The Porter House

Madelyn's Baby Blessing

2012-02-17T16:35:00.000-07:00

Madelyn was blessed at 4 months old while my parents were in town. Since they weren't there over a weekend, we had her blessed at our home on a Tuesday evening. We all dressed up for the occasion. A member of the Bishopbric joined us and Ryan gave a beautiful blessing for our beautifuly little lady. We had a nice dessert afterwards and a few family pictures!! A great, fun memory!

Thanksgiving 2011

2012-02-17T16:26:00.003-07:00

My mom and dad joined us for Thanksgiving this year. Our last as residents and our last in Arizona!! We were thrilled to have them with us. We started out by meeting my sister and parents in Phoenix where she participated in an IronMan. She is amazing like that. We stayed in a hotel and went swimming and out to dinner. Everyone had a great time. Unfortunately, my sister got sick during the race the following day and couldn't finish. She was really sad. This was her 3rd one and she had trained for over a year for it. What a disappointment for her. Of course we were proud no matter what. She is a great inspiration.

My parents met up at our house a few days later and we mostly hung out at the house, oooing and aaahing over Madelyn. The kids loved having their grandparents in town. I did get to go out and beat my dad in tennis, too. That was fun. We also went to Old Tucson Studios which is where we got most of the pictures taken. The one thing I remember from going there was while we were watching the Gun Show, Joshua got bored, picked up a rock, and plopped it into a man's beer cup. Embarassing, yeah. Especially for Grandma and Grandpa as I was nursing Maddie during the show in the nearby restaurant and didn't witness the incident.

My mom got strep throat while she was here and she just didn't feel good the majority of the time. We cooked a lot, but she didn't enjoy the dinner much and we spent Thanksgiving evening in CVS Pharmacy waiting for her meds.

Dad and I watched Sarah's Key, which was terribly sad. Boys liked Rio. It was pretty cute. We got slurpees before dinner and it ruined the kids' appetites. Never again will we do that! Ryan was post-call and pretty out of it during the dinner, too. And...that was ourThanksgiving. We were glad my parents came to join us, even though it was a bit disjointed.

We had also just found out that Ryan had lost a potential job in Layton with IASIS. It was a blessing in disguise as we accepted a better job in a better place (Riverton with IHC) a few months later, but it was hard during this time nonetheless. I would not want to live November over again!!

(Sick mom)

2012-02-16T17:23:00.002-07:00

Here Maddie is watching Baby Einsteins with her brothers.

Madelyn at 5 months!! When Moo-Moo was 5 months old, she was rolling all over the place!! She has mastered the back to tummy roll and was very proud of herself. I wish I had gotten a video of it, darn it. Maddie loved her feet and hands and was always looking at and playing with them. Especially her feet!! They were always in her mouth. Maddie started to turn towards us when we called her name. Anything from Madelyn to Maddie to Moo. Everything goes in the mouth from here on out!!! She was also rolling towards toys out of her reach. Such a cutie!! We started noticing at this time that she is quite quiet. Although she still speaks up when needed, she is very content most of the time. My love!!

A Fireman, Spider, and a Cute Lil' Pumpkin

2012-02-16T17:17:00.001-07:00

We had a GREAT Halloween this year. Our ward party was awesome! Chile, cornbread, and homemade root beer. There was a little bit of dancing, games for the kids, and of course, the Trunk-or-Treat! The Binghampton Ward knows how to par-tay.

On Halloween night, Ryan took the boys around our AWESOME neighborhood while Maddie Moo and I passed out candy. The kids came home with WAY TOO MUCH, so I helped them eat it through the month of November. It was a memorable Halloween.

Josh dressed up like a fireman for school, too, with the book "The Fire Cat". It was storybook dress-up. He is the cutest little boy. I love him.

Pumpkin Patch

2012-02-16T17:12:00.000-07:00

We took the family to the pumpkin patch before Halloween. We had a lot of fun going on a hayride, picking our pumpkins, going through the "straw maze", going down slides, playing in the sandbox, petting the animals, and taking silly pictures. I love going to pumpkin patches. It is so much more fun than picking them out at the grocery store. Such fun memories and beautiful pictures!!

Madelyn Alice - 4 months

2012-02-16T16:59:00.002-07:00

Here's our sweet Maddie at 4 months. She is such a peach. This month her personality started to calm down. She started to like car rides (which was a relief to all of us) and we started her on solids (rice cereal). During this month, Maddie was gaining weight very slowly and was spitting up a lot. Her doctor thought this would help and it did! She started gaining at the rate she was supposed to again. Maddie was rolling over from tummy to back pretty regularly now and was starting to grab everything within her reach. She could also lift up her head to a 90 degree angle and laugh! What a sweet giggle she has. She also loves to stand holding on to us. We are so in love with her!

Stake BBQ

2011-10-08T21:08:00.003-07:00

Nathan chose the star. I didn't notice he had this booger hanging out of his nose until I got home and downloaded these pictures. I'm sure the face painter was totally grossed out. I would've been!!

This was a better choice than the last:Captain America mask. Super cool, Josh!!

Our Stake BBQ was quite fun. Playground, bounch castle, bouncy slide, face painting, and cotton-candy. Along with a free dinner of tortillas, BBQ beef, and beans. Yum. They also had homemade root beer. It was delicious. Fun times!!

New Hair Bows

2011-10-08T21:08:00.001-07:00

My sweetest best mom made Maddies some new hairbows (I think she gave us 8!) They are so cute and I love them so much. Here is Maddie with this cute green and yellow one which matches this dress perfectly. Thanks again Mom!!

Animals Calling...

2011-10-08T21:05:00.001-07:00

Josh has had Fall Break (no school) for the past week and a half. We did a few fun things: swimming, park, cookie making, and the zoo. We met up with friends from the ward (Brimhalls). Such a cute bunch.

p.s. I am ready for Kindergarten to start again....and for my boys to stop fighting!!

Siblings

2011-10-08T20:58:00.002-07:00

Hey Maddie, tell us what you really think of your big brother!?!

Our Soccer Star

2011-10-08T20:56:00.002-07:00

Joshy started soccer this season. He has practice twice a week and games on Saturdays. Josh is warming up to soccer. It started off slowly but he is improving each week. His coach is awesome and he is really good with Joshy. We are proud of our blooming soccer star!!

Sonoran Science Academy Family Picnic

2011-10-08T20:52:00.003-07:00

One Saturday, our family headed out to Joshy's school picnic. We brought brownies to share. About 10 other people did, too. hahaha. Gross food all around (hotdogs with oversized buns aren't a favorite for us)...but I did like the grape-flavored Shasta and the fall store-bought sugar cookies. Those have to be my favorite all time dessert. Yum!

Josh jumped in the bouncy castle until the motor died and it suddenly fell. Luckily, no one got stuck inside. But it was a close call!! Nathan is scared of bouncy castles and won't dare go in nor get his face painted. But Josh did and chose a rainbow and heart. He mustn't have like it as he wiped it off 5 minutes after we left the picnic. Silly boy.

Not the funnest party, but, ya know, we like to support his school while we can.

Josh is doing awesome in school, by the way. All A's and A+'s which is awesome. (Side note: When did Kindergarteners start to get real grade letters? When I was a kid, it was always Honor, Satisfactories, and Unsatisfactories. Oh well, times are changing, I guess). He is an awesome reader and he math skills are killer. He just joined the 130+ Club (meaning he can count over 130). Love this kid!! We are so proud!!

Oh, she is too cute!!

