amazing what a little nap will do. . . . .

It was a very busy week last week and then a crazy weekend of going out of town! It made this little man very cranky and tired. It all started with Bry that was playing a game where he needed to concentrate and Kode went over to him and purposely hit him to where it messed everything Bry had going. So of course Bry got all upset and then Kode started calling Bry names and yelling at him. Kode was telling him that he was just trying to help him. ha ha ha! (If the truth was known Kode was just giving Bry a taste of his own medicine) Anyway back to my story, So I told Kode he needed to take a chiller in his room for a few. He said he could not hear me so I asked again and he proceeded to ignore me. Well that don't set with me well so I raised my voice and man did he get what I was saying and marched himself to his room. Of course crying cause he was yelled at! Anyway, he sat up in his room and proceeded to scream (you would think that I had beat him the way he was carrying on) Then after a few minutes it turned into a whine and then a few minutes later there was nothing. So I figured I better go and see what was going on. When I got up to his room I found him fast asleep in his bed. This is what he needed, and I was glad to see him resting. (As for Bry he had to spend sometime in his room to think about things then he was off doing what he does best. Playing with his friends)

Needless to say when Kode woke up from his little nap he was in a much better mood!! It is amazing what a little nap does for the sole!!

Last Minute Get Away!!

So on Friday night Shawn and I decided that we would take a last minute little get away to Twin Falls to do some shopping. So we got up somewhat early Saturday morning and packed our bag and jumped into the car. (the boys only wanted to go if we would get a hotel that had a swimming pool. they just wanted to go swimming. if we were not going to get a hotel that had a pool then they just wanted to stay home and play with their friends. so we made sure we stayed somewhere where they had a pool) Anyway, we had a good but quick little get away!!

Our first stop when we got to town was the Nissan dealership. I needed to get some transmission fluid for my car. It desperately needs to be changed. (the only fluid you can put into my car is the Nissan kind which is a rip but that's a different story) Anyway, while we were there the boys were very interested in seeing how they work on the cars through the glass windows. A couple of cars were up on lifts and the guys were under them working on them and the boys thought that was really cool . So of course I had to have a picture of the boys!!

So after we were done at the dealership we found this really cool toy store and figured we better stop. In all the times that we have been to Twin we have never stopped at the Toy Town Store. It was a pretty cool store! Just about every toy they had there they had a demo that you could play with and this place was huge! I think that we spent 2 or more hours there!!

Just as you walk into the door there was this big car ramp thing and Bry loved playing with it!! He thought it was the coolest thing!

As we were all roaming around Kode found this really cool remote control car that flips over and is a car on one side and a buggy on the other side!

and then Shawn found something that he really liked! A really big race car track!

then Bry found this pogo stick and jumped on it throughout most of the store! It made me tired just watching him!

We were there for so long I found myself a comfy couch to sit on and just hung out. Shawn joined me after a while!

and the boys played with trains

Kode found this toy gun and played with it for a while. He thought it was a pretty cool toy cause it was camouflage

So after spending a long time at the Toy Store (I could not hardly believe it we got out of the toy store with out purchasing anything. or so I thought) we left and went and had some dinner at Applebee's! I always enjoy eating out! Its so much fun when someone else cooks!

Then after dinner we made our way to the hotel.

(the boys were getting anxious to go swimming) We all loaded our luggage into our room and found that Shawn had purchased a really cool toy at the toy store! Its called a Perplexus Epic!! and yes its very addicting and very challenging! So while the kid's were getting their swim suits on Shawn was trying to master this thing!! Its so hard he is having a hard time!

then it was Kode's turn to try!!

So after all of that it was time for us to go swimming. Since we promised the boys we would. Everyone went swimming, even the dad. The boys love to swim and I think we spend 2 1/2 hours at the pool. It was so nice we were the only ones in the pool. We could splash all we wanted to and we could be as loud as we wanted to. We even went back and forth from the pool to the hot tub all we wanted and there was no one around to annoy! It was great!

After we went swimming we all got into the car and went to Cold Stone Creamery for some ice cream (thanks grams for the gift cards. the boys enjoyed being able to pay for their own ice cream I know its a little cold outside but we were all wanting some ice cream) It was a good snack after all the swimming we did!Then it was time to go back to the hotel and get ourselves ready for bed. Its been a very busy day!

