The BLUE SHARKS!

Jackson just recently finished another season of soccer. At first he wasn't too excited to play, but only wanted to do it because his buddies Landon, Tate and Jackson M. were playing. After a game or two, all the boys started to get a hang of things and the concept of the game seemed to click. That is when it became a lot of fun for us parents to watch. Our 4 boys were definitely the stars of the team since they were the older and bigger boys. It was so exciting to watch our boys be aggressive and go after the ball for goals. They have done it sporadically in past seasons but this season was definitely more intense and there is nothing better than watching the boys get excited as the ball rolled into the goal. It felt like this was a short season, but it was probably a good thing because it started getting really cold sitting on the sidelines. It also was a good thing the season ended quickly because Andersen was a little bully to Parker over his soccer ball. Andersen had this obsession with Parker and Landon's ball and would hog it the entire game just to get a reaction out of Parker. Poor Parker was always so good about sharing or passing it to Andersen, and once Andersen got a hold of it, Parker didn't see it until it ended in a fight. Thanks to the Christensen's, Andersen got his own soccer ball for his birthday and now we hopefully won't have the fight again come next season. Nate and I were so proud of Jackson for how hard he played this season. He was a little frustrated that he couldn't score as many goals as he has done in the past, but the ones he did get were great shots! These blue sharks were the cutest sharks I have ever seen and I know Jackson loved having Landon's dad, Scott, be the coach. Thanks for another good season boys, we already miss having scheduled games to go watch!

Andersen's Puppy Party

 With Andersen's recent obsession with puppies and his Halloween costume being a puppy as well, I figured it was a perfect theme for his 2nd birthday party. Andersen was super excited to wear his costume earlier than Halloween so it helped make for a cute party invite.

 After days of planning and preparing, October 11th was finally here! Nate, Jackson and I started the day off by singing "Happy Birthday" to Andersen accompanied by a chocolate milk in bed.

 Unfortunately we didn't do much for his birthday during the day because Jackson had preschool orientation, then nap time and before I knew it, it was time for the party. We invited family and a couple neighbors to join us for dinner and the party.

 After dinner, it was a group effort to open his presents. We have some of the best neighbors and Andersen got some fun toys.

 We started by opening gifts the neighbors brought him. He got some new cars, a frisbee, and his favorite... a soccer ball just like his buddy Parker (which I already ran over with the car, so we will be needing to get another one to replace it ASAP! That was the loudest pop I have ever heard) Then we had him open the presents from Nate and I. He wasn't too sure what to think of the presents because they weren't really toys for him to play with. A few days before his birthday I took the boys to the petstore to by some supplies and told them they were for Grandma Kay's dog, so when Andersen opened the present they both were so bummed. Jackson's first comment was "Oh, this is Grandma's stuff!"

 The disappointment only lasted temporarily until the birthday surprise arrived!! We have talked a lot lately about getting a family dog, and with not having any good ideas of what to get Andersen for his birthday, we decided to use the birthday money for a family present knowing Andersen would be so excited to finally have his own puppy. For awhile he would say "I want a puppy!" so we thought it was perfect.

 Andersen was so excited, but I think Jackson and his friends were even more excited. They chased her all around the house until she had finally had enough and we had to remove her from the kids. Andersen is kind of scared of the puppy at times because she likes to nibble on everything including little fingers and toes, but he definitely has a love for our little puppy already.

 The last week before Andersen's birthday we kept asking him what he wanted for his birthday. At first it was a puppy, but the last few days it turned into a monkey! What?? As parents we were wondering where that came from and bummed because who knew if he'd like our puppy surprise anymore, but Nate's good thinking paid off. Nate stopped on his way home from work and bought a monkey stuffed animal just in case. I think it is safe to say this Monkey definitely topped the favorite list as well. You should have seen him tackle and love it right as we gave it to him. Good work Daddy!

After presents, we did some cake for dessert. It wouldn't be a puppy party without the dog bowl cake, right?  I always love watching kids blow out their candles and Andersen did it like pro this year!

 And of course Jackson loved the cake too... Not because of how it looked (although he thought it was pretty cool) but because of the frosting. You can tell from the picture below he enjoyed his serving of cake!

