All About Sam

My precious little Sam is officially 17 months old!  He has got to be the funniest little creature on the planet.  He has entered toddler-hood full force, complete with tantrums and outrageous requests all day long.  He keeps the entire family laughing with his dance moves in the car.  He LOVES to jam out to 311.  He even throws in a little fist pump, he is so my child.  My favorite is when he closes his eyes while he dances.  That's only when he's really feeling the music.  If the current song playing doesn't please him, he lets me know in a hurry.  The little smirk on his face is usually followed by the biggest crusty you've ever seen.  He is so expressive.

Our mornings consist of dropping Hank off to school, then we quickly going home to refill sippy cups and then take Max to school.  As long as he has his binky, crackers, sippy cup,  tunes, and blanket he is content.

Sam is actually most content with an electronic device of some sort in his hands.  Don't get me wrong, he loves Lucy, but he REALLY loves Lucy when he's holding her phone.

Or her Kindle Fire!  He loves playing with my phone and knows how to turn the music on when the screen is locked.  Just try to take it out of his hands and this is what usually happens...

Either he throws a monumental fit or he chucks my phone to the ground.  Shockingly he broke my screen earlier this week.  I don't know what I expect when I trust a one year old with it.  Why does he look exactly like Randy when he throws a fit?

Sam loves his brothers so much.  He loves playing ball downstairs with the boys and he really loves when they all get in the tub together.  Most kids his age know where their nose, ears, eyes, mouth and hair are when you ask.  Not this kid.  He knows where his boogers and wiener are though.  I'm such a good mom!  Speaking of being a good mom, Sam has developed a bit of a sweet tooth.  He LOVES chocolate, I mean, goes absolutely nuts for it.  After one little square he starts running around in circles.

I tell you, he is a funny little creature.

He looks at me with these big brown eyes and I melt every single time.  All the fits, all the craziness that comes with an active one year old is worth it when he snuggles next to me to read before bed.  He loves his books and requests at least 10 before he falls asleep.  Thankfully this kid takes a great nap in the afternoon and sleeps a solid 12 hours every night.  I need all the energy I have to keep up with him.

Who need toys when you have a swifer?  He is content pushing that thing around the house for hours.  

I felt a sense of urgency to dedicate a post to Sam since we are going to Disneyland tomorrow and leaving him behind.  I know he would be miserable at Disneyland, trapped in a stroller all day but man, I'm going to miss his adorable mug.  I'm comforted to know he will be in great hands with my friends Natalie and Isaac.  He loves them and he loves their dogs so I'm confident he won't miss me a bit.  Natalie is going to have endless material to instagram this weekend!! I just love my sweet little Sammy-boy.  I told him to quit growing up so fast but like his brothers, he didn't listen to me.

Hank is 8!

How can this be?  I officially have an eight year old!  Based on the items he got for his birthday it seems more like I have a teenager.  Basketball shorts, socks, a Ute's sweatshirt, Skull Candy Head phones, an ipod case, and jerseys.  I have to admit I was most excited he asked for a white board.  Sarah and Brett hooked him up with a sweet one.  Such a proud moment for me, my kid wanted school supplies.  We celebrated Hank the entire weekend starting with his friend party on Friday night at the Legacy Center pool.

These boys enjoyed pizza, cupcakes, and more burping than I could ever imagine possible from such small humans.  Total boys!  Look at Hank's face...I'd say he was in his happy place.

The boys sang "Happy Birthday" and quickly scarfed down their cupcakes so they could swim.

His friends gave him basketball cards, pokemon cards, football cards, a soccer ball, and a remote control helicopter.  My mom and dad took Sam for the evening so I didn't have to chase him around the pool all night.  It was a genius idea.  Randy and I really enjoyed sitting around and watching the boys run wild.

They had a blast and didn't stop for the full 2 hours.  I really tried to get a great picture of them swimming but it was a pointless task.  They were having way too much fun to pose for a picture.  Hank has such great friends.  One of his best friends, Dallin, shares his birthday and had his party the same night.  Next year we need to coordinate their parties a little better!

