Seeing Grandma and Grandpa in OHIO!

Greetings from Ohio!!! It's a long story but no internet so just a quick Friday blog from my phone:

Saturday we went to a baptism. Sunday church was normal we invited a friend over for dinner (lunch) but when I got home I realized that morning instead of unplugging the iron I unplugged the crock pot. UG, so we reinvited him for dinner dinner this time. In the mean time, Isaac coordinated with his older brothers and decided to come to Ohio to be here for his dad's open heart surgery. So after we ate we seriously didn't even invite the poor guy to sit down just said we'd do it again sometime and basically kicked the guy out. Then Isaac gave me a hug and said "I got one more curveball...want to go with me?" And there you have it, the most spontaneous thing I've ever done in my life, we drove about 13 hours through the night and got here about and hour before he had to go to the hospital Monday morning! Here we are and it has been so fun! Grandpas surgery went well, Grandmas (had a lot more work with us around because she always fixes meals and stuff even though she doesn't need to) but she's had a blast spoiling my boys, you know Cannon loves that!! And really it's the first time Grandma and Grandpa have gotten to meet Colton! A bonus for me is one of my best friends from BYU-Hawaii and her (darling) family live here, it was so fun to catch up with her. Oh and the other huge blessing was Tuesday for sure and we think Wed too it snowed in Mississippi and they canceled Isaac's school anyway!! Oh and we were here for the polar vortex Artic freeze whatever...ridiculous cold! High of 3 wind chill -30 or something like that. Heathers kids didn't have school cuz it was a "cold  day" crazy. Crazy cold. I bought Colt who didn't even own a coat a little clearance warm suit thing for a coat we call it his "Cookie Monster" suit best $5 I've bout ever spent! And mostly we just hide inside but it's been fun!

Snow inside? It was way too cold to play in it outside but-Grandma made it happen! In the tub too!

 

I never got a good picture but here is Cannon sporting Grandpa's Eder Ison tag!

5 Months! for Colton and Cannon the helper

Let the antagonizing begin...pretty sure Cannon deserves any and all of it

 

We've had a fun week. Isaac was the guest reader at Miss Suzanne's bookstore last week. This is what happens when you go to your neighbors on Halloween. It was a hit, we had a good time. Of course he didn't get out of the house without his little monkey. 

 

 

We've been able to get out a couple of times this week. That's been nice, basketball at the church Friday then we found a little hike for FHE (at the park we always go to!) Saturday was a really nice day and we actually got out to play a little tennis. I don't have a picture of the bloody nose that was totally my fault, up until that point we were having a great time. Colt was sleeping in his car seat Isaac and I were in flip flops/jeans but just volleying back and forth and having a great time and Cannon was playing mostly independently with a ball and his racket at the net....and I'll be more careful next time! He's tough though and still wanted to go play on the slides once he settled down. 

Cannon is our little helper! He just Loves Loves LOVES to help...(to the point of driving me crazy-short drive, but still) Here he his helping his dad make grilled cheese-and painting my toenails! I mentioned needing to paint my toenails to which he said "I can do it, I cant do it for you." I made him wait until his dad could help and supervise a little. They are white and red for "Balentines" and beautiful...let me tell ya.

 

Helping is most fun when its helping with Colt!

 

Along with helping, if I had a nickle for every time I've heard Cannon say "If you want..." this week I'd have at least a hundred bucks. The problem is he's confused, what he means when he says it is its what HE wants and the kids is terribly persistant. "I can Help... I can Help... I can Help, if you want..." Or  "Hey mom, I can watch Thomas if you want!" typing it out just really doesn't do it justice, you need the voice inflections/almost whine but not, he's a character!
He's also been scrunching up his face real funny lately...like if he doesn't like the idea of something--enough that I'm pretty positive its something I do that he's picked up on mimicking. I wonder if I look as silly as he does? Anyway...He woke up from his nap the other day and came and found me and said "I had a good nap, we can go for a bike ride now!"... it was freezing cold but we went anyway, we "rode" (I pushed his little 3 wheeler) over to the playground at the front of our complex. He was really disappointed I didn't get on Isaac's bike with Colt all strapped to the front of me and bundled up...no thanks.

