Park City and BUGZ

Grandma Valene and Grandpa Bob rented a cabin (a big one!) in Park City for the weekend, so we got to spend lots of time with family lately.Marina, with her cousins Jane and Carter, were playing Walk the Dogs, but decided it would be more fun to just play with the little dogs.
The adults played more than a little Rock Band, so Marina and Kyle decided to get in on a little of that action.
All the girls enjoyed the princess dress up - there were a lot of costume changes throughout the day.
This is when Carter, Marina, and Jane decided that it would be fun to throw things from the balcony into the hot tub below - with their Aunt Karlene and her boyfriend, Jesse, in it!


We all visited the Olympic park at Park City, and toured the ski jumps and bobsled tracks.
All the cousins got into one of the bobsleds for a photo, and there was about one split second before there was crying involved. Here is that quick moment: Marina (left), Alice, Carter, Jane, Lincoln, Kyle, and Ella (with Grandpa and Steve helping out).
Playing on the skeleton sleds.
We all decided to go to Wheeler Farm, and the kids had a blast - here are Kyle and Marina checking out the baby goats.
The Pauls on a wagon ride around the farm.
Marina and her daddy on a smaller wagon.
Lincoln, Jane, Marina and Alice playing in the treehouse. I actually remember that treehouse from field trips when I was a kid. I think my whole class crammed into that treehouse.
The kids were so cute, I was snapping photos for most of the trip. It was difficult to get all the kids in one photo (we did not learn from the bobsled). Between the two photos, you can see most of the kids.
There were 20 of us in the cabin, and the kids had a blast (we did too)






Lincoln had his second grade musical, BUGZ last week. He was an army ant. Here are parts of the program. The flashlight song is called "Fireflies."







Here is the proud army ant.
This is Lincoln's best friend AJ.

This is Lincoln with his second grade teacher - Ms. Jenson.

Butterflies and more

The kids received a butterfly canopy (thanks Bunker and Ducky!), and we finally got some caterpillars to go in it (thanks Aunt Kara!). We watched as the caterpillars ate and ate for a week, then they formed their cocoons. After another week or so, butterflies came out! We watched and fed them for a couple of days and then let them go. Marina named all five of them Goldie.

When we first were letting them go, two of the butterflies were 'connected,' and they were not at all interested in flying away. Ryan and I smirked a little and told the kids that we would have to wait a while before the last two butterflies would fly away, thinking that the kids would not really know what was going on. But Lincoln, took one look at them and said, "Oh, they are mating aren't they?" He watches way too many nature shows not to know what that was all about.



Last week, a morning news anchor decided to broadcast from Frontier Homestead State Park (Ryan's museum), and Lincoln got to go with his dad and be on TV! Here is a shot of him with the anchor, and when I figure out how to get the footage here, I'll post it. Lincoln won a log sawing contest, and received his prize on the air!
Marina has broadened her movie watching in the last few weeks. She and I have watched both versions of A Little Princess (they are known as 'the one we have seen' and 'the one we have not seen,' even though we have seen them both repeatedly). Marina likes that show a lot, but her favorite movie of late is Oklahoma! (the Hugh Jackman version, of course). She asks to watch it with me about once a week and watches it on her own a lot too. Here she is performing one of her favorite songs from the show:



If you can't tell, that was "I'm Just a Girl Who Can't Say No."


I realized that I never posted a photo of Marina's Easter dress, even when I showed Lincoln's Easter clothes. So, here is Marina's Easter dress, only a couple of months late.


For Mother's Day we had a bunch of photos taken, here are a few more. Thanks for a great Mother's Day!

Dance, Dance Baby!

Lincoln decided (the day before!) the second grade talent show that he would participate. He decided to dance. So, last night, he picked a song - a French rap song set to the music of "oh What a Night. He was so brave, and the dancing was a hit!



We have two dancin' fools in the family - here is Marina dancing/helping me clean the house.



Lincoln passed a pretty big milestone this week . . . He learned to ride a his bike without training wheels. He has wanted to do little other than ride his bike since then. Here is the novice speed demon.



Marina has also been enjoying her bike. We go on bike rides almost every night now.



Marina has also decided to change her name to Annika. Just so you all know, if you call her Marina, she will correct you. I am asked several times a day, "Don't you remember? I changed my name to Annika!" I'll have to let you know when she decides to change it back, or changes it to Eunice.