Wisdom

The spirit grants wisdom greater than that of novels and books. It is important to read, but it is far more important to have the spirit of the Holy Ghost with you at all times - that is true wisdom

Personal Worth

My worth is not found in my many accomplishments. My personal worth is not found in sewing, writing, cleaning, or just being fabulous. My personal worth is found in my relationship with my Savior.

I always ask myself "why would they like me?"

I must reconnect with my Savior. Life is not a race or competition, rather life is learning to love and serve. Life is about connecting with our creator and becoming who he needs us to be.

I don't want to live a life that is dependent upon others for my worth or beliefs. I want to live a life that is dependent upon my Savior. He is the only source of truth, strength, and light.

I will never be able to create relationships of worth and satisfaction if I do not have a good relationship with my Savior.

Grandpa Stories - Part One

I was able to say goodbye to my grandpa the day before he died. He was not doing too well, he had a catheter and people around him with cold rags to keep his body cool. My grandma had just put up Halloween decorations, and he was joking about having his costume ready.

Our phone call went like this:

"Hi Grandpa! How are you?"
"I'm all spooky!"
"Yeah, you ready for Halloween? I love you grandpa!"
"I love you too... take care of your self. Goodbye"

The phone call ended. I am so amazed at his ability to keep good spirits about him, even when he was in a tremendous amount of pain. It is so amazing how thin the veil really is.


The weekend before my grandpa died, the nurses came in and requested the he accept full-time care from hospice nurses. He said he'd have to think about it. Accepting full time care meant that he would have to fire his son. He told them he would fire his son if they would send in a cute young nurse to care for him. That made us all laugh :)


My grandpa always had this big spider that they would hang on the wall in between their kitchen and family room. Each Halloween he would try his best to scare one of us with his falling spider. To get the spider to fall, you would have to clap loud enough to make the spider drop.


Grandma put the spider up for him. At one point, the nurse was sitting under the spider and grandpa was heard trying to get enough energy to clap loud enough to drop the spider and scare the nurse. There was another time when Joel was siting under the spider and my grandpa woke up for three seconds to clap and get Joel with the spider (everyone thought he was asleep). And the final spider story happened the day before he died. Grandpa was asleep in the family room. Someone dropped a fork in the kitchen and it was loud enough that it sent the spider off. Everyone jumped and said something like "Ahh!" Grandpa was heard laughing after the spider fell. I love his sense of humor and his ability to have fun... regardless of the circumstances.

Don't Give Up on Me

I recently had a phone call with a man who was worried about his daughter. His daughter lives in our ward but is not active. At the end of the phone call, he asked me not to give up on his daughter.. to keep trying.

I need to be better at giving people the benefit of the doubt. I am not perfect... I should not expect others to be.

I need to pray for more charity and love for my friends and mankind.

My Grandpa

Obituaries Donald Dee Stewart

(April 28, 1922 - October 16, 2009)

On October 16, 2009, our beloved husband, father, grandfather and friend, Donald Dee Stewart was called home from this life. His death came after a lingering illness due to age. He passed away at home while holding hands with his beloved wife and surrounded by members of his family. He will always be remembered as a kind, sweet, humble man who loved to work hard and serve his fellowmen. He loved his family and was beloved by them.

Don was born in Fairview, Utah, on April 28, 1922, the second child of Francillo and Adrea Stewart. He grew up on a farm in Fairview and enjoyed working with animals. He especially had a great love for horses. He loved being in the mountains and taught all of his family to love the outdoors as well. From 1942 to 1944, he served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the New England States Mission. Six weeks after completing his mission in 1944, he was called into the Navy where he served for two years during World War II. He was also later called upon to serve in Japan during the Korean War. In 1946, Don began working at the Granite Furniture Company where he spent his entire career in sales, purchasing and customer relations. He was a hard worker and was loved and respected by all those he worked with. On May 9, 1949, he married Janet Richards in the Salt Lake Temple and they spent 60 wonderful years together until he passed away.

In 1955, Don and Janet built a home in the East Millcreek area. Here they raised a family of six children. Don has always had a great love for the Lord and has served faithfully in the LDS Church wherever he was called. He served in the young men’s program for many years. He also served in the stake and ward Sunday School organizations and as a counselor in the bishopric. After retiring from his career, he spent 16 glorious years working in the Salt Lake Temple. He said that this was the most fulfilling calling he ever had in the Church.

