Calvin's 5th Birthday

   Today our sweet Calvin turned 5!!!  It was a wonderful day!  He picked out his favorite cereal (Apple Jacks...even though I really don't think they are his favorite, he saw them at the store and decided they were his favorite even though we never get them :-))...and ate it for breakfast this morning (I got up before 5 in hopes I could have my scripture study and workout done before he got up, but he decided to get up at 5:30...not cool).
     Bastian and Brianna came at 8 and brought their tablet so Calvin REALLY wanted to play on that all morning.  He picked out some chips to share with his class for his birthday treat.  His teacher said he had a great day at school!
     After school we had a treasure hunt that led to a GIANT lollipop (Calvin has wanted one ever since seeing the one in the treasure box at Bounce-U at Nyah's 5th birthday party :-).
    Dylan and Wyatt Hinton, Bastian and Brianna, and Jaime all came over for a birthday party!  We played the dice game (where they roll and if they got a 5 they took a layer of wrapping of a prize and whoever got the last layer kept the prize), the musical candy game (where there is candy in the middle of the table and they walk around it while the music plays and try to grab a candy when the music stops...like musical chairs).  The kids just wanted to eat the candy :-)...so it didn't last long.
     Then the highlight of his day, the PINATA!  We got a Minion (from Despicable Me) and Calvin and Jordan helped me stuff it the other day.
SIDE NOTE: It was so cute...Jordan was so scared the minion was going to eat all the candy :-).  After he was all filled up the boys asked me to "make [the minion] talk to them"...so I did...he was like their little friend!  They loved him (Jordan did not like the thought of hurting him to get the candy out...but when it came time, he was totally fine).
 The kids had a blast with it :-)!  We had pumpkin pie and ice cream.  Calvin got $10 from the Almazabas, a Fire Truck from the Hinton's, and a $25 gift card to Barnes and Noble from Jaime and his family...SOOO nice!!! Grandpa Sanders sent him $5 (which he took to the Walmart play center and played games and got candy)...Grandma and Grandpa Fort said they ordered him a year subscription to a kids magazine, and we are going up to my Mom's this weekend to celebrate with them :-).
   Lots of people called him today and made him feel very special!  Our bishop even called him!...I was amazed!  I have never experienced that before...above and beyond :-)!!
    Calvin REALLY wanted Panda for dinner so we went there after the party.

    He sure was a happy boy at the end of the day!

Here is their minion friend :-)

Sweet Calvin is so good at sharing!
  He even let Jordan have the very first lick!

Happiness

I am surrounded constantly by reminders of God's love and tender mercies in my life!  What a year of abundance this has been!

Our new home has been a great source of joy and comfort for our family!  It has brought many opportunities to work, serve, and grow closer as a family!  My heart is full of gratitude...thus shall my thanks be thanks in deed!

First Day of School

Calvin started Kindergarten at EDUPrize this year!  His teacher is Lisa Dotson.  I chose that school because school is only in session 2 1/2 hours...even then, we miss our Calvin while he is there!  He has done great so far! Today he came home telling me a story they learned:
Every person has an invisible bucket.  When we do nice things, we are filling others buckets.  When we don't do nice things we are a bucket dipper.  He focused a lot today on filling our buckets.  What a thoughtful kind hearted boy!

If I could only remember everything

My days are filled with sweet moments of my children!  The things they do and say are priceless.  I can't get enough of them.  I really wish I didn't have to cook, clean, run errands, make appointments, and do the million other necessary things I have to do, because I could easily fill my day just listening and watching my children...they are so entertaining...everything they do and say is so precious and I just hope somewhere in my memory, each moment will stay forever.  I LOVE MY CHILDREN!!!!  I wish there was an automatic Journal writer from my brain to paper because I miss way too much cuteness (I don't want to leave the moment and miss it, but by the time I get somewhere I could record it, I have forgotten).

Embarrassing Catch Up

So November came and went and I didn't post a thing...which is extra sad to me since I have the two sweetest boys ever who are growing and developing so quickly...I have missed out on recording so many cute things I don't ever want to forget!
A HUGE one, is Jordan got his first tooth!  It was some time in November but I can not remember exactly when.  It was before the 21st when we went to Washington...Davey swears it was the 6th...I really can't remember :(.
Lyle got into ASU's Mechanical Engineering program starting this May, so we will be moving back to AZ.  We posted our apartment up on KSL and it looks like we might already have a family wanting to move in the first of January.  Exciting for the fact that we will be going back to school (and need to re-establish residency), however I am truly heartbroken because I have really grown to LOVE it here!!!  We have the most wonderful apartment I have EVER lived in with the most wonderful neighbors, and prime location!!!  Calvin has so many wonderful friends here too!!  I hate the thought of what the day we leave will be like :(.

