Christmas Family Photo

This is what you get when you quickly awaken two boys from their naps; pull them out of bed; beg, bribe, and cajole the three-year-old into wearing jeans (instead of his preferred warm-up pants) and decide not to fight him on the shirt and just let him wear one he'll be content to put on; bring them to the park but tell them sorry, you can't play yet; and then hurry fast before the sun goes down any more.  Personally, I was pretty happy with the results.  Phew!

Thanks to Amanda and Shayla for letting me be the third wheel and only non-photographer of the triple family photo session!

Preschool

Preschool was at our house this week.  (We switch off with the other moms, twice a week.)  The kids were very excited about Ked's new electric train (which he actually received from his Aunt Natalie and Uncle Trevor at his birth).  They were having it go through their human tunnel.  

Ked is the shortest, but he's also the youngest.  He is the only one in the group whose name does not start with an H.  Don't look at where Tyn's finger is.   

Double Cowlick

Ked's hair lends itself to a pretty radical hairstyle, courtesy of his double cowlick.  

And he wonders why I often stroke his head from front to back. . . and then quickly press it down again if we're in public.

Thanksgiving at Oma and Opa's

It was so nice to finally get out to see Sam's parents.  We had a great visit with them and were glad to also spend time with Morgan & Melissa fam, Pete & Emily fam, and Guy and his Allison. 

The kids' favorite game.  Henry, Ked, Pete, Anne, Oma.

 Quick family photo.  Not bad.  I think we're getting a little better at this.  If only we could teach Ked to smile for real instead of saying, "cheese."

 Tyn did not want to pose with his cousins.  Anne and Noelle.

 Love his lower lip and her dimple!

Tyn loves Oma!

Pacifier Blues

I have to admit, as much as it tugged at my heart strings to see my boy so devastated, and as I did all I could to comfort him after his grandparents' dog chewed up his pacifier, I was secretly rejoicing.  Now I didn't have to be the bad guy!  He didn't know I had a spare, and didn't yet realize I could buy another at the store!

Eventually, however, the reality of living in a house that was temporarily home for several families and family members and knowing that Ked was not the only one that was going to be up all night the whole Thanksgiving trip led me to finally pull out the spare.  The offers for a proper burial and ceremony had done nothing to appease him.  And though he eventually tearfully and angrily demanded it all be put in the trash, that didn't mean he had accepted his loss.  Oh well. . .  some day. . .   soon!

Ked 3 1/4 years old

Speed

The first time I brought this little car out for Tyn, he scared me, because he loved going down the slope really fast--backwards or forwards, and towards the street.  So I brought him to the back where the slope leads to grass.  The car would curve, so it didn't work really well (scared me, thinking he would fall to the side, curving at higher speeds), but it totally cracked me up to see how high he would lift his littlea legs to keep his feet from dragging and slowing him down.

October 16, 2012 Tyn 14 months

Y be like me

Ked was very excited to receive a well-worn BYU shirt as a hand-me-down.  When he saw me wearing my Y shirt one day, he got excited and insisted on wearing his too.  At first, I was a little embarrassed of the thought of us going out in public in twin outfits.  But then I realized it may not be long before he will be the one that may be embarrassed of me!  So I'll enjoy his devotion while it lasts.

Fall

Working with the young women in our church has been BUSY!  It is both so taxing and so rewarding.  I have had so many stresses, concerns and frustrations (and really seeing my weaknesses), but also so much joy, and so many times where I can see the Lord guiding me, maybe almost more apparent than I've ever felt it before, or at least on a more frequent basis.  And He has blessed me so much with ideas, impressions and inspiration.  Sometimes I start to fear and doubt about a particular impression, but then once I've taken one step forward into the dark (the leap of faith), He lights the way!  I've been so grateful to have so many direct assurances that at least some of the decisions made have been right.  Still working on not doing so many dumb things (waaay too many of those still!), but it has been such a growing and stretching experience, and I love spending time with the girls and working with the other leaders.

The family of a girl have a widowed friend who has a huge yard.  About a dozen of the youth and some parents helped to clean up her yard last Saturday.  I brought Ked along.  It was a lot of fun! hard work.  

Elections

Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it."
- Thomas Paine

Went to a little rally where Rick Santorum and state leaders spoke.  It was so small, I got to shake hands with and thank each of them personally.  It was neater than I'd expected.  Really appreciated it, and I appreciate those who put so much effort into encouraging true freedom.  

November 6th, I felt like a kid on Christmas Eve day, very hopeful and having great expectations.  It almost surprises me still how devastated I was at midnight, when I checked the news after being up with Tyn.  Very depressed about it for a few days, and I still worry (a lot), but I've been clinging on to the words of President Thomas S. Monson, a living prophet.  "You're future is as bright as your faith!"

