The Zoo

Jax and I have zoo passes, but hardly used them this summer for obvious reasons!  Today we had not a thing on the agenda, and that is a rarity!  So we got home from the gym, changed out clothes, and just the two of us headed out.  I sure love my little guy, have I mentioned that lately? I love when we get to do things just the two of us!

So we started the day with an ice pop-

Then on to the tram ride...we didn't last too long on there...

We hopped off to see the lions and tigers, who because of the cool weather were out and about. Jaxon LOVED IT!!!

 I caved and finally gave into a camel ride. It was a tremendous waste of $8... butsometimes you just have to waste $8 and ride a camel with your 4 year old...which is priceless.

 Lastly we stopped by the monkeys... Insert any number of Monkey jokes here- :o)

I am hoping to get out and about to a lot more fun places with Just me and J. The days are passing too quickly, and sooner than I want to admit, I will be sending him off to school...forever. boo.  The thought makes me cry!

More Minnesota!

  Tuesday morning we got up and went to AM's gym- the YMCA! It is seriously awesome! They had classes running every 15 minutes and several pools that you could swim in with your kids! We took a seriously HARD CORE boot camp class, and by the end, we were drained.  We grabbed the kids and got everyone changed and went for a nice swim...except for the anal lifegaurds who found every single thing Jaxon did to be breaking one rule or another...he's 4 FOR PETE SAKE!
 We got home and had lunch and quiet time, and then walked with the kiddos to a great neighborhood park.  Jaxon loved it (it had sand, sand= Jaxon loves!)  And let the kids just run wild!

They had a great pulley/sand system that Jaxon adored!


Pushing Jaxon- and look Marie- I do have a shirt on after all!!  :o)


Do you think the "flared nostrils while fake smiling for a picture" phase will pass soon?
(good thing he has those gorgeous green eyes to save the picture!)


That's a little better...


We came home and played more in their awesome backyard and cooked hotdogs and marshallows over the fire pit.  The weather was perfect...did I mention that already?


Turns out...Jaxon doesn't like Marshmallows...but don't tell him that...he finds it very offensive!



Happy Marshallow face



Again with the nostrils....


This was later that night.  Jaxon was winding down after a long day and just about ready for bed. Enjoying a short Backyardigans video before turning in!



Wednesday morning the kids had a great time playing outside...and it REALLY was cold enough to need their hats and gloves! They play together great....usually!
Little Miss "Vocabulary of an 8 year old but reasoning skills of the 2 year old that she is" Katie was cracking me up. She kept kept kicking over Jaxons sand bucket.  He came to tell (with her at his heels) and I told him, "Just say, 'no thanks Katie, I don't like that!' and I know she won't do it anymore!"  to which Katie said,
 "OH YES I WILL DO IT AGAIN! I WILL DO IT!"
(At least she's honest...)

See- they can play nicely, and boy are they cute!





Hello Nostrils...


Gorgeous green eyes!




We went to the gym again, and did a pretty lame class with AM's wonderful SIL and had lunch at her house. She made homemade chicken noodle soup and homemade bread- what a lady!!!
  The kids also played at another park, and had a great time pretending this and that-

AnnaMarie tried valiently to have them use their sticks as magic wands instead of guns...



Rolling down the big hill was fun!


When we came home we raked up all the leaves in the front yard, because seriously...could we go to a place with such great leaves, and not get some leaf-pictures? NO!




He's dirty, his face is chapped, but my goodness he had a great time!








Later that night we ate at restuarant called "The Good Earth" everything is all natural and locally grown, and good for you and all that Jazz. I had a delicious grilled veggie sandwhich! YUM YUM!!!

Thursday we just let the kids play out back again, and it was really chilly.  They kept their jackets, hats and gloves on the whole time. It's a shame we had to leave that day, because they really started to enjoy each other! They played outside for a solid 1.5 hours! (these pictures were taken from AnnaMarie's blog, and she took much more time to edit the pictures than I did...so enjoy!)

