Memorial Day Weekend

This weekend we got to have a mini cruise reunion. We got to go celebrate our friends' wedding as well as their new home in Orem, UT. They had it catered by Cafe Rio and it was such a fun night.

Here we are enjoying some chocolate cake...

We had such a fun time but were missing the Popes!!!

Then on Monday, we drove up with Eric's parents and Carli to Lyman to visit some memories and pay our respects...here is a shot of the velvety horns...

A house that Jim lived in...

Some graves & the flowers we put...we also put some on Leland's headstone but didn't get a picture.

Cherries, Chicken feet & Indian Cheese

We went to California to visit my brother and sister-in-law and their newborn son...here is a collage two are Parker and two are my brother Peter as a newborn...scary, huh?

I love fruit...I love mangoes, watermelon, mandarin oranges, guavas, some that I don't know the English translation for...and while I love a good cherry, I seldom purchase them as they are rarely sweet and even on sale are at least $3.99 but this trip to California, my mother and I went to Chinatown and found the most delicious cherries for $0.59 a lbs...over the course of my trip (a few weeks) I purchased and ate over 7 pounds of cherries...and am missing them greatly...

I chose to forgo the large camera and didn't bring a camera on this trip...so, all my pictures are still on my mom's camera so...here is a tribute to all of my favorite foods while I'm at home. Homemade green onion pancake.

Walnut Shrimp...

Dim Sum...

is not Dim Sum without a good serving of Chicken Feet...judge all you want...I stand by them.

I've been going to Genova's since I was a little girl and would eagerly look forward to the owner offering me a free slice of hard salami. ..and this trip, I went with Max and the owner remembered me and offered Max a free slice.

Some Palak Paneer and Naan...mmmmm.

A lengua burrito.

My mom's Chinese Eggplant.

...and last but not least, some sweetened soy milk and stinky tofu!!!

Easter 2011 in Jackson Hole

We spent Easter this year in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
Jim had work to do in Jackson Hole, so the rest of us followed that weekend.

We ate at Bubba's...

The food was great...ribs, brisket, fries, Bubba's Famous beans...not 'bad' beans...must find word...(that's for you, Chuck!)

Shopping in downtown Jackson. It was such a perfect time despite being 'the off season.'

After joyously engaging in much superfluous shopping, Jim, Max, Eric and I headed to the Bunnery...a Jackson Hole eatery known for it's delicious baked goods. While there, we saw a clown...she offered to make Max a balloon Moose...but what she made was magical chemistry with Jim!!!

Then we went to the leather shop where Max fell in love with this cowboy hat...to which major fits were pitched upon departure. Everyone had the same string of thoughts that I had, 'oh, we really loves it...i wonder how much it costs...holy crap...$70 bucks!!!! Forget that!'

To appease the cowboy yearning...when we passed this old photo shop...we got a brilliant idea...

You know you wish you were in this picture...no one mock my face... I know...my shame is great...and immortalized. ...and the shame continues...

...but this picture is beyond words adorable!!!
Then to lunch. Chuck was super happy about it apparently.

That night we dyed eggs...Julie was amazing and boiled 5 dozen eggs in advance...it was great fun...the night ended exactly as every Phillips craft activity does...Eric and Carli finishing the night out while everyone had long since given up.

We went to Church and back for a delicious Easter ham, deviled eggs, carrots, blueberry cream cheese pudding...it was perfect!!!

Max is without a doubt the most wonderful boy whom we adore and love his growing personality and understanding of life! Happy Easter.

Max's first Easter Egg party (mine, too, for that matter)!!!

Max is so lucky to have such fun boys in the nursery to play with (and their moms all rock, too!) I guess my first clue that I might be taking on more than I could handle, was the response from one of the dad's when I asked him if he felt like his twin boys could decorate eggs yet (they're almost two) to which he replied, "At my house, 'no,' at your house, sure, why not?" HMMMmmmmmm... I made a whole wheat banana cake (Bird Nest) , it looked better after I decorated it...

and had lots of toys, pencils, candy, and eggs.... gotta love that dollar store!!!

I love this picture of the boys as they were being distracted by candy... and they were all wearing smocks...

Each child got to pick their colors....

We had an impromptu egg hunt...Max wasn't that aggressive (is it weird that I still can't type that word without the cheer ringing in my head, be aggressive, b-e a-g-g r-e-s-s-i-v-e) but neither were any of them...but you could tell the difference in the slightly older boys (or rather boy!)
Seriously...he put all the other boys to shame...he had the eggs by the shirt full!!! How cute is this face?!!?!

Kandice and Landon...so sweet and cute...they won a prize for their egg...

Me and Max attempting to decorate an egg and not have Max eat it....

He preferred the stickers on his own face over the eggs....

In the end, we all had lots of fun and I was happy that I went through with it...here is our final egg...Happy Easter, everyone!!!!

Lyman, Goin' South & Baby Horses!!

We had to go to Kemmerer to meet with our new renters in Kemmerer...so, we decided to meet up with Thayne and Cherilynn and go to our favorite restaurant Goin' South!!!!
Afterwards, we went to see the house they are building and their family's horses...Max loved the horses...
he particularly loved the baby horses...

He loved watching the baby horses with their mama's...these were only a few days old!!!!

It was funny, when the horse neighed at him, Max quickly replied, "Sorry...sorry!"

Thayne's parents were kind enough to let us visit with them in their home for a little while...this is their fire place...on the left is a close up of the rocks and fossils that make up this fire place...crazy!!!

Of course...the moment I saw this beautiful picture of Thayne, I knew it would be up on our blog for all to enjoy!!!!

Thayne was playing with Max...Max was having the time of his life!!!! Thanks, guys, for such a fun visit!!!!

Parker Chiu Can't Lose!!!! & Potty Training!!!

So, when my brother told me he was having a boy and they decided to name him Parker, I instantly regretted not having another son first and naming him Parker...it's like Seven...once it's out you just want it...how cute is this boy?!?!

I can just hear it now...

"Who's valedictorian of this class?"

"Parker Chiu"

"...who do you have a crush on?"

"Parker Chiu!"

"Parker Chiu for President!" (or maybe vice president...We'll save the first part Chinese presidency for Maxwell Daniel Phillips!)

My parents flew out to visit them, they were in China on vacation...this kid can eat!!! He's up to 3 or more oz a feeding...he's like four days old!Max keeps referring to pictures of Parker as, 'baby Max!' Though, I don't think they look as alike as I thought they might.

this is a classic picture of max about to go Potty...to which he will quickly exclaim, 'gOoDbyE!!!' and demand his privacy. Since this seemed like a perfect opportunity to start Potty Training...we have been taking on the daunting task...

So, after one particularly long wait, I was so thrilled to see a little kernel of reward...After I commended Max on his potty-ing in the potty...he laughed and said, 'chocolate raisin!' To which I discovered, indeed it had just been a chocolate raisin...I don't think he's taking this whole concept very seriously!