Part 2: Bonners Ferry

Bonners Ferry had perfect weather when we were there. There were even some scattered showers (my favorite). We of course went to Alex's grandma's Ranch. I LOVE the ranch. It's something out of a movie - just picturesque.

Emmett found a motorcycle helmet and wouldn't take it off. This kid is so serious about "boy" stuff that it just makes me laugh.
Emmett is pretty shy too sometimes, but his cousin Davey came by wearing his baseball attire and played soccer with him.
Too much of a good thing. He played and played and played :)
E & Z picking Grandma's strawberries. That is their FAVORITE thing to do at Grandma's house by far.
Again...Emmett playing baseball with cousin Travis.

Zoë washing the car. Surprisingly she loves doing it and begs us to have a "washing the car" family home evening.

Alex took the kids on a crazy long hike. It was 3 miles straight up a mountain. I wasn't there or I would have said no. Not shockingly, Emmett had a meltdown 200 yards into the trek and decided he wasn't going to walk. They made it miraculously though. Zoë was amazing and walked all the way there.On Aunt Darlene's pond trying to catch turtles.

Zoë was feeling pretty big being with all the older girls.

This was me most of the time. I have just relished the alone time with Ellie and love when I can spoil her with my undivided attention.
The kids really wanted to go fishing.

Ellie and Grandma
Going swimming
She was turning purple so they went back into Grandma's hot tub and thawed a bit.

Part 1 of the Super Trip

After almost a full month away - I thought I'd give the run down on our "Super Trip". By the end of the 25 days, we accumulated enough miles on our car to drive from Wyoming to Guatemala.

First stop...my aunt Vickie's house in Ogden!
Then to one of the most beautiful sites of my childhood (ok it still is!). I practically lived there all through my childhood, and both my parents lived there. I LOVE Malad. And we were lucky enough to arrive during Welsh days :)

Malad 2nd Ward has an amazing church!

We stopped in a beat up town along the way. It once looked like a quaint little town, but it was completely desolate. It did have a nice little park we stopped by to eat our sandwiches and head on!

This was the farm my dad lived/worked on a child.

Seaside Beach

As part of our super trip, we stopped in seaside for the day and stayed at a hotel by the beach. It was amazing! The weather was perfect - I didnt plan on the kids getting as wet as they did!! Alex pitched a tent for Ellie and I to stay in and so I could nurse her. Such a great idea! More pictures to come of the trip - these were just readily available!

Grandpa's Gift for Father's Day

The Big Secret

All growing up I didn't really enjoy kids. I didn't really want to babysit, and I couldn't really see myself being a mom. Even when I was engaged to Alex I thought I wouldn' t have kids right away and didn' t know when I'd have the desire to even start!

All that changed. I love kids! I love MY kids! I love babies! Every time I turn around they are bigger and I say, "oh this is my favorite age". I have horrible pregnancies and have made it known that Ellie is my last. Which is probably why I am just cherishing these moments. I think it's my little secret that I am just crazy over my kids and find them hilariously wonderful.

Visitors

We had several family members come and stay with us despite us just getting over our sickness. The kids love to have visitors and someone else to play with.

Alex's brother Will came with his soon to be wife, Hillary. We love her! The kids loved her too and it is SO nice to have another girl in the Winn family! The went to Pilot Butte with the kids while I did a craft project.

My mom came and surprised me and stayed for two days. Emmett usually is a little bugger with my mom, but CRIED when she left. Ellie was a little concerned at first. Honestly she screamed when my mom picked her up and we all had a good laugh. Obviously she warmed up to my mom pretty fast : ) Mom bought a hilarious book for them too. I had tears streaming down my face while reading it.

Pictures and how I feel

There are so many great and funny things about Zoë. One of them is her insatiable desire to draw. She loves it. And she often works through her anxieties, frustrations, excitements etc.. through drawing.

Once a week at preschool Zoë drew Matman. It was a basic shape of a person (i.e. the stick man). She soon bored of the basic instructions and drew princesses, girls, family and then one day she drew this:

The morning before preschool she got busted for something that I can't remember. And she went to school upset. So...this is her...being upset with her big ol' eyes looking at me and her pony tail sticking straight up out of her head.

Zoë hates bugs. H-A-T-E-S all bugs except butterflies and ladybugs. So when Alex asked the kids to go on a hike with him, the first thing out of her mouth was, "Will there be bugs". In Wyoming, there aren't many bugs. It's one of the bonuses, if not THE bonus, of living in the high desert.

Well...half way through the hike there was a swarm of mosquitoes. Alex said it was crazy. So the turned and RAN back to the car. Zoë is allergic to their bites and was swollen and itchy. Poor thing was so traumatized by it that she drew this picture for me. As you can clearly see, she is running back to the car with bugs chasing her and one on her back. So sad - yet what a funny picture! Love it.