Friday, October 31, 2008

I Love This Picture


I am in Love with this picture. Why? As James pointed out to me, it illustrates all of our personalities.
First of all:
James and I are just excited to be together. I think it has been...uh...uh, 5 years.
Poor Naomi is just thinking to herself, "how in the heck did I get into this mess?"
Jakey...oh, Jakey. Squished in the middle...just trying to breathe. It's as if he is saying, "don't worry about me, I'm used to it."
William has no idea of what is going on around him. He is probably caught somewhere between reality and imagination. We are not quite sure he is even aware that a picture is being taken.

Visitors from Utah


Grandma Cheryl made me Thanksgiving Dinner. She knows it's my favorite. I LOVED It.







We LOVED having Grandma Cheryl and Uncle Derek come and visit us...all the way from Utah. The love our children have for them can be shown in some of the comments they made.
William the night before Uncle Derek came: "Heavenly Father, please help Uncle Derek to get here faster."
Jakey: "Grandma Cheryl bought me a frog named Froggy." (he is obsessed with it)
William: "I don't want to go to school today." (shouting...with eventual tears)
Jakey: "Where's Grandma Cheryl?" I had to keep them away while poor Grandma Cheryl tried to rest. We really wore her out.
We Love you Grandma Cheryl and Uncle Derek!



Happy Halloween


Halloween 2008.
Jake is flaunting his ultra cool...and powerful Venom costume. (Venom is one of Spiderman's most dangerous enemies.)
Naomi, still an infant, didn't have a say in her costume this year. Hence, she unwillingly obliged in keeping with the family theme and turned into an adorable little spider. (with a purple bow on her head, of course)**Daddy Addendum to Naomi's costume, from our ward carnival: Smart alec 10yr old "What's she supposed to be" equally smart alec 32 yr old "I'll give you a hint, she's got 8 legs" "Oh, she's an octopus" "no, she's a spider", at this point his amigo jumps in "is she an alien?" "no, she's a spider" "a spider huh? I guess I can see that." (I left at that point)**
William transformed amazingly into the amazing Spiderman.
We have three little Spider themed creatures at our house tonight. We Love Halloween...and can't wait to donate our hoards of candy to a worthy cause. Any suggestions?

Halloween Parades





It was an exciting October 31st in Akron, Ohio. Both boys had parades at their school. The Best news...James was able to come! We Loved having daddy there.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Linus



I will never forget when the nurse brought Jake to me in the hospital in Des Moines, Iowa. "You have a congested little boy," she noted. I didn't know at that time how true this early phrophesy would become. Jake was never able to use a binky because he was too congested to keep something in his mouth. His mouth had to be his main breathing source. Not having something to comfort him, I tried in vain going through everything I could think of. Finally, at an end aisle in a Wal-Mart, I spotted a super cuddly fleece blanket with a Thomas the Train on it. I half expected Will to use it because of the idolized train. However, just as I had hoped, Jake immediately attatched to it. It was fairly large for such a small baby boy and while my parents were visiting me after Jakes first surgery, I told my parents of my concren when I would find Jake in his crib wrapped around in this big blankey. My mom took the scissors, cut the blanket in haf, and lovingly sewed the cut ends to make a finished edge. From this day on, "Linus" (we named it after the Charlie Brown character who carries his blanket with him everywhere) has truly become part of our family.
Linus has been with Jake as he has undergone surgeries to help and ease his congestion and sleep apnea. Linus had comforted our precious little boy when even the touch of a mother could not soothe a sad little boy. Linus has been on every single airplane that Jake has ever been on. Linus has seen much of the world through the eyes of his most trusted friend. Linus has been left places and has been lost but seems to always found his way back into the arms of our loving Jakey. They are true friends and I will ever be grateful for the touch of that worn out blankey that seems to always make everything all better in the world of our now brave little three-year-old.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

My Baby Girl is 5 Months Old!

We are loving the Beautiful Fall leaves here in Ohio.
Five months ago our baby girl was born. That means that we have lived in Ohio for almost five months now. Crazy! We love you, Naomi!

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On another note:
I have been trying to not let the boys go out in public dressed as Spiderman lately. Sunday was a rather long day without James and I told the boys that if they went up and got dressed (in real clothes) that we could go to the park. They ran upstairs and came down in these adorable outfits. I saw sly smiles on their faces as they came in the room. The spiderman costumes seeping out the bottom of their shorts was a dead giveaway that they were trying to decieve me. Here is a picture of them after they were caught.

Saturday, October 11, 2008

My wife...

