Jolly July

It looks like I am officially back in the blogger world. This is my third post in two days, so I am determined to catch up! It is now August, so talking about July shouldn't be too hard. July wasn't super busy. We just had the Fourth of July celebrations and Super Hero Night. Of course, I will try to talk about a few developmental things for the boys too, since I have left those out in the last few posts due to my lack of memory.

Okay, so like I said, the first major fun thing we did in July was celebrate the Fourth of July. I have to say that I love living in our new ward because any time there is a patriotic holiday, the young men go around and put flags in all the yards of our ward. So we always have a nice big flag in our yard. I love it! Alexander loves it too. He got so excited the morning of when he saw the flag. He immediately pointed out the window and said, "Flag! Flag!" So cute!

Oh! And I almost forgot! On the third of July, we decided to be super neighborly and make cookies for our neighbors. Scott had the great idea of making oreo cookies but making them red, white and blue. So we made a whole bunch of cookies that night and delivered them to our neighbors. We used red velvet cake for the red part, and dyed white cake mix blue (with food coloring). We got so distracted with cookie making, that we forgot to make dinner. So while we dropped off cookies to our neighbors, the McKinneys, they offered us dinner. It was super nice of them. We had a blast getting to know some of our neighbors a little better by delivering cookies.

Well, we have decided that it would be fun to make the Provo parade a tradition for our family. We went the year I was pregnant with Alexander, and I was pretty hot, but it was fun. Last year, I was pregnant with Jacob, so we skipped out. This year is the first year we have lived in Utah during the summer time and I haven't been pregnant! So we are having lots of fun with hot activities. Anyway, the parade was lots of fun. We let the boys sleep in, because we knew it would be a crazy day, so we had a bit of a hard time finding a seat. But luckily, there was a nice man who let us sit in his lawn for the parade. The parade was great. We brought donuts and snacks to enjoy. Alexander loved the parade. He watched a lot of it on Scott's shoulders. Though I think his favorite part of the parade was when he spotted a helicopter fly overhead. My favorite part was the cotton candy. Jacob mainly enjoyed just rolling around in the grass, and fell asleep before the parade was over. Scott's favorite part was watching Alexander's reaction to the floats, music and helicopter. We weren't able to stay for the whole parade, because the boys started to get pretty cranky, but we really enjoyed what we were able to see. On the way out, we passed a float that was playing music, and I stopped pushing the stroller, and danced with Scott. We danced for a few minutes and the band members cheered for us when Scott dipped me. I think that was another one of my favorite parts of the parade. It really was a great time. Below are more pictures of our fun at the parade:

After the parade, we went back to Russ and Diane's house and just enjoyed time with the family for a little bit. Diane's brother, Don, and sister, Natalie, and her family were visiting. It was fun seeing them get excited to see Jacob and Alexander. I have to say that this visit really taught me how much Don and Scott are alike. Russ has always said that from the beginning, Scott reminded them of Don. How true it is! Don told some jokes and stuff while here, and I saw just how much they have in common. From their looks all the way down to their laughs, they are practically clones. It was fun getting to know Uncle Don a little more during his visit.

Since we have two boys under two, we had to head home for nap time after visiting with the family. After their naps, we came back to Russ and Diane's for a little dinner. Then we headed to what is becoming another tradition, Stadium of Fire. This year the main event was Kelly Clarkson. The show was great and the fireworks were fun too. The boys actually seemed to enjoy the whole thing. We got an extra pair of earmuffs for the Jacob, so the music and loud blasts weren't too overwhelming for either of them. Jacob ended up being so tired from the day that he slept through the fireworks, and Alexander ended up loving the fireworks. It was great having him smile through the show, instead of being scared. He was really cute to watch. He actually ended up watching the show next to Grandpa and Alliyah. It was cute watching Alliyah put her arm around him to try and protect him. After the fireworks, we made the trek back to the car and headed home. The boys slept so long that night, that it was Jacob's first time sleeping through the night. We were very grateful for the sleep after such a long day. Below are more pictures from our fun at Stadium of Fire:

