Boys boys

Well I feel a little badly that I didn't do a post for masons birthday! I have reasons, but it is time to get it done. As I type though my almost one year old is screaming in his crib. Yes, it's a little early for nap time, however he wouldn't sleep last night unless he was in my arms (I guess that's what getting two new teeth and having an ear infection will do to a boy) so after trying for a while, I finally brought him to my bed where he slept pretty well. I, on the other hand, got not too much sleep. He was up bright and early around 6 and so we both need a nap.... But that's not lookin like its go Nina happen for either of us now...actually I really need a shower, but I am digressing!
Mason turned 3! H had. Special weekend with lots of attention and he felt pretty loved! I really enjoyed letting him be in the spotlight got too. He is my little guy and I love him to death! His birthday was Sunday, but on Friday grandma cook was having a sleepover with all of theolder girl cousins so brenna was gone and we decided to have a special birthday dinner with a free birthday kids meal at red robin for mason.
... ok now it is the next day and I will continue... Owen did fall asleep surprisingly and I had to jump in the shower to take advantage, and then the day got busy!  So, Mason's birthday was almost a week ago now!  I am sort of a slacker!
So, we went to Red Robin, but Mason was't thrilled about it until he got his soda... that kid is apparently obsessed with soda, but we never have it in the house, so he gets really excited when he gets to drink it!  He got ice cream and a song too, and the highlight, he got a balloon!  A big orange one (that's his favorite color!).  On our way home we stopped by a dollar store and he picked out a few toys!  He was in heaven.  We had our hands totally full and had to sneak putting some back away whenever he wasn't looking!  I had such a fun time with his excitement.
Saturday afternoon he got to go on a little date with Grandma Cook!  He had a bit of a melt down when we dropped Brenna off with her cousins for the sleepover, and grandma felt bad so she came to drop off Brenna and she picked up Mason and took him to McDonalds for a happy meal (two in two days, spoiled!) and to the park.  They had a lot of fun and he was so proud to get some one on one time.
Sunday was his birthday and We were the only two to go to church!  Owen had been up all night with a fever and cough and teething and messiness, and Brenna woke up then fell asleep on the couch and slept most of the day (probably a combination of exhaustion from the sleepover and some sort of sleepy bug).  After church we had birthday dinner of pancakes and eggs (per his request) and Grandma and my cousin Brent were over.  Brenna was quarantined to her room just incase and I felt horrible since she seemed to be feeling all better.  Then the whole family except a few of the cousins came over for cupcakes and presents.  Mason was so polite saying thank you to everybody who got him a gift and it was fun!
I can't believe he's 3... my little baby boy.  Lately he's been telling me that he doesn't like kisses anymore and it pretty much breaks my heart!  Soon he really won't like them and won't hold my hand and that is tough for a mom!  I love him with everything and he is a kind, good natured, protective older brother, temperamental little boy.  At times he can be very frustrating, but it doesn't change how much I love him!  And we were so happy to spend his big day with others who love him too.  We got a nice web cam visit from my family too who sang to him and talked to poor little Brenna in her room for apparently quite  a while before we even knew they were calling!  Here's some pictures:

Brenna wanted to watch the presents so bad, so Brent was nice enough to sit with her while they watched!

Even though he isn't quite one, we let him have a little piece of cupcake just for fun!

Oh, and did I mention Owen is walking now!  So cute!  He prefers walking to crawling, but still does a bit of a combination.

Playing with his Jake and the Neverland Pirates ship!  So happy!

Photo shoots, Projects and Priesthood

We have had an eventful past few weeks!  Mostly with the dying of our computer, and Jeremy's sudden need for a new TV (ok that's not true, ours was breaking bit by bit and we missed the good day after thanksgiving sales, so we said we'd wait till next Nov. but it turns out super bowl sales are just as good so with a little coaxing from his brothers he made the plunge!)  and a few family events we have been busy!  

I didn't realize all of the things I used my computer for!  It was good to be without it for a few days, no distractions, unplug or whatever, but after a few days, I realized that I need it for recipes, to pay bills, and stay in touch with family, and I started getting anxious!  It took us about 5 days to order the new battery, and then of coarse the battery took 1.5 weeks to arrive, and so it was a long time!  But we are back up and running, and I have some updates!

My sisters-in-law and I have been having some fun!  I have really been enjoying spending time with them lately and we even got adventurous and tackled a project that we had all pinned on Pinterest!  It was so much fun and I love our finished product!  All of ours turned out great!  For our project we first needed a picture to use!  Since my comp. was down and my SIL didn't have any photos to use, we did a photo shoot with our beauties first:

They are so goofy it was hard to get a normal picture!

Then Mason wanted in on the fun so we had our own private photo shoot after.  Goofy kids!

Then we got all the stuff, and that weekend we got together and made our enlargements!  This picture only cost me about $13 to do start to finish!  And some great quality SIL time!  Can't go wrong!

Ignore the bareness and awkward lamp... we're working on it and it's almost how I want it!  Besides the hair bow thing and the lamp which are both in this picture!

 Whalla!  Pretty happy about it!  Except it won't stay on the wall so I'm working on that!

Also Sylvia (who had a baby like 4 weeks ago an already looks like her supermodel self again!) and Jared blessed their baby last Sunday and it was really nice to be there for it and for the rest of the day!  Baby Emrie is sure a tiny little cutie!

Ignore me in this picture, I ran in last minute to hand the baby over and then got stuck in the pic... and for some reason I look totally chubby.. not thrilled to post it, but it's got *almost* all the AZ grandkids in it!

Owen and Emrie, they will be pals!

Oh, and the last thing!  I went outside to pick some weeds and noticed that two of our bushes were totally dead, so I started pulling them up.  When I got the last one out finally, I saw some movement, and then I noticed something.  I thought it was the biggest worm I'd ever seen for a moment, but then realized, it was a little snake!  Sort of neat!  Snakes don't really bother me and the kids were thrilled about it!  I called them all out and Mason touched it, while Brenna kept her distance.  It lives in the dirt, as soon as I put it down it burrowed deep again, but how cool!  It was maybe 1.5 feet long and not very big.  I don't know what kind it is, but I thought it was pretty cool.

The pictures are so fuzzy, sorry!

So that's what's goin on!  We are meeting some more ward members since there has been a play date started and I am really enjoying that!  Brenna has a friend over now which is so nice for her!  And for me!  Hopefully soon I will be back with my next project completed, but there are so many equally deserving things I don't know which to choose!