things we love this week

Seth- Work. :) He is having an awesome month at work. For the month he's currently the top 4th salesman in the entire company and I'm so proud.

Dezi- Warm weather. I bought a pedometer a while ago, hoping to walk 10,000 steps a day but have been very disappointed as I've learned my daily average is about 5000. However, this week for the first time I walked more than 10,000 steps. Yay me! ;) And it was all because it was nice enough to go to the park and walk while the boys played.

Easton- Spring Break. Last Sunday thinking he wouldn't remember about Spring Break, I told Easton he didn't have school the next day, to which he yelled "I don't have school all week!" He's enjoyed not having to get up and dressed right away, as well as playing with friends he normally doesn't get to play with since they have afternoon kindergarten.

Cole- Knowing he'll be going to kindergarten this fall. After keeping Easton back, we decided we'd hold all the boys back since they have summer birthdays, but after many conversations this past week, we have changed our minds. I asked Cole if he wanted to go to kindergarten and he got so excited and the next morning he woke up and told me he needed to get ready with Easton so he could go to school.

Peyton- His boys. He always calls Easton and Cole "my boys". He'll ask me many times throughout the day, "Mom, where are my boys?"

Trey- Crawling. He's been doing the army crawl and scooting for a while now, but just in the past two days has gotten very fast.

Here's some pictures from Easter

things i love this week

It seemed like anything else I wrote for my boys and Seth seemed extra silly next to what I wanted to share, so I'm just sharing what I love this week.

Dezi: Being a mom. I know I take it for granted. I know there are so many who desire to be a mom but haven't had the chance yet and also so many who have lost children. Late last night I was wasting a little time online and somehow came across this site http://laylagrace.org, it's all about a 2 year old girl who just passed away this week from a horrible form of cancer, that was only found in her less than a year ago. I was going thru older posts and read this (it's from less than a month ago as Layla was getting worse and worse)-

Towards the end of a pregnancy, a mother will wake up to go to the bathroom every few hours. I think this is the body’s way of preparing you for a newborn and the sleepless nights that come along with it. Layla now spends most of her days sleeping. 30-45 minutes after she wakes up, she is ready to lay down and sleep again. Is this God’s way of preparing me for all the quiet time that is coming soon? The house is quiet. I am able to go through the motions of laundry, dishes, cooking and picking up without interruptions. But I WANT interruptions. I WANT Layla to be under my feet asking for cookies. I WANT to hear her playing with her toys. I WANT to take 45 minutes to unload the dishwasher because she keeps trying to help. For every time I uttered the words “I just can’t get anything done with these kids under my feet all day” I am eternally regretful. The days that I looked forward to naptime so I could get a grocery list made, or finally fold all the piles of laundry…I regret those days too. If I could do it all again, I’d enjoy EVERY SINGLE WAKING MOMENT I had with her. I would never wish for her to sit still or take a nap or go to bed early. I would never look forward to the days when she could sit through an entire episode of Dora silently. I would treasure every second with her.
(you can find the entire post here)

I didn't even try to hold back the tears. I've been so amazingly blessed and need to do so much better at treasuring every moment with them. My dirty bathroom, sink full of dishes and computer can wait.

things we love this week

Seth: Being in Young Mens. It seriously took being with them once to come home and tell me "These are the greatest boys ever!"

Dezi: Seth. He works so extremely hard for us and makes it possible for me to stay home with our boys. (Not that I don't love him every other week too, I've just been feeling pretty dang lucky lately and realized how much I take him for granted.)

Easton: Reading. It's such a beautiful thing to go and check on the boys and see them sitting all squished together, listening to Easton read.

Cole: Puzzles. Not only can he sit and do puzzles forever but he can do puzzles that I don't think he should be able to.

Peyton: Bubble gum. No explanation needed. Luckily he's a lot better at keeping it in his mouth than the older two were at this age. One morning Seth woke up stuck to the pillow because of gum from one of the older two (we never found out who). I still laugh when I remember him saying "I'm stuck!!"
P.S. Peanut butter works great at getting gum out of hair and off pillowcases.

