Stacy

Our family received a much anticpated visit from my youngest sister, Stacy.  We loved having her to play.  She's always so great with her nephews and lots of fun to hang out with.  She's very easy going and loves doing everything with our family.  

Out of all my siblings, Stacy and I look the most alike.  This is what we have in common:  in real life she has blond hair but she has chosen to color it brown; hopefully inspired by me.  We both have freckles, blue eyes, and vertically challenging issues.  We love shopping, mine for clothes her for shoes but... we both like to wear shoes with added heel height of any form.  

She was only here for a couple of days, but we managed to:  take the kids for walks (thanks to the VERY cooperative weather), enjoy lunch with Mike, we had a birthday party and went birthday shopping (Happy Birthday June 1st Stacy, and since Mike says I think every day is my birthday I treated myself as well :), she sent Mike and I on a date, and we enjoyed our wards Memorial Day Picnic.  

I love my sister so very much.  I'm proud of what you've accomplished, Stace.  Thanks for visiting our family.

PS  Stacy likes french toast with powdered sugar.  Aidan is totally a maple syrup fan and doesn't even know what powdered sugar is, so Stacy, Aidan wanted me to thank you for introducing him to the "Pepper Sauce".  He never could remember the name of it :) 

sweet dreams, baby

Every once in a while, in the middle of the night, Aidan ends up snuggling in bed with me and Mike after having some bad dreams.  Saturday night was one of those nights after Aidan told me he was having bad dreams about ghosts.  Sunday morning as he came in to our bedroom, because it's usually his job to wake me up, our conversation went something like this:

Me: "Did you have good dreams last night?"

Aidan: "I had good dreams, not bad dreams.

M: "What did you dream about?"

A: "Not ghosts, mommy.  I just dreamed about you."

The funny part is, as Mike was leaving for meetings Sunday morning he asked Aidan the same question, and... his answer was the same.  I love good dreams about Mommy.

guys night out

One of the many BLESSINGS I have from being married to my wife is doing pretty much whatever she asks of me.  I know I'm more than a little goofy looking, so I have to make up for my lack of good looks with things like blogging. As much as I object to obsessive blogging, I do enjoy the opportunity, once in a while, to tell of our experiences from my point of view.  

                                                                     

Friday night, Aidan and I, had the opportunity to go to our first Father-Son outing at Farragut State Park in Northern Idaho.  Aidan really had no idea what camping was but we tried to educate him prior to the campout as best we could.  We rolled in together at about 6pm Friday night and I began to set up our tent as Aidan played with sticks and dirt with Nathan Rowell.  

                                          

                            

About an hour later, Aidan's friend, Emma showed up and he could barely hold back his excitement.  No, Emma is not the name of some poor little boy, she is Shaun and Bethany Sorenson's little girl and Aidan loves to play with her.  Those two even talked us in to putting them both down to sleep in our tent but after an hour of playing, jumping, and escaping the tent several times, we had to separate them so Shaun and I could get some shuteye.  

We had a great devotional put on by the Young Men's Presidency and turned out the lights and put out the fires.  The morning started at about 5am with the Hunter's camp waking up pretty much everyone.  Breakfast was surprisingly edible prepared by Kevin Wright and David Crump.  All in all, it was a great experience and an incredible bonding experience with my son that I will never forget.  

Jack Edward

Here are six things to know about our Jack Jack:

1.  Jack has big blue eyes.  I know all our children are destined for blue eyes, but Jack's eyes  always look so big and bright.

2.  He will smile at anything and anyone, whether you're simply smiling at him or playing a  game with him.  He's always been this way.  You don't have to work hard to do it, most times it  just takes a look.  

3.  His new favorite game is peekaboo.  If you hide around a corner it's the cutest thing to see  him leaning to the side trying to find you.  If you hide behind your hands, he'll grab your hands  to try and move them.  

          

4.  Jack has always been a great eater.  At 4 months he started cereal and quickly advanced to  baby food after that.  Now he'll eat anything you give him, well almost if you skip the green  beans.  He likes fish, chicken, fruits, rice, tortillas, cheese.  Really, he's eaten everything I've  given him.

5.  Jack is ticklish all over, but he has an especially vulnerable spot underneath his chin. (Just  like his dad)

6.  This boy loves his paci.  In fact he has to sleep with 8 of them in his crib.  It's funny to wake  him up and see one paci in his mouth, and two in his hands.  We never leave home without at  least 2.   

Meet Rocky and Billy

We had a great preschool field trip to the pet store today.  They had huge turtles walking around the store, probably a million birds, dogs, reptiles, fish, you name it.  Aidan went home with two new pet water frogs.  They live in his fish bowl and eat frog food.  Aidan named them Rocky and Billy.  They're  lots of fun.

