Around here we make "green" smoothies. They consist of lots of spinach, a banana, five strawberries, a few ice cubes, a little water, about 2 teaspoons vanilla, and a spoonful of orange juice concentrate (that hides the spinach taste). It is a good way to get your servings of veggies for the day. And by the pictures below, James loves it!
"Ahhh"
"Ohhhh"
"Cheeseee"James likes animals. So do I. Put that together and we jumped at the invitation to go to the Living Planet Aquarium with the Parks a few weeks ago. There were sting rays that we could pet, and we watched the penguins and the octopus being fed. James is at the age that he is getting into going to neat places, and I love it when he says "whoa" when something is big and cool. James really is getting to be more fun the older he gets.
Petting the stingrays
Daddy, James, and Mommy
Cheese faces, looks like the boys are having a good time
James measures up to a penguin
"Whoa" says James as he looks at the neat fishA week after my dad came for a visit, my mom came, or aka, Gramies. We had lots of fun, but most of the pictures were on her camera, and I still need to get those. We had fun playing in the foot of snow that fell, went out to eat, had the Kutterer's over for dinner with Kirstin, spent a day in Provo where we had Tucano's with Kirst and went to the BYU bookstore.
James and Gramies
Cute cousins Tanner and James
Doing a smirk, Kira and James
Kirstin and Mom
Uncle Nate reads Tanner a story, "Puppy Too Small". Actually that is James' favorite bedtime story, and it was classic that these two were really doing this!Growing up in Denver, all of my grandparents were right there. I think that for a while I saw my Papa and Grandma Kitty a few times a week. And I loved it!! I also am close now to my Grams (aka Grandma Kitty, which evolved to Grams over the years), and I attribute it to seeing her lots. She is a great example to me. All of my mom's side also lived closer, and we'd get together for birthday's, holidays, Bronco games. We really loved playing with our cousins. Now I wish that both of our families lived in the same spot, and we could have the same for our kids. We are hoping maybe more of our siblings decide to live in Utah at least, that would be fun. For now, Tanner and Kira are the cousins that live close. And even though they are older than James, I know James (and hope they do too) has fun playing with his cousins.
Anyway, I digress. For Christmas there was this a cheap fare from Denver to SLC, so we jumped on it, and got my parents a ticket each to visit. We told them to pick the times they could come, and we'd make it happen. And, due to work schedules and having 4 doggies at home, they decided to come at different times. That is fun, then James gets one-on-one attention from his Grandpa and Gramies (my parents). In March we are going down to Gilbert to escape the snow and see Nathan's side.
I want to be fair as how we split our time. I love my family, and everytime we go back to Colorado (and more now recently), I miss it. However, I love my in-laws. Actually I see them as my other parents. Who else can say that? I get two mom's and two dad's. I love visiting them too. I don't want one set of grandparents to feel favored over the other. That is why I wish we lived in the same spot, maybe someday?
I digress again. Anyway, my Dad came and visited this last weekend, the first of grandparent visits. Saturday night we sort of threw him into babysitting James while Nathan and I attended a couples activity for church. I don't know if he's watched little kids by himself since we were little. They read books, played with some toys, and watched Ratatouille. Sunday we Kirstin up for the day. That was fun going to church with her. She is so good with James, and when he'd cry, she'd take him out to the hall. Then she, Dad, and I went to look for the Bald Eagles that I saw before. I think most of them were gone, we only saw a few, and it was getting dark, so no pictures :). We went home and had a great dinner then.
Monday we (my Dad, myself, and Jamers) went to the Hill Air Museum. That was really neat, and FrEe!!! James would saw "ooohhh" at the big planes, and would even growl at the planes that had teeth painted on them.
Mommy and James under a plane, I don't remember at all what kind it is, my Dad is good at that
Family around the dinner table
Reading a bedtime story with Grandpa
Happy for the visit, Love you :)
Roses, chocolates, and a wonderful letter with a "surprise" inside, I'm very spoiled
Making Valentines, James loved the "stickies"We have had friend visits lately. It is so much fun though to visit, and to have kids that can play together (or at least next to each other). My favorite is activity to do with friends (and family too) is talking and getting into discussions about all sorts of things. That really is who you grow closer
First was when Tom and Kristie came for a visit, and Lilah took a step! I witnessed it, and so did James! They will be friends I'm sure of it. Anyway, after the kids went to bed we had a great time discussing gospel topics and other life things. How lucky we are to be so close with some great cousins. We stayed up way too late, but it was fun. The next day the girls got to go running, and then the boys.
Lilah and James. She is so cute to see standing by herself, and so little that it doesn't seem possible.
James and Calvin hugging goodbye. These two are pretty close in age, four months apart I think, and they had a ball together.
Oaklee, James, and Calvin. Oaklee is our neighbor and her mom is my running partner. These three were fun together (all about the same age), but I found out what it would be like to have triplets.
James and Quinn, sun in eyes.
"I got you Quinn, this is so much fun, wish mommy and daddy would get one of these"
