Natural Curiosity...

 The brand new Museum of Natural Curiosity recently opened at Thanksgiving Point. It's pretty awesome and can entertain our kids for hours! I'm looking forward to many trips there since we bought a season pass!

Did you ever wonder what it would feel like to be in a tornado? I'm sure it doesn't feel like a cool mist, but it's fun to play around with this "tornado" anyway!

There are so many tubes and pipes to make your own water tunnels here. Every kid was soaking wet whether they wore a vest or not. How heavenly for Blaze...he LOVES water!

"RRRR me matey!"

Paul isn't too old to "clown around" yet! We had some good laughs dressing Paul up and encouraging him to dance on the stage to clown music. I've got some great footage of the clown dancing for his wedding luncheon someday:)

There is a rain forest exhibit that is just like a humongous jungle gym...not doubt the kids favorite part. This is like a giant pogo stick, and I must admit, I love to bounce on it!

Awesome zip line!

You can build anything you want out of these blocks made from really dense insulation. We made stairs and a tunnel before other kids came and snatched our blocks.

James was trying to show Jackson how to wear a "lava lava", but Jackson didn't think that was such a great idea.

Uncle Andrew...

 

My addiction! I wish I didn't love baking soooo much...it's too much fun though! Especially birthday cakes! Andrew loves chocolate mousse, so this is chocolate cake with chocolate mousse, hazelnut pirouette cookies, and chocolate covered strawberries. Yum! 

 

The boys love playing in the creek behind their grandparent's house. They make "boats" and float them down the creek and chase them in the hopes of catching up with the flow. It's especially fun to watch Peter and Blaze playing together. They are only 3, and everything in amazing to them. 

 

Little Max seemed to be trying to make it down the stairs to join in the fun too. Once again, I see this picture and I just want to squeeze his guts! Cache was on the go...it's fun to see that he's got his dad's personality! Life of the party he is :)

 

This shot would make a precious painting.

 

The birthday boy...31 years old!

 

I was taking this picture with the self timer on my camera, and I just about broke my hip trying to jump back into the picture. Not really, but I did ram my hip bone into one of those metal chair tops and it barely broke the skin and is turning into a disgusting bruise. 

 

I made it in the shot this time, but what was the point? James jumped in front of my face at the last minute. Oh well!

 

Great Gran Perkins!

 

Paul picked out one of Uncle Andrew's presents and the boys COULD NOT WAIT for him to open it! It was a perfect idea because Andrew LOVES animals, and he has a really funky decorated home right now. He was pretty surprised and (acted) delighted to see his new Betta fish! 

 

I just love to see him interacting with the kids! He just really relates. Each of our kids drew Andrew a card. Alanna picked out some Whoppers candy for him because Andrew once bought her Whoppers and she loved them. Smart thinking Alanna!

 

Blaze took it upon himself to open Andrew's presents for him. In one package he got several bottles of art paint, and Blaze was ready to open it up right away and get to work. HaHa! I can't even imagine the mess that kids could make with a bottle of paint!

 

The first feeding of the fish...each kid got one tiny pellet. Oh the excitement! What a great party we had. Caleb made empanadas like the ones he ate on his mission to Argentina, we had a great time playing with all of the kiddos, and everyone left in a semi coma from the decadent cake :)

Alanna's Unusual Pet...

 Hallelujah! We've made it past our last Kindergarten Unusual Pet Show! Hooray! I'm not a fan of this project, and thank goodness Blaze isn't going to this school for Kindergarten. The project is to have the kids combine two animals to come up with an unusual pet. My problem is that I HATE crafts, and I just let my kids go for it...like they should. And they have fun and are proud of their creation, until they get to school. Then they see projects that other mom's do for their kids, which, of course, are not at a Kindergarten level! And my kids don't understand and feel badly that they don't have a near perfect looking unusual pet! But what is the point of mom doing the project?

Anyhow, Alanna decided to make a Buttermingo (butterfly + flamingo), and her name is Diamond. Diamond is her go to name for all of her dolls and art work lately. We looked on line and got a few ideas of how to mix the two creatures together, and then she went to work. I think it turned out really cute...and I love the picture she drew of herself by Diamond. That's how Alanna always draws hair, so cute!

Stew & Alissa's Wedding!

 

May 3, 2014. Draper, UT Temple

 

Very beautiful, but very windy day! Lots of cousins trying to be good for pictures!

 

Grandma Leslie and Grandpa Joe

 

James's siblings, minus Dan who couldn't make it

 

Grandma Ce-Ce and Poppy

 

Alanna got to pick out her dress, shoes, accessories. She was so proud of her outfit.

 

Blaze kept up with his siblings running around the grounds. Really not appropriate temple behavior, but who could stop them!

 

Mr Photogenic!

 

The wind was so strong it threatened to push them off of the wall

 

The luncheon was at Tuscany...beautiful setting! The kids loved blowing bubbles and putting together puzzle pictures of the couple of honor.

 

I love this cake! So elegant!

 

This is what it's all about for the Williamson boys! They were equipped with a noise maker for the exhaust, Vaseline for the door handles, rocks in the hub caps, etc. etc. It just gets worse and worse as each brother gets married :)

 

The kids threw beach balls at the happy couple as they made their grand exit off to their honeymoon!