Ready For Football

With school beginning and fall looming in the air it can only mean one thing (atleast for dad and his moldable son), FOOTBALL SEASON!  With going to the first Emery High football game of the year and recently learning the signal for touchdown (thanks mom though I'll try to take credit for this milestone), I think we just might have a football player on our hands (at this point he may be a lineman but hey we'll take it though he won't be scoring many touchdowns from there!)

And I thought I got excited for touchdowns!

Once a kid always a kid

Parker gets all of the recognition.  This all changed at around 5:37 PM as I heard the blessed sound of the Ice Cream Truck that has been avoiding me all summer.  With Parker and mom in Price I was left to my childish reflexes of abandoning my cleaning of the bathroom and running out the door and joining the neighborhood kids as they swarmed the ice cream truck.  To my disappointment they had sold out of the "Ice Bomb's" but was fortunate to get a different version of the same thing.  

Interestingly enough the ice cream driver wasn't what I expected.  It was a nice chinese lady that had difficulty speaking english but apparently knew her ice cream.  And do the Chinese people know their ice cream?  Yes they do and I came to find this out as I served in Taiwan as this man on a bike came by selling ice cream.  It was nothing like I had ever tasted but hey an ice cream truck is an ice cream truck even if it is in a different country and even if it isn't from a truck.  It all brings out the child in me.

And what about Parker?  I couldn't resist getting him a popsicle so when he did come home guess what, it really was all about him anyway as he devoured his popsicle that was half the size of him

A Devin that can actually speak Chinese

The story goes that I was named after the cougar great (Basketball player) Devin Durrant because my brothers looked up to him at the time I was born.  I never did become a great basketball player unless you count Church Ball but I can now officially claim that there is a Devin that can speak Chinese!

I served my mission in Taiwan - Mandarin Chinese speaking.  After serving two years there I spoke Chinese but I don't know if that was me doing the speaking or the Taiwanese people were just really nice.  Whatever the case may be, while I was there serving me and my companion were able to baptized two brothers that lived in a city called Ching Shui.  The older brother Jason Yen  (Yen Wei Jun) has since served a mission, married in the temple and had their first baby born to them.  You can imagine my surprise when I found out that they named him Devin (they often have an english name with their chinese name).  

And so after serving two years and trying to speak chinese it took having somebody I baptized and his spouse to finally have a Devin that really can speak chinese (and yes I am sure his chinese is better than mine even as a baby).

Most importantly I am excited for the new dad and the new mom.  They will be great parents.

Jason Yen is the second one from the left

Lucky #13

13 months and cuter than ever!  

Party Posse!

Nothing but good times with good friends!  Amanda's husband coined the phrase "Party Posse" for us and it kind of stuck!  We have had a lot of fun walking and talking and just enjoying being out of the house away of kids once in a while.  (we do love our kids and husbands, but it's good to get out once in a while.)  

Last Tuesday we had our first annual ward fun run/walk/social.  It was a good time had by all. We had many runners and walkers out from the ward.  Heather and I ran and did a fine job.  I took first overall the girls and Amanda and Christy were our first walkers!  Tiff came later because she was stuck in "construction".

 

Heather, Me, Tiff, Christy, & Amanda

 

Party Posse Pyramid!  Go team!

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Later that week we had a wonderful walk that turned into graffiti!  We had to let Amanda know that she was missed.  Drill team has taken a little more time than expected.  Anyway, we had a good time with the sidewalk chalk!

Don't mind my double/triple chin (I was taking the picture)

This was an impressive job under the Jeep

Pain is Beauty and Beauty is Pain!

One of my friends Jaclyn Jeffs is a cosmetologist.  She agreed to do a little waxing for our hairy eyebrow situation.  Tiffany Jeffs, Jac's sister-in-law, and my friend, too, talked me in to going with her for this lovely experience.  Okay, so I've had it done once before, but have been tweezing ever since.  I thought why not, it's one little swoop and the hair is gone all at once.  When she ripped that baby off I thought my whole eyebrow was gone.  I was a little nervous, but don't worry I don't have to paint them on.  I still have two!  Seriously though, the little pain was worth it.  Tiff and I had some good laughs while Jaclyn made us beautiful.  Of course I couldn't resist some picture taking!

What's better than a good book?

