Child and Family support center 5k race

Bryan writes a list of goals each year and one of his this year was to get the older boys to run a 5K with him.  I thought he was crazy and to find a little mile race for them to do.  After a few practice runs we signed them up for this race.  We have done a few things to support the Family and Child Support center (even do a video with the kids, Bryan and I for them) and we wanted to help.  The race happened to land on Brett's birthday but we did it anyway.  I got there just after the race started with the little boys and we hung out until the crossed the finish line.  Big Blue the mascot for USU was there and Brett LOVED him.  He ran right up to him and said "it's my birthday!" gave him a huge hug and giggled the entire time . 

 After the one mile race came though we wait a bit and the first 5K racer came.  He did it in 20 minutes.  Then a couple more older guys (early to late 20ies looking guys) went though.  Then I saw my little 9 and 7 year old with my husband in toe coming up.  Tyson was 4th and Blake 5th place overall! They even beat the overall girl for the 5K.  And they did it in just over 24 minutes.  I was so proud of them.

 Seriously who knew they were such great runners! Bryan was dripping with sweat and was tired too and he runs about 20 miles a week at least.    

I want my boys to know they can do hard things.  Not only did they do a hard thing (honestly I couldn't have ran this race even when I'm not pregnant) but they can rock at them too. 

Kylee Ann Photography Mommy giveaway.

I never win anything.  It's a fact.  The only couple of things I've won was because I had enough friends to vote for me but I've never been a luck of the draw kind of girl.  A local photographer I really love was doing a mommy giveaway where the first round you had to get the most likes on a picture on instagram.  So I tried to recruit as many of my and Bryan's friends as I could and for someone who has 200 followers on insta I was happy to get 90 or so likes on my photo.  I was sad to see other girls who had one little baby and were at least 10 years younger then me getting 100 likes within minutes because they have thousands of followers.  I crossed my fingers she would take pity on me since I was having my 5th boy and let me into the next round.  Well she did one better.  She let ALL the moms who entered have a mini shoot with her one Saturday (and mini being 5 mins) and she would give all the photos to them to put on the web.  I forgot to order a couple before her deadline (seriously where is my brain lately??) but at least I have these.  Bryan took the boys up flying with a coworker of his that morning and they almost missed my time slot.  I never get pictures with my boys and I really do think it's important that moms hopping in font of the camera with their kids.  Trust me I HATE it right now.  I've gained so much freaking weight this pregnancy that I don't like to be seen with my fat face. I kind of want to forget it ever happened.  But how many times do I get another photographer to get some awesome pics of me with my boys for free??  I had to jump on it. And bribe my boys.  

 She told the boys to tickle each other.  You know Tyson get gets into that.  That's a harder one for older boys to do then girls and look cute while doing it. But honestly it's a more realistic picture of them. 

 "Everyone give mom a hug!"

 Note to self Heather- Let me hair not cover my face and it doesn't look so fat!!! Why do I have to gain pregnancy weight in my FACE of all places??

 Look at Tyson looking at the camera? This kid never does that! I need to hire a photographer to do my next family pictures for sure.  They listen so much better to someone else.  I love this one of him and I.  He climbed on my lab just like the little boys.  It's hard to see him getting so old.  He is going to be a 4th grader soon and that to me is where they are really turning into tweens and not little boys.  =(

Now stinker Blake was the ONLY kid what would not get on my lab.  He was too cool. He has been too cool to sit and hug his mom for awhile now.  But at least he let me get a picture with him which is hard to do.  And doesn't he look HANDSOME?!?

I'm seriously going to treasure these photos forever.  I just love them.

Three year old Brett Photo Shoot

I'm starting to take pictures of other peoples kids a lot and I look at all wall of my outdated photos when I was just starting and feel bad.  I want some beautiful pictures of my boys too! So a couple of weeks before his birthday I took Brett up to the temple one Sunday evening and we took some pictures. 

The left photo is a face he was trying to pull that Bryan told him to do.

