This Boy...

What can I say about this little boy of mine? He has been a bit much for me lately. He's busy as can be and wants to be independent. He throws tantrums. He tells me 'no, no, no'. He's not napping as well and he refuses to go to bed until his brothers are going to bed (which has become quite late on these summer nights). He colors on my floors and his clothes. He takes the dvd cases out of the cabinet multiple times a day, scattering them across the room. He asks over and over for my phone or the ipad and cries when I tell him 'no'. He wants to pour his own milk and get his own water from the fridge, spilling it every time. He doesn't want to sit in his seat in the car and cries and arches his back when I make him get buckled in.

But...
I get to rock him more before bed time/nap time since he doesn't want to go to sleep and I get to watch him drift off into sweet slumber. It's a sweet moment to watch a child sleeping in your arms.
He has started saying "I hold you" when he wants me to hold him.
He sings throughout the day and it makes me smile every time.
His smile and laugh come easily.
He likes to dance and even asks to play 'Just Dance' to get his groove on.
He makes funny faces that he knows people enjoy.
He caresses my cheeks and belly with the softest touch.

And all these things fill my heart with more joy and love than I could ever even hope for.

June Quotes

Rylan:

(June 24, 2013)
We were driving home from Kevin's soccer game up in Lindon. As soon as we got in the car Rylan started talking about Minecraft. He talked non-stop and when we got around Springville he said "Are you tired of me talking about Minecraft because I can go on an don and then if the creepers come..." He continued his Minecraft talk as I stopped at the library to return some books. I got out of the car and he kept talking and when I got back in the car he was still talking, as if I had never left. This kid is obsessed!

Asher:

(June 8, 2013)
Kevin and I wanted cream of wheat to eat for dinner, the boys wanted quesadillas. After they ate their quesadillas they started asking for my food...
Me: "How come last time I made cream of wheat none of you would eat it?"
Asher: "Because that's when I was 3. Now I like it!"
Just for the record, I poured some of mine in his own bowl and he didn't eat it.

(June 12, 2013)
I was really tired and wanting to go to bed. Asher told me "I'll let you sleep as long as you want, even it it's forever."
Kinda creepy, but how nice is he? I laid down in my bed while Kevin finished getting the boys ready for bed. I got up a bit later to do something on the computer when Asher came out of his room. When he saw me he said "I put you in your bed. What are you doing out?"

Green Mustaches

I couldn't get a good picture of these goof balls, but they are always drinking my green smoothies! If I make them their own, in their own cup, they won't drink it. But they'll share my cup back and forth with each other while they gulp it down. And if I try to be sneaky and put some in a different cup just for me, they know. I don't know how, but they know! I just have to let them drink my lunch and be glad they're getting in some good veggies and fruits (and whatever else I sneak in it!)

More Swimming Fun!

The Vostis invited the Doyle fam over for a swimming party last night at a neighbor's house. They had won a bid at a church fundraiser (I believe) and were cashing in on their winnings. We had so much fun! The boys were in the pool almost constantly for about 3 hours and still didn't want to get out. They had fun swimming around with their cousins and playing in the water. Kevin put Tyce in his floaty and sent him down the slide. He had a look of terror every time he went down but he always wanted to go again!

Such a handsome boy!

Mark Vosti grilled up our hamburgers which the boys were too occupied to eat. But Angie brought popsicles that got all the kids out of the water--if only for the 3 minutes it took them to eat it!

This kid and his mean faces...cracks me up! It's hard to look mean while inside a cute turtle with goggles on your head and spiderman floaties!!

I didn't want to get out of the water either. Of course it feels great being in the water with a big belly while pregnant, but it feels even better on my veiny legs. Takes away all that pressure (until I get out and then it might be even worse :( But still, the pool feels great!) Kev swam for a while and spent time out of the pool talking with his parents and brothers. We all had a fun time!

I just love me a sleeping baby. I guess he's a little boy now but he'll be my baby for a good 3 months longer.

Just look at this face...LOVE

Pool Party!!

My friend Mindy invited a bunch of friends over for a pool party. My boys were so excited and had so much fun!! There were lots of kids to run around and play with, a slip and slide, pool, and squirt guns. While they all played the moms got to hang out and talk. It was hot outside, even under the canopy. It's definitely summer! But it was such a great summer afternoon!

A group shot of some of the kids

Swimming Lessons

Amy told me about a local lady that does swimming lessons. She had signed up Camryn and Gavin and we thought it would be fun for my boys to take lessons with her kids. Camryn started out in a class that met before Rylan's class and Rylan ended up being the only one in his class. After a few days Amy switched Camryn into Rylan's class and they had so much fun together! After their lesson Asher and Gavin had lessons with another little girl. During their lesson Ry and Camryn got to hang out in the hot tub and Ry was absolutely thrilled about that.

Their lessons were in the morning at 8:30 and 9:00--about they time they usually wake up! But they both jumped out of bed and changed into their swimsuits real fast when I woke them up each morning. Asher just loved being with Gavin. Of course he loved swimming but he loved it even more being with his buddy!

Jumping off the diving board and going down the slide were at the end of each lesson. The slide was definitely a favorite of all the kids!