On Sunday morning we got up and going and met Grandma Fran and Aunt Elsie at our hotel and had some breakfast. It was nice to chat with them for a bit.

Then before we knew it it was time to go home! This was a fun little getaway for the night.

the finished product

So Kode has been bugging me for a few days now to go to the store to get some fabric so he could use our new sew machine. So we finally did. When we got to the fabric department I told him to first choose what type of fabric he wanted and then we would talk about how much we needed. (their is so much to choose from and I was not sure what kind he was looking for) (well I had something else in mind then what he did to sew. He wanted to make a blanket and I wanted to start with something a little smaller like a pillow or something. Since this is really the first time that I or even him for that matter have ever sewn before)

Well he first found some camo fabric. We took it up to the counter for the lady to cut for us. That is when we started talking about what we were going to sew. He really didn't want to make a pillow. He really wanted a blanket. Well since I am no Martha Stewart I don't know how to make a blanket out of the camo fabric. So we went back to looking at other types of fabric.

We came across some Mickey Mouse fabric (and since we will be visiting Mickey Mouse very soon) he was very excited to use this fabric. So we went and had 3 yards cut and picked up some thread and we were on our way home!

So here goes not sure what I am doing but I guess I will figure it out . . . . . . . .

So when we got home he set up the sewing machine and I trimmed the edges of the fabric. (My sewing machine came with white thread on it and the thread needed to be changed out for navy blue to match the blanket so I had to do some research to figure out how to do it. But I figured it out. Like I said I am no Martha Stewart but I am figuring things out slowly) Anyway, after we prepared the blanket and got it pinned together and got the sewing machine together with the right color of thread we were set. It was time to sew the soon to be blanket! Kode did all of the sewing. He wanted no help from me. And I have to say he did a mighty fine job of sewing it!

Then after he was done sewing the edges then the edges had to be cut and then had to be tied together. (I helped him with cutting and he did all of the tying) (Now I realize that this blanket of his is does not consist of a lot of sewing but this is about all the sewing I can do for now. I have a lot of learning to do still) As he was tying the edges of the blanket he said "I really enjoy doing this mom" So I guess I have a Mr. Koda Stewart/McPhie on my hands here!!

This is how his blanket turned out. . . . . . He LOVES it!!
Great Job Kode. You did an AWESOME job!

p.s. Now Bry wants to make his very own pillow. He is not so eager to use the sewing machine though. I am sure I will have no problem in finding some help in helping me make it. So I guess that's our next project.
(So I guess its time for me to invest in a sewing for dummies sewing book or something! It looks like I am going to need it )

Learning how to Sew

The other day Kode asked if I would help him make his own pillow and blanket by sewing it. Sure I told him. (well actually I really have never made anything like that and using a sewing machine was totally out of my norm but I am willing to try new things) So I told Kode we would have to order a sewing machine. So I told him to get on the computer and and we would do some research and order us one. Well we found a small one and had it shipped to the store. When it came in I went and picked it up and when I got home with it Kode was so excited. He got it out right away and wanted to start using it. I don't have much fabric around the house but I managed to find some small pieces for him to sew on.
So he played with it for a while. I told him in a day or so we would go to the store and he could pick out some fabric to make him a pillow case.

So Bry wanted to see what all the fuss was about so he asked if he could give the sewing machine a try. He actually thought it was kind of fun. So it looks like we all will be learning to sew together.

Kode giving Bry some tips on how he should be sewing!

(Bry let Kode tell him what to do for a few minutes then he had enough of that and told him to let him do it himself. lol)

Now the fight is on. Taking turns is not my kids forte! But I guess this is a great time to learn!

I will post more later on what the boys have sewn!

the sleep-over!!

The sleep-over went well. The boys had a great time and for the most part they did good. There were no fights, no one was left out and they even went to bed at a good time. So I guess I can not complain! Both neighbor boys were able to stay the night so that made the boys very happy.For dinner we all made our own mini pizzas and root beer floats.

(Dalton, Jakob, Kode, and Bry)
Bry acting silly

Then after dinner they went in the basement to play some games and then watch a movie. And a movie is just not a movie with out 3 bags of popcorn. Anyway, they did good.

so embarrassed. . . . .

