Sawyers Family News

Isaac's Thanksgiving play

2011-11-18T14:56:00.001-08:00

His Thanksgiving play! My pictures from my camera are pretty cruddy, but this video is super cute!! Enjoy!

Isaac's Thanksgiving

2011-11-18T14:56:00.000-08:00

Isaac had his first ever play this past week! He was a corn in their Thanksgiving day play! This is so darn cute, I just had to share!!

Maylee's Birthday in Pictures

2011-08-24T18:21:00.001-07:00

Turning 4 is the best!! Just look at how much fun this sweet girl had!

The worst part of turning another year older is the trip to the doctor's office. Maylee was a real trouper. She got her eyes and ears checked. She got told she needs to walk on her flat feet. She got 4 shots and didn't even cry!! And she's in the 80% for both height and weight! She's awesome!! I love this little girl soooo very much!!!

He's one....I can't believe it!

2011-08-15T06:47:00.000-07:00

My sweet Max turned one on Friday! It's crazy to see how quickly time flies!!

We celebrated his birthday at a friends house. I made him a cake with some trucks on it. He loved it!

He was pretty timid about digging his hands in the cake, but once he got the hang of what he was doing...he really enjoyed the cake!

He got some fun presents and our buddy Tanner, who's 2, helped him open the presents. So cute!

We had a great day and we are so blessed to have this little cutie in our family!

At one he:

takes one or two steps without holding on to anything
babbles constantly
blows raspberries on everyone
loves cars, trucks, trains
eats everything--loved some peanut butter oatmeal!!
has climbed the ladder up the bunk beds
he still has blond hair
he crinkles his face when he's not happy about something (hilarious!)
give everyone high 5
waves bye bye after everyone is already gone
gives either open mouth kisses or sticks out his lower lip to give kisses

He's a true joy to have around! Happy Birthday Little Man!

Kevin's the big 3-0!!

2011-08-03T07:02:00.000-07:00

For Kevin's birthday we went out to dinner with some friends. If you have never eaten at Maggiano's...it is so worth going.

The food is served family style allowing you to share with those at your table! Then you can take home any and all leftovers. What we did was order more refills of the dishes we really liked and then had our waiter put them in to-go dishes for us!

Not only did we enjoy dinner on Friday at the restaurant, but also Saturday night at our friends house! Such a great weekend!

Then on Saturday night I made Kevin a homemade strawberry cake with chocolate frosting...yummy!

I hope you had a great birthday, Babe! I can't wait to see what the next 30 years holds for us and our family!! Love you lots!

I wrote this last year and it still sums up how I feel about this guy...only an extra year of loving to be added to the post!!

Splash Park

2011-07-21T05:01:00.000-07:00

The other day a friend of mine and I took our kids to a splash park. We ended up driving all over creation to find the place and then it was overcast and raining slightly. But it didn't stop my kids from having a blast!!

Lemons

2011-07-19T15:58:00.000-07:00

When Isaac was about Max's age, he loved to suck on lemons. He would put them in his mouth and his whole body would shiver. Maylee didn't love them very much, but Max is right there with his brother. But Max does not shiver when he eats them...he looks like this!

This kid loves these things, plus it's a great way to keep him quite at a restaurant while you wait for your food to arrive. Is that considered cruel and unusual torture???

11 months!

2011-07-19T15:33:00.001-07:00

I can't believe Mr. Max is over 11 months old already! It's crazy to think that in less than a month he'll be 1!!!

He no longer rides in this car seat. He faces backwards in a big boy seat.
He eats all kinds of food.
He still only has 3 teeth, two on bottom and a snaggle tooth.
He crawls everywhere, really fast.
He does not walk.
He loves his bottle and his paci.
He gives the best hugs and can do a "five"
Can't wait to see how big he is when he goes to his 1 year apt next month!

Fishing with Aunt Jen

2011-07-14T05:00:00.000-07:00

My kids have been wanting to fish for a long time. A couple of weeks ago Kevin's sister, Jenilee, posted a picture on Facebook of a fish she had caught. My kids were in awe and ever after that, they wanted to go fishing. Thankfully, Beesha and Dziedze kept Max while the big kids and the adults went fishing!!

No we did not catch the sing ray...we only caught the itty bitty fish!

4th of July Zywot Style

2011-07-13T05:00:00.000-07:00

For the 4th of July, we stayed home...we went fishing with Aunt Jen in the morning...more on that later.

Then the festivities at the Zywot house...in pictures!!

we had yummy country ribs...a family tradition (as in every chance we get, we eat them!)

Dziedze ate at the kid table...I think he had as much fun as they did!

Then the kids got in the pool in the front yard...Dziedze and the cousins had a secret...the soaked Beesha!! Good thing she's a good sport about it because Mark ended up soaking her, too!

Max loves to be in the water!! And enjoyed playing with Dziedze!

I love this picture of me and my baby!

Kevin even got in the pool...completely clothed!!

After I got Mark back fro soaking my mother-in-law (I got your back Beesha), he decided he'd get in the pool for some water fun, too!

Then it was time for watermelon! My Max loved it!!

All the kids were in bed and asleep by 8pm that night! It was wonderful! We didn't watch any fireworks, but we celebrated the birth of this great nation in style, if you ask me!

Happy Birthday Cael!

2011-07-12T05:00:00.000-07:00

While we were in Florida, we got to go to Cael's Birthday Party. Because Suzanne and Mark's parents both live in Florida, when they come to visit during the summer they have a party for Cael. It was such a fun party. Full of Toy Story and Car's paraphernalia.

the birthday boy and Maylee...

From left to right Suzanne, Emmett, Cael and Mark

And what was even better about this party was that Maylee, Isaac, Kevin and I all tried new things.

The four of us tried oysters...Kevin probably ate a dozen by himself and thought the raw ones were much better than the cooked.

This is what I thought of the crawfish...

Kevin even sucked the juice out of the head...I did not do that!

The kids played basketball...Coach Dziedze helped Maylee learn how to shoot hoops!

Isaac climbed a tree!

We had a good time in Macclenny with Mark's family. The kids had so much fun playing with their cousins. There's nothing like playing with cousins...they're the best!

We'll have to make a trip to Nebraska before the kids forget what it's like to play with their cousins Cael and Emmett!

Florida Beach Vacation

2011-07-11T12:20:00.000-07:00

This last week was spent in Florida visiting Kevin's mom and dad. We, as usual, had a fantastic time! Not only did we get to see Beesha and Dziedze (jaw-gee), but we also saw: Uncle Mark, Aunt Suzie (Kevin's sister) their kids Cael and Emmett and also Aunt Jen (Kevin's other sister)

It has been a couple of years since we have seen Suzanne and her family. It was nice to catch back up and to let the cousins play together.

The beach was a blast! Kevin's dad goes all out when we go to the beach. We pack a canopy and all kind of beach toys.

We built sandcastles...

And we went on the boogy boards...

We played in the sand...

and chased waves...

We took family pictures and I can't wait to see them...but don't worry there's even more to our FL vacation...just don't have the time to do it now!! So check back to see what else we did while enjoying the Sunshine State.

Growing up

2011-07-03T07:22:00.000-07:00

(sorry for the blurry photos...Isaac was the photographer on the first few)

Max got his first hair cut the other day after we went swimming. I was getting snide comments from the peanut gallery about when I would be cutting his mullett!

So I took the scissors and snip, snip, snip...

While I am happy with the results, he looks like a big kid now and it makes me sad...

Max's new toy...

2011-06-29T04:47:00.000-07:00

The other day I was in the kitchen cleaning up after dinner, and Max was playing at my feet. He had all of the Tupperware out of the cabinet and was playing with it...until...

he decided it would be more fun to get INSIDE the cupboard.

He thought he was big stuff inside that cabinet...so big he decided he would stand up!

Look how happy he is! Guess if I can't find him one day, I'll check the Tupperware cupboard!!

10 months

2011-06-23T06:30:00.000-07:00

My Max is 10 months now!! I can hardly believe how big he's gotten. He's so steady and snuggly. I love to cuddle his little face! His hair is still blond and I often find myself wondering how I got a little blond baby!

He is such a joy to have in our home. He loves to be with his big brother and sister. He loves to wrestle and has learned to wave "bye-bye" or "good night" or "hello". But my favorite thing he has learned recently is how to give kisses. They're with a WIDE open mouth and he leans into your face when you say "kiss" or make any kind of kissing noise.
We've switched him to the big car seat, still rear facing, but he fits it much better. He's also drinking real milk now.
10 months sure is a fun age!

While they were here...

2011-06-16T12:22:00.000-07:00

I got so excited/carried away with the lake pictures that I didn't document all of my parents vacation out here. I posted most of the BIG stuff, but the little stuff was pretty cute, too.

