The Ferguson Family

Laughing out Loud!

2011-09-15T08:02:00.000-07:00

I pulled out "Baby Einstein" for Ben to watch the other day and he was cracking up! I had to get it on video this time around. He is so funny. He'll be the only one watching something, in the other room and you'll just hear him totally cracking up. I love that! You can't help but laugh as well when he does that!

First, he's laughing at the Tiger puppet being silly and then he tries to count along with the numbers. He's really into that lately. He usually only puts 2 fingers up and says, "three" a few times in a row.

Bye-bye pacifiers!

2011-09-06T20:15:00.000-07:00

It was time. We asked Ben to get the pacifier out of his bed and throw it in the garbage and he obediently did just that. It wasn't until nap time later that day that he realized the severity of his actions. I told him that he's a big boy and he didn't need them anymore but, I felt so sorry that he had to give up those beloved pacifiers of his. (If the trash wasn't already taken out, I probably would've fished one out and gave it back...)

It took a couple of days but, going "cold turkey" seemed to work for this little guy of ours.

7 Years and many more!

2011-09-03T08:11:00.000-07:00

Matt and I's 7 year anniversary!

We started our day off by surprising the boys with going to the fair in Plains! We missed our fair in Missoula this year so, this was a treat for all of us. I LOVE funnel-cakes("fried-dough" for you East Coasters) so, I was pretty excited to have one and that was probably one of the highlights for me!

It was so fun to surprise the kids! The whole way Will was giddy with excitement. And it wasn't until we were on the fairgrounds and he seen the rides that he realized where we actually were! It was super cute. We grabbed some tickets and headed for the rides. Will's first ride was the helicopter ride and he LOVED it! Ben was a little sad to not be able to go on with his big brother. I was a little disappointed that they didn't have more rides for the little ones. Ben isn't THAT small! O well. By next years fair, he'll be ready to ride.

We watched while Will enjoyed!

And then, my cute boy wanted to try the roller coaster. I was shocked when he said he wanted to try this ride. I remember how timid he was when he went on the roller coaster at Disneyland and how we practically had to force him on things(that was a while ago, but, still!).

And I know I have a biased opinion but, he was the cutest kid on that ride! His smile was adorable.

And then, when that turn was over, he went on for another round!

The only ride Ben was able to go on was the carousel and all three of the guys enjoyed that one.

Matt tried a couple of rides out himself! He had fun although he was dizzy for a while after that hang-gliding one!

And we let the kids play one instant-win game! You fish for a duck and get a prize. Ben got a dog and Will got a duck. And as soon as our ride tickets were spent, we were done with the fair.

After the kids were settled in bed, my awesome friend, Grace, babysat the kids while we went on our fun date to Jaker's. We heard really good things about their steak and we were NOT disappointed!(and their Lobster Bisque was AMAZING!).

I know I've said this before but, I LOVE date-nights! And especially when we're celebrating another year together. We got to eat slowly and talk about how far we've gotten and how we can't believe it's already been 7 years and so on and so forth! We had a great night. After dinner we did some shopping at Target and I know that doesn't sound like much but, shopping without kids is fun every now and again...

Happy Anniversary babe! I look forward to many many more! Love you.

Goal!

2011-09-03T07:35:00.000-07:00

Matt made it a goal for himself to run Mt. Sentinal (the mountain behind him) by the end of this summer. He's been working hard and running during his breaks at school. The morning of our anniversary, he got up bright and early and went to accomplish his goal. He did it! I'm so proud of my hubby. Usually when he says he wants to do something, he finds a way to get it done and that's pretty inspiring!

1st Bus Ride!

2011-08-31T08:37:00.000-07:00

This is my excited little boy! He LOVES riding the bus. And this was his first day. I love how convenient it is(being that they pretty much pick him up from our house!). It was a little rainy but, Will enjoys carrying his umbrella! He was so cute and super-talkative.

He did this goofy pose and it cracked me up! I gotta admit that the first day of school wasn't really hard for me. I went with him and he was fine and I stood for an hour and so, it didn't feel like we were apart for too long. But, the first day I let him ride the bus, was soooo hard for me. I had to relinquish the control and trust someone else to get him safely to school. And to top it off, Will was sooo excited that he forgot to give me a kiss and hug goodbye. The bus driver pulled up and opened the doors and he said hi to the bus driver and ran to a seat. I didn't even get to say, "I love you and have a good day" again! I cried as I watched the bus pull away and I walked back to our place. I told him later that I was sad that I didn't get to have a kiss and he looked concerned. He told me loved me and he hasn't forgotten since! He is such a big kid now. I really can't believe I'm sending my kid off to school!

Ben gets a little sad when Will leaves to catch the bus. And he gets so excited to go and pick Will up later. They were so cute later that day. They played guns and then found this empty bin and decided to sit in it together and watch t.v.!

Will's 1st day of Preschool!

2011-08-29T09:55:00.000-07:00

A friend watched Ben so I could take Will to school and hang with him for a bit! Thanks Heather!

Before we left for school, I asked him if he was excited or scared or happy?! And he said, "Excited!". I was glad to hear that.

When we were walking up to the school, he asked, "are you going to stay with me for a little while?" And he seemed happy to hear that I was. Look at that cute big kid!

Will was so cute. He was quiet(which is not his usual self but, I know that won't last very long!). They had breakfast and then brushed their teeth. After, they explored the classroom and played with whatever they chose to! Will found rocks and a scale and played with that for a while. He then went over to the markers and drew on some paper, as seen in the above pic. Usually when I tell him to smile, he makes that forced smile you see above!

He decided to then go over to the cutting station and cut some paper with different kinds of scissors.

Before I left, I needed to get a pic of my little Preschooler and I! He was so darn cute. I'm so glad he gets to experience that classroom setting and make some new friends. He makes friends where ever he goes so, I know that's not going to be a problem. I love this little boy and I can't believe how fast this time has come!

It wasn't too long ago that he was THIS little!

Forest Fires.

2011-08-23T15:11:00.000-07:00

Will got out with matt to check out the crazy forest fires. Ben and I checked it out from the van.

It's strange to have the fires be so close to ya. Thankfully, they're not close enough to look out of our window and see them but, they're about 5 minutes away to view it(driving). They're under control by the firefighters and many volunteers(we drove by their sight and there was tons of tents pitched...amazing sight!).

It is however, close enough to have our home smell like campfire! We've used the A/C's to filter out the air and that seemed to help a bit.

Gamers!

2011-08-15T15:09:00.000-07:00

This is what our home looks like at least 20 minutes a day... These kids love playing video games. And like I said, we keep it to a minimum so don't worry! It's actually a good incentive for Will to keep him in line... Will LOVES playing video games with his dad and I am pretty sure Matt likes having someone to play with, as well.

Lake Time, Again!

2011-08-13T15:04:00.000-07:00

We decided to get the Lake in one more time since we knew Summer would rapidly be coming to an end. Matt invited one of his friends from work. It was a HOT day once again.

Mohamed and Will. Mohamed is so great with the kids! He bought snacks just for the kids and even rode in the back with Will and watched Spongebob with him on the way back! Mohamed said he was impressed with how Will pronounced his name since even adults said it incorrectly. Thanks for coming with us Mohamed!

The swimming gang!

Can you find the chipmunk?!(he's on the log) He has come out each time that we've been there! He gets pretty close to us and takes the scraps of food we leave behind. I watched as he ran around under our van and then all of a sudden he hopped up and in the trunk! We left the trunk door open and he decided to jump in. He got out about 30 secs later but, I was shocked! The Nerve!

Bandana Boys!

2011-08-12T15:01:00.000-07:00

I just cleaned Matt's bandanas(he uses them when he runs to keep the sweat outta his eyes). I asked the boys if they wanted to look like daddy and they were very excited about it! They ran around with them on, whilst playing guns (of course).

Farmer's Market and the Lake!

2011-08-06T14:07:00.000-07:00

Matt has made it his thing to take the kids on a bike-ride every Saturday morning for breakfast at the farmers market (while they let me sleep-in!). The boys really look forward to it and they have a lot of fun. This time, I decided to go, too. I had a creamcheese and blueberry crepe, yum!

We then walked over to a sandy spot along the river and threw sticks and rocks and such in.

There's nothing like fresh veggies from the farmers market!

Last year around this time, we had just moved to Missoula. I took a pic of Matt and his boys in this same spot at that time. I think it should be tradition each year that we're here! The one from last year is in THIS post.

Later, we decided to head back to St. Mary's Lake and try a different spot over there. It was an awesome spot! We had more sun in this spot and plenty more space for the boys to walk around and still be in shallow water and play!

Drinks and...

sandwiches are a must at the lake!

I was on that float for quite a while since it was so soothing to just be in the water and have that weightless feeling (since I'm definitely NOT weightless as you can see by the way the floaty sunk in on my side...lol).

I really loved making these lake memories with our boys. I remember going to the lake or beach with my family when I was little and it was a joyous time. I remember my mom making bologna and cheese sandwiches and packing lots of snacks and drinks into a cooler. It's sometimes a lot of work to get everything prepared so we got smart this time around and put all of our swimming stuff in one spot in the front closet. We also just take our towels that we used last for showers or baths (so we don't have to do twice the amount of laundry). It's been worth it!

