Saturday, July 26, 2014

Final Days of Family Staycation

Day 2:  Park Adventures
We lounged around for most of the morning, then headed to the park for a picnic, kites, fishing and playing in the creek.  Well, the kites were a bust, but the creek was just what we needed on a hot day.
We tried to make it a little less hot for them.  Spencer liked it

And now Max.  They are really too cute

William and Ryan started splashing Christopher; he didn't like it.

Jacob and Steven fishing, with Christopher and William going to join them

While Ryan stayed behind to splash


Then William fell down and needed help back
 Day 3:  Deseret Industries. Friday we went to 5 D.I.s from American Fork to Salt Lake.  At one point Steven complained that we had to go yet another one.  It made me laugh; doesn't he know this is what our family does for fun!?  Don't worry they found ways to have fun...

Jacob's such a good dad
At one, as a lady started talking to Jacob I came around the corner.  She looked at his cart (with William and Max) and then looked at my cart (with Ryan and Spencer) and then back again.  She mouthed, "Their the same!"  I saw and explained we had two sets of twins.  For the next 10 minutes she brought about 10 different people to come and look at us with our two sets of twins.  We thought it was funny, and ironically two of the men had twin daughters themselves.  One guy looked at me seriously and asked if he could ask me a question.  I braced myself for something totally personal.  "Why is it every time I see twins, they are in the same outfits?"  I laughed and said, "They're just so cute!"  We actually like it when nice people stop to talk to us...but not so much the people who don't know how to filter their thoughts.  Luckily we talked to a lot of different people who were super nice.
These boys think it's hilarious for both of them to hold his one hand.
 We took a break after 4 D.I.'s and let the boys run around City Creek after a bite to eat.  Jacob's innovation once again is amazing and he turned our double sit and stand stroller into a quad stroller.  


 And when it gets too crowded, we made it fit 6 boys.  I unfortunately didn't get a good picture of them, I was trying to not create a scene with our circus of a family.

It's funny how much these boys get excited about a little bit of water.  And escalators.
Christopher's face is adorable.



William and Ryan weren't sure about the fountains,
but Steven and Christopher loved it!


 While Jacob took Steven fishing again, Christopher wanted to stay home and play with his new toys.  Or fall asleep.  Either way was okay with me.
 Day 4: Slow Down.  Today we asked everyone what they wanted to do for our last day.  The boys wanted to go back to the creek.  I wanted to clean up; no one was surprised by that.  So after a little clean up, we headed back to the park.
 Since Steven got a new bike from one of our D.I. finds, (we actually bought 4 hoping a couple would work.  They will.) Christopher gets to practice peddling on Steven's old bike, since he's mastered the balance.  My guess is that it will only take a week or two and Christopher will be riding without the training wheels.  But meanwhile William wants to learn what he can!

 Once again, these boys are gems!
 These two loved to pick up and throw rocks.
 These two loved to be adventurous with how wet they could get.


And now everyone is asleep, the house is somewhat in order and I'm actually excited for a week of structure.  We've loved spending time as a family, and I'm trying to remind myself that in this stage of life these kinds of vacations are perfect.  Some day we'll have amazing vacations, until then, we'll enjoy the time we have together any way we get it.

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Family Staycation Day 1

Since Jacob didn't take all of his days off when Spencer and Max were born, he decided to take today and Friday off (since Thursday is a holiday) and have a little family vacation here in Lehi.

We started it off last night by watching The Lego Movie and eating treats way after bedtime.

This morning we took a walk and showed daddy that Steven and Christopher could ride down the big hill super fast.  Jacob was proud and took a video to show them.

I just love Ryan's shifty eyes here



 Then we packed up and headed to Provo where we went to the D.I. and got some puzzles for the boys.  Afterwards we went to the BYU Dinasour Museum
Jacob figured out how to make the double stroller a triple one


Trying to document Spencer and I were there as well


 And we also went to the new BYU Bean Museum, which we thought was great!

Then the benefit of a staycation is naps in their own beds.  I had to laugh when I saw Max asleep like this.
It was also great because while Steven and Christopher watched The Lego Movie again, Jacob and I were able to watch a show we wanted to without little children interrupting.  Then off for a dinner picnic in a new park.
 William loved the swing.  The higher the better with him.
 With Ryan, not so much.

 Spencer and Max were great to just stay in their seats and watch us play
Spencer

Max



 Monday William had a run in with the driveway, hence his beat up nose and lip.  But at least we know right off which one is William.  It's nice when they brand themselves like that.




Christopher hated this thing but he was so cute on it, I couldn't resist to snap a picture.
 And then the night ended with a little wrestling.



Pretty good start to our vacation.  And the best part is just having Jacob home with us going about a fairly normal day is a vacation in and of itself!