Where to Begin?

I've been trying to come up with a clever post ever since we got back about our time in Boise and over Labor Day, but I didn't do a very good job taking pictures to document any of it, so this random assortment will just have to do!

This little guy has become a T-E-R-R-O-R. I don't know when it happened either...it was like one day he was my peaceful little boy playing quietly with his cars, and the next he had Lucy's pigtails in a vice-grip and had lit the trash can on fire. My mom even noticed it when she pointed out, "He didn't used to scream like that a month ago." True. He's got a serious temper. And HE. NEVER. STOPS. MOVING. I think I'm still in shock that he's hit the terrible two's and he's not even 18 mos. yet.

Hallelujah!! The IKEA in Draper had a little Buddy-Seat so I could go to the bathroom in peace!! I wish EVERY bathroom had one of these because there truly is no such thing as a "restroom" when your toddler is constantly opening the door or crawling under the stall while you have to make a necessary stop, you know?

They sure look cute when they're sleeping, but this was one of the only ways I could guarantee Zachy would nap while we were out of town-- takin' a drive after lunch.

BYU does still exist!! It's hard to remember those carefree days as a student, but I supposed they did happen once upon a time ago. Be still my heart!

While in Boise my mom and I made raspberry and strawberry jam, since she ended up sending us home with their extra deep-freeze freezer thing to store it all in. Sweet! This is the jam of my childhood. And here's a shameless plug: Check my food blog www.sarainthekitchen.blogspot.com for the instructions. It's super easy!

Enjoying ice cream at Delsa's (a place right across the street from my neighborhood that's been there as long as a I can remember) with my friend Emily Judd and her kids who were also in town visiting her parents. Yum!


As soon as we got back in town, Lucy started PRE-SCHOOL on Tuesday. It has been WONDERFUL so far!! She has loved it and wants to talk about nothing else when she gets home. I got stuck with the afternoon session (I preferred morning), but it's actually working out great with Zachy's nap because I get a whole 2 hours and 45 min. to myself every Tuesday and Thursday. Wohoo!

Oh boy! Is she pose-tastic or what? We had a playgroup this past week (the 2nd we've gone to since moving here) at the North Las Vegas fire station which was a total DISASTER. It's times like these when I really question myself, and why I even try... I thought my kids would love seeing the fire engines and meeting fire fighters, not to mention I hoped we'd be able to meet some new peeps from the ward, but no. Lucy whined NON-STOP through the entire 45 min. tour of the inside that she was hungry, tired, bored, thirsty, had to pee, etc. ("this is the kitchen, blah, blah, blah, this is our work out room, blah, blah, blah"), and Zachy unleashed his ear-piercing scream every time he wanted to get down to break something/climb on something/destroy something valuable or off-limits--which was basically NON-STOP. Talk about embarrassing!! It was a great first impression to the moms of the ward, I'm sure...

By the time we made it outdoors to the actual fire trucks, I was ready to die a slow and painful death of shame when the fire chief pulled me aside and said, "Wow, you've really got your hands full with those two." He aint kiddin'!!

Lucy and Zach-- nowhere near the other well-behaved children, fighting over who gets to climb on the back (where they're not even supposed to be). I think we snuck outta there about 10 seconds after this picture. With Jon not getting home until 7 or 7:30 every night I guess it's time to figure out what I'm really made of this year.:)