Welcome Little One

This is Calum Bruce. Born August 26, 2012 12:36am and weighed in at 7lbs 9oz and 20 inches long. What a blessing he is. Grant is especially excited about being a big brother and so attentive and loving. One of the wonderful things I've experienced as mom so far is watching my boys fall in love with their brother. 

HGTV

*Why is HGTV so addicting ? In the rare event that I have the remote in my hands, I'm enevitably there. House Hunters ? What is so facsinating?

*I get very upset when if Jon gets in bed before me (he usually does) and he puts his feet on my side of the bed and distrubs the sheets. Very upsetting business that.

*Isaak cracks me up almost every day. Last week he was analyzing his priorites, they are as follows; Family, Food, Jesus, Friends, Science. Should I be concerned that food is so high on the list ? ehhh he's 8. all in all, I won't complain.

*Mac surprises me constantly. Tonight he thanked me for him having such an amazing day. What a sweet kid.

*Grant is going through a Sesame Street phase, so cute. He lights up whenever Elmo gets on the screen, I love that.

*Jon is getting over the stupid shingles. Shingles are stupid stupid stupid.

Summer Synopsis

Cancun Mexico

I'm still trying to figure out where summer went, I DO know where we went....

Fishing, Fish Lake

Bryce Canyon

Carlsbad Caverns (per the sign...)

Fish Lake, Bryce, Cancun, Carlsbad, just to name a few of the highlights. This makes it seem like we were busy, but it never felt that way. The boys also spent a week at Wilderness camp with cousins, and many lazy days by the pool. Oh, and lots and lots of piano practicing of course.

Park Royal, Cancun  '07

Park Royal, Cancun '11

HOLY COW !!! They got some much bigger !

Xel Ha Mexico '11

Xcaret Mexico '07

Mac and Isaak Parasailing

We spent one day at Xel Ha and loved it maybe a bit more than we loved Xcaret a few years ago... Grant even came with us snorkeling, unfortunately I was unable to document this event via photograph, too busy looking for fish most likely. The boys got to parasail. They looked like tiny dots in the sky, cute dots, but dots. I got to find my favorite beach jeweler Pepe and raid his bolsa. Jon did some serious snorkeling. We all had fun !

Isaak enjoying a daiquiri by the pool

Grant just enjoying the pool

Mac enjoying/LOVING the 'cliff of courage'

Isaak - deep in the belly of the Earth

Mac on Grandpa O's boat

Bryce Canyon, what a treat. Just driving there brings a flood of fond memories and feelings. I had almost forgotten what a treasure Ruby's Inn is. Honestly. That gift shop, you could get lost in there.  This was Mac and Isaak's first trip, hopefully we created some memories for them, of one of my favorite places in Utah. 
Amongst all this driving we started listening to audio version of Harry Potter, we have found this a great way to spend the miles. Although, we have received mixed reviews on which narrator best performs... Uncle G says Stephen Frye, and Aunt B says Jim Dale. I think we'll mix it up and listen to them both a bit.

Kade and G, bonding over the backpack

Grant finds Bri absolutely fascinating...

We finally made it to Carlsbad with the Pace fam. Something I have wanted them to see for years. Unfortunately the bat flight was canceled (due to lightning), didn't even know that was possible... and Sitting Bull Falls burned down, again, who'da thunk. Despite the set backs we had a great time, besides with JP around there is no way getting around lots of deep belly laughs, and some (or is that TONS of) green chili.  Jon and I both enjoyed the looks of astonishment when after 4 hours driving we told JP and Mindy we were still inside Stake boundaries. 

How do they learn this stuff ?

I can hardly fathom the growth one small person can achieve over the brief months of summer. Grant will be 1 soon. gasp. We're taking lots of pictures to capture every milestone. I just want  to freeze time some days. Right now he is contemplating standing rather seriously, first he'll need to get off his tippy toes.

