Vacation Day 3: Children's Museum

When I was planning our vacation I found a few places and things for us to do each day. We soon realized that was too much for all of us. So we decided on one thing to do each day...it kept everyone happy and less cranky. 

On day 3 of our time together we went to the Discovery Gateway Children's Museum. We were concerned that it would be too old for you Jake but after reading many yelp reviews we decided to give it a try. I'm so glad that we did! 

When we first got there, Jake, you were quite over whelmed with the whole experience. We walked into the first place to play and you just covered you eyes. There were quite a few kids and older kids running around...you were a little intimidated, this being your first kids museum experience. So, being your Mommy and knowing how to help you. I grabbed a few balls and walked you over to a less busy area to play. As soon as I showed you how to play you opened right up. You started to play and this is the smile you made...

excited to play

Having a good time... vacuum tubes and balls...whats not to love! 

Jack chillin'

huge xylophone? yes please!

they had a mini city inside...

you loved the kitchen in the house

Mom...you're weird

Mama and Jack

Jake, this was your probably your favorite part...the huge water play area!

cheezin' and loving it!

doing some grocery shopping...you would grab things off the shelf and put them in other kids carts...Daddy and I would just laugh but, I'm curious...do you do that at the real grocery store?

Co-pilot in a a life-size helicopter! 

playing with some blocks

 Daddy build a paper airplane and then you tested it out in the wind tunnel...pretty neat!

cute baby ready for mommy to use the sling so he can get out of the stroller!

spin art with crayons

you loved it! 

We had a great time! After this we got some lunch at Panda in the food court...this place was in a very cool mall! Then we did some shopping and Jake, you got your first build a bear! What a vacation...we are just having the best time hanging out as a family! You boys are loving having Daddy around so much and Mommy loves us all being together hanging out. 

On to more adventures tomorrow!

Love, 

Mommy/ loving every second!

Vacation Day 2: The Zoo

We woke up sleepy from the long drive but ready to have a good time. We ate breakfast with Nana, dropped her off for her convention and then headed to the zoo. Before we got to Utah I had done tons of research as to where we should spend our time in Salt Lake. The Hogle Zoo is rated as one of the best in the world....so we had to go! It was hot and dry but luckily we bought souvenir cups and ice cream to help us keep cool! We had a great time! This isn't the largest zoo I have ever been to but all of the habitats are nice and new...it looks like a wonderful place for these animals to live! Here are some pictures of our day.

breakfast with Nana

starting out our day

Daddy made sure Mommy was in pictures on this vacation...very nice of him!

lovin the monkeys

Jake you were obsessed with fishy crackers this trip...I'm sorry I deprive you at home!

Having a great time

Hey brother, I want some!

I love this picture of us!

what do elephants say? 

little elephant family

riding a rhino

cheezin'

Talking about Rhinos...did you know multiple rhino's are called a 'Crash' and they can run up to 60 mph and only see 30feet in front of them...thus the name 'Crash'!!

King Julian...Daddy dose his voice perfectly 

Watching seals swim

Daddy and Jake

getting sleepy

very sleepy

giraffe's...Jake's favorite

we got to go inside the giraffe's home and see him up close...pretty cool!

my favorite part of the day...sitting in the shade watching the elephants get a shower...the baby was so cute...running around trying to drink all the water! One of the coolest things I have seen at a zoo!

We visited the gift shop on the way out and bought a few friends to commemorate our day...then we hung out in our air conditioned hotel room for a while! 

Until tomorrow...

Love, 

Mommy/You boys were so good today...you are making vacation so easy and fun!

Vacation Day 1: The Drive

I don't have any pictures but know this it was long!!

