My Two Sons

Just Can't Get Enough

2012-01-26T08:43:00.000-08:00

Landon loves to listen to music and show off his best moves. He is so limber and flexible, he often looks like he should be a back-up dancer for Katie Perry (or some other well know artist).

Even at Grandma Judy's house he gets into the groove and finds things laying around that help him get into character.

Lucas on the other hand seems to always have his mind set on playing soccer, basketball or football.

We got to enjoy our first Grizzlies Hockey Game of the season last week. We met up with the Armstrong family for dinner before heading over to watch the game. It ended up being a really good game and the boys had a lot of fun.

Lucas lost his first top tooth finally. I think that thing has been loose for at least a month now and at one point we thought maybe the Tooth Fairy would run into Santa Clause.

Landon Turns 4

2012-01-25T17:22:00.000-08:00

Landon started out celebrating his 4th Birthday with a family party at Grandma Judy's house. Unfortunately Lucas had been really sick so him and I were unable to attend the festivities. However Steve and Landon enjoyed some of grandma's cooking as well as an ice cream cake for desert.

Last Tuesday was Landon's actual birthday. He woke up early to cinnamon rolls and a couple of birthday presents. He also got to spend the day with daddy since he took the day off work. The three of us enjoyed playing games that concluded with an extensive Nerf gun battle.

I let Landon choose what he wanted for dinner and would you believe he chose hot dogs?? We also had Brats just to spice things up a little. He said he wanted brownies instead of cake so that is what he got.

Landon decided that he wanted a swimming birthday party at the same place Lucas had his last year. I was hoping he could be persuaded to go ice skating instead but he was not about to give in to my wishes. Oh well, we had fun swimming instead.

We got to the Rec. Center a little early and so by the time some of his guests arrived for the party, Landon was done with swimming and ready to move on to the presents.

However once some of our friends showed up, Lucas was content to stay in the pool for the rest of the night.

Despite the wet weather we had, Nichole & Jim Mathis came down from Lehi to help us celebrate.

We were also joined by Kerrie, Matt, Jack and Aiden Turvey.

Aunt Erin once again was recruited to help out with all the kiddos in the pool. Someone made the comment that they want an Aunt Erin. :)

Landon got quit after getting out of the pool and was not sure what to do with all the attention.

We were also joined by the Armstrong family and the Williamson girls. We are so thankful to have such amazing family and friends who helped us celebrate my baby boys birthday. He is growing so darn fast.

Landon loves his new bike from mom & dad and the way he is growing it will be just the right size by the time the summer rolls around.

Winter Days and Winter Nights.....

2012-01-10T17:53:00.001-08:00

We finally got snow last weekend and we were all so excited to get outside and play. After shopping around for a new bike for Landon's birthday, we headed over to a nearby park to do some sledding. We realized that the next time it snows we need to invest in another sled because the boys loved it!

They didn't even complain about having to climb (or crawl in Landon's case) back up the hill. Nor did either one of them complain about the cold, I was the first one who was ready to go after two hours on the hill.

Lucas was glad that we ran into some of his school friends, as we were far from the only family taking advantage of the white stuff.

After sledding we headed home where the boys helped me shovel the driveway and sidewalks before heading inside for a mandatory cup of hot cocoa.

(A little shout out to Kristen Upp - the boys love this cup and always fight over it!) ;)

It seems over half of the pictures on my cameras are of Landon running around in his underpants. In fact when I just walked into the other room to take pictures of the boys, Landon was nearly naked again.

Talk about cheap entertainment for a Friday night at the McCormack house. I was glad that Landon had the idea of running out to the garage to get helmets before continuing play.

And once the box fell apart they moved on to bigger ideas....

I'm not sure whose idea it was to play these games in the first place but we all had a great time.

Christmas Day - 2011

2011-12-29T18:20:00.001-08:00

It's official, Santa came to visit the McCormack boys!! More presents under the tree, the stockings are stuffed and the cookies and milk are gone!! Just in case there was any question at all, the boys checked to make sure the reindeer ate the carrots we left them. As much as I hoped for a white Christmas, there was no snow so we couldn't look for any tracks. We did find a note from Santa and a couple of lil' bitty cards from Dobby. I was happy to see the boys were more excited about the toothbrushes in their stockings than the candy.

As you can sort of tell in the picture below, it was still dark outside when the boys started unwrapping gifts.....and the unwrapping doesn't even start until mom and dad each have a camera in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other.Such a funny picture that I could not resist........typical??

I love to see the joy and excitement on their faces as they unwrap their gifts. This to me is what Christmas is all about.

Christmas can mean so many different things to so many different people. At Christmas I am just so blessed to be able to be around friends and family that I love and care so much about. I know the true meaning of Christmas and one day so will my boys. I know I also go overboard in the gift department but I just can't help myself. I grew up in a single parent household with 4 other siblings and a mom who worked her butt off just to get food on the table and a roof over our head. Now that I am a mom I am so grateful to be able to fulfill my boys Christmas wish lists.

Speaking of spending time with family, before eating Christmas dinner with the family on Sunday, Papa Joe took Lucas and Landon into their backyard to shoot an air soft gun. At least I know for sure my boys will know how to shoot a gun safely. I think Papa has been waiting for this day for a long time and now will be counting down til the day he takes the boys to the shooting range.

We all had a wonderful Holiday Season and the boys are still enjoying playing with all their new toys. The last week they have just wanted to stay at home everyday and play with their toys. Lucas did finally agree to go have a special day with Grandma Judy and go to a friends house for a playdate. We also went to see the new Chipmunks movie with the Armstrong's. I am sort of sad to see the kids go back to school next week but also look forward to some much needed "me" time.

Until next year, we wish you all a very safe and wonderful New Year.

Christmas Eve - 2011

2011-12-29T17:22:00.000-08:00

We spent the day on Christmas Eve just hanging out around the house as a family. We watched one of our favorite holiday movies, ELF. Before we went to Grandma Judy's house for Italian Beef, we all got to open one present. Jammies! Even the 2 Mommy White Dogs got new p.j.'s for Christmas this year.

Look at those two cute puppies!! ;)

After dinner we exchanged gifts with Grandma and Papa, Aunt Erin & Uncle Chris and Aunt Ang. The boys were so excited about the Nerf Guns from Uncle Chris and the Soccer Balls and Nets from Aunt Erin. They could not wait to get home and play with all their goodies.

They both got Lego sets from Grandma & Papa as well as remote control cars and a book with 25 crisp new dollar bills.

We tried to leave Grandma & Papa's house early so we could get home and get everything ready for Santa. Lucas got the cookies, Landon got the milk and I got the carrots for the reindeer. Lucas left a note for Santa and Landon left a napkin so he wouldn't leave a mess.

Lucas also left a note for Dobby, our Elf on the Shelf, that said how much he was going to miss him. Landon and Lucas were both sad to say goodbye to Dobby, til next year.

'Tis the Season

2011-12-16T18:49:00.000-08:00

The boys are getting so excited for Christmas and so am I. With a little over a week to go before the big day, I am already done shopping and have even done some baking. The boys wake up each morning and rush to see who can find Doby, our "Elf on the Shelf", first. Some of our friends have naughty elves but our little guy is nothing but polite. We have found him swinging from the rafters and driving Spiderman's car but he is not much for pulling pranks on us.

We once again are forced to find indoor activities to do, as no one at the McCormack house is real fond of the cold weather. The boys love to get into costumes and dance around the house.

We all love to read and one of our favorite things to do in the winter is curl up by the fire and the Christmas Tree and read or color. Both boys love helping make cookies but soon loose interest when it comes to baking time.

So nice to see we are getting our money's worth out of this years Halloween costumes. ;)

Last weekend was unseasonably warm and the boys enjoyed getting outside and riding bikes. We are all hoping for some snow and a white Christmas, but since we are not traveling I'm sure the weather will be beautiful.

Last Saturday Landon and I went and watched one of our favorite little girls perform in her dance recital. Landon was so excited to take flowers for Gracie, he would not let me touch them.

Last weekend we had Christmas with the Whetman family. Lucas and Landon were so excited to finally get to open a gift! The boys had fun hanging out with Danee, she really played well with Landon.

Landon and I got to spend an afternoon with another one of our favorite little girls, Isabel. She is the sweetest and happiest little thing I have ever seen.

Love our Belbel.

Seasons Greetings!

Football and Fun

2011-12-07T08:00:00.000-08:00

So I consider myself pretty fortunate in that Steve does not watch that many sporting events on t.v. Of course when we first started dating that was not the case as we were both enthralled in the Chicago Bulls and Michael Jordan and even went as far as taping games and watching them repeatedly. Since Jordan retired neither one of us has watched much basketball or any other sport for that matter. Well Lucas has discovered football!! He loves to watch any game he can and tends to dislike the teams that mom and dad are rooting for, meaning he really dislikes the Chicago Bears and the Denver Broncos. However he does like the Utah Utes, and the Wyoming Cowboys but is also a big fan of BYU!!!! Sorry to say it, not sure what we did wrong. We have tried telling him he cannot be a Utes and BYU fan but he disagrees. If he is not watching football, he is throwing a little football around the house, playing football outside with dad and brother, playing football at school or playing his newest Wii football game. Then there is Landon who just goes with the flow - or whatever older brother is doing.They even play football in costumes!

I like that when they play football at home they are usually on a team against dad and therefor get along great. Below is a picture of Lucas feeding Landon so that he will finish his lunch sooner and be able to play more football. ;)

Lucas and I enjoyed a mommy/son date at Jungle Jims one afternoon. We both had lots of fun playing the games and trying to find which ones would give us the most tickets for a prize.

Lucas found some of my red lipstick.......what a little "Joker".

Below is a drawing done by Landon. Can you tell which figure is the male?

Thankful for Time with Family

2011-12-06T18:01:00.000-08:00

We were fortunate enough to spend Thanksgiving in Wyoming with my family this year. Since my mom had recently moved into her new apartment, we decided to stay in the hotel that my niece Jenika and her boyfriend Sharjeel manage. The boys were so excited to be able to go swimming over the holiday that they did not complain a bit.

Thursday we had a delicious Thanksgiving dinner that my sister Terri and her husband Paul prepared. My brother Robert and his wife Shelly came into town Wednesday night and so we were able to spend some time with them as well. Lucas and Landon were more than happy to celebrate Christmas a little early with my family.

Lucas and Landon got to spend a lot of time with my great nephew Braeden and great niece McKayla. I was so happy that they all got along wonderfully.

Thursday evening my sister Terri came to our hotel and some of us adults were able to play a fun game of Curses while the kids danced in the conference room and played a mean game of War. My sister Tonia came into town on Friday with her grandson A.J. and stayed in the adjoining room next to ours. My fun little niece Kathy was able to spend the night in Laramie on Friday as well and we all stayed up way too late swimming, eating and just hanging out. Saturday my nephew Kent came over from Cheyenne to visit and Lucas, Landon, Steve and Braeden had fun playing football with him outside in the freezing cold; while us ladies stayed inside getting manicures from Kathy.Landon loves Grandma Janice's dog Taby, or any dog for that matter. He also had fun playing with Uncle Bert's dog Kota and Aunt Tona's dog Barley. This mom thinks this little boy needs a dog of his own. ;)

Saturday night we went swimming again and had grandma, Aunt Terri and Aunt Tina over to the hotel to watch all the kids swim and to eat and be merry a little bit more. We had such a fantastic visit and are so thankful for all that my niece Jenika and Sharjeel provided for us. We hope to repay them when they come for a visit to Utah.

Landon was well prepared with drinks for the ride home and Lucas.......well not sure what he was eating, but something with cheese.

It's My Party.....and I'll......

2011-11-11T18:41:00.000-08:00

Last weekend my friend Sarah threw me a party for my 36th birthday. I honestly can't remember the last time I had a birthday party! She made yummy chicken spaghetti, my favorite hot sausage dip, a veggie tray with delish onion dip and my new favorite fat-free pumpkin spice dip that we dipped graham crackers and Nilla Wafers in but would also be yummy with fruit.