 

Then there was this scene. I whipped out my camera but really should have turned on the video so I could have had accurate dialogue because -as usual- it was hilarious. Isaac comes home from work "OH....bud, your in time out when I get home, that's never good, how come?" C: "I hit my brother." I: "Why would you do that?" C:"Well, I didn't break break him! But mom made me come to time out anyway..." and then it just kept going and going and going with this super random string of explanations. That I can't remember but it was so funny. I took this picture and text Isaac "this is hilarious" as it happened but I really REALLY should have been videoing. Oh well.

Grandpa Ison is in the hospital in Ohio again. When I found out I told him "Grandpa Ison might need your prayers." And Cannon is spot on! He'll just start praying all of the sudden "Dear Heavenly Father..." but if I don't stop and fold my arms he's like "Hey, I'm praying!" So then I do stop-and he does say the sweetest prayers.

Here's little (or big) Mr. 5 months old! Wow, time goes fast!

He's such a good happy boy. We see that Frei temper flare every once in a while and call him DiffiCOLT but mostly its smiles and boy does he love his brother. It makes me a little nervous with all the mischief that they are sure to get into together. He's a great sleeper, usually just wakes up once, sometimes makes it through the night. He's been eating a little cereal. And grabbing and playing with/tasting anything he sees. He knows the spoon goes in his mouth and has shoved it in and gagged himself until he puked twice. My bad on letting play with that, I thought it was a good idea while we were feeding him.  I feel like I should have more specific stories but...I don't. Maybe I need to write them down as I go. In some ways he's of course high maintenance but in plenty of others he just seems chill and I'll take it. Oh he was fussing the other day and Cannon told him "Enough Colt!" Then told me "I'm just trying to get him to chill out." Oh brother! I do think I have my hands full most of the time. We survived feeding the missionaries and preschool here at our apt this week, and I think that's about it. 

Love these guys!

It would be impossible to document all the things Cannon's said this week that have had me smiling, or laughing but I have to try for a few. Last week I forgot to mention him asking Grama "What are you whining about?" pretty much if I say it to him, or have in the past, I better be ready to hear him saying it to me! (and regretfully, there's plenty I'd rather not hear back.)
I know I mentioned a while ago about shopping for muffins and Cannon telling me he didn't want to play my games. Up at grampa great's he did again when I said it was time to clean up toys, but nap time might win-as far as him using that line on me. When nap time is not going well we call it quiet time (as in: nice try your not getting up) anyway Saturday during quiet time Cann told me he needed to go to the bathroom- a nice excuse to get up right? I said "What if we get up and you don't go?..." - he said "There will be a consequence." (So at least he can regurgitate that right??) then he sighed and said "It's just part if your stupid games" then another big sigh AND "I don't want to play your stupid games." How was I supposed to keep a straight face? I didn't. So naps are all just part of my stupid mom games these days. And how bout those super mom's who's kids don't say "Stupid" ? Obviously I'm not one of them because I haven't eliminated it from my vocabulary, as evidenced my little Echo man. Along the lines of my stupid games (aka nap time) another day Cannon wanted me to lay down by him "I want mom I want mom to lay down" he whined, then howled. When that didn't work "I want Lyndi!!" for some reason it just makes me laugh when he uses our first names. I can't remember why I wouldn't just lay down by him. I did end up giving in. By then he was so upset/tired he went quickly to sleep but sadly...I sort of feel like I relate to little Mr. upset. I told Isaac there's something about when he's upset that I just feel like its me, I can remember feeling like that as a kid.
Anyway he's a good (most of the time) boy and we love him lots (all of the time).
Monday night the baby monitor failed us. (OK it was operator error I didn't have it on the right channel) at any rate Colt's crying woke Cannon up after a power nap, he was wide awake with no end in sight. So I just figured Isaac and I still needed to read scriptures so he could with us. It was one of my favorite things we just happened to be reading Alma 53 about the stripling warriors and Cannon was enthralled! "Mom, what's an Oath? How come there were many Sons, What a disadvantage? I know Helaman! Hey mom, that's in MY book." It was on and on and darling I loved it.
So I tried to film him reading another night...its just ramblings. View if you're bored. 

