Modge Podge

This will be a modge podge of pictures and updates as it has again been awhile since I posted.  We are doing well and are anxious to welcome baby boy #3 in just 5 more weeks.  We are finally feeling "ready" to add another one to the craziness.  We also find out next month where we will be moving for the next four years.  Big changes but exciting ones!

                                                           

                                                               Are those not the two cutest bums you have ever seen?

 Kylee and Emily are the boys best friends(girl friends) and go crazy if they don't see each other everyday.  Ryan is dressed as a pirate which may seem strange to any of you who don't see him every day.  He is always in a pirate outfit, Superman(cape and underwear), or Spiderman ensemble.  And especially if his girlfriend is over.  He immediately disappears upstairs and comes down only when he is dressed to be a hero.  He calls his Emily "princess."

 I love this picture because it makes me feel like maybe I had something to do with the creation of one of my boys.  I can at least see some resemblance, right?

 Raef finished up his soccer season and boy were we excited.  He did actually make contact with the ball(on purpose) during the last two games.  We were thrilled.  It was a bit rough for Trent to watch without saying anything.  Thank goodness Raef had fun though and wants to "play" soccer again.

 Now this pictue makes it hard to deny that these two are brothers.  Trent took these next few pictures on a beautiful February day up in the Red Rock Canyon in Vegas.  He was smiling from ear to ear finally getting to take his jeep on a dirt road up in the mountains.  The boys couldn't wait to get out though and begin hiking.  Eventually Trent stopped and we made our own trail up to the top of a mountain for lunch.  It really was a beautiful day.

Goobs and Dad

 Lunch at the top was perfect until the sun disappeared and we all started shivering.  We were a long ways up there so it was a bit chilly.

Beautiful view!

 Trent and Raefsters

 On the way back down the road we spotted some BigHorn sheep and stopped to watch a herd of them climb around the cliffs.  A dog got away from someone and took off chasing them so we saw quite the show.  We were lucky because Ryan was very frustrated he couldn't see them before because they blended into the surrounding so well and didn't move.  He just about jumped out of the window as they ran by.

 Raef signed up for gymnastics again at the rec center and had a rough beginning as he was the very youngest in his new class by a couple of years.  He stuck with it though and gives it his all.  The coach works him hard and makes them do a lot of situps and pushups.  I cringe to watch him do sets of 25 situps knowing his poor little stomach much ache but he doesn't complain and it I'm sure it helps him out in the other sports. 

Ryan was thrilled to get to play indoor soccer this season and loves it!  He is by far the fastest kid out there and definitely the craziest!  He couldn't wait to play a sport like big brother and after watching Raef play, he wanted to show him how it was done!

The RockHounds!  We barely make the signups and were excited to see how Raef did at baseball.  He absolutely loves it and loves being around so many boys his same age!  Trent and Raef go practice and go to the batting cages and Raef has made a bond with Trent that is hard to match because of baseball.  He loves it and I can see he is enjoying being a "big" boy playing baseball like Dad.  I had to go buy him a cup this week and found myself struggling with explaining what the purpose of it was.  Raef and Ryan both sat in the back seat on the way to the store as I explained you wore it in your underwear to protect your boukie in case a baseball got thrown or hit right at it.  I glanced back to find they both had very serious looks on their faces and were cupping their private areas with their hands.  I guess I got the message through!  Then when we took Raef to get his pictures taken, he became very concerned that he didn't have his "boukie protector."  I explained it was only needed if he was playing baseball, not just taking pictures.  Whew! 

Jets and boys

Since I can't help but surround myself with boys, I should be used to this by now.  This jet obsession.  How many times can you look at the same jets?  Really?  But I am beginning to understand that no matter what a man's or boys career choice is or will be, one fact remains the same.  They all wish they could be fighter pilots.  All of them.  I don't know even one that would turn that chance down.  So I will indulge them I suppose for the sake of dreaming.  One of Trent's patients is a crew chief in the eagle hangar and said we could bring the boys down one day to explore.  Of course, we had to go.  And the boys had to wear their flight suits.

The boys holding up the bombs. 

