3 Years!

Crosby! It is shocking that you are now 3 years old. You are an incredible person: happy, intelligent, funny, loving. Here are some of your favorite things to do:

You love puzzles. It is amazing you stood still to take this picture though because usually the second your puzzle is complete, you destroy the finished product in one swipe with a look of sheer joy on your face!



You love chocolate. These Valentine's treats were gone in probably less than two minutes after we gave them to you! When asked what cake you'd like for your birthday, you said: "A chocowut cake with chocowut frosting and a chocowut tractor on top with chocowut ice cream." When you have an ice cream cone you only want the cone part though. You like the top part eaten off. Other foods you like: strawberries, peas and corn, pasta, milk.



Your life right now is consumed with scooping, dumping, and digging. Your favorite pastime is piling every single toy you own onto your train table and then bulldozing the piles around and around. When we go down to do the laundry you can't wait because you get to do your "holes" in the detergent and it becomes your personal construction site! Sometimes you start a conversation like this: "So, what should I be? A scooper? What should Lennox be? A bulldozer?" etc etc...



Speaking of construction sites, you LOVE to bake with me. But I think it's just because you get to mix, scoop, or dig. I try and let you bake with me all the time but sometimes I have to take over. You get feisty when I do and throw a tantrum: "No I want to do it!!!!" Many times when Dad or I try to talk you out of anger you cut us off by yelling, "STOP TALKING. NO TALKING!!" You definitely let us know where you stand.



You continue to find my white scriptures, find a comfy spot, and flip through the thin pages as you tell me it is your magic trick book. You then get Lennox's tweezers that have a mini-magnifying glass attached and hold the magnifying glass up to the wall and say, "I'm going to show you a magic trick..." as the glass casts light onto the wall. Yep Croz, I would consider that a magic trick! You are very meticulous about habits and routines.



You are so kind to your "friends" (stuffed animals). Dad and I agree that you have WAAAAYYY too many of them, but you love them all the same. You insist - as you always have - on carrying the entire pile of big green blanket, small blue blanket, and probably a dozen stuffed animals around with you pretty much wherever you go in the house. Recently you started using a diaper box as your "train" to tote them around... smart idea! They are very special to you. Gus, Mama Pup, Blue, "Wittle Puppy," New Puppy, Quake. We gave Lennox a Gus but you have taken his and refuse to let him use it. Speaking of Lennox, you are a wonderful big brother to him! He watches your every move and we can already tell he loves you very very much. You laugh when he burps and ask me if he's okay. You say he "needs to grow up" before he can do the things you do.



You love the snow; love to be outside. You've done a good amount of the snow shoveling this winter! Sometimes with Mom, sometimes with Dad. It appears as if you and Dad don't spend much time together, but I just need to take more pictures of you two! Dad often rushes home from work or school strictly to be with you Croz. He can't wait to run with you, play the guitar for you while you take a bath, read to you, get you ready for bed, watch Kipper Snow, wrestle, give you a piggyback ride while I munch at your bum. Ha! We have so much fun with you.



You had your birthday party with some friends last Saturday. It was lots of fun! You chose a "conscwuction" party. Nan made the best cake with a bulldozer on top!



Opening presents. Your reaction to the decorations was hilarious... you were so excited but trying to muffle your excitement in your own little way.



Check it out. You are the driver!



Happy 3rd Birthday, Croz! We love you.

Thrill of the Hunt

I wonder if there will ever come a time when I won't shop at thrift stores! It really is one of my favorite things to do next to being on the beach and baking. I could spend DAYS on end in thrift stores. Not only for myself... you wouldn't believe the joy it brings me to have someone who shares my passion, let alone allowing me to find stuff I think would look cute on them. Ahem! Any takers? If I had unlimited funds I would still thrift shop. I think some of my most favorite items of clothing come from one.

A few of my latest skirt finds... my number one favorite:



Airline stewardess :)



Fun for Spring:



Yay! Anyone want to come tomorrow for the 1/2 off shoe sale?! Auds are you in again?

Love Affair

With these two:



I won't pretend that life is all perfect all the time, but I will say that I couldn't have dreamed of having more loving, darling children ever in this lifetime! I have an almost 3-year-old and a newborn and all of the responsibilities that go with them, but my heart is tender right now with respect to being very grateful for what I have.

My friend Mirjeta is 24 weeks along in her second pregnancy with a second boy. She & the baby are hanging in there but she has a high-risk pregnancy (torn and low-lying placenta) where the outcome is still very unknown. The baby's amniotic fluid is next to nothing right now and she saw some specialists today who let she & her husband decide what to do for now, which will be waiting one more week to see if the baby can grow a little more.

M & I have been on the phone LOTS. I'm so glad that she's willing to talk about what she's going through; it is so heavy and emotional and I pray very fervently that this baby can survive and that Mirjeta will remain healthy. Good thoughts their way please!

Well life has become what some days feels like WAR! Fighting for time. Fighting for time to have quiet thoughts to myself, to do a puzzle with Crosby, to kiss my husband goodbye for work, to shop at the store, burp Lennox, pray, squeeze in a date night, talk on the phone or get together with friends, hop on the treadmill, open the mail, balance finances, etc etc... I used to feel there was some wiggle room, but time is feeling topped out lately. Life is truly wonderful but quite challenging in its own little way right now! I have been struggling to get to a point of feeling satisfied above all with the time I can devote to my boys, even just being at home with them! It doesn't seem possible that I've created such a whirlwind. Or maybe I am spending plenty of time but it is just not up to my standards. Or maybe they just happen to be at demanding ages. Who knows.

