mini-golf with Daddy

Monday night was Xactware's annual mini-golf tournament.  The boys look forward to this every year - they LOVE getting to "golf" with their daddy!  This was the first year that Gavin could really golf (he was sick last year) and boy was he fun to watch.  He didn't want to "golf" the way his daddy told him to - he wanted to do it his own way!  On every hole he would tell me that he got a hole in 2 or a hole in 90!  Dallin and Matthew were much more serious "golfers".

1st Day of School

Dallin and Matthew went back to school on Thursday.  They were sad that summer was over but still happy that school was starting.  I felt the same.  I am going to miss my WONDERFUL helpers!  Dallin really loves school and Matthew will - he always has a hard time the first few days and then he loves it.  He said the first day of school was very boring - hopefully that will change - I'm sure it will.

It's Great to be 8!

Dallin was baptized on August 1.  Here are the pictures my cute cousin Amanda (click here to check out her website - she takes fabulous pictures!) took when she was here right before his baptism.  I can't believe how grown-up Dallin is.  He is such a wonderful boy.  We are so happy he is part of our family!  

There are also pictures from the luncheon we had afterwards at our house.  It was really yummy and easy.  I got a lot of the food from Costa Vida (pork, chicken, beans, rice, tortillas) and then had some appetizers, fruit, and yummy desserts (thanks to those that helped with everything that day!).  We also blessed the twins that day at our house so there is a lot of pink & blue at the luncheon along with pictures of the twins.  I will post pictures from their blessing soon.  It turned out to be a great day!

Happy 8th Birthday Dallin (yesterday)

Happy Birthday Dallin!  I can't believe my baby turned 8 yesterday!  I had hoped to scrapbook his birthday pictures but I am just not up to it today.  Dallin is really into Legos these days so he wanted a Lego cake - not my best cake but he liked it and it was all I could do.  All in all, I think he had a good day.  It started with swimming lessons (which he LOVES), and then his first time going to cub scouts, then Gram took him and his brothers (Matthew & Gavin) to lunch at McDonald's (his choice).  That night he picked what we had for dinner (hamburgers) and then we opened presents and a few of our friends came over to help eat his cake.  Later this week Ed is going to take them somewhere fun for his birthday.

Dallin could get baptized July 11 (our stake isn't doing baptisms on July 4) but I need more time to recover and I want to bless the twins on the same day.  So, he will get baptized August 1.  

Basketball once again!

Here are some more basketball pages for Dallin and Matthew.  These are from back in February - April.  Today is their last day of this session of basketball but I don't have many pictures.  Anyway, here are my cute boys playing basketball!

FYI - only TWO days left!!!!!!!!!

Last Day of School

Friday was the last day of school for the big 2 boys.  Of course, for some reason they only go for a whole 1 1/2 hours and they didn't even start at the same time.  Very strange.  But, school is over and they both had a great year and did very well!

FYI - I only have at most TEN days left until the twins come - so make sure to vote for their combined weight!

School Dance Festival

Every year the kids school does a dance festival the last week of school.  Each grade performs one or two dances that they have practiced for the last couple of weeks.  It is a lot of fun to watch the kids dance.  Both boys did such a great job (and I took a TON of pictures - I just can't get enough of my cute boys)!  Dallin loved that his dance was to a song from the movie Cars.  Matthew thought it was fun to do something he has watched Dallin do for the last two years.  

Don't forget to vote (see poll on right side)!  12 days and counting!

Dallin's Piano Recital

Dallin had his second piano recital last night.  It was so much fun to listen to him play, especially his second song - he played a duet with Ed.  Dallin was so excited to play a song with his daddy - and they had so much fun practicing together & playing last night.  Dallin definitely played his songs better at home but he still did a GREAT job!  He loves playing the piano and has progressed so much since he started just about 1.5 years ago.  I just can't believe how much he has grown up!  

Sorry - you can't read the writing in the videos - I could when I made them.

Bike Ride to Eaglecrest

Last weekend, Ed took the 2 big boys on a bike ride to their elementary school, Eaglecrest.  They loved getting to go on a bike ride with their daddy (since he goes on bike rides all the time).  They had a great time!

FYI - I only have 29 days left, at most, until I have the twins.  So, even though I haven't blogged much at all these days, I haven't had them yet - just been extremely exhausted.

Visit to the Dentist for Dallin

What fun!  Last year Dallin had to have two teeth extracted (one wasn't coming in due to the fact that it had CRAZY crooked roots).  Since then, the molar behind the crazy root tooth has come in crooked and even twisted making it so there is NOT room for the permanent tooth.  So, last week Dallin had to get a rubber band placed between 2 of his teeth on the right to make room for a metal ring.  Today I took him in for the metal rings.