We started our journey at 6:30am from Nana's house. We had arrived the night before and packed up the rental van. Off we went. Our first stop was just us the free way at a Hertz to add Daddy and I to the insurance so we could drive the van. Then we grabbed a quick breakfast at Burger King and off we went...we took Highway 80 all the way out of Truckee and we started getting restless...so we found a park in Reno to play at and feed Jack at. We ran around a little got back in the car and found a Wendy's to eat lunch at. In this era of iPhones and Googlemaps it was easy to find directions and places to eat...as long as we had cell service. After we ate we got in the van and drove...now we were heading in to the wilderness...nothingness and hotness. The temperature climbed to a steady 98 degrees...not too bad but still hot! We found places to stop to feed Jack and get gas along the way. We stopped in Battle Mountain, Nevada at a little rest stop. The bathrooms were terrible but there was a little shade and a patch of grass to run around on. Jack, you got fed and Jake, you went on a walk with Daddy. You learned about how Battle Mountain got it's name. You learned about two indian tribes that fought over land the Paiute and the Shoshone or as you call them the Sushi's. Jake, you impressed me with how well you remembered these tribes names...now you love to tell everyone about them! 

We kept driving...and driving...and driving! We drove approximately 722 miles. With a teething baby and a toddler and three adults! We finally reached Utah and we stopped for Dinner at Subway (so glad to not have a greasy fast food meal!). We had breakfast in California, lunch in Nevada and dinner in Utah...pretty cool! Then we had half of Utah to cross and we lost an hour of time crossing into mountain time. We had to cross the salt flats...oh buddy. They were very interesting to look at but the freeway was so straight and it was getting dark so there was nothing to look at. You boys were tired and slept...Daddy and I got a little goofy...I remember laughing a lot this leg of the journey. When we got to the hotel I jumped out and check us in. We got two adjoining rooms. Nana's had a king size bed and couch and we had two queen beds. Jake you slept in your first real bed and Jack you slept in a pack n' play! The first thing I did when we got there was pull you out of your seat Jack, I laid you on the bed and you stretched out your whole body, smile and started to squeal and kick. Jake you ran to your bed and started jumping...it was about 11pm. We did it...we drove across three states in one day...oh buddy...it was a long day. You boys were so fantastic! You both exceeded my expectations. There was hardly any fussing and misbehaving...I feel so grateful to have two fantastic boys! 

Love, 

Mommy/ I hope you don't hate driving from now on

The 4th of July!

The 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays...weird I know but, growing up it was one of the few times our whole family got together, and it still is. This year we were missing a few people and added a few new ones but our family was together. And you boys had a great time. It was sunny but not very hot but, Jake, you insisted on doing summery things so we let you and you had a blast! 

Grandpa just had the grass installed a few days before so we were still very excited to use it...installed might sound like a funny word to use but this grass is fake...which means no one breaks out from playing on it...and no mowing or watering!! So awesome! Love this grass...you boys do too! 

Jake you ran around in this sprinkler thing and had a great time...

You started getting chilly...little red nose!

Your Uncle Matt and Alex joined in the fun!

Then it was time for Ice Cream making...this is a family tradition...everyone has to help or they don't get to eat...those are the rules! This was the first year you were big enough to help and understood what to do...here you are cranking the ice cream maker.

And helping great grandma turn

Your Daddy and Uncle Matt taking a turn...I told you...everyone has to help! 

We finished off the day with delicious BBQ and watching the fireworks from the backyard. 

Jack...I realize there aren't any pictures of you here...you were being held by a loving family members the whole day. It was cool and windy outside so you hung out inside most of the day...being held and loved! 

I hope that as you boys grow you will not only appreciate what others have done so we can live in a country full of freedom but what that freedom allows for us. We are blessed to live where we do!

Love, 

Mommy/I hope you boys will love family get togethers as much as I do!

a little about church

Hey Boys,

Yesterday we went to church for the first time in a while. With Jack being little it didn't make sense for us to start church searching. I was more leary of leaving you boys with people we never met and Jack being so little I would have spent more time out of the service feeding him than anything so...yesterday we decided it was time to start our search. 