All I know is I have quite a longing for each of them; it's kind of weird. Like I'll be reading a book with Croz and have to be pulled somewhere else but I feel extremely horrible not being able to read 10 books like he wants. Or I feel guilty that I am not teaching Crosby to write letters or read. Or play dog train with him, pulling him around the house in his "train" Huggies box for as long as he wants. And then there's Lennox! Don't get me started. I lay him in his crib for a nap, say goodnight see you when you wake up, turn to go, and he is giddy with smiles looking up at me. How is it possible to leave? It is a common occurrence: I say goodnight multiple times because he is laying there smiling for more snuggles and talks! I am over the moon for our baby. If I had all day to play with him, make him laugh, etc I would.

I'd like to think I'm enjoying every second, that is when I'm not yelling at Crosby "NO grape juice in the living room" or scowling at D in the dark when I am the one to feed Lennox in the wee hours.

These two have started their relationship out with a bang. Crosby is extremely kind to Lennox, that is when he feels like saying hello. Lennox follows Crosby's every milli-movement. I will try to distract him but no- his eyes follow like a hawk! He is fascinated with every single thing Crosby does or says. Crosby finds my scriptures and calls them his "magic trick book." He reads magic tricks to Lennox.



Not to mention the love of Crosby's life, construction ANYTHING. The bulk of my daily conversations with him have to do with dump trucks, graders, cement mixers, cranes. "Can I watch my scooper show?" rings in my ears all day. I've never seen such a fascination, but I guess that's a little boy for ya. Will Lennox be the same?



See why it is hard to leave this to go do boring things like laundry, dishes, or paying bills?



"Tractor sweater" Croz made it through 2 straight hours of stake conference on Sunday and we were in shock



This hat is very Lennox! I love seeing his face all snuggled in hats.



When it's lotion & jam time, Croz always gets in this position, hands behind his head. I think it is so cute and a little on the grown up side of things. Don't grow up!!!!

As of Late...

My love.



Reading time.



Karin and Chris (our old downstairs neighbors) are back from England and living in Orem! She's been over to visit and it has been so much fun to talk and let Arthur and Croz play.



Pizza-making crew



Croz and I getting ready for my "Bunco and the City" night



Night with the girls



My guys!



It is hard... I don't have the time to blog that I wish I did. I can't fancy it up at all right now, it's bare bones... one of these days...

Little Ones

Croz and "new puppy"



Mignon McLaughlin, journalist and author, said: "Only where children gather is there any real chance of fun."



I love kids. I always have. Truly I could spend longer than the average person around kids because I am just in love with them. Their sense of what's around them is so pure and uninhibited. I wish this would always be so throughout their lives. For instance, I never want Croz to feel like it's weird to feed his stuffed animals.

Anyway... speaking of fun!



Cupcakes are one of my favorites. I had to bake (surprise surprise) the other day. Codi & Lucy happened to be swinging by to play that day, and when Lucy took her coat off and my eyes beheld this AMAZING shirt, I about jumped for joy. Cheeseball of me, I know, but really... how CUTE can she be?! We decided on blue-frosted cupcakes with sparkly white sprinkles. So January!



Waking up to the big snow on Sunday morning was actually a delight because D could be home to stay in with Lennox while Croz and I played (and shoveled) our hearts out. He was in great need of a snow romp.



And so eager to shovel! He demanded that I use his wooden spoon to "shovel" while he used the real shovel. Can't blame him! I think that wooden spoon trick's getting old.



Croz was standing under a tree and I couldn't resist banging the snow off the branches above him so it would snow on him. As I started to do that though, he looked up at the tree and a huge layer of snow heaped all over his bare face! As soon as I started laughing, he did too. What a baby guy. I love him to pieces. We had so much fun spending time in the sun and snow.

3 Months

Dear Lennox...

Happy 3-Month Birthday to You!



It is no secret that your dad and I and even Crosby are oozing with love for you, baby! You are such a pure joy and have made our home happier than ever before. There are many many things about you to gush about, but here are a few:

-I love how when I'm rocking you to sleep we stare at each other for a while and then when I touch your nose it makes you close your eyes
-Oftentimes when you wake up to eat you don't even cry, you just start talking - you are SO low-key!
-Every time I see you smile it makes me feel excited for the future and how lucky I am to be your mom and see you grow up
-Not only do you smile with your mouth, but with your eyes too. So I find myself quickly trying to look at the cute shape of your mouth as well as your twinkling eyes before your smile is over
-It is fun to see you watch Crosby, kind of like, "What's he gonna do next..." and I wish I knew what you were thinking
-I love how you talk to me through your bink as you're on your way to sleep

Today at church Dad was holding you and making you bounce/dance. All of a sudden I heard what I thought was a laugh but I didn't want to make a scene so I kept to myself about it and later at home Dad said it was for sure a laugh. I had a hard time believing it so later in your crib I put you to the test... I kept "sneaking" up on you and you were laughing so hard! If you could have seen how happy it made me, you might be embarrassed. Let's just say I enjoyed every second of your first laugh, and it happened today!

We love you so incredibly much,

Mom & Dad

Minor (Major) Detail

I was so gung ho about wrapping up 2010 that I forgot an important event... Lennox's blessing... it was short but very very sweet. We had it the day after Christmas and didn't have the typical get-together afterwards. It was nice to do it that way because with it being the day after Christmas, we gathered at the meeting for his blessing but then all went home to our individual families to spend a cozy Sunday at home.



When we got home I saw a paper sticking out of the diaper bag. A lady in our ward had written down what D said in Lennox's blessing and slipped it in our bag... we were thrilled and couldn't have asked for a greater gift!

Lennox truly is an angel boy. He gives off a very palpable sense of calm, humility, and love... all packaged in that cute tiny body. Love you sweet baby.