Shane Family

2012 Family Pics!

2012-01-29T08:19:00.002-07:00

I can't believe I'm just now getting to posting these, but better late than never!

I guess I've been thinking a lot about my kids right now and my role as their mother. As I was in the shower today and my kids were all playing on the floor in the bathroom, I wondered to myself why they have to follow me around everywhere. First, I'm cooking in the kitchen and they are surrounding me and now I'm showering and they are less than 10 feet way.

This seems to be the trend around here, not just lately but always. I think I may have even asked my mom if we were like that being young and I'm sure she said yes. Then I thought to myself, there will be a day when my kids won't want to be around me anymore and I'm sure I will be completely sad about that. I'm so grateful for my kids and that I'm able to stay home and be with them every day.

I do have a confession to make as well. It seems like recently people have been asking me if having 3 kids has been a lot harder than 2. My first thought is well, no. Lexie has been a great baby and so much fun, so I feel like it hasn't been too much of adjustment. Then lately I have felt like I just can't get anything done and I wondered if it was mainly due to the addition of Lexie. By the time I get Carter off to school, feed Jax and Lexie, breakfast, head to the gym, run a few errands, feed Jaxon and Lexie lunch, put Lexie down for a nap, help Jax with his letters and numbers, clean a bit here and there,

help Carter with his homework when he gets home, fix dinner, eat dinner, spend a little quality time with the family, get kids to bed, it is 9:00 and I look back on the day and think to myself, "What did I do today?" I guess when I say "get things done," I'm not sure really what I mean by that, because I did get a lot of things done. None of my kids went hungry, got injured, and are now safely in their beds getting the rest they need. So I guess, I have to remind myself to enjoy this time and season in life when "getting things done" mainly constitutes of making sure my kids stay healthy and strong and learn how to be good people. Back to the original question, though. Three kids hasn't really been that much of an adjustment. I think there are certain situations when having 3 kids is harder, like getting ready to leave or taking the kids anywhere by myself. Just having one extra person to get ready, has been a bit of a struggle at times, but I wouldn't change it for a second! :)

Bath time!

2011-11-16T20:29:00.001-07:00

Caution: This posts contain partial nudity...

So I know the last few posts have been about Lexie. Well, maybe the cat's finally out of the bag, she is my favorite. Okay...totally kidding. I better not say that or I'm going to give my boys a complex. I love all my kids equally (like we are supposed to, right). I'm not gonna lie though, it has been really fun to have a girl.

Lexie absolutely loves bath time. Tonight I let her splash around in the tub for about 20 minutes and she was in heaven. As I would say, "Splash, splash," she would splash around. Maybe it is just that her smile melts me...

See what I mean! :) This is her funny scrunched up nose smile. My theory behind this face is that she looks at me when I smile and is trying to mimic my squinty eyes! :)

Our first "mean parent" moment with Lexie

2011-11-10T20:27:00.001-07:00

Pretty much from the day we found out we were having a little girl I was so excited to be able to pierce her ears. I have always had a fetish with cute little earrings on baby girls. I'm silly, I know. I wanted to do it when she was really little (like 2 months or something) and our pediatrician suggested that we wait until 6 months so that she has all of her immunizations. So six months came and went and we finally made it to the jewelry store last month.

The good part about it all was that (of course) Lexie had no idea what was going on. It was the worst for me and Matt because we knew what was coming. She was smiling at the salesperson as happy as could be, until...the snap. The lady told us that the noise was the worst part and what actually made them cry. Sure enough, the minute she snapped the gun (for lack of a better term), I remember looking at Lexie and seeing the look of horror on her face. She held her breath for what seemed like a minute and then let out a gut-wrenching cry. I felt so awful and mean for choosing to inflict this pain upon her (although someday I'm sure she will thank me right?). Luckily the crying only lasted for a few minutes, and we all survived. Isn't she precious?!?!

Where or where has the time gone.

2011-09-01T14:53:00.013-06:00

So honestly, my first-liners of "It's been forever!" or "Where has the time gone" are getting pretty monotonous around here and it's almost funny at this point. I think one of the main reasons it has taken me this long to blog again is I've been trying to figure out how to sum up everything that we have done since Easter. Did I just type Easter? That must have been a typo....nope Easter was the last time I wrote. That means Lexie was 2 months old! Yikes, I'm really bad at this. I guess blogging needs to be bumped to the top of my Weekly To-do list. I'm just going to spew things out as I think of them, so it will be a jumbled mess, but hopefully I can at least count it as a blog catch-up and move forward from here.

In August Uncle Cody came home form his mission to Santa Maria, Brazil. It was so great to see him and even better than that, we got to take a 2+ week vacation to Utah to visit everyone. Unfortunately daddy wasn't able to join us for the whole time because of his new job, but he came at the tail-end of the trip.

The kiddos and I were able to go to cousin Mike and his beautiful new wife Courtney's wedding in Idaho Falls the weekend after we got there. It was beautiful and they are so happy. Attending weddings always make me reflect on our wedding and I can't believe we are almost at our 10-year! Happy times.

We had a great time spending time in Idaho with lots and lots of family. That is one thing we really miss about living far away now is seeing all our family on a more frequent basis. I guess we just have to cherish the time we do have with them and always make the most of it.

We went back to Utah after that and I was able to hang out with aunts Debbie and Janie, Dustin and Amy, and Christy (whose loving husband let her spend a week in Utah without all her kids). I also got to see some old friends from high school and Lehi and it is always fun to catch up.

Cody arrived home on Tuesday, August 16 and we got to meet him at the airport with the banners, balloons, and the sorts. And what airport homecoming wouldn't be complete without a full-size cardboard stand up of Cody with a sign saying, "Have you see me?" A lot of bystanders got a kick out of that one.

Grandma and Grandpa Hill rented a huge inflatable double slide that kept the kids entertained literally all day. I said "literally" because really from the time they set it up (about 11 a.m.) Carter and Scotty played on the slide from then until sundown. I kept thinking they would get bored of going down the same slide over and over again, but they just couldn't get enough. Jax loved it too. I even took my stab at it and had a lot of fun.

Sunday was the Homecoming and it was great to see family come to celebrate. We had a chance to see Great Grandma Shane and Grandpa Shane for a few hours and that was really fun. We headed home Tuesday afternoon and arrived home late Tuesday night.

Carter started 1st grade this year. He has loved it so far and is getting really good at reading. His teacher is teaching him sign language which is very cool and so he comes home and shares it with us every night. Carter is a very good student and the minute he gets home, he pulls out his homework and is reading books and gets his homework finished. I'm impressed by his discipline. Hopefully he will keep it up throughout his school years! I'm crossing my fingers...

Jax started preschool and loves it as well. He asks every day if preschool is today. I think he would want to go every day if I let him. Jax is so fun to have home, even though he likes to test me in every way possible. I have had fun seeing Jax and Lexie interact. Lexie's face seriously lights up when she sees Jax and she gets all excited, waving her arms and kicking her legs. It is almost as if she is anticipating what he is going to do next. I'm glad she doesn't look at him with terror in her eyes, because he does like to mess around with her a lot and he does love to pick her up and play with her, sometimes to her dismay! In fact, the other day, he figured out that he could pull her around the tile floor when she was lying on her silky blanket. She was just laughing and laughing.

Lexie has changed so much and continues to every day. She is now almost 8 months and crawling all over the place. She loves to pull her self up and stand up by the couch and it almost seems if she is so proud of herself when she does so. She is so funny and kind of a stinker at times and definitely has a little "diva" inside. She tries to roll over when I'm changing her diaper and I'm scared for what is in store if she is already being a little tease at only 7 months old. LIke I said above, she loves her brothers and loves that she has mobility. I can barely hold her at times without her trying to jump out of my arms. She has started solid foods and some of her favorites are sweet potatoes, pears, peaches, muffins, oatmeal, and peas and beans (she doesn't like these so much).

That is our life in a nutshell right now.

Easter Fun

2011-04-24T13:48:00.006-06:00

It seem like Easter came and went. It's funny how much having a girl can change things. When I say that I guess I mean, I never "made" anything for my boys. The minute I found out I was having a girl, I got busy making bedding, dolled-up onsies, carseat covers, headbands and bows, and the list goes on and on...

This year, as many of you know, I attempted to sew Lexie a dress for Easter. It turned out pretty good (and had many flaws, which I won't share with you) and I was pretty proud of my first dress. Even if it wasn't perfect, I had so much fun, I believe there will be more dresses and outfits to come.

Of course since I got Lexie all dolled up, I HAD to match the boys. I found some lavendar $10 dress shirts and ties that I thought went perfectly with Lexie's dress and I think they all look adorable.

Our easter was full of egg dying, egg hunts, and most importantly reflection on our Savior and his resurrection. We are so grateful for him and all he has done for us. Happy Easter!

2 months already!

2011-04-24T05:38:00.002-06:00

I could just eat her up!!

They say "Time flies when you are having fun!" We must have been having lots of fun around here because Lexie was born and just the other day I called the doctor's office for Lexie's 2-month appointment! Also, my friend sent me some pictures the other day that she had taken of Lexie when she was about a month old and I can't believe how much she has changed in only a month. I just want to freeze time and I want her to stop growing. Actually, if I could freeze time and stop all of my kids from growing bigger I would.

I love their innocence and I get frightened about their future in this crazy world of ours. I always tell my boys that they need to just stop growing and they tell me that I'm crazy. "Mom, we have to get bigger" or "We want to be big like dad." Well, no matter what my wishes, they continue to grow and unfortunately I can't freeze time. So I guess we will just have to continue having fun...

Lexie Mae Shane

2011-02-20T15:02:00.003-07:00

Lexie made her grand appearance on Friday, February 18, 2011 at 1:44 p.m. She weighed in at a whopping 8 pounds 13 ounces - mack dab in the middle of her brothers with Carter weighing 8 pounds 11 ounces and Jax weighing 8 pounds 15-1/2 ounces. We went in at 6 a.m. and I got hooked up to Pitocin at about 8 a.m. He broke my water at 12:20 and then she quickly came almost an hour later! She is perfect in every way and is a little chubbers. She has the cutest little chubby cheeks that mommy and daddy just can't keep their lips off of! She looks a lot like Jax when he was a newborn. She has been a little sweetheart so far and is the most mellow of all the Shane kids. She really only cries if she is hungry or a little uncomfortable. I really think she is perfect in every way.

Her brothers couldn't love her more, although Jax was a little hesitant at first. He didn't even want to hold her. I think he was just weirded out by the whole thing. A new sister, his mom being in the hospital hooked up to IVs. In fact, he wouldn't even give me a hug because he was freaked out by the IV in my left arm. He was acting out and being kind of naughty the first few days Lexie was home. He has been much better as time has gone on and I'm sure he will only get better. Carter just loves her to pieces. I think he would hold her most of the day if I would let him. Carter and Jax love to kiss her and snuggle her and it takes everything in me to stop them from malling her all day long.

I think daddy is the most in love. He calls her "little darlin' " and he just adores her. He snuggles with her when she is up late at night and mommy needs to go to bed. There is something precious about a daddy's love for his daughter and I love watching it.

Dear Lexie Mae:

2011-02-09T22:11:00.004-07:00

I can't believe I have been pregnant for almost 9 months. I can't believe you, our precious little girl will, make your grand arrival in 9 days. I can't believe such a little thing will take up so much room in our hearts. We can't wait to snuggle you in our arms and call you ours. Your big brothers are going to love you to death. Your daddy is going to fall head over heels in love with you. We can't believe this is happening...

I am scheduled to be induced next Friday, February 18. We can't wait to meet you, our little angel. I dream about what you will look like. Are you bald or do you have cute dark, curly hair? Will people look at you and say, "She looks just like you or she looks just like her dad (or brothers for that matter). We just can't wait to finally welcome you into our family. Your brothers are so excited and ask me every day how many more days until your birthday. I'm sure they will be amazed at how little and perfect their sister is.

Your room is all ready and we have all the essentials in place. We love you Lexie and can't wait to meet you! :) Good luck as you make your journey into this world. We will be ready for you with open arms and lots of hugs, kisses, and snuggles! :)

Love,

Mom, Dad, Carter, and Jaxon

Carter and his best bud! (AKA his dad)

2011-01-31T13:35:00.003-07:00

Matt had to take a quick trip out of town this past weekend and Carter has been greatly affected by it. I know my boys love their dad, but I guess this weekend made me realize just how much of an impact they make on him. Carter has broken down into tears about 5 times since he left. It usually happens at night before bed (maybe due to tiredness), but randomly on occasion as well. He just gets really sad when he thinks about his dad being gone and his eyes well up with tears. I think it is in part due to Carter being similar to me in that he doesn't like change or if things are different than they normally are. However, him and his dad to have a special bond. This morning after realizing that daddy would be home tomorrow he exclaims, "Daddy, will be home tomorrow. I'm so excited! I miss him so much!" I love that they are building a great relationship and I hope it only gets stronger.

Character confusion

2010-12-22T20:54:00.002-07:00

Jax is not a fan of many things that may not seem so scary. For instance, when we went to Carter's school Halloween Parade Jax saw the mascot, a 5-foot tall Eagle. He was terrified and was worried the whole time we were at the school that he would see the Eagle again. He survived that day but for the next few weeks when we would take and pick up Carter from school he would worry that the Eagle was going to be there. I'm not sure if this fear of characters started at Disneyland when he saw Goofy for the first time and about passed out, but nevertheless he has a fear of such things. We have been trying to explain to him that it is just people dressed up in costumes. Well tonight I think the concept finally sunk in.

We were driving around delivering Christmas goodies and we were having the boys take the treats to the doors. When we told the kids that we were going to the bishop's house, Carter got a little nervous (not quite sure why) and said he didn't want to go. We kept encouraging him that he could do it. Then Jax pipes in, "Carter, it's just a costume!" Just had to share.

Carter is getting Smarter!

