The Beauty of Nature And Family

So I know this is so annoying that I have way too many post at once...but I just want to get caught up with all the fun pictures. I love pictures. Beware of picture overload in this post...there are just so many that I want to share.

On Wednesday Matt talked me into going and checking out one of the parks just out of town. It's called Kamiak Butte County Park. It's only 10 minutes out and we had never been there. It was great...I wish we would have found it before. There are actually trees...instead of wheat fields. There is camping and trails, and they have an awesome park with big toys and picnic areas. We played for a while and then Malcolm wanted to go on a "treasure hunt". (He's been getting Dora movies from the library lately.) So we walked around some little trails just behind the play area. I am really wanting to go camping now. I wish we had some camping gear here in Pullman...if we did I would have gone camping this weekend. So I told Matt this summer we need to go while we don't have a baby. I know it wouldn't be easy with a 4 and 2 year old, but better then a baby.
I love the rolling hills of the Palouse...they are so beautiful. The farm land just makes the scenery look so awesome.

Quinn looks so little against all the trees.The boys and I...they aren't very good at posing.Quinn dancing on the rock...and then deciding whatever Mack is doing looks like more fun then getting a close up.

So since going up to Kamiak Butte...Matt has been wanting to walk one of the trails. So I guess I let him talk me out of doing house work today, (that was hard), and we took a picnic up there. We decided to try this little loop...well we didn't know which way to go and ended up taking the hard route up.

The boys were loving it...well at first.We started out all energized......and then Malcolm got scared of all the flies, which he thought were bees. He didn't want to walk because he was scared of them, and wouldn't take his hands away from his ears, because they kept buzzing around them. Quinn liked walking but got distracted so easily. He would walk so slow just looking around and finally we just carried him the majority of the way. Matt and I were exhausted on the way up...we carried one of the boys and the backpack all the way up.

Our picnic spot...we finally made it to the top. We put Malcolm's jacket around over his head so the flies wouldn't buzz around his ears. The scenery was beautiful, you could see all the farmland and we could even see a tractor discing a field.Some of the scenery...it was gorgeous.Our downhill descent....it was much easier and more enjoyable.Matt carrying Mack and the backpack, plus Mack had on his own backpack with his Cheetos...he was one tired cookie in the end.

I know scary...close up picture...I just had to capture the moment. I am really burnt on my neck, it didn't feel to good to carry 25lbs...but it made for faster time.This is getting close to the end...we realized it's much easier to start up this way. We saw a lot of families walking up this way too. At first I didn't think I would try this again, but once we realized we went the wrong way up...we would do it again going the easy way up. In all it took us about 2 hours to do the 3 1/2 mile loop.

Fun In The Sun

Since it's been such nice weather this week, I've been outside a lot with the boys. We've taken quite a few walks in the mornings, and play outside before Quinn's nap. The boys of course love it...and there's been less fighting...which I love. The boys have also been really good on the walks. I walk about 3 miles on campus, up and down hills, and they just enjoy watching all the people and eating their snacks.On Friday I went for a walk at 9:30 am. We tried surprising Matt at the library while he was studying but couldn't find him. We did a quick walk on all 6 floors. The boys were sad. Right after we got home we went to my visiting teaching sisters, and were outside the whole time letting the kids play. Then we came home and ate a quick lunch and went back out to play with our friends...the boys with theirs, and me with mine. We stayed out way past Quinn's nap and didn't come inside until about 2:30 pm.So needless to say, after being out for way to long in the sun, I was burnt. I didn't even think about possibly burning. Do we forget that from year to year? Well I was wearing a 3/4 sleeve scooped neck shirt. I have the ugliest burn in the world. Let's just say, I pulled out the sunblock today, so we have it on the ready. Now putting an Sunday outfit together that will cover the awkward burn.

It's In The Blood

The boys love Matt's motorcycle. Matt will put them on it, and sometimes even start it up and let them rev it a little. It's cute how they think they are just something else. I think this picture is so cute and just had to post it. Quinn is absolutely into bikes now. He will find the little toy bikes we have and play with them forever. He even has a really good sound down. Whenever Matt leaves he always says...in his little language "Daddy bike go", it is so cute. He's always telling me "bike go". I can't believe how much he talks...Malcolm was never this way.Quinn right after his bath...I don't know why but at first he wanted me to put his jacket on. He just looked so cute with his firefighter hat and riding the scooter. He is such a fun, but busy, kid.

Long Over Due!

So my Internet has been terrible, so I haven't been able to post. Plus it seems like I've been so busy and tired. We've been playing a lot. I can't believe it's been over a weeks since my last post...I hate feeling behind.

Anyways last Saturday was Georgey's birthday party. Malcolm was so excited. Matt took him to pick out a present, Malcolm could not wait for Georgey to open it. I didn't get a picture of it...all the kids were crowded all around during the present opening. The party was at McDonald's and all the kids had a great time playing. So here are a few pictures.

Like Father...

Like Son!

On Sunday night we went to the George and Mandy Poteet's, (that's Georgey's family), for some game playing. Matt's parents bought us Settlers of Catan like 2 Christmas' ago. We didn't know how to play it and George taught us how about a month ago. It is such a fun game and the Poteet's have enjoyed playing it with us. The boys played (and fought) while us adults played, finally toward the end we put on a movie, (why didn't we think of that earlier?), they all sat on the couch and watched. I loved how Malcolm and Georgey are sitting together and how Quinn had to lounge like they were so he sat on the opposite side. They are all so cute!