As a supportive father, he was often found at scout camp working and having fun with the boys. Taking boys on jeep rides at fathers and sons outings was always a highlight in his life. He also loved taking his family and the youth out in the boat. Many wonderful memories were created through trips to Flaming Gorge, Lake Powell, Jackson Lake and other places where he was always ready to take someone out water skiing or fishing. Don loved being outside working in his yard and garden. He loved going for early morning walks or playing golf and enjoying the cool, quiet morning air.
Don leaves as survivors his sweet wife Janet, six children, Brent (Elaine), David (Diane), Don (Julie), Joel (Julie), Jana Ellis (Eric), Alison Jensen (Craig), 16 grandchildren, four great grandchildren, sister, Reva Peterson and sister-in-law, Barbara Stewart.

Funeral services will be held on Tuesday October 20, 2009 at 12:00 noon at the Rosecrest 1st Ward, 3101 South 2300 East. A viewing will be held on Monday evening, October 19, 2009 at Holbrook Mortuary, 3251 South 2300 East, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and at the church on Tuesday morning from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. prior to services. Interment: Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park. Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.holbrookmortuary.com

Trip to the Farm

We were very excited to visit Lightning McQueen, Mater, Doc, and Sheriff at the farm yesterday. It made us very happy... because "Cars is Conner's favorite moovie."

After we visited with our favorite Cars characters, we took a long hay ride and picked vegetables! We came home with six bags full of potatoes, beets, carrots, cabbage, onions, beans, and peppers.
We had a lot of fun hanging out with our friends at the farm yesterday!

Spiders Have Eight Legs

Last week was spider week at our house. I worked all week long to emphasis that spiders have eight legs - Eight! One evening Dad came home and told Conner that spiders only have three legs after he steps on them.

Conner is puzzled and confused. Yes, spiders do have eight legs, but they don't have eight legs after daddy steps on them... do they?

Our conversations go something like this:

"How many legs do spiders have?"

"Three after Daddy steps on them"

"How many legs do spiders have before daddy steps on them?"

"Conner only has two legs..."

"Yes, you do have two legs... how many legs do spiders have?"

"Three after daddy steps on them"

Hopefully we will get it right one day! I am just grateful that the conversation does not sound like this:

"Conner (he always talks in third person) only has three legs after daddy steps on him!"

I just love love love that kid!

Funny Conner Comments

"I can't have enough arms to do that."


"The bugs ate me and then they spit me back out. It was not nice. It made Conner sad."


"Conner is a funny kid. Conner is a funny funny kid." Repeated at least fifty times :)

The Cement Porch :)

While in Utah, the Hubbs finished our porch in the backyard. The project is not quite complete, we ended up one wheelbarrow short :)

We so appreciate all of the friends that came to help him shovel the 26,000 pounds of cement... you will be receiving cookies soon :)


Have I told you about my out-of-control tomato plants? I seriously have a million tomatoes growing in my backyard... tomato sauce anyone??

Caleb thinks he likes the green ones...

Our Puppies

Conner has grown an attachment to his puppies; "Wallace and Grommit", "Puppy", and "Doggy". They go absolutely everywhere with us. I feel like I have five kids! Diapers have to be changed, they eat at least three meals a day, and they are always waking up from their naps!

Smuggling Food Over the Border

Today I am attempting to smuggle 300+ cans over the Utah border. I love Utah case lot sales with all my heart :)

Conner is THREE!!!

Happy Birthday to my little Conner-Man!
Three Years Old Today!

The Circus Birthday Party

On Friday we had a little "circus" birthday party for Conner and Caleb at the sprinkler park. Yeah for birthdays and friends!!!

Can't Stop Love

I found this with my brother Kyle on Saturday night in the Wal-mart parking lot.
Not that I am encouraging graffiti, but how cool is this??

Thoughts

• The Lord does not make mistakes. He did not create me by accident, rather he spent time with me.
• Find out who you are. It is hard to have friends when you do not know who you are.
• SIMPLIFY life. Clean out junk and clutter. Simplify goals and ambitions.
• Spend time just being Angie. Not cleaning, not reading, just being.
• Get to know your backyard. Spend time making it your own.
• Spend more time just loving the kids.
• Stop placing unrealistic expectations upon Angie. Just BE.
• Read scriptures more
• Exercise everyday

It is okay to listen to my heart. listen to what Angie needs and wants.

Stop running away from myself - start living my life!!!

