Answered Prayers

We've always had a really hard time getting Christian to pray. For some reason, he just never wants to, and we have to practically bribe him to do it. Every now and then he will say it willingly, and every now and then he will even add in a part or two on his own. Well last night, he surprised us both.

We were getting the boys ready for bed and Christian had done something that made him lose his bedtime story from Daddy, which made him extremely upset--screaming, crying, sobbing,and begging me to read his story to him. I told him Daddy had said he didn't get a story, so i wasn't going to read it to him. More screaming. He was not going to get over this. Somehow we manage to all kneel by his bed for family prayers and get Christian to join us and then Jake told Christian that first we had to pray and then we could talk about reading the story. This consoled him enough, and he even wanted to say the prayer! So in the saddest, most sincere voice he prayed, "...and please bless that Daddy will read me my story....". It was so sweet, i actually had to turn my head so he didn't see me laugh. How can you not read him a story after that? Needless to say, he got his story and his prayer was answered.

This morning, something triggered a memory in Christian's brain, and he remembered the game Cootie Bugs that we used to have in Georgia. He recently saw a picture of it, but this morning he thought of it and was set on finding it. I did all I could to distract him and get him to forget about it because i did not want to try to find it for a few reasons. First, because I really didn't know where it was, second, because I honestly thought there was a good possibility we had gotten rid of it when we moved (after all, we hadn't seen it since Georgia, which has been a year now!) and third, because even if we did still have it, I didn't want to start unpacking boxes and making a mess. But Christian just wouldn't give it up. So i finally consoled him by agreeing to ask daddy if he knew where it was when he called, as I was waiting for a call from him. This satisfied him and he sat next to the phone waiting for it to ring until Daddy called. The second it rang he answered it and said, "Daddy, do you know where the Cootie Bugs game is?". To his disappointment, however, Daddy did not know, although he did say he didn't think we'd gotten rid of it. After that let down, christian took it upon himself to put his coat and shoes on and go look in the garage, even though I told him I didn't think it was in there. "I'm pretty sure it is, Mom," he'd said. He came back inside a few minutes later, telling me that he didn't find any boxes that looked like Cootie Bugs, and then he just dropped the issue. I was relieved and thought I'd gotten out of it, until lunch time...

Once again, Christian surprised me and wanted to say the prayer for lunch! So of course, I let him. And then, in the sweetest, most sincere voice, he prayed, "...and please bless that we will be able to find Cootie Bugs...". Oh boy, I thought i was in big trouble. I really didn't know if we still had it. But i told him he did a great job on his prayer and that after lunch we would go look for Cootie Bugs. After all, faith without works is dead, right? And you know what? We found it! In the very first box we looked in!

As we were pulling it out of the box i asked Christian why we were able to find it and who helped us, and he answered that he'd said it in his prayer. That Heavenly Father helped us. What a great example of faith Christian was to me last night and today.

At dinner tonight he said the prayer willingly AGAIN because I reminded him that we needed to tell Heavenly Father thank you for helping us find Cootie Bugs. His entire prayer consisted of "...and please bless we can have lots of fun playing Cootie Bugs, and please bless we can play Cootie bugs a lot, and thank you for finding Cootie Bugs..." Oh so sweet. I want my little boys to stay this innocent forever.

Side note: Christian loved playing Cootie Bugs and played with it for quite a long time this afternoon. Ethan love it too.

Note to self: even if it doesn't seem to be working when you try and try to teach your child something (like how to pray), just keep being consistent. Someday they just might catch on and surprise you. :)

Our Very Own Jimmers

Jake is raising his very own Jimmer Fredettes, in hopes of some Cougar game time in the future. Ethan is hilarious. :)

BYU Basketball

Yesterday we headed to Provo to take the boys to watch the BYU Cougars play basketball! Actually, to watch Jimmer play. Jake has engrained the Jimmer excitement into the boys, and it was quite apparent as Christian got so excited to point out number 32 every time he spotted Jimmer! At home, they love to shoot hoops with Daddy and listen to "the Jimmer song!" Now Christian is thrilled to have his very own Jimmer shirt.

We got to Provo early so Jake could do a site visit for work, and then headed to campus to get some BYU paraphernalia for the boys and eat at the Cougar Eat.