Joshy with his awesome teacher, Mrs. Abbott

This is a picture of me, after the picnic was over. We were driving home. I was complaining about how I'm never in pictures and Ryan grabbed the camera at the stoplight and shot a picture of me. Go me!!

Maddie- 3 Months!!

2011-10-08T20:32:00.001-07:00

Our sweetest, most beautiful baby Maddie turned 3 months old last week!! I just love her more and more everyday!! Maybe it's because she's a girl, maybe it's because she is my last, but I am enjoying her more than any other baby I've had thus far. She is just so precious.

Maddie's milestones this month include standing up in our laps, finding her thumb to suck on (this is my favorite one!), sleeping through the night (about 12 hours at a time....thus why sucking her thumb is my favorite...), rolling over from her tummy to her back, and grabbing things at her fingertips. She also lifts her head up to a 90 degree angle while laying on her tummy. She scoots all over the blanket I put her on as well. She has also moved out of the bassinett and sleeps in her own crib now. She is doing really well!!

We think she weighs around 12 pounds. :) But her next well check up isn't until she is 4 months old. She is in her 3-6 months clothes now.

She is very good-natured. She loves to be held, be around people, and be outside (when it's not cold, rainy, or windy). Oh I just adore her!!

Binghampton Ward Campout

2011-09-19T13:24:00.000-07:00

It rained like cats and dogs when we went camping with our ward. But we still had a lot of fun! We brought up our own dinner (hotdogs, pasta salad, watermelon) and cooked and ate it in the lodge (with a campfire burning inside!). The kids ran around like wild geese, playing games, eating s'mores and then at about 9:00 we went to our tent. It took the kids 3 stories (memorized) to settle down and they fell asleep around 9:30. Ryan did too! I went back out (it had stopped raining) and sat by the campfire with some ward members. I had a great time getting to know people and getting warm by a fire. Maddie slept in her carset surround by blankets and slept better than she does at home! She only woke up once to be fed and slept in until we took the tent down. Breakfast was provided by the ward (pancakes, eggs, sausage, OJ). We walked around the Beautiful Zion Campground for a bit, packed up and returned home. It was simple and loads of fun! We are so glad that we went---even with a baby in tow.

Rub-a-Dub-Dub

2011-09-19T13:15:00.002-07:00

Sometimes when we are having fun, it's good to get out the camera to take some fun memory shots! I love these 2 boys so much! And love those happy smiles!!

Happy Birthday Nathan!!! 3!!!

2011-09-19T13:08:00.001-07:00

Nathan's birthday was such a success! He woke up to a roomfull of balloons and a "Happy Birthday!" banner. He got waffles for breakfast (his favorite) and I took him to the Children's Museum for the morning. After Josh got off school, we took them both to Chuck E. Cheese's! Nathan ran around playing the games that won tickets, but was a little nervous to go on any of the mini-rides. We ordered pizza/breadstick for dinner and ate chocolate cake for dessert. Then he opened presents. He got a LeapFrog video game player, Poingo book "Sesame Street" and a basketball hoop that he loves.

Nathan is a head strong little man. He knows what he wants and goes after it with everything that he has. He is independent and likes doing things for himself, by himself, without any help. He loves playing with Joshy, computer games (Starfall & Nick Jr.), watching movies, having his back tickled, swimming, and his jammie (special blanket). He especially loves one-on-one attention!!!

All Dressed Up!

2011-09-19T13:00:00.003-07:00

I love putting Madelyn in dresses! It's so much fun to have a little lady to dress up and put hairbows in!!

Maddie Sneezing Video

2011-09-19T12:57:00.001-07:00

Oh she is such a doll!! We love love love our "Maddie-Paddie!"

Little Rascal

2011-09-19T12:51:00.000-07:00

"Little Rascal" is exactly how I would describe my 3-year-old Nathan. This kid is TROUBLE! He gets into everything and leaves a trail behind him. He is stubborn as I'll get out and doesn't give up. Good thing he's cute!!

Ryan's 36th Birthday!

2011-09-16T10:39:00.006-07:00

Wow! We are getting old!! Ryan turned 36 on August 13th!! The cake is deceiving as it has the number 35 plus another candle! I made him a special ice-cream cake (and man, was I proud of it!). Ryan loves to "relax" and that is exactly what I let him do. I took care of the kids and he got to read and play video games and take naps.

Ryan is such a special man. He is smart, hard-working, sarcastically funny, warm, and my favorite person in the world. I feel lucky to be his eternal wife!! Happy Birthday sweetheart!!

Maddie- 2 months old!

2011-09-16T10:34:00.001-07:00

Sleeping babies are so sweet!

Yay for the Bumbo!

Sibling picture!

Beautiful Baby girl! Love those hairbows!

Angry Girl #1

Angry Girl #2 (but look how cute that dress is!!)

Here Maddie is from ages 5-8 weeks. She holds her head very steady (thus, the BUMBO pictures), smiles & coos and follows mommy with her eyes. She is also aware when she is not being held and cries when she wants to be picked up! She loves being swaddled, sucking on Mommy's pinkie finger, and being talked to softly. She hates being ignored, being hungry, cold, car rides (which is unfortunate, since we are in the car A LOT!), and binkies (despite the first picture...very deceivingly she "pretended" to like a binkies for about an hour one day...) We love our baby girl.

Kindergarten Calling for Joshua!

2011-09-16T10:24:00.001-07:00

Cutest picture I have...

Avoiding the camera, as usual....

Fake/Angry smile (get that camera away from me!)

August 1, 2011 was Joshua's first day of Kindergarten. He was SO excited and did a fantastic job. I knew he would love it. He's been bored at home for 2 years now!! He is challenged, has made friends, adores his teacher, Mrs. Abbott, and is very happy. And I have to admit that I am enjoying the 6 1/2 hour break each day! Go Sonoran Science Academy!!

Oh Toothfairy....

2011-09-16T10:15:00.002-07:00

Joshy lost his first tooth on July 21, 2011. It was fun to have Joshy start out his Kindergarten year with one tooth missing. Funny, Ryan seriously thought that he had broken it off as he was surprised he had already reached that stage in life!! Although he got his first tooth at the age of 5 months. Kids grown up so quickly. He is still just so handsome though. And it was fun to play toothfairy (he got a quarter under his pillow!)

Apple Annie's Letdown

2011-09-16T10:08:00.000-07:00

A sad excuse for a peach...

We go to Apple Annie's Orchard every year to pick peaches and make homemade peach jam. Last year they had a late frost and it apparently killed 95% of the peach crop. We did not know this (the website said the peaches were ready to pick) and so we headed out there (a 2 hour drive each way) for this sad news. So, we took a few snapshots, had a small picnic, and headed back home. We did make peach jam, but we had to buy the peaches instead of pick them fresh. But at least we still have some!!

4th of July

2011-09-16T09:38:00.003-07:00

The boys each got to choose a candle to put on the cake. Then we sang "Happy Birthday" to America and blew them out. Fun little tradition.

On the 4th of July, Maddie was just 4 days old. But I really wanted to get out and have some fun, so all of us (including Grandma and Grandpa Porter) went miniature golfing. Ryan BBQ'd, and we had a Flag Cake for dessert that was marvelous.

Madelyn's First Month

2011-09-16T09:31:00.001-07:00

Bringing baby home from the hospital!

