The Pugs

Sweet

2012-01-21T06:28:00.001-08:00

The boys ate their breakfast super fast a few days ago. As I was still at the table finishing up my own breakfast I looked over and saw this.
Awesome! It was just one of those sweet moments that made me feel so much joy as a mom. I love that Kyle is such a good little reader these days, and I love that my boys actually like to be together sometimes.
Its not all roses, nope, not at our house. Usually they are arguing over who had what toy first, and who hit who first, but this morning, for just a brief few minutes - they enjoyed being brothers and being together. I'll take it!

Christmas Day!

2012-01-02T04:45:00.001-08:00

After a night of the kids sleeping cozy in their beds and visions of sugar plums dancing in their heads... they woke up a tree laden with gifts from loved ones and even a few from the big man in red!Tradition at our house is stockings first! Colby was super excited to find a bunch of plastic animals...(and a few other various items like the traditional new toothbrush.)
Kyle was most excited about a crayola color wonder mini set and a gigantic spider man pen found in his stocking.
Then it was on to the 'big gifts'! We didn't take pictures of everything, but there was a slight intermission in opening gifts when the boys discovered they BOTH had long skinny wrapped gifts...Light Sabors! We caught a little action of the inaugural battle on film...Lots of fun gifts from Grandmas and Grandpas, Aunts and Uncles, and Mom and Dad. Christmas was a success! The boys have been happily playing with their loot non-stop. It has been a great winter brake from school.

We've been lucky to have Scott home a little more than usual. Between being done with school and a couple extra days off work because of the holidays the boys have LOVED having daddy home to play. Mom works in a pinch, but dad is what it's all about!I believe the current structure was intended to be a 'garage' for the motorcycles!

Here's to 2011 being a great year. 2012 has a lot to live up to!

Christmas Eve

2011-12-28T05:10:00.000-08:00

We had a great Christmas this year! Although it is never easy to be away from all of our family, we are so blessed and lucky to have great friends right here to spend the holiday with.

On Christmas Eve we carried on with the new tradition that we started last year of having a Birthday Party for Jesus. We start the night off with yummy food...entirely TOO much of it!! And then watched a beautiful video of the Savior's birth, followed by the kids doing a puppet show of the nativity. After discussing what the true meaning of Christmas is all about, we partied! Everybody loves birthday party games, and I can't think of a better person's life to celebrate.

We played a handful of different games, but I only got pictures of one... For this game we separated into two groups. Each group was given four rolls of cheap toilet paper one roll of tape and 10 minutes to create an 'outfit.' The best outfit wins. There was a CLEAR winner! (And some AWESOME pictures for future blackmail!) Although, you can be the judge...The funny thing about the whole event is that Derek's 'outfit' was created by the three dads! (Scott, Dave, and Jeff - Kayleigh's contribution was the headpiece.)

After all our fun games and a delicious ice cream cake we headed home.

The boys got to open one gift each...Christmas pajamas.
Just before bed we took a tin full of 'reindeer' food out to the porch for Santa's team to eat while he was delivering gifts to our house.

The night was perfect! A joyous good time with friends we love and memories to last a life-time.

My admission of guilt...

2011-12-07T04:43:00.000-08:00

It's been said that the only thing worth stealing is a KISS. When it comes to these three, I'm a kleptomaniac!
Seriously, how am I to resist these saucer blues?
And these amazingly kissable cheeks?I am completely, totally, hopelessly in love with the three leading men in my life. What a lucky gal I am. Scotty Pug, we may not do everything right, but our recipe for children is spot on!

Family Pictures

2011-12-02T03:57:00.000-08:00

My neighbor, Stacy Laine, is an extremely talented photographer. After saving our pennies and juggling schedules we were finally able to have our long awaited family photos taken a few weeks ago.

The wait was worth it! I am blown away at her talent and the way she captured the boys and our family.

If you'd like to take a look at our session, head on over to her website - www.focusphotographyllc.com. Click in the upper right side on the "client area" button, then click on the picture of Kyle and Colby. Our password is pugmire.

Which is your favorite?

I've narrowed it down to my top 14, but am having a rough time narrowing it past there!

Thanks again Stacy! We love them.

BIG Planz...

2011-11-19T09:50:00.000-08:00

Our conversation over lunch...

Kyle: "Dad, do YOU know how to make bubble juice?"
Scott: "Yep, why? Do you?"
Kyle: "Yep! You add dish soap and a little bit of water and mix it really carefully."
Scott: "You are right buddy."
Kyle: "I know. And when I'm an adult I've decided that I want to make bubble juice for my work job."

That's our boy! No doctor, lawyer, or professional golfer, we've got a future 'bubble juice maker' in the house. Awesome!

*cue theme song...tiny bubbles*

Grandma & Grandpa Walters visit VA!

2011-10-31T17:30:00.000-07:00

Grandma Sandy and Grandpa Milt are in town for the week! In the few short days they have been here we've had all kinds of fun!

They flew in on Thursday afternoon. Friday was a half-day at school so when Kyle got home we took off to Cox Farms. I've wanted to get the kids there since it opened this year, and I'm so glad that we finally made it!
My two cute Pumpkins!
A super fun hay ride!
Oh No! Somebody shrunk Grandma and Grandpa!
Kyle's favorite 'venue' at Cox Farms is the rope swing. For the first time this year he totally 'got it' and was strong enough to swing all the way out and flop into the foam pit. Fun!
Picking out the perfect pumpkin is one of the best parts of a visit to Cox Farms!
Grandma and Grandpa with their two favorite grandsons!

After a long fun day at the farm, everybody was ready to take a break and relax in front of the TV. Grandpa often favors the floor, because it feels good on his back. The boys wanted to be just like Grandpa and joined him!
Only a few days into our visit and already we've had so much fun! We love having grandparents visit!

Sunday Morning

2011-10-16T15:18:00.000-07:00

Because sometimes its just FUN to have bubbles!!!

Hurricane Irene, Schmirene...

2011-08-28T16:40:00.001-07:00

We'll show you Hurricane Irene!...The rain started around 4:00 PM...
But the wind didn't kick up until after 7:00 PM.
We took advantage of the warm rain and had a little fun.
Sometimes you've just got to let kids be kids.
And adults need to be kids once in a while too!

Kyle's Last Day of School!

2011-06-10T11:52:00.000-07:00

It's official! Kyle survived Kindergarten. Here is a shot of him getting off the bus for the last time this year...And the little banner I made for him.
Our little cul-de-sac get together... (Thanks Stacy for the yummy homemade ice cream sandwitches & Hilary for the balloons, you ladies rock!)
And Finally, a comparison of Kyle from before his first day of Kindergarten, and after his last!
I love you big boy. I am so proud of you. Good Job! Here's to a fun summer.

Cookie Monster

2011-03-31T09:26:00.000-07:00

This poor blog has been a bit neglected lately. Life has just been whack-a-do the past few weeks.

I had to post these cute pictures of Colby from yesterday though...He really is a cookie monster! I swear he can sniff them out. Oreo's are his favorite, and probably my least favorite to clean up! My mom just 'had' to take these pictures of his cute cookie mouth. Glad he can be so entertaining to the fam.

Utah? What? Yep! I made a very last minute trip out here. My big bro (who is suppose to be one of my heros who never gets ill or hurt) is in the hospital. I am so lucky that Scott was cool with me dropping everything and coming out for the week. There are so many people to thank...Scott for supporting me in coming, the Madrishin's for helping with Kyle after school every day, and my niece Mariah for watching Colby every day while I'm at the hospital (I brought Colby with me.)Mike is doing OH SO MUCH better than he was just a few days ago. The Doctor is not giving him any timeline as to when he'll be able to leave the hospital, but spirits are up and he's workin' through it. I took the two pictures below yesterday. Poor guy was cut from pelvic bone to sternum, so walking is kind of a challenge...although he's getting stronger. (Strong enough to crack some crude joke that had Haize and my mom and I all laughing pretty hard!) Keep him in your prayers!

Breakfast conversation

2011-03-12T09:16:00.000-08:00

Kyle: "Colby is being so thick"
Scott: "Do you know what thick means Kyle? I think you mean that Colby is being crazy."
Kyle: "Then what does thick mean?"
Scott: "Thick is the opposite of thin. Like this place-mat...it is thin, and a piece of paper is thin. Can you think of something thick?"
Kyle: "ummm Mom... and you and me and Colby are thin."

Breakfast now threatening to come up because Scott is laughing so hard. I'll admit, I chuckled too.

I guess that gives me some additional incentive to kick the weight loss back in gear huh?

Trunk

2011-02-22T08:36:00.000-08:00

It's intended use is to store blankets, and a few toys that we keep up in the family room. The boys have claimed it as their own though.

Unbelievable Cuteness...and a make over

2011-02-07T19:12:00.000-08:00

Yep! I am THAT lucky! I get to see this adorable smiling face every single day. He can be such a little stinker sometimes, but OH SO CUTE most of the other times!
And...we've been busy around here. A complete face-lift for the main level in our house.Thanks to Melissa's help, she and I were able to paint five rooms in four days...CRAZY! I LOVE my 'new house'. I'm currently finishing up window treatments, but as soon as I get everything done and all decorated, I'll post more pictures. It's been a lot of work, but well worth it. (And no, not everything is blue, just the family room!)

Side note - Grandma Sandy comes in three days, and we can't wait!

1 o'clock church

2011-01-18T06:20:00.000-08:00

So one of the best (and possibly only) good things about having 1 o'clock church on Sunday's is that there is lots of time on Sunday morning to cuddle on the couch together. I love seeing my three boys together...it makes my heart happy!

Breakfast of champions

2011-01-09T06:05:00.000-08:00

Adding a banana to a plate of chocolate doughnuts makes it a healthy breakfast, right?
He stuffed the whole doughnut in his mouth...so talented!A face only a mother can love!
Colby has to have EVERYTHING Kyle does. He is such the adoring little brother. He wants to do exactly what Kyle is doing, all the time. It's pretty funny and entertaining at times, but exhausting at others.This is not an every day breakfast around here, but Kyle earned it by having a good week. We are all about bribing, I mean REWARDING with food!

Our Chirstmas Happenings...

2010-12-29T05:50:00.000-08:00

2010 was a weird Christmas season for me. I was kind of grinchy for no real reason. Luckily, for my family, I finally kicked in gear and 'got er done'! (I have never waited until the week of Christmas to put up the tree...until this year!)

We decided to make Christmas Eve a fun day! Scott wanted to take Kyle to see the new Tron movie. Before the 'big boys' headed off to a matinee show at the theater we went out for breakfast. (Other than on vacation) I can't remember the last time we went out to eat for breakfast. It was a fun treat. Might even be a new tradition.After our big birthday bash (you can read about it in the last blog post) the boys each had one gift to open under the tree. PJ's! I was pumped to find matching footie pajamas in both their sizes...a rare find!Off to bed, where visions of Sugarplums danced in our heads...

Hooray! Santa came and left some fun stuff.And as always, the aftermath of a fun, present filled morning.I love my little family so much. I have two great boys, who are my world. Scott is amazing and I am beyond blessed that he is my husband. Although we had a slow and slightly rough start to the Christmas season, it ended up being a success! We had a great time, got some fun gifts, and spent some quality time with good friends.

Happy 2010th Birthday!

2010-12-27T15:40:00.001-08:00

When I was a child, every Christmas Eve my mom would make a cake and we would sing 'Happy Birthday' to Jesus. A good reminder to us kids of what the Christmas holiday and season is all about. We decided to take the whole Birthday thing a step farther and started a new tradition in our little family. On Christmas Eve we had a Birthday Party honoring Jesus...complete with friends, food, party games, and cake and ice cream. It was seriously SO MUCH FUN! And, I'll tell you what, Kyle has no doubt as to why we celebrate Christmas, so it worked!

Here is some of the fun from our birthday celebration...

Playing the present dice game. (There is a present wrapped up in tons of layers of paper and tape. You go around the circle and roll a dice. When you get doubles, you have to put on a pair of socks and start opening. As soon as the next person gets doubles you have to give them the socks and gift. It goes like this until somebody wins!) Kayleigh was the big winner of the kids round, and Jeff won the adult round!

We played stick the nose on the snowman. I was hilarious. Everybody got a turn. We went oldest to youngest. Guess who won? Little Kyle! His reaction was epic, we wish we would have had it on tape, we could have won some serious home video cash.

When it was Kourtni's turn, she had a little difficulty. It could have had something to do with the fact that they spun her more than anybody else, and then headed her in the completely wrong direction. We all laughed, HARD. I'm pretty sure Melissa almost peed her pants!

Next we played a random game. We split into three teams, gave each team two rolls of toilet paper, and put five minutes on the timer. The goal was to cover one person on your team as much as possible in the five minutes. The winner is the team who's snowman was covered the most. It was actually really fun. Everybody got into it.

