Bestest Buddies

Next week Hyrum is starting Kindergarten.  I'm kind of scared and excited.  It's a whole new world that our family is entering and the dynamics of our day to day will be forever altered.  The thing I worry about the most is how these two will cope apart from each other.  Sure, they fight and get on each other's nerves, but they love each other A LOT too.  I worry that this separation will alter their friendship and possibly make them forget how much they care and rely on another.  Right now they pretty much do everything together and their personalities really complement each other.  I know that all siblings go through a stage where they don't get along and sometimes hate each other, but I just don't want it to come to soon.  I love it as they are right now and I want to remember them this way.  With all the anxieties that I'm facing I'm also very excited to see Hyrum's progression forward.  I think Noah will gain some more confidence and leadership opportunities with Hyrum gone.  Maybe Noah and Owen will get a little closer in the next couple of years before Noah get's to join Hyrum in elementary school.  I'll be starting Joyschool for Noah just after Labor Day and I'm looking forward to this experience for a second time.  

Splash Pad

It seams like the longer we live here the more I love it.  I love that there are half a dozen parks within walking distance from our house.  I love that there are two splash pads both five minutes away.  We visited one of them this week, while we count down to the end of summer and the start of school.  Yikes! I can't believe how fast this summer has gone by. Owen LOVES the water.  I know I've mentioned that before, but it amazes me how fearless or water he is, which is kind of scary sometimes.  When we got there I set him down on the ground and he booked it strait for the water.    

Hyrum's new love is goggles and he loves wearing them!

A Date with Noah

Brett and I try and make one on one time with each of the boys a priority.  Usually its just a run to the store, but two weekends ago I took Noah to Lehi's Foam Day.  I had never been before and heard about it from a neighbor, so I wasn't sure what to expect.  It was just as advertised:  a LOT of foam!  Noah can actually be pretty shy in unfamiliar surroundings, especially when Hyrum isn't there with him.  It took about 10 minutes for him to unstick from my leg, but once he let go we had some fun getting dirty and foamy:)

We got there 30 minutes after the foam started getting blown.  The foam was still white and pretty.  By the time we left the foam was brown and shoes were getting sucked into the mud.  Kinda gross, but still really cool!

He ran up to the foam blower and didn't realize that it wasn't a good idea until after he got sprayed.  He has the cutest sad face though.  He loved our date and kept saying, "This is a Mommy and Noah date, and it's not for anyone else!"  After the foam, and showering off with the fireman's hoses, we got to go on a few kiddie train rides and play on an outdoor play area.  I love my little snuggle buggle. 

This is not related to this date, but I thought it would be a good place to add:  

When Noah is happy he will be SO affectionate and loving and say, "You are my special snuggle buggle and I love you SO much!"  When he gets mad at me sometimes he reverses the same phrase: "You are NOT my special snuggle buggle and I don't love you FOREVER!"  Yes, it's kind of sad to hear, but I can't help from wanting to laugh at his cute little voice and big lower lip saying those words.  I just love his little mind and how cute he is!

Yesterday Noah picked up his scriptures, pointed to the front, and asked, "What does this say?"
My response, "The Book of Mormon; Another Testament of Jesus Christ"
Noah excitedly exclaimed, "Hey!  I love that guy!"

Jimkeepers

The tale of the Jimkeepers goes back many years to when a bunch of rowdy teenage boys became friends.  Well, somehow those crazy boys became men.  I love it when we can all get together.  We were extra lucky to have Lee and Jaclyn in town from Georgia.  It would be so nice to have them closer (hint, hint:)).  

We met at a beautiful park in southern Orem.  We fed ducks

we picnic'd and the kids played 

and the big boy's played 

Oh, and Owen has a fierce love of dogs.  He is always chasing after them. . which I have to watch out for sometimes.  He gives kisses over and over again to dogs and Ollie was his new love:).   

Arizona Summer

Months ago Brett suggested that we go to Arizona for a week after our Disneyland adventure.  All I could think was July + Arizona = NO!!!  Well, after a lot of talk I finally gave in and I was glad I did.   The 110+ degree temperatures really weren’t as bad as I was dreading.  Swimming makes everything more bearable, along with all the fun with family.  We spent a lot of time in the pool and the boys even took some swim lessons with their cousins.  I really feel like both of the boys have improved leaps and bounds this summer.  Hyrum likes it when I call him little fish when we’re in the pool and Noah then usually insists that I call him scary shark.  Our boys are so cute!

Disneyland 2

Hyrum and Noah both got to fight the dark side as Jedi’s in training, along with most of their cousins.  That was a great experience!  Hyrum also got to have his birthday at the happiest place on earth.  He is FIVE!!! I can’t believe that we have a five year old and he is such a joy to have in our family.  He is curious and always asking questions about everything.  We tried to make the day special by taping streamers up in the hotel while he was asleep so he could wake up to something special.  We also let him pick out a big ice cream cone.  He ate about half of it before he decided that he was full (yes, this boy has a lot of self control) and was ready to open presents.  He gave the rest to Noah who demolished it.  I’m just glad we put down a towel on the floor:)

Noah is now tall enough to go on the Tower of Terror, which of course means that Brett insisted he tried it once.  I won’t even go on it!  Anyway, he did try it, he didn’t cry, and all he said was “I don’t like that fast elevator”.  He’s such a brave boy.  The kids also got to dance away at the Phineas and Ferb show.  (I love the top picture with Hyrum in the air as he was jumping)

We got to see their Aladdin show which is just the coolest, funniest, Broadway-esque show to see.  With all the fun  the kids would get pretty zonked out which means I got in some extra snuggle time. 

There was a lot of waiting in lines, but the lines overall were great.  It was fun seeing the sea of like colors with our matching shirts.

Disneyland

Ok, so these are not in order, but I’ve spent the last week looking at these pictures and trying to figure out how to post about 100 pictures onto the blog.  It was really hard to condense them, but these were some that I wanted to remember.  Carsland was AWESOME! 

There were some other awesome rides and people to meet.

There were some great treats to cool us down.

We did some fun Disneyland trivia that brought in the Partridge competitive gene and kept our minds searching.  The boys really loved all the rides and spending time with cousins.