Apologies for those looking for the style and wit of my lovely and talented wife, but I am taking some liberties here. I wanted to relate a couple of recent events that show my wifes virtues. First, you'll notice some pictures below...don't look yet! First read and understand the importance of what you're about to see. The dress (I've heard 'jumper' thrown around, but I can't say for sure what genus it is) did not come into our possession with out some effort. Apparently they are normally like $482, but were on sale for $1.99 for 18 seconds only on October 3rd. I think people came down from Canada, there were 3 reported deaths (2 tramplings, and one elderly woman died from shock about how cute the dress was in person). So naturally, my wife knew of said sale, but for some undoubtedly noble reason that eludes me at the present, could not be there for the start of the sale, but went later and found one tucked away that happened to be the right side. A miracle. Now she could have bought one on line, but our recent budget has mandated a limit on the credit card purchases (it seems that all of our financial troubles are NOT over just b/c we're getting a paycheck). So she paid cash (I believe that Lynette helped out there). Then the tights, it seems that the value of the dress decreases 173% with out the correct tights. The ones that went with it were 14.99. Clearly out of our budget, plus she only had $6 in cash. And they were out of them. So she tries the next store, long shot, but it was a day of miracles, so why not? The day held true and she found the ones below for $5.99. The total was $6.42, she had $6.22 and a credit card. My wonderful wife went letter-of-the-law on me and went out to the car and scrounged 2 dimes and took them in before violating our no-credit card rule. I challenge you to show me a women with more resolve than that. Honey, I'd cross the plains with you anytime.
One more comment--on Jakey often wearing his spidey suit to the playground to pick up Will. It seems that she overheard a snide comment from one of the other moms about him "always" wearing it. Let me just say that my wife is a kids mom. Like there are players coaches, that players love to play for, Jessie is one who lets our boys be boys. When I was a kid, if I had a spidey suit, I would have never taken it off. In fact, it's a good thing they don't make them in my size now (because I don't think any of us would want to see it). Jessie is more concerned with what her kids think and making them happy than what the rest of the world thinks. She's certainly not a justgiveinandletthemdowhatever type as anyone who knows her can attest to (despite her recent self-effacing posts). She is aiming for eternal happiness of these crazy boys and well dressed girl. And we are eternally lucky to have her.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Alright Guys...We Need to Talk



It is amzing how much work goes into getting these precious heads to hit the sack each and every night. I feel like I have tried everything. So tonight, I got desperate.
The lights were out. Spiderman night lights were the only light source shining in our faces. I sat in the Story chair; the boys in their beds. Poor Naomi was talking herself to sleep in her crib. Poor little neglecterino. I started my plea. "Listen guys. We have got to talk."
Jakey rebuttles, "Mom, can I sit in your lap?"
"No, Jacob. We are having a serious discussion about bedtime."
"Alright, we need to work on bedtime. Let's start with brushing our teeth. When I ask you to go brush your teeth, I need you to go and do it. If you don't, that person will not be able to choose a story that night. You must ONLY brush your teeth. If I find any of you playing in the vaseline, putting lotion all over yourselves or making swimming pools for your sharks in the sinks...it's automatic tabasco sauce."
Jakey laughs. "I made a ginormous swimming pool for sharkey. It was super cool. Mommy, I like lotion. I need some on my hands."
"Jacob, no swimming pools, no lotion, Got it?
"Sharkey loved my swimming pool. It was ginormous."
"Jacob, seriously, you will get tabasco sauce if I see another swimming pool...espcially if it has tootpaste, lotion or shampoo in it, O.K.?"
"Mom, did you know that Grandpa Geoff caught a snake named Gartie?"
"Jacob, we are talking about bedtime, not grandpa Geoff."
"Gartie is so funny."
"Alright, next. Prayer time. I will do eeney, meeny, miney, mo and whoever I land on will say the prayer that night."
Jake breaks out in screams, and tears.
"Will you land on me, mommy?"
"Sometimes, you and sometimes Will. But there will be NO crying. Everyone will get a turn."
"If you don't land on me, I will cry." Then he starts demonstrating his tearful cry. "Like this, mommy, I will cry."
"Jacob, there will be no crying...and if you do..than you won't get to say the prayer the next night."
"Mommy, I won't cry if you land on me."
At this point I gave up. My mom always tells me that you can't reason with a three-year-old. I was desperate. I guess another desperate measure for me. Oh, well. I came downstairs, got some peanut butter crackers and two glasses of water. I returned to their room, gave them a snack and sent them to bed. After all, that's what Old Mother Hubbard told me to do....and it works all the time.