Morning Banana Trouble

Savannah loves to snack. She pretty much grazes all day. She seriously eats and eats and eats and is still as small as can be. Her choice of snack is fruit snacks. She will eat pack after pack, if I let her. This morning after her breakfast she asked for a "snack" meaning fruit snacks. It was still pretty early so I persuaded her to have a banana instead. However she was determined to open it herself. She is very independent and likes to do things herself. So I let her have a crack at it. It was very funny to watch so I of course ran and got the camera so I could capture the whole episode. It was cute, maybe I should have videoed it instead but the pictures do tell a great story.

"Hmmm, maybe I can break it open with my foot."

Well that didn't work.

And this peel really doesn't taste good. Here you go mom, I give up.

Ooooo, what's behind me????

Strawberries, even better. I wonder if I can open this?

I got one!

This girl seriously has got to love strawberries more then I do, if you can believe that. :)

Strawberry and Banana, what a combination.

Our New Play Set

But first a photo for Grandma Bartley. Thanks for the pretty dress. This is the last dress in the box of 2T clothes we pulled out. So you won't be seeing any new dresses for awhile. She is definitely set for the summer. Thanks to her Grandmas.
OK, on to the playset. As I said before, we bought a large wooden playset for the kids to help fill our spacious backyard. After cutting down a few tree limbs we were ready to get started building. RJ has tried to be patience all week, it has been tough. The rain hasn't helped much. Jared and RJ helped a friend move to a new house on Saturday, luckily for RJ, Daddy had Monday off and there was a break in the rain storm. Jared got up really early Monday morning to get started. This picture was taken at the end of the first step, when I finally made it outside. I am so lucky to have a handyman for a husband. You can see all the wood and parts in the back.

The club house is just about complete and the kids are helping Daddy decided where to put the "rock" for their rock wall.

RJ is so excited it is almost done and it has started to sprinkle.

We are done, actually Jared is done. I helped out a little here and there holding up parts and the kids helped screw in a few screws but Jared pretty much did it all. He even worked through the rain.

The kids of course had to try it even in the rain.

It was well worth the wait and mud they were covered in.

Fishermen's Breakfast

Friday was the annual Fishermen's Breakfast in St. Anthony. We have enjoyed the free breakfast during the years we lived in St. Anthony and it is a great excuse to go up and visit old friends. We had an enjoyable time seeing old faces and the breakfast was of course delicious. We spent our entire day going house to house for a short visit after the breakfast.

They have a lot of booths set up for the event, one of which was for this race car driver. He was letting all the kids sign his car and campaigning for kids to not smoke. Not only did he let RJ and Savannah sign the car but they also got to sit in the car. They thought that was pretty cool.

Tuesday Afternoon

Last weekend was a wonderfully HOT weekend. We got a lot done outside including planting the garden and some flowers out front. On Wednesday I knew our luck was going to change. Tuesday was forecasted at 88 degrees and Wednesday it would drop to the mid fifty's. Which it did. Idaho can be so crazy. So we made the most of Tuesday before the weather went bad. The kids and I went down to Freeman Park by the river and enjoyed the hot sunshine and cool water.

The river is very high this year and some areas are on flood warnings.

After the park we went to feed the ducks or geese as it turned out. RJ was very timid and wanted to stand up on the bench so they wouldn't "eat" him. I guess he had the right idea, Savannah was soon on the bench as well after a goose nibbled her finger trying to get a piece of bread away from her.

We stopped at Sonic on our way home for an ice cream to finish off the day. I ordered a chocolate sundae for the kids to split but they gave us a Hot fudge brownie sundae. They were screaming for ice cream so I didn't want to take the time to change the order. Chocolate is one thing but hot fudge melts the ice cream faster causing more of a mess. Savannah didn't seem to mind. I however had a huge mess on my hands. Next time I might just stick with a shake. Straws are less messier then spoons.