St. Mary's Lake!

2011-07-31T14:05:00.000-07:00

Montana gets HOT in the summer. It was time to head to the lake! We picked St. Mary's, right by twin lakes and we were happy with our choice.

Ben went right in!

Will is like me when it comes to water and how COLD it is. We take our time!

Matt used Ben and his floaty as a kick-board!

And then Will joined in with his ducky float!

They also had fun gathering rocks and dirt and such in their buckets!

Will, being cute!

Ben's Piano.

2011-07-28T18:09:00.000-07:00

We let Ben pick out a toy with his bday money he received. He picked out this cool piano! And we let him play with it on the way back from Target. Needless to say, He really enjoyed his toy!

Itsy Bitsy Spider.

2011-07-27T18:06:00.000-07:00

While on our way back, we stopped for gas and I thought it was a good opportunity to video Ben trying to sing one of his favorite songs, "the Itsy Bitsy Spider". I love his little voice. He's finally starting to use it a lot more. And I love how he says, "Yup!"... so silly.

Costco!

2011-07-26T17:42:00.000-07:00

Ben and Lyla hanging in a Costco cart getting pushed by a pregnant lady. I got some looks. I'm sure they were like, "she has twins and she's pregnant with a third?! What was she thinking?!" haha Those are pretty cute together, don't ya think?!

This was a girls only outing(plus Ben). The other boys were off swimming or boating with other family members while Mom, Aimee and I and these two little ones hung out all day! We hit up Costco for a bit, the University Mall and then to the Texas Road House. It was so nice to just have some girl time with Aim and Mom! Those times are ones that I wish we had more of. I love to just go out and shop together! We don't even have to buy anything. I just love to have the company and look at things together.

Pioneer Day in Spring City, UT!

2011-07-25T16:53:00.000-07:00

We kicked off the day with an early breakfast put on by the fire station in Spring City! After, we watched the parade and they threw lots of candy out for the kids. They were thrilled! During the parade, they were shooting t-shirts out into the crowd and one landed right in Matt's face! He gave that one to his sister Aimee since it was her bday! But, another was shot in the same direction and landed right above Matt in the tree. He made it his mission to get it down. He started by throwing his flip-flops up in the tree to retrieve the shirt but, when they got stuck as well, he resorted to throwing a package of wipes up there until they got stuck too! He took a break until the parade was over and then decided to climb the tree. And He was barefoot! Needless to say, he made it all the way up and back with all of our stuff and the tshirt! He was great entertainment for the rest of the parade onlookers! When he finally got the shirt everyone around cheered for him. My husband, the monkey!

Later that afternoon, we returned for the fun kids carnival. We started off throwing a fast ball, then made it over to the bouncy pirate thingy, played some games and then off to eat some goodies!

They had a SNOWCREAM stand! Whenever we visit Gram and Papa, we also make a special trip to see Victoria(the woman who makes Snowcreams right in her home). Basically she has a machine that shaves ice into snow and then she adds ice cream and whatever flavoring you'd like to it(she has sooo many to choose from)! Sooo delicious.

Ben's face/hands and where ever else he spilt his cotton candy snowcream was blue for a couple of days(and we won't even talk about what his diapers looked like...oops, i guess i just did)!

Uncle Craig, Aunt Susan and Sophie joined in on the fun!

And so did Ross and Abby(Abby recently had jaw surgery but, that didn't spoil her fun! She was such a great sport about it. We love you Abby!)!

Nikki and I!

Later that night, we watched The Fat Professors. It was a fun band that covered classic rock songs. We were impressed and it was fun to listen and watch. They even sang Happy birthday to Aimee! She seemed pretty surprised.

Gram and Papa had a grand ole time. They're so cute! I love Gram's smile here.

Gram, Papa and Lyla!

Mom, Jake, Gram, Lyla and Papa!

It was a great day, full of fun activities! Pioneer day is pretty special and especially in Utah. Go here to learn more about how amazing those pioneers truly were!

Utah Breakfasts!

2011-07-24T16:11:00.000-07:00

This is pretty much the breakfast crew!

While in Spring City visiting Gram and Papa, the fam gathered for breakfast every morning at their house.

Isn't that picture of Matt and Papa so cute?!

My mom-in-law, gram and Uncle Craig!

Happy Birthday to Ben!

2011-07-23T14:23:00.000-07:00

It was cute because Ben was trying to sing along with all of us. And at the end of the song, when you say, "happy birthday to YOU!", he said, "you!" and pointed out. Funny boy!

Ben's 2nd Birthday!

2011-07-23T10:21:00.000-07:00

It was fun to have Ben's 2nd Birthday with our family since we don't get many opportunities for family to be at their bdays, with us living so far away from each other! I love the "Birthday Boy" shirt and how it got passed on from his brother.

And here's my cute birthday boy sitting on Gram and Papa's flowery chair!

When Ben was born, the nurses said, "the look on my face was priceless". I had no words for a few seconds and when I finally came-to, I said, "wow, we have TWO kids now!" haha. Ben is such a ham. He is silly and sweet. He LOVES animals. He gives lots of hugs and kisses. He skips and hops around the house. He LOVES and wants to be just like Will. When he says, "Will", his tongue goes way outside his mouth to pronounce the "L's" in Will's name. In the morning, he comes right into our bed and gives me and then Matt a big hug and says, "Hi, Mommy!", "Hi, Daddy!" in his sweet little voice. He makes the biggest messes! He moves from one toy to the next and the next... He's pretty self-entertaining. I love this little boy of ours.

Ben and Lyla hung together and got along sooo well. I loved watching them interact. Nothing cuter than two toddlers being silly with each other!

The morning of his Bday, we met with the rest of the family at an awesome public pool right across the street from the Manti Temple. It was such a nice pool. The older kids got to go on the cool water slide while the rest of us hung by the neat whirlpool and flower squirters! It was a really nice place to hang!

Aimee and the kids!

Here I am, lookin' pretty huge!

For dinner later, we all pitched in for a big picnic! I got a small cake for Ben and after "Happy Birthday" was sung,

Ben devoured his HOMEMADE(delicious) ice cream and cake in a cup! He thoroughly enjoyed it!

Cake and Ice Cream faced Cuties!

Gram and Papa and they're awesome smiles!

Ben and Lyla eating bananas, Tucker(the kids LOVED him), and Luke, before bed.

It seemed as though Ben had an awesome birthday!

Happy Birthday Benny!

We love you sooo stinkin' much.

Travelin'!

2011-07-21T21:52:00.000-07:00

This is the only pic I took on our way to Utah! I looked back and realized Lyla had a cheerio stuck to her chin and she was on the verge of fallin' asleep. It was too cute!

The kids did a good job getting to Utah. We did, however, stop a million times along the way so, that might've helped... One of the places we stopped at was a Fort. The LDS Missionaries gave us a tour of the historical place. It was pretty neat. I love how the early Latter-Day Saints didn't waste a thing. Everything can be made into something else! Recycling, baby!

Video games, kite-flyin', another pool and Frozen Yogurt!

2011-07-20T17:48:00.000-07:00

The Boys were fixated on video game-playing! If they weren't running around playing guns, they were playing video games!

The day before, Aunt Cami and Haley arrived! They got to join in on all the fun. And Haley was such a great helper with all of the kids. Such a good girl!

Ben is so sweet when he puckers up and gives kisses!

Saegan and her friend David were also part of the crew that occupied the Sorensen Household! They were fun to be around and it was so nice to see Saegan since it had been so long. She's one awesome chick!

They bought a kite and took it outside to give it a try!

Aunt Tara hooked us up again and we ended up at one of her family member's pool! It was a beautiful pool. Thanks again, Aunt Tara. We all had a blast!

David entertained the kids with youtube videos!

And our usual nightly activity, after the kids went to bed and Eric stood behind watching them (thanks, eric!), was to Yogurt-land! We had fun indulging in some frozen yogurt and all the yummy toppings while we talked the night away!

Swimming time!

2011-07-19T17:38:00.000-07:00

Will, Jake, Noah and Luke all ready to go to the pool.

Our Gang of kids!

We had to wait a bit for Aunt Tara to pull some strings to get us in this super cool pool but, once things were situated, it was great! Nanny helped Will, Luke and Jake learn to swim around on their own! The pool had a cool little water slide that the kids LOVED and went on over and over again. It turned out to be awesome.

More Guns, Donuts, Mom and Dad and more fun!

2011-07-18T15:06:00.000-07:00

While Aimee was out getting some donuts from Dunkin' Donuts for our very healthy breakfast, the boys were outside playing with guns!

I love this picture of Noah. It was sooo hot outside and he had on flannel p.j.'s. Finally he said, "I don't know why the heck I'm out here! It's freakin' hot!" It was as if an adult had said it...haha

Donut time! We all got our sugar-fix earl-I in the mornin'!

Ben and Lyla were best buds this trip. They hung out together and played. They were too stinkin' cute.

Mom and dad arrived! Mom got to hang with us for the rest of the trip but, dad had to get back to work and such that night. Since Will was too into his cousins and guns and such to be paying attention to adults I talked to him and told him that he should spend some time with Poppy since he's leaving that night. I was surprised to see that Will actually listened, right away! He took off his army helmet, put down his gun and headed straight for his Poppy. It was sweet to see him talking to him and touching his Poppy's face so softly.

