Doug Toni Jack Lincoln

Christmas

2012-01-15T15:37:00.007-07:00

It seems that I'm a little behind the times with my blog posts! We have been busy. I don't have any pictures of our Thanksgiving this year. But we had some of our neighbors over and had a great feast! Earlier in the day, we went and saw Arthur Christmas, which we all liked.

Here's Jack and Lincoln snuggling in Lincoln's old room (the boys now share a room, and Lincoln's room is now the play room)

Jack is helping me make sugar cookies and gingerbread cookies

At our ward Christmas party, we celebrated the "Three Levels of Christmas." Here's level one, where there were lots of games. Jack was pinning the nose on Rudolph.

Driving around afterwards, looking at Christmas lights

Jack and daddy dozing

Here we are in cold Colorado! Lincoln felt right at home with the plethora and quantity of cars that he had!

At first I thought I forgot my contacts because they weren't in my case. Turns out, they were in my case, and were stuck to the lids! I tried soaking them overnight, but they were both torn! I had to wear my glasses the entire trip. Bummer!

We had a white Christmas! Here's daddy and Jack in Grammy and Papa's backyard, making his first snowman.

Grammy and Lincoln

Papa with his patriotic cast and Lincoln by the trains.

Alex and Lincoln

Jack and his best bud, Cody

"Say what?"

Lincoln stood here for a long time and refused to go out in the snow with Jack!

Lincoln's first time sledding! He didn't want to at first, but once we forced him down the first time, they couldn't get enough of it!

Doug and I got tired dragging the sled, AND THE BOYS, back up the hill

Lincoln's handy work with the trains

Aunt Eliza and Lincoln got along MUCH better this time around. Lincoln is warming up to people much faster now, which is nicer for everyone.

Christmas morning! Jack got a new Hot Wheels track!

Lincoln got a new jeep and trailer. Their big present was a keyboard that Santa brought before we went to Colorado. He must have known we wouldn't have been able to fit it back on the plane with us.

Some of the highlighted presents
Doug: Call of Duty: Black Ops for xbox, football jerseys
Toni: Family Tree Maker computer software, new steam mop
Jack: Lego Harry Potter: Years 5-7, Star Wars camping chair
Lincoln: Lightning McQueen suitcase, camping chair, and GeoTrax car

We went through the Loveland/Fort Collins airport on the way home, and we had to stand in line for like a half hour just to check our bags! It was ridiculous. We had a great time in Colorado! Thanks, family. Utah family, we missed you!

Happy 4th Birthday, Jack!

2011-11-15T09:11:00.006-07:00

Jack turned 4 on the second of November. I can hardly believe it!

Here's Lincoln and uncle Kolton trying to figure out how to get Lincoln's new police car out of the package. Lincoln sleeps with a police car every night, and it's completely falling apart! All the plastic sirens have fallen off, some of the rubber wheels have fallen off, and it's off track now. This was our attempt of a replacement, but it's not working out so well.

Grammy and Papa got Jack a Spiderman helmet (and horn) to go with...

His new bike!

The Nelson boys

Jack just being silly

Jack wanted to go to Bounce U (a bounce house) for his birthday. We let him invite 3 friends. This turned out perfect because Groupon had a half off deal the day before we went, and so it only cost us half the regular price. Score!

Lincoln, Ryan, Jack, Izzy, and Darren

Jack and his church buddies, Ryan and Darren

Lincoln snuggling into Grandpa while watching Caillou

Here's the best picture I (I mean, Doug) got of the awesome birthday cake that Gwen made him. Jack wanted a Batman party, if you can't already tell.

Grandma and Grandpa totally spoiled both boys! Lincoln got a new Usborne Trucks & Diggers magnet book, a Toy Story cape, and they got the boys Cars 2!

She got Jack and Lincoln some new clothes, too. Jack got a "Let's Go Fishing" game, an Usborne game called Pirate Snap, a couple capes, and this mask. It's pretty cool because you can velcro the cape around your wrists, like you see in this picture.

We were so sad when Grandma, Grandpa and Kolton left. We had so much fun with them!

So glad that Jack and Lincoln are getting along so much better now!

Grandma Came to Town

2011-11-10T16:06:00.005-07:00

First, a picture of the progress on the Gilbert temple, which is only a few blocks from our current home! I took my activity day girls to the visitor's center here a few weeks ago. Pretty awesome.
Gwen came to visit us and stayed for almost two weeks! It was so great having her here to help me with the boys. I felt like I was on vacation! She was amazing. We took the boys and her to Scnhepf farms for our annual October trip. We went on a Thursday, and it was so dead! It was awesome not having to wait in any lines. Here she is with the boys on the train.

Beautiful farm

The four of them went on this bike. Their ride was so fast because the boys kept telling them to go faster.

This slide was SOOOO long

We took her to Discovery Park with the boys and their bikes. Lincoln is fearless when it comes to going down hills. We fed the ducks and saw some turtles. Fun times!

HALLOWEEN!!! Here's Doug (a.k.a. Joe Dirt), Lincoln the firefighter (having SO much fun!) and Jack as Darth Vader. They were so funny trick or treating! Jack would ring the doorbell and run behind us, because he thought something scary was going to jump out at him. Lincoln would linger in front of the door after getting his candy, half expecting to be invited in by someone.

September Update

2011-10-11T15:39:00.003-06:00

I guess I get the bad blogger award, since it has been like 2 months since our last post. I can say that the first 3 weeks after my last post, a friend of a friend was fixing our computer again, since it wasn't fixed the correct way the first time. And he says these minor changes won't take long, but they end up taking FOREVER! Granted, he fixed it for free, but the last time he had it, we were down a computer for about 5 weeks. Let's just hope this desktop doesn't give us anymore trouble for a long time!

My dad flew down here to meet his brothers in Casa Grande over Labor Day weekend. My Uncle Bob, Uncle Danny and him drove to our house for a quick visit one day while they were here. It was great seeing family, even if only for a little bit!

See the sweat on Jack's head in this picture? Yup, still waiting for the days to cool off here! We had some highs in the 70's last week, but we're now back up hovering around 100. It should cool off anytime! And at least the nights are cooling off, finally.

Lincoln has enjoyed coloring lately. He was giving me the cheesiest smiles when he was coloring these pictures!

We have all been really sick the last couple weeks! Here's an update on everyone:

Doug's still working his 7-4 shift, and is home at 4:30 every day! Jack made us all sick, and Doug just got over the worst of it. He stayed home from church Sunday and work yesterday due to a horrible cough. He's lucky that that's the most exciting part of his update.

Jack started preschool at the end of August, and really looks forward to those social days. He goes on Monday and Wednesday mornings from 9:30-12, and his teacher lives on an acre of land that includes a trampoline, playground, and farm animals like chickens and goats. They've even had a llama recently! He knows a lot of the stuff they're teaching already, but it's so good for him to get some interaction with kids his age. I know he gets so bored at home now! So far, he has brought two different colds/flu bugs home with him. The first one wasn't too bad, but this second one has been torture! I thought he was losing it about a week after he got it, but then 10 days into it, it turned into his first ear infection. I had to take him to an urgent care-type place on a Sunday, and it was breaking my heart to hear how much pain he was in from it. After 2 days on Amoxicillin, we found out he was allergic to it, and had to switch to something else. He's finally fully recovered!

Lincoln is learning new, fun words every day! Well, mostly fun words. The tantrums get old quick, and he has more attitude saying the word, "NO!" than anyone I've ever heard. He's got that word down! He picked up Jack's cold in a matter of days, and it turned into croup. I took him in on a Monday, and they gave him a 3-day steroid. The third day, his symptoms remained unchanged, and he had a fever. I called the pediatrician, and they said he needed to go to the ER. Awesome. It was fun to see one of my Outback coworkers as the person that did his x-rays! But 2 hours later, we found out that all they did for him (and all he needed) was a stronger steroid. I asked, "What do we do if nothing changes?" I was reassured that this would be the cure. Well... Friday, he had a fever of 100, still that hacking cough, but the wheezing was gone. I saw the pediatrician that afternoon, and his fever was up to 101. They gave him an antibiotic, we came home and I headed off to work. Doug called me at 7 and said his fever was up to 103 a little while ago, and now it was up to 104. And it was just barely time to give him more Tylenol! I told him to call the pediatrician on call, and if he couldn't get through to anyone, to take him back to the ER. Luckily, they just said to piggy back Tylenol and Ibuprofen. I got off work, we did that, and he was fine the next morning. His cough is pretty much gone now. But whew! He got the worst of it!

Lincoln enjoys watching Caillou ("Ti-U") and Megamind ("Ma-Mind"). Any chance he has of being outside, he jumps at the opportunity! He has also been enjoying the Geo Trax train set that we bought from my sister. And he has recently learned all his colors!

