For the love

Blake has a small obsession with balls. Okay, not a small one. He is always carrying around a ball. He's great and throwing and catching too for how little he is. At night he is surrounded by all the balls in our house (about six or seven) and he knows if one is missing. Last night Matt put Blake to bed, but Blake kept crying and crying. Matt was walking around the house trying to figure out what Blake could be crying for. He found the ball above in the kitchen. He took it back to Blake and that was that. It will be interesting to see as Blake gets older if he is an athlete. Maybe this is a sign of things to come.

Pajama Day!

Last week Carson's preschool class had a pajama day. He was so excited to wear the pajamas he just got for Christmas. He asked if he could bring his blanket and new pillow pet. I told him he had to choose one or the other. He said, "Mom, I'm telling the truth. Ms. Chris told me I could bring both." I still told him to choose one. He decided on his Buddy. Sure enough we pull up to preschool and everyone has their blanket and pillow pet. I felt bad. Carson didn't say anything and ran into school. I ran back to the house and brought him back his turtle pillow pet. He was one happy boy.

It's play time!

After the first of the year we decided to get the exersaucer out for Tanner to play in. I always laugh because the other boys are so interested in it for a couple days like they are remembering their own play time in it. Tanner has been loving it. In the past few weeks he has really started moving things around and figuring out how everything works.

Blake playing by Tanner and showing us his cute belly. The exersaucer plays music and Blake loves to dance to it. We've got to get it on video. Hilarious really. I'm not sure where this kid learned his moves.

Big Helpers

These pictures were taken the first week of December. Carson saw a picture of a boy he knew on a blog and he was holding his new little brother feeding him a bottle. Up until that point Carson hadn't shown a whole lot of interest in holding Tanner or helping feed him. He will hold him for a few mintues before his arms are tired.

I am so glad these boys have each other. I hope they are always great friends.

Park Day

While I was at a baby shower the other day Matt took the older boys to the park. Looks like they had lots of fun with their dad. Blake is much more fun at the park these days. He pretty good at not wandering off and can play on most park equipment without falling off and killing himself. Whew!

Tanner - 6 Months

January 17, 2011 marked Tanner's half birthday. Hard to believe our little man is already 6 months old. Carson and Blake joined me for his appointment which is always a little hectic. Dr. Salek told me we have another very happy and very chubby baby on our hands.

Tanner's Stats:

• Weight: 16.2 (25%) Ha! Look at the kid. Nothing about him says 25%.
• Height: 26 1/2 (54%)
• Head: 43 3/4 (50%)

Carson and Blake both wanted to be up with Tanner during his exam. Carson always hides under the table when they start giving shots. Tanner did great. Didn't even cry when he got his three shots. What a champ!

A few things about Tanner:

• is a binky baby
• always has his hands clasped together very tightly in front of his chest
• loves to smile and is generally very happy
• laughs and laughs when you take off his clothes or wipe his neck
• eating rice cereal, peaches, bananas, mangos (not his favorite), pears, apples, yogurt
• is starting to get up on his hands and knees and rocks back and forth
• still enjoys his swing
• great at playing in his exersaucer
• absolutely loves attention
  

Rub-a-dub-dub

Rub-a-dub-dub three boys in the tub. I love comparing similar pictures of my boys. I think they definitely look like brothers, but have their differences too. Tanner took his very first officially bath in the tub. Up until now I've been giving him baths while he lays on the bathroom counter. His major poop blowout this evening forced me to take the plunge and let him experience the real deal.

Tanner (6 months) 1.23.2011

Blake (6 months) 4.10.2009

Carson (6 weeks) 11.24.2005

Too bad I can't find one of Carson around 6 months of age! Let's just state the obvious...we make chubby babies. Love those rolls!

Santa Baby

This picture was too cute not to post! Tanner at the Windrift Ward Christmas party. What a sweet and happy baby!

Holly Jolly Christmas

Christmas 2010 was lots of fun with the ages of our kids. Carson was so excited for Santa this year. Blake actually opened his own presents. Tanner was obviously way too little to know what's going on, but I love having a baby at Christmas time. We kept with tradition and the older boys each got four gifts from us (need, want, wear, read) and one gift from Santa.

Blake

• Need - socks & Buzz Lightyear cup
• Want - a basketball hoop for the tub
• Wear - Christmas jammies with matching slippers
• Read - Leapfrog magnetic letters
• Santa - Radio Flyer tricycle (a total hit!)

Matt opening his gift from the boys - Autobot Transformer cufflinks. Carson was really good about keeping this a secret from his dad and was excited to see him wear them to church.