All I have to say is thanks heavens for laughing gas.  There is no way they would have gotten even one ring on his tooth, much less two rings AND taken an impression!  It took forever to find a ring that fit his teeth correctly - and even then, they had to use the biggest ones (and they weren't totally convinced they were big enough).  So those big metal things in the pictures above, will stay in his mouth for the next while.  Luckily, you could tell the gas was really working - all of a sudden Dallin's arms would just start floating in the air.  And when they took the impression (which they had to do twice since the first one didn't work), he actually laughed out loud.  I wanted to throw up just watching them take an impression of his mouth - I am so glad he was fine with it.

Unfortunately, this afternoon, while Dallin was feeling around his mouth with his tongue, one of the rings came out.  So back to the dentist we went.  But it was fast and he didn't even need the laughing gas.  Hopefully we won't have to go back to the dentist until we go next week to get the wire put in.  What fun!

Matthew & Dallin Play Basketball (again & no end in sight)

So, yes, I post a lot of pictures (pages) about sports and lately just basketball (the snow was finally gone until it snowed again last night - which means it is almost time for soccer).  But, that is my life and it is fun.  It is really fun just to see how much they have learned and how much they have improved.  Dallin is really liking basketball - and with as tall as he is, that is a good thing.  And Matthew is loving it too (even though there is no kicking like in soccer).  Last week was the end of the last 7 week session for them at The Factory.  Luckily (for me), we had this week off before the next session starts next week.  But the chairs at basketball aren't too bad and I have a babysitter that watches Gavin & Brecken for me so I can just sit and not worry about the little ones - and get to enjoy watching Dallin & Matthew play ball!

Draper Temple Open House

Last Saturday, we had tickets to the Draper Temple Open House.  We had all planned on going but I decided it wasn't a good idea for me to go - I get exhausted, tired, & have braxton hicks contractions after standing for just a few minutes, so walking through the new Temple didn't sound like a good idea.

Ed was so good and took Dallin and Matthew.  Even though it was a busy day there - lots of people, waiting in lines, and walking - they were glad they got to go and see the Temple (especially Dallin).  It didn't hurt that they got water bottles & cookies at the end.  I'm so glad they got to go and see the Temple - I just wish I could have gone with them.

More Snow Fun (from January)

Dallin's Winter Poetry Program

Dallin's class did a little Winter Poetry Program a little over a week ago - here are some pictures from it.  The pictures aren't very exciting since it was a Poetry program.  But it was fun to be able to go and watch him.  He did a fabulous job (as always)!

Not much else has been going on here since we found out what the twins are going to be.  I have been resting a ton.  I think they must be in a huge growth spurt because I am extra exhausted!  

Dallin - it's great to be (almost) 8!

I can't believe my baby (he would not like being called that) is going to be 8 this year (in June).  He has grown-up so much lately.  He likes wearing a sports coat to church (and even buttoning it up) and he has been the BEST helper lately (and boy have I needed the help)!  He fixes meals for his brothers, insists that I rest, does dishes - basically he does most anything that he thinks will help make it easier for me (I wonder if he would help this much if I was pregnant with just one baby and not two?  He probably would).

Family Pictures (way back in August 2008)

Okay - so now that things have calmed down (holidays are over), I am trying to go back and finish up the pages I never got around to doing last year so I can get my first digital scrapbook printed!  Then I have to go back and do 2007 and the end of 2006 (I am so embarrassed to be so far behind - but I was really sick when I was pregnant with Brecken & we had a rough time the first 6 months of his life - and back then, I was doing traditional scrapbooking).  

So, here are a lot of the fabulous pictures my adorable cousin (okay, my cousin's wife) Amanda took for us last August.  She does a fabulous job so if you are in AZ, look her up (click here for her photography site).  Or, if we can get enough people up here in UT, she will come up and take pictures.  Anyway, she really does a great job.  I had a hard time picking which ones to scrapbook - hence the 7 pages!  Thanks again Amanda (and Angela - she was here then too and helped with the kids)!

Basketball (again with more to come)

With 4 (and potentially 6) boys, we play a lot of sports.  In October and November it was time for basketball.  Dallin and Matthew took a basketball skills class (again) at The Factory (formerly Open Court).  They love it and learn so much!  This time we even signed them up for games on Saturday - which was a lot of fun and a great experience for the boys.  It is always great to see the boys progress - I could see HUGE improvements in both boys this time.  But I think my favorite part was to see how close Dallin & Matthew are.  Matthew was always happier and did better if he was with his big brother - and Dallin doesn't even mind.  Dallin takes good care of his little brother Matthew!

The Boys' Big Adventure

Ed was able to take some time off over Christmas - and he did a TON with the boys.  One day, he took Dallin and Matthew (Gavin wanted to stay home) on an adventure that included riding TRAX, the Salt Lake City Library, riding Front Runner (the passenger commuter train), and visiting Grandma Jane and O'Pa.  They had a GREAT time!

Dallin's Thanksgiving Play

The week of Thanksgiving, Dallin's class did 2 little plays.  I was able to go and watch (Ed was out of town).  Dallin was the scarecrow in the first one and did a GREAT job!  He is growing up way too quickly!

Creative Dallin

Dallin is always drawing, writing books, or making something.  Here are 2 of his latest creations.