Happy Birthday Ty!

Hooray! Ty made it to 4!! Though- I'm not promising that he'll make it to 5... there's something to those species that eat their young! Anyway- Ty is four and is so proud of that fact. When I asked him what kind of cake he wanted- it had to be red for the "Go Utes." So did the balloons. And the frosting (which as you can see from the pictures- did NOT set up- so he had to settle for white). And he wanted a new Utes shirt. It went on and on. Grandpa JB and Dad are so proud.

Ty had a lot of fun on his special day- he got some fun toys and he was so excited that Grandpa JB and Grandma Janet were able to come up with Aunt HeeHee (Melissa). He loves them so much- and after Melissa leaves- he always has to sleep on her bed for a couple of days. He's such a goof!

I know that I complain a lot about Ty- but I can't think of another little 4 year old that I love as much as I do him. He is so full of spunk and energy. He's curious and loves everyone and everything. He is my Ty. I love you kid!

And yes- my kids are bald. We had a team haircut this morning. None of the boys (including Shaun) have any hair anymore. Ty looks cute, Shaun is hot and Ryan looks like a cancer patient. Those are my boys!!!

Bubbles

Uncle Chase and Aunt Dani gave Ryan a Bubble-Maker for his birthday. I was a little skeptical at first- but we hooked it up... and you would have thought that both boys had died and gone to heaven!! Ryan scooted after all of the big ones and Ty ran after the others. I couldn't believe how long it blowed the bubbles either- I totally recommend it to those of you out there looking to kill an hour! They had so much fun! Thanks Chase and Dani!

Happy Birthday Ryan!

Yay! Ryan is one!! We were able to have a party up at Grandma Jacki's house for him, where he got some fun presents and a really yummy cake (okay- really they were cupcakes- but they were good!). Ryan was really funny with the cup cakes- he didn't mind eating it- but if any of the frosting got on his fingers- he flipped out... and consequently flipped bright blue frosting on grandma's floor. Sorry grandma!!

I don't know that he really understood the present thing- but that was okay because Ty opened most of them for him anyway. Ty had a hard time understanding that the day was for someone other than him. Ryan didn't seem to mind though. And maybe he even appreciated the "help" Ty gave when they were opening presents.

We sure love our littlest boy! I know it sounds sappy- but we are so grateful for him and the spirit that he brings into our home. He can be such a little spit-fire, but he is such a good boy! He had a rough start- but I think it makes us even more grateful for his presence in our home! Love you baby!

At the beach

Okay- I officially LOVE Bear Lake summers! They almost make up for the winters. Almost. We bought a season pass to the beach on the North end of the lake and we go at least once a week! Ryan still isn't entirely sure that he likes the water- but everytime we go- I put him in it- and I think he's coming around. At least now- he doesn't burst into tears as we walk towards it.

Ryan much prefers the safety of the beach. And the toys. Ryan absolutely refuses to crawl- but he will scoot. So he scoots around the sand looking for things to eat and trucks to roll around. He pooped a small rock the other day- I guess I should keep a closer eye on him. Though it's never hard to tell where he's been- because he scoots... he leaves a little butt-print trail in the sand. It's really funny!And then there's Ty- who seriously needs a healthy dose of fear. That kid will get out into the water neck deep and then start jumping around. It totally made my heart stop this last time- he was out there and then tripped... down he goes. I panicked- and started out after him when he bobbed up again with a big smile on his face. He is going to get munched in California (we're going in a few weeks and plan on spending a lot of time at the beach there).

Happy 4th!

My family came up to visit over the 4th of July- which was so much fun- we LOVE having company! Hint Hint to the rest of you out there. Shaun was our master-grillman and made some killer steaks for everyone.

And of course- Grandpa JB brought the fireworks. He took a detour through Wyoming on their way up here so that he could get "the good ones." Ty was a total pyro- and Ryan held true to form- and bawled through everything... including the sparklers. He was like a tiny little koala bear and would NOT let go of my sister!

I believe I can fly...

It has been so HOT around here lately! So in an effort to cool off, Jenny put the sprinkler under their trampoline and called to see if Ty could come and jump. Ty never misses a chance at getting on a trampoline if he can help it. So we walked over (they just live on the next block) and the kids spent all afternoon running through the water and jumping. Ryan watched and giggled the whole time. Thanks Jenny!

