Just a Minute Ago...

Just a minute ago I held you in my arms and rocked you to sleep (ok more like bounced, you always loved a good bounce on the yoga ball). Just a minute ago you looked up at me and smiled, it was one of the happiest moments of my life.

Just a minute ago it was YOU who I stayed up late with most nights as we watched old reruns of Little House on the Prairie because we only had three channels and you just wanted to stay up and party. Just a minute ago you began to crawl, getting into ANYTHING electronic.
Just a minute ago you waved at me and show me just how much you had missed me.
Just a minute ago you turned one and started to walk, and minutes later to run. Just a minute ago you said 'Dada' and 'Mama'. Just a minute ago you began to climb out of your crib and sleep in a 'big boy bed' and soon after came to be our own little alarm clock as you crawled into bed with us in the mornings.
Just last last night you helped me make some rolls, you love to roll out the dough, and eat it too. Last night I read you a story and you showed me all your favorite pictures of animals, trucks, cars.... You showed me all the shapes and letters we have been learning and counted all your cars. You always get stuck on eight, but you sure love that number four! Last night I tucked you in and we said our prayers together and you whispered 'Amen' . You insisted on sleeping with one of your favorite cars, ok two, because who can pick. Just today you gave me a hug and a kiss after waking up and you helped me with laundry.

We are so lucky to have you in our family. You have brought more happiness and joy to us than you will ever know. Happy Second Birthday Levi, it's going to be a great year!

Nice try buddy!

I walked passed Levi's room the other day and this is what I found (I had to grab the camera pretty quick because it was too hilarious to pass up)



My favorite thing is that he actually put the cloths away, we've been working on cleaning up after ourselves A LOT. I'm glad some of it's paid off. Oh, and he IS wearing shorts on his head at the beginning.

Trippin'

I stole the memory card from my sisters camera from their trip to Yellowstone. It looked like they had fun, but we have been so happy to have Levi back home, he's quite a handful but he sure knows how to have a good time.

Levi and Eli strollin along. They were quite a pair I hear.
Flashlights are cool.
Juice, 'tasty' as Levi would say.
Gabe and Kara being goofy.
Levi with absolutely no fear of animals. Good thing they don't let you go close to the animals at Bear World, I think Levi would have just walked up to one and petted it.
Henry, our newest cousin. (sorry the pics sideways but I'm in a hurry and don't want to change it. You get the idea, just pretend he's laying down.)
It was a long but fun trip.

So Happy Together....

Today, four years ago I married my best friend.

The only one for me is you, and you for me
So happy together

I can't see me lovin' nobody but you
For all my life
When you're with me, baby the skies'll be blue
For all my life

Four years baby! Happy Anniversary, I love you and in the cheesy words of Jerry Maguire "You complete me..." (but seriously, you do).

Smile.....or not

I've been trying to be good about taking pictures of our family, which I'm sure is annoying for some but for others (Levi), absolutely LOVES when I take out the camera. Max on the other hand.....I don't know what he thinks of it. A lot of times, it looks like shock. Maybe with time he'll smile for the camera. For his three month 'photo shoot', I tried to time it so he would be in his 'smiliest' moods, aka after napping and eating, but all he could do is stare at this thing in his face making all this clickity clack sounds.
I can't believe three months ago you were born. I was so scared because I was so unsure of how I could handle you and your big brother. Sleep deprivation definitely does not make me a pleasant person to be around and I wondered if your first impression of your mommy would be that of a tierd, grumpy lady. But I got my angel. You are such a sweet, even tempered, sleep lovin' boy. I am so glad you were born.
You are such a smiler and when you do smile, it brightens up a room. Eating is one of your favorite past times. Most normal days you are content to watch the goings on in a room and watch your big brother run around you or the people talk around you. You love to be gently rocked to sleep rather than being bounced. The pacifier is your friend (and mine too) though you don't much use it during the day, just to keep you company when you sleep.
We love you little one and we are so glad you decided to join our family, we can't imagine it without you.

One more day!!!

Last Monday Levi left for a fun and fantastic trip with his Grandma and Aunt Rose to West Yellowstone to visit my little bro who does theater there. For days Jason and I contemplated going but decided not to for a lot of reasons. So we sent Levi in our place.

At first it was kind of fun not having a high energy toddler to look after. I forgot how much easier it is with just one baby. There were no cars all over the house (he took quite a few with him for the road), no huge mess to clean up at the table and no one to wake us up at the crack of dawn and I was able to get a lot of projects done. It was great for a little while at least.

But Levi I miss you!!!! I miss the sound of your little feet running around the house. I miss your hugs and kisses. I miss reading stories to you. I miss you in the car pointing out all the other cars, trucks, planes, police men and dogs. I miss coming home from somewhere and having you freak out because mom's home. I miss singing 'The Wheels on the Bus', 'Popcorn Popping' and 'Book of Mormon Stories' over and over. I miss you grabbing my hand and taking me to something VERY important. I miss all the little things you do that make me laugh and make my day that much better.

I'll admit, I did get misty a couple of times when I saw your picture. You are one of my best friends and life is just not the same without you. Only one more day.....

Polar Bears

We went to the zoo with my dad, uncle and grandma this week. As always Levi loved it.

Discovering the parts of the exhibits most people don't pay attention to. Why DON'T more people play in the trees and bushes?

I would love to say Max was an angel and slept the entire time, but that was far from the truth. He's amazing at home, sleeps, eats, plays around a little, repeat. All day. I love it. This little man does not like to sleep in his carseat or even in someones arms. I suppose everyone is just much more comfortable in their own bed. Good thing that's where we are most days.

This trips favorite exhibit: the polar bears. Levi LOVED them. They were swimming around, playing with their toys, he was memorized.
Come 2:00pm both boys crash. I raced home to get them in bed quick enough to have them sleep a little while longer. It worked this time. Then I crashed. Mmmmm....we love the zoo.

Trial and Error

This week I got a new camera!! I am so excited about it. We've had our small digital camera for 2.5 years (for technology these days that almost makes it a dinosaur) and I've been wanting something to take better pictures of the boys. For over 6 months I've been saving a little here and a little there to get a really good camera. Fortune fell upon me in the way of my brother, Mr. Photographer, who gave us his broken camera and he upgraded his. We sent it into the company to get it fixed, now it's good as new and cost a fraction of what I was planning on! I love when things happen like that, because I hate waiting. I was making myself save the money little by little because it is not a need and I'm trying to behave myself. Since I got it in my hot little hand yesterday, I have been playing around with it. I'm not the best photographer but it's fun. (FYI for anyone wanting to know the camera is a Canon EOS 30D)
My first picture. Levi was attacking me with a ball pump. Typical.

Jason took this one. It's a semi decent one of me so I'll put it in because this blog hardly has any pics of me. It should be renamed the Levi and Max fan club My boyfriend. This is what Levi did when I was playing around and asked him to make a funny face.

I don't particularly like how these pics turned out because they are kind of fuzzy but I just can't recreate the moment. Levi is kissing his little bro (which he does on a very regular basis)Max's reaction. Priceless.
Another 'funny face' moment. He's got a good set of chompers. We have cars, trucks, tractors everywhere in our house. This is one of his favorites.
So cute.

I'll keep practicing.