The kids all had a blast playing in the paper after we were done. It was like a big snowstorm inside the family room. Every kid's dream!

Wait...the game was SO over at this point (and this team had already been declared winners), but Melissa, self proclaimed Toilet Paper Queen, just couldn't let it go. Poor Ryan had no choice but to stand there and take it. It was pretty funny.

Colby loved playing in all the paper. Making a huge mess and not even getting in trouble for it was like a toddler's dream! He thought it was great!

And...STILL GOING at it with Ryan. Everybody else started getting in on the action. Yes, that is even a little black duct tape you see! Who knew that one random game would turn into an hour of entertainment?

And to cap off our fun party...cake and ice cream!

Happy Birthday Jesus!

The Kyles

2010-12-21T15:32:00.000-08:00

The Madrishin kids spend the night at our house a couple of weekends ago. We love having them over, but Kyle likes it best! He's in heaven when the 'big kids', as they are known to him, sleep over. Our Kyle has been permanently branded as Little Kyle, while Kyle Madrishin is Big Kyle.
He loves them all, but Big Kyle is Little Kyle's favorite. He told us a few days ago that Big Kyle is his 'coolest boyfriend'. We suggested to our Kyle to call Big Kyle his 'coolest dude.' It sounds a little better! (Big Kyle is 14 years old.)
It's hard to be so far away from all of our cousins. I hate that Kyle doesn't know his older boy cousins very well, because they are all awesome examples of what I hope he and Colby become. (Jake, Tyler, Justin, Mason - I'm talking to you guys!) But since we don't get to see them more than once or twice a year, I am eternally grateful for the example and friendship of the Madrishin boys. You rock! Thanks for being the big brothers/big cousins that my boys need as examples.

First Snow!

2010-12-18T04:58:00.000-08:00

It has been SO STINKIN' cold around here lately. We finally got s little snow to go along with the cold! As soon as enough snow accumulated on the ground to become playable, Kyle and the Madrish kids were outside.I kept Colby inside for a while, but he kept running to the window and saying "outside". I got him all bundled up and took him out for a bit too. He just couldn't seem to figure out what was so fun about being freezing cold and having white stuff fall on your face...Good times!

Our Big Night Out!

2010-12-12T18:55:00.000-08:00

Last night was Scott's annual work holiday party. I'll be honest, I think I look forward to it each year more than he does. It is one night a year that we get all dressed up and get to go to a posh location to mingle and eat delicious food. This year the party was at the Ritz-Carlton in Georgetown. We had a great time. The music wasn't my fav (they had a live Jazz band, which I'm sure some people loved, but I'm more of a pop/hip-hop gal!) But the creme-brulee make up for it. Definitely a fun night out.

But what made the night even better? Scott surprised me yesterday morning and said he booked us a room at a Bed & Breakfast in Fairfax for after the party. Ya, my husband is THAT COOL! The little B&B is called Stafford House.

I would recommend it to everybody! It is a small B&B, only two rooms. We stayed in the 'King Room.' It was amazing! I forgot to snap any pictures of the room, but I pulled this off the internet. It doesn't do the room justice, but at least you can see the beautiful bed.

It is not often that I take pictures of a bathroom, but this was picture worthy! The bathroom was huge. Two full vanities, and a full sized sauna room.

But get a look at this bathtub, it's HUGE! It's a gigantic Jacuzzi tub. Seriously, it could easily sit four people. (Although we didn't try to fit four people into it... ;)

This place was a dream.

None of this could have happed without the Madrishin's. Thank you SO much for watching our boys, and for offering to have them spend the night so that we could have a night out. We are so blessed to have such great friends that love our boys and would offer us such a gift as a night away. It was the first time Scott and I have gotten away, just the two of us, since we've had children. It was wonderful. We slept in until 8:45 this morning. AWESOME.

Belize City, Belize - 2nd Stop

2010-11-29T17:59:00.000-08:00

This was our most anticipated stop of the whole cruise. In fact, this stop is the reason we chose this cruise itinerary. Ten years ago Scott was serving his mission in Honduras and Belize. There was no way that we could tour Honduras given the time we were in port, but Belize was a different story.

Getting off the ship was a little different this time. The ship had to stay anchored way out in the bay (because it is too shallow to have a pier) so we had to take 'tender boats' to shore. Colby was not a fan.
Once we were to shore we rented a 12 passenger van and off we went! Scott wanted to take us to the areas that he spent a collective 10 months of his mission. While it was so fun to see the land, and have Scott show us places that he had served in and such, the best part was seeing Scott. There was a twinkle in his eye. He's not a very emotional kind of guy, but you could just see his joy at being back to this place that is so dear to his heart. It was awesome. I am so thankful that we were able to finally go back to his mission area, and to share it with our boys, parents, and good friends was wonderful.We were all so excited about being there and being in the moment that we failed to take too many pictures of our day. Luckily we did come away with a few.

We stopped along the way at a gas station for some drinks. This building was across the road. We got a kick out of the Coca-Cola sign. It's amazing how far reaching their product branding is...
This is the apartment building in Santa Elena that Scott lived in for about five months. The missionaries still live there!

A guy on the street said we just missed the Elders, so we continued our drive...and guess who we found? The missionaries! Scott stopped and talked for them for a minute. They came over and met us all. We offered to take them to lunch, but they had an appointment, so Scott gave them some $ and we headed off. It was fun to see the cute boys in white shirts and ties.

Then we crossed over the river to San Ignacio, where he spent another 5 months. We were able to find a restaurant there to stretch out our legs and eat some yummy food. And since we were the only ones there, we took a bunch of pictures too!
We finished out the tour by stopping by the LDS church in San Ignacio.
An hour and a half later we were back to Belize City and back to the boat. It was a long day in the car, but so rewarding.

Now that I've had a taste of Honduras and Belize, I think we'll be going back again in the future. Next time though, we'll spend a little more than a few hours in each country!

Roatan, Honduras - 1st stop

2010-11-21T08:18:00.000-08:00

Our first stop of the week...Roatan, Honduras. SO BEAUTIFUL! These were taken when we were pulling into port.Upon getting off the ship we were greeted by these dancers. Kyle had a blast dancing with the girls. Apparently he's already quite the lady killer! (It could have had something to do with the fact that he is a blue eyed blond haired boy in a country that is not!)(Scott, Monte, and my dad Milt went SCUBA diving, so they aren't in any of the pics.) My mom, Sherry, the boys and I took the chance to hit the beach! Since Scott came to Roatan while he was on his mission a few times, he knew just where to direct us to go...West Bay. Colby sacked out on the drive over. The first couple of days of our vacation have already worn him out!
All Kyle needed was his water wings and he was off!! The water was deliciously warm and so clear. A true island paradise!
After a little nap Colby was ready to get in on the action too!
White sandy beaches are no myth...they exist! It was so much fun to play at the beach...especially know how cold things had gotten back home. A nice break from reality!

Dave and Melissa went on a shore excursion through the cruise line. They went to go to an animal reserve and saw iguanas, tropical birds, and monkeys. This little fella took a liking to Melissa! They hit the beach after seeing the animals!
After a great sun and fun filled day, we all left Roatan wanting to come back for more. It was a beautiful island. It's definitely been added to our list of places to visit for longer than 8 hours.

This is a shot my dad took of us pulling out of port.
Next stop...Beliz City, Beliz.

another Cruise post - Fun on the Ship!

2010-11-08T17:18:00.000-08:00

There is so much fun to be had on a cruise ship. Activities galore. Here is a glimpse into some of the fun...

Chillaxin' on our balcony. A great place to get some fresh air and watch the water (which was one of Colby's favorite things to do.)
There were two golf cages on the ship. Everyone took some swings, but Kyle probably played golf the most (surprise, surprise!)
Scott played in two soccer tournaments.
Basketball on the sports-court. (Yep! That's Big-Dave helping Colby sink a ball!)
HUGE chess pieces! They boys have no idea how to play, but the pieces sure were fun to move around and mess up.
Shuffleboard was a FAVORITE! If Kyle wasn't playing in the kids club, he wanted to be golfing or playing shuffleboard. We all had a lot of fun playing together.
The pools and slide on this ship weren't quite as awesome as some of the other ships we've been on in the past, but still tons of fun! There is something super cool about playing in a pool on a ship that is in the middle of the ocean. Kind of a trip.
And last, a quick family photo. Colby isn't a fan of the camera these days, so it is virtually impossible to get him to sit still and look at the camera. We'll take three out of four!
Next post? Ports of Call! Roatan, Honduran - Beliz City, Beliz - Costa Maya, Mexico - Key West, Florida.

We've been back almost a week...

2010-11-06T06:13:00.000-07:00

We've been home almost a week from our fun adventure. Vacations are funny...you save$ for months (sometimes years) for a big trip, prepare for months, pack for weeks, and then it's over in 7 days. THANKFULLY the memories last a life-time! Which is why we put ourselves through the craziness to begin with!

Last week we packed up the house (okay, at least that's what it felt like!) and took the boys with us on a cruise! This wasn't just any old cruise, the itinerary took us to two spots where Scott served his mission 10 years ago. To top off the awesomeness of it all, some of our favorite people joined us for the adventure. Scott's parents, my parents, and Dave and Melissa Madrishin (they are our friends-neighbors-adopted family.)

We have lots of fun pictures that I want to post over the next few days. Here are a few to get started!

What is one of the first five things that come to mind when you think cruise? I would argue that it is the awesome towel animals left in your stateroom during turn-down. A true cruise icon! I've seen the dog before, but a mouse and monkey are new to me.
There is something exhilarating about being a few hundred feet above the water on the top deck of a ginormous floating vessel, and then rock climbing a few more to ring the blasted bell! Looking out when you are up THAT high is pretty cool. Seeing nothing but water as far as the eye can see it quite the trip. And yes, my 59 year old mom made it all the way. Way TO GO Grandma Sandy!!

Summer's Palace Dining Room - Day 1
We were able to board this ship 'early'. General boarding begins at 2:00 PM, but because we have traveled Norwegian Cruise Lines before we were able to participate in their pre-boarding, which began at 11:00 AM. It was a fun perk. The lines were all but nothing getting on to the ship, it wasn't the usual cattle call that we've been in on previous cruises. (Kid you not, I will cruise NCL again for the pre-bording. The less chaos the better!) The only down side to pre-boarding was that the staterooms were not quite ready for occupants. (The poor room stewards only have about an hour to turn around the rooms from one week to the next, crazy.) We were able to store our stuff in a luggage room and cruise around the 'public areas of the ship.' One of the first places we headed??? To eat of course! Isn't that what cruises are known for?

Below is K-man enjoying his first cruise meal of the trip. Chicken nuggets and fries, the lunch of champions! (We had decided before hand that this was his vacation too, and we would let him eat whatever he wanted, or not eat if that was his choice, I just wasn't up for the fight the whole week. He ate nuggets and fries and chocolate milk at least 3/4 of the meals!)
Scott's parents. Monte and Sherry Pugmire. This was their first cruise. All smiles day one...success!My parents, Milt and Sandy Walters. Seasoned cruisers. Happy to be with their favorite daughter and son-in-law and two adorable grandsons!We were still at the port of Miami, so we'll give Melissa the pass for the cell phone today. After all she did leave her six children at home. I guess checking in on them to make sure the house hasn't burnt down yet is okay. (Their oldest is 20 yrs old, youngest 9, they were in good hands!)
And thus begins the journey. More fun to follow!

Belated Happy Halloween!

2010-11-02T05:51:00.000-07:00

My excuse for the delayed pictures are legit. We celebrated Halloween on a cruise ship! I have so many fun pictures to put up on the blog, but will get to those in the next few days. For now...These fun pictures were taken on our Stateroom deck. I SO miss that beautiful blue water and warm weather. I'm already starting to save my pennies for our next big adventure!

Black Beans Anyone?

2010-09-17T13:25:00.000-07:00

Yum Yum! Colby makes these look absolutely delish!He's been a bit of a finicky eater, but we've found something he absolutely devours. Black Beans!They make for pretty awesome diapers the next day too.

When big brother is away...

2010-09-04T05:21:00.000-07:00

Colby LOVES that he has free reign of all the toys while Kyle is at school. No big brother telling him what he can/can't play with, persuading him off the trampoline because it's his turn, etc.

Colby's favorite spot? On the little trampoline with as many of Kyle's big toys as possible! Love it!

Week 1 down! Lots to go...

2010-08-30T13:39:00.000-07:00

Kyle LOVES Kindergarten! He loves everything about it. FINALLY being able to ride the bus is WAY up there on the list. He loves his teacher, he loves that a bunch of his friends from the neighborhood are in his class, he loves all the fun things they do in class and PE, but most especially he loves RECESS! (Such a boy!)

Here are some of the cute pictures from K-man's first day of school last Monday...

