Tennessee

We spent last week in Tennessee at my brother's house. My mom, dad and sister came out as well. We were busy and a little cramped, but we had a wonderful time! Jeff and Tammy are great hosts and the kids had a great time together. We took lots of pictures! Between three cameras there were over 2000 pictures taken! Here are just a few...

The boys were very excited when we started seeing "mountains". This is at a gas station in the Smokey Mountains. If they only knew,  these are just barely hills where I'm from.

We all traveled to Tennessee to meet the newest addition to the Bylund clan, Henery James Bylund. He was just a month old and very sweet. New babies are the best!

The first day we headed to the Grand Ole Opry Hotel. They have these huge indoor gardens with fountains and waterfalls and beautiful flowers and plants. We asked one of the gardeners about how they keep it so immaculate (no weeds anywhere, that's my kind of garden!), they said that because it's indoors they don't get any weeds. I'd like to bring in a couple of dandelions to blow all over the place, is that evil? 

Here are Eli and Kason at the hotel pretending to be statues. This is how we got them to stop and wait for us when they wanted to run ahead. Flowers are only interesting to preschoolers for so long I guess. 

Here's Harley and Meg enjoying the scenery from their plush double  stroller.  

We had in incident where Harley lost his shoe in the Koi pond. The fish when crazy -  like it was food and they were starving. We did end up getting it back and Harley was happy to know that his shoe had been "kissed" by all of those fish. We told him the fish kissed his shoe, because when someone said, "they are eating it!" He became very concerned for the welfare of his shoe. Not surprising considering Harley's obsession with shoes, the kid loves them!

That night we went to a very yummy BBQ place for dinner. They had these cheese cornbread muffins that were amazing! And best of all "Soooda" (as Harley calls it) or Rootbeer as it is more commonly known.

The next day we went to Cheekwood Gardens. It is a very cool place with lots of different gardens and it was a beautiful day to enjoy them. They were in the process of setting up a really cool treehouse exhibit. We were a little early for most of it, but they did have this one done.

Meg and Harley walking down the spiral staircase that lead up to the treehouse.

This was the first time since Jeff and Tammy moved to TN (at which point there were only 2) that all of the cousins have been together. Getting a picture was not easy, they each have a mind of their own. 

We took advantage of the beautiful scenery as well as Jeff and Tammy's nice camera and did some family pictures.

The sweet and goofy Kason Anthony

The funny and determined Harley James

The Happy and curious Ella Rebecca

The happy couple (By the time I realized Reed's are closed in this picture it was too late to change it. It takes so long to move the pictures to where you want them in Blogger....He looks handsome anyway ;).

Are next adventure was to a really cool urban park. 

The kids played in the fountains

Ella mostly sat in her stroller and looked cute in her swimsuit, and was very good at it! (Hmm...I don't know what happened to my other fountain picture, but like I said it takes way to long to add a picture where I want it and I have already spent way to long on this post... the natives are getting restless).

We also went to a farmers market that was downtown. The kids looked cute in their matching outfits (thanks Mom!)

Love that little scrunched face!

They had a fun concret sled that the kids (mostly the younger ones, and especially Meg) spent a lot of time on.

We even got mom to go for a ride.

They also had a rock wall that was fun, and surprisingly challenging for a children's playground.

Ella and Nana. It was fun for everyone to get to know Ella. When we were out at Christmas she was still a little baby, now she has so much more personality and is so cute and happy!

A rare picture of Harley and I together where Harley is not crying for his daddy. I guess TN was good for us :)

That night we went to Monell's. It's a family style, homemade, southern food, resturant. It was a lot of fun and very very good. I learned I really like corn pudding.

Good bye Tennessee! It was an awesome week. We really missed uncle Mike who couldn't get work off to come, but everyone there took part in some high quality fun and bonding. I learned a few things - number one that I wish we all lived closer together. I learned that I can get a good night's sleep on an air mattress. And by looking at these pictures I learned that I really need a haircut and to loose a couple of pounds - oh well. Thanks Jeff and Tammy and family for a wonderful vacation!

We got one group picture. Everyone together, but Mike... We missed you Mike!

