Mindy and the Boys

Step aside, here comes Mindy and the Boys! (This is how I always sign my cards, notes and such, but don't you think it would make a great name for a rock band?)

Tonight we played Guitar Hero with some neighbors. We don't have a wii, and I think I have played this game all of about two times before. I've never been much of a gamer when it came to video games; that was always Cameron's department growing up. But after playing tonight I think I could play me some music and rock it!!

FYI - I finally finished my trip log, posted below. You may need to clear some time in your calendar to read it, it's a long one!

In Search of Chocolate

While searching the freezer for some hidden chocolate I found Mark's newest electronic gizmo that had obviously made its way from off the top of the fridge down into the freezer door.

Do I
a. wake him from his Sunday nap to tell about it.
b. grab the poor thing and try to warm it up in my armpit.
c. leave it there for him to find and keep looking for some chocoate.

Not knowing how long the poor thing has been hiding beside the orange juice, I just hope it still works. I'm just upset because my raid of the freezer left me high and dry -- no chocolate here, baby!!

Sunny San Diego

After nearly 1900 miles, 74 Slugbugs, and more pit stops than I wish to recall, I'm finally ready to document our trip to California.
Warning. This really isn't a "quick recap," that would be impossible for me.

Thursday night - Sept 3 Mark drove home our rental van - a 2009 Toyota Sienna. Two words - Storage Space. This rental van was a lifesaver. I couldn't believe how much more room we had compared to our 97 Honda Odyssey. We drove to Mesquite and stayed the night in a cheap hotel.

Friday - We drove to San Diego, checked into our condo and stocked up on groceries. Costco and Albertsons, I felt right at home. The boys went swimming at the pool there which was filled with salt water. Never heard of such a thing and not sure I'm a fan.

Saturday - Legoland.

Big hit with the boys. They LOVED checking out everything. They were amazed at the first thing they saw made out of legos and had to just run up and feel it and make sure it was really made out of legos. They loved Miniland, USA. They got to play in the water too. Fun time for two little boys!!!!
Needless to say, they spent their vacation money at the Lego store and our condo became Legoland that night. They spent nearly 3 hours putting their new toys together and then playing with them.












Sunday - We needed some down time and that's just what we did. The temple was beautiful!


Monday - Sea World. Another big hit with the boys! How great to see and touch such things as star fish and bat rays. Although Ethan didn't think sitting in the Soak Zone was such a great idea, in fact he was crying about having to sit there. Granted, it was 8:30 at night and getting a little cold, but it was a funny moment watching Mark carry Ethan down to the soak zone and Ethan crying that he didn't want to get wet.








Tuesday - Beach Time. Mark's friend Matt lent us some boogie boards and before we knew it, we had two surf bums on our hands. It didn't take too long before they were hitting the waves. I learned that an 11 month old either loves or hates the sand. Alex had a love/hate relationship with the beach and I soon realized I did too. Walking in the sand is one thing, having it in places it shouldn't be is another. Try nursing a crying baby in your swimsuit when you are both covered in sand -- another great adventure for me and the little guy!!!






Wednesday - San Diego driving tour compliments of Mark and Callie (we named the GPS system my parents' let us borrow, another must have for long road trips). I also learned that with boys, shopping is definitely not on the itinerary. Pretty sure I didn't step foot in one gift shop except for the Legoland one. Seaport village was a quick walk through to the harbor where we checked out all the boats and cool sculptures along the walk way. We drove over to Coronando played on a cute playground with the beach and bridge as our background.







The boys really just wanted to hit the beach again, so we did. This time we went to La Jolla Cove. They were quickly disappointed when we were told they couldn't use their boogie boards. So, out came the snorkle gear. Both the boys did great, I guess I wasn't surprised; they really like the water. We also checked out the tide pools and saw little fish, crabs, and such. It was a beautiful area!!!







Thursday - Our last full day and I bet you can't guess what the boys wanted to do? BEACH DAY!! We spent more time boogie boarding this time at Torrey Pines State Beach. Again, they same story: sand, sand, and more sand, no more happy baby, no more happy mom. I loved watching Mark and the boys play out in the water. They were loving it! Holes were dug, bridges were made, feet were buried.