2010-11-01T21:51:00.006-06:00

Just puttin' around!

Carter loves Smore's and would have them for every dessert if possible. He always asks for dessert after dinner. If we end up having something, he usually takes a few bites and then he is done. He doesn't have a huge sweet tooth.

LOL! That title made me laugh as I was reading it, but it is so very true! I am amazed at how much Carter has learned in his first quarter of school. He is doing some very basic reading and has learned how to sound out many different words. He loves to rhyme and this has even gotten him in trouble a couple of times as he has tried to rhyme words that rhyme with other words. At the same time, sometimes he thinks that if a word has the same number of syllables then it rhymes, so we are still working on this. He can almost read "Go Dog, Go! all by himself. He loves school so much that the minute he gets in the car after I pick him up, he immediately pulls out his binder and shows me all his papers. It still cracks me up though when I ask him what he learns his reply is always, "I don't remember" or "I don't know." I think to myself, it was only 10 minutes ago, how could you forget already. :) Also, the minute he gets home from school he asks if he can start his homework. If it is a Friday and he doesn't have homework, he usually complains about it!

Carter on his first day of school. This happens to be his favorite shirt too. He loves Mustangs!

Carter also just finished his first season of soccer. It was only 6 weeks long, but he had a blast nonetheless. He tends to hang back and follow the other kids kicking the ball, but he did make 2 goals. He also play goalie/defender and he can pretty much boot it from one end of the field to the others so I think he might end up being a good defender! He loved every minute of it, although he told me in the beginning he didn't want to play soccer, only golf. The same coach will be forming a tee ball team in February and he couldn't be more excited. He tells me several times a week that he can't wait for tee ball. I'm glad he is giving them a try and having fun.

Carter and Jax being "Shirt Heads!"

Carter is still very particular and likes things a certain way. He is very good with details and can almost explain instructions from his teacher exactly. (I wonder why he can't remember what he did). He has memorized his address and phone number and is working toward tying his shoes. He gets to go on his first kindergarten field trip tomorrow to a farm and he is super excited.

Carter is really excited to have a little sister. He loves to feel her kick, even though he makes mommy feels bad when he says things like, "Mommy, your tummy is really fat." I think to myself, Just wait, I'm only 5-1/2 months along, you ain't seen nothing yet! He wasn't always so excited as he was shooting for a boy in the beginning. In fact, during the ultrasound after the tech had told us it was a girl, he looks at me and sticks out his tongue because he wanted a boy. I thought it was funny. The idea has grown on him and I'm sure he will be a great big, protective brother.

Carter and Daddy at IHOP before our ultrasound and trip to Utah. After eating there, he said to me, "Mom, can we eat here every time we go somewhere for breakfast?"

Jax's Birthday Bash

2010-09-26T07:41:00.013-06:00

Jax turned 3 this week and the festivities seemed to be ongoing all weekend. I didn't initially have a "theme" for the party but as I was buying all the party decorations it soon turned out to be a BLUE party. I asked Jax what he wanted to do for his birthday and he gave me a list: 1) Go to Sonic and get a drink, 2) Go to McDonald's and play, 3) Go to Chuck E Cheese.Jax woke up to a breakfast of Blue Mickey Mouse pancakes, peaches, and sausage. He got to open one present before daddy went to work which was a truck pulling a trailer with a speed boat attached (definitely his favorite).

Pancake Breakfast

Truck and Trailer

After breakfast I was scheduled to help in Carter's class in school, so Jax got to go to his friend's Reese's house and her mom took them swimming. He had a blast. I felt guilty leaving him for 3 hours on his birthday but when I picked him up and learned he had had so much fun, it made me not feel so bad.

We went and did the Sonic run right after this. Jax wanted a Blue Coconut Slush. After we got out of the drive-through I looked back and asked him if he liked his drink and he was fast asleep. I guess all the partying got to him. Needless to say, Carter and I enjoyed the rewards of this even though Jax didn't get to enjoy it.

Next, we went to a friend's house and made cupcakes. Then we all sat around the table and sang Happy Birthday to him. (I even caught him throughout various times of the day singing the song to himself).

Cupcakes with friends!

Once daddy got home from work we headed to Chuck E Cheese. This was definitely the highlight of the day. We loved watching him run (literally) from game to game. Our booth that we had picked out was right by a wave runner video game where he got to sit on the wave runner and drive. I think he did that one about 10 times before we talked him into trying another one. Some of his other favorites were shooting the water gun at the target, basketball, and the rocket ride (seen below).

The night was not done yet. Our last and final stop for Jax's birthday celebration was Krispy Kreme. The boys love watching the donuts be made, plus did you know that Krispy Kreme will give you a free dozen for your birthday! Can't beat FREE!

Krispy Kreme fun!

Because we were beat after all the fun of the night, we decided to hold off on cake until the next day. I guess it was fun to drag the fun out for another day as well. Jax got a huge cupcake with gumballs garnishing the top(his favorite)! We are so grateful for the fun, laughter and spontaneity Jax brings to our family! Love you bud!

Jaxisms

2010-07-29T06:43:00.008-06:00

Jax has been saying some pretty funny things lately:

Yesterday I asked Jaxon to help unload the dishwasher and he says, "Mom, I don't want to." I said, "Well, this is your job, you have to." Jax, "But, I don't want to." Needless to say, I won that battle. Ever since he says that every time I ask him to stop doing something. "But, I like to."

It has been so hot lately that I've been wearing my hair up most of the time. Jax comes up to me the other day and says, "Mom, put you hair down." Yesterday it was the first thing he said to me when he woke up. I always explain to him that I will put it down after a shower. So now when he asks he follows it up with, "You put your hair down after a shower?" Funny kid.

Jax, like me, is not a big fan of the heat wave here in AZ. He has a hard time getting in his "hot" booster seat and says he's hot almost every time we walk outside. Then if we are eating some warm food, he asks "Mom, Do you like hot?" I say, "Yes, sometimes." He says, "Me like cold." Sooooo cute!

Today Carter and Jax were eating breakfast and Carter was being naughty. Jax turns to Carter and says, "Carter, you are going to make Jesus really sad!"

Jax loves playing with the Geotrax train and uses all of the trains to make one big, huge, long train. He is really serious about it and I will try to catch a video of him being the engineer!

Jaxon has the cutest disposition and sometimes it makes it hard for me to get mad at him (even though there are plenty of times I want to). Most of the time he makes me laugh and I just couldn't love him more!

Utah and Carter's Birthday...finally!

2010-07-08T19:39:00.006-06:00

These pics are from the D-Backs Game for the Fourth of July! I love the huge bobble head guy. Jaxon was deathly afraid of him (of course)!

We had so much fun in Utah and we have been back for a few weeks and to no ones surprise I'm finally getting to blogging about it!

Ragnar was amazing and I had such a blast! The girls on our team were so much fun and I seriously had probably the easiest legs out of anyone (I don't know how I lucked out on that one, maybe they know my secret that I'm a wussy runner)! I was definitely grateful that my last leg was only 3.2 miles too because I was beat after having only 4 hours of sleep on a hardwood, nursing room floor. I was grateful for shelter, a place to sleep, and a real bathroom though so I really can't complain!

I couldn't help but feel a little guilty the whole day on Saturday knowing I was missing Carter's birthday. To my relief though, when I got to my parents' on Saturday night I learned that Carter had been spoiled from the moment he woke up with a pancake breakfast, presents, Sonic for lunch, bowling, and Toy Story 3. Then I was just sad I missed all the fun! What would I do without grandma, grandpa, and Aunt Debbie, Janice, Kaylee, and Katie! You guys saved me... XOXO!!

We had a great time visiting Utah and I think it was harder to come back to AZ then actually moving and coming down the first time. I guess I knew that we would be coming back in a month for Ragnar when we moved, and now I don't know when I will be back next. Guess I better get something planned.

On our way home from Utah we stopped by Lake Powell for a few nights with my grandma and grandpa, Kaylee, Brooke and Troy and their family. We had such a great time and that was a great way to end our vacation...

Today we finally celebrated Carter's birthday with all his new friends. He wanted a race car birthday, so I did my best to live up to that request. We played a few games, ate pizza, opened presents, and someone hid the cake so we had to do a treasure hunt to find the cake. That was definitely the highlight of the party, as all the kids were screaming and having a great time searching the house for clues. If anyone wants a good idea that will be a hit at a birthday party I suggest this new favorite!

I finally feel like we are settling in and we are getting used to the hot weather (as much as you can). Carter and Jaxon love the pool and Carter is becoming quite the little swimmer. We went to a friend's house yesterday to swim and Carter took off his floaties and started floating and holding his breath under the water for the first time. I need to get him in lessons.

Utah Baby!!

2010-06-16T08:52:00.002-06:00

So after only a month living in AZ I'm headed back to Utah for Ragnar and a visit with family and friends! On the way to St. George yesterday I had a cute conversation with Carter.

Carter: "Mom, Are you excited to see your sister, Brooke?"

Me: "Yes."

Carter: "Cuz you miss her and love her?"

Me: "Yes, I do."

Carter: "Good. I miss Darrin and I'm excited to see him too, cuz he is my cousin."

Too cute.

PB&J, Being HOT, Socks at bedtime, and Kids Club!

2010-06-11T16:32:00.004-06:00

So Carter is OBSESSED with PB& J. I usually give the boys a few different options for lunch time and lately the answer is always PB&J - even if it happens to not be an option. Lucky for me, it's easy to make, cheap, and semi-healthy (especially if you use Orowheat Double Fiber bread)! I would say in the past week he has had a PB&J sandwich about 10 times. Sometimes he has it in lieu of cereal for breakfast or for a midafternoon snack. He just can't get enough!

Now that we are in the 100 plus degree weather it feels stinkin' hot. I keep saying, "It's hot!" Every time we go outside Carter says, "I love being hot!." Even yesterday when I told him it was too hot to ride his bike (105), he says, "Mom! Remember...I LOVE being hot!" Needless to say he won that battle and rode his bike :) Luckily the sprinklers in the grassy common area down the street turned on and they ran through them to cool down!

Jaxon on the other hand doesn't care for the heat. Every time we walk outside in the middle of the day or get in the car, he moans..."Mom, it's hot!" and detests getting in his car seat (I don't blame him, as those metal buckles can get super hot). Funny how different they are!

One other thing Carter is persistent about is wearing socks to bed. First of all, I can't stand to wear socks anytime of the year, but especially not in the middle of the AZ summer. We have to tried to explain to him night after night that he will get hot, but guess what he says..."I love being HOT mom." Guess that's not gonna work with him. :)

Yesterday we also went to something at the mall called Kids Club and they get to sing and dance, go to a movie and ride the carousel for free! Here are the boys riding the carousel. Carter had to ride on the eagle!

I'm a Big Kid Now!

2010-06-02T14:57:00.003-06:00

We have definitely started to settle in and it is amazing how much the boys have grown to love it here in such a short period of time. There are a whole bunch of kids on our street and we love living on a cul-de-sac. It will be hard to live anywhere but a cul-de-sac now that we do. For the first few days here I kept asking the boys if they wanted to go back to Utah (since I really wanted to). To my surprise, they both said, "No." l asked Carter if he wanted to because I did and he said, "Mommy you can go back and I'll stay here with daddy!" I love it! Matt and his boys have been really good buds lately and I love to see that father-son bond grow stronger every day.

Carter met a huge milestone last night: He learned how to ride without training wheels! It was amazing how fast he picked up on it. When we moved we had taken his training wheels off for the ease of packing his bike. I kept telling him we needed to try riding his bike without training wheels and he said, "No mom, we need to put the training wheels back on." Yesterday I decided to have the boys ride their bikes down to the mailbox down the street. I held onto the bike pretty much the entire way from the mailbox back home. When we got back to the cul-de-sac, I was distracted and next thing I know he had figured out how to get on his bike and he kept his balance for about 15 seconds. Then he did it again, and again, staying on longer each time. It was the craziest thing as I was for sure he would have to experience a few bumps and bruises before he learned how.

Also, Arizona is on a modified year-round school too, so Carter actually starts school on July 20 and I just found out that it is full-day kindergarten. I'm not sure how I feel about all-day kindergarten but I guess we will soon find out. Last school year I had a friend whose little girl was going to kindergarten and she was so sad. I thought to myself that she was crazy and I thought I would just be excited for this new adventure for him. I am excited for him, but I am very sad that he will be gone ALL day long. I know he is ready for it though and it is the next big step for him. I just can't believe he is my son as it seems like just yesterday I was rocking him to sleep.

P.S. Unfortunately we left our camera in Utah, so I will post pictures as soon as I can retrieve it! :)

The Whole Story...

2010-05-13T23:21:00.005-06:00

So a few of you wanted to hear the "whole story" of why we are making this move to AZ. Have you ever known with all your heart that you needed to do something but you knew it would be really hard and so you were totally resistant against it? This is how I feel in this situation and this is how it all started.

Matt's current (well past now) employer had been talking about expanding his business to a bigger facility. When Matt did his rotations for PT School he worked in Queen Creek, AZ for a PT who had a therapy pool. Matt saw how beneficial pool therapy was in treatment and thought that maybe they could implement that into this new facility. He decided to call this PT with a pool to get some details on cost and the benefits so he could present it to his boss. He called him up, and he gave him a little information but then said, "Hey, why don't you just come work for me?" He flew Matt down there and gave him more details about the job, which were amazing. From the get-go I had a feeling it was something that we needed to do, but I was SO resistant because it would be hard. Hard because I was so comfortable in my beautiful new house with my amazing neighborhood and my amazing ward and friends.

Matt liked his job, but they hadn't lived up to their end of the bargain and now that Matt saw what he could have, we realized that he had to jump on it. I tried to come up with different options. Maybe he could just get a new job somewhere else in Utah and we could just stay here. It wasn't that easy though because this had fallen into our laps and we believe it wasn't just by chance.

