Happy Father's Day!

I got home late tonight- exhausted, drained, and giftless (with Father's Day tomorrow) because I have spent 2 long days with my niece Nicki at the hospital. She had her baby after a LONG 38 hour labor- poor girl. Anyway, I arrive and there is my sweet hubby taking care of our children with a surprise for ME! He and his family bought me a beautiful antique PIANO!!!! I couldn't believe it! A dream come true for me! That is so typical of Wade- to think of me and our family first . (THANK YOU RENEE AND MONICA TOO!)
So, I just need to say in this brief moment how much I love you, Wade and how I am so glad that our kids have you as a dad! You are such a fun dad, so sweet, loving, smart, talented, and such a great teacher! Thanks for extending your priesthood and giving Nicki a blessing today! Thanks for being worthy to bless and baptize our children too! I am so happy to have you as the father of my children! SO HAPPY!
I could go on and on, but instead I will join you for some rest so that maybe I can at least get up and make you a nice breakfast and give you a break from ALWAYS cooking Sunday mornings (with the exception of fast Sundays). Thanks for all you do! Happy Father's Day Hero (my hot fireman)!
Love, me

Age Perception

Once upon a time

Maybe it's because there is a little more freedom in his day- such as bike riding, playing with the big kids, and seeing himself as a Big brother, but Chase's funny quips of late have all seemed to have had a common theme: aging/ maturity. It's so interesting how when you are young, time creeps along ever so slowly and the older you get, the faster time goes. Remember when summer vacation lasted soooo long? Christmas break too? Imagine what 4 1/2 years must feel like! That is why I am beginning to realize that my little guy feels older and more competent these days, which (*sigh*), he is.

Anyway, here are a few Chaserisms that I must put in the "book", because according to my apparent age to Chase, my memory will be going soon. Sadly, I can see it happening too...

First of all, I love that Chase loves to wear women's sunglasses. I think they are cuter on him anyway!

The pink life preserver wasn't his first choice, however. It was a necessity issue.

I know I mentioned the "Methuselah" comment before. The entire story went like this:
Braydon- "Who was the oldest person to ever live?"
Me- "I think Methuselah lived around 1000 years old."
Chase- "Hey, Mommy, that's how old you are!"
Laughter and Shock
Chase- "Mommy, I'm just kidding!"



Grandpa took Chaser to the cemetary for Memorial Day. They had to read lots and lots of tombstones. Chase was very fascinated. It was a great learning experience. Chase must be a little concerned with death, however, because he loves his grandpa and I think he was putting 2 and 2 together. He sincerely asked Grandpa,
"How did you get sooooo old?"
Later, Wade and I also had to explain to him that it would be a long time before he is Grandpa's age.

(No offense Grandpa- you really are still young! :)



The other day, Wade and I found a little blond snippit of hair in our bed. Well, it didn't take long to figure out where it came from. When we asked Chase how it got there, he replied with a sigh,
"I don't know... Maybe it was Mr. Washington's." Wade and I looked at each other, puzzled and amused.
"Who is Mr. Washington?" I asked.
"Oh, you know, he is on lots of commercials on tv. You see him all the time! Sometimes he just likes to cut his hair. Or maybe he shaved in your bed."
Ok, sure, Mr. Washington!


Last night, Chase and I were laughing and playing around and I playfully bit him.
He turned very serious and said,
"Why did you just bite me?"
I replied, "Because you are so yummy."
Very emphatically, he said without missing a beat,
"No, I'm not. I have bad meat in me!"
So funny...
Then today when I asked him to elaborate on the subject, he explained that since Jesus made him SOOOO long ago, his meat was really old by now.
(Oh, Chaser, how I love you! I don't think you're too rotten!)

Lastly, on Sunday, Wade and I were finishing a book and I was very emotional and tears were streaming down my face. Braydon taking note, said, "In all my nine years, I've never seen Daddy cry."
Chase shook his head, made a "tsk, tsk, tsk" sound and with a sigh (I love how he always does this), said,
"In all my four years."

