Lots of New Things at our House

This is what it looks like in front of my house right now! Joseph and I planted these tulips in September and we had so much fun watching them bloom. I didn't realize the the azaleas would bloom the same time. So colorful! Here's a taste of what our family room make-over is starting to look like. Here's our new furniture and tv and you can see the new paint on the wall and new rug on the floor. Now I get to have fun filling the shelves. I think I'll put some photos, planters/vases, and wicker baskets on them. Then I plan to get a matching ledge shelf to go over the tv. What do you think?We enjoyed a visit from my cousin Terri and her family. We rode the new Water Taxi across the bay where we rode the carousel and ate ice cream. Yum.Here's what our spring walks around the block look like now. It seems like just yesterday our walks looked like this. It's kind of freaking me out that they're getting so big. Joseph is apprehensive about taking off his training wheels, but I think I've got him convinced to try it out after he turns six next month. Justin rides this three-wheeled scooter like a pro.Joseph drives me crazy with his incessant need to make projects and create "formulas." Just about everyday on the ride home from school he tells me he's got the best idea ever. I think it's inspired by one of our favorite shows, Phineas and Ferb, who make an elaborate creation everyday. He's made tvs and laptops out of cardboard, bluetooth headsets out of paper, and lately he makes things for me to use around the house. This afternoon he made me some wood floor cleaner. This picture is Joseph creating some sort of gel to use in my hair. His ingredients include hand soap, toothpaste and lotion.And this is his can of paint. I love that he's being creative and inventive but it's getting tricky that he wants to save all his projects and keep them in permanent places of honor. When I slowly throw them away, he always realizes it and lectures me about it.And I finally got Justin to the dentist for the first time. He's been begging since he watched Joseph go. I thought maybe he'd back down when we got there, but he just jumped in the chair and let them do the whole cleaning routine! He was so proud of his new toothbrush and play dough he picked out of the prize basket. My baby is turning into a big boy right before my eyes whether I like it or not.

Spring Break to Easter

Here's my little Easter Bunny.Joseph's Spring Break from school was the week before Easter and we decided to use it just play play playing. We went to a great little egg hunt at the community center and bounced at a bouncy house place. Joseph took his new kite out for a spin.We had a blast at the Pacific Science Center.And we visited the Museum of Flight.We got to meet up with some old friends that we never get to see.And of course, we dyed Easter Eggs.Whew! What a great week. But of course, this means I'm exhausted and no walls got painted again and no housework got done either. I'm paying for that this week. But it was worth the fun!

I thought it was so relaxing (We loved having Darren all to ourselves all weekend!) and so spiritual to have Easter on General Conference weekend. I was truly inspired with a resolve to do better by the messages of our Prophet and Apostles. I know they are men of God called to direct us this day. Because of conference, all weekend my thoughts were turned to Christ and all He has done for me. I'm so grateful for the knowledge that He lives and continues to help and strengthen me each day as long as I come unto Him.

The tooth fairy has found our house

See the missing spot in his mouth? Joseph has had his first wiggly tooth for weeks and last Monday while I was making dinner, he just came right over and held it up with a "Mom, look!" I was so glad he wasn't freaked out about the whole thing. He was actually quite proud of himself for yanking it out. And I might have been more excited about the tooth fairy coming than he was. What a fun job that is!It just so happened that Joseph had a dentist appointment the next day so he got to show off his missing tooth to the dentist as well. And she pointed out that the tooth next to it was also pretty wiggly. Well Joseph got right to work on that and on Sunday, he could practically twist it in a circle. I couldn't figure out why he wouldn't just yank it out. But the next day when I picked him up at school, he was proudly holding up a plastic tooth strung on a necklace. I had forgotten that he had told me before that when you lose a tooth at school, the nurse gives you a tooth holder necklace to keep it in. So Joseph was waiting to yank it until he was at school so he could get the necklace. Isn't that funny? Here he is holding up his necklace and his loot for his second tooth.So it's been a whole lot of tooth excitement around here lately. Justin has got some real bad big brother jealousy going on. He constantly shows me his loose teeth and keeps asking if he can go back to the dentist. And he has insisted I take pictures of his mouth just like I've been taking of Joseph. Too cute.

My excuses for not posting...

Here's what I've been spending my every free moment on for the last little while.
I've never painted before and I've been surprised at what a HUGE job it is! I think the fact that I'm doing it around two little boys probably makes it seem more huge than it should be. Although I loved the yellow walls when we moved in (yellow is my favorite color), now it's time for a change and to make it mine! Ever since we bought the house last July, that color yellow has been screaming at me. The three bedrooms are each a crazy color too (bright coral, dark purple and turquoise), so I've really wanted to neutralize and tone the whole place down a bit. I'll post the finished pictures if--I mean when--I get finished.

So after a week of hard work on the walls it was time for a getaway. We had to leave Darren at home, but the boys and I drove down to Eugene for a visit with Grandma and Grandpa Jolley.

We even saw some Mangums down there. My Uncle Tom and Aunt Kaye are Mission Presidents there in Eugene and we had a great little visit. They played with my boys and fed us a delicious lunch and it was so great to catch up with them. They are doing great work!

