Zion National Park,Utah

Lake Las Vegas

Yesterday the family took a drive to Lake Las Vegas Resort. It is basically this man-made lake with a 'Mediterranean vibe' village surrounding it. It was early on a Monday morning, so the shops were just opening and there was almost no one walking the cobblestone streets. Which was fine by us, because the girls were able to run around freely and enjoy the beautiful fountains. We spent our time running around the village, we treated ourselves to a caramel apple from Rocky Mountains Chocolate Factory, and enjoyed it lakeside. All around it was a chill,fun time.  Unfortunately, I didn't bring my camera, but i did get some shots with my phone that i'd like to share. I've posted this photos on instagram, so if you follow me there,sorry for the repeat. But if you don't...

The hubby and I will definitely be back for a date night- rent a canoe for an hour,enjoy a concert,dinner...we have it all planned out. Now if only we had a babysitter.

xo

Amanda

Big Bear Lake: day 2

Our time spent in the cabin was short-lived but fun. We only rented it for a day, so after breakfast we packed our things back up and spent a few hours out and about before starting the drive home.

For breakfast, Casey made sausage and hashbrowns, while I sliced the pumpkin spice loaf and made a strong pot of coffee to be enjoyed black.

After a farewell picture with the cabin, or our "new house" as Evelyn called it, we went out to enjoy some time at the lake, watching the ducks.

After some time at the lake, we went to the discovery center to learn about the different wild life and minerals in the area. The girls enjoyed their time there-mainly because crayons were present. Nearby was an easy trail- the Woodland Trail- so we took another hike,but this one wasn't as fun for the girls. About half-way through both were whining and crying about all sorts of things

"I want to climb the tree with the squirrels!" -Evelyn

"I want to go to the car!"-Flora

"I don't want to go back to the car!" - Flora

"Flora,be quiet! You are scary off the bobcats!"-Evelyn

Eventually we just picked up the girls and power walked the remaining half-mile. Not before I got some photos though!

We then headed to a local restaurant for lunch, and with bellies full we got on the road and drove home.

xo

Amanda

Big Bear Lake: day 1

We woke up usual time Sunday morning, in no rush to hit the road since the check-in to our cabin was at 3pm. So after some last minute packing, a big pot of coffee and fresh baked bread for the next morning- the family piled in the car and started off towards California. The four hour drive actually wasn't bad, the girls were very well behaved and the only hiccup was when I couldn't remember if I turned the oven off or not. i did. 

Once we checked-in to our little cabin, we immediately went out to one of the more popular hiking trails at Big Bear Lake- Castlerock Trail- which was a rock climbing adventure for the girls. They got dirty using their little bodies to scale the trail, finding treasures along the way (like huge pinecones and big yellow leaves)

We all enjoyed the adventure, and with the sun setting, we headed back to the cabin for baths,a cozy fire and dinner

Casey made a yummy dinner of steaks and potatoes, followed by popcorn popped over the stove -which Evelyn LOVED watching- and s'mores -which Evelyn and Flora LOVED to eat. All in all it was a fun day, more importantly it was a do-able day with a three and two year old. A laid-back approach with hands on fun and food is the way to go.

I'll be sharing pictures from our second day at Big Bear tomorrow!

xo

Amanda

Summer at Grandma's

For the month of May, the girls and I spent our summer days in Ohio with my family. Now June, the girls are still with their Grandparents while I'm back in Vegas with my husband, enjoying our very first time away from our girls! I'll share pics and more at a later time concerning our one on one time- as for now, i'm feeling quite nostalgic not having my babies around, so i wanted to share a few pictures from our time in Ohio :)

Roadtrip! The whole family took a mini  roadtrip (4 hours) out to Dayton,OH for my sister's Tech School Graduation ceremony.

Family BBQ- The whole family was together for the first time in YEARS! It was so great to see all my sisters again. And what is better than a BBQ to celebrate such a rare occasion?

A picnic and a hike through Cuyahoga Valley National Park. my little desert flowers loved all the green! The ferns,moss and canopy of leaves made me want to build a little cottage right there among it all. speaking of cottages in green surroundings...remember my 'We're moving to England' post? Well guess what friends, we are NOT moving to England :( The orders have been pulled and since then I've been in mourning...

We visited the monkeys (and many other animals) at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. Flora and Evelyn both have a little stuffed monkey they sleep with, so this attraction was their favorite. Oh, and the sharks ;)

Hale Farm and Village- We took a trip to the quaint little farm/ reenactment village where the girls got to see old time cottages and craftsmans, like broom makers, candle makers,spinners and weavers. They even got to churn butter, play with chickens and a large 'loom'. It was such a wonderful trip! Of course I walked away with two skeins of handspun,naturally dyed wool... a a want for a spinning wheel ;)

Well these photos pretty much some up my month of May- enjoyable family time out and about. I also spent a good chunk of my time knitting, so I will have to take photos of all the goodies i've made and share them here on the blog. I hope y'all are having a wonderful summer and have enjoyed the peek into mine.

xo

Amanda