You know, kiddo, in your case- that really does equate to a lot!

Happy Birthday, Wade!

My Dearest Wade,
Sometimes life can be best described like a game of...
The words you get to make happen quite by chance when you only get a handful of letters (i.e.opportunities) . Before I met you, the only words I could ever seem to make were :

mundane
unfulfilled
lonely
wanting

But, then you came along. Everything has certainly changed. I think you have cheated and given me all the pieces of the game and the plethora of words that I can make now include:

Love

marriage
sweet
happy
fulfilled
laughter
fun
family
babies
eternal
together
loyalty
devotion
comfort
memories
sacrifice

...just to list a few! You certainly always put me first and let me win!

But, today, my words have a special message.

Happy Birthday, my sweet husband!

Thank you for being so FUN!

And such a good daddy!

And for being so cute!

For your birthday, I hope we can enjoy an evening of :

chocolate cake
nachos
happiness

I want to wish you a very Happy Birthday, but the most important thing I want to say is this:

My Boys...

As promised, this post is dedicated to my two fantastic boys! I recently decided to go take some new pictures of them. Since Wade was out of town for a few days, I killed time late at night by editing these pictures a bit. (I was missing him soooo much!) So, I learned how to add texture to my photographs and I think it's way cool and lots of fun learning new techniques. To learn how, go here (one of my favorite sites!)



Here is my cute buddy. Such a good, smart boy. Always has his nose in a book and loves learning. Braydon loves games and he is enjoying his summer vacation so far. I think we all are!
I always look at him and think he is so handsome! I can't believe how fast he's grown. It is fun,however, that he is old enough to share interests with! We have the best time playing together on the computer. Sometime, I'll have to post his photo edits. He gets me laughing hysterically!!!
When my boys were gone for a couple of days, I actually REALLY missed having my Chaser (and Wade!) to snuggle with! I got very little sleep ( hence these photos) . It truly is a testament of how much I love having my guys at my side all the time!

He may not like to look at the camera, but I still think this is one sweet face!

I love these boys soooo much! I am so happy to have them!

Even when Chase told me the other day that I am as old as Methuselah! That's when I realized he's not my baby anymore, if he can make a joke like that!

Little Girls

I had the opportunity to spend a whole day with just my girls. I must say, I just love to see the sweet things that make boys and girls so different. And I really have enjoyed my two girlies today!The greatest part was that we just hung out at home and played (and ate oreos, which Livvy is proudly wearing most of hers!). As I sat and watched them play house, as little girls do, I thought how I could watch and photograph them all day. They are just so cute and so fun these days! I love what girly-girls they are. Livvy always has her feet in someones shoes. Doesn't matter whose really. But the girl loves shoes and clothes! She reminds me so much of Sommer at that age. I know all girls love these things- I'm just thinking how grateful I am that I get to experience having little girls!Here she is playing tea-party with me (even though you can't see me- I'm taking the pics of course). She loves to feed us all too. Such a little "mommy" already! She also loves to help clean, wipe Chase up when he is dirty, and she takes such good care of her babies by dressing and rocking them. She loves babies! (Except for our baby doll that swims. She FREAKS out when she sees it in the tub moving it's legs and arms! I think she thinks he's either possessed or drowning! It's cute and sad at the same time!)








sip

stir

sip

Sommer and her friend played with babies and puppies- dressing them up. I love that little girls are so content playing so quietly and tenderly. Such sweet girls! Sommer is at such a fun age that I can really kid around with her now. I just love teasing my kids. But, they pretty much have me figured out and know when I'm fooling them about something. But still, I just love getting to laugh with them.








Of course they always include Livvy and play so good with her.





I also took the girls to the studio with me yesterday and they knocked themselves out. I love how Livvy looks up to Sommer and imitates everything she does.















I love my sweet daughters and am so thankful for them! I am so so blessed~this I know!

But now, I am really missing my boys! My next post will most certainly have to be about them; for I love them sooo much too!

