~Our Da~Da~Days~

Travis

His days are much of the same: study, study, study. That being said he does give us about three hours a day (usually an hour for breakfast, then lunch, then dinner ;) and after having him in Poland for 5 months, these three hours just seem to spoil us! 

Lately we've struggled to find sitters for all my shifts at work so Travis has been "stuck" watching the boys. Usually he'll study during Aaron's nap time, then take the boys outside to ride bikes down the hill on the side of our house, or just anything fun. Then back to studying during Aaron's 2nd nap until I get home from work. 

Daddy makes me look cool

This happened on Travis's watch

Helping Maddix fly his new kite for the first time

Such a good dad

Lacey

Lately, as I've mentioned, I've been really into triathlon working out. Thanks to Travis being home studying during the boys' nap times, I've been able to go exercise regularly, and I'm so stoked to say I recently swam 2miles! It's further than I've ever done. THEN to top it off I've recently up'd my mileage running to 6miles (it's been awhile since my foot's been okayed to run), AND I've started biking to work on my day shifts:) I do 12 1/2miles there in just over an hour, then home it takes a little longer, but I really enjoy it all!! 

I also participated in a fun co-ed softball game with Brian Chatterton's team and although I didn't do so well (it's been awhile) I sure had fun practicing with Travis, then having Larisa come play as well.

Still enjoying the short hair; it's great for all the times I go swimming now, or wearing the helmet to work, it doesn't really get messed up. 

I also finally slimmed down to fit in my Valentines top Trav got me that looked ridiculous, he he not too bad now. 

AND there is a home in the neighborhood that has this giant Rooster statue in their front yard and they always decorate it for each holiday.... well I just HAD to get a photo in front of it for once!

This seriously looked so bad
when I first tried this on

I love every minute I get with
this babe

Me and the holiday rooster!

Maddix

He has begun saying the funniest things again. Currently he likes to say, "I've got a fur wedgy" (from Hercules) every time he has a wedgy:) He likes to tell me, "Mom you're the best mom I've ever had." He also came up to me the other day when I was holding Aaron, placed his hands on each of our cheeks and said, "Cuties! I'm going to keep you!" (Frozen)

He got a bike for Easter and LOVES going out to ride it around the yard. 

He runs all the errands with me and is my buddy. 

Has recently become a bully.... again.... and a cry baby; I hear it's a stage, but I'm just about done with it, yep totally done. 

He had so much fun this past Monday when we were able to meet up with his buddies (Mattix, Mav, and Hadly) at the park, then getting to have Maverick and Hadley come over for a bbq at our home that night. He just made new friends with my VT's kids and enjoys playing with thin. 

He is still wicked smart and makes me so tired each day; this is how our conversations go: 

M: "Mom, why do you always say I don't know when I ask you questions?" 

Me: Because sometimes you ask so many questions that I can't come up with answers anymore so I just say I don't know."

M: "But you have to answer me when I ask you a question."

Me: "But why do you have to ask so many questions." 

M: "Because I'm a kid! That's what we do! You have to answer me so I can learn! You Understand me??" 

Me: (zoned out) "I dunno."

M: "AHH!!!!!" 

Wanted a drink... and to
drink it right next to Aaron

Helping his brother walk around the yard

Helping Gpa pull weeds for
the Easter celebrations

We read our Prague Travel
book, and he wanted to compare
it to the photos we have
to see where we were
on the map.
Then I fell asleep... and so did he

Striking a pose on our way home
from our family lunch at Olive Garden

Just had too much fun being with mom all day ;) 

Aaron

Oh this little guy... he is just soooo.... lovable? Squishy? Funny.... frustrating! 

He seriously wants to walk and is VERY close. He can stand himself up for about 30 seconds and take a step or two before falling over. He is learning to go down the stairs. He wants into every drawer he can't be in, and has NO desire for kids toys. He just had a doctor's apt and seems to the Doc that he'll be an early walker, talker, but not teether. He really doesn't want to play with anything, he just wants to empty every container and every drawer and stick everything in his mouth! 

We're figuring out his pain tolerances:

If Maddix hits him in the face= gets caught off guard

If he hits his head= slight whine to no reaction

Any finger pain= Passes out! 

Seriously. Twice now he has had his fingers pinched in a door and begins crying and holding his breath. He goes so black and blue in the face! We blow in his face and flick water at him but it does NOTHING... then he passes out, begins breathing, regains coloring in his face, and then wakes back up looking dazed and confused. 

Travis says he's dedicated. 

