The Past Few Months

I have not forgotten about this blog. In fact, I think about posting something a couple times a week. And then I never do. I guess it is just one of those things that gets put to the bottom of the list until it is actually embarrassing that you haven't done it (kind of like cleaning the bathroom).

Our past few months has been so much fun! We have tons of pictures, but none of them are on this computer...they are in where Cam is napping. So I won't be posting pictures today. But here is an update...
We had a wonderful Halloween party with all of the "Hot Mamas" and it was just perfect! Good food, lots of candy, darling costumes, pin the nose on the jack-0-latern, trick or treating, etc. The boys had a ball.
We left for Utah right after the halloween party and had a terrific trip there! We stayed with Scott's parents for about a week and did a whole bunch of fun things including: campfire with Papa (complete with tents, flashlights, and of course, fire...all things that the boys just LOVED), a fun farm which I don't remember the name of where we went around and saw a ton of animals and had a swarm of geese follow us because we had a bag of food, walk around Silver Lake (again, I don't remember if that is the right name), swimming with cousins at Holladay Lions, seeing our dear friends Jeff and Julie and their darling kids, spending a day in Provo and seeing all the old sights of where Scott and I first met, first kissed, first apartment, etc., attended the wedding of the best friend I could ever have and someone I just admire so much, Mandie (I still call her Sister Hendricksen...from the mission), eating tons of good food, date night with the adults, and just fun time with Papa and Mimi. We loved having them all to ourselves for the week!
Next, I went up to Idaho for a week...which I often fear doing because I am not a great single parent. In fact, I feel like I usually fail miserably when I try to do it by myself. But Scotty had to be back to work and I really wanted to spend time with my parents and sister, so we gave it a go. And it actually turned out great. That doesn't mean that we didn't have some HUGE meltdowns from the boys..no, that was definitely there, but I handled it and we got through it. When we first got there it was so cold and then it started snowing for almost an entire day. Then next few days were just heaven for the boys and they asked to get in their snow clothes the very second they woke up. Ty was a little trooper out there and even after Cam would give up and come in because he was too cold, he would continue to make snow angels and slide down the hill all by himself. The boys just loved bonding with Grandma and Grandpa with movie nights, making cinnamon rolls, going swimming, playing in the snow, doing crafts, playing games, learning songs, etc. They also just couldn't get enough of Aunt Becca. Ty actually keeps asking for a sister since we have been up there because he loved playing with Becca. She built a fort with them and played doctor and chased them around the house. She even took a turn bathing them and getting them ready for bed one night. We were certainly spoiled!!
As soon as we got home I felt so homesick and missed all of the fun people and fun things that we were able to do over those few weeks!
Next comes...Thanksgiving! We had such a terrific day...I dare say it might have been my favorite Thanksgiving ever! Maren and I ran the turkey trot first thing in the morning (which I have to say thanks to Maren for coming over several times in the prior weeks in order to help me get out and training for it without the kids) and it was awesome. Then home to my sweet and wonderful husband who is actually such a terrific chef. She stayed up until around midnight the night before so that he could get the stuffing going in the crockpot and when I got home from my run, he had the kids all dressed and having fun and had a few other Thanksgiving dishes prepared. He is so great!
We met at the Laytons around 1pm and fed the kids and put them to bed! The adults enjoyed a blissful dinner where we ate all that we could without having to stop and feed anyone. Then we moved to the family room where we promptly fell asleep to a movie until the kids woke up. By the time the kids woke up we were just about ready to head over to the Katz's for dessert with several other families. It was amazing! I love getting together with friends on Thanksgiving and sharing holidays together because it makes them feel like family :)
Anyway, after dessert, the Laytons headed back to our place and we put the kids down for the night and then the real party started. We played games and chatted and laughed our heads off (at least I didn't wet my pants this time) until super late and then put on Harry Potter. The next morning, Maren and I went shopping while the boys watched the kids. We picked up lunch and brought it home...mmmm Five Brothers burgers!! That night we headed over to the Layton's for another sleepover at their place. We seriously had so much fun!!
Over the last few weeks I feel like I have been in heaven because I can blast the Christmas music from our house and I don't get weird looks like I do when its July. We got out our Christmas decorations right after Thanksgiving and our whole life feels so Christmasy. We had a whole group of friends over for donuts and hot chocolate (after we tried to go look at Chrismas lights, but it didn't exactly work out :)), we made gingerbread houses with some friends, we sing christmas songs by the light of the tree and sometimes with Scotty playing the guitar, we have watched Polar Express more times than I care to admit, and I am just getting all the ingredients out for sugar cookies for this afternoon.
Cam is now awake and desperately wants to watch the Will i Am Sesame street video...if you haven't seen it on youtube, you should go check it out. Then you will know what I listen to all day long :)
I will try to post some pictures of our ever growing and ever so cute boys.

Before I forget...

Every single day, the kids do something that makes me laugh. Every day. And I always think that I should write them down somewhere. And I never do.
So I am going to write down the few that have happened today and yesterday....cause you gotta start somewhere!

This morning Ty and I had a conversation about switching over to closed-toed shoes instead of sandals. He has been so upset that he can't wear his sandals anymore and he insists that the other shoes are "squishy" even though they are actually one size too big for him. His biggest complaint was that he wouldn't be able to play soccer in his shoes. I told him that it would actually be better with the newer shoes because they cover his feet and no one could step on his toes and he wouldn't step on any rocks. At the mention that he wouldn't get hurt by rocks, he raised his eyebrows and said "No, mom. You don't understand. If I saw any rocks, I would just jump over them. Now can I wear my sandals?" Oh...I hadn't thought of that one. Thanks for clearing that up, Ty!

When Cam woke up from a nap the other day, he walked into Ty's room to play with him and Ty squealed "Check this out Cam! I made a bomb shelter!" I have NO idea how he learned what a bomb shelter is, but I think it might have something to do with Scott's video games.

I checked in on Ty during quiet time one day and found that he had moved the toy chest and a couple other things to make a fort in his room. I look suprised because I didn't realize he could move all that stuff himself and said "Wow. That stuff is heavy" to which he replied "Well, I am strong...like a big boy and like a jaguar!"

This one I am still laughing at as I type this....last night we had a lesson on the priesthood for Family Home Evening. We told the boys that if they are obedient and righteous that they will be able to hold the priesthood one day. So this morning, Cam and Ty were arguing over a toy and Ty had asked nicely for the toy but Cam wouldn't give it to him. I heard Ty yell "CAM!! If you don't be obedient, you will NEVER GET THE PRIESTHOOD!!!!" I am just happy that the lesson stuck!

At the park today, Cam was standing right next to me when a man running in black sweats and a black hoodie pulled up over his head was jogging right past us. It was obvious that he was running around the park and had been for a long time, so I wasn't nervous in the slightest (even though the above description sounds like it might have been scary). Cam on the other hand....he panicked and screamed "BAD GUY! BAD GUY!" Of course all the other kids and moms at the park looked over and started to get scared. The poor man that was running just put up his hands, like "I didn't do anything" and I tried to assure Cam that everything was okay. I am glad that Cam is scared of strangers, but I feel bad for the poor guys who are suddenly singled out by Cam. He did it in Costco on Saturday as well to a man who had a long beard. I am sure the man heard, although he didn't acknowledge it.

