The Blackwells: Fun Family Things

Since I have been so behind on blogging I haven't been posting about all our fun adventures as a family! It's times like these I want to remember most. It the things we have been doing the past few months that I haven't been able to do while being sick. It's doing things with my family that I feel like I missed doing above all things. I want to ingrain these moments into my mind and always remember the sounds of my girls laughing and the feeling of being totally content with my family surrounding me! These are the moments that make my life meaningful! These are the simple pleasures that make being a mom and wife, a dream come true. I love spending time with my little family!

A while back our PC crapped out on us so we decided it was time to make the jump to Mac. Brandon was a very good boy and saved his Christmas bonus and his Christmas money to get it! While we were up there I got to make my first stop at H&M in Fashion Place, well lets just say I am glad there is one that is better at City Creek. But we did manage to get a cute little outfit for Irey.

Irey modeling the cute outfit!

A few weeks later I got to cash in my Christmas money and get a Kindle. It was on sale at Target for $95 and it's normally $180 so I felt like I scored BIG time.

The thing I love most about Brandon, as a dad, he knows how to be a kid again. He got this idea to build a fort with Irey. The girl couldn't have been more excited! It was so cute to hear them in there figuring out how it was going to be set up. Irey told me I wasn't allowed in, well, unless I was bringing drinks and treats. I feel loved.

Good thing dad is an expert at this.

The fort was a hit and Irey was ecstatic to be able to watch a movie and have a sleep over in it with her dad! I hope she always remembers this because you couldn't wipe the smile off her face! Since then building a fort with dad has become her favorite thing to do with him.

One night I was venting to Jamie that I needed to get out of my house and DO something! She suggested Provo Beach Resort, which we have never been to. I made her family come along with mine and it was a really fun time!

We couldn't get the boys away from the basketball game. They were harder to tear away then the kids. Jamie and I gave it a shot... of course I failed miserably, it wouldn't be possible for me to do otherwise!

We finished the night off with some ice cream. It was a perfect little outing with the family and much needed too!

Brandon got this "great idea" one day to go to Disney on Ice! I told him he and Irey should make it a daddy daughter thing. Brandon is such a softy, he totally caved and got her the snow cone Jessie cup. I love that the girls have him wrapped around their fingers.

Reese and I did tag along but we just ended up going to lunch with them and while they were at the show, we did some shopping. Sadly, City Creek hadn't open yet so it was just the Gateway for us. It was an unusually warm day so Irey was able to run around in the water after the show was over. I love how easily kids are made happy. Running through the water, the part that was free, was her favorite part and the thing that sticks out most in her memory. Silly kids.

Once City Creek opened we made a day of it and went up to check it out.

Of course we made a stop in the Disney store as well as many others. And dad did a lot of waiting which I really think he doesn't mind or I am sure he would stop suggesting going to places like this.

We got to go to Cheesecake Factory and eat a yummy lunch!

Irey took a pic of dad and I. She loves to be the photographer, this is one of the few that actually worked out :-)

We ended up going over to Gateway because Brandon sold our old Macbook and was getting a new one for school. Yes, my husband is very spoiled... but he got a bonus at work and is going to school full time and needed a laptop and the old one had poor battery life and he got a student discount and he sold the old one for a good price which went toward the new one and he works so hard... yadayada, these are all of the justifications I heard for two months so I just though what the hell, and gave in. So this was Brandon's early father's day gift and he is spoiled and he is also turning my kids into tech nerds along the way. At least they are still cute and so is he which is why I let him buy his toys. They are fun toys;-)

THE ZOO!
Brandon had been wanting to go to the Zoo for ever and just before spring break we decided to make a day of it. Brandon took a half day off, which he never does, and we got to enjoy the afternoon together at the zoo.

Elephants, they are one of my favorites.

The WHOLE time Irey kept saying that she wanted to see the Giraffes. I kept telling her it's in the back it will be one of the last things we see. She couldn't wait she was so anxious to see them! Once we got to them she was in awe. We kept following them in and out of the buildings. She was fascinated!

We went on the Merry-go-round and Irey switched animals like three times. Whatever keeps you happy.

I was a little disappointed because what seemed like 3/4 the Zoo was under construction so it wasn't as fun as I had hoped it would be. Well, all Irey cared about was the Giraffes and we got our fill of those so she was happy.

Poor Irey girl wasn't feeling good most of the day. She was a trooper through the Zoo and kept mostly upbeat but by the time we got to the car she was done! We made a stop at Walgreens and got her some medicine for her tummy and then she was back in action. We went to the Pie, our favorite pizza in the world, and enjoyed ourselves some of that heavenly goodness.

I was so glad we went to the Zoo when we did because the next morning both girls woke up super sick! And that's how we spent the rest of spring break, sick. At least we had the Zoo:-)

One day Irey, Reese, and I went to the mall.
I drag Irey from store to store and she is a good girl for mommy because she is holding on to the idea that she can get a gumball. Not just any gumball, a gumball from the cool machine. Well on this day the machine malfunctioned and it just kept spitting out gumballs. Gumballs are pouring out from this machine and I am freaking that someone will slip on them (can't you just see it happening, too many cartoons as a kid) so I just set my purse down and let the machine just fill it up. I got some help and finally someone was kind enough to take over monitoring the machine so I could leave. Well that was the best quarter Irey ever spend, two zip-locks later, she was in kid Heaven!

I will never forget April 2012. That was the month that Brandon, after 4 years of hell working at UPS was finally able to quit! No more 70+ hour work weeks. No more waking up at 2:30am or sometimes as early as midnight during the holiday season. No more trying to fit in a semester of school here or there. No more feeling like a single mom 80% of the time. No more waking up to an empty bed. No more not being able to stay up late and watch a movie, or talk, or whatever, the lame 8-9pm bedtime was done! He is FREE and he is mine again! Well, free from UPS at least. Now this guys works full time and goes to school full time. BELIEVE us, it's a vacation compared to what he was doing before! We are so happy this day has finally came!

So in honor of quitting UPS, he had a shirt burning party in our backyard fire pit!

He burned all his shirts, shorts, and shoes! It was good moment.

Speaking of our fire pit... We have loved being able to go out back and make some smores together. The girls love it and it's a fun way to spend time together as a family.

Sometimes the simple pleasures are the best. With the warmer weather we have been enjoying just getting out of the house and just walking! Walking the neighborhood has saved all of our sanity.