Random Pics from AZ

I think I am about done posting our adventures from our trip to Arizona, there are just a few more things that I wanted to jot down.

The boys loved Ganma & Ganpa's bath tub. It was much bigger then ours and they had so much more room to play. After a bath, Sebastien went running down the hallway as naked as you can get, jumped on our bed and hid under Troy's shirt. It was too funny and so cute.
The boys also had tons of fun playing with Aunt Megan's dogs. I cannot remember the dogs name but she was very patient with the kids. Sebastien was a little hesitant about sitting on her but after he saw his cousin Wyatt do it, he wanted a turn. I was pretty impressed that Troy could get both the dog and Sebastien to look at the camera.

Another favorite was the swing set. Every time Manti got in the baby swing he would start to fall asleep. Maybe I should look into installing something like that in the house. :) They loved going really high and trying to touch feet. Sebastien even figured out how to swing all by himself and only fell off the swing once (the whole time we were there).

One of the days Uncle Brent, Gage and Malcolm were there, they decided to make a ramp off the back of Grandpa's old truck. This was something we did when we were growing up so it was fun to see how excited the boys got. Gage and Malcolm were not afraid one bit to ride the bikes down the ramp and onto the grass. Sebastien was content with running down, I think he did more of that then riding.

We always enjoy the time we get to spend with Grandma & Grandpa GG. They have such great stories to tell and love spending time with the boys. One thing we do quite a bit with them is meet at the mall for lunch. We are lucky enough to meet not only with them but cousins, aunts and uncles and friends. It is great catching up with everyone and since we only get down there once a year, we have to take advantage of every opportunity. It was so cute to see Sebastien walking with Grandma GG to get a treat. Both he and Manti get so spoiled by them every time we are there.

At night after the boys went to bed, we would have bowling competitions on the Wii with Ganma & Ganpa Egnew. Troy and I could not help but laugh at the fact that my parents are Wii bowling PROS! I lost every time we played and I think Troy did too. It is a little depressing when two old folks can whip you so much. We had so many great laughs and it was a great way to wind down after the day. Dad, I will NEVER forget the tennis. I think we all about wet our pants when you played. Great job on the fitness test though!

The last Sunday we were there, Paul and his family came over for dinner and to hang out. I think it is becoming a tradition on Sunday nights to either make carmel corn or roast marshmallows. We were not opposed to either one so I think we did both. Uncle Paul and Troy were very good about getting the fire started and preparing the coals for roasting 'mallows. Manti does NOT like them but he did enjoy the crackers and chocolate. Sebastien would help Troy roast and sneak a couple 'mallows in between. It was a fun night talking with Uncle Paul and spending time with his girls'.

Our final evening in Arizona we met up with Ganpa Cahoon, Aunt Crystal & kids and Aunt Megan & kids for some yummy custard. The timing was poor due to the fact it was DINNER time but who doesn't like ice cream for dinner? The boys loved spending the last few hours with their Ganpa, aunts and cousins. The ice cream was just an added bonus. It took 3 or 4 attempts, but Troy was successful in getting everyone to look at the camera for a final picture.

Thank you to all of our family and friends who took time to meet with us and make our trip so exciting. Sebastien still talks about it and is always asking when we are going back. We love you all and look forward to the next trip! (Not sure when that will be.)

A Little Confused

I was a little confused as to how Manti managed to get himself stuck in the bucket! I was doing something in the other room and heard the crash, then crying. I thought maybe he had fallen off a chair or computer desk. I couldn't help but laugh when I saw him in the bucket of toys. He was gripping onto the little handle so tight, screaming like he did when he hurt his nose and was just traumatized. I still cannot figure out how he managed to pull this off but it was a good laugh for the day. He will think so too....someday. :>

This Past Week...

...Was FULL of excitement! I knew Manti scraping his nose was only the start of injuries to come. We had quite a few good falls leading to lots of tears and battle wounds. Do you think that stopped them? Uh, NO, not at all!! They are still as wild as ever...Aside from the injuries, they did have a little fun.

Our Photos From a Crazy Week!

They played in the snow...

tasted the snow...

Played in chocolate pudding...

Ate a little too....

Walked around in daddy's work boots....

Fell off the tricycle and smacked his forehead on the garage floor...only a few days after diving nose first on the cement in the backyard.
Went full speed into the wall, smashing his nose. Resulting in lots of tears, a bloody nose, swelling, bruising and A LOT of attention from daddy.

