Fall is in the Air

Spencer loves to go outside. Yesterday when we got home from shopping he threw a fit when I took him in with the groceries. It was fairly cold out there and with him having a really runny nose I didn’t want him out there in only a jacket. After placing my bags on the floor I got out some warmer clothes for the boys.

Spencer was crying and fighting me the whole time but I finally got him into his “winter suit”. It totally reminded me of the little brother in the Christmas Story. When he’d fall down he could crawl but he couldn’t stand up on his own. Pretty funny to watch. The boys played for awhile and even after they’d been out for awhile Spencer still wasn’t happy when we went inside. Winter hasn’t even started, I wonder how we’ll fair when it gets really cold. Do you think I can get Spencer more bundled up?

Jenner Prom

Saturday night Chris' work had a black tie event. I was really excited to have a night out with my handsome guy until it came to getting ready. I couldn't get a hold of the girl I wanted to do my hair so I attempted to do the feat on my own. I don't know how to do elegant hair when it's short. I was so frustrated and wasn't as excited to go. Who wants to wear a pretty dress when you don't feel pretty, not me.

But that all changed when Chris came out in his tux to make sure everything fit. Right then and there I decided I didn't care what I looked like I just wanted to be with him for the evening (sigh). My hair was simple, the night was fun, and Chris looked great!

While getting ready Jared wanted me to paint his toes as well.

So out of this: Came this:The dinner was at the Palmer House (one of the oldest running hotels in Chicago) and it was a gorgeous building. I felt like I was in a scene from batman where everyone is dressed up drinking their drinks standing in a grand, gorgeous room just before the joker comes.

The food matched the "classy" atmosphere with a dry aged filet and foie gras. I wish Chris wouldn't have told me what foie gras was before I ate it. It tasted good but I about gagged when eating it and couldn't eat more than a couple little bites of it. I don't know if it was the thought of eating liver or the cruelty to the birds that made me gag. I guess I can say I've had it now.

We finished the night with a wide variety of dessert. We left just as the dancing music started. We had called home and Jared was still awake at almost 11:00 so we decided to relieve our friend from their generous service. Chris and I both enjoyed the food, building, and most of all each other:)

Happy Birthday Spencer!!!

How does time go by so quickly?! As I looked over posts from Spencer's birth to the present I look at this past year with so many fond memories. I remember being scared to have two and being sad that I would no longer be able to give Jared all of my attention. But in having Spencer I have given Jared more than ever possible if he were to be an only child. Jared and Spencer love each other and that is the biggest pay day a mother can see, to see her children love, play, and help each other. How lucky I feel to have two beautiful boys.

Spencer is quite a character. At one he already has an opinion and doesn't take no for an answer. I thought all one-year-olds were mellow and when a toy was taken away they shrugged and moved on. Well, that's not necessarily true for this one-year-old. Maybe it's having an older brother but he'll definitely give Jared a run for his money and he's not afraid to yell and cry. Sometimes Jared really gets to him and you see his face change and it looks like he's going to charge him and he burrows his face into Jared and, I think, tries to bite him. I wonder what kind of two-year-old he'll be. What an adventure we have to look forward to!!! Whatever this next year brings I'm just grateful Spencer is part of it. Life just wouldn't be the same without this little guy. We LOVE you Spencer!

For the big day we started it with presents and pancakes, went to a music group, took two naps!, cleaned house, played with toys, went to airport to pick up grandma and papa B, Gino's pizza for dinner, cake, bath, bed. And that's pretty much how it worked!I LoVe first birthdays when they get to dig into the cake and have free reign. I thought for sure Spencer would be my child that went crazy and got all messy. I was sadly disappointed. He was shockingly dainty and shy about the process. He eventually learned he liked the taste but didn't "dig" in. Jared on the other hand did! At first I didn't see him taking bites out of the cake because I was watching Spencer. I guess if I really want a kid to get messy I should wait for the 2nd or 3rd birthday to let them have at it.(I did make the cake. It was really easy I had the mold and just did a star tip for the frosting.)

Jared and Grandpa enjoyed cake and ice cream (Jared mooched off of grandpa after he finished his own.)

