On Saturday, we went to the American West Heritage Center in Wellsville for our 2nd annual trip to Baby Animal Days. There is just something about being outside on a farm with a bunch of baby animals that really gets me in the mood for Spring.


When we arrived, a family was leaving and offered us their handcart. Chris was pretty excited to walk in his ancestor's footsteps, albeit in shorts and sandals. But still, the boys really liked riding instead of walking and the little adventure added some "old West" spirit to our afternoon.


One of the most fun things about Baby Animal Days is the opportunity to get hands-on with some of the little animals. Thomas was not interested in touching much, but Gordon was (as usual) just the opposite. He especially enjoyed mauling this poor baby chick.



The boys really enjoyed seeing all of the animals. There were even some adult chickens to observe; some were kind of pretty.



And of course, the puppies-- Gordon's favorite part.

In addition to seeing the baby animals, the kids also got to play percussion instruments. It was loud, but fun.

Springtime Saturday

After the egg hunt and before Baby Animal Days, I took the boys the elementary school next door to play. Saturday was such a gorgeous day. I was very glad to have a digital camera-- I think I took about 150 pictures in one day! Here are the two cutest of the littles: I love how bright they look!



Thomas is still quite unsure about riding a bike. We've taken off the training wheels and he has identified "summer" as the time he plans to learn to ride. Consequently, he refuses to even try in the Spring.

I have told Tom that he is too big to ride his old trike, but I will concede as long as he is willing to tow Gordon. He's pretty good to share (after all, a trike is much less scary than a two-wheeled bike, even if you do have to give your brother a lift) and I caught them "sharing" very sweetly on the way home from the school.

Candy, candy, candy

Our Easter festivites began Saturday morning when the boys woke up to find their cute baskets filled with jelly beans, the traditional chocolate bunnies, and new Peter Pan and Happy Feet dvds from Grammuh and Grampuh. The spoiling continued later that morning with an egg hunt in our back yard. They looked so darling in their new outfits (also from Grammuh-- she's too nice!) that I couldn't help but take a bunch of still photos and a video! This is the first year that Gordon could really participate (last year he just stuffed his mouth with jelly beans, but the egg hunt idea was a bit beyond him) and we loved watching him trot around the yard after his big brother. Don't they just look like little Easter eggs?





In addition to the candy from us, we also got a big bag of Jelly Bellys from my Grandma Sue (so sweet!) and my parents brought candy and prize-filled baskets when they came for dinner on Sunday (more to come on the rest of our weekend). Now we're "enjoying" the after-effects of way too much candy. Thomas has been very clever in finding my different candy hiding spots. Gordon is much less subtle: he simply asks, about every 30 seconds, for a "treat".

We love the Wards!

It's true: this is a week plus late post! We had a fun visit from Kevin, Becky, Owen and 3/4 Baby Ward the first weekend in April. We love the Wards-- they are so fun! We love how much Owen and our boys get along and we love visiting with Kevin and Becky. We just wish they lived a bit closer (hint hint!)!

Becky and I have been friends since elementary school. I love that we've been able to keep in touch for so long. Isn't she cute?!


I only managed to get one picture of the boys (Gordon and Owen are only two months apart) but you can see that they have a fun time together. It's fun for our little guys to have friends.

Recipe of the Month

I am not the world's greatest cook, but I'm improving and I do appreciate a tasty recipe when I come across it. I am trying to be a bit more ambitious and cook new things for my family, and sometimes those things turn out to be really good! In this spirit, I am going to try at least one new recipe each month (ambitious, I know) and post it on my blog.

Here is the one we tried on Saturday with our friends, Sean and Karin. So yummy! Chris was not extremely crazy about the sweet pork, but I really liked it. Then, yesterday, we had the leftovers in a delicious taco salad for dinner. Let me know if you try it!

Cafe Rio Mexican Pork Burritos

Mexican BBQ Pork

3-4 lb. pork loin roast
1 cup brown sugar
1 12 oz. can of Coke
1 TBSP ground cumin
1 14-oz bottle La Victoria red taco sauce – mild or medium

1. Place roast in crock pot. Fill pot with enough water to cover half way up the side of the roast.
2. Cook on Low for about 6 hours. When done, the meat should just fall apart with a fork.
3. Drain off the water.
4. Shred the meat with a fork, remove the fat as you go.
5. In crock pot, make sauce by combining remaining ingredients. Stir together.
6. Return shredded meat to crockpot, stir with sauce ingredients.
7. Continue cooking on low for 2 – 3 hours.

Creamy Tomatillo Dressing (Delish on my taco salad!)

1 cup buttermilk
1 cup mayonnaise
1 fresh jalapeno, chopped (remove seeds)
3 medium or 4 small fresh tomatillos (peel off leaf and chop)
½ bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
1 clove fresh garlic, minced
1 envelope Buttermilk Ranch dressing mix
1 tsp fresh lime juice

Blend prepared ingredients in a blender or food processor.


Build Your Own Mexican Burritos

Shredded BBQ Pork
Tortillas
Black or Pinto Beans
Rice (stir in some fresh cilantro as it finishes cooking)
Shredded Cheese
Chopped lettuce
Diced tomatoes
Sour Cream
Guacamole
Creamy Tomatillo Dressing

Enjoy!