A little dirt never hurt!

Seaworld & Thanksgiving

2011-12-13T16:50:00.000-06:00

Dylan's birthday was the week of Thanksgiving, and for his birthday he asked if we could go see Shamu. Since Jeff had the weekend off of work we took a trip to San Antonio to visit Shamu and friends!

The whole park was decorated for Christmas. It was fun to see all the lights and Christmas shows.

We actually went to some friend's house for Thanksgiving, but on Sunday I made this turkey. It is the first time I have made a turkey in the oven (Jeff has fried us a turkey in the past). It turned out pretty good and we ate it for days.

Happy Birthday Dylan!

2011-12-13T16:39:00.000-06:00

Dylan is 5!

(He is so proud he helped make this cake!)

Dylan is the sweetest boy! He will do anything and not complain much. He loves to snuggle with me and tell me all sorts of fun things he is thinking about or wants to know. He is just so happy to have anything and be a part of something. We love him so much and couldn't imagine life without him!

Happy Halloween!

2011-12-12T17:24:00.000-06:00

Aren't they cute?

Tyler is Ash, the Pokemon trainer. Dylan and Kyle are Buzz and Woody.

YeeeeeHaaaawww!

My friend Chontal made these cute costumes for her cute kids! Captain Hook, and little Smee! She is so creative!

Jeff and I went to a Halloween party as bikers!

Our pumpkins!

Happy Birthday Kyle!

2011-12-12T10:05:00.000-06:00

My baby turned 3!

We love him so much! He is such a little stinker, but since he is so cute we can't help but put up with him. He is stubborn, and completely incapable of letting anything go, which leads to a lot of.... interesting times. He makes up for it with his little "I love you mommy" and "I am sorry" moments. We wouldn't trade him for anything!

Family

2011-12-12T09:53:00.000-06:00

California fun and Disneyland

2011-12-10T20:13:00.002-06:00

We met up with Grandma and Grandpa Dickson, my brother Kris, his wife Julie, and their three girls, Emilie, McKenzie, and Alexis for some fun in the sun! It has been a long time since we have all been together so we had to make it big.

While we were there it was Grandma's birthday and a week away from Kyle's birthday so we celebrated the whole week!

Jeff & Lexi

We saw Mickey Mouse!

We saw "the princesses castle" as the kids call it!

All Dylan wanted to do was ride the train around the park! It was his dream come true!

Two words... SPLASH MOUNTAIN!!!!

We stayed at a house that had a pool, so we swam a lot!

Or at least Grandpa went swimming with the kids, while we did this.....

Part of Kyle's Birthdy Celebration Week was going to Medieval Times! We had a great time there and our Knight almost won!

He loved it till he fell asleep on Jeff's lap and then peed on him! Good times being a parent!

We also went to the Musuem of Natural History on a rainy day.

A great day to go to the beach!!

We went to Disney California Adventure.

We met Lightening McQueen and Tow Matter!

Then back to DisneyLand for some Halloween fun!

Kyle met Rabbit!

And Winnie the Pooh!

This is how we felt by the time we left after midnight.

And this is the stash we came home with!

We had so much fun and loved seeing our cousins. We can't wait to see them again for another adventure!

Rain???

2011-12-09T08:31:00.000-06:00

We have had an extreme drought here in central Texas this year. It has been the driest and hottest summer I have experience since moving here 12 years ago. Besides the dead grass, very low lakes, and water restrictions, we have no use (except for hitting brothers) for the cute umbrellas we want to use sooooooo bad!

First Day of School

2011-10-13T15:52:00.000-05:00

Tyler started 2nd grade this year!

Dylan Started Pre-K this year!

They are getting so big! Kyle wants to be big too! He tries so hard to do whatever they are doing.

Summer Fun

2011-10-13T15:43:00.000-05:00

There were only a few days cool enough to go for a bike ride, so we took full advantage.

On the other days, we just tried to stay as cool as possible.

Out on the Bike

2011-10-13T15:34:00.002-05:00

We went riding! The Republic of Texas motorcycle rally is always a good excuse to find a sitter and go for a ride. We get together with a whole group of friends that all ride and go downtown to watch thousands of bikes roll into Austin.

Swimming all Summer

2011-10-11T13:20:00.000-05:00

With the record breaking heat we had this summer we spent a lot of time at the pool.

When Grandpa came to visit he took us everyday (sometimes twice). We spent hours there!

Grandpa & Grandma Visit

2011-10-11T11:39:00.001-05:00

Grandpa and Grandma Dickson came to visit over the 4th of July.

I love this picture!

We made our first trip to the Austin Children's Museum

On the 4th we went to the church pancake breakfast, went to the Round Rock parade, and then went to one of the few firework shows in central Texas not canceled due to the dry weather conditions. Thank you City of Georgetown.

We met some family from up in Dallas at the Waco zoo. We braved the heat and had fun catching up with Karma, Steve, and Lindsey and her cute girls!

While Mom and Dad where here it was their 35th wedding anniversary! Aren't they cute?!

Seattle 1/2 Marathon

2011-10-11T10:57:00.000-05:00

This is the 3rd year we have done the Seattle 1/2 Marathon. This year I had some big goals for myself. I wanted to be able to run the whole 13.1 (no walking!) and also do it in less than two and a half hours.

It was a GREAT success! Dad and I ran the whole way together and did it in 2 hours 25 minutes!

Happy Birthday Tyler!

2011-10-11T10:36:00.000-05:00

Tyler is now 7! He had a great day. This is the year for family birthday parties. Tyler decided we where going to McDonald's, going swimming and then cake and presents.

Move to Texas

2011-10-11T10:24:00.000-05:00

At the end of May Jeff's brother, Terry, moved to Texas! After the long drive down from Michigan with his dog Jake we walked to the park to get some exercise and energy out.

The boys love having Uncle Terry here! Almost as much as they love Jake!

31

2011-05-27T13:50:00.004-05:00

My birthday was in April. Kyle fell asleep so that is why he is missing.

Have you ever seen this candle? This is what it looks like before you light it.

This is what happens when you light it.

(Ignore my tantrum, it was actually a rough day)

This is what it looks like after.

Dirt

2011-05-26T15:24:00.000-05:00

Spending time at the dirt bike track has for some reason become a weekend pass time. They come home very, very, very dirty! But they love it!

Jeffrey

And, YES, I am one of those mothers that dresses her kids in the same color and or shirt so I can find them faster. Jeff has come to except this and now realizes the connivence of it and not the embarrassment.

Cake

2011-05-26T08:49:00.001-05:00

I Love Cake! I love decorating cake almost as much as I love eating cake!

My wonderful friend Chontal and I (I think) make a pretty good team when it comes to making a good looking and tasting cake. Chontal likes trying new recipes and discovering new fillings, and I like to find cute, fun ways to decorate the outside.

This is the Bubble Bath cake we made for our friends baby shower.

White cake with a chocolate moose filling.

St. Patricks Day cupcakes Dylan and I made.

Easter cupcakes I made for the ward party.

A fun cake we made for the Boy Scout auction.

Chocolate cake with a white chocolate raspberry cream filling

A BIG shout out to Chontal for being a great friend who loves and understands my passion for cake!