My sister-in-law, Emily, was also in town from Vegas for a friend's wedding with her two little cuties so we took advantage of the opportunity to see them.
See? I told you they were cute. I admit, this little girl was my main motivation to make the drive and she was worth it.

So then my brother-in-law, Marc, made it a bigger family reunion by coming down from Portland on Saturday with his family. Woo hoo! Joseph refuses to go to Oregon without seeing Kellen! We had the obligatory jump on the Mitchell's trampoline.And we ate at Papa's Pizza where my boys thoroughly enjoyed the ball pit.
Here's the whole boy crew together:And Grandma and Grandpa too!What a great little trip. We love you all!

Now it's back to my walls. Wish me luck.

Tidbits

Here's what's been going down so far in 2010:

Darren...
just took the last of the four CPA exams today. Here's hoping he passed and he's done forever! It could be a couple of months before we find out. He saved the longest and hardest test for last, but I'm willing to bet he did well. Anyway, that means he spent this last week at home studying for the test and that's been great. It is fabulous to see him at breakfast, lunch and dinner. He continues to be busy as all get out between work and church and family, but he does an amazing job at meeting all his obligations and making me and the boys feel loved and important. We are feeling the blessings from his calling even 4 months into it.

Jill...
just had a blast from the past at a very fun 80s party with some girlfriends from the ward. You like our outfits and hairdos? I am so grateful to have such wonderful women to share my life with here in Seattle! I am also recommitting to working on building up our food storage with a new support group a friend in the ward is starting up. I'm excited about that. And I'm thoroughly enjoying the mommy book club I belong to. It's been going strong for 15 months now and I feel like I have certainly expanded my horizons with the books we've read and discussed together. But of course, most of my time is spent on these cute boys I want to tell you about.

Joseph...
is an amazing bumper bowler! We've been twice over the last month and he's won both times with a 93 and a 111, beating both me and Darren. He loves words and they're always distracting him. Right now he's very interested in nutrition facts and ingredient labels on foods. But I end up having to remind him to eat at mealtimes, because he's just reading everything in sight. He won't eat anything that he feels is too high in sugar content and claims that if he eats too much sugar, it gives him a headache.

After Christmas, I arranged with Joseph's school to have him eat lunch and have recess with his classmates so I pick him up at 12:40 instead of 12:00. It's been working great. He's getting that extra time to eat and socialize with his buddies and run his wiggles out before I pick him up. He just loves school and I couldn't be happier about that. We're halfway through Kindergarten now and it has been an extremely positive experience.

Justin...
always brightens my day. I mean, look at that face! He has many obsessions right now, including Fireman Sam, Thomas the Tank Engine and playing hide and seek. He comes to me and tells me he's going to hide in Joseph's closet and then tells me to count. It works out great, since he likes hiding the best, I usually get a lot done while I'm counting. :)

He demands my attention when Joseph is at school or otherwise occupied. When Joseph is home, they are (usually) great playmates. When I finish a phone conversation, he says, "You done on the phone mommy? Great!" When I'm trying to read a book, he comes over and shuts it and says, "The end, mommy." Lately when I'm talking to someone and he gets tired of waiting, he's started saying so politely, "Mommy, stop talking." The other thing I always here him say is, "One minute, mommy, I be right back." This one he's learned from me. And unfortunately, it looks as though I've also taught him that one minute doesn't always mean one minute and that I often don't come right back. Serves me right.

Family Pictures

Check out these great pictures we had taken while we were in Utah! My mom was nice enough to let us sneak in a family photo during the shoot. Do you like the one in color or black and white better?
This is my favorite picture of them all. Everyone looks so cute and happy.Here's the whole fam. We're good looking, huh?

Christmas 2009 & New Year 2010

Wow. It's really over? We had such a great time this holiday season, it just flew by way too fast! We spent a week over Christmas in Utah with my family. It has been over a year since I've been to Utah and it was so wonderful to be there! The boys were enthralled by the snow. Daddy helped them make a snowman.
Joseph and Justin performed with their cousins in the Anderson family Christmas program. It was so great to catch up with so much extended family who I haven't seen in years.
The kiddos at Pirate Island Pizza.
Here they all are on Christmas Eve sampling Santa's cookies and milk before bed. We had a giant sleepover at my mom's house on Christmas Eve with all of my siblings and their families. It made Christmas morning so very fun!
Santa made it and we all got to enjoying our new gifts. Here's Joseph enjoying his gifts from Grandma Jolley: a new solar system book and a Snuggie like Daddy's. Guess what else is like Daddy?
Justin had a Thomas the Tank Engine Christmas!
I loved getting to know my niece Elle, who was a newborn last time I saw her. Now she's walking! Look at that gorgeous face.
Happy Birthday to my sis Jordan! Poor thing was born the day after Christmas and we made sure to go out and celebrate.
Here's the whole gang.Snuggles with Grandma and Grandpa! We love you so much!
And congrats to my bro Taylor who just got engaged. His fiance, Melissa, is wonderful. Now I get to go back to Utah in June! Hooray!
We made it home to spend the week before the New Year just chilling together as a fam and playing with friends. Here's our last meal of 2009. This year has been a big one full of love, blessings, new challenges and growth. Thanks to all our friends and family who made our year and our Christmas so very special.