Caleb's Birthday Pictures

We spent Caleb's birthday at the beach. How cool is it that we have a beach five minutes away from our house?? After our Texas days of having to drive at least thirty minutes for any form of nature, we are LOVING our new location :)

The boys had fun playing in the sand and the water. We had a little picnic and got really really messy!

We had such a great time! Yeah, Caleb is one years old!

One Year Older

In one year, we went from this:

to this:

Happy Birthday Caleb!!!!

-- Yes, Caleb is in a newborn gown.
-- Yes, he did not like it.
-- Yes, I did bribe him with chocolate chips to sit still for this mini photo session.

Caleb Update 08/11/09

• Caleb said "Moma" for the first time today.
• Caleb ate 3/4 of a large hot dog (with a bun) two weekends ago.
• Caleb knows how to climb stairs
• Caleb loves to play outside with dad, he especially loves to help mow the lawn. Today Dad went out to mow the lawn and Caleb screamed and screamed until Dad came and got him.

Once There Was A Snowman - Conner's First Imaginary Friend!!!

The Snowman, Conner's imaginary friend, is the newest edition to our family. This snowman has special powers, he never breaks a sweat or starts to melt. He plays with us at home, at the park, and even in the car. The snowman is even put in "bummer time" when he hits, yells, or throws food. Conner even loves to help the snowman use the potty. To use the potty, Conner helps the snowman pull down his pants, he then lifts the snowman onto the potty, and even helps the snowman "aim". Tonight Conner was frantic because the Snowman's pee-pee was all over the bathroom, we had to get rags and clean it up! We love our imaginary Snowman friend!

Once there was a snowman, snowman, snowman
Once there was a snowman who loved the Conner-man

Conner likes to play with him
play with him
play with him

Conner likes to play with him
all day long

Summer Fun at the Sprinkler Park

A couple weeks ago my friend took some cute cute pictures of my kiddos at the sprinkler park. They are simply too cute... I must share :)











I know I have been doing a lot of picture posting the last couple of days... just "trying" to get organized :)

When We're Helping We're Happy

We are almost done painting.... just one more wall to do.

We are grateful for our little helper :)

"When We're Helping We're Happy and We'll Sing as We Go"

Conner is Awesome

"Conner is AWESOME!"
Said by Conner himself...

and I totally agree.

Enjoying the Simple Things

"Through all of living have much joy and laughter,
life is to be enjoyed, not just endured."

- Gordon B. Hinckley

Small Things

"Enjoy the little things in life,
for one day you may look back and
realize they were the big things."
Antonio Smith

Just Fishing Like Grandpa...

Two weekends ago, we made a quick quick trip to Utah. I had previously planned on visiting for a week, but when my kiddos got sick, the trip was canceled. Later that week, we received word that my grandpa was not doing so well and that there was a high probability of him passing away soon. We quickly made plans for a weekend get-a-way to Utah.

We were able to spend lots of time with my grandpa, which was fantastic. He is still alive, and doing the best he can with his circumstances.

While we were in Utah, Conner was able to go fishing with his grandpa.

My dad spent hours on the imaginary boat with Conner catching imaginary fish. Conner LOVED it and has talked about nothing else for the last two weeks.

This morning, I decided that it was time to go fishing again. Conner had lots of fun painting his fishing pole, while I cut and glued some felt fish.



and we have been busy ever since fishing. We have caught so many fish, we might be eating felt for dinner tonight :)

I wonder how many times I'll hear the phrase "Look Mom... I am fishing like grandpa" today...

Well, I am off to go boating with Conner. As I have been typing this blog post, he keeps reminding me that I am in the water and that I need to climb on the boat :) I haven't been boating forever... maybe I'll get a sun tan??

First Haircut

Caleb received his first haircut from his dad today. Caleb laughed through his haircut and was such a sweet heart! I am so proud of him :)

Quick Update

Wow, Conner and Caleb are sure growing up fast! I am so proud of the decisions they are making in their lives.

Conner Updates:

• Conner loves to play on the computer. He loves to fish, play monster trucks, and Reader Rabbit.
• Conner loves to play "go to the moon". After watching Wallace and Gromit a million times, we now build a rocket almost on a daily basis and play "go to the moon" because everyone knows you can not eat cheese with out crackers. Funny thing is that Conner is now scared of our oven and none of us actually eat the cheese, but we have to have cheese to look at when we are on the moon :)
• Conner went fishing for the first time last Saturday night with "Uncle Rod" (Rod Andersen)
• Conner now asks to fly places. "Mom, let's not drive to the library.. let's just fly!"