I have had all sorts of health issues! Probably soon after my last post, I got a horrible rash from a lotion I used. This rash has appeared before from a different lotion. I saw an allergist for this rash, and also from a different rash I finally pinned to an antibiotic called Bactrim, which I have been taking off and on this year for recurring bladder infections. My family doctor sent me to the allergist who has done some patch testing, and also told me not to take sulfa drugs (aka Bactrim) anymore, as I have an allergy to them. This Bactrim rash appears as small spots that look like mosquito bites. In fact, the first time it appeared, I thought I had been attacked in my sleep! These spots would appear in the exact same places each time, and would be accompanied by mouth sores. Good times.
Because of these rashes, my doctor ordered some blood tests, and told me that I had an elevated ANA level, and needed to see a rheumatologist. That's it. No details, even when I asked what that meant, and what this doctor sees patients for. After doing a quick research on WebMD, I found out that this elevated ANA level is an indication of lupus. I was freaked out, and couldn't see the rheumatologist for like 2 weeks! Plus they called me on a Friday afternoon after 4 PM, so I had to wait all weekend to speak to anyone about it. They did more tests, and found that not only do I have an elevated ANA level, but an elevated anti-DNA level. These both indicate lupus, but they said I don't have lupus... at this time, anyway. They want to do more tests to see what's going on with this, and I see a doctor Thursday about this.
So, since the last time I posted, I've had a bladder infection, 2 rashes, 2 sinus infections, and have had to see an allergist and rheumatologist (both of which I have to see again.) Good times! Hopefully we'll have a better rest of the year with our health!

Colorado Trip Part 3

2011-08-18T08:40:00.003-06:00

Eliza invited us to the pool that she goes to. Here are her kids and Jack with their Otter Pops.

I had SO much fun with some of my high school friends, hanging out at Danielle's house. It was great to get together with them and meet their adorable kiddos!

Lincoln gave us a great pose

Jack took a picture of us... well, most of us

Miss you guys!

Grammy and Lincoln racing after the ball in their backyard

Not sure why he was pouting here

My mom took her watering can into the grass so Lincoln could get wet. He went all out!

And Jack soon joined in

Thanks fam, for all the fun!

Colorado Trip Part 2

2011-08-17T20:25:00.008-06:00

One of the days we were up there, we drove up to Estes Park in the mountains. It was a beautiful drive through the Rocky Mountains, and Estes Park is right next to Rocky Mountain National Park. When we got there, it was time for lunch. We ate at the Taco Bell/KFC, where Lincoln got more nacho cheese on his chest than he did in his mouth.

A neat water wheel we saw

We spent some of the afternoon walking through all the neat tourist shops they have on Main Street there. We also stopped at the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. Yum! We didn't get any pictures next to it, but we also drove up to the Stanley Hotel. There have been major motion pictures filmed at this hotel like The Shining miniseries and Dumb & Dumber, to name a couple. We also took the boys on a mini hike through the mountains and some some neat wildlife.

The boys found a new hobby at Grammy and Papa's... BOWLING!

However, they did it a little different than most of us.

Jack loved Papa's riding lawn mower!

Lincoln... not so much.

I'm mean and kind of forced him on it, eventually. He tolerated it, and chose to never ride on it again the rest of our trip.

Doug wanted to stop by some of the motorcycle stores in Loveland. One was a Harley shop. I have NEVER seen Lincoln more excited and vocal about anything!

This was Doug's dream bike.

Although Lincoln was excited while walking around, he really didn't want to get on any of them.

That night, we met Eliza's family at Red Robin, and headed over to the Larimer County fair! Everyone but Eliza and I rode on the ferris wheel.

All the boys wanted to ride on this old fashioned car, which we were surprised about because it just stayed on a track the whole time. But I think they enjoyed it.

Olivia wanted to use her second (and last) ride on a roller coaster! Here she is with mom while waiting in line.

Jack and Cody were in awe.

That's them, waving at us, right below the "I" and "N" in the word, "RING."

Jon said he could hear Olivia screaming over everyone else. She was pretty nervous!

They concluded the night with fireworks. This was Lincoln's first time seeing fireworks in the sky!

Really cute family picture! (minus Cody) Sad that it didn't turn out better!

Colorado Trip Part 1

2011-08-17T10:12:00.005-06:00

We got great deals on our tickets to and from Colorado! They were such good deals because our flight out of Phoenix didn't leave until 8 PM, and didn't put us in Colorado until 11 PM (10 PM our time.) We dressed the boys in their pajamas and left for the airport. Here they are watching the planes outside the airport window.

Mason has a dog named Timber. Both boys loved having him around the first few days of our trip! Mason moved out the weekend after we arrived.

Jack found a best friend on our trip... his cousin, Cody. Every day he would ask if Cody could come play, and if they could run through the sprinklers. Here they are with Cody's twin sister, Alex, on the trampoline.

One of the days we were there, a bunch of us headed down to Colorado Springs to have lunch and hang out with cousins and my aunt Holly. The drive after we got out of Denver was beautiful!

When my grandparents used to live in Colorado Springs, they would always take us to Fargo's Pizza. We have fond memories of this, and decided to meet there for lunch. Here's Jack and his cousins enjoying their pizza and pudding.

Fargo's has a piano that plays by itself. All you have to do is insert a quarter. We knew the boys would love this after Organ Stop Pizza here!

Here's the living proof that they loved it!

Cousins picture! My cousins Jessica, Laura, Lindsey, and my sisters Heather and Eliza (and me)

My mom and aunt Holly goofing around

Afterwards, we all went to Laura's and hung out. Here are the boys enjoying themselves on the patio.

Lindsey brought her cutie pie baby, Tanner. Great seeing you guys!

Lincoln messing around with Grammy's toys

Cooking the bacon for dinner

Silly Boys and Doug's Birthday

2011-08-17T08:22:00.004-06:00

A little fun with the Legos... Jack was putting them on his fingers like they were olives!

Jack's new love... his lightsaber!

For some reason, he often does this with our pillows... must be fun.

And Lincoln has taken over our bed with his cars and trucks.

This kid has quite the imagination and endless possibilities with his cars! He really can entertain himself all day with a few cars.

Here's the morning of Doug's birthday. I spent the morning getting ready, and Doug only worked a half day.

His loot

Jack picked out Doug's very own Batman shirt!

The boys anxiously opening his presents...

...That ended up being socks, and an Xbox football game!

I forgot to take pictures of Doug's "Utah Utes" red velvet cake we made him. We got a sitter for that night and went and watched the last Harry Potter movie (SO good!) and ate at Kona Grill. It was such a fun night, and I really enjoyed my alone time with him. Hope you had a great birthday, Doug!

Fourth of July

2011-08-15T17:12:00.003-06:00

Here's one clue of Lincoln's love for cars, and how much time he spends with them.

Silly Jack

I had to close at work on the fourth of July! And in Arizona, there are only 5 days you're allowed to shoot off fireworks: July 3, 4, and 5, December 31, and January 1. We decided to shoot off our own fireworks on the 3rd and 5th, since it's just too hot to venture out after bedtime and watch them. We were able to shoot off about 2/3 of them on the 3rd, and decided to shoot the rest of them off on the 5th. Here's Lincoln before the fireworks:

And a pretty view of the palm trees at the pool

Jack was all smiles watching them go

Lincoln... not so much. He was pretty nervous about them.

Unfortunately, we weren't able to shoot off the rest of our fireworks on the 5th because of the great Arizona haboob everyone was talking about. Here's a picture I stole from someone else of the great dust storm. I guess we'll have to wait until December now!

Grandma Mondy Passed Away

2011-07-29T10:14:00.006-06:00

Here's a picture of my grandma Mondy, me, and Jack, back from when I was pregnant with Lincoln. She passed away the last day that we were on vacation.

I was so glad that I was able to go to her funeral, even though I was the only one of the four of us that could afford to go. And it was a very quick trip.

After the service, there was a luncheon. Here's my uncle Danny, my dad, and Amy's baby Paige.

Uncle Danny and Blythe

Brandy, uncle Bob, mom, and Eliza

Paige and my dad. Look at all the slobber!

Here's the next day at my parent's house. My mom had everyone over for lunch before they had to fly home. Here's Blythe learning to walk, and Brea showing her how. They were both banging on this chair. So funny!

The twinners

Paige discovering the grass

My siblings, plus my cousin Jessica in the middle

All the siblings

So goofy

And lastly, Amy's little girl, Marnie, with ice cream all over her face!

This was the first time I was able to meet Amy's twins, and they just turned 1! I'm glad she happened to be there at that time.

California Trip, The Way Home

2011-07-29T10:09:00.002-06:00

Just a couple silly faces on the drive home! Luckily, we were all in good spirits.

And also, Lincoln's latest obsession/hobby/pastime. Anything and everything with cars! This boy can entertain himself for HOURS with cars. Here's just one picture of how he lined them all up in the bathroom shortly after our trip.

California Trip, Day 6

2011-07-20T13:53:00.004-06:00

We spent a second day at Legoland since our tickets were "get the 2nd day free." And we're so glad we went for that second day! The first day we went was a Monday, and it was packed. Most of the rides were an hour wait, or so. Crazy! The second day we went, I don't think any ride was more than a half hour that we went on. And we knew which rides to get in line for very first, before they did fill up. We also tried out their water park. They had some fun water slides for the boys, and we spent a lot of the time in their "lazy river."

