"Trust me mom and dad..."

The following conversation took place at dinner tonight.

Gavin: "Trust me mom and dad, we are super heros."

Me: "What is your super-hero power?"

Gavin: "Animal power. I can transform into any animal I want."

Me: "What animal are you right now?"

Gavin: "A manatee."

A few weeks ago we cleaned out the garage and hauled the things we didn't want anymore to a second hand store. When we got to the store we had a little talk:

Gavin: "Mom, what are we doing?"

Me: "We're just dropping off a few things we don't need anymore."

Gavin: "Are we dropping Megan off?

I love my children and the joy they bring to me each day!

Denver Aquarium

Mark's 30th birthday was July 24th, so to celebrate we left town and went to the big city! We drove almost 400 miles to Denver, Colorado for a night away from home and to visit the aquarium.

If Megan were to put on a scuba diving suit, this is what she would look like.
This was a weekend of firsts for us. The first time to Denver, and the first time at an aquarium and we loved every minute of it!

Both the kids LOVE staying in "Sleeping Stores" (hotels). We arrived at our room which was nothing fancy and Gavin exclaimed, "This is the best day ever!" He's so easy to please!

The aquarium had a large variety of animals from tigers, to sea horses, jelly fish, snakes, sharks, etc., but I was most fascinated by the "Dory" fish (from Finding Nemo)! The highlight of the trip was petting the sting rays, but I was so busy enjoying the moment that I forgot to take a picture.

We ate lunch in the beautiful restaurant in the aquarium. Watching the fish was so calming and peaceful and helped me be more patient with my children during mealtime. After lunch we headed home and stopped in Cheyenne, Wy. to visit with a family Mark baptized on his mission. It was a quick but refreshing trip!

Summer fun

Between soccer practice, movies, playing at the park, trips to Idaho, camping, installing a sprinkler system, and weekly classes for the kids, we have had a busy summer! It seems to have finally slowed down a little bit and we have found ourselves with more time to relax and put our imaginations to work coming up with things to do.

Gavin saw a picture of a firetruck box in a magazine and decided we should make our own.

The circus came to town and it was pretty good for a small town! I guess I am easily entertained, but I was fascinated with the animals, especially the white tiger.

What fun would summer be without a backyard pool? It's nothing big, but my kids LOVE it!

Gavin and Megan play so well together. It was a good opportunity for me to relax, enjoy their giggles, and work on my tan. Speaking of tans, Mark and I are going to Hawaii for a week in October and we are so excited! His parents are on a mission for our church there, so we decided this is a perfect opportunity for a romantic getaway (no we will not be staying with his parents the whole time). If any of you have been to Hawaii and have suggestions of places to stay, visit, eat please let us know.

Who says you have to be wearing a swimming suit to get in the pool?

Going Private

I've decided to make our blog private. I realize it's not as convenient, but I value privacy more than convenience when it comes to my family. If you would like to continue reading our blog, please e-mail me at cassie_markb@hotmail.com with your email address so I can invite you to view our blog. Thank you for understanding.

Idaho Vacation

One of our van windows fell out and shattered last month and it was cheaper for us to get it fixed in Idaho, so we packed up and went on vacation.

Ahhh, DVD players make traveling easier!
Mark left the kids and I there for a week to play and we had a lot of fun! It rained almost the entire time we were there, so we found fun things to do inside. We went to a pizza and play place with Mark's brother Kyle and his family. The kids played really well with their cousins.

We were glad there was one sunny day so we could go to the zoo.

Gavin loved feeding the goats.

Megan liked the animals as long as they didn't get too close.

The playground was the most fun for the kids.

My sister-in-law Mindi was in town from Texas so Gavin and Megan got to spend time with cousins Jessica, Cailyn, and David who we don't see very often.

Megan preferred the playground and grass instead of the water.

We have stained clothes to prove how yummy the ice cream bars were!

It was nice to have plenty of time to do things and to have a break from everyday life. We also went to the Titanic exhibit at the Museum of Idaho. I am fascinated by history and really enjoyed learning. When we walked into the museum, we were given a boarding pass with the name and information of one of the passengers who was aboard the Titanic. At the end of the exhibit we found out whether the person we had lived or died. It was interesting to me that some passengers aboard the ship were so willing to help other people, while other travellers cared only about saving themselves. The exhibit that was most interesting to me told about a passenger who was a perfume maker, and in a glass box were some of his perfume samples that have been brought up from the ruins. The perfume still smelled! We also saw samples of what 1st, 2nd, and 3rd class rooms looked liked. A third class ticket would have been equivalent to $620 today. First class tickets would have been equivalent to $43,000-$79,000.

While in Idaho, I took Gavin roller skating for the first time. I think I enjoyed it more than he did, but it was good exposure for him and he's been asking to go again, so I think he had fun.

After 1 week, Mark came back (we missed him so much) to attend the blessing of my brother's daughter Grace, then he headed home. We've been back for almost a month now, and we're busy as ever! I'll post more updates soon.