Birthday Pictures!

New pictures! I wish there was a way to make them bigger- because I don't think the small ones do much justice. Oh well. Both boys are hams and we got some cute pictures!

"What might my life be like were I to give in to the rhythms of my own ragged dance? Like this, I imagine, walking down the trail, past grapevines and winecups and huisache blooming in the sun. Just like this attentiveness, this pleasure, this being present to the world."

-Susan Hanson

White Trash...?

It was sunny today. So Ty and I wanted to spend the day outside. But I feel like a bad mom when Ryan is out in the sun a lot (mostly because I tend to forget about sunscreen)- so I came up with this GREAT idea! I put up the beach umbrella in the middle of our front lawn. The neighbors all got a kick out of it- but the more I looked at it- the sillier it became. Oh well. It served a purpose and we had a lot of fun today. Grandma Janet gave Ty and Ryan bug nets and Ty caught a fly. He was really excited! Ryan just chewed on his- but he was excited to be included.

Rockin' down the Highway!

A couple of weeks ago, we took a road trip with Shaun's family out to see Chase and Dani (Shaun's brother and his cute pregnant wife), who are living in Colorado. Road trip you ask? With our kids? YES! My mother in law rented a motorhome and we traveled in style! Actually- I totally recommend traveling this way. Ty had a bathroom, and snacks and tons of things going on. Ryan is just an awesome traveler anyway- but I think he had fun too.

We had a chance to stop and see Aunt Betty and Uncle Wally- who were soo sweet to show us around and talk to us for a little while. Aunt Betty makes the most gorgeous quilts, and has sent each of the boys one when they were born. If I thought I could have gotten away with it- I would have thugged some of the ones that she had recently finished. They were beautiful. I wish I were half as talented. Most of my quilts have some very obvious flaws. And Uncle Wally is an amazing craftsman- he hand pours/paints/builds a lot of war relics- and it was absolutely facinating to see what he has put together.

Once we were in Idaho Springs, we got a chance to go see an old gold mine. It was really interesting, and afterwards we got to pan for gold ourselves. No huge nuggets for anyone (though really- do you think I would admit it on the internet even if I had?), but we all had a lot of fun. Ty decided to feed the chipmunks instead of panning for gold. Probably a good idea since there's a good chance he would have ended up in the river. Anyway- he sat there really well for a while and then decided to pick up one of the chipmunks. It started flailing around and chirping until Ty finally dropped it. We then had to have a conversation about rabies. I don't know that it really sunk in- but I suppose you have to start somewhere.

Anyway- it was a really fun trip. Thanks grandma and grandpa!!

There is no charge for Awesomeness.

I couldn't think of a better title for this post. Maybe I'll get more creative later. Maybe. Anyway, since the weather is finally cooperating, we have been able to take a few trips down to the lake during the day to just play! Ty absolutely LOVES playing on the beach and in the water. Last week, we went with a couple of friends and the kids just kept on goofing off in the water. When I finally fished Ty out- he was literally purple (Bear Lake never gets all that warm) and shivering, but was ready to get back out there. It's so fun- I just love it!

In this picture- the kids are "Kung Fu Fighting," it seems that everyone has an obsession with "Kung Fu Panda" which I totally recommend to anyone that hasn't seen it- it is so funny! Anyway- usually they try out their Kung Fu moves on each other and someone ends up getting hurt- here however, they were trying out their moves on the fish. Much safer. And so much more entertaining for the moms!

Friends or Foes?

Ty and Ryan get along most of the time. Most of the time. It's so cute to see the two of them playing together- and even funnier to listen to them. I caught the two of them in Ty's room the other day playing with a garage and a bunch of cars. Obviously Ryan can't say anything, but he points and he laughs and he tries to play along with his big brother. Ty will also point and laugh, but he tries to show Ryan exactly how to do things and gets soo frustrated when his younger brother doesn't follow "the rules" of the game.

I WON"T DO IT!!!

