Boxerwood, Season 3

Yesterday Logan and I took the boys on the first Boxerwood trip of the season! (Boxerwood is this amazing garden/children's play area in Lexington. You can see pictures of past trips here and here.)

We went late in the afternoon, after Jack's nap, and at first I was nervous that the boys would be too much to control (in past visits Tommy has had a hard time following directions and staying out of water areas), but the trip was great! Tommy was very agreeable, and stayed out of the stream, and usually came when we asked him to come. Jack wouldn't listen to directions from us, but he WOULD follow wherever Tommy went, so with Tommy being in a good mood, all was well! He and Jack had a great time running in and out of "Little House Mountain" (a nifty tunnel in a hill), and then Logan and I wandered with them in the back meadow and swamp area, looking for frogs. We didn't have a camera with us, but it was a very relaxing and fun way for the kids to get their energy out!

It was really strange to think that this could be one of the last "family outings" with just the 4 of us!

Final Countdown

Whelp, I'm into the last month of my last trimester! (Hopefully) As long as Anna doesn't follow in her brother's footsteps, she should be born sometime in the next 3-4 weeks. Eek! Part of me wants her to get here faster, and the other part of me is like "Are you crazy???!! Then you'll have 3 children to maneuver! Enjoy only having 2 while you can!!"

But that's just the crazy part.

We need to seriously get on the ball with baby prep. We haven't even bought any clothes yet (although a friend has offered to give us their stash of girl clothing, so hopefully that will cover a lot of the basics). We need to reorganize our bedroom to make space for the bassinet (which we also need to get), and I need to pack my "hospital bag."

Oy. Can you tell we're procrastinating?

When I was pregnant with Jack I took a photo with my friends Carolena and Cami, who were also pregnant at the time (you can see that post here). As fate would have it, we are once again expecting together, our due dates are just further apart. On Friday Nanna snapped a photo of us together again. Ain't we cute?

The clock is ticking!

Hunting Easter Eggs

On Friday SVU had its annual Easter Egg Hunt, so naturally we took the boys up for the fun! Our camera has magically disappeared (great timing, what with a baby coming and all), but Nanna and Papa were kind enough to take photos for us. The weather was a bit rainy and cold, but the boys still had fun collecting eggs. Once Jack got the general idea, he was on a roll! I was worried I wouldn't be able to stop him once he reached the egg "cut off"(12 eggs per kid), but once we showed him there was candy inside he was eager to switch tasks from hunting to opening. Logan and Tommy picked up their eggs in record time, and then the boys had a great time running around the Knight statue and playing with their friends.

On Saturday we had an Easter Egg Hunt with the Coopers, Vials and Graves'. The weather was a lot nicer, with the sun shining and the temperature warm and breezy. The actual hunt was pretty funny--Jack was on a roll again, but Tommy reverted back to his habit of years past of opening the eggs as he found them, so he only ended up with a handful, while Jack had a huge basket full! Tommy then thought it was more fun to roll down the grassy hill behind the Cooper's house, and gave up egg hunting all together. It was fun having the kids play together while the adults got to chat :-)

Pictures! (in reverse order)

Sorting their spoils

(they were actually quite willing to share with each other--so cute!)

Tommy rolling down the hill

A rare moment when both boys were hunting for eggs

Tommy waiting to go outside

Jack "on a roll"

At the SVU Easter Egg Hunt

Jack was pretty excited!

Hunting for eggs

The search begins!

Happy Easter!

'Cuz I'm on a roll

Logan went to bed early tonight, so I've been playing with my Heritage Makers account, and finally finished up my book on my 2005 travel study trip to China! It's been "almost" done for well over a year. The book is smaller than I meant it to be (for some reason I thought I'd selected a larger book), but hopefully I'll be able to read the text anyway once it's printed. It has exerpts from my journal, and lots of photos! Take a look if you'd like :-)

Jack's book

Although I'm really far behind on this, here is Jack's first book! (By this age, Tommy had two books published and one more in limbo mode). It goes to the end of 2009. From now on, I think I'll just do books by year instead of by kid...things are getting too complicated to keep them separate!

Things I love about my boys

Today was a good Sunday. It wasn't perfect--there were definitely moments of screaming (on the children's side, not mine), as well as frustration, but overall everything was just good. In honor of that, I'd like to share some of the things I love about my boys!

I love how Tommy always puts his tub toys away before pulling the plug and getting out all by himself.

I love how Jack loves food--not in an unhealthy way, but in a truly "enjoying food" kind of way.

I love how Tommy is honestly concerned about the feelings of others. For example, when Jack was being difficult in Sacrament meeting, Tommy came up to me and asked, "Mommy, can I help Jack?" And he frequently asks me if I'm okay. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside!

I love how Jack enjoys putting things away--toys, shoes, and diapers (in the trash). He seems to have a knack for organization!

I love how much Tommy loves sleep. It's been a blessing many, many times.

I love how much Jack loves books. It's adorable to watch him sit in a pile of books and "read."

I love it when Tommy sings. He puts his whole heart and soul into it, and you can tell that he loves it.

I love it when Jack smiles. He lights up a room, and feels things (as Papa says) "from the top of his head to the tip of his toes."

I love it when Tommy sees a picture of President Uchtdorf , calls him "Papa" and then laughs--because he knows better.

I love how cuddly Jack is. His hugs are the best!

I love it when Tommy asks me to "make the cello sing, mommy."

I love it when my boys hug and say they're sorry. They seem like they mean it.

I love how they both can identify a picture of the Savior, even though he looks different in each picture.

I love baking with my boys, and watching them learn how to measure, mix, and not make a complete mess (sometimes).

I love how unique they both are.

In just a little over a month I won't just have "my boys," but I'm grateful for the time we've spent together so far! I hope they like their sister as much as they like each other...

Things I love about my boys

Today was a good Sunday. It wasn't perfect--there were definitely moments of screaming (on the children's side, not mine), as well as frustration, but overall everything was just good. In honor of that, I'd like to share some of the things I love about my boys!

I love how Tommy always puts his tub toys away before pulling the plug and getting out all by himself.

I love how Jack loves food--not in an unhealthy way, but in a truly "enjoying food" kind of way.

I love how Tommy is honestly concerned about the feelings of others. For example, when Jack was being difficult in Sacrament meeting, Tommy came up to me and asked, "Mommy, can I help Jack?" And he frequently asks me if I'm okay. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside!

I love how Jack enjoys putting things away--toys, shoes, and diapers (in the trash). He seems to have a knack for organization!

I love how much Tommy loves sleep. It's been a blessing many, many times.

I love how much Jack loves books. It's adorable to watch him sit in a pile of books and "read."

I love it when Tommy sings. He puts his whole heart and soul into it, and you can tell that he loves it.

I love it when Jack smiles. He lights up a room, and feels things (as Papa says) "from the top of his head to the tip of his toes."

I love it when Tommy sees a picture of President Uchtdorf , calls him "Papa" and then laughs--because he knows better.

I love how cuddly Jack is. His hugs are the best!

I love it when Tommy asks me to "make the cello sing, mommy."

I love it when my boys hug and say they're sorry. They seem like they mean it.

I love how they both can identify a picture of the Savior, even though he looks different in each picture.

I love baking with my boys, and watching them learn how to measure, mix, and not make a complete mess (sometimes).

I love how unique they both are.

In just a little over a month I won't just have "my boys," but I'm grateful for the time we've spent together so far! I hope they like their sister as much as they like each other...