Obviously I've been slacking on my posts lately!!!

I've been so busy with playgroups, walking and playing outside in the beautiful weather and some new projects (which I will post about as soon as I can!)

Visit from family

Here's what we did when my Aunt Donna, cousins Josh and Megan and my mom were here

(March 14-31)

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Shoshone Falls

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One of the first things we did was go to Shoshone Falls, about 5 miles from where we live (isn't that amazing!?). I've been wanting to go there for like 6 years now but just never have! Right now there isn't very much water running over the falls but we'll go back in a couple of weeks and it should be gushing!!!

The falls are nicknamed

"The Niagra of the West"

as they are very impressive when the water is high and they are actually taller than Niagra!!!

Megan and Josh standing on the look-out deck (it's really impressive in person!)

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Dierkes Lake
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Above Shoshone Falls there is a park and lake- Dierkes Lake. I'm glad that it is there if I get desperate for swimming but unless they fill in the beach area with new sand every year I don't think it's a place I would bring my kids to play and swim! The water was very clear (and cold!)

Josh and I had some fun at the Lake taking a silly picture and a nice profile

The park was fun to play on:
As you can see, you don't have to be a kid to "monkey around!"
My mom is always keeping up with the younger crowd!

Olivia didn't let her age stop her either! (no, she didn't actually go down the slide!)




Grammie Morgan and Livy




Josh, Megan and Brady behind bars!





Up close and personal with Miss Livy!!!

She got lots of snuggles from Aunty Donna!

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We enjoyed the gorgeous weather almost everyday by going for
walks along the canyon:

Sisters- my mom and "Aunty Donn Donn"

Megan was a big helper...

Tubby time!!! Miss Megs and Miss Livy




When Donna and my cousins left we had another
great week with my mom:

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The Twin Falls

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These falls are about 1 mile upriver from Shoshone Falls. It's really quite a shame because these are the falls that the city of Twin Fall is named after. In the mid-1900's the city constructed a dam to aid in irrigation and by doing so, they permanently blocked one of the falls. You can see in orginal photos that there were two identical falls here (the other was to the right, just out of the view of my camera in this picture).

To view an original photo click HERE

After viewing the falls we had fun playing at the park and exploring the trails. I also took some pictures, so don't mind my attempts at photography!

It was nice to be able to have some time outside with Chris because he's usually working when we're out playing!

My mom took this great picture of Brady

Brady insisted on wearing a bandana because I was and he loves nature so he thought that it was pretty awesome to find this bird's nest!

We found a neat path and decided to follow it (feeling like we were amidst an enchanted forest!)

This is what the path led to - a little waterfall!! It was really cool!

The dam at Twin Falls

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F.H.E. Lesson -

Listening and Obeying Keeps Us Protected!!!

This lesson was fun to give to Brady about an important reason why we need to listen and obey, especially to our parents!! I gave the lesson and then for the activity he had to reach into a bag and pull out objects and tell us how those objects would protect him if he used them right.

Here he is sporting all of the objects:

Sunglasses, sunscreen (in his pocket), a winter hat, winter gloves, chapstick and a band-aid!

He thought that it was pretty cool and the best thing? He still tells me everyday that he is doing better at listening because of our Family Home Evening lesson! (and he has!)

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Gifts from my mom:

I didn't catch pictures of Brady but my mom gave him a funny little ball that has a weasel attached to it and it rolls around and flips over. We thought Olivia would think it was funny but she was actually scared of it at first. At home we played with one of these one time and our dog, Captain went crazy! She also gave him a puzzle, a huge lollipop and some other cute little things.

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Olivia got a princess hat, a pretty pink dress and a cute outfit for the summer.

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She thought the tissue paper was the best though!

Walk along the Canyon by the Perinne Bridge:

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One of the days we went for a random drive along the canyon just checking out the area and we decided to stop at the plaza where Michael's is. They have a viewing area for the canyon there and this monument which is really beautiful and carved out of Lava rock.

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New BLOG - "Little Treasures"

For anyone who doesn't know, Chris and I have been looking into the possibility of opening our own Home Consignment Store sometime within the next year or so. He would stay with Enterprise and I would work the store with a few employees. Anyhow, in the meantime, before we can start the store I thought I would try an online blog to sell home goods and decor.

Check it out if you like!

http://LittleTreasuresStore.blogspot.com

Happy (Late) St. Patrick's Day!

Growing up in the east there are a lot of people with Irish roots

(myself included) so St. Patty's day as we call it is a big holiday.

Most people get "soused" on some good Guiness along with

making traditional Irish dinners, wearing green and playing

tricks on each other that they blame on those naughty leprechauns!