My big boy all ready for his first day of Kindergarten!
In trying to be like of of his 'idols', he had to get a Tony Hawk backpack - just like BIG Kyle! (Our good friend's 13 year old son, Kyle)
And Tony Hawk skater shoes. (Really they are knock-offs, but don't tell him that!)
Heading off towards the bus stop!Kyle was the first one on the bus. Not because he was the first one to the bus stop, but because the other kids were nice enough to let his excited little self on first. Have I mentioned before how awesome all our neighbor kids are? He never even looked back.
And last but not least, he was all smiles getting off the bus in the afternoon. It was a GOOD day!
Hooray for elementary school! I am so excited for Kyle and this new adventure.

The day before the rest of his life

2010-08-22T19:06:00.000-07:00

'Twas the night before starting Kindergarten, when all through our house,

Not a creature was stirring, not even a fly;

The backpack is sitting by the front door all ready to go,

In hopes that the school bus soon will be here;

Kyle is nestled all snug in his bed,

While visions of recess and friends dance in his head;

And I in my PJ's, and Scott in his too,

Are realising our K-man is growing up - WHEW!

So I'm not sure where that came from, but I couldn't resist. Moving on... Kyle starts Kindergarten tomorrow! Exciting stuff! We sat down with him for a few minutes and asked him some questions. I can't wait to compare his answers from today with his answers at the end of the school year.

What is your Teacher's name? - Miss Wagner

What are you most excited about starting Kindergarten? - to play at recess

What is your favorite color? - red

What is your favorite food? - bread with butter

What do you want to be when you grow up? - a dad...and a golfer

Who is your best friend? - The Madrishins, Big Kyle, Zack, and Jack-Jack

What is your favorite movie? - Baby Bach (Baby Einsteins)

What is your favorite thing to play? - Wipeout on the Wii

What is your favorite sport to play? - Golf

How tall do you think you are? - Ummmm...let me count...1,2,3,...like 20 inches.

Do you have any girlfriends? - Kayleigh, Ashley, and Abey

What is the best part about being 5 years old? - I get to go to Kindergarten

What was your favorite part of the summer? - Swimming at the hotel in New York

Those were HIS answers. Some of them surprised us and made us giggle, others not so much. Tomorrow should be a fun adventure!

One of our favorite things...

2010-08-13T12:42:00.000-07:00

We've been trying to go boating almost every night for two weeks, but the weather hasn't worked in our favor. We finally got to go out on my parents boat last night!This was Colby's first trip out on the boat. He actually did better than we expected. Babies never like to wear lifejackets, and he was no different, but it's a must and he eventually got use to it. We even got a few smiles out of him later in the day!
Kyle and his cousin Lainie had a ball together. Our two peas in a pod stayed up front of the bow for most of the day. They laughed their heads off and loved throwing goldfish crackers into the lake to watch them 'swim' away.
Our cute little family!

Both Scott and I were able to get up on the wake-surf board on our first tries. (Which after taking a year off, and me having a baby, was something to celebrate!) We both were able to surf with no handle for a while too. SO MUCH FUN! It's totally my new favorite boating activity.
These last three pictures are purely for your viewing pleasure! Below is my big brother, Tom, catching some wicked BIG AIR on the wake board. He is crazy talented and athletic. So much fun to watch. In the last photo he is throwing a HUGE back-flip. SWEET!The evening was great! Mountain boating is a lot different from Lake Powell boating, but fun nonetheless. (It took me about 8 hours to thaw out...I was FREEZING.) We can't wait until next year.

Family Photos...

2010-08-08T20:37:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since we've done family pictures...like over a year. We finally had a minute together today and found a great location. I'm pleased with the outcome. Cheers to a nice camera!

We're having a blast in Utah with family and friends. Thanks to you all for making our vacation a great one!

Reminders

2010-08-04T20:25:00.000-07:00

While running into the wind, DO NOT spit.

It's messy.

If it looks like it might rain, choose wisely where you are going to run.

Because lightning is kind of scary when you're out in the open.

Keep up the good work...40 lbs. lost is definitely something to be proud of!

flyin' high!

2010-08-01T14:55:00.000-07:00

K-man got to go on a fun little adventure yesterday. He was lucky enough to go flying for a few hours with my Uncle Jim and my brother, Tom.

My Uncle has been flying since way before I was born. (He has a couple of his own planes.) He had been out to a big airshow (Oshkosh, for you plane lovers) and passed through Salt Lake on his way home. He is always so generous to give rides in his plane. This time it was my brother, Tom, and Kyle who went up. **Okay, side note, when we were here in Utah back in June Kyle go to take a quick ride in the plane then too, and LOVED it, so he's kind of obsessed.** Uncle Jim had Kyle help him do his pre-flight checks, and K-man got to untie the ropes holding the plane to the ground. He ate it up!

My brother's camera has a bunch of the pre-flight pictures on it, but I did catch these ones at least...
Finished up with all the pre-flight checks, just getting buckled in and ready to take off.Just after take-off.Another cool shot that catches the awesome scenery of the valley.
Kyle had a blast! He doesn't get air-sick a bit and can't wait until we get to see Uncle Jim and ride in his plane again. His favorite parts? Talking into the headsets with Uncle Jim and Uncle Tom, being one of the 'big boys', and laughing at the plane when it "talked" to him. (The men got a little tired of his constant chatter though the headsets, so Uncle Tom disguised his voice and told him "This is the plane, Kyle, you need to stop talking" and other stuff like that. Apparently Kyle laughed his little head off!)

Thank You Uncle Jim, Kyle LOVED it. We really appreciate your enthusiasm and willingness to give Kyle such an awesome adventure.

Dinner Conversation ....

2010-07-23T05:56:00.000-07:00

Our dinner conversation a few nights ago...

Kyle: I really liked going to Canada.
Scott: I'm glad you had fun bud, we'll have to again sometime.
Kyle: I liked going to Chewbacca too.
Scott and I: Where?
Kyle: Chewbacca.
Scott: Chewbacca? Where is that?
(only being able to picture something out of Star Wars)
Kyle: You know, that place we went for dad's birthday, CHEWBACCA...
*taking a minute to process*
Tami: *laughing* Buddy, do you mean Osaka? Where they cooked at our table?
(It's a Japanese steak house like Benihana's)
Kyle: Oh yea, Osaka. The fire volcano was cool.

I love the translating game with kids! It can be so entertaining.

Road Trip 2010

2010-07-20T08:47:00.000-07:00

Whew! We had a couple of long days of driving last week, but I'd turn around and do it all again in a heartbeat.

Kyle, Colby, and I headed off on Wednesday with the Madrishin family for a whirlwind road trip. I'll admit, I was super nervous to take off on this adventure without Scott, but it turned out better than I could have ever imagined. Traveling with the Madrishin family was fabulous. Aside from the fact that we travel the 'same', (mellow, take-it-as-it-comes, roll with the punches kind of traveling) I had seven awesome babysitters too! They were all SO helpful. I will be forever grateful to them for making this trip as painless for me as possible!

My Kyle rode in the Madrishin's Suburban with Dave and Melissa and their boys, and Colby was in the van with me and Kayleigh and Ashley. The girls were happy to not be with their brothers, and Kyle was thrilled to be with all the 'big boys.' The arrangements couldn't have been more successful. (I'm pretty sure I got the good end of the deal.)

Day 1: Drive to Victor, NY (between Rochester & Palmyra), eat dinner at Dinosaur BBQ in Rochester. (A local hot spot we were told not to miss!)Day 2: Morning swim at the hotel, afternoon visiting Palmyra Temple and the Sacred Grove, evening Hill Cumorah Pageant.Day 3: Drive up to Niagara Falls, Canada, check out the falls and ride the Maid of the Mist, then drive to Solon, Ohio. (Just outside of Kirtland, Ohio)Day 4: Johnson Farm (Hyrum, Ohio), lunch with Elder LaRochelle's family (an elder serving in our mission here in VA), Kirtland Temple & historic Kirtland, evening - watching the play "This is Kirtland".Day 5: Morning swim at the hotel. Drive home!

Aaaahhh....home sweet home. We had a blast, but being the only driver in my car was pretty exhausting.THE END!

AAAAHHHHH...I guess it was our turn.

2010-07-13T19:10:00.000-07:00

Most of our neighbors have had one of these visitors in the past, we've been lucky until NOW...SERIOUSLY, this is what I came upon when leaving my house this afternoon. YUCK. EEEK. He's HUGE, and He's ALIVE. He ruined my day.

Just thought I'd share.

On a different note, the littles and I are headed off with some friends to New York and Ohio for the weekend. Wish us luck, we've got a lot of drive time ahead of us.

The past few weeks....

2010-07-07T06:38:00.000-07:00

What have your past few weeks looked like? I'm sure they've been just as busy as ours! Below is the 'Readers Digest' version of our past few weeks...

The boys and I made a quick trip out to Utah to celebrate the life of my sweet Grandma, Lela Jane MacKnight. We were able to see relatives that we haven't seen in years, and even meet some new ones! The memorial service was beautiful. Just as she would have wanted it...a small group of family who laughed, shared stores of our feisty Lela Jane, and only shed a few tears. Below is a picture of my parents as proud as can be with their three grandchildren!

We've spent lazy summer mornings just chillin' together.

I prepared a lot of fun things for the YCL's at YW Camp.

Kyle got to celebrate his 5th BIRTHDAY with a few of his friends at the bowling alley. (He has begged for the past few years to have a bowling party. We finally made it happen this year!) I can't believe my K-man is 5! I love him with all of my heart and am so proud of the boy he is becoming. Scott and I are very blessed to be his parents.

What's a bowling party without a bowling cake? I'm no pro, and don't pretend to be, but Kyle loved it, and that's all that matters!

This was a pretty big year in the gift department for the little man. He got a new 16" bike from us, and a super sweet Razor scooter from Grandma and Grandpa Walters. He was SO EXCITED!

We played 'Just Dance' on the Wii at the Madrishin's house...possibly the most fun Wii game of all time. (Yes, that is Grandma Sandy getting her groove on!)

I was a Stake Leader at YW Camp. Such a great experience. I loved the ladies I served with and had a fabulous time with all the girls. An experience not soon forgotten.

Celebrated my 29th birthday at camp!

We enjoyed a fun block party with a ton of friends on Sat. July 3rd... (Thanks Jensen family for putting that together!)

Kyle wasn't afraid of the fireworks this year!! HOORAY!! A HUGE milestone in his little life.

With his birthday money from Great-Grandpa Bob, Kyle chose to get himself a new set of junior clubs...so he could be just like his dad and grandpas. He and Scott have already been out on the course to try them out.

And last, but certainly not least, we were lucky enough to have my mom, Grandma Sandy, visit for two weeks. She was our sweet angel who watched the boys during the days while I was at camp and Scott was working. Thanks mom. I love knowing my boys are in good hands while I am away. We love you SO much and are thankful for your sacrifice and willingness to help us out. Colby has missed his play-mate terribly since you've been gone!

Whew! The last few weeks have been exciting and exhausting. I'd love to say things are going to change for the rest of the summer, but they aren't, so we'll just embrace the craziness and look forward to the next few weeks!

One the agenda for the upcoming weeks...
Time at the pool
A road-trip to New York and Ohio
Getting ready for K-man to start Kindergarten
Three weeks in Utah
...and more!

Future Pilot?

2010-06-11T08:13:00.000-07:00

We had, quite possibly, the nicest pilot ever on our flight home from Utah on Wednesday night. While boarding the plane Kyle took a quick detour into the cockpit of our plane. Instead of the pilots getting angry and sending him away, they talked to him for a minute, showed him the screens on their plane, and even let him sit in the pilot seat with one of their hats. I didn't have my camera handy, but the pilot said he'd be happy to pose for pictures after the flight...
I don't have pictures from his other flying escapade earlier in the week, but my Uncle Jim has a plane and took him up for a quick trip on Tuesday morning in that too. Kyle has now decided that he wants to be a pilot when he grows up.

Memorial Weekend - Virginia Beach

2010-06-06T09:23:00.000-07:00

We tent camped for the first time in YEARS over Memorial weekend. It was so much fun. Camping at a KOA type of campground is so much different than the campgrounds I camped in growing up, but still super fun. (In a packed like a sardine can kind of way!) I've never seen so many campers and tents in one location. The campground has 600+ sites, and they were full to capacity. Craziness! Lucky for us, we were right next to the Madrishin family, so we shared our two sites.The beach is just a mile or two away, and we had some beautiful weather (only one day of rain!) so we got to enjoy camping and the beach all in one weekend. Such fun!
Our little man Colby also turned one last week. I can hardly believe it. We celebrated his birthday while we were out there too.

Really? Really?

2010-06-03T09:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was one disaster after another. Luckily all of it was pretty laughable and nothing that is of great importance, but here's how the day went...

