Easton, sitting on the bar stools looking at a picture on the fridge of the two boys hugging says, "Mom, I giving my Izzy (long 'I' sound) a hug. 

To which I reply, " I know isn't' is so sweet and cute?"

"Yeah.... it's cute. I love him. I love my Izzy."

Even thought Easton is growing up, he is still so tender and sweet.

If I had a camera, I would show you a picture of Easton screaming bloody murder while his binki floats up to the sky on a balloon. We did this a week ago and though it was traumatic.... he survived and he seems so much older to me. The sippy cups are gone too. I LOVE IT!

(Had to have atleast one picture)

Waiting for the new camera in the mail........

Summer

So, can I just say how grateful I am for friends!

My friend Lindsay has inspired me to love and enjoy summer.

In years passed I have dreaded the summer......long, hot days with nothing to do but swim. (And what a process that is)!

But Lindsay is always so excited to just spend time with her kids not in school. She is always talking about all the books they are going to read and movies they are going to watch. She talks about all the lazy days, just playing and going on outings.

Let's just say, I have been changed for the better.

Her enthusiasm has rubbed off on me. I have a stack of new books for me to read and a stack of new books for the boys!

I am being more leaniant about our schedule and we stay up later so we can play outside at night while it's still light and not so hot. Both the boys have naps, so they can stay up!

I have this whole new feeling about the summer! I am EXCITED! We went swimming with our friends last week and we were ther for hours, just enjoying the sun. The kids kept themselves entertained and the moms visited! It was so fun!!!!

I feel LAZY! I haven't cooked and planned a real dinner in 2 weeks. It's too hot to eat a big meal. We just do things last minute. I don't go to the gym until 9 am instead of 6 am now and the boys like going to the kid center. 

Thank you Lindsay for letting your positive goodness rub off on me!

Disney Land Photos:

In the freezing water at the beach!

The boys were a little scared in Mr. Toads wild ride.

The Star Wars show was AWESOME! Isn't he scary?

Jared snapped this just before the scariest moment of the scaries ride I have ever been on in my entire life! The Tower of Terror at California Adventure! I hated it and loved it! I love scary rides!

I don't know how to turn these pictures. I loaded them straight from Amy's computer onto my blogg and now I can't turn them. Sorry!

Amy and Wyatt

Could these boys be any cuter? THis was Tarzan's Tree House!

The classic "buried in the sand"!

I never found my cord. I have alot of some more Disney pics on there. We actually decided to just get a new camera. But I don't know how I am going to get the pictures  off my camera! And Jared dropped his camera at the end and that's why these look like this. 

One of the funnest trips ever!!!!

John passed his boards!!!!!

We are so happy!!! We made signs and a list of "10 things we love about our dad" and brought home Krispy Kreme donuts and a balloon! We are sooooo proud of him! It was brutal!

I do realize I am loosing readers by the day with my boring blogging. I just can't bring myself to keep up with it.....so I am not. 

We are back from the place "where all your dreams come true". And it's true! 100%  We had so much fun and are so exhausted from all day everyday walking in the sun!  Of course my camera died the first day...but I am waiting for my sister in law to email me some pics. So, they will come. I promise.

This is such a crazy summer. Isaac's play is grueling practices!!! It takes up alot of time. And we have swim lessons and I am going to AZ again in July to see Wicked. I feel like I have only been home half of my life this year! It has been great though!

So, if you care......stay tuned for a ton of pictures. Wedding and Disney Land!

p.s. I still can't find my cord. When do you resort to buying a new one???????

If my cord to download my pictures(I don't even know what it's called) wasn't missing........

I would do a catch up post and post a picture of Matt's cow giving birth when we were home last.

I would post a picture of our new stow away, house lizard. This lizard hitched a ride on my suit case from my mom's house in AZ all the way to Vegas. 

He now lives in our house because John says he will keep us free of bugs and spiders. "OK, sounds good to me!" We see him every couple of days! The boys think it's pretty cool to have a lizard for a pet.

I would post a picture of my boys in the van with John getting ready to drive away to Father's and Sons Outing! ( That was the only picture I got because John took video while they were there......no pics).

You might see some pics of me and some girlfriends at girls night out while the boys were gone.

There would be some pictures of the special little moments I have seen fit to capture on film. Is it still film?

But until I get my cord this will have to do!

And now it's off to the Happiest Place on Earth!!! (Well, we're actually leaving on Thursday, but tomorrow is get ready day).

Here we come Disney Land! See you all on Monday Night!

OUR FIRST NIGHT TOGETHER........

For 4 very long months our daddy has been MIA.

  I know this is hard to believe, but since January we have not had 1 night when John did not have to study something!!!! 

