Time in Laramie

The past two weekends have been full of football games, play with cousins, and hunting. The weather was beautiful in Laramie and we were able to spend time with family and do some of things we love. What could be better then Wyoming Cowboy football and elk hunting? I'm not quite sure that my boys realize how lucky they are to be able to do so many cool things.

Here are the boys playing in the park behind Tyler and Austin's house.

Mr. Fix It

The past couple of weeks Owen and Eli have really started playing together while their big brother is at school. This morning, Owen asked me to bring Eli in the kitchen so they could "fix stuff" together. They love getting out my screw driver set and fix their toys. They are very cute together and are starting to form a true brother bond.

Eli is so proud of himself for fixing his toy. New batteries were added and it plays music which he loves.

Here they are enjoying a snack together.

asleep at the wheel

Our mornings start early. We are up and out of the house by 7:20. I really like that we get an early start to our day. By 8:30 we have ridden our bikes to school, dropped Gabe off, and played in the playground before returning home. I am not much of a morning person but, have learned to enjoy my time in the early mornings. Gabriel has always been a morning kid and this morning schedule works well for him also.

How I miss those days that I would have Gabe and Owen lay down in the afternoons and take a nap. I would usually nap with the boys or would take time to get some things done. Those days are long gone. Gabe and Owen absolutely won't hear of taking a nap. I can't even bribe them to take one. Little Eli has to catch is nap whenever he can. Mostly, in the stroller or in the car. But, there are those days that sleep overtakes them where ever they are. I can't force them to take a nap but sometimes their little bodies just can't take it anymore and they fall asleep in the strangest places.

I remember when Gabe was about 2 years old he fell asleep on poor Bridger. Here is Owen after a day at the park. He walked in the house, laid down in the kitchen and fell asleep. Eli fell asleep while playing with me on the couch the other day and I snapped a picture.

This is never good

Up until today...I was able to close the lid and be assured that my little angel wouldn't be able to get into the toilet.

Imagine my horror when I returned to the bathroom after putting some clothes away to this sight. No more allowing Eli to play in the bathroom. Until he's at least 2.

Pictures in my head

My posts usually have a picture attached to it. A picture speaks a thousand words. It speaks to my life when you see a photo of three little blond boys smiling for the camera.

Today I don't have a picture. Mostly because I don't have the energy to download my current pictures from my camera.

But, there are the pictures in my head of today that I would like to share. Gabriel with his mask and snorkel in the swimming pool. Never coming up for a breath because he doesn't have to. Owen sliding down the slide at the play land and loving every moment of it. Eli riding in the stroller to Gabe's school with no shoes on because who needs shoes when you are nine months old. My husband holding Eli as I sneak out of the house to go to my bible study. This was a day to cherish. A day of laughter, excitement, and learning something new. An evening with Daddy, a movie, and plenty of boy time.

I feel closer to my boys more then ever today. I feel so close to them because I have been given the blessing of time. I'm not busy with a million things. I am busy with my boys. We have all day to go exploring things like the pool and play land at a new rec center we went to today. I don't have any obligations to dictate my days. I have the day with my boys and I can make it into whatever feels right at the time. Yesterday, we stayed home to ride bikes, take naps, and play hide and seek. Tomorrow we will go exploring again. We will meet new friends or maybe we won't. It's all part of this new adventure that God has given us.

As I close my eyes tonight, I see only those three little boys on the couch with their daddy. It sums everything up for me and puts a smile on my face. Everything is right, if only for a moment and mostly because they are all sound asleep upstairs like little angels.

And his first word is....

He's growing so fast. He changes everyday. When we first moved to Thornton, he couldn't climb stairs, stand up, or crawl. He used to sit quietly and watch the world from the seat of his stroller. Now he wants out to explore. He wants to put things in his mouth, climb on everything, and follow his brothers everywhere. An adventure to the park with Eli is indeed an adventure these days. No more sitting under the shade tree for mommy. I'm up and climbing on everything with Eli.

Yesterday, we were at Jake's house (Owen's new friend) for a play date. Jake has two large golden retrievers. Eli loved them. They were big and loud and liked to bark at us. He laughed at them and then out of nowhere said "Dog". He kept pointing and saying "dog, dog, dog, dog, dog. It was very cute. Another milestone reached.

I also remember Gabe's first word. Duck. We had a duck in our living room in Arvada that he loved to play with. One afternoon when we were playing in the living room he said "duck" out of the blue. It all started with this first word and now he doesn't stop talking. His teacher even mentioned to me the other day how verbal he is. She said that he has an excellent vocabulary that is well above the other children. This could be a Brotherton trait?

Owen's first word was mama. I was pushing him on the swing and he started saying "ma ma, ma ma". Owen is not quite the talker that Gabriel is. In fact, most of the time, Gabriel talks for Owen. Owen is quiet but so smart and says the cutest little things. For example, this morning we were walking Gabriel to school and he found a rolly polly bug. It was rolled up in a ball in his hand and he looked up at me and said "mom, we can bounce him, right?" "Bounce him?" "I don't think that is a very good idea, it would be better to gently put him back in the grass". Unfortunately, he didn't listen to me and the rolly polly bug was bounced on the ground several times before he went to rolly polly bug heaven. Owen's favorite activity proved to be "bouncing" a rolly polly bug.

I'm not quite sure that I'm ready for three talking little boys. Ready or not Eli will be talking soon and I am excited to watch him grow and change and yes start talking.

Favorite Toy

Kids love to play with the simplest things. Give them a rope, a box, some rocks, or a stick and they can entertain themselves for hours.

Give Eli and Owen a dryer. They climb in and out of it, play peek a boo in it, and hide and seek. Their favorite game is to pretend that they are bears and living in a big cave. It's so cute to hear little Eli growl like his big brother.

Who would have thought that anyone would like to climb in a dryer or that it could be a toy?