The Great Backyard

One night, soon after getting into town, we invited a couple of our little

cousins to come and play while their parents went on dates. We're currently

living at my in-laws home, while they are serving an LDS mission in Hong Kong.

They have a lovely home and a HUGE backyard! It has been so much fun having 

SO much space to run around and play. The kids are in heaven.

Typical Matt photobombing our photos.

Tricks on the tramp.

 Matt is such a great guy. The wind started up and a storm was moving in. The kids

all wanted to come in and play the wii (story of our lives). Matt is always 

so creative (he gets it from his mom). He wouldn't let the kids in to play video games, 

instead he grabbed a sheet and they played games with it in the wind.

 

The boys playing in the sprinklers (Anne & Rob, we're getting this lawn green again!!)

first thing in the morning, still in their pjs. I love the freedom of summer!

The last family bonfire on Grenville Road

My funny boys.

I wanted to post these cute photos from the last time we had a little bonfire in our backyard in

Cleveland. The boys were excited to sit around the fire, make smores and tell stories.

Matt is a pretty good story teller, but you can't beat these expressions off 

of Devin's face.

Newborn James-Rewind

I have slowly been going through photos from since James was born. 

And I, uh, kind of forgot about some and still wanted to post them before they get lost on my computer!

When James was about 2-3 weeks old and while my mom was here helping, we went to a nearby park to try to get some pretty outdoor photos of James. It was like the hottest night of the summer, no joke. 

But, we got a few of my cute boys.

Oh how blessed we are!

Don't you love how cooperative 2 year olds are?

 I think James is looking reddish. My two gingers.

Soccer Season Spring 2013

My little Lukey Luke played on a little soccer league this spring. 

It was pretty much the same thing we've done the past 2 times, where we put a couple teams together, coaches (parents) volunteer and it goes for about 6 weeks. It's usually free, but this season we paid $10 for their jerseys and medals. Matt has always coached Luke's team and they both seem to really enjoy it!

 It has been so fun to watch him improve from last spring and last fall, until now. He actually would play the whole game, without getting distracted. He was really into it. He came close several times to scoring goals, which seemed to satisfy him enough.  :)

 And then we've got Mister Goofy Pants on the sidelines yelling at him the whole game. If you don't already know, Devin is my loud boy. 

The whole game he would scream, "make a goal Luke!!!!!!" 

 This boy is such a nut!

 At the end Matt gave them all medals. I don't know the last time I've seen Luke smile so big for a picture!!! 

He was so proud. 

 And of course Dev needed a pic with Luke's medal...check out those eyebrows!

The team!!!

(The jerseys were ordered pretty late, so Luke's team got stuck with the "pink" jerseys.)

Ps. Matt is working nights and has decided to grow a beard. :)

Marchy March

I'm now realizing how much we've done so far this month and it's not even over yet! 

Sorry, but there are LOTS of pics to follow.

The coolest McDonalds ever. 

 Matt had to take Step 3 of the boards (a very expensive and intense 2-day test). The day of Luke was up SO early. Maybe he was feeling the nerves too.

 A fun day at a gymnastics place with HSSA.

 Sorry for the blurry pics. My kids LOVED it. Especially Luke. For days after he kept asking if he could join a class there or "try out for the boys class." 

 Celebration dinner after Matt finished boards!!! 

Bspot...SO GOOD!

 Remember Dev's music class? During it they do a "lay and listen" time, where they're suppose to just lay on the floor with their eyes closed and use their ears to listen to some classical music. I can't get over how cute Devin is during it and that he actually does what the teacher tells him to do for the whole song. Even when he snuggles up to other people feet. 

 Dev is constantly (and I mean constantly) playing with marbles. He is obsessed. Luke however, thought it was a good idea to put two in his mouth....why?!!! And he accidentally swallowed one. TMI: It took 6 days to finally come out. Boys!!! It completely freaked him out and every prayer he prayed for "the marble in his tummy."

Other March news! I opened my Etsy shop, Post & Twine. 

I had it open for almost 2 weeks (had to go on vacation in between) and have had 6 sales! Woot woot.

 Remember this little guys sneaky eating problem?.....Caught red-handed!

 What is Devin doing?

 Trying to walk more and more these days, even when it's FREEZING!

This day we had Eytan our little babysat friend.

 As we were going I checked on him and noticed Devin's little arm through the stroller helping him hold the bottom on his bottle. It was so sweet!

 A RS activity. We had a marriage panel and two classes, one on parenting and one on FHE. At the end we had a sample of desserts with recipes that could be used as treats for FHE. They were DELICIOUS!

The recipes are listed here, if you're interested!

 We went to Playground World with a wife (of a spouse) from Matt's program, Anna and her baby Corban. After we had lunch at Chick-fil-a. The boys thought it was a holiday, they were having so much fun. 

My cute boys love to use the umbrella and even though sometimes it annoys me (because it takes them forever or they almost break it), it's pretty cute. 

 Daddy is almost always busy with work...but when he's home the boys go nuts. The following pics are blurry, but I thought it was cute to remember how much fun Daddy is even when he's running on 2 hours of sleep.

 Luke's recent obsession with the states.

Soaking up any time we can outside when it's barely warm enough.

 Devin is my little buddy at most of my Dr. appts and since Luke can't come usually (he's at preschool) he always asks me to take a pic of Matt for him. 

This was Dev being silly while we waited for Matt.

There's the doc! Matt also sent him this pic of him going into surgery. 

 Eytan. We babysit him about 5-6 hours per week. His mom works with Matt, as a Uro-gyn Fellow. I call him "Hair." His parents are French Canadian and they are Jewish. For some reason they don't cut their boys hair until they are 3 and these boys (he has an older brother) have beautiful, but out-of-control hair. 

Could be the closest I ever get to having a girl! ;)

 See's Candies opened up at our Mall, apparently it's a West Coast store, so everyone here was ecstatic  We went with some friends to the grand opening and scored on a bunch of free candy.

And spent the rest of the time playing at the Lego store.

Little boy heaven.

It was such a good Friday, because that night Matt and I went on a special date for our SIXTH anniversary!

Which was technically the following day, but of course Matt was on a 30 hr shift. 

We did the whole shabang at The Melting Pot. It was fun and good, and it took forever! Almost a 3 hour event. Next time we'll just stick with the cheese and chocolate courses. It was really fun though!

So thankful to be married to such a great guy. Love you Matt!! 

The next morning I looked like this, after all that candy, cheese and chocolate fondue. ;)

Pregnancy looks good on me, right?

 The next day we joined some of our other friends who were Daddy-less that day (oh, residency!) and enjoyed the warmish sun out at Patterson's Fruit Farm to play and of course eat the Worlds Best donuts! 

Oh how I am going to miss this place so much when we move.

 Boys rule!

They are a 3 boy family...just like we will be!

Lunch with a headlamp.

 It was so warm for 2 days. Everyone LOVED it.
Matt was being a wimp with his beanie...it was like 65 degrees!

 We came home from church and the boys had lunch outside and we played out there for 6 hours! After Daddy finally woke up (post-call) we walked to the park. Talk about spring fever!

The next day we jumped on an airplane to Texas!!!

That's up next!