In other news...this isn't funny...mostly just frustrating....Cam and Ty both LOVE opening and closing the door. I think we need to put a chart right on the door showing who opened/closed it last so that we know whose turn it is next. Every time there is a knock on the door the boys both run to the door and whoever wins opens the door, while the other falls on the floor in a huge tantrum right in front of whoever is at the door. It makes for a great welcome for anyone who comes by. Because of the tantrums and problems, the boys lost the privilege of opening and closing the door for a whole day. That was pretty much the longest day of my life!! Now that it is over, they are doing better about at least not screaming and throwing tantrums right by the front door.

Also, Ty and Cam got to watch "The Princess and the Frog" for movie night on Friday night. They have been running around saying "Oh, Naveee-eeeen!" the way that Lotty did when she was running out to meet Prince Naveen at the parade. It is so funny to hear them say that to each other. Cam has called Ty that so much today that Ty actually answered to it one time. Ty laughed really hard when he realized what he had done. What a crack up.

That is all I can think of right now. I will try to post more because I know that I am missing some really funny ones. That's it for now!

Lemos Farm

We made the annual trek to Lemos Farm this past week with a group of good friends. Ty had been asking everyday if it was Friday yet because he was so excited to go to the pumpkin patch. Finally, Friday morning arrived and he ran into my room at 6:30am and said "Mom, get up! It's Friiiiidaaaay!" Yes, he was very excited.



We got a ride up to Half Moon Bay with our good friend Mary and Livia and the car ride went pretty well. Once we got there...oh boy. I feel like I am my very own circus sometimes. Trying to watch and keep two wild boys in line is sometimes just too much for me. Here are a few of the events from those few hours:



Cam ate a handful of goat food that Maren gave him to feed the goats.



Ty tripped and scraped his finger. There was a hint of redness on the skin and he would not rest until he had a bandaid. Luckily there was a first aid lady from another group right there.



Cam went crazy when we were able to go into the goat pen. So many goats and so many tails to pull. There was a very pregnant goat laying on the ground and I told him he needed to be VERY careful by her and, of course, he ran right over to "snuggle" her. He fell in love and spent most of his time near her. He did, however, venture away from her in order to explore the body of another goat. He put his fingers in an unmentionable place and it made the goat VERY angry. I dont blame that poor little goat.



We got passes to go into the "fun zone" which had a few bouncy houses. The boys were in heaven. They could have stayed there for days.



Cam had a head-on collision with another little boy. It was totally an accident and they both just happened to jump right toward each other and they wacked heads and both fell backwards. The other little boy shrieked and screamed until his mom came into the house and got him. Cam was stunned for a minute and then laughed and said "Again!!". That is vintage Cam. Something might be wrong with him :)



We rode the train and both boys said "Chugga Chugga Choo Choo!!" the whole time. They loved it!



When we were looking for a couple little pumpkins for decorations the boys had such a hard time not picking up the pumpkins and throwing them. When I questioned Ty as to why he wasn't being obedient and he kept picking up the pumpkins he said "They look just like basketballs. And Cam keeps doing it. He is not setting a good example for me and so I just do it too!"



Some of our friends did pony rides while we were there. I let the boys choose when we got there if they wanted to do the fun zone or pony rides. Needless to say, it was quite the battle and there were many tears.



At the very end we decided to head out to the parking lot (in order to get away from the pony rides that were causing all the tears) to look at the horses out there. The horses were standing right by the fence and so we got to pet their noses. Cam kept putting his fingers right near the horses mouth and I kept telling him that it was too dangerous. But he insisted that the horse "lick" his fingers. Finally the horse gave a little chomp and Cam gave a little squeal. He pulled his fingers away and had a totally suprised look on his face as he angrily said "Horse bite!!" His fingers were okay and they were just a little red and smooshed.



Overall, it was a fun trip. Those little boys sure keep me on my toes, but I love them so much!



"Mom, are you kidding? You really want us to look at you when there are so many other things to look at??"



Ty was so sweet with the goats he kept peeking around and asking them all "How did you sleep last night?"

Cam gives great snuggles. Especially to pregnant goats.


Ride 'em cowboys

You can see his nasty cold sore. The rest of his face was pretty cleared up by this time, but he had them ALL over his face. Poor kid. He didn't eat much for almost a week!

Fun Happenings

Here are some of the fun things we have been up to lately...

Ty's hat--Ty has been saving his pennies (that he earns for being obedient, kind, sharing, etc) for a long, long time. He didn't want to spend them on something silly like a toy or a treat. No, this boy knew exactly what he wanted. He wanted to be like his dad and buy a hat. So, while it took him months to save up all the pennies, he finally bought his hat with dad. Both Scott and Ty were happy little boys!



Visit from Mimi--Scott's mom came to visit and the boys had a blast. We went to the Mountain View Art and Wine Festival that was in downtown Mountain View, just blocks from where we live. While we didn't drink any wine or look at any art, we did spend hours at the bouncy houses and slides. Ty and Cam were literally dripped sweat as they climbed out and they both exclaimed "That was FUN!!" We ate ice cream and kettle corn and it most definitely spoiled our dinner, but that's okay! It was such a treat to have Mimi come!

Weather turned cold--This is definitely a "fun happening". I have been waiting for fall and winter since, well, since last fall and winter! We celebrated by pulling out the rain boots...and the boys have not taken them off since!

Camping at Ice House Reservoir--We went camping with my grandma and grandpa and lots of my aunts and uncles. It was so fun for the boys to get to know more of the Wright family and see their great grandparents. They had so much fun and they both cried when we had to pack up our tent to go home. I wish we had more pictures...but alas, we don't.

The boys played by the lake, threw hundreds of rocks into the water, were showered with love and candy from my aunts and uncles, got to go fishing, and just plain got dirty! They loved it. Cam even had a battlewound to prove that you should not take climbing rocks lightly :)
Scott and I loved riding on the boat, riding the seadoos, and even jumping off of a 30 ft cliff. (Ok, so really, I climbed to the top and chickened out. Scott jumped. He is so brave.)

More fun things to come later!

Yet again...

I have lost my phone.

Actually this time it was stolen. I found the case out in the gutter right next to our house. I had the phone one minute. Then next minute it was gone (must have fallen out of the stroller).
I went back to see where I had walked...like 20 steps from our front door and found the case there. I tried calling the phone and it is off.

I am so angry.
I am so frustrated.
Yes, this is the new phone that Scott got me about three weeks ago because I jumped into the swimming pool with the phone in my pocket.
Oh I am so mad right now.

I probably shouldn't post when I am this upset, but maybe I can leave all my anger here on the blog and I won't let it ruin the rest of my day.

Oh yes, and happy birthday Cam. I love you. I really do. I know I have been crying for the last 30 minutes, but it isn't your fault. And you still get presents tonight.

A Few Things I Love...

