Look at those two cute faces! Just Shave'n like dad-they think they're pretty big stuff!

 Saturday Isaac went hunting with Bishop, so the boys and I were on our own for Saturday fun. Cannon read to himself (which is actually the cutest thing-he has most of the books pretty well memorized) while I ironed and Colt sucked on the squirt bottle...

 

 

Lucky for us Isaac came home by noon although I cant think of anything specific that we did-its always more fun when dad is home! --hunting is definitely different here but I guess if he would have stayed they did get something out of the stand he was in that afternoon...I'm glad he came home early!

We had a fun week. We got to hang out with Jenna and her kids a few times, and one day we tended Everett, there was  little service project I would have loved to help with but I knew I wouldn't really be any help so I volunteered to watch Everett hoping that would enable Liz to be more help :) I think it was a win for all. They boys had a great time!

 

 

About that little antagonistic smile of Colton's... yikes!

This picture of course isn't really blog worthy but I had to throw it on there just to document the fact that I deleted about hundred of them just like it...little stinker--and they're so smart with technology, its really crazy. The picture does also show both of Colts blankets though. He LOVES them and always have to have them...BOTH. Its the cutest thing (but I told my mom no more blankets Grama its crazy we don't leave the house with them but if he thought he could we would!)

 

The rest of our random pics...The boys found their sunglasses and we busted out the glow in the dark toothbrushes that Santa brought. 

 

 

We made a "dog house" hut and had breakfast in there...don't ask...

And the boys did some repair work with their drill on the door frame :)

We also had a great visit with a sweet sister in our ward Sister Brough. It was beautiful weather so she invited us over to the pond by her place. The boys had a great time throwing pine cones in the pond and running farther away than I wanted them to go and chasing this goose.

 

And here's a movie of that 3rd article of faith!

Its been busy week! We had baptisms in our ward both Saturday and Sunday-we always try to support those (And usually take a treat too) Saturday's new member is diabetic--so I tried my hand at low sugar individual cheesecakes. I was going to go sugar free but...I didn't. They all got eaten so they must have been ok. Monday Isaac went into work but it was the holiday so he just went for a little while. He and Cannon--and Colt some of the time too--rotated the tires on little green. Cann was a champ at running the jack and unscrewing lug nuts. I didn't get a single picture but boy was he proud to walk in the door and show me his hands black as could be...just like dads!
Although it was a busy week it doesn't see like much to write about, we had the missionaries over-twice- because when I found out it was the one sisters birthday I wanted to make sure they got fed that day (we try to sign up a lot but really those kids meal calendar is pretty sparse) but I signed up on the wrong line, so when I crossed it out I felt bad so I signed up for those Elders on a different night. Anwyay! Wednesday we went to the Achievement day girls dinner, it was awesome, they (their leader) did a really good job. The highlight of the week probably came Wednesday though. Patrick (our friend who we always sits behind us at church) texted Isaac and said he'd rented a skid steer and if Isaac could take a long lunch we could go over and drive it. AWESOME! He totally fed us all lunch (delicious homemade lasagna) AND they boys got to play with the skid steer, AND his dog Jagger. They were in HEAVEN.

For the most part though-a pretty low key week. One really good thing though, Colts been sleeping the though the night again  since he got those teeth through. That's nice. Remember Cannon's goose egg from a couple weeks ago, last week Colt got one to match--and last night he tripped on a toy and nailed the door frame so now he's got ANOTHER one. Poor kid. I'm not sure what the gray 1/2 of the picture is all about but maybe I'll figure it out and fix it later--and maybe not. You can see the goose egg.

If Cannon says he has to got to the bathroom Colton runs in to the toilet and pulls his shirt up. You might think its time for me to start potty training but he doesn't seem to have any clue what's REALLY going on, just that Cannon stands by the toilet and holds his shirt up out of the way...I at least got Colt a stool...and I did put a pair of undies on him...then Cannon came in and peed, Colton ended up splashing in it. I got them cleaned up and kick out of there-and it wasn't a full minute until Colt peed right though the undies and all over the floor. 

Liz gave Cannon this Awesome CAT calendar-he loves it-(not sure if it already made the blog but it made his prayer 3 times that night) Isaac showed him where his birthday wasn't and he hasn't forgotten! Funny kid.

