Weekend in Boise

Aaron and the kids fishing with a net in the Boise river

We had a fun weekend up in Boise from July 8-10th.   Saturday morning we headed over to the MK Nature Center where they have many different kinds of fish in big ponds with viewing windows.  (I got a picture of a 7-ft sturgeon which was really cool!)  We walked around and enjoyed the beautiful walkways and ponds.   We also got to go with a guide to wade in the Boise river and try to catch little fish and different kinds of flies in a mesh net.  This was an adventure for sure!

Heidi has had enough adventure and
wants her daddy

Erika making a fish painting

Listening to our guide talk about the
different critters that live in the Boise river

Fun at the MK Nature Center

A fun picture of Erika and Kyle in mid-air

We had a nice picnic at the park (I love the parks in Boise) and the kids played for awhile.  Then, we went back to the apartment and after the men had a round of golf, we had a fun time swimming in the pool.   It was great to spend some time with grandma and grandpa.

4th of July in Sandy

We had a fun-packed weekend celebrating the 4th of July down in Sandy.   On Friday we headed up to Silver Lake and enjoyed fishing and walking around the lake where we watched little chipmunks play all around.   It was so beautiful!  

It is amazing how much Kyle loves to fish.     He  has been exposed to it a lot, but I also think he was just born with it.  He talks about it nonstop and is definitely not afraid to pick one up with his bare hands!  Don't you love the big hat with his ears poking out?  

 The highlight for me, of course, was watching Erika and Kyle ride in the neighborhood parade on Saturday morning.  This was a tradition I enjoyed when I was younger, too.  My dad bought a bunch of fun hats and even put some on the horses!  The kids also had fun riding around after it was over.   The parade goes all through the neighborhood to the park where there is a program and a big breakfast.   

Notice the "Happy Fourth of July" sign Erika made to tape to the saddle :)

What a sweet daddy!

Aaron was so nice to lead the girls around on the horse even though he gets allergies.    Bless his heart!

Later that day we went swimming in Oma's pool and then to the Living Planet Aquarium.   I never realized growing up how much my mom loves to swim.  We went with our family, but she never really went on her own.   It has been fun to see how excited she is about her pool.  She is like a fish- she can't get enough of it!   The kids had a lot of fun swimming, too.   They took 2 sessions of swimming lessons this summer and this made them a lot more confident.  (Which is also nicer for us.)  Thanks Oma and Opa for a fun weekend!

Butterflies

We had a lot of fun during late May and early June watching the butterflies grow in our "butterfly habitat".   This was a gift for the kids from my mom.    After sending for them, the larvae arrived in a package a few weeks later.  They came in 2 sealed cups that included all the food they needed to survive until they change into butterflies.  We watched the little caterpillars grow bigger and bigger until they finally spun their own cocoons.  Then, they all hung from the top of the cup for about a week and a half.    I had to carefully move them from the cup to the inside of the habitat (which is shown in the picture next to Erika.)  Then, a few days later they each changed into butterflies.    We then fed them pieces of fruit such as pineapple and watermelon.   There were 10 in all but only 3 of them were left when we finally released them into the wild.   I felt bad about this- I should have been more on the ball and let them out sooner.  It was really neat to take them outside and watch them fly away.  It was a fun experience for the kids to watch this process.  I would definitely recommend it to anyone with young kids.

Our darling Boy

Three days old

Here are a few pictures of Jared that I took up until he was two months old.   He is such a cutie and so much fun to have in our home!   The kids all love to touch and hold him.  He is so easy going and good-natured.  We sure love our new little bundle.

Four days old

Two weeks old

One month old- sleeping in my bed

Barely two months old   (As you can see, Jared spends a lot of  time on his boppy)  
He can push himself over it.

Camping in Logan canyon

We found a really cool tree on our hike in Logan canyon

The weekend of June 23-25th, we took a little camping trip up Logan canyon with just our little family.  It was our first trip for the summer and we were all filled with a sense of adventure.  We decided to make it fairly simple, "easy camping" is what we call it.

Erika and Heidi chillin' at camp

We stayed in the Left Fork campground in the canyon which is only a few miles out of town.  It has a small stream near the camp, small enough for the kids to have fun in but not very swift.  The second day we drove into the city and went to Toy Story 3, which was great.  (I have to admit that I cried at the end of the movie and I was looking around to make sure no one was watching.  It was very sentimental.)

Erika and Kyle being silly in the "fort" they made

The baby did pretty well on the trip.  He slept right by me in the tent trailer.  The most challenging one this time was actually Heidi, who tends to run off.   We actually had to put her on a "leash" for a little while when we were setting up camp so she wouldn't run away.  We went on a little hike up on the mountain off the road between Logan and Bear Lake and that was fun.  Overall, it was a success.

Me and baby Jared enjoying the campfire

Kyle playing with his animals

Kyle's preschool graduation

                                                                       Kyle singing the "dinosaur song"

Okay, this summer has been sooo crazy so I am a little behind on the posts.  I still would like to do one post for each event, rather than cram them all into one.  So, I thought if I do one a day for the next week or so (when we're home and not traveling), I will be able to get caught up.  Life is so great and there are so many fun little moments I want to share.  (We have taken almost 900 pictures in the last 3 months, to give you an idea.)  We have had such a fun summer- and only a few more weeks left!

          So, Kyle had his preschool graduation on May 26th.   Technically, he didn't actually "graduate" because I decided to put him into two years of preschool because I thought he could use the extra help.   So, he still has another year of preschool before kindergarten, which will be good for him.   He will be going to a different one, though- the same one Erika went to the year before kindergarten. We couldn't help but laugh at his graduation.  Kyle is such a character.  As we were taking his picture, he made at least a dozen different silly faces.  He keeps life interesting for us.  I am proud of Kyle for all that he learned this year.  He has developed a lot socially, including how to interact better with other kids.   He has also learned  letters, numbers, etc.   I have been trying to have "letter time" with just him and I as often as possible.

Beautiful Saviour