This girls got talent

She can string all of Williams underware on her arms, ALL BY HERSELF!! We are almost as proud of her as she is of herself.
Way to go Gracie!

Will

Dear William,
I wanted to write you a letter because you are growing up so much and I don't want to forget the great things you are doing. At this very moment you are coloring a picture for your cousin. You have become very good at coloring. Without any prompting from me you started coloring inside the lines very well.

Here you are with your latest coloring creation. You needed my help to know which squares on his shirt were which color but other than that you did it all on your own. You have started making up conversations between your toys and it is so fun to listen to. You can also memorize tons of lines from movies and you have now memorized one scripture and the 1st article of faith.

This is a picture you took of Gracie

Here is a serious of pictures that you drew. You wanted me to draw a Lightning McQueen and I said no because I don't like to draw and if I start to draw for you you want me to draw everything. So instead I had you figure out how to draw it. Here is your progress in order. After you drew the second one you laughed and said, "I drew a duck!"

Eventually you got a pretty good Lightning McQueen.

When you run and play your cheeks get so red and you are getting better at letting me put "scun scream" on you when you are going to be in the sun. I love that you still call it that. You love to play with weapons and you could pretend sword fight all day. You also always want to know if people (in movies) are good or bad. Some times it is tricky because you see everything black and white. Sometimes that is nice.

Sometimes you can be so particular and like things to be the right way. For example when you play candyland all the characters have to be facing the right way as they make there way though Candyland. You don't make a big deal out of it you just quietly turn them if they are the wrong way.

You also earn pennies when you are a good boy and for doing the things that you are supposed to. Then you have to give me pennies for everything. Like watching a movie or setting the timer before you go to bed. When we count the pennies on the table you always want them head up and if they aren't you turn them over.

I asked you what some of your favorites are the other day and here is what you said;

color: orange... and red and brown and grey and black and blue

shape: circle

animal: cow and all animals and a rhinoceros.

song: "my special song" (I Will by the Beatles)

The other day I was calling you some silly name and you said, "no that's not my name" and I said "what should I call you" and you said, "Will, that's a good name." That is the first time you have said it is okay to call you something other than William. You don't get mad when others call you Will or Liam, but this is the first time you requested it. Just one more sign to show me how you are growing up and I love seeing the person you are becoming.

Love,

Mommy

What a good daddy

Gracie woke up from a nap not feeling so great and so we decided to do something that makes her really happy, paint her nails! She was very good and help hold her daddy's hand steady.

I took a video to see if we could capture how she says "paint your nails" because it sounds exactly like "pick a nose". Unfortunately she was not about to give up her pacifier so it will be even harder to tell what she says, but here ya go.

Just a bit if silliness really

We got irrigation this week during the day. Usually it is at night. I waited for the kids to wake up so they could play in it. Russ was out there with William while I was making some dinner and Russ told me I needed to come out and watch William. He would run across the yard doing different things and giggling like crazy. Here he was punching the air.

Here he spun in circles across the whole yard.

I wanted to add a video of his silliness. Unfortunately he stopped laughing so hard by the time I got the camera.

These boots are made for walking

But it is kinda hard to do when they are almost bigger than you.

Oh how Gracie entertains us.

Snip, Snip

We had not cut Williams hair since last June. The plan is to buzz it in the beginning of summer and then let it grow out all year and then buzz it again come summer, but we just couldn't buzz it. He just started doing things like twirling it and we just couldn't get rid of it all, but it was getting rather long and in his eyes a lot so we decided on a trim. I don't know how to cut hair, but I figured if I messed it up too bad we could just buzz it. I brought the scissors and spray bottle outside and got all set up and then had to run back inside to get a comb. When I came back and started combing through his hair...This fell out. I asked him if he cut his hair and he nodded yes. I then explained that he is not supposed to cut his hair or anyone else's. Hopefully it stuck. Seriously - look at these locks!

Checking out his new look. We all like it around here and think he looks so handsome.

The Grad Party

Last weekend I threw Russ a small graduation party. I considered making it a surprise, but I am so glad I didn't because it was much better with his input. We had a fun time and I am really glad I did it. Connie came over early in the day to help out and so did my awesome neighbor, Michelle. Everything went smoothly and I was not stressed. In that respect this may have been my most successful party. Here is Connie outside with me waiting for guests to arrive. Here is Russ with some of his high school/growing up chums, Jono and Scott. I am glad they could make it and we missed those that don't live around here.

Russ wasn't crazy about the Dr. Russ sign but my friends and I thought it was funny so he put up with it.

We took a quiz about Russ to see who knew him best. His best friend that he grew up with (Scott) won. (Below in the striped shirt). We had pitas with cheese and chopped veggies

And fruit ca bobs and then homemade brownies and ice cream for dessert.

Our friend Samantha made the brownies and these cute little graduation pops. (Thanks so much Sam)

When deciding on an activity for the gathering I decided it should be something that Russ really likes to do so we watched YouTube. I had originally planned a contest where people emailed me funny videos and then we would show them to Russ and see what made him laugh the hardest but I don't think I explained it well enough in the invite so we just watched funny videos.And he laughed a lot.Here are my brothers looking up some videos.And Mimi brought her puppies.

My parents took mine and my brother's kids to McDonald's during the party (having no kids there was probably the best idea I had) and when they came back they loved to pet the puppies.

It was a very fun evening and I am glad everything went smoothly and more glad that we got to see some peeps we have not seen in awhile.

Sparkle and Shine

Connie put her old dance costume on Gracie. I don't think she knew what it was, but she liked it. She danced and sang.
and danced some more (spun in circles).
It was very fun to watch. I can't wait until she is in a dance class, even if I have to teach her myself.

Ring around the Rosies

Plumber StyleI watched her stick her thumbs in her diaper and scoot it down and then just leave it like that! Is it comfortable?

Besides the awesome fashion we have going on here I love that they will play ring around the rosies together.

When friends come to play

Some good friends of ours that we met in Flagstaff and will probably live here (yea!) came over for some lunch and Settlers of Catan. They have these two cute little boys and I got a few picture here of their youngest. This is Myles. And he smiles...a lot.Gracie adores him (who wouldn't)and tried to ride him like a horse. She also played peek-a-boo with him which sound like "beek-a-you" and it so cute. I love how she puts her tiny little hands on her face.

We are looking forward to many more games with this family:)