The post formally known as the zoo, arts, and parks post

I had great plans for blog for this week. Since I am a huge supporter of the zoo, arts, and parks tax I thought how fun would it be to do a post devoted to how much we loved it. And this was the perfect week because we had two visits to the park, a trip to the zoo, and a trip to the Arts Festival planned. 

We went to the parks as planned and it was fabulous. The first park we went to had a splash pad, a big kid playground, a preschool playground, and a toddler playground. The kids had a riot...I forgot the camera.  No problem I thought, we are having a church party at the park the next night. Yeah it was fun, the kids had a blast. I forgot the camera again.

Okay, no problem. Once again we are going to hit the arts festival. I could snap many pictures there and we would have a fun time. Yeah I didn't count on the cold that  would knock me out for three days or the 100 plus temperatures. So no arts festival, no pictures.

The camera and the Bradley's did make it to the zoo together though. So at least I accomplished a third of my mission. 

James was super sick so he stayed home with dad and the girls, baby, and I picked up Grammy and headed up to the zoo. 

We went early in the morning and that was by far the best. It wasn't that crowded and the animals were all out. I haven't seen that many of the animals up close and the kids thought it was a riot. 

Eve couldn't get over the water spitting elephant. She thought it was hilarious.

 Then the girls thought it would be funny to pretend to be eagles...though I think Eve is impersonating a chicken.

Then we went over to the new Rocky Shores exhibit. That was awesome I loved it.

Matty loved it two. We spent twenty minutes watching the Harbor seal.  The seal knew he had an audience and swam in circles around the window. Matty was laughing and pointing the entire time. He thought it was the best thing ever.

We also got to see the polar bear for a minute.

Then we took a ride on the carousel. Some of us loved it.

 Some of us were so traumatized that we had to cling to mom the whole time.

The girls also had to have a picture at every statue or picture place we could find.

 This included the rhino, he is their favorite.

So we had a fun time at the zoo and the parks, and I am sure we would have had a fun time at the Arts Festival too...Oh well, I guess I will just have to celebrate ZAP another way.

Summer vacation #1- Heber

It has been well over a year since the Bradley's went on vacation. Last time we went we didn't even have our sixth member. So we were due and sure enough the first of our three summer vacations crept up and soon we were off to the wilds of Heber, Utah with the rest of the Bellamy clan.  We all went in together and rented a cabin for four days. 

There were many things that happened on this trip including....

Cute babies in hats...

Getting lost trying to find Cascade Springs and turning around right before we got there...

 Finding a covered bridge...

 And then racing on it...

 Getting super happy as we walked towards mom...

 Finding an "old town Heber" that appeared more like a ghost town...

 Going to see cheese made and becoming...

 Cheeseheads...

 Eating ice cream as a pre-lunch...

 Played Michael Jackson Dance something or other...

 Played Pictureureka....

 Played with a lot of cute babies...

 Got angry during cousin pictures...

 Played Guitar Hero...

 Ate ice cream...

 Went to the park and discovered swinging..

 Created a kid hot tub when parents vetoed the real hot tub...

 Played a rousing game of Curses, where we had more fun watching Adam and Zach go at each other...

Ate chocolate..

And had a fabulous time.

Matthew-11 months

 Some how this laughing, smiling baby has reached 11 months. I find this surprising as during the last 11 months he has fallen off the bed, fallen off the downstairs couch, fallen off a low seat chair,  fallen down the stairs, fallen off the upstairs couch, fallen off the oversize chair...are you sensing a pattern yet? He has also been attacked by a sleeping dad wielding a pillow*, been dragged from room to room by doting sisters, been carried around the house by his brother, and been thrown in the air by mom (he hated that). See I find it somewhat miraculous that babies with older siblings actually survive the first year.

Matty has been such a delight this month and his cute personality is starting to show. He loves to eat- and he will eat anything. We even sneak him a treat now and then. He loves to play peek-a-boo and his new favorite pastime is opening and closing cupboards. He sits and looks at books and most times doesn't destroy them.  He chases balls down the hall and strokes his Clifford as he falls asleep each night.  He is starting to balance on his own and is getting better and better at this thing call standing. He is also talking up a storm and flirting with all the church ladies, they of course adore him.

 He is my curious monkey who has to be with people all the time. He wants to see what you are doing and play along if he can. He is also very ticklish and finds his brother James very amusing. James, in fact, is the only one who can get a belly laugh out of him all the time.

This little boy brings so much love and joy to our lives and we are glad that he has survived this crazy circus for almost a year.

**

* Christian was asleep when he attacked sleeping Matt with a pillow. It was kinda funny, once I grabbed then two month old Matt out of his pillow wielding way. 

** Does anyone else think if I just flipped up his collar he could totally pass as an 80s baby?