the bloods

School's Out for the Summer...

2011-05-31T08:32:00.000-07:00

Blogger was not letting me sign out of my other account and so

I was not able to put up any new posts for about a week. Grrr!

Anyway, I wanted to get a picture of the boys from the last of school and

compare it to the first of school. Look how much they've grown!

Matthew's lost that baby face and he now rides his bike to school like one of

the big kids. Wait, is he one of the big kids now? Noooooo...

Look at how much James has grown! He's a real life 4 year old!

His baby face is slowly receding as well.

And Jakers. What a difference a year can make. He can now run.

And believe me, he does not look back. He even has hair!

These are just some goofy pictures that I had to include. Funny boys.

2011-05-31T08:26:00.000-07:00

This is what happens when you run upstairs to

throw in a load of laundry. And make the mistake of thinking

that your totally cute, totally innocent looking 1 year-old won't get

into any trouble. Smashed up goldfish crackers all over the just vacuumed floor.

Awesome!

I should have known better. I mean, why else would he have wanted his shoes

on with his pajamas? Better cracker crushing.

Rosy Cheeks...

2011-05-11T08:31:00.000-07:00

James brought this picture home from preschool yesterday.

Me: Oh, is this a picture of you?

James: No, Mom, it's you. See your cheeks?

Me: Yes, they're very rosy.

James: And I gave you spiky hair.

...and sideburns. Man, I'm more beautiful than I thought.

I Am Grateful to Be Their Mom Because (part 4)...

2011-05-08T15:57:00.000-07:00

Can you guess the three reasons I am grateful to be a mom?

James is very proud of this balloon he picked out for me and insisted that it be in the pictures with us.

2011-05-08T08:12:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to the greatest moms! We love you!

I am Grateful to Be Their Mom Because (part 3)...

2011-05-06T07:21:00.000-07:00

I was planning on posting this last night after we got home from the D-Backs game, but our internet wasn't working. So, I'm going to try to do two today. Wish me luck.

I am so grateful to have these boys as my own because they all know how to let loose and have fun. It keeps me young and there's never a dull moment.

Matthew's pretty sure this is the most hilarious picture of him.

James being goofy.

Jacob was lovin' him some chocolate malt. Mmmm...

We were so close to the action! I didn't even have to zoom in for this picture! We were right on the wall just behind outfield. So fun. Chris Young caught a ball just below us and I could hear it hit his glove. I love baseball. And so my boys. Yet another reason I am grateful to be their mom!

I am Grateful to be Their Mom Because (part 2)....

2011-05-04T08:42:00.000-07:00

I thought today I would highlight a few of the things I love about my boys.

Matthew is without a doubt one of the smartest kids I know (I know most parents say this about their kids, but allow me this). He is an avid reader and loves to learn. Whenever he has a question about something, he immediately seeks out the answer. Right now his interest lies with Camelot. I know! What a cutie. We both have reading in common. Currently, we are reading The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan. We each read on our own and then discuss what we've read. Here's a conversation we had:

Matthew: "I would love to see the girls that live in the lake. They sound creepy."

Me: "That's what I thought, too. With their yellow eyes and flowing black hair."

Matthew: "You know the mermaids in Harry Potter?"

Me: "Yeah..."

Matthew: "Well, that's what I picture them looking like."

Me: "Me too!"

Matthew (bursts out into his infectious laughter): "Our minds work the same!"

I have often wondered if he is comprehending what he is reading, since he reads far above his grade level. But this is proof that not only is he comprehending, but he can see it all in his head. Love him!

James. I have a big soft spot for this boy. He is probably the meanest (and I mean that in the most loving way possible because he does not like bullies. Unless he's the bully.) of the bunch, but a wicked little smile and that dimple completely melt away any chance I have of punishing him. He is also my biggest helper. Whenever I go into the kitchen, the screech of a chair being dragged across the floor immediately follows me. He's very independent, as long as I am close by. Whenever I need to go behind a closed door (bathroom) his little fingers stick underneath it as he asks me questions. Love him!

Jacob is our biggest troublemaker. He is constantly on the go. Nothing slows him down, not even falling down the stairs. He gets right back up and keeps going. When he is doing something that he knows he should not be doing, he does this slow blink. I'm not sure what he thinks that does, but apparently it must be some kind of mind trick. And it usually works because I just laugh at him. Whenever he's told to say "thank you" or we tell him we love him, he responds by kissing the air. So stinking cute! He is also my big snuggler. He's always good for a schmug. Love him!

I'm Grateful to Be Their Mom Because...

2011-05-03T16:05:00.000-07:00

With Mother's Day approaching, I decided it would be fun to record a few thoughts on why I'm grateful to be a mom. I'll try to post one every day. (I was going to yesterday, but you see how well that went)

Anyway, one of the reasons I am grateful to be the mom of my three boys is that they are great helpers. None of them like to pick up after themselves, but they love to help me with other things around the house. Cooking/baking, crafting, putting my makeup on (they're secure in their manliness), and many other things. But one of their favorites is gardening and watering the flowers. Gardening aficionado I am not. They take something so mundane, in my opinion, and bring life to it for me. They don't like using something easy like a hose though. No, no. Watering cans for them. So we make about 8 trips back and forth watering our flowers. As you can see, they don't have the best aim.

Jacob can't decide if he's thirstier or if the flowers are.

James is doing his crazy dance. I almost forgot why I was grateful to be his mom today while I was cleaning up pee off the bathroom floor. It was intentionally done. Ain't he sweet?

Aaah! He kills me with those big blues!

This big guy is too big to help, so he rides his bike or scooter around while we do all the work. He rode his bike to and from school yesterday with just his friends. My stomach was in knots all day long until I walked out to meet him. Obviously, he survived. When did he get so big? And I am now literally tearing up and only see a blurry mess on my computer screen.

I love my boys! I could not have lucked out any more than I did with them.

2011-04-29T15:31:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter, five days late. Whatever. This is the most posts I've had in one month for a while. Are you proud of me? I am. I almost didn't make it. But here I am.

We had a great Easter weekend. All of Tim's family were in town and we had a blast.

First, the Easter bunny made a visit to our house.

I can't remember why he is crying, but it is fake. So don't feel too sorry for him. But you can discuss how stinkin' cute he is.

All pretty for church.

All the grandkids and Grandma and Grandpa Blood! It was a crazy fun weekend, but so worth the chaos. Love you guys!

James would not do a solo pic or even look at the camera with a grumpy face. He missed out.

2011-04-17T19:55:00.001-07:00

James turned...

FOUR!! He's seriously the cutest four year old James around. On his birthday I took him to a bookstore and we got to eat a cupcake for breakfast. Yeah, I know. I'm the best mom around. Then he got to pick out a book and just because he is so stinkin' cute I let him get the giraffe he couldn't put down (but he calls it a zebra and named him Monster Truck). Then we went to pick out some new shoes and he requested Skechers and picked out a "very awesome" pair.