---Monday mornings! Most people don't like monday's, but I do. Wanna know why? Garbage day! It starts my week out great when the boys happily jump out of bed and get dressed right away and wait by the window for the garbage man to come by. Since this is the case EVERY SINGLE monday morning, all the garbage men know the boys. They stop by the window and wave, they honk the horn, and sometimes they even let them yell the magic word and then the garbage cans go up to be dumped. It is so magical for them. It gets even better though...ALL day as the garbage trucks drive around town they recognize the boys and they honk and wave. It is so cute! We actually just got back from a little walk and one of the garbage men that we haven't seen in awhile actually pulled over his truck to jump out and say hi to the boys and give them a "hi five". I wish they all could know how much these little guys look forward to seeing them each week.

--My Running Cheerleader! The other day as I was trying to go five miles (after not running on my injured knee for about 10 days). It felt like I was running 10 miles. It was so hard. Right around 3 miles I really felt like giving up and my legs were sore and I had just hit a wall. I turned a corner onto a major street and up in front of me about 50 feet was this woman with a bright orange and yellow African dress on with a matching head piece. It was gorgeous. She was old in age, but very young in spirit. As soon as I turned the corner with my jogging stroller, she jumped up and started cheering for me. "Come on girl! You can do it! Wow, what a woman! Girl, you got it goin' on!" She just kept cheering for me and clapping. I was a tad bit embarrassed at first, but then I didn't care. As I ran past I am sure I had the biggest smile I've ever had while running. Thank you wild and wonderful lady for keeping me going!

--"Cami-boy". When Cameron was first born, Scott and I didn't really want people to call him "Cami". It sounded too much like a girls name. But, I've gotta tell you...hearing Tyler call him Cami or Cami-boy is the sweetest thing I have ever heard.

--I love that a few weeks ago at the park, we saw this man with a HUGE dog that was black and white and Ty asked the man "Can I pet your cow?"

--I love that while I was writing this post, the boys decided to eat sugar by the spoonful. Literally. I accidentally left the bag of sugar on the table from breakfast and when I peeked out to check on the them, I caught Cam white-handed with an overflowing spoonful of sugar that he popped into his mouth before I could reach him. Sugar ALL over the floor. Sugar all over their clothes. I wonder how much they ate....

--I love that no matter how hard I try or no matter what I do, boys (or at least my boys) turn every toy into some kind of weapon. Right now, Ty and Cam are wandering around the house as a firefighter and a police man and trying to get the bad guys with their golf clubs that they hold up to their eye and then shoot. Where do they learn this stuff? They will have none of this coloring or sitting down to do a puzzle. Not enough aggression or physical contact.

Buck, the scarlet retriever

Today at the park, Ty found a ladybug.
He sat underneath the swing where he found it and played with it the whole time at the park. He called over Cam, and they admired it together. Ty was sure to let Cam know exactly how she liked to be held and how to talk to her just right. They giggled and laughed as her little legs would tickle the palms of their hands. They gasped in awe as she opened her wings and they saw how she could fly. But she didn't fly away. She just stayed there with the boys.
Ty begged and begged until finally I told him he could bring the ladybug home. He quickly placed her in the trunk (small container on the back of his tricycle) and put some grass in there and some sticks so she would be "nice and comfy for the ride home". Ty rode his bike very slowly home, making sure to not hit any of the usual bumps so as to not bother the ladybug. On the way home he said "Mom, I want her to be in our family forever. That is why I won't go on any bumps, because I want her to love me and to stay with me forever. She will be so happy in our family!"
When I asked what her name was he replied "Her name is Buck, just like Dad's doggy when he was a little boy. Buck was a golden retriever and that is what I want the ladybug to be."
I said "That is so neat Ty! Dad will be so excited! Except a golden retriever has fur that is golden...is your ladybug golden?"
(Ty)"No...she is red. Could she be a red retriever?"
(Me)"Sure...or do you know another name for red? It is scarlet.
(Ty)"Ooooohhhh. She could be a scarlet retriever!"
He beamed from ear to ear and pedaled even faster on our way home. He was one happy boy.

As soon as we got home, Ty rode right up to the front door and waited right there for me as I walked up. Just as I walked up and told him I would go inside and get a jar for Buck, he opened the trunk to check on her. I heard him gasp and then shout "Noooooo!"
Up, up, up and away she flew. Immediately came the flow of tears. I gave him a big hug and we talked about it for a minute. Still sad, he walked his bike over to put it away and then sadly, head hung low, he walked back to the house.
As he walked in, with huge tears in his eyes, he asked "Why did she leave me? We were going to be a happy family?" As I hugged him and talked to him more about it and told him that it was so wonderful that she living out in nature and we should be happy, he finally said "Mom, I think I just need to call dad. He can make me feel better."
A quick phone call to dad made his tears go away. Even though he still was missing her, things seemed to get better after that. I feel the same way about Scotty. He makes everything better!
I love that we had Buck, the scarlet retriever in our family for a few minutes.
I love even more that we have Scott in our family forever!

Midnight Snacks

On Saturday morning, I woke up and really wanted to make a raspberry smoothie. Scott had just been to safeway on Friday night, and I saw that he had bought two little packages of raspberries! I was so excited. But as I searched the fridge up and down, I couldn't find the berries. I hollered to Scott "Hey...where did you put the raspberries?" to which he replied "There are right there in the fridge." Nope. They were not. I kept searching as Ty casually walked into the kitchen. Ty said "Oh, are you lookin' for the raspberries? I ate them last night!" I totally didn't even pay attention and just kind of mumbled back to him til he finally grabbed my shoulder and said "Mom, I ate all the raspberries! I got real hungry in the night and you and dad were sleeping, so I just had a snack of raspberries."
Sure enough, both containers were there in the trash. Crazy kid! He ate 16 oz of raspberries sometime after midnight (cause that is when we went to bed).

Then this morning I found an empty bag of chocolate chips on the counter first thing in the morning and when I questioned Ty, he admitted that he was hungry again in the night. Luckily the bag was almost empty already!

In other news, our little Lango (aka Camerlango) is doing great. I can't believe he will be two next week. He climbs and jumps and runs like he has been doing it for ten years. He sings the abc's and lots of primary songs (but he usually only knows the word at the end of each sentence). He is a wild dancer, a fantastic wrestler (thanks to his brother), an avid reader (but only if there are trucks or tractors or diggers in the book), and he has a great imagination. Cam already plays by himself with cars and I can hear him helping them, singing to them, putting them in timeouts, changing their diapers, etc. He loves any kind of truck, especially fire trucks.
Cam is fiercely independant. It is sometimes painful. But, I have been learning patience and I turly have loved watching him learn how to do things on his own. (Even if it does take us an hour to get on shoes...)

Lastly, I ran three miles yesterday for the first time in 10 days. My body felt stiff and awful. I don't know how I am going to get my body back into "running" mode, but at least my knee felt okay...(not great, just okay. It hurt, but didn't throb with pain.) I am still nervous about it, but I am trying to not let it ruin my attitude!

That's it in news for us!

Let's make a deal....

