It can't be this easy...

I have quite a few things to talk about.  First is that Fort Irwin really isn't all that bad.  Everyone who comes here says how ugly it is, and it certainly is lacking greenery.  However, Fort Irwin has the most beautiful sunsets every single day.  The sky lights up in bright pinks, purples, oranges and blues.  I tried to capture one on camera, but it doesn't even come close.  So days when I feel like I need more color than brown and beige and brown, I know I can just wait until evening!
Secondly, I have to say what a master Lego builder Tyler is.  He builds all kind of things, usually space-rockets like this one.  But they are always so amazing--you can't tell in this picture, but it is perfectly symmetrical and has several layers to it--it's about 1.5" tall--and in between layers he has left spaces strategically and on and on.  He really is talented.  I doubt I could build like he does!
Okay, don't look at this picture if you don't have little kids.  But I had to show it.  Jacob was so proud of himself.  Now this refers back to my title--it can't be this easy.  Ever since the day I said he went poop the first time he has not had ANY poop accidents and only had a couple of pee pee accidents.  And I haven't even done anything!  He just tells me when he has to go, I take him, and he goes!  No fear, no whining, just sits down and does his thing.  It is amazing.  I've been afraid to say anything for fear of jinxing it, but it has been almost a week now!  I guess this is recompense for his first year of life (for those of you who forgot, Jacob screamed almost non-stop for his first year and a half...).  Hooray for Jacob!
And to round it out a few pics of Maggie, or "Mags" as Jacob calls her (I know, the boys keep giving her different nicknames).  She is so smiley now it is so fun.  I can always (almost) get her to smile, she's definitely a momma's girl.  The boys don't have as much luck.  But she is just the most precious little thing when she has her big smiles.  I can't capture her cuteness on camera, but let me assure you she is as cute as can be!



She is really chunking out too--her big chipmunk cheeks are so kissable!  She is about 13 pounds now!  And is starting to outgrow her 3 mo. clothes!  Man, they grow fast.  Anyway, happy day to all!

My favorite Boys

Well, I know most of you that read this blog are family and have already (or soon will) see these pictures but I just loved them so much I had to pic a few to put on.  I must thank my sister-in-law Katie for taking them!  These are a few more pictures of the boys playing in the snow in Utah.  Tyler loved it so much and is already asking to go back!
Eric was so great while we were there.  He was out with the boys all the time--it was too cold for me (although I could use the excuse that I couldn't take Maggie out in it...)!  Jacob loved the 4-wheelers.
And this pic is my favorite.  All my boys, happy as can be!  What fun.  Now it's back to the grind.  You know with kids it is always something.  They always seem to be in some annoying phase and once they get over one thing, they move on to another.  Tyler's current phase is waking up at 5 a.m.--no exaggeration--and waking up everyone in the house.  I hear him from his room, "Jacob, Jacob!  Wake up!"  Then the two of them skip into our room asking for waffles.  We've tried it all--saying they can be up as long as they stay in their room, telling Tyler he has to wait until the sun comes up/clock says 6 a.m., threating punishment (I am not a happy camper at 5 a.m., especially after already being up twice with Maggie), I am fresh out of ideas.  I am at the point of hoping against hope it will end soon!  I guess it will just make me appreciate the nights I do get to finally sleep again...whenever that may be!

Iron Chef

Well, for those of you familiar with my children, you may know that they haven't eaten dinner in about a year and a half.  It's amazing that they are still alive.  My rule is that I make a family dinner and if they don't eat it then they go hungry for the night.  I NEVER give in and all the "experts" said this is the best way to get your kids to eat.  According to them it should take a few weeks and "your child will get the idea they have to eat what you make."  Well, they didn't count on the stubborness of the Swenson children.  So as I said, my kids live on breakfast and lunch alone.  So last night Eric and I decided we were sick of it and going to implement a new system--what they don't eat for dinner they get for breakfast.  If they don't eat it then, they get it for lunch and so on.   This morning was my first attempt at this and Tyler took an hour to eat, whining the whole time, but I was steadfast!  Then there is Jacob.  He actually ate all his chicken pretty well but when it came to the potatoes he had a harder time.  I put a bite in his mouth and he went to spit it out but I told him he had to chew it up and swallow it.  So he tries to chew it then gags.  I look up from the sink just in time to see him puke all over the table.  It wasn't a sick throw-up, just an "oh my gosh I hate this food I can't even chew it" throw up.  Regardless, it was disgusting.  So what do I do now?  Do I risk a vomit session each morning or just let him have his Eggos?  Ah, the joys of motherhood.

On a happier note, guess who pooped in the toilet yesterday?  JACOB!  Hooray!  Of course, he pooped in his diaper later too, but it does give one reason to hope that potty-training is near.  I actually have a pretty awesome picture of Jacob admiring his "business" but I thought that might take the blog a little too far!   You'll just have to use your imaginations. 

