Idaho Botanical Gardens-October 30, 2012

 I just realized I hadn't posted our visit to the Idaho Botanical Gardens on the blog yet, & that was nearly 3 months ago.

The boys & I met Jeff there & did a little exploring...these pictures are really making me miss the warm weather. And it's not exactly "warm" in October but we've been FREEZING the last few weeks & I am ready for Spring.

Kamden found a cave to play Lion...or Panther, I can't really remember what he was but it was some kind of wild animal.

He does a great impression, doesn't he?

 The boys especially loved the Koi pond, it reminded us all of our days in Orofino with the fish pond right in our front yard where we spent warm summer nights feeding the fish & watching the frogs jump.

 If you're wondering what Snoopy is doing at the Botanical Garden, we went during the "Scarecrow Walk" where different schools & organizations sponsor & create a Scarecrow, then the visitors at the Garden vote on which was their favorite. We even had a map to help us find all of the Scarecrows. If you look to the left of Ethan you can see the back of the Charlie Brown Scarecrow.

 I can't remember what this guy was supposed to be but he was one of our favorites.

 Here is the Hyena we kept seeing along the trail...

 & his sidekick, Baby Hyena...

 Looking West over Boise...aren't those Fall leaves Beautiful? 
I would take those any day over the bare, frozen ones we've been looking at for months now.

 Doesn't everyone look THRILLED that we stopped to take time for a picture of Oregon where Aunt Kristen & Isabelle live?

 Ethan & Sacajawea...this also brought back memories of living in Orofino when we would drive to Lewiston for groceries & pass the large statue of her with Lewis & Clark & everyone would say her name in their funniest voice.

 We even spotted a cute little bunny rabbit while on the walking path.

Here's hoping for a quick end to Winter so we can get back outdoors!

Quotes by Kamden

"Can you large this for me?" (He meant measure)

One day he was playing pbskids.com & Oscar the Grouch kept saying "You wanna go again? Alright, but don't have ANY fun."
Kamden said in a sad voice, "Why can't we have fun?"

"I had a dream about Aunt Charly's baby. It was named Ken and it was a girl."

When Owen & I drop Kamden off at school most days, for some reason, Owen yells out "BYE SHOE MAN!" I have no idea where this came from, but Kamden thinks it's pretty hysterical & usually we all get a good laugh out of it while "Shoe Man" walks toward the school. 
But my FAVORITE thing about dropping him off is that every single time at almost the exact same moment as he's walking away, he ALWAYS turns & blows me a kiss before running off. 
It's one of the best parts of my day. 
The kiss, not him running off :)

When asking for the iPad password he said "Mom, I'll close my eyes so just tell me!" 


Standing next to the treadmill he asked "Mom, can I train on this? Cause I really need some skills."

Who Needs A One-Horse-Open Sleigh?

 Last Saturday we took the boys sledding at my parents' house. Uncle Jeff brought his 4wheeler & we bundled up. 

It was really cold & Owen, Ethan, & I didn't last long out there but Kamden probably would've stayed out there until dark if we'd let him. He was finding all different ways to ride on the sled, even laying down backwards.

They went through the garden a few times & both Ethan & Kamden got bounced out, which they thought we pretty awesome. 

 Yes, ladies, he's single.

No, no, not him up there!

HIM 

     V 

    V

    V

    V

We had a great time & had warm Chili for lunch to help thaw us out after our adventures.

 And what better way to end a cold winter day than with waffle cones?

Kamden was really enjoying his ice cream while snuggling with Grandpa & watching some Saturday afternoon football...

And So It Begins...

Now that Ethan is 8 he gets to start the Scouting program.

At first he wasn't so sure about it & said he would try it to see what he thought. When he found out that his friends from church would be in his group & that his friend's mom was his leader, he decided he just might like it. 

Yesterday was their first meeting & he had a great time learning more about some of the things they will be doing.

And, just like a thrifty Boy Scout, we scored his brand new shirt & neckerchief off Craigslist for just $10.

How's that for being thrifty?

Getting Ready For Bed Can Be Confusing

 Tonight the boys were supposed to be getting ready for bed & brushing their teeth.

Instead, Kamden "Got ready for Church". 

