It's A . . .

BOY! Yes, number three. We are excited and all looks good. I do have to admit that after having the same decor for nearly 5 years over 2 boys, I am going to make a change. Call me crazy, but I am starting over with the room this time. Wish me luck!

Catching Up

I don't know where the time goes!!! 19 days till Christmas-WOW! So, here are a few quick picts from the last few months. Chad wanted to be Woody again for Halloween, and Tyler wanted to be nothing; but once Tyler realized that he would get lots of candy, he was willing to wear anything I put him in. They both look so cute!

Chad had another field trip with preschool. We went to the pumpkin patch. Tyler even got to come. I am realizing how quickly Chad is growing up. It is strange to realize that next year, I will have a child in elementary school.

Our last bit of news will come tomorrow. I am expecting again, and tomorrow we find out what we will be having. I'll be sure to post then.

September 2009

I have been accused of not posting in a while. I don't know where the time goes. However, I am ready to play catch up. So, here is recap of the last several months.

Chad started preschool. This is his second year and he loves it! Tyler also loves the idea of school, and has to take his backpack every time I go to take Chad. Chad had his first field trip for the year. His class went to the fire station. He had a really good time, and when he got home with all of his treasures, he let each of us pick one to keep. I was supprised that he actually let Tyler pick and keep the firemans hat. This week, he will go to the pumpkin patch with his class. Should be fun!

Other events that kept us busy were the fair. The state fair runs the first week or so of September. Since my dad has a booth there, we go and help set up early. I also run part of the Mary Kay booth there, so we stay busy. It is so fun to go. The boys love the animals and seeing all the fun things there. Of course, you have to each when you go, but the food is really not as good as I remember as a kid. It has been a busy fall, and we are already getting ready for the holidays that are almost upon us. Do you realize-only 10 weeks till Christmas!

Yellowstone!

Yellowstone Park is literally one of my most favorite places on earth. I could live there and be perfectly happy. Dave on the other hand is quite content only visiting once every couple of years. Here are some picts of our most recent trip.

Thanks to my parents, we had nice living quarters. I am a big tent camper, but with kids, I'd prefer a dry and warm place to sleep and a place to clean up dishes. This was more than we could have asked for. Good thing to, because it rained one night so much that our fire put and campsite were floating. We would have packed up and gone home if we had been in a tent. Thanks mom and dad!

We had a lot of fun at the water. Lake Yellowstone was really high but beautiful. The boys loved throwing rocks into it.

One thing we did different this year was take our bikes. We did a lot of biking, which was nice for seeing things further off the beaten path. Plus, we didn't have to carry the boys or wait for them.

This picture was Dave's favorite. You can't read the sign behind them very well, but is says, "Beware of wild animals." They are being the wild animals.

This is the "Lion King" picture. Chad found some rocks to climb on. They were about 8 feet off the ground. He was so funny. Normally he would not have dared climb up them, but he reminded me that he is 4 now, and he is braver. Aparently there really is something magic that happens on your birthday.

Tyler, Chad and me at Old Faithful. We always have to get an ice cream cone at the Inn.

All the boys were a big help in setting up. Chad and Tyler wanted to do everything that dad did.
We had a great time. The only mishap was that I forgot to take Pull Ups for Chad for night time. Just a word to others, there are no Pull Ups for sale in the park, and the nearest store is about 1 1/2 hours away. We made do. I hoped Chad would learn to stay dry at night because he had to for 4 nights, but no such luck. We had a great time and are looking forward to going again, hopefully next year, although Dave will probably convince me to wait 2.

Summer Birthdays!

July is a busy birthday month in our household. My birthday is on the 5th and Chad's is on the 12th, followed by several extended family birthdays. While in Boise last week, we celebrated my birthday. Chad was so cute to write me a birthday message on the sidewalk with chalks. I think you can read what it says, "Hape BDY Mom." He sounded it all out and then went back because he remembered the "dot" (period) at the end. He is awefully proud of his work.

Today was Chad's turn for a birthday. He turned 4! We had a lot of fun with his cake. At first, he wanted a cake shaped like Mader when he was still blue. I thought about it, but it was WAY too much work. After going through many ideas and several prototypes, here is the finished product.

It is a mini Radiator Springs. There is the "new road" and "Luigi's" tire store as well as the "Cozy Cone." Chad was so excited and the best part was the toys on the top were part of his presents.

Here is Chad with his cake. He picked out his own shirt to match it.

Finally, Chad got to play with all his presents. He got a lot of fun things and it was so thoughtful of everyone who brought gifts, cards and thought of him. In his own works, he was "SO EXCITED!!!" Happy Birthday Chad!