It seems as though I wait to post anything on the blog until I have a cute story, embarrassing moment, or major catastrophe. As soon as I have one of those, I usually am too busy cleaning up said mess or waiting for said embarrassing moment to actually be funny, so I don't post it on the blog. This is a nasty cycle.
So today, I am just going to post about nothing. And everything. So it will probably be boring to everyone, but it will be fun for me :)

A couple weeks ago, Ty started saying "Okay, mom. Let's make a deal..." and then he would continue with some outrageous thought that usually included him getting candy or a toy. It started out hilarious...and it still is. To hear this little guy actually try to sell some of these bargains is just humorous. I know when he has thought of something he wants because his eyes will get big and a cute little grin appears on his face and he begins "Okay, mom. Let's make a deal. I will be veeery obedient today and you will clean up all my toys."
or "I will go wipe my nosey like you asked and you will buy me skittles."
or "I will watch a movie and you will make cookies,"
When I suggest a "counter-deal" (something like, he wipes his nose and then I will snuggle him) he thoughtfully replies "thanks Mom, but I like my deal best!"
He also has started asking me all the time "Mom, how did you get to be so pretty?" Gosh, the things this kid thinks up...it kills me!

In other news...
I am so excited for Christmas. I can't wait. The weather has turned a little colder here and it is overcast most of the morning. It is too much for me. I just can't handle having Christmas be so far away. I am already listening to Christmas music. I made chocolate chip cookies and watched Polar Express with the boys. I have had "Silver Bells" stuck in my head for several days. Do you think if I just will it to come sooner that it will happen?
Thinking of Christmas makes me miss my family. I desperately want to go and visit...and I hope we will soon. I think we will. Oh please, let's go!

Running hasn't been going so well. This week was supposed to be a 16 mile run...I got to mile 7 and had to stop because my knee was KILLING me. I could barely make it home. I was so disappointed in myself. I still kind of think it was 50% my knee hurting and 50% that I didn't want to run. And now my foot is really sore...really. It seems like every time I take a step, the top of my foot aches. But regardless, I am running today. AND I have already decided that I will listen to Christmas music, because that will most definitely keep me going!

I made chili for dinner tonight. I love making chili because I put it in the crock pot and it simmers all afternoon...and our house already smells like October. (Don't you think that the month of October smells like chili?) Mmmmm.

Last night, for Family Home Evening, I gave the lesson (really, it was more like a two minute thought) about serving a mission. We talked about how happy Heavenly Father is when people serve a mission and how happy it made me and Scott to serve a mission. Before we ended, we asked the boys where they wanted to serve a mission and Tyler said he wants to go to San Jose. Remember last year when he said he wanted to go to the North Pole? Things are improving! When we asked Cam, he just tackled Ty (as if just speaking to him suddenly gives him permission to release some atomic energy that had been building up in the three minutes that he had to sit still). End of FHE. Off to Dairy Queen for an ice cream.

Rats. Cam is awake. End of my blog post.

A small victory, but a victory none the less!

WARNING: This post is going to seem lame and weak to all of my runner friends. Don't laugh or mock or make fun of me!

Okay, so most of you know that I am training to run the St. George marathon in October. It is something I have wanted to do for a long time now and I am excited to just buckle down and get it done. We are about half way through our training schedule and I felt (note: past tense) like everything was going fine. I was keeping up on my schedule and getting all my runs in.
I have never been a fast runner...and I have never really cared that much. I just run. Put my head phones in and turn up the music, give the kids some snacks and books, and then I just go. I didn't even care how far or where I went. I just ran. And it was fun.
But, like I said, I am pretty slow. I am talking...like really slow.
Anyway, we just did 13.1 miles two weeks ago and I was feeling proud that I even did it. We finished in just under 3 hours...I think it was 2:55 or something like that. That is about 13:30 minutes per mile. (Side note: Scott is much much faster. But he trots around and runs in circles around me to keep me motivated. He tells me jokes and reminds me to push myself as hard as I can. He would run it in half the time...but he stays with me. Isn't he great?)
Anyway, we got an email from the St. George marathon with general information about the course, the schedule, etc., but the thing that stood out to me was the timing...it said that the course closes after SIX HOURS. Six hours. If my half marathon is just barely under three hours...then I am looking at finishing right at six hours. But what if I need extra time? What if something happens?
Do you know how discouraging it is to know that I could train for something for five months and then not even be able to complete it? I knew I was slow, and I knew I would be finishing at the very tail end of all the runners, but I didn't realized I would be LAST!! I didn't realize that they just might close the course before I could even cross the finish line. That is kind of depressing. I'll be honest, when I started realizing all of this, I was so so sad. Scott talked me through it and made me feel like I could do it...but I still doubted myself.
So, this past Saturday we had scheduled a 10 mile run. In the morning, Scott had a terrible migraine and he was going to be able to go, and I considered not going myself. Last minute, I decided that I would go. I geared up and took off. I had set some goals to try and run just a little bit fast this time, but I don't know what came over me. I just kept running faster and faster. And I would get lost in my thoughts and look down and I would be running an eight minute mile. So I would slow down (so I wouldn't burn out) but just kept going and going.
Finally, as I ran into our driveway of our complex the running watch showed exactly 10 miles and exactly 2 hours. I quickly did the math...that means twelve minutes per mile!
Seriously....do you know how hard it is to cut off a minute and a half per mile? FOR TEN MILES?? I was so proud of myself. As soon as I walked in the door, I fell on the floor and started crying because I was so happy. And Scotty, being the terrific husband that he is, made me feel like I had just run the whole marathon.
I know it sounds like I am tooting my own horn here...so for those of you who didn't catch it...I am still running a 12 minute mile (which is usually under the "jogging/speed walking" category) so it isn't much to brag about. But I am still really proud.
It seems like a tiny little step for most runners out there, but it was a giant leap for Rachel McPhie!

And so it began...

There I was. Standing on the side of the road, waiting for my brother to pick me up.
I saw him walking toward me and, because I didn't want him to think I was checking him out or anything, I quickly looked away. But I most definitely blushed and my heart started beating faster. He was just about to pass me, when...
What? Um...stutter...I don't know what to say....some super hot guy is asking my name!
AAAAHHH!

Yep! That is how it all began.

Scott had me at hello. Right there on the street.
He studied with me at the library. Yes, I was pretty much a nerd.
He took me to BYU football games, even when he rooted against us.
He brought me food when I was sick.
He always opened my door. Always.
He would sit and watch me straighten my hair just so he could be with me.
He is just as perfect now as he was then!
He always tells me I am beautiful. And when I roll my eyes and shrug it off, he stops and tells me again.
He holds me when I am sad and lets me cry.
He cleans the kitchen when I haven't for over a week. (Not that that ever happens...)
He laughs at my totally lame jokes.
He goes to see chick flick movies with me. In the theater! And even when he is falling asleep and I ask him why he isn't watching the movie he just says "I want you to be happy."
He doesn't get mad when I accidentally jump in the pool with my phone in my pocket and totally ruin it...or back our car into our jogging stroller.
He tells our boys that he loves me. Even when I can't hear. I know this because Ty said the other day "Dad said that you are very special Mommy and we be veeery obedient to you. And you are very pretty."
He cheers me on and tells me he is proud of me and makes me feel like I can do anything.
I really feel like the luckiest girl in the world.
If you can't tell, I am in love.
Happy Anniversary Scotty!