8:00 AM - Off to the airport. Daddy is dropping the littles and I off for our quick last-minute trip to Utah. (Grandma Lela's memorial service)
8:30 AM - Realize we forgot the stroller back at home...guess I'll have to do the airport scene while carrying Colby. G R E A T...
9:00 AM - Get to the airport, only to realize that we forgot to get cash to tip sky-cap. We rounded up $1.60 between the two of us and apologize profusely to the sky-cap guy about the lack of $. When I handed him what money we did scrounge up, I dropped a couple of the coins. Bent over to pick them up and my pants split right up the back. A W E S O M E... Luckily they haden't wisked my bag away yet, so I grabbed another pair of shorts to change into once we get through security.
11:30 AM - Halfway between Dulles and JFK Kyle spills an entire water bottle all over himself and my backpack...which has the laptop and SLR Camera. S E R I O U S L Y?
12:00 noon - Three-hour lay-over in JFK. F U N
1:30 PM - Colby poopy diaper change.
3:30 PM - Now a three and a half lay-over. Plane is late getting in.
4:00 PM - Colby cries/screams for 30-45 min. on the plane while trying to fall asleep. S O R R Y peeps.
5:00 PM - Kyle has to go potty...BAD. Seat belt sign still on, we had to ignore it.
5:30 PM - Colby poopy diaper change. Again ignore the seat belt sign.
6:30 PM - Kyle has to go potty AGAIN.
7:30 PM - ANOTHER poopy diaper change for Colby. I am now out of diapers and hoping for no more poop.
***Now in Mountain Time Zone***
6:45 PM - Plane lands. Colby poops A G A I N. Luckily there are diapers in the suitcases. We'll change it as soon as we get to the car.
7:05 PM - Waiting for luggage on luggage carousel.
7:15 PM - STILL waiting for luggage along with about 20 other people from my flight.
7:20 PM - Get word that OOPS! JetBlue forgot to load one whole baggage cart back at JFK. - which means no diapers, no car seat for Colby, no clothes, etc. G R R R R.
7:30 PM - Luggage isn't going to be in until tomorrow NIGHT. There is only one JetBlue flight from JFK to SLC each day. - Leave info so that our luggage can be delivered once its in. Get a $50 credit to use on a future JetBlue flight. Given a 'loaner' car seat for Colby. Promised to be reimbursed for diapers/wipes.
8:00 PM - Stop at Target for diapers and PJ's for all us...so that we can wash our clothes to wear tomorrow.
9:00 PM (11:00 PM East Coast Time) - Finally, bed time for the littles. W H E W!

It was just one of those days. I only lost my cool once, and that was when Kyle was being careless and spilled the water all over everything. Other than that, I think I rolled with the punches pretty good. I didn't really figure there was any other choice. Hopefully the next few days will be a breeze.

We'll be in Utah for only a week.

I'll post pictures from our fun weekend at Virginia Beach in a day or two.

Annual work picnic

2010-05-24T04:51:00.000-07:00

Saturday was Scott's annual work Family Picnic. It has proven to be a fun event every year that we've been with the company, and this year did not disappoint! Highlights for the boys were the bounce castle, face painting, and playing on the playground...And the highlight for me...the climbing wall and zip line! I'm such an adventure junkie. They had this available at the picnic two years ago too, the wall was easier for me this time...must be the exercising and weight loss!
We are so blessed that Scott has such an amazing job and employer. Thank you VRL for the fun Saturday afternoon and all you do for your employees and their families.

Next weekend? Camping in Virginia Beach!

Milestones

2010-05-17T12:20:00.000-07:00

We've had an exciting few weeks around here!

Boy #1 no longer needs training wheels...

And Boy #2 is off and walking!

The fun is just beginning this summer! It's going to be an exciting few months with these boys of ours.

it can't all be fun...

2010-05-14T08:08:00.000-07:00

This is one of those 'real' posts. For me, more than anything else. It needs to be shared, so that I can move on and celebrate the baby steps.

not fun: Clothes that were purchased as what I call my 'fat clothes' becoming tight and stretching in all the wrong places. (Fat clothes means that I am NOT willing to buy the next size up...this size is already WAY TOO big.)
not fun: Coming to the realization that something HAS to be done about the weight issue. I mean really, it's a life or death kind of realization.
not fun: Finding out that I have enough weight to loose to be considered a contestant on The Biggest Loser. Deciding to send in an application and video, going to the open casting calls in D.C., and not getting selected.

Guess that means I am going to have to take this on all by myself...or at least without Bob or Jillian yelling in my face yelling at me to push harder. Thankfully I have an amazing husband who is willing to support me, and even embark on this weight loss, lifestyle change with me. (He only has to drop about a third of the weight that I do, but the support is invaluable.)

not fun: Eating 1200 calories a day (started the day after easter 5 1/2 weeks ago). Keeping a food journal to make sure I am really only eating 1200 calories a day, and to make sure that the calories I am eating are healthy ones.
not fun: Missing a neighborhood Ice Cream Party, because I knew I wouldn't have the self control to say 'no', and a girls night out...for the same reason. (The theme of the girls night out was bread. That would have been like a recovering alcoholic going to hang out with friends at a bar...not a wise choice!)
not fun: Cooking. Seriously, our choices are SO much more limited. I'm SHOCKED to calculate how many calories were in some of the meals I prepared on a regular basis. And Realizing that our portions were WAY TOO BIG.

I have not been complaining, not at all, just being 'real'. There is a flip side to all of this.

FUN: After coming to the realization that I needed to take some action about my weight, actually TAKING ACTION! I'm taking control of my life back! Unless you've been in this situation before, it's hard to put into words the happiness and joy that I have felt the past few weeks, just knowing that I am doing this for ME, and that I CAN DO THIS.
FUN: My 'fat clothes' are not big on me by any means, but they are fitting correctly, some with even a little bit of extra room.
FUN: Walking in the mornings with Colby. Since I don't get to check out of real life and go on The Biggest Looser ranch for a few months, I needed to find something that works for me, in real life. Walking is what I can do right now. It feels good to just get out and go. Colby loves watching the birds and bugs fly around outside, so it's a win-win! (We go after Kyle heads off to preschool.)
FUN: Who knew you could do so many things with ground turkey and chicken sausage? I'm learning to cook with ingredients that I never really gave a chance. Veggies have become a 'filler food' rather than bread or carbs.
FUN: Reporting to Scott, every Sunday morning at weigh-in time, on my progress.
FUN: Starting to feel my progress physically, and others commenting on the change.

This is going to be a crazy long road. It hasn't been easy so far, but it also hasn't killed me! I am proud of myself and gaining back my self confidence and self control for the first time in a long time. I am not meant to be a fat chick dang-it. I want to be that cute girl again that Scott asked to marry him. I know I can do it, but if I get discouraged, I may need a little encouragement. Wish me luck with continuing on my journey.

Five week weight loss total: 21 lbs.

Mothers Day Funny

2010-05-10T06:45:00.000-07:00

Along with our programs at church yesterday there was an insert from the primary. Each primary child was asked to share something their mother taught them, or something they love about their mother.

Kyle's answer: "After I eat she gives me cheese balls. She lets me off my chair."

Awesome.

I'm glad he loves me for something so important.

We had MULTIPLE people approach us at church saying his comment made them laugh out loud. Great, our kid is THAT kid.

Bubble Economy

2010-05-02T10:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was great! We had the opportunity to go to watch the Virginia Gold Cup Horse Races. Scott's company was one of the sponsors of the event, so we got to chill in a nice sponsors tent on 'Members Hill' and eat posh yummy food when we weren't watching races.The atmosphere was totally interesting. Everybody is dressed up, women wearing beautiful hats, most men in sport coats, or at least shirts and ties, horse-owners reeking of money...it was a PARTY! We decided to make it a special big-boy day for Kyle, so we left Colby at home with the Madrishins. Kyle loved being spoiled and having mom and dad all to himself for a few hours.

This was my first opportunity to watch any LIVE horse racing. It was exciting stuff! Even though there was no betting involved, and I didn't know one horse from the next, I definitely got into it! The horse with our favorite name of the day WON the final Gold Cup Race... Bubble Economy! (The owner is now enjoying his $75k purse!)

Construction

2010-04-23T17:59:00.001-07:00

We (ok, mostly Scott) have been working hard on building a garden box. Just a few more hours of work and we'll be ready to fill it with top soil and get our little seedlings planted! Our soil is SO TERRIBLE here that we decided the best route to go was to build up, rather than even attempt to clear a space for a garden. I am super excited for our 'box garden'. Scott has constructed it so that we can add another box next year too.
Kyle is Scott's little sidekick. If there is 'construction' going on anywhere inside or outside of the house, K-man is THERE! He loves 'helping'. He recently told me that when he grows up he wants to be an 'Instruction' worker. (It's pretty cute, he keeps mixing up construction and instruction.) We'll see what a few years and more house construction bring...

I'm super excited about the project I've been working on. I've been digging out the grass along the sunward (is that a word? It makes sense... like the windward side of an island! It's the side that gets sun ALL DAY LONG) side of our house. We're planing a couple blackberry and raspberry bushes this year. HOORAY! I've wanted to do this for a few years, and it is finally happening. I bought the plants today. We probably won't get fruits this year, but by next year we will be enjoying fresh home-grown berries! I can hardly wait.

Back to the garden. This year I am planting yellow squash, bell peppers, petite cucumbers (hopefully enough that I can pickle them!), cilantro, basil, and a couple varieties of tomatoes. Waiting to harvest is the hardest part. I'm pretty excited about it all though.

This afternoon while Colby was napping, I brought out the baby monitor and worked on sprucing up our front planter a bit. I didn't get to do anything with it last year since I was either super preggo, or recovering from the c-section, so I have been excited to plant flowers again this year. While I was out working I snapped this cool photo. The azaleas are in full-bloom, and the bee's are LOVING them!

Today

2010-04-20T14:23:00.000-07:00

Our nice spring afternoon playing with good friends...I am SO thankful for all our great friends. And especially my two adorable boys!

Side note...he had mud EVERYWHERE. It left an awesome ring in the tub, and he took a shower! Ahhhh to be a little boy!

Sale Day

2010-04-12T04:28:00.000-07:00

So, I don't usually post 'business' stuff on this blog, since it's the family blog and all, but for today you'll have to excuse me!

April is Spring Sale Month at All The Trend. Each Monday we are featuring a different category in our shop with a great sale. Last Monday our 'Just Like Mommy' aprons were a big success. People always love a sale! (Me too! I'm not sure when the last time was that I paid full price for any of the boys clothes!) Today's sale is for CAR SEAT BLANKETS. We usually sell them for $19.95, but for the next 24 hours they will be on sale for just $14.95! Car Seat Blankets have a soft spot in both mine and Lynette's (my business partner) hearts. They are what got us started on this little business adventure. It is still one of my very favorite things we sew. It is SO functional. When Colby was brand new and still spitting up constantly, I had TWO, just so that I could always have a clean one on hand!
**To make the deal just a little sweeter, if you purchase two, we'll include a $5 gift certificate to our shop for future purchases!** (If you live in our area, go ahead through the check-out process, and we'll just refund your postage.)

Other than that, Happy Monday!

*********************
Oh yea, on a totally separate note. I'm slightly devastated. Our SD card is currently misplaced. THANKFULLY a week ago Scott happened to copy the photos from the card to his laptop to show Kyle. We are only missing one week of photos, rather than four months. Cheers to the little blessings in life!

Our crazy but fun weekend...in pictures!

2010-04-05T10:37:00.000-07:00

We had a great weekend. It was crazy and it flew by, but super fun! Last-minute visits are a blast.

My big brother, Mike, had to come out to Norfolk, VA. to take a class/test for the Navy. He had a free companion ticket that he used to bring my Mom along with him. The boys and I picked them up from Richmond Intl. Airport on Friday morning around 9:15am.

Off to Williamsburg, VA. to spend a few hours before heading down to Norfolk for Mike's class.

Sorry Uncle Tom, but after this visit, Uncle Mike is definitely the favorite Walters Uncle!

After spending a few hours in very busy Williamsburg, VA, we drove down to Norfolk. Mike took his 'Sharpshooter' class/test and is the US Navy's newest Master Sharpshooter. (That's my shout-out to you Mike!) My mom and I went to dinner and hung out at the local MD's playarea while Mike was tied up. We headed home and were in bed around midnight.

The plan for Saturday was to hang out for a few hours around home in the morning and then head into Washington D.C. to see the cherry blossoms and catch the National's Baseball game. If only it could have gone so smoothly! :) We should have had some indicator as to what our day was going to be like when we pulled into the Vienna Metro Station and had to park on the top deck of the parking garage. The train into the city was PACKED. We got on at the first stop and the metro was packed.