Maylee is pretty sassy when it comes to kissing her grandpa/dziedze/poppy. It must have to do with the fact that they are boys or the fact that she is just sassy and doesn't want to kiss them.

Here are some candid shots of us the night before my parents left. I don't know why I don't wear make-up all the time, these pictures are pretty scary! LOL

Just us girls...

Grandma and the big kids...they enjoyed having her here...

because she helped them clean their room!

My mom taught Max to pat-a-cake...and throw it in the oven...

We can't wait for October to get here. My brother Austin is getting married to Stephanie Kleeburg. So the next time I see my folks will be a lot sooner than normal. Kind of makes saying good bye a little easier...at least on me!

The Lake Part 3 (just pictures)

2011-06-16T06:18:00.001-07:00

The Lake Part 2

2011-06-16T05:01:00.000-07:00

Friday morning, Yvette, the kids and I headed to their Lake House. We have been there a couple of times, but never when it was warm enough to go on the boat.

This time we were ready to get out on the water. We woke up Saturday morning and packed a lunch and took off.

We had so much fun. I only have a few of the pictures from that day, but everyone had a great time and we can't wait to go again!!

PS. I really hope there's a picture of Max when he got on the tube with me...good or bad, Yvette, I want to see it!!

The Lake Part 1

2011-06-14T19:46:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we went to the lake with some friends. We had a blast! We were out on the boat all day Saturday and there was no stopping me from riding on the tubes!
Oh, and Isaac, Kevin, Maylee and Max all took their turns on the tubes...I think we all equally had the best time!

Our friends, Adam and Yvette plus Tanner, the owners and captains of the S.S. "No Whining" lol

Here are some fun pictures of our fun weekend...my friend is editing the picts from her camera, so when I get those I will go into more detail about our weekend and how much fun we had!! For now, just enjoy the shots!

Jaedyn, Max and me enjoying a ride on the boat!

Maylee, Isaac and Landon out on the boat for the first time.

Isaac and Jaedyn were the first to ride in the tube...I don't think Isaac was prepared for what was going to happen. But when he saw Jaedyn smiling and having fun, he was all about it!

Max was such a good kid...he even took his morning nap!

You can't tell by this picture, but she had a great time!!

Kevin had a blast on the tube! He had the biggest smile on his mouth and his tongue was sticking out 1/2 the time! He got thrown quite a few times, but I think that's what made it so much fun for him!!

The four big kids got on the boat...we didn't go fast because Landon and Maylee were not really in the mood to ride...

(to be continued tomorrow)

The Aquarium...part 3

2011-06-09T13:03:00.001-07:00

While my parents were here, we also went to the Georgia Aquarium. If I thought my mom was in love with Zoo animals, she was completely enamored with the sea life...at one point she looked up at one of the displays and screamed, "Oh my gosh, Dave, look at that! Look at that! LOOK AT THAT!!"

It was like taking a kid to their first ever candy store!!

Georgia has so many cool places to go/see! I am loving the chance that I have to visit all of these cool places. And I love that my kids enjoy them too!

Discovering Atlanta Part ???

2011-06-09T11:56:00.000-07:00

My parents were in town for the last 12 days. They came to help me and Kevin out while I went back and forth from Girl's Camp.
One of the days we went to Zoo Atlanta. What a cool zoo!

My dad pushed Max in the stroller the entire time.

Max was such a good sport and wore his hat almost the entire time.

My mom loves looking at the animals. I had no idea she was that into wildlife. My kids would be ready to move on and she would want to keep looking!

My little family...a few inches to the right was a sign, "Do not climb on the gorilla." Oops.

I am not a big picture taker of things that don't have people...but some of the animals were just too cool to miss!

I try to get family pictures anywhere I can...this one is pretty rough...we'll all kinds of sweaty!

This is a red panda...I didn't even know red panda's existed!!

Me and my girl...my goal in life is to get her to look at the camera!!

The Panda was super hungry while we were there...it was cool to see him rip the bamboo into tiny pieces!

The petting zoo was a real treat! The kids had so much fun!

My parents and the cute kids!!

We all had so much fun and the best part of the zoo, we got in for FREE!! If you live in GA and would like to know how, just leave a comment and I'll give you the skinny on free tickets to Zoo Atlanta!

Fun outside!

2011-05-28T05:01:00.000-07:00

This morning the kids and I went to Heritage park. They love to ride their bikes here and it's nice to get out of the house for my exercise. It was only 9am when we started and by 10am when we finished, Maylee's hair was plastered to her head!!

These "cool kids" wore their shades who whole time...

Max, my normally smile for every picture kid, was not happy having his picture taken this morning!

Then they got on the swing, and he got happy again!

I would even venture to say he had "fun"...see...

9 months

2011-05-26T05:01:00.000-07:00

My little Max turned 9 months on the 12th! I can't believe he's already 9 months old!! Time sure flies!!

I have been so busy/pre-occupies/lazy/any number of things that I have not taking Max to his 9 month appointment yet. But I can tell you he's growing like a weed. He's wearing 12 month clothes for the most part. He still army crawls, but he also will get on his hand and knees.

He loves to eat anything and everything he can get his hands on...he still loves his mama a whole bunch. He shakes his head "no" at everything we say to him. "Max, are you a cute boy?" shakes head "no"

He also holds his own bottle now.

He's a sweet boy and we're so glad to have him in our family!

At 9 Months:
Weight 19lbs 13 oz just under 50% (he's pretty active!)
Height 28 inches a little above 50% (he's tall)

And pretty much perfect in every way!

Couponing again...

2011-05-24T05:01:00.000-07:00

I hit up some of our grocery stores to get in on some good deals this week! And I got all of this stuff for $61.00!

FANTASTIC!

I saved over $50.00! Not bad for everything I got!

Isaac, my resident photographer, took this pictures...then he and Maylee had a "photo shoot"

The food was the first subject matter...

Then it was Maylee's turn to strike a pose!

Then Isaac's turn with his "Asian" eyes! I just never know what to expect when my kids get their hands on my camera!

Splish, Splash, I was takin a bath!

2011-05-22T05:01:00.000-07:00

In our apartment we have a two garden tubs. It is a very rare occasion we let our kids take baths.
Why?

1. Isaac has severe eczema and we were told my a doctor that he should be in and out of the water very quickly.

2. It take a whole lot longer to bathe three kids than shower them.

3. It breaks my back to lean over the tub to scrub them all.

4. Three kids in the bath at one time makes for one crowded tub!

But Kevin was out of town on Tuesday night, so I put all three of them in the tub and they had the time of their lives!

Like I've said before, it's super hard to get a good picture of all three of them looking at the camera!
The best part about bath time at our house is watching Max "swim" around the tub! He is quite a fish. I'm really excited to see what he does in the pool this summer!

Gone Private

2011-05-20T07:40:00.001-07:00

My dearest readers,
I have been feeling anxious/stressed/pressured, ect when it comes to many different facets of my life.
I have been toying with the idea of making my blog private for weeks now because I spend all of this time blogging and no one reads it or leaves comments, so I feel as though my work is in vein. Plus, blogger is stupid and takes forever to upload pictures and then when the pictures do get uploaded, the look terrible.
Good news, though, I got some of my pictures from my Nikon developed and they look FANTASTIC! So it must be blogger making my pictures look horrible!
As soon as I made my blog private, I felt relief. I felt no more pressure to blog, to write everything down, to show my everyday life, I felt free.
Of course, as soon as I make my blog private and feel "free" I find all kind of things to write about.
I know some of you read my blog to know what my family is doing.
So it's back, public again. I will try not to take my stressing out on you my loyal readers. I will try to continue to write and put pictures of my family up for my family and friends far away.
And if you will comment, every once in a while, so I know you are really reading my blog, that would be the best!
Look for more posts in the next couple of days...I have them schedule to come out.
Hugs,
Jennie

Getting frustrated

2011-05-17T12:30:00.001-07:00

Not even a year ago, my DSLR camera, my Cannon Digital Rebel died on me. It doesn't even turn on now...so I got a point and shoot Nikon. It's a nice camera, but I'm afraid to admit, but it doesn't take super great pictures! It's really frustrating.

The flash is to bright.

The shutter is to slow, making me miss all kinds of shots.

To think that Kevin spent good money on this camera and it doesn't do exactly what I want it to do, is maddening!

Another Home Depot Project

2011-05-17T09:46:00.000-07:00

We went to the Home Depot for another free workshop. My kids love these workshops. They love to be crafty and this is just another way for them to express themselves!

Kevin is so good to work with Maylee. Sometimes this girl requires a lot of patience, and he really showed it today.

Isaac loves to hammer. He's pretty good at using it. He's never hit his hand and he is pretty smart when it comes to putting things together!

