'I'm Eee-fan, I'm fee!"

This is what Ethan said all day long on his birthday. He just celebrated his 3rd birthday last week on May 9th...I know, I know, way to be on top of things Carrie! I'm pretty sure at the age of 3 Ethan had my dream birthday day...he lounged in my bed all morning demanding drinks, goldfish and movies. While he lounged I made the beloved "volcano" birthday cake, he wanted a cake like Luke's. How do I explain that I'm not as artistic, creative and talented as my older sister, better known to Ethan as Luke's mom, so I just went with it and it turned out how it turned out....he LOVED it! He would come into the kitchen ask me to take off the foil so he could see it and then he would knock one of the dinosaurs on the head with his dinosaur he had in his hand and growl. He honestly did that at least 10 times through out the day...and that's Ethan. Ethan is such a funny, affectionate, impatient little kid. I think when they made the saying, "wrapped around their finger", they were talking about Ethan. He has a way of sucking everyone in that's around him. He will cause you pain or frustration one minute and then is immediately kissing you and telling you that he loves you. In fact tonight I had put him to bed in HIS bed, he's notorious for getting into Spencer's crib once the door is shut, well sure enough I heard them talking and laughing and hitting the wall with something. So, I got him out of the crib and carried him over to his bed. As I'm walking to his bed he's yelling, "help me dencer (that's spencer)! help me dencer!. I ove (love) you mommy!"...that's Ethan. I love this picture! He has the same profile as his dad.

I've always called him monkey. Do I really need to explain?

Ethan and his volcano birthday cake. I'd like to give a shout out to Amy for inspiring me and setting my kids up for disappointment. Thanks sis!

Ethan on his birthday. You thought I was kidding! Nope, he really did lounge in my bed watching movies.

Anyone that knows Ethan has made the same comment about how this is a perfect representation of him. What a stubborn cutie! I love him so much and I'm so grateful to be his mom. Who knew frustration could be so endearing?!

Business in the front and a PARTY in the back!!!

So my boys' have needed a haircut for a good 2-3 months now and I finally decided to do it. You don't understand why I have to mentally prepare myself for it....it's because Spence screams the ENTIRE time. Not cries, not whines, but screams and shakes the whole time. This adorable son of mine is scared of EVERYTHING. You'd think he'd be used to the clippers by now. He had 6 haircuts before his first birthday. I'm not kidding, my boys are half monkey. I tried to get before and afters of Ethan and Spencer but I didn't even want to deal w/ Spencer and the camera....I think you can get how bad they both needed it by this picture of them with Halle.

I really thought of leaving it like this and not saying anything to my mother-in-law when I dropped him off at her house the next morning. I wanted to see if she would have said something to me.

5 Funny things...

So, I don't want to forget some of the funny things that my kids say and my friend, Micah, had a good idea and writes 5 funny things a week that her kids do or say.....

1. So everytime Ethan is away from me...whether it's a nap, me going to work, him going to nursery for a couple hours...whatever it is, as soon as I see him again he says, "oh I missed you today! Did you miss me?"
2. Ethan will give me HUGE kisses and pull away and say, "Oh HONNNEEEEY".
3. Halle told Chris that she was sorry that she just hit him in the "peanuts".
4. After watching Jurassic Park and hearing what "real" dinosaurs sound like. Ethan has started doing an awful gasping coughing noise, because he's obviously one of the veloceraptors. Chris didn't know what he was doing and asked him if he was ok and needed some water and he said, "Dad, I just playing dinosaurs!"
5. Spencer doesn't say too many funny things yet, but he is a funny kid. He takes it upon himself to discipline Chris when he teases him and he plays the annoying little brother role perfectly. He grabs one of Ethan's toys and takes off, because apparently when you stick your neck out, that means that you're running...I'll have to try it!