That is unbelievable to me! He came home and we ate together and the boys played with him while I cleaned up from dinner and then I saluted him and said "I am checking out! "

Out of the bedtime routine that is. I got a heaping bowl full of berries and whipped cream with a few semi-sweet chocolate chips on top and read a love story in bed! Is that heaven? I would say so.  After the boys were asleep then we just sat together and talked and watched A.I.  We will go on a long awaited date on Saturday night!

I feel like our lives will finally take on some kind of normalcy. And I can't wait! I can't wait to play ball out side and walk around the block with John and the boys. I even can't wait to just go to the store together as  family and do projects around the house together!

I am sooooo proud of John! I have never, ever seen such self discipline and self determination!  I admire and respect him immensely! He is everything to me!

 We find out next week how he did on the boards!

Wizard of Oz!

I don't know if I've mentioned this. But several people have asked me about the little play Isaac is in. And actually it really isn't "little". It will be a pretty major production. It's a little pricey, but all the money goes to "Helping Hands". It helps senior citizens in the valley.

Where: Summerlin Library Theatre

When: June 17, 18, 20, 22-27

Time: 7 p.m.

Prices: Children- $8, Adults- $15 (Group rates available)

For tickets call: 702-649 7837

Hope to see you there. The munchkins are stinkin' cute! And Isaac is in the Lollipop Guild group and he's also a flying monkey!

Back Again.....

We had a good trip... I am tired. 

Driving 9 hrs alone is tough. But my mom lent me 

a little love story on C.D. to listen to to help me stay awake.

John takes the boards on Tues and then we will have a Dad and husband again! YIPEE!

Kari's wedding was beautiful and fun......all except for the miss-hap with my dress minutes before the ceremony.......more of that later and pictures. 

I always feel so melancholy when I get home from a trip with my family.  I want to be home and missed it desperately but feel so torn and alone with out all of them.

But here goes life!

Off to Arizona......again!

My friend Kari is getting married next weekend and has asked me to be her Maid of Honor! I am honored....... and excited! I will be back on Wednesday the  6th! I will have pictures to show and stories to tell!  In the mean time John stays here to study for Boards! 

Pray for him! PLEASE!

Isaac

Wow! Year 4 was wonderful!  You finally understood things and would listen to reason.   You were like a sponge....ever and always eager to soak up everything around you! You loved learning and accomplishing new things and proving your independents..... That worked for my good as I often squeezed help out of  you disguised as a new, exciting thing for you to learn and try!

You learned your letters and listening skills at preschool this year and now your off to kindergarten! ( This can not be happening!)

They say it goes fast....but my word does it go fast!

I REALLY can't believe that you are 5 years OLD!  You have a confidence to be envied and sometimes feared. Especially in most situations in which you think you know MORE than your parents ;)  But I would rather that, then you have a lack of self confidence.  And you and Easton are becoming the best of friends.  You really are such a good brother!  It has been nice and special for mommy to be able to spend so much time with you and Easton because we didn't have a new baby in our house! ( But I think it's time now!)

So today you had your 5th Birthday Party. Let me just say that it turned out AWESOME! 

I had so much fun planning and throwing this party and I think you TRULY loved it!

I forgot to mention the best part. I had a bunch of tall candles lit and spider webbs every where and Harry Potter theme music playing!!!!

I had the kids keep there eggs warm the whole party and then at the end we hatched them and I had put little squishy dragons inside some goop. They loved it!

They each got their own wand and wizard hat to assist on our Sorcerer Stone treasure hunt. (Which I forgot to take a picture of.... I just spray painted a rock gold. They followed clues around that house to find it.)

Wizard Hat cup cakes! ( I got all my ideas on-line! Don't you love the Internet?)

We had so many WONDERFUL friends over! Isaac is very blessed to have such good friends and neighbors! Thank you for all the great presents! Love you all!

Oh HAPPY day my sweet Isaac! I am PRIVILEGED to be your mommy!

(My friend took a few more pictures I will post later.)

(Just had to share a picture of this awesome project John made.  He shaped the muscles out of wax and drew the veins and arteries and such with puff paint.  Sick huh?!?)

FINALS ARE OVER!!!!

(and we survived)

I have a husband.....atleast for a day! Now during his 3 week "break" he gets to study all day for boards which he will take at the beginning of May. So much for a break right?

But he passed all his classes in the hardest semester he's had.

He even slept on the floor at the school for 2 hours one night this week and studied all night.

I am AMAZED at this guy! HOW? Is all I want to know. I really can't imagine doing what he has done. I am sooooo PROUD of him!

Last night we took the boys to see Monster's Verses Aliens. It was fun to do something with him. The boys LOVED it!

STUFF

(No pictures.....because I am LAZY)

I love that title......because that's kindof what it is : stuff. 

