Cool Foodie Mama: Hawaiian Pork Shish-kebabs

Cool Foodie Mama: Hawaiian Pork Shish-kebabs: Summa' is HERE!  Thank goodness!  I love finding new things to cook on the grill, it gives me a few extra minutes to be outside, and food o...

Memorial Day, Zoo Day!

We had an absolutely wonderful Memorial Day, it was one of those holiday's that was full of all things that every holiday that should be full of; family, kids, food, sun, animals, laughing, grilling, guitars, crazy pictures.  *Sigh*, it was just what a holiday should be!

Duane and Sallie came down from Wyoming to take us to the zoo!  We hadn't been to the zoo here before, and I was pleasantly surprised.  It was much bigger than I thought it was going to be, which was a good thing, because the place was BUSY!! 

 Owen is pretty chill when we go on outings, he just likes to sit back and soak it all in.

 This was about as close as the crowds allowed us to get to the elephant.

 Look at this cute picture of Grandad and Marin.

This little peacock was strutting his stuff all over the little picnic area, I was hoping he would splay his feathers for us, but no luck there.

 Sallie and Marin looking at that crazy peacocok.

 Kristoffer and I in front of the wooden elephant.

 Sir. Rhino was eating his lunch in front of the window for us.

 Love my girl.

 Someday I will have cute shorts like Marin's.

The carousel!

 Owen and daddy dancing and waving to the carousel music.

 Owen and grandad.

Marin and Sallie on the carousel.  Marin was a little worried about riding on any of the animals, and she wanted to ride on the chair instead.  We convinced her to ride the turtle, haha, it was so cute!

 Monkey yawn!

 This tiger was taking a nap right outside the window.

And this giraffe came right up in front of us to nibble on some grass.

 Family picture!!

 Posing is short lived, this was take-two about two seconds later!

Marin suckered Sallie into getting her some cotton candy.  This little girly was on sugar overload!

 Marin decided to dig a nest for the birds, such a thoughtful girl...she actually took over Owen's digging spot.

 After the zoo, we brought the kids home for a late nap and set up for a little picnic. Kristoffer's little sister Melodie and her new fiancee Justin came over and it was perfect.  We were so grateful to have them there and be able to spend time all together, it was so wonderful!

 If it weren't for my funny kneeling-on-concrete pose, I would be over the top in love with this picture.

 Here we all are!!

We LOVED Memorial Day, I hope we can fill all of our holiday's with things like this every time, it makes me feel....like we've taken full advantage of our day off.

I'm In a Hurry to Get Things Done

"Oh I, rush and rush and rush until life's no fun......All I really want to do is live and die, but, I'm in a hurry and don't know why..."

If you know country music, you know this song.  It's one of my favorites by Alabama, and as I've gotten a little older (some of you can start laughing), I've really come to understand what the big deal is...and why they wrote a song about it!

Not only do we (and by 'we' I also mean 'me') need to just slow it on down just a bit, or a lot, we need to put things into perspective from time to time.  Life will be lived whether we choose to be proactive or retroactive.  Life will be lived whether we do it all or do nothing at all.  Life will be lived if we are sad, glad, angry or mad.  Life...will be lived, and it will go on.  

The things around you, the TV, the couch, the oven, the candles, will all be gone, and the hills and mountains and trees will see them go, just as they have seen pioneer treasures of old come and go.  And just as they have seen birth and death a million times, and a sunrise and sunset each day for thousands of years, they will see many, many more.

We fill our earthly days with things, and emotions and activities that can buoy us, or consume us.  Are they worth our moment in time, or our many moments in time?  Do we let the silly things go and capture the good things instead?  Do we invite chaos into our day with superfluous activities or do we actively enjoy the superlative?  Do we darken our days with anger and frustration or do we brighten our own day with peace and esteem?

Whatever we choose, however we choose to be, life will be lived, and days will be spent.  We pay our maker his dues as each sun sets in the west, and hope we have received a wealthy return for our investment of a day.  What have we chosen to be?  What have we chosen to do?  How have we chosen live?  

