So I have a ton of pics from Colts birthday-but none with my good camera. I had good intentions but I couldn't find it, I don't use it much so I know I packed it up early. I just haven't found where yet. I was laying in bed thinking about it and I have an idea-it might be in the extra towel bin...I'll have to check! But... About that birthday update! I better get going :) Colts becoming a chatter box more and more he says "oh tay" or sometimes "I day" or some combination of the two with perfect voice inflections for "ok" and it's so dang cute. When he pieces together 2 or 3 word sentences (if we can call them that) it makes me think of the missionaries we know trying to piece together other languages. For example I was pushing him on his trike the other day ~because it was uphill~ but of course little Mr. Independent thought he could do it himself so he said "No! Own! No! Own!" Not correct but he got his point across. He also manages to get his point across when he says "I want" the noise is not those two words at all-but the message it always clear. Hmm.

Here they are getting ready to for a birthday trip to Nauvoo. 

 

That temple was incredible. Isaac and I were rushing to make the session, we had a hard time getting in though. Don't ask me why we didn't think you would just go in the front door? But we walked right past it. (We were trying to stay out of the way of people taking pictures but still.) Finally we asked some guy sitting out on lawn reading scriptures. He said "Ya go in the front door." haha. You don't in Salt Lake, you don't in St. George but Baton Rouge is our most recent temple and you do there whatever-we made it. But as we were wandering around the sign that said "originally built 1846, rebuilt 2002" totally stood out to me.  Just to be the there and think of the sacrifices the early saints made to build it, only only to be driven out and have it destroyed. But to have it there, it was just really neat!

oh wait-later this week we had the missionaries over and they showed us the "new"?? website I'm not sure if its really new or just different or what but the beta.mormon.org (instead of just mormon.org)  But they asked us to share it I thought here would the perfect place. I thought I would put the little video about temples we watched with them on here but...I can't figure out how to embed it :( oh well here's the link https://beta.mormon.org/beliefs/temples.php not exactly what I had in mind but~Challenge met :) 

While Isaac and I rushed to the session, the boys were with my folks-with a few hours to kill they lagged behind, stopped for a Pepsi and stuff. After our session, I always have to wait for Isaac coming out but he was seriously forever! But turns our he'd run into the dad of an inactive guy that is in our ward here, and into Dale Barlow, my old middle school principal who's serving a mission in the temple-that was cool. He had recognized him from the temple in St. George. And seriously that whole temple, I know I already said it once but just the experience of being there. It was awesome!

When we got out we found my parents and kids at a nearby park with some lunch (a whole 'nuther story-not to be ungrateful but worst sandwich EVER we'll be packing a cooler for future temple trips) but they had missed the carriage rides, they ended at noon, because they had time to kill they but had gone over to Carthage first. Colt~happy birthday but totally indifferent, he's 2. Cannon however had a very meaningful experience. Since finding out we were going to move here we've read the children's version of the martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph Smith several times. And in is 4 year old little boy way he's fascinated. We get thousands of questions: They shot him? How come?  Did he die? He lives with Heavenly Father now? What are mobs? How come they're mean? and so on. But he told us about going to the jail, and going to the room where the prophet was shot. And then he said the blessing on those (disgusting) sandwiches, and it was the sweetest little prayer as he thanked the Lord for the Prophet and that he got to go to the jail where they shot the prophet and that he was thankful that we have a prophet today who's not shot. It was just a very tender experience hear him pray!

Back to Colt's birthday, the missionaries put on a little play (which we haven't actually scene yet) nightly in Nauvoo called Rendezvous at old Nauvoo! I guess we had our own little Rendezvous at old Nauvoo for Colt's birthday. We played and jumped at trees...

 

Colt got a present from Grama and Grampa along the way to keep him happy :)

 

We played pioneer games and learned about bricks

 

 

I don't know why but I LOVE this picture! Its just so Colt!

 

We finally headed back, grabbed some pizza as we got back into town and the birthday fun continued. 

Not the best pic but I had to include he's was as excited about the fruit snacks as anything!!

So it was a pretty fun day! We love our little Colt man and we're so thankful he's in our family!!

But he's a stinker too last week when I blogged I thought he was warming up to Grampa-not so! He was just stubborn about it. He NEVER did give him a hug, he'd start to play with him and be having fun then realize -oh wait it's Grampa never mind I don't want to play I'm just going to duck my head pretend I'm shy! UG so annoying! He was a happy recipient of fruit snacks from Grampa though... (and how bout those undies and rain boots-such a fashion statement-and we're still hit and miss with the old potty training)

 

One day Grama and I were lobbying for the first hug of the morning from the little Colt man (who we often call Sleeping Beauty because he sleeps in so awesome) Cannon won out. And boy is that kid a goof!

