no one thought to wonder

The Land of the Legos

2012-01-29T10:39:00.011-06:00

I am so far behind in blogging, but we had an awesome vacation this break. We got to go to California thanks to my amazing, generous, crazy, delicious siblings and siblings in law... to have Christmas with the Nelsons. We also got to see the Jon Hirts, the Julia Harps, the Nephi Hirt, and the Rose Hirt. It was SO crazy fun! For Christmas we got Legoland tickets from Santa. Santa found them super cheap on Ebay:) The kids were in HEAVEN! Grandma Nelson, Uncle Jack, and Aunt Cubbie got to come as well.

We are not very good at taking pictures, but we took quite a few at Legoland. It was a perfect day!

Who is havimg the most fun at legoland?

Minions of Darth under his cloak

3 wookies, Chewbaca, and R2D2

Henry loved this ride and was talking to his horse named "Midnight" the whole time

They were able to drive their own car and get a lego drivers licence. A definite highlight. They then asked if they could drive home since they earned their driver's license

One of the many lego playgrounds

A tasty treat

Building mini lego figures is the best.

vivi, viv, viva

2012-01-16T11:59:00.003-06:00

Viv Update: Already super chubby and delicious.

heeduhbeeduh little dude

2011-12-13T10:41:00.003-06:00

Sammy's 1st Birthday

I was going through some old pictures today and found this...it made me really happy.

The Aquarium

2011-12-05T13:37:00.007-06:00

Sam got some free tickets to the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta from one of his students who works there. We went last Saturday...it was AMAZING!!! Here are a few pics. The kids were beyond excited and didn't want to leave.

Grandma came to town!

2011-11-12T10:13:00.006-06:00

My mom was able to come for a week or so to help out with the babies. She took the boys on a lot of outings which was exactly what I wanted. They had so much fun and I think it helped them feel less neglected through this transition period. She got plenty of cuddle time with Vivi, too.

the boys at the park

one of the hundreds of pictures she took of Viv:)

Henry with a black eye

Pumpkin Patch!

Saddest Picture of my Life

2011-11-10T09:25:00.005-06:00

This was taken on Henry's first day of Pre-school. It was really hard not to cry. If I had been alone I know I would have been weeping, but Sam was there and some other friends who had a kid in the class so I held it together, but this is one of the things about Motherhood that is really hard for me...the first day of school. His teacher said 5 minutes later he was playing with everyone and happy as can be. He loves pre-school now and is always excited every Tuesday and Thursday, but still, this is a harsh picture.

In the Hospital

2011-11-05T19:47:00.003-05:00

My sweet friend Nicole took pictures in the Hospital for us. Here are some of my favorites. They make me so happy!

Vivi's Corner

2011-11-04T11:06:00.011-05:00

I've never had an actual nursury because we've never had the space, but my nesting urge was so strong this pregnancy I was determined to give Viv her own corner at least. Here is what I came up with. The dresser I got from a little old lady antique shop for a steal, I love all the little drawers, perfect for tiny baby things. I got the frame at a thrift store for a few dollars and then made it into a chalk board. I got the basket with a target gift card and made some burp cloths (this is a big deal since I don't sew). The shoes Darci found at a thrift store, they are antique and precious. I love how it turned out. Sorry if this is boring to you, but I find a lot of joy in making things simple and pretty.

and a few of Viv...I'm in love.

Another Love of my Life

2011-11-01T18:40:00.006-05:00

Vivienne Darci Hirt was born on October 22nd ... 8 lbs 3oz...21 inches. I will give a detailed birth story, but for now, this is a Blog post my mom asked me to write for her Blog called Circle Mothers. Here is the post...

Where Heaven and Earth Meet
How often are we able to capture the ultimate essence of "new" . . . this rare and sacred chance was made possible two days ago . . . with the birth of my granddaughter

I asked my daughter to allow us to look into her window . . .

Where Heaven and Earth Meet

A New Mother’s Thoughts…

Holding my new baby girl fresh from Heaven two days ago and crying. So overwhelmed in every way. Overwhelmed that she is mine…that I am so blessed to be the one who gets to be Vivienne’s Mom. Overwhelmed at my responsibility… taking care of this gift from Heaven, making sure her every need is met emotionally, physically, intellectually, spiritually. Overwhelmed by the feelings of love I have received from friends, family, strangers, and my Father in Heaven. Overwhelmed at her perfection…you can feel Heaven in the room when you look at her, everything is peaceful and bright.

When my Husband Sam and I were in the delivery room I felt this overwhelming desire to keep this space sacred. It wasn’t something I consciously decided, but I kept the TV off and didn’t get distracted by things that didn’t matter, it was just Sam and I receiving this new life into the world. The room was mostly filled with laughter while I was laboring, until the epidural wore off:) Then it was filled with breathing and pain, and holding my partner's beautiful, strong, careful hand. I had never experienced those really horrible labor pains before since I am one of those women who admit proudly to loving epidurals, they are Disneyland! It was amazing though to see what comfort just the hand of a loving partner could do to ease my burden. Just when I thought it wasn’t possible to endure any more pain here comes my princess Vivienne out of my womb and onto my belly. So beautiful in every way. Sam and I took turns warming her skin to skin. So connected.