But first the kids wanted to play with the train table. Even though we have one at home. Jacob actually didn't really care about it.

He wanted to kiss all the Olivia dolls. Don't worry, he didn't have a runny nose this day.

James being cute and having fun at the train table. He had it all to himself. He didn't have to share with any other kids whose moms leave them there for me to babysit.

Later (on Thursday, the day after his birthday) we had a delicious cake to celebrate. Target makes fabulous cakes. I don't.

I bought sparkler candles and those buggers did not want to go out.

I love this one catching James laughing at the funny candles. So cute. And that dimple!!!! It kills me every time.

Today while I was making lunch for the boys, James said, "Since I'm the birthday boy I get to eat in the family room and watch the movie. Right, Mom?" His birthday was 4 days ago, but how can I argue with that dimple?!

2011-04-17T19:46:00.000-07:00

James got a pool for his birthday. He's been asking for one for a while now. I told him one day back in January, "When it's hot outside we'll get a pool." Just so I could get a bit of peace. Sometime in March it started warming up and I forgot about my promise. On one especially hot day James said, "It sure is hot outside. Isn't it, Mom?" I replied, "It is hot." He looked at me and said, "Well, it's time to get a pool then." Oops, I had forgotten. Anyway, I got him to hold off long enough for his birthday.

2011-02-28T08:48:00.000-08:00

We decided it was time to get out of Phoenix and do something fun for the weekend. Tim had been wanting to go to the Pima Air and Space Museum in Tucson, so we thought it would be a great spot. The boys loved every moment of it. And I'll admit, I even enjoyed it.

Naughty pilot!

Jacob was his usual pleasant self.

This was James' favorite airplane in the whole museum because it was orange. There is a picture of a grasshopper on it, which is perfect for James. When we were in Alabama during Christmas, we went to Chick-Fil-A for lunch one day and some big kids were "picking" on him. They kept calling him grasshopper. So he got even. He called them diarrhea.

Behind Matthew is the second Blackbird ever built, and the oldest surviving. Super cool plane.

Outside they have a giant "plane boneyard." It's full of old planes and helicopters.

This one made be laugh. I called it a blomber. Combo of a blimp and bomber. Actually, it was a cargo plane for NASA. Not as exciting as my idea.

Next we went to Valley of the Moon. Online it looks like a fun, enchanting little park. Tim got the "it puts lotion on" vibe here. We made a hasty retreat, but not before a photo op.

Then we put a perfect end to our perfect day by stopping for some yummy gelato. It was seriously very good and only 132 calories!

This was the best smile I got out of Jacob all day. Well, for the camera anyway. He smiles plenty, until the camera comes out.

2011-02-24T12:38:00.000-08:00

James' preschool went on a field trip to Superstition Dairy Farm. He had a ton of fun.

Jacob was very ornery. To his credit, in the past five days he has had croup, RSV, pink eye, a bad cold, and an ear infection. But he's running out of leniency. I know a family of gypsies that's always looking for a new addition... Just sayin'.

James loved feeding and petting the animals. He had his huge, one-dimpled grin the whole time.

Grouchy

Crabby

Crank Master Flex

Slogger. S-L-O-G-G-E-R. Slogger.

2011-02-10T11:54:00.001-08:00

Seriously?! I haven't posted anything for over two months? Loser!

Well, here are some current shots of the cutest boys around.

Jacob pushed a chair over to the counter (such a fun new skill) and got down some markers. He loves him some markers. I was upstairs for like 2-3 minutes. He moves fast! When I came down, he shot up off the ground and started running for a hiding spot. He has started this funny run that looks like he is trying to tap-dance at the same time. Tim and I will never have normal running children. But it also doesn't make them very fast. So, the trade-off's not bad, I suppose.

Matthew plays flag football and loves it. He's pretty sure he's the best out there. Most of the time he is playing with his mouthguard or skipping sideways. At least he isn't doing the tap-dance run.

He's number 19.

James. What can I say about James? He's equal parts adorable and equal parts ornery. Just like my dad.

Jacob loves Oreos... all over his face at 8 am. Again, where the heck was I? And I told you kids to keep the pantry door closed! This is what happens when nobody listens to me.

James is now a Sunbeam and couldn't be prouder of this fact. He 'very loves' it. He 'very loves' Primary. He 'very loves' seeing Matthew during Sharing Time.

His first official Sunday as a Sunbeam was spent in the chilly South. He and Delaney got to go to class together. He 'very loved' that. He also got a name tag, and guess what!? He 'very loved' it.

2010-12-01T15:04:00.000-08:00

While Matthew was happily doing his homework...

...and James was making his Christmas list...

Jacob plopped in the corner, leaned back and enjoyed a nice marshmallow.

2010-11-30T19:37:00.000-08:00

I didn't realize it had been a month since I posted last. Oops.

Tonight we hung up ornaments and the kids loved it. I couldn't decide what pictures to post, so I put them all up.

This is James' "irresistible" smile. Or so he thinks. I don't have the heart to tell him it's more of a teeth bearing grimace. Hmmm... maybe it's working.

Here it is again. Look at that cute picture crasher back there.

Can you tell we had spaghetti and meatballs for dinner? Apparently I don't wipe my kids' faces off or put on bibs.

This is the face Jacob makes when you tell him to say, "cheese."

I love this season! I can't wait for the next 25 days. Except I'm always sad when Christmas arrives because that means it's all over. So I better enjoy it while it lasts!

2010-11-01T07:38:00.000-07:00

We had such a busy Halloween weekend! James' preschool had a Halloween/costume party. James wanted to be a mummy and wanted his face painted. At first, he loved it.

See those goats behind Jacob? He couldn't stay away from them. Even when they were butting heads and fighting, he was trying to play with them. We're lucky he didn't leave the party brain damaged.

The preschoolers made a pinata and it was James' favorite part of the party.

Matthew's class also had a party, that was luckily right after James'. Parents and siblings were also invited.

Jacob found this rocking chair and thought he was in heaven. Or king of the class. He could have sat in the chair the whole party and been happy.

Friday night our ward had a trunk-or-treat, but I don't have any pictures from that night. Tim was a hot pocket. James was still a mummy but did NOT want his face painted.

Saturday night we went to Greenway's trunk-or-treat. James was dressed up as a mummy in the beginning but changed his mind just before the trick-or-treating started.

Getting a picture of these three boys lately is ridiculously hard. Especially since Jacob has started walking. Quite independent and too much to do.

We decided to let the boys go out Sunday. They loved it and we met lots of new people in our neighborhood. Oh, and James decided to be Spiderman, sans mask.

I love the story the next four pictures tell.

I only wish I had one of the tackle. Nobody was hurt.

Matthew showing me his awesome ninja moves. Mr. Miyagi would be so proud.

2010-10-24T23:18:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Fall and the arrival of cooler weather by visiting our local pumpkin patch. Meaning the local farm that ships in hundreds of pumpkins and then charges at least 4 times more than you would pay in a store. It's fun nonetheless.

