The Children's Hands on Museum

We decided to take the kids to the Children's Museum last Friday. I had bought a Groupon last summer for our family to go thinking of course we'd go last year sometime. Well the thing was about to expire in June so Bryce took a day off, we took the kids out of school and away we went.

So lucky to get a pretty sunny, nice day in Seattle! It was so much fun and I am SO glad we went.


Kelsi found the little store and could have happily played here for hours. It was way cute with a grocery store set up, kid-sized carts, aisles with food, freezers with dairy, produce, and then 2 little checkout lanes with touch screens for "cashiering."

You can see Kelsi playing cashier here, she was in her element. Lately she wants to do everything to "be a mom like you" (said to me constantly). But it is way cute.

Here are the boys playing at a water gadget place. Push the buttons, spin the dial, water flows at different angles. They really loved everything. Colton was so good, we got him out and he ran around most of the time and loved it.

Guess who took this picture? I asked Kels to take a picture of Colton and me. She always moves too soon, but still a pretty cute picture.

Love this pic of the kids! Here are the 3 Little Bears' chairs. I thought our 3 little kids looked pretty darn cute in them.

After all of the fun we stopped for a little lunch and then walked around outside for awhile just enjoying the day and all of the fun/crazy things to see on the Space Needle campus. I think that will have to be a destination point for us this summer. Brody is crazy to get up the Space Needle. I'm with ya on that bud.

Centennial Carnival and Zoo fun

We love going to the Centennial school carnival. This year was a Hawaii theme. So cute and fun! Too bad it practically got rained out. It poured 3 out of the 4 hours of the carnival. Luckily there were tons of games and booths and food inside the school. But so sad because we love the pony rides each year and there was no way we were venturing outside for those babies.

Here are a few pictures of Bryce and I with the kids. Where is Brody you ask? Seriously, the second we hit the school he saw a friend and begged permission to take off. Well, you know how this story ends. We saw him when he ran out of money. Crazy :)

This last week Kelsi's preschool took all of the kids for their annual zoo day. Of course all the moms went too, because who wants to miss the zoo?! We had a great time despite NASTY and WET weather. What is up with Washington this spring? I love this picture. I was trying to get a sweet pic with my girl when I noticed her little friend, Jamison, edging his way ever closer to us. He and Kels are little buddies.

Here are Kelsi with two friends, Olivia and Jamison in front of the shark tank, always a favorite. It was fun to connect with some of the other moms and their kids while we walked around the zoo. I finally got to talk with some of the women I've been passing on the preschool sidewalk all year during pick ups and drop offs. Seriously, they should have this zoo trip at the beginning of the year so we can all get to know each other!

Hello big fish! Bigger than Kels's head. Sweet. I love the zoo, but the aquarium is by far my favorite and I wish the exhibit was bigger. I think the kids loved it too.

Mother's Day

I love Mother's Day and wow, have I had a wonderful day. Bryce took care of the kids all morning, fed them, got the ready for church and out to the car in time for church. The kids sang a beautiful mother's day song (alright, the cat was already out of the bag since yours truly is the primary pianist, but it still was beautiful). Linda came to our ward this morning and she and I got to sit together in Relief Society and listen to a wonderful lesson.

Then back to our house for tri-tip, roasted veggies, bread, and salad. Yummy dinner, lots of nice cards and love=a perfect day. Here are a few pictures:


My kids and I. They are so sweet and I love them so much. I am so grateful to be a mom. Boy does it test me and stretch me at times (okay, EVERY day), but I am so happy to take this challenge and hopefully complete it like a daughter of God should. Takes a lot of prayer.

Our beautiful family on Mother's Day. I can't tell Bryce how thankful I am that he and I started this together. Every day is special and every day I am aware of how much I have been blessed with. I love them all so dearly.

It has been a truly blessed day and one I will always remember. Not because anything amazing or out of the ordinary happened, but because it was a typical day. A day filled with family, love, and this amazing man by my side.

