Dates with the boys

I have taken Dakota and Braxton on a date, one each last Saturday and this Saturday. It was so fun. Dakota wanted to feed the ducks and get ice cream. Braxton wanted to go bowling and get ice cream, but it was changed when he got the opportunity to play with a friend, to getting candy at Smith and Ed's and a slushy at Chevron.

I am so pleased at the simpleness of what makes my boys happy. Braxton chose about two candies and one .99 toy and he was set. I learned a few things in my adventures with them both:

1-Kids love 1-on-1 attention, and I love giving it, I just rarely find time to be alone with them.
2-They don't want fancy, expensive fun, they just want to be with me or their dad alone.
3-I asked them both the same questions about school and church, and they said the best things about their friends and Jesus, I love hearing their answers.
4-Every time I let them be in charge I am reminded so much of my wonderful childhood and the fun things I did. I even shared one of those memories with Braxton by taking him by the .25 pop machine out north, which has inflated all the way to .40.
5-Kids love to ride in the front seat. I know I shouldn't let them, but we didn't go far :) It just feels so much more personal that way. It is a whole new perspective on life from the front seat and they love it!!
6-I love being the mom of three awesome little boys who love each other. My favorite thing that Braxton said is when I asked his favorite thing to do alone he replied "I don't usually do things alone I do them with my brothers". Isn't he so lucky!!!

AMAZING Quote

-"The future of this world has long been declared; the final outcome between good and evil is already known. There is absolutely no question as to who wins because the victory has already been posted on the scoreboard. The only really strange thing in all of this is that we are still down here on the field trying to decide which team’s jersey we want to wear!"-Jeffery R. Holland

Messes

Sometimes Messes like this.....

Are worth brother moments like this.....

(They are looking at the letter board with thier flashlights discussing what each letter is and the sound it makes)

Valentines Day

I swear my husband gets more and more thoughtful through the years!!

Cameron and Dakota discovered the bags while I was putting away groceries and used them as overalls, they thought they were pretty ingenious.

This is Braxton's Knex creation that he got for Christmas. He spent hours on a Sunday afternoon putting it together with Shane. He has quite the attention span for building things. I hope his brain is very mechanical like his dads.

Updates!!!

Where has the time gone since Christmas?

Braxton and Dakota got the opportunity to go skiing with Kiley and Tyler once again this year. Braxton looks forward to this as soon as the first snow flies. He asks them when is the day everytime he sees them. This year he even had his own skiis that were handed down from his cousin. Kiley said that they did a great job on the bunny hill and even went up the lift a couple of times.

Braxton is also playing Basketball this winter which he is getting better at every game. The first game was hillarious to say the least. They would run with the ball and double dribble (really like 4 times), I laughed my head off. I actually think Braxton almost cried he was so frustrated with not knowing the rules. Well, now he is doing much better and even made a basket this week. He makes tons of great passes and takes it down from the other end quite nicely.

He had his parent teacher conferences this week also. He is doing soooo good. It is like things are starting to click in his head. He loves math and is becoming quite the reader. I am so proud of him, he is even doing more work, less messing around which after last year I thought would never happen.

Dakota is finishing up his last year of preschool and getting ready for his shots/dental visit in order to start Kindergarten. He is writing his name (mostly all caps, but we are working on that) and recognizing more letters every day. He is very into playing the Wii right now and asks many many times a day to play it. Finally I think we have made a compromise that he can play it while Cameron naps, and the asking is finally not as often.
Cameron is in full two year old mode. Saying the same thing over and over, and throwing a fit if he doesn't get exactly what he wants. I know it is the age, but it can drive a sane lady crazy :) When he is not acting his age he is sweet and loving and loves to read books. He asks many times a day if I can read him a book and is now starting to ask when he can play with his friends.

Shane celebrated his 33rd Birthday last week and we were lucky enough to go to the Jazz Game to celebrate. Tara slept over at our house so the boys could get to bed on time, and Shane and I had a great night out. He is currently obsessing over our heating, which is a constant winter bother to him, and is seriously considering changing the entire thing. He has also been enjoying a little ice fishing this winter.

I am up to the same Mom things, cleaning, laundry, learning to cook, driving kids all around town, and Primary/Scout stuff. I have started to catch up my scrapbook once again and just finished 4th of July 2009, which I think is pretty impressive for me. That is only 1/2 a year behind instead of 2 or 3. I also enjoy playing with the boys and have even attempted to play LEGO Indiana Jones on the Wii once or twice, which for the record is NOT fun in my eyes, but they like it, and "if you can't beat them, join them" has to come into play in a house full of boys.

Life

Shane and I were kindly given some tickets to attend the Jazz Game, which was very enjoyable. The best part being that we were on a date!!!
I sat next to a teenage boy who appeared to be all alone who LITERALLY did not watch one play because he was TeXtInG the entire game.

I want so bad to raise happy, hard working, God fearing children, who love thier life and value their time enough to not waste every waking moment wasting away their brains texting--is that too much to ask????