New Addiction

I have spent many hours sitting in front of the computer lately doing something I swore I never would. (don't worry it's nothing too naughty) I have discovered the amazing world of digital scrapbooking. I love scrapbooking and always said I would never do it digitally because I love doing all the hands on stuff. Not to mention the fun scrapbook days with sisters and friends that I love to host. However, now that I am about 2 years behind in my scapbook because it is such an ordeal to get out all the stuff, try to make the pages with my boys crawling on top of me wanting to stamp, and working 6 hours and only completing 3 pages, I have come to the conclusion... somethings got to give. So I started looking into digital scarpbooking and I love it! It still takes time, but it is a lot faster than doing it by hand. I just hope they print and look as cute as I'm imagining them. Anyone out there have any opinion? So I wanted to share a couple projects I have worked on this week:

Other than that, we are doing great! Keyton is loving school and is also doing swimming lessons right now. He is getting so big, it is so fun and so sad all at the same time. Sometimes he says the most grown up things, and it makes me laugh. Quick story: the other day driving him and his friend to swimming they were having this deep conversation about a mom whose husband died in Iraq and now she has to work to take care of her 5 kids (something I'm sure Payson heard from his mom) and Keyton said, "wow, that has got to be difficult" It made me smile to hear these little boys talking so grown up.

Seth is getting so smart and so sassy! He is a very stubborn child and I blame his father completely for that (he couldn't possibly have gotten it from me). He likes to yell even if it is just in everyday conversation. Plus he likes to say naughty things like, "I said NO" and "Don't tell me ever again". Usually those two phrases are followed by him slamming the door. Is it bad that I just laugh????? He is OBSESSED with his cowboy hat and snow boots. He has to wear them EVERYWHERE, and Trevor and I have caught him several nights sleeping in them. Silly Seth.

Now we are looking forward to Halloween and trying to plan our costumes. It should be a good time.

I copied this from a blog I love (positivelysplendid.com) and thought she worded my feelings today so much better than I could myself. I just switched it around to suit my little Keyton

He came into our lives on January 12, 2006

At precisely 11:49 p.m., I became the mother of a bouncing baby boy.

At precisely 8:25 a.m. this morning, that same boy embarked on his first step of many in spreading his wings to ultimately leave our little nest:

He's starting kindergarten.

Where has the time gone?

It's been devoted to the bleary-eyed days I thought would never end just after we brought him home, rocking and nursing and watching around the clock.

It's been given to the days of coaxing and encouraging him through those early milestones - rolling, crawling, walking - and meticulously documenting every single one.

To the days we never got out of our pajamas, building blanket forts in the living room and reading his same favorite books over and over and over again.

To the days when his accomplishments made me immensely proud - amazed, even - and to the ones when his antics made me want to abandon ship the moment Daddy got home from work.

To the days, even just last night, when he asked me to snuggle with him at bedtime, and he reached out his hand to tickle my back while we both closed our eyes.

I never used to understand the mothers who went into mourning over seemingly small events like a first day of kindergarten. I am not an overly sentimental person. Truly. But motherhood - oh how it changes things.

For five sweet years, he has been all mine.

And now slowly, surely - in incremental steps that would be imperceptible to all but a mother's heart - I'll begin the bittersweet process of letting him test the foundation I've been diligently laying for him since that January night when he was first placed in my arms.

I love you Keyton and look forward to seeing you step off that bus today!

Summer '11

This summer has flown by, but we have definitely had a good time! It seemed like we never had a day off and if we did, we found something fun to do. My kids are always better behaved if we stay super busy. When we got home from Oklahoma, we were so excited to just hang out with family and friends. And we did it all summer!

The boys love to swim so we set up the pool in our front yard and had a great time with cousins. Then we got to go to Pat's for an Oklahoma Girls Reunion and swam there too. The boys were so excited to see their Oklahoma girls!

Keyton and Seth both love to go to Bear Lake and we only got to do that twice this summer. I love going there and soaking up sun while the kids build castles and splash in the water. Makes me want to be a kid again!

I swore I was NOT going to let Keyton play Tee ball this year because of how HORRIBLE he was last year. (Not a horrible player, just a naughty little stink. That sounded bad) but he begged, I gave in, and threatened him with his life that he better behave this year. And I must say, he did SO GOOD. He was such a good hitter this year and won a hitting competition on his team. He took it serious but had fun too which made it much more enjoyable for mom.

Seth was a character as usual and enjoyed tagging along behind anything Keyton was doing. This summer he turned from a baby to a big boy and it breaks my heart. Where did my baby go?????

And of course 4th of July. We had never been to Soda for the 4th so we decided to go this year. It was a ton of fun. Between the parade, games, and fireworks my kids were in heaven!
It was a good time. The 4th might just be my favorite holiday.

