LOOK who has short hair!!!!

Miss Brooklyn!!!

Brooklyn and I went and had our hair(s) cut Thursday. Brooklyn has been saying that she wants her hair short for awhile now, and even more since her cousin Emily got HERS cut short! Daddy like his girls with long hair, but hey, it's just hair and it'll grow back!! It makes her look so much older to me!!!!! Such a darling style, framing her round little face. :) The day after she had it cut, she was swishing it back and forth, saying how much she loved her hair and kept telling me to feel how soft and "fluffy" it was. LOL! This pic was taken tonight after showers/before bedtime (hence the pjs). I attempted the round brush and the blow dryer simultaneously and I think I got a cramp!! It looks super cute though!!

Nothing exciting about mine, just the same 'ole highlights and layers look! It's always so refreshing to have my hair washed and styled by someone else!!!!

***MAJOR*** Milesone here!!!!!!!

Gavin started sucking his thumb at 3 months old. One week ago Saturday marked the last day* he sucked his thumb at almost 3.5 years old!!!

<----- We used this "medicine" to help us accomplish our task. You paint it on the thumbnail and the bitter taste (trust me, it's NASTY!!) is supposed to deter the child from sucking his thumb. We've actually tried it once before a couple months ago, but it didn't seem to phase Gavin much. He'd just suck it off!! But for some reason, I tried it again last Saturday and voilà!! It worked this time!!! We told him his thumb was yucky now and he didn't even try to suck it again. We reapplied last Sunday night and didn't do it again since. It was funny because it took awhile to break the habit of him putting his thumb to his mouth in certain situations, such as when he'd lay down for nighttime or nap or curled up on the couch watching a movie. You could see his thumb in "ready position," wanting to make it's way to his mouth, but he remembered that it was yucky now and didn't do it!

I'm so proud of him for making it this far!! And I'm kinda glad that we got this behind us before he was 5 and heading off to kindergarten still sucking his thumb,

BUT

My sweet little Gavin is nowhere to be found. :(

He wakes up at 5:40am.

Naps are all but over, but he's not ready to stop napping. He NEEDS his nap!! Outrageous tantrums and crying ensues all throughout the afternoon. I'm hanging on to a glimmer of hope that he'll still take one occasionally.

We put the kids to bed by 8pm (summer hours). Gavin is up until 10pm, sneaking into things. He's stealth, I tell ya!

You see? All this makes for one VERY CRANKY GAVIN!!! And one very cranky Mommy! I'm hoping this will all blow over ASAP and we can have our nice Gavin back. :::crossingfingers:::

This is the very last picture I have of Gavin sucking his thumb. The end of an era. *sniff, sniff*
We've thoroughly enjoyed the comfort his thumb has provided for the past 3+ years. I'm a firm believer that the thumb is the reason Gavin has been such a great sleeper and easy going baby-turned-kid. It was awkward, cradling Gavin in my arms in the opposite way that feels natural to me. He sucked his right thumb so I'd have to have his head on my right side and the weight of his body in my left arm. It's a bittersweet time for me. Just one more thing telling me Gavin is growing up; he's not a baby anymore. No more instant consolation by sticking his thumb in his mouth when he's upset. On the other hand, no more worrying about the things Gavin's touched outdoors or on indoor playgrounds or on the toilet and then popping his thumb right into his mouth before hand sanitizing or watching. I shudder at the thought!!! Amazingly, he's been a pretty healthy kid considering!

A trip down memory lane, if you will. A look over the past 3 years with Gav & his beloved thumb....