Thursday afternoon we went downtown to a cute little candystore and walked around a tiny farmers market! We were sad to see our time there end, but I find that it's better to leave wishing you had stayed longer, than to leave wishing you had left a few days earlier!  In the airport when we flew in Jaxon saw this play area and couldn't wait to try it out! It kept us busy as we waited for our slightly delayed flight out of Minnesota!

We had an absolutely perfect time. It was fun, it was relaxing, it was fall, and it was with family!  We already want to go back!  I sure my little traveling companion, he makes my life wonderful!

Minnesota!

Jax and I just returned from a heavenly week in Minnesota.  The weather was Gorgeous (though not as cold as I was hoping/was told/packed for...) and the company was perfect!  Also, since I have Cricket as my cell provider, and they don't have service in Minnesota,  did not make or receive one call the WHOLE TIME, and it was AWESOME!!
  Jaxon is so easy and fun to travel with, it makes these trips so wonderful. 

It would be better if Dave could come on any of them, but I'll take what I can get...plus, Jaxon thinks I'm pretty swell when Dave isn't around...otherwise...I'm chopped liver!
Every trip to Southwest Terminal 4 has to start with Pizza hut...right?


   Tyler (my Bro) and AnnaMarie (my SIL) are always so quick to invite us out and open their home.  It was so great to get to see them. I sure wish they lived closer...but then...who would we visit???
  On Saturday we arrived midafternoon in jeans and long sleeve shirts, with Suitcases full of winter clothes...to 81 degrees and not a cloud in the sky!  If it were 81 here in Phoenix that's actually how we would all be dressed, but there, everyone was wearing shorts and t-shirts basking in the exteme heat! 
    We drove straight to the Mall of America, and boy is it big!  We walked around, ate dinner (I think I got food poisoning from Qdoba) and went to the Aquarium!
Jaxon and Katie at the Aquarium

Looking at the awesome Jellyfish!

The next day was Sunday, so it was super low-key.  We got up and lounged around while the kids played with each other, read books, and played in Tyler and AnnaMarie's A-MAZ-ING backyard!  During Sacrament meeting Katie went to sit with her Nursery teacher, and wonderful older Korean lady.  Jaxon followed suit and went back as well. Katie came back after about 3 minutes, but Jaxon was thoroughly enjoying himself, and stayed with them the whole time!
  We came home, had some quiet time, madee homemade pizzas.  We quickly learned that Jaxon and katie are VERY MUCH ALIKE..and that can make for the best of friends...or some serious shouting matches! They love each other, and push each other's buttons!


Monday we went to Ammodt's Apple Orchard. Tyler was less than impressed, but Jaxon still talks about it and says it was his favorite thing.  We walked in the orchard, (not picking season though, boo...) we played on the swings,
Did a hay maze-

Looked at the single goat in the petting zoo..( and by petting, I assume they mean through the fence...)

Rode in the tractor ring-





and watched some bees making honey (I assume...)


And then...the very best! We went into their apple Bakery! Jaxon got two free apple donuts because he told them he came all the way from Arizona to come to their apple "portrait". And boy does that kid love Donuts (Just like his grandpa!)

  Then we ate our packed lunch in a converted Apple barn which the kids thought was pretty snazzy, and tyler thought was pretty sneezy!  After that we went to pick out an apple treat- of all the treats- candy apple, caramel apple, Apple pie, Apple Crisp, Apple ice cream, Apple/honey taffy.... Jaxon chose...another donut!  (Did I mention he loves donuts?) I had a delicious piece of apple pie!

We took a few pictures outside and off we went-




Monday night we roasted hotdogs and marshmellows around their firepit, and kicked the soccer ball around in the gorgeous fall weather! It was the PERFECT FALL DAY!!!


Blogger is being absolutely ridiculous and won't let me upload any pictures straight into the blog, because it says they aren't Jpegs...WHICH THEY ARE! Im having to upload them all through photobucket and it is taking FOREVER!!! So this post, is TO BE CONTINUED!!!

All the things I love About Jaxon...

...and don't want to forget.