The game was another win for the cougars, and a definite success for the boys. Christian sat in his seat the ENTIRE game (including half time) and never once asked for anything, like a snack or a drink. I was amazed! And when we asked him his favorite part of the game, his response was COSMO! He loved watching for Cosmo the Cougar, and got so excited when he did tricks and flips. Thanks to Cosmo and Jimmer, I think Christian had a great time! Ethan also did quite well, considering we were five rows from the top and surrounded by way too many people. Good thing I had apples, fishies, treats and water. We were also lucky to have Melissa join us at half time, the true, current, BYU cougar. Thanks for coming Meliss!

Jake was thrilled to be back in the Marriott Center watching the Cougars, as was I at first. But it was SO hot, I am way too pregnant to be sitting on bleachers for that long, my varicose veins we starting to be very uncomfortable, and I was getting claustrophobic surrounded by so many people and no way to get out except climb over everyone in all my pregnant glory (and carrying Ethan, nonetheless). Needless to say, I will never do that again, as long as I'm pregnant. I think I'm coming up with a nice long list of things I can't wait to do when I'm NOT pregnant.

Overall, it was quite a successful outing for the boys! Christian really loved it! I think next time I will just send Jake and Christian and Ethan and I will stay home and go to bed. :)

A Cool Uncle

Uncle Connor has very cool gadgets that the boys love to watch!! This is his rollercoaster, but another favorite is his flying helicopter. We were all getting such a kick out of Ethan's scream while watching the rollercoaster. It's very fun to have Connor as an uncle!

Twenty Seven things about Me

A few weeks ago I turned twenty seven. Boy, that seems old. I'm getting too close to thirty. So here are twenty seven things about me, in the here and now, in no particular order.

1. On my 27th birthday, I was twenty seven and a half weeks pregnant.
2. This is the first birthday I have celebrated in Utah in five years. I turned 22 on my last Utah birthday. Maybe that's why I still consider myself being that old.
3. I do most of my shopping online, except for groceries.
4. I am most definitely a coupon shopper. I love coupons and love to buy things at a very small price. Going to the grocery store is a challenge to see how much i can save.
5. One of my pet peeves is when I am folding laundry and my boys come and mess up my neat piles of folded and sorted clothes. Drives. Me. Crazy.
6. I love chocolate. I would choose a chocolate bar over skittles any day.
7. I need a haircut. It's been six months. That's on my "to-do before I have this baby" list. I'm still debating if I should keep growing out my hair or REALLY cut it.
8. I love to read when i have a good book, but I haven't read a book since August. I need to attend book club so I will get back into reading.
9. I like to stay home. Not ALL day EVERY day, but i don't like to have something scheduled every day. I enjoy wearing my "comfs" and fleece pullover all day long, especially since i'm seven months pregnant.
10. I have been teaching Christian and three other boys in a preschool co-op once a month, on Mondays and Wednesdays. Every now and then I don't have the patience or energy that i really need, but for the most part, it has been so much fun. Christian loves it and so do I!
11. I love my two boys and I'm thrilled to be having another one. Lots of people ask me if I was hoping for a girl, and the truth is, I was not at all disappointed to find out it was a boy.
12. I have never been out of the United States, unless you count a Caribbean Cruise or the Canadian side of Niagara Falls, which I don't. I've never had a passport, but plan to get one someday.
13. I love to waterski. I can't wait to not be pregnant this summer!
14. I think the labor and delivery experience is so cool. I love it.
15. I'm not a big TV or movie watcher, and in fact we don't even get any tv channels at our house because we don't own a digital converter box for our old fashioned tv. I would rather blog or sew or get something accomplished. But I will admit that Jake gets me sucked into shows like the Mentalist or Lie to Me every now and then. :)
16. I've always loved math. I even taught seventh grade math at a middle school in SC. I still love math.
17. I love a good brain teaser. Likewise, i love to do Sudoku. It's kind of addicting. Jake and I will even sit and have races at Sudoku puzzles at night. I usually win. :)
18. I am currently the primary president in our ward, which makes me in charge of all the children ages eighteen months to eleven years old. I got called in October, December and January were quite busy and a little stressful, but overall it's been great. I love the children!
19. I love to take a hot (long) shower shower at night. No rushing, no worrying about what my little monkeys might be getting into, and no little boys coming through the door that doesn't lock.
20. I wear tennis shoes pretty much every day of my life, even when I'm at home. My feet can't handle not wearing shoes for too long. Sundays are killers because I can't wear my tennis shoes to church.
21. I need my sleep. I like to go to bed early and anything past ten thirty is too late. If i am over tired, i am an ornery mommy.
22. I love watching jake shoot baskets with the boys. It is so entertaining. In fact, i love sitting back and observing anything the boys are doing with their Daddy.
23. My one wish this winter was to go skiing. I was so excited to! But my dreams were dashed when Jake (along with many others) forbid it due to my pregnancy. In the end I had to agree, but I was still disappointed.
24. I love volleyball. I played in junior high and high school and have never stopped loving it, though I haven't had much opportunity to play since. Back in October i played in a tournament on our stake women's team against other stakes in the valley from our church. It was SOO fun. And I was about dead by the end of the week. Twenty weeks pregnant, way out of shape, and using muscles i haven't used in years gave me quite an aching body, but it was oh so fun! I can't wait to play again next year!
25. I worry about raising good boys in such a wicked world, with so many temptations everywhere, that are only increasing.
26. I am anxious to get out of town for a little family vacation before this baby comes.
27. It has taken me more than 27 days to write this list. Am I becoming a boring person or is twenty seven just getting too high?

