September 22 - Green Hunters Last Game

Cute little Hazey wakes up and goes right to his morning cartoon watching spot.  Cute little feeties & bum.  I just love him so much.

Tonight was Haze's last soccer game!  He has had such a wonderful season and has really grown to love playing soccer.  He is already excited for Spring season!  He was especially excited tonight because he was assigned the after game snack.  He chose a mini chip bag and Capri Sun for each teammate.  Yay, Green Hunters!

Nora had fun watching the game tonight on her special seat.  Diaper butts drive me nuts.

She also had fun eating Haze's halftime snack.  Nora loves watermelon.

Nora did the bink trick tonight!  Everyone has to do the bink trick.  Two binks in one mouth = trick!  She was pretty proud of her bink magician skills.  Maybe it's because the entire family was surrounding her and filling her room with applause.

September 21 - Cutest Hiding Babies

Me & Haze played a few games of Uno this morning (first thing) at his request.  The boy doesn't like the pile of cards to be "un-straight" so he spends a lot of time making them straight with his cute little hands.  Must be an Allen.  Or a Goodwin.

I was making everyone a snack when I heard, "Mom!!  In!!"  I looked over and Nora had gotten herself "in" the chair.  She was so proud!  I asked her if she was in a hut.  She grinned, nodded her head, and said, "Ya."

After she got out of her hut, she found a new bed.  And laid on it.  And "closed her eyes."  Then she demanded that I get her blankie.  And then drank her bottle in her bed.  With her little legs crossed.  She has a cute little imagination and I hope it never changes.  Also, she toted the Butt Paste in the picture around all morning & afternoon.  She kept saying, "Mine!" and holding it close to her.  And then she'd open & close it as she announced that she was doing so.  Butt Paste is a fun toy.

During naps, we played outside and ate popsicles and the Moms visited.  We're so thankful for the Millers.  They are some of our favorite friends.

Tonight after dinner, we went to Kohl's.  On our way inside, Haze pointed out the handicapped symbols in the parking stalls & pointing & kept saying (for each one), "On the toilet.  On the toilet.  On the toilet."  Looks like we've got some work to do in the "know your symbols department" at our house.

While me & Bryan were shopping, Andlie & Haze kept hiding from us and sneaking around behind us.  Nora wanted in on the action & asked, "Geet owt."  So we got her out of the cart and she joined right in.  Cutest hiding babies.  They're so cute and happy and fun with each other.  What a blessing.

September 20 - Grama & Grampa Puppy Visit

Grama & Grampa Puppy stopped by for dinner & a visit on their way home from Logan today.  And they brought Beau!  We LOVE Beau at our house.  Nora kept wanting to "tuch" him, but only if he was being calm & happy & close by someone she trusted.

Meanwhile, Grama was outside playing zombies and coloring with sidewalk chalk with Andlie & Hazey.  Andlie drew a "LOVE" on our sidewalk.  She executed it all by herself and I love it!

Sister bath time tonight!  I told them to smile...  Personalities are shining right though in this pic.

Cute little Nora fell asleep with the bink barely hanging on to her lips tonight.  And another one in her hands.  This girl loves her binks.  Is it okay to send her to Kindergarten with one?  Also, she loves these soft jammie pants.  She calls them her "bankies" (AKA blankies) and keeps saying, "Sot" (soft) when she wears them.

September 19 - Logan

We got Andlie & Hazey's soccer pictures at their games this morning.  They both turned out so cute!

Right after soccer games, we drove to Logan to celebrate Grandpa Allen's 85th birthday!  We spent a few hours at the park with most of the Allen family visiting and sharing food and hanging out.  It was great to see everyone!  Nora totally loved the ice cream.

I asked Grandpa what his advice was.  What he told me was wonderful.  "Try the hardest you can to be the happiest you can.  In your marriage and in your faith and in your family.  That's really what matters most."

Four Generations

After the park, we headed to Grandma & Grandpa's house where we spent the next five hours.

We went on walks around the cul-de-sac, petted a horse who was out on a walk with his owner, ran around in the grass, saw some chickens, played with blocks, visited, threw rocks in the canal, and ate yummy foods.  What a great way to spend a Saturday.

Stopped & saw the temple on the way out of town.

