Best Babysitters

A couple in our ward lives across our parkng lot and willingly watches our boys so we can go on Volleyball dates to the church. Brycen happens to adore them and literally asks us morning and night if Daddy and I can go to a "meeting" so he can go to their house. We feel SO blessed to have such awesome neighbors!

These are adorable pictures I found in my email this morning that she took this past Saturday: Thank You!

Unique. Always.

All my life, I have had my name misspelled. Something that I will always notice, but it stopped bothering me a long time ago. I probably have and will continue to misspell my friends' names and so it's nothing I will ever hold against someone. We all have busy lives and sometimes, at least for me, I have never seen some of the people I know, names' on paper. They are friends I either play volleyball with or see at aerobics, etc. 

And with a name that can be spelled so many ways, it has really became expected. Even from relatives.

A few times it can be rather awkward when I meet people that insist that my name must be short for something. Christine, Christina, Christiana. "What's your whole name?" Christi. "No, I mean what is it short for?" Christi. I have come to love it. Rather unique in it's own way. Except the gym teacher I had in the 8th grade, who was sloppy in his writing and forgot the i on the end of my name. He knew my name but the sub did not. "Christ?" He was slightly surprised to see I was female, to say the least. And then there was a time in Elementary school that I had practiced writing my name so many times, Christmas became Christimas for a year, maybe two until I finally grew out of it, by literally using my left hand to stop my right hand from writing after the t and forcing myself to go right to the m. Serious training was involved, and I still have to watch myself or in the rush of things, I will slide right back into the habit.

So, what's the big deal? Well, my husband told me this week, after having seen my name misspelled at least twice in the last month, that he was tired of people misspelling my name.
 
What? Someone cares other than me? So sweet. Must be love. :) Sometimes it's amazing what little things can mean the most.

Maybe that's why I gave our sons unique spellings. So one day, they will know who their true love, really is. Haha! Or maybe I'm just crazy...

Week of Love

I love Valentine's Day. Haven't always, really just since married life began. Yes, we hug, kiss, and say, "I love you" every day. And shoot to try to have a date once a week. But a date on a Tuesday? We had TWO dates this week. :) A day to make things extra,extra wonderful.

And we have managed to turn it into a Valentine's Week. We finally finished using the last of our sugar cookie dough today and decorating heart shaped cookies with Brycen. He has loved them...all week.

A few highlights of our week:
For Valentine's Eve: While making dinner, I made sure to put extra sunflower seeds on Bryce's salad. Kind of a inside joke but it made him smile.

For FHE, Daddy and Brycen destroyed the kitchen by making cut-out sugar cookies together. Quite the adventure and mess. After Brycen was in bed and I was cleaning the kitchen and Daddy was doing homework, I decorated two sugar cookies with messages specifically for Bryce--one that he would see when he woke up in the morning and one for his lunch.

Valentine's morning: I came down to a candle illuminating a corner of the dresser that sat a box of homemade, hand-dipped chocolates bought from the youth of our ward as a fundraiser (a wonderful idea if you ask me--they were delicious!), and a beautiful necklace that matches a ring Bryce wears and acquired while on his mission to Ireland (the Claddagh). AND the snow scrapped off from the van so that I could make it to my beloved aerobics with the boys. Did I mention we are now a mini-van family? I never wanted to be one but you really can't beat the space and POWER LOCKS! (extra bonus being, of course: the power sliding doors, and the heated leather seats) for the price we paid. And now, I love it.

During the day, Brycen and I cut out some paper hearts and listed reasons and included treats for why we love Daddy, that Daddy would find and read when he came home.
When he came home, we ordered a heart shape pizza from Papa Murphy's that was delicious, easy, and fun. Look at that grease--extra delicious. haha. ;) I also got to play an hour of my beloved volleyball--a surprising and unexpected treat.
And then after the boys were in bed, Bryce and I dipped strawberries in chocolate--one of my absolute favorite, delicious traditions and spent time together.

2-3 days after Valentine's: An HDMI cord came in the mail that connects my tablet (my dead
computer replacement) to the TV, that Bryce said was a belated V-Day gift. The cord inspired me to sign up for the one month free trial of Netflix and we might already be hooked...episodes like SuperWhy! that distract Brycen and have him singing the ABCs while I cook definitely helps keep a happy house.

We bought a couple discounted candies at Wal-mart one evening and I woke up to conversation hearts on my pillow the next morning followed by couples volleyball that night.

A week of Love in the dead of winter? JUST what I needed.

My Boys

Our happy boy is very easily startled/scared. And when that happens, we see this bottom guy appear:

Winter Days

Superbowl Sunday

 About as excited about football as Daddy is.

 Pure LOVE for bathtime. 

 EASY, HAPPY Baby. (That's a sock on his hand, not his foot)

 I was telling Bryce last night, "If Cian remains perfect, it's sure going to make it hard having more kids if they aren't". 

Cian has been a pure joy. Loves to eat, sleep, and ride in his car seat. And is so happy in between. Make eye contact with him and smile and he will do the rest. 

Carnival Fun at a local Elementary School. 

 The face painting lady was slightly scary but the boat she painted, made up for it.

With all his goodies. 

When its 15 degrees outside but feels like 1, I'm so grateful for a home and other warm places where we can play and dream of Spring.

Brothers

They STILL like eachother. I definitely planned on a harder transition. I'm sure the day will come but until then....we'll enjoy this: