Double awards day!

B got an academic award again at school for this quarter.  Way to go B!  What I love most is how excited when he sees Eddie and I waiting in the gym.  He runs and gives Eddie big hugs!  

And this part of the post is for me to remember this fun stage of parenthood down the road.  If you think we're completely crazy just skip this part:)  

Our sweet Henry potty trained no problem but the when older all of a sudden struggled with #2.  He'd just hold it and then keep getting some in his pants.  Uggh.  We tried so many incentive things and I was so sick of cleaning out underware!  Well, Parkers had an embarassing idea but we were at wits end so were willing to try anything.  We had a huge awards ceremony at FHE for Breitling a few months ago.  Parker gave him a framed award that stated he was a master pooper and gave him a large chocolate bar.  Then we encouraged Henry to earn the award also.  We made a large sticker chart and let him pick out a toy to earn when it was completed.  He chose a cool monster truck from costco that he had his eyes on for a long time!  By the end he was doing pretty good but we wanted to be sure so we did two more sticker charts with toys and at the end told him he had become a master pooper so at the  next FHE we'd be having a special ceremony!  Oh my goodness we feel completely silly, but for our kids we'll do anything.  The cutest thing was how proud and cute Henry was!  All week every time he'd go number two he'd say "Mom, I'm sure a master pooper!  I can't wait till FHE!"  Then one time Parker said "I heard, someone's getting an award this week," and Henry got all smiles and exclaimed "ME!"  Just look at his smile getting his award!  We really are so proud of him for overcoming this struggle!  

Easter!

I love how each of their smiles shows so much personality!  They really are boys with much personality!  I love them!  I loved Easter because Parker and I both didn't have church meetings so we could just spend time as a family!!

We had enough time to even do STAR WARS eggs!  The boys were thrilled they were star wars!  Thanks grandma!

More of this and that...

With four boys in the house there seems to be some fun romping around every night before bed:)  

Tickling dad's bare feet.  Eddie can never resist himself if he sees bare skin!  Except with mom, when my toes have been painted he doesn't tickle them, he eats them because they look so tasty all colorful!  

We finally made the fun halloween cupcakes grandma sent:)  Can you tell my two boys complete opposite personalities?!!!  There's Henry's perfectly frosted cupcakes and then B's very MESSY cupcakes!  I've said it before but Henry keeps us in line around here.  Mom, can't cut any corners because he catches me!  This morning at walmart I set the toy eddie had grabbed in a random place and Henry let me know that was not OK!  

And then there's this little cutie!  He's just delved into the world of treats after overcoming his allergies, but we still limit him and usually have them when he's asleep or napping.  When we do let him in on the fun he's all over it!!!

Root beer floats to celebrate selling our house!  Woo hoo!  It was only on the market a week until the process started of the buyer putting in his offer!  We felt really good about selling our home this spring even though we don't move to Utah until next spring, and we feel very blessed that it sold so quickly!  With three young boys I don't know how much longer I could have kept the home show ready every moment!  We even found the perfect home to rent for a year until we move to Utah so we can enjoy our last year of our Alaskan adventure.  

This winter has been so mild and here it was mid March and the yard and streets had NO snow, so the boys begged me to take them to the snow plow piles of snow to play in since they missed it so much, yes my boys love snow and Alaska more than me!.  Yes it was dirty, but getting my boys out running around is worth it, I have a washing machine!

B's class science project.  I'm a hands on mom and am always taking the kids out exploring and in the winter finding fun activities for us to do indoors.  Sometimes I don't give myself enough credit for being such a great mom, but when B came home and excitedly said "Mom, our class science experiment is one we already did at home, so I know what will happen!," I felt pretty proud and was reminded that despite being an imperfect mom, I'm a good one and the boys are lucky to have me:)  

Fairbanks!!!!

Since we moved here I've wanted to go to Fairbanks at least once and to North Pole Alaska so the kids can say they've been, I know silly reason!  Parker Dragged his feet for the past 7 years about going since we both knew it wouldn't be worth the drive, but with our Alaska time ticking away we convinced him to finally take us over spring break!  Spring break happened to be while the big Ice Alaska event was running which was a blast!  It was totally worth the drive to me and the boys!  Parker won't admit it was worth the drive, but he had a blast too!!  Lucky us Eddie was even good in the car!  He was quite sweet.  Every time Parker went over the bumps on the side of the road he'd giggle and any time he got bored he'd take off his socks and start tickling his feet saying "tickle, tickle, tickle."  Overall a fun family adventure!

There were oodles and oodles of ice slides and the kids couldn't get enough of them!

