A Brief Glimpse Into Life With Two Toddlers

 

These Boys Have Mad Skills!!!

 

The past two weeks have been quite adventurous here in our household.  We have been given many opportunities to get away and "mix up" our daily living.  We started it off with a trip up to Wolf Creek with Raina (my sister-in-law) and her two girls.  It was SOOO nice to spend time with them and have somebody to talk to after the boys were in bed!

Playing in the stream behind the condo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Children have the coolest way of finding entertainment in just about anything.  The kids spent a good amount of time "looking for bugs" in the water.  They would reach in with their buckets and see what specimen they could pull out.  Talk about good times!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Logan loves being a full time walker; he still trips and stumbles quite a bit, but most of the time he gets right back up determined to get it right.

 

 

 

We spent one morning at Pineview Reservoir...who knew the entertainment value of dirt and water!

Raina, London (in back) and Scarlett

Scarlett

The boys and I also had the opportunity to go to the Extended Asay Family Reunion up at Cub River Ranch near Preston, ID.  I was able to go up Mon-Thurs (before having to come home for a doctor's appt) and Garrett stayed with Nanna and Poppa through Saturday. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One day of the reunion was spent at Glendale Reservoir, playing in the water, riding wave runners and tubing. 

 

 Jon and Lisa (my sister) and their daughter Tristan

The boys and I were pulled behind the wave runner inside of the tube...Logan wasn't sure what to think of it as first, but they both absolutely loved the tube!  Logan cried everytime we took him out of it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This picture has got to be one of my favorites!  It was late afternoon and Garrett (who still takes a nap everyday) fell asleep while being pulled in the tube.  It just cracks me up, to see Logan smiling away and Garrett totally asleep!

We had a good time

 Random Photos

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chalk art and painting while at a city festival

 

 

I was trying to take a picture of something else, but Logan wanted to be seen...so here he is up close and personal

We don't get many pictures of Garrett with a "real" smile...so I have to post them when it actually occurs to prove to people that he really is a cute kid despite his cheesy smiles!

Logan has cute smiles too!

Experiencing Sparklers

It has taken me quite some time to accumulate ALL of the articles of clothing that go into "Sunday Best".  I have finally done it and took pictures to document the boys the first time they wore their new outfits to church.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm pretty partial, I know...but those are some cute kids!  I thought they looked pretty freaking adorable.

We've been doing SOOO well.  I can't believe we get Stan back on Wed, Aug 1 and then 8 days later (at the latest) we have another baby!  Things are about to get crazy...as if they weren't already.

July 7, 2007

Jeff is back in Iraq , so before he left the Asay family took a trip up to "the farm" to spend a day playing with Jeff on Tori.  We spent the majority of the day on the 4 wheelers, but we all know it wouldn't be a proper gathering without eating good food.

Tim, Tink, and Garrett

Pops and Garrett

Mom and the Boys on the Rhino

Tim, Jayke, Mom and Garrett

Tori, Jayke and Garrett

At the top of a mountain...there's always a tractor

100 degrees outside and there is still snow on the mountain

I made Logan laugh...and he spewed chewed up cookie out in the process

Pops and Grams

50 some odd years of marriage and they can still make people blush!!!

Garrett "riding" the horse

Family Photo at the end of a LONG and FUN day of playing

The sunset on the way out

Garrett absolutely fell in love with Uncle Jeff and Aunt Tori and 4-wheeling!  We always have so much fun when Jeff is around.  We will miss you Jeff, come home soon!!!  Thanks for all the fun times while you were here!

A Lot of Happiness!!!

Logan's Birthday Celebration

and

Fourth of July

We made a day of celebrating out of the Fourth of July and decided to finally have a little bash for Logan (we had one scheduled on his birthday, but we were still in the hospital with Garrett so we had to cancel).  We reserved a pavilion at the park, ate food, sang to Logan and opened presents.  It was nothing glamorous, be we enjoyed hanging out and having everyone's company.

Logan's Puppy Dog Cake

And The Decorator Himself

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Driving to the park (eyes were kept on the road at all times while taking these pictures)

 

 

 

 

 

The birthday boy enjoying lunch

 

 

 

 

 

The park has this little splash pad that the city runs all day...it was fun for the kids to play in...Logan doesn't quite love it yet, but he'll soon learn (we hope).

