The boys had a wonderful time with their Oma (Dwayne's mom) while we were in Portland. They didn't seem to care too much that we came back since they still had their Grandma around for a couple more days.

Cindy taught Simon how to bat a woofle ball. He does pretty well when he concentrates.

Our ward is doing a pumpkin growing contest with Giant Atlantic Pumpkin seeds. The seeds were handed out a couple of weeks ago, and the pumpkins will be weighed in a contest at Trunk-or-Treat in October. Here Simon and Dwayne are getting the seeds in the ground. No blossoms yet, but they're growing!


This was a rare Sunday that we were actually ready for church a little early, so we got some pictures of our handsome boys.

Dwayne's mom came out for a visit early in June and had offered to stay with the boys for a couple of the days so Dwayne and I could take a trip by ourselves. We went to Portland and both really enjoyed the trip. We spent two days in the city and two days out at the coast. We were very fortunate to have had beautiful weather almost the whole time. We enjoyed a long walk along the waterfront and saw one funny highlight of our trip in a traffic median. It's called Mill Ends Park and has the distinction of being the smallest park in the world. I've always liked mini things. Here's a link if you'd like to read more about it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mill_Ends_Park


Washington Park, a huge area on the west side of Portland, houses the International Rose Test Garden and the Japanese Garden (among other things), both of which we were able to visit.




The 550 varieties of roses were in their full blooming glory and were incredible to see and smell.

We did a guided tour at the Japanese Garden which taught us a lot about plants, rocks, water, and elements of Buddhism.


On our way out of the city, we stopped to see the beautiful Portland Temple.

We enjoyed this view of famous Haystack Rock a few yards from our lodgings in Cannon Beach. We took an incredible hike a mile or so north of here along the coast through old-growth forests full of Sitka Pine. It circled back on cliffs that overlooked the ocean. There were many places of historical importance in the area from the Lewis and Clark expedition.

On our last morning, we signed up for an Artisan Breadmaking Class at the Cannon Beach cooking school, EVOO. Lots of fun, great recipes, and several yummy loaves currently in our freezer!

During the month of May, the high school's child development class puts on a month-long playschool where the students can observe young children at play. I signed Simon up and he loved it. He rode tricycles, dug in the sandbox, got to play with friends and new toys, do projects, and have a yummy snack every day. What more could a 3-year old want? Needless to say, he and I were both sad when it was over. They had a little graduation ceremony for the kids which was hilarious and cute.



The following picture was taken when some newlywed friends were over watching the kids for us. Wish I had a sound byte to go with it.


Dwayne took Simon on the fathers and sons outing. Simon liked playing with the glowstick, the flashlights, and the headlamp. He's a big fan of marshmallows and hot chocolate. He was also excited to find a tractor near the campsite, always interested in heavy machinery.

We were in northern California a couple times in the last few months for some medical appointments and were able to visit Scott and Shannon and family near Sacramento as well as Grandma Boitano in Dillon Beach. We went to a regional history exhibit at the public library in El Dorado Hills. The kids were able to pan for gold, learn about the pony express, and see a cannon.




At Dillon Beach we hiked Sugarloaf as a family. Stuart got carried most of the way, but Simon was quite a trooper. Lots of breaks and a cool, foggy day made it a fun activity for all of us.


The blue sweatshirt club.

We loved spending time with Grandma and being able to hear her fun stories. Hopefully we can make it up there a couple more times before we leave California.

We've always felt grateful that our boys are two fairly adventurous eaters. The variety of fresh produce from the roadside stands, farmers markets, grocery stores, and our own backyard have made it fun to try new foods and also enjoy very fresh old favorites. Simon has always loved artichokes and Stuart was introduced to them for the first time this Spring. He insisted on holding and scraping each leaf all by himself. He did pretty well!


Dwayne rigged a mini corn-on-the-cob for Stuart. He loved it!



Mmmmm! Homemade chocolate pudding.

In several recent trips to In-N-Out Burger, we've realized that Stuart is a complete PIG when it comes to chocolate shakes. We thought sharing two shakes as a family would work out pretty well, but not with Stuart around. He sucks very intensely and objects in a similar manner when anyone else tries to get a taste.

For about three weeks in April, Dwayne was on a humanitarian medical mission in Guatemala. It was a great experience for him, but I'll let him do a post about it if he's so inclined. I spent the same weeks in Indiana with my parents. One day we went with a friend and her children to the Indianapolis Children's Museum. There was so much to see and do! I wish we could have spent a couple of days there. Here are some highlights:



There was a great dinosaur exhibit, this particular one about their nests.

This was the dinosaur bone excavation site, where goggles were required. I doubted that Stuart would comply, but he surprised me!

Stuart has always loved all things cuddly. This bear was at the entrance of one of the exhibits. He just wanted to keep giving it hugs while squealing affectionately.

My mom gave us an alphabet book called, "H is for Hoosier," a while ago. Simon has always liked it and decided long before our trip to Indiana that he wanted to see a covered bridge (the featured item for the letter "C" in the book) while he was there. In Noblesville, just north of Carmel (where my parents live) there is an old bridge that goes across the White River. We spent an afternoon having a picnic and exploring the bridge, park, and adjoining trails.

Ethan and Aidan (S and S's cousins, each within a year older) live close by, so we were able to enjoy several outings with them. 4 boys under 4 equals fun times!


Matching shirts purchased by Grandma Draper.

Stuart hamming it up.

Fun at the park.

On a nature walk.

In March we were excited to have a visit from Beepaw and Bill (Dwayne's grandparents), who drove here all the way from Colorado Springs. One of our favorite outings with them was to Minuteman Beach, on Vandenberg AFB. Vandenberg property extends along over 30 miles of California coastline, most of which is in some measure protected by several conservation initiatives, making the beaches cleaner and more natural than most others we've been to.

The rocks at this beach had very interesting holes in them. Even the smallest rocks you could pick up often had one or more holes all the way through them.


The boys certainly enjoyed all of the extra attention.

EASTER

Dwayne was reminiscing on his family's days in England where hot cross buns are an Easter tradition. We decided to be adventurous and try to make them ourselves. They turned out great--definitely best hot from the oven. The boys weren't as excited about them and mostly just licked off the glaze. Simon has informed us that he "doesn't like raisins anymore," so I guess the currants looked too similar.

We participated in an Easter egg hunt at my friend, Myndi's, church. 500 eggs on one playground with a limit of 12 per kid. Didn't require much "hunting," but was exciting nevertheless. We hid some eggs on Saturday in our concrete/rock backyard. Stuart got the hang of it. What a cute little dude, toddling around with his basket on his arm.