The next few days were filled with snuggling, cramping, laughter, visitors, crying, nursing, shuffling kids from one generous friend to the next, changing diapers, figuring out this whole business again… but, throughout it all, there was always Peace. Even though the life of a Mother is a hard path, and maybe some might look at my life with 3 boys (and now a girl), juggling our busy schedules, wading through the tornado that usually is our house, the poop, the throw up, the general high volume of children playing/fighting, and think it is too much…but, at the end of the day there is peace, peace in knowing who those children really are and that what you are doing reaches much farther than the walls around you.

Written by Kim Nelson Hirt (my daughter)

cheeks!!!

2011-11-01T11:26:00.001-05:00

I know I have been a terrible blogger. I am determined to do better. Here is a picture my Mom took this morning. It's just for cheek lovers everywhere. More Birth Stories and pictures to come...

Henry is 3!

2011-08-07T03:11:00.006-05:00

Last Sunday was Henry's Birthday! I am completely obsessed with this child. Everything he does, every sigh and laugh is just amazing to me(I am his mom). Sam and I just look at each other like "this kid is unreal."

For instance....

2 nights ago we had put him to bed and it had been several minutes and he walks nonchalantly into the living room where me and Sam are and says "Hi Friends" like he's coming to visit.

He loves to pretend to be a puppy. He will whimper like a puppy until you say "Good boy" and then he pants in happiness.

He shares his food with the dog next door through the fence. I caught him the other day lazily sitting by the fence taking turns biting a peanut butter sandwich with Atlas.

He's really into saying "Check this out Mommy" or "Check out my toy" or whatever he is holding. If he doesn't know what he is holding he will say "Check out my this, Mommy." The other day in the car he had a dirty diaper and said very matter-of-factly, "Check out my poo, Mommy."

He says things backward like he's speaking Spanish, for instance "Check out my Dinosaur Orange, Mommy"

If the boys and/or Daddy are wrestling he will just throw his body on top of whatever mass is rolling on the floor. He always keeps up with the big boys.

He has a raspy voice and an evil laugh.

I love his gap tooth, he looks like he has hippo teeth.

He's still a little soft and chunky with big cheeks. Both the other boys were rails at this point, I love that he is still squishy.

He says "I love you" a million times a day and he loves to give tons and tons of kisses. This makes me happy.

When he is tired he wants your faces cheek to cheek and he puts his arm fully around your neck. It is so sweet.

He doesn't have a blanky or a toy he loves, he just plays with your knuckles. Sometimes when he is sad in the car I just reach back my non-driving hand and let him pinch away.

He only responds to kindness. One of the boys can demand something like a toy back that he stole, but he won't budge unless they ask really sweetly, then he gives it up immediately.

If I am trying really hard to get him to do something (usually eat healthy food) he will resist and resist, but if I start fake crying, he gives in immediately. (I know I am probably messing him up with this one, but sometimes you got to do what works:)

...just a few reasons I love Henry.

Lemonade!

2011-07-26T03:43:00.005-05:00

The boys were excited about doing a lemonade stand to earn money. I think they are adorable:) We had so many people stop that said "I remember doing a lemonade stand and I just wanted people to stop so bad so I had to stop." So sweet! I love nice people.

I love how Luke doesn't know how to wave his hands. He hits himself in the head:)

Kindergarten Grad

2011-06-05T16:17:00.005-05:00

This makes me so happy! When they sang this song I teared up.

Kung-fu freaks

2011-05-20T10:19:00.002-05:00

How will the new girl survive in this environment?

I am pregnant=I am weird

2011-05-18T06:36:00.005-05:00

So here was my initial reaction to finding out I was having a girl:

"What, that is amazing!"

Then, fear....

"I don't know what to do with a girl."

Then, defensive...

"I don't need a girl when I love my boys so much."

So, I am a freak. I kind of felt this way when I was about to have Luke, like "I love my Sammy so much, I don't need anything else."

Now I know it doesn't work that way because your love just grows and expands. I think it's just because I have taken pride for so long in being a Mom of rambunctious boys and when I looked into the future I've seen them as teens and pictured raising them and I have never pictured a girl. So yes, I'm a freak. I know I'll love this baby, and I am very excited for a little pink in my life...but a little freaked out.

SHOUT OUT:

I have a lot of friends/family that also have 3 boys. Cra-zay!

This is a shout-out to: Camila, Heather, Stephanie, Jenni, Vikki, and Holly...you're next one will be a girl...we have to keep our club alive!

And to Julia...who leads the way:)

It's a........

2011-05-17T17:09:00.003-05:00

I know you will be able to tell just by looking at the ultrasound pictures so I will let them do the talking

The Snake whisperer

2011-05-14T18:34:00.003-05:00

This snake made my day, I saw it while I was doing some yardwork, and then it slithered off before I could catch it, so I thought it was gone. Later as I was making some quesadillas I saw it again, and so I ran out to catch and caught it, but then I had a snake in my hand and quesadillas burning on the grill. I then took the snake in one hand and had to flip the quesadillas with the other hand (just kidding). I actually just unplugged the grill I was cooking them on and then put him in a pillowcase until Sammy came home from school and then we snapped these pictures before letting him go. I am pretty confident that it is a grey rat snake (Elaphe obsoleta spiloides). It was very tame, and only coiled up once, when sammy tried to grab him as we let him go. He also shook his tail a little bit like a rattlesnake. I have always wanted to catch a snake in the backyard but this is the first one we have seen since moving here (in our yard that is)

Good Moms

2011-05-10T06:24:00.004-05:00

My friend has this sign and I just love it. Makes me feel better about my sometimes tornado of a house.

