Memorial Day Fun!!

This past Memorial Day was really fun. Jason and I took Jefferson and our niece Ada to This is the Place Heritage Park. They were having a special baby animal petting zoo. It was a lot of fun. After the animals we got to go around to the different houses and stores and see how they used to do things in the Pioneer days. Jefferson's favorite part was playing with the wood chips and Ada's favorite part was seeing the Indians. She thought it was great when she got to make an arrowhead necklace. I love seeing the world through the eyes of little kids. We rode the train, pounded leather, saw the sheriff shoot a criminal, go into Teepees, etc. When I pointed out Brigham Young and told Ada he was the prophet she said, "Oh yes, He has stayed at our house before." Fun had all around.

Jason's sister Jessica is holding a baby duck, and Jason is holding a baby chick. Jefferson wasn't so sure about either animals. But man, they were cute.

I'm holding the baby duck in this picture and Jefferson is holding......wood chips.

I had never held a rabbit before and I was a little nervous, but they are so soft and cute. The kids really liked them. Jefferson even grabbed the bunny to take him away from me, but thankfully the bunny didn't retaliate.

The baby sheep were the sweetest little things, but alas, I couldn't get either of the kids to pet one. Although I did see a girl Ada's age carrying around a baby goat.

Jefferson rode his very first horse. They said they were ponys, but I'm not too sure. Some of them were quite big. I may be mistaken though. It was a proud moment. I think my Grandpa would have approved.

After the park we went back to my parents house for an excellant BBQ and then headed home. What a great day to remember those who have gone before and paved the way for us to have such a great and fantastic life! Thank You!!

How do I love thee....

Let me count the ways

I love thee to the depth the breadth and height

My soul can reach....

And what is it that I love so much, you ask?

These beautiful machines that were delivered to my house yesterday.

Yes, that is right!! After eight years of being a slave to the laundry mat and their ridiculous prices, I now have the luxury of cleaning my underwear in my own home. I cannot tell you how happy and in love I am. This is so great! Okay, enough already.

A Number of Things

Mother's Day!

Jason and Jefferson made me Blueberry pancakes for breakfast on Mother's Day. They were really fantastic, and as you can see, Jefferson really enjoyed them as well. A thanks goes out to my two blue eyed boys!
Before dinner with my parents on Mother's Day we went to visit Jason's Grandpa who was in town for a wedding. We don't get to see him too often so we decided to make a quick trip. It was good to see him. Here is Jason and his sister Jessica with the boys. They are only 5 weeks apart, so I am sure they will have lots of fun growing up together.
Jason takes his lunch to work with him everyday. We do this to save money and because it would be gross if he ate fast food everyday. I don't want him to start getting sick of it so I decided that at the beginning of every month I would bake or cook a few things that can be stored easily that would be good for lunches. This month I made yummy coffee cake muffins, pumpkin chocolate chip bread, great chewy granola bars, and these....
I made bagels! I was so proud of myself. Jason likes taking his sandwiches on bagels (I think it's so his sandwich isn't soggy by the time he eats is) and so I thought I would try them out. I got the recipe from "How to Be a Domestic Goddess" which is my goal by the way:) and they are surprisingly easy. A little time intensive, but well worth it. They are chewy on the inside with a little bit of a crunch on the outside. Plus it is very cost effective. One batch makes 15 compared to the six you can buy in a bag. All you are really paying for is the bread flour. They may look not so great, but man, they are good. And the freeze really good.

Another close-up, yet blurry, picture of the bagels. I couldn't get my hands to stay still.

Last, but not least, is Jefferson. In this picture he is holding the bear that Jason made in DisneyLand on our first anniversary trip. It is now Jefferson's girlfriend. He takes her all over the place. It is so cute. I am trying to store up all these memories to share with him later, but I know it won't be the same. The joy I feel when he learns new things is so great. The other day he found his shadow and played with it for a while and I just watched him with a big grin. Moments like that make it all worth the effort!

Things I Miss About Provo...

You know, you never really appreciate a good grocery store until you are in a town that doesn't have one. Here in Brigham you have your choice of Walmart (I always spend too much when I go there), Smiths (too expensive to begin with), and Kent Foods (which actually kind of scares me). I miss knowing what they have, where everything is, the price of course, and not having to worry about wether I'll get harrassed in the parking lot by someone who wants me to buy his fresh tamales.

I also miss this wonderful, beautiful place. Once again, here, the library is too small. It is three small rooms and everything is bunched together so you can't really bring a stroller, which is a must for me. I know, I know, I was spoiled by Provo's library, but can Brigham at least separate all the books into categories? They also don't have story time in the summer (when it is most needed) and the book selection isn't that fantastic. I will make do and probably grow to like the cosyness of it, but right now I miss the familiar.

I also, of course, miss my ward and friends where everyone was around the same age and had kids, lived close together, and talked often. I still feel like a stranger here. It's gets better each week and we have made some friends, but again, I just miss the familiar.

Okay, enough complaining! There are some great things here. They have a lot of close parks and a community pool. Everyone here has a garden and we have been offered some space so we can plant one, the people are very friendly, and you don't have to worry about getting lost. I am sure there are many more things that are great about Brigham I just have to get out and find them. Maybe that's what I'll do today.