Carving Pumpkins

I have always hated carving pumpkins. I don't know if I am allergic to the pumpkin or if this is something that plauges everyone- but when I get the pumpkin guts on my arm- it itches me to the point of distraction. I hate it. But I also think that early childhood memories and impressions are very important- and I want Ty and Ryans to be ones that make them happy. I read once in an Ensign article that we (as parents) aren't just rearing children. We are preparing a future generation of parents-- a generation that will need all the positive experiences we can give them to cope with an increasingly challenging world. The article posed the question, is it possible that children who have a happy childhood make better parents? I don't know about the rest of you, but while I can't live Ryan and Tyler's lives for them- I CAN give them a well of joyful memories from which they can draw throughout their lives. So- we no longer make messes (okay- really when you live with a three year old- you DO make messes- but go with me on this for a second) we make memories. So, while I don't care for pumpkin carving- the memory of us together as a family doing this is something that Ty can carry with him.

I don't know that this "light-bulb" moment really helped me out a whole lot. It seems to have put even more pressure on me as a parent. But maybe it also increases the blessings that we receive from parenthood as well. And hopefully I can pass on this idea and these insights to my kids through memory after memory. Perhaps each memory that I give to my children will become another link in a chain of righteous parenthood as they help their own children make joyful memories. Eternal bonds. Eternal memories.

And what about pumpkin carving? It has to be worth the time and the effort for the memory that we make. I love this last picture. Ty was insistant that this pumpkin only have one tooth- so he cut and pulled at the bottom one until it finally came out.

The Great Pumpkin

Our pumpkins did not make it this year- mostly because it snowed in June and then again in September... it makes for a short growning season I guess. So- since we had no pumpkins, we went down to my parents house to get our Halloween pumpkins. I wish that Montpelier had a pumpkin patch or something like that so that we could have stayed close to home- but it was also nice to go and see grandma and grandpa. Ty loved helping Grandpa JB cut the stems and carry them over to the grass. Though I'm not sure how much of a help he actually was- since all he could carry was the tiniest of the tiny. Of course he is only three.

We also got a chance to take a few pictures of us while we were down there. I think that's one of the hardest things- how do you get pictures of everybody when you need everybody in the picture. I know that's why they invented the self timers on cameras- but we can never get in the picture in time and have all of us looking where we need to. It confuses Ty and I've never been one to set any land speed records- so the pictures end up looking silly. My dad also got some pictures of Ryan and I together, which was kind of fun. Since I am the one usually holding the camera- I'm not in a lot of pictures with my boys. I never thought it was too big of a deal until I started putting pictures together in books... And now it irritates me.

I guess some of us like the snow...

Ty had such a kick with the snowstorm that came through here a few weeks ago. Which means that at least one of us will be having a good time this winter. Okay. The reality is- I need to have an attitude adjustment when it comes to winter. I really hate it- but since I can't get Shaun to commit to moving to Mexico... I may have to settle for thinking on the bright side of things (novel concept isn't it?). So I came up with a list of reasons why winter isn't going to be so bad this year.

1. My holiday cards will be better looking than my friends that live in Texas and Southern California.

And I'm out. I'll just have to keep working on this I guess.

Oh hell.

9:30 PM Saturday night. The gray thing in the *gag* snow *hurl* is Ty's lawnmower.

A Tuesday...

I haven't posted in a while- so I'm getting my fill tonight. This week was kind of a quiet week- it has started to get cold and we have had to find a few activities to do inside rather than run around and play outside. If any of you have some fun ideas for inside... let me know!

Let's see... Ty was bored one day after his nap (that's why he is not pictured with pants in this picture), so we made a Halloween gingerbread house. I think Ty ate more candy and frosting than actually went on the house... but it kept him occupied almost until dad got home- so I'll take it!

My degree came in the mail on Wednesday... I had to refrain from throwing my arms around our mailman- but I was just so excited! Ty made me a cake for dessert in celebration all by himself. Though he realized after he had made the cake that he calls me "Mama" and not "Jess" so the name on the cake was wrong. I forgive him.

Ryan, as ever, was in good spirits the other day so I snapped a picture of his cute smile. I remember Ty being a happy baby too and very content- but Ryan is almost always smiling. It's my favorite! The smile almost makes 3AM feedings seem worth it.

I also finally got a picture of Ty doing "Turbo Jam" the other morning. It's gotten to the point that if I don't pull out a video in the morning- he's pulling on my shirt saying "Mama- we didn't exercise this morning- let's go do it now." I never knew that my personal trainer was going to be the kid in the next room! Good thing all he charges me is a glass of chocolate milk!

