Fox Hollow Family Farm

We are in love with this cute family farm that we got to visit today.  I love finding fun new places to discover.  This farm had it all.  The kids can't wait to go back and show dad.
It's in Issaquah, right near Tiger Mountain where people hangglide and paraglide.  There are actually two paragliders but I can't see where they are in this picture any more.  I could see them when I was taking the picture.  And it's a cute shot of the inflatables and gazebo where we picknicked today.

The kids got a cup of veggies to feed the animals.  Not all of the animals wanted them, but most did.  There was a llama, miniature ponies. sheep (with baby lambs), chickens, geese, and pigs.  There may have been more but that's off the top of my head.

Inside the barn there were large horses, baby chicks (the boys were in love and kept leaning in to hear them "peeping") and baby piglets. 

The kids got a kick out of riding these 4 wheelers.

Everywhere we went I was taking notes because Tony and I dream of having acreage and a beautiful home and animals.  Someday.  For now I take pictures of this farm because it was so idyllic.  And look how cute Jase looks in his little hat.

They loved riding this train.

And they really loved riding the pony.  This is Pegasus.

We ended at the Sweet Shoppe and play area.

I wonder how soon we can go back? ; )

 

 

 

 

Sweetness

Jase fell asleep during Stake Conference.  I love sleeping babies when they're so rosy and sweet.

 

Later we spent time with friends and I took this sweet picture of Tallie with Venna and Jase (just one year apart). 

Max's Milestone

Max came home from school on Friday with the exciting news that he had lost his first tooth.  It hadn't even been loose!  He had been eating lunch opening the utensils (that come in a little plastic bag).  He noticed something white in the bag but didn't pay attention.  Then he felt the hole between his teeth.  He was so excited and so were we!  He wrote a note to the tooth fairy and she did not disappoint. 

Max making a silly face to sow off his new hole!

Sunsine and Riding Bikes

Ryan is our cute little bike rider.  He went from no pedals to pedals without training wheels! 

It was a gorgeous day!  We worked in the yard, played bubbles, made fairy houses with friends,

Played at the park,

And rode bikes again!

Today

Today was a peaceful Sunday (much different than last Sunday).  The boys woke up and did their morning routine well.  Max puts away the dishes and Ryan puts away the utensils.  Can I just tell you how much I LOVE it that they're big enough to do chores?  Ryan was a self-starter and got out the breakfast bowls, spoons and cereal BEFORE he asked me for any help.  "Mom, can you pour the milk please?"  They can be taught!  Church was wonderful as always and the boys listened when we got home to changing into play clothes and helping with lunch.  Then we watched Pollyanna/dozed.  I love Pollyanna and the lesson it teaches, but it was a bit long for the boys and well their parents fell asleep so they wandered off to play legos.  But they came back and their parents woke up for the ending, so they got the gist of the lesson I was hoping they'd glean from it.  After dinner and after dad's fireside, we went on a geo-cache search.  We never found it but we still had adventures.

And I had to take some pictures of Jase in this awesome sweater that my parent's scottish friend knitted for their soon-to-be-born grandson (Max) in 2007.  All of my boys have looked darling in it.

 

Do the Puyallup!

When I was in grad school, I worked at a home for developmentally disabled adults.  One of them, Judy, always looked forward to going to the fair in Spring and Fall.  She was blind and didn't talk a whole lot but she could sing the Puyallup Fair commercials, "Do the Puyallup!" forward and backwards. 

We haven't done the fair too often with the boys but when Max won tickets, we had to go.  Max's baseball game was rained out but it was still a great day for the fair, nice, overcast and a pleasant temp.

We started out with some face painting.

 And then we discovered some fun animals.  Jase saw turtles!

Since Ryan loves frogs, here he is with a huge African frog.

And more...

 Then we played a little music.

and enjoyed all that the fair had to offer.

We let the boys do rides for the first time! 

Another highlight was learning about wool.  It starts on the sheep and then it gets spun into yarn and knitted or woven into cloth.  The boys really liked learning about this process and people were so nice to explain it to them. 

Here, these people are singing and "waulking", a Scottish tradition of wetting woven, wool  cloth and pounding it, pushing it along to make it more dense.  They would sing as they did it and it was their social gathering.

We also enjoyed listening to the bagpipes and thinking of my parent's first mission and our ancestry. 

Daddy and Max getting ready to ride the Starship 2000 (which will always be the Gravitron to me).  Next time I'll join them! 

Cowboy Max 

And the "Thank a Farmer" magic show. 

So much fun!