"Ga-Noying"

Brandon

Brandon and Brian

Tyler

Tyler

Ethan "shopping with Mom"

Brandon doesn't love when I take pictures of him can you tell?

Ethan

In his FAVORITE red shorts

This is what Brandon has done to his part of the wall in his room.

So Brandon is constantly telling us what "ga-noys" him or who is "ga-noying". I think I am going to wet my pants everytime he says it. I love it so much that I don't want to correct him.

Others that I love right now are Ethan's "munch box" and his "school practice". He takes a lunch with him wherever we go each moring because he hardly eats anything for Breakfast and he is hungry. He takes his "cold munch" or his "munch box". He hears us talk about whether or not Tyler is going to be taking hot or cold lunch at school. His "school practice" is whatever he did that day because the other boys are at school and so why shouldn't he be? The older boys have both school and baseball practice so....last night he told us ALL about his baseball game. The other day we were at Brian's parent's house and they all went up to the golf course to play a little golf. They came back down for dinner and Ethan could not stop talking about his golf game. I mean it's hard to describe what it is like when this kid won't shut up. He talks constantly and demands your full attention so that you CANNOT have any other converstaions or even thoughts to yourself. He is so busy. He is however almost totally potty trained which is so nice! He is doing fairly well! The older boys have been really excited to help him and they have been a lot of help. They ask him all the time if he wants to go potty with them.

He now changes his clothes ALL day long into 20 different outfits which I hate. Brandon went through this stage as well and they both insist on basketball shorts and short sleeve T-shrits every day of the week rain, snow or shine. It's a fight always to get pants and coats on them. This use to frustrate me so much with Brandon so now that Ethan is doing it, I am more realxed but it is still annoying.

My neighbor wants to be a hairdresser and so has gotten a professional chair in her garage and she has all the stuff to cut the boys hair. I usually just use it and do it myself. So this morning I told Tyler and Brandon that we were going to go to the neighbors and use her proffessional chair this time to cut their hair. He looked at me and said, "But you aren't a proffessional hair dresser mom." Wow, is he already 13? I laughed so hard and he didn't understand why I thought he was so funny. After about 10 seconds he realized how clever that was and started to laugh with me. He is getting old and wise! He is doing really well at baseball and he loves it. Brandon is still waiting for the warm weather to arrive and stick around so he isn't so cold in T-ball. Me too. I watch from the car lately it has been so cold and windy.

Something the boys remembered the other day that I will share for the sake of not forgetting a funny story. I made Campbells regular old chicken noodle soup one time for Tyler when he was like 4. I set it in front of him and he started crying. I asked him what was the matter and he looked up at me and said, "it smells like a toot! I can't eat it." I thought I was going to die laughing, he just got mad at me.

Brandon the Baby Rocker 2006

We rediscovered this lately of Brandon when he was about 18 months. The other kids are neighbors at the time. I didn't get the best of the head banging, but I got some, and dang it's funny.

All Things Random

Someone wants to wear underwear!! He is sort of getting it, but I wonder. Today was pretty good.

Have you ever seen a cuter tush?

Or a more excited boy about his fire engine red UndieS?

Brandon had his annual Bike-a-thon at his preschool last week. This is his teacher Miss Betty, she is just a little bit old! She is great, has been teaching like.....forever.

This is his best friend and our neighbor SAM

It was not a race but Brandon couldn't be convinced.

Ethan on his trike that he LOVES!

Ethan helping in the kitchen, I usually have more help than I need from he and Brandon!

This is the entrance to the caves that we exlpored a couple of weeks ago. That is Brian and Brandon.

Here is Tyler with the beautiful scenery

Here is Crazy #1 and #2

This picture I took accidentally while playing with my camera but I love it. A nice day, the cul-de-sac that live on that I love and it looks like I might just be by myself for small moment.

This is a video that I took trying to get some words of Ethan talking on camera. He is so cute while he talks. (Ignore the things I am saying in the video, I am just trying to get him hammed up, I annoy myslef when I hear myself talking.)

So here are some cute stories as of "late". The boys went with Brian to Sonic Burger a couple of Saturdays ago and the older boys were asking for "purple slushies". Ethan wanted one too but his interpretation of it was "I want a BROWN FLUSHY!!!!" They were lauging so hard and of course Brian followed it with something like "we already did that earlier in the bathroom Ethan!" They told me the story after I got home and they could hardly tell it to me they were laughing so hard.

Brandon is pretty funny as you know and his thing lately is that things are "gannoying". He is always telling the things that are "gannoying", so funny. Some things we were remembering about him as a two year old are how he would tell me that he was poopy. He would come and yell "ah poo ah ah!" and pull at my leg. That would be how I would know to change him! He was a sinch to potty train because he did not like to be messy. Not to stay on a theme here but another funny thing he would say when he turned two was "Happy two!" "Happy poo!" He didn't talk much yet at that time so we were excited about even small things. Things have not changed by the way, he still mostly talks about those things.

Some things we were remembering about Tyler the other day before I never remember tem again is that he would say "the sky is off" when it would get dark. "My bum popped" when he would pass gas. He would also say "day doo" for thank you and "wa-ya" for water. (Kat, you will not forget those I know.)

