Isaac and Amy

Isaac and Amy came to visit us and gave us a personalized tour of Davis. It was a lot of fun! Amy showed us all the cool things on the UC Davis campus. We chased ducks, rolled down hills, saw a tree from China, looked at egg head sculptures, saw where Isaac proposed to her, visited her old apartment and house, and had a really good time!!
The highlight was seeing Amy's abandoned bike from 5 YEARS AGO! Apparently UC Davis is a bike graveyard! Davis is totally a bike city and Amy's was not the only one that was obviously sitting there for a while (the rust all over, competely flat and falling apart tires, and old style give them away). It was funny to find her bike still there. I'll let you guess which bike is hers...

My cute brother and sister!! (in law... yes, I know... whatever)

Christmas Part 2 Fox

Matt's mom was able to come home from her skilled care facility to be with the family for Christmas. It was very nice to see her. She was very pleased to see Dylan. He thought she was great. I got some great photos of Dylan with Grandpa. They really liked each other too!
The boys (Grandpa, Uncle Sam, and Levi) hard at work with the race cars! Cool!

Above: Matt and Sheri

Below: Sam and Amber (The newly weds)

It was a nice visit with them. We don't get to see our families nearly enough... (distance will do that to ya) It was an enjoyable visit. Levi thought watching Uncle Sam and Matt play with remote control helicopters and planes was "so cool!" Budd and Sheri~ It was so nice seeing you!

Christmas Part 1

This is missing the pictures from visiting with Matt's parents. Those pictures are on another memory card. Stay tuned. I hope you all had a marvelous Christmas. We did. We went and saw our parents. It's nice that they both live in the same city. If you think Matt doesn't know how to make his clothes match (see above photo), he did match prior to having Dylan bleed all over his shirt... he had to change.

Dylan and Grandpa.

The very cool tower that Matt built. It had such detail!

Uncle Isaac and Aunt Amy playing. We were making a cage for Levi. Dylan was originally in it, but he wanted to bust it down and get out. Levi saw it as an adventure!

Levi, Dylan and Grandma playing Memory.

Definitely the highlight for Levi... a 4 lane raceway for his Hotwheel Cars. Cool!!

Aah! I love my husband! He got me personalized license plates. When they come I'll show you them!

My mom, sideways. The program keeps freezing up and quitting when I try to turn her the right way.

Isaac and Amy

The darling boys with their toys. Those were the unwrapped presents under the tree. They were very excited. Christmas is better with kids!

Visit my parent's blog for more pictures! We got to visit with Grandma Meservy and have traditional scones on Christmas morning! YUM~ Dee and Eddie also joined us and we saw them later on for dinner, too! We also saw Uncle Bubba and Grandma Wanlass (who looked fantastic!)

More to come of Matt's family!

Huh.

I have a car alarm... apparently it doesn't work when someone smashes in the window. I suppose that even if the alarm had gone off the person would have left by the time we went outside. So now our car got a $300 window for Christmas. That really wasn't how I was planning on spending that money....

Update on Life

Let's see... what's new with us?
Matt has put in 2 lights on our posts outside. These are cool lights that light the pathway and alternate between blue, red, green and white. The look nice. The boys (all 3 of them) find the lights captivating! It cracks me up. Dylan will migrate towards any sort of light at all. Matt also put additional shelves in a cupboard for me, much to my delight. Now I just have to organize the pantry.

Levi climbed into our bed this morning and said, "Move over Mom, I need more room." (?!?$?) I complied and moved closer to Matt (lucky me!) Levi can write all of his ABCs. He only gets a couple backwards. It's pretty impressive. He loves to sing songs, especially "Called to Serve", "Jingle Bells", and "I love to see the Temple".

Dylan has had diarrhea for a while and I do a load of laundry everyday. If you have suggestions, I am open to ideas. Yes, I should call the doctor... maybe I'll do that tonight. Dylan loves to be held but is also content to play by himself. He's super cute.

I am seriously looking forward to a 2 week break and the chance to be with my children and celebrate Christmas. I need a break.
That's our lives. Sorry no pictures. I keep meaning to ask Matt to fix the card reader, but I forget. Hope all is well with you guys!

REJOICE!!