There was one in the tub

I love tub time. It's probably my favorite time of night because it means that the day is finally winding down and my bed is starting to softly call my name. Ryan loves his tubs (can you call it a tub if he's still bathing in the sink?). He gets the most contented look on his face when he's floating along in the soapy water- I almost don't want to take him out. But then my bed calls again and I quickly towel him off. I didn't get any pictures of Ty in the tub tonight because he was kind of being a grump and yelled when I came in with the camera. Of course I can see his point- I wouldn't really want pictures of me in the tub circulated on the internet either. Ryan is young enough that he has no choice.

Ahhh. The beauty of a handy husband...

I grew up in a household whose inhabitants do their best to be "do it yourselfers" but often times have found that it is just as easy to pay somebody to do certain things. For example... my dad never touches anything electrical if he can help it. My mother has "Stanley Steemer" on speed dial, my brother automatically reaches for the phone if he hits on a homework question that involves more than three words, my sister freaks out when you mention anything to do with beauty product and I cry when I see installation instructions for shelves and furniture. I did my best to marry out of this habit and Shaun seems to have hit the nail on the head (if you'll pardon the pun). We bought an older home (it's about fifty years old) and it has a few "quirks" here and there. One of them being that there is no overhead light in the living room. It's been more than a little bit annoying to fumble around in the dark for a lamp switch on the other side of the room for the past year. But last weekend we decided to fix it. Or rather, Shaun decided to fix it. With the help of his cute family- he ran wire, installed a light switch and hung a celing light/fan... and the best part is... when he turned it on... it actually came on! (Not that I doubted him)

PS- sorry about this last picture- I don't know how to flip it nor do i care how to flip it. You get the general idea.

Darth the Vadar

Ty's latest obsession is with the old Star Wars movies. He loves the starships and thinks that Yoda is funny. And oddly enough, he has developed a strong affinity for Darth Vadar- who I remember when I was little- scared the crap out of me. But scary or no- Ty just loves him- though he calls him Darth the Vadar and will quickly correct you if you leave out "the." Anyway- we were saying our prayers last night, and I was helping him remember what to say when all of a sudden he interrupts me and says, "Thank-you Heavenly Father for Darth the Vadar." Okay people- try to keep a straight face when your three year old all of a sudden decides that he is so thankful for this big scary man and goes so far as to include him in his prayers. I tried not to laugh. I tried not to giggle- but needless to say- a little snort snuck out. Ty whipped his head around and told me "Mama- stop laughing during the prayer. You are NOT being reverent." Okay. I was dying. After the prayer I had to apologize to Ty for laughing. I'm still not sure that he has entirely forgiven me.

Elbows Higher Mama!

This was the resounding war cry at my house this morning. Instead of waiting for Ty to take a nap before I pulled out my exercise video- I decided that Ty could use some activity too (he's driving me nuts- I cannot figure out where all of his energy reserves come from- so in an effort to help make the rest of the day a little easier, I've been trying to wear him out in the mornings). So I plugged in "Turbo Jam" and told him to come and play with me. He totally got into it- it was so funny watching him try to follow what the video was doing. Halfway through though, he turns and starts watching me. He studied my movements for a few minutes and then told me that my elbows weren't high enough. He then stopped me, stood in front of me and said "Like this mama- let me show you." I guess if you tell the kid something often enough- eventually you ARE going to get it back. I wish I had taken a picture of him moving and grooving- but I was having too much fun doing it with him. Though I could have done without the additional instruction. Also- this picture has nothing to do with anything, but I hate posts without pictures.

Go Utes!

Much to my disappointment, summer has said its good-byes and fall has ushered itself in. And as such, football has started again. I don't mind a game here and there, so when my dad called and said that he wanted to go to the Utah/Utah State game in Logan last weekend- we all jumped at the chance. My mom hates football so she opted to stay at the cabin with Ryan while the rest of us went to watch the game. We had pretty decent seats- though there really wasn't a whole lot to watch. Utah State is terrible this year (and the year before that and the year before that...) so it was supposed to be a blowout. It was still fun (Utah won) and we enjoyed the chance to get out with just Ty for a few hours- I sometimes think that so much revolves around the baby now that Ty sometimes gets left out. So it was good. And he loves the Utes so it was fun to see him jump up and down to the fight song and try and sing along. Grandpa and dad tried to point out the finer points of the game to Ty, but for the most part he just yelled "Get him! Get him! Get him!" Not ever really understanding who had the ball or what they were doing.