And Max, as always, just chillin in the shopping cart with a big grin on his face!!

Into everything

2011-05-15T05:01:00.000-07:00

Not only does this little guy stand, but he crawls/rolls everywhere!

He is the worlds fastest Army crawler I have ever seen. He is so efficient in his crawling that he doesn't even need his hands and knees, just the elbows are sufficient for this kid!

And, if I am not careful, he's in the bathroom trying to play with the plunger. (nasty, I know!)

Outdoor fun!

2011-05-13T12:24:00.000-07:00

One of our neighbors has a little girl Isaac's age. She is constantly inviting us to do things when them and for one reason or another, we have not been able to participate. So when she invited us to her Pre-K outdoor party, we had to go!

And the big kids had a blast!!

If they could have, they would have stayed in this bounce house the entire day!!

The kid were able to make it all the way across the parking lot with their balloons still full of water, until Isaac dropped his once he crossed the finish line! :)

He stands...

2011-05-13T12:16:00.000-07:00

My little man is not so little anymore! I went into his room one morning and this is what I found!

That's right, I never went into his room and found him sitting in his bed! He went from laying to standing!

The big kids find this especially fun!

But it gets better, he not only stands in his crib, but he stands everywhere! He pulls up on anything that is not moving. If I had to guess, I would say the dishwasher is is favorite thing to pull up on because he gets to pull out all of the silverware I just put in the container. It's a fun game for him!

He's getting so big and I can hardly believe my eyes when he does some of these things! It's just crazy to believe how fast #3 grows up!

He lost a tooth

2011-05-11T15:48:00.000-07:00

About two weeks ago, we took the kids to their first ever dentist appointment. (I know I'm a bad mom for not taking them earlier, but I don't like the dentist, so why would they is my mentality)

Maylee skipped back to the dentist chair and enjoyed her entire visit. She was so excited to get her treat and new toothbrush.

Isaac is a little more timid than Maylee, but was still excited to it in the dentist chair. He climbed up and the dentist asked if we had any questions. I told him how the gum of Isaac's front tooth looked bruised.

They ended up taking extra x-rays and found out that his tooth was abscess and that if the infection stayed in his mouth to long it wold ruin his adult tooth.

So we schedule an appointment two days later for an extraction. We told him his tooth was sick, so he was okay having it removed. He told everyone that if his tooth was not removed, it would have ruined his "an-dult teeth" He got some laughing gas to help numb the pain and pulled his tooth. We can't have any "an-dult teeth" ruined now can we?

He came home all grins and toothless...

He even took his own self-portraits

Extra handsome with one less tooth!!

And since I am a lame mom and don't have a "tooth pillow" (hint, hint mom/grandmother), the Tooth Fairy had to make her own. She made this tooth pocket that held his money. One dollar bill and two quarters!

Max saying mama

2011-05-03T12:26:00.000-07:00

I thought he might show me how he let's me know he's "all done" eating, but instead started talking. He's so darn cute!! I ♥ this kid!!

Easter at our house...

2011-05-01T05:01:00.000-07:00

The Saturday before Easter, we had a ward Easter breakfast/egg hunt. The kids had so much fun! Each kid was only allowed to take home 10 eggs. It was really cool to see those who had more than 10 eggs share with those kids who did not have their 10 eggs. What a lesson those little kids learned.

Anyway, on to the pictures...

Maylee was so excited when she got her first egg.

Isaac was so intent on finding the eggs that he couldn't even look up at me when I took his picture.

Here are my big kids with their spoils.
This was just hours before a very scary 5 minutes of my life...

Sunday morning the kids opened their gifts...we didn't tell them they're from the Easter Bunny because I didn't want them to focus on that. We spent a lot of time discussing what the Savior did for us and why we have Easter. I wanted them to remember the Resurrection more than I wanted them to remember the bunny.

They both got two easy to read books and a new pair of shoes. We're practical gift givers at our house.

Finger food

2011-04-29T05:01:00.000-07:00

Before Max got any teeth, I decided to try those Gerber baby foods that melt when they come in contact with water...well Max loves them!

I guess they will even melt when they come into contact with some boogers! :)

These bigger kids just can't get enough of their little brother. They love to be in every picture with him...it's so cute!

8 months...

2011-04-27T07:14:00.001-07:00

Max turned 8 months...almost 2 weeks ago!

He's quite the mover. He can get anywhere he wants all by himself. Frequently he finds himself stuck under a kitchen chair or the table. He is wearing some 12 month clothes! It's crazy how big he is!
He got his first tooth a week ago! Boy, am I excited for that.
I am still nursing him, this is the longest I have ever nursed a baby.
He says a couple of words, "Mama" and "Dada" are the most understandable.

He has started taking a sippy cup, but only when he's laying down.
He is still the sweetest little baby who loves his big sister and big brother. He loves to snuggle his mom and dad.

Temple Pictures

2011-04-24T07:53:00.000-07:00

Our family went to the Atlanta Temple Dedication a couple of weeks ago...read about how my kids enjoyed themselves.

While we were at the Temple we took some pictures...

For my thoughts on Easter

finally, THE BEACH!!

2011-04-21T05:01:00.000-07:00

We finally did make it to the beach...and because Kevin's mom and dad know how to party at the beach...we had the best day! We were there for 5 hours! Wonderful!

It was Max's first time actually getting in the water...and it was pretty cold. He did alright in the beginning, but then didn't want to stay in it very long at all.

I'm sure by the time we go back to Florida, Max will be a water baby with the rest of them!

My other kids, however, are fish. They love to be in the water no matter how cold it is! They are also boogie board fanatics! They each have their own board and LOVE to ride them!

I guess I was having too much fun playing because I don't have a super amount of pictures from the beach...just know this...WE.HAD.FUN!!!

Florida's Children's Museum

2011-04-19T11:28:00.000-07:00

While we were in Florida, we had high hopes of going to the beach EVERY day we were there...but because of cold/windy/rainy weather, we had to make adjustments to our plans.

Kevin and I searched high and low for fun things that our kids would love to do that did not require them to sit in front of the TV or the movie screen...and we hit a gem!
The Hands on Children's Museum in Jacksonville. To be honest, we've been to much nicer museums, but this one was perfect for what we wanted and our kids had a BLAST!!

Like all Children's Museums, at each different section, the kids are learning something, while they play. They learned about police cars...

and gears and how they work...then we went shopping!!!

This was by far my kids most favorite part! Maylee loved shopping and Isaac loved being the cashier. There was play money to use and everything! I walked with Maylee asking, "Mommy, can I get this? Mommy, can I get this?" Maybe she got a taste of her own medicine? :)
After the shopping trips (all 12 of them) were over, we went to the play...

Our little girl was in Heaven dressing up and being on stage...Isaac, on the other hand, not so much!

This is him saying, "I am not doing this again."

The next area was up Isaac's alley...a 50's diner...he cooked and she served!! Quite the duo!

They even had a place for baby's to play...Max was so happy riding on this little bouncy horse!

The kids were on the radio and TV...

They were firefighters...

a train engineer...

and a banker...all in 3 hours! What a great place to spend time with our kids and to see their imaginations come to life!

FLORIDA!!!

2011-04-17T05:42:00.000-07:00

After we made out way out of North Carolina, we headed down to Florida. We got a much later start than expected, and ended up spending the night at Aunt Jen and Uncle Joe's house. It was fun to see and hang out with them.
The next day we drove another hour down to Jacksonville and realized that my set of keys does not have a key to Kevin's parents house! So we had an hour and a half to kill before Beesha got home. So what did we do? We headed to our favorite Florida park! (it was too cold to go to the beach!)

Max went on the swing for the very first time! And I think he really liked it!!

All of the kids enjoyed the swings...Kevin got quite a workout from all the pushing he did.

Then Max went down the slide for the first time...he enjoyed himself, but not as much as when he was on the swing.

Just a fun shot of me and my girl...I'm so glad she loves her mommy as much as she does!

Just one word...TWINS!

Just me and my man...I love this guy and I am so blessed to have him love me back!

North Carolina

2011-04-13T18:18:00.000-07:00

Kevin, the kids, and I packed up our car two weekends ago for a long journey. We started in North Carolina, went to Florida and ended up back here in Georgia. We made a huge triangle with this vacation.

First up, North Carolina--

We went to visit Kevin's family. His Grandparents on both sides live in North Carolina, plus his dad and step-mom.

This is Papa, he is Max's great grandpa. My kids have three great grandma's still living and one great grandpa still living. They are truly blessed to have so much family around.

This is Nana. She sure loved on these little kids.

These are all the Sawyers' men. It was so fun to all be together for a few days.

I love the slumber party the kids had each night. Erica and Maylee shared a bed and Isaac was in his own little bed. They had so much fun with her!!