We checked out the corn maze.

Matthew loved being our leader. He decided each twist and turn we would make. James was the reliable sidekick that would reiterate whatever his big brother said.

Jacob loved the pumpkins. He sat down on one and bounced up and down. I think he thought it was a big bouncy ball. Cute boy.

We always let our boys pick out a little pumpkin and then we buy the big ones from the store.

Jacob picked out his own props for the picture.

We headed over to the pig races. Pigs are smelly. Really smelly. But also very cute, in a disgusting, stinky barnyard animal way.

We enjoyed a chili dinner afterwards. Jacob couldn't get enough of the cornbread or apple pie. However, only the chili left any evidence. Look at those big blue eyes!

There was a band that set up to play and as soon as they started, Jacob was mesmerized. He wanted to join the band. I also think that he thought walking in circles was dancing.

The guy on the keyboard was in our Greenway ward. Woohoo, Bro. Curtis!

I have no idea who this kid was, but these two were breakin' down.

We got home with very sleepy, very dusty, and very cute kids. Success.

2010-10-19T15:34:00.000-07:00

Here's our garden! It's growing like a weed. Except it's better than weeds. It's full of vegetables.

2010-10-18T15:00:00.000-07:00

This past week my kids had Fall Break. Since Tim had a few big things going on at work, he couldn't take any time off. So I decided we'd go on a "staycation." I turned our house into Hotel De Morelos. For FHE last week, we got in the car to go on a fun trip, when we got to our destination it looked an awful lot like our house! But little did our boys know, we had just arrived at the most exclusive, luxurious and all-inclusive hotel ever. We offered room service (they chose their breakfast, lunches, snacks, and desserts), mints on freshly made beds, a chauffeur service, a spa, among many other things. I made room keys for the boys and a "lock" for their door. They loved it. I made a spot in the main living area of the hotel for the itinerary, room keys (in the turquoise card), and messages.

On the itinerary we had library, park, learning to ride bikes, zoo, culinary lessons, ghost town, movie night, games and so much more!

Here it the hotel's very own game room. We used it almost every day.

Library

Park

Delicious picnic of lunchables goodness.

Culinary lessons. We made sugar cookies. The boys loved helping.

Matthew said, "Hey, Mom, I'll add the love." Oh, Spongebob.

Jacob did his part by reorganizing the cupboards.

Goldfield Ghost Town. Super fun!

Superstition Mountains

Our new friend. Isn't he cute?

Afterwards we each got an ice cream cone. Mine had a dead worm in it. Super yum!

Zoo.

Crazy monkeys!

Jacob loved the carousel. It was his first time on one. I'm sure it was not his last.

Ted's Hot Dogs. Such a good place. I love the corn dogs and cheese fries.

What a fun staycation! Can't wait to do it again.

2010-09-23T20:14:00.000-07:00

Here's a bit of catch up.

Cute James.

The boys on Sept. 11

We planted a garden in our backyard and here was our first sprout.

Matthew lost his first tooth. He pulled it out at school. He hates pain or anything that could cause the smallest amount of discomfort. So I was shocked that he did this all on his own. He carried it around in a baggy all day at school and then when he got home. I made a little pouch for him so the Tooth Fairy could find it more easily under his pillow. He was pretty excited, although he's not so sure about the fairy part. He just rolls his eyes at me when I talk about the Tooth Fairy. Silly boy, of course fairies are real.

James posed for this picture and was proud of the outcome. He cracks me up.

Cute Jacob! He took his first two steps yesterday! He walked to the train table and was pretty darn happy with himself.

2010-09-23T20:02:00.000-07:00

We got a new puppy a few months ago. He's a cute dog and a fun little addition to our family. Since I am the only girl in the house, I got to pick his name. I chose Mr. Rochester (Jane Eyre's man), but he goes by Rocky for short.

Did you know Yorkies are in the Top 5 of all dogs that are the hardest to house-break? It's true.

I'm noticing how badly he needs a haircut. Poor shaggy pup!

2010-09-10T13:42:00.000-07:00

The Sunday after Matt's wedding, my parents took my family, Lindsey's family and Julianne to Chattanooga. We had so much fun. We always do, no matter what we do. We took the Incline Railway up to Lookout Mountain. The views were gorgeous. The people that live up there are so lucky, especially the ones that have views of just the mountains, trees and river. The homes were also amazing. We went to Point Park, which is a park built to commemorate a battle fought on Lookout Mt. during the Civil War. I think it was called, "Battle Above the Clouds." A fog sets in the valley below and the mountain appears to reach out above the clouds. Anyway, the park was so pretty and had old canons at different lookout points and a huge memorial built in the center of the park.

We have about 10 different shots of this exact pose. Delaney has a different expression in every single one of them.

Lindsey and her cute fam.

Matthew was pretty sure that big black lump (garbage bag) was a soldier's armor from the olden days. He was so excited about his discovery and asked me to take a picture of it.

On the way back down.

This is in front of the Tennessee Aquarium. If you live or ever visit anywhere near it, it is a must. Such a great aquarium. They have it separated into two different buildings; one is sea and the other river. River was my favorite. It had sea horses and sea dragons (my favorite animal). Out front though it's like a big plaza with artwork, water features the kids can play in and bridges.

This is in the sea part. Everyone got to pet the sting rays. Matthew even did, which surprised me. I love Holly in this picture.

Tim got to feed the stingrays shrimp. They have the weirdest looking mouths.

I turned around and found Matthew waiting to have his picture taken. He NEVER poses, so I had to hurry and take advantage of this rare moment.

The S.C. aquarium had this same feature that you could climb into the middle of the tank. The kids wanted to go in this time.

Matthew just realized there was a giant crab in the tank. I love his smile. Sorry about my chubby finger being in the shot.

Just like the S.C. trip, we had to get in on the action. I got super panicked in the tight space, but appear to have held it together nicely. I think Lindsey and Julianne were laughing at me. Lindsey is never prettier than when she is laughing! She looks so pretty, even with gum in her mouth. And of course, Julianne does too.

Jacob loved being so close to the fish. He thought it was great.

Worn out!

This is one of the places the kids could play in the water. It was James' favorite part of the whole trip.

Holly is really good at ignoring you when she wants. Here she was ignoring all of us. Stone cold.

Ta-daa! That's the end of our super fun trip. Thanks Mom and Dad! We had a blast!!

2010-09-10T12:31:00.000-07:00

Matt got married on Sept 4 and it was such a pretty day. Perfect for an outdoor wedding.

Here's the groom walking to his place. Didn't snap one of him actually walking down the aisle.

The cutest ring bearers in the entire history of the world. Seriously. Don't even try to contest it. You'll lose.

I got teary watching Matthew guide James down the aisle. It was the cutest thing ever. Matthew did NOT want to be ring bearer or wear those "stinkin' suspenders" but he did it anyway and did it so well.

