We Are Alive!!!

The reason I have not posted in so long is that we moved to Montana...and because I am lame and tired. I might do a couple of posts to highlight cool things that have happened since May, but I didn't want to get too overwhelmed so I thought that I would start in the present and work backwards.

We just had Logan's 1st birthday. He liked his cake. But by the end he was not liking the fact that his fingers were dirty. Logan is doing really well walking now. His record is 9 steps. He also likes to stand and bend up and down over and over. Reed also taught him how to blow so that he could blow out his birthday candle. It is super cute. He loves to jibber jabber and especially play peek-a-boo, and he is a HUGE flirt! Unless of course you try to take him from mama or dada then watch out!

On an unrelated note, Andrew lost one of his top teeth today. It has been hanging by thread for a few days now and tonight while we were reading stories he got it twisted in such a way that it wasn't out and it wouldn't go back in. He started freaking out, which I thought was quite reasonable given the position of his tooth. Reed convinced him to tie dental floss around it and then shut the bathroom door. On the first try, Andrew walked the door shut. On the second try, he wasn't standing far enough away. On the third try I heard a "clink" from where I was cowering in the kitchen, and I hear Andrew say, "It came out!" A pause and then, "OWWW!" And then tears. We had to read more stories to take our minds off of it.

Random Stuff

Andrew is playing coach pitch baseball...and he is LOVING it! He is doing so great. Last week he scored the first run for his team of the season. I wish I had taken a picture of his face as he crossed home plate. His face was a mixture of pride and excitement. It was awesome.

Eric told us that he wanted to play baseball as well, so we signed him up for T-Ball. He has had 2 games, and so far he has been "too tired" to play, or it is "too windy" to play. The little stink bug!



Logan likes daddy playing peek-a-boo with him!

Last week we started Logan on rice cereal. The next 3 pictures illustrate how he felt about it!


EEEK!

WHOA!

Just stop Mama, PLEASE!

Eric just turned 4. He has really taken being 4 seriously. He is being much more mature and independent. It is great! So many things that he used to say he needed my help with he now says he can do by himself because he is 4. The other day Eric said, "Mama, six hundred is a 6 with 2 zeroes after it." I said, "Eric, how did you get so smart?" "Because I am 4 now!"

He is such a sweet boy. The other day he was laying on our bed and he said to Reed, "Daddy, I am so cold." So Reed put the sheet on him. "No Daddy I am still cold." So Reed put the blanket on him. "No Daddy I am still cold." Reed said, "What else do you need?" Eric said, "Daddy I just need you." Our hearts melted.

In church on Sunday, the boys filled out questions for me for Mother's Day. One of the questions was "Why do I love my mom?" Eric had his teacher write "Because I wanted her." I wanted you too Bud!

Things That are Cute, Hard, and or Loud!

1. Cute- Reed reading to Logan. You wouldn't think that a 4 month old would stay interested in books for that long, but he's got the genes for it and he will lay there for quite a while. 2. Cute now and Hard later- Logan sucks his thumb. It is so cute now, but you can't take a thumb away when he's 3! 3. Hard- Washing my hands while the boys are having a "car wash" for all of their cars. 4. Cute and Hard- How many party hats can Eric wear at a time? The record is six! Beware when they fall off though, because he gets really angry. It is also very hard to give him a hug, you might poke out an eye. 5. Cute obviously- Eric is a great big brother. We just have to stick close by because when he is done holding Logan, he is DONE! 6. Cute- Logan's legs just crack me up. I love that at this age it is cute to have chunky legs. Unfortunately chunky legs aren't considered so cute as you become older. Enjoy them while you can Logan! 7. Hard- Along those same lines, it is hard to find that time and energy to exercise with 3 little boys. When I do exercise, I have an audience. Eric insists on carrying on a conversation with me as I about have a heart attack! Eric actually loves it when I exercise. He adores Jillian on the 30 Day Shred. Yesterday he dragged 3 door mats into the living room and said "Come on guys! Let's play Jillian." 8. Cute- Watching Andrew read to Eric and Logan just melts my heart. What a great big brother! 9. Cute- My cute, sweet Logan. He wants to make everyone happy. As soon as we make eye contact with him, he gets a huge grin! 10. Hard- It is hard to keep the house clean because things like this pop up all over the house in the matter of minutes. The living room was totally clean when I went upstairs to feed Logan, and this is what it looked like when I came back down. 11. Cute- We are so lucky to have 3 great boys.

12. Cute and Just Plain Loud- There are 2 kinds of people in this world: those who like Neil Diamond and those who don't. Obviously we are the former. In case you can't understand the singing (screaming), this is the song "Sweet Caroline" performed by Andrew and Eric.

Boys, Boys, Boys!

Cute, cute, cute!!


I know this one is a little bleached out, but it is still so cute.


Eric and Logan.





Andrew and Logan.




Andrew reading to his younger brothers.






Andrew took this picture. I think he did a great job.

Logan loves to smile. Unfortunately capturing these smiles is not easy. As soon as he sees the camera he just stares at it. Andrew took the best pictures. I would get Logan to smile and Andrew would take the picture. Today Logan laughed for the first time. It was so great. He was talking to Eric and I and we finally just started laughing. After Logan saw us laugh, he tipped his head back and did a belly laugh. Cute!

1...2...

Nothing says, "I am a manly man" better then a pair of Lightning McQueen underwear on the head. The other day Eric was playing with some plastic animals, and they were not cooperating with him. He was getting very frustrated. Finally he said, "One...two...don't make me say three!" I wonder where he's heard that before?

Also here are some more pictures of Logan. He is growing fast. It is a good thing because he really is getting smothered with love. One of Eric's Joy School teachers asked him last week if he liked his new baby brother. "Yea," he said, "I'll keep him." Eric basically lays on top of him, "I'm giving him hugs mama!" and Andrew has discovered he is strong enough to pick Logan up and walk around with him. Don't worry. I am always hovering close by. If Andrew feels like he is losing his grip on Logan at all he yells, "I'm losing him!" Logan is so patient. He also has started smiling a lot. I love it! It helps in the middle of the night to get a little smile. What a sweetie!