Does this make me aunt Petunia?

Halle's self proclaimed bed room.

• raising Harriet Potter

•time to get a bigger house?

• the places you are willing to sleep when you want your own room.

• better than a secret passage?

• mom doesn't  make me clean this room

Grass Monster

Gavin, Halle, and Cooper acted as my lawn mower today by pulling out all the long grass under the trampoline.  Their grass haul was quite impressive.

The first time I looked out the window to check on them they only had an armful of grass.  Halle had it pulled into a small pile on the trampoline.  She was hugging the pile, and nuzzling it with her face, and wearing an expression of shear joy.

Wait! What is for breakfast?

Because mornings are silly.

Too cute?

Pretty stinkin' cute! Except for the part that that is MY bed. Who need sleep when you have cuteness?

"You've got a picture of Jesus"

 

The other day I went Visiting Teaching.  My companion picked us up. Right as we were pulling up to the house where we were going to visit a little boy fell off of his bike.  I jumped out of the car with Cooper in my arms, and Halle close behind, to see if he was ok.  I always approach these situations with caution, because kids are told to not talk to strangers. I hoped with two kids in tow that I didn't look like a bad guy.  I asked to see his knee.  It was scraped, barely enough to bleed.  He asked if I had a bandaide, I didn't.  I asked how far a way he lived.  His sister, who was probably 7, pointed up the hill and gestured way down the street, and they were only 2 houses away from the park.  I told him his knee didn't look bad and he would probably be fine going to the park.  You could tell on his face that his knee hurt and he really wanted some comfort.   A bandaid would have works or a hug from his mom.  They didn't want to ride all the way back home when they were to close to the park.  You could see his little frustration brewing, be brave and go to the park, or go home and get the comfort that you really want, plus stranger danger  was ringing in his head.  He took a deep breath held out his hands and said  "Let me think about this."  

Just then my companion came over, put her arm around him and said "What you need is a grandma hug." In his eyes there was panic, then he saw it.  My companion had her copy of the Ensign opened to the visiting teaching message. "You've got a picture of Jesus!"  In that instant everything was good.  He smiled. We were good strangers.  He got a grandma hug, and forgot about his knees for a minute, and he was brave enough to continue on to the park.

That's what Chist is; the peace, the balm, the calm in the storm.  

Here's the skinny

We took Coops in for his latest well baby visit. He is in the 25th percentile in height - no shocker there.  And he is in the -5th percentile for weight, also not much of a shocker.  More fats! says the Doctor!  But seeing as the poor kid is allergic to dairy, the doctor recommends we give him mayonnaise. Just slather it on his food, he said.  :/

Fry sauce has mayonnaise right?

Moody morning

This was the first morning Halle was feeling better after having the flu for three days.  She seemed a but sleepy still, but her expressions were especially priceless.

Selfies at church

It is pretty cute that they are twins, I especially love when other ward members comment about it.

Everyone look at me!

We play this funny game, usually at dinner.  It starts with Cooper doing something cute, and someone says "Everyone look at Cooper!"  Then inevitably the next thing said is "Everyone look at Halle!" Usually said by Halle.  Then starts the game of everyone looking at whomevers name is called out, each in turn.

Tonight, the game started, only Cooper learned a new trick.  Each name was called, and all eyes turned to that person, but when Halle's name was called Coop's would laugh, or grunt, or sing.  Thereby drawing all eyes to himself.  We tried it five or six time.  "Everyone look at Ethan." Nothing from Cooper.  "Everyone look at Gavin." Nothing from Cooper.  "Everyone look at Halle!" BOOM! Cooper does something cute stealing all the attention.  Looks like he learned how to play the game.

If I fits I sits

Cooper was "helping" me unload the dryer.  He couldn't reach the last article of clothing, so he climbed in to get it.  Then he decided that the dryer could be his new bedroom!  He especially like that it had its own light, and that it was echoey.

Baseball Boys

This last month has been filled with many nights of baseball!  Ethan's team is the Diamond Backs.  I literally did the happy dance when I got the call that his coach would be the same coach as last year.  It was great that their team did well last year, but mostly the coach is just a great guy whose coaching style matches well with Ethan's personality.

His team didn't have much cohesion at the beginning of the season.  They played a couple of practice games before the season started, and they lost miserably.  The first game of the season, which fortunately didn't count toward the standings, they fell so far behind that they called the game early on the mercy rule.  The second game started off pretty bad.  They had a lot of errors, over throws and missed catches.  We were mentally prepping ourselves for a disappointing season.

Then they picked it up a lot.  The score was tied in the final inning, and our team was up to bat, 2 outs one man on base.  And the guy steals home!  It was pretty awesome.  

That was the win they needed!

Can you say UNDEFEATED!

I am the mom and I certainly can, Ethan's team finished the season undefeated.

Tonight is the first game of the city tournament.  Can they keep up their winning streak?   It's going to be a nail biter!

And now for something entirely different.

Gavin started baseball this year.  He plays 'Coach Pitch baseball.'  

In Coach Pitch baseball your own coach pitches to you.  You get 5 pitches to try to get a hit.  There are no strikes and no outs.  If you hit the ball you will make it home.  But there are no points.  Batting is great but the defense is my favorite.  Everyone rotates positions each inning.  You do your best to throw and catch the ball.  But my most favorite part is when the ball makes it to the outfield and 3 kids try to get the ball and they end up in a dog pile on top of the ball.  It is unbelievably adorable.

