Robbins

I am 1 lucky girl.

2012-01-30T10:36:00.000-08:00

I wish I could put pictures to this post so you could see the cuteness, but my camera battery is dead and the charger has disappeared off the face of the earth. Very sad. But let me describe to you the scene at my house. A red blanket is spread out across the floor. There are bags and boxes stuffed with church ties, socks, toys, and other random things. They are presents for me. On the other side there are about 40 stuffed animals perfectly lined up. They are Porter's friends, you see. He invited them to my birthday party. Yes, my friends it is my 28th birthday and I am having a delightful little birthday celebration with my sweet four year old. It is a birthday picnic, and we are munching and crunching on peach flavored baby puffs.

Tyson has a fever. He is sleeping now, which gave me the perfect amount of time to hurry and clean the house while Porter set up the party. When he wakes up he will be fussy and want to cuddle. I took him to the doctor this morning thinking maybe he got an ear infection like Porter did last week, but nope. Not really sure, except that it looked like he had a sore throat. I have to admit, sometimes I think they make things up when they don't know.

Sometimes birthdays don't happen exactly as planned but this birthday I am feeling very loved by my 2 boys. One that is putting on the world's greatest party for his mama, and another that will want to snuggle all day long. Life is good. :)

Watch This, Mama

2012-01-27T16:28:00.000-08:00

I know everyone thinks their child is the best at everything.... but mine really is. Haha! I am kidding but I have really been amazed at Tyson's ability to talk and communicate. At his 18 month checkup he was supposed to be able to say 10 words, and he was talking in sentences. I mainly took the last video because I thought it was hilarious that he overheard the word "doctor" and went to town. You can never capture all their little phrases on video, but this one kind of made me laugh. The second clip made me laugh, listen to that attitude. (Not sure why the picture is distorted, first time trying to merge videos together.)

Talking to Tyson - 19 months old.

2012-01-26T18:31:00.000-08:00

I am not the best at taking videos of my kids but here is one I took of Tyson the other night. He might have been a handful as a baby but he is such a good little boy now. I just love him to pieces.

Arizona Getaway

2012-01-20T11:23:00.000-08:00

A couple weeks ago we took a short little trip to Arizona. It was sunny and warm, busy with activities, and lots of fun! My camera died pretty quickly into our trip and I can't seem to find my battery charger, so most of these pictures were taken with my phone...

We spent two nights in Flagstaff, AZ with Jared's sister Ginny and her husband Mark. They just got a new home and are expecting a baby and we couldn't be more excited for them! Porter continues to take breaks throughout his day to stop and say a prayer for Aunt Ginny and her baby. He is the sweetest. The kids were pretty smitten with their 2 dogs, and I don't think Tyson ate much these 2 days since he was so generous sharing his food.

Monday morning we headed to Phoenix and checked in at our hotel. Jared had to work so the kids and I went to checkout the pool. We were so surprised at what we found, a full on water park- complete with a water slide, a lazy river, tubes, and kiddie pools. We had so much fun that we invited our good friends the Harpers to come swim with us the next day. The Harpers are old neighbors of ours, and just recently moved to AZ so it was fun to catch up with them.

We went to Enchanted Island Park where the kids loved feeding the birds and ducks. And chasing them. I was disappointed that their little amusement park area was closed at the time, but the kids didn't seem to notice.

We went to the Phoenix Children's Museum, our must-see attraction in Phoenix. I learned it is in the top 10 children's museums in the world. The 1st room was different than last time we were there. It was a big climb area, almost like a big tree house. Porter loved that. Tyson loved these little air tubes, where you put a piece of fabric in and it shoots through the tubes and shoots out the top.

This was the little car wash room. I would LOVE to find this little bike! Tyson just held on and Porter took him through over and over. They both were in heaven.

This is the art room. Both kids loved it, but I was a little nervous about the messes. Porter is an art fanatic at home, so he just went to town. At home, I have never let Tyson paint or do art because he is too young. But since it wasn't my house (hehe) I let him go for it, and he surprisingly did really well painting a little picture. Only once did he try and put the brush into his mouth, but stopped when he saw I was watching.

The kitchen and shopping room. Things started to go wrong here. It was about 11am and Tyson was starting to get hungry. He got really excited when he saw the bananas, and then got really frustrated when he realized it wasn't real. He went from one food item to the next and got more upset every time they weren't real. He finally ran to a shopping cart and angrily shoved it into a wall. As amused as I was I took the hint, and gathered the kids and headed to the cafeteria to get them a little snack. Porter of course was not happy about ending play and hurried through his snack. As I was cleaning up our mess and wrestling Tyson who was trying to climb out of his high chair Porter started walking out of the cafeteria. I told him to wait over and over, but out the little devil walked. I hurried to grab my things and shove them into my purse, get Tyson unbuckled out of his chair and run after him. By the time I got out he was out of sight. The museum is 3 stories. I had a panic attack and was running from room to room, and 3 or 4 minutes later found him. That is an eternity when you are looking for your child. It took everything not to smack that child silly.

I didn't think I would make it to the baby room since Porter wouldn't be allowed inside, but I took this opportunity to let him have the longest time out of his life as I freaked him out as I told him how dangerous that was, and how much it scared me and how I almost called the police (not really) and all the things that could have happened. He felt pretty bad, and didn't leave my side after that. And Tyson had the time of his life playing in the baby room.


We went to 2 more rooms, including this race car track room, where they could race cars down different tracks. They could have stayed and played for much longer, but I dragged them out after 3 hours so we could go meet some friends. I didn't get pictures of any of our visits, but also during this visit we got to meet up with our good friends Justin and Paige, and see their adorable little chubby newborn. We had dinner at the Harper's new home, and then we met up with Jared's old mission companion and his family in Mesa. It was fun to see old friends!

2011

2012-01-02T08:19:00.000-08:00

I loved my friend's post, so I had to do it too! Here is a glimpse of 2011.

We started it out with a major bang, and had major house construction...

We we to California three times. Porter went four times.

Porter went ice skating for the first time.

We all visited Zion's for our first time.

Tyson went with mom and dad to his first Jazz game!


We sold 2 cars

We spent Easter with our favorite great Uncle!


Tyson learned to crawl.

Tyson started taking his 1st steps.

And then broke his leg.

Tyson had his 1st birthday!

Porter tubed for his first time and loved it!

We welcomed home Grandma and Grandad Robbins from their 2 year mission in Hawaii.

Tyson got his cast off and started walking.

We discovered Tyson's milk allergy.

Porter took swim lessons for the 1st time.

Porter took up fishing this year.

Porter's started preschool for the 1st time!

We spent nearly every summer night at the park.

We trick or treated!

Porter turned 4 years old!

We had the best Christmas ever!

For what has seemed to be a more stressful year than others, it still was a great year thanks to the best little boys in the whole world! I can't wait for the joys of 2012.

Happy New Years!

2012-01-01T09:27:00.000-08:00

Our New Years eve was warm and cozy. We cuddled up in jammies and watched movies as we indulged on our favorite treats. We turned in early and I vaguely remember hearing some fireworks at midnight. I think I am a fan of celebrating this holiday with the east coast, and ending the party at 10. :)

Porter took over the camera. Not bad, son!

Annual Gingerbread Houses Activity

2012-01-01T09:07:00.000-08:00

The kids look forward to this Christmas tradition every year, and this year was the 1st time my child refused my help. In fact, I think he kicked me off his table. :) So independent now. Thanks Lisa for hosting another fun activity!

Christmas Before & After

2012-01-01T09:00:00.000-08:00

This is solely for you, mom. You keep telling me that you're holding it down this year for Christmas but I have yet to see it. This year I took a before and after shot. Before adding y'alls gifts, and after. Here's to another new years resolution to hold it down next year. :)

Tyson loves his Uncle Richard

2012-01-01T08:51:00.000-08:00

This was Christmas day. Richard sat down at the couch with a nice big turkey sandwich and Tyson tried to see if he could steal a bite. When he was successful, he left and came back with a little chair and propped it right at Uncle Richard's feet. I guess he figured if he would share one bite, he would probably share his whole sandwich. Well, he was right. :)

Christmas 2011

2011-12-27T15:47:00.000-08:00

Christmas came and went so quickly this year! Christmas Eve we got together with the Robbins and had a nice turkey dinner, and played a really fun game as a family. We headed to the Spanish Fork lights, and the kids crashed just before we got home. The Christmas eve traditions I was excited to do with them at home didn't end up happening, but as we listened to the Christmas devotional President Uchtdorf talked about how we allow ourselves to get stressed when things don't happen perfectly how we imagine. That helped me to let it go, and not get so upset that things weren't going exactly like I planned. Instead it ended up being a peaceful (yet late) night with Jared, and it was still perfect.

Christmas Eve- children are sleeping, stockings are hung, cookies are baking, Jared is on the assembly line, the Christmas devotional is playing, presents are out, and Santa has already come.


Christmas morning. The kids completely have forgotten it is Christmas morning. We walk downstairs and then comes the gasp, and "PRESENTS! Santa came!" The kids opened up their gifts in record time this year, it was all over in an hour. Tyson had the gift unwrapping down this year.

The kids made out like bandits as usual. My family spoils us like crazy. I would guess that more than half the gifts are from them.

Checking out each others loot.

My favorite part of Christmas is spending it with these two little angels! Their expressions and reactions are the best gifts. Porter declared it "The best Christmas ever!"

Here they are all dressed for church. These outfits are what they got from Jared's mom for Christmas.

A Porterism

2011-12-23T07:28:00.000-08:00

Well it is true I am very behind on blogging and I will catch up once the craziness dwindles down. But, I had to hurry and write this down before it was forgotten. Best in a while.

"MOM! The triceratops is going to knock it over and break it into a chameleon pieces!!" So close my love, so close!

It's the most wonderful time of the year...

