HAPPILY OUTNUMBERED - Jenna and Her Boys

HaPPy 11tH BiRtHDaY, JaCkS!

2011-10-10T08:03:00.004-06:00

I feel like I say this every year, but I can't believe Jackson has grown up this much. Where did the last eleven years go? Jackson is such a joy to have around. He brings a great spirit into our home and is a great example to his two younger brothers. Here are a few of his favorite things this year...
*Anything BYU
*His new bike
* Playing Beyblades with Ty and Bos
*His Family
*Scones
*His brothers
*His friends
*His DS
*Soccer and Basketball
*School
Happy Birthday to our FAVORITE 11 year old. We love you so much, Jacks, and hope Your day is amazing!

Go To a Real Salt Lake Game...Check!

2011-09-30T12:20:00.002-06:00

Jackson told us that one of his "goals in life" was to go to a Real Salt Lake game. Since Kyler coached two soccer games this season we were able to get free tickets for our family to go. The boys were so excited. When we got there, they begged for Real jerseys and we agreed before we realized that they were $40 a piece, good thing the game was free and that it was 20% off night. They looked super cute though and we were ready to cheer on the team. When we got to our seats, there was an upset on the field that made a lot of people mad. The crowd started shouting "Bull ****" Oh great way to start our family outing. The boys asked what they were saying..."Forfeit" I said quickly and Ty replied, "That's right, they probably want the other team to give up."Good thinking Ty...and Mom. We had a blast together and the kids are at a perfect age to brave these sort of things. They ended up losing the game, but we had a fun time and checked something off Jackson's bucket list. Next up for Jacks, go to the Tour D' France...unfortunately this one might stay on the list for a while.

The Funny Things He Says...

2011-03-27T11:29:00.010-06:00

Boston always keeps us laughing. Here are a few of our recent favorites...
* When I was helping him get dressed the other day he said to me apologetically, "Mom, I love you the most, but I love dad the bester."
* After preschool on St. Patrick's Day, he told us, "If we don't wear green, the orphans will come and they will pinch us."
* When Ty was crying the other day, Bos picked up a walkie talkie and said, "Hey ninjas, come now and come forth, someone is sad..."

Such a cute boy...where does he come up with these things?

Think Green...

2011-03-18T12:31:00.000-06:00

Well, Lucky the Leprechaun made his third annual visit to our house this year. The boys had constructed their best trap yet and were convinced this was the year they were going to catch him. The trap had toothpick stairs that led him up a toilet paper roll to a butterfinger tied with a green bow. The idea was when he tried to get the candy he would fall through the tp roll into the box and wouldn't be able to get out. They woke up at 5:40am to see if they got him...not sure what they were going to do if they really had caught a leprechaun. They found that the water in the toilet was green, the chairs were up on the table, some pictures were upside down, the milk was green, and Ty and Bos each had a green fingernail. Lucky is quite the prankster. They found a letter from him and some green treats, but no leprechaun. Once again he was too fast. They had been out-smarted. He had used the green ribbon that was around the candy bar to climb out of the trap. The boys have already started planning their trap for next year.

HaPpY 7tH BIrtHdAy Ty!

2011-03-07T07:11:00.005-07:00

Every time a birthday comes around, I can't believe it has been another year...Tyson is 7! What?!?! When did this happen? Ty brings a lot of energy to our home. He has a tender heart and a very loving side. He is so smart and does great at school. He has a strong personality and is a leader. He has grown up so much this past year. Here are his favorites this year:
* His Family
* His Brothers
* His DS
* He still LOVES the color orange and now blue too
* McDonald's Happy Meals with a Hamburger with mustard & ketchup and apples
* Basketball- He just finished a great season with his dad coaching
* His fav movie is How to Train a Dragon
* Riding bikes around the neighborhood with his friends
* Play wii with his brothers
* Watching TV
Happy Birthday to our favorite Tyson James! We hope you have an AMAZING day! We love you so much!

HaPPy BiRThDaY BoSToN!

2011-03-01T07:24:00.002-07:00

Our baby is 4!!! I can't believe how fast he is growing up. Boston keeps us on our toes. He has a gentle heart and is very loving. He is strong-minded and very determined to be "big like his brothers". Here are a few of his favorite things:
* His Family
*His Brothers or "His Boys" as he likes to call them
*Disney Cars especially Lightening McQueen
*His DS
*Going to Preschool
*The colors Blue and Orange
*Having his friends come over to play
*Snacks- He LOVES to eat
*BYU
*Playing Just Dance 2 on the Wii

We love you so much Bossy Ray! We hope you have a great birthday!

So Thankful...

2010-11-30T22:11:00.000-07:00

Thanksgiving is always a great time reflect on all of the blessings in my life. I am so thankful for all that I have...the most wonderful husband who always loves me and 3 amazing boys that I have the joy of being their mom. We are richly blessed. In preschool, Boston made a turkey and listed on the feathers the things he is thankful for:
My Boys
Mom and Dad
Grandma
Stuff that you eat
My friends
Such cute answers!
This year was our year to be with Kyler's mom and his siblings. We reserved a church building and it was really nice to have plenty of space for all of the kids. The dinner was delicious and we had a lot of fun with the bag of skits, which ended with Ty in a tutu and Eric unleashing the power of the swimsuit. Quite a sight to see. I loved the time we got to share as a family and I am so grateful for the family I have. Happy Thanksgiving!

The Big 3-4

2010-11-23T13:44:00.000-07:00

I was really spoiled this year for my birthday. It started with my annual breakfast with my Dad and Jamie. We went to One Man Band and had a great time reminiscing birthdays' past. Then I came home to find flowers and a book waiting for me on the counter with cute cards from my cute boys. Then Kyler and I had a date night to Olive Garden, my favorite! A few days later came my BIG present. I headed to California to go see So You Think You Can Dance with Jennie. We had SO much fun. We had yummy Mexican food for dinner and then watched the amazing show. Our seats were great and I didn't want the show to end. Then I got to spend the next few days with Jennie. We fit in a quick trip to Disneyland and plenty of time relaxing. It was a great way to end my weeks of birthday celebration.

Trick or Treat

2010-11-02T13:18:00.000-06:00

This year for Halloween we had a black spiderman, a transformer, and Jack Sparrow. Jackson has reached the age that he can no longer pull off the one piece, unitardesque costumes so he was excited when Brennan let him use his old costume. They had their annual parade at school and then we got ready for a busy night of fun. We went to Mimi and G.P. 's house for pizza and then back to our neighborhood for trick or treating. It was a gloomy, drizzly night so I went over to the Brady's and Camille and I passed candy out in their garage. The boys have a lot of good friends in the neighborhood so they had a blast going around the neighborhood with them. As usual, they came home with WAY too much candy and loved every minute of it.

2010-10-11T14:56:00.004-06:00

OH MY GOSH! I can't believe we have a 10 year old! I can still remember the day he decided to join our family 2 and a half months early. Jackson is such a great child. He is very sensitive and caring. He is really smart. He is a good friend and example to his brothers. He is a joy to have around. In honor of his 10th birthday, I will share 10 of his favorite things...
His Family. Jackson is constantly saying, "Raise your hand if you think we have the best family." I love that he values that. Such a good boy.
His Friends. He has a big circle of friends- boys and girls. He remembers to include everyone and is kind. He loves to have his friends come over or to ride around the neighborhood with them.
School. Jackson is a good student. I have never had to fight him to go. He has only brought home straight A's so far. I hope that is what continues. He tries hard to always do his best.
Soccer. Although this what the second season that he took a ball to the face during a game, he still loves soccer. His favorite position is mid-fielder. He doesn't like the pressure of forward, but enjoys the pace of the mid-field.
Reading. Jackson loves books and is a good reader. He is ambitious in his choices like when he recently chose a 278 page book for a book report that required a 120 page book. He wants to start reading the Fable Haven series as well as the Lightening Thief series.
Watching Movies. Almost every Friday night, he and his brothers have a "sleepover" in the toy room and watch movies. His favorite right now is the new "Karate Kid".
Wii. He loves to play video games.
Pizza and French Fries. Jackson is our picky eater. He doesn't like much, but he loves cheese pizza and french fries. When we get happy meals, he eats his brothers' fries too.
Riding His Bike. This summer Jackson was given the freedom to ride his bike around the neighborhood with his friends. He loved to do this and could be found on his bike daily during the summer.
Music. Jacks loves music. He has about 100 songs on his ipod shuffle and he falls asleep to music every night.

Jackson is a light in our home. He radiates goodness and is such a great person. We love having him around and feel blessed to have him as our son. Happy 10th Birthday, Jacks! We love you so much!

Soccer 2010

2010-09-27T12:20:00.001-06:00

We had a great soccer season this year. Kyler coached Ty's Team and Jackson had a good coach too. They both worked really hard and were aggressive players. Who knew that 2 seasons in a row, Jackson could take a ball to the face and end up with blood all over his jersey? Besides the injury, it was a fun season and we look forward o next year!

California Here We Come,,,

2010-09-21T14:56:00.000-06:00

On September 16th we left at the early hour of 4am and headed to California. The best part of the trip was that Kyler aka Dad was able to come this time. There were two reasons for our trip: as a family we had done the "Give a Day, Get a Day" program and provided water bottles for Haiti and in exchange received free passes to Disneyland and it was Nannie's 80th birthday. We made it to Nannie's around 2pm and had a nice visit. Next we headed to Jennie's where we would stay for the next few days. Friday was our day at Disneyland. It was the first day that it was decorated for Halloween so it was a little crowded, but that didn't stop us from having a great time. We were able to get on all of the rides that we wanted to. Bos was tall enough to ride on just about everything. He was a little scared of the "white monster" on the Matahorn and Thunder Mountain was a little too fast. We saved seats and ended the night watching Fantasmic and the fireworks. It was a great day.
Saturday we took Nannie to the "best pizza place" Roundtable Pizza for her birthday. It was such a neat lunch. Nannie doesn't get out of the house very often so it was a special occassion. The kids were really good and the pizza was delicious. Nannie really enjoyed her time out and we enjoyed our time with her. I had picked her up her favorite carrot cake cupcake and she just raved about it. It was a wonderful afternoon. That night was date night. Jennie had arranged for a sitter for the kids and we went bowling and to dinner at Taco Surf. It was so fun to spend time with Jennie and Trevor. They are such a great couple.
Sunday we had a pool party and bbq at Jennie's in-laws house. The kids had a great time in the pool and we enjoyed catching up with friends. Later that night, Jennie and I went to get reflexology massages to unwind from the busy week. It was relaxing and a little odd as the girl walked on my back as part of the massage. We got a great laugh out of that one.
We headed out bright and early Monday morning. The boys travel so well. We are so lucky for that. It was a quick trip, but we loved every minute of it. The best part being that we were all there together.

I Want S'mores...

2010-09-08T21:15:00.001-06:00

We had a great FHE with some of our favorite people...the Brady's. We drove up AF canyon brought pizza and enjoyed a campfire and some smores. We had a great time. The kids kept climbing this enormous, steep hill and giving us all a panick attack as they slid down. They loved making smores and roasting starbursts...a new fav. It was a beautiful evening and a great way to end the summer. Can't believe it is over!

First Days of School

2010-09-08T13:27:00.002-06:00

I can't believe it is that time again! Where did the summer go? Each year it seems to get shorter and shorter...Jackson and Tyson started school on August 25th. Jacks is in 4th grade and has his first male teacher, Mr.Morris. Ty is in 1st grade and now will go to school all day. His teacher is Mrs. Latimer. They both love school and do really well. I miss them when they are gone all day, but I think Boston misses them even more.Boston started preschool on Tuesday. This was a day I thought I wanted to come, the day where I would have some free time for 2 hours twice a week, but I was actually quite sad. It really marks the beginning of a new phase of life that came a lot quicker than expected. He was so excited to start school just like his brothers. When I went to take his picture on his first day he insisted on standing in the same spot that his brothers stood for their first day pics. Then he had to take a picture with them too. On the drive to preschool, he kept asking is he was going all by himself. He was way nervous, but he did great. One fun thing about this year is that my good friend Linda has her son in the same class. Boston has only met Ethan a few times, but he already refers to him as "his best friend". After school, he told me all about it. He said he had had a lot of fun. I asked him if he was excited to go back on Thursday. He quickly said, "Ya! Wait...I don't want to go back." Hopefully this opinion will change...soon.

Game Day!

2010-09-06T15:28:00.001-06:00

So Kyler is quite the BYU fan and has groomed our boys to be the same. There is a little neighborhood rivalry going on where we live between the Utes and the Cougars so this year we were determined to go all out in support of BYU. September 4th was the first game of the season so that morning when Kyler got home from work he put out our flag, got the boys dressed in their BYU attire and then he did the same. I even got a shirt this year. We invited family over to watch the game at 5pm, but at 2pm Kyler woke up because he said he was too excited to sleep. So funny! We took some pics with some of our favorite neighbors, the Brady's, to show our pride before the game. We had a great time watching the game and were way happy about the win. Go Cougars!

