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!

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.

New Years Day . 2014

Happy New Years!

On the first day of 2014 we had a relaxing day at home!

The boys love to sit with their dad, and almost always, you'll find that when one decides to sit with him, a brother quickly follows.

Grandpa Jim and Grandma Martha gave the boys a paint-it-yourself wooden train for Christmas.  New Years Day was the perfect day to work on the project!

The boys ended their night with a bath - which really just accentuated how long their hair has gotten over the winter!

Christmas Lights . 2013

I have always enjoyed going to see Christmas lights, and doing so with our boys is even more fun!

I've always enjoyed the Christmas lights at the 25th Street Village in Ogden, but going with the boys is even more enjoyable.  They love it!  We walked around the park, looking at each of the displays, the boys took a ride on the train, and we enjoyed just being together!  It was a cold night, but it was worth it!

The night before Christmas Eve, after the boys had a bath and were in their pajamas, we went to Layton Park to drive through the light display.  Once we got there, we decided last-minute to walk around the park, rather than just driving through.  Luckily, the boys were wearing their boots (to prevent pajama pants from getting wet in the garage), their hats, and had brought their new blankets.  We got a few strange looks about the boys' attire, but it was worth it!

Although we visited the Layton Park lights earlier in the month, we headed back one more time - this time ready to walk around (not wrapped in blankets).  The boys are enamored with the displays, and especially love the walk-through light tunnel.

Christmas . 2013

Christmas this year was celebrated over a period of several days.  And, it was perfect.  The boys had the opportunity to really enjoy each celebration, without being overwhelmed with all the craziness!

Before heading to Papa and Nana's house, we attempted a few family portraits on our Front Porch.  None of the pictures turned out perfectly, but the compilation of them is perfect!

Our first Christmas celebration was with Papa and Nana at their house.  The boys loved opening their presents...and helping everyone else open theirs too!

Grandma Jody and Ann came over to our home the morning of Christmas Eve.  You loved opening presents, and playing with your new toys!

After enjoying a Christmas celebration with Grandma Jody and Ann we headed to MovieGrille to see a showing of "The Polar Express".  The theater has reclining seats and serves meals to you while you watch the show.  We brought along the boys' blankets to be even more comfortable!

We then went to church for the Christmas Eve service.  For the first time, the church decided to use battery-operated candles, over traditional ones.  It was perfect timing for our family, as each of the boys wanted to hold their own candle.

Once home we were all a little tired - Patrick made our Papa Murphys pizzas while Harvick and Jarrett rested with me on the couch.

After dinner the boys opened their stockings!  The boys each got a new pair of pajamas - when Ryder opened his he told us "I've ALWAYS wanted NEW pajamas!" - Patrick says to enjoy that reaction now because in years to come he won't be quite so excited.  Each boy got a few put-it-together toys, a new notepad and pen, and a Kevin Harvick #4 hat!  We spent the rest of the evening playing with the new toys, and just spending time together.  A perfect night!

Our traditional pajama photo in front of our Christmas tree.  The boys all get a kick out of the self-timer feature, and want to take turns setting it up.  Some are better than others at keeping the camera settings exactly where we set them.

On Christmas morning we opened presents - the boys each got their own scooter, a puzzle/game, and a handmade (by Patrick) train tunnel.  We spent the rest of the morning playing, primarily with the trains!

Before leaving the boys rode around in the driveway, practicing their scooter skills.

We enjoyed dinner, opening presents, and playing the piano at Grandpa Jim and Grandma Martha's house Christmas night.

We continued the tradition we started last year, and gave the boys one final present after they were ready for bed - a new book to share.  This year's book was "What Does the Fox Say".  The boys became enamored with the song as soon as they heard it, and quickly learned the different noises.

Last year we took a photo of us reading together - this year we tried again, but all three boys were more aware of the camera.

Christmas this year was spread over several days, which was a perfect way for us to celebrate.  The boys enjoyed opening each present, and genuinely loved spending so much time together.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas (Tree) Train . 2013

When you have 3 boys that all love trains, watching the Christmas Train go around (and around and around) the tree quickly becomes part of the nightly routine!