He LOVES to squawk, squeal, yell, laugh, sing, talk, gab gab gab, and anything that involves noise. 

He's fingered out mimicking and will stick his tongue at you, wave, clap, starting to blow kisses, etc. 

He eats everything. Smiles all the time. Loves everyone, especially his brother and Nala. Enjoys his morning showers. Hates teething. And over all is a real pleasure to be a mother of and I loves watching him grow... Just wish it wasn't going by so fast! 

Making faces with U. Colton

Just so dang cute! 

Quite intrigued by the wall
at the doctor's office

Why does he have to grow so fast! I LOVE this babe!

Our Family

As mentioned, we had a fun lunch to Olive Garden before an even more fun trip to Costco (seriously, it is actually really fun to go shopping with my boys, and having Trav come just made us act goofy and funny). We've enjoyed a trip to the park with friends, as well as the bbq. We've spent countless hours out back laying in the grass, throwing the ball back and forth, playing basketball, and riding the bikes down the hill. We still eat our meals out on the deck. We enjoyed watching a massive storm the other day with the windows open. And we also had a terribly cooked, yet awesomely funny dinner with two of our Elders from POLAND!!! One we've seen already, but the other just barely came home and it was so good to see them. 

E. Chad Mikolyski

E. Rittmanic (from Timpview) in the
yellow tie on the left. 

Oh I love that all these Elders come through Utah and we can see
them again:) Rittmanic is in the red. Mikolyski is in the gray/blue. 

JuSt... :)

Over the years Travis and I have found much entertainment, and pleasure out of going around looking at homes. Back in the day we used to fantasize about these giant homes with all the bells and whistles that would be fun to live in someday. After moving to Poland and seeing how happy you could be in a little rink a dink apt with hardly any money, I think we grew up a little. We then decided we didn't want to be a slave to our home, but would rather have a nice home to come home to after we travel a lot, or better yet, just enjoy time with our kids. 

We've debated Where Are We Going To End Up? 

For those of you that don't know, since I was five years old I've been telling my Grandparents I would buy their home (that we're currently living in). So we go through stages of walking around the house and yard and talking about what we would do to fix it up and make it our own. After living away from Utah and seeing the Church environment in other areas, we fell in love with having the missionaries over constantly... so then we've said we would Never Move Back to Utah.... 

What about somewhere cold? 

Alaska? But then last year in Poland it snowed 7 months of the year and I about DIED!!!

What about somewhere warm all the time? 

Nevada? Perhaps, but I've always imagined having a plush green yard just like my grandparents yard... sigh. And what about SNOW for Christmas?? Who knows. 

We've also thought about Texas... too far away.

Virginia for the gorgeous fall and yards full of trees; maybe. 

But seriously, for now, we are in the perfect spot. 

I LOVE Utah's crazy weather. One day it's snowing the next it's gorgeous and sunny. 

I love watching my boys fall in love with outdoor activities that create memories and prevent them from becoming couch potatoes.

Just...... :) 

Just... so fun!

T.G.I. SPRING TIME!

HOLY MOLY, the weather has warmed up and all of a sudden our spirits have as well! 

Who wouldn't feel revived when the weather has been just this good??

We have been for multiple bike rides. 

Walks. 

Baseball in the back. 

Picnics out back. 

Read books out on the porch swing. 

Looked at the shapes in the clouds. 

Basketball. 

Taken our trikes down the hill for a spin.

And soooo much more. 

Munching on the cracker

I love this head of hair

Stood up all by himself! 

Had a ball with this plate

Playing ball with the boys

Diving for a ball:) 

Oh let the warm season begin.... and never stop! 

Baby Update: 9 Months!

 Well, it's that time again; yet another month has gone by. This time however, it didn't fly by. I really feel like he's been 9 months for awhile now.

Sleep: You are a great sleeper. Still go to bed each night around 7:00pm, sleep until 7:00-8:00, and rarely let your brother's night time noises wake you up. Then you typically nap around 10:00-12:00, and 2:00-4:00 (anywhere if those ranges). 

Weight: Still not sure. I think you're 18lbs? 

Likes:   

• Showers! You LOVE water (you're a water bug). 
• Being chased. You crawl as fast as you can, laughing all the way. 
• Brother Maddix:)
• Food! 
• The bike trailer
• Being picked up
• Messing with the flower pots that are off limits
• Emptying the contents of every drawer in the kitchen
• Yanking out everyone's hair
• sucking two of your fingers (no matter how often I pull them out)
• Sitting to the counter with the rest of the fan to eat. 
• Love flopping out of your car seat that you lay in to eat your bottle once your bottle is empty. :)

Dislikes: 

• Being left on the ground too long. 
• When you crawl down the hall only to have us leave that room and then you have to start your trek back to the other room:) 
• Not an avocado fan
• Not fond of being buckled into anything
• You get angry if we don't share all food in eye sight. 
• You get so angry every time I change your bum or change your clothes... you just don't like being on your back. 
• Getting your nose wiped. 