It's Unanimous

Ashley (Chris' sister) and I have voted and we both are agree that Jim (Chris and Ashley's dad) can have no more frightening hospital visits for the rest of the year (we prefer the rest of his life!!!) He has more than proven how much we love him and appreciate him as a father, spouse, father-in-law, and grandpa!

Earlier in the year Jim had a heart attack that miraculously his heart made new veins to aide his heart so that there was minimal to no damage done. Just this Sunday he was life flighted to Boise for bleeding in the brain near the brain stem that could have been fatal. Luckily the bleeding stopped and doctors say the healing should happen on its own. I personally love this happy, giving, wonderful, hard-working man! He is such an example to me in so many ways. Everyone, including strangers, loves him once he starts talking to them (he usually being the initiator:). He is so sweet and tender to his lovely wife and has been such a great example for my own husband to love and cherish me. I am so blessed to have Jim as my father-in-law and I look forward to the YeaRs (you got that Jim!!!) of having him in my life and my kids. How lucky we are to have you as our dad and grandpa! I love you:)

Mud+Football=Happy Man

Chris this Saturday got together with about 13 men from our ward to play football. He came back looking like this:He was gone for about 2 hours and I was starting to get frustrated because we were going to go shopping and I was ready to get going. But when he came home he was grinning from ear to ear:) He had a fun time with the guys and it was a good rejuvinating activity for him.

I loved seeing this sexy man dirty and only wish I could have seen him in action! The only bad thing is he is now paying for it through sore muscles and a cold/chills that come and go. I'm sure though he'll recover enough to be out there again next Saturday:)

Thumbsucking and Pacifiers

To try and prevent Jared from sucking his thumb we'd bought some stuff online that you paint on the fingernail and supposedly tastes nasty. Indeed it does, very bitter. Well it wasn't working for Jared, or so I thought. After I thought about it I wondered if Jared was able to maneuver his thumb in such a way as to not touch the nail when sucking, therefore avoiding the bitter taste. After sucking my own thumb various ways I concluded this was quite plausible. I then decided to give this polish stuff one more shot but this time I would paint the entire thumb and not just the nail. SUCCESS!!! We've done it for 2 weeks and he's doing great! There are times he's brought his thumb close to his mouth and then lowered it just as quickly. The only time he sucks it is if he's really tired and I've forgotten to put it on his thumb for a few days. I don't want to put on his thumb anymore because sometimes the taste gets on his food when it touches his thumb so I feel bad but the few times he's sucked his thumb I don't want to resort back to thumb sucking so we will continue painting his thumb until I'm certain he's done with this bad habit.

Below is a clip of Jared helping me finish up the bowl when making brownies:

At one time I thought Spencer might also become a thumb sucker but that phase didn't even last a week. Instead I've been insistent upon him taking a pacifier (I'm all about having a method to soothe my child when they're crying, just preferably not their thumb). He's never been a huge user of the pacifier and really all I've used it for for the past 2-4 months has been for sleeping. There were times I'd put him down without the pacifier and he'd do perfectly fine without it. I wondered why I continued to give it to him and realized it was more for my benefit for the "fear" he'd cry once I laid him down. So about a week or more ago we dropped the pacifier. It's still in his crib but I don't give it to him for sleeping and he doesn't put it in his mouth. So much easier then Jared but also Jared was a lot easier baby seeing how he self pacified himself. I can't have it all :)

Check out those blue eyes!

Pumpkin Fest

Yesterday was one of the many pumpkin fests held by the Chicago Park district. The afternoon was full of inflatable obstacle courses, bouncing house, petting farm, face painting, pumpkin patch and more! The only thing we had to pay for was the petting farm ($2 for both kids). We didn't do the pumpkin patch which also cost because they were kind of dinky pumpkins and decided I could get a bigger one at the store for $3.

But before we hit the festivities we were able to watch Ana and Peter while their parents went to the temple and met up with us later at the park. More is definitely less in this case. The kids played so well and Chris and I were able to do our own things while at home. What well behaved children. We'll watch them ANYTIME!!! (They played so well it seriously was like they babysat themselves, Ahhh)

Some things said by the little ones:

Ana: I'm a little kitty kitty girl girl (said very daintily)

Jared: (said in high voice)I'm a little (then pausing) BIG DOG (said in a "manly" voice)

Jared: Peter always cries when I push him.

