Fartsy Claus

This is the book Kade picked out at library today in school. I really do try to teach my boys about manners and I really don't like them to talk about farts and stuff - but I was laughing so much through the whole book that I'm sure anything I was trying to teach them is now destroyed! Here are a few excerpts from the book.

When he was full, he rushed to his sleigh, jumped into his seat, and went up and away. At each house, Santa's belly began to smart, so he rubbed it, only to let out a fart. The reindeer eyed each other, feeling queasy and funky, thinking, "He smells like a dirty old monkey."

Up in his room, Michael opened one eye. "What the heck? Is sounds like the fourth of July."

As the story goes on the reindeer have all passed out from the smell of the gas and so the children have to help Santa figure out a way to get all the toys delivered. They construct a pair of underpants that will use his farts to propel him from house to house so he can deliver the toys.

Needless to say - Kade LOVED the book and was so proud of himself for picking it out.

Madsen Boys

Here is a picture of the boys this morning before school. This is as close as I could get to everyone looking. Zack is eyeing his motorbike. As soon as the picture was taken he jumped off the bench and on his bike and was off.

Snowbird

Here is a recent picture of our crazy Zack! He has turned into pure trouble!! He is into everything and has learned to climb up everything - even walls it seems. He is just too cute though so it is hard to ever get too mad at him. He had just finished licking a brownie spoon in the picture - he got a hitler mustache somehow while licking the spoon. Last weekend we went up to Snowbird to ride the tram. It was a beautiful day and a beautiful drive up the canyon seeing all the colorful leaves.

The tram ride was fun - they smash you in like sardines, but it is a quick ride to the top.

It was so windy and cold at the top. We spent most of our time on the top in the warming hut by the bathroom. Ty hates wind, so he walked around with his hood over his face most of the time. :)

Adam's canyon

A couple weekends ago we went for a hike up Adams Canyon. We loved this hike when we lived down here before and were excited to do it again now we're back. This is the view down from the top. There is a 400 ft. waterfall - more of a trickle now - at the top of the hike. When hiking with kids it is always great to have something exciting and fun at the end of the hike :)
There were little pools of freezing cold water they played in.
Rich just got a bunch of walking sticks from work that we tried out on this hike. They were awesome! Very entertaining for the kids, but also very helpful for Rich and I. We loved them!

This is the very beginning of the hike before you get up into the mountains.

We don't hike for very long before we have to stop and feed these crazy boys!

We saw this gross creature while hiking. I saw it first when I almost stepped on it! I hate snakes!

Kade wore the camel back and apparently drank water the whole time because we had to stop about every 10 min. for him to use the bathroom.

It was the perfect day for a hike and thankfully Ty and Kade made it the whole way without us having to pack them.

Lagoon

We had a fun, long day at Lagoon on Saturday. We went with a lot of my family and had a great day. It was 85 degrees, still warm but not too hot, and the lines were not very long. Lagoon-A-Beach was closed so we spent all day riding rides, and taking turns staying with the little kids on the rides while the others went and rode the big rides. I think everyones favorite was Wicked. We LOVED it! By midafternoon everyone was getting sleepy - Zack saw my dad and brother laying on the grass and ran over and cuddled in between them. My nephew Hank and Ty had a great day together - riding rides and playing.

Zack LOVED the rides - Ty was more selective on what he loved, but if he loved it he rode it over and over and over. This was one of the rides Ty LOVED!

We had a great day and loved being with family.

Picking Huckleberries

I LOVE huckleberries - in milkshakes, pancakes, plain - however you use them they are delicious! While we were in Driggs last week at my parents, my aunt took us all up to her huckleberry spot. We had 14 of the 15 grandkids with us and had a great time up in the mountains. The kids did much better than we expected and when they got tired/bored of picking huckleberries they all just ran around and played.

The favorite thing for the kids to do was to eat the huckleberries! Then they would complain that they didn't have any in their buckets, and want me to put my precious berries in their buckets. :) I consider myself to be a pretty nice mom - but not that nice.

We've made huckleberry shakes almost every night since we picked.

West Yellowstone

Last weekend we went camping with Rich's family up at Hebgen Lake by West Yellowstone. On Sunday after we cleaned up camp we drove through the Park and had a picnic. The boys had never been through the park and they loved seeing the geysers. It was only 59 degrees but OK weather to walk around in. Here are the boys at the firehole river.

We stopped for a picnic farther up the firehole river. It was difficult trying to get all the boys standing and looking at the camera. It looks like only Zack is cooperating in this picture - but he is folding his arms - so that makes up for Kade and Ty's crazy faces. :)

The boys were SO tired after the weekend of camping. This picture is at Old Faithful - all the boys laid down on the bench while we were waiting for the geyser to erupt.

Looking at the geysers by Old Faithful.