Busy, busy, busy

Here are a few pictures of the things we've been up to recently:

I am so grateful we put in this swingset last summer. Best decision ever! The kids can be found here almost constantly, rain or shine. Shine is best though.

The first graders at Brody's school went on a fun field trip to Pioneer Farms. It's an old-time farm where kids basically step back into the 1800's and see what life was like. Brody milking a cow. Pretty cool, huh? He LOVED it and wants our family to go back. I think I would be up for that. Give me a hot sunny day sometime this summer and we are there.

Just wanted to take a picture of Brody on his way to school one morning this last week. He is changing so much and looking so much older. I just think he is a darling and am so proud of him.

Speaking of being proud of your kids...isn't this flower bouquet Kelsi made for me exquisite? She thought of this all on her own. Cut out the flowers, painted them, got pipe cleaners and put them through the flowers for centers and stems and put it together. I was super duper impressed by her ingenuity. She is really artsy like that. I know she doesn't get it from me.

I was so impressed by her thoughtful gesture, I wanted her to take a picture of me holding them. Well, my 5 year old may be artsy, but she needs help with her photography. No matter how I told her to stand still and wait for the picture to take completely she didn't. She'd push the button and run over to me with the camera to show me. Every picture was blurry because she moved and most didn't even have me in them. This was one of the best.

It was still totally sweet though :)

Bryce's Birthday Bash

Sitting at Famous Dave's. Bryce and Colton. Boy, this kid was a handful, reaching for crayons, eating chips, wanting more and more BBQ sauce on everything! Even his goldfish crackers. Bryce got the job of handling him...and did awesome. Did I mention what a cool dad he is?!

We are so happy Linda can come with us to so many things. Not only do we just love her and enjoy her company but she is such a great person to be around. The kids just LOVE her. Here they all are waiting so patiently for our food.

A family picture of us on daddy's birthday. I love Famous Dave's too, the best part? The big fireplace, I always request to sit front and center. Luckily they could accomodate us.

Back home and getting ready for cake and ice cream. Look at the yummy red velvet cake. I have to say, Linda out-did herself this time, it was PERFECT!

The kids always love helping Bryce light the candles and then lick them off. Bryce got all of the candles this time, but boy, it was close. We'll have to see if he can pull off next year when he turns 40!

HAPPY 39th BABE!

Happy Birthday Bryce

To my wonderful, amazing husband-HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

I can't wait until you get home today and we can grab our crew and head off to Famous Dave's for your big birthday bash. I know you love good BBQ :) Then home we'll head for your mom's delicious and traditional red velvet birthday cake. I have a great present for you-won't hint! But you'll definitely be getting something you've been wanting.

I hope your day has gone great so far and you will be home soon.

Love you so much,
Kelly

Happy May Day!

Oh what a perfectly lovely May day! How did I let May day slip by this year without putting flowers on someone's doorstep? I remember being a kid and making baskets in school for May day. Does anyone do this anymore? My mom always had us out on May day bringing flowers to people. I have put it on my calendar for NEXT year already. I will remember to teach my kids how lovely May day is. Here are some of my favorite spring flowers, so beautiful.


Daffodils and tulips. The ultimate. I grew up about 1/2 a mile from a bulb farm and the combination of these two flowers in fields and fields, for it seemed miles, is forever etched in my memory. I love tulips and I think daffodils are just the happiest flower ever. Love having them on my kitchen counter all spring!

A definite childhood favorite, the snowball bush. Really I think it's a hydrangea of some sort, but it will always make me think of my lovely and precious Grandma Diane. She had a big snowball tree in the corner of her front yard and she was always out in her yard all spring and summer planting flowers and making her outside absolutely beautiful. Next to the snowball tree in grandma's yard was an equally impressive....

Lilac bush! So my very, very favorite flower and scent from my childhood is the lilac. My mother also had one in our yard that my brother gave her one year for mother's day. For me, these spring flowers are the ultimate flowers and have so many great memories attached to them. I love how you get a scent on the air and immediately it can transport you to another wonderful time in your life.

Hope you all enjoyed your May day!