Mommy and daughter

Daddy-Daughter

Grandma Porter-Granddaughter

Biggest Brother-Sister

Big Brother-Sister

As far as babies go, Maddie is pretty normal. At this stage, she ate, slept, pooped, and cried. And...that's about it! The month passed by pretty quickly, like a whirlwind. I can barely remember it! Probably because I was so sleep deprived. I'm just proud that I successfully learned to nurse! Yay for me. Three's a charm!! Here's our doll from age 1-4 weeks!

Madelyn's Official Birth Announcement

2011-09-07T16:57:00.003-07:00

Introducing Madelyn Alice Porter!

2011-09-07T16:53:00.002-07:00

Me--the morning of my induction!

Right before c-section

My first glance at Madelyn (It won't turn...sorry)

First Family Photo of 5!

Me and my beautiful daughter

Madelyn Alice Porter was born on July 1, 2011 at 6:33 pm by c-section. She was 7 pounds, 8 ounces. My biggest baby! I was in induced labor for over 36 hours when Maddie's head tilted to the right and was no longer straight on. She was also facing upward, which tends to be dangerous, so we decided to do a c-section. I wasn't thrilled, but just wanted my healthy baby to have a safe entrance into the world. I am so happy with my decision and don't regret it a bit. We were happy to have her join the Porter clan! She's as cute as a button and I love having a daughter!! My boys love her as well. Especially Josh. Thank you Grandma and Grandpa Porter for taking care of me and my boys!

My 33rd Birthday!

2011-09-07T16:39:00.002-07:00

My 33rd Birthday was fun and successful! Ryan is so good to me! We had a fun birthday party and I got some expensive perfume for my present. (Yay!) Here's some of the fun. YUMMY cake, too. Ryan is a great baker!

Bookman's Singing Time

2011-09-07T16:36:00.001-07:00

During the summer, I took Joshy and Nathan to Singing Time at Bookmans. They had SO much fun singing and playing all the instruments. The only problem was that they were the oldest kids there by about 2 years! It was all 1 year and younger....but they let us stay anyway. My kids definitely had the most fun by miles. They also had a magician, art lessons, and game time that we went to also. I love Bookmans!

Padres Baseball Game

2011-09-07T16:32:00.004-07:00

We went to the Tucson Padres vs. Salt Lake Bee's baseball game together on Memorial Day. It was hard deciding whether to root for the Bees or the Padres! So we rooted for both. Ryan got bored and started listening to music about 1/2 way through the game....me and Nate had a blast cheering....Josh was having a hard time concentrating and just wanted to go. But it was a good game overall and the Bee's won!

Learning How to Be Real Men

2011-09-07T16:28:00.001-07:00

I love it when Ryan takes the kids to Home Depot or Lowes. I love it when he builds and fixes things around the house using his tools. I love how they get out their toy tools and work along beside him. I love how they love their dad and want to be just like him!

Joy School Graduation

2011-09-07T16:25:00.000-07:00

Joy School Graduation seems like so long ago! I know I am way behind on my blogging, so I'm going to try to catch up, starting way back at the end of May! Joy School was fun last year. I was glad to do it with some of my good friends that I have made in Tucson. The bottom is a picture of Josh and his "girlfriend" Laura. They moved to Virginia, but Joshy and her write letters back and forth. We hope they continue to be penpals. They were very cute friends!

My Mom's Visit

2011-05-18T15:39:00.005-07:00

My mom came down to help me unpack my house. I was finished by the time she came. Yep, I'm that fast! We had fun playing with the kids, going to the zoo, park, celebrating her birthday, Mother's Day (movies and pedicures!), and my all-time favorite was going to Old Tucson Studios. We've got cute pictures too! Enjoy. (OH, and I'm all caught up on my blog now! Hallelujah!)

Sabino Canyon Adventure

2011-05-18T15:33:00.002-07:00

One Saturday we decided to be an adventurous family and go hiking up Sabino Canyon. I was at the beginning of my 3rd trimester, it was incredibly hot that afternoon (90's) and it was tough for me (to say the least). But we made it up to the water and the kids had so much fun. They tried to catch the fishes, had a picnic lunch, and played in the water for an hour or so. By the time we got home, all I had energy for was a nap! Fun memories.

Josh's Umbilical Hernia Surgery

2011-05-18T15:26:00.002-07:00

Josh has had his umbilical hernia since he was 6 weeks old. We have been waiting a long dong time to have it fixed, but they told us "not until he's 5". I was surprised at how anxious I was during this "simple" procedure. Josh was a pro, though, and was up and about 6-12 hours running around after the surgery. We are so grateful. Although it will take "years" to look completely normal, it doesn't stick out anymore. He misses it, though. It was his little friend. hahaha.

Swimming with Daddy

2011-05-18T15:22:00.002-07:00

This is one of Josh's last pictures with his "old" bellybutton! I love my 3 guys!

JJ's 5th Birthday Party!

2011-05-18T14:55:00.003-07:00

Joshy's 5th Birthday! He woke up surrounded by balloons & presents. He had breakfast crepes, opened his birthday presents, played with them for a LONG time (his favorite was a digital camera for kids, he still loves it!). Then we headed to the Children's Museum which is his favorite place in the world.

In the evening, we went to Chuck-E-Cheese's where he met his friends for a birthday party. He had such a good time and enjoyed every second of it. Chuck E Cheese puts on a fun party and he got to go in the ticket blaster where he got many many tickets to purchase a sticky hand, candy, and a toy fish. What a sweet little boy I have been blessed with!

More Joy School Fun

2011-05-18T14:43:00.002-07:00

I had a lot of fun teaching Joy School this year to Joshy and all of the "girlfriends" (well, at least half of the time). They were so cute. These a pictures of "creativity" and "imagination".

Porter Family Pictures

2011-05-18T14:39:00.003-07:00

Visiting Grandma Porter at her home in Provo

One last picture with Grandma and Grandpa Porter before we head home (Nathan had just thrown up that morning...poor guy, at least we didn't have any "accidents" on the road!)

Joshy with his couin Courtney Jo, or is that Jaden? I can't tell them apart...sorry!

Nance Family Pictures

2011-05-18T14:31:00.003-07:00

Some cute photos of my sister, Mindy, my boys, and my Grandma. Along with a family photo!

Sledding

2011-05-18T14:23:00.006-07:00

We went sledding back in January when we were in Utah. It was one of the highlights of our trip! Our boys had a blast & I was officially the photographer since I couln't slide down the hill. Such fun memories. Thanks Aunt Kim & Cousin Claire for tagging along!

The Price Is Right / California Trip!

2011-03-18T14:27:00.004-07:00

My sister-in-law, Kimberly, had a brilliant idea to whisk away for a weekend, go to Hollywood, and try to be on the Price Is Right. I was, of course, immediately drawn in to check off a childhood dream of mine which was to be on the Price Is Right. I love my sister, Kim. She's my kindred soul for things like this.

I was sad that Shelly and Leeann couldn't make it. But the rest of us had a really great time. I felt so free to not be tied down to my boys (not that I don't love it usually, but you have to be free sometimes, ya know what I mean?). I honestly haven't had that fun of a time with a bunch of girls since college. We laughed non-stop for the entire 36 hours (and we only got about 4 hours of sleep total!)

We got to Hollywood and had fun sight-seeing, buying treats for our early morning wait in line....who knew we wouldn't be hungry at 4 am? And we enjoyed just being together. One of my favorite things we did was walk out to the lighthouse restaurant off the pier and had hamburgers, fries, and shakes. It is so beautiful in California! If it would've been warmer, I would've jumped right in that ocean. Nothing is more beautiful or peaceful to me then watching the waves on a beach.