Mothers

Being a mother is the total inspirational experience.  Not only do they greatly influence their children's lives through love, but now through experience, I can say that being a mother has gives spiritual inspiration.  I have been greatly blessed to have known many great mothers.

                                                 

My mother has always been there for me.  She has created so many wonderful memories and traditions: her great singing voice, working hard every day but always finding time to be with her children, camping at Willow Flats, shopping for prom dresses, helping with wedding plans, comforting my fears of motherhood, and so much more.  And although my teenage years may have been filled with a little rebellion towards parental advice, I never questioned the love she had for me.  I am so thankful for the relationship we now share, most importantly for her friendship.  Although we live far apart, I always go to her for comfort and guidance.  I cherish the time she spends with me and my children.  I love her for her thoughtfulness and sensitivity, although we give her a hard time about it sometimes.  It defines the reason I loved her through those teenage years, even if I was too proud to say so, and the reason I love her now.  Thank you for always being a wonderful example of motherly love. 

           

Growing up, I never knew how great of a mother I had.  I thought it was normal to have a hot breakfast everyday and a home-cooked dinner every night.  My mother's day would start at 5am and she would always prepare breakfast for us kids.  Then, should would start piano lessons at 5:30 and teach well after we had left for school.  My mom put up with a lot of the troubles I caused and handled them with relative calm.  I say relatively, because there were times when closet doors were pulled off their hinges and thrown about the room I shared with my brother Chris.  However, considering where I am in my life now, my mother accomplished the nearly impossible.  She was the only person who wrote me every single week while I was on my mission in Brazil.  My boys love spending time with her because of her wackiness and excitement.  I'm so blessed to have been raised in a loving family with and incredible mother.  The only regret that I think my mother has is that her sons didn't take to music like she would have liked them to.  I love you mom.

                               

I now have been blessed with the opportunity of being a mother to two wonderful boys.  I pray to become the mother they inspire me to be.  I hope to teach them about love, sensitivity, and kindness as my mother taught me.  I hope to welcome my son's wives as my own daughters, and to be an example to them as Liz is to me.  I have wonderful grandmothers, whom I love so very much, and one day I hope to be a grandmother like them.  I am so thankful to be a woman, wife, aunt, sister, and MOTHER.  

Happy Mother's Day to all the important women in my life.    

 

dirt is definitely for boys

                       

This weekend a huge pile of top soil was delivered for the boxed garden we built this year.  I have never seen Aidan more dirty.  Last year he was sort of afraid of getting dirty, this year, he's asking to be buried in it.  I was a little afraid however when he face planted into the dirt, but once he got the mud out of his teeth he still thought it was the greatest thing ever.  What a resilient kid.  He kept asking me to play in the dirt with him, so I kindly reminded him dirt was for boys.  He did settle for me throwing him on top of the dirt pile, luckily.  

Well, 60 wheelbarrow loads later we had it transplanted to the backyard, so I don't think Mike enjoyed it AS much as Aidan.   But... thanks to Aidan's jumping and diving skills he was a huge help  packing the dirt into the garden.  

It was good to be outside working, even if Mike said I was complaining half the time.  I'm just thankful for sunshine and spring time.  It was crazy to see everyone out doing yard work.  Yeah, summer is almost here! 

                           

Visit from Athena

$29 flights?  Unbelievable I know, but luckily we had family who could take advantage of it.  My younger sister, Athena, and her baby, Dax came to visit us this week.  It was nice to have the weather mostly cooperative.  We got to take the boys out for a few walks, she learned how to knit, and it wouldn't be a visit without shopping, of course.  But mostly, we enjoyed each other's company, getting/giving advice, and enjoying adult conversation during the day.     

                                                

                                         

                                          

Fun memories growing up - 

- Cabbage Patch dolls and Pound Puppies

- Playing fastpitch softball on the same team 

- In high school we had to drive our parents van... truly embarrassing at the time.  In fact, so    embarrassing that we  refused to use the student parking lot.  Instead, we parked at the curb  on the side of school, under a tree.  We figured it  was the best way to escape after school and  remain undetected.  The best part is, if there was a lot of student traffic after  school I would  slip in through the passenger side door (remember we're hidden under a tree) into the driver's  seat, so as  to disguise myself, and Athena would slip in after.  I'm sure we looked ridiculous.

- Being each others Maids of Honor

- Being pregnant together AND having kids 2 months apart

- Truly confiding in each other  

Thank you for coming to visit!  We love you and your family, and we missed you Scott.  We can't wait to see you all again.

     

                  

               

Love you, sis.

RecEnTly REdIscOvEreD SprInKlerS

Aidan's sprinkler phase looks like it 

       will last another season :)