He got his tie, scriptures, & crown that he made in class last Sunday. But he also grabbed a pair of 3D glasses, a polished rock, a Denver Broncos POG, & a free pass to Wahooz to play laser tag. Which, if you look closely, it's made out to Jackson...not Kamden, from his Kindergarten teacher.

He also has chocolate smeared on his face from the yummy cookies our neighbor brought over earlier.

Looks like it's going to be an eventful time at Church for this kid.

 

 Then Owen came out with his Bumblebee mask & wanted to get ready for Church like Kamden, so Kamden loaned him his tie.

Why can't they be this eager & willing to get ready on Sunday mornings?

 Then Kamden gave Owen his complete ensemble & Owen felt like a king. Can you tell that Owen also enjoyed several delicious chocolate chip cookies?

 But then the clothes started coming off so it was time to call it a night.

Neighborhood Snow Day!

 We finally got some snow.

& not the kind that's disappointing that won't stay together & make a snowball, snowman, snow fort, or anything else.

The boys came home from school & peeled off most of their clothing, then dug out the iPad & DS while the rest of the neighborhood converged on the lawn across the street. I could see from the kitchen window that all of the aforementioned snow-structures were being constructed so I told the boys to put the electronics away & get outside. Thankfully I had gone to the mall earlier that afternoon & found Ethan & Kamden some snow pants on clearance for just $13! I still need to find some snowboots for Ethan but it seems like everyone is sold out of his size. I guess with all of the snow from the last 2 days everyone has been in need of boys' size 2 boots. But we made do with his Nikes & his feet managed to stay dry.

Here's the awesome snowman in front of the neighbor's house with tumbleweed arms & hair:

Ethan takes a break from the snowball fight to get a snack before hurling it across the lawn toward the girls.

Here are some of the boys on our street.

They're not a rowdy bunch at all :)

 There was a short snowball fight with Boys Vs Girls which ended for us when Kamden came home crying because Ethan had thrown a snowball right in his face. Ethan said Kamden threw one first but Kamden says it was only at his back & Ethan threw it right in his face.

So we called it a night & had dinner, after peeling off layers & layers of clothing & placing them by the fire to dry.

 Here's our cute neighbor Lindsey helping Owen make a snow angel.

When Ethan & Kamden were getting ready to go outside they asked Owen if he was going & he said,

"NO! I only like to LOOK at the snow!"

He is my kind of man.

 But eventually we convinced him after he saw how much fun the kids were having out there.

It's Great To Be 8!

 Ethan turned 8 in December which, in our Church, means you are old enough to be baptized! Ethan has been wanting to get baptized ever since we went to his Aunt Lauren's baptism several years ago, so you can imagine how excited he was that the day was finally here!

 Baptisms are done each month, with the kiddos from 3 wards getting baptized during the same time frame. We lucked out & out of the other 2 wards scheduled with us, Ethan was the only one that had turned 8 that month. So we had the entire program to ourselves & Ethan had a hard time deciding who to ask to give talks, say prayers, & do a musical number. I had a great time pretending like I was seriously asking several family members to sing :)

The program was great with talks from Grandma Van Leuven & Grandpa Stoker, prayers from Uncle Wade & Grandpa Van Leuven, & his cousin Braxton playing "I Am A Child Of God" on the piano. Thanks to everyone who was able to come to Ethan's special day & also to those who sent cards & surprises that weren't able to be with us.

We are so thankful for the love & support of our friends & family & also for Ethan & his wonderful example. He is such a blessing to our family & we love him very much.

 Ethan & his best buddies:

8 Things I Love About Ethan:

1. He is very caring & loving.

2. He has always had a great desire to do good & help others.

3. He is a great Lego builder.

4. He has been a great helper, even when Kamden was born & Ethan wasn't even 2 yet, he would get diapers, toys, read stories, & has always been willing to help with his little brothers.

5. He loves to learn & is great at remembering things.

6. He loves his family very much, including all of his Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, & cousins & he LOVES spending time with them.

7. He is a creative writer & writes great stories. He also likes to read (even though sometimes it's a battle to get him started) but right now we are reading Harry Potter together.

8.Even though he is growing up, he still loves to give his mom hugs &, just like his Dad, every morning before he leaves he gives me a kiss & tells me he loves me.