Tuesday, March 27, 2012

What I Love Lately

I have been loving listening to Tom Petty's "Wildflowers" lately.



It's one of my favorite albums that we own. I've even been selfish and made the boys listen to it in the car with me instead of their kids' music.

All of the Pinterest talk started to feel kind of annoying until I joined... FINALLY! Fun outlet for creativity and tastes. Already I've had one too many late nights spent with the much-loved and much-feared "virtual pinboard." Hiatus time! Too much stuff isn't getting done. It's been a lot of fun though; such a great concept.



Items I'll probably never buy but love with all of my being... (and they can be categorized as such... how smart!)



The beautiful loft I wish my boys were sleeping in...



And... oh! Something realistic. The pulled pork I ACTUALLY made on Sunday! It was tasty if I hadn't gone loco with the Lawry's. When they said "just enough to cover the meat," that's what they meant.



4 ingredients only: -2.5 lb pork butt -1/2 bottle of Sweet Baby Ray's -1 can of soda (Coke, Dr. Pepper, Pepsi) -and enough Lawry's to coat the meat. Rub the Lawry's on the meat, put in crock pot. Pour BBQ sauce + soda and cook on low for 4-5 hours. Shred meat at around the 4 hour mark and cook for 1 additional hour after that. So good on soft rolls.

Stuff that matters. The Pack Family! I have grown to love these people even though I've never once met them. Their story is so heartwrenching. I'm not going to try and explain anything... if you don't know what I'm talking about, I shall direct you to these sites: and

I have been reading Kelly's every blog post. I have been savoring every head bonk, drool accidentally spilling into my mouth, macaroni and cheese squished in between cracks of chairs, mini-tantrums. I have been burying my nose into his baby neck taking in his smell multiple times daily in an obsessively weird kind of way. If D & I lost our Jig, our world would end. To lose a child is unfathomable. I can't believe the strength of the human spirit, particularly Kelly and her family. They are now forever on our minds. (photo courtesy of packoffixations.blogspot.com)



There was a fundraiser for them back in February that my mom and I went to and on Saturday there was another one in Orem... a bake sale, etc. We feel so connected to this family, so we had to donate! We hauled the boys along with some poppyseed bread, cute mini carrot cakes, and cookie bars and had fun buying some of the cute stuff being sold there.



I just read Kelly's blog that she came to the fundraiser... too bad we missed her :( I wanna meet her someday.

Since we were in the neighborhood, we had to venture to our precious Peppermint Place in Alpine... mmmm grapefruit slices! Crosby's and Lennox's favorite park is the one basically next store to the candy shop. Jig was diggin' the lion ride!



My sweet Croz.



Speaking of parks, the boys have been enjoying a variety of them lately. We are so lucky to live in a city where we can take our pick of playspots within a 5 mile radius even. That little park just west of Wasatch Presbyterian is where Croz discovered the spinning chair thing and he LOVES it! Jig liked it too, and I believe he mowed about 1/2 of the lawn/paths.



Last year I took a picture on St. Patrick's Day of my three guys in our family's favorite chair.



I get the feeling that tradition needs to continue... this was the best shot (2 tired boys), but it had to be done.



March has been birthday mania! Croz had Stella's Ariel party at Little Gym at the beginning of March. It cracked me up... I went to pick he and his buddy Isaac up from the party and they were hauling out a prize package about their own height... an Ariel and Eric playset toy. Ha!

On the 15th my friend Mirjeta's baby Tayt turned ONE... I can't believe it's been a whole year since he was born.



I love this girl and her boys so much!



My mom and I made monkey cupcakes for Tayt's jungle party... we LOVE doing stuff like that!



Jig really enjoyed his cupcake.



Our group of friends (the old Dan's crew!): Amy-Melina, D-Croz, Me-Jig, Mirjeta-Tayt, Aimee-Matt-Charlotte, Steph



On the 17th, Brinton threw a SURPRISE birthday party for my cousin Caitlin. It was a rockin' fiesta, and word is he pulled off the surprise! I think she liked it.



Uncle Steve and Lennox bonding at the party.



The Schrecks!



Jig in his St. Patty's/Easter/Spring tie... I love this pic because it is the epitome of our Jig! Blanket slung over his shoulder, fingers in mouth. He is our little Linus.



Talk about some little loves. These two are a pair of cute ones. Lucy's fiesta shirt was the cutest ever!



We just went to cousin Milo's 2nd birthday last night... it was a darling truck party with excellent food, a tire pinata, and a monster truck cake!

Croz is excited to go to Lucy's party on Saturday too!

Cute Nan had wanted to take Crosby to Build-A-Bear for his birthday but she wanted to wait til all the excitement calmed a bit so he could thoroughly enjoy his gift. This was such a wonderful day! She had him pick out whichever animal he wanted, and he chose this pup.