2011-12-14T20:32:00.000-08:00

I have been such a slacker with pictures lately. December is flying by!! We are copying an incredibly creative friend of mine, and doing 25 days of service during December. At the beginning of the month we had a little family night where we talked about how Porter had just had his birthday, and that the reason we celebrate Christmas is because it is Jesus' birthday. We talked about what we could give Jesus for his birthday, and how he has asked us to serve each other. So we made a list of things we could do every day to make someone happy. We have visited a nursing home where we absolutely made a beautiful woman's day. She had tears in her eyes as she brushed my children's cheeks and told them that she loved them and asked them to be her friend. We visited the fire department and thanked them for keeping us safe. We made an art project for our grandparents. We baked bread for widowed neighbors and visited with them. We have done a service for daddy. We did a service at the church. We have babysat for a friend. It is a great daily reminder of why we celebrate Christmas, and keeping the true spirit of Christ in our home. The other evening while I was vacuuming Porter asked me, "Mom, when you are all down can we do 25 days of service, like visit someone or make someone happy?" Even though we had already done something earlier in the day we found something more to do, because honestly how can you say no to such a request?

Last week my kids received letters in the mail from Santa, and the kids were so excited to hear what Santa had to say to them. Santa knew all about their activities, school, family- including cousins!, and talked to them about why we have Christmas. He included a little postcard for them to write down their wish list and send it back to him. Porter made his detailed list. Tyson was standing by but surely not understanding what was going on. I grabbed his postcard and asked Tyson, "Is there anything you want for Christmas?" He nodded, and said "A ball." So I wrote it down. Then I looked at him and asked "is there anything else you want?" He nodded and said "A football." I wrote it down and asked again, "Is there anything else you want?" He again nodded and added both a car and a balloon. I was so surprised at his ability to understand and communicate. He is always surprising me this way, he is one smart little boy.

I am looking forward to the rest of December and filling in all of the fun Christmas festivities. We still need to go see the lights in Spanish Fork, that is a favorite of the kids. We are planning a Christmas Caroling night with friends where we will bring cookies and carol to neighbors around us. I plan on hosting a Christmas Eve dinner complete with a turkey and everything. I look forward to the Christmas eve activities with my little family, when we make cookies for Santa and leave carrots for the reindeer. And seeing their excitement when a gift is left from the Christmas elf with new pj's. I am realllly excited about some surprise Christmas money that was sent to me, along with some gift cards for Christmas shopping. If that wasn't exciting enough, I get to go on an overnight mini-trip with my husband where we will shop together for the remainder of our gifts. Sounds divine! For now, Michael Buble and Bing Crosby have been filling this home with wonderful Christmas music, and I have been quite content staying in my warm house with my two little cuddle-bugs.

About to visit the nursing home, day 2

At the fire station, he made a fire truck Christmas card, with the ladder extended, of course!

Decorating for Christmas

2011-11-29T21:01:00.000-08:00

We got back to Utah late Sunday night. The kids had fallen asleep in the car, and were transported into their beds without a peep. Monday morning when Porter woke up, he walked into my room and woke me up. He had an excited little smirk on his face. "Mom, where are we?" he asked excited. "We're home!" I said. "Yes," he replied, "does that mean we can decorate for Christmas now?" I hoped to put it off a day because coming home from a trip, there is a lot to do. But that little boy just wouldn't let it go! So we busted out the decorations and decorated the house. We saved the tree for last, so we could do it as a family when daddy got home from work. The kids' favorite decoration is the nativity set. Tyson coos "baby baby" and Porter strategically takes out all the figurines and places them back in their correct places.

Oh yeah, thanks a lot papa, Porter is not going to let us live down the fact that we don't have Christmas lights up this year. All I hear is "But grandma and papa have Christmas lights!" LOL

Thanksgiving in California

2011-11-29T20:50:00.000-08:00

For Thanksgiving this year we headed to California to spend time with family! It was so much fun! I was telling Jared that going to California is the closest thing to a vacation with kids for me. My kids are so completely entertained the entire time, I really get to relax. It is heaven. I love going home. So, after the big Thanksgiving feast my dad and I went out into the madness and went Black Friday shopping until 2am. We were so tired by the time we got home. I say "we" but my dad didn't buy a single thing, he was just there to be with me. I got everything I wanted. Next year I think I will cheat like my mom, and do all my Black Friday shopping online. :)

On Porter's REAL birthday, he was a bit confused by all the birthday wishes because in his mind he was already four. When Jared wished him a happy birthday, he said "There's no decorations dad, so that means it's not my birthday." We all had a laugh over that, but grandma had to make sure it felt like his birthday.

He was so excited to get the shark boat from grandma and papa that he has had his eye on for months now. Now that Christmas time is here and the toy commercials are running like crazy, he is reminded of the shark boat every morning as he watches cartoons. He was pretty stoked. Since we got home he has discovered that it makes a lot of different boats and he has been in heaven making new boats.

Before we came out to California we watched a show on the Mormon Batallion and the gold rush in California. We had the brilliant idea of panning for gold. We didn't have the slightest idea what we were doing, and laughed the whole time. Porter told us while we were digging for gold, he wanted to dig for dinosaur bones. So grandma and papa sent a big turkey bone for him to dig up. He just couldn't figure out why he could only find the dinosaur "leg" and no other bones?? :)

Porter turns 4!

2011-11-29T20:32:00.000-08:00

Porter turned four years old this month! I can't believe it. He wanted to have a pirate party, and we had fun making and cutting out free printables that we found on Pinterest. He was happy with the results and almost everything was done from the comfort of home. Hooray!
Some things we love about Porter:

He is artistic! He loves to do art projects, and asks to do them daily, even hourly sometimes. :) He has become pretty good at drawing and painting.
He is a great big brother. Porter plays so well with Tyson (usually), and I love hearing the little things that come out of his mouth. "Tyson, I have a special job for you." "Tyson, do you want to play trains?" "I'm gonna tickle you, little baby!" "Ewww! Tyson, you are a pooping MACHINE!"
His persistence. Porter gets something in his mind and he will do all he can to persuade you. He is a little sales man already! Every morning I will hear things like "Mom, do you want to hear my good idea? I was thinking we could go to the dinosaur museum, or something like that. Isn't that a good idea?" Or sometimes he will even barter. "Mom, how about I will help you clean up these toys, and then we can go to my cousins house, ok?"
His imagination. Porter can play for hours with that active imagination of his. He can entertain himself with a pencil for an hour, pretending it is a space ship, airplane, etc. He makes sound effects for every toy he plays with and is amazing at mimicking sounds of all sorts.
His open personality. He is not shy and is so willing to belt out singing loud at preschool, participating in church activities, etc. It is fun to be his mom.
His complete boy nature. He is all boy, and I love him to pieces.

Porter - 4 years old.

So the party was essentially a "treasure hunt" to find Porter's missing birthday cake. The cake was made by my talented friend Kate, isn't it amazing?

So the cake was missing, but a map was there, and there was our first clue. It read-

Ahoy, me mates! Come join us on a special treasure hunt,
For missing birthday treasure that’s hidden somewhere on the front.

This old treasure map can guide you there today,
but beware of tricky challenges that will get in your way.

We got to our first destination and found the second clue. (I didn't get a picture of this game, but there was a pirate ship that had holes in the sails and they had to throw the balls through the sails.) That clue read-

Good job little pirates, you’ve found your first clue!
But you must first complete a challenge, before I’ll tell you next what to do.

Look over yonder at the pirate ship there! Do you see other pirates on deck?
Yes! They want your treasure, so take these cannon balls and make a ship wreck!


The map next took them out to the deck where they found another clue, it said- What amazing treasure hunters ye are, it is true! But do you think you can pass another tricky challenge and get your next clue? Aboard all pirate ships, little pirates have to earn rank And what better way than to make them WALK THE PLANK!


This was their last challenge before they found the cake, this one said- Great work, me hearties! But if you think you are done you are not! You have one more challenge until you find where X marks the spot. Now just look at your pirate ship, it’s the messiest I’ve ever seen! Before you can find treasure you must swab the deck clean!

When they found the cake, there was a little message with it that said-

Yo ho ho, let’s do a pirate jig!
Where x marks the spot, for the treasure we did dig!
What hard working pirates you all are, now this treasure we will take
So join me in the kitchen and we’ll all have some cake!

There were a couple of us that were nervous the little cupcake topper was going to catch fire. :)

Porter opening his gifts, he was spoiled rotten!

And then later that night all of his cousins came over and we did it all over again! Whew! I mopped my floors three times that day...

My little music men.

2011-11-10T13:36:00.000-08:00

These boys love music. Porter loves to sing his heart out, usually as loud as he can. Tyson on the other hand will drop everything at the sound of a beat and get his groove on. If there is music playing, guaranteed he is dancing. Every once in a while, Ty will try his hand at singing, which always goes like this "Ba-ba-ba" and then Porter will join in. Of course when this happens all I can hear is the Beach Boys jamming Barbara Ann, so I decided to play it for them. It was pretty adorable and their reactions were exactly what I would expect from them.

Football Moments

2011-11-01T21:07:00.000-07:00

Today Porter was playing football in the leaves with a friend. Doesn't that look like fun?

Porter was eating an apple tonight and he ran up to us and said "Hey I know this letter, it's from BYU!" A proud day for our football lovin' dad!

Halloween 2011

2011-11-01T20:58:00.000-07:00

Presenting the infamous Captain Hook and his adorable side-kick, Mr. Smee! Oh, I thought they were adorable this year! We headed up to Highland to Trick-Or-Treat with the cousins. Porter loved it for the 1st couple twenty houses and then he said his bucket was getting too heavy. Tyson on the other hand could have kept going all night long! He was loving it. Porter really liked the houses that were decked out in Halloween decorations, especially things like skeletons, and he loved looking at all the jack-o-lanterns. And they both had to have a turn knocking on the door. Most people thought Porter was a pirate and Tyson was a smurf. Come on, people! :)

This last picture makes me laugh. After trick-or-treating was over I noticed Tyson had literally ate through the paper of one of his candies. His hat had also fallen completely over his face, so he was pulling it up just enough to get that candy into his mouth. Ha!

Next year I will take the group shot before and not after when they look like chocolate covered orphans.

Fall Festivities

2011-11-01T20:47:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we were busy with lots of fun activities. Saturday we told the kids that we were taking them somewhere fun, and that it was a surprise! Porter was so excited, it was fun. We need to make things a "surprise" more often. We took them to Cornbelly's at Thanksgiving Point. It was the perfect family atmosphere.


Porter's favorite attraction was the huge pirate ship, he loved it. Tyson didn't really care about anything particular, (although he was pretty mesmerized by a puppet show) he was quite content to be outside in the cool night running around freely.

