~Father's Day 2012~

It wasn't her party, but she cried because she wanted to and Nick was such a good sport about it all.  :-)   Happy Father's Day to one of the coolest, best Dad's around!

We kicked of the day with cut out heart french toast, blueberries, strawberries, whipped cream, and smoothies.  Yummm!

Then it was time for presents.  Nick and Alec both agreed that the silver Transformer Autobot cufflinks were pretty awesome.

Then it was church, naps, dinner, and happiness all around.  Nothing an oreo cookie with Dad couldn't fix.  :-)

We think Nick is one of the best Dad's in the whole world.  He loves his children and loves being a father.  We are so lucky to have him!  

Happy Father's Day, Nick!

~Nick's 30th Birthday!~

On Nick's birthday I sent him the following message: "Happy rainy day Friday the 13th on the 30th birthday of the love of my life!  Thank you for making my life and the life of our children so wonderful.  Good thing you're not a superstitious man! :-)"

Yes, my dearest Nicholas turned the ripe old age of 30.  His co-workers decorated his cubical with candy and superman wrapping paper and then he came home to giant backyard barbeque with friends.  We ended the night with more treats and a movie.

  I'm pretty sure he had a fabulous day.  

He's got to be one of the youngest (and handsomest) looking 30 year olds I've ever seen.  Look at all that fire!  I'm glad we didn't set off the smoke detectors.  

Happy birthday, Nick my love!

~Park with Daddy~

Nick has been flying our babies around or throwing them way up in air since Alec was only a few weeks old.  It used to make me really really nervous.  Now it only makes me a little nervous some of the time.  The kids seem to love it though.

Nick met up with us at a park after work on a beautiful 75 degree October evening.  

What started out as this (and made me feel a little nervous)...

morphed into this..

and then this!

It scared me silly and I couldn't help but wonder if Cordy was scared too as her body flew off the bar at the very bottom of the wheel.  Nick turned her around for a spin to show me she was just fine.

Then they headed over to the big slides.  As you can see, Cordy was having the time of her life. 

 Then for some sitting and chewing (yuck) in high places...

 I'm so glad that all my babies have loved their daddy.  They all go through a period where if he is available they want no one else.  He is their everything and they love him and trust him completely.  If you ask me, they're pretty lucky to have such a trustworthy, loving, involved father.  

 And if you ask me, I'm a pretty lucky lady to get to call him my husband.

~Playing with Daddy~

September 15, 2011

Daddy came home from China and played with us.  We were all pretty excited.  

Especially our littlest lady.

Not only could I never reach that high, but I would never do this.  I'm just not that much of a rough-houser I guess.  Cordy laughed and laughed had a wonderful time "being the basketball".  

We sure miss Nick when he's gone and are always so glad when he comes back. 

~Finger Pirates~

What do you do when your kids are whining about everything, refusing to eat dinner, and grumpy as can be?  To be completely honest, I usually just send them to timeout.  This time they were lucky.  Nick was home, and seeing as he is the nicer parent in our family, he took a different approach and turned his finger into a pirate... which somehow got the kids laughing so hard that Alec got over his grumpiness and ate dinner! 

After they were finished eating EVERYONE wanted a finger pirate and Nick was happy to oblige.

Nick is always very nice and very helpful, but to be completely honest, I think he was trying extra hard this day.  Earlier that day I found out that Cordelia had contracted Hand Foot and Mouth disease, a highly contagious virius, and I had to miss visiting with one of my very dear friends who was only in town for that day.  

We would be in quarantine for the next week. 

Oh, and Nick was leaving the next morning on a 10 day adventure in China.  

Without me. 

Lame. 

 I'm so thankful for a husband who sees when things are hard and tries his best to lift all our spirits.  

The kids and I are pretty lucky to have him. 

~The Adventures of Captain Alec~

About a year ago Nick started telling our little guy 'Captain Alec' stories at bedtime in an effort to help him fall asleep every night.  It was one of the sweetest things I'd ever seen and Alec sooo looked forward to those nights.