Kyler's 35th!

2010-09-01T09:47:00.000-06:00

Kyler's birthday lasted a couple days this year...We had a date night on Saturday, on Sunday the boy's made him breakfast in bed and we had family dinner. Monday was the big surprise. I wanted to throw him a surprise party and had spent weeks planning it. It was going to be a pizza party at the park with about 50 people. He thought we were going to do FHE with the Brady's. We were all set until we woke up that morning to a huge storm. I was freaking out. Luckily, Camille saved the day. I told Kyler I was running a few errands with her to help her out. She had reserved the clubhouse for us and now we had an inside venue for the party. We drove around picking up everything and making a plan. Camille had planned a scavenger hunt for FHE that was supposedly going to take us back to their house for pizza. This is the plan I told Kyler. Around 4pm I told Kyler I was going to help Camille hide the clues when I really went and set up the clubhouse. At 5:18pm we left with our boys and her two girls to find the clues. We were led to redbox, the farm at Thanksgiving point, a church, and then the clubhouse. I told Kyler we all had to look for the clues together. When we pulled up to the clubhouse, there were tons of cars. Kyler told me he was nervous we were going to interupt someone else's party. Little did he know...when he walked in everyone yelled SURPRISE! (He said he had a moment where he thought they had wasted a surprise on him, the wrong person) He quickly recognized the people and we had a great night celebrating with family and friends. I am so grateful for Camille's help in pulling this off. Couldn't have done it without her! It was a success! Kyler is such an amazing man and loved by everyone. I am a lucky girl! Happy Birthday, Ky!

Summer Fun

2010-08-27T14:34:00.000-06:00

Our summer was busy. It seemed to pass so quickly, but the boys had a blast. Whether playing with cousins or friends, going swimming almost daily, or riding their bikes through the neighborhood they really enjoyed themselves. And they enjoyed being together. Such good brothers...such good friends!

Our Big, HUGE Road Trip

2010-08-20T10:21:00.001-06:00

Five states, over 2400 miles, and at least 40 hours driving in the car may not sound like fun, but for us, it was our best family vacation to date. Here is the day by day, play by play...Sunday, August 8th: We loaded up the car and left at 4am and headed to Coeur D’ Alene. We felt completely prepared for a successful road trip: dvd player and plenty of movies, playstation and games, ipods with their individual playlists on each, and tons of snacks. We were ready to go. About 3 hours into the drive, chaos hit...they had watched a movie and now wanted to play playstation. Everything was fine until the adapter fell apart in the outlet. Strike one. No more playstation, we'll just turn on a movie...Strike two. The dvd player was no longer working. Ok kids...here are your ipods...Jackson and Tysons' were great, but, strike three. Boston's still had my running playlist on it. Hate to admit this, but a few of the songs may be questionable for the little ears of my children. Boston was quite upset with the situation so Jacks let Bos listen to his and he wanted to listen to my songs. So I had to censor each song that came on and make him skip a few. The melt down quickly took effect and after almost 2 hours of limited entertainment our well planned road trip was taking a turn for the worse...so we took a turn off into the next town and after a few calls to the mechanics in the family figured out it was a blown fuse. Kyler replaced it and we were back on the road with a working dvd player and the car was happy once again. So it didn't start out as the best family vacation, but we were determined to turn things around. We arrived in Coeur D’ Alene around 4pm and we went to Rob and Tiff's house. We have gotten close to their family and we were excited to spend a few days with them. Coeur D’ Alene is BEAUTIFUL! When we got there we had a delicious dinner waiting for us and spent the evening catching up.
Monday, August 9th: This was beach day. We headed out around 11am to the beach that was only 10 minutes from their house. We spent the day there and had a blast. Our kids get along so well and really enjoyed swimming, building sand castles, and jumping off the dock into the water. They even convinced me to jump in. The water was freezing! The boys were shocked that I did it, but it was great to be fun mom. After the beach we went back to their house to bbq. The kids wanted to sleep in a tent in the backyard, so Tiff and I made smores with them and Kyler and Rob went to see "Inception". Great day!
Tuesday, August 10th: Our last day in Coeur D’ Alene and it was packed full with things to do. We started by going to the movies for a free viewing of "Monsters Vs Aliens". Then we went downtown and went on a hike around the lake. Amazingly beautiful. Of course the kids wanted to get in the water and when we said they could get their feet wet they ended up soaked. It was great to watch them have so much fun. Then we had a date night with Rob and Tiff. We went to a yummy Mexican restaurant and then saw "The Other Guys". Not the best movie, but great company. We ended back at their house talking until we couldn't stay awake any longer. It was going to be sad to leave them, but we were excited for our next stop in Oregon.
Wednesday, August 11th: Another day in the car. We drove through Washington to Oregon and arrived in Eugene at Tara and Mario's house around 4pm. It was so good to see them again. The boys were way excited to hang out with their cousins.
Thursday, August 12th: We had planned to go camping while in Oregon so on Thursday morning, the guys headed out with the kids around noon. Tara had to work Thursday and Friday so we would be driving out to meet them on Friday night. I was left with an empty house and enjoyed a few hours of relaxation. When Tara got home from work, we got ready for a girl's night out. We went to dinner and shopping and it was so good to spend time with Tara. I hate that she lives so far away. We checked in with the guys and they said the boys were in heaven. They LOVE camping.
Friday, August 13th: Tara went to work and once again I was left with an empty house, or so I thought...I have a great fear of mice. In fact before we left on our trip, we emptied our entire garage because I had seen one in there. Well as I was relaxing on the couch enjoying my breakfast, I saw a little mouse run from under the chair into a closet. I was petrified. So much that I went upstairs and stayed up there for the next 4 hours until Tara got home. Wimpy...I know. We packed up, set a mouse trap, and headed out to go camp. It was so good to see the boys. They were filthy, but loving every minute of it. It was dark when we got there so we sat around the campfire for a bit and then went to bed.
Saturday, August 14th: This was a relaxing day at camp. We rode quads, hung out by the lake, the boys swam and fished. It was so nice. We ended the night again by the campfire. We made smores and really enjoyed eachothers company. The boys wanted to sleep in tents so Ty and Kaydan had one and Nathan and Jackson shared the other tent. The rest of us slept in the trailer, my kind of camping. This was really our first experience camping as a family and we had a blast!
Sunday, August 15th: We woke up, packed, and headed back to Eugene. After long showers for everyone to clean off all the dirt and cleaning up the successful mouse trap, Tara and I snuck away to a chick flick. We came home and spent the rest of the evening relaxing with family.
Monday, August 15th: We were leaving to head home. We had decided to only go to Boise so we didn't have to leave as early. This was by far the toughest day on the road. There was tons of construction and it was 10pm by the time we reached the hotel. We checked in and within 15 minutes of being there, the boys were fast asleep.
Tuesday, August 16th: We woke up at 5am and were quickly on the road. I think we were all ready to be home. We got home around 11am and were unpacked by noon, which was a good thing since it was back to reality with a soccer game that night, a dance mtg, and a primary mtg for me.

It was such a fun trip. It had been a year since we had planned it(we had to wait until Kyler could use vacation time), and it turned out even better than expected. We loved spending so much time together and can't wait to do it again next summer!

Pinewood Derby

2010-07-28T21:44:00.000-06:00

I was bound and determined this time to have a pinewood derby be a positive experience for Jackson. I went to Roberts and bought a kit so that his car would be a little "fancier" than his norm. He had a great time painting it with Kyler and putting it together. This time things went a lot better. For starters, Kyler was there so he had his Dad cheering him on. Another plus was that they had a way impressive race track and they let each boy race eight different times twice in each of the lanes. This made it a little more fair. Jackson even came in first once. He also got an award for the Best Dragster. He was so excited...me too. So happy to have a pinewood derby that was free of tears and full of fun.

Boston's Wishes

2010-07-18T16:10:00.002-06:00

As I have mentioned many times before, Boston is quite the comedian. He has a lot of random thoughts that usually make us laugh. Lately, the things he "wishes" are no exception to the comedy. Here are his latest three...
1. While driving to church a few Sundays ago he told us, "I wish my life jacket was a dog." What???
2. The other day I had some one on one time with him, which doesn't happen often. I decided to take him outside and he sat down next to me and here is the conversation we had...
Bos: "I wish I was a jaguar."
Me: Why?
Bos: Because then I could jump to the top of the mountain.
Me: What would you eat?
Bos: People.
Me: Would you eat me?
Bos: Ya.
Me: You would?
Bos: Just kidding...I would never eat you or anyone in our whole family...just all the other people.
3. His last wish was definitely took me by surprise, but was by far the funniest. We have been letting the boys sleep in the toy room and watch movies a few nights a week for the summer. A few nights ago, Kyler was at work and I was watching tv downstairs. The other two had fallen asleep so Bos came downstairs to hang out with me. I was watching a show about a girl getting married and Bos looked down and quietly said, "I wish a grill (girl) would kiss me on the lips!" What???? When I said, "you do?" he quickly changed the subject by saying, "Tyson has a girlfriend..." Quick thinking and way to throw his brother under the bus. He's already learned the art of diversion to avoid further questioning and at such a young age! Smart boy...and so funny too!

Another 10K....Check.

2010-06-30T14:09:00.004-06:00

On the 26th, I ran the Lehi 10K. I hadn't done a 10K since July 2008 and wanted to cross another one off my list of goals. My good friend, Jaime did it with me. So thankful for her! I could not have finished without her. We had been training together for the last few months and it is so great to find someone who runs the same as me. Our only goal was to run the whole thing. Well the course was really hard. It was a 5K route that we had to run twice for the 10K. About 2/3 of it was uphill, including a hill that went for 7 blocks! It was crazy and mentally challenging since we had to do it twice. Our time wasn't great, a little over 70 minutes, but we ran the whole thing...and that was the goal. When we crossed the finish line, Jaime's family and one of my favorite friends, Camille were there with signs to cheer us on! Her girls had squirt bottles to cool us off and it was so great to have the support. Kyler was with Jacks at scout camp so it was so nice of Camille to fill in. Love her! Although it wasn't as easy as I had hoped, I'm so glad I did it!

Oregon....a Little Early This Year

2010-06-20T12:32:00.000-06:00

I was lucky to be able to make my annual trip to Oregon a little early this year in order to celebrate Tara's graduation from Nursing School. She has worked so hard and I was really happy to be there on this special day. On Saturday, Jeremy flew out with me and we landed in Portland, rented a car, and drove the rest of the way to Eugene. It was great to spend this time and catch up with Jeremy. His life is really busy right now as he is applying to dental school so it is rare that he has free time. The next few days were spent with my parents, Jeremy and Brennan, Tara's in-laws, and her boys. The house was pretty crowded, but we enjoyed her graduation ceremony and a lot of time relaxing and celebrating Tara. On Tuesday, everyone left and Tara and I were on our own. We were way excited for some down time. We quickly cleaned the house so we could relax. And that is exactly what we did. We would shower so we could go out to eat and to the mall. We rented movies, watched tv and enjoyed every single minute of it! Thursday came way too quick! We left Eugene with about 3 hours until my flight left. We hit a little traffic, but figured I would still make my flight since I didn't have any bags to check. When we made it to the airport, I had 40 minutes left until my flight. I went to print out my boarding pass and it wouldn't let me. When I asked an attendant to help me she said, "Oh, just wait in this line and they'll help you fix everything." I told her I didn't have any bags to check and she said I wouldn't make it. Well by the time I got to the front of the line my flight was long gone. So after I gave them another $50, they "pushed me through" onto an oversold flight and I got to spend the next 5 hours in the Portland airport. Not the best ending to a fun trip, but I was so happy when I finally made it home to my cute boys and wonderful husband who had cleaned the entire house for me! What more could I ask for?

No More Extras...

2010-06-06T12:19:00.000-06:00

Tyson recently lost the last of his extra teeth. The first came in as a fang and the second grew in diagonally. We were especially excited about this one since at one point it was growing into the roof of his mouth and we were told he would need oral surgery to remove it. Luckily, it grew in the front of his mouth once his baby tooth was out and he just had to have the dentist pull it. Ty is such a trooper when it comes to doctors and dentists. He is always so brave! Now we're back to the toothless grin and hopefully the next tooth that comes in will be permanent.

Friends

2010-06-02T15:41:00.000-06:00

I feel so lucky that my boys are such close friends. They love to spend time together and play so well together. Don't get me wrong, it isn't always sunshine and roses and they do fight like normal siblings, but for the most part they love to be together. During the last week of school Jackson had a "store" at his school put on by all the third grade classes. They had earned money throughout the year and had to pay to rent their desk and other little expenses. Whatever $ the had left they could use to buy things at the store. Jacks and his friend Noah had a candy store. It did very well from what he told me. The day of the store he came home with what he had bought: something for himself, 2 pencils for Ty, and a stuffed dog for Boston. This melted my heart. I love that he thought of his brothers and wanted them to have something new too. I hope they will always be this caring towards one another and that they will always be great friends!