 

Nora totes hates the car.  Andlie & Haze fell asleep within minutes and she started crying about 30 minutes in.  I went & sat in the back with her about an hour in.  (Because my arm hurt from having to stretch it awkwardly to her seat so she could hold my hand.)  She immediately stopped crying.   And instead turned to non-stop conversating.  The rest of the ride went something like this:

Chandi: Nora, did you see some chickens today?

Nora: Ya!  Gam-ma's.  Blocks.

C: Did you play blocks?

N: Ya!  Annie.  (Played blocks with Andlie.)

N: Chick-kens.  Kitty.  Meeeeeeew.

C: Did you see chickens & a kitty?

N: Ya.  Rocks.  Daddy.

C: Did you throw rocks with Daddy?

N: Ya.  I ceam.

C: Did you eat ice cream?

N: Ya.  Sing.  Gam-ma.

C: Did eat ice cream and swing with Grama?

N: Ya.  Pie-cones.  Spash.

C: Did you throw pine cones in the water with Grama?

N: Ya.  Bay-bee.

C: Did you hold the baby?  (Kimmy's)

N: Ya.  Bankie.  Bikes.

C: Did the baby have a blankie with bikes on it?

N: Ya.  Bink.

C: Did the baby have a bink?

N: Ya.

N:....Rocks.  Daddy.

C: Did you throw rocks with Daddy?

N: Ya.

Bryan: Makes a "bloop" noise that he was making when they were throwing rocks in the canal that made her giggle like crazy.

N: Giggles!

N: More.  Daddy.

B: Bloop

N: Giggles.

N: More.  Daddy.

B: Bloop.

N: Giggles.

N: Kick-kens.

C: Did you see chickens?

N: Ya.  Kitty.

C: And a kitty?

N: Ya.

Et cetera.  Et cetera.  Et cetera.  It was my favorite ride home in the back seat by far.  She's the very best little talker and it's one of the cutest things in the whole world.

September 18 - Cougar Crawl Fun Run

Me & Nora & Hazey spent most of the day hanging out in the sunshine today.  It feels so good and it's almost time for Fall.  Nora showed me how she could relax & "close her eyes" to take a nap in her chair.

At 4:00 today, we headed to the Cougar Crawl Fun Run!  Andlie's school reached & exceeded their goal of $14,000!  Andlie raised $117 thanks to our amazing family!  Haze has been looking forward to "The Festival" since last year.  He speaks of it often & asks when we get to "go to that festival where we run around & there's balloons & we give people fives."  Today was finally that day!   (Special thanks to my friend, Katie, for the photobomb.)

Haze was totally in to it and he was giving everyone ahead of him high fives.

Hazey & Andlie both ran so far & fast when it was time for the 1st graders!  They loved when they would get to give high fives!  Haze made sure to hit every single person with an outstretched hand.

A couple girls (around the age of 10ish) saw that Nora was sad & asked why.  When I told them she wanted to run, they volunteered and that was the end of that discussion.  Nora jumped right up.  So I followed.  She got to run one more lap with Daddy after this one.

And then we all got popsicles and played on the playground!  Yay for Cougar Crawl!

 

We spent the evening outside.  It's just so nice!  Through his giggles, Haze asked me to take his picture.  And then this happened.

Ninja Andlie played on the slide.

 

And then Bryan took the kids to Chalk the Block down at Riverwoods while I went to another birthday dinner with Kenzie!  We had so much fun talking & reminicsing and were gone for 2 hours!  So thankful for wonderful friends and laughter.  What fun birthday gifts!

September 17 - Bye, Bye, Hatches

Today we had to say good-bye to the Hatch family.  But not before we made a stop at Krispy Kreme!  We had so much fun having them here!  We can't wait until they come again!

 After they left, we dropped Hazey off at school.  Then we went to Andlie's school & visited her during lunch (and dropped of her Cougar Crawl money) and then came back home to do some clean up.  Nora found the stander toy that Liam had been playing in, pointed at it, & said, "In.  Bay-bee."  So I put her in it and she just sat there and demanded that I serve her her lunch while she sat in it.

Then me & Nora went on a walk.  Where she did some pole dancing.  Ever since we saw the pole at Grampa's fire station, she stops at every pole, & says, "Poe."  And then she hangs on & tries to "slide down" it, but it usually just ends up looking like she's dancing on it.  Bravo, Nora.  Bravo.

