Field Trip to the Nature Preserve in Ogden

I'm so excited my mom got to come on this field trip with me!! right now we're looking at raptors

Ethan and I went to the nature preserve today for a field trip and it was surprisingly fun!!  

The whole class fits in this "actual sized" Bald Eagles nest

Ethan got to get the paper chum out of the container 

Making paper takes serious concentration- I couldn't even look up at my mom because every time I tried I would tilt the paper tray:)

Getting all the water out of the paper with a sponge

Everyone looking at the snake

All of our cute neighbor kids in Ethan's class

Playing games - Ethan's team had to make the rain sound

"Hey everyone, a beaver ate this tree"

could I become a minimalist?

ok, to start off I'll admit that I am a borderline hoarder.
(if I wanted to point fingers it could have been created in childhood - living with a mother who was a compulsive organizer while I was a sentimentalist was not easy.  ex. crying under the computer desk holding a piece of ugly wallpaper from my bedroom that my mother was updating with wallpaper of my choosing, or my favorite shoes being thrown away because I wouldn't stop wearing them even though they were cracked on the bottom)
(back to present day)
I buy a lot of stuff and then buy a lot more because I can't find that stuff ... keeping my house clean is beyond difficult, which is why I am considering (shuddering as I say this) becoming a minimalist.  I see some problems with this idea however such as: 1) Minimalists don't shop  2) I would have to throw away a lot of stuff that I've collected over the years and deem essential.  I mean what if I need that sifter one day or those electric knives (I haven't used either in the 10 years that I've been married, but it could happen) 
as I'm writing this I'm not sure this is even possible ... is there such thing as a wanna be minimalist or a vegetarian vs. vegan minimalist?  can I just put all the items that I'm thinking about throwing away in a storage closet?  I'll have to investigate this a little further before I make any decisions.

funny

My son mason informed me today that he did not want to go feed the ducks because then we wouldn't have enough bread for toast :)

Mason

Mason: "Mommy i don't want to fly a kite, how would I get down?"
Mommy: (didn't really understand what he was saying and used a conversation distractor)
Mason: (not distracted and with a very concerned look) "Mommy, if I fly on a kite I will get lost and not be able to find my way home"
--light bulb--
Mommy:"Mason, you don't fly on the kite! You hold the string and the kite flies in the sky"

Christmas (pictures to come)

Christmas day was absolutely wonderful in the Bellamy home!!  my parents called at 7 a.m. and told us they were on their way up, which really was special that they were able to experience my children's excitement with us.  Ethan and Mason were just on a super santa clause high, exclaiming after every gift that it was the bestest gift ever or in Ethan's case "How did Santa know I wanted this so much":)  Zach could have cared less about any of the presents, but was just so excited to be excited.  He would dance on top of all the presents and then situate himself inside one of the boxes and just sing and dance.  It was really truly magical.

Ethan's song

   Ethan asked me tonight to sing him a lullaby and it made me remember a song I wrote for him while I was pregnant and never finished.  Enjoy my unfinished song.  (on another note spencer and I began reminiscing about what songs we actually sang for Ethan when he was a baby which was not this one, but the song "They're coming to take me away ha ha")

flying Jesus

Mason: "I'm the fastest thing on earth, I'm a rocket"
Ethan: "rockets aren't the fastest thing are they mommy"  (condescending smile towards mason)
Mom: "They aren't??  what's the fastest thing then"
Ethan: "Jesus is faster than a rocket"
Mom: (what do you say to that)  I guess you're right ... Heavenly Father and Jesus made everything so I guess they would be able to go the fastest
so now my boys are flying around Jesus :) lol!!