Disneyland!!!!!

We had the best time at Disneyland! We were so sad to come home, although, honestly, three days was the perfect amount of time for us to spend at the parks! We left tired, happy and excited to return when Ryan turns 8!

We met so many characters and the boys had fun getting their autographs (pictured are a few of their favorites). We ran into Buzz Lightyear moments after we arrived at Disneyland. Ryan's expression was priceless! I think he was completely overwhelmed to be meeting his most favorite Disney Character. He was so serious, and couldn't believe it when Buzz signed his autograph book.

Most of all, we loved the rides! We rode on every ride at Disneyland and California Adventure. Jacob was the most hesitant, but he vowed to try each ride at least once, and he did! He made us laugh because he would cover his eye and his ears the whole ride and then as soon as it was over he would yell "THAT WAS TOTALLY AWESOME!" (please don't mention to him that I told you that, he really was extremely brave!) Ryan never even held on, even when Kelly, Jacob and I came off the ride with bright red hands from holding the bars so tight!

Ryan's favorite rides at Disneyland were Space Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean, and of course, the Buzz Lightyear ride at both Disneyland and California Adventure. Jacob liked Splash Mountain and Thunder Mountain Railroad. At California Adventure we all loved Soarin' over California. It was amazing! The boys also loved getting wet on the Grizzly River Run.

We were so lucky to have Kelly's parents with us. We could not have done this trip without them! We loved watching Grandpa Dennis's reactions on the rides. And of course, Grandma Judy brought food and supplies to make the trip that much easier for all of us. She even carried Laynie in the Baby Bjorn and kept her happy by letting her people watch. As long as there was a crowd, Laynie was smiling and kicking her legs. When the crowds left she would cry until more people would pass. It is pretty apparent we have another people lover on our hands!

We also made a quick stop at Manhattan Beach on the way to the airport so that the boys could play in the ocean. The weather was beautiful and we had a great time.

Ryan woke up this morning asking over and over again what we were going to do today. I told him we had done enough in four short days to last a lifetime! (and I have the dirty laundry to prove it!)

Super Saturday!

I am the Enrichment Counselor in my Ward, and this Saturday we held our Super Saturday where we did several craft projects, amd also assembled school kits for the Humanitarian Center in SLC. Who knew how much work this day would be?! And, if you did, thanks alot for not telling me! We had lots of fun projects and everyone had a great time! I am so lucky to be part of an amazingly creative committee. Here is what we did:

DECORATIVE SOAP BOTTLES

The yummiest SWEET TREATS CLASS
( http://bakerella.blogspot.com/)

FHE LESSON BINDERS


FHE BOARDS (http://wallfrenzee.typepad.com/)



OILCLOTH BIBS

NOTEBOOK and PEN SETS

and MAGNET BOARDS

Our Garden

Kelly is so proud of the garden that he and the boys planted this year. He insisted I post a picture of the "abundance" of vegetables that have grown. Despite the fact that only two kinds of vegetables grew this year, that is two more than last year so he definitely thinks we are on a roll!Can you imagine what this bowl will look like 5 years from now? Just you wait and see!

Seven days until Disneyland!

WE CAN'T WAIT!

Laynie is 4 months old!

Laynie turned 4 months old yesterday, and she is now 12 pounds! She is getting even cuter and happier every day. If we could just get her to stop crying in her carseat life would be good!

Laynie has the most beautiful eyes! They are still so dark and we can't decide what color they will be. What do you think?

Ryan is Top Banana!

Ryan is Top Banana in his class this week! Here is what he had to say about himself:

My family thinks I am special because: I am nice to everyone.
My favorite thing about me is: I wear glasses.
Here is a picture of me doing something that I enjoy:



Here are pictures of a few of my favorite things:

My dad and brother (and the Cabin)

My cousins

I want to learn how: to be a good writer and how to play the drums.
For fun, I like to: play Lego War and make Laynie laugh.
When I grow up I want to be: a Buzz Lightyear who builds things!

I am really good at: Tae Kwon Do and building with Legos.

I am not so good at: drawing farm animals.
My favorite food is: pizza and oatmeal.
My favorite color is: Yellow (like my mom!)
One thing about me that I would like to share is: I am a good sharer. I am getting to be a good writer. I can build a car.

Here are a few of the fun things I did with Cocoa (the Top Banana Monkey) this weekend:

We went to the library

We made banana boats (they taste much better than they look!)

We went camping in our backyard and watched Swiss Family Robinson in the tent.

A Hiking Trip

Today we went hiking in the mountains with friends. The weather was perfect and the kids had a great time.

Even Laynie seemed to enjoy herself and fell asleep halfway through the hike.

We ate lunch by a little stream and the boys had a lot of fun climbing the rocks and running from marker to marker.

We are so lucky to live in such a beautiful place!