Up to date updates...

News in our life:

-We heard back on the house that we are interested in buying. It is a nice cute home that has an unfinished basement for Joe to work on. All the schools are good from elementary to high school. A few nice things about the house: central air, newer windows, newer roof, new kitchen cabinets (even if the kitchen is a small eat in type), and a super nice landscaped fully fenced backyard with large garden boxes. We had a few offers in, but this is the one we are planning on. It is in southeast Provo and has an awesome view of the mountains.

-Joseph is really big into playing the wii. He loves to spend so much time playing, that we have had to put time limits on him, otherwise he would sit in front of it ALL day long. At first we told him 2 hours was his limit, but he felt it was too short, so he asked for 144 minutes. We told him he could play 120 minutes and that made him happy. :)

-Samuel is a little chatterbox. He likes to talk and is formulating sentences like crazy. Not all of them include proper verbage, but he is putting things together. It is funny because the other day, Joseph wanted a snack. I told them we had popcorn and Joseph said that would be a good one. Samuel heard we were having popcorn and he started to say, "popcorn and pickles." Yep, he is his mother's son. :) He loves to snack on pickles, just like his mommy. Right now he is walking around saying, "piggy car. hide it?" He can't find his piggy car because he hid it. I don't know where it is either. His favorite songs are the "itsy bitsy spider", "the abc song", "the snowman song", and "twinkle, twinkle, little star." He sings along. I need to record the abc song because he only does certain letters and then kind of grunts for others.

-I have read a lot of books on my nook. Some are free samples and others were free books. I read one called "Fools Rush In." It is a cute story with very religious sentiments. I read the second in the series which I purchased. It was a little farfetched in my opinion, but I liked it. I decided not to purchase the 3rd book and am going to check it out at the library. Joe said I could spend more money getting books, but I like owning the hard copies of books for a library of my own. It is super nice to have because I can read it in the dark. Lately I have had to lay down in the room with Samuel so he can fall asleep. It helps him settle in easier and now that I can read, I don't get irritated with the time it takes. I have also set up a mommy decoy in the room. It is a bunch of blankets set on Joseph's bed to look like I am in the room sleeping. It has worked for the most part and he has started to sleep through the night again. I think he is starting to get afraid of the dark.

-Joe is working ridiculous hours at work. They are hiring someone else, so that will be nice for him. He will hopefully get to be home more often at night and on weekends. He is keeping himself busy doing things at home. Samuel likes to sit with his daddy and he usually falls asleep on him if it is nap time. Joseph loves to share his video game passion with his daddy. It has been quite the bonding experience for both of them. :)

I am trying to take more pictures. I need to learn how to not be afraid of my rebel. It is soooooo nice and the pictures that it takes are awesome.

Long time no blog...

Joseph at preschool during their Valentine's day lesson. He also got to make a magic 8 ball at the library. He was worried at first because he didn't want me to leave him, but he had a great time and is looking forward to going tomorrow again. They are making pancake people.

Samuel watching Joseph work in his maze book. He likes to do them.

Samuel playing with the toy that Aunt Amy gave the boys for Christmas. He was trying to get the car that went around and this was the face he would make when he would miss.

We are still trying to find the house that will suit our family best. Joe is working hard and long hours and I can't wait for him to have a little more free time. Joseph is excited to play with his daddy everyday on the wii. Joseph's favorite character on most games is Yoshi. Samuel likes to have a "troller" and he pretends to play too.

Our 8th anniversary was Monday. Amy and her friend Mike came over to watch the boys. Joe and I went to Thai Ruby for dinner. We got there early, so we didn't hit the Valentine's day traffic at the restaurant. We went to try and watch a movie, but there was nothing interesting enough for us to spend a lot of money on at the theater. We came home earlier than we anticipated and I got to put the boys to bed. Samuel is struggling with sleeping again and refuses to stay asleep if we try to lay him down on his own. We almost bought a washer and dryer but opted to wait till we have a house. I guess this is why I haven't really blogged, there is not much to say.

Samuel and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day...

