{It iS A ZoO OuT ThErE!}

I woke up this morning and said to myself "Today we should go to the zoo." It was the perfect day. The temperature was perfect...PERFECT!

"Ya comin' mom?"

" GIRAFFE!!!"

Jared inside of the eggshell

The $3 popsicle

The result of the $3 popsicle

I recall hitting my 6 year old head on those teeth once upon a time...ah memories!

As we were passing by the carousel I had a streak of fear go through me knowing that if the boys saw it there would be no "passing by". I tried to hurry but they both saw it. My thoughts were something between terror of trying to hold two energetic toddlers onto two giant elevating fiberglass creatures and horror of trying to pull them off when the ride is over( I won't go into what happened at Toys R US last week with the tantrums and the pulling down of Mommy's pants) But as I looked down at Jared's sweet pleading face and the words "BUT MOM, this is the best day ever!" came out of his mouth, I just knew that the "best day ever" just wouldn't be without the carousel. So I bravely marched over and paid SIX BUCKS for tickets and let my two little ANGELS pull me onto the platform. I would have been fine with sitting in one of the benchseats aboard the ride, but no...that would not be. So, after walking around the platform about 12 times, we FINALLY found two accaptable animals right next to each other. These photos are BEFORE the ride started. I wouldn't have dared to take a picture while it was moving, Ashton was scaring the crap out of me!! He tried to get off a few times, he wanted the giraffe, not the lioness! What was I thinking?

And JAred was so funny when the ride started, he was yelling "wa-cha! wa-cha! Go Monkey go!" I think I actually teared up for a moment, relishing in the joy that my children were having, knowing that all too soon I will be looking back on that moment thinking how lucky I was to have so many special experiences with my boys.

I think Ashton speaks parsel-tongue...this rattler stared at him for like 8 minutes.

We waited in line for the train for quite a while, being braver now that I had face my fear of being responsible for two kids on a moving object. Ashton was very proud of his train ticket.

And to top it all off, a picture with me in it!! That is a rare occasion indeed. I am so proud of this picture of me and my popsicle faced boys!

{DiNo MaNiA}

Saturday I took the boys to the Dinosaur Exhibit at Thanksgiving Point. They LOVED it.

This was their favorite, the sand bar. Anything with water and sand and messy dirtiness, they are SO there.

Dude, check out the guy in the red trenchcoat! They only come out at night...or in this case the middle of the day LOL

Next time we will go to the aquarium....Jared was rather upset by the fact that the fish were "sleeping"

{The Mask}

Jared got to go to junior highschool with his favorite babysitter Chase for her childcare class. They made masks and played with playdoh! He was so excited about his mask and asked me to take pictures...

{How many kids you got in there?}

I know most of my pictures lately are of Ashton, but I can't help it! He is so squishy and huggable and CUTE!!! Seriously, he is like 6 kids packed into one. And definately quirky!

{LiTtLe CoOkiE FaCe}}

{CaNoN ReBeL}

Got my new camera today. I was all excited until I realized that Canon is a whole different animal than Nikon! I have been sitting here in my jammies all day trying to get her figured out before a photoshoot I have tonight. I got a new sweet lense too. Here's a picture I like...I got brave and took the camera off AUTO..

Wish me luck!

{ThE EnD}

This one's for you Dave..HAPPY 30th!!!

{coUnting mY BlessinGs}

My boys are everything to me. I can't imagine life without them. I wake up to their perfect smiles every day. I get to hear all the sweet, innocent things they say. I was blessed with two little funny men to raise and care for. What more could a girl want?

Two faces to wash, and four dirty hands

Two insistent voices, making demands

Twice as much crying, when things go wrong

Then four eyes closing, with slumber song

Twice as many garments, blowing on the line

Two cherubs in the wagon, soaking up sunshine

Work I do for two, naturally comes double

But four arms to hug me, repay all my trouble.

{LaSt DaY TogEtHeR}

Dave left for South Carolina today. He will be gone for 6 months with a one-week visit in July. It was so hard to let him go. He has been everything to me for 6 years now and suddenly I have to say goodbye. Yesterday we went to Cabella's ("the dead zoo"as Jared calls it) in Lehi and just let the kids wander and see all the animals and play in the shotgun arcade. It was great to just take a day off work and be a family for the last time in a while. The boys don't understand that Daddy will be gone for a long time, but I am dreading the day that it finally hits them. I think that is partially why it hasn't been as hard for me, the boys aren't crying or asking when Daddy's coming home yet. I guess we will just take it one day at a time!