Parades

2011-05-25T21:01:00.001-05:00

In first grade they do a lot of hallway parades at our Elemetary school.

First was the book parade. We love Magic Tree House books!

And then there was the shoe box parade. He had to decorate his shoe box with something about Texas. Tyler chose the Six Flags Over Texas. Meaning the six different flags that have govern over Texas. France, Spain, Mexico, Confederate, USA, and Republic of Texas. He also insisted on a Longhorn!

Did you know that Texas has it's own pledge? They recite it in school after the Pledge of Allegiance to the the American Flag. Imagine my surprise at the first assembly and I go to sit down and they keep on going!

Honor the Texas flag; I pledge allegiance to thee, Texas, one state under God, one and indivisible.

(You really have to learn to love Texas pride if you are going to live here.)

This was on his box to, along with the state seal that has all of the six flags on it.

I was really proud of Tyler for this little box. The idea was completely his! Most of the other kids did football (Cowboys, Longhorns, Aggies) boxes or something agricultural (bluebonnets, cows, oil rigs). He was the only one that had the six flags.

Injured

2011-05-25T12:47:00.000-05:00

In early March Dylan hurt his hand. He was goofing around with a ceramic vase that I had in the garage sale pile and then dropped it and then fell on it. It slit his wrist and pinky open really good so he and Jeff took a trip to urgent care.

Eleven stitches, a splint and a popsicle bigger than his head, and he was our happy Dylan again!

Snow in February

2011-05-25T12:35:00.000-05:00

It hardly ever happens here in Texas, but sometimes we get lucky. A real snow day! School canceled and everything.

Don't they look like they are having a good time?

Now they said we got more snow than the year before but our snow man was considerably smaller than than in 2010.

See?

All together

2011-05-25T12:19:00.000-05:00

We took some pictures of us all together while Grandma and Terry were here. Kyle was not very cooperative, but what can you ask for from a 2 year old?

So this was my favorite.

How is it I forget what great hair I have in the winter here? Dang humidity! It will now be six months before I see hair like that again!

Oh Kyle!

The Boys

End of 2010

2011-05-25T11:52:00.000-05:00

At Christmas time Grandma Megerle and Terry came to visit!

We went to Zilker park and road the Zilker Zepher Train and played on the awesome playground.

We took them on the Austin Duck Adventure for a tour around downtown! Quack!

Christmas Eve pajamas!

All Dylan asked for from Santa was a "tree cutter." He was one happy kid!

Kyle so happy to finally have his own pillow pet!

Tyler got a new bike!

And then they had to go try them out. Dylan got Tyler's old bike and they both got new helmets.

Where have we been?!

2011-05-25T10:56:00.007-05:00

Just causing TROUBLE!!!

Merry Christmas 2010!

2010-12-25T11:30:00.002-06:00

Holiday Fun

2010-12-24T12:38:00.005-06:00

Tyler and Dylan's schools both had Holiday parties and shows this year. We even got to see three Santa's in one week.

He was scared of this Santa!

Tyler and his teacher Ms. Gates

Tyler in his hat that he made for his performance.

Dylan's class during his preschool performance. Next to his best buddy Bowen.

Dylan with his teacher Ms. Amy, and Kyle.

We also had the ward party...

He wasn't scared of this Santa.

Dirt Bikes

2010-12-23T20:52:00.007-06:00

Well here he is in all is glory! I don't know if I have completely succumb to the dirt bike phenomenon, but I am trying to be a little supportive in his interests.

Waiting for the race to start.

And they are off. He is the one right in the middle. Third.

In the air, trying to give me a heart attack.

Cute boys having so much fun watching the race.

Ready to go home with his rare smiling face.

Decorated

2010-12-13T16:15:00.003-06:00

I meant to put these up a while ago. I got Jeff to help me get everything out and up over Thanksgiving weekend. The tree and everything is up inside but I didn't take a picture of that.

We love our motorcycle inflatables!

Happy Birthday Dylan!

2010-11-29T17:34:00.004-06:00

Dylan FINALLY turned 4 at the end of November. He has been waiting and asking everyday if it was his turn to be bigger since Tyler's birthday in June. He had a great day/week full of fun.

He loves his pillow pet that he has wanted forever.

And this awesome umbrella that we are still hoping to use sometime soon.

He had his party at a local inflatable bounce place. He told me it was "the best time ever."

He requested multiple cakes, but finally settled on a dirt bike cake. Hmmm. How about a dirt bike track cake? He loved it!

Happy Birthday Dylan!

Girls Weekend

2010-11-29T16:38:00.005-06:00

I went on a trip to San Francisco with my best friends from high school. We haven't all been together in a really long time. We saw a ton of stuff and had lot of fun in a very short amount of time.

The view of the bay from our hotel room.

Waiting with Tara to get on the street car.

On the boat to Alcatraz. Tara, Annie, Carmen and Me.

Carm, terrified the birds are going to poop on her. And then who did they get? Thats right, yours truly!

Cute Girls!

We got some yummy Kara's Cupcakes! My dream to have a cupcake shop!

Carmen being attacked by this crazy street performer.

Of course we went to Ghirardelli Square and had an ice cream sunday covered in chocolate.

Heading home in our cute matching girls tour shirts! Thanks Carm!

I brought the kids back some sour dough bread int he shape of an alligator. Cool right?

They loved it and we ate it for days!

I had a really great time with some really great girls that I miss a lot. Hopefully we can get together more often from now on. This was a great face to come home to though.

Dylan riding a bike!

2010-11-05T17:33:00.003-05:00

Dylan recently learned to ride a bike. Here is some video. Sorry it was really windy when I took it so you might want to turn the volume down. That, and then you don't have to hear my voice.

Dylan doesn't turn 4 till the end of the month, so we are really proud of him.

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T20:44:00.003-05:00

So this is my effort to theme us for Halloween. Jeff wouldn't do Bowser and I guess I was okay with that because I didn't really want to do Princess Peach. I thought the shirts were subtle enough for Jeff but still way cute right?

Mario Brothers truly at heart.

Kyle, aka Toad, hated this costume that I made for him! It was mainly the hat and he refused to wear it most of the time. But he really made the whole thing come together and I was happy we got some pictures of him wearing it.

See Kyle trying to take the hat off.

Truck or Treat is always a blast. This is our truck with our cute friend the Cat in the Hat! His talented mommy MADE that costume! So impressive!

One of my favorite parts of Halloween is carving pumpkins. I thought ours turned out great!

Trio Birthday Bash!

2010-10-31T20:43:00.002-05:00

Kyle has two little friends that also turned 2 with in four days of him. We decided to have a trio birthday bash. Just some friends together playing in the park and eating yummy treats.

The birthday boys, Marshall, Ethan, and Kyle.

Thanks Betsy for taking pictures!

Kyle turns Two

2010-10-27T19:07:00.006-05:00

October 14th Kyle turned Two! He had a great day filled with friends, brothers, presents and Elmo cake.

He loved opening presents even if his brothers did most of the work.

Grandma Megerle gave him this bird from the Dr. Seuss book, "Oh say can you say?" He is really not so sure about it but we keep reading the book hoping he might warm up to it. It is kinda funny how he reacts to it.

He loved his Elmo cake! It made him so happy. We sang Happy Birthday as many ways as we could think. It is his favorite song.