Hunching because he's shy of R2D2.

All this stuff was made out of Lego's. Crazy!

We spent like 45 minutes at a huge playground area they had there. I hadn't seen Jack for awhile, and found him just hanging out on this bench. I think he got lots of exercise walking around while we were there, even with a double stroller!

And the last night we were there, I got my fresh seafood! This was the one thing I wanted to do while we were there. I was really wanting some swordfish, and there was a place right next to our hotel that we could walk to for it! Yum.

California Trip, Day 5

2011-07-19T12:21:00.006-06:00

LEGOLAND!!

This was the highlight of our trip! Both boys enjoy Lego's, and Jack is MAD over xbox Lego games. Here was what they had when we first entered...

We found Indiana Jones!

And Hagrid! Here's Doug telling me to hurry up and take a picture already, as people were trying to dodge our shot.

Lincoln, are you really sure you want to dip your potato chips in the ketchup?

Oh yeah.

He did this with the majority of his chips, but none of his hot dog. Go figure.

Jack kept saying, "Look, it's Alfred from Batman!"

Jack's new pirate patch. ARRRRGGGH!

Here's Jack and me going on one of the Legoland rides. I got him in his sack, ready to go down. Next thing I know, he's halfway down! That's me lagging behind.

He was so excited to go on some of the bigger kid rides! He wasn't scared at all, as this picture leads you to believe.

Check out the size of this guy's toes!

After our first day at Legoland, we checked in to our hotel, and met my aunt Kathy for dinner at TGI Friday's. Jack chugged his chocolate milk as soon as he got it!

The boys with my aunt Kathy, and some of their loot from her

Next up: more Legoland!!

California Trip, Day 4

2011-07-19T11:35:00.006-06:00

We really wanted to go to the beach while we were in California, but it was overcast and, at the warmest, in the low 70's. We just decided to go with my aunt and uncle while we were with them. It was an overcast day, but we still had fun with the boys' first time at the beach.

The first night we were in California, we went swimming at the hotel pool. The boys ran ahead of us down the hall, and out to the pool gate. I just barely saw Lincoln trip and fall forward, hitting his head on the metal bars surrounding the pool. This picture shows the cut he received on his forehead. Poor kid!

Seashells! COOL!!

WOW, that water was cold!!

Jack found some sand crabs!

We took a walk on a trail by the coast afterwards by a resort that I guess Mariah Carey stayed at for awhile before she had her baby, until she was discovered. Then we spent the rest of the day at my uncle's pool and jacuzzi. They made some amazing ribs for dinner!

Later, while relaxing, we found Jack trying to copy my cousin and uncle

Pretty much the only moment where Lincoln let someone besides Doug or me anywhere near him

Today wore the boys out! Jack wanted Ali to go upstairs and read him books before bed.

And just a quick video of the boys having fun at the beach

California Trip, Day 3

2011-07-19T10:48:00.005-06:00

We got up and checked out of our hotel as soon as we were ready. On the way to my aunt and uncle's, we stopped by the San Diego temple and took a picture. I wanted to get out and walk around, but we couldn't find a parking spot.

We ended up in a traffic jam for awhile on our way to the Long Beach area. Our GPS told us to take one road, which turned out to be the scenic route/coast route. My uncle later told me that we took the long way. Whoops. You can't always trust your GPS, right? We saw a couple signs on the way with Jack's name on it!

They treated us to the carnival! The boys loved the rides, while us chicas decided to walk around the booths. I don't have a picture of it, but Jack got to ride on a ferris wheel, which he has been wanting to do for awhile!

Jack, my uncle Danny, and Lincoln

Also my aunt Maiah and cousin Brianna

Jack was holding Brianna's hand at one point. He made a couple great friends while we were there!

Here's Jack and Dan in a "hurricane simulator" outside the restaurant we ate it. I have never seen one of these before.

And here's a quick video of the funny dance moves Lincoln was sporting. It kind of looked like he was surfing!

California Trip, Day 2

2011-07-16T20:46:00.004-06:00

The day after we arrived in San Diego, we went to Sea World. The boys were very entertained!

Here we are when my hair started getting completely out of control.

Jack and Lincoln loved this "teacup-style" ride. They were both laughing out loud, and we thought they were going to hate it.

Jack actually ran up and hugged this turtle

Lincoln gave him five, then ran away. This is him right after giving him five.

They had an amazing show called Blue Horizons, which included dolphins and a lot of acrobatics. We all thought that show was awesome! Both boys were entertained the whole half hour or so, until the show was over. They weren't very entertained with the show with Shamu. Apparently, nobody is allowed to ride on them anymore, and they made it all about how to be green and stuff. A good message, but kinda boring.
After Sea World, we went back to the hotel and got ready to head to my aunt and uncle's the next day in Rancho Palos Verdes.

Nelson California Trip, Day 1

2011-07-15T10:52:00.011-06:00

The four of us went on our very first vacation together in June! We spent the first day driving to San Diego.

Here's Lincoln and his hair sticking up on the first part of the drive

Need I say more? Woo hoo!

A picture of the U.S./Mexico border. It's hard to see, but it's there.

Jack fell asleep holding his head up like this

Lincoln just chugging along, reading books

Jack's arm finally fell

Never seen landscaping like that before

And we had no idea what Lincoln was saying in this video:

Viejas Outlet malls in Alpine, CA

Here's Jack wrangling a snake!

Jack and Lincoln found some sculpture bunnies!

California has some really beautiful flowers! Here are some I just happened to take a picture of.

Beaches?? Um, YES PLEASE!

Lincoln finally crashed

Jack and his silly mannequin pose

Mission Beach! Doug and I haven't been here since our honeymoon. Always a good time!

The first time these boys saw the ocean, and experienced the sand. Classic picture!

They have a Joe's Crab Shack right on the beach! And we were hungry!

Jack got a nice, new, WARM sweatshirt. It was pretty cold while we were there.

We have a new die hard fan of crab legs!

Then, off to our hotel for some rest before Sea World the next day!

P.S. Jack loves artichokes!

2011-07-15T10:46:00.002-06:00

Lincoln Turns Two!

2011-07-15T10:19:00.004-06:00

Bear with me while I slowly catch up on our blog with pictures and posts.

Lincoln turned two on June 1st. We got him a cake and went out to eat at Outback in between Doug and me working. Here he is while we sang to him.

Here he is opening grammy and papa's present... a new tractor and trailer!

And here's Jack and him opening presents from grandma and grandpa.

A life jacket for Lincoln, and a new movie (Megamind) for our upcoming road trip. Woo!

Happy birthday, Linc! We love you so much.

I'm Still Here, Promise!!

2011-07-07T16:14:00.002-06:00

If anyone is still keeping up with our blog, please don't stop! We have had a broken desktop for over a month now, and I'm just waiting to get it back before I can post anything! Stay tuned for updates from Lincoln's birthday, our California trip, and other stuff we've been up to.

Father/Son Campout

2011-05-20T08:26:00.008-06:00

This year was the second year that Jack got to go on the father/son's camping trip that our ward does each year. We thought Lincoln was still a little young, so he stayed home with me and we had a date at McDonald's. Here's the tent all set up:

And the making of the campfire...

Jack was daring and was imitating Kung Fu Panda...

Um... Harry Potter, maybe?

Making funny faces in the sleeping bag, and watching a movie on the laptop before bed

Doug said he got cold a few hours before they got up, and he snuggled right in to Doug's sleeping bag, which didn't leave Doug sleeping very well. Doug said that when they had a last call for breakfast, Jack was still sound asleep. He looks pretty cozy!

As you know, they LOVE their bikes! Lincoln was giving Jack a ride on his the other day. They both thought it was pretty funny.

Lincoln's classic face on his bike

A little dinosaur fun

And my sleeping baby

For probably about 6-8 months now, Lincoln has been saying the phrase, "No, gaga!" It's just a funny little thing he says every so often that he thinks is pretty funny. I finally caught a "no, gaga!" conversation/laugh fest on tape. You also catch a glimpse at the end of Jack teaching his brother "naughty" words. Stinker!

Easter/Visit From G & G Nelson

2011-05-02T16:13:00.008-06:00

Grandma caught wind that Jack and Lincoln were always fighting over Jack's "bike," which is basically a big wheel. She was nice enough to buy Lincoln his own Cars bike. They have both enjoyed having their own big boy bikes now!

And Doug finished Jack's Batman bed. It turned out great! Grandma made him this blanket to go with it. And grandpa helped Doug make a little shelf between Jack's head and the wall. It's a perfect spot for Jack's clock, where he can now recognize the number "7," so he knows not to get out of bed before 7:00.

We discovered this place called Organ Stop Pizza, and it is absolutely amazing! They have 5,500 pipes, and this one guy controls the piano, organ, drums, dancing cats, etc. We thought Lincoln might be a little scared because the organ is pretty loud, but they both loved it! They were dancing a lot of the time! Their pizza was pretty good, too! We put in a request for him to play Star Wars, but they didn't do it. Sorry, Jack.