My sister, Melissa and her husband Mark came up for the game too- it was fun to see them. Melissa likes football just about as much as my mom does, so she was really good to make sure that Ty had food and drink (I think that was more about having an excuse to get up and walk around than anything else- but it was nice to have someone so concerned about my three year old).

The Days Are Just Packed

You know those days where nothing goes right and you feel like you have too many hands and too many feet? Ty is having one of those days. It's like the neurons in the brain just aren't firing right or something. Ty has a hard time anyway- he's kind of stumbly to begin with. But today- is something else. We have hardwood floors throughout the entire house- which can make for a slippin-slide effect when you are wearing nothing but socks on your feet. That's what happened this morning. I was trying to get Ty dressed and we had made it as far as a t-shirt and socks, but as I was trying to coerce him into wearing underwear he took off running. He promptly slipped and fell. He almost caught his balance, but because of the sock thing- he ended up slipping again and then tripping over a chair in his room. He went down in a blaze of glory and ended up smacking his head on the door and his mouth on the floor. I couldn't believe that he didn't knock his tooth out, and I really couldn't believe how quickly his lip swelled to roughly the size of a baseball. It was a rough morning, so I let him snuggle up on the couch with a blanket, a cup of juice and a movie.

Ryan had a better day. He just layed around and pooped most of the day. He's gotten to the point that he recognizes our voices and will break out into the biggest grin everytime we come near him. I LOVE it! He is such a happy baby, who hardly ever cries (unless you are either trying to get him dressed or are too slow with the food). I am amazed at how blessed we have been to get two incredibly good babies. Ty continues to maul Ryan, but I think it's a comfort to both of them- Ryan never gets upset when Ty starts playing with his cheeks or when he gets big wet kisses. And Ty is so stoked everytime Ryan "kisses" him. They are such cute little boys and I know there will come a time when they will start throwing hard things like rocks at each other rather than kisses- but for now- I'm just trying to soak up the moment.

Spring Canyon

This last weekend we had a family reunion of sorts down in Eastern Utah, in a place called Spring Canyon (near Price) which is where my grandpa grew up. It was established as a mining town and spent many years as a thriving little community before the leases on the land were up and the mines closed down. What's interesting is that the government has decided to let the wilderness take back what once belonged to them and all of the houses and buildings have been bulldozed- leaving nothing but the foundations and a few walls. Notwithstanding the lack of evidence in Spring Canyon, my grandpa does not want his legacy to leave this world when he does- so in an effort to preserve some memories, he showed us around both Spring Canyon and Standardville. It was so unreal to see the rocks that marked what once stood as homes to so many families and to see the entrances to the mines completely caved in. My cousin Nicole and I took turns videoing grandpa telling stories and we took a few pictures. Our hope is to somehow document all of this for the entire family so that everyone has a piece of grandpa's history. We would also like to be able to do the same thing down in Mona with grandma in the spring.

A Tag

Okay... so I usually don't really do tags because I rarely have time enough to sit down and show off pictures of my kids let alone sit and tell you all about myself... but I think this one is exceptionally cute and I still get to show off my kids- so thanks Steph! So anyway- you are supposed to take pictures of the different things listed and you have to do it right away. There is no cheating allowed- which means you can't clean up or re-arrange things to make it look better or the way that it is supposed to be. So... let me introduce you to my messy and chaotic house!

1. Refrigerator: And I want to add here that we are leaving town this evening- so there is literally no food in our fridge because I didn't want it to go bad. I also want to add to anyone out there thinking of buying a fridge... stay away from the stupid KitchenAids!! They are stupid and they don't work.

2. Laundry Room: This is down in our basement and is obviously unfinished- but it's huge and I love it!

3. Bathroom: We only have the one bathroom on the main floor and it is one of the cleaner rooms of the house. Just because Ty has figured out that he can pee in the toilet does not mean that he has figured out that it is just as gross to play in the toilet. So I figure if I can keep it clean at all times- the possibility of him getting something really gross on his hands or something is pretty minimal. Right?! Also- it's dark in there so sorry if the picture didn't come out really well.

4. Closet: Shaun and I do not share closets. We both have too many clothes and there is just no way to have them fit nicely into one closet. So Shaun took over the closet that was in the extra bedroom upstairs when we moved into the house. Now the room is technically Ryan's- but Shaun still uses the closet. My closet is the one with the blue walls and Shaun's is green.

