Happy Birthday to Me, Have Fun at the MTC

Last weekend I had a Shelly-gras for my birthday. Friday night I celebrated my birthday with my family and Ty's parents. We had a great time. Jackson was ecstatic to have "two grandmas" and "two grandpas". He just loved that they were together. Ty getting ready to eat cake.Hayden loves balloons. He tries to pry them off of pages of books. Whenever he sees one while we're driving in the car, he laughs. When we walk into Walmart he points to the balloons that have floated up to the ceiling, and when there were balloons on my birthday cake, he took them. Ty's parents on their last night of freedom. (Notice Hayden is still holding the balloons.)
I have to post this video of my Dad. He hates the traditional Happy Birthday song because he thinks it's slow and boring and so he sings his Happy Birthday song in this video. I can't stand it but he loves it. We always try to sing the normal Happy Birthday song before he breaks out into this lovely rendition. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. So even though he knows it embarrasses me, he sang it to me anyways, in front of Ty's parents.

Wouldn't he fit in well at Applebees or something? :) Love you Dad!

On Saturday, my real birthday, we started the day off with saying goodbye to Ty's parents. They are off to Michigan to serve as Mission President to the Michigan-Lansing mission.

Just to show Ty's sensitive side, his mom was starting to cry right before we were leaving and I made them get their picture taken. MJ said that she didn't want to get her picture taken like this, (crying) so Ty said, "So don't. Stop crying and smile." Nice.Good luck in Michigan. Ty says, "Have fun ice fishing." We love you and we'll miss you! We know you'll do a great job and we'll visit soon!

THEN, me and Ty went to go see the new Indiana Jones movie.

What a freakin joke. I don't recommend it. I was so sad because I LOVE Indiana Jones. I watched the first one today so I could remember how much I loved it, and I wasn't dissapointed, (even though I finally realized that the girl was wearing 70s clothes when it was suppossed to be 1937. I hate that.)

Anyways, then we had another dinner for me at my family's house on Sunday. All of my sisters were supposed to come down. Amy and Lisa couldn't make it on Friday. Serious Shelly-gras. It made me feel so much better about turning 27.

All About My Daddy

Happy Father's Day Ty!

Jackson answered questions about his daddy for Father's day.

1. What is daddy's favorite color? Blue

2. What do you and daddy like to do together. Um nothing. Jackson! Oh, a basketball hoop.

3. What color are daddy's eyes? Blue

4. What makes daddy happy? A basketball hoop.

5. What makes daddy sad? No basketball hoop.

6. How tall is daddy? Up high on the wall.

7. What does daddy do for his job? Work. What does he do for his work? Work stuff.

8. How do you know daddy loves you? I don't want daddy to love me. Oh Jackson. Um, a hug.

9. What does daddy to do make you laugh? A tickle makes me laugh, and how about a video game?

10. What is daddy's favorite food? A muffin.

11. How old is daddy? 3

12. How do you show daddy you love him? A kiss.

13. What is daddy's favorite sport? A hat. Jackson, that's not a sport. Um, how about soccer? Later in the day when I asked him he said, "basketball."

14. What is daddy's favorite drink? Chocolate milk.

15. What is daddy's favorite ice cream? Chocolate!

16. What is daddy's favorite TV show? Spider man.

Happy Father's day Ty! We love you, and Jackson loves you, even though he had very interesting answers.

Top Ten

I haven't blogged much lately and I was looking through my pictures for the month of May. I thought I would post my top ten favorites:

1. Hayden trying on Grandpa Jones' boot. (Before we took this picture, both feet were in, and he did it all by himself.)

2. Jackson trying on Grandpa Jones's boots.3. Jackson with his homemade bubble blower. 4. Jackson woke me up saying he was already for school. He has his Lightning McQueen backpack to the side of him, and he lined up his bike and his car like desks. I had to get out of bed so that I could be the teacher. 5. Hayden loves balls. (I think this picture is so cute. Thanks Jana!)
6. Jackson hanging out with my cousins Nicholas and Ethan. They are so cute to play with him, and he LOVES them!

7 a. Don't ask me why they are laying on a pillow together on the kitchen floor, they just are.

7 b. Jackson copying Hayden's thumbsucking. Hayden was not amused.
8. While Hayden sucks his thumb for comfort, I think Jackson picks his nose. How do I get this kid to stop?

9. Hayden going crazy in the backyard of my Mom's house. I think he looks just like Ty in this picture.
10. My favorite. Jackson and Hayden playing in the shower at my Mom's. Hayden was having a blast until pig boy wouldn't let him out.

All about my Mommy.

Jackson got tagged by Alexis. Here are his answers to his game of tag.

What’s something that mommy always says to you? I don’t know. (I asked him again, and he said, “I’m not going to answer your question.” So I asked him again, and he came up with “Beach ball.”)

What makes Mommy happy? Flying.

What makes mommy sad? Hitting.

How does mommy make you laugh? I don’t know. I don’t do anything to make you laugh? Nope. Hahahaha, I laughed. It was a fake laugh.

What was mommy like as a child? A baby.

How old is your mommy? I don’t know. Let me see. 3.

How tall is your mommy? I don’t know. No you are not tall.

How tall are you? Bigger.

What is mom's favorite thing to do? Make me laugh.

What do I do when you’re not around? Play.

If I was going to be famous, what would it be for? I don’t know.

What is your mommy really good at? I don’t know. (Pointing at the computer) – that, so, you are good at.)

What am I not very good at? I don’t know what you are not, like, good at.

What do I do for my job? Pointing at the computer – that is your job.

What is mommy’s favorite food? Roast beef and you like Wendy’s. You like Old McDonalds. What else do I like? Arby’s.

What makes you proud of your mommy? Um, special.

If Mommy was a cartoon character, what would I be? A bad doctor.

What do you and your Mommy do together? Get Married.

How are you and Mommy the same? I don’t know, but I don’t like to be happy. (he was getting very annoyed at my questions by this point.)

How are you and your Mommy different? You are a boy.

How do you know Mommy loves you? You don’t love me. I don’t want to love you. Jackson! How do you know Mommy loves you? A kiss.

Jackson tags Brielle, Alexis Jones, Alyssa, and Tandi.

Next Stop, The Trailer Park

When Ty saw these pictures he said, "Next stop, trailer park." Ok, yes I let my kids run around in their underwear outside on our deck. It's not like we have a private backyard, and this was after dinner. I have to strip Hayden down to his diaper after dinner anyways, he's the messiest eater in the world, and Jackson loves to run around in his underwear, so I let them go at it. They were just being so cute. And I'm sure I'll let them do it again, so everyone can see their cute bellies and chubby legs and their all around adorable little bodies.

Tyler adds, "The inside of our house looks like the trailer park blew up inside of it." And, "My children are capable of turning our kitchen floor into human size fly paper. Do they secrete glue?"

Don't worry, I mopped the floor today. It is now clean.

My friend Lisa let Jackson come over and play with her daughter Alexis this morning while I went to lunch with my family. Ty picked him up and said that when he got there Jackson was in a shirt and tie, and he got married. I was dying laughing so I asked Jackson about it and this was our conversation:.

Me: "Jackson what did you do today?"

Jackson: "I married Alexis."

Me: "You did? Where did you get married?"

J: "She just had a temple downstairs."

Me: "What did you wear?"

J: "I was the Daddy."

Me: "Did you wear a tie?"

J: "Yes."

Me: "What did Alexis wear?"

J: "A dress."

Me: "Who married you?" (Meaning who performed the ceremony?)

J: "Alexis did. We just got married! (Then he smiled and giggled)

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA I really really hope that there are pictures.

Haircuts

We all got haircuts in our family. I was waiting forever to cut Hayden's becuase once you finally cut their hair, they look all grown up. But I decided this had to go: And my hair had to go. It's been long for so long and it was time . I feel like I'm myself again now that I have my short hair back. I love it, even though I do miss my ponytail already.

Chicago

We went to Chicago this weekend for my new adorable niece's baby blessing and Alexis's birthday party. It was also a last family get together before Ty's parents go off to be Mission Presidents in Michigan. We had a good time, but of course, I don't have many pictures. other people took plenty though, but for some reason I don't ever get my camera out when we're doing something fun and exciting. These are the only pictures I took of my kids the whole time.
Chilling out watching the DVD player
Anyways we had a great time. I love Chicago and I'm so glad the boys got to go and play with all their cousins. Hopefully I'll get pictures emailed to me because all the grandkids were so cute together!

Hayden's Talking

Hayden finally said his first discernible sentence today. It went like this:

"NO! MINE!"

I wonder where he learned that from? At least he is putting words together, and I can actually understand something he's saying.

Grrr

Yes, these are pictures of this morning, MAY 1st. As we walked outside I told Jackson I hate the snow and he said, "I LOVE IT!" and Jumped right in.

Back to School

This is dedicated to Ty. Today he's going back to school and it's his first day as a grad student.

Pictures of Today

It was hot today! And apparently is it going to snow later on this week. I live in a crazy desert. But we took advantage of the sun this afternoon and went outside and played. I didn't realize it was as hot as it was. Poor Hayden was turned bright red before we got home. Don't worry though, he was just fine. It's so fun to see Hayden run and play outside. Last summer he was army crawling through the dirt, and now he's running and climbing and going down the slides. They grow up too fast.



(Jackson hasn't forgotten how to "hang")

Pictures From This Week

Nothing new has really happened this week. I haven't been taking pictures lately, but I thought I would share some funny ones of late. Here is Hayden at the ER:

Here's Hayden's Lunch from the other day:

And I thought I would share some interesting photography that Jackson took by himself:

(Yes, that is me and Tyler sleeping. He also took many more pictures, but mostly of the dresser and the floor, and underneath the bed. Nothing as great as this picture which shows how attentive we are as parents.)

And so here's a picture of Jackson sleeping:

(He loves the Easter pillowcase his grandma Jones gave him. It's not coming off anytime soon.)

And that's about it around here. How was everyone's weekend?

Happenings

I was just thinking about things that had happened these past couple of days. Saturday Hayden fell onto a metal cookie cutter and cut his head open in two places. We went to the emergency room because they were pretty big gashes and I thought he needed stitches, but it ended up being fine. No stitches, no staples, and it seems to be healing pretty good. He was a trooper. They put a headband on him with gauze that helped to numb the pain of his cuts, and he was then the happiest kid ever. I have a picture of him with his headwrap and it's hilarious, but it's in my phone, and my phone is dead, so I can't find it, so no picture.

My parents told me yesterday that they are going to Disneyland today - without me.

Yesterday we had a Dentist appt right near Ty's school. Jackson was awful at the dentist and wouldn't let them touch him. I was angry, to say the least. Do you know how many dentist books we checked out at the library? We prepared for this for days. Stubborn child. I was stubborn, but I never said no to the Dentist. Then we ate lunch with Ty at his school and he showed off his children to one of his P.E. classes. They were running the mile outside and so we just stayed through his class and played outside. It was so random and fun. Ty really does have an amazing job and works with awesome people. I know he's going to miss them when he starts school.

Jackson has been in timeout 5 times today, and he's suppossed to be taking a nap, but he's probaby quietly pooping his underwear.

I was reminded yesterday how lucky I am to have such a wonderful husband. My neighbor got arrested yesterday for I don't know what and he'll be in jail for who knows how long while his wife and kids are at home. Holy Schmoly, as Jackson would say. Thank you, thank you Tyler for being such a wonderful hardworking person and a wonderful father to our boys. I'm just so glad I don't have to deal with, you know, worrying that my husband might get arrested and lose his job, etc, etc. Don't we all have enough to deal with without creating excess drama in our lives? geez.

Good news, Jackson actually pooped in the potty, but he's still not asleep.

And for the last random happening that I would like to write about, yesterday, a book made me cry. Most of you probably don't know that I have issues with crying. I just don't do it. It hasn't happened (without me being on birth control pills) for years. I was reading the end of "The Chosen" and it made me cry. I remember in book club I insinuated that I cried when I got home after losing Jackson for at least 5 minutes at the Children's Museum, but I didn't actually ever cry. I just got angry, but no tears. Anyways, It was a good book. Thanks Jennifer for recommending that one.

Oh wait, one last thing. It is snowing. It is blowing swirls of snow everywhere. It is APRIL. WHY IS THIS HAPPENING? Yesterday my kids got sunburned and it was 70+, and today it is snowing. Is this because of global warming? El Nino? El Nina? whatever, because I am just about to go green if it will stop the snow.

What is your color?

Ty an I took these tests together and we found it hysterical because it pretty much hit us right on the money. (At least in our own opinions. I'm sure we come off different to other people, but here is what Ty and I think of each other:)

What's Your True Color?