The next morning we woke up at 3 am to get in line at 3:30. We played cards in the cold and chatted until 6:00 when they came to give us our numbers. It was hilarious how excited everyone was & the homeless man across the street gave us quite the show when 2 punk teens woke him up and started poking him with a stick. It was really sad and the man freaked out for about 30-45 minutes even after they had left. It was interesting...

We had 2 hours at that point to go eat breakfast, which we did, and touch up on our hair and makeup. We were revved up and ready for our "interviews". There is a lot of waiting and sitting. We would move from one place to another. They took group pictures (which are put up on their website) and individual pictures for themselves. People are super friendly, trying to impress the staff and the T-Shirts are great. The girls that sat next to us had one that said, "Pick Me" and it had her son picking his nose. Our sweatshirts were turquoise and really stood out. I love mine.

During our "30-second interview", a group of 10-12 people come up and the director says, "So, what do you do for a living?" and you answer. He spent a long time with our group. I was sure my cute sister-in-law Ashley was going to get picked up until the point when she admitted that she never watched the show. Bad move, Ash. When he got to me, I said, "I'm a struggling musician...I struggle playing all instruments..." ha ha. Just kidding. But that was what I woke up at 3 in the morning saying I was going to say. It kinda became our joke. Sorry. Anyways, I said I was a stay-at-home mom with my 2 cute boys with a daughter on the way and pointed to my belly. I also said I was a retired school teacher. He said, "So, are you smarter than a 5th grader?" I said, "Of course....well....and shrugged my shoulders." It got a good laugh out of everyone. My mother-in-law then spoke up and said that my husband was an Obstetrician. He loved that and said something like, "Oh, that must make it easy to have kids" and I answered, "Of course! They are all born free." It was fun bantering back and forth.

And that was it! We waited another hour or 2 as they played an episode on the Price Is Right for us on the TV's outside. Then we entered into the studio. We were so lucky to be sitting right behind contestant's row. We will be in all the shots. It was exhausting being a member of the audience. They require a lot of clapping and cheering and shouting out numbers. And you have to get all excited when the cameras are on the audience. When waking up at 3 am, it was hard to stay excited the whole time.

It's interesting because I knew I was going to get called up. I could feel it in my bones. And when they did, I wasn't surprised, wasn't nervous. Just did my thing! My family turned to my sister-in-law, Kimberly, when my name was called (her last name is now Airmet) instead of me. They were confused. Funny.

The first item up for bid was a tool set. I really wanted to win it for Ryan. I bid just $52 over. Bummer. That lady who won got a new car! The last itme up for bid were ugly lamps. I bid just $100 over. :( Sad. That girl won snowmobiles among other things. I was so sad that I didn't make it up. I really really wanted to spin that wheel. That was my dream!! I wanted to see how heavy it was and what it felt like. Oh well. So close...yet so far away.

I did walk away with some cool booby prizes. A karaoke machine and a set of picture encyclopedias. $800 value! And a fun story to tell.

I love Ryan's family. I was so glad to be with them and get to know them better. I feel so fortunate to have married into such a loving, warm family. And that's where I really am the big winner.

P.S. The show still hasn't aired. President Obama's speech cut it off and it is rescheduled to air in
August or September. Which means I won't get my gifts until December. Imagine how angry I'd be if I'd won a car!!

Gingerbread House

2011-03-18T14:19:00.002-07:00

Last Christmas post. Promise. Oops. These pictures were put in backwards. Oh well. During the holidays, we had our family tradition of decorating Gingerbread houses. Although I have to admit that I'm not liking the pre-made kit. I'm thinking about going 100% homemade next year. That sounds like more fun (and more edible!) Josh got sick after he ate that cookie. Whoops.

Annual Bowling / McDonalds Send-Off

2011-03-11T15:44:00.004-07:00

We always go bowling when my parents are in town. Josh loves it! Nathan climbed and steered the steering wheel on the video game the whole time, which made it easy, too! I look sweet bowling, huh? :) Plus I still fit in my regular pants....oh that sounds heavenly!

We went to McDonalds for the send-off where the parting was not as harsh. WE LOVE OUR GRANDPARENTS! Thanks for the fun visit!

Sonoran Desert Musuem

2011-03-11T15:39:00.004-07:00

We went back to the Sonoran Desert Museum this year (my parents must have liked it that much!) and saw all the animals once again the day after Christmas. It was great weather (we were actually a little warm) and the animals were active.

Winterhaven Lights

2011-03-11T15:34:00.003-07:00

One of my most favorite Christmas traditions in Tucson is going for a carridge ride through Winterhaven. Almost everyone in the neighborhood decorates their houses with Christmas lights and most of them have themes. People vote and they even get awards! It's very fun & we all enjoyed the good time.

Christmas morning 2010

2011-03-11T15:16:00.004-07:00

It's pathetic that I'm posting about Christmas morning on March 11th, but I've got to catch up, so here it is! Wonderful Christmas! The kids were spoiled rotten as well as Ryan and I . I gave him a Kindle & he gave me a guitar with all the accessories. Very fun. The kids favorite presents were the Pillow Pets, Puppet Show Curtain/puppets, Thomas the Train track, and the Monster Trucks. We were glad my mom and dad could come and spend the day with us, too!

Christmas Eve 2010

2011-01-01T21:29:00.003-07:00

My parents took a trip down here to spend Christmas with us this year. We had a lot of fun. My mom and I cooked up a fantastic turkey dinner with all the goods on the side. We had our feast, played a Christmas game, sang our favorite Christmas songs, read some Christmas books, left Santa some cookies & milk, then tucked the kids in bed. It's always so magical, don't you think?

Zoolights 2010

2011-01-01T21:24:00.004-07:00

One of our annual Tucson traditions is to go and see the Zoolights. It's no Temple Square, but it satisfies our boys, so we'll take it. The kids also got to sit on Santa's lap, which is always fun.

Joy School Nativity Play

2011-01-01T21:19:00.003-07:00

The Joy School kids put on the Nativity Play at a Nursing Home this past December. It was adorable. They also sang a few Christmas songs (I wish I had taped them...oops) and made the residents cards to give as gifts. Joshy played Joseph (obviously, he's the only boy in the group) and got to hold Laura's hand (his BFF) which was his highlight! It was really fun to watch.

Christmas Jammies

2011-01-01T21:08:00.004-07:00

Our traditional Christmas pajamas! We always let them open them up on December 1st!

Lowes Build and Grow Workshop

2010-12-30T21:55:00.003-07:00

We love Lowes. Do you want to know why? Because they have these cute Build and Grow workshops where the kids (and parents) get to make cool things out of wood and nails! So far, we have built a spy scope, Christmas picture frame, 2 trains (that hook together), and Christmas ornaments. The boys get to use hammers and nails (pre-drilled) and follow directions on how to put it together. They always have stickers to decorate it afterwards. They also get an apron with their names on it (to keep) and get a certificate and a badge to put on their apron when they are finished. It's really cool. And the best part about it is that it's FREE! Best. Thing. Ever.

The next things we have signed up for are making a game box and a ball toss. They have about 2 a month. For more information, go to www.lowesbuildandgrow.com Just sign up online or show up at your local Lowes at 10 AM. You won't regret it.

This picture cracks me up. Nate loves to pull down his pants. Especially in public.

Zoo, Again

2010-12-30T21:49:00.004-07:00

Yep, we went to the zoo again. And yep, I brought my camera again. I think I could make a whole picture album now of our adventures at Reid Park Zoo....

