A Merry Christmas & Happy Anniversary

The Summers' family blog has had a major catastrophe! Our digital camera broke, then was "refurbished" and then broke again, so we have had to use our old film camera! Can you believe it? I know, pull out the tissues, because we have to wait to see our pictures. However, we finally figured out how to get our videos uploaded, so for your viewing pleasure is Sam's YMCA Preschool Christmas program. Sam did such a great job, and it really makes being a parent so much fun to see your kids perform.

This past week we've been celebrating Christmas here before we leave. Santa, being the nice fellow that he is, made a special trip to our house yesterday and brought Sam and Jack several toys because they have been such good boys. Sam asked for a Big Mack Truck from Cars (when he told this to Santa, he laughed because he thought Sam meant a Big Mac hamburger!) and Jack got a big red wagon!

Shawn and I are also celebrating 6 years of marital bliss!! Yes six years ago today he and I were married. I love that I can honestly say that I love him more today than I did six years ago and that I'm grateful everyday for being married to such a great guy! We hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and a safe Holiday season. We are so excited to get to go home for the holidays this year and can't wait to see our families.

Happy Birthday Shawn

In leui of Saturday Soup, we are going to celebrate 28 things about Shawn! (And our camera broke so Saturday Soup might not be too exciting anyways!!) So here it goes.

1. Shawn Kelly Summers was born 12-12-1980 in Rexburg, Idaho.
2. He wears an 11 1/2 size shoe.
3. He had a full beard by the time he was a freshman.
4. He LOVES Chocolate - in fact for cake this year he'll be having brownies with chocolate ice cream, topped with chocolate fudge!
5. We met playing softball for a city league and it was love at first sight!
6. He graduated from BYU with a Bachelor in Visual Arts - yes he is an artist and an amazing one at that.
7. He loves football, especially BYU football and I without a doubt find him on the computer checking stats right after a game is over.... obsess much?
8. He has a nervous habit of scratching his head!
9. Shawn's TV land idol is Doug off of King of Queens, that would make me the mean wife Carrie.
10. Shawn is a perfectionist even when cooking he measures things to the exact amount and creates these masterpieces out of sandwiches.
11. Shawn took me on our 3rd date to Jackson Hole, WY in a red corvette and we went and got old time photos. The first and last time he saw me in fishnet stockings!
12. Shawn grew up on a potato farm in Idaho, and to this day loves the smell of fresh dirt and crisp autumn days and nights.
13. Shawn served his mission in Venezuala and speaks great Spanish. WHile on his mission he was kissed on the cheek by an investigator (yes we have this on film). He about died!
14. Shawn worked for about 2 1/2 weeks at one of those phone survey places when we were first married, and then quit because he couldn't bear going back there again. He then got a job working on the sprinkler crew on BYU, which he loved because he was able to get dirty and goof off all day!
15. Shawn can pretty much do anything he puts his mind to. He has landscaped our yard, put up our chair rails, built Sam a barn, and made an imitation wainscoat in Sam's room. I love this guy!
16. Shawn always and I mean ALWAYS has two things on him - gum and chapstick. He can't stand bad breath or chapped lips.
17. Shawn has an unending memory and mountain of knowledge when it comes to movies, actors, and actresses. He knows the names for the most random celebrities you can think of.
18. THe first time Shawn tried to put an IV into another person, they passed out and started to have seizures, um scary!
19. Shawn's favorite music group is Aerosmith. He knows every song, every album, down to release date, etc. We went to an Aerosmith concert in Denver and watched a 50 year-old Steven Tyler do a front hand spring onto stage!
20. Since we've been married we've vacationed to Florida three times, Las Vegas twice, Philadelphia, Chicago, cruised in the Carribean, and have hiked the Grand Canyon rim to rim!
21. Shawn's dream vacation is Maui - one day we hope to get back there!
22. Shawn and I both love to cook with dutch ovens; he's quite the gourmet chef when it comes to charcoal and fire!
23. Shawn's laugh is contagious - really watching a movie with him is one of the best experiences in my life, I laugh at him laughing.
24. Shawn has fished for Salmon in Alaska and snorkled in Hawaii.
25. Shawn is really a goof ball, he has such a funny sense of humor and finds the smallest things funny, which is good because I'm far too serious for both of us.
26. Shawn is the best father. He loves his boys and his boys love him. I think its because they think that he's a buddy and I'm the mean parent.
27. Shawn is my best friend, my hero, and a my knight in shining armor. He even watches White Christmas with me every year, and watched Gone with the Wind while addressing our wedding announcements.
28. Shawn is the most kind and patient person I know. I feel so lucky to have him in my life, because he makes me want to be a better person. Happy Birthday Shawn! We love you!

