Swim Lessons Progress

I forgot to add this one to the post earlier. I told Nicci I would show her what Bretton has been learning in swim lessons so here's a little sampling for her, and anyone else who's interested!

YouTube Husband, Horses and Zoo

Chris has once again amazed us all by showcasing one of his many talents! He is so awesome and I am so proud of his efforts! His latest project for work can be seen on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCeh_yW4DOE

Here we have what I like to call "The Mommy Club" from our ward. This is our little group that all moved into the ward around the same time and none of us had kids so we had the "Young Couples with No Kids Club," then we all had kids right around the same time. So fun!

(L to R): Chandice & Jaxton, Me & B, Kristen & Maddie, Karalee & Kinlee
Although Karalee is no longer in the ward, we still love her enough to keep her in the club!

The weekend before Memorial Day we spent up in Taylor with Chris's grandparents for his Grandpa Hancock's 75th birthday. It was gorgeous (as always) and we had so much fun!

I got on a horse for, I think, the 3rd time in my life.

Bretton with his Great Grandpa Hancock
2 of grandpa's horses had colts about a month ago. Here is one...
...and here's the other.

Baby horse #2's mom, Belle. She was seriously posing for me. Funny.

On Memorial Day, once we got back to the heat, we went to the Wildlife World Zoo with Wendi and Chris and the boys.

Bretton got to feed the swans. I loved the back feathers on this one.

We really were able to get up close and personal with the animals. Most of the time a chain-link fence is all that separated us from them!

The lion had just finished eating (which we got to watch) and was feeling a bit fiesty. Watch or fast forward through the boring stuff... it gets good! Lions really do have a commanding sound, even when they're not being very loud!

Mohawk Monkey

This picture really is as close to this bird as we were. We could have touched it had we known it wouln't bite our fingers off!

Bretton being a cheese ball when we stopped for an icee break.

They had an aquarium there too. B loved it and just kept saying "WHOOOAAA!" to every tank he came to.

Oh for the Love of DQ!

We were at the mall the other day (San Tan... which means it was outside... which means it was HOT!) playing on all the play equip and water and stuff and decided it was time for a treat so we went in to DQ and I don't know if it was a moment of bravery or insanity but I got Brenden and Bretton their own ice cream cones. They have both had ice cream before (obviously... I mean, what kid hasn't by the time they're 6 months old???) but this was the first time they both had their very own ice cream cones they could eat all by themselves. It was really funny to watch them. They both stayed pretty clean... considering... Brenden was just quiet as a mouse enjoying his but Bretton was cracking me up. Enter video:

(from my phone, so I apologize for the quality. Daddy had the real camera)

Surprise!! Kindof...

Today is our anniversary. Happy 4 years to us! Over the weekend, Chris wanted to surprise me with a trip to Vegas.
He had to tell me that we were going and made up a bogus story about how he had to work, but only for a few hours then we could have the rest of the time to play. Well, I whined and moaned about it, as I usually do when he's trying to surprise me with something cool, but he was insistant. I picked him up from work on our way out of town and in his haste he tossed his phone to me. I glanced down at it and on the screen was a message from my friend Amber's hubby saying "We're just leaving, be there in about 6-7 hours." I put 2 & 2 together, being the smart person I am, and realized that he had arranged for them to meet us there! (They live in Utah) How fun! Anyway, so I said "Um... you shouldn't have just handed this to me..." Ha ha. So, Surprise! Kindof... He was mad at himself for not being more careful and letting the secret out at the last minute. Amber still didn't know though so we played with her the whole way there through texts and she had no idea until we met up with them at the Paris for sushi!

Chris said, while taking this picture,

"My 2 favorite things in the world!"

Aww...

It was a really fun trip. It was great to get away for a few days without the little man (although, truth be told, I thought at first that I was going to die leaving him for that long, but I made it). We love seeing Amber and Ray and Chris is just the best husband ever! I love you Chris!! "You are my only, my only one." Happy Anniversary!

******

A couple weeks ago we went to the water park with our friends Malinda, Rockwell, Tyler and Bronco. It was a blast! The boys, although tentative at first, loved it!

Angel or Demon?

I just wanted to inform you all that my son is perfect. He can do no wrong.

See? Look at this angel face!

OR NOT!

So, it's like a little mischief light went on in this kid's head.

As soon as I tell him to/not to do something, he gets that "Oh yeah?" look on his face with that mischevious grin and just goes on doing EXACTLY the opposite of what I want him to do, or not do...

like running away from me when he gets out of the tub

or bugging the dog

(taunting her with his food, or her own treats, and laughing his evil little laugh and running away from her; or poking, prodding and pulling on her until she can't take it anymore and lets out a cry for help)

Or playing in the trash

Or banging the blinds

Or pulling all of my clothes off their hangers

Or playing in the toilet

Or unraveling all the toilet paper

Or pushing the buttons on the Wii

Or spitting whatever he's drinking EVERYWHERE

Or making a b-line for the street as soon as he steps out of the front door

Or... well... you get the idea

And so I find myself taking a deep breath tonight and realizing that this is only the beginning of raising a boy and wondering what I have gotten myself into. But then I think of the times when he voluntarily hugs me and says "I luh loo" (translation: "I love you"), or when no one else in the world besides "ma ma" can make the tears go away and that's when I know it's worth it. But sometimes I wonder... is he my angel or my little demon?

Easter 2009

It has become a Weitzell family tradition to have an Easter Egg hunt the day before Easter. Usually we try to do it at a park due to the number of kids (which, by the way, grows every year) not being proportional to the size of any of our houses. This year, however, our park hunt was rained out so we improvised with a search around Wendi's house. It was chaotic, but fun!

Just one question...

What is in those easter eggs??

Bretton figured out real quick that there is good stuff inside

Some of Adam's family:

Lisa holding Dallon (who you can't really see), Clarissa, Jared

Brandee (Aaron's fiance-congrats Aaron!), Aaron, Ian, Justin, Brenden

Clarissa... the lone female in a garden of boys!

Some of the boys blowing up peeps.

Haven't tried it? Oh... highly recommended!

Especially when you have a war between 2, but that's a story for another time.

Easter Morning:

How pathetic are these baskets??

Can you tell which one is our only child's?

Daddy's not ready to be awake, but wanted to see his boy get his first Easter basket.

Easter Dinner:

It is an Epperson family tradition to do an egg fight on Easter. Contrary to popular belief, we do not throw eggs at each other... although that would make it interesting!

You take two hard boiled eggs and hit them end to end like so:

(No comment on what was said to make me laugh so hard. Mostly cause I was the one who said it...)

and once everyone goes through the front and backs of their eggs, whoever is left with an unbroken shell is the Egg Fight Champion! And this year the winner is.... (drumroll please)

ME!

(Don't mind the "have you taken the picture yet?" face... I really was excited!)

Grandpa put Bretton in the goat cart for a ride and it was just too perfect of a photo op...so we took it.