He is such a funny little boy. So much attitude out of such a little person is really hard to explain. I think the best word to describe him is Intense. Once he makes up his mind on something there is no changing it. No matter what. Usually everything goes down in a very dramatic fashion no matter where we are. From this two year old, it is really something to see. Oh well, we love him anyway and are happy he is ours to love forever.

Pumpkin Patch with Friends

2010-10-26T15:13:00.005-05:00

We went with our playgroup friends to the pumpkin patch.

At least they are both in the picture.

The tractor ride is out favorite part.

This is Kyle with his buddy Marshall.

We love Pumpkins!

For the love of my Boys

2010-10-25T15:34:00.006-05:00

I have decided to suck it up and endure the love they have for our trailer, camping in the middle of no where, and watching dirt bike racing. Not every weekend like some would hope, but occasionally I will make an effort. Like this one time in September.

This is in our trailer. It was so hot the weekend we went I was thankful for the air conditioned trailer. Also for portable electronic devices and the quiet time it brought to the inside of the air conditioned trailer. They just love it so much it kills me! Being in it, sleeping in it, playing in it, eating in it, using the bathroom in it, and driving me crazy in it.

Dylan got to sleep on the top buck for the first time. Very exciting.

Kyle figured out his spot and how we could get what he wanted easily.

Tyler waiting for the race to start on his wheels.

It was a really hot day. I don't know how they can race like that. 70 minutes trying to see how many laps they can do in a 100 degree weather? Sure sounds like a good time! And do you see all that dirt? I hate dirt. Yuck!

A cute boy named Kyle eating grapes with his new fashion accessory.

I love them so much and that is why I am trying. We shall see.

Preschool

2010-10-25T15:32:00.000-05:00

Dylan started preschool at the beginning of September. He goes twice a week and loves it.

The Greatest Show on Earth! For Real!

2010-08-31T20:57:00.005-05:00

At the end of August we went to the Circus! It was awesome! I have never been to the circus and can I just say we will be going back! Oh, and the kids really liked it too!

It was at least 100 degrees out but we took the kids to see the animals before the show anyway. It just made us more excited to get inside to the AC and see the show!

Zing! Zang! Zoom!

This is a great picture of our cute friend Jaeden fascinated by what is going on.

Happy Birthday Jeff!

2010-08-31T20:56:00.003-05:00

Jeff turned 32 at the end of August!

He wanted nothing fancy. Just chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. Not my favorite, but I guess it was HIS birthday.

The boys loved all the candles. I think that is the most candles we have ever put on a cake, and it wasn't even 32.

First Grade

2010-08-31T20:54:00.009-05:00

Tyler started First Grade! Thanks goodness! It has been a long summer for me and it was time for he and I to have some time apart.

He loves school. He has a great teacher, she is awesome. And now that he is first grade he gets his own desk and even gets to keep all of his things in his own pencil box. His own crayons, 2 glue sticks and his very own scissors. Very exciting.

Cabelas

2010-08-31T20:54:00.007-05:00

We went on trip to Cabelas with some friends. We even got a guided tour. It was interesting to have someone explain some things as we walked around.

We were there for the fish feeding.

More fish feeding.

Tyler's favorite part. The shooting gallery at the end.

Watering the Grass?

2010-08-29T13:26:00.004-05:00

When Jeff turns on the sprinkler to water the grass, for some reason the kids think that it is time to get wet. It is fun to watch and they have so much fun together so I guess no big deal. It is usually in the evening and we are getting ready for showers and jammies anyway. They love it!

Blue Bell Ice Cream

2010-08-12T09:32:00.004-05:00

If you don't live in Texas you are missing out. We have Blue Bell Ice Cream and it is delicious! We took a little drive out to Brenham Texas to tour the factory. It was a fun trip with our friends and well worth the free scoop at the end of the tour.

We learned a lot. Like that they use milk from 50,000 cows a day. And that they flash freeze the ice cream up side down to get that fresh (hard to pull the lid off your brand new carton of ice cream) seal.

Dylan enjoyed the Krazy Kookie Dough! (not a great pic but he was lovin it)

Wichita

2010-08-11T08:31:00.010-05:00

We drove up to Wichita Kansas to visit my cousin Jackie and her new baby Tucker who got blessed while we were there. My Aunt Karen (aka GG) and Uncle Ron (aka Pops) where also there. We had a great time visiting with family and seeing the sights of Wichita!

A must see if you are in Wichita is Cowtown!

Tyler taking a turn on the old press.

Tyler was really good at the old school yard games.

Jeff was pretty good to.

Dylan just wanted to dig in the dirt. No surprise!

Then we waited for a shoot-out.

A little anti-clamatic. But we still had fun.

Jackie and Jake have two dogs, Dolly and Leeroy. Our kids are not dog kids at all, but after a few days they wouldn't leave these poor dogs alone. Always needing to check on them, feed them, play with them, sit by them. I am sure after we left they were very relieved to be left alone.

They also loved little Tucker. They each got to hold him and didn't want to let go. Even when he got fussy and started crying.

Kyle was really the funniest about it. After his turn was over he kept trying to get the baby back and saying "NO! My baby! My Turn!" Image this with his little finger point action.

Thank You Jackie, Jake, and Tucker for letting us come and visit! We had a great time and are so glad you live so close (only 9 hours) to us!

July

2010-08-10T16:07:00.007-05:00

Tyler did a week long tennis camp at our high school right after the 4th. He really loves to play and wants to go all the time. It is just so hot right now no one last very long. Maybe we will play more in the fall when it cools down to the 80s.

Tyler and Dylan playing tug of war at the stake pioneer activity.

We went to a free paint a train activity at a local toy store!

The kids each got a train to paint and decorate.

We played with friends in the backyard!

We went on a tour of our local Justice Center. Here are the kids in a jail cell.

Listening to the police man talk about stranger danger.

Just kicken it in the AC!

And I have been busy making baby carseat covers!

July 4th

2010-07-13T09:29:00.006-05:00

We had a great 4th of July! It was on a Sunday and we got to sing patriotic hymns in church, which is one of my favorite things. No Star Spangled Banner (sad times) but that is always a good one for the car or the shower! I tried to take some pictures of the boys. They are not the most patient so I just have to click like a mad lady and hope that a few turn out. I think these are the best we have had in a while.

My Boys! Aren't they cute? I love them so much!

I think his hair is getting more red in it everyday.

Aren't those freckles to die for!

I think he is going to be my blonde. No hint of red like the other two.

We went over to a friends house to hang out with friends, eat yummy treats, and watch and light off fireworks.

I love pictures with sparklers!

My friend Janelle was really excited to get a sparkler! She handed it off pretty quick!

I love summer time food. We had bbq ribs that I cooked in the oven for 4 hours, potato salad, corn on the cob, and of course a cheese cake. Not to forget the large amount of watermelon that he have been consuming lately.

It was a great weekend and I am so glad I was able to spend it with my family and good friends.

Our trip to Seattle

2010-07-11T15:36:00.009-05:00

Our trip to Seattle started with a plane ride. Just me and the three boys. It actually went better than I thought it would. Thank goodness for a portable DVD player, Nintendo DS and fruit snacks. The flight home was a little rough due to some delays, almost missing our connection, and a crowded plane, but we made it!

