Fun Times!

I'm finally finding a little time to post a few pics of the last month or so. Sorry, no in depth stories, just a few of the snapshots.
















In Sept. was my birthday and my parents came down to visit. It's always fun to see them! They both got in the pool too! Haven't seen that is a while.
















Here is our little dedicated golfer! Now that the weather is cooling off, he loves to go outside and hit golf balls or play baseball.
















Here's a cute pic of Cole. He has been having lots of fun playing soccer this fall. He's been getting a little frustrated lately because his coach only puts him in to play with the girls. I guess he thinks they need help. Cole ends up playing defense and kicking the ball up field and then hustling up the field to score the goal too. It's a good thing he has lots of energy.
















A week or so ago we got to have Tyler's parents come visit us. The boys love it when they come to town because they know that Papa will take them golfing.


















































While Tyler's parents were here we went to a fun restaurant where you can eat, roast marshmallows and listen to a live band playing. We all had a great time even though we went home wreaking of smoke.

















Here's the last highlight of the month! Cole lost his first tooth. Tyler and his dad begged Cole to let them pull it out and even bribed him with money and ice cream, but he wasn't going to let them touch it. By the end of the day he got brave enough to pull it out himself. He was so proud!

Happy and a Little Depressed!

K so I totally suck at this blogging thing lately. I guess between school, being pregnant, and all the normal day to day I just haven't had the time or energy to do it - sorry, I will try to do better! So anyway here is the latest and greatest!
Yesterday I went in to have something done that has already happened to me twice before. The first time I was pretty excited, and the second time, not so excited, but still happy! Can you guess? Well I went to the doctor to get an ultra sound done just to check if my due date matches up with the baby measurements. I wasn't supposed to be finding out anything really just a quick check of things, but through the course of the visit I didn't even have to have the technician tell me what she passed over. I could see it in plain black and white - we are now expecting our 3rd BOY!!!! (I tried to attach the picture for proof, but couldn't get it to work.) Tyler kept trying to make me feel optimistic telling me that it could be wrong and yes I would love to think that, but if you saw the picture you would agree with me that all hope is definitely lost.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhh! I was totally hoping for a girl, and I won't lie - a little depressed for a minute - and now after a day of letting it soak in I am just hoping for a healthy baby. I'm sure I will love it just as much if it were a girl:) Gosh, I thought my house was crazy right now - it is now going to get even more wild! A look on the bright side - I am totally prepared for a boy and won't have to go broke buying all the cute girly things. The real problem lies in coming up with another boy name. I was already all prepared with about 3 or 4 girl names that I like and now that we are back to finding a boy name I am stuck. So any good suggestions?

First Day of School!

Yesterday was Cole's first day of Kindergarten. Here he is looking so handsome. He was really excited when he woke up and couldn't wait to get to school. When I went and picked him up he told me he made a new friend so I asked him what his name was and he said no mom, HER name is Makenzie. That's what I'm talking about - always the ladies man!

I couldn't leave Brady out of this - he is just as excited for school as Cole is. Of course he wants to be just like big brother so here he is sporting his new backpack thinking he is going to school too.

Last Summer Vacation!

Last weekend we decided to take a last minute trip to California to visit some old friends Lee and Ginger Akin and their girls Ani and Maggie. Lee and Tyler were best friends all through high school and college. They came to visit us last year so this year it was our turn to go to their house. It's only about a 5 hour drive so we jumped in the car late Friday afternoon. We got to their house and chatted for a minute, but then got back in the car for about another hour. We went to stay in a hotel that night that was closer to the beach. We finally went to bed that night about 1:30am and then Tyler and Lee got up at 4:30am to go surfing. I guess you have to catch the waves early. This was Tyler's first time going surfing. He said it was pretty tiering, but he had a good time. Ginger and I and the kids slept in and then we all got ready and headed to the beach too. As soon as we got there we lathered up the sunscreen and instead of heading to the ocean, Brady headed straight for the sand.