Sammy's Creation

2011-05-01T07:33:00.003-05:00

Sammy wanted to put a video on the internet about his latest lego creation. Warning, it is long and detailed.

I forget everything.

2011-04-22T10:50:00.005-05:00

So I know I've had three kids, but each time I have a newborn I have to re-learn how to do it. I just plain forget. I've gotten rid of almost all of my baby stuff since Henry for downsizing reasons and also because of the fact that most of them were either broken or disgusting after the use of three rather energetic boys.

So here is my question? What baby items do you love or do your friends love or do you wish you had. Anything...strollers, toys, gadgets, cool ways to organize, or simplify. I am going to do some garage saleing this summer to re-stock on my baby stuff and want to have an eye open for useful stuff.

BTW...one month until I find out if it is a boy or girl. I am convinced it is a boy. Sammy is already hugging my belly and saying, "I'm hugging my sister." Most people seem to think it is a girl. Anyone have a hunch?

a lukey chat

2011-04-18T11:20:00.003-05:00

Luke: I'm hungry.
Me: Well how about a carrot.
Luke: No, that's weird.
Me: Why is that weird?
Luke: It tastes too serious.

Return of the Jedi!

2011-04-10T16:25:00.011-05:00

One of our favorite things is to plan kids' birthday parties. It is a good mix of both of our talents. This year we had Jedi Training that ended in Darth Vader's demise (thanks Brian!). Luke was in heaven...which means it was a success!

Happy B-day to my sweet Lukey!

2011-04-06T07:03:00.003-05:00

About Luke:

He is really sensitive. If he ever gets in trouble he immediately says "Hugs" and is sad until he gets them. He always needs cuddling. If he is acting out all you have to do is hug and love on him and he is fine.

He runs with his arms at his sides.

He uses really funny grammar that makes me laugh.

He is loves legos. He'll spend forever looking at the Lego directions and making different lego machines. He is very meticulous about it.

He likes to do things the right way. For instance, Sam got a push up bar for Christmas and Luke saw that the guy on the box had exercize shorts on and no shirt, so before he used it he had to take his shirt off and get shorts on. He spent a half hour coming up with his own work out routine.

He loves to dance. When there is music on, he can't help but moving some part of his body.

Whenever the radio is on he always says "Turn off this girl music Mom, I want Rock music." In a really annoyed voice.

I love you Luke. You are perfect.

Luke Hirtwalker

2011-04-03T08:59:00.004-05:00

I made this for Luke's birthday party. He has been carrying it around with him everywhere he goes. Mission accomplished.

Details...maybe too many

2011-03-26T07:48:00.005-05:00

I am 10 weeks along, not very far, but my stomach is already sticking out. Gone are the days with the first baby where you could not show for 4 or 5 months. I have had A LOT of food aversions which is a new experience for me:) and ridiculous cravings. I am the cliche pregnant lady that changes her mind every five seconds about what she is craving. "Sam I NEED a Meximelt from Taco Bell, no, Pad Thai, no, fresh bread with cheese, no, Thom Ka Gai soup..ahhhh!" I'm crazy. I woke up the other night at 2am really nausiated, but really hungry. Every food I thought about made me want to puke, but I had major fasting pains and had to eat. The only thing that sounded good was Reese's Puffs Cereal, which I probably hadn't eaten in 2 years. So heroic Sam went to the grocery store and got me a box at 2 in the morning. Once I am awake I have a really hard time falling asleep so I just stayed up eating Cereal and watching "17 Again" until I dozed off on the couch. It was a great night:)

This pregnancy has been different than my others, I am more nausiated, but still I am convinced it is a boy. With the other 3 I was sure they were girls so maybe I'm just reading my intuition wrong.

If it is a boy we already have a boy name picked out. His name would be West, which is a name in the Hirt family tree.

I have a bunch of girls names I like, but I think I have had them in my mind for so many years that I am sick of most of them. The ones that we like for now are these:

Vivian and call her Vivi(I like this one, sam isn't sold)
Violet (I used to like this, but am a little sick of it)
Dorothy call her Dot (Sam Loves this, but I am not convinced)
Zuzu (I like this because I love "It's a Wonderful Life" and I think the Zuzu's petals scene is so sweet and it makes me happy, but I also realize it is bizzare, but maybe in an amazing way. Sam isn't there....yet:)

Well there you go. My brain doesn't function correctly when I am pregnant. I have anxiety and weirdness, so I am a little sick of myself, but at least I have an excuse to be crazy instead of just being crazy for no reason, like usual.

proof: not a food baby

2011-03-25T10:54:00.005-05:00

There he/she is!

The paper was crumpled by the boys so you can't see it very clearly, but the head is at the bottom left.

Sammy's video

2011-03-20T14:41:00.000-05:00

I wish I could take credit for this video but this one was all Sammy

Scrappy-Doo

2011-03-16T08:36:00.007-05:00

I have really Scrappy boys. My love for scrappiness is inherited from my Mom. I think they are cutest when they have bed head and they pick out their own clothes and roll in the dirt. Here are some scrappy pics. Sammy lost another tooth, got a scratch on his face he likes to call the Anniken scar, and an M on his forehead to represent Mario. All my kids have bad haircuts because I don't really know how to cut hair, but I do it to save money. I think it adds to the effect. Oh, and these pics were taken by the boys...oh so scrappy!

what I've been doing

2011-03-10T10:30:00.005-06:00

We just finished the run and had sold out performances every night...WooHoo! I'm tired.

you decide

2011-02-11T10:13:00.005-06:00

People most often compare Henry two these 2 people. Chris Farley and Shiloh Jolie-Pitt. Quite a range...I think it's a little of both:)

cheap thrills

2011-02-10T13:50:00.004-06:00

Why does this make me so happy? I like finding ways to decorate, spending next to nothing. I don't know why, but it makes me giddy. Doily Hearts...$1.50...Giddy Valentine's Joy...Priceless

better late

2011-02-06T16:00:00.005-06:00

Here is a smattering of pics from our amazing Christmas Vacation that we spent with the Hirts and Nelsons. We didn't bring our camera with us enough so sorry it is sparce.