The first day there we went to a Mariners game with Grandpa.

We were in the front row of the 3rd level. I kept thinking the kids were going to fall head first over the rail. They were good seats though and the kids had fun cheering for our team and eating peanuts and cotton candy.

Dad and I did the Rock n Roll Seattle half marathon again this year. Here we are waiting to get started. It was a pretty chilly morning, but coming from Texas and running in the hot humidity to running in the cooler weather was okay with me. I really think it makes all the difference when you aren't sweating before you even get started.

It was a long 13.1 miles but Dad did the whole thing with me at my pace (he is faster) which I think helped to push me. I did 20 minutes better than last year so I was pretty happy.

Here we are with our support team when we where all done.

I am so glad we got to go and visit with my Grandparents. They are so cute and I wish we could see them more often.

We played in the backyard and dug in Grandpa's dirt. Dylan has some kind of dirt radar and could spend hours just moving it around.

We went down to the Puget Sound. We learned about the tide. When we got there it was out and by the time we left it had come all the way in. Tyler thought this was interesting, along with how good Grandpa can skip rocks! We went to Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium. Tyler and Dylan road a camel. Dylan said it was wobbly.

Kyle really liked the aquarium. I think he would have stayed there all day. He kept saying "fish! fish!" going from window to window.

Some day I am sure they will all look at me at the same time and all be smiling, right?

We had a fun time at Grandma and Grandpa's house but where happy to come home and see Dad!

Random June

2010-07-07T11:01:00.010-05:00

A Happy Father's Day!

Fire Station with Friends!

Markers! Thankfully, Washable Markers!

Going for a ride with my brother.

Naked Baby!

For some reason our baby has decided he likes being naked.

Happy Birthday Tyler!

2010-07-04T19:38:00.006-05:00

Tyler's Birthday was June 22. He had a great day! I am pretty sure that he has talked about this day everyday since last year at our "boring family party" when he turned five. "Remember Mom, I want my birthday at Chuck E Cheese when I turn six." Or as we drive by Chuck E Cheese, "Mom, that is where I want my birthday when I turn six, remember?" Or if we are there for someone else, "Mom, when I turn six that will be me!" Needless to say he was very excited for his birthday at Chuck E Cheese this year.

He was so happy to receive his inflatable birthday crown!

We love ChuckE!

This is his Bakugan cake. It is suppose to look like the back of a Bakugan card.

Swim Lessons

2010-06-22T17:35:00.002-05:00

We took swim lesson at the beginning of summer. I think we made some big improvements and now we just need to practice.

Nashville

2010-06-22T17:08:00.005-05:00

Road Trip #3

We took a road trip to Nashville. My Grandfather past away and we wanted to be there to show our love and support for my Grandma. We will miss him so much but are happy for the knowledge that we will see him again someday. It was great to spend time with family and remember the great man that he was.

Karen, Kim, Grandma, and Mom.

Three Generations of Christensen Women!

Ron taught the boys how to have tie rolling races!

It was a long drive there and back. I don't know if we would have made it if it hadn't been for DQ and Tyler being our awesome backseat go to guy.

Bikers in South Padre

2010-06-18T14:26:00.003-05:00

Road Trip #2

Over Memorial weekend Jeff and I took a trip down to South Padre Island with some biker friends. We had a group of about 15 bikes. It was hot, but we had a lot of fun.

Me trying to take our picture.

Jeff taking our picture.

Jeff and our good friend Wally.

Thank you Grandma Megerle for coming and watching the boys so we could get away for a few days!

Schools Out!

2010-06-17T23:42:00.003-05:00

Dylan finished preschool in mid May. We talked about it a lot so that he would be okay with it. He loves school and his teachers so much. Thankfully he will be going back in the fall and we have lots of things planned with our school friends during the summer.

Above is Dylan and his teacher Ms. Lauren and below is his good buddy Bowen.

Tyler finished Kindergarden the beginning of June. He had such a great year, a great teacher and great friends. He has learned so much and surprises me everyday. He loves math and figuring out number problems most of all.

Tyler and his teacher, Mrs. Hodges.

Dirt Bike Weekend

2010-06-17T14:30:00.007-05:00

Road Trip #1

So remember when this happened after this conversation and I expressed my feeling about it like this? Right.... well it only took about a year for him to get the guts back up to say (not ask) that he was going to give it another try. (I can only associate this with something like childbirth. That over a certain amount of time you forget about how awful it was *and not being able to button your own pants, or even have pants with buttons at all* and then still want to try it all over again.) Anyway for the last six months he has been going dirt bike riding a few times a month. For some reason every time he goes he has felt the need to ask me if I want to come and watch! "Are you kidding?" is usually the response. Or "If you kill yourself I would rather not be a witness." That is right I haven't been to happy about our newly rediscovered hobby, sort of like the first time around.

Well, a few weeks ago, he finally convinced me that we should all go for the weekend to this race thing in the middle of no where Texas so I could see him in the last race of the season. "Oh, and the boys will really love it!" So, I caved and we went.

Dylan geting a ride.

How me and the kids got around. I think we need an upgrade.

A very hot and tired Kyle

Lining up getting ready to go. Jeff is the one with a star on his rear in the middle.

And then they were off. They race this trail through the woods, so most of the time you can't even see them. There is a time limit and they just try to do as many laps as possible. We went to the truck and did this for a little bit...

Jeff ended up doing a personal best. Every time he popped out of the woods we cheered him on. The kids did have a great time, especially Dylan my dirt man. Do I think I ever need to go again? Probably not. He did express great appreciation for us coming out and supporting him though. Also, I didn't get a picture of it, but he ended up getting a serious messed up toe while racing. It was the grosses color of blue and purple I have ever seen. I think he should have gone to the doctor, of course, but he just limped around on it for a week wearing his clogs to work because his regular shoes wouldn't fit. All I could do was laugh. I think we will go for hurting one small limb at a time.

Random May

2010-06-17T13:11:00.009-05:00

We had a great 7 year Anniversary and Mother's Day! Dylan loves to help me cook in the kitchen. He insist that we wear our aprons, his of course is his Lowe's workshop apron.

Kyle has discovered new and higher places to climb.

It is heating up here in Texas so it was finally time to bust out the backyard sprinkler.

We also discovered a new sprinkler splash pad close by. It is the perfect thing for us to go do on a hot day when we need to get out of the house.

Perfect size for little Kyle man.

An 18 month Kyle

2010-05-02T17:35:00.005-05:00

Kyle turned 18 months in April.

Oh how I am remembering that 18 months is not my favorite age! He is wanting to do everything by himself, or at least do everything that his brothers do by himself. If he doesn't get his way a very painful screaming and crying and flailing and floppiness thing occurs. It is like nothing I remember my other children doing to the degree he does it. Maybe I have just blocked it out, which is something that I hopefully will be doing again very soon. Oh and I love going to the doctor at 18 months because they ask if he is throwing tantrums and tell you to make sure you are ignoring them/him . Right.... like ignoring the 2 foot screaming machine following me around the house or pounding the door I shut to "ignore him" is really working. Or ignoring the 22 pound flailing siren attached to my leg because I won't give him his 3rd bag of fruit snacks before 10am is really working. By 10am I am willing to open every bag of fruit snacks in the state of Texas if he will stop that screaming siren of a cry, are you kidding me! Alright, so some days are better than others, but around here if a little peace and quiet during my day means giving in to a tantrum then thank the heavens for fruit snacks!

