Who Says the Party's Over?

Lance was just about to go out the door for our walk to his first day of preschool, but hang on, Lance! We can't go without getting the Pre-Preschool Picture!

I think my little ones have grown quite tolerant of having their picture taken.

Lance is carrying on with preschool... looks like he's got a sweet, friendly girl behind him ... but wait! Why not throw in another birthday party with these fun, new preschool friends?

Look at this awesome crown his teacher made!! This is Lance's trying-not-to-smile-face he makes as the class sings "Happy Birthday" . (That's Kyle in the yellow shirt zipping by)

Don't worry about me - I'm comfortable, thanks.

Birthday treats, games, a song, and a crown... not bad for the first day of preschool! It looks like it's going to be an "Awesome" year for Lance!

...I had to throw this one in, too. We stopped by the library on our way home. What was I thinkin' to pass up a bike rack like this and expect not to stop and play?!

Happy 4th Birthday, Lance!

Lance deserved many parties, so we began his birthday last Sunday, at the cabin.

(L) Grampa Martin is a very talented cupcake froster. Who knew?

(R) Lance takes care of the candle-lighting.

Lance and his Martin side of the family enjoy homeade icecream and cupcakes... um, ya, I think Kyle really liked it, too.

...Meanwhile, back at home, Lance had a party with his friends.

Duck, Duck, Goose was a hit with these guys!

(Left) Look at this, Mandy is sitting and enjoying herself. Little does she know that Lance has plans for her - she's soon to be the GOOSE!

(Right) If you turn your head a little sideways, you can see Lance giggling as Mandy chases after him. I guess I was caught up in the excitement and forgot which way goes straight.

(Left)I love Lance's face here: He's positively beaming as his friends sing "Happy Birthday" to him.

(Right) Lance and a couple of great friends enjoy their cupcakes together.

Finally, it's the big day. Now Lance can say that he is FOUR YEARS OLD!

He opens his "awesome" Camo Backpack. Lance has been using this word a lot lately. It's really cute.

Now Lance is all set to go to preschool... or on his mission. What do you think?

Mom's Helpers

Scrub-a-Dub-Dub

Love

Remember that song by Collin Raye, "Butterfly Kisses"? I love that song. It is about a little girl and her Daddy as he watches her grow up.

I was reminded of that song yesterday morning. It is so tender and sweet for me to see little expressions of love from my boys. Yesterday, as Jace was walking out the door headed for school, he turned around and blew me a kiss. Ah! He must love me.

Holey Jeans!

Jace has a number of jeans that were made into cutoffs this summer due to those unavoidable holes that seem to occur miraculously. He and Gramma Kimmy talked about what to do with all that extra jean material. He followed her advice to make a quilt. Since he began the project, he decided that he would like to make a pillow instead, because, "it doesn't take as long." I can't wait to see the finished product!

Wash One Another's Feet

Jesus said to them: “Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. “If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet”

Back to School

Jace's first day of 3rd grade was great, he said. He likes his teacher, they got to play getting to know you games, had chicken nuggets for lunch with white milk and other good stuff. (He always picks the white milk over the chocolate, can you believe that?)


He knows a lot of the kids in his class, even though his good friends, Addie and Dalton (pictured below) are each in separate classrooms.



On the bus, he sat with Dalton one way and Addie the other way. At recess, he didn't really play with anyone. But he noticed a tree that was growing with the fence inside of it. He was fascinated by this. Tomorrow they will get the soccer balls out, and that's what he will be playing.

Lance is having a blast watching Jace be silly with his friends while they wait for the bus on their first day of school. Notice the backpacks lined up neatly in a row. This defines who got to the bus stop first, a routine that began last year.

I think it's going to be a great year!

Who raised you?

