Train!

We're getting close to Mitch having to head back to work, and there is still a ton to do, but we're trying to sneak in some fun as well. Some friends from Temple were in town, so we got a chance to see them yesterday. We met up at Liberty Park and we were having so much fun that I totally forgot to take pictures! The park is totally awesome. The kids played in a water element based on the canyons around the area. There was also a small fair with rides, duck ponds and big hills to climb. I did manage to get a picture of all the big kids feeding the ducks. So cute!

After wearing the kids out at the park, we came home for FHE. Earlier that morning, we found a cake pan that made little train shaped cakes. Since Logan and Myra both love trains, we decided to make that our activity and treat.

Here is the engine and coal car, before decorating. Aren't they cute??

The kids had a blast decorating. Logan was really good with the frosting, and Myra applied M&Ms like a pro. Some of them even managed to make it onto the train.

The sprinkles were Logan's favorite. Everything on his end of the train got a liberal dusting.

Here is the finished masterpiece. Once it was done, the kids wouldn't eat it! Although perhaps that was the result of the masses of candy they consumed while building it...

Utah

Aside from the fact that our moving truck is STILL in Texas, we are trying our best to settle in. Since we don't have any furniture or personal belongings, we're mostly trying to stay out of the depressingly empty house. Fortunately, there is a ton to do around here!

Of course, the obvious thing is Temple Square. That temple is BIG.

For reference, here is Myra posing against one of the doors.
We also went to the zoo, which the kids really enjoyed!

There were lots of animals to climb and animatronic dinosaurs all over the place. There is also a train, which Logan LOVED. We'll likely be spending a good bit of time there.

Even the grocery stores here are fun! Logan and Myra were loving the pint sized carts. I enjoyed not having to push the big one.

Even though my kitchen stuff is still in Texas, Myra managed to make brownies.
Of course, a new house and no stuff means a couple of trips to Ikea.

Myra looks ready to crash out on this bed! She was so sweet and when she saw Mitch lay down to check out the mattress, she found a pillow for him and brought an extra for herself.

No trip to Ikea is complete without a stop at the cafe. Myra likes the chocolate cake.

On our first trip, we got a futon for the kids' playroom. Look, we all  fit!

At our second trip, we thought it was pretty funny that both kids made beelines to the computer desks. And yes, Myra is wearing the same dress. She loves that dress, and so does everyone who sees her in it.

Even though he doesn't eat much, Duncan likes the Ikea cafe, too!
We also celebrated our first birthday here - mine!

Logan chose the cake. He's so awesome. I had a great day. Mitch was home, and we chilled out in the morning. I did a bit of sewing. In the afternoon, I went fabric shopping. When I got home, we did presents since the kids (and Mitch) couldn't wait any longer. They're so cute. After that, we went out for Thai food, which I have really missed while we lived in Temple.

Isn't it lovely? The food was great and the service excellent. They brought the kids bananas before the meal (which was ready so fast we really didn't have time to wait!), and had an excellent fruity fried rice dish that Myra liked.
Now, if only our stuff would get here from Texas... We finally got a semi-straight answer from the moving company and apparently the truck will be leaving Texas on the 1st, to arrive here on the 6th, which will make it exactly a month from the day they packed us up. For the record, we will NEVER be using North American to move again. They have been impossible to work with.

Preschool graduation!!

This post is long overdue! Logan had his preschool graduation program on May 24th. He loved his preschool class. His teacher, Ms. Lynda, was amazing and all of the kids got along well. We'll really miss them all.

Here is his class. Joshua, Logan, Aniella, Jonathan, Karis, Cayden and Bannock.

Logan took his walk down the aisle very seriously. This part was so cute! They played Pomp & Circumstance as each child walked up to the stage. Even the little 2 year olds were in on it.

Ms. Amy gave them their "diploma". Logan's not sure what to make of it.

Here is Ms. Lynda. She was so wonderful with Logan, and we miss her already.
After the graduation, the kids had a presentation for us. They sang several songs, but this one cracked me up. It also explained some strange singing Logan had been doing.

The other two songs they sang are here and here.
We loved this preschool so much! Logan learned a ton and really grew over the course of the year. It was amazing.

Yum!

There has been a lot of this sort of behavior at dinnertime lately,

"That looks yummy! I want some!"

so we decided it was time for Duncan to enter into the world of solid foods. Well, semisolid anyway. He doesn't have any teeth yet. When we were at the store a couple of days ago, I let Logan pick a baby cereal for Duncan to try.

Yum, oatmeal!

He wasn't too sure about it at first,

What is this stuff?

and he needed a finger break.

I'm thinking about it!

But by the end, he was definitely a fan!

Yay!

He really wanted to work that spoon himself.

This is fun!!

For the video minded, we caught a few moments of the fun. He still has to work on the smiling while eating...

This is the place.

We're here in sunny Utah!! After three and a half days on the road, we made it at last.

Here is our little bungalow. It's bigger than it looks (thank goodness!).
The drive was not fun, but there were interesting things to see. I always seem to forget how big Texas is. More than half of our drive was to get out of the state.

Here is the route we took to get out of state. It was long and boring.

Logan left his mark on the state line...
We skirted the corner of New Mexico, which might have been the ugliest part of the drive, although Wyoming was pretty nasty, too. No pictures, just imagine barren flatlands and nasty roads.
Colorado was another story.

This is a mountain "Scenic view" in Colorado. It was beautiful! Denver was a bit of a pain though. We're used to frontage roads on the highways. They don't have them there. Thank goodness for GPS. Also weird was the utter lack of gas stations near the freeway. What's with that? As we left Denver, Mitch expressed a desire to never return. After that we got to visit with friends in Fort Collins. I stayed up late talking sewing with my friend Beth and our kids had a great time playing together. It was the highlight of the trip!

Then we got to Utah. Look at the mountains!! They're everywhere! This is the view from the car as we were coming into the Valley from Park City.

And a few minutes later, heading through the Pass. The mountains are amazing. They're literally everywhere you turn. It's actually a little distracting when driving around the city. You turn a corner and see...

big snow-covered peaks! I'm sure I'll get used to it.

The kids seem to like it. It's much cooler, so playing outside is much more fun. The grass is soft, green and fire ant free!

Here is the backyard. It's really beautiful, with flowers and trees everywhere. The kids love it! I wish it had a fence.

Myra's favorite feature is the water dispenser on the fridge. She can do it herself!

Sitting!

Yay for the beginning of independence!

Sitting up gives him a much better vantage point when Logan reads to him. Aren't they sweet?