Memory Game

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!
2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you.

The Boredom is Beginning to Get to Us - All of Us!

This is Sammy wearing an "Indiana Jones" mask that he made today. He was inspired by a book that we read about a boy who makes a Halloween monster mask. His mask looks more like a monster than Indiana Jones, but he likes it. He is chasing Josh with a whisk and a spatula. Wow! We are really bored. Kindergarten begins August 27th! I hope we can make it until then!

My first Smilebox Slideshow - We'll see if this works...

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

I'm back!

So, I had a blog awhile ago, but I decided to delete it one day because I was scared some psycho would track down my cute little boys and take them from me. But, it is so much fun sharing our adventures with everyone and I think I can make this blog private. I'll have to find out. Anyways, I just want to say hello again to everyone (mostly my family and friends) who like to keep up with our silly stories and outings. Being a mom can be really challenging, but when I remember the good times I tend to forget the bad. Hope you enjoy!

Consider this the blog archive of "Our Little Piece of Heaven"

So, I had a blog a few years ago and I took it down before blogspot created the privacy feature and any old creep could read my blog and comment about my kids. I wish I had just been patient for a few more months so I could have just imported the blog, but I didn't. I saved it as a word document. Oh well. I found this today and decided to repost it because it's hilarious and I love reading it. I can't figure out how to get the pictures over too without transferring all of them one at a time - and I just don't have time for that now. And the formatting kind of stinks too. Oh well, there are some funny stories in there if you want to read them.


Wednesday, August 17, 2005
What's up with the bass?
Brian and I recently began watching INXS:Rockstar and have decided that it is much better than American Idol. We have only watched it twice and we’re hooked! Last night was the concert show and Brian cranked up the bass. We like it when our house is thumpin’! That’s when we heard our subwoofer vibrating like a bad low rider. Brian and I looked at each other and realized that Sammy had found a new hiding place for his treasures. Unfortunately for Sammy, the subwoofer was actually a black hole. Once he put a toy in there, it was stuck inside the depths of the big, black box waiting to make a vibration, or in other words, a call for rescue. And what a rescue it was! After about fifteen minutes of shaking and turning the subwoofer, Brian pulled out two trains, half a deck of cards, eight hot wheels, a rubber ducky, four large marbles, and a ball! Becky
becky said...
Just checking to see if "commenting" works.
8:54 PM
Melissa said...
LoL! Thanks for the info, Becky!It's good to hear from you, and I enjoy getting your pics. I am so happy for you and your family. You guys sound like you have a blast.Melissa (Young)
9:45 PM
Anonymous said...
Funny! I am having the same trouble with cars and stuff in the plants. I am sure Sammy is just trying to keep stuff away from Joshie. We love our boys. Grama Doot Doot
4:09 PM
Monday, August 22, 2005
Monkeys and the Monster in the Mirror
The other night Brian and I were watching an old Hitchcock movie together after we had put our kids to bed. After awhile, we heard Sammy crying and we went upstairs to check on him. We suspected that he had crawled on top of his bookcase again and had gotten stuck there. Or maybe he had closed himself in his closet. But, we were wrong. Sammy was in bed crying pitifully. It made us very sad to see our little guy frightened and crying. We could see that his hand was bothering him because he was shaking and rubbing it. It looked like he had fallen asleep on top of his hand while his wrist was bent. When we asked him what was wrong, he said through his tears, "A monkey got my hand. A monkey got it!" I guess we have been watching too much of The Jungle Book.Josh can only say three things - Ma, Da, and Ah duh (all done). His real expertise is growling. He loves to crawl around the house and growl like a little monster, preferably while chasing Sammy and making him laugh. We don't really know where he got this from. He has such a sweet, easy going personality. The growling little monster just doesn't fit him.Well, Josh has been practicing his growl. I caught him in the act one day last week. It was about time for him to wake up from his morning nap. I thought I heard a sound coming from his room and I walked quietly upstairs to check on him. Outside his door I heard him growling loudly. I paused, but the growling continued. I cracked the door open and what I saw still makes me laugh. Joshy had his chubby little face plastered to the crib mirror. He was growling over and over again as loud as he could at his own reflection!Becky
chrissy said...
i put a link to your website. i hope that's ok :)i miss those boys....
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Five New Uses for Yogurt
Sammy will only eat food that he likes. This list is limited to fruit snacks, marshmallows, chocolate chips, and cookies (it's no wonder he bounces off the wall all day, but come on - he was in the 3% for weight at his 2 year check-up - the kid has to eat something). I thought I would try yogurt because he will eat it on occasion and it is a healthy snack - please believe that I try to feed him healthy foods! While Sammy was "eating" his yogurt, Josh woke up from his nap. During the three minutes I was upstairs with Josh, Sammy had come up with his own uses for yogurt.HAIR GEL
FACE CREAM
FURNITURE POLISHCARPET CLEANERFINGER PAINTI don't see HEALTHY SNACK on the list, do you?I have to admit that I get discouraged sometimes. I know Sammy is a little wild, but he is a good, sweet kid. Other parents probably think I'm a disaster with my helmeted baby in one arm growling and my two year old running around screaming like a hyena on crack. I think I've signed up for a very tough job - motherhood. But, it's the only job I want to be doing right now. The tender moments I have with my two sweet boys make up for the difficult, crazy times. And although I can't encourage his bad behavior by laughing in front of him, seeing Sammy with yogurt all over his hair and his face was actually very funny. I am reminded of a saying that I want to mount on my wall:LIVE WELL, LAUGH OFTEN, LOVE MUCHBecky




Adam said...
Good saying! I wish I could've seen that yogurt face...
Brian & Super Josh
posted by becky @ 8:18 PM 0 comments
Josh & Sam with their tissue paper Superman capes (it was Brian's idea)
posted by becky @ 8:16 PM 0 comments
Let me explain...
Today I figured out how to post pictures on the blog. I just wanted to give some background info and a little explanation.Basically, we were all bored and Sammy found some tissue paper left over from Tottie's birthday party. Sammy has really been into Buzz Lightyear (Buzz li-lee as Sammy says it) and flying lately. So, Brian asked him if he wanted to fly and made tissue paper capes, meaning that he stuffed tissue paper down the back of their shirts, nothing fancy.The boys went crazy. They ran around making flying sounds for at least 10 minutes (which is a long stint for them). We got it on video and snapped a few pictures. It was hilarious.Becky
chrissy said...
"To infinity and beyond!"cute boys...Is Josh walking?

"To infinity and beyond!"cute boys...Is Josh walking?
6:56 AM
becky said...
Josh is trying really hard to walk, but he isn't walking on his own yet! He's growing so fast!
5:56 PM
Today I figured out how to post pictures on the blog. I just wanted to give some background info and a little explanation.Basically, we were all bored and Sammy found some tissue paper left over from Tottie's birthday party. Sammy has really been into Buzz Lightyear (Buzz li-lee as Sammy says it) and flying lately. So, Brian asked him if he wanted to fly and made tissue paper capes, meaning that he stuffed tissue paper down the back of their shirts, nothing fancy.The boys went crazy. They ran around making flying sounds for at least 10 minutes (which is a long stint for them). We got it on video and snapped a few pictures. It was hilarious.Becky
posted by becky at 7:20 PM on Sep 03 2005