We contemplated, prayed, and stressed long and hard over the decision, but I think we knew from the start that this was something we just had to do. Really in my head it all doesn't make any sense. Why would we sell this house that we barely built? Why would we leave this place where I finally feel like I fit in and have grown to love so many people?

So where do we go from here? We make the big move to Arizona because we know for some reason we are supposed to be there. We remember our friends and try not to cry every time we think about them. We put ourselves out there and make new friends. We make our new house a home. We love our neighborhood and all our new neighbors even if they drive us nuts and we can't stand them. We remember that we are supposed to be there and this was the right decision even though it was the hardest thing to do and remember that we will be stronger for doing it.

It's Official! Back to the AZ heat we go!

2010-05-03T22:44:00.005-06:00

So for those who haven't heard our big news, its official! The Shane family is headed back down to the heat of AZ. It is quite the interesting story how all of this came to be and anybody who wants to hear the story can let me know. It has been a super hard transition for me but I'm getting okay with the idea and things are all falling into place nicely.

We will miss all of our great friends and neighbors and I start crying every time I realize this is actually happening and we are leaving all these wonderful people we have come to love! :(

Matt actually left for AZ last Sunday and I will be joining him on May 15-16.

New adventure here we come! :) and :(

More to come...

Cereal Suicide

2010-04-05T08:17:00.002-06:00

This might just be one of the most random posts ever, but its something I need to remember. When younger, I used to get soda fountain drinks called "suicides." This consisted of many various types of soda. Sometimes it would be grape, orange, and root beer (why did I ever think that tasted good?) or root beer, Coke, and Dr. Pepper. Carter's new thing lately has been what we like to call "cereal suicide." He wants various types of cereal mixed together. The combination is different every morning but this morning's combination put me over the top. He has been mixing Fruit Loops and Apple Jacks together, which to me makes sense as they are essentially the same thing. Then he added Pops, which seemed a little strange to me. Today he wanted all 4 boxes of cereal in our pantry mixed together: Fruit Loops, Apple Jacks, Pops, and Frosted Flakes. Hmm...interesting but he ate it and didn't complain!

Pee Pee is coming! Pee Pee is coming!

2010-03-22T08:14:00.002-06:00

"Pee Pee is coming! Pee pee is coming," Jaxon exclaims as he circles around the kitchen island. That kids seriously kills me!

I'm happy to say that Jaxon is about 99% potty trained! I'm sorry to say that we can't take much credit because Jaxon pretty much just decided he was going to do it.

It all started when Matt and I were with the boys at Costco about 2 weeks ago. I looked at that huge, almost 4o-dollar box of diapers and said to Matt, "I really don't want to buy another box of diapers." That was when we decided to really try and potty train him. We bought him his special "potty treats" and we were on our way. So the next day the potty training began. He did really well the first day and only had 1 or 2 accidents. The second day I thought to myself that this was too easy. If I let him out of my sight he would have an accident. We changed his clothes about 5 times that day and this made for a very frustrated mother. The third day it was like he woke up and was ready to go because he only had one accident. It has been about 5 days now that he has woken up with dry diapers in the morning and has had no accidents! Horray!

I feel like he was a lot easier to train than Carter, and like I said before when Jaxon decides to do something he will do it!

We're Back and We Had a Blast!

2010-02-24T14:36:00.006-07:00

I always have "vacation let down" when I get home from a vacation, so I had to wait a few days to post or else it could have been kind of gloomy. I always hate getting back into "real life." Maybe I'll just have to work on making every day a vacation! :)

So we headed out on Wednesday and we were going to stop in St. George for the night as we didn't leave until about 6:30/7:00. By the time we got to St. George, the boys were both asleep so we decided to keep on driving. We made it all the way to Primm, Nevada and got a room for $25. We woke up the next morning, grabbed some quick breakfast, and headed to Anaheim. Matt got a little sidetracked and started heading towards San Diego, so we ended up going about 45 minutes out of our way. We got back on track and arrived at the Disneyland Hotel. We checked in and our room wasn't ready so we browsed the gift shop, checked out the pools, drove the motorized boats, and ran into Goofy. Jaxon was not happy about this and was deathly afraid of him (and all of the characters for that matter). We got some pictures with Goofy and they texted us that our room was ready. (What did we ever do without cell phones?)

We dropped off our luggage in the room, grabbed the strollers and some waterbottles, and started our Disneyland Adventure. I loved seeing the boys eyes light up when they walked into the park. It really is magical there. We got to ride the Monorail over and the boys were ecstatic to ride on the "fast train." We went on the Finding Nemo ride first and only waited in line for about 15 minutes. It was great and was pretty much like that the entire rest of the day. We pretty much walked on Small World (Grandma Jo's favorite ride and I think Jaxon's too). We took Carter on Space Mountain and he wasn't a huge fan. After he said, "I don't like that fast, dark ride." Needless to say we didn't take him on that ride again, but he was a trooper and very trusting of us to go on pretty much any ride we took him on. Jaxon loved riding the train around the park and I think he would have rode that all day if he could.

The next morning we woke up and headed to California Adventure. The lines once again weren't very long and our first ride was The Grizzly Adventure. There was NO line for this ride and after we hopped off the ride soaking wet we realized why! :) California Screaming was one of Matt and my favorites. Carter was just a hair too short to go on it and was bummed. Carter, Jaxon, and Grandma were at the start of it counting down and that was fun to see them before we took off. The Toy Story Ride was a hit where you get shoot "virtual" balls at targets, even though that was the longest wait at a whopping 45 minutes! It seemed like FOREVER as the other lines were so short. We were truly spoiled. Carter really liked Soarin' over California and the Tower of Terror (surprisingly). We got to see and take pictures with Minnie, Mickey, Donald, Pluto, Chip and Dale, and Goofy. We ate yummy sour dough bread bowls. One of the highlights for me was the Pixar Parade. We saw, Lightning, Mater, Monsters, Nemo, After all our fun, we headed back to the hotel to watch the fireworks. What a great idea that was, as it started to rain. The boys were beat and feel asleep quickly that night.

The next morning we had Magic Morning from 7 to 8 a.m. (crazy what we wake up early for). This was a great time to take advantage of NO lines, especially in Fantasy Land where most of the kid rides are. We did teacups, carousel, Dumbo, Toad's Wild Ride (the boys did not like that one), Dumbo again, and the Blasters in Tomorrowland. Carter, Matt, and I went on Indiana Jones, Spalsh Mountain, and Big Thunder Railroad all in a few hours. On Splash Mountain we got done and there were no lines so the attendant asked if we wanted to go again. Carter looks at him and says "NO" really loudly. Guess he didn't like that one too much. We ate at Rainforest Cafe which was a fun experience and then we headed home.

It was a quick trip and went by way too fast, but we had such a blast. I think I'm already planning a trip back for next year!

Funny stuff

2010-02-12T11:12:00.004-07:00

So I mentioned that we have been trying to potty train Jaxon and it hasn't been going very well. However, we can occasionally get Jaxon to try, especially if Carter is going. So this morning Carter invited Jaxon to go pee with him and he accepted. After Carter had done his business and Jaxon was still "trying," Carter said, "What the..." Then Jaxon chimes in, "Heck?" It was pretty funny. they went on like that for a while with Jaxon completing his sentences. I'm sure they got that from me and it just reminds me that I need to continue to be careful what I say around them. They don't miss a beat!

Also, Carter has been "sneaking" down to the bottom bunk to sleep with Jaxon. Today he says to his friend Tyler, "I sleep on the top bunk when my mom is here and then when she leaves I sleep on the bottom with my brother." What a little sneak!!

Jaxon's must-haves

2010-02-07T21:52:00.005-07:00

Carter has always been very particular about things and so I thought surely Jaxon would have to be better and more easy going. Much to my dismay...Jaxon is very, very particular and maybe even worse. I wonder where he gets it from? :) Lately he has been very insistent on picking out his own clothes. He has 2 Nike sweatsuits and if he is so lucky to pick out his outfit for the day, it is usually between one of those. I think he likes to be comfy, but more than that both outfits have pockets in the front which he loads up with cars, random toys, and the sort. Oh yeah...and don't forget his "phone." It is hilarious to watch him. He walks around the house, pulls out his phone, and "talks" to someone (usually grandma or grandpa) and is on his way again. Another thing he is insistent on is sitting on the bathroom counter when he brushes his teeth. He has to get up all by himself and uses the toilet as a stepstool. If the toilet seat and cover are not down, I have to close it while he plugs his ears. He also likes to have his blanket on his lap when he eats breakfast or watches Mickey Mouse in the morning. He has to pick out his spoon for his cereal. He loves to wear his "Run shoes." He loves his "sippy cups," gummies, cheese, and yogurt. He is also getting really good at riding his Razor scooter, which really impresses me as I can barely keep my balance on those things. One other cute thing he did was when I was making a cake for dinner group the other night, Jaxon looks at it and says excitedly, "Happy Birthday to me!" I tried to explain that it wasn't his birthday, but he wouldn't have it by repeating, "Happy Birthday to me." I love this kid!

Oh yeah, and he loves to wears Daddy's shoes around the house (or boots).

So Amazed

2010-02-04T08:24:00.005-07:00

Our kids are growing in leaps and bounds and we are really trying to savor every memory and moment. I saw a picture of Carter the other day when he was 2 and I can't believe he is almost 5 and will be going to kindergarten this year. I never thought I would be sad, but as it gets closer and closer, I do get sad. Sad because I no longer have control of all that goes on in his day. Sad because we can't play the "Snake game" any more. Sad because I can't protect him from so-called "bullies." Sad because he can't be the DJ for our cleaning parties. I am excited for him to progress and even more excited because he is ready. I'm amazed at how he has progressed this year so far in preschool. I recently saw how well he wrote his name on a bag from a birthday party he attended and it made me smile.

He also got to be the "spotlight" for preschool and loved every minute of it. He got a sticker, bookmark, necklace and best of all got to bring "Timmy the Tiger" home. We had so much fun showing Timmy all our toys and he even helped shovel some snow. You always year the cliche that kids grow up to fast and I never thought I would think that, but I think I do.

Fro No Mo!

2010-01-23T09:59:00.007-07:00

So Matt always jokes that he is the last one to get his haircut. This time it is really true and this is the result of about 3 months with out a haircut! I swear for the past month I would ask him every day if I could cut it. He finally broke down last night and said, "I'm done with long hair."

I wish I could give you a better perspective of how much hair it actually was.

End result...

Picture to come soon!

I walked out of our bedroom to see him on the computer after his butch job and had to do a double take cause it was such change. Glad to have my clean-cut husband back. :)

Soccer fun!

2010-01-09T20:46:00.002-07:00

It is about time to post some pictures of the boys, so I will work on that tomorrow. Just a few things for the day....I started out the day in a good way...A trip to the temple and then a run after that. I was feeling great by the time 10:30 rolled around. I then made breakfast for Matt and his biking buddies and snuck a piece or two of the Kneaders French Toast with home made buttermilk syrup. This is really the most amazing entree you could ever have for breakfast (or any meal for that matter).

We went to Matt's indoor soccer game and I was glad that the boys were able to expend some energy as they don't get the chance to run around outside. As we were walking into the building, Jaxon looks at me and starts clapping, "Clap?" he says. "Oh, are you going to clap?" He answers, "Yeah." and "Yay, yay, yay!" Me, "Oh, you're going to cheer and say, Yay! "Yeah Mommy!" Too cute. I love that he is figuring it all out. Jaxon also always says, "Cuz." Jaxon, why did you do that? "Cuz." Why do you want to wear that? "Cuz." Why? "Cuz." He cracks me up. I've got to remember this.

I'm a big fan

2010-01-07T21:52:00.003-07:00

Not much to report today, but I have failed to mention one of my most favorite things I have started a few months ago. Some ladies in my ward started dinner groups. A lot of them have dissolved, but I started one with two friends Mindi and Tiff and it has been a dream. There is nothing better than only having to cook dinner about 2 or 3 times a week. Actually, I don't mind cooking it, I just hate planning dinners and having to figure out what we are going to have! Drives me crazy! We would have cold cereal every night if it was more healthy! I'm so grateful it has worked out and and I swear food tastes so much better when you don't have to make it!

Another thing I will never understand...Why my boys have 500 toys to play with but would rather be in the kitchen running around the kitchen island and slapping me on the butt when they run by!

Awakening

2010-01-06T21:27:00.002-07:00

Our parenting skills were really put to the test today, and I think we got the first taste of a really tough parenting situation. I went to my friend, Mindi's, house to work out this morning. On our way out the door to head home, Carter runs downstairs really fast and comes back up and quickly heads outside. As we got back to our house, he was acting really strange. He had his hands in his pockets and it occurred to me that he was hiding something. I asked him what was in his pocket and he said, "Don't look at me mommy." Something he usually says when he has done something he doesn't want us to know about. Come to find out, he had taken a compass and metal jet from my friend's house. I knew what had to be done, and as I explained to Carter that he needed to take the toys back to his friend's house and apologize, he instantly started crying and working things out in his head. He kept saying, "Mommy, you say it." I explained, of course, that this had to be something he did since he took the toys. I called Matt at work to get his opinion on how we should handle this situation and he talked to Carter for a little bit again explaining that he had to go over and apologize. It took him about an hour and a half to get up the courage to do it, but he eventually did. He took the toys back and said he was sorry. He said a little bit later, "Mommy, I feel better now." "Why?" I asked. "Because, I took the toys back and said I was sorry." Hopefully this is a lesson learned.

Day #2...Check

2010-01-05T15:28:00.003-07:00

Here goes the blurb of the day. For some reason, (although the more I talk to other moms it is not so uncommon) Jaxon and Carter have to be in the same room as me at all times. This makes it interesting when I take a shower. I really won't go into it, but today Jaxon was playing around in the bathroom as I was getting ready. As I finished he said, "All done?" I reply, "Yes, I'm all done." Jaxon says back to me, "Mommy, you're pretty." This just made my day.

