Our trip to the desert...

 When we get the inclination, we like to pile the gang into the van and make a trek out to Utah.

The definition of desert according to Samuel is as stated--
"The Desert is a place where rain hides and the sun never sleeps...and where my cousin Audrey stays."

 

"Why is Utah far, far away?" --Russell

The drive there always reminds me how much I dislike driving for 16 hours. Though, one might ask oneself, what would I enjoy for 16 hours?

but, we do always manage to catch up on some much needed rest. Which is nice before the storm of traveling with children.

 

This trip was truly the beginning of our summer vacation. There was so much fun to have that we had trouble scheduling it all in. 

Here are the highlights:

Bowling

This adventure had great potential and I think most everyone had a good time. 

 Evelyn, on the other hand was done after 1 or 2 bowls. (the picture above was right before her first bowl) I spent the whole time holding her and 'making' her participate(I'm such a nice mother:) 

 Funnily enough, her ornery attitude didn't seem to affect her game

 Swimming 

The boys talked about this one for days.(before&after) We swam at a local rec center that had an amazing children's play area. We're talking lazy river, jungle jim area, 2 really cool slides and more. The one negative part was the 30 minutes we had to wait outside of the pool while the really strong chemicals were dispersing themselves around the poop infested area.

 It's really too bad someone pooped in the pool. 

Ha Ha. 

It wasn't my kids. 

No really, it wasn't.

 Movie Time

 

I've got my popcorn, candy and big fountain drink. This is so great MOM!

 

 

The movie was cute. I enjoyed it even though I had to leave 3 times in the middle of it. Not really sure why we couldn't get together on those potty breaks, but I'm telling ya it never hits at the same time. 

Playing around

Sometimes our unstructured play ended up being the most fun of all. There's nothing better than playing with cousins and enjoying the thrills of summer.

Popsicles:

 Bounce house at Christa-belle's

 Watching movies:

 Bubbles:

Catching Chickens:

Learning chickens don't like watermelon

 

 

Astronaut training

 

and Indoor camp-out's every night

We've since returned home. Sad as we were to leave those we love, we welcomed cool ocean breezes and being home with open arms. 

Our travels home are a blog post in and of itself.

Note:

Tired, or exhausted children = very annoying noises. I won't even try to describe what happens if you add hungry to that equation. That's a live and learn lesson people. 

 I'd like to advise anyone I know to avoid learning it.

Suggestion:

vacation alone.

Just kidding.

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Sometimes...

You're so tired you just can't keep your eyes open...

We've been busy lately.
Mostly having fun.
Most evening's Evie is plumb tuckered out from going, going, going all day!

You may not have noticed(in the video) but she IS wearing a cast on her left arm. PINK. She choose the color herself.
I don't really have an exciting story to tell for how it happened. She just tried to get herself out of her crib, and fell. I didn't even know she had woken up from her nap until I heard the fall. She hardly cried  but I knew something was wrong after I went up to check on the noise. She just lay there, sort of whimpering...so sad. It broke my heart. I looked her over and sure enough I noticed her left arm didn't look 'quite' right. After confirming with Ryan that it was indeed not 'quite' right, I rushed off to the pediatricians office and we were in getting x-ray's before you know it.

 She handled the whole thing better than I did. I managed not to cry at all but teared up when the doctor had to put some pressure on her arm for the splint they put her in.

 Because it had happened so recently(within the hour) they put her in a splint and told us to come back in a week so they could put her in a cast.

 She doesn't let it slow her down.

I never would have thought that my first broken bone incident would be my baby girl:) And she wasn't even jumping on the trampoline! HA!

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I remember 2

Oh yes, I remember 2. That devilish age that always comes slowly and then darts off into terrible before you can catch on to what's happening... Ha Ha Ha! (evil laugh intended)

This little lady is the love of my life. 
Her sweet cheeks beg to be smothered with kisses and those baby blue eyes could melt anyone's heart, let alone her mother's.

I'm constantly catching her in "Kodak" moments. Some times she is being so very naughty, and sometimes she is being so very cute.

 

There was a mascara incident.

 

 Creating her own style

 

Ummmm, there was a butt cream incident. 

Why, the head Evie? 

It took weeks before her hair didn't look gross and oily. Ha Ha. 

 

First braids! Oh how I love that she lets me play hair-do Dolly. 

She is an angel

 

And I adore her.