And tons of play sturctures to explore and play in!

Taking a nap on the ice bed in the ice cabin:)

Even an awesome ice train to climb through.

These were the ultimate ice slides!  Unfortunately I'm the one who went with the boys down it in our sled and I'm the one who takes the pictures, so no pictures of this adventure.  It was pretty fun and scary and the boys loved it, but were too scared to go a second time.  

After the ice playground we went to the Santa Claus house which was just a gift shop and Santa was on winter break, but the thought of being in Santa's city was still exciting for these easy to please boys.  

Another Alaskan Winter...a bit of this and that.

For some reason this winter hasn't done me in like the others!  It could be the Hawaii trip rejuvinated me, or that I don't mind the winter now that I know it's our second to last winter and I'll be done with it, or that the kids are getting older and I don't get cabin fever like is easy to happen with three toddlers, or that we haven't been as sick and stuck in the house(oh, wait we have been sick, sick, sick so that's not it:)), or that the winter has been a very mild one so we're not stuck in the house so much, or it could be that I'm maturing and learning to enjoy the journey:)  It's probably a combination of everything, but the last one makes me feel good so I'll go with that:)  Well, no matter the reason, but I love my family and the stage we are in.  We have alot of fun and make the best of every moment we have together.  Here's some of our fun moments I remembered to capture on camera.

The boys play so much on their own lately.  I often check on them in their room, not so much now that I'm worried what they're into, but because I love to see what fun things they are doing together. This particular day I come up to see Breitling has made a store out of his treasures and is swindling all of Henry's money.  Look at all the coins he got from H.  It made me smile mostly because it brought back memories of my brother David coming up with all sorts of games to swindle my sisters and I of our money:)  

I LOVE all of the one on one time Henry and I get when B's at school and E's nappng!  We play games, do crafts, and cook alot!  This particular day he made a lifesaver dog from Grandma.  I just love his smiles lately!  You can see his genuine sweetness through it.  

And we still play at playgrounds all winter snow gear and all:)

My favorite valentines tradition is doing fondue!  Sometimes the boys get to snitch some before bed:)

Ever since we went to Hawaii the boys run around wearing their hawaiin clothes pretending they live by the beach and are hawaiian explorers. This day they came into the bathroom dressed in their swim clothes while I was getting ready and asked if they could go for a swim at the ocean(our bathtub).  Why not?!!  I love their imaginations and especially how they play together.  

Like I said our winter has been so mild and at times so warm, so the poor ice sculptures melted quickly.   We barely made it in time.  This knight was their favorite!

Their favorite part was exploring the leftover ice chunks.  

And then after we left the ice sculptures we topped off our outing by warming up with frosty's:)  Eddie's allergies at this point have completely resolved themselves!!  Hooray!  My life has become way easier and he is much happier without an uncomfortable tummy all the time!  This was his first full on ice cream experience now that he can have milk and he was very pleased!!

Saying "cooold"  He still hasn't learned the word hot.  He says cold for anything cold or hot.  I guess that makes sense when you grow up in such a cold place:)  

"Mom, come take a picture of Eddie and I laying down together!"  

And Henry had to join!  Umm, my new favorite picture!!!

Uncle Dieter gave us some yummy hot chocolates which we love and live on in the winter, but silly mom let them have some for breakfast.  Well, my already silly boys got even sillier, enjoy the following silly video of them thanking uncle dieter.

Eddie screams going to nursery, who knows why because he doesn't cry any other time we leave him, but they always assure me he stops soon and they took a picture for proof.  I love him!

As much as we adore and love him he is not my favorite shopping buddy!  Napped and fed he is still grumpy!  Well, this particular day he was calm for a moment and I look down to see him and Henry holding hands.  Awww!!!   Melt a mommy's heart!!!!

B on his way to go camping with Dad and the scouts!  He begs everytime and Dad finally thought he was old enough!  It's been almost a month since they went and B still talks about all the memories he has just about everyday!!

100 Days Smarter!!

Have I mentioned what an awesome Kindi teacher B has?!!!  I don't expect any teacher to give their whole life to their job, but she does and I'm not complaining!  She goes all out in everything and B is learning and having a very positive and fun Kindergarten year!  We're blessed to have her for B and H's kindergarten year!  

I love going to help at B's special class activities and I especially love that he loves it!  He always greets me with a big hug and is super excited when he's put in my group!  I got to bring Henry with me too to help at the 100th day of school.  Henry jumped in to do all the activities and loved it!  

Here's B with his buddy Jacob! 

Making a 100 fruit loop necklace!

Aww, I love this picture and my boys!