Ryan is such a stink. He absolutely REFUSES to crawl. We have bribed him, begged him, helped him and attempted to force him... All to no avail. He wants absolutely NOTHING to do with it. It's kind of funny. Any time you put him on the floor in an effort to help things along- he sits there on his hands and knees, and then ducks his head and cries. And we're not talking little wimpy cries- huge alligator tears start streaming down his cheeks, his lower lip sticks out a mile and he just WAILS!

A walk in the country... More than you would expect!

My in-laws are always teasing me that I can never tell anyone what happens when we go to Declo- because it would just be too scarring to others like me, that didn't grow up around/ in "the country." I would like to state here- that I never promised Jacki that I wouldn't tell... And I'm about to spill ALL the beans! :)

All kidding aside- we usually have a lot of fun up in Declo with Shaun's fam

ily. And I do love all of the new things that we are exposed to (okay- not ALL of them... but most!). This last month, Papa Orllo needed to take care of his cows- meaning, they had to have shots, ear tags, brands and I think something else.

Anyway- Shaun and Orllo herded all the cows into the corral and then lined them up for the squeeze-chute (okay- my big-cityness is showing and I can't gurantee that I will do all of these country processes justice or cal

l them by the right name, but this blog is for posterity and I'm doing my best!). Ty was super excited to be able to help THE MEN do the dirty work out in the field, so he stuck right by his grandpa, making sure that he was "helping" him at every turn.

Ty, unfortunately did NOT count on both the smell and the noise the cows made when the branding started to take place. He quickly decided that he would rather be inside with Grandma until the cows quit making all the noise!

Heros and Villans

Can someone technically be a hero if he was the villain in the first place? I mean if you think back to the melodramas that they used to have on TV and in plays- picture the evil man with the thick black moustache that ties the pretty lady to the train track. What if he had a change of heart and decided to save her instead. Does that make him a hero? If someone is given the opportunity to have a change of heart (for the better) or a change in circumstances, do they then deserve accolades?

Ty is our hero/villain of the hour.

Let me set the scene for you. Shaun is out of town and I had the two boys in the tub this evening. I washed them and got them out and took Ryan into his room to put him in his jammies. Once he was dressed, we went into Ty's room to do the same for him. After I walked in, I set Ryan on the bed and turned to get Ty's PJ's out of his dresser. His bedroom door slams shut. I turned around and asked him to open it back up. He told me he couldn't because it was shut. I tried the knob. It was locked. From the outside.

Initially I didn't panic. I pulled a bobby pin from my hair and attempted to pick the lock- after all it was something I used to do daily when I lived at home. I had to lock my bedroom door because my little sister liked to sneak in and thug things when I was out. It's all good- it gave me the practice to free my sons from Ty's bedroom. I tried for twenty minutes to get that thing unlocked and it just wouldn't click.

So I went over to his window to pop the screen out (my mother in law had to do this when she got locked in Ty's room two years ago). But when we had our windows washed, the screen got put in backwards- so the little pop-out handles were on the outside. Lovely.

When I finally figured out how to get the window to fold out and I figured out a way to yank the screen up a little, I realized that I would NEVER be able to fit through the tiny opening at the bottom of the window. Then I realized that I was locked in a room with a little monkey.

Up and out the window went Ty. I felt bad- the drop from the window to the ground was a little more than either Ty or I had anticipated. So I had Ty hanging out the window- totally stretched out and he still wasn't on the ground. I told him I was going to drop him and he got all wide-eyed. But like a good little trooper- he said okay. I dropped him into the bushes and he climbed out and went running for our next door neighbor (we had already talked about what he needed to do once he was free- I'm just glad for once that he listened!!). He ran over there yelling at the top of his lungs, "WE NEED HELP! HELP US! HELP US!" Joyce, my cute 65 year old neighbor comes flying out of her house in her pajamas, remote in hand and starts asking Ty what the matter is. I have my head stuck out the window and I'm trying to yell over to her that we're fine- we just need a little help. She was worried that there was a fire or something. I told her that I just needed her to go to the side of the house, put in the code to the garage, climb through the mess that's in the garage to the back door. Then she needed to come into my house and come and unlock the door. I thought she was going to pee her pants laughing.

Thankfully Joyce did get us out. But Ty got all the credit for being the hero that saved us. So, I ask again... can the villian become the hero? Or do you think he's just masqureding until the next time?

Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to me!!  And all the rest of you mom's out there!  Of course- I only got to hear the message from myself.  Ty came in to wake me up and informed me that it was "Happy Boy's Day."  When I asked him about it, he told me that he was upset when Grandpa JB told him it was Mother's Day.  He thought that HE deserved a special day.  Ah well- maybe I should have built him up for it.  Happy Boys Day to the rest of you.

Happy Anniversary!

I bet you all forgot that Shaun and I had an Anniversary this month!  We have officially been married for seven years and we're still doing pretty good.  

I asked Shaun what he was the most thankful for the last seven years and I was abruptly told "All the nagging."  Ahhh... What a sweetheart.  Somewhere deep down I'm sure he's glad we're still married.  Deep, deep down.  

To celebrate this year, we dropped the kids off at my mom's (thanks grandma Janet!!) and headed up to Midway, Utah where we spent some time at the Johnson Mill Bed and Breakfast.  We LOVED it!  Midway/Heber areas have really grown since I was last there and I was impressed!  The Bed and Breakfast was really nice too- if any of you are looking for a fun place to stay- we totally recommend it.  The place itself was at one time a mill and has been totally redone.  It was beautiful.  

Too big.

Ryan is now ten months old and when I took him to the doctor for his checkup, he weighed in at 18 pounds and he is pretty dang tall for a kid his age.  In fact- it was time to switch car seats- he just got too long for the baby carrier car seat.  Ty helped me install the new seat in the Jeep and we got to try it out for a long drive to Logan.  Ty and Ryan sat in the backseat giggling almost the whole time.  I swear Ty is the only one that can get Ryan to laugh like he does.  

Strange fetish...

Ty loves the Utes.  His grandpa JB started indoctrinating him before he could even talk.  And now- he is a staunch supporter of the University of Utah... and don't try and tell him anything else.  Lately though- he's taken it to a new level.  It is starting to warm up around here (finally), but Ty still won't leave his little Ute snow hat at home.  He still wears it to the grocery store and around the house.  The other night when I went in to check on him in bed... he still had the hat on.  When Shaun asked him about it- Ty told his dad that he kept it on because his head was cold.  I checked for drafts people... it's NOT cold in there.  He's just silly.

Two in the tub...

As scary as it may sound to some of you... we have finally upgraded Ryan to the BIG tub.  And what's more... he's now subjected to his big brother's splashes and anticdotes for that half hour of every evening.  

Okay- in actuality they both do really well in there together.  They love to splash each other and all that you can hear in there is giggles.  A word to the wise though- if you are bathing them- prepare to be just as wet as they are.  

Happy Easter!

Easter was a little different this year- it was the first time that we didn't go anywhere for the holiday.  It was really strange actually having to host dinner (even though it was just the four of us) and make sure that the Easter Bunny didn't forget anything.  In all though I think we did pretty good.  Ty and Ryan woke up and really didn't have a clue.  When Ty finally figured out that he was supposed to look for his Easter basket- it was almost time for church.  But Ty and Ryan did get a chance to put on their very cool new sunglasses.  

After church we went out back to see if we could find the Easter eggs hidden around the backyard.  Ty thought it was a lot of fun... though he had to have a couple of hints since the Easter Bunny thought he was being clever and hid the eggs a little too well.  Ryan was just happy to be outside... though the grass still freaks him out a little bit.  

We tried to make dinner a more formal affair.  By formal, I mean a table cloth and placemats.  But I really worked hard on dinner.  I had to call my grandma to get explicit directions on how to make some of her signature dishes.  And her instructions must have been good because the funeral potatoes, fruit salad and yams with apples turned out really good!  I think all of us had second helpings of everything... even Ryan!  

It was also an interesting holiday because for once- I wasn't excited to really talk about why we have the holiday.  I know that we celebrate it because Christ was resurrected... but I really didn't want to tell Ty the entire story.  The mother hen in me wanted to gloss over some of the more gruesome parts of the story.  But when we finally sat down to talk about it, Ty did really well and we focused on the resurrection as much as we could.  I know it sound stupid, but this part of being a parent never really crossed my mind as I sat dreaming about my baby (long before Iwas ever pregnant).  Anyway- it was a good Easter and I'm glad we had a chance to try it out on our own!