It's about time!

We are still alive! And after months of neglecting this poor, little blog, I am now going to show it a little attention.

Since I can't even really remember what I did yesterday, I am most definitely not going to remember all the fun, crazy, wild, frustrating, and amazing things that have happened to us in the past few months. It has all been there though. We have all been happy. We have all been sad. We are all happy again!

Some highlights over the past few months:

-Retreat with the McPhie sisters! We all went on an amazing trip to New York. It was such a delight. I loved every minute of it and I LOVE my sisters! Thanks so much to Mom McPhie who made that all possible!

-Camping, camping, camping! We have been camping several times this summer and we just love it. The boys are at that perfect age where everything from a pinecone to a dusty leaf are treasures and a tree stump can give hours of entertainment. We went to Yosemite at the beginning of May with a friend from Scott's work, then to the beach at the end of May with several friends, and then back to Yosemite in June for a family reunion. The boys had so much fun playing with their cousins and getting to see grandma and grandpa and even GREAT grandma and grandpa! We are so lucky to have such wonderful family!

-My sister Betsy got to fly in a few days before the family reunion and I got to spend a lot of time with her. I miss her. I love being with her. My kids just loved her and they were so sad when we had to drop her off at the airport. We talked, went on walks, went to the park, she styled my hair, etc. Even if it was for just a few days, it sure was heavenly!

-Swimming lessons have made up the last few weeks for us. Ty has looked forward to his swimming lessons since we signed up a few months ago and he had been asking daily when it was time. Finally, they arrived and he had a little bit of a hard time at first, but he is doing such a great job. Since all of the beginning (level one) classes were full, he was put in the level two classes and I worried that he wouldn't be able to keep up with the older kids. But he is doing a fantastic job. I am really proud of him...mostly that he learned to overcome his fear and has continued to do lessons even though he gets nervous most mornings. After lessons, he usually jumps into my arms and says "I did it Mom! Are you so proud of me?"
Cam, on the other hand, is another story. This kid...He loves the pool at our complex. He loves splashing and getting wet and jumping off the wall to me. In fact, this weekend, he jumped off the diving board at a friend's pool. But will he do a parent/tot class with me in a kiddie pool? Not a chance! The teachers keeps saying things like "As he gets older, he will get more adventurous and daring and he will warm right up to the pool" and I think to myself "Heaven help me if this kid gets any more daring!"

A few other fun things...training for our marathon is going great! I guess I haven't mentioned that Scott and I decided to run the St. George marathon this year. We found out in May that we got into the marathon (since it is a lottery) and we were so excited/terrified. We are several weeks into our training and things are going well. Sometimes I ask myself why in the world I would do something like that to myself, but in the end, I find such a wonderful release when I run. It is terrific! And the kids do well in our double jogging stroller...I often look down and see them reading books to each other, playing with cars, or Ty dividing up the lunch. (I won't mention the times I look down and see them crying or fighting over a toy or hear the phrase "Mom, Cam is touching me!!!". What do I do? I turn the music on my ipod louder and go to a happy place.)
Ty and Cam really are becoming such great little buddies. Everyday that goes by, Cam learns more words and is more like a little toddler than a baby (even though I still say things like "Scott, can you go get the baby?" Ty is so happy about it! In fact, Cam got a hand-me-down trike from some friends a couple weeks ago and has been learning to ride it lately. Ty is right by his side cheering him on and the other day, after Cam had pedaled two or three times on his own Ty exclaimed "Mom, I love having a brother!" It is little bursts like that that make me beam.
Cam has learned how to climb out of his crib. That does not make me beam. In fact, it sucks the light and life right out of me. We might have had a breakthrough tonight though...we will see. It is only 9:30....

Well, I think that sums it up over here...hopefully I will post again before September :)

WARNING: MANY PICTURES FOLLOW


Ty adoring his little cousin Izzy while sitting with Uncle Joe


I LOVE this picture. It is one of those that I snapped just in time to see the boys hiking with Scott and Ty turned around to reach out for Great Grandpa Wright's hand. I really love this picture.


Our family overlooking Yosemite valley.


This is how the longest and hardest hike went for the boys :)


I love how green the background is here...just off to the side of a waterfall having lunch


The theme for our Wright reunion this year was "Semper Fi" (an army theme). Ty still wears his dog tags everywhere (just ask anyone who has seen us since then) and will randomly holler "Semper Fi!"


Lunch at the beach


Just close enough...


Ty loves the beach. He would stay in the water the entire time if we let him. He loves it the most when Dad goes in the water with him. I heard screams of delight all the way to our spot on the sand


A picture of the fam at Sunset Beach (camping)


Bridal Veil Falls


Sad times while camping


Happy times while camping


Like father, like son


Cam's first bloody nose...and the brother who gave it to him!

Funny Family Quotes

background: sitting at the table for lunch. we were having green apples.
me: Ty, these green apples are just a little bit sour. Do you know what sour means?
ty: yep! sour means when something makes your face wiggly!
me: (laughing) what do you mean?
ty: watch! (he takes a bite of green apple, puckers up his face, and wiggles it back and forth). See...my face wiggles!


background: i did my hair curly for church on sunday
ty: wow, mom! your hair is very shaggy. we should cut it!


background: driving to church, trying to remind the kids of how we behave during sacrament meeting
me: .....and we just sit quietly and can we can play with our toys if we play soooo calmly!
ty: yes, we need to be good because Santa is always watchin' us!

background: today, just chatting with the kids
me: Hey, Cam, do you love me?
cam: no!
ty: (laughing) cam, do you love me?
cam: no!
me: Cam, who do you love?
cam: CAILLOU!!!!

background: i was cleaning up the kitchen, clearing off the table after a snack
ty: (runs into the kitchen) mom, i am really proud of you for cleaning up. great work! (runs out of the kitchen to play)


background: yesterday, making bisquits in the morning for breakfast
me: hey ty, do you want to come help me mix?
ty: could you ask me the right way?
me: please?
ty: sure...because you asked nice, I will help. i love it when you ask me nicely mom! great job!
(do you think we have over done it a bit??)

background: a few nights ago, in the middle of the night, scott rolled RIGHT next to me
me: (in an angry, tired, groggy, mean voice) Scott! Go far far away from me!!!
(in my defense, i don't want to be mean in the middle of the night. i just can't help it. i can't control it. it's like i am a completely different person)

background: scott just got home from work and ty ran and jumped in his arms. scott goes and sits on the couch next to me, still hugging tyler
ty: (suddenly pulls away from the huge hug he gave dad) hey dad? would you love a glass of water?
scott: sure buddy! thanks!
ty: (turns to me) umm, mom? could you get dad a glass of water?
(i guess i know where i stand, eh?)


background: changing a dirty diaper of cam's
ty: eww! it looks like guacamole
me: ty! that's not very polite.
ty: but mom! dad says it!!
(he threw you right under the bus, scott!)

