Clearwater Aquarium

Last Tuesday Ryan's parents came to visit us! We were so excited for them to come. I wish I had Cannon's reaction on video because it was priceless. Cannon and I picked them up at the airport and we waited at the bottom of the escalator for them. I saw them and they began to wave to us. I pointed them out to Cannon and he was yelling, "Papa! Grandma!" As they got closer and he saw them better he yells out, "PAPA! Mom, I found Papa! Papa! PAPA!" He about jumped out of my arms to get to them!

That night we ate dinner at a place called Cafe Cibo in St. Pete. It's an Italian restaurant and it was pretty good. They were out of spumoni, so we had to eat ice cream at our house.

On Wednesday I took them to the Clearwater Aquarium. I just bought an annual membership on Groupon, so we all got in for free. This was our first time going too, so I didn't know what to expect. It's definitely smaller than the Tampa Aquarium, but I think it's just the right size for little kids. Plus, this one has dolphins, which are my favorite!

All the animals at the aquarium are there because they need help. They are able to offer rehabilitation and release back in to the wild (when it is appropriate). That made me feel better since the animals there aren't just for show.

Cannon was too freaked out to touch the sting rays! They are actually really friendly and I love to pet them.


This dolphin is Nicholas. You can't see it from the picture, but he has scars on his back. When he was a baby they found him and his mother with third degree sun burns. His mom was too sick to survive, but they were able to help Nicholas. Because he was so young when they found him, he was not a candidate to be put back in the wild.


This is the famous Winter the dolphin, the star of the new movie Dolphin Tale. As you can see, she does not have a fin on her tale. They were able to make a prosthetic fin, but she wasn't wearing it that day.


Next to Winter is her friend Panama, who is deaf.

What Do You Do With One Two-Year-Old and Two One-Year-Olds?

Last week I watched my friend Rachel's twins so that she and her husband could go to the temple. Cannon LOVES Savannah and Micah and he calls them "friends" whenever he sees them. Cannon is in the "mine" stage right now and has been very possessive of me, his toys, and even the dog. But I told him beforehand that they were coming over to play with his toys. We did put away one toy that I knew he wouldn't want to share. Cannon did much better than I anticipated and didn't mind them playing with his stuff.

We colored:


Ate snack:


Played with lots of toys:


They loved the tunnel!




And they loved the dog!








I really got to see their individual personalities. Micah is has a very good throwing arm and would throw anything even if it wasn't a ball. He particularly liked Blue. He also really like Cannon's cars and trains. Usually when I get to see Micah he is very content and laid back. It was fun to see him laughing and giggling and getting excited about things. Savannah acts like the leader of the two, maybe because she can walk. Her favorite toys were all the phones and she pretended to be talking to someone. I loved how she would come and sit in my lap, for no reason, perhaps for some cuddles. When we sat down for lunch she wouldn't eat her food until I got her a fork. She was pretty skilled with it too.

We had a fun day and it went by so fast!

Blue vs. Wasps

Unfortunately we have a terrible problem with wasps! As long as you leave them alone, they will leave you alone. But Blue and her curious self does not understand that rule. Yesterday she stuck her nose right in their hive and about 20 wasps came attacking her. She was obviously stung and then kept rolling around in the grass. She kept going back over to that bush and then I didn't feel so bad for her anymore. I had never seen a dog with a swollen face!

Family Feud

A house divided cannot stand!

Five and a half years ago I asked Ryan a hypothetical question, "IF BYU were to play UT, who would you root for?" These are Ryan's two beloved teams and this was just a hypothetical question. He said if it came down to it, he would have to wear blue.

Well, tonight was the game of all games. We SO wanted to be at that game! But instead we enjoyed the game from the comfort of our own home. Cannon and I proudly wore burnt orange and Ryan in blue. It was a great game and I am proud of both teams! But someone had to go down, sorry Ryan.





Cannon wore his jersey the whole day, but it didn't make it past some mud and ice cream. We let Cannon watch the first quarter after his bath and he was really getting into it!

Oh How I Love This Boy!

Highlander Park

 Our church rented out Highlander Park and pool for our use today. We had a pancake breakfast and lots of fun!

First we rode the swings, Cannon's favorite!


Then we played with our favorite twins, Savannah and Micah.


Ryan showed Cannon how to play baseball. Cannon loved it!












Ryan then went to play softball with the guys while Cannon and I went to the pool. While we were there Cannon learned to jump off the diving board! He did it probably about 10 times! The first time we went together, but the lifeguard didn't like that. I asked Cannon if he could do it by himself and he said yes. So I would jump in first and then wait for him to go. I wish you could see his face, he was so proud of himself! He became instantly famous and everyone wanted to watch the "baby" jump off the diving board. I am so proud of my little guy!

Great Explorations Children's Museum

On Friday my friend Jodi invited us to come with them to Great Explorations Children's Museum in St. Pete. She has an annual membership and can get friends in for free! We had such a great time! It was a little smaller than the one in Austin, but it was quiet. Most people go to the Glazer Children's Museum in Tampa, which is a lot bigger. A smaller crowd was perfect for us. Here's what we did!

Drove a fire truck:


Climbed a tree house:


Created a masterpiece:


Rowed to far away places:


Got some food:


Made a pizza:








Launched a tennis ball:


Milked a cow:


Played pipe drums:


And did some cashiering:


All in a day's work!