{8/31/11}

Melatonin

Yup. Though not for me, it's for our sweet wild and crazy boys. :) who.... like to stay awake until 10 pm. ug. Poor Neil has been sitting with them for ~an hour every night trying to get them to fall asleep. He usually beats them to it too. ;) Anyway, one tablet an hour before we want them to fall asleep, and so far I think they are pretty good! :) We'll see how they work tonight when we'll actually be able to put them to bed earlier. :)

Sweet Dreams little ones!

(this doesn't have anything to do with anything, but I like this picture that Mr. Bean took at Bear Lake)

{8/30/11} When things are over.

Usually I'm super excited to put together events and presentations and what not. But today we had Standards Night for the Young Women, and boy was it ever stressful. I don't know why, but it was frustrating, stressful, confusing, and whatever other feelings all rolled into one trying to get ready for it and plan it out just right. Not to mention I was up until after 3 am on Monday night finishing up some stuff. I think in the end it went pretty well, and a lot of the parents said that they enjoyed it and really liked it. But man, that was the first time I couldn't wait for something to be over before it even began. I sure love all the girls in our ward! And I really hope that they were able to get something out of it, and that it helped them, but I know for me it was definitely a learning process and a growing experience, and a challenge. But it was all worth it as long as it helped someone. :)

{8/29/11} All Giggles

I should really say pure laughing. Today was the first day that Mabel really laughed! She's laughed and giggled before, you know those cute little baby squeaks and bursts. But today it was different. She was gut retching, belly rolling laughing. Like Hunter and Jackson when they just can't stop and you know it hurts. Ok, I know it sounds unbelievable, but it's true. It's not like it lasted forever. But it certainly was cute! I was holding her and playing with her and she just started laughing. Then I would make faces at her and she would start laughing harder and harder and the more things I did the more she laughed! It was the. best. ever.!!! :) I love this little girl! If I can get it on video sometime soon I'll add it in here. :)

{8/28/11} And the Thunder Rolls

... and the lightning strikes!! Ok, no. Not the country song. We went on a walk tonight so I could deliver the invitations for Standards Night coming up and while we were out we watched an awesome lightning storm move closer and closer to us from across the southern part of the lake. It was so beautiful! I love being out at dusk as the sky gets dark from the storm clouds but you still have that little bit of light shining through from the west. It was such a nice night and fun running around in the wind. I sure love going out and just taking a few minutes to talk to neighbors and friends. I guess that's one nice thing about being in Utah, we know so many of our neighbors. Because they're all in our ward! :) Anyway, we did make it home before the storm hit us and we were able to stay dry. Though it was a good excuse to race... and that is a favorite thing lately - racing Hunter. He's so fun. :)

{8/27/11}

Ok, I'm really writing this on the 31st. I know I still have joy moments, but getting ready for Standards Night on Tuesday took up all my time, as well as thinking time, and I totally forgot about this. So I'm trying to remember what happened on Saturday so I can record it. :)

The only thing that really sticks out in my mind from Saturday is sitting next to the hubby watching a movie while we watching the lightning coming through the window! We've been having great storms lately, and it's a nice excuse to sit back and enjoy some good company. :)

{8/26/11} Should-be-Sleeping Boys

pic taken 8/20/11- right after we got back from our vaca

10 minutes ago: This little guy should have been sleeping, but I spotted him at the top of the stairs. I thought it was Hunter because usually he's the one that gets up after they should be asleep. I didn't think anything of it until I looked over and saw his cute head peaking out from behind our cabinet. Then quick as could be he'd pull his head back to the corner and hide. Aaaaahhhhh! He is SO CUTE! :) He did that a couple of times until I went over to him. What a sweet heart. My favorite thing is how he says "yesss" and "Yeah." and how every time he has the perfect inflections to portray exactly how he feels at the moment. He is very expressive for the small vocabulary that he has at the moment. I love him! Sometimes I wish I could freeze everything else in life and just focus on each of my children individually, with no distractions. And just be purely in the moment with them for all moments. They grow up way too fast! I sure love being a mom!

{8/25/11}

R.A.I.N.B.O.W.S

When Hunter woke up from his nap today he was VERY insistent that we go for a walk. And I'm so very glad he did! Some thunderstorms were blowing in so it had cooled down tremendously, and it was so nice to get out of our hot house into a nice cool breeze. Not to mention the light sprinkles. 

There was one house we walked past that had their sprinklers on, which were spraying a little bit onto the sidewalk, I was walking in the street watching Hunter as he was distracted by something else, and didn't notice he was walking into water. His reaction once he realized he was getting wet was SO funny! He was super startled (the look on his face was like, "What the water?!!!"), then he ducked and ran past them as fast as he could. When we walked past the house later another set came on, one of which rotated a little. He got close enough that it would spray him every few seconds and he would just giggle. It was so cute/funny watching him! He is such a fantastic little man!