 

 

 

 

 

Garrett is trying so hard to produce a good smile...maybe one day he'll get it down!

 

 

 

 

 

The Main Event...CAKE TIME!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 The Final Product

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now on to the Fourth of July Celebrations

The boys watching smoke bombs and snakes with Poppa

We went to a local park in the eveneing where we watched fireworks.  There was also a little carnival, live bands and lots of food.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Logan Getting Ready for the Fireworks

 

Pops and Grams (with poppa in the background)

Garrett and Nanna

The boys were so cute watching the fireworks...they both kicked backed and relaxed...at least for a few minutes to enjoy the spectacle.  Logan really enjoyed using my 8 month pregnant belly as a perfect prop for his head!

It has been really neat to be near family for this time period.  Little did we realize how much we miss out on while we are away!  We love any opportunity to get together and are really trying to take advantage of the opportunities while we are here for the next year.  Stan has 3 more weeks to go and then he will rejoin the family for a month!  We are excited to see him come August and are curious about our new brother coming along next month also.

A WHOLE LOT OF RANDOMNESS

Stan's been gone for 1 month now and the boys and I are finding whatever we can to keep us entertained.  We didn't realize how cool and fun Stan was until we have been left on our own to come up with our own adventures each day.  With a 2 almost 3 year old and a 1 year old I'm beginning to think that each day in and of itself is an adventure!

WATER FUN

The boys have reintroduced me to the joy of water.  Any water...here they are in the little stream my dad built in front of my parent's house.  It isn't much, but the boys can play in it for hours!

CITY FAIRS

All sorts of fun is found around the city if you search around long enough.  We went to the health fair...they had helicopters, motorcylces, police cars, fire trucks (anything that makes noise they had and these are the things my boys just happen to LOVE) and even a rock climbing wall that Garrett tried to master!  Best of all it was FREE...my kind of entertainment!

THE NOT SO FUN

Garrett was admitted into Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake where we had to spend 5 LONG days and 4 EVEN LONGER nights.  He had a bacterial infection that affected the soft tissue of his neck (a retropharyngeal phlegmon for all you doctors and wannabe doctors that we keep in touch with), making it so he couldn't move his head.  He was discharged only requiring antibiotics and we are pretty certain that we have it under control and caught it before it needed surgery.

Logan did have a birthday in all of this, but it was while we were in the hospital so we have yet to "officially" celebrate...but when we do, we'll be sure to take lots of pictures.  Unfortunately our camera has been in the repair shop so we haven't been able to capture all the fun that we have had lately, but we are up and running again so beware!

Logan

(my not so little baby boy)

Here are a couple of quick videos of Logan.  He is growing so quickly!!!  He throws really good fits, is becoming quite the walker and thinks he is pretty funny. 

Here he is thinking he is a pretty funny fellow, I have to agree with him here though

 

...and showing off his walking skills

 

That's all for now...just wanted to give you a glimpse of our life with a one year old!

A whole lot of change has been going on around here...as alluded to in the previous post, we moved to Utah and should be here for about a year...talk about a crazy change.  Moving when it was just Stan and me was a breeze, I never realized how difficult it was on kids though!  Garrett and Logan have taken it a little rough initially, but I think we are starting to settle down.  It's taken awhile to adjust...it probably didn't help that I took off to Northern California  just 10 days after being here, nor does it help that Stan has taken off for two months to participate in some away rotations for school.

May 10 - 13

Jelly Belly Factory
Fairfield, CA

 

 

 

 

 

 

My family lived in Northern California for 12 years...I still claim it as my hometown and where I grew up.  Anytime we visit we always make a stop at the Jelly Belly Factory and take a tour of the factory.  It is a fun little trip and you are allowed the opportunity to sample many flavors.  After being in the car all night it was also a welcome opportunity to walk!

Oakland Temple

The main reason for our trip to CA was to show support for our good friends who were married.  The were sealed in the Oakland Temple...unfortunately I didn't get any pictures (good friend, I know), but I managed to get this one of the boys in front of one of the many fountains.