Oh and he's getting pretty good at the third article of faith...no video yet--but maybe my next week. Ginger told me I should be keeping a journal of what he says in primary because its nonstop and so hilarious, most of the really good ones end up here. We have been "Playing Primary" a little bit in the mornings here though, he's so funny he "draws a stick" to see who his helper will be or who has to say the prayer. Its great. Along with playing primary we also play recycle. He told me he worked at Bluecor, I said "nucor?" he said yeah-its where he and his dad go watch the big grapple pick up cars and stuff they are going to recycle. While I was playing basketball at the church he was stacking a huge pile of chairs in the hallway, one of the guys asked him if he was building a hut, he said "No, that's my recycle pile"...I don't know but he's a character.
That's about it.

Friends

So the boys have this little book -Poppleton- we love Poppleton- in one of the stories he decides he wants to live to be a hundred, and he heard the trick was to eat grapefruit so he tries it- of course this also means that WE ended up buying grapefruit at the grocery store because Cannon says "Mom, can we please buy one of those, I want to live to be a hundred!" Of course I go for that...when I'm lucky I can get away with buying oranges as the fruit of longevity instead! Anyway but in the story Poppleton finds out that grapefruit really isn't the trick-its friends! So with that goofy little intro I have say I've been thinking lately how important friends are to me and the significant role they play in my life.

I'm so grateful for my (relatively new) friend Jenna! She is a tremendous blessing in my life. I don't know if I've written the story here already or not but when I met her at the park, I just kept thinking get her number, get her number, get her number,... but I didn't do it! --She was super nice, her kids are just older and just younger than Cannon but I didn't want her to  think I was a crazy person so I didn't ask for her number. It was time for them to go-she had her kids completely loaded up in their van and she kind of walked back over and said "Would it be okay if I got your number?" Thank Heaven one of us was willing to listen to the Spirit! The Man in Charge new I needed a friend even more than I did. They other person who has kept me alive in the friend dept is my good friend Stacey. We I met last year--maybe around this time? She's great. We have a common friend-a gal in my ward-but I have a far better friendship with Stacey, and Cannon and Jake are good little buddies. Before I met Stacey if you would have told me my two closest friends in Mississippi would not be members of our church I would have told you that you were crazy, we have a church family/friends where ever we go in the world-we're 15+ million strong, its what we do--but ...there's more! I do share a faith with our ward members and friends here but I'm also learning how much I share values -and faith- with these other two incredible women and excellent mothers. Its cool. When my mom was in town we got to meet up and go to the park with Jenna and her kids. Jenna's mom was in town this week and we got to meet her too-she's an absolute delight! We took the kids to the bounce house, we went to jump then mini golf turned out to be just as much of a hit. So fun! Really a great time was had by all! This picture is way too blurry to keep or post but I just loved that even through the blur you can see how much fun they were having. Cannon kept saying "J.D.'s grandma watch this!" Whenever he would do anything.

So we have built this great little friendship-we love to do the play date thing, good for the kids GOOD FOR US! Everyone wins. So the friend thing had been on my mind and then I got the best text from my old friend Lindsey!

I was so excited...even just texting back and fourth about it was really fun. She calls me Lyn-only my family calls me Lyn--but she was family-when I got one of the text and it said "Lyn!..." I don' t know, it had been so long. But the time just melted away. We were so SO Close back in the day but...then we kind of went down different paths. Since it  had been so long I didn't really know what to expect. She had a tremendous influence on my life for good--both times I've taught teenage Sunday School classes I've told them about her-how she taught me "how" to got to the temple with the limited use recommended. There was that-and other things too, but there came a point when she decided she was kind of I guess "done" with the Mormon thing...for lack of a better way to say it. And there was no changing her mind. I'm not here to judge her. I hope the best for her, both in this life-and the life to come. We didn't want it to make things weird or different between us, but it kind of did...because we didn't really have much in common after that-or so I thought-or something- 

I don't have it all pieced together, I feel like I'm doing some learning though--Stacey and Jenna aren't members of the LDS church and Lindsey no longer is but they all add to me and make me a better person... I don't mean it in a selfish way but...you know what I mean! Anyway! 

Back to Linds, we were going to go to dinner, but ended up just eating -nostalgic Cafe Rio (ok it should have been Durango's) salads- here. But from the second she walked in the door it was just like old times!!! I'll tell you one thing we have in common, some great college and teaching years! It was so fun reunite. Hundreds of times better than I could have even imagined, it was great. Better than great. I swear something in my heart just jumped. Its been really weird that I don't feel like I can even describe it. Its not like Linds and I were best friends, we are, "I loved that [girl] I love her still I always always always will!" (That's another line out of one of the boys books -about a truck tough- :) but its fitting. And check her out all super cute...In my defense I did make dinner and have the house picked up enough it was presentable so tuck the fly aways behind and go with it right! :) Cann's looking a little goofy --and kept getting in her bubble-- and Colt...well he wasn't really interested in taking a picture with us! But the evening HAD to be documented!

