The Pumpkin Patch

So far this is the best pumpkin patch we have been to.  It was so much fun and the kids just loved it.

We took a train out to the patch.

They had tons of wheel barrows which was so handy.  

Riley spent a LOT of time looking for "the perfectest pumpkin!"  It had to be round on all sides with no spots.

The boys loved the hay maze!  They went through it 3 times.

This is Jeremy when he got through the first time.  He was so proud!
They even had pony rides.  I will say that the pony rides were way over priced.  Fortunately Riley was the only one who wanted to do it.

Then we rolled our wheel barrow onto a boat that took us back.  The lake had 2 dragons that came out of the water when we went by.  Then when we were almost there a shark popped out of the water and blew water on us.  The boys liked that part the best.  Well with the exception of Tyler.  He didn't like getting splashed.

Riley had his face painted with a spider.  Jeremy and Tyler opted not to do it.

Then came the ooooh so fun caterpillar ride.  All the boys just loved it.  I think Jeremy and Tyler liked it the most.



To top it all off they had pigs, a bunny, a pony, a cat, and some goats.  

We had so much fun!  We will definitely be going back next year!  Oh and in case you were wondering, it's called LakeView Farms.

Celebrating Our 8th Anniversary

For starters Lane gets huge brownie points.  He made the babysitting arrangements, completely unsolicited, and it was an over nighter too!

I dropped the kids off at my Dad's house friday afternoon at 12:30.  Then I went back home and waited for Lane to get there.  He brought me these!!!!

Then we went to the Japanese Garden.  It was our first time.  It was absolutely beautiful.  It is such a peaceful place to be too.  I can't wait to go again in the spring.

Then we went to an old favorite, The Rheinlander German Restaurant.  Ever since the Gustav's was opened in Tigard we haven't been back.  Let me tell you, it is worth the trip out to Portland to go there instead.
We were there for the early dinner menu.  It's nice because it's a little less yet is more inclusive.  They brought us the ohhh so delicious swiss cheese fondue, followed by yummy lentil soup, then dinner rolls with the most amazing plum jam I have ever had.  Then for dinner Lane had the Jagerschnitzel and I had Schnitzel Cordon Belu.  What makes this whole experience so great is the atmosphere.  The inside is so unique and they have an accordian player that walks around and plays the whole time.  After we finished eating, the accordian player and several other staff members came up and asked what anniversary we were celebrating.  Then they sang a song about that.  Then told us we had to hold hands and look into each others eyes during the next song.  While they sang some german love song.  It was a little embarrassing but so much fun!!  Then they brought us out a complimentary Apple Strudel.  Everything was fabulous and really it couldn't have been more perfect!
Then we went to a movie called Bright Star which we liked a lot.  The one really crazy thing was that this man sat right next to me.  Lane whispers, just so you know the guy next to you isn't wearing any shoes.  Soon he has one foot up on his seat and is spreading out his toes.  What made it even more weird, when we left we noticed he was wearing high top basket ball shoes AND SOCKS!  Which was so shocking to me because it's not like he just slipped sandals off or even uncomfortable shoes, this guy made himself at home by even taking off his socks.  

It gave us a good laugh that's for sure.
Then we went home and went to bed and got to sleep in until 10:00.  Yep, you read that right.  It was so great!!!  

At 2 Riley and Jeremy talked a lot!  Tyler talks a lot but mostly in his own language and when he does use words he usually drops almost every consonant.  He comes up and and says a bunch of vowel sounds

Riley- iey

Jeremy- erey

peanut butter(he's obsessed with eating it so he says it A LOT)- Bu-er, sometimes P bu-er

sorry- o-ey

But one of my favorite thins he says is 

"anks mom!"

today while he ate his soup, for about half the meal, he kept saying it over and over again.  So I got the camera and then of coarse has to preform by acting silly but he eventually says it.

Perception Is Reality

In order to get the full effect you must first know that Jeremy had two accidents just this afternoon, for which Lane cleaned him up.  One of them occurred right before dinner.  We all were at the dinner table eating and then Jeremy stood up at which point we noticed that Jeremy didn't have underwear or pants on.  