5. Kitchen Sink: To be fair- when I checked the blogs- I had just finished washing bottles- so they are off to the side drying.

6. Favorite Room in the House: My favorite room is the kitchen/dining room. It really and truly is the place that we can all get together and yet sometimes- I can still have some alone time when I'm making dinner. I always freak out because it's messy, but Shaun continually stands by the fact that it is "lived in."

7. What are your kids doing right now? Very silly things really. Ryan has found his voice... and is actually a little suprised by it everytime he "talks" so he'll coo and then get this really shocked look on his face. Kind of funny. And Ty is outside playing in a box. In fact he's having a snack in his box.

8. Self Portait: I'm not impressed by this particular one- but I'm playing along with the game.

9. Favorite pair of shoes:

10. Dream Vacation: I dont' know. I'd like to be able to take Ty to Disneyland because I think he'd just eat it up!

Hmmm... I tag Erica, Jeni, Mary, Nat and Jen

TLC

I have a new definition for TLC- no longer does it stand for Tender Loving Care... In my home it stands for Toddler Loving Care which, while cute, is something you almost have to watch for constantly. Ty loves his little brother and is always looking for ways to "help." He wants to feed Ryan, he wants to burp him and he is the first one to reach for Ryan's hand whenever he can. I caught Ty in Ryan's room the other morning. I had set Ryan in his Boppy in his crib so that I could dry my hair and when I came back into his room- Ty had found him and was reaching for his hand (I know it's not a very good picture because of the window behind them- the sun was still on its way up so it was really shining brightly through the window). I am so grateful that Ty loves his little brother the way that he does. I hope that as they get older they continue to be good friends. Being one of three kids in my family- I know that siblings can totally drive you nuts (both when you're growing up and now), but I also know that you can be such great friends as well.

T- Minus How Many Days...? And Counting...

Did you know that I have two very good little boys. Granted I will not state this every moment of every day because heaven knows there are times that I would sell one or both of them for a few minutes of peace. But today... I have two very good little boys. Ryan is doing really well here at home- in fact he is even sleeping through the night pretty consistantly. We put him to bed around 10:30 or 11 and he sleeps until 6 or 7. Yay! I function and am a much happier person when I get a few consecutive hours of sleep. I remember when Ty was a baby- I was talking to my mom who had been doing foster care for infants the past several years and we decided that if you can somehow figure out how to get five hours of consecutive sleep- that you can function so much better the next day. And luckily- Ryan gives me so much more than that.

And Ty is also on a roll... We haven't had a potty accident for three days. I hope I didn't just jinx him. I'm not really sure what has triggered it, but I'm thankful nonetheless. Keep your fingers crossed that things continue to go well.

Hmmm... What other updates do I have for you. Things around here have really been pretty quiet. It is definately turning to fall. The weather has turned and the air usually has a pretty good nip to it. In fact- it snowed on Monday morning. We took a video of it because it was so unreal. Shaun's back in school and seems to be enjoying it- though since football season has started it's hard to pull him away from the TV long enough to find out how his day went. I think that once there starts to be a permanent butt-print in the lazy-boy you should be declared legally dead and your estate probate. I'm well on my way to my inheritance if that's the case.

Hold on a second... What's that sound?

Oh yeah! It's the sound of silence! Quiet! Nothing! Which means that I get to update for a few minutes! I will NOT apologize for the length- we've had a lot going on. This has been the craziest summer I think that I have ever had. And this last month has been no different. We have been trying to settle into a routine that works for everyone- but I can't believe how different it is when you have two little ones verses just one. I feel very lucky though- Ty loves his little brother and is always willing to help me out when I need it. He is the first one to run and grab a diaper or to go put a dirty blanket in the laundry basket for me.

I really have to keep my eye on Ty though- for all his help- he is constantly trying to hold Ryan or give him a binky or make sure that the blanket is wrapped around him just right. While very sweet- Ty is as gentle as you could expect any three year old to be. We have to keep reminding him that Ryan isn't as tough as Ty- so he needs to be careful. Still though- it's cute to watch. I'm so grateful that Ty isn't resentful of Ryan's presence in our home. If anyone asks about the baby, Ty will actually stop the conversation and let the other person know that it is "his" baby Ryan. In fact- as far as older siblings go- he's pretty protective. To give you another idea about how far this devotion goes- take last night for an example. Any of you that know Ty, knows that he has a little silky blanket that he calls his "Baby HooHoo" (we're not really sure where the term "hoohoo" came from- but that's what he has called the silly little thing from day one). The baby hoohoo goes with us everywhere and heaven forbid that you should wash the thing. Ty totally flips out when it's time to do laundry. He sits and waits for it to come out of the dryer- I call it the "Linus Sydrome"- but whatever. If it makes him happy then fine. However- last night, Shaun and I came into the living room (where we have the portable crib set up for Ryan) and found Ty hanging over the edge tucking his baby hoohoo around Ryan and saying "Don't cry baby Ryan- it's okay." I was so touched. I stubbed my toe the other day and I didn't get the hoohoo. All Ty did was jump up and down with me and then he laughed. Little fart.