Matt made one of his famous adult beverages with hand squeezed grapes and lots of other secret ingredients that made lots of us adults sort of silly. Sarah even brought decorations in my favorite colors! Her and Matt went all out for the occasion and we all had a fantastic time.

The kids enjoyed mac'n cheese and hot dogs and all the pop they could drink. (Caffeine free of course.)

Isabel loved the black olives and really enjoyed smashing the mac'n cheese all over her belly.

To top off the party, Sarah also made me my favorite chocolate chip cookie cake. It was so good and luckily there was left overs for me to enjoy the next day as well.

Jessenia and Chad with Isabel.

The kids all had fun setting up a haunted house in Lucas' room with scary music and all. They had each adult enter alone at one point throughout the night.

Of all the people we had in the house that night the only person to break anything was me, when I dropped a shot glass. Luckily, as most of us know, Steve loves to sweep and he does such a great job at it.

The fun did not end when we all went to bed because the Armstrongs had their first sleepover at our house. Luckily it was planned so they were well prepared with jammies, pillows and even the portable playpen for Isabel. I am so thankful to have such wonderful friends who care about me and my family and am so thankful that all the kids and even the dads get along so well. Thanks to all who helped me celebrate. You mean the world to me.

Trick-or-Treat

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

Sunday evening the boys were so excited to carve their pumpkins. After starting our scary Halloween music we got to work. They each picked out the face they wanted and did the majority of scooping out the innards of their own pumpkins.

For the most part Steve and I did the actual carving until I got brave and let Lucas take over on one of our extra pumpkins......

For some reason the white pumpkin was a lot easier to carve and using the specific carving tools Lucas was able to do the whole thing by himself!! Next year I will know that he is capable but sometimes I still have trouble relinquishing control of certain things. At least I am willing to admit it. :)

Monday morning Landon got dressed in his costume for his Halloween Party at school. He was so excited to hand out the goodie bags we had put together. I was surprised when he asked me to paint his face like a puppy. When I picked him up I thought all his makeup would be rubbed off but it did not look too bad. All the little girls at his school kept telling him how cute he was.

He had me wash his face and said we could paint it before he went trick-or-treating that night. We had Grandma Judy, Papa and Aunt Erin over for chili so they could see the boys all dressed up before heading out into the night. Aunt Erin went around the neighborhood with us which the boys really liked.

We made a pit stop back at the house to check our candy bowl and take a potty break before heading out to 10 more houses - that was the number Lucas came up with. Once we were done we walked to a haunted house a couple of blocks away. It is set up in someones garage and is done every year. Lucas wanted no part of it so Steve stayed behind with him while Landon and I ventured in. (The girl at the door had the "actors" tone it down for Landon since he was so young.) He touched what we both believed to be an old lady statue and when it moved Landon said it scared the jeebee's out of him. Our little man is fearless.

We finally got home a little after 8:00, to find that someone had emptied our whole bowl of candy into their bag. We know we did not have that many trick-or-treaters the last 45 minutes we were out. Irritating, next year we will just have to turn our lights off while we are out and about. Despite the fact, we had a fun-filled holiday. After taking a quick bath and reading one last Halloween story the boys and I were all ready for bed. Landon is already talking about what he wants to be next Halloween.

Pre Halloween Fun

2011-11-02T18:40:00.000-07:00

Last week, as per tradition, we painted some of our pumpkins. Lately Lucas has been very into doing things that are tradition and even if we have only done something once, he may just decide to make it a tradition. I actually like that he is old enough now to help decide what we do. As many of you already know, he is the "boss" in this house. ;)

Luckily they are both boys because more projects than not end up with them taking off their shirts. As the main person who does the laundry, I am all about them not ruining their clothes with paint and stains.

??????? No words to describe this outfit

Last Thursday Lucas had his Halloween parade and party at school. I had to leave the house early to help set up for his party so I was not at home to help him get all the pieces to his costume on. Oh well, most of the boys at least knew that he was dressed as Bat Man.

I was in charge of coming up with games for the kids in his class to play. I made a couple of bowls of spaghetti noodles, added some Halloween bouncy balls, blindfolded the kids and told them to stick their hands in the bowl of brains to retrieve the eyeballs. There was only one kid who did not want to participate, even after he knew what was really in the bowls. Next we made large spider webs by playing catch with a ball of yarn. All in all the kids had a great time and enjoyed the prizes I handed out for being such good sports.

Thursday after school Lucas had his little friend Anders over to play. The weather was nice enough that I sent them outside to get some of their wiggles out. I am glad that Lucas is so outgoing and continues to make new friends as well as keeping his old ones. He is definitely a social butterfly.Friday Lucas did not have school so after meeting some of the ladies from my coffee club at Chic-fil-a, we went and picked up grandma Judy and headed to Gardner Village. We try to go every year in October to see their wonderful witch exhibits.

We knew Steve would love the one on the bike so we had to get her in the pictures. We shopped at a couple of the stores, including my favorite, Pine Needles, a great fabric store. I just can't seem to help myself once I'm there.

Despite the massive crowds, we really enjoyed just walking around looking at all the witches. I think at last count, the boys saw 30 something witches. We then went to lunch with grandma before heading back to her house to hang out. She feels bad because she hardly sees Lucas now that he is in school all day.

Friday I stopped at the store and picked up some dry ice so that we could make some witches brew. The boys were so fascinated with the steam and bubbling from the ice, and spent a good hour mixing our brew.

We had so much fun with the witches brew Friday night that we decided to make a second batch on Saturday night when our friend Sean was over. He too loved the dry ice and kept asking me how I learned to make witches brew. I think for a moment he thought I was pretty cool.

Sunday morning Lucas, Landon and Sean woke up and fixed their own breakfast before heading downstairs to watch t.v. Steve had shut my door when he left for biking and with the fan we had going, I did not even hear the boys get up.

Sunday was a beautiful day and the boys spent the afternoon playing in the dirt in the backyard before heading out to the front yard with Steve to play football.Even Power Rangers like to play football.

Fall Break

2011-10-23T14:45:00.001-07:00

Lucas started his fall break on Wednesday when he got out of school early. After school we drove up to the Canyons Resort outside Park City where we met Sarah, Sean, Gracie and Isabel Armstrong at the Grand Summit Hotel that they were staying at for the night. They had invited us up to go swimming with them.

The pool was nice and warm but with the little breeze coming off the mountain, any part of our body not in the pool got a little bit chilly. The kids did not seem to notice as much as the two moms did. :) burrrrr. Even little Isabel did not seem to mind the cooler air, as she loved splashing and playing in the pool.

Lucas and Landon had so much fun swimming with their best buds and may have just stayed in there all night if they had a choice. Unfortunately for them I did make them get out so we could get dressed and head home to have dinner with Steve.

Thursday we woke up and played board games before our little friend Danee got dropped off for the day. We watched her earlier in the week as well but before that it had been July since we had even seen her. Lucas has been asking to see her which was pretty cute. He decided he would help me watch her or so he said. He did help put her shoes on when we went to the park and helped her in and out of her seat belt. That counts as helping right? We spent the afternoon at the park playing soccer and watching high school kids play Quidditch, you know the game Harry Potter plays while flying around on a broom. Yeah I had no idea people really played this!! Of course they were not flying but they were running around on their brooms. Speaking of brooms.....

Thursday night I met up with some friends at Inferno for our annual Witches Night Out. The margaritas were super yummy and so were the steak nachos that I shared with my friend Jessenia.

It was weird and a little sad to have some of our friends not present for the evening but we still managed to have a fun night. There were lots of new faces this year as well, including my friend Nicole and her guest Jenny. Once the DJ started at 10 pm we were able to get out on the dance floor and bust a move before heading home for the night.

Friday morning Lucas had his little friend Parker from school come over and play. They have been wanting to play for some time now and so Lucas was so excited to have him over. At lunchtime we picked up grandma Judy and went to lunch at Chilis and got to see Uncle Fris (that's how Landon says it). We did not have any plans at all for the remainder of the weekend so we just hung out around the house playing soccer, football and board games. The boys and I painted pumpkins and did crafts while Steve began winterizing the house. I'm sad to see Lucas head back to school but I'm excited for the coming week filled with Halloween fun.

Fall is in the Air

2011-10-21T18:57:00.000-07:00

Last week I accompanied Landon on his first school field trip. We met up with his Wonder Kids Preschool classmates at the Sandy Fire Station where we were treated to a very interactive and entertaining puppy show. I was quit impressed with the fire safety knowledge Landon had learned in school prior to the field trip.

While at the fire house, Landon was pretty quiet which is normal and as soon as we were walking away he started rambling about how his friend Josh was there. It was just funny because he did not say a word to Josh the whole time.

Last week we took our friend Henry with us to the Hogle Zoo. I'm not really sure why, but we have not been to the zoo since last spring. I bought a pass and then did not go at all during the summer. I guess it goes to show how busy we were. We also met up with Sarah, Sean, Gracie and Isabel at the zoo.

After Lucas finished his soccer game last weekend, we picked up his friend Chase and headed to Wheeler Farm for the Pumpkin Festival. Although the three boys had a great time in the hay maze and on the wagon ride, I decided next year we will find a new place to go and pick out our pumpkins. In the past we were able to pull the pumpkins straight off the vine but this year they had huge boxes of little pumpkins that they placed in an open area that you went in and chose your pumpkin from. I was a little disappointed.

We always enjoy just walking around looking at the animals and playing on all the old tractors. Plus now they have a big playground that the kids spent more time on than anything.

Fall is in the Air

2011-10-11T17:36:00.000-07:00

One day while shopping for a birthday gift for a friend, Lucas found a wrestling figurine he had been wanting for quit some time. He started to cry and throw a fit because we would not buy it for him. I told him maybe he could do some chores around the house to earn his own money so he could purchase the toy. He then said he did not want to go the birthday party because he wanted to go home and get to 'work'. Well he did go to the birthday party and the next day he started pulling weeds. It took Lucas and Landon a couple of days but they finally got all the weeds in front of the bay window pulled and I gave them each $10 to spend as they pleased.

Lucas loves playing soccer with his new team this fall and we love watching him continue to improve. He wants to sign up to play basketball this winter but I think I may try to get him and Landon into karate instead, at least for now. I do want the boys to try different sports and then ultimately chose their favorite sport because I do not want them in multiple sports during the same time. I enjoy spending some time at home. :)

Lucas had 'Wild Hair Day' at school and while I thought his hair was pretty wild, I was surprised to see that his hair was pretty tame compared to some of the other students. Luckily he had not gotten the haircut that he keeps begging for yet.

Not to be outdone, Landon 'Hams' it up for the camera.

We got a package in the mail from Aunt Tonia and the boys spent at least an hour popping the bubble wrap.

Last week we got our first snow of the season and Landon could not wait to go outside and play. Although I was ready for cooler temperatures, I was not too thrilled to go from upper 80's to snow. I did manage to go outside with him long enough to throw a couple of snowballs and build a baby snowman. Plus by then his fingers were numb and he was ready to go inside. By evening it had warmed up enough to melt most of our snowman and the boys were determined to play soccer outside. Every evening after dinner Lucas and Landon can't wait to get outside and play football and soccer with dad. I love to watch how the boys play together as a team and beat the snot out of their dad. ;)

Midway, Utah - MGW 2011

2011-10-05T20:49:00.000-07:00

This year our "Moms Gone Wild" trip took us to Midway, Utah. Our good friend Lori is pregnant and due in the next month or so and therefor we did not want to venture too far away from home. I had never been to Midway and was just excited to get a break from everyday life and spend some much needed time with my favorite friends. We rented a beautiful condo at the Zermatt Resort and therefor had access to all the hotel amenities.We arrived at the condo Thursday late afternoon where we had a couple of drinks and spent some time catching up with our out of town friends. Brandi flew in from Oklahoma and Alison flew in from her new home in Texas. We went to dinner at a fantastic Mexican restaurant called Tarahumara that had the largest salsa bar EVER!! Then we headed to the local grocery store so we could grab dinner for the following night as well as other necessities. Friday morning I woke up and went for a little walk before heading to the fitness center at the Zermatt Hotel. While walking and talking on the phone with Steve and the boys I saw a group of deer right in front of me. I stopped and watched them as they stopped and watched me before gracefully running off. While running on the treadmill I noticed a fenced area in the back of the Zermatt that was home to some goats. The longer I ran I noticed that some of the goats were not in the pin and shortly after asking the trainer if they were supposed to be running free I got to watch a couple of men dressed in Swedish costumes 'herd' the goats back in to the pin and fix the fence.