As we were driving home from Wal-Mart later in the day, Carter started singing the G-Force song? Never heard it? He made it up so you'll have to hear it personally from him if you want to. It was pretty funny! Carter says to Jaxon, "Let's sing the G-Force song." So he starts singing along, "G-Force, da da da da, G-Force." and on and on...

Daily Digest

2010-01-04T17:55:00.002-07:00

Matt says to me last night, "You need to post more on the blog." "Okay, I'll try." I replied. "Yeah, like every day," he adds.

Every day might be a little much to ask from me, but I am sure going to try.

I think I fell in love with my boys again today. I took them to the library, which has become a fairly weekly ritual for the past few months. Today we discovered the "backpacks" and it was as if my kids struck gold! (These are plastic backpacks that have a theme and are filled with a book and an activity). Today we got "Astronauts" and Alphabet-P." They wanted to wear them the rest of our outing which included the grocery store and Lehi Roller Mills. Then as we got to the grocery store I told them we were going to get a little basket instead of a huge grocery cart. Carter insisted that he hold it and then Jaxon insisted that he hold one as well. So here's mental picture I want to remember: my two boys with little plastic, book-filled backpacks on their backs lugging around baskets filled with groceries they can hardly carry and they have huge grins from ear-to-ear. This made me smile. That is what I love about them, they find joy in the smallest things. I need to remember this!

As if they couldn't get any cuter, Carter says to me on the way home from the library, "Mom, this earth is so beautiful." Then, when we walked out of Lehi Roller Mills Carter saw a huge tube sticking out of the grain containers and he says, "Mommy, what is that huge thing? I don't want it to suck me up!"

Lately, Carter has also been very curious about how babies come out of mommies tummies. Today he asked how horses come out as well. My answer thus far has been "they just cut them out of the tummies" and we have left it at that. Carter says today, "But mom, we shouldn't do that, that will hurt them." What else can I say?

Potty Time

2009-12-11T06:40:00.002-07:00

I guess you never know how your kids will respond to potty training and honestly I thought Jaxon was going to be a booger about it. Much to my surprise, he has been pretty responsive so far. We haven't been too consistent but he has gone a few times a day for the last few days. At this point I'm glad to even him him sitting on the potty, as I recall that Carter was freaked out by it (go figure). Jaxon even went #2 yesterday. I honestly thought he hadn't gone so I told him to get off and we'll try again later. Then he yells (literally, he has a stadium voice) at me, "Mommy, mommy" pointing to the bathroom. Sure enough...there it was. This is definitely the start of hopefully a great thing!

Thanksgiving, Christmas Tree found, Countdown Madness, and the $32 edamame

2009-12-06T15:44:00.008-07:00

Thanksgiving was so much fun this year. We were so lucky to have family close and able to have it at our house this year. We are so grateful for those who traveled to be with us and it was so fun to have Matt's mom, dad, and grandma stay for the weekend. Greta did aerobics @ 7 a.m. so I woke up for that and then I had to run to Wal-Mart to pick up a few last-minute things. (I made sure to thank the people working there too..) When I returned home JoAnn was already in the kitchen working on the fixings for dinner. We had fun cooking and literally cooked until 4 p.m. I guess that is just the nature of the holiday and it seems like it wouldn't be the same if you weren't in the kitchen all day! I was really ambitious (and actually followed through on my ambitions) and made some placemats, place cards, and napkin ring holders. I put cleaning assignments, bingo cards, and a word search on the back of the laminated placemats for some after-dinner fun. We had a great time!

It has been a tradition to go and cut down Christmas tress in the past but this year the day to pick up the permits slipped by us and we unfortunately were not able to get one. I have been searching KSL.com for a someone selling their's and the day after Thanksgiving I found "our tree." It is a 9-foot fake tree with 1500 lights on it and it took about 30 minutes to set up and no stringing the lights (my least favorite part, although Matt has done it in the past). I really miss the "Christmas Tree Smell" but not pine needles all over my house, saggy branches, and bare spots. I guess I will just have to buy the Christmas Pine scent for my candle warmer! We decorated our tree for FHE on Monday and the boys had a lot of fun. I just love Christmas!

also made a magnetic "Boxed Christmas Countdown" to put on our fridge. The kids have loved this new tradition. In fact, they love it so much that they have been waking up at 6:30 a.m. running into the front room begging to open the box for the day. I usually give in and they are eating their small treats for an early breakfast. Isn't this was memories are made of though! :)

Last story for the day...Last night we were fortunate enough to go to the "Forgotten Carols" in SLC. We got a sitter for the kids and went to Pei Wei for dinner before. I ordered some noodles (of course) and edamame. They brought out the edamame first and we start munching on it. I had probably eaten about 5 or so and I "suirted" (for lack of a better term) out one of the soy beans and propped on top of it was a little caterpillar (not exactly sure what it was but something that definitely used to be alive). First I almost passed out and then I almost lost it. Matt showed it to our waitress and asks, "Is this supposed to be in her." She looks at it and says, "Uh, no. I will tell my manager." Then asks me, "Do you want some more?" Hmm...let me think about that for a seconds...NO!!! After we had finished the rest of our food (which was bug-free) we asked our waitress to just give us a refund for the edamame. When all was said and done, the manager actually ended up comping our entire $32 meal. It was pretty disgusting, and not really their fault that this little bugger was hiding in my edamame, but it was great of them to do that nonetheless. The Forgotten Carols were really fun to see and thanks again Dustin and Amy for the suggestion! Happy Holidays!

Boys will be Boys

2009-11-20T08:14:00.005-07:00

Cute pilgrim hat Carter made @ preschool

So lately Jaxon and Carter have been playing together really well, although the majority of their time spent together consists of wrestling, bantering, or hiding under blankets together. I'm glad they are becoming good buds. On Monday I was getting myself ready in my bathroom and the boys were playing in my bathroom. Carter did something he wasn't supposed to and so I said, "Carter, stop or you will go to time out." Jaxon chimes in right after, "One, two, go to time out!" I had to laugh. I was trying to be serious, but couldn't. Jaxon is a hoot. He honestly is so independent and moves chairs around in the kitchen to get where he needs to go. It is such a switch from Carter who is the complete opposite and wants me to do everything for him. Here are a few fun random pictures of the boys.

I've been Bugged!!!

2009-11-14T22:19:00.004-07:00

Matt graciously bought me a Bodybugg for my birthday! Recently I have constantly been complaining about how I want (and need) to lose weight so I think Matt did it mainly to shut me up, but on the other hand because he loves me. After finding out how much they cost, I was very tempted to send it back trying to talk myself into the fact that I don't really need it. Well, I probably don't really need it, but I have slowly fallen in love with it! If you don't know what a Body Bugg is, they wear them on Biggest Loser and they keep track of calories burned per day. This enables you to create a "calorie deficit" so that you can lose weight. One of their slogan's is "We take the guesswork out of losing weight." They really do and so far for the past 4 days I've been able to create that "deficit" so I'm on my way to my January 27 goal date! I'll keep you updated on how it goes!

the official picture

2009-10-15T19:59:00.002-06:00

This is the picture that Kosy took of us after we "claimed" our prize to Disneyland!

So I promise I never win anything....but this time I did!

2009-10-09T07:30:00.002-06:00

I got the weirdest and craziest phone call at 7:15 this morning. First of all, the caller ID said "Sports Radio" and so I thought it was some solicitor and I shouldn't answer this but decided to anyways. I'm sure glad I did because we won a family four-pack vacation to Disneyland for Halloween Time! I couldn't be more excited!!! I entered about 5 times in the same day and won! We are so excited. The boys are going to love it, especially because Jaxon is obsessed with "Mamo" or in other words Mickey Mouse!

Carter's K'nex

2009-09-01T12:24:00.005-06:00

Last year right before Christmas we found some Kid K'Nex at Costco for really cheap. We already had enough for Christmas for the boys so I bought it and then saved it until Carter's Birthday. A few weeks ago I found a few additional sets to add to his Collection at TJ Maxx yet again for really cheap. (Have I mentioned that is my favorite store?!?!) He has loved it and is getting really creative building things. He usually makes "whatever he wants" (like the train above), but there are a some patterns he can follow to make various animals and trains and such. At first we had to help him but today was the first day he was making all of them all by himself and I was very impressed so here they are!

Jaxon Highlight

2009-08-28T08:27:00.003-06:00

I think Jaxon gets funnier and funnier every day. He is definitely my little firecracker! It seems like everyday he starts saying or doing something new. Some funny happenings this week:

1. When we got new bunkbeds for the boys, Carter didn't want to sleep there so daddy put blue rope lights under the top bunk so it would make it more fun. Daddy couldn't leave Jaxon out so he put some around Jaxon's crib as well (not ready to actually move him into the bunkbed!) On Tuesday when I put him down for a nap I kept hearing this "click-click-click" and then Jaxon would yell, "Yay! Mine!" Well, Matt had put a timer on the lights so they only come on at night and Jaxon rigged the system! He had figured out how to turn them on and off and so was yelling "Yay" everytime they would go on.

2. We were reading "Go Dog, Go" the other night (one of my favorite books BTW) and Jaxon started saying, "Go Dog, Go" except it sounded more like "Dog, Dog, Dog."

3. Jaxon has fallen in love with "Mum" or (Gum). I try to get him to say G G G Gummm! but he doesn't quite get it yet!

4. He is also a little monkay. My friend and I went to a home decorating store (note to self...bad idea with 2 kids under the age of 4! I'm glad and surprised we didn't break everything in that store) Jaxon kept picking up glass balls and saying "balls" and tossing them up! Yikes! Then he climbs onto this glass shelf, sits down, and says with his head crouched over..."Hi."

5. Whenever he leaves the room or goes downstairs, he says, "Bye, bye." I will have to record his voice, because it is such a cut little voice.

6. Matt stores his new (and expensive) bike in the laundry room now. Every time Jaxon walks by he has to say, "Mom, bike...dada!"

7. Jaxon will also yell something if he has to repeat himself. Usually, "mom" if I don't answer him the first time! See - little firecracker!

I'm so grateful for Jaxon. Even though he keeps me going constantly, he makes life fun and interesting! Love you bud!

Happy 7th!!

2009-08-04T22:26:00.003-06:00

Matt and I celebrated our 7th anniversary this year! We have had many ups and downs (more ups than downs)! I love Matt with all my heart and am so grateful for EVERYTYING he does for me!

We were able to go to my parents' cabin at Sundance and have a great home-cooked meal of Cheddar Bay Biscuits (like Red Lobster), crab legs (Matt's favorite), the jumbo-est garlic shrimp I have ever had, peaches, and Cold Duck (like Martinell's). After stuffing our faces with seafood, we walked up to Stewart Falls and enjoyed the beauty of Sundance. Then we headed back to the cabin for some Veg time. We watched Fast and the Furious (I know super romantical, huh!). I fell asleep but what else is new!!

Thanks again honey for 7 great years. Love you to Reese's pieces! These are the flowers Matt gave me.

I took about 10 pictures and none of them did them justice! I love the red vase! (and the Gerber daisies of course!)

Summer Fun

2009-08-02T12:45:00.013-06:00

I can't believe the summer has flown by and school is a mere 3 weeks away! We have had such a great time and have been super busy that time has really gotten away with me.

In June, Matt and I had the opportunity of driving (a long 15 hours) to Bellevue, Washington to participate in the North Face and Gore-Tex Endurance Trail run. Matt did 30 miles and I did 6. It was one of the prettiest and funnest runs I have been on thus far in my running career (that sounds silly). We had such a great time having an all-adult trip. Matt finished his 30-mile run in a little less than 6 hours! I'm amazed that he could do something like that. Carter and Jaxon were able to stay with Grandma and Grandpa Hill for a few days, and Grandma Jo came down to watch the boys for a few days as well. What would we do without them?!?!

Looking lovely after our race!

Next, was Boise where Matt participated in his first IronMan! Wow! He did amazing and actually beat out his boss, who has done a few before. Matt has this amazing endurance and drive inside of him, and I'm so jealous of it. I always tell him that I wish I could stick his mind in mine so I could do something like that! The boys and I had fun swimming, watching daddy, going to the zoo, shopping a little, and I was happy to find a place called an old favorite Pizza Pipeline where we got some cinnamon breadsticks that are made in heaven! It was such a fun mini-vacation!

My brother Dustin came home the middle of June and that was such an experience. He was seriously the last person from the plane to come down the escalator. Everyone kept saying to us as we were holding the welcome-home signs and balloons.."Oh, he's coming." "He looks like such a great missionary." He really was a great missionary, but we have loved having him home. Carter and Jaxon just adore him! He has turned into the dating machine, so any of you single ladies out there....

At the end of June we went to Lake Powell with my entire family. We had so much fun! There is nothing greater than lounging around, relaxing, sleeping, taking naps, waterskiing, wakeboarding (which I tried this year), and did I mention taking naps. It was a little nerve racking with the little ones, and they were not allowed to leave the houseboat without a life jacket on. Jaxon, AKA the daredevil, loved his life jacket and was made if we tried to take it off (whew!).

A week later, we made our way up to Wyoming to celebrate July 4th. Matt did yet another race as he participated in the annual July 4th half-marathon. I was going to walk with Matt's sisters but then I came down with a chest cold a few days before and almost passed out the morning of the race, so I passed. Matt completed it in an 1:40. He is seriously an animal! The boys had fun watching fireworks and Jaxon actually fell asleep during the huge Dr. Bill's fireworks show. We had fun visiting with Matt's sisters from North Carolina and Tennessee and Matt's brother Jeff. Carter was able to participate in Grandma Jo camp the week after we left all by himself. He was really nervous to stay by himself but once we left, he was really good and had a ton of fun. It seemed like he never wanted to talk to us when he called and one time I asked him how he was going and he told me 2 things and then said, "Bye" and hung up the phone!

