Blast From the Past

I don't think I ever blogged about a big deal birding trip for our family in 2017. 

Every once in a while we get to see something rare in Utah. Sometimes they are Eastern birds that have made their way this far West (blue jay in 2018, Eastern bluebird in 2017). Sometimes they are birds we don't see in the Continental United States. Jeremy saw a blue footed booby in 2018.

Sometimes a bird is blown off course in a storm or something and ends up out of its range and in Utah. Sometimes it is a big deal and birders come from all over the state to see it (like the above mentioned blue footed booby). One such bird was one we saw in February of 2017. 

Great Gray Owl.

This was the first time many birders had ever seen one in Utah. 

Jeremy went up to the place it had been spotted a few days before we went as a family and was able to see it. 

So one morning we headed up where it was supposed to be... and couldn't find it. Sigh. We searched for a while and finally decided since we were already North we'd head over to Antelope Island and had a good time there. 

After that trip we said we'd try one more time for the owl. We found other birders who were able to point us in the right direction and we were able to go in someone's backyard to see it. Some people are so nice to let birders come on their property to see birds. Lots and lots of birders.

We each got to see the owl. It was so big it was hard to miss. Largest owl in North America- size wise. Not the heaviest, though.

We made the comment that it was the first time any of us had seen a Great Gray Owl in the wild including Lucky who was just little. A lady nearby commented that it was her first time seeing one and she was in her eighties. So it was definitely a rare bird. One of the Utah County Birders who has been birding forever and has seen more than any of the rest of us said this was his first Great Gray Owl in Utah.

Target bird: acquired. 

It was an unforgettable experience. And now I've finally blogged about it.

I Love Aprons

You know I love aprons. I wear them all the time. My mom recently made me a new apron and sent it to me. It has birds on one side and wolves on the other. Perfect for me.

My mom loves me and appreciated how much I gushed over the apron when it arrived in the mail.

Catch of the Day

More Traditions

March 6 was National Frozen Food Day. For dinner we had chicken cordon bleu casserole that we had frozen a few months ago. I took some pinto beans from the freezer and made them into refried beans. We had lil' smokies in the freezer. We heated those up with BBQ sauce.. We steamed frozen broccoli. We drank ice water.

Yes, we know how to celebrate.

Earlier a few family members had root beer floats with ice cream that came from the freezer.

We love finding reasons to celebrate.

March 6 was also the birthday of the Oreo cookie. Early in the day, Lucky and I listened to Weird Al's "The White Stuff." Jeremy bought some more Oreos (we already had birthday cake Oreos at home) but we didn't eat them until the next day.

We had Oreos and I made rice crispy treats which we ate on National Cereal Day, March 7.

Then as is tradition for Cereal Day, Jeremy and the boys made cheese and pickle sandwiches. 

I went to a Relief Society Birthday Fiesta with a group of gals where we listened to Reyna Aburto speak then had dinner and entertainment by Somos Bolivia Group.

That was a fun time with those gals. (draw your own conclusions why...)

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What really happened

(yet another one of Lucky's conclusions)

(based on a true story)

 Once we made it to "Birthday Fiesta" the real partying happened. We grabbed a handful of peach cobbler and threw it at Reyna Aburto. Then Reyna threw it at someone else and then on and on. Once the food fight was over we took out a pinata and smacked it with a baseball bat that someone provided once the pinata broke out spilled little house elves that cleaned up the whole stake center. After the house elves cleaned up the stake center they announced it was the end and to exit out specific doors. When walking through those doors the house elves cleaned you up and made sure there was no sign of anything happening other than a nice quiet evening.

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Waltzing Tradition

You know I love traditions. On March 4 which was Dance the Waltz Day and Marching Music Day and National Sons Day, Jet and I danced the waltz to "Stars and Stripes Forever" in 3/4 time (we've done that in the past). 

Then Lucky put on the 1812 Overture and Jet and I spun and spun and spun and spun while Lucky shot cannons (a ball) at us until I was physically sick to my stomach. It was so fun to do that with my sons (though not the sick part).

 (I wonder why... Draw your own conclusions)

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The Insides of Kristin's Stomach

(One of Lucky's conclusions)

The green aliens rounded up together and started to jump. They started to jump up and down because that's what they're supposed to do when they get woken up because of the stomach rumbling. Also they swung from the intestines and danced on the kidneys all while jumping up and down (somehow). Then they all went back to sleep.

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steeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeve from Jr. Jr. ;)

March Comes In Like a... Pig

March 1 was gentle so it didn't come in like a lion but March 2 we got hail so... draw your own conclusions.

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The Great Airplane Catastrophe

(Part 1 of Lucky's Conclusion)

People screamed from the rooftops as they jumped on the airplanes with a thud, hail scattering around them. They crawled all around the airplanes attacking the windows, throwing rocks at the windows and biting the airplanes' wings. "Those things' teeth must be really strong," said a reporter before getting hit on the head with a chunk of hail. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Oh, I get it. Hail. Acting like pigs. Drawing his own conclusions. Thanks, Lucky. I'm interested in reading Part 2.

Now let's go back to what I was originally going to talk about. March 1 was National Pig Day. I planned a "Pig Island" dinner like we had before. We also listened to Scott Bakula singing the Sandra Boynton/Michael Ford song. 

We also watched the Doctor Who episode, "Aliens of London." That episode has a pig in it. 

March 1 was also Share a Smile Day. We did.

March 2 was Read Across America Day. There was definitely reading going on around us. It was Dr. Seuss' Birthday so we of course ate green eggs and ham.

Snow Goose Festival

We're back to our tradition of going to the Snow Goose Festival as Jeremy's birthday trip again. We made it a quick trip this year.

We made it in time to see them in some fields then went to wait for them at the reservoir but they flew in to a different spot than we're used to so we missed them in the air. Sigh.

We went over and did get to see them sitting on the water. 

At least we have seen them flying in the past. 

When we got home we made Jeremy's birthday dinner and had cake and ice cream and Jeremy opened cards.

I don't know where this cute idea of doing numbers with the candles came from- but 87, kids? Really?