big dinosaurs

Today we had some time to take the kids to see the Thanksgiving Point's Museum of Ancient Life, 

or Big Dinosaurs! as Mont will call it from today onward. 

Here are more than a few quick pictures: 

I always love the displays that museums have.. 

I think maybe someday I may have to have it as a job:

One of the coolest things about raising kids is re-learning these incredible things as an adult. 

In this huge room, there was the "supersaurus" (which Mont is about to get friendly with), and the bronchiasaurus which is behind and above me. Please don't google the spelling, 

I'm sure I'm getting these wrong:

Another view of this massive room: 

I think Mont loved it as much as we did, if not more, and I really loved it:

So did Emmy! She was clambering to get out of her stroller nearly the whole time. 

This is her at the beginning, still peacefully pointing and smiling at everything: 

The Tyrannosaurus Rex is of course, one of Mont's favorites, so he just kept staring and pointing:

I have to admit, it is pretty intimidating and amazing! The displays this museum had were pristine. Such interesting stuff! So interesting, in fact, that I had to keep a death grip on Mont's arm for him to be in this picture:

"Pirate caves!!"

This was a crazy display of how the hunters try to bring down the wholly mammoths. The hind legs are crushing one skeleton person and the other (near the white arrow) is about to be hit by a huge rock being thrown by another skeleton man on the rock hill to the right. See the white arrow? 

That's where Mont went heels over head backwards right off this railing, 

a millisecond after I snapped this:

Huge.

Huge!

HUGE!!! Mont loved this megladon shark! On the left of this picture, it is a great white shark molded after a white had gorged itself on something. I wonder what exactly, and I had no idea that was even possible for their stomach to stretch like that. Makes me feel sore just looking at it. Anyway, they have it there just for size reference:

All day Mont has been saying, "big dinosaurs!! A scaries?? SCARY DINOsaurs!!" He sure loves naming them off with Mark. He knows 'tyrannosaurus rex', 'bronchiosaurus', 'allosaurus', 'triceratops', and a couple of others. Every time he says one, I'm just so proud! ; )

not young enough

I'm not young enough to know everything. 

~ J.M. Barrie

J. M. Barrie was born on this day in 1860. 

Happy birthday to a man who inspired so many imaginations.

little dairy queen

She sure loves milkshakes!

a grand visit

Whenever we're in Salt Lake City, Mark and I take an afternoon to go visit my Barrett Grandparents. Visits with them are always a good time. They tell stories, ask questions, listen to us tell our silly stories, and we usually end up leaving with all sorts of towels, blankets, and candies. 

Here's what the visit 'arrangement' was this time around. 

My dad was lucky enough to escape the camera's reach:

Mont is talking to my dad.. probably something about pirates or caves or tigers:

When everyone was visiting, I snuck my camera out to take some pictures of my mother's art they have around. Then I got caught up in all the other art and took pictures of work done by my uncle and grandparents (both) as well. This one is possibly my favorite, done by my mother:

A lot of these are very, very small, but I was still able to increase the size fine. 

Mom! Imagine what Mark's camera could do!

No signature on this one, so I'm not sure who was the artist. If I had to guess, I'd say Mom..?

Another very small one:

This was probably an inch and a half by three? Puny!

Another teeny tiny one:

This one might be my second favorite one of my mom's. 

The delicate little stem with leaves just gives it a touch I love:

This was done by my Grandmother! There are only two around their condo that I could see, done by her. She is far more talented than I ever even knew:

In their condo, these hang very high on their wall, so these pictures are at a slant, then cropped. 

I can't even make out the signature, but I believe these are done by my mother's brother, 

my Uncle Brett. 

Second of the pair:

Tiny:

This is small as well but enlarged alright:

I am SO sad this came out blurry.. it was in too dark of a hallway for my shaky hand to take a clear picture... maybe I should have brought up the tripod. This is one of my top three favorites:

church history museum + art

Every three years the church holds a church art competition, 

and here are some of last year's entries that caught our attention: 

Greater Love Hath No Man: 

This caught our eye right away because we had never seen this depiction of this last moment of Joseph Smith's life. Looking at it again, I don't like it as much, but it still very intense, isn't it? 

The descriptions are below the art. 