Jace and I were picking out his school clothes tonight after returning home from the cabin, and he grabbed the jeans I told him he couldn't wear until school started and a shirt that he wore all the time last year. I quickly showed him the one I already had hanging up on the doorknob that I bought for him, brand new, never worn.
"I bought this for you. Would you rather wear this?"
He didn't really act very excited about it and was fine with wearing the old shirt in his hand. In my head, I'm thinking, " You MUST wear a new shirt to school the first day!" And he really could care less. Aren't these roles usually switched?
Anyway, I had a backup plan. Just last Saturday I hit the sale at Old Navy and bought two nice hawaiian shirts, $1.97 each! Now Lance and Jace have matching shirts to wear to school! (Lance starts preschool next week) Lance was way excited about this idea. Jace, I think he had his mind on other things. Except he did like that it is Hawaiian.
So I asked him if he would like to wear that shirt tomorrow.
"Okay!" Thankfully more enthusiasm.

I'm really glad that Jace has his priorities straight that nice, new clothes are not the most important thing on the first day of school, as I always thought. Who raised him, anyway?

Good Choices Treat

For the last couple of weeks, Lance has been working on filling up his "Good Choices Chart" with stickers each time he makes a good choice by sharing, not throwing a fit (at the regular times, like after lunch, when he's really needing that nap!), or any other time he makes a good choice.

So today, we decided that Lance's chart was pretty full, and it was time to go out for a treat. Jace and Kyle went to play at a friend's house, and Lance and I headed out to get a Slurpee.

Here we are on our date. Lance picked "the red one" (Cherry) and I enjoyed Pina Colada.

Then we headed out to the grocery store to get a balloon (okay, and a few other things!) Lucky for Lance, he got the red truck with a red balloon to match his Slurpee.

Look at this proud kid. Way to go, Lance!

Funny Boys

I love when kids start to get creative with what they say in their prayers. The other night, Lance was saying our dinner prayer and said, "Please bless the milk that it will stay cold for this many minutes." (I peeked to see his arms still folded, but his hands stretched out to show all his fingers).


Today, Jared called my cell phone and Jace answered. "Hello? Who is this?" In a matter of fact tone.
"Uh, Jared."
"Oh! Hi! This is the KitchenAid Market."
"Did I get the wrong number?"Jace couldn't hold his laughter at this point. "No, just joking. This is Jace. Ha! Ha!"

Jared was had by Jace. He told me that he was really thinking he had the wrong number, even though he used his speed dial on his phone. Jace is good.

On the subject of pink...

So, about that color, pink... I cannot stop thinking about it! These last two mornings have been so fun to wake up and remember again that we're having a girl. It still feels funny to say that. When Jared said our prayers that first night after we found out, he said, "Please bless our daughter..." It was so new to me! After the prayer, Jared was all smiles. Did I mention that Jared is really excited, too?
This morning, I woke up when Jared's alarm went off, 5am, and I usually have NO trouble going back to sleep, but I was just so dang excited that I couldn't! I'm surprising myself with how much fun this is already. Yesterday I went to my friend's blog (thanks Angie!) and found 4 different blogs about how to do girl's hair cute. I have already decided that I will let her have the say as to when she wants to get her ears pierced. (I got mine pierced when I was about 23 yrs. old)

Jace loves talking about, and to, his little sister. Yesterday he asked me, "Can I have the baby's cell phone number?"

"Why would you need that?"

"So I can talk to her while she's in your tummy."

He has also offered some great advice.
"Mom, don't worry about the new little boy swimsuit. It can be for the next baby, if it's a boy."

So, more babies or not, here is a profile view of our soon-to-be-daughter :) I think she has a cute nose.

IT"S A....

GIRL!!

Me: "Are you sure?"
Jared: "That's what I thought I saw earlier!"
Ultrasound Tech: "IT IS ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY A GIRL!"
Jace: (Jared looked over and saw him with his hands on his face, elbows up, and a huge smile)" Oh, yay! If it was a boy, I was going to say, 'oh'..."

Jace is so excited, as are Jared and I. Today during the ultrasound, Jared actually thought he caught a glimpse of "girl" earlier, before the tech told us, and he tried to catch my eye, but I was clueless.

At home, when I told Lance we are having a girl and she would be his sister, he wrinkled up his nose and said, "Oh my Cow!" (Is he from Utah or what?)

