potty training

I am not patient enough for this. Teancum wants to go potty in the toilet only when it is convenient for him. So today I tried a different tactic. I put him in "big boy" underwear (which he loved) and kept him confined to the kitchen where his new potty chair was. he did really well at first and then he got to playing and would forget to use the chair. one time he was playing and then got a funny look on his face and he ran to the potty pulling his underwear down as we went. Sad to say he didn't Quite make it but he at least tried and I was very proud of him for that. I am sure there are a few of you who don't care about this but that is whats going on at our house right now trying to get Teancum to use the potty every time not just whenever the mood strikes him. if anyone has any suggestions to help me that would be awesome we have tried sticker charts and giving him a reward but he just dosen't care enough to go every time.

Memorial Day

As I was cleaning today I found an old picture of me with my grandpa Monroe. He was the Grandpa that gave me my first pickle and my first chicken bone. I miss him so much. Every time I Drive past Scipio I have a sad moment when I don't get off on that exit. He was an amazing man that I want my sons to be like he always did his best in every calling that he held. He tried to teach me how to drive a stick shift (I still can't quite do it). He was so entertaining with his silly songs and antics that always made us laugh oh how I miss him and wait for the day when we will be reunited on the other side. I only hope I can live my life in a way that he would be proud of.

camping

The boys went camping for the priesthood commemoration AKA fathers and sons. They had such a good time Teancum keeps asking if he can go camping again.

Easter in Illinois

Teancum is warming his hands by a fake fire in the great Platte river road archway.


Teancum playing in the water at the museum of science and industry


Teancum and Payton as railroad workers at the museum of science and industry.

if you look closely you can see BYU cougars written in white at Gino's East pizza place in Chicago.

Teancum writing on the wall at Gino's east.

Alan + Katie (Alan wrote this) at Gino's east.

Teancum rowing a boat at the Shedd Aquarium.

Teancum watching the sharks at Shedd aquarium.

Katie grinding corn into corn meal at the field museum. (I don't look too thrilled)

Teancum sitting next to an alligator at the field museum.

Alan, Teancum, Payton, Jessica, Leah, and Emily in front of Sue at the Field museum.

Easter morning.

Teancum sitting next to a Lego Grandma at the mall on the magnificent Mile.

"the Bean"

a sundial at the Adler planetarium.

Teancum in front of a solar powered car at the Adler planetarium.

Alan and Teancum in the newspaper at the Adler planetarium.

Alan and Teancum Easter egg hunting.

more Easter egg hunting at night by head lamp.

Teancum and Payton at Payton's baptism.

We had such a good time in Illinois visiting family and attending Payton's baptism. Teancum loves all his cousins but he has become very close to Payton. He wants to do everything Payton does after the baptism Teancum was adamant that he wanted to be baptized when we told him he needed to be eight he asked if he could be eight when I told him he would be eight in six years he asked if he could be three it was so funny. The drive out there was long but Teancum did well. we are very glad to be home after our long Journey.

Teancum and Alan in the Hammock we just hung. Teancum's IKEA tent

Teancum and I colored on the side walk last week it was so warm outside. can you see my butterfly Teancum was so excited by it.

The first time I used a chainsaw it was scary but Alan wanted me to learn how to do it so I tried I only cut two pieces of log off. It's harder than it looks.



We are still clearing up the tree we cut down a couple weeks ago. Teancum likes to watch from the balcony.

This week has been terrible Alan was getting over strep throat then Teancum got sick and then I got sick. Teancum and I are still recovering we are still coughing but it is not as bad as it was earlier this week. We are getting so excited for our trip to Illinois in a week I can't wait to see the Beerli family. Teancum keeps asking when we are going to see aunt Jamie. We are also planning a trip to cedar after we return from Illinois. I can't wait to see everyone there We miss it so much.

Timber

It has been a very interesting weekend. My parents have this ugly tree in the back yard that sheds branches constantly and is a pain to clean up after and they have been wanting to get rid of it. They have called some professionals in and they said in order for them to do it we would have to rip out an archway and my moms pond just so they can get to it. Some of they guys Alan works with said they could do it for us without the removal of anything so we hired them. It was awesome and scary. This guy shimmed up our tree like a monkey and cut it down it was done in a 3 hours tops. We got some crazy pictures and an okay video. Teancum loved it we sat on the porch and watched. the pieces were so loud when they fell you could hear it in the house. I bet our neighbors think we are crazy.

Alan is filming with our digital camera so the quality is not that great.

This is the monkey like man cutting down the tree and this is the two guys "guiding" the tree down


this is about 1/2