Brothers . April 2014

3 YEARS, people, 3 YEARS!  That's 36 MONTHS of Brothers photos!  I'm seriously more excited that I can convey in writing that we've continued these monthly pictures.  Some months I take a few shots, and quickly get a usable one, other months I take (much) longer, and end up with one that will have to work okay.  But, 3 years later, I'm so happy we're still taking the time.  These boys change more quickly than I can keep up with, and having this similar monthly shot for comparison is just so fun!

April was Easter this year, so the perfect occasion for the Brothers photo!

Brothers . 2014
(Harvick, Ryder, and Jarrett)

All Previous Brothers Posts | April 2013 (Easter 2013) | April 2012

Random . 03.2014

A compilation of the random photos taken in March!

Come rain or shine, these boys love to be outside playing.  Harvick and Jarrett are always eager to ride in the wagon if Ryder is willing to pull them around.  They are getting too big to be in their together, but they find a way to make it work!

The Saturday of the Lowes Kids Workshop was a bright and sunny one, so they moved the project outside.  As soon as we got home Patrick helped each of the boys find a place to hang their birdhouse, in hopes that they will be used this Spring and Summer.

When the boys are given the chance to watch a show before bed, their full attention is on the TV!  I love how sweet they are with each other, often at least one brother is laying on/over/on top of another.

One of my co-workers sent home extra treats with me from her team's Staff Meeting.  I got home late that night, and hadn't eaten dinner myself, and the boys were full of energy.  Patrick and I took our dinner outside, and let the boys eat their treat on the front porch.  The boys all loved the surprise, and were too cute to resist snapping a few pictures with my phone of a fun evening.  My co-worker loved seeing the pictures the next day!

Cuddly boys with Patrick.

Jarrett found the Handy Manny pajama shorts in the dresser, and loves to wear them any chance he gets!  He loves when Ryder constructs a track, and he gets it all to himself to play.

Harvick and Jarrett had a fun dinner with Patrick while Ryder was with Grandma Jody, and I was out running an errand!

Some mornings the boys really don't want to wake up in the mornings.  I don't blame them.

Patrick transformed Papa's old table into a coffee table for them.  The boys helped sand it down so that it could get re-stained.

Lazy Saturday mornings, or "pajama days" as Ryder calls them are favorites at our house.  Patrick and I switched out some of the toys to make room for Easter Eggs, and the boys had a blast finding new ways to play with them!

On our way to school one morning I looked back in the mirror to see Ryder and Jarrett holding hands.  Each time I stopped I tried to take a picture with my phone - none turned out great, but they all make me smile!

Harvick was pulling Jarrett around in the red wagon, so Patrick jumped in too!

Grandma Jody reading with Ryder.

Jarrett trying on a new hat while running errands.

While watching a show before bed - Harvick and Jarrett both wanted to cuddle up next to me!

Soccer & Zoo . 03.29.2014

My parents meet us at the park for Ryder's soccer games - they watch Harvick and Jarrett on the playset while Patrick and I watch Ryder's game.  The last weekend of the month my mom was out of town, but my dad still watched the boys - then, joined us for a trip to IKEA and the Hogle Zoo!

We started our weekend with Ryder's first soccer game of the Spring season.  He stayed out the first quarter, and reluctantly participated for the remainder of the game.  Thankfully, we have a very understanding coach who is willing to work with him. After the game, Papa joined us for a trip to IKEA, and to the Hogle Zoo.  When we arrived at the zoo, we first enjoyed some IKEA cinnamon rolls, and then walked around the exhibits.  It was a cool day, so it was fairly empty, considering it was a Saturday.  The boys loved running around seeing the animals.  Following tradition, we ended our visit with a ride on the carousel - the boys are eager for the train construction to be complete so they can ride it as well!

St. Patrick's Day . 2014

First, I posted this on Facebook the morning of St. Patrick's Day.  I thought it was just too cute to not share!

Ryder, excitedly, greeted his classmates this morning saying "HAPPY FAH-VER'S (Father's) DAY!!!" ... turns out that if your dad's name is Patrick, the name of today's holiday is a little confusing!
(picture from 2012)

On St. Patrick's Day the boys had a fun day full of green food.  Green oatmeal (with berries) for breakfast; cucumbers, green (sprinkles) yogurt, Lucky Charms, and a few green treats with lunch; green chocolate chip pancakes, green eggs, green apples, and cucumbers with dinner; and green apple fruit leather with a few more green treats for dessert!  Ryder even wore his green underwear!

Treehouse Alphabet Soup "R" . 03.2014

Finally!  The Treehouse reached the letter "R" for their Alphabet Soup!

Also, a glimpse into a Literacy Night with Early Intervention.