Summer in Full Swing

I love love summer! I love the heat and the sun. I love the way everything greens up and the sky blues up. I love all the fun to be had outdoors (although I am still working on fully appreciating what Virginia has to offer, besides the beach). I love BBQ, and evening walks. I love T-Shirts and flip flops. I love swimming and drying off in the sun. I the sand and the ocean. I love hiking and camping. I love vacations and road trips. I love it all! Each new summer brings a whole other level of enjoyment as I get to share all of the joys with my growing children and my loving husband! One thing I do love about VA is summer starts early!

We have already made a few trips to the beach. Kason and Harley willingly and gleefully help out on the way down to the beach. 

On the way back to the car at the end of the day, daddy does all of the work.

This was Ella's first time to the beach and of coarse, she loved it! She had fun putting her toes in the sand and watching all of the kids run around. She is such a happy little soul, I feel blessed every day for her presence in our family. 

This trip to the beach was a little cold, but Harley didn't let that stop him from playing in the waves and getting soaking wet. Both Kason and Harley love to run out to the water and wait for a wave to come up, then run away screaming as it washes up on shore. I remember doing it when I was young and it fills my heart to watch my boys having so much fun with it as well.

Ella is getting bigger and bigger everyday. She is so please whenever she can do something she has seen her brothers do.

We washed the cars a couple of weeks ago and the boys had fun playing in the water. Love this boy's curly hair. It's getting really long and I keep thinking I should cut it short of the summer, but I just can't do it!

They both thought they were pretty cool dudes in their sun glasses. Kason loves anything that is silly and Harley loves laughing at Kason. It is so fun to watch them when they get going. 

One of the new joys we get to be involved in this summer is Tball. We signed Kason up through the YMCA. He has had one practice and will have his first game this Saturday. Reed signed up to be the assistant coach, but ended up with the head coach job. He is doing a great job! It's fun to watch them both. Kason has a lot of enthusiasm and is very good at following directions and focusing on the game. We are so proud!

Hurray for summer! 

Step and throw

I love the this video. It's so funny to watch the kids. They all run for the ball as soon as it is hit and then have a little squabble until someone rises triumphant with the ball. Reed has some work to do teaching them baseball basics. I love Kason's little pose at the end after he hits the ball.

Wahoo! Thank You Reed!!!

Reed is eligible, through work, to win trips twice a year. He qualified to win a trip about 6 months ago, that we would be leaving on right about now, but we weren't able to take it because of having a new baby. But he qualified again and so in September we are off to beautiful Hawaii! Ella will be weaned by then and Reed's wonderful sister has offered to take the kids for us while we go. They live up in Ohio and have 3 kids pretty much the exact ages of our kids. So, while it will be crazy for Carolyn, the kids will have a great time. Reed and I are very excited! Thanks for all of you hard work honey! I reap the benefits in so many ways. Love You!

On another note I wanted to share a little anecdote. It's no secret that Harley is a Daddy's boy. He would choose Reed over me in every situation. Last night Reed was working late and I was getting the kids ready for bed. I asked Harley what his favorite song is to hear when he is going to bed.

He said, "I Am A Child of God!"
 I said, "I like that one too."
He said, "When Daddy sings it," and then just to make sure it was clear, "Not you"

Just when you think you're doing a good job, your kids step in and bring you back to reality :). Thanks Harley!

I'm So Glad Easters Here!

We had a great Easter! As the kids get older and we welcome new little people into our family, holidays just get more and more fun to celebrate. The boys really enjoyed all of the fun traditions that go with Easter. We also had some special opportunities to teach them about Jesus Christ and the importance of His resurrection. Kason made us proud on Saturday when we were at the primary Easter Egg Hunt activity and they asked the kids why Jesus' was resurrected and he raised his hand and said, "so we can live forever." It really is amazing how much they learn, one might even say they remember. It was so fun getting them all dressed up for easter. Having a girl in the mix this year made it extra fun because we got to do a big frilly easter dress - Thanks Mom! 

Harley was asleep when we first got to Grammy's, but Kason cheerfully rebid all of his eggs so that Harley had some to look for when he woke. Harley was mostly interested in what was inside each egg, this was a common theme for Harley throughout the weekend (it was all about the CANDY!)

Grammy hid some Easter eggs for the boys and after church on Sunday Kason had fun finding them all over the house. He really loved all the egg hunting! He also participated in a great easter egg hunt the primary did for the kids on Saturday.

Here are the boys getting their baskets ready for the Easter bunny. My mom sent us some "magic" jelly beans to put in their Easter baskets so when the Easter Bunny came he could sprinkle magic on them and they would grow into treats and toys during the night. Harley had a hard time not eating all of his, but we eventually convinced him to sprinkle a few in his basket for the Easter Bunny.