Super Sam and Super Josh to the rescue!
posted by becky @ 8:12 PM 0 comments
Becky & Josh
Bean Bag Chairs are the DEVIL
The pictures pretty much tell the story, but not all of it. What you see is exactly what I saw when I went to check on Sammy who was supposed to be taking a nap. It had been a rough day and I was looking forward to taking a nap and having some time to myself.Well, that didn't happen. Sammy, the tricky little monster, had figured out how to unzip the two zippers on his cute little log shaped bean bag chair and he dumped it out all over his room. It was "snow" and he loved it. I even played in it with him for a little while before starting to clean it up.After only 10 seconds our meager little vacuum was clogged. I walked next door to borrow my neighbor's shop vacuum. I made a tragic mistake - I left Sammy's door open! When I got back there were little Styrofoam balls all over the house - even in the toilet!!!Wow! It took 3 hours to clean it up and we are still finding them throughout the house and up Sammy's nose.A word to the wise - don't buy ANYTHING containing Styrofoam balls despite how cute it is or how perfectly it fits the decor. This was a small child sized bean bag chair people - not a "love sac." Don't be fooled. The slight chance that you might have to spend 3 hours cleaning up the mess is just not worth it - trust me!!!!!
Anonymous said...
This is so funny. Don't get discouraged. Sammy is a bright little boy much like every other little boy. Who knows, he might be famous someday and we can torture him with this. hee hee
Sunday, September 11, 2005
Styrofoam Pox
posted by becky @ 5:47 PM 2 comments
Heather said...
awesome.
12:59 PM
chrissy said...
whew...i giggled a lot, and a long time when i saw this. oh the funny....
6:49 PM

Sammy with the "snow"
posted by becky @ 5:27 PM 0 comments
Sammy and the exploding bean bag chair.
Adam said...
Wow! what a mess. looks like fun! heheheheeeee....
7:07 PM
Anonymous said...
Thanks for sharing.
11:44 AM
It's been awhile
We have all been sick for the past few weeks. Brian had a sinus infection. Josh has Croup. Sammy has two ear infections. I'm not sure what I have, but I feel crappy. I thought I should write a little bit so I don't lose my audience. Brian and I went on a date Friday night. We went out to eat Mexican, played our favorite arcade game, Jurassic Park, and watched The Corpse Bride. It was nice to feel like an adult again. I loved the movie. The music was great. Danny Elfman has mad skills. If you haven't seen it yet, you really should soon so you can get into the excitement of Halloween. Brian and I love Halloween. Actually, we love Fall. I think it has something to do with the time of year we met and our first date being a haunted corn maze. Well, Sammy is pulling my arm and saying, "Mama, go." So I guess my time is up and it is nap time for the boys.
Monday, October 10, 2005
Here Comes Halloween!!!!!!
We are excited for Halloween! We woke our kids up one night and took them to the grocery store to pick out pumpkins. Sammy wanted a white pumpkin, which he promtply painted when we got home. Josh picked out a cute little pumpkin with a long stem. He mostly just chewed on the stem. Brian had the craving to carve. He's working on a really awesome witch pumpkin using a wood-carving method.We've had Halloween decorations up since the beginning of September and we add new decorations almost every week. I have always liked Halloween. Dressing up, watching scary movies, trick-or-treating, going to parties, and eating candy. It's a FUN holiday.I thought my family knew how to celebrate Halloween. Afterall we lived Halloween almost everyday. I grew up in a haunted farm house built in 1880 in the middle-of-nowhere, NC. I had many scary and disturbing experiences growing up. These are true stories.Playing murder in the dark amongst real ghosts was especially freaky. Imagine being naked in the shower in the bathroom of a house with NO heat and finding on the shower curtain a fuzzy spider the size of a cereal bowl covered with creepy crawly baby spiders. NOT FUN! And then there was the time I was trying to stay warm under my covers and I felt something squishy by my toes. It was a dead mouse - in my bed. We found a bat crawling down the hall and a black snake wrapped around the banister right outside of my room. There were rumors that an old sword was hidden in our house, of murders that had occurred there, and even of treasure hiding deep in the old well on our back porch (the kind of well with a bucket and a rope - not the modern kind connected to pipes). I had to convince myself that the sounds I heard during the night were critters crawling through the broken heating system or in the attic and not an unsettled spirit coming to get me.I don't really know why, but my brother used to have a cow doormat outside of his room that made a "Moo" sound whenever a person stepped on it. One night we kept hearing a "Moo" sound coming from upstairs. Everytime we walked upstairs and looked at the mat, the "moo" sound would stop. When we went back downstairs, the "moo" sound would start again until we went back upstairs to see if anything was standing on it. There never was. We think it was a ghost because we never saw anything on the mat and it still made the "moo" sound.My little brother saw a ghost girl wearing a tank top, booty shorts, and a pony tail. He saw her walk into the bathroom. He thought it was my sister. He was really freaked out when he found my sister in the living room. I find it funny that the ghost was wearing booty shorts, but David gets so freaked out whenever he talks about it that I believe him.My family hosted the church Halloween party at our house. We had a spook alley and a lot of games. My brother and I went around town doing pranks, such as switching around the high school marqee to say "Lice in My Ears" instead of "Alice in Wonderland" and something about sports. I dressed up for school and went to parties I probably shouldn't have gone to.I thought I knew how to celebrate Halloween - until I met Brian and his Halloween-LOVING family.The first time I met Brian's parents and most of his siblings was at their annual family Halloween party which was held in a barn decorated with about 30 of the most intricately carved pumpkins I had ever seen. Our beloved Maga and Papa were dressed as Ike and Tina Turner! Brian's sisters were dressed as Zena, Sleeping Beauty, and a cat. His brother was Rod Stewart. Sleeping Beauty's husband was dressed as Malificent. I had, at the last minute, donned an old high school dance costume, platform shoes, covered a watergun with aluminum foil, and sprayed my hair with glitter to become a "space queen". I had no idea that my last minute decision to go to the party that night would change my life. That was the night that I finally got Brian to notice me. Six months and a week later I became a part of this Halloween loving family.Brian and I now have two children who love all things Halloween. We knew it was true when the grumpy tiredness of being woken up became giddy laughter when we mentioned a trip to pick out pumpkins.
posted by becky @ 10:30 AM 3 comments
Sammy painting his white pumpkin
posted by becky @ 10:28 AM 1 comments
Josh with his pumpkin
chrissy said...
welcome to the fam. becky. :)evie is being max from wild things this year. and mike is being dracula. you know he's got the widow's peak, PLUS he can make real fangs now. OH SHOOKA SHOOKAi plan on being his victim.
Friday, October 28, 2005
Josh in the Dirt. Payson Lakes, UT. October 2005.
posted by becky @ 11:59 AM 0 comments
Brian & Sammy. Payson Lakes, UT. October 2005.
posted by becky @ 11:56 AM 0 comments
Becky & Josh. Payson Lakes, UT. October 2005.
posted by becky @ 11:53 AM 0 comments
Sammy throwing rocks. Payson Lakes. October 2005.
posted by becky @ 11:45 AM 0 comments
Weekly Gems
Sammy has learned to blow bubbles with his spit. Great.Josh stood on his own! (for about 3 seconds)We took our kids to Hee Haw Farms where we
walked through a corn mazeshot a corn cannon (it made both of our kids cry!)went on a hayrideBrian & Sammy vs. Becky & Josh. We raced around on adult-sized “Big Wheels”. Actually, they were more like go-carts with pedals. I could not stop laughing. It was so much fun. I need one of those. It brings out the redneck in me even though Brian kicked my butt – I was too paranoid of having a crash with Josh on my lap.We saw a pig as big as our car. His name is Leroy. He grossed me out. He just laid there snorting like pigs do. But I’m not sure he could get up without assistance. If he were to shop at Wal-Mart he would definitely need a Jazzy-chair.I sat on a hay bale with Josh and watched my sweet husband be a great father. He pushed Sammy on a little racecar around a little dirt racetrack at least 10 times while Sammy said, “Faster, Daddy, faster!” It almost makes me cry thinking about it. I think it is one of the sweetest things I’ve ever seen.We took our kids up into the mountains to Payson Lakes. It was beautiful even though we missed most of the Fall colors. We had a picnic. Brian skipped rocks. Sammy threw rocks in the water. Josh ate some rocks. I took a few pictures. We saw about twenty deer in a meadow.
Sammy & Josh went to their first kids Halloween party dressed as monkeys. We were going to take them to “Boo at the Zoo” on Saturday, but we have to get our water softener fixed before we are poisoned by the tiny gold crystals it is putting into our water. Saturday morning is the next available appointment. I’m disappointed, but at least we’ll have more time to get ready for our Halloween Party! It’s gonna be a good one!Becky
posted by becky @ 11:13 AM 0 comments
Thursday, October 13, 2005
Close-up of Brian's Jack-o-Lantern (Arr matey, he's getting pretty good, aye!)
posted by becky @ 9:26 AM 0 comments
Brian's pirate pumpkin
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
Our Halloween
Halloween was FABULOUS! My family came over for a party on Saturday and pumpkin carving on Sunday. We had a great time. Brian and I took Sammy and Josh trick-or-treating in our neighborhood last night. It was the first time for both of them and they were cute in their monkey costumes. Sammy called it “Little Einsteins trick-or-treating” Little Einsteins is one of his favorite shows. It comes on the Disney channel. The Halloween special focused on a catchy trick-or-treating song set to a tune by Edvard Grieg “We are here to trick-or-treat, trick-or-treat, trick-or-treat. We are here to trick-or treat, oh Happy Halloween!” Sammy even sang the song a few times.After trick-or-treating, we came home to eat pizza and hand out candy to the trick-or-treaters. We saw some sweet costumes. Napoleon Dynamite, Elmo, and Legolas were some of my favorites. Sammy loved answering the door with me. He was under the impression that when the trick-or-treaters were choosing a candy that he could choose a candy too! He had a collection of twice-licked Dumdums and half-chewed Starbursts on the couch.I was pleasantly surprised when three of my former fourth grade students knocked on our door. It was nice to see them. I remembered them as short, shy, sweet little fourth graders who always gave me a hug before leaving for the day. They are still sweet, but now they are almost teenagers in seventh grade going through puberty! My, how time flies! I am pleased that they remembered me with a smile and talked with me for a few minutes on our front porch.I hope you all had a nice Halloween too! Click on the links below if you want to see pictures from the party, pumpkin carving, and glow stick fun! Enjoy.Beckyhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/beckyandbrian/
Adam said...
You are looking hot in your costume, sis! Love you!!
5:55 PM
becky said...
Thanks bro! (If you can believe it, I wore that costume in my high school dance company! It makes a good disco costume. I'm just happy I can fit in it again after having two kids!)
9:16 AM
chrissy said...
where's my monkey pics? i want to see your cute boys... you two, and your pumpkins look great. Wish we could've been there with you.
9:08 AM
Thursday, November 03, 2005
Our two little monkey boys all dressed up for trick-or-treating.
posted by becky @ 10:09 AM 2 comments
Ayatollah Mugsy said...
In the humble opinion of this canine imam, those are some adorable monkey boys.
10:22 AM
Rachael said...
I think Brian looks more excited then the boys! HA!
10:25 PM

