as a matter of fact...

... why no, granny, i haven't updated the blog... it must mean that it's time to do so, if i'm getting update requests! : )

speaking of granny,

!!HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

our granny turned 80 this month, and we road tripped to colorado to celebrate her over memorial day weekend!!

some of my cousins with granny

ali, daniel, granny and mallory... the two party girls on the right : )

our trip was planned this year (unlike last year) and all of the sudden it became this crazy-hectic-totally-fun weekend for us,

first we had granny's party...

we have no idea what was over there, but it was far better (to the boys) than a room full of people they didn't know

then we went to the denver museum of nature and science to see how we now measure up to the dinosaurs...

last time we checked, these guys were a bit below the t-rex's knee... and the one on the left didn't have quite the attitude. he used to be happy to have his picture taken in front of the dinosaurs... {big sigh}

a teaching lesson for our little pals on how to have a super-fun pillow fight and how to make a dog pile...

thanks for the picture megs...

and finally, the hentzen memorial day tradition:

a colorado rockies game...

next time we're going to call ahead for winning game...

not a sad, sad, s-a-d loss

and the long, long, long drive home...

they almost fit!

my mom just sent these...

i'm not sure what else to say

ryan-- and his pimp sunglasses

is it me, or do jackson's legs look long enough to drive that thing?

this is my dad's new toy, by the way.

you let them retire to arizona and they go crazy...

here and there... and there

it's been a very hectic april...

i have been to boise for my annual meeting for the Idaho Center for the Book, and who knew that boise had so much to offer?!

if you're ever in our captial, check out the viziato... 90 minutes of pure heaven! and then there was this awesome flatbread community oven place that i had lunch at with my friends, amy and jacquie--thanks for lunch amy : )

but then we had Easter... and sadly, this is an Easter without pictures. i hate to say that {in this independent-woman day and age} there are things that i really rely on my husband to do... things like bring paper towels and toilet paper up from the basement, pay the bills--literally, write the check, put a stamp on the envelope, and mail it; scoop snow, take out the trash... oh, and make sure there are batteries in the camera.

i've adapted to some of these, like i keep the toilet paper (all 12 rolls in the linen closet) and cait brings up paper towels when she cleans; and the boys scoop and take out the trash... but i still don't pay the bills... and call me lazy, i don't do batteries.

so when we were coloring eggs, i picked up the camera and saw that the batteries were dead, i just set it back down and went back to coloring eggs--how sad is that?! i kinda chalk it up to not wanting to celebrate anything while dave is gone. pathetic, but i love this man and when he's gone, so is my enthusiam...

okay, anyway...

the good part is that he came home and we all flew to houston to see the morrisseys thenext weekend! they had another baby! another girl {for me to indulge}...

so, we're the very proud god-parents to erin...

and to collin...

and reagan...

and now to summer anne!

now, you may recall i have had this love/hate relationship with texas... okay, mostly hate. everytime we would travel there was always--i mean, always--a major hassle. and this trip was awesome! we had the most fun! the guys played with all of the morrissey cousins, just like they were one of them. i sometimes feel bad for jacks and ryan because they don't have cousins, but it's just the way it is. i could blame my parents for just having me, but why?! i just have to be thankful that we are so blessed with great friends and they great times we get to spend together. and it's so nice that somethings never change and can be counted on... like dave and erik having many beers.

we got home on monday, and now i'm in the flathead valley... eventful times.

ah... spring break!

we were on vacation to relax...

and so relaxed that very few pictures were taken, but here are some of the good ones

ryan immediately started drawing pictures of nana's cacti

jackson... don't you love those floral shorts with the striped shirt

field trip with papa to see TRAINS!

spring training baseball...

there is nothing better than a minor league field with a major league team! and to catch brad hawpe's foul ball--yep, life is good! sunglasses were a big thing this trip too

whip-tailed lizards were every where at the sonora desert museum... and i managed to stay on the trail on stay off the cacti!

we had a great time!

thanks nana & papa!

happy birthday, jack-inator... part 2

not only did we have a blast sledding the weekend before, we got to celebrate jackson's birthday again --
on the real day!

i think it was the first friday the 13th since he was born 11 years ago! some may say it's bad luck, but not us! we we're blessed early that morning with our sweet jackson henry!