Guns and stuff!

2011-07-17T14:55:00.000-07:00

We bought transformer cars for each boy cousin and they all seemed to enjoy that for a bit. Will decided to play with them when everyone else was sick of em, for the rest of the trip. Guns were the biggest hype around the Sorensen's household. Will couldn't get enough of it. In fact, I remember one day, Noah(the oldest cousin) was rolling his eyes while telling me, "all Will ever wants to do is play guns! He like never gets sick of it." He cracks me up!

On our way to VEGAS!

2011-07-15T12:43:00.000-07:00

We made a chain of construction paper rings to countdown the days till we got to be with our family. Every morning for about 2 weeks, Will ripped one off.

We were sooo excited. The kids and I would fly down to Vegas and Matt would drive down to Utah and meet up with us there a week later! Allegiant Air has GREAT deals from right outta Missoula so, we hopped on a plane and 2 hours later, we were there! I even had an extra unoccupied seat next to me so, both boys got their own seats(instead of Ben on my lap!). They did GREAT! They watched Toy Story 3 on the laptop and before we knew it, we were there! It was our shortest trip on a plane so far since the ones before required us to go to MA or OH! When we got off, Aimee and my nephew Luke were waiting for us! It was so awesome to see them. Let the fun begin!

My cute travelers!

Temple Craft and Baby Update!

2011-07-14T12:11:00.000-07:00

I was asked to sub for the Sunbeam teacher in Primary the previous Sunday. The lesson was on, "Temples" and to my surprise, I only had ONE student and it was WILL!haha I was totally fine with that. Everyone was on vacation and visiting family and such. Will was still really excited to have me as his teacher so, that made me happy.

I decided to do a fun craft project after the lesson. All you need is: White Frosting(put in a couple of ziplock bags and when you are ready to use em, cut a small hole on the bottom corner for the frosting to come out easily), Nilla Wafers, tiny marshmallows and bowls. And then, you just do layers of frosting, wafers, frosting, marshmallow and so on! Will had a lot of fun with this and we were able to snack a bunch since we had a big supply with no one else to share it with!

It dried up and stood standing on our counter for a bit until finally I took these pics and tossed it out!

Baby Update:

I was leaving for Vegas the next day to visit my in-laws and niece and nephews! My sis-in-law, Aimee has tons of girls clothes to pass on to me IF I found out I was having a girl. So, it was great that my doc appt was the day before! I couldn't wait to finally confirm it since the last two ultrasounds were not very convincing...haha At 16 weeks, the doc told me it was a boy. At the next ultrasound (about 20-something weeks) the doc said, "I don't see any indication that this is a boy!" and after 20+ minutes of waiting for baby to cooperate, he gave up and said we'd try again next time.

This appt was supposed to be THE ONE! I walked in there thinking, "i am NOT leaving without a 100% confirmation that I am carrying either a boy or a girl!". WELL, the doc was WAY behind schedule that day. I was in the waiting room for about 45 mins and then brought to a room and waited for another 15 mins and by the time he seen me, he only had a few minutes before he had to get to surgery at the hospital! The ultrasound was super quick and while he looked, the baby was turned around looked away from us! We looked between the legs and the doc said, "That's unmistakably a scrotum. It has to be!" So I said, "okay so, 100% a boy then, right?!" and he said, "No, I would still say about 95%!"...lol ARG! It was NOT the answer I wanted. I wanted him to be sure by now. I left feeling pretty disappointed... O well, next appt, right?!

Tuckered Out!

2011-07-13T12:06:00.000-07:00

Will insists on quiet-time while his little brother takes a nap so, as long as he's QUIET, than I'm okay with it. He usually cuddles with a blanket and pillow on the couch and watches a fun cartoon. Lately, it's been "Transformers Prime"! And just sometimes, I find him passed out with toys in hand(a transformer this time) and all around (a nerf gun and airplane). It was too sweet to pass up the pic. I love that little guy!

Spray Park!

2011-07-05T19:57:00.000-07:00

I told Will that we were going to meet some friends at the Spray Park. He must've forgotten what it was like because he asked a lot of questions before we left. He asked if he needed his floaty things for his arms and if it was like a pool and such. It was cute to see how excited he got as I answered each question.

It's been pretty hot these days so, my friend Holly and I met up at the spray park and let our kids run around and cool off! Will doesn't like water in his ears or eyes. He pretty much stuck to this fountain which was fine, as long as he was having a good time!

Holly's cutie little boy!

Ben does really well with showers and baths but, this scared him! Maybe he'll be more comfy when we go back again?!

Clara is in Will's 'Sunbeam' class and she is such a sweet little girl. They play so well together!

I told Will to put his arm around her and he said, "You're soakin' wet?! You're gonna get me all wet." which was pretty funny since he was soakin' wet too! What a goof!haha

Matt took a break from school and came to hang with us for a bit. He ran Ben through the water a couple of times. Ben was not pleased but, it was hot and he needed to be cooled off anyway!

Independence Day!

2011-07-04T14:58:00.000-07:00

We started our day bright and early at the Pancake Breakfast, hosted by the Lds church at Fort Missoula.

After we had our yummy pancakes, bacon and eggs outside on this beautiful morning, we looked around Fort Missoula. There was this art thing that we thought was cool. I wish there was more info on it but, instead it just said it was art and who it was by... o well.

The steam engine train was pretty neat to be near. If we stood until the late afternoon, we would've seen the demonstrations of the steam engines.

We then went on a drive and found ourselves at the mall. I picked up this bad-boy! And I know it looks like some kind of crazy contraption but, it's my new BEST FRIEND! I have been soooo achey and feeling pretty tortured by this pregnancy(and I still have 15 wks left!) so, when I found this and the sales woman highly recommended it, i just had to get it. I put it on right away and was so thrilled to feel pretty comfortable! I haven't been sleeping right, walking right and don't even get me started on bending down to pick stuff up! I didn't feel this way with my last 2 pregnancies so, it's been a bit of a challenge for me. The 3rd pregnancy has been no joke...haha But, this has made it a little more manageable and I'm even getting a better nights rest now.

Missoula does things a little funny. Even though there seems to be tons of grassy land in lots of places, they have their big fireworks show at that mall parking lot. They blocked off the Bed Bath and Beyond parking area and you can sit in there and listen to live music while you wait for it to get dark (10pm). The boys waved their flags,

Threw and stomped on poppers,

and ate tons of junk, including ring pops!

Will was so funny when the show started because he jumped up and down and cheered with his arms up in the air. He looked back at us and asked, "hey, why aren't you yelling?!".

A very excited cute boy(and his massive mosquito bite on his left arm. Poor Guy!).

Ben and I cuddled since Ben didn't really like to be on his own when the fireworks were going off.

Pretty fireworks.

The finale was really good. We were pretty impressed especially since we weren't expecting much. The only crappy part of the whole day was trying to get out of the mall parking lot and how it took us an hour to get home when it should've been about 15 minutes tops!

All in all, it was a fun day. Happy Independence Day all!

Oh and, here's a quote I found from lds.org:

The United States Constitution was the first written constitution in the world. It has served Americans well, enhancing freedom and prosperity during the changed conditions of more than two hundred years. Frequently copied, it has become the United States’ most important export. After two centuries, every nation in the world except six have adopted written constitutions,²and the U.S. Constitution was a model for all of them. No wonder modern revelation says that God established the U.S. Constitution and that it “should be maintained for the rights and protection of all flesh, according to just and holy principles.” (D&C 101:77.)

(Elder Dallen H. Oaks, Feb 1992)

The Park and Saturday's Market!

2011-07-02T14:24:00.000-07:00

My guys ran to the swings first!

Ben doesn't like the swings as much as his big brother unless you are making silly faces or noises while he's swinging!

I love the swings but, now-a-days, my body has not been cooperating with anything I like so, everything is uncomfortable! Arg.

Benny, from a great height...

This spiny thing is super fast. WARNING: you might get dizzy watching!

(and Ben's turn)

We then went to the Saturday Market and had fun looking around, munchin' on fresh carrots and drinking Rhubarb slush(sooo yummy!).

Will definitely doesn't go very many places without his gun. He's a funny kid. I love hearing him talking to himself about some kind of scene that is going on that seems to only be apparent to him...lol I love that his imagination is so active.

More of Ben talking!

2011-06-30T20:52:00.000-07:00

I wanted to be better at video taping Ben talking since I wished I was better at it when Will was learning to talk. Their voices are just so sweet. The few videos I have of Will learning to talk, I watch over and over again. Just precious moments! Enjoy.

Pool time!

2011-06-22T13:03:00.000-07:00

Finally! It's been nice enough now to take the kids to our pool. I waited for Matt to get home since I didn't feel brave enough to do it on my own, just yet.

Benny cheezin' it up for the camera in his cool swim suit!

Will was more than excited about heading to the pool! He tried to just jump in from the top step and realized it wasn't a good idea when he was choking on water that went up his nose. (that didn't stop him from doing it again though... smarty pants...ha)

Ben felt good in his floaty. I kinda wished I had one for myself.