 

"Cannon you have to have shoes on to go play baseball."..."I'll just wear dad's." 

 

Cannon is doing awesome on his bike! Being able to ride further than around and around inside the church gym sure helps. Isaac talked him into taking his training wheels off..yeah right, that only lasted about 30 seconds~he wouldn't even try. I don't know, hopefully Colt figures things out with his little balance bike~then maybe they'll end up taking off at the same time. Isaac usually rides around with them for a few minutes when he gets home. This picture was when he was still pro helmet, yesterday he wouldn't wear it "dad doesn't" soooo maybe Isaac's going to have to start wearing his.

 

We had a good time and enjoyed our Grama and Grampa time...then they left. That's always SO HARD ON ME! We're happy to be here, we feel good about it, but I HATE living so far from family! It just never gets easier for me. I tear up EVERY TIME! Isaac asked this time "are you sad?" It's like it's a novel concept to him EVERY TIME that I would be sad. Oh brother, oh well. I did read President Uchtdorf's talk Grateful in any Circumstance this week-it was an awesome uplifting read and I loved how he reminded us we resist (or hate) endings because we are in fact eternal beings! That made me feel better and lucky for me families are forever! And hopefully distance doesn't really exist in the eternities!!....

Then for the rest of the week we just kind of did our thing. These boys are good helpers making cupcakes!

The weathers beautiful here-but my enjoying it is inhibited by my fear of the fact I'm going to freeze to death this winter! Yikes, it makes me nervous. Our neighbors have a tree that's changing colors-its still August! 

Colt's 2 so I decided it was time~see ya later bink! And I was starting to get nervous about his little teeth, it was a rough nap the day I cut it off (Oh and he was such punk when Grampa was here I told him Grampa must have taken the binkies to feed them to his cows cuz I couldn't find them anywhere;) It worked he just said "Oohhh" ...so next time if Grampa still can't talk the little stinker out of a hug--probably my fault.) But the transition has been smooth. It was a rough nap, and rough night that first day but other than than he's been fine. Now, if Colton isn't having a binky there's no reason for Cannon-at 4- to still have a silky that transition has been a little bit tougher but oh I am SO GLAD to have it gone. Well, mostly gone. Sometimes I give in at naps cuz he's Mr. "Well, what will my reward be if I do what I'm supposed to?" drives me crazy but I do it anyway, reward him with tablet time and he's silky free. But when he's watched too much tablet and subsequently a stinker-chew on the dang silk. Those things get so gross but I never worried about it messing up his teeth so I just let it go... too long. It was definitely a crisis the first few days for him "I just need it on my tongue Mom!" but we're making progress so hopefully I can wean that tablet bribe next.

Anyway...

The grocery store here is called HyVee, Colt loves it. Loves to say it. Oh and they have little kid carts. Holy Circus! Two of them and I don't even have a picture to show for it, I forgot my phone and have miss placed my little camera. The icing on the cake was the worker lady telling me "Did you know we offer online shopping--in case you don't want to bring the kids." HAHA point taken, but they had so much fun... I actually think that online shopping thing sounds awesome though.

Last night our Bishopric came over. Cannon was referring to them as "The First Presidency" today. That's a pretty big jump but I think in his mind the Bishopric is Bishop Shields, Brother Blalock, and dad. But it was good to meet our bishop and visit with him and his counselors (He has been out of town for 6 weeks~so the whole time we've been here). And Brother Speaks was so cute playing with the boys while we visited. We all had a great time.

Our neighbor totally keeps to himself but he was out mowing his lawn and found baby bunny and brought it over to show the boys. That was progress, maybe he doesn't hate us! (really I don't think he does I think he's just a keep to himself kind of guy) But we even found out his name. Darren-so that was cool.

 

And because its turning cold on us I made the boys wear pants today, when Cannon came out with floods on I was like "Oh Boy, time to go through your clothes." I had bought some pants on sale off season that I wanted him to try on. Colt was all about it. Eventually we got into the hand me down box and got him some "new" pants out too.  

 

Isaac's busy busy busy and working his little tail off. I'm grateful he's such a hard worker. He's also dreaming of boats (and pulling them with little green) and buying property and who knows what else (probably businesses though)  I'm trying not to smoother his fun too much. Kind~of trying, somebody has to be the voice of reason around here! I heard him ask his dad on the phone if he thought he could pull a boat with little Green and I heard Ralph say "NO" and now its documented here! Isaac's sure I'm just embarrassed and that's why I don't want him too. Never mind the fact its CRAZY! Can you imagine backing little green down a boat ramp? With that image in mind I think its a good stopping place ;)

-until next week!