Me and the boys

After we had special permission to tour the hangar, the boys ran so fast I thought they might beat Trent.

After the tour, we headed over to the Thunderbird hangar to give Trent a tour since he had never been able to go inside.  I had taken the boys a few times and collected their dog tags there that they wear everyday.  Then we went outside and watched as 20 or so jets took off right in front of us.  Very cool.  Even to me.

Next, we took Trent to the boys favorite spot on the base.  The playground.  Or so they call it.  It is building with retired jets, tanks, guns, trucks, helicopters, you name it, they have it.  They are scattered inside and outside and are completely accessible for little boys.  They can climb all over them and let their imagination go.  Ryan's favorite is an old communication tank that he can look through the scope on and then look at the screens and tell us how many boagies are coming.  Raef loves the old helicopter and the huge guns you sit on outside and swivel around to shoot into the sky at planes.

Cute Ryan.  I can't get enough of him.

Raef inside of the jets.  They could sit in there for hours pretending to shoot each other.  It's a bit scary to listen to their pilot lingo.

Raef sitting on the back of a tank looking too much the part.  Aaahhhh! He's getting way too big way too fast!

Much needed update!

We moved to Las Vegas in August and had to quickly adjust to the heat.  We were very blessed to find a home that fit our needs perfectly and have absolutely no complaints about it.  Trent started his residency program as soon as we arrived and we discovered we were going to have another rough year but were grateful it is only one.  He is learning a lot and we love being part of the Air Force.  The boys love Las Vegas although they miss their yard in Ohio.  We haven't missed Ohio until fall came around and we thought about the fresh doughnuts and apple cider at Patterson Farms.  And the leaves.  Nothing can replace fall in Ohio.

This is a picture of almost all of the residents kids.  They get along perfectly and have no complaints about the usual weekend party.

Raef started half day kindegarten at a prototype school a block away and loves it.  His teacher is amazing and the school is beautiful.  Everything is green and solar powered.  Very cool.  I asked Raef if he liked his teacher and he said, "yeah, she's young like you mom and she is pretty.  She always has different earrings on.  Everyday they are different.  I like that."  He works hard though and has about 40 minutes of homework every night.  He is learning how to read and write and doing really well.  We try not to laugh at him as he sounds out the words.  His new favorite word to read is "but." 

We met some great friends here right away and our kids adore each other.  Ryan calls Emily his princess and he insists on wearing knight costumes and gear anytime he will see her and asks her to wear her crown.  It's very cute.  We went to the medieval knight show and dinner at Excalibur on the weekend and took turns watching the little ones so we could each enjoy a free night at a nicer hotel and dinner.  The kids loved staying in the castle and love, love, love the knight show.

We thought this picture was so cute.  They watched a movie and then stayed up for awhile staring out at the lights and the rollercoaster.  They talked and giggled for a half hour before we made them get some sleep.

We quickly discoverd Mt. Charleston and the surrounding area to try and escape the summer heat.  It was warm but so refreshing to smell pine trees and have a cool breeze.  We hiked awhile and had a picnic. 

Ryan started gymnastics and couldn't be more excited to go each week.  He does very well because he somehow has some decent arm muscles.  And it helps that he is half monkey too.  He also started ninja class and loves it. 

Raef decided to give tae kwon do another try this year and is liking it much better.  He stands next to this little kid in the picture who seems like he could be teaching the class and they do great together, staying out of trouble.  He is very serious and I try not to laugh as he snap kicks and almost gives himself whiplash every time. 