Kason, very carefully put each jelly bean one by one into it's specially appointed spot in the basket. He was very into the magic jelly bean thing. In this picture he had just taken a bath. He loves to comb his own hair after his bath and stick it straight up. So cool dude!

Saturday after the activity at the church we colored Easter eggs.  Kason has a lot of fun writing on his in white crayon and then seeing it appear as he dipped it into the ink. He is very thoughtful and loves to make things, so decorating Easter eggs was right up his ally.

As I was telling Harley what we were going to do he kept asking if we were going to eat the eggs. I would say, "We are going to color some eggs." Harley would say, "and eat them?" I would say, "You can put stickers on them and dip them in the colors," and Harley would say, "and eat them?" (and so on..) Apparently Harley didn't see the point in decorating your eggs, eggs are for eating.  In the end he did enjoy watching the eggs turn color and eventually he did get to them.

Then the big morning came! Ella enjoyed he Easter basket filled with empty plastic eggs and two little stuffed bunnies that her daddy picked out for her (he had a lot of fun this year picking out treats and toys for the kids baskets).

Harley figured out fast how to open his eggs and get the candy out and he been doing it  with every egg he has come across ever since. Needless to say the eggs are of little value when he finds out they are empty. Luckily Ella enjoys the empty plastic eggs very much. Isn't the give and take of a family nice.

Kason was very please with the magic jelly bean harvest!

One of our neighbors made this cute  bunny cake and brought it over for the boys. They were very pleased with it and thought they were so funny when it cam time to eat the bunny, laughing as they ate the bunny's face, ears, tail, ets. What fun!

...Happy Birthday Dear Harley...

Can You Feel the Love Tonight

...well last night. We had a super fun V-Day. First the boys and I surprised Reed for lunch. We went to Olive Garden, during naptime, which was a bit of a gamble, but fun anyway. Then I got my popcorn Valentine from Reed delivered by a delivery truck, which was very exciting for Kason. And then Kason and I made Valentines while Reed and Harley made a delicious gourmet Valentines dinner. I am so lucky to have 3 such handsome Valentines! What a fun and love filled day!

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Read All About It!

We have some big news to share: We are expecting baby number three! We have been waiting until our ultra sound (which was yesterday) so that we had a better idea of the due date. According to the ultra sound technician, I was exactly 10 weeks along yesterday. Which puts the due date at September 5.

Here are a couple a pictures of our deformed little gummy bear (we are optamitic that it will turn out to be a beautiful, healthy baby, but for now it looks more like a deformed little gummy bear. Just about that size too). We will know if it is a boy or a girl in about 8 weeks. We are hoping for a girl, but obviously we will be happy with whatever the Lord has decided to send us. When I went for my first doctor's appointment she said she wouldn't be surprised if I was as far along as 10 or 12 weeks (and that was two weeks ago), so it was a little disappointing to only be 10 weeks, but we are coming to terms with it. Kason is excited for his new baby and we keep trying to ask Harley if he remembers who was coming next, but he isn't sharing what he knows. We are very excited for our new addition (even if it means being pregnant during the hottest and most humid part of the year).

Everybody Poops

Everybody but kason, on the toilet anyway. We have started potty training with Kason and we haven't conquered poop yet (i have thrown away more than one little pair of Buzz Lightyear undies). All in all it has been somewhat successful. We started a week ago with a timer. I set the timer for 15 minutes and then he goes and sits on the potty and tries to pee. If he does he gets a skittle. If he poops he gets two. We have worked up to 30 minutes now, but he still does not tell me when he had to go, I tell him. Until he makes that jump I don't consider him potty trained, even if he can wear underwear all day with no accidents. It does feel like we spurned a lot of time in the bathroom. Its becoming tricky to number one keep Kason excited about using thee potty and number two keep Harley entertained while Kason is working on...whatever. We have tried many things including: putting Harley in the empty tub with his bath toys, a space heater in the bathroom (very exciting to both Harley and Kason), potting Harley in the drawer by the potty so Kason can pretend to give him a bath, singing songs, reading books, putting the potty in places more interesting than the bathroom, cool push/ride toys allowed in the bathroom, etc. Is all very hard work for all of us. Any suggestions on potty training are welcome.

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