Finished the night by going out to dessert with my friends for my birthday.  I love my friends.  I feel so lucky to have them in my life.  We had so much fun laughing & talking (mostly laughing)!  We got kicked out around 10:20 because they were trying to close.  I feel so blessed!

Back Row L to R: Kelly B., Kourtney S., Celeste P.  Front Row L to R: Jenna N., Abby V., Kylee D., Katie H.

September 16 - Birthday!

I turned 31 today!  And I had such a good day!  Maybe one of the best birthdays ever!  Here's why...

Bryan told me "happy birthday" at 12:01 am.

The first words out of Haze's mouth when he walked in to my room were, "Happy birthday, Mom."  Later in the morning, he told me, "Mom, ALL of the happy birthdays!!"

I woke up to Mandy, Daisey, and Liam still at our house!  It was so fun to have my sister (and her cute kids) here with me on my birthday.  Sisters are the best.

I opened my first presents this morning.  Daisey got me some neon pink rope (question marks....) and some Butterfinger candy bars!

Then I opened Haze's present.  He was SO EXCITED.  He got me some cars!  He went shopping with Mand last night and she says that he was so set on getting me a car.  He got me two!  He made sure to let me know that the skull car was purple - one of my favorite colors.  His face was so full of excitement when I opened them.  What a sweet gift from my sweet boy.

Next I opened some more gifts from Mindy & Shennie and both sets of parents!  They were filled with very thoughtful gifts and cards and lots of money!

We spent the rest of the morning playing with Daisey & Liam.

We even made a stop to the pet store to see the "am-ohs" (animals) at Nora's request.

Then Mandy treated me to a birthday lunch at one of my faves - Olive Garden!

After Andlie got home from school, I opened her gift.  She also went birthday shopping with Mand and I was told that she marched right to the aisle she wanted and picked up the boondoggle (AKA craft lace) and some neon yellow rope.  She knew right what she wanted and was SO EXCITED to have me open it.  I'm not sure about the rope, but I have told her that I used to boondoggle when I was her age.  I'm excited to make her a boondoggle key chain for her backpack!

Side note: Andlie spent the majority of the day yesterday making sure that I knew that the giant neon yellow card, the presents she was wrapping, and the cake she was making were "for her friend, Emily."  She was so cute about it and the little smirks on her face & silent giggles made my whole birthday.  She's the cutest.  She's one of my best friends.

This morning when she woke up, the first words out of her mouth were, "That cake is actually for YOU!!!"

"I love you, Mom.  I'll let you have a fun birthday."  Then she drew a picture of me, her, Haze, and Nora.  Best card.

Bryan surprised me and came home at 4:30 with birthday flowers!

After we played with cousins and visited for a while, it was time to open presents!

I. got. so. spoiled.  Bryan got me: Nikes, earrings, a watch, some craft paper, and....wait for it....a gift certificate for a hot stone massage!  I am so excited!!  He always spoils me.  I love all of my presents.

After a quick trip to the store, we came home and the kids & Mand ate dinner and then we busted out my cake!  And let me tell ya, it was a REAL MASTERPIECE.  Thanks goes to Andlie, Haze, and Daisey for making such a beautiful piece of work.  It's probably my favorite birthday cake ever.  I love it.

Special props to Andlie for keeping it such a secret that this was my birthday cake!  She was so cute to help make my birthday so special.

My favorite thing about my birthday was spending it with these people.  What a blessed woman I am.

After filling up on sugar, we got the kids ready for bed.  (Best idea, right?)

And we finished the night with a date at PF Chang's while Mandy stayed home with the kids.  We got a picture with the horse in front of PF Chang's to prove where we went.  And We made horse faces too.  Because we're awesome.

 

During dinner, we talked about how today is also the 10 year anniversary of our very first date!  We've changed a little bit, but we are still a lot the same.  We still like to touch whenever we're close.  We still make each other laugh.  We love like crazy.  BUT some things are different.  We know how to serve better.  We know how to fight better.  We are more in love now than we were then.  Bryan is such a blessing to me in my life.  I'm SO THANKFUL I said yes to that first date.  Best decision I ever made.  

I had such a happy birthday!  Several friends dropped little treats or cards by and I got so many text messages & Facebook messages.  I have felt the love today and I feel so blessed to have such a wonderful family and beautiful friends in my life!  Happy birthday to me!