Just a couple more. He told me I needed to color with him so I'd have energy to hold Colt.  We tell him he needs to eat so he'll have energy often and he really has pretty good transitive reasoning skills...well sometimes. And a conversation from the dinner table: Cannon: "I'm so upset." Isaac: "What?" C: "I'm so upset!" I: "Why?" C: "I'm so upset we went away from Utah."
Such a character.
Look where taking away his silky got me...

 

And we were doing a little family exercising I could use a LOT more exercise but such is life. I was (randomly) looking at pics from Ky's wedding on my mom's computer when we were there. Oh dang, I'm not going to go so far as to say I was skinny, but a heck of a lot skinnier than now. I was tan and my hair was cute too! BUT I don't wish for then, now I have everything that I longed for then. So I'll take my my husband and my kids and... my plumpness (that's a gross word but it is what it is) anyway and hopefully deal with it later. (I know it sounds like something I should deal with now but not while I'm nursing, my selfish body doesn't go for it and doesn't make enough milk -how's that for more info than you care to read, or I usually care to share?) MOVING ON...

Here's little cutie Colt with his victorious "I got what I wanted she picked me up smile." I was just trying to do things around the house while Cannon napped and Colt was having none of just laying on the floor.

Colt is noisy- he makes all kinds of noises! He's been chewing on his tongue a lot this week. And suddenly he's Rolling with a purpose! We're knocking on the door of mobile and I'm NOT ready. He can't really scootch...but he rolls to his tummy and then tries!!!! (The rolling goes either way though.) And he scootches a lot at night but I figure its unintentional so it doesn't really count.
I tried several times to take a video--they were all bad but I merged them anyway

As far as faith goes, I think I'll lean on Cann Man. We were building with mega blocks while Colt slept and he said "When I was wittle (little) I talked to Heavenly Father" I said "oh good about what?" He answered "that his special name is 'oh God'" Which is actually something we struggle with constantly around here. Cannon hears the sacrament prayers each week and then goes around saying the start of them, to which we just try to help explain that 'God' is Heavenly Fathers name and its special and we don't say it. But the reason I would bring up this story is I like how close heaven is for him. Of course he would visit with Heavenly Father just like I enjoy a visit with my earthly dad, our Isaac with his, so I guess I just mention it hoping that each of us will take a more opportunities to visit with Heavenly Father because he IS there and he DOES love us!

How bout the random pics I didn't write about first, its late-not even Friday here anymore- maybe I'll do more later...maybe not. I promise to proof read this though...later.

Well were back in the humid south. Its pouring rain as I type. We found everything good when we got back, there are things about being here that are definitely good, I just wish it weren't so far away! That part sucks. But if it weren't so far away we wouldn't really be able to go for so long like we did, but we'd get to go more often...no more buts...on with the week.
We enjoyed such good visits with such good friends this week. It made me really miss having good friends close. OK-who's fault is that right? But it was just so easy when we got here the Nielson's were here, and Janene headed up the play group and Laura and Henry just "matched" our family and we were instant fast friends... the move here was hard enough, I'm thankful the friend part was easy then. But now they've all moved, I need to get on it, too bad that might require leaving the apt. Anyway. On with the week. (You've read that before at this point and I still haven't got on with it.) Saturday Grama took the cousins to the movie Frozen, it held Cannon's attention for about 3/4 quarters of the way. Then he was a terrorist. (sigh) Sunday we went to church with Grama and Grampa and even got to see our good friend brother (president now) Ence from our days in the singles ward. And Colt pooped ALL over Grama during relief society. Not exactly blog worthy but Cannon used to do it to Paula EVERY time we went to church in Huntington. And Grama in her exasperation was certain it was the biggest mess she'd ever had to deal with, Kids, or grandkinds. Oh and mother of the year here had him in an impossible to get off because its kind of too small white shirt/onsie thing and no spare outfit in the diaper bag. Its a memory good for a laugh, my mom bringing diaper only boy back into RS and handing him too me, then running back out to deal with the rest of the mess, and her telling me about bathing him in the sink while he screamed his guts out, surprised I did not hear it. Oh Colt Buddy, Grama was still happy to have you at church and show you off. And its funny-NOW- Ok I laughed then too but she didn't. We got to visit with Grama Cottam for a little while that was fun and Uncle Steve came too. We love them! That evening we got to catch up with the Allreds. So fun. 

