Playing Downtown

Yesterday we headed downtown to check out the farmer's market and the Snake River Youth Jam.  It was a really fun day...marred only by the fact that I saw creep walking around with his zipper down with no underwear on...clearly on purpose!  I didn't fully realize what I was seeing until he was past...then I was too in shock to think to call and report the guy until it was probably too late.  Why do fun outdoor things like carnivals and such always bring out the weirdos?!  Luckily my children didn't see him. 

Anyway...they had booths set-up all along the green belt with different crafts kids could make, food booths and a few people selling things too.  We also found a new park that is really pretty down by the river.

Playing around in the rocks at a park down by the river.

I think Emory's expression is funny in this picture.

Carter and I.  This is Carter's new face when we say we're going to take a picture.  Lovely.

I don't know why really, but I just think this picture is sweet.  A little quiet chat with Daddy.  No, he's not getting in trouble either.

Home Depot was there with their "Kids Workshop" Every kids got to make a cute sale boat and got an apron for free!  They apparently do this every first Saturday from 9-12 at Home Depot.  We will definitely be hitting that up through the winter months!

Emory thought it was fun to hammer in the nails...and eat her sail  mast.

Carter waiting his turn to go in the fire truck.

Emory decided very quickly she didn't think it was cool to be inside.  

Carter was so good the whole day walking around and had such a fun time!  I love days like these. :)

Wilson Reunion

Last weekend we went up to Boise for a long weekend.  My brother Chad who lives in Washington, D.C. was coming into town so we had a little mini Wilson reunion while everyone was in town.  We got into town around 6 on Thursday.  Had a delicious steak and corn on the cob dinner and let the kids play in the yard and swim. Friday my parents watched the kids so we could go and look at cars.  As you all know who read this blog or know us...our car is dying a slow death.  So, we wanted to test drive some cars we like and get an idea of what our payments will be and such.  We've never made any major purchases. We realized in this process that my wedding ring is the biggest purchase we have ever made! Anyway, we test drove a newer Altima and a Rogue.  Then headed over to Toyota and we ended up getting a new Camry!  We LOVE it and they were having some great deals and we were able to fit it in our budget.  That took pretty much the whole day.  We got home around dinner time.  Played with the kids for a bit, took them for a drive in the new car over to say hi to my sister and her family.  Saturday Mike watched the kids so I could go out with my Mom. Chad flew in that afternoon and we did family pictures and had and ice cream sundae bar and swimming afterwards.  Sunday we went Sacrament meeting and then headed out to Gregg and Kami's place and had a delicious feast of homegrown and roasted chickens, homegrown potatoes and some other yummy salads.  Carter had  a blast running around with his cousins and playing with their enormous Nerf gun armory!  We headed home to pack and naps.  We got on the road Sunday night at 8 so Michael wouldn't have to be driving in the heat of the day in the Altima with no A/C.  The kids slept for all but the last hour and we didn't even have to stop!  It was a great, but too short, trip!

Our new car!

Emory snuggling with Uncle Mike watching Backyardigans on the iPad.

The kids were throwing each other into the pool.

Cute little Mack.

Carter and his buddy Abbie.

This picture is hilarious.  Notice the blurr of Hudson in the bottom left of this picture.  He went FLYING!

Hudson flying again!

Ella's turn!

Brock and Mack in their "boat".

Emory's favorite part was eating Grandma's cookies!

My Parents...for some reason they aren't ever in my pictures, so I made them pose for a picture!

A quick picture with Uncle Chad before we headed home.

Enjoying it While it Lasts!

We are dreading the looming end of summer. So, we are trying to enjoy ever last minute of warm sunshine to the fullest before it goes away all too soon.  We've been going for lots of walks on the greenbelt, walks to the park, walking to Cafe Rio for dinner, walking to Target, meeting Michael for picnic lunches downtown, etc. Pretty much walking everywhere and being outside as much as possible!   Here's some pictures from one outing a couple of weeks ago on the greenbelt.

We stopped and got our favorite donuts on the way taking Michael to work. After dropping him off we headed to the greenbelt and had a little breakfast picnic.  I felt like I was being judged a little bit by all the people out running and biking the greenbelt while we sat and ate donuts!  They were probably just jealous. :)

I love how Emory is so happy about her donut and how perfect her chocolate mustache is!

We found some "baby" apples.

Playing on all the bench art.  Most of the benches around the greenbelt are art sculptures too.

Emory wasn't happy about this for some reason.

One of the few times I caught a genuine smile from Carter.

Emory liked trying to put Carter's hat on and then he would toss it off and she's do it again.  I loved their little smiles in this sequence even though you can't see them great, you get the idea.  They were just giggling the whole time.

Then they ran around the grass giggling.

Climbed rocks...

Climbed trees...

Emory thought it was funny to wear Carter's hat!

Final installment of Boise Trip!

I can't remember exactly what we did Wednesday and Thursday.  I know swimming was involved both days, probably some raspberry picking too.  Michael came back on Thursday afternoon.  We were all excited to have him back.  Oh, it was also Thursday that we made the homemade raspberry ice cream!  So yummy.  Friday involved more swimming and a trip to Costco and watching little Cannon for a bit while Ben and Nikki went out.

Saturday morning we made jam Saturday we decided to head back instead of waiting for Sunday because our car was having some issues and I felt better about driving on Saturday if we were going to have to deal with car problems.  Luckily we didn't get too far though...not even out of the neighborhood when the car made an awful sound and the A/C was shot.  The brakes were also squealing more than normal. So, we turned around switched cars with my Mom because we will be going back in just a few weeks when my brother Chad is coming to visit from DC.  My parents in the meantime took the car in to be looked at....brakes fixed $400....A/C not fixed...needs a new compressor for $1200.  Not worth it. So looks like we'll be having to drive through the night from now on.  At least until winter. Thankfully summers are pretty mild here in IF.  I've tried driving around in my Mom's car without the A/C and rolling the windows down to see how it will be.  I think we'll be able to handle it.  Now we just pray that the car will last without anything else major going wrong until we can hopefully afford a car in the spring.

Nine kids in a boat.  Don't worry, the water is only about waist deep.  This is the pond on Gregg and Kami's property.  The kids had a great time exploring and finding rotten goose eggs. Since it is so shallow in the winter it usually freezes over for at least a week or more and they go ice skating on it!

Porter and one of the rotten goose eggs.  When they break they smell SO nasty!

Saturday morning Emily, my Mom and I made raspberry freezer jam.  It was so easy and so yummy!  We used Emily's new gourmet kitchen to whip it up.

My nice cheesy pose.

Doesn't it look delicious!

Sisters...sisters...

This is Emily and Mike's new house.  So beautiful!

We decided to stop and see Shoshone Falls in Twin Falls on our way home on Saturday.  Of course the kids fell asleep about 10 minutes before we got there.  We woke Carter up to see them, but decided it wasn't worth it to get Emory up.

The last time I had seen them was during the 7 year drought and there was just a little water trickling over one side.  This wet spring made them pretty spectacular.  Definitely worth the stop.

When Emory woke-up she was content to see the pictures and video I shot.