Last year Grandma Jody and Ann let us have their Christmas train, knowing how much the boys would enjoy it.  This year, we set it up again, and they were just as enamored by it.  Every night, after reading a bedtime story, they would negotiate how many times they got to watch it go around the tree before going to bed.  I would text a picture to Grandma Jody and Ann every night!

Our Anniversary . 2013

The Saturday before our anniversary Patrick and I went to dinner and a movie, followed by a treat from Red Mango!  On our actual anniversary, we continued our tradition of taking our boys out to dinner with us.  We stopped at the Roy City Park to view their light display, and the boys took the opportunity to roll around in the snow-filled gully.  Spending your anniversary with your kids might not be the traditional thing to do, but we love it!  Happy 9 years!

Celebrating 9 years...by putting it on Facebook!

Gingerbread Houses . 2013

The boys had so much fun decorating their gingerbread house...with a few taste tests along the way!

When we went to the bulk candy store to buy candy for homemade gingerbread houses, we came across these cute kits instead.  The boys loved getting to decorate their own house, and only "sampled" the decorations a few times!

Christmas Tree Decorating . 2013

I  love having our Christmas tree up for as long as possible.  And because I also like to take it down Christmas afternoon, to help maximize the time, we set it up the day after Thanksgiving.

Following tradition, we put our Christmas tree up the Friday following Thanksgiving.  The boys all enjoyed helping hang the ornaments, carefully placing each one.  To help make things more festive we enjoyed hot chocolate as we decorated.

Following the tree's completion, we set up the Christmas train from Grandma Jody and Ann.  Each night, after reading a bedtime story, the boys would lay on the ground to watch the train go around.

The weekend prior Patrick decorated our house in white lights.  When Ryder finished his quiet time that afternoon he joined Patrick outside to finish wrapping the tree in more lights.

Thanksgiving . 2013

Our Thanksgiving adventures...minus pictures at lunch...

On Thanksgiving we followed the tradition started last year, and attended Hogle Zoo's Feast with the Beast.  As predicted, the boys enjoyed the elephant show the most!  We walked around several exhibits prior to the show, and then Jarrett and I reserved space for all of us for the elephant show, while everyone else watched the bears.  This year Nana and Papa were able to join us.  We followed the zoo with lunch at Golden Coral.

Over the Thanksgiving holiday Grandma Jody's sister came to visit.  We enjoyed dinner at the Hansen Great Grandparents House.

While I already posted the November Brothers picture, I thought I'd include a shot of the outtakes as well:

Brothers . November 2013

Halloween . 2013

On Halloween night we enjoyed a pumpkin shaped pizza (very different from what Ryder was calling it - "pumpkin pizza"!).  Dessert was a scoop or orange sherbet with a chocolate chip face.  Definitely not "traditional", but a fun night for us!

I post the Brothers post each month (October 2013), but here's a few of the outtakes too!

Painting Pumpkins . 2013

Even though we don't celebrate Halloween, we still like to participate in traditions we can do together!

We chose to paint our pumpkins again this year!  It was too cold to go outside, so we brought a tarp inside, and let the boys strip down to their underwear/diapers.  They are allowed to paint wherever and however they would like.  Each of the pumpkins turned out perfectly!

The boys all loved the book "It's Pumpkin Day, Mouse!" - it was out for the month of October in the bedtime selection.  Patrick and I took the time to paint some of the smaller pumpkins with faces from the book - the boys thought it was hilarious!

Pumpkin Patch . 2013

Knowing that our October weekends were rather booked, we visited the pumpkin patch the last Sunday in September.  Unfortunately, they were closed - however, the owner still allowed us to take the boys' pictures!

This was our fourth year visiting this same location for pumpkins.  Although we weren't able to walk away with actual pumpkins, it was nice not having to compete with other customers for the perfect picture!

2012 | 2011 | 2010

(For the fourth year in a row, we visited the local pumpkin "patch" (it's really more of a farmer's stand).  This year, on an overcast Sunday, following church, we stopped by to pick our pumpkins.  Although they were actually closed, the owner agreed to let us take the boys' pictures at the pumpkin pile.  It may have taken MANY outtakes, but we were able to capture great shots of all three boys!  We may have to go back again in future years when they are closed - we didn't have to work around tons of people!)

