Zoo with the Mertens

Portland Zoo, OR

April 2014

I had to take a picture here!.My how we had grown in two years.

Maria, Mom and Malan in June or July of 2012

To remember:  We went to visit the zoo with some friends.  I think there were 8 kids and my friend Lindsey and I.  The kids all got along well (6 of the cousins, and then Maria and Malan).  There were quite a few baby animals: monkeys, elephants, and lions.  Maria was terrified of the snake area, but she loved driving the safari jeep by the cheetah, and was pretty fascinated by the family of lions (incl 3 cubs), and wasn't satisfied with her visit until she saw the bats.  Malan fought the stroller, loved the mountain goats and sea life, climbed over and cuddled up on top of the lion cub cub sculpture, and ooohhh'ed and awe'd at all the animals.  The weather was great, the company was fun and the drive home was free of traffic jams.

Kids Can Sew Part 2

Our House, OR

March 2014

To remember: Maria has been asking me if she can sew some 'things' for some time.  When I was in elementary school I tool sewing lessons called Kids Can Sew with my friend's mom, Julie.  We would go to our lesson with 3 other kids and each of us had our own projects that we worked on an used our own (well, it was Julie's) machine each class.  Pretty great learning experience, if you ask me.

I had the sewing machine out to make some quilt square for a quilt, and Maria learned a bit too.

She was very nervous, and focused, and excited all at the same time.  I had to keep reminding her to bring her face away from the machine so she didn't get hit by it.  Maria made a little scrunchy and a little pillow of sorts for her baby.  She was so proud of herself.  When she showed Ben her little project he was so impressed (basically shocked because he doesn't know how to sew).  I should really continue to teach Maria new sewing skills. 

Friends and Birthdays

Sushi at Farmington Station, UT

March 2014

Happy Belated Birthday to the 14th, 15th and 24th of February girls.

To rememeber:  I am always happy to get together with friends, especially when it has been a while since seeing many of them. The table talk and laughing was loud. The topics of conversation are naturally quite entertaining.  Whitney had a new hair color :) as did I.  Crystal is pregnant with her first - a baby girl.  I learned all about Amy's work with the Sex Trade victims in SLC. (So interesting!)  The sushi was pretty good too.  

Finley

Finley National Wildlife Reserve

Corvallis, OR

May 2014

To remember:  This is our second time visiting Finley, but our first time going down to the water, walking the boardwalk, and exploring around the barns and old homes.

Our friends Liz and Pearl Sproul met us out there for the little afternoon outing.

The girls ran around looking for bugs (esp Pearl) and seemed to have the most fun throwing rocks into the pond.  There is a big red barn that had a sign stating that there were baby owls in the barn.  The girls were trying to listen for them, and were trying their best to somehow break in or get a good look under the barn doors or through little holes in the walls and doors.  At one point Pearl slipped into the open side door and Maria about lost it, struggling and begging to have Pearl come out because it was not safe and she could get hurt.  Maria is my little safety girl - even though she never seems to like to buckle up.

Malan was her usual busy self, running along the paths, picking up flowers and rocks everywhere she goes.  She loves Liz and insisted that Liz carry her multiple times.

Finley is a peaceful place that is home to a number of different bird species, cows and I guess even some elk.  I know we will visit again soon.

Family Ski Days at 'Basin

Wallace cousins, Uncle Seth, Aunt Liz, and Grandma Lesli in the lodge.

Heading up the lift with Grandma Nancy

Air guitar Maria, pretty thrilled to be riding the gondola to ski down.

Out.

To remember: The girls making memories with so many cousins. Playing musical baby and Maria. Between Ben, Lesli, Nancy, and cousins, we juggled the girls and got a lot of skiing in too. Malan sleeping in the lift on me at the end of one day, and Liz on another day.  Maria doing air guitar and trying to rock the gondola as we rode up...she was pretty excited to be skiing from the top! Hanging out in the lodge with a bunch of the kids and demolishing an huge container of donut holes. Malan talking to all the "little beebee" bronze animal sculptures. (The sculptures are neither small nor baby-like). 

Ski bums

Snowbasin Ski Resort

Huntsville, UT

March 2014

Liz somehow bailed out of teaching two afternoons to take advantage of the unbeatable snow conditions and ski company.

Fun to get multiple days with my brother.

Dorks

Meg, Mandy, Amberlee on Sisters.

Just imagine the hooting and hollering here.
Mandy working down Sisters.

Ryan - Sunshine Bowl

Top of Diamond

To remember:  We took a ski trip to Utah in March. Yes, the majority of our family lives there, but we really wanted to make it more of a ski vacation.  And we did.  I think I skied 8 or 9 times and Ben got as many days as he could in the time that he was there.  I just love going up to SB and finding people to ski with.  It doesn't hurt that we have family just over the mountain and right there close to the resort.  We brought the snow with us this time.  Some of our favorite days were the powder days when we did Diamond repeat (with fresh snow each time!) and got to ski Sisters right when the gates opened and then go a couple more times and still get untouched snow.  We let some shouts out for Kerry and had some magical, magical days.

Timberline 2014

Timberline Ski Resort

Mt. Hood, OR

February 2014

To Remember: This is our second year skiing at Mt. Hood.  We had been able to take full advantage of a time share condo in Welches, OR (base of Mt. Hood) and have totally enjoyed visiting Welches and the local ski resorts there.  The girls are used to going to the condo, eating at the pizza joint, and swimming and hot-tubbing at the clubhouse. 

This year we were lucky enough to be able to use our Snow Basin season passes and redeem a free lift ticket at Timberline thru the Powder Alliance.  We all skied for 'free' two days, and left Malan at the condo with a fabulous babysitter that I found online through a childcare website.  Ben and I love having time to focus on Maria and make memories with her.  She has such a great sense of humor. She loves to laugh, make funny faces on the lift, sing out, tell her Dad to do all kinds of wacky things (ie, laugh like a crazy man, cry like a baby, make animal noises).

Maria's edgey wedgey snapped in two on our first day.  There were some tears (and pain), but it was definitely for the better when it came to improving Maria's skiing ability.

The weather was typical Oregon.  It POURED!!! We were drenched.  The ridership (paid customers) on the mountain our first day was something like 28. 28! What?!  Ben and I were drenched to the skin. Maria was dry and warm and never once complained about being cold.

Maria gives her little thumbs up all throughout the day, and requested that we all do it in the picture to document our Timberline ski days, but we didn't (boo on us).

Wooden Shoe Festival

Woodburn, OR

April 2014

To remember: We had a family day at the Portland LDS Temple and then to Woodburn for the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival.  (I must add that I got a little lost in Lake Oswego while Ben was at the Temple and, it was so worth it.  I drove around and got to explore some of the neighborhoods and see the Lake and the surrounding lake houses and shops.  I would live there!)  

The tulips were beautiful!  Maria admired them and looked like a princess as she walked down the rows and lightly touched some of the tulip tops.  Malan was much less gentle and did not realize there were rows to walk down.

I loved watching the girls with their Daddy, walking hand-in-hand. They love him and I know he loves them.

There were are bunch of carnival type rides at one end of the Festival grounds.  Maria was begging to go on some of the rides. We told her she could choose one ride that all of us could go on.  She chose these cow cars, pulled behind a golf cart-type machine.  It was so bumpy and dusty.  We were filthy after our wild ride.  We laughed so much.  Good choice Maria.  

It was a nice day together.  A happy day for our family.