{Naughty and Nice}

This is Kade this morning taking things off our Christmas tree and then running (babystyle) away.

A little bit later I was vacuuming upstairs and he got the toy vacuum out of the boys room all by himself and was copying me. So cute!!

{So Very Thankful!}

Before I start this post I want to say that I have been very "naughty" as my boys would say and I only took 2 pictures the whole time we were in Utah! Not good! I noticed April took a bunch so maybe I can get some from her and I'll post them later.

We started out our trip early at 2:15am on Tuesday morning. I will note that Cody's insistence on us leaving at that crazy time resulted in a big fight Monday night, with him going to bed and me staying up angry, too mad to sleep even though I knew I would be woken up in a matter of hours. The kids did sleep for a big chunk of the trip, but Cody and I did not so we were a bit groggy for the next few days. I don't sleep well in cars, planes, on couches, well anywhere but my bed I guess. And even then I have to count sheep most nights before I go to sleep. But enough about my fascinating sleeping habits.

Tuesday we drove up to Utah, making one glorious stop at CAFE RIO. My most absolute favorite place to eat, you must have the pork salad. And yes, I have tried the one and Costa Vida, and NO it is not even close to being as good. Then we arrived in Salt Lake at Cody's brother Kael and his wife Monica's home. The kids loved playing with their cousins and especially liked playing in their backyard with all the leaves. So beautiful!! Then we went to Kael's first basketball game of the season (which they won).

The next day we got back in the van, and drove to Ogden where my sister Melissa and her hubby Sam live while Sam goes to Weber. We had so much fun having lunch with them, after which Melissa gave the boys gifts. You should have seen their excitement when they discovered what they were.....Tooting Machines (as they called them!). Push a button, and hear a toot, what more could a little boy ask for. Rhett was laughing so hard he was crying. Don't worry Melissa when you have kids I'll buy your kids lots of fun things like that. Lots. We then went to the Nicklecade, where all arcade games are 5 cents, how cool is that?

Then we got back in the van, and headed up to Logan to stay 3 days with Cody's sister Lesli and her husband Danielson. Okay, it's Danny but I always want to call him that in a stern voice (Karate Kid). Yada, Yada, Yada, we had a fun and delicious Thanksgiving. Lesli and I were in charge of pies, and we both discovered we don't know how to make them. I think we did okay though, we can follow recipes but as for the pie crust, well it was tricky to make all pretty! I am not Martha as I previously thought.

The next morning, the sister-in-laws all showed up at the local Wal-mart at 4:15am. We were positioned by the items we wanted, and at 5am when the items were uncovered we elbowed and pushed our way to the front. About 10 minutes later then things we had fought for were still available, but it was kind of fun to be so aggressive. Then we shopped around a bit at other stores, it was cold but so fun - I have such fun in-laws and I love being around them.

I also snuck in a visit to my good friend Candace who has moved to Provo while her husband gets an MBA. I wish we could have had more time together but it was just like old times, I miss her a lot :o(. MOVE BACK, it's not too late!

The boys loved playing with their cousins, and were sad to leave Logan as we headed towards Mapleton to stay with Boyd and Mona. We stayed a night with them, and got a late start on the road at 4am. We stopped at my parent's house for Sunday dinner, which tasted so good after being on the road eating junk all day. Kade got sick on Sunday, with a cough and runny nose - took him to the dr. Monday but it looks like it will just go away on it's own. Rhett is happy to be back in school and it feels good to be home again. Home again, Home again, Jiggity Jig.

{Thanksgiving Play}

On Thursday the Kindergarten classes all put on the cutest Kindergarten program with songs and lots of "group" parts. Rhett was a preacher, and his group got to say "Praise the Lord!" With their hands raised high a few times. It was a cute play, and Rhett was loving the attention. I will put a video on the bottom of this post with a part of one of the songs they sang. In the picture below, Rhett is in the front row, on the left. It's hard to see, my camera is a piece of junk! I want a new one but I am having a hard time buying one because I know if I wait 6 months there will be a newer, better, cheaper one!

Well, nothing else really exciting to write, except a couple "Ethanisms"

Friday I wanted to jump in the shower so I told Ethan he was Kade's babysitter. I gave him a whistle and told him to only blow it if Kade was in trouble and needed Mommy. So of course I'm in the middle of the shower and what do I hear...the whistle. I hesitated, knowing it's probably nothing but got out, ran out in the living room with my towel and dripping hair. Ethan was trying to put Kade on the stairs (time out spot). Ethan said "Mom! Kade won't stay in time out and he's saying potty words!" Kade was saying "Aaaapoo poo. Aaaapoo poo." Funny.

This morning we were getting ready to go watch my sister Ally's soccer game. Ethan had his cheap 25 cent sunglasses on and Rhett had his on, but one of the lenses had popped out. Rhett was upset, saying "I can't wear sunglasses broken like this! They will make me go crazy!" Ethan matter of factly said "Rhett, my have an idea. Just keep one eye closed." He always says my instead of I.

A few weeks ago he was burping at my mom's house and she told him to stop. He said seriously "Okay Grandma. My try to stop the burps.". It's funny. He is always coming up with "the perfect plan" as he tells us. It usually involves treats and going to parks.

