A Peek at the Poulsens

Natalie is getting better at saying her R's and to prove it she really brings it out; for instance, "train" is turned into "trrrrrrrrrrr-rain," basically a two-syllable word because she emphasizes the R so much, ha. We get a kick out of it. We took her on the train ride at the zoo and she LOVED it, so we've done it a couple times since - it may be one of the only times she actually sits still for more than 20 seconds.  The zoo is awesome. I'm so glad we get to go all the time because if we only went occasionally and didn't have the family pass I'd feel like we really had to get our money's worth with each visit and see every animal, etc. This way if Natalie wants to run around and play in the sand and climb on the benches and then leave, I don't feel like it's a waste. She still loves the otters and peacocks, and Cinderella the horse. Her new favorite "exhibit" is the strollers you can rent at the entrance - she needs l...

This month has been full of the zoo! We go at least once a week (usually more) and love it. Natalie takes us on a brief tour of the reindeer, horses, penguins, fishies, and otters, and then runs to the sand area to play. After a while I'll gently (and then more determinedly) prod her to explore the rest of the zoo, so she runs to the camels at the back and plays around their enclosure for a while, and then is usually ready for a sippy in the stroller as we head back to the car. It's so nice to just let her roam - I'm so grateful for a sweet, content Stockton that allows us to follow his sister's whims! He just hangs out in the stroller, munching on his caterpillar toy and being cute. He loves playing on the bench while Natalie plays in the sand.  We've figured out that NO ONE goes in the afternoon, so some days we go after nap time instead of in the morning. It's fun with all the kids around, but it's nice to let Natalie play on the equipment without sw...

Instead of taking turns going to the temple each weekend and leaving the children home, we decided to all go as a family one weekend. It was lovely - it feels very sacred to be teaching our children about religion and Heavenly Father and Jesus already...my hope is that they will grow up knowing how to rely on the Spirit and where to go for comfort and healing. It is special to see Natalie already understanding how important and beautiful and happy the temple is - I know she feels the spirit; I can see it in her eyes as we talk about Jesus and spiritual things.  The Winter Quarters Temple is particularly unique because of the history surrounding it - it was built in 2001, but the cemetery on the grounds has been there since Latter-Day Saints camped in the area in 1846 while traveling west in the early days of the church (hence, "winter quarters"). Many died there in the cold months, but many other saints traveled on and made it to the Salt Lake valley. It is neat to...

We had a great time playing in the crib fort today - Natalie loves tents and caves (her version of a cave is just a blanket over your head lol) so she played there for a long time. She got all cozy with two bunnies, kitty, her blankie and three more, and a pillow. She loves being cozy...definitely my daughter!