It is 7:05pm and both kids are in bed asleep... Oh. my. goodness. !!!!!!!!!
Now I need to go spend quality time with Matthew or do something for myself. Can't wait!
I was just so excited to share with everyone... Bye!

Christmas Quiz Tag

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper
2. Real tree or artificial? Usually a real one, but this year we have a cool fake one since Dylan would eat a real one. The fake one is on a table.
3. When do you put up the tree?It was our family home evening activity last Monday.
4. When do you take the tree down? Usually January 1st while watching that parade.
5. Do you like eggnog? I don't. Matt does.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? Oh... that is hard! I'd have to say the caboodle full of make up from Aunt Dee, or the purple huffy bike, or my Beauty and the Beast chest.
7. Hardest person to buy for? My parents and Matt. Their needs are met and they have no wants. !!?%#^*W)#*?? (How do people have no wants?)
8. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes, we do.
9. Mail or email Christmas cards? Really?? People email Christmas cards?? (If you do, I don't mean to offend you). I definitely mail them out.
10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I'm thinking... Oh.. i got coal in my stocking one year. I'm sure I deserved it. I think I was 17.
11. Favorite Christmas Movie? Eloise at Christmas.
12. When do you start shopping for Christmas? All year long
13. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Heck ya. Don't you? Admit it....
14. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Where do I start???? It's the best time of year! I always overdose on the Cornflake Wreath cookies though. Seriously. I make one batch to give out and one batch all for me. Yum!
15. Lights on the tree? Of course. My children would protest otherwise.
16. Favorite Christmas song? Do you hear what I hear? and Oh Holy Night.
17. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Home for the holidays.
18. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? dasher, dancer, comet , cupid,prancer, vixen and rudolph, donner and blitzen.
19. Angel on the tree top or a star? A star.
20. Open the presents Christmas Eve or Christmas day? Pjs on Christmas Eve. Gifts on Christmas day.
21. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? having to work.
22. Favorite ornament theme or color? I'm fond of silver
23. Favorite for Christmas dinner? ham
24. What do you want for Christmas this year? An eye mask.

Childproofing ...

Well... little guy is quite mobile. He is also rather determined. See the blue lunch pail and box in the bottom, left hand corner? He tried to climb up that to get to the food.

I meant to post these last week.

This is the turkey Levi made at Preschool. I absolutely love the "character". He looks so worried, as if he knows his fate. My favorite part is that his mouth is supposed to be that chin thing. I think it looks better this way.

Levi's new skill. He can actually write the entire alphabet and he only does N and Z backwards. I was so impressed by the above photo (writing A-I) until the next day when he took me completely by surprise and wrote all of his ABCs. Amazing. The kid is almost 3 and a half.

Family Photo

Showing the family photo here kind of ruins the surprise of seeing one in the mail in your Christmas card.

Talented Guy

My husband is not for hire. The neighbors wanted to know how Matt learned to do the retaining wall and fence.... he learned by doing. It's been a long process since fixing up a home requires time and money. Well, we've been short on both, so the progress on our front yard has been done in baby steps. Matt gets all the credit. He's had help from our friend, John, and I've been instrumental in offering lemonade, moral support and keeping the kids out of the way. Next on the agenda is new gutters or a paint job on the trim. We're working on it.

My kids will be free to roam in the confines of our front yard. (With me looking on, of course)

I look forward to it!

There are two gates that still need to be put in. Stay tuned for the cool lights that Matt is going to put in the posts to light the path. He is a technical guy, afterall... gotta have the cool stuff.

Nice job, Matt! We appreciate it! (So do the neighbors).

'Tis the Season!

One of my favorite things about this time of year is Dreyer's Peppermint Ice Cream. I love this stuff!! It is only 110 calories and 3.5 grams of fat per serving, which means as I am eating a HUGE bowl of this, it's equivalent to about half of regular ice cream. (this totally makes sense in my head...)

It is so, so yummy!! My love for it started years ago when I had a season pass to Disneyland. I would go visit Abigail (she worked on Main Street in the Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlor) on my way home from work and splurge on Peppermint Ice Cream. Yum!!!

So, now there are two of these containers in my freezer and I am sure that we'll buy a couple more before the year is out. I really love this Peppermint Ice Cream!