Jack fell asleep in this position on the way there

Here's the organ as it descends into the floor

And here's a quick video of them dancing as they listened to the organ. We highly recommend this place to anyone!

Happy Easter! The boys woke up searching for their basket in the house. Do you guys hide the baskets? Or do you place them outside their bedroom door? Doug grew up with the former, and I grew up with the latter. Here's Lincoln checking out what the Easter Bunny left.
Jack found a Batman coloring book in his basket!
"What? You mean there's candy inside these? Sweet!"

Lincoln wasn't super interested in looking for eggs

And the Easter bunny left us Shrek Forever After! Awesome.

Gwen and I made some ham, jell-o, pineapple glaze, broccoli with cheese sauce, and...
I saw that Rhodes Rolls had this cute little recipe to make duck rolls! We took a stab at it, and I think they turned out okay for first-timers.
We took grandma and grandpa to the Scottsdale train park. Here are the boys enjoying the train ride. Lincoln wouldn't sit with anyone but me (he has become quite the mama's boy, which I have to admit, I love.)
On the way home, we stopped by the Mesa temple, and discovered that they have a visitor's center! We hadn't seen that before. Lincoln was holding onto me so tight when I got by this Christus statue. He was a little unsure about it.
Thanks, Kevin and Gwen! We had so much fun with you guys!

And we reached 90-degree weather a couple days last week. Here we are trying out our little baby pool on the patio.
And laying out in the afternoon sun

And a random picture of my boys loving on each other... which you will usually miss if you blink.

Cassidy's Visit

2011-04-11T17:00:00.003-06:00

I'm finally catching up on some much needed posts! We've had lots of family stop by our house over the last couple weeks. Cassidy (Doug's sister) is still here, but she's spending the second half of her trip at Bryce's twin brother's house. They were here the first half. We spent the first day hanging out at the zoo. Here's a picture of a horse named Jack nipping toward Lincoln. He thought it was fun at first, but then it was a bit scary for him. Uncle Bryce protected him.

We showed cousin Kingsley the goats, and she thought they were pretty fun.

Jack kept grabbing Kingsley's hand. He took on a great "big brother" role with her. Now if I can only teach him how to do that NICELY with Lincoln...

Kingsley really liked the puppy store, as did Lincoln!

She got pretty excited! We wanted to go to Joe's Farm Grill Saturday, but we got rained out. We settled on Red Robin. We had fun with you guys! Wish I would have taken more picture. Next up, we have Doug's parents coming over Easter weekend. We're excited to have more family around, and excited to see you, Kevin and Gwen!

Mom's Visit

2011-04-11T16:28:00.005-06:00

We have been so lucky to have one family member after another recently! The day that my sister Heather and her family left, my mom flew in that same afternoon! The boys and I were already in Phoenix from the fire truck museum with Heather's family, so we hung out at the zoo for a couple hours before my mom's flight came in. Here's the first time we found the petting zoo and the boys were able to pet the goats. Lincoln kept smiling and saying, "Hi, goats!"

Jack really wanted to go to the Rainforest Cafe with Grammy. As always, the food was awful. And here's how much Lincoln enjoyed the thunderstorms inside.

Not so much.

Jack thought it was awesome!

My mom had a brilliant idea of recovering my kitchen chairs! They were so disgusting that my nephew, Sawyer, told me I had dirty chairs. He was RIGHT. They were so brown that I was embarrassed to take a "before" picture. They were supposed to be off white. Anyway, here they are with new covers! Thanks, mom!

Mom and Lincoln while we listen to conference.

I think Lincoln liked that cake we made, and grammy's homemade frosting!

Lincoln was being goofy, watching TV with this hat on.

And here are some random pics of the boys enjoying the nice spring weather before the heat kicks in.

Thanks for everything, mom! See you in August!

Heather's Visit

2011-04-11T16:14:00.004-06:00

My sister Heather and her family went to the Grand Canyon for their spring break, and I was so grateful that they came down and stayed with us for a night! Here's a picture of the boys before they came, playing on Jack's big wheel.

Lincoln and Brea are 6 1/2 months apart. Here they are trying on shoes together.

We had a BBQ at our house they night they arrived, and went to the world's largest fire truck museum in Phoenix the next day. Here's Aiden, Jack, Sawyer, and Caylee inside one of the fire trucks you can sit in.

Lincoln wanted a turn, too!

Here's Lincoln checking out Brea in her stroller.

Jack's all dressed up like a firefighter! Looks like he's got a helper.

Lincoln's turn!

Here's a random pic the night they were there, after we went to the mall and out for ice cream.

It was less than 24 hours, but it was GREAT to see you all while you were here!

The Last Couple Weeks

2011-03-19T15:12:00.003-06:00

Here are just a few pictures of what we've been up to, besides working.

Lincoln was posing, all dressed up for church.

Look at all of those handsome boys!

Lincoln enjoying the beautiful outside weather with his first juice box. Despite what the picture looks like, he enjoyed it.

Jack cruisin' with his new favorite, Capri Sun.

We went with a friend and her little boy to the zoo last week. This ostrich came right up to the fence!

Here are Jack and Lincoln and their friend in front of the zebras.

Papa came to visit recently, too! He was here on business, and had so much work to do that we didn't get to spend as much time with him as we all would have liked. Next time, dad! I sneaked this picture of him with Lincoln while Linc was enjoying a book with him.

And then I got caught!

"Take a picture of me, mom! Cheeeeese!"

This picture was taken today. Look at the awesome progress Doug has made on Jack's Batman bed! His hard work is really paying off. He's almost finished!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-03-02T10:21:00.004-07:00

Or, as Jack calls it, "Happy Val-times Day!" I'm in a service co-op with some ladies in my ward, and one of the services one lady offered was to take pictures of your kids for Valentine's cards. I thought it would be fun to see what she could come up with. Unfortunately, Lincoln was a sourpuss the whole time! Here's the best one we could get of them together:

Here's what Jack looks like when you tell him to say, "Cheese."

And here's the closest Lincoln would come to a smile.

Doug and I enjoyed some Outback Steakhouse after the boys went to bed the Saturday before Valentine's Day. We just did their take away service and watched Knight and Day at home. I know... so romantic! I also got this amazing Valentine's day card from all the boys. Thank you, guys!

Here's a lunch last week at TGI Friday's. Lincoln was fond of the dessert.

Doug got his tools out the other day and the boys loved it!

Here's a picture of Lincoln's mohawk after baths the other night.

Jack is in a playgroup on Wednesday's, and last week, it was my turn to host. We did the theme, "P is for Pirate!" Some boys came dressed up as pirates, and we made teloscopes, colored pictures, watched an episode of, "Jake and the Neverland Pirates" and read a book called, "On A Pirate Ship." Their favorite part was when we went on a treasure hunt! I have this trunk that my parents gave to me that looks just like a treasure chest. I gave them clues on where the treasure was, which was just up in Jack's room (that's where we store it, and it was too big to get out of the closet by myself!)

Here's what they found inside:

The "gold doubloons" were just those chocolate candy, and we divided those up for them to take home. The jewelry is my own, and one little boy asked, "Can I take some jewelry home for my mom?" It was so cute!

Here's Jack after the playgroup, complete with his hat, telescope, sword, and gold doubloons on the bench behind him.

Besides being a full-time student, having a full-time job, and watching the kids like 5 nights a week while I work, Doug has also taken on a project to build Jack his very own Batman bed. Here's the work in progress:

Jack decided to help out by being the keeper of the snacks, like Mike & Ike's and popcorn.

And Lincoln was having a ball just gliding off the "driveway" on Jack's little bike.

Doug made the dean's list again and is currently taking a dreaded math class. My work has me scheduled about 5 nights a week, which is a lot. But I can't complain because it's income we wouldn't otherwise have. And we're enjoying our 70-degree weather before it gets too hot before long!

Playing Catch Up

2011-02-13T13:58:00.007-07:00

We finally got our computer back and running a week or two ago! I have neglected the blog lately due to working so much. But I'll get to that in a little bit. First, let me catch up on pictures!

Lincoln got croup the first week of the new year! Here he is trying to breathe.

A smile like this is VERY hard to catch on camera anymore!

Jack took a lovely, relaxing picture next to his daddy on our bed.

Yes, Lincoln is sitting in the sink. He likes to climb onto the toilet and up onto the counter. He has gotten his clothes wet many times, yet still enjoys it.

Jack and I spent an afternoon making this monster mask from one of my Usborne books. He loves it!

Doug and I took the boys to see the temple a few weeks ago on a beautiful day (we've been having lots of those lately!)

We thought this garden of different cacti was pretty awesome.

My boys next to a huge cactus

Gotta capture those smiles while I can! He refuses to smile for the camera (or even look at it) anymore.

On Friday night, we took the boys to Peter Piper Pizza. It's like a mini Chuck E. Cheese. The boys had a wonderful time.

Jack always gives us this chese ball smile now. P.S. Notice his outfit of bright yellow Batman shirt and camo pants? Yeah... he picked that one out.