Field Day, Kindergarten Graduation, and Last Day of School

2010-06-01T15:02:00.000-06:00

The end of the school year is always so busy. I can't believe we are at that time again! It really seems as if Ty just had his first day of kindergarten and now he's graduating. A few days before school was out, they had their field day. Kyler took Boston over to the school to see Jacks run the 50 yard dash and then to watch Ty do his activities. Kyler was impressed that although Jacks didn't make it into the final race he watched and cheered on his friends who did. He has a great group of friends. The next day was Ty's kindergarten graduation. As we sat there with Boston we realized that the next kindergarten graduation would be his and Kyler and I would be the only ones sitting there. Crazy how fast time goes. Ty did a good job singing in his program and was so excited to get his diploma. Both of the boys had amazing report cards...Jacks had straight A's. He loved his teacher Mrs. Park and has told me several times that when he is in 4th grade he is going to go everyday at lunch and visit her. Tyson really enjoyed being in Miss Elder's class. His report card was all 4's which is a total mastery of all the skills they were graded on. Such smart boys! On the last day of school we had a pizza/water party in our backyard with some of our neighbors to celebrate. The kids had a blast and the moms did too. We are now looking forward to a very fun summer!

Recital Time Again!

2010-05-25T14:39:00.001-06:00

On May 15th, it was the Dance Depot Recital. This was my 2nd year teaching and I loved it! I also love that I get to teach at the same studio as Jamie. It makes recital time even better because she is there with me. This year I only taught one class due to Kyler's constantly changing schedule with work. I had such a cute class of 8 girls: Ellie, Morgan, Kasie, Bodiann, Shelby, Isabell, Livvy, and Kate. It was nice to just have one class to focus on so they got all of my attention. They did 2 dances: Cuban Pete (Jazz) and Jailhouse Rock (Tap). They did such a good job at the recital. I was a proud teacher! It was amazing to see the growth that they had since the beginning of the year. I hope I will get the chance to teach these girls again next year...

Multiple Personalities...

2010-05-20T12:39:00.002-06:00

I'm sure I am not the first mom to feel like their child has multiple personalities. It is a surprise each morning to see which "Boston" I'm going to get that day. Some days I get the comedian. The other night he came down with these black glasses and wanted me to take a picture of him making funny faces. He cracks me up and this is one of my favorite things about Bos. But he also is greatly embracing the independance that 3 year olds feel they have. He is constantly telling me no. Yesterday was a rough day. He kept asking for snacks. When I said no to his 3rd gogurt, he threw it at me. This was the finale to a morning of yelling, stomping, and growling at me. I admit I need to better about following through, but he is wearing me out. Today, however, he is slowly making up for the crummy day yesterday by being totally sweet. I was getting ready upstairs and he yelled up to me what I thought was,"Mom, where's Daddy?" I said, "He's at work" He then said, " No, I said you pretty!" Oh...so sweet...thanks Bos for making it a little easier to love you today!

Mother's Day

2010-05-16T13:42:00.008-06:00

I had a beautiful Mother's Day this year. I am so grateful for the blessing I have to be a mom, especially a mom to my three favorite boys. Our day started off early before church. The boys gave me a bottle of my favorite perfume and a giftcard to Macys. Then they gave me a cute card where they each recorded a message to me and after the messages the card played "Whoop There It is" and the boys did some break dancing on my bedroom floor. Great start to the day. Ty came through huge with a few homemade gifts. He gave me a letter he had written in school:

Dere Mom,
I Love You. You are the Best evre.
I Love you evre if You Get mad at me.
Love, Tyson

He also gave me a a coupon book. Then at church, his teachers helped him fill in this card for me. His answers are in orange:

My mom's full name is: Jenna James Prettyman
She is 24 years old. She is 3 yards tall and weighs 10 pounds.
Her favorite food is- She makes 2 dinners rice casserole and those roll things.
Her favorite thing to wear is a dress. Her favorite thing to do is watch TV.
I like it when my mom makes dinner for me, but I don't like when
she gets mad at me. My mom likes it when I clean the toy room but
she doesn't like it when I don't clean. One of my favorite things about
my mom is that she loves me. I wish I could buy my mom a movie
for Mother's Day,but instead I will buy her an Ipod.

He cracks me up! When he gave it to me, I asked him, "Do you really think my favorite thing to do is watch TV. He answered, "Well pretty much all you do is watch TV." Thanks Ty!
Church was great and I enjoyed watching my boys sing to me. After church we went and visited Kyler's mom. I lucked out in the Mother-in-Law department. She is amazing! Then my family came to our house for dinner. I was glad to spend the rest of my Mother's Day with my Mom. She is a great example to me and I am so thankful for her. An added bonus for the day was talking to Cory on his mission. He is such a wonderful missionary. It is amazing how much I have learned from my younger siblings. It was such a good day and I am so grateful for all my blessings, but especially the blessing of being a mom!

Back on Track

2010-05-08T22:01:00.005-06:00

After taking over a year off from running, I've finally had a comeback. I started training again at the beginning of the year and I am up to running 4 miles, 3 times a week. This morning I ran a 5K with my friend, Liz. I had high hopes for a great race until I came down with a cold last Sunday. I have the worst cough. So besides the coughing and the "fun" effect on your bladder that goes along with coughing after having babies (sorry too much information), I did ok. I finished in 34:18, an 11 minute mile. Although it wasn't my best time by any means, it was fun to get back into it and to run it with a friend. She is a great motivation. Liz and I plan to do at least one more 5K before doing a 10K on June 26th. Hopefully, the next one will be better!

2010-05-08T21:58:00.003-06:00

On Monday, Jacks brought home a letter with his homework which said they were having a "Special Lady Celebration" on Friday to celebrate a special lady in their life. So I asked Jackson, "Who are you going to invite to your celebration on Friday?"
He replied, "I was thinking Mimi or Grandma..."
"Really?" I questioned.
"Or maybe you" he quickly added.
We left it at that and the next day I asked if he had made his decision to which he said, "You, I guess."
So....third choice.
Well, I went and we had a great time. He made me a crown to wear and we shared punch and a cookie. It was fun to spend my time in the place where he spends his day. He has a lot of friends which is a great reflection of how he treats others. I am so proud of my Jackson and I am glad I was invited to be his special lady...even if I was third choice!

Twelve Years Ago...

2010-05-02T20:51:00.010-06:00

I married the love of my life! So, so blessed...
Happy Anniversary, Ky!

Boys and Bikes

2010-04-25T19:40:00.002-06:00

So we are only in April and already dealing with the normal summertime injuries that come with boys and bikes. The boys have enjoyed the warm weather and the fun that comes with it. Our neighborhood is pretty quiet as far as traffic goes so they love to ride their bikes through the streets along with the other neighborhood kids. This week each of them had their own wipe-out that they lived to tell about. Ty was first, but as soon as we stopped the bleeding he was back outside on his bike. Jacks on the other hand needed some recovery time on the couch after his fall and he is still limping today. He milks things a little more than his brothers. I'm sure as a mom of three boys this is just a taste of what life has in store. Looking forward to things to come...

California, Here We Come....

2010-04-25T17:47:00.003-06:00

For Spring Break, I decided to take the kids to California. My mom and Brennan came too. We left bright and early, or should I say dark and early at 4:45am to get a head start on our drive. Although the boys are all at good ages to travel, I was still a little nervous that I would have the patience to be a fun mom and have this be an enjoyable trip for all of us. I said a few extra prayers and we were on our way. They did a great job on the drive. When we got there we went and visited my grandma, Nannie. We didn't stay too long as I could feel her blood pressure rising from the craziness coming from 3 boys that had been stuck in the car for so many hours. We then we headed to stay with Jennie. She is always an amazing host and we feel so welcomed by her and her family. It is extra fun for the boys because they can play with her two kids, Tanner who is a few months older than Ty and Delaney who is Boston's age. Here is a breakdown of our time in Cali:
Wednesday: Picnic in the park. Great weather and the boys had a blast. The not so fun, not so much a highlight of this day was when Ty threw up all over Jennie's car. He had spent most of our time at the park on the tire swing. After about an hour, he staggered over to me as white as a ghost. He said he didn't feel so well. I gave him my cup for the drive home just in case, but he thought he'd be ok. Literally, less than a minute after leaving the park he threw up, over the cup onto the floor and seat in front of him. Poor guy. Luckily it cleaned up fairly easily. This was definitely a time when I missed Kyler's help. That night we walked about half a mile to a new pizza parlor for dinner. The boys were way spoiled by Jennie who gave them each a baggie with about $5 in quarters for the arcade. They were in heaven! After the boys were fast asleep, Jennie and I went to a late movie for some much deserved quiet time.
Thursday: We had our traditional lunch at Taco Surf and then walked on the Seal Beach pier. It was warm, but not quite beach weather, but my mom did take the boys down to put their toes in the water. After taking my mom and Bren back to Nannie's, we went and spent the night relaxing at Jennie's. My old dance teacher, Carri came to visit and we enjoyed catching up with her.
Friday: We went with Jennie and her kids to visit and have lunch with our friend Roasalee who just had a baby boy named Nathan. We ate at a fun restaurant named Farrells . It is an old-style ice cream parlor. It was great to catch up with an old friend. After lunch we went to let the kids play at an indoor play place in the mall. Bos had a bit of a rough time. An older kid ran in to him giving him a bloody nose. As soon as the bleeding stopped and he got off my lap to go play, he tripped and cut his lip. More blood. The drama continued as we got back to Jennie's house. Bos threw a balloon up in the air that had an anchor tied to it. It hit him right in the nose and the bleeding once again followed. The final straw was when he climbed up the ladder to the top bunk while the ceiling fan was on. It cut his head in two different places and once again...more bleeding. After we bathed the kids, we got them in their pajamas and took them to the movies to see "How To Train A Dragon". This is when I realized how much Jacks is growing up as he was so embarrassed to be seen in public in his pajamas, not to mention the fact that I had put them all in matching pjs. Such a mean mom. After a fun, but long day we put the kids to bed and Jennie and I stayed up LATE talking while enjoying some Chocolate Malted Crunch ice cream.
Saturday: Jennie had a busy day with her family, so I took the boys and met my mom and Bren for lunch at Souplantation. This is a favorite place to eat for the boys. We had a good time minus Jackson spilling his strawberry lemonade all over me, Boston and the floor. Patience were running a little thin by this point...time for a few more prayers. Then we took them to the park in my old neighborhood. This is actually the place where Kyler proposed to me. When I told the boys this story they insisted that I take a picture of them pretending to ask me to marry them. Such cuties. Then I followed my mom back to Nannie's where this time the boys played out back so I got to have a nice long visit with her. That night, Jennie's husband, Trevor, graciously and bravely watched all of the kids so Jennie and I could go to dinner. It was great to spend my last night there hanging out with one of my best friends.

We woke up early the next morning to head back to Utah. The drive home went even better than the drive down and it actually seemed to go fast. We had a great trip! I am really enjoying this phase of motherhood. The boys were so much fun and I look forward to our next trip to Cali...especially since Kyler will get to go with us!

Easter

2010-04-05T17:28:00.000-06:00

On Easter morning we woke up to about 5 inches of snow on the ground. We were nervous about the effect this would have on our Easter egg hunt planned for later in the afternoon. It was also Conference weekend so we spent most of the day in our pajamas. The Easter Bunny did a great job of not going overboard this year. The boys each got a movie, a CD, a shirt, a frisbee and some bubbles. They were thrilled! We enjoyed the great messages that were shared in conference and then following the last session, Jamie and her family and my parents and Brennan came over for the hunt. Luckily most of the snow had melted and the kids found about 20 candy-filled eggs each. After the hunt, Jamie had to leave to go to her in-laws so we had a quiet dinner with my parents and Brennan. It was a great Easter!

Jackson and Tyson's School Concert

2010-04-05T17:06:00.000-06:00

Jacks and Ty recently had their school singing performance. Since there are so many kids at their school there were 4 different showings: 2 for the early birds and 2 for the later gators. It was Tuesday night when I teach so I went in the afternoon and Kyler took Bos to the evening performance. Jackson's class sang about The Wright Brothers and Tyson's class sang "When You Wish Upon a Star" in honor of Walt Disney. They both did great. I even teared up a little when they sang their school song called, "Believe in Yourself". I hope they always do as much as their parents believe in them. Great job boys!

A Little Confused...

2010-04-04T12:07:00.008-06:00

The other night while eating dinner, the boys were talking about girls and when they get older. We told them that when they get older, they will get married. Then I said, "Mom and Dad got married." Boston seemed shocked and said, "You got married? With dirt?"
Huh??? It took me a minute, but then I realized that he thought I meant buried. No wonder he was confused....Bos always makes me laugh!

Lucky Returns...