Halloween

It was so cute to see the boys work together to purchase our pumpkin.  Tyn was very into pushing.  

I had earlier made the mistake of asking Ked, "What do you want to be for Halloween?  Thomas?"  Of course that's what he wanted to be, and there was no convincing him otherwise.  (Until after he had the costume and realized how hard it was to do anything other than trick-or-treating in!)  He ended up deciding on Percy.  I'm not the crafty type, but I did enjoy making the costume.  Just took way too long.  Tyn is the cute spotted dog (made by Heidi for Davis years earlier), but the headpiece was too small for him, and he wouldn't wear it anyway.  Here, at Ked's preschool party.  

Tyn blended right in with the ghost bowling game.  I love how Tyn almost always uses both hands to suck his thumb.

Okay, so these next pictures of Tyn were actually taken a day or two after Christmas, but this is the outfit he wore (borrowed from a friend) for the day of Halloween (retirement/nursing home trick or treating) and our ward Halloween activity.

I thought it was just the perfect outfit for our little monkey!  Sam and I couldn't get over how cute he was moving around in this little suit.

 I'm a little red here from having just thrown Tyn upside down to get him to smile.

gymnast

I was trying to get video of something a little different, but this was pretty good too--the maneuver at 4 seconds.  At least his mother thought so.  Of course, she's biased. 

My dad was a college gymnast.  Maybe there are some gymnast genes in my little guy.  (He was better at landing the other times.)  Earlier, he had been bringing his legs from the back to the front going through the splits--never lifting off the surface at all.  

Tyndale, almost 15 months

Bible reader (and baby reader)

One day Ked asked me where his little Bible was.  (Thank you Gideons!)  I was distracted with other things, and after casually glancing around the room, I told him I didn't know.  After a few more more pleas for help in finding his Bible, I finally decided to stop being a lousy mother, quit was I was doing, and help him find it.  

The door to the balcony deck was open, and as soon as I found his Bible, he took his little camp chair out on the deck and told me he was going to read his Bible outside for a little bit.  And he went out and looked just like this for several minutes.  Melted my heart.  He wouldn't let me take a picture then (I spoiled the moment), but he did later when he was "reading" his Bible on the couch.

Ked dresses himself most days.  (One of those battles just not worth fighting!)  So this is what he wears almost every day--his favorite orange shorts and Thomas shirt.

 At about 13 months old, Tyn started climbing up on the couch with book in hand.  It's always this spot on this couch that he likes to silently look at books.  Love it!

 I am guessing by his facial and hand expression here, that he was saying, "Hi," to the characters in the book. That's his second word (after Uh Oh), and he waves to people as he says it, and always shows all five of his teeth with a sideways jaw smile as he says it.  (14 months)

Dragon's Tooth

Sam and I finally went on a hike that I've been wanting to do for a long time.  I'm not much into hiking--the endurance part--but I love when there are cool things to see, climb, and explore.  

Sam looking up at one of the "dragon teeth"--upright slabs of rock at the very top of the mountain. 

  

 At the highest point.  Climbing up was easy, but down was a little scary.  Really neat, though--could see the valleys on each side.  I think I was looking at a bird soaring.

 This was taken looking down at Sam from the little peak.   Great view!

 Both of us chilled and terrified by the very boisterous wind while sitting on top of the little peak.  It was a little scary!  We both really enjoyed the adventure together.  Not often we get out alone!

Sam went up with some guys a couple of weeks before.  Love this picture.   Mm.

Virginia Day of Service

For Virginia's Day of Service, our church congregation cleaned up some brush behind the food bank (along with donating supplies).  

 About half way through.  This was the only shot I could get of Sam (middle), since normally he was buried in the brush, hacking away.  After this he let me switch--I got to work while he watched the boys.  I miss this type of work.

 Tyn and Ked working hard.

The next day.  Sunday walk.

Tyn is a speed demon.  Loves running down the hill.  

almost 14 months

Joy

To Garden or Not to Garden

That was the question.

When my landlord showed me a place about 75 yards from our home where I could garden, I was ecstatic.  But then I doubted.  I figured that drought, fungus, bugs, and deer would rob me of any rewards.  Plus walnut toxicity, as the area is surrounded, and I pulled out about a dozen small walnut trees in prepping the soil.  And any financial investment we'd made and physical efforts we'd labored at would be wasted.  (Then again, is exercise ever wasted?)  But let's be honest, can I not garden when I have any square inch of open dirt?  