Caleb Updates:

• Caleb is now trying to walk everywhere! He will find a kitchen chair and push it all over the kitchen just so he can walk!
• Today Caleb said "Dada" for the first time
• Caleb is now waving goodbye to people
• Caleb's favorite game is to put small objects in medium sized hole. He is so excited about working on his fine motor skills.

We are so happy and grateful for the love which the Lord has blessed our lives with.



Recently we have been trying to decide if we should have another little baby or not. We both feel this new one so near, we can not ignore it. I am so grateful for the children that the Lord has blessed us with and the opportunity we may have to bring another little on into our family in the near future. The interesting thing is that we have not been considering having another little one for a while... Selfishly, I have wanted to wait a year or two just to get my body back and to get in better shape. It all changed last week. I want a baby, and I know that these desires have come from my Heavenly Father. I am so grateful for this mortal experience to have and bare children. What a wonderful world this is.



Great-Grandpa Stewart is not doing so well. He has had issues with his lungs for many years, and they are no longer working the way they should. The doctors have told him that he will be gone by Christmas due to the strain his lungs have placed upon his heart. It has been such a dear time for me. I have so many fond memories of my Grandpa. I respect him deeply and I appreciate the influence he has had upon my life.

Just a couple of weeks ago, we were in Utah for Memorial Day weekend, and I had an amazing experience. We went to the cemetery to visit family and friends who are no longer with us. As I stood there with my Grandpa, I felt the veil peal back. I saw and felt the presence of the many individuals (most were immediate family members) that were buried in the cemetery. These individuals were standing strongly on the ground with their hand entwined. I saw my grandpa holding the hand of someone who was deceased, and I saw myself holding onto his hand.

I know that the sealing power is real. I know that if we live in accordance to our temple covenants and sealings that we will all be together again one day. I do not look towards that moment when my grandfather will pass on to the next world, but I am so grateful for that experience. I know that that experience will be an anchor and a strong hold for me in the days to come. Death is simply passing from one room to another. I am so grateful for that knowledge!

I have learned a lot from my grandparents at this time. My grandma is really trying to make this experience as positive as possible for my grandpa. She is so amazingly strong.

The other night she could not sleep, so she got up and started a puzzle. At 2:30 in the morning, my grandpa got up out of bed looking for her. When he found her, he jumped in and started working on the puzzle with her, when my grandma said that some pie sounded good. So, they both ate pie at 2:30 am. She now jokingly talks about how she is going to always keep a pie in the refridgerator for their 2:30 am puzzle snack. What a great example she is to me.

There is always so much bad going on in the world, but there is so much good to be enjoyed at the same time. I am so grateful for my grandparents. They have taught me so many life long lessons that I will always cherish. No matter what trial, there is always good to be had and enjoyed. Life is about enjoying the simple things. How marvelous the Lord's plan of Salvation is. How merciful he is to all of us.

Then sings my soul, my Savior God to thee.
How Great thou art, How Great thou art.

How amazing our Father in Heaven is. I can not sing enough praise for His name. He is wonderful, magestic, and supreme. How sympathetic he is to our needs, our thoughts, and our desires. I will praise Him all of my days.

Not so Fun!

Dear Caleb has been teething this last week. It has not been fun!

Caleb is getting his top two baby teeth. We are sure proud of him!

My New Favorite Game

Bed time has become quite traumatic over the last couple of weeks. It is very difficult for Conner to stay in his bed.

Dad and I have decided to establish the rule that each time Conner gets out of bed, his bedroom door closes just a little bit. Many nights, the door ends up being shut all the way... which is very distressing to everyone.

Just a couple of days ago, Dad came home early so I could take a nap. As I am laying down to go to sleep, Conner comes into my bedroom and says:

"Take a nap Mom... Conner will shut the door if mom gets out of bed... stay in bed Mom!"

I loved it! I wish Conner would tell me to stay in bed more often :) Conner is such a sweet heart!

I'd Like Some Socks With That...

Me: "What do you want to eat for lunch today?"

Conner: "Socks!"

Me: "You can have a peanut butter and honey sandwich, noodles, or an apple sandwich"

Conner: "No Mom, Socks!"

Me: "You seriously want to eat socks today for lunch?"

Conner: "Yeah! Socks!"