On Saturday, we took the boys to a train museum in Scottsdale, and the thought it was the best thing ever! Lincoln kept saying, "Choo choo!" They had this carousel, a museum with a bunch of model trains, a real train car that presidents used to use that we got to walk through, a bunch of playgrounds, a train that we all got to ride on, and the list goes on! We'll definitely be visiting there again.

Lincoln had fun looking at (and climbing on) everything they had to offer.

Checking out the model trains

Here's an update on everyone:

Doug: He's still working on his MBA. He's had more responsibility at home lately since I'm working now.

Jack: Jack almost got croup at the beginning of the year, but it never got too bad. Then he got sick with the flu (thanks to Lincoln) right after. He currently has his second cold of the year. Besides all that, he has enjoyed being outside in the nice weather and playing xbox here and there. He enjoys working on his workbooks with mommy during Lincoln's naptime, where he learns about shapes, science, matching, etc. He's currently learning to recognize different numbers. Jack also got to meet his teacher for his preschool class that starts in the fall. We're both very excited as his teacher has an acre of land with farm animals and all sorts of fun stuff in her backyard for kids. Jack keeps us laughing all the time with the funny stuff he says. My favorite saying of the week was him talking to his potty and saying, "No potty, wait! Potty you can't come out yet! Listen to me!!" He talks to his potty on the way to the toilet often.

Lincoln: Our sweet Lincoln has taken a turn for the terrible two's. He's got attitude and loves telling us all, "NO!" On the up side, he is learning new words every day. When I sing him a song, he has learned to say, "Again!" He can also say things like banana (sounds like "mana"), juice, and more (sounds like "moan.") He also loves seeing Jack and daddy when he wakes up, and when daddy comes home from work. Doug loves that Lincoln will run to him and give him big hugs. He still loves his Baby Einstein videos. He got croup at the beginning of the month, followed by the flu bug for a few days. He was kind enough to share these with all of us.

Toni: I've been working at Outback Steakhouse as a server for the last month, and they have me scheduled 5 days a week most times. It's nice having a social life again away from home, and is a nice break from the boys. I find myself having more patience with them when I'm at home. I got a sinus infection right after I started my new job. We tried meeting some neighbors for dinner a couple weekends ago at Joe's Farm Grill. While we were in line, Jack told me he wanted me to hold him because he didn't feel well. I asked if he needed to throw up, and he assured me he didn't. While his head was laying on my shoulder, he threw up in my hair, on my shirt, down my arm, on my boots, into my purse, all over my wallet, checks and credit cards, EVERYTHING! We left immediately and I had to stop half way to the car to clean us up a little bit. Thank goodness Doug was there to help me because I was totally dry heaving. SO gross. That will definitely be a night I will never forget. He had me sick two days later.

Lastly, here's a funny video of Jack dancing to the Batman music from his xbox game. Nice booty shaker!

Pictureless Update

2011-01-20T10:51:00.002-07:00

We have been having issues with our desktop computer for almost a month now! Thus, I haven't updated. We thought we had it back to normal and working, until yesterday when we tried putting all our software back on it. Now it just shuts down after 10 seconds of being on. NICE! Anyway, we're still trying to get it repaired. I will be telling Geek Squad a piece of my mind when I can make it in there.

A little of what has been going on around here: Doug is still in school, and even got a letter that he's on the dean's list! Very proud of him.

I was lucky enough to have an onlay at the dentist one morning, and a mammogram that afternoon. I bet you're jealous that you're not me! The high that day was 75 degrees, which was the highlight. I have also started working at Outback Steakhouse as a server. My last day of training was yesterday, which is such a relief! I'm sick of having to find someone to watch the boys while I have more training classes. I'm so thankful to have friends that are so willing to help out when I have no other options. I had to take a food class, a liquor class, a food test, a liquor test, 4 training shifts of following someone, an orientation meeting, and going to a county building to get a food handler's card. My first day out on the floor all by myself is today. I hope I do okay!

Jack is completely obsessed with everything Batman and Lego Batman at this point. He was so excited when we found Lego Batman and Lego Star Wars underwear for him at Target this last week. He's never played Lego Star Wars, but we have talked about it. He lives to play xbox, so we have had to limit his playtime on it to before breakfast, and during naptime. This makes for a long morning for everyone.

Lincoln is mastering the art of telling us what he wants without talking. He's into the hand-holding and dragging of the parental units. He is also learning new words here and there, will fold his arms for the prayer (for like, 5 seconds), is an AWESOME sleeper, and loves telling us, "NO!" when he is having a moment of attitude... which is a few times a day.

Both boys got over croup last week, after Lincoln saw a doctor and needed a steroid shot. They gave me their illness during my new job training. I'm still not fully recovered, and now Doug has the cold, also. I love how they love to share!

I hope to update with pictures someday if and when we get our real computer back, which may not be for awhile if we have to replace it. But, hopefully soon!

Last Half of December

2010-12-31T09:28:00.015-07:00

First off, here's Lincoln being hilarious (both to him and me) during bath time.

We had a CRAZY Christmas trip! We left on a Sunday, and stayed the night at the Excalibur in Las Vegas to break up the trip. Las Vegas is about half way, and is the route with the least amount of mountains to avoid snow. We left the sunshine of Gilbert and found the rain in Las Vegas!

We took Jack to the M&M store, thinking he'd like that.
Then we booked it to the Bellagio to show Lincoln and him the fountains. We got there just in time to see a show, and then they said they wouldn't do another one for a half hour. I'm sure glad we made it there just in time because it was cold out in the rain!
Lincoln preferred pushing his stroller some of the time.
The boys, Doug and I all slept better than we thought we would in the hotel room. The next day, we packed everything up and headed to Utah. We, of course, hit snow about half-way there. It never fails to snow on us during a Christmas road trip! Here are the boys the day after we got there, playing in the snow.
A picture of Kevin and Gwen's roof, to prove they really did get 17 inches!
Grandma Nelson and cousin Kingsley

Lincoln really took to his uncles, and was super shy with everyone else!

Kevin and Gwen took us all out to pizza. Jack got really tuckered out half way through dinner.
Here we are at the Thanksgiving Point dinosaur museum. This place is always a hit!
I was lucky enough to have a girl's night with my friends from Contacts! I had so much fun with them, and was still deep in conversation when Doug came to pick me up. I miss you girls SO much!!
My good friend, Christy, gave us all much needed haircuts! We were all so excited to see Kate and her. Ryan, sorry we missed you!
We had an ugly sweater party Christmas Eve at Doug's grandpa's house. Here are the McBride's sporting theirs!
And here are Doug and me sporting ours. Oh, and Buddy was there, too!
Here's Jack getting to sit on Santa's lap. He was very eager to see Santa!
A family pic with Santa
Giving Santa knucklesAfter Santa, I let them open their new jammies that say, "Big Brother," and, "Little Brother."

Here's Christmas morning. Lincoln got a little slide thing from Santa!
Jack got a remote control car
cute little Kingsley

Family pic at Cassidy's

Kevin showed us the tractor he's restoring. Jack and Lincoln got to take turns sitting on it. I was absolutely freezing my butt off at this point! Guess I'm used to Arizona now...
Reading a book with grandpa NelsonWe ended up leaving Monday night around 9, and not getting home until about 7:30. We decided that driving through the night would be best because both boys had colds. It turns out that neither one slept very well at all, which means nobody did. We left so late because Doug's aunt and uncle were staying overnight at our house in Arizona, and we didn't want to walk in super early to wake them all up. We were totally delirious by like 6:30, and were glad we all napped from about 11-3. I woke Jack and Doug up a little after 4 to make sure Jack still slept okay that night. Both boys still went to bed at the same time, and slept through the night. Thank goodness!

Here's Jack just being silly with my boots

And Jack is really into using things as whips (which we have since put an end to.) But here's one instance from yesterday that Lincoln found so funny!

Zoo Lights and Dressing Up

2010-12-06T15:52:00.000-07:00

I dragged that family out on Saturday night, after an early dinner, to go see the Zoo Lights that everyone is raving about. Since we got an annual membership to the zoo, we got 2 free tickets to go. And the boys were free, which means it was all free! Jack LOVED all the lights to see. Lincoln thought they were okay, too, but wasn't as vocal about it.

Here was a pretty awesome spider! Notice the peacock sitting in the tree, too?

For some reason, all these spots were showing up in the air! Doug wanted to spoil Jack and let him ride a camel... just like in the Lego Indiana Jones game on Xbox! Jack kept saying, "I'm so excited!"

If you open your mouth in front of Lincoln and say, "Aahhhh!" and there is food in front of him, he's more than willing to share!

Here's more of that horrible condensation I was talking about. If you look closely, you can see the palm trees covered in Christmas lights. I thought this was somewhat amusing, since I've never seen this before. You can also sort of make out the Stay-Puff marshmallow man... which always reminds me of Ghostbusters.

Lincoln was totally getting down to that Trans-Siberian Orchestra song with "Carol of the Bells" in it! I have a video of it at the bottom.

Jack thought it was pretty funny. He also enjoyed the kettle corn.

