Aiden's 4th Birthday!!

I am late posting again! But Aiden's birthday was Sept. 28th and he turned 4! I still wake up and can't believe he is so old and becoming such a smart little boy! He's not a baby anymore! On the sunday before his birthday we had a party at my mom's house and had presents, cake, and ice cream. He got clothes and books and a game, and a spiderman costume for halloween (that he wants to wear everyday) but his favorite gift was a spiderman scooter from grandma and grandpa! He was riding it outside and said "this is my favorite present ever!" Then on his birthday that monday we had a party at the park with Gracie, (his cousin that was born the same day) and Eric's side of the family! The hit present of that party was the hair stuff Gracie got (princess straightner, curling iron, blow dryer) all the boys wanted to play hair stylist! He had lots of fun, his friends Damon and Austin came and gave him gifts! And grandma Debbie came from Ephraim and that always makes his day! Plus he got $30 cash in birthday cards! Now when he tells me he has money he's not lying! We all had a great time and love Aiden very much! He continues to surprise me with his sweet smart fun personality and I love being his mom! Love you Aiden!

Aiden still wearing his costume days later

The Circus is in Town!!

We got tickets to the circus a month or so ago because we thought it would be something fun to do for the boys birthdays! Aiden's birthday is on monday the 28th and Grady loves elephants so this is kindof for his birthday too! We didn't get there in time to go and pet the animals but we did get to the pre show and right when we got there they brought out two elephants and had one paint and kick a soccer ball and dunk a basketball! The boys were amazed!! Grady couldn't even talk he just stared! When they left he kept saying "bye, bye ephant" Aiden was amazed at all the tricks they could do! Then we went to our seats and watched the circus! They did really well through out but they were most amazed with the elephants and the tigers and the guys on the big wheel things! It was pretty cool all the tricks they did, they even made an elephant disappear! Grandma was too nice and bought them overly priced toys! Grady of course got an elephant (he has named it mumbo) and Aiden had to have the binaculars! They love their toys! We had a great time and I'm glad all of my family could come and enjoy it with us! I know the boys will never forget it!

Grady's 2nd Birthday!!

I know I'm slow posting this, but better late than never. Grady's 2nd birthday was August 28th! I can't believe my baby is 2!! I guess he's really not a baby anymore! He really loves elephants!! I don't know where it came from but he loves them, so we had an elephant themed party!! His cake was an elephant (or that's what it's supposed to be, you be the judge) he had elephant balloons and tons of elephant gifts!! He loved it! We had a lot of family and friends come to the park to have cake and ice cream and gifts with us! Grady had a great time! Thanks to everyone who came and celebrated with us and thanks for his fun gifts!

Camping Trip

We took the boys camping for the first time this summer! We went with my dad and sisters and eric, myself and of course the boys! Aiden had been waiting to go all week because he wanted to sleep in the tent and he loves our air mattress so he was excited to pull that out! We just went up Provo Canyon so it wasn't far away but we got there just in time. We immediately put up the tents and the second we finished it started to rain!! So we got in the tents and waited and the fire pit had pretty good tree coverage so we could also hide under there without getting too wet! So we made dinner in the rain and sat by the fire in the rain and just camped in the rain. The boys liked to get in my dad's van and play but they kept coming in and out so we locked them in there to play and eventually they started looking through the windows trying to tell us they wanted out! We just heard these little voices saying "get us out" the picture says it all! We went to sleep in the tent and it rained some more. Grady did not like sleeping in the tent, the whole night he would wake up every half hour and cried saying "out, out" so finally around 3:30 am I decided to take him home since we lived 10 minutes away. Then when we got there he stayed up until 6 AM!!! So we slept for three hours until everyone at the campsite woke up and started calling us to come back! When we got there Aiden kept telling me "I liked sleeping in the tent, I was a good boy, I'm a good sleeper, huh mom!" He wanted me to know that he slept good after I had to leave. We made breakfast and it started to rain so finally we started to take our tents down and pack up to go home. Just as everything was in the car ready to go the sun came out! So we decided to hike up to Bridal Veil Falls and let the boys play in the water! They loved that even though it was really cold! We then went home and pitched the tent again so it could dry out and I did a lot of laundry to get rid of the fire smell! But even with the weather and the crying child, we had a good time! Aiden loved every minute and didn't care at all that it was raining! So thanks family for a great camping trip!

Happy 6 years!!

Sunday August 2nd was our 6 year anniversary! I can't believe it's been that long! The time has gone by fast and slow. I'm at a point that it's getting hard to remember a time that eric and I weren't together! I love him so much and am greatful I have such a wonderful hardworking husband! We are going on a cruise in Oct. so I didn't think we would do much to celebrate. Then the original plan was to have the boys sleep at grandma's (practice for Grady in Oct.) and go to dinner and a movie on sat. Well Eric set up an appointment for us to go to a 2 hour spa/massage! Then go to a hotel in SLC, but of course the boys got sick and we weren't able to have them sleep over but they did stay most the day at grandma's while we got our massages and went to Outback and then a movie! (Thanks family for watching them so long!) So it still turned out to be a wonderful anniversary! And we still have our cruise to look forward too. (and I'm getting more and more excited the more terrible two's Grady becomes!) When people used to tell me that I would love Eric more the longer we were married I didn't think it was possible as a newly wed. But I do and I realize I will continue to love him more and more the rest of our lives! Every experience good or bad has made us stronger and I love him for all he does for me and our boys! Happy Anniversary Eric!!!

Aug. 2, 2003

March 5, 2003 Proposal at Disneyland

Feb. 5, 2009 six years later + two kids!