Me: "What color of socks would you like to eat for lunch?"

Conner: "Red socks!"

Me: "You want to eat red socks today for lunch... seriously?"

Conner: "Yeah! Eat red socks today!"

I'm not sure what we will eat for lunch tomorrow... but, I remain optimistic.

I wonder what blue socks taste like...

More Classroom Stories

Nate came home from teaching Friday night with some new funny college classroom stories to share.

Let's start this post with a little warm up. Let's all say together: "How do I respond to that?"

Okay, I think we are ready for story number one.

The first funny comment was in response to a conversation about the weather. To which a bright young woman said:

"I know someone who can control the weather!"

Umm... okay? I do too?

"How do I respond to that?"

Story numero dos:

Band-aid boy has started to have somewhat of an infatuation with Nathan. Nathan is frequently escorted to his car after their Friday night class by the one and only band-aid boy. It wouldn't bother me so much if he paid for dinner or offered to open a door for Nate... but alas, no such offers have been made. Anyways, for the last couple of weeks, Band-aid boy has been passionately discussing his obsession for a Japanese style of cartoon called "Anime". Nate has patiently listened to these discussions and wondered "how does this apply to me?"

Friday night, Band-aid boy went in for the kill by saying "You have to borrow my Anime movies... I think you would really like them". Nate declined his offer politely with the excuse of being way to busy to have time for Anime (okay, we could have the time if we gave up 24... but that is not going to happen any time soon!) to which Band-aid boy said something like "You would have time if you got up around 6:00 am every morning... that is how I find time to watch Anime!"

Umm... okay....

"How do I respond to that?"

Let's all take a vote... who wants to start waking up at 6:00 am to watch
Japanese cartoons with us?

I Wonder...

I wonder if it is truly necessary to change your underwear 4+ times a day. Conner loves his Pixar underwear so much that he is not truly happy unless he has the opportunity to wear each pair of underwear each day.

Ohh, how I dream of the days when my laundry pile was nice and petite... it is amazing how much laundry is involved when your toddler starts using the potty!

Climbing Stairs!

Caleb climbed all of our stairs for the first time this afternoon! What a strong young boy he is!

Caleb is so proud and excited to start doing big boy activities, it will not be long before he starts to walk. Just last week, I pulled out a push and go toy for Conner and Caleb took ten steps while holding on to it!

We just love Caleb so much, he has brought so much love and joy into our family!

Funny Conner Comments

• "Daddy's Truck is Sexy" was Conner's most recent comment about our wedding video. He loves to watch the segment in which Nate is packing up the truck for us to move to Dallas. This comment makes me nervous... I really need to start watching what comes out of my mouth!

• "I dreamed about Mack and Lightning McQueen again!" Conner always has dreams about Lightning McQueen and Mack(from the movie Cars by Pixar) - he informs us of this fact after every nap!

• Caleb dreams about Chick Hicks (from the movie Cars by Pixar)

• When Conner was play nibbling on Caleb's toes, he pulled away with a look of disgust and said "Gross Baby!"
  

The Wheels on Our Bus...

Conner's new favorite song is The Wheels on the Bus. It is simply not enough for my young toddler to sing the many traditional verses - more verses... more must be added!

Conner has continued to create five original verses to our favorite song. Yes, the wheels on the bus do go around and around and around and around and around and around at our house!

In addition the actions and sounds of the doors, the driver, the passengers, the wipers, the horn, and the babies on the bus - our bus also has come equipped with these special features:

The Daddy on the bus says: "Conner's awesome"

The Conner in the bus says: "Cheddar bunnies"

The Mommy on the bus says: "I love Conner"

The Caleb on the bus says: "goo goo goo"

The Grandma on the bus says: "grandpa grandpa..."

The Grandpa on the bus says: "choo-choo train"

The Grammie on the bus says: "grampie grampie..."

Yes, this song goes on and on at our house my friend. Somebody started singing it not knowing what it was, and we'll continue singing it forever just because :)

Five More Minutes Mom!

My friend recently introduced me to the book Love and Logic Magic for Early Childhood.

After hearing about all of the amazing techniques and suggestions offered by this book, I knew I needed to read this book... and quickly!