Once we realized the full extent of the metro mayhem, we decided to split up. My mom and I would get off at the Smithsonian stop so that she could see the cherry blossoms and so that we could snap a few pictures of Colby, and the 'big boys' would head over the the baseball stadium to get tickets for the game (my mom and I would just pick up our tickets at will-call.) WELL...just getting OUT of the Smithsonian METRO STOP took us over 35 MINUTES. The amount of bodies in that are were UNBELIEVABLE. Seriously, unless you were there, words can't describe the chaos. Anywho, we finally got out and headed towards the Tidal Basin for pictures. Not too long after we were on our way, we got a call from the boys saying that the Nat's game was sold-out (except for standing room and single tickets) so the boys were on their way to meet us. **Side note...The Nat's Sold Out? Are you kidding me? They NEVER sell-out. Crazy bad luck.** My mom and I chilled on the mall below the Washington Monument for a while waiting for the boys.

I'm pretty sure that everyone who has ever been to see the cherry blossoms has a picture exactly like this one! I couldn't resist.

So, apparently we need to take Colby to the doctor...He's growing a monument out of his head! (I so did not mean the picture to look like that.)You can kind of see the sea of people in the back-ground. Crazyness. I've never been in D.C. when it's been so packed.

Once the boys found us, we did finally make it down to the Tidal Basin. There were SO MANY PEOPLE that we couldn't get a spot to take pictures with the water in the background, so we settled. We definitely got a few great shots.
So, because they stopped letting people on the Metro at the Smithsonian stop we decided to be sneaky and cross the bridge over to Arlington to catch the metro there. (Figuring less people would opt out of walking all the way over there.) Our idea would have been a success, except for the fact that there was a bomb threat at either the Arlington stop or the Pentagon stop (we never heard for sure which one specifically) and both stops were shut completely down. No trains going in or out. We took the opportunity to make a quick 'pit stop' in the Arlington Ntl. Cemetery's clean restrooms. And then ended up just catching a cab to take us to the Rosslyn Metro stop.
After another FULL train ride, and a stop for dinner we made it home around 11:00 pm. Another fun, but totally exhausting day.

As far as visits go, this was one of the most exhausting, but definitely one to remember. We did a lot in a short amount of time and are all no worse for the wear! My Mom and Mike were on a bus headed for JFK airport by 6:30 am Sunday morning.

eye issue

2010-03-29T05:34:00.000-07:00

So, if I weren't feeling a little self conscious right now, I would take a picture to show you...for now you are just going to have to live with my descriptions. I look hideous. Better said, my eye looks hideous. Because of allergies, my eyes have been itching LIKE CRAZY. For over a week now, they have bugged the heck out of me. Yesterday at church, my right eye was buggin' worse than normal. I, of course, could not resist rubbing it. On the way home it totally started swelling up and the gooing began. Long story short, I woke up this morning, my eye was 'glued' shut. I worked through the gunk, but it is still super swollen, red, and gross. I've had pink eye before, I don't necessarily think that it what I have. I will be calling the doctor this morning as soon as they are open.

For now, I'll answer to cyclops. or Mom.

On a different note, my 'baby' boy was 10 months old yesterday. HOLY COW! It's so cliche, but where did the time go? I love who he is becoming. Such a fun and happy baby (finally!) AND THE KID EATS!!! We're getting pictures taken later this week, I'll be sure to post a few.

its been quite around here

2010-03-23T04:33:00.000-07:00

Scott and Kyle have been out of town since early Saturday morning. They'll be flying home this evening, and we're ready for them! The two 'big boys' have been on a fun father-son weekend get-away. Just as they did this time last year, they headed off to Arizona to catch as many Spring Training baseball games as possible in a weekend. Scott's family has had this tradition for years. He has fond memories of Spring Training. Last year was the first year in like seven years we were able to make the trip happen. (I'm pretty sure before then, the last time he had gone was the year we met and got married...2001)

I love it that Scott wants his son(s) to be part of the tradition. We had to wait until just a few days before they left to tell Kyle he was going to Arizona again this year...because we knew it would be all we would hear about until they left. The last time I talked to Scott on the phone, Kyle was having so much fun with his cousins that he didn't want to stop playing to talk to his mom. I should be offended...but I'm not. I'm happy for him!

Scott's brother, Jeff, lives in Mesa with his wife and SEVEN children. Grandma and Grandpa Pugmire make the drive down too, so it's a whole family affair! Kyle gets to play non-stop with some of his favorite cousins, gets to see Grandma and Grandpa, have his dad all to himself, yet still have Aunt Katherine there if a little motherly tenderness is needed. AWESOME!

I'm excited to see pictures of their travels and hear all about the fun they had.

Colby can't wait to have his favorite form of entertainment back either. AKA - His big brother!

A comparison...

2010-03-18T06:01:00.000-07:00

Same outfit. Same ball. Four years apart!

Seriously?

2010-03-09T03:52:00.000-08:00

(I am writing this post at 6:55 AM)

Why is it that on mornings that I would LOVE just a few extra minutes of sleep (like not before 7:00 AM) both of the boys want to be up early? But on a morning where I got up and showered at 6:00 AM to beat them up (and to get a shower in private!) and am ready for the 6:30 ish waking boys they are still sleeping soundly?

Tricks

2010-03-08T04:44:00.000-08:00

This stage is amazing. It seems like Colby is learning new tricks daily...or close to it! This is his latest.
We are in trouble now! Not only is he a speedy little crawler, but today he decided to start pulling himself to a standing position. I'm sure its only a matter of weeks before he takes off on his own.

Little man is nine months old now. At his 'well child' check-up last week he was measuring in at 18 lbs. 4 oz. and 27.5". He's growing like a weed! While he seems like a chubby little buddha baby to us, he's actually only in the 15th to 20th percentile nation-wide. Colby loves to eat! What a nice change from K-man. He'll eat any of the baby foods that we feed him (although we've found he doesn't love peaches oddly enough) and loves it when we share bits of our food with him too. I never knew how exciting it could be to have a child who like food!

Changing the subject back to tricks. Kyle couldn't be outdone. He wanted to show off one of his tricks too...Something to make a parent proud. ;) Our child can officially fit bouncy balls that are bigger than his fist into his mouth. (And he seems to do it way more often than the average joe. Odd...)

'Stupid human tricks' aside, Kyle is a joy. He is currently obsessed with anything and everything electronic. (I know, surprise surprise.) He would play the xbox or Wii all day if we let him. (Unfortunately he is also in a bit of a mischievous, whiny phase, so those are the first privledges to get taken away.) He also loves playing soccer in the front room with Dad. Kyle goes to preschool three days a week and LOVES it. Every morning when he wakes up he asks if it is a school day. K-man is a great big brother (for the most part!) and loves Colby more than anything. He is always the first one to try and make him laugh and smile if Colby is sad.

I am so thankful for my boys and the entertaining 'tricks' I get to see each day!

There is no stopping him now...

2010-02-26T05:43:00.000-08:00

Yep! My baby is officially on the move! And he's a quick one too. For a few days the wood floor acted like a big huge baby gate, it was awesome. He wouldn't leave the comfort of the carpeted family room. As you can see by the picture, sadly that is not the case anymore.
Gone are the days of not having a 'little helper' while doing the dishes, and I can't let the kitchen floor go more than a few hours without being swept (especially where Kyle has been eating!) If it's on the floor, it's game for Colby. Whew! Now we'll actually have to baby proof.

I can't believe Colby is almost 9 months old. HOLY COW.

Brotherly love

2010-02-24T08:40:00.000-08:00

I love that even though Kyle gets sick of Colby wanting to be everywhere that he is (because little C is crawling these days!) he still wants to climb into Colby's crib in the morning and chill for a while. I love my boys. I love that they love each other.

Saturday night was a LONG night...

2010-02-23T17:57:00.000-08:00

We are calling it food poisoning. What ever it was, it was NOT FUN. I did not get much sleep on Saturday night. Seriously, the cramping was terrible and what came with it was no good either (if you catch my drift!) Uuuggg, stomach stuff is the worse.

Anywho, I had no interest in eating much in the morning on Sunday. Finally by afternoon I was ready to get a little something in my stomach. I wanted something 'brothy' but not just straight broth. We didn't have anything that fit the bill, so I came up with a little something of my own. It was just what the doctor ordered. Yummy, but not heavy. I figured I'd share my little 'recipe' with you...(if you can call it that.)

Tami's 'feel gooder' soup
made by me!1 16 oz. can chicken broth (not concentrated)
1/4 cup small noodles, uncooked (I used alphabet, because that was in my pantry!)
1 green onion, sliced
2 med white mushrooms, stemmed and sliced

Cook noodles according to packaging directions, drain water. Add chicken broth, cooked noodles, sliced green onions, and mushrooms to the saucepan. Heat on stovetop to desired temperature.

________

Okay, so you hardly need a recipe for this soup, but it really was good and made me feel better. Maybe it'll help one of you during this rough cold season!

Beware...it's addictive!

2010-02-18T05:23:00.000-08:00

So in the craziness that was last week, I forgot to post my recipe of the week. That means two for this week! Today's recipe is oh so fabulous! I've eaten this stuff a few times throughout my life and LOVED it every time. I've never known what to call it or how to look up the recipe. Finally I got the right google search combination and voila! I can't remember now which site it was that I found the actual recipe, but tons of people have it, so I don't think I need to give any credit. Now all of you can partake in the yummy goodness of chewy-gooey chex mix. (Which I've also nicknamed mormon crack...it's THAT addictive!)

Chewy-Gooey Chex Mix6 1/2 C. Rice Chex cereal
4 1/2 C. Golden Grahams cereal
1 C. sliced almonds
2 C. coconut
3/4 C. butter
1 C. sugar
1 C. lite karo syrup
1 tsp. vanilla

In a LARGE bowl, combine cereal, almonds, and coconut.
In saucepan combine butter, karo syrup, and sugar. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook for three minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Pour over cereal mixture and stir well.

This treat really is delicious. It was a big hit at the beach house.

How did you spend your weekend?

2010-02-16T19:23:00.000-08:00

I was lucky enough to spend Valentines weekend at Virginia Beach!!Was there snow? No. Was it warm? No. Were there children present? No. Was it a fabulously fun weekend with a bunch of awesome girlfriends? YES YES YES!!!

Although I had a slight pang of guilt from being away from Scott for Valentines, he couldn't have given me a better gift. Thanks babe! I totally needed some female bonding, crafting, eating therapy!

I spent the weekend in Virginia Beach with a great group of women. I scrapbooked my little heart out...and loved every minute of it! Some women scrapped, some did jewlery, a few sewed and knitted. Super fun.
Although the air was chilly and the wind was biting, we took a few walks on the beach to enjoy the clean air and take in the beautiful scenery.
We had no idea where the rest of this poor little crab's body was, but I couldn't seem to resist playing with this little guy's pincers. I'm pretty sure the other ladies thought I was crazy, and maybe I was a little. I was just in one of those moods!

Anyway, it was fun relaxing and refreshing. I already can't wait for next year!

FUN! Fairview Style...(this is kind of a long one!)

2010-02-03T09:13:00.000-08:00

We got back (to the Salt Lake Valley) yesterday from a great weekend in Fairview, Utah visiting Scott's parents for the weekend. The kids and I had such a great time playing with Grandma and Grandpa Pugmire. There are so many fun things to do up at Grandma and Grandpa Pug's house like...
Sledding Fairview style is WAY better than your average sledding! They live on a hill, and they have an agreement with their neighbors to not plow the road on the hill. (This is Utah...they all have 4-wheel drive vehicles!) The road is covered in snow for almost the whole winter. It's the perfect sledding hill. Grandpa Monte has a hitch on his four wheeler, so he tows the kids to the top of the road and then they can ride the whole way down. Grandpa meets them at the bottom to tow them back up again. Sledding is so much more fun when you don't have to pull the sled and walk all the way back up the hill. (Grandpa Monte has as much fun as the kids!)

Then there is Airsoft...Kyle is ALL BOY! He love shooting 'things' more than almost anything. Airsoft guns are a great way to start a budding shooter/hunter. They only cost about $20 at walmart, and they shoot little plastic pellets. (Even if you were to get shot point blank by one of them, they wouldn't leave anything more than a little welt.) We have a very strict rule about what can be shot and what can't. People - NO, 2-liter bottles - YES, windows - NO, icicles - YES! You get the idea! Kyle and Monte shot a few thousand rounds of ammo this last weekend. (Mostly Kyle. He 'killed' things like plastic bottles, icicles, snow mounds, dust bunnies, the air, branches, etc.)

My kids have some of the best grandparents ever. (This totally includes my parents!) Grandma Sherry got into a pillow fight with the kids on Sunday night that lasted well over half an hour. They were all laughing so hard. It was fun to watch. No tears either, which made it even better!

Another really neat thing about visiting the Pugmire's is that they live up on Skyline Mountain Resort, which is a 'no hunting protected area', so we get to see lots of animals and critters while we are there. The photos of the deer below were taken right off of their back deck.In the first picture, the deer was no more than 20 feet away. I wish that I would have had my telephoto lens with me, I could have gotten some AWESOME pictures. These are pretty cool though. Anyway, all six of the deer were up eating out of the little food trough that Monte made, but I didn't get my camera out in time. At least I got to snap a picture of them down in the ravine behind their house. It was definitely cool to see.