I finally got to catch up with Kristin too. It was just fun to visit. (And really the Stouts deserve to be on the "blogs gone dry" list over there because YIKES, 2013 was not pretty.) We got to meet cute little Anden and I'm sure our kids are going to be good buddies someday.  Cannon and Keegan didn't really warm up to each other until the neighbors cat came in, then they were fast friends chasing it with shoes and such. I'm afraid my little stinker may have been the instigator of the harassing on of the cat. They also have a pile of trains, Cannon kept wanting to go back and play with them some more. We will, next trip!

We took Colt Buddy on his first swimming trip :)

Visited with Grampa Great anytime we got the chance. I LOVE knowing it brightens his day when we come. Wednesday night we were up there and I thanked him for letting us use his car and stuff and said "Well, tomorrow's doomsday." And he said "No its not, there will be another one." It was pretty cute out of an old Grouch like Grampa :)

We stopped by the equipment auction on our way into Vegas

During last 3 weeks Cannon has periodically whined about wanting to go back to Mississippi, he'd say things like, I just need to go get my animals and bring them back to play with Ann, the whine today was "Why we back in Mississippi?" I'm sure we'll have more, whining is just life at this stage.
Somehow it was a really reflective trip for me. But it was good. Isaac hasn't been to St. George with me (except for one night before we drove to Vegas to fly out last July) anyway since last Christmas but I'm happy to report I've successfully lowered the bar. That might sound bad but its not, it great. I have spent way more time than I want to admit worrying if he liked it or if he was happy when we were at my parents. (Starting WAAAAY before we moved.) Because he doesn't say much and I don't think he seems like himself but this time I just kind of accepted it. He says he likes it, I just believed  him and didn't worry-if he doesn't love it, oh well- it really allowed me to relax and enjoy myself this trip so that was nice. It also helps when he has something to do. He helped Grampa Great out with his remote, and was super Son-in-law fixing my mom's washer, and it seems like a few other projects but I can't remember.
Thursday was hard it was hard to come back especially without a set "next trip" but we will get back and we also got so good news Thursday about what has been a "heavy stressor" in our lives so we had reason to be happy. Will take bright spots when they come! Oh and the boys traveled great. I tell Isaac (often) I'm the one he has to worry about.
When we got home there were presents from Grandma and Grandpa Ison so Christmas just kept coming. Cannon was loving life.

Saturday was the big Ison family reunion in honor of Isaac's grandparents 100th birthdays. It was fun. Uncle Coy and his family went to a ton of work. They had had 1913 and 1914 penny's for all of the great grandkids and these cute little framed ones for the families.

The ISON comet burned up, but Aunt Purmela had made a quilt of it that was cool. I learned some fun things, like Aunt Loxie was actually named after a town in Mississippi (Biloxi) and enjoyed the stories. Isaac's great (or great great) Grandpa and his brother lived in Kentucky and were the best shooters in town so they were sent to "take care" of the Mormon missionaries, but they both converted instead. Just cool fun stories. It was a no nap day for Cannon...those are disastrous but oh well. Thankfully there was a park close, being outdoors didn't cure all of the whining but it definitely helps with that little guy. And I just didn't get a good picture of Aunt Loxie's dyed green hair. She started it, then the grandkids got in on it to.

Documentation was necessary right? And it shows Grandpa Ison in the background on the T.V. he got in on the reunion via skype. 