Weekend projects

This has been a very busy weekend. Saturday we all worked very hard. I don't remember doing so much work in one day. Let's start with Friday. Jared worked a half day and then enjoyed his first game of golf with a buddy from work in the afternoon. He very much enjoyed it. I spent the morning with two cranky kids and a noise dog. To make matters worse, RJ had a friend over to play and he was the only nice one. I felt really bad for him cause RJ was being so rotten. I always hate it when RJ wakes up to early. So after his friend left, RJ took a little nap. When I say little I mean little. Anymore then 20 minutes and he wouldn't go to bed till midnight. But after the nap he was doing much better. We then enjoyed the afternoon in the warm sunshine. I finally finished pulling all the weeds in the front flower bed. Now to decided what to plant and see if I even have the funds to plant it. So while I was weeding, Savannah decided to pick ALL my tulips. I was a little upset but couldn't be upset for too long cause she is so stinking cute. She laid a few of them down in a row along the house and sat down to smell each one. Of course I had to get my camera. :)

On to Saturday:
So Saturday morning RJ and Daddy went to a Church Service project where they did some spring cleaning over in the town cemetery. Savannah watched a movie while I cleaned the bathroom, kitchen, and mopped all the floors. I couldn't believe how quiet she was. Thank you Mickey Mouse!
We then headed outside to load up our neighbors truck we had borrowed, for Jared to take some things to the dump. I was able to load up only half of the sheet rock and junk that had been sitting in the yard all winter before I gave up. Then Savannah and I played in the yard for awhile until the boys got home.

Savannah wants so bad to ride RJ's bike. She kept climbing on it and saying "Motorcycle, please Mommy. Motorcycle please." Obviously she thinks any bike is a motorcycle. She is definitely a Wight!

So during Savannah's nap Jared went off to the dump and hardware store to buy a few supply's he needed for some more projects around the house while RJ and I pulled up the carpet in the front room. I was so proud of myself for all the hard work I did which I would normally make Jared do. I moved the furniture and pulled up base board, carpet, and tack strips. (I only did 2/3 of the room and had Jared do the rest. But 2/3 is a lot!)
We will us some of this carpet upstairs in the new room Jared was working on. The hard wood underneath it in great shape. It just really needs to be polished and maybe sanded down a little.

We found this area rug on clearance for only $60. I really like it but it makes me really want to buy that new couch I saw a few weeks ago. It would look great with the rug. As you can see, Sally really likes it too.

After Savannah's nap and the big project we needed a break. So back outside to play in the sprinklers.

Later that afternoon Jared put up this fence to help keep Sally in the yard without havening to chain her up. It is going to be so nice.

Thursday night we bought the kids a play set, one thing we both really wanted to get with our refund. Friday night after golf, Jared flattened out an area of the yard for the play set. You can see the big grass-less area in the back and Savannah is standing on the boxes that contain the play set. We just need to first cut down a few low branches from the willow tree before we start setting it up. The box says it will take two people and 8 to 10 hours. So next weekend will be just a busy.

I found this dress in a box full of clothes I was saving for Savannah. This is a 2T dress and wasn't sure if it would fit but I pulled it out anyway knowing she might be able to fit in it this summer. Jared of course wanted to try it on her the first warm Sunday we had, which was today. It is a gorgeous dress. I'm not sure who bought it for her, but who ever did, thank you. After it was on we both thought she should get out her fairy princess wings because she looked just like a little princess.

Both the kids love to dress up and RJ said that if she was going to be a princess then he needed to be a knight. Luckily he had a little knight costume and we had a little photo shoot before church.

Needless to say, after our busy weekends, Sunday was definitely our day to rest. We enjoyed a nice afternoon at church. RJ gave his first Primary talk and did an excellent job. He was so excited to give it. He had been waiting since the beginning of the year for them to ask him. He got a little nervous at first once he stood up in front of all the kids but by the middle he was doing great. The topic was families and he talked about why his family was special and thanked Heavenly Father for giving him a good family. It was sweet.

At the Zoo

Thursday RJ went to the zoo with his preschool. Savannah and I went with him. It was so fun to see him interact with the kids. I have heard so much about them, but sadly haven't really met any of them or their parents until now. RJ and Tucker are the best of buds in Preschool. Actually, not to brag or anything, but RJ is very well liked by most of the kids in the class. There were so may that were always asking to be with RJ or hold his hand while they walked around. But RJ and Tucker were inseparable.