T.R.O.U.B.L.E.

We've got trouble...

Right here is Salt Lake City!

Trouble...Trouble...Trouble

With a capital T

That rhymes with E

and stands for ETHAN!

Ethan is becoming quite the mischievous little guy, and can get into trouble faster than I can stop him. Here are just a few examples from the only the last few days:

1. Christian alerted me that Ethan had the lotion by laughing about it. I headed to my bedroom to find Ethan on my bed, with the open jar of cetaphil cream, and a handful of it on his face, while currently in the act of rubbing it across his nose. He looked up at me and said, "Efan need wotion on nose." Apparently he did, because he had quite the lathering!

2. I was cleaning up breakfast and Ethan had disappeared. I asked Christian where he was, and he told me he was upstairs. Just minutes later Ethan returned, one hand outstretched the other clutching my mascara tube, exclaiming, "I dirty, Mommy. I dirty." I didn't even have to guess what he'd been up to. It was very clear that he'd gotten my mascara, opened it, attempted to put it on his eyelid, and gotten it on his cheek and hand as well. Luckily I thought to take a picture this time. :) And fortunately, Ethan is very good at turning himself in after the crime has been committed. :)

3. I was setting the table and the next thing I know Ethan has moved the stool, climbed up to the counter, and is shaking the salk shaker over the cordless phone, which is covered in a small pile of salt. He looked up at me and said, "Phone, Mommy."

4. We were about to head out the door when I found Ethan sitting next to the diaper bag, opened lipgloss in hand, with some smeared on his cheek. "I need wotion," he said. :)

5. He loves to play with Daddy's electric shaver, push the button to turn it on, and pretend to shave with it. This makes me very nervous, but somehow he manages to get a hold of it regularly. The other day I noticed one of his sets of beautiful eyelashes had received a bit of a trim. I think the electric shaver must have gotten it. Fortunately things like that grow back, or I would have been crushed!

6. When we went to the aquarium last week I lost Ethan at least five times. I don't ever worry about losing Christian. He keeps a close eye on where he is and I am and doesn't like to be lost. Ethan, on the other hand, wandered off out of my sight every time I turned around to see something Christian was excitedly showing me. I always found him within a minute, until the final time, when I really couldn't find him! My friend aided me in the search, and she found him in the cafe! He had wandered all the way out of the section we were in, and found himself back where we'd had lunch. And he wasn't even phased by it. He wasn't crying, he wasn't scared. He just wanders off, unaware that he's lost his mom. I think I might need to invest in one of those monkey backpack leashes.

7. I often find Ethan in the computer room, climbed up on the computer chair, and pushing buttons on the printer. He has made a copy of a map I'd had in the scanner at least five times.

All this trouble, just in time for the baby to come and distract Mommy even more from keeping an eye on Ethan. Good thing he's so stinkin' cute! :)

Happy WINDSday!

Boy, has it been windy today! Jake and I got very little sleep last night due to the gusting winds and my fear that our roof was going to blow off. That's what it sounded like. And today only brought more and stronger winds as the storm has been blowing in all day. It also just happens to be garbage day today, so there are garbage cans tipped over all over the place, and garbage swirling in our backyard all day long. What a crazy day!

Late this afternoon I suggested to the boys that we try to fly a kite, and they were all for it! Yes, it's February 16, but the temperatures have been in the fifties this week and it's been so nice! Ethan kept walking around the house saying "fly a kite!" in this really high pitched voice. It was cracking me up. So at four o'clock i quickly threw dinner in the over (potato wedges and barbecue drumsticks) and the boys and I headed to the park.