My Result: Red

Your color is red, the color of racy sportscars, blushing cheeks, and luscious roses. Red symbolizes passion, romance, and love. So, since you're ruled by red, you probably trust your feelings more than your brain and tend to act spontaneously. If you see something you want, you go for it without thinking twice — impulsive is your middle name. You don't wait around for people to make decisions, either; you dive right in. Quite the romantic, you pay close attention to your emotions. In fact, if your heart isn't in what you're doing, you won't be satisfied. Of course, even when you do pour all your energy into the projects you tackle, your impetuous nature means your passions can shift as frequently as the wind. That's why some reds have trouble with commitment. Our advice? Next time you're feeling fickle, think before you act, if possible. You might be surprised at the results. Overall, though, it's great to be red. No one lives life more completely than you do.

What are you?
http://web.tickle.com/jumpto?test=colorogt&c=50652

Ty's color was black:

Your color is black. The color of night. Serene and mysterious. Traditionally a symbol of success, black also represents power and an uncompromising demand for perfection. Not surprisingly, you tend to set challenging goals for yourself and do whatever it takes to achieve them — your strength of character is second to none. This unfaltering determination, along with your natural elegance, impresses people. But keep in mind that your personality might be intimidating to some. Try to temper your demanding side with a little softness — trust us, it won't kill you. Overall, though, black is the color of professionalism and achievement, which means it's clearly the color for you.

Get Munked

I was being lazy on Friday and watching TV. I was being so lazy that I was actually watching Good Things Utah because I wanted to just watch TV and nothing else was on. Much to my surprise, I was actually entertained. They had life sized Alvin and the Chipmunk dancers appearing on TV. They were on the "Get Munked" tour promoting the movie. Below is the link to the segment of GTU. Oh my gosh, I laughed so hard, the whole time. Hopefully you will find this as funny as I did. Jackson was looking at me and the chipmunks like we were nuts. (It's kind of long. No need to watch after they're done dancing.)

http://www.abc4.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoid=80771@video.ktvx.com&navCatId=462

So after they were done dancing they announced that they would be at the mall at 6:00, so I actually took my kids to the mall to see them. (I should probably tell you that I LOVED Alvin and the Chimpunks when I was little) Anyways, mall - Stupid mistake. I should have known that if I was actually willing to go to the mall, then everyone else in the State would be willing to go too. There were so many kids and adults there that I had to stand Jackson on a table and he could barely see, and then try to hold Hayden on my shoulders, but since the view wasn't that great he and Hayden decided that it would be more fun to go play on the cars that you have to put money in for them to go back and forth.

You were suppossed to be able to get your pictures taken with the Chipmunks, but the line was so long that we couldn't because they had to leave for the airport before they could get to everyone. But advertising works. Jackson now loves the chipmunks and Ty surprised him with the new Chipmunk movie. Guess what we've been watching over and over for the last few days? At least it's better than the Bee Movie.

Goodbye Couch, Goodbye Couch, Hello Couches

So after 6 years of marriage, we finally bought a couch. We said goodbye to our sectional that Ty's parents gave us. It served us well, but it was time to go. When Tyler and Jeremy moved it out of the house, Hayden was crying hysterically. He was running after the couch with his hands held out just crying. It thought it was a very proper goodbye. Here is a picture of the couch we bought.

Doesn't it look awesome? I love the two toned look. I seriously love this couch. One of the reasons I love it so much is because I wanted sometthing that fit agains the wall where our sliding door is. We could have an open area in our tiny living room. See? It fits. We had to put our old sectional like this:
I believe that earlier I called our old sectional oversized. I was very wrong. It is definately not oversized. It just looked that way in our tiny living room. Now that I think about it, it was pretty miraculous that our old sectional fit as perfectly as it did against our back wall. Let's zoom out a little and look at the new sectional.
Oh wait, slight problem. Now that is an oversized sectional. Now I can't open the @#$! door! I was so sad, and so stupid. I just assumed it would fit. Ty didn't think there would be a problem either. I didn't realize exactly how small our little condo living room was until the delivery people delivered brought it inside. We tried turning it the other way, and it looked bad, very bad. Luckily the store said I could return it, only because the sectional I bought is easy to sell. So yesterday I went back to the store and bought the second couch of my married career. (A couch that I knew would fit because I actually measured it.) I decided to bag the sectional idea and go with a sofa and love seat combo. We rented a cargo van (Thanks Jeremy and Lisa!) and hauled the other couch back and got a new one. That was drama in itself, and I'll spare you the details. Let's just say that I drove all over provo, they had lost my couch, but it was eventually found. Anyways, here's the new furniture we/I decided on:

Yes, that is Jackson laying in the living room in his underwear. (We've had a hard day.) But I like them a lot. It's definately fun to have something new.