Holly was feeling a bit fevered and had to relinquish her flower girl duties, but Delaney carried on like a pro. She made sure she used every petal and that they were beautifully laid. She especially made sure to scatter a ton in front of Julianne.

This is my brother's new wife, Andrea. Her brother walked her down the aisle. It was such a sweet moment.

Have you ever seen bigger blue eyes than this? Doubt it. At least belonging to a little boy as cute as this. Don't you just want to grab a spoon and eat him right up?

Pretty sister! I tried to get a picture of JA and James, but James decided just at that moment he had to go to the bathroom. He's walking toward me to announce this very loudly.

I made flowers to go in our hair. Julianne's, as you can see, is turquoise. Lindsey and I had black flowers.

Cute.

I'm so glad my grandma was able to go to the wedding.

The hottest girls at the entire shindig.

Photo crashers!

My boys are crazy about dancing. It's deep in their blood. While dinner is cooking and we're waiting for Tim to walk through the door, we crank up the music and let loose. So anytime they hear music, they can't help themselves.

We love dancing together.

Poor Holls! She was not feeling hot.

OMG! Isn't that tall kid a looker? I love my little bro! This was literally the only chance we had all night to talk to Matt. He was taking pictures all night long.

We were so over pictures.

Lindsey made the groom's cake. Here it is during the process.

And here it is all finished. Amazing!! See the little Lego man? That's Matt rock climbing.

2010-09-10T12:18:00.000-07:00

My brother got married last weekend and the whole fam got together to celebrate. The night before, my parents threw a dinner to honor the happy couple. I actually didn't get a picture of the two of them together. Oops. Anyway, here is a sign we made for them.

Jacob is getting pretty excited about almost walking and had to show off his moves.

This is how we decorated the tables. It was really pretty once it got dark.

Can you find Holly?

My parents had a Cajun restaurant Doodles, cater the dinner and it was delicious. We lit up the fire pit and roasted marshmallows and ate red velvet cupcakes out of jars. The whole night was a success!

2010-08-28T20:33:00.000-07:00

This little cutie just turned 1!! I can't believe a year has flown by already.

He is getting so close to walking and he knows how cool that makes him.

He just discovered that he can open up the cupboards and reorganize all the shelves. Super fun.

I love this wide mouthed smile! Especially with those new chompers!

He tasted a little bit of frosting, but flipped the cupcake over and ate the cake instead. He knew what he wanted.

He was a little more interested in his bottle at the beginning of present time. But quickly discovered how fun his new stuff was.

He is such a happy kid and brings so much joy and laughter into our home.

I think we'll keep him.

2010-08-13T08:37:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was James' first day of preschool. He loved it, except he was so disappointed that he didn't get to play with playdough. I'm not sure why he was expecting that to be an activity.

He was so excited and couldn't wait to get rid of me. He did a great job, and I got a lot of errands finished without any complaints.

2010-08-09T10:11:00.000-07:00

Today was Matthew's first day of First grade! He was pretty excited about it.

When we found his line, he totally ditched me. I am so glad he likes school. I just hope it sticks with him.

2010-07-28T08:05:00.000-07:00

We had a very fun-filled 2 weeks in Utah this summer.

Holly taught Jacob how delicious dirt is.

He does this scrunchy face almost every time a camera is around. I love it.

Delaney showed us her lady-like eating techniques.

James worked on his aerobics in the backyard.

Tim, Julianne and Taylor did the Sky Coaster at Lagoon.

We waited around for a long time until it was finally their turn.

Tim said the scariest part was being pulled 150 feet up in the air.

I'm not sure if you can blow this up or not, but their faces are priceless in this shot.

They survived!

We celebrated Matthew's birthday. The big 6!

That night Jacob pulled a table down on his face and we got to visit the ER. 7 stitches later and he was as good as new.

We drove out to Tremonton and watched the fireworks from the Zundels' backyard. Holly was so excited about it, she danced the night away. She loves pioneers.

Lindsey got Matthew a snuggy for his birthday. He loves it and wore it home on our 13 hour drive. He's going through a camo stage. Funny for such a self-proclaimed "indoorsy' kid.

The fireworks were a perfect end to a perfect trip.

I left one of my cameras in UT and as soon as I get it, I'll post more pics.

2010-07-05T08:38:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th of July! We had a very low-key 4th this year. We grilled and had a pop-its war. We also watched Avatar: The Last Airbender series on Netflix all day. Don't waste your money on the movie, especially if you're a fan of the series. When your 5 year old loudly proclaims, "Booooring!" and "This is not fun!" you know it's not good. So disappointing. I almost walked out only about 5 minutes in. But we've been watching this show for 5 years now, so we had high expectations. Enough about the movie.

I attempted to get all 3 boys to look at the camera at once. No such luck.

James was afraid Tim was going to throw a pop-it at him. Fortunately for James, Tim reserved that for Julianne and me.

James and Matthew studying a pop-it. Check out those "crawler knees" on Jacob. So cute!

List of fun things to do today

2010-07-02T13:06:00.000-07:00

This morning Matthew, all on his own, made a list of things to do today. He is such a cutie.

In case you can't read all of it, here's what it says:

List of fun things to do today

Wake up J.A. (Julianne)

Board Game

Fort Contest

Library

Watch a Movie

I love this kid! This morning Matthew and James woke up Julianne. I got mad at them for it. Matthew later said, "Mom, why did you get mad at us for waking up Julianne? You knew it was on the list of fun things to do today."

Let's face it, I'm hotter than you.

2010-07-01T19:39:00.000-07:00

Julianne and I went to the midnight showing of Eclipse. We thought we would be early and be pretty close to the front of the line. Ha. We were probably 400th in line. But we had a ton of fun waiting and people watching.

The above picture was taken with Julianne's phone because we forgot the camera. So when we got back home, we had to get a picture of us in the shirts we made. Totally awesome.

I'll admit, I'm a Twerd, but that's okay.

Amy-I copied you and went dark. What can I say? You inspire me.

2010-06-28T16:33:00.000-07:00

Last week we went to the zoo and sweated our pants off. And we got there at 8:30 am. We finished our zoo trip up with a romp in the water caves.

Matthew and James like to bust out their moves every now and then. Awesome.

We grabbed lunch at Ted's Famous Hot Dogs.

Jacob loves to play in the pantry and reorganize the items on the floor and now that he can pull himself up, the bottom shelf.

2010-06-25T10:42:00.000-07:00

Monday was our 7 year anniversary. What! What! So we celebrated by taking the fam to Joe's Farm Grill. I can't believe it's been 7 years! We sure have packed a lot in in that time. And we have 3 amazingly beautiful kids to show for it.

2010-06-25T10:30:00.000-07:00

On Tuesdays we go to Summer Movie Day at the theatre. Matthew loves it 100%, Jacob loves it 75%, and James likes it 50%. James is so busy during movies. I love all things movie and TV. I'm pathetic, I know, but I can't get enough. If it's on the big screen or small screen, I'm tuned in. Not James, he's got better things to do.