We got to do a couple camping trips before we discovered the sub floor in our camper was rotten and falling out. But that's a whole other story. My boys love camping and bring home as much dirt as they can possibly fit in their pockets and socks, oh yeah and then slather it on their skin and clothes cause that wasn't enough! But I love it. Nothing cuter than dirty camping face!

So yeah, that was basically our summer in a nut shell. It was fun and now sadly, it's over. Keyton starts Kindergarten this week and i am having really mixed feelings about this. He is SO ready to go. But it's killing me that I won't be there every second of his life to witness it and control what he gets exposed to. I know it sounds crazy but I make myself sick thinking about the things he might learn out there. But I need to look at all the positive things he will learn too. So goodbye summer 2011. Hope everyone else's was as fabulous as ours!

It's been too long

It has been way too long since I have updated my blog. A lot has happened since the last time but I can't remember it all! So I will try to remember the most important things... like my baby turning 2! Yes, I can't believe it either. It's kinda heartbreaking. Seth is officially 2 as of June 24. He has been such a joy in our life and as his mom, I just can't get enough of his sweet little smile and those eyes that make me say yes to anything even if I didn't really mean it. He has kinda been a mama's boy, and i have ate it up all along. He is now getting very independent and it's a bitter/sweet thing for me. So in honor of turning 2, I have to make the infamous list of things he does right now that make me feel like he is a genius but in reality he is probably just a typical 2 year old:
-he is so imaginative, and it always pretending with his toys (ex: "c'mon Maner (Mater) while playing Cars or "yyyyeeeeeaahhh horsey" while playing cowboys and Indians)
-he is starting to put sentences together
-has to have "hot chocate" every morning or he throws a huge temper tantrum (thank you Trevor for getting both our children addicted to that)
-every morning when he wakes up I hear him yell "mom, are you?"
-Is very polite and says "pwees, pwees" and "chank chu" to everything
-He is kinda a tease. He will call me dad and then crack up laughing and the other night I asked him who the boss of the house is and he said "Eaton (Keyton) da boss)
-Still can't sleep without that stupid puppy
-Stopped sucking his thumb when we went to Oklahoma
-He loves helmets and won't take them off once he gets them on (random, I know)
-This kid is fearless
-He waterskiied behind the boat 2 weeks before his birthday (aka fearless)
- He thinks he can do anything his big brother can and is always watching him for ideas
-He is obsessed with horses right now, thus the horse birthday cake
So much more but it's not coming to me this late at night now.
I just have to say that he has been such a fun kid to raise so far and I look forward to the next year with him. He knows how to melt my heart with his cute little voice, and I just laugh every time he is around.

So excited for a stick horsey

Enjoying Birthday Cake






This was so funny because when

he couldn't blow the candles out,

he decided to spit on them.

(a classic moment I will never forget)








Love you Seth!

Humbled

Last week I was in such a rut and feeling sorry for myself. Tired of the day to day monotony of life (the housework, the picking up toys, cleaning the kitchen just to have it dirty 30 minutes later, moping the kitchen, wiping the toilet seat after Keyton each time he pees all over it... you get the picture) I was taking my bad mood out on my husband and my kids who didn't deserve it at all. Then, in the last few days some things have happened that have truly humbled me. Watching this video was one of them. After seeing this, I couldn't help but think who am I to complain? I should be so grateful for all the things in my life and I am. Others I know and don't know have it much harder than me right now. So, I am making a goal to stop dwelling on my minuscule problems and start being grateful for what I do have. A wonderful husband, 2 beautiful boys, a house to clean, good health, good friends, and amazing family.

In Loving Memory

In Loving Memory of Grandma Hatch

Trevor's sweet Grandma died last night and she will be greatly missed. She loved my boys so much and just adored every time we went out to her house to see her. We took these pictures on Christmas Day right before we left for Oklahoma. We loved her so much but are so grateful she doesn't have to suffer her chronic pain any longer. Goodbye Grandma, we love you!

Dallas Zoo

We went to Dallas this last weekend, and I couldn't believe how big it is! We didn't know what to do there (we need a Dallas insider for advice) so we decided to take the kids to the Dallas Zoo. It was so fun, and the kids had a great time. They make it so easy to see the animals there and the animals were all very active. The elephants were chasing a group of birds, the chimps were running around and building nests, and the gorillas were moving all around as well. Maybe it was because it wasn't too hot yet, but I have never seen such active animals. Keyton's favorite animal was the "ghost of the bayou" (a white alligator) and I think Seth's favorite was the female Lion he got nose to nose to through the glass. The wall of the restaurant we ate at was glass and looked right into the lion exhibit. The lions sit there and watch you eat and play with the kids through the glass. Seth thought it was amazing! I did too honestly! It was a fun weekend with family and friends.

Riding the elephant!

Right after they touched noses he

looked back at me like "did you see that?"

He thought it was so cool.

Fitting in at the monkey exhibit!

(Keyton will correct me and tell me

chimps are not monkeys they are apes

because they don't have tails)



Thank you Dallas Zoo for good times!

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