Carson

• Need - socks & Spiderman cup (Carson was not happy about his socks being too big)
• Want - Legos! Harry Potter Hogwarts Castle
• Wear - Christmas jammies with matching slippers
• Read - Britanica Science Library books (absolutely amazing!)
• Santa - Legos! Harry Potter Quidditch Match
  

Tanner - one day Tanner will complain about not getting anything for Christmas. Sorry buddy! What do you get a baby who already has loads of stuff from his older brothers. This year you were super easy and didn't mind. Love you for that chubs.

• Santa - carseat toy
  
  

Grandma Renie & Papa Jack sent money for us to buy the boys something. I was anxious to get something for outside. They already have too many toys filling up the closet! These Plasma Cars were a big hit with both of them. Blake is still figuring out how to ride them, but runs right out the door first thing when we get to Grandma and Papa's house.


As for me and Matt...this year we got a kitchen and bathroom makeover. We both love it. It is something we have talked about doing for some time. It makes our house feel like a different place and matches much better with the rest of our house now. We went from painted white cabinets to dark wood. I love the extra storage space, love the new appliances and love the look and feel of it. I'm sure we'll be in this house for several more years to enjoy it!

Welcome 2011

Why not start of the blog this year with an updated picture of me and my favorite guy. We were driving somewhere this weekend and during our conversation I realized again how lucky I am to be married to Matt. I'm glad he's mine. I'm glad he loves me. I'm glad he gets who I am. I'm glad he makes me want to be a better person. I only need a couple things in life to be truly happy and he is definitely one of them.

So, my last post was mid December. I'm a little behind. The holidays come and I'm always so excited to get things decorated, wrap gifts, attend all the family festivities, etc. The holidays go and I'm excited to get my house back in order and stay home for a week in my pajamas because I'm exhausted (and this year all of us were sick following Christmas - ugh!). A post with Christmas pictures is coming. Hopefully that will happen within a day or two. This year I am really going to try and keep our blog updated. This serves as my journal and I want to remember the little things. For example, Carson told Matt the other day, "I love you as fast as a bullet." I didn't know love was fast, but I know in Carson terms he was just trying ot tell Matt he loves him lots and it was sweet.

We've been busy! Here is a little update on each of the boys. Carson is currently obsessed with legos. I love to watch him play. He creates and plays for hours! I love when he says, "Mom, I'm playing...doesn't that make my brain so smart!" or "I love legos. We can make whatever creation our brain thinks of." or "Legos make my heart happy." His love and obssession leads to my obsession of buying legos. He's loving preschool with Ms. Chris. He is quite the fish being the youngest kid in his swim class by a year or two. He can freestyle, backstroke and is learning the breaststroke. Blake is our typical two year old - sassy and full of lots and lots of energy. I swear the kid runs in circle every evening just for the fun of it. He is loving bikes and is still in love with balls. Matt's favorite thing for Blake to say is, "Catch the ball." It comes out more like, "Ket da ball!" and he says it with speed and enthusiasm. He upgraded to a twin bed this past weekend. This may have been a bad decision. Oh well. You live and learn. He's our little monkey and has been climbing out of his crib, so something needed to happen. Tanner turned six months yesterday. Doctor visit photos and stats to come as well. The kid is an angel. We sure love him. He loves his binky, loves his rice cereal and baby food and giggles with delight when you remove his clothes. It cracks us up every time too. He rolls over to his tummy and scoots (but only backwards). One of his favorite activities is to sit and watch whatever Carson and Blake are doing. They provide most of his entertainment. He loves attention and he gets quite a bit from his older brothers.

We are looking forward to 2011 and hope to make the best of what comes our way.

Have yourself a Merry little Christmas!

From our family to yours...

We wish you a very Merry Christmas. May your holiday and new year be merry and bright!

Oh how sweet!

A cute friend of mine snapped some photos of the boys. Can you say darling? Seriously, how did I get so lucky. This picture makes me smile and laugh. Blake is striking his total GQ pose and looking all serious. He's got places to be. Hurry up and get these pictures done with already! Tanner is looking super chubby. Love those cheeks! How is he already five months old? Carson is holding up his baby brother, being such a great helper and looking absolutely sweet and handome in the process. He really is the sweetest and tenderhearted little boy I know. The minutes, days, weeks, months and years go by so quickly. I'm just enjoying this chapter of my life. Thanks to these three boys!

Introducting our elf, Jumpy!