Then we spent one day with Kevin's Grandma Hiatt (his mom's mom) and his Aunt Tama and Uncle Jim. We always have a very enjoyable time when we're with them.
Grandma Hiatt couldn't get enough of little Max. And he was so calm, the most calm I have ever seen him before. He sat on her lap as still as he could. She just loved on him as much as he would let her.

This is Aunt Tama...isn't she a gem? She painted an Arizona landscape picture and gave it to me. I can't wait to move into a house and hang it up!! It's beautiful!

I guess when you're taking a picture with three kids, especially my kids, you're never gonna get them all looking good at the same time!!
Oh well, we love ya'll and had such a great time visiting!!

Technology

2011-04-04T05:01:00.000-07:00

Maylee got this cute little pink computer from my parents for Christmas. She's not to into it right now, but Isaac sure is. And because Isaac is, Max is.

Max loves to push the buttons and drool all over the keys.

But the best part about it is, Max has his own Facebook page,

just search..."cute little chubby cheeks" and his profile will appear! :)

Hand-me-downs

2011-04-02T05:01:00.000-07:00

I have managed to keep some of Isaac's old clothes. Clothes that both Kevin and I loved on Isaac. Clothes we wanted to save just in case we had another boy. So when Max came along we were really excited!
He has been able to fit into a lot of Isaac's clothes even though they were born in totally different seasons. It's so fun to take pictures of Max and put them next to pictures of Isaac. Too bad the only pictures I have of Isaac in this outfit is a printed copy from a friend. But trust me, they look a lot like these!!

Play ball

2011-03-31T05:01:00.000-07:00

I have been playing basketball once a week plus a game every weekend for the last 3 month along with playing volleyball every Friday morning for the last 4 months. My kids are really getting into the playing ball stuff.

They go out on the balcony and shoot hoops into Isaac's little basketball hoop almost every day. After my basketball practice is over, they love to dribble the real balls and they love play with the volleyballs when we're done with our "games".
Tonight after they got their jammies on, Maylee brought Isaac's kick ball into the living room. She wanted to play rolley-poley. She and I had a good time and then when Isaac got in on the fun, she wanted pictures taken...so here they are!!

Maylee loves "jammy dresses" as she calls them, but the one she has is for the winter. Guess I need to buy her a new one!! Instead of Kevin's old t-shirt!

Isaac was too fast rolling the ball back, I never got one of him with the ball.

Game time with Daddy

2011-03-28T06:51:00.001-07:00

Kevin was working from home a lot last week, which was really nice seeing as how my weekend was super busy!
One night when I was getting things ready for the Young Women, he sat down on the floor and played cards with the kids.

He is such a good dad and I am so thankful he's my kids dad. They love to play with him, no matter what it is. They wrestle just about every day, which is nerve wracking to me because of all of the screaming that happens, but it's a time for them to bond with Kevin. They know he loves them and that is the most important thing!

Sleepy Maylee

2011-03-21T04:00:00.000-07:00

You might think I am a "mean mom", but if my kids are extra whiny, I just send them to their rooms. I can't handle it. Last week was no difference, Kevin was super busy with work and Maylee was having melt-down after melt-down.
I told her to go to her room until she could stop crying and be a happy girl.
The kids had made me build them a fort, so when she was super quite for a long time, I went back to check on her.
This is what I found...

Guess she was a tired girl!!

Super-Baby

2011-03-19T04:00:00.000-07:00

When it's time for Max to eat his dinner...he turns into Super-Baby!!

7 months

2011-03-17T10:37:00.000-07:00

Here he is, in all of his cuteness
Max at 7 months!

I really can't believe this little guy is already 7 months old. It was this time last year we were finding out he was going to be a boy. And boy was I shocked at that discovery!

He is incredibly happy. He gives his mommy hugs at every opportunity. He loves to sit in his bumbo and eat food with the rest of us. He does his little army crawl all over the house and loves to put wires in his mouth.

It's time for me to baby proof my house!!

Look what he discovered!!

2011-03-13T05:01:00.000-07:00

Max is one of the happiest babies ever.

He is seriously smiling all.the.time.

He flirts with grown women.

He could probably get anything he wants from anyone with those big cheeks and dark eyes...

Look what he discovered this weekend...

I guess they taste good too!

My Model, Maylee

2011-03-11T05:01:00.000-08:00

It's a rare sight to have Maylee smile for a picture, let alone volunteer for a picture!!

Enjoy these cute shots of one photogenic little girl...

We'll work on her modesty issues later...:)

Picnics

2011-03-09T05:01:00.000-08:00

We have had some seriously nice days here in North Georgia. Beautifully sunny days that just scream for picnics...and my kids have taken full advantage!!

They have had imaginary picnics...including making sure their "cute kids" are fed.

They have also had real picnics...where I made sure my "cute kids" were fed.

Moving Max

2011-03-07T08:02:00.000-08:00

I hope you enjoy Max on the Move...my life will be changing drastically once he really learns to crawl!!

Baby food

2011-03-01T05:01:00.000-08:00

I didn't really want to give Max baby food. I am enjoying nursing him and since he's the only kid I have ever "enjoyed" nursing, I want it to last as long as he wants it. But at his 6 month appointment, the doctor said that Max needs to start eating baby food.

I had given him cereal a few times before he turned 6 months and he did alright with that, but little did I know how much of a rock star he would be when it comes to eating real food.

I put an entire can of green beans in the blender and pureed those things...then mixed him some cereal and added the green beans to make a thick consistency.

After a few bites, he had it down. He only made one crazy face one time. So in the last week he has eaten that entire can of green beans and he's started in on the sweet potatoes. Looks like I'll be buying more canned veggies and making more "baby food"!

Just have to brag...

2011-02-26T05:01:00.000-08:00

I went to Publix (a grocery store) and bought 30 items for $28.05
One of those items was that roast...almost $10.00 right there! I saved $34.84!!
But it's like I bought 29 items for $18!! Pretty impressive, right? Sometimes couponing is worth the effort!

Mini Vacation

2011-02-24T06:37:00.000-08:00

The kids and I had the chance to go on a mini vacation with some friends. We loaded up her minivan and took off, minus the dad's.

We got a late start, but since I was not anywhere close to packed, it was cool with me. We got the kids loaded in the car and started on our way.

Max is such a good little traveler, he only fussed for a second and then would fall right back to sleep

Their Lake House is in South Carolina, in the middle of NOWHERE! I had very limited cell phone service and that created some challenges talking to Kevin and the Young Women fundraiser and things like that, but all worked out just fine.

The kids played on the "beach" while Yvette and I sat and chatted. We laughed a lot. I needed that!

We read books to the kids before bed. Maylee begged to have Snow White read, but when I got out the cameras, she was totally cheesing it. So funny because she is the hardest kid to get a good picture of under any other circumstances.

Case in point, I asked her to smile for this picture and this is what I get!!

This little cutie wanted to go outside with the big kids so bad. He's just not old enough for that and Max is too young still for him to really play with...

This family is perfect for us. They have two boys and one girl. Plus, they're super fun and love to play games...here's proof of how much fun they are...check out Landon!!

And of course, what's a blog post without a super smiley baby?

6 Months...

2011-02-17T05:01:00.000-08:00

Time is flying...especially since I have this little munchkin in my house!!

I have often said that I love babies when they turn 6 months old...and Max just reaffirms my conviction! Of course, I love all my babies at all their ages, but 6 months is such a fun age!!

He smiles every time I get the camera out...

We went to the doctor today, his 6 month stats are
Height: 26 1/2 inches
Weight:17lbs 5 oz

Some of the things he can do now:

He rolls from front to back and back to front, basically ALL OVER MY HOUSE!!
He sits up all by himself...not for a super long time...but he can do it!

The last couple of nights he has slept for 8 hours straight!
He takes wonderful naps and is a joy to have in our home!!

One of the other things he has been practicing...is getting on his knees and elbows...that's right, a six month old trying to CRAWL!!!

My guess is that he'll be crawling by the time he's 7 months old! That will be crazy...and life will get even busier !!

Valentine's at our house...

2011-02-15T10:04:00.000-08:00

This year, I had all of these spectacular plans...I wanted to clean my house, make homemade oreo's for my love and heart-attack his side of the bedroom. But my plans were foiled when he decided he could work from home...but the kids and I still made the best out of it. Besides, I would rather spend Valentine's ALL Day with my hubby than do the things I had planned...and I think it turned out better than I could have expected!!

We decorated little mailboxes I got out of the dollar bin at Target...my kids were all over that!

We did heart-attack Kevin's wall...the kids loved being ALLOWED to stick paper to the wall! Something they NEVER get to do!!

