Easter 2010

I am embarassingly late getting this up. Here was our Easter in a nutshell

The All- Boy "Basket"

That's what it's all about
My Little Man! Anyone else bummed that the Easter outfits were exchanged for pants and jackets? Ryker's Cousin/BFF

Seriously, I don't think there are better looking kids out there!

And to think that another little girl who will look exactally the same is going to arrive soon. Man-oh-man, their dad is in t-r-o-u-b-l-e!

Last, and most fun of all- our Easter basket "hunt". Each color of yarn is for a different kid. A whole scane was ran around the entire house and at the end was their prize. Seriously fun...Except for the fact that we had to crawl under it all to get into the kitchen!


Blast! No picture of the loot. He managed to swindle 2 bubble blowers (a gun and a set-on-the-floor kind) out of his Grandmas. I also managed to sway other grandmas to give him much needed spring clothes. Don't forget all the teeth-rotting candy. YUM!

Hope your Easter was great. I loved that it was also Conference weekend...really inspirational!

Disclaimer: although I do work for a dentist, I do in fact, still give Ryker candy. Shame. On. Me!

A Fun Day in Pictures

Today we left

WithPicked up these goofballs

(thanks for the pic Nat!)

Went to the Sportsman's Expo

and here for some delish wings...

and here to visit my cousin.

I laughed so hard I cried ALL DAY!

PS- This lovely sister of mine is going to make me Auntie Ash this week! :) :)

The Holy Grail

After much searching, we have found it! A park, close to our house, appropriate for little ones. The search was long, but luckily not hard.

Park 1: Hyde Park where they have the pumpkin walk

Failed due to a foot of snow on the ground.

Park 2: Smithfield Elementary school

Failed due to the fact that there were a million other kids and the equipment was way too huge for mommy's comfort.

Park 3: Smithfield ball park

Failed due to being too large again

Park 4: (THE ONE!) Amalga Sugar Park

I know, Amalga?

Great points: 5 minute drive from our house, perfect for little ones, clean, newer equipment. It is perfect and the little one agrees. We spent a half hour in the car, another 15 minutes climbing on the bench...hey, something to climb on is something to climb on :) and 20 minutes of mom explaining that we can't just jump off the very top of the slide. It went something like this: "sit down, sit down...NO!" (catch Ryker midair as he leaps off the top) Ryker: hysterical laughing.

Spring To-Do List

Find a park? Check!

Find a way to keep stupid people on bikes away from the extremely wind-y roads in Benson before I pull my hair out? Still working on it!

Adventures

I have been slacking on posting some of the fun stuff we have been up to along with pictures. So, I will keep it short word wise... here are lots of pictures from our trip to Hardware Ranch about a month ago. It was cold and a Sunday, so I was in my dress, high heel boots and nylons. The out-of-towners were talking about their double thermals under snow pants. It was 40 degrees! It was like August after the cold winter we have had here....Anyways, so much for being short! Here is the proof that it was fun!

Boys will be boys!

This one had his whole main beam broken off. Pretty crazy! My guys

In other news, Ryker is making messes, climbing and being all sorts of funny. Boy does he have a personality (and a love for shoes...I hope that is just a phase)!

What a Big Girl!

Our niece Nikelle turned 3 just before Christmas. I cannot believe how big she is and how fast her first 3 years have flown by! To celebrate we went sledding at Old Main- my neurotic, worry wart self has a hard time watching people fly down the hill toward cars without anything to stop them, but it was fun :)

Birthday Girl!

I love this cute picture! Kristi, Colby and Kelle

Us! Ignore my high heel boots- I did not know we were going sledding :)

All Bundled Up!

Family Fun

Lately we have really been enjoying being our own little family. With Ryker getting older, it is more fun to take him places because he genuinely enjoys going out. In the past few weeks, we have taken a drive to Hardware Ranch to see the elk- suprise, no snow=no elk. It was a quick, cold, windy trip and this picture is terrible, but we still had fun talking and enjoying the scenery on the way up.

Ryker hates sleep, but he loves naps with Daddy. Here they are on the couch in "the thinker" and "quit taking pictures" positions. I love my guys!

We went to our ward party last night. It was really fun and great food. Dustin and I switched off taking Ryker to run the halls. All the other babies (toddlers?) his age sit very content...not our maniac! He was squealing and trying to pound on the piano and well, being himself. Tyson, a neighbor boy has a little brother the same age as Ryker and he played with Ryker all night saying "my baby doesn't walk yet! Look at him walk! (VERY loud forced laugh) He keeps saying tee-tee! (Another laugh)" Man, it was so fun to see him interact with other kids. I am sure we are the "bad parents" in our ward because our kid doesn't know how to "behave" but hey, how do you discipline a 1 year old and "make" him sit still. I say mission impossible.