Mark also got to go on a 14-mile bike ride with Matt that afternoon. He did take a spill or two but couldn't stop talking about it afterward. I was glad he had such a great time.



The condo we stayed at had a nice club house with grills out by the pool too. Mark cooked us up excellent dinner that night, we watched us some Sandlot in the clubhouse and even played some pool and pingpong. I must say I was pretty good at playing pingpong with the boys while holding Alex in one arm.

Friday - We packed up and headed for Las Vegas.


It wasn't too bad of a drive. We got there and checked into our hotel and went out to dinner. Mark and I thought it would be fun to just drive the strip. The boys did enjoy looking out the windows and seeing the big buildings and lights and such. We all loved the fountain at the Bellagio and the ships at Treasure Island. Of course, a trip down the strip wouldn't be complete without a little spice. Needless to say, Aaron thought the scantily clothed girls on the truck next to us were a little funny and fun to look at. What better time to have a little lesson on modesty and respecting women.

Saturday - The final leg of the trip. We were getting anxious to get back home, and I know Alex was ready to be OUT of that car seat. We pretty much drove straight through, stopping only for ice cream in Beaver, this of course was on my scheduled itinerary.

It was great to pull into our drive way and know we were finally home. Whenever I am gone from home for an extended amount of time I always come home and find myself walking around and just staring at everything. It is hard to explain, but it always seems to happen.

My other favorite part of coming home from a long trip --- unpacking and laundry. Now that the boys are in school, I'll add HOMEWORK....Ethan and I are just barely catching up on all the homework his teach sent home to him the day he got back to school.

Eleven Years and Counting

Today marks our 11th wedding anniversary. We were even married on a Thursday. My little brother Cameron was on his mission at the time, and knowing he wouldn't be there for our wedding(my brother that is, not Mark), I thought it would be appropriate to choose his "number" and thus is was, our wedding date, August 27, 1998.

My dad has this joke about a couple that said they had been happily married for 24 years, married for 30. I would have to say that although our lives together haven't always been easy, they have all been happy and worth it all. What a blessing it is to be married to man who loves me so much.



I realized while looking for a recent photo of just the two of us, that they are few and far between.

And so, I wanted to remind Mark of some of the reasons why I love him (in no particular order):
1. He gives the best hugs. There is no comparisons when it comes to hugs. He's got it.
2. He truly makes me laugh. I always tell him that he really isn't as funny as he thinks, but without him, life would be pretty boring.
3. He is always looking for ways to improve; whether it is himself, our family, or our budget. He continually wants to be better.
4. Because of #3, Mark helps me be a better person. I have to admit that I'm not always a fan of this, because I have to face my imperfections, but in the long run I know it's good for me.
5. Well, he is the dad of three adorable boys. I have to love him for helping them become a part of our lives.
6. He is a great dad to those three adorable boys. They look up to him so much and want to be just like him. Sometimes it is a little unnerving when Aaron's clothes HAVE to match dad's.
7. He calls me up in the afternoon just to see how my day is going and if I'm surviving another day with the boys.
8. He repeatedly reminds the boys to "treat mom like a princess."
9. He can fix anything. At least that's what he's got us all thinking. His handy man skills have certainly been used around this household a time or two.
10. He's a hard worker and is trying to instill this same characteristic in our boys.
11. Probably one thing that I love most about him is his selflessness. Mark always puts others before himself. He is definitely a GIVER.

I love you, Mark! Thank you for eleven wonderful years!
Your little Biscuit

Penny for my thoughts

More like -- A quarter for my blabber--

My younger brother and his sweet wife just welcomed their first child into the world on July 3rd. Whitney Elizabeth came ready for the world, weighing in at 9 pounds 9 ounces. It is a little crazy for me to imagine Cameron as a dad. He was always just "my little brother." I am so excited for these two. They will certainly be great parents. Whitney is one lucky little girl.

It hit me the other day when I was talking to my oldest neice, (on the Woolf side at least) Brittney is 13. Wow, Brandon has a kid that's a teenager, this beautiful and quite mature young lady sitting next to me belongs to my brother; how did this all happen? Brittney was born the day after I went into the MTC. How have I let time pass by me?

