Christmas in Portland

The day after Christmas the weather lightened up and we were able to travel to Portland to visit Dan's parents and his brother with his family. The rain melted all the snow so the roads were clear. We had lots of fun and enjoyed the trip. This is a family picture taken in front of Grandma and Grandpa's tree. Kiera showed off her Christmas dress for the first time in their ward since our ward was canceled the two previous Sundays. She looked so cute! I found a red button up shirt for Ethan so he'd be festive as well.


One of the highlights from our trip was a visit to the Portland Children's Museum. Kiera absolutely loved every minute of it. It's not everyday you can run around touching anything and everything you see without getting in trouble for it! It was fun to watch her get so excited over and over again. When you walk into the museum you are greeted by a alligator lying on his back waiting for you to brush his teeth. Here's Timmy and Kiera on dental duty.


Next was a room full of water. This was by far the favorite place to be. There were little plastic over coats for the kids so they didn't end up soaking wet by the end, and there were ducks, boats, fountains, and wheels to turn the water off and on with. It was lots of fun! So fun in fact that we made another trip to that room before heading home.




Kiera playing with magnetic blocks on the light table inside the "Forest room" It was filled with trees and stuffed animals that the kids could carry around and hide in the trees. It was pretty cool. I got lots of ideas for when we have our own house and build a playroom!



There was a room especially for kids 2 and under. Ethan had a ball climbing around and pulling himself up on things in there. He also had fun with the squishy blocks that I had to keep getting out of his mouth.




Next door to the toddler room was a giant dig pit. It was filled with recycled rubber bits that looked like rock. Ethan only went in there to pose for a couple pictures because he kept trying to eat it. Kiera loved digging with the shovels and pushing the tonka trucks around. Daddy we need a sandbox!




Kiera was in heaven. There was So much to explore!

Then it was back to the water room. There were lots of other rooms that we visited but we decided we'd rather play then spend the entire time snapping pictures. We'll definently have to go back again.

Thanks Grandma and Grandpa for such a fun trip! It was fun to see cousins too. The next time we all get together Ethan and Mary will probably be running around together. I know Timmy and Kiera had fun together. They were always asking where the other was and were together constanly except for sleepy time.

By the end of the trip everyone was exhausted. Both Ethan and Kiera zonked out on the way home. aaaauh.... what cute babies. Thanks again Grandma and Grandpa for letting us come. We're glad the weather held up while we were there.