Here are the boys at the theatre. Don't worry, I took this before the movie started.

2010-06-25T08:08:00.000-07:00

My kids get really bored during the summer, so I was trying to find stuff we could do to keep us busy. I didn't want to hear the dreaded, "I'm bored." I found something called Funner in the Summer on 30days. She has a whole series on Summer fun for kids. I loved her idea and tweeked it to fit my kids. Each week we have a theme, this week was construction. So most of what we do during the week goes along with our theme. On Mondays we go to the library and pick out books based on our theme. After that we walk over to the Riparian and feed the ducks. This is James' favorite part of the week, I think.

The boys always want a picture taken in front of the fountain at the library. When we get to the library James always requests a quarter to toss in. He only gets a penny, ssssh, don't tell.

Jacob did not want to sit in his stroller. He had had it!

My boys love to dance. That's what they're doing in the picture. Jacob even dances.

2010-06-24T15:23:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we took the boys to a Diamondbacks game and had a lot of fun.

2010-06-23T12:14:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we went to Toy Story 3 at the drive-in. We had so much fun. We threw some blankets in the back of the van, packed up a picnic and treats, and enjoyed a great movie.

Jacob had a nasty rash from his Amoxicillin. But he's still super cute!

We joked about how Julianne kept getting stuffed in a corner. Every picture I tried to get from her, one of the kids got in the way. Poor Julianne.

He looks a tiny bit crazy here.

2010-06-22T19:58:00.000-07:00

We are one of those few families in AZ that don't have a backyard pool or neighborhood pool. *sniff*sniff* So I bought a little one for the boys to cool off in during the hot days of the summer. It also gets them out of the house for an hour or so.

The first day we used the pool, I brought out ice pops for them to have when they were finished. This way they were pretty dried off by the time they wanted to head in.

I love these boys! They are so stinkin' cute. They are always cracking me up, even when I feel like pulling my hair out.

2010-06-13T13:55:00.000-07:00

Look at this cute face. Can you believe it had to spend the whole weekend in the hospital? Half of which his mom was 4 hours away at Girls Camp. He got mastoiditis. Poor guy.

You can't tell super well, but his ear is swollen and red. When I got there Saturday afternoon, I was told it had gone way down. He did so well in the hospital. He was probably the craziest and wildest of pediatric patients this hospital ever saw. At 10:00 pm when I couldn't get him to go to sleep (usually a frustrating chore), I was just so grateful that he was okay. I was completely spent after many sleepless nights at Girls Camp, but I was so happy to be with my little guy. He's home now, after two nights in the hospital, and enjoying some down time. He's on 3 different meds, which will be a miracle if I can remember to give him all 5 doses a day.

His favorite part of being in a hospital is the food service. He loves it and wants to share it with everyone. Sweet boy.

Matthew and Jacob came for a visit. I hadn't seen those two since I left for Girls Camp either. So I was so excited to see them. Unfortunately, Jacob isn't as big of a mama's boy as he was before I left. Broke my heart a little bit. Matthew and James ate their happy meals and watched G-Force. The brothers are very happy to all be together again. And I'm happy that our little family is back together at home.

I know our family was being watched over during this time and I am so grateful to our Father in Heaven for keeping my family safe while I was away. Everything seemed to work out the best way possible. Thank you to Martha, Ted and Amy for all that they did, which was A LOT! Tim was amazing and so patient with me and I love him so much! He's the best dad and our boys are so lucky. Thanks, babe! And thanks to everyone that has helped us during this time.

2010-06-13T13:25:00.000-07:00

I got back from Girls Camp yesterday and had a fantastic time. We hiked four miles up to this lookout tower. It was so windy that day and felt like the wind would pick us right up and throw us over the sides. But the view was beautiful. Didn't get a picture of it.

Love our girls! They are the cutest!

Pres. Hinckley was our hero and we used the 9 B's. So our girls were bees. I know, I know, so cute.

Look at those tough leaders. I have no idea why we posed liked this. I just did what everyone else was doing.

Girls Camp was a ton of fun, except for the fact that 2 of my boys got sick and one was hospitalized.

Surprise!!

2010-06-01T14:17:00.000-07:00

On Saturday,Kristen and I surprised Tim and Donavon with a 30th birthday party. They were really surprised. Tim's b-day is July 9 and Donavon's is June 25. So we did it a little bit early, but K &D are moving in a week :( and we had to do it before then.

So here are some pictures of our fun. They're not great photos, but you get the idea. Kristen will probably have some way better ones.

We put up some pictures of the boys from childhood up to now. It was fun to see how far they've come.

This turned out so dark, I forgot to turn my flash on and wasn't paying attention to the pictures I was taking until it was too late. But we served burgers, hot dogs, and brats. Super delish!

These juices were a hit. The kids couldn't stay out of them. I loved these things when I was a kid. We also made felt mustaches for people to wear. Mustaches were kind of our theme for the evening, since the boys are now officially old men. Well, in the next month or so anyway.

We wrote in chalk on the pots. On one table it said "Happy 30th B-day!" and on the other it said "Donavon and Tim, Hooray!" I loved how the flower pots turned out.

I made the boys shirts to go with our mustache theme.

I love Jacob in the background. This kid was so chill all day long. I couldn't have asked him to be better.

We decided to celebrate youth by having a relay race that started off with a 3-legged race.

And ended with a massive water balloon fight. I love Tim's intensity in this photo. Water balloons are serious business.

James got soaked.

We made delicious chocolate mustaches.

We did cupcakes in a jar with a sprinkling of rock candy on top. They were a big hit and, oh-so-yummy!

Thanks to everyone that made this night a success! And thanks to the two birthday boys. We really couldn't have done it without you!

2010-06-01T12:14:00.000-07:00

We went camping over the weekend and had so much fun.

Jacob had licorice for the first time and loved it.

The oldest two can't smile normally for the camera. Ever.

The favorite activity was skipping rocks.

Happy family!

2010-05-30T15:51:00.000-07:00

We played miniature golf last weekend. We all got a hole-in-one. I got three.

Afterwards we headed over to Colin's last game of the season and enjoyed some of the festivities. James was too scared to go down the slides. Colin only went down once or twice. Matthew couldn't get enough.

Until a 12 year old kicked him down the ladder.

2010-05-28T20:55:00.000-07:00

First day of school - August 2009

Last day of school - May 2010

James woke up a bit late.

On Matthew's last day, his class put on a cute little "Celebration Presentation." It was so cute, but this was the best picture I got of him.

The other day I asked Matthew if he was excited for Summer Break and he replied, "Well, it's actually Spring Break, Mom. Summer doesn't start until June 21st. So really it should be called Spring Break at first and then Summer Break."

Matthew did so well in school and will be a great 1st grader. He's already looking forward to finding out who is teacher will be.

2010-05-24T16:49:00.000-07:00

This kid only has 3 more days of kindergarten! Yikes! When did he get so old?

