Football Started

Saturday morning we had to be up and going by 7:00 am for the football jamboree. Of course I didn't have to wake up Tyler...he was so excited he woke up at 6:00!!! I just wanted to sleep in, but oh well. He was excited because he finally got his football jersey and they played a couple mini games. Tyler's team did really well and I was impressed that the quarterback threw a couple times and the teammates caught the ball. Tyler made a good tackle, but I was watching the ball, not him. I hope over the next few months I can figure out what in the heck is going on. I just always seem to be looking in the wrong spot and miss everything. Kaysen has been having fun dressing up in Tyler's uniform. Kaysen even let's Tyler tackle him. What a good brother (usually it's the other way around). I wonder what I'm going to do for Halloween when they both want to be football players???

Somebodies were having fun!

So this is what we walked out to at 7:00 this morning when I was taking Tyler to football. Tyler said, "Mom, we need to call the cops. That is against the law"!!! It was so funny that he was so mad about it. Seriously, 15 minutes later he was still mad and still wanted to call the cops. I didn't dare tell him it was ok (or any of my stories). Kaysen said (in a stern voice), "Uuggh, Who did this?" 5 minutes later we got in the car and he said, "Santa did this". It is so funny the things they come up with.

I wasn't worried about getting toilet papered until Tyler was at least in high school. But, maybe Kelly being in young men's has something to do with it????

I know...it's been forever since I've posted anything, especially pictures. We've had one crazy busy summer, but we've had tons of fun!!! Hopefully next week I will finally get all my pictures from the last 4 months downloaded and can post some of the fun things we've done this summer.

In the meantime...tonight I was helping Tyler with his homework and Kaysen was sitting on my lap giving me lots of great hugs and kisses. Then as he was giving me a hug he said, "You're a cute mom". It made my day!

Brave Boy

This week we have been visitng my grandma in Denver, Colorado. Today we went to the Butterfly Pavillion and look what Kaysen held...Rosie...a tranchula...yuck. Not only did he hold it once, but THREE times!!!! He loved it. I made my grandma hold him while he was holding it with the excuse that I had to take a picture, wink, wink. We have had a great week here and have tons of pictures to share (those will come later after we are home).

Sacrament meeting on Mother's Day

Right before the sacrament Kaysen go into his bag and got out his grapes. I told him that he needed to wait until after the sacrament then he could eat them. (By this time everyone was quiet and they are about to start the blessing) Then he yells really loud..."you're a mean mommy". So I'm sitting there turning red because I'm sure everyone heard it. After the blessing is done I look around and my friend (who is sitting in the center of the bench across from us) mouth's "that is so funny!" Great way to make me feel special on mother's day...now everyone knows that I'm a mean mommy!

Missed School Bus

I know it's been a while since I've updated it and hopefully I will have pictures soon. But I wanted to write down this story so I wouldn't forget it.

Today I sent Tyler off to the school bus about 10 minutes before the bus was supposed to come. He just has a short walk and it should take only a couple of minutes. About 20 minutes later the doorbell rang and it was Tyler. Our conversation went something like this...

Me "You missed the bus????"

Tyler "By a long ways, I was really late."

Me "How could you be late you left 10 minutes early?"

Tyler "Well....it took me a while to figure out how to jump over a mud puddle."

Tyler and the dentist

Last week we had to go visit the orthodontist. He said Tyler needed to have 5 baby teeth pulled to make room for the permanent teeth to come in. So this Wednesday we took a trip to the dentist to get them pulled. I don't know if it's a good or bad thing, but the dentist decided to only pull teeth from 1 side of the mouth the 1st visit and then we need to go back for the other side next week. Well...Tyler wasn't happy about going. In fact he so didn't want to have it done that I didn't even tell him before hand where we were going only that we were going somewhere. When we pulled into the dentist office he immediately started crying. We made a deal that if he was brave then he could have a milkshake. So the dentist numbs his mouth and pulls the teeth. I thought wow...that was fast we will be out of here in less than 1/2 hour. So...we were standing at the check out counter and making an appointment to come back when all of a sudden Tyler lays his head on the counter. I said "Tyler, what are you doing?" Then he falls over...hitting his head on the edge of the counter. So now he is on the floor. When he finally came to the dental assistant helped me get him back into a room and the dentist put oxygen on him.

After Tyler was feeling a little better I took a picture and thought I had better write this down before I forget. So after another 1/2 hour we were finally out of the dentist office. Next week we have to do the same thing, but this time they will make him stay and rest for a while before allowing him to leave. Things kids have to go through to have nice teeth.

Our Cruise

Kelly & I were lucky enough to get away...just the 2 of us...for 10 wonderful days. We flew to Ft. Lauderdale then got on a ship for 7 nights to the Western Caribbean. Beware...there are lots of pictures. Jenny & Lanny Campbell were on the cruise with us. We had so much fun and are so glad we went with friends. The night we got into Ft. Lauderdale Jenny and Lanny picked us up from the airport and them we went to eat. We ate at the BEST seafood place. I really want to go back just to go there again.

This is our ship...we took this picture when we were in the Cayman Island.

We are on top of the ship by the waterslide.

We are at dinner the first night.

Fun Day's at Sea

Kelly going down the water slide. It was only opened one day, but it was so much fun.

Kelly with his coconut drink

Kelly and Lanny after spinning class...yuck

Here we are with Jenny & Lanny. (I really don't have a big mark in my armpit, it was just the flash.)

Kelly got into karaoke. He did it once and was addicted. He did a great job and it was fun to watch him up there.