Six Flags Discovery Kingdom
Vallejo, CA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Garrett petting a donkey and a snake.  We went with my parents and younger siblings to California and they definitely pulled through helping with the boys.

Front Row (non splash zone) at the whale show

Ashley, Logan and Daffy Duck

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Garrett chillin' on the elephant...too cool for a smile, but we got a wave out of him

Garrett's favorite ride...he's going to be quite our dare devil 

 

Thomas the Train
May 26, 2007

Garrett is quite the train enthusiast and he loves Thomas.  Grandma and Grandpa took the grandkids up to see Thomas while he was visiting the Heber Creeper up through Provo Canyon.  Garrett loved it and was thrilled for the adventures of the day.

 

Garrett's first glimpse of Thomas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Garrett and his cousin Aidan and Lee, Raina and Scarlett

Logan riding with Grandma

Meeting Sir Topham Hat

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Logan loved the petting zoo and we had a grand afternoon spent with the family and Thomas.  This is Todd and Tyson with Stan and Garrett.

 There were a lot of fun activities, thanks Grandma and Grandpa for providing us with the opportunity to visit.  We enjoyed watching our kids and spending time with the family.

Random Photos

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Garrett's first black eye...when asked what happenned, he would say mommy hit me.  I didn't really, but I did at the same time...I was opening the back of our van (yes you read that right a van) and he came around the corner and they connected nicely.

Logan's first hair cut

BEFORE

AFTER

 

Logan was suppossed to be playing with the tupperware, but he thought it was more enjoyable to play inside of the cupboard instead....right up until the point where Garrett decided to "lock" him in!  Oh the joys of having brothers...good thing we are adding another one to the crowd maybe then Logan won't feel so picked on!

  Thanks for coming, hope you enjoyed the show.

THE END!!!

OMAHA CHILDREN'S MUSEUM

3/23/07

The closest temple for our church is The Winter Quarters Temple located in Omaha, Nebraska.  When we make a trip to worship we usually stay the night and reserve part of the day to treat our children to a little activity.  This month we went to the Children's Museum, we have been before, but Garrett (and recently Logan) love it. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The ball area is always the biggest hit...it has all these places that you can place the balls in and it takes it to a holding bin in the center of the room.  When the bin is full enough, it releases and all the balls drop out on the kids.  They love it, we spent a good hour in this room alone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Face Painting

  This is how our car rides are spent.  Garrett has become quite the singer lately, he is constantly singing or humming or making some sort of noise!

 

EASTER

4/7 - 4/8

The Saturday before Easter we got together with friends for a lunch and an Easter Egg Hunt.  Normally we do it outside of our townhomes, but it was so cold this year that we had to move it up to our churh.  It was a rotten weekend to anticipate having outdoor events.  The children were miserable at the city hunts and at our townhouse hunt.  We managed to have fun b/c candy was involved, but being outside was not enjoyable.

 

Later that same day, we had another Easter Egg hunt here at the Townhouses

Check out the eggs in this bucket!!!

Easter Morning

The boys in their new Easter Shirts with their new animals from the Easter Bunny

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After all of the above attempts (plus many more) to get Garrett to smile decently we get this...

...unfortunately he couldn't produce this "good" smile like this with Logan or the family

Here is our "best" Easter Family Photo

RANDOM FUN

Fun in the Sun

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our good friends Kendall and Kelley had their new baby.  I took the twins for their first visit to see their brother the day he was born.  It was fun to see them acquaint themselves with baby Talan.  He is a cute kid!

* AUG 23, 2007 is the expected arrival of baby boy #3 to Stan and Lynnsey *

Roller Skating

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Happy 25th Lynnsey

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I had a good time for my birthday with friends and neighbors.  It was kind of a goodbye also as we are leaving Kansas City in 1 week.   Stan also suprised me with a flight over the city at night.  It was awesome.  We went with a fellow from our church and flew from here to Topeka, had dinner and flew back.  It was awesome.  Stan even took control for awhile (at which point my stomach starting feeling quite "interesting"). 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Things are going well...next time you hear from us we'll be in Utah.  We have been packing like crazy and are feverishly trying to clean this place to make it look good as new!

