MAAAAAAX

So many laughs with our funny little Max! He is always happy, I swear! Here's our favorite game of bonking heads...

Max is ALMOST crawling. He likes to cheat and Army Crawl. I wish he would just start crawling because he could get around a whole lot faster if he did!

Here's some random pics of Max. I can't believe he's 8 months already. 1 year is approaching quickly!

Yeah, he pretty much drools all of the time! He has 7 teeth now and loves to stick his tongue out and rub it on his huge front teeth... Always makes him look a little somber and silly when he does that. That's the bottom picture for ya.

Well, life is pretty chill until our month of August kicks in! We're just hangin out until we need to go full speed.....

UnDo, ReDO and a New 'Do

Sometimes being a stay-at-home mom feels like I am always RE-DOing everything that has been undone...

ReDO the hair that gets messed up after Maddie's nap.

ReDO the laundry that got dirty. Redo the ironing. Redo the folding. Reorganize and put them away, sometimes 7 loads a week.

Reload the dishwasher. Unload. Reload for the second time in 1 day. Sometimes repeat.

ReDO the vacuuming because someone got crumbs all over for the second time today.

ReDO the 3 despised toilets and the messy bathrooms that I JUST scrubbed last week.

ReDO my 30 minute pedicure because they get scraped on the wall when I flipturn in swimming.

ReDO the straightening on the bookshelves.

ReDO the toy organization in the livingroom.

ReDO the lunches, the feedings, the dinners, the treats...

ReDO the dishes, AGAIN.

Put them down for naps, wake them up, put them down again.

Give baths, clean bums, wash hands, clean messes.

Watch things get undone all over again.

Defeat.

Throw in the towel, and ReDO everything ALL OVER AGAIN.

And that's Motherhood for ya! In spirits of DOing things I posted a pic of my new 'do.

(I cut off 4.5 inches)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MADDIE!

This last week has been so great. My beautiful babies are so wonderful. Maddie's birthday finally came and went... I cannot believe she is already THREE years old! We spent her birthday doing things she loves: swimming, watching HSM, and going to McD with Aunt Tiffy for ice cream. Maddie and Max really enjoyed the pool together. Maddie dumped buckets of water on her poor, defenseless brother's head! ...But he just laughed and thought it was funny. He's cool like that!

Tiff and Maddie enjoying some ice cream together!

Maddie in the VERY SANITARY McD playplace. Hmmm, I guess they all need a little adventure for their birthday! HAHA.

Check out these curls:

CUPCAKES! YUMMY!

The giant cupcake was my favorite!

This next video was AFTER Maddie's party. She was very shy when it came to blowing out the candles in front of everyone, so we re-created the scene and blew them out at home. She was very excited to do it again and her wish was to watch High School Musical.

Disclaimer: Lars and I are singing: BEWARE!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BABY!

Better LATE than NEVER!

Okay, yes I know it's been a week, but better late than never, right?

So we spent our 4th together as a family because Lars FINALLY got a day off! Our day began with an FHE breakfast and ended with a bowl of cereal! Ha, Lars thinks cereal for dinner should be a tradition on the 4th because grilling twice in a day on a charcoal grill leaves no time for anything else!

Anyway, we had FHE [with Becca, Ryan, Esa, Brian and the kids] and ate a really fatty sausage, bacon, biscuit and gravy meal, and had a nice lesson on maintaining healthy bodies. THE IRONY! To feel better about ourselves, we then cleaned up and went on a bike ride. When we came home, we invited Bryson over for a swim with Maddie. It was Max's first time in the pool. He liked it once he warmed up.

After the swim, we ate yummy lunch and went for a walk to go watch the famous Cache Valley Cruise-in CAR SHOW PARADE. We loaded up the kids and put Max and Jameson (Esa's) in the double. They are both getting SO BIG!Maddie and Bryson are always so much fun to take around together. I love it because everyone always thinks they are twins. They do look a lot alike! I think Max and Bryson will look very similar when Max gets a little older too.

The kids had fun waving to each of the cars as they passed by. In the evening, we played RedNeck Golf, hung out, played in the yard, and the kids played with poppers. Maddie and Bryson were both avoiding my pictures, but we did get a few cute ones in!At night, we played with sparklers and watched our own fireworks. Because of our mishap last year (Maddie tried to put the sparkler in her mouth and when she reflexively pulled it from her, she singed a portion of her bangs!), Maddie was convinced her hair was on fire whenever she saw the fireworks! So, I got a good picture of her hair "on fire"!And a picture of my favorite guys:All-in-all it was a GREAT day. Except for my poor baby having nightmares that night about Bryson being caught on fire with a firework... She bawled in hysterics for a very long time and was even shaking like a leaf. I had to convince her it was a dream and NOT REAL! Lars hopes she'll despise the 4th as much as he does and they'll be able to erase the holiday together! (He loves to honor the veterans and heroes of the country and LOVES the day off, but hates the fireworks and crowds) But atleast he was a good sport and we had a great time with the kids AND he even let me dress the family up in Red, White and Blue without a protest!

Anyway, this last part is for my mom... Max absolutely ADORES Maddie and I think she makes him laugh more than we do... So here's a video of Max laughing at Maddie:

OQUIRRH-WHA?