Michael Jackson Aug. 29,1958 - June 25, 2009

Where do I start! I know when I was in I think fourth grade my mom recorded an interview Opera did with Michael Jackson! I fell in love right away! I must have watched that over 100 times! I liked him so much that I recorded the whole interview onto a cassette tape and would listen to it at night when I would go to bed! That is when it all started for me and my love of Michael Jackson! After that it was clipping articles, buying his tapes or cds, teaching my elementary friends his songs and making up little dances to them, I even went through many songs word by word and wrote them down to show my friends at school! (this is before internet) I used to take my walkman out at recess and show my friends my newest favorite song for the week! I couldn't get enough, I had 9 full video tapes of just Michael that me and my friends would watch at sleepovers and scream over our favorite parts! I have loved Michael for a long time and am heart broken that he is gone! When the tickets went on sale in London I wanted so badly to go, but I told myself that he would come here one last time and do a concert in the US. Now I will never have the chance to go! I remember one time I went to a play of "Joseph" and Donny Osmond was there because his nephew was playing Joseph. Now my mom was so excited because she loves Donny. But I remember sitting in my seat so excited and kindof nervous because someone who had met and shook Michael's hand was in the same building as me!!! All I wanted to do was ask him what Michael was like but I didn't get the chance! I knew this day would come and many times I thought of how I would react, but I didn't see it coming today! And I am reacting just like I thought I would, crying, crying, and crying! And recording all the news press about it! To many people I know this sounds silly or even stupid but I feel a great loss for the greatest entertainer of all time and a man that I have loved and stuck by for almost 20 years! I will always remember Micheal and the great impact he had on my life!! Just like his song for Ryan White, Michael was truly Gone Too Soon!!!

Update!

I know I haven't posted much lately so I will do a quick catch up! Well, summer is full swing we have been to the pool a few times, seven peaks once, a rainy summerfest weekend, kangaroo zoo, and lots of playing with friends! But the great mom that I am I forgot the camera for all of these events! For mother's day we got Aiden a bike and he hasn't stopped riding it since I leave it in my car so he can ride whenever he goes to Grandma's or Brooke's house! Sometimes when we go to the grocery store he thinks he can take it in and ride! I don't have much riding space in our yard but I put a video on here to show you how he improvises! Eric turned 28 on June 17th and we had a small party for him! (again no camera) He got a grill for his birthday/fathers day gift! We are excited to cook outside and avoid heating up our already hot house! Well I think that sums up the last few weeks! I hope to better at remembering my camera the rest of the summer! (I do take pics on my phone but don't know how to transfer them!)

This is a picture of Aiden after he knocked his front teeth on the bath tub! He wouldn't open up to show the bloody pushed back teeth but this is his fat lip! We called him our Who child from Whoville!

My little blue eyed boy!

Grady Talking!

These are videos of Grady talking a little! He really says a lot more words now but didn't have the patience to do it during these videos! My favorite right now is when he says Thank You! He says it all the time and it's too cute!

New Pets!! New Job!!

The other day we were at my parents house and they still had my bird cage from six years ago when Eric bought me a bird while we were dating! I showed it to Aiden and he loved it and wanted to find a bird to put in there!! So we cleaned it out and went to the pet store and picked out a bird! In the pics there is only one bird but the next day we realized he needed a friend so we went and got another one! Aiden named the first one Foofy and the second one Tinkerbell! So those are their names and no one can change them!! (We tried Sky for the blue bird but he wouldn't have it) So the boys now have birds and they want to take them out all the time!! But they are going to become the class birds for the Storybook Preschool!! That's right I'm starting a preschool in the fall! I'm really nervous and kindof scared! But I'm going for it anyway!! Wish me luck!!
The inspiration for the name of my preschool!! You knew it would be something Disney!!! :)

Disneyland Trip #2 April 14-16

Yes we went to disneyland again!! It's my favorite place and I have season passes and my family was going so we went again! We ended up flying because I found cheap tickets and I can't handle the thought of driving with a 3 and 1 year old for 12 hours! Even the two hour flight was hard!! They just don't want to sit still and the elevation hurt Grady's ears so he screamed a lot! But we made it there (I flew alone with the boys! Quite the accomplishment!) The boys had so much fun this trip because their three aunts were there to play and hold and give them everything they wanted!! My family now realizes the huge muscles I have from holding them all the time! They all had sore arms!! Aiden's new favorite ride this time was Haunted Mansion, he can sing most of the song to you thanks to Carlie! And Grady still loves Winnie the Pooh! He now says pooh all the time!! (He's really starting to say a lot of words lately!!) Mine of course was Splash Mountain!! We stayed almost everynight until midnight! The boys were such troopers and usually stayed up with us! Don't worry we slept for two days when we got back!! We love Disneyland!!!

They loved taking turns pulling each other around!!

Eating a healthy breakfast!

Aiden finished swimming lessons!

He started lessons the beginning of March and yesterday was his final class! He did so well! Over the three weeks he learned to float on his back, and hold his breath under water, and back stroke while floating and kick his little feet while floating! And coolest of all he jumped off the diving board! The first time the teacher took them to do it he jumped right in and has never been afraid! He loves it and is quite the little fish! We look forward to the summer when we can go swimming all the time!

His pre shower each time!

Jumping right in to start class! He is the one under the water!

sorry it's a bad picture it's through the glass! But that is him swimming on his back! Alone!! (sorry I'm a little proud!)

Here he is with his completion certificate and a sucker! Congrats Aiden!!