Zoo Time!

Today was the much awaited zoo field trip. I was quite excited to be chaperoning Max and Jesse on their first ever field trip. I have fond memories of going with Damien. Sadly, those years of elementary school field trips are gone. To my dismay, the kids were not split up into groups with parents. Max and Jesse went with their own classes, in two separate directions. I spent the whole time chasing their classes down to get a picture with them looking at an exhibit or just enjoying the experience with my boys. I found Max's class the most, took a picture, then ran off in search of Jesse's class. I wouldn't find it, so I would try to find whatever class I could, just to stop wandering around like a lost parent. In the end, I got to sign the boys out, we went back into the zoo and did a few things together, but at that point they were done and hungry. If field trip day is like that again I will have to choose one kid to spend the field trip with and then switch for the next one. I can't run back and forth again. Sadly, with budget cuts, even that arrangement will be hard (since there aren't very many field trips anymore). The day was nutty, but worth it. Guess I should have asked if they were breaking off into groups. I just assumed they were (like in years past with Damien). Oh the things you have to think of when you are a mom of twins!

Coming off the bus...the ONLY time their classes were together! 

Arm was too short to reach the sting rays

Bird Show with Max

After taking this picture (below) I told myself, "I need to go and find Jesse's class cause the day is almost over." I say bye to Max and start my quest to find them. No luck. Later I find out that his class was there, they are even in this picture I took! Right in the upper left corner! Jesse even saw me leaving! I told him, why didn't you stop me? I was going to look for you!!! 

Oh the joys......

Reptile House 

Loved being able to hang out with them at the zoo FINALLY!

In front of the new exhibit under construction

Dino Dig

From the looks of things, looks like Jesse had a fun filled day :)

Berry oh Berry!

As I mentioned in a previous post, my friend had given us some of her Mom's berry plant. We planted it and it has taken off. It's a boysenberry plant (a sort-of hybrid between raspberries and blackberries and it is the thornless kind). We were told it takes about a year for the plant to produce any fruit and it will usually only be a few berries the first year then each year after that it starts being more.

I don't know what to think, since my plant is starting to get berries.....

They do look almost ready and we haven't had it a year......

Here are some more coming....

It's kind of exciting!

Mother's Day 2012

This year Mother's Day celebrating starting on Friday night with a date night with the hubby. I used a Deal Saver coupon that I bought and we headed over to Colorado Grill for some delicious burgers and steak fries. Earlier that morning we had heard that Farmer's Market in Old Town Clovis was starting up, so we went there to get some strawberries, cherries, and nuts. We topped off the night with a trip over to Target to try on an outfit at Target that I had been eyeing for weeks now. Definitely different for me, but I like it, and so does Mike :) An added bonus, Mike let me get the movie The Vow! Lucky me! Lucky husband who gets to watch it again with me :) I was spoiled, and had a great time with my Honey. He takes good care of me. Here is the outfit......

Saturday morning, there was no rest for the weary, it was time to make breakfast since my Mom was coming over. I made waffles, eggs, and sausage. And as a surprise, I bought one of these......

We've had this in years past and my Mom has always brought it. This year I treated! It was soo good! I also had fun teaching the boys what a Kiwi was. They picked one up at Vons when I was buying the fruit tart and Max said, "This is hairy." I laughed and showed him the cut up Kiwi on the tart, telling him that's what it looks like on the inside. And not to worry, you don't eat the "hairy stuff".

It was a nice breakfast. I am so thankful for my Mom. She has truly done a lot for me, and gone through a lot. It was nice to do something nice for her.

After Mom left, I spent more time in the Kitchen prepping for all the eating that we were going to continue to do this weekend. Mike's parents were coming over for a bar-b-q. We ate chicken, corn on the cob, potato salad, and I surprised everyone with this......

A strawberry cream pie drizzled with chocolate! I put candles in it and we sang Happy Birthday to Mike's Mom. A little belated birthday celebrating.

Sunday morning we hurried to get ready to take some Mother's Day pictures

My Mom came to church with us, so of course had to get a update picture with her!  

If we hadn't done enough eating, we went over to my friend Areana's house for a yummy dinner. We 

bar-b-qued a tri-tip, and I made my Mom's famous cherry chocolate cake, to add to the feast. We ate GOOD! They had bar-b-qued chicken, and carne asada. She made her first ever potato salad, and her famous beans and rice. We ate it all with warm tortillas, pico de gallo, and home made chili. The table was literally covered in food and plates full of food that everyone was eating from. Someone said we should eat in shifts....I don't think anyone could wait to eat all that goodness. So it was standing room only! We ate with  Areana's family as well as her husband's. We've known them for over a year now and have gotten very close with them. They love our boys, offer to babysit often, open their home to us...in a way, we've become like family and it is nice.

Max and Jesse love asking my friend's husband to do their hair!

I enjoyed my weekend with family. I am a truly blessed woman. I had a heavy heart with recent circumstances. I am truly learning the love of a mother, and all they go through. I am thankful to my Mom! I am being shaped and refined into what my Heavenly Father wants me to be. And that is one painful, humbling, joyous, process.