Then Friday night we had an awesome Halloween party at my sister-in-law Jamie's house, with lots of family and friends. They had the basement decorated fun, we had a TON of yummy food, and then lots of games for the kids to play. It was a great night, and I think it should be added to the Fall traditions in Santaquin!

We dressed up as a pirate, captain hook, and mr smee!

Games included plinko? board, fishing for prizes, musical chairs, donut on a string, and guess what food is inside the bag.

Prophets

2011-10-26T14:47:00.000-07:00

This blog is the closest thing to a journal I have right now, and I need to be better at recording things that are more personal and may not always include enticing pictures. For the past, almost year now, I have been reading the biographies of the living and a past apostle of the Mormon Church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints). It has not only been enjoyable reading, it has been so interesting to learn about these remarkable men and what their lives have been like from childhood on. Just like you and I, these remarkable men have suffered through a lot of hardships, they have had financial highs and lows, they have real families, and it all continues as they are serving our Heavenly Father. I am blown away at the selflessness of these men, the insane amount of time that they spend day in and out doing nothing but serving others. Reading about their lives lifts me up, makes me want to be better, do more, and most of all to be better qualified to have the Spirit of the Lord with me throughout each day. It seems as I read through their lives and journal excerpts there are endless experiences where they are prompted in one way or another and immediately can see why the Lord was guiding them. When I was baptized I received the gift of the Holy Spirit and I know that just like these men, that I can receive personal guidance in my own life. What I have noticed while reading these biographies is that the Lord gives us opportunities to heed those promptings, and when we follow them, he trusts us to give us more promptings because he knows that we will do as he has asked. I am so grateful for these amazing examples, and for the blessing it is to have a living Prophet on the earth today, and that the same gospel and same keys that were set up by the Savior while he was alive, have been restored back to the Earth. I am so thankful for Jesus Christ and his perfect example, and for what he has done for me personally. He lifts me up during my trials, he listens to my earnest prayers, and guides my life. I just feel this overwhelming appreciation right now, and incredible pure happiness! My life is so full.

This isn't from the books but I recently watched it and enjoyed it.

Red Barn Fall Tradition

2011-10-25T14:49:00.000-07:00

Every year the Robbins' family heads down to the Red Barn in Santaquin where we get a yummy treat from the Red Barn and then take a hay ride through the farm out to a secluded Pumpkin Patch. The kids explore the maze, pick out their pumpkins and then we pile back onto the tractor hay ride and head back to the Red Barn. It is such a cute place, and it really does feel like you are out in the country. Immediately Tyson ran to a pumpkin and hugged it and said "Ball". He then backed away from it about 10 steps. He got this look of determination and then charged the huge pumpkin and "kicked" it just like a soccer ball. He flew over the pumpkin and landed right on his face, bloody nose and all. Sigh. Sweetest moment was when Porter ran up cradling a tiny pumpkin and said "Ahhh, look at the little baby pumpkin mommy!" It was perfect for Ty.

Do's & Don'ts of Girls Night Out

2011-10-25T14:32:00.000-07:00


Do gather all the girls in your family for Girl's Night Do dress up with glitter, glam, and fake eyelashes Do get the little girls' so excited that they say things like "My heart is pounding so hard right now, I'm so excited!" Do go out to eat and laugh til your hearts content Do set up the camera timer and get craaaazy


Don't go to Gardner's Village Witchfest one week late Do swallow your pride and pretend you're not the only ones dressed up as witches

Do check out the Halloween displays at Gardner Village
Don't let the little girls disappointment surface - hide behind bushes with them and scare people. They will smile!

Don't be shy and get your groove on in public even if you are the only ones. Actually, this was probably the funnest part of the night and people did join in. When the kids were most excited to dance, and there happens to be loud music playing under a magical tree and a stage, how can you resist?
Lastly, DO take a rain check for Witchfest 2012.

Killers "I'm a Mormom"

2011-10-15T12:45:00.000-07:00

Have you guys seen this video? We love the Killers and Brandon Flowers, and he is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, just like me. Or some people call us Mormons. Good, clean music, and neat to see this artist in another light.

Too soon...

2011-10-15T12:37:00.000-07:00

I know it is too soon and don't get any ideas....... but, I find myself staring at pictures like these this week! How is it than I am so excited to see Tyson being independent and the ability I have to accomplish things during the day, and yet, I am missing these little cuddle bugs?? Aren't my little babies precious?

Pumpkinland

2011-10-11T14:24:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we went to the pumpkin patch with some of our best friends! It was so fun having Jamie back in town and seeing those three little munchkins run around together. It's so exciting that we can be together more than we expected! Happy Fall!

Mischievous Tyson

2011-10-10T14:55:00.000-07:00

Tyson is my little crazy boy! I have to keep my eyes on this little boy 24/7 because he is my crazy. Seriously.

How could it be true, look at this innocent little face?

One day I will find his little face covered in sugar, him literally rolling around on my kitchen floor with mouth wide open, happy as can be. Someone, please, childproof my cabinets!!!

The next moment he will have stacked something by the couch so that he can climb up, and will be in the window! Freaky!

Who, me?

We still can't get enough of this crazy boy!

Flashback

2011-10-10T14:07:00.000-07:00

now and back then....

Porter's 2nd Primary Talk

2011-09-27T21:39:00.000-07:00

On Sunday Porter had a talk in Primary, I made him some visuals to keep him on track and he pretty much gave the talk all by himself without any help. I just held up the pictures and he knew what to do. I was so proud of him!

Picture of world with kids faces all over it- "There are children that live all over the world."

Picture of Jesus- "They have never learned about Jesus before."

Picture of child praying- "They have never learned how to pray."

Picture of temple - "And they have never learned about the temple"

Picture of missionaries - "We have missionaries."

Picture of world - "They go all over the world."

Picture of family - "And teach families about Jesus."

Picture of baptism - "So they can be baptized,"

Picture of temple - "And go to the temple and be together forever."

Porter takes an arrow and points to Utah on the world map from the beginning. "This is the part of the world where we live. We can be missionaries too and teach our friends about Jesus. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen."

Sometimes the little Sunbeams refuse to even open their mouths and their parents or teacher talk for them. I was so proud of the great job that he did, he was so confident and didn't play around, he just did great. I just love my little boy so much, and it is so fun to see them grow up and see their little personalities unfold. He is my sweetheart.

Tea Party

2011-09-22T15:38:00.000-07:00

Today at Preschool the kids put on a little Tea Party for the parents. They had pitchers of tea (lemonade) with sugar cubes, and even milk to add. They made little cups of "tea" for us and themselves, and it was the most adorable little thing ever. Savanna of course poured herself a glass of milk and added a sugar cube- that was her cup of tea. And Porter made at least three cups of lemonade for me, I think he liked being a little server. Savy was the leader at school today and she did not want to ring the bell for the end of school, they were having too much fun. "Just one more minute," she kept telling Mrs. Woods. Love that these kids are enjoying their school days so much!

Soaking up every last ray...

2011-09-19T13:07:00.000-07:00

As much as I love the cool crisp air in the morning, the beautiful fall colors, and the family fall festivities...

Checking out the fall colors after the park, and having lots of mixed emotions about it.

It simply cannot compare to the sun on my back, the sand in my toes, the nights at the park, and the days of little bare feet. Our family is holding onto summer by it's threads and know it's just a matter of time until we lose grasp. Summer goes by soooooo quickly!

Isn't my life beautiful?

He kept putting sand on my jeans and would just die laughing when I would "get mad".

Yeah, that's my boy always jumping off something.

Tyson has been talking more lately! He can say a lot of words, but just recently he started putting words together! The first one was "Daaa-ddy.... are you?" or "Mama... are you?" ((where) are you). Then Sunday morning when he woke up, Jared tried to take him downstairs and let me sleep. As he started walking to the stairs Tyson was reaching for me and was saying over and over "I want mama... I want mama" Later that day he added "I want ball". It is so fun seeing him grow up, and am amazed at how much he understands. He will go get a diaper and wipes when I ask him to, he will go get his shoes out when I ask him too. He will nod or shake his head when I ask if he wants to do something. I just love these little boys of mine!

Porterisms

2011-09-15T10:02:00.000-07:00

Oh, they never end!

Still can't get over how cute he looks all ready for school!

On a drive home this week Porter wasn't being nice to his little brother, so we told him he he was going to have to go to his room when we got home. He started to fuss and was saying he didn't want to. Jared began to tell him that we had to teach him to be nice to Tyson, and then asked, "How can we help teach you to be nice, Porter?" Porter responded, "Well, you could buy me a puppy that could help me to be nice."

This one is on Porter's recent fishing frenzy. Last Monday we decided to take him fishing for maybe the fourth or fifth time to attempt once again to catch his 1st fish. We tried unsuccessfully for an hour, before Jared headed to the store to get some different bait. Porter and I decided to walk to a different spot, and he all of a sudden exclaimed, "I know why we haven't caught a fish! We haven't said a prayer and asked Heavenly Father to help us!" I knew such faith would not be declined, and I told him he was absolutely right! So Porter said a short little prayer asking Heavenly Father to help us catch a fish, and I said a silent one asking Him to please answer this little boys prayer. As soon as we casted, we got bite after bite even though they kept getting away. He was so excited. We caught 3 fish.

While trying to decide what to eat for breakfast one morning. Porter says, raising his hands higher and higher to emphasize his point. "Chocolate milk is really.... really.... really healthy!"

"Mom, can you help me get down? Or something like that?"

Jared to Porter, "Uncle Robby has a boat maybe we can go fishing in his boat sometime." Porter says, "Which Uncle Robby?" Jared, "Ryan's dad" P: "Ohhhh, the bald head."

Porter on having a babysitter. "Mom, I was thinking instead that I could go to my cousins house, Ryan, he is my favoritest cousin. But mom, I have to go to Ryan's so they will want me to come again. I have to go because.... because... it will make me stronger. Is that a good idea, mom?"

Porter jumps on me near the water, and I say "Porter, be careful I almost fell in!" Porter says, "Yeah, be careful mom, because if you fall in, you will DIE, and then we will never see you again, because you will be dead." (What? I guess that does sound just like me, maybe I have been a little too over the top in emphasizing safety...)

Oh, and here is one for Tyson yesterday that I thought was hilarious!

Tyson hit, so I set him down and said "No hitting!" And then totally not serious I pointed and said "Go to your room." He cried and ran all the way upstairs to his room. What?? Guess he understands more than I know.