Sammy's Prayer

2010-11-23T15:57:00.004-06:00

This is what I heard a few nights ago from the other room.

"Please bless all the Villians, that they learn Respect."

Halloween

2010-10-31T14:29:00.004-05:00

Mario and Luigi

This is what happens when you hold down the B button and move Mario

Trick or Treating

Mario giving a piece sign, trust me there are 2 fingers there

Superman, he took the longest time getting to the doors, but he loved it

This was taken right after we got the costumes

At the Halloween Carnival, everyone loved their costumes

At our Halloween 80s party

Just hanging with my hot girl! why doesn't she dress like that every day?

Group shot at the 80s party, good times

unbeknownst

2010-10-01T15:56:00.004-05:00

The boys got a hold of the camera while I was in the kitchen. Here is what came of it. It is always fun to see saliva and fingerprints on pictures.

sammy likes to make his snacks into Wall-E. I took this pic:)

Perfect Weather

2010-09-29T14:30:00.003-05:00

It has finally cooled off in Alabama, so we enjoyed a picnic at the park for lunch today and took some pictures of Henry and Luke playing. Henry screamed when Kim tried to change his clothes...pajamas it is.

firsts

2010-08-31T10:13:00.006-05:00

First day of school for Sammy boy. He was nervous at first, so when I left him in the classroom with all those strangers it was all I could do to not burst into tears...I did that when I got in the car. It took him an hour to warm up, and he really loves school now. It's fun and weird to do all these regular mom things like help him with homework and pick him up from school. I'm sure eventually I will find these things mundane, but right now I think they are fantastic and magical!

I don't know why I love this pic, but I do, they are weird:)

Missing him

2010-08-09T11:50:00.003-05:00

Sam went to Fairbanks, AK to do some research for his PhD Project and visit the fam. I am missing him...and this is why...

Adventures of a Stay at Home Dad III

2010-07-27T20:29:00.003-05:00

We went to the Lake today, it was funner for the pool because at the pool I just chase Henry around, but at the Lake there is more for him to do like....

Climb on jagged rocks

Luke loved floating around on the tube

Sammy loved floating on his back

saying cheese

we caught a fish and put it in a bucket

Adventures of a Stay at Home Dad II

2010-07-27T20:24:00.003-05:00

We got a vacuum cleaner from some friends (Thanks Jalesa via the Brownings). It looked too much like Wall-E to not become an actual Wall-E toy. He now stands guard in the corner of the kids room.

Sammy and Luke, just hanging out with Wall-E

Assembling Wall-E's arms

This has to be my favorite shot in the world. This was taken by Sammy and Luke is doing robot arms

Wall-E and Luke mugshot

Adventures of a Stay at Home Dad

2010-07-27T20:14:00.003-05:00

I have been at home for the past couple of weeks as Kim has been doing her musical theater camps for kids and adults. These shots are from Sammy and Luke playing with the camera and were taken by Sammy and Luke

2010-07-11T15:25:00.002-05:00

Yesterday at toy Story 3 Sammy asked me if movies were just a bunch of pictures and I said yes, so today he said he was going to make a bunch of pictures so we could make a movie. This is what we came up with. We were going to make it 3-D but not everyone on the internet has a pair of 3-D glasses laying around so we stuck with the 2-D concept. Hopefully Disney doesn't sue us for the rights.

Dog for a week

2010-06-20T15:40:00.004-05:00

We had our friends' dog for a couple of weeks while they were out of town. His name is Copper and he is a good dog. We didn't want to let him go. The kids loved him, but we didn't take enough pictures of him, but here are a couple of Henry and Copper napping together.

Trundle Bed

2010-06-06T09:24:00.006-05:00

I have been meaning to make a trundle bed since Henry has graduated from his crib, he has been sleeping on the bean bag, which isn't ideal, so yesterday I went to Lowes and had them precut a bunch of wood and then I put a bunch of screws together and put some wheels under it. This being my first carpentry endeavor I was pretty proud of how it turned out. I was going to paint it yesterday too, but it started to rain, just as I got everything ready, I'll have to do that next week. Luke slept on it last night, and loved it so much he marked it as his territory in a very special way. I won't bore you with the details of how I put it together, but needless to say it was pretty simple. Here are some pictures.

Magical.

2010-05-14T12:40:00.006-05:00

Even when you are starving students Magical things can still happen.

My Brother Jack volunteered in Disney's Give a Day Get a Day program and got us all free Disney Park Tickets! Thanks Jackie! My Parents had a time share that was running out that they had to use and we had 2 weeks off in between semesters so it was perfect timing. Thanks Parentals! So we decided to just pack up and go. Then my Mom who hadn't seen her grand kids in too long happened to get two free Southwest tickets the day I told her we were going, so her and Jack were able to fly out. My sister Katherine just graduated from BYU and had some time off to come and also a free ticket to Disney courtesy of Jack. Perfect!

