Thursday, January 24, 2013

The Kids

The boys seem the same to me all the time and then all the sudden I will think about it or notice them do something and I think "Woah, they are growing up fast!"  So here is some of the basic info about these kids as of late:
 
Joshua:  He is at a precious age.  Difficult, but precious.  He is really emotional, I'm sure girls are worse, but I just don't know what to do with the roller coaster of emotions he excudes daily.  One minute he will be happy and helpful and the next second he will be bawling and hiding in a corner or yelling and slamming doors.  I just sit there, wide eyed, wondering what on earth to do or trying to calm my temper.  Two emotional people in a house together is really not a pretty thing.  :)  He is learning really fast and LOVING to read and still asks a million and a half questions every day.  "Do reindeer sink in the water?"  "Do they get cold?"  "How does snow melt?" "Why do we excercise?" "What are toys made out of?"  He is reading little stories like "The Little Cat on the Farm went singing to the man."  Words like that.  He is much better than he thinks.  He gets a little dramatic about how he can't do ANYTHING!  And then as soon as he reads it he has the proudest little face and tells me "I knew I could do that, it was pretty easy."  And I just sit there taking deep breaths, trying not to think about how 6 sentences just took 30 minutes of encouraging and using every ounce of patience I own.  I think I learn more than he does every lesson.  :)  He also tells me he is sad to grow up because he doesn't want to leave me.  See what I mean?  Precious.

Making their own instruments.  I will spare you the lovely noise they created.
 I have included preschool pictures throughout.  Josh's preschool has been without heat, so we have been having it at our house.  It has been working out really nice and I love getting to know the kids better. They are hilarious!  I should have made a quote book because talk about kids saying the darndest things.  It is a fact.

A note Josh made at church.  Don't know about why there is the "Jesus made cows" but it is true and funny, so I had to share.

 
Caleb:  This kid is a riot.  He is all about being independent now.  "I can do it myself Mama."  He is totally potty trained and gets mad if I try to help him wash his hands or anything.  He has been so happy and funny.  He loves to pretend he is a superhero or a rhino or "nah-sir-ous."  It is a really good imitation and kind of frightening.  He does charge and head butt you.  :)  His favorite food is tacos right now.  He will eat three or four at dinner and still be hungry.  He still loves cereal and have included yet another photo of him eating it.  It is just so funny to me I guess.  He loves art and coloring and is really good with his fine motor skills.  He can create some really beautiful pictures already.  He loves to stay up late and come out a million times to ask for just one more thing.  Yup, that phase.  "Can I have a drink of water?" "I need to go to the bathroom" "I'm scared of wolves jumping through my window" "Can you read me a book?"  You know, those things.  Drives me crazy, but at the same time I can't help but love him.  He and Josh switched bunks since Caleb kept rolling out of the bottom bunk, so it is cute to see him climb the ladder into bed every night.  He is my snuggle bug.
 
 
 
 




 

Matthew:  Talk about personality, this kid is insane.  He has to do everything his way and fast.  He wants to go outside all the time, shoes or no shoes, freezing or not.  He wants to play with just what his big brothers are.  He has to eat where they are eating and what they are eating.  He never ate baby food, walked at 9 months old, hates napping or going to bed early because his brothers aren't in there with him.  He even tries to sleep in their beds, he doesn't like being contained in his crib.  The other day we heard some dishes clicking and found Matthew sitting at the table (he figured out how to climb up in the chairs and from there the table).  I have found him up there with scissors three times, eating any leftover food on like a million occasions.  He is even there right now, eating Caleb's leftover pumpkin pie.  I just don't care to go make him get down.  He is totally giving me a run for my money and exhausting me in no way I have been before.  He already pretends too.  His favorite is to be a puppy.  He will crawl up to me panting and wants me to rub his head.  It is adorable.  He is always full of smiles and little charms to get himself out of trouble.  Most of the time I can't even remember what he did that was wrong in the first place.  Yup, I totally have to be careful with this kid.  And he does it on purpose.  He knows how to give kisses, but won't, just because he thinks it is funny to make people kiss him instead.  Oh and when he is tired he will go get his blanket and pacifier and lay on the floor.  It is hilarious.  We all adore the little guy.  Joshua especially takes extra good care of him.  It is really cute.

 
 
Blueberry:  We are anxious to find out more about this little creature.  "She" as Tyson will only call her or him, is growing great and due sometime around August 5.  So I am just getting throught the first trimester.  It has been a sick few months, lots of laying on the couch and not wanting to go anywhere, but we are really excited to have another one.  We are so lucky and blessed to have so many great kids and even if I am prematurely gray and lost several years off my life due to stress and exhaustion and the house is always a mess, I know I am one lucky woman.  Not to mention these little guys have the best Daddy in the whole world.  He plays with them and is their hero, and he sure makes me happy.  So life is crazy great!

Christmas Time!

I can't believe it has been more than a month since I last wrote!  Woah, I am far behind on telling of our world.  So here are pictures of Christmas time. 
The boys helped Tyson put up the lights outside,
 

we had our annual sugar cookie making with the Davis's (which was hilarious. The boys have great decorating skills, Jack lovingly covered every cookie in heavy blue frosting, it was awesome).
 