2010-03-18T11:20:00.000-06:00

Jackson had an assignment for school to build a leprechaun trap. This triggered their memories of Lucky the Leprechaun who played pranks and then left them treats last St. Patrick's Day. I was secretly hoping this "tradition" would be forgotten, but this was not my luck. Lucky played a few jokes this year: he turned the milk green, the toilet water green and our waffles that we had for dinner were also green. Then when the boys woke up the next morning he had left them some green treats left inside the leprechaun trap. They were hoping to actually catch him this year, but he was just to tricky. The boys loved having Lucky visit again.

Isn't 1 Enough?

2010-03-12T11:07:00.002-07:00

Today was career day at school, and guess what Jackson wanted to be...in his words...a cop. When I met Kyler and he told me he wanted to be a police officer, my exact quote was, "I feel sorry for your wife. I will NEVER be a police officer's wife." Now it looks like I have a future as a police officer's mom. I made him a shirt with a badge and it said POLICE on the back. Then he also wore a police hat. He looked great and I know that if he grows up and pursues this career, he will be amazing and I will be his biggest supporter just as I am to his dad.

Tyson's Birthday Party

2010-03-08T10:35:00.002-07:00

It was Ty's year to have a friend party for his birthday. He wanted to have a late night(6-8pm)Ben 10 party and to invite all of his friends. His guest list was a little crazy so we drew the line at 17. Only 2 of them couldn't come! So including Jacks and Bos (FYI- Our original plan was to take Bos to my parent's house, but when he came downstairs and saw the party set up he said,"Ty your Ben ten-a party, I so excited!" I quickly realized that he would be heart broken to miss out on it so Ty said he could stay) there were 17 kids. We had pizza, played games, had a scavenger hunt, cupcakes, pinata, and ended with watching some Ben 10 movies. He got tons of presents and loved every minute of it. Bos tried to be the life of the party as he led the kids in a BYU chant and sang "I love to toot" while everyone was eating their pizza. Such a comedian...sorry Ty if you were a embarrassed by your little brother. I know he loves that you let him stay! It was a fun night and Ty had a great time!
On Sunday, his actual birthday, he opened his presents: a few shirts, Ben 10 watch, Ben 10 movie, and Ben 10 Wii game. Then after church we went to my parent's house for his birthday dinner and cake. It's hard to believe that Ty is 6. He had a wonderful birthday weekend!

Happy 6th Birthday, Tyson!

2010-03-07T00:24:00.000-07:00

I know I say this every year, but I can't believe he is so old! Six! How did we get here already? Tyson brings a lot of excitement to our family. He is feisty, and witty and has a huge heart. He gives the best hugs and always tells us that he loves us. In honor of his 6th birthday, I wanted to list 6 of his favorite things...
1. His Family...especially his brothers. He loves to spend time and play with them. They are always together. I love how close they are.
2. His Friends. Ty has a play group every Wednesday with 5 other boys and has a great time with them. Friendship is really important to him.
3. Chocolate Milk. He drinks at least 3 glasses a day and we go through about 6 gallons a week of milk. We always say he is going to turn into chocolate milk and his fingernails grow like weeds from all the calcium.
4. Ben 10. This is the character of choice this month. He had a Ben 10 party for his birthday and loves to watch the cartoon. I'm sure this will change next week, but for now this is his favorite.
5. School. Ty is excited to go every day. He is very bright and his teacher tells me he is at the top of his class. She says he is a good friend to others and is her second pair of eyes and always lets her know if someone is doing something they shouldn't.
6. Playing Pretend. Ty has a great imagination. He and his brothers are always pretending they are either the characters on MarioKart, Star Wars or Super Heroes. It is fun to listen to how vivid his imagination is and I love this creative side of Ty.

Tyson is a joy to have in our family. He brings a lot of laughter and fun to our home and we are so grateful to have him as our son. Happy Birthday Ty! We love you so much!

Boston's Birthday Celebration

2010-03-06T18:11:00.001-07:00

Boston woke up early on his birthday, came in our room and the first thing he asked was, "Is it down there?" "What?" I asked. "My plesents." So cute. He had been asking for the Cars Color Changers for weeks, which by the way is not my favorite toy as it uses a lot of water and makes a HUGE mess, but since it was what he really wanted, I gave in. We made him open that one last and when he did he kept saying, "It's so my favorite, it's so my favorite. I so excited!" His cousin, Katie brought him a Happy Meal for lunch which is also one of his favorites. Then after a much needed nap, we took him to Pirate Island for dinner. He had a blast and it was fun to watch him enjoy it. It was a great day for Bos.

The Cheetahs and The Dark Knights

2010-03-04T10:24:00.002-07:00

The boys just finished their basketball season. Ty's team was The Cheetahs and Kyler was his coach. It was Ty's first year playing and his team was made up of boys from our neighborhood and his cousin Chloe. Kyler's work schedule was a little crazy so it was great to have parents who were willing to fill in for him. Tyson did a good job and he really enjoyed playing, especially with his friends. Jackson's team was The Dark Knights and his coach was Clark Biel. Clark is the dad of Braxton, who was on Jackson's team when Kyler was the coach. He did a great job and Jacks loved playing on his team. As Jacks get older, he definitely gets more aggressive. He also played great and really enjoyed his basketball season.

Happy 3rd Birthday, Boston!

2010-03-01T08:42:00.005-07:00

Boston turns 3 today. Where did 2 go? This year has FLOWN by! Boston is such a fun part of our family. He is a comedian and loves to make us laugh. He has a gentle heart, but is definitely a bruiser. He is already wearing a size 5T. In honor of his three years, I thought I'd list three of his favorite things...
1. His Brothers. He loves to be everywhere they are. He always wants them to have what he has and he misses them when they are gone. His favorite part of the day is when they come home from school.
2. Cars. He loves Lightning McQueen or "Lightning McClean" as he calls it. He carries the cars everywhere and lets them "sleep" on his dresser at night.
3. His Shows and His Ipod. Every day he comes downstairs and asks," Can I latch (watch) my slows (shows)?" His favorites right now are Yo Gabba Gabba, Fresh Beat Band, and Team Umizoomi. Let me be clear- we didn't buy our 2 year old an Ipod, but his brothers both have one so he has a playlist we put on our shuffle. His favorite songs are Soul Sister by Train and Never Say Never by The Fray. He is a great dancer and loves to show "his moves" while listening to his songs.

Boston brings a lot of happiness to our home. We are so grateful to have him in our family. We love you, Bos, and hope you have a very Happy Birthday!

Funny Boston....

2010-02-25T12:59:00.002-07:00

Yesterday while I was getting ready, Boston walked in as I was putting on deodorant. "What's that?" he asked. I told him it was deodorant to which he replied, "I don't wanna wear that." I told him that when he was older he would and so would Jackson and Tyson so that they wouldn't be stinky. Then he said, "I gotta go tell my boys" (That is what he affectionately calls his brothers, but Kyler let me know it could refer to something else so it really isn't that cute when he says, "I'm going to go play with my boys.)Anyway...when I got downstairs I heard him tell Jacks and Ty, "When you get bigger, you have to wear yogurt under your arms..." He makes me laugh.

Crazy Hair Day

2010-02-25T12:48:00.004-07:00

On Monday, the boys had crazy hair day at school. Jacks stayed home sick so it was just Ty who did it. Since his hair is pretty short we had to be creative to make it crazy so we added some red tips and some glitter gel. He was way excited until it came time to do his hair. While I was doing it he kept asking, "Are you sure it's crazy hair day? I think it's just for the older kids and kindergarten is another day. Mom, what if I'm the only one in my WHOLE class with crazy hair?" I assured him that I was sure it was the right day, but he wasn't put at ease until we picked his friend Kanoa up for school and his hair was crazy too. It made me realize that they totally take after me. I am such a worrier. When I told Kyler about what had happened he said he totally takes credit for any ADD like symptoms the boys have, but the worrying is all on me. So true!

My Valentines

2010-02-14T12:28:00.003-07:00

Happy Valentine's Day....to the LOVES of my life!

What's Being Said Around Our House These Days...

2010-02-12T18:27:00.002-07:00

Jackson: "Hey Mom...did you know I joined a band?" Me: Really? What instrument do you play?
Jacks: "The bass guitar." Me: "But you don't have a bass guitar." Jacks: I know, but
we've planned out all of the costumes that go with each song."

Tyson: Me: "What part of sit down at the table don't you understand?" Ty:" The sitting part."
Ty: "We need to get some of that...(referring to a Nuetrogena commercial that said the
cleanser washes away everything) Me: "Why Ty, you have great skin." Ty: "Freckles."

Boston: "Mom come look, I pooped a guitar one and a blownie (brownie) one"
Bos: "What's that smell?" Me: "Is it me?" Bos: "Ya" Me:"Mommy smells good"
Bos: "No, you stink."

Just a few of the fun conversations I get to be a part of. I just love these boys and the funny things they say!

Superbowl Sunday

2010-02-12T17:54:00.004-07:00

We had my family over to watch the big game on Sunday. We have a tradition of homemade pizza every Superbowl. As you can see my boys were way more interested in the food than the game. I'm sure that will change as they get older and football will become equally as important as the food. We had a great time!

This NEVER happens...

2010-02-01T17:25:00.001-07:00

Boston is so busy these days that I had to capture this rare moment. He had missed his nap that day and had came up to Kyler and said, "Daddy, I tired." (On a side note...Kyler and I had just had a date night. We trade off babysitting at least once a month with some of our favorite neighbors and people, The Bradys. Bos had had a rough night or I should actually say the Bradys had a rough night. Potty training was in the midst of a setback and when the boys were playing in the basement with their kids, their daughter Carly yelled, "Boston pooped." Camille ran down to see what happened only to find that he had actually pooped on Carly's foot. So Camille took him upstairs and with each step another piece fell out of his pants. I felt horrible, but they just laughed about it. He was definitely not as cute and innocent in that moment as he is in this pic.) Why do they grow up so fast?

Space Derby

2010-01-22T18:36:00.000-07:00

Kyler has been finishing up his training with Salt Lake and his schedule changes almost daily. Well Jackson had his first ever Space Derby for scouts and was going to be getting his Wolf award. Kyler was working and I had to teach dance. Well, Jamie taught my class so I could be there with him. I invited Marilyn too, hoping that our presence would somehow make up for the fact that his dad wasn't there. He had worked hard on his BYU rocket and was very excited to race. In order to get the rockets to move you have to twist the rubber bands really tight. The tighter they are the faster it goes. Well I twisted it for at least 10 minutes and figured he had a great shot. Well after the first race, it was obvious it wasn't enough. Jacks was devastated. He began to cry. When I asked why he was crying, he said he had hurt his hand. Where, I asked. (I had also hurt my hand when the rubber band snapped loose and the propeller cut my finger, so I was worried he had done the same). It quickly became evident that he wasn't hurt physically, but just really bummed. So the next race, I twisted even more than before. He still lost. I felt horrible. Not to mention the fact that his rocket kept falling apart, wings flying off,etc. I looked at Jacks and said, sorry, to which he started crying again, this time telling me his tummy hurt. I felt like I couldn't do anything right. As I looked around at all the boys with their dads, it became obvious why Jacks was so sad. He missed his dad. I hugged him and let him know that he didn't always have to win to have fun. He tried to stop crying, but the tears kept coming. Luckily, his friend's dad saw what was happening and stepped in to help Jacks. He didn't win, but came a lot closer. Then he got his award. He had worked hard to earn his Wolf and it was great to see his accomplishment. It was an emotional night that made me realize more than ever that sometimes they just need their dad. I'm so grateful that our boys have such a great one!

Go BYU!

2010-01-17T16:20:00.001-07:00

Jackson and Tyson are both playing basketball this year and had received vouchers to go to a BYU basketball game. They were so excited to go. Kyler took all three boys, dressed in their BYU attire and went to the BYU/ Colorado State game. They had a great time and I enjoyed some much needed quiet time at home. The joys of having boys!

NO MORE DIAPERS!