More Magical Things:

I hand the parking guy at Disney a $20 and he says "Want to see a magic trick?" And gives me back the $20 and says, "parking is on us today!" With big friendly smile. What!? That kind of stuff kills me...with joy.

We ran into my cousins, The Murphys, who live in Utah and we had no idea they were going to be there. A very magical moment!

Apparently this is the down time at Disney, right before school gets out. The only line longer than five minutes was Dumbo and Peter Pan. We shot to the front of every line with Fast Passes and by 7pm we had done basically everything.

We were looking for something to do and just happened to go into Philharmagic which looked like it was going to be a really lame 3D version of Fantasia....We were wrong!!! It was one of the most magical things ever. Luke was on the edge of he seat cheering and shouting...Pure Disney JOY!!!

We just happened upon 3 awesome shows One of which was a Dance Party in front of the Castle with All the favorite Disney Characters. At first it looked like just a parade, but then they invited us to come in the street and dance with them. SO FUN!!!!

The best part of course was seeing the kids wide eyed at every moment...I love them.

Magic=Tender Mercies

Disney World

2010-05-13T09:29:00.003-05:00

Spring time

2010-04-16T09:01:00.004-05:00

It is spring, the perfect weather for anything, Kim recently bought some patio furniture for a steal at a garage sale and it has changed our life, we eat outside whenever possible. The other day we got out the custom made slip n slide Alabama style (Tarp, hose, kid slide, dish soap). We have to take advantage of this weather before it gets too hot.

Hirt Diggity Dogs

2010-04-11T14:43:00.004-05:00

I contacted the guy that owns this hot dog drive through, it is closed at the moment, and I might be renting it from him. More details later, but here are some pictures.

Also, note the poll to the right about what I should call it

Happy Birthday Wookey!!!

2010-04-06T11:08:00.005-05:00

Yesterday was my sweet Lukey's 4th birthday!

A few things you might not know about Luke:

His nickname is Wookey.

He would rather be in a superhero costume than anything else. We let him wear his costumes anywhere except for Church and pre-school, but he found a way around that. Whatever outfit he is wearing, he'll put on a tie and say he's Bruce Wayne. There was a new lady in Primary and they were all telling her their names, without skipping a beat he introduced himself as Bruce Wayne, the teacher was rather confused. He also wears his Batman t-shirt to soccer and makes sure his teacher calls him by that name.

He sleeps next to his favorite toys. Last night it was the new Lego tractor he got for his birthday, the night before I told him his Eva Robot was tired, the next thing I knew he was fast asleep in his bed with a big blanket around the robot.

Biggest Pet Peeve: When Sammy steals his imaginary Yoshi eggs, or imaginary costumes.

Favorite Word: Poop! hand's down. Yesterday we took him to a fun pizza place for his b-day and I thought I would make his day and gave him a brownie and called it Yoshi poop. He burst into laughter...priceless.

Favorite meal: Waffles! well really any breakfast item. He downs breakfast like no one I've ever seen. 3 waffles is nothin to him.

My favorite thing he says: "It's like super, super awesome" with a huge lisp and dramatic pauses and emphasis.

He LOVES kissing! It's a little out of hand, but it is sweet to randomly get kissed on the arm and be told that you are loved.

We love you Luke, I hope you never stop being a wonderfully sweet weirdo.

The tooth

2010-03-28T14:28:00.005-05:00

I don't remember losing teeth this early in life (5.5 years old) but after brushing his teeth the other day Sammy came out and said his tooth hurt and it was dangling so here is a picture before and a video of the pull. I am amazed at how trusting he was because I wouldn't let my dad go anywhere near my teeth (we'll see how he is next time).

Look out Jeff Corwin

2010-03-25T14:59:00.004-05:00

My friend Erica asked for help making a video for a job she is applying for. If she gets the job she would be the wildlife biologist host for a documentary. Erica went up to Fairbanks this last summer and she got together with the Hay Way crew and said she had a funner time there than at the conference she was attending, so she is basically family. Kim helped coach and inspire her acting, and I did the filming, editing, and helped catch the bat, and with the scripting, so if she becomes famous we are definitely expecting a cut of her earnings. It was a lot of fun making the video and a lot harder to do than we expected, but here is the finished product.

P.S. this bat did not come from our attic it came from my neighbor's attic who is also a biologist in my lab and works with bats.

Spring Break

2010-03-21T15:15:00.005-05:00

For spring break we went to Gulf Shores, Alabama for a few days and played at the beach. We went with the Puffers and had a blast. Here are some pics

Two people-in love-on the beach-at sunset

The crew

Swimming in the hot tub on the cooler day

Henry enjoys long walks on the beach

Playing in the puny waves

playing in the sand for hours

Henry's sand face

Just a couple of Mermen on the beach

At sunset

The boys loved the sand

Best friends

The greatest baseball player ever!

2010-02-21T16:02:00.002-06:00

Snow!!

2010-02-13T16:07:00.003-06:00

So it isn't supposed to snow in Alabama, but I think this is the 3rd year in a row we have seen snow, school was closed on Friday even though the roads were fine. Here we are playing in it anyway and enjoying the extra day off.

