How is he 1?

The days are long, and the nights are long, but man the weeks, months, and years go zooming by. I think I need to work on just enjoying the long days. (Nights...I really would just prefer to sleep through those.)

Yesterday Seth turning one was a highlight! But we've really had a good and busy week.
So...normal.
Saturday was good. We made it to the temple. (By the skin of our teeth of course.) The kids LOVE staying at the Villas and when I was walking between ours and Michaila's (I really should request one by them next time) I came around the corner and this was the scene... Tanner in the work zone Brothers and Cohen off in the distance. 

They were Building airplanes with straws, popsicle sticks and who knows what else. Oh and some regular paper airplanes too. Later someone would fly the airplane  and then it would get bombed...handful of gravel thrown at it. Boys! 
Anyway! Our stake mtgs were good. Just today cleaning out the van I found Isaac's sortof notes...scribbles on the edges of a Nauvoo wards old program. BUT! He took way more notes than me. We were sitting at the adult session and President Vorkink asked everyone to turn there phones off and added "No exceptions" Um... I thought of a million excuses. Like, that was my note taking plan, or what if they babysitter wanted to get a hold of us-oh it was his kid. So I turned it off and I guess I'll know better next time on notes. After the adult session I was so excited to watch  BYU play the Zags that night I said "I just want them to give'm a game." Isaac called my bluff and said "Will you really be happy if they give them a good game and still lose?" I admitted I would not. But we walked in from that adult session and BYU was down 12-6 or something like that, and it just got better. It was so fun! We stayed standing behind the couch watching it with the Vorkink's and Pettit's until halftime then went to our own condo. Colt and Tan gave into Disney Jr or some cartoon channel but we all stayed up watching it. Oh I guess Seth gave up early, but he's the only one. I especially enjoyed watching it with Cann, man I enjoy a good ball game! Anyway-then it was 11:00. YIKES. We were scrambling for the quickest Come Follow Me and Scripture routine we could pull off! Sunday I was too happy they won to be tired.
And even these two goofs that didn't watch it were dancing around celebrating the win before church.

Monday was pretty normal. Tackled Mt Everest (the Laundry pile) oh and Cannon wanted new shoes but he didn't really need them...well he kind of did...anyway bottom line is when they got home from school he helped me around the house to earn the new shoes and it was fantastic. I had ordered some and they fit him but just perfect they weren't any too big then all of the sudden I remembered I had bought some on sale, so I went upstairs-dug them out. They were a good fit. He was happy, I was happy, and returned the others. And I was super happy they helped me around the house. We need desperately to implement more chores around here. The other boys wanted to earn something too. I said "Ok, like what?" Colt said "Gum!" and Tanner seconded it. DONE! It was great. Oh and here’s a couple fun pics from the day too: 

Tuesday we hung out with the Moody kids so their folks could go on a date. Our families match up really well. I had talked to Isaac about making sure he was around to help (Because the night before “hey I'm going to change the oil on the Passat” turned into a more than 2 hour project and everyone got to bed late.) But really I barely even ended up needing him cuz the kids were so easy. Yay! That’s a win! 

Wed I didn’t have any pics on my phone so the day might not have really happened 😉 I mean I know Cannon had Children and Youth and it was a super late night. The other kids are done at 8 sometimes I think I should just go get Cannon but then I have to load up the other 3 up, but they got home around 9:30. It’s too late. And Isaac was frustrated  there was confusion with getting kids rides. I have different opinions but sometimes my best option is to keep my mouth shut. 

But THURSDAY!!! We made it to The Boone’s birthday!! (I call him that a lot but it seems like I haven’t here on the blog so I’ll explain. Boone comes from Seth-a-roo...that progressed to Seth-a-roony Booney that shortens back to Boone. Ha! I love nicknames and Sometimes I just need a break from Sethy or Sethy Pooh. Whatever ya call him we sure love him!) He picked right up on unwrapping presents!! And boy were his brothers excited!! 

Tans class went to the FFA petting zoo so we did that too. Tan wouldn’t take his coat off so mostly I ended up with pics of his coat by several animal pens. Whatever. 

Colt had science club after school so the rest of us hung out at the church with friends. Afterward we headed home for dinner and to frost Seth a cake. 

I had no plan but I had good help. So we ended up modeling it after the little cars and rig he got. 

