Max Update

Is hard to accurately get pictures of Max's personality. I really wish we had a video camera for this reason. He loves to dance and move and has this cute way of bouncing off each foot when he excitedly runs toward something he wants. He is so very stubborn. He is still have some trouble understanding, which most 2 year olds do. He is beginning to want to swing on the big boy swing but gets himself off every couple minutes and needs help getting back on-over and over and over. He is getting along better with Zac. And actually tends to beat up on Zac. For some reason Zac just takes it, and doesn't retalliate . . . yet.

He is doing great with his progress with speech. He is picking up new words all the time. He had a video taped articulation test a couple weeks ago and he did fantastic. There were 3 speech language pathologists counting each error he made and he still scored the same as an average 3 year and 1 month old boy. He also had his annual test for the PEIP program, and I am pretty sure he will test out. He has come so so so far in the last year! Its amazing and so fun to see. He is so fun to have in our family!

Boys in Their Pj's

I love to see Max wearing the same clothes that Zac did when he was littler. Its hard to tell when they get to the same stages. And I just noticed they are both wearing firetruck jammies! This is Zac wearing the same jams that Max has on.

(Max is a drooler sometimes, its the low muscle tone. Nice milk dribble!)

I love these pictures. The first one really captures their excitment. I can just hear them laughing when I look at it!

Rex Lee 5k

While being a student at BYU, I would see people all over wearing these shirts. My friend Katie even made a t-shirt quilt and had a Rex Lee Run shirt in it. There is a part of me that has always wanted one. Well, now I do!! :)


This year I decided I would make a goal to run three 5k's. I did my first one last year. I figured if I had a goal to do 3 this year, then I would more likely be consistent in working out and hopefully loosing a bit of weight.

My friend Shelly runs the Rex Lee 5 k every year and invites whoever wants to go. I was going to do it last year, but I didn't register early enough to not be a last minuter (excuses, excuses ;) Anyway, this year she invited again and I said yes. I also need to get going on this goal. I was worried if I waited til the summer runs then I would just end up putting it off for various reasons.

I was telling my 7 mo. pregnant friend, Callie that I was going to do it and she said, "hey, I'll do it with you". The more the merrier! I think she did GREAT for being 7 mo pregnant. She is amazing. She finished only few mins behind me!

Before the race:

It was freezing!! The cold air was kind of hard on my throat, but a lot less than I would have thought. The race started out up hill and went that way for about 1/4 of the race. It surprisingly wasn't that bad. Although I did slow to a walk 2/3 of the way through that. Then it was down hill for the next 1/4 of the race. That was great. I used the momentum of the hill and I was passing a lot of people. That was fun. Then the next 1/4 was flat. At which I still think I had a good pace, and was into my music. All good til I got to the last 1/4 . . . I didn't pace myself well, and I had a weird light cramp in my side that would come and go. That last 1/4 was so hard for me.

I couldn't find a good pace. I think, I briskly walked half of that part. Then as I was trying to finish by running the whole way around the track, another girl who was really pushing it, started to throw up . . . so I started to walk again. (I missed Jon at the finish line. Last year, he being there gave me a burst of energy to finish out strong.) Then I sprinted the last 10 yards to the finish, and a girl in front of me stopped short of the line to talk to someone and I almost ran her over. The race times were recorded on chips and my time was 36:32. Not too bad, but not as good as last year. I have some work to do. Running outside it so much better and easier than running on the treadmill. I just wish I had time at a reasonable hour when it was not dark outside. Rachel and I are thinking of running another 5k in April . . . hmm I guess need to register for it-then I'm committed!

An Unbirthday Treat

Zac's birthday is in August. We celebrated his birthday with his class during the first week of school. At the end of the first month of school he switched in to a different class. His class celebrates unbirthdays for those kids who have summer birthdays. I wish my classes had done that. I never got to bring fun birthday treats to class.

I'm guess that all through February the little kids who have birthdays in August, like Zac, were having their unbirthdays. Zac talked to his teacher and asked if he could have an unbirthday too (even though he got to celebrate his real birthday 6 months ago.) Since she seems ok with it, and I had been wanting and excuse to make a fun treat, I thought great.

I was trying to decide whether to do cookies or cupcakes. To me cupcakes just go with birthdays, but these treats needed to be individually packaged and taken home-not to be eaten in class. And that was going to be tricky. Zurchers didn't have anything practical to package them, and I did want to nor had enough time to order anything online. So I was just going to do sugar cookies. And I wanted to do a Wall-E theme, but again I'd have to order stuff online. Zurchers only had Sponge Bob stuff. I am not a fan. Its kind of a rude and dumb show. But Jon watches it with the boys occasionally, and the boys really like it. So whaev.

