SeaWorld

We took the boys to SeaWorld today for the first time and had a lot of fun. We were there right before it opened, got a great parking spot and were able to see almost everything before we headed home. The very last ride the boys really wanted to do before we drove home, was the rollercoaster - Atlantis. I volunteered to take pictures, since I don't care for rollercoasters. They scare the crap out of me, to say it lightly.

As you can see in the picture, they scare Tanner like that too! Keegan and Scott love them and could ride them all day long. So sad to see Tanner so scared!

The boys really enjoyed the different shows, especially Shamu, of course and the sea lion show, because it was funny.

It's really amazing what they can teach the animals to do. Not to mention, how awesome it is to see a Killer Whale up close like that. I'm always amazed at the creativity God has in designing everything.

Fun, fun day!

Keegan's 1st Grade Jog-a-thon

Keegan ran in his first jog-a-thon at his school with the rest of his first grade class. He did awesome! He sprinted out of the gates, eager to show everyone he was the fastest man on campus, only to realize he'd run out of gas at the turn. He walked awhile, then sprinted, then walked, then sprinted, and kept this up the whole 10 minutes. He added in a few jumps over cones to keep himself entertained. Ultimately, he felt he was the fastest runner in the whole class, by far! So funny. He has no problem boasting these days. I was so happy to be able to attend this event with him. I'm so lucky to stay home with my boys and be involved in their daily lives. I love it. Great job Keegan!

The Other Girl in the Family

We now have a little, girl, Lhasa Apso for our family. The boys named her "Mo" after the UofM Monte's little sidekick "Mo". She is adorable and such a good puppy. Mom and Dad brought her down with them from Montana when they drove here for a visit in March. I had contacted a breeder there who had had a little of puppies on January 1st, 2011, and Mom and Dad drove to St. Ignatius and picked her out.

The boys love her, especially Keegan. She is a great puppy and has learned the potty training thing fairly quickly, according to others I talk to. We are crate training her and she's taken to it well. The first night, she wanted to be out but stopped whimpering within 5 minutes. We only had to let her out in the middle of the night a few times and then she was able to go all night.

I know, we have it so easy. I realize this and I also know God only gives you what you can handle, so we must not be able to handle much!

She loves walking to school with the boys in the morning. She literally runs the whole way down the hill and keeps up with them. On the way home, she loves to run through all the bushes and explore. Her hind legs hop behind her like a bunny rabbit. So cute!

I took her for her first hair trim this week. They trimmed her paws and around her face, so now she can actually see without hair blocking her view!

She's a perfect fit for our family.

Spring Break 2011

This week is spring break for the boys. I can't say we've done anything incredible over the break, but we've spent a lot of days at home playing outside with neighborhood friends and have had a couple of play dates as well.

I had that mommy guilt set in last night, "you should have taken them someplace memorable over the break", "they won't stay young like this for long", "how can you feel so frustrated with them, this is the first week they've been home together. Wait until summer!" The truth is, I thought about taking them to Sea World like another friend did, but I didn't. They love playing outside and that's what we did instead. Will they remember these days, probably not. Well, I shouldn't say that. They might not remember these exact days, but they might remember how mommy used to pitch the baseball to them in the street.

I took them to Chuck E. Cheese today in preparation for this big rain storm today, that never happened. Chuck E. Cheese was fun and a few friends joined us, which is always a good time. We're going to a fun trampoline place tonight and possibly a Laker game on Sunday. Our boys are completely spoiled. It's a balancing act between being able to take them to lots of fun things and yet, making sure they still appreciate the experiences. Lately, I've felt like they haven't been as appreciative.

I'm really tired of the bickering between the two of them. It's exhausting. Summer may be a challenge if I don't have them at the beach everyday.

I'm ready for school to start again on Monday, can't you tell?

Flag Football Fun

The boys are having a lot of fun playing flag football again this year. Keegan has really stood out this year. His ability to cut from side to side and run fast, has earned him 3 touchdowns and a pick six in just 2 games.

Tanner is much less timid than he was last year and is an excellent defensive player. He does a great job of grabbing flags, especially since he's not afraid to dive for them.

Big Hiatus

I know, it's been way too long since I last updated my blog. What can I say, life gets busy. I haven't been as motivated either. I think I'll always go through phases. Sometimes I'll write often and other times, I'll take breaks.

Tonight I was cherishing my little boys, who are quickly becoming not so little. I love that Tanner and Keegan still want me to lay next to them at bedtime every night. I love that they still cuddle with stuffed animals at night. I love that they really are best friends at times. I love that they're getting into collecting baseball cards, which they earn for doing chores around the house (brilliant idea from Kana). I love how I get to hear a new idea from Tanner almost everyday about what he wants to do for his birthday party that's still over a month away. I love that my boys think I'm the best mom in the world for buying them a 3-ring binder and pages to put their baseball cards in. I love that Keegan is really learning to read well and Tanner is reading too. Most of all, I love this time of being their mom at home for them after school and at all the soccer, football, and baseball games. We are so blessed!

Keegan's 7th Birthday

Keegan had a great 7th birthday. He kept asking me to fill the house with balloons like I had done the previous year, but I said I'd see about it. I wouldn't give him a definitive yes, and so he kept asking me to do it. Well, this year I filled the house with balloons again, only twice as many! The downstairs was filled with 140 balloons when Keegan woke up on Thursday morning.

He was so excited to see the balloons and kept running through them. It's amazing how balloons can entertain and excite a kid so much.

I also decorated the house with a birthday table cloth, the wall with a huge birthday sign, and wrote on my car windows with paint, so everyone knew it was Keegan's birthday. He loved it!

Later that day, after Keegan got out of school, Grandma and Grandpa went with us to the pet store and bought Keegan is first pet. A fish tank with a frog in it. He was so excited! The next day, after the water was ready, we went back the pet store and bought four fish and another frog. Keegan loves watching the fish and frogs, as well as, the rest of us. I feel like we have a piece of nature on our kitchen counter now. Keegan named the frogs Flippy and Freddie.

For Keegan's birthday party, we hosted a Wii tournament at our house with 14 boys. Talk about crazy! It was so much fun though and very under control once the games were going. Before the games and after the games, that was a different story. Someone figured out that if you hit the balloon onto the halogen lamp in the living room corner, it will pop and make a very loud sound. So, you can imagine what happened next with the 140 balloons lying around the house. Pop! Pop! Pop! I needed some aspirin after that!

The funny thing was, Scott had placed dollar bets with some people before the party started as to how many balloons would be left by the end of the party. Mimi ended up closest to the winning number of around 25. Needless to say, those 25 didn't make less than 20 more minutes. It was kind of nice not tripping over balloons anymore though.

We gave out prizes for those who won at each Wii game (Tennis, Mario Kart, and Just Dance) and Keegan and Tyler won for best all around score.

It was a great party and one he'll always remember. Keegan told me today, that he really likes being 7. So cute! The night before his birthday, he told me he already felt like he was 7. I told him he wasn't born until 9am in the morning, so he needed to wait until then to call himself 7. He loves feeling older and more mature. He's such a responsible kid and has a heart of gold. A friend in our neighborhood, Luke was sick on Halloween night and had to miss trick or treating. When we came in from trick or treating, Keegan said he felt bad for Luke having to miss out. He's definitely our sensitive one, and in ways like that it's so precious. I love you, Keegan!