Me: Well honey, don't push him.

Jared: But then I hug him and say I'm sorry.

On the way to the park Ana and Jared held hands practically the whole way...

even when they got too tired to walk:)

Here are some pictures of the highlights:

Ana is the sweetest little thing. At the park she'd hold both Chris and my hand and be so soft and gentle. It really was cute and we didn't mind a bit. She showed Chris how sweet girls can be and I think he rather liked it:)

Also notice we are in shorts! Back in Idaho and Utah we got reports of snow! Wish you were here...

No Place Like Home for the Holidays!

It's official. The tickets are purchased and we will be heading for Idaho December 20th through January 3rd. Soooo excited!

Swiper, No Swiping

For awhile Jared has been using this phrase when Spencer gets close to him and he doesn't want him to. When he first started saying this I kept asking him what he was saying and he'd say it exactly the same way so I knew he knew what he was saying. I had no idea what he was saying. Everytime he'd say it I'd have him repeat it.

This had been going on for about 1-2 weeks when this morning Jared was watching TV while I was getting breakfast ready and I heard Dora say the same phrase, "Swiper, no swiping." I quickly asked Chris what she just said because I couldn't understand her either but it sounded just like what Jared had been saying. He told me and I explained what Jared had been doing and when he used the phrase.

It ends up that there's a character on Dora named Swiper, (I think, I don't watch Dora she bugs me), who takes things away so they chant this to stop him. The light went on in my head. Now when he said it it rang loud and clear. Try saying that phrase to someone who doesn't know what you're saying and they won't know what you're saying.

Jared must have thought this phrase would stop Spencer from getting into his toys and prevent him from taking them. So I guess he is learning from TV, interesting how kids think! :)

Officially Walking

Spencer has been taking steps for over a month now but I couldn't say he was walking until this past week when Jordan and Grandma Meservy were here. That's when he started taking more than a few steps and voluntarily walked on his own. He still predominantly crawls but is walking more and more. My life is changing once again.

Another thing about Spencer is he's always been a lighter sleeper but it seems to be getting worse and his naps are horrible as of late. Yesterday he only had one nap for 30 mins!!! And today he had two, one in the stroller during the last half of my run and then a 45 min one later in the afternoon. Luckily he's still happy but it sure makes it harder for me. Grrrrrrr

Human Exercise Machine

Spencer loves to be tossed into the air. Well... sometimes. But when he does like it he doesn't want to stop! It is quite exhausting but he is determined to continue! If you stop he cries and cries. It takes a lot to distract him from the fun he was having. If you're up for a good arm workout just come our way and we'll keep you busy for as long as you're able to toss him!

Time Off from School = Chicago

Jordan had Wednesday-Friday off last week so Cherie and him headed out here and we got our first visitors. It may have been a let down since last summer we were always going and seeing sites and this time we didn't do as much but we sure loved having family. Jared especially loved having his grandma here. I don't know how many times she read to him but he always came back for more and she was always willing. He was so busy the whole time they were here he exhausted himself. One time while Cherie was reading to him she stopped for a time and he'd fallen asleep.

Jared even got to have granma m. stay with him in his room on the blow up mattress. She started out in the family room but the first night made her way in when Jared was having troubles.

Our time was spent entertaining Jared, going to the Nature Museum, Zoo, playing tennis,tech fair at Millenium Park (Jordan and I got to test drive these "vehicles" for about 2-3 mins,and eating good food. (Burritos as Big as Your Head)

It was great having family out. Ever since they left Jared has been saying, "I'm sad, I want grandma." He, and we, truly love our family! Thanks for Coming!!!

Bar Exam!!!

I stayed up until about 12:20am waiting for Bar results that were supposed to be out late afternoon yesterday and nothing came. At 12:59am the email came and I just barely checked at 3:50 am (I woke up from a dream where I checked my results) and I ...... PASSED!!

Okay, now I am going back to bed! Goodnight everyone.