None for me thanks, I'm driving!

The other day we were having pasta for dinner. As pasta goes at our house Ethan likes alfredo, Sam likes marinara (red sauce), and Ryan likes neither. Blake and I generally do some of both or use what is left. The other night however Sam said he didn't want any of the red sauce. This is how the conversation went:

Me: Sam what kind of sauce do you want? (I always ask so that if they want to try something new they have that option--even though i know Sam will stick to what he knows.)

Sam: I don't want any sauce.

Me: Sam, I warmed up all the red sauce for you. You love the red sauce.

Sam: Yeah, but I'm going to lay off it tonight. I'll have some next time.

Me: (trying really really really hard not to laugh) why don't you want it?

Sam: I'm going to lay off it tonight.

So after i laughed inside for a minute and got composure.

Me: So you don't want any because you're laying off the sauce tonight?

Sam: Yeah.

Who knew. I guess i should be slightly concerned that i didn't know Sam had a sauce problem. And that he needed to lay off the sauce! Hahahahah. i think i might laugh over this one for a while.

Thank goodness it's Pridays!

The family reunion was a success. We had an absolute blast hanging out, swimming, visiting, eating, playing games, shopping, golfing, feats of strength, driving bikini girls from the pool, family wiffle ball, skittle eating game, and just having fun. And we all still love each other at the end of it all. Its times like this that i wish we could do these things more often. But some people tell me then it wouldn't be as special. I beg to differ. I have a great family and we have a great time when we get together. If only that sister of mine would move just a little closer so that we could see them at the family dinners. Speaking of my sister. I have to give her the biggest thank you because she planned the reunion. I have always thought my sister was wonder woman. She just keeps proving it to me. Plus she's way hot like Linda carter! ;)

family wiffle ball game--we're almost pros. there were a group of people that sat and watched the entire game. I'm sure it was entertaining to say the least. Yes, that's Bill's bare chest--well mostly bare. He dyed his chest hair and then shaved it to look like a maple leaf for Canada. Mom loved it most! You rock Bill.

Men doing feats of strength. Who won again? Mike won dismount, Darin won overall. Right?

Mandy and her kids and me and mine with granny and grandpa went on a trolley ride up and down main street.

Bill taught the kids a new game. my kids loved it and would be more than happy to show it to anyone interested.

to spare you all the pictures taken during this other game i will just show the bowl of skittles, those that played the game will remember it well.

never ending pool fun

playing 500 in the pool.

Kelly, Granny, Ashlee (lots of walks to the parks and around the area)

I really do have a great family!

What's normal anyway?

We made it to this point in the summer where i knew if we just held on tight we'd be good to go. Life over the last two months or so has been one big rush after the other. Tonight as we said good bye to my family at the close of our reunion, i turned to Blake and said WE made it! We might just begin to see "normal" life again. Up to this point i didn't dare hope to know "normal" again. I say "normal" because we all know that what's normal to one isn't normal to another. what is normal really? For me by definition normal today would be a regular pace, not slow (i only dream of slow paced days), and certainly not the mad rush we've had. I am ready to let the boys have a fun summer with playing and swimming and just relaxing here at home from time to time. We will now able to focus completely on getting settled in and comfortable in our new home, with new neighbors, and having a host of long time friends come to game and eat with us. Let the Normal begin!

trim and a haircut, two bits!

Because our summer started off with a bang and a whirlwind we never did get around to doing the summer haircuts. And much to the chagrin of many family members/friends Ethan's hair was pretty long. He wanted to grow it out and i have been just fine with that, it's just hair. Not to mention if i was going to pick a battle with him the hair thing is down, i mean way down, on the list. Besides long hair does suit him some. It was the waving his head side to side that did me in though. A while back when i did ask him why he wanted to grow his hair out his response was "it's soft to sleep on." Maybe i should check the pillow he's sleeping on.
Because we are doing family pictures next week and the other two boys defiantly needed haircuts i said we'd do them today. Ethan had decided that he was OK to have a hair cut, since it has been so hot and i don't think he's liked all the comments about his hair getting so long. Summer buzzes may come after the family pictures if the boys are so inclined. A part of me hopes they want the buzzes simply because of the ease and these boys have speedy growing hair.