He got some more water up his nose and in his eyes and such... Matt tried to give him a little swim lesson but, he was way too excited to pay attention. He also had a hard time blowing bubbles in the water (lesson #1). He'll get it!

It was so nice to cool off in our pool.

Ben enjoyed blowing bubbles. He thought it was pretty funny!

Fathers Day!

2011-06-19T12:45:00.000-07:00

Church and then home for relaxin'! Matt ran around with the kids for a bit and wrestled!

It was the boys turn to get daddy!

Matt requested Crepes for his Father's Day Dinner. Easy Peasy! We all enjoyed that dinner. And he requested snickerdoodles so, I went to work on that! After dinner we gave Matt his gift and he loved it. He gets to go to a concert in September!

Matt is such a good father to his boys. He takes them out places, on bike rides, takes time out to play with them when he comes home from work, reads them stories for bedtime and tucks em in, watches cool movies with them (like transformers and Star Wars...), kisses and hugs them, and so much more. I love this man. And the boys love him a ton. I love hearing them yell, "DADDY!" or "Daddy's Home!" when they hear the door open and they go running towards him! It's so sweet.

I'm also so grateful for my father and father-in-law. I Love them so very much and they are such amazing men.

Happy Father's Day!

One Dollar Movie!

2011-06-16T12:23:00.000-07:00

Our movie theater showed,"How to Train a Dragon" again on the big screen for a buck a ticket! So, a bunch of us filled the theater and it was great! Ben didn't do too bad even though he was out of his seat and by me for most of the time. But, since most of the theater was kids and semi-noisy(at times), I didn't sweat it too much!

And a random pic of Ben with his daddy's flip-flops on. He loves putting shoes on! He usually brings us a pair from the hall and says, "bye-bye!". I guess he thinks that if he has shoes on, we should take him out (even though most of the time he doesn't even have pants on with the shoes!).

Brothers and Forts!

2011-06-15T12:14:00.000-07:00

I love when Will and Ben do brotherly things. Like hangin' in their forts together and watching a movie. The rule was that if they didn't get along, the fort would be taken down. They kept that fort up for a good amount of time. They lied next to each other and giggled. It was sweet. I love moments like those.

Close-ups!

2011-06-14T12:11:00.000-07:00

Ben always gets the camera and insists I take a pic of him but, always gets super close to the camera! Silly kid.

A bin of balls and Ben!

2011-06-11T12:01:00.000-07:00

It was just Ben and I since Matt took Will out on the trail for a hike. I decided to take out the bag of balls and fill the bin up for him. He was surprisingly very neat with it. He kicked them out in excitement and then got out and put them all back and repeated. It was good for me since I didn't have to bend down to clean em up and he had a great time!

He got creative and started scooping the balls out with this cardboard thingy and rolled the balls down it for fun. It was cute watching him entertaining himself!

Flooding and sandbags.

2011-06-09T11:52:00.000-07:00

We, fortunately have not been directly affected by the flooding. The river that runs right by our home has been at an all-time high lately. It's been amazing to watch. We had a log across the way that we used as a marker and everyday we watched the water getter closer and closer to it until it eventually washed away or is covered!

They needed volunteers in our area to help out and fill sand bags for the houses that had flooding or might get flooded. Matt helped out and took these pics.

Camping in Montana Day 3!

2011-06-05T21:13:00.000-07:00

In sleeping order, Will, Matt, Ben and I(we're not hiding under the covers. it's just our bedding). We were nice in cozy in our awesome tent!

The view from in the tent, while the boys were playing and Matt was building the morning fire.

It was time for me to come out of the warm sleeping bag when the fire was finally going...Thanks Matt!

My cute boys. Will would not take his backpack off for very long the whole time we camped(kinda funny but also kinda annoying since he had toys to play with but, he rather carry them around!haha). These boys definitely kept themselves occupied regardless of having just a few toys with them!

This was our refrigerator/pantry for the weekend.

Walkie-talkies are cool.

BUBBLES!

And here's all of us. It was not too long after this pic was taken that we headed on home. And like I said before, it's so hard to leave all the comforts of your home to go out and camp but, it's worth it to be reminded of how comforting your home really is.

Camping in Montana Day 2!

2011-06-04T13:14:00.000-07:00

It was a chilly night but, we had plenty of warmth in our sleeping bag with all of our blankets, extra clothing and body heat to help! Once that sun came up, the boys were ecstatic to be in a tent but, couldn't wait to get out and start the day! Matt got up with the boys and got the fire started for all of us. He loves morning fires just as much as I do (maybe more!).

It was nice to see that the boys could keep themselves entertained for the most part.

We went on a short hike to explore and take pics.

The boys touching my growing belly.

Me at 22 weeks!

The boys were checking out the bugs here.

Matt and his fire!

Will was always curious to know what dad was up to. Here, he's using his little camping stove to heat up some water.

I LOVE when my boys give each other a big hug. It melts my heart! This is one of my fave pics of them two.

Ben kept taking his toys and "driving" them all around the van making his car noises.

Ben brought his stuffed animals with him and they were so dirty by this point. But that didn't stop him from giving them kisses and hugs!

For nap time, Ben usually tells us when he needs one. He grabs his burrs and pacifier and heads for bed. The only difference this time around, was I got to lie down next to him and he sleepily looked at my face and touched my cheeks and eyes softly until he finally turned over and fell asleep. It was one of my favorite parts of this camping adventure.

There wasn't very many mosquitos at all which was awesome! There was very weird/obnoxious bugs that flew around and landed on you and just hung out. They were harmless but, still obnoxious! Will really took a liking to them and played with them for like an hour and a half. He called them his bug friends and giggled about them and lined them up on the bumper of our car and talked them. It was hilarious. In this one, I said, "take a picture with your bug friend!" and he said, "ok!" and turned to his bug and said, "say cheese, ok?!". Toooo funny!

Ben did not like the bucket on his head!

We kept the food pretty simple. Cereal in the morning, lots of snacks in between meals, hobo (tin foil) dinners on that first night, hot dogs, cold cut sandwiches and peanut butter and fluff sandwiches! It was all easy clean-up and we had fun snacking, reading, hiking, playing, exploring our campground while finding wood and eating some more!

It's always hard to get out of the comfort and convenience of your own home but, being in nature and enjoying the beauty around you is so uplifting. It also helps you to appreciate what you have!

Camping in Montana Day 1!

2011-06-03T09:58:00.000-07:00

We decided we wanted to go camping and I really didn't know if the plan was going to fall through or not because our weather was NOT agreeing with us. The rain would not stop and it was supposedly going to be super sunny that weekend but, I didn't know how trustworthy the meteorologists were going to be. We packed up all Friday day and headed out around 330-ish. Matt had a map of an area he wanted to try out along a mountain about an hour away from us. We got there and searched and searched but, what google maps didn't show was that new houses had popped up everywhere along there so all we really found was "Private Property"and "No trespassing" signs! Arg! The houses had a ton of land and it would've been fun to camp on their front lawns but, I don't think the owners would've liked that!

Hours later, we finally got to the spot where Matt camped a couple of weekends ago with his friend. It was a free camping area and the spot was huge! We're hoping to head back to that same spot with our friends, a couple of weeks from now.

We got there just in time to make a fire and watch the sun go down. The boys were ready for bed very soon after.

Here's the teepee of firewood Matt made to start our lovely fire. The boys are blowing on the fire, from afar, of course.

"Where's Ben?!"

Ben is standing in front of our new (used) VAN! We took the plunge and became van owners. We needed the room for our 3rd and we were looking forward to extra space/convenience for our roadtrips, as well! It was so great for this camping adventure. We turned off the inside lights (so not to kill the battery), kept both sliding doors open and trunk and worked out of our van! With our truck, we always had to practically empty it all out and repack it.

"There he is!"

Does Will look happy or what?! Man, he was! He was sooo talkative... "Is that the fire?!" "It's warm next to the fire!", "daddy, did you make that fire?!"(repeated like 15 times...haha)

Matt is blowing on the fire while the boys watch.

The boys were ready for bed. They were all bundled up in hats and gloves, warm pj's, undershirts and overshirts and lookin pretty cute!

Ben is blowing on the fire, again. They like to do anything their daddy is doing, apparently.

The first night was a good one. The boys loved being outside. The sky was clear. Will roasted a couple of marshmallows and then off to bed in a cool tent. Will and Ben were out in about 10 minutes! They were pooped.

Matt and I gazed at the endless amount of stars and then I joined the boys. Matt took some pics of the stars.

And of the cool fire!

What does a kitty do?!

2011-06-03T09:38:00.000-07:00

Ben LOVES our kitties(and loves pretty much any animal). He thinks it's fun when cats lick their fur. He giggles and then tries to imitate them. Here's him telling us what a kitty does.

(oh and excuse the messy kitchen! We were getting ready for a camping trip.)

Accomplishments!

2011-05-29T15:57:00.000-07:00

We came home from church and had some yummy creamy pesto sauce! My dad made some pesto and my mom packaged and sent it out to us. I made some alfredo sauce and added the pesto and put it over pasta. It was a successful meal all around! The boys ate ALL of what was on their plate...finally!

If Will doesn't get 3 strikes while at church, during his Sunbeam class, then he is awarded with some yummy treat. We bribed him with a ring pop this fine Sunday and by golly we got a good report back from his teacher!

