Regarding Orange Juice

A recent breakfast conversation went like this:
Mona: "Daddy, you can't have too much!"
Eliza: "If he has too much it will be all gone."
Mona: "The Nephites is going to fight you!"

At the Orchard

Eskimo E.

We went a little crazy at Mom's.

This Is The Place

Hello beautiful Utah.

Thanks to both Grandmas and Grandpas we spent two fun-filled weeks with some family and friends we miss so much.

When Eliza saw the stewardess handing out napkins with drinks she exclaimed, "They have United States napkins!!!" She observed that we've never had any napkins with the U.S. on them at our house. I explained that Southwest has them made specially for use on their airplanes. These napkins are not sold in stores because people don't buy napkins with Southwest printed on them. "I would buy them," she informed me. Maybe she's right. There's probably a market out there for educational napkins (although not necessarily the Southwest version).

Outdoor Excursion

Far removed from the Rockies, Eliza's first thought was that a picnic in the mountains is risky; she might fall. After napping during the drive into Mill Creek Canyon, Eliza was very much at home in her surroundings.

Mona was very excited for HOT DOGS and Eliza enjoyed helping Grandpa.Expressive Mona, at dessert time. She's enjoying K-Toos*, perfect for the allergic cookie monster, courtesy of a loving Aunt Sara.

(*They're such a great find, so here are the details. Or maybe you're just plain curious. How do they achieve a light, crispy cookie with a creamy center? Vanilla cookies (also available in chocolate) from Kinnikinnick that are gluten, wheat, dairy, casein, egg, and trans fat free. Ingredients: Icing [Icing Sugar (may Contain 2-3% Corn Starch), Non Hydrogenated Shortening (Palm Fruit and/or Canola), Vanilla, Soy Lecithin, Salt), Sugar, Pea Starch, Potato Starch, Non Hydrogenated Shortening (Palm Fruit and/or Canola), White Rice Flour, Water, Tapioca Starch, Glucose, Pea Protein, Sodium Carboxy Methylcellulose, Salt, Vanilla, Pea Fibre, Guar Gum, Inulin, Ammonium Bicarbonate, Sodium Bicarbonate, Soy Lecithin.)What would a fire-pit picnic be without smores? Eliza loved them before the first bite, she's no dummy, and I'm pretty sure she had at least two. Of course she knows the rules concerning dessert, so when Grandma pulled out the Oreos a while later and Grandpa handed her one... she raised her hands up in the air and threw Mommy a comical look. What's a girl to do?

"I think that's too much dessert!"
-Eliza
Mmmm. Thanks again Grandma & Grandpa!

Zing Zang Zoom - Ringling Bros.

The Circus? Amazing, of course. But Mona repeatedly invited Grandpa to join her for a walk outside. So I had to wonder if Mona thought that all elephants lean on the elephant before them while balancing on their hind legs upon tiny platforms.

Thanks Grandpa, Grandma, and Aunt Sara!

Potato Tomatoes

Eliza has been keeping tabs on Grandma's garden for months. She repeatedly asks if she can help pick tomatoes. When this unexpected opportunity came, she was delighted.

They enjoyed helping Grandma. Eliza still confuses names. I heard her calling the tomatoes potatoes; and now she's passing the misnomer on to Mona. Mona loves potatoes, but avoids tomatoes. The past couple of weeks I've noticed Mona adamantly refusing any suggestion that she have potatoes, and I was confused until I realized she simply would like them to be referred to as tomatoes.

Riding The Snow Leopard

When I asked Eliza and Mona what they wanted to do in Utah, one suggestion was "see animals." Grandma and Grandpa, bless their hearts, sure made that wish come true again at good ol' Hogle Zoo.

There were so many baby animals!

That afternoon we reported our day to Daddy, who was still at home. Mommy related a string of details, including Eliza's ride on a zebra and Mona's ride on a snow leopard. He was silent for a moment, "A what?" "Snow leopard," I replied. "Really?" "Really." I did mention at this point that it was a carousel. Maybe because of Swiss Family Robinson a zebra ride is fairly believable.