pool party

Yesterday was a pool party of the best sort, with two happy kiddos splashing away. 

But just as a special treat, I got two really special photos of Emmy, showcased at the very end.. enjoy.. 

I'm sure when she's a teenager she'll wish she could burn them. 

Emmy was dancing to the beat of Mont's splashes: 

Then she saw a plane.. she loves motorized anything nearly as much as Mont:

Then things started to get whacky:

Feeling a little funny:

What sound do you think is coming out of her sweet little mouth?

Here's the cream of the crop:

FABULOUS fridge material ... for years to come, I'm sure!!

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.