Playdate

     We had a playdate at our house a few weeks ago where moms could drop their kids off from 9am-1pm and either have a "mommy break" or go to the temple while their kids played and had a blast (only prob was, the temple was closed that day! So.... we'll just have to do it again!)
     We made liquid sidewalk chalk (thanks to my awesome sis-in-law Susan for sharing the idea!) Take 1 cup corn starch to 1 cup water and mix. Then divide and add food coloring. It works great then it dries hard. So fun! We also had sack races, running races, popsicles on the trampoline, lots of swinging and jumping, and a picnic lunch. We had a great time & look forward to the next one!!

Moments & Memories

     I love being a Mom and seeing the unique personalities of each kid develop! There are such fun moments that happen each day! These are those moments that get you through the tough times and remind you that this is what it's all about.
     Like today, when Dylan was sitting by Carson in the chair and then fell asleep on his shoulder, or that look of love that I see when those two brothers look at each other, or when Ashley gets all glammed up and says how beautiful she is, or that gleam or look of teasing I see on those cute faces, or daddy throwing Carson in the tub with his clothes on and how funny he thought that was.
     There are just so many moments and memories. And it's these small moments that are the best.

Carson's Little League

     Despite Carson missing some games due to his surgery, he had a blast with his 1st baseball experience. He always chose to hit the ball off a pitch instead of the tee and did so great! He always hurried to get his helmet on so that he could be the 1st up to bat. And when his team was outfield, he liked to guard one of the bases. (One time when he was out guarding 2nd, he must have forgotten he was guarding it and that he wasn't the runner, because all of a sudden he ran as fast as he could to 3rd, then home. It was so cute, I think he got a little embarrassed, but oh what a cute boy he is!)
     We are so proud of him and the great job he did!!

Wagon ride

     Keeping Carson "resting" during his recovery period after his surgery was no easy feat!! We headed down to the river with the wagon to walk the path one evening. What a fun lil bunch these guys are! And check out that strong Ashley pulling all the boys! ;)

Scenic River 10K

     Saturday I walked the Scenic River Classic 10K with my mother-in-law Debbie & her sister Shannon. As far as we know, we were the only ones who walked it. All the walkers we saw did the 5K. It was a BEAUTIFUL course along the banks of the Snake River and we chatted the whole way. These ladies just did a marathon the weekend before ---aren't they awesome?! Our time was 1:35:29. Daddy stayed home with the kids since Carson is still healing from his surgery, but hopefully next time they'll be able to meet me at the finish line!
     Like anyone else who has thyroid problems (mine is Grave's Disease) knows how hard it is to lose weight. I'm still struggling with it. I workout regularly but it doesn't seem to be dropping so I'm trying to find other things to tweek with my diet. But I'm trying to stay positive and not get discouraged. I haven't lost the weight I'd like to.....YET! But I will! And best of all, I'll KEEP TRYING! And I hope you do too --- with whatever it may be -- don't give up!

Carson's surgery

     Our cute little Carson had to have surgery this week on a lump in his neck that was growing bigger. It was a thyroglossal duct cyst and was congenital. The Dr (Dr. Hanks) removed the cyst, a duct leading up to the back of the tongue, and the central part of the hyoid bone (the bone in the throat that aids in swallowing), so it was a big surgery for the little man.
     Carson was pretty excited to go to the hospital. He got a little yellow Teddy bear that went with him to surgery, which he loved. And he also loved the bed with wheels that drove him down the hall! (although he can't remember that part now thanks to the drugs!) He got admitted in the areas where I used to work, so it was like coming back to my 2nd home! He was adorable - everyone that met him fell in love with the guy!  But the funniest part was after he took the "pre-op cocktail" and was waiting for his ride to surgery. He was giggling and kept grabbing his neck saying, "I keep swallowing numbers and letters! I just swallowed a 7 & 8!" Then a few minutes later he'd laugh and say he'd swallowed some more -- it was hilarious!!
     Since I knew most of the people that took care of him along the way, it was a little easier to put my trust in them. A little. After 2 hrs & 15 min (agonizingly long) we got a call that he was done and headed up to Pediatrics. It was so good to see him again! His neck was all bandaged with steri-strips but looked good.
     He slept a lot the next few hours and everything remained stable. We didn't see his smile again until the next day. Understandably. The Dr came in that afternoon and let us bring him home that evening. Yay! The part that Carson says was the best part of the hospital was the ride out in the wheelchair. Amen! So glad everything went so well and we got to bring that cutie boy home!
     He's supposed to take it easy for a week, but you can imagine how hard that is for an active boy! He's healing up great and eating well and gets his stitches out next week. :)

Dylan's 1st Birthday!

     Wow! Our cute Dylan turned 1!! It's crazy that a whole year has gone by already. It's been a year of challenges for our family, but this cute tank has brought nothing but joy and happiness to our home.
     We celebrated with a little party --- dinner then cake & icecream. Dylan mostly just played with his first cake and squooshed it through his big hands. Grandma & Grandpa Anglin, Grandma Cox, Aunt Lori and cousins McKinley, Addi, and Gid, and friend Gabe were here to celebrate with us. He received some wonderful gifts from them and he enjoyed playing with all the kids.
     Dylan is such a happy boy. He already loves to tease and make us all laugh. He is standing next to things and climbs EVERYTHING! He enjoys being with Carson & Ashley and they are so good to him. His favorite thing right now is pointing at things. He likes his food (as you probably can tell) and loves his binkie. We sure love this tough stud and are so blessed to have him in our family!!