Trey: Brothers. No one can make him laugh as hard as his brothers can.

Things We Love This Week

A long time ago I had been doing "Things We Love This Week" and don't know why I stopped, so I'm starting it again. We'll see how long it lasts this time. :)

Seth: Steak and crab. If Seth could only have one food for the rest of his life, it would be crab, but unfortunately for him, it is not cheap. We did have it for our Valentine's dinner with the boys and he definitely loved it!

Dezi: Having a baby to cuddle and make laugh. I can't get enough of my perfect little baby.

Easton: Sliding down the stairs. One day he grabbed my lap desk and slid down the stairs and now does it all the time. He also tried sliding down on a diaper box but one day he suddenly remembered the sled we have and now uses that.



Cole: Learning magic. I taught him a card magic trick the other day and he loves doing it over and over on me. Maybe some day he'll be able to do it without telling all the secrets out loud as he's doing it.

Peyton: Copying his big brothers. The other morning he asked me for some apple juice. After I told him he could have some he exclaimed "Yes! I knew it!" (Obviously a phrase he's heard his brothers use.) And when he asks me if he can play the Wii, he says "Please! I'll let Cole play." (Something he's definitely heard Easton use to try and convince me to let him play.)

Trey: Moving all over the place. He loves rolling, scooting and getting up on his hands and knees. It is so fun to see, the other boys get especially excited- "Look mom! Trey was sitting over there and now he's over here on his belly!" (This video isn't particularly exciting, it's mostly for an aunt who lives far, far away. :)

Things We Love This Week

Seth: Being home. He was in California for two weeks working, and as much as we missed him (On about day 11, Easton was talking to him and he suddenly handed me the phone with tears starting to run down his face and ran upstairs. I of course asked Seth what he could have said to upset Easton and he had no idea. When I went up to talk to him, he said "I just miss dad SO much!" and started crying so hard. It was so sad to see.) I'm sure being the one away from the rest of us would be harder. But now he's home and we're having so much fun spending time together before he has to go back out.

Dezi: My boys. They have all been such amazing boys lately and making me laugh and smile SO much. I just can't get enough of them!! :) A while ago Easton asked me why we have freezers and before I could even say one word, Cole jumped in "To put magnets on!" (Hmm... maybe I need to clear it off a little.) The other day they asked if we could make dinosaur cookies, after I said yes, Easton said "I've got a great idea mom! We can make dinosaur cookies to celebrate the baby in your belly!"
Here's pictures of them eating the dinosaur cookies. I had to put in both pictures because in one you need to ignore Easton's crazy face and the other you need to ignore Cole's crazy face.



Easton: Taylor Swift. I don't think he has any idea what she looks like or any song she sings besides "Love Song" but he sure can't get enough of that one. Yesterday the song was on as I pulled up to get gas. As I turned the car off he shouted "Turn that back on!" After I came back from getting gas he very excitedly said "Mom! Guess what?! The radio said Taylor Swift is coming to town! We have to go!" So unless one of his aunts invites him on a date (hint, hint... jk... maybe ;) I think I may be going to see Taylor Swift with Easton. (Not that he gets everything he asks for, I'm just saying it's a possibility.)

Cole: Legos and games. He loves playing and building things. He likes playing the Wii with Easton, but he does not last very long at all. After just a few games, he's asking me if he can play with something else. And those he can play with forever!
He was so proud he built it "bigger than me"

Peyton: Being independent. This is probably more of "Things I Demand" than "Things I Love". He is already not letting me help him get dressed! He even has a pair of shoes he will put on by himself. He just seems way too young to be doing this. The older two didn't start that until... well... hmm... they'd still love me to dress them if I would. When I come in with his clothes he grabs them from me and runs away so I can't "reach" him. And then just keeps trying and trying until he gets the clothes on. One time he was having a lot of trouble with his shirt but he still wouldn't let me help him. He spent half the day shirtless, while taking his shirt everywhere, and every time I asked if I could help him he'd hide the shirt behind his back. This day we were getting ready to go and we put his shoes on. He ran off saying "ja-ja" (jacket) and came back like this. (This is Easton's shirt, he knows what a jacket is, they are all just hanging up high where he can't reach.)

