Bob the Builder Store

A few Saturdays ago, we went to the Bob the Builder Store (Lowe's.) to make a fire truck.

Landon was BEYOND excited.
Also I'm pretty sure he looks just like me in this picture.

P.S.  Spencer you were there, too.  But you didn't make a truck.  Your dad couldn't come with us, and I just couldn't handle supervising TWO trucks.  My apologies.  Maybe another day.

Preschool

My amazing friends Summer and Melanie have joined with me in a co-op preschool group.  Our boys are all BFFs, and so it's been really fun to have them get together to learn stuff.

So far, it's been my turn twice.
The first time, I had the letter K.

Here they are flying their "kites."

 The second time, I had P.

We made pandas.

 And watched popcorn pop.  And made purple playdough.  And ate pop-tarts and peanut butter pita pockets.

Good times.

So far when it hasn't been my week to teach, Spencer and I have enjoyed running errands together.
Just this past Tuesday we went on a special trip to Walmart so that he could pick out a toothbrush.  He keeps stealing every one else's, so I figured it was time.

I laid out all the manly toothbrush choices, and he quickly chose a green one with a giraffe on it.  Afterward, we shared a strawberry shake at McDonald's.

We love preschool!!

Tanner and Rachel and their posterity come to town.

Tanner and Rachel decided to grace us with their presence on Labor Day weekend.
I'm not quite sure why the only pictures I have of this awesome event were of us all sitting on the couch playing Wipeout on the Wii.

But anyway, just know that we did in fact do other amazing things, too.
We swam, ate, the boys watched football, the girls went to eat frozen yogurt, we watched all the amazing youtube videos we could think of, and we played the Wii.

A bonus video of BK, not knowing he's being taped:

First things, first

I'm about to be doing a mass catching-up on the blog over the next week or so, but first of all, I just have to tell you something.

I cut Spencer's hair.

BK has been pestering me about it for the last four months, and I refused.  We didn't cut Landon's hair until he was two!  But his grew a lot more slowly.  But I just haven't been ready to part with Spencer's curly locks.

But today he woke up from his nap, and he just sort of gave me this look like, "I'm a big boy, huh!"

And I thought, you know, he really does need the hairstyle to pull off being a "big boy."

And so, not giving it much second thought, I grabbed him and the clippers and got to work.

Before:

And after:

Maybe this new look will inspire him to be a big boy and transition with no problem to nursery in a week?

Our goings-on

We have been busy, busy the past few weeks!
On a whim, we decided to go to Las Vegas to see our new little niece get blessed.  We found dirt-cheap tickets, and the whole thing worked out perfectly.  BK could only take a couple of days off, but the boys and I decided to stick around and drive up to Utah to see family there, too.  (I have pictures from this trip, but I haven't uploaded them yet!!)  It was an awesome blessing that everything fell in to place for that whole trip.  We saw dozens and dozens of family and friends, and it was just the pick-me-up we've all been needing!

The weather has been so much more bearable recently, and so we've gone to the park and the zoo a lot lately to soak it all in.

It turns out that three-year-olds are sort of difficult sometimes.  Landon's been really pushing my buttons lately, but I'm grateful for prayer and a helpful husband that help me get through and think of other ideas to try.  Landon is a lovely, lovely little boy, and I love him dearly--he can be just about the sweetest thing you've ever seen.... but when he's not, he's NOT.  I guess I won't give up on him yet. ;)

BK and I have been watching LOST episodes.  I've already seen them, but he was busy getting a physical therapy degree or something, so he's watching for the first time.  We just started Season 2 last night, and we're both really enjoying it!!

Summer, Melanie, and I have started doing a little co-op preschool thing for our boys, and it has been really fun.  I'll post pictures from that soon, too.

Now... back to cleaning my bathrooms.  Happy weekend, everyone!

Our Third Annual BYU football get-together with Brittney and Sterling

We loved having Brittney and Sterling and their kiddos come to visit for the BYU-UT game!

love.

"chicks dig me"

bathtime FUN!

Since when does he look like such a BOY instead of a BABY?!  waaaaaaah!

Jammy time!

We love them.
Come visit us again, soon!
(And thanks for all these pictures!!)

Puzzling.

One morning I woke up and remembered a slice of a dream I had.

And it was this genius vision about something.  And I remembered smiling in my half-awake state just thinking about how marvelous this idea was.

But then when I woke up completely, I had forgotten most of it.  (Does this ever happen to anyone else?  Just nod.  Thanks.)

But one part I remember was that the idea was about friendship.

More specifically it was an analogy about my human experience being a jigsaw puzzle.

I was thinking about how my parents sort of provided the border of the puzzle for me.  Boundaries, upbringing--you know, it shapes who you are.  But one can hardly think they are "done" growing up once they leave for college.  And in my case--I got married at 18--a baby, practically.

So in my idea, I was thinking, so how does the puzzle get finished?

The idea that came to my head was that all of my friends that I have ever had are a puzzle piece.  Their strengths fit with my weaknesses.  I learn things from them, they learn things from me.  And they have all helped to finish the work that my parents started.

Don't get me wrong--I still learn a lot from my parents.  But I really think there have been (and still are) life lessons that I can only learn from specific people.  I look at my personality as it is today, and I see fragments and pieces that I've been collecting from friends along the way.

Just when I think I've learned everything there is to know about me, I make a different friend, and I learn something else--something I need to improve, or maybe even something I'm good at.

Much to my surprise, most of this has been a product of girlfriends I've had over the past 8 years or so.  I didn't have many good girlfriends in high school.  But I've realized how important having good girlfriends is to me now.  It's how I learn to be better--a better friend, a better wife, a better mother.

Because of this potential for personal growth that we woman offer each other, I feel strongly that satan desires nothing more than to destroy it.  Women have the tendency to be gossipers, backbiters, jealous, envious, and other less-than-attractive qualities.  Can't we all just realize where this comes from??  It's most definitely not the working of the Spirit.

Two women uplifting and helping each other can have great and important influence in their personal growth, the development of their families, and the well-being of those around them.  On the flip-side two women brought down with jealousy and bitterness can do the exact opposite--creating stress, feelings of depression, and ultimately a loss of the Spirit.

I've been in both situations, and lately, I've just decided I want nothing to do with the second option.  There's so much potential for good to come in my life from seeking out good examples and friends to surround myself with.  I'm so grateful for the many puzzle pieces I've had so far in my life that have helped to shape me into the person I want to become.

I just love my life so far.