Spring Break

Spring Break was a few weeks ago and we headed down to St. George, Utah to get away from all the snow that still surrounded our house.  I was actually getting pretty close to taking a hairdryer to the snow drifts that were piled around the front yard.  Thankfully though- we got to escape to a place of swimming pools and flipflops for a few days.  We went down to Salt Lake and picked up my parents- who were good sports and agreed to go along with us.  

St. George is actually a place from my childhood.  My grandparents had a condo down there for as long as I can remember and my family would often escape down there.  Shaun isn't such a fan because of the heat- but he's pretty good to go along with things that the rest of us want to do.  

The first day we were there it was actually pretty windy so- Ty got to learn how to fly a kite out in the commons area.  I'm not sure that the kite was exactly flight-worthy because it never stayed in the air longer than a few seconds.  To be fair- it was a dinosaur.  Whatever happened to the plain old diamond shaped kites?  I remember our green one flying pretty well...  

Anyway, we hiked in Snow Canyon and swam at the pool... and had dinner at the Pizza Factory- a St. George tradition with anyone that goes down there.   We had a lot of fun and grudgingly went back to Montpelier when the week was over.  

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Small Town

Just when you think you are adjusting to small town life, you see a horse running down the middle of main street.

Pop Tarts

Would any of you in your right mind feed an eight month old a pop tart? Of course not. There are things in there that are not appropriate for a baby to eat and of course there is the added worry of choking. I would never do it. Ty, however, has no such scruples. I was getting dressed this morning and Ty came running in with a very excited look on his face.

"Mama! Guess what! Baby Ryan likes Pop Tarts too!"

I had told Ty that he needed to finish his breakfast so that we could go to the gym. Instead of finishing it himself- he decided to feed his brother instead. It's like having the dog that dad won't let us have.

I had to make it VERY clear that Ty is not supposed to help feed Ryan yet. Maybe when he gets a little older. I think it about broke his heart. Ty was so excited that he had shared something of his and that Ryan liked it.

One of those weeks

I am behind on blogging. I have never been so busy or flustered. Mostly because of my oldest. Ty is really a force to be reckoned with. It's unbelievable to me how many things a three year old can get into and how many things will leave you scratching your head. Case in point:

Last week we finally had a couple days of nice weather. It was nice and sunny- and it was about 56 degrees outside. So I took both boys outside for a little bit of sunshine and exercise. I was walking Ryan back and forth on our sidewalk and we turned to go back towards the house and I see Ty standing in the middle of the snowy lawn with his pants down to his ankles.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"
"I've never peed in the snow before mama!"

Really how do you argue with that?

And he now has a nice black eye because he wouldn't sit still and eat his dinner the other night. He was sitting on a barstool next to the table and wiggled and wiggled. I think he had been told 20 times to sit still. He didn't. And he ended up smacking his head (or his eye rather) on the edge of the table.

Sigh.

The Rope

Picture this. I am working my way through a pile of emails this evening, when Shaun and I hear a scream from the bathroom, where Ty is currently taking his evening bath. I run in there and he is standing up in the tub in a panic. He is flailing his arms and bawling.

"What's the matter kiddo?"
"I swallowed it."
"Swallowed what? Are you okay?"
"I swallowed the rope!" (as a side note here- he has a little piece of string that he has been playing with in the tub for the last couple of nights. It's about a foot long and we didn't think that it posed any kind of a problem. He ties it to his other tub-toys and pulls them through the water)
"What do you mean you swalloed the rope? You swallowed the whole thing?!"
"Nooooo. Just the end!"

The silly little kid had bit off a chunk of "rope" and swallowed it. He was in such a panic. I sat down on the toilet- while Shaun left the bathroom choking back laughter, and told Ty to settle down. He looked up at me with the most pathetic look- tears streaking down his cheeks.

"I think this is why we don't put things in our mouths that isn't food Ty."
"Yeah..."
"But I don't think you need to worry about it- you'll probably poop it out in a couple of days."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"That's good. I really didn't want the rope to stay in my tummy forever. I would get sick and have to go to the hospital."