Anyways, this is getting long. They had Santa come and I thought- oh, Ryker loves everyone! He will be fine...

Not so! Screaming bloody murder the second I put him on his lap. This picture makes me laugh so hard though (I know, scared does not equal funny, but I beg to differ!) Check out another post below for everything that makes me giggle about Ryker.

We are so glad we have our little guy and can experience being a kid all over again!

This kid...

....makes me giggle!
He:

Puts 'nannas' on his head and says "uh-oh!" Screamed bloody murder the second we put him on Santa's lap (this one especially makes me giggle- is it mean to find humor in his pain?)

Gets a Carrot-top beard while eating spaghettios

Looks like a G in that hat and shirt (ignore the yucky carpet-we rent, remember)

Beware: mustache picture....

Thinks daddy's mustache was silly. I on the other hand found it to be absolutely horrendous. This was the last picture with that horrid thing- disclaimer: my husband is the hottest guy around- sans mustache!

Waits patiently for mommy when she goes to warm up the car in the mornings. I return to this huge grin across his face- love him!

I love my little guy and the many giggles he gives me everyday. Kids really do keep you young (except that no sleep part :)

Enjoying Autumn...

I call it autumn because Dustin thinks saying fall is kind of weird...I know, there are only two seasons in Utah- Freezing and Blistering hot. I love the way too short in between seasons, except for Halloween. I hate Halloween...I know, it's almost worse than hating Christmas to some people!

We have been out and about enjoying the good weather that has now left. The highlight was playing outside in the sand box with trucks. Entertained my little man for almost 2 hours!

Today we went to the Pumpkin Walk. It apparently ended last night (why so early?!) Anyways, between the freezing cold, having my keys locked in my car and a slightly runny nose...Ryker and I survived and had some fun with his cousin.

I was very proud of myself today. I had my niece who is almost 3 and Ryker. Somehow, I managed to still pull off my "autumn supper". The menu included potato corn turkey chowder and pumpkin rolls. Seriously DE. LISH! and super easy. Check out the soup recipe here. Try to withhold your laughter when looking at my rolls. They look a lot like the carved pumpkins are looking this late in the season...droopy, misshapen, just plain ugly. Oh well, it was fun! I just rolled them in orange food coloring and then put a stem on top...ta da!

It's okay to look away :) Dustin refused to eat them...

I LOVE AUTUMN! Seems that it has now passed...oh well, there is still Thanksgiving to look forward to before I have to submit to winter fully!

Spoiled

I am so spoiled in two ways- one: I have the greatest family ever who really take care of me and two: I already know what I am getting for my birthday and Christmas. Takes the fun out of it, but I am sure that the gifts will more than make up for it! So, what am I getting?!?

This:
and this:

The first is a steam cleaner that I have wanted since I got married- so much easier and safer to clean with. Clean house, here I come!
The second is my BRIGHT PINK! laptop. Mine died and with school I really need another one.
Best. Day. EVER!

I love you family, thanks for spoiling me!

Last Chance

We took advantage of our last chance to go to the zoo last week. I don't want it to get cold, especially since Ryker will be walking soon. What will I do in this little cracker box I call my home?!?
The zoo is so fun and Ryker actually really enjoyed it this time. He watched the monkeys very closely (maybe to learn their ways, I threaten to leave him there everytime we go...such a monkey!) Speaking of monkeys, that is what Ryker is being for Halloween and I am so excited- this coming from the girl who would rather lock her doors, turn off all the lights and hide when Halloween rolls around...
Where were we? Oh yeah, the zoo. Here are pictures (my camera, or the operator (me, not Kristi) clearly sucks at taking pictures, so please bear with me! Also, I look bad and can't figure out why...)

Baby elephant Zirri- SO cute!
Fun times!

Silly

There are many things to smile about everyday. I smile because I know that no other job on earth allows you to have a giggling baby climbing all over you while you are happily cleaning. I love staying at home! Here are some silly adventures from the past few weeks:

We also dressed him up in his Alcatraz outfit that my mom got on her trip a little while ago. It says "Alcatraz Penitentary Fugitive...you never saw me." So cute!

Then tere is Ryker's silly way of sleeping. He is always wiggling and moving. This is how I found him during his nap the other day...

That my friends, is an ear next to a foot...
He keeps me on my toes!