"Fluffy"

"Muffin"

"Chewy"

AFTER:

Yeah, we're done! And SO handsome too! (not that I'm biased)

Home again, home again, jiggity jig!

Yesterday afternoon my parents returned from serving as mission presidents in Calgary, Canada. After having them gone for the last 3 years, 3 months, and 2 days we sure are glad they are home again! And as all return missionaries are, they are a little "weird" and not quite to a "normal" way of life. But that's to be expected after 24/7 mission stuff for that long.

We had made arrangements for their home to be painted and the carpet to be redone (per their request and they are paying for it--we're not that good). All of this done in a few weeks time which meant that it was right up to the time they were getting home. So yesterday morning as they were getting into Utah, the painters were finishing up at the house. So that meant that the paint was still drying last night as we were all gathered together at their home with the welcome sign and all. It didn't matter we were all happy to be back together anyway. Even though the rainy overcast caused the picnic plan to be put on the porch and then moved to the garage for visiting. Nothin says lovin like a family willing to gather in a semi finished garage full of lawn and garden equipment. Luckily, Darin (my brother) and I had cleaned the garage out really really good just two days before. Anyway, that's why the pictures are all in the garage.

All I can say is the for me, their favorite child (hehehehe), i am happy to have them home and look forward to having time with them again. Welcome Home Mom and Dad!

Catchin' hoppers

I'd like to say that no grasshoppers were hurt in the filming of these events, but alas there were many a fallen grasshopper. The fallen grasshoppers were all over the drive way that night. The next morning however the drive way was once again filled with live grasshoppers, so they didn't seem to mind. Maybe next time there won't be as many to fall since the boys are getting better at catching them rather than squishing them.

Funny thing: As i was typing this post and loading the video Ethan came to the back door with the new record grasshopper. I don't know if the pictures does it justice, but that thing was huge. Jaimi (Blake's sis) said something about purple spit she remembers from catching grasshoppers. nothing purple has come from the grasshoppers but we have seen green and brown. eeewwwwww. gross.

Hoppin to it!

Even though we had the snake scare, and we are a bit more cautious and look around before we go running around, we do still love it here. Because we are the last house on the street right now we are really on the edge of existence. Last Thursday the boys were out riding their bikes out in the street (again since we are the last ones on the street we get no traffic). Ryan came up on the porch to rest for a bit and we noticed there were a bunch of grasshoppers crossing the driveway. By bunch i mean 40-50 maybe more. Most of them were small, so i couldn't really get a good picture of a just how many there were. Ryan however became fascinated by them and began trying to catch them. I had the camera out so he would catch one and bring it to me and ask me to take a picture, so i would. It was like we were tagging them or something. He kept telling me how much it tickled his hands. Ethan and Sam ended up joining in the fun after they realized what Ryan was doing. I sat there laughing and just loving this moment. Boys being boys. Snips and snails the whole works.

SHHHHEEESH!!!!

what happens when you cross a baby rattle snake with a sharp metal object?
A Stain!

Yep folks we had a baby rattle snake on our driveway last week. We all walked by it a few times before i saw it. And it didn't even rattle until we threw a big rock at it to smash it. (by we, i mean Zach--i stood back watching in shock mostly. i didn't even get the heebeegeebees until about 3 hours later!) As Zach was getting the big rock to throw at it Blake went running into our basement to get a piece of our metal shelf unit that we are putting in the basement. At the time we didn't have any shovels or gardening things to get at it with. After Zach threw the rock it started to buzz it's rattle and then Blake came at it with the metal thing. after he had it pinned with the metal thing, it was trying to bite the metal thing. Once the thing was "mostly dead" Blake took it off to the side of our house into the neighboring empty lot and cut it into several pieces. And then told me he was pretty sure it was dead. Well I hope so! Since this all happened on the driveway we now have a stain. We're hoping it keeps all other snakes away (even though we really don't know that it will, it makes us feel better). We knew it was a possibility to have them, several neighbors had mentioned it was snake season. One of our neighbors that have lived here for 5 years hasn't seen any at all though. And we have been told the longer we are here they will likely stay further away. And of course we had just finished convincing Sam it was safe to get out of the car and walk to the house....(see previous post about gopher/bull snake). Actually it does have it's perks to have this happen the first week here. The boys all now know how to stay aware and away. That's right we instilled the fear into them! Sam told me he didn't like snakes and i said neither do i and neither does grandpa young (cause his mother instilled the fear in him). Sam then said "you and me and grandpa are just like Indiana Jones!" I said oh yeah, why? He said, because he's afraid of snakes too! Who knew, I'm just like Indiana Jones!

does an apple a day count for dentists too?

