Better Hearing

I'm so sad I didn't take any pictures to document Bostyn getting tubes put in his ears last week.
He was such a sweetie and so willingly went down the hall in the wagon with the Doctor. I actually had to pull Zhoee out of the wagon to go to the waiting room with me. When the surgery was done Bossy's Dr. told me there was so much fluid and and it was so thick and infected that he couldn't even believe he could hear at all.
I've noticed such a difference in his hearing scince then. He actually told Zhoee that the TV was too loud the other day... This coming from a kid who would always turn it up blarring any time he could. He's speaking better and using many words he used to not even try. He is using complete sentences with all the filler words. I'm so happy for him!!! He's such a sweetheart and the cutest thing ever.

A Milestone

We've started potty training! I told myself I had to do this when Bart and I returned from our vacation. Soo... It was horrible the first day. But...today... I kept reminding Bostyn and then I got on the computer for min and I heard Bostyn calling me upstairs and I just knew there had been another accident. BUT.. I was wrong!! Bossy went #2 in the toilet all by himself! Wahoo!

A third of my life

OK, BEWARE!!! sorry to any readers (if there are any) this is that same old traditional sappy post about an anniversay, our love story, how much in love we are, and how perfect our life is!!! Alright- far from perfect but life is pretty good. This will be BORING to anyone except Bart and I. But, I like to blog my thoughts on this kind of stuff because it goes straight into our scrapbook.

WOW!!! Today is our 9 Year Anniversary!!! What a fun road it's been! I remember reading a friends' blog who, in talking about her anniversary, said being married young, her and her husband had really grown up together. I feel the exact same way. We've grown up together! We were both young kids when we started dating. I was just starting my second year of college and Bart had been home from his mission 1 1/2 years. I remember the complete surprise of his proposal after my last volleyball game of the season and a huge snow storm on November 10th, 2000 we tromped up the hill of the Provo Temple. And I remember answering and being in a fairy tale. A time every girl imagines. I remember it all sinking in and thinking "I guess I can call it off later if I'm not sure" It was just all such a surprise. I ended up being "sure" eventually though.
Then, in picking a date, I just couldn't wait till Spring Break like Bart had suggested so we chose Feb. 2, Groundhogs Day. And what a beautiful, sunny, perfect day at the Salt Lake Temple. After only 7 months and a camping trip in August where I forgot to bring my birth control we found out I was pregnant.
We finished college together while raising our Jadon. I remember choosing our classes and having to arrange everything with each other carefully so one of us could be home with Jadon. I would go to a class and then Bart would drive up and switch me so he could go to his next class. It's what we did for 2 years. I remember him working full time, being a full time student, and managing our apartment complex so I could finish school and spend time with Jadon. We moved 8 times in our first 6 years of marriage and have finally "settled down" in our home now and have been here 3 1/2 years. (Yet, our home is up for sale now)
We had so much fun graduating with each other from 2 colleges, then supporting each other as we each found jobs and decided what we were going to do with our life. Bart started working for Bank of Utah, we built a house, and had our baby girl, Zhoee ,all within a year. Then time just flew by. We moved, yet again, when Zhoee was just ready to turn 1, and found out that I was pregnant again. Our little Bostyn has been such a blessing to us even though I remember us both being a little stressed out with our crazy life with 3 kids and two of them less than 20 months apart. And it's been a whirlwind after that. Which scares me because all those old ladies who have always told me. "Enjoy every minute with your little ones because before you know it they'll be all grown up and your won't know where the time went." They were right. It's going too fast.
The country song, "I thought I loved you then" is my exact thought as I look back through our marriage: I remember thinking I loved Bart so much that day we got married 9 years ago. I really didn't even know what love was then. I'm just starting to figure a little of it out.

This man I married is incredible and I'm so lucky he chose to marry me. Over the years I've just started to realize how much I love him and how incredible of a father and husband he is. I'm just realizing that service for one another makes you love each other more and more. Bart does so much for me and if I ask him for help with anything he supports me and helps me. I've taught school part- time for the last few years and last Spring announced I was ready to stay home full time. I remember in college and after graduating truly feeling that it would be a waste of time to not work and use my degree. I told Bart I would always be a working mom. He supported me and then had to switch modes when I grew and changed my perspective and decided I could do more for our kids by staying home full time. He totally supported me and makes me feel like I actually do a good job running kids around all day, cleaning, making dinner and making appointments. I love that he makes me feel like I have the most important job!!! It can be a huge struggle just to loose a part-time income but he is so supportive and works hard to provide for us.
In 2006 we started to take a vacation for a week each year without our kids. It's been a fun tradition and I hope we can keep it up. We have such a great time sight seeing, laying around, talking, and remembering that without our crazy life of work, running kids around, making dinner, homework, kids coming into our bed at night..... We love each other and are happy to be alone together just like it started!!!!
I look forward to many many years together and I am grateful to know we can be together forever, and that's what it's all about.
I love YOU, Bart!!! Happy Nine Years! And, happy Groundhogs Day, too! :)

"Dark Fart"

So funny...
Zhoee and Bart were on our bed wrestling around last night while I was doing laundry. Under the covers Zhoee stands over Bart and announces, " I'm Dark Fart and I'll stink all night long." Like that will give her the advantage over her competitors. So... That's it, I guess if Zhoee could choose a super power it would be powerful farts.
Bart and I laughed about that one.

Paradise

We have been having such an amazing time. I dont like to spend too much time on the computer when there is so much to do on vacation. so here a just a few pics.