Tyson

2011-09-08T22:53:00.000-07:00

This little boy has made leaps and bounds in the past couple weeks! Sometimes I feel like I am meeting a whole new side. He has just come out of his little shell so much lately, and has gathered up from somewhere deep inside him the big "i" word, independence. He will play happily along Porter's side for hours now, which is just amazing compared to what I was dealing with a month ago. From the little boy who cried when I put him down, and held onto my leg and cried until I picked him up, he now leaves the room that I am in and will play in another room for over an hour by himself! It is insane, and we just love seeing this happy little boy who wants to explore and play, and run through the sprinklers fully clothed. Bed times have come and gone, and we just marvel at the happy little boy in front of us. It is a whole new world.
If you are wondering why the change, I attribute it to my gut feeling a while ago that he is allergic to milk. The doctor didn't agree, and even found a bacterial infection, but as soon as I put him back on milk again, times got tough, and he was one miserable little boy. As soon as I switched back to Almond Milk his demeanor changed almost immediately, but as time has gone on he has gotten better and better each day. And amazingly, all four symptoms that he had signs for a milk allergy have completely vanished now! Life is good my friends.

Say whaaat?

Independence, here we come baby!

And I melt EVERY time I hear that giggle! MUSIC to my ears.

Porter

2011-09-07T14:10:00.000-07:00

Wore a pirate hat to bed today. Yesterday he asked to go to "Booger King" and laughed out loud when I tried to correct him, because mom was so silly. Very detail oriented. Can't believe his 4th birthday is coming up soon, he is growing up so quickly. My best little buddy!

No more pictures!!!

Porter's 1st Day of School

2011-09-06T17:06:00.000-07:00

Today was Porter's 1st day of preschool!! He looked so cute/big/grown up walking in the doors with his backpack and confident grin! Picking him up was adorable, too, a group of little three year old kids lined up holding their darling art project of the day. As he was walking down the little walkway to the door, I told him "Mommy will be back soon to pick you up!" He stopped in his tracks, and turned around. "It's okay mom, I will walk home." Sheesh, you're not growing up THAT quickly, little one!

Porter's little girlfriend Savanna is in the same class, and he couldn't be more excited.

There he goes!

a PERFECT getaway

2011-08-31T22:12:00.000-07:00

Yes, it is true... I have the greatest friends. It all started last week when my girlfriends and I were chatting about vacations, taking trips without kids, and taking trips where grandparents are there to help. I told them how nice it would be if I could just leave my kids overnight and go with Jared on his upcoming overnight business trip to St George. I have not been away for my kids overnight in 2 1/2 years. Alissa totally surprised me when she suggested (more like insisted!) that I leave my boys with her kids for one night and go take a trip just for me. I laughed, and didn't think I could do it. After a weekend of debating the trip, I was finally persuaded, and prayed my heart out that my kids would be good/happy/content! So Monday we woke up bright and early, and headed to St. George. Here is how it went....

My mom (who was on her way back to California) dressed the kids and dropped them off at their adopted mom's house for the next two days.

Drove four hours with Jared peacefully- didn't break up any fights, hand out any snacks, read someone a book, hand out a toy, or arch around for any reason. It was a fast four hours.

Dropped Jared off at the office, and checked into the hotel where I changed into my swimsuit and laid out at the pool and read. Didn't play lifeguard or panic about potential drownings. I swam because I wanted to.

I napped AND slept in, and didn't wake up to crying.

I ran on the treadmill and worked out, and didn't worry about when my daycare time was up.

I ate a restaurant without kids. I didn't cut up anyone's food, and I stayed a long time without worrying about how much it was going to rack up the babysitter bill.

I shopped by myself, in stores I wouldn't dare taking kids into, and looked down every aisle just because I could.

It was the perfect length of time, to enjoy simple quiet moments all by my lonesome self. When Jared wasn't working, we of course couldn't talk about anything other than our two sweet little boys. I am so glad that I not only have a neighbor who I could sit and chat with for hours, and love her company, but that I can trust her family with my two most prized possessions-- my boys! Alissa, you are a true friend, and I owe you big time! I came home completely rejuvenated to two of the happiest little boys, and that my friends, was the perfect ending to the perfect getaway! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

**Of course, when I woke up the next morning Porter announced that he had an EVEN BETTER IDEA: we could take Tyson to Savanna's house and Porter and mommy and daddy could all go on a trip together!! Uh, you in Alissa? :)

Porter behind the camera.

2011-08-25T13:12:00.001-07:00

So I am sitting on the grass playing with my kids and coercing laughs out of them, when all of a sudden Porter yells out in total mom fashion, "Say Cheese, mom!" He asks if I want to see, and that was when I realize that he has been happily taking pictures for quite some time now. I should include the great shots he got of his toes and a roly-poly. But these are fitting for the day because Tyson has been a happy boy for 2 days straight now, and I love it! By the way, I have a theory for the mood changes lately, but only time will tell if I am right. Fingers crossed!

Fishing

2011-08-24T07:28:00.000-07:00

Such a cute little fisherman Porter is, he wants to tell you all about the bobber and throwing out the line. One day we'll catch him a fish! :)

Videos of my kids...

2011-08-23T10:29:00.000-07:00

Most of this is everyday life, but they just make me smile and laugh right out loud! The first two are Porter, and the last two are Tyson. I know some Uncles and a Grandma and Papa that are going to eat them up! :)

The kids...

2011-08-23T10:26:00.000-07:00

Porter is such a fun little boy, he makes me laugh constantly. He is full of imagination, full of life, and full of ideas. He is so passionate about life, and I love it. Throughout the day he comes to me with a sentence that starts like this, "Mom, I have the best idea, do you want to hear it?" Today it was "You can get me dressed, and then we can drive in the car, and you can drop me off at Ryan's house! Is that a good idea, mom?" This past weekend, he completed a 3 week sticker chart of waking up with dry night pull-ups and he got to pick a prize. He picked out a fishing pole. And even though he has gone fishing twice, and has not caught anything, it is still all he can talk about. One of Porter's favorite things to do is to play outside with his little neighbor friends. He loves his friends, and he loves riding his bike. He is getting so old and so independent. For example, Porter loves milk, and asks for it multiple times a day. He now will go get his cup and lid, milk (and chocolate! :)) and will make his own. Porter starts his first day of Preschool in a couple weeks! I am excited for him, and nervous that he will be a good little boy and obey his teacher. Porter is (usually) a great big brother to Tyson. He lovingly calls him "Ty Ty", and will dissolve into a fit of giggles with him. He is really creative and loves to build things. He comes up with the greatest little things. I am determined to get him legos for either his birthday of Christmas because I could see him spending HOURS with them. He has requested to be Captain Hook for Halloween and wants Tyson to be a pirate. We looked online at some costumes, and he was the pickiest little boy. It had to have a hook, but it couldn't have a sword, and that hat wasn't good enough because it needs to have a fancy feather on top. Wow! We will see if that is still the coveted costume idea in two months!

Tyson, bless his heart, he is my little handful. I feel like I just have to take it one day, one moment, at a time with him, and some days I just break down and feel like I can't take it anymore. He hangs on my leg, pulls on me, climbs on me and cries all day long. He cries when I hold him, he cries when he plays, he cries when he eats, he cries in the car, he cries in the bath, he cries while I shower, while I get ready, as I make dinner, if I use the bathroom, when I change a load of laundry. There is a LOT of crying. He does sleep well at night, and he plays really well outside. It's one more reason I have thoroughly enjoyed summer this year, it literally has been a haven. It saddens me sometimes that even if I sat on the floor with him all day long with toys around us, it simply would not be good enough. He really is obsessed with me, and although I do love his cuddles and love, I worry a lot about him. I wonder if this is normal, or if something is not right. I have been making excuses for him his entire life on why he is fussy - nursing, teething, sick, trauma, allergies, skin, I always have a possible theory. Yesterday he just looked miserable. I just hope that this never-ending phase really will end and that he can be able to be happy. I just love the little moments in our day when he is content, and I see that adorable little smile come out. Uh! Anyway besides the pertinent struggles, he can be fun. He loves doggies right now, and goes crazy when he see's one. He can say dog, and then he says "woof woof". (I've even wondered if getting a dog would help!) He also loves balls. He will cuddle a ball like a baby would a blanky! He is my little dare devil, and will climb on anything. He tries to do everything that Porter does, like jump and dance, and do tricks. Porter is definitely Tyson's little hero, and I just eat up how much they love one another.

Heart Throbbers

2011-08-07T21:17:00.000-07:00

Sometimes after I get my two little boys dressed for church I just want to SQUEEZE them because I think they look SO cute!

I love the 1st picture!

I can't believe how big this boy is getting... sniff!

Riding bikes...

2011-08-06T21:00:00.000-07:00

Please, nobody tell Tyson that he is only 13 months old. He thinks he is 4 like all the other kids and that he is FULLY capable of riding cars, bikes, scooters, and Power Wheels. As if there aren't enough kids around to argue over all the toys, this little guy wants in on the excitement too. My kids love playing outside. It is our escape. Summer goes by way way way too quickly.

Tyson's favorite ride on toy.

Ahoy!

2011-08-06T20:47:00.000-07:00

Porter is such a creative little boy. And persistent. Friday morning I was working on the computer all morning and he got it into his head that we needed to built a pirate ship. First he talked to me for an hour about how when my daddy gets home we are going to build a humongous pirate ship with two sails and even an anchor, and... I can't tell you the rest. He got so worked up about the idea that of course it couldn't wait until daddy got home we needed to do it right now, right this second! He searched the house and began bringing all of the pieces we needed to build his pirate ship. How could I deny the cute little pirate asking for me to please mom, just hold it steady? Work can wait until later, we had a serious project to work on. The sails had to be orange, and there had to be two, and they had to be a certain way, and the only thing that didn't work out the way he wanted was having the remote control hooked up somewhere near the sails as a flag, but we survived. He was pretty pleased with the result, and immediately had to take it outside where the wind was, because sails need wind you know.

The fun ended when this terrible little pirate used the captains hat as a drum.