Okay...Okay... so this is probably the worst thing about 18 months and besides this it really isn't that bad. 18 months is actually very exciting because he is turning into a little boy. He loves everything with wheels. He loves hats.He loves loves balls and throwing anything he can. This is fun because he will totally play fetch with you. He loves being outside and getting dirty. He loves following his brothers around. He loves his blankie. He loves climbing up, on, or around anything. He loves music and dancing. He loves ice cream and he loves drinking anything but water from a straw. Oh, which reminds me that he loves Starbucks, or at least my Vivano smoothies, which is really only because it has a straw! He does not love everyone and is not that friendly of a baby, which leads right in to him loving his Mommy most, which isn't helping with going to nursery, but we are working on it. He still cries for a few minutes when I drop him off at the gym, even after months of going. He just isn't big into strangers. Which means that he gives them the furrowed brow look which make me laugh and love him even more!

A Very Happy 30th!

2010-04-20T16:53:00.005-05:00

My Birthday was on the 14th.

It was a Wednesday and that is playgroup day. We we took the kids to a little farm just outside of Austin. They do a cow milking demo, a tractor ride and then a lot of other animals to see and touch. We had a really fun time, and Dylan is still asking when we get to go back. Dylan helped me make my cake. This is a recipe I have wanted to try for a long time and I was impressed with myself and how well it turned out. It is a chocolate chip cake with peanut butter cream icing. We made it into the shape of a planter box with sugar cookie flowers.

The kids sang to me many different renditions of Happy Birthday.

Tulips are my favorite.

On Friday, my fabulous husband threw me a SURPRISE BOWLING PARTY! I had no idea and was actually rather annoyed and not very nice to him on our way out that night because I thought we were late for the movies, and I HATE being late for the movies. I felt like a complete SPAZ after I figured out something was up and he had to drag me into the bowling alley to face all of my wonderful friends who came out to surprise me!

It was a really great day and so far thirty hasn't been all that bad!

The house next door.

2010-04-19T10:39:00.005-05:00

Have you ever seen this commercial?

Well the house next door to ours is well on its way to becoming this house. I feel like any day now I will be waking up to the sound of a goat!

If I were to put Kyle in the thick of it, he would easily be lost.

The only good thing is that now we know the weed control service we pay for is working!

*So to be fare, no one lives in this house. So, no, we do not have weird neighbors that don't mow. It has been empty for almost 2 years now. It is bank owned and they should be sending someone out to take care of the yard. If they don't then the HOA that I pay should be doing it and sending the bill to the bank. I guess it is time to write a letter?*

***UPDATE! Someone came and mowed! Or at least whacked everything down! Only in the front it seems, but hey, now at least I won't loose one of my children over there! I don't think it will last long, especially with the rain we have gotten lately, but it works for now!***

Easter

2010-04-17T08:43:00.005-05:00

We had a great Easter weekend. On Saturday morning we went to Old Settlers Park for the the annual egg/candy hunt. Jeff and I got to go in and help Dylan and Kyle during there turn. Once Kyle got a few things he was ready to chow down. Dylan is getting older so the concept of get as much as you can as fast as you can really sunk in this year. They had a blast in the 3 minutes it took to clear the field.

Because Tyler is 5 he had to go into his hunt with the big kids all by himself. Of course that makes me nervous (I think he was a little nervous to), but he did a great! He was very proud of his stash.

We colored eggs. Sadly, many little hands want to touch, move, try to bounce, the eggs before we colored them, so by the time we got to coloring we only had a few left.

And then of course the Easter bunny came and left them their baskets, treats and eggs hidden all over the house!

That afternoon we had the Chambers and Cameron and Jana Scott over for dinner and to watch conference. We had a great time and are glad we have such good friends here. I of course forgot to take any pictures, sorry!

Zoo

2010-04-16T16:36:00.007-05:00

I took the kids to the zoo up in Waco on Good Friday.

After we had our picnic lunch we headed on in.

Very shortly after we started looking around it began to rain.

For a few minutes we hid in this tp over by the Bison.

When the kids got restless waiting for the down poor to stop we just went for it and got nice and wet. Everyone else was all huddled under overhangs or hiding in the reptile exhibit so it was great for us to have the zoo to ourselves.

Kyle loved growling at the tigers. Well, really he growled at everything. I wonder where he gets that from?

This is a cool slide they have that goes down through the otter tank.

It is a really great zoo and recommend it to everyone. If you have children 3 and under they are free, so for the four of us it was only 15 bucks to play in the rain and see the animals! We will definitely be going back.

A Cool Park

2010-04-15T18:15:00.006-05:00

It had these giant swings that all three of them could fit on.

Dylan went down this slide many many times.

So if you look really close at Kyle, you will see that this is when he had hives. Like the great mother that I am, I didn't realize he had hives until after I took him to the park on an 80 degree day which made them flare up, which then made me call the doctor. What were they from? We have no idea, this is the first time he has ever had them. We will be keeping an eye out for them again in the future. Good Times!

A cool digger that was there that Dylan played with non stop for like 20 minutes.

A sit and spinning thing that made them all laugh and laugh.

Another spinning thing that used your weight to push around. Tyler really got the hang of it and spent a lot of time on this.

March Madness

2010-04-15T10:56:00.013-05:00

So really there wasn't anything mad about March, I just like saying that. It did fly by quickly though, which is what I am using as my excuse for not blogging. So, let see... What happened in March?

St. Patricks Day!

Dylan made us green pancakes for breakfast. They were delicious!

Hockey Game!

We went to a hockey game during spring break. We have a new minor league team here in Austin. The Texas Stars! (these pictures where taken with Jeff's phone, my camera died when we got there)

Soccer Started!

Tyler started soccer again for the spring. We are on a little team of kids from church. They are the Cougars and they wear purple and he is number 6. We are still working on being more aggressive, but he has definitely improved from last season. He is motivated to score a goal every game with the bribery of a McD's Happy meal. So far he has had one every game!

The Weather!

March was the month of weather changing here in central Texas. We have been spending lots of time outside. It also means motorcycle weather. The kids love going for rides with Dad!

Sewing!

Baby car seat covers. I have been busy making these for friends and family. If you haven't got one I am working on it! Feel free to leave me a comment bugging me, maybe it will help me get it to you sooner!

Maybe...

2010-04-15T09:44:00.002-05:00

So maybe I will finally Blog today! I know it has been a very long time. For some reason my cameras don't want to download their pictures to my computer. Maybe today will be the day! Stay tuned!!!

Texas Snow!

2010-02-24T15:19:00.003-06:00

Here in central Texas we never get snow. A few times a year we get a ice storm or a little sleet and freezing rain, but I don't think I have ever seen real, accumulating snow. Well yesterday it really snowed almost all day. It was heavy, thick, wet snow, great for snowballs and snowmen. I think we got a little more than an inch. The kids were in heaven and we froze to death for a few hours playing in it. Of course today it is in the fifties and all but our snowman has melted, but it was a great time while it lasted. The best part is that this was Tuesday, but on Sunday it was in the 70's and by the weekend I think it will be in the 60's. Crazy Texas Weather!