 And then there are pictures of Christmas morning. Carmel stayed the night on Christmas Eve and made a tent for the boys to sleep in (which they LOVED) and then they proceeded to wake her up at 4:30 in the morning to open presents. She kept them contained for 1/2 an hour so Tys and I could sleep a little longer, but they were up for good. So we gave up and let the unwrapping begin. It was a great Christmas. It was very tech-y. We got a Fire Kindle from Uncle Zach (SO awesome), Josh got a laptop from Santa and so did I! I have officially wasted much of every day playing computer games now. :)

 Caleb asked Santa for a basketball and a snake, so that is what he got.  :)


 And Uncle KJ and Aunt Courtney sent us an awesome gingerbread house kit, complete with candy!  It tasted SO good and was really fun to make.  Right after I took the pictures with the boys and the house, I turned around and Josh took a knife and his toy Batman to it and it was smooshed.  Sad, but glad I got a shot of it first.  :)  Such is the life with little boys!



Tuesday, December 11, 2012

What you all have been waiting for, I know :)

I found this on my bed.  Josh had written his name, cut it out and put it like a note for me.  Hilarious and adorable.
 Logan, Matthew and Joshua. (I love Josh's alfalfa spike in his hair.  The poor kid, his hair is permanently like that.)
 Blondie and Brownie.
 Love Matthew in the mornings.  So cute.
 The next two pictures explain why Caleb reminds me so much of my brother KJ.  Anyone who knows KJ, will understand.

 Thanksgiving turkey oreos with Cassie and Dallin!


 I have no words.

 Thanksgiving outfits from preschool.

 What Josh is thankful for: Jesus, Friends, My Mommy and Daddy, My Brothers, and Teeth.  :)
 Rowing.  Of course, in the dining room.

 Josh's second birthday celebration.  He had SO much fun all those days.  Cupcakes with Oma at her office, a small cake to celebrate his real day of birth, and his rocket cake with his friend party.
Cute chubby Matthew in the sunlight.
 Josh, Logan and Caleb watching Kipper.  I LOVE their faces.
 Rocket cake.  Josh doesn't think it looks like one, but it does, right?
 And my crazies.  I think we are all a little crazy from spending so much time together, but who better to spend time with?  Just some more time with Tyson and my life would be perfect.  :)

More Like Him

 
I think we have already decided I don't write enough.  I am finally writing pretty consistently in my journal after 6 1/2 years of marriage, so that is good.  :)

I was just on Facebook and reading so many posts about the kindness of others.  How awesome people are.  I click on Internet Explorer nigh unto everyday and am bombarded with stories like "man identified from shooting," "man murders wife," and "beware hurricane is coming right at you," headlines.  It is just really depressing, even if it is just a glance at them.  It kind of makes me start to think that the world is a horrible place full of murders, adulterers, liars, cheats, theifs, basically horrible people.  Then I got on Facebook real quick and read things like "Thank you for the bag of presents someone left for us, what a kind surprise," and "this kind nurse sang a song to my little baby in the hospital."  Stuff like that.

So people really are good.  There is kindness and love all around us.  I just want to hug all the people that are being so nice.  It makes me so happy.

I think I am okay nice person, but being generous doesn't come naturally to me.  Ask my sisters.  If Kenni ever even thought about borrowing my clothes, I would scream at her and punch her when we were kids.  I didn't like sharing.  I hated people eating my food or wanting to spend time with me unless it was the people I wanted to share it with.  Tyson is much better at wanting to be nice to people.  He comes up with ideas of how to give to people all the time, especially at this time of year.  I am just lucky and get to help and usually end up with the credit of everything even though I do only a little. 

In the class I teach at church, the 14-15 year old girls, we have been learning about the Savior.  It seems like I am always just beginning to see how incredible His sacrifice was and is.  I can't fathom how hard it must have been for Heavenly Father and Mother to send their Son to Earth and then to see so many be cruel to Him and then to hurt Him and then kill Him.  How much they must love us to let us treat Him so poorly.  And They did it all so we had hope of returning to Them.  That is like talking about eternity with me, I just can't wrap my brain around it.  I just know it is incredible.

So thank you everyone that is following our Savior's example and helping others.  I hope I can be more like you in the coming weeks and years.

Monday, November 12, 2012

Gotta Love This Age

So I posted some pictures of Caleb's preschool kiddos, but none of Josh's.  Caleb's preschool meets at the mom's houses, every few weeks we switch off.  It works really great for that age.  But Josh is a lot older (2 years makes a big difference right now).  So thankfully several other moms and I got together and we found a guy that lets us use part of his building for us to have preschool in.  The kids love it, having a "school" to go to and these kids are a riot.  Last year, Josh was the youngest in his class, this year he is the oldest.  And I'm pretty sure he is thriving.  He loves the girls especially.  Like father like son I guess.  :)  These pictures are priceless.  I love these kids.

I mean, the age is just so awesome.  Everything is funny, especially stuff like "death" and "killing" and "boogers."  So gross.  Especially boys.  But I love it.  I helped in Josh's church class on Sunday and I about died I was trying so hard not to laugh.  Their teacher is awesome and was telling them all about Jesus and how he was resurrected for us.  The kids you could tell were listening, but in their own special way. 

Teacher: "And when Jesus died-"
One boy pretends to slit his throat.
Another slowly slinks to the floor making a horrible groaning noise.
Another (not saying this child was mine) stretches his arms out and asks if Jesus died on the cross "like this."
One girl is busy scribbling away on paper.  Who knows what she is drawing.
Another little boy climbs up on the window sill and curls up to take a nap.

Hilarious.  Seriously.  I love kids.  There is nothing as amusing as watching them.  Wouldn't you agree?