Happy Birthday Ethan!

Ethan is 4 years old today!  I really cannot believe that he is 4.  We love Ethan so much and are so happy he is in our family.  He is a great big brother and does a great job of looking out for Grayson and Landon.  In parking lots, Mommy always has her hands full and Ethan is quick to hold Grayson's hand and make sure he is safe.  Ethan loves to make Landon laugh and he's really good at it too.  He plays games with him, like Peek-A-Boo, and can really get Landon going.  Ethan has learned so much in the last year.  He knows all his letters, he can cut in a straighter line than Mommy, he can ride his bike (with training wheels), he can make his own bed, and he can pick out and put on his own clothes.  Mommy and Daddy are so proud of him and know that he will do great things in his life.  He is so sweet and helpful.  He is also obsessed with the color green, Thomas the Train, How to Train your Dragon, and using his scissors and gluestick.

Ethan at 3 weeks old, wearing the pumpkin hat he got at the hospital and snuggling his duckie.  He still sleeps with Duckie who is not as bright and yellow as he once was.

Ethan at 6 months!  We love this photo of him.

Ethan at one year.  Love that boy.

Ethan at 2 years old.  Serious, model face.

Ethan at 3 years old.  Growing so big.

Ethan at 4 years old.  He likes to remind me that one day he'll be big and tall like his Daddy. He may have to settle for being big and tall like Uncle Tony.  Doctor says he will probably only be 5'7".  Happy Birthday Ethan!

Grayson the Mischevious

Whenever Mommy is busy, Grayson finds a way to be as mischevious as possible.  Here he is drilling the kitchen table.  And below you'll find him where I found him yesterday while cooking dinner: sitting in our bathroom sink with the lights off.  He brough Ethan's pillow and duckie, Landon's stolen paci, dental floss, and other bathroom items with him.  He is already giving me such a run for my money. 

Last week

We had many opportunities to be together as a family last week. Here are the photos to prove it.

We were challenged to go to the temple by our local leaders.  We couldn't find a way to make it work unless we took the boys with us.  It turned out to be really nice as we walked around the grounds as a family.  Grayson refused to get in this photo, but Jared is looking good, y'all! 

Grayson kept yelling, "Bubbles!" at the fountains.  It was a beautiful morning at the temple.  Jared and I couldn't help but reflect on our wedding day since we were married in the Orlando Temple.  It was a perfect day in our opinion and we are happy to report that we love each other even more than we did that day.  As we walked up to the temple, we told Ethan we were married here and he replied, "I want to get married here too!"  He is so cute. 

Yearly trek to the Pumpkin Patch.  Here is Landon in his costume.  He is just as cute a pumpkin as his brothers were.

My sweet baby boy. Love him!

All the boys were really excited about this photo op on the old-timey truck.

Something that will make you smile

Ethan comes running from the other side of the house and says, "Mom, I'm so excited!" I say, "Yeah, why are you so excited?" Without missing a beat he says, "Because today was a good day for me. And, I love good days!"

Bath time just got a whole lot easier and exciting.  Rub a dub dub, three men in a tub!

Pizza night!  Ethan helped out and did a great job.  Look at that pie.  Don't judge my pan.  Somehow Drew Hesson's daughter does not have a pizza pan.  It's a travesty I tell you!

My heart melts... (Musings from an adoring mom)

Ethan has this smile that just makes my heart melt.  He is awesome.  Today I was so proud of him as he participated in the special Primary Presentation the children do each year at our church. He sang the songs and had a little line to say.  They don't let you video it, which is too bad because all of the children were so wonderful.  I even teared up watching my little man.  He will be four in less than two weeks and I can hardly believe it.  He is so sweet and brings our family so much joy.  Ethan is always looking out for his younger brothers and is so helpful. 

This morning we participated in our traditional Sunday morning snuggle.  It is seriously the highlight of my week.  Ethan and Grayson pile into our bed and we just talk and laugh and, of course, snuggle!  I hope they don't outgrow it for a long time.

Grayson also has a smile that makes my heart melt.  His smile usually means he is up to something.  He is also awesome and a fabulous member of our family.  Today, Grayson got to see his Papa (my dad), with whom he has a special bond.  Grayson has a limited vocabulary, but Papa is one of the words he knows.  When my parents walked in Grayson shouted Papa and ran into his arms.  He stayed by his side all day.  Tonight he was walking around in just his diaper because I just love to see his little body move.  He is our snuggle bug and is so sweet. 

Landon has a smile that makes my heart melt too!  His even comes with a huge dimple in his left cheek.  I love when his paci is in his mouth and he begins to smile, but doesn't want to lose the paci.  It's just so cute.  Landon loves to laugh.  He especially loves to laugh at the sillyness of his brothers.  Landon's smile will be changing soon because one tooth has arrived and another is not far behind it.  I think it will be awesome when Landon joins us for our weekly snuggle experience, but I don't want to rush it too much. 

I just love my kids.  I'm a pretty lucky lady.

Martha Stewart Rocks!

Seriously, if you are looking to add some fun to your Halloween, you must check out www.marthastewart.com  That woman is amazing (or her staff is or both)!  Here is what we did for our weekly family night.  We made bats and ghosts and hung them throughout the house.

Rainy Days

So, apparently we are in the middle of a tropical disturbance. It has been raining pretty much non-stop for about two days now. Jared is seriously having anxiety about this shady tree (it both provides shade and is looking a little less than sturdy) right over the boys' bedrooms. A huge limb fell off tonight and landed with a thud, sending his anxiety through the roof. Other than fearing for our lives from the tree that the landlord should have taken care of months ago, we are enjoying our inside time. Here are the photos to prove it.

Watching a movie in our homemade tent. 

The boys wanted to snuggle on the couch.  Grayson is particularly excited.

Close up of Landon in the tent.  This boy is always smiling.  We love him.

Landon is now 8 months old!  He is about ready to crawl, but is happy just to roll to his destination these days.  He also cut one of his bottom teeth and it is pretty cute.  Here he is enjoying some Puffs.  One is stuck to his cheek and it made me think of the Dr. Seuss book "The Sneeches."