Nerdy

Last week we went shopping with Aunt Megan for some new glasses. It was a long process because we were trying to be super responsible and find the most economical option.  Of course, she settled on the very first pair she tried on so the hours of nonsense with kiddos along was just for fun.  Haha, yeah... fun.  They really wanted to try some on too, so I snapped a couple pics.  Silly kids.

Tyler tried on probably five pairs, even though I said ONLY ONE, but it was a process to find these blue ones.  He is obsessed with the color blue.

And I guess the kids weren't the only ones playing dress up.  I've been wanting to get a pair of glasses so badly, just for an accessory to look a little extra smart some days.  I'm sure a day will come that I will laugh that I wanted them just for fun because my eyes might actually wear out on me...  if I remember right, this pair that I loved only cost like $200.  A totally worth while accessory, right?  Oh well.

FHE Pioneer Trek

 Aunt Cassadee planned the coolest Family Home Evening for us tonight.  It was all about the pioneers.

It got the boys so excited for Pioneer Day and helped them gain a tiny idea of what it was like for the pioneer children along their journey.  She really went above and beyond... had maps for each kid as they went on their own little trek (Tyler calls it the Pioneer Trick) and an activity at each stop.  They learned about their chores, games, dangers, and more.  Our cousins Dawson and Lexi came over too.

I love how excited Tyler is right here!

Pretty girl we found along the way...

They heard many touching stories about the ways the pioneers were tested and protected along their journey and got their own special souvenirs like rubber snakes and dream catchers and they made their own pioneer toys too!

They even helped plant some vegetables in Grandma's garden.  It's gonna be fun to see what comes of that!

Because I Had To Tell Somebody

I sat down to do bills (which I hate!!), flipped through the stack of mail, and got distracted by a Container Store catalog.  So I dreamed of what my house would be like all organized and stuff so I had to share the excitement on Facebook.  Once I had done that, the computer was on right in front of my face so I checked my blog to see if there were any comments waiting for me.  I love comments on my blog.  From there I HAD to see what my pals were up to on their blogs.  So I read about vacations and new houses and thought about all the things I could buy online (my mind sure can wander when bills are what I'm supposed to be doing).  Then I was sad that I have a stack of bills to take care of... seriously hate this job... and so I thought I'd blog about it instead of be productive.  

But happy Wednesday!

...in spite of the bills...

Discovery Gateway

We went up to northern Utah earlier this week for a quick trip and stayed with Grandma & Grandpa Goettsche.  While we were there, Grandma treated us to something we've talked about doing with her for a long time... we went to Discovery Gateway!  I remember going to a museum like this with my cousins in Las Vegas when we were kids so I've been dying to get the boys to a discovery museum for a little while.  It was nice that Megan had to go up and back in a short time so she "needed" company on her drive.  It was kind of a bummer that Daddy had to work, but he was so super busy that we wouldn't have seen him at home either, so it was perfect timing.  I snapped a thousand pictures on my phone, not really a thousand but a LOT, because carrying around a baby and a big camera can be cumbersome.  Anyway... I think I captured tons of the fun.  Now for all the pics.

My cute little workers...

This was really the only part they stayed right together while we played in Kid's Eye View.

Tyler was so excited about this little piano.  He was so excited about everything, really.

Marshall loved doing all the grown up things.  He went right to work putting all of the food and groceries away that were making an enormous mess all over the kitchen floor.

They loved shopping in the market.

The water table was a big hit.

I was very proud of Marshall on the rock wall.  Often times he is a lot like me and timid when it comes to things that might be dangerous.  I hate that I can be too cautious sometimes and I want him to be confident in new and challenging situations, so it makes me so happy when he jumps right into something like this without hesitation. I'm sure his future will be full of plenty of "dumb ideas" that will be quite dangerous, but it's the confidence he is building in moments like these that I'm so excited about.  He went right up to the top with little trouble.  He's a tough little guy!

Tyler played in the farm area the longest!  

I think he could have stayed there half the day if I would have let him.

Farmer Tyler turned animal for a little while.  I forgot how much he loved the animal dress ups.  

So maybe he would have enjoyed the entire day there in the farm!

 After Kid's Eye View we headed upstairs to the other exhibits.  

The life flight helicopter was so cool for them.

Marshall really enjoyed the news station too!  He gave a weather forecast ("It's a very good day, except for the weather.") and played a ton in front of the green screen narrating various nonsense.  He was so cute the way he spoke so clearly and "professionally."

I think Marshall could have spent most of his day building stuff!  He loved every type of block and magnet stuff he could find.  It made me sad to pull him away from all of this.  Here's the proud architect.

And his apprentice.  :)

Tyler needed me to take lots of pictures of his house.

We finished off our fun day with Grandma at the pool in Tooele and ice cream cones from Macey's.  

We were spoiled for sure!  Maybe we can figure out how to get up there more often!

God Bless This Great Nation

I love this time of year... it's great to reflect on the blessing it is to live where we do.  It makes me sad to see and hear so many things that make our country less than it used to be, but over all, we are very blessed and I'm grateful for it.  

Obviously, the thing I'm most thankful for in life is my family... these sweet kids of mine.  There are a lot of things I could do without in life, even though I wouldn't want to.  I've wondered a time or two if our family would ever find themselves without the freedoms we enjoy now and I've decided if that was how it had to be, we could survive.  But I would never want to make due without my kiddos.  

I'm often reminded of what a daunting task I have ahead of me to teach and guide them so they grow up to be intelligent, caring, unselfish adults.  When I think of the issues in government or society in general, I worry even more.  But if nothing else I will try my best to teach them the value of a free country that was founded on the concept of liberty and faith in God.  Here are a few quotes on the matter that spoke to me and a few pictures of my darling children.

"The heart of patriotism lies in attitudes that are rooted in family relationships, for the family unit undergoes most of the stresses which test the larger societies that make up a nation.  The qualities that distinguish patriotism are all of the "homely" variety: respect, integrity, loyalty, self-sacrifice, considerations, fairness, appreciation, and devotion.  No exhortation to respect his country's flag can mean much to the youngster whose casual, permissive upbringing has left him with little respect for anything.  And the child who equates freedom with indulgence may never understand the consideration for others that is fundamental to a workable democracy."

-Robert K. Thomas & Shirley Wilkes Thomas
(you can find the entire article here)

"Freedom is not something that anybody can be given.  Freedom is something people take, and people are as free as they want to be."

-James Baldwin

 "What light is to the eyes, what air is to the lungs, what love is to the heart, liberty is to the soul of men."

-Robert Green Ingersoll

"Children should be educated and instructed in the principles of freedom."

-John Adams

"Someday, the realm of liberty and justice will encompass the planet.  Freedom is not just the birthright of the few, it is the God-given right of all His children, in every country.  It won't come by conquest.  It will come, because freedom is right and freedom works.  It will come, because cooperation and good will among free people will carry the day."

-Ronald Reagan

God bless the USA and God bless these little ones.  Our future needs them to be strong and bright.