9 Long Years

It has been 9 LONG years since my dad passed away. He died on February 29, 2000. That's right he died on a leap year so everyone, every year could be confused as to what day his death anniversary is....Feb 28th or March 1. It doesn't matter anyways because I think about him everyday. Every time my kids do something funny I think of how much my dad would have enjoyed that or days that I want his advice on something. I think of him daily and I miss him more and more. I guess he's been on my mind a little more than usual lately because of the time of year and the older my children get I want them to know him, so I find myself telling stories about him. Anyone that knew my dad, loved him. He was one funny and loving man! The sad thing is I don't think I ever fully appreciated him or understood him until I became a parent myself. I always thought I was so much like my mom, which I am. But, the older I get I realize that I'm so much like him too. I love picnics, I love going on drives with my husband and kids, I love openness (is that a word?), I love my privacy, I love being outdoors, I love Don Williams and most of all I love being with my family above anything else but I will never love Cherry Cordials or Maple Nut Ice cream...there, we will never be the same. I was going through some pictures tonight and found these. I suck at scanning...first time, but I wanted to show these pictures. The picture below was taken at Strawberry Reservoir about 13 years ago. It was my dad, mom, Joe, Dolly, Neil, me and Jer (he was taking the picture). All 7 of us crammed into this tiny tin boat and headed out to the middle of the lake. I kid you not the water was only 1-2 inches from coming into the boat. It was such a memorable fishing trip and I think the smile on all of our faces shows how much we loved it!...

This family picture just made me laugh! I love the look on Matt's face. Classic mormon, 1980's family picture.....

and I LOVE this picture of my mom and dad! I love that my mom's glasses take up 3/4 ths of her face and she still looks adorable. They were such a good example of what a marriage should be and what is of the most importance in your life...family. I love them both. I miss my dad so much, but have been lucky to have some very special experiences since his passing. I know he is doing more important work somewhere else but that he cares about what is happening in his family's lives. I don't think it ever gets easier having him gone, I just get used to feeling that void in my life...I do have an amazing father in law though! I just pray that I can help my children get to know this wonderful Grandfather of theirs through stories.

"I'm eating cow?"

On Sunday I made a roast. I'm getting some cups to put on the table when I hear the following conversation between Chris and Halle....

Halle: That looks like some good chicken!
Chris: That's not chicken Halle, that's beef.
Halle: What's beef?
Chris: Beef comes from cow.
Halle: Why would we eat a cow?
Chris: Because it's good.
So later that night I'm sitting on the couch and I hear Halle say, "mom, blah blah blah blah?" So I asked her to repeat herself and she said, "do you mind if I set my cow on the chair?" I look over and Halle had gone into the kitchen and got herself a huge chunk of roasst out of the fridge and was getting ready to put it on my nice chair. Since sunday I have heard Halle ask me at least 3 or 4 times if she can have some more cow or when I'm going to make some more cow. I have never in my life been disgusted by the thought of meat....until now.

My kids

She is definitely my daughter! As a child I used to torment my older sister Amy, who is afraid of EVERYTHING, by chasing her with bugs. Halle found this HUGE snail in the window well in her bedroom and insisted that I help her catch it. So she went and picked some grass while I pryed the snail and 2 others from the window well. She thought this was the greatest thing ever! She named them Pongo, Ping Ding and Ping Ling....don't ask......I'd like you to notice the two random bright red fingernails that are painted.

This is Spencer. There are four things that this adorable son of mine can't live without. The first two things he asks for in the morning is, his ball and "where's my dad?" Those are his exact words. His world revolves around his dad. The other two things he can't live without go hand in hand....his blanket and........ his thumb. Sure it's cute now, but when he's 10 and he wants his "woobie" and thumb in the middle of 5th grade, how cute is it then? Ehh, I guess we'll deal with that when we get to that point.

Ethan, famous for the girl on girl post, went to the dentist for the first time. Don't let this picture fool you. This is AFTER the dentist when he's riding their electric horse out front. He starting crying from the time they put the led apron thing on him, while they tried to convince him to lay down to watch a movie and while the dentist prodded his teeth. He kept looking at me and saying, "mommy, I done. We can go." As soon as we walked out the doors he said, "mommy, I did it!"
I didn't have the heart to tell him...."well actually son, no you didn't. You just cost mommy the most expensive horse ride in history." Oh well, he was happy and look at that face.

THE FOLLOWING CONTAINS SEXUAL CONTENT: PARENTAL DISCRETION IS ADVISED

Tonight I was in the kitchen cooking dinner. When my husband yells for me to come into the family room and to bring the camera. What did I find, you may ask? Well, I found the following.....

Disturbing that my little boy was playing with barbies? I think NOT! I think we have no need to worry about Ethan. I think he is a healthy, normal little boy who thinks like every grown up boy!