May Continued!

May was a very busy month for us. Besides birthdays (and there is still one more to document here), we also planted a small garden, went to a nature center and to the Museum of Man. What can I say, we like to keep busy-plus most of these activities are entertaining to the kids and cheap or free!

So we have weeded and weeded the small piece of land that we have in the backyard several times, always in the hope of planting something back there. Well, thanks to my lovely best friend Niki we did it! For my birthday Niki got me some herb plants to put back there, which was motivation to get us going on planting back there. So Scott picked up some tomato plants and viola-we have a small garden. The boys have since planted snap peas, cucumbers, green onions, and carrots and we just picked up a packet of watermelon. So we will see how our little garden fares between potential over watering (my boys love to water the plants) and the birds. I guess the next thing the boys get to build is a scarecrow! (The boys watering the garden) (The beginnings of our humble little garden!)

We also went to the nature center one weekend. It is a small aquarium/aviary/reptile house. For those of you who know me, it should come as no surprise that I absolutely loved this place! I love aquariums-especially the touch pools. Both boys touched bat rays, and Evan was a daredevil and held a starfish and a sea cucumber! We watched them feed the sea turtles, the bat rays and sharks, as well as the Bald and Golden Eagles. I loved it! It reminded me of my days in Monterrey as a BYU student, and my days working at the Tracy Aviary in Salt Lake. I think the boys really enjoyed it! (Mom and the boys at the Nature Center)

(Listening to the "ocean")

(The boys "listening to the ocean")

(Dad and the boys in a "floating nest in the waves")

(Watching the iguana eat lunch)

(Evan holding a starfish)

(Evan checking out the eels)

(Dallin checking out the eels)

Here is a video of Evan (and Scott) touching the bat rays!


Every Tuesday the museums at Balboa Park open for free for residents of the area. Every Tuesday it is a different set of museums, so one Tuesday my friend Sarah and I decided to take advantage of the "freeness" and we headed to the Museum of Man and the Japanese Friendship garden. It was a great day! (I had a collage here but it kept disappearing after it was posted so now here are the separate pic's)


Playing in the water


Mom and boys in front of large rock statue (I forget the fancy name)


Evan checking out the "mummy"


Dallin in front of C3PO


Evan in front of C3PO


Evan sitting as the King



Kids on a "dig"


Dallin feeding the fish at the Friendship garden


Evan pointing at the fish at the Japanese frienship garden