 I am laying here in my bed with my computer. I have been laying awake since 5 a.m.

 I was awoken 4 times tonight by Easton and took several hours to fall alseep in between each waking.  So, I got about 2 hrs of accumulated sleep.

 At 5 when he woke me up again, I gave up and came to the computer anable to fall back to sleep.

Such is MOTHERHOOD!  (Although I always thought you just didn't get sleep when you had a new born.........false advertising.)

Our days have been filled with so much fun!

I have been helping my friend Kari plan her wedding in which I am her Matron of Honor. 

It has been so fun!

I have also been planning Isaac's 5th Harry Potter birthday party! Anyone suprised? 

All of this planning calls for ALOT of shopping! ( Don't twist my arm!!!)

I think I was BORN  to shop!

Isaac is currently in love with Littlest Pet Shops. That's cool.

And Easton likes anything that has to do with a sword or fighting.  (But in the proper manner mind you.)

What is the "proper manner" you say?

"We only hit eachother's weapon of choice.......not eachother."  It works! Serious!

Today we are going hiking and picnicing at Red Rock. ( It is as pretty as it sounds.)

Life is good........even when you don't sleep.

HELP!

 

How do I get the blog title inside the white box? And how do I get the header to fill the entire space inside the border? ANYONE?  I am a a computer GRANDMA!

Back in the SADDLE again.....

I have been back now for 1 week.  Life has resumed as normal. 

Isaac has preschool 2 days a week for 2 hours and LOVES it.

He is also singing and dancing his little heart out Tues, Thurs and Sarurdays 

in rehersals for The Wizard of Oz play coming up in June.

We spend most of our days with friends and John's sister Amy and her sweet boys. 

I get to watch my friend Melinda's 4 adorable girls for a couple of days while she goes to help her mom in Utah. I am excited and there will probably be pictures to come......

And best of all I am learning how a Power Ranger eats a pancake.....

Could it get any better than this?  These two little boys fulfill every dream I have ever had of being a mother.  Thank you Isaac and Easton.  I am ready for the wild ride......

Arizona Part IV

While we were there we had a little mini reunion. Callie is an aspiring photographer, so we were very lucky to have her practice on all of us!

The pictures turned out WONDERFUL!

I am going to print and frame them for my house.

The theme for our reunion was turning out hearts to the temple. The new mini temple is under construction in their little town and they can't wait!  Trying to describe my feelings for my family and how I felt the whole time I was there is hard to do...... I was over whelmed with love and gratitude for these people.  I don't know if it is because it had been 5 months since I had seen them or if the Lord was just blessing me to see how blessed I truly am.  But each one of them holds a treasured spot in my heart. They all bring such life and joy and diversity and I learn so much from them and can never get enough!

Top (from left to right): Jacob , Dena, Me, John,  Cara and Clayton, Alan, Leslie, Brian, Callie, Randon

Bottom (from left to right) Matt holding Nathan, Lela holding Charlotte, Dad holding Easton, Mom holding Isaac, Tawny holding Bella

LOVE HIM!!!!

Have you ever seen a cuter cowboy in your whole life???

TO DIE FOR!

Chillin' on the roof!

The pinata! (out of order)

Cara's Nathan ( So stinkin' cute!)

Bella

I had so many amazing , unforgettable experiences. My great grandma's passing was so special. I was not able to be there or apart of any of my other grandparen't passing, so I treasure this dearly. 

One day about a week before she died my Mom, Dena and I went over to visit her at the care home whe was staying in.  She was so sick with a broken elbow and fluid in her lungs. She wanted to be at her own house, but she needed around the clock care. 

Needless to say, she was not very happy.  So, we suggested singing hymns together. She said she would love it but that she probably couldn't sing and would mouth the words. Then as we started singing There is Sunshine in My Soul Today, she threw her head back on the couch and began singing at the top of her 100 year old voice! She sang every word of all three verses! 

No words came from me as I watched her share her testimony

 through song and truly find that peice of sunshine in her soul (our Savior). 

 It was one of the sweetest moments of my life. I will never forget it! I hold so dear the way it felt to go and serve her and just let her know that we cared and were very aware of her suffering. 

This AMAZING women did work for 5 to 7 thousand people in the temple over her life time!!!!! Can you imagine her welcome when she got to the other side?

I hope to be able to do that kind of service and work and leave behind me a legacy of faith as well.

And now, back to real life. I truly let everything go while I was there. I ate what I wanted, did what I wanted and besides my two boys, let all my responsiblities go. I just soaked up every second with all of them. I was very sad to come home. I love all my friends and the people here in Las Vegas, but I so desperatley miss living near my family!

But, I know we are supposed to be here and I am grateful for our lives  as they are!