Can you figure out what happened here

2010-02-09T21:23:00.002-06:00

So just like his father he is a hyper active 5 year old prone to stitches. And although he screamed things like "you are killing me" and "I can't breathe" over and over as the nurses held him down he did get 7 nice ones in the back of his head and afterwards got a couple of toys from the doctor's treasure box and was as happy as ever. Show and tell will be great at school tomorrow

The Mario Brothers

2010-02-07T13:15:00.005-06:00

So playing the Wii over Christmas break has influenced our playtime and our new looks. After playing with Mr. Potato head Sammy and Luke discovered they could shove the mustaches up one of their nostrils for a nice Mario and Luigi mustache.

The boys started getting up on this Bike when we were playing in the backyard and instead of getting them down, I got my camera:) --Kim

Butterfly Garden

2010-01-31T18:58:00.003-06:00

We went with friends to the Butterfly Garden (for free!!!!) and had a great day! The last one is Henry asleep on the car ride home. So kissable...except for the slobber part.

Send Joe a letter

2010-01-20T09:39:00.002-06:00

I just thought I would make it easier for everyone to write Joe so I am putting a link here http://www.dearelder.com/, be sure to put Provo MTC where it asks for mission, his MTC mailbox is 310 and he leaves around February 2nd, so that means he only has a couple of weeks left till he is in Russia, lets flood his mailbox with letters. Just a note or a complete memoir will make his day, also he loves poems or raps about Russia/Romania (sarcasm).

Christmas Break

2010-01-16T12:19:00.003-06:00

Here are some pictures from Christmas Break

Henry drawing and talking

Reading Polar Express Christmas Eve

Jack's giant donut

Henry helping with the dishes

Luke fell asleep on the counter

Mandatory group Christmas picture

Fred made it home!!

As always we didn't take enough pictures, we had a lot of activities, including a wedding shower, wedding, Sunday dinners, sledding, bowling, Katherine's Birthday, visits from Nephi, and Julia and Company, and continuous fun, it is hard coming back to the real world

which one mom

2009-12-15T09:21:00.003-06:00

Community....batman

2009-11-29T18:40:00.001-06:00

This is my new favorite show, and this clip is fitting for the batman theme of our lives recently

Photo shoot

2009-11-25T21:12:00.004-06:00

I did some quick photos of the three boys, I forgot to take out Henry's pacifier on the best ones, but they are still fun to look at, we will try again another day

The Best Batman Ever

2009-11-14T09:15:00.001-06:00

We did this for a church talent show, ENJOY!

So you think Luke can dance?

2009-11-04T14:42:00.004-06:00

I know this video is a little long, but we thought it was a gem. This music is some random tune on our piano with the tempo turned up. Notice how he loves his shadow and how his moves change with the music...genious:)

MORE MORE

2009-11-04T12:01:00.002-06:00

Some of our favorite pictures from October

2009-11-03T21:59:00.002-06:00

Happy 5th birthday Batman

2009-10-11T14:36:00.004-05:00

Just a collage of batman and Robin clips to music

Boys, Boys, Boys

2009-09-15T17:53:00.002-05:00

Just some pictures of our boys, as you will see the big boys fun thing right now is batman, Sammy is planning his Batman birthday party (which also is involved in everything he wants) good thing Halloween is so close to his birthday, it should be a crime-fighting, good time

Henry loves to sit on ledges (but not for very long)

Luke (who has officially changed his name to Robin)

Sammy (who has officially changed his name to Batman

The three amigos packed in the back of the car, this is what we see in the rear view mirror

We printed out bats that they taped to their clothes and all over their room

On a Sunday walk with Batman, I felt very safe

Sporting the cape we found in the closet, it is now a staple in Sammy's wardrobe

Flying through the air! Batman to the rescue!

Broken heart and platter

2009-09-13T16:59:00.004-05:00

To some of you this might seem dumb, but I am so sad because my favorite serving platter that I got for my wedding (ok, I bought it for myself at my wedding:) just broke. Those of you that know me, know I love to entertain and that was one of my staple serving dishes and a decorative touch in my kitchen. ARGH, I almost cried, but I held it together in the end because, of course, it is just a thing. That being said I want I new one:)Please send me suggestions for a new big platter. My old one was Rustic Yellow Italian Pottery, but I am open to anything beautiful. Here are a couple I liked...

baby shower

2009-09-02T15:42:00.004-05:00

I threw a baby shower and totally forgot to take pictures, but here is the shower favor I made...kind of. I made this label and put it on bubble gum Jones Soda because the water was blue and my friend was having a boy.

Henry turns 1

2009-08-30T16:24:00.002-05:00

Henry had a few birthday parties. He is a huge 1 year old. More pictures to come!

Slip N' Slide

2009-08-11T19:00:00.004-05:00

Jason (Kim's cousin) showed the boys how to have fun with a tarp and a little dish soap today, it evolved into a lot of fun on the trampoline

Hank

2009-08-05T13:27:00.001-05:00

Chillaxing by Hank

Picturas

2009-07-21T08:10:00.008-05:00

Just a bunch of pictures of our summer fun, we haven't been very good bloggers lately, it has been a busy summer

These first few are from our trip up to D.C. over the 4th of July weekend, it was a lot of fun

We went on a nature walk, both of the boys found walking sticks, Luke was pretending to be Splinter and Sammy called his a bow staff like Donatello

The group

Luke collecting rocks

Going down a slide at the little water park we went to on the 4th

Henry and Auntie Cub

This is Henry, he is chubby

Kung-fu Cow (Sammy)

Dressing up for a free meal on Cow Appreciation Day at Chik-Fil-A

This is Henry a few weeks ago, he is walking all over the place now

What I've been up to this summer...