I just finished reading this book two days again, and I am so excited about all of the fun techniques and results we are already experiencing! Plus, I get to start using the word "bummer" again... how cool is that? :)

One of the suggestions is to allow your toddler to have control that you don't need. Instead of approaching your toddler and saying "its time to go now" allow them to make a choice. Five minutes prior to the time you need to leave, ask your toddler if they would like to go home now or in five minutes. Conner loves this option, and has stopped throwing those "I don't want to leave" fits when I offer this choice... it is great!

Last week, we had just arrived to the grocery store when I was about to pull Conner out of his car seat. Caleb was waiting in the grocery cart, diaper bags were out of the car, doors were locked, etc. As I was about to reach in and unbuckle Conner, he looked at me and said "Not yet Mom.... five more minutes".

Luckily it was warm outside... Caleb and I had no problem waiting "five minutes" which was actually thirty seconds. While waiting, I could not contain my laughter... Conner is usually super anxious to get out of the car!

I have loved watching the various changes that are starting to occur in our family atmosphere due to this wonderful book. If you read any parenting book... pick this one!

April 3, 2009

We have had such a wonderful week! Here are our basic highlights.

• Dad played drums for the ward's youth showcase... it was so fun to see him rock out :)
• Dad planted 6 trees (2 apple, 2 peach, 1 mulberry, and 1 pear) in our backyard this week! What a trooper - he pruned and cared for them in the rain :)
  
• Conner is now praying on a regular basis. Our prayers now include expressing gratitude for plates, chairs, movies, friends, etc. It has been a really great reminder to me of the importance of expressing gratitude for everything. It is so easy to become accustomed to things and forget how wonderful some of the simple things in life are. Heavenly Father has truly blessed us with an amazing world... I am so grateful for the lessons Conner is teaching me!
• Conner is also talking a lot more. He can now name the members of the first presidency :)
• Conner's new favorite phrase is "It's not very nice... is it?" I just love it!
• Conner loves to try and pick up his brother
• Conner is now starting to recognize letters of the alphabet :)
• Caleb took two steps while holding on to a cardboard box :)
• Caleb is giving kisses, and I just love it! He gave me my first kiss this week, and I am still so excited! He loves to lean in with his mouth wide open and place it against your lips... the best part is he makes a "mmm" sound while he does it!

I just love my kids so much... I am soo blessed to be married to Nathan and a mother to the two finest boys :)

Conner's First Prayer

Conner said his first prayer this week. His first prayer went something like this:

Heavenly Father
Thank you food
Thank you day
Thank you church
Thank you kids (what he calls his friends in nursery)
Thank you mommy
Thank you daddy
Thank you Conner
Thank you Caleb
Thank you Jesus Christ
Amen


Nothing compares to the sweetness found in hearing Conner pray for the first time. What a wonderful boy he is :)

If You Give Your Toddler a Piece of Toilet Paper

If you give a toddler a piece of toilet paper, he will want to blow his nose.


If he blows his nose, he is going to want to put it in the toilet.


If he puts it in the toilet, he is going to want to flush it.


If he flushes the toilet, he is going to have so much fun that he will want to flush it again.


If he flushes the toilet again, he will want to flush the toilet again.


If he flushes the toilet again, the toilet is going to overflow.


If the toilet overflows, he is going to want to wipe it up with towels.


If he wipes it up with towels, he is going to want to mop the floor.


If he mops the floor, he is going to want use some Pinesol.


If he uses Pinesol, his nose is going to start to run.


and when his nose starts to run - he is going to ask for some toilet paper to blow his nose.

Happy St. Patrick's Day.... From Our Bathroom to Yours :)

Instead of painting our walls green this year, we decided to have a potty party in our bathroom... Yes, a potty party! Our cute little Conner-man has decided that it is time to ditch the diapers and bring on the big boy underpants.

At first, Conner was not too excited about wearing the underpants... that is when Nate and I pulled out the big guns... we knew that Conner could not resist WALL-E underpants. I am so grateful that Pixar has underpants :) Once those underpants were on, there was no going back. Conner is now TOO big for those diapers :) I love that Conner loves WALL-E :)

Yesterday, was full of accidents. Finally today - he used the potty! We could not be more proud!

The best part of potty training is the rewards. Each time Conner tries to use the potty he gets one M&M, when he successfully urinates in the potty he gets two M&M's, and when he goes #2 he gets four M&M's.

