Just a few snapshots

Things are definitely picking up around our house this month. The boys are really doing well at school. When we picked them up yesterday they each had a piece of fabric with snaps and each were learning how to snap and unsnap. They also have pieces of fabric with buttons, strings to tie etc. They were so proud of themselves.



Sean started football practice this week and could not wait to get his pads on for full contact...that was yesterday. He did so well! Pat and I were very impressed with a couple of his hits. In fact after several run thrus the other kids didn't want to go up against Sean. This is nothing like he has played the last two years so we are glad to see him learning that if he hits first or harder it won't hurt him as bad. There are 97 kids in his league and so there will be 5 teams and we are hoping he makes the A Team again this year. I have never seen him so excited to play and of course that gets Pat even more excited. Pat will be one of the coaches because they have to have 5 per team so 25 total and as of the first day of practice they had 5.


I had to take Austin to the doctor today as the school called around 2:30 saying he had been crying, was running a fever and complained about his ear. He just finished one round of medicine about 3 weeks ago but we are back on it again. Colby is still scheduled to get tubes in his ears on the 18th and we may be headed that way with Austin. I asked today how many trips I have to make in a month to get my own parking space...they laughed.








I am still leaving on Saturday morning at 6:00 with my Army Reserve unit for Fort Carson, Colorado. I sure wish I was looking forward to it but I am NOT. I am having a hard time thinking about being away from the boys and Pat for 2 weeks. I thought one night was bad but this may do me in. I will be back on the 15th and believe me I have it marked on my calendar. So in your spare time you might say a little prayer for all of us over the next two weeks.



I have all the faith in Pat but he can't be their Mom and I hate I won't be there though I will say it might be nice to sleep through the night. Austin and I still have a date every night between 1:30-2:00. In fact I woke up last night and thought oh maybe he'll keep sleeping but at 1:56 he started crying. I think some of it last night was he didn't feel well.



As you can see the boys love bath time. It's good thing because they have to have one every day now. I've never seen two little boys so dirty after school. They always leave a layer of sand in the bottom of the tub for me to clean up too. After bath time is relax time and they are very specific about their places and pillows. In fact Colby kicked Natalie off the couch because she had "his" pillow and his place on the couch. The boys tickle me everyday with something new and I just want to put them on pause for the next two weeks. If only we could.

Tragedy for Buddy

For those of you that have had the privilege of meeting Buddy (purple is Colby's) we had a terrible tragedy on Thursday night. As Pat walked into the kitchen he held up Buddy's head and asked where the rest of Buddy was. I went in search of the rest of Buddy only to find Colby cuddling up with him. The good part is Colby didn't realize his head was gone. The next morning I was on a mission to find an alterations place to perform minor surgery. Thank goodness I found a lady that would take care of it in time for me to get it to the Montessori School prior to nap time.

The boys are doing well at Montessori school. Austin still cries in the morning but it doesn't seem to last long after I leave so they say. He is always very HAPPY to see us in the afternoon. Colby is quite the social butterfly. He hardly knows we leave and it always playing when we pick them up. Today when we picked them up they had a map of the world laying on the floor and the teacher was singing a song about the continents and Austin was told to point to North America and he did. Then of course Colby had to show us he knew where North America was too. I am so proud of them.

They are both singing their ABC's, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, and most of Jesus Love me. We say our prayers every night and here are a few pictures I tried to snap. Colby is still my GREAT sleeper but Austin still tends to wake every night between 1:00 and 1:30. It's like clockwork.

We took the boys to the Children's Museum and the they had a great time exploring and playing in the water. They LOVE the water no matter where it is. They weren't too fond of the play horse but loved the old play cars and truck. The best toy by far was the helE-copter as Austin was say. "I love it". Who knows maybe he'll follow in his Mommy and Daddy's footsteps one day.





Our family had a very nice 4th of July though it was much different than the past years. We missed being at my Dad's in Arkansas with all the rest of the family. We had some friends over and just did some grilling, playing, visiting and fireworks. On July 3rd we watched the North Salt Lake fireworks with some friends and it was quite a show....almost as good as the one David did for us last year at Horseshoe. The boys stayed home with Natalie as it was past bedtime and they aren't very good when they are overtired and out in public.


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I am still going with my Army Reserve unit on Aug 2-15th for our annual training. We have changed locations from Utah to Fort Carson,Colorado. It will be a very interesting two weeks with not only a brand new unit but also being away from the boys. I know Pat will do great but he'll have his hands full and he won't have Natalie and Sean to help entertain the boys either. I'm sure we'll all be fine but none of us are looking forward to it.

Colby is due to have surgery to have tube put in his ear on the 18th of August. We won't know what time until the day before because they schedule surgery time according to age of the kids. Hopefully with him only being 2 he'll be one of the first on the schedule. He is really talking a lot more these days and I think it will be even better once he has the tubes.

1st Day of School...we made it!

July 1st was the boys 1st day of school. The great dream I had of how smoothly everything would go soon disappeared when I had to sleep on the floor in the boys' room Monday night because they would not go to sleep. They woke up on and off all night...both of them. We got up on schedule and prepared for our big day. Our schedule was interrupted by a bloody nose for Austin and Colby coughing which led to him throwing up. I re-grouped and got them dressed. They had their favorite breakfast, powdered doughnuts and strawberries. Then off to school we went.

They were a little apprehensive when we got there but soon started playing with some of the other kids and the teachers did a good job entertaining them and just letting them check out the room.

One funny thing though. On Monday we took the boys by the school so they could meet their teacher and the other kids. At one point Austin was over in the play kitchen area and so was another little boy. We saw the teacher go over there and Austin had shut the boy in the play oven and was not letting him out. I'm not sure that was a great first impression.

Back to our first day. The teachers said they did really well. They apparently only cried a little at first but they ate their lunch and took a nap. I only went by once to check on them and it happened to be during nap time so I got to talk to the teacher without them seeing me.

When we picked them up they were playing outside and I can not believe how dirty two little boys could be. We cleaned them up a little at the school then again once we got home and that night Pat gave them a bath and we laughed at how dirty the water was.

They had another good day today but only took a 30 minute nap instead of their normal 2 hr nap so I think they might sleep through the night. I can only hope.

Here are a few pictures of our big boys on their 1st day of school. I can't believe how big they are getting. Austin even sang part of the alphabet song to me today. I've been singing it to them but didn't realize he was actually paying attention to me.