It was one of those mornings. Those mornings were you wake up and think, "I just need to get out of the house and in to some sunshine and fresh air!" Yes, it was one of those mornings where the boys woke up too early and this mom didn't get enough sleep. Thankfully, I had the zoo pass ready, the snacks and drinks packed up and we headed out as quickly as we could.

I love our zoo! I love that by 9:30 this morning the gates were already open and the crowd had yet to arrive. We casually took our time walking through the park. Admiring the loud howling monkeys, watching our favorite elephants play and eat and the giraffes slowly stroll through their enclosure.

But when we went to go visit the big cats, we were greeted by a very curious friend! Fisher loved the snow leopard and I have to say the the leopard found some interest in Fisher as well!

I decided that it would be fun for the boys to ride the carousal. They love watching it go round and round with the animals so gracefully bobbing up and down, and I thought that maybe they would find it just as interesting if they were partaking in the fun.

I was a little nervous though. See, Fisher has some sensory issues and some of that has to deal with being on top of things, or riding in things. He doesn't like bikes. He wont sit on one, but he will watch a kid ride around and around on one. So when I put him on top of this monkey, I was afraid that he would just cry and panic. But he didn't! He actually quite enjoyed it! Although, he did make sure that my hand never left his side.

Chase on the other hand is fearless. He loved riding the carousal. He laughed and smiled the whole time, watching all the animals move around him. He is definitely my adventurous one!

It was a fun morning trip. It was a nice break from being inside. I enjoyed seeing my boys light up and enjoy this outing, experiencing new and exciting things. It made our morning turn out to be a very happy one.

Now, off to bed early we go!! :)

august 24th

This is a simple post. I just wanted to share with you some pictures from my new camera that Wayne spoiled me with for my birthday.

He definitely went all out and made it special by decorating the house with balloons, some pretty pink roses and of course oreos and a coke! But the best was going out to dinner and indulging in the yummiest chocolate shake I have ever had (in a long time). I think it's fair to say that I got spoiled this year!

I am still learning the ropes of this new camera but I promise you many, MANY more pictures to come!

old wheeler had a farm

So I was woken up at 5:30 this morning to the awful sound of a two year old coughing up a storm. By 6:30 he sounded congested and tired so I decided that it would be best for everyone if he didn't go to school today and get everyone else sick. By 9:00 the cough was gone, the congestion was no where to be seen and he had the energy of a two year old in full force.

So being that this was our first morning to go out and do something fun, I took full advantage. Both boys absolutely love animals. They love the zoo. They love going to Sugar House park to feed the ducks. They even love just walking through Pets Mart to watch the fish and birds. So I thought it would be fun to take them to Wheeler Farm. After all this farm is close by, it's not very crowded and it's free!

Fisher is currently learning his animals. He knows what an elephant is. He knows what a cat says. But if I had to tell you what his favorite animal is, I would have to say Horse, or 'horsey' as he calls them. When he saw the horses he just lit up with excitement and happiness. He kept saying 'horsey' over and over again and laughed every time the horse made a noise.

He loved just watching them, taking them in.

From the moment we got to the farm, Chase said one word the whole time. "Duck!"

He loved watching the ducks, and geese and goose. He loves that he knows they are called "Ducks" and just wanted to go up and touch them all. He even got his little finger pecked gently by a geese and that sure made him light up!

I am loving how my boys enjoy all these animals. It was a great time to spend with them and watch them learn and grow with new experiences. It reminds me how smart they are, how quickly they catch on to things. They are amazing little boys that constantly keep me on my toes!

to the park we go!

Wow, can you believe that Fisher has been in his ABA program for almost a month now? August is flying by!

We had Fisher's assessment for school done yesterday and it was so nice to see where he is at and the potential he has. Since he has started this program he has made some big progress. He is signing and saying more and more words everyday. He is even understanding and following commands now. I am so happy with this program. I really believe that they have the right tools to get him where he needs to be both socially and in the mainstream programs.

So now we have a curriculum to follow and one that will help both Wayne and I and Fisher. This is truly a happy moment for me. I love it when it feels like we are making progress, that things are finally moving forward!

So I believe this calls for a night of fun! And Fisher and Chase love nothing more than going to the park and running through the wood chips, sliding down the slides and falling into a relaxed trance brought on by the swings.

This is what the boys need. Fisher hasn't been to the park much since he started his busy schedule of ABA therapy and speech, but he doesn't miss a moment of making sure he goes down every slide.

And towards the end of night, as the sun began to set, Fisher finally overcame his summer fear and gave the swing one last chance. And he enjoyed every moment of it, holding as tight has he could to his daddy, making sure he didn't let him go.

I love it when I see my boys grow. When they have no fear of climbing up those steps and slide down even the scariest of slides, laughing and smiling all the way down. They are truly growing up, and I am loving these moments!

can you say bubbles!!

Fisher's new word and favorite sign to say is "Bubbles". He absolutely loves to blow bubbles. And this has become our new after nap-time routine. We gather up all the bubble wands we can find. Get the big and little bottles of bubbles out and we play. We get wet and sticky from all of the liquid, but we don't mind, because when we learn new ways to create bubbles, we enjoy all messiness that comes along with it!

It's almost surreal that summer is almost over. Even though I wont miss the heat at all, I will miss these summer nights spent with my boys. Finding little things to make us smile and laugh.

But I am so looking forward to this fall!!

and we shall name her...

So, I have received tons of emails and request to create another list of baby names to vote on. This is similar to what we did for Chase, only this time we know its going to be a beautiful little girl. And surprisingly, girls names are harder for us to think of let alone agree on.

So, by popular request click here to view our list of baby names. It's still a work in progress so check it often and please vote! I would love to see what names you all like!

distractions...

With road bumps and down pours I am finding some much needed distractions to be exactly what I need to preoccupy my mind from going overboard with emotions. It's nice that the simple things are the most important things to be so great-full for.

Discovering rollie pollies and ants and other creepy crawlers for the first time. Bringing excitement and curiosity and the babble of a one year old trying to tell us the things he knows, the interest he shares.

Or just catching a tired little boy, holding tightly to his puppy, just laying and waiting for his sleepy time to come. When I get to cuddle with these two little people, their heads laying gently on my lap and I can gently stroke their hair while their little sister kicks softly inside me. Those are the distractions I so welcome.

When I much rather spend my afternoon coloring my sidewalk, singing nursery rhymes with my buddy, who I missed all morning long, instead of stressing over dinner, or the maze of toys that now cover my much needed to be swept floor.

Or worry that the dishes need to be done right after dinner and instead enjoy bath and story time and find new discoveries in old toys or workout gear. These are the things that I enjoy more. And these are the moments that remind me that calls to insurance companies, and making appointments may not be my favorite things, and things that stress me out, but they are welcomed by these wonderful distractions. Distractions that I don't mind having... Not At All!!!