Boys will be Boys

Last weekend (yes, I'm up to date around here!) was our ward's Fathers and Sons Campout. It was cold but James and Owen had a great time. Well, Owen had a great time wandering off in every direction while James did his best to corral him. James put the seats down in the car when it was time for bed and everything went smoothly.

So happy to be free!

Getting Colder

The morning after

Has anyone seen Owen?

Back at the homestead, Zoe and I had a girls' night in - painting nails, eating popcorn, and watching The Little Mermaid, her most recent favorite movie. It was nice (and oh so relaxing) to have some one-on-one time with her, but she really wanted to be out camping with her daddy and frequently declared, "I want to be a boy" bringing back many of my own memories of feeling overlooked during Fathers and Sons Campouts of my youth. It's tough to be a girl.

Grandpa Tom

As I alluded in my Christmas post, James' grandpa passed away. He was diagnosed with cancer toward the end of the year so we all gathered together for Christmas. On March 7, less than a week after he found out chemo had not worked, he passed away in his home. We love him and will miss him so much.

Ms. D'Lynn

Zoe

Zozer

The Dozer

Nuggle Bear

The Nuggle

Ah Zoe. Where do I start? We had a rough winter. Things started getting better a month ago when she got really sick and sent us back to square one. Now, with some occasional warm weather, she is back to her bubbly self. She loves to help me with everything and be a mommy (to Owen, Tigger, and Warner -her toy bird). She is steadily getting better at interacting with people and understanding feelings - her own and those of others. She is really excited for it to be summertime and asks every day if it's warm enough to go to the pool. I have to say, I am excited as well.

This Guy

Owen

Buddy

Mr. Budders

Buster

No matter what we call him, this guy is trouble. Fortunately, we love trouble. He is always smiling and always on the go. He is one tough kid, but also a snuggler. He loves to hug and give kisses. He's also really polite and started telling us "thank you" without being prompted. He insists on walking down the stairs and feeding himself. He loves fruit and juice. He loves telling us "no." He is definitely a force to be reckoned with.

Preschool Wrap-up

Preschool has been such a blessing for both myself and Zoe. We have done some fun stuff and made great friends. I will be sad when it's over in a few short weeks. Here are a few of the things we've been doing in the name of education:

Pajama Party

Trip to the Fire Station

A trip to the dentist

Jumping Jacks
The Bean Museum

Hi Everybody!

Ok, I'm back. And with pictures. Without further ado, here we go:

Christmas: was great. We ended up canceling our trip to California at the last minute and headed to Oregon instead. Grandpa Tom was diagnosed with cancer so the whole family made the trek out to spend one last Christmas together. One of Cathy's friends was generous enough to let us and Fern's family stay in her house while she was away. It was great to have a little space to call our own and for Zoe and Owen to hang out with their cousins. We missed our wonderful family and friends in California, but we were so glad we got to see Grandpa one more time.

We spent Christmas day at home. I love being at home for Christmas - we opened presents and stayed in pajamas for two days straight. The big hits of the day were dress-up clothes for Zoe and Cars for Owen - both the movie and tons of hotwheels. We also got them a little tent and a tunnel that are endlessly entertaining.




After Christmas we packed up and headed to Oregon. We hung out with James' sisters, aunts, and cousins. All the girls went out to see The Princess and the Frog one day and had a blast. Most importantly, James got to spend some quality time with his grandpa.


Don't worry, I'll keep updating. For mother's day James let me lock myself in the office to edit and post pictures. It's been a lovely day.