Then we went to the park and had a picnic...followed by some serious bike riding!! Isaac is so fast and Maylee still complains about it, but they both love riding!!

Then, we ran a few errands, and had Chick-fil-A for dinner. Kevin's mom sent the kids Chick-fil-A gift cards or "credit cards" as my kids call them, so they got to order their food and then have their card swiped. I think we'll have to give them gift cards again, they thought it was so cool!
After dinner, we watched a movie together as a family. There's no better way to spend Valentine's Day than with my kids and hubby! I love you all so much!

My sister, my friend

2011-02-13T17:57:00.000-08:00

Today, Feb 13th, is my little sister's birthday!

When I was little, I had three brothers and my mom was pregnant. I prayed and prayed that Heavenly Father would send me a little sister. I even remember saying these prayers...it's tough being the only girl with three brothers.

Heavenly Father knew what I needed and sent me Brittany. We didn't get along for most of our lives. I used to tell her if she touched my double jointed finger, her body would cripple up like it. (I know I was mean, it's the big sister's job, right?)

We had the chance to become good friend when Kevin and I moved to Utah and she moved to Utah to go to school at BYU. We spent weekends together and holidays. She threw me a baby shower when I was pregnant with Isaac. She spent her afternoons watching my son instead of hanging out with her friends.

She is a fantastic mom. A wonderful sister and she is my best friend. She is an inspiration of someone who is determined to succeed. She is a success at everything she sets out to do in her life. She makes me laugh when we talk on the phone and she can mend my hurt feelings.

She has helped our family during times of trial, like when Kevin moved to Atlanta and I was pregnant with Max. She is someone I truly admire.
I love you and miss you, Brittany. Thanks for being my sister, my friend.
ps. No crying, Brittany or Mom!!

to see the music video that inspired the title of this blog put this url in your browser... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XEGu2TOiZ0

Feeding the baby...

2011-02-11T05:01:00.000-08:00

It seems with each new baby who starts to eat solid food, the next oldest kid wants to try feeding the baby.

Isaac was so into feeding Maylee...and he made the biggest mess ever!!

And now Maylee is into feeding Max...

This look is, "Mom, why are you letting her feed me? It's not even getting in my mouth!!"

That's some serious talent, to feed the baby with your eyes closed!

I love all the help and I know as Max gets even bigger the kids will help him learn all kinds of things (both good and bad!)

Home Depot Fun!!

2011-02-09T07:30:00.000-08:00

The first Saturday of the month Home Depot does a free kids workshop. The kids get to hammer nails and glue things...this month the kids made a heart shaped shelf.
It was our first time ever going, and we will for sure be headed back. Our kids had a great time. It's a rare occasion when they get to use a hammer and nails...all by themselves!!

After the project is completed, the kids show what they made to a Home Depot employee and they're given a certificate and a pin to put on their aprons. Isaac thought it was so cool that his apron has his name on it!

They went right home and hung their heart shelves on the wall and hung their aprons from the peg!

Max even had a good time!!
We'll definitely be going again!!

WOW!

2011-02-07T06:28:00.000-08:00

So my last post was my 400th post!! Can you believe that? Man, when I say I really like to talk, I guess that means I really like to write, too! :)

This week has been another week full of blah...the sun only made a rare appearance for a few hours on Saturday and a few hours on Sunday...

So the kids and I decided we needed to take a little break and find something fun to do. So we hit up the library...

Isaac had so much fun reading his books...he even read them out loud. He has quite the imagination!

Maylee enjoyed herself too, but her favorite part was running along the stacks and pulling off every book she could possibly find

And Max and I enjoyed some snuggle time. I was trying to take a new profile picture for facebook, but these were the best I could do. Kinda pathetic!!

We'll for sure go back to that library...they have story time my kids will love!! But let's all be honest, I'm really hoping the sun will start shining...I'm almost ready to scream "Bring on the heat and humidity!!" that's how over this stuff I am!!

15 seconds of Max...

2011-01-31T19:50:00.001-08:00

I love the faces this boy gives...I got out the camera and he just started smiling...enjoy the cuteness!

look at that drool...maybe we'll get teeth in the next 6 months...we'll just have to see!

This is my favorite!! This is the look he gives to me every time he sees me...

Yes it was laundry day...so please ignore the basket full of clothes and the mess...just enjoy the cutest little baby on earth!

Nails...

2011-01-28T09:37:00.000-08:00

Last week for our mutual activity, the Laurels decided to have a "spa night" for their moms. The turn out was great and the mom's were such good sports. One mom even had her toes done!

Some of the mom's were busy, so I was privileged to have one of the YW paint my nails!
She tried to do a zebra stripe on one hand, didn't turn out the way she wanted. Then, on my other hand she wrote..."K E V I N"...that's right, I had Kevin's name on my hand!! I was so lucky, just in case I forgot my hubby's name, it was on my fingers!!
My kids are fast asleep when I get home, so first thing in the morning, Maylee saw my pretty nails. "Oh, Mommy, they're so beautiful! Can you do mine like yours?"

So, I got out the colors and painted the cutie's fingers. Red with white polka dots!

I don't know why my camera made the pictures so bright, but I wanted to document just how "girly" my little Miss Maylee really is!

Max's first food...

2011-01-25T12:34:00.000-08:00

If you can call rice cereal, food.

At Max's 4 month check-up, the doctor told me I could starting giving him rice cereal if I want to, but if a nursing baby is sleeping just fine, then to leave it alone. Max had been sleeping almost 12 hours without waking up to eat, until recently.
He had been pretty fussy for the last several nights and I was getting tired of being woken up every 2-4 hours during the night. And it's not like he was just looking to be pacified, but he was literally eating everything I had to offer...so I broke down and bought him some rice cereal. I mixed him up a batch before he was tucked in for the night.

I don't know if he really like it or not because he kept putting his head down to his chin.

I would have to lift his head up, shove the spoon in and HOPE that he would keep the cereal in his mouth. Most of it came back out mixed with a whole bunch of drool!

These faces say to me, "Mom, what are you giving me? This stuff is disgusting!!"

But I do have to report that we've given it to him 3 times now and last night he ate most of it without much fuss. BUT he still managed to wake up 3 times...all I can think is growth spurt or he's getting teeth...
Guess we'll just have to see...

A craft for Daddy

2011-01-23T06:00:00.000-08:00

I love when my kids get all crafty. When they use their imagination to kill some time. This week, they have been especially crafty. They made jewelry using paperclips. Impressive. They have also made a few things for Kevin.

And as always Kevin loves the things they make him.

These are my crafters at work, I didn't realize that Max's head was in the picture, kinda looks funny.

They're very serious about their work, and I love it!

Isaac's is the orange one, it's a "shield". He wrote everyone's name on it. He's getting so good at writing.
Maylee's is pink, of course. She took a paper she had painted on and cut out squares. I cut out the hearts, but she did all of the gluing. You'll notice there's a heart for each person in our family. What a sweetie.
Kevin's one lucky Dad!

He rolls...and rolls a lot!

2011-01-21T08:00:00.000-08:00

Every time I put Max on his back, he quickly turns onto his belly. I think he would really love to crawl, but still has yet to master rolling onto his back!!

And, yes, he is in only a diaper. If he gets inconsolable, I strip him to his diaper and he will hang out "naked" for at least an hour!

It's the tender mercies after all!

Love

2011-01-19T08:00:00.000-08:00

I posted about how much I can tell my boys love each other...well, this little girl loves her little brother just as much!

And I think he loves her, too!

5 months

2011-01-17T05:01:00.000-08:00

Here's my Max Hyrum at 5 months!

Still no teeth, but he rolls to his belly all the time! I would say his favorite position is his belly. He is still waking up a couple of times a night which is a major bummer for me. He is quick to smile and his cheeks are still so big that when he smiles his eyes almost disappear.

We love this little guy!

Snowed-in

2011-01-15T08:00:00.000-08:00

yep, you read it right, we're snowed in...in ATLANTA!! There are videos on youtube of people ice skating on a major highway here. BIG semi trucks were stuck on I-85 for OVER 24 hours until DOT people could get them out. Those DOT people had to use sledge hammers to break the ice in order for some of the trucks to get grip on the road. In my opinion, Atlanta is just to equipped for this kind of weather.

But that doesn't mean we still did not have fun...

On Sunday Kevin was supposed to work a triple shift, meaning he was in charge of crews that would be counting 3 different stores. I would not see him until sometime Monday afternoon. On Saturday night when I packed his lunch, I also packed dinner.

I was in my early meeting and everyone was talking about the storm coming, so I got a little nervous and because I have some awesome friends, I was invited over Sunday night to their house to wait out the storm with my kids...

At 10:30pm, it still had not started snowing...I thought "this is such a waste, I should just be a my house. I don't need to infringe on these friends of mine."