Swimming Lessons

2011-08-03T14:29:00.000-07:00

Porter is in his second week of doing private swimming lessons, and I have yet to bring my camera, but he is doing AWESOME! Ever since he has started he has been asking to go to the swimming pool so he can "practice". So last night we went to the pool during the 1/2 off hours. He was a little fish! It was making me quite nervous to be honest. He had a little toy with him, and kept throwing it into the water and then going under the water, finding it and coming back up. I have been amazed! His lessons are only 10 minutes long, and after the first lesson I was super skeptical that anything would be accomplished during our three week class of 10 minute lessons. But they rock, and he is doing amazing. I have even watched an 18 month old baby that goes before Porter learn to swim, it just blows me away.

So, a few funny things that happened today around swimming lessons. So after his lesson, I let them play for a couple of minutes on the playground. Porter hopped onto a tricycle and rode around the corner. I ran and told him to stay on the cement, and turned him back around. When I turned back around, I found Tyson sitting on top of bicycle. An 18" bicycle, probably the size a 10 year old would ride, that happened to be propped up on it's kick stand. There he was sitting on the seat, holding on to the bar, with a huge smile on his face. I ran as fast as I could and scooped him off that bike. I have no clue how in the world he got up there. This child really does keep me on the very TIPS of my toes!

Then when we were in the car Porter had his sandwich and chips in is lap to eat lunch. As I start to drive off, Porter says "Mommy, be careful. Don't drive to fast or my sandwich and chips will fall down and will be dirty." A couple moments later, he adds, "In other words, a little boy once didn't say that to his mommy and his stuff fell down."

Love these kids!

Milk Update

2011-08-01T14:13:00.000-07:00

So I took Tyson to the doctor to talk to them about Tyson's possible milk allergy. I wondered if switching to almond milk meant he wouldn't be getting enough calcium, and wanted to talk about his diet in general. Well, guess what? The doctor didn't think that Tyson was allergic to milk. They said if I wanted to take him to an allergist and have him tested I could, and it was possible that maybe that was causing his eczema but as for his digestive issues, they didn't think it was the milk. It simply didn't follow the pattern of a milk allergy. If he started drinking milk at 9 months and this began happening, than yes they would be looking at that. But for it to show up just the three plus weeks ago didn't make sense. They thought he had a bacteria of some kind in his stomach that was causing it. Fatty foods and milk are harder to digest, and magnify the issue- hence, the increase and decrease we saw with milk in his diet. They wanted to be sure so they took a sample of his b.m. to run tests. The results came back this week, and guess what it was, salmonella! She said it mostly comes from undercooked chicken or eggs. I buy prepared chicken, but we have eggs every morning, and Tyson loves eggs. I'm thinking it is the eggs, but I guess we will never know. There isn't really any medication they give you for bacteria, you just have to ride it out. Luckily, it takes about a month to clear out, and we were just near that month mark when we went to the doctor. I have already seen improvement between the doctor visit and the results, I just wasn't sure if it was from the almond milk or "time". At the dr visit, he was almost 13 months and had gained over a pound since his 12 month checkup, so that is good news. Almond milk is insanely expensive. I do like it, but wow! So things are improving for this little guy, and it's nice to have some answers. (And let's be honest, less messy diapers!)

Chocolate Chips

2011-07-31T17:53:00.000-07:00

I was making cookies tonight and was shocked that we didn't have any chocolate chips on hand. I always have chocolate chips! Where could they have gone? It was really bothering me, and then I remembered. The memory made me laugh. Chocolate chips- yes, you helped me wean my baby. The things you forget so quickly...

Prayer

2011-07-30T12:09:00.000-07:00

Porter just said the lunch time prayer.

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you that Ashlee and Zach and Michelle could come over today.
Heavenly Father, please help us so that Ashlee and Zach and Michelle can come over again another day.
Dear Heavenly Father, please help mommy so that she can get married.
In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Possible Health Discovery

2011-07-24T22:23:00.000-07:00

A sadly fitting photo for this post.

So poor Tyson has had the runs for three weeks now! His poor little bum has gotten so sore. I am talking three messy diapers in the first hour he is awake. And it continues all day long! I have to check him constantly. I googled what his diet should include/exclude to try and reverse it, but nothing has worked. Except, while we were camping it seemed that he had regulated, and we were celebrating! But not too much longer after we got back it seemed to return. We started thinking about what he ate and did differently while we were camping and the only thing that we could come up with, was that we didn't have milk. So tonight I googled (have I mentioned how much I love Google?) "signs your baby is allergic to milk" and the article I read had 8 major signs, and lo and behold Tyson matched 4 of them!

Diarrhea- 2-4 per day for more than 5-7 days. (2 to 4 would be a great improvement, and like I said we are three weeks.)
Skin Rash - There are many causes for infant skin rashes like eczema. Milk allergy is one possible cause, especially if the rash occurs along with some of these other symptoms. (Tyson developed eczema about 9 months REALLY bad, however we assumed it was due to crawling because of the "timing". Now looking back, that was the same time he started on dairy milk.)
Extreme Fussiness - This could just be hopeful wishing on my end, because Tyson really has been a much harder baby than Porter was, and I love him to pieces but sometimes he still can be high maintenance.
Low or No Weight Gain - We started giving him milk at 9 months old. At his 9 month checkup he weighed 20 lbs. At his 12 month check up, he weighed 20 lbs.

The other 4 include - vomitting, gassiness, respiratory problems, and failure to thrive.

It really seems that he may be allergic to milk! So we are going to switch him to Soy Milk, or probably Almond Milk and see how he does, and I have to say I am really curious to see what will become of these four symptoms he has. I will keep everyone posted.

Tyson's 1st Haircut

2011-07-24T22:00:00.000-07:00

It was kind of hard to do! I love the precious baby hair, but it was starting to get a little unruly. It's kind of funny how I had no problem cutting Porter's hair the first time at two months old, and yet 13 mos had me thinking twice. I was glad in the end, because I think he looks adorable- still!

Before

During

After

Styled like big brother

Kids 1st Camping Trip

2011-07-24T21:47:00.000-07:00

We took the kids on their first family camping trip this weekend! We went to Cascade Springs. I think the kids loved it. Their first love was the bumpy off road trip in the FJ. They were laughing over all the bumps, and dancing and singing along to "Dirtybit". Porter was really helpful unloading the car and setting up camp. He helped dad collect some firewood, and then we headed off to do some exploring. The highlights for Porter were definitely roasting marshmallows over the fire, and sleeping in a tent. He kept asking "is it dark yet?" so we could have a fire, and then after an hour of that "is it bed time yet?" Tyson just liked all the rocks and dirt. And if you are wondering if they were really as dirty as they look in the pictures, the answer is no. It was much worse. :)

A visit with Dad

2011-07-24T17:13:00.000-07:00

Dad came to Utah for a week for some business, and to spend time with family. He took us out to Miller Motorsports where he was doing some business and we ended up staying out all day! We watch the 4x4 races, we raced go carts, and even did a zip line. I haven't done stuff like that in ages. Porter was of course smitten with his "papa", and wanted to be with him 24/7. It was so great to spend time with my dad, and my bff brother, Kyle! They are such wonderful influences in my life, of kindness and goodness. They are two of the greatest people, and I am so glad they are my family.

Little explorer

2011-07-13T14:39:00.000-07:00

Porter is a little obsessed with the little Explorer Birthday Party he went to yesterday... He is all about his binoculars and bug collection, and insists on wearing his backpack frequently. I think it was by far his favorite birthday party he has attended! We are so lucky to live in a culdesac with so many little friends his age!

Hoggle Zoo

2011-07-12T13:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we went to the Hoggle Zoo with our friends! The kids did great and had a blast; the dinosaurs of course were Porter's favorite attraction!

Sweet Dreams

2011-07-08T22:01:00.000-07:00

Last night Porter went to bed all by himself. Gosh, I love this little boy so much.

Tyson's 1 Year Pictures

2011-07-06T13:48:00.000-07:00

Little Boys & Google

2011-07-06T09:02:00.000-07:00

Thank heavens for Google, who came to the rescue again, this time in the form of paper airplanes and paper boats. It is becoming a full on "boy" zone in this house, more so with each passing day, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Porter's eyes lit up at his new treasures and he beamed at me, "Mom, I just KNEW you could do it!" Love Google.
On a side note, I think my kids are noticing. The other day he climbed up by the window up stairs and that freaked me out. We had a little talk about window safety, and I told him that there was a little boy who fell out of a window and died. He was really concerned and looked out the window and asked, "Where is the little boy?" I told him he couldn't see him because he died and went to live in Heaven. Not missing a beat, he asked, "Can you show me the little boy mom, on the computer?"

Let Freedom Ring

2011-07-05T11:12:00.000-07:00

Well, lets be honest, freedom rang a little too loud this year. For three nights straight it has sounded like a war zone in my neighborhood, thanks to the new firework law. I can bet this is not a favorite holiday for anyone with a baby in the house. The last few days routine has gone a little like this: 8pm- tuck baby in for bed, 9:30pm- baby wakes to loud, house shaking booms, 9:30 - 10pm- successfully put baby back to sleep three more times, 10pm- finally give in and hold your terrified baby until 11:30pm when the last boomers turn in for the night. 6am- rise and shine, grumpy baby. The pouring rain did not stop the firework shows last night, but I am willing to bet that means there will be a night 4. Lucky us.
The day celebrations were better. Sort of. One of the kids favorite activities have always been the hot air balloons, which is fun but EARLY! The balloons launch at 6:30am and you usually want to get there a few minutes early to see them blow up and everything. That means waking up at 5am to shower and get ready and get kids ready in time. I was up late the night before getting ready for the breakfast we would be hosting, so that meant only 4 hours of sleep for me. But we made it before 6:30am! Just in time to hear the announcement that they would be cancelling the hot air balloons this year due to the weather! Ugh! Luckily they all still blew up their balloons, just didn't fly them, and the kids still thought it was amazing.
The whole family gathered at our house after for a hot breakfast. Then around noon we headed over to the park where we played a family game of soccer and kick ball. The cloudy skies made for perfect weather, not too hot, and not too cold. We finished the day off at Richard and Lisa's where we had a BBQ. We planned to have a family firework show that night but everyone was tired from the long day and retired to our own homes early. Of course, the responsible, early bed time was all in vain come 9:30pm. But really, despite all my complaining, it really was a fun, pleasant fourth of July! It isn't often that the entire family can all get together at once, and it was fun for all young and old.

