day at the zoo

Last weekend we visited the zoo with Nannie and Tom.  It was another beautiful day to be outside!

The Crew

Javelina

Cheetah

Kimodo Dragon Exhibit

Carousel

It had been awhile since we've been and there were quite a few changes.  The new Koala exhibit was cute, did you know they sleep 18-22 hours a day?!  None of use could believe that. They eat and sleep.  That's it. The zoo has a new Orangutan exhibit they are working on that should be ready in April. It's a huge project and looks like it will be really nice.  We'll have to get back there again to check that out!

transportation day

We sure are enjoying all the beautiful weather! A few weekends ago we went to Transportation Day at a local church / preschool where some of our friends kids attend.  This an annual event and the kids very much enjoyed seeing many vehicles up close and personal, there was also a couple of bounce houses (always a hit), Randee and I even got to teach the kids the electric slide thanks to the event DJ, haha.

Jay, Ethan, Audrey and Hudson - not one of them is looking at the camera!

Hudson working the excavator

Bus driving is serious business

Ethan giving bus driving a try

This was the boys favorite!  Thank you Paul for braving it with Jay and the boys!

grandparents visit and birthday fun

My parents came to visit us recently.  It was so nice to see them.  The kids had a lot of fun playing in the backyard, going for walks and spending time with their grandparents.

Soccer Game

Bean Bag Toss

Bowling at Amazing Jake's

Mini Golf at Amazing Jake's

Plus we all got to celebrate Bert's 36th birthday!

Birthday Dinner

Happy Birthday Berto! Carvel Cake FTW

Bert, his mom and her puppy Jerry

Birthday boy got a recliner (and iPhone)!

Reading his card with Hudson

Getting Silly with Grandma

Brotherly Love

My parents are amazing, generous people who like to have a good time and watching them with my kids made me so happy. It is bittersweet as a mom and daughter to know their time together is so limited. The time we do spend together is all the more precious.

riparian preserve

It has been just beautiful out so, we have been trying to get outdoors and explore. On Tuesday afternoon we headed to the Riparian Institute Preserve with some friends.  It was a great walk with lots of wildlife sightings: birds, ducks, fish, dogs and a turtle. 

The boys climbed trees and had such fun playing in a little creek.

There was a little amphitheater and Ethan and Nathan put on a dance party show. 

It was a really nice afternoon, the boys were quite intrigued by the people fishing around the lake.  One of these days we need to get them some fishing poles and try it out.  Neither Bert nor I have ever really fished so, I bet it would be an interesting and silly experience.

enchanted island winter fun

Enchanted Island in Phoenix was having a winter wonderland event this weekend.  It is a cute park with kiddie amusement rides.  The boys always have a good time when we go. This weekend for winter fun they had a snow mound and some snow tubing! Fun!

 

 

 

 

Ethan on the snow slide

Hudson on the snow slide

Nannie went tubing down the snow slide too!

polar express and grandpa's visit

This month, Grandpa came to visit! The boys were so happy he was here.  It has been awhile since they have seen him.  Although we were sick in one way or another while he was here, we made the best of it.

Excitement building for the train!

Waving to Santa at the "North Pole"

Grandpa most of the trip, he wasn't feeling very well.

Reindeer bells from Santa!

Grandpa brought with him the best gift ever, a recordable Christmas book from Hallmark. Grandma, Grandpa, and my sisters all read a page of the book to the boys.  Brilliant!

It was so fun to hear each of their voices and to watch the boys listen and pick out each person reading to them.  They really loved it. Really a cool idea for family members far away to connect.

santa sightings!

We have been seeing Santa all around town!  HO, HO, HO

At Bass Pro Shop

At Ethan's Elementary School

At Polar Express

At our community's Breakfast with Santa