But when we woke up in the morning, this is was covered the ground,

5-7 inches of snow!! But that didn't stop my kids from playing!!

After the kid played for a few minutes, we got in the car and attempted the treacherous roads. We got stuck only once, but our awesome friends were behind us in their truck to make sure we made it home safely. I don't think I have ever driven so slowly in my life!!

When we got home it was showers and jammies for the kids. We were in jammies the entire day and watched movie after movie. I love a good bummy day!

Maylee was exhausted after the long day of playing in the snow and spending the night at a friends house...so tired she fell asleep...

in her dinner chair!!!

And of course, I'm the mean mom who snaps pictures of it!! :)

Kevin, of course, had to go into the office a couple of times and after watching all of the semi-trucks on the road getting stuck, I was nervous. So I packed him a survival kit, along with Maylee's help...

I put a blanket, water, a flashlight, and packed him a lunch. Maylee thought he might get REALLY hungry and packed him an entire ham!!

The snow has almost melted, the roads are pretty much clear, but where the snow has melted will probably freeze again making the roads dangerous. School has been canceled for the whole week and I canceled mutual for tonight. I don't want my girls to drive on black ice.
Today was the first time we have left the house since Sunday...I think we all needed some fresh air. And I think Publix survived our visit!

A post my Father-in-law would be proud of!!!

2011-01-12T06:25:00.000-08:00

In our home, we eat, drink, sleep, and breathe all things Michigan. We love Michigan football and we REALLY love the Detroit Red Wings.

Why are we such huge fans of Michigan? I bet that is what you're thinking right now.

Is my husband from Michigan? no
Am I from Michigan? no
So why are we such HUGE fans?

Kevin's dad is from Michigan and he's the biggest fan I have ever met! He still owns a Michigan sweatshirt from years ago when he first met Kevin's mom! Crazy!

On New Year's day, Kevin and his dad dressed up in their Michigan gear, packed up their cooler and headed off to the Gator Bowl to watch the Michigan Wolverines take on the Mississippi State Bulldogs at the stadium in Jacksonville, FL.

The boys were pumped for the game, but torn all at the same time. Kevin and his dad both had a huge distaste for the Michigan coach, but you can never hope that your team loses!

They both figured that if Michigan lost this game Coach Rich Rodriguez would be canned!

The first quarter of the game was good. Michigan scored 2 touchdowns! AWESOME! But it just went down hill from there!

Mississippi State scored and scored and scored and scored some more on the Michigan defense. Our team took a hit! We lost the Gator Bowl 54-14.

But some good did come out of it! We got rid of that Coach Rodriguez and now we can start a new era of Wolverine football. We can finally get back the tradition that goes with being a Wolverine.

So here's to next year and the Michigan Wolverine football program! And here's to my husband and father-in-law who are fans no matter what!!

***Edited to add: Michigan got a new coach...Brady Hoke...and my father-in-law is happy with the decision***

Ice Skating

2011-01-10T05:00:00.000-08:00

For those who don't know, my father-in-law, Jim/Dziedze, grew up in Detroit, Michigan. He is a huge fan of the Detroit Red Wings and even played hockey in his younger years. We were at their house over New Year's and he took us ice skating. (once again leaving Beesha to babysit Max. I don't think she minds it at all...she is an AWESOME babysitter after all!)

My kids were a little apprehensive in the beginning to say the least, but once they saw others skating, they were totally into it!

We got their skates on them and there was not stopping them...

Kevin and his dad wore hockey skates while the rest of us wore ice skates...I guess they really wanted to feel like pros! :)

Isaac went out with Dziedze first and I hung on to Maylee.

Kevin is not the professional skater, but he manage to stay on his feet to help the kids learn to skate.

Maylee was much better doing it herself than she was with help...

This is as much "by himself" Isaac could muster. He's not as fearless as Maylee, but he did a great job!

Jim took each of the kids in his arms and went fast! When he put Maylee down, she looked up at him and said, "Let's go fast, Dziedze!"
We had a great time and we can't wait to go again!!

"The City of Brotherly Love"

2011-01-08T05:00:00.000-08:00

I know at some point my boys will fight.
I know at some point Isaac will pick on Max.
I know at some point Max will do something to irritate Isaac.
I know there will be bloody noses and maybe even broken bones.

But I also know that these two boys will ALWAYS love each other, and if they ever tell me they don't love each other, I'll show them these pictures...

Sweet baby...

2011-01-06T05:00:00.000-08:00

Max was sick for the week before New Year's. He was pretty miserable, wanting only to nurse and be held all the time. Makes for one tired Mommy.

Well because he was so sick, his dirty diapers gave him a terrible rash. So for the first night we were in Florida, he got a bath in Beesha's sink.

We let his bum "air dry", so of course we had to have a naked baby photo shoot! Boy do I wish I had my good camera for times like these!!

Looks like he enjoyed "air drying!"

Our white Christmas

2011-01-04T10:20:00.000-08:00

Who knew it would snow this much in Atlanta, Georgia?

Riding their bikes

2011-01-04T10:17:00.000-08:00

We left Beesha inside to watch Max, but everyone else went out to take the bikes for a test ride...Isaac caught on pretty quickly, but Maylee struggled a little bit. It was so much fun to see them ride their bikes.

We have gone out and ridden bikes since this day and the kids are getting much better. It's amazing how quickly they catch on...

Christmas bikes

2011-01-04T10:15:00.000-08:00

When Kevin was much younger, he got a bike for Christmas one year. His family is living over seas in Sicily, Italy. They didn't live in a very big place and had no where to hide his bike, the one Santa gave him. They put it in the bathroom and concocted an excuse to make him go in the bathroom. The kids came in the room to open the gifts, but before Kevin could open any gifts, he had to go comb his hair. So being the obedient son, he went in the bathroom and lost his mind with excitement over the bike in there. I'm sure he screamed and jumped up and down...probably not because he shows no excitement...but as my in-laws tell it, he was super excited, but still went back and combed his hair before opening presents! Too funny!

This year, my big kids got big kid bikes for Christmas. Because our main living space is so small in the apartment, we didn't know how we were going to hide the bikes from them. We hid them by the front door and got their jackets out of the closet. We told the kids they needed to put their jackets away before we played with any of the presents (we had already opened all the gifts). So our obedient kids went to the closet to put their jackets away and found their bikes...enjoy the video!

Christmas

2011-01-04T05:31:00.001-08:00

I can't believe we're almost a week into the new year and I haven't posted about Christmas!
Kevin and I got up early that morning to start making the bread. We have homemade cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning. It's a lot of fun, but A LOT of work!
We got up and made the house feel like Christmas morning with presents EVERYWHERE and the kids made out like bandits!

Isaac got more Transformers, I think we have a total of 20 in our house!

Maylee got some magnetic "paper" dolls. They're Belle and Cinderella. You can change their clothes and hats with the magnets. They're really a lot of fun and she's been enjoying them!

Max got lots of new clothes and books and a bumbo. He really likes the bumbo and so do we. Now we don't have to hold him constantly when he wants to sit up!

I was spoiled again this year and got a new keyboard. I have been wanting a piano for a long time, but since I live on the second floor of an apartment complex, my mom thought a keyboard would be better. (I'm sure Kevin would agree since moving a piano is quite the chore!) I have been having a fun time playing the piano. I have learned two things: 1. I'm not as good as I thought and 2. my hands are REALLY out of shape!!

Kevin got some new clothes and a new hat to keep his sweet hairless head warm!

Aren't my kids cuties?

Merry Christmas, from my family to yours...

Christmas Eve...

2010-12-29T07:34:00.000-08:00

Kevin's mom and dad were able to join our family this year for Christmas. It was fun to have family here. It was their first time coming to visit, so it was extra exciting that it was for Christmas.

Christmas Eve, after lunch was over, Beesha and the big kids made Christmas candy. We had date balls (one of my favs), cheesecake squares (another one of my favs) and Beesha and Dziedze had brought with them cheese balls and fudge. It was sugar heaven over here and we're still digging our way out of all the goodies!! (but I'm not complaining at all!)
That night after we ate a yummy dinner of tortilla soup, we read the Christmas story. A couple of years ago a friend gave me this Little People Nativity. As we read the story, the kids got up and placed the figurines where they belong. I think it's a good way for our kids to really pay attention to the scriptures and also to learn about Jesus' birth.

After we read about the birth of our Savior, we let the kids open two gifts. A new pair of jammies and a Christmas blanket.

Max slept through most of the Christmas Eve festivities...but we did get a few pictures of him...and all the kids with Beesha and Dziedze...

Pre-Holiday fun

2010-12-28T07:16:00.001-08:00

I love to craft, but this Christmas I was not feeling really crafty. I was actually feeling pretty Grinch-like.

