Blackberries

Well, we were going to pick blackberries over Labor Day Weekend, but Todd felt he should visit his Dad instead. So we visited his dad, but when we came back it looked like we weren't the only ones who thought to take advantage of the blackberries. So we did what we could and went picking the next Saturday. The first bush we went to, we could pick all the hard to get to stuff. And we got 2 half buckets in 2 hours. So we moved. And Todd didn't find the next bush until just before we went picking. We feel strongly that the Lord showed him this bush and blessed us because we followed the prompting to go see Dad. But this bush was easier to pick from. And then the next bush down the road from the second bush--was even easier. We felt the Lord blessing us for our perseverance!! We ended up leaving berries on the last bush. And in 2 more hours we got 4 more buckets. We made some jam and canned the rest. Todd and I both made a different blackberry pie. It was so good. Todd told his brothers that "His wife tortered him and took him blackberry picking." He wasn't sure it was worth the blackberries for the all the thorns. But we will never look at the thorns on Christs head the same again. My fingers still have little pin pricks of purple that doesn't come clean. But we feel the Lord's hand in our lives. And Todd got up and said so during fast and testimony meeting. We are hoping to go back and get another batch of jam (or two).

Kylee and her babies

Kylee doesn't have many stories because she doesn't say much. She is just as cute as Karla. It's just harder to tell her stories--she gave me that look. You know?

Kylee has suddenly become attached to blankets. It happened when we put her in underware. But now she always wants to be wrapped up in her blanket: even in 100 degree whether! The funny thing is she isn't attached to one blanket. But she only wants certain ones. She likes the blanket Grandma K made her or Karla's Grandma K hug blanket. She likes Grandma Cook's bear blanket. She also likes Todd's baby blanket and a blue blanket Aunt Susan gave us for our wedding. And she likes her fairy blanket from Grandma Mann, and in a pinch she'll take winnie the pooh. They are not alike--some are crocheted, some are fuzzy, and others are 9 patch. So I am lucky in that it makes it easy to wash her blanket. But I am washing a blanket everyday it seems.
Kylee is also a very good mommy. I wonder if she'll grow up and have twins (or 8 kids). She is very concerned about her babies. "Shhhhh. Baby sleeping." And she always puts a blanket over her baby. Dad's socks works when she can't find something better. She puts a little pillow in the shopping cart Grandma K gave her. And it has become a stroller that her baby sleeps in. She also is always pushing her stroller she got for going potty in the toilet all day. Lately she is carring three or four babies at a time. And although she keeps dropping them, she has to carry all three everywhere we go. She doesn't want to forget any of her babies. It makes me grateful for our no toys in the store rule! "Toys stay in the car so we don't lose them." Although relucantly, she usually wants to come in bad enough to leave them in the car. I am surprised she isn't buckling them in yet. She will make a good mommy one day.
Kylee and Karla has started putting babies and balloons under their shirts. "See Mommy, I have a baby." Karla tells me. Kylee says more "Momma, Baby." And then pats her tummy. I understand Karla learned this while I was preganant with Kylee, but how Kylee picked up the concept . . . is still beyond me. They are telling me they want a baby sister (Usually sister). I am not sure what started this, but it is there.

I stay at Grandma's!

Last night we were at Grandma Mann's house. We put on the movie Duck Tales to help calm the kids down while Todd and I finished on the computer. When it was time to go home, Karla was very upset. "I want to stay at Grandma's. I not want to go home!" So we talked to Grandma, and Grandma said it was okay. (I was coming over the next morning to watch Garth so she could go to the temple anyway). So we put Karla to bed at Grandma's house. We asked Kylee what she wanted to do, and she wanted to come home with mommy. I think it's one of the first nights, if not the first, that the girls have spent the night apart. Both girls got a good night sleep.
Todd and I are going to leave the girls here with Grandma once Grandma gets back from the temple. And then, we are off to pick blackberries. We hope we can find enough to be worth it.

Classic Todd

The other day, Todd's boss (Scott) called him on their walkie talkie cell phones. "Did you forget something Todd?" Todd thought, "I don't think so. We double and triple checked my order." "I told you this morning to drive with your lights on for safty! Would you forget your lunch?" To this Todd said "It's been known to happen. My wife and my dad think I'd forget my head if it wasn't attached." Scott simply responded "Oh."

Our First Family Vacation

This weekend we took our first family vacation that wasn't spent visiting family (kind of) or camping. We went to Boise, but none of my relatives were home this weekend. So we left earily Saturday morning instead of late Friday. We took our stuff so we could camp. But we were able to find a discount on a hotel in a very convient place for us, so we stayed in a hotel. The girls loved it. We took the entertubes from the Nef Family Reunion. And the girls would put it under their arms and hang on. And then they could kick and "Swim" in the big pool like mom and dad. And they did swim from one end to the other. And they didn't slip out once (although we kept a close eye on them). Karla never got out of the pool without being persuaded.
And then we went to the Boise Zoo. Karla liked Pappa Bear because he looked like pappa bear off the Jungle Book. Kylee liked the Giaraff sized slide. They both enjoyed the penguines and the monkeys. They liked the snow leapord who was pouncing on the glass and the Tigers. And the carasel was an huge hit!
We were blessed though. We got a discount on the hotel. We found out after the fact that kids eat free at the Denny's we went to. The kids got into the zoo and the birds of prey for free. They stayed for free at the hotel too. Things just fell into place. And we really enjoyed ourselves.