So thank you to some friends for introducing me to a deer fence (and sharing some supplies with me).  The deer only wreaked havoc once--before I put it up the 6 ft. mesh wall.  After that I only saw their hooves on the outside!

I eventually couldn't keep up with watering by hand (carrying milk jugs of water out there), and I didn't even begin to fight the pests, so it definitely didn't last as long as it could have, and the walnut toxicity did affect the tomatoes, but not completely, and it was still an abundant harvest!  Green onions, zucchini, yellow squash (waaayyyy too much--even after I took out a full grown plant), cucumber, tomatoes, peppers (red and green), and green beans.  It's always nice to have enough to share. . . I just don't like anyone to feel obligated to take it.  :)  I'd usually just bring a box to church and let whoever wanted to take it, and it always ended up empty.   We also had some sugar snap peas and beets on our deck in containers, and plenty of tomatoes and some little strawberries in the front.

Try again:  The cilantro needed more water, the onions and garlic seem to have disappeared, and the pumpkins didn't make it too far.  (Sad about the pumpkins.) Next year.  Plus, other friends have inspired to me to try lettuces!

Back in the spring, Ked loved to eat "vegetables from the porch"--sugar snap peas.

Tyn (~9 months) had Roseola, but you can't see his spots in the picture.  

Snuggler

If it's sucking the thumb that makes a baby more of a snuggler, please give me thumb-suckers for all of the rest!

Ked In Charge

When Ked dresses himself.

Remind me why we paid around $100 for a bed and mattress?  And why do we still have to leave a night light on and put a blanket over the window blinds (to keep car lights from shining through and bugging him) when he now demands to sleep with the lights on?

Ked was very excited about "ice cream on my fire!" for his birthday.  

We have a three-year-old!

Update

A week after his first rock incident, Ked threw another big rock on his toe.  Big black toe, eventually losing the toenail, which he was pretty upset about.  I'm afraid, however, that he's only learned that Injury = Video.

Ked started preschool with his friends.  A bunch of us put it together and are the teachers/supervisors.  A lot of the other mothers were early childhood education majors, so the two hours are fully formatted (and age-appropriately relaxed).  We started out last week at our house.  It was fun, but exhausting too!

Tyn:  After he was mostly weaned, he became Daddy's boy, which Sam loved.  Now he's back to Mama's boy as teething and sickness has encouraged a little more nursing again.  At least he is FINALLY mostly sleeping through the night!  To 5:15am at least, usually.  (That took some work!)

Tyn still doesn't like to eat much, and it's often only with great effort and patience that I can get him to.  (He does like munching on whole vegetables from our garden, however.)  Whoever says that a child won't let himself starve hasn't been around Tyn enough.  Nevertheless, his empty-belly body seems to have abundant energy (especially when he's really grumpy from hunger--that's when he throws his most elaborate temper tantrums).  Just like his big brother, he loves to climb up anything he can.  He has his own little "stomp dance" that he does on tables and desks.  When Ked was in this stage, I got rid of the chairs.  I don't think I can do that again.  Sometimes I just really need to sit down!

Having Tyn weaned makes it soooo much easier for us to get out.  We've enjoyed going to the river and to Dismal Falls.  The boys loved both!  The last time we were at Dismal, we'd been here a month, and I was exactly a month shy of delivering Ked.  We've grown!

I forgot Ked's swimming trunks, but he didn't seem to mind.  Both boys loved the little pools to play in.  

Youth Tubing and Temple Trips

This last week was a busy and fun one with two bigger activities with the youth from our church.  It has been reaffirmed to me that planning and executing activities is not one of my natural strengths, and it has brought a lot of personal weaknesses to the surface.  But I know it's all part of Heavenly Father's plan to help me stretch and grow, and it's definitely working.  Lots of room still for improvement and progress! 

I do absolutely love working with and being with the youth (and other leaders).  They are awesome!

The tubing was really fun.  Riding the lopsided tube resulted in a wild ride in the turbulent (but small) rapids with nothing but a life jacket.  I got some pretty good bruises and scrapes going over the big rocks.  And swallowed some water.  A little scary but the most fun part too!  Made me miss the ocean and getting pounded by big waves. Stupidity resulted in me also falling off one of the bigger tubes and going through the washing machine again, but it was shorter lived, being easier to get back on the tube.

The girls were really nice about helping me get back on my tube.  :)

The Washington DC temple trip was really neat.  A great experience for all of us.  

Picnic lunch and Frisbee after the long car drive.  

I loved watching them play in their suits and dresses.  My apologies to the parents for their muddied clothing!