Things We Love This Week

Seth: Playing with his band. He got to play with his band at Layton's Relay for Life. He hadn't played in front of people for a long time and loved it. He sounded super awesome too. The boys and I loved being able to watch him and be proud. It was way cute to see the boys get excited when they heard a song they recognized and sing along. I'm still annoyed at myself that I forgot my camera. :(

Dezi: The Olympics! Yea, I've become a little obsessed with them, but I figure it's only once every 4 years (I don't get as excited about winter), so I can afford to become a little lazy for that time. I've even gotten my boys excited about them, every time when they see our flag on the tv they start jumping up and down cheering, yelling "Go USA!" or "Yea! USA got 1st" or when they see other flags they say "Oh no! USA didn't win. Come on." Let me just say, that thanks to our DVR I can watch things late at night (after the boys are in bed) or at 5:30 in the morning when Peyton wakes me up, so I haven't become completely neglectful.

Easton & Cole: Playing outside. As usual, they are always wanting to play outside. They love riding bikes and playing in the water. One time I drew a small hopscotch for them to try out. Now they are always asking me to draw more for them (I usually draw 2, so they can each do it at the same time). This last time I only drew 1 and said they could share. So Cole started to draw one himself and then Easton joined in and helped. They were so cute doing it together. The one Easton is playing on is the one they drew together (although the one I drew doesn't look much better), and I really didn't help with a single part of it. I was pretty impressed.

Peyton: Waffles with syrup. Usually when we have waffles, I'll feed him. This last Sunday I cut it up and put it in front of him. He just kept eating and eating so I kept giving him more. He ate 2 and a half waffles!! Yep, he ate more than both his older brothers. And I did learn one thing, giving Peyton a bath the night before he has waffles is completely pointless.

Things We Love This Week

Seth: Rock band. I don't think that needs any explanation.

Dezi: Cuddling with Peyton!! (See Peyton's answer)

Easton: Playing the piano. I simplified some easy children and church songs for him and he loves practicing them on the piano. He even played "If The Savior Stood Beside Me" and "Book of Mormon Stories" for Family Home Evening, and we were actually able to sing along, sometimes very slowly, but he was very proud and so were we.

Cole: Reading/looking at books. One morning he probably brought 50 books into my room so he could sit in my rocking chair and look at them all. At one point Peyton climbed up, squished in next to him and Cole 'read' to him, and on the ones Cole didn't have memorized, he said "Sorry Pey. We just have to look at this one." Once he looked at all of them, he ran back into his room for more.

Peyton: Sleeping in mom and dad's bed. He is very good about going to sleep at 8 in his own bed. But every single morning at 4:45 a.m. (seriously, you could set a clock to him) he wakes up crying/calling for me. I give him a little juice and then he snuggles right up next to me and falls back asleep. Now just to decide how long I should let this go on.

Things We Miss This Week

Air Conditioner! The air conditioner in our durango broke. One afternoon we drove from my sisters' house in Provo to home, just an hour away ;), while the temperature was 103 degrees! By the time we got home all 3 of my poor boys' shirts were soaked! We went and sat near the cooler and had a bunch of popsicles and cold drinks. Even after some cooling off, my boys still looked pretty exhausted from the heat. Ugh. Guess I should get it fixed.