I love March!!!  Stan has FINALLY had some time off, actually quite a bit of time and we've been able to hang out.  Not only have we been able to hang out...the weather has finally warmed up some...we even had one day that hit the 80's!

We spent a night at the Great Wolf Lodge here in Kansas City just to "get away".  If you haven't heard of Great Wolf Lodge they are fantastic!  It is a hotel, but inside there is a water park...water slides, tube slides, treefort, hot tubs, basketball hoops...a full on climate controlled water park!  Perfect for our family of rambunctious, water loving boys.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stan and Garrett getting soaked by the bucket

Logan and I taking a snack break

Garrett going down the slides...this was one of the "baby" slides, but they had big slides that he would go on by himself...he would start sitting up, but would end up face first at the bottom...he loved it!

Good times are found at the Great Wolf Lodge!!!

We also spent a nice warm day at the zoo...one of Garrett's favorite things to do.  I guess looking at animals and running around never gets old for a 2 1/2 year old.

 

 

 

 

 Here are just random cute pictures

These last two pictures are just proof that Garrett really does know how to smile and that he has a cute smile...he just doesn't know how to smile for the camera....maybe one day!

Logan is sitting up and crawling these days and he always makes this monkey face!  He is able to pull himself up to standing at the stairs and the couch and whatever else is the "right height", but isn't quite stable enough to do damage...won't be long before he's a cruiser!!!

really, quite a random photo

This last one is pretty funny....Logan was fussing one day and was really mad, but I couldn't get to him.  All of the sudden there was complete silence.  No joke in a matter of seconds the kid went from screaming on the floor to sound asleep on the floor!  Guess we can thank his thumb for the assistance it provides him in sleeping...looks like we're on our way to another 2 1/2 year old who LOVES his thumb!!!! 

We are doing very well here....our time is growing shorter.  For those of you who haven't heard, it looks like we are moving from Kansas City, back to Utah the end of April for about a year before residency starts up.  Looks to be quite adventurous!  We are excited to see friends and family more often, but will definitely miss the good friends we've made out here.

Lots of Utah Loving

I was able to go to Utah with the boys for about 3 weeks while Stan was rotating out of town for the month of January.  We were definitely spoiled and it was very nice to be with our moms and dads and grandmas and grandpas, especially as Logan was pushing through some major transitions (aka he was terribly ornery and not sleeping).  In the 18 days we were there Logan: cut his first two teeth, became a roll over champion and decided to drop his evening cat nap.  It was quite the rough time, so it was very nice to have some extra hands on help with these kids.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Garrett and Logan loved seeing all of their cousins and family!  It was so fun for everyone for them to have so much attention, especially me!  Unfortunately it seems my camera didn't get out to capture many of the moments.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Garrett was able to enjoy the snow on many occassions, here he is playing with Poppa.  He also played with Tyson and Jayke too!

Nanna, Jayke and Logan

Garrett, Jayke, Logan, Nanna and Poppa

I was able to finally see Mindy's "new" baby Molly and their new house.  Molly was born about 3 weeks before Logan, so it was fun to get them together and see their similarities and their differences.  Obviously, Molly is sitting up and Logan isn't quite yet, but they are going through a lot of the same things.  It was fun to see them a couple of times.

Garrett found a drawer that had some of my great grandma's clip on earings in it and he thought it was the neatest thing to wear these pretty earings.  He came out of the bathroom and said, "mommy look, I'm a princess."

I was able to hook up with almost all of my roommates from college, we missed Brenda!  I love these girls.  They are family to me, so it was great fun to spend a night catching up with them.

Tori and Me

We saw our family lots, which is why we love to visit.  We had so much fun with everyone and look forward to next time.

Here's me crushing Stan....

He was able to come out from a Thursday evening to a Monday morning b/c Grandpa Kimball passed away at 97 years old.  It was really neat to see him and ALL of the Kimballs.  Grandpa had 14 children so it sure was a gathering.  It was a nice treat to be able to spend some time with Stan and also get to know a few of his cousins a little bit better.

What a great time we had!  We are blessed to have such great family and friends.  We are working on some develops out here and perhaps we may be frequenting Utah on a little bit more permanent basis for this next year before residency starts.  A lot of things have to fall into place still, but we'll see!  Much thanks to everyone who let us barge in!