Man its been a cold week, we are ready for spring around here. Isaac said his birthday was good, ok, I'll just trust him. The ONE thing I tried to get him...disaster, returned, he's happier without it anyway so its fine. Cannon told me "Mom, dad's present is just getting to spend time with his family!"  (obviously an echo) and its a good thing that is what he likes because the day was rather...normal?... I tried to make him a yummy breakfast then I had church meetings so he and the boys played and I tried to make him a yummy dinner and that trip to the store to pick up his present, I'll try to forget it!
Cannon insisted he had a "rock hauler" cake...we settled on cupcakes.

Sunday...I don't know, it seems so long ago-I think it was just a normal Sunday we got to skype and facetime with the grandparents. It seems like Isaac was gone for something...but I can't remember.
Monday I was so tired of being cooped up we went down to the jump place. We love it there in the mornings-we end up with the place to ourselves! The boys had a blast.

 

Colts determination climbing up those stairs with the ball-I love it.
Cannon has this little digital camera I've mentioned it before and that he takes pictures of his toys, let me tell you when that backfires: When he learns how to surf back through the pictures, finds a "lost" toy that I sent to goodwill and then asks about it. Its true I "don't know where it is" but I do know where it went...And he wants to search high and low to find it...and then the real killer was "Mom, lets just say a prayer and ask Heavenly Father to help us find it." Oh man, plus he knows typically if he's willing to stop and pray to ask for help I'm usually a little more committed as we look for whatever it is. I still haven't told him the truth...I just made sure to delete the picture when he wasn't looking so it doesn't happen again, and my sweet friend Jenna puts toys in rotation. So I said maybe its like Rylee and J.D.'s toys and its just gone on rotation. ...it is...but its just never going to rotate back. UGH. When I was deleting you better believe I deleted a few extra pictures too-like the dollar store toy helicopter delete delete delete. We still have it but I don't want that one coming back to haunt me someday too.
Lets see what else in our everyday normal lives:
I had to laugh that as we were gathering up to go play basketball Tuesday Cannon, sporting a soccer shirt was decked out in his football gear and Colt was wearing the catchers mask ready to play baseball--we're sporty like that--and you know I love it :)

Cannon filling Colt's crib with all kinds of toys especially equipment...completely normal around here! The pictures not the best but that's definitely a smile on Colt's face behind those bars. Today Cannon told me "Mom, Colt's so happy that I woke him up!" Ummm I don't think so, he wasn't nearly as smiley this morning anyway. 

We're working on a pine wood derby car-oh I think that's what Isaac was doing Sunday. I didn't take pictures of him cutting shot gun shells apart for the lead bb's in them for weight--but I should have. We're going to go Lightening McQueen. Isaac told Cannon we're just getting a good practice design in and if it doesn't go well, its ok, they'll have a winner figured out by time he's really in cubs scouts. I told Cannon in the movie Lightening doesn't win because he stops and helps his friend. And then I said maybe if we don't win we could just watch the movie and Isaac said "Don't say that, he'll be cheering against us." He's such a character. Isaac that is...but Cannon too. I don't really have any pictures but Isaac did get this one video of them sanding. And win lose or draw I better have a picture or two next week!

We were doing a little craft project or something with paper and markers-- we do whatever we can to stay sane when we're stuck inside, we built Catapults out of water bottles and their tennis rackets one day too-- anyway both boys had a pair of scissors, Isaac was home at this point and I had turned my attention to browning the hamburger on that stove...whoops. Cannon cut colts hair...

Colt, its not a bald spot its just "thinning" dads does that on top too. haha.
Colt had a well check appointment this week. I can't remember which was which but he was in the 84th and 90th percentiles for height and weight. So Cannon buddy-you better get your licks in now (trust me he does) cuz at the rate Colts going to be able to take ya soon. Cannon was always around the 85 percentile for height but by time we moved to Mississippi he was like falling fast in the weight department. I think the lowest number I ever got was 11% not that they were ever worried about it, its just his build, but Colt-he's a tank. Here he his wearing Cannon's shoes that he put on himself and helping me vacuum he loves that. Then the next one we'd dumped the train tracks out and Colton built all of that by himself before I ever got sat down to help, I was really impressed.

 

I had the realization this week that I really love stuff...but one glance at the suffocating clutter on my dresser right now and I want to throw everything away. Isaac likes stuff in a different way (as in I like to buy new stuff and he likes to save old stuff in case he might find some use for it down the road) either way we have too much stuff, I'm in desperate need of a good "purge" or "weeding" or whatever you want to call it! But...if the kiddos stay asleep I'm going to cash in on a little nap instead of a de-junking project. Or maybe I could go work on Lightening McQueen's paint job...
either way
Until next week--

Grama had some good pics on her phone but since I was uploading from my phone it was easier to put them at the beginning of this week instead of end of last week.

