Little Preschooler!

The day after Labor Day was the

 First Day of Preschool for James.

I can't believe he's getting so big, and he was so excited again

to go this year (he also went last year, same place but different teachers).

He loves his Broncos "pack-pack" and blue folder because

"blue is my fav-or-it mommy!"

Happy School Year buddy!

 

Here Fishy, Fishy, Fishy!

 On Labor Day Matt and Aubreigh invited us to go to a trout farm with them to go fishing.

James has a little fishing pole, and he LOVES to cast it and then reel it in 

all the time in the house (it only has a little rubber fish on the end).

So we went and had James use his little Toy Story Fishing pole. It must have been the

 lure Matt put on or some thing, because

James caught so many, and big ones too!

If you hooked it you had to keep it to take home to cook.

We eventually had to tell him to not put his line in the water,

we didn't want to pay for anymore fish!

First at the small trout pond

 Then at the medium sized trout pond, and James caught one of the biggest fish in it, 

a 14" one, look at the bend in the pole!

 Still reeling it in (Uncle Kyle would be proud)

 I thought that pole was going to snap!

 So then it was my turn to help James, and after three casts

he caught an even bigger fish!

 Jack was content with looking at the fish in the bucket or

running around on the grass.

 Quinn's turn as we all watch 

 This kid loved to hold the fish!

 James and Quinn checking out the giants in the trophy pond.

This pond was fly fishing and catch and release only.

 James reeling in ANOTHER 14" trout on his own!

There was a teen and his dad fishing next to us, and when they saw what James

was pulling out, the dad turned to the son and said "you just got

owned by a 4 year old!" for James holding his own fish and catching a big one!

 Look how he's holding down his fish.

I think we have a fisherman on our hands.

 So James caught the bottom one and then top three.

After paying for them we had them filleted for us.

 Blackened grilled trout, so, so, so good

 And a lemon pepper fillet in there just to be safe.

What a fun place (and tasty dinner!), 

thank you Parks' Family!

All the random photos in August

Some of the funny times I took pictures of in August.

 I go outside and find them throwing mud on each other, but having fun while doing it.

What is funny is James hates having even a drop of paint on his hands, but mud, no problem.

 Time outs in towels turned into the giggles 

 The professional bike race "Tour de Utah" came through our town!  

We went down to the main road to watch over 100 cyclists race by. 

I think what was more impressive were all the support vehicles, each racer needs one!

 Singing and playing the piano before church with Daddy

 Making mud pies, so he ditched his clothes :)

The boys were helping me paint downstairs, now he's mad 

because I have to wash it off and won't let him get paint all over the place.

My independent two year old :)

 Trying on Daddy's shoes

 Let's run in them of course

Another cute one from the zoo

James loved being on the Eagle the second time around

Zoo Day

I was waiting for the weather to not be so hot so that we could go walk around the zoo.  The last part of August was just right, almost rainy, and it cooled down from our 90+ degrees we had been having everyday.  We got to go with Aubreigh and Quinn and baby Bennett, and also some of her other friends from Heber.  Great day, great friends, and animals were out :)

 These otters were  actually playing in the water, and my boys thought they were so funny

 The carousel was a big hit too!

Love these cute boys :)

Even if I sat in chocolate right before we got out of the car, or that we 

had to wait awhile for Aubreigh to come, or that we stayed late so we were late for dinner.

I don't even care that I don't make the best food or have the house cleaned all the time,

or especially have the laundry folded (my nemesis).

I like going on adventures with my boys much more!

"Mommy, I'm being so quiet so I don't wake Jack"...

 This is what Nathan found today when he heard very quiet noises coming from the family room while he was making dinner. We had just returned home from viewing the start of Fall colors and Jack fell asleep so he put him on the couch to hopefully wake up at his own pace instead of crying for the next 2 hours. James helped set the table and then disappeared for a while. He found him having built a fort around his little brother and with Jack still fast asleep. Then he said "Mommy, I'm being so quiet so I don't wake up Jack".

Sort of reminds me of  the Wizard of Oz.

An Awaited Blessing

We are very happy to announce that we'll be adding to the family!!!!!! 

Due March 1st, 2014

 

Not sure what we are having yet, I'm now 14 weeks, and feeling pretty good actually.

We've been wanting to be pregnant for a long time now,

so after trying and waiting six months, 

another five months on clomid (that stuff was making me a little crazy, and after 

James my thyroid became hypo, and so I needed clomid for Jack too),

an ultrasound to check out the tubes, 

and lots of prayers and fasting,

we are expecting again.

It will be different having a baby not on July 21st, hehe.

I'm not very nauseous during pregnancy, which I am so grateful for.

This time though I got the WORST heartburn of...ever.

I thought that a rib had been broken by my chiropractor and

had punctured my lung, it was that hard to breathe.

I also was on a lemonade kick, and the lemonade was 

made by me from lemon juice and agave nectar (2 quarts of it),

then 4 large glasses at the Morgan County Fair of the 

hand squeezed kind, and then a large order of hot and sour soup.

Pretty sure that I burned the esophageal sphincter 

(the muscle that makes a seal between esophagus and stomach). 

After that was a little hard to hide

 (we were going to wait to know what we were having

before we announced it), all the family

got our new family picture, pictures of James and Jack, and

then an ultrasound picture with a note saying 

"hope you like the new pictures of the family :) "

We are so happy for this awaited blessing to come to our family.

Family Pictures at FotoFly

 For the kids' yearly pics (4 and 2) we took them again to FotoFly in Draper, and we had a few family shots taken as well.  That place is great!  It's the first time Nathan has been, and the first time for our family pictures.  I loved it so much last year when I took James and Jack after a bad experience at Sears, I wanted to go again.  You get the entire CD (about 40 pictures), and there's no sitting fee, for $88!  And they have very fun and upbeat photographers, modern backgrounds (you move around to each area, they aren't backdrops that are pulled down), the props are modern and clean.  An hour after your session ends, you go back to the studio and preview your pictures, if you don't like them, you pay nothing and can try again another day!  We also ordered a TON of pictures for our family and our home, including a 16"x24" photo.  So, so, so reasonably priced.  And we love the photos. 

 I highly recommend this place to everyone!

 Here are some favorites (all below are in our house somewhere!)