I have at least 4 friends here that do “fancy” cakes but ya know-that’s just not our style-and the kids loved it so good enough! (Especially since it still looks exactly like this in the fridge-untouched! Well Except for the 2 finger prints Seth put in it.)
I did totally screw up though, I hate admitting it but I always tell stories about the kids and Isaac on the blog so I better fess up when it’s me too. We did cupcakes too with the other 1/2 of the mix and instead of giving him the whole cake I just gave him a cupcake...but I wanted a picture and I thought I could just light it quick snap a pic and then he or we would blow it out. Wrong. No pic. He was too fast. It was a bummer. I’m an idiot!!! Why did I light it? I wasn’t thinking that’s for sure. The others kids all wanted a candle and I should’ve let them have them and not Seth-or just not light it. It scared him. He didn’t like it-didn’t want anything to do with that dumb cupcake after but thankfully my parenting fail didn’t even really leave a mark. But still, happy birthday bud-sorry your mom’s not very smart!

Anyway

Thankfully Tan had him smiling shortly after. 

And today Isaac is gone with the YM/YW on a temple/ski trip. When he’s gone I try to make it pretty easy on myself. When Tanner wanted mac’n cheese with bacon bits for dinner I shrug and say “sure”

They’re all sleeping in Colt and Tanners room and I told them I would too...I never said how much of the night I would stay in there! Tanner is sleeping IN a laundry basket. I think  It’s his “ship” or something. I should go take a pic. I just had to slide the laundry basket to the other end of the bed cuz Colt just freaked out, it worked into his dream and he thought someone was in their room. I have no idea how any of them slept through those shrill screams! I’m not sure Colt even ever woke up all the way. 

Anyway. 

Another week gone by! 

Here...I couldn’t resist! 

Happy Birthday Isaac

Isaac doesn’t get excited about birthdays-at all. But Monday I kind of panicked because I really didn’t have anything for him and while he doesn’t care—I do! But then I remembered he was planning on going to the auction Wednesday. So Happy Birthday he got a new car!!!! Wahooo!!!! R.I.P. Little Green!!!!

So that was Wednesday/today’s excitement. But I guess I better back up and think about the week. Saturday seems like a long time ago. In the morning we went down to clean the church but it had already been done (bless whoever it was!) Then Tan and Seth and I went over to the Zimmermans for their little girl who just turned 4’s party. It was a mermaid theme-Tan was like “mermaid? What’s a mermaid?” Eh don’t worry about it. Haha! But speaking of the Zimmerman’s if I’m going totally out of order anyway I have a story. I went to the grocery store tonight to grab stuff for our Nauvoo trip tomorrow. Tonight’s kinda been a disaster but whatever, so anyway I take clingy whiny so so tired Seth with me. Well he falls right asleep, but I didn’t just leave him in the car seat because he always wakes up then you have this big old car seat taking up the whole grocery cart so I just figured I’d pack him. Well he never woke up! It wasn’t too bad pulling my cart along with one hand and picking things off the shelves to fill it up. But unloading it proved a little more difficult and when I got it all paid for I kinda thought hmm maybe should’ve went to Walmart were they will bag your stuff for you if you get in the right checkout place. But there I was at Aldi, we love it cuz it’s cheap but trying to hold the little guy-who was feeling huge my arms were dead- shaking the bags open and trying to shove things in before the fell back shut when up walk the Zimmermans. They were like “What can we do for you?” And before I could shake a bag open they had everything all loaded up! Then Jared started to push my cart out to the car and I was like “no no I’m good thank you so much but I can get it, from here” but they just kept going. And they were loving it too. That was their date night tonight they were just out doing random acts of kindness for people. Too cute huh? And I was a lucky recipient.  They loaded my groceries up in my car and took my cart back for me. I was totally impressed, what a good, nice, fun, positive thing to do for a date night! 

Ok back to Saturday for real now. We didn’t really have anything else going on which was unusual but we did have one little wreck:

That’s the new much anticipated drone all burnt up in Isaacs lap. Bummer. Just the day before he had told me “I’m good with the boys just flying it-I want them to learn how to use it.” Well-oh well. But in true Ison fashion we didn’t throw it away, he took it apart, it’s in our closet and he said something about ordering new motors for it. Oh brother! So in a way, his dad lives on. Here’s a bad thing though-I always knew Ralph read the blog, which was great he was welcome to, its part of why I do it, so family and friends can keep up with our adventures -if they’re brave enough- but I felt like knowing Grandpa Ison was going to read it kept me in check a little-ya know, like if I thought something was a stupid idea I might not have said it—or at least softened it a little— but now what’s going to stop me? Self discipline? Not likely! 😬  

Oh well. 