Jamaica

In Jamaica we had so much fun. I didn't realize that it is like one big hill. It felt like we were in the jungle. We hired a driver through Marva Shaw at knowjamaica.com to take us around. Our drivers name was Grace. She was so awesome. 1st when we got into Jamaica it's a little crazy, there are a ton of people and everyone wants you to go with them. We had this nice lady help us find our driver. Grace told us a lot about the history and we were able to do so much with her. She took us up into the mountains and stopped by a little stand where a lady told us all about the fruits and spices they grow there. We were able to try a fruit they call Sour Salt...it was so yummy. She also showed us a small lemon...the size of a cantaloupe. I can't believe Jenny & I both forgot to take pictures at the stand (Kelly rolled his eyes everytime I asked someone to take our picture...he was pictured out).
This is right on the port to welcome us to Ocho Rios.

We climbed this waterfall...this is just part of it.

Here we are in the water at the falls. We had so much fun...thank goodness Grace told us to leave everything that we didn't want to get wet. We were soaked. Our nice guide took us up the falls and kept our camera dry!

This is where Grace took us to get Jamaican Jerked Chicken. We thought it was okay, but it's fun to try new things.

Kelly and Lanny really wanted to parasail, so Grace found someone to take them. She wouldn't ride in the boat. We found out why...the waves were 5' and it was really windy, but the guys loved it. Jenny & I were too chicken...maybe next time.

Grand Cayman

Here we are visiting the Cayman Island. We went on an excursion with a company called Native Ways called Rays, Reef, & Rum Point. It was so awesome.
Here Kelly & I are on the boat...look how beautiful the water is.

Here I am...can you see the stingrays in the water? The boat took us out in the ocean and then there was this sand bar where the water was 3 feet deep. There we were able to swim with the stingrays. We were also able to hold one and feed them too. It was such an amazing experience. I will post pictures of us holding it later.

Here I am holding a starfish. One of the crew members on the boat dove down into the water about 20 feet and picked up this starfish and 2 others so we could hold them. When we got to the snorkeling they put them back in the water and I was able to watch them turn themselves from their back to their front...it was so cool, you think they are hard and it would be difficult for them, but they bend their legs and turn right over...it took about 2 minutes.

Kelly on the boat as we are headed to the beach called Rum Point...I think this was the prettiest water of all the islands we went to.

Kelly at Rum Point. I would love to go back here and visit for a while. It was so beautiful and the water was shallow...it would be great to bring Tyler and Kaysen here.

Cozumel

Actually, the port was in Cozumel, Mexico, but we took a ferry over to Playa Del Carmen on the mainland for our activity. We were able to take a jeep to these caves.
We had to wear hard hats...thank goodness, we bumped our heads a ton. The ceiling got really low when we were walking inside, but then they opened up.

Here we are in the water inside the cave. If you look you can see stalagmites growing from the ceiling...underwater there was some too, that were from before there was water in the cave. This is the main drinking water for Mayans that still live there.

We then went to the beach where we had yummy Mexican food

Then we got to swim in the beautiful water.

On our way back to the ship they had this cow seat...I thought it was only fitting that Kelly get his picture with it!

Last night on the ship

This day was really cold. Everyone had on jackets and only the really die hards were outside. The waves were huge and the pools were closed. We still had fun though!
This is the map that showed us the path we took. The path was red until and then once we passed that place it would turn green.

Here we are on our balcony (I think this was actually the 1st night because the waves weren't 10' tall)

Every night they would leave us a new towel creation.

Kelly and Lanny loved to go get french fries at midnight. I was so good...I didn't even have one!!!

Miami

Kelly & I got to ride on this airboat in the Everglades. It was lots of fun and our guide thought it was fun to fish tail (which I didn't like so much...I didn't want any chances of meeting an alligator face to face.)

At this spot in the Everglades the water was 5 inches deep...amazing you can take a boat in that deep of water.

Kelly holding an alligator

Me holding an alligator...by the time I got around to holding it he was tired and was moving all over the place.

We watched the super bowl at the hotel...GO Cardinals!

Kaysen turned 3

Happy Birthday Kaysen!!! (a little late)

Kaysen turned 3 on January 13th. He started the day with his favorite cereal Cookie Crisp. He was surprised to find something else in there. (In my family growing up we always got some money, wrapped in foil, in our breakfast). Tyler was a big helper a showed him how to open the foil so he could get the surprise out. Kaysen was so excited to find money in his breakfast. Later that night Kaysen had a birthday party with his friends and their family. He had so much fun. After he opened a gift we told Kaysen to say thank you. So he would go over, give them the gift and say thank you. I can't believe how fast 3 years have flown by. We love Kaysen and the funny things he is always saying and doing. He always keeps us laughing. What a blessing he is.

Great Surprise

For some reason this morning my children decided to wake up really early (6am). Of course I stayed up until 1 am so I didn't want to get out of bed. I got breakfast for the boys and started a movie then I went back to sleep. A little while later Tyler came in with some food (made out of play dough) for me to try. So I was nice a pretended to try it. Then about 10 minutes later he came back in with a cookie sheet. I thought great more play dough, thinking the whole time about the mess I was going to have to clean up. But to my surprise Tyler decided to bring me breakfast in bed. He poured me a bowl of raisin bran, put the milk in, gave me a glass of water and then put my vitamin bottle on the tray. He then sat on the bed and talked to me while I ate it. Kaysen needed to help me eat my cereal...so he ate all the raisins for me(that's my favorite part too). I was so pleasantly surprised by Tyler's thoughtfulness. I am so thankful for him and what a wonderful son he is.