Saturday Laur and Shad also came so Colton got to meet Aunt Laur :) It was good to see them I'm so glad they got to sneak down while we were here! (so I cut Laur's head off whoops...we were at Grama Frei's-that was her signature)

Sunday...Cannon picked the ward and I learned the lessons... but I'm not going to elaborate, I'll just leave it at that it was good for me.  We wanted to hit up an early church (sacrament meeting first) and then get Cann an early and ESSENTIAL nap, then meet Isaac's brothers back over at the red rocks. Cannon picked to go to the building where we met :) We even caught part of Sunday School in the very room where we met, it was the family relations class, or marriage and family or something fitting. Anyway, I remember I learned something profound I was going to document on the blog (I haven't written in my reg journal once since we've been here...whoops) but I've forgot whatever it was so...once again, WHOOPS.
The red rocks were packed! But we had fun! Cann followed the cousins right into the crack--but then totally bailed.

The DIXIE rock is quickly becoming one of Cannon's favorite places! Monday Ann and Elsie came and the kids tried out Grama's new sandbox that Santa left. What a mess! (and I think the dogs really enjoyed the Cheetos)

Dad and Colt were just playing then when Cann got up from his nap he joined them but I thought it was so cute how they were holding hands (I'm out of control, I document everything.)

Don't mind the fact that when I got on the horse with the boys Cannon was squished to smithereens and falling off the far side. Oh well-he did it to Colt too.
Tuesday (New Years Eve) my mom tended and we went to the temple, that was fun to go to the very last session of the year in the St. George Temple. It was fun to go there and get to see what was new too. We noticed new pictures and new carpet. Thankfully its a very familiar place to us but its been awhile since we've been...like a year! Ky and Kami came that night and we all watched a movie, it was a good show. We all had fun and called it a night around 11 :)

Wed on New Years Nate and Mel and the kids came down and we went on a little New Years adventure Rhino ride. We hadn't been in that thing a minute and a half before we got pulled over. Nate said "Its not really and outing with Isaac unless the police are involved." YIKES. Have I ever mentioned how scared of trouble I am? Well, we're opposites that's for sure. And truthfully the officer was a deputy in the sheriff's office, I think his name was Larsen but he was really really nice and I wanted to make sure and put that in because it is Oh SO rare that I find myself saying or thinking that about law enforcement these days. (His buddy with him, I wouldn't say that about, that guy fit the stereotypes.)  But anyway the Rhino is street legal but, not on that road, none of them are. Anyway we loaded back up and went a different way where we could be on the dirt roads and found a little patch of sand and mostly just had fun being with Nate, Mel, Ethan, and Kate. As we were driving Kate said "I'm never telling my friends what I did on [New Years!]" It was hilarious. I told Ethan that's what she said and his reply was "I'm telling ALL my friends." Funny kids.

Cannon was hating the loud noises. He is especially intolerant when he's tired. We've laughed and laughed about the day at the feed yard when he was upset and whining because the cows were too loud. 

Earlier in the week this week I realized something (about me) and I thought if I made an adjustment our marriage would benefit from it. I told Isaac and that was disastrous! I thought it was such a good idea and good thing to share. I thought wrong. So later in the week when I had what I would consider a similar bright idea, I kept my mouth shut. I think that's a better tactic for us. If I think something, just try it, this time I liked the result, (and that no disaster accompanied it.)  In fact it might be my New Years resolution. I've got to try and remember that! This paragraph is a little out in left field but if I ever write in my real journal I can then come back and delete it from here :)
Anyway on to the big 4 year anniversary. We had a great day. We took the boys over to the temple, the Nativity was still up, Colt was a champ and it was just really fun telling Cannon how 4 years ago we went in there and got married. He kept saying "I wanna go in! I wanna go in the temple!" It was pretty cute. Look closely you'll notice Cannon is NOT on the correct side of the rope here. We didn't stay long he was struggling with minding and really wanted to touch/mess with/ride the animals.

We had plans of a simple date that night but ended up watching a (really good) football game. Typical right? And I'm the bad one, but really both of us were into this one :) -We did make it out for a frozen yogurt afterward. So it WAS a simple date.- It was a good fun day though.
And now its Friday again. We caught a girls basketball game tonight, I loved getting to visit with so many good friends down at DHHS (oh and my girls put a butt kick'n on Juan Diego-so that was fun too) The days are flying by! But we're having fun. I'm just try to enjoy the time we're here.