Harvest Festival & Campfire . 10.26.2013

The weekend before Halloween our church held a "Harvest Festival" - indoor trick-or-treating and games and a bounce house outside.  The boys participated in a few of the games - primarily the toilet paper and pumpkin bowling, but they tired of it quickly because of how crowded the room was.  Jarrett missed the idea of using the pumpkin as a ball, and just ran for the stack of toilet paper!  Outside Ryder and Harvick were eager to play in the bounce house, but the final slide proved to be too tall of a climb.  Patrick was able to help Ryder reach the top, but Ryder was not happy about the height he had to slide back down!  The boys each enjoyed a few pieces of candy, as well as their first taste of soda (Sprite)!

When we got home we enjoyed a campfire in our backyard, roasting marshmallows to make smores!  The boys were all so careful to stand far enough away from the fire, while enjoying it.

  

  

Fright Lights . October 2013

We've made the choice to not celebrate Halloween until the boys show interest in the holiday.  Finding family friendly, non-Halloween events can be a little hard; but, worth the effort!

A co-worker of mine runs the "Fright Lights" at Willard Bay, so with her invite, we attended for the first time this year.  The boys enjoyed the maze - they could navigate it on their own, while we watched from outside, given the height of the stacks!  They had a blast in the hay jump, and wanted to spend the majority of their time jumping off of the stack.  We ended our night out driving around the lights a few times, with the boys picking out their favorite displays.

Black Island Farms . October 2013

I am so very behind on this blog.  Life has just put it on the "back burner".

Adding to our busy life, I recently discovered that I am not able to continue using Shutterfly for our family scrapbooks.  I had the 2013 nearly half way complete when I received notification that a book is limited to 1,000 pictures.  Never mind the fact that you can have 30 pictures/page, and up to 111 pages - a total of 3,330.  I was already worried I wouldn't be able to condense to the 111 pages, but being limited to 1,000 photos just wouldn't work for me.  So, I've had to search other options.  I think I've finally found one that will work (and, yes, I've been in contact with Customer Service to ensure there is no unspoken picture limit!).

One final note - my plan is to publish posts as I create them, but as I find time (a few weeks later), I will be moving them to the dates they occurred - so that I can find old posts more easily in the future (I'm confident I won't remember to check February 2014 for October 2013 posts!).

And, finally - the pictures!

We continued our annual tradition of visiting Black Island Farms mid-October.  For the first time, we participated in the "hay ride" to the farm's pumpkin patch, where each of us got to pick our own pumpkin from the field.  The ground was rather uneven, which made each of you a bit nervous to explore.  The pumpkins were still attached to their vine, so dad had to pick each one for us.  Once we gathered all of our pumpkins, we headed back to the main "Courtyard" for more fun!

We spent a small amount of time looking at the animals, but no one was really interested in it this year.  You all LOVED the tall hay slides, but still needed a bit of help to get up the rope ladders.  Jarrett was the first to tire of the slide, and found throwing the lose hay around much more entertaining!

The grain chute was the final slide. Ryder was big enough to ride on his own, but Harvick & Jarrett each had to ride down with Patrick.

Everyone was eager to ride the train - Harvick and Jarrett even shared a car!  After a few rides, Ryder and Jarrett jumped right into the corn box, while Harvick was a bit more hesitant to participate.

We stopped for a snack break, which included  an order of FRIED OREOS (dad's choice, of course!) - everyone enjoyed them!

The boys went down the kids' slide a few last times before heading out for the day.  We'll be back again next year!

Later that evening we went to Hooper's "Halloween Haunt" where we enjoyed cookies and hot chocolate.  The park is full of lit luminaries, and along the fence various vignettes are on display - the boys were all fascinated with the lit ghosts! 

Ryder's Birthday . 07.17.2013

We celebrated Ryder's birthday with a fun-filled day together...