Oh what fun! He and Cole had never been to the beach before and within seconds, they were both covered in sand. The water was pretty cold compared to what we are used to so they didn't like being dunked in the ocean to wash it all off. Plus Cole was terrified that the ocean was full of sharks that were out to eat him. I think the boys had fun, but were so tired from traveling and what not that they both fell asleep for a lot of the afternoon. That make it nice for me to be able to sit peacefully on the beach just people watching and listening to the ocean. That night we went back to Lee and Ginger's. The next day we just hung out, played the Wii for way too long, and then had a fun bbq at the park. No better way of spending time with friends. Thanks to Lee and Ginger and their girls for being perfect hosts! We had a wonderful time!











Since we were already in California and only another hour or so away we decided to take the next two days and head to Sea World. The boys and I had never been there and Tyler hadn't been there for like 15 years so we were really excited! We got there and Cole became the designated tour guide. He was always obsessed with looking at the map. The first place we went was the Sesame Street Play land. They both loved this place! They had a blast bouncing and climbing and running around with like a million other kids. They also got to meet a few of the Sesame Street characters. Brady was so excited to meet Ernie and Elmo! Cole was still a little unsure about them, even though we tried to explain to him that they were just people dressed up.














































So after letting the kids get rid of some energy we headed to the shows. Cole was so funny on this trip because at every show he would start whining that he did not want to get wet! He said he didn't want to have to change his clothes. Whatever! So we always sat up a little higher. No biggie, we could see perfectly from almost every seat. I think their favorite show was of course Shamu! We ended up going to this show twice. Tyler and I loved it too!







































Our other favorite show was the Pets Rule! They take a bunch of rescued animals and teach them to do all sorts of tricks. They had dogs, cats, geese, pigs, and birds. It was fun to see everyday pets doing funny things. My kids love animals so this was a really good one!




For the last part of the second day we went on all of the rides. Of course all the kid rides just go in circles, so Tyler and I were pretty much sick, but the boys loved it! There is only one big ride for adults. Since Tyler and I couldn't go together without someone to watch the kids, Tyler took Cole with him first and then hopefully he would go again with me. You could tell Cole was very nervous, but didn't ever say that he didn't want to go. This is Sea World so you know they are going to get wet. Cole still obviously didn't like that part of it, but after said it was his favorite. While waiting for them, Brady screamed the entire time for daddy. I think everyone around us thought I was kidnapping him or something because he was so upset and so loud! Needless to say by the time Tyler and Cole got done riding the Journey to Atlantis ride - I was done and it was time to go home! All in all, minus the last episode, we had a blast and can't wait to go again!

Memory Game!

I got this from a friend of mines blog and thought it would be fun! I hope you will play along.
Here are the directions:
1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you.

This was fun for me to sit and reminisce, hope it is for you too! If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you. If you don't want to play on your blog, or if you don't have a blog, I'll leave my memory of you in my comments

Sleepy!

So about a month or so ago I was in my bathroom getting ready for the day knowing that my kids had not gotten up yet. All of a sudden I am surprised to find Brady walking into the bathroom with a big smile and hello. To most people this would mean nothing, but to me it meant something much bigger. Brady had finally climbed out of his crib! All I could think of was that I was really in trouble now. I was devastated. This kid has been such a good sleeper and at times had even begged to get into his crib to sleep. I just knew this was all going to change. Since he knew how to get out of the crib we moved him into Cole's room and he now sleeps on the trundle bed. I thought, oh he'll be fine, he's in the room with Cole, if he rolls off the bed he's not going to get hurt because it's so low to the ground. Well he has now been getting me up so much in the night I feel like I have a newborn again. I get so frustrated in the moment and then he wakes up in the morning and flashes his cute smile at me and I can't help but just love him. I have no idea what his problem with sleeping at night is, but by looking at the pics you can tell he obviously has no problem falling asleep for a nap in the daytime where ever, whenever! Oh the joys of motherhood!

Let's play tag!

