Leah and Sarah

About 9 months ago my good friend Traci went back to work part time from home. She asked if I could babysit her girls two days a week from about 9am to 4pm. I didn't even have to think about it, I was super excited. Leah is 7 months older than Tyce, but smaller than Tyce, and she is very advanced for her age. She is potty trained and talks very well. Her and Tyce get along so well. They laugh, play, and fight much like siblings. Leah is very obedient to me and rarely cries or acts up. She also naps about 2 hours a day which is great! Here they are playing under the desk while I do my blog... I recently started watching Sarah, who is 13 months. When she was younger Traci was able to work with her home but now that she is older, louder, and more active she sends her over here. She is such a good baby. She entertains herself, she's happy, and she's a good sleeper. She's close to walking too! Here's my attempt to get a picture of all three of them... Sarah really does love Tyce, you just can't tell in this picture!
It's been such a blessing having these girls. I love having them in my home and Tyce loves having playmates. Leah and Sarah really love me which makes me feel so good. Leah calls me Auntie Jenn, which I love, and Sarah loves to cuddle on me. Also, the money has been a huge blessing because it has given us the ability to fly home to see family a couple times a year. Probably my favorite part though is when Traci comes over to pick up the girls and stays and chats for a while. :) We love you Leah and Sarah!!!

Tyce and Jake, Best Friends

Tyce is so lucky to have his best friend Jake. He is 7 months older than Tyce but they are the same size and get along great! They spend every day together, whether it's at the gym, park, mall, Chick-Fila, or at their houses. They are hilarious together and Kimberly and I laugh so hard watching them interact.

Here they are trying on matching sweaters at Children's Place. Kimberly wanted to get one for Jake so Tyce, of course, had to try on the same one... Today at the park they both got their shirts a little bit wet and wanted them off SO we had white trash boys walking around shirtless...

Maverick and Goose in their cool glasses...They love to pretend to work out at the gym...Back to the park, after we took their shirts off they were fascinated with eachother's belly buttons...Jake sometimes poops in the potty and Tyce loves to watch him, haha so gross...Jakey and Tycee are such good friends and it's so fun to watch them play. It works out great that they play so well together because Kimberly and I never run out of things to talk about while they play! We love you Jakey!

Goodbye Crib!

Since Tyce keeps crawling out of his crib we decided to get him out of it before he hurts himself. The Ellsworths were nice enough to let us borrow their toddler bed for a year or so until they need it back for their baby, which is perfect because they we'll buy him a twin bed! Tyce was SO excited when we told him about his new bed, "my BEEG BOY BED!"

I had to get a pic of him in his crib one last time...He climbed right in...We told the boys they cannnot jump or play in Tyce's bed because it's not ours and it's not as sturdy as the crib was. Josh asked if they could sit in it just once for a picture for my blog, haha, he knows how to get his way doesn't he?Then Parker and Josh got to work taking the crib down. I got teary eyed, which surprised me. It will likely be the last time Parker takes down a crib. I think I'm done having kids, which rarely makes me sad, but things like this are still a little hard. Josh was such a good helper...After the bed was set up we got to work on Jackson and Josh's first school project! And so it begins! They had to decorate reading boxes that they will put little books in that they make throughout the year. Josh's finished product (all I did was his name, can you tell? haha!)Jack let me help a little more...Then it was bedtime. At first Tyce was super excited to sleep in his bed...Then he was not so sure..Then he was like no way am I laying down...After about half an hour of him crying, laughing, singing, and talking to himself he fell asleep...This morning he helped me make his bed...Then climbed on and said, "no night night mommy, take picture!" Hahaha, so I did...

Another milestone has come and gone. Time really does seem to be flying by. Tyce is at a difficult age. He is up early, whiney, into everything, terrible eater, etc. I don't know how I ever did TWO two year olds! Maybe the twins weren't this difficult? Or maybe I just put it out of my mind? But I also love how he is talking and learning. He can be very sweet and funny. He loves being home with mommy and getting all the attention. Next milestone will be potty training! But not for a while, I'm in no hurry. :)

Lion King!

Today I took the twins to watch Lion King in the theaters. They have been SO excited for it to come out. They first saw the movie at my parent's house and have loved it ever since. We can't wait for it to come out on DVD so we can watch it again. I've always loved that movie and it brought back lots of memories watching it.

Me and my adorable sons before the movie started... Jackson ready for it to start!

