between then & now {part two}

Monday {21st} was Kelsey's actual birthday.  Happy day to you sweet sister!  Glad you are married to my one & only blood brother & am amazed at your talents and your patience in mommying.  I appreciate the way you love my kids & are always willing to take them at a moment's notice if I need help.  Love you!  We spent the day working from home & trying to keep kiddos occupied.  Aunt Taylor & Uncle Talon were in Rexburg, so I realized how grateful I am for the Monday's when she's home & can have the kids.  They are great, they just don't love when I have to finish work.  So I took lots of play breaks throughout the day & it turned out just fine. (:

It was also Miss Ella's birthday today.  We headed over to help celebrate about 6:30.  Her party was sweet & she is about the most gentle 2 year old you'll ever meet.  She is just a sweet spirited girl & so kind to my boys.  Because I was partly raised in the Huls' family, it's always fun to go to family functions and see Amber's parents {even though I try to visit them at least monthly anyway}, grandparents, siblings, and inlaws.  They are a great group of people and Zac and my kids love them too, which is wonderful.  Brandon & Sam especially took to Beckham & vice versa.  Bex also loved Mickey because he fed him the entire night.  (:  I was really proud of Grayson.  He wanted to open presents so badly you could just see it in his entire body, but he sat beside Ella and kept his hands to himself unless asked to assist.  He was so excited for her about everything and they are just such sweet little friends.  They play really well together and had a great time eating cupcakes after gifts, too.  We love this little girl & her whole family..

 

{I'm sure we'll have to stop this ritual at some point!}

{this is probably my fave picture from the evening because it captures them how they are for real.  Grayson is often trying to make Ella laugh and Ella will giggle so hard & just encourages him.}

{we're raising sensitive young men}

{one of the cutest foursome's I know}

Tuesday {22nd} was a busy at home day.  Grayson needed a job so I asked him to please organize the letters on the fridge.  A while later I came out and this was how it looked.  I think it's safe to say he developed a little of his mom & dad's OCD tendencies.  He was proud & so was I! (:  We did escape to my parents so I could exercise for a bit and the boys played.  I got to talk to Candace for a good hour or so and as always, it was just wonderful.  We always express how much we wish we lived closer, but I'm grateful we communicate on such a consistent basis anyway.  We all ended up back at Pete's that evening to have dinner with the whole fam {minus T&T who were in Rexburg} and to watch Biggest Loser.

Wednesday {23rd} Grayson got to hang out with Grami all day while Bex and I went to Boise.  He had an ear appointment with Dr. Beck and that went well.  She gave us some powerful nose spray to use on him that will hopefully help with the nasal junk too.  She is a doll & we love her.  She said she hopes his right tube sticks in there for another winter because he'll need it, and I am praying it stays put too!
We left the doctor-where he totally won everyone over-and headed to run errands.  He is such a great car baby-never makes a peep-and with the new recommendations on keeping kids in rear facing seats till age 2, I'm glad we hadn't put him over to the new big boy carseat quite yet.  I think we'll keep him facing backward as long as he's happy-which for now, he is.  It's a pain because it takes up more room, but oh well. (:  He got to sit in the cart like a big boy at Costco & then Winco, and was just a joyful little companion.  He makes friends everywhere because he flirts like crazy & is just so sweet.  I got lots of groceries & we ran home to unload before going to get Gray.  When I walked in, he was playing Battleship with Grami at the kitchen counter-quite seriously, too.  Totally cute.  He had a GREAT day with Grami all to himself and she enjoyed having him.  He thrives with one on one time, that's for sure.  We headed home and jumped on the trampoline for a while which made Beckham laugh harder than he ever has and Grayson and I were rolling over laughing at him.

That night T&T came over around 10:00 and chilled on our bed with me and Z talking for a while.  Then the boys played a rousing game or two on the xbox while Taylor and I surfed the web for cute play kitchens & etsy shops. 

Thursday {24th} Taylor watched the boys.  We've all missed her and are glad she's back home.  Talon was home too since it was spring break and the boys adore him, so it was a great day for them.  I got TONS of work done which was so nice, and am still loving what I'm doing, so can't complain there.  Grabbed the boys and Taylor had gone to a hair appt., so Talon was in the kitchen feeding Bex baby food & just looked like a natural daddy. (:  He is a good one.  Grayson proudly showed me the new "trees" he'd planted and talked the whole way home about his great time there.  We hung out for a while and then Zac watched the boys {bex slept the whole time} while I ran with Julie to Ontario for a couple things.  It was nice to visit with her there & back, and get a few errands done too.  I feel like we only talk on Sunday's now, and miss hanging out as often, so I'm trying to be more persistent throughout the week about making things happen because I don't think the "busy-ness" is going away anytime soon!  Got home around 6 & made dinner.  The boys were BOTH asleep by 9:00 which is almost unheard of around here lately, so I relaxed and read while Zac played xbox beside me.  A great winding down night.

Friday {25th} was a good day.  Zac and I both worked from home & got lots done, along with lots of cuddle time with both boys.  Love that.  Around 5 T&T came to pick up Beckham and took him to a Talon's niece's baptism with them.  They really like having him around, apparently. (: Me and Grayson headed over to Amber's house.  Todd was heading to our house at the same time.  It was time for our every-few-months sleepover.  The guys were staying at our house and me, Amber & the kiddos were at the Fischer pad.  We had a great time.  The kids play great together, we laughed & talked, ate dinner, and finally got all the kids in bed.  We watched 4 or 5 episodes of Glee to help Amber get caught up and just enjoyed the downtime together & loving on Wren.  The guys ended up talking till about 11 & then playing till 1.  For the first time, Amber & I were up later-till 2-which was crazy seeing how we had the kids & had to wake up with them!  It was fun as always, and I'm so glad we are keeping up this quarterly tradition & hope it doesn't stop for a long time.  {Astonishingly I didn't take one picture!}

Saturday {26th} We headed home late morning after we all woke up & played a bit more and took it easy most the day.  We all even got a nap which felt great.  Later in the afternoon we headed to Cleaver's to celebrate one of my favorite boys-Zachary's-birthday.  I can't believe he turned 9!  He is a lover of a boy and we just adore him.  All of the Cook kids are great with my boys and Grayson had a great time building forts, playing games, and being loved on by the bigger kids.  Beckham is just happy any time he can find a broom handle or anything like that.  He'll literally play with any kind of stick for hours.   And he's always happy when he has food. (:

Sunday {27th} 

 {Gray is often found with this "instruction" hat on.  Both boys before leaving for church}

 Church went great.  I love teaching sharing time & although our primary was TINY today-don't know where all our kids were-it went great.  I was sad my month was over.  And, in Sacrament meeting, one of the speakers couldn't make it and the bishop called me up as one of the impromptu speakers.  It was fine & I basically bore my testimony and let the primary kids know how much I loved them, but afterward we were missing on of our talks in primary and one of our 10 year old girls-who is often kind of shy-said, "Sister Cleaver gave a talk with no notice & did a good job, so I can do it today for you too."  What a doll huh?  I love that Ivey girl.  Had a delicious cafe rio style lunch at Pete's place and came home for a nap.  Zac and Bex napped while Gray and I cuddled up on the couch and watched "Ramona and Beezus."  It was pretty cute and we both laughed a bit.  After naps were over, Lance, Kelsey and Jaeger came over and we enjoyed having them and watching the three boys rock out dancing together.  They are pretty cute!