The first time I ever found him sucking his thumb - April 10, 2006 ~ almost 3 months old6 months old9 months old13 months old18 months old2 years old3 years old

* I have to make a footnote here. I originally started this blog four days ago and it took me this long to finish it. Since then, I was successful at getting Gavin to take a nap on Thursday and today, Sunday. Thursday, I had to put him down at 10:30am because he was one big, hysterical, crying mess. He slept for 2 hours and woke up like a completely different person!!!! Today, Matt laid down on the floor next to his bed and when I went in to check on Gavin, he was asleep, but had his THUMB IN HIS MOUTH!!!!!! For a moment, my heart fluttered, thinking how cute it was seeing him curled up, sucking his thumb. Then I quickly chastised myself for those thoughts when we're trying to kick the habit for good!!! I questioned him about it after his nap and he said, "It's not yucky anymore!" I then told him that if I saw his thumb in his mouth again, we'd have to put more medicine on it again. He was good the rest of the day.

We'll miss you. Farewell our dear friend!

Happy Father's Day!!

"Fatherhood is not a matter of station or wealth; it is a matter of desire, diligence, and determination to see one's family exalted in the celestial kingdom. If that prize is lost, nothing else really matters. "
~Ezra Taft Benson

This quote was in the Sacrament Meeting program from Father's Day and I liked it!

Matt had been asking for a couple new dress shirts for work and a new white shirt for church. We listened!! :) The kids each picked out a shirt and tie (under Mommy's direction, of course) for Daddy.
On the front of each gift was a paper saying why each kiddo loved their Daddy (Preston was exempt). Here are their responses --

Gavin
I love my Daddy because....
1. He watches movies with me
2. He lives with me
3. He snuggles me
4. He plays outside with me
5. He is an eye doctor

Blake:
I love my Daddy because....
1. He puts my blanket on!
2. He loves me!
3. He is cool!
4. He is nice!
5. He helps me shoot!

Brooklyn:
I love my Daddy because....
1. He is nice to me!
2. He takes me to the theater.
3. He works hard.
4. He hugs me tight.
5. He loves me.

The whole crew with Daddy! ♥

There is nothing more I love than watching Matt interact with the kids. They just eat him up!! He is so motivated and diligent and I love that about him. He WANTS me to be at home with our children and would do anything to make that happen. He's worked so hard for our family for the last few years and I couldn't have asked for better!! Love you, babe!!

I have grown to love my dad much more in these last several years. Of course I've always LOVED him, but there was a period in my teen years that I didn't like my dad very much. Because, you know, he was trying to be a good dad and I was trying to be a rebellious teenager. ;) Something like that. He is the ONLY one that can tickle me (he pokes me right in the crook between my neck and shoulder until I can't breathe!) and he's so much fun to watch with his grandkiddos. I love you lots, Dad!!!

Me & my Daddy -- yes, we look alike :)

My Father-in-law is a great man. He is always very concerned about the well-being of each of his children, their spouses and their children. He is always very complimentary of me, which I appreciate very much. He notices the little things. Thanks for raising such a hard-working son!

Matt & his DadP.S. Just in case anyone is wondering, Matt was not sad this Father's Day, although he may look it in these pictures. He is currently suffering from Bell's Palsy.

We're So Glad When Daddy Comes Home!!

Matt returned from Scout Camp on Saturday afternoon after being gone for
SIX whole DAYS!!!
(check out that facial hair!!!)

We survived!!!

And we went out for Golden Spoon to celebrate! They even had my very favorite flavor, boysenberry, which made the reward even sweeter. Just kept busy, busy, busy in order to maintain some sanity. Thanks to all the friends, family and establishments that provided us with entertainment!!!!!!! I don't think I could have made it one day longer......

Prima Ballerina and the Karate Kids

I signed Brooklyn up for a three week dance camp at a nearby dance studio. They briefly cover ballet, jazz, hip hop and tumbling. I figured this will give us a good idea of what Brooklyn will be interested in continuing when the camp is over. I'm thinking ballet, since that's all she talks about! The night we went and toured the dance studio, there were three older girls having their tap class and Brooklyn said, "I do not want to do tapping. It's too loud!!" This is my first experience with dance so we are learning together. Doesn't every mother want a dancing daughter??? I know I always have, maybe that's just because I didn't have the opportunity to take dance classes as a child. Brooklyn needs more girly influence in her life so this is just the thing! :)

Sneaking a peek into class

Blake has been begging and begging and BEGGING to do karate!! I can't remember where the idea came from, maybe me? Anyway, Gavin is always wanting to do what Brooklyn and Blake are doing (ie: tball, school) but he's been too young. So we found a place that offers a 3-4 year old class so we signed both boys up! I seriously had to suppress my giggles watching the Blake and Gav do their karate moves! Soooooo stinkin' adorable!! Both boys are seeming to catch on pretty quickly after only one week of class. I'm hoping that this is something we can stick with for a long time!

