thankful

These little boys are the sweetest things ever. I love them so much.

They are so funny, and kind, and wonderful. I am just SO enjoying being their mom. They are a joy to be around, to learn from, and to teach. I am so pleased with how they are turning out. Certainly they have their "naughty" moments, and they test their limits (along with my patience), but overall, they are good boys. Today, I am grateful to be a mom, to be their mom. I love you Matix and I love you Hawken.

play ball

The weather here (minus yesterday's freak rainstorm and consequential cool day) has been really nice. Perfect for days at the park, pool, beach or just fun playing soccer in the yard. Our version of soccer is just this: take a ball outside and have fun. there are no rules, or even real soccer balls, just fun throwing, running, kicking, and giggling. :)

This is something we see a lot of lately... Matix pulling up his pants over and over and over again. :) He has no butt, and now with no diaper either, there really isn't much back there to keep his pants from falling. I think it's cute.

Hawken likes to hold his ball, rather than kick it around.

He is a bit of a hoarder with everything. He carries around cars, pacifiers, food (until he shovels it into his mouth like a hamster), and anything else he can get his hot little hands on. But he is also so good at sharing with Matix. Sweet boy, LOVES his brother.

pizza pizza

I love it when the boys help with dinner. This particular evening, I was well prepared, which always makes for a more enjoyable time for all. :) While the boys were outside playing with Grandma, I set up 2 pizza doughs, and bowls with each ingredient (cheeses, pepperoni, and pizza sauce).

I also made these 2 beauties myself, and like tv magic, when the boys finished theirs and I put them in the oven, I turned around with these already finished, sliced, and somewhat cooled, ready to eat pizza. YUM!

The boys love to make things. They are always so proud of themselves for such little things. It really makes me smile. :) As they were working I would say, "Wow, that looks SO yummy..." They were just eating it up, the compliments, AND the food. :)

Paul and his friend Jack and I ate the pizzas the boys made later. They were actually not bad, although VERY cheesy. :) Fun fun fun.

beach days

We have been having plenty of mornings at the beach. The boys are still on the same nap schedule and sleep just after lunch, so we either do all morning or all afternoon activities. The beaches here are SO beautiful, and each one is a little different from the next. This one we went to had this cute little shade tree branching out into the water. It is pretty close to our house too.

The only thing I don't particularly like are the amount of leaves and sticks seaweed and other debris along the beach, right where the water hits. The boys, however, LOVE it, and I guess that's all that matters, right? :)

We have been having such a wonderful time with Stacy here. She has been so good to us and we feel so happy to have her. Tonight Matix said our family prayer, and in it he first said thank you for baby (Hawken) and then Grandma. It was so sweet. He then said thank you for her another few times, along with mommy and daddy and choo choo trains and cars. :) We all are so glad she has been able to stay in Miami and help us out.

On the beach Matix got cold and needed a snuggle. Then he asked for kisses, and more kisses and more kisses... Sweet little thing.

Both Hawken and Matix are water boys and love to splash in the waves and really enjoy the beach. We went this morning and after naps, the boys were already asking to go back. :) I love days like this. Lazy beach days. Combing the sand for shells. Building castles for smashing (according to the boys). Sandy snacks. Tickling the boys on the way home so they don't fall asleep. Everything. I love it all.

I just can't resist the nakey bum shot. Here they are getting showered off, and ready for the car ride home.

treasures

After an afternoon at the park with Daddy and Grandma, the boys came home to show me all their treasures from the adventures they had been having. Matix was very proud and kept saying, "Mommy, wook! See dat?!" (mommy look! see that?!) as he pointed to each thing. He brought back feathers, sticks, seeds, pods that rattled, flowers, rocks, you name it. :) I love this age. So adventurous, curious, and inquisitive.

mangos

Matix and Hawken ate their first post island mango. It was a happy day. Hawken tried to take bites out of the whole thing, before I cut it up. Matix, as usual, requested the seed to suck on. They both loved it and have had a few more since then, but still nothing compares to the flavor, price and quality of those rasta mangos we got. 25 in a bag for 5ec, fresh picked in the jungles of Dominica, YUM! Can't beat that.

tubby time

I haven't posted tubby pictures in a while. The boys are just getting SO big. They still love to take baths together, which I hope continues, because it is ever so convenient... :) Their favorite thing lately is for me to blow bubbles for them in the tub. After they get all soapy, I can blow bubbles with my hands and they can catch them without popping them. It is a game that almost always induces crying at the end when I tell them it is time to rinse off.

sleep

These little buggers sleep in the funniest positions... Every night before Paul and I go to bed, we peek in on the boys to see them sleeping. They always look so sweet and angelic. Regardless of bums in the air or open mouthed drooling. Cute. :)

good night moon

Hawken is a book boy. Just like his big brother is and especially was at Hawken's age. He has a bunch of our books memorized and now he will participate in them. He is so smart. I am always impressed with him. :) And good-night to the old lady whispering "HUSH!" He says in a very loud hush. :)

happy

Today I went to another Dr.'s appointment... and it was the BEST ONE EVER!! :) I am officially OFF BED REST!!! The baby is healthy, swimming around, the heartbeat is strong, and the bleeding from it detaching from the uterus is gone. The doctor said there is no residual blood in there and not even any scarring. He was surprised that I had healed that fast and with no real evidence that it had been bleeding at all. He had never seen that before. HOORAY!!

I am allowed to lift up the boys now, and walk around anywhere I want, and do everything I have been missing so much. As soon as I got home I scooped up Hawken and went over to Matix for some more snuggles. Obviously, a pregnant person shouldn't go around carrying heavy objects, but I now can go back to my NORMAL LIFE!! :) (Can you tell I am excited?!)

The cyst on my ovary that had burst is still bleeding and reabsorbing, and it will be for a while (they don't know how long), but they are not worried in the least about it. It has nothing to do with my bed rest, and although I will have reduced energy, some pain, and nausea from it, I can go about my regular business. It will reabsorb on it's own and I don't have to think about it.

The sad news is, this means that Grandma Stacy will probably be leaving us soon. It has been so nice having her here. The boys LOVE LOVE LOVE her and have been having so much fun. She has been taking good care of us too, cooking for us, cleaning up after us, letting me sleep ridiculous amounts of hours in a day, and every evening after the boys are down to sleep she leaves to study so that Paul and I can have some alone time (her idea, SO thoughtful, right?)...

We feel SO blessed to have had so many prayers said on our behalf, the candles lit for the baby, the priesthood blessing I was given, our names written on temple rolls in quite a few temples, the masses that were dedicated to us, and all the well wishes and happy thoughts sent our way. IT WORKED! :) This baby is on it's way! :)

sweet

Matix and Paul... 2 peas in a pod. :) "What are you doing?" I ask. "Be-in bugs, YUCK! Daddy siwy."

mail call

Matix and Hawken got a few cards in the mail, and a package. The cards were from my sister, Holly, and my Grandma Pauline and Grandpa George. They love being allowed to open the mail. From their great-grandparents, they got cute valentine's with $2 in each ($1 for them, and $1 for their sweetheart, so cute).

Matix wanted to hang them up on the refrigerator, dollars included. :) Silly silly.

The package was from my mom. It had a bunch of new clothes and a book. She pre-recorded the book and it is SO sweet. The boys love hearing grandma Kim read them the book, and we have read it so many times that the boys know most of the words too. :)

Thanks to everyone else who sent us cards. I got a very nice one from my baby sister too, and it was MUCH needed. Thanks Jolie, it made my day. :)