The Family Picture Fiasco

We attempted to take family pictures today to include in our Christmas cards to send to our marvelous friends and family. Note to self: next year, take pictures in September.

So, we had an appointment at the studio at 11:00am. We got there a few minutes early to find Matt a matching shirt. With much success we checked in right on time only to find a completely chaotic portrait studio with a ton of families standing around. Were they behind?? Yes. By 30 minutes, we were told. Off we went to walk around the mall to pass the time away. We returned to the store and found out that there were 3 parties ahead of us. Luckily, the Disney-Pixar movie CARS was playing. Levi was happily entertained as Dylan played with Daddy away from the masses. At 12:15, they assured me that we were next. By the time we got in there Levi was completely uncontrollable and Dylan wanted a nap and a bottle.

I hadn't taken a diaper bag (we had an appointment and thought we'd be gone maybe an hour / hour and a half.... At least I had snacks and bribery for Levi. It's hard enough to get two kids to look at the camera at the same time, but add in the fact that neither of them want to be there and lost their happy smiles an hour ago.... well, let's just say that if you get our pictures and Matt and I look stressed out, you'll know why.

After waiting to see our proofs, pay for the pictures and get through the crowds, we walked out of the studio at 1:52pm. This almost-four-hour process was not what we had planned. Overall, I wouldn't say it was a loss though. Really, up until the last hour and a half, we were doing fine and everyone was happy and it was all okay. We did have great family togetherness, so that is a plus. However, next year I think I won't pick the Thanksgiving / Christmas time period. It's quite popular and there are way too many people. I don't want to chance it. Just wanted to share.... Learn from my mistake and bad planning. But, by golly, I hope the pictures turn out cute!

Just Thinking...

I find it interesting that it takes months to lose weight and then only a week to gain it all back. The same goes for other things that can be "ruined" fairly quickly. You can be chaste your whole life, and then one mistake will mar that record. Or, you can spend hours cleaning your house and children can immediately restore the living room to it's previous state of messiness. I am sure there are hundreds of other things that can be classified into this type of problem. I'd love to hear what horrible (or positive) things can be altered so quickly. I suppose you could be poor (or just trying to survive financially, even if you aren't poor) and then win the lottery (what are the odds of that??). That would be another type of (fairly instant)change.

What do you suppose the purpose is? Are things like this a lesson in humility or self control? Hhhhmmmm.....

Blessed.

Two years ago I married Matt. It was the right decision and I've never regretted it. I love him and am so happy. He is a fantastic husband, an excellent, attentive father, and a good man.

We are so blessed.

Happy Anniversary Matt! I love you!

I'll never do that again...

Back in 2004 I decided to run a marathon. I wanted to see if I could run 26.2 miles. I never ran in high school or had a desire to run, period. However, I do like challenges and that is why I successfully completed that marathon.

I think that marathons and running are kind of like childbirth. Up until I got an epidural with Levi the pain was horrible. Yet, later I on I forgot about the pain and side effects and I had another kid....

I got another brilliant idea to run a half marathon. Seeing as how my hip went out during the marathon at mile 18 and was quite painful, my mom suggested that in the future maybe 13.1 miles would be a better idea. I elicited the help and companionship of my dear friend, Lavina and she and I ran a half marathon yesterday. (Really... it was only yesterday? It already seems so long ago). Below is a picture of me, after the fact, really, really tired.

It took me 2 hours and 38 minutes. I walked for the last 2 miles. It didn't feel so bad afterwards. 3 hours later I was vomiting and it continued for the rest of the day and into this morning. I called my RN friend and she said that I am most likely dehydrated. I still feel ill... very ill. And that is why I will never run a half marathon or full marathon again.

However, I did successfully lose 13 pounds since I started training, so that's a nice bonus. I have nothing else to prove though. I think I'll go back to bed.

Randomness

I always read about "Thankful Thursday" on people's blogs and have yet to write a similar post. However, today I am feeling grateful for some random things and thought I'd write about them.

I am thankful for brussel sprouts and green beans. I think these are so yummy and good for me. Plus, they are so filling after eating them. Yum!

I am thankful for Grandma's tapoica. I miss her and I miss the special treat she so often made me. (She is still alive, just 6 hours away. I love you Grandma!)