Summers Sons' Saturday Soup

Christmas has finally come to the Summers' residence! I am a full believer that Christmas celebrations or decorations don't occur until after Thanksgiving - so Monday when we returned from Denver our house was transformed with Christmas decor and music filled the air!
Meet Marty our Elf on the Shelf! Sam doesn't seem to be as intimidated at this as he should be!

We did everything that day and by late afternoon Jack was so exhausted that during tummy time he crashed on the floor!
Lately the boys have been hanging out in my bed while I get ready and today Sam and Jack were laying by each other and Sam says, "Mom Jack had a booger but its okay - I got it for him!" What a good helper! Sam and Jack have really started to interact well these past two weeks, and Jack will just stare and smile at Sammy and it makes Sam so excited. I love these two little guys.
Sam went to a super fun birthday party at Pump It Up (has big blow-up toys)and had a ball. We are going to miss all of our little buddies we've made here.
Friday Shawn and I hosted a Christmas party with a bunch of our friends out here. We had such a fun time, and I hope they all did too. Unfortunately I failed to take many pictures but here are a few.
Thanks Javien for taking the picture!

Lately Sam has been really into growling at people, especially adults that talk to him, to Shawn and I's horror! At first it was kind of funny, but now it really is getting old. Does anyone have any suggestions in teaching him to use his manners (he does have them)???

Thanksgiving Weekend

What a fun Thanksgiving we had! We headed over to Colorado were we met up with Shawn's family. His sister Brigit hosted all of us at her house, and we had a great time. Thanks Brigit for being the hostess with the mostest! Sam had a fab time playing with his cousins and attempting every night to have a sleepover. The food was great and we stuffed ourselves full and then headed out to see Bolt, which Sam thought was sooo cool!Jack was very popular amongst his girl cousins who loved and held him pretty much all day. We took some family pictures and got really cute ones of the boys that we'll be using for our Christmas card. Thanks Mic for taking the pictures, we love them. All in all it was a super fun and relaxing Thanksgiving, I even scored on Friday without having to wake up super early! Who could ask for more? Kelly Summers Family
Here's some pics of us ski diving! It was so fun, especially when the instructor took me up and did all these cool spinning moves. I have a video, but trying to upload it took too long, so here's a picture of Shawn and I. I took this pic of Jack, and died laughing! He's too cute.

Thankful

I love Thanksgiving! It really is one of my favorite holidays because it isn't commercialized and it makes me reflect on those things I am grateful for. Lately I've been really grateful for all the boys in my life and I decided instead of just a sweeping statement of gratitude I'd list a couple of reasons why I love these wonderful boys:
1. Shawn: I am grateful for Shawn because he cut 90 blocks on his Saturday wearing these huge gun earmuff things for Super Saturday. I am grateful for Shawn because if I EVER need him, he drops anything and comes home to help me. I am grateful for Shawn because he laughs at really silly things and it helps me lighten up! I am grateful for Shawn because he is humble, intelligent, kind, strong, and HOT!
2. Sam: I am grateful for Sammy boy because he is soooo smart! He is my little buddy and helps me out so much. I am grateful for Sam because he loves me even after I just put him in time-out or spanked him. I am grateful for Sam because he is our little guinea pig for parenting and he is such a good boy inspite of our lack of experience. I am grateful for Sam because he sings Twisted Sister and Run DMC instead of kid songs. I am grateful for Sam because his laugh is one of my favorite sounds.
3. Jack: I am grateful for Jack because he is HERE! I have been waiting for him for a really long time, and he doesn't disappoint. I am grateful for Jack because he lights up when he smiles, and smiles if I show up. I am grateful for Jack because he is such a good baby, eats well, sleeps well, and is content. I am grateful for Jack because he loves to cuddle.

Sorry that I indulged a little on this post, but I hope this gives you a chance to think about things you are grateful for, because if you are like me, there are so many things in my life that I am blessed to have. Happy Thanksgiving!

Here's a few photos to part with - Here's the boys at the BYU v. Utah game - I can only say the food and company helped sooth the ache of losing, there's always next year! We had thought of naming Jack, Max, now Shawn is happy we went with Jack instead. (Poor Max Hall!)

We are leaving to go to Denver for Thanksgiving and I was upstairs packing when Sam became really quiet. I decided a little too late to check on him, and this was what I found (Sam said he was making a flour sand castle!) Nice huh? My first reaction was to laugh (wait before you think that was a good response), but Sam thought that meant that he could continue playing in the flour and sent more flying. This led to me getting upset that he wasn't minding, and him crying because I yanked him off the counter - so he's a little red-eyed in the picture! What's the craziest prediciment that you have ever found your kids in?