Jaxon has been doing this lately...lying down and throwing tantrums

Jaxon loved riding Grandpa's horse nugget! Carter would barely get near him at first but finally did after everyone had taken a ride.

We have been home ever since. We have taken a few mini vacations here and there, but it has been nice to be home. The chaos all starts again as my Christy and her family come this Thursday from Texas for Cody's farewell (he is going to Santa Maria, Brazil). She is staying for a week and a half. Cody speaks on Sunday and then leaves on Tuesday (I can't believe it). We are home for a month and Carter starts preschool and then we are headed to Texas for a 11 days to have some fun out there!

Jaxon is really starting to talk and communicate. He counts with us when he is in trouble and is really growing up. We bought the boys a bunkbed and ever since it has been set up Jaxon wants to sleep in it, but Mommy is not quite ready for that step yet! He yells for me the minute he wakes up and now has started to yell for me when I put him down! Maybe I'm not so excited that he has found his voice. He is funny too because he always says, "Oh" (like Oh, I get it). Whenever I say things like, "Jaxon, we don't hit." Jaxon says, "Oh" (as if he didn't already know). "Jaxon, please dont spill your water on the floor." "Oh."

Carter honestly looks older and older every day. I have to remind myself daily that he is only 4 and not 6! In fact, when we were in Wyoming, Matt's cousin said, "How old is he? He is just a giant!" He is really tall and all the pro BB players better watch out, cuz he could be good! He loves to play with friends and wakes up every day asking who he gets to play with today.

Matt's work has slowed down for a little bit but it looks like he is picking up again with the close of summer. He stays busy with work and has now become Jaxon's "favorite." Every day when he Jaxon wakes up he says,"Dada?" I tell him he is at work. and Jaxon says, "Oh." :) Matt is looking forward to buying his first tri bike in a little bit. He also took Carter on a fathers and sons campout this weekend and had a lot of fun there!

I have been starting to run again and I am doing the another half-marathon in Logan at the end of August. I have found some great running partners and we are up to 8 miles so Go us!

In the midst of all this, we are about 75% done with our yard. Despite a few swamp issues and a garden area that is not quite complete, it has come along pretty good. I'm glad to have it almost completed! Now we just have to maintain it!

My 7-pound weight loss!!

2009-05-02T04:15:00.004-06:00

As I noted in my previous post, 2 weeks ago I started trying to shed a few pounds and have already lost 7 pounds! I must just be one of those lucky ones who loses weight really easily.

So not really. As good as this may sound, unfortunately it is not completely true! When I started my attempt at weight loss I didn't bother to weigh myself. I thought, "I feel like I weigh ________? (Sorry for those of you who were excited to know how much I weigh :) so I entered it in the system. On Thursday I went to Matt's work to use the "Super Scale" which tells you your weight and body fat percentage. When I stepped on I was surprised to see that I weighed 7 pounds less than I thought I did. (This was also good news to me!) As I entered it into the system, I saw the prompt that said "Congratulations! You lost 7 pounds!"

So, call me crazy because I didn't really lose 7 pounds in 2 weeks, but if nothing else it is good encouragement to keep going and reach my goal weight. Plus, now to get to my goal weight I only have to lose 13 instead of 20! Go me!

What really matters to me.

2009-04-24T07:22:00.006-06:00

Superficial. That is the best word I can use to describe things that have been of the upmost importance to me lately. We have been working on our landscaping and getting our house in order. I have also started Weight Watchers and been working towards shedding a few pounds. As I have reflected on this past month, I have definitely gone into some self-reflection. What really matters to me? If I had to sum it up in 1 word, it would be....FAMILY.

Last Sunday I literally freaked out. (Matt will attest to this.) I childlishly threw my plate in the sink and stormed off. I left Matt standing there with his hands in the air saying, "What is the matter with you?" This question has stuck with me all week. "What is the matter with me?" I think it all goes back to the superficial things in my life. I have been concentrating more on these things that truly do not make me happy then enjoying those people who DO make me happy.

My boys and husband bring me so much joy I can't even explain it. Even though I get frustrated (really frustrated at times) they are the ones who pick me up off the floor. I was having a really bad day a few days ago and I could not stop crying. Carter came up to me and gave me a hug and said, "Mommy, why are you crying all the time today?" The members of my family are the only ones who are perceptive to my feelings and why not dedicate most of my time and efforts to helping and loving them.

So move over housework, landscaping, losing weight, and work - I've got some people to take care of.

And in case you forgot what the kiddos look like:

fun with cousins from Texas - we had so much fun and we wished they lived closer (hint, hint).

St. Patty Day pancakes

Little Jax

We all scream for ice cream!!

A big shout out!

2009-03-11T08:25:00.003-06:00

I wanted to wish my Little Bro a happy birthday today! Elder Duster Buster turned 21 today! Happy Birthday Bro! He is serving a mission in Zadar, Croatia and just got called to be District Leader! Can't wait to see him in 3 months!

Too much of a good thing?

2009-02-25T09:08:00.007-07:00

Back in September when I was in Texas visiting Christy I helped her do a little decorating around her house. We found so many cute decorator pieces that had words or quotes on them. I found myself "drawn" to them but had to restrain myself as Christy's husband Greg didn't want words and sayings all over their house (although we did end up getting a few). I guess I really like sayings and word art, and as I looked around my house this morning I found out that I think I'm borderline obessessed with them. What do you think?

Randomness

2009-02-17T09:17:00.008-07:00

It seems like every day just flies by. We are enjoying life and just puttering a long. We are so blessed to have family close by and such a great ward. Matt and I went to a Ward Valentine's Party for the adults and we played the Newlywed game. They had 2 rounds and in the first round we got 2nd place and then the final round tied for last! We had a blast!

Here are a few random pictures of us from the past month or so.

Jaxon tuckered out after a long day of shopping.

My grandma always told me about how she used to let her kids play with rice. What a good idea! While I was making rice, I let the kids play with rice and bowls and measuring cups and they had tons of fun! What a good idea! Thanks grandma!

Carter is getting really good and fast at riding his bike! He is anticipating warmer weather so he can go outside! He can even put his helmet on all by himself! I can't believe he is going to be 4!

This is kind of embarassing, but I want to remember it so. The other day Carter and I were in the bathtub and Carter goes, "Eww gross! Mommy, what is that on your legs? Don't touch me." I guess I had not shaven for a long time and so my hair on my legs was super long! Needless to say, I shaved right them!

Blog Catch-up!

2009-01-10T22:28:00.010-07:00

As I sit here staring at my computer screening trying to decide how I'm going to catch up on my blogging and give an update on our family, I have come to a solution. I'll simply list some of the highlights of the last month and a half of our blogging break. These are not in chronological order, as I'm just typing them as the thoughts come to me! :) Enjoy!

1. Matt's parents came down from Wyoming to spend Christmas with us. We are so lucky!

2. Grandpa Shane made Santa (and mainly us) his famous Mrs. Field's Chocolate Chip Cookies on Christmas Eve. They are seriously amazing, and I've tried about 10 times and just can't make them like he does!

3. We were able to talk to Dustin (In Croatia on a mission) on Christmas. He got his release date of June 5 (I think)! I can't believe he has been out for a year and a half!!

4. We were able to visit Temple Square and Zoo Lights with my family. While at dinner, Carter fell off the bench and whacked his nose. His nose started bleeding and would not stop. Matt and I had to take him outside and litterally hold him down so that we could pinch his nose to get it to stop bleeding. I'm sure everyone thought we were abusing him, as they would walk by and say, "Is he okay?" Then some of the store owners came out and said, "Can we help you." We finally did get it stopped (way trauamtic)!

5. I was able to catch up with some old friends from high school who have moved away but came back for Christmas. Thanks for taking the time to hang out gals!

6. We have gotten tons of snow this winter, and I got to shovel my driveway 10 times so far this winter. This made me grateful for living in AZ! On the other hand, I love seeing my kids playing in the snow and all bundled up in their snow clothes and boots!

7. I've been able to get most of our boxes put away (even though I love the fact we have an unfinished basement and every time I don't know what to do with something, I just say, "I'll put it in the basement!") Needless to say, half of our boxes are in the basement!

Another perk of having an unfinished basement!

8. Matt and I got called to teach the Sunbeams in our ward and Carter gets to be in our class. They are all so cute!

9. Jaxon started saying "hot" and waving his hand up and down! Too Cute. I'll have to film it and then put it on YouTube. If anyone knows how to do this, I would love a tutorial! Also, I'm learning that Jaxon is my little firecracker! He throws tantrums and he is only 14 months old! I'm really scared for the terrible two's!
10. Carter got a bike for Christmas and loves riding it around in the basement (another reason I love the unfinished basement - so my kids can expend some energy when its too cold to go outside!) This also makes me realizing that he's not going to be my little boy for very much longer! :)

I'm having blogger's block now...I'll try to get back to it sooner than later!!

Where are your pants?

2008-12-03T17:00:00.006-07:00

As Jaxon walked by me today, this is what I saw...

I swear I got him dressed today...

and this is where I found his pants...

Guess the boy needs to grow a bum! ha, ha!

Meanwhile, Carter was putting Candy Canes on the Christmas Tree.

I wonder if he could fit any more on 2 branches? Later tonight we decorated the Christmas tree and he did the same thing with the ball ornaments, put 5 green ornaments on the same branch.

Man, I love my kids!!

WoW!

2008-11-10T04:55:00.010-07:00

WoW! It has been almost exactly 1 month since I have blogged (once again a blog slacker)!

WoW! Jaxon started singing in the car on Saturday...too cute. We were driving up to my cousin's going away party (moving to Austrailia - jealous!) and we were trying to keep Jaxon entertained because he was tired and hungry (although truly he is always hungry and could always eat, but that is a subject for another blog post)! My mom started singing a song, and Jaxon started singing too (not really saying the words but humming) Too cute!

WoW! Carter says everything and anything. Matt took Carter on an errand the other day and says, "Man, Carter talked the whole time! It is so cool." We were playing hide-and-seek last night and Daddy and Carter were having a hard time finding people, so Carter says, "Daddy, just yell at them." Not quite how the game works. This might be a little embarassing but as we were packing some things up the other day, Carter found my breast pump and asked what it was. After explaining it to him he says, "Mommy you need to get some milk out." I explained to him that you have to have a baby and he says matter-of-factly,"Mommy, you do have a baby, Jaxon!" Also, not quite how it works. He has also been very interested in how babies come to be. We were in church the other day and Carter asked Grandma during the Sacrament, "Do you have a baby in your tummy?" (loud enough for many to hear). She said "no" of course and then he turns to me, "Do you have a baby in your tummy, mommy?" Then a few days later he asked, "Mommy, how do the babies get in your tummy?" I told him, "Heavenly Father puts them there." Carter says, "Oh, yah, right, right." He cracks me up!

WoW! Our window coverings are FINALLY in and we get to FINALLY move in this week (hopefully)! My mom was so gracious to help me put up the curtains in my room and over the sliding glass door, but I talked to our blind man and our covers came in on Friday, so hopefully they will be installed in the next few days and we can move on over. We are so excited! Stay tuned for pictures!

WoW! Matt finished his 2nd triathalon with a time of 1:05:19.36! Go honey! He has been training hard and we are proud of him! Now it is on to training for his first Iron Man in 2010...you are truly amazing!

WoW! My Grandma Elkington turns 75 this week! She is an amazing lady and hopefully we can make it up to Idaho to help her celebrate!! Love you!

WoW! The holiday season is just around the corner and I'm excited! My mom, aunts Janice and Debbie, their friend Dianna, and I all went to Soldier Hollow this weekend to get our Christmas Tree permit! I really want to get a fake tree this year, but Matt will have none of that. He loves the tree smell (as do I), but I just wish a lot of them just didn't look like Charlie Brown trees! I am excited to get a really tall one, as our ceiling is vaulted! Now I just got to figure out a way to talk Matt into putting the lights on the tree!

Have a happy week, and who knows maybe you'll hear from us again...

What I've Learned

2008-10-11T18:29:00.008-06:00

Rather than boring you with all of the details of our long "blog break." I'll simply give you a few highlights of things I have learned in the last month.

Boys need 2 things to be happy: A pair of Cars shoes and a cape (courtesy of Kari, thanks Kari!).

The Cars shoes is funny to me. Carter is very observant. Everywhere, I mean everywhere we go, Carter can pick out any little boy who has a pair of Cars shoes like him. They instantly become his "friend." He says, "Mommy, he has Cars shoes! He's my friend." Now if only making friends was as easy for me! The cape on the other hand is just a fashion statement. I think it is so adorable and I simply think every little boy should have one!

Strawberries are apparently best eaten by taking one bite out of the strawberry and putting it back in the container.

The other day I found a few half-eaten strawberries by the strawberry container. I thought to myself, "that little bugger Carter." Then I proceeded to look through the strawberry container and found 10 more strawberries that Carter had taken a bite out of and put them back in the container. I couldn't help but laugh, especially since I was standing in the same room talking to him while he did it but I just hadn't noticed.

I never quite get the reaction I expect to get from my kids when put in a certain situation:

We celebrated Jaxon's 1st birthday (horray) on September 24. I got this ingenious idea to make a red velvet caking thinking he would make a huge mess and we would all get a good laugh. As you can see in the comic strip above, it did not quite go like that. Even though I think the cake turned out cute and it actually tasted "okay" Jaxon wasn't into it. I guess we really do never get the reactions we expect or want!

Whether you have a cosmetology license or not, cutting a 1-year-old's hair is nearly impossible!

I'm exaggerating a little bit, but it really was difficult getting Jaxon's hair to look good. I decided it was finally time to cut Jaxon's hair after receiving various comments about how cute "she was" and no, I don't dress my boy in pink! Jaxon was actually pretty good the entire time, but towards the end got a little restless, hence the really high cut above his ear! I put him in his high chair and gave him a cracker to keep him entertained as Jaxon could be happy eating all day (I hope he didn't eat too much hair!). Doesn't he look handsome?