Attack of the KILLER MONKEYS!!!
posted by becky @ 10:06 AM 0 comments
Ooo-oo-AH-AH! Monkey Josh
KayseaLove said...
Ohhhhhh sooooooooo cuteeeeeeee! Thanks for sharing!
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Pushing My Buttons
I encountered two obstacles while trying to do the laundry today. Sammy and Josh, the troublesome pair, were both trying to pull the folded clothes off the couch. I said sweetly to Josh in my mommy tone, “No, no Joshy.” He promptly crawled over to the window to play with the blinds. After telling Sammy, “No!” several times, he continued his naughty behavior. He even began to crawl and talk like Josh hoping that I would use my mommy voice and treat him like a baby. With a hint of frustration in my voice I said to him, “YOU'RE PUSHING MY BUTTONS, MISTER!” Sammy looked up at me with those deep blue eyes, laughed, crawled onto my lap, and with one of his tiny fingers and a teasing smile, he slowly and deliberately pushed every button on my shirt!
Anonymous said...
What an obedient child he is.
9:47 AM
Becky said...
Hee hee!
9:47 AM
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
I tried to snap a picture of Joshy's first haircut. At least Josh is holding still!
posted by becky @ 1:59 PM 2 comments
Brian and Sammy painting the racecars they built together.
Rachael said...
Awww, He looks so cute Becky! So after hearing about your blog, and having no life. I searched google and found it! Yeah I am totally a stalker.Anyway I loved al lthe picturs. Josh and Sammy are so cute! See ya later!
10:24 PM
Anonymous said...
He is so cute. He has transformed into our little boy Joshy, no longer a baby.
9:51 AM
Just say NO!
Do you ever have moments when you begin to think that you might be going crazy? This morning my neighbor called and asked if I would watch her 2 little boys for an hour while she went walking. So you might be thinking, "2 more little boys for an hour. That's not a big deal." But, I didn't really want to do it since I already had a little girl and two other little boys I tend regularly for a little extra money. Apparently I don't have the ability to say, "No," or even, "I am already tending 3 extra kids." Instead I said, "No problem. Send them over. It will be fun."FUN? SEVEN kids under the age of 5, including 1 baby who ALWAYS has a poopy diaper? Whu-WHAT WAS I THINKING? FUN would have been swapping places with my neighbor and going on the walk (since it is BEAUTIFUL outside today with the snow-capped mountains). That's where the part about being crazy comes in. Brian and I both have the "get along gang syndrome" where we would rather put ourselves in a stressful situation than say No. It happens quite often. We tend to be the "peacemakers" and it is starting to get old for both of us.How does it work for NORMAL people who don't feel bad or selfish for saying NO?Can't we be NICE people and JUST SAY NO?
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Sammy playing in the leaves (He was so sad after we cleaned them up. He kept saying,"Don't put away. Don't put a-way-ee!"
posted by becky @ 9:30 AM 1 comments
Josh playing in the leaves
Thursday, December 08, 2005
"Think of a Magical Thought...."
I have my mind on our upcoming vacation, but before we leave I thought I would write. We have been really busy since Thanksgiving. Brian and I hosted my family for Thanksgiving dinner (minus my brother, Adam and my dad. We missed you both very much!) It's always fun when we get together.Brian's little sister, Chrissy, flew in from Cleveland with her 21 month old daugter, Evie. It was great to see them. They left yesterday and I wish we could've spent more time with them. I don't know when we'll see them again. It's tough having family spread across the US. We miss you all!We saw the new Harry Potter movie and I loved it. You-know-who was a freak show though. He was frightening, but just as I had imagined him. Very evil - especially his snakelike nose and pointy, fanged teeth.We wanted to spread the Christmas cheer early this year, so I made about 300 caramel/chocolate dipped pretzel sticks to give as gifts to our neighbors and friends. Last year, I made toffee and homemade caramel. I think the pretzels are much easier. We delivered them last night and it was freezing outside!!!!! Brian made hot cocoa and a sandwich for me when we got home. (He is so sweet!) We are leaving tomorrow for California. We haven't been on vacation for over 2 years when we went camping in Yellow Stone with my mom. We have been planning this vacation for a few months and we are so excited. We're going to hang out with Scott, Leslie, their kids, Heather & Grandma King, go to the beach, the zoo, Sea World, Knotts Berry Farm, & 3 days of Disneyland. I think all of my brothers and sisters are going to meet at Disneyland. Good times. I'm sure I'll have many funny stories to share. I'll post some pictures when we get back.Happy Holidays Everybody!Love ya!Becky
posted by becky @ 10:46 AM 0 comments
What snowman is complete without a nose? (Special thanks goes to Maga for the "snowman kit")
posted by becky @ 10:42 AM 2 comments
Heather said...
cutest pictures EVER.
10:51 AM
chrissy said...
have fun in disneyland. you know i'm dying to be there with you.
9:31 PM