Summers Sons' Saturday Soup

Go COUGARS - thats right its the B.I.G. game today BYU v. Utah. We'll be going over to our friends house with fellow BYU alum to watch and will be getting back to you on those results....
This week Sam had Mom's day at preschool and I was able to see all the fun things he does at school. He is such a smart boy and his teachers are so great. We talked about Native Americans and made a head dressed. They also asked them questions about us the day before, like our ages, weight, etc. Sam said that I was 38 and that I weighed 22 lbs. HE also said my favorite thing to do was "play with him all of the time!" I had a great time with Sam. He is such a good boy and is growing so fast!


Jack has found his fingers, especially his thumb and has really started chewing and sucking on them. He is such a good boy and loves to smile and coo at us. Sam and Jack are starting to interact, which is so fun to watch. !
Sam loves Jack (sometimes a little too much) and Jack loves being entertained by Sammy boy. I'm so lucky to have these two little boys in our home.


I attended the Twilight Movie premier Thursday night at midnight with a group of other crazy girls. It was hilarious to be in line (first in line mind you) all wearing Twilight t-shirts (mine was homemade - yes those are scrapbook stickers that kept falling off) with a bunch of teenage girls. Part of my was loving being there acting like a 16 year old screaming when the movie started, and the other part of me was thinking how tired my 25 year old self would be tomorrow taking care of my kids. The movie was really good and the Edward is growing on me, so I'm so glad I went and giggled with my bffs.

Surprise!

I love surprises (even though Sam explained to me today that surprise is only a word we use on Christmas)! Today I surprised Shawn with tickets to the Kansas City Chiefs football game for his birthday. Do you love Shawn's bag? So manly.
Sam went over to our friends the Janke's (THANK YOU!! Sam had a great time with the boys) and Jack, Shawn, and I headed south. Shawn figured it out about 10 minutes into the drive. It was so much fun and we had great seats and Jack was wonderful and was the star of our section.
Here's our heart attack on a plate, well not technically a plate rather a cardboard drink holder! YUM!

We had a blast! Thank you Jennifer and Joe again, and Go Chiefs!

Summers Sons' Saturday Soup

The Saturday Soup is turning into Sunday leftovers, but we've been able to have so many visitors these past two months, that it has been making it hard for me to keep up! I apologize in advance.

After having Jack it amazed me how much Sam suddenly grew up. He has been saying the funniest things lately and here's a little sampling of his recent stand-up show:
*We were talking about what we want to do when we grow up, and I told Sam that I wanted to be a mommy. He then asked me if I had any questions and the conversation went like this:
Megan: "You'll answer anything I ask you?"
Sam: "Sure"
Megan: "Okay, what do mommy's do?"
Sam: "They put boys into time-out!"
*He hates to blow his nose, wash his hands, and bathe, basically all things that are cleanly and sanitary. He had a big sneeze and I asked him if he needed a kleenex. Sam sniffed really hard, and said: "No (SNIFF) - I'll just put them (SNIFF) back to their home (SNIFF).
*He has been loving dressing up as a pirate as you've seen from several of the past posts. A few nights ago while saying his prayers he refused to put down his telescope and he had a "pirate prayer", one arm folded, the other holding the telescope up to his eye, and praying that he could find the buried treasure.

Jack is also getting so big and so much fun. He loves to smile and responds so good to our voices. He had his 2 month appointment on Thursday and here are his stats:
Weight: 10 lbs. 14 oz. - 45%
Height: 22 1/2 inches - 45%
He also got his shots that day and I really thought that it would be easier this time around. Well it wasn't. They stuck him and it took about 2 seconds for him to register that it hurt and then he cried. It was that sad cry, and even after it was over it took about 2 minutes for him (and me) to stop. It is the most agonizing thing in the world to hear your baby cry like that, and from here on out Shawn is officially in charge of vaccinations.

This weekend Shawn's mom and dad came out to see Jack and Sam, and we had a great time just hanging out and of course eating out! Yum! Thanks Julie and Kelly for the fun visit, we can't wait to see you two "Whasskly Whabbits" in a few weeks for Thanksgiving.

Summers Sons' Saturday Soup - Trick or Treat Style

Here in Iowa they seem to celebrate Halloween all week long, so we partied like it was 1999! Sam celebrated with his preschool class Thursday morning and brought home a bucketful of goodies.Then we went out Thursday night on Beggars Night (we still are baffeled as to why they have trick or treating the night before?) and Sam visited all the neighbors houses and again scored a stash of candy. Finally Friday night we bummed off the Raccoon River Wards' Trunk or Treat to show off the boys' cute costumes. Sam has really loved Halloween and dressing up, and has been dressing up in all sorts of costumes lately. This morning he came into my room carrying a load of costumes and he ended up with this! How cute is he? He even talks pirate lingo. It is great. Jack was a good sport as I literally had to squeeze him into his Woody costume (I made it to size a month ago). He looked so cute! We are trying to come down from our sugar high, and hope that we won't get a cavity from all the sweets. Happy Halloween to all . . .