Around lunch time Sarah, Angi, Jessenia and I headed to Rocky Mountain Outfitters to go on our scheduled horse back ride. I thought I would be a lot more nervous than I was since the last time I was on a horse, some 25 years ago, I was bucked off twice in one day. Thankfully our pre-ride cocktail seemed to be just right in calming my nerves. :)

My horses name was Apples and as soon as I saw her I knew she was the one for me, she was by far the prettiest of the bunch. At first she tried to push her limits with me by stopping ever so often to snack but I soon learned I was going to have to be stern with her. She did let me take her jogging a couple of times even though I'm not so sure our guide approved. It was so much fun and was an experience I won't soon forget.

We headed back to our condo at the Zermatt where we watched some quality t.v. - Jersey Shore before it was time to get dinner ready and get ourselves ready for a night out on the big town of Heber. We ended up at The Other End Bar & Grille where we were treated with live music from the band Whiskey Dick.

Not exactly our type of crowd or music but we knew that with a couple of drinks and 9 good friends we were bound to enjoy ourselves. My only regret from the night was buying a hat that says Whiskey Dick on it and has the silhouette of a naked girl from the mudflaps on it. Something I most likely won't be wearing when I go to pick Lucas up from school. ;)' We really loved when the band went and took a smoke break every other song so that we could play good music on the jukebox and get our groove on.

Saturday morning Jessenia and Sarah joined me in the gym where we tried to sweat out some of the liquor that was consumed the night before. If that didn't do it then the sauna afterwards did. We all took it easy most of the day and even managed to catch a couple more episodes of the Jersey Shore. Angi and I did venture off at one point to the gift shops to try and find souvenirs to take home to the kiddos. We happened upon some natural pools on the Zermatt property before heading across the street to the Homestead to roam around and check out their natural pool.

After roaming a while we called the house to see if anyone else wanted to wander into town since we had been unsuccessful in our search for gifts and we also needed a ride. Luckily Jessenia was going stir crazy so she picked us up and we stopped off at a cute little coffee shop, Fill-er-Up, for a cup o' Joe before hitting some of the local shops.

Still unsuccessful in finding gifts we went in search for another tavern in Heber we had heard about and found out that they were having karaoke that night at 9 o'clock. We hit Wal Mart for a few things we needed for dinner and I got the boys each a toy to take home. Not very original but they loved their new Bayblades.

After a yummy dinner of pasta salads we once again began the task of primping before hitting the Timp Tavern. We had lots of fun with karaoke and just might make that a moms trip tradition.

Sunday we were all up early and ready to get home to our families. For those of us in the Salt Lake Valley, it was a short little trip and for the other two girls we are so thankful that they go through all the headaches of flying to be with us on this weekend. Love all these ladies and don't know what I'd do without them.

Landon Goes to Preschool

2011-10-05T19:56:00.001-07:00

Landon was a little hesitant about starting preschool last month. He kept asking me if I was going to stay with him while he was in school. :( He was so excited to go shopping for new school clothes, shoes and especially his new big boy back pack but I don't think he really realized that going to school did not include mom.

When I dropped him off he started to cry as I walked him to the front door and then I went home and carried my phone around for the next couple of hours waiting for his teacher to call me to tell me to come and get him. Fortunately that never happened but he was very excited to see me. His teacher said he did not cry very long and started to warm up to everyone after the first hour or so. Whew. Now when I drop him off at school I look forward to going running and getting a shower with no interruptions.

After his first day at school Landon and I went on a special date for pizza and he told me all about how nice his teacher Ms. Nicole was. He was not too thrilled about going to school the following Monday and told me that if I left him there he was not going to talk, which he does occasionally and it drives me nuts. Luckily when I picked him up Monday he said he did talk to Ms. Nicole. Occasionally he still has a bad day and cries at school but for the most part he is adjusting well and so am I. He has not cried when I drop him off since the first day of school but towards the end of class he says he cries cause he misses me. I miss him too as well as Lucas but I have learned that no matter how much I wish against it, they keep getting older.

Lucas once again started his fall soccer season and has so far enjoyed five soccer games and multiple practices with excellent weather. I was asked to coach again this season and fortunately for me they found enough volunteers and Lucas ended up with an exceptional coach and team. He likes to brag that they are still undefeated, even though they officially don't keep score for his age division.

Landon tends to get a little restless at the games on Saturday and so I think I will look in to getting him into Karate or something this winter so that he will have his own "thing". Lucas wants to play basketball so we will see how that pans out. I don't mind as long as he is not playing two sports at the same time, then it just becomes too much for......me. (haha and him as well.)

Last month Landon also learned to ride his bike without any training wheels!! Steve had taken them off to put the chain back on Landon's bike and he said he did not want training wheels anymore. Steve started pushing him in the grass on his bike then let go and Landon just kept on riding. It was amazing. The next day he was riding on the sidewalk. Then the next day he was riding around the block but still needed a little push to get going. The next day he did not need help getting going but would only go in a straight line. Then the next day he was going around the corner without stopping. The day after that we rode our bikes all the way to Quail Hollow to pick up Lucas and he didn't need any help at all!

Look at him go!!!

Labor Day Vacation

2011-10-05T17:45:00.000-07:00

We spent Labor Day weekend in southern Utah in a little town called Washington (Lucas kept calling it Washington DC) with our good friends the Armstrong's. We rented a 4 bedroom house with plenty of space for the two families for the 4 nights. The kids were so excited to get to spend the whole weekend with their friends and so was mom.

The first night we grilled chicken on the barbecue and enjoyed hanging out in the spacious back yard. The four older kids loved playing on the trampoline and riding their bikes on the sidewalk that circled the entire back yard. Baby Isabel would have been content to sit in the baby swing all night. Saturday morning Steve and Matt woke up early and went bike riding while Sarah and I hung out around the house with the kids. I did manage to take the four older kids on a little bike ride around the neighborhood.

Saturday afternoon we all headed to Hurricane, Utah to take part in Peach Days and had intended to go to the rodeo. We had some yummy carnival food for dinner and let the kids choose a couple of rides to go on.

It was a very hot evening but we all managed to enjoy ourselves, even though we never did find the rodeo grounds.

Sunday we woke up and drove to Zion National Park, a place the McCormack family had never been. We had to park at the entrance to the park and take a shuttle bus through the National Park which was fun because we got to ride with Sarah, Matt, Sean, Gracie and Isabel. We decided to get off the bus to do a short little hike to Lower Emerald Pool. Landon started to complain at one point that his legs were tired but once I had him start looking for lizards he seemed to forget about his legs AND we found a lizard.

We also tried to find tarantulas along the trail but lucky for this spider hating momma, we did not see any. :) Needless to say we did make it to the top of the trail where the kids were rewarded with a snack and a beautiful view of a waterfall that we walked behind.

A very friendly squirrel we happened to see along our hike, he seemed to be quit comfortable around people.

After our bus tour of Zion National Park we headed down the canyon to a great little restaurant for a late lunch and then it was back on the road to head to our weekend home where the dads could get ready to go on a night ride. On the way back I had Steve stop along the side of the road so that I could get some souvenir rocks to take home with me. I took my camera along the road so that the passersby would just think I was taking pictures not taking rocks. Is that against the law?? I hope not because I collect rocks wherever I go.Monday morning the boys woke up and went biking again while Sarah and I stayed at home with the kids. I took Lucas and Sean for a bike ride along a trail that ran by our house while Sarah stayed with the littler ones. When Steve and Matt got back Sarah and I took Isabel and we went into St.George to try and find a place that was open on Labor Day so we could get pedicures. Meanwhile the dads took the other kids to the swimming pool. Monday night we made tacos for dinner and hung around the house until the Armstrong family left for a play and the McCormack family stayed home with Isabel and played.

I love this picture where Landon is helping Gracie (his girlfriend) put on her helmet so she could ride his bike. Tuesday morning we woke up and started the sad process of packing and getting ready to head back to Sandy. We had a great weekend with fabulous friends and look forward to seeing where Matt and Steve's biking weekend lands us next year.

Back to School

2011-09-14T19:04:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe that my little boy is in first grade!!

As much as I hate to see the summer come to an end, I love all the excitement of "Back to School". New clothes, new shoes, new books - I love it. Lucas was not too excited about starting school but I know he was happy to see all his friends. His favorite part of the day is.....you guessed it Recess. I was nervous about Lucas eating lunch at school and he learned after the first couple of days that he needed to eat faster. Each evening we go over the lunch menu for the next day and Lucas decides if he wants school lunch or wants to bring his own.

Now that Lucas goes to school all day it is hard to schedule playdates during the week. Once he gets home from school, has his snack, and does his homework it is then time for dinner. He does get out early on Fridays so that is when he usually gets to play with his friends.

As much as I miss Lucas while he is at school, it is sort of nice having some one on one time with Landon. I still can't help but feel a little guilty when we go do fun things, knowing that Lucas is sitting in a desk at school.

Landon and Gracie enjoy a special date at Smash Burger.

Nova Scotia - Part 5 - Beaches & Lighthouses

2011-08-23T18:55:00.000-07:00

Our beautiful day at the Roseway Beach less than a mile down the road from great grandma's house.We all had so much fun hanging out on the beach playing in the water and the sand. We found lots of seashells and rocks to bring home as treasures.

Steve, Lucas, Landon, Papa Joe and I enjoyed playing soccer, Frisbee and Airobi in the front yard at Great Grandma Hagar's house.

This is the old house that sits behind great grandma's house where Steve's great grandparents lived.

On our way back to Halifax on Saturday we were able to stop and visit a couple of lighthouses along the way. This was Fort Point Lighthouse just outside Liverpool, Nova Scotia and it is the first lighthouse we have been able to go into.

The boys loved blowing the foghorn in the top of the lighthouse and of course playing on the cannons.

This is the Port Medway Lighthouse with a seagull perched on top.

This is Port Medway Lighthouse without the seagull.

Nova Scotia - Part 4 - Shelburne

2011-08-22T13:28:00.000-07:00

We got to spend the better part of one day just hanging out in downtown Shelburne. Even though it was drizzling all day we still managed to enjoy ourselves. Of course the boys loved climbing all over the various attractions and I enjoyed browsing in the tourist shops and art galleries. The boys spent at least an hour hanging out along the Harbour just throwing rocks in the water.

Shortly after I took the picture above Lucas slipped off this anchor and all Steve heard was a thud and then laughing. I was sorry to have missed it. :)

Lucas and Landon thought it was pretty cool that they could run around under this building. I guess part of the movie The Scarlet Letter was filmed in this location. One day I will get around to watching it.

We also took a little drive to just outside Shelburne to see the Sandy Point Lighthouse, one of many I would get to see during our trip.

One evening Steve and I took advantage of our "built in babysitters" and headed into Shelburne to the Seadog Saloon where we watched the tail end of the sail boat races, watched the sun set and the moon rise all while sharing a mediocre pitcher of beer. Luckily the conversation and the views made up for the beer. The boys were so happy to see that we did not stay out too long and we even managed to make it back in time to watch Big Brother. :)

Nova Scotia - Part 3 - Ox Haul

2011-08-20T16:06:00.001-07:00

We were lucky enough to take in the Shelburne Fair while we were in Nova Scotia which included the Ox Hauls. We were so amazed at how large the ox were, I had no idea!!

Well these two were not that big but they were only 2 months old. We found out the trainer for these two little guys is a 6 year old boy!