If you look closely, you can see swelling on the left side of his nose and also a little bruising. Sorry for the crusty boogies...it was a little tough cleaning the blood without hurting him.

Good Deals

It was such a beautiful day today the boys and I decided to venture out. They always like going to the mall and seeing dogs, eating Chick-Fil-A and playing in the children's area. Today was no different. We started with the dogs and then hit Dillards. I found some great deals on shirts for the boys. I bought some for them to wear now and some for next year because they were so cheap. Troy called while we were in Dillards and we arranged to meet up for lunch. The boys were very excited. After having lunch with daddy, the boys were ready to play. On the way to the play area I decided I wanted to stop in Gymboree to look at little girl stuff. They always have the cutest clothes. I found a sale rack and went wild. The boys were very good and didn't fuss too much as I browsed through clothes. I got some cute dresses, leggings, hats, head bands, socks and a onesie. Sounds expensive right....

This is the stuff I got at Gymboree. I added up the original prices and it came out to $213.45 (plus tax). The total amount I paid was $57.11, that's a savings of $156.34! SWEET deal!

These are the shirts, hat and mittens I got at Dillards. Total original prices $100.92.

I paid $32.03 and saved $68.89. Another SWEET deal!

The boys had a great time running around the play area and going down the slide. There was another little boy there who had some cars and was very willing to share with Sebastien. They even started having car races down the slide then followed behind on their tummies. It was cute. They were a little spoiled today and even got to ride in the little train and taxi in the mall. I have started carrying quarters in my purse so I am prepared. As long as they behave, they get to pick a candy from the machines or ride a toy. Today, they chose toys. I will admit I was surprised about that one.

It was a fun and productive day at the mall for us today. I wish it could be like that ALL the time.

Ultrasound Appointment

We have finally seen this little baby! We had an ultrasound this morning and we loved it. This little one would NOT cooperate at all. It took about an hour to get all the measurements and find out the sex of the baby. EVERY time they tried to take a peek at the gender, this little one would cross its legs or put its hands down there and cover up. It was funny but frustrating at the same time. When it came time for them to check the baby's face, it would hide behind the placenta. They poked at my belly several times trying to get the baby to move and all that did was make me have to go to the bathroom even more. Not good! :) We had the boys with us and they were beginning to get a little impatient. Luckily, the ultrasound tech caught the baby with its arms by its face and caught a glimpse of the gender. A lot of you may already know but for those that don't.....we are having a GIRL!! We are all so excited and were very happy that she decided to not be so stubborn. She was measuring small so they changed my due date, other then that, she is looking great and moving around like crazy.

The boys waiting to go see their baby SISTER!

Playing after the ultrasound, waiting to see the doctor.

I caught Manti being silly.

Sebastien and daddy looking out the window of our room.

I am working on getting the ultrasound pictures scanned into the computer so check back later to see our little girl. Because she was so uncooperative, we didn't get great pictures. Little stinker!

My Sweet Boy

Wednesday night I was at mutual with the young women and the boys were at home spending time with their daddy. As I was driving home I noticed I had a text message from Troy titled "Sebastien singing you a goodnight song". I opened it up to hear my sweet boy singing I Am a Child of God. It was the sweetest thing ever! I have tried to download the audio to this message to share it with everyone but can't seem to figure that part out. I will keep trying though.

More To Come

Yesterday was the first day the boys have been able to play in the backyard. We have had a constant pile of snow since November but with the warm weather this week, it FINALLY melted! I was so thrilled to be able to send them outside to play and not have to watch their every move. I was getting dinner ready while they played in the leftover snow/ice, mud and water. I glanced up and saw Manti walking down the cement steps like a big boy and thought to myself "oh that is just an accident waiting to happen." Sure enough not a minute later, I heard the screams and crying. I ran out to the back door and saw my poor little boy and his bloody face. He is so tough though, he only cried for a minute and then I asked him, "Can mommy clean your nose?"...."Yep." I sat him on the counter and cleaned off his nose, lip and mouth then said, "Okay, now can mommy put medicine on it?"..."Yep." He sat there the whole time and did not fight me at all! What a brave little boy. He however did not want to go back outside. He watched Chuggington for a little bit then went to the back door and watched Sebastien play.

This was taken after I had started to clean him up.

