April's Grand Adventure

Remember our fabulous monthly week-long vacations, aka our Grand Adventures? If not, check out this post here.

For April, we actually started our Grand Adventure on a Friday night. We had a fabulous dinner, and then as soon as that was cleaned up we got the girls in the jammies for a pajama party. We popped popcorn and drank hot chocolate and snuggled and watched the Hobbit. I totally expected both girls to be asleep not long after the movie started, but it turns out that Marquis was the only one to catch a few Zzzz's during the movie. 

It was so very fun to watch how excited they got over a simple pajama party. Sweetheart asked Marquis about a million times when he would finally pop the popcorn, and Princess was over the moon about getting to have some "hot kockat!"

The next day we woke up and were able to watch CG ride in her Nationals competition. I love technology! We watched on my laptop while sitting in bed. We would have preferred to have been there in person, of course, but unfortunately getting to New York just wasn't in the cards in this time. We are so glad we got to see it anyway!

As soon as we were ready for the day we took off for the train station. We got there super early, but luckily there was a buffalo there to entertain us while we waited. 

Also, it was cold and we only had light jackets, so we did a little jumping to pass the time. I love that Princess is at the age where she just can't quite actually jump, but she thinks that she can and she tries really hard, cutest thing ever! Also, we somehow found the only puddle on the whole platform and had a grand time making footprints out of it. 

The train we got on is the new commuter train that Marquis takes to work every day. These train cars have an upstairs section, which is where we went so we had an awesome view. The girls might have just been a teeny bit excited. 

Right after taking that picture, Sweetheart turned to me and very matter of factly said, "Mom, I really think we need to go on a plane ride next, k?" Well okay dear, we'll get right on that. 

It was about an hour ride that started right at noon, so we had a little lunch of sandwiches as we rode.

When we finally made it to downtown Salt Lake, we took the girls to the planetarium and wandered around for a bit. They have a bunch of free exhibits that are very hands on and fun, like playing with clouds...

walking on Mars...

and even a little stroll on the moon.

They loved looking at all the different things!

While there we also saw the 3D movie The Flight of the Butterflies, which was quite fascinating about the life of a Monarch butterfly. Princess really didn't want to keep her 3D glasses on, but when she did she liked trying to catch the butterflies. Sweetheart, with her ever vivid imagination, actually says she caught two and brought them home with us. 

After the movie we had a little time to kill before the train ride home so we wandered the gift shop and then headed over to the nearby toy store, where I fed Princess to a dinosaur. 

(Fun fact, this is the second time I've tried to feed this particular child to a dinosaur. I really do love her, I promise!)

After the toy store we headed back for the train, and a worn out Princess fell asleep in my arms. And I regretting not thinking to bring a stroller. We had an even more adventurous train ride back than on the way there, where I got to experience not only going between cars on a moving train (eek!) but also changing a diaper in an icky, small train bathroom without a changing table (double eek!). Awesome. 

We got back to our later much later than we had planned, and so we did something that we never, ever do. We went out to eat. I know, weird, right? Marquis and I go out occasionally on dates, but we never take the kids, both for money reasons and because Sweetheart's food allergies make it just plain scary to let anyone else cook for us. Well, and because it's hard to find food that is acceptable to eat out in that scary world when you are a real food crusader. We found a super cute little place, though, that was awesome about her allergies and didn't break the bank, and the girls thought the change of pace was pretty awesome. 

So there you have it, Grand Adventure #2 was a gigantic success! 

The Sleep Chronicles

Someday I'm actually going to remember to ask my sweet mother-in-law for copies of all the pictures of Marquis asleep in weird places so I can do a comparison post. Princess acts so much like her dad, even when it comes to her sleeping patterns. Here are just a few of the places I have caught her sleeping recently:

In the car, nodded off just before she was going to turn the page in her book. 

I don't know if you can tell what this is, but we have propped the ladder that goes up to the top bunk of the bunk bed on an old Coca-Cola crate because somehow it's less scary for the girls to climb it if the ladder is on an angle. Princess decided under the ladder was the perfect place to sleep. Notice the book. 

What, you've never fallen asleep in a rocking chair? Well that's weird. 