Ryder anxiously waited for the letter "R" to be featured at the Treehouse Museum's Alphabet Soup.  Unfortunately, they rearranged their activities that night, so we missed out on the bulk of the "R" activities - but made it to the art project - "Rainbow Dot Art".  The boys all enjoyed the dot markers, and I walked away with several new art pieces to hang in our home!

Harvick and Jarrett's participation in Early Intervention gets our family an invite to "Literacy Night" every month.  The themed evening starts with crafts, followed by books being read to the children.  Pizza is served, and a fun dessert is always presented following the evening's theme.  This time it was a school bus (transportation) made out of a graham cracker, frosting, Chex windows, and Oreo wheels.  The dessert is often the boys' favorite part!

Baths . 03.2014

The boys still fit in the bathtub together!  They love when they get the opportunity to spend extra time playing, rather than having to hurry out to get ready for bed.  When they know they get to play for awhile, bubbles are requested! It doesn't happen too often anymore because the boys also love playing outside for as long as possible each evening!

Bath time with these three crazy boys is always an adventure!  Getting bubbles added to their bath is a treat that they all enjoy.  And, squeaky clean boys is something Patrick and I enjoy!

Treehouse Birthday Party . 02.25.2014

Our trip to the Treehouse Museum, to celebrate their birthday!

The Treehouse Museum celebrated their birthday on the last day of February and allowed all members to invite a friend.  This year we invited the Bruderer Family (Patrick and I grew up going to school with Kari!).  The art activity was centered around a birthday theme, and mini birthday cupcakes were served!

Everyday Moments . 02.2014

Random February photos...playing with the ramp Patrick built...Jarrett reading a pop-up book...Harvick & Jarrett playing in our bed...Ryder at the eye doctor...Ryder & Jarrett playing trains together, and Harvick whining...Harvick & Jarrett playing trains...Harvick & Jarrett sharing snacks in the car...Lowes Kids Workshop...watching TV with Ryder & Harrison Patano...President's Day Pajama Day at home with mom...Date Night at the movies!

One evening Patrick teased the boys by "swaddling" them in their blankets.  They all thought it was hysterical, and wanted him to do it over and over again.  The best part for me was they they would snuggle with me!

Park . 02.22.2014

Last fall they completed a park in our neighborhood - I see many (MANY) trips there in our future!

Even though it was still rather cool outside, the boys never turn down a trip to the neighborhood park.  When the neighbors saw us headed there, Rowdy and Cyan joined us.  The boys rode their scooters to the park; Harvick and Jarrett took turns riding with Patrick around the park and playing on the playset!

FrontRunner & SLC . 02.15.2014

For Christmas we gave Grandma Jody "golden tickets" for a FrontRunner ride to and from Salt Lake, lunch, and "Rocky Mountain Express" at Clark Planetarium.

As usual, the boys loved riding Front Runner.  We walked around Gateway for a bit before having lunch at California Pizza Kitchen.  By the time the movie started the boys were all a bit tired - Harvick and Jarrett both fell asleep.  We quickly walked back to the train stop to catch FrontRunner home.

A fun afternoon in Salt Lake, for sure!

Valentine's Day . 2014

Although Patrick and I really don't do much to celebrate Valentine's Day, we do our best to make it a fun day for the boys!

This year for Valentine's Day Patrick made a fun dinner for the boys - pink heart shaped pancakes (with silly faces)!  We put together a small "Blue's Clues" game for the boys to find their present - a red mailbox with a new train - Koko from Chuggington!  The boys have been wanting Chuggington trains for awhile now, and were all so excited to get one!  They found they could use their newly built ramp to race the trains, aiming for them to race through the mailboxes at the bottom.

Brothers . February 2014

We had Ali, at Clearly Seen, take the boys' photos during her Valentine Mini Sessions.  Ryder has learned the faster he cooperates with the photos, the faster the session is completed - also causing fewer pictures.  Harvick and Jarrett both cooperated, but were much less focused on completing the session easily.  We tried for a group shot at the end, but Harvick and Jarrett kept trying to escape from the shot - Ryder's solution was to put his arms around each, and hug them close!

We sent the above card to family and friends.  And, the tag below was attached to a squeeze pouch of applesauce for Ryder's classmates.

Birthday Party Fun . 02.2014

Ryder's classmate, Jacob, is also the son of two of my co-workers.  The whole family got an invite to his birthday party!

All three boys were invited to Jacob's 5th birthday party (Ryder has attended school with him for 2 years, and I work with both of his parents).  The boys had a blast jumping in the bounce house, and with the various blow-up toys.  Of course, they also thoroughly enjoyed their cupcakes!