Balloon Farm

We recently took a trip to Boise to visit Dave's family. While there, we had the fun adventure of planting a balloon farm. There is a book called "Harvey Potter's Balloon Farm." It tells the story of a man who farms balloons, so we thought we'd try our hand at it. We planted the seeds (colorful cake sprinkles) and watered them. Then we waited for them to grow.

The first morning after we planted them, we awoke to find this. Little balloons had popped up all over. The boys had so much fun, and each of them had to pick just one.

The next morning, they had come all of the way up. Again, everyone got to pick one and it was just fun. To this day, I am sure Chad thinks balloons grow from seeds.

Tyler had fun too. He always wants to be in with the big boys. Whatever they are doing, he is going to do to. He is getting so busy and so grown up.

Camping (of sorts)

This weekend, we took a trip camping with my family. Both of my brothers and their families were there with my parents. We stayed in a campground just south of Provo, Utah. We got to stay for 3 days, and everyone else continued on for 8 more days. There may be a time in our lives when we can leave home and work for 10 days, but these are not those times. We did have a lot of fun though. We have a wonderful tent that we so enjoy. However, we have realized that we need to upgrade to something with more storage soon. We barely got all we needed into our vehicle and car carrier. Tyler is a true camper. He loves being dirty and enjoys walking all over the campsite. While in Utah, we had planned on going swimming at 7 Peaks. However, the weather did not cooperate, so we headed to Thanksgiving Point to the botanical gardens. We did get to enjoy a little of it before the rain hit. My favorite part was when we entered an area that looked like a maze. Chad kept saying, "Where do I start?" I didn't understand what he was referring to until he entered what he saw as the maze and started to weave through it. He absolutely loves mazes!

This is us in the rain. You can't tell, but it was pouring. We had a long way to go to get out of the rain and eventually gave up the umbrella and ran. We were all soaked by the time we got to the car, but it was a lot of fun. (Chad would disagree with the "fun" part.)

This was the other family picture we got before the rain hit. I had to tickle Chad's legs to get him to smile and he is almost falling out of my arms.

Finally is Chad on his bike. We got him this bike for his birthday last year. It took him a while to learn to ride it (or even want to learn for that matter). Now that he has figured it out, he is a biking machine. He wants to ride it everywhere, and has ridden it to my parents house about a mile away twice. On one bike ride, he wanted me to come over and see a puddle he had discovered. I told him that I couldn't because I had Tyler on the back of my bike and my bike would tip over. His simple response was, "Oh, you need training wheels, huh." I love how his mind works. Of course I need training wheels!

A Day Out With Thomas!

My favorite part of motherhood is making memories with my family and children. Growing up, we did a lot of things together as a family and I love to sit with my siblings and reminisce. I want my children to have those same opportunities. Well, Chad LOVES Thomas the Train. When he turned 2, Dave's parents gave him a "Take Along Thomas" train set. He loved it instantly! Since then, he has added A LOT to his collection. Each Memorial Day, Thomas comes to the Heber Valley Railroad. So, after all that had happened on Thursday, we hopped in the car Friday morning and headed to Utah to ride on Thomas. I decided that no matter what had happened, Chad still needed to ride Thomas. We had been talking about this event for several months. Dave got to pose with the boys in front of Thomas. I got to ride next to Chad on the train. The fun part is that young children have such fun imaginations. It didn't matter to Chad that we just rode Thomas through town and back, he was happy just to be riding a train.

Chad did not want to meet Sir Topham Hat, but we had a lot of fun looking around and playing with Thomas train sets. There was even a Lego train set that Chad was fascinated with. Chad has developed a new found love for Legos since Dave got his out for Chad several weeks ago.

The hardest part for Chad was the gift shop. Everything Thomas! He wanted to buy a new train, which cost twice what it does anywhere else. I wanted him to get a shirt, which was also overpriced. Ultimately, Chad picked a Thomas whistle, which I'm sure I'll regret, and a few other souvenirs. It was a lot of fun to get to experience the magic of Thomas with Chad. I am sure this is a memory he will cherish for a long time.