Jaxon's B-Day

2008-09-25T05:39:00.001-06:00

Check it out!

Make a Smilebox greeting

A budding photographer!

2008-09-05T06:27:00.008-06:00

Can you guess who took these pictures?

Can you seen the "mystery photographer" in this one?

kind of fun to see what a 3-year-old looks at all day, huh?

Run Jess, Run!

2008-08-25T21:32:00.006-06:00

So about 3 months ago my friend Kari challenged me to do the Hobble Creek Half Marathon with her. I have NEVER really wanted to do something like this and I always told myself that I wouldn't, but crazy me I signed up. We started training and I really enjoyed getting out and having a few nights out with Kari. I soon found my love for running once again and really started enjoying myself and the fresh air!

The race came and Kari and I started out really fast! By mile 6 I think we had averaged a 9-minute mile (okay so that is fast for me). I had to take a pit stop, so Kari ran on ahead! She ended up finishing with at time of 2 hours and 2 minutes. I came in some 15 minutes later (long pit stop I know) at 2 hours and 17 minutes for an average mile of 10:30. I have to say I'm pretty proud of myself and (us). My friend Andrea said that I would become addicted, and I thought, nah, no way. But now that it is all said and done, I think I might be headed in that direction. The St. George Half-Marathon in January is the next one on the list! I hope I can just get a better time. Thanks again Kari for training with me and thanks to my family for being there at the finish line! What a great to surprise to see them all cheering me on! Love ya all!

Matt showed up a few minutes after the picture was taken (he had to work).

Yes officer!

2008-08-20T15:32:00.002-06:00

So lucky me, I got pulled over today. I wanted to burst into tears, but then I had a conversation with Carter and it really made light of the situation. After the cop took my license and registration Carter asks, "Mommy what happened?"

I replied, "Mommy got in trouble. She was going too fast!"

Carter comes back with, "Mommy, you are in trouble? Do you need a spanking."

I really wanted to tell the officer that I only needed a spanking instead of the $82 ticket, but I'm not sure that would have sounded very good!

I'm glad Carter has it all figured out!

Where or where are the boys these days?

2008-08-12T10:53:00.006-06:00

So life has been crazy with all that is going on right now. Since getting involved with the new website Ilearning Global, getting ready to move into our house, my work exploding (f.o.s), and Jaxon crawling all over the place, we feel like we are running around in whirlwinds. I have to admit that in regards to my last post about our anniversary weekend, it was go great to be away for a night that I had a hard time kicking back into "mom mode" but I'm back! However, our boys are still alive and well and doing well and doing well and here is what they have been up to. Gotta love the farmer's tan in the picture below ;)

Carter is talking up a storm. His new favorite thing to do is playing "racing" on the XBOX. I think he's going to be like his dad in that regard because I litterally have to pry him away from that! He loves riding his Razor scooter with the "road" we draw on Grandma's sidewalk with chalk. He also loves playing on PlayhouseDisney.com! His new favorite foods are in his words, "Peanut butter sandwich cut in squares" and "chocolate milk with strawberry." He always wants to sing "Up in the Sky" which is Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and "Child of God" you can figure out that one! He's found a love for painting and actually surprisingly doesn't make too much of a mess! He said something funny to me the other day when we were going down to the racquetball to play with the balls. Jaxon was napping and so I said I needed to check on him. Carter said,"You leave Jaxon in his crib and we can go play without him." I guess he didn't want him to play, but they have really been playing good together. Tonight he kept asking to play racing before bed, and we said, "No Carter, and don't ask again." Carter retorts,"Come on!" It was pretty funny!

Where do I start with Jaxon. He still loves grandpa more than me (I'm serious, he would chose to go to grandpa over me). He is all over the place and loves to go up the stairs but hasn't learned how to go down yet. He loves dancing to music and waves him arm in the air and bounces. He waves "bye-bye " and "hi." Carter has these pullback racing cars where you shake them and then set them down and they go. Jaxon was playing with one and shaking it and putting it down. It amazes me how smart they are so young. He loves toilet water and we have to make sure we put the toilet seat down or we'll find Jaxon in there just sloshing around. Disgusting, I know!! He also likes to "scavenge" for food that has dropped on the floor when he's eating, so I have to make sure that is cleaned up! (That is digusting too)!

6 years and counting

2008-08-07T05:07:00.010-06:00

Wow, I can't believe we have been married for 6 years! Matt and I were able to take a mini-vacation to Logan, Utah to celebrate our anniversary. We haven't been back there for almost 4 years (crazy how fast time goes). It was great to see some of our old (not to mention ghetto) apartments. We had a great room at the Best Western which was called the "Anniversary Suite"...how fitting! It had a fireplace, flat screen TV, king bed, and huge 2-person jetted tub. On the way up to Logan we stopped at Benihana for dinner. It is expensive, but is amazing and trumps Tepanyaki any day. Back in Logan, Matt was a trooper and we went to Wal-Mart at midnight to get Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyers.

Matt had our friends from Logan leave some Gerber dasies and

sparkling cider in the room as a surprise for me!

The next morning we were supposed to go golfing with some old friends at 10:00 but we didn't wake up until 10:15. It was great to get the extra rest we never get at home any more! :) We decided to go do an early lunch at our favorite Restaurant in Logan called Cafe Sabor and then golfing after that!

Yummy Mango Cherry surprise smoothie from Cafe Sabor.

After an amazing yummy lunch we headed to the golf course where I golfed for the first time. Matt was really patient with me, but said I actually did very well for my first time. I kept getting frusturated and he just kept saying, "At least you hit the ball, no matter how you hit it." I guess that is true but I'm not goint to be joining the LPGA anytime soon! I really enjoy it though and look forward to doing it again.

Check out my amazing form! :)

He might just be headed for the PGA!

In the golf cart after our 9 holes!

It is always nice to get away from all the stresses of normal life and just enjoy each other!! I'm so grateful for Matt and all his hard work for our family. What would I do without him? :)

No more wusses!

2008-07-20T20:04:00.004-06:00

We had a ward party and barbecue 2 weekends ago. They had put down some heavy duty plastic and made a huge slip and slide that was probably like 30 feet long! Of course Carter didn't want to do it (he is kind of a wuss when it comes to stuff like that). Matt finally decided he was just going to take him up there and push him down it. He litterally did push him down the slide and Carter laughed the whole way down. It seems like that is how it goes with Carter, he doesn't want to try things and once he does he loves them! I was talking to a lady in my ward and I was telling her about Carter, and she said, "We don't tolerate wusses in our house." So I decided that is my new motto. No more wusses in the Shane house! I want my kids to try everything! What do you think?

Matt's face is classic in this one!

Fascination with random everyday objects!

2008-06-30T21:13:00.004-06:00

So once again it has been a while since I have posted and I'm sure you are all dying to hear the update (he he), but as I put myself back together, get into the swing of things, and collect my thoughts, I have a random question I need answered. I'm always amazed at how much money we can spend on toys for our kids and yet it seems that they find the most enjoyment in the most random every day objects. Like in a previous post, Jaxon so far in his life has been fascinated with laundry baskets, which usually run between $3 to $8. This is nothing compared to the $35 nursery music player I bought for his crib. When we were at Lake Powell, Jaxon found fascination in a plastic sand shovel. It always took him a few minutes to get used to the water. He would cry, but as soon as we gave him his shovel, he would calm right down. Now a sand shovel probably costs under a $1. Once again that is practically nothing compared to his baby floor mat which cost around $25. And finally, today at Costco Jaxon was sitting in the cart and kept pushing the plastic piece on the cart up and down to make a funny noise. This type of entertainment is free and what a steal considering we pretty much ate lunch with the amout of samples they were handing out today (that makes us sound like bums...eating lunch with the Costco samples). I guess to sum it all up, all I am saying is that I could have bypassed the $60 spent on baby toys and bought Jaxon a plastic shovel and laundry basket for under $10, wheeled him around Costco a few times a week, and he would be a happy camper. What have you found your kids intrigued with that are every day objects? Are my kids just weird, or does this go for all kids? I'm curious...

Oh Dad!

2008-06-15T21:23:00.004-06:00

Here is a tribute to all of the fathers in my life! Namely my father, Matt's father, and the father of my children (Matt)! I love you and thank so much for all you have done and continue to do for me!! Here is a reason why I love each of the dad's in my life!

1. My dad is the hardest working person I know. I dare you to find anybody who works harder. He is always there for me and loves me no matter what!

2. My father-in-law is very selfless. Whenever we visit he takes time to take us to the office and clean our teeth (even on a Saturday). He rarely thinks of himself and is very caring. We love you!

3. Matt really is probably the most forgiving person I know. I tend to hold grudges but Matt seems to forget about it in 5 minutes or less. Now that I think about it, maybe it is just senility setting in. I love you and thanks for being such a great father for Jaxon and Carter and getting down on the floor and playing with them and being their punching bag!

Jaxon's Request.

2008-06-07T22:55:00.020-06:00

Dear Fellow Bloggers:

Don't you think it is about time there was a post just about me! It seems like my mom likes to brag about everything except me. I made my mom promise that she would make a post just for me and this is the result! These are just a few of my favorite things at the moment!

Love, Jaxon

1. Hammer won by my uncle at Lagoon.

2. Grandpa! He gives the best hugs! (not to mention one of the only people I will hug).

3. My stellar smile! For some reason whenever I smile I get out of trouble. Can anyone tell me why??

4. My pincher fingers - good for more than just eating!

5. Bike rides with my brother. (Squishy balls are pretty fun too).

6. Laundry baskets!!

7. My 6 teeth - I cut my first one at 4 months and am now working on my 6th one at 8 months!

Way to go Bro!

2008-05-29T05:45:00.002-06:00

I'm so excited for my little bro, Cody (who is actually bigger me in real life) who is graduating this weekend. My props go to him! He is an amazing young man. He is smart, funny, athletic, and always happy (I'm super jealous of that one)! As many of you know, the Hill family loves a reason to party. So as all of the guests arrive and the chaos settles in, I couldn't be happier to have loved ones around to celebrate this occasion for Cody. Now he is headed off to BYU where his true blue can really shine through! Way to go Cody!

The start of something great!

2008-05-24T02:03:00.003-06:00

Sometimes a picture says it all!! We met with the contractors last Friday and they said they would start digging on Monday and a week later look at what we have! So excited!

A boy after my own heart!

2008-05-20T07:28:00.003-06:00

I don't know if you all know that I would much rather eat the cake batter than the cake. I think Carter might feel the same way!

Our dirt!

2008-05-16T10:02:00.004-06:00

Yesterday we had our "pre-dig meeting" for our house. I left Jaxon at home with my mom, but I thought it would be fun for Carter to see our lot and where our house is going to be. Well, it turned out to be a sad day for Carter. On they way there Carter kept asking where we were going. I told him that we were going to see our house and then corrected myself and said "our dirt." As we drove down the road he saw a few piles of dirt and said, "Mommy, there's our dirt."

When we got to our lot, Carter loved throwing the rocks and playing in the dirt as we went over things with the contractors. As I put Carter into the car to leave, he had the saddest, puppy-dog look on his face. I asked what was wrong and he asked where we were going now. I said back to Grandma's house and he said, "no, my house." I spent the entire trip home (which is only 15 minutes) explaining to him that they are building our house and we have to wait for a few months. Then I explained to him about how they get tractors to dig a huge hole and then build the house. Now he loves explaining how they are going to make a huge hole for our house to everyone he talks to.

Photo Update

2008-05-07T04:34:00.012-06:00

We were able to see Matt's Grandma Shane (and all of Matt's family in fact) as they were in Utah for grandma's radiation treatments. This is one great thing about living in Utah, is we get to see Matt's family a lot more as they pass through fairly often.

Carter has been pushing Jaxon around a lot lately!

They have also been playing really good together!

Carter got first place in the Fun Run 4 Kids! (He is so much bigger than all of the other 2 years old that people probably thought we were trying to have our 5 year old run in the younger race, but oh well. We can't help it that he is really tall). Needless to say I didn't place. I was happy to cross the finish line alive and not on a stretcher!!

Matt after the Fun Run 4 Kids. He came in 3rd place overall! Way to go Matt!

Jaxon continues to grow like crazy and I can't believe he is almost 8 months! I pushed Jaxon in the Fun Run and he wasn't a happy camper! He screamed for half of the 3.1 miles. One of the other runners even asked me if she wanted me to have her old Jaxon and then I could push the stroller. But this picture is after the race and he was exicted to be done. Such hard work for a 7-month old sitting in a stroller!!

Fun Run 4 Kids Reminder

2008-05-02T14:07:00.002-06:00

For all of those who might have forgotten, the 2nd annual Fun Run 4 Kids is tomorrow. It should be a huge success, and I was able to get a sneak peak of the T-shirts and they are super cute, so do it for that alone. Plus, it is for the Children in Africa right! You can still sign up all day today and even tomorrow at the race! I'm so excited! Please come run and have fun with us!!!

Check out their website: www.funrun4kids.org

Kids are funny!

2008-04-18T23:10:00.002-06:00

Ever since Carter has started talking, I have recorded funny things he says in a little book. This is just a funny little conversation that went on between Carter and his friend Paige that I had to share. I hope it makes you laugh and hopefully it isn't one of those "you had to be there" things. I tried to censor it as much as possible, but remember that this is a conversation between a 4-year-old and an almost 3-year-old. Carter is almost potty trained (horray) but he still wears diapers at night. I was putting his diaper on before bed and it didn't even occur to me that Paige was in the room and that I should have had her leave, but here is how the conversation went:

Paige: Carter, my brother (who is almost 2) has the exact same "pee-pee" as yours. It is the same size, shape, and everything .

Carter: Oh, shapes like squares, triangles, and circles?

Mom: Not quite Carter!

I hope it makes you smile....it made me!