Sammy Hugging His Snowman
posted by becky @ 10:38 AM 0 comments
Becky & Josh in the Snow
Tuesday, December 27, 2005
Sammy & Brian riding the Buzz Lightyear ride (This is Sammy's favorite ride - I think he rode it at least 10 times!)
posted by becky @ 1:09 PM 0 comments
Becky & Sammy riding a ride at Disneyland
posted by becky @ 1:04 PM 0 comments
Brian & Sammy on the Merry-Go-Round at the Wild Animal Park
posted by becky @ 1:00 PM 0 comments
Joshy at the beach
Rachael said...
Awww! Welcome back! Looks like you guys had so much fun. I love all the pictures, especially Joshy at the Beach!
Thursday, February 09, 2006
Hello again!!!
I can't believe it has been a month since my last entry. I never have been consistent at journal writing. It's probably because I think too much and want to be completely accurate in word choice, etc. Thinking is a little difficult for me lately. I feel like an airhead! I promise I really did graduate from college. I'm not lying! However, at the moment, my vocabulary is slightly limited due to the lack of intelligent conversation I have with myself and my one and two year olds all day long. My conversations mostly involve the words "no", "don't", "hit", "your", "brother", "please", "be", "nice", and "thank you." I love being a fulltime mom. It's what I have always wanted to do most. Ahh, but I do miss feeling intelligent - and beautiful! There's just not enough time or energy in my body to do it all.Here are some of our exciting January events:Sammy and Josh went sledding for the first time.
Josh has added a few new words to his vocabulary: trains, Sam, & treat.
Sammy and Josh went to "story time" at the library. They only lasted 2 minutes before running/super fast crawling around the room causing all of the other children to do the same. I think we'll try again in about three months.
Sammy and Josh have created many lovely paintings of "roller coasters and bumpy cars," "hoctopuses," and "rocket ships going into space."
With love,
Becky & the boys
PS At the moment we are listening to "Puff, the Magic Dragon" and Sammy is running around the room flapping his arms and saying, "Look momma! I'm a dragon." So cute. So precious. I wouldn't give this up for anything.
chrissy said...
i miss those cute boys. :)
Monday, February 27, 2006
Ahh! Some Time to Myself
I had a great weekend! I feel so refreshed and rejuvenated. I love our beautiful little boys, but occasionally I need to get away. Brian was kind enough to watch the boys for a few hours on Saturday so I could have some time to myself. I went shopping and got my hair cut. It was nice to spend a little time and $ on myself. (I say that while sitting here in my Christmas pajamas at 11 AM!) I finally bought some new skirts! Most of my skirts are at least 7 years old. It's a little embarrassing that I haven't really bought a skirt since before Brian and I met. I have been watching What Not to Wear on TLC so I actually bought two complete outfits - skirts and shirts with matching shoes and accessories. I wore one outfit to church yesterday even though we were only there for 15 minutes before Sammy and Josh started screaming their heads off. We threw in the towel and came home without even finishing the first meeting. Oh well. It was nice to look good for 15 minutes before changing into jeans and a t-shirt!I love having short hair! Short hair is so sassy and fun. I probably felt more elegant and beautiful with long hair, but it was boring and it took too long to style. My hair was almost to my waist when I got it cut a year ago and I haven't had any regrets. Since then, I have been going shorter and shorter. Now it is slightly above my chin. I might give in to Brian and grow it out one day, but for now I love my hair! I have been getting my hair cut at Remedez salon and day spa in the mall for about a year now. It's more expensive than a Great Clips or Fantastic Sam's, but a good haircut with a scalp massage is worth every penny. This time on my search for the restroom I stumbled into the day spa. Just being in there made me feel relaxed. The lights were dimmed. There was soft music playing and the glow and scent of aromatherapy candles. I had a brief thought that a massage might be nice, but I don't know how I feel about some strange man or woman rubbing oil all over my body. Kinda gives me the heebie jeebies.Well, Joshy is taking a nap and Sammy is playing in his room. That's my cue to take a shower.Check ya later!becky
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Joshy is just about to go down the slide. He is such a brave little boy. He can get around this park almost as well as Sammy. I thought he would be scared since he's only 18 months old! We are trying to transition him over to the bottom bunk bed in Sammy's room. We'll have to wait and see how that works out!
posted by becky @ 12:51 PM 1 comments
Adam said...
go Joshy go!

Sammy at the park. This was two weeks ago. It was 60 degrees! Now it is 40 degrees. It snowed over the weekend and more snow is expected! Where did Spring go?

Wednesday, March 15, 2006
Phat Phamily Photo Phun...
After almost 6 years of marriage and 2 kids, we finally have a professional family portrait hanging in our home (other than wedding pictures or vacation snapshots). I poked fun at Brian and blamed him for it, but it was mostly my fault. For the past three years I have either been pregnant or trying to lose the baby weight - since Sammy and Josh are only 18 months apart! If any of you have seen the family photo taken at the July 2004 family reunion you will understand (and I would like to confiscate and destroy them ASAP!). Pregnancy does not agree with me - at least the 60 pounds that comes along with it making me look like the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man from the Ghostbusters movie. I didn't want that hanging on my wall! Finally, I have lost most of the weight - thanks to our trusty elliptical runner, Pilates, and my new favorites - Dance Dance Revolution and Core Secrets.I planned our coordinating outfits and made the appointment a month in advance. Unfortunately, Sammy cut his own hair just a few weeks before. That's why he has a big bald spot in the front of his head! Even the stylist couldn't hide it. But, I guess it adds character!The actual taking of the pictures was quite tricky. Getting a three year old and an 18 month old to hold still and smile at the same time is complicated. The stuffed dog and sneezing trick sure worked even though it was wierd.It went kind of like this:(photographer placing stuffed dog on top of her head)photographer: where's my doggy? where's my doggy? Is he on my (pause. hands to nose) hea-hea-hea-chooo (doggy falls off head to the floor)It worked everytime - like 10 times or maybe 20. Maybe that's why the kids are cracking up and Brian and I have really strained, wierd smiles I have never seen before. Where do photographers learn those skills anyways?becky
posted by becky @ 12:36 PM 1 comments
Rachael (your neighbor) said...
Oh man! You guys are soooo cute! It turned out so awesome. Sammy and Joshy look like they are having a blast. oh and the matching outfits...can't wait until I get to do that!I had no idea Sammy had cut his hair til you pointed it out. I think it looks fine. And definitely something you can look back and laugh at!
10:16 PM