Lane:  Jeremy go upstairs and get a some underwear!

Jeremy:  I want water

Lane:  Go upstairs and get some underwear!

(seeing Jeremy not going to budge and choosing my battle)

Me:  Jeremy I will get you water while you go get underwear.

Jeremy:  I"m too scared.

Me:  Riley will you go upstairs with Jeremy to get underwear?

(Riley agrees and starts heading up but since Jeremy didn't go he came back)

Lane:  Jeremy GO GET YOU'RE UNDERWEAR!  I will get you water.

Jeremy:  WHY DO I ALWAYS HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING!

What would you say Riley built?

Riley and Jeremy had been making a habit of making a fort everyday using everything possible and making a HUGE mess!  Now if we had a toy room, or even just a little more space, I would not care that we had a fort up all the time.  However for anyone who has seen our home, they can understand how a fort can take it over.  So we tried restricting the forts to certain areas for a while and not using everything.  They did not abide so then we said, "NO forts for a while!"

The very next day Riley builds this.  I asked him why he did it and reminded him that they can't build forts for a while.  (Even if it was just a couple of days that we were fort free, I would be happy)  He so mater of fact says,

"It's not a fort!  It's a birthday party for my monkey!!!"  Let me say that the stuffed monkey is about 6 inches tall.  I just smiled and gave up the fight on forts because really I think a kid should get to build forts.  It's great imaginative play.  I just can't wait until we have a bigger house some day so it's not so consuming!  :)  

It's all about the milk

The other day Jeremy asked me if he could have some milk.  I told him he could and he proceeded to get it out of the fridge.

"It's too heavy!  That's because it's the bought one.  When it's new it's always heavy because it has so much milk... And the cows give it!"

He drank his milk and then he said,

"A really long time ago, I had a dream, and it was a REALLY GOOD one!  Someone was milking a cow!"

hmmmm, can you just imagine what a great dream that would be?!

So after I published this post Lane was showing it to the boys.  Then Jeremy informed us that it wasn't a big person milking the cow.  So I asked if it was a girl or boy.  He said it was a boy.  Then Riley says, "I don't dream like that.  I dream in color."

Jeremy:  Me too.  It was in color and the boy was wearing a green shirt and red pants and his face looked like a wheel."   

I'm guessing here, maybe the wheel is because a head is round?!

On Tyler's birthday Jeremy just doted over Tyler.  It was precious.  At the end of the day we were telling him how proud we were of him.

Jeremy:  I played with Tyler so kindly!....I just love myself of doing that!

Happy Birthday Tyler!

I can't believe my little baby is now 2.  Look at him when he was brand new!  Tyler is such a sweet little boy.  He is so happy and so endearing.  He is such a blessing in our life!

Tyler was about 9 months  here.

Here he as at 1 1/2

About 3 weeks ago Tyler became Mr. Mischief.  Every chance he gets he's into something.  I must have been taking a nap when this happened.  Lane was on duty, he had run upstairs quickly to get something and when he came down this is what he saw.  And just look at how much he enjoys it.  He loves getting into mischief and teasing.

Tyler was so excited about his presents.  The thing was how much he seemed to love the card Jeremy made him.  Jeremy was so excited about Tyler's birthday.  As soon as he went down for a nap he wanted to wrap his present and make him a card.  I wrote what he told me to right and he decorated it.  The card read, 

"Happy Birthday Tyler!  I love you and I want to play with you!  Love, Jeremy"

When I read the card to Tyler, while his head is cocked and he has the sweetest expression he says,  "oooohhhhhh!"

The other cute part was that when it was time to go home, he didn't realize that he got to keep the toys.  He kept putting them down and saying Goodbye to them.  Once we got him in his car seat and gave him his fire truck his face just lit up!

Happy Birthday Tyler!!

We love you so much!!

So tonight as we were pulling in our driveway Lane asked if he needed to pull in backwards.  I said yes.  It's nice because then the kids aren't climbing over the seat to get to their seat.  Then I mentioned that I had noticed that our neighbor just started doing the same thing.  