 Nick's a great dad, but as you can imagine he started getting overwhelmed by the demand for nightly made up stories... especially on nights when things were busy and we were all tired and tucking in needed to be quick.  That was when we decided to make it more of a special event.  Now every Sunday night Nick takes a few minutes out of the evening to tell Alec about the great adventures of Captain Alec.  

Though I've never been present for one of these amazing stories, Alec has relayed to me that Captain Alec has done all sorts of things, from flying planes, sailing across great seas, climbing mountains, fighting monsters and dragons, leaping over fire, and discovering treasures!  Sometimes the Amazing Elyssa even joins him on his quests.  Nick has told me that the stories aren't very good, as he is usually coming up with them on the spot, but Alec doesn't mind a bit.  In fact, he's practically ready to climb out of his bed with excitement.  I've interrupted for a goodnight kiss during a story and received a quick peck before Alec said "Mom can you go out now so Daddy can finish the story?"  I guess I'm not really a welcome guest for their great adventures.  That's okay though.  I'm glad they have something special for just the two of them.   Alec is such a lucky boy to have Nick for a Daddy.  

In fact, I think he just might be the luckiest boy in the whole wide world.  

I've been telling him that since the day he was born. :-)

~Six Years~

My Dearest Nicholas,

Remember when we were dating and we looked like this? 

I didn't think it was possible for you to look any younger than you do now, but I look at this and think you look sooo young.  It's amazing how much are kids have aged us, not that I would have it any other way.

 

Remember when we got engaged the day after I got back from a 3 1/2 month trip abroad?  Remember when I totally cried and you spent 2 hours convincing me to marry you?  

Sorry about that.  Marriage isn't something to take lightly... and I was an emotional basket-case.  Some things never change...

Remember when we went to scope out spots for our engagement photos and you sat on a really pointy rock and I totally laughed at you? 

Remember when we took engagement photos for two hours straight?  Remember how I didn't want to spend the money to get our engagement pictures on CD saying I would do it later when I had more money.  To this day they still aren't digitized.  The "scoping out spots" picture will have to do. 

Remember when we walked out of the temple, laughing at all the people cheering for us and we were both sooo embarrassed to be the center of attention?  

(Again, some things NEVER change, do they?)

 Remember how awkward it was to be kissing each other in front of a photographer and all of our family?
Despite it all I still think I will always have this as the center of our kissing wall.  It's perfect.

 Remember how freezing cold we were, but I refused to put on a coat and cover up that beautiful dress?  Remember how awesome you looked in tails?  Remember when I got up 2 hours early to do my hair that morning (because I learned in high school to never trust someone else with my hair when it comes to special occasions like Prom or you know...your wedding)?  

Remember when I actually used to do my hair on a regular basis?  I promise that really will start happening again sometime in the next year. :-)

Remember when I chopped all my hair OFF the day after our second wedding reception and you didn't say a word even though you were stunned?  Remember when we went to Washington D.C. for Christmas with my family?  Remember when we wandered around the National Mall all dressed in black and khaki to take family pictures with the tripod and everyone was starring at us?
Remember when you only owned pants that were so big we could have fit two of you inside?  

Remember when we graduated from BYU at the same time and you wanted to walk and I didn't but I did it anyway purely for the pictures because I didn't want our kids to grow up thinking I didn't graduated from college because there would be pictures of you but none of me?  Remember how NONE of them turned out?   

Remember how ridiculously silly I've always been about things like that?

 Remember how 9 months later we became parents for the first time?
Remember how our entire world changed in seconds and we both went into shock for a few weeks and I was a nervous wreck and you lived off of  pepto bismol?

Remember how 12 1/2 months later we found ourselves to be parents of not one, but TWO little people?
Remember how we both felt crazy overwhelmed, crazy in love with our kids, and maybe just a little crazy in general?

Remember when our talented friend Liz came over and took pictures of us last Christmas and we both looked awesome, and cute together (and my hair was long again and I weighed less than we did when we got married)?  Remember this kissing picture?  

Why haven't we turned this beauty black and white and added to our kissing wall?

