cutest brothers EVER!

We are so lucky and grateful that our little ones LOVE each other so much! I love watching them interact with each other and play together. They have many similar likes and their personalities are such that they seem to balance each other out so well. And they just laugh at each other for the silliest things.

They really are just cute, cute brothers and love to be with each other. I think Lincoln has always been in awe with Grant and the idea of being a big brother. He is such a good big brother and loves to play with Grant, teach him, help him, share with him, and protect him. And Grant generally just wants to do whatever Lincoln does.

We recently moved them into the same room (which is going much smoother than I expected) tonight when we put them to bed, Grant was crying a little. When Brandon went in to check on them, Lincoln was up trying to find Grant's pacifier and explaining that Grant couldn't find it so he could go to sleep. He is often so sweet and helpful to "his Grant."

A couple of weeks ago they were playing and Lincoln put his little arm around him and said, "Your my favorite brother Grant. You're my friend." He freely gives him hugs and kisses and says,"I love my Grant."

I hope they will always be friends and love to be with each other. I think they are the cutest brothers ever!

Generally for lunch the boys have a little "picnic" and watch a show while they eat their sandwich. Grant usually is in the highchair, but on this particular day when I brought the towel for Lincoln to sit on, Grant just came and sat right by him. It was too cute to have to put him in his highchair. He was so excited to sit by Lincoln instead of in the highchair.

My little share boy!

Just playing around...they love to "tackle" each other.

This is Lincoln's "favorite brother!"

This picture was when Grant was only 2 or 3 months old. It is one of my favorite pictures of the boys together. It just makes me smile! :)

So much to be thankful for...

Thanksgiving was so fun and yummy! Brandon had a little bit of an easier schedule that week...well, he just didn't have classes. So overall we were able to spend quite a bit more time than usual together (so thankful for that)! We went to my parent's house for the weekend and was able to see and spend time with them as well as my older brothers and their families and my younger brother too! (We missed seeing my sister and her family though.) Brandon made his delicious turkey and everyone chipped in for all the traditional sides...yum! I am thankful for family! :)




As we were getting ready for our Thanksgiving trip, I decided I wanted to try a 5k again, this time without a stroller full of boys! :) I did it on a chilly Thanksgiving morning! Since I'm still fairly new to this running bit, so my goal was simply to run the race (no walking) and to finish in less then 40 minutes. I did it! :) I'm thankful for health and for Brandon being so supportive as I have been trying to get more healthy and pick up this little hobby.



Through out the month of November, I tried to help Lincoln focus on gratitude by making a turkey and adding a feather a day with something we are thankful for. By Thanksgiving week, the turkey was still a little bare so we finished it together for FHE. These were some of the things Lincoln came up with, some with a little help from us as well....
I am thankful for --- bananas - treats - Mommy - Daddy - Daddy's school - our happy home - our Christmas tree - temples - Grandparents - flowers - Lincoln - family - snow - football - church - "Googs" (Grant) - Jesus - "din-din" - toys - "hard-working Mommy"!

Lincoln was so excited to play with cousins, I think that is probably one of his favorite things to do. He just thinks cousins are so cool! :) The cousins that were with him the most for thanksgiving are all at least 2 years older than him. They still played together so good and fun. It was so nice that they were happy to include and play with Lincoln. He loved being able to wrestle and play football with the "big, big boys!" I know that Lincoln is thankful for cousins! :)


Little Grant was also excited to see cousins, especially "Rob-Rob!" He had the biggest smile on his face when he finally saw him! His older cousin Meghan was by his side non-stop. It was so nice to have her help so much with Grant, she did a great job! He was very content to just hang out with her and play with her. Grant is so thankful for cousins too! :)


Thanksgiving night we were talking about "black friday" deals over pumpkin pie. Brandon was looking through a flyer and found a sit and spin toy on sale. (I had been looking to get one of these for our boys for a couple of months now.) He pointed it out...the ad showed the toy for $9.99...I was so excited - I had a $10 off coupon! :) We went out and got the normally $30 toy paying only $ .67! That's right, I'm thankful for $ .67! :)


While we were there, we took advantage of having so much family with us and left the boys with cousins and grandparents and went to the temple! We ended up going to the Jordan River Temple and while we were there, I remembered that my visitor's center director from my mission was now the temple president there. His schedule was such that we were able to stop in, say hello and visit with him for a little bit. It was a wonderful experience to be in the temple that day with my love and to be able to visit with an old friend. I am so thankful for the temple, for Brandon, and for Elder Chamblerlain and the lessons I learned from him so many years ago!

And I am especially and always thankful for a loving Heavenly Father, which provides me with all of these blessings and so many, many more.

snow.donuts.hot chocolate

This is still a catch-up post, because this was also about a month or so ago (although, it is snowing again now)!

Brandon got the boys all bundled up and took them to play in the snow! Lincoln thought it was so much fun to run and fall in the snow (even though there wasn't a lot of snow). I think Grant wasn't so sure about being all bundled up...snow pants and a coat didn't let him move much! Once the boys came in, we all had yummy donuts and hot chocolate to warm up.

Lincoln had been asking to make donuts for a couple of weeks...I've never made donuts before, but I saw an idea to use the pre-made buttermilk biscuits for easy "home-made" donuts. It was so easy and yummy! Just use the oil lid to cut out the center fry them up and put a little powder sugar on it...add Stephen's hot chocolate and you have a fun little snowy day treat! :) This just may become a little first official snow day tradition!

My Own Personal Chef!

This actually happened about a month and a half ago, but as I was looking through pictures and saw these, I chuckled again to myself as I remembered cute little Lincoln that night. I had to record what happened...

Many of the weeknights this semester Brandon is late at school or work so dinner is usually me and the boys. On this particular night, when it came time to make dinner, we headed to the kitchen and I asked out loud, "Hmmm, what should we make for dinner?" (As much as I know I should have our meals calendered out and organized, I usually don't. It just doesn't happen in my life right now.) Anyway, cute little Lincoln quickly said, "I know, noodles and meatballs! I will make it!" This is one of his very favorite dinners, so it didn't surprise me that he came up with this. He continued to go get a stool so he could get the noodles out of the cupboard and then the meatballs out of the freezer. While he was at the freezer, he pulled out some peas as well and said, "We need some veggies too." Without missing a beat Lincoln got out the pot and a spoon. He asked me to put his apron on and help him with the stove. Other than a little help from me, Lincoln whipped up a delicious dinner! He has repeated this several times since then as well.

Helping to cook or bake has always been something he has loved to do and he is such a little problem solver that this little experience didn't surprise me too much, it was a fun treat to watch him so intently stirring the noodles and being so careful with what he was making. I am one thankful Mama for this sweet boy and his willingness to always help and be involved. He is always full of energy and ideas and is so much fun! I love this sweet little guy!