and this year we did it up big at our new red robin and came back home for chocolate-chocolate-chip cake with the house favorite mint chip ice cream... and presents!

we had friends over and dave was home... it was about perfect with the one small exception that my baby was 11!

i don't know where that tiny baby went? or that chunky monkey that helped us welcome home his new baby brother? where is that sweet toddler who used to crawl into my bed every morning to watch clifford the big red dog on pbs? i feel like i just got used to the pre-kindergartner who had a backpack that was practically as big as he was...

and now here he is... in 4th grade , playing all kinds of sports, hanging around with other fellas in the neighborhood, riding bikes and playing catch, you know, just being a kid.

he's growing into a wonderful person who has a kind heart, is helpful and still occasionally crawls in bed with me--only now we watch spongebob!

happy birthday to my beautiful boy!

he got binoculars from jacquie for our rockies spring training games

(too bad we won't be able to see matt holiday play ball)

i call this an "uncle eric smile"...

he may have been tired of smiling, or he was humoring while i made him smile for me instead of opening another present!

and here are my other two favorite guys!

curse you facebook...

at first i was not convinced that facebook was something i was really into... and then i got addicted! totally addicted! so while i have been so consumed by facebook, i have neglected my blog, and there have been so many things happening around our house!


most importantly jackson turned 11 on friday... and he was lucky enough to be able to celebrate for a whole week!




we went to jackson, wyoming to take our friend, Flat Stanley on part one of the birthday. he was very good luck--

we saw a moose!

the moose was not the only wildlife we saw... we went on the elk refuge sleigh ride. so we saw many elk, mostly the ones with horns (are those also called bucks? i know they are the males, but i'm not sure...) the really cool thing was how they were sparring--but only for fun. they aren't quite ready for chick-elk-impressing-antler-clashing, but it's coming soon!

after the sleigh ride, we decided to warm up in the hot tub, stanley stayed by the edge...







dinner... oops! we forgot stanley...

but we did take him to the square for a picture with the antlers...

and we also took him in to "see" the historic

Million Dollar Cowboy Bar

then because he isn't old enough to be in the Cowboy Bar, we left...

after a good night's sleep, we took stanley to Jedidiah's House of Sourdough for breakfast... yummmm... sourdough french toast...


and after our HUGE breakfast we went sledding...

and sledding...
















and sledding...

and more sledding!


finally, we stopped for square ice creams in swan valley. stanley didn't have his own, but he may have shared jackson's cookie dough ice cream...

i think a good time was had by all...

( t o b e c o n t i n u e d . . . )

something about blueberries

in general, jackson doesn't eat fruit or vegetables--except corn, apples, cutie oranges (sometimes) and potatoes. with that being said, it may explain why i was shocked, stunned and amazed this morning:

at 7:05am (we have to be at school by 7:55am)

me: jacks, sweetie... it's late, we have to get up... come on...

jacks: {stretching} i need blueberries...

me: WHAT?!

jacks: {yawning} i need blueberries for school

me: TODAY?!

jacks: yeah, today

me: why didn't you call me yesterday (i have to close the library on tuesdays... yes, i know... i have much guilt!)

jacks: {shrugs} i don't know...

me: okay, get up and let's get going...

then a few minutes later, i stop and think about this and then...

me: do you have a note from miss o'dell

jacks: no

me: what do you need these berries for?

jacks: my enrichment teacher said that we need blueberries
me: what? did she give you a note yesterday?

jacks: nope

me: then how did you know about the blueberries?

jacks: she told me last week at enrichment...

me: WHAT?!

jacks: {blank stare}

me: WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME LAST WEEK?!

jacks: {blank stare, again}

me: YOU COULD HAVE TOLD ME AT ANY POINT THIS WEEKEND!!

jacks: yeah...

me: well...

jacks: i don't need them until 1:15

me: well...

jacks: {lopsided smile}

me: well, i'll see what i can do...

so i left work earlier than i planned, went to the wal-mart for blueberries, and quickly drove across the "big city" to deliver the said berries to my boy...

... and was rewarded for my efforts with a big smile, a kiss... and later, freshly baked blueberry muffins!

life is good!