Not this process is so foreign to your Daddy and I. Usually we are being hired by a church, not searching for the church we want to attend. So, before we started searching we figured out that we wanted to pick a church for you boys. We are adults and we can find what we need anywhere but you boys need to grow up in a good healthy church environment. We want you to have the opportunity to have adults pour into your life and help grow your spiritual walk along with us. We want friends for you, friends with the same priorities in life. So with that in mind. We tried a church yesterday. 

I was bummed...

We took you back to the nursery and I was surprised to see that both of you boys were in the same room. Jake (2 1/2) and Jack (4 months) in the same room. So right away I wasn't super happy. We met three women that were in there and changed with your care. I gave them a few basic instructions (no food or bottles for the baby and take him out of his car seat), we took a pager and were on our way. We sat through a service that I will call...typical...nice but typical. The service ran long...the pastor was announcing his departure and a new guy taking his place...super awkward for a first visit! So we stepped out of service early and grabbed you two, so Jack could eat...a half hour over due. We walked into the nursery to find children running all over...typical for little ones but there seemed to be no one watching. Jack you were still buckled in your seat being lazily rocked by a woman's foot. Jake you didn't want to leave, you will have fun just about anywhere with kids. But I was sorely disappointed. We could have stayed home and at least you would have been played with and loved. I want more for you than a room to sit in. 

I want people to love you, to care for you, to teach you about God and his love. Jake, you are a smart kid, I want you to have a structured time, craft, play, learning, songs and snack. You are capable of learning and retaining basic concepts so I want them taught to you. You are being taught things at home as well. In no way am I sending you to church to learn everything...but I want it to reinforce what we talk about during the week. That God created you and loves you...he created the world we live in and sustains it. Jack, for you, I want a place where you can lay on your tummy and not get squished. A place where someone will hold you and talk to you. Not leave you in your chair and not even make eye contact with you (to be fair I have no idea if you were ever gotten out of your chair, when i left you were buckled in and when I returned you were buckled so I assumed you were never taken out). I want a place where I can drop you off and know that some random person won't come in and take you. All they had were your names...you could have an allergy or have been picked up by who knows who. 

We have had a few interesting church nursery experiences before... Jake your second meal was fed to you by someone in a church nursery. They saw the applesauce in your bag and fed it to you...with out me telling them to. Oh Buddy. Then, Jake when you were probably 7 months old a lady in a church nursery fed you whole blueberries because you had teeth...seriously...oh and cheerios (which contain wheat...which you don't give to babies younger than at least 9 months old!!) I couldn't make this up if I tried. Church nurseries need to get it together!! Visiting churches and leaving you with someone I don't know is literally terrifying...especially now! I would keep you both with us but Jack, you are not a quiet baby and Jake you are a toddler...you both need a place to be you! 

It's hard because we have experienced a good nursery (at the Meyer's church). There is a baby room, walkers room and a 2&3's room. Perfect. You both get what you need. Plus there children's program is pretty stellar...they have well versed kids which I would love for both of you boys to do...hiding the word of God in your heart is invaluable!! 

So the search continues. It's odd. The things we want in a church are totally different now that we have children! You boys come first. Somewhere there must be a good place for us. 

We have been out of church since last October...we were decompressing from a few interesting experiences at a church and then getting our hearts in the right place to go to church again. Like I said before I have trouble leaving you in the nursery when your so little and I don't know the people (what's the point of church hunting if I don't even get to sit in service and will just nurse the whole time). Plus Daddy's job hasn't allowed him Sunday's off consistently and I'm not church hunting alone with two kids. We have had to search our hearts to find out why we should go to church...your Daddy and I have very personal relationships with the Lord and with each other. We grow, challenge and learn from each other daily. We aren't into needing tons of same sex friends and separating our family. We decided that if we are going to church it needs to be good. We need to be together as a family for events and you boys need to be getting good teaching/love. The Lord is leading our search and guiding us to the right place...and if nothing else were are getting great ideas if we start a church someday! 

Love, 

Mommy/ don't forget we are the church...