Remember how we nowhave THREE sweet kiddos and some days seem so rediculously busy like we never get a moment to ourselves and we have to laugh a lot or we go crazy?

Look at grouchy kids with those two laughing parents.  I think we need to make a goal to laugh more this upcoming year.

Remember when our entire world just revolved around the two of us?
A LOT has changed since then hasn't it? 

Thanks for the last 6 amazing years. 

I'm so glad I get to share this crazy beautiful life with you!

~A Surprise Party!~

My over dramatic pregnant self had been in kind of a funk much of the month when I would think about my impending birthday.  Because I was turning 26 and therefore would be closer to 30 than 20?   Heavens no!  I was down because I knew the arrival of my birthday meant that some of my closest friends were moving.  Who was I to pull friends away to celebrate my day when they were so busy with preparations for big trips/moves in their own exciting lives?  Nick, my dearest best friend of all, really saw how bumbed I was feeling and did something amazing.  In 24 hours he made plans and threw together a surprise birthday party for little ole' me (a week early).

 I went to work that Saturday and got off an hour early.  I resisted the urge to go shop around the mall and headed home.  When I got there Nick seemed surprised to see me and asked if I could go pick up some strawberries for dinner because he forgot to get them... and we all know how much I love strawberries.  I ran upstairs to change, but noticed the house was extra clean, and when I asked if Alec wanted to come with me Nick said I couldn't take him.  (He was afraid Alec would spill the beans.  That cute boy couldn't keep a secret if his life depended on it.) Lyssa and I headed to the local grocery store, taking our time.  When we got home I noticed extra cars on the street, but the house seemed quiet enough.  Then I came in and found kids and parents galore scrunched up on my living room floor shouting SURPRISE!  It was awesome.  The rest of the evening was spent out in my shaded backyard.  The kiddos ran around and played while adults chatted and sipped on limeade and Nick grilled up some brats and hotdogs.  It was a wonderful, relaxing evening with close friends, their cute kids, and strawberry shortcake.  Yummmm.

I didn't take any pictures (except the one above with Lyssa and her very best BFF, Maddie) because I was too busy relaxing, watching our children laugh and play, and enjoying the company of friends that are practically family.  It made me so happy and filled my cup so full that I was in the most fabulous mood for the rest of the week!  I not only felt so loved by my friends, but by my dear Nick.  I know planning events (no matter how casual) is not his forte, and I usually take on that role in our family.  A party like this is a huge stretch, but he was willing to do this for me and give me the opportunity to see everyone together, feel loved, and (as corny as it may sound) find some closure in being left behind.  I'll bet he had no clue how much good that little party was going to do for me.

(Doesn't Lyssa's body language say it all?  She adores Maddie.  Can you blame me for being so sad about saying goodbye to one of my Iowa sisters, not to mention Lyssa's best and only girl friend????)

Thank you, friends, for coming to celebrate with me.  I was amazed that with such short notice so many of you were able to be there and I felt so loved.  I love all your children dearly, and feel blessed to call you friends like family.

Thank you, Nick, for going way beyond your comfort zone to do something so special for me! It means the world to me that you would even think of it, much less pull it off with flying colors, happy kiddos, and strawberry shortcake.  
I love you dearly.

~Nick's Birthday~

As some of you may know, Nick had a birthday two weeks ago!  I had the best of intentions to write a nice blog post about it that day or the next but I'm pretty sure sleep won out.  It seems like right now most days sleep wins.  Anyway, back to Nick!

Knowing Nick's actual birthday was going to be busy, we planned a date night the Saturday before.  While the kids played happily with one of my dear friends, Nick and I talked the evening away eating chinese food, picking out a bike helmet for Alec and seeing a movie.  No pictures, but know it was lots of fun.

On Nick's actual birthday he had finals to take in the evening so we met up for lunch and then headed back home for him to study while the kiddos napped.  After they woke up Nick gave everyone their backwards birthday presents.  The babies were so excited they could barely sit still for 20 seconds....