The conductor on the train took this picture. My boys were not very cooperative...but at least I look cute!
The boys with their friends

I don't know why, but Joshy always has a painful look on his face when I pop out the camera. He really is a happy boy!

Who can resist an upside down picture?

Cutest little 2 year old ever!

Colossal Cave

2010-12-30T21:30:00.004-07:00

We wanted to check out Kartchner's Cave, but after reading about all their "rules" and seeing their crazy prices, we decided to come to Colossal Cave instead. We've seen better caves, but this one was perfect for the kids as they could touch just about anything they wanted. This cave has been very explored and you can tell. Our tour guide was nice, but our kids went a little nuts listening to his chatter (honestly, I did too). But overall we had fun and enjoyed stamping our paper to get our prize at the end...rocks! Too bad our camera died before that adventure took place. Enjoy the pictures!

This last picture is awesome. Look at the pouty face on Joshy. Even his arms are angrily folded. Classic!

Family Photos 2010

2010-12-30T21:13:00.005-07:00

We had our family pictures taken in November. I've been saving them until after I sent out our Christmas cards so that people would get new pictures. Enjoy!

Ward Trunk-or-Treat

2010-11-06T22:40:00.003-07:00

Our ward's trunk-or-treat was a lot of fun like always. The kids played games, we all ate Halloween snacks, took pictures, had a Halloween Parade around the parking lot, then went from trunk to trunk gathering junk! We had few kids and lots of cars, so the kids went around twice. We had way too much candy! So we put in the "bowl" how much we thought the kids needed. Then we hid the rest away in our closet. We need potty training candy bribes in the near future! Happy Halloween everyone!!

Carving Jack-O-Lanterns

2010-11-06T22:32:00.003-07:00

The Monday before Halloween, we invited some friends over to carve pumpkins with us. We had a cute FHE lessons about ghosts & repentance, then made our jack-0-lanterns. The kids enjoyed caramel apples and we also made spider cookies. A good time!!

Halloween Zoo Style

2010-11-06T22:20:00.004-07:00

This year we went to Reid Park Zoo's Halloween trick-or-treat. It was crazy busy!! We couldn't find parking anywhere!! Finally we found parking 10 minutes walking distance away and the line was incredibly long. We waited for about 45 minutes to go into the zoo where we waited in line again. Needlesstosay, we were in a line THE ENTIRE TIME! It was super cute, but the kids only got a handful of candy total with a bunch of coupons and a few toys. Our favorite costumes and themes were Nightmare Before Christmas, Star Wars, Superheroes, and Josh liked Alvin and the Chipmunks. I don't know if I'd say I had "fun", but it was cute. And the kids had a blast.

Waiting in line....

Elmo's World!

The scary Frankenstein

Bear Hugs!

Despicible Me!

Alvin & the Chipmunks! Josh gave Alvin a big hug!

Star Wars!!

Jack from the Nightmare Before Christmas. Coolest costume ever.

Halloween Costumes

2010-11-06T22:17:00.003-07:00

The Fireman and Superman. Nate wouldn't wear the pirate costume we wanted him too. He kept taking it off. So we had to wear "pajamas" instead. Ah, 2 year olds.

Phoenix with Aunt Mindy

2010-11-06T22:09:00.004-07:00

Mindy had a conference in downtown Phoenix and so she invited me and the boys to come and stay with her overnight in her hotel room. We had a lot of fun walking around the mall, going to the photo booth and taking silly pictures, eating dinner, and watching the movie, "Despicible Me" in the room. My sister fed them copious amounts of candy. No wonder they adore her!!

They had a fountain to play in. Nate fell down and got his outfit soaked.

Playing Ring around the Rosies on the bed. Look at that grin of pure happiness!!

Joy School Halloween Party

2010-11-03T11:16:00.006-07:00

Joy School put on a Halloween Party! The kids paraded around the room in their costumes, sang some songs (video below) and then served us the sugar cookies and lemonade that they made. It was super cute.

Evelyn, Joshy, Ashley (Laura's little sister), Vera, Alissa, Laura, and Allie. Joshy and his cute friend Allie

The kids "parading" around the room

The kids singing the songs, "I'm a Mean Old Witch in a Hat" & "Jack-O-Lanterns"

Bisbee 1000 RACE

2010-11-03T11:10:00.002-07:00

A few of my friends and I ran the Bisbee 1000 Race this year. I ran it last year as well. It's a 5K plus 1000 steps going up. It ends up being about 4.5 miles total. This year it took me 56 minutes, which beats my time by about 7 minutes last year. I was happy as my goal was under an hour. Little Miss Debbie did it in 44 minutes which was the #3 spot in her age group! She's amazing!!

Me, Sarah Sorenson, Meghan Powell, and Debbie Crowther
Girl Power!

A sample of 1 of the 9 staircases that we climbed!

Sabino Canyon - Catching Fishies!

2010-11-03T10:51:00.003-07:00

We went up to Sabino Canyon for playgroup the other week. Yes, this was not summer, but in early October, mind you. The water was cool, but not cold. It actually felt pretty good after the 2 mile hike up the hill! My boys enjoyed the water, especially Nathan, who went around with the bucket trying to catch the "fishies". I caught a guppy, but the fishies were too fast.

Joshy found a nice walking stick with the help of the random stranger swimming in the water hole.

Some of my mommy friends!

Conference Weekend Fort

2010-10-27T20:42:00.003-07:00

Ryan made the coolest fort for the boys during Conference Weekend. It took up our entire living room! The boys were in heaven. We pretended we were in a cave and the dinosaurs were chasing us. Nathan was T-Rex. Good memories.

Joy School Field Trip - Park

2010-10-27T20:35:00.003-07:00

As I've mentioned before, Josh is participating in Joy School this year (a co-op program for preschoolers, where the mother's trade off teaching). Josh loves it! This Joy School day was a field trip to the park. The theme was nature so the kids had a lesson, played with their friends, and then we had a potluck lunch. The kids made the mom's sandwiches and served us! It was really cute and a nice change.

Here Josh is with his best friend Laura & sweet Nathan
Joshy and Vera sliding

Close up of Joshy, Laura, and Ellena

Cuties playing in the sand

Eating the lunch they made for themselves!

Churrascaria

2010-10-27T20:31:00.003-07:00

We had to be real choosy which friends we wanted to see while in Utah because there wasn't enough time to see everyone and the Nelsons were definitely the friends we wanted to see! We had fun at Tucano's (Rich and Ryan both served their missions in Brazil. Hence the Brazillian restaurant). We had so much fun catching up! We sure love and miss you guys!!

Dinosaur Musuem

2010-10-27T20:10:00.004-07:00

On our last day in Utah we went to the Dinosaur Museum. We went here last summer with Joshy and he loved it. Turns out, he loved it again. We had a picnic on the lawn afterwards (Nathan put all his grapes and carrots in an empty water bottle and thought it was the coolest trick!) and then went to an ice cream parlor where we shared a huge banana split. It was a really fun day.

My mom fed Nathan M&M's throughout the musuem to help him behave
My mom and Ryan

Ryan had to make sure to capture the "fish" so we would know where we took the picture!

The reason this picture is so far away is because of the huge brontosaurus neck way above our heads!

Yep, we built that dinosaur all by ourselves

Handsome man

There are some really cool dinosaur bones here!

Isn't he the cutest?

Family Photo...ahhh! Shark.

My Sweet Grandma

2010-10-25T20:59:00.003-07:00

A trip to Utah wouldn't be complete without visiting my BEAUTIFUL 96 year old Grandma. I love her more than anything!!

Grandma with my stinker boys.