Unfortunately the wind was too strong, as was my fear, and the kite was going crazy, but Christian loved it!! In his eyes it was a very successful kite flying experience! Ethan wasn't as much into the kite and he eventually convinced Christian to head to the playground. The boys had a blast going on the slides, especially Ethan, until I couldn't take the strong wind and quickly decreasing temperatures and convinced the boys it was time to leave! The storm was blowing in fast and it was getting chilly! They were cold too, so luckily it didn't take too much convincing.

Despite my aching ears from the cold wind, it was a great thirty five minutes at the park! I can't wait until it really warms up.

Valentines Day

I LOVE Valentines Day! There are so many fun things to do with it and way too many yummy treats, (which is evident by the extra pounds i gained since my last doctor appointment). And it's getting even more fun as my children get older. This year we...

Had pink, heart-shaped waffles and strawberries for breakfast

Had a Valentine party at preschool where the boys ate heart-shaped Jello jigglers and decorated heart cookies

Made and delivered Valentines to Daddy and grandparents

Went out to lunch with my Hunny while the boys played with Grandpa

Had heart shaped pizza for dinner

Gave all three of my boys valentines of what I love about them for family night and of course ate the Valentine treats that Ethan and I made earlier that day

Ended the day with a movie and Sweetheart smoothies from Jamba Juice after the boys were in bed.

It was a day filled with love. Happy Valentine's Day!

Popcorn Party

What are we to do when Daddy's camping with the scouts on Friday night? (Besides pray that they don't freeze to death...)

Have a PAJAMA POPCORN PARTY, of course! :)
Ethan is a popcorn LOVER. He ate every bite with a "mmm..mm..mmmm....MMM" sound. Christian had to turn up the volume so we could hear the movie.
But of course I still wanted the boys to bed on time, so we only watched two episodes of Curious George and then headed off to bed! They were thrilled with the popcorn, more than anything.

Cousins Party

Last weekend we were so lucky to have some visitors from the lonestar state. It was so fun to see Peter and Lindsay and their cute boys, Joey and Kimball. The cousins had so much fun playing together and got along so well. Clearly, this needs to happen more often. :) We had "Wingers Night" at the Kerrs (thanks Steve and Rosanna!), ate yummy food, watched the cousins play and be silly, and celebrated Dad's 56th birthday. It was a great evening!

Dylan, Simon, Christian, Rachel, Kimball, Megan, Ethan, Joey

This was what I found when I went downstairs to check on the fun...Kimball, towing Megan, who is perched in a mini wagon. It was hilarious! And both were quite enjoying the activity!

Love the cousins table! (Silly Uncle Jake!)
Doing dance moves to a Wii game for 3 year olds. They were having too much fun! Check out the video below.
Three sisters, missing the fourth :(

Happy Birthday Dad!

And of course, I have zero pictures with Peter and Lindsay! Bummer. I still love you guys and loved being with you! Come back soon.

Aquarium

This week was "Letter U Week" and so the theme was UNDERWATER! Today we took the four little preschool boys (and their little siblings) to the aquarium here in the valley for a field trip. It's not quite as huge and amazing as the Georgia Aquarium (which we were spoiled with), but the boys loved it and we all had so much fun!

Dakota, Christian, Braeden, Ruger

Ethan

Christian and Ruger in front of the anaconda. When the animals weren't moving, Christian always determined they were dead, even when I suggested they might be sleeping. "Nope, dead," he would say. Christian loved seeing the stingrays, the sharks and the penguins!
Love this little guy--always flashes a cheese when he sees the camera.

SNOW Fun!

A few weeks ago we had some really great packing snow outside. Despite my tiredness and aching veins, Christian and I headed outside to play in it during Ehtan's nap, and then Ethan joined us when he woke up. Christian's favorite game was "snow baseball" where I would throw him a snowball and he would bat it with his hand, smashing it into many bits of snow that went flying every which way, including back at me. He thought it was so fun! And so I threw him snowballs over and over. When Ethan woke up I convinced him to let me put his snow clothes on and for the first time he was a little bit happy in the snow! He even walked through it and picked it up with his hands. This is progress. Eventually we headed back inside, but it was a fun afternoon outside with the boys! Fresh air does wonders for everyone.

Christian's Name

Christian is finally able to spell his own name, which has been for a month or so now. We think it's pretty impressive, for such a long first name. :) The other day I came across this in the bathroom and thought I would document it. Ethan was pretty impressed too.