2010-01-15T15:48:00.001-07:00

I am proud to announce that we are officially out of diapers. Boston started showing interest in going on the "potty" at the end of November, beginning of December. He would go when he got dressed in the morning and before he went to bed. He'd also occasionally ask me to go during the day and then, I'd put him back in his diaper. Totally sending him the wrong message....so when Kyler had a few days off after his graduation, we decided to potty train for real. We bought some pull-ups and were ready to go. Unfortunately, Boston wasn't quite as ready as us. We started by using a timer, which worked good for awhile. Then he got bored and when we would take him in to use the bathroom , he would casually say, "I peed in 'dem". Not effected at all by the wet pants. So, we tried underwear. Again, he wasn't phased by the uncomfortable wetness as he waddled over to me in his soaked jeans. So after washing quite a few clothes and cleaning pee off his bed and the couch, we decided to go back to pull-ups. After about 2 weeks, something clicked and it started working. Hallelujah! We have had a few set backs and we are still putting him in pull-ups at night, but we seem to be in the home stretch. Boston is my youngest to be trained. Jacks took a year that started when he was 3 and Tyson decided that "babies wear diapers" after Boston was born so he was three as well. Bos won't be three until March 1st. It is a great feeling.
Now these aren't the only diapers we have gotten rid of. For those who know us well, know that all three of my boys suck their thumbs, and while they suck their thumbs they hold onto a cloth diaper. It is the strangest thing that all three have done the same thing. Well Jacks stopped when he was seven and on his own had decided he was too old to do this. Well Ty is going on six, so Kyler told him that come January 1st, he was not "allowed to have diapers anymore." When this day came, Ty was determined to be brave and let them go. We moved them all over to Boston's drawer and Ty was set to kick the habit. Well, our little Ty has a sneaky side. I have found him hiding in his room sucking his thumb with a diaper, not complaining about being in time out because he was sitting there with one of Boston's cloth diapers, and he has taken it right out of Boston's hand when I wasn't looking. But the best attempt at sneakiness was brought to my attention while I was getting his jacket on for school. As I was zipping it up I noticed that his pocket was stuffed and something white was hanging out of it. It was a diaper.. When I asked him what he was doing with this, he said, "Mom, that's been in there since December." Nice try, pretty sure it wasn't there yesterday when I put it on you, and guess what, yesterday was January. He's such a funny kid.

Sledding

2010-01-11T15:27:00.001-07:00

The boys LOVE to go sledding. Me on the other hand...well let's just say I am not the biggest fan. I am just too big of a worrier to enjoy it. So Kyler takes the boys and I am the nice mom waiting at home with hot chocolate to warm them up. While school was out for the holidays, there was quite a bit of snow so Kyler took the boys to one of their favorite spots: the fox hole. This is in front of Jackson's old school and it is big enough to have fun, yet small enough to let Boston join in the fun. They had a blast...so I heard and here are the pics prove it.

Happy New Year!

2010-01-05T13:49:00.002-07:00

This year we celebrated New Year's Eve the way we always do, at home with Kyler's brother and his family. This is a tradition that has been going for at least five years. We decided that once we had more than one child each it is much easier to stay in and celebrate than to brave the crowds. We always have a great time. This year Don and Charity joined in the fun too. All of the kids were determined to make it til midnight so they could bang pots and pans outside. They all made it happily...all except Boston. He stayed awake, but when we started the countdown he started to cry. So close....he still banged on his pot in between sobs, then he went to bed. We had a great night playing Rock Band, eating Cafe Rio, and just spending time together. It was so nice to say good-bye to a rough 2009 and we have huge hopes for a wonderful 2010!

3rd Annual Christmas Celebration Day

2009-12-21T13:36:00.001-07:00

Even though funds were running a little low this year, we set money aside early so we could keep our tradition of "Christmas Celebration Day." We weren't going to miss it. And since the boys start asking about it around February every year we knew we had to make it happen. Once again it was one of my favorite days of the year. We started off by going to get our tree. We wanted to get an early start so we left a little after 9am, unfortunately, most lots didn't open until after 10am so we spent the first hour of the day driving around. When it was 10:15am and still no luck we decided to go to Home Depot even though it is not the most festive spot to choose a tree. We drove past one more lot on our way there and it was open. We were a little hesitant since most of the trees were over $50, but then the guy came and told us to ignore the price tags since it was their last day to sell the trees. It was our lucky day! We got a beautiful $70 tree for $35. So we took it home and decorated it then took the boys to Carls Jr for lunch and to play on the playset. (Something they ask us to do at least once a week so they welcomed this addition to our celebration) Then it was home to pack and we headed to Little America. We got checked in and went to Trolley Square for dinner and to see Santa. They have the best Santa set up. It's never busy and there is no photographer so you can take your time and take as many pics as you want. Then it was back to the hotel to get bundled up for the lights at Temple Square. It was so nice to not have a stroller this year as we fight to get on the crowded Trax train. When we got there the first train came almost immediately, but it was full. Oh well, we'll just wait for the next one. Too bad it didn't come for 30 minutes. I was freezing, but the boys didn't seem to mind. We went and saw the lights at Temple Square. They were beautiful as always. Then it was back to the room for movie night and treats. This year's pick: Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. The boys loved it, but I was asleep about halfway through. The next morning we finished off our celebration at the breakfast buffet. We really should give them a warning that the Prettyman's are coming since we always seem to leave a huge mess. Within seconds of getting their hot chocolate, the white table cloth was covered in brown spots, Boston was leaning over our table to see the people on the other side, and it was anything but quiet at our table, but we loved it. Once again we had a great time and this is a tradition that we will continue to enjoy for many years to come.

Mom, Can We Go Outside and Build a Snow...Volcano?

2009-12-15T13:16:00.000-07:00

Jackson had just been invited to go and play in the snow with his friend, Noah and Ty was way bummed to be left behind. So we told him they could go play in the snow in the backyard. Can we build a snowman? Ty asked. Sure. So an hour later, (why do snow clothes take so long?) they headed out to build their snowman with Dad's help, only to find that the snow was really ice since it had rained the day before. So they improvised, a snow volcano. They even had me put red food coloring and water in a bottle to spray on top for the lava. Genius. We ended the fun with some hot chocolate. They had a great time. Ty still checks everyday to see if his volcano is still there. I have a feeling that volcanos are the new snowmen. Snowmen are so yesterday....

Finally.....Graduation

2009-12-10T12:35:00.000-07:00

On December 3rd, Kyler graduated from the police academy...again. This was a greatly anticipated day for our family. Looking back to January, we weren't sure it would ever come, but we were so happy when it did. It meant we were done with our period of unemployment, Kyler was done was the HOURS of studying, and he was going to get back to doing the job he loves. Kyler had worked so hard and did a great job finishing as one of the top in his class. We're so proud of him. The ceremony was nice, except for that fact that it was hard to keep Boston quiet for almost 2 hours. (I tried to convince Kyler to let me leave Bos with a sitter, but Kyler wanted his whole family to be there.) I was a little nervous since we went through most of the treats in the first 20 minutes, but then he just found other ways to occupy the time. He found it entertaining to press down the seat of his chair and then let it go and it would loudly close. When I would hold it down so he couldn't do it he would loudly say, "Let go Mom." This was a fun game. Then there were the quiet moments when he would yell,"Hi Dad!". He was quite entertaining, but we made it through and Kyler's right, it wouldn't have been the same without him there to share this special day with us. Afterwards, we went to Chuckarama to celebrate. Giving the boys the freedom of a buffet was interesting especially since Ty's first plate consisted of mashed potatoes, a scone and a cinnamon roll, but we had a great time together sharing in the happiness of this huge milestone for the Prettyman Family. Good Job, Ky! We are so proud of you!

I AM SPOILED!

2009-11-20T08:17:00.000-07:00

This year I had a great birthday. I woke up to the boys yelling at me from downstairs to "come down and see what dad built for you." I came down to find Happy Birthday notes all throughout the house and a letter. So sweet. Kyler had asked me what I wanted for my birthday, and I said "a date". Well I got 2: one with my four boys, and then one the next night with Kyler. When Kyler got home from work on my birthday, the boys took me to Los Hermanos for dinner because they wanted to go to a place where they would sing to me. We had a great time. Then Saturday morning Jamie and I had our annual birthday breakfast with my dad. This year he cooked for us. It was such a treat. Then I had the best date on Saturday night. Kyler took me to Olive Garden for dinner and then he had tickets to "So You Think You Can Dance". Our seats were amazing. It was such a great show and they did all of my favorite dances. It was so fun to share something that I love so much with Kyler. It was a wonderful birthday and I am one lucky girl!

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-02T21:27:00.001-07:00

We had a great Halloween this year. Boston was Spiderman and Jacks and Ty were both characters from GI Joe. Jacks was Snake Eyes and Ty was Duke. Really, they just wanted the costumes with the muscles. I was a little nervous how Bos was going to do with his costume because when I first tried it on him he screamed and cried for me to take it off. So I had Ty put his costume on and once Boston saw that Tyson had "big muscles too" he didn't want to take the costume off. On Friday, Bos and I went to see the boys in their Halloween parade. They let the kids wear their masks so a lot of the costumes were pretty scary. At first, Boston was way nervous, but as he got used to it he kept saying, "I want to see more scaries" and then he high-fived every kid that walked by. Then we had our ward trunk-or-treat that night where the boys filled up there pumpkins full of candy and we had yet to officially trick or treat. Next we headed to our friends, the Hormans, family Halloween party. They were so nice to invite us and the boys finished off the evening with doughnut eating contests and other fun games. Saturday, Mimi, GP, and Brennan came up for pizza and then Kyler took the boys trick or treating in our neighborhood while I passed out candy. Next we headed down to my parent's neighborhood for the boys' annual attempt to brave the "scary" house. They did great this year and even Boston made it all the way up to the door. After a lot of fun and way too much sugar, we said our good-byes to Halloween.

Jacks' Birthday Weekend

2009-10-15T20:45:00.000-06:00

Every other year instead of a party for their birthday, the boys get to choose something for us to do as a family to celebrate their special day. Jacks chose to go to Boondocks and Pizza Factory for dinner. We kicked off the celebration the day before his birthday by decorating his birthday cupcakes with some neighbor friends. Sprinkles were EVERYWHERE, but the kids loved it. Then on his birthday we took him and Tyson to Boondocks. We had a blast. We played miniature golf. The boys did great and Jacks and I tied for 2nd place. Then we rode the go carts, saw the 4D movie, and played a lot of arcade games. Afterward, we went home to pick up Boston and Grandma and headed to Pizza Factory for dinner. The following day we had a family dinner of Jackson's favorite chicken tacos with Mimi's famous birthday cake for dessert. It was a fun weekend and Jackson had a great 9th birthday!

Happy Birthday, Jackson!

2009-10-10T06:38:00.001-06:00

When did this happen? I cannot believe that my first baby is turning NINE! He is such a great boy and I really am blessed to be his mom. In honor of his nine years, I will list 9 of the things I love about my Jacks...
1. He is a great big brother. The other 2 love him so much and love to be with him ALL of the time. He enjoys this and is very sweet to them.
2. He has a kind heart. He is constantly worried about others and wants them to be happy.
3. He's very smart. Jacks picks up on things easily and it shows in his good grades.
4. He's a good friend. He always includes others and doesn't want anyone to be left out.
5. He is sensitive.
6. He is a good example. He is very cautious about making a bad decision and always tries to choose the right.
7. He's happy. He has a good sense of humor...a little goofy like his dad, but I love it.
8. He has a great imagination. He is always pretending.
9. He makes me smile. I love to watch him and see the great person he is. He makes me very proud.

Jackson brings a great spirit into our home and we are very blessed to have him in our family. Happy Birthday Jackson! We love you so much!

Lagoon

2009-10-08T12:53:00.003-06:00

A few weeks ago, we had a chance to take Jackson and Ty to Lagoon. Boston got to spend the day with Mimi and GP. We had reached a family goal and this was the reward. We had a blast. The boys were tall enough to go on almost everything. It wasn't very crowded so we were able to go on everything we wanted. Their favorite ride was Wicked where you are taken up about 110 feet and then dropped straight down. They loved it. We missed Bos, but it was really fun to spend some quality time with the older two. What a great day.

The Eagles and The Doughnuts

2009-09-26T20:15:00.001-06:00

Jackson and Tyson both played soccer this year. It was Ty's first year and Kyler was his coach. They were the Eagles. He played with his cousin Chloe. He loved it and even scored a few goals throughout the season. It was Jackson's first year playing without Kyler for his coach. HIs team was The Doughnuts, still not quite sure why or how they came up with this name. I guess it is third grade humor. His coach was great and Jacks did a really good job. He started out way aggressive (for Jackson) during the first 15 minutes of the first game until he took a ball to the face. With his nose gushing and jersey covered in blood, the timid player came back, but I can't say I blame him. He grew a lot during the season and became a great asset to his team. It was really fun to watch both of them play! Way to go boys!

OREGON!

2009-09-21T20:55:00.000-06:00

I was so excited to go on my annual trip to Oregon to visit Tara and her family. We had a GREAT time as always. We spent most of the 3 days relaxing and catching up. I really wish she lived closer, but I am so grateful for our close relationship. While I was there I got to see the hospital where she will be working once she finishes nursing school in June. It was neat to see. I am so proud of her. She inspires me to get started with my journey to becoming a nurse. She will do an amazing job. We also enjoyed a few meals out, a little shopping, and a lot of quality time together. Thanks again Tara for hosting a wonderful visit! Can't wait til next year!

Allergies?