Hank's birthday morning started with presents from Randy, Max, Sam and me.  Hank was up at 5:30, so excited to start his birthday.

The headphones were a total hit!  I love this reaction.  We hurried to get ready because the birthday boy had a basketball in Salt Lake at 9 a.m.  

Sadly this is the best shot I got of Hank playing ball.  Mostly because the game was so intense.  It came right down to the last second.  These boys played their hearts out and came so close to winning their first game.  Man, they wanted to win so bad.  I don't think I've seen a sadder sight than 6 little boys crying after a game.

The grandparents were on hand to give their support and help cheer Hank up.  Poor kid, really couldn't muster a smile.  I was afraid the loss might ruin his birthday.  Nothing a little breakfast at IHOP can't cure.  Grandma Jeri and Scott treated us to a delicious feast and Hank was feeling better in no time.

They gave Hank an enormous water gun, and athletic shorts which he opened before we ate. 

Note to self, don't take Sam to a restaurant ever again! 

I spent the rest of the afternoon preparing for Hank's birthday party with the family.  I decided to go all out this year.  I mean, you only turn 8 once right?  

Hank's birthday always falls around Super Bowl weekend.  Perfect timing for a sports nut to have a birthday!

I didn't capture all the decorating awesomeness but trust me when I say it was all things Super Bowl.

I love this little moment between my mom and Hank. 

Our birthday boy!

Sam and Tuck coordinated their outfits for the occasion.

Hank scored a Ute's shirt from the Ross Fam.

Grandma Jackie and Grandpa Curt gave Hank this Ray Rice jersey just in time for the Super Bowl.  They also gave him a sweet Lebron James jersey.

Always a treat to have these two around.

I'm not sure Hank is really enjoying whatever Brett is doing to his face!

These proud grandparents have been to nearly every basketball game Hank has played this season.  I love watching them get into his games. 

The Royster's lovin' some Hank-man, especially when he wears his Ute's gear.

Hank must have wished for the Raven's to win the Super Bowl.  

His birthday weekend ended perfectly with a win from his favorite team and a thoroughly entertaining Super Bowl.

Hank at 8 years old is extremely smart, passionate, and driven.  He is self motivated and when he has something he wants, he will stop at nothing to make it happen.  He questions everything and thinks very deeply for a kid his age.  I love that quality in him and hope he always has a curious, inquisitive mind.  He is dedicated to doing everything he has to with his diabetes to keep him healthy and strong.  I can't express enough how grateful I am to be dealing with this horrendous disease with a kid like Hank.  He is so responsible and I trust him completely to take care of his diabetes.  He inspires me every single day with his courage and strength.  He cares so deeply for his little brothers and I have no doubt he will protect them for the rest of his life.  Hank is so fun to hang out with.  I love our little one on one shopping trips.  His high pitched giggle is contagious.  Hank is a natural athlete and is fiercely competitive.  This kid loves to win!  I look forward to watching him compete for many years to come.  Hank is also a great student and is doing very well in school.  I just couldn't be more proud of my boy.  Randy and I feel so lucky to have Hank as our son.  I love you Hank, forever!

Moments in Time

Being a mother of 3 young boys, I constantly struggle balancing my life.  Most days I feel like all I do is yell at my kids, clean the house, and do the laundry.  I really want my days to be filled with quality mother son activity.  I'm a stay at home mom for crying out loud.  Shouldn't every day be meaningful and full of bonding time?  It's unrealistic and impossible to believe that every day of motherhood will be bliss, however there are several moments throughout the day when I think, 'in this very moment, everything seems right with the world'.  I had a moment like that yesterday and I had to document it.  After all the snow and horrible inversion, we had sunny, beautiful weather yesterday.  Max need to detach himself from his Skylanders fantasy world and I needed to soak in some rays.  He reluctantly got his snow clothes on and we headed out.  After 20 minutes of shoveling snow and cleaning up the yard I decided to forget my household chores and play!  We made a little sledding hill next to our driveway, threw snow balls, and ate suckers.  Max proclaimed, "This is the life!".  

