Sunday morning, we woke up and ate breakfast. Lucy and Brody both recently had their first birthdays, so they opened their presents for each other. Lucy got a cute little butterfly Babbage Patch baby and we got Brody some nesting sports balls. They sure were cute and it was great to see them together!
The babies seemed to be happy with their new toys! It was funny to see Brody, because he is all over the place, walking since 9 months! And Lucy would watch him, but really seemed she had no desire to walk like him. It's fun to see the differences between boys and girls even from this young age and their personalities and strengths and weaknesses.
We then watched Conference on the internet. Nope, we don't have it on TV here, folks. So this is what our Conference looks like. We played some games (Conference Bingo, Jelly Bean game and some others we always do) and Stacy made packets for everyone so we'd pay attention! Conference was so uplifting (like always)! For me, the themes of family, faith, focusing on spiritual rather than secular and priorities seemed to stand out.
The boys...Cal and Kaison had a blast, but were huge trouble! AHH! The first day, it seemed Kaison was "marking his territory" because he decided to poop and pee all over the house in random places all day, though he's fully potty trained. It was very random, but after day one and getting adjusted, things got better for the most part! They were so embarrassed, it's okay guys. The boys would get quiet here and there, and we'd find them up to no good. Like breaking something, getting into something they shouldn't be or making a mess. They made me want to drive to the zoo and drop them off somedays, but then other times they were so cute I just wanted to snuggle with them all day!
Emma at the end of day 1. Yes, she is sleeping with her hands over her ears. And she never takes a nap. That should tell you a couple of things. 1 - how loud it actually was in our home that week. 2 - These kids wore each other (and their parents) out!
Since it was April Fools, we decided to trick the kids for dinner! Stacy and I always have fun together and like to do things like that together. It was fun to spend so much time with and talk to her so much! We told the kids we were having cupcakes for dinner, which they were surprised by, and they kept asking if dinner was ready yet! They were really meatloaf cupcakes with purple mashed potato frosting and a cherry {tomato} on top!
Emma, who had just woken up was not so thrilled with that trick. Tayla thought it was pretty funny! I love her expression in this picture! They ate it up though and liked that and their steamed carrots and green beans!
Mmmm...who's got room for dessert?!
Kaison and Cal had fun playing in their dinner, but ended up eating well!
Mmmmm...dinner time!
Then we had 'mashed potatoes and gravy' for dessert! It was really ice-cream with caramel sauce. The kids liked that part of dinner probably the best! (:
Monday morning, we went to visit Gonzaga University and the Bing Crosby home and museum. Here are the kids by the mantel and the old radio! (Doesn't seeing it just make you want to break out singing "My Way"? I know being there, I did!)
On the steps of the Crosby home.
Running amuck around Gonzaga U. It felt kind of wierd being tourists on a campus like this!
Here are the kids by the Bing statue.
Tayla and Jerry checking out the Golden Globe..or Oscar...I can't remember which!
The boys & their homie Bing Crosby.
Then we went downtown to the Riverfront park! We first ate a picnic lunch under the pavilion, very quickly as it got really chilly! Then we went down to play! Of course, we had to play on the world's largest Radio Flyer wagon!
Kaison tried to get up close and personal with the geese and ducks, but Cal made sure that he didn't. He was holding him back from getting too close.
Enjoying some time in Spokane!
We walked to Canada Island and over the bridges to get great views of the river. Here's Emma on Canada Island by a totem pole.
Kaison up by the river! He was actually a little afriad, which was surprising as he's a little fearless boy!
Cal on the bridge. Ta Da!
The Spokane river. How magnificent is that?
We saved our garbage from lunch and went to the garbage goat, that sucks up garbage. The kids thought that was pretty cool! I'm trying to get Dave to install one in our house, maybe our kids would be more willing to clean up after themselves that way. (: JK
Then it was off to the Loof Carosel. Cal chose the giraffe.
I took Lucy, she loved it and tried climbing back on the minute I got her off!
Emma on the pretty white pony!
Kaison and Jerry ready to go!
Then we went across the street to the Liberty Building, to visit Auntie's Bookstore and Uncle's Games. They were such fun little places!
It was nice to just explore the books and games, and sit and read for a while! We found some of our favorite kid books and some new neat ones! And we loved the large cutouts of all of their favorite characters!
Lucy was just plain tuckered out!
After a break at the bookstore, we headed back to the playground at Riverfront park. The babies loved the swings!
The big boys loved the giant dinosaur bones to climb on.
Spokane was host to the World's Fair in 1974, so many cool things were built for that and still stand today. This is the giant "spider web".
We had a great day but were glad to get home, eat BBQ chicken salad for dinner, and then hit the sack! I think all of the kids passed out pretty easily from all of the walking.