I have a friend who found a recipe for Christmas ornaments, it's kind of like play dough. You just bake them, let them cool and then paint them.

We were getting together for dinner, so we just decided to make some ornaments, too. My kids LOVE to craft probably as much as I do, so they were totally excited about it.

Merry Christmas from the Sawyers

2010-12-25T07:53:00.000-08:00

This holiday season has me thinking about a lot of things. Mostly the blessings in my life. We have been blessed with so much this year. Don't get me wrong, we've had our fair share of trials, but the blessings far outnumber the trials (as they always do)

Here's our year in review:

January: We got snowed in. Kevin had an inventory canceled and we had a mega fun day!

February: Had the scare of my life while pregnant with Max. Oh and Kevin got a new suit.

March: we found out I was wrong about the sex of our baby.

April: My kids were cuter than ever, and we went to Florida for Easter

May: Kevin's Grandpa Sawyers had a stoke, pretty scary for everyone! Kevin and Isaac went camping and us girls had a girl's night...

June: We celebrated our 7th Anniversary and my parents came out from Arizona! Elder Bednar came to our Stake Conference. Kevin got a promotion and an offer to move to Atlanta.

July: Kevin turned 29! We listed our house...

August: This was a BIG month...Aunt Brittany and Cousin Kaiden came to visit, Max was born and blessed, Maylee had a Birthday, we moved to Atlanta

September: We finally got into our apartment! We started discovering Atlanta! I turned 30! And we blog about cheeks!

October: We continued to discover Atlanta and we had a blast at the Ward Trunk-or-treat!

November: We did a lot this month, discovered the Georgia Aquarium and went to Florida for Thanksgiving!

December: We've been hanging out a lot with friends, and we love it! Isaac turned 5! We went to the Ward Christmas party.

We watched the Christmas Devotional for our church tonight and something that really stood out to me is at this Christmas season we should not only look to the past and celebrate the birth of our Savior, but to the future and His second coming.

I am not only looking forward to His second coming, but to this up coming year. Big things are in store for the Sawyers Family and I can't wait!

We'll celebrate our 8th Anniversary. Kevin will turn 30! Max will turn 1! Maylee will go to "big Primary" and she'll turn 4! I will turn 31 and hopefully have a better Birthday this year! Isaac will go to kindergarten!

I can hardly wait to see what else this year will bring for our family!

We wish each and everyone one of you a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year!

Love,
Kevin, Jennie, Isaac, Maylee and Max

Cute hat...

2010-12-23T09:02:00.000-08:00

I have a girlfriend who has a little boy who is a year old than Max. He has a couple of the most adorable hats, so I felt like Max needed one of his own.
I found a patter on-line and went to work. A couple of hours later, wa-la, it was done. I think it's adorable and will keep his bald head and ears warm this winter!!

Lovin's

2010-12-20T20:00:00.000-08:00

Max has to be my most snugly baby! He will let you love on him for hours on end. He hardly fusses to be put on the floor and just loves any and all attention that is given him.

The other day, Kevin let me take a short nap before we had to leave. I felt well rested and quite rejuvenated.
I hopped into the shower and when I got out, this is what I saw...

Two of my sweet boys lovin' on each other!

They both look so peaceful and that one little finger of Kevin's is all Max needed to slip off into a quiet slumber...

I love how little his fingers looked wrapped around Kevin's big hand.
Hold tight to that hand little man, it will never lead you astray!

Ward Christmas Party

2010-12-20T07:45:00.000-08:00

We had our Ward Christmas Party on Saturday. They deep fried (yes we live in the south) probably 4 turkeys and made 6 or so hams. The food was delicious and so was the company. We had such a good time, but of course the highlight was Santa. My kids were so excited to see him, when it came time to sit on his lap, Isaac ran and jumped up there. Maylee was a little scared and Max, of course, was the sweetest baby ever!

The food did not get served until 7pm and our kids were famished. They of course scarfed down their food without any coercion.

Too bad this picture has me in it...

Here's our blooper shot with Santa...you'll have to wait to see the cute Santa shot another day!

Maylee was too busy being a social butterfly to get any more shots of her than this one...

My boys, respectively...

2010-12-15T04:31:00.001-08:00

Isaac at 5 years old

Height: 44 inches (75%)
Weight: 45 pounds (75%)
Favorite things: Transformers, cars, coloring, drawing stick figures that are actually a bunch of circles, and Primary.
Favorite food: Hot dogs
Favorite color: red
Favorite number: 5
For Christmas he wants an ice cream maker.

Max at 4 months old (one, two and three months)

Weight: 15 pounds 12 ounces (75%)
Height: 25 3/4 inches (75%)
Favorite things: His stuffed dog and his fist
Favorite food: Mommy's milk
Things he can do: roll from his back to his belly, squeal like nobody's business, he smiles all the time, and he drools constantly

Isaac turns 5

2010-12-08T09:14:00.000-08:00

(Disclaimer: I tried for over an hour to get this video on my blog...annoying! But I also know that I am so out of tune it's not even funny. Enjoy the cake and candles!)

Isaac's 5th Birthday was spent with just the 5 of us! I am a HUGE believe in the fact that Birthday's are a BIG deal. I think you should get to pick what you want to eat for every meal, what we do that day, everything...

So for his 5th Birthday, we ate pancakes for breakfast, peanut butter sandwiches for lunch, and waffles with strawberries and whipped cream for dinner. We topped it off with a chocolate cake decorated with Optimus Prime.

That morning he opened the presents from Max and Maylee and from us. We got him, you guessed it, TRANSFORMERS!! He got Medical Officer Ratchet and Sideswipe.

That night after eating dinner (with his Transformers) we skyped with my parents while we sang and blew out candles.

Since all of our family is far away, most of his gifts were delivered by the mail man, thank you UPS.

He got a huge diesel truck from Grandma and Grandpa full of cars, it even has a handle to carry it.

He got Transformers 1 and 2 from Beesha and Dziedze, we've already watched them both (censored of course)! He sat on the floor with his Transformers grinning from ear to ear!

And then he got Iron Hide from Aunt Jen and Uncle Joe. He LOVES it!!

He had a great Birthday. Thanks to everyone who called and sang Happy Birthday to my sweet boy. Every time the phone would ring, he would say, "Everyone is calling me." I think he LOVED all of the attention!

To my sweet boy on your birthday...

2010-12-06T07:56:00.000-08:00

Dear IsaacMan,
Five years ago today you became a part of my family! Your dad and I had been waiting your arrival for weeks. We expected you to get here some time in November, but that would have been early and you decided to stick it out until December. Even once December came, you held on, being forced to come into this world. I think you wanted to do it at your own pace, slowly. But my body said otherwise and after 30 minutes, you were here.

The first time I saw you, I thought about how much you looked like your daddy. I held you in my arms and smiled.

You made me a mommy and that has been the best thing I have ever been given.
The first 5 years of your life have been filled with adventure after adventure! We drove home on the snowy streets of Utah, moved across the country with a visit to Aunt Suzi when you were just 6 months old, we've driven to Arizona and to Florida numerous times, and now we live in Georgia. You're averaging a new state every 1.5 years!

As a 5 year old you are totally into Transformers. You have several different action figures. You got Ratchet, Jazz and Iron Hide for Birthday, to go along with some more cars from Grandma and Grandpa, plus some Transformer movies from Beesha and Dziedze, which we will be skipping parts until you're much older.

You love Primary and can't wait to be in the next class. You're making friends in Georgia and everyone loves you. You are an excellent big brother to both Maylee and Max. You are super helpful to me because whenever you are asked to clean or help, you jump up and do it without complaining.

You're excited to go to school in the fall, but I know for a fact you're not excited about the shots you'll be getting tomorrow!
You are such a fun sweet lovin' boy and I am grateful to be your mommy.
Thanks for being my buddy.
I love you,
Mom

For Beesha and Dziedze

2010-11-30T17:06:00.000-08:00

We took some pictures of our kids with their Grandparents, Beesha and Dziedze...
I think they turned out GREAT!

Our Thanksgiving

2010-11-30T06:39:00.000-08:00

For those of you who spent Thanksgiving in the cold or the snow or both I apologize, this blog post is about to make you really jealous.

We spent Thanksgiving in Florida, 10 minutes from the beach, enjoyed 80 degree weather in November.

This was Max's first trip to the beach. The wind was blowing so hard the first day that we made him a little make-shift tent. He stayed in his car seat the entire time, but I think he still enjoyed himself. He watched his brother and sister act like crazy people.

Isaac loves to fill up his water can and then dump it in the sand away from the water. He does this almost the entire time we're at the beach.

Maylee loves her boogy board. She was pulled around on it by Beesha for most of the day.