Oahu

2010-02-24T13:59:00.006-06:00

This is the second half of our trip.

The view from our hotel room across Waikiki beach. It was beautiful!

The yummiest shaved ice I have ever had for 2 dollars. I asked the guy to give me his favorite flavor. I swear it tasted like pure sugar.

We went to the tourist trap called the Dole Plantation. It was actually very interesting. I don't think I have ever thought about how a pineapple grows, or how many types their are. Growing pineapple. Did you know that after they are picked they DO NOT continue to ripen! If you are not going to cut it right away you should refrigerate it to last longer.

A nice beach I collected sea shells at on the way to the Polynesian Cultural Center.

So this is me trying to take a picture of a man climbing a tree. I for some reason was having a hard time finding which tree he was in. I got laughing so hard that I couldn't do it that Jeff had to take the camera and do it himself.

Jeff doesn't think this picture is as funny as I do!

My favorite part of the show at the cultural center was the fire twirling at the end.

This is the whole cast at the very end. It was a really cool show.

Me driving the Bowfin Submarine in Pearl Harbor.

The USS Missouri Battleship we got to walk around and explore.

A view of the USS Arizona Memorial from the Missouri.

We also went to a ginormous Super Target while we were killing time to catch our red eye flight back home. It was huge and even had its own parking garage! Wish I had taken a picture.

Maui

2010-02-15T15:53:00.013-06:00

I love Maui! It was so beautiful.

We went whale watching. There were lots of babies and mommas. The babies were all really playful and showing off their new found skills. We went out on a tour with Pacific Whale Foundation Eco Adventures, but you could see them when just standing on the shore or from our room.

We even made it to the beach a few times. Shocker I know, since I hate hate sand, ocean water, and direct sunlight.

Jeff was brave enough to actually get in the water. I do like to snorkle, which we didn't do, but if we had I would have braved the ocean. Maybe next time.

Carmen and Shawn's wedding was in Maui. It was beautiful and we were so happy to be there.

We went up Haleakala. It is the highest point in Maui, just over 10,000 feet. The day we went it was really cold and windy. At the base on our way up it was 70 degrees and by the time we got to the top about a 45 minute drive, it was only 40 degrees.

It was cool, because we were up above the clouds.

But it was really cold, so we didn't stay long. That and we needed to get to our zipline tour with Skyline Eco Adventures.

Us in our gear. Yes, we know we are hot.

Me debating with the nice tour guide lady if this is really a safe thing to be doing.

Jeff having the best time of the whole trip.

There was a suspension bridge that I was not a fan of.

We did 5 lines. The last one was 770 feet long and I don't know how high up. It was super fast and at the end they had to bring out The Home Depot ladder to get you down. This is our other guide asking me if I just had the best time ever, and I am telling him I am glad to be on his Home Depot ladder. Okay, so it was fun. It was just a really SCARY fun. And yes, I probably would do it again and be just as scared.

This was my favorite place that we ate. We had this yummy chicken, bacon, ranch pizza made with all organic and local grown foods. It was delicious. I had the salad too and want some more of it right now. Yummy!

Things We Saw

2010-02-15T15:40:00.005-06:00

I took a few pictures of things we saw in Hawaii that we don't see a lot of here in Texas.

Pineapples growing from the ground. Not IN the ground, and not ON a tree.

Palm Trees

Bird of Paradise

Silversword

There were beautiful flowers everywhere!

Hula Pie! It even had its own Hula Pie plate. Yummy!

I swear we heard or saw a rooster everyday.

Just Maui'd

2010-02-13T20:30:00.008-06:00

I kidnapped Jeff and took him to Hawaii for a week. My mom came and watched the kids, so we were able to be kid free for almost nine whole days! We first went to Maui for my dear friend, Carmen's wedding. We have known each other for a long time and I am so glad I was able to be there.

We are so happy for Carmen and Shawn. They are so great together and we were glad to share the special day with them.

At the reception dinner we watched the sunset. It was a beautiful day!

He did it!

2010-01-25T12:57:00.002-06:00

Surprise! He Can Walk!

And he loves it. He is getting faster and faster everyday. Only took 15 months.

Each one of our kids has started walking later and later. Tyler 10 months, Dylan 12 months, and Kyle 15 months. I guess when you have brothers that are doing everything for you there is no reason to be in a hurry.

Who is that?

2010-01-25T12:49:00.002-06:00

Oh it's just Dylan.

This is his Bob the Builder-Batman disguise. He loves when I pretend that I don't know who he is and then reveals himself to me. He thinks he is so tricky and just laughs and laughs.

He is just so stinking cute!

The Park

2010-01-25T12:28:00.004-06:00

Just a few

2010-01-25T12:02:00.002-06:00

So it ends up that I did take a few pictures over Christmas despite not feeling well.

Our gingerbread house we made for FHE.

The boys waiting to open there pj present on Christmas Eve.

Tyler loved his.

Kyle has learned to climb. This is his favorite thing. He sits on it screaming and jerking it around to try and make it move.

The mess after the opening.

BLah-Humbug

2009-12-28T10:12:00.007-06:00

So the Christmas holiday hasn't quite been going the way we (I) had hoped. It started last week with the kids being sick. Coughing, fever, aching. Dylan throwing up on Monday night, Kyle Tuesday night, and Tyler Wednesday night. By Thursday, Christmas Eve, everyone actually seemed a little better, just a little tired. I spent the whole day disinfecting our house which included bleach baths for all the toys, steam cleaning carpets, and washing every sheet, towel, and article of clothing touched by anyone over the last few days. By the end of the day I was tired but everyone seemed to be feeling better so we decided to go to Texas Land and Cattle (steak) for dinner and drove around to look at lights. Once we got home, made a nativity, read Luke 2, sang our favorite carols, sprinkled the reindeer food in the front yard for Rudolf and got the kids in bed I was not only exhausted but feeling a little uneasy in the stomach. Needless to say I was up all night, and no, I was not waiting up for Santa. Christmas morning I managed to crawl out of bed to watch the kids open presents and then back to the bed and bathroom routine for pretty much the rest of the day. I feel like the worst mother and wife ever. No yummy Christmas breakfast, Jeff fed them donuts from the day before, and no yummy merry Christmas dinner, frozen pizza and peanut butter and jelly instead. I kept moaning and crying to Jeff, who was staying as far away from me as possible, how sorry I was and this was the worst Christmas ever and he then remind me of the first year we were married...

I was 3 months pregnant with Tyler and sick like no other and so tired everyday when I came home from work I didn't even get him a gift, really not one, and he went and got us Christmas dinner from Jack In The Box...