A Favorite for every kid!

One of Jordan's 1st times in a park swing

Can't get enough of my sweet boys!  Best of Brothers!!

Making Applesauce muffins with his friend Landon Winn

Our first big snow. 

Jordan all bundled up for snow

This is one of my favorite things Jordie does!!  I love when he grabs his foot and kicks...oh it is the cutest!!!

Calvin loves playing Kangaroo!

Calvin hurt his finger and the only thing he wanted to do was show Daddy.  Daddy was at work so we took a picture and called him to tell him about it.

We went to Kneaders for breakfast on my birthday!!

Happenings this month

     Today is the 13th.  Jordan got his 2nd tooth yesterday (front left; his first was his front-right).  He has not been sleeping much but boy oh boy he is SUCH a joy!!!  He really makes me crack up every day!  He has such a sense of humor!  He loves playing with his brother, rough housing (being thrown every which way on my bed, being tossed in the air, dragged around on a blanket with big brother by daddy, hanging out on Calvin's bed (he acts like the coolest kid when he is on Calvin's bed.  He just giggles the whole time...even when he is not even doing anything...he just looks around and seems to feel awesome!).  He is not crawling yet but he gets around scooting or crawling backwards or rolling.  He has REALLY been trying to stand and cruise lately too.  Oh his smile just melts my heart!!
     Calvin plays with Olivia Redd every day.  She is his best friend.  There is another girl names Chloe they play with often too.  A favorite activity of theirs lately is having dance parties; I crank up my music really loud and they all dance like crazy :).  It is SO cute!!!!  We are lucky to have so many wonderful neighbors with kids Calvin likes to play with.  He is becoming a little dramatic though playing with the girls...their new thing is, "If you don't... (do whatever it is I want you to do)...I am not going to be your friend."  (And they actually believe each other...it is so sad).  Calvin has been a daddy's boy lately!  It is so sweet but of course, it makes me miss him.
    
     Saturday December 8th, 2012

 We went to Lowe's and made gingerbread houses.  It is cool because one side of the roof opens up and Calvin can put treasures (a.k.a. candy) inside.

 Then we went to RCWilley and saw Santa.  Calvin was really freaked out and Lyle had to hold on to him the whole time.  I was fully expecting Jordan to cry (he does with almost anyone but me), but Santa handed him a candy cane and he was totally happy the whole time :).  It was fun to watch.

 

 Toward evening we went to Texas Roadhouse in Lehi for Lyle's work party.  We sat with Gaylene and her husband.  Calvin got a hold of my phone and was taking pictures of them :).

Sunday December 9th

    

We made homemade gingerbread houses with candy from WINCO!!!  It was lots of fun.  Lyle molded the saltwater taffy into a chimney and a snowman but they melted pretty quickly.

   I make green smoothies almost everyday lately and Jordan LOVES them :).

 These are Calvin's best buddies!  Olivia on top, then my Cutie of course, then Chloe on the left, Stella on the right, and Makayla (Mack) on the bottom.  Sweet kids!

I love to laugh

This morning Calvin came into our room and wanted me to come back to his bed with him so I did.  He laid his head on the pillow as he sat Indian style...a few seconds later he looked at me, and with a huge grin on his face he said, "I wish I could be Santa!".  I said, "Yeah, that would be cool!"  He said, "No mom, I mean the the REAL Santa!"
I have no idea what he might have been dreaming but it was adorable!
Then when I laid him down to take his jammies off,  he discovered his nipples and said, I have some moles mom.  I told him those were his pecs and that they were called nipples.  He thought that was awesome! Just thought it was funny...I just think it is cute, watching my sweet innocent little boy discover himself :)
Then while I was getting him dressed, I was putting some pants on that were a little big on him, and didn't realize, but I was putting both feet in the same leg hole. He asked, "Mom, is this the right foot?"  I said, "Yes I think so."  Then I stood him up to pull up his pants (still not noticing both feet were in the same hole),  and after shaking and hopping a few times, I suddenly realized he looked like a little merman :-).  We both started busting up laughing!!!