O is for OH MY CUTENESS!

Lyv is now officially 3 months old, and she is such a CUTE girl. I know, I know, I'm her mother what else am I going to think or say, but truly if I looked in the dictionary for a definition of Beautiful/Cute/Sweet/Adorable ... this is what you would find . . . . .... Oh, hello there camera....
I know your going to love this.....

The Grand Finale .....

This last one is Shawn's personal favorite - I think if he could physically eat her up he would. She is that dang cute!)

At 3 month Lyv is super rolly polly,

waking only once at night,

chewing on her fists and drowling like crazy,

ohhing, cooing, awing, and almost giggling,

she is very strong and can sit up for minutes at a time in her car seat or bouncer,

and being adored by the rest of us.

Saturday Soup

We have had a very FUN week and are excited to post some pics of what we've been up to. Last Saturday we decided to adventure to the Long Island Sound, on the Connecticut side in West Haven - where they actually have sandy beaches along the sound that leads into the Atlantic Ocean. It was perfect, and the kids had a great time, BUT I forgot my camera, so I took some shots of Lyv in her adorable suit when we got home. She is such a beach babe!I loved these pictures of Jack - this is a very typical moment with him. He is such a FUN, WILD, MESSY, SWEET BOY!

We then celebrated Sam's 5th Birthday. Since it was just us we decorated the house, and had a super-hero day. We started with "Incredible" Pancakes and all wore our masks (I attempted to make pancakes in the shape of the Incredibles symbol complete with colors, but it didn't turn out that great).

We then hit McDonald's for lunch, went to Toy Story 3 (so cute!)

and roasted hotdogs, made some Mac-N-Cheese,

had yummy Batman brownie/cake and ice cream,

and then completed the night with an official camp-out in the tent with his greatest hero - his dad. Sam got some super sweet gifts, his favorite was the new Buzz LightYear that pops out wings. Very cool. Sam couldn't have been happier with his very special day.

The next day we headed to the doctor for Sam's check up and he weighed in at 40 lbs. and was 44 inches tall! He has grown so much this past year. He also had to get current on his immunization and have a little finger prick to check his cholesterol and run a CBC. He was such a trooper!! He didn't even cry, because he took cousin Addi's advice and held his breath. He was so brave.

We also went to a U-Pick farm. They have these all around us and so we are going to take full advantage of the yummy fresh produce. We went blueberry picking with friends from our ward. Jack thought it was the bomb and ate more than picked, but we came home with a good bundle of these yummy treats. I plan on going and getting apples, raspberries, corn, peaches, and hopefully a few pumpkins. In a lot of ways, this part of NY is very similar to Iowa - which I really like.

I also got a special girls night out with my BYU roomy Emily and Lyv, we went to ..... Eclipse! Oh yeah, baby. I really liked the movie, it is my favorite so far, but it was also my favorite book. I also have to say that I was never a Jacob lover when I was reading the books, but when given a visual representation (hot bod!) I think I might be switching over. We also hung out with Em and Eric today before they move to Virginia for grad school! We are so glad to have spent some time with them while they're still here, and wish they could stay, but hope Virginia is a great new adventure for them.

Shawn is really loving his residency program and comes home HAPPY! He is learning a lot and I love seeing him take on this new role. So New York with all its crazy and unexpected change has been a great thing for us.

Happy 5th Birthday Sam

I really can't believe it - Sam is 5 years old today. On July 14, 2005 at 9:36 a.m. Sam was born- he weighed 6 lbs. 12 oz. and was 20 inches long. He was a very difficult, long 30 hours worth of labor, but when he arrived he was PERFECT - HANDSOME - and such a good baby!) And we've been loving him ever since. We are so happy that Sam was our first, and that he is the big brother of the family. Here are some things that Sam loves:
Movies - he loves to watch shows, current favorites Incredibles, Emperor's New Groove.
He REALLY, really wants a new "Buzz LightYear that has wings" for his b-day (we'll see if he gets it). He informed me that he is going sell the old one to Jack for $100 million. We'll see how shrewd of a business man he is.
He loves to play outside driving the Gator, swinging, swimming, playing Baseball, and exploring the creek.
He still loves to dress up and pretend to be superhero or animal (lately its been a Jaguar).
He loves McDonald's more than life itself - yuck! He also loves brownies and chocolate chip cookies.
He is such a sweet boy and always gives me hugs and kisses. He really loves Lyv and is a very good protector of her. He also has started to taken a better liking to Jack - and tries to include him in his games and adventures.
He is soooooo smart - too smart actually, and I hope that I'm making th right decision by keeping him home with me this year - I just hope he doesn't get bored.
Finally, and most important, I feel that Sam knows who he is: he knows that Heavenly Father loves him, and one thing that I love about him is that he #1) always remembers to bless his food before eating it; and #2) always requests to listen to (and then sing) a CD of primary songs. He has such a tender heart, and we feel so lucky that he is ours.