This guy looked at me like I was crazy when I asked him if I could take a picture of his team of oxen, I'm sure he was thinking stupid American tourist. We did not stay for the entire ox haul but about half way through this particular pair was still winning.

The team of oxen weighed 3,250 lbs. and were able to pull 11,600 lbs. - what an amazing thing to witness.

Nova Scotia - Part 3 - Yarmouth

2011-08-19T22:49:00.000-07:00

Our main reason for the family trip to Nova Scotia was to go and visit Steve's Grandma Hagar who is 93 years old. The last time we were up in Nova Scotia was for her 90th birthday party and to move her from her own home in Roseway, Nova Scotia to her assisted living home in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. She seemed to be in great spirits and she seemed to know who we were which was an improvement from the last time we saw her.

While in Yarmouth we managed to take a little detour to the Cape Forchu Lighthouse.

Each time we made the trip to see Great Grandma Hagar, Landon would walk into the living room where she was watching television and automatically give her a hug. The last day we went to visit her we picked up some chocolate for her and he was so excited to give it to her and show her everything we got (and she was pretty excited to eat it.) Steve came in the room and started putting the chocolate back in her bag so we could all eat lunch together and she said "Well can't I have a piece of my chocolate?"

The boys were not quit sure what to think of Autumn, the daughter of one of the nurses from the elderly home. She was a bubbly whirlwind as she entered the living room full of strangers. She kept trying to get Lucas to dance with her, she wanted him to twirl her and even give her a kiss when we were leaving. Needless to say she was quit entertaining to us and to all the house residents.

Nova Scotia - Part 2 - Pictures I Had to Share

2011-08-19T22:14:00.000-07:00

Cape Forchu - Yarmouth, Nova Scotia - Looking Out to Sea

Shelburne, Nova Scotia - A Light in the Eye of a Storm

Shelburne, Nova Scotia - Our Doors Are Always Open

Shelburne Harbour, Nova Scotia - A Ship @Sea

Shelburne, Nova Scotia

Yarmouth, Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia - Part 1 - Halifax

2011-08-18T11:20:00.000-07:00

Our trip to Nova Scotia, Canada started with a little pit stop at the Detroit airport. We had a little over three hours to burn so Steve, Lucas, Landon and I did lots of walking, exploring and even some shopping at the duty free shop.

With the three hour time difference it was quit late by the time we arrived in Halifax. Once we picked up our rental van, checked into our hotel and grabbed a little food it was already midnight and time to hit the hay. The next morning we awoke with the bad news that Grandma Judy's hip had popped out of place for the second time in two weeks. Papa rode with the paramedics in the ambulance to take grandma to a nearby hospital and they were then transported to a different hospital in downtown Halifax where they could actually pop Grandma's hip back in place.

In the mean time Steve and the boys went swimming at the hotel while I got in a workout. We then secured our room at the hotel for another evening before heading to Halifax to do some sight seeing. After crossing the bridge into Halifax we found our way to the Halifax Harbour where we spent the remainder of the day. We took in the local farmers market, had lunch and walked along the pier checking out the 100's of vendors. I wish we would have had more time to explore Pier 21, the last standing immigration shed in Canada. Maybe next time.

My first lighthouse of the trip - Halifax Harbour Lighthouse.

Lucas was ready to throw in the emergency safety tube to anyone who fell over board.

This playground was a little different than the ones we are used to back home.

During the day we found out Grandma Judy was going to have to spend the night in the hospital. After picking up Papa Joe from the hospital we headed back to the hotel where the boys and I were able to go swimming once again while Steve and Papa grabbed some food and drinks at the hotel restaurant.Monday morning we dropped Papa off at the hospital so that he could help grandma with the tedious process of checking out of the hospital and Steve drove the boys and I around the parts of Halifax that we did not explore the day before. We were able to drive around the grounds of the Citadel but did not have enough time to do the tour, this is something that Steve and I would both love to do the next time we make it to Halifax.

Lucas wanted me to take a picture of this double-decker bus because it reminded him of the bus on Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Yet another thing we want to do the next time we make it up to Nova Scotia, ride on the second floor of that pink bus.

Grandma was released from the hospital around 1:00 pm and then we began the 3 hour drive to Shelburne to Great Grandma Hagar's house where we would be spending the remainder of the week.

Summertime Fun

2011-08-18T07:53:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago the boys and I met up with our friends Angi, Deja, Mia and their cousin Haze for a little hike. We met at the entrance to the Bell Canyon Trail and began the hike to the lake. I carried the boys fishing poles with me only to find out it was catch and release luer fishing only which we were not prepared for. Angi carried Deja in her backpack and the other four kids managed to hike the trail all be themselves.

It was a little slow going at times but I was so proud of all the kids for pushing on. They were very relieved to see the lake where they finally got to have a much deserved snack.

The kids managed to share some of their crackers with this baby duck and her momma.

Lucas and Landon are starting to get a kick out of our little friend Isabel, now that she is getting so much bigger. Landon enjoys playing peek-a-boo with her and Lucas likes to make funny faces that make her giggle.

Notice the goggles he is wearing - safety first when mowing the law. ;)

Not your typical hockey uniform but it seemed to work for him.

Wyoming Summer Vacation - 2011

2011-08-04T17:42:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago the boys and I took off for Wyoming to spend some time with family and friends. We got into Laramie Thursday evening where we stayed with Grandma Janice for 6 nights. Saturday was Grandmas birthday so we had lots of family around, went out to dinner and had yummy ice cream cake. The boys got to spend one afternoon swimming with their cousins Braeden and McKayla where they had the whole pool to themselves.

Grandma Janice went along to watch the boys in the pool as well as their cousin Jenika.

The boys spent a lot of time outside riding their bikes and scooters and playing in the water at grandmas house. Landon also enjoyed playing and digging in the dirt so much he could not be bothered to go inside to use the restroom. I walked outside and looked at him and all he said is "I peed", and kept right on digging.

As always the boys loved playing with Taby dog and feeding her a treat or two each day. She mostly just follows grandma around the house so when she spends time with us it is a real treat. The boys get a kick out of how spoiled she is and how grandma always calls her "poop".

When we go to Laramie there are certain things we always have to do, it's tradition I guess. One of those things is to go to the local Book/Movie/Game store, Hastings, so the boys can look around and pick out something for being so good on the long trip. We also spend one of the days downtown shopping and just walking around. We go to the Chocolate Cellar, the Curiosity Shop, Maurices and of course to the top of the foot bridge to watch the trains go by.We were also in town for my sister Terri's birthday. Grandma Janice watched the boys while I went to the ol' Buckhorn Bar and helped her celebrate. The boys were pleasantly surprised to see me home within a couple of hours.

One of the less fun things we do while in Laramie is to visit the laundry mat. Grandma's washer and dryer are not quit big enough for the piles of clothes we manage to accumulate. The boys did get to play with some other cousins at Aunt Tina's house while I went shopping with Grandma at Maurices. A win/win situation for all of us. :)

We went to Cheyenne on Wednesday afternoon to spend some time with Aunt Tonia and her family. Her son Kent just recently got out of the Marines and her youngest son Destin is about to join the Marines next month, so it was really nice to get to see them both and they got to spend some time with the boys. Thursday the boys and I went with Aunt Tonia and Cousin Kathy to Ft. Collins, CO to do some jewelry shopping and to once again hit Maurices. That evening Aunt Tonia and I accepted free tickets from her friend Chrissie to go to the Darius Rucker concert where we also met up with her friend Kimm. The concert was so much fun with this group of wild ladies, we decided to make it a tradition to go out during Cheyenne Frontier Days once a year.

Friday we took the boys to Frontier Park to do some more shopping and to ride the carnival rides. The boys each got to ride about 8 rides and then they each chose a cowboy belt with a buckle as their souvenir.

Friday evening the boys were so excited to see their dad get into town for his annual Laramie Enduro Bike Race. They did not leave his side the whole night. We also got to see our friend Kristin and meet her parents while they were passing through on their way to Nebraska. Saturday the boys and I met up with Uncle Robert and Aunt Shelly before we headed up to Vedauwoo for a picnic and to climb around on the rocks. Then it was off to watch Steve finish his bike race. I am pretty sure this was the 7th time he has done this race and each time he does it I think he is completely crazy. After hanging out for a little while we then headed down the mountain to Grandma Janice's house for a barbecue and lots of family. We had so much fun in Laramie, it is always hard to say goodbye and head home. Hopefully we will be back there for Thanksgiving.

Cowboy Boots & Fun

2011-08-04T16:08:00.001-07:00

A couple of weeks ago the boys and I went shopping at a local Western store where we finally found a pair of boots for them both. They were both so excited and have not wanted to take them off since, regardless of what outfit they are wearing.We also found a puppy for Landon who looks a lot like Momma White Dog did when she was "younger". :) You will never guess what he named her.

He never fails to amaze me, some of the stuff he comes up with.

The boys swimming at their friend Gabe's birthday party.

Camping in the Uintahs

2011-07-18T18:12:00.000-07:00

Last Friday we loaded up the truck so we could head up to the Uintahs for a weekend of camping. Our friend Kristin met us at our house at noon and the five of us stopped for lunch before heading up.

After setting up camp Steve went down the canyon to let our friends know where to find us and Kristen and I took the kids to the river to throw rocks and soak our feet.

At camp we were joined by Lori, Brandon & Nate Carter shortly followed by Jessenia, Chad, Zac & Ethan Thaxton and last but not least was Angi, Bart, Mia and Deja Williamson.

Of course all the kids took a liking to our young cute friend Kristen.

And they all loved the hammock that the Thaxton family provided.

Saturday after a big yummy breakfast a bunch of us took the kids down to the river again for some more rock throwing, rock smashing and rock collecting.

We then headed to the Provo River Falls to bask in the beauty of Mother Nature.

Poor Landon slipped on a rock and got a little more wet than he intended. Lucky for him Kristen was close by and helped him up out of the freezing cold water.

We headed back to camp for dry clothes and fishing gear before we then went up to Mirror Lake to do a little bit of fishing. The higher into the mountains we went the more snow we saw and a lot of the camp grounds were still closed despite the fact that it is now mid July. Lucas and Landon tried their best to catch a fish, even going as far as using licorice as bait. Mia was the only one to catch a fish but it was fun none the less.

Later on back at camp while we were preparing to eat dinner, Lucas tapped Kristen on the arm and in a very calm voice said "Kristen look, a deer." Sure enough just up the road was a deer. She said it was just too funny how nonchalant Lucas was about it. :) Once again we enjoyed our s'mores before saying goodbye to Kristen, who headed back to Salt Lake.

The Williamson family and us were the only ones who stayed the extra night. We had a mellow night watching the fire and listening to the river.

Sunday we enjoyed another delicious breakfast before we then had to pack up and head for home. Another great weekend in the mountains with lots of good friends.

Fourth of July Weekend

2011-07-18T17:39:00.000-07:00

We had a very busy 4th of July weekend starting with Friday night fireworks at our house where we were able to catch up with some old friends, the Veenendaals. We also had our friends Matt, Aimee and Danee over to enjoy the show. Saturday night we had our friends Matt, Jean and Jace over for a barbecue, games and yet another night of fireworks. Lucas loves to hang out with Jace and spoke of little else the few days leading up to Saturday.

Monday was the 4th of July and after a relaxing day on Sunday we were up early to start the festivities. After my run we headed to the Sandy Promenade as per tradition where the boys got their spray on tattoos, we walked around to all the vendors and enjoyed some lunch.

After lunch Lucas and Landon went in a bunch of bounce houses, played some games and did a couple of craft projects.

Sunday evening we had Joe, Judy, Erin and a distant cousin, Mark, over for a barbecue. We were later joined by our friend Kristen as we enjoyed the fireworks that Papa brought with him as well as all the ones our neighbors were doing. What a wonderful fun filled weekend with family and friends.

Staying Active

2011-07-18T16:57:00.000-07:00

This was my first year riding the Little Red Riding Hood bike ride with my friend Sarah. We managed to do the 50 mile ride on my beach cruiser and her mountain bike. It was a lot harder than I anticipated but was so pleased to go the distance we signed up for.

