the 4th

So... I haven't quite made my goal. A weekend trip to Twin Falls threw me off a bit. But I am still working on it so that is progress! The 4th was nice and relaxed and fun this year. We did the parade in the morning and then spent the evenings fireworks with the Amador's as usual and Brian and Summer from across the street joined us and laughed at the crazy Mormons and their fireworks. We were a little reckless... I told her since we don't drink we have to have fun some how... It was a great time! The boys almost made it through all the late night fireworks... almost. When they started melting down we called it a night. What a fun day though! It's so nice to have so many good neighbors.

Aspen Grove 2011

Mark's parents decided that it was time to revisit one of their favorite places to go as a family this summer. They took us all to Aspen Grove, UT. We left the week after school got out and unfortunately for us Sam picked up a nasty bug the last week of school that pretty much annihalted our whole family! The days we were supposed to be getting prepared to head down Mark and I were miserable. So after a late start we finally made it late Saturday evening. We caught up on some sleep on Sunday and really enjoyed ourselves on Monday even though we still weren't feeling great. Aspen Grove is the perfect family vacation spot. The kids get split up into age groups and have 2 counselors who are BYU students that are in charge of them all week. So basically you all go to breakfast together than drop the kids off in their groups where they spend the morning swimming, doing arts and crafts, hiking and in general having a lot of fun. Then you pick them up for lunch together and then after lunch you drop them off again for an afternoon of fun in their groups. They even have a baby room that has cribs for sleeping and a couple of girls for ever couple of babies! During this time the parents can do high ropes, paintballing, attend seminars arts and crafts or sleep. Monday we did some paintballing and had a blast. Oliver loved hanging out in the baby room for a few hours and Sam was feeling good enough to hang with his group. Tuesday was another story however. Oliver came down with the junk. Ughhh! He wouldn't nurse all day long and I finally got worried enough that we took a trip to the ER and ended up purchasing an insanely expensive breast pump. The rest of the vacation for me was spent pumping and attending to a sick baby. Not so fun. However the boys had a blast and it was really helpful to know that they were taken care of and having so much fun. They still talk about how much fun it was and ask to go back regularly. Our goal is to make it in a couple of years and actually not be sick this time.

Mrs. Bott

Wow, school starts in 3 weeks and I am just now posting this picture. Obviously I can not teach my children how not to procrastinate. We will leave that one up to Mark. I should just scratch it but I have to post about Rex's Kindergarten teacher this last year. Mostly because I am still in denial that he is going to be in 1st grade in 3 short weeks and gone from me ALL DAY LONG. :( That is all day to learn naughty things. I just wish they stayed innocent.
Anyway... his Kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Bott was brand new at teaching Kindergarten this year and she was amazing! Rex loved her and she appreciated his spirited personality. It was a great first experience in public school. Thanks Mrs. Bott!

Chicken

Since having three of these:


I have felt a little like this:


So... my goal is to be all caught up on this blog in exactly one week. I like having a goal. I also like peer pressure. So can you help me out?

Funk

I am in a blog funk. I have a million posts planned in my head, with pictures to go with them and somehow lack the energy or desire to actually create the posts... it's a funk! So in honor of Oliver who just turned 5 months old, I'll post a picture of him in his new highchair getting ready to eat some yummy mush! He likes to eat. And yes his head is large.

97th percentile large.

Takes after his brothers already.

Easter 2011

Easter weekend was beautiful. We had a busy Saturday with Bountiful Baskets, yard work and an egg hunt. Sunday was Stake Conference which was a little weird for Easter but it worked. The boys had a great time and loved their new bikes that the Easter bunny brought for them. We made sure that the boys understood what the true meaning of Easter is and discussed it with them many times in the weeks leading up to Easter. We then capped it off by watching "The Lamb of God" with them on Sunday evening. I hope they had a good balance of fun but also Spiritual uplifting. Sam likes to say that Easter was the day "Jesus BLASTED out of the tomb!" Love that kid.