Happy B-Day Sammy boy, We LOVE YOU!!!1st Birthday - Fish Party (St. Anthony, Idaho)

2nd Birthday Cars B-day (Waukee, IA)

3rd B-day Buzz LightYear - (Waukee, IA)

4th Birthday Bolt Party - (St. Anthony, ID)

5th Birthday Hero Day - (Rosendale, NY)

Pictures to come!!!

You Have Your Hands Full!

Everytime I've dared to venture out (which isn't very often) people always look at me like I'm CRAZY, and then say in a very sympathetic voice, "You have your hands full!" I always want to respond in a very sarcastic, "Really?" or "Thanks, I didn't realize that I have three children running wild." But as I've been finally experiencing our "real life" the past few weeks - that is me with the kids for the entire day, I have to agree, I do have my hands full. Full of:

Laundry & Dishes,

Dirty Diapers,

Crumbs and Spills,

Dirt & Mud,

Jack's Crazy Antics (usually involving a toilet)

Sam's Teasing,

Lyv's Need to be Held,

Lyv's sweet smile when she wakes up,

Sam's funny giggle and cute made up words,

Jack's four word vocabulary and attempts at other words,

Three kids that cuddle with me,

Stories to read,

Tears to dry,

Hands to Hold,

Cheeks to kiss,

and a lot more!

So yes I do have my hands full, and it is not always what I want it full of - but even after I've nearly had an anxiety attack from feeling overwhelmed with all that is going on, at the end of the day and sometimes in the middle or beginning, I feel so HAPPY - that these three beautiful, smart, healthy children were entrusted to me. I just hope that I make their days as FULL as they always make mine.

Sweat Much?

A HUGE heat wave has hit the east and we are DYING! It is so hot here, and the humidity only makes the heat index rise. So what do we do when it is burning hot??? We grill - Shawn was bound and determined to make the world's best ribs, and sweated it out by the grill. Can you see the sweat dripping off his nose?

They turned out great - and as we sat around enjoying his feast; he came up with a great new invention. It's a tribute to the our friends in the Arabian Peninsula: A Sweat Turban. (Shawn sweats just sitting here).

Also a big Wohoo to Shawnee Boy: He donned his LONG white coat for the first time today. Doesn't he make a handsome Doctor?

Going Native

Shawn and Sam worked very hard on a our very own Teepee! I have to say how completely cool this turned out to be and it remains a monument to the new tribe we are apart of. Yes we are officially members of the BLACKFEET tribe (thanks to our wood floors, and black asphalt). These boys get sooooo DIRTAY. Seriously a bath is necessary after a long day of playing in the creek, dirt patch, trees, and driveway; and then having snacks and popcicles.

Finally and gratefully I have to write a little thank you to Sam. He has been the greatest helper the past few days, and everyday I hug and kiss him for all the good things he does. He is such a good big brother, and has really tried hard to help Jack and play with him. My dreams of them becoming best friends and life long pals is in the making.

Be Glad YOU don't live in Badtown

Sam & Jack start walking outside with back packs on, Sam says, "Mom we're secret agents, and we have secret powers." We go outside they take out their secret identities and show me some killer moves like this: Sam then informs me that we live in BADTOWN, and we have to get the bad guys, so its a good thing that he and Jack have secret powers: His - he shoots Transformers out of his sunglasses; Jack shoots fire out of his sunglasses. BAD GUYS, BEWARE!

Here's a little Jack Talk for you - I was going to make a post entitle Perspective to show you a little of Jack's antics. He is just not interested in toys, and if does play with things its never in the proper way its meant to be used, take for instance the swing set. He uses the slide as a platform to stand on and dangle off of, his swing to stand on (safe), and the tetter totter to hand over. Today he decided a better use for the tongs should be as a fork for his pears. He needs a bigger bowl.

He's also recently become super interested in the toilet, and "trying" to go to the bathroom - he never actually goes. I should be really excited right? But no -he just likes to take off his clothes. However, I found him in the bathroom, on the toilet, all by himself, so proud that he was "going"! Great job, Jack!

Our Little Firecrackers

I got the kids a 4th of July outfit this year, and took a few pictures of them. I know its just me, but wow, I've got cute kids!! Lyv looked so cute in these pictures I wanted to post a dozen more, but here are some of my favorites. She just gets cuter everyday.Lyv had her 2 month well check yesterday, and weighed in at a heft 12 lbs. 5 oz. She is such a rolly polly!) She also recieved 4 vaccinations, which she was none to pleased about. She screamed, not cried, SCREAMED - like how can you do this to me?