2010-05-20T14:13:00.000-07:00

Here you are, Mother dear. Thanks for not sending any sarcastic or sassy texts. ;)

James

2010-05-11T11:20:00.000-07:00

Everyone knows by now that we thought James was going to be a girl. When I was pregnant with him, I bought the cutest fabric to make a pretty little blanket. I made some for Amy and her twins, Brittnee and Devyn, and my nieces Heidi and Delaney. However, during this time, I could not bring myself to make one for 'Abby.' I was in Joann's a few weeks before my due date and saw the cutest fabrics. One had blue little hippos and the other had colorful stripes. I thought, 'I should get this in case I ever have another boy.' I loved it, but I ended up not getting it. Fast forward a few weeks later and out popped a beautiful little boy that looked just like his Grandpa James. My first thought (after I was so excited to see this tiny surprise) was, 'Oh, but the nursery is so pretty.' My next thought? I was so glad that I had not made the pretty pink blanket. He was less than a week old when my mom and I packed him into the car and we drove to Joann's. I knew exactly what I wanted, blue hippos and colorful stripes. This boy doesn't go anywhere without this blanket. It probably doesn't get washed as often as it should, but it is dearly loved. Just like this little boy. And whenever I see those blue hippos it reminds me of how grateful I am that James is James.

Last month we went in for his 3 year checkup. He is such a little guy. 20% for height and 25% for weight. And we discovered that he had a double ear infection. He never once complained about his ears. I'm sure he would have more ear infections to just take that yummy medicine. He reminded every morning and night that he needed his medicine. And each time after taking it, he'd rub his belly and say, "So yummy, so yummy."

Jacob

2010-05-11T10:05:00.000-07:00

This little guy is a momma's boy. I love it. He is such a snuggler and will cuddle up to me and just happily stay there forever. When he's down scootin' around the house, he'll follow me into every room. One of my favorite things that he does is pretend to be shy. The other day Tim turned on some Black Eyed Peas and Jacob started to dance, well bounce up and down and nod his head to the beat. Which, you have to admit, is impressive that my 8 month old can do what lots of white males cannot, keep rhythm. All of my boys are good at this. Anyway, Tim peeked around the corner at him and Jacob all of a sudden was so shy. He got this embarrassed grin and leaned his face down into his hands. So cute! He is also getting a tooth, a nice little, jagged one that he is not afraid to use. And he has slept through the night the past 4 days. Hooray! He's getting so big. Too big. He'll be one in less than 4 months! I just want this little guy to stay a baby forever.

Mother's Day

2010-05-10T09:43:00.000-07:00

I love being a mom. I love being a mom so much more than I ever thought I would. I thought I would hate cooking, cleaning, laundry, yard work, and early mornings. But oddly, I love it all. I love getting up with the early bird's morning song and singing my own tune to get Matthew out of bed. The more it irritates him, the louder and gushier I get. I look forward to getting Matthew ready for school in the mornings and that short drive to school. I love reminding Matthew that I love him and to "Remember who you are and what you stand for" even if it bugs the heck out of him. I love seeing James' doggie and blankie come flying down the stairs because it means that the cutest bedhead will shortly follow. I love to hear Jacob yelling impatiently from his room, letting me know he is ready for his breakfast. Nothing beats those moments in the morning when the boys are munching on their latest cereal craze and Jacob is scooting all over the kitchen. Each one wants to impress me with a silly anecdote or a new trick. And I relish in those moments that I'm the star. Everyone wants a piece of me. Just because I'm the mom, their mom. And I love it.

Matthew made me a beautiful corsage. I wore it all day on Sunday.

2010-05-05T13:12:00.000-07:00

Matthew at about 9 months.

Just when I think Jacob is starting to get his own look, I find a picture like this.

2010-04-25T09:10:00.000-07:00

We had a very fun-filled weekend. While Tim hit the driving range, the boys and I got our swing on with a little miniature golfing. Matthew was his crazy self, of course.

James never allowed the ball to ever stop. The club was kindly directing it to the hole every time.

Matthew got 3 holes-in-one. He was pretty proud of himself.

Matthew is doing a chaka, it only looks like a thumbs up.

They loved the go-carts. James did pretty good. He was a very cautious driver. He reminded me of our "Snow Birds" that migrate this way every winter. Matthew was a speed demon and I'm sure cussing out the grandpa on the track. They even had a collision once or twice.

We capped the night off with a quick romp through the fountains at Desert Ridge and a delicious sandwich from my fave place, Paradise Bakery.

James was freezing.

The boys spent most of the time sitting in front of the big fireplace.

It was a day full of fun that ended with 3 sleeping boys in the backseat, the perfect Saturday.

Spring Flingin' It

2010-04-25T09:04:00.000-07:00

I'm back from Spring Fling and had a total blast! We laid out by the pool everyday, ate tons of good food, did a little shopping, and talked into the wee hours of the morning. It was one of my favorites to date. Thanks girls for an awesome weekend! (We're missing 4 in this picture)

2010-04-13T08:49:00.000-07:00

Today is this little guy's birthday. I can't tell you how much we love him. There are so many things I love about him, but I'll share just a few and a story or two.

-He has one dimple. It's on his left cheek. Lindsey has one dimple, too. They inherited it from my mom's dad. I love that connection to him. I never had the chance to meet him, so it's fun to see him in my kids. That dimple gets James out of a lot of trouble.

-On Sunday James was throwing rocks over at the neighbors' house. Matthew saw him and went out to tell him to stop. As soon as he got out there, James threw one last rock. It hit the wall, bounced off, and hit him on his lip. you can see it in the picture above. That would be a lesson learned for most kids. James is not most kids.

-This morning on our way back from dropping Matthew off at school James started whining for his doggie and blankie that he had left at home. He kept repeating, "My doggie! My blankie!" over and over. I told him he had to wait to get them when we got back to the house. This didn't pacify him. So I said, "James, I can't magically poof them into the car." James replied, "Don't poop in the car, Mom." Fortunately, I didn't and he stopped complaining about his dog and blanket.

-Everything is awesome to this kid. Everything.

-He is happiest when helping. Hopefully this stays with him throughout life.

We love you, James!

2010-04-13T08:06:00.000-07:00

Tim and I coach Matthew's T-ball team. It is quite an experience. Matthew loves it, Tim and I have been on the fence until last night. When we said we would do it, we never thought about what we would do with James and Jacob. At the first game James disappeared and I ran around the park looking for my little guy. I was afraid he had been abducted. Obviously, he wasn't. He had just seen some big hills that he wanted to take his bike down. They just happened to be on the other side of the park. Are you kidding me? We so lucked out on that one. So last night Kristen, Amy, Colin, and Devin came up to watch Matthew's game. They were literally lifesavers, especially in James' case. Tim and I were able to really enjoy the game. We had fun and were not stressed out. Just how T-ball should be. And not only did they watch the boys, but Kristen also snapped a bunch of pictures for us. We hadn't been able to, we've been so busy coaching. So here are some of her great shots.