Okay so this was the second worst Christmas ever, thanks for the reminder, Jeff. He reassured me it was okay and that the kids didn't even notice because they were so busy with all their Christmas presents and what kid doesn't love eating pizza and pb&j all day long? Anyway Saturday morning I woke up feeling about 80 percent better and determined to turn it into the best Day After Christmas ever! I took a much needed shower, did hair and make up and then I made the yummy cinnamon roll, eggs and bacon Christmas breakfast, played with the kids all the new games they had gotten, and even ventured out to Fry's and Best Buy. Jeff convinced me to save the yummy merry Christmas dinner for Sunday, but we still had apple pie! Unfortunately, Sunday I woke up feeling like I had been hit by a truck again. I may have over done it a little on Saturday. Also the baby had a fever again, is cutting his bottom molars, Dylan said his belly hurts and had already been to the bathroom a few times and Tyler, well he was just cranky, really cranky. So we spent all day in bed together watching White Christmas, the best holiday movie ever, and the Tigger Movie, and taking naps. I did finally get up, take a shower and make the merry Christmas dinner for Jeff, even the chocolate pie for dessert.

So now there is today. I am hoping by this afternoon we can maybe pull it together to get out of this house and go to the park. Jeff suggested on his way out the door to work that maybe some fresh air would do us some good. So even though my throat is sore, the baby is not happy that he is getting new teeth, and Dylan is still spending more time than normal in the bathroom, we WILL go outside and get some much need fresh air and then wait to see what tomorrow will hold. Wish me luck!

What might have been...

2009-12-18T18:12:00.003-06:00

What might have been if I had only waited was a really, really cute Christmas card, not the sad ones I sent out in haste before we left for Michigan. So for all of you who got a good chuckle out of the original card with crying Kyle on it... here is what could have been. Merry Christmas!

Jeff says we will just use this picture next year? Not that our kids will get any bigger over the next year right?

Surprise Trip

2009-12-18T17:22:00.008-06:00

We decide last minute to take a trip to Michigan to visit Jeff's Mom. She was a little thrown off by the night before we were coming call to say we were coming, but loved having us there anyway! Texas boys in Michigan snow. Nothing made them happier then the dirty parking lot snow at the Arbys we stopped at for lunch. The promise of more/nicer/cleaner snow at Grandma's house is what got them back in the car.

Grandma has this rocking horse that is now the perfect size for Kyle. We would sit and rock away on it non stop. That is except for when Tyler and Dylan where pushing him off so they could have a turn.

We also got to see Uncle Terry while we were there! He was getting ready for finals, but made some time to come and hang out with us for a day! Like the beard?

We also got to see some extended family. Jeff's Uncle Ned and his girls, Molly, Jenna, and Rachel, and also Pat's parents.

Aren't they cute?

We had a great time even though it was really, really, really cold. The kids loved seeing and being in the snow especially.

A little instruction on exactly how sledding works. And then they were off!

A little instruction on making snow angels, and they were off! Jeff was laughing really hard at me getting my rear in the snow to make a snow angel. This pic was acceptable however I will not be posting the one he wanted, of me trying to get up out of the snow with no help from him and trying not to ruin my angel.

To Jeff: Just because I take a picture of you does not mean you have take one of me.

It's in the mail!

2009-12-07T13:47:00.003-06:00

Sunday after church Tyler insisted we take our letters to Santa down to the mailbox. These are the letters that after he saw Santa at the ward party, and Santa asked him if he had written a letter, which he hadn't yet, we had to go home and make immediately. There was nothing more important to him then getting this done Saturday night, not even the exciting UT game that was on. He was a mad man on a mission. Anyway, he and Dylan both drew a picture of what they wanted and wrote what it was on it along with their names. Then I convinced them we could save postage by putting them together in one envelope. ;) And we walked them down. Here is a play by play in pictures.

Walking? Not quite.

2009-12-07T13:35:00.003-06:00

But he loves pushing things around and walking behind them! It actually makes him very happy and he is really really fast, which is probably why he won't let go. This chair is his favorite thing to use, even though we have actual toys he could push around, oh well.

The Trophy

2009-12-07T13:28:00.004-06:00

Tyler was sitting at the computer the other day with me and we were looking at our blog and he reminded me that we forgot to put up pictures of his soccer trophy. So, here it is!

Soccer in now over, but he had a lot of fun playing. He got more aggressive and even scored a few goals. We will probably do it again.

SeaWorld after Thanksgiving

2009-11-30T16:24:00.007-06:00

We went to Seaworld the day after Thanksgiving. Oh, and we did have a great turkey day. We went to some friends house and ate way to much and then took naps and watched some red box movies. On black Friday at 4:30am I a made my way to the madness at Walmart and scored some sweet deals. Then I came home, made breakfast, and we headed out to Seaworld. I don't think we have ever been there when it isn't 100 degrees so it was especially nice to be there on such a great day. They also had all of the holiday shows running which we have never been there for so that was fun and definitely put us in the Christmas spirit. Tyler hasn't stopped singing Feliz Navi Da!

We fed the dolphins!

We saw Shamu and tried to take a picture that Kyle didn't want any part of.

Another attempt to get a good picture of all three of them together.

Maybe if I am in the picture? Um... NO

Oh well, we did have a good time. Tyler gave it a two thumbs up!

Dylan turns 3

2009-11-30T16:23:00.006-06:00

Dylan turned 3 on November 21. We had a barbecue with some friends and tried to make the day all about him. He absolutely loved every minute of it. He requested a "Scoop" cake (the digger character from Bob The Builder). I took the challenge and think it turned out pretty good. I put the the cake in the refrigerator after I was done and Dylan checked on it about a hundred times to make sure it was okay. We had cupcakes too, that he helped make.

Dylan is a fun boy. He loves everything boyish. Trucks, cars, tractors, diggers, cranes, trains, motorcycles, four wheelers. He loves digging and racing. He has definitely turned into a little sneaky 3 year old with his cute little toothless freckled face he gets away with almost everything and he knows it. We are slowly catching on, but he is a hard one to catch. We love him so much and the "terrible twos" weren't all that bad, but now we can't wait for him to turn 4 and move passed the "even worse threes". Happy Birthday Dylan!

Kyle Roo!

2009-11-30T15:56:00.004-06:00

I finally took Kyle to his 12 month check up a month late. We have been trying really hard over the last few months to feed him anything he will eat and pack on some pounds so maybe sub consciously I was delaying the appointment to give us a little more time for some weight gain. Well.... It turned out I didn't have all that much to be worried about. Remember at 9 months he was only 15 pounds (less then 5%) so our goal for 12 months was 18 pounds but now finally at 13 months he is 19 pounds and 13 ounces! I was literally doing a happy dance next to the scale. The nurse thought I was a crazy person until she saw his chart and realized what a accomplishment this was. He is now in the 10% and even though that is still small it is upward growth for out little guy which is something we were worried about 4 months ago. He is also now 29inches tall (20% for his height, a big jump from 10%), and 80% for his head (we were never concerned about this.) Anyway we are so happy that his chart is finally moving in an upward motion and even though he is little we love him in a big way.

Gobble Gobble

2009-11-18T17:28:00.003-06:00

Building

2009-11-18T17:06:00.003-06:00

On Saturday we took the kids to the free Lowe's Build and Grow workshop. They got to build a Jimmie Johnson 48 car garage. They also got a their own Lowe's apron and workshop patch to put on it that shows what project they did. The kid next to us had a whole apron full of patches. His mom must bring him every week. The kids had a lot of fun so we will definitely be going back to build more.