Here are the boys, all dressed up for church on Sunday.

Jack wanted to try on his winter coat and snow pants that we got for him recently. He's excited to use these when we go to grandma's!

Lincoln wanted to pose for the camera.

Then we tried Lincoln's winter clothes on him. He wasn't as excited.

Here's the video of Lincoln dancing in the car. He's a little camera shy!

Utah, we're excited to see you in a couple weeks! We're counting down the days.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-27T20:20:00.006-07:00

I hope everyone had a fabulous Thanksgiving! This was Doug's and my first year where we didn't have any family around to share the holiday with. I was sad about this, but also excited to prove to myself that I could make a yummy Thanksgiving meal, even without help! We didn't have the variety of food like we do at family's house, but I thought it was still pretty dang good. And I'm a loser and took pictures of all my food at my first Thanksgiving as a hostess:

Mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce

Turkey gravy, made with real drippings!

My grandma Harris used to make the BEST rolls ever... orange rolls! I have the recipe on Facebook, if you want it. They're seriously SO good! We've been having the leftover ones for breakfast.

I'm usually not a fan of sweet potatoes, but I know Doug really likes them. I made him these candied sweet potatoes just for the occasion. And I actually liked them! Amazing what you can find on the internet.

I didn't get a picture of my turkey right out of the oven (I was too busy scrambling to put everything together!) Here it is on my beloved bone china.

Lincoln saw me with the camera out, and goes, "Cheese!" Had to take a picture.

And then Jack followed suit with his, "Cheese!"

I wanted to make a pumpkin pie (Doug's favorite,) a banana cream pie (my favorite,) and a chocolate pie (one that I thought the boys would like.) Since three pies is a lot all at once for us, I made the banana cream pie last week. It was gone in 2 or 3 days. But out of fairness, I did give a quarter of it to my neighbor. I made pumpkin pie and chocolate pie for the desserts on Thanksgiving, thinking the boys would like the chocolate pie. I was wrong. I don't think they ate a THING for dinner OR dessert. I only got a picture of the pumpkin pie, and I can't figure out how to turn it.

Earlier this week, I broke out the stockings

And my nativity that took me a couple years to accumulate

This is Lincoln seeing the tree for the first time, right after naps today. See the white dust or something on my shirt? Yeah, didn't even know it was there until I saw it in this picture. Ahh, the life of a mom.

Here's our awesome tree all put together and squished into our tiny place!

I went to wash Lincoln's bedding a month or so ago, and noticed that all the corners on it were yellowing. It turns out that his comfort with this blanket is to put the corners of it in his mouth, and suck on it. I try to wash it once a week, but it still stays that yellowish-gray color! I caught a quick shot of him putting it in his mouth.

Here he is admiring the tree before bedtime.

I LOVE this time of year and breaking out the Christmas music. Bring on the holiday spirit!

Zoo and Eating

2010-11-22T14:58:00.003-07:00

We went to the zoo a couple weeks ago with our friends Sheri, Livie, and Ellie. Here was the only picture I managed to get, of Livie and Jack on the foot massagers, right before we left. I'm sad to say that I'm not impressed with Phoenix's zoo.

Lincoln still enjoys his Oreo's... from the inside out. He knows where the good stuff is!

I had to get a quick dinner from McDonald's the other day after an Usborne home show (thanks, Sheri!) Lincoln was a monster and devoured his dinner!

And here was the result of Jack's dinner when he was done.

SERIOUSLY!

Lincoln also experienced Ketchup for one of the first times. At first, he didn't even want to try it. But as soon as he did, he was diving into the pile I squirted onto his wrapper. It's so funny how excited he got about each finger-licking bite!

Jack's Three Year Pics

2010-11-11T13:34:00.003-07:00

Moms, hold on to your daughters! I know these will be poster size on their walls in no time.

Jack's Birthday All Week Long!

2010-11-07T13:58:00.008-07:00

Jack turned 3 last Tuesday! He had presents ALL week long though, so he was one lucky boy! On Monday, Jack and Lincoln had a package arrive from their grandma Nelson! They got some new clothes, Jack got some dinosaur toys, and Lincoln got some farm animal toys. Good times!

Lincoln kept saying, "Ooooo! Oooo!"

Just a cute, random pic of Lincoln climbing into the dryer. It's just his size!

On Tuesday (his actual birthday,) Doug took the day off and we went to a bounce house. O...M...G... they both had the time of their lives! Here are a million and one pictures of that.

Lincoln was walking around for awhile, just carrying this bat (and swinging it, but a 1-year old can't help but swing his arms when he walks to stay balanced.)

Jack played his xbox in the afternoon, and after his choice of steak dinner at home, a package arrived from some uncles and aunt. His very first basketball hoop! Then we went to the mall. Here's me sneaking up on my boys with the camera.

On Wednesday, he went and got his 3-year pictures (which only cost $5 for the whole package. SCORE!) and then he got to pick out his present from grandma Mondy. I thought he'd want to get Hungry Hungry Hippos, but he chose this Toy Story version of Chutes and Ladders instead. Unfortunately, he doesn't quite get it.

Another moment of both boys checking out the dog outside.

On Friday, Jack got to go pick out a present from his aunts. We found a GREAT deal on some xbox games, so he picked out Lego Indiana Jones 2, and has been wanting to play it ever since! On Saturday, we had a birthday party for Jack with his friends and their families at the park nearby. With so much going on, I only got a couple pictures! He wanted a monster truck party (no idea where that came from.) The weather was still a little hot, with a high of 89! Here was his cake:

Instead of pin the tail on the donkey, we played pin the license plate on the monster truck. Each kid colored their own license plate, and then took a turn. Only a couple were interested in playing.

We also made a bean bag toss game.

We had SO much pizza, fruits and veggies left over that we've had that as a meal three times already, and still have more! Good thing I'm not sick of it yet.

Happy birthday to my big boy Jack!

Halloween Pics

2010-11-03T07:50:00.002-06:00

This is just a quick post of the kiddos in their Halloween costumes. Oh, and a random picture of a (double) rainbow we were able to witness about 2 weeks ago. SO pretty!

Jack was excited about being a T-Rex dinosaur. The tail was one of the cutest parts, so I'm not sure why I didn't get a shot of it.

Lincoln the skeleton!

We participated in a trunk or treat Saturday night, and then went around the neighborhood Sunday night. People were dumping their candy in our bags because there were so few trick-or-treaters. Not too many kids in our neighborhood. We only had one kid come by our house!

"I'm a Little Bit of Everything... All Rolled Into One!"

2010-10-19T14:06:00.005-06:00

50 points to the first person that can name the song title and artist from the title of this post!

Last week, one of the girls in our ward invited everyone to Peter Piper's Pizza before they opened. They took the kids on a tour of the back, and then were able to make their own pizza. What was up with Jack, though? He really wasn't interested in anything until someone mentioned making pizza.

Here's where it started getting good

"Um, WHAT are we doing here again, mom?"

The kids also got tokens for their games, and Lincoln just wanted to spend his time sitting in this little school bus. No, not on the seat, but on the floor. Kids were getting annoyed.

On Saturday, we wanted to do something fun with the kids. We got tickets to go to Schnepf Farms, where they had a carousel, hay ride, a pumpkin patch, amusement park, petting zoo, all sorts of playgrounds, a kiddie maze, a grown-up maze, and I could go on.

I think my kids are trying to tell me something in this picture. But what is it?

This little road rally cart was SO much fun! Doug and I pedaled, and we went for a little ride through the trees you see behind us. We all enjoyed this one.

Lincoln's first carnival ride, unsupervised!

Jack got to go on his very first roller coaster! It was a good one, too!

He had SO much fun, that I had to take him on it for a second time.

Lincoln finally crashed for a little while after lunch. Look at those eyelashes! What a beautiful boy.

And Jack crashed not 5 minutes after we got in the car...

While Lincoln was wide awake...

And would NOT let this slushee go for the life of him! He had a death grip on that thing.

We decided to save a couple dollars (and our backs) and just get some pumpkins at the grocery store after Schnepf Farms. We carved them on Sunday after church, since we don't have time to do family nights on Monday's with Doug getting home at 6:30.

Here's a picture of pumpkin carving from last year. Jack looks so grown up compared to this one!

He really wanted me to take a picture of him doing this pose. What a nut!

And Lincoln would NOT give Doug kisses when requested after his naps.

We turned off the lights after the sun went down to show the boys. Lincoln held onto me tighter and tighter, the closer I got to the pumpkins. Jack thought it was pretty cool, though.

Cheesy Boys

2010-10-10T15:00:00.008-06:00

Lincoln peeking through the stairs. He has mastered going up and down the stairs now!

We got lots and lots of rain one day last week! Jack loved it, and liked seeing the lightning and hearing the thunder... at first. He got a little scared when the thunder got louder. And so did Lincoln!

I didn't get any video of it, but we took a walk to where the street had flooded, and they played and played until they were dripping wet. Here's another video when they were outside when it was between storms.