Anyway- on with the update... I know that we spent a month away from home but apparently we're gluttons for punishment because not too long after we came home, we left for Declo to visit Shaun's parents. And let me tell you- packing for two kids is a royal pain in the butt. If I didn't like our extended family so much I'd tell them all to stuff it because I am staying home. However- I happen to love both my family and my in-laws so no such luck there. Anyway- it was the Cassia County Fair the week that we went (Shaun was stoked because he got to eat his weight in Maple Bars). Probably the most fun part of the fair is the rodeo on Saturday night. It's a small town rodeo- but I think it's so much fun to go to. Every year we go and we sit with Shaun's aunt and uncle's family (and a special thanks to Kent and Kim for saving us a seat twice). We were even able to talk Papa Orllo into going- I don't think I've ever seen him at the rodeo- but I sure appreciated the extra pair of eyes and hands. Wherever Papa went- Ty was quick to follow. Thanks Papa. I don't know if Ryan enjoyed the rodeo all that much, but he was really good. He had a bottle (no I did NOT nurse at the rodeo- I'm no where near talented enough for that) and a nap, but other than that he sat in his car seat and stared of into space. We'll have to introduce him to the finer arts of the rodeo a few years from now I guess. It was a lot of fun though and even though I'll have to pack for two kids again- we'll be excited to go again next year.

Hmmmm... Let's see- the next blog-worthy moment was probably last weekend when my parents came up to visit us (which they are doing again this weekend- I'm glad that they don't get sick of us because it sure is nice to have company). We took advantage of a rare quiet moment on the lake to go for a quick ride. Ty takes any opportunity available to push Grandpa into the water. He just thinks it is so funny. However- Grandpa got his revenge when Ty pushed him in- Grandpa grabbed onto Ty's life jacket... and bombs away! They both ended up in the water. Ty was so suprised that he wasn't sure if he wanted to laugh or to cry. Luckily the humor won out and he came out of the water just giggling. I think that Ryan must have questioned our sanity when he felt the rocking of the boat under him- but I think he forgave us the second that it put him to sleep. It was a fun weekend- my mom and dad watched the boys for us for a couple of hours so that we could go over to Logan and run a few errands.

And a fun little note about me (which I don't think that I post about very often since I'm not very exciting- however, you will have to indulge me today since I'm pretty excited). During all this mess of being pregnant and having a baby and then the mess after Ryan was born... I forgot to tell you all that I finally graduated from college! Yay! I got an email several months ago that they were conferring my degree and sending it to my house. That's right people. I am officially a graduate (granted it took a while- but whatever- I finished and that's all that counts) in English with an emphasis on Technical Writing. Pooh on all the nay-sayers out there that didn't think I would finish.


Anyway- I think you're all up to date now. I just can't help but think how lucky we are to have such a wonderful family. I couldn't ask for a better husband, toddler or baby. They each represent such a special place in our home that I can't imagine it without them. Yes Shaun- I'm going there (Shaun hates syrupy posts and has asked me never to do one- however- I've never listened to him before so why start now?). We blessed Ryan a few weeks ago and I was too much of a chicken to get up and say anything in church- and not that this is really all that different- but I feel like I would be remiss if I didn't thank all of you for your support and love through these few weeks. I remember lessons from primary and from young women's about how Heavenly Father "allows" you to have trials in order to make you stronger. I have never liked this side of my father in Heaven. I wish that He would just trust me and leave it at that. However, this is apparently NOT how things work. I am grateful now that everything is said and done for the testimony that it gave me of the power of prayer and the power of the comforter in my life. I can remember very clearly the night that the pediatrician from the NICU came up to my room and told me how serious the situation was (at 3:30 in the morning)- I prayed for several hours that my baby boy would be alright. And I can remember very clearly a voice telling me to have faith and to have hope. I can't imagine my life without the influence of the spirit and I am so grateful for it.

Anyway- love you all and hopefully it won't be so long again between posts.