Yesterday I asked him if he wanted to try a chicken wing. "Mom! If we eat a chicken's wings, how will he fly?" Then a few days ago he noticed a butterfly dead on our windshield. "Why did that butterfly crash into our window? Was he just a crazy flyer? Now his momma is going to be flying all over looking for her". Funny boy.

Well I am going to bed. I have been doing a million loads of laundry getting ready for out trip to Utah and I am tired! Hope everyone's doing well....

{Family Pics}

Hello! I was wondering a favor to all my wonderful readers (all 6 of you). Can you click on this link and help me choose which family picture is best for our Christmas cards? Leave the number of the one you like in the comments section. I think they turned out really cute! My favorite ones are ones at the end, number 25 and 28. Our photographer will swap heads on the kids, to add their happy little faces on the picture I like the best....so I guess it really is a question of which picture Cody and I look best in, and which pose you like the most!

http://littlethingsphotography.smugmug.com/

Click on Brooke. Thanks!!!

{Back to the 80's}

Yikes! I hesitate to post these pictures, I look so weird in them!! The party was fun, people were so creative dressing as Madonna, Karate Kid, Aerobics Instructors, etc. I sported the largest shoulder pads ever, I felt like a linebacker.

Here's our lovely hostesses, Cristen was a hot Madonna and her hubby was Karate Kid.

Here's Kathy and I (are you loving the bangs and Kathy's side pony with crimped hair?) - with our neighbors Steve and Michelle.

I am soooo glad to have Cody back, he was in New Orleans for work. The boys missed him lots too, they need their Daddy to play rough with them and I just can't do that! Saturday we did the family picture thing. I am curious to see how they turned out, Kade can't stand to be held and so he was squirming and crying almost the whole time. Has anyone else had a baby like this? He does not like to be held, at all!! Ever since he was big enough to hold his own bottle he wanted to be laying by himself. Now he can't even sit still to drink it, I have to strap him in his highchair otherwise he's rolling all over the ground, spilling all over. He is just so active, and church is just 3 hours in the hall. It's exhausting!

I am a girl, all concerned with details, so I worried over outfit choices for days!! It drove Cody crazy. They must not be matchy matchy, but match, you know?? Hee Hee. So I went with blues, brown, and white. Ethan was in tears over his button up shirt with a collar "I look funny!!!". Cody and I joke that Rhett is all my boy - he loves dressing preppy with collars and button up shirts...and Ethan is all Cody, rough and tumble and loves t-shirts and workout shorts. I have a feeling Kade is leaning toward Cody's team.

The other thing I'm worried about with the family pictures is....Cody's pants. Those that know Cody well know that he HATES buying clothes. And when he buys them, they must be dirt cheap. I have been trying to get him to buy just ONE pair of new jeans, but he has resisted. And so when we were taking pictures, I noticed that his pants go all highwater when he sits down, revealing bright white socks and even a little bit of leg. Oh boy. So I am curious to see how that all plays out. I get to pick up the disc Tuesday....do I have you all intrigued?

{Happy Halloween!}

I hope you all had a great Halloween!! We had fun, but it was kind of sad that Cody couldn't be with me and the boys. We took lots of pictures (as always) so he could see the fun he missed while he was partying in New Orleans with Nicholas Cage. I'm telling you, Cody is like a magnet to the celebrities, as I have told many of you he had a close encounter with the VERY famous David Hasselhoff in New York a few years back. I'll find that picture and post it, don't worry! David looks freaked out...I guess that's how most people would look when a guy runs down an ally after you and then jumps in front of you to take a picture.

Anyways.....back to the children! My sister Ally (12) decided to go with my boys instead of her friends because she said she wanted to hear the funny things they would say. My kids LOVE asking questions, many times embarrassing and personal ones and Halloween night was no exception. We all held our breath when we came to a house where the woman was sitting on her driveway, smoking with a bowl of candy. By the time we left her house, Ethan had talked to her about how what she was doing was VERY BAD and yelled it to me as well. Good times, good times. He also asked the following questions: "Why do you have so many Halloween Decorations? Do you have a lot of money?" "Why is your dog's nose wet?" "Why are you giving out those candies?" "Why are you so old?" Yikes. I am sure there are many questions we didn't hear.

Overall it was a very successful night, load of candy, most of which we gave to Ally so that Ethan can sneak it when we come to their house. He is a big sneak, always disappearing and searching for candy. He loves, loves sugar. Rhett was freaked out by scary masks last year, but now that he is a cool Kindergartner he likes them. He was complimenting all the bigger kids we'd pass by "Cool Mask", he'd say. It's funny to hear him say "cool" for some reason. We pushed Kade in the stroller, taking off his huge costume after just a little bit because it was so furry and hot. He was getting wild so I gave him a sucker, he was loving life. He is walking quite a bit now, and is very proud of himself. What a personality he already has!! Well, I hope everyone else had a great night....the best pictures will be later when I go to the adult 80's party Friday night. My friend Amy Rae is lending me a dress....I haven't picked it up yet but she says the shoulder pads are gigantic.....fun fun!!