also brought our bikes because we'd come to SB with the intention of going on a bike ride. Well, Darin wasn't to be deterred. The rain had stopped, so we headed to Goleta beach, just outside of UCSB, and rode our bikes to the campus. It was actually a lovely ride. It has been many years since Darin and I went to school there, so we have many memories of the place. There are also lots of new things to see. Did I mention we were dressed a bit nerdy? First of all, college students don't wear bike helmets, so we stuck out like a sore thumb. Luckily it wasn't very crowded there. We were also wearing bike gloves and camelbaks, so we looked a bit out of place. Oh yeah, and I was wearing a black trenchcoat. I hadn't brought a proper jacket, but had thought ahead to bring a trenchcoat in case it rained, so I wore that because it was cold. But I lucked out because 2/3 of the way through our ride it started to rain, not super hard but enough to get us wet (but not the part under my trenchcoat). It was still a great ride and I'm glad we did it. We even rode around the lagoon and near the beach. We love SB!
My parents did some great things with the kids this weekend including: Knott's Berry Farm, miniature golfing and arcade, Santa Barbara and Solvang with a bike ride. The kids had a blast and love their grandparents. I think the experience helped my parents to appreciate peace and quiet, lol. The boys came home crazy as usual, talking up a storm, and taking over the house. I love my boys, and I love my parents. We are truly blessed.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Quotes from Bode #6
Setting: May 24th at Mather Campground at Grand Canyon. Bode and Cole were still sleeping in the tent, after Darin, Ian and I had been awake for at least an hour.
Me: Bode, there are deer out here. Do you want to see them?
Bode: (in his sleeping bag still sleeping) No.
a few minutes later...
Me: Bode, there are two deer out here. Want to see them?
Bode: Yes.
Me: (holding Bode and pointing) See? One of them is sitting.
Bode: Yes. Where's the other one?
Me: There...eating. See it? Isn't that cool?
Bode: Yes. Can I go back in the tent now?
As you may have guessed, Bode is not a morning person. But at least he came out to see the deer. Cole, on the other hand, wouldn't wake up and missed the deer. Luckily for him, we saw more in the evening.
Me: Bode, there are deer out here. Do you want to see them?
Bode: (in his sleeping bag still sleeping) No.
a few minutes later...
Me: Bode, there are two deer out here. Want to see them?
Bode: Yes.
Me: (holding Bode and pointing) See? One of them is sitting.
Bode: Yes. Where's the other one?
Me: There...eating. See it? Isn't that cool?
Bode: Yes. Can I go back in the tent now?
As you may have guessed, Bode is not a morning person. But at least he came out to see the deer. Cole, on the other hand, wouldn't wake up and missed the deer. Luckily for him, we saw more in the evening.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Zion National Park - Utah
In the Bible, Zion was the hill in Jerusalem on which the Temple was built. Zion means promised land. It makes perfect sense why Zion National Park was given its name. It is a remarkably beautiful place with amazing views every which way you look. You can defintely sees God's hand at work here. It is a great place to take the kids to really appreciate God's majesty. Plus, it is a great place for the kids to learn more about geology and history.
The park doesn't allow private vehicles to tour around, and instead has a shuttle that takes you around the park, dropping you off at the various trails and sites of interest. This is actually a great resource, because as you're traveling in, the shuttle plays a recording describing the areas and some of the history and background. We found this very helpful and informative.
We decided to only hike a couple of easy trails, so as to not overwhelm the kids, especially Bode. Our first stop was the Weeping Rock Trail. This was a short, but steep, trail which the kids handled well. The trail ended at a rock alcove with dripping springs, hence why the rock looks like it's weeping. It also had hanging gardens at the alcove, where the water is seeping, providing a place for plants and flowers to grow out of the rocks.
The beautiful rocky cliffs of Zion were created through deposition of thousands of feet of mud, lime, sand, and ash. The pressure and heat of these accumulating sediments turned its lower layers to stone. These layers were then uplifted by underground forces (the uplifting of the Colorado Plateau). Water worked into the cracks to loosen the grains and widen the fractures, causing the canyon to form. Erosion continues to occur in this area, with the rushing Virgin River moving and deposting sediments, as well as earthquakes and rockfalls.
Our next hike was the Lower Emerald Pool Trail, which started off of Zion Lodge. This trail was only 1.2 miles roundtrip, but Bode didn't even make it to the pools before I had to carry him in (and Darin carried him back). But Bode still enjoyed the scenic views (from our backs).
As you can tell by the myriad of pictures, we had a great time here. Zion is a beautiful place and definitely somewhere we want to visit again and again. It is rich in history, science, beauty, and tranquility.
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| The boys talking to the Ranger, getting their books signed. |
We decided to only hike a couple of easy trails, so as to not overwhelm the kids, especially Bode. Our first stop was the Weeping Rock Trail. This was a short, but steep, trail which the kids handled well. The trail ended at a rock alcove with dripping springs, hence why the rock looks like it's weeping. It also had hanging gardens at the alcove, where the water is seeping, providing a place for plants and flowers to grow out of the rocks.
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| Weeping Rocks |
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| Lunch break, enjoying the views |
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| The Virgin River |
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| A friendly bird |
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| Baby squirrels! So cute! |
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| Mama squirrel carrying her baby |
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| From the cottonwood trees that line the river |
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| One more Junior Ranger badge |
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