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.

Weekend with Grandma and Grandpa

Grandma, Grandpa and Aunt Tia came for a visit this weekend and it was so much fun! Here are pictures from their visit in random order. They got here late Friday night, and then we went for a picnic and four wheeling on Saturday.

Megan enjoyed the four wheeler ride so much that she fell asleep. It gave me good practice driving one handed.
Before they came Gavin drew a picture for them. As he was drawing my little sister he said, "Mom, Tia is little like Ms. Tiffany." Ms. Tiffany is one of Gavin's teacher's at school who is a midget! Tia's not a midget, but she is only 4'10''. I thought it was a cute observation Gavin made.

Tia and Gavin playing in the trees. We found a tick on Gavin after we returned home. Yuck!

Megan loves Grandma and Grandpa!

A friend of ours came along with his girls and showed us a beautful place with trails perfect for four wheeling. Here are Taylor, Gavin, Tia, and Marion hanging out and waiting for lunch.

Grandma and Megan.

I've only been four wheeling a few times so this was a great opportunity for me to practice and get used to it. I love it and it's a great family activity!

My dad going for a ride. We had a great weekend and are go glad everyone came to visit!

Birthday girl

Last Saturday we celebrated Megan's 2nd birthday. We spent the morning doing yard work, but in the afternoon we went swimming, then had cupcakes and ice cream. She loved the candles, but didn't know what to do with them.
Yummy cupcakes!

She is beautiful, sweet, and smart! We love our little Meg and we're so happy she's in our family!

Gavin was more excited about her birthday than Megan was. They are getting to be good little friends and I love watching them grow together.

Bathroom Remodel

It's official. I have the most wonderful, considerate husband in the world and he is perfect for me! A few weeks ago I went to BYU Women's Conference in Provo, Ut. with my mom, sister, aunt, cousin, and a family friend. While I was gone Mark arranged for friends to watch our kids and he hired a contractor we know from church to come over and help him remodel our bathroom. They replaced the floor, vanity and sink, mirror, and small accessories such as towel racks, tp holders, etc. I LOVE the result! We have talked about remodeling the bathroom for several months and Mark always mentioned wanting to tile the wall. I couldn't picture it, but I love how it turned out!

The framed mirror matches the vanity.

Mark designed the tile pattern on the floor and it is beautiful!

Shortly after I returned from my trip we celebrated our 7 year anniversary. I feel so blessed to be married to Mark. He is wonderful!