Summer days

We made our way to Idaho and took over Grandma's basement.  Literally.  The boys had their own room and a playroom and it was dirty all of the time. They were in mischief all of the time.  Grandpa would constantly say, "we're raising boys, not gardens, or nice stuff, or perfect cookies, etc."  Grandma went to get potatoes from her storage room and found they had gotten into the extra toilet paper and wrapped the potatoes up like dinosaur eggs, then they used another few rolls to wrap themselves and be superheros.  Another time, Grandma caught Ryan peeing into the window well.  And another time, she caught him peeing in her flower garden.  And another time, under the trampoline.  And I caught both the boys peeing in the garage and asked them what they were doing.  Ryan said, "Don't worry mom, we're peeing inside.  just like you said to."  Nice.  Grandma woke up to them using their squirt guns, courtesy of Grandpa, to clean her entire upstairs.  I think they said they were getting all of the bugs out.  There was water everywhere.  Dripping from the ceiling, covering the counters and the walls.  They must have been very busy.  They were so proud of being such great helpers so it was hard to punish them too badly.  Great Grandma and Grandpa Vaughn stopped in to say hi for a bit.  Ryan asked her if she would jump on the trampoline with her and she told him no, she couldn't.  He said, "oh, because your knees will break because they're old."  I'm sure she appreciated that.

We had to take a trip or two down to Weston to visit Great Grandma Buttars and help her out a bit.  Ryan loved the tractor and Trent took them 4-wheeling and they met some friends across the road and played on their bikes for a few days.  

While Grandpa and Dad mowed the yard(it took them a few hours), the boys sat in the back of the lawn trailer getting buried deeper and deeper with each bag.  They had their dinosaurs in there and went riding all over with Grandpa.

Smily Goobs

Raefster

Then Daddy had to leave to COT in Alabama for 5 weeks and we began the party.  No.  Actually we had a lot of lazy days and playing on Grandmas trampoline and tromping through her flowers.  We took them to the zoo and then to this small ride park and they were addicted.  

Thank goodness for Erin.  Again!  I get sick just standing next to these rides.  Raef loved it and Ryan smiled the whole time but he never took his eyes off of the middle section.  I couldn't decide what he was looking at.

  

They miss Erin if they can't see her everyday.  She is an amazing Aunt and plays with them for hours.  They truly adore her.  

Raef got a new bike when we got to Idaho after Trent ran over Ryan's strider bike.  Just a bit of major devastation.  It was hands down, Ryan's most prized possession.  But he inherited Raef's and seems just fine. Raef was thrilled to be on a big bike and to our surprise, never faltered one time.  He just took off.  Trent was running after him frantically waiting for him to crash but pretty soon Raef was long gone and Trent was left in the dirt.  After that, the boys went on a bike ride almost everyday.  We took them to the riverwalk to feed ducks and ride bikes.  Other days, Grandpa or Grandma would take them for a ride to the school and let them play on the playground for awhile.  

Still as cute as could be possible.

The Air Show came to Idaho Falls and Grandma was very excited.  It was extremely hot but we made the trek over there and tried to stay hydrated with 7 dollar snow cones.  Maddening!  The boys insisted on taking this picture for Uncle Cam.

I love this picture.  Ryan looks so peaceful as big brother lightheartedly shoots his target.

The boys have become completely obsessed with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.  Raef is Leo and Ryan is Raphael. They agreed to switch their favorite colors only for this exception due to the fact that Leo is the older and wiser leader and they both agreed that that should be Raef.  Erin made the mistake of coloring masks on them one morning and then it became a regular morning routine after the coloring had smeared during the day and their sleep.  Then they needed their bones drawn on them and also their girls' names.  You can see Remi listed on Raef's leg and Alyssa listed on Ryan's.  Erin, where's your boys name?

Grandma found this perfect little spot on the river and we got to relax while the boys played dinosaurs for a few hours.  It was shaded and beautiful.  There was sand areas they could dig in and water to play in.  A perfect haven for two little boys.  Yes, that's another day with another drawn on turtle mask.

Our perfect little hiding spot.

Raphael with a very wet and runny mask.

Mom and Leo

Another day that we repeated a few times was a trip to Rexburg.  We got Little Caesars pizza, breadsticks, pop, u-swirl frozen yogurt(a new fav of ours), snowcones and even had time to swim between all of that.  Yikes!  That's a lot of spoiling in one day.  

Drying off at the splash park.  Raef only wanted to go on the slide a couple of times but Ryan went constantly.  He figured out he could go up the stairs and around the entire line and sneak right under the bigger kids that were waiting and go down the slide quickly.  They barely even noticed him.  Grandma and I thought it was so cute and waited for him to get caught but it never happened.  He had a good system going.