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Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Adventures in Utah

First of all, going anywhere with four little kids is a real adventure. Some adventures were so "adventurous" that we were too busy to take pictures...like the many trips out to eat, the carnival (just Bailey and I did that one), shopping, etc.
But the highlight of any trip to Utah is going 'bowlin' at the BYU Games Center. We did this twice and had so much fun doing it. We got lots of pins and balls stuck and took turns randomly, but it was a blast.
Benson and Laura were so patient waiting for their turns.

The Dinosaur Museum at Thanksgiving Point.

This was such a great museum. There was so much 'hands-on' stuff for the kids to do...
...like tunnels to play in...

...costumes to try on...

..."Erosion Tables" aka: Sand and Water to experiment with...
...babies to hold...

...bones and fossils to touch...

...and dig up...

The Bean Life Science Museum at BYU


We went to see the taxidermified animals at the museum, and ended up being just in time for a story time. Best of all the kids got to see and pet a real tortoise, named Otis. Benson, surprisingly, was FASCINATED with Otis and followed him around the room, crawling on all fours like Otis. He though Otis was his own personal pet and would scream at anyone who tried to touch him.

Laura and Bryn liked to watch from a distance.
Bailey fell in love with museums after the Dinosaur and Bean Museums, and even went to a Day Camp at the Museum one Saturday and learned about Bengal Tigers.
Picnic at Vivian Park, Provo Canyon


Bailey really wanted to "go up the mountains" while we were in Utah. Not being around mountains anymore, we forget just how awe inspiring and ominous the Wasatch Mountains really are! One day Guh, Papa, Sarah, Laura and the kids and I went up Provo Canyon (just a 15 minute drive!) to have a picnic in the mountains. It was a beautiful day, and we had so much fun!

The kids played...

...played...


...climbed...
ate lunch...

...some snuggled and slept...
...played some more..,
...threw rocks in the river...

The Provo River was moving SO FAST because of all the spring run-off and rain. Luckily it was fenced around the river and bridge, so the kids could see, and hear the river and still throw rocks in and not fall in! Best of all, while we were there...the Heber Creeper (an old train) made a stop at Vivian Park. Which inspired our next adventure...

Riding Trax to Temple Square!

Guh and the kids an I rode Trax (the metro train) for about 30 minutes up to Downtown Salt Lake City. The kids LOVED it. Guh and I got some great weirdo watching in, too.
We wondered around Temple Square for just a few minutes because the kids were very hungry and more interested in food and trains than sight seeing. Which was just fine.
After lunch we waited for the train...


And with in about 5 minutes of boarding the train, Benson was asleep, and slept all the way (on the train and in the car) to Memaw's house (Great Grandma Dowding).

Some were just WIDE EYED the whole time!
"Big Trucks"

Some adventures were literally right outside the front door! One morning we woke up to the sound of a backhoe, and Papa sat outside with the kids and watched the neighbors dig up some bushes. The kids were frozen, but loved it!



And after all those adventures, it's nice just to kick your feet up and read a book.
Or snuggle up with a wookie.

Thursday, June 4, 2009

let the good times roll

"What are you going to do for A MONTH in Utah?"
Have a lot of fun!! Here are just SOME of our daily activities (our adventures will be another post!)
Start the morning out with some bed bugs. Bailey and Benson love to crawl up on Guh's big bed and watch tv (they got a new, big LCD mounted to the wall in their room which makes for supreme cartoon watching).
Then, on Saturdays, some doughnuts and the newspaper.

Then to church with the family on Sundays....
...in matching outfits (of course!).

Learn how to play Pokemon on Nintendo DS, thanks Aunt Jen!
Get all the cars and trucks in a row (Benson is in heaven with all of Dan's old Matchbox cars!).

Just hang out and work on some teeth with a good-old-fashioned-canning ring.
Discover nature.
Feel nature.

Feel old, but special.
(It was my birthday, and Bailey had Guh take her to get some presents for me...jammies and an "E" necklace and some earrings. Such a sweet and thoughtful girl!)
Get into trouble...
Benson thought it would be fun to take handfuls of gravel (out of the houseplants) and throw them all over the living room (while I was showering).
Get Soaked...
Bob got soaked by Laura (YaYa) and Benson playing basketball in the tub.
Get pushed on the swing and by the swing.
Benson loves to push Bailey on the swing, but sometimes accidentally gets pushed back.

Discover Solid Foods, and LOVE IT!
Bryn tried rice cereal for the first time and loves it. She eats it every night and will soon be eating it every morning too! Not as many pictures of her, because she's usually sleeping or I'm holding her while I take pictures!
Enjoy the beautiful weather.
It has been absolutely gorgeous here. We play outside everyday. Bailey said her favorite thing about Guh's house is the sandbox. Benson and I agree. They, along with cousin YaYa play here for hours. It so nice to have soft grass to walk on and play in!


Get really, REALLY dirty. 'nuf said.

Miss Dad. Need a pseudo dad.
Poor Benson is mostly surrounded by chicks all day, and he really misses Brandon. As soon as Bob came over one day, Benson crawled right up onto his lap. He loves it when Papa, Dan or Bob are home so he can have some quality guy time. We miss Dad lots!
End the day with a bath, and then some Sports Center or "Game".

Thursday, May 7, 2009

story time with sister

I was bathing Bryn last Thursday night and it was unusually quiet (which isn't a good sign). As soon as I had the baby out of the tub, I ran in to check on Bay and Benz to see what shenanigans they were up to. Much to my surprise, they were having story time. It was SO cute! Bailey 'read' to Benson for about 30 minutes.

doughnut fan

Guh Wallace brought doughnuts to Bailey's game last Saturday and sent the extras home with the kids. Benson ate/smeared/made-out with a chocolate and a cherry doughnut. My favorite part is the sprinkles hanging from his eyebrows.