Prayer

Jadon said the prayer at dinner last night, after blessing the food and other things he ended with this:

"Please bless Mom and Dad when they go to Mazatlan and bless us when we go to Elko to play with our cousins which is Way way more fun than going to Mazatlan....Amen"



They really feel this way, all of them, they are so excited for us to leave so they can go play!!!

Laughing

When my kids make me laugh I like to post it so it's here and I scrapbook it to always remember the silly things they say:

Last night-
Jadon is selling pizza kits for a fundraiser for his school. I told him he could call both his grandmas as see if they wanted to buy a kit.

Jadon: "I just really wish they weren't pizza kits. I wish they were ice cream kits."

Me: (laughing) "what?"

Jadon: "Well, then I could sell tons of kits to Grandpa."

Right after we walked in the house this afternoon from picking up Zhoee from preschool-

Zhoee was making this weird high pitch whistling-singing-humming sound.

Zhoee: "Mom, I'm just so horney."

Mom: "You're so what,??? HORNEY?" (with a very stunned look on my face)

Zhoee: "well, yea, horney. Can't you hear what I'm doing, I sound just like a horn."

Our Fourwheeler Fanatic

We had a fun New Year's Eve!!! Barts parents came to visit for a few days and the kids were so excited to have them here to play!!! We went to Texas Roadhouse for dinner and then home to celebrate the new year! I wasn't surprised at all that they had brought all the essentials: hats, party noise makers, silly string, and, the favorite, fireworks!!!

Richard and Dana

With their "favorite" son????
Bostyn and Tate! What partiers!

Seriously?

Zhoee went to sleep really early Sat. night, therefore, she was wide awake when Bart woke up early for a meeting. I, on the other hand, was looking forward to a little more sleep before getting up to get myself and the kiddos ready for church.

Me: fast asleep.
Zhoee: "Mom, MOM, MOM, WAKE UP, mom, mom, MOM, REALLY WAKE UP!!!!"
Me: "I"m awake, Zho, what's wrong"
Zhoee: I just had to tell you that you don't need to wake up and feed me breakfast; Dad already fed me in the kitchen.

Christmas Morning!!!

Bostyn got a lot of trucks, trailers, and four-wheelers. He loved them all. He loves his tent and new sleeping bag and the flashlight was his favorite. He wishes it weren't so cold outside so he could play with his new bat and ball.
Jadon's favorites were his automatic nerf gun, his video games, namely Lego Indiana Jones, Star Wars Legos, and remote control helecopter.

Zhoee loved her new doll house but didn't quite know what it was at first. She loved her new white puppy, dress up clothes, scripture tote, cute pink boots,and tons of princess stuff and books.

I had a wonderful day full of relaxing and sleeping. Bart and the kids on the other hand... They played, played, played!!! I scored these jammies for the kids on Black Friday for 3$ each, they fit well and were so soft. Not bad for 3$ pajamas.

Gingerbread houses

Some friends of ours had us over to make gingerbread houses for Family Home Evening. We had such a fun time. All the gingerbread was homemade and tasted wonderful! Our kids prefered the candy though. This picture was taken the next morning. Notice the boys have NO candy left on their houses and Zhoee's is still there.

Confirmed!

I haven't really dared get anything ready for a baby quite yet.. Not until I heard one more time it was a girl. Today was the day.... For sure a GIRL! We will be in Mexico in 4 weeks so I have to wait for 5 weeks until the big 3D ultrasound. I got the OK to fly, relax on the beach, and hot tub!!! YEA!!! Just no scuba diving or para sailing for me! I'll watch Bart.

When it snows

They love to play in the snow.
Our sweetheart.

This boy is so stinkin cute!

I was getting the wipes and a diaper to change Bossy and he knew it too.... I turned to find him and it was silent and after looking for a second this is where I found him....Hiding from the dreaded diaper change.

It's finished!

Last night we finished the doll house! I can say "we" right cuz I did help with a layer of paint!

The Carpenter!!!

Bart has been working on Zhoee's doll house at night!!! After the kids go to bed he sneaks out into the garage and works until the wee hours of the morning. I go out and check on him and he admits he's having fun making this house. He's gotten very extravagant and this house is HUGE!! It's 5 ft. x 5ft. with 7 rooms and 3 stories. I've admitted to him that I'm very jealous and I'll be playing with it every bit as much as Zhoee will be. It's ready for painting now, I just need to go out in the cold garage and get another picture! It'll have to be another point. maybe tomorrow.

Thanksgiving

How sad that these are the only pictures we have... all the rest were videos! Bostyn is happy to have Grandpa Tucker play ball with him (his favorite thing to do). The three two-year olds were great helpers, cleaning off the tables to get ready for Thanksgiving dinner.

Another stop at the Salt Flats

We are always ready for a stop to stretch and use the bathrooms at the Salt Flats on our way to Elko. Here are some pics of the kids and Dex while were were running around.

Princesses on Ice

This was a while ago but it hadn't quite made it to the blog and we had such a fun trip sooo... here are the pics of Zhoee and I at Princesses on Ice. We rode Front Runner down to SLC which was nice because it was so cold, snowy, and icy and I didn't want to drive. The show was very fun and I just enjoyed watching Zhoee, who was glued to every skater, every scene, and just loving the whole experience. We ate dinner together afterwards and then tried not to fall asleep on the train ride home. We had a fun GIRLS TRIP!