Yesterday was not the best day for Samuel. Apart from having a fever on Friday to starting a family prescription for whooping cough, he had a number of bad falls. I was outside cleaning yesterday and he went to the backyard with his grandpa. At one point, he slipped on ice and hit the back of his head (injury number 1). I checked him and then let him play some more. He and Joseph came to the front yard and started to run around. As he was running on the sidewalk, he tripped and face planted (injury number 2). He got a big goose egg and looked kind of like a klingon from Star Trek. The bruising is now turning into a couple of black eyes (I will post pictures later). I dislike head injuries because they make me worry. I checked his pupils and then watched his behavior throughout the day. He napped briefly about 45 minutes later in the day. Well, before his nap, he went to play with the kids upstairs and was running around. He stumbled and hit the side of his head (injury number 3). I checked him again and he seems okay. For all the bad stuff that happened, last night he was in a fairly good mood. He slept all night but now has a slight cough that started yesterday. I wonder if his equilibrium is off because he has a head cold...anyways. I hope that he won't have another day like yesterday. Poor kid.

Cute phrases and more from the mouth of a 2 year old (on the 20th)

Samuel now says:

"Ewww...ewwww...dross." (gross for those who don't speak Samuelese)
"Cool." (That just started late last week, it is so cute to hear him say it)
"Wow."
"Read it book." (We have to work on word order)
"Moo." (If he sees pretty much any animal except a dog, snake and pig)
"magilk" (strange word meaning chocolate milk)
"Oopies" (I say oopsies a lot)

He is also very adept at yelling when not crying or screaming.

Santa gave him a teddy bear from Build-a-bear that is named Samson. He hugs it at night and gives it "tissies (kissies)" and says his name.

Other things he does:
-Likes to have his hands and feet traced. He then proceeds to say "happy" which means you need to draw a smiley face in it. He also likes you to do this with moons, hearts, and stars and then he will say, "happy moon" or "happy star" or...I think you get it. :)
-He likes to draw circles himself. He will then ask you to repeat the above action.
-Has an issue where he thinks that the world is his canvas and proceeds to color it as his little artistic eye sees fit (which means mommy needs to go and scrub the fridge or the floor).
-Loves to play with Joseph but likes to declare that everything is "mine" which frustrates Joseph at times.
-Enjoys it when daddy tickles him and will prepare himself for it.
-When it is time for bed he will run to daddy and try to stay in his lap.

Birthday present

Joe got tickets for me and a guest to go to Guster. He didn't obligate me to take him, but I wanted him to come with me. :) I know he likes Guster just a little bit. It was this past Saturday at In the Venue in Salt Lake. It was a fun concert after the large lady in front of me moved down and I could actually see the concert.



My view for the first bit of the concert. I had to encroach on her personal space a bit so she would have to dance elsewhere. My plan worked. After she moved, the girl next to me that was also being blocked by the dancing woman, leaned over and said, "You can finally see the concert too!" Yeah.

The concert was enjoyable and I really liked the music. I recognize some Guster songs and it was fun to hear some of their new material. They are fun to listen to and they are fun to watch. Their stage interchange is entertaining. For instance, they had a new band member and the crowd was asking for a song called "bury me." Ryan Miller asked him if he had even heard of the song and he told them no. They then turned to the crowd and said, "we will play the song, but Luke has to sing it" and they did just that. He didn't know the words but made some up. During the encore, the Luke played a Red Hot Chili Pepper's song and Brian Rosenworcel sang to it. He sounded terrible, but it was funny.

Thanks to my husband for the nice night and thanks to Esteban for babysitting the boys. One of Joe and my first dates was to a Guster, John Butler Trio and John Mayer outdoor concert in Park City. Good times. :)

Back in Utah

I have a lot to catch up on. Last week we flew home to Utah. Not that we really have a place to call our own yet, but we are trying to get back into a routine. The boys ended their trip in the same outfit they started it in. I thought it was cute and so did lots of people at the airport. After our flight back, a lady stopped us and said that I did such a great job with both boys alone on the plane. Can I tell you that I was disappointed that neither of my flights had a movie or tv. Joe's did. :P I had hoped to have some more on board entertainment. At least both flights we had our own row and the boys were pretty good. Joseph was so excited to get back to Utah because Santa left a picture of the presents he left for him in Utah. Once we boarded the plane, Joseph started to cry a lot. I asked him what happened and he said, "I don't want to leave New Jersey." It was cute. I am grateful that we were able to go.


