Life's a Beach

On Memorial Day we went to Lake Arthur Beach for some fun in the sun with friends We bbq'ed and ate some yummy eats. The kids played in the sand and water. Luke made friends with cute Mr. Gavin and they did some wrestling in the pack n play. Jack's favorite activity - rolling in the sand, dumping it on his head, then going in the water to rinse off. Dallin managed to catch a catfish with his bare hands. And the moms floated on tubes and caught some rays. The kids were so tired afterwards - Luke was asleep before we backed out of our parking spot and Jack wasn't too far behind.

It was a great way to spend the day and a far cry from last year when we dealt with Utah snow.

Happy Memorial Day!

Boiling Some Crawfish

Crawfish season is coming to an end and Dallin decided he wanted to try boiling crawfish on our own.

So he consulted the experts (Brother Trahan got quite a few calls) and researched on the Internet.

He and Jack picked them up and then cleaned them in the kiddie pool together. Then Dallin purged them.

Finally he fired started boiling and adding the seasonings.

The final product - amazing deliciousness. I was very impressed with his first try.

Can't wait until crawfish season comes around again!

7 Months!

Can you believe it's been 7 months since this little cutie joined our family? He has grown so much.

I estimate he's around 16 1/2 lbs. He doesn't have much interest in solids. Baby food makes him shudder and shut his mouth tight. Occasionally he'll try bread or crackers. And he likes to play with whatever I put on his tray - just not necessarily eat it.

Most of the time he takes 3 naps a day - one long nap in the middle of the day and two short naps before and after. He doesn't sleep that well at night. :(

He loves to play in the water - bath and pool. Toys are lots of fun now too. He's trying to become more mobile. He scoots on his bum and stretches himself as far as possible to try to get things while sitting up. He also tries to pull himself into my lap.

Yesterday he started pulling himself up in his crib. He was very proud of himself and had a huge grin the whole time.

He is still a momma's boy and cries for me when I'm not there most of the time But he'll smile at you from afar.

He is figuring out how things work. Today he grabbed the remote, pressed a button, and then looked up at the tv to see if it was on.

His favorite place besides mommy's arms is outside. He loves to sit in his stroller while we take walks.

We love our little boy and love watching him grow everyday!

Splish Splash Baby

On our most recent trip to the splash pad, Luke tried out the fun and loved it. He is such a big boy now. He would have stayed all day if big brother would have been willing. We will have to head back soon!

The Big 3-0

Happy Birthday to Me!

It was a great day!

The boys and I took a walk this morning, then Jack took a swim in the pool.

I had a delicious lunch from Raising Cane's.

I received lots of phone calls, texts, Facebook messages, and cards. Jack read my cards to me. Most said, "Happy Mother's Day" or "Come to mommy's party"

Both boys napped at the same time. I got a nap! Glorious!

Dallin and Jack baked me a delicious chocolate cake. They sang Happy Birthday to me and Luke helped me open my present. It was the first year of this blog printed into a book. I am so excited to have it in print! Dallin always has such great ideas.

We had a babysitter come over (although she may not want to come back since Luke cried the whole time we were gone. Poor Alayna!). We had a delicious dinner at Casa Mañana. Mmmm...

Then we came home, put the kids to bed, and ate cake.

What a great way to turn 30! Thanks to everyone who made this day special! And thanks to my mom for suffering through 30 years ago to get me here!

A Reflection on a Decade

Today is my last day in my 20's.

I feel like a good chunk of life is past, yet my 20's were a good time, a busy time.

I graduated from college:

I taught first and second grade for five years and met tons of amazing little people.

I made lots of great friends:

I tried new things:

I travelled the country:

I married the man of my dreams:

I had one beautiful baby boy:

And then another beautiful baby boy:

I lived in 3 states, experienced a new culture, and learned a lot about myself along the way.

While I'm sad that my 20's have come to an end, I can say that I have no regrets, I did everything I could have possibly wanted to during that time.

And now I'm excited to see what my 30's bring!

The First Trim

Luke's hair has made him faintly resemble a Jewish rabbi with the long sideburns. He's been getting a lot of grief about his look, so we gave him a little trim. Now he looks like such a big boy!

Can't We Just All Get Along?

Jack and Luke have a funny relationship.  A little bit of love/hate, I would have to say.

Jack can't get enough of his brother.  He will say, "Oh, what a cute baby! Me love Ukey!" And then he will push him over.  Or hit him.  Or pull on him.  Or steal his toy.

And he just can't control himself. No amount of talks, practice, time outs, or spankings can get him to stop.  

But from time to time, he is nice to his brother and I love those times so much.

Here is proof that they sometimes get along:

Luke actually really loves his brother; he just doesn't like getting beat up.

He thinks it's hilarious to watch brother from just out of reach.

Jack will run in circles and say peek-a-boo and Luke will laugh hysterically.

Jack likes to give Luke rides on Lightning McQueen and push him in the car.

They took their first bath together and everyone lived to tell the tale.

And they sat and read together.

It was too cute!

I hope we have lots more moments like these!