Josh was like, hurry and take the picture so I can have some popcorn...

Brody

In December 2003, our first Christmas as a married couple, Parker surprised me with this guy...After about three days (no exaggeration) at the Humane Society Parker finally selected this cat, who we named Brody. It was a complete surprise and shock to me because Parker never liked cats and never wanted cats. He did it just for me. However, it took less than 24 hours before he was as in love with Brody as I was. He got really sick a few days after Christmas, we took him to the vet and the vet suggested we put him to sleep. We were devastated. We decided to wait until we got to Utah to see if he got better. We brought him to a vet in Utah who gave him a pill, and he's been fine ever since. (Needless to say, we do NOT like that Salem vet!)

Brody is the perfect cat. He is friendly, obedient, social, loving, and playful. He has a great personality. He only drinks water out of Parker's bathroom sink and he doesn't just drink it from the faucet, he lets it drip down his paw then licks it from there. He can open doors and is great on his back legs. He loves kids and is extremely patient with them as they chase him, lay on him, try to "ride him," etc. He never bites or scratches. When we lived in Neola he was lost for 4 days, somehow he survived which was impressive seeing as he was in the country, with lots of wild animals and mean people who like to shoot cats, and his front paws are declawed. He is a very resilient cat, he has moved to Utah, to Oregon, back to Utah, to Virginia, back to Utah, and back to Virginia. He rides in the Uhaul with Parker and is a great road trip companion.

We've had Brody for 8 years and he is certainly part of our family. The boys adore him and Parker and I love him so much. We hope for lots more time with our sweet cat!

September 11, 2001

I have been reflecting today on the events that took place 10 years ago today. I thought I should do a post about where I was on that day and the thoughts I had so that I can share them with my children when they are older and ask questions about what happened.

I woke up that morning to the phone ringing in my college apartment at BYU. I was annoyed because my alarm hadn't gone off yet and I wanted to sleep a little longer. Since my room was the closest to the phone I got up and got it. It was one of my roomate's moms, telling me to wake everyone up and turn the TV on. I remember turning it on and not really realizing what was going on. It hardly seemed real that THIS would happen in AMERICA! I remember huddling so close with my 5 roomates, Maren, Ruth, Jami, Loni, and Carley who I hadn't known for more than a few weeks. We were all scared and confused. As we got more information about the 2 planes, the Pentagon, and the plane that landed in PA my feelings changed from confusion to anger to sadness. It was also scary to me because I had gone to New York in the Spring of 2000 with the Sprague Concert Choir and we all stayed at the Marriot World Trade Center, which was suddenly gone. I couldn't help but think of us all being in there when that happened.
I went to class, not knowing what else to do, but my teacher sent us all home and asked us to spend that hour talking to our families. I did just that. I came home and called my parents. I remember wishing so bad I could be with them, in my dad's arms. Even though I was safe in Utah and they were safe in Oregon, it still scared me to be so far away from them. It was a surreal day. Over the next few days, weeks, and months as the death toll climbed and we learned more about the people behind the terrorist attacks it became more real. It seemed that, even walking around BYU campus (probably one of the safest places on earth) that everyone was walking with caution and fear.

10 years later, life has changed for everyone. I, thankfully, did not lose anyone on September 11th but my heart aches for those that did. But because of that one day, Americans now have a sense of vulnerability that my generation had never before experienced. I am frequently reminded of what the terrorists took from our country as I stand in the never failing long lines at airport security. I hate that we live in fear now. I hate that a little part of me is nervous every time Parker gets on the train to go to work, just blocks from the U.S. Capitol building. In some ways, I feel like they have won. However, as I watch many programs on TV today of the ways that America has triumphed I am proud, once again, to be an American. Ground Zero is a beautiful sacred place and the Pentagon memorial is beautiful as well. Americans can stand together and say We Will Not Forget.

Fun Day!

As I mentioned in the previous post, Tuesday after we went to kindergarten with Jackson and Josh we decided to take them to Chuck E Cheese. We would have preferred to go to a park but it was pouring down rain (for like the 5th day in a row!). It was a great day to go because all the other kids were in school! That place is hectic and crazy when it's crowded but not too bad when there's only a few kids there. They love it there and had tons of fun... I love this picture because EVERY time Jack got a ticket, even just one, he would run over and tell me. Josh, on the other hand, would get ten tickets and not even say a word. That is evident of their personalities. Jackson gets so proud when he accomplishes something, big or small. Josh just shrugs it off like it's no big deal.