The great part about the reward system is that Conner makes sure Nate and I get rewards for using the potty. I have never been more proud or grateful for my ability to use that potty... I love M&M's. If you need an M&M fix, come on over and use our potty... Conner will be so excited to give you a treat :)

-- Update from the potty room at 9:20 pm. Conner has now successfully used the potty four times tonight! He was ready to go to bed and asked to go potty... at first, I thought he was just trying to procrastinate bed time. He went once, got up, and then asked to go again, and again, and again! I am so excited... this is seriously better than sliced bread :)

Brother Moments... Is it Time to Potty Train??

A couple weeks ago, I was bathing Conner and Caleb together when Conner stood up and said:

"Pee on baby??"

I quickly replied with a "No way dude"

To make a short story shorter... Conner urinated on Caleb.

A couple days ago in the bathtub... Conner stood up and said "No pee on baby" turned his back towards Caleb and urinated on the side of the bathtub... Conner was so proud. I am torn between being proud and frustrated with how many times I have to change the water during bath time :)

Second the Motion...

I hereby declare that Saturdays need to last at least five hours longer than a normal weekday.

Does anybody second this motion??

The Sassy Side

My most recent parenting dilemma has been how to deal with a sassy young man named Conner. While Conner is very sweet and thoughtful most of the time, his sassy side has started to emerge... and at the age of two and a half!

How do you discipline a young man who in a sassy voice says "no thank you mommy!!" ??? I am grateful that he is using polite words when he is frustrated and I do not want to discourage his ability to positively express his frustration.... What do you think?

Ohh... the joys of parenting! I thought the stork was going to deliver an owners manual specific for the child when the baby arrived... I am still waiting :)

We Love Grammie and Grampie

Nate's parents came to visit us this weekend, and we had such a great time! Silly me, I totally forgot to charge the camera batteries so I could take pictures...

We enjoyed playing games, watching movies, and playing. Thanks again for coming to hang out with us - We love you!

Beans are Punny

Conner has been defining what is "punny" in his life. When something happens that makes him laugh, he will quickly exclaim: "baby is punny" or "daddy is punny".

He surprised me a couple days ago when at the grocery store he exclaimed "beans are punny!"

Apparently beans are hilarious... I am not sure how I missed that one. I have been hearing about how punny beans are all week!

At our house, the phrase "cool beans" has been replaced with "punny beans"... Okay, I know that the phrase "cool beans" was so last century... but, I have two kids, and I don't get out much.. :)

What do you think is "punny"?

Spiritual School?

Conner loves to go to church... He wishes that we could go every day of the week. Conner does not like it when Daddy goes to church on the weeknights without him.

To avoid this confrontation, Nate recently told Conner that he was going to "spiritual school".

Conner quickly asked "espitual school?"

Apparently, Conner liked this response as he as been asking all week if Daddy is at school or "espitual" school!

Conner is Shaking Hands

Today we were walking the halls during church... a normal occurrence :)

While walking, Conner overheard a man asking another man to shake his hand.

Conner quickly reached his hand up to shake this man's hand. Once he had shaken his hand, he reached for the other hand. Conner then proceeded to shake more hands... he would even grab hands that were hanging down to one's side and begin to shake.

It was fun to watch the smile that would cross Conner's face and the reaction of those he shook hands with. I just love my little toddler... he is such an amazing boy who is so smart and witty :)

Is "shaken" a real word??

-- Be sure to read all four of my posts today :)

Super Bowl Changes

Our day has not been intense due to the football game (go Utes)... but, because of some new changes that have occurred in our family.

This morning, we met with our Stake President. Believe me... we were both super nervous and anxious about this meeting. Once the meeting began, it was obvious that Nate was to receive a new calling. We were both shocked to receive the news that Nate was to be called as the second counselor in our bishopric.

We are both extremely humbled by this change, and I pray that the Lord will help and assist our family and home in this new change.

You Have an Attractive Chest

Remember Band-aid boy?

Band-aid boy registered for another one of Nate's anatomy classes at the community college, so we have four more months of Band-aid stories coming your way.

Last week, Nate was asked about the soy controversy and what he thought about it. After Nate explained his soy knowledge, he went on to explain that he has consumed soy his entire life and does not suffer from gynecomastia (a.k.a. man boobs).

To this comment, band-aid boy spoke up and declared in front of the whole class "Yes, you have a very attractive chest"

Yikes! What is a professor to say after a comment like that?? How would you respond... if you were the professor?


-- For those of you who are curious about the soy controversy, here is a quick explanation: the estrogen found in soy is a phyto-estrogen that is found in many plants... which is not a precursor to developing female characteristics or gynecomastia.