I also participated in the Wasatch Back RAGNAR Relay last month with 10 other teammates. I was runner #8 this year which put me in Van 2. It was nice to see the other half of the course I did not see last year. I ran a little over 16 miles with my favorite run being the 7 miler at 2:00 a.m.

Lucas enjoying a round of miniature golf with his friend Bridger.

Landon was brave enough to try out his friend Sean Armstrong's in-line skates. He fell a couple of times but kept getting back up.

The boys and I like to go to Hidden Valley Park and this particular day I persuaded them to go for a little hike to look for rocks. We were able to hike part of Bonneville Shoreline Trail that starts and ends at the park.

All dressed up for a bike ride. ;) I usually drag out the stationary bike once the boys are in bed for the night but occasionally they stay up late and watch my television programs with me. I usually get to listen to them ask me 100 times if I am done yet so they can have a turn.

This year instead of running the Sandy 4th of July Race I signed up for the Kiss Me Dirty Race on July 2nd. I ran the full 4 miles through water and mud and over obstacle walls, hay bails and much more. It was lots of fun and I look forward to doing another one in the future.

Our New Friend

2011-07-18T15:31:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of the summer,my sister-in-law Shelly, introduced our family to a prior student of hers who happened to be doing an internship in the Salt Lake Valley for the summer. I was not sure how much Kristen would enjoy hanging out with my family but I was glad that she would at least know someone. We invited her to an event at Rocky Mountain Speedway where we got to watch all sorts of races. We also went to dinner before hand at Five Guys Burgers and Fries so that she could try the infamous "fry sauce" she had heard so much about.

Our favorite event of the night was definitely the "train" races where they had three old cars hooked together and raced in a figure 8. It was so entertaining to watch!

We also invited Kristen to a Minor League Baseball game where we watched the Salt Lake Bees get whooped by Sacramento. The kids really enjoyed their free hot dog and drink and so did mom.

We also saw the Armstrong and Williamson families at the game, so there were plenty of friends to play with when the game got a little boring. ;)

Nothing like a rainy day in June....

I'm sure this is not the recommended use for this scooter but Lucas sure thought it was fun.

End of School Means Summertime Fun

2011-07-18T14:47:00.000-07:00

At the end of the school year I volunteered to help out with field day in Lucas's class. I know I will miss the great teachers he had and hope to see some of his little friends in his 1st grade class.

I was also able to spend the last day of school with Lucas in his classroom since it just so happened to fall on a Tuesday, my volunteer day. :) I am still trying to wrap my head around the fact that kindergarten is over.

We started the summer off with lots of plans on the calendar and plenty of free days to just kick back and enjoy.

Landon Loves T-Ball

2011-06-16T21:44:00.000-07:00

Last month Landon began his baseball career by playing t-ball. He was one of the youngest kids on his team but that did not seem to faze him one bit. His first game we were not sure if he would even participate or not but he followed his coach and teammates to the sideline until it was his turn to bat. The first time he hit the ball he just sort of stood there not quit sure what to do until the coach showed him where to run to first base. The next time he bat he remembered where to go and slowly walked to first base. Once he was on the base he usually needed someone to tell him when to advance to second, third or home. Towards the end of the short season he seemed to really be getting the hang of his offensive duties.

Playing in the outfield was another story, there seemed to be so many distractions. The first couple of times he did get the ball he would put it in his left hand with his mitt and try to throw it that way. It makes me giggle just thinking about it. Priceless!! We cannot wait to sign him up again.And of course there was a lot of nail biting going on.....a habit I wish he would quit. ;)

Zoo Field Trip

2011-06-02T15:03:00.001-07:00

Last month I was lucky enough to get to chaperon on Lucas' kindergarten field trip to the zoo. My friend Becky McArthur and I were assigned to keep track of the seven boys in the class. Just getting to ride on the bus with all their school friends was so exciting.

There were at least a dozen other buses full of children at the zoo this particular day so at times it was a little nerve racking trying to keep track of the seven rambunctious little guys. One of the boys strayed from our group while at the playground but luckily we quickly recovered him.

We all were pretty tired at the end of the day and I even got to go for a little run as one of the boys told me, as we were sitting on the bus getting ready to leave, that he left his jacket at the lunch table. I ran all the way back to get his jacket and then back to the bus. Note to self......remind kids to grab all their stuff before leaving the lunch table.

Biking, Biking and more Biking

2011-05-25T13:47:00.000-07:00

About 4 weeks ago Lucas started to ride his bike on his own!!! We got him the bike for his 5th birthday and rather than getting the right size we got one size bigger than what he needed. We tried all last summer to get him to ride his bike but it was really just too big for him. This spring when he was finally tall enough to sit on the seat and touch the ground he was riding it within a couple of weeks. After riding around the block the first time with his dad he said, "Dad, I think I love biking as much as you do now." :)

Speaking of biking, we went to our first Motorcross event at the Rocky Mountain Raceways and even though it was spring time it was snowing, blowing and freezing. Steve was out of town so the boys and I went by ourselves and after watching the guys on bikes warm up for an hour we had had enough. The competition had not even started when we left but by the time we got to the truck all of our fingers and toes were FROZE! We finally warmed up right before we got home so we decided to stop for some ice cream.

A couple of Saturdays ago Steve and I took the boys to grandma Judy's house and we took our bikes downtown for the Tour de Brewtah. We got to ride around to four different breweries and received a pint of beer at each one. Needless to say I was feeling no pain at the end of our ride.

The Tulip Festival

2011-05-16T18:52:00.000-07:00

Last month we met up with some of my MOPS friends at Thanksgiving Point for the Tulip Festival. Even though a lot of the tulips had not bloomed yet it was still a beautiful day and we enjoyed walking around and just being amongst friends.

We have enjoyed watching our little friend Danee three days a week for the last month or so. I did learn right away that it is tough going from two to three kids and especially a younger kid who is not quit as independent as Landon at three years old. We will be watching her up until the end of this school season when our schedule gets a little bit crazy with vacations, swimming and other summer activities.

My "Bleeping" Blog

2011-05-16T18:46:00.000-07:00

So I am not sure what the deal is with my blog but it has really been frustrating me lately - hence the lack of my blogging. Some times it will put in a bunch of spaces between my pictures and even though I go through and delete them and save my changes, when I go to view my blog the spaces are still there. My Easter blog was really a pain. I went in like three times and added text but it would not save the text. Don't think I was being lazy I was just fed up. Hopefully it was just that particular post, I promise to try again.

Happy Easter Weekend

2011-05-06T21:39:00.000-07:00

One Busy Weekend

2011-04-25T19:23:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was such a whirlwind I am not quit sure how I managed to fit everything in....well everything that is except a birthday party that I had written down the wrong time for. It started Friday afternoon when the boys joined me in helping set up for my MOPS (Mothers of PreSchoolers) rummage sale. They were so content to just hang out and even helped set up the toys that I let them each pick out a toy from the sale. After our volunteer shift was over we hurried downtown to the Salt Lake Expo Center where I had to pick up my bib number for a bike ride I was participating in the next day. We then met the Armstrong family at Squatters Pub for dinner before then heading over to the Energy Solutions Arena for a little indoor football. We met up with the Williamson family at the game where we enjoyed cheering on the BLAZE for a while before leaving early so we could get home and hit the sack.

My Saturday started around 4:30 a.m. when I had to get out of bed and out the door in order to make it to Sarah's house and on to the starting line for our 6:00 a.m. bike tour. This was our second year riding the Armstrong's antique tandem bike the 26 miles of the Salt Lake City Marathon course. One day I may be crazy enough to try running the 26 miles instead but until then I am content to sit behind Sarah and let her do all the pedaling. ;) JK!!!After finishing the ride in 1 hr. 40 min. Matt picked us up and took me back to the truck where I was then off to catch Lucas's soccer game. I was so glad I did not have to miss his game especially since he again scored a goal and we were joined at his game by Grandma Judy, Angi, Mia & Deja Williamson and Sarah, Sean, Gracie & Isabel Armstong. Lucas felt like such a stud to have so many loved ones cheering him on from the sidelines. Once the game was over we headed to Chic-Fil-A to grab some early lunch and let the kids play. When we got home I realized that we were late for our little friend Danee's birthday party because I had written down the wrong time. Instead the boys did yard work while I did stuff around the house.

Sunday morning I got up early to meet the Armstrong family at their church where baby Isabel was being dedicated.

After church Steve and the boys met up with us and we went to brunch at Blue Plate Diner. The kids got to play around outside while we waited for a table. The yummy food was definitely worth the wait.

After brunch we headed for home where the boys had a little time to play before it was time to get all gussied up and head to our friend Mia's 5th Birthday Party. Most of the kids got to ride in a limo to the Grand America Hotel in downtown Salt Lake.

Luckily it was nice outside so the kids got to run around and play in the courtyard. There were numerous fountains and yes Landon and Lucas decided to walk through a shallow one just as I was not looking.

After leaving the party we went and bought the boys new shoes and then it was finally time to head home to unwind. Luckily Lucas was about to start Spring Break so he had plenty of time to relax at home.

T-Ball and Teamwork

2011-04-18T21:00:00.000-07:00

Last week Landon had his very first t-ball game. I was unsure of how he would do going out on the field with his coach and team without having mom or dad out there. As it turned out he did awsome and was fairly outgoing. He kept asking his coach when it would be his turn to bat and sat patiently on the sidelines with the rest of his team while he waited for his turn. Once he hit the ball he would then casually walk to first base and when it was time to advance to the next base he would again casually walk there. It was pretty cute and he looked as if he could not be bothered to run. In the outfield he sort of just stood around and watched what everyone else was doing. Towards the end of the game he did field a ball and managed to throw it close to home plate, as directed. We are so excited for his next game when he will also have team pictures taken and mom will actually remember to bring his baseball glove. ;)Landon enjoys showing off for our little friend Danee and being the "big" kid for a change. They play really well together which is a good thing since we will begin taking Danee on a more perminent basis this week for three days and then next week we will begin watching her every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The boys always love having playdates with the Armstrongs and their parents love the fact that my boys have taught them to take their shirts off while they dance around or wrestle. Luckily Gracie is still young enough that it is not a big deal for her to go topless.
This day the kids decided to start their own band, called the Power Rangers. They made a bunch of paper signs that they hung up all over outside on our house and the fence, (since they were unable to leave the yard) advertising for a concert their band was having. Sean and Lucas made signs on the white boards and even went as far as standing on the street corner trying to persuade passerbys to stop in to listen to their band. As Sarah and I watched from the front window the two boys were able to tell a couple of the neighbors about their band but fortunately for me no one ever stopped for the show. They were pretty cute out there and it entertained them for an entire afternoon. As a mom I couldn't ask for more.
We tryed to get them to come in and put their shirts on but they would not go for it. As you can see with the snow still on the ground it was not quit shirtless weather.

Spring Projects

2011-04-17T22:05:00.000-07:00

In case you were wondering what I like to do when I am not playing with the boys, running around town (literally), reading, or doing household duties the pictures below will give you an idea. This apron I did for my friend Lori for her 30th birthday (even though I did not make it to her birthday celebration).

This apron I made for my sister Tonia for her 30ish birthday. I have been promising to make her an apron for the past couple of years and had really not seen any fabric that I thought suited her. When I saw this fabric I fell in love with it and her apron turned out to be one of my very favorites.

I love to make holiday pillows for my couch and had the pattern and material for these that my mother in law had given me but had just not gotten around to making them. For some reason I was intimidated by the thought of doing the applique but it really turned out to be quit easy.