And last, but certainly not least, I was able to spend a few hours inside this beautiful building...
The Manti Temple has been one of my very favorites since I was a little girl. Being older now, and having the opportunity to actually go inside and serve is wonderful. Thank you SO MUCH Grandma and Grandpa for watching the boys so that I could take a few hours off and go to the temple.

******
We still have four days left of our fun trip out to Utah. As you can see, we are having a great time. Spending time with family is the best!

'Soup'er Yummy!

2010-01-28T18:58:00.000-08:00

It's that time for another Recipe of the Week. Yep! Even though I'm on vacation I'm still following through on my goal. I made dinner for my parents tonight. (My mom helped too, especially with clean-up. SWEET!) Tonight's recipe comes from a cookbook I found at my mom's house. It is one of those awesome books put together by a bunch of ladies from church. They are always full of the best tried and true recipes. This one didn't let us down.

Zuppa Touscano
(A Taste of Heaven from the Mtn. View 6th Ward - Diane Garner)

1/4-1/2 lb. hot Italian sausage*
2-4 slices cooked & crumbled bacon
4 Cups chicken broth
2 Cups kale
1/2 Cup heavy whipping cream
3/4 Cup diced onions
1 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
4 potatoes, cut into half circles

Bake sausage on baking sheet for 20 minutes at 320 degrees. Cut sausage into small slices. Cook onion and bacon in saucepan until the onion is transparent. Add garlic and cook for an additional minute. Bring soup to a boil after adding broth and potatoes. Reduce heat and simmer about 15 minutes. Add kale, sausage and cream and simmer an additional 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

*We used mild Italian sausage, I'm not a huge fan of Hot.

The soup was awesome. I made some homemade garlic-parmesan bread sticks to go along with the soup. Yumm-o!

Fun with Family

2010-01-28T10:31:00.000-08:00

My goal during this trip out to Utah was to keep things SIMPLE. One, because it is my first trip out here with two kiddos and no hubby. Two, because keeping things simple makes for a less grouchy mom, and much less grouch boys! Three, we have just down-right missed all of our family. We are kind of focusing on being with family this time more than anything else. (Okay, and visiting a few quilt shops. It's a vice.) The boys are having a great time playing with cousins and getting TONS of love and attention from grandparents and aunts and uncles. We are heading down on Saturday morning to Scott's parents house in Fairview, Utah for a few days. They have lots of snow, so we should get some good sledding in!

(Just a few more fun photos of the boys with family.)

We're here!

2010-01-23T20:50:00.000-08:00

Hooray! We made it here, and all in one piece too. Traveling was a little crazy, but it could have been so much worse. Getting through security is always like a circus. We were lucky enough to have a flight that wasn't totally full, so they let me bring on the car seat. AWESOME.

After a day and a half of recovering from a super early start and a bit of jet lag we're starting to get into the swing of things. Being around family is so much fun. The boys are loving all the attention. Colby has taken well to being loved on so much.

(These pictures were all taken today)

Two more weeks of Utah fun!

Are we there yet?

2010-01-21T01:13:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure why I even attempted to go to bed last night. I probably would have felt more rested by just sitting in front of the TV vegging. It was one of those nights that I woke up every 15 to 20 minutes to make sure that I haden't overslept.

Nope, didn't oversleep. It is 4:15 AM, our fight leaves in T-minus 3hrs and 45 minutes. I am up, dressed, hair done, bags in the garage waiting for our ride to arrive, and dreading waking up two happily sleeping boys.

This too shall pass. In just a few hours we'll be enjoying the beautiful sights of Salt Lake City! I'd say wish me luck, but I need something more like sanity!

Recipe of the Week - Marble Cookies! (3 of 52)

2010-01-19T18:25:00.000-08:00

Scott is out of town this week at a training class for work. We totally miss him. To fill the void (not really, but it sounded good...) I tried a new cookie recipe! I really want to keep up with my goal of trying a new recipe each week, but with Scotty gone, I didn't want to make a whole dinner. Both Kyle and I think these are winners. We'll have to set some aside for Scott.

Marble Cookies
(Mrs. Fields Best Cookie Book Ever)2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 stick salted butter, softened
1 large egg
4 oz. sour cream (1/2 cup)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
6 oz. semisweet chocolate chips (about 1 cup)

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
2. In bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt with wire whisk. Set aside.
3. Combine sugars in a large bowl using an electric mixer set at medium speed. Add butter and beat until batter is grainy. Add egg, sour cream, and vanilla, and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Scrape bowl. Add the flour mixture and blend at low speed until just combined. Do not overmix.
4. Place chocolate chips in a microwave-proof bowl and microwave on high, stirring every 20 seconds until melted.
5. Cool chocolate for a few minutes and pour over cookie batter. Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, lightly fold melted chocolate into the dough. Do not mix chocolate completely into the cookie dough.
6. Drop by rounded tablespoons, 2 inches apart, onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 20 to 22 minutes. Do not brown. Quickly transfer cookies to a cool surface.

Okay, so these are good. Like yum, hard to stop eating them good. A forewarning though, the batter doesn't taste all that great. (Yep! I had to try it, I'm a cookie batter lover.) These cookies taste MUCHO bettero once they've been baked.

Touche

2010-01-14T07:07:00.000-08:00

I am CONSTANTLY getting after Kyle to help clean up after himself, and to put things away so they don't get lost. Currently it's his Leapster games. There are multiple times in a day that I ask him to put them away in their bag. They always seem to make their way back out onto the floor, or the couch, or the kitchen table. It drives me kind of crazy. Really just because I don't want them to get lost...they aren't cheap little suckers.

My military ID has been on the table for a few days (out for some reason I can't even remember now) and apparently it fell on the ground this morning. While standing at the sink doing dishes, Kyle came up to me, handed me my ID card and said..."Mom, you need to put this away, I'd hate for you to loose it."

Touche my boy, touche!

Recipe of the Week (52-3)

2010-01-11T19:29:00.000-08:00

This was an easy recipe, and a yummy one. Not necessarily the most healthy, but definitely worth a try. (We'll be eating this one again for sure.) Oh yeah, don't let the name scare you, it's not too hot.

Fiery Fettuccine
(Betty Crocker's Good and Easy Cookbook)
8 oz. uncooked fettuccine
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon Creole or Cajun seasoning
1 jar (7 oz.) roased red bell peppers, drained
1/2 lb. smoked sausage, cut into 1/4" slices
2 medium green onions, sliced (1/4 cup)

1. Cook and drain pasta as directed on package.

2. Wile pasta is cooking, place whipping cream, Creole seasoning and bell peppers in blender of food processor. Cover and blend on high speed until smooth.

3. pour pepper mixture into 12" skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture thickens. Stir in sausage; heat through but do not boil.

4. Serve sausage mixture over fettuccine. Sprinkle with onions.

Okay, so it was yummy, but next time I think I'll do a few things differently. I'm going to get 'Fire Roasted Red Peppers' instead of just the regular kind. We actually though it could use a little more heat. That being said, I'll probably add a bit more seasoning too. If you are sausage people though, it was dang good. (I also like that it is a 'red sauce' that isn't tomato. Your tastebuds expect tomato, and get something entirely different. I'm a fan.)

"Dark Green Please"

2010-01-11T12:19:00.000-08:00

It's official. After a trip this morning to the Orthopedics, Kyle gets to lug around this big ole' thing for the next four weeks...
The doctor really wanted to just give him a half-cast, one that went only up to his elbow, but after taking off the first cast (the one from the ER) and examining it a little more, he decided that going for a whole arm cast was what needed to happen. Kyle didn't have as much mobility, without it hurting him SUPER bad, as the doctor hoped for the smaller cast. Oh well. (Unfortunately that knocked out the option of a water-proof cast.) When the tech asked him what color of cast he wanted there was no delay in his response..."dark green please"
Me, being the craftaholic that I am, couldn't resist dressing up his sling... just a bit!

Something to Celebrate!!

2010-01-10T19:12:00.000-08:00

So, we got a Wii for Christmas this year (like everybody else!) We're having a lot of fun playing it. It is even one of the few things that Kyle has figured out how to do in his handicap state. (After all, you only need one arm for bowling and sword-fighting!) Scott and I have had a good time playing together in the evenings after the boys are in bed.

We've pretty much had one gaming system or another since we've been married. Nintendo64, Playstation2, Xbox360, and now the Wii. (I should be embarrassed to admit this, shouldn't I?) For the most part it's been a lot of fun playing games together, cheaper date than going to the movies, that's for sure! Inevitably, Scott beats me at EVERYTHING. It's not that I'm bad, I'm just not as good as him. (With the exception of Dr. Mario on the N64. When I was on bed-rest while preggo with Kyle I played it a TON. I beat Scott at that all the time.)

So anywho, lets talk about the beat-down that happened tonight. While wake boarding (Wii Sports Resort)I WON! OVER AND OVER AND OVER! Boo-yea Grandma! Wa-hoo! In your face baby!

Yep! It's that big of a deal! I love you Scott, and I love that I finally beat you at something fair and square, not because you let me.

Whew! Now it's out of my system.

How we spent our Friday night...

2010-01-08T18:56:00.000-08:00

While I'm sure it was fun at first, bouncing on the trampoline with the big ball turned out to be not such a great idea. Quite honestly, we're surprised we made it this long before breaking a bone. He fractured his wrist; thankfully not on a growth-plate. We'll have to go to the Orthopedics on Monday, but the doctor at the ER said these types of breaks heal pretty quickly in children and without too much pain. She (the doctor) did prescribe some Tylenol w/Codeine, the Pharmacist warned us that it would make him VERY sleepy. He's already out...hopefully for the night!

2010 Book List

2010-01-07T07:03:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the boringness, this post is really more for me than anything else. In an effort to avoid a long list on my side-bar I am adding this button as a link to this post so that I can just put the button on my side-bar and continuously add all the books I read throughout the year. I'm not sure what my fascination is with keeping track of the books I read is, but I am who I am!

Name All The Animals
by: Alison Smith
This was a book club read. I didn't love it. I don't think I would recommend it to anyone. It's a memoir, but not a very compelling one. It is a women telling about her upbringing, which wasn't that much different from anyone else. Her trials with dealing with the loss of her brother from a car accident, and then deciding that she's 'interested in girls'.

Where Are You Now?
by: Mary Higgins Clark
I Love her books. This is probably my favorite yet. A good murder mystery, who done it. I didn't have it figured out until the very end. It was a good easy read, but a page turner for sure.

The Giver
by: Lois Lowry
I read this as a kid. I remember liking it. As an adult, it is still a really interesting read. I wouldn't say I love it, but for conversational purposes, its good. I have a hard time with books ending on a cliff hanger. I like closure!

nothing. and forever cuteness

2010-01-06T19:27:00.000-08:00

What is this a picture of? Let me tell you. NOTHING!! It is a picture of nothing in our living room! Why is this of significance? Because, my friends, this is a picture of all our Christmas decorations and other various items that had gathered there PUT AWAY! (No, we still don't have any furniture in our living room. There are so many things ahead of it on our 'list'!) I'm not sure when the last time was that this room was completely empty. You see, I have to celebrate this one room, because it is currently the only room in the house to look remotely clean. One room is a place to start though, right? Hopefully I can keep this room clean and then slowly move from room to room. Wish me luck!!

On a completely separately note, I don't think I'll ever get tired of snapping pictures of moments like this...It makes my heart happy to see the boys love each other so much. Colby is always fascinated by whatever Kyle is doing, and Kyle is such a doll always talking to Colby and trying to make him laugh. I hope this budding friendship lasts forever.

Lemon Greek Chicken - RotW (2 of 52)

2010-01-05T17:19:00.000-08:00

Okay, this dish turned out SUPER yummy. I'll give the recipe as it is from the book, but then let you know what little differences I made to it.

Lemon Greek Chicken
(Pampered Chef Stoneware Sensations)2 tsp. lemon zest
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 Tbl. olive oil
4 large garlic cloves, pressed
2-3 tsp. dried oregano leaves
3/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
2 medium baking potatoes
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1" pieces
1 medium red onion, cut into wedges
8 oz. fresh whole mushrooms
4 chicken breasts

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a small bowl combine lemon zest, juice and oil. Press garlic into bowl. Add oregano, salt and black pepper; set aside. Cut each potato lengthwise into 8 wedges; place in 9"x13" dish. Add bell pepper, onion, mushrooms and half of the lemon juice mixture; toss to coat. Place chicken o top of vegetables; brush with the remaining lemon juice mixture. Bake 1 hour or until chicken is no longer pink in center, brushing chicken and vegetables with pan juices after 30 minutes.
YIELD: 4 servings

****************************************
It really is a pretty easy recipe to make. I would pair it with a crusty bread (like a baguette), some white rice, and a green salad.

