Look at ME!!

Matthias is officially a sitter now. He is only a little tipsy these days and he loves being able to sit and play with his toys and James!! Six months next week...time flies!!

(You'll notice he is characteristically covered in spit up...=])

Here we go 'round the Blueberry Bush...

As the culminating event for our plant and garden month at "Mom's Amazing Preschool for James" we decided to take a trip to Moorhead Blueberry Farm today to pick some berries! So I packed up the boys and off we went.

They (meaning James) had a great time running around with a bucket. (Matt sat in the stroller and supervised.) After picking a few blue berries and several red, yellow, or green berries James began grabing berries off the bushes by the fistfull regardless of color. Determining that carefully picking only blue berries was not the activity for him, James found a stick and began trying to stab berries on the end of it and play in the dirt.

When my friend Sylvia and I were about ready to go Sophia and James took off at a run. We chased (picking berries along the way) and quickly found Sophia playing in a giant fire ant hill. Meanwhile, James took about five or more minutes to track down two sections and several rows over hiding amongst the bushes.

We ended the day with 3.11 lbs of blueberries and at least twice that much sweat (Houston is hitting 90 and humidity every day now...ahh, the joys of summer). Overall we had a great time!

Our trip to Arizona...

So we just got home from Arizona where we went for Scott's wedding and some fun time with family. Matthias had his first plane ride on May 15 and did very well (first pic). The next day, Wednesday, we went to the zoo as a family (pic #2) and out to Bajios with Scott and Mindy. Then mom and dad went to a session in the Mesa temple and the boys played with their aunts. Thursday morning Scott and Mindy got married and we took lots of pics. Then there was lunch at The Landmark Resturaunt and back to swim at Grandma and Grandpa's hotel. That night mom and dad went out for dinner with Marcus and Liz and the boys played with the aunts. Friday we drove to Duncan for the reception and stopped at a Indian Ruin on the way (pic#3) and saw the farm where Mindy's from and watched presents opened (pic#4). Mom and her sisters got Scott's car!!

Saturday was a long day driving back to Pheonix and getting on a plane home. The boys did great though and everyone was very tired after. We had a lot of fun visiting with Grandma and Grandpa Urie and all the aunts and uncles. It was a fun trip!!

Happy Mother's Day Grandma!

James and Matthias made some flowers for their grandmas from their handprints...unfortunately their mother didn't mail the flowers. So the grandmas get a picture instead. =]

This is just a Tribute

Just wanted to send a shout out to all our moms. We think you are great and we love you very a lot!! Thanks for all the wonderful things you do for us. Thank you for talking to us on the phone and sending us things and playing with our boys. Thanks for teaching us what is right and how to be nice and how to make our beds. Thank you for making us eat yummy food and go to bed and brush our teeth.

I love you so much mom and think you are the best!!

I love you mom and think you are great!!

Love,
Kristi & Taylor

P.S. James and Matthias both of course really love their mother and think she is wonderful. She makes (and I quote James), "mmm, good food" and she takes us out to play. She teaches us lots of things and lets us eat too much candy and ice cream...especially Matt!! She tries real hard to be the best mom she can be and she always prays for help from Heavenly Father to guide her in raising the beautiful spirits He sent to her home. Thank you mom!! We love you.


Also, junior primary made crowns today and I have been wearing mine around...it is supposed to mean that my kids have to do everything I say, but it isn't working out well so far...

Camping and Fishing

So Taylor took James on his first camping trip which also included his first fishing trip. Now for anyone who knows James well you know he would spend all day every day outside if he could so when I told him he was going to sleep outside he could not believe his good fortune. We had been telling him all week that he would be going camping with Dad, but not really knowing what "camping" entailed, James spent the whole week in excited anticipation for this mysterious camping trip he would be going on. All week he talked about fire and camping.

Taylor said James spent Friday evening in absolute awe...he was in heaven. It was 10:00pm and he was still outside!! Every now and then he would just stop and look around as if to decide if this was real or a dream. They roasted marshmellows and hot dogs and tried to stay out of the lake. Taylor finally convinced James to get in the tent and then opened the window. James started shouting, "outside!" "car!" He could hardly contain himself!! Finally the two settled down for the night.

Next morning James could not belive that he woke up and was still outside!! What great fortune he had stumbled upon! They spent the morning fishing and playing. James caught his first fish, which was little but there were lots of "bigger" fish caught as well. Included in this blog are pics of James making a fish face at his fish and a monkey face at his fish. James had a great time and was pretty tired and a little grumpy the rest of the day. Fathers and Sons was a blast!!

(Mom and Matthias went out to eat with some friends at La Madellines then Matt went to bed while Mom watched Pride and Prejudice and painted the boys' room. Next morning the two played and had a great time until the other boys got home.)

Praying Etiquette...

(First, I swear I will add a blog on our trip to the zoo...soon!)

So we have been teaching James to say his own prayers and he is getting really good at "kneeling" and saying Amen at the end. His version of kneeling he adapted from Taylor's version which pretty much consists of James laying flat on the ground with his head in his hands.

Last week he said his first pray with help and the next night came up with his own, consisting of "Father, bless, bless, bless, bless, Amen." So we have been working with him to get all the important parts in there.

Also we have told him he cannot wear his "cow hat" during prayers which is a big step since he wears it everywhere, even to bed and the car ride to church. Tonight he was wearing his sunglasses and Taylor said "no glasses during prayers." So he takes his off and starts to kneel and then reaches up to my face and says, "no glasses" and takes my glasses off. It was pretty hilarious, so we need to work on being more specific!

Our kids are great boys and we love them to pieces. Thanks for reading my blog folks...if anyone is actually reading it...=] Word.