2009-09-19T16:45:00.003-06:00

So last week, I had the chance to visit Tara in Oregon and while I was gone my friends and family pitched in to watch the boys while Kyler was at work. I am so blessed to have great help! The first day, my boys were at my neighbor, Camille's house. Tyson was being a little mischievous, big surprise, and throwing some toys onto her daughter's canopy above her bed. So Camille asked Ty to come to her, and she said, " Ty let me tell you about a rule in our house..." To which he replied, "I'm allergic to rules." What am I going to do with him? Hilarious, but quite the stinker! Love that kid!

First Day of School...Finally

2009-09-15T18:11:00.003-06:00

Well I am a little behind on the blogging, but I wanted to make sure I had this day written down. The boys started school a few weeks ago, Jacks one week before Ty. He was way excited for school to start. They have built a new school right down the street from our house so no more bus. It is called North Point Elementary and the boys were excited to be among the first students to go to the school. On the first day, I walked with Jackson and as we approached the school he said, "Mom, you can just drop me off right here on the corner." "Really, are you sure? Do you know where your class is? You don't want me to walk you in on your first day?" "No mom, I'm good." So I knew I wouldn't always have my cool mom status, I just didn't realize I would lose it by 3rd grade. He is loving his teacher and is doing great.Ty started the next week. He is in afternoon kindergarten. Thankfully, he let me walk him all the way in. He was so excited to go to school like his big brother. Right before I took him, my neighbor came to watch Bos while I took Ty (On a side note, Bos thought he was going to school too. In fact earlier that morning he wanted to talk to Jamie on the phone and said, "I going to my new school." So needless to say he was way bummed when he went with my neighbor. He through a huge fit including hitting her shutters and telling her, "No I don't want you!". Sorry Camille! ) She told me that she balled and balled after she dropped off her little girl at kindergarten that morning. I had cried when I took Jacks to his first day of kindergarten, but I didn't anticipate any tears this time since I had done it before. Wishful thinking....as soon as Ty walked into his classroom, the tears came and I went and joined the other sad moms on the grass. Thank goodness for sunglasses. I just can't believe he is in school. He is too big. He and Jacks now walk home together. They are such good friends. In fact the first day they came walking towards me they were holding hands. Too cute. I told them that they didn't have to hold hands, but Jacks said Ty was falling behind and he didn't want him to be scared. I love that they look after eachother. It has been nice to have a little one on one time with Bos everyday and then 2 hours of quiet time while he naps. Afternoon kindergarten was good planning on my part. I am just so happy that they are enjoying school. I'm a proud mom.

Jackson's New Room = No More Crib

2009-09-10T08:08:00.002-06:00

We had been telling Jackson that when he turned 8 he would be getting his own room and Tyson and Boston would share. Well when his eighth birthday came, we were no where near ready to let go of the confining benefits of the crib, so we told him once school was out. Well in May, we were in the midst of our unemployment and could not afford the necessities such as a mattress, so we told him before he started third grade. Well we just about made it. On Labor Day weekend we decided to make the change. Jackson had decided that he wanted a BYU room so I had been collecting things here and there over the last year. This project was quite the labor of love. We had bought a white full-sized off KSL the summer before his eighth birthday that had been sitting in our garage and we had our old dresser that was now going into Jackson's room. Our plan was to sand them and stain them a dark brown and then they would match. Oh my gosh, was this a project. My dad had suggested that using a paint stripper would be easier than sanding the headboard. Kyler thought this would take too long and just wanted to paint the headboard. I was determined to prove him wrong. Well after 2 trips to Home Depot, 2 different types of strippers (one claiming to be "industrial" strength), and at least 8 hours later, I was about 1/20 of the way done with the headboard. This obviously wasn't going to work. Well Kyler, after my pleading, agreed to try just sanding it. This was a lot faster, faster being a relative term. After about 10 more hours of sanding, the headboard and dresser were ready to be stained. While they were drying, since it was now Monday afternoon and the day we had to finish, we went and bought him his new mattress. By that night he was sleeping in his new bed in his new BYU room. Which meant that we had to say good-bye to the crib. Luckily we found it a good home at our neighbor's house. But this also meant saying good-bye to the comfort of knowing that he was safely trapped in his crib until I got him out in the morning. I wasn't sure Bos was ready for the freedom of a new big boy bed, and I knew for sure that I wasn't ready, but he was way too big for his crib, so I had to brave the change. He did great. He stayed in his bed all night and loved sharing a room with Ty. He is adjusting well to his new found freedom and so is Jacks. They are growing up way too fast!

Dad, What's A...

2009-09-09T08:49:00.000-06:00

Tampax pearl? What? Not a question we expected to get from our 8 year old son on a Sunday morning. "Why?" we yelled up to him. "Because Bos has the box of them and has gotten them all out." We ran upstairs to find this. Apparently we need to get the kid some new toys. We quickly cleaned them up to which Jacks asked, "Mom what are those for?" I replied, "They're for girls." "I know, but what for?" "Just for girls... now get ready for church." I figure we can save the rest of that conversation for a later date...

C-A-L-I-F-O-R-N-I-A

2009-09-08T12:16:00.003-06:00

At the beginning of August, I braved our annual trip to California without Kyler. We packed our car, practically over-flowing, not with luggage, but people (Don and Charity came as well as my mom and Brennan. Don't ask where they all sat, creative seat belting.) put our limit to one bag each luggage on top and left at 5am. The boys traveled so well and we were back in the OC by 3:30pm. We had a nice visit with my Nannie. The boys did not disappoint in the entertainment department. They talked her ear off and Bos showed off his famous dance moves. Then we went to stay with Jennie and her family. It is so nice to stay with her. Her son Tanner is 6 years old so my boys have a playmate and her daughter Delaney is 2 so her and Bos played together. She is a wonderful host! We had a busy trip...OC Fair on Thursday. This was great except for the part where Bos decided he didn't want to go in the fun house and went out the entrance into a huge crowd of people while I was waiting at the exit. Luckily, I saw this happening and as I RAN to get him, a nice lady made him wait for me by the entrance. Friday was beach day. Jacks and Ty loved the water and stayed in it the whole time we were there. Bos loved the birds and chased them all around. That night Jennie's husband graciously watched the kids (Thanks Trev!) while Jennie and I went out to Olive Garden. It was so fun to sit and catch up. I really wish we lived closer to eachother. Saturday we went to Taco Surf and walked to pier. Then Jennie and I took the kids to a bounce house place. They had a blast and they were exausted after. Then Sunday morning at 4:30am we headed home. It was a quick trip, but we had a great time. As the boys get older I realize that these trips by myself are getting a little easier. Can't wait til next year!

Summer Fun!

2009-08-27T10:40:00.003-06:00

With Kyler back at work, I decided to make this a fun summer with the boys. It was fun on a budget. We found a new fun spot and made quite a few visits there this summer. We would head up to Deer Creek for the day. We call it the "beach" even though the ground is covered in rocks instead of sand. The boys would have a blast playing in the water, throwing rocks, and making rivers or "livers" as Bos would call them, and I would enjoy watching them while getting a tan. It was always a relaxing outing. We visited at least 2 different parks a week and we usually went with their cousins. This was our free fun and the boys loved it. They also became big fans of spraying eachother with the hose in the backyard. What started as my attempt to be fun mom and give them a bucket of water to play with squirt guns, quickly turned into using the hose to squirt eachother. When I went outside to see what they were doing, they thought they were in big trouble. It was fun to see thier reaction when I just wanted to take their picture. We had a great summer.

Happy Pioneer Day!

2009-08-19T09:38:00.002-06:00

This year for Pioneer Day, Kyler had the day off. We started the day with a 5 mile walk on the trail. The boys rode their scooters and had a great time. Then we had a bbq with some our favorite neighbors, The Bradys. They are such a fun family. Then some more friends came over for dessert, fireworks, and an exciting parade put on by the kids, which explains Ty's outfit. I just love that picture of him. We had a wonderful day and realized even more that we really love where we live!

Pineview

2009-08-18T13:43:00.003-06:00

So I am way behind on posting, but I am giving it my best effort to finally catch up. Every other year we take a family trip with Kyler's mom to Bear Lake. Well this year we decided to change it up and went to Pineview Lake. So at the end of June, we enjoyed a week at the lake. We had a great condo with an amazing pool. The boys had a blast going down the slide. We had our first ever Prettyman talent show. Our boys did a spoof of "So You Think You Can Dance" where they all three had to "dance for their lives". I played Mary Murphy and Kyler was Nigel. Jacks did his dance from his dance festival to "We're All In This Together" from High School Musical, Ty did the chicken dance, and Bos did a dance to a rap of Itsy Bitsy Spider. It was hilarious. We ended of course with a big Mary Murphy scream. We also spent a day at the beach, went to the Treehouse Museum in Ogden, had a morning exercise group, played games, had relay races, and ate way too much food. It was a perfect family vacation. Thanks Marilyn for a great time! Can't wait til the next one...

FINALLY... Full-Time!

2009-07-13T06:44:00.003-06:00

After seven long months of waiting and several part-time jobs to make ends meet, Kyler starts his new full-time job today. We are so excited. It has been quite a journey to get to this point. We have grown closer as a family and have grown spiritually. We have found great blessings in the trials. We could have not made it through this time without the help and support of family and friends. They have carried us through. We have been shown many tender mercies that really lightened our load and we are so grateful for the help. We can't express our gratitude enough. It has made us want to be better people and serve others the way that we have been served. Today, we begin a new chapter in our life. I'll be honest, I am not sad to say good-bye to unemployment, but I will always remember how blessed we have been through this time. Here is a picture of my boys who all shaved their heads in honor of Kyler starting the academy....today is a good day!

Don and Charity Get Married!

2009-07-09T17:52:00.011-06:00

On June 23rd, Charity became a Lovelace. Don and Charity were sealed in the Bountiful Temple. It was a beautiful ceremony and a beautiful day full of love, family, and fun. I enjoyed getting to know Charity's family. They are great people. They had their luncheon at El Matador in Bountiful and their reception was at Wadley Farm in Lindon. The reception was really fun. They had dancing which brought back memories of our reception. We had a great time. Charity is such a sweet girl and a wonderful addition to our family. Congratulations Don and Charity. We love you guys and know that you will have a great life together.

The "Tyson" Tooth

2009-06-23T07:45:00.004-06:00

Ty just lost his other front tooth. We had been anticipating this loss for at least a month. It did not want to come out. We dubbed it the "Tyson" tooth because it was pretty stubborn. The night it finally came out it was an hour long process. By this time, Ty was really nervous to have Kyler touch it, so it was quite a battle. Finally after 45 minutes of trying, Kyler said, "Ok, I will try to pull it, then you try to pull it." This actually worked and it went back and forth a few times. It was Ty's turn and he went to pull it and screamed, "AHHHHHHHH....it's gone." Kyler had got it out and he didn't even notice. When he woke up in the morning, he proudly came into our room holding the money the tooth fairy had left him. When I asked him how much it was, he laid it on the bed and started counting, "A thousand..." So cute...I think I need to lose a tooth because apparently the tooth fairy is a lot more generous than she used to be. I just love his new smile!

Swimming Lessons

2009-06-15T18:36:00.002-06:00

The boys had a chance to take private swimming lessons during the last week of May. This was good since my last attempt was when Jacks was three. I've been hesitant to put them in a class because while Jacks was in his class, I had to go in the pool and save him since the teacher wasn't paying attention to him. So when I heard the teacher would only have one student at a time, I jumped at the chance. Their teacher is a member of the BYU swim team and she did a great job. They both really enjoyed it. They won't be competing in any swim competitions in the near future, but they are both way more comfortable in the water. Jacks mastered the basics and is pretty confident in the water and Ty is comfortable enough that I won't worry that he will drown without his life jacket in the pool. All in all it was a success.

Preschool, Derby, and Dancing

2009-06-10T16:33:00.003-06:00

With the school year coming to an end we have been busy with the usual end of school activities. Tyson had his preschool graduation. I cannot believe that he is going to start kindergarten. He had a singing program and then his teacher, Miss Molly gave each of the students an award. Once again we were a little surprised by Ty's award. He was given the award for being the "Most Kind". Not that Ty isn't kind, but I think she sees a little more of this part of his personality at school than we do at home, as we deal with the constant power struggles between brothers. He has really done well in preschool and his teacher says he is more than prepared for kindergarten. He is already reading and we could not be more proud of his progress. Great job, Ty! Then after the graduation we headed straight to Jackson's first scout pinewood derby. I know I have mentioned once or twice that I am not married to the handiest of men. Love ya Ky...So I was interested to see the finished project of what started out as a block of wood. I was a little nervous when Kyler got out his huge skill saw to cut off the front 1/2 inch of wood. As he balanced the wood with his foot on a paint can while bending down with the saw, the boys stood in the driveway with their hands covering their ears and their eyes closed. I'm sure they were reading my mind that a severe injury was in our near future. THANKFULLY...everything turned out ok and Jacks had a lot of fun making his first car with his dad. At the derby they raced their cars and all got awards. Jackson got the award for the "Fastest Block On Wheels". He was so proud just as we were of him. Finally Jackson had his annual dance festival at school. The 2nd graders all did a dance to "Together" from High School Musical. He had practiced, A LOT, and he did great. It was fun to watch him. He has quite a bit of rythym. I wonder who he gets that from? It is so hard to believe that he will be going into the third grade. I don't feel old enough to have a third grader. He brought home his final report card with all A's just as he had done the rest of the year. What a smart boy. Great job, Jacks. We are so proud of our smart boys!