Oh, I could go on and on about Ethan right now but it's hard to remember all the funny things he is doing right now. The video should show a lot of what he is like. He talks loud and constantly....I feel very rested when he naps....he wears me out.

Can't Believe I Forgot about THIS One

Yet another one...of Brandon the funny man.

Just in case you ever wondered what he did on the side lines...while he waits to go back in.

And a story about Ethan. We went to the doctor today becuase I have strep throat. Awesome. Anyway, our doctor is really cool and she saw us in the hallway as we were following the nurse to our room. The boys know this place really well. The whole family goes there. The doctor is really animated with the kids which I love, and she loudly exclaimed, "did you guys get your treats yet???" They get treats no matter why they are there. If they get shots, they get like double the treats, it is so great. There is a huge drawer filled with goodies and toys. Ethan and Brandon were with me but Ethan started going crazy when they opened it up. The whole office even the waiting room was aware that this little boy was getting "GUMMY BEARS!!!!!" and "MOOT NAKS!!!!" It was a little embarassing but mostly funny. The doctor and nurses were very entertained. As are most of the staff wherever we go publicly lately. We have decided that Ethan, due to the fact that he is the youngest we are guessing, is the LOUDEST child we have. My mom always says there is something about little boys....

Art Work

MY VALENTINE! Love this boy....Brandon. Love the other two as well though.

This is an example of his constant effort to spell his name perfectly. He was upset about this one due to the fact that he forgot the N but it shows how he has learned this year. Two months ago he could not do his name at all.

This is Brandon's family portait, we love it. Notice mom (me) in the middle with "gill hair"

Tyler brings these home once each day. In any free time at school he makes these tribute papers to LeBron James.

Caving and Basketball

Brian and Ethan Dad and the boys entering the cave

Tyler

Brandon and his friend Braiden

Tyler and his friend Blaine

Tyler and Brian playing at the last practice

So Brian's sister and her boyfriend John are on missions for our church. He is in Paraguay and she is in Missouri. I am writing them once a week and I think I will just paste those letters here and it will be like a journal for me. I like to tell them funny stories that I can think of that happen with the boys because they were around so much before they left...

To my two favorite Missionaries!
Hi kids, thanks for all your letters. You should see me eyes how they are so glued to the screen when I read your letters. I am SO interested in the exciting things you are doing! Things sound great for both of you I am so glad. I hope this next week brings more good things while you teach!
Things here are good. Ethan and I just returned from one of our walks that we like to do in the mornings if we can and it was soooo cold! Probably not as cold as Missouri but colder than it was last Monday for sure. We had to cut it short cause Ethan was so cold. I was ok, but I wasn't sitting in a stroller either!
This past weekend we went searching for some caves that we saw in a hiking book that we have. The boys were really excited, we went out just south of Bend to some caves called, Skeleton Cave, Boyd cave and Lava River Cave. Some are closed until May and the others were cool.....except it's hard to see into a cave when you don' bring any flashlights! Duh! Well, we are planning to go back next week with some light, headlamps etc. Ethan was really funny though, I don't know if we would have gotten very far because he was scared to be in there. He was so funny saying "we gotta get outta here guys!" "I'm too scared!" I don't know if we will get any farther next week if we bring him! It was fun. The weather has been beautiful here. It was warmer last week but this weekend and now starting this week are colder again. I am ready for some warmer weather but John, that sounds hot and sticky! Sounds a lot like Brian in Guatemala actually. He didn't need shaving cream to shave I remember. Cold showers too. He'll have to write you in a bit. I am sure it all sounds familiar to him.
I can't believe no one really works there! Hmm. Sounds like some Americans I've met! I am glad those two families sound promising. Cathryn, haven't heard from you yet today but hope all those contacts are positive ones.
Not much else is happening around here. Boys are doing well in school, Ethan is getting old and so are Brian and I! Brian's still in young men's and I am still in Relief Society.
Well, I am going to attatch some photos. Some are of Brandon's art work and writings. He is ALWAYS getting out papers and pens and drawing and writing. He didn't even know the whole alphabet before preschool this year and now he is spelling words. Mostly his name. That took a while to learn for him but he's got it now. Tyler is reading great and doing well in math too. I am still teaching PE for Tyler's first grade class once or twice a week just as a volunteer it's nuts. So many kids! It's fun though.
Take Care this week! Love you guys!
~Marnae

Here are some funny videos...


Above is Brandon Dribbling

Above here is the "Under Pass"

This is Brandon guarding his best. The beginning

is him more than the end of this little clip.

Hug your Kids a Little Tighter

You will not believe your eyes when you read this blog. This all just happened in the last two weeks and it's all true. I don't even know this family but their story had an impact on me and I wanted to share it with you...I found it on my friend Chiara's blog.
Look at how many comments they have. People all over the country have heard about this in such a short time. It is truly amazing and has so many great messages. One of the comments I read was a person who had been doubting even the existance of a God. After the last two weeks of following this story, that person has gone back to church and has a true testimony of God and his workings among us all.
http://stakerzxposed.blogspot.com/2010_02_01_archive.html start here, read up till you get to here
http://www.stakerzxposed.blogspot.com/ end here