Sam's Spring Program

Sam had a Spring Program at Preschool last week. It's a Christian Preschool so they are cool with celebrating Jesus of course! He has been walking around the house singing the songs ever since. It was pretty cute. In between songs his teacher would ask them questions about Jesus. A few of the not at all shy kids were yelling all the answers until Miss Cindy asked about the blessings Jesus has given us. Sam immediately yelled out, "Mangoes!" It was hilarious. Here is a picture with him and his teacher. She has been both he and Rex's teacher and hopefully in a few years she will be Oliver's teacher as well.


Sam picks up everything and is always listening. It's quite a change from his older brother who is really good at tuning adults out! We have had some interesting conversations at the dinner table about things he has learned at school. We always read our scriptures after dinner so it prompts lots of discussion. One evening Sam randomly tells us that Miss Cindy said that God and Jesus are the same person. Now as Latter Day Saints we believe that God (Heavenly Father) and Jesus (who is also a God) are two separate beings. There are a few reasons we believe this. One because the Book of Mormon clarifies it but also because Joseph Smith saw both God the Father and God the Son in a vision.
Most of the Christian population does not agree with us on this doctrine. So we tried to explain to Sam that we believe they are two separate beings but there are lots of people (including Miss Cindy) that believe they are one being. Try explaining that to a 4 year old!
A week or two later, Sam comes home and tells us he told Miss Cindy that Jesus and Heavenly Father were two separate beings, but that she didn't believe him! I am so curious how that conversation went! I guess Sam is a little missionary already. He hasn't been able to decide quite yet however if he should believe his parents or his Preschool teacher. This kid is a bright one.

Frog boy

Couldn't resist some pictures of this cutie after a bath the other night. Don't you just want to eat him?!




Pete bought Oli this shirt. He couldn't figure out why I left it on his head. It was just so adorable... almost Yoda like. (Can you tell we have been playing Lego Star Wars around here) I think the shirt is hilarious. But I am kind of a sucker for funny things written on shirts.

Sam and Katie

Sam has always been a little sweetheart. Even though being 4 has brought on a whole new attitude with him, he still is deep down a sweetie. For this reason he plays really well with not only boys but also girls. There is one girl in particular lately that lives down the street that he plays with often. Her older brother is Rex's friend so when Rex and his friend get together it's only natural that Sam and Katie play as well. They have become great friends and are always looking for each other at church or she will have her older brothers walk her down to our house to say hi.
Sam also attends Preschool with another little girl named Afton that he has played with for a couple of years. For the longest time she was his "girlfriend". The other day we had a conversation that went like this:

Sam: "Mom, I am going to marry Katie some day."
Me: "Ok, but what about Afton?"
Sam: "Well... I'll have them both come over and play eenie meenie miney mo and then whoever wins I'll marry!"

Ha ha ha ha! I just about died laughing! The simplicity of life for a 4 year old.

Mark was able to capture these two pictures of Sam and Katie this last week. These were not staged, this is just how tight they are. It's so cute, sweet and innocent.

Laughing baby!!

Love this guy!

The leprechauns redeemed themselves!

The leprechauns forgot (i.e. were too lazy) to come to our house in the wee hours of St. Patrick's Day morning. Rex noticed. I told him they must of been too busy and would probably come by when we were gone.
So the kids went to a friends house while I "ran errands". While we were gone, the leprechauns made their appearance, leaving behind their green handprints all over our kitchen and walls! Luckily it washes off. They also made green jello, had a green cake baking in the oven and left candy on the way up to the boys room where they played with all their toys, jumped on their beds and made a GIGANTIC mess. Which is pretty hard to do in an already messy room. My kids were pretty excited and I was glad they were happy.

Brothers

I love my three guys. Had to capture them hanging out after church the other day. It was pretty cute.

We also did a little posing. No, my kids faces aren't dirty. Rex decided they were having a "leprechaun party" so he drew beards on them! Luckily in washable marker.