Boating on Utah Lake

2011-07-03T07:53:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Jamie and Darron took us boating out on Utah Lake- it was a blast! Porter tried tubing for the first time and absolutely loved it! I just couldn't help but laugh as I watched them bounce up and down and giggle. It doesn't get better than soaking in the sun, the views, playing in the water, listening to Jack Johnson, and being with good company! Thanks for the fun!

Summer Swimming

2011-07-02T07:21:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we headed to the Lindon pool with friends to enjoy the warm sunshine and warm water. It was more crowded than I am used to, but the kids still had a blast. I put Tyson in a little baby floaty for the first time, and not only did he love it, Porter did too. All he wanted to do was push him around in "the boat". Summer is going by wayyyyy to fast! I can't believe it is already 4th of July weekend?!

Trudy's Baby Shower

2011-07-01T11:11:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we had a baby shower for our friend and employee, Trudy! She is having a baby boy in just six short weeks! When I found out I would be planning her shower, and that it was just one week after Tyson's birthday party... I decided to pick a theme that I could use for both parties. But, as I mentioned in a previous post, Tyson's birthday party was a bit of a disaster. So none of the decorations, table linens, or fancy serving dishes came out. I was grateful at least, to know that I had another occasion they could be used at. It turned out so darling, and it was fun to see everything I had envisioned come together. Mostly though, it was just fun to be with all of the darling ladies in my ward that I adore, and have a night to visit with friends as we celebrated Trudy's new baby.

Is it possible to get a nap around here?

2011-06-28T07:56:00.000-07:00

Sort of, but it goes a little bit like this.

An angel

2011-06-28T07:52:00.000-07:00

My little sleeping baby, the most angelic little thing ever. We have been off of our wonderful sleeping schedule. Lots of family activities have resulted in the kids not getting to bed until 10:30 or 11, and they still wake up at 7! Well last night, we got things turned back around. Tyson went to bed at 8:30, only 30 minutes past the usual, and it is 10 minutes to 9am and he is STILL sleeping! I don't think he has EVER slept in this late, EVER! Must be catching up.

Day 1 of Age 1 - Part Two

2011-06-23T15:11:00.000-07:00

Guess who started WALKING the day after his birthday! Yay! He will take four steps, stop, and walk some more. He has totally got the balance thing down, and falls correctly and everything. It is so much less nerve racking than Porter's first days walking! Granted, he still prefers the "fast" way of getting around... crawling. But as long as Porter and I, or Jared and I are a safe distance apart he likes to walk back and forth. So fun to watch him grow!

Pictures and video are coming soon I hope. :) Some little moments are too much fun to stop and grab the camera, if you know what I mean.

Porter's Gift

2011-06-22T14:18:00.000-07:00

There are two sweet boys that live down the street from us. They are in our ward, and I visit taught their mom (a single mom) for a few years. I have often thought that kids are a great reflection on their parents, and kudos to these boys mom because I just think they are GREAT boys. I know how hard it is to be a mom, and I just can't even imagine being a mom, working, and running a household all alone! So to be wearing all those hats, AND still have great kids, I think that says a lot! These boys will occasionally drop by to use the computer or catch a ride to baseball or something. Today the youngest came by and played with my boys for nearly an hour. But his real purpose in coming over was to give his old bike to Porter. He was so sweet to think of Porter and made him promise to be a good boy. Then he turned to me, and insisted we take a picture. :)

Couldn't have happened at a better time, too... I have been checking KSL ads for big boy bikes!

Day 1 of Age 1

2011-06-22T13:37:00.000-07:00

I decided since Tyson just turned 1 I would let him have at his lunch today with a spoon. He has been really interested in using utensils, and wants to do it "all by himself". Despite how it looks, he did get quite a lot in his mouth. Practice makes perfect, and I will wait until we're near perfect to do spaghetti again. :)

Tyson after his bath... I don't think much of this, but Porter about wet his pants laughing so hard at Tyson's hair. Hearing his rolling laughter made a not-so-funny moment seem hilarious.

Happy, Happy Birthday Tyson Dear!

2011-06-22T12:08:00.000-07:00

Wow, that year went by fast! I had the cutest little 1st birthday planned. But nothing ever goes as planned, right? The park we planned meeting at happened to have a movie being filmed at it, of course, and then of course there was no cell phone reception to call my guests to let them know of a new location. Needless to say all of the cute little decorations and perfect setup I had envisioned didn't happen, and we didn't have nearly the space we could have used... but in the end everyone had a good time and that is all that matters!

Tyson is such a fun little boy to have around. He is still a big cuddler. The past few days he has started taking his first steps. Usually just a couple, sometimes three, and sometimes four. I am sure it is just a matter of time. He is much happier when big brother is around. He sleeps through the night. He has awesome dance moves and is usually found jamming in his carseat to the music. He tells you he wants something by pointing at it and saying "oooh!" He loves to climb on things and especially through things, like tunnels. He is just barely starting to watch cartoons a little, usually in 10 minute increments-- he likes Yo Gabba Gabba. His favorite toys are cars and balls. And he is still a big time mama's boy. Happy birthday Ty we love you!

The darling little birthday boy

He ate the entire cupcake!

Some of our friends and family

Opening gifts... he ripped them all right open!

Here is something you NEVER see! :)

Happy birthday buddy!

Tyson's Latest Doctor Visit

2011-06-19T09:51:00.001-07:00

We visited our favorite local doctor and got Tyson's cast removed on Monday! I haven't seen him cross his ankles like this in the past 4 weeks, it is so cute.

Carnival

2011-06-19T09:47:00.000-07:00

From last weekend. The first two pictures are from the 10 minute spinning ride that left us queasy... if you can't tell!

Porterisms

2011-06-16T11:39:00.000-07:00

This is my new favorite.

I came home the other night and walked upstairs to find Porter and Jared sitting in our bed. Jared was reading his scriptures, and Porter had a stack of bedtime stories that he was reading. Jared's scripture "bookmark" is a picture of him and I on our wedding day, sitting on a bench outside the Timpanogos temple. The picture caught Porter's attention, and he picked it up and was looking at it.

Porter: "Mom, look! Do you remember this picture?"

Me: "Yes, I do remember."

Porter: "Remember mommy, that you were a princess?"

Me: (Smiling ear to ear.)

Porter: (Looking at picture again....) "And remember Daddy? And Daddy was your missionary."

What a sweet boy he is.

Summerfest Parade

2011-06-12T16:07:00.000-07:00

This weekend was Orem Summerfest. Friday night we took the kids to dinner and headed straight over to the carnival. We purchased our tickets - it was 1 ticket for kid rides and 2 for the rest. I didn't see any kid ones, but Porter picked out his first ride, which was one of those spinning ones. Since there were no people in line the people running it were gracious enough to let everyone go for a ten minute ride! Porter and I were laughing as hard as we've ever laughed. For the first three minutes. Then they became giggles. By the end I thought he was definitely going to lose his dinner. "I feel so sick, mommy," he told me. When we got off I asked where the 1 ticket kid rides were, and found out they were on the opposite side of the park. We had a much better time once we ended up over there, with little boat rides and carousels. I took some pictures on my phone, we will see if I get around to uploading them. Saturday night we went to the parade. Jared and I are both not fans of parades, but both of our kids LOVED it. I loved watching their eyes light up and the excitement they felt. By the end, I was bordering parade lover. Porter especially loved when the bands would play, and seeing all the instruments. He would yell out every single instrument. Of course the taffy candy was a hit with both kids, and let's be honest, the only thing that kept Tyson sitting contently in his stroller until the end. Tyson crashed on the walk home, but Porter stayed up late with me and we drove back over to the park to get a front row view of the firework show. I loved having one-on-one time with him, and our little conversations we had. As we laid together in the cool grass, snuggled up together in a blanket and watching and talking about the beautiful fireworks, I felt so content, happy, and blessed to be his mom. Good times.

Two jets are about to fly over us, can you tell he is excited?

Naming all the instruments.

Tyson of course was captured by the big noises, and all of the people.

And when the excitement wore off, we turned to the taffy.

Porter in his little camp chair, I think he is adorable.

Recipe for a perfect nap.

2011-06-12T15:45:00.000-07:00

Step 1: Start with a happy, content baby.

Step 2: Turn on music, and baby wants to dance.

Step 3: Eyelids become heavy.

Step 4: Lay down for nap.

And that is how you do it.

Cousins

2011-06-10T11:28:00.000-07:00

The other day we had the cousins over to play for a few hours. Both of my kids ADORE their cousins. Tyson crawled from one cousin to the next wanting to sit in their lap. We love having them come play, and I love these kids like I do my own!

Tyson and his cast buddy. These two really are great friends already!

Tyson loves Michelle.

Cute Ash, looks like a little teenager already!

Cute Shelly

Porter and Ty

I think he liked Spaghetti-o's

Summer

2011-06-10T11:09:00.000-07:00

It was a long Winter, and a non-existent Spring, but I think I can finally say that Summer is here. I love this time of year. The kids and I like to take walks around the neighborhood together. We love spending time outside, visiting with friends and neighbors, while the kids run free in the field or ride bikes together. Porter likes ending his evenings laying out on the trampoline with a Popsicle or otter pop. Even at his young age, I can see that he appreciates the warm sunshine. The first time we leave the house for the day, I will open up the garage and Porter will glance outside, and then proclaim, "It is a beautiful day today!" I love wasting the day away at the local park as the kids play until their hearts content. And hearing the way Porter introduces himself to other kids on the playground. It won't take long until Porter introduces me to his "new best friend". (And by this time he's forgotten his new best friend's name!) Time slows down, life is a little sweeter, and I let loose a little more. Barefeet, Popsicle smudged faces, and sand in the hair only bring a smile to my face as I make little summer memories with my two precious boys.

Memorial Day Weekend in Cali

2011-06-09T22:01:00.000-07:00

We spent almost a week in California, visiting my family over Memorial Day weekend. We had fun visiting with everyone, and Porter is absolutely SMITTEN with his grandparents and uncles! Tyson, on the other hand, took at least three days to warm up to all of the new faces. Not that I was surprised, that is definitely his little personality! It is always good to spend time with family! The only thing I could do without is the 10 hour drive to and back. ;)

At the zoo

My little wounded soldier

The crazy peacock(s)

Kyle, Porter and Mom

Porter checking out a bear

He spotted another peacock, and even attempted to talk "peacock" to him.