They went into the petting zoo together. The zoo was crazy busy that day and so they were only letting a few kids at a time into the petting zoo. They trapped the next group between the double gates while they waited their turns. It was crazy, all these kids trapped in a little cage for five minutes. I was so glad I wasn't in that cage with them, but I felt awful for the kids. They kept saying "This is taking forever! When do we get out of here?"

Savannah reading

Savannah sat down and "read" to herself for a awhile. She was so cute and quiet! Jared snapped a few photos of her.

I'm the Boss-Scrapbook page

These photos were taken April of 2005 when Sammie came out for Jared's graduation. Before she left for CA we went to the park down by the river in St. Anthony. The journaling below describes the event. I just had a lot of fun making this page I just wanted to share it. Journaling on page: I took Grandma Sammie and Mommy to the park by the river. I love the river. It is so fun to throw rocks in it. Today I wanted to jump into the water, it looked like fun. But Mommy wouldn’t let me. I was so mad at her. I threw my hat down on the ground and hit my stroller just to show mommy how mad I was at her. Then I decided to run away towards the playground. On the way I found a little puddle and just to show mommy who the boss really is, I stood right in the middle of that puddle. “I can get wet if I want too!” I had a blast throwing rocks and splashing in that puddle.

My Mother's Day Weekend

This has probably been one of the best Mother's Days'! RJ brought home these flowers from preschool on Thursday and has wished me a Happy Mother's Day every day since then. On Saturday the kids and I went to Bear World. We have done this every year on Mother's Day because Mother's get in Free. Jared decided to stay home this trip and work on the yard since it was the first nice day this week we have had and we had been gone the last two weeks.

Seth came with us too and they were all soo excited to see the bears.

Savannah looking at a Buffalo.

Look there is a bear right outside the window.

After the drive through the park we went through the petting zoo and the kiddie rides.

The Baby cubs are always so cute!

Savannah was just content to say hi to all the animals instead of petting them.

I don't think I have ever seen a peacock spread it's feathers like this. I was very excited and this peacock was so pretty.

This baby goat was so cute, it kept trying to jump over the rocks.

An expression of love! Why do the male birds always have to be the pretty ones?

Ride time! Seth was able to ride everything alone. RJ couldn't ride the train alone but he could ride everything else. I'm not sure why the train ride was such a big deal, it just went around in a small circle. And Savannah could ride everything as long as I was with her.

RJ and Seth rode up front on the train and RJ loved pulling on the Train bell.

We had to talk RJ into riding on this ride. Seth really wanted to do it and RJ finally consented, but he held the hand of the lady next to him the whole time. Later Savannah really wanted to do it so we all did it again, except RJ, who stood below and watched. We were also able to talk him into riding the little roller coaster. It was a lot smaller then the one he rode at the Nut Tree a couple weeks ago. We told him it was the wave ride, not a roller coaster. But he wouldn't go on it a second time.

The boys loved this ride ride and the second time I gave in and joined them with Savannah.

While at home, Jared got the ground ready for a garden. We hope to plant a few things next weekend.

Right here behind the house we are planning on planting an herb garden and probably some strawberries.

The boys played in the sand box and enjoyed the afternoon having an "adventure" in the large yard while Savannah was sleeping, and I helped Jared with some more yard work.

Helping me out in the yard.

Look I have tulips!

Saturday night we got a sitter and Jared took me out to dinner. Then we went to a dance the city was putting on for Mother's Day. It was a lot of fun. They had a big band and some ballroom dance lessons. We both had taken classes in College but it had been a long time since we had danced we had forgotten a lot. But with a few quick lessons a lot came back to us. It was a lot of fun.

Sunday morning the kids made me breakfast. Waffles with strawberries and whipped cream, Yummy!

It has been a wonderful weekend! Jared just finished the dishes and is working on folding the last of the laundry. Couldn't ask for anything better!



Here are a couple photos from early this week: