Mama's Visit

Week before last, Mama flew out to stay with me while Matt was on a business trip to the Netherlands. I don't think Matt has caught up on sleep yet, he is still falling asleep at like 8pm everynight, after losing 48 hours of sleep from travel. I am so glad that my mama could be here. The boys loved having her and so did I. I needed her to be here. I really hope my boys will one day feel how I feel about my mom with me. As I have gotten older and had kids of my own, I have had just a glimmer into the angel she really is. She just brought me instant peace and comfort, something I wouldn't have had with Matt gone on my own. I love that. She got to stay from Tuesday to Sunday and I wanted her to stay longer.

Silly, same as when Brandi came. Not a one, not even one picture was taken of us, so this one was from this summer when I visited her. The art work behind us is actually my Papa's watercolor paintings. Mama and my Uncle Rob have worked to get a collection of his artwork into this Gallery Studio Tour the first week in November in Dallas/Plano, TX area. My Papa was a great artist and jeweler. None of that talent landed in my genetic makeup. Marcie is our resident artist, and jeweler taking after our beloved Papa. Anyway, while mama was here, we took the kiddos to the zoo. It was kind of an adventure. The boys were good, but the zoo had so much construction it was a little rough to navigate, and we got our lunch just in the nick of time before they sent everyone in line packing b/c the water main broke. We did get to see tons of animals, and Colby absorbed way more than I thought he did. It was a good trip.

Colby's fav animals were the Lions and the Tigers, but I had to throw the cheetah picture in there for Auntie Marcie. We told him all about how that was his Auntie's favorite animal when she was little. The zebra was gorgeous. I just want to crop that picture and blow up the stripes for some fun project!

The only pictures we got seemed to be the backs of everyone, and mostly animal shots. Why do we do that? What do you do with a bunch of pictures of animals anyway?

Brody really did enjoy seeing all the animals but his favorite part was the petting zoo.

Colby, I think, had the most fun on all the play grounds. he loved the big rope set up like a spider web.

Brody was such a good boy. He just let me take him in and out of that stroller and waited so patiently while Colby was galavanting around. What a good boy.

I really wanted to get a cute shot of Colby coming out of this totally fun slide, but this woman was right in my shot and she kept, I am serious, posing for my shots. I have several shots of her totally smiling and hamming it up with Colby. I was so annoyed. I cut her out as best I could.

Mama and Brods taking a break in the shade.

Ahh, yes, Brody's favorite place, the petting zoo. Ummm not so much my favorite place. Goats are not let's say the cleanliest of animals. Gross, but Brody was so darn happy running from goat to goat and squealing when he got to walk right up and touch it. He was fun to watch.

We had an awesome week, and I can't wait for Mama to come again. She has always been extremely loving and attentive. I love that she just listens to me, and really listens, not just hears me. I probably talked her ear off about the things I needed to get off my chest and the things only a mom can fix. She brought the boys the sweetest little prizes and read books to Colby every night. We aren't going to make it for Thanksgiving or Christmas this year, and I am so sad. Aaron and Angela just moved into their beautiful new home in McKinney and they are going to have Christmas at their house. It would have been fun to stay with them and see the new house. We will for sure be visiting everyone in Texas early spring...at the latest I hope. Until then, I get to satisfy my longing for good ole Texas by going on a little trip to Austin with Matt. Matt has to go recruit at UT for Intel and we get to make a nice getaway out of it thanks to Mike and Taya! I am so excited to see Marcie and have some much needed sister time! Can't wait to see you Maudie! And, hopefully my Dad will be here at Thanksgiving. On Halloween he leaves on a mission trip to India. It is a medical mission and he is not sure of his roll yet, but I know it will deeply impact him. I can't wait to hear the stories and pray for his safe return. Mama, I love you, I miss you, and I am so proud of you for enduring all that you have endured! You have always taught me to hold my head up high and be positive! More soon...

My Brag Book

Years ago my Grandma Lyman (my Dad's mom) gave me this brag book. I stumbled upon it when I was at my mom's this summer, and yes that is me with Marcie (my sister). We still will never live down our hideously short boy hair cuts that my dad gave us himself (I think he secretly wanted us to be boys j/k). In the picture on the right I am rockin the chili-bowl cut! Being a kid was tough hugh? Anyhoo, it got me thinking, this blog is really my children's brag book...and mine somewhat continued into adulthood, a hopefully polite way to say look what we did, and aren't we cute...without really bragging too much. Hopefully, when my little guys are not so little anymore, they can look back it this brag book and laugh at themselves and have fond memories of their childhood too. So here's what we have been up to this month.

Colby and Matt scalped and overseeded our lawn for winter grass. We always have fun doing this believe it or not. The mowing takes a while. You have to mow it like 3 or 4 times to get the bermuda low enough to allow the seed to take.

Matt let Colby take the reins and mow the straight stretches by himself. He was thrilled, you could just see this twinkle in his eye.

Colby loves to help spread the seed and even though we end up with big clumps of dense grass from Colby dumping piles of seed in random places it doesn't matter. I love the winter grass. It is so soft to the touch, and you can roll around in it and not be itchy later. It's the perfect time to enjoy it here in AZ because the weather is just so beautiful most of the winter.

On the 10th we headed out to this place called Vertuccio Farms early in the morning. It was so fun. We had been to another pumpkin patch in Mesa the last 2 years and honestly it was pretty gross, so we checked out this place, and I am so glad we did. Colby "milked" a cow.

We rode huge sturdy tricyles, jumped in a bouncy house, drove pedal powered go carts (that were so big Matt fit), we got to look at and pet pigs, goats, a donkey, and a cow,and they had this cool pizza farm that was the shape of a pizza and each slice grew or grazed something that would make pizza.

The farm had the cutest little train made from barrels and it was painted like cows. That was super fun. Our driver was a little crazy and it was just us and one other little girl.

To top it all off we got to (partially) go through the biggest corn maze ever! You have to check it out, it was so cool. http://www.vertucciofarms.com/Corn_Maze_2009.html

We had a blast picking out our pumpkins and Colby picked the biggest pumpkin we have ever had. Colby hauled them to the car for us and we headed home. It was fantastic. So that catches you up until mid October.

Simple Joys

I had the best morning. We have finally broken our 100 degree weather and it is so beautiful out! I couldn't resist going out for a run this morning. It was 68 degrees! Who wants to be in the gym on a treadmill when you can be out in this loveliness! I jogged around Power Ranch and found some new trails, even a bridge that goes under Germann, so I can cross that crazy street without being hit! The boys had a blast playing in the new little park we found. It was just my own little bliss, and after being sick all last week and not being able to exercise, it felt awesome to get my exercise high again!

Brody has been so cute lately. I love this age! He just has the chunkiest little legs and cheeks and he is starting to say all kinds of words...it is just precious. Well this morning he reverted back to baby talk, and he was getting a kick out of himself. It reminded me of the what Colby said to me the other day in the car. Brody was fussing and I was trying to calm him down, saying something like "it's okay we're almost home...and Colby says..."He doesn't speak your words mama, he only speaks baby words like gaga and baba." Oh, Brody if only your Aunties could be here to eat this up with me!!

Forever In A Day

It seems like forever-in-a-day since I have blogged. I was thinking, I have nothing to blog about, my life is just boring day to day tasks of raising two boys and trying to stay sane most days. But then I remembered a quote from Marjorie Hinkley, and my boring little existence, while I am not sure it compares to Sister Hinkley's, didn't seem so boring anymore....it's the day-to-day simple things that in the end are so beautiful. So I am going to blog my boring details! I know one day I will look back at these simple moments and cherish them.

"I don't want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car, wearing beautifully, tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and with long, perfectly manicured fingernails.

I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to scout camp.

I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbors children.

I want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails from helping to weed someone's garden.

I want to be there with children's sticky kisses on my cheeks and the tears of a friend on my shoulder.

I want the Lord to know I was really here and that I really lived."

— Marjorie Pay Hinckley

Brody and I had so much fun Tuesday night rolling around on Colby's bed. He loves Colby's bed. We had so much fun giggling and playing peek-a-boo. I cherish these moments with Brody, I find myself enjoying baby more, the second time around, and I just don't want him to grow up!

Last week Colby must have eaten something rotten. He spent most of the wee hours of Thursday morning throwing up in our room (It won't be peanut butter smeared on my shirt-like sister Hinkley) He was so tired the next day, but woke up early still, he just kept going like that all weekend, until Saturday afternoon, he just sacked out on our bed. Sleeping children are just so precious! I love steeling kisses and peeks while my kiddos are sleeping.

Brody loves the bath tub, he screams to get in, even before the water is in there. He got this cute hoodie towel for his birthday and he was so cute we had to snap a few pictures.

Last week, Colby and I found this beautiful hummingbird feeder on clearance. We had so much fun learning about hummingbirds and making the sugar water to feed them, but we weren't sure if they would like it, b/c they didn't seem to like the other little feeder I have. To our surprise they loved it! I think it was the food, I had bought a pre-packaged kind before, but it turns out that they love the homemade stuff. We know have lots of hummingbird friends that Colby talks to and watches. I am a sucker for nature, probably because my mom & dad made us watch all those darn PBS series with David Attenburrough. Funny thing, if they were still on, I'd probably watch them! :)

While we were watching the hummingbirds we played outside

Oh yeah, Daddy had his 31st birthday! Poor Daddy doesn't even get a picture. Brody played in the box of peanuts from a present, and Colby burried stuffed animals in the box of peanuts and shipped them to mom and dad from his shipping company later that afternoon.

Brody had just gotten up from his morning nap and his hair was standing on end, I just can't stand it, I love that fuzzy bed head! He was eating lunch so I snapped some most precious shots.

It's gonna be really hard to tell this little boy "no" look at those puppy eyes.

So that's it, in a long nutshell, my boringness displayed for all of you to read...or never even make it this far because you were too bored....but I am now counting my blessings for my so-called boring weeks.

One of Many Firsts

Today Brody got his first hair cut. He was so mellow!! He really just sat there and hardly moved. He was so adorable just sitting there and looking at himself in the mirror, a regular old pro. Matt's sweet cousin Kora cut his hair. She made this perfect little curl of hair in the back and then cut it for me to keep. Then lucky me, I got my hair cut and colored too, and Brody was an angel to say the least. While my hair was getting washed he kept saying "ba ba, " the boy loves his baths...he cries to get in before there are even two drops in the tub so he was eyeballing the sink and wanting to get wet too. I can't be sure but I think he said cracker or thank you...when I gave him a graham cracker. Brody you are such a sweet boy and I love you to pieces!

Ode To Bear-Bear

For me it was a blanket that I literally loved to shreds...for Brody it is this blue chenille bear. He loves this bear so much. Grandma Shirley gave this bear to Brody before he was born. She got it at a little boutique in New Port Beach, CA and gave it to us when we were there in June 2008. Here he is all brand new. He has the softest most cuddly fur ever and he started off as a decoration in the crib. Matt and I started putting him in the crib with Brody when he was about 5 or 6 months old, and then when we began laying him down for naps we gave him this bear along with his binky to comfort him.

Brody has been such a good sleeper. He goes down with out a fuss, as long as he has his bear. He reaches for it as soon as we lay him down and he cuddles with it the whole night. It is the sweetest thing.

He's been loved and it shows...

Where Brody goes...bear-bear goes

A little tattered, not as soft....but oh so loved.

His favorite part...the tag...he chews it, strokes it and carries bear-bear by it.

I'm sure he will get much more tattered than this, but there is nothing sweeter than a child's lovey! If he's anything like me, he might even take it to college with him. It will be fun to see those pictures down the road....

Kids Say The Darndest Things

Colby is so funny at this age! I love the thoughts and sentences that flow from his little mouth. He just cracks us up! I have to take some time to write out the Colby-isms that have been spilling from these little lips for the past few months. Maybe you'll get them, maybe you won't, but I have to write them down for me!

Just a few since July.....

On eating dinner..."I want to taste it before I say yuck mama."

While watching Incredibles with Meghan... " I know some parts but I lose some of the rememberings of other parts."

On the way to the cabin with Auntie Brandi..."I can remember all my rememberings, my memories from when I was a little boy, but the only thing I can't remember was how cute I was."

What he wants to be when he grows up..."I wanna be a police man." Pause....mom and dad say "That is cool Colby." Colby continues..."No, I wanna be a money man like daddy and I am gonna sit right next to him unless somebody takes my spot, then I will sit wherever I want, I just don't know how to get up the ele-bator (elevator)...pause...or maybe I will just sell camel-lope (cantelope)."

Just so you know...."Gummies" (Guppies) are his new fish. The name of his first fish, a molly is, "Blackey" and then new "gummies" names are, "fast road runner"(black one)" and "Look Out" (orange one).

On why he named the fish what he did..."Well, Blackey is black mama, and "Fast Road Runner" swims really fast away from that net, and "Look Out" doesn't know what trouble is coming his way so he has to look out."