Yes, we even ate lunch there...They LOVE dancing in front of the TV...Then we (ok sweet tooth Jenn) decided to go to Dairy Queen since it's totally on the way home! :) I think I'm the only one who finished my ice cream. Jackson never eats more than a few bites of ice cream because it's cold and messy, two things he hates.We had such a fun day with our big kindergartners. A huge thank you to my friend Kimberly for watching Tyce all day so we could give Josh and Jack our full attention.

Speaking of kindergarten...it's been an interesting adjustment for all of us. We're all getting up earlier but they haven't quite gotten used to going to bed earlier! It will take time. How do I feel about them being gone all day? I miss them. I miss hearing their voices. I miss their hugs and laughs. I miss them playing so cute with Tyce. I worry about them, what they're doing, if they're safe, things they may hear or see. I look forward to 3:30 and love seeing them walk off the bus back into my arms, where they belong. They come home excited and happy, not as tired as I expected. Although yesterday Josh did fall asleep on the bus on the way home! The best part has been how excited they are to see and play with Tyce. They all play so cute for at least an hour when they get home, then they start getting hungry and tired. Yesterday they asked if they could watch a show while I made dinner, I said sure since they hadn't watched tv all day! I looked over and saw this... SO cute! Of course, Tyce watched 2 minutes then was done but he wanted to be just like his brothers.

In other news, my wonderful husband made me us a yummy dinner tonight. Why is this blog worthy? Two reasons: 1) He cooks about twice a year 2) He was up late last night, worked all day today, made a yummy dinner, did all the dishes, scrubbed chocolate off the carpets, wrestled the boys, threw them around, played tag with them, brushed their teeth, and is now reading them stories in bed. I can see the exhaustion in his eyes yet he continues. He is a very unselfish man and for that I am grateful. "Don't take pictures of me cooking!" :)

I was told by a friend at the gym today that "I live a very blessed life." She's right, and I needed that reminder. My life is not perfect, but it is wonderful. I love my husband and my kids, and they love me. What more could a girl want???

Kindergarten!!!

Yes, my twins are in kindergarten. My twins that were 9 weeks preemie, 3 pounds, so tiny and fragile...they're now leaving me for 8 hours a day to go off to school. I cannot believe the time has come. I haven't really been looking forward to it, I love having them home with me. But they were ready and very very excited.

We decided to start a family tradition of rootbeer floats the night before the first day of school. Parker also gave them each a father's blessing which made me cry for about 2 hours. Here they are eating their floats...Our school district did something kind of unique that I LOVED. On the first day of school, moms and dads got to come on the bus with the kindergartners, hang out in the classroom for an hour, have cookies and milk, then take the bus home together. Parker took the day off and my friend Kimberly watched Tyce so we were able to really focus on Jackson and Josh. Here they are before we dropped off Tyce and walked to the bus stop...

Best buds ready to head off to school!My adorable blondie...My sweet dimples...Waiting for the bus, I was bummed it was raining but the boys were SO excited to use their new umbrellas...Parker and I haven't been on a school bus since high school sports, it was so weird...He was so precious on the bus...Daddy and Jackson sorting through his supplies...My kindergartners!!!Jackson with his tray of cookies and milk...Josh was so careful carrying his tray, so cute...Working on a puzzle with their teacher, Mrs. Fletcher...Cute guys in front of the classroom...After we got home from school we took the twins to Chuck E Cheese and Dairy Queen, yes we totally spoiled them but it's our last day to do so for a while! I will post cute pics of that in the next post.

So today was the first day of school for them to go alone. It was hard to see them go but comforting to know what awaits them at school and also comforting to know they have eachother, they will never be alone. Here they are climbing onto the bus...Tyce was so cute waving goodbye to them. "Jack Josh go bus, my go back home, have oatmeal, go to playplace, see Akey (his best friend Jake)." Haha, so cute! Then I dropped Parker off at the train station and headed home! While I did dishes Tyce entertained himself builing this...Today went pretty fast because I had Leah and Sarah so I didn't have too much time to think about how much I missed my boys. But 3:30 could not come fast enough! Here they are getting off the bus...

They told me they had a good day and made a friend named Brooke. They are definitely tired. They came home and watched half an hour of cartoons, played trucks, rode their bikes, now we're going to do dinner and bedtime. I am so proud of them and love watching my babies grow up into strong, healthy, happy, smart, loving boys!