Then Jeremy exclaims while looking out the window at their car,

 "How improbable!!"

I have never heard him say that word.  It was so funny!

Have you ever seen a heart shaped tomato?  Well now you have.  We just picked it from our garden.

Fall soccer just started up.  Today was the jamboree and Riley loved it!

GOAL!!  It's Riley's first this season!

Stories

It has been too long since my last post.  I have been wanting to post but I've been terrible at taking pictures lately.  I kept thinking I'll wait until get some good pictures then I'll post these great stories.  I've decided to I better post the pictures later before I forget these stories.

About Jeremy:

When Jeremy prays he prays strait from his heart and it's the sweetest thing you've ever heard.  Not to mention the fact that he seriously has the sweetest voice, that is when he's happy.  It has the opposite effect when he's whining.  Well a couple of weeks ago Jeremy said the prayer in primary.  After church a someone came up to me and commented how Jeremy did the prayer all by himself and he prayed right from his heart.  It was so sweet.  When we got to the car, Jeremy with a big smile on his face and while nodding said, "I did a spirit prayer!"  (For those who need an explanation he means that he said a prayer that invited the Holy Ghost).

The other day Jeremy came up to me and said, "Mom do you know what my specialist things are?"

me:  "What?"

Jeremy:  "Jesus, Heavenly Father, and angels!!"

I really long time ago I'm sure I posted about how Jeremy has a special blanket.  In the beginning it was a blanket that he confiscated from my mom's house, that had pink satin on one side.  At some point it got lost and he adopted a yellow blanket.  It is fuzzy on on side and satin on the other.  Jeremy loves satin.  And when I say loves, I mean loves.  It is not unusual that if someone is sad, or if Jeremy is just in an especially loving mood he shares his special blanket with you.  Well this evening was especially cute.

Jeremy:  (puts his blanket on my shoulders) here mom you can use my yellow blanket.  (he steps back looking so pleased).

me:  Oh thank you Jeremy I love you're yellow blanket!

Jeremy:  You can sleep with it tonight!

me:  Oh I do?  Thank you!

Jeremy:  (looking even more pleased)  You get to sleep with it for two nights!!

me:  Two nights?!  Thank you!

Jeremy:  You get to sleep with my blanket for two nights.  It has super good dreams in it.  Something at night has been telling me to do that?

me:  What do you think that is?

Jeremy:  I think it's my spirit.  Or maybe it's Jesus' spirit.

me:  Or maybe it's the holy ghost.

Jeremy:  Yeah that!  I was going to say that!  Don't forget you always sleep with the smooth part (meaning satin).  The smooth part has good dreams.  This part has bad dreams(fuzzy side).

About Riley-

Yesterday as we were driving home I over hear a conversation Riley and Jeremy are having.  I start to eaves drop.  This is what I hear.

Riley:  "The best day of you're life will be when you go to heaven and live with heavenly father and Jesus."

About Tyler-

Tyler is into all kinds of mischief these days and he relishes in it.  My new favorite word he says,

"P Bu-er"  In translation- Peanut butter.

4th of July

On the 4th we went over to my Mom's house.  The boys played in the sprinkler and slip and slide which they loved and played with squirt guns.  They had so much fun!

Then we went home and were going to put the kids to bed.  We figured, "oooh we did fireworks last night we should be good."  Not so, Riley remembered that the last two years we went to the Tigard Fireworks show and he was feeling ripped off!  So Lane and the boys went and bought a few fireworks.  Once it was dark all the neighbors were lighting theirs and it really was good.  Not to mention the fact that on all sides you could see the illegal fireworks going up.  So it worked out good.  We didn't have to battle the traffic out of there after all.

3rd of July

On the 3rd we went to my Dad's house.  Just like last year he had the boys wear their safety glasses- a definite COOL factor.

Riley and Jeremy's favorite part was getting to light them and run.  They took that very seriously as you can see below.

Tyler liked watching the fire works but was totally freaked out by the sounds.  We put some ear phones on him and that seemed to help but he preferred to enjoy them from a distance!