Business Man Ben

Last month Ben got a new job! He is the corporate recruiter for SirsiDynix, and so far really enjoys it. He has his own office that overlooks the Tahitian Noni gardens and is getting used to working normal business hours again. Every now and then I will take a picture of Hope on my phone and send it in a text message to her daddy, and sometimes he'll take a picture of himself at work to send back to her. (She loves when she sees his picture on the phone)

Thanksgiving Point

I've decided to move into the Thanksgiving Point Gardens. It is so beautiful and peaceful there. The backyard of my dream home would include a miniature version for me to enjoy everyday.
*sigh* But back to reality.
We got so many great pictures while we were there, it was difficult deciding which ones to post, so here are just a few.

Hope has been walking really well for several days now. I thought it would be cute to get a picture of her walking in a garden...and I was right! When I put her down she started smiling and even giggling a little, but after a moment or two she started to cry.

We rented golf carts our second time there. I highly recommend doing this, especially if you have small children. The gardens cover 55 acres, so it takes some time to explore it all.
The first Saturday we went, we walked and it was so hot. The kids were miserable (although Noah still thought everything was cool) and we didn't get very far. The second time we went, we saw everything and we were able to have some shade from the carts and got a nice breeze as we drove. They are a little expensive, but well worth it.

There is a Children's Discovery Park as part of the garden area. When you first walk in there is an amazing Noah's Ark display in some water for the kids to play in. On our way out Noah was allowed to play in it. This picture was taken shortly after I asked him not to get his shorts wet.

And Noah found some friends!

4th of July Pictures

Hope waiting for the fireworks to begin with Grandma Bosley.



Sparklers



Hope chasing Noah on the trampoline...with daddy's help.



Noah and Hope watching the fireworks.

Our 4th of July Weekend

*Whew* I think our family did more last weekend than we've done all summer. I know that is terribly pathetic, but we are just those kind of people. We never really make any plans and prefer to just kind of chill at home. I made a decision though, that we need to do more things. I don't want my children's memories to be exclusively of me spraying them down with the water hose in the backyard. Yes, it was a lot of work, and yes, it was exhausting, but it was great fun and hopefully something to remember.

On the 4th we did hang out around the house most of the day and had a little BBQ. Then we sat under our newly covered patio (thank goodness for shade!) and watched Ben light up the fireworks and Noah run around with sparklers (or as I mistakenly called them, 'sprinklers'). I will post pictures of that soon.

On Saturday we drove up to Cascade Springs where we enjoyed the beautiful trees and mini waterfalls.

***Hope is wearing a special gift from Aunt Cheryl: A beautiful handmade dress from Mexico.

And Sunday we went to Bridal Veil Falls for a pic-nic. Noah spent most of the time trying to dig out rocks from the side of the river and wading in the water.
At Cascade Springs we found Monkey Flowers!!! Since Noah is our little monkey we just had to get a picture.

Peeps & Imaginary Friends

I have never been a morning person and that has been one of my biggest feats as a mother. I am just the kind of person that needs my sleep in order to function properly, and more importantly, in a kindly manner. I mentioned in an earlier post that I am a moody person, but every morning is a bad morning to me. Everything takes extra effort, things that are usually funny aren't....but then I found this. I actually look forward to morning time for this reason. It's Peep and the Big Wide World and it airs on TLC 7:30 am to 8 am (Mountain Time). Noah spends week days with his dad in Kayesville, so its just me and my little cupcake sitting on the floor. She, the child (and the one who should be amused with cartoons), sits playing with her toys and occasionally wiggling her cute little body to the jingles that generate from the TV. I, the adult (and the one who should be doing something productive), eagerly watch the animation before my eyes with a smile on my face. It always makes me laugh, which let's face it, is a miracle at 7:30 in the morning...especially after not getting to bed til after midnight and then proceeding to get up every hour and 1/2. Its also informative...it promotes children discovering science in the world around them and offers tid-bits of experiments they can try in their own backyard. If you haven't already, I highly recommend checking it out.
***Another cartoon that is giggle worthy is Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends on Cartoon Network.