Over the last few years with Blake's job we have had some good insurance. OK let me restate that to us it is great, since there was a long stint we had no insurance. And we even have dental. Thank goodness too. I know i had a lot of cavities in my younger years and I'm pretty sure i passed that fabulous gene onto my kids. In the last month and a half we have been to the dentist 6 times. I asked them if i needed to start paying rent or if that's just part of my bill.

It all started with Ryan's pulpotomy (baby root canal) that i posted on a short time ago. I figured i needed to have the boys get their teeth cleaned so that we didn't have that happen again and they were due to be cleaned (since we have had insurance we have done it semi-annually like they suggest). So off we went to have Ethan and Sam have their teeth cleaned (Ryan's appointment was for later). Ethan didn't have any cavities. HOORAY!!! Sam on the other hand.....well he and the dentist/hygienist have a history. Sam does NOT like doing the x-rays. And generally after a few tries and me working up a sweat trying to get him to do it and sit still and all that we have given up a few times. BUT, not this time. We had talked to Sam before we even got to the dentist about Ryan's root canal and told him the best way to avoid that was to let them get a good x-ray so they knew if he had a cavity. So for this visit, i think it was the first of 6 maybe 7 visits, that he let the x-rays go smoothly. Ahhhhh. Relief. But much to our dismay Sam had a pulpotomy to be done 2 cavities AND had to have his front tooth extracted (pulled). Poor kid.

When the day came for the pulpotomy and extraction for sam, Blake took him to the office. I am secretly really, really, really glad it was blake cause it's a work out to take sam to the dentist. But also after hearing how it went down i think i might have cried for my baby. he did pretty good, all things considered, but the shots they gave him in the front were a bit more painful. And after pulling the tooth we are all really glad that's what they did. The reason they decided to pull the tooth was the adult tooth was coming in behind it. And as you can see by the looks of that root Sam was not going to be able to get that out on his own. The root wasn't "re-absorbing" like they should so that a little kid can get it loose and pull it out.

I'll spare you the really close up picture of sam's mouth--seriously kinda gross (looked like gray matter in there). But you can see the swelling in his cheeks and lips and the glazed look in his eyes. Fast forward to last week when he needed to go in for his other two cavities. (well actually because of the move we almost forgot and almost missed the appointment time, but they called to reschedule because of a time thing for them, whew!) I got to take sam this time since blake had to work, but after things going well last time i thought we'd be home free. Plus this isn't the first time sam has had a cavity so no big, right!? NO WAY! After fighting with Sam in the dentist chair for 45 minutes about the shot that he was SO not going to have anything to do with, we decided to change the appointment. Poor Dr. Taylor, he was trying so hard to help sam and sam was just freaked out by the shot. Before we left Dr. Taylor wanted to be sure sam knew he was his friend and that he really didn't want to hurt him at all, and that he wanted to be sure he was OK. Sam left liking Dr. Taylor. As i was re-scheduling his appointment sam said to me "next week works better for me anyway." For the next few days we talked over with sam the point of the dentist is to help keep our teeth healthy. Yes, shots sometimes hurt but they are over fast. Small cavities are better than big ones. etc. But we also told him he couldn't have any treats since we wanted to be sure his teeth were good and healthy since he didn't want the dentist to fix them. He went into the dentist today, flinched once over the shot, but then was good to go. The gas was high the movie was good, just had a hard time getting him to keep his mouth open wide enough all through the visit but after last weeks attempt i think it was a very very good visit.

(Disclaimer: i know sam was probably stressed out because of the major work he had had done the visit before, and i do not want to make it seem like we didn't acknowledge that.)