Playgroup Visits the Zoo

Our playgroup ventured out this week to Utah's Hogle Zoo.  Two of us in the group have passes so we were able to get everyone else in for free.  (One of the best investments of my life.)  Jonathan knows the zoo like the back of his hand.  I think they might think we are moving in we are there so much... and my boys are clearly little monkeys.  Jonathan knows the lay of the land and is much better at staying close by so he was able to spend more time walking and less time in the stroller.  Aaron is also getting bigger and likes to be out where he can see everything.  He will sit in the stroller for awhile but prefers to be carried in the Bjorn.  Several times I have been pushing the empty limo (the name of our double stroller).  We always have a great time showing our friends all our favorite exhibits around the zoo.  Jonathan still loves the roar agua (Polar bear playing in the water) but I think his favorites are the three grizzly bears... they are triplets.  He loves to watch them play, wrestle, hunt for their food or even just sleep.  A boy and his bears.  Aaron loves watching everything except the cover over his seat.  If anyone ever wants to visit the zoo we would love to show you around.  We had a great playgroup and need to go up again very soon.

 

Jonathan, Sandy and Abby sitting on the elephants trunk.

Jonathan, Abby and Mikey watching the real elephants.

Watching the seals with their trainers.

Mikey, Sandy, Abby and Jonathan watching the seals swimming.

Jonathan hanging out with the new baby Snow Leopard. (The baby Snow Leopard was born one week before Aaron.)

Jonathan, Sandy and Abby hanging out with the Polar bears.

The Balance Bike

Last year Jonathan received a balance bike.  His legs weren't quite long enough and his coordination needed more time to develop.  It didn't take long to get both of these problems taken care of.  Now he is a pro and can't be stopped.  In fact we had to make him start wearing his helmet because he can get some speed on that thing.  

 

Lifting up his legs.

 

 
So much fun!



Building Tunnels

There is nothing better in life than building tunnels with dad!  (Well maybe breaking them down after.)

Come On Ride the Train

Last week I found the book we made Jonathan for his 1st birthday.  It was a book full of pictures from all of our adventures throughout the first year of his life.  It was fun to see all of the things we had done and how quickly he had changed in that first year.  I was telling my mom how we had been looking at it and she commented on the fact that Aaron's book of his first year will be very short, maybe two pages if he's lucky.  In an effort to full up his first year picture book we went out on a family outing when Michael got off work last Friday.  We went for a short hike up Ensign Peak (Jonathan did the whole hike by himself) and then out to dinner.  After dinner Aaron and I drove the car to Michael's office and Jonathan and Michael took the Trax train one stop to meet us at his office.  Jonathan was in heaven!  As they arrived at the office parking lot the freight train came by and the boys went off to watch.  It was a great night spent as a family.

Me and my brother.

Dad and Aaron with Salt Lake City behind them.

Mom trying not to look like a bump on a log with a Jonathan frog ready to jump.

The boys coming down the mountain together.

Getting ready to ride the Trax train with dad.

Watching the freight train go by.

Such cute boys!

 Two year old energy after a long hike.

Cool Guy Hair

Jonathan loves to do his own hair now and he's not too bad at it either.  I get to spray him with water until he is dripping wet and then he is in charge of combing (or picking) it.  I think he looks mighty handsome with his new styling hair. 

Someone needs a haircut.

Making the fluff.

Cool guy hair and ready to roll.

He loves to play with the the toy straightener, blow dryer and other hair dresser toys when they are available... the girls who own these toys don't always appreciate their hair getting pulled as he plays with them though.

Let Me Introduce You

Golden Hale

Let me introduce you to my grandpa Golden Hale.  I'm sure I'm not the most qualified to introduce him since I was never able to actually meet him myself.  The stories I have heard about him make me anxious to meet him someday.  I love to hear my Aunts and Uncles tell stories about his life.  He had a wonderful sense of humor and such a love for everyone he met.  I love that Aaron will take his name as a middle name.  I hope we can raise him to be the kind of man that his name sake was. 

Aaron Golden Adams

While Jonathan and Aaron looked very similar at birth Aaron is starting to look like the Hale side of the family.  The picture of my grandpa sits right by Aaron's bed and every time I put Aaron to sleep I giggle to myself at how much he is starting to look like him.  Jonathan looks like a mini Michael so it's nice to finally see my side peaking through a little.

Francella Callister Hale

I can't talk about my grandpa Hale, who I have never met, without bringing up my grandma Hale who has done so much to shape my life, second only to my mom.  (I sure do love this picture of her.)  I spent much of my childhood having sleepovers at my grandma's house.  I think I was there most weekends and I loved it!  We would read, play games (which she cheated at but maybe just because she had cataracts and couldn't see colors), and watch Murder She Wrote.  (Okay, she would have me watch it and then fill her in during the commercials.)  I sure did love the time we were able to spend with each other and how special she always made me feel.  She was an amazing person. 

When I was at the Mission Training Center (MTC) preparing to serve my mission I was trained on how to do genealogy.  While at the training I decided to look up my grandma since her line was so long with all of the genealogy work she had done.  One of the trainers came over and saw my grandma's name.  She asked how I was related and then sat down to tell me how she knew my grandmother.  My grandma had been her teacher in school.  She had also attended the same ward.  On the day of this cute ladies baptism she had walked over to church but was too nervous and shy to go in.  She sat down on the steps of the church and began crying.  My grandma happened to see her and went out and put her arms around her and talked to her for a while.  Then she lovingly took her by the hand and walked her in to be baptized.  This cute lady told me how she felt such love from my grandma and would probably not have been baptized if my grandma hadn't been there that day.  I had always known how amazing she was but loved hearing that she made everyone feel that way.  The day of her funeral was probably the greatest testament of the love people had for her.  We held her funeral in Idaho were she hadn't lived for many, many years and as we looked around the chapel was full.  So much of who I am is because of her.

(Amendment to the story above... My mom says I have remembered this story wrong. The little girl had come to church by herself because her family was not actively attending church. She was too nervous and shy to go inside and my grandma came and got her from the steps. That is why she was eventually baptized. This is the account my mom remembers from the letter I wrote home from the MTC. Apparently baptisms were preformed in the canal so the first story couldn't have happened the way I thought I had remembered. It's a good thing my mom is around to help me get this straight.)

Michael and His Shadow

I don't know what I would do without Michael and his example for our boys.  He is so great with both of them and they love him so much.  Jonathan is quick to copy everything that Michael does lately.  I loved this video of the two of them just taking a deep breathe after looking at the fish in the pond.  It just brings me such great joy.

I'm grateful for...

• My husband Michael.
• My funny son Jonathan.
• My very tolerant son Aaron.