Mike and Bracken

I look at this picture and can't help but think I am the luckiest girl in the world.  I love these two boys.  Bracken loves his dad, and loves to do EVERYTHING with him.  Mike likes Bracken too and takes the little guy around.  He doesn't mind strapping the baby backpack on his back, plopping Bracken in and together they do all sorts of manly things.  They mow, rake leaves, paint a shed....(which might have resulted in oil base paint in the babies sweet, silky, hair, paint thinner to get it out, and multiple hair washings all before Mom got home).  Bracken is just thrilled to be with his dad.  He loves him so much he even calls him MOM.  Mike's working to change that, but I think he should be honored that Bracken holds him in such high esteem.  I love these boys of mine.   

Candy Land Days

The other day I picked up Jake from school and as he bounced in the van he asked with a huge smile, "Mom, can we play Candy Land?"  He recently discovered this game, loves it, has a crush on Frostine, and really, really loves to win.  I love this stage of childhood and wish I could freeze Jake at this moment forever.  He is so funny.  The other day, he told me, " Mom, I love my sweet-tooth, I hope it never falls out!"  Somehow, he has a secret stash of Valentines suckers at his disposal and I have confiscated around 5 today.  His sweet tooth might rot out if we are not careful. 
In other family news:  Bracken is struggling through Manhood training once again.  He loves all dogs and climbing up the playground equipment.  He loves the slides and swings.  But he hates to sleep.  His best words are, Ball, Hi, and Mom.  Mike and I are both referred to as Mom.  He is an amazing snuggler, and all is right with the world when he snuggles in and pats your back with his sweet baby hands.  He gets the greatest surprise eyes.   
Isaac and Will are at fun stages too.  They are pure boys.  Last weekend we had our pack Pinewood Derby, Ike's first and Will's last as a cub scout.  They had fun cutting their cars out with Mike and painting them.  This year, Mike and the boys experimented with the weights and ended up drilling screws up through the bottom of each car.  Then they could add as many washers on as they needed until they achieved optimum weight.  Apparently, after Mikes extensive research, the higher the center mass the more potential energy the cars would have as they reached the bottom....hence the tall screws.  Anyway, it was pretty fun watching both dad and sons work on this project.  I think Mike only stayed up past midnight once working on this idea.  Ike's car was green of coarse, and Will's had flames.  I'll have to post a picture soon.  I was proud of the boys.  Neither came in dead last this year!!! Yay, and a big relief for Mike.  In fact, they boys had to race each other and in the end they tied for 4th place out of the 13 cars..not bad especially when our family tends to bring up the rear of these events.  I noticed that both of my boys tried to help a friends car that wasn't doing very well.  I was so proud.  At one point when Will's car was racing his friends, he took the weight off of his car to give his friends car a chance.  I saw Ike, in an under the table sort of manner, give all his washers to this same friend at one point.  Those were my favorite moments of the night.  Sons being thoughtful friends.
In other happenings:
Isaac loves the Humphrey books and Hank the Cow Dog.  He and his friends have their secret fort in the creek bed and yesterday had the "boy Awesome" moment of tipping over a dead tree.  Oh the tails I hear of the battles in the creek bed!!!
Will is staring as Mark Twain in the fourth grade program and looks awesome.  He has learned his lines so well.  This weekend is his last basketball tournament.  Life is good and busy.

I stole these pictures from our local newspaper.  It was kind of fun, they did an article about our Packs Pinewood Derby.  My boys feel famous!

That is Ike's green car in second!  Yay!

Go Cougars?

This little moment will live in infamy at our house forever.  About a month ago Jake was mad at  Mike and Me for something.  It was bedtime and I think he wanted to watch a movie, not going to happen at 8:30 p.m.  Because he was so mad, he told us that he was going to say all the bad words he knew and, here is the stinger, he was going to say them during prayer. Okay then buddy. 

 It was time for family prayer, I was saying prayer that night and pretty soon we heard a little voice, "go cougars, go cougars, Go Cougars, GO COUGARS!"  Jake was true to his word.  He hadn't forgotten.  It made us all laugh.  Those were the naughtiest words our little four year old could think of.  He knew just what would pierce us through the heart, and he said them with a heart full of frustrated anger just as loud as he could. 

