Choco and Dylan

Dylan LOVES animals, especially dogs! This is Choco (my Mom's chocolate lab), he is over 10 years old. Choco is Lovin' up on Dylan, just as Dylan is lovin up on him. What a patient old dog to let this baby monster tug and pull on him.

I have to speak at church!

It is 11:30 pm and I for some reason am not asleep with my children. They are upstairs both sawing logs (as i can hear through the monitor) but my mind is racing. I was called this week to give a talk at church on mother's day sunday. Yes I know that I have 2 weeks until the day, but I am so nervous. I have been turning down the request for ever now, every time they call I say no. But this time, they got my weak spot. The topic is on being a mother, I mean of course mother's day and all. I love being a mother, so how could I turn it down again. So here I am stomach in knots, already mulling over the content of my talk. I am supposed to base my talk around the conference talk from Elder M Russel Ballard. This is the link, I think it is a great talk. And unfortunately I just read it today, because we watched the morning session of conference and didn't make it through any part of the afternoon session with our boys. Would it be wrong to hire a babysitter so we could watch conference?? Just kidding....kinda:) What I love about this talk is that it is not directed at just LDS moms or that perfect mother we are always comparing ourselves too... I felt it was written about me. I guess that is why I get to talk about it in a few weeks.
http://lds.org/conference/talk/display/0,5232,23-1-851-37,00.html

Playing with friends

We have friends (woohoo!!) that have boys 3 weeks apart from both of our boys. Today Aric needed to work on his car, so since they live close to my Mom's house we stopped by so they could all play. It was a nice day so the big boys were outside, finding sticks and rocks and beating on trees! The little guys hung in the house with us. It is nice to have friends.

The sun was out, so we took out our sons... to the park.

Yesterday was such a nice day, a pleasant sunny surprise from the rest of the week.. ok the rest of the season. When I returned home from work at Gymboree, we took a little early evening trip to the park with the boys. It was fun to see Clay get to play outside, and climb around and be a boy. Dylan had fun watching him, and we even saw a few dogs out and about. Dylan really was into that!

Dylan will be 1 next month

I have been working on pictures for Dylan's birthday invitations, I just grid collaged these real quick in picasa so you could see the ones I am thinking about using, some are duplicates because of the way it puts them on the grid. Look how much he has changed, and grown of course! I am excited for his party, I feel like we just recovered from Clayton's though. I enjoy the parties.. maybe more than they do!

Its official: he's makin' a mess

First of all I must apologize for my slothfulness. Aric just returned home from a 4 day work hiatus in mexico. So I have been extra busy taming the beasts, and not staying up late to blog.
I only took 2 pictures the entire weekend too, not for the lack of photo-ops but for the lack of hands to tote about the camera.
Dylan has found the one place that I keep a pile, in my kitchen. I have a black buffet/side table that holds diapers and baskets of clayton's craft supplies etc. Nothing that Dylan can hurt or will hurt him, but still something for me to pick up over and over again!
I think the picture speaks for itself. Although, during this activity Clayton was napping and I was trying to sweep and mop the floors. He was soon retired to the pack and play so I could finish!

Just a snipit from Clayton's party (more to follow) & Dylan has decided to crawl.

Having your first born celebrate another birthday, even his 3rd, is difficult when you stop and think how quickly it goes.... top the cake with your baby learning to crawl. Here are a couple of pictures of Dylan from Saturday at Clay's party with his first real attempts of crawling. Mind you the guy has been able to scoot or stretch/ roll and reach to get around for awhile now, but now we are really moving. Up on all fours and everything official.
Also you will see to funny guys under a table... Clayton and "goofpot" Grandpa Clayton are playing like the buddies they are, and ended up under a table at Clay's party.