Memories of Homemade Bread

I have so many memories of living at Dad's on the farm. I hope I never forget them, since it's all I have of the farm anymore. One of my memories is of Grandma Bushman's homemade bread. She made wonderful bread. I loved coming to her house and smelling fresh made bread. Or seeing the big bowl with bread raising inside it. She had this big cupboard that had only sugar and flour in it. I don't know how to explain it, I can't find the right words right now, but you opened it and built into it was huge things that held probably like 100 pounds, or more, of flour and sugar. I loved helping Grandma, just so I had an excuse to get out the flour and sugar from that cupboard. One of the things I liked to eat for breakfast at Grandma's was corn flakes and toast. They had Kellogg's corn flakes, we never had that. And the toast was from Grandma's homemade bread.

I love my Grandma Bushman and I don't get to see her nearly enough living this close. I have so many wonderful memories of working with her on the farm. She would work with all of us kids in the fields, and worked harder then any of us youngsters. She is such a humble, loving and kind person. I hope that I inherit some of her traits. She taught me how to sew, crochet and some quilting. I will never forget when she was babysitting us one time, Milo was terrorizing some of us kids. Grandma told him to stop or she was going to sit on him. Of course Milo didn't think that would happen and continued the terrorizing. Grandma wasn't kidding. She went after Milo and chased him down and sat on him. What a fun memory to have!
Well after getting way of track of the bread making!! But my point is I love to bake. I have recently started a love of baking bread and rolls. Before Christmas I started making my mother-in-laws freezer rolls by hand. I love rolls for Sunday dinner. I also started making bread sticks to go with my Chicken fettuccine Alfredo. Laura (my sister-in-law) and I were talking during Thanksgiving and some how I ended saying I wanted a Kitchen Aid so bad. She was so sweet and remembered and mentioned it to her Mom. So for Christmas I was so excited to get one!!! I felt like I was a little girl and got the baby doll I was wanting. I'm a nerd! I couldn't wait to use it and ever since I use it often. I wanted to give up my bread machine and make my own bread. I've only done it about 5 times, but I'm getting better I think. Yesterday I cooked 6 loaves of bread, and they looked awesome. I was so proud of myself! It took me all day since I only have 2 bread pans...but it's worth it for the taste of homemade bread. There is nothing like warm bread with butter and Silverbow honey!!

Fun Times Sewing

I've been feeling a little productive, so yesterday I pulled out my sewing machine and finally did some mending that has been needing to be done. I have been putting it off. I don't know why...seemed like a bigger job then it really is. I love sewing though...even if I don't do it very often. I also love crocheting around hemstitched baby blankets. The last few weeks I've been doing some blankets for friends who are having babies. I had one blanket and burp cloth that Mom let me have that was already hemstitched...but I wanted to make more. Since hemstitched blankets are so expensive, (and I'm so poor!), I decided to try it with just zig-zagging around fabric. It actually turned out cute still. It's a lot more work, and takes more time...but I love it. It's fun to do. I made the girly one on my own. The boyish one is hemstitched. Then (obviously) I crocheted around them. I love figuring out what pattern to do. They both look so cute, and it is so much fun!

Well That's A First! (And Hopefully The Last!)

The boys got some cute new ties yesterday from The Children's Place. They were on sale for $2.99. So I decided to take some pictures before church. They just don't look like my kids anymore with no hair. I've never had there hair this short since they were little babies.I scrunched down to get a better angle, and they had to do the same thing...they are so cute!So I'm glad I got pictures before church...because this is how Quinn came home from church.So today was Stake Conference. The boys were doing really good. There was only about a half hour left and Quinn was sitting on my lap. All of the sudden Quinn is projectile vomiting all over my lap and the floor. Luckily he missed the girl sitting in front of us. I didn't know what to do...I was a little dumb founded. It reeked too. Matt ran to go get some paper towels, and I don't know where Malcolm went. Then all of the sudden Quinn is vomiting again. This time I tried catching it with my jacket...and that didn't work. Still not knowing what to do I just got up and walked out to the bathroom, with vomit dripping down me all over my legs and floor. While Matt attempted to clean up with towels, I was in the bathroom stripping Quinn and cleaning him up. Since I was dripping wet I decided to take my skirt off and try cleaning up my skirt so I wasn't dripping. My friend came in wanting to help as I'm standing in just my slip, but I didn't know what she could do. She offered to run to Walmart and buy me a new skirt...but I just wanted to get home. I was a little embarrassed! So I cleaned myself up until there were no more paper towels and then we came home. Of course we were sitting there laughing about the whole situation, never thought that would happen. I wonder what everyone was thinking. Out of hundreds of people there, only one person helped Matt. Crazy!!

Malcolm and Jayni all "dolled" up!

This ones for Brianne...she wanted to see it. But this was taken just over a year ago when Mom and I went to help Brianne get ready for Mason to come, since she was on bed rest.
Jayni got a new dress...and Malcolm wanted to dress up too. Matt wasn't there, so I thought it would be funny to dress him up and take some pictures and video. Matt of course disapproved...but what will it hurt. Us girls used to dress Jason up all the time in dresses. That's what happens when you have 4 older sisters! He turned out fine...well maybe!

Beauty School Drop Out!

So I couldn't stand it any longer. We gave in and Matt and I "tried" cutting the boys hair ourselves. Let's just say...it was going to take too long...and we started with Quinn first, so he couldn't sit still. We ended up just buzzing their hair. And that's when we became...Beauty school drop outs!

Quinn's end result. I didn't get any during, we were trying to keep him entertained. Malcolm said "Quinn your hairs all gone!" I guess he still looks pretty cute without hair.Malcolm before...wow, that's bad!Matt decided to give him a white trash haircut first.There's the 80's mohawk...wow...that's a long mohawk!Malcolm's end result...I guess we can still love them, even if we can't style their hair!That's a whole lot of hair, and a huge mess!