Fish and Game

We made our semi-annual trip to Cabelas for lunch, fudge and fun. We made a deal with Gavin that if he ate all his food, he could feed the fish.

They were hungry!

Here's MeMe posing with Laynie. We couldn't get her thumb out of her mouth long enough to smile or make fish faces.

Gavin or a Large-Mouth Bass...what do you think?

Here's Grandma and her favorite little beast!

Diggin' at the Point

Thanksgiving Point has a fun, kid-friendly dinosaur museum. We took the kids on one of our first days in Utah. As it was FREEZING outside, we had to find indoor activities, and this was a good one!

One of the museum's activities is supposed to demonstrate erosion. Gav just liked burying the dinosaur toys in the mud.

Jamie loves sharks. Even though he's pulling a cheesy face, I know he would love being up-close-and-personal with this Jurassic specimen. He actually wants to free-swim (that means outside the cage) with Great Whites! He's CRAZY!!

Can you see the pre-historic alligators feeding on the stegosaurus? I thought it was pretty awesome!

Gavin loved using his paintbrush to "uncover" bones in this pit.

I'm glad I got pictures of this trip because I forgot my camera when we went to Vernal! We went to the new dinosaur park there as well...My mom got some pictures on her phone, and I'll try to get some of the good ones posted.

Fire House Rules

I made my little boy's dreams come true today! He was a firefighter for a few hours.

The Fire Museum wasn't very large, but it had all the things my little boy wanted: to dress up like a fireman and drive the firetruck!

Laynie and Teagan had a blast too. They chatted about shoes, summer fashion, different stroller qualities while they waited for the boys to finish playing.

Gav was the only kid there that left the firecoat and helmet on throughout the entire stay. It was only 96 degrees outside, and I'm sure he was sweating to death, but I couldn't separate him from his "gear."

Once we let Laynie out of the stroller, she had a great time driving the firetruck.

And turning on the flashing lights.

Here's the background on Dalmatians as fire dogs.

And the scary picture that is supposed to make you not fear firefighters. Right.

I like to Move It!

So Gavin has decided that sometimes he's too cool (and usually way too wound up) to take a nap. Here's what I caught him doing during quiet time the other day.

Prince of Peanut Butter

My Mom is FAMOUS for her semi-disgusting favorite snack. She dips potato chips in peanut butter. Well guess what Grandma Ardy! You are not alone! Gavin will eat peanut butter by the spoonful. (I gag just thinking about it).

I tried to convince him it would taste a lot better spread on bread with a little fresh jam. I said, "When I was little Grandma Ardy would make special fold-over sandwiches. They are so yummy!"

Gavin looked interested. "She made bulldozer sandwiches?"

"No, they're called fold-overs."

Gavin pushes the sandwich off his plate, "Well, maybe if it was a bulldozer I'd eat it."

Smart Alec.

The Diva of Disaster

First Laynie made a disaster with her dinner.

So we put her in the bathtub to clean her up. Look closely...can you see what's floating in the tub?

We emptied the tub, anti-bacterialized it, and washed her again. Kids are gross. And that's all I have to say about it.

Happy Graduation Grandma Ardy!

Dear Mom/Grandma Ardy,

Congratulations on receiving your Master's Degree of Education! We are so proud of you and all your accomplishments.

You didn't need a second diploma to be a true Master of Education! No piece of paper could replace the decades you've served as a teacher, mentor and parent. Certainly the new "theories" you've learned will be valuable tools, but will never outweigh your passion for your job, patience with your students and outgoing personality.

Thank you for inspiring us with curiosity and motivating us to find answers.

We love you and are grateful for you!

Love,

Your Family

Since we couldn't be with you to celebrate your graduation, we had one of our own.

And when you're bored to tears during your commencement, just remember that you weren't the only one.

Like most people, Gavin chose to skip the festivities all together and receive his diploma via the mail. He wouldn't even put on the "stupid square hat" (those were his exact words) even though he helped make it.