White and Black

2008-04-05T16:28:00.002-06:00

So for all of you who don't know, Matt and I are building a house in Lehi. I'm excited to be able to choose most of my color/options but at the same time it makes me realize that I'm AWFUL at making decisions. Matt and I were at the design center today and we got most things sorted out, but the one thing I cannot decide on is the color scheme of the kitchen. I've always been pretty traditional but as I've explored more and more kitchen designs, I'm thinking about a white kitchen with a black island. I have a picture in my head, so it is hard to explain how exactly I want it, but I found a picture online that is close to what I want. So here are my questions to you, my fellow bloggers: Do you like the beadboard cabinet doors, or is it "beadboard overload?" What about the contrasting island? Give me your honest feedback and thanks for your help!

Fun Run for Kids

2008-04-01T14:06:00.007-06:00

My adorable aunts, Janie and Debbie Hill, traveled to Africa last year to do some service. When they returned home, they felt such a love for the children there that they started a Fun Run for Kids last year. All of their proceeds go to "Reach the Children" for Africa. Carter and my other nephew and neice participated last year and it was really a blast. It was so fun to see the kids race and every single kid gets a prize for participating. Breanne Garlick and I even participated in the Adult 5K and I was pregnant (needless to say I didn't win)! The 2nd annual Fun Run for Kids is coming up on Saturaday, May 3, 2008. Although I would love all of you fellow bloggers to come participate, I know distance is a constraint for many of you. For those of you who are in Utah and closeby, I would love for you to bring your little kiddies and Run for the kids in Africa. Check out their website for more details! As an added bonus, you get a super cute T-shirt for running! Let me know if you have any questions!!

http://www.funrun4kids.org/

March on!

2008-03-28T21:50:00.003-06:00

Wow! Where did March go? I can't believe it is almost April. Here are a few key events from the month. Refer to the picture above for numbers corresponding to pictures!

1. Carter got a little "sticker happy!"

2. Carter's and Jaxon's cousins (Scottie, Stacey, and Daniel) from Texas came to visit!

3. Jaxon started eating solid foods (To mom's dismay, he likes to wear it more than eat it)!

4. Easter egg fun! I don't know how many times you hid eggs at your house but I counted over 10 Easter Egg Hunts at our house.

5. Carter showed us his G-funk look.

6. Jaxon learned how to fly. (He is constantly waving his arms straight out like he is flying).

7. Jaxon learned how to drink out of a "big boy" cup. Needless to say the cup was litterally bigger than him!!

8. We celebrated Matt's 29th birthday. We hope he enjoys his last year of his 20s! It's all over the hill from here!

MOAB!

2008-03-09T17:10:00.007-06:00

First off, as I have reviewed my last posts, I thought to myself, could I be any more boring! House hunting, tagging? If you need something a little more exciting to read about go to my sister, Christy's, blog and check out her "40 and Beyond" post. It had me laugh so hard and for those of you who can relate to being overdue, it makes it a little more humorous. Click below. http://texasromneys.blogspot.com/

This weekend we spent literally about 24 hours in Moab, Utah. I haven't been down there forever and I forgot how beautfiul it was. Matt ran the Canyonlands Half Marathon and so we took a really quick trip down there. So here is how the trip went:

1. We got a late start on Friday night and didn't leave Orem until about 6:30, which caused our arrival time in Moab to be 10:30. We stopped at Wal-Mart and bought a portable DVD player for Carter (which was a lifesaver).

2. Like I said, we got there at 10:30 and since we were all in the same room with a single Queen bed, it made sleeping arrangements a little interesting. The minute we got in the room, Carter started crying and kept saying "I want to go to Grandma's house." After we got him settled down and to bed, Jaxon woke up crying. That is pretty much how the night went.

3. Matt left at 7:30 a.m. to be bussed up the Canyon. I think Jaxon is teething again (he has 2 teeth by the way) and wouldn't let me set him down all morning. After we checked out of the hotel, I strapped Jaxon in the front carrier and took the boys to the park. Carter made a friend at the park and then we watched daddy cross the finish line with a time of 1 hour and 51 minutes (which makes me sick since he didn't even hardly train). It would have taken me twice that long. (Which BTW, I am going to start training for a half-marathon in July, so we'll see how that goes).

4. At about 1:00 p.m. we headed back to Orem so that we wouldn't miss the BYU game. I wish we could have spent more time, but really vacation with kids is sometimes harder than actually fun. We hope to make it down there again and really enjoy the scenery more!

Here are a two pictures from our less than 24-hour adventure!

BATHTIME FUN

DADDY AFTER THE RACE...(looking pretty good for just having run 13 miles!)

House hunting!

2008-03-07T08:43:00.005-07:00

When we moved to Utah, we weren't planning on buying a house right away, but we thought we would just keep our eyes open for a good deal. Since it is a buyer's market at the moment, it is a really good time to buy. There are about a zillion and one homes on the market, which makes it really hard to pick only one. As we have looked we have found some features of a home that we like but then other features we don't like as well. Sometimes the kitchen is great, but the master bathroom is dinky. We found one house that was beautiful but it had pretty much only a dog run in the backyard for the kids to play in. Then there are others that are just horrible. We saw a house that an man was selling and he had honestly used 25 different paint colors throughout the house and even 5 or 6 different colors on one door. To say the least, it was a mess.

We might not be able to find the "perfect house," but we have been able to narrow it down to features that are a must! Here's the list:

1. A nice kitchen. This is my request, as I probably spend the most time there.

2. A big yard. This is our request for the kids, because I think kids need a place to play. I'm also glad that Matt does the majority of the yardwork on this one.

3. A garage. It sounds funny, but there are homes in Utah that don't have a garage and after parking our cars outside all winter, we really would like our cars be out of the snow!

4. A nice master bathroom with 2 sinks. I guess we were spoiled with our other house and that is why I'm totally turned off by only one sink.

What are the favorite features of your house and what is most important to you?

This is our old kitchen, not huge but doable!

Tagged!

2008-02-20T07:43:00.005-07:00

My sister Christy tagged me and what fun!! Here goes:

1. Ten years ago: I was learning how to drive, enjoying high school, and working for Papa Murphy's Pizza.

2. Five things to do on my list today: 1) Take a shower, 2) Ride the bike and read my book for book club, 3) work on a scrapbook page), 4) Have a meeting for my new calling for Activity days, 5) Work!!

3. Things I enjoy: Scrapbooking, playing with my boys, walking with my IPOD, reading (thanks to book club), decorating, taking naps.

4. What would I do if I were a billionaire: Travel the world, buy a house and decorate it designer style, buy an FJ Cruiser for me and a Ferrari for Matt, build a humungous scrapbook room, go on a shopping spree.

5. Three bad habits: Being a little OCD about some things, picking my face, and curling my toes under when I work at my computer (werid...I know).

6. Places I have lived: White Rock, NM; Orem, UT; Rexburg, ID; Mesa and Queen Creek, AZ.

7. Five jobs that I have had: Cosmetologist, Pizza Girl (twice), Meier and Frank/ZCMI, AA @ Combustion Resources, and Transcriptionist (currently).

8. Five things people don't know about me:
1. I am in love with my IPOD. I always thought I wouldn't want one, but when my in-laws gave me one for Christmas, I'm hooked.
2. I love hot showers, although with two kids it is hard to stay in one for more than a few minutes.
3. I would love to live on a lake in Oregon with green trees and moutain surrounding me.
4. I hate cats!
5. I want to go on a scrapbooking cruise someday.

Now, I'm going to tag Breanne, Nicole, Britt, Kari, Jay, and Kim. Please be good sports!

99 Balloons

2008-02-15T10:55:00.003-07:00

Please take a moment to watch this incredible and sweet video clip. Make sure you have your tissues close by!

http://www.ignitermedia.com/products/iv/singles/570/99-balloons

Enjoy!

Bedtime

2008-02-07T20:34:00.000-07:00

As I was putting my two sweet boys to bed tonight, I realized what my favorite time of the day is - bedtime. Yes, I have to admit after a long day of chasing after Carter, feeding, mommying, and cleaning I'm glad to have some peace and quiet when my boys go to bed. However, this is not why I love bedtime. I love bedtime because Jaxon looks up at me after I put him in his crib for bed and gives me the biggest smile almost saying "Thanks mom, I love you." Bedtime for Carter consists of choosing his pajamas, brushing teeth, and reading a book, okay sometimes 2 books, and sometimes he even talks me into 3 books and nighttime prayers! (As you can tell, he is learning how to stall). He just recently started wanting to "read" the words and so will give me his own rendition of the story. It is too sweet. His prayers are so sweet and simple. As I hug him goodnight and he says I love you, I soak it all in and think to myself that it doesn't get much better than this? How about you? What is your favorite time of the day?

Impulsive

2008-01-31T14:10:00.000-07:00

I don't tend to be a very impulsive person, but yesterday I did something very impulsive.

I usually plan things out in my head or even on paper until all of the details are pretty much figured out, but this wasn't planned out for more than a few minutes.

You see, I had been thinking about doing this for quite a long time and have wanted to do it forever.

I talked to a friend to see if she could arrange this for me, and when she said she could last night, I jumped at the opportunity.

I left the kids with my mom and ran over to my friends house where she.....

CHOPPED MY HAIR!

I can't remember the last time my hair was this short, but I'm learning to love it. The weirdest thing for me is reaching back for my hair and it not being there...too weird. One good thing is that Jaxon can't constantly yank at my hair and I use 50% less styling product. As I thought about it, I never even cut my hair this short during my year in cosmetology school. So much for being conservative, I was being impulsive and I'm glad I was! Jaxon looks like he doesn't know what to think. :) What do you think?

Matchy Matchy

2008-01-26T07:23:00.000-07:00

As I was talking to my friend the other day about how I like having 2 boys, she mentioned something that really never occurred to me. She told me that it was fun for her to have 2 boys because she can dress them alike. Now I'm going through a craze of trying to find matching outfits for them, mostly for church. I did get them matching pajamas for Christmas and also cute matching outfits with gray pants, white shirts, and black vests. Do you think this is nerdy or just cute? Have you seen any cute outfits for boys lately?

Anyone know where I can get some size XL men's red firetruck pajamas for Matt so he can match too?? :)

Hawaii...just a few weeks late

2008-01-19T22:26:00.001-07:00

Okay, so I guess you can all officially call me the "Queen Blog Slacker" for taking so long to post my Hawaii pictures (almost a month in fact) and this time I have no good excuse whatsoever. I might try and blame it on my 2 beautiful little boys, but they have been little angels for the last little while. They are both now sleeping through the night (and I say both because it only took Carter to be 2-1/2 to sleep through the night)!! I couldn't be more excited about that one. So here they are...hope you enjoy.

Sidenote: Our camera did get broken while there, so I only have a few pictures from the last half of our trip, so I'll steal some from my mom's and post them in a few days! Also, as I was compiling the collage, I notice that almost every picture it is clouded over and I'm even wearing long sleeves, what is the deal with that? I promise we did go to Hawaii!! We did see a little sun there but not much. Nevertheless, it was beautiful as you can tell from some of the pictures, and again, I promise there are more and better ones to come!

My favorite new bag!

2008-01-11T21:38:00.000-07:00

I promise the pictures of Christmas and Hawaii are coming, but I just had to show off my new bag. My aunts introduced it to me and I just had to buy one. Not only is it adorable, but it is really functional as well. I'm glad for the fact that it has doubled as a diaper bag and that there are about 25 different pockets so I can keep organized. Now, if only I could remember where I "organized" all my stuff! Isn't it adorable!! You can't tell from the picture, but it is lined and backed with a teal satin that matches the teal stitching on the front!

Stay tuned...

2008-01-05T00:11:00.001-07:00

Okay, so as usual I've been a little bit out of the blogging world lately and I'm hoping to jump back in as quickly as possible. Just for a quick update on the Shane family, we had a tropical Christmas this year on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. Instead of snow we had rain, instead of hot cocoa we had Mostumoto shave ice, instead of sweat pants we wore capris, hawaiin shirts, and leis, instead of Christmas presents we gave one away to a family in need, and instead of ham dinner we had Chinese/Hawaiian food. Needless to say it was a very memorable holiday season with only a few mishaps such as a broken camera courtesy of Matt's slippery grip. Matt was sure to correct this one quickly by picking up one at Costco in Oahu. Did you know that there are 3 Costcos on Oahu? We ran into every one of them on our trips around the island what seemed like several dozen times! Maybe we have Costco radar...who knew! Stay tuned for many pictures from our Hawaiian vacation to come!

Growing so big!

2007-12-19T07:04:00.000-07:00

Jaxon is almost 3 months, and I'm amazed at how fast time has gone. He has been such a good baby so far and last night slept most of the night with only 1 nighttime awakening. What a happy mommy I am!! Here are a few words from Jaxon!

"Look, I'm getting really good at lifting my head up while on "tummy time."

"I just recently learned to read the newspaper; this is interesting stuff!"

"Daddy is super comfortable, and I love falling asleep in his arms."

"Carter still tries to lay on me and give me lots of hugs and kisses. Little does he know, that I might just be bigger than him when I grow up!"

The first snow!

2007-12-15T19:31:00.001-07:00

So first I have to apologize and admit that I've been a blogging slacker lately! I guess I could blame it on the holidays or just the fact that I feel like I'm getting less and less creative every day.

We are excited to be back in "real" winter weather. I miss being able to take walks in the middle of winter like I could in AZ, but winter really is not complete without snow. This post is a little late in the making because our first real Utah snow was actually 2 weeks ago, but I wanted to post these pictures nonetheless. Carter loved playing in the snow and my favorite moment was when he got down and made a snow angel. You would think he really was in heaven. Grandpa graciously watched Jaxon, while we all played. My mom and younger brother, Cody, even came out and played with us in his boots, shorts, and bare legs. Matt saw an opportunity at hand and tackled him immediately. I told Matt he was a brat, but Cody admitted that it was his fault for not dressing "appropriately" You would have to know Cody to understand that, but on the other hand Cody wears basketball shorts year round, so go figure. We hope you all enjoyed your first snow as much as we did!

