Wow...We're back.

How time flies!! I can't believe that I haven't posted since August. I guess with my computer breaking down and taking about 3 months to determine that it wasn't just a programming error (thanks Bao for all the time that you gave it!!!) that the mother board went out and we needed a new one. Then we decided to wait 3 days for Windows 7 to come out and then just the time of getting all of the programs up and running. So far I like it and it works which is even more important in my book.

Everyone is doing well. Will is busy with work and school. Debi is busy with kids and work. Everett is busy being 2, however he will now tell you that his birthday is January 27. And Cole is busy trying to be as big as Everett. Cole started to crawl at 5 months, started pulling himself up on everything at 7 months and just yesterday his first tooth broke through. He is always watching Everett and wants to be just like him. It is really cute, even if it means that my baby is going to grow way to fast. Everett enjoys it other than when Cole tries to crawl all over him or tries to take a toy that he is playing with. We are working on sharing :)

Funny story. I am going to post it here so that I don't forget it- however I do so at my own peril.

Last Sunday I was getting ready to go to work, Will was watching TV in the living room and Everett was watching TV in his room. Cole got fussy and was ready for a nap. Since everyone was pretty content where they were, I wrapped Cole up, built little pillow barricades and put him in the center of mine and Will's bed. Will was a little cranky so as I as said goodbye, I wished him luck with the boys. About 4 hours later I get a phone call from him and hear this story.

Will had a skin tag on his shoulder, so being the health care professional he is, he decided to cut it off. Well, skin tags bleed a lot. So as he is in the bathroom trying to control his bleeding, in walks Everett dripping poop. He is doing well with potty training, he always pees in the toilet but we can't get him to poop there. So now Will is bleeding, Everett is poopy and Cole decides he is done taking his nap so he starts to cry. Will decides to take care of Everett and him first then he'll add Cole into the mix. Well, Cole is crawling and has learned how to get out of his wrap if he's not going to sleep. When Will goes into our room, he can hear Cole but he can't find Cole. Seems like Cole fell off the bed on my side- which is closer to the wall so we don't use that side for under bed storage much- and proceeded to crawl under the bed and get stuck in the middle of our Cal-King bed. Poor Will had to take apart the frame of the bed to even get Cole out. How he got under there, I'm not quite sure since there is only about 7" of clearance but he did. I have been laughing about it since it occurred on November 8, 2009, to be exact. I haven't asked Will if he laughing about it yet but even writing this I am chuckling. I guess we'll all find out what happens when he realizes that I have posted this :) Just the picture of Will trying to get Cole out makes me smile.

Hopefully, with life becoming somewhat normal again I will be better at keeping my journal of this fun journey. I guess time will tell.

First Prayer

The other night as we were getting Everett ready for bed we asked him who he wanted to help him say his prayer. After thinking for a moment he replied "I say it." So Will, Everett and I all knelt down by his bed and Everett starts to say his prayer. He was thankful for our family, the church, the prophet, and then he stopped. I prompted him to bless us have a good night sleep and then end it. After we finished I looked at Will and asked if this was the first time he had done it by himself. It was!!! And Will and I both got to be home to hear Everett's first prayer. I am so grateful for the "tender mercies". I never realized how great I would feel hearing my child pray to our Heavenly Father. I am so proud of Everett!!

Broken Heart

I am just trying to cope with the fact that I am headed back to work tomorrow. "40 hours in 4 days" here I come. As I was just feeding Cole it hit me that tomorrow I'm not going to be the one feeding him. He has never had more than a couple of hours of his life without me and now I am going to be gone for most of the next 4 days. Deep down I know that Cole will be fine. It's not like he will even realize that I'm not the care provider because he will be taken care of. I just am having a difficult time dealing with that fact.
I just keep reminding myself that I like my job and it will be nice to get yelled at by someone other than my kids....it just isn't really helping right now!

Funny Everett!

This is how we found Everett this morning. After he was wake, I was talking to him when he said "I took a nap today." I said "Why?" "It was really, really dark and I still tired." Makes me believe that he got out of bed really, really early and I am glad he decided to lay down and take a nap. Although I think his bed would have been much more comfortable. Funny Everett!!!

Herman kid's birthday party July 11, 2009

My two favorite little boys!

Everett was really excited outside of the bounce house.

This is how Cole and I started off the day. He was pretty happy as long as he could look around.

I offered to make this cake just for fun. I had done a similar one about 7 years ago and I thought it would be really cute.

We got invited to a triple birthday party for Joe, Hailey and Kade Herman. They had a bounce house (which I believe Everett was in for about 30 seconds), lots of friends and great food. we had a blast!

Bonfire at Big Corona! July 10, 2009

Our good friends the Colliers invited us to attend a bonfire to celebrate summer. It was the perfect weather for such a great time. We ate hot dogs and had smores. What more could you ask for!Everett had his first fruit punch from the can. I'm not sure how much got in his mouth but he sure enjoyed it!

The whole family had a fun time at the beach with our friends.

After dark some vendors were selling light-sticks. Everett thought they were the coolest thing in the world and loved playing starwars with his new friends!

4th Of July

We started out the day at the Newport Beach Second Ward's pancake breakfast. Everett loved eating the pancakes.

Cole was happy and content just hanging out with Mom.

We ended the day watching fireworks over the bay. It was an amazing show. Everett was sitting on the fence and I got to cuddle with my two boys. Granted I was trying to keep Everett from falling down a cliff into the ocean and Cole just didn't want to be put down. Good times!

O beautiful for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain, For purple mountain majesties above the fruited plain! America! America! God shed His grace on thee, And crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea!
O beautiful for pilgrim feet, Whose stern impassion'd stress, A thoroughfare for freedom beat across the wilderness. America! America! God mend thine ev'ry flaw, Confirm thy soul in self-control, Thy liberty in law.
O beautiful for heroes prov'd, In liberating strife, Who more than self their country loved, And mercy more than life. America! America! May God thy gold refine. Till all success be nobleness, And ev'ry gain divine.
O beautiful for patriot dream, That sees beyond the years, Thine alabaster cities gleam, Undimmed by human tears. America! America! God shed His grace on thee, And crown thy good with brotherhood, From sea to shining sea. (lyrics by Katherine Lee Bates)

I am always grateful to be reminded of what a wonderful country we live in. Today in church we sang "America the Beautiful" and I got choked up. I am grateful for the men and women that have sacrificed so much so that I could enjoy my freedoms today. I so marvel at the people that have worked and sacrificed for all the blessings that I take advantage of. What an amazing legacy our generation has been given.
It is my hope that I will strive to follow with a legacy of my own. That I leave the world a better place. I believe that if I teach my sons righteously and with the Lord's help they will be my legacy. I am so blessed to have them.
I give thanks to my father for passing his love of our country to me. He was a role model of a citizen who would fight for his country and beliefs. I hope that our armed forces today are filled with people who have the same convictions that my dad had.
I am so proud to be an American!