2009-07-17T08:34:00.004-05:00

I Directed and Choreographed the teenager group in our Musical Theater Camp. It was crazy fun. I do a lot of trades for my classes and voice lessons. This time I traded a good friend to watch my boys and her 2 daughter did my camp for free. My next door neighbor also traded for 15 hours of babysitting. I LOVE TRADES!!!

7 stitches

2009-06-25T09:08:00.002-05:00

The damage, count 'em

trying to look normal

trying to look really weird, I think I suceeded

Trying to look tough

Ok, so I should have been working, but my intramural team said they needed me because they didn't know if they would have 5 to play, turns out they had 8 and I was not needed so I shouldn't have even been playing in the first place. So during the game I was playing horribly and then smashed into the back of a teammate's head after shooting an airball and I knew I split it open. I went to the ER and waited around for 6 hours until they stitched me up and then I stumbled back home at about 1:30AM. so I think I am done playing "intense basketball" forever, I am getting too old for this. Should leave me with a nice scar though

wrestling, falling asleep in weird places, and Hank

2009-06-24T14:17:00.003-05:00

Baby bats

2009-06-09T09:41:00.003-05:00

I was doing a project on my neighbor's bats and found out they have babies, here are some pictures. After we put them back I decided not to mess with them until the babies are older. Can you see how many babies there are?

KBRW

2009-06-02T14:04:00.002-05:00

It's finally here, a link on the web where you can listen to KBRW live on the internet. I have been waiting for this for a long time. I plan to stay up late tonight so I can catch the birthday program. Maybe I will call in and wish Spencer and Holly a Happy Anniversary. For all you Barrow lovers here is the link, it sure brings me back, especially the weather forecast. ENJOY!

http://www.kbrw.org/NEWMAIN.html

The messy boy

2009-05-23T12:28:00.007-05:00

Henry has been getting into things

like mud...

and eggs (with help from Luke)

And yogurt (with some more help from luke)

And likes hanging out with his bros

PS I am a sucker for a gooey baby so that doesn't really help things.

All day long I'd Biddy Biddy Bum

2009-05-14T08:08:00.006-05:00

For months I've been directing, musical directing, and choreographing Fiddler on the Roof at the local Children's Theater in Auburn. It has been an adventure to say the least. Our dress rehearsal was a complete disaster, so of course our Performance was AWESOME!!! I was so proud of my little actors, they did so well!

I just had to...

2009-05-10T22:07:00.002-05:00

Saw this on my sister-in law's blog and had to do it. I used to teach kids hip hop, maybe this will be my kids in the future. Also HSM3 Rocks!!! :)

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Baths, laughing and camping

2009-05-02T14:40:00.006-05:00

I am sick of seeing my ugly mug on my blog, here are some pics o fus camping, bathing, and a video of Sammy making Henry laugh really hard

This is Megan. All of the kids faces were this dirty by the time we were done camping

Jake and the Henry

Luke captured a bag of marshmallows for breakfast

rub-a-dub-dub

A little bit Wicked

2009-04-19T19:54:00.006-05:00

Sam driving home at midnight with bloodshot eyes. I made him take this because I forgot to take a picture with him at the show. He's nice to me:)

My friend Erin is in the National Tour of "Wicked" and we got to go see her last night in Birmingham. She was so beautiful up there it made me cry. I love her and love that everytime I see her it feels like no time has past...a true friend:)She got us some amazing seats at a discounted rate. It was a 2 hour drive and we were giddy the whole time...loving being together without children(no offense children), on our way to do something special, and to see a good friend. It was an awesome night. Before the show I made Sam drive around forever in the ghetto of Birmingham looking for flowers to give Erin after the performance (one of my favorite things). The closest we came was a single fake rose for 2.99 at the local Piggly Wiggly. I almost got it for laughs but decided it wasn't worth the money:) Thanks Erin for such a great night! I loved catching up with you, it made me so happy!!!

Easter weekend

2009-04-17T07:53:00.005-05:00

It's been a crazy week, so these are late, but we had Cubbie down from D.C. for Easter weekend, we went to an Easter egg hunt at the park, went to a Carnival, and had passover dinner (thanks Cub), here are the pics

The Passover feast

It was very pretty and symbolic

Cubbie did it all, she is the bomb!

The Easter bunnie showed up (nice hair!)

Just trying out the black and white setting

I love this picture, they loved the dinky little rides

This one was probably their favorite, it was like a mini roller coaster

Eating their collected easter egg candy

Sammy had to use a grocery bag because his basket was too full

Lukey didn't get it at first, but figured it out after a while

Kung Fu Birthday!

2009-04-08T12:36:00.004-05:00

We love Kung Fuuuuuuuuu!

The Blue Lightning McQueen was the first gift and he wouldn't let it go, we should have saved it for last.

We like them to be rascals.

All tuckered out from partying.

The Eye of pink

2009-04-07T15:02:00.003-05:00

Good news Henry is finally over his 3 month cold, no more sniffles. However Henry has conjunctivitis, also known as an infection of the conjunctiva, but he is still cute.

Lukey of Mine

2009-04-05T13:34:00.012-05:00

Happy 3rd Birthday Lukey!

This is Luke's song...Baby Mine from Dumbo

Baby Mine - Betty Noyes
A few things I love about Luke:

If he wants you to hold him he says "I want to hold you." This Christmas we were at Temple Square and He saw The Christus through the big glass windows across the way and yelled, "I want to hold it!"

