Kason is 4!!

Kason turned the big 4. He was pretty excited for the day and had been counting down the days from a paper chain we made.

He got to play with a friend and then had a big treat when Dad came home to take him to lunch!! We realized he has never had a happy meal. So (and I'm not sure that this is a good thing) he got his first one! When he saw that there was a toy in his meal Isaac told me he said he didn't need any more presents. Mostly, he was just excited to play on the play place.

That night we opened presents(we have such good friends and family who spoil him!) and had cake and ice cream! He really likes army guys right now so we attempted a tank cake.

Asher has the stance.

Other than us convincing him to take this off to sleep in, he really hasn't taken this off since he opened it.

We had a good day.

Kason is such a good boy and I can't believe he's 4. 4 sounds so old, but he seems so grown up lately. A little bit about Kason right now:

-He is such a sweet, tender hearted boy. He is so compassionate and notices how others are feeling. He can be somewhat sensitive himself, but he is so empathetic towards others and he will just say random things that are so sweet.

-He has an amazing memory and can pick things up so quickly and remember things from such a long time ago it surprises me sometimes.

-He knows all the letter sounds.

-He loves Primary and always wants to answer all the questions and be picked all the time...(which has led to a couple tears).

-He's pretty mature (yes, maybe it's just the biased mom in me talking)

-He really likes army guys, guns, dinosaurs, and airplanes right now.

-He's my friend during the day (usually), and I love that we have real (as real as it gets) conversations with each other.

-He always has to pick something out to sleep with at night. Usually it's an army guy, dinosaur or plane.

-When he gets excited his brown eyes just light up.

HaPpY BiRthDaY KaSoN!

Eyes

I know I might be just a little biased, but I think my boys have beautiful eyes...except when they look like this:

Yep, we had a little bout of pink eye. They both woke up one morning and had green goop coming out of their red eye. Now, this might not look so bad, but I HATE eyes. In all of my Health Science degree stuff I was ok with the blood, the needles, the cadavers, etc, but eyes just get me. I've never even really been able to touch my own eye. It's a good thing I don't need contacts, because I really don't think I'd be able to do it. When I was little I saw my cousin's contact get "LOST" in her eye and I've never gotten over that. Anyway, now that it's over, it really wasn't that bad. The boys felt fine, and it is easy to get rid of, so not that big of a deal and it helped me get over my eye phobia a little bit. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that I don't get it! Now we are back to normal:

Lions, and Tigers, and Bears

We've never taken a family vacation where it's just us. Isaac found a deal for a cheap one night stay in a hotel suite, and 4 free tickets to the zoo. He just turned in a huge project for school that he has been working on for a good 6 months so we jumped at the chance to have some time together.

At the hotel pool

We learned that $3 Target floaties really do nothing to help you keep afloat. When Kason wasn't grinning from ear to ear and swallowing tons of water he was like this because we kept telling him to keep his mouth closed and hold his breath.

Ready for bed. It's a bit tricky getting kids to go to sleep in the same room as us, but it went pretty well.

At the Zoo! The boys were SO excited. The bears were one of the highlights.

So pretty! I am really getting to like Oregon's trees, and moss, and "misty-ness". It was a little bit chilly, but it was great because there weren't very many people there at all.

Asher's favorite might have been the ducks. He was sitting in the stroller right next to a window looking at the water with little turtles swimming in it. A turtle swam right up to the window. Asher saw it coming and leaned back as far as he could in the stroller and let out a piercing, terrified scream! He's never done that kind of thing before, but it was pretty funny.

We've seen sea lions around here and at the coast before, but not like this one. This picture doesn't do it justice, it was monstrous.

Isaac had a birthday!! This year he actually got to come home from school and be home for the evening, the last couple years he hasn't been able to do that.

Eager helpers

Cheesecake after his soccer game.

Happy Birthday!

Randomness

The boys love books. It doesn't always work to read one to them together because Asher usually wanders off or there is pushing so each can see better, but sometimes it does.

Isaac likes red meat. He got some T-bone steaks that had been in our freezer for a little while and cooked them up. Then we had a nice dinner where he taught Kason and Asher to bite the meat off the bone like a carnivore and then, of course, the bone was a perfect gun...boys...

Asher needs some time to wake up after nap. He requires his doggie, blanket, and Mom or Dad's shoulder.

Trying to get a good picture to send to the grandparent's.

This is about try #15, we finally got one where they are both looking at the camera, both holding still for one second and both are making a pretty normal face.

Hanging Out

It seems that we have been keeping busy just hanging out lately.

Kason has been learning the letters and sounds lately. He is so smart and remembers things so well. Asher loves to join in on the fun and has learned a couple letters too. He must always be doing what big brother is doing.

This boy likes TV way too much. I have to unplug it so he won't turn it on.

The boys have been playing together so well lately and it seems like they are really friends now. Their favorite game right now is for Kason to call Asher and say "nigh-night Asher, nigh-night", then they both run back to their room giggling and roll around in the covers on Kason's bed. So far, Asher has only fallen off once.

We made a fort out of all our blankets one night and watched a movie. Asher found a blanket and pillow before the fort was built, plopped down, lifted his shirt up and was ready.

Kason went into sunbeams at church! He was really excited. The first day he was pretty intimidated and his eyes were really big, but he went just fine and I think he was pretty proud. I am in primary too so I sit in the back with my class and during singing time Kason turns around to find me and whispers (loudly) "Momma, am I sitting so still?!". He also was picked to go up to the front and pick out a picture. He picked one of the three wisemen. The teacher asked the class what gifts the wisemen brought Jesus and when she got to frankincense and mur Kason blurted out "smelly stuff!"

Pulling out all the clean laundry and putting on Dad's shirts.

Kason still takes a nap every other day or every couple days, which is so nice. But, when he doesn't take a nap building towers is a favorite activity.

It has been sunny and pretty warm in January in Oregon! It has been amazing and we have been taking advantage of it. Basketball is taken pretty seriously here - well, pretty much any sport with a ball is.

One of my favorite things is to see the boys just give each other hugs. They walk up to each other with their arms open and hug. Asher started initiating kisses now too. He puckers up (kinda) and says "mmm".

Bath time

Part 2

More Pictures?!

Baking cookies for Santa with Kellie

So excited!

We snuck in a BYU basketball game. We got 5th row seats!

New pajamas with pretty cool slippers on Christmas eve. Kason got alligator ones and Asher got some with a Tiger. Thanks Grandma and Grandpa!

There was alot of time spent practicing our roars due to the Tiger pajamas (and I guess alligators roar too). It is now one of Asher's favorite things to do and he frequently roars at you.

Christmas morning Kason got his most wanted Buzz Lightyear. It is now a favorite toy and whenever we get home Kason and Asher both race to get it before each other.

Asher opening his ball. This boy LOVES balls. He'll kick one around the house all day long.

He loves phones too. He calls them "Hello"

We also went to Temple square. It was freezing!

We also made it to the BYU Bean museum to look at bugs and snakes and lizards and bears- Heaven for the boys. Asher likes the bugs or "bu" as he calls them.

Kason has become quite the singer lately. He will belt out Santa Claus is coming to town, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, Joy to the World, I love to see the Temple and I am a Child of God and many others frequently and loudly. I love it...usually. Yesterday at church we sang I am a Child of God and Kason was so excited he knew it and was singing it so sweet and loudly. It actually made me tear up a little.

We had such a good time, and now I think we are back to the routine of things, which is good too.