4th of July Celebration {2013}

Ryan and Tanner got up at 5 to put out flags in our ward....while I got the rest of us ready for a BIG DAY!

We made it up to Rexburg in record time, partially reclaiming our seats that Grandma saved, but somebody else moved...

While we waited for the parade to start, we played at the park.  The weather was cool, and perfect, and the kids were excited to get some energy out.

Afterwards, we headed back to the house for a fabulously simple meal of Pizza Hut and salad and watermelon....seriously, best idea ever!

After naps, we broke out the slip-n-slide....and quite honestly, I'm surprised this loved slide is still holding it together....our kids have been pretty rough on it!

We finished up our day with some day-time fire works, which the kids LOVED!

 We even stuck it out in a 5 minute down-pour....lovely Idaho weather!

By the time we got home it was about 7 pm...we were all exhausted.  Ryan gathered up a few remaining flags, and we all hit the sack...I'm certain we were all sound asleep before 10 pm...we totally skipped out on the Melaleuca Freedom Celebration fireworks, but were sure to thank our Heavenly Father for such a beautiful day, and the many blessings we have been given, including our freedom.

Happy Independence Day!

{Celebration} of Freedom

We were supposed to go to the Stadium of Fire with my family for Clay's Eagle & a family reunion, but because I could have this baby any day, we decided to forgo his birth in the car on I-15 (I had a nightmare about this a few months ago) and ended up in Rexburg with Ryan's family...A quick (ha, ha!) run-down of our celebrations:

We went to the parade and almost froze!  Actually, I thought it felt quite nice, but I have a little oven...as you can see, everyone else was a bit chilled.

The boys made a haul on candy...those are GALLON bags, filled with candy and tooth brushes.  Score!

After an indoor picnic, we braved the outdoors to play some ball, jump on the tramp, and mow the lawn.  It was a very nice afternoon, with a light breeze in the 60's, and beautiful sunshine and shade. 

These next five pictures are probably my favorite from the entire day...Brotherly Love, I tell ya!

...and he's down!

So the boys were pretty well behaved at Grandma and Grandpa Poulsen's house...for TWELVE hours!!!  Ryan and I were pleasantly surprised. 

We left about 9:00 pm after baths and changing into jammies, where the boys argued almost the entire way home over whether or not they could or couldn't see the fireworks from the car...Reminded me of the Fourth's we celebrated as kids...we'd leave to see the fireworks, and before we could get out of the driveway, we'd turn around and stay home because we were arguing, pinching, fighting, kicking, on, and on, and on...  Well, that's the way it went most years. 

By the time we got back to Idaho Falls, the Melaleuca Firework Show was well underway...we snaked our way around closed roads, and ended up a few blocks from our house in a parking lot, where Ryan pulled over so we could see the fireworks...and I think it was the best view!!!  We enjoyed 30 minutes of the show and then headed home to bed.

I am truly thankful for the freedoms we enjoy, even if our government seems to be falling apart. We spent Sunday worshiping at church, and there's no doubt in my mind, that my God made it possible for us to have the freedom to worship Him.  We are very blessed, and I am ever grateful for those soldiers who have fought for these freedoms...past, present, and future.

Happy Independence Day!!!

Snow Day

For the past two years, Ryan's parents have been snowbirds...they live in Rexburg in the cool months from April-October, and live in St. George in the freezing months, from November-March.  It's a fun time for them, and us!

While they're garage sale-ing, working at the St. George Temple, golfing and enjoying sunshine, we occasionally check on the cat, Tink, shovel some snow, or take mail from the wet mailbox into the kitchen counter.  Usually we're really good about going up weekly, but since they have a tenant living in their basement apartment, we've gone up, oh, three times this winter.

We made an appointment with our accountant (yeah, it's just easier and worth the money to pay the guy to do it right the first time) for Saturday morning and planned to stay and play in a yard covered in 20 inches of snow.  I kid you not.  I can't fit into my snowpants, so just wore my snowboots, and had snow inside them.  It was DEEP!

It took intensive labor on Ryan's part to make a path for us to walk back up the hill in the back yard.

We forgot our sleds, so we used the kiddie pools to have some fun.  Pools aren't only for summer pool parties, you know!

Afterward we got REALLY ambitious and made a path for the mailman through the snow (as seen on the Left of the picture) and built a friendly snowman that lasted until the moment a four-year-old boy found the avalanche shovel and took the poor snowman's knees out from under him.

Another curious two-year-old found too much fun at the bottom of the driveway in a puddle of slush.  He examined the two foot puddle over the course of 20 minutes and enjoyed every moment of it!  Needless to say, he was soaked.  And I was soaked after hauling him into the house to change.  The boy was drip. ping. And that is a mouth full of spring run-off, if you will, in our son's mouth.  Yeah. 

I've really enjoyed this winter and all the fun snow days we've had.  Our boys are at such a fun age.  It's not too much hassle to get them dressed up and shoved out the door to have some fun.  And the joy I see on their faces is priceless.  They make me laugh.  They fill my heart with gratitude.  They are little boys, and I never want them to grow up.  Well, some days I do.  But days like this make me want to keep them little forever.

Happy Birthday to youuuu....

You live in a zooooooo!

Today marks many moons... it was my dear husband's birthday...and as usual, it sneek'ed up on us!  Because of the craziness all around us, we decided to just take it easy.

We headed to Rexburg to check on his parents' cat, because they're wintering in St. George, Utah.  This cat is on the verge of death, yet it just. wont. die.  We ended up buying a new heated water bowel so its water wouldn't freeze (don't worry, there are also kind neighbors checking up on Tink (yes, HIS name is Tinkerbell.  Don't ask.  I don't know.).

After errands, we thought we'd take the boys to Christmas Tree Lane up on campus, and lo and behold, all there was, were rows of undecorated pine trees.  Seemed pretty un-Christmas-Tree-Lane-like if you ask me.

Ended up getting blue cookie monster cupcakes (at like...geee...9:45 in the morning) and a cinnamon roll and spinach bagel.  We obviously enjoyed our treats.  We had also forgotten what the wind chill does to the already negative temperature up there...we parked almost three blocks away, and I thought I was going to have to drag dead children into the building to thaw.  We'd cut through buildings, and Tanner started breaking down as we left each building.  Yeah...it was that bitterly cold.  So glad we're done with school up there!

The new additions of campus were pretty nifty...they've done a lot in the last 4 years...wow!  We're getting old.

Anyways, back to Ryan's splendid day:  We got a sitter for the evening and were able to attend Ward Temple Night, and it was simply wonderful.  Even though our Christmas Tree tipped over while we were gone (no boys involved) and broke a few ornaments (next year I'm going cheap and buying the 'un-crushable' ornaments.  I hear they're...un-crushable.

And ended the night with the movie "Four Christmases".  Pretty dumb movie, but whatever.

So, here's to you, babe....

Maybe next year you'll have a bit of a better day, and maybe we'll have a bit of more money to budget for birthday fun.  :) 

____________

I love you for who you are and for the wonderful father you are to our children.  You are so patient, kind, and loving, and very hard working.  I know you want the best for our family, and finishing your master's program this spring will bring you one step closer to your dreams!  Thank you for having such a strong testimony of the gospel, and for standing for everything good and righteous.  I love you Ryan!  

XOXO, 

Me  ♥