Looks like I've been tagged so here we go:

A- Attached or single: Attached - nine years and counting.
B- Best Friend: well I do have a lot so I'll just name a few: Aimee Missy Caroline Shelly Sarah and my sisters
C-Cake or Pie: Pie - coconut cream to be exact.
D-Day: Mondays and Tuesdays - Tyler's days off
E- Essential Item: chapstick and lotion - can't stand dry lips of skin
F- Favorite Color: red
G-Gummi Bears or Worms: gotta go with worms
H-Home town: Orem
I- Indulgences: brownies, cheesecake, chocolate chip cookies, diet coke, cinnamon bears, charleston chews-just to name a few:)
J- January or July?: January. The weather is pretty perfect around here at that time.
K-Kids: 2 boys - I'd take another right now if it was a girl;)
L-Life is incomplete without: K I'll go with the obvious - family
M- Marriage Date: June 11, 1999
N- Number of Siblings: 7. (1 brother, 6 sisters)
O- Oranges or Apples: Oranges
P- Phobias or Fears: Scorpions and spiders.
Q- Quote: If you are not willing to risk the unusual,you will have to settle for the ordinary.
R- Reason To Smile: I have a family who loves me and a roof over my head.
S- Season: Spring and summer - although you can't beat the weather here in the winter.
T- Tag Three: anyone that wants to.
U- Unknown Fact About Me: I'm not a full blown vegetarian, but I don't eat any red meat.
V - Very Favorite Store: Banana Republic
W- Worst Habit: Eating too much junk!
X-Rays or Ultrasounds: Ultrasounds
Y-Your favorite food: Pizza or Cafe Rio tortilla soup
Z: Zodiac Sign: Virgo

Swimmertime!

Summer is here!

K so you can pretty much just call me a slacker. I think about updating my blog like daily and just keep putting it off. Don't ask me why. I'm just lazy I guess.
Today I thought I would show some pics of our pool process since some of you have been asking to see pics of the pool. The whole thing took only about a month and then we finished the whole yard landscaping a couple of weeks ago. Boy has it been nice to get rid of the dirt. We have been having such a great time swimming and having lots of fun bbq's and get togethers with friends and neighbors. The street we live on has a bunch of kids, so on about any given day we have at least 3 or 4 friends over to swim. I'm glad they are all enjoying it so much. Cole has become quite the little fish. He is our little night swimmer. For some reason he just loves to swim at night. Brady has really gotten brave lately too. At first he didn't really want to be in the pool without Tyler or I holding him. Now he will put his floaties on and just jump in and swim around himself. So much nicer. I can actually swim some laps and get a little exercise now without having a kid in my arms. Yah! This summer the hot temperatures are definitely going to be a lot more bearable with the water in our own backyard.

Good TImes!

Craziness!

Ok so right now my life has been a little on the crazy side. We're still dealing with the effects of moving and putting in a new yard. Here's a few pics from a few things we've been up to the last couple of weeks.
The boys have been obsessed with playing golf lately. Aren't they so cute? When Tyler's parents were here they took them to the golf course a lot. Cole is actually really good and I'm pretty sure he can hit the ball a lot farther than I can. Brady loves to play as well. It's not unusual to have to drag them kicking and screaming to the car after they've already been hitting balls for 2 hours. Cole has been getting blisters on hit hands from hitting so much.
Two weeks ago we had the privilege of having aunt Janell come to visit us for a couple of days. We hope that she had fun! I felt bad because we were homebound for like 2 of the 3 days that she was there. I had workers inside and out all day long so we couldn't leave. It's always so fun to have her around and I think she finally caught up on some well needed sleep.
Last week, the day before we filled up our pool with water, Tyler found a lizard running around in it. The lizard couldn't get out because of the overhanging lip at the top. Tyler chased it around for a bit, but couldn't catch it. He had to wait until it tried to climb out again. When it got to the top it bonked its head and he caught it on the downfall. Tyler showed him to Cole and you know who wanted to keep it as a pet. So we gave in. He named it Lizard Boy. By the third day we finally convinced him to let it go live in the backyard. He was satisfied with thinking that he would see Lizard Boy around the yard and we just crossed our fingers that a lizard would come around every now and then.

Where did your glasses go?