Ben started saying lots of new words. "Big Boy" is his newest thing and he said it for the first time out of no where! He loves when we say/agree that he's a big boy because he really wants to be just like his brother! It's just a small clip.

Goodbye Old Friend.

2011-05-28T15:22:00.000-07:00

Ted our fish, was a good ole Beta. Here's his story:

We were at Walmart one day and while passing by the fishes, Matt and I said, "let's get one!". Since Beta's are not a lot of maintenance, and they like to be by themselves, we decided on that kind of fish. There were many to choose from. Blue, and red, skinny and fat, small and large. The red one with grayish scales on his face, was old and not as pretty as the others but, gave us a show. He looked at Matt while Matt looked at him and followed his finger along his fish bowl. But, he was old and we didn't want to get a fish that would die on us the next day so, we grabbed the blue one and started to walk away. Matt looked back at the red beta and noticed the fish had turned his back on us and went to the back of the tank. It was like he said, "another one gone and after all that work!".

So, needless to say, we put the blue fish down and grabbed the red one and soon, he was happy and full of personality in our home and part of the Ferguson family! Ted would flare his gills at us when he would see us in the morning. He still followed our finger around the tank. He was a happy little beta. I'm glad he chose us.

He hung with us for about 3 years(he even traveled in the front seat, buckled in, from Washington to Montana). About a month ago, I realized he was losing his spunk. And a week ago, he was watching us eat dinner and later that night, he was gone.

This was a good opportunity to teach Will about death. We had a family home evening and discussed how we have a spirit and it's in our bodies and when we die, our spirit lives on with Heavenly Father and our body gets laid to rest. On one special day, our spirit will be reunited with our perfected bodies. Will seemed to grasp this concept. He was so very sad and cried when he realized Ted was dead. It was so sweet and sincere. He said Ted was still happy and that he loved him and brings Ted up in conversation every now and again. It's sweet to see that he had such an attachment to something as small as a fish and that he would truly miss him.

We found a spot in the woods to have a burial for Ted. Matt dug the hole. Will placed his casket in the ground.

We covered a check box with brown paper and Will helped me decorate it.

The boys helped dad cover him with dirt.

We said some parting words.

We fashioned a cross with grass and sticks and picked some wildflowers to place on his grave. Goodbye old friend, til we meet again.

Lost in TV land.

2011-05-27T15:16:00.000-07:00

My kids are mostly all over the place while the t.v. is on but, there are random times when they are just lost in t.v. land. Matt discovered "Looney Tunes" reruns and DVR'd some for the boys to enjoy. They LOVE them.

The boys trip to the dentist.

2011-05-26T15:07:00.000-07:00

The pediatric dentist here was fantastic. They were all sweet and personable. They were VERY patient. They always asked Will if they could do something before they did it. He was super cooperative even thought he was a bit uneasy from the start. He held my hand through most of it. And he even let them take x-rays of his teeth. Ben didn't need to sit in the chair just yet. He stood in my lap while they did a quick check and put some fluoride on his teeth. I was so proud of my boys for doing so well. They even got tokens to put in the machines and get a prize(awesome incentive), new toothbrushes, and tickets for a free ride on the carousel at the park in town!

Big Boy Bed!

2011-05-22T15:00:00.000-07:00

Matt converted Ben's bed into a daybed to see what his reaction would be (and to start the transitioning of him to the bottom bunk).

Ben was THRILLED! He hopped right into his bed and was super excited to be in it. Will and Ben share a room and Will always wakes up with a full bladder. So, he runs out of the room and races to the potty. Well, as soon as this happens, Ben would scream and cry because he couldn't get out of his bed on his own! Well, now he can.

And of course I had to get a pic of how adorable he is when he sleeps, all nestled up to his burrs! Gotta love that chubby-cheeked child of mine! He's growing up!

Orchid.

2011-05-20T14:54:00.000-07:00

Check out this beautiful orchid that Matt found while he was camping! It's so unique.

A picnic in the woods...

2011-05-15T22:49:00.000-07:00

Will was doing his karate on the log. He was really into it. His face gets all serious and he puts some power into that kick of his.

My sweet boys.

Sweet kisses for mommy.

They found mushrooms and pulled them out and threw them around.

Will was our photographer for the next couple of pics and Ben was not happy(as you can see) to not be in the picture!

We instructed Will on how to cut Ben out of the pic and he followed directions...haha

My handsome hubby and I.

The wildflowers around here are so pretty, don't ya think?!

Take my picture!

2011-05-10T22:46:00.000-07:00

I love that Ben will find my camera, bring it to me and demand for me to take his pic! He says, "eeeeeeeee" (cheese) whilst looking into the camera. So, that's why he gives such cheesy smiles. But, sooo fun!

Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T18:56:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day was fantastic! My guys took care of me! Matt let me sleep in on Saturday since we had church early on Sunday. Sunday morn he got the kids fed while I got myself ready and that's a huge task for me to get done before church so that made me very happy. The kids in Primary sang with the choir for Mother's Day. It was so sweet to see Will up there. He didn't sing but, when he finally saw me waving, he said, "Mommy, Kody is right there!" and pointed over to him. I don't think too many people noticed but, it was funny since I was sitting pretty far away. Ben went to nursery and did well the whole time! He decorated a pot and planted flowers in it (our nursery is AWESOME)! I was asked by a friend that was teaching a lesson on "missionary work" during Relief Society (it's when the women get together for a lesson) to talk about how the missionaries helped me in my life. I was super nervous... More nervous than usual... I was sooo glad I did that. It was a good reminder for me, for many reasons and definitely left me with a spiritual high! I love when that happens. I left church feeling loved and appreciated and had lots of gifts in tow (flowers from the bishopric, the potted plant from Ben, popcorn from the Relief Society and frozen cookie dough I ordered from the fundraiser the YW did!)

I had to get a couple of pics of us post-church before jumping into our p.j's! Right after Matt took our pics, he ran into the kitchen and whipped up some delicious french toast for lunch (meal #2 of the day!).

I love these boys!

We then went on a Sunday drive and enjoyed the beautiful sunshine outside. When we got home, Matt got working on meal #3! He baked up some chicken, and mashed up some potatoes, and even made some yorkshire pudding! All i had to do was the gravy(easy peasy). Can you believe that?! I didn't have to cook anything all day or do dishes after!

We thoroughly enjoyed it!

My pretty flower.

and decorated pot!

Before bed (Matt got them both ready and put them in bed), they gave me my present. I said, in a really high pitch voice, "I'm sooo excited!" to Will and he giggled. It was adorable. He helped Matt pick out two pairs of earrings for me. I love earrings so, they couldn't have gone wrong. I love you Matt, Will and Ben. You guys make my world go round. I'm so glad there's a day dedicated to appreciating mother's and what they do for you.

I'm so grateful to have such a sweet mother and mother-in-law who love me so very much and takes care of me in more ways than they know, even at my grown age of 27! I love you both. You're amazing mothers.

Hangin with Kody!

2011-05-04T18:10:00.000-07:00

We got to hang with Kody all day while his dad was working and mom was on a trip! Will was so excited to have his friend hang out with us. It was all he talked about the night before!

When Kody was dropped off it was still pretty early so, we watched some morning cartoons.

Later, we walked over to our park and ate lunch and played! I was so glad the weather agreed with us.

Will decided to climb up that ladder and you may not realize but, it was pretty high up there! Brave, i tell ya!

Cute Kody on the teeter totter with Ben!

Ben loved it.

I was a little nervous watching Will climb to such heights and worried about a foot slipping and him falling. But, I tried my best to stay back and let him have his fun. He did a great job.

Ben and I bounced on the whale springy back and forth toy. He was giggling and it was sweet.

I couldn't flip this pic for some reason... But, I wanted to show you how brave these boys are. Ben just kept climbing up that ladder over and over again. He almost fell once and I thought he would've quit at that point but, he just went right back for more!

They ended the day by hanging out on our bed watching Chip 'n' Dale rescue rangers and played with Legos while Ben and I watched movies in the other room. Kody was quiet most of the time but, I was able to get a few giggles outta him. I'm pretty sure they all had a blast together.

A small herb garden.

2011-05-02T14:45:00.000-07:00

I found these teeny planter kits for a buck each at target and decided to give it a go with the boys.

It was a nice morning so, we went out on the deck with our pots, soil(it was a small dry block of soil that needed to be mixed with water) and seed packets. They were excited to see the set-up.

Will couldn't wait. He picked up things and put them back down a couple of times since he didn't know where to start! Finally I gave some directions...

First dump the dirt into each one.

Second, push the seeds(we did about 5-8) into the dirt and cover them up.

Last but not least, give love, patience and attention by watering, hopefully getting some sunshine on it, and waiting.

Snowing and it's the end of APRIL!

2011-04-28T11:11:00.000-07:00

It's funny to see it snowing at this time in April! And since we know it's not gonna stick, we just get to sit back and enjoy how beautiful it is. I love when it snows big fat snowflakes and that's what it was like. It pretty much came outta no where too! This was right before we were putting the kids to bed so, it was around 730ish and they were whiney so, we said, "you're getting a freeze-out!" and Matt brought em outside...haha They quickly changed their attitudes!

A little hike on Easter.