After we got home Zac kept talking about how were going to make cupcakes, even though I told him a few times it was cookies. So I thought about it more, and personally I would rather do cupcakes too. So I decided to call up the local cupcake shop and see if they sold their single cupcake containers, and they did! And for a reasonable price too :)

I really LOVE how everything turned out!

(I love how the containers look like bubbles;very appropriate for Sponge Bob.)

The cupcake baking cups are also Sponge Bob themed

(Can you tell the white part is supposed to be waves?)

After I dropped Zac off at his class, I went to get the treats in the car. When I walked back in the classroom with the treats Zac ran over to me and gave me a hug and said, "I love you, Mom!" Wow, that sure felt great. He was proud of me, and his treats :) I hope we have many more moments like that.

I had carpool so we had a playdate after.

And the kids decorated their own cupcakes


Happy Unbirthday to you all!

Potty Training? . . . Not Really

We have been thinking about potty training Max. Jon always takes the lead on things like this, moving the kids to the next stage, ie toddler bed, sippy cup, potty training. I am always apprehensive, because hey, I am the one who has to do it and be consistent with it :P

Max isn't ready to tell us when he has to go, but if we can catch him before, then he is all for getting on the seat and going. Almost every morning I just put him on the potty right after he wakes up and 90% of time he will go #2. He gets excited about it and likes to flush the toilet and get his treat. I can't decide if this is going to make it harder to completely potty train him. I am not really working with him to tell me before he goes. And I am just not sure he is ready to make that step either....

The Boys' First Play

The morning after I got back from my trip. I had planned to go with some friends to a local play, "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie". I completely forgot when my friend call to see where we were! I was able to get out the door in time to make it to the play. The boys thought it was great. Zac got to sit next to his friend Ben, and loved every minute. But he was confused about why it was called "a play". He kept saying, but we aren't playing. Funny kid. I was able to explain what "a play" was, and he understood. Max pretty much liked eating the treats, but also thought the mouse was funny.

The set was oversize to make the 6 ft something actor, look like a little boy. It was pretty effective. I would totally take the boys to something like this again! Thanks for the invite Heather!

(Notice Max's lack of shoes? We are still struggling to keep
him in shoes. I think he has high arches and narrow feet so shoes don't fit
him right, and feel uncomfortable for him :P)

Girl's Trip to Vegas

A couple weeks ago I went to Vegas with a few friends. It was SO fun! It was easy going with only basic plans. It was a perfect break to get away. We went to a wholesale jewelry show at the Sands Expo.

This was my first time to Las Vegas. It was a very interesting place. So much going on, so loud. Since Jon works in Marketing, it was also interesting to think about all the thought and objectives that go in to the lights, and sounds. The architecture was pretty cool to look at and the architecture inside of the hotels was amazing. But the "sin city" feel of it all was also pretty apparent to me.

The first night we stopped for dinner at the Cheesecake Factory, which was I think in Caesar's Palace. We first went through the Bellagio. It was amazing to see these "hotels" they were like these amazing indoor shopping malls. We also hit a couple stores in the Forum. Walking through the Bellagio on a Saturday was so weird for me (spending most of my life in Provo Ut. I am VERY sheltered). People were dressed to the nines! It was like slutty prom! When we went to get the car from the valet, the line for a taxi was sooo long. It was like 9:00p and people were already wasted.

There were really expensive cars parked out where we wait for the valet. My flash sucks, but can you see the Lamborghini in there?


Then we went and checked into our Best Western hotel off the strip. The guy checking us in kept asking if we were going to "party". And there were some scary looking "ladies" hanging by the desk (I really do think they were women, but probably not "ladies". . . they were pretty distastefully decked out). The "activities" of loud talking, yelling and banging on doors during the night were not conducive to a good nights sleep.

We went to the jewelry show the next morning. It was so overwhelming; there was so much to look at. Especially for me, who doesn't wear much jewelry. Apparently, the show was a lot smaller than it normally is. We spent the morning there checking out what we liked. Then we headed to the Hard Rock Cafe for lunch.

Valerie, Christa, Anne, and Me

We heading the Las Vegas Mall to shop some more, while trying to avoid thinking about what the clothes the kids needed :)

Then we went to the MGM Grand to eat dinner at the Rain Forest Cafe. It was pretty cool to see all the decor. They even had a starry night. The boys would have loved it.

Then we went back to the hotel to rest. It was much quieter that night. We got breakfast at the Paris. I love the architecture off the lobby. They had a drop ceiling that looked like the sky (so did Caesar's Palace), cobblestone "streets" and the store fronts were also authentic looking. It moved Paris up on my "Places I Want to See" list :)


We went back to the jewelry show for a few hours and got the rest of what we wanted and then headed home. We stopped in St. George to eat (yes, again), at the new Brick Oven. It feels like all we did was talk, eat and shop . . . well, that is all we did! But it was so fun! These ladies are amazing and I am so glad I got to know them better. And Jon thank you so much for your support!