On my lap while I was working one day. This is one of the many reasons I love working at home! I love that I get to cuddle my babies anytime I want to and watch their sweet faces as they sleep.

Yes, the rocking chair again. Seriously, how is this comfortable?

Everyone has fallen asleep on a couch at some point, but that just looks so uncomfortable with her head up on the arm like that.

Up on the top bunk. Sweetheart was asleep under that yellow blanket in the left of the picture. See the Clifford book again? Handing her that book is the best way to get her to fall asleep at night, I don't know why, but I'll take it! 

 And next to me while I'm working again. She looks so sweet and innocent while she's sleeping!

For the last one, I just don't know how she did this. I was sitting in the recliner working away when she put her pillow on my feet and fell asleep right there on the foot rest of the recliner. My legs and feet are there under the brown blanket and pink butterfly pillow. 

Wacky kid!

Fourteen Years Later - Happy Anniversary to Us

Today is our wedding anniversary! Fourteen years ago we sent out this picture with our wedding invites: 

Let me tell you what I see in this picture. First, I see a lady who had time to not only do her hair, but also to paint her fingernails. I see a handsome guy with a great smile. I see a couple in love who are so excited about their upcoming wedding that they can't stop smiling. 

Now, because I'm cheesy and weird, I had my brother take this picture a week or so ago and use his mad graphic design skills to put a similar background behind us. Yes, we still own the same shirts, don't judge. 

Now here's what I see in this new picture. I see a girl who has replaced doing her own hair and fingernails with instead doing those of her daughters, while simultaneously taking care of a home and working long hours. And who somehow is skinnier than the girl in the picture above? That's something I never expected! I see a handsome guy who still has a great smile, which he still uses often even when tired from also working long hours to provide for our family. I see a couple that somehow looks exactly the same, and yet so incredibly different all at the same time. I see more wrinkles on our faces, life writing its story with forehead creases and laugh lines. I see a couple that is much more comfortable with each other, but is much less comfortable and out of practice with piggy back rides. 

Marquis, thanks for being a good sport and letting me take another picture, knowing full well I was going to post it on the internet. Thank you for the crazy adventure that is our marriage, and for making each moment enjoyable and worth it. Thank you for helping me through the hard stuff and for making the good stuff more amazing than I ever thought life could be. Thank you for fourteen beautiful, wonderful, amazing years!

Feeding the Adrenaline Junkies

It's enough to make this momma's heart beat a little faster! But of course, instead of stopping the insanity, I just smile and take pictures. And warn Marquis that if anyone falls he better catch fast!

Love...

I love it when they love each other! I also love it when Sweetheart pulls out her crazy eyes for pictures, doesn't she look a little diabolical? Love it!

The Day a Volcano Erupted in Our House

Hey all, Princess here. I've hijacked mom's blog again to tell you a little story. You see, there was this one time that A VOLCANO ERUPTED IN OUR HOUSE! 

I know, super crazy, right?

Except that I didn't even know what a volcano was, until one day my big sister Sweetheart brought this weird pink thing home from preschool. Everyone seemed super excited about it, but I was mostly just confused. 

See? Funny looking pink thing. What's the big deal? They wouldn't even let me touch it. Why were we staring at this thing again? 

But then Daddy did something awesome. See that red stuff? He poured it in, and then...

Whoa!!! Did you see that? A total bubbly awesome mess, all over! 

And it just kept going and going, it was great!

Why were we making messes on the kitchen table, and why was mom allowing it? I have no idea, but seriously, the most fun ever! I was a'hootin' and hollaring, I could not have been more excited!

And Sweetheart thought it was pretty awesome, too. 

A Little Bit of This, a Little Bit of That

And here's my next round of randomness!

Have you ever wondered why people don't wear their pants on their heads? No? Well now you know. 

Yes, I am exactly dorky enough to crochet replacement ear pads for my work headphones. Hey, they are comfy and cheap! Plus I have a cutie pie to model them for me. 

We love green smoothies at our house!

Still best friends after all these years. I love Sweetheart's crazy eyes in this one.

"Mommy, will you please take a picture of my purple spider?" And why not?

Who needs snow to make snow angels? And yes, she is wearing a skirt under her dress. I'm just so happy that my girls are getting to the point I don't have to dress them that I just plain don't care.