I am thankful for shoes that fit. Golly. What a difference it makes in my life to have comfort when walking and running. I love it! (Thanks Mom, Dad, and Matt)

I am thankful for fine point black pens (preferably made by Pentel). I just think they write so nicely and the ink flows well.

I am thankful for the rain on a day I don't have to go to work. (that's not today)

I am thankful for the colors purple and blue, gerbera daisies, dark chocolate, and pretty paper.

8 month report

This darling little boy is 8 months old! Time sure does fly. He weighs 19 lbs and has 6 teeth (and is growing a few more). Dylan can climb, crawl and get around with the best of them. He is fast, persistent, and constantly putting things in his mouth. He is currently practicing standing and holding on with one hand, then letting go briefly before he falls. It is cute to watch. He loves the bathtub, doing anything with Levi, and being held. Oh, and he loves food.

We sure love him!

Artwork

Levi made this fantastic picture today without any help at all. (I simply wrote the title of it). It is a person in the rain with an umbrella. I think he did a great job. He is also quite good at writing his name!

Pumpkin Patch

We went to an awesome pumpkin patch today with Levi's preschool. It was so much fun!! We went on a hay ride, a train ride, slides, saw a pig race, picked a pumpkin and explored. Levi said, "This is great!" and "This is supery good." He makes me laugh. He did take at least 15 minutes to pick his pumpkin though. None of them were quite right.

Dylan and Levi with their pumpkins on the hay ride.

Okay, so this is sideways, but his eyes look so blue and he's so handsome. His mouth is ALWAYS open. Dylan sampled dirt, hay, and gnawed on the stems of pumpkins. Good times!!

Levi, testing out a pumpkin and checking it out.

It went Thud. Crack. Squish.

I almost threw up. It was a stressful Sunday morning and I was rushing to get to church early to prepare for the Primary Program. I'm driving along and see a little squirrel dart into the street. I think... run, squirrel, run! It's a big road. He seemed so far away and Matt and I offered audible encouragement to the little guy as I slowed down to let him pass. Then, he paused. I didn't know what to do. I was in a spot that I couldn't stop at. So the squirrel went, then I went, and it didn't end well. I have never hit an animal before. It was sort of tragic. I seriously wanted to hurl.
On the way home, we saw another one dart in front of the car. Matt yelled to him the sad fate of his cousin on the other street. Luckily, the squirrel had heard and safely made it across the road.

a post from Levi

Last night I goed trick or treating. I got candy of saying trick or treat!! I was a blue dinosaur. Dylan was a blue dinosaur too. And what did Daddy be? (A Daddy).

Levi with a necklace. Hold it up and it glows. I taked it in my room and I went in your room (Mom & Dad's room) and I took it back into my room in the dark and it glowed!

Mommy and Dylan and Levi. Is he one? Is Dylan one? (Nope... he's almost 8 months old).

It's your three boys! Daddy, Levi, Dylan. See my candy basket??? I got lots of candy, but I don't like the scary kind. There was a scary dragon (it was a large, cardboard dragon and the kids had to reach into his mouth to get candy. Levi refused.) I throwed a bean bag into the mouth of a thing! (It was a pumpkin). And what else? (A Ghost). Yup, I liked last night. It was fun!

(Everything not in parenthesis was said by Levi, age 3).

A New Talent

Dylan woke me up this morning by talking and giggling. It was 1:54am. He was enthusiastically saying "Ma... Ma... Ma... Ba... Ba.. Ba.." It took an hour and 10 ounces of formula to convince him to save his new trick for the morning and go back to sleep.

It is pretty darn cute though how he says "Ma and Ba". He reaches for his bottle as he says "Ba." I like to think that the Ma is for Mom and the Ba is for Bottle. Adorable.

They are all so handsome!

And my husband is way hot.

Love for Dad

Today the boys wore their tribute to Matt. If I had a shirt that said "My husband's the man!", I would have totally worn it. Matt stayed home from work with a sick Levi yesterday, and today played with both boys while I went to a scrapbook convention. What a great, great guy!!

Someone to wrestle with

Levi and Dylan really like each other. Levi thinks Dylan is big enough to tackle and Dylan thinks he is 3 and can play with Levi and do what he does. Here they are exhibiting some brotherly love. Both were laughing while playing.