(Patrick and I took Ryder's birthday, July 17th - a Wednesday this year, off from work so that we could celebrate together as a family.  Ryder's primary request was to ride FrontRunner.  With Soccer Camp that evening, we had to keep the day a bit low-key.  Ryder started his day with new shoes - green ones, of course.  We rode FrontRunner to the Farmington Station where we walked to Cinemark's "Summer Movie Clubhouse" showing of "Happy Feet" ($1 admission!).  Before the movie, the boys played on the playset.  Following the movie, we shared a treat at Orange Leaf, before eating lunch at Cafe Zupas.  Thankfully we left the restaurant when we did - just in time to catch the train back to Roy!  We then took Ryder to Toys R Us, where we allowed him to pick any train - he chose Victor, Annie & Clarabel.  We made it to Soccer Camp that evening, and ended our night with cupcakes (with green frosting!) at the park.

It's hard to believe Ryder is FOUR!  One year ago, he was barely speaking - at age 4, he always has something to say.  He is remarkable with puzzles.  He is fiercely independent, but also craves the attention of his brothers.  Ryder's favorite toys are his trains.  He also loves books, cars, and dinosaurs.  His favorite foods include PB&J sandwiches, breakfast meals (pancakes, waffles, french toast), cucumbers, and any fruit.  Ryder's favorite color is green, his favorite number is 6 ("because I like to wake up at 6 o'clock"), and his favorite day is "FUN Friday!".  He wears a boys XS shirt, 5T/XS in pants, and a size 11 shoe.)

My FB status on Ryder's birthday...for family who reads the blog, but isn't on FB!

Roy Days . 2013

I love fireworks!  And, Utah agrees with me...there are shows within 10-15 miles of our home nearly every weekend in June and July.  But, the schedules of young children don't permit us to see too many shows.  Roy Days has become a tradition - I believe since 2006 - for our family to attend.

Thankfully, this year was no exception!

(We continued our yearly tradition of attending the Roy Days fireworks.  We got to the park early to get a "good spot", and to eat our picnic dinner.  Also following tradition, we took a family self-timer photo - one with the clothes we wore to the park, and one after the boys changed into their jammies.  We were able to capture a good one for each, but the outtakes were the best!  The boys ran around playing until it was finally dark enough for the fireworks to begin!  The fireworks show was shorter than in prior years, but the boys still loved the whole show!  Going to fireworks makes for a late night, but it is worth it.)

I'm already looking forward to next year!

Take a look back...2012...and 2011 (and prior)...

My Birthday . 08.02.2013

I had the best birthday today!

It started with opening presents in bed, with 3 eager helpers.  I worked, but left early to meet up with Patrick for a late lunch.  We picked up the boys early, and spent the late afternoon at the Aquatic Center.  We enjoyed dinner at home, including a mini birthday cake (Ryder insisted that I have one - I blew out the candles, but we saved the cake for another time).  We ended our evening going to Red Mango for my favorite treat (plus, it was FREE tonight!).  Also...the balloons in the last picture were another item Ryder insisted I receive - he picked purple for me, since it is my favorite!

I loved that we spent "extra" time together today, and that I got to celebrate with my favorite people!  Also thanks to the many friends and family that sent FB messages, texted, and called today!

Pioneer Day . 2013

For the first time in at least three years, Patrick had Pioneer Day off!  I've been wanting to take all of the boys to a parade, and this was a perfect opportunity!  Luckily, our friends Jennika, Kaebrie, Leighton, and London could join us!

After the parade we headed home, and just hung out together.  A few days ago Ryder noticed the firework stands were once again open - he asked then if we could do fireworks again.  Of course, after spending his obligatory time having "Quiet Time" in his room following lunch, he reminded Patrick & I of his request.  He and I headed out to buy some - he loved picking them out - and lit them at bedtime with the boys.

We loved having a mid-week day off together!

And, in case you're bored, you can see our celebrations in 2012 and 2011 as well.  The comment at the bottom of my 2011 post rings true still (2 years later!)...

And, speaking of "Pioneers", the topic must be on people's minds in Utah this week . . . I have been told no less than a dozen times (honest!), that I would "make a great Pioneer woman" when I talk with people about Harvick and Jarrett.  I'm thinking it's a Utah thing . . . where else would someone say that?!

Seriously, I still am often told that when people hear the birth weights of the boys.  Where else in the world is someone so often compared to a "pioneer"?!