  

As soon as we could see Hank walking home from the bus stop and epic snow ball fight began. 

We laughed for an hour straight.  I felt more like myself than I have in months.  My kids need to see the spontaneous, fun-loving, free spirit version of me more often.  For that moment in time, I was completely present and engaged with my boys.  It was bliss.  We had so much fun together.  The rest of the day sort of went to hell  but at least I had that moment.  This is a lesson I keep reteaching myself.  Instead of focusing on having a fantastic day, how about focusing on enjoying the fantastic moments that arise every day while they last.  It was a priceless afternoon I will never forget.  Here's to many more of those!

MLK Weekend

I had a goal to make skiing happen over the holiday weekend.  It's never simple or cheap but I was determined.  My mom and dad took Sam for the day so Randy and I could focus on Hank and Max.  

After weeks of nasty smog it was a beautiful sight to see blue skies and sunlight!  It was just what the doctor ordered.  I've got some serious vitamin D deficiencies going on.  After our first trip down the bunny hill it became apparent to me that Max was lacking knowledge of lesson #1 in skiing, how to stop.  Randy and I tried our hardest to teach him the art of the snowplow but failed miserably.  Max was frustrated and scared.  I knew we needed help from the ski professionals.  I could hear Grandpa Karl in my ear saying, "good hell Annie, put him in a class", so that's what we did.  Max needed a little coaxing but really surprised me with his big boy attitude.  It broke my heart leaving him behind.  

Randy, Hank and I made a few runs while Max was in class.  I couldn't stop worrying about little Maxi, all alone in his ski lesson.  I made a detour at the end of every run to check on him.

I made sure to keep my distance so I wouldn't distract Max.  He was doing such a great job.  He learned how to snowplow in the first 10 minutes.  I noticed him wiping tears away at one point.  Talk about a gut wrenching moment for a mom.  Randy assured me he was fine.  It's moments like these that turn boys into men I suppose.  I hate these moments as a mother.

I was so anxious to pick him up at 3:30.  He couldn't stop talking about his adventure.  I asked him if he was crying during his lesson and he said he just missed his family.  He powered through and had a great day and wants to go again!!  I'd say that's success.  His sense of accomplishment made it all worth it.  My little boy is growing up, it's official. 

My other little boy, has one mission when he's on the slopes, jumps!  I can't believe his control, balance, and natural athleticism.  He had a blast.  It is so fun to see.

Not only did my mom and dad watch Sam for us, they had a delicious home cooked meal ready for us after our long ski day.  I can't wait until all 5 of us can go skiing but until then, I'm grateful to have such willing babysitters.

Sam loves Dove.  She is such a mellow sweet dog.



I mean cookies, angry birds, and grandpa, how could it get any better?

I closed out the weekend with our monthly bunco party at Missie's hosted by Jessie.  She really ran with the whole MLK theme.  I haven't laughed that hard since....last time we had bunco!  I love this tradition we've started.  It's so great to see my adorable cousins, aunt and Grandma more often.

I got to take this bad boy home.  Don't be alarmed when you see him hanging in my mud room as you come in my house!

January Happenings

I'll post this beautiful picture first since it was literally the only day in January this year that I could run outside.   We have had the worst inversion I can recall this month.  In fact the air quality is so bad, the kids haven't had a single outside recess day since Christmas break.  Along with the disgusting pollution has come below freezing temperatures every day.  The news reported our air quality to be the worst in the nation.  I'm grateful for treadmills even though I really hate running on them.  I've been able to retain my lightning fast running speeds.  I'm averaging 7:40 per mile for 6 miles!  I seriously contemplated driving to St. George the other day so I could run outside.  It's time for me to find a race in an ocean front location.

Here are some random photos of what's been going on so far this month.

Max has been playing WAY too much Wii these days.  I have to say he's pretty amazing at it though.  I guess that's what happens during the coldest month on record.  He is obsessed with collecting all the Skylanders figures. They are 10 dollars each so it's becoming an expensive habit.  He really wanted to make money so I had him do some jobs around the house for me.  Apparently I wasn't paying him enough because he started looking for employment elsewhere.  Sarah paid him to clean up her playroom and then he asked Grandpa Curt and Grandma Jackie if they had any work for him.  Last Saturday he spent the morning with Grandpa Curt doing odd jobs around the town homes.  After working hard he was rewarded with McDonald's for lunch and 20 bucks!  They had such a great time together and he finally earned 27.00.  Just enough to buy the pack he had been wanting.