Jack has taken a HUGE interest in the xbox lately. His favorite is Lego Star Wars. Lincoln just likes to THINK he's playing when we give him a controller.

We got this little plush koala for free when we went to the zoo. Lincoln is so funny with it! He'll hold it up to his face like this, and snuggle it for a few seconds whenever we give it to him.
Brotherly love
"I'm a model, you know what I mean?"
"And I do my little turn on the catwalk!"
"On the catwalk.. on the catwalk, yeah, I shake my little tush on the catwalk!"
We got these shoes for Jack at JC Penney. He needed some tennis shoes, and he wanted these Toy Story ones that light up. Thanks, grandma and grandpa Nelson!
Lincoln has taken a big interest in Baby Einstein. He will find one of the videos and bring them to me multiple times a day. I looked over while making dinner the other day, and found him like this, glued to the TV. Must be some good stuff!
Jack eating his dinosaur-shaped sandwich
Doug's and my 6-year anniversary was yesterday. He got me this card, and I thought it was HILARIOUS!
Here we are at My Big Fat Greek Restaurant, trying greek food for the first time. Their greek fries were AWESOME! Which do you think came first: the restaurant or the movie? They're both great!

Here's a quick video of Lincoln with the cradle when we got it all out and set up the other day.

Which reminds me of our big announcement...

We're going to have a sale on this cradle! It's actually my sister's, and she let us borrow it. We're running out of storage in this tiny place, and so I'm just trying to sell it. Let me know if you live nearby and are interested. We're looking to get $75.

And lastly, Lincoln already prefers to use a fork, where possible. It's so funny to us because Jack still won't use a fork. Now that we're excited about Lincoln using one, he seems to think it's a little cooler.

Grandparent's Day & Toni's Birthday

2010-09-26T15:23:00.004-06:00

Two weeks ago was grandparent's day. I helped Jack make the following cards for his grandparents. They're pretty funny, if you read them. I would say, "What do you want me to write?" And this is what he said:

Lincoln no longer wants to eat in his high chair, so he has graduated to our little green booster chair. Congrats, Lincoln! Jack has looked at this chair as a punishment the last few months, so he just sits on a regular chair now.

Since Jack likes the xbox so much lately, I checked out ebay for some kid games. I found a sweet deal on a Kung-Fu Panda/Lego Indiana Jones combo pack. He hasn't tried the Kung-Fu Panda game yet, but all he wants to do now is, "Play Lego game." Lincoln likes to think he plays a part in this, too.

So, I'm a dork and just erased all the pictures from the camera before they downloaded onto the computer. NICE! My paragraph will have to suffice. We spent yesterday (my birthday) at the zoo, and then went to Sweet Tomatoes for lunch. The rest of the day was relaxed and Doug let me have some "work" time for my Usborne Books business and organization. After dinner, we walked over to the pond across the street and threw bread in for the fish. We've also discovered a turtle that will come over and poke his head out of the water. Jack loves it, but Lincoln just sits contently in the stroller. Then we walked home and had some cake: chocolate cake and chocolate frosting. Thanks, Doug! He's making me his famous red wine vinegar ribs today. They are SOOOO yummy!! I can't wait.

Here's Jack pushing Lincoln around the room. I only let him do it once so the chair didn't tip over on Lincoln.

Here's a glimpse of what I witness every day... Lincoln's tantrums and Jack's taunting.

Hanging Out

2010-09-12T14:52:00.007-06:00

I got two packages delivered on Tuesday. How exciting! You'd think Jack and Lincoln have never seen boxes before. They were so entertained before we even opened them up!

I thought Jack looked so funny with his legs crossed, all snuggled up to his daddy!

We have been having some FABULOUS mornings here! The low has been in the 60's and 70's, so we've had to take advantage of going out right after breakfast a few times this week. I was even able to open our windows a morning of two! I can' wait until the high's are out of the 100's for the season.
You saw the little boy outside in his underwear this morning, too? Oh... he's mine. Yes, I let him show off his studly man-figure to the neighbors for a few minutes. He fell down and got his jammies all wet, and wanted to go back out and play this morning before I could run upstairs and get new ones.

Lookin' good, J.D.!

Lincoln LOVES being outside! He throws a fit every time we go back inside.

Here's Lincoln telling us the sound that a lion (and a tiger, and a bear, and a dinosaur) makes.

Individual Updates

Lincoln: Lincoln's rash from what I can only assume is roseola appeared this morning, so hopefully that goes away quickly (even though I know he's not itching.) He had a mystery fever a few days ago, and now the rash. At least he's in good spirits!

Jack: All he can talk about is his Halloween costume... a dinosaur! I ordered it yesterday, and he's so excited to wear it! He asked me a few times so far to see it on the computer.
I say, "It's coming in the mail!"
He says, "Now?"
I say, "No, sometime this week, probably."
"Now?"
Oh, he just doesn't listen.

He must be two.

Doug: Doug has stayed plenty busy with work and school! He passed his first class with an A-. Way to go, slick! He's now onto his second class. Already a week into it. Only 7 weeks left of this one!

Toni: I've had a horrible sinus headache since Friday afternoon. You know, one of those ones where your head is THROBBING every time you lean down or bend over? Ick. I also got my starter kit for Usborne this week, and am looking forward to hosting a party soon!

Relaxing Labor Day Weekend

2010-09-06T20:35:00.004-06:00

Doug came home from work on Friday, and was immediately thrown in to playing xbox with Jack. Here are a few snapshots of that. Love their faces!

P.S. Lincoln really wanted to play, too!

Jack always says, "Take a picture me!" when he sees that I have the camera out.

(Not so) Little Linc just playing on the floor

The landscapers come and mow the common area every Friday. The boys love to watch him go around and around on the lawn mower.

My awesome visiting teacher, Alice, offered to watch our boys Saturday so we could go to the temple. This was our first trip to the Mesa temple, since we lack family to watch the boys. And it's just so long to hire a baby-sitter for. We left the house at 9:30, and didn't even get out of the temple until 1:00. What a great experience! None of our pictures turned out, though. This one turned out blurry:

And the sun was just so bright in this one! Plus, it was literally 100 degrees out. So we were both thinking, "Let's just take this picture already and get out of here!"

Then we took Alice up on her offer to go out to lunch afterward. We tried a place called Charleston's. It was a little pricey, so we just shared a plate. Their chicken picatta was yummy!
We got to pick up the kids a little after 2. Lincoln usually goes down about 12 or 12:30. Here he was (about zonked) on the way home.

Saturday night, we took the boys to co-op and decided to try this place called Swirl It. It's a really fun, casual frozen yogurt shop where you put however much you want into your cup, then pile on as many toppings as you want. When you pay, they weigh it, and the weight is what the cost is dependent upon. We also stopped at Home Depot to buy some spider killer since we've seen a few black widows surrounding our house.
We were all able to go to church on Sunday (late) and went to the pool this morning. It was a blast hanging out with Doug for 3 days straight!

New Usborne Consultant

2010-08-31T11:03:00.002-06:00

It's official! I needed a way to earn extra money from home, so I decided to become a consultant for Usborne Books. My kids and I love their books, so it doesn't hurt to earn free books in the process either, right? Anyway, so if you want to check out the awesome books they have to offer, just go here and look around. I'll also post a new special in the sidebar with each new post. Wish me luck!

Colorado Trip 2010

2010-08-25T21:31:00.008-06:00

Here's just a quick pic of Lincoln a couple days before we left. Look at that nose a-runnin'!

Here we are in Colorado! Lincoln took a big gash to the forehead at the airport before we got on his first plane ride. Our flight was overbooked, so he sat on my lap, and Jack sat next to me. Luckily, Doug was able to help us through security! Thank goodness for that. Jack was great on the flight, watching Dora almost the entire time. Lincoln was a lot more difficult. He wanted down and he wanted to walk! We made it to Colorado and grammy met us first thing once we got off the train. Jack loved the little train ride at the Denver airport from the terminal to baggage claim.

We went to Water World the second day we were there, but I didn't get any pictures. It was so busy that we only rode like 3 rides, and were there for 6 hours! But there were plenty of chances to get wet still. There was one lady the actually passed out right in front of us while we were sitting down, eating lunch. I had to run to see if we could get a medic over to where we were. Crazy! I think they diagnosed it as dehydration, even though it was only 11:30 and they had just arrived at the water park.

Here we are a couple days in on the trampoline. Jack of course loved it, but Lincoln took a little getting used to.

This was my horse when I was little. Its name was Cheyenne (no idea why.) Here's Jack on it, rockin' out.

Lincoln's just chillin' on the patio.

Grammy had to tell them repeatedly to stay away from Mason's dog, Timber. We were afraid they'd pull hair or he would nip at them. But he's such a friendly dog. Jack loved him to pieces.

Lincoln warmed up to everyone fast. The first day, whenever someone new spoke to him, he would just lower his head to his chest and stay looking down. So funny! And when he was eating, if someone new came up to him, he would just close his eyes, as if thinking to himself that if he couldn't see them, they would go away.

The typical pose of Jack drinking from a sippy cup: one hand on the cup, the other playing with his ear.