I loved all three pillows so much I have not been able to bring myself to share them with anyone else. Maybe next year I will make more. :)

A Surprise Visit

2011-04-10T16:30:00.001-07:00

Last weekend we all had surprise visitors. Steve and I knew that my brother Robert was coming into town for the weekend but we decided not to tell the boys. There were multiple times I almost let it slip and did end up telling them that we had fun plans for the weekend and used that excuse to get them to mind. When the doorbell rang on Friday afternoon I let the boys answer it and there they saw Uncle Robert.We were all surprised to see that he had brought my sister Tina with him. She had never been to Utah to visit and we were so excited to see her. She kept asking Robert all the way out here if we would be ok with her showing up unannounced. We were more than ok with it!! Friday was such a beautiful day that we all hung out outside and had a yummy barbecue. We stayed up way too late just visiting and catching up. Saturday morning we got up early to go to Lucas' soccer game. He had a great game and managed to score a goal for Uncle Robert and Aunt Tina. Saturday afternoon Tina and I went for a drive to downtown Salt Lake and then on to a flea market. Neither one of us was too impressed with the flea market so we hit a couple of other stores before meeting up with the boys for dinner.

Again Saturday night we stayed up way too late playing Wii bowling with the boys. Come Sunday morning we tried to sleep in to no avail. We had a big breakfast before heading to a couple more stores to do some shopping.

Monday was back to school for Lucas as Robert and Tina prepared for their long drive back to Wyoming and Nebraska. We had such a wonderful visit with them and can't wait to see them in Wyoming at the end of May.

More Hockey, Soccer and Friends

2011-03-30T07:54:00.000-07:00

We went to another Grizzlies Hockey Game a couple of weeks ago. We again met up with the Armstrongs for dinner before the game and then we were all joined by the Williamson family. Mia, Lucas and Landon all wanted slushies that they thoroughly enjoyed, even though none of the kids managed to finish one. ;)The two babies of the group did pretty good with all the noisy Hockey fans and Deja even started to warm up to me towards the end of the night. Landon loves to do his own hair and on occasion he uses way too much kiddie gel.We had Michelle, Matt and Jordan over last weekend. The adults were able to play a little shuffle board while the three boys played downstairs. Lucas and Landon both fell asleep watching a movie and Jordan kept trying to wake them up but they were tuckered out.One day while Lucas and Steve were at a birthday party Landon and I went on a little date to the pet store and then on to ice cream. He loves having my undivided attention.

Lucas started spring soccer and is loving every minute of it!! His first game was so windy he could barely stand up and his second game was chilly with snow on the ground - but he did not complain one bit. He has managed to make three goals and is showing great improvement on defense and team work.

Landon is such a trooper when it comes to chauffeuring his brother around. The last two weeks grandma has been out of town so I have taken Landon with me while volunteering in Lucas' classroom. He does so good keeping quiet and is content to sit in a chair and color, cut and paste. Yesterday he even went out for recess with the other kids and sat with Lucas for story time afterward. Mrs. Warr said he is such a well mannered little guy that he can come back with me anytime. All the little girls just think he is so cute and he loves the attention.We went last week and met his new preschool teacher and sat to observe her class. I am so excited for him to go to his own school and watch him blossom. We also signed him up for t-ball which will start in a couple of weeks so stay tuned for pics.

Sick of Being Sick

2011-03-26T06:25:00.000-07:00

This winter the McCormack household sure has seen its fair share of illnesses within the family. Luckily for the most part it has just been your common cold or ear infections. This last round caught Landon with a runny nose and pink eye. Two weeks later Lucas had two ear infections and pink eye. Then last week I ended up with the flu and an ear infection (I realized after the fact that I was the only one in the family that did not get my flu shot). Whoops. One evening Lucas said he was cold and the next thing I knew he came downstairs wearing my robe. Not two minutes later Landon came downstairs wearing one of my nightgowns. Even when they are sick they still manage to amuse me.I am not sure why we have been so unfortunate lately since how Steve and I are both pretty much germaphobes. We are constantly washing our hands or using hand sanitizer and when it comes to our house I'm not sure how much cleaner it could get while still allowing us to live in it. I just hope and pray that we are done being sick for quit a while.

Don't Let the Snow Fool Ya...

2011-03-24T18:05:00.000-07:00

We had a great time at the zoo with our friends Sarah Armstong & her 3 kiddos and Angi Williamson & her two girls. It has been a while since we have ventured to the zoo but you would have thought it was the first time we have ever been. The boys were so excited to see that the baby elephant did not look like it had grown all that much.

It was such a beautiful March day and really made us wish the snow would go away for good. Even though 1/3 of our local zoo is under reconstruction I still decided to get a family pass because it gives us something to do year round and it is the perfect place for the boys to run around and be crazy.

It was nearly impossible to get all the kids to sit still for a picture but us moms sure did try.Just as soon as it warms up again we will be back for more zoo time fun.

Grizzlies Fun

2011-03-12T19:10:00.000-08:00

Last Friday we took the boys to their first Utah Grizzlies Hockey Game. We bought season passes for Seven Peaks Water Park that included some hockey games, soccer games, indoor football games, motocross and a few other events. The Armstrong family, the Williamson family and the Carter family also bought the same passes so we are always sure to see some friends.

We met Sarah, Matt, Sean, Gracie & Isabel at Cracker Barrel for dinner before heading over to the game. The kids enjoyed splitting some cotton candy and even managed to share with Sarah.

Sarah and I really enjoyed watching the 4 really drunk couples in front of us dirty dancing to every song and making out with each other. Sarah's favorite was the girl with only one move who thought the 'duck face' made her look good. And of course that 'duck face' girl ended up getting in a fight with a guy later in the night. I just hope I was never so entertaining at a public event back in the day. Baby Isabel was such a trooper during the entire game and even let me hold her a few times. Landon was almost more disturbed by the loud horns and sirens that went off when the Grizz scored, than Isabel was.

Landon's girlfriend, Gracie, sure looked cute.

Lucas really loved when the hockey players got in a fight. We look forward to getting to experience some of the other events with good friends.

Winter Swimming Lessons

2011-03-09T09:39:00.000-08:00

Last week the boys finished up their winter swimming lessons they had been attending. I signed them up for a two week course at Fairmont Aquatic Center with Sean and Gracie Armstrong. They were the only four kids in the class and because Landon could be with his brother and friends he actually stayed with the class.

At the end of each class they were given some time to play and the older boys were allowed to go down the slide. Mom got to sit on the side of the pool with Sarah and baby Isabel and get my baby fix and some adult interaction.

The boys really liked their teacher and had so much fun swimming with the Armstrong kiddos. I am so glad we decided to do this.The last day of swim class we were all goofing around in the locker room and trying to get Lucas to pull out his loose tooth. Sarah said if he let her pull it she would give him $1. He eventually pulled the tooth out on his own and Sarah was nice enough to still give him the $1 - even though she did not pull it out. The next day Lucas could not wait to get out of school and go spend the entire $3 he got for loosing the tooth. He even gave $1 to Landon so he could buy a Hot Wheel. When I told him how nice that was of him he said "well mom it really wouldn't be fair if I got new cars and he didn't." Have I mentioned how much I love my two little ones??????

It's A Party!!!

2011-03-08T18:25:00.001-08:00

Lucas was so excited to be able to celebrate his 6th Birthday with a swimming party at Dimple Dell Rec. Center. We had approximately 20 kids show up for the fun filled day as well as most of their parents. He was able to invite his friends from school, some old friends from preschool and friends that he has met over the past 6 years. ;)We were so happy to see Michelle and Matt show up with Jordan whom we had not seen in almost a year!! Michelle and I worked together over 6 years ago while I was pregnant with Lucas.

Lucas first met Cassidy when he was just a couple of years old. We met her wonderful parents through Aunt Cathy and love getting our families together for dinner and play time. We also love to go swimming with them in the summer and I enjoy running with Cassidy's mom during the summer. As for 'big' Gracie - Lucas has been friends with her since the day he was born.

Aunt Erin was nice enough to volunteer her time for the day to help us keep an eye on all the little kiddos in the water. All the kids enjoyed having her there to play with in the pool. Many of the parents wondered where they could get an Aunt Erin. Too bad guys....she's already spoken for.

Although these two cute little girls did not get to go swimming we were still glad they could attend the party and help us celebrate. Maggie (above) is not quit 15 months old and cute as a button and Isabel (below) is a little over three months old.

Sean, Lucas, Henry & Jordan. Notice our sweet friend Mia in the background waiting so patiently for Lucas to open the present she had brought for him.

Sam is a friend of Lucas' whom we met a couple of years ago through a mutual friend. We will be so sad to see him and his family move to Texas this summer.

Look at the excitement on these dad's faces - they were having a great old time!! ;)

Our friend Henry from school enjoyed hanging out with us all day until he got so cold in the water that his lips turned blue.

Sam, Dylan, Lucas, Jace, Jordan & Henry. Steve and Jace's dad Matt used to work together at Wells Fargo until Matt relocated to a different Wells Fargo office. We enjoy getting together for dinner and playing games and letting the boys hang out. Even though Jace is a couple of years older than Lucas, the two of them have always played really well together.

Dylan and Lucas have been buddies since they met on the playground at school when they were just 2 1/2 years old.

Lucas had lots of fun at his party and was sad to see it end. His birthday "week" ended Sunday evening with a yummy dinner and ice cream cake at grandma and papa's house with Uncle Chris, Aunt Ang and Aunt Erin. The drawing of Lucas was a present from Aunt Erin done by local artist John Kilbourn, titled Super Lucas. He could not wait to get it home and hang it on his wall. She also gave him a badge with this picture that proves he is a Super Hero.

Happy Birthday Buddy - we all love you!!

Lucas Turns 6!!!

2011-03-05T10:05:00.001-08:00

Lucas woke up to presents from mom, dad and brother on the day of his birthday. Momma White Dog was not about to miss out on any of the action. ;)Even though Lucas had to go to school he was still excited because he knew mom would be bringing treats to his class. After school we met the Armstrongs at McDonald's for lunch before we all headed over to the Aquatic Center for swim lessons. Lucas chose tacos for dinner and brownies for dessert since he knew we would be having cake at his birthday party in a few days.

Not to be outdone by older brother - Landon poses for a couple of shots.

LOVE

2011-03-05T09:26:00.000-08:00

On Valentines Day Lucas did not have school and so Steve decided to take the day off work as well. We were going to take tracks downtown but ended up just driving since Landon had a persistent cough. We took the boys to Build A Bear where they each picked out a puppy and an outfit.Lucas chose a Nascar hat and a University of Utah shirt for his puppy "Pepper" and Landon chose an Ironman shirt and rocker shoes for his puppy "Critter". The boys had lots of fun and love playing with their puppies.Lucas has recently discovered his favorite breakfast item and now anytime I go to the grocery store he wants me to get cream filled doughnuts for breakfast. Landon just loves to eat the chocolate frosting off the top of his doughnut.Friday and Saturday nights Lucas and Landon love to stay up late with mom and dad. Sometimes we watch movies and sometimes we play bowling on the Wii. Landon actually bowled an entire game with us all by his self and loved it. I love spending time with my lil' family.

Things We LOVE

2011-02-17T11:48:00.000-08:00

Not too much to report from the McCormack household - just trying to pass the time until the nice weather arrives (and stays.) On this particular day both boys got all dressed up to help daddy replace the faucet in our upstairs bathroom. The heater was working the whole time so I'm not really sure what was with the winter hats but they sure thought they were necessary.Cool guy talking on the phone to grandma.Nothing like a nice warm bubble bath to warm you up. This was also the first day of kindergarten that Lucas was absent due to a nasty cough that we all passed back and forth for two weeks.

We love to dress up as Pirates.............I love when they get along.The boys love to help make brownies and that is why mom has resorted to counting calories to loose some weight. One of our new favorite things to do as a family is dump out the big box of Legos and share our creations with one another.Lucas and Landon both love doing puzzles and I love watching them work so well together.One of Lucas' little friends from school that he loves to have play dates with. Henry is such a sweet little boy and I enjoy volunteering with his mom Becky in their class on Tuesdays.We love the days that we have our little friend Danee over. Landon and her are starting to play a lot better together. Lucas loves to pose for the camera and this time Landon was the one taking the pictures. Not bad for a three year old.Remember to take time for the ones you love.

