We have a Four Year Old!

Here's the cake... that thing kept me up all night!

While I was up all night I had Wade blowing up balloons to surprise Wyatt when he woke up. They really did surprise him. He woke up at 3 am screaming and crying that there were monsters in his room. He liked the surprise much better in the daylight.

Happy Birthday Breakfast.

We had Wyatt's party at the Texas Transportation Muesum. It was great. The kids loved watching all the model trains and they even had a full size train with unlimited rides! I was so flustered and distracted I forgot to get a picture with the Big train. Ah, the joy of birthday parties : ) !

Wyatt got to put Thomas on the tracks and use the remote to start him up.

Some of the friends on the train. The pretty girl on the right is Tess. She is Wyatt's babysitter. She is so sweet and they love each other. She even pretended to have a blast at a 4 year old party : ).

More friends checking out the model trains.

Wyatt also got to signal to the Engineer of the train that it was time to get going. He thought that was pretty awesome!

Since we moved to Texas we have always taken Wyatt out to dinner on his Birthday. He always orders spaghetti and makes a complete mess of himself and everything/one around him.

Wyatt announced to the waiter that he was 4 ! He got a plate of cookies with a candle. It was a really fun treat and Wyatt shared with mommy without being asked.

This Birthday was kind of a shocking one for me. Not only is time just flying and my little baby turning 4 but suddenly it hit me that Wyatt is getting old enough to actually have real memories. My first memory is from when I was four! I really hope he remembers this Birthday and how much we love our little WyWy.

Louisianna Cousins

We finally made a trip to New Orleans to see my brother, Matt. He has hauled his whole family out multiple times to visit and it was time for us to make the drive. Living in Texas has changed our perspective on road trips, an 8 hour drive is nothing!

We took the street car down to the French Quarter and Wyatt was in Heaven!

Wyatt started calling Cooper, Luke, and Jaxon his brothers after their first visit. I think it is the sweetest thing. Wyatt just loves having them around.

The boys put my hat on Hermes and really needed me to take a picture.

When these boys were together everything seems to be out of focus--they were wild. Just like little boys should be!

We went back down to the French Quarter to visit the famous Cafe Du Monde and get beignets with hot chocolate. Yes hot chocolate in July in Lousianna! It was HOT HOT HOT!

Then we headed a few steps over to the Mr. Sippi as the boys called it. Here are all the Cousins.

and our little family.

 

We had to head home right after this. It was so fun to spend time with family and see Wyatt having a blast.

 

Wyatt has a serious love for all things trains. He was excited to see a train go by while we were downtown.

Wyatt got a huge bag of beads and toys that his cousins saved from Mardi Gras. He only put on 1/4 of them here.

Love you Brady Cousins!

Easter!

We kept Easter low key this year, sometimes all the stuff gets in the way. We decided not to have the Easter Bunny come, or have toys and easter baskets. Instead we had a egg hunt and dinner and tried to focused on the things we already have!

Fredericksburg's Flowers

If I had to pick my favorite thing about Texas I would say the weather and then I would say the wildflowers. Each spring they pop up just in time for Easter and are every where, seriously driving down the freeway they are in the median. LOVE! Fredericksburg has a Wildflower farm that is so charming, Wade found it and took us on the drive out to small town Texas (another favorite of mine).

Wyatt is learning to write. Here he decided to write his name in the dirt.

Tilt your head and you can see his W and Y. I am so proud of that boy.

We walked around down town and there were Easter bunnies walking around handing out treats, such a cute small town.

Tuesday Tell All.

How do you find the strength to do what you know in your heart is right - and how has that strength evolved over the years or how has it been learned?

Wow, that is seriously a tough one!  My first thought was that I am a chicken, I am too afraid to not do what is right. But after pondering it a bit more I realized that doing what is right is downright terrifying at times and running away would totally be easier.

When I am at a crossroads, I turn to Wade for strength and advice, and once I have had a chance to calm down/ meditate about it (and talked with my bestie and sisters) I go to the Lord. Over the last few years I have learned that the Lord is aware of me and that he will provide a way; which makes moving forwarding in the right direction an easy decision. Of course, just because it is the right direction doesn’t mean it isn’t trying, hard, or even terrifying.  As the hard times arise I look back at the answers I have received in the past and that helps me remember His purpose and to keep moving forward.  As I have recorded answers from my Heavenly Father I have been able to draw strength from them when times get rough and to renew my faith to continue on.

Tuesday Tell All.

So what are some of your favorite foods, and what foods can't you stand. How have you tastes changed over the years?

I love food, so much so I choose to make it my career. I love food that  makes me feel good, happy, and healthy. I like pretty much all kinds of food and love to try new things. The only food I don’t like is shrimp, I simply cannot eat it without gagging, the texture is just wrong—all slimy and crunchy, bleck! Texture is my down fall with food, I am not a picky eater but I am picky about how food is prepared. If meat is too chewy I can’t get it down, because of that I rarely eat meat and could easily be a vegetarian.

Some of  my absolute favorite foods are avocados, gorgonzola cheese, crab, salmon, yams, and dessert (any and every kind) . Back in college I was pretty extreme in my eating and would not eat treats or junk food. I even told Wade on our first date that I wouldn’t go for slurpies. Since then I have realized it is all about moderation and I have embraced my sweet tooth—maybe too much!

I love that food and meals offer bonding time as families. I enjoy making meals for my family and sitting down together and sharing our day. I really feel that healthy eating has to be established in the home, early on in life and I try to promote healthy eating with Wyatt every day.  I also like that food can offer such excitement and joy in life, and I love sharing those moments with my family: making a special meal that celebrates a holiday, or just a warm traditional Sunday dinner, and I really love making cookies for those I love.

Tuesday Tell All.

Do you wish you lived somewhere else. If so, where would it be, and what would it be like?

I really love a lot of things about Texas. Right now the wildflowers are blooming and casting their spell of happiness all over me. The warm climate is another thing I enjoy about living here; I do not miss the snow, not one bit. I am a country girl and Texas make me feel right at home with it’s cowboy boots and pick-up trucks. I used to dream of living in Texas and we have been so blessed to be here the last 2 years. If we end up here for good I wouldn’t be upset, but being so far from family and friends motivates me to dream about moving “home to Utah” or closer to home anyway. I am not ready or willing to give up the warm climate which limits my options but St. George, Utah or Las Vegas are high on our lists of final destinations.  Both St. George and Vegas are a short drive home for holidays or weekends and certainly our friends and family will want to escape the never ending winters and visit us frequently.  Wherever we end up I want it to be out of the way, on a piece of land that will give our kids the chance to be outside having adventures.

Family Golfing Trip

 This weekend we all went golfing; I dusted off my  pink golf bag, shoes, and glove and golfed it up with the boys.

 There is nothing I love more than seeing these two together. Seeing Wade and Wyatt share in their love for golf is so fun for me and for them!

 Uncle Scott taught Wy how to wash his golf balls; he likes everything about golf, even clean up.

We drove out to Bandera to play. Oh, how I love this small town. I really enjoy being out away from the traffic and craziness in the city. As I spent the morning admiring the views, I couldn't help but dream about the day when we will have our house out here, or somewhere like it.