It was so fun. (Have I said that enough?) We could have talked for HOURS. "I don't know the meaning of all things, but I know that God loveth his children!" And one of the ways I  feel his love is through His giving me friends to help me journey through this life.
The flood of memories has been one of my favorite parts. There's too many. To even start.... In the end I emailed and we set a goal to run a little race 10k or maybe a Half Marathon sometime in the next five years :) Hopefully that will get and keep me going on the old treadmill time. Now if I just had Who wants to be Millionaire to watch while I was running I really would be back in time. :) I regret that I don't know her husband-more than just his name...which is actually a nick name-- I mean we've met but that's about it. He seems like a really good guy! Hopefully we'll have a chance to get to know him better sometime too. I think we'd get along, I at least know he love sports :)
The reunion though-Such a highlight of my week!
Now onto the normal routine of the week rundown. Saturday Isaac opened his present from Santa...3 weeks later!!! Cannon gets his inability to wait from me that's for sure! Oh well Christmas lasts an extra long time Isaac's way-it was fun. Santa brought Isaac a helicopter that really flies, and he has actually really enjoyed playing around with it (I was happy about that.) Cannon LOVES it too and he's added that to the already mile long list of things Santa can bring him next year. Its pretty cute when they fly it together, Isaac keeps it up and Cannon runs it forward and back and turns and stuff.

 

Saturday after naps we hit up the AG museum for a few minutes before it closed. 

It was awesome because we were in looking at the trains and there was a guy inside the display cases working on them. Isaac started talking to him and he said "Excuse me sir, can you come down here." I totally thought he was meaning if you want to talk to me come down here to do it. But he showed him to the door and let us all inside behind the plexi glass. It was awesome.

It was REALLY hard to not to touch...ESPECIALLY when dad was. I kept trying to get my biggest boy not to touch either and he kept saying "But I'm older." To which of course Cannon said "I'm a big boy so I can touch but Colt can't." Yeah, it had disaster written all over it. BUT IT WAS SO COOL, I don't blame them for wanting to touch. I tried to make the picture of Cannon big enough that you can actually see it was a train hauling equipment. It was so cool. Its the same one Isaac is touching too.

Other exciting things from the week...well I know its the middle of January but I finally bought the boys coats. We've just had a little cold snap here and it been miserable and they really both just had jackets --so I went for it and tried to get next years sizes. I got a good enough deal its not the end of the world if they didn't fit next year. But they will. Cannon loves his Colt hates getting his on but look at the grin-he gets over it.

 

Being able to bundle them up a little made the park a possibility, and the sandbox too, it was SO NICE, I should have bought coats a long time ago! Then today it was beautiful and a jacket was plenty...and in 6 weeks we'll probably be in shorts but the coats have been nice when it was cold! I can't out guess the weather-that's for sure. Speaking of shorts though-today I bought them some for a whooping 84 cents (and one pair was only 29 cents--you know me and the thrill of a good deal I can't help myself, I love it. For $6 I think I got 8 things or something ridiculous like that. I was all smiles but moving on...

Colt loves to wear my shoes. And our friend Liz gave the boys some fun toys her boys are done with, Colt now has his own camera too! He wanders around saying "cheesss" its pretty cute.

 

This weeks fun trip to Walmart (because apparently its a weekly thing) we found an excavator working away and then a cement mixer came too. It was awesome the workers were so nice, when they saw us watching they waved us over to come look closer. They guy offered to let Cannon crawl up in the excavator but he went all shy guy on me :( It was really fun though, best baby sitter of the week! The boys could have stayed for hours!

And I will wrap it up but first 3 more of my favorite things from the week. Isaac loves to ask the boys who they want to pray. Colton ALWAYS picks Cannon, its so cute he points his finger at him. Cannon assured his dad it was in fact Colton's turn. So he said "Ok you help him." So Cannon was helping Colt pray--which Colt doesn't say much yet so whoever is helping pretty much just says it but Cannon stopped mid prayer and got Colt to actually say "Poppa" then told him "Good Job" then continued on with his prayer "We're thankful for Poppa and all our Grandmas and Grandpas." It was SOOO was darling. These two melt my heart! Thursday I was playing basketball and I had my own little cheering section saying "Mom-ma! Mom-ma!" It was the cutest dang thing!!! (although lets keep the record straight I'm not interested in raising cheerleaders.)  Cannon would also shout "Hey mom, are you winning? Are you going to win?" It was awesome.  And last but not least Isaac gave me the love note they wrote that I requested for Mother's day...it was so cute. Worth the wait. ...--but still hope I don't have to wait that long again ;) --