Okay, so here I would like to note that Diane seems to love when she is with her sister so much! It's like she becomes super planner when they are together. So, since Natalie was in town, this had to be the busiest Fourth of July we have had here so far. Natalie was here for the weekend, and she planned every single moment of that long four day weekend. So, the fifth of July was super busy too! We decided to skip out on the plans to go to the carnival in Orem, so the boys could get a little extra rest. Then, that evening we went back to Russ and Diane's for dinner and then blew off a ton of fireworks in their front yard. Alexander got a little more scared of the fireworks this time, I think because they were closer. It also ended up raining a ton too, so Russ set up a tent so we could all watch them and stay dry. The fireworks still gave us a great show, even though it was raining. The boys were super exhausted again, for being out so late. Here are some pictures from our fun night:

The next day was Saturday, the sixth of July, and it seemed the family had tons planned for that day too. The family came over to our place in the morning, to see our new house. We had some fun with everyone showing off our house. They even met a stray cat that had tried to claim us as it's owners for a few weeks. Diane kept trying to convince us to adopt it, but Alexander was afraid of the cat and Scott is allergic, so we passed on the whole cat option. But we did get some fun pictures of the kids in their "things" shirts and the cat even snuck in for a picture. After naps, we headed to Jim and Janine's for an early dinner and time with the family. Janine had decided to clean out some of her closets and wanted the whole family there so she could divvy up games and puzzles. She also had everyone request some of their favorite antique items for when they pass away. It ended up being a huge ordeal and we were there super late too. Here are a few more fun pictures for you:

We had fun with all of the Fourth of July excitement, but our poor boys were so wiped out from everything. We actually think it is what caused Jacob to start having bad sleep habits. He would wake up several times a night screaming (which he never did before this). He would just scream and scream (even in Scott's arms), until I fed him. The problem got worse and worse, and it seemed like we had tried everything. We finally found a solution to help him sleep in August, but I will just cover that in August's post. Anyway, the fourth was fun, just exhausting. I think next year, we will just visit my family instead. They throw a great laid back party that is still tons of fun :)

Wow! It sure took a lot to cover all of the Fourth of July excitement. The other really fun thing we did in July was go to a Super Hero Night at Wingers. We heard they were having a night where you could dress up and get free kids meals and get entered into a contest. So we thought it would be fun to go. We got all dressed up and enjoyed a nice dinner. It turned out our waitress even happened to wear the same shirt as Scott, so she insisted we take a picture with her. She was a bit odd, but we still enjoyed the time together.

Wow! This post has taken me super long to write, and we need to go have lunch, so I will just wrap it up here. I wanted to include some fun facts about the boys' development, so here are a few fun things they are doing. Alexander's language has taken off! He says a new word just about every day! He can count to ten and recognizes most of his alphabet and colors. He can jump with both feet and enjoys jumping in the crib and on the couch. He also seems to climb on anything. He loves imitating Jacob for attention too. He loves anything that moves (cars, planes, boats, and trains). He also loves playing with his Aunt Amy's phone. Jacob is rolling all over the place and trying to get into everything. He has started solids, but prefers to feed himself. If he can pick it up, he eats it. Otherwise, he is not interested. He smiles and laughs all the time. He also loves sticking out his tongue and making a cute spitting noise when he is bored. We have started to let the boys play together more, we just have to be careful to not let Alexander tackle him too much, though Jacob usually laughs when Alexander is on him. We also let the boys bathe together every night too. Below are some fun pictures of the boys. Hopefully you enjoy them.

Okay, it is really time for me to stop blogging now. Scott is starting to make lunch. Hope you enjoyed getting caught up with us. Tune in next time for Alexander's 2nd Birthday!!!!

Joyous June

June appears as if it was a busy month, though, I have to admit, I totally forgot most of it until I went back and looked at all the pictures. Some of the fun things that happened in June were that we celebrated my birthday and Father's Day, as well as had a Panda Marathon and Scout Camp.

 So, the first big thing that happened in June was my birthday. I turned a whopping 29! Man I am getting old. Scott is so excited for next year, when he can make me feel old on my 30th birthday. I think he really just wants to get back at me for making him feel old on his 30th! Anyway, for my birthday we went to Texas Roadhouse for dinner with Scott's family. It was fun being able to share my day with them. Andy and Marybeth ended up coming too. It was great to see them all. Scott spoiled me for my birthday. He got me cute rooster canisters for my kitchen, and the promise to edit last years blog book so I can print it. His family also got me a book and a rooster towel holder for my kitchen. It was really a nice birthday.

