Smiling 101-Oregon

Smiling seems to take to much effort in this family. 

The boys never smile at the same time.

Rarely look at the camera.

Usually make weird faces.

But we still love to snap shots of them hoping this will be the one. . .

Nope struck out again.

Blueberry Buttermilk Muffins

Now that I have your attention stop drooling and read on to see how to make this bad boy.

My sister gave me this, from a friend at work.  These are "AWESOME", "AWESOME.  I think it is a good base for other fruit if you don't like blueberries, for some other kind of fruit, I don't care for blueberries plain but, in these they are good.

Blue Berry Buttermilk Muffins     24 muffins   400 degrees   20-30 minutes (til the tops are golden brown)

2 1/2 C.  flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp. soda
3/4 C. sugar
pinch of salt
2 eggs beaten
1 C. butter milk ( if you don't have or don't want to buy fill milk in measuring cup to just a little past the 3/4 C. and add vinegar to the cup, then you have your curtled milk yuck or just take come from a bottle or sippy cup that was left out too late, haha made you laugh)
1/2 C. butter melted
1 1/2 C. fresh blueberries washed and drained.

Sift dry ingredients in a large bowl.  In another bowl, whisk eggs, milk & butter.  Make a well in dry ingredients and pour liquid ingredents into the well (or I just add the wet then add the dry when I don't want more dishes to wash) Mix quickly don't over mix.  Fold in blueberries, important or everything will turn blue and you wont the the juicy berry bites in the muffins.  Spoon batter into greased muffin cups or liners and bake until golden brown.  Enjoy.  

Sprinklers

Remember the days of your youth? When we were in Oregon, in August, A. was tired and hot so I said lets run through the sprinkler.  His cousin looked at me like why.  However, A. loved it.

Sheer delight and excitement.

A. trying to jump over the sprinkler. Dang sprikers move so it is hard to jump when it moves.

A while later his cousin began to play with him.  Then I went inside to check on C., go to the bathroom, get a drink, you know that kind of stuff.  Then they came inside they were wet and a little muddy, the found the dirt and added water. 

For the Love of Dogs

We went to Oregon to visit my parents and C. loves dirt and the dogs Snoopy-the black lab and Curly- the brown mutt.  So he would pour dirt on the dogs and espically Snoopy.  Then he would see he got her eyes and pinch her eye lid and lift it and shake it, and the dog did not move.

Pure enjoyment and delight on C's side maybe not so much on the dog.

Right before he picks the eye lid and shakes it, totally funny unless you are the dog.  After this I tried to get his interest in something else.  However, he would be doing this if the dogs were in the dirt.  Yes, the dogs are still alive.

Hunting in the Blood

A. loves to look for deer or elk anywhere.  Driving on the freeway between Pocatello, ID and Malad, ID he says "you see that", I reply "see what" A, says "those elk over there" being the good parent, I lie, yeap, "ok yeah they are big", one I was driving and two I did not have binos or want to look through them while driving.  So when we got to Utah 2 weeks ago A. went to a friends house where he found this skull from a deer the dog dragged to the yard, and they let me keep it, awesome--- more sheds.  So he posed because he wanted me to see what he found.

Tetons & Yellowstone In A Day

So you may be asking why, to enjoy the beauty and my sister needed gifts for the people she was staying with in a week when she went to Germany.  So we took the boys and left early and drove to Jackson.  It was chilly, the last week in July. We saw animals, had wild animals in the car, went to Jenny's lake walked around it till Toni couldn't stand the boys, saw the fish in the lake swimming under the bridge where people go to take the boat ride across the lake, drove to Yellowstone, saw buffalo, elk, and geysers, walked around Old Faithful, drove to West Yellowstone to use the bathroom and then drove back to Rexburg and we were back by 6pm.

Toni posing by the mountains, she didn't have a picture of her body by the Tetons.

Honestly, can you ever take too many pictures of these beauties?

Yes, I know no shoes, they took off their shoes in the car.

Toni was determined to get the boys in a picture together, then gave up and tried one on one but this turkey never did smile.

King of the rock with a rock.

I know, I packed my contacts and makeup but it got left home so scroll fast.

Such a fasicination with water and throwing rocks into the water.

Toni wanted pictures of her by the lake.

The boys didnot want to all get in the hole so we had a yelling match.

And we shall call him "pigpen" because he eats, throws dirt on his head, and rubs his dirty hands on his face.

Toni bought the boys stuffed animals for their birthdays, moose and buffalo and A. had to carry his around Old Faithful.

A. new pet. At least it is smaller than the real thing.

Nobody else would stand by Toni and have their picture taken and I dont trust the boys to hold it or to let go of C.'s hand by water.

I only brought the singe stroller, and needed the double.  A.'s lovely smile.

When you are pushing a stroller you dont always see what your kids are doing, and A. was hiding and covering his nose, because some of the things you look at in Yellowstone stink, and he kept saying those people stink, ok some do because they have been hiking, or camping, or just have a different odor - some nationalities smell different from him and they do, but do kids have to realize this when you are walking by people and the water geyers, mine do.

Sisters, posing and taking their own picture so we had our heads in the shot.

Old Faithful displaing the long awaited show.  A. kept asking why is water going up in the air, and I would explain and again, why, why, why. Finally I said time to go it is raining, A. replied "why" "why".  I think I don't like that word, I know they are learning but why must they always ask why?

Look out world here I come

Look out world, here I come.  I went out side to find the boys and this is what I found, C. was wearing my necklace and shoes riding his bike up and down the sidewalk.