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.......

2011-02-01T19:47:00.000-08:00

Lucas and Landon both love to help out in the kitchen - especially when baking. It seems this winter I have done my fair share of baking and it is starting to show. I think because I was unable to do a whole lot in the exercise department I saw that as an excuse to eat junk as well. I had my neck surgery two weeks ago today and I'm feeling great. I hope I am done with surgery for a very, VERY long time. I have been cleared by the doctor to start running again, as long as I gradually ease my way back into it. Now I just have to wait for the temperature to raise above 10 degrees. Brrrrrr.

Lucas is doing really good in school and enjoys it for the most part. He is not a huge fan of doing homework but a lot of times it is fun homework; like on this particular day his assignment was to go the the park on a snowy day. We were the only people there and the boys thought it was lots of fun. We also took our sled and they took turns going down the hill with mom. Last year Lucas did not like sledding but this year he could not get enough of it. I think it may be time to hit the big slopes.

The end of what I am sure was a fun filled day. They are so precious when sleeping...........

Landon Turns 3

2011-01-25T18:52:00.001-08:00

It is hard to believe that my "baby" just turned 3 years old!! I know it is so cliche to say that time flys so I won't even bother saying it.

Landon decided that he wanted a Go Diego Birthday Party at home with friends and family. I asked him what he wanted for his birthday and he said "cake". Well that was easy. After sending out the invitations I then decided to call about a company flier we had received in the mail called Scales and Tails. They are a company who bring various reptiles and small exotic animals to your party location. What a great idea the owner of that company had!

Landon had lots of family members attend his party as well as numberous little friends.

Our cute friend Big Gracie looking so stylish. Matt, Aimee & Danee WhetmanWaiting for the Scales and Tails presentation to start...... (Notice the cute face Landon's little friend Parker, on the far right, is making.)

Aunt Erin & Landon enjoying the show.

This is my kind of pet.

Landon was very willing to go up front and volunteer to hold one of the snakes - even if he was frozen solid the whole time.

Our friend Mia showed no fear at all.

Matt & Isabel Armstrong sitting by Grandma Judy.

Lucas also showed no fear when it came to handling the snakes.

Little Gracie Armstrong and Nate Carter getting a turn at being a snake handler.

The McCormack FamilyLandon is not a fan of loud noises and so while we were all singing Happy Birthday he proceeded to plug his ears. ;) He had such a wonderful 3rd Birthday and we are so happy that we got to share it with family and friends.

Happy New Year!!

2011-01-11T17:54:00.000-08:00

So far the New Year has been full of lots of playdates for Lucas and Landon as well as lots of play time together. Landon seems content to watch his brother play his Nintendo DS and Batman Lego game.

They both love playing with their Imaginext Castle, Batman Cave and Pirate Ship and they are some of my favorite toys to play with as well. ;)

Christmas Day

2011-01-02T19:50:00.000-08:00

Christmas morning around 5 am Lucas came into my room and wanted to know if Santa had come to our house yet. I noticed what time it was and told him it was still too early to get up so we all managed to sleep for a few more hours. After mom and dad grabbed the mandatory morning cup of coffee we headed to the living room to see what Santa had left. Lucas was so excited to see a miniature marvel hero sticking out of his stocking that this year we decided to do stockings first. As you can tell it took Landon a little longer to wake up but he too was soon into shredding the paper from gifts to see what lay in side.Lucas was most excited when he opened up his new Batman movie.

Cute lil puppy hats that mom could not resist buying for the boys. I hope they actually use them, goodness knows it has been cold enough to need them.

Landon seemed most excited about his brothers Wrestling Ring even though he got almost everything that was on his Christmas list. He was also excited about his new movies and Buzz Lightyear Action Figure.

Grandma Judy, Papa Joe and Aunt Erin came over later in the morning so they could see what the boys got from Santa and we spent the day just hanging out and playing with new toys.We headed to Grandma and Papa's house around 3 pm for Christmas dinner.

The "kids table" - don't we all remember sitting here at one point in our life. I remember not wanting to sit at the "kids table" because I was too old and the adults always seemed to be having so much fun.

After dinner we opened presents with Grandma, Papa, Uncle Chris, Aunt Ang and Aunt Erin. The boys got new Puppy Pillow Pets from their Grandma that they love to sleep with along with movies, personalized books and lots of other fun toys.

Uncle Chris and Aunt Ang got the boys new Razor Scooters that will get tons of use if it ever warms up outside. Today Lucas wanted to ride his scooter but our driveway and sidewalks are covered in ice.

We got back home early enough for the boys to try out their new inflatable cars for Wii that Aunt Erin gave them. At one point in the night I did convince Lucas to let me try it out but Landon on the other hand stayed glued to his car the entire night.

Who knew they doubled as a bed?

We all had a wonderful Christmas and look forward to many more wonderful memories in 2011.

Christmas Eve

2010-12-30T20:47:00.000-08:00

One of our Christmas traditions is to open new pajamas on Christmas Eve so that we will look oh so sharp in those early morning pictures come Christmas morning. Steve does not like to wear any type of clothing until it has been washed first but for this tradition he does make an exception. I remember the first few years we did this I washed his pajamas before I wrapped them but now he does not get such royal treatment. ;)Lucas loved his Spiderman cartoon p.j.s and Landon just sort of wondered why I would ever bother wrapping such a boring gift. I know he will grow to love this tradition as much as the rest of us.Christmas Eve we also let the boys unwrap one gift that is from mom and dad that we choose. It seems to make up for having to unwrap boring p.j.s. Thankfully Lucas loved the Nightcrawler Marvel Hero that mom and dad ordered from e-Bay because we were not about to ship it back to China where it was mailed from. We did not know it was coming from China but that sure would explain the shipping charge. ;)

Landon loved his Hot Wheels Stealth Rides remote control vehicle and had to get a little lecture on sharing when he would not let mom have a turn. Christmas Eve night we went to our friends Angi, Bart, Mia and Deja's house where we got to roast marshmallows in their back yard and make smores. Then we headed over to Uncle Chris' house for dinner, snacks, drinks and good 'ol family fun. Lucas is always so excited to see Aunt Ang's boys - Zack and Tyler and Landon just kept wanting to go and look at their snake. We called it an early night because mom and dad still had some things to do before the big morning and we weren't sure what time the boys would wake up.YEAH!!! Santa came to our house and left lots of presents!

Santa also ate all the cookies we left him, drank the milk and then remembered to fill our stockings.

Halloween in December

2010-12-30T20:20:00.000-08:00

Last year after Halloween I bought a bunch of costumes on clearance that the boys love dressing up in and saving the day. This particular night the boys could not change their costumes fast enough. And as promised...if you look really close you can see the gap in the bottom of his teeth. He has been so proud of the fact that he lost a tooth and will be sure to tell anyone who will listen. Ever since he started kindergarten it has seemed like a big topic of conversation about who has lost teeth. Which reminds me that the other night I had a NIGHTMARE that I lost like 4 teeth just while hanging out with my friends. Once the first one came out the rest of them wouldn't stop falling out. I wonder what this dream could mean. If I had a dream book I would for sure be looking up this one. Does it mean I am getting old?

My favorite costume of all times....... only because I made it. It is getting a little ratty looking but at least the boys are getting a lot of use out of it. Between costume changes...........................I couldn't resist.

Superman and Bumblebee

Later on this evening our friends Matt, Aimee and Dannee came over to visit. Dannee loves playing with the boys and we enjoy the much needed adult conversation.

Winter Wonderland

2010-12-30T20:01:00.000-08:00

A couple of days before Christmas we woke up to such a beautiful sight. It was so calm and peaceful just knowing that I did not have anywhere to be that day and could just sit in the warm comfort of our home and play with the boys all day.Luckily for us the UPS man did not have the day off and was therefore able to deliver the boys gifts from Uncle Robert and Aunt Shelly. They were so excited that I decided to go ahead and let them open them right away.

They loved the cozy fleece sweaters and especially all the new books. I was excited to have some new Christmas books to read to them at night.I finished the day by making these yummy cornflake wreath cookies. Unfortunately after a couple of hours I decided to put them in a Tupperware container stacked on top of each other and a few hours later I had only one giant wreath cookie. :( whoops! Guess I should have left them on the wax paper and then put them in the container. You live and you learn - we still managed to finish off the whole thing but were unable to take them to our Christmas Eve gathering to share.

Christmas Vacation

2010-12-23T15:20:00.000-08:00

Landon got his riding fire truck from Grandma Judy for his first Christmas and he still loves to ride it around the house. One of his favorite things about the fire truck is the storage compartment under the seat. It took us a couple of times searching high and low for certain things like little puppies that the boys had misplaced and we would find these things in the secret compartment. Now when something is misplaced that is the first place we look.

Lucas was not quit a year old when he got his little smiley face riding toy from his friend Gracie. I remember he was just starting to stand when he climbed on the seat and stood up - we just about had a heart attack. He has now taken to playing demolition derby with his brother - talk about some strong toys. Not the most flattering shot of me but oh well - we sure had fun this night dancing to Saturday Night Fever. Stayin' Alive, Stayin' Alive.

Lucas managed to mop the entire kitchen all on his own. When he asked if I would put water on the mop what was I supposed to say, "No"? Not to be outdone by his older brother Landon then decided to run the vacuum. Boy I dread the day when they no longer think these things are fun. ;)After all those chores the boys had worked up an appetite. Not only that but they thought they were cute wearing my shoes. I'm sure their future girlfriends will get a kick out of these photos.

Passing the Time

2010-12-21T19:40:00.000-08:00

It is sad to say that my five year old works out more than I do these days. :) I can recall two times last week when Lucas donned his sweat band and started pumping iron. Meanwhile I was informed by my Dr. that I am still supposed to be taking it easy and there is to be no running at all until mid January. I know I should not complain because I do have friends who have been told they should never run again but I can't help but get frustrated. It doesn't help that it is the Holiday Season and we are baking goodies of some sort every other day. Come mid January I will definitely have my work cut out for me. ;)

Landon has taken to playing under his bed at times just as Lucas did when he was that age. I remember not being able to find Lucas one time when he had been in his room playing and when I eventually looked under his bed he was fast asleep.

While I was in the hospital back in October Landon basically potty trained himself, so last week when he wanted me to put a diaper on him in the middle of the day I told him no because he was a big boy. Lucas decided he would help his brother out and put the diaper on for him but soon realized it was harder than it looked. After a couple of minutes Lucas gave up and Landon forgot that he wanted to wear a diaper anyway. It was pretty cute seeing Lucas help out his brother.

Landon putting on a hat show for Lucas and I...................

Last Friday morning Lucas had a Christmas "Program" where the kindergartners sang All I Want For Christmas is My Two Front Teeth and wouldn't you know it but the next day he lost his first tooth. It had been loose for quit some time and Saturday morning when he woke up it was hanging by a thread. Well it just so happens that he was going to be spending the night with his Grandma Judy that night so I told him to leave the tooth alone so the tooth fairy would not have to go to grandmas house but he said it didn't matter because she could find him there too. He had not been at grandmas house for a half hour when his tooth came out at dinner. And yes he was right the tooth fairy did find him and left him $2.00. Pictures to come later..........

Decorating the Tree & Christmas Caroling

2010-12-12T16:45:00.000-08:00

Lucas was so excited to get our tree last weekend and even though I was feeling under the weather there was no putting it off. We went Friday evening to get the tree and after eating dinner I began to hang the lights - which even though I tested each strand before I put it on there was one strand that stopped working once it was on the tree so Steve ran to Rite-Aid to grab more lights.

The boys and I love unwrapping the ornaments and reminiscing about Christmas' past. We have the Tasmanian Devil that I got years before the kids came along and when Lucas was 3 he was so afraid of that ornament that he would not go anywhere near the spot where he was hung. Now he loves to tell that story to anyone who comes through our front door. ;)

Last Wednesday we met my fellow MOPS moms and all of their kids at a home for the elderly where we had arranged to sing carols. I was a little nervous because Lucas is not really big on singing and does not even like for me to sing (a little more understandable ;)). I told him how some of the people there may not have grand kids or great grand kids and so they were so looking forward to having us come and sing for them. In the end he did sing along and Landon eventually warmed up to the crowd. It felt so good to see the smiles on the faces of the residents and it was an experience that I truly treasured.