I hope Andersen had a fun birthday. I know it wasn't a typical birthday gift since it was a family present, but I still think he had such a fun day all about him. I can't believe you are already 2 Andersen! Man time goes by so fast when we are having fun. You add so much to our family with your loaded personality. You always know how to make me and Daddy laugh, you are always so sweet to forgive and use your manners, and I love that you always want to "cuddy" (cuddle) with me and Daddy. 

We love you booger and happy 2nd birthday!!

Summer RECAP

I can't believe summer is already over! It went by way too fast I think. I tried really hard to stay up to date on my blog but no matter how hard I tried there was always something else going on that I couldn't keep up. So rather than go back and try to catch up on every detail, the following is a condensed recap of the summer activities I wanted to write about but never found the time. 

With the new rec center opening up, we spent the first part of summer either here or the splash park letting all the kids wear themselves out before lunch and naps each day. It is so fun to have so many kids in our neighborhood, because there is always someone to play with or something fun going on.

Nana is always good to find time to play with the kids while she is off track, so one of the fun activities we did one day was go down to discovery gateway. I didn't think we were ever going to get these boys away from this place. They had so much fun and you could see their little minds going 100mph just trying to take in all the excitement and new toys to play and discover.

Of course, it wouldn't be a day out with Nana unless they got a prize. These horsies are what both boys really wanted from the gift shop at Discovery Gateway. Jackson has asked multiple times for one of these and now he finally got his horse he has always wanted! I think these two horsies have been the hit of the summer. I can't tell you how many hours Andersen and Jackson have run back and forth through the house yelling "yee-haw horsie!" Months later, you can guarantee this two wooden sticks will still bring laughter and entertainment whenever they are played with.

One of Jackson's favorite things is the tramp! It is always an exciting day when the weather is warm enough to set the tramp up. Early on in the summer we were out playing with the Christensen's and we decided to throw the sprinkler under the tramp and let the boys jump in the water with their clothes on. Eventually the clothes were so wet that the boys were in their diapers and underwear but that didn't phase them one bit. If anything they had more fun jumping naked!

This isn't just a summer activity, but we definitely have done it more this year than any other...  Slurpee runs at 711! Nate and Jackson have their little tradition of stopping for one together, but I couldn't help myself on free Slurpee day! Surprisingly we didn't even have to wait more than 10 minutes in line.

As young women leaders we took the girls that could join us this day boating at Utah Lake. Even though only 3 could come it was perfect and we shared so many laughs. These girls are always a fun time!

We also did a couple campfires up the canyon this summer. Nothing says summer like late nights around the fire roasting hot dogs and marshmallows with good friends and neighbors.

Our ward did a movie night outside on the church grass! They showed Rio that night and handed out popcorn and sno-cones to everyone. Who knows how much of the movie everyone got to see, but the kids loved the idea and that's all the matters, right?

And if we weren't out doing something planned or riding bikes with neighbors, these munchkins were causing trouble inside! They definitely have a love/hate relationship for each other but nothing sounds better than when I hear them laughing and playing together... even if they are causing mischief.

Summertime is never long enough in my opinion! Even though the structure of Jackson's preschool and the sun setting early meaning kids settling down for bed earlier is nice every now and then, nothing beats the summer nights hanging out as a family or with neighbors! Oh summer, I miss you already!

My boys

 With me working less hours in the office, I now have another day at home with these munchkins. I always worried if I could handle not working as much just because I love my job so much... But I will admit I love these munchkins more! It has been so fun hanging out with them more and soaking in all their little quirks and silliness. You don't realize how much your kids keep you company until you are away from them and then I find myself missing their sweet voices, even though a lot of the time the voice is a high pitched squeal fighting for power and control of something. I am just amazed at how fast time is slipping through my hands and how fast they are growing up, especially Jackson. He always has been a big boy and very self sufficient, but lately he is taking it to another level. One day he was hungry and I needed a couple minutes to finish something so he asked if he could just make a PB&J sandwich himself rather than wait. I remembered my friend, Megan, telling me how important it is to allow your kids to learn to do things for themselves even if it makes a mess (which is really hard for me!) but this day it was good timing for trial and error. I was pretty sure he could do it, but what shocked me is just how good he did it! It was a perfect sandwich with evenly spread PB&J on both pieces of bread. There were a few licks of the fingers and knife, but I am sure a little double dip in the peanut butter and jelly never hurt anyone.