Okay, so let's see what to talk about next? There really is so much! I think the next thing should be Father's Day. For Father's Day, I had so much fun creating an awesome surprise for Scott. I had received a coupon for creating a free photo book for Father's Day, so I spent a good week gathering pictures so that I could make sure the book had arrived before Father's Day. It turned out being a cute 20-page book all about how Scott is the best Dad ever! We also got him a new shaver too. It was so hard for me to wait to give Scott the book, so I gave it to him the morning of Father's Day. I also had fun spoiling him the day of Father's Day. The night before, I told him to sleep downstairs, so he could get one night of uninterrupted sleep. He was able to sleep downstairs without having to wake up with the boys. And when they woke up, I was able to play with them and even make breakfast for him. It was great seeing the look on his face when he got the book. It was a complete surprise and he loved it! For dinner, I made ribs, and his Mom brought oatmeal cookies for desert. It was a great day!

I would like to add a little note here about how amazing Scott is as a Dad. I have to say that I really couldn't do this whole Mom thing without him. He is always so supportive of me. He changes diapers, and was even willing to not only do cloth diapers, but even clean out the poopie cloth diapers! He always bathes the boys, and helps with the bedtime routine. He reads stories, wrestles, and just laughs with the boys. He truly is the best dad ever. I feel so lucky to have him as my partner in the great adventure of parenthood!

Okay, so next we should talk about our Panda Marathon. Scott and I thought it would be fun to have a Panda marathon where we watched the Kung Fu Panda movies and ate Panda Express. We invited Andy and Marybeth to join us. They ended up being super busy, so we were only able to watch one movie, but we did eat some Panda Express and Marybeth even made some yummy lettuce wraps and sweet and sour chicken. I also made some really cute panda cupcakes. It was a blast!

The other fun thing that happened in June, was that Scott went to Scout Camp! They went to Arches National Park and did lots of hiking. It was super hot, so the boys ended up complaining enough that they found an indoor swimming pool to cool off in. Scott absolutely loved camping and they hiked a ton.

Another fun thing we did in June was garden! I was able to acquire a ton of irises from the Relief Society President, Kaylene Bradford, for free! I also used my birthday money to buy a whole bunch of other flowers. Our garden beds are primarily full of grass, so we have been working on clearing those out. But I did take some pictures of just how bad some of the beds are, and some pictures of us gardening. If anyone has tips on getting rid of grass, I would love them! Here are the pictures:

Okay, before I end. I wanted to add a few fun pictures of the boys. During the month of June Jacob seemed to get more mobile. He was rolling all over the place and was able to sit up much better too. So the boys have started to "play" together a little more. Xander has also had to start learning to share his toys because Jacob wants to play with big boy toys. We also have some fun pictures of bath time pics. I also have some fun stroller pictures of our outings too. Every day is truly an adventure! Here are some pictures of them:

Well, that about covers the month of June! It is almost time for our date night, so we should get ready for that. I will have to work on catching up on blogging, some other time! Tune in next time for Jolly July :)

Magnificent May

Once again, my brain is stumped! This is why I have to catch up to where we are now. Anyway, the only thing I can really remember about May was us trying to get adjusted to living in a new house, in a new town. Of course, there was also Mother's Day. So I guess we'll just talk about both of those things.

So as I mentioned, May was full of adjusting to our new home. Overall, the transition went really well. We were lucky to move next door to some awesome neighbors, James and Chelsea McKinney. From the moment we showed up with the moving truck, they were there to help! We had to move on a Friday night because that is when we had helpers. So we showed up at around 9 pm to unload, and they came over with their newborn, to help us out. They even helped us to set up the crib so Xander could get to sleep. The ward really has been amazing. We have had several families drop things by and introduce themselves, and one family even invited us over for dinner. The ward is very diverse though. There are young families, older families, richer families, and poorer families.We even have some hispanic, native-american, and african-american families. I absolutely love the diversity of our ward! I also love how homey this area feels. In the first month or so, I would go on walks and every day it seemed I would meet a new person who was out working in their yard. They would always take time to stop and say hi and introduce themselves to me. Though we loved living so close to Scott's work, I have to say that I couldn't be happier that we moved to American Fork. The ward just seems so much more welcoming than our last ward, and it is a much smaller town. It just feels like home!