At about 6am every morning we hear these sweet little feet running across the wood floors. He climbs in our bed, all grins. We want to be mad at him but he is so happy we can't.

He always says "love you too" even if you didn't say I love you first.

His body is so wiggly.

He loves animals, especially dogs. We both thought how amazing it would be to get him a puppy for his birthday, but that's not really an option right now.

Whenever I reprimand him he tries to distract me by saying, "Look at the baby, he's SO cute" in a super high voice.

He has a ninja stance and will out of the blue just freeze into position and then carry on as if nothing happened.

He does "squishy face" where he squishes your cheeks together and yells "squishy face."

He likes to cuddle.

He wants to be wherever Sammy is. I can't wait for him to be old enough for primary, it's always a battle to separate him from Sammy for nursery.

...these are just a few of the gazillion reasons I love Lukey, my sweet baby boy.

Baby mine, don't you cry.
Baby mine, dry your eyes.
Rest your head close to my heart,
never to part,
baby of mine.

Little one when you play,
don't you mind what they say.
Let those eyes sparkle and shine,
never a tear,
baby of mine.

If they knew sweet little you
they'd end up loving you two.
All of those people who scold you
what they'd give just for the right to hold you.

From your head down to your toes,
you're not much, goodness knows.
But you're so precious to me,
sweet as can be,
baby of mine.

Old Food

2009-03-29T14:28:00.005-05:00

Sam makes breakfast every morning, it's his thing. I am always excited about what new creation he is going to come up with. I have to say he found the way to my heart when I woke up to Whole Wheat Banana Pancakes with Mini Chocolate Chips. It is the perfect comination of flavors and textures. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE them!!! Here are the ones he made me on Valentine's Day...

For National Pie Day Sam made Buttermilk Pie with Strawberries on top. We discovered this at this Dive of a Barbeque House and fell in love...if you've never had it, you should. I made one of my favorites, Pecan Cream Cheese Pie and since I live in the South I thought I'd try my hand at some Fried Apple Pie, a southern classic I'm told.

I also like this song

2009-03-20T15:28:00.001-05:00

Lucky Jason Mraz featuring Colbie Cailat

Lucky - Jason Mraz ft Colbie Cailat

1234

2009-03-20T14:16:00.005-05:00

I love this song

la playa

2009-03-18T09:10:00.006-05:00

Here are some pictures from the beach

Wacky Weather Weekend

2009-03-01T16:38:00.003-06:00

We had tornado warnings and 70 degree weather on Saturday and then woke up to SNOW on Sunday with temps in the 30s, don't worry we toughed it out and still had church cause we are hard core, here are some pictures of us stuffed into the interior hallway waiting out the tornadoes and the snow outside out home. Notice the blooming flowers covered in snow. We thought it was spring, but we are still working through winter.

Big in so many ways...

2009-02-27T12:30:00.003-06:00

Henry learned two new abilities this month. He learned to crawl at 6 months (My other boys learned at 9 months) He is probably anxious to rumble with the bros. Most of the time he uses the army crawl method, but we occasionally see him crawling up off his belly. It must be hard with his girth:) He can also sit up, which he learned after learning to crawl. Hank the tank is doing things his own way:)

totally awesome!!!

2009-02-18T13:31:00.004-06:00

I just bought this book for my boys on Valentine's Day. I absolutely love it! Click here to see the whole book

Nerds are my favorite!!!

2009-02-12T08:33:00.004-06:00

Sam's Biology Lab is passing out cupcakes for Darwin's Birthday today so I made these. They are Black Bottom Cupcakes, but I turned the cream cheese pink and used a toothpick to make it into a heart. I call them Bleeding Heart Cupcakes now. Mainly because some of them don't exactly come out looking like hearts so if they are bleeding it makes more sense. Only 2 more days until Valentine's Day!!! Hooray!!!

THANK YOU ANNIE!!!

2009-01-26T15:49:00.004-06:00

This Christmas my talented sister-in-law Annie, generously took pictures of Henry. I love them so much!!! People that know me know that all I want in life are pretty pictures of my babies (Brit:). I am so grateful Annie, you don't know how happy these make me.

I love Kung FUUUUUUUUUUUU!

2009-01-24T09:40:00.002-06:00

Don't mind the mess, or "signs of life"

Sammy's love words

2009-01-24T08:57:00.003-06:00

Me and Sammy

Sammy is always giving expressions of love. Here are some of my favorites:

Climbs on my lap, puts his hands on my face and whipers, "I love you so much I can't even handle it."

"I love Henry more-ther than everybody and everything."

"I love Henry than ever."

"Mom, I love you really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, much!"

"I love you 1 million x 100."

"I love Henry like super much."

Friday is National Pie Day

2009-01-22T16:38:00.005-06:00

I got this gene from my Mom that makes you want to celebrate anything and everything you possibly can, so when we found out that there was such a thing as "National Pie Day" three years ago, it became an instant family tradition. On Pie Day you are supposed to bake your favorite pies and are encouraged to try out some new recipes. We are getting together with friends tomorrow to celebrate. Sam will be making a Southern Classic, Buttermilk Pie. I am making one of my favorites "Mystery Pecan Pie", which is pecan pie with a cream cheese layer at the bottom. For my "new" recipe, I'm thinking of trying a Pear-Apple Pie (above), or a Sour Cream Apple Pie. If anyone has any amazing pie recipes you think I should try, LET ME KNOW!!!