Our little angels

On Thursday, May 21st, we went in for our first ultrasound. The truth is, 14 weeks is a little early for an ultrasound, but since we had not yet been able to detect a heart beat, my doctor wanted to check on everything and be sure my dates were correct. Our first surprise was that as soon as we saw the image, we noticed that there was not one baby, but two! I knew something had been different this time around. I have never been so tired in my life. There were times when I would sleep 12 hours at night and be ready to lay down by 9am. I could hardly eat because I was so sick and I was just beyond exhausted. Since we had not been able to hear a heart beat at the doctor's office, I asked the ultrasound tech. if he had found one. They are so helpful-not really. All he could say was "I'll have your doctor give you a call. I can't really say much." So, we left the ultrasound not sure whether to be excited or devistated. About an hour later, we got a call from my doctor. Indeed, our worst fears were confirmed, as both babies had stopped growing at about 10 weeks. There really is not words to describe that call. Even though the babies had not been born, I felt a terrible loss. I had to have another ultrasound to confirm the miscarriage and was then scheduled for same day surgery. What a whirlwind of emotions a day like that can carry. One moment, I felt alright and knew that I would be fine. The next, I just couldn't control my tears. I wish the ultrasound picture came through better. It looks like two little babies with their legs crossed at the ankles. I guess only a mother can love her unborn children. So, as we cope with the loss of two angels, we wanted you all to know that we will not be welcoming our third child until a little later down the road.

Warm Weather Fun!

We have been waiting for warm weather to come for quite a while. It seems to come in spurts and be warm for a day just to get us excited, then leave us cold for several more weeks. These last 2 weekends have been nice and we have enjoyed being outside more. We were able to get our garden planted (hope it grows) and build a new sandbox for the boys. Chad also got to take a field trip to the zoo with his preschool class. Here are some pictures of our most recent adventures.

Chad with his preschool class. He is the one with the blue shirt and hat on. They are looking at the ducks.

This is the only picture of Chad actually looking at the camera. He just wanted to look at the animals. Tyler on the other hand was excited about everything. He wanted to walk all by himself and see everything. He is a "I don't want to be left out of anything" kind of kid.

When we were about to leave, I found this beautiful tree. Chad opted out of the photo but Tyler joined me for it. It was a beautiful day.

This is our new sandbox. It is HUGE! I think most things are better big and a sandbox is no exception. It is 8 feet X 8 feet. We have yet to get more sand so what we had from our old sandbox barely covers the bottom. But, the boys love to play in it and it is a great reason to be outside.

All in all, we are loving the warmer weather. Next weekend, we are headed on our first camping trip of the season and will be taking a ride on Thomas the Train. Let's hope the weather holds.

Family Pictures!

In March, I finally decided it was time to get a new family picture. I can't tell you the number of appointments I have set and then canceled. It is just so much work to get everyone ready and keep their clothes clean. Mostly, I kept thinking I would finally loose the rest of my pregnancy weight but I gave up and we went for it. I will admit that they turned out alright, although the experience was less than pleasant. The photographer would not listen to what I said and the first pose she did was to lay each of the boys down on their backs and take a picture from above. My boys don't love professional pictures as it is but that was a bad start. They were both bawling and that continued for the rest of the photo shoot. I have learned a few things through my several photo sessions. First, I always need someone to help. I usually tell my mom that I can do it on my own, but this time I was prepared. She came with me! My favorite part of the whole experience was when I had to sit with the photographer and choose my prints. After the screaming and mayhem, and I was over the top frustrated, she had the nerve to offer me a portrait package costing $900! Are you kidding me? I wouldn't spend that even if the pictures were stellar, but screaming kids blown up to 20x24 and framed--- no. Anyway, we now have a picture with all of our children in it. At least for now, we are up to date.

P.S. You can expect us to get a new family picture in about 1 year. We will then need to update it to have a new addition in it. Yes, we are expecting our 3rd in November. (My doctor said that 3 would put us over the top, and I can only imagine how we are going to handle 3. Wish us luck!)

Easter Fun!

We don't do much for an egg hunt at our house, but what we do is enough. Chad, Tyler and I spent Thursday coloring eggs. I use Tyler's name lightly as the dye was so far away from him that he couldn't even reach it. The Easter Bunny visits our house on Saturday. Chad had a lot of fun collecting the eggs. Tyler mostly enjoyed putting the eggs back in hiding once Chad placed them in his basked. Tyler also loved the basket itself. He enjoyed playing peek-a-boo with it. I think he kept doing it because we kept laughing. It was so cute! On Sunday, we had several good visits with Chad about why we celebrate Easter. I don't think it sank in. Growing up, our egg hunts were awesome. I think we even hunted for eggs into my college years. My dad would always find himself a basket-usually one that was a decoration in our home. That meant that it was either so small it couldn't even hold one egg or so large it could hold the cat. It was probably more fun as I got older to watch my dad than to collect eggs as a kid. Fun memories.