Check out my Slide Show!

2007-12-08T07:13:00.001-07:00

Jaxon's Blessing

2007-12-04T07:36:00.000-07:00

We blessed Jaxon on Sunday. We are so grateful that so many of our family and friends came to share this day with us. Here are just a few of the pictures. Jaxon slept through the entire brunch before the blessing and then was really content for the pictures. He got a little fussy at the first of the blessing but then calmed down once they started bouncing him. He looked like a little snowball, which was fitting as it had snowed the day before! Check out the slide show of the blessing and brunch above!

Boys will be boys!

2007-11-30T09:41:00.000-07:00

This week I've got a taste of what I'm in for as a mother of 2 boys, but I have to say I am grateful that my 2 boys are not twins. Let me explain. This week I thought it would be really fun for Carter to play with his cousin Darrin (Brooke's son). Brooke came up last weekend and she is coming up this weekend for the baby blessing, so she left Darrin for the week. Darrin is the cutest, sweetest little thing and so I figured things would be fine. Carter has been very good and easy going, so I figured they would just play. It turns out I was a little bit wrong. I've come to the conclucsion that Boy #1 (Darrin) + Boy #2 (Carter) = TROUBLE! As I've told others about what went on, I think you could put any boy in this equation and you would get the same result! No matter how sweet each boy is or how well behaved, when two boys get together you are in for it! Here is just a short list of some of our "mishaps" this past week:

1. Popcorn spread all over the basement floor.
2. Berries from Grandma's garland thrown all over the foyer floor.
3. The craft room trash spread all over the floor.
4. Berries from Grandma's garland thrown all over the floor AGAIN.
5. Kaylee's hamster let free to roam the house.
6. Beads spread all over the craft room floor.

Despite these few "mishaps," we had a great time with Darrin and I'm glad he came to stay. On the other hand I've realized that I'm not ready for that third child yet!!

Now I'm just curious what the answer for this equation would be: Girl #1 + Girl #2 = ??? (Britt maybe you have a good answer for this one!)

family pictures

2007-11-23T16:40:00.001-07:00

Our good friend Andrea Wardle took these adorable family pictures that I've tatooed all over my blog now. She did a fantastic job and for the most part everyone in the family cooperated! She took over 150 pictures and I would say by the 100th picture Carter was done and we have a whole bunch of shots where Carter is trying to run out of the picture...it's pretty funny! Jaxon stayed happy almost the entire time. The weather even cooperated with us and it was not too cold. I'm glad we did them when we did because it looks like the cold weather is here to stay!

Our Leper Baby

2007-11-19T10:38:00.001-07:00

I can't believe how big Jaxon is getting. My parents went out of town for a week and when they came back they said he looked so much bigger and older. I guess I don't notice it as much because I'm with him 24/7, but I can tell he starting to creep out of his "newborn look". To our dismay, the other day Jaxon woke up with really bad baby rash. I've joked that he is our little leper baby, but it sometimes makes me sad to even look at him. It doesn't seem to bother him too much, although he does rub his face in my shirt from time to time, so maybe it does. He continues to be happy and we were even able to capture a picture of him smiling the other day. This picture even demonstrates his baby rash really well, but I'm glad he is smiling nonetheless. My aunt who is a nurse practitioner says you have to just leave it alone, but if anyone has any suggestions I'm up for the advice!

Daddy's Day Off

2007-11-15T19:15:00.000-07:00

Matt had an unexpected day off on Tuesday, so we decided to take advantage of it. We went to Kneader's for breakfast and got their famous All-You-Can-Eat Chunky French Toast (my mouth still waters when I think about it) and of course "choc motts" or in other words chocolate milk. Matt then took Carter golfing for the first time! He was so excited. We told him before breakfast that daddy was going to take him golfing and so he he kept telling grandma and grandpa that he was going golfing. He was really disappointed when we drove up to Kneader's and said "golf" with a sad look on his face. We told him that golf was after breakfast and I don't think he has ever eaten so fast before! (Maybe I should tell him that every day!) After 9 holes of golf and fun riding in the golf cart, Carter took his usual afternoon nap and then we went house hunting. We had found a great new development super close to Matt's work but unfortunately the price of homes was double what we thought, so for now we will just dream and continue to "hunt."

We all think that daddy needs to have more unexpected days off!

Husband vs Wife

2007-11-12T13:53:00.000-07:00

My friend, Talai, recently entitled a post "Swanky Saturday." She explained how she is emerging from the poor student phase of her life. As Matt and I are in a similar situation, it got me to thinking. Matt and I look at many things very differently, but the way we would choose to spend our money is very different (that is if we both had separate bank accounts and the money wasn't "ours"). The best way to describe me is "cheap." I'm always looking for a bargain and I get really excited when I find one. For example, if I find a shirt for $4, sometimes I'll buy it just to say I got it for $4. Most of the times this is great, but there are many times when I have found that I never use or wear it. I get really excited to tell Matt about it, but he doesn't get too excited over things like that because on the other hand, he is more about quality than quantity. He would rather spend a little more money on something that he really likes or wants than something he might use once or twice. It seems whenever we are looking at similar items, Matt tends to want to buy the more expensive item that is of better quality than one that is half the price. I think this is true for some things, but on the other hand sometimes you might as well buy the cheaper item, especially if you could buy 5 of them before spending as much as the more expensive item.

For the most part, I think Matt and I for the most part really compliment each other when it comes to spending money. A good example of this is a picture from Costco that I wanted to buy the other day. The one I had picked out was 11 x 14 and was $57 dollars. As I mentioned before, $57 for a starving student is like food for a whole week, so I almost cringed even thinking of buying it. I decided to take Matt later in the week to help me decide which one to buy, and to make a long story short, we ended up getting a panoramic picture that was 5 times the size for $199. It retailed for $440 so it was still a good deal but I've never spent that much for a picture. Now that it is all said and done, I'm really glad we got the really big one, even though it was a little more money. It will really look nice over a fireplace or couch and will stand out a lot more than the little one I wanted to buy initially.

How do you and your mate fare when it comes to spending money?

2007-11-08T08:55:00.001-07:00

Dear Friends and Family,

So this will not be one of my most exciting posts to read, but it is actually a cry out for help and I would appreciate any pointers or ideas any of you out there might have. Ever since transitioning Carter to a "big boy bed," we have had huge issues about him waking up in th middle of the night. It started out as being once a night, but lately it has been 3 or 4 times a night. To make things worse, Jaxon is still up once or twice a night, so you might as well call me Mrs. Owl because I feel like I hardly get any sleep. Does anyone have any suggestions on the Carter matter? I hope Jaxon will grow out of his nightime awakenings soon, but if anyone has suggestions on that too it would be helpful!

Thanks,

A tired, sleepless mother

October in Review!

2007-11-04T06:09:00.001-07:00

It seems like October just flew by. Nevertheless, we were able to pack a lot in this month! Here is a short recap of a few of the fun events of the month.

First and foremost was my birthday (Matt smirked when he read this)! My mother took my sisters, aunts, and I to get pedicures and wow! I think this is a must for every future birthday to come! Matt took me to lunch at one of my favorite restaurants, Pizza Factory. Matt also bought me a gift certificate to get a massage, which I haven't used yet but am looking forward to! We finished the night off with Coldstone ice cream, and I do not think there is any better way to end a birthday, or any evening for that matter.

Second was the Murder Mystery Party put on by my friend Breanne Garlick. It was a blast! I was "Sawbones Mcgraw," the doctor of the ship, and Matt was the Governor. It was sort of like Pirates of the Caribbean and I just happened to be the murderer. I was afraid I would give myself away, but I guess I'm more deceptive than I thought. We had great food and the company was even better!

Third was the Corn Maze in West Jordan with Matt's brother and his family. I have never been to a corn maze and I was hesitant to take Jaxon because I thought you literally had to fight your way through corn. We decided to take him anyways and he screamed for the first half of the maze and then finally passed out (that is the little ball that I'm holding). You might have to click on the picture to enlarge it! Carter had a lot of fun and kept picking up ears of corn and throwing the kernals on the paths. Fortunately we didn't get lost in the maze and we were able to visit with Jeff's family. As a reward for finding our way through the maze we got free bowling passes, so I guess that will be our next family adventure.

Last and not least was Halloween. Carter gave some good how-to tips in our previous blog and really enjoyed trick-or-treating. We did take Jaxon at first but then I brought him back to the house when it got dark and cold. Matt said that when people would open their doors, Carter would try to walk right in to find the bowl of candy. Oh, the innocence of children!

What a great month full of so much fun! I'm excited to see what November has in store....

Halloween How-to's....Courtesy of Carter

2007-11-01T08:30:00.000-06:00

First, dress your little brother up in a silly pumpkin outfit.

If that wasn't silly enough, then try a monkey costume...There, that is better While in your costume, give mommy your biggest smile and assure her that you will always say please and thanks. Drag your Halloween bag on the ground just to prove to mom that you said it was too big for you. Make daddy take some of the candy out of your bag, so it is not so heavy and there is room for more!Show daddy which houses have the "good candy." I hope this helps! HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

It's Official!

2007-10-31T11:50:00.000-06:00

We can now officially call daddy Matt Shane, PT, DPT. He received verification of his Utah license to practice yesterday as well as his HUMONGOUS diploma - I don't think they could have made it any bigger without calling it a wall poster! In his words, "This made my year...well my 3 years (referring to 3 years of PT school)." I asked him if it was all worth it and he said, "Oh yeah." I think that with anything which takes a whole lot of sweat and tears, it is always worth it and believe me we had a lot of sweat and tears as a family! (Although sometimes it is hard to think that at the time or while you're going through it). Matt insisted that we celebrate last night at Red Lobster. I suggested waiting until we could be kid-free, but the boys were on their best behavior and Carter loved looking at the fish in the fish tank and the live lobsters. We are so grateful to those who helped us through the process and for your many prayers. We are also grateful that Matt has a job that he loves and that I am able to stay home and play with my boys (at least 2 of them anyways).

Monster cookies!

2007-10-25T14:22:00.000-06:00

In celebration of Halloween, my mom made "Monster cookies" for my brother, Dustin, serving a mission in Croatia (we'll see if they get there without breaking into 100 pieces). "Monster cookies" is a sufficent name because they were really about the size of a pancake. I was preoccupied by and my mom had given Carter some of a cookie. The next thing I know he has more cookie on his face than in his mouth and he is kissing and loving on Jaxon. You really can't tell from the pictures, but Carter's face is covered in chocolate and Jaxon has chocolate on his shirt, on his eyebrow, face, and hair and all over his shirt! I think calling Carter the "Cookie Monster" is very fitting!

Cousins

2007-10-21T13:38:00.001-06:00

Brooke and her family came up to visit us to go see Cody's football game and to celebrate my birthday! My friend Britt mentioned that I haven't been posting many pictures of Jaxon, and as I look at my blog I sadly find that to be true. Maybe I can blame it on the fact that I'm either feeding Jaxon, changing his diaper, or he is sleeping so there aren't to many moments to snap a good picture. For the past two nights he has slept 6 hours in a row which is heavenly. Anyways, here is a picture of Jaxon and his cousin Max (his birthday is August 23, almost exactly a month before Jaxon's of September 24). Aren't they too cute for words?!?

Pickin' Pumpkins

2007-10-19T08:59:00.000-06:00

There is a cute man down the street who sells pumpkins every year and as Matt drove by on his home for work he thought it would be fun to go pick out some pumpkins. Carter had a blast, Jaxon cried most of the time (because he hates his carseat), and Matt and I loved watching Carter try to pick up every pumpkin in the patch. We even picked out pumpkins for Cody, Kaylee, mom, and dad. Carter kept picking out the flat squatty ones (which won't be much good for carving), so we told him to pick another one and he would go right to another flat squatty one! Nevertheless we got 8 pumpkins for less than $20 and had a lot of fun in the process!!

Pics of Pickin' Pumpkins

2007-10-19T08:58:00.001-06:00

Utah!!

2007-10-19T08:13:00.000-06:00

As many of you know, we have migrated back to Utah. After being in Arizona for 3 years, I have really come to appreciate the mountains and especially the 4 seasons. In Arizona there are only 3 seasons, cool, hot, and really hot! For Conference weekend we were able to spend the time at my parent's cabin in Sundance. It is so beautiful up there and right out the back deck they have a gorgeous view of Mount Timpanogos and Stewart Falls and I love to sit there and soak it all in. I'm looking forward to winter, but no so much the snow, as I hate driving in it. But bring it on right?

Silly Big Brother

2007-10-08T18:08:00.000-06:00

Carter is all personality lately. I don't know if he's trying to compete for our attention since we had Jaxon, but he has been so silly lately. He says the funniest things and is such a ham at times. Here is a prime example of this. He found these "80's sunglasses" today and put them on and wanted me to take a picture. Then after I took one, he started running away from me laughing as I was trying to take another (hence the second picture). He is really enjoying being at Grandma and Grandpa's for a time and is loving all the attention he is getting. It probably makes the adjusment fo a new brother a little easier!! Too cute!

My very first SWAP!

2007-10-05T15:04:00.000-06:00

So I can hardly contain myself (and maybe it is just because I get to do something besides changing diapers)!! My friend Britt from Bend, Oregon invited me to participate in my very first Swap. It's pretty simple and super fun! She compiles a list of people who want to participate and then she gives everyone someone else's name and then we send a package of goodies to our designated someone. This was a Halloween Swap, and I had way too much fun browsing all of the Halloween decor to find items for my package! I'm posting pictures of the final project and I hope it doesn't spoil the surprise for my Swap buddy. I don't personally know the person who I got so it would be ironic if she looked at my blog and saw my post. So, anyways it's kind of a fun way to celebrate the holiday! I'm thinking about doing my own Thanksgiving Swap in the next few months, so let me know if you're interested or if you know anyone that is!