When I was little in Elementary School our teachers would

always make up these little mischevious schemes like having

little leprechaun footprints all over the classroom, which led to

the blaming of missing belongings and a messed up room.

One teacher even went so far as to make us believe that there was

a leprechaun actually living inside the classroom walls!!!

.

She had some music rigged to play in the wall and everything!

I remember thinking that it was all so magical so I try to make it

a fun holiday for my kids every year with some traditional

and non-traditional fun!

This year we didn't get to do as much as I had wanted. The cake

that I tried to make was too dry (I overfilled the cake pans) so it

wasn't going to hold up for frosting to make the rainbow. I had

also planned on making some shamrock cookies I just got too tired!

.

Here's what we did do! (we of course wore green!)

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I treated Brady and my two cousins, Megan and Josh who were

visiting to a GREEN eggs and ham breakfast with a side of

green juice (food-colored orange juice!)

.

Josh (who is 18) even thought that it was quite good although

he did ask if it was edible when I slid it infront of him!

(yeah, the eggs do look a bit sketchy! Next year I'll do scrambled!)

.

Brady LOVES to rip/cut paper and paste so I thought that this

next activity would be PERFECT for him...however, as things

often go, he was completely bored with this and only finished

a little section (hence there is no picture from Brady!)

Megan did a GREAT job on her rainbow art and LOVED it!

She even got extra creative and made a pot of gold!

We had a fun treasure hunt later. I made up some clues and

hid gold coins all over the apartment complex for the kids to find!

They caught onto the clues much faster than I thought and had

so much fun that we had to re-hide the coins two more times

for them to continue to game!

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For dinner I made Corned Beef and Cabbage with boiled potatoes

and carrots. This is your basic Irish traditional meal and I like it

but I don't think the corned beef is as good as it would be over

in Ireland. It's quite rubbery and I think next year I'll try either

Mulligan or Lamb Stew. I also have a friend Nels who served his

mission in Ireland so I'll ask him about some traditional meals.

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I also made some Irish Soda Bread with golden raisins,

called "spotted dog" or "spotted dick" interestingly enough!

I liked the addition of raisins but thought that some craisins

and almonds might be good too, although not traditional.

Also, this bread is very plain and I thought it would be much

tastier with some cinnamon mixed into the batter.

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Walk with the kids at the Snake River Canyon

We are really enjoying our new apartment here in Twin Falls.

We can see this bridge, the Perinne Bridge from our apartment

balcony and we are just across the road from the Canyon Rim

Trail where I go walking with the kids almost every morning!

I'm actually really enjoying the desert landscape here.

It's very different from the east coast and aside from everything

being flat in all directions for miles and miles I love the canyon,

the grasses, the dry rock beds, and even the sage brush

(I can't believe I'm saying that!)

It will be nice when everything starts to get green and liven up-

right now the pictures really don't show how breath-taking the

canyon is because the colors don't show up on camera.

BRADY: "Why don't we live in Maine by the ocean anymore?"

ME: "Because now we live in Idaho and we are in the desert!"

BRADY: "Well, I don't like the desert!"

...about 5 minutes later....

BRADY: (running along the trail)

"I'm having so much fun in the desert!"

From the trail we can also see the Perinne Coulee waterfall where

Chris proposed to me on October 20, 2002 (his mom's b-day!)

Right now there isn't very much water running over the cliff but

in the spring and summer there is much more. When it's running

full you can walk in behind the falls and get all drenched!

All along the canyon trail there are these lookout points that

provide great views and camera opportunities!

Brady LOVES running out onto these

(he's apparently NOT afraid of heights!!!)

Here's my two little crazy kids- aren't they so cute!?

Brady can always make Olivia laugh!

And here is the...

"MOST HUGEST"

TUMBLEWEED IN THE WORLD!!!

(Yeah, we're DEFINATELY not in Maine anymore

when we see a bunch of these rolling around!)

My Little Baby isn't so little anymore!!!!

8 MONTHS OLD

Olivia is a sweet baby and makes us laugh all the time!!! She has already taken on some of her dad's ways...here she is sleeping on the chair with her feet up!

In the last month she has learned how to stand up and loves to wake up in the morning and stand up talking at me to come in and get her! Usually I say "Hiiiiiiiiiii Baby!!!" and then she'll say "Hiiiiiiiiiii" back!

Here she is very proud of herself for standing up for the very first time!!! She was just over 7 months when she did this and now she is 8 months tomorrow and does it all the time. She has very good balance, loves to crawl really fast and either sit on her bum or her knees when she's playing!





Our little bookworm!!!