Time for T

Yeah blogger is finally letting me post these pics. Seriously, there isn't much to share without the photos and I can't keep track of what we did without them either. If I didn't take a picture, did it really happen? Oh well, there are about 4 pictures of me from birth to my kids' age, I have no regrets for having 4,000 of them.
We finally have thawed out just a little bit here and took advantage of it by riding the bikes to a park. We still had to steer around snow and climb over it to get to the play equipment but it was comfortably "warm"--40s and the slides were dry, so yea! Ready for a ride--the bikes were their big Christmas gift this year and they have enjoyed them. Davis is a little better of a rider and so Carter will get frustrated and give up. I get frustrated when I can walk faster than he is riding so I end up pushing him half the way while he tells me about all the little things on the sidewalk that are distracting him.

I was loving the lighting on this rock wall, so we got a couple of cute shots. They are on the header as well, I still laugh that I gave them the same direction (act silly) separately (they did not watch each other) yet I got almost identical faces in response. The nice shots were in response to, show me your I love Daddy face--they really do!

My fav Carter pic in a long time! :)

Yeah for double slide races

For T week we decided to be Tourists and visit Temple square. I of course have been there many times and the boys have been to see the lights but I was surprised at all the stuff they had never seen and what was new to me as well.

A fountain in front of the Conference Center, yes the water was cold and the boys had to check to make sure.

Davis pointing out the T on the Temple Square sign--thanks to my Dad for coming with us (Cyndel joined us later, she lives a couple of blocks away).

I didn't get any pictures inside the Visitor Center, but what a cool place. We spent over an hour there and I still can't believe I never thought to go there before. Each level had something fun, the basement had a whole series of Help Thy Neighbor displays about the Good Samaritan and all the worldwide Humanitarian Aid the church has on-going. There were also examples about just being a friend. There was a row of prophets, life size figures and stories about them. There was a Book of Mormon section with pictures and video screens you could touch that would elaborate on the story. And of course there were dozens of sister missionaries milling about, offering help, and telling the boys how cute they were. This was a Friday morning and we were nearly the only people there so we got a lot of attention. Upstairs we went to see the Christus (which was on the cover of the Friend this month, so the boys thought that was cool) and who wouldn't love that room! Then the sisters took us through a presentation for families with 6 rooms decorated like a home with the general synopsis being that Families are Forever and what a blessing that knowlege is. Davis sat through it quite well, and it wasn't too long. 2 thumbs up. I'm sure it is an obvious destination that everyone else thought of before me, but if you haven't been in a while, especially if your kids haven't--go.

Carter with the Tabernacle

Davis inside the Tabernacle

Another exciting thing about slow time at the temple, the side gate was open so we could walk right up to the front of the temple. The boys thought the steps and giant doors were really cool.

Carter

Davis

“As we touch the temple, the temple will touch us.” President Monson

He also said, "As a loving teacher guided a boy or girl to the large door of the Salt Lake Temple and the little one reached out and up to touch the temple, I could almost see the Master welcoming the little children to His side and could almost hear His comforting words: “Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.”

The boys have really come to have an interest in and love for the Temple since the 2 Open Houses they have been lucky enough to attend (Draper and Oquirrh Mountain). With the announcement of the Payson temple we look forward to another one. In the meantime I think we will stop when we pass these amazing temples that we are so blessed to have dotted all around us and touch the walls.

Cyndel with Davis--so photogenic that girl, we sure love her!

On to more Ts--For Christmas the boys got a butterfly house. They are very interested in sending away for the caterpillars and watching them Transform. However, the weather is not at the right place yet (and still has some time to go) so I thought of another plan to tide them over and to enjoy T, tadpoles! I have been reminiscing over the tadpoles of my youth, when I went with my best friends, from I'm going to say 3rd-4th grade, Terri and Kerri and we caught tadpoles from the "ditch" behind our school and watched them eagerly. I don't really remember, but I think they all died. But it was still cool to watch them develop. We don't have a "ditch" handy here (they cover such things over now, kind of sad but probably safer) so I ordered ours online. I had sent one to another friend's little boy--who in retrospect does not like pets and this was not the best one to send either, they are creepy looking (sorry Kris, I meant well). They really are odd, ours already had little back legs sprouting and just today one of them had his arms come out. It almost looks like the frog is inside the tadpole, you can pick out what it is going to look like after all the extra bits are absorbed. Weird.

But of course the boys think they are super cool and it has been fun to watch. They will live in the water their whole lives and I have since discovered they live from 5-20 years, so I guess they may be with us for a while. I tried to take a good pic but they aren't very photogenic, sorry.

We also visited the Dino Museum for T (renewed our membership, we didn't go for a month, hard to believe!).

Davis found a Triceratops in the erosion table

And we got to act like Tyrannosaurus Rex. The pic is pretty dark on my screen, hopefully you all can make it out. Funny boys, and yes, all all boy.

We also went to Target, and that was T week.

The rest of the letters aren't too easy, so we may just do one activity for each. Maybe I am getting lazy or burning out of ideas. We'll just do the best we can. Loves to all-