Our boys were very excited to see the tree and presents when we got back from New Jersey. Some of Samuel's new words include: tree, stocking, Santa, and presents, plus open it. They learn young. :) At least he is saying "thank you" more often.

With Grandma Rankin on our last day in New Jersey. We got a picture of her with the boys and the collage that Joseph and I made. It turned out really nice and pictures just don't capture the thought Joseph put into the placement of the pictures.

Our last family home evening with Grandma, Grandpa, and Aunt Chrissy. Joseph loves family home meetings and learned a new game.

Samuel playing with homemade play-dough. That is another new word. He wanted them rolled into a ball and then he would promptly squish them and want it rerolled into a ball to do it again and again.

Joseph and Grandma baking gingerbread cookies. We couldn't eat the ones on the house because they were too hard. These turned out super yummy. Joseph's favorite shape was the bear.

So this came after the one below. Joe noticed that the gingerbread house had gnaw marks on all of the kisses. We then noticed that Joseph had chocolate all around his mouth. You can guess the rest. Samuel enjoyed sucking on the candy. Joseph gnawed off more chocolate.

Notice all the little teeth marks. It was funny to find it this way.

Joe wanted me to include this picture. It is a face that Samuel gives Joe when he is about to do something he knows he shouldn't do.

Joe giving me a look as he is browsing through photo albums with his parents and the boys. I wonder where my boys get it? ;)

Samuel on top fo the table during a game of Mormon bridge. It is a fun game that we played with rook cards. Grandma Rankin is hooked on this game. Joe liked it too. We played it often. Samuel liked to help me by pounding his little fist with the number of bids he thought I should win.

Grandma, Chrissy and the boys watching Home Alone 2 in Cranberry, Pennsylvania. We went to visit Great Grandpa Rankin. He was in the hospital so we only saw him once briefly. I don't think he will remember that we were there to see him. We love him lots.

While we were in Jersey, a big snow storm came through. It snowed and left about 2 feet. They declared a state of emergency and closed the roads. We were eating dinner at Michael's house (Amy's boyfriend) and left right before the roads closed. On a sidenote, the dinner was amazing. Thanks to Michael's family. They are super nice and really good cooks. :)

Joseph with one of his presents on Christmas morning. The dragon and characters were from Grandma and Grandpa Rankin. The smile on his face was huge when he saw them. Samuel got some play food and a sandwich game. They both got pajamas which the boys enjoy.

Joe with some of his gifts. Joe's parents gave us the starting of a 72 hour kit. It is nice to have some stuff...now I just have to put packs together for all of us.

Samuel in front of the tree on Christmas morning. When I came out, he was saying, "presents, presents, open it."

Samuel helping Grandma bake. He was playing with the flour and repeating, "cooking, cooking." He likes to "help."

Here is a picture of the collage Joseph and I made. You will see that there is a little boy kneeling and looking at baby Jesus. There is a wreath around Mary and baby Jesus on another part. You can see wise men following the star to Jesus. The star is actually a snowflake that Joseph liked and said could be a star. You will notice Santa coming out of the temple plus lots more. Joseph "decorated" one of the trees on the collage. It has red ornaments. The word joy is in gold and Joseph said it was because of the song we sing at church (and he would sing it as he said it) "Joy to the world, the Lord is come."

Aunt Chrissy and Joseph with the completed gingerbread house before Joseph gnawed on it. They added the kisses.

Amy helped Joseph with the house before the kisses were added. Here is a before picture of it.

Ernest and Lydia with my niece and nephew. It was a lot of fun spending time with them. Joseph and Samuel enjoyed meeting their cousins for the first time.

These pictures are not really in order. This is a picture at a rest stop in PA. Ernest was meeting Joe's dad to give us back after our visit. :) Samuel and Joseph loved climbing the hill. Getting down was tricky, but they did it.

The cousins watching a cartoon together and snacking on popcorn. What cute kids!