To their delight Lyssa opened her eyes to find a princess castle.  It was love at first sight.  (It was love at first sight for us too.  Our next door neighbor was going to put it out on junk day but decided to offer it to us first.  We happily took it off her hands and cleaned it up for our little lady.)

She gave Nick the best hugs and wanted to sit down and play castle with him right there.

Alec was so excited to open his present and find a bike helmet!  Nick, knowing that Alec's bike broke a few weeks ago, asked him "So what are you going to do with a bike helmet and no bike?"  Alec didn't even care!  He seriously would have been content to just put it on and wear it around the house....

So when we opened the garage and there was a new big boy bike sitting there it was ICING ON THE CAKE for that little man.  That excited smile was genuine.

Hugs all around!

Lyssa didn't want to leave her castle behind but didn't want to miss out on the action outside so she slowly pulled it all the way out to the deck.  I couldn't help but laugh.

A few days later when Nick was done with finals we had his birthday dinner and sang to him over strawberry short cake.  (I felt pathetic not making him a cake after last years chocolate masterpiece, but I just haven't been up to the challenge lately. I seem to be able to get the basics done for the most part, but all the little extra things just haven't been happening lately.  It won't last forever. Sigh.)

Nick was thoroughly spoiled with presents from our extended families and says that considering he was taking finals (which sadly has happened more than not in our married life) he had a great day.  Happy Birthday, Nick!!!  We love you more than Buzz Lightyear, Mortimer and chocolate covered strawberries!

~Camping in the Basement~

A few weeks ago Alec and Elyssa started talking about camping... and they couldn't stop!  They were soooo ready for Spring and Summer to come and turn our winter wonderland into a warm, humid, green garden of Eden.  The babies played camping in their rooms with pillows, blankets, backpacks and the like.

At the end of the day I would empty their backpacks out, seeing what contents they find to be essentials for camping.  Lyssa's bag usually consisted of every pony hair clip she owns and all of her stuffed animals.  Alec had a different approach.  Yes, he was packing some weight carrying around 5 or 6 cars and his Buzz Lightyear, but he also made room for Tigger, granola bars, his water bottle, and a blue paperback Book of Mormon.  Smart boy.  :-)

Being the cool dad that Nick is to our little ones he promised them camping in the basement Friday night even though I already had plans and would not be there to help.  They set up the tent in the TV room and ate pizza while watching Disney's Tarzan.
Side Note: We may not watch that movie again for a long time because Lyssa was traumatized by the opening scene where Tarzan is a baby and loses his parents.  She also didn't seem to understand that Tarzan then turns into a boy, and continued to be very concerned about the whereabouts of the "little baby" for a good hour.  Not fun.  


Once the movie was over the kiddos headed up for microwave smores.  As you can see, at the sight of treats Lyssa's distress about Tarzan disappeared.

Oh what fun!!!  But notice those red eyes?  Those are eyes of a sick little boy.

 

I came home around midnight (I know, late for a pregnant woman) to find this little boy very unhappy and uncomfortable down in the tent.  His eyes were itchy and goopy and he was so congested that he couldn't breath well and he couldn't blow his nose.  I moved the little man out of the tent and back up to his room for the night.  Humidifiers, lots of water, tissues, and ibprofen were all administered, but I was still up with him every hour that night.  Yuck.

Nick woke up with a sore neck the next morning, and I felt like trash.  Despite their nasty colds the babies seemed happy as can be!  Just the idea of having camped in the basement the night before made there goopy eyed, stuffy nosed day.  Ahh, the things we do for our kids.  :-)  

~Icicles~

Did I ever show you the pictures we took of the icicles on the front of our house last month? I don't think I did.  They were pretty impressive.  Check this out.

See how they almost covered my windows in spots?  Notice the foot and a half chunk of ice sitting on top of the gutters?  It was insane!

But they were also quite beautiful...

...in a sharp, dangerous, "please don't fall on me, my kids, or anyone that comes to my door" sort of way.

After taking these pictures Nick promptly knocked them down and tried to break them into pieces.

Thank you, Nick.  You're my hero.  

Now I look outside and there isn't a trace of ice or snow.

 Thank you sunshine and 50 degree weather!