On Wednesday I got a call from the school nurse saying that Bry has pink eye and that I need to come and get him right away. (so after I hung up the phone with the nurse I immediately made a phone call to see if I could get him into the doctor. Luckily I was able to get him in) Anyway, so I hurried over to the school to get Bry. When I walked into the nurses office Bry was sitting there. He jumped out of the chair and said "I am feeling great can we just go home." I took a look at him and thought to myself he doesn't look like he has pink eye. (what in the world is the nurse thinking) So we grabbed his backpack and we were on our way.

Well I had already made the doctors appointment so I had to take him. When we got to the doctors office the nurse took a look at Bry and said so what are you here for anyway? I told her that the school nurse said that he has pink eye so we are here to get some meds. She chuckled and said "it dosen't look like pink eye to me but we will let the doctor make the final decision" So when the doctor came in he took a look at his eye and said "I don't think he has pink eye but I will give you some meds just in case. Go ahead and treat him" (I was so embarrassed to be there at the doctors office. It was a total waste of time. So next time when the school nurse calls I am going to use my mother instincts and decide for myself weather the doctor needs to be involved or not) Although I am very glad that he doesn't have pink eye. And as far as those eye drops they are such a pain in the you know what! Bry hates to put them in his eye!

How Sweet!!

So I had to go to work for a little while the other day and I asked the boys if they wanted to go with me! Well Kode just wanted to stay at home and Bry decided that he would go with me so that I was not by myself! So him and I headed over to my work for a while. So I started doing what I needed to do and he decided that he was going to make something out of paper. He told me that it was a surprise for me and that I could not look at it. I didn't think much of it. I did what I had to do and then a little while later we were on our way home. He said he had fun making something out of paper and when we arrived at home he ran into the house very fast (I was busy getting things out of the trunk so I payed no attention to him) So when I went up to my room there was this sign sitting on my bed.

A very special sign made by Bry to Shawn and I! He is so sweet and thoughtful. (the little animals are his from his collection and the letters were cut out on the die-cut machine at work!)

Thanks Bry that was so sweet of you! It was a nice surprise when I went to my room and saw that on my bed. We Love You!!

Do Something 4 Me & I Will Do Something 4 You!!

So last weekend the boys wanted to have a sleep-over at our house but Shawn was working that weekend so he told them that if they did something for him then he would do something for them. (he told them its like you give a little and I will give a little) So Shawn told both boys that they had to go out and pick up dog poop in the back yard and if they both did that then he would let them have 2 friends over for a sleep-over the next weekend he was off of work. So Kode was not for picking up poop. He had a total attitude over it. But Bry was all for it. (which this really surprised me) He said he would be out in the back yard first thing in the morning to get it done!!

So Saturday morning came and Bry was up early and on his way outside. Well Kode was not having any of it. So Bry was outside for a few minutes when he realized it was not much fun by himself and he knew Kode was not going to come out and help him he went to 2 of our neighbor's houses and asked them to come over and help him and they did. The one little boy brought his boom box over and they jammed out while they were taking care of the back yard. (well I do have to say that I am not really sure that Bry helped out much. He is a great talker and an awesome director. He is great at telling the buddies what has to be done and then he chills while they are doing all the work. Anyway, I guess as long as the job is getting done right!!)

Well Kode saw that they were having somewhat of a good time and he decided to get over his attitude and he went out to help them. He decided it would help them all out if he raked it all into a pile then it would get the job done faster!

Bry chatting and shoveling the poop up!
Well here is 3 of the 4 of the boys
.
All in all they did a good job and Shawn was happy! So the sleep-over is on!
(I am not a big fan of sleep-overs but this was a deal between Shawn and the boys)

P.S: This all started cause 2 of the neighbor boys knocked on our door last Friday asking both boys if they wanted to stay the night at one of the neighbors house (but he hadn't asked his mom yet) Kode told the boys no he really wanted to have them sleep at his house. (I said no cause Shawn was working and no friends at our house when dad is working. 3:45 a.m. comes early enough and having the boys up most of the night would not help Shawn get any sleep!) Well a few minutes later both of the neighbor boys knocked on our door and said that the mom said no on staying the night at their house! So that is when Shawn made the deal with both of our boys that if they give a little he will give a little! So anyway the sleep over is on and the boys are so excited!!