Last one

Okay, this will be the last post.  Maggie is sleeping so I will try to get it all done.  Of course, you are reading this one first, so this is the first I guess.  No pictures with this one but I have to tell you the story of our trip home.  First off, Tyler said something really sweet.  Eric asked him if he got everything he wanted for Christmas.  Tyler thought for a second then said, "Umm, all I really wanted for Christmas was my family."  How sweet is that.  Well, now we know that next year we don't have to get him any gifts except the pleasure of our company.  I'll let you know how that goes over...  Anyway, on to our trip home.  We decided to brave it all in one day--head to St. George, the halfway point, in the morning, spend a few hours at Gpa Swenson's house there, then finish the trip at night.  So, the first half went great.  We headed off for the second leg of our journey and all was well until we got to Vegas where it was a parking lot.  We then remembered why we originally were going to leave on Saturday--traffic.  Anyone who lives west of Vegas knows that every Sunday evening there is horrendous traffic from Vegas all the way to LA--all the people going home from their Sin City weekends.  And you can imagine how much worse this was on a holiday.  So, we decide to give it a chance and if it was still bad in Primm we would get a hotel room for the night.  Well, it didn't get better--it got worse.  It took us 1 1/2 hours to from Jean to Primm (normally a 20 minute drive).  It was miserable.  We FINALLY get to Primm and stop at Terrible's casino/hotel.  We go inside and there is an hour wait just to get a room!  So I had to feed Maggie while I was sitting, fully clothed, on a toilet in the restroom (gross) where she has a big blowout poop.  All over her back and outfit.  Luckily I had a spare outfit in the diaper bag.  We hadn't brought any luggage in because it was buried and stuffed in the back of the car.  So I get her set, we get a room (at least it was only $35) and head to the buffet for dinner.  Well, let me just say that Terrible's buffet suits its name.  Ugh!  They had no selection at all, and what they did have was almost inedible.  It was the first time in my life I haven't overeaten at a buffet.  So, we disappointedly went back to our room, got ready for bed and tried and tried to get the boys to sleep.  Tyler finally fell asleep but Jacob was crazy!  He would not go to sleep!  Finally we got everyone to sleep around 10 or 11 pm.  Maggie was in the bed with me and Eric and woke up an hour later to eat.  Meanwhile I developed a migraine.  Throughout the next few hours Maggie ate, Jacob fell out of bed and hit his head and finally at 5 a.m. Tyler woke up and had wet the bed.  At that point we cut our losses, got up and left for home.  I felt like we were the Klampetts take Primm!  We made it home finally (no traffic at 6 a.m.) to a house that had no water! I guess our little pipe outside had frozen--no shower, no drinking water, no toilets!  To make a long story short (too late I know) we finally got it fixed about 4 hours later.  Phew!  What a day!  Now Craig and Sharee and visiting for a couple days and hopefully we can avoid any further catastrophes.  We hope you all had a great Christmas!

More More Christmas Fun

Maggie says Merry Christmas!
Here she is in her swing--she got hold of her thumb in her mouth and fell asleep!  Not very gracefully though.
And here is Tyler after eating a cookie with green icing.  Yuck.  It looks like paint!  And below is Grandma with most of her grandkids (we miss you Nate and Josh!) in their new Christmas pj's.  
See, Eric really is a doctor...

More Christmas Fun

Eric sledding with the kids...Jake is on the left and Tyler is on the right.  His cousins San and Ben are in-between.  Eric also took the kids sledding with Uncle Cory's 4 wheelers.  Jacob loved it.  His new thing is shouting, "Woo Hoo!" in a sing song voice when he gets something good like fruit snacks.  He kept shouting that over and over, "Woo hoo!  Woo hoo!"  So funny.
And here is Christmas Eve in their new pj's from Grandma Swenson.  This is one of many many many attempts at getting a picture where they all look decent.  Those of you with multiple children know what I mean.  I gets exponentially more difficult each time you add just one!  My kids will be cute as buttons until it's picture time, then they get crazy.  It's like the post office...my kids always go crazy at the post office!
Christmas morning--Tyler got a Star Wars spaceship and Bakugan balls among other less interesting things.
And here is Dr. Jacob with his new medical kit.  Yep, I think he's ready for surgery.  Now we just need a patient...any volunteers?

Here is Jacob sledding--they all had so much fun.  Eric us such a great dad.  It was freezing outside and snowing but he stayed out for a long time and helped them all sled and even built a fort with Tyler and cousin Ben.  Below is the picture of Jacob trying to catch up to all the others shouting, "Wait for me guys!"

Here is Maggie sleeping...now why doesn't she do that at night?!?
And her Christmas shirt.  Get a good look people, I washed it and the red bled all over the white so she won't be wearing it again!  Oh well, at least she got to wear it on her first Christmas!

Christmas Fun

Okay, my picture are all crazy--these first few take place after the bottom few.  I just had to show a picture of my boys' new favorite activity--kung fu, or kung poo as Jacob calls it.  They run around constantly doing their kung fu moves...thanks Kung Fu Panda movie....Just a cute pic of the boys--
And here is what Jake did when I asked him to smile the first time....
There was so much snow in Utah--it kept snowing and snowing and snowing.  I am resolved that if I ever live in a place where it snows I will get a heated driveway--it would be hard on Eric to have to shovel snow all the time  ;)   But the boys had a blast.  Poor Jacob was up to his thighs in snow.  The other boys would run ahead of him and he was like the kids in "A Christmas Story" movie who could barely walk.  He would trudge through saying, "Wade fo meee!"  Translation, "Wait for me!"  It made me laugh!
Could this picture have turned out any better?  What a cute kid.

Here is the starting point--this pic of me on my wedding day.  When we first got to the Swenson's house in Utah Tyler saw this picture of me hanging on the wall.  He asked, "Mom, is that you?  You look SO beautiful."  Then he paused and said, "But....you look way gooder now."  I knew I loved Tyler!  Here is also a picture of Maggie's first smile!  We were so excited.  And yes, that is a huge bug above her head--don't worry...it's plastic.  I will have to photoshop it out or something.  Too bad I didn't notice when I took the picture.  Actually, just to show you how obsessed I am with my beautiful daughter (I can't stop looking at her), I didn't even notice the giant bug about to eat her face until my mother pointed it out!  Okay, I guess I should be more observant!

The rest of the pictures were taken on Maggie's blessing day.  Sharee (grandma) bought her that beautiful dress.  She looked so pretty in it.  Eric gave her a beautiful blessing.  It was nice to have a lot of family there.  As you can see, Tyler was a very proud big brother.