Proof that she loves the beach is written all over her face!

Isaac never stops running...it's so funny to watch him, he goes from sand to ocean and back hundreds of times. Makes me tired just thinking about it!

Maylee even shared her boogy board with Isaac. I think Beesha got quite the workout!

After fingers and lips started turning blue because the water was super cold and it was so windy, we had to dig in the sand. (because it's not a trip to the beach unless you come home with half the shore in your hair and swimming suit!)

More fun things we did:

We ate yummy chicken "ribs" as Isaac kept calling them, really they were chicken wings. We had ribs the next night (not chicken ones, but pork country-style ribs), and I think Isaac was just confusing things.

We got to see Aunt Jen and Uncle Joe...

We played at the park...

Max slept a lot at the park...I love this age where they can still sleep through anything and EVERYTHING!

I took a DNA sample from Kevin's forehead. We were wrestling with the kids and I didn't realize how long my nails were, I guess that will teach him to mess with me!

We acted crazy...

We played wii bowling...Isaac beat both me and Kevin!

Kevin carved his first turkey...

The kids decorated cupcakes...all by themselves...with Aunt Jen's supervision...they had a BLAST!
We had a fantastic Thanksgiving weekend...all 10 days of it! We missed the family out in Arizona, North Carolina and Nebraska, but we're glad they had a good Turkey day too.
There were no sweaters worn for the entire 10 days...but we were in for quite a shock when we got back to Georgia. 50 degree weather and lots of rain...but at least we got to soak up the sun while we had it!

Discovering Atlanta Part 4

2010-11-29T09:59:00.001-08:00

Aquarium part 2...I'm still waiting on some pictures from my SIL, Heather, but they have had some complications with their computer, so those pictures will get here when they get here. No biggie.

In one section of the Georgia Aquarium, you can touch the animals. My kids had a BLAST doing this! Isaac was in love with the sting rays...

Maylee was not afraid to touch the animals either! (sorry the picts are so blurry, we're still figuring out our new camera)

There is a really cool penguin exhibit. You get down on all fours and crawl through a tunnel to a place that opens up (but still underground). You can then stand up and look through these tube things to see the penguins. They get super close to the tunnels.

We also saw Beluga whales. They are slow and so very graceful.

Our trip to the Georgia Aquarium was so much fun! We'll be sure to go back again real soon. It was quite educational and such a great place for my kids to see and learn about the ocean! Thanks again Sam and Heather!

A great weekend...

2010-11-22T09:22:00.000-08:00

We're here in Florida and we had a GREAT weekend! We went to the beach, yes the beach, in November! It was super cold, but that does not stop my kids from enjoying themselves or getting wet!

We've played with Jenilee and Joe's new dog, we've eaten my favorite food (ribs), and just enjoyed ourselves immensely.

I'm thankful we could be here for our Thanksgiving vacation.

I'm thankful for wonderful in-laws who put up with our craziness.

I'm thankful for a father-in-law who enjoys cooking ribs for his only daughter-in-law.

I'm thankful for a sweet husband

and great kids

and a Florida vacation in November!!

Discovering Atlanta Part 4

2010-11-16T08:04:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago, Kevin got to count the Georgia Aquarium Gift Shop for work and ever since then, Isaac has been talking about the Aquarium, like he'd been there. So this past weekend we went to the Georgia Aquarium. One of the coolest places I have been in a long time!
They have whale sharks, manta rays, saw-tooth sharks, hammer head sharks, shrimp, starfish, Nemo fish, Dori fish, the list could go on...
On Saturday we packed the diaper bag and headed out with Sam and Heather (thanks guys!). We stopped at Chick-fil-A before going inside because we figured food might be pretty pricey.
Before you even enter the Aquarium, you're already seeing fish...

this is the first display of fish...it's just the entryway...amazing!
We had tickets to see Deepo, a 3D show featuring different animals talking about how to save the ocean life, that started 45 minutes after our arrival, so we went to the Ocean Voyager home to the whale sharks, manta rays, hammer head sharks, and a whole bunch of fish!

These are the two different displays as you walk into the Ocean Voyager.

I guess something off to the side was much more interesting than looking at the camera, but I still love this picture!

We turned a corner, and experienced the most incredible thing, we got to walk under the ocean. Fish were swimming on all sides of us. We saw the bellies of some of the most incredible animals, a view we would never get unless inside this tunnel.

Uncle Sam was such a good sport, carrying one of my kids on his shoulders almost the entire time!

This is the biggest of the whale sharks...so cool!

Fun fact: this "tank" holds 6.3 million gallons of water, 3 manta rays, and 4 shark whales!

To be continued...up next penguins, beluga whales, and my kids touching sting rays!

Thankful catch up

2010-11-15T16:34:00.000-08:00

I have a whole bunch to be thankful for:

This last weekend my brother and sister-in-law came to town. I was thankful to have a fun weekend with them.
I am thankful we got to go to the Georgia Aquarium together (will be at least one post, maybe two on this place...it's that cool!)
I am thankful I got to teach the Relief Society lesson on The Gift of the Holy Ghost
I am thankful that Sam & Heather stayed with a sick Maylee, so I could teach that lesson.
I am thankful my baby still is sleeping through the night
I am thankful we got to go to two different parks last week with two different sets of friends!

I am thankful we're making friends
I am thankful for Kevin's job (I am thankful for that EVERY DAY!)
I am thankful for family and friends who are supportive of my crazy endeavors!
And I am thankful for a husband who is doing the dishes RIGHT NOW!!

3 months

2010-11-12T09:06:00.000-08:00

Max at 3 months old...such a cutie pie...
He's completely adorable and I could not imagine our family without this little guy!

Thankful

2010-11-11T20:04:00.000-08:00

Tonight I am thankful for a few things:
1. My husband is home! He's been gone since Wednesday at 5:30am. He's home to snuggle, sleep next to and most importantly get up with the kids in the morning!
2. For parks and for people who have invited us to go play at the park...not only do my kids get some friend time, but I get some friend time. And we all need some friend time!

Last night...

2010-11-10T08:51:00.001-08:00

Last night was our Relief Society Meeting for my new ward here. It was a yummy Thanksgiving dinner with potluck side dishes. The food was yummy, the turkey moist, the bread delicious, the desserts divine, but the message was even better.

A sister spoke about an attitude of gratitude. She spoke about how she has kept Gratitude Journals for the past several years. She tries really hard to write each and every day 5 things she is thankful for.
"When your mad at your husband and about to call it quits, start listing the things you're thankful for about him. You'll remember why you love him and the good things he does." Was one of the things she said that really stood out to me. (Kevin and I are fine, don't worry about us, but this relates to a lot of relationships in life)
When friendships get rough, remember the things that made you guys friends to begin with. ect.
After her talk, we went around the room and talked about things we were thankful for this Thanksgiving holiday.
People were thankful for their family, friends, children, ect...
We were also asked what we wanted for Christmas, kind of a way to get to know each other better.
Some people said, electronics from the istore, video games, things for their kids, ect...
There were probably 30 people there, and I was 3rd from the end.
When it came to my turn to say what I was grateful for, I stood up, straightened my dress and said, "I, too, am thankful for my kids, but on this night, I'm thankful for this meeting because I needed a few hours away from them!" I got quite the laugh and a few "amen's" were heard around the room.
I called Kevin on the way home and asked him when my baby went to bed. He said, "Just five minutes ago."
"Did he need to have a bottle?" I asked a little reluctantly.
"Yea, he drank about 3 ounces."
"Oh, so you just topped him off?"
"Yea, his eyes were rolling back in his head. Probably like he does when you top him off."
"Oh, that makes me a little sad."
"What does?"
"That I didn't get to top him off."
So for last night, I was grateful to be away from my kids for a few hours to build relationships with other women in my ward. But I am also grateful I get to be a mother, that I have the physical ability to nurse my kids. It's a huge blessing to me, even if it's not my most favorite part about mothering.

I didn't post...

2010-11-09T07:49:00.000-08:00

My Attitude of Gratitude last night, but yesterday I was very thankful for patience. The time change had mega effects on Maylee--and not the good kind!

She was up at 6am on Sunday and 6:30 on Monday. She hasn't had a nap in almost a year, so this was a real trial. She was pretty good while we did a little bit of shopping, but the ride home was almost unbearable! She whined the whole way home and I did not lose my patience once! I am so thankful for that. I feel terrible when I lose my cool with my kids...they're just tiny sweet spirits who don't know any better (most of the time) and I need to remember that.
So for yesterday I am thankful for patience!

Because, really, you can't stay mad at this face too long anyway!

What do you have to be thankful for today? No matter if it's a big thing or a little thing, we all have something to be grateful for, what do you have to be thankful for?