Happy December! Today we started our Christmas advent calendar and countdown to Christmas. Santa has sent this elf that Carson lovingly named, Jumpy, to our house for the holiday season. He is Santa's special helper and keeps an eye on kids in the Evans household. He reports each evening to the North Pole and finds a new place to hide each morning for the boys to find. As you can tell by the look on Carson's face he is captivated by his magic and says he wants to be really good because Jumpy is always watching and listening.

I have a feeling we are going to have an extra special Christmas season this year. There is something truly magical about the Christmas season and watching my boys faces light up is priceless. Carson is now five and able to understand much more. He knows we celebrate the birth of our Savior. He points out the star on our tree and tells me it means Jesus is being born. He asks on a daily basis what the wisemen brought to Jesus. I know we can get wrapped up in lots of other things this time of year, but it's my hope we are able to have fun and also focus on the true meaning of Christmas and to have that spirit in our home.

O Christmas Tree!

I have been eagerly awaiting Thanksgiving so I could put up our Christmas tree. I just love our tree! So festive and whimsical. It makes me happy. The boys are loving the lights and Carson is trying extra hard to be good so Santa will stop by our house. He is such a great big brother. Sure these two fight, but Carson helps a lot and we appreciate all his does for his two little brothers.

P.S. I guess I could get a picture with them dressed nice, but oh well. I'll take another one with Tanner in it too and do better then!

Sick Boys

The Evans boys piled on our bed this morning. Everyone has been sick with coughs and runny noses since Thanksgiving morning. Feeling crummy, but oh so cute!

Tanner - 4 Months

Tanner A.K.A. World's Happiest Baby!

We sure love this little boy. He is as sweet as they come. He is now 4 months old - smiling, laughing, rolling over, great sleeper and just plain cute! He went in for his 4 month appointment and was 13 lb. 13 oz. and 25 inches long. I think Carson hit those numbers at 2 months. The boys love him. Blake calls him "bebe".

The latest happenings...

Yes, we are still alive. I was holding out hope that Matt would some day send me pictures of the boys in their Halloween costumes. I guess that will have to wait for another month. Just imagine...they were super cute. We've been keeping busy. Carson is still loving preschool and comes home with all sorts of fun projects. This past month they have been learning about pilgrams and indians.

A cute little turkey made out of an apple.

Carson's indian village.

Our sweet and crazy, Blake. Seriously, this kid keeps me on my toes. He is nonstop action!

Tanner loving his swing mobile. I could hear him laughing and cooing as it went around and had to take a picture. Love this baby.

Tucson Trip

Last weekend Carson headed down to Tucson with Matt's parents. They wanted to take him to Kartchner Caverns and the Desert Sonoran Museum. He came home with a great big smile on his face, so I'm pretty sure he had lots of fun! Grandma Gail did however learn that Carson is not the best sleeping partner. I could have told her if she asked. He is a crazy sleeper!!

I think that's one cute turtle!

Digging for fossils

Bat boy!

The other night we went over to visit my parents. I told Carson to tell them where he went on his trip. When he told my mom he went to the caves and I told her it was Kartchner Caverns she asked Carson, "How did you get in?" Carson replied, "Through the little door." His tone was completely saying - duh! How else would he get into a cave?? Apparently, there is a waiting list to get in which is why my mom asked the question.

I also think now would be a good time to mention Carson's love for everything green. His outfit made me think of this. He picked it out himself and he picked out a red one for Blake. Every project (and I seriously mean EVERY project) he has brought home from preschool is colored or painted with only green. I asked his teacher today if she had noticed that and she laughed. She hadn't noticed. I asked Carson, "What are you going to do when Miss Chris runs out of green crayons?" He didn't even have a response. He face looked like he couldn't even believe that would be a possibility. Love this boy of mine. He's a keeper.

9:10 a.m.

This is what each of my children were doing this morning at 9:10 a.m. Carson watching Curious George with lunch boxes lined up behind him full of the treasures of the day of course!

Surprise, surprise! Blake is climbing on something.

Tanner taking a little snooze on my bed. I am listening to him hum while he sleeps now. So cute.

Love each of my boys!

Annual Pumpkin Carving FHE

Last night we headed down to the pumpkin patch to find the perfect pumpkin! Too bad I didn't take my camera to the patch. The boys were so cute in the wagon (just imagine). As usual, Matt, does most of the work. Matt worked his magic, the boys watched and I did the dishes.

This is the kind of picture I get of Blake when I ask him to "smile and show his teeth". Ha!

The Evans family Yoda pumpkin before!

Carson with our Yoda pumpkin after. The picture doesn't do it justice. It actually looks really cool all lit up. Carson was loving it.

Now we'll see how long it takes for our pumpkin to rot because it's still hot outside during the day. Let's just hope it lasts until Halloween!