Are These the Same Boys???

2010-12-08T18:08:00.000-08:00

I love to see my two boys playing together and getting along but sometimes (like today) it seems like all they do is fight. It makes seeing cute pictures like these that much more rewarding.One of Lucas's homework assignments was to make a headband with paper feathers and Landon insisted on doing his 'homework' as well. Each night we sit down to do homework or read and Landon is right there with us. I love how he looks up to his brother.In the morning before school seems to be the time the boys play the best together. Every morning Lucas will ask if he can play with Landon after he gets dressed and ready for school. Once it is time to leave Lucas will tell Landon to leave the toys they happen to be playing with right where they are until he gets back from school - like they will pick up right where they left off. Unfortunately this is never the case. Their grandma Judy says it is like watching Steve and Uncle Chris all over again because they used to duke it out a lot as well. Santa must have been on break at this time but the boys were just content to sit on his chair. Both boys wrote letters to Santa this year telling him what they want for Christmas and neither one showed much interest in visiting Santa in person. Their letters were dropped off at Macy's and their requests have been made. At night after reading to the boys, sometimes Lucas will invite Landon to sleep in his bed but this particular night I guess Lucas decided to switch things up a little.If you look closely you will see our Elf on the Shelf - Dobey. He came to visit us last year and the boys enjoy getting up every morning and trying to find the spot Dobey has chose to sit for the day. He watches over the boys throughout the day and at night he flies back to Santa Clause to tell him how the boys have been, then when he returns to our house before sunrise he finds a new place to hide. Sometimes this little scare tactic works wonders on Lucas but Landon is still a bit too young to understand. He does however enjoy trying to find Dobey first.

Things I Am Thankful For.....

2010-11-27T17:33:00.000-08:00

One day while painting with the boys Landon ended up with more paint on him than on the paper. Luckily it washed right off.

Some of the other things Lucas and I came up with when thinking of things we are thankful for:

- Our Family

- Our Friends

- Our House

- Food

- Our Health

- Our Truck & Car

- Our Toys

- Schools & Teachers

- Books

- Music

- Being Alive

and then of course

- T.V. & Movies

We ended up with 12 leaves with things we are thankful for and so on Thanksgiving day the four of us sat down and took turns drawing three leaves each and sharing what was on each leaf. The boys had so much fun doing this and when it was time to stop playing so we could go to Grandma Judy's house for dinner the boys did not want to stop.

Once we got to Grandma Judy's the boys had fun playing with Maddie. Below is my attempt to get a picture of all three kids smiling and looking at the camera.

Thanksgiving Vacation

2010-11-27T16:24:00.000-08:00

Lucas has been looking forward to Thanksgiving Vacation for quit some time now. He kept asking me how many days off he would have and so we figured with the two weekends he would have nine days total. I had found some leaves online that I printed off and he helped me write things he was thankful of on each leaf and then we colored them fall colors. One of the leaves said he was thankful for t.v. and movies which we managed to watch a couple of those last week that the boys selected from the library.

Landon wanted a vest like his brother had made at school so we made him one at home.

They love to pass the time playing cops and robbers which brings back so many memories of my own childhood. We also used to love playing cowboys and Indians.

We did get a pretty big storm that dropped 12" of snow in some parts of our yard. The boys enjoyed playing in the snow while Steve shoveled the walks and helped some neighbors shovel. I really wanted to grab a shovel and help as well but guess I better wait to get the go ahead from the doctor in a week or so. I did enjoy catching up with some neighbors and taking lots of pictures of my boys having fun in the snow.

Steve's sister Cathy and her daughter Madeline came into town on Sunday before Thanksgiving from Chicago for a visit. It was really nice for Lucas and Landon to get to spend some time with their cousin whom they had not seen for almost a year.

It was so fun to watch Madeline copy things that Landon was doing. We are so used to Landon mimicking his brother and so I think he really enjoyed being the leader for a change.

Lucas and Landon also got to make a trip to the dentist last week for a checkup. While waiting for the dentist to come in the boys both got to lay back on the chair and watch their movie that was playing on the ceiling. This lasted about 2 minutes before they were pushing each other and fighting.

On Monday, Nov 22 my good friend Sarah had her little baby girl - Isabel. I went to the hospital on Tuesday morning to visit Sarah and her new little one. She is so precious and I am so happy for the Armstrong family - now that is something to really be thankful for.

Brothers

2010-11-27T16:05:00.000-08:00

Happy Halloween

2010-11-12T20:05:00.001-08:00

Thursday before Halloween Lucas had his Halloween Parade and Party at school. Grandma Janice and Aunt Tonia helped me get both of the boys ready in their costumes and then Aunt Tonia dropped Lucas off at school. Grandma, Aunt Tonia, Landon and I then headed back to the school 30 minutes later so that we could watch the school parade. I was sad because I was supposed to be helping with the Halloween Party for his class but was unable to do much of anything. I am just thankful to have had the help with the boys and thankful that I was able to attend the parade. Friday evening we brought the pumpkins in from outside so that we could transform them into jack-o-lanterns. At first Landon did not want anything to do with putting his hand in the pumpkin and getting all gooey but then we could not stop him from cleaning out the "guts" and seeds. He even decided on the face for his pumpkin and I just did the carving.Lucas was not hesitant at all about getting dirty and told us exactly what he wanted the eyes, nose and mouth to look like.Saturday morning Lucas had his last soccer game of the season and luckily Grandma Janice and Aunt Tonia were able to attend his game. We then headed home where, as for tradition, I started a big ol' pot of chili. We had Grandma Judy, Papa and Aunt Erin over for dinner as well. Then because the state of Utah decided to trick-or-treat on the 30th of October rather than the 31st; Grandma Janice and Aunt Tonia were able to be here for the festivities. Since it had been such a busy day I was not feeling real great but did manage to go to the first couple of houses with the boys before sending Aunt Tonia out in my place.

Around 7 pm the boys were done trick-or-treating and wanted to stay home and hand out candy. We had a couple of groups of kids after that but not a whole lot. The boys tried to stay up extra late but the sugar rush from all the candy wore off and they both wanted to go to bed. Barley must have been tired too because he decided to retire for the night with Landon.

Sunday morning we were all sad to see Grandma Janice and Aunt Tonia head back to Wyoming. I am forever thankful for all they did during their visit but I knew it wouldn't last forever and knew I had to be prepared to go it alone.

Luckily my friend Sarah set up a schedule for my friends to bring dinners to our house and so for the last two weeks we have had food deliveries every other night. I am so happy to announce that I am almost 3 weeks post surgery and I'm feeling great. My back gets a little sore by the end of the day but each day that gets a little better. I am still supposed to limit my driving, no lifting anything heavier than a gallon of milk and no bending, lifting or twisting for another 3 weeks. I keep having dreams about running and can't wait to get back out there but promise to wait for the go ahead from the doctor. I want to thank all my family and friends who have been there for me through this whole thing. I love you all.

Back Surgery

2010-11-12T19:05:00.000-08:00

Sunday after getting back from Wyoming and Nebraska I went to Insta Care to try and figure out what was wrong with my back and leg. They gave me a couple of prescriptions and told me if it didn't get better by the end of the week to get an MRI. After 4 more sleepless nights I went to the emergency room where they took and MRI and then sent me to another hospital to see a Neurosurgeon. By four o'clock in the afternoon I was being wheeled from my second emergency room of the day up to my "suite" on the 14th floor. I was diagnosed with a severe herniated disc and scheduled for surgery first thing Sunday morning and would be staying in the hospital for pain control until then. Not exactly how I thought I would be spending my weekend but I was relieved to find out why I had been in so much pain and was now on my way to solving the problem. The view from my room was absolutely beautiful and I was able to see the sun shine, a rain storm and a gorgeous rainbow at the end of the day. I had multiple visitors and telephone calls from family and friends while I was waiting for surgery and am so thankful to have such a large group of people who reached out to me during this difficult time. One of the hardest things about being laid up in the hospital bed was knowing that my Ragnar Team was in Las Vegas without me running the 200 mile relay race - including my three legs of the race. I felt like I was letting my whole team down despite my friend Abril's best efforts at lifting my spirits. In the end my team finished the race thanks to Abril's husband TJ picking up my legs. I just hope to be healthy enough to train for the Wasatch Back Ragnar in 2011 and may just have another chance to run the Vegas Ragnar as well.While I was in the hospital Steve brought the boys up to see me as much as possible. They would go downstairs to the food court and bring their meals up to my room to eat with me and we made sure they had lots of toys, books and things to color while visiting me. When it came time for them to leave at the end of the day the boys would get sad which would then make me sad. They did get to spend lots of time at grandma Judy's and Papa's house where they even got to have a sleep over one night.

I was released from the hospital Monday around lunch time. Steve took Monday and Tuesday off from work so he could take care of the boys and wait on me - when I was awake that is. Tuesday afternoon my mom, my sister Tonia and Barley Dog got into town to help out with the boys so Steve could go back to work.

Wednesday we got a snowstorm that brought enough snow for the boys to go out and build a snowman with Aunt Tonia. I am not sure who had more fun - the boys or Aunt Tonia. Grandma Janice and I watched from the front door as Frosty came to be and the snowballs flew through the air.

Lucas and Landon had so much fun playing with Aunt Tonia and Barley. She was up at the crack of dawn each day - getting ready, getting the boys fed, dressed, delivered to school and ready for the day. By the end of the visit the popular phrase from the boys was "I want Aunt Tona to do." Grandma Janice tried to help with the boys, the house and meals but for the most part Aunt Tonia was three steps ahead of all of us. I am so thankful for the two of them and relieved that they were able to be here when I needed them most.

The King/Revelle Wedding

2010-11-11T20:42:00.000-08:00

The day of my brother Robert's wedding Kathy and I woke up and took Lucas and Landon swimming for a couple of hours. Then us girlies had to take a couple of hours to primp before we headed to the church to have pictures done.Landon decided to take a little snooze before having any pics taken.

Wyoming & Nebraska - Before the Wedding

2010-11-10T21:23:00.000-08:00

Last month we took a road trip to Wyoming and then on to Nebraska for my brother Robert's wedding. We left Utah Wednesday afternoon and drove to Laramie where we spent the night at mom's house. When we woke up Thursday morning I realised that I had left my dress I was planning to wear to the wedding hanging in my bedroom at home. I was so sad because I had shopped around a lot before finding the right dress and now I was going to have to find something else. My mom, Steve, the boys and I loaded into the truck and headed to Cheyenne where we met up with my sister Tonia. I had been having a lot of pain on the left side of my lower back that went all the way down into my calf. I knew I had a pinched nerve and so we decided to go and see my sisters chiropractor in hopes of an instant relief. After our appointments with the doc we then headed to the mall to find my dress. Unfortunately I did not find the dress I wanted and had to settle on another outfit. We finally got to Nebraska with just enough time to check into our hotel before heading to dinner and then on to the wedding rehearsal and rehearsal party.

We got back to the hotel where Steve was able to take the boys swimming for an hour before we all hit the hay.

Painting Pumpkins

2010-11-10T21:05:00.001-08:00

Once the boys have picked out their pumpkins from the pumpkin patch they are always so eager to go home and carve them. The problem is we usually get the pumpkins in early October and if we carved them that early by the time Halloween rolled around they would be nothing but mush. A couple of years ago we started painting our pumpkins and then the night before Halloween we wash off the paint with a little bit of water and carve our pumpkins. Twice the fun with only one pumpkin. The last two years we have met friends at Wheeler Farm and made painting the pumpkins a fun group activity. This year we were joined by Sarah, Sean, Gracie, Lori and Nate as well as my friend Michelle from my MOPS group and her two little girls. We look forward to keeping this tradition going for years to come.