Trip to Idaho

This past weekend we took a much needed long weekend break in Idaho.  We kicked off the weekend with a "Cousin Work Party" at my brother's house.  Check it out here.  Then we headed to my parent's home and enjoyed watching General Conference.  Eric was especially excited about eating apples.

On Monday we went to my parent's cabin.  It was so beautiful there...yellow and orange Aspens, quiet cabin, and rippling lake.  So beautiful and peaceful.  Andrew was so excited to be there he talked a mile a minute for the first 20 minutes while we were there.  4-wheeling was a highlight for both of the boys.  

My dad stayed up at the cabin to work on a retaining wall while we headed back to my parent's house with my mom.  Andrew seemed very concerned that Grandpa was still at the cabin -- he kept saying "Grandpa's at the cabin for a long, long, long time.  I bet he's really, really tired."  He must have pictured him building that wall all night long.  Finally Grandma reassured him by telling him that there is a bed there too, so he could rest.  

Our last day we spent with my sister and her kids.  Andrew and Eric had a great time with Jacob.  And we of course went to Taco Time for lunch.  Then we went and checked out my newly wed niece's apartment.  It's already cuter than our house and we've been married for 5 years.  Some people just have great taste, I guess.  Anyway, it was a fun filled weekend.  

 

Brian's Birthday

Last week we celebrated Brian's birthday. In a desparate attempt to come up with a gift, I made a candy bar poster for him. I thought it would be fun to make with the kids but Andrew was too distracted because his friend Elizabeth was going to come over to play. And Eric clearly wanted one thing from that poster....candy. Still, it was fun to make and surprise Brian with it.
And just in case you're concerned that Brian's attempting a little fro hairdo, just know he got to the barber shortly after this picture was taken. (:

The Morning Routine

We try and go walking each morning...last week it was actually cool enough that the kids needed jackets. Yeah for Fall! I thought they looked cute bundled up so I took a picture. Andrew didn't want to smile, instead he wanted to do a "mean face." Ends up he's still smiling.

The Doctor is In

The other night Andrew was giving me a check-up -- Armed with a shot, he'd say "Okay, where do you hurt?" Pointing to my arm, I reply, "Right here." Then, stabbing me in the stomach he'd say, "No. I think you hurt right here." He also bandaged my arm with putty and a smiley sticker. I'm sure he's a very competent doctor, but there was one problem...he wasn't wearing any pants!

First Day of School

Andrew started Joy School last week. He was very excited. I was concerned that he thought it would be like Elementary School -- we live next door to the school and so he sees all the kids, the buses, the big building, playground, etc. Sure enough, as we walked up to the house that first day he said "But this isn't school!" Here is a picture of him on the first day -- he's holding a truck that he chose to take to "Share and Tell."
So each morning he tells me he doesn't want to go, but once he gets there he has fun. And I think it'll get better as he gets to know the other kids. It is clear that his favorite part of school is "free play." He's been playing pirates during that time -- there are only girls in his class, but I guess he convinced them to march around with swords too. Ahhhrrrg!

His usual response to "How was school?" is "I'm too tired to talk about that." So today I waited a few hours and asked again...he responded in an exasperated tone "Why do you keep talking to me about Joy School?" Ha. What a boy.

It was also our Anniversary last week. 5 years! Brian sent me this beautiful bouquet of flowers. Nice. Then Dave and Allyson watched the kids so we could go to dinner. We went to the Snake Creek Grill in Heber City. The food was delicious....it's been a long time since I went to a restaurant that good. Yum. And it was nice to go on a long drive without the kids. The evening was almost perfect-- the only drawback was the seating in the restaurant. I could hardly carry on a conversation during the first part of dinner because seating was so tight that I felt like we were practically sharing the table with the people next to us. But once the loud lady next to me left, I wasn't so distracted. Anyway, it was a great night with my great husband.

Farewell to our trees

Yesterday we had two of our trees cut down -- one was lifting the sidewalk, the other was an Aspen that was sprouting new trees all over our lawn. We have debating this for a while because we knew we'd lose a lot of shade. And sure enough, our house and yard look so bare! I'm kind of sad. I hope our already struggling lawn doesn't die completely. ): On a more positive note, the kids were very entertained watching the men with chainsaws, the truck chopping the trees up, and a stump grinder. They sat on the piano and watched out the window.

Our lawn also struggles in the backyard -- large yellow patches everywhere. So we've been trying to bring it back to life by turning on the sprinkler in the evening. Andrew went out and played in it last night -- of course he was already wearing his rain boots that he wears almost every day. Then he asked for an umbrella. A good pictures moment!

Dress-up

Andrew just loves playing with his best friend -- she is a girl and he really has a great time in her dress up clothes. If he ever becomes famous, this may be the picture that is shown on some talk show to embarrass the future macho man I'm sure he will be. Just look at that smile he has on his face -- such joy!

Candy and a Popsicle

I may have mentioned before that getting Andrew to eat is a daily battle. Dinner is particularly challenging. His usual excuse is "I already ate lunch today."

So today when he announced that he was finished with his dinner (after one bite,) I told him "Okay. But tonight you can't have anything to eat until you eat your dinner. I'll save your plate."

An hour later Andrew announced that he needed a popsicle. "Not until you eat your dinner." After more whining and begging, he changed his request to candy. Again, more whining and begging. I continued my mantra, "Not until you eat your dinner."

Then began the negotiation:

Andrew says, "I know, Mom -- howbout I be really nice and you give me candy and a poxicle."
"Andrew," I say, "This isn't about being nice. This is about eating healthy."
Andrew replies, "No Mom. This is about candy and a poxicle."

I just thought that was so funny. The good news is that he finally gave in and ate some dinner. Then he ate a candy and a "poxicle."

Dum-dum-da-dum

Last week we went to Idaho for my nieces wedding. The ceremony was very nice and the reception was fun. I can't believe I'm old enough to have a nice getting married! And I can't believe my sister is old enough to be a Mother-in-Law! She doesn't look it.
I took this picture of my sister, her husband, and my niece and new husband. I love how my niece is totally laughing about her dad kissing her mom....right there in public!

The reception was in my sister's backyard. The food was delicious and the decor was classy. I was glad it was at the house because Andrew and Eric were completely entertained playing in the sandbox and with his cousin's toys. There was also a group of kids who escaped to the basement (the bride and groom's brothers) to play some Wii Game -- rock star or something like that. And knowing Brian played the drums, they came and got him to do the drum part. He was happy to help out. Also below are pictures of Andrew being a pirate -- Arrrr. And a picture of Eric carrying around a cheese stick in his mouth.

Handsome Boys

Here are my boys on Father's Day -- they even happen to be color coordinated! Brian has a lot of great qualities, but the one that remains most impressive to me is his patience -- something I've been lacking greatly this past year. It's such an important quality to have when raising kids. So thanks for keeping cool, Brian. The boys are so lucky!