These Guys Have My Heart

2009-06-05T18:22:00.005-06:00

Here is a picture of my cute boys in their summer pajamas...ALL SMILING. This is a rare photo. We usually have at least one making a crazy face. Speaking of rare...the other day I looked out my kitchen window to see all three of them playing together, no fighting. This was happiness to me. I really hope they grow up to be great friends. They have all had their cute moments lately. Boston is talking up a storm. He can't say his "r"s so he always say "l"s instead. He also hasn't learned how to shorten his words so he always says, "can not" and "do not". On Sunday, Kyler and I were having a lazy morning and the boys were downstairs. They said they were hungry, so we said Jacks could get them some cereal. After a few minutes passed, Boston came upstairs yelling, "Jackson cannot leach it, Jackson cannot leach it." It cracked us up. A funny Ty story happened the day before. The boys had been watching a show upstairs where they showed a commercial that caught Ty's attention. He rushed downstairs and said, "Mom- you have got to get the salon hair styler." To which I replied, "What?" Then he proceeded to pull on the side of his hair and said, " Don't you not like all the styling and the damage? I know you don't. That's why you have got to get it." So I asked, "The salon hair styler?" To which he replied, "What?" Apparently we have a salesman in the making. Then Jacks said the sweetest thing the other day. We are getting ready for Don's wedding in a few weeks and I had made a necklace to go with my outfit and I was trying it on with the sweater to see if it was long enough. Jacks walked in and said, "Wow, I like that necklace." Then he yelled down the hall to Ty, "Hurry Ty, come see how pretty Mom looks..." That made my day. Each day with these boys has its ups and downs so I thought I would write down a few of the ups to remember on the days that don't have too many of these "sweet" moments.

Dance

2009-05-21T20:03:00.004-06:00

This year I had the opportunity to go back to teaching dance. I figured it would be good to put my degree to use. I teach at the same studio as Jamie so it has been nice to have her help since she has been teaching at that studio for quite a few years. I had two classes. One with 8- 4 & 5 year olds and the other had 5 girls that ranged from 5-7 years old. When I started back in September, I was quickly reminded of the amount of "work" it takes to entertain such little girls for an hour while trying to teach them, but as the year went on I really enjoyed it. I had such cute girls in my classes. They would say the funniest things and were always full of information. Our recital theme this year was Broadway. For all of those who know me, I am not the biggest fan of Broadway songs, but I was able to find four cute songs and the dances turned out pretty good. My younger class did their ballet dance to "Be Our Guest" and their tap dance to "Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile." They did a great job. Two of my cute neighbors helped make their costumes. I love how they turned out and so did all the moms. In their ballet dance they do a kick line and when they did this part in the recital the audience cheered. Then my older girls did their ballet dance to "We Go Together" from Grease and their tap was "Big Girls Don't Cry". They did good as well. It was alot of work and there were days that I wondered if they got anything out of the class, but I loved the experience and I look forward to teaching again in September. On a side note, it made me really appreciate the fact that I am a mom of boys. After 2 emotional hours each Thursday, it was nice to go home to them.

When Did They Grow Up?

2009-05-18T15:22:00.004-06:00

The other day Kyler took the boys out front to ride bikes. He called me out just in time to see Boston on a big kid's bike. When did this happen? He is no longer a baby...just one of the boys. On the other hand, Kyler had no problem fitting right in with his boys. Where did the time go?Then the other night we had a very boyish activity for FHE...High School Musical Dance Mat. The boys are huge fans. We had a good time and even Kyler and I joined in the fun. Kyler thought that since I was a dancer I should be fine on the hardest level. Well, when he could tell that I was really struggling he moved me down to level 2. I was pretty confident until I looked over at Boston staring at me and he asked, "You ok mama?" Guess I wasn't doing as good as I thought. I love the honesty. It was a fun night.

Mother's Day

2009-05-18T07:24:00.004-06:00

This year I had a great Mother's Day. I woke up to a dozen roses with a little "I Love You" note in each one, a Kohls giftcard, and my favorite part which was a typed letter entitled, "Why we love you mom!" Kyler had interviewed the boys and this is what they said:

- Cause she helps me when I have hard things to do- Jacks
- Because she be's nice to us- Ty
- She cooks for us- The Boys
- When I get frustrated or something she helps me calm down, like cool off- Jacks
- She takes us on fun walks- The Boys
- She helps us do our chores- The Boys
- She makes us feel better when we get hurt- Ty
- She gives kisses- Bossy
- She picks out nice clothes for us- The Boys

It was so fun to hear the things that are important to them. On a side note, a few days before Mother's Day Jacks came home from school with a "ash tray" looking dish that they had made in school for Mother's Day. When he showed me the cool purple dish and he also showed me another clay dish he had made a year or so ago that has been sitting on his dresser since then. When I admired the new one he said I could choose which one I wanted for Mother's Day. I knew exactly what he wanted so I purposely chose the purple one. To which he replied, "But look mom, this one has lots of colors and it used to have jewels (which now sat inside the dish because they had long ago fallen off)." I said, "Hasn't that one been sitting on your dresser for a long time?" To which he replied, "Yes, but I have been saving it for you..." How could I argue with that? Guess this year, mom gets the leftovers.
The rest of my day was great also. We surprised Kyler's mom at her ward where Ky's sister Kim had been asked to speak as a tribute to her mom. It was really neat. She is an amazing woman. Then we went to dinnner at my parent's house where we got to talk to Cory. He is such a neat person and an incredible missionary. He is such an example to me. All in all, it was a very special day that I got to spend with those that mean the most to me, my mom, Marilyn, and most importantly... Kyler and my boys. I am one blessed mom. As I always ask them, "How did I get so lucky to be your mom?" I am not sure, but it is my greatest blessing.

E-L-E-V-E-N Years!

2009-05-02T05:17:00.000-06:00

I can't believe that today is our eleventh wedding anniversary. Time sure passes quickly. In celebration of our eleven years of marriage I thought I would remember eleven highlights of our time together so far...
#1- Our three boys
#2- Moving into our first home
#3- Moving into our dream home, the one where our boys will grow up
#4- Graduating from BYU
#5- Kyler starting his dream job...what he was born to do
#6- Our fun vacations...Jamaica, cruise to Mexico, Oregon, and of course Cali
#7- Being close to family
#8- Enduring trials together...and learning from them
#9- Parenting together
#10- Growing spiritually together
#11- Being better friends and more in love now, than on May 2, 1998, when we were sealed in the San Diego Temple.

I am truly blessed to have such a great husband and marriage. I look forward to the many more "highlights" that we will share together. Happy Anniversary, Ky! I love you so much!

Oregon Again!

2009-05-01T12:06:00.003-06:00

We decided to take advantage of Spring Break and make the drive to visit Tara and her family in Oregon again. When we had been in the car for 14 hours and still had 2 to go and were stuck in rush hour traffic, we were definitely questioning our choice, but when we finally made it after 16 long hours in the car we were glad we did. We had such a fun time. Here are a few of the highlights.......
* Quality time with family
* The boys (minus Boston...still too young, maybe next year) went four wheeling for the day. They had so much fun and were a lot braver this year.
* Lunch with Tara at Baja Fresh...twice. They really need one of those in Utah.
* Getting pulled over by a "celebrity" cop. Maybe not such a highlight, but after a 15 minute conversation and a little "flirting" (as our husbands called it) we got out of it with a warning. Hopefully Kyler never falls for that trick. The best part of the conversation was when out of the blue he asked us if we had seen the show "Speeders" Tara said yes and asked when his episode was on. He replied, "Oh, I've been on it at least 6 or 7 times." We acted super impressed. I guess a little ego stroking goes a long way with the Eugene Motor Cops. FYI... up the road about a mile or so was another motorcycle cop. We were glad that "she??" didn't pull us over because we probably would not have received the same treatment.
*Movie Night and Cold Stone.
* The boys had "sleepovers" as they call it every night on the floor of Nathan and Kaydan's room. One of the nights Boston even joined in the fun and had his first official "sleepover" with his brothers. He is getting too big. When did he grow up?
* Going back to a fun park and people watching. This can provide hours of entertainment. There are some odd ducks in Eugene...
* Getting a pedicure in the best massage chair
* Kyler and Mario took off for a few hours to do some REAL four wheeling. They came back covered in mud and with huge smiles on their faces.
* Birthday dinner for Kaydan
* Best of all was hanging out and relaxing with the Puhalas...we really wish they lived closer! We miss them already.

The drive home went a little better and we were home safe and sound in less than 14 hours. Hopefully we will be able to fly next time...

Easter

2009-04-26T19:02:00.003-06:00

We had a great Easter this year. The Easter Bunny was the boys' favorite person because he brought Ipod Shuffles for the 2 older boys and Little Einstein bath toys or "locket" (rocket) toys as he calls them, for Bos. Jacks was a little in shock since I have been telling him for the last 2 years that he would not get one until he was a teenager. I guess I was over-ruled by the bunny. They also got I-Tunes giftcards to download a few songs. It was fun to see their taste in music. They have quite a few songs from Camp Rock, High School Musical 1,2, and 3, and Jonas Brothers. But then they have some random ones like "Who Let the Dogs Out", "Monster Mash", "Disturbia", and the theme song from Beverly Hills Chihuahua. The last song justs says "chihuahua" over and over so all through the morning we could hear the boys loudly singing, "chihuahua....chihuahua". It was pretty funny. The boys wore their new Easter ties to church and it was fun to dress them alike. We tried to get a "good" picture of the three of them together, but as you can tell from all of the attempts we weren't too successful. They still look cute though. After church we had my family over for dinner and had our annual easter egg hunt. The boys were spoiled as usual as they filled their baskets with candy. It was a good day.

Catching Up...

2009-04-25T10:59:00.004-06:00

Life has been really busy these last few weeks and I have neglected the blog. Here are a few things we have been up too... Kyler has been a great dad as always and has been able to do more considering that he is not working 80 hours a week like he used to. He took Tyson on his preschool field trip to the Bean Museum. They had a good time. When Ty was showing me the pictures he pointed to the lizard and said "that's Colonel Mustard" then I pointed to the turtle and asked who's that. He thought for a minute and said, "Mike." "Really?" I asked. He looked at me and said, "Ummm...no I just regot (his version of forgot). What a stink. Then Kyler decided to have a night out with his boys and was brave enough to take all three of them to a Utah Flash basketball game. Jacks had got the tickets from school and he was really excited to go. They lasted until the third quarter when the treats were gone and boredom set in. Kyler enjoyed having a glimpse of what's to come. Although when they are older I am sure we will not be able to get them to leave a game early. You can tell by the pictures that I wasn't there because there is no way that I would have let them stand up on that rail, especially my 2 year old. I am too much of a worrier. Ky on the other hand is way laid back and just let them be boys. They had a fun time...just the boys.

Such Cute Boys!

2009-04-04T16:13:00.003-06:00

The boys are growing up way too fast and I am amazed at the "adult-like" conversation we sometimes have. The other night Kyler was doing a shift in Saratoga Springs (On a side note...I must admit...it is nice to see him in uniform again. He is enjoying being back in his element.) and the boys and I met him at the Jr High to bring him dinner. When he pulled up there was an accident that had just happened on Main St so he quickly grabbed his dinner and sped off. Here is the conversation that followed... Bos-"Whoa...Daddy go faster." Ty- "I am going to be kinda nervous my first day." Me- "Your first day of what?" Ty- "Bein' a cop." I then explained that you go to a lot of school before you are a cop so that you are prepared. Jacks- "Will they teach us about speed limits and stuff?" This cracked me up...it totally showed their personalities. Jacks my cautious, rule follower, Ty my determined, strong-willed child, and Bos who is at the age of loving every new discovery. They are each at a fun stage of life and I am really enjoying it.

Worth Every Minute!

2009-04-02T20:14:00.006-06:00

When I decided to start a blog, my whole purpose was to create a journal for our family. I have been horrible at this in the past so I thought maybe a blog would be easier. As the year came to an end, I started to work on my blurb book. It was quite the labor of love partially due to the fact that they were experiencing compatibility issues so I had to copy and paste each entry from my blog, but it was well worth it. I now have a really nice 104 page book that our family will have forever. I am way excited and it motivates me to be a better blogger this year. Here are a few pictures of the book... I used our family picture for the year as the cover and then a one of my other favorite pics for the back. The only thing I don't like is that it cut a little of Kyler's face off since it is an image wrap, but it still looks good. Here are a few of the different layouts you can use. Although it was a tedious process, it was easy to do and I love the end result.