Lord of Hosts: 

I loved this one, the rich hues, the detail in sculpture. It felt very much like something I'd seen before; 

perhaps that's because of the similarity it has to a lot of other famous church art, 

or perhaps it's because it's just striking.

While Mary Sleeps - Morning: 

This... this one made me tear up. I wanted to cry looking at the tenderness in Joseph's expression and how he holds the baby Jesus. I think it struck a cord because one of the sweetest things Mark does for me is get up with the kids on his days off and lets me sleep in a bit, even when he didn't have the easiest night himself. Good fathers just make my heart hurt with happiness. If all the world's children had fathers like this. 

Quilts - The Young Women Values: 

These two quilts sparkled!!! I can't even express to you through 

these pictures how sparkly they were. The camera only picked up a little sparkle.

Great Are the Words of Isaiah: 

still lots and lots of sparkle!

Mont had picked a carrot... 

To prepare for dinner with the missionaries: 

To have enough energy to build houses with the Nephites and Lamanites:

A lot of the art was really weird, some was really abstract, and some were really beautiful. If you have a chance to go, I think you should! Mont did not want to leave the toys.. 

there is fun to be had by everyone. 

graduation day

My sister has officially graduated from college!! She finished her degree in December in 

Parks and Recreation (I think!) for Hospitality Management. Works out great since she's 

working in such a nice hotel!

 Along with Mark, the kids, and I, there was Mom and Dad, Aunt Darlene, 

Uncle Stan and Grandma. It was great seeing everyone together! 

Worked out perfectly for my Dad's mom, brother, and sister to meet little Miss Emmy. 

Tessa's little fan, Mont, was all dressed up in his Ute's jersey and even shouted for her when she got her diploma:

I'm so proud of my sister! She is one hard worker!! Now she's off to conquer the hotel world. 

granola

Every now and then Mont will get a healthy hankering, which I'm always too happy to oblige since they're so few and far between. This morning I was trying to guess what he was saying... it kept sounding like "gorilla." When I finally got it, he said, "mmhmm!"

So, after a fb request from Julie, here is the recipe we used this morning for 

Mont's Gorilla Granola: 

2 1/2 c oats

1/2 c packed brown sugar

1/2 c chopped nuts *I omit

1/3 c butter

1/3 c honey

1/4 c wheat bran *didn't have

1 t cinnamon

1 t vanilla

Preheat oven to 325º

On greased cookie sheet, put mixed ingredients on, and shift occasionally, baking for 20 - 25 minutes.

Mark enjoys his with milk, but I love it most straight out of the oven 

when it's still soft and chewy... mmm. 

practice

I haven't yet decided if I'm done with this painting.. yesterday I nearly painted over it to start over because I did something weird with the layering look.. it was driving my crazy but I tried something and I think it saved it. 

This is now at the point of: if I paint more I might ruin it or I might finish it.. I'm always afraid of this point. Last night I had to pack all the paints and brushes away again for dinner guests... and now I hit that point. Do I unpack it and try to finish a bit more? Or leave it. I have to decide.

It's been a year since I've painted anything (a picture, I mean), and I've been itching to do something.. itching like crazy! There's a friend of mine (It's your old neighbor, Sarah!) that lives down the street who has just begun a painting business and she's doing quite well with it. Not that I'll ever do the same thing, it's motivated me just the same. Last year while passing through Utah on our drive out here I got to talking with a good friend of mine (one of Mark's mom's bests) and offered to try to paint her a fruit / veggie of her choice. 

"Tomato! .. Or watermelon! .. No, no, tomato. Oh, you choose." 

When I started to ask what she likes about either, she said that she absolutely loves the red in the tomato, the juicy, ripe red color that is only found in a straight-from-the-garden-tomato. 

It's taken a while for me to work up to this point of finally getting the paints out; digging through the containers in the garage, setting up temporary spaces is a pain. I'm just glad I finally did! I have to start the practice paintings so that when we go to a wedding this next week I can do one for a family reunion auction.. painting is SO enjoyable for me. I really do love it.

Well, I hope she likes it! Mark has a camera now that I think will be able to take great reproduction shots of my originals that I give away. I have given away quite a few that I wish I had better pictures of.. This is the beginning of an effort to keep better track of my art! 

(if I add more to this painting I'll update the pic)