QUICKWATER RANCH IN IDAHO

We spent the end of July 2011 at the Quickwater Girls Ranch in Idaho. My parents have long hailed Quickwater as their most favorite place on earth. Every year, they spend about 1 month at the ranch, running a camp where teenage girls can grow their talents, work ethic, confidence, and spirituality. I hadn't ever truly experienced it because I've been married during the time my parents have been running the ranch. So, I decided to surprise my parents and take my boys out to Idaho. 

We showed up during dinnertime and I had Tanner walk in playing the harmonica my dad had given him. It took my mom a moment to realize what was going on before she burst into tears and ran to give her grandboys the best hug ever. My parents were so excited to share their favorite place with us. My boys had the time of their lives. And I now know why my parents love Quickwater so much. That place is truly amazing. 

We got to milk a goat

Feed a pig

Gather eggs from a chicken

Play in the pond

Ride a four wheeler

Visit the "Spud" drive-in Theatre

Enjoy the amazing scenery

And have a total blast with Grandma and Grandpa Chamberlain.

Thanks for sharing Quickwater with us!! 

Pwwweeese can we come visit again soon?! 

Jeep Admirer

Very often, when we go out in our Jeep, the shiny red beauty gets admirers. This was a great one. He was walking around the Jeep for a good 3 minutes, examining Matt and Tanner's handiwork. I spotted him and covertly snapped a picture.

Let the Nightmares Begin

I heard that the Natural History Museum here in LA had a really amazing dinosaur puppet/robot of sorts. I have been to the museum a bunch but had somehow missed out on this super cool feature. So, I took my kids to see the dinosaur . . . and well . . . it was WAY more realistic than I ever would have thought.

I was so into how cool the dinosaur was, I didn't realize what effect it was likely having on my children. Poor Tanner was terrified that the thing was going to come after us. I kept having to explain that it was just a costume--that there was a man inside making the dinosaur move and walk. I even showed him the man's legs that were very visible . . . but Tanner was shaking scared.

 It brought me back to when I was a kid and developed an irrational fear of dinosaurs. It was when Jurassic Park came out and my parents wouldn't let me see the movie. So I began having these horrible nightmares about dinosaurs taking over and eating everyone. I finally rid myself of those nightmares by actually seeing the movie and realizing that the dinosaurs were stuck on some random island and couldn't possibly get me. Side note: I was 9 at the time people! My boys were not even 3 and 1 when I introduced them to a "real" dinosaur. Thankfully, Tanner hasn't complained about dinosaurs coming to get him in the night. He does have other strange nightmares of men attacking mom in the garage and pulling her nose . . . but no dinosaurs.

Happy 4th of July!

Since moving to California seven years ago, we've always spent 4th of July with friends. But this year, we decided to make it a family affair--now that we're a family of four and all. :)  It was such a fun day!

We started out the festivities in South Pasadena for an early morning, small-town 4th of July Parade. The kids loved it. But it was HOT. Whew. 

After nap time we headed up to La Crescenta for a Fireworks show. We found a nice secluded parking lot and set up camp--opened up the back of our Expedition, pulled out the bike and stroller, and blasted some patriotic country tunes.  

Tanner made friends with our parking lot neighbors. The poor teen kept trying to disappear behind his headset and enjoy his music, but Tanner wasn't having it. He just wanted the kid to check out his bike and play with him. 

And I'm pretty sure the mother thought I was lying in saying that Kaden was indeed a boy. She kept trying to correct me saying, "girl, right?" I even went with a mohawk to try to give my pretty little boy a more manly edge. Ha. 

The boys looked so cute in their tie-dye shirts and chocolate-stained faces. 

Matt and I had so much fun with our boys.

How blessed we are to raise our little family in such a great nation. 

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!! 

KADEN'S 1ST BIRTHDAY!!

Kaden turned one year old on June 1, 2011.  I can't believe how quickly the year went by. 

He and Tanner are similar yet so different in so many ways. 

One difference that manifested itself full force on Kaden's birthday was their standards of cleanliness. I was so excited to get Tanner to attack his birthday cake on his 1st birthday but he would have none of it. Turns out, Tanner is very neat. He even changes outfits completely if a drop of water gets on his clothes. 

Kaden, on the other hand, could not care less about the mess. He went to town on his cake and I loved every minute of the demolition. 

We had a super fun pool party loaded with good friends

Good food 

And lots of love for our little one! 

HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY KADEN!

CAMPING WITH DAD!!!

Friday, May 6 - Saturday, May 7

Here are my boys getting ready to go on their first Fathers and Sons Campout.  

Matt and Tanner had an amazing time. 

They built a campfire,

roasted marshmallows,

fed muffins to creepy beetles,

and made a pretty nifty air-mattress slumber chamber in the back of our Expedition.  

Apparently, Tanner was having too much fun to sleep. He stayed up until nearly midnight, then was wide awake at 4:30am, happily chatting with a groggy Matt saying, "Oh, I love you Daddy." "I love camping." "Daddy, we're camping together." "Look at the deer!" "I love our matt-r-ess." 

. . . Nonstop, like an energizer bunny. 

My boys returned home dirty and tired, but oh so happy.

Tanimator the Robot

Monday, May 2, 2011

So, I found a huge pile of these cardboard tube things lying next to my dumpster . . . and considering I have a father who creates elaborate forts from styrofoam and screws, winding wind tunnels from fans and sheets, and backyard water parks in the summer and skating rinks in the winter from nothing but tarp and duct tape, I knew I had to use these tubes for something.

Hence, the birth of Tanimator the Robot.

Tanner wore his tubular Robot motif all day long. And would have slept with it if I didn't make him take it off. Good times.