When your two-hour plane ride turns into eight, and you just don't know what to do,
Pull out your camera; click like mad; you'll have fun AND find something to pass the time, too!

During our flight to Denver today, storms forced an airport closure after we circled and circled, so we landed in Salt Lake for an hour, flew back to Denver, circled and circled, and finally landed.

Justin grabbed the rental car and I grabbed all our luggage. Or almost all of it. As we drove away from the airport, I remembered that I forgot a bag, so we drove back. Pulling up to the curb, Justin asked me if I had my cell phone, to which I replied, "yes," but I accidentally left it in the car, which I remembered after I ran back to baggage claim to get the last bag. I had to call Justin from two strangers' cell phones. Thank you, strangers! We finally made it and boy were we excited! ---SM


[Above and Below: Grant and I make faces and pose. I put the camera in front of Grant and he didn't say anything as he sipped his drink that the flight attendant so wonderfully put a lid on. I thought he wasn't paying attention to me, but right when I'd click, he'd make a face without making a sound. When I looked back at the pictures, I laughed because he had been playing along with my kill-the-time game the whole time.]

Who doesn't have fun in the bath? Every night or bust! ---SM

I've been trying to capture short videos lately just so that I can have a record of the boys' voices and the way they articulate their words and stories. This one is mainly about preschool and the art project they made today---elephant straw sippers. ---SM

Testing out his dinosaur that Jared's family gave him a few Christmas' ago, Grant prepares it for preschool show and tell.

Grant: "These dinosaurs are cool. Everybody will love these. (Passes Lennox who is sitting on my bed) But you, little buddy, are getting a check-up today. And if you're good, you'll get a toy. But you have to wait for that." (Grant runs off as fast as lightning.) ---SM


[Above: Lennox's leg after taking three shots at his check-up. He had his own show-and-tell for his brothers after their preschool today.]

It's getting to be the time for big boy bikes. Today we practiced outside on the front court. The boys did so well that we celebrated with a bus ride over to Baskin Robbins afterward. Lennox really liked that idea because there was no pedaling involved. ---SM


[Above: The bike riders and their cheering squad]


[Above: A bus load!]


[Above: Just can't get enough!]

This year marks the second annual Fathers and Sons camp out for our family. On Friday afternoon, while the boys headed to the Gilroy hills, the girls (and one baby boy) headed to the Gilroy Outlets (no pictures of that, unfortunately!).

Grant tented with Justin and Kellen tented with my dad; they all roasted marshmallows, and returned Saturday morning at a bright and early 8:30 a.m.! 'Twas a quick but memorable trip! ---SM




[Above: Grant discovers the banana slug!]


[Above: Banana slug take two.]


[Above: Roasting the marshmallows.]






[Above: The motley crew: Grant, Papa, Justin, and Kellen]

We met up with some friends at Ardenwood Historic Farm in Fremont today. The boys weren't the only twins there (they usually aren't)---a pair of baby goats was born the day before and the boys got to pet them.

There was plenty to do, despite all those blasted school kids who clogged up the train rides! Instead, we were schooled in making chicken feed from different kinds of corn, and Grant and Kellen got to churn it up and later feed it to the chickens.

Auntie Staci was with us, too, and we all learned about (and watched) sheep's wool as it was spun into yarn. ---SM


[Above: Lennox points to the sheep]


[Above: Grant pumps water from the well]


[Above: Auntie Staci and the boys look at the pigs]


[Above: Lennox wants to ride in the truck. Not gonna happen.]


[Above: Chicken in a basket!]


[Above: Touching the wool that has been washed then will be spun]