OQUIRRH MOUNTAIN TEMPLESo, today was a great day! We took all the Young Men and Young Women down to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple, the newest of LDS Temples in South Jordan, Utah (close to SLC). Because it has not been dedicated yet, anyone can tour the temple and see all the rooms, and learn our beliefs; NO SECRETS HERE! So, we got a chance to take our youth to visit and take our sweet little kids to peek inside! Maddie was ecstatic. We regularly attend the Logan temple, but because only endowed members of the church can enter, Maddie is unable to attend the temple with us; so, being able to go inside the temple was such an appealing thought for her! She was very excited to go inside and see what Mommy and Daddy see in the temple... She understands a lot, but still thinks that because we got married in the temple once, every time we attend the temple we get married again... I have to keep explaining to her that we only get married ONE TIME in our lives and it lasts ALL ETERNITY. I think she's still a little confused on that. Oh, and on our way out the door she asked me if she was going to get married to a boy in the temple today. Um, NO. She's funny.

The CUTEST KIDS you ever did see....

and yes, not a photo trick, MAX IS HUGE and almost the size of his sister!

Some of our Young Women.

Unfortunately, summertime is hard to get all of the girls together!
That was our trip. Can't take pictures inside the temple, although I wish I could show you the HEAVENLY sights I saw in there! Especially the amazing paintings and HUGE chandeliers!

So. Below is a picture of why you should NEVER leave a two-year-old alone with a plate full of beans....

....They become a facial!


And although Max was sick with a fever (and still is), we played outside in the blistering sun (Max in the shade) with bubbles. Max absolutely LOVES bubbles. It's so funny to make them pop on his face!!! He must like the sensation, or just the thrill of watching them! He's just as funny as Maddie. MAN, I have cute kids! (sorry, but I'm a little obsessed lately!)

It's Summertime and Livin's Easy.....

Well, Well, Well... Summertime has been a BLAST so far! We are looking forward to our first summer WITHOUT traveling and summer sales! Lars' new job is keeping him busy, so the kids and I are just taking advantage of all the sunshine we can get! I take them on a 2hr walk or bikeride almost every day. Although today we are forgoing that adventure because Max has a fever and it's TOO HOT to go outside make it any higher! I sure have been getting in shape! I'm loving my new exercise routine! I feel like I am finally getting to know myself and my likes and dislikes :) I sure do LOVE doing anything outside! I'm guessing that must stem from my childhood in Arizona where it's summertime year-round!!!

So, we had another PHOTOSHOOT of Maddie after grandma sent a package with "The CUTEST green dress that Maddie has EVER seen!" And, of course, I had to make it fair and give you some pictures of FAT Max, too (he's only 6 pounds lighter than Maddie. He's over 20 pounds now)! ENJOY!

And some to show the fat face! hehehe. He's so kissable and lovable with those roley-poley cheeks!Max isn't crawling yet, but he gets his knees up. And he CAN sit up, but chooses to fall over and roll everywhere instead. He's like a log. All round. Maybe that's why he doesn't want to crawl: it's easier to roll around when you have such a heavy mid-section! Maybe I'll start seeing all my dads roll now... HAHA.

And here's a fun video that I just haven't got around to posting. Maddie is singing and playing the piano. I'm so lucky we have a little one that thinks her life is a musical! She sure does make life fun!!!

In fairness' sake, here's one of the infamous "LAUGH-CRY" that Max has mastered. Usually when he's upset, it sounds like this. He rarely cries without a funny laugh to break things up!

2-GOING-ON-20

When I was in High School my mother was adamant on me calling every few hours (regardless of where I was or what I was doing) just to "Check In." I guess the idea was to make sure I wasn't getting in to trouble or something. Well, I am guessing that this idea has passed through the genes and now hit my daughter. She has become very nosey and quite the pry. Today as I put her down for a nap she asked me what I would be doing while she was napping. I told her I was going downstairs. "Well, what are you going to DO when you go down there?" she asked. And I explained the laundry, the loaves of bread in the oven and how I needed to clean up a few things. "OH, okay. Goodnight, then"

I favor this response over last weeks. Last week she told me "Well, go to the potty when you need to, and come and get me if you need some help. What is Max gonna do? [he's sleeping too] Oh, well just wake me up when he wakes up" Yeah, like I'm going to wake a sleeping child. HA! Thanks for the invitation, Maddie.

Today, after a long run and a 10 mile bikeride Maddie told me: "Mom, it makes you tired when you ride fast on your bike huh? [Yep, it sure does. Especially when you and Max are SO HEAVY in the trailer!] OOOOoooooh! Well you need to do some more sit-ups then!" Thanks.

Oh, yesterday she threw a SURPRISE PARTY for her Daddy in her Little People House. It was so funny to hear the dialog...
"SURRRRRRPPPPPRRRISSSSEEE!"
"Oh, is this a party for ME?"
"Yes, Da-Da, this is a party for YOU"
"Thanks, Son. I love parties"
"Father, we hope you like your party"
"Thank you, Daughter"

Yes, and also, along with her strange dialog and such, came a new way to address Lars and I. I am now called "MOTHER" and Lars is now "FATHER." IT DRIVES ME INSANE. I think she knows this. And laughs at me for it. And then continues to call me it, much to my dismay. You might as well sag my breasts to my knees and call me Gertrude. A few days ago she told me "Mother, Max would like to feed now." FEED?! What am I a friggin HEIFER??? HAHAHA.

I love that girl, and I swear she's a teenager in a 2-yr-old's body.

So her birthday is just over two weeks from now. July 14th. She told me she wants cupcakes, but no icecream. I think she just might change her mind. We're getting her an easel, and paint. I'm hoping to groom an artist!

Well, that's about everything fun I can think of right now. MUCH LOVE!