I love this show!

I'm so excited it's back! I'm a huge fan. Watching it makes me wish I'd learned how to dance when I was younger... I took a few jazz classes in junior high, but all I have from those are some scary pictures of me w/ mile-high bangs in flourescent spandex outfits! Not cute.

"Day Out with Thomas"

This last weekend we took Bryan and Matthew to see Thomas the Tank Engine! We got to go on a little train ride through Heber Valley, play with Thomas toys, get balloon animals and fake Thomas tattoos. It was a great little family outing. We all had lots of fun!

Going green???

These past couple of days I've been doing a lot of reading. Unfortunately it hasn't been fun reading (although I am just starting Stephenie Meyer's new book, "The Host," which I'm excited about!). Basically I decided to find out for myself what the recent hype is over plastics and all the chemicals that we're supposedly exposing ourselves and our kids to these days. (Thanks, Becca!) Not surprisingly, I've found that WAY to many of the things I use in my daily life are full of toxins and it's freaking me out! I am one to get obsessed about things, and David has already warned me about obsessing over this now, but I have to admit that the things I've read have been pretty convincing... So yesterday I went out to buy Matthew new pacifiers and sippy cups, since most of the ones he'd been using were found on the "bad list," and I also got glass storage containers to replace all of the tupperware I'd still been using in the microwave (bad, I know). Today I researched soaps and cosmetic things, and there's this site that rates them on a scale of 0 - 10, 10 being the most "hazardous" to our health. Of course most of the things we use are on the top end of the scale, and I can't really go and throw away all of the stuff we've got around the house, can I? It doesn't help that the "safe" (organic) things are generally twice as much as what I would normally buy... For some things I think it's worth it, and for others maybe not so much, but it really has made me look more closely at what we use and ingest on a regular basis. I don't want to be paranoid (like my sister says), but I also don't want to have my kids exposed to things that they shouldn't be exposed to! Going organic always seemed somewhat extreme to me, but it really is making more and more sense. If I had all the money in the world I would probably switch over in a second, but as it is now I'll have to take things a little bit at a time... I guess just becoming aware is a good first step. If anyone has any practical suggestions or things that work for you, let me know!

Random pics

I just wanted to post a few random pictures from the last couple of days. Not much has happened, aside from hot weather and a few nice walks to the park. Bryan did decide to try cutting his own hair the other night, so we gave him a nice buzz, as you can see in one or two of the pics. We buzzed Matty's hair as well (might as well have them looking the same) but I haven't taken a picture of him since. He doesn't stay still long enough these days!

Enjoying the nice weather.

Having fun on the swings.

Bryan's new summer haircut!

Practicing golf - one of his new favorite pastimes...

Matty eating one of his favorite snacks!

Bryan's first bike!! (sort of...)

We just got Bryan a balance bike, and he's loving it!! Basically it's a little bike without pedals or gears or anything, so he gets to learn how to balance and steer without having to worry about pedaling. Our nephew had one in Germany and did really well on it, so we decided to try one out w/ Bry. He still has a ways to go before he'll really have the hang of it, but in the meantime it's as good as any of his other push toys that he's loved so much, just a lot cooler! He insists on wearing the knee pads and elbow pads, which I guess is a good thing, but it does kind of kill the cool factor. =) And he also insisted on getting a "honk," which he uses every time a car passes us to "scare them away." The best part of it all is he gets to go fast, and we don't have to be running behind him the whole time!



If you want to get an idea of how these bikes work, you can see a cute compilation of videos here. This is just a little video of Bryan getting the hang of it...

And here's Matthew wishing he could ride like Bryan...

"I don't want yellow toes!"

Sunday morning I decided to paint my toenails, and Bryan thought it was pretty cool. He said, "My toes aren't pink, they're yellow!" I assumed he was referring to how they looked in his bath water, so I didn't think anything of it. Then Sunday afternoon my brother-in-law, Javi, gave me a cute Mother's Day present with foot lotion and other things, and Bryan stole it and hid it in his bathroom before I'd barely had a chance to look at it! Every time I went to move it, he'd get all upset and tell me to put it back. So this morning he comes in w/ the basket and points to his toes and says, "I don't want yellow toes!" Apparently he thought the foot lotion was something he could use to make his toes pink, like mine. Trying not to laugh, I explained that only girls get colorful toes, and that Daddy could tell him why. David, of course, was appalled by the idea of his boy painting his toenails and quickly changed the conversation.

If it were just the toenails, I don't think David would have gotten so bugged, but Bryan has a history of liking girly things! Just this last weekend he found a McDonald's princess wand in my sister's purse and insisted on carrying it with him the remainder of the day. (Matthew actually has it right now and refused to go down for his nap without it!!) And of course he went through a phase where he had to always use one of my purses to carry his "treasures" - his favorite was a small sparkly silver one. Not to mention his obsession with my makeup - more than once I found him with rosy cheeks and shiny lips. It doesn't help that his best friend in our last neighborhood was a little girl who loves princess things, so Bryan still gets all excited when he sees something princess-related on TV. And he still says that his favorite color is pink!!