Things We Love This Week

All of us: Playing outside! We cannot get enough of playing outside, no matter how hot it is. Peyton can be super cranky inside, but the minute we get outside he is as happy as can be. My boys ask to play in their little pool pretty much every day. Peyton is not a fan of getting in the water and I don't blame him. I stuck my foot in the other day and I couldn't stand it! I don't know how the boys enjoy it. Maybe I'll figure out a way to warm up the water. Peyton is getting the cutest little farmers tan ever! (I promise I always slather on the sunscreen, as is obvious from Easton and Cole still being so white even though they are outside almost every day.) I happen to be getting a fabulous tan on my feet. :) The boys also love playing baseball outside. Seth has been teaching Easton how to hit and the other day Cole was trying to hit a baseball off a tee, and Easton went up to him and said "No, Cole you have to hold your elbow up and stand here and look at the ball the whole time. Okay?" I guess he really has been listening to Seth.

Things We Love This Week

Seth: Playing the guitar. It had been a while since he got any of his guitars out but got together with a friend and played last week. He came back way excited to write and learn more songs.

Dezi: Saving money while shopping! :) Last week I had two exciting shopping trips. I went to Albertsons loaded up with my coupons. I spent $44 and saved $228! I know I'm a huge nerd but that made me so excited. I also was able to get National Treasure 2 absolutely free at Circuit City. Woo hoo! :)

Easton: Laughing. Lately he has been asking me all the time, "Mom, please tell me something funny." or "Mom, make me laugh so hard, okay?" The other day I had the bath water running so I told him not to flush the toilet because that makes the bath water scalding hot. I said "If you flush the toilet then I'm going to tickle you," and he excitedly said, "Ooo, then I would love that so much."

Cole: Trying roller skating. We went to a fun center and Seth went straight to the roller skating counter. I was like "What in the world are you doing?" He got roller skates for the boys and said they were going to try. Easton almost fell over the minute he stood up so he didn't enjoy it too much. But Cole was ready to go skate all by himself the minute Seth strapped the skates on. Seth of course had to help him, but he seemed to really love it.

Peyton: Chocolate chip cookies. I gave him his very first chocolate chip cookie yesterday. Of course, he loved it. I was very surprised, his mess wasn't as big as I expected it to be. As soon as he finished he let me know that he was ready for another one. :)

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Things We Love This Week

I just wanted to share something we each are loving this week. (I'm stealing this idea from a friend's blog. Thanks Kimberly.)

Seth Finally being able to golf. He has been working so hard, with so many things, Walgreens, his recycling business, Young Mens business (he's the YM President) and now yard work, plus all the things I'm always bugging him about, he definitely needed it.

Dezi All 3 of my boys laughing and playing together. Easton and Cole are the best at making Peyton laugh, pretty much they just have to talk to him and he starts cracking up. And I love when they can all play together, even if just for a minute. But starting about the second minute I hear "Peyton no! Stop Peyton! You can't have that!" Poor Peyton, always getting bossed around. :)

Easton His new baseball hat. (He has plenty of other hats, but this one is, according to him "a real baseball hat, for the Nets" (New York Mets). He is starting an instructional t-ball league this Saturday but got to go get his hat a week ago and pretty much lives in it. He even wants to sleep with it!

Cole Games! Holy cow this boy could play games from the minute he wakes up til bed time. Here's a list of games he's already played this week (all of them multiple times) and it's only Wednesday morning.
-Guess Who?
-Bug Match Up
-Shrek Memory
-Tumble
-Sorry
-Jungle Hunt
-Clue
-Who Lives Here?
-Go Fish
-Jumping Frogs

Peyton Bath time. As soon as he hears the water running in the bath he crawls as fast as he can to the tub. He starts playing with the water (if he can reach it) or just doing his little dance while standing by the tub. And if the water happened to be running for a shower, he still comes and watches the water fall while getting pretty wet.

On a side note, something Peyton and I are not loving this week, 4, yes 4!! teeth coming in at once!! 3 are already poking through on the top and the 4th has just about broken through too. Ugghh. We'll be loving it when they are finally in!!