The second day, we visited Manito Park Gardens. I hadn't been since visiting my aunt and uncle when I was a pre-teen, so it was good to come back! We saw the greenhouse, which was huge and housed thousands of varieties of beautiful flowers and plants and trees!
I loved this Easter bunny. Cute!
Cacti!
Lucy looking as pretty as a flower!
I loved these groupings of flowers because Dave loves orange and I love yellow and they grouped a bunch of orange and yellow flowers together, cute!
On the bridge at the conservatory.
Easter lillies.
Pretty girls! They had such a great time together, they're the best of friends!
We also went to the Japanese Gardens. Everything else wasn't quite blooming and ready yet, which was sad, but I can't wait to go back this summer to see everything!
The waterfalls, pagodas, plants, and other works of art were inspiring.
Then we played at the playground. The boys liked getting dirty in the huge sand box.
We ran up in the hills and played chase.
Cal thought this statue was Joseph Smith. Hehe!
After that, we headed to Mobius kids museum downtown. The babies enjoyed the baby corner and playing on stage with the musical instruments.
Emma and Tayla putting on a show on the stage. So Tayla took off her clothes and put on a Minnie Mouse dress-up dress. Then she came to me asking for help to get her real clothes back on. Ha ha!
Cal loved the water table and the sand table the best! He could've stayed there all day!
Exploring!
Cal and Lucy in the boat.
Peek-A-Boo, Cal! In the Castle of Nutrition. The museum focuses around on science and exploration.
After Mobius, we walked to the mall to spend the rest of the afternoon. We saw everyone walking around with ice-cream and thought that it looked good. Jerry found out it was free scoop day at Ben & Jerry's. So of course we had to go! We all enjoyed the tasty ice-cream (who doesn't love B & J's?).
That smile says it all!
Messy faces!
We all scream for ice-cream!
After that, the moms went shopping while Uncle Jerry (Dave had to go to school) took the four older kids up and down and up and down the escalators.
Day 3 was Northern Idaho day. We stopped in at Cabela's in Post Falls. The girls enjoyed looking at and imitating the fish with their best fishy faces!
The boys really liked the animals. The other Ryerse's had never been to Cabela's before - shock! But they all had a good time!
Then we bought some fudge and went to the shooting gallery, which of course, I think the Dad's liked more than the kids even.
Then we went to Couer d'Alene. We visited what our kids call "Moose Park". It was rainy and cold though, so we didn't stay very long. It was too bad the weather didn't hold up because we hardly got to stay at all.
What a hottie!
Stacy, Kaison and Cal overlooking Lake Couer d'Alene.
Then the rain turned into snow - and they weren't just little flakes, they were huge and it was freezing!
Emma and Tayla trying to stay dry and warm!
We then escaped the cold and wet and left to Capone's, which was featured on Diners, Dives, and Drive-Ins with Guy Richie. I love all of the vintage baseball (and other sports) memorabilia. But the food is the best part!
Mmmmmm Mmmmm Mmmmm....
We then strolled downtown, but unfortunately, most of the shops close at 5 p.m., which we barely missed. But we had fun window shopping anyway!
The babies snacking when we got home.
Unfortunately, most of the days it was rainy and pretty cold! Thursday, we went to Tomato Street for lunch. I love this place! The food is a little pricey, but some of the best Italian I've ever had. And it's really family friendly and fun - from the chalk boards and chalk to draw on, playdough they give the kids to keep entertained during dinner, and the paper tablecloths to doodle on, it's a great place!
We then went downtown to explore a little more, to see more of the beautiful side of Spokane!
That night, the adults stayed up and played games. The other nights, Dave was working on homework, and sometimes I'd type for him. We had such a great time playing card games, talking, and laughing. That was probably my favorite moment from their trip up here.
Then we went to the Northtown Mall and played on the playground and shopped around a bit, and headed to Costco to get some things for Dave's birthday and Easter (see the next post!). My camera fell out of my purse there, which I though it was my phone, but later that night I couldn't find it and I called and no one had found it. But thankfully, my prayers were answered and a week later it was found and turned in and works! So I was very grateful! So I am stealing lots of Stacy's pictures for the last day everyone was here.
We had such a great week together! The kids also probably had just the best time playing with each other and being together. To this day, a month later, in his prayers sometimes Cal thanks Heavenly Father that Tayla and Kaison could come sleep over. I am also grateful they came up to visit and we were able to enjoy each other and doing fun things together! Though it was crazy and hectic around here some days, it was one memorable week! They were also here to celebrate some of Easter weekend, but I'll blog about that in my new few posts. Thanks for coming Jerry, Stacy, Tayla, Kaison and Brody! We were glad you could make it and loved having you here!