I am sure that there are so many more. It is sure delightful living with these boys of mine!

He Knows Me

I haven't blogged much in the last few weeks. I have left out some fun family outings, a very fun date night with Scott, and other cute things that have happened. But of all the things that I could blog about today, this is exactly what I want to say.

In a conversation I had today, I was overwhelmed with emotion as I remembered a sweet, tender experience I had with one of my very dearest friends. It was one of those experiences that, no matter how many months or years pass, you still feel like it just happened because you can remember every little detail. Usually a really important moment. Like when you find out someone you love has passed away. Or when you are proposed to. You know...
I remember when I first KNEW that Heavenly Father knew me personally and was aware of what I needed.

After I had Tyler, I really struggled to get back on my feet (not literally :) ). I felt so unhappy for so long and I cried many, many hours a day. No matter what I did, I just couldn't seem to pull myself together. I didn't really want to admit that I was depressed and I was really embarrassed that I felt the way I did. My sweet, sweet mom came and stayed with me for about a week and a half (maybe even two weeks) and just was a complete angel. As I struggled to step into my new life as a mother, she was right beside me, helping me and guiding me, and letting me know I was going to be okay. I knew I was okay because she was there with me.
And Scott. Oh, what can I say, but that he was the absolute perfect man for me. He would get up with me during the nightly nursing because I didn't want to be alone. He would do the baths, the burping, the diapers, and whatever else I needed. He was such the perfect husband and father. So my mom had to leave on a friday morning because she needed to be home for something. Scott had gone out of town and wasn't going to fly in until friday afternoon. A few hours...couldn't be a big deal, right?
I couldn't be more wrong! I sobbed and sobbed when my mom was leaving. I knew she had to go. But I also knew that I couldn't do it by myself. I felt so unsure of myself, so inadequate, so unstable. My mom left and I walked back in the door and just kept crying and crying. It wasn't too long before there was a knock on the door.
There was Nancy Roberts. She lived two or three doors down from us. She was one of my best friends in the ward and we served in young womens together. She had FIVE kids and was pregnant with her sixth. She is pretty much the picture of perfection. Every time I spent even five minutes with Nancy, I would always think "I want to be just like her!" I really looked up to her in every way.
So there she was, standing on my doorstep and she said "Hi Rach. I was just thinking about you and thought that I should come over and see how you are doing." I burst into tears.
She stayed with me until Scott got home. She held Tyler when he was screaming and I couldn't get him to stop. She walked around the block with me...what, three times?
She had five kids of her own to take care of. She probably had a million other things that she needed to do, but she came over to see me and take care of me.
It wasn't too much later that I pulled out of that awful stage and things got much better. When I think about all the days or all the weeks that I have lived in my life, it is simply amazing to me that the Lord knew that on that day, at that time, I needed Him. I needed someone.
I will NEVER forget that experience and I will always love Nancy for her Christlike love and compassion.

If I ever wonder if Heavenly Father knows me, I always think of that day that he showed me that he does know me.

Not a Peep!

Cameron is pretty much like Rambo. Or like Iron Man. Or like some other incredibly tough guy that walks around with huge wounds that don't seem to bother him.

That is Cam in a nutshell.

This kid gets so many bumps, bruises, cuts, scrapes, etc and I don't even know how they happen because he never cries! Just this morning he ran and fell straight into the wall. He has a HUGE goose egg right on his head. Didn't even wimper.
The other day he fell off a park bench onto his face...on the cement...he just rolled over and kept playing.

And..this is the good story and true purpose for the post...yesterday, we went jogging and then stopped at a park to play just for a few minutes. As we jogged up, we saw a squirrel (there are tons of them around) and Cam hopped right out and ran at the squirrel. What kid hasn't chased a squirrel, right? Of course, the squirrel scampered up a tree and I just let Cam run off and play. Didn't think anything of it. Tyler joined him and they were giggling and having tons of fun. No one cried. No one screamed. Then they both run off to play on the slide and other play stuff. About 10 minutes later, as I am looking at Cam, I thought "what is that all over his face?" I ran over to check, and yes, his whole face was totally scratched up! One side was even bleeding!! I frantically asked what happened and he said "Swuirrel! Swuirrel!" Ty came over and I asked him what happened and he said "A squirrel growled and Cam and then just jumped at him" Of course, I am totally dumbfounded. Did a squirrel really just attack my baby? Didn't they think to come and tell me? Not once did Cam even make a peep. I couldn't believe it. I still can't believe it.

So, to sum it all up, I am not positive, but it is pretty likely that Cam got attacked by a squirrel.

Or, to make it sound a little better, my helpless little child was ruthlessly mauled by a pack of ferocious hairy little beasts. (Does that sound good Nate and Kelly?)

Sweet Home Holly

Hi Everyone!

You have to see this blog....you just have to!

http://sweethomeholly.blogspot.com/

This is one of my dearest friends and roommates from college (actually, we weren't ever really roommates :) ) She is so amazingly talented! I truly will spend hours looking through her blog and have taken several of her ideas and used them in my house. In fact...that is what I am doing right now. (and probably will still be looking at her blog til midnight. I love it!)
I am so glad that she has a "interior design blog" now that everyone can see.

An Art Project

Don't laugh. This is my first try at being "artsy". Maren inspired me to try it since she did a mod podge that was so darling.

I made these for the boys' room. I actually like them...imperfections and all!

(Don't worry, I fixed the crooked picture :)










This last picture is one that I LOVE LOVE LOVE! It is Scott's dad when he was little, kneeling by his bed. It was a church print! We have it hanging in Ty and Cam's room. The other night, I asked Ty what he could do if he started getting scared of bugs at night (a recent problem :( ). He calmly replied "I can look up at Papa and not be scared anymore!"

Over the last month....

It has been a long time since I have posted, and lots of stuff has happened. Nothing big. Just regular life. But it sure makes me laugh, cry, etc. Here it goes...

First of all, I have been pretty sick the past few days. I am finally feeling much better. I had the sore throat, stuffy nose, achy body all over, etc. It totally wiped me out on monday. So I cuddled up on the couch and we watched movies almost all day. Sad, I know.
But by the end of the day, Ty was thinking only in terms of disney movies. When I was telling him the scripture story of Abinadi, and told him that King Noah killed Abinadi, Ty said "Oh, kind of like Scarf (aka Scar) killed Mufasa?" and then later when I said that Alma ran away and King Noah was very angry with Alma, Ty clarified "Do you mean he was as mad as Cinderella's step-mother?" I just had to laugh. I was sick...so I had some kind of excuse.
Speaking of which...I just have to throw this in here....I have the greatest friends. Over the past few weeks of sickness that have plagued our house, I have had so much support and love from friends. One friend brought a beautiful bunch of flowers while the kids were sick. And then on Tuesday showed up with an amazing dinner just at the perfect time! And I had countless other offers to bring dinner and others to watch the kids. Thanks to everyone.
Moving on to some other wonders of the past month...
Cameron is magical. Truly. He has been given the gift of finding ANYTHING you send him to find. You think I am joking. But no. He is amazing. If the phone is missing, I will say "hey Cam, can you go find the phone?" A few minutes later, he'll wander over with the phone that has been missing for a few days! Same thing with his sippy cup...gone. I had searched everywhere. I finally said out loud "Cam, do you know where your sippy cup is?" A few minutes later, he came running up to me with his sippy cup. And the best one ever...EVER....about nine months ago, Scott lost a little tiny piece of computer equipment (kind of like a USB drive) that have thousands of dollars of stuff on it. When Scott told me it was missing, we spend days searching the house inside and out. But to no avail. It was gone. It has been gone for nine months (or more). Then, when we were at the church for Tyler's birthday party, Cameron comes over and hands me something that he found as he was wandering up on the stage. Yes. It was Scott's computer piece!! I couldn't believe it. Cameron is marvelous. He is up for hire....