Matthew is a great hitter. He can really smack that ball.

I'm not sure what he was doing here, but I love how he is wearing his hat.

Tim leading the outfielders out to their spots.

James and Jacob playing peekaboo.

Every time we were up to bat, the kids would crowd around me and ask who was up next.

I love this one of Matthew and Colin! These two get along so well. They just have so much fun together. I love it. They'll be best buds for a long, long time.

Which is weird because they are nothing alike. ;)

2010-04-12T12:05:00.000-07:00

James turns 3 tomorrow! I can't believe it!

On Sunday we had a small party with Tim's family that lives in AZ. James requested hot dogs for dinner and I made some rainbow cupcakes, which I did not get a good picture of again.

Blowing out his candles. This was hilarious to watch. He was working so hard. Spit was flying everywhere.

James wore his hat like this most of the time.

Not a super good picture of me, but oh well. I love this little guy! He brings so much to our family. We wouldn't have half the adventure and surprises without him.

James' cousin, Colin. This picture is so "Colin" to me. We LOVE that he lives so close. The boys ask almost every day when we'll see Colin again.

Matthew read James his birthday card from Grandma and Grandpa Blood. It was very cute.

Thanks Ted, Martha, Amy, Brien, Colin, Devin, Kristen, and Donavon for coming down and making it a special day for James. We love you!

Spring Fling Tag

2010-04-05T12:01:00.000-07:00

Every year all the women on my mom's side (18 and up) get together for a weekend full of fun. I've even started a blog for it. It's a big deal. I plan my year around it. Seriously.

My cousin Lisa tagged all the girls in our family. She said, "Anyone that knows my family know that in the Spring we go on a vacation with just the women. That includes my mom, my sisters, my mom sister's and their kids and my grandma's sisters and their kids. We call this exodus Spring Fling. In honor of Spring Fling I am starting a tag. Anyone who gets tagged and answers will get a special treat."

So here I go. But to be honest, there isn't much we can share. It's kind of like the Vegas slogan. "What happens at Spring Fling, stays at Spring Fling."

3 favorite spring fling memories/stories

1. My very first toe touch. And it was actually pretty good.
2. Having it confirmed that I am not much fun. I only earned one fun point from that quiz we took last year. But I'm bringing the party this year, ladies. I've taken that quiz again and I now have 2 fun points.
3. One year when Matthew was a baby he woke up in the middle of the night and was crying. Lisa got up (but didn't wake up) and was searching the whole condo for her baby. She didn't have any kids there that year. I laughed so hard as I was trying to explain this to her in her sleeping state.

3 things I am most looking forward to

1. Killing my diet for 4 days or however long I'm in Utah for. Nachos, here I come.
2. Lisa answered, "Not feeling guilty about starting the day with a diet coke, ending the day with a diet coke and drinking one all day long." Agreed.
3. Staying up into the wee hours laughing so hard I might just pee my pants.

4. I'm adding a 4th, getting all of our adorable babies together!

3 things that will definitely be in my suitcase

1. Swim suit. Private hot tub and pool!
2. New Moon. Yes, Lisa, you will be watching it.
3. Comfy sweats to lounge around in all day and all night. Why? Because I'll feel like it.

4. I'm taking the liberty once again and adding another one. My camera. This year we will have fun pictures!!!

Post-O-Mania!

2010-04-05T11:51:00.001-07:00

I added a ton of new posts, so make sure you scroll down far enough to check out all of the fun we had this past week.

Easter and Conference and Birthdays. Oh my!

2010-04-05T11:01:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter from our family to yours! We hope you enjoyed your Easter Sunday with loved ones. We sure did. The cousins were super excited about their egg hunt.

Jacob even joined in on the fun.

Colin's 5th birthday was yesterday. So we had one action packed Sunday between Easter, Conference and birthdays. We got to choose between cake and cinnamon rolls for dessert. Would it be shameful if I admitted that I chose both?

Molly came up to me and said, "Even though Emily is the oldest, she can't do cartwheels."

Me: "Can you do cartwheels?"

Molls: "Yes, and I'm really, really good at them. Watch." Well, after I watched her, I had to do a few. They are so fun and make you feel young. James is an expert cartwheeler. Or whatever. Somersaults are more his thing.

2010-04-05T10:26:00.000-07:00

On Saturday everyone came down to dye eggs, grab lunner (lunch/dinner), the boys went to the "Priesthood session" and the girls went to a Vintage Rose Wrap party, and we finished the night roasting marshmallows.

I love these guys!

For lunner we went to Joe's Farm Grill and ate a delicious meal. The kids loved it because they could run around while they ate.

Happy Birthday to you and you and you and you and you and you and you and you!

2010-04-05T10:17:00.000-07:00

Whenever all the Blood cousins get together we throw a Cousins Birthday Party. That way we get it all in one day. We played at the park, swam, opened presents, grilled up some burgers and hot dogs, and rocked out to RockBand. This year we made rainbow pirate cupcakes. They were so good! My battery died before I had a chance to get a picture of one, but I will be making them for James' birthday NEXT WEEK! My baby will be 3!! Anyway, here are two of my three cute boys.

Zoo Day

2010-04-05T09:58:00.000-07:00

On Thursday we met the cousins at the zoo. Poor Matthew. He had to go to school, so that's why he won't be in any of the pictures.

I'm kind of a big nerd, but one of my favorite parts of the zoo is the bridge leading up to the entrance. The bridge stretches out over a pond full of fish, turtles and ducks. I love watching the turtles! I actually secretly want a pet turtle. They are so cute. Anyway, it's one of James' favorite parts, too. If you look really close, you'll see some turtles in the lower left corner.

The kids wanted to climb this stump so bad. It was worth it. Look at those happy faces.

Jacob was so tired. He stayed awake, but he fought the sandman the whole time.

We had a great time, even if we only saw about 5 animals in 4 hours. The Phoenix Zoo has so many things for kids to do, that you forget that you're there to see animals.

Bikes, Jeeps and Kites

2010-04-05T08:39:00.000-07:00

This past week we got to spend time with all the cousins from Tim's side. It was a ton of fun. Last Sunday we met at Discovery Park by our house for a picnic and lots of playing. The kids rode bikes, jeeps, and flew kites.

James was fearless. He would point his bike down any hill and go for it. He never looked at what might be at the bottom of the hill, like benches, people or ponds. Luckily, he missed anything in his way (and lucky for anyone that might have been in his way).

Matthew tried it out a few times. It wasn't for him.

He preferred "leisurely" kite flying. Why stand when you can sit?

The jeep was a big hit. Surprisingly, the kids did a great job at taking turns. At one point, however, I think Colin and Emily were about halfway to Scottsdale before they decided to turn back.

The battery lasted forever! When it finally started to wind down the kids took the jeep down hills. James isn't as skilled at steering the jeep as he was the bike. It is good to know which kid will flee the scene of crime.

Sweaty, tired and content; the end to a perfect day.