You'd think that since David is European, he wouldn't have a problem with his boy liking pink - he's got several pink shirts and ties - but this girly flair in our son is driving him crazy! Personally, I think it's funny and kind of cute. I grew up playing with Legos and Star Wars figures, and it didn't affect my gender orientation one bit! Bryan's just as obsessed with cars and bad guys and everything else related to little boys, so I really don't have a problem with his feminine tastes. Like most boys, he'll grow out of it, I'm sure. Still, I have to agree with David on the toenail issue. Pink toenails would be taking things just a little bit too far!

Happy Mother's Day!

I love being a mother. It's such a blessing, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. My boys are the best things that have ever happened to me! They've already taught me so much about love, compassion, sacrifice, and (of course) patience. I love seeing them grow and learn new things, and I love the sweet little ways they share their love with me. It melts my heart when Matty gets all excited and reaches for me when he sees me like I'm the most important person in his world. And nothing compares to Bryan's drooly kisses, which he likes to bestow often! Or the way he waved at me from the podium in church today while the Primary kids were singing their Mother's Day songs. I just love my boys so much!

Being a Mom has also made me appreciate my own mother so much more! I'm so close to my Mom, more so now than ever, and I count on her for so many things even though she's thousands of miles away. She's the first person I call when I have something exciting to share, or a question about anything from recipes to food storage to her opinion on American Idols. She's a wonderful, devoted mother and grandmother, and we all look so forward to the times we get to spend with her. I get so jealous when I talk to people who have their mothers close by! Maybe someday I'll be so lucky. For now, thank goodness for e-mail and cell phones! I don't know what I'd do without her!

Today for Mother's Day I got to sleep in until Bryan came in and wished me a happy Mother's Day in his sweet morning voice. David surprised me with beautiful roses and some nice gifts. Matty, of course, greeted me with a squeal and a hug. At church, along with seeing Bryan up on the stand in Sacrament mtg., I got to help him give his very first talk in Primary! He did a great job and wasn't scared at all, although he was a little too excited about using the microphone and had the little girls in the first row plugging their ears. =)

After church, Javi came over to watch the Jazz playoff game (why they were cruel enough to put a playoff game on Mother's Day of all days, I'll never know) and David barbecued some yummy hamburgers and chicken. While they were watching the game (the Jazz won, thankfully) I got to listen in on my sister Bree's Mother's Day phone call to my mom. She's serving in Washington state and has been out for over a year, so it was wonderful to hear her lovely, happy voice. Then David and the boys and I went on a walk to enjoy the nice weather, and now David's just finished doing the dishes while I relax and watch the Home Makover show. It's been a good day.

I've realized something about the way I view Mother's Day, though, that's made me think. When we were getting ready for church I thought, "It's Mother's Day, so David should bathe the boys." When Matty had a poopy diaper I thought, "I shouldn't have to deal w/ poop on Mother's Day." I thought the same thing when it was time to feed Matthew (who always makes a huge mess), and then later when Bryan asked numerous times for milk or juice or yogurt... All day I've been thinking that since it's Mother's Day I should have a break from doing these not-always-fun things. And yet it's doing these things that really make me a mom! Why should I back off from being a mom on Mother's Day of all days! No one else can love my splashing, stinking, yogurt-smearing kids like I can (although David does do a really good job at being a dad). I do need a break every now and then, but today should be a day where I appreciate all the more the little things that make being a mom the crazy, rewarding, CRAZY job that it is! So I'd better go help Bryan brush his teeth and go potty before going to bed. That seems like the most appropriate way to end Mother's Day - that and getting yet another drooly kiss!

Beautiful "potpourri of roses" (as David called it) and sweet Mother's Day cards

Bryan and Matty playing together in Bryan's MESSY room - yes, cleaning Bryan's room was one of those things I decided I shouldn't have to do on Mother's Day =)

My parents told me about a funny blog entry some random mom wrote - "before and after" having kids. You can read it here. It totally made me laugh, and I could relate in more ways than one!!

Bedtime and bellybuttons

Tonight while I was putting Bryan to bed, I reminded him that we need to talk nicely when we say prayers because we're talking to Heavenly Father. He pointed to the sky and began naming people he knew that are in Heaven - Heavenly Father, Jesus, President Hinckley... Here's how the rest of the conversation went, more or less.

Bryan: How do we get to heaven?
Me: When we die, our spirits go to heaven.
Bryan: I don't have a spirit.
Me: Of course you do! It's inside your body.
Bryan (pulling his pants down and looking, confusedly): Inside my body??
Me (pulling his pants back up): Yes, inside your body.
Bryan (now pointing to his bellybutton): You mean in this hole?
Me: Yeah, I guess.
Bryan: Oh, wow!

I just love little conversations like this where I'm able to introduce him to simple gospel truths, and where even the simplest answers will satisfy his curious mind!

Spring!!!!