(Sarah, I think of you each time they play, you are awesome for coaching!)

I asked Gavin "What is your favorite position?"

Gav.  "Batting."

"When your team is out on the field, then what is your favorite position?

"Catching."

"You like being the catcher?"

"No, I like catching."

"So you like being in the outfield?"

"Yeah."

Adorable!

Sundays with Sam 5/3

"Hey, Sam!"

"What, Coop?"

"Do you know what Holiday is coming up?"

"Easter?"

"Nope"

"Greeny day?"

"Nope"

"Pi day?"

"It's April Fools! We should plan some pranks."

"Yeah, what pranks do you have in mind."

"Well I was thinking that we could...

MOON EVERYONE!"

"Say No To Death Pies"

 Another great motto.

For our March Buchanan family dinner we ate death pies!  No wait, I mean chicken pot pie.  Dave, naturally, was in charge of  'venting' the pies with his usual creative prowess.  there was a third pie, I don't remember what it had on it, I think it said something witty, or more likely puny.  Alas it didn't get a picture.

 
Speaking of puny, Dave recently entered a pun contest, he entered ten great puns, hoping at least one would win.  Unfortunately, no pun in ten did.

This is a creeper face (sans nose.)

Book of Mormon FHE

Dave and I were recently called to be the Cub Scout Bear leaders.  The first pack meeting that we were able to help plan was a night of service making care packages for the missionaries.  Dave had the brilliant idea at have a "Photo Booth" that the kids could act out scenes from the Book of Mormon.

I spend the week hurriedly making costumes.  I was planing on making 3 or 4 costumes, but I was having so much fun that I just couldn't stop!

So we used the costumes for FHE too!

Here we have Captain Moroni.

And his jedi's

Enos

King Benjamin

(No Ethan, Try to be serious.)

Nice arms Mo!

"Look my arms grew back!"

This is suppose to be Nephi shocking his brothers, 

but all I see is:

'Laman, Lemuel, I stand above you, now kiss my hand.'

'Ugh, Nephi, put your arm down, the smell is making my eye burn!'

'It burns!, It burns!'

Did you know that Nephi loved his baby brother?  Yeah, Jacob and Joseph were pretty lucky little kids,

"Look kids, it's a Liahona"

Abinadi?

Yeah, this one gets funnier the more I look at it.

Remembering Isaak

Ten years ago today, the most amazing, and vibrant, and daring, and adventurous, and loyal, and huggable, and beautiful little boy returned to his Heavenly Father.

My heart broke into a million pieces that day.  I truly didn't think I could survive the pain of the heartache of missing him.

Fortunately, I know that I have a loving Father in Heaven, and he has a plan for all of us, and it is a plan of Happiness.  One day I will see this beautiful boy reunited with his family, and the joy of that moment will be compensation for the heartache of today.

For years the song 'Streets of Heaven' would play in my head when ever I thought of Isaak.

Well it must be kind of crowded on the streets of
Heaven so tell me what do you need her for
Don't you know one day she'll be your little girl forever
but right now I need her so much more
She's much to young to be on her own
barley just turned seven
So who will hold her hand when she crosses the streets
of Heaven

Lord don't you know
she's my angel you've got plenty of your own
And i know you hold a place for her but she already got
a home
well I don't know if your listening
but prayin's all that's left to do
So I asked you Lord have mercy
You've lost a son once too.

And it must be kind of crowded on the streets of Heaven
so tell me what do you need her for
Don't you know one day she'll be your little girl forever

but right now I need her so much more
Lord I know that once you've made up your mind there's
no use in beggin'
So if you take her with you today will you make sure
she looks both ways

And would you hold her hand when she crosses the
streets of Heaven

As much as I would like to think of Isaak as the eternal little three year old full of mischief and joy, abounding in trouble, being chased by nurturing grandma angels,  when I am still, in my heart I see a man large in stature like Nephi, steadfast and true like Mormon, passionate and determined like Captain Moroni, brave and loyal like Ammon.

I see a Guardian of Virtue, I see a servant of the Lord working silent miracles in our lives.

Several years ago, I think Ethan was 5, we were camping, enjoying a quiet moment in the shade.  The canopy of trailer that we were sitting under ripped, the aluminum brace broke and swung down, giving me a pretty good thump on the shoulder.  The end of the canopy, that swung with the most force, stopped less than two inches from Ethan's head.  We all agreed immediately that our guardian angel had been there that day.  A few days later we were talking about the incident again.  I mentioned to the kids that maybe Isaak was our guardian angel that day.  My heart instantly filled to bursting when I mentioned Isaak, and I knew I had unwittingly spoken the truth.

How beautiful is it to know that not even death can break the bond that unite us as family.

I love you forever Isaak!

Blog me

Gavin hugs Cooper and says "Take a picture and then make a blog with it."

Ok. Done.

Sundays with Sam

Hey Sam, do you know what?

No, what Coop?

Life is Good!

Cooper in February

Here is a little flash back to February

when life got to busy to blog about.

Daddy take me to the gym with you.

The heater broke one morning (back in below 0 degree weather) fortunately Dave was a superhero had it fixed in less than two hours.  Cooper got wrapped up extra warm that morning.

Check out those cheeks!

The cool kids swing sideways. 

Yeah, he fell asleep like that.

More cheeks!

Sisters are the best!

Halle's favorite thing to say is "Girls are best"

She is right!

Look, he is not a thumb sucker!