Desoto Caverns

2010-03-31T08:26:00.000-07:00

We went the Desoto Caverns one day. It was a lot of fun. The caverns were really neat, but we all loved the stuff to do above ground.

Matthew and his awesome posing.

James trying to copy Matthew pose. Not quite. These pictures are so representative of these two, though. Matthew's wound a little tight and James is a little more out there.

Descending into the caverns.

James was really sad because he wasn't old enough to do archery.

Yep, those are toilets.

Julianne will be our hunter if we ever have to survive out in the wilderness.

Birmingham Zoo

2010-03-31T07:49:00.000-07:00

Finally! I can post pictures, but it has to be done one at a time. So it takes a while.

While we were in B'ham we went to the zoo. It was a perfect zoo day, sunny and warm with a breeze. We had a lot of fun.

I love this face Holly makes. It's actually a happy face, believe it or not.

Matthew either has to pose or have a goofy face for pictures now. I'm not sure why, but we get some funny pictures.

Delaney was trying to pose like Matthew in this one.

Argh!

2010-03-26T15:19:00.000-07:00

Blogger is not letting me post pictures for some reason. It's been doing this for about two days. Hopefully I'll have some up from my trip to B'ham soon.

2010-03-09T11:30:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Jacob had his 6 month check-up.

He is 28 inches long-90% and

17 lbs 9 oz-50%. He is just like Matthew. Not only does the kid look exactly like him, but he is built like him, too. And just when I think he is getting his own look to him, I'll pull out a picture of Matthew at the same age and they're identical.

Jacob is still such a happy kid. His big, blue eyes are almost always smiling. Except when it's bed time. He is still not sleeping very good at night and I am just hoping for a full night's sleep soon.

But he couldn't be cuter and I couldn't be more grateful to have this little guy.

2010-03-02T07:20:00.000-08:00

The other day Tim was outside with Matthew and had a funny conversation.

Matthew: "Dad, I'm a moron."

Tim: "No you're not. Don't say that about yourself"

M: "But I am a moron."

T: "Oh, do you mean a Mormon?"

M: "Oh yeah. I'm a Mormon."

This morning on the way to school, Matthew was telling me a story about one of his friends.

M: "Ben has a shirt that says 'My mom is hot!' on it. That's funny."

Me: "Do you know what that means?"

M: "That she's really fancy."

4 Lords and their Wench

2010-03-01T06:44:00.000-08:00

On Saturday we went to the Arizona Renaissance Festival. We went with Tim's sisters, Amy and her fam, and Kristen. The people watching alone is worth the trip. Seriously.

Our cute nephew, Colin. He had Jacob cracking up.

When I first saw these girls, I thought, who would wear a fox tail like that? The answer? About 50% of the women at the festival.

Matthew and James got to pretend to be knights in a jousting competition. Neither one smiled the whole time. That means they had a blast.

The three boys got swords (thanks Amy and Brien). They had so much fun with them. And surprisingly, were very careful with them, although they did get in a few battles.

I love this picture. The pig posed, too.

Don't have a sheath for your sword? No worries. The back of your shirt works perfectly.

Cute Kristen. I keep hoping school never ends for Donavon, so that they'll stay here longer. We'll miss them! In the meantime, check out the hottie in the loincloth behind her. Oh yeah. At least he's not obese, like 80% of the people attending the festival.

And I'll leave you with one parting shot. This picture is honestly worth a thousand words and pretty much sums up a Renaissance Festival.

Winter Wonderland

2010-02-22T07:27:00.000-08:00

On Saturday we drove up to Payson to enjoy the freezing weather and scary, iced roads. My idea of a well-spent weekend. Luckily, it was a ton of fun. We went up with some of our friends and went tubing and sledding. Jacob fell asleep as soon as we got to the hill and stayed that way until we returned to the cars. He had no idea that a snow storm had started up and was swirling all around him.

We found some snow caves. The kids loved them. Seriously, I think they could have played in them all day.

These two love to sled and tube. They had so much fun together. I love that they are becoming friends. It is so fun to watch.

I couldn't decide which picture to post. This one or the one below it. They're both so cute. So I decided to go with them both.

James had a blast rolling down the hill. He did this a few times.

When we got back to the cars, we were soaked. It was such a good time!

Sometimes living in Phoenix you can forget that there are seasons other than Spring and Summer. So it's nice to get outside of the city limits and experience what most of the country is experiencing, especially for our Arizona boys. They never knew it could get below 60 in AZ.

Thanks Jones fam for inviting us on a winter wonderland escape!

2010-02-15T13:15:00.000-08:00

I dare you to have a cuter 5 1/2 month old baby than this. I double dog dare you.

Yep, that's what I thought.

2010-02-09T09:38:00.000-08:00

2010-01-28T09:14:00.000-08:00

I had to include these pictures. While I was trying to feed Jacob, he had some entertainment off to the side. He thought they were pretty crazy.

This one sure is.

And this one in front is too. Crazy boys.

2010-01-27T12:35:00.000-08:00

Last night while I was eating dinner, Jacob kept grabbing my arm and trying to eat my food. So I thought I'd give rice cereal a try. He wasn't so crazy about it.

Here it looks like he thinks I just poisoned him.

Trying to spit out all that nastiness.

Ewww, a little bit left in his mouth.

Shudder! Flashback of the nastiness.

Oh, look at those big, blue eyes! Love this kid!

2010-01-27T12:31:00.000-08:00

Monday was Matthew's 100th day of school. I can't believe he is more than half way through kindergarten. He has grown up so much in that time. He is an amazing reader and has a growing vocabulary that he likes to practice all the time. Sometimes he gets a little to smart for his britches, but we love this kid and are so grateful for who he is.

Everyday after school this week, he puts his 100 hat on and wears it the rest of the day. He's a cutie.

2010-01-27T12:26:00.000-08:00

Sometimes James is so worn out that he will lay down anywhere. Even in the pantry with a sucker poking him in the eye.

2010-01-14T12:57:00.000-08:00

Look how big Jacob is getting! He is such a happy kid and almost always very content. James is still just as cute as ever. Although, he has turned out to be our biggest troublemaker.

40 years of wedded bliss...

2009-12-30T07:58:00.000-08:00

Martha and Ted just had their anniversary and all the kids drove out to SLC to celebrate.

40 years! We had dinner at the Lion House and it was delish. The walk to and from our car was freezing though! I was not prepared for this winter coldness. But Temple Square was all lit up and beautiful. So it was well worth the frozen toes and legs.

Jacob was well geared up for the cold.

When we were leaving the Lion House, a cute couple was also leaving. They had just been married in the temple. Their party guests lined the sidewalk with giant sparklers as the couple ran through the lit tunnel. So we stopped, watched and cheered them on. When the couple had gone through, the party guests told us to go on through since they still had lots of life left on their sparklers. So we all ran through. I'm sure I had the goofiest grin on my face the whole time, but it was so fun. **Andrea and Matt, you guys totally have to do this at your wedding!**