August Instagram and Other Stuff

We had quite a few big rain storms during the month of August...We spent a lot of evenings sitting on the front porch watching it rain and waiting to play in the puddles!

 We spent our last summer weekend at my parents house...Paxton designated himself to be Uncle Jake's helper around the yard.  The job obviously came with a few perks!

 We have become a 2 kids meal family...the boys are getting to the point where they are eating enough and their preferences are different enough that they want their own meals when we go out to eat.  We have been both excited about and dreading this day for years!  Excited that they are finally getting out of their picky grazing stage and dreading it because paying $4 for a hot dog and $4 for a grilled cheese sandwich sure takes a bite out of your budget!

Paxton has his kindergarten pre-assessment.  Luckily he did great and was deemed "ready to go to kindergarten!"  

 And yet again, like every other month that has past...these boys are growing bigger and bigger and are finding new ways to drive us crazy and melt our hearts all at the same time!  

Paxton's First Day of Kindergarten

Paxton is in Kindergarten this year!!  

We debated and debated about whether to send him or hold him back a year because of his mid summer birthday but when it came time to make the final decision we realized that he was way way ready to go to school full time and sending him to preschool for another year (with Tegan) would not be the best idea!

 So far he loves kindergarten...his teacher (Mrs. Lyman) is on maternity leave for a few weeks so he hasn't really gotten into the full swing of things but I am sure when he does he will hit the ground running!  He says that his favorite part of kindergarten is recess and drawing!

  

Kyson 6-7 Months

Well I guess it's true...it really is harder to keep everything updated with your third child!  I was so good with my other boy about doing a monthly update for their first year...with Kyson I got a little busy so we are combining 2 months!

Kyson LOVES to eat!!  At his 6 month check-up he weighed in at 10 pounds 10 ounces (82%) and was 28 inches long (91%)...bigger than both of his big brothers were at their 6 month well checks!  Kyson stopped nursing at about 6 months and now drinks 5-6 bottles of formula a day and then has a bowl of oatmeal or baby food for both lunch and dinner.  Up to this point he has liked everything he has eaten except for green beans and chicken and noodles.  He gets to eat a little bit of real food at every meal and so far loves it all!

Kyson is an awesome sleeper!  He prefers to go to bed on his own and is great about putting himself to sleep as long as his belly is full and he has a blanket touching his face.  All summer he was taking short little 45 minute cat naps here and there throughout the day but the minute he started back at the babysitter he started taking 2 hour+ naps in the morning and in the afternoon...Courtney is getting spoiled!  He also sleeps through the night but likes to wake up nice and early around 6:30! 

 Kyson is ACTIVE...he loves to move!  He has graduated from the jumper to the walker and is cruising around the house!  He can sit up by himself and roll all around!  He is doing the one armed army crawl and can get up on his hands and knees and rock back and forth but hasn't figured out how to crawl yet!  He loves to be held but even when he is snuggling with you he is always moving!

Kyson has earned himself quite a few nicknames!  I typically call him Kyse or Kysie but one day Paxton heard Kyson babbling and he said "Goo Goo" well somehow that stuck and now everyone (me, andy, the boys, grandparents, etc) call him Goo goo, Googs, or more recently Goose.  I think Kyson thinks his name is Goo Goo because he reacts to that more than he does to Kyson!

  Kyson loves:

Blankets, His Brothers, Food, Being Held, Bath Time, Books, Watching TV, The Water, His Dad

 Kyson Doesn't Like:

Getting Teeth (he has 2 on the bottom), Being Ignored, Missing a Meal, Getting his Diaper Changed

 I can't even start to describe how much we love this little boy!  He brings so much love and happiness into our home I can't even remember what life was like without him!  We love you buddy!

Ogden Temple Open House

One of the things I really wanted to do before summer ended was take the family up to the Ogden Temple open house.  I have always felt a connection to the Ogden Temple even though I have never been inside.  It is the temple where my parents were married and the temple where my Grandparents served for years and years.

 We took Jerika with us because I was absolutely sure that these 3 boys of mine were going to be wild and rowdy during the 1 hour temple tour but even though the temple is not yet dedicated I know that the boys could feel the spirit that is already there!  They were so good throughout the entire tour...even pointing out pictures they liked or things they thought were cool!  I was also so impressed with the temple and am so excited for the Payson temple to open in the next few months so that we can enjoy the blessings of the temple more often!

 Paxton was pretty excited to get his own little picture of the temple...I'm sure it has found its way to his "collection" pile by now!

 It was a great day for our family to be together and to give ourselves an opportunity to teach our children a little bit about temples and what a blessing they are to our family!

