Ok so we haven't really done anything really exciting but it is just bugging me that I haven't done a post in so long. I was going through some of our pictures and I found these that I never blogged about. Back at the end of July we went frog hunting with our neighbors across the street. We went out to their grandparents farm in Trenton. The kids thought this was the coolest thing ever. Rayden got the first catch when a frog jumped right into his net. Lexi was hunting feathers and frogs. She LOVES nature!
I love Rayden's look in this picture. He is such a boy!
Simon didn't catch any frogs but he had fun playing with the net. He kept running after the kids and his Daddy. We were out way after dark and the kids were excited when we let them bring 3 frogs home. We let them keep them for a few weeks and then we released them into the canal. They didn't really smell too good. The kids loved the entire experience!
1. Wet Wipes-Having little kids, I don't think about the convenience of wet wipes all the time....until I need one and I can't find any! I love how quick they make it to clean a face, hands, or any other mess. When my kids grow up I think I am going to keep on buying them.
2. Spy Games-Simon cracks me up all the time. He loves to play games and his newest one is spy! When I am cooking in the kitchen we walk around like we are stalking some one and even make the cool "doo-da-doo" sound effects. I love his face and how he crouches down to stalk the kitchen. Seriously, this kid is too cute!
3. "Peeking" Mom-I know Rayden is almost 5 and I should try to fix the very few words he says backwards, but it just sounds so darn cute! The other day Dirk asked Ray if they should trade me in for a different mom. Ray asked his dad why they would do that and Dirk told him that maybe they could get a better one. (He was totally joking around.) So then he asked, "Should we keep her or get a new one?" Rayden told him they needed to "Peek" mom. Thanks Ray, I love you too!
1. Late night movies-Nothing is better than putting the kids to bed and curling up with my hubby to watch a movie, just the two of us. I especially love it when we add a big chocolate bar and a tall glass of milk, yum!
2. Music-I love music. I love the way it can change your mood or help clear your mind. If it wasn't for music I wouldn't be able to do half the stuff I do in a day. It helps to keep me focused and on task. I love it's calming influence when life gets stressful and I love teaching my kids all about it.
3. Pillows-A bed doesn't look made without a pillow or two or in my case 6. I love pillows. My kids think they are great to gather in a pile and lay in the middle of. We have pillows all over our house! The other night I fell asleep without my pillow and I missed it, a lot. Such a small comfort that I love having around!
1. Creativity-I struggle with being creative but I love the creativity of those around me. I am truly inspired by all my friends and family who have this talent. They always give me great ideas.
2. Photography-Once again I am a novice but I truly believe that a picture can say 1000 words. I love looking at all the photo blogs out there. I have the bug right now to want to tear my house apart and redecorate it with nothing but pictures. If only I could convince Dirk to buy me the camera that I want....
3. Si Time-This morning both Lexi and Rayden had school. I was able to spend alone time with Simon. After dropping Ray off at preschool we came home and Simon curled up in my lap with a book he brought to me. It was a word book, and we spent the next hour going through it and naming the pictures and then learning the sign language for each one. If this is how mornings are going to go I will be in heaven. It was so fun spending time alone with Simon.
Road trips can be so much fun! We drove to Ely, NV this last weekend with my parents and two of my sisters. It was a long drive but well worth the time spent together. Dirk and I thought it would be fun to take the camper instead of getting a hotel. It was a great decision. The kids loved camping out with Pop and Oma and my mom was able to bring her dog along.
Dirk and I weren't really thinking when we drove past Toole that there was 120 miles of desert ahead of us. About 10-15 miles before Wendover we ran out of gas and had to call ahead to my parents to bring us back a gas can. No worries. It gave the kids a chance to stretch their legs and I took advantage of the moment to snap some pictures.
We went to Ely because it has the oldest running steam engine train. Rayden is a train fanatic and we figured we could take a family trip to appease his love of trains. He was in heaven on Saturday when we got to the train depot. We rode the train through some tunnels and around old mining ghost towns. We even were robbed halfway through the trip! That part scared Lexi a little until she realized it wasn't real. When we were almost back to the station Lexi told me something that made the 6 hour drive completely worth it, "Mom, I will remember this for the rest of my life!" I love making lasting memories with the kids while they are young!
After almost 2 hours riding on a train we all had some smoke in our eyes and soot and ash in our hair but the kids had a sparkle along with the smoke. They were completely enchanted with the trip back in time. It was a lot of fun. We went back to camp where the kids wore themselves out on the playground. Lexi found the confidence to do the monkey bars by herself and wore a couple blisters into her hand. Rayden and Simon ran around until they were exhausted. We ended the day with a good movie in our jammies. The kids were all tuckered out!
Simon didn't catch any frogs but he had fun playing with the net. He kept running after the kids and his Daddy.
We were out way after dark and the kids were excited when we let them bring 3 frogs home. We let them keep them for a few weeks and then we released them into the canal. They didn't really smell too good. The kids loved the entire experience!