 

Just don't leave her alone... Ha Ha Ha(another evil laugh intended)

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I bake.

I bake.
Did you know that?
My favorite thing to bake is cake.
Decorating the deliciousness that is cake may well be on my top ten list of favorite things to do.

A pretty & delicious cake is such a wonderful thing in my book. Lucky for me, I've had many opportunities to share my love with others.

Most recently...

Red Velvet Cake with a fluffy cream cheese butter-cream.  

Red Velvet cake via Bakarella

Classic American buttercream via Glorious Treats

 

 Me with the birthday girl.  Love this girl like a sister. So lucky to have found her.(my sisters live too far away:)

 

Moose Crunch Cake 

via Our Best Bites

Birthday Girls!

 Home made apple pie with my very first lattice crust.

Recipe via Our Best Bites(again! I love their cookbook)

 

 My Russell turned 4 this month. He requested an Angry Birds cake.

 I made everything from scratch. 

Except for some of the accessories for the birds. 

The bodies of the birds and pigs are cake balls, dipped in dipping chocolate(white) I colored myself. 

Their eyes are candy eyes you can purchase inexpensively from Wilton. (they carried them at the Walmart here)  I molded the beaks, feathers, crown & mouths(for the pigs) from laffy taffy candies(then dipped them in chocolate if needed) 

The pig noses are the delicious mint M&M's you can buy in a pouch(so good) and I used a food marker to draw on the black dots for the nose.

The white bellies on the red and yellow birds and the tiny eggs in the nest is the only fondant I used.  

The nest is made of crispy Chinese noodles covered in chocolate and molded into a nest before letting harden.

To attach all of the parts to the bodies I used dipping chocolate in the same color as the bird(or pig) it was going on. 

The "wooden" sling shot and structure the pigs sit on is made from kit-kats I welded together with melted chocolate and then let harden.

For the angry eyebrows I tinted a small amount of dipping chocolate black and piped it on.

The cake itself is yummy classic vanilla(at Russell's request)

recipe via Sweetapolita

I used my favorite cream cheese butter-cream frosting to frost the layers and crumb coat and then I tinted it grass green for decorating.

 I always decorate the night before a birthday. It's tradition to wake up to balloons. My favorite moment of Russell's big day--When he came running into my room first thing in the morning to announce, 

"MOM, it's raining balloons!"

Yes, yes it is Russell. Just for you.

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There are so many reasons why I haven't been seen much around this neck of the woods.

Some of those reasons are heart melting.
Some of them are heart wrenching.

Life is so beautiful.
A kaleidoscope of  colors and shapes, experiences and emotions.
I am constantly reminded of change and growth as the wheel of time turns round and round.
It's not always easy, or simple, but it's always, beautiful.

It's so hard to know what I should write.
I've thought about the words I'd like to use, and want to be careful to share only what I desire to remember. Holding in my heart the things I could never forget.

Before I go on I should first say that I no longer have an accessible camera. So I use my phone to record most events and thoughts now.  It's different and not so nice but for now, the positive side is that it's so portable and convenient. Plus, I love me some Instagram! Most of the photos here are taken from there. Want to follow me? look up Galsmiles. I'd love to see your photos too!

Way back when, I went with some lovely ladies to see a musical. It was a lovely night out.

 

Snow on the coast! What a rarity. (yes, that's the bay and the ocean you see in there)

Good friends visit occasionally and it's always a fun time. Miss you Camber!

Combing the low tides for sea creatures is a favorite past time.

 

Sometimes snack time is holiday fun time too.(st. patrick's day)

 

Bedtime snack. A little bread and butter. 

Occasionally Sam desires to paint his own face. The results are always fascinating.

  

The wild life around here are fearless.

We like to venture out to the city in search of adventure, good shopping and yummy pretzels.

 

Portland Zoo

Wooded walks in Portland




We welcome summer in all its glory. Long Days, sunny beaches, and popsicles all day long.

 

A new nephew. Oh so sweet. Oh so loved.

 

My view every night. Sunset over the ocean.

This newest addition to our home. My mother loves me so.

I could keep going. But I think I'll categorize my other photos into individual posts.

It's so hard to catch up when one gets so behind!  I'm sure you might have started wondering just where we were! But worry not.  I may have needed a short break from, well, everything, but I've started missing my journaling. We'll be seeing you more now.

XOXO
Jess

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