Alas, just when you think you have everything under control...

Well, I have to say, yesterday was a great day. I was so productive. The house was clean, the boys stuck to their schedule like clockwork, I talked to some of my favorite people and Jake came home from work early. The night before I prayed so hard for help to feel more like things were within managed chaos, and it really helped. Plus, it prepared me for today. Back to the drawing board. Schedules all over the place, Ty won't sleep... but at least the house is still clean. Isn't life funny? I think that I have come to the realization that the reason you have days both ways is to enjoy the journey. One day they won't be this age anymore..in fact tomorrow they won't be...and I will miss it. I am grateful for the love of my Heavenly Father who knows me perfectly. I just keep reminding myself something that my sister said, "I am living my dream." I truly wouldn't want it any other way...even if from 2:30 am to 5:30 am I got 20 minutes of sleep! They are my angels and I am so grateful they are my family. I am so blessed. As a side note, when I finally got back in bed this morning at 5:30 I said a little prayer begging for just 2 more hours of sleep, knowing that without them I would be a scary sight of unravelling emotions, and 2 1/2 hours later Luke woke me up. Thank heavens for tender mercies.

Visit From Grandpa

We were so lucky this weekend to have a visit from Grandpa Burt. We were only able to have 24 hours together, but we really enjoyed our time. Luke LOVES his Grandpa-(or Ye-Ye, as he calls him, that is Grandpa in Chinese. He learned this from his new favorite show, Ni-hao Kai-lan.) Thanks Dad, for making the effort to come and see us. We love you.

Wild Man

The other night Luke put his sweatshirt over his head and said "ROARR!! I'm a Lion!" So funny. So I whipped out the camera. Had to share.
His other favorite animals to impersonate...a monkey (as he scales the couch), a frog (ribbiting all around the house) or a koala (as he climbs on my back.) I love to see his imagination at work.

Our Little "Music Man"

I had to share Luke's current obsession. Instruments!! He has a Baby Einstein movie called "Meet the Orchestra" that he loves to watch. But it isn't enough to just watch it, he has to pretend to play all of the instruments. The other day he picked up a medicine dropper/plunger of Ty's and began to play it like it was a flute. Then he found these plastic toys of Ty's and began to crash them together. He said, "look Mama, symbols." This gave me an idea. So Luke and I went around the house and found things that we could make into intruments. He now carries these with him from room to room. Plus he knows all of their names. Drums, tuba, flute, clarinet, violin, trombone, trumpet, symbols. And if you watch the movie with him he can name almost anything. He also identifies instruments that he hears in music that we listen to and on T.V. and other movies. It is so cute. Music really inspires him. He loves to dance and he LOVES to sing. All of his nursery leaders comment on how many songs he knows and how well he sings them he knows the words and he actually, truthfully sings on key-we all know he didn't get that from me. This morning was the best. We were all in the family room (Jake hadn't left for work yet) and Luke was watching one of his favorite shows,"Ni-hao, Kai-lan", and he was singing along to one of the songs. But instead of singing the words that he knew, he inputed the names of his instruments he was playing with. So instead of singing "Calm, calm, down" he sang, "trumpet, tuba, trombone" but to the tune of the song. Jake and I cracked up laughing. It was adorable. We are really trying to foster his love of music. As you can imagine it makes his Daddy very happy to see Luke gravitate to something he loves so much.

My Valentine Present

Jake brought this back for me from the Chicago Institute of Art.

Our "Tyger" is teething

Well I have spoken to some of you reguarding my frustration that Ty has stopped sleeping through the night. Well I think that we figured it out. Besides the fact that I think that his sleeping patterns were changing again, the poor kid is cutting his first tooth! I wondered if he was teething because he kept biting me when he was nursing. But he just seemed so young to be really teething. I hated to just give him medicine on the off chance, but I guess I should have followed my gut. Sure enough you can see that little white tip. It is his bottom left tooth (next to the two middle ones). Our poor little Tyger! Tyger is his nickname from Daddy-and boy has it stuck! Luke only calls him Baby Ty or Tyger. I am not sure he knows his name is just Ty. Anyway, so now with some Tylenol and a little schedule adjustment we are back on track.

This picture was taken a few weeks ago. He is growing so much-I can't believe it!

Happy Valentines Day!

I had to post today. I love Valentines Day. That may seem weird. But I just really love it. Even before I had someone to share it with, I always liked it. I am just a sentimental hopeless romantic I guess. But I don't think that it is just about romantic love. I think that it is a day to celebrate all the special people our lives.

So Happy Husband, Son, Sister, Best Friend, Mother, Father, Grandparents, Niece and Nephew Day!!!!!!!!!!! I love you all!!

Top Ten Love Movies

I thought that it would be fun if I jotted down my top 10 favorite love movies/romantic comedies/chick flicks....
10.Pride and Prejudice-Kiera Knightly version
9.Meet Joe Black-(I am sure you think that this is weird, but I loved this movie because it had all sorts of different types of love in it. It also has a bad scene, so I have only seen it once, but the message of the movie on real love I thought was great.)
8.The Notebook-(I really loved this one, but it has a scene in it that is too much, so for this reason I won't buy it, but I have to mention it because I still loved it)
7.Sleepless in Seatle
6.While You Were Sleeping
5.Somewhere in Time
4.The Holiday
3.Enchanted
2.An Affair to Remember
1.Pride and Prejudice-5 hour edition with Colin Firth

Honorable mentions: The Way We Were, Hitch, Runaway Bride, 13 goin on 30, Ever After, Return to Me, That Thing You Do.
Some of these are movies that I could watch over and over because they are funny and sweet, others are just moving-in my opinion.
Now-tag, you're it!!!! Holly, Heidi, Heather, Kristen, Sarah. I want to hear your favorites-maybe I can get some new ones to try out.

I love FHE

I have been meaning to post about this for several weeks, but just finally have gotten to it. I have to say that I love having family home evening. It has been a goal of ours to make sure that we are having it every week. Before the first of the year it was sporatic, but since we haven't missed a week yet. I LOVE IT! Luke is so fun. He will go and get his little chair and sit on it when we tell him we are doing family night. Jake and I trade off doing the lesson and activity. I love teaching Luke simple gospel principles. Then we try to teach him a new primary song that goes with the lesson. He now sings "Nephi's Courage" and "Follow the Prophet".I really look forward to Mondays because I know that we will be doing something fun that we all enjoy. One week we taught Luke to play hide-and-seek. Sometimes we will rent a kid friendly movie like "Meet the Robinsons" or this week we watched the "Aristocats". Another week we filmed Luke with all the songs that he can sing. Then we always have a special treat. I love it because it is fun, but it really does change the atmosphere in our home. I am grateful for this inspired council.

Thanks Heather

I just wanted to give credit where credit is due. My sister Heather made my great header. Awesome huh? Thanks Heather.