Halloween

2009-11-06T08:29:00.015-06:00

We had a busy and fun Halloween. Ward party, fall carnival at school, soccer game, visiting friends, and of course trick or treating. Tyler was the red Power Ranger, Dylan was Bob The Builder, and Kyle was Tigger. At the ward party on Friday I was an angel. Jeff was suppose to be the devil, but I couldn't get him to wear the horns, he said the head band was to girlie??? He did wear the tail without complaint but it just wasn't the same. Oh well, we had fun and then on Saturday I decide to be the devil. An angel one day the devil the next, Jeff said it was actually very fitting. "Thanks husband, I love you too!" Anyway we did have fun. We went trick or treating at our friends Wally and Judy's. Wally got out his "personal trainer" blow up costume to give us a laugh. Here is my sad attempt to get a good picture of all three of them. Dylan didn't even want to be in the picture, so like a really good parent, I threatened that he couldn't go trick or treating unless he sat his rear down. Kyle was scared of Tyler's mask, and Tyler wouldn't take it off just for one shot. GOOD TIMES!

Pumpkins

2009-11-06T08:25:00.002-06:00

I Love Fall

2009-11-04T14:28:00.006-06:00

I love the Fall. I love the cool dry non humid weather, especially after such a hot humid summer. I love the occasion rainy day. I love that we don't sweat to death when we go to the park. I love good hair days. I love dark colors. I love spending time outside with my kids for more than 10 minutes because it is just to hot. I love debating whether or not I might need a sweater or jacket or maybe just a long sleeve shirt.. I love that my husband gets home before 7pm, sometimes even before 6pm. I love that it is motorcycle weather, well sort of (no, he is totally not allowed to ride this). I love the smell of pumpkins and spices. I love knowing the Holidays are right around the corner. I Love Fall!

The wedding, the mud, and no kids!

2009-10-22T12:34:00.004-05:00

So this past weekend Jeff and I went to Salt Lake City for our dear friend Cameron's wedding. We are so happy for him and would not have missed it for anything. Grandma Dickson came down to watch the kids so we were kid less for about 72 hours and soaked in every moment.

We are so happy for Cameron and Jana, and are so glad we were there for their big day.

Double trouble.

We then met up with the Grays, our old friends from Austin that now live outside Salt Lake. They decided to take us on a drive through the mountains to see the changing colors, drive through Sundance and just see things fall like that we don't see in Texas. It really was beautiful but, after one wrong turn we ended up two track mudding it.

The red dots and yellow lines are where we should have been and the blue dot is where we were. We ended up doing some major off roading, crossing rivers/creeks, steep inclines and declines and finally getting stuck. We just kept saying, "I am sure we will meet up with the road, just a little bit further." Yeah, lets just say we had to go back out the way we went in.

We were also glad we decided to take the Gray's four runner. It was such a crazy ride I think there are a few things that they now have to get fixed. When we finally made it out, we went to dinner, Brazilian style. The food was great and we had lots of fun laughing at the adventure of the day. We miss good times with the Gray's now that they are far away, so it ended up being a great day of memories until next time.

We had a great trip and now it is back to the kids and real life with a schedule and no sleeping in. Thanks Grandma for helping us out!

Happy Birthday Kyle!

2009-10-14T20:07:00.009-05:00

Today is Kyle's First Birthday! He is having a great day. Tyler went to school, Dylan went to the pumpkin patch with some friends and we stayed home to clean the house and make his cake. Of course he fell asleep and missed most of the cleaning, but I guess it is his Birthday. Here are some high lites of the big bash we had when Jeff got home.

I can't believe it has been a whole year. He is such a good little boy. He is so cute. He has the best sad face ever, it is so hard to resist. He loves flirting with the ladies in the grocery store. He follows his brothers around the house ready to get in on the rumbling tumbling soon. He loves to play peek a boo. He is a speed crawler and furniture cruiser. He says, Mama, Dada, No no, and Uh-oh. He loves being in the water, being outside, and just being with people. He is such a joy to our lives and love having him in our family.

All three boys have gotten a sit and ride when they have turned one. They love them. They have been banged , bumped, left outside in the rain, don't make anymore noise, but still ride. Kyle loves his and of course because it is new is now fought over.

Skeletons

2009-09-22T11:11:00.003-05:00

I thought these jammies were so cute. Cheap at Walmart and they glow in the dark! Fun way to go to bed and it helped them stay there.

Soccer Mom?

2009-09-22T10:48:00.002-05:00

So I don't know how I feel about the title of Soccer Mom, but we did sign Tyler up for soccer this year anyway. He really likes it and is having a great time. They had their first game on Saturday and they creamed the other team. We need to work on him being a little bit more aggressive, I'm thinking bribery. I'll let you know how that works out. I think I have discovered though that I am a yeller at games. Hmmmmm... I wonder where I get that from...Mom? It really is hard to control myself though and deep down I don't want to be this way. I had to keep reminding myself that he is only 5 and really has no idea what he is doing besides chasing a ball around. And by me yelling to get the ball and go faster and kick it, KICK IT!!!!! Was really just distracting him. This Saturday should be better, Jeff will be there to tell me to bring it down a notch. *sigh*

He is number 4. Seriously so cute. They play three on three with no goalie, it really is just get the ball and try to score a goal. A great way to start our Saturday.

Hook 'em

2009-09-22T10:04:00.007-05:00

Football in Texas finally started a few weeks ago. We busted out the burnt orange to wear it proudly and are looking forward to a great season.

It is actually rather silly how the whole Texas world stops and revolves around football through the end of the year. Oh well, we have finally conformed and love getting caught up in the drama of it all. It goes something like this if they are winning"They are the best team ever! How could they ever lose! I love Colt McCoy! (or who ever your QB is) National championship here we come!" and if they lose just one game "I knew they would lose. They really aren't all that. That QB really needs to get his act together or they aren't going to get a good bowl game, why didn't he go to the NFL last year?" It cracks me up. We love 'em and we hate 'em. But we will always wear their colors. GOOD TIMES!!!

We are still working with Dylan to get the hook 'em sign down, maybe by the end of the season!

Pre-School

2009-09-13T22:01:00.003-05:00

Dylan started his first week of Pre-School this past week. We was so ready to go he didn't even care that I was leaving him unlike many of the other kids in his class crying for mom. I think he was so use to seeing Tyler going that he knew the drill and happy it was his turn to stay. I held it together to. Him not caring that I was leaving him is what almost pushed me over but I managed to be okay that he didn't seem to need me and he is having a great time.

Stand Up

2009-09-13T21:51:00.003-05:00

Over the last two weeks my baby has finally decided to put a little motion in his life. He is finally crawling on all fours like a maniac, and is a standing machine with the assistance of something to hold on to of course.

Happy Birthday Jeff!

2009-08-31T11:08:00.005-05:00

While we were in San Antonio it was Jeff's birthday. We went to eat down on the riverwalk at The County Line. It was really good and the giant double chocolate fudge cake with ice cream to top it off was the best!

Dylan was so excited for dessert. So was Jeff, he just wasn't hopping up and down in his chair like Dylan was. We all really enjoyed the cake.

Jeff took these pictures and said I had to blog them which I am only doing because it was his birthday. Happy Birthday Jeffrey, I love you so much and am thankful for all you do for our family.