Joseph, Samuel, Elena and Brandon helping Uncle Ernest collapse the bed in the morning. They were having a lot of fun as it rocked them back and forth, hence the reason it needed to be deflated.

Joseph walking with Elena to the house on our first day there. I thought it was cute that she was letting him help her even though they had met not more than 2 hours before for the first time. Brandon is right behind them.

Grandma Rankin and Samuel. He enjoyed playing the piano and would find a reason to sit there. He would actually pat the bench next to him, look at me and say, "sit down, sit down." He is really wordy these days.

I have lots more pictures, but they are on Grandma Rankin's laptop in New Jersey. I need to get copies of them. I should have brought extra memory. As for some of the gifts I recieved...I finally got a Canon Rebel!!!! Yay!!! I have been wanting one for years. Now I have to learn how to use it. I also got a nook with some books. I read North and South, the Lost Hero and started Vanity Fair. It was a great Christmas.

Just so I don't forget

Samuel and Joseph on the plane. I asked for one thing in prayer on the trip and that was that I might possibly have my own row on our flight. I got to the gate and asked if the flight was full. The lady said yes and I snapped my finger and said, "darn...I was hoping to have my own row." As I was boarding the plane, the lady came over to me and handed me new boarding passes. She had arranged for me to have my own row. It was in front of the bathroom, but that was nice because Joseph went 2 times and I had to change Samuel twice. I remembered to thank Heavenly Father for that one for sure. Also, the flight went faster than planned. They shaved off about 40 minutes of flight time. :)

A house that is prepared for the holidays. It even had musical lights.

Joseph and Samuel helping grandpa decorate the tree. Joseph loves to help.

Joseph with Santa Claus. When Santa wasn't busy, Joseph would go over to chat. He asked Santa what his favorite cookies are and informed us that Santa said chocolate chip, which happen to be Joseph's favorite too. We know what we need to bake for Christmas Eve.

Samuel with Santa Claus. He didn't scream and actually seemed excited to see him. He smiled at him when he saw him.

Last week Joseph was very upset to be in primary without me. This week he was a totally different little boy (from what grandma described to me). They asked the primary children what the purpose of Christmas is and Joseph yelled out enthusiastically: "Santa Claus." Nice...apparently I need to work on teaching him more about the meaning of Christmas. :)

This offsets a discussion that we had last night. Joseph has decided to sing contrary to whatever I am singing. For example:

I sing "teach me to walk in the light" and Joseph will sing "teach me to walk in the dark."
I sing "the wise man built his house upon the rock" and Joseph will sing "the wise man built his house upon the sand." When the house built on the rock stood still, Joseph will say, "the house built on the rock washed away." You get the idea.

Last night, when singing "oh come all ye faithful" at the part that says "come let us adore him" Joseph said, "come let us ignore him." I asked him if understood what ignore means. He said no. I then explained that ignore meant not listen to and Joseph apologized. He then started explaining to me that when Jesus lived, lots of people ignored him and they killed him and put nails in his hands. We talked a little about His sacrifice and what it meant and how we shouldn't ignore what He wants us to do. It was a good discussion and then after we were done, Joseph apologized for something he had done earlier. (During breakfast he said that he didn't want to eat anymore cereal and when I left, he "accidentally" spilled it all over the floor...he doesn't know how it happened) It was a sweet moment.

We had fun in West Virginia with Ernest and his family. On our last night there, Elena broke her little foot. Poor thing. Lydia and I talked about it and I mentioned that she was so calm. She said it is hard and that it is lousy that she has to see her little girl go through it. I have to say that I am very impressed with how well they handle the stress of the situation. Elena was just running around and stepped on her foot wrong. It got swollen immediately and they figured she had broken something. Elena handled it like a champ. Brandon is cute and looks so much like Ernest when he was little. The cousins got along well and had fun together.

The other night I was blowing Samuel's eyes to help him sleep. He took that as a cue and started blowing my eyes. Yeah...I guess that is something I can't do with him.

Joe got his own office at work. :) He got promoted from an associate financial analyst to an all out financial analyst. He's a smart guy that spouse of mine. :) We will get to see him in 4 days. Hooray!! Now I just need to pray that a snow storm doesn't keep him from reaching us in time for the holidays.