He sprinted into the store and luckily found the guys he wanted.  There was only one package left!  He learned the value of hard work and I'm so proud of him.

Hank's been playing in two basketball leagues and is doing awesome.  His ball handling skills are impressive!  He always gives it 100% and is a crowd favorite for sure!

This particular Saturday drew quite a cheering section.  Hank loves his fans.  He has made 2 buzzer beaters from half court in Jr. Jazz this season.  This kid is unbelievable.  

Sammy Boy is teething and has been pretty irritable lately.  Those baby molars have been so rough on him.  He has a nasty rash around his mouth and on his legs to go with it.  His binky's seem to be the only thing to calm him down.  Thankfully he is sleeping really well at nap time and bed time but during the day he wears me out.  It would be awesome to go outside and let him run wild.  How in the world am I ever going to break this binky habit?  It's not going to be pretty and frankly I'm too tired to even entertain the idea.

Newborn binky's forever!!

As much as I'm going to miss him when we go to Disneyland, I know he will be much happier with Grandma Jeri and Scott.  Sorry Sam, next time you'll be old enough!  

Randy is keeping busy helping James coach the sophomore basketball team at Westlake High School.  These two are giddy with excitement on game day.  There is definitely some reliving the glory days going on here.   Hank and Max have a blast watching the games and getting to know the players.  If my boys ever play at this level, I may need to be medicated to get through a game!

Happy Birthday Randy!

Happy 2013 and Happy Birthday Randy!!  Thirty-five looks pretty dang good on my main squeeze, I must say.  I still can't believe that number though, 35, ugh.  That means I've been with Randy for 17 birthdays!  Wait, that can't be right, but I'm pretty sure it is.  Man, we are getting old.  

I suggested Randy take a quick jaunt to Sundance and enjoy a few hours of skiing by himself.  He agreed it sounded fun but in true Randy fashion, he opted to take Hank and Max with him instead. Not exactly a relaxing trip, but they had fun.

I hope these boys realize what an incredible father they have.  He is always thinking of them in everything he does.  They love to be near him always and I can't say I blame them. 

Max had a skiing breakthrough that day.  He fell down about a hundred times but managed to get up and keep trying.  He never gave up and I'm so proud of him.  The fact that he can't wait to go skiing again means success in my book!  I'll just make sure I come along to help out.

I had grand plans for our New Year's Eve/birthday partying but it's a challenge to find babysitters on such a busy night.  We ended up with a more low key approach this year and it turned out great.  My sweet friend Natalie offered to watch the boys while we went out to dinner.  We went to our favorite sushi place, Tsunami, and had a relaxing, delicious dinner.  When we got home the boys were ready to party!

Hank got a little carried away with the sparkling cider.  We had to cut him off after two glasses!  Natalie and Isaac stayed to ring in the new year.  We played Wacky Six up until the clock struck 12.

Max stayed awake until 11:50 but just couldn't hang on until midnight.  It's a little over rated any how.  Around 1:30 a.m. Sam started screaming and wouldn't stop screaming the rest of the night.  I still have no idea what the problem was.  It seemed like he was having a night terror or something.  Needless to say, I got just over an hour of sleep for the night.  Our first day of 2013 was spent trying to recover.

I had to rally because it was time for Randy's birthday party with our families.

How could I deny this 35 year old a proper birthday party?

The Wank's were well represented.

Everyone loves Randy!  Our family couldn't function like it does without him.

I know I wouldn't survive without him.  I just adore this man in every way.  He makes me want to be a better person.  I really don't know a more unselfish person.  He puts the needs of me and the kids above his every single time.  His fun loving personality always makes our home a happy, exciting place.  I'm so lucky.  I love you Randy!  It's going to be a great year!