Just to prove we are around in May...

I realized I haven't posted a single thing this month. In a terrible attempt to represent, this is a glimpse of what we have been up to.

We went on SAFARI...Oregon style!
I have to admit that Jim and I probably enjoyed this just as much, if not more than the kids. Seeing the animals roam free from the safety and comfort of your car was pretty sweet.

The kids especially loved not having to wear a seat belt while we searched for the different animals.

We did some hiking in grass that was taller than our kids!

We found this huge pile of rocks. Bridger & Kacy would have been content to just spend all our time here.
Bridger graduated from preschool! So, I know this isn't the most remarkable graduation or benchmark he will have in his life. However, it was so cute to see all these adorable 4 year olds be so excited and celebrate a fun year together! Bridger actually has gotten pretty good at making words and recognizing letters, too.

The boys went on a Father & Sons camp out. The girls got to stay home and paint each other's fingernails (which Kacy LOVES to show off).

I feel really bad that I am responsible (since I am the pregnant one) for our family not doing as many (well, any) camping trips this year. So, I am so glad Jim and the little man here were able to go and have such a great time together.

So, that was our month in a nutshell. Perhaps one day I will be back to add more pictures here or fill in some details there. For now, I can feel good that I can prove that we do exist!

Aloha!

Land Ho! I can't tell you how nice it was to fly out of the clouds and land where it was warm and sunny. Jim and I were able to go on a Hawaii get away to the island of O'ahu. Here is a taste of the fun we had.

First of all, we must pay homage to the AMAZING sunsets. It is hard to decide which of the 700 pictures to share. I am sure there are more to come.
If you are a LOST fan (which we are), then you, too, would appreciate this beach.

Laie Temple

Jim looking for sneaker waves:

There was a lot of this going on:

We splurged and stayed at the Turtle Bay Resort on the North Shore. Very nice and secluded.

Our package came with buffet breakfast... everyday.

Hanging out in the WWII bunker.

View of my sexy man:

Ocean view room:

Driving around the island in the Mustang Convertible:

And one hilarious bathroom sign: Love it!

Thank you Jim for this late anniversary, early birthday, babymoon trip! (More Hawaii to come!)

It's always fun...

Actual conversation (or a version thereof):
"Hi Melanie, I want to come out for a visit."
"That would be great Mom! We would love to have you out!"
...A few days later...
"Hi Mom, we have been thinking, and Jim and I would like to go to Hawaii before baby #3 comes. Since you will be here, do you mind watching our kids for us?"
A slight pause..."Of course, dear."
And THAT is just one of the many reasons why she is the best Mom (and Grandma) ever!
So my mom came and we left. The kids got to play with her, laugh with her, and be fascinated by hail with her. Apparently it rained a little, and then hailed a lot!

My mom was a trooper - we are so grateful and relieved for her willingness to be with our kids while we had the trip of a lifetime. I mean, look at her- how could you not be happy around this?

I think they all had a great time, and didn't miss us one bit!

It's always fun when Grandma comes!

The Lodge

Still catching up on March activities here... We went to The Great Wolf Lodge in Washington to escape from the last bit of Winter rain. It was an awesome indoor water park - complete with animal story times and appearances from wolf caricatures, wizarding adventures and magic wands.

You can't tell very well on the screen, but here are the boys defeating the dragon. It took a lot of scavenging around the hotel to find all the clues to do this. Not bad for a 4 year old (and 31 year old) :).

It was such a fun family get away. We were in our swim suits most of the time, despite it being pouring rain and 40 degrees outside.

We all had a great time! Bridger keeps asking to go back whenever we mention anything to do with water, magic, swim suits, pools or vacation. It is hard to say no when it was so much fun and it is only 2 1/2 hours away!

They say imitation is the highest form of flattery...

However, I am still not too sure how I feel about this...

It didn't take them long before they were running at each other, bouncing backwards from the impact on each other's bellies.

At least we can be entertained by small things (such as balloons) for a very long time.

Snow Day (in March)

We had a snow day earlier this month. This means that the schools shut down and all the white stuff melts by noon.
We got out early enough to enjoy the freshly fallen snow before it was gone.

This seemed like a great job for big brother. Kacy loved it.

Honestly, I don't know if the kids were more excited - or their dad! Either way it was a fun morning in our neighborhood.

Hiking (in February)

We had an unusually warm, sunny day a few weeks ago and Jim gave us just the push we needed to go outside and explore a new Oregon waterfall. This time we went on a hike to Roosevelt falls - a great hike for the kids!

We actually saw a series of waterfalls. Bridger walked the whole 2+ mile loop. It was nice to get out and remember why we love the outdoors. I can't wait for the weather to be nice everyday!