Chuck E. Cheese

2010-10-25T20:44:00.005-07:00

We had a Porter Family Reunion at Chuck E. Cheese. It was such a smart place for a reunion with young kids. Those Porters sure know how to use their noggins. It was a blast. Joshy looked forward to it all week and didn't want the night to end. Nathan had fun as well, especially on the little carousel.

Aunt Kim and Curtis
Aunt Leeann and Charity

Aunt Ashley, Wyatt, Shelly, Melissa, Grandpa and Grandma

Aunt Ashley and Wyatt

There's that carousel!

He doesn't want to part

Beautiful twins Jaden and Courtney Jo

Playing on Grandpa's Harley

This is my favorite picture ever. I have such great in-laws!!

Hertitage "This is the Place" Park

2010-10-25T20:14:00.005-07:00

Heritage Park is one of my favorite places to go in Utah. They have so many kid-friendly activities and it is just fun!

Ryan and Joshy on the "boat"
We panned for gold!

So sweet of Nathan and Grandma

More gold is being found!

We took our gold to the bank and they gave us salt water taffy. Yum.

Teepees!

Cutest pictures

Our family

Train ride around the lake

Riding horses around the stable

Petting the sheep and goats. This is my most favorite thing. I love how they let your right in the stable. I think I would have been a fantastic shepherd!

Seriously how precious is that?

Barnum & Bailey Circus

2010-10-21T09:48:00.008-07:00

My favorite parts were the acts. The motorcycles that went around in the ball was amazing. The stilt jumpers were so talented and also the balance beam jumpers. Apparently these people are from all over the world; specifically Europe.

They had a few "funny acts" for the kids; clowns & silly costumes. They did the classic "12 clowns in a tiny car" act. It was the best one.

Me and the boys before the show began

Daddy and Nathan entertaining each other

The beginning of the show. The conductor sang opera throughout the performance.

All the entertainers!

5 girls squished in a box

Here are 5 videos of what I thought was the best part of the circus:

This is a video of the beam jumpers. They were pretty cool.

This is a video of the motorcycles riding around in a ball. They were fantastic to watch (my personal favorite part of the show!)

This one is a little slow, but it's a total FAIL! Not even close!!

I love these guys on stilts. They are so talented! Worth the wait on this one.

The last act was the trampoline bouncers.

Porter Cousins

2010-10-21T09:42:00.003-07:00

Hanging out with cousins. Is there anything better?

Josh, Courtney, and Jaden
Josh, Nathan, Jaden, Wyatt, Courtney, and Claire playing at Grandma's house

Aunt Ashley giving Joshy a haircut. Best quote from Joshy, "I like my hair dry"...while she was wetting his hair. :)

It's always fun to be with Great-Grandma Porter!

Jungle Jim's Playland

2010-10-21T09:14:00.003-07:00

Most of the pictures that we took here were blurry, but we had a good time. The boys loved the rides; they were just the right size for them. One day we'll make it to Disneyland or Lagoon. But until then, Jungle Jims will do!

Nance Family Fun

2010-10-17T10:09:00.002-07:00

Monday Nance Night: Yummy homemade dinner (from my mom's fresh garden!), a visit from Aunt Mindy (& her brand new truck!), wii tennis/bowling, and root beer floats!

Beautiful new truck! It's a jaw-dropping "wow" vehicle.
My handsome daddy and my sweetest big boy

Aunt Mindy with her 2 nephews

Gotta love that Sunny dog.

Wheeler Farm

2010-10-17T09:53:00.006-07:00

I just love Wheeler Farm. It's such a fun & beautiful place and it's basically free. My mom, me, and the kids went and visited one afternoon.

What's more fun than chasing geese?
They are sure friendly guys!

My mom and the boys

Cute Nathan on the tractor

All Joshy wanted to do was play on the tractors...

Joshy giving us a ride...

Cuties

The Farm Playhouse was a big hit!

Joshy milking a cow!

My mom milking a cow! She thought this was pretty cool.

Me milking ole' Bessie. It was actually really quite fun.

Motorcycles aka Tricycles

2010-10-17T09:50:00.001-07:00

The boys riding Grandma's "motorcycles" around the cul-de-sac.

Porter Cousins Family BBQ

2010-10-15T15:40:00.004-07:00

Porter Family BBQ: September 2010

Dallin (look at that high jump!), Joshy, we'll say Courtney (she's a twin), Claire, and Charity
Shelly, LeeAnn, Ashley and her hubby Kyle

LeeAnn and her beautiful daughter Casey taking pictures of the Herriman fire

Claire, Nathan, Dallin, and Courtney

Courtney (or maybe I should say Jaden just in case), Joshy, Charity, Dallin, and Claire

Kim (not me, my sister-in-law) had a brilliant idea to make Cafe' Rio style burritos made with a steak salad recipe I gave her a while back. It was one of the best dinners I think I've ever eaten. Topped with a caramel brownie that my mother-in-law made. My mouth is watering just thinking about it!

It was really fun. Everyone was there, including husbands, except for Melissa who had to work. The kids had a blast being cousins and we had fun talking, exchangin stories and laughing. We miss Utah and can't wait to be there permanently again to get to know each other even better. It was a very pleasant evening.

Herriman Fire

2010-10-15T15:30:00.003-07:00

The Sunday that we hung out in Herriman, there was a HUGE fire on the mountain. When we first saw the smoke, it was around 2:00. The sun was bright fire red. You can see it in the picture below.

Then at the BBQ around 5:00, you could start to see the flames.
A closer picture

Look how high they were by the time we left around 7:00

It was pretty scary. Many people were evacuated from their homes (thank goodness only 2 houses burnt down). It was the Top Story on the news that night. We felt kinda special that we were there to witness it.

Chasin' Chickens

2010-10-15T15:18:00.004-07:00

On our first Sunday in Utah, we visited Ryan's longtime childhood friend, James, his wife Melissa, and their 4 girls. Even though James and Ryan are the same age, their kids are quite a bit older than ours (range from 13 to 2). They bought these chickens years ago for their children so that they could have "responsibilities". When they lay eggs, they sell them to the neighbors. They also feed, clean, and upkeep them. Pretty smart parents, right? I'd say so as their 4 girls are pretty amazing.

Yes, Joshy has a rock in his hand about to throw it at a chicken. Oh, what to do with boys?

J holding the chicken. He thought this was really cool.

Nate and their little girl Grace playing in the chicken water....gross.

A flock of chickens....isn't it a flock of eagles?

James and Melissa...2 cool cats. We can't wait to move back home and hang out more. They are so much fun!!

Camping at the Property

2010-10-10T20:35:00.006-07:00

Ryan's parents bought some gorgeous property up in Pleasant View, Utah. It is a place where they go camping. They have an ATV where we went for a ride and slept in their trailor after roasting hotdogs for dinner. It is such a beautiful place and we got to see the leaves changing colors. We had a lot of fun camping with them and seeing where they spend their weekends. We hope one day to build a family cabin here.

Porter Picture

The kids loved sitting in this vehicle...it's where they ate their dinner

Nathan's first experience with fire

Father and Son
Kids eating breakfast

Grandpa cooking us a delicious breakfast

Boys swinging in the hammock

The boys "dancing" on the stage

Plain Old Update

2010-09-10T22:59:00.002-07:00

I've been pretty busy lately. It seems like there are a million things on my mind everyday and I have a million things to do. It's crazy and I'm glad I have a dayplanner to write things down or else my mind would explode. But all is well. I am still the Relief Society Secretary in my ward and it seems like I'm always working on something for that. I am still running and lifting weights. I haven't lost any weight because I like to eat, but I always feel so much better after I workout. I am training for Bisbee 1000 in October which I did last year. It is a 5K plus 1000 steps which ends up being a 10K. I'm looking forward to it.