Ok where to start? I guess I better fill you in with an arm update. It was broken-we knew that- but Isaac finally went to the Dr. on Monday which is such a relief because he was slowly getting more range of motion but I was freaking out because I didn't want it to start healing up with something in the wrong place. Anyway he broke the radial head, they gave him a sling but told him to take it off as much as possible and use his arm and so he just said ok and handed the sling back. Of course he did! :) He's on the mend though and we are happy about that.
He did surprise me and ask my friend Ginger to tend last Friday and we went out to eat for our anniversary, that was fun and the boys had a good time. Cannon was quoting the movie they'd watched on the drive home and Colt cried and howled as soon as we got back like "You left me, how dare you?" But Ginger's daughter (8) was kept saying "He was fine, he was fine, the whole time, he didn't even cry." It was pretty cute like in her young mind I was going to think they'd let him howl like that the whole time.
Colt was so funny inching along the car as we walked up the driveway--Isaac actually took this picture. I love it when Isaac catches cute things they do too! (I think Colt looks like Cannon in this picture)

Anyway...then on to Saturday. I took Cann Man to Home Depot but as I was trying to get him dressed (and speaking of dressed what was I thinking when I bought that shirt???? Those green stripes look just like the ones the prisoners out on work duty wear--Lyndi who cares if it was only $2 -or less- LEAVE IT THERE...oh well he got paint on it so its probably pajamas from here on out-- but still.)

Anyway back to the story I was trying to get him dressed and he was being a wild crazy man and turned and ran smack into our bedroom door. How bout that goose egg?
We had somewhere else to be that morning but I can't really remember what else we did...and I didn't take a picture so who knows?? We also had another Tornado warning where the siren went off and stuff. It's way better now that we've done that once and kind of know what to expect--it was also better having Isaac home for it. We never lost power though-so we never even hunkered down in the bathroom or closet.

Sunday...we survived, I think it was uneventful except that we rode out to Forrest for a "Sunday Evening Discussion" Some members do out there, they want a member of the Bishopric but somehow both us and Bishop's family ended up going. First thing Isaac said was "Wait, he's not supposed to be here or we didn't need to come." I'm pretty sure I wacked him and gave him the we're here now don't get caught saying that glare :) Anyway it was nice and they drive that far every week to church (about an hour) we have it EASY and I am grateful! It was nice though, the discussion was, in part, about how our homes should be like temple and a place where we would want the Savior to come...I look around at my counter piled high and toys and stuff all over the floor and think-Can we meet Him at the church? I'm just kidding...partly...a time and a season right???

Some other fun from the week:
Grama sent the boys a rolling pin and cookie cutters so we had to try it out. Then, I feel like we have tons of pictures of Cannon relaxing and hanging out with his dad-but ones with Isaac and Colt seem way more rare-so I snapped this one. 

 

This was the fancy fire truck the boys and I got to watch at Walmart the other day...$1.2 Million bucks, or so the old man who was also watching it told us-to fix the rope on the flagpole at Walmart...I guess  practice is practice but that's expensive! Our old man friend also told is there are only 3 like this in the country (NYC, OKC, and trusty old Pearl MS) at any rate-Cannon was impressed. The second pictures is what it looks like pretty much ANY time I try to do anything on my phone. The blue shirt is mine...you can't see me-just like I can't see my phone, its just how it goes.

I'm not really sure what to say about the next pic...I'm not sure what they were licking up either ...but you'll notice I did through Isaac under the bus with that smile in the corner encouraging it. (And it must have been Saturday since Cannon is rocking his Dept of Corrections Shirt) Then of course a little baseball! We love baseball. I'm trying to decide whether to sign Cannon up for soccer? Do I want to start that already? And besides-we're baseball people! We'll see, I haven't even talked to Isaac about it yet.

Old Colt man, he had my computer pulling up the control panel and sleep settings every time I pushed the "Enter" button. Thanks Colt. But I think I've got that fixed. Poor guy is still cutt'n teeth-and he spewed up EVERYTHING he'd eat'n all day at the church yesterday when we went to play basketball. That was not fun. But thankfully he seems fine today.
And Cann Man has been on one this week!!!
(This one is GROSS...so you might want to skip it.) Cannon after nap "Good morning mom!" Me "Hey Bud good morning! How was your nap? Did you sleep good?...Hey what is that what's in your mouth (no response)...What are you eating?" Him "I can't tell you." "Why not?" Big grin "Because it came from my nose." Like I said Gross, sorry, but it made the family journal. He's actually done the "I can't tell you" thing a few other times throughout the week, I don't know where he got that! Often times he asks "Why do you force me to eat?" I answer "Because I love you." (and sometimes I go on about how I want him to grow up and be big and strong but that was all I said this time) and he shot back with "That's just an excuse." 