Our ward was also ready to put us to work! Scott was extended a calling before our names were even read into the ward, and I was extended a calling the day our names were read in. Scott got called as the Assistant Scout Master to the Deacons. So he basically helps organize scouting stuff and attends Young Men's every week. I was called as the Primary Chorister. I have to admit that receiving that calling pretty much freaked me out! On my mission, I was asked to lead the music at a baptism. I tried to explain to my mission companion (who asked me), that I didn't know how to lead music, and outside of the church, very few people have that skill. I explained that I would gladly go where the Lord would have me go, but that it might turn out very badly. How right I was! They had me lead a 6/8 song, and I was so bad that the girl getting baptized was cracking up in the front row, and the companion who asked me, was trying to show me with her fingers how to lead. Of course it was a musical ward too, so I am sure lots of people were laughing on the inside as well! Anyway, I accepted the calling, and then asked what it meant exactly. I have never served in Primary, so I haven't even seen what Sharing Time looks like. Well, now that it is August, I am happy to say that I really am enjoying my new calling. I am getting better at leading music every day, and am constantly trying to come up with ideas to make it fun for the kids. Many of the teachers have also commented how great I am doing. So my confidence is building. Anyway, the ward is keeping us busy with our new callings, but we love it!

We also had a fun little housewarming party, in May to show off our new home. I took tons of pictures of our home then, and had fun showing our guests around the new place. Scott's family came, as well as the Cox family (Scott's co-worker and his family). We made yummy treats and had tons of fun. Scott's parents got us a weed whacker as a housewarming gift, and the Cox family brought us some homemade jam.

Okay, so lastly, we will talk about Mother's Day. Wow...it has been a few months, so I will do my best to remember what happened. Mother's Day, is on a Sunday of course, so we didn't go out to eat or anything like that. But we had been walking to the temple every Sunday morning (before it started getting really hot), as a fun family activity. Before I was endowed, I used to love to walk temple grounds and just take in the wonderful Spirit of the temple. Now that we live only half a mile away from the temple, I am excited to help my children gain that same love of the temple. So we started doing Sunday morning temple walks (since our ward doesn't start until 2:00 pm). Since it was Mother's Day, I had Scott take a few fun pictures of me with the boys in front of the temple. It was so great being at the temple and reflecting on eternal families. Even though it has been a little hot to walk up the huge hill that leads to the temple, we are still doing all we can to help the boys love the temple. One thing I do is whenever we are passing the temple, I say, "Alexander, where's the temple?" He then points to it. Well, the other day, I asked him where the temple was, and he pointed to it out the window and said, "WOW!" I loved it!

Okay, so back to Mother's Day. Scott let me pick out a hanging flower pot for our back deck (which I promptly killed, because we didn't hang it and I forgot about it...maybe next time) for my gift. We went to Russ and Diane's for dinner and desert. It was a fun night, but I can't really remember what we had for dinner. Though I do remember we brought stuff for brownie sundaes for desert. It was super fun spending time with the family!

Oh! I almost forgot! One more exciting thing happened in May! We had been trying for so long to get Alexander to say "Mama" and "Dada." For most kids, it is their first words. Not for Alexander. His first word was "Hi!" He loved telling everyone that he saw "hi!" After that he even learned other words, but we couldn't say our names. Scott finally decided that Alexander was going to learn, and worked really hard at trying to get him to say "Dada" and Alexander finally started calling him "Da." Well, I wanted him to say my name too. So I kept working at it. A few days before Mother's Day, he finally did it! We were shopping in Walmart, and he reached his arms up towards me (while sitting in the shopping cart) and said, "Ma." I got so excited that I picked him up and carried him through the whole store. He kept saying my name the whole time because he realized how excited it made me, and that it got me to pick him up! So I am pretty sure that was the best Mother's Day gift I could have ever gotten. Since then, his language has just taken off, and he says "Mom" all the time. I just love my little man!

Well, that is all I can think of that happened in May. I hope to start June next, so you guys can read all about it, and we can get caught up. No promises though. Life as a Mommy of two is much busier than a Mommy of one! Tune in next time for Joyous June :)