 

I think he has since repented and denies his stained past....GO AGGIES FOREVER!

Christmas Around Our House

Here are some of my favorite shots of the Christmas season at our house.  I love what I would find everyday.  Bracken really loved taking the baby Jesus out of the kiddos nativity and placing him here...

 

 He would drive this truck and trucker around all morning.  Mike said it brings new meaning to the song, "Jesus Take the Wheel."

 

I also loved to look at this nativity and find it rearranged with different pieces added here and there...

 Or here is the manger that sat on our piano....  It looks so much better with a little red tractor...

 Here is a shot of the whole scene.  I think Jake was wise in choosing the red tractor.  It tends to whisper Christmas. 

And Oh the projects we tried to do.  This was one of my favorite with the boys.  We tried to make snowglobes one night.  Grab a baby food jar, some trinckets from the toy bin, glitter and glue and you have a very fun craft.  However, my boys took some creative liberties with theirs.  Jake on the far left decided that Zane the Lego should be riding bullseye.  One might think at first glance that Bullseye has been cleaverly turned into Rudolf for the Christmas season.  Oh no! Jake informed us that the red was really Bullseyes bloody nose.  Ike stayed a little more conservative with the Lego guy and red holly berries.  Will's was a battle scene a "Who Would Win," if you will, between the panther and whild mustang.  I think it screams Merry Christmas one and all.

 

I love this time of year.  I love that my boys love it, and I love that it is ok with me that it isn't glamorous at our house.  It is real and fun and one day I wont have snowglobes that look like this around the house, so for now I am going to eat it up.  I am going to remember the snow village becoming and annual lego city, the make-shift sleighs in the family room, Ike's homemade hot chocolate.  Reading"Room for a Little One" about a thousand times. I love the memories of our traditional ice skating party.  And I hope they are going to remember the magic.   I hope they remember the love that was in our home and the fun that we had together.

Weather Aware!

 

What a Spring we have all had here!  It's been a wild one and I'm so thankful that my family is safe.  I'm pretty tired of being so "weather aware," but so grateful that there are people that are amazingly good at what they do and can warn us of dangerous storms.  Other than a flooded back yard and a beehive that floated away we are unscathed, and that is more than so many of our fellow Okies can say.  Our prayers are for them, I'm grateful to be in a possition where we can litterly help. After this past month, I can now imagine utter distruction.  Places so close to us look like war zones.  What once was organized is completly wiped out.  It's a sombering thought.  After the flooding of last weekend, it doesn't take my imagination, to picture what 40 days and night of raining could do.  I have felt how insignificant and what little control I really have.  My feelings this past month have been interesting ones.  They have gone from worry, to scared, to sorrow, to gratitude, to anxiety, to panic,to nervous, to peace, to empathy, to relief, to guilt, to hope, to determination, to shock,to horror, to obssesive, to happiness.  I've learned a few things this past month or maybe just relearned them in a very real sense. 

 

1-  If  we are prepared we shall not fear.  (the tornado shelter is being installed in a couple of weeks, I sure miss my Kansas basement.) I have felt such a heavy responsiblity for my kids.  Mike and I keep them safe, we protect them!  I've thought a lot about being prepared physically, and spiritually.  Sometimes there isn't any time to "gather and get ready." Sometimes you just need to go now!  I've had time to ponder, my plans for my family.  And I realized this month that no matter what I do, I might not always be able to keep everyone safe.  That is an awful thought.  Storms may rage, that I can't keep at bay.  Other peoples poor choices may hurt us, but even though I am not all powerful someone is. 

 

2-  I've learned that when I remember that there is a plan of happiness, I feel peace.  When I've done all that I can do, whatever happens will be ok, because Christ is in control and he can make all things right.  He has a plan for my family and it is the best plan.  For my bennifit, our little family has had a few talks these past weeks about that.

 

3 -  People are more important than things and people are good.  In awfulness there is goodness.  Where there is hurt there will be helpers.  It has been touching for me to see the goodness of people.  It has been edifying to see the light of Christ in so many eyes and to remember that when people try to act like Him hearts are softened. 

 

4-  When the sun comes so does hope and peace.  Our days have litterly gone from dark, eery, and dangerously stormy to sunny and bright all in a few hours.  Christ is the ultimate light and hope,  I like the feelings of the sun.

 

5- I'm so grateful for the "watchmen" chasing the literal storms but even more grateful for our "watchmen" warning of more dangerous spiritual storms.  How blessed we are to have a living prophet and the Holy Ghost that can warn comfort and bear testimony to us. 

 

It's been an interesting spring, we are not totally out of the woods yet, but I'm grateful for the opportunity I've  had to see first hand how good Okies can be. 

 

 

Somebody is 4

 

This cute kid turned 4 on March 30th!

 

 

 

He woke so excited, came down to the decorated family room and opened presents.  The lucky kid then got to  go to two Easter egg hunts before...

 

His Awesome Three Amigos Birthday Party.

 

 Yes my child wanted a Three Amigos party.  I couldn't change his mind.  He wanted his cake to look like Lucky Day's shirt.  He wanted to break an El Guapo pinata.  What???  This kid cracks us up and I laughed the whole time I was "creating" the Lucky Day cake.  What a fun little man he is.

 

Jake has charmed a few older women.  Here is Jake and his cute 8 year old friend Kennedy.  I want to have Kennedy live at my house.  She is adorable and made Jake the cutest book for his birthday. 

Friends came over for a little party between 4-5:30.  We mixed Jake's two loves....apparently the Three Amigos, and his never ending love of all things cowboy.  I guess the two go nicely together.  The kids played pin the tale on the donkey, had a stick horse relay, took turns roping our calf head, made their own bandannas, mixed their own trail mix, chased and captured three bad banditos, and broke a cowboy pinata.  It is quite the thing keeping 10 little 4 year olds entertained for an hour and a half.  Thank goodness for fun moms who help and willing big brothers. 

 

 

I think the hit of the party was "catch the bad guys".  Here are Will and Ike with their buddy Braydon they were the three bad banditos. 

 

 

Birthday days are always tender for mom.  I can't believe my Jake is four.  He has blessed my life, and I can't believe life without that spirited little boy.  He is a joy, is full of shenanigans, and gives the sweetest kisses. 

 

 

He also informed me yesterday while sitting at the table eating lunch, "Mom, I hate to tell you this but I'm going to drink beer"

 

After doing something naughty the other day, Mike asked Jake why he did it and Jake said, "Dad, I did it because I just don't know the gospel very well."

 

Hopefully 4 will be a good year for us, we can teach him the gospel and change his drinking ways.

 

We Love You Jake! 

 

 

Perfect Moments

Yesterday afternoon I sat on the rocking chair, in the family room, and rocked Bracken.  He was talking and smiling at me, oh so happy.  The three year old was crashed out on the couch, exhausted from living life at full speed.  Isaac, still dressed in his Sunday clothes, was folding paper airplanes on the floor next to me, humming.   Mike and nine year old, Will, were in the living room finishing up their father/son interview.  I realized that my one concern at that moment was whether to bring banana bread or cookies to our friends house later that evening for dinner.  As I was contemplating that decision, I had to stop and realize how blessed we were.  I wasn't concerned about where to find food to feed my family, or what I had to dress them in, or where would they sleep tonight.  They have cloths to wear, beds to sleep in, a mom and dad and brothers who love them.  Aside from a pesky cough that Ike deals with every so often, we are healthy.  My boys bodies and minds work so well.  My husband is a wonderful man, a humble, worthy, Father who works so hard for us.  I love him.  We are equally yoked in faith, family, and dreams.  I know he is pure and good.  He is faithful and kind and fun to be around too.  He is steady and reassuring.  We are blessed to have friends, even friends who have us over for dinner....

 

 (Wild moments in the family room.)

(Fall 2012 "Homecoming" trip to Utah)

 

Sometimes I can get carried away thinking about everything that I want to fix and change with my house, the mess that seams to never stay cleaned, some politics at the moment, or some issue with a child, and forget to realize, like I did this afternoon, that we truly are so blessed...so blessed.  We have sufficient for our needs, we have love in our home and a knowledge of a loving Father in Heaven above.  These moments are good for my heart and this afternoon I had to say a little prayer of gratitude, as contentment filled my soul.