I guess we'd better start thinking pink...

Fire, Water, and Ice Festival

Three Words For Three Boys:

The FIRE men hangin' with a sleepin' dude, I mean, Dad.

We get, not one, but THREE faces from these WATER boys

Finally, just 2 little ICEskaters and a mom left. Kyle gave up and slept in the stroller with his Dad. We were still in our swimsuits and a little damp. It was COLD in the Oval, and I didn't think these kids would last longer than 5, maybe 10 minutes on the ice. They couldn't get enough of it! An hour and a half later, much to their dismay, Jared and I had to tell them it was time to go. They were so sad. I couldn't believe Jace wanted to keep going despite the TWO blisters he got, and Lance was SO brave this year! He wouldn't dare get on the ice last year, and this year he loved it! I'm so glad these guys are beginning to enjoy the things that I love to do! (Move over, fishing, hunting, and shootin'!)

Brother of the Day

I found this on my fridge last week, can you read this?

(It says "Brother of the Day: Lance, Kyle, or Both)

What is this, Future Employees of the Week?

I can't wait to see what kind of business Jace heads up someday.

My Little Armies of Helaman

It is amazing, the entertainment that a little paper and cardboard can give.

Jace's Baptism Day

I was beaming all day today. Jace is becoming such a young man! The excitement and anticipation he had for this day has been a joy for me to share with him. When I asked him about his bishop interview, he said, " It was easier than I thought it would be." And then he said that maybe that's how his baptism will be. And he did great.

Today, when he came out of the waters of baptism, he looked up at his Dad and gave him the widest smile. That was a moment I will remember. The joy I felt! My blessing says that my children with bring me great honor. This was confirmed once again today.

Those of you who were here with us today, thank you for sharing this experience. The day couldn't have turned out better.

Jace is getting Baptized!

Join us!

It's at 4pm tomorrow, August 2nd

at our local chapel, south side. (Email me with any questions)

Enjoy a yummy dinner with us afterward.

Bring a plate of cookies, if you wish :)

Oops

I promise I don't know what this baby is going to be. My apologies if this alters your vote...

Today, I was at Old Navy shopping their clearance stuff, as I like to do when I happen to be on that part of town. Did you know they have little boy swimsuits for $1.97? I think they were originally $12!

Kyle's swimsuit this year has really been looking worn. It's been through 4 boys, what do I expect? So I thought, "Oh it would be so fun to have brand new, matching swimsuits for Kyle and our little one next summer." So I bought two matching, very cute swimsuits. I felt so great about my bargain when I went home to share it with my friend upstairs, and she was like,

"So you know what you're having now?"

I told her, "No, we won't know until the 13th."

And then it hit me. I just bought a boy swimsuit for my baby, and I don't even know what I'm having!

I crack myself up sometimes. Like the time when I paged Jared during his first week of rotations, and without knowing it, I put our Layton home phone number in. I didn't even know I did it until Jared asked me about it. I really think I'm hilarious sometimes (Or maybe I'm just losing it).

A Dish for a Mom

Here's a portion of my conversation with my joker Jace tonight after dinner.

Jace: "Mom, you're going to turn into a dish if you don't stop."

Mom: "What should I stop?"

Jace: "Doing dishes!"

Several years ago, when Jace was a giggly little boy (he's still giggly, just not so little), he was eating and eating tons of noodles one day. Jared and I told him he might turn into a noodle if he keeps eating them like that. He kept the noodle-eating up and, sure enough, he turned into one huge noodle, sitting right there on the chair that Jace had just been sitting in. It was so scary! I wondered where my Jace had gone and what was this big noodle doing on his chair. To this day, Jace doesn't believe that he really did, indeed, turn into a noodle, even though Jared and I both "saw it with our own eyes."

So, might I turn into a dish? I s'pose in this family, anything's possible.

Junior Doctors in Training

Jace gives Dad a checkup while Kyle demands his turn

Lance checks Dad's ears while a happy Kyle listens to his heart

Everything sounds good to me!