He finally settled down and had a glass of milk after we got him out of the tub. Why is he so silly? Is this something that happens to all three year olds? Or does Ty just have a serious case of brain damage?

Wha..Wha..Why..?

I don't understand three year olds. I sometimes wonder just what in the world passes through Ty's little head at any given moment. Take for example, Sunday morning. Got up, got dressed and ready for church. We pull up to the chapel and get out of the car- Ty wasn't standing there alone for more than two seconds, when I turn my head just in time to see him jumping into a massive puddle. Nothing below his knees was dry. I just stood there in disbelief. What is wrong with three year olds?!?!

Saving the Universe one three year old at a time...

I love it when kids play well together. Ty has a friend named KC that lives on the next street over and we had him over to play today for a couple of hours. Ty and KC are more than happy to be entertained with projects that I may put in front of them, but they are just as happy when I leave them alone and to their own devices. I sat and listened to the two of them this afternoon and I was laughing so hard. Their favorite game to play is what they call "Robots." KC's favorite movie is "Ironman" and Ty's is "Starwars." So, KC pretends that he is Ironman and Ty is Darth the Vadar and everytime the two of them are together, they do thier best to eradicate alien invaders from the area. They pretend to fly, fight and they come to me constantly with their "ow-ies." This afternoon though- they got bored of pretend aliens/bad guys and decided that I would be a better target. Until I fought back and chased them back into Ty's bedroom (aka: their pirate ship- why Ironman and Darth the Vadar live on a pirate ship is beyond me) with the Dirt Devil. It was such a fun afternoon and we can't wait until KC comes back over to play!

I don't have any pictures for this post because I'm not sure if KC's mom would be overly thrilled with me posting pictures on the internet of her son.

New Pictures!

I love pictures. I love pictures of my family even more. This last week, we had new pictures taken of Ryan (his 6 month ones) and a couple of the two boys together. So freakin' cute!!! Though I am a little biased. But seriously- check these kids out! Sorry the pictures are so small.

Ty goes skiing!

I remember when we had Ty- Shaun and I talked about what the future held for the little baby that we held in our arms. While we were excited about having a baby- we were also so excited about the things that were to come. The first steps, the first day of school, the first time that we got to take him to the playground and teaching him how to ski. I can't believe that we have hit so many milestones already. And last Wednesday- Ty hit another one. He's just growing up so fast. My dad took off an afternoon while we were down in SLC and we all went up to Alta to ski on the little rope-tow (it's free). I think Ty was a little skeptical at first, but once Grandpa told him that it was fun... he was off and running. Or skiing rather. It was gorgeous weather and he did so well! The rental place was out of the "edgie-wedgies" so Ty just had to hold his ski-tips together by himself. He mostly skiied between Grandpa's legs, but after a while, he wanted to ski to me. So Grandpa and I took turns sending Ty between us. So much fun. Ty just kept saying, "One more time Grandpa. One more time." So Grandpa would take him between his legs and pull him up the rope tow one more time. Finally, the lift shut down and we had to take Ty home. As we left- he turned to us and said, "Let's come again tomorrow okay guys!"

SLC

I think that friendship is one of the most important things that we can cultivate in this life. I have been extremely blessed to have had the opportunity to make wonderful friends through the years. They have helped me through tough times and have been there for the happiest. Recently, I've been kind of going through a rough patch... It's been a little hard to adjusting to baby number two and the isolation of our little town. So this last week, Shaun sent me away to Salt Lake- which I just love him for. While in town, I was able to meet up with Rach, J. and K. (J and K prefer to not be mentioned by name on the Internet). And I know it sounds corny- but it was such a balm for the soul. I went to dinner with J and K, where we had a chance to catch up and gossip about some of our other friends and reminisced about some funny times we had in the past. I went away feeling so uplifted. Rach came over to my mom's house on Thursday morning- and it was the same thing. It's just so nice to catch up. It's not that I don't have friends here in town, but there is just something about an old friend that is so comforting. Thanks girls. I owe you one!


I know that this picture has neither K or Rachel in it... but it was the only one that I have on my computer. I'm working on scanning in all of my old pictures- but it's a huge project.