There is beauty all around...

A couple of weeks ago Ben and I decided that every weekend we are going to take the kids hiking somewhere along the Wasatch front. Force them to appreciate nature. Then it rained for two weeks in a row. But now that the weather is cooperating once again, we are excited to pack a lunch, slather on some sunscreen, and enjoy the beauty that the Wasatch Front has to offer. We've already done the Battle Creek Falls hike up near Pleasant Grove, and we're wanting to do Timpanogos Cave, Stewart Falls, Donut Falls (near Salt Lake), Devils Kitchen, Grotto Falls (near Payson), Timpanogos Falls, and Twin Lakes (up near Salt Lake). We have to keep the hikes pretty easy because Cash's legs are so short.

On Monday my good friend Olivia and I took our kids hiking up to Bridal Veil Falls (is it okay to call it a hike even though it's a paved path?... I think so). Once again I was awestruck by how gorgeous Provo Canyon is. It really can be breathtaking.



p.s. is anyone else craving Ikea's chocolate cake right now?

to all you dad's who read my blog:

Vacation May 2009

Okay folks, here it is.  The Cruise Vacation Picture Package.  Don't get yer hopes up too high, now... I realized after we got back that I really didn't get that many photos.  Too much time spent living the vacation rather than documenting it.

We started out on a Wednesday evening (but first before I picked up Ben I had to stop by a jewelry store to peruse some engagement rings with my little bro- he wanted a female's opinion- oh and he's now engaged!!!).  Anyhow, I met little bro at the jewelry store with my 3 kids in tow and we were all wearing our comfy traveling clothes (comfy as in frumpy).  The jeweler made the mistake of assuming I was the lucky girl!  I wanted to play along, "Why yes!  After 3 kids, he's finally proposing!"  But Jonathan was very quick to interject with, "Oh no.  No, no, no.  This is my SISTER.  Not my fiancee."  I still don't know weather to laugh or be offended at his hasty correction.  Hmmm.

Okay, back to the vacay.  We drove (well, pretty much Ben drove) all night while the kids slept like little angels in the back seat.  Oregon is so picturesque:

We got to my parent's house in Oregon on Thursday morning and hung out for a day or so.  We had a pre-birthday celebration for me:

this cake was super delish.  thanks aunt sharron and mom!

Happy 30th to me!  Egads!

Then we left the kiddos and flew to Orlando, Florida.  We were so excited to be childless:

More birthday celebration occurred once we arrived in Florida.



I think Ben and his brother Jason were having the most fun:




pretty much they are making fun of me for getting my picture taken with my pina colada...

Next came the Magic Kingdom where we spent 3 days of Magic.  


I didn't take many pictures while there.  Probably because it was raining a lot and I didn't want to make our kids jealous of all the pictures of us in our plastic ponchos.  We are hot.

Then, for the grand finale of the trip, The Cruise.  


Oh yes, the cruise.  It was fun.  And funny.  And funnest.  And the food? It was okay. I mean, it was good- but everyone always talks about "THE FOOD" like it's the greatest ever. Meh. It was good.




We did a lot of this:

We will for sure be doing another cruise in the future.  Like maybe next month. Got that mom?

Patience is a Virtue

Hello BBF's (that's Best Blog Friends). So I'm home from my fabulous (too short) vacation, and trying to get my household up and running again. I'm also trying to get my boobs up and running again because as it turns out Oscar is allergic to formula (both cow's milk and soy). There goes my brilliant plan to wean my bambino while I was away for 10 days. I went to the Lactation Specialist's office and rented a dairy-grade milk pump. I think it's called the Bovine 5000.  About every two hours I lovingly feed my mechanical Dracula. Is the mental imagery more than you can handle? Anyways, I have lovely, tropical pictures from the trip and I will download a few, but it will take me a day or two.

Uh, Maggie just answered my phone and told the salesman that I was pumping. Egads.

Maggie milking a cow on her 3rd birthday.