 Shortly after Jackson made his own sandwich, I caught Andersen on the floor trying to clip his own toenails! That is when it hit me (AGAIN, thanks goodness I keep getting reminders) that I need to enjoy these days I get with my boys because before I know it they will be gone. Andersen didn't really clip any nails off, but it is just the beginning of him becoming independent I am sure. Lets hope he starts with something a little less detailed next time though so we avoid in-grown toe nails.

Thank you boys for letting me hang out with you all day, even if you don't agree with my referee calls some times. You are the best side kicks for errands (unless we are at the mall) and you definitely keep me entertained every day. I love you both so much!

Andersen {20-23 Months}

I can't believe Andersen is going to be turning 2 so soon! This summer has been so much fun with this little guy. He has got such a cute personality and is becoming funnier everyday. He has loved spending the days outside playing with Jackson and the neighbors. His favorite friend is Parker, or as Andersen pronounces it "Parkey". He wakes up asking to go to Parkey's house or to play with Parkey. I love that he has a little buddy he loves to play with. He has finally learned to ride his motorized mini four wheeler with Parker so they look like a little bike gang as they ride together down the street. He also has loved playing in the sand box, playing baseball, eating popsicles and anything that the big boys are doing! Andersen's vocabulary keeps improving and growing everyday as well. A few months ago he was only saying no, "bankie", all done and other little words like that. Now he has improved to all sorts of sentences. Some of my favorite are "kicking daddy's bum, are you kidding me guys?" and the one Jackson taught him... Jackson will say "what the..." and Andersen will finish it by saying "heck". The boys will do the same thing for "oh my... gosh!" Andersen loves his brother and even has his own way off saying his name. Jackson has officially become "jacksie" to Andersen. Andersen can of course be a little feisty and grumpy at times or when he is needing to share toys, but for the most part he is a little sweetheart and such a good napper. He loves his naps and if I am out doing errands during his desired nap time it is very common to see him crashed in the shopping cart. He also loves to "cuddy" or cuddle with me and Nate. He is the best little cuddle bug and we love snuggling in the mornings or at night watching "shows" with him and Jackson. For awhile he didn't want to stay in his bed at night so he became a permanent sleeping companion for a couple weeks. It was common to only have a sliver of the edge to cling to as he sprawled horizontal on our bed. Thank goodness that phase is over! Now he knows he can't get out of his bed until "the sun come up?"

Man this little guy melts my heart! His smile can make everything better and now that he gives hugs and kisses it makes things even better. He loves to squeeze really tight and more recently give nose kisses or multiple kisses in a row. Next week he turns 2 and we'll be on to all sorts of new adventures with him I am sure! Lets hope the terrible twos don't get worse than what tantrums we are currently getting.

Quick trip to the Big Apple...

Last weekend Nate and I (along with my parents) took off on a quick vacation to New York. My sister's sister-in-law was getting married and we didn't want to miss it! The Sampson family live in upstate New York so the fastest way to get to their place is fly into Montreal, Canada.This definitely was a first for Nate and I. I have never driven across the US border so I thought this sign was pretty cool, but kind of intimidating as well. We flew in on a Thursday night and went straight to my brother-in-laws parents place for dinner and then checked into our hotel later. Friday was the rehearsal and dinner, so with my sister's family being involved in that all day, we did our own thing until later that night when we meet over at the soon-to-be couples house for dinner with all their friends and family. Saturday, September 24th, was the big day. They got married on Harmony Golf Course surrounded by beautiful scenery.

I have known Christine (the bride) ever since her brother met my sister back when I was probably 14 years old and we have been friends ever since. We would be each others traveling companions when we were both single and on family vacations. She definitely was a good "partner in crime". So of course after all those years, we all were excited to spend this moment with her.

 After a beautiful ceremony, we spent the rest of the night eating dinner and dancing. It was a fun night surrounded by family celebrating this marriage. What a happy and cute couple they are. My favorite part of the whole day was when Christine shared her wedding vows not only to Shawn but to his cute daughter Taylor followed by giving her a necklace symbolizing the union of their new family. It was so thoughtful and sweet!

 The next day, before the love birds headed off to Mexico for their honeymoon and we had to leave to the airport, we got to celebrate Katelyn's 10th birthday. I haven't spent a birthday with her in years, so it was fun to share a little bit of her excitement. Man did she make a hauling in clothes from Justice!

 

What a short but sweet few days it was. Definitely not your typical New York experience, but nothing is prettier than upstate New York. Every where you go you see these amazing fields of apple orchards.