Has Anyone Seen My Baby?

I seem to have lost her...

I did find this cute child in her stead...

But certainly, she can't be my little one! She's too grown up!

At least she's all smiles and blue eyes too. Guess we'll keep her.

It seems Father time has played a horrible, yet at the same time, wonderful trick on me!

Bilingual?

As we went to a birthday party for my neice, Paris, Livvy was not having a happy day. She was very clingy and grouchy. My sister in law is from Germany and her German grandmother (who speaks very little English) was there and kept trying to get Livvy to come to her. Liv was having NOTHING to do with it! My little marsupial stayed attached to me. I actually felt bad because she normally is such a happy, smiley baby, but we all have bad days, right?

At one point during the party, I had to run out to my car. I handed Livvy to my mom and she (thinking I was leaving her) started screaming. A minute later, the German Grandma (Oma) came out carrying Livvy. They all told me that Oma said to Livvy,

" Komm her. Ich bring dich zu mama." in her very speedy German.
("Come here. I will take you to your mama.")

Well, that was all it took. Livvy instantly reached for her and she stopped crying. Out they came and found me.

Now I know, the key word "mama" here is the same, but I'd rather just think she's brilliant. :)

My 100th post...

And probably the hundredth time I have shared these crazy Chaserisms! They are never ending! Oh, Chaser- you kill me with laughter! I love it! You are so funny. I can't say it enough!

Kool-Aid Cheeks

I had the cutest conversation one evening with Chase. I wish I had it recorded. It was so cute. I had been working in the yard all day and that evening I went to take a bath to soak my achin' muscles. Usually I only get a shower, so Chase came in and our conversation went as follows:
Chase: Mommy, why are you taking a bath?
Me: Because I am so sore from working hard all day.
Chase: Where do you hurt?
Me: My back hurts, my legs hurt, and my tailbone really hurts. (I've broken it twice-ouch!)

Chase got the most surprised look on his face and burst out laughing: " Mommy, you DON'T have a tailbone!!!"
Me: Yes, I really do!
Chase (so tickled): Mommy, you're tricking me!
Me: NO, really, I do!
Chase: "Mommy, you're joking! You have to have a tail to have a tailbone!"

Each time I would say it, he would laugh and laugh. It was the cutest, most tickled laugh I ever heard. It was precious! Something so innocent- so funny! We went to the ballpark last week and Chase wanted a snow-cone. I told him that I didn't have any money. I had no cash on me. Chase just looked at me and said, "Mommy, you need a cash cow!" Chase loves to be naked. Always has. Remember his "none-derware?" One day he wanted to come outside with me and I told him he'd need to go get dressed. Livvy's sweater was right inside the door, so he quickly put it on. When he came back out, I was the one laughing this time. Such a boy! Clothing is such a necessary evil!


Chase has learned since I am not going to give up my camera, instead of dodging it, he will just make funny faces at me! Chaser came to me the other day and whimpering said," Mommy, Braydon hit me as hard as he could in the leg!" (boys, I tell ya!)
Braydon piped in, "Mommy he kicked me first really hard!"
Chase: That doesn't mean you should do it back!

Touche' :)
As I was going to drop off some treats for the ladies I visit teach, Sommer and Chase were with me and were helping me. When I went to one person's house, they asked who it was b/c they didn't know this sister. I told them that she didn't usually come out to church but we are still neighbors and friends. Chase (the child who every Sunday cries that he doesn't want to go to church!) replied, "They better go to church or Satan's gonna get 'em!"

Seriously, Where does he come up with these things? We've never told him that!

Lastly, on Mother's Day, Sommer began asking Wade what he'd like for Father's Day.
Wade said: How 'bout a big hug and a kiss?
Chase said: I know what you can have for Father's Day. A big kick in the pants- and that's all you get!
Funny coming from the big-time Daddy's boy! :)
Chase, please don't grow up so quickly! I am just having sooo much fun with you!