So for anyone that knows my family, knows that we all have terrible eyes. We all wear glasses or contacts. About a month ago I was in the bathroom doing my hair and blinked. My contact popped out and of course down the sink it went. I couldn't react fast enough to grab it, and even had Tyler take the sink apart trying to find this stupid contact. Knowing that I would be forking over another $50 so that I could see again, I finally said enough is enough! On Wednesday I went in and had LASIK eye surgery. I was pretty nervous and a little scared thinking that something crazy could happen to MY EYES, but so tired of my current situation decided to do it anyway. So I went in and it was over in a matter of minutes and not a single ounce of pain. I went home with my vision a little foggy. I was weary that I wouldn't be able to see clearly. So I went to bed and when I woke up the next morning I could see perfectly. I was so excited that I wouldn't have to deal with my contacts everyday anymore! Yah! Cole's little friend Carly was over playing this morning and she asked me why I wasn't wearing my glasses. I was so happy to be able to say that I had gotten my eyes fixed and didn't have to wear them anymore! I still can't believe it, but I love it!

Party Time!

We have been having one party after another this past couple of weeks. Cole's 5th b-day was on March 15th and so we had a family party that evening. It was just us and Tyler's parents since Tyler had to work that day. Because we were having the party in the evening I made Cole wait all day to open his presents so that no one would miss out on the fun of seeing his reaction. Boy was that kid anxious! He probably asked me like a hundred times if he could open them. At first I felt bad, but then it got annoying. I'm not sure who was more annoyed - him with me for not letting him open them or me with him telling him to wait. Well we made it through and Cole finally got to open the scooter he had been dying for.
The following weekend Cole had another party with his friends. We had it at Jeepers Amusement Paradise. They had rides and games and all kinds of stuff for the kids to do. Cole and Brady were so funny - Cole didn't want to ride anything and so he played games the whole time and Brady wanted to ride everything, and did, but looked so unamused. He would be on a ride and just have this blank look on his face. Never even cracked a smile. Oh well - I'm pretty sure they still had a great time. Cole was very excited to see a few friends from Anthem and then some of his new friends.
So onto the next party because the next day was Easter. I kind of felt like the easter bunny slacked a little when it came to this holiday this year. I think she was a little pooped from all the previous events. Luckily, I have awesome in-laws who picked up the slack and made it a wonderful day for us all.

Time Flies!

Holy cow - so I haven't written for quite some time now. I got a little busy. We moved! Gosh I don't want to do that again for a while. What a pain! We worked night and day for about 3 days. The only good that comes from it is purging all the crap I don't use. I have finally gotten the new house somewhat organized and all the fun of painting and decorating has now begun.
We have been fully moved in for about a week and a half now. Besides missing the wonderful friends we left behind, we are really enjoying the new place so far. Tyler has reduced his work commute from 75 miles one way to about a half a mile. That has been good for us all. What a difference it is to have him home that extra 3 hours. The boys and I are loving the new street we live on. We went from a somewhat busy street to the very end of a quiet culdesac. There are lots of kids on our street(even two other boys named Cole) so Cole & Brady have had lots of fun playing out with new friends. In the short time we've been here Cole has taught himself to ride a bike. He has his own bike that had training wheels on it, but one day ran into the house telling me to come outside to watch him ride one of the neighbor kids' bike. I didn't really think that he could do it yet, but thought I would go out and see. Sure enough he went out and rode the bike without training wheels up and down the street. I couldn't believe he did that all by himself. Now if I could just get Brady to potty train himself!

Tag I'm it!

The moment I saw that I had been tagged I was dreading trying to answer these questions, but as I went along it was actually kind of fun. I won't be tagging anyone else since I don't have any friends with blogs.


What is your spouses name? Tyler

How long have you been together? We started hanging out and eventually dating in January of 1999. We got married on June 11, 1999, and therefore will be celebrating 9 years of marital bliss.

Who eats more? It's probably really close, but I have to say Tyler.

Who said 'I Love You' first? I think he did, but along the same lines I remember him telling me that he had kissed his last girl. Kind of scared me a little.