Uncle Dens' graveside service

Uncle Dennis passed away. Labor Day weekend was spent saying goodbye. So sorry for the Petersen's to have to suffer this loss. So good to get the chance to see long lost loved ones again. Bittersweet.

35

March 9, 2011

Jon had a birthday shout hooray !

X-Box

If you've ever wondered what 35 year old men do with their time, wonder no more...

Sometimes they do crazy things like attempting circus maneuvers with infants, whilst pulling strange faces, faces that can only be seen when in the company of said infants...

Other days include power tools, and frustration...

They experience first's still like swinging and,

solid foods (or is that semi solids ?) with their babies.

We all think we're pretty lucky to have this particular 35 year old around. 

Ode to Joy

Every year the school PAC (Parent Advisory Councils) puts on a talent show in February. My boys have dreamed of participation since the first caught wind of the event. Finally we are developing a talent worthy of sharing with our peers. Before this was problematic as the piano lived in the garage under a mountain of various household sundries. Now that we are in the house, the piano is still in the garage, (long story) and we practice on a fancy keyboard. The boys started taking lessons on October about 2 weeks before Doodle came, and haven't missed a lesson since. They have a great teacher and a mean mom which equals progress.

Isaak performing Ode to Joy

ribbons in hand with the maestro Bryan Hutchinson

Mac performing Rain Dance

Isaak lost his first tooth on top

Grant is learning to fly  

Mac's love note 

Nothing says I love you Mom, like mountains, clouds and a thunderbolt so maybe I'm not too mean after all.

Derby Days

Mac (David as he wants to be called at school now) and Isaak had their first Pine Wood Derby on Saturday, what fun! I've always wondered about the inner workings of such scouting events, well I finally got my first peek. It was everything I ever dreamed it to be and more. The cute little scouts everywhere, the dads, the noise,  the excitement. wow.Thankfully both Isaak and Mac won trophies in the wolf category taking a solid 2nd and 3rd place respectably.whew. There for a minute we all worried that Isaak's morose may turn into a full blown depression, alas his car came through and pulled out a win. YAY!

troop 107 Pinewood Derby Feb 2011

Sometime earlier we were in Albuquerque, and captured this fabulous pic of Mac in the Mac store, a place we all enjoy.

This month Doodle and I went to Arkansas to see Kristal and celebrate her impending triplets. She lives right down the street from the Duggars, how could I not take a picture of that ? 

Grant continued his quest at being the foremost adored baby in the universe. To be honest, he's got this one in the bag.

BYU played El Paso in the New Mexico Bowl this past December, we of course went. Here is Isaak being Isaak at the game. It was cold, really cold.

The 8 and under state swim meet was this past weekend, Grant wasn't impressed. 

Isaak and Mac were fabulous! They swam hard, and represented RHAA (Ruidoso High Altitude Aquatics) well. Mac swam in his first 2 relays, and swam the IM. Tough work. This was Isaak first "official" meet, he was awesome !

He's a popular guy

We all love our Grant.

Grandma King

Aunt Leann

Grandma Carol

Grammy Robinson

the big guy

cousin Kade

Aunt B

This is just a fraction of the loved ones Grant has been introduced to over the last 3 months. Amazingly enough he is universally adored. 

Uncle G is officially off the market !

The past few months have been full of new beginnings. It all started in Sept when Tiphani married Von, then Doodlebug arrived. Mac was baptized. We celebrated the birth of the Savior whom through we are all blessed with the chance at redemption and renewal, then 2011 was born. Now Garrett and Marisol have married. How lucky we are to have such wonderful life events to celebrate.  Everyday I thank my Father in Heaven for the gift of family !

cuddling for warmth, it was incredibly cold

less about the warmth and more about trying to appear slim... 

Add caption

if you're goin be out in the cold proper gear is crucial !

We met some new faces...

and missed and mourned some others.

some of us conquered fear.

Mac preparing for his first bishops interview.

on to the next adventure !