July Instagram and Other Summer Stuff!

At the end of July I always get summer remorse and start to feel guilty that I didn't pack in enough fun and excitement for my kids during the summer but looking at these pictures...it was a pretty good month!

While we were at my parents house for the 4th of July, we took the boys for a hike at Big Rock Candy Mountain...unfortunately the boys were mad there wasn't any candy, there wasn't any really distinct hiking trails, and someone had an accident so our adventure was pretty short lived!

 Kyson is getting so big and has discovered a love for eating!  He loved licking chocolate ice cream off of dad's fingers!

 Tegan riding the horse at Grandma and Grandpa's house!

 After Jamie's Etsy shop took of I decided to join my mom and my sister Jessica in starting an Etsy shop of our own!  Hey Momma Design started of slow but after the first couple of weeks and the introduction of little girls maxi skirts...business is booming!  Here were our first two orders!

 The World Cup took over our house during the months of June and July...I have never watched so much soccer in my life but we loved it!  Paxton was especially into the games and in the end had to choose between his Dad's team Argentina and his Grandpa's team Germany.  He initially picked Argentina and even put up a few decorations to show his team support!

 But after a little phone call from Grandpa his loyalities changed and he became a die hard Germany fan (good thing too since they won!)  He now asks us daily if Dad can get a new job so we can move to Germany and watch soccer...not a chance buddy!

 Since Paxton is starting kindergarten and Tegan is starting preschool this fall we have been doing a lot of school work to get them ready and keep them occupied during the day.  One day I asked Tegan to draw a picture of himself (he had never drawn a person before) and this is what he came up with...I love it!!

 I posted this on Instagram one day...At random times I have these realizations about how much my life has changed in the past 5 years...today it was when I realized that the centerpiece on my table went from a vase of flowers, rocks, and candles, to a package of wipes!  I wouldn't trade it for anything!

 Backpack shopping at Toys R Us...I let the boys pick out their own backpacks this year...I even let them get character backpack...and yes they are both wearing new crocs.  Both things I once said I would never let my kids do...I am eating my words now!

Paxton picked Iron Man

 Tegan picked Paw Patrol

 While at the toy store we had to try out the cars...Paxton told me "Mom you can buy us these cars when we turn 16."  I thought to myself...heaven help us when they turn 16...especially if they think they are going to get a Mercedes and a Range Rover...never going to happen boys!

 One of the things Paxton wanted for his birthday was to go to McDonald's with his best friend Teague.  Well Teague was gone on Paxton's actual birthday but a week later we finally made it happen!  Two happy boys right there!!

 One day Andy decided he wanted to go to Utah Lake to go fishing...I pictured the fishing off the dock or on a beach, he pictured the backroads in a secret spot behind the airport.  I refused once I saw 500 bugs surround our car...can you see all those spots on the windshield...bugs...so gross!

 Paxton and I both has eye appointments this month...Paxton's eyes got a little worse, mine got a little better!  We both got new glasses...Paxton looks so handsome in his new frames!

 As soon as Paxton's 5 year old birthday party got over he decided it was time to start planning his 6 year old party.  One day he came to me with "invitations" that he has made for his party.  They said "Paxton 6" so he got some envelopes and wrote the names of 5 of his friends on them (he said he could only invite 5 people because we only have 6 kids chairs on the back porch and he needs a chair) and we took them to the mailbox.  Andy picked them up after work but Paxton found them in his car so back to the mailbox they went.  I picked them up the next day and hid them in with the mail but of course Paxton found them (I know, steller parenting huh!)  Now we are waiting for a chance to get to the post office to get some "special birthday party stamps" to send them to his friends!

 I was excited to find my favorite drink with my favorite person's name on it!  I made him pose for a picture...I should frame that and put it in my office!

 Andy and Paxton went to a Real Salt Lake game..since then Paxton has told anyone that will listen that his new name is Kyle Beckerman and that he wants Kyle Beckerman hair (waist long dreads.)  Last night he even prayed for Mom, Dad, Kyle Beckerman (Paxton), Tegan, and Goo Goo (Kyson)!

 To continue to father son bonding time Andy took Tegan to an Orem Owls game!  They watched baseball, drank root beer, and even got a signed baseball card from the Orem Owl...they both had a great time!

 They boys have been saving money in their piggy banks for like 2 years...we finally decided to let them spend their money on whatever they wanted.  Paxton picked Lego's due to his new obsession with Lego's and the Lego movie.  Tegan picked an ITunes giftcard so he could get new games for the IPad...so fitting for these boys