Devin loves to read and I like it a lot.  I am learning to love it more and more.  I really think it is important to teach this love to Parker.  Ever since he was a baby Devin and I would read to him and he would listen and then babble back.  Little by little he started to catch on to turning the pages and picking favorite books.  Recently we have been reading good ol Dr. Seuss, The Cat in the Hat, and he loves it.  The other night after his bath I caught him in the corner "reading" his book.  It was the cutest thing and I happened to catch a few shots on the camera.  What a cute boy!

Can you say detached?!?

I was just looking at some pictures of Parker as a little baby and wanted to cry!  I can't believe how fast time flies and this once little newborn is now a little one year old who I can't keep up with some days.  On August 10 I decided that it was time for this little one to become completely detached from me for any feeding purposes.  At that point he was only down to one night feeding. I knew it was more of a comfort, and there had been some nights where I was gone and Devin put him to bed just fine without nursing, so I did it!  And needless to say he is a big boy and not nursing anymore.  He has been great and there is no turning back.  I am finally, after these couple of weeks, not sore or hurting either.  I am somewhat back to normal, I guess.  

Simply Summer

As the sweltering summer heat begins to taper off and the sound of school bells and schedules replace the flexibility that summer brings we come to appreciate all of the simple summer things that make summers enjoyable.  Here are some of our favorites

• Early morning trips with Parker to the garden to pick fresh raspberries to put in the pancakes for breakfast
  
• Early morning strolls with the "party posse" (Melissa will provide more details)
• Nights under the stars hoping to "wish upon a shooting star" that never came
• Hearing the distant sound of the ice cream truck that never came our way
• Tossing the frisbie in the yard
• Reading a good book into the late hours
• Nights under the lights at the softball complex
• A game of apple and tomato smashing in the yard (Parker was more than happy to clean up)
• Summer BBQ's and fresh corn on the cob with family and friends
• Roasting smores in the fireplace
• Homemade ice cream

Temple Trip with Tara

Tara Sullivan is one amazing girl!  I've known her for about 5 years now, but it seems like forever! It has been so awesome to watch her go through this journey and to reach the temple.  She has been such an example to me.  I love her hard work and dedication to whatever she does.  She is totally devoted and gives all she can to help others.  On August 15, I had the opportunity to be with her in the temple.  It made my heart so happy to see her happiness!  She deserves every bit of that happiness.  I just love her and am so excited to relish in this great joy!  Thanks Tara for being who you are and blessing my life immensely!

Reverent Child !?!?

Mom's teaching seems to be sinking in.  As of late Parker has been folding his arms (with hands pointed downwards) as we say prayers at meals and at nights.  Sign of reverence? We had our hopes up until he would spend the rest of the prayer trying to escape it by heading to the open door. We can only hope that this is a good first step.  He does get excited for the sacrament where he flails his arms up and down and opens his mouth!

What a spiritual giant!  Thanks mom!

Five Alive!

Okay, so I got way behind and never posted about our wonderful 5th year anniversary.  We put it on our temple blog, but not this blog.  We got so caught up in Parker and his milestones that we never wrote about our own milestones.  Can you believe we've made it this far?  July 10th marked the big FIVE!  We are still alive and kickin' or kickin' each other! :)  Life is grand and we are still enjoying the ups and downs of this wonderful roller coaster of marriage.  

Devin has been my best friend and has given me every reason to continue into the eternities. With each 5 years that pass it can only get better and better.  Thanks for being my rock, patient, loving, an amazing daddy, and eternal companion through thick and thin!  

A Trip for Little Mia's Blessing

It was so great to be able to head to good ol' Wyoming again.  Little Mia was blessed last Sunday, August 2, 2009, and we were able to enjoy the time with all the fam for a couple of days.  She was so beautiful in her white gown and didn't make a peep during the blessing. Carson did an amazing job for his first time baby blessing.  It was neat to see the proud daddy give that sweet blessing.  

After the blessing we went back to Carson and Nykelle's house for some grub!  There was plenty of it, too.  It was a good time and crazy chaos, too.  Kids everywhere.  We were able to snap a few pics with the family.   The only one missing would be sweet Dust.  Soon he will be with us again, but until then, he's still working hard at the Lord's work!

Thanks Cars and Nykelle for a wonderful day!

Chris with Parker, Cammie, Britt with Carter, Carson, Nykelle with Mia, Dad, Mom with Cali, Melissa, and Devin.  One big happy fam.  If I knew how to photoshop we could stick Dust in there too.  :)

Happy day with Mia!  So precious!

Two beautiful girls - Brittany and Mia

A good action shot with Grandpa - Nice idea?

Parker enjoy the lip smacking dinner for the 2nd time!