"Mommy I got something for you"

Last evening as I laid in my bed, Tyce and the boys were outside working. Tyce had picked Chase up earlier and he was here to help as well. Soon the time came for Chase to be taken home, but Rhev decided he just wanted to stay outside and play. So it was just me and Rhev home. Not long after Tyce left I could here the door creaking open. It was like the person was struggling to get inside. Then suddenly I heard 2 little feet tromping through the kitchen into my room. With his hands cupped so carefully, and his face full of excitement, Rhev came bursting through my bedroom doors exclaiming, "Mommy, mommy I got something for you! I got something for you! It is so cool!". In my mind I was thinking it was something sweet like a flower or a pretty rock. Carefully I opened his cupped little hands and there to my surprise was the biggest stink bug I have ever seen in my life. "Mommy look. Isn't it cool? I caught it all by myself! I'm going to keep it forever." The boy just kept talking about it while through my head I am thinking, "I'm gonna beat this boy if he touches me with it or losses it in my house." After a couple minutes of story he noticed the stink bug had left some "stink" on his hand, so sweetly he handed it to me and said "here mom, you hold it while I wash my hands?" Holding that nasty bug was the last thing on my mind, but how could I say no to this proud little boy with sweet convincing eyes. Yes, I sat there and held that nasty bug for what seemed like an eternity. When he finally came back, he had a cup ready to put his bug in. Graciously I put the gross thing in the cup. For the rest of the night Rhev carried that cup around, talking to the bug, feeding it grass and showing him all his favorite toys.

I know for a fact before my son came to the earth, Heavenly Father gave him the manual on "How to be a boy" and Rhev memorized it. He is all rough, tough, mud, yuck, slime, grime, holey knees, bugs, noise and trucks. I love him to pieces! I wouldn't change him for a thing. He makes life an adventure and I love being a Boy Mom :)

How do you eat an Ice Cream Cone?

This was to funny not to remember. Tyce got us some ice cream cones from our favorite ice cream place, Rupes. The boys sat in the back seat eating their ice cream like really good boys. Really they didn't make hardly a mess.

 After a while, the boys were full and could not finish their cones. They both handed them up to me in the front seat to throw them out the window. I laughed when I saw the two cones.

They both had eaten their cones, never rotating it, and had eating almost all the way down on one side. You can't tell me that these two aren't brothers. Ha :) it made me smile.

Memorial Day

We had the BEST day as a family on Memorial Day. I was the first time in weeks that the Tyce and the boys got to stay home with me and just have the 4 of us be a family. The boys absolutely loved all the fun things they got to do with their Dad. He really tried hard to make it a special day and make it a family day. The morning started off with waffles. Dad cooked again. The boys ate got dressed, then the wrestling-tickle match began.

The boys laugh so hard when they're playing rough with Daddy. They are so tough and take so much abuse :). Trayvn is the funniest. He loves to tickle back. "Titty titty titty" is what he says and he says is so fast. It's so funny.

After the wrestling-tickle match, Rhev wanted Dad to build a fort with him. Rhev collected all his blankets, and the fort building began. 

Dad did a pretty good job and neither Rhev nor Tyce complained when they had to keep fixing it because little brother kept knocking it down on accident.

The boys played in their fort for about an hour, then it was time to go work in the backhoe. Tyce needed to fill in the water line trench and he took both boys with him to help.

After the work was finished, Tyce surprised me with a afternoon out of the house. It felt so good to get off my bed and get out of the house. This is the first time I've left the house and gotten off my bed, other then doctors appointments and sacrament meeting, in almost 3 weeks. He took us over to the cemetery to see the girls, something I really didn't think I was going to get to do. I love the Cemetery on Memorial Day weekend. It is so beautiful with the flowers and happy things placed on the grave sights.

Once again, my girls look beautiful. I love seeing them so pretty and happy looking. The two urns were from Grandma and Grandpa Carlson, the color bowel was from the Goodwins, and the hanging baskets were from us. I don't know who sweetly brought the butterflies and the pink pot, but I am so grateful for them. I wish I knew so I could thank them. I really means a lot to have people remember my girls and not let them get forgotten. They are still a very important part of my life.

After the Cemetery, Tyce took us to Idaho Falls. We went over to Ross to find the boys some new shoes.

Trayvn's shoes

Rhev's shoes

You will notice that Rhev's shoes are Air Jordan's. He is so proud of these shoes. With no coaxing from his Father, he just had to have these shoes. He calls them his "practice" shoes. He knew, without us even telling him, that these were basketball shoes. I love it!!!

After 10 minutes of shopping, all 4 of us were done and it was time for some dinner. 

Texas Roadhouse was the place to go. Tyce and I could not believe just how incredibly good the boys were. They were outstanding. Usually when we go to a sit down restaurant, it turns into an embarrassing wrestling match of keeping them in our booth or eating their food. The boys this time loved it. They ate more peanuts then anyone ever has at Texas Roadhouse, plus they ate almost all their food and were just as happy as could be. It was the best dinner date I have ever been on. It was so fun! I can't wait until we can go out again.