Cannons ready to go back, I asked him why and he said "I just love it there." And it was PERFECT weather and we've come back to a yucky cold snap here and been really cooped up. Bummer.

 

Cannon wanted to earn some money for a new Peterbuilt so Grama put him to work. He was hilarious (as usual) telling her that he was working real hard so he could earn lots of money then in the next breath that this service project was awesome! We'll have to work on distinguishing when you work to make money and when you just work to help others...

 

Telling the cousins goodbye.

So onto this week...

Cannon hang'n just where he likes to be-right in the middle of the missionaries, I know its blurry but it was so cute. He had to sit by them, put what they put on their plates on his (even if he didn't really like it) Its cute and really-what great young men to have him look up to?

And Colt just decided two binks was better than one!

 

Last Saturday it was quickly back to the grind! We had a baptism in our ward (that where the above pics are from) so I made cupcakes and then went to get my hair cut and then we met up at the baptism. By time we caught naps and got the boys to eat a real lunch (beside the chips and treats at the baptism) we'd lost the beautiful weather we had earlier in the day and haven't seen it since! Brrr! It was Valentines Day so we were getting ready for our Valentines Date- Our stake puts on a fun little dance for the adults.
Sounds good right? It should have been but Colt puked all over the nursery -ya he's been working on teeth (two more finally poked through I noticed them on the plane) but I really think he just puked cuz he got so worked up when we actually left him and went to the dance. --all 3 minutes that we were there--

Date Over-pretty much before it started. Oh well.Sis Huie went to a ton of work--we tried to be supportive
Driving home I said "guess what next Saturday is-dad's birthday!" Isaac's honest to goodness answer "I didn't know that." Its just stamped in my brain whenever Valentines day is Isaac's birthday is the next week. So then we got asking him what he wanted (or wanted to do) to celebrate and he just kept saying "I just want you guys." And Cannon was hilarious he said "Dad, people aren't presents." And he kept trying to talk him into something "How bout a train dad-you like trains and that's a fun toy." I was listening smiling because I'm totally like Cannon-come on there's got to be something fun we could get him. But I know he's serious-he doesn't really want anything. Cannon and I have been saying all week-we've gotta teach dad to like presents. HAHA. Gifts and such just don't do it for him. (Remember he opened his helicopter from Santa 6 weeks later) As I listened to Cannon I was just laughing to myself (because I think more like a 3 year old "Come on dad-there's got to be something." ) Too bad I didn't find and old used something or other for free that somebody was going to throw away that he could fix up and then sell--he would love that. The fact it was free, the project of fixing it up, then selling it--totally his thing!

Anyway Sunday we survived, he stuck his head in after tithing and said he and Bishop were going to go do one visit...and he came home at least 3 hours maybe 4 and who knows how many visits later. I left and went to choir-no body else came but I stayed and visited with the choir directors for and hour just for the break.
Monday was a holiday but Isaac still had to go in. Tuesday we fed the missionaries (Cannon's current "favorite missionaries" they are really cute with him) and invited Bishop too because his wife and kids are out of town (might explain the long Sunday visits) then we played basketball. Wednesday we hit up the library. The boys love to go early and get in some computer time.

Mostly I just feel cooped up. I'm a fair weather gal.
Oh in other exciting news Isaac's had a few phone interviews with schools this week...somewhere in Michigan...and South Carolina, one in Ohio--I told him we did follow his brother into the mission field, was he planning on following his parents too? He answered they'll be home by next August.  Any interview is good practice at this point, but...Still hoping/praying to head back west. I want to be drivable to home.
Pics are a little weak this week so here's a couple videos instead :) I hate my voice in them but oh well.

Perfect February days in Southern Utah!

Blog day travel day...twice in a row!
There's a lot here, but its a work in progress, there's a lot to add and its  not edited  but I'm pretty tuckered out and I just want to get what I have posted and I can worry about the rest later. So....
We had a great time!

Poppa's got another helper!

Its kind of a big deal, this is the first time Colt's got on the tractor with Grampa without screaming.
Saturday we had a little hot dog roast up to the new corrals and Grampa saddled up the horse and everything, AWESOME! Aunt Jayne was in town so that was super cool that we got to see her even if it was only for a minute, and Poppa Great even came up to the corrals too. Here's all kinds of pics from through out the week up there:

 

Sometimes its Colt overload with pics because Cannon is getting so independent especially up to the corrals, its tough to get pictures of him. I asked him too look up when he was running this pitch fork and he said "No, I'm too busy."

He has a blast with the dogs up there too. He was singing "Popcorn Popping" too them and laughing his head off. I tried for pictures but they really didn't do it justice.