We spent a Saturday lunch at Casa Bonita in Denver, meeting my awesome cousins Jessica and Laura and their kids. I haven't seen them in YEARS. Here's my brother Ethan and his boy Isis, my brother Mason, and then Jack, me, and Lincoln outside in front.

Isis and Jack couldn't resist the water fountain.

Jack, Cody, Alex and Olivia (Eliza's kids) watching the show where someone dives off the cliff, into the water. The food sucked and was way overpriced, but the entertainment usually makes it all worth it. There's also a cave inside you walk through that's fun for the kids. I wish we could've stayed longer to visit, but with so many kids, it was just too crazy.

Papa and Lincoln bonding some more

Papa broke out some fireworks one night. Jack thought they were awesome, but Lincoln was pretty scared.

Here's Ethan's little girl, Aven. His poor baby has had a lot of medical problems because she was born so early, but she's a trooper!

Lincoln, my dad, my grandma, my aunt Kathy, and Jack. My grandma Mondy is getting ready to move to California with another aunt, so I probably won't see her again.

Heather's baby, Brea. Look at those chubby cheeks!

Just had to take a pic of a sign with my hometown's name on it. For those of you not from there, it's just Loveland, CO. The Centerra is the huge shopping center that's fairly recent to the area.

Here's papa and Jack after mowing the lawn

Jack loved reading this book with my dad! It was called, "What are you so grumpy about?" There's a page early on in the book where it says that if you stick your bottom lip out for too long, a little birdie will come and sit on it. He kept sticking out his bottom lip, waiting for a birdie to come.

Jack at Eliza's pool

Cody and Jack bonding over cookies. Jack really loved his cousin Cody!

"I bet I can have this cookie down me in 2 minutes! Yup, I did it."

Who knows what Lincoln's deal was with his aunt Eliza! Probably intimidation.

cutie niece Olivia

new jammies from grammy!

"This snake is awesome!"

Lincoln Nicholas with Nicholas Joseph

My mom was heading to my sister Amy's in California the same day we left, so she was able to help me through security on the way home. And our flight home had like 20 open seats, so we were able to let Lincoln have his own seat. Unfortunately, he didn't do any better in his own seat. He just wanted out!

Jack had to use the bathroom on the way home. I thought... this ought to be interesting. So I lugged Lincoln back there with us, only to find their lavatory barely big enough for Jack and me! One of the flight attendants was kind enough to entertain Lincoln while I helped out Jack. People on the flight home were less understanding of our situation, and more annoyed. Oh well! We made it home to daddy. Lincoln did his shy pose of lowering his head to his chest at first. But now they can't get enough of him.

Thanks family, for everything!

Happy Birthday, Doug!

2010-08-01T15:58:00.005-06:00

Doug was kind enough to share some of his birthday money with the boys and get them these cute Toy Story t-shirts. Too bad Lincoln didn't cooperate because that smile on Jack is awesome!

Doug had some "use it or lose it" time off by the end of the month, so he took his birthday off of work. We went to a swimming pool with the boys that had a slide. Unfortunately, all the big slides around here require that you be a certain height, and they don't let you take your child down in your lap. Jack was pretty bummed, but we still had a good time.

Here's the beautiful "baseball" cake I made for Doug. I let Doug pick the kind of cake he wanted (yellow cake and chocolate frosting,) and Jack picked the theme for the cake.

No birthday is complete without the party hats!

These were the first rain clouds I had seen since we moved here in March. We actually got rain this week: a first since April!

And here's one of the beautiful, colorful sunsets we can see from our room.

We went to the library on Friday for the first time. When Lincoln was playing around in the play area, he tripped and hit his eye on their window bench. He walked away with this shiner:

Then Jack tripped in the parking lot, and skinned his knees, his hands, and his forehead in one swoop. I'm sure everyone at the grocery store afterward thought that I beat my children. Who knew the library could be so dangerous? Here's Lincoln's eye today, a little less puffy.

And last, but not least, Lincoln is now walking!! You also get a glimpse of what a danger it is for him...

July Fun

2010-07-26T15:39:00.004-06:00

Lincoln was rolling around on the floor the other day. Too funny! First, we saw this:

And then, he whipped out the sexiest pose I've EVER seen him make!

Look out, ladies! He's definitely bringing sexy back!

Last Saturday, we ventured over to the Chandler Fashion Center mall where they have a train that goes around the first floor of the mall. It was a pretty long ride, so Jack certainly got his money's worth! Here they are before it took off.

Later that night, we stopped by the splash pad at the San Tan mall. It was SO hot! Doug and I had to make Jack splash us a few times to keep cool.

And once again, the many poses and faces of Jack when he says, "Mom, take a picture of me!"

And a quick pic of Doug and me before we left for Outback Steakhouse for his birthday dinner... just the two of us. His real birthday is tomorrow.

And lastly, the funny Lincoln falling asleep while finishing up his Oreo cookie. I couldn't stop laughing!

Awesome Douglas

2010-07-19T09:27:00.001-06:00

I totally forgot to mention this about Doug in my last post! Doug interviewed for a team lead position at his work, and he was one of the two people that got hired for it! SO proud of him!

Individual Updates

2010-07-15T15:51:00.003-06:00

Lincoln

1. He's almost walking! He has been trying and practicing so hard.

2. He can say "ma-ma," "dad-dy," "pa-pa," and, on occasion, "No-no."
3. He has learned to fight back when brother attacks.
4. He eats more than his big brother.

and will steal his food. Hey, if you snooze, you lose.

5. He's a big smiler.
6. He will dance to any music he hears now... commercials, openings on cartoons, etc.

7. He's a big mess maker.

Jack
1. He makes the funniest poses for the camera when he says, "Take a picture of ME!"

2. He has the funniest sayings these days!
a. "What's going on here?!"
b. "Jack had BIG poopy, mom! Like daddy does!"
c. "What's THAT noise?" "Oooooohhhhh." "What's THAT noise?"
d. "Chase me!"
e. "I miss daddy..."

3. He has really been into Dora lately. That's all he wants to watch!
4. His favorite phrase is, "NO!"
5. He's getting great at puzzles! He works on the same 9-piece and 12-piece ones all the time.
6. He's a great host when friends come over to play. He's very eager to show off all of his toys.
7. He's starting to sing the songs he knows.
8. Still hasn't had any accidents since potty training!

Doug
1. He started school last week, and has 100% in his class so far!
2. He spends every minute he can with the fam, when he's not away for 12 hours out of the day.
3. He is chosen EVERY night by Jack to read him stories and put him to bed.
4. He gets a 1-2 minute hug from Lincoln when he comes home from work.

Toni
1. I need to work out! I know you all feel me when I say that my easy-to-maintain high school figure is exiting the building, and my clothes don't fit the same way they used to. Anyone know of a fun video?
2. I still love being a stay-at-home mom, even though it's a lot more challenging most days than I bargained for.
3. Thanks to my friend Cecily, I've developed a passion for family history, and have been working on that in my (almost non-existent) spare time.

She's In Love With A Boy (...Or Three)

2010-07-06T16:10:00.009-06:00

Lincoln is not known to hold still. In fact, that's one thing he doesn't know how to do unless he's eating or sound asleep. We couldn't get his pajamas on him the other night after baths because he was too wiggly. So we put them on his head to see what he'd do. He was a good sport about it.

Jack is just so handy around the house! He has loved these yellow construction hats I have from his 1st birthday. Once I told them they were for people that used tools, he was all about the hat and tools.

I found some Nemo goggles at the Dollar Tree for Jack since we're in the water often. He has enjoyed his week and a half of swimming lessons so far, and will be done on Thursday. I have also enjoyed the one-on-one time I've had with him in his class.

Our ward had a "4th of July" pancake breakfast on the morning of the 3rd, and had a little parade afterward in the church parking lot. Here's our wagon all decked out with Jack and his friend Livie in it. I love the expression on Doug's face in this picture. He looks like he's posing for the paparazzi.

We spent our 4th of July making some homemade popcorn and watching a movie together until bedtime. With our kids being so young and having a bedtime hours before the fireworks go off, it makes it difficult to go out after dark. But we did see some from our bedroom window and enjoyed what we saw of those.

Lincoln thought the popcorn popper was pretty awesome.

Doug had Monday off, so we decided to check out the Bass Pro Shops here. It was very similar to Cabela's, except it had a huge selection of boats and 4-wheelers. I thought the fish displays were cooler at Cabela's, though.

Doug had to go back to work today, which was a bummer. I tried to get the kids involved in something in our room so I could get ready for the day, and Jack wanted to try on Doug's boots. It was pretty cute. Lincoln just wanted to play with them.

These videos all crack me up! The first is of Jack twirling teddy bears around in the air and hitting Lincoln with them. Lincoln thought it was absolutely hilarious!

Jack taught Lincoln how to dance!

Daddy is hilarious before naptime

Jack is still learning to count to ten... in order.

P.S. Notice the hot Incredibles underwear? Jack is potty trained now! It took him less than a week. I'm so proud of him and am stoked about only one kid in diapers again.