Washington D.C.

At the end of April Nate called up and said that he had to go to Washington D.C. for work and wanted to know if I wanted to come too. I, of course, was really excited because that is where Becka and Bennett live and I really wanted to go see them. I also thought it would be a good experience for Kace to come too and it would also give me someone to go and do things with. And I knew that Kace was my companion with my companion pass so it would be a free trip if he came.
We were only there for three full days so I knew they were going to be marathon days. The first night when we got there we went to Becka and Bennett's house and just hung out. It was so much fun to see them and to catch up. I wish we lived closer to each other.
The second day Kace and I got up early and headed to the Smithsonian. It was a rainy day, but of course this year we were used to it (come to find out we missed the only three nice days of spring while we were gone). Once we figured the metro out (I am now a metro pro :) ) we got there and looked for the museum of natural history. I stopped and asked someone and they showed me and then asked why I was here and where I was from. I explained that Nate was here for work and that he worked for the government and was working at hill. He got really excited and asked if I was LDS. I told him I was and he immediately stuck out his hand and introduced himself and his wife as Brother and Sister Evans from Nova Scotia. Come to find out he just got made Stake President. I thought that was pretty cool.

We went to the Museum of Natural History, Air and Space Museum, and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. This was one of the things Kace really wanted to do. He told me before we left that he wanted to go see the money being made.

That night we were pretty tired so we had the Oberg's come to our hotel (the hotel had a free buffet dinner) for dinner and then the kids went swimming. Seeing Ashden and Kace was so much fun. The immediately clicked and acted like long lost best friends.

The second day we had an appointment to tour the capital through Rob Bishop's office. We got there a little early and this is how we killed time:









I thought the capital was so pretty. The detail was amazing. There was an artist that did paintings all over the walls, ceilings and tiles on the floor. It was beautiful.

Then we went to the International Spy Museum and to Arlington National Cemetery. I loved Arlington. It was probably my favorite. I really liked the spirit that was there and the changing of the guard and the history that was there. It was all interesting to me. However, Kace got really bored here and was really tired and ready to get back. Go figure :) The picture pretty much sums up Kace's feelings.

That night we met up with the Oberg's and went to see the national monuments. We started at the Jefferson and then went to the Lincoln, WWII, and Washington monuments. One thing that I really noticed was the mention of God on all of the monuments. They were truly inspired men and knew that they were being led by our Father in Heaven. They gave credit to Him. What has happened since then?

It didn't matter where we were, those two loved to wrestle!

The next day we went shopping to the outlets :) I wonder whose idea that could have been! They were good sports though. That night we went to Oberg's for dinner. Becka's mom and dad were visiting as well and it was good to see them. I met Becka (and her brother) while working at ICON in 2000 and became good friends and did a lot of fun things together. She ended up marrying Nate's cousin! I was so excited!! Anyway, I knew her parents from before, and Kace has seen her dad for his feet so it was really fun getting together with them.

It was a great trip. I love the history stuff. I really wish I would have paid more attention in school :)

Kace Face

I know I really need to post our Washington D.C. pictures, BUT I found this little beauty on my camera and really needed to share. Kace would probably die if he knew I put this on, but I will take my chances. It is really too funny.

Please ignore the totally messy room (although they clean it and this is the way it looks the very NEXT DAY :/ grrrrrr) It adds to the video though!

Herpes

Ty is showing off his new spiderman watch (thanks Grandma Spencer!)

So (my stories always start with 'So') Nate and I were driving to Logan the Saturday before Easter and I was telling him that I had thought about getting the boys a bunny for Easter. His eyes got really big and started to sparkle at that thought. He was all for it, but then I burst his bubble and told him that I quickly dismissed the idea. The Easter Bunny did bring them some awesome bubble guns and I thought that was good enough.
By the end of our date he was still thinking about the bunny and how great it would be and how it could live out by the pond and eat the grass and just hop around all day long. So, being the nice wife that I am, made a compromise.......I said that if we could go to Spoon Me (it is closing and I wanted to go once more before it closed) then we could get a bunny. Imagine a little boy on Christmas. He was SO EXCITED!
We drove back to the house on the corner that was selling bunnies in the front yard and picked out the perfect bunny.
Now for the BEST PART! On the way home we were just chatting and then Nate said, "EW! My leg is all wet, I think the bunny peed on me!" I DIED LAUGHING. So funny.

When we got home we told the boys we had a surprise for them. They were ecstatic! They didn't want to leave it alone and fed it carrots and just loved it. Now we had a dilemma in picking out the name. We all wanted different names. I wanted Easter, Kace wanted Calico and Ty wanted Christmas. So we had Nate be the tie breaker and he said he didn't like any of those names, he wanted it to be named HERPES. So the bunnies name is Calico Christmas Easter Herpes Jones. But for short the name Herpes has stuck.

On Monday Nate let Herpes out of its pen (yes out by the pond) and we watched it hop around. On Tuesday morning I hadn't seen it hopping so I started wondering where it could be. I sent Ty out to see if he could see it. As I looked out the window at him walking back to the house, my heart started to break. He looked crestfallen. I asked him what was wrong and he said, "Heeeerrrrrpeeeeeessss is gone (crying). Dad is a meanie, he let him out of his cage." So he called Nate and told him the news and Nate told him to say a prayer. When Kace got home Ty told him to say a prayer as well. And then they started to look. They spent about an hour and a half searching all over, but never found him. I was thinking great, Herpes only lasted TWO DAYS!

