Rollie Pollies

Boys are so much fun,you never know what is going to show up inside your house...
Marcus has very deep thoughts about bugs. The only ones he lets live are lady bugs, grasshoppers (which he tries to get to climb onto his finger) and rollie pollies, all others get stomped on numerous times. In fact, we have had a few rollie pollies as pets - for a few hours. Marcus lets them crawl on his fingers than we keep them in a plastic cup with half a ritz cracker until they die. I need to do a little research about the bug, in fact...

"Rollie pollies are land-living crustaceans known as isopods. They breath with gills so the have to stay in low, damp spots. And spots like that are full food for 'em - they scavenge dead or decaying plants and animals, fungal spores, bacteria. Sometimes they'll nibble young plants." -Yahoo Answers

So I think what we will try next is a cup of dirt AND a ritz cracker!

My Boys...

This is how my boys are spending their evenings! Eating potato chips and watching the Olympics.

Port Ludlow & Seattle

Crossing the Puget Sound on the Ferry

Taking a hike in Port Ludlow

After the wedding we stayed with my Aunt Laura at her new home in Port Ludlow, it's on one of the islands by Seattle. It is an absolutely beautiful place. It was very exciting for my mom and I to try and navigate the streets of Seattle to get on the ferry that was to take us over to the island. I must say there was no inspiration in the design of wide roads. The streets were pretty small and most were one way so to get on the ferry we had to drive 5 mins. past the ferry, turn around and come back to it. They actually had a sign telling you to follow the U Turn Ferry Route! Well, we finally made it onto the ferry parked our car and went up top for a view. I told Marcus he was very lucky because I was 30 and crossing the Puget Sound for my first time and he was only 3! Such a lucky boy to have been so many places. Once we arrived on the island it was a whole new place - little town feeling with HUGE trees all around. Every time the wind blew I thought for sure I was going to see a tree snap in half. I couldn't believe it was the middle of summer - there were Christmas trees everywhere and the temperature at it's highest (for only one of the days we were there) was 70 degrees. We went on an interpretive trail hike and I was wearing a sweatshirt AND a jacket! Don't get me wrong I thought it was great - this little desert rat is not liking the desert heat so much anymore.
My Aunts house is beautiful with a view of the woods and the Puget Sound everywhere you look. Every morning we would wake up and look for deer out the windows or boats in the water, we were lucky to have spotted a Mama deer and her baby eating berries! My camera ran out of batteries so I have only two picture of our stay there. But we had a wonderful stay with Aunt Laura & Uncle Larry. Thank you so taking such good care of us and putting up with the screamin' meanies!

We then went back across the ferry and spent a couple of days in Seattle going to the Aquarium and children's museum. May my mom and I never have to drive in Seattle again - it's a maze, that's the only way to describe it! We also went down to the Pike's Place Market one night only to find out that it does close down - I though it was open all the time - so we tried again the next day. Marcus got to see them throw the fish and he even touched a crab! We then grabbed some lunch and treats and headed for the airport!

Needless to say - my mom and I were exhausted!
Thanks mom & dad for a fun trip to Washington!

Russell & Erin's Wedding

I have to call this post part 1 because most of the pictures I took were with my dad's camera and until I get those these are all I have.

Marcus & Faith ready to walk down the aisle.
I was very happy that Marcus did such a great job. Kim - Erin's sister-in-law - had to bribe Marcus with a Batman ring pop to put on his vest & tie. As soon as he got down the aisle he sat down with me and said mom take this off please! They both did and great job and weren't nervous or scared. I think it really helped that they had gotten to know each other and play together for a few days prior to the ceremony. They became fast friends.

What an adventure it is to make a wedding cake!
I had Amy Landon give me the low down on "How to make a Wedding Cake", that was a tremendous help, she and I made a practice cake about a month before the wedding where I was able to learn the secrets and short cuts of the process. She even loaned me all her baking pans and the saw used to cut the cakes evenly. Thank you Amy for all your help!
I then spent the next month reviewing my notes and mentally making and decorating the cake. I wanted to make another practice cake but that never happened.
Thank you to Russell, Erin & Vickie for buying all the needed ingredients at the store and searching all over for the coconut milk and the last minute Raspberry filling (I had some in a cooler I was taking on the airplane but the TSA confiscated it because it was a gel!!! At that moment I swore off flying. Do you all feel safer knowing they didn't let my huge, not trying to hide it bag of raspberry cake filling onto an airplane?) Also, thank you to Tim & Vickie for letting me use their kitchen to bake the cakes and looking after my boys so I could concentrate. And Dad, Thanks for laying in a hotel bed for 3 hours while Seth took a much needed nap!
Thank you Mom, my soux-chef, for helping me get it done and encouraging me when I thought all was lost...
At one point I didn't think my 10" cake would ever bake completely, then I accidentally turned off the oven and many other little oops' just kept things interesting:)
Thanks Granny Ella for letting me assemble and decorate the cake at your house and thank you for your confidence that the cake would be great! I hope you are still enjoying it for breakfast!
Thank you Shay for your beautiful flowers which certainly made the cake look finished.
Thank you Erin for letting me make you wedding cake.
Thanks Jon for all your praise.
And now it's done. Never to be attempted again - at least this month...

Cousin Megan's Wedding

My cousin Megan got married on July 18th to Andrew Richards in the Salt Lake Temple. It was a beautiful sealing and we wish the happy couple many years of happiness.
Marcus was so excited to go see the Temple however, when we got there he was very sad that he couldn't go inside. He wanted to go in so he could see Jesus. Uncle Russell & Aunt Erin took him and Seth around the grounds and to the visitors center, that seemed to satisfy.
We went to their dinner reception at The Market Street Grill - with no kids - and had a wonderful time seeing and talking with family we hadn't seen in awhile.

Picnic up the American Fork Canyon

Tim & Addison, Marcus,Jon,Elly,Chad & Abby

We went up the canyon with the Shirley's & the Mabey's. We picked up Subway sandwiches on the way and ate them on a picnic bench across form the creek. After lunch we went and played in the freezing-fast-flowing-snow-melted creek. However, Seth didn't seem to mind. Seth practically went swimming in the water, I think he was pretty much numb after a few minutes.

Fourth of July

We (Michelle, Marcus and Seth) made it home from California just in time for the Fourth of July! I love the Fourth of July in Utah because everyone is allowed to do their own fireworks! Jon & Marcus went and picked out some really cool ones and we sat around in the cove with the neighbors and had a great time watching the colors and sparkles! Seth & Marcus loved the sparklers - Seth thought it was great fun to try and touch them - ouch!!