OH BROTHER!

Oh another thing he did this week, he was taking pictures, I have an old camera he calls it "his" camera, whatever, he loves to take pictures and say "Mom, we need to get this one off and send it to Grandma" and things like that. Anyway,  he had it out and was taking pictures, took one of Isaac resting on the couch then said "There (sighs and kind of turns his head) I got one of sleep'n beauty" It was so funny I busted up. Actually it was worth it to go get his camera and load it up. Here is "Sleep'n Beauty" Through Cannon's lens...and then a collage of what things generally look like through his lens...

Why wouldn't you want 50 pictures of your toy excavator? And lots of your mom and brother too. He's character! And I sure love'm.

Sometimes he gets right down to business too! The kids are working on the First and Second articles of Faith in primary I asked Cannon if he wanted to Memorize them too he was all about it.

Oh and speaking of primary-he's a crack up. He kept jumping out of his front row chair to pushing the new song leaders book ALL the way on the table because she'd set it down with a corner hanging off. He tell her he didn't want it to fall. And he told her his name was Cannon with a "Cuh" (Sound for a c not the letter) and that it was like the "CAT dealership" I just have to sit there and smile. 

I think that's it...until I think of something else.

2015 here we go...

Another day another dollar, another week another_________ I don't know. I hasn't been too exciting, I was happy to find this picture on my phone, it means there was one day we actually got out of the house and got to go play tennis. (But the boys were obviously under the impression we were going to ride bikes-it went something like Cannon put his helmet on and Colt had to have his--typical.) In the picture Cannon is trying to stop Colt from dumping the animal cookies...it didn't work.

 

On Monday Isaac went into work and Stacey text me and said the Children's museum was open-its usually closed on Monday's but we jumped at the chance to get out of the house.  We had a great time, they still had their Christmas stuff up-so Cannon got to guide a sleigh! Sweet! They also had this cute water color negative space art project. So I wanted to take a picture. Look what Stacey's kids did when I went for a picture-paint and smile. Look what mine did, dump paint, smear paint, eat paint...oh well.

 

Tuesday we got to hang out with the Belk's-love them! And typing this up is really good for me because I swear its Friday and its been rainy all week and it feels like we haven't left the house at all-except to go ride bikes at the church-but I guess we have and we've had a great time. With the bikes at the church too. Tuesday night Isaac wanted to know if I wanted to go play basketball, I was iffy but agreed to. It was really fun I was glad we went, we had a great time, EXCEPT, I was out in the hall playing with the boys when Isaac came out. I asked him if he won and he was smiling but he said not yet-I can't straighten my arm. And then he told me how he got tangled up trying to stop a fast break and fell and landed funny. Shortly after we loaded the boys up and I brought them home for tubbies and he headed back. When he walked in the door the second time I asked him if he played again, he shook his head no and said he still couldn't straighten his arm so he'd just vacuumed at the church while everyone else played. Cannon was still awake and told him "Dad, the players play again after their hurt." hahaha only Cannon! Wednesday he wasn't real worried about it and went into work. And we went to the library story time. They were celebrating the new year. Cannon's shaker ended up saying "0251" but whatever Mary Lucille helped Colt get his numbers on there in order. As part of the little "party" if you want to call it that-whatever they ate punch and cookies and made shakers. Anyway the little old worker gal Miss Janet painted their faces.

Isaac was like "What the heck?" When he saw it, I smiled and said the other kids loved it so ours jumped in on it...is carnival-ish whatever. They had fun.
By yesterday Isaac finally admitted that his arm really is hurt and he probably needs to get an  x-ray. New Years day his only option was the E.R. and of course he wasn't going for that. (But if he would have went Wednesday I'm pretty sure our deductible was met from my surgery but whatever.) So today he spent all morning trying to figure out where he can go and who will take our insurance and now he went to work again. Who knows, I hope he does something to take care of it.
So there ya have it. Happy Anniversary us. 5 years. Screaming kids (I don't know what's up but both of them were on one yesterday and so far today too) and a broken arm. We talked about going out. Then we talked about doing a lunch date instead, like while the kids were napping (but that is now) and he went into work so there ya have it.