I’ll try to report back if we ever really fix the drone...cuz otherwise we’re just storing broken garbage in our our closet. ...hmmm what we need is a time limit!!! Oh it’s been 2 years -not happening—throw it away! The next thing we get to throw out after 18 mo, and slowly work backwards toward a 1 week or 1 day limit????

I like it

But I digress 

We all know I’m dreaming. 

Sunday’s excitement was Sis Hatcher have the boys suckers! They love them and little britches loves getting in on it. He and his car seat were sticky from head to toe!!!

Monday was Presidents’ Day and the boys didn’t have school but Isaac did, then Tuesday they were out for a professional development day. Wednesday Isaac went down and got the car-he just flew from here to StL. He didn’t get home until 10:30 or so. So I had to take all 4 boys down to Children and Youth. I’m telling ya by yesterday I was ready for some backups! 

Let me show ya what backups look like. 

But I’ll take it! 
And they really are great kids! Truly my greatest joys! And they play pretty good together. 

Cann likes to get Seth to practice walking every night, it’s pretty cute. 



Every time I give him anything round. Blueberries. Peas. Ok that might be it-but he is so intent on squishing them. 

And it’s not too bad, and thankfully I don’t have girls but I say “Hey Tan, when did you cut your hair?” He answers “Last night in my bed with my red handled scissors.” Me “you know you’re not supposed to do that right?” “Well, I wasn’t tired.”

This kid! he’s constantly got me shaking my head. 

Today it was after I’d fed him in his high chair I just said to Seth  “Does that feel so good to have a full tummy bud?”  and Tanner said to me “Mom, it’s just going to turn into poop.” 

Yup.

Thanks Tan. 

Anyway I think that’s about it. 

Oh we’ve also been memorizing or re-memorizing articles of faith this week. That’s been good. Usually for a hot wheel. I’ve got some old ones the Orton’s gave us when they moved, then we looked them up on ebay-we should be selling the dang things!!! If anybody really buys stuff like that, I dunno! 

Until next time!!    

Recovery mode and valentines day

Seth walking video, found it! 

https://youtu.be/qLWVah_OSU0

Isaac woke up at 4 in the morning last Sat and loaded the van but he wanted to take off early! But then he showered and laid back down and fell sound asleep, if you know him at all he does not like to be confined to a schedule if his body needs rest-he wants to rest- we’re so opposite! So I let him sleep and we didn’t leave until more like 9:00... or maybe 10 I can’t remember but I know we rolled in at 4:15...so 5:15 Missouri time and last trip we left the door shut but not latched so consequently WIDE open. This time it was locked up right! Even we couldn’t get in! Whoops. So Isaac got the ladder to try the upstairs window, nuthin. But eventually he found that the dining room window wasn’t latched so he shimmied through that. Then called me from the bathroom and told me the door was opened. Ha! Funny guy! And he left the window open too-it was a wind tunnel in there!! But we got home, we got in! And we got a couple hours of sleep before we got up for church! I know there was some drama with church? At church? Getting to church? I can’t remember what though. I didn’t take very many pictures this week, it was just recovery mode! 

No pics to do the locked out justice but boy was a Seth glad to be out of that car seat! And Tan dressed and ready for church—still zonked! 
Tan talked me into making cookies though! And boy was Seth a lot of help! 

We have hit the climbing stage-while that stool served the purpose of blocking cupboards shut for a good few months he figured out its true purpose and intends to use it. Really he’ll climb on anything! 

We changed just a couple words on the song the boys sang with their cousins at Grandpa Ison’s funeral and Colt sang it for his teacher-well let me make a video he didn’t want to do it in “real life” ha but he rocked it

https://youtu.be/qiBbyA1qze0

We download tons of pics off the class app and I had a collage of flashing pics all dreamt up with him singing but reality is such a project would require more time and/or skill than I have so-she got a video of him standing there. Oh well he still rocked it! We had a delay start on Thursday so Cann headed out in the -4 feels like -25 weather...crazy. He was so excited about the new helmets and goggles we got from Aunt Sabrina last week. 

something was going on with his skis and it was cold enough I wasn’t going out to help him so he had to just give up and come in. Bummer. 

But speaking of something going on with his skis how bout this going on with mine??? While Cann and I were working on a valentines box Isaac was working on my skis! 