The few things I did differently were that I cut my chicken breasts in half, so I technically had eight pieces. This helps with portion control, but also my breasts were thick (yes, we're still talking about the chicken here! :) and I wanted them to cook all the way through. Also, my local grocery store was out of red peppers, so I used orange. It still tasted awesome.

If you decide to give it a try, let me know what you think!

life

2010-01-04T06:12:00.000-08:00

It's 9:15 am. I have already...

-sucked boogers out of noses (not me personally, but the aspirator ;)
-used half a dozen kleenex
-cleaned up throw-up
-changed a diaper
-changed Colby's outfit twice
-started a load of wash
-changed batteries in the Leapster2
-finished doing last nights dishes that didn't fit in the dishwasher
-cuddled two adorable little boys who have nasty little colds.
-washed my hands at least a dozen times

I have NOT...
-changed out of my clothes from yesterday
-showered or brushed my teeth yet
-put away Christmas decorations
-vacuumed in over two weeks

I love being a mom, I wouldn't have it any other way.

Chocolate Peppermint Roll - recipe of the week

2010-01-01T06:29:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! Can you believe it is 2010? Hopefully this new year brings lots of wonderful and exciting things to my family and yours.

I'm not one to make a huge list of new years resolutions, but I do try to set a few goals. One of my goals for 2010 is to cook more and be adventurous by trying new recipes (and a few good staples once in a while too!) To help me in this effort and give me something to be accountable for, I am making it my goal to include a recipe-of-the-week on my blog. (Complete with a picture of my finished product!)

I started my new little adventure yesterday by making a cake roll. I've seen them done once or twice, but never tried to attempt one on my own. It turned out AWESOME (and super yummy to!) I'd say this recipe would be good for an intermediate level cook.

Chocolate Peppermint Roll
(Hershey's Recipe Collection Cookbook)
CHOCOLATE SPONGE ROLL
4 eggs, separated
1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup granulated sugar, divided
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup cocoa
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. salt
1/3 cup water

PEPPERMINT FILLING
1 cup whipping cream, cold
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup finely crushed hard peppermint candy or 1/ 2 teaspoon mint extract
Few drops red food color (optional)

CHOCOLATE GLAZE
2 Tbl. butter or margarine
2 Tbl. cocoa
2 Tbl. water
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1. For CHOCOLATE SPONGE ROLL, heat oven to 375 degrees F. Line 15 1/2 x 10 1/2 x 1 - inch jelly-roll pan with foil; generously grease foil.

2. Beat egg whites on high speed of mixer in large bowl until soft peaks form; gradually add 1/2 cup granulated sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Set aside.

3. Beat egg yolks and vanilla on medium speed of mixer in medium bowl 3 minutes. Gradually add remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar; continue beating 2 minutes. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture to egg yolk mixture alternately with water, beating just until batter is smooth. using rubber spatula, gradually fold beaten egg whites into chocolate mixture until well blended. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan.

4. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until the top springs back when touched lightly. Immediately loosen cake from edges of pan; invert onto clean towel sprinkled with powdered sugar. carefully peel off foil. Immediately roll cake in towel, starting from narrow end; place on wire rack to cool completely. (I let it cool for a bit on a rack then stuck it in the fridge to hurry up the process.)

5. For PEPPERMINT FILLING, beat whipping cream on medium speed of mixer in medium bowl until slightly thickened. Add 1/4 cup powdered sugar and peppermint candy or mint extract and food color, if desired; beat cream until stiff peaks form.

6. For CHOCOLATE GLAZE, melt butter in small saucepan over very low heat; add cocoa and water, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Gradually beat in 1 cup powdered sugar and vanilla extract.

7. Carefully unroll cake; remove towel. Spread cake with PEPPERMINT FILLING; reroll cake. Glaze with CHOCOLATE GLAZE. Refrigerate until just before serving. Cover; refrigerate leftover dessert.

*It may sound like a lot of work, but other than dirtying a ton a dishes, it wasn't too hard. It's worth the effort though, it tasted AWESOME!!

Hooray for Milestones!

2009-12-31T09:00:00.000-08:00

It's official! Colby is now a sitter. (Since he's still a beginner, the boppy is nice to help avoid head injury in case of getting a little to excited. What can we say? He's got a big head and sometimes it just gets a swingin' in the wrong direction!)
I SO love this stage. Not that I haven't enjoyed them all, but this one is nice. They are still essentially a blob and aren't mobile yet, but so much more happy because they can see the world around them better and interact more with big brother. Kyle is already paying more attention to Colby now that they can sit together and 'play'.

(Wow. Two posts in one day, it's like some kind of record or something!)

Rough day on the job

2009-12-31T05:37:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was rough...on all of us. Do you ever have those days at your house? I felt much the same as Colby, but it is not nearly as cute to see a 28 year old grown woman cry and throw a tantrum as it is to see a baby. Hopefully today will be better.

Gingerbread Houses

2009-12-22T15:45:00.000-08:00

On Sunday we were all snowed in. Not even any church. The perfect opportunity to stay in and decorate gingerbread houses! This was the first time that I have ever attempted to make gingerbread houses from scratch. The whole process takes a couple of days, especially when you are making more than one house, but the whole experience was so much fun. Home made gingerbread houses will definitely be a new tradition in the Pugmire house.

We decorated them with our 'east coast family', the Madrishin's, and some new friends of ours a young couple, the Dzado's. We put everybody's name into a hat and drew out for teams. It was fun to mix up families and see what everybody created. Scott, Kyle and I all ended up on different 'teams'. The night was super fun and everybody left on a sugar high! It was a great way to start the week leading into Christmas.

The Weather Outside is Frightful....

2009-12-20T09:52:00.000-08:00

Question: What do you do when you wake up to THIS outside your front door on a Saturday morning?

(I opened the door to take the picture, the snow has drifted like CRAZY. Can you see the faint light of our christmas lights buried deep in the snow?)

Answer: You cuddle up close to your best friend and watch Saturday morning cartoons...

You make gingerbread houses...

Then you bundle up tight and head out to play in the snow...
Although Scott didn't exactly 'play'... (and Colby was only out for about ten minutes.)

Thanksgiving

2009-12-09T18:58:00.001-08:00

This post is long overdue, but late is better than never! We had a GREAT Thanksgiving. While we weren't able to spend the holiday with our family back in Utah, we did get to spend it with our east-coast family away from family. The Madrishin's hosted a fantastic dinner. Thank you!

We had TWO turkeys. The Carlsons fried a turkey, and the Madrishins baked one. Both were OH SO YUMMY! There was an abundance of food. Among a handful of other things, I made my first apple pie. Not only did it look good, but it tasted delicious too!

The kids all had a blast. They were able to be wild and crazy together in the basement. The perfect holiday.

We have so much to be thankful for.

For Laughs

2009-11-17T04:51:00.000-08:00

Two funny stories from this last week...
****************************
My mom was in town last week. As you can see from the picture in the previous post, she's a pretty small gal. (Seriously, why couldn't I have gotten her genes?) Kyle LOVES to follow her around while she's here. He walked in on her before she had gotten fully dressed one morning (not nude or anything, just not fully covered) Kyle's comment to her...

"Grandma, your boobs are short like my dads."

HILARIOUS! Luckily this is not a foreign concept to her, she's never been well endowed. We weren't sure who should be offended...her or Scott.

***************************
Last Friday Kyle's friend Hannah spent the night. (Her parents were running a half-marathon on Saturday morning down in Richmond) They dropped her off around 3:00 PM on Friday. Around 3:15 PM Friday afternoon the following occurred...

Kyle and Hannah had gone up to his room to play. (We don't really keep toys in there, just a few stuffed animals.)
-Me to my Mom: "It just got quiet, never a good sign with these two. I'm going to go see what they are up to."
-Me to the kids from the bottom of the stairs: "Hey, what are you two doing up there?"
-The kids: "PLAYING DOCTOR"
-My Mom: ****LAUGHTER****
My face dropped and I started running up the stairs nervous at what I would find. (I mean seriously, do we already have to have this talk? I know that she's the bishops daughter and all... :)
I ran into their room. They were up on the top bunk surrounded by all of the stuffed animals. Giving them thorough check-ups. Completely innocent of course. Thankfully all of their animals were deemed healthy. Disaster avoided. Mom and Grandma got a good laugh out of it though...after my heart started beating back in rhythm.
****************************

My mom's response to both: "Out of the mouth of babes!"

Grandma to the Rescue!!

2009-11-15T18:06:00.000-08:00

Hooray! We were so lucky to have Grandma Sandy in town for the week. It was hard to send her home today, but we sure enjoyed every minute we got to spend with her. Here is an adorable picture with Grandma and her two favorite grandsons!We didn't really do anything too exciting while she was here, but had a great time nonetheless. She helped me throughout the week with dishes and laundry, which was AWESOME to have a little break. Thank you SO MUCH mom. I was also able to get some sewing done, since she was happy to hold and entertain #2. We'll definitely miss you and can't wait for the next visit.

Kyle is a super cute big brother. He loves to talk to Colby and 'help' him do things. Colby adores Kyle too. He lights up whenever Kyle talks to him, and if Kyle is doing something in the room, Colby is always drawn to whatever it is that Kyle is doing. I thought this picture was ADORABLE of the boys. It really captures both of their adoration for each other.(Colby loves to stand. He does most of the work, he just needs somebody to steady him.)

This last picture is more for grandparents than anything else...Can you believe these blue eyes?

not an optical illusion

2009-11-03T10:43:00.000-08:00

That's right people, not only do I have a child who likes to eat...he likes to eat enough that he's already holding his own bottle!I realize that to many of you this may not seem at all monumental, but for us, this is definitely something to write home about! Kyle was/has been/still is such a terrible eater that I hardly know what to do with Colby. What? A baby who CRIES because he's hungry? To that I say AWESOME! It's a bonus that he's started holding his own bottle. (Honest, Kyle was over one and onto a sippy cup before he ever held his own drink.)

Thank you Heavenly Father, I'm not sure I could have handled a second who doesn't like eating.

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T17:53:00.000-07:00

Scott and I were Lion tamers this year!And two absolutely adorable lions they were! I still need to get a picture of the two of them together. - When I asked Kyle what he wanted to be this year, he asked me first what Colby was going to be. When I told him that Colby was going to wear the same lion costume that he wore as a baby, Kyle wanted SO BAD to be a lion too. He wanted to match Colby. They made a cute pair, and I figure I won't have too many years left that he'll want to match his baby brother.

Yesterday was a fun day too! Traditionally Scott's work invites all the employees children to lunch on the day of Halloween. A fun activity for the kids and always a treat to see where daddy works. This year they paid to have a magician (The Great Zucchini!) come to entertain the kids. He had a blast! A bonus is that two of his best buddies dads work at the same place Scott does. Below is a picture of Kyle, Carson, and Zach at the work party.And just for fun...a picture of Colby in the spirit of the season! Thanks for the cute outfit Aunt Wendy!

Great Wolf Lodge

2009-10-22T10:39:00.000-07:00

We have been lucky enough to have Scott's parents visiting us from Utah since the 14th. We took a quick over night trip to Williamsburg, VA to stay at the Great Wolf Lodge last weekend. SO MUCH FUN! We've heard from others that it is a fun place to stay, and I did some research online. It was a blast! Worth every penny. We can't wait to go back!

For some reason, when we checked in, they automatically upgraded us to their second largest suite. What a nice treat that was! We originally planned to all stay in a room with two queens and a hide-away for Kyle. The room they gave us had two fulls, a hide-a-way, AND a whole additional room with a king sized bed. We obviously gave the king bed to Scott's parents. It made the stay way more comfortable than it otherwise would have been.

The water park was great. Kyle was big enough to ride all but one of the slides. We rode and swam to our heart's content. They keep the water and air temperature inside the water park at a comfortable 84 degrees, so Colby was even happy playing in the water.

Boy #1

2009-10-11T18:20:00.000-07:00

So my last post seemed to be all about son #2. I thought I'd take a minute to give Kyle his limelight too. It's been an exciting few weeks for Kyle. Most exciting is that he started preschool back in September. Below is the traditional first day photo...Kyle LOVES preschool. I am so glad that we decided to put him in a "real" school this year. He asks every morning when getting out of bed if it is a school day or not. If the answer is not, he gets pretty bummed. On the plus side, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings are happy around our house. (He even eats his breakfast quickly...AWESOME!!)

It was picture day at school a few weeks ago. The children were all asked to dress up in their 'Sunday Best'. It was interesting to see the different parents interpretation of Sunday Best. We'll just say that Kyle was the most dressed up!
He's such a cutie. We're sure glad that he's ours.

Preparing for re-entry!