Anything else: You eat your bottle while laying in your car seat so that you can breath and you LOVE to throw your bottle once it's empty. Then you explore what new way you can exit your car seat:) It's hilarious. Sometimes you squirm out, sometimes you slink out the front. I've seen you lift one leg over the edge then roll out. and today your rocked it side to side until you toppled it and you rolled out. It's pretty cute. 

You are waving now! It's so stinking cute because it do it slowly and in a focused manner. However someone is waving at you is how you mimic it back. You are starting to stand by yourself and even walk while holding onto one hand. You're starting to clap. Lately you've found it funny to crawl with your head down in the carpet and it makes your hair go staticky:) Oh I love you cute little one. You love to sing with any song we're singing and you dance. You also enjoy our games of airplanes. Daddy holds you and uses your legs as guns and flies you around while Maddix and I run away and we shoot at each other as we fly past each other. 

Conference Weekend

Fewer times in life make me at peace, and generally happy than that of conference weekend. 

In Poland I gained a real testimony of the importance of preparing yourself to hear the words before hand, and not just sitting in the room. I know that when we think about the trials, topics, and desires in our life that we want to have discussed, then pray about them, then the Lord WILL make those known to you. 

Back here in the states I have always worked Saturday mornings and never really thought to NOT work. I just catch a little of the first session, with the thought that I would read the rest online later (though that rarely happens). Well, this time I was able to request a shift that didn't start until 5:00, so I was able to catch all of Saturday's sessions... as well as meet so many kind people from the Priesthood session. 

Another reason, I found this go around, that makes me love conference weekend is that there was a missionary reunion for Travis's mission, and we were able to go. I'm not going to lie, I was a little bummed that I was't going to know anyone there, but to my luck, the moment we walked in Trav's cousin, Vance (they both served in Germany) came over and I was able to sit with his wife and son.

Sweet and funny little Max

This kid is a character

Travis and Pres Webb.  

Also nice about conference weekend is just the time to be a family. I didn't work. Travis didn't study. Maddix has done phenominally at paying attention. We set up a little table next to the couch along with crayons, playdough, a white board, and alphabet cards. He has done so well staying on the couch, quietly entertaining himself while also listening. Every once in awhile he'll repeat something the speaker says, or ask a question about something they are talking about and I feel so proud that he is taking an interest. It's taken me 20+ years to learn how to be interested... he gets it at three: 

See? Completely focused... :) 

And there was some quality family bike riding in between sessions yesterday and today. That may be taboo to some to bike on a Sunday, but if you could've been on that bike ride with us you would have felt the spirit! The weather today is cloudy and as we left it was lightly sprinkling. I put on the Piano Guy music as we left and the mood was set. To ride the Murdock Canal Trail, looking over the valley, as classical music is playing was seriously peaceful; it was a moment I truly loved being out there with my boys. 

Then again, on the way home it started down pouring for the last 15mins and we were soaked! Maybe that was punishment for being out on a Sunday ;) Then again, all I could think of as we pedaled against the storm was

"Don't wait for the rainbow to be happy; thank God for the rain!"

- Pres. Uchdorf's talk from the 3rd Session. 

Splash n Dash

I wanted to post this forever ago, but I kept waiting for pictures.... I can't wait or I'll just forget to do it:)

Preparing for the race as well

Last Weekend I actually had a Saturday off of week... I know, right? It was a special event: It was time for our Annual Splash n Dash. This is one of my favorite thing I get to do with Travis' family; and this year I even got to have a few of my family members come.

Pre-race jitters! 

"Guess I should take my shoes off??" 

The girl next to me was so sweet
to help me not be nervous:)

Go! Go! Go!

The splash and dash is a swim/run race. This year we had Larisa and Vaughn in a lane, Travis and Bryce in a lane, and then I was next to them. Holding cards for us were Brenna (for me), Colton (for the boys), and Gma and Lori for Vaughn and Larisa; I had such a blast! I wish we would be around next year to do it with them again!

Afterward. Oh, and my sister in law came in first
overall in the women's bracket! I was just happy I never had to stop:)