They both did well and had lots of fun. Lessons were only one week and Rylan asked several times if I'd sign him up for another week. (I didn't) His teacher said he did a great job with his strokes while holding on to the side of the pool. But when he gets out in the water he kinda panics and forgets what he's supposed to be doing and just splashes water. I need to get my kids in the pool more to give them more experience. I'd love to put them in lessons for a longer period of time. I've considered a local indoor pool where they can take lessons for months at a time. Maybe the end of winter/early spring. I know they both need it!

Now I need to get them to the pool lots this summer!

These two seem to be pretty good friends. I'm still trying to figure out their relationship with each other and I'm sure it will change a few times over time. Right now they can play together, just the two of them and be loving with each other. I love to watch them together. But they don't really spend a whole lot of time together... they don't really pair off and play all day just the two of them. They just seem to have these moments where they get together and just have a bit of time together. Both Rylan and Asher are very nice to Tyce. Rylan and Asher definitely fight with each other but neither of them fight with Tyce. Of course, he's only 2 so maybe that's why! Like I said, I'm sure their relationships will change several times over the years!! I don't know, I just can't explain the relationship Tyce and Asher have but they certainly have these moments often that make me happy :)

Giddy up horsey!

A Daddy and His Boys

Happy Father's Day!
Even though we have 1:00 church, we were rushed to get out the door for our meetings so Kevin had to wait until after church to get his gifts for being Daddy of the Year. The boys always like to hide the gifts and Asher had picked "the hardest spot ever" to hide Kevin's gift--under the big bed in Tyce's room. We seem to wrap a majority of our gifts in brown paper bags and then the boys can color on it. I think it's adorable :)

Aren't they all just so handsome?!!

Awhile ago (as in several years ago) Kevin mentioned repeatedly that he wanted one of these bars you put up in the doorway for pullups. I saw one at the store and bought it wondering if he still wanted one. We'll see!

These boys love their daddy. They know he's the fun one. They like to wrestle with him, jump on the tramp with him and play the tripping game (when he sticks out his arms and they trip over him--kids have fun in the oddest ways sometimes.)

Photos of daddy by Asher:

Loving Summer Time

Jumping on the tramp with water is one of our favorite summertime activities. Fun for all!!

Family Reunion

My mom's family had our annual family reunion at Heber Valley Campground this last weekend. My mom was in charge this year and she did a great job! It was a fun reunion with lots of Minute to Win It games, a Jeopardy style game to get caught up on families, and a getting to know you type speed round to rotate through people and ask questions. People received tickets for participating and at the end of the reunion they could use their tickets to bid on prizes. There were some good prizes for kids and adults and I think it was a hit!! Kevin won an iTunes gift card that he quickly used up to buy songs for his upcoming Ragnar.

I stayed up way past my bedtime on Friday night playing Bupkus with Tami, Garren, Rick, Matt, Melanie, and Alisha. So fun!

We also set up a kids camp type thing so the parents could participate while the younger kids were occupied. It was mostly kids from the Mitchell clan! That's where I volunteered most of my time and I only took one picture. Kaleb is so nice to Tyce and gives him lots of attention and entertainment. Tyce sure does love him!

Before lunch on Saturday we went up and walked around the lake. The kids had fun throwing rocks in the lake and the walk was quite pretty!

The Goodman family is full of genuinely nice, caring people. We had a fun time!

Sometimes when Tyce wakes up from his nap Asher likes to go in and talk to him for a bit before I get Tyce out of bed. It buys me some extra time if I'm doing something. Today Rylan and Asher both went in and they played for nearly 20 minutes. I knew what they were doing because Asher is always putting things in Tyce's crib for him to play with, filling it with toys and hats and pillows and blankets. I peaked in to check on them and could barely see my little Tyce! He was loving it! I asked him if he wanted out, he said "no", and they continued to play for another 10 minutes or so. Such cute boys :)

Letter to Great Grandma

I was trying to think of a way for Rylan to keep writing over the summer (hoping for some improvement in his handwriting as well). And then I thought of my grandmas. Both of my grandfathers have passed away and I think of my grandmas often being alone. I hope they have visitors and phone calls and don't feel too lonely. And they are both so great at always sending birthday cards and cash to their great-grand children. Anyway, I thought it would be a great idea if Rylan wrote letters once a week to one of his great-grandmas. I brought up the idea to Rylan, explaining to him that sometimes his great-grandmas might get lonely because they don't have children or a husband living with them. I suggested writing a letter to them might bring a smile to their face. After a brief talk of it I was surprised that Rylan was on board. In fact, he seemed a little excited about it.

 I declared Sunday our letter writing day. When the day came around I suggested Rylan get some paper and pencil. He immediately sat down and wrote out a letter to his great-grandma. It didn't take him long and this is what he wrote:

"Dear Great-Grandma,
 If you are so lonely you could have someone come over."

Ha! At age 7 he's already in male mode, trying to solve problems!! I'm sure my grandma would have appreciated the letter, well, maybe, but we started over and I coached him in what to say. He ended up mailing a letter that instead, talked about his excitement for summer and what he was looking forward to.

Oh, these boys of mine sure do keep me laughing!!

Coloring

These two love to color. Asher will often pull out paper and crayons for the both of them and I'll find them coloring together. He loves drawing/coloring the most of my three boys and Tyce's love for it is growing. Tyce is still learning we only color on paper or coloring books--not the walls, floors, and clothes (ugh!). But I love that they have this little activity they can do together happily!