Grandma with the boys

Tyson checking out the animals

Tyson playing with Grandma

Kyle and Jeff spent the weekend building a skate board for Jeff. Pretty talented, right?

Mom and Grams relaxing after a yummy Memorial Day bbq.

Porter and Grandma watching a movie

Uncle Robbie and Tyson

Uncle Kyle spent a few hours making some 3d dinosaur puzzles for Porter and even hot glued them so they would stay in tact!

Then Uncle Robbie showed up with this train for Porter. All the uncles helped put it together. Pretty spoiled don't you think? I have got a tough act to follow once they have kids.

8 blissful years

2011-05-25T11:43:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was our 8 year anniversary! A few days ago I was in Jared's email looking for an old invoice from around the time of our dating years. I didn't find what I was looking for, but I came across an email that made me smile. It was an email Jared had sent to his sister, Ginny, who at the time was on her mission in Guatemala.

Sister Robbins,
Sorry about last week. I got caught up with everything that was going on. Everything is going great. I am getting closer and closer to getting engaged. I have to find out some tax information and I will be able to get a ring. It is really exciting. I have never been around a person that I never got tired of. I can't get enough of having Stacy around. To make a long story short I am in love with her.....

I love....

I love that even as the years have gone by, we never have tired of being with each other.
I love the way Tyson's arms immediately reach out for you every time you enter the room.
I love that you are Porter's hero
I love that you can always sense when it has been a hard day and encourage me to take a break while you watch the kids.
I love that you are spontaneous
I love the dimples in your smile.
I love our date nights.
I love your devotion to the gospel.
I love that you are driven.
I love the way you keep my Ipod updated with great music
I love it when you tell Porter to say things that are cute, but kinda creepy, like "Mommy, you look hot."
I love the smell of your cologne.
I love YOU

Happy Annnniverrrrrsarrry!
Oh, and for our anniversary we went to the temple and did sealings, and then went out for dinner. We have tentative plans to take a weekend trip this summer without the kids!

Tyson's Boo-Boo

2011-05-17T11:24:00.000-07:00

Looking back, I think the spirit was trying to warn me. I just wish I would've done more. Jared went out of town this weekend. Our days were filled with non-stop fun. The kids and I played outside all day long, and had an absolute blast. But at night, I was having nightmares. I was constantly waking up reaching out. In one dream he was about to fall off my bed. In another he was right by the stairs. He was always about to fall and I would gasp and reach out to grab him and that was when I would wake up. I don't think it was necessarily the dreams, but there was this natural instinct to try and protect him more than usual this weekend. Porter and I put up the baby gate downstairs and kept the office door shut to keep him off the stairs. When we were working in the yard outside we brought the pack-n-play out and put him in there with some toys. It was the first time I have ever put him in the pack-n-play outside, and it was the first time we have had a gate up downstairs since Porter was a baby. Usually I just keep a close eye on him. And perhaps that would have been better.

This week we had a young sister from our ward return from her mission. As part a new family tradition we started to make some cookies to bring her and welcome her home. I double checked to make sure the gate was closed, and the office door shut. I occupied Tyson at my feet with some kitchen utensils. When the first batch was out and cooled, Porter got a cookie and Tyson crawled to him to share. They both sat quietly eating their cookies. As I was putting a new batch of cookies in, I heard "boom, boom" and then Tyson's cries. He had somehow gotten through the baby gate and had started to climb the stairs and fell.

I ran to the stairs and scooped up my crying baby and tried to soothe him. He has never fell like that before, and it undoubtedly scared him. After a few minutes, I thought he should have started to calm down, but he hadn't. Just a few days prior I had started the "weaning" process and was only nursing him 2 times in the day and once at night. I was certain nursing him would surely calm his nerves. But he wouldn't nurse at all. I walked around the house holding him trying to calm him down. He would lay his head on my shoulder, and then a moment later push off with his hands, all the time crying. When 20 minutes had passed and he hadn't stopped crying I was really concerned. I started feeling his arms and legs to see if I could discern if he was hurt somewhere. Nothing seemed to stand out. I took him into the bathroom to get a good look at him. I stood him on the counter and he started crying even harder. I was certain something had to be wrong. This was the first time that weekend I really wished my husband was not out of hand. With Tyson in one arm, I used the other arm to get Porter dressed, and shoes on. I hurried him into the car.

I knew that my pediatrician, Alpine Pediatrics, was open on the weekends and did x-rays and casts, should something be broken. I started heading there, and called them on the way to make sure that was okay. As we started driving, Tyson finally stopped crying for the first time. When I connected to the dr's office, and they found out how old Tyson was, they said they wouldn't take him that they would send him to the ER. I pulled the car over to try and think what to do. Tyson wasn't crying anymore, maybe I was over reacting. It really had only been 20 minutes since it had happened. Should I wait a little bit longer, before racking up a thousand dollar ER bill? I decided I would take Porter to my sister-in-law's house in Lehi and have her watch Porter, and then I could check Tyson over one more time before deciding to go to the hospital. I got back on the road, and got onto I-15. Immediately, that seemed wrong. I got off the first exit, and pulled into a gas station to think again. I called my other sister-in-law, Jamie because her little boy has a broken arm and she just barely went through the same thing. The first thing she told me was "That is so weird that you called, I just had the strongest feeling that something bad was going to happen. I ran downstairs to tell my kids to be careful and not get hurt, and as I was walking up the stairs, you called." After our conversation and her advice, it seemed like the best thing to do was to head up the street from where I was to the IHC Urgent Care.

I only had to wait 10 minutes to get in. I was really thankful I went in because although Tyson still was not crying, he would start to wimper and fuss if I tried to sit down. When the doctor came in, she first checked his ribs. All seemed fine. Next she started feeling his left leg. He didn't cry but I could feel him tensing up in my lap. When she checked his right leg, as soon as she went near his ankle area, he started to cry. "We better x-ray this right leg," she advised. Across the hall we went to get x-rays done. This was the hardest part. We had to lay him on a hard table and try and get him to straighten his leg out and stay still, and I wasn't able to hold his leg at all. He would bawl. (Ugh, it makes me cry to just think about it!) But eventually he would calm down and lay still so they could get the x-ray. There were 3 angles, and it was the same experience each time.

While we were waiting for the results Jared called to check up on us. "What are you guys up to?" I told him we were at the Urgent Care and that Tyson had fallen off the stairs. I told him they had just done x-rays on his right leg. It was then that he got into a bad reception area, and our call was lost. I felt bad for him and that was all he had heard, but I suppose that was all I really knew anyway.

The doctor finally returned and confirmed that there was a small hairline fracture that didn't even go a fourth of the way through his bone, but sure enough it was just above his ankle where he cried at the doctor's touch. They put on a huge splint that stuck out a couple inches further than his toes, and went all the way up to his thigh. They told me to not let him crawl or put any pressure on it whatsoever. I was supposed to take him to Primary Children's Hospital on Monday to get him his cast.

The time between Saturday and Monday were extremely rough. The only way to keep him off of it was to hold him 24-7. I kept the monitor near me at night so that I could run in as soon as I heard him waking so that he wouldn't stand up in his crib. Saturday night he was up constantly in the night. We were up with him for three hours at one stretch trying to help him get comfortable, and comfort him. But Sunday morning he seemed to be better, and the biggest struggle was not letting him move around, which was all he wanted to do.

Monday I took him to Primary Children's. I have never been there before, but it was a wonderful experience. They are amazing there, and because it is a Children's Hospital it was a play land. Toys and discovery items every where you looked. The doctors were amazing. They put a much smaller cast on him, that goes below his knee. She then presented a little shoe to me. She told me to let him crawl, cruise, walk or do whatever he would normally do, but to make sure he wore his little shoe for traction and to protect his cast, if he was walking or standing. It is the tiniest cutest little cast you ever saw, and yet it breaks your heart. He was a little gem to the nurses and doctors and cooed at them while they put his little cast on his leg. He even told them a couple of times, "I wuv oooh." He stole the hearts of a few ladies that day.

It just breaks my heart to see my baby this way. Anytime I get in the car, I fall apart and ball my eyes out, and then get my composure together so my kids will see a strong, positive mom. I of course, relive the moment in my mind all day long to try and think how it could've been avoided. I would give anything to trade places with him and take away his pains and frustrations. He is doing so much better now with his new cast, and crawls all over the house with it. I think it is awkward for him to stand on it, or maybe painful, because he hasn't attempted that more than once or twice. He will wear his cast for 4 weeks.

The huge splint.

Leaving Primary Children's with his new cast. I may or may not have been bawling my eyes out right then.

Porter's T-Rex

2011-05-17T10:23:00.000-07:00

Lately when he goes to bed he has t-rex in one arm, and a similar bracchiasaurus in the other hand. He loves it.

Because t-rex needs to be safe too.

Little Climber

2011-05-17T10:20:00.000-07:00

I thought this was really cute at the time, but now it makes me sick- just thinking about Tyson climbing. I had the step stool out to get something out of a cupboard and he started pushing it around the kitchen, like he does his walker. I thought it was hilarious when he pushed it right to the pantry and then spent 10 minutes trying to climb up it. I sat there next to him and just marveled at watching him figure things out. His little grin of defeat was priceless. His little victory just drove him to try and climb more. It was this day that Porter and I installed the downstairs gate.

Oh deer! Oh my!

2011-05-17T08:52:00.000-07:00

One of our Sunday traditions is to take a drive up the Provo Canyon before church so that the kids will fall asleep and get in a little nap before our one o'clock church time. Yesterday on our drive, neither child fell asleep. When we got up to Vivian Park we were glad they didn't fall asleep. We couldn't believe our eyes when we noticed a deer near the creek, with a group of kids standing right next to it! We hopped out to get a closer look. Not only did this deer let us get in close proximity, this deer was letting us pet him, and would eat right out of our hands. When everyone finally got bored of it, we headed to the other side of the river where the park was and it followed us! Then the kids started chasing each other in the big grassy field, and the deer started running around in circles with them! It followed these kids for probably 45 minutes. It was one of the craziest things I have ever seen!

Porter kept touching his tail, and would laugh when it would shake his tail back at him.

He's hiding behind the branches of that tree.

Isn't that bizarre! Those kids were all over this animal.


I wish we would've had video of this, he came over to Jared and was totally sniffing his phone that he was using to take pictures and video.