~BLAKE~

~GAVIN~

So now I'm driving hither and thither- dance, karate, dance, karate, karate. I'm LOVING it!!! :)

Teething Time and Becoming UNswaddled

5 months old, my baby has TEETH!!!!
(1st broke through June 6th)

He had a bit of a rough patch right before they broke through the surface, but nothing a little infants' Tylenol and Orajel couldn't handle. ;)It's so weird to me seeing those two little toofers when Preston smiles. Just proves that they don't stay small for very long! *sniff, sniff*

We've been seeing a lot of this lately. Talk about putting your foot in your mouth!! LOL! I'm loving his bendy body!!We've FIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINALLY worked our (meaning Preston's) way out of being swaddled!! But he still just can't be plopped down in bed with his legs flailing about, so we transitioned him to Halo Sleep Sacks. These are nifty little wearable blankets that work nicely in keep those leggies contained so Presty can get his ZZZzzzzzzs. :)
He's nicely following in his siblings good sleeping patterns. Pretty much a dream baby as far as napping goes. I can read his cues very easily and it's 1.5-2 hours after he wakes, that he's ready to go down again. Just zip him up in his "sleeping bag," lay him down awake, hand him his blankie to rub against his face (sometimes he'll even take a binky too) and out the door I go! I'd like to take at least SOME credit for my children's good sleeping habits as I try really hard to get them on a routine that keeps everyone happy. :)

Bounteous Harvest

Our garden overfloweth!!!! Seriously, we're picking stuff from it EVERY DAY!!! Zucchinis are the most plentiful. I'm slowly starting to like zucchini a little bit more every time I make it. Any good ideas for preparing it? I usually just saute in on the stovetop in a little bit of olive oil with diced onions, salt and pepper. If it gets too mushy, blech! Can't eat it! I need to puree and grate some up to freeze.

My melons. (canteloupes) Get your mind outta the gutter. ;)Just in case you were wondering, this is Blake's "I-have-to-go-potty-NOW!" face. :)

We love having our own little garden out back. It makes me SMILE every time I look outside! :)

A Little R & R

I was totally needing this getaway. I just wanted to do, well, NOTHING for a couple days!!! So when Jen brought up the idea of running up to the LeBaron cabin for a few days, I was all over that!!! Just the mommies (Jen & I) and their kiddos, a few grandmas, a grandpa and a couple great-aunts were there.

Preston learning the ropes of playing cards -- LeBaron style -- at an early age...We did LOTS of "projects" to keep busy...Collecting bugs is always a must at the cabin!!
Just looking at this picture gives me the heebie-jeebies!!! *shudder*This cute "bug" on a bear rug :)Josh found this most monstrous dandelion!And Blake found a Y stick.Jen wielding the weed-eater, attempting to hack down some of the overgrowth.
This left us sneezing for the rest of the week!GREAT Aunt Diana taught the girls all sorts of fun things!She even did their {kiddie} makeup. :)
Aren't you just loving the awesome blue eye shadow?? I know you are...The home stretch!!
Did you know attempting to take a pic while driving is quite dangerous??
Everyone slept on the drive home. Except me of course!
Although I might have closed my eyes for a few seconds.... ;)
We made it there and back alive {barely} thanks to Sonic lemon berry slushes. :)

I'm so glad that my kids have a place like this to make great memories with cousins. We can't wait to go back for the family reunion over the 4th! This time with Daddy! ;)

(I'm still in cabin-mode, BTW.)