Have we wasted our day, a day that is gone, and spent.  Did we spend it wisely?

If we are rushing and rushing, life will go on.  If we are hiding and stalling, life will go on.  If we are living and loving, life will go on.

Cool Foodie Mama: Turkey Burgers with Avocado Slaw

Cool Foodie Mama: Turkey Burgers with Avocado Slaw: This has become one of my favorites and my husband's favorites.  It's a really great alternative to a regular old burger, and it's for sure...

Let's Go Fly a Kite!

Daddy bought Marin a little kite a few weeks ago, and we've been waiting for a nice windy day to try it out.  It wasn't as windy as we were hoping, but there was enough to tease a few laughs out of us all.

There was a doggie there as soon as we got to the park, and Owen made a bee-line right for him saying "Dahhhg, daahg!".

 Setting up the string.

 Getting ready to run!

 Owen was having fun just running around on the biiiiig field.

 I love this picture.  Marin does not pose well for the camera, so when I can get a completely candid gleeful smile shot, it it just sooo precious!

 A moment of wind!  Marin spent most of the time running with the kite behind just to keep it up in the air.  She ran mostly in circles with the string slack, so that didn't work...then I told her to just keep running straight, and she about ran off the sloped side of the field.  It was pretty cute.

 Hey handsome boy!

 Swoon!  I love this adorable shot of my completely handsome young man, he melts my heart.

 I couldn't resist.  Marin got her feet all tangled in the kite tails and was having a little frustrated moment.

 Daddy to the rescue, as usual!

Perhaps next time we'll have a little more wind!

Flashbacks!!

Also, as part of my super productive Saturday, I discovered a little nugget of happiness...a sparkly sprinkle of smiles and "oh-my-goodness!".  My wonderful mother in law had a veritable pictorial treasure on her phone (and camera) and let me peruse through her pictures that were 5 and more years old! 

I really almost put myself into shock looking through pictures of me, and Kristoffer and pregnancy and EVERYTHING!  She was so sweet and let me copy them to my external hard drive, so now, they have a place in my files, and a place on my blog!!

And, you lucky dogs, you get to see them (most of them)!  These are in no particular order, by the way!

Look at this fresh faced fellow, boy is HE a young spring chicken!  Not to say that my husband is old...but he's more like an early-summer-chicken now...which is great...I like chickens either way; this isn't coming out quite right...

 Indeed, it's true, this super thin girl with make-up and hair-do and rested eyes is me!  Looooong ago, far away it seems.  Aaaah, the sacrifice for motherhood.

 A pregnant Samantha in 2008.

 Our little girl!  It's hard to believe she will be FOUR years old this year!!

 I loved those little striped PJ's.

 Marin and aunt Melodie.

 There's her chubby cheekers!  She had the best chubby cheeks.

Four months.

 This isn't my picture, but it made me laugh...it still does.  Not that I typically share these types of things, but seriously!

 Poor Kristoffer was caught mid-face-adjustment.  We had just given Kris's mom a Christmas card that said on the front "A Child is Born"...and on the inside, we put our due date.  This was how we told her we were pregnant with Marin back in December 2007.

 Marin a few weeks after Owen was born.

 A family picture after Owen was born.  This one actually isn't too bad!

 Kristoffer and little sister, Melodie.

Owen and Daddy!

 Heading out the door after my water broke with Marin.

 You can't see it, but that is total contraction face right there!

 Aren't you lucky, you get to see my swollen post-delivery face!  And a brand new Marin :)

 Little girl.

Six weeks after Marin was born.

 Cute girl.

 Family pictures, July 2009.

 Look at her little tongue sticking out!

 Kristoffer graduating with his MBA.

May 2010, graduation.

 Marin at 2&1/2

 Family of four.

 One last graduation picture.

I have LOVED looking through these pictures, it was SUCH a treat!!