On to Ty's birthday party...I can't believe that Ty is 3 now! Seems like the time passes so quickly! Ty talked about doing two things for his birthday: have pizza and a movie night and ride on a bus. That's it. And he has asked to do that for his birthday for months now. So, Friday morning, we got up and got all ready and walked down to the bus stop right by our house. Ty and Cam were absolutely giddy with excitement as they waited for the bus. I was terrified at the thought of bringing two toddlers and a double stroller onto the bus. As the bus pulled up, I had Cam on one hip, the double stroller all folded up in the other hand and Tyler was holding onto one of my pockets...I am sure it was a sight to see. The doors opened and Tyler jumped right up and in a loud voice said "Hi, bus driver! It is my burfday!" and then promptly walked to the VERY back of the bus (of course, saying hi to each person he passed with things like "hi, grandpa man") and took his seat. He wanted to sit all by himself and it was just the most adorable thing I have seen. He pointed out just about everything he saw over the following 6 minutes. We only took the bus a few stops up and then got off to pick out a piece of candy at Walmart. I thought that he would be so excited once I told him he could get a piece of candy, but he was more worried about when we could get on the bus again. Needless to say, it was an absolute success! Then, in the evening we had lots of friends over to church and did pizza and a movie night. It was so much fun. We brought our projector and watched "The Lion King" on the big screen...it felt just like watching it at a theater. We had tons of pizza and cupcakes and it seemed like everyone had fun. Ty still talks about Simba, and is also always asking Cam if he wants to play "lions" with him. So much fun!

Here we are getting ready to leave to ride the bus



waiting at the bus stop was almost unbearable. they were so excited.



Ty's seat at the back of the bus



Ty and Cam on their first bus ride. Ty says "Now I really am a big kid, cause I can ride the bus!"



Last, but definitely not least, Scott played his concert last weekend. I am married to a rock star! He did awesome. The concert was so much fun. There were a few hundred people there and TONS of our friends came. It was amazing to see how many people came out to support Scott and we had so much fun. It only took about 24 hours to get my hearing back to normal :)
So many people talked to me after the concert and asked all about how long Scott has played and how often he plays now, etc. It started me thinking about how lucky I am that Scott puts the church and his family first in his life. I just had to put that in here because he truly is such an amazing musician, but he puts even more time into being an incredible dad and husband. He comes home and cleans or cooks dinner, plays with the kids, puts the kids to bed, and then only ONCE a week does he go and do music stuff. He spends all his other time with me! I am so grateful for such a wonderful and talented husband! (Pics to come)

ugh, double ugh

On Thursday evening, I heard Tyler talking in his bed fairly late (around 9:30pm). I went in to check on him and he said "Well, you'd be so proud of me, cause I stayed in my bed, but Cam made somfin yucky in his bed." Of course, I thought Cam had dirty diaper. Nope. He threw up all over. And then fell asleep in it! (Sorry, I know it's gross, but it was my life for the past few days, so I am kind of numb to what is gross...)
Anyway, that was the beginning. Over the past three days, I have cleaned up more throw up than I ever thought was possible. Tyler started throwing up on Friday morning (poor kid had to miss his own birthday party (combined with three other friends) and he had been looking forward to it all week long :( ). I have done so many loads of laundry, it is insane (I think we are on load number 5). As soon as I cleaned up one kid, the other one started. And the sad thing is that Cam is so young, that he didn't want to have a bowl under his little mouth. He would just want me to hold him. It is such a sad thing that it is hard to push him away when you know how sick he feels. And so, yes, several times I got thrown up on. Ty was the same way, but he did a little better getting it into the bowl.
Friday afternoon was the worst. Both kids were right in the thick of this awful bug. I can honestly say it was one of the worst 24 hours of my life. Awful. Cam throws up all over me. I just clean him off. Clean me off (hair and clothes). Scrub carpet. Tyler starts throwing up. Clean the couch off. Both kids want me to hold them. Both kids crying. Start a movie. Cam throws up again. Try to get a load of laundry together to go and wash stuff so our house doesn't smell disgusting. Come back to find Ty throwing up again. Clean up the bathroom. Scrub out the bathtub. More kids crying and throwing up. No one could nap cause they were so sick. And the day went on and on.
I can't even tell you what a relief it has been to have gone 36 hours with no one throwing up.
Thank you, thank you, thank you that this is over! I never want to relive that again!

My Dad: The Super Hero

So, I guess that all little kids just think their dad is amazing. I know I sure thought that (and still do!). If there was anything that I didn't know....my dad knew it. If there was anything I couldn't do...my dad could do it. I know Scott felt the same way about his dad. He told me once that he used to just look at his dad's hands and think "Wow! One day I will have big strong hands just like my dad"....as if those hands could stop a train (and to be honest...they probably could have!)

Anyway, this is EXACTLY how Tyler feels about Scott. EXACTLY. I know that Ty loves me, but man, the way he loves Scott is just out of this world. Just yesterday, we were riding bikes out in the front as we were waiting for Scott to get home from work. One of our neighbors was just getting his mail when Scott pulled in the driveway. You could hear both kids scream (at the top of their lungs) "Daaaaaaddddddyyyy!" and they both ditched their bikes and bolted for their dad. Ty jumped into Scott's arms and wrapped his arms and legs around Scott so tight and Cam clamped onto Scott's leg. The man that was getting his mail just stood there and watched and then as we walked away he said "Wow". It is so cute to see how much those boys love their dad.
Cam has been "reading" a lot of books lately which means that we need to repair them when he is through, but Ty confindently says "It's okay. Dad can fix it when he gets home"
Or when the Netflix on our tv wasn't working Ty just said "Mom, let's wait for Dad to get home. He knows how to fix it." (What about me, Ty????)
After going to the bathroom and feeling so proud of himself, Ty shouted "I am getting bigger and bigger and soon...(gasp) I get to be like daaaaadddd!"
Then, two days ago, we decided that rather than just sit around our house, we were going to walk around Target and look at the toys. As we were walking down the main aisle, on one of the end caps they had a special on some kind of body building equipment. On the front of the box, it showed a man flexing his muscles. One of those guys that has probably worked for 20 years to look like that and they make you think that after a few weeks with their program you will look like that...anyway, Ty runs right up to the box and said (soooo loudly) "Hey, that's my daddy!!" About three people kind of chuckled to themselves and another man walked by and said "I wish my kids would say that about me." Too funny. But still, that just goes to show that for Ty the strongest man in the whole world is his dad.
Then yesterday we had kind of a scary/learning experience when Ty opened the door for someone when I was there and he told them to come in. After the experience I sat down with Ty to explain to him how scary it is to let people in our house that we don't know and that we should never open the door when mom or dad isn't right there with us because someone could take him away. I'll admit, I was kind of trying to scare him a little bit so that he would grasp the severity of what I was telling him. Anyway, after telling him a few times that someone could take him away he said "Mom, it's okay. Dad would be soooo frustrated with those guys. And my dad would save me."
Ty's dad can do anything.
Ty's dad can save anyone.
Ty's dad is the strongest man ever.
Ty's dad can fix anything.
We sure do have a Super Hero on our hands!