2011-04-24T11:52:00.000-07:00

Easter Sunday was great. The Easter bunny hid the kids Easter baskets(a tradition from Matt's home) and there were some eggs hidden around the living room(a tradition from my home). The kids were thrilled and hopped up on sugar all day!

It was a beautiful day outside and I loved looking around at church at all the cute Easter dresses and little boys in ties and spring colors! Ben even let me get a lesson in for the last hour of church while he behaved in nursery! BIG STEP! We went home, napped and gathered snacks for a nice walk out on the trail.

This is Will's frustrated face. He couldn't get his backpack on and wouldn't ask for help. So, we giggled and took a pic instead of stepping in. Why don't they just ask for help?! haha

The spot we picked was in the sun(which i love) and near pine cones and trees. It was perfect for the guys to run around and explore for a bit.

The view.

A gun fight broke out.

They both walked away uninjured. It was a truce.

You can sort-of notice from the above pic that I cut off all my hair. I was tired of it and needed a change. Turns out you need at least 10 inches to donate it so, that's what I did! It felt good to do that. And I got a free haircut out of it! I'm really loving the change and my hair grows so fast so, I'm sure it'll back to that length before I know it!

While walking on the trail we made sure to talk about the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and how important that was. Will was pretty amazed and asked questions and such. It's great to know that we'll all be resurrected someday...

(Will took this one)

It was such a nice idea to go on this little hike. I loved getting out of the house and enjoying what was created for us. I hope you all had a great EASTER!

Ben's sweet voice!

2011-04-22T18:30:00.000-07:00

Ben has been getting better at communicating. Here's a short video of him trying out some words. I love hearing his sweet voice.

Fun times with daddy!

2011-04-21T11:25:00.000-07:00

I was not having a very good day so, when Matt came home, he decided he would let me have some alone time while he took the kids on a bike ride out on the trail. He is so good to me. And the boys didn't protest at all. They LOVE going out in the bike trailer and on the trails. Especially with their daddy.

Of course they had a blast throwing rocks in the water... One of their favorite past-times.

Ben stuck out his tongue for the camera...little terd!

Matt said that he didn't even have to position them like that. They just plopped down right next to each other and looked out at the little buildings(our apts are among them) from afar. I love those moments. It seems like it happens a lot more now a days since Ben follows Will around and wants to do everything he does (which Will kinda gets annoyed with at times...haha). But, it's sooo cute.

I'm so grateful for a man who loves to hang outdoors with his boys and knows when his wife needs a break. Thanks Matt. You're the best and I love you.

Cute decor!

2011-04-20T18:11:00.000-07:00

I don't have very many Easter decorations and I know this because about a month ago my husband pointed it out...haha

I mentioned this to my friend and she came over with the cute "EASTER" blocks and another springy decoration that says, "Live a good Life!" It was so sweet of her to think of me and it'll be something I'll be displaying every year and I'll be able to think of her every time. Such a sweet woman. Thanks Grace!

Easter Egg Hunt at the ranch!

2011-04-16T14:51:00.000-07:00

Earlier on it was drizzling a bit but, it turned out to be a beautiful day! We were invited by our friends the Piippo's to come out to their families awesome ranch for a picnic and then for the hunt afterwards. I'm so glad they did this for us. It was a great time!

This is my good friend Grace's little girl Haley. She is soooo stinkin' cute with Ben. She always makes him laugh and plays with him.

We all gathered for the rules/directions for the Hunt at the ranch. They had three separate age groups which had its own designated egg hunting spot (which I thought was very smart).

Matt hung with Ben and the toddlers. Ben got right into it and was a pro!

Will found one of the golden eggs! Jen gave each kid with a golden egg a huge solid chocolate bunny. Will was thrilled and in his sweetest voice he said, "thank you Sister Piippo" while he stared at his chocolate prize! (at church we call each other sister/brother followed by their last name. It was something to get used to when I started going to church years ago but, it's cool if you think about it. We're ALL brothers and sisters so, why not be reminded of that, often?!)

These little toddlers were so cute! It was close to impossible to have them all look at the camera at the same time and smile. But, they're cute no matter what!

They had a great time going through all of the eggs they found and trying to eat as much candy as they could.

Me and my sweet boys!

15 Weeks Pregnant! (it's the awkward time where I don't look pregnant and the muffin top is pushed out a little further than normal so, I just look chubby...haha) But, I wanted to be better at documenting it, this time around.

I love horses so, I was thrilled when these guys came right over to me after whistling for them. The one on the right was trying to get some petting action in and the one on the left wouldn't let him! He would shove him away with his head and show the other his teeth. It was funny to watch!

It was such a great time to be hanging outside and having an Easter Egg Hunt. Everyone seemed to have a terrific time. Thanks Piippos!

Proud!

2011-04-15T18:02:00.000-07:00

Our parking space faces our stairs so, whenever we pull up to our place, Ben points to the stairs and makes some noises that mean, "Mom, I want to go up the stairs all by myself!". As soon as I let him out of his car seat, he darts for the stairs and tries his best to get up the stairs all on his own. There has been times when I was in a rush or not in the mood to wait the extra 3-5 minutes it takes to get up and I would pick him up and bring him inside. He DOES NOT like when I do this for him. He is way too proud to have mom help him! I try my best to patient and let him since this is a great accomplishment and come October when I have a car seat/infant to carry, I'll appreciate it more! Good Job, Benny!

Dragon Hollow Park!

2011-04-13T17:36:00.000-07:00

Ben really has no fear. He loves going down slides all on his own and usually comes shooting out and sometimes ends up right on his bottom! He gets right back up and goes for it again. And he loves climbing everywhere! Here, he was telling me to go with him (he pats his chest when he wants you to follow him places) up to the top. I did that time but, later on he went all the way to the top and hung out in there for a bit without supervision (good mom, huh?!). He was pleased with himself.

He also really enjoyed the tire swing. This has always been one of Will's favorite spots (and used to be mine when I was younger!). He giggled and smiled. So sweet.

Will and his best friend, Kody hogged the swings for pretty much the whole time we were there...haha (don't worry there really wasn't anyone waiting for it)

Cute kid, having a blast with his friend.

I was finally feeling good enough to hurry up and get out of the house before I started to feel cruddy again... So, I texted my good friend, Grace and she met us there! Honestly, the fresh air is sometimes the best medicine. Oh and a friend to talk with and keep your mind off of things is always good!!!

Sickies!

2011-04-11T18:16:00.000-07:00

This is what it's been like all week at our place! It's been terrible. First Ben was sick with flu like symptoms on Sunday, and then Monday morn was Will and I followed soon after that same day. Luckily, I'm blessed with an amazing hubby who came home early from school to take care of us. We were hurting and tired. It is so hard to see your little ones have no energy and not wanting to eat or play. This was the longest Will has ever been sick. I was so worried for him. Poor guy. A week later he was back to his normal self. I knew things were great when he woke up and wanted some food and started saying silly things! It was great.

As for me, getting sick at this time couldn't of come at a more worse time. I was already feeling down in the dumps from not being able to do my normal everyday things due to morning sickness/all-day sickness and the day before I got sick-sick I was like, "wow, I feel great!" and then SLAP!, i was sick again. I can now tell you that I feel a whole lot better and I even have a small taste for food now-a-days. I forgot that food could taste good...haha I love that my house is getting to be a little more orderly again and my boys are getting their fun mom back! Woo hoo.

Picnic time!

2011-04-08T12:39:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, Matt can not be in charge of taking the pics and I'll just have to go back to doing it since he got hardly any while we were visiting Bellingham! I wish I had more to share with you but, this will do!

Panion is the Marriott's dog and he is such a great dog. Matt and i talk of how we hope to someday have a dog like him!

The older kids were great at entertaining the younger ones. A big THANK YOU to the Tobler kids. You guys were so sweet. William still talks about how he and James are friends and played together!

The kids played and played! There was plenty to do. Run around, ball-playing, eating, playground fun, more eating, swinging on the swings, checking out the baby bat that fell from a tree and couldn't get back up, feed the birds and more! They were pretty entertained while the adults had adult talk and caught up!

Matt, Jared and Jake! These are Matt's buddies.

If you can't tell, there is a child (not gonna mention any names...o wait! It's WILL!) out there in with his pants around his ankles, peeing in the grass! Matt taught him that it's okay to go outside(if we're camping or driving far and pull-over) but, he's never gone on his own before so you could imagine the shock when one of my friends said, "uh, Patty" and pointed over to Will...lol Needless to say, we were crackin' up pretty hard! When I asked him why he did that, he said, "I had to go potty so, i was watering the grass for it can grow." Enough said.

Through Facebook/technology, we were able to connect with our old friends and hang at the park, have a picnic, BBQ for the day! It was such a gorgeous day. The sun was shining and although it was a bit windy, it was totally worth the while to be outside and hanging with everyone!

And at the end of the day, we had a great place to stay at. Thank you so much Fife's for housing us and letting us take over your downstairs and be loud! You guys are the best and we love ya.

Marine Park in Bellingham!

2011-04-08T07:44:00.000-07:00

He tried to throw the rock out but, it went up instead. Luckily, it didn't hit him in the head like it looks like...

Matt climbed a tree and took some shots of us. We're the little dots at the middle left.