Who is taller? uh ya - Tyler

Who is smarter? Tyler-well I'm not sure if he's smarter, but he definitely has a much better memory than me.

Who does the laundry? MEEEE!

Who does the dishes? MEEEE AGAIN!!!

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? I used to and now Tyler does. The left side is closer to the bathroom - need I say more for anyone that has been pregnant.

Who pays the bills? Tyler - in his words all I know how to do is call the bank and ask how much money is in my account.

Who mows the lawn? Tyler. He does the main stuff like mowing and trimming and I do most of the weed picking and cleaning up.

Who cooks dinner? I do. I would love if he cooked more, but most of the time he gets home too late to do it.

Who drives when you are together? Tyler always does, unless he's extremely tired. He thinks I'm a horrible driver.

Who is more stubborn? I am going to say Tyler. Not in a really bad way - but once he wants something he doesn't stop until he gets it. So I would say more strong willed than stubborn I guess.

Who kissed who first? Tyler would love to say I did and I would have to disagree, but more importantly, it was an awesome first kiss. So yep that's why I kept him.

Who asked who out first? Tyler would say I did because he gave me his number first and I called him to go work out at the gym with me(which isn't a date right?), but he couldn't come workout so he invited me to hang out with him at one of his friend's house instead - so Tyler asked me out first.

Who proposed? Tyler. . .When it comes to love stuff I am old fashioned and I just think that's the man's job.

Who has more siblings? Me - 7 Him - 2

Who wears the pants? Funny thing - we ask each other this question all the time. We agree that we both wear the pants. Neither one of us dominates the other, which we think is why we never get into fights with each other. Knock on wood:)

Happy Birthday!!!

Last Monday was Brady's 2nd birthday. I am still trying to come to terms with him growing up so fast. Scary. We had a pretty fun day. We had lunch at Brady and Cole's favorite restaurant - yep - McDonalds - gotta love it:) Then went home and had cake and ice cream in the afternoon. Loads of fun.
At the moment Brady's favorite things are playing cars and playing with any kind of ball. He is quite the kicker. It's really cute because he lines up and kicks it just like the football kickers on tv. He kicks it good too.
He also loves to just be outside. He's usually just wandering around in the rocks or playing t-ball with himself, but since Cole got a bike for Xmas and has now passed his scooter onto Brady, he gets to ride around. He really has the hang of it now. He can almost keep up with Cole on his bike. It looks funny for a such a little guy to be riding around himself. If you can't tell yet - he never runs out of energy, which is why I included this picture of Brady and Cole passed out on the couch. Such a rare thing. I had been doing some work in the office and all of a sudden noticed how quiet the boys had gotten. I got up to look for them and to my surprise they were both asleep. That was awesome. I wish they would do it more often:)

Check out my Slide Show!

Check out my Slide Show!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

So I haven't updated my blog in a while - sorry about that - I never seem to find the time to do this extra stuff in the midst of everything else in December.
Anyway - we had a wonderful Christmas! The theme of our Christmas this year ended up being all about bikes. Santa brought Cole & I new bikes and then Tyler and I got a bike trailer for Brady to ride in. Cole was extremely excited and managed to ride all the way to the grocery store for a treat.
Tyler's parents were here, Ashlee & Jeff & Jessie stopped in for a visite, and then Tyler's brother Traci and his 3 kids came down from Utah the day after Christmas. We had lots of fun just hanging out, more shopping, and riding the quads. After getting constant fun and attention from their cousins,Cole & Brady went through withdrawals after they left.
While they were all here the boys went to a Cardinals vs. Rams football game. They had really good seats and Cole & Tyler even got on the jumbo tron camera.
By New Years Eve we were pretty much partied out. I did manage to stay up until midnight watching the ball drop, but didn't do any banging on my pots n pans. I know everyone says this - but I just can't believe another year is over!
I love this time of year because of all the parties, family gatherings, and renewed hope for the coming year, but by now I am so tired of all the football games! Tyler is glued to the tv as we speak watching the Ohio State game. Oh well - gives me a chance to do something else for me.