A quick chuckle

The kids have been doing the funniest things lately. I keep meaning to write them down because I knew as soon as I sat down to blog them, I wouldn't be able to remember any of them. But here are a few that I do remember:

• The other day, Ty asked me (in a very dramatic voice) "Mom, can I please have a microwave?" (shocked, confused) I said "Why do you need a microwave, Ty?" and he says "because I really need to sing!!" yes, that is right. Ty sings with a microwave aka microphone
• Because of the dreary rainy weather, the boys have been in desperate need of "running around crazy" time. But since we can't go outside...we started our own fun way of getting energy out: We put Aladdin on and skip to either the genie song (I think it is called Never had a friend like me) or the Prince Ali song. Ty and Cam dance and sing and it is really cute. I'll admit...I think we danced to those songs probably 15 times today.
• When Ty asks for things lately he adds a "Pleeeeeeeaaaaase" on the end. It is quite funny. Sometimes (like yesterday) he starts his question with something like "Mom, you are so very pretty. Can I have a fruit snack?" Who does he learn that from??
• Ty sang his own rendition of "Santa Clause is Comin' to Town" yesterday. It included phrases like "He sees you when you won't nap. He knows if you hit Cam. He knows if you aren't a good listening boy or if you aren't obedient." He sings these songs when he is laying in bed trying to nap. It always makes me chuckle.
• Today, Cameron fell over and hit is head on the wall. He started to cry and just as I opened my mouth to calm Cam down, Ty shouts "Dog-gone it! Oh, come here Cami-boy!" And suprisingly enough, Cam went to Ty and not to me!! Ty hugged him for a minute and then said "Where does it hurt? There? Okay. Let me kiss it better" And then it was all over. Cam went on playing and so did Ty. Who need mom anymore?
  
• When Ty got up from his nap the other day he ran right to me and gave me a big hug. Then he promptly picked up my hand and licked it. A big lick. I pulled my hand away and said "What are you doing?" He replied "Oh, sorry. I was just pretendin' to be a dog". Oh. Okay. Good to know.
• (I might have already posted about this...but maybe not). Ty frequently finds things of Scott's around the house and pretends to be "dad". I will find him in Scott's hat and work boots or something. One day, he came in to the bedroom wearing Scott's shoes and hat and said "Well, I'm goin' to work. Bye baby!" Then went to Cam and patted his head and said "You're a good boy!" Funny enough...those would be exactly Scott's words!
• I don't know exactly how this happened, but the other day, Scott and I were coming home from somewhere and we each loaded one kid into the car and then as we were walking to our doors (Scott drives usually, so we crossed paths at the back of the car) we somehow got into a "balancing on one foot" war. We stood there for a long time and I completely forgot that we had two kids waiting for us in the car. It is fun when you are in love. (PS. I totally would have won the balance war, because I have much better balance, but Scott cheated and so I fell off the curb)
• Cam LOVES to wrestle. LOVES it. He is always running at full speed and jumping on Ty or falling on him. Ty is usually a good sport about it and tickles him or something. But today he was watching tv when Cam came running and landed right on him. Ty did a little throat growl sound (like he was really angry) and then said "Uh..Cam! I don't want to play right now. Your makin' me so frus-rated!" Poor Cam. Totally didn't understand and went in for another attack giggling all the while. Man, if you can't tell, these boys sure give me a run for my money!

• The other day we were walking out of Costco and we were waiting at the door so they could check our reciept and Ty shouts "Whoa! You have a mustache!" and points at the person behind us. Sure enough, there was a old man with a big old mustache. I have to admit, it was pretty shocking and noticable. Not the kind that just blends in with the face. I probably would have shouted that too...in my mind! Luckily, the man was really kind and joked around with Ty after that.

Life is so full of spice when you have two active little guys! (there is also some crying in there too!) We love our cubs!

A little late...but oh well!

So I feel like I have barely been surviving over here lately. I don't know if it is the post-Christmas blues or maybe the fact that it is just kind of cold, rainy, and blah outside, but life has not been kind over the last week.
Yes, I think I have cried everyday. Poor Scott.

But today, I feel like we kind of pulled out of our slump and so I thought I would actually post! I know it is late, but here is what we did during December:


Packages that came were so much....for many days!


Acting out the nativity on Christmas Eve...Ty wanted to be the donkey (I gave him the option to be something else..but that is what he chose) and Cam was baby Jesus. Ty has socks for ears and mittens for hooves. Clever boy.


A close-up of this little burro.


Cam desperately wanted to join in on the fun of wearing socks on his head. This is how it turned out for him. I still laugh when I see this picture.


We did a pretty small Christmas..but it was so much fun to set up all the present for the boys when they woke up. Ty left out a plate of cookies (on the stool) for Santa. They each got one fun toy, a cereal, and a couple little stocking stuffers. I think that Scott and I had more fun setting it all up and getting it ready than we thought we would.


And so it begins...all Ty wanted to do was play with the toy that Cam got. Cam was pretty upset.


Cam LOVED this ball he got from his friend Leah. He carried it around for days and days after that.



Here is Cam sporting the new clothes from Grandma and Grandpa and the coon skin hat from Papa


I love that they got matching outfits. And the coon skin hat just tops it off. Ty likes to wear the hat and have the tail come right by his cheek and he rubs it on his face cause it feels "so fuzzy".

I neglected to get pictures of the rest of the day. We went to the Laytons house for scones. Yummy. So yummy. And then came back for naps and movies. You would think that we would have started Christmas dinner. But, umm, no. The Laytons came over and we put the kids down for bed and we were going to eat dinner after they went down. Unfortunately, I forgot about the hours of prep time it took to cook some of the food. So we ended up eating a little late...but the crab legs were out of this world. I hope we get to eat crab legs with the Latyons every year! Then we busted out the blow up mattress and a big bundle of blankets and we fell alseep watching the Harry Potter movies.


In the morning we had the McPhie Christmas morning casserole (even though it was the 26th). It was so much fun! Yarr, Ty!

Over the next few days, we had lots of late nights with friends, dinners together, and just all together fun times. It is sad to be away from family for the holidays, but it makes up for it when you have friends that feel just like family! We really loved Christmas this year!