This one is from today. Already starting to scab over but still looks bad.

He is still so handsome.

I know this is just a sign of the many scrapes, bumps and bruises to come. My boys play rough and I know this is going to be an eventful summer. I am hoping that we can at least stay out of the E.R.

Temple Trip

While in Arizona we had the chance to take the boys to the temple and walk around the visitor's center. They really enjoyed seeing all the pictures and listening to the presentation. The temple volunteers were in the process of taking down all the Christmas lights and other decorations so we got to point out a few things and talk more about Jesus. The boys loved looking at all the pretty flowers and playing on the steps. It was fun for Troy and I to think back 5 1/2 years when we were married to life now with our two boys.

The bride and groom..long ago! :)

Our family of 4...and a half. (I love the reflection of the palm tree in the window.)

Daddy and the boys
Mommy and the boys

We were explaining to the boys that this is where mommy and daddy were married. I told Sebastien I wore a pretty white dress and he said, "Mommy, I want you to get married again." Poor guy feels he was left out!

Goodnight Song

Every night and sometimes at nap time, I sing songs to the boys. One of the recent favorites is the goodnight song. It is very simple but they love it. Tonight as I was singing to Sebastien he was telling me who to sing to. This is his list:

*Manti
*Daddy
*Mommy
*baby
*Sebastien
*dinosaur

-From Ice Age III-
*Rudy
*dinosaur babies
*mommy dinosaur

-From Chuggington-
*Wilson
*Brewster
*Koko
*Dunbar
After I sang to "Dunbar" he started cracking up and said, "Oh Mommy, that is so silly!" I cannot say it enough, but I absolutely love my boys. I love seeing Sebastien's little mind work and what he comes up with. Manti is also starting to put so many words together and shocks me every day. He loves his big brother and will try to copy him all the time. They definitely keep me entertained!

Train-Tastic

For those who have kids that like to watch the Disney channel, you may recognize the phrase "train-tastic". It is from the cartoon Chuggington and my boys are in love with it! Every morning I have a request from at least one of the boys to watch it.
We had our own train-tastic day on Saturday. Troy was in a hunting class all weekend and to break up the day I decided to take the boys to the depot. We stopped and got lunch first and then sat in the parking lot eating and watching trains. It was such a nice day,we even got to sit in the car with the windows down and not freeze. When we first got to the place where I normally park we saw a train sitting at the main stopping point.
After about 5 minutes of waiting, Sebastien says, "Mom, the train is going potty."
Me: "You're right, the train is going potty."
Sebastien: "No silly! The conductor is going potty. He needs to hurry."

I usually tell him the trains have to stop because the conductor needs a break. I couldn't help but laugh when he said this. He is so funny and catches on to EVERYTHING now. If he doesn't understand what we are talking about, his response is usually "what you talking about momma?"
I didn't bring the camera with me this day so I just used my cell phone. They aren't the best looking pictures but at least I got some...

Engines!

Sebastien is eating his lunch, waiting on the train.

Manti couldn't hide his excitement!

It was such a great day to see trains. We were so lucky, we got to see FOUR different trains go by. The boys loved it!

Bath Time Art & Fun

Bath time in our house is not always the most pleasant experience. Manti has never liked having water on his head or around his face for that matter. If you know all the details about Manti's first six months of life,you might be able to figure out why. He usually screams so much that after he is washed he just wants to get in his towel. Although the screaming part is a little annoying, I love when he asks to get his towel. I usually let them play in the tub for a while before the torture of washing begins. Sebastien is finally figuring out that when I say it's time to wash up, it isn't worth the fight. He likes to play in the tub until the water drains and as long as he is behaving, that is what he gets to do while I get Manti dressed. They both love to color, throw balls, play with trains and squirt the walls and occasionally me. They are too cute and I love that they are our little boys.

He loves to fill the duck up with water.

Sebastien would NOT smile. He only wanted to do silly faces.

On the other hand, Manti was NOT shy with his smiles.

He turned his head at the last second but you can see he is very proud of his artwork.

The final product! Good job boys.
They even enjoy cleaning it off the walls.

Oh no, Sebastien is getting ready to squirt the camera!
Lucky for me, he can't quite figure out the water guns.

Preparing to erase the artwork for the night.

Showing me his duck ball. This one makes BIG splashes when he throws it and he thinks it is hilarious.

They love to be wrapped up in their hooded towels.