Joshua March 2006.
posted by becky @ 11:43 AM 0 comments
Sammy March 2006. He's doing his pirate face. "Arrrr!"
posted by becky @ 11:41 AM 0 comments
Sammy & Joshy. March 2006.
posted by becky @ 11:39 AM 0 comments
Our family portrait. March 2006.
Thursday, March 23, 2006
It's Fun, You Should Do It!
Five Movies You Can Watch Over and Over:1. Back to the Future2. Serendipity3. The Wedding Singer4. Goonies5. Men In BlackFive embarrassing Songs that You Know All the Words To:1. "I like Big Butts" by Sir Mix-a-lot.2. "Ice, Ice, Baby" by Vanilla Ice.3. "Roam" by The B-52’s.4. "Do You Love Me Now That I Can Dance" by the Contours (6th grade cheerleading routine).5. "Just Like a Prayer" by Madonna – only because when I was 11, Joe and my best friend, Olivia Farmer, did a music video of it with about 50 candles burning in my room! I was a back-up singer/dancer. Oh, that is so funny!Five Memorable Halloween Costumes:1. Witch with red wig and fake black fingernails, preschool through 3rd grade2. Not mine, but still memorable – a missionary dressed as a Smurf – blue body paint and a loin cloth – so funny!3. Solar System – high school4. Disco Barbie – junior in college. Girls’ Choice Dance. My date was Disco Ken. I never had a more successful church dance. I think I had a partner for every song – fast and slow. It goes to show that most guys want a bimbo. Without the stuffed bra and long, crimped, frizzy blonde wig, I was but an intelligent brunette in belle bottoms and polyester. It was fun for a night, but I prefer wit and sass to boobs and a#@.5. Space Queen – junior in college. Brian's Family's Halloween Party. Only because it’s what made Brian notice me.Five Celebrities You Believe May Secretly be Alien:1. Cher2. Jessica Simpson3. Bill Clinton4. Joaquin Phoenix5. Snoop DoggFive Occupations that You Know You Could Never Do:1. Road Construction – Everybody HATES you!2. Professional Football Player – makes me laugh just thinking about it. I can’t catch and I hate contact sports!3. Professional Cheerleader – I’m not comfortable with that much cleavage showing and I don’t think my moves from 6th grade would work anymore. “If you don’t like my peaches, then don’t shake my tree! Cause I’m a Moncure Panther, fresh as can be. Fresh as can be…” Wow, if only you could’ve been there.4. Zookeeper – uncanny fear of being eaten by a beast – no joke! Brian can tell you all about it. That would be one of the worst ways to die. I’ve been scared to take the trash out after dark ever since Char told me about the mountain lions perusing the streets in Utah county. What the crap!!!!!5. Politician – I don’t like confrontation or debating. I’d never get elected anyways.Five Books You've Recently Read Outside of Schoolwork:1. Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen (currently reading)2. Head to Toe, Eric Carle (Sam & Josh’s new favorite)3. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, J.K. Rowling4. Gymboree Toddler Play, Dr. Wendy S. Masi5. The Horse and His Boy, C.S. Lewis (listened to CD on road trip – hope that counts)Five Ways to Perfectly Spend an Afternoon:1. Walking to the park with Brian and the kids.2. Taking a fat nap snuggled up to Brian while the kids are asleep.3. Watching re-runs of Friends while eating a snack.4. Working on a crafty project such as 1 of the 4 quilts I’ve started, yet not finished.5. Playing soccer with Brian and the boys.Five Lines You Blatantly Stole From a Movie, TV, a Commercial, or Song:1. “Willow, you eeeeediot!” spoken with a high-pitched goat voice (from Willow)2. “To infinity and beyond!” from Toy Story. I have to say it every time I lift Sammy off of a high surface such as the kitchen counter or his bunk bed.3. “Wags, the dog. He likes to tango. Wags, the dog. He calls it Rango (because he’s a dog). Wags, the Dog. He likes to tango. Doo doo doo doo doo doo. Doo doo. Hey!” From The Wiggles. Except I change the Wags the dog part to Joshua and he says “Hey” at the end. It’s a song I sing while changing Josh’s diaper so he doesn’t wriggle away.4. “Is it secret? Is it safe?” Gandalf The Fellowship of the Rings5. “I’ve fallen. AND I CAN’T GET UP!!!!!!!” from a First Alert commercial in the 80’s with little old cranky lady screaming it. Makes me laugh every time. The new commercials aren’t as good.Not Your 5 Favorite Foods, But the 5 You're Most Likely Eating:1. A bowl of cereal – preferably some sugary type such as Froot Loops or Pops2. Chips and Salsa with sour cream and cilantro mixed in.3. My “mac-daddy” quesadilla – cheese, black beans & corn. Yum!4. Scrambled Eggs & pancakes.5. Leftovers from the fridge.Five People Who Must Immediately Respond:1. Adam – one of the coolest guys I know. He’s also my brother.2. Rachael – my neighbor across the street with whom I e-mail more than visit – sad, I know.3. I don’t know anyone else with a blog who hasn’t already done this.4. If you would like to do this - copy, paste, edit and post it on your blog and place a link to your blog in my comments.5. Thanks!
Rachael said...
Hey I know all the words to the "Baby got back" song too. I used to sing it to Gavin when I would run out of lullabye's HA! I am totally doing this on my blog.
7:25 PM
Adam said...
ch-ch-check it out
8:38 PM
Monday, April 03, 2006
We took Sam and Josh to Home Depot on Saturday to build bird feeders. Sammy is such a big boy! He helped nail and screw the bird feeder together. This is Sammy painting his finished project.
posted by becky @ 11:35 AM 0 comments
Joshy painting his bird feeder.
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
Joshy's Bad Hair Day!
posted by becky @ 4:21 PM 0 comments
You better run! Here comes the Incredible Hulk!!!! (Sammy sprayed Chloraceptic a.k.a. "sore throat spray" all over Joshy's room. Luckily the walls are already bright green, but the carpet and Sammy's hands were stained green!
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
We had a family party at our house last Saturday. Using a few Sharpes, some dye, and 10 dozen boiled eggs, we put our own spin on dying Easter eggs. These are some of the eggs we created. Most of them were designed by my brother, Joe (soon to be graduating from BYU with a BFA in graphic design!). Favorites not pictured include Andy's Passover egg, Becky's Duck, Adam's San Francisco vignette, Andy's Puffer Fish, and Sammy's green hand, I mean egg :)Top Row: Jack-o-lantern, Dracula, Frankenstein, Miss Piggy, Kermit the Frog, & Marge Simpson.Middle Row: Andy, Tottie, Heather, David, Brian & Becky.Bottom Row: Amelia, Cha, Joe, Adam, Sammy & Josh.Try it next year!
posted by becky @ 4:23 PM 2 comments
Rachael said...
You guys are so awesome! Those are the coolest eggs ever. We didn't even paint eggs this year. Maybe when Gavin is a little older we will.
8:10 PM
10019 said...
Very Cute!
12:43 PM

Sammy hunting for eggs in our backyard.
posted by becky @ 4:19 PM 0 comments
Joshy's first Easter egg hunt.
posted by becky @ 4:14 PM 1 comments
Rachael said...
Did they have a blast hunting eggs? Gavin went to three different egg hunts and was totally into it. In fact when we got home with all his eggs he took them out of the basket and threw them around and then recollected them.
8:12 PM

Adam reading to Sammy & Josh. What an awesome uncle!!!!! "Unca Ada" as Joshy says, flew in from San Francisco last week to visit. We miss him already!
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Hot Wheels Stunt Track Driver
I'm trying to take a minute to create a post, as it has been few weeks since my last one. It is a little difficult with Joshy hanging on one arm and Sammy's incessant whining about a chair. He thinks I am at the computer to play the Hot Wheels game that Brian got at Staples for 1 cent. It was a great buy, except that it has somehow crashed the graphics on our computer! Now instead of looking normal, our pictures and icons look negative with bright greens, pinks, and yellows. I have to admit that even thought the game seems like it was created in the late 80's, I even like it. During Brian's trip to Louisiana I found myself playing it at night after I put the kids to bed. I earned four new cars and a new board! The kids love it and have been inspired to build their own tracks throughout the house, with Brian's help of course. One track went from Sammy's room upstairs and down one flight of stairs, around the corner, down another flight of stairs, and into a basket in the family room.
In other news, Brian and I had our sixth anniversary a few weeks ago! Cha and Tottie were kind enough to watch our kids so that we could get away by ourselves. We celebrated by having a romantic overnighter at a bed and breakfast in Midway by the Provo River. We were upgraded to the "Presidential Suite", which encompassed the entire top floor of the 19th century millhouse. We had a fireplace and a private balcony directly over a 15 ft. waterfall. The mountains and wildlife were beautiful. It was very relaxing and probably the most romantic thing we have ever done. The next time we go Brian wants us to play a round of golf together at a course he loves nearby.
Well, some guys are here to clean our couches since Sammy spilled pink milk on them the other day!
Adam said...
Happy Anniversary, sis! I'm glad you two found each other.Miss you!-adam
9:54 AM