 And it was the perfect time to visit because all the trees were changing colors. Just within days we saw trees change from green to red. It was beautiful!

 Congratulations Christine and Shawn! We are so excited for what the future holds for the two of you and we are glad we didn't miss this special day.

Favorite Sunday of the year

Today was Jackson's first Primary Program. I look forward to this Sunday every year even if I don't have a child participating, so today was an added bonus with getting to watch Jackson. I don't think he really knew what to expect, but he was still super excited this morning to say his part. He was so proud to memorize his part. His part was "I know to read (the scriptures) everyday, and when I do I learn about Jesus". When it was Jackson's turn to speak he did awesome and remembered it all. He sang almost every word to every song and I couldn't have been more proud. One of the highlights was listening to Jackson's buddy Landon right next to him sing "I love to see the Temple". You could definitely tell that was a song Landon knew and loved to sing. It is so fun watching Jackson and his buddies grow up together and become such good friends. A sad part to the day though was Jackson losing his scriptures. They needed them for the program and he had them on the stand but somewhere in between the program and class he lost them. Hopefully someone just picked them up confusing them for theirs and they will show up soon. Good job Jacks... you made us so proud today!

The End {Summary}

What a fun week we had in Hawaii! With everything we got to do as a family the boys were so tired everyday. They usually didn't want to miss a thing or any of the action so once we made it back to the house it was inevitable to find the boys sleeping somewhere.

If we weren't out exploring Hawaii or sleeping we were hanging around the house. One day I caught Andersen in our room trying on Jackson's underwear. He knew he looked so cute! Another source of entertainment for the kiddos was the ipads. These things were lifesavers. Presley had hers, Jackson had Nate's and Grandma Kay let us take hers so each kid had their own if needed to avoid conflicts.

Hawaii is such a beautiful place! One of my favorite parts were the sunrises and sunsets. The part of the island we were staying on only had sunrises, but a few nights we were over on the north shore and got to enjoy a couple beautiful sunsets. You really could go to any beach and see something beautiful. I could only imagine what the locals think of having that be a regular thing.

Being home for a week now has made us all miss this beautiful place. It was a great family vacation! A lot of first for us all, especially the boys. I know they are young, but hopefully they remember at least a few of the fun memories we made.  Andersen is too young to share, but Jackson always says "going to the beaches and flying on the planes" was his favorite part of  Hawaii when asked.

Muhalo Hawaii! You were good to us!

Last Day {Day 8 and 9}

This morning was our last morning at the beach house and our red eye flight was later that night so we still had all day to play before it was officially time to say good bye. Once we were all packed up we drove to the Diamond Head Trail to do a hike. I think this hike was about 1 1/2 miles up and we were told it would take about 2 hours up and 1 hour down.

Jackson and Andersen were troopers. Jackson did complain at the first but after Nana's encouragement he was on his way, no questions asked! Andersen on the other hand the only time we heard complaints out of him was when he wanted to walk rather than us carry him.

As long as he had Dad's hand and some sunflower seeds he was a happy camper. It was just a slower walk than the rest of the group.

Once we got to the top, this was our view! When we were driving to the hike it was kind of cloudy and overcast. Luckily it was clear when we made it to the top because it was beautiful to see the island from that angle.

After a few minutes of enjoying the view it was time to make the trek back. Going down all these stairs (200+) was a lot easier than going up that's for sure!

After the hike we drove to Waikiki area to get everyone else, besides us, checked into a hotel room since their flights weren't until the next day. It was a long wait to get situated and checked in but eventually we made it out of the car, to lunch and then later more water time.

Andersen was crashed after all our walking around that we just let him sleep in the stroller while the boys enjoyed the water.

A few showers later we were all cleaned up to head to the airport. It was a bittersweet departure. After a week in Hawaii you start getting used to the vacation life that it makes it hard to come back to reality. But nothing feels better than coming back to the comfort of your own home. Our red eye flight wasn't as bad as I was anticipating it to be.

Luckily both boys fell asleep the entire flight! Nate and I on the other hand had a long tired flight with many head bobs trying to get comfortable, but with these little noggins on my lap I didn't dare move just in case it woke them up. A 6 hour flight to Pheonix, then another 1 1/2 hour flight to Salt Lake we were finally home Saturday afternoon.