2009-10-10T19:00:00.000-07:00

I've taken quite the blogging break. I'm ready to come back! The thought of trying to "catch" up on blogging since the last post is daunting and is partially the reason that I've been away for so long; so instead of continually putting off the update, I'm just going to stay in the present.

That being said, we had a great summer. A wonderful trip to Utah, the Outer Banks North Carolina, and Blue Knob State Park in Pennsylvania. More recently a field trip with K-man's preschool to Cox Farms, and a super fun trip up to Hershey Pennsylvania and Hershey Park.

And because I can't seem to make a blog entry without a little eye-candy...a picture of our adorable smiling Colby.
He's four months old now and such a sweet loving baby. I am completely infatuated with him and his kissable body! (Those cheeks are sweet as can be!) At his four month check-up he was 13 lbs. even and 24.5 inches long. Growing like a sprout. He LOVES to be talked to, especially by big brother Kyle, and has just started laughing the last few days. I am so lucky to have such cute boys! (not at all biased)

Home and then Off!

2009-08-23T05:09:00.000-07:00

We touched down late Tuesday night from a great two week trip in Utah. We've been doing laundry, getting caught up on the mail and cleaning house since then...This morning the boys (Kyle and Colby) and I are headed off to the OBX for a fun last-week-of-summer beach week with our friends the Fergusons. Wish me luck at single parenting for the next week. I'm excited to come back and post pictures of our great time in Utah and North Carolina!

Two months...

2009-07-30T16:54:00.000-07:00

Colby Max is two months old! What's even better is that he's survived a "very loving" big brother's constant attention. Kyle adores his little brother, which we are so thankful for, but we have to keep a pretty close eye on Colby when K-man's around!

Here's a sweet picture of them together.
While it is always exciting to go to the doctors office to see how much Colby has grown, the two month check-up is rough on a little person...SHOTS. He got three. One in one leg and two in the other. Colby got SCREAMING MAD at the nurses, which wore him out and he took a pretty long nap. It was the second day that was a little more rough.
Two months stats...
Weight: 8 lbs. even
Height 22 in.
He's not on the size charts yet (which theoretically makes him below 0%), but the doctor is happy with his growth and says that he is following his own curve, which is all we can ask for.

First Harvest

2009-07-18T06:23:00.000-07:00

Really, is there anything better tasting than home grown tomatoes? They are by far my favorite home-grown item. When my mom was in town she planted two tomato bushes for us, one cherry, and one regular size. They are the only veggies we got planted this year (due to extreme pregnancy and new baby!) Yum, yum! Can't wait to go eat them!
These pictures are just for fun. The fam always likes to see as many pictures of the boys as they can get! I love this picture of Kyle. He loves bubbles...who doesn't?
And last, but certainly not least, a picture of our little caboose! He's seven weeks old, so hard to believe!

Growing FAST!

2009-07-10T14:41:00.001-07:00

Okay, so after my last post I have an update on our sweet Colby. It seems as if there is a reason for all his crying. The poor kid's little body must be in pain...he's growing SO fast! Do you remember growing up and having leg and joint pains when going through a growth spurt? I can't imagine it is any different for our little squirts who are growing so quickly.

Since he started off so small, the doctor wants to keep a close eye on him in the beginning. I'm pretty sure that he's not going to have too many worries! We visited the doctor's office for a weight check on Thursday (Colby's six week birthday) and he's up to 7lbs. 4 oz. (almost a two pound weight gain in just six weeks.) The kicker though is that he's already grown 2 inches. He was 18 1/2" at birth and was 20 1/2" on Thursday. The nurse couldn't believe it. She mentioned a couple of times how crazy it is that he's growing so fast. She even made me measure him after she did to make sure that she was looking at it right. (She made a comment that cracked me up... "sheesh, if he keeps growing at this rate, he's going to be six feet tall by the time he's two!")

Anywho, I guess we'll give him a brake! Besides, in his moments of happiness, he's started to smile this week! Watch out little ladies, he's going to be a heart-breaker!

(This is the best picture I could get of his adorable grin. Sorry about the bug eyes, I needed the flash, but it makes his eyes HUGE!)

Reality

2009-07-08T07:45:00.000-07:00

As much as we wish life was like this around here most of the time...

It's usually more like this...

Luckily he's a doll and we absolutely adore him, no matter what his mood is. After all, this too shall pass!

Gratitude

2009-07-06T11:18:00.000-07:00

Words can not express the gratitude I feel for my sweet mom. She left on Saturday to go back home to my dad and her "real" life after being here with us in Virginia for SIX weeks. It was OH SO HARD to say goodbye, but boy am I thankful for all the time that she was able to be here. I know it was a sacrifice for her to be away from her home for so long, but we loved every minute of her being here. Because of her I was able to recover so quickly and just enjoy being a new mommy. She took care of all the cooking, cleaning and laundry, and was Kyle's best buddy through this crazy transition... seriously an amazing gift.

I love you Mom. I love that you are my best girl friend. I love that you are such an amazing Grandma to my boys, and an awesome mother-in-law to Scott. You were such a blessing to have here. Thanks.

Brothers

2009-07-05T09:46:00.000-07:00

This was an awesome moment of sweetness that I am thankful to have caught on film.

Kyle was laying on the couch watching morning cartoons a few days ago and out of no where said, "Mom, I want to cuddle with baby Colby." Thankfully Colby had just finished eating and was having a rare moment of contentedness.

Kyle is a great big brother and adores Colby, but hasn't wanted to hold him a ton lately, when he asked to cuddle I was thrilled. I pray this is the beginning of the boys becoming best buddies. Either way, to me, this picture is priceless!

K-man is 4

2009-07-01T11:05:00.001-07:00

Hooray! Kyle celebrated his birthday this weekend. My sweet boy is four! Sunday was his actual birthday, but we celebrated on Saturday and Sunday, it was a fun weekend for the little man!

We've been asking Kyle what he'd like to do for his birthday for the past month or two. (I just wasn't up for a big friend party with the new baby an all.) We had it narrowed down to going bowling, SplashDown Waterpark, or Chuck-E-Cheeses. He chose Chuck-E-Cheese. We invited his buddy Carson (and his parents and little sister) to join us. It was a super fun, super easy way to celebrate his birthday, and the kids had a blast!The Loveridge family knows Kyle all too good! They hooked him up with a super cool bubble machine. Baby brother Colby brought a gift too, it was a bubble stomp rocket. As soon as pizza and presents were taken care of, they had a great time playing games.
Eat your heart out Uncle Tom! K-man did a pretty good job on the wave-runner simulator. It was one of his favorites of the day.

Kyle woke up on Sunday morning (his BIG day!) to a decorated door and hallway. (Thanks for the idea Mary.) He felt pretty special walking through the crape paper and playing with the balloons on the stairwell. He kept saying "Happy Birthday to Me!" it was cute.
We let Kyle open the rest of his birthday presents in the morning. We got him a few fun things, but one of the best gifts was Marble Works from Grandma and Grandpa Walters. He's seriously already gotten their moneys worth of enjoyment out of it. I love that we can help him set it up and then he's content to play with it for a few hours on his own, just watching the marbles through the maze. AWESOME!! And last, but certainly not least, the all important birthday cake. I had every every intention of making and decorating a special cake for Kyle, but a day or two before his birthday we were at the store and he saw a 'Bolt' cake. He asked Oh so nicely for it, and I realized that I probably wouldn't have the time or energy to make a nice cake anyway, so I gave in and bought a store cake. He loved it, and I didn't have to take a few hours decorating, so it was a win-win situation. We took cake and ice-cream over to our friend's, the Madrishin's, to sing and eat. Aside from being our great friends and as close as anything we have to family out here on the east coast, Kyle just LOVES 'Big Dave' as he calls him. Dave had leg surgery a couple of weeks ago and has had some associated complications. He's totally layed up and couldn't come over here, so we took our little party to him. It was good to see him and lift his spirits. Eating our cake and ice cream over there made a great close to a fun weekend for Kyle.
I Love you Kyle, Happy Birthday big boy!

**************************************************

Four things I LOVE about Kyle

1. He is my sweet boy. He's got the mischievous streak that most little boys have, but for the most part he is such a lover. My favorite is when he asks me to cuddle on the couch with him in the morning under his blanket at watch shows.

2. So much energy! He is always on the go. He definitely wears me out sometimes, but I'd rather he be active and full of energy than just a bump on a log. He's always up for an adventure.

3. He loves playing with the 'big kids' especially his older cousins and the Madrishin kids. He things he's one of them. It cracks me up to watch him try to mimic the older kids. By watching them he's learned to do a 'bunny hop' on his little three-wheeler scooter, it's awesome!

4. He's on the road to being a fantastic big brother. He's the first one to run to Colby when he's crying to put his binky back in his mouth. He always helps me get clean diapers and throw away dirty ones. But the best part is that he talks to Colby like he's already one of his buddies. He asks him questions and gives him loves. So cute.

1 week old

2009-06-05T11:34:00.000-07:00

I had every intention of posting this yesterday, which was when Colby was actually one week old, but y'all understand how it is with a newborn...

Anywho, here is our sweet new baby boy at one week old...

(To get an idea of his size, he's wearing a premie onesie...it's by no means tight on him! He's our little peanut.)

A few more pictures taken throughout the week.Colby loves his binky.

Although he's almost a spitting image of Kyle, he is such a different baby. What's the best part of him being a different baby? HE LIKES TO EAT! (Eating has been an issue with Kyle from day one, we are SO THANKFUL this one eats. Truly a blessing.)

Tummy Time!

We weren't sure right off the bat what color of eyes Colby was going to have, but we're pretty sure he's going to be another blue eyed blond haired Pugmire! (It's just not fair. I go through all the work of pregnancy, delivery, and recovery, and the boys don't seem to get any of my features...they are little cookie cutters of their dad. Lucky for me Scott's a handsome guy!)

Best buddies already.

Kyle loves his little brother. He asks to hold him all the time. We try to let him as often as possible. Hopefully it will create a bond between the boys that will never be broken. (High hopes, but one can wish!) Kyle has been a super big helper since we brought Colby home. He considers it his job to hold the binky in Colby's mouth when-ever he is crying! He's also been good about taking diapers to the trash and running upstairs to get things for mommy that she's left.

I love my boys, I am truly blessed.

Blog Hijack

2009-05-30T08:28:00.000-07:00

Hey all, this is Scott hijacking Tami's normal blogging.

I just wanted to take some time to say thank you to everyone that has helped along the way. To those that would take Kyle for our numerous doctor's appointments to that family that allows us to crash Sunday dinner at a moment's notice, thank you all. The major reason why Tami's blood pressure stayed manageable is because of the help from everyone around us, so we owe you a bunch. To that friend of ours with what I call a "questionable taste in footwear" (that's an inside joke, if you don't get it carry on), I owe you a bunch. You allowed us to inconvenience you more often than a normal person should, you probably don't see it that way but you're awesome. Perhaps I'll get dressed up (put on a polo shirt) and we can go to dinner and talk it about sometime.

To those that helped paint, hang drywall, wire the circuit breaker and everything else you guys are awesome. Sometime we'll have a basement warming party to show you the fruits of your labor. To the spouses of the aforementioned construction workers, thank you for allowing the time away from your family. Managing school, construction work, and trying to help a spouse with limited capacity during her high risk pregnancy has been quite a challenge for me personally and I couldn't have done it without help.

I think this middle school sensation said it best.

A sincere thanks to everyone, we've felt the love.

~ Scott

He's Here!

2009-05-29T12:20:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the family baby COLBY!

Stats: COLBY MAX PUGMIRE
Birth Date - May 28, 2009 8:53 AM
Weight - 5 lbs. 7 oz.
Height - 18 1/2 inches
Hair Color - Blonde

Hooray! Our sweet baby boy is here. He's a tiny little peanut and absolutely adorable! (Of course, we're not biased.) Both Colby and I are doing well. I'll be sure to post pictures once we have a better download speed than what the hospital Wi-Fi can offer!

Thank you to everyone for your thoughts and prayers, we SO appreciate your support.

Favorite by-product of spring/summer

2009-05-25T16:23:00.000-07:00

FREEZER JAM!!!

I didn't take the opportunity last year to make freezer jam, and we ran out of the previous year's stock about six months ago. I am SO excited to have yummy home-made jam again. All the washing, cutting, and preparing was done by my angel of a mother. Thanks mom! (I had mentioned soon after she got here that if we came across berries on sale that we needed to snatch them up for jam making. We Lucked out and got a great deal on Strawberries just a day or two later.)

_______________________________

We are definitely in full swing of getting ready for the baby around here. Yesterday's task was putting together the new sit-'n-stand hybrid double stroller. (Which I am SO EXCITED about.) Today we made room in the cabinets for bottles and bought another pack of diapers and wipes. Tomorrow's main task is to get to my doctors appointment and pick up the bassinet that I borrowing from my friend. We're getting close. What ever we're going to get done has to be done in the next two days! Wish us luck.