Friday, June 16, 2006

posted by becky @ 9:02 PM 0 comments
Cabin Fever!!!!!
My grandparents have a cabin up in the Uinta mountains, which they share amongst their children. My mom was assigned this weekend, but she had to work and gave her weekend to us!!! (Thanks mom!) We came up here last night (Thursday) to get away for a little while. Brian brought his laptop to do a little work. It's amazing! We are out in the middle of nowhere and there is a wireless internet connection! Technology is incredible.Last night the kids snuggled up and watch a movie together. It was a little chilly in the cabin - around 60 degrees! It's a beautiful day today. The kids are itching to ride the 4-wheeler down to the river. They have an obsession with throwing rocks into water - mud puddles, swimming pools, lakes, etc. Sammy found the helmet and has been wearing it around the cabin for about 10 minutes now.
Sammy is also singing "Don't Worry, Be Happy" and "Take me to the River, Drop Me in the Water" courtesy of the Bigmouth Billy Bass hanging on the wall. Goodtimes.
Becky
Thursday, July 06, 2006
Success!!!
After 3 years, hundreds of soiled diapers, and many hours on my behalf fretting about all of the possible methods and fears of emotional damage, I am happy to announce that Sammy is now a "BIG BOY!" He passed his final test when the line to the port-o-potties at the July 4th parade was far too long for him to wait, so we found a secluded grassy spot which he happily watered. Way to go, Sammy!
Adam said...
Yay! Good job, Sammy! Uncle Adam loves you and misses you =)
7:03 PM
Grandma said...
ALL RIGHT Sammy!!! Grandma is so proud of you. You are a "big boy" now. That's great.
5:05 PM
Rachael said...
Way to go on the potty trainign Becky! That is awesome. I am dreading the day I will have to train Gavin. I will let him go until he is 5 HA!
11:55 PM
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Stop and smell the...daisies!
Joshy taking time to smell the daisies. (At first he stopped to smell a dry, wilted daisy- like the ones in the background. I kindly redirected him.)Cheeto-faced Joshy. He's cute, but he REFUSES to play in the water. We are watching Sammy get squirted.One of these things is not like the other. Sammy loves getting squirted. Joshy, on the other hand, prefers his dry bench and Cheetos.Posing by the waterfall garden.


4-wheeling at the cabin. After 3 years of going to the cabin, Brian finally figured out how to put it in reverse! Now they are going "backwards, like Mater!!!! (from the Pixar CARS movie, for those of you who have not seen it!)
chrissy said...
you guys look cute and happy. I'm excited to see you soon. Hey I thought of you because I came across some sweet Goonies tees. Check them out...http://search.80stees.com/
7:19 AM
becky said...
thanks for the 80s tees website! i am tempted by several shirts, one in particular. it has a a close up of E.T. in front of the moon. the shirt says, "i can moonwalk." i thought it was funny, especially since i think break dancing is awesome and i can moonwalk!
11:46 AM
Anonymous said...
You have a cute family and I am so proud of Brian for figuring out that important little reverse thing with the 4-wheeler. Only 3 years huh? I'd a told ya for nothing how to do it. Sure do love those little boys. dute dute
4:27 PM
Monday, July 24, 2006
This is the Place
One of the perks of living in Utah is that we have our own state holiday on July 24th named, "Pioneer Day." See the following link for more info on the Mormon Pioneers. http://www.lds.org/gospellibrary/pioneer/pioneerstory.htmNormally this would be the prime time to take a trip to Disneyland or some other fun place out of state to enjoy a vacation with fewer people who don't celebrate our holiday. This year, we celebrated our Mormon pioneer heritage with a campout in our backyard, water balloon and "squirky gun" fights, s'mores over a campfire, trips to the pool, ice cream, and snuggling under the stars watching the sponteneous neighborhood fireworks show. Our city, Spanish Fork, hosts an annual "Fiesta Days" rodeo this weekend. We still haven't found the desire to go, but we will watch the fireworks show tonight from our backyard.We are finishing up a 3-day weekend packed full of fun, to make up for the 4th of July weekend that Brian worked straight through managing an important project at the big PR. It has been brutally hot in Utah Valley, breaking 100 degrees almost everyday for over a week. While we weren't in an air conditioned house or car, most of our activities included H2O, and lots of it.We went to the Spanish Fork City Pool. This time, Josh actually enjoyed it, instead of screaming in my ear the whole time like he usually does. Sammy and Josh made us go down the "round and round" slide at least 4 times. I'm not complaining - I love water slides! We were also invited to Liz's pool in Alpine where Sammy found the courage to jump off of the diving board, even though he can't swim. I think Brian's bribe of stopping for ice cream on the way home pushed him over the edge, literally!Here are a few pictures of our vacation at home. Hope you enjoy. Oh, and here is a link to a video of Sammy singing a campfire song. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8Kt0IfIGw0becky
In our backyard cooking mallows.Joshy, can you say, "Chubby bunny?"Sammy in Lizzie's pool. RI-CO-Laaah!
Daddy and Joshy taking a nap after swimming.
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Oh, Mrs. Butterworth, how I HATE YOU!!!!!!
Yesterday started out like any other day. I woke up at 7am, kissed Brian good-bye, got the boys out of bed and made pancakes (ca-cakes, as Joshy would say). When the boys were settled, I worked out on the elliptical runner, took a shower and got dressed. Then I heard a knock on my bedroom door. That's where things get sticky. This is what I saw:

At first I could see that something was wierd, but I couldn't put my finger on it. He was messy, shiny and concerned. Then I noticed toilet paper sticking to his hand. So, I followed Sammy into his room and gasped.


Here's a closer look:

Immediately, I noticed the stain on the floor, but what scared me was that I knew that bottle of syrup had been 3/4 full when I left it on the counter before going upstairs to take a shower. I did a little exploring to find the rest of it. This is what I found:

This is the floor in Joshy's room. It kind of looks like a Modern Art piece to me. At least my boys are creative and I know they must've had a lot of fun making the mess (I wish I had a surveilance video). I tried not to flip out, although I must admit that I let a few curse words slip.
I also found syrup on the floor in the hallway and in the family room. Joshy and Sammy were covered from head to toe with syrup. Their clothes were pasted to their bodies and they cried as I pulled their shirts up over their heads. After plopping them into the bathtub, I frantically called professional carpet cleaning services until I found one that could arrive ASAP. I got the kids out of the tub, dressed them, made a picnic lunch and locked them outside to play on our swing set, while I moved the furniture all by myself and vaccummed in preparation for the carpet cleaner. Surprisingly, all of the syrup came out and the carpet looks better than it has in the 2 years we've lived here.
I can't quite laugh about this yet. This mess was $105 and took an entire day to clean up. I can think of many other ways I'd like to spend a hundred bucks (that's why our date this week consists of frisbee golf at a local park with my mom baby-sitting, instead of steaks at Ruby River and a movie). This incident was worse than the others that have come before. It definately tops the list.
Do you remember the bean bag incident? See http://photos1.blogger.com/img/155/7456/640/Sammy%20is%20Messy.jpg.
Or the Chloraseptic spray, which by the way, did not come out of the carpet. http://ourlittlepieceofheaven.blogspot.com/2006/04/you-better-run-here-comes-incredible.html
Honestly, I have just consigned myself to a life of cleaning up ridiculous messes caused by my curiously rowdy little boys who I love so very much. I hate to think of what could be next, but I know it won't really surprise me.
becky
Rachael said...
I love the look on Sammy's face. It made me laugh. Little rascals! Makes me fear my boys getting older. I wonder what they will do?Also if something like this ever happens again call me and I will bring my carpet machine over. That way you can save some money.

Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Ups and Downs
Last weekend began like most. Brian took me out on a fun date! We had a break in the heat wave and spent some time outside together at Bicentennial Park in Provo. It was a gorgeous day and the mountains were spectacular. We lost our discs a few times in the “rough”, but enjoyed our first shot at Frisbee golf. (Brian is much better than I am!) Then we caught a showing of M. Night Shyamalan's Lady in the Water. We loved it. The plot was interesting and suspenseful. It has a positive message about human potential (we are greater than we think we are and we can rise to the occasion), which I think is a little unique in our day.Saturday started well. Joshy and I saw doggies, a goat, and butterflies on our jog (he was in the stroller, of course) while Sammy and Brian went to Home Depot to build a pencil box. (Home Depot provides free building projects for kids every month. We try to take Sammy because he loves to build with his daddy!) Brian brought a pencil box home for Josh and both Sammy and Josh painted their boxes. Sammy keeps his racecars in it now!We went up to Liz’s parents’ pool for Ben’s surprise party. We had a good time. It’s always nice to spend time with family and our kids love swimming. Sammy loves to jump off the side of the pool into Brian’s arms. Brian and I drove separately since he was in charge of getting Ben to the party. On my way home, I stopped by my mom’s house to visit with my grandparents and a few cousins I haven’t seen in a while. I came home to find three vases of roses in different rooms of our house. Brian had stopped on his way home to buy brownies and roses for me. What a sweetie!For those of you who might think I’m sharing too much, you can either stop reading now or get over it. Many of you know that our two little ones are 18 months apart and we had a hard time with both of them when they were babies. We want more children, but we want to wait a few years until we can handle the stress of a newborn again. We are using a highly effective form of birth control (the “Copper T” IUD which lasts for 10 years, not that we want to wait THAT long!) Thus, I was very surprised when I took a home pregnancy test Saturday night and got this result: PREGNANT. I asked Brian to come upstairs and I cried as I shared the news. I expected him to be stressed out about it, but he was excited. He hopped on the internet and found all of the details like the due date, quickening date, when we could find out the sex, etc. We were guessing whether or not “it” was a boy or a girl. I started to get excited too. Pregnancy is hard, but it is also amazing and full of little miracles.Then I noticed the expiration date on the package: Nov 2005. The test had been left over from a pack we purchased when I was first pregnant with Joshy. I called the E.P.T. hotline and they suggested that the result couldn’t be trusted and that I take another test. I took 5 more tests in the next 24 hours. The results were all: NOT PREGNANT. Now Brian and I were both confused. We had unexpectedly become really excited about having a “surprise” baby. I made an appointment Monday morning to see my doctor. The basic test at the Dr.’s office was negative, so my blood was drawn to be tested in the lab. We would have the results Tuesday morning. I was told that there was a risk of a tubal pregnancy and surgery may be required.Brian and I were scared. Not only could our baby be in danger, but it might have to be removed from my fallopian tube and that could leave me infertile. I was really worried and I did not feel right about removing a baby from my body (even though I understand it is okay because it would endanger my health) and possible complications from surgery. For over 24 hours, we waited and stressed about the possibilities. After phone stalking the nurses and leaving sob filled voicemails, I finally got the results over the phone at 2:30 pm yesterday afternoon. That’s not quite “morning.”The result of my blood test was completely negative. I am not pregnant. There is nothing to worry about. My period is just a week late for some unknown reason (maybe because I have been running a lot lately? I don’t know). The baby isn’t at risk because the baby isn’t there. The expired test gave an inaccurate result that took our emotions on a nauseating roller coaster. Brian and I are relieved that I don’t have a tubal pregnancy, but we are NOT relieved that there is NO baby in my tummy. We are sad. I feel pretty down right now. It’s kind of weird. I am sad about losing a baby that wasn’t there. As Brian’s father said on Sunday, “You can always go back to the drawing board!” We just might consider that, even if it is a few years earlier than we had planned.becky
Friday, September 01, 2006
Just to Update You...
1. Sammy started preschool this week and he loves it! He goes to "skull" Tuesdays and Thursdays for 2 hours. Next week he starts his creative movement class. It teaches rhythm and dance. It's not ballet, tap, or any girlie type of dance class, but they will have a performance at the end of the year. I'm really looking forward to that!2. Josh thinks his weenie is "poo-poos". When he's in the bath or we're changing his diaper, he covers himself with his hand and says, "No! Poo-poos!" I don't really get it. 3. I've lost 7 pounds in the last 3 months! Wa-hoo!!! I recently joined the gym and met with a personal trainer last night who mostly just tried to get me to sign up for a year's committment at $160/mo. No way! I just called my dad who has been teaching fitness at NC State for over 30 years and he gave me a personalized fitness plan plan including nutrition, strength training, and cardio. I hope to lose at least 15 more pounds before next summer! 4. Our garage door broke again!!!! Brian has been building shelves in the garage and a baby gate on the top shelf became stuck in the garage as it opened and now the garage door is hanging unbalanced and crooked. I hope Brian can fix it. I hate paying for stupid home repairs like this!!!!5. Happy Labor Day everybody!!!! For us, that means we are putting up Halloween decorations! Sammy and Josh are going to be pirates this year. We found cute dinosaur costumes at the Children's Place, but then I found Pirate Costumes. Sammy wears his everyday. At this moment he is wearing it, but it didn't come with pants so his underwear is sticking out. It's really funny.Have a great weekend! Love, Becky
Adam said...
Hi Becky!Great job on getting in shape! Glad to hear your family is doing well. Give the boys kisses and hugs for us. We wanna see a picture of Sammy the Pirate. Tell Brian we said "Hi"Love you,Adam & Scott
Monday, September 18, 2006
"Hey, Mom! Mom! It's coldy, coldy outside!!!"
It was cold this weekend! We had to turn on the heat Sunday morning after temperatures outside reached below freezing. I love this time of year when summer turns to fall. The leaves are changing and it's sweater weather! I made chili and potato soup on Saturday and had my first cup of hot chocolate Friday morning.The only downside is that with the Spanish Fork wind (sometimes gusting up to 50 mph) it is a little too chilly in the morning for kids to play outside. They are a little stir crazy and cranky. We are in the process of redecorating Sammy's room and making it "Sammy and Joshy's" room, so that we can turn Joshy's room into an office. We have painted the beds red and are going to paint the walls blue. Brian made big chalkboards to put over each bed. It is going to be really cute, but I'm nervous about Sam and Josh actually sleeping in the same room together. Sammy has been sleeping in Josh's room and it isn't working out so well. They stay up really late at night talking and playing (often until 11 or so). Then they wake each other up in the night (12:30 am and 1:00 am last night). And worst of all, they wake each other up early in the morning (5:45 am on Saturday). This is a recipe for all around crankiness. I'm looking forward to naptime in a few hours and I hope it will all work out in the end.As we say so long to summer, I wanted to share a few pictures from recent weeks. I hope you enjoy!love,becky
"tenting" a.k.a. camping
Joshy's first campout!
Sammy's preschool class. Aren't they cute?!
After our trip to the zoo - lunch and mommy's favorite dessert at the Olive Garden (Black Tie Mousse Cake!) Yum!
Sunday, October 15, 2006
Happy Fall Everybody!!!
October has been a busy month so far! Let me tell you about a few of the fun and funny things we have been up to as a family. October began with LDS general conference and an opportunity to listen to the leadership of our church speak http://www.lds.org/. During the Sunday morning session, we packed our boys into the car and listened to conference while driving up the canyon to Payson Lakes. The fall colors were beautiful and it was a perfect day for a walk around the lake.

