FHE Never To Be Forgotten

First of all, Zack has started smiling for the camera! I LOVE these smiles!

For FHE (Family Home Evening), we re-enacted the Samuel the Lamanite story from the Book of Mormon. We cut out paper arrows for the kids to throw at Samuel the Lamanite.

Here's Zack with his arrow.

Sam being Samuel the Lamanite
Here are all the "bad guys" with their arrows.

Throwing their arrows at Sam...

Soph was concentrating very hard...

Soph showing me her arrow

Now it's Soph's turn to be Samuel the Lamanite.

Sam being the bad guy

Sam and Bryce throwing arrows!

Look at these "bad guy" faces! I think Soph would win...

Meanwhile, poor Leese felt pretty sick. In the end, Trav and Soph caught it before we left. I had it last week. And Zack is just getting over it now. Ick!

Cute cousins
Somehow, this ended with all the cousins on the stairs.
Being silly.
ALL cousins looking somewhere close to the camera. AMAZING.

It was so much fun! Sam insisted we do this for FHE at our house when we got back.

Austin Random

We did lots of OTHER things in Austin. We ate at this AWESOME barbeque place with some of Bryce and Lisa's friends.

Sam and Soph were CRACKING up playing with Sophie's Look and Find Fairies book.

Sam would point to a fairy for Soph to find...

And miraculously, she knew where they were!!!

They must have been a little tired to find this so funny, but they did. They were laughing SO hard.


Then, there's all the time these cousins spent playing in the Pack N Play where Zack slept while we were there. Soemtimes Trav was in on the action too, although not in this pic.

And, winking. Yes, Zack is starting to "wink" too. Check this out.

We spent many hours at all the different parks around Lisa's place.

And cousins had to be silly...

But they sure love being together!

Luck o' the Irish

A belated Happy St Patty's Day to you...

Matching Socks

One day, Sam and Soph just HAD to have matching socks on. One stripedy toe sock and one heart sock for each of them. These pictures remind me VERY much of some certain pictures from my childhood. I can't find them (I don't think I have a copy), but KATE, if you're reading this... YOU know what I'm talking about! Something about cousins and matching socks!

They had a lot of fun playing together... but started to fall...

Oh well! Just keep playing!

Last of all - here are all the cousins together in ONE picture. This doesn't happen very often. Check out the height difference. Trav thought it was no fair that he's the shortest, so he stood closer to the camera to gain a couple inches. :)

I Feel Like Soph

As I was going through my photos from Austin, it occured to me that I currently feel like my darling neice Sophie.

Now, let me first clarify. Sophie IS darling. See?
But, she also gave me some gems which relate EXACTLY to how I feel.

You see, Lisa, Soph and Trav were all sick by the time we left Austin. Fevers and nasty colds. And I succumbed to the bug on Friday... and have been sick for SIX days now. Zack just started his fever / cold last night, and Sam so far has been healthy. (AMAZING)

So, when I wake up, I feel like this:

"STILL SICK???!?!! WHEN WILL THIS GO AWAY?"

"UGH! I have NO energy! I wish I had energy!!"

"I hate you germs! Go away!!!"

And hopefully one of these days, I'll wake up with my own tousled hair and think...

"Hmmmm... I think I'm getting better!"

(Thanks Soph for letting me use your pics. We miss you!)

Day One - Austin Children's Museum

On our first REAL day in Austin, we went to the Children's Museum. It was TOTALLY fun. Best part? We discovered this fabulous cupcake shop afterwards. Their lemon cupcake was DIVINE. (Leese, just go get another one for me, wouldja??? It sounds so good right now!)

First stop at the museum? We became The BAND

Then, we checked out this "pinata" of sorts. My boys could have played there for hours.

And then, in case you missed it, Zack is starting to "smile" for the camera. This is what I get... a little closer up.
We moved on to the wind area. I'm not sure what these headphones were supposed to do, but they looked HILARIOUS. I want some.
We hung out by the motor train that ran around the 2nd floor area. The kids LOVED that until one of the school groups all came upstairs...
And finally... where did my boys play (especially Zack) before we left???

You betcha. The train table.

Talkin on the Austin Banana Phone

More pics from our trip later... but I just found these and thought they were so funny.

Here are my boys... talking on the banana phone at breakfast one morning while we were visiting the FABULOUS LaPierres in Texas.