Blue and Gold Dinner

2009-03-30T21:18:00.003-06:00

Last Tuesday, Jackson had his first blue and gold dinner. Lets be honest...I know nothing about scouting. I am learning, but not quick enough. I told them that Jacks had already completed his bobcat only to find out he had only done part one of eight. We had a quick cram session on the Sunday before so that he could still get his award. Now, I have fond memories of many scouting events that I was forced to attend for my brothers so I was way excited for this dinner. Jacks and Mason did a great job presenting the colors and Jacks did get his award. The entertainment did not disappoint...a skit by the boys followed by a "round" of applause. Some things never change. It was fun to see Jacks in this element and I have many more blue and gold dinners to look forward too. Oh the joys of three boys...Good job Jacks! We are so proud of you!

St. Patrick's Day

2009-03-30T20:56:00.004-06:00

I am way behind on the blogging so I am finally going to try and catch up...the day before St.Patrick's Day our good friends, the Southwicks, came over for dinner. Their daughter, Sammy spent the whole evening telling the boys all you could possibly want to know about leprchauns. By the end of the night they were totally freaked out and insisting that they heard a leprchan laughing, one ran past them, and one even pinched Ty. Sammy also informed them that if they could trap one then they would get some treats. Well we convinced them that leprechauns were not evil, just sneaky. So the next morning the leprchaun turned the milk in their cereal green and he left green marshmellows in their afternoon snack. The boys worked really hard that night on a trap (with Kyler's help) complete with a trap door, a "No Leprechauns Allowed" sign and a Lucky Charm trail to lure him in. They were determined they were going to catch one. They woke up the next moning to a note from Lucky the Leprechaun and a lot on green treats. I fear a new tradition was just started....I guess it was well worth the fun.

Where'd The Boys Go?

2009-03-19T21:00:00.008-06:00

The other day, the boys called Kyler and me into the toy room and this is what we found. Do you think they have a few stuffed animals? It was pretty cute and it made us laugh. I love that they are all at an age where they play pretty well together. I guess I should say, Ty and Jacks play great together and Bos follows them wherever they go. Oh, I love these three boys!

Kite Flying

2009-03-18T19:56:00.003-06:00

For Tyson's birthday, he got a cool shark kite. (OK...last year, not this year....I know I am the worst mom) He has been begging me for the last little while to go fly it. Kyler and I had just got back from a well needed afternoon date and it was pretty windy. So we went down to the basement, dusted off the kite and took it out. We had a great time together. The boys took turns flying it and Ty was a great sharer. I was able to get a picture right when Boston saw it go up in the air for the first time and he screamed, "WOW!" It is amazing how the little things go such a long way. Definitely something I should know by now, but apparently something that I need to keep learning.

Chuck E. Cheese

2009-03-14T19:11:00.002-06:00

We have decided to start a new "tradition" with birthdays. They can have a party one year, and then every other year they get to choose something they want to do as a family. Ty chose Chuck E. Cheese. It was going to be just the 5 of us, but when we were talking about it, Jacks said, "Of course Brennan gets to come." Then Ty chimed in "And Luke". We figured since it was still "family" the more the merrier. Brennan had spent the night so that he could share in all of the day's festivities. After breakfast and presents, we got ready to head out. I'm not sure what we were thinking going to such a place at noon on a Saturday, it was way crowded. The boys didn't seem to mind. After pizza, the boys had a great time spending the 180 tokens. Boston's favorite part was putting the token into the slot, he didn't really care what the game was. We had a good time together and Ty had a great fifth birthday.

Tyson is FIVE!!!!!

2009-03-07T06:25:00.000-07:00

I can't believe five years have passed since I was laying in that hospital bed for three weeks waiting for him to join our family. Since he is five, I will share five of my favorite things about Ty...
1. He is very witty. He is constantly saying things that make us laugh. The other day, Kyler said to him, "You're sure having a lot of treats for lunch." To which Ty replied, "I can live with that." He has a great sense of humor.
2. He is very strong-willed. This is a favorite and sometimes a least favorite trait. As his mom it creates a few struggles, like yesterday when he didn't get his way and he told me he wanted to "trade to a new family" and then when I told him that if he didn't start acting nice then he would have to go to his room to which he told me, "You go and sit on your bed all day!" However, this confidence and strength gives me great comfort in knowing that he will always stand up for himself and what he knows is right.
3. He is full of energy. Ty definitely keeps us on our toes. He loves to play and run.
4. He is very smart. He is already starting to read.
5. He is very loving. He is a good friend. I always tell him he gives the best hugs. He is loyal to his family and always watches out for them.
Tyson brings a lot of energy to our home. He is such a special blessing to our family. Happy Birthday Ty! We love you tons!

Basketball

2009-03-06T21:53:00.003-07:00

This year Tyson played Itty Bitty Basketball and Jackson played on the Tigers basketball team which just happened to have the best coach....his dad. Kyler does a great job with the kids and Jacks loves having his dad be his coach. It was fun to watch them play. Ty is a bit of an aggressive player, where Jacks tends to be a little more timid. Jackson definitely had a lot more confidence this year and was especially strong defensively. He would guard his man even if it meant chasing him around the court. Boston loved watching his brothers play. He would scream "Go Ty!" or "Go Jacks!" while clapping loudly. We often had the people in front of us turn around to see who was yelling and they would smile when they saw that it was coming from Bos. We had a great time cheering them on and watching them play. Good job boys!

Boston Turns 2!

2009-03-01T19:19:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe that our baby is already 2. Where does the time go? It passes way too quickly. In honor of his two years, I will share the two things I love most about Boston...
1) He is a very happy boy who loves to make us laugh.
2) He LOVES his brothers. He is their little shadow and always wants to be with them. He also wants to make sure they always have what he does. If he asks me for a snack he also asks for one for Ty and Jacks. He is very caring.
It has been quite a year for Bos...he has learned to walk, his vocab has increased from three words at 18 months to now speaking in sentences, he loves to play catch and has quite an arm, he loves to "color circles" which he has done in pencil and highlighters all over our walls, and he has learned that saying "PLEEEASE" while tilting his head to the side pretty much gets him whatever he wants. He is a very smart boy! He brings a lot of joy to our home and we are happy to have him in our family! Happy Birthday Bos! We love you so much!

Totally Spoiled!

2009-02-24T15:13:00.004-07:00

So I just returned from an amazing and relaxing weekend in California thanks to my great friend Jennie. A few weeks ago I mentioned to her that I was thinking of using skymiles to fly down and she said that if I did she would "host my whole trip". Since our financial situation has been a bit unpredictable lately, this was an offer I could not turn down. Thankfully, I am blessed with a great husband who was willing to stay home with our cute boys so I could enjoy a weekend away. I flew in Friday around noon. She picked me up and we went and met Rosalee (a friend I grew up dancing with) for lunch. Then I went and spent a few hours with my grandma. It was great to visit with her. Next, Jennie and I went to Taco Surf (my fav) for dinner. We spent the rest of the night catching up. The next day her husband and son went to Nascar for the weekend and her daughter went to her sisters so it was just us girls for the weekend. We had a blast! Manicures and pedicures, a hard work-out (my calves still hurt!), dinner and a chick flick, chocolate malted crunch, breakfast at Cocos, massages and wraps at a beautiful day spa, watching our old dance videos, and some great talks with one of my oldest and truest friends. Thanks Jennie for a great weekend. Not sure what I would do without you. Thanks for your friendship and example. You make me want to be better! Missing you and the warm weather already...

A New Tradition

2009-02-15T09:25:00.004-07:00

This year for Valentine's Day, I started a new tradition. I would like to say that it was my idea, but it was actually something my friend Steph's mom did for her family every year. So she invited me over to make them and she was a big help. We made big heart cookies for each of the kids with their name on it. I wrapped them in cellophane and left them on the counter for when the boys woke up on Valentine's Day. The plan is that usually they will be waiting for them after school on V-Day so I don't send them to school on a sugar high for their teachers, but since it was a Saturday, I had them ready for the morning. I even made one for my other "boy". It said, "Kyler loves Jenna", always good to give a reminder...Kyler and I have never really been big on the Valentine's Day traditions. We have given up on the card thing. He had a tradition of going to Albertsons (a store well known for its cards) at 5am on Valentine's Day when he was on duty, finding the first card he saw or by that time the only one that was left,(it didn't matter if it had a teddy bear or a unicorn on the front), spending $5 and then writing inside:"Sorry for the corny card...I love you!" So not worth the money. I wish he would have just written I love you on the $5. So in order to avoid the disappointment that comes after I have spent the time finding the "perfect" card and he has done his thing, we just don't get each other cards. It works for us. Don't get me wrong, he is a romantic husband, one year he wrote me a letter which was my favorite, he just feels that he doesn't "need a day set aside to show me he loves me, he should just show me all the time." Good point. We had a great day. The boys loved the cookies, and after the sugar rush, they went to play with their cousins and then everyone came back to our house for dinner. Hope you all enjoyed your special day as much as us.

Draper Temple Open House

2009-02-13T09:53:00.005-07:00

On Saturday, we had the opportunity to go to the Draper Temple. Eric and Nikki and their family came too. The boys were excited. I, on the other hand was a little apprehensive because I had heard the whole thing could take a few hours and I wasn't sure how the boys would do. They did great. They were so interested in everything we saw. It is a beautiful temple and it was so neat to see the boys take it all in. When we were done, Jacks said to me, "I love this experience." Me too...

Life is Unpredictable...

2009-02-05T08:58:00.007-07:00

So after a long break, I am back to blogging. Life is unpredictable. Who would have thought that after getting a new job in Salt Lake and giving our notice in Lehi, we would get a phone call the day before Christmas that would turn our lives upside down. They are postponing hiring indefinitely...AKA...we are now unemployed. We are still in search of our next endeavor, but we have felt the guidance of our Heavenly Father more than ever. We are blessed with great family, friends, and neighbors that have helped us so much. We could not get through this without all of them. We are grateful for this trial and all of the lessons we have learned. We know that we will look back on this time of hardship and know why we had to go through this. We are thankful for the tender mercies we have received and are humbled by the love and support we have felt. Now here are a few things we have been up to...
*The fang is gone. Ty is no longer our little Dracula and looks even older with that tooth missing. He constantly makes me laugh. The other Sunday in sacrament meeting, he leaned over to me and whispered, "I wish it was bread and chocolate milk!"
* Boston is now quite the talker. I was worried when at 1 his vocab was limited to 3 words: mama, dada, and uhh, but now he won't stop talking. He is confused with the meaning of no. We have come to learn that if he really means it he shakes his head adamently while syaing "no", but if you ask him a question he usually answers no when he means yes, for example here is our typical morning conversation. We get him from his crib and he says, "I sleepy" to which we reply, "You're sleepy?" and he says "No." It is pretty cute. He also gets mad if Ty doesn't listen to him, so he'll yell, "Tyson" and when he doesn't pay attention to him Bos yells, "Tyson James!" I wonder where he gets that from?
* Jackson is growing up way too fast. He brought home a picture from school from a girl named Kaitlyn who drew them playing together. Then he brought home a different girl's phone # yesterday who he said wrote a song and Jacks wondered if she could "burn him a copy of her CD because it is really good". When did he get so old? I didn't think we had to worry about attetion from girls already.
*Go Cougars! We took advantage of the $1 tickets to the BYU basketball game to enjoy some family time. We went with Eric and Nikki and their kids and our boys had a blast. Boston actually sat and watched the whole game...why can't he do the same in church? It was fun to watch them sing the fight song and we had a great time at the game followed by a good dinner at Eric and Nikki's. Thanks guys!
* Lots of Family Time...this has been a perk of our employment situation. We have had the chance to spend a lot of time together as a family. We have had movie nights, Wii tournaments, and really enjoyed the time. We wanted to make sure that our kids did not feel the burdens of life so we have tried to keep life fun. We have grown to love the little things, something we should have learned a long time ago. Kyler has now found some temporary work to get us through and although I am so thankful for this blessing, I have really missed having him home all the time. We promised each other when this whole thing happened that we would never let it come between us. This has been a great blessing and we are stronger because of it. I will post any updates as they come. Thanks again for your prayers and support.

Til We Meet Again...

2008-12-31T10:09:00.000-07:00

It never gets easier...Cory entered the MTC today to prepare to go and serve in the Los Angeles California Mission. He will be in there for 3 months as he learns spanish and then he will go to California. When he was set apart as a missionary this morning, we were all asked to share our favorite thing about Cory. He is such an amazing person and it was neat to hear of the impact he has had on our family. It is always so hard to say good-bye. He is going to be a great missionary and he is such a good example to me and my boys. I will miss him so much, but I know he is doing what he is supposed to do and that the people of Los Angeles will truely be blessed by his service. He will be in our prayers everyday and I look forward to December 2010 when he comes home to us. Good-bye Elder Lovelace....til we meet again. We love you and we are so proud of you!