Picnic in March?

 Seriously, how is it warm enough to have awesome picnics in March?

I love how warm it has been.

I love early springs.

I love having our own private back yard.

I love having it fenced (Dean needs fences).

I love hanging out with these crazies all day.

Now I think I'll lay down and take a nap with the sun keeping me warm.

Oh wait I can't cause I have a Bubba that crawls all over me the second I lay down.

Oh well, we shall still lay down and bask in the warm March sun.

Lunch Date

Sometimes we just miss our dad during the day.

And being this close to his job now means it's super easy come stop by.

Plus we love their Dinosaur park at City Creek.

Love you Daddy.

Thanks for working so hard.

Crazy Soper

Last night or this morning, however you want to look at it, I went with Tami and Kylee up to Antelope Island so support our Crazy Soper.

She was running the 100 miler and she was bond and determined to finish this year.

But we were worried about her from the updates we had been getting.

Chad was saying that she had been throwing up since mile 23 and can't keep anything down.

Well it was the night time stretch so we drove up there to give whatever love we could.

The Whipples are always up for a crazy adventure and I was excited for whatever they were up to.

We got there at 10 and found the gates closed.

But we new there had to be a way to get in since the race was going on.

We waited, and waited till a friend of a ranger came and had sympathy on us and let us in.

Talk about good luck.

We got to the tent around 10:45ish and found out that Soper had been through the tent a half hour earlier and was going out and around the whole island.

She was on her longest stretch and we were left to wait in a cold tent.

So we waited.

And waited.

And waited.

It was fun hanging out and joking around, getting caught up on all the news from the old ward.

Come 2:30 she made her way back through the tent and we gave her our cheer.

She was staying strong and grabbed some noodles and left.

She was an animal.

I can't help but be completely amazed at her amazing drive and strength.

She is strong physically but even more strong emotionally and mentally and spiritually.

Coming from a girl that gives up on goals regularly, I can't help but be inspired but her drive.

She finished her race in 22.5 hours (I can't run for half an hour let alone 22.5)

Way to go Soper!

You're CRAZY!!!!!

Hungry Bubba's

Every morning Mark get's up and has breakfast with Scott.

They've been doing it since before Dean was born.

Scott loves it.

I love listening to their conversations.

Well Dean and I have gotten into our own morning routine.

I get up and get Dean a bottle.

I get myself a bowl of cereal and open the blinds in the front room.

I sit down on my new couches and enjoy to sunlight of the morning.

Before long Dean comes in and looks up at me like this.

This is his "feed me" face.

I have started pouring more cereal for us.

I love this face.

He get's in moods where he'll be happy for two seconds then starts to cry.

That lasts until I start to laugh and then he laughs too.

I love our mornings.

Treasure Hunt

Scott has been telling me that on St. Patrick's day he's going on a treasure hunt.

I don't know where he got the idea but am I to do?

I have to follow through.

So I got some candy, green paper and made up some silly clues.

He had to read the underlined words himself.

He loved it.

And Mark and I love seeing him light up with excitement.

Dean of course enjoyed the spoils.

  

Life is Good

I have months and months of catching up to do.  This past year of Dean's life has been so busy that I am over come with guilt over all that is already forgotten.  I get so sick just thinking about it because I love to remember.  This past year has been so wonderful and full of wonderful things to remember, but some will be lost till the next life to come.  Before all are gone I wanted to share a few happy thoughts and happenings of late.

Scott is so much fun.  Can I say that again?  I think I will.  Scott is SOOOO much FUN!  He isn't in preschool right now and it scared me at first, not only did he need the extra help but I needed that extra break.  But he has been so good and such a help.  He has taken his responsibilities as a big brother very seriously lately.  He wakes up early every morning and waits for Dean to wake up.  He asks me if he can go in and when I'm ready he goes in and greats Dean with a happy good morning.  He plays in there and keeps him entertained till I go in. And when it's time for Dean's nap Scott has to come with me to put him to bed every time.  He whispers, "Good night Dean, have sweet dreams, I love you." Scott is doing such a great job playing too.  Play didn't always come easy to Scott.  But now he does a wonderful job playing imagination with all of them.  Of course his favorite are still Dinosaurs and sea creatures.  He still soaks up any and all information about dino's and animals and such.  He is so smart and curious and... and... FUN!  So far this has been my favorite age of his.  We are best buds.

Dean is also so much fun and growing WAY too fast.  He is smaller then Scott was at this age but has developed in some ways sooner then Scott did.  He took his first few steps when he was around 10 months old but didn't adopt it as his main mode of transportation till a week before he turned 12 months old.  He has been constantly on the move since he could crawl.  He gets into everything, so much more then Scott ever did.  He is trouble but oh boy I love that trouble.  He brings a smile to my heart with just the thought of him.  His face is just so sweet and innocent.  His cheeks are still big and soft and squooshy.  I could kiss those cheeks all day.  Scott has always had the same ones.  Mmmmmm, love them.  Dean is also beginning to repeat us more.  He has been repeating us with mama and dada for a long time now but he was just having fun saying sounds.  But he started saying hi to us a week or so ago.  Its so sweet because he says it high pitched like I say it and Scott and mark have started saying it that way back.  He has also been waving.  On Sunday he started saying and waving bye also.  It's been so long since we've gotten to experience this stage that it has become new and fun all over again.  

Mark just got a motorcycle and to say he is obsessed is a huge understatement.  But because he is so happy that I let him get one, yes, he needed my permission, I am getting to do a lot of the things around the house that I've always wanted to do.  We don't know how long we will be staying in this house but we do know that we love being here, more then we originally thought we would when we moved back.  We are enjoying making thins more into our home.  I shall post pictures later but it will be a while since we have some very big projects going on.  

As I say life is good.

We have our stresses and worries still but more then that, we have so much to be grateful for.

We are so bless.

SO SO BLESSED!

Carrot

This is Carrot.

Scotty and I made him.

Scott's been begging me since summer to make a snowman with him.

Between our weird warm winter and moving it's been difficult.

But today I decided to make his dreams come true, that's what I do.

After we were done Scott named him Carrot.

A few hours later this is Carrot.

Wow was he sad.

He had tears in his eyes and a stiff upper lip.

I explained the sad truth about weather, then we sang the snowman song and I had to swear on my life that we would build another snow man someday.

Then he was happy again.

So he went and kicked him the rest of the way down.

What a funny kid.

And what a weird winter we are having.

It is March and we are outside after a snow storm without jackets.

I'm going to get really mad at mother nature if we get an ugly winter later when it's been close to nothing earlier.

Exciting Things to Come

Take a good look.

It's all going to change.

We are getting ready to paint.

First the walls then I'm going to do the cabinets.

Holy cow it's going to be a lot of work but I'm so excited for the outcome.

We are even going to get new floors.

I can't wait to see how this place is going to look.