Conner Talks!

Seriously... Conner talks! It took a while... for a short period of time he was scared of speaking... but he officially talks! I have been trying to record some chatter... but as soon as he sees that I have the camera, he stops talking.

Here is our list of phrases and words:

"I'm kidding"
"Me too!"
"Baby Leb"
"I'm a race car!"
"Race car Conner"
"Conner Monster.... Rarr!"
"Play play dough"
"My turn"
"Baby tired"
"It's okay baby"
"I miss daddy"
"Daddy at school"
"Daddy at office"
"More abba-sauce please"
"Tank you"
"I'm Sally"
"My car seat"
"Watch Jonah"
"Bless you Baby"
"I miss baby"
"Mommy's hot"
"Play with friends?"
"Garbage trucks all gone!"
"Baby take away"
"Baby touch"
"My turn!"
"Baby's turn"
"Conner Messy"
"Sleep on couch"
"My own bed"
"Ride YeeHaw" (YeeHaw is his bouncy horse)
He is even starting to say family prayers at dinner and before bed!

He has also started to sing! His favorite songs to sing are:

Once there was a snowman
Wheels on the Bus
Elmo's world

I am loving the chatter... can you believe that I actually had an argument with him the other night about the whereabouts of Dad? Conner was determined that Nathan was at his office when he was actually teaching at school. The argument went something like this:

"Daddy at office"
"No, daddy is at school"
"No, Daddy at office"
"Nope, daddy is at school tonight."
"NO! DAD AT OFFICE"
"Conner, Dad is at school... okay?"
"NO! NO! DADDY IS AT OFFICE"
"Conner, Dad is not at his office... he is at school... want to play play dough?"
"NO! NO! NO! DAD IS AT OFFICE... NO SCHOOL! OFFICE! OFFICE!"

This conversation went on for a couple of minutes... then I gave in... Conner can be a very persuasive boy! I am so excited about his new found chatter, but I am somewhat apprehensive about the arguments we are having... and his ability to change the whereabouts of Dad!

Here is a little video of some talking... he was kind of occupied with play dough, but that distracted him from the camera!

My Sunday Brag Session - I Love My Kids :)

I can not believe how quickly our boys are growing up! We have had such a wonderful two weeks celebrating the holidays and spending time together as a family.

This year we enjoyed our first Christmas at our house. We had so much fun! We will be posting pictures soon :).

Conner:

Conner is just growing up too fast! I love his developing imagination. If you can not tell from the picture above, he has a butter container on his head. One morning he played with all of his cars while wearing his "hat".

Recently, Conner has become our little chatter box. He now says full phrases like "I miss daddy's car" and "Come on Mommy... Come on!" He is so much fun! His favorite book is Goodnight Moon - he loves to say goodnight to each item in the book!

We recently switched Conner to a "Big Boy Bed". He has made this transition very well, and loves sleeping in "his own bed". Each morning he runs to tell us that he slept in his own bed!

Conner now loves to climb. Everything has turned into a jungle gym... which makes me very nervous! He can now climb onto the top of our bathroom vanity, into his highchair, and has almost mastered the baby gate.

We had an intense afternoon a couple days ago when I found Conner playing in butter! He had reached up and grabbed it off of the counter when I was in the other room changing Caleb. When I returned, Conner had smeared butter all over my kitchen floor and was in the process of putting it in between his toes! He definitely keeps me busy!

Caleb:

Caleb is now eating big boy food. He is so excited about eating! Anytime I try to eat something or take a drink, he quickly grabs onto my cup or fork and tries to put it into his mouth! This last week, we decided to introduced solids a little early :). He is our Sweet Potato Monster! He can already eat an entire jar of sweet potatoes in one feeding!

Caleb is also rolling over! Around Thanksgiving, he learned how to roll from his back onto his stomach. He can now roll from his stomach to his back. Caleb has always been a stomach sleeper... the last couple of weeks have been frustrating to all of us now that he can roll from his stomach to his back! He wakes up multiple times at night angry that he is no longer on his stomach :)

Caleb is on the move! He has started to Skoot and Roll in an attempt to get to the items/toys he wishes to check out! He has also been desperately trying to sit up straight... it will not be long before he is sitting on his own!

Caleb is one particular baby. He does not like it when dad coughs and/or sneezes. Each time dad coughs or sneezes, Caleb quickly protests with a scream... poor Nate - he is such a good daddy :)