McDonalds

2011-05-16T20:25:00.000-07:00

We took the kids to McDonald's for dinner the other night, and Tyson wanted to take part in the "play place" action. He climbed up the toddler slide and with the help of mom would slide down on his tummy. We were reminiscing on old times with Porter. He was walking at this age and we would take him to McDonald's to play too.

Such a big boy.

I know I am totally biased, but I really do think I have the cutest little boys ever.

Softball & The Park

2011-05-16T20:20:00.000-07:00

One of the first warm Saturday's we met all the other Robbins at our favorite softball park, and played a little bit of softball and let the kids play at the park. These were just a couple of cute pictures I took on my phone. Mostly Tyson and Stephen who are so fun to watch grow up together. They are the same size and look like little brothers, and yet they are so different! Stephen is walking all over the place, and Tyson crawls after him. Tyson talks more. They give each other hugs which is adorable, and usually ends up in a tackle. They are little buddies.

Stephen giving Tyson a hug. Right after I took this picture they both started falling backwards. Don't ask me how but I managed to get a hand under both heads before they hit the cement. Whew! They had no idea there was ever any danger.

Happy boy

We can improvise with two swings!

They were loving this.

Food Storage & Self Reliance

2011-05-12T07:35:00.000-07:00

Have you ever attended one of those Emergency Preperation fairs? It is mostly filled with food storage/emergency enthusiasts! Beyond the talk of a years worth of food storage, there is talk of bomb shelters, make shift bathrooms, kits to seal up your "safe room" during a nuclear bomb... the list goes on. It is so overwhelming and discouraging to me. I could spend thousands and thousands of dollars and still not be "prepared" in their book.

But still, the council from the leaders of the church to be self reliant and have a little stored away has hung in the back of my mind for years. We have slowly built up a little bit of storage over the years during case lot sales, and even have nearly a thousand pounds of wheat. But those around me have made me feel completely inadequate and belittled in my efforts.

During my Spring Cleaning, I was re-organizing my food storage. I decided to make an inventory of what I had. Then I got online to see what the church recommends having. As I read the council given by the church, a feeling of calm and peace came over me. The order and method was practical and realistic. I felt encouraged and felt like I could do exactly what they were asking. It was the opposite of what I have felt before- discouraged, inadequate, and overwhelmed.

I wonder if there are others out there that may feel the same overwhelming thoughts that I have had. And so, I just wanted to share what the leaders of the church suggest. This was found in the Church published pamphlet All is Safely Gather In: Family Food Storage, a simplified four-step approach to building your food storage.

They are as followed:

1. Gradually build a small supply of food that is part of your normal, daily diet until it is sufficient for three months.
2. Store drinking water.
3. Establish a financial reserve by setting aside a little money each week, and gradually increase it to a reasonable amount.
4. Once families have achieved the first three objectives, they are counseled to expand their efforts, as circumstances allow, into a supply of long-term basic foods such as grains, legumes, and other staples.

When President Hinckley introduced this new four step program in 2002, he said, "We can begin with a one week's food supply and gradually build it to a month, and then to three months." He then counseled AGAINST "going to extremes."

Now, I firmly believe that we all can have the ability to receive personal revelation regarding our own individual families and I do not reproach anyone for what they may feel is right for their family. But as for me, the over the top shelters, seals, bathrooms, and other gadgets that made me feel so overwhelmed and discouraged are what I consider to be the "extreme".

I think about the scripture that says "if you are prepared, you shall not fear." I think many of these enthusiasts take this scripture and go to the extreme in being prepared should a nuclear bomb fall on us. But there is a spiritual application to be made. Our mortal lives will all end at one time or another. If we are spiritually prepared, than we will not fear death. If we have been spiritually prepared, we will not fear standing before our Savior to be judged. And with that, I feel 100% comfortable being without these other means of "emergency preparations". I will follow the simple guidelines provided by the inspired leaders of the church.

After printing out my inventory, a 3-month suggested list of items, and the All Safely Gathered In pamphlet, I started evaluating my family's needs. I was pleasantly surprised that we were very close to having what we needed to have a three month supply. A $100 trip to Costco has brought me that much closer. There are now just a few more things that I need to have a completed 3-month supply. And I am comforted knowing that there is nothing wrong with gradually picking a few extra items each week at the grocery store until it is complete.

Next we will work on storing some water, and then we will spend some time building our financial reserve. And when we feel financially secure then we can continue to gradually accumulate the long-term staples. We already have all our wheat which is a big one. I am so glad for the inspired programs in the church and that it brings us calm and peace, and is easily achievable. I am chiding myself for listening to outside influences that have driven me away from the spirit of self reliance for this long. Hopefully this will help someone else who may have had similar feelings as myself. I think I needed to record this for myself too, in case I need to be reminded down the road.

(And I have to give a shout out to my friend and neighbor Alissa and Kendal who have this GREAT website where they invented can organizer rotating systems that are SUPER AFFORDABLE (like $15 for FOUR systems!) and perfect for organizing and rotating food storage items. Check them out here.)

Mother's Day

2011-05-09T09:19:00.000-07:00

This weekend I have been overwhelmed with feelings of gratitude towards Heavenly Father for the great blessing of being a mother to my two sweet boys. Being a mother evokes so many emotions in my life - joy, heartache, love, compassion, frustration, protection, worry, exhaustion... the list goes on. I at times am overwhelmed at the great responsibility that is mine regarding my children. It is because of the knowledge I have of this divine role. A prophet many years ago called motherhood “the highest, holiest service assumed by mankind.” I immediately self evaluate my efforts and wonder what I can do to improve.

Well I have a lot of room for improvement, but as it is, I do not know how I would function as a mother, if it weren't for my relationship with my Heavenly Father. I cannot recall how many times I have been struggling with a particular challenge with a child. I contemplate ideas of how best to resolve that issue. When my ideas do not work, I turn to the internet for tips and parenting advice. And finally I am down on my knees pleading for guidance on what to do. It is usually immediately that I am taught, and it is no surprise that it always works. I know without a doubt that my role as a mother is a partnership with God. There really is no comparison of what I am capable of accomplishing alone, and what I can accomplish when I ask for His help. It's night and day.

I know with all my heart that the ultimate reward is to live with my beautiful family forever. It is a constant source of joy knowing that because Jared and I were married and sealed in the temple, that our marriage isn't "until death do us part" but will continue after this life, and that we will continue to live with Porter and Tyson and the rest of our family.

.................................................................................................

Mother's Day was a wonderful day, or rather weekend in my case. Friday night was date night, and Jared took me to pick out some new shoes for Mother's Day. I assumed that was my gift. Saturday I woke up late and realized that Jared had risen with the early riser, Tyson. I went to the gym and had a good work out while Jared watched the kids. And when I returned home he told me that he was going to take the boys shopping and I was supposed to go get a pedicure, which was heaven. Sunday, he again rose with my early riser. Porter and Tyson gave me a book I have been wanting for a few months, and some chocolates. Daddy cleaned up dinner, and helped with the kids. And now it is Monday, and once again I didn't wake up with our little early bird. I could get used to this. :)

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Of course, a weekend like this does not pass without thoughts of our own mothers. I simply reflected on small insignificant memories. I remember being in Kindergarten and getting Subway sandwiches for lunch every Friday. We would bring them home, and I would eat mine on a plastic picnic table that the kids sat at. I remember my mom was a worry wart, and we were taught to never go with any stranger, police officer, etc even if they told us our parents said it was okay. That was, unless they had the secret password- "Pinnochio Porter". It feels like a sin to say it out loud even now. I remember my mom had a baby, and was in the hospital and our next door neighbor was supposed to pick us up from school. We knew that in advance. But still, when the next door neighbor's car pulled up to the school, we hesitated, and then discreetly whispered, "What's the password?" She correctly answered, to which we happily piled in the car. I remember one winter watching through the french door window panes, as my mom talked to Santa Claus on the phone, to let him know I had changed my mind since writing my letter. I remember getting older and getting into music. I wanted to buy cd's, but the rule was that I had to borrow the cd from a friend first and wait a good hour or so while my mom listened to the entire cd to make sure it was appropriate. I remember having one cd that passed the test except for an inappropriate picture on the cover, to which we fixed by putting stickers all over it. I still remember my first 2 cds. I take it back, they were tapes. It was Ace of Base, and Mariah Carey's Hero album. That reminds me of another memory, which is a dad one, but still funny. I had lost a tooth, and that night I carefully placed that tooth under my pillow along with a note. It read something like this: "Dear Tooth Fairy, Instead of money can I please have the Michael Jackson tape?" The next morning I looked under my pillow and there was two dollars and a note that said "I'm all out of Michael Jackson tapes, but maybe this money will help you buy it." I'm pretty sure the next day I spent it all at the snack bar, and I never did get that Michael Jackson tape. I remember having friends over and listening to music and my mom would come in dancing her crazy 70's dance moves, and I would be SO embarrassed. And now I totally do that to my own little boys and Porter looks at me like I am crazy, and I just laugh because it reminds me of my own mother. Good times. I grew up with good times, that is for sure. Thanks for the good times, mom.

Porterisms

2011-05-07T19:10:00.000-07:00

Jared took the kids shopping today. He told me about a conversation Porter had with another little boy that was standing behind them in line. Jared said that the little boy resembled Porter's friend Austin - same hair cut, but darker color. So after Porter stares at this little boy for a minute or two, he asks him, "Are you Austin?" The little boy shakes his head no. So Porter asks, "Well, what's your name?" Little boy answers, "Tyson." Porter gives him a skeptical look, and says "No, that's MY brother Tyson up there! Your name can be Tyler."

The other night Porter was saying his prayers. His prayers can be pretty long, and I don't remember everything that was said, but it ended like this. "Thank you that I could go on an airplane and see Grandma and Papa. Thank you for Jesus. Thank you for putting a band aid on my knee today. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen."

Porter got in trouble for crashing his bike into the car, so I made him go inside and told him he couldn't ride his bike for the rest of the day. When we came inside he told me it was just an accident and then started singing me a cartoon song that goes like this "When you feel so mad... here's what you should do.... calm... calm... down!" That was his reaction to getting in trouble. Sometimes I have to hide the little smiles or that boy would get away with everything!

Spring Cleaning

2011-05-07T18:51:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to do a little bit of Spring Cleaning. It was during one of my projects that I lost track of Tyson. Little stinker just wanted to help.