But as we knelt down for family prayer that night Nate looked out the window and was staring at something. It was, you guessed it, Herpes. The boys were so happy. They came in and said a prayer of gratitude. Nate and I could hardly stop laughing as they gave thanks for Herpes (because of the name, we would never laugh at the actual prayer :) ).

boys

Almost every preschool day Ty and I battle over him hurrying to get ready. I usually don't care too much about what he wears (unless he looks really ridiculous), but he is SO SLOW in choosing. He also has a hard time getting on his shoes.....he waits until the last minute.

So today today just as I was getting out of the shower I heard the pitter patter of little feet racing up the stairs. Ty excitedly said, "MOM, I'm all ready for school! I even have my SHOES on!" I of course praised him and tried to give some positive reinforcement for his goodness, all while I was wondering what in the world he picked out to wear.

When I came out of the bathroom this is what I saw......

Not going to lie I was surprised he didn't have shin guards on as well.

Now the other day Kace got these baseball cleats, but Ty has worn them more than Kace has. Ty is SOOOO excited (understatement) to start soccer. He wanted to show me the shoes.

I did make him take off the shoes (Kace in all reality hasn't even tried them on yet, so I might have to take them back), but this is what he wore to school! He did turn the shirt around though!

Pond drainage and Easter egg hunt

This weekend was full of adventure! Kace and Ty have been counting down the weeks and then days until their cousins to come and Nate has been anxiously waiting for the day that he can drain the pond and get out all the big huge catfish that are eating his other precious fish.

That weekend finally arrived :). Happy day. On Thursday night we had a house full of boys as the four Cannon boys came over to spend the night. They had a great time. On Friday, Nate got up early, it was like Christmas morning to him, and got his pump going to drain the pond. At about lunch time he went out with his nets and starting to catch the fish. He (and our neighbor) caught them with nets and then tossed them onto the bank. The boys would then grab them and run them over to the tubs of water. One of them, Nate tossed onto the bank and it hit Evan right on the forehead. It was so funny, but I didn't want to laugh out loud because I wasn't sure if it hurt or not. Thankfully, he burst out laughing and said that it was a catapulting fish!

They caught some BIG catfish (we are going to enjoy one of them tonight :) )

The boys had so much fun playing on the trampoline playing, 'watch out for the shoes' (a game they made up). They would run back and forth from the house, the dirt hill (always a boy favorite) the trampoline and the pond. They were FILTHY by the time the day was over. Then we shipped them off to grandma's :) A couple of them found a bunch of 'quicksand', or so they say, and their feet sunk. Then the shoes came off. But, I will say it again, they were stinky and filthy!

The next day was the annual Jones family Easter Egg hunt. Donene found this awesome chalkboard fabric that the kids had fun drawing on. Grandpa Shaw also had fun decorating it. I captured his design :)

This year it was too muddy to go up to the campground so we had the hunt on the land surrounding their house. All the kids were so excited and could hardly wait for the rules to be explained (and pictures to be taken!). And then they were off. I went around with Ty this year. I kept thinking to myself that I hoped I, I mean Ty, would find the big egg because in all of the TEN years I have been to this egg hunt I have never found it. Well, Ty and I were in the garden searching and by the pond when I looked under and pine tree and THERE IT WAS! I couldn't believe it and asked Tydon if he wanted to look under the tree. He was also excited :) He did tell me that it was TYDON'S money and that I couldn't have it.

For most of the weekend Kace and Layne palled around together. Kace is always telling me that his cousins are his best friends. I just love that!

Every year we usually find some awesome treasures. Usually there are eggs from previous years with some awesome candies inside. This year Isaac found some real beauties.....

We finished the night off with a birthday dinner for Donene. Rainee made some macadamia nut crusted mahi mahi that was SO GOOD. I can't stop thinking about it! It was a great weekend :)

Become as a little child......

So I am going to tell a story, not because I want everyone to know (and if you do read this PLEASE don't mention it to him because he would be mortified), but because I want to remember this forever. I also want Kace to remember it and hopefully remember the feelings he had.

Last night the boys had been in bed for about a half hour when Kace came into our room struggling not to cry. I asked him what was wrong and he started telling me a story about how on the bus a boy told him to finish the word he was saying. They would say the word grass. So the boy said, "GR" and then Kace said, "ASS."

Kace was so broken up about it and rushed out to say that he didn't know what it would be until he said it. He didn't think about it. We talked about how this life is full of experiences both good and bad and how you have to learn from all experiences and we talked about what he would do next time.....because I know this is not the first time this game is going to be played.

He then went back to bed and was going to pray and talk to Heavenly Father and talk to him about how he was feeling. About 5 minutes later I got up to go to the bathroom and heard him crying in his room. I was really touched with how badly he felt. Godly sorrow.

Nate didn't want him to feel like it was the end of the world because he said a swear word, but I was glad that he felt bad. I truly wish that I felt bad for all the "little" things or even recognized I do them, because then maybe I could have a better effort to fix them. It starts with little things.

Tydon's Trophy

While we were at my mom and dad's on Sunday celebrating Dad's birthday (Happy Birthday DAD!) Ty saw a cow trophy in his room and commented that his brother has a TON of trophies. I am guessing that my mom or dad said that he could have the cow trophy (I wasn't actually in the room). He was so excited. He then said, "My brother has a ton of trophies and now I am going to have a ton of trophies."

He made sure we didn't forget it. When he woke up the next morning the first thing he asked for was his cow trophy and was wondering where it was. I love how excited he gets for the simplest things.

It was just what we needed at our house...........a cow trophy!

PS Please notice his attire...he is ready for football with his football shirt and for basketball with his shorts. Nate just got finished putting together our new basketball standard (Kace busted the backboard on the old one) and they were getting ready to go shoot baskets and he had to change his clothes for the occasion :)