Our Family at Payson Lake, October 1, 2006.
Brian had his 32nd birthday on October 4th! Happy Birthday, sweets! We are so lucky to have you. You are amazing. We love you so much! Along with the BYU shirt and Star Wars Transformer that the kids and I picked out for Brian , he is starting a woodworking shop with a new table saw and router. He wants his first project to be an end table for the boys' room. He is quite the handy wood worker. He already built our entertainment center and shelves in our garage! I hope he will eventually have the skills to build a bedroom set for our room! That would be a nice 10 year anniversary gift (hint, hint!).
My mom and my nephew, Simon, took a trip with the boys and I to Utah's Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake. The boys loved the animals and the train ride. At one point, I played a hugging game with Josh. I snapped this picture as he came toward me with his arms ready to hug. I love that face!
Joshy ready for a hug!
I think I mentioned that for Joshy's birthday last month we gave him a kitchen set. Some of you may have been a little wary of a kitchen set for a boy, but boys cook too. Josh loves his kitchen. Here's a picture to prove it!
Iron Chef America! In this corner, Joshy Flay!
We are just returning from a camping trip to Zion's National Park. We went with Brian's parents and all of his brothers and sisters and their spouses and children (except for Chrissy and her family, who live in Ohio, we missed you!). We had a great time! The weather was perfect Thursday and Friday. I have been to Zion's with Brian's family twice before during the summer when it was hot and nasty since there are no showers!!!! But, the fall weather was perfect - except for the rain. I didn't know it rained so much in the desert. It started Friday night and by Saturday morning we were all packing up and ready to go home, 1 day early. 0.8 inches of rain fell in a 12 hour period! That is a lot of rain for Zion's where there is more red mud than grass. Our tent was amazing and we stayed dry, but others weren't as lucky. I was a little disappointed because Brian and I had planned to rent bikes and a kid trailer and go on an 18-mile biking expedition through Zion's on Saturday, but we'll just have to do that next time. We went on a few small hikes with the kids and they loved their "tenting" experience. We definately want to do it again. Here are a few pictures from our trip:
Sammy snuggling his cousin, Josie, by the campfire.
Joshy eating treats by the campfire.
Amelia, Sammy, and Josh playing playdough with Maga.Sammy took this picture of his dirty feet while "helping" Brian pack up our things during the rainstorm.
Becky
chrissy said...
you guys sure are cute! happy birthday brian! we love you (and tried to call...but no answer) and hope you have a great late bday on us. :)

Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Our "Poosky" Adventures
I know that Halloween has passed, but I have been too busy to write about it until today. Poosky is how Joshy says spooky and we went on many poosky adventures this fall. There was one Friday when Brian took off early from work. We loaded up our kids into the car, grabbed our jackets, and headed to Hee-haws for the second year in a row. Most of you probably know that my first date with Brian, and the first time we ever really spoke to each other (other than flirting), was a walk through a haunted corn maze under the moonlight and the stars seven years ago. That was the first time we held hands and the first time Brian put his arm around me (he had to protect me from a freaky gorilla!). While we walked and talked for almost three hours, not really wanting to find our way out of the maze, we formed a connection that sparked our romance. It is where it all began.

Going to a corn maze is a fall tradition for us. This year we took our boys with us. They enjoyed the hayride, animal train ride, looking at the animals, pedal-powered go-carts, and most of all going down the huge, super fast, tube slide made from a large water drainage pipe.
They became bored with the maze after their popcorn was all gone and it started to get dark. Sammy’s legs started to hurt from walking and Josh wanted to walk, but he is too slow. Pretty soon with each of us carrying a child, we just started cutting through the maze and headed for the lights. Next year I think we’ll go back to Hee-haws with the kids for the hayride and other activities, but we’ll do the corn maze on a date night for just the two of us.We did many fun things with Sammy and Joshy’s friends. We painted pumpkins. We decorated sugar cookies at Ethan's house with Jaxon and Jaden. My mom and my nephew, Simon, came along to a costume bowling party with about 20 other toddlers and their moms. It was hilarious to watch the kids bowl. With the bumpers down, Sammy got three spares in a row!
We were too tired this year to throw a big Halloween party, but we did have my side of the family over for a costume dinner. It’s always fun to dress up. I forgot to take pictures of everybody, but here’s a list of people and their costumes. Joe was a Sim (I’ve never played so I didn’t really get it, but whatever!). Cha looked gorgeous as Marilyn Monroe. Miles was a mummy. Simon was Thomas. Baby Amelia was a pretty little garden princess. David was Michael Scofield from the TV show, Prison Break. Heather was a cheerleader. Tottie was a triceratops. Andy was the sun. Brian, Sammy, and Joshua were pirates. I was a pirate wench. We had a campfire in the back yard and sat around talking. The kids played with glow sticks in the backyard for about an hour. Good times.
We carved jack-o-lanterns with Brian’s family over at Char and Joe’s house. (If you are confused about the names, you aren’t alone. I have a brother named Joe who married a Charlotte. She goes by Cha. Brian has a sister named Charlotte who married a Joe. She goes by Char. The Joes just go by Joe. It is very confusing. We also have a Scott on each side, a Heather on each side, and an Amelia on each side. People, come up with original names, please – for the sake of my confused kids!) Anyways, we carved pumpkins. Brian didn’t actually finish his. I threw it in the trash yesterday, uncompleted. If you know Brian that should tell you how stressed and busy we have been. He just didn’t have it in him to sit down and carve a pumpkin this year. He is studying for the LSAT and applying to law school, while still going to work each day and continuing to be a vital member of the company he works for. He is doing very well on his practice tests. He has had an LSAT prep class twice a week for the past six weeks. Now, he only has the class once a week, but he studies at least 30 minutes every night. Since I might have to be the bread winner for a little while should Brian get in and decide to go to a 3 year fulltime law program, I thought I should renew my expired teaching license. So, I am currently taking 6 graduate level education college credits online and on TV. It is hard to think like a student and like a teacher while staying at home with my kids. I am doing pretty well in my classes, but my house is a wreck and my kids now watch way too much TV. It will all be over soon. My classes are done in the middle of December and then I will have more than the 100 licensure points required. Brian takes the LSAT Dec. 2. He is currently applying to the law schools at BYU and the University of Utah. We are not sure what we will do if he gets in. I just wanted to be prepared and able to work next year if I need to.
Oh, and Sammy had a Halloween program at his preschool. It was so cute. They sang songs and danced. It was Sammy's first school performance ever! He did a great job!. Click on the link below to see a video of the dancing pirate!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgzkTTBTG50We also went trick-or-treating with cousins and with grandma doot doot. That's what the kids call my mom!
Well, I hope you enjoy the pictures and video. I need to watch some TV classes and do my assignments. Wahoo! So, I better go for now. I hope you all remember to vote today!!!becky

That was my last post and then I took a break for like 2 years! Crazy! But, now I'm back!