He named him Spencer. (*A funny detail... sometimes we'll be in the car and Croz will talk in a high voice and I'll ask him who he's talking to. He says it's Spencer. Apparently Spencer has a special power: Crosby says he can communicate with him from wherever he is, even if he's far away).



I was happy to witness it all! Crosby was such a happy boy. It was the best to see him walking around Gateway, toting his new pup in the famous Build-A-Bear house :) He did NOT want to put it in the stroller and he did NOT want anyone else carrying it.



Now for some pics I like.

Jig & me. This little fella looks like he's always ready for bed, but I promise you... he is nonstop! It's just these are my favorite times... when he's any kind of snuggly.



That baby bum! The second his feet land on the ground from getting out of the tub, he's off like a shot! Get back here, Jig... I can't catch you!



Music time.



Lennox and his buddy Isaac (my friend Christina's little boy) playing in the construction site



Lennox and his dump truck at Laird Park



Boys in the wagon headed to the park, one of our favorite pastimes.

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

To Crosby, On Your Fourth Birthday!

Crosby. Where do I begin??! First of all, it is very hard to believe that you are *FOUR* years old!



Dad and I look at each other often with a look that says, 'Where did we get this fine young man? What lucky parents!' Crosby, you are so many things.

You are a wonderful older brother to Lennox. Even though you don't always give him the lawnmower he wants, you still try to show him the ropes when it comes to lots of different things.





You do some of the most fun, silly, interesting things. For instance... you love this shopping cart so much. It serves many purposes for you... sometimes it's your car shop, your mail truck, your doctor cart. Usually though it is a general holder for what you're playing with that particular day:



You really love phones of all kinds. We often hear you having all kinds of conversations on the phone. You seem to like to call Nan, Munga, Beth, and many of your friends.



You often request blue waffles.



Your pups are kind of the center of your universe. Pumpkin (the enormous one) sleeps with you every night. You have named every puppy in our house. Names like: Milky, Mama puppy, Little puppy, New puppy, Marshmallowy- Nemanemy- Dogdy- Chocolate Muffidy, Puppy love, ABC, Trudge, Cosmo, Wrestler. Yes the list goes on. You cart them around still sometimes, but no matter what... at the end of the day you have to have ALL of them in bed with you along with your green blanket.



The other day I asked you what you had done with this pup, and you said, "I have to make sure Tronny (yes you named him Tronny) stays safe so I strapped him in." You wouldn't imagine the joy I get out of looking in your cart every day to see what's important to you for that day. It's a fun surprise.



Even though it's winter now and we haven't been for a while, one of your favorite places over the summer and fall were Red Butte Garden. You like searching for snakes and playing in the red sand there.



When we go to Great Harvest for bread (or any restaurant), you really dislike the idea of "eat & run." You like to stay and eat your food.



You are always so chilled out with Dad. You love to watch shows with him, particularly Dr. Who lately, which Mom doesn't approve of.



You still love all things construction. You watch shows about it ALL the time. You know the names of every construction machine on the planet. You always know the difference between a scraper and a grader, which is pretty amazing. Bucket wheel excavator, tower crane... you know them all. You love bulldozing your own roads in the sand.



On your actual birthday, we did what you really love. Nan, Grandpa, Uncle Steve, and our family all met at McDonald's so you could play your heart out at the playplace! And boy did you ever. Your face gets red-hot!! You opened some presents from us there...



Then we went to Nan's and you opened presents there.



You and Nan read some books. You love to read.



Then on Saturday it was time for your friend birthday party! When I had asked what kind of a party you wanted this year, it took a nanosecond for you to say, "A UFO-alien party!!" Nan made you the coolest UFO cake ever. You requested yellow.



I made your galaxy cupcakes.



Aliens for party favors :)



While Dad was at work, I had a wild & crazy evening painting your board for the "throw the planet through the galaxy" game!



When Jessie came to visit back in November, she taught you how to talk alien. Here you are going, "Wah-wah-wah"



Your friends! Ava, Stella, Rhys, Eden, Tavi, Dawson, Lucy, You, Isaac, Arthur, and... Jig!



Lindsay and Eden made you a UFO pinata and transported it all the way from Idaho!



Munga was there to party.



Here you are blowing out your big 4 candle-



Jig was sneaking some frosting off of the cake



Nan blew up all of those alien heads for your party! That added the perfect touch.



Then it was pinata-whacking time!











Finally, candy!



You had a lot of fun at your party. Since your cousins were in town, we all played for a while.

Jig & Milo



Munga cooked dinner for us all and we played Legos for a looooong time! Eden's creation.



Then it was dino-riding time.



And wrestling. Everyone is piled on top of Uncle Suman: Eden, Crosby, Milo, and Lennox



Crosby, you are such a cheerful, loving, and enthusiastic person. You are so smart and funny too! We love you with all of our hearts and every new day with you is a treasure.

Love,

Mom & Dad