If I did less of THIS I might have more time for:

Believe it or not I have a hobby other than chilling on my computer long after my boys have gone off to bed. If I didn't have to worry about the mess and starting and stopping, I would be scrap- booking the pictures that I post here, and write these journal entries in pen on card stock with little hearts to dot my "i's". (ok not the heart part, I have boys for pete's sake) This hobby, of blogging or whatever you want to call, seams to get me the most created for my time. A little of that instant gratification thing. Just a peak into my hobby and another one of my part-time jobs, outside of mother-hood is selling Close to my Heart scrap-book supplies. I sell because.. I don't have time to do, and I buy with the hopes that I might run out of laundry, dishes, or diapers and need something to fill the void of time on my hands.
May is national scrap booking month, so I at least have to do one of these! http://www.closetomyheart.com/pdf/MakeMagic.pdf
Wish me luck!

Bowling like... I mean with a 3 year old

Wednesday night we took Clayton to Big Al's the local over the top bowling alley, for a little birthday festivity. I mean really how much fun would it be to sit around and eat cupcakes at home by ourselves? We invited my Mom and Terry to join us, and we all bowled a game and enjoyed greasy "happy hour" food! Clayton thought it was the greatest thing ever: throw a ball down a lane, knock pins down, drink soda, eat food, mess with a computer screen... all at the same time. Even before we hit the arcade!

More adventures from big al's

We loaded money onto a card for Clay to run around like.. a kid and play video/arcade games. Who ended up being the biggest kids, the adults. Mom and I fell in love with dance dance revolution (yes slow on the uptake I know!) Dylan liked it equally as well, from the hip hammock he was perched on me during the entire process! Grandpa and Clay had fun shooting stuff, and Aric found a few flight simulator games that he remembered as a kid. Thanks Clayton for having a great birthday night for us!!
Now we are recovering from such fun, Saturday is his real birthday party, hold on tight!

"Goodmorning, I'm not 2 any more."

Aric came home this morning with a birthday balloon for Clayton. I wanted to take a quick pic, of this brand-new 3 year old! Happy Birthday Clayton Lee!!

Remind me

Once again I found myself lying in bed snuggled between two sleeping boys, exhausted from a day of motherhood, yet unable to sleep! My mind will not turn off, usually I am thinking about the next day's tasks: laundry to do, floors to clean, activities to keep Clayton and his friend beck busy and learning... etc. Tonight I am overcome with the joy of my divine role as mother to two of heavenly father's most precious souls. Spirits he sent to me, to mold and shape. There are days that the task seams so overwhelming, or the challenge to great. When the whining and sleepless nights, and crumbs, time-outs and those imperfect days of life growl at me. Those days are few, and flee my mind so quickly. Then there are days like today: Near perfect for no apparent reason, that I revel in the most amazing joy and love that I have, My children. I love being a mom, not just any mom. Clayton I love being your Mom. Snuggling you to bed with your sea horse, your tiny hand in my armpits and tonight some type of extension tool from your Daddy's tool box. (the other night your "protection" skate-board gear) I love when you tell me, "I looove you"
"I love you too Clay"
"does that make you happy momma?" It always makes my happy, and I smile at you.
Dylan I love being your Mom. Your easy to please temperament, how pure and little you still are. Watching you learn everyday from your big brother, and how sometimes you are whiny just so I will stay near.
I forget how short a journey this is, My role of motherhood. Yes I will be a Mother for the rest of eternity. But my role will change. Soon Clayton wont always need a playmate, or a helping hand to the bathroom. Sooner than I would like Dylan will be walking and not a constant accessory on my hip. So please remind me to have more nights like this, to relish the joy- the joy I feel now- My love of my call as mother.

Aric was outside yesterday cleaning my moms car, it was such a nice evening that the boys, my mom and I joined him. Clayton was practicing his cool moves on his new skateboard that grandpa grandpa (gpa jeffries) bought him. An early birthday gift. At least he bought the knee pads to go with it. Dylan doesn't know what to do with this thing yet, but had fun holding on, and finding the button to turn on the music. Dylan really enjoys watching his big brother, and is grandmas little pal. It was such a nice evening, getting out of the house for a few minutes! Days like these make me long for the great spring I know is ahead!

Grandpa bought him a skate board...