daddy's girl

Beatrix has grown something of a daddy's girl lately.  After her nap today Daddy was home from church meetings and he was all she wanted.  I think Physical Touch is her main love language because she's a snuggler.  Especially right after a nap.  It can take her a while to wake up and snuggles are a must.

Yesterday after dropping the boys off at DJ & Sara's the play and going through the car wash she fell asleep in the car and transferred to her crib just fine! Woohoo!  There are always at least two blankets in her crib as well as 5 dolls.  Honestly, she doesn't have a place for her things, apart from shelves in the closet so just put all her dolls in the crib.

Beatrix and Avery are my only kids to suck those middle two fingers.  Elliot and Zara sucked their thumbs like me - all of us our left hands.  You know, Beatrix is actually left handed and has a little lisp.  She's pretty much all of our favorite and we squeeze and love on her all the time.

Yesterday I made Andrew a grilled cheese for lunch with ham and pepperonis, and Beatrix a regular grilled cheese sandwich.  At one point Andrew got up to get a drink and she had switched their sandwiches.  She told him "We share.  You want that one" pointing to her sandwich on her plate.  We couldn't stop laughing about it and how clever and funny she is.  She's going to take over the world!

the gift that keeps on giving

 

A few years ago Andrew's parents gifted the kids this trampoline for Christmas.  I wasn't so sure about it because of all the stories you hear about trampoline injuries.  We have loved it.  There was also a net on it, which is awesome, but it bent and broke last year when a windstorm flipped out trampoline around.  The trampoline literally levitated off the ground before rolling in the opposite direction.  Arizona winds are no joke sometimes! :)

Elliot and Rupert have really gotten into doing cartwheels, roundoff, and other similar flips and turns and they love to show me their latest moves.  This is the life.

Casa Grande Ruins National Monument

 

Last Saturday after taking the kids to the Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Ranch we brought the kids to these Ruins.

It's really cool to see some of Arizona's history and I had already took the kids to see the sister location to these ruins in Phoenix two summers ago at the Pueblo Grande Museum.  The Casa Grande Ruins was a self guided tour where you walk around and read signs and explore.  You're not allowed in the main structure (above) but there are smaller ruins you can walk around.

Such an interesting part of Arizona's history we're so glad me made a visit and learned a little bit about ancient Pueblo people's Hohokam structures.  There was a small gift shop there too which some of us took a peak in.  We love a good adventure.

a new lens!

 

I got my first professional lens today! It’s been a long time coming since I’ve been using the kit lens my camera came with for years and the 50mm I’ve had a couple years. 

This new lens is so much heavier and the photos are sharper and bigger files. Looking forward to my next shoot!

That too photo is the first selfie with the new lens, the second is my phone camera . Such a difference!

Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Ranch

Yesterday we did a family day trip to the Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Ranch for the first time and had a blast!  I had heard friends online say how fun it was and they were right.  Very family friendly, and so many cool animals to pet and feed.  The animal fee is part of the entrance fee so everyone could participate.

Bea was free and didn't get food but Rupert was happy to share for some of the animals he wasn't interested in feeding.  Bea was over eager so this worked out great.  

The first animals we saw were dwarf donkeys, then parakeets, and after deer.  The deer looked so cool!  They were speckled like Bambi and some had antlers.

This feeding station was really fun.  You put the feed in cups and it goes up to the goats at the top.  Next to it is the goat kissing booth.  Andrew, Avery and I were brave enough to try it.  You just put a longer green goat food in you mouth and get close and the goats grab it with their mouth and eat it.  A little gross and a lot novelty.

The ostrich's are huge and bold.  You're supposed to put the food in the tube but Bea kept wanting to hand it to them at first.  They're too big and strong so it's not safe to feed right out of your hand like you can with he donkeys, deer, and goats.  The ostrich are taller than Andrew!

The bunnies had the thickest, softest fir.  So cuddly.  You could pet and feed them but not hold them, which was hard to resist. :)

These larakeets were probably my favorite!  They're social birds that land on you and take the lid off your tub and eat the nectar.  So friendly and colorful.  We all had a least one land on you, and Bea really loved the coy fish in this area.  There were tortoises too.

Zara's favorite part were the sting rays.  We got to feed them little pieces of squid and pet the sting rays.  They feel a bit like a wet gummy worm with a little sandy texture.

Afterwards we ate at In-N-Out which made everyone's bellies happy, before heading out to the Casa Grande Ruins which I'll show in a mother post.  This was such a great trip and we'll definitely return to the ostrich ranch another time.

Conner & Courtney part 2

 

This is such a humbling and incredible experience to be a small part of Conner & Courtney's special day.  They are an amazing couple and I hope to photograph them again!  I posted the temple phone photos here, and part 1 here.

The photos above were taken by Grant, Courtney's brother on his camera (as well as the last two).  The rest of the photos were taken by me on Grant's camera.  Part 1 photos were all by me on my camera.  I left my camera battery on charge at home for the temple pictures.  Learned that lesson the hard way. ;)

^ ^ Coolest family.  Seriously, the Ellsworth are some of my favorite people. ^ ^

^ ^ Taylor family also really cool. ^ ^

It looked like they had a wonderful ring exchange.  They have so may family and friends rooting for them.  Such an exciting day and a charming couple.