Valley fair amusement park

We got to go to an amusement park! Our office won some competition and this was our reward! It was basically like Utah's "Lagoon." It wasn't huge but we had a lot of fun! Jared and I had not been to an amusement park together and it was a great experience.

Here we are on an extreme swing! It was huge and awesome! You'd get to the top of the pique and your stomach was in your throat! I love that feeling!
(Hap, Jas, Felisha, me, & Janelle) Mike and Felisha enjoying the day.

The boys playing hacky. They play ALL the time!

Brynlee and I. Brynlee is saying cheese and clearly enjoying her cotton candy.

Funnel cake! Believe it or not neither Jared or I have ever had this scrumptious piece of heavenly fried, artery clogging, dynomatic desert! We LOVED it to say the least. It was the highlight of our week (name that movie?).

All in all a very fun filled day with lots of thrill rides, blood curdling screams, sun burns, fatty foods, and people watching. Oh, come on, you can't say you don't do that at amusement parks!

Minne scenery

This is what I see when I go on walks: Our apartments and down town St. Paul in the background.

Minnesota has A LOT of vegetation and gardens are not in short supply!

So, all the little fuzzies you blow when you make a wish, I swear they end up in Minnesota! They're gathered up everywhere, along the sidewalks and just floating through the air - apparently they can travel up to 500 miles in 1 day! Just ask chacha (or Kara).

A bridge by our temporary home. I have never seen so much water!

We also see lots of trains and old train tracks.

Basically just another day and another walk along the streets. I like St. Paul.

Crock pot granola

It's official! I am a Utahish house wife. I am posting blogs about cooking granola in a crock pot. It's strange, really, to think of myself that way..I kind of like it. Anywho, this is some yummy granola that I made in my crock pot and I thought others might like the idea.

What's in it?
1. 5 cups oats (just regular quick oats/rolled oats/oat meal)
2. 1 cup flax seed
3. 3/4 cup coconut flakes
4. 3/4 cup slivered almonds
5. 1 stick butter (melted)
6. 3/4 cup honey
7. 3/4 cup dried cranberries
Really you can add anything you like or take out what you don't. These are my preferences. I don't actually ever measure anything so if the measurements seem really off to you feel free to change it up!
Mix everything (I leave the cranberries out until the last 30 mins).
Cook on high for 4 hours, stirring frequently (about every 15 minutes) and vent by sticking a wooden spoon under lid. This isn't clumpy like trail mix granola, its more like cereal. I love it with milk. I think for it to clump you have to add A LOT more butter and honey. Oh, and if the cranberries are in the whole time they get really hard instead of chewy.

After the 4 hours and a lot of stirring (if you don't stir enough it'll burn) and when it's golden brown, dump out and spread on a piece of parchment paper. let cool and dry out, stick it in a zip lock or sealable container! You're done! Enjoy!

I have this for breakfast nearly every morning after making it! I really like it and I think it's pretty healthy aside from the stick of butter;)

The zoo

I love the zoo and there is a HUGE one here in Minneapolis. We were there for hours and still didn't see everything! We'll be back.
Here's Brynners looking at the prairie dogs. They were one
of her favorite and she didn't want to leave them.
Brynlee feeding a goat. She is such a dare devil and not scared of anything!

She didn't even flinch when the goat ate out of her willing fingers. Anisten clearly having a good time!

Emery is waving to the most awesome grizzly bear ever! He just swam back and forth in front of the glass for the 10 minutes we stood there in awe of this large and usually scary animal and looked like he wanted to play.

And a final pic for you animal lovers. Doesn't this monkey look so cute with its long white mustach?

Definitly another visit to the zoo soon!