Joshy started Joy School this past month that goes throughout the year. He likes it a lot. It is Tuesday/Thursday for 2 1/2 hours each time. He gets to play with friends, sing songs, do crafts, and learn about different subjects. This month is on bodies and he is enjoying that. He came home telling me all about his "hinges". He is the oldest of the group and the only boy. But that doesn't seem to bother him in the least. And all the girls want to dance with him. I am very proud to say that he is now reading. I can open just about any picture book and he can read the page with maybe 2-3 words he needs help with. He has an incredible memory and when I tell him what something says once, it sticks in his head forever. I imagine that is how Ryan's brain works as well. He loves trains right now and can play in him room alone for hours at a time (when Nathan is asleep and not bothering him). He loves Nathan and he is always the first thing he mentions in his prayers that he is thankful for. He also very much enjoys his Sunbeam teachers (Brother and Sister Barrett) who do so much for their little class. His all time favorite thing to do is swim. He is without floaties now and is getting better. He made huge improvements over the summer and we are proud of him. He also loves going to the Children's Museum and basically any errand that gets him out of the house. Although he is vey content wherever he is. He is very smart and asks all sorts of questions; right now he is interested in places and maps. He wants to know where everyone who moves lives & where beaches are located and where his cousins and grandparents live. I just adore Josh. But he is loud and has a lot of energy. He tends to wear me down.

I posted about Nathan on his birthday post below.

Ryan is busy as before. Because one of the 2nd years moved programs, he didn't get the break his 3rd year promised him because now he has to do home call. Plus his year has to do the ONC rotation (100 hours +) all 4 years which is a rotation that lasts 3 months at a time. They made that decision a few months ago. Awful. He was heartbroken and wanted to switch programs but in the long run it would've cost too much money and would have added a year. So we are suffering through it and trying to have a good attitude. On his time home, he spends it playing with the boys, reading books, playing games, and baking. He is such a good man and I continue to feel blessed to have found and married him.

So, that's that. A little glimse into our life right now. Overall, life continues to be good to us. We love our new van. :)

Happy Happy Birthday Nathan Dear!

2010-09-10T22:38:00.005-07:00

Our "Big Guy" is now 2 years old. He is such a sweetheart. He gets the best cuddler ever award and the sweetest voice award. He is an incredible talker (4-5 word sentences) and knows most of his ABC's. He can also count to 20. He loves loves loves to sing. We hear the Alphabet song about a hundred times a day. He loves Elmo/Elmo's World and making messes and then "cleaning up". He is a great eater and loves crackers, toast, chocolate milk, and cookies the best. He is very shy and won't give a stranger a smile for a million dollars (but possibly candy). He likes playing peek-a-boo & hide-and-go-seek with Joshy. He is starting to make friends. His first friend is Ashley Gamett and he asks to go to her house to play almost every day. He is my darling and I don't know what I'd do without my love bug. Happy Birthday Big Guy.

For his Birthday he got an Elmo doll/Elmo sticker book/Elmo movies (2) from Grandma and Grandpa Nance. He got $$ (which we used to buy the toolset) from Grandma and Grandpa Porter. Thanks for the great birthday gifts!

Sports: Skills Night & Banquet

2010-09-10T22:28:00.004-07:00

Josh participated in Itty Bitty Sports again at the YMCA. They taught them skills in soccer, football, and baseball. Nathan went to all of Josh's games and "participated" in his own toddlerish way.

At the skills ceremony, Josh hit the baseball...

Ran to catch it and placed it in the coordinated colored hoop...

Grabbed the football with the "eagle's grip" and ran in and out of the cones...

Then kicked the soccer ball in the goal!

He did awesome.

Here is a picture of his team and coaches. We had a delicious banquet after the "awards ceremony".

The Big 3-5

2010-09-10T22:17:00.003-07:00

Ryan's Birthday came and went. He had a quiet birthday (which he prefers) with birthday cake, and a family night of bowling. (Note: Never take a 2 year old bowling; it ruins the experience!) My present to him was taking him to the store and letting him pick anything he wanted. It was bliss to him. :) Thanks for me money from my mom and the giftcard from Ryan's mom. It made it even more sweet.

Happy Birthday to a great husband, father, and overall person. I love my man.

Apple Annie's --- Pickin' Peaches

2010-07-31T17:21:00.006-07:00

We went to Apple Annie's Orchard today. It is in Willcox, Arizona, which is about 1 1/2 hours (east?) of Tucson. It was a lot of fun driving down in our new wagon. And the boys (particulary Ryan) very much enjoyed picking and eating the peaches. We got about 25 pounds worth & will be making loads of homemade peach jam along with peach cobbler and peaches & cream. We also got to ride around the farm on a trailor connected to a tractor, Nate slipped & fell down in the mud & we bought peach licorice made by the Amish. That was Josh's favorite part of today (and mine, too.) Enjoy the pictures. They were fun to take.

New Wheels!

2010-07-25T22:07:00.002-07:00

We bought a new (used) mini-mini van. It's a Mazda 5 Sports Wagon. 2008; 40,000 miles. We bought it from Enterprise and it is so cute. It drives really well & we have more room! It is dark gray with a blue hue. Interior is black. We love it! Our friend Mike Spear (from our ward) really helped us out by haggling our interest rate & finding a bank willing to loan us money. Also thank you to Ryan's parents who helped us with the down payment. We are so blessed.

P.S. I know the images are dark, I'll try to take some better ones later this week.

Petting Reptiles

2010-07-25T21:58:00.003-07:00

We saw that Bookmans was showing off reptiles one day, so we went down to check it out. We got to see and pet a lizard, turtle, and snake. It was pretty cool! Josh loved it and was very attentive during the presentation. Nate was a pill. :) But it was fun nonetheless!

We also went home with 5 used books. Bookmans is smart. We just can't pass by good book deals! We got The Fire Cat, which was one of my most favorite books as a child. Also 2 Berenstein Bears books, The Hair Book, and The Eye Book. Fun!

Josh also planted a pea seed and decorated a flower pot to put it in on the way out. It was a good adventure. Who knew Bookmans was so cool?

*Sorry, no lizard picture. My camera was too slow to capture the moment.

Homemade Photo Shoot

2010-07-25T21:48:00.003-07:00

We tried to do this homemade photo shoot for my father-in-law's birthday present (Sheryl, mums the word) and it is fine, but not good enough. So, we'll have to go to a professional, I'm afraid. But Joshy had a blast being a model & was a great sport. Nate, on the other hand, was not a happy camper. But we did manage 2 cute pics of him. Enjoy!

P.S. Can you guess the theme?

Summertime

2010-07-11T20:44:00.007-07:00

Oh what do you do in the summertime when all the world is green? (Well, except for Tucson...)

The Porter family does this:

Tucson Children's Museum! We got a $25 pass through the end of December and try to go once a week. My boys LOVE it.
Rope Course

The submarine is Joshy's favorite. He loves pretending he is saving animals that are trapped underneath the water (can we say Diego?)

Nathan loves the stuffed animals. They have a whole "vet" area. The kids can wash/dry their animals, give them haircuts, x-rays, vaccines...etc. It's adorable.

The train area!

Splash Pad! Nate found this pink balloon & had a blast getting it wet.

Yep, he's still got that umbilical hernia...

