irish twins – 2 Peas From Different Pods

I LOVE Memorial day weekend. Yes, it means a free day for the family, but it also means that thousands have died so that we could be together as a family. Memorial Day is a day to remember and ponder the true meaning of freedom and the cost that came with that word.

“Home of the FREE…because of the BRAVE!”

My Papa is a Veteran of the Navy and he instilled in me a love for this country and the freedoms that I have been blessed with. Because of that Memorial Day weekend is a celebration for us. This year we chose to celebrate by truly appreciating the freedoms that we have been blessed with; a beautiful country and a forever family.

My grandfather, Doug White, during his service in the United States Navy

My great grandfather, grandfather and great-uncle

My grandma, mom and aunt welcoming home my grandfather from deployment.

I have always wanted to be a more outdoorsy person, but because of severe hay fever and basically an allergy to air, I always ended up avoiding a lot of it. Well, I finally decided enough is enough.

Matt and I took our birthday money and decided to buy hiking carrier back packs. Given, we decided this on friday morning and so we didn’t have anytime to order them before monday (Memorial Day). BUT everything was on sale for the holiday. So… I basically called every sports store within 50 miles to see what ones they carried. We finally found some at Back Country and just like that, we found our new obsession! They are seriously the comfiest back packs ever! We got the Deuter Kid Comfort II. It puts all the weight on your hips and my back won’t hurt at all after the hike is finished. It is seriously a game changer for us. ( I promise I’m not being paid for this)

We went on a “practice” hike, down the Bonneville Shoreline, when Matt got home from work that night. From that, we set the goal to go on a hike every week for the rest of the summer. So far, we are doing pretty good!

When Monday arrived we were all ready for our Memorial Day hike. We planned to meet my family at Brighton so we could go on a small hike around Silver Lake.

When we got there we were beyond surprised to run into our best friends the Marsdens! What are the chances that we would both go to the same place at the exact same time. Of course we all decided to join up and hike together.

So far, we have only been on three hikes with our back packs, but every time we pull them out Tae and Ty start jumping up and down and smiling as wide as can be. They LOVE being outside. It was chillier than we were anticipating, but it didn’t phase them one bit.

The hike was BEAUTIFUL, but we didn’t get to go up the mountain very high because there was so much snow. So maybe it can’t be called a hike, but more of a nice excursion around the lake on a paved path.

Tyce was trying so hard to stay awake. He would be smiling so big one minute and then completely collapse into a deep sleep the next. BUT as soon as he would realize he fell asleep, he would pop back up to enjoy the party again.

It was so much fun to spend the morning with friends and family and enjoy the simple pleasures of living in this beautiful state!

Of course you can’t truly celebrate this National Holiday without a good family BBQ. So after the hike we raced back to my grandmas house for some good old fashioned Hamburgers and hot dogs (only gourmet because my grandparents always go above and beyond).

The poor kids didn’t get a moment to relax, but they had a blast with cousins. Between a bounce house and a game of croquet, I would say the day was a hit.

Plus, Tae was able to enjoy a few licks of whipped cream which is always a reason to celebrate in her mind.

I would just like to say thank you to all the men and woman that have served and are serving our country. I feel truly honored that you would sacrifice so much for me and my family.

This year is a big one for me. It’s my GOLDEN BIRTHDAY! Which means I turned 24 on the 24th. But not only that, it was my first birthday with kids. And let me just say, the kids made it that much better!!! Sure, I didn’t get to spend it in a Russian bath house with a bunch of 90 year old woman in their birthday suits, but I would definitely add this to my list of favorites.

Matt planned out an awesome day for us at The Museum of Natural Curiosity at Thanksgiving Point. It was so much fun to see the kids get a bigger perspective of the world.

The water table was the biggest hit! Well…for Taelynn. Let’s just say Tyce had a nervous breakdown when I tried to set him in the little chair. I should have guessed, he also hates the bath tub. Although, it didn’t help that the kid next to him was like the hulk of the sea and figured out how to get that water to splash from one end of the table to the other.

Tae, on the other hand, didn’t want to get out. She was splashing and laughing and having a grand ol’ time. I mean, just look at that smile! She looked like she had participated in a wet t-shirt contest by the time it was over.

Luckily, we had grabbed a second outfit, on a whim, before leaving the house. Otherwise, we would be in trouble. However, we did forget to take her shoes off, and so I spent a good amount of time holding them under the bathroom dryer so she could still walk around.

Ty was my little velcro child for the majority of the time, but we finally found an activity that got him excited… a mirror. 😀 This kept him occupied for quite awhile… until Tae came and knocked him over.

We ventured to the rope bridges, giving Matt and I quite the leg work out. And eventually made it outside so the kids could eat tire shreds. I will admit, I turned full momma bear when an older child started throwing tires at Taelynn and trying to get her to eat them. So I guess it was fitting that I was wearing my Momma Bear shirt.

It was such a rewarding experience to watch my kids discover new textures and possibilities. I could see their minds moving a mile a minute. As soon as we put them back in their carseats they were asleep in a flash.

It was a good birthday celebration!

One of the highlights of the day was when I met a mother that was there with her two kids. She asked me how old my kids were and I told her, preparing myself for the slew of questions that usually follow, and instead she told me, “Your kids are beautiful!” It seriously made my whole day. She didn’t compare them, or ask how it is possible to have two kids so close together. She just let me be a mom and focus on my kids. So thank you!

Side note: I don’t mind answering questions, but sometimes it is nice to focus on my kids and my family and whatever activity we may be doing.

Tag: irish twins

The Great Outdoors

The Age of Curiosity