Once we got done with dinner, my "Out of bed" time was all used up for the week, so we headed home. Rhev couldn't wait to get home and use his "practice" shoes. The only problem is that our new house doesn't have a basketball hoop yet. So Rhev's awesome Dad dug out this wireless basketball hoop I bought on clearance after Christmas and got it all hung up and hooked up in the basement.

He even patently let Rhev help drill in the screws.

Once it was all hung up and ready, the Basketball tournament began. Rhev loved how it kept score and didn't care if Dad was beating him. I think he just loved that Dad was playing and score didn't matter. With the help of his Dad, I know he's going to be a basketball star someday :) 

Trayvn had a lot of fun shooting hoops as well.

Once the Basketball game ended, the boys put pajama's on and settling in on the couch for a nice cartoon. Tyce came and sat with me on the bed and we just talked. Life has been so crazy for him lately and this was the first time in a long time that he was able to settle down, take a break and just sit with me and talk. I love him so much. I'm so proud of him for the man and the Dad he has turned into. He takes such good care of us all and is handling the extra work load so well. He really made Memorial Day a special day we will all remember.

Adventures at Kimmy's House

The boys got to spend just a half day at Kimmy's house yesterday and it 's probably a good thing it was only a half day. It sounds like lots of fun and exciting moments happened there in 4 hours.

Before Rhev left that morning, he insisted on taking a party bag of trinkets he got from his 3rd birthday. That's right his 3rd birthday. He has kept his party bag for over a year. In this party bag was a little kaleidoscope made of plastic. The hole that you look through is just big enough for Rhev to fit his fingers in. The problem is, he can put them in, but getting them out is a totally different story. Well yesterday while watching tv at Kimmy's, Rhev slipped his little finger inside the scope. It would not come off. Kim tried lotion, oil and  a whole lot of twisting and pulling. Still the toy remained on his finger. Finally she decided the only way it was going to come of is to break it. Rhev did NOT want to break the toy. He would rather have it stuck on his finger for the rest of his life then have to break the toy. So Aunt Kimmy for the first time was "the bad guy". She cut the toy.

Here is what's left

He cried and cried over that toy, but I'm sure Aunt Kimmy bribed him to be happy with a Popsicle or something :)

Trayvn also got stuck on Saturday, this time it was a little less of a traumatic thing.

I think he's a little backwards.

Finally after all the drama of the morning, it was time for lunch. The boys were able to have a tent picnic. Now this was a tent FULL of happiness.

A day in the Sun

We've been able to have a couple days in the sun. Tyce has gotten so much done. First he laid a little bit of sod in the back next to our patio so the kids could have a little grassy area to play on.

It took a lot of digging and leveling to get it ready.

Trayvn was his big helper. He thought the best part was being able to stomp in the mud after Daddy laid the grass and then watered it.

His dang boot kept getting stuck and Dad had to keep coming to pull it out. Finally he just took off the boots and played bare foot.

Rhev decided it would be a perfect day for bike riding. He's getting pretty fast and very good at maneuvering around obstacles. 

Notice the lovely grass around the cement:)

While Rhev rode his bike, mom was playing "the jungle gym" for Trayvn.

He loves to climb all over me to get my undivided attention.

Candy Grandma, Shandarae, Brielle, Chase and Kayl came over to help us get our garden planted. The dirt was clotty, dry and full of lava rock, but they still stayed and got it mostly planted and mounds made for the rest of the vegetables that need planted. I am so excited to have a garden this year. I didn't think we were going to get one, but they sweetly surprised us and came to take care of it. I am so grateful!

Once we got it done, it definitely needed some water. The problem was good old "Berby" (Tyce's High School Volks Wagon) was in the way. He and Kayl had to push it. It reminded me of all the times we've gone riding in that thing and it died, so we'd have to push start it. I miss rides in the VW. We need to get a new battery and get it fixed.

After all that was finished, the girls went home and Tyce put the boys to work. Our new house doesn't have very many water hydrants so they had the task of digging and putting in a new one out by the garden. Trayvn loves rides in the "buckho" (backhoe). He just sits like a good boy, doesn't try to push buttons, he just sits and is happy to be a helper.

He's in there helping Daddy

And then it was uncle Chase's turn.

While they were busy digging the trench for the water line, Kayl was an awesome Uncle and took Rhev for a bike ride. Rhev has been begging me for weeks to go on a bike ride and thanks to Kayl, his wish finally came true.

Off they went on the road.

 Today turned out to be a really great outside day. I really enjoyed having by boys home with me. They bring so much life into my world. I don't know what I'd do without them. It feels really good to have some of the burden of the yard lifted. There's still a lot left to do, but every little bit counts.