So we bought them at the DI for $10 but they didn’t have bindings so Isaac said “oh we can get bindings” then while at the DI looked them up on his phone and they popped up at around $70...sooooo (since we get a kick out of being cheap) we bought another pair of $10 DI skis and robbed the bindings off then. A project for Isaac, a win for me! Tonight the Moody’s had a bday party for their kids (so tended ours) and after we went dinner I got to try those bad boys out :) it was fun. I’m about as good as the kids...that’s all-but it was fun! (Video is on Isaacs phone-I don’t know if theirs a pic) 

And I tell ya what-if you need a drawer emptied completely out—this is your guy!!!


He was all about jumping right in and being a big kid at the Valentines party today. 



Tan hung out with Haven while we were at Colts party. 

Oh and these are just screen shots but I need to download the b-ball pics Andrea put on FB! 



Cannon really did get So much better this year but mostly because he played with his friends at recess and stuff. Playing is so important. Which is what got me into that whole coaching gig anyway! 

I don’t know what else...oh Tan in the middle of the night “mom moom Moooom 

MOOOOM” I get in there “I told you I wanted shorter nights! This night is too long!” 

Uh...Actually I need longer nights—or at least less interrupted ones

Who knows! 

But I think that’s pretty much it! 

My valentine is over there snoring while I blog. Perfect. We make s as good team. 😊

Oh I know what else twice this week people have brought us dinner! They are so nice. Sunday Michelle did-she’s the nicest person I know, and then my ministering sister I kept trying to brush her off because it really wasn’t necessary but she got me to cave-and it was delicious! So nice and thoughtful of people! Reminds me I need to look for ways to serve others even when life is busy too! 

Ok now I think that’s it. 

Saying Goodbye to Grandpa Ison

Dang! It’s been a heck of a week. Saturday we went to a primary friends baptism then hit Home Depot day. Isaac bought a tractor for Grampa Chip! 

It was a normal busy fun day, until as we were walking out the door to basketball (cuz Cannon had night games) we got the call that Isaac dad had passed away. 

Dangit.

While not totally unexpected it’s always hard. We thought he had been doing a little better, it was such an up and down ride the last few weeks. 

So we packed up and headed back west. 

We played the b-ball games then Isaac went into work to get something’s squared away and I packed and we hit the road about 2 am. The drive totally sucked! We blew a tire about 6 AM put the donut on and limped to the next city with a Walmart where we got two new tires (busted by our kids for “shopping” on Sunday) and hit church at 9:00 then back on the road. 

It was summer weather going across Kansas!!

The first thing Isaac did when we got here was spend some time in his dads “domain” —and Sethy got in on it too. 


It’s kinda a bummer that Sethy won’t remember Grandpa Ison at all☹️

I’ve posted them before but I’m so thankful for these pics!!! 

After these while we were in St George he was working on a dinosaur with his 3D printer for the boys.   He always had a project!!
We’ve been so grateful to be here! 

The boys of course have loved being here—and sneaking over Jesse’s to play video games.

Monday we opened some of the mystery packages from China...rods for a remote control airplane and I can’t remember what else. 

Wednesday we went to Provo—we practiced our practiced our guys out on the song the boys were singing at the funeral. Grandma had an ortho appt. then she tended the boys at a fun indoor play place while we made a temple trip. 







Then in honor of Grandpa we hit the DI. We didn’t need anything but had a blast-buying stuff we didn’t need! They boys were like “can I have this ....” toy? You bet! They each got something and a big helicopter to share. We found me ski boots for $4 and skis for $10. Sold! It was silly but it was SO FUN! 
Grandma was able to hit Costco while I went into Ross and bought a second church outfit. I wasn’t thinking funeral AND viewing when I packed but it was between midnight at 2am and the excuse to go shopping was fun! 

Thursday we finished up the memory slides video—there wasn’t a lot I felt like I could help with but I did to a lot of pics of old pics and got them uploaded. I’m excited about a whole new loot of stuff to put on family search too. 

Last night was the viewing today the funeral, it was a really nice service. I even think Grandpa would have liked it—and he hated funerals! He said “there are lies, white lies and then there’s funerals!” But it was nice, no embellishments very gospel centered. It was good. 

So I feel like I should write more but the pictures will have to suffice. 

We’re great full to be here! 

Grateful for the life Grandpa Ison lived and all the things he taught Isaac and did for each of us. 

We’ve enjoyed being here with Grandma all week and all the family these last couple days! Grama Nette and Grampa Chip came up for the services so we got to see them for a second too. 

We’re running on not much sleep-still have the drive ahead of us tomorrow but so grateful to have been here! 

Oh and Sethy took his first steps while we were here!!! I have a movie but I can’t figure out how to upload to YouTube anymore...🤔 I better figure it out.