Good-Bye Old Yellow!!

Shawn finally sold Old Yellow (aka the yellow beast)!! Its a 1971 Ford Boronco. He has been trying to sell it for a little bit now and finally someone from Oregon offered him what he wanted and he took the money and ran! Shawn decided that he was over rebuilding the Bronco so he decided it was time to sell it! (The man that bought the Bronco rebuilds Bronco's for a living. So its going to a really good home! He will send some pictures of it when he is done. We are excited to see what he does with it.) Anyway, it was sad to see it go but we were not going to give it what it needed so it was time to sell it!

This picture is of the shipping company that came and got the Bronco!

The boys helping the man by standing on the back of the Bronco so that he could get it tied down. They thought it was pretty cool to do that! I thought that the boys would be really sad and maybe shed a few tears but they didn't. Not even Shawn! So I guess its time for me to go down to the DMV and figure out what they will let us do about the specialized license plates. (Shawn wants to keep the ALTREGO (Alter Ego) plates and when he purchases a Jeep he wants them on it) So hopefully they will just suspend the plates for a year or so!

Anyway, Shawn said in a year or so he is going to purchase a Jeep Wrangler. Something that he doesn't have to work on all the time but something that he can go 4-wheeling in. So we will see!!

games, games, games!!

Our boys love to play games. So lately we have been playing lots of games. Its such a great way to spend time as a family and its a good way to teach the boys that you cant win at everything. (there is always a looser and a winner and its just a game)

Anyway, tonight we played ZINGO. Its a game like BINGO but with a twist!! We had a great time!everyone at the table!
Kode having a good time!

Bry laughing at Shawn (he really didn't want his picture taken cause he was half naked. (o'well I love to take pictures and that's that.)

Shawn dealing out the cards!

( Everyone got a chance to be the dealer)

and Kode being the dealer!!

All in all we really enjoy playing games!!

The Last Stop on Our Vacation!!

So after we left Salt Lake we made our way up to Layton to visit Shawn's mom, his sister and her family, and his grandparents.

Kode brought his "head bands" game with us on our trip and while we were at Peggy's house we got it out and the kids played it. They had so much fun.

cousin Isaac

Kode, Isaac, Bry, Hannah, and Jordan

Grandma Peggy teaching Bry how to play pool. He really enjoyed learning how.

While we were in Layton we stopped in to see Shawn's grandparents. (they have moved to a nursing home now) They both looked good and grandma is happy to be living there. Grandpa is recovering from gal stones but is doing much better. All in all it was very nice to see them.

Lamar, Shawn, and Ladonna

While grandma and grandpa were getting ready for lunch the rest of us decided to take a walk around the facility. We walked around and saw all the birds, we walked out on the patio and saw what a beautiful view that they have and the boys fed the fish.

Thanks Peggy for letting us stay with you at your house. Its always nice to hang with you!!

Before we knew it it was time for us to go home. It was such a nice week to be able to see and spend time with most of our families. It was quite an adventure of a week but we had a great time!

Our Next Stop!!

Our next stop on our mini vacation was to my dad and step-mom's house. It was so nice to see all of them. While we were there we went to dinner at Training Table we played the Wii and Travis and Kode made us some shakes. (they were fabulous I have to say!) and we even booked our flights to Disneyland while we were there. (we are now official) I was a great visit!!Alex, Bry and Kode hanging out waiting for our dinner. Training table was a great choice. We could be as loud as we wanted to and the kids had their very own table.

(sorry I don't know where Isaac went when I took this picture)
After dinner we all went back to the house and played the Wii. (my boys got a few new Wii games for Christmas so they were excited to share them with everyone. Thanks to Isaac and Alex for sharing some of their Wii games. They had some fun ones)

Grumpy and the boys!

Grumpy even got into playing the Wii

Harm and silly Trav

Kode chopping up the candy for the shakes.

(he is a pro at chopping up the candy)

Uncle Trav is a pro at making the shakes. They were sooooo good!!

Bry and Isaac enjoying their shakes

Grumpy and Mimaw!

Grumpy enjoying a butterfinger shake!!

What a great day we had. Thanks so much Mimaw and Grumpy for letting us hang with you guys for the day. We enjoyed seeing everyone. We look forward to seeing everyone soon in Disney!!