Next month Mark and I will celebrate our 11th wedding anniversary and Ethan will turn 8. Somedays I find myself sitting at the dinner table just staring at everyone and trying to figure out how I got to where I am and why have I been blessed with so much?

I have three amazing boys to call my own. How they bring so much love and joy to me. They also drive me crazy and make me second guess myself, but at the end of the day, I wouldn't be the person I am without being their mother. But last night, I didn't want to be a mom. Alex hadn't been feeling well, and I had to decide whether or not he was sick enough to take to the doctor. He's nine months ,and I hate not knowing exactly what's wrong with the kid. He was just miserable. Anyway....the doctor said he has an ear infection and has since lost his voice from crying so much. I think the antibiotics are finally kicking in and he's finally able to get some sleep.

Looks like I need to run, Batman, (aka Ethan), Darth Vadar, (aka Aaron), and one of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, (aka our neighbor Isabelle) just ran out the front door. It's off to save the world!!!!!

A few firsts....

Fashion 101
This morning as Aaron was in the shower, I performed one of my motherly duties and picked out some clothes for him to wear. When he looked at what I had chosen for him he said, "I can't wear that. Mom, you don't know fashion."
He then proceeded to pick out his own outfit, I was awaiting his return with great anticipation, wanting to know what is the latest in fashion for 5-year boys going to preschool for the day. He brought back a pair of basketball shorts and a t-shirt. He then began his explanation of why these clothes were a better choice.
"See mom, these underwear have white on them, this tag on my shirt is white, and these shorts have a white stripe."
Makes sense right!!?? This kid wants to match EVERYTHING. So you'd think he would look okay, right? Not always the case, but he really goes for matching outfits. I guess I should look into the Garanimals line of clothing for him. Sounds right up his alley. I just wonder what he thinks about what I pick out for myself to wear. I'll have to ask the kid. Guess it's good I don't go to preschool with him, I'm sure I'd embarrass him for sure.


PB&J
I know this sounds so un-American, but I don't like peanut butter sandwiches. The thought of peanut butter spread on two pieces of bread just never did it for me. I have no recollection of having them as a kid, although I'm sure mom made them for me. Eating them as a child has been suppressed from my memory.

Fast forward 30 years....

The other day I was making sandwiches for the little guys and thought, why not? Live on the wild side here Mindy. Mark said if I was actually going to try this out, I would have to use the crunchy peanut butter, not creamy. SO on went the CRUNCHY peanut butter and next came the strawberry jam. I laid it on thick, the jam that is, I thought I might need to ease into this peanut butter thing. Mark also said I would need a glass of COLD milk to accompanying this virgin sandwich. As they say, the rest is history.
You ask, what did Mindy eat for lunch today? Why a peanut butter sandwich of course. And all along I thought this PB&J thing was for the birds.


Let's play HOUSE!!!
Being the mom of three boys I never thought I would hear these words coming from them. Then a little girl moves into the neighborhood that my two older boys are smitten by and the next thing I know my boys are playing house. Today they actually called it "Family." Maybe that's more politically correct, I'm not sure, or maybe that sounded more manly for them. Either way, all I have to say is that they play for hours and they have quite the imaginations. It's getting a little confusing for me when I hear them calling for "Mommy" and they really don't want me but the aforementioned little neighbor girl.

Sign me up for Summer, maybe?

Here I sit on the verge of summer vacation, and I'm not quite sure I am really ready for it to finally hit. You know the scenerio, no rush to eat breakfast or get out the door in the morning, kids riding their bikes in the street, playing in the sprinkler or splashing in the slip n' slide with the rest of the neighborhood kids, Otter Pops and more Otter Pops, lunch at the park, dirty little feet and sweaty faces. The list could go on and on. But this summer is different. This summer I have three little boys to hang out with, one of which that needs a bit more attention.

Now all I need to do is figure out how am I going to keep up with two little boys who want to be outside playing and their baby brother needs his mother inside. Somedays I wish I really was Elasti-Girl and could stretch myself a little bit further.