Ever since I started at BYU, spring has always been my favorite time of year. At BYU it meant being able to wear flip-flops to class and study outdoors on the lawn. And for some reason, it also meant more dating and new relationships! Now that I'm a mom (and am no longer looking for new relationships), I still love that I get to wear flip-flops and play on the grass. Now I just get to do it with my poor, stir-crazy kids who've been cooped up for too many long winter months!

Bryan has loved going to the park lately and being able to ride his little motorcycle outside instead of on the kitchen floor. We sing the "Popcorn Popping" song just about every time we go anywhere, and he thinks all the sticks and rocks and dandelions he finds are the coolest things! Matthew has discovered what grass feels like (a little too prickly for his liking, I think) and has completely fallen in love with the swings! He gets mad every time I take him out. Other things I love about spring include being able to leave the windows open during the day and not having to get the kids all bundled up to go outside. The sunshine sure puts me in a good mood as well! Today was especially fun because we got to have a picnic with some friends on grass that was actually dry! It was wonderful. =)

Unfortunately, I know that spring doesn't last long here. It will be super hot before we know it, so I'm trying my best to get outside and take advantage of the nice weather as much as I can while it lasts!!

Here's a quick video of Matthew on the swings. He loves it!

My blog's a year old!

I can't believe I've been a part of the blogging world for a whole year now! It's so crazy to look back on all the things that have happened! David graduated, I stopped teaching, Matthew was born, we moved, weddings, family visits... It's been a good year!

A friend told me about Blurb.com which takes your blog entries and puts them in a book. So I'm going to make a book of this last year, and I'm really excited! It's as good as having kept a journal, but with pics! If you've never heard about the site, you should check it out. It's going to take me a while to get it done, but I think it will be worth it!

Anyway, thanks to everyone who reads and comments on my little posts. You make this blog all the more fun for me! =)

Another week gone by...

Lately I've been thinking a lot that I need to stop being so anxious about the future and just really enjoy this time in my life. We may not be settled down yet, or have lots of money, or even have any idea where we'll be living two months from now, but we're all healthy, safe, and happy, so life is good! With that in mind, here are some of the everyday things that have happened in the past week or so.

(This may be long and tedious to some of you, but I'm trying to be better at keeping a journal and this just happens to be the easiest way for me to write things down!)

• David attended an orientation for State Farm, got some good counsel, and made some really good contacts. We also learned there may be openings for agents here in Utah, which I would love! He should know within the month if he'll be hired on or not...
  
  
• While down in Orem we visited Grandma Willes (my mom's mom), which we really don't do often enough. Bryan enjoyed seeing her cuckoo clock and playing with her ancient Little People house and garage. She got to show off her skills on the organ that she's been learning to play - her new passion! It made me smile to see her rockin' out. She's such a spunky, wonderful lady and does more with her time than most people I know!


• After almost an entire school year, I finally went back to Orem Junior to see my old teaching friends. The boys and I popped in during lunchtime and got to see lots of people at once, which was SO much fun! I love being at home, but I've missed the adult conversation and friendships I had as a teacher. Still, it was nice to not have to shift back into teacher mode and face a classroom of 8th-graders when that end-of-lunch bell rang! =)



• David and I sat on a "dating panel" for the youth in our ward and had fun answering questions and sharing our advice on dating. My favorite question was from one of the boys who asked "What's your favorite muscle on a guy's body, and why?" =) David had fun describing the circumstances surrounding our first kiss, which he insists I begged him for (yeah right!). Overall, I enjoyed thinking back on how it was when David and I first met, and then reflecting on how far we've come!! I really am so blessed to have such a wonderful husband, and I love him more and more each day!
  


• A new Harmon's grocery store opened about a block from us and it's fabulous! It's gorgeous, as far as grocery stores go, and they've got three or four different kinds of car carts for the boys to ride in, which both of them love. David and I laughed at the two of them fighting over the steering wheels like real little brothers - "Aww, their first fight..." (But I'm sure I won't be laughing months from now when their little "fights" are no longer so cute!)
  


• Matthew is standing more and more frequently now. He gets stuck standing in his crib all the time, but his favorite spot is in front of the TV when it's turned off and he can see his reflection and give himself lots of drooly kisses.

• Bryan continues to be obsessed with pirates, along with Dora the Explorer and Diego. He's all about adventure and rescuing people and animals! His other favorite pastime this past week has been playing "soccer" up and down the hall. I figure I'm doing David a huge favor by helping Bryan practice his kicks and dribbling, considering David is determined to have a bunch of little soccer stars in the family! Luckily Bryan loves it and doesn't at all mind our little "practices."
  
  
  


• We've had fun watching the Jazz Playoff games, with the exception of the one awful game they lost in Houston... Heather, Jake, and Javi came over that night to watch the game, though, and we had fun hanging out. I just love having siblings around!

• The last few mornings, Matty's woken up pretty early to nurse. Thankfully, though, he hasn't had a problem w/ going back into his crib afterwards and playing w/ toys so I can sleep for a bit longer. Each morning Bryan has woken up and gone into Matthew's room to talk to him and play w/ toys as well, so I've woken up to the sound of their laughter. There's no better sound to hear first thing in the morning than the sound of your children laughing together!