Miscellaneous June Stuff

I am really trying to get caught up on all of my pictures before our big UT vacation, and I haven't even started packing or even thinking about starting to pack at all, so I think the next several days are going to be very busy for me.  My camera will most likely not get a lot of use until we are in Holden, so I am thinking that this post will be the last for at least a month or more... 

This month we were quite busy...

We started off with a little "adventure."  We took the boys to this perfect trail near our house and we had a blast!  Paul and I were on our rollerblades (which we hadn't used in years), Jack was kickin' it in the stroller, and the big boys  were on their bikes,  and we logged 4 miles that day...  

Sam was on his balance bike so it was amazing how far we went...

I think Jack's expression tells you how much he liked it!!

 As a side note, check out Jack's wounds:  he scraped up his nose and lip by pulling up on a chair.  It was a plastic lawn chair, and he easily pulled it over with his weight and it ended up on top of him, injuring him on the way.  Poor little guy...

Paul had his birthday this month...

Which he got to celebrate with the boys at an actual Monster Jam Monster Truck Show!!  (See, we are total rednecks after all, even though we don't live in UT anymore).  Max and Sam were super excited to see all of their favorite Monster Trucks (which I know all of the names of--much to my surprise).  Learning from our last attempt, Jack and I sat this one out at home, but I did feel a little left out that I couldn't see Max's expression when he saw Grave Digger or actually witness Sammy's overwhelming awe at the whole production.  I guess that is why I know the names of all the monster trucks--this is my life as the only female in a testosterone-filled house.  It is great!

Paul is gearing up to ride in another track day after a long hiatus.  He had to dig out his poor, neglected motorcycle from the far, dark corner of the garage and get it ready to race.  The boys, of course, thought it was  awesome  to see daddy with this cool bike--they get to ride on the dirt bike quite often, but they haven't ever seen daddy use this one... 

Jack has a new food love... 

Such a beautiful smile...  Look how similar those smiling eyes look to Sammy's in the picture below...

It has been very, very mild out here weather-wise this year.  I LOVE it.  We have only had maybe four or five hot, humid and miserable days, but for the most part it has been beautiful.  Average of 70s temps, a little rainy in the evenings--not too shabby in my opinion.  Maybe it's because I am not pregnant finally, but it seems completely different from years past.  

Anyway, on the few really hot days we splashed in our little pools in the backyard.  This activity sounds like it should be really fun, but it actually ends up being a real hassle for only 15 minutes of fun... 

Max and Sam can get a little rough sometimes so I usually bath Jack alone.  However, some days there is just no time--I have to throw them all in together.  Jack used to hate when I did that, but recently he has changed his tune... 

Those big brothers are so entertaining, he hates to miss out!

Alright.  You are all caught up on the happenings of the B-hive.  We head to UT in a week and I will probably take too many pictures, so our next blog entry will be all about our trip.

9 Months Old!!

It's official!  Jack has been living in this outside world for as long as he was baking in my womb.  I can't believe how quickly those 18 months flew by.  Jack has become such a beloved part of all of our lives, it is hard to imagine life without him.  He is getting such a cute personality and is so much fun. Max and Sam love him and most of the time interact with him so sweetly.  Sam can be a little rough sometimes, though, and we need to remind him that even though Jack can get around quite well and is constantly in everybody's business, he is still a baby and needs to be treated gently...  This is an ongoing battle with Sam who will sometimes push Jack over just for the heck of it.  Jack is going to be one tough kid some day...

 Jack recently had his 9-month-birthday, and we tried to do our photo session with the teddy bear.  Needless to say, with this little busy-body none of the pictures turned out as I had envisioned, but they are still pretty adorable...

Snoozing in the car seat.  This is the one place Jack will always, without a doubt, take a nap.  

Jack is so close to walking.  He can stand up on his own, holds his balance quite well, and even walks behind toys all by himself.  He is a super fast crawler, and gets into everything.  He especially loves to dig in my plants (and even eats the dirt)... 

I didn't think it was possible, but I am pretty sure that this kid gets into more mischief than the other two combined--nothing is safe if it is within Jack's reach!

At 9 months Jack weight 19.01 lbs and has finally sprouted 2 teeth.  He has finally ventured into eating regular food, and so far his favorite is cheese and raspberries.  He still spits up like a maniac, though, I am wondering when he will grow out of that...

Miscellaneous May Stuff

Since we are leaving for UT in less than 2 weeks (holy cow!), I have a lot of catching up to do.  Since I will undoubtedly be taking a lot of pictures while I am there, I don't want to be doing any "back-posting" when I return in August.  So, prepare to be bombarded with quite a few posts before we head west  (at least I hope I can get caught up)...

I got to hang out at Max's preschool on two different occasions in May.  For Mother's Day his class sang a few cute little songs for the moms...

And for his graduation they sang a few more cute little songs.  When I say cute I really mean tear-jerkingly adorable--Max actually participated.  He knew the words, sang along, and even did the hand movements and other motions that were part of some of the tunes.  This is completely foreign behavior for Max--he usually doesn't like the spotlight on him, even if it is as part of a group.  In fact, just six months ago at their Christmas program he got so embarrassed that he wouldn't look at or talk to anyone.  But, this time he participated and it was cute!!

Max and his best friend Joey with their teachers, Mrs. Whoriskey and Mrs. Allen...

I can't believe my little guy is getting so big!

Now a few random pictures of Jack.  He loves to be outside, whether in the stroller or exploring on his hands and knees.  

He also loves to nap in the stroller...

And he has also been known to nap in his highchair... 

Actually, this little stink is a horrible napper altogether--he just resists them with all his might.  In the above pictures he had refused nap after nap so finally at dinner time he succumbed to his sleepiness.  He actually slept that way for a half an hour or more...  Love this little strong-willed guy!!

Near the end of May, Paul and I took the boys to a local monster truck show in Plymouth Meeting.  Yes--monster trucks.  Before I became a mother of boys I would have never been caught dead in such a place.  Now, I not only know all the famous monster trucks' names, I also know their drivers.  Who would have thunk??   

It was quite a small production, held in an arena that is probably only half the size of the Ute Stampede in Nephi.  But, in addition to the monster trucks, there were motorcycle and BMX bike stunts so it turned out to be rather entertaining.  At least that is what I am told.  Silly parents--we forgot the ear plugs (and monster truck shows are REALLY loud) so I had to take Jack to the car.  It was way too loud for him, and way too hot for me, so we sought respite in the air-conditioned car.  

At the end of the show Paul, Max and Sam took a ride in one of the massive trucks...