~When we get somewhere, he jumps out of the backdoor so he can hurry and open mine. Then, trying to be a gentleman, he takes my hard to help me out of the car, but mostly just ends up pulling and saying, "COME ON MOM!"
~The way he pretends to like candy...but doesn't
~The way he sings at the top of his lungs when he thinks no one is listening...thank Heaven for baby monitors
~How he loves to make new friends...and never learns their names.
~That he is seriously hilarious.  He knows it, and he likes it, but it comes naturally...he's just really funny!
~He has an "audiographic" memory. (I think I just made that word up...) he remembers EVERYTHING he hears, and even if he doesn't understand the meaning, will use it again later, in the correct context.
~He actually hangs his head when he is in trouble...it's endearing...and I think he knows it usually gets him out of trouble too!
~I adore the way he moves! He NEVER walks anywhere! It's always a half run with a few hops and skips for good measure.
~Whenever Dave and I are sitting next to each other, Jaxon wedges himself in the middle.  The other day he said, "Move over! You're squishing me Family!"
~He LOVES To record his voice on our voice recorder, and giggles hysterically when he listens to it back.  He always ALWAYS sings a ridiculous made up song.
~He makes up words to tunes he already knows and sings them to us.
~The way he thinks that age, height, and size should all corrolate correctly.
~ That every night he prays for a "healthy baby" for our family.
~The way he wants to be just like Dave in EVERY way.(they are going to be Mario and Luigi for Halloween)
~He adores his "baby girl" cousins...and just can't leave them alone. He really just doesn't get it that his tackles, hugs, etc. are just too much for them.
Mostly I love that he is mine.  That we get to spend our days together. I've been thinking about this so much lately...how once your kids go to school...you are really no longer their primary influence. They learn from their teachers, they take social cues from thier peers. It is rocking me to my core. I have a new determination to make this next year the best yet.  To take advantage of every second we have together.  I need constant reminders, but living life with Jaxon at the center is seriously heaven on earth. I absolutely adore him.

Cause that's "How We ROLL" ...literally.

For the past 4 years I have had the pleasure of being part of one of the coolest, craziest, most hilarious, most honest, and dearest group of ladies for "Bunco" (even though we don't play) "Girls night In" or "Friday Night Dinner Therapy."  They took me in as a stray,  (they had already been actually playing bunco together for several years), and I am so grateful they did!

 

Friday Night Dinner Therapy goes like this-

1. Husband (or sitter) gets the kids from 6:30 -the wee hours of the morning.

2.  laugh!

3.  Crazy good food without any need to do any crazy set up, clean up, or decorating (unless you are Molly or  Cami, cause that's just how they roll)

4.  laugh!
5.  Activity...or not...
6.  Ask what time it is. Act shocked when it's after 10.
 7.  Laugh or cry... depending on the evening, topics, and who is ovulating.
8.  Dessert and/or several other goodies and/or leftovers (4th meal) come out..
9.   Ask what time it is. Act shocked when it's after midnight.
10.  Laugh (or cry) loudly
11.  Ask what time it is. Act shocked when it's after 2.
12.  Be yourself, be real, and have a fantastic time.
13.  Drag yourself out between 2 and 4..only because you know your kids will be up at 6, and not becuase you actually want to leave.

Just to show you how varied our activies are (But not our hair color...ALL BRUNETTES...just sayin...)

... a few months ago when we went shooting (I shot a 9mm and an AK47 ) and had dinner and dessert around a campfire in the wilderness. Some may say that sounds a little dangerous for 10 women to be out in the wilderness alone...but you would have forgotten that between there there were probably 20 guns!

This Past weekend was a little different...

 This is Marlo...                                                            and this is Marlo's Bus...

This is all of the gorgeous brunettes in front of Marlo's bus...

It's really quite a long story, but one of our group had to make a music video for the company that she works for.  The song was "Party in the USA" by Miley Cyrus, and the theme was "Traveling"
So...

This is just a few of us that took a joy ride, to warm up the bus for the big dance party! 

Yes we are all over 30, and yes, we did hoot and holler out the window at a few very confused pedestrians as we cruised by in the bus. 

It was hotter than heck, and it was AWESOME! Because like I said...That's how we roll!!!

So, I'm trying to do better to update my blog with general life stuff to look back and chuckle at when I'm older. And this is one of those times you just don't want to forget!