Nathan chillaxin' at the museum sandbox

Josh loves playing in the sandbox outside the museum. They have really fun sandtoys and trucks.

More museum madness

Nathan is our daredevil! He loves sliding down slides.

Joshy insisted on wearing his goggles while running through the splash pad.

Swim swim swim in our pool. About 2-3 times a week. The only thing that keeps us cool!

making cookies with mom

best part is licking the spoons!

Fourth of July watching the fireworks at a local park. It was a fun weekend.

Daddy with his 2 favorite boys

Adorable in every way! Love this boy!

Sweet Boys

2010-06-20T21:26:00.003-07:00

Oh my boys. I love them dearly, dearly, dearly.

Nathan is so darn cute. He started to sing "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star", "Old McDonald" and the Alphabet song. I have tried to catch it on tape, but he always stops when I get the camera out. One of these days I'll do it. But it just melts my heart. And he does it randomly. I also taught him the NKOTB song, "The Right Stuff". That one cracks me up. He is trying to learn his letters, and occasionally will get one right!

Joshy is just a little questionaire. Constantly asking "why?" I do my best to try to explain things. Most of the things is asks "why" about, however, is "why" he isn't allowed to do certain things (ie: hit brother, step on flowers, dance when the neighbor is home below us). He is also starting to read and is doing quite well. I am proud of my little smarty pants boy. He has a good imagination and loves to pretend he is in a rocketship, boat, car...etc exploring the world. It's quite cute.

I'm a lucky mama. They are good boys (for the most part).

Carnival & Fingerpainting

2010-06-20T21:17:00.002-07:00

We went to the YMCA Carnival last weekend. It was fun (and really cheap!) with short lines (if any). The kids rode the train, jumped in the bouncy castle a few times, ate treats & popcorn and played a few games. It was a fun family evening. Have I mentioned how much I love the YMCA? Seriously, you should join.

My boys don't take their pictures together very well, unfortunately, and so I sometimes give up and don't take a lot of pictures anymore. But Joshy woke up one morning and wanted to paint. He doesn't really like doing "artsy" things, so whenever he says stuff like that, I jump at the chance! Alas, I didn't get a pic of him, but I did of my adorable Nathan!

My 32nd Birthday

2010-06-20T20:58:00.003-07:00

Our camera's battery was dead on my birthday, so you're stuck with this picture instead of the one with me blowing out the "3" and "2" on my cake (we were lucky, these were from Josh's 2nd and 3rd birthdays).

I seriously can't believe that I am 32. I never thought that I'd get this old and it came by so quickly. I have to remind myself quite often that Ryan and I had a late start. Most Morman women have kids that are at least 6 or 8 years old by now. Or even older. And my oldest is just 4. And that's hard sometimes, especially after losing Matthew and thinking that he would be 6 1/2 years old by now. I sure miss him. But Ryan and I got married a little older than most LDS people as well and Ryan took a break from school for 3-4 years which puts us behind career wise, too.

I really am excited to be finished with residency. 2 more years, 2 more years, 2 more years. And I am trying hard to make each day good and memorable for me and the boys. But then I remind myself that I am 32 and I get discouraged that we aren't in a house, aren't making much money, and will owe about 200,000$$ in student loans when we're finished. That's so discouraging. I guess I need another lesson in enjoying the moment.

I am currently trying to sublet our apartment. Many of you know (from Facebook) that my downstairs neighbor basically hates us. And I don't blame him. He is a bachelor who stays out late and works night shifts. He also has an unpredictible schedule. My kids are up early and are loud with their mouths and their feet. I am constantly looking out the window to see if he is home because we are home ALL THE TIME. He complained about us about a month ago and we got a 10 day warning that if we didn't resolve our issues of loudness, we would be kicked out. So, I'm hoping someone sublets our apartment. I put it up on Craig's List, so we'll see. If we do get it (cross your fingers), we will rent a house. And it would be the end of apartments for us, forever.

So, that's that. My frustrations and all. But I want to leave on a happy note saying that I know that I am very blessed by my Heavenly Father. I know that he watches over me and my family. I know that I am loved by many people and I hope to be a better person because of these things. I love my husband and my sons very much. They are my life and I am so grateful to have them. I know there are many people who wish for and hope for what I have and that I take it for granted sometimes. I really just hope to be a better and happier person and live my life in a way that will make Heavenly Father proud of me. And thus, I will be proud also.

If you stuck in this long, you deserve a medal. Thanks.

Grandma & Grandpa Porter Visit!

2010-06-20T20:48:00.002-07:00

The boys had a lot of fun seeing their Grandma and Grandpa Porter at our home in Arizona. We didn't do a whole lot (the range of temperature was 103-107 their entire trip), but the boys had a lot of books read to them! We did watch a few movies, went to the mall, and went swimming in our pool. The biggest bonus was that they babysat for us twice. Once on the eve of my birthday and the other so we could attend the temple in Mesa (an 8 hour day without kids!) We are so glad they came to visit. The boys especially loved getting to know them better & all the many presents that they received. Thank you!

Gila Valley Open House & The THING

2010-05-22T17:53:00.004-07:00

Going to the Gila Valley Temple open house was fun. It's a very small temple, but it's beautiful inside. The chandelier was unbelievable. I will never forget it. Joshy really enjoyed being inside the temple, as well. I'm glad we got to share that experience with him.

On the way home, we kept seeing billboard signs about "The Thing". So we stopped off at the Dairy Queen/gas station/souvenier shop/The Thing and got a bite to eat. After we decided to pay the $2.00 and go see what all the excitement was about.

Check out the last picture if you want to know what it was. Kinda creepy, I think. But I bought a magnet made from rock that says, "The Thing" which is pretty cool.

Nathan at 21 months

2010-05-22T17:43:00.003-07:00

I love little Nathan Porter. He is adorable and has my heart.

He is quiet most of the time and has a small voice. But he is a good talker. He is saying 2-3 word sentences now. And can imitate just about any word.

He likes to use his hands to figure things out. I'm willing to bet he'll like to "tinker" like his dad when he's older and will probably love video games.

He doesn't like TV.

He is independent. Likes to do things himself such as brush his teeth, walk up/down stairs...etc.

He isn't messy. Josh is and it's a nice change. :)

He cries a lot. He is starting to get into the Terrible Two's and this kid can throw a tantrum like no other. He has a very loud cry. Oh, goody.

Mother's Day 2010

2010-05-22T17:27:00.003-07:00

My boys did a great job this past Mother's Day. They made me breakfast (German pancakes), gave me See's chocolates and the Percy Jackons & the Olympians book series. Later that day, we went to the Duck Park. So fun! Thanks, boys. I love you so much.

Dress Up

2010-05-22T17:19:00.003-07:00

Joshy loves to play dress up nowadays. Here are some fun pictures of him and his friend, Gracie having fun. Enjoy

Zoo Pics

2010-05-22T17:13:00.002-07:00

Anxiously awaiting to leave for the zoo!

Petting a snake

Nate playing in the Zoo Splash Zone

Easter 2010

2010-05-22T17:00:00.002-07:00

Yes, I realize how late this post is. And it's quite a boring one, as well. But I wanted ya'll to know that we did celebrate Easter this year. The Easter Bunny hid Easter Eggs all over the house and the boys found them all day long and ate every late piece of candy that Sunday. They loved it. They also got Easter baskets filled with a few goodies (non-candy items). We also dyed eggs the Saturday before and ate egg salad sandwiches for lunch that afternoon. Yum! Thanks Easter Bunny.