{My Favorite} 

The best part of the evening was spending some one on one time with my sweet little guy.  He loves to giggle and does it all the time.  He REALLY loves his daddy.  He gets so excited when Bryan comes home. Brett likes Nacho Libre the movie. Like a lot.  He is always wrestling.  Especially with Stockton.  Poor Stock will be minding his own business and here comes Brett trying to wrestle.  He is FINALLY potty trained! I waited a long time with him and finally one day he was running around naked (he does that a lot) and started to pee and stopped so I ran him into the bathroom and he went! So I started to push it and within two weeks he was pretty much potty trained.  He was so easy I'm so lucky.  I go every other kid with that.  First is hard second is easy and so on.  He thinks farts are so funny.  He is a good eater and loves spaghetti.  He loves to mow the lawn with dad and be outside on the tramp.  He could eat 100 otter pops.  His favorite place to eat is Fredricos pizza.  Curious George is his favorite little show and he loves Elmo and Mickey Mouse too.  Brett is still snuggly and loves to give big hugs. He has his moments but for the most part he is usually a happy little guy.

USU Child Lab

I was really nervous about sending Stockton to preschool.  I was worried about him being gone 4 days a week for 2 1/2 hours a time and how he would do.  He had never been away from me besides a little bit for church.  I was told he got into the USU child lab preschool (something you have to sign them up for as babies to get into) before I found out I was pregnant.  By the time I had to turn my paper work in I knew and I was SICK.  I was worried how I was going to be able to do this but I push ahead away.  Wow am I glad I did.  

He struggled at first.  They do a lot of stations for the first hour or so that they can come and go as they wanted to. This was prefect for him.  He had a hard time with the large group stuff but after a couple of weeks he did totally fine.  In fact he would ask everyday if he could go to preschool.  And be sad on the days he didn't have it.  Then I started seeing all the fun things he was doing there.  What a heaven sent preschool was! All afternoon while I was usually not feeling good he was learning and doing so many fun things I would have NEVER been able to do with him.  Especially being sick. He had his moment of something that was just for him and he loved it.  

The teachers loved him.  They loved how funny he is and all the things that he would say.  One day he got a little hurt and this sweet teacher kissed him better and let him go outside to calm down. He told her he didn't want to clean up toys so he wanted to stay outside until they were done.  Stinker.  He loved his journal.  I'm keeping that unless he finds it and does something with it.  It has all sorts of drawings in it mostly ghostbusters stuff.  His head teacher Camille told me whenever he is upset about something if they ask him about Disneyland he usually perks up.  He told him all about the haunted mansion, his favorite ride.  

They told me one of his favorite games was to be the person a the pretend store that worked the cash register.  He would really get into it.  Stock loves to pretend play and he plays well with other kids or by himself.  

On the day the pictures of the teachers were taken I was meeting with Camille about Stock.  A parent teacher conference she did with all the parents.  He had this silly darth vader hat on and I was laughing about it.  (we could see him behind the mirror but they couldn't see us) and she told me the day before he had it on ALL DAY.  He is so funny.  One teacher even told me not to tell anyone but Stock was her favorite.  =) Lets be honest she may have said that to all the parents but I'll pretend she just said it to me.  

 He insisted on wearing this tie to school one day. 

On the second to last day the class went to the willow park zoo and played at the park after.  I was so happy I felt well enough to at least meet them at the park with Brett.  Stockton loved it.  Even when it started to rain he didn't care.  He went right out into the rain and shouted "this is the best field trip ever!"

Left photo Stock painting (his favorite) at school. Right is Stock at his field trip in the rain.

I am SO HAPPY that they will let him go another semester.  They only let them go two semesters so he will be able to have one more.  It is a huge pain to drive him up there but after knowing how much he loved it and how much he got to do there it's so worth it.

First Family Fishing trip

I'll be honest. I don't go for the fishing.  I go to take pictures of my boys fishing.  They will always let me snap a photo with they are holding a fish they caught.  ALWAYS.  So I go.  And the location and the light did NOT disappoint! Not only that but all three boys (brett came but didn't fish) caught one.  So everyone left happy. 

Ty wouldn't take off his burger king hat we just got from dinner.  I actually love he left it on.  It must have been good luck because he caught the first fish.  

Stockton had never really caught a fish until this monster.  The time before when Bryan took him they almost got one and it got away just as they had it to the shore.  He told us he "was the fetching man!" and this was carpzilla.  

Then finally Blake caught something.  We were reeling him in to move him more by us and low and behold he had a fish on.  That happened later in the evening too but that one got away.  

Blake let me take this picture of him.  I sort of love it.  =)