This next picture was better before he actually hit Elsie in the back of the head with a rock. :( I hope the lesson is learned (but I'm doubtful) Elsie got a cut in the back of her head but she was super tough and when I asked if getting to ride the horse would make it feel better she assured me it would. Grampa to the rescue! Thanks Grampa!

Sunday was stake conference (which also means our little hot dog roast made them miss the adult session the night before-whoops) but I was really just...not thrilled about going or being there. In the back, hard chairs, dark, trying to keep the kids reverent (mix Kyler's and mine and that's pretty much impossible) the audio was HORRIBLE to start you couldn't understand anything, it was broadcast from the other building. Then Kyler and Kami left, shortly after my mom took Colt out, she came back for Cannon they turned on the audio in the RS room. And eventually they fixed the audio. So I sat there and listened with my dad, (until I felt like I should go and participate in the wrestling of my kids) but anyway this guy spoke, he looked familiar but I didn't know who he was. Then as he kept talking he was talking about being a sealer in the temple and getting to preform marriages and sealings. Then he started telling us some of the things he tells couples that he seals. It sounded really familiar. He was talking about how you treat something if you want it to last. But he said more too, it was CRAZY familiar. Finally I text Isaac (ok technically I text Jenna first but I meant to send it to Isaac-haha whoops) and I said "What was the name of the guy that married us?" (Because Isaac had known the guy from Emery County and picked him and I was cool with whoever.) He text back "Brent Arnold" I text back and said "He just spoke in my parents stake conference!" It was awesome! I loved it. All of the sudden I was really glad we'd gone and the wrestling match didn't matter (my mom was doing the wrestling at that point anyway) the only thing that would have been better is Isaac would have been here with us.
Monday I took the boys over to the temple grounds. We try to do that pretty much every trip.

And then since we were so close we slipped over and met Britton. He's a young man from Santa Clara who suffered a traumatic brain injury in November Cannon loves to follow his blog with me and especially watch the movies of him getting better!  (and write letters and draw pictures for him too) but it was really cool to meet him. We were unannounced and it wasn't visiting hours but...oh well. Its a quick trip for us, and in the evening when visiting hours are--that's corrals and Grampa time so I was just happy it worked out. (Cannon did finally get his fingers out of his mouth and give me a big smile but not until after I'd put the camera away) Britt's giving us a thumbs up-I thought that was pretty cute. And it turned out really lucky that we went Monday because he had some trouble and ended up in surgery later in the week.

Tuesday we played at the Dixie Rocks--a must for Cannon-he asks every time we go into town, because he sees it :)

 We also slipped down and said Hi to Grama Cottam

Wednesday we visited with Alaina and aunt Caroline in the morning then went and visited Grama at work for lunch, at Grampas request we made it an extra special visit and took her some Valentines flowers from him.

We also got to watch Trey play basketball that night it was so fun! He's such a good little player! 

Cannons constantly cracking us up. I should type things on right when he says stuff because I forget so easy but one thing he said was "Why does Grampa have so many trucks?" I said well he has his little truck that he runs around in and his big truck can pull heavy loads, the other one is a farm truck...whatever just did my best to explain and then he asked when he got them. I nonchalantly answered "A long time ago." And Cannon said "Was it in world war 2?" I got a pretty good laugh out of that. There's a story in the Friend Magazine this month set in WW2 that we've read at least 30 times because it has a picture of a train as part of the illustrations, I'm sure that's where it came from but it was funny! 

Colt and the pack n play--disaster! ...the kids a climber.

Colt loved going to Poppa Greats and getting in to the hershey kisses. 

When we asked Grampa what kind of truck he used to drive. (Because Cannon got a Peterbuilt for Christmas and he wants another one) anyway he said "Peterbuilt-if ya see #29 check and see if I'm in it" It was cute-fun (not as ornery as he is now) grampa but it was a fun little family history moment where I felt like we learned something about Grampa too. We go up almost every day when we're there-I should go with a little question like that.

Cannon has been using Elsie's login for online preschool-its awesome-and he LOVES it!

 

 

Thursday we had a little Valentines Day/Unbirthday Party--Only I forgot to tell Kami about it so she had other plans. Whoops, oh well. I had brought Primary Shirts for the girls-they opened them later. And Caroline hit up the dollar store for Balloons and a fun Art Project. It didn't really work out like I planned but it worked out and I we had a great time visiting with Caroline and playing with Alaina so--it was great.  

 

Our travels back were pretty uneventful! Thank Goodness!

One of the things Cannon says to me a TON is "Sharing is not fun for me." Oh I hate that line, and I've tried everything I can think of "You can choose to have it be fun. ...  Daddy loves to share.   ...  Tough! Its life deal with it." And many MANY more. But every once in a while, when its his idea, he's a great little share'r. I loved this. 

I don't know if that's everything or not but we're going to go with it and say--good enough!