When we lived in Bellingham, this was one of our favorite places to hang out. We would usually stop and get some bakery goodies at 5th Avenue and munch on em here while the boys threw rocks into the water. They LOVE throwing rocks in! It's fun to watch.

So, while we were there, we stopped and hung out there for a bit!

Scenic View Point.

2011-04-07T22:38:00.000-07:00

We stopped at the Scenic View Point that overlooks the Columbia River. We stopped at this same place when we were on our way to Montana to make it our home. It has sage growing everywhere (random but, cool). We all stretched our legs and walked on the trail. The boys watched ants eat up the chocolate they dropped for it and I sat on a rock enjoying the view and my family oh and the sun!

Roadtrip to Bham!

2011-04-07T21:59:00.000-07:00

We left for Bellingham, Washington very early in the morning on Thursday. Our road trip was 10 hrs long and we would stay only for a couple of days. Matt was asked to give a presentation for the Graduate Conference that was happening that Saturday and we felt like it was the perfect excuse to get-away and see some old faces. It couldn't have come at a better time for me. I had been sulking around the house with no motivation to clean or the energy to do it. I was ALWAYS sick and had no desire to eat anything with flavor. I really needed to get out of the house but it was hard to do without the help of my awesome husband. It was great to be able to be together. And I know I was a pain in the bum but, he handled it well. Such an awesome man. Our road trips really wouldn't be what they were without each other... I have so much fun with him and I'm so grateful for that. I can honestly say that we can/do make each other laugh and are pretty silly around each other and I LOVE that. Definitely one of my fave things about "us"... along with roadtrips together(of course).

Cheese balls!

2011-03-29T21:51:00.000-07:00

I love these faces! They especially made me happy to see when I was feeling so sick and didn't want to leave the sofa.

Park Time!

2011-03-26T07:22:00.000-07:00

These boys are BRAVE! They were climbing everywhere!

We haven't gone to the park in a while. The weather just didn't seem to agree with us! So, we went on a drive and while doing that, the sun was out and Will noticed a park, so we stopped! And Matt got to take pics of the boys!

Pinewood Derby!

2011-03-23T21:09:00.000-07:00

I've been a part of the Cub Scouts program as my new calling, for a couple of months now. It's grown on me, a bit. The Pinewood Derby is an activity that the boys love and it seems to be the thing to look forward to every year. It was the perfect time to take Will and get him more excited about scouts someday(even though it'll be a while...). Needless to say, he loved it and thought the boys were sooo cool.

Baby's first photo shoot!

2011-03-23T20:50:00.000-07:00

My first appointment for baby #3 went really well. Through recommendations, I found a great doc and one of the cool things about him is he does an ultrasound at every appointment! I love that. I'm still feeling nauseous frequently and puking every now and then. I am constantly reminded of how much I dislike this stage in pregnancy. I usually enjoy being pregnant after this part(up til the last couple of weeks) so, I can't wait for this part to pass!

The Doctor is in...

2011-03-23T20:34:00.000-07:00

Ben does NOT like to put the stethoscope on his ears. He only likes press the button...silly kid.

Will gave his Bear a well-check. The Bear is healthy and his ears look good.

Will then shared his drink with his Bear for being such a good boy.

Whenever there's an "owie", Will is always there to get a band-aide for you and kiss it. He's always so sweet and sincerely asks, "Are you okay?". So, I couldn't resist when I saw the cute doctors kit at target, and on sale!

Gymnastics Playgroup!

2011-03-22T12:12:00.000-07:00

The Foam Pit was a hit!

Will tested out the tubes.

Ben went in the smaller ones and danced around a bit.

Will loved bouncing on the trampolines. And there were some on either side which meant that I had a lot of running around to do!

When we ask Ben to jump he usually crouches down and makes a noise, as if he jumped. Here, he actually jumped and giggled with his brother!

I was proud of how brave Will was. He found this swing and swung himself into the foam pit!

And then went back for more!

Will went on the higher one and was GREAT at balancing himself back and forth! I was impressed. Of course Ben had to do it too because he likes to do everything his big brother does!

He climbed all the way up and rang the bell!

And lastly, the people who worked there, helped the kids on this swinging contraption and Will swung all the way across to the other side! And he was very proud of himself. Instead of capturing a pic of his face, I just stared back and admired him.

And here's short video of the first thing they did when we got there.

It was a great time. The kids LOVED it. They gave me a workout by running back and forth on those springy mats. It was $12 a family so, it's not something I'll do every week but, we'll go back in the future. I'm sure William will ask to go again at some point!

Happy St. Patricks Day!!!

2011-03-17T20:29:00.000-07:00

I love these boys. I can't believe how big they both look in these pics. They really make my world go round.

Riding and a Secret!

2011-03-12T07:56:00.000-08:00

Our First Bike ride of the year! We were so excited to go on a bike since there was no snow on the ground and tempts were in the 40's! Oh and the SUN was out for us!

These boys were super excited and hopped right into the trailer while Matt and I got ready.

My handsome hubby put air in my tires for me. I wouldn't of even thought of that until I drove off and later thought, my bike feels funny...haha He takes care of me!

All buckled in and geared up with their shades! At the last second, Will said, "like this!" and put his sunglasses on his head. Way cooler like that...

The trail had lots of people enjoying the beautiful weather. We rode it to one of the parks on the way and the kids had a blast, of course! Will was gigglin' like a maniac as he swung back and forth. He missed the swings!

Ben gets uneasy on swings unless you entertain/distract him the whole time! Matt worked on that.

Ben loves the slides. He has always had no fear about getting up there and going down on his own.

We then continued on down the trail and all the way around to get back to our house. It was a much needed bike ride. The fresh air was something that definitely made me feel awesome. Especially since I haven't been feeling well and have felt like a hermit for a while. Oh, because I'm pregnant!!! Our 3rd baby should make an appearance around October 15th-ish!

Sword Fighting!

2011-03-10T07:28:00.000-08:00

Here's my boys, well, being boys!

Little Turd!

2011-03-08T21:42:00.000-08:00

Ben decided to throw his mac n' cheese all over the floor so for his punishment, he needed to get down there and clean it up!

He thought I was playing around with him(hence, the smile) and was going to run away.

He quickly turned around when he realized i wasn't joking. He thought about things whilst looking at the wall...

The Mess.

Finally, he picked some up and put it in the bowl.

After about 5 or 6 pasta shells, he was done and leaned up against the wall.

And one of the most hilarious pics... he has wide-eyes and a cheese goatee! Too funny.

Sup, Homie?!

2011-03-04T15:11:00.000-08:00

My cute little boy is finally doing better about the potty. He's actually been going without us having to ask him every 5 minutes! He came out of the bathroom with his shirt tucked into his underwear and acted like nothing was wrong. Matt and I were cracking up! I love this kid.

Disappearing Ink!

2011-03-03T14:57:00.000-08:00

So, the directions say to use half water, half baking soda but, I found that it worked better with more baking soda than water. So, mix them together, grab some Q-tips(or paint brush...whatever is handy) and let your little one draw or write a message on white paper. Let it dry.

After it's dried, color over it with grape juice!

If you can't tell, my picture was an airplane... I'm quite the artist, huh?! lol

Will decided to also draw with the grape juice...

Eventually, this is what he revealed! It was a fun activity with minimal clean-up! Good times.

My bro and the boys!

2011-02-25T14:29:00.000-08:00

I wanted to get some pics of the boys and their uncle.

Crazy eyed Massimo...haha

This is one of my faves because first, my brother isn't making his crazy eyes and everyone is smiling!

I told him to put the boys on his shoulders but it proved to be a little complicated...haha

And then Ben gave uncle a big smooch on the lips!

This was my brothers last night hanging with us. It was sad to have him leave. Especially since the time went by so fast(as always)! He said he'd like to come back soon so, I hope he does. Love you, Massimo! Thanks for being a great guest!

Sledding and Freemos!

2011-02-21T09:41:00.000-08:00

What do you do when your bro comes to visit and it snows and snows?!

Sled.

Ben and I didn't do any sledding, we just watched! Ben is a grump when it comes to lots of clothing and snow...

Freemos is a pizza buffet place that cooks whatever pizza you request and it's only 5 bucks a person(kids are cheaper) so, it's a great deal for unlimited pizza and salad!

And they have fun games that you can bribe your kids with, so long as they eat their pizza!

Matt and Massimo got in on a little foosball action! I really like this pic because of the reflection of the Griz paws on the table and how serious their game playing is!

Uncle Massimo came to visit us!

2011-02-19T22:35:00.000-08:00

I love that my brother actually enjoys hanging out with us! We planned a trip before Christmas for Massimo to come visit us and it was great having him! He's pretty flexible. He just goes with the flow and seemed to make himself comfy. I was so excited to see him. (It probably didn't seem that way since I had the flu and went to bed early on the night he arrived but, I really was! I promise. The flu just kicked my butt!)

My brother came with a suitcase my grampy sent with him. It was stuffed with toys for the boys and a few presents for Matt and I! So, on the next morning, the boys dove in!

Ben is playing with a bus that opens and you can stand up the crayons inside. There's even a sharpener under the hood!

Will was so excited about all the stuff, that I couldn't get him to look directly at the camera!

And the foam puzzle pieces have been a hit. We set them up as a track for their cars and they had a blast. Thanks Grampy and Ann!

Later, we were off to Red Robin! Mmm, Mmm good!

Ben gave me this cute little smile.

And my other two gave some good smiles too!

The guys went to Fuzziwigs Candy shop while we were at the mall and filled up a few bags of candy. They munched on it for the rest of the night! I like candy but, not as much as them!

And we all know that Will was definitely hopped up on sugar since he was part of the Fuzziwig Candy Gang!

It was definitely a fun day for all of us. I'm so glad my brother was able to hang with us!

Exercising!

2011-02-18T22:30:00.000-08:00

When Matt works out, Will usually tries something a minute or two. It's fun to watch!

Especially when he makes his serious face! This kid cracks me up!

Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T15:48:00.000-08:00

(lots of pics... lots of fun)

Matt suggested we go to "Del's Place" for breakfast before he headed off to school. While we were there, the waitresses received a singing telegram. It was so cool. These older men came in all dressed up and sang and they sounded good! I'm so glad we were there for that.

After, the kids and I went over Ashley's house for a Vday party that she and Grace hosted! The kids got right into the balloons and toys.

Here's my friend Holly and her cute little boy, Alan.

Ben and his balloon.

Bridger and his balloon.

This airplane rocker toy was a hit! Nicolas tried it out.

Lindsay and her cutie little girl, Ashley.

And then the kids decorated their own bags for their valentines to go in.

This was so funny. Ben was "talking" across to Bridger and Bridger was listening intently on his cell phone whilst waiting for their food...apparently... So grown-up.

After that, the kids decorated their own sugar cookies. Here's Wills.

Another awesome friend, Grace, and her little guy(Will's best friend) Kody!

Here Jaxon was enjoying his decorated cookie!

Ben was happy so long as he was eating!

Sweet Bridger!

Dane!

I told the kids to just laugh and this is the pic I got! I mean, I said something hilarious and this is the pic I got!

This was so darn cute. I asked Kim's little guy to give his mommy a kiss and he got so shy. How adorable was that?!

Olivia really loves that frosting! (this pic cracked me up...)

Clara is just being her sweet self!

And here's the gang! It was a great time. Thanks for hosting, you two!

It's a date!

2011-02-12T15:28:00.000-08:00

A Valentine's Date!

Our good friend, Grace came by and watched the kids while Matt and I enjoyed some yummy Italian food at, "Ciao Mambo!" and then a movie (Just Go With It...which was actually pretty funny. Matt and I both enjoyed it!).

Downtown was happening on the weekend before Valentine's Day!

My cute husband and I waited for our table.

As part of your dinner entertainment, you get crayons to write all over your tablecloth.

It was so nice to get out and enjoy each other. I love going on dates. It gives us a chance to unwind and miss our little ones and indulge in some yummy food that was ALL for us. No feeding other mouths before our own and ALL adult talk. And it always feels strange to be out so late going to a movie. Makes us feel like teenagers again! It was great.

OOOW, LA, LA!

2011-02-11T15:21:00.000-08:00

I usually don't ask for anything for Valentines Day but, this time around, I thought it was a perfect excuse for me to get something for myself...ha

Matt did a great job and listened to me when I told him exactly what I wanted (it also helped that I held his hand and brought him to the store and pointed to the exact earrings...haha).

I love blue and I recently lost one of my fave blue earrings that I've had forever so, I was so excited to see these pretty sapphire ones!

Vday Playgroup!

2011-02-09T21:35:00.000-08:00

These JELLO hearts were great for the occasion! I am gonna remember that for next year and steal that idea!

Balloons are a great hit... until they pop! haha Everytime one popped, there was at least one crying/upset kid.

I got to babysit this cute little girl, Olivia. Ben and Olivia decided to roll around on the gym floor and be cute.

She was a little sad that her daddy left so, I was so excited when I finally made her laugh and even caught a smile on camera!

These kids were crazy about lolly pops!

Lolly pop kids!

Olivia had a lolly pop sticking outta her mouth and was getting ready to pull some more candy out...haha

Ben was saying, "cheeeese", here.

Kim and her little guy!

I know Olivia loved her candy but, she was way more excited about seeing her daddy again. So sweet.

Ben, the janitor...

Rachel and her boys! (good pic)

And right before we left, a little boy asked Will if he wanted to play baseball and he was so excited about it.

Olivia took Ben for a ride around the gym...haha

It was a great playdate. The kids had a blast, we left with candy, valentines, and pencils! Fun, fun!

Trains and coolness.

2011-02-08T21:33:00.000-08:00

We stopped at the toy store in the mall and they had an awesome wooden train set. These kids were entertained for a bit while I just browsed around for a little something for valentines day (melissa and doug color by dot coloring book, new crayons in box )!

And a friend told me about the sale on cute kids sunglasses at childrens place so...

What do you think of these cool kids?!

Snow storm.

2011-02-07T21:30:00.000-08:00

My guy rides his bike on most days to and from school. I offer a ride but he usually refuses! And we've had negative tempts in the mornings here! One day, I was worried for him because last minute he decided to ride his bike home and a snow storm had just started up. I was so glad he made it home ok. When he came through the door I had to get a pic because there were seriously icicles hanging from his beard! I love that crazy man of mine.

This kid cracks me up.

2011-02-06T21:28:00.000-08:00

I loved that he gave me a real smile with his messy face!

Love this...

2011-02-05T21:25:00.000-08:00

We needed a new mattress and while at the furniture store, the kids sat on these and watched some tv whilst waiting for us. The ottoman fits within the seat! How cute is that?!

Vday decorations!

2011-02-03T21:16:00.000-08:00

Will is awesome at using scissors! I drew the heart on the paper and he cut almost perfectly on the line. I loved watching his concentration as he did it. So cute.

Here's something I've been working on. I wanted to do Valentines for my parents to give out at their restaurant, as a surprise. So, here it is, so far...

And then we made rockets by wrapping paper around rollo's. He loved it even though it wasn't the best rocket!

Running around the gym...

2011-02-02T21:00:00.000-08:00

I'm glad that I've been going to the stake playgroup. They meet once a week at the church and it's been a great way for me to get to know the other moms better and for my kids to run off their craziness! I've found it especially helpful to do this before food shopping.

Will LOVES riding his bike around the gym, as fast as he can!

Ben was really sad when a little girl there wouldn't give up her stroller. When she finally walked away from it, I watched him run up to it and push it around for a little.

Isn't he cute?!

Ben also wanted so badly to get the b-ball in the basket after he seem me do it. I tried picking him up but, it just wasn't gonna happen...haha

Will's bellybutton coin?!

2011-01-31T22:04:00.000-08:00

Will wanted to play with coins so, I took a few out. And we looked at the different sizes. And when we were putting them back into the piggy bank he said, "don't put this one in(a penny) because it's my bellybutton coin." lol. "WHAT?!", I asked. "I put that in my belly button and it shoots blasters from it!" We were laughing together, at this point. And then he says, "but it keeps falling out."(can you tell he attempted to make the penny stay several times from the red marks?!) I showed him that the dime looked like the right size... He said, "i need tape so it can stick to my skin." So, I went and got the tape and followed the directions by putting a piece on the back and stuck it on his little belly button. He then walked down the hallway and made noises indicating that "blasters" were shooting from it. This kid really cracks me up!

Piggy Bank and coins.

2011-01-30T22:02:00.000-08:00

I remember Will loved to do this, too. I watched him put coins in over and over again. I took the bottom off so the coins would fall to the bottom. He had a great time. He was very focused. (don't worry, I will not let him play with coins unattended although he was very good and didn't put any to his mouth.)

Sick day.

2011-01-30T21:54:00.000-08:00

He examined his hands after the snow fell on it.

Ben hasn't been feeling himself. We figured it would be a good idea to keep him home from church. About 20 minutes after Matt and Will left for church, the snow started falling and it was so pretty. The snowflakes where huge. It was a little stuffy in the house so, I asked Ben if he wanted to go outside and he was all for it. In the video, he's saying, "reach". He was reaching for the snowflakes.

Museum Playdate!

2011-01-28T21:27:00.000-08:00

In this pic, Will was asking, "Can I go play now?!". I just asked for one little pic of them together but no, the museum is cooler...well, it is!

Ben has always loved slides. He was eager to get on this one. In fact, he tried going UP the slide several times with little success.

Will was so cute. I was chasing after Ben and looked over at Will from across the room and I saw him putting on a little show with the drum, on the stage(and for the camera that was hooked up to the tv so, you could watch yourself performing!). I went over and he told me to sit on the log bench and watch. He was all giggly and cute about it.

One of my friends, Lindsay and her kids met up with us and played at the museum for a while. They all had a great time together! We'll definitely have to do that again, soon.

The water area is probably a fave of my kids. I try not to head over there first because I know we'll be there for the rest of the time!

The pretend grocery store is a hit for all the kids. It's super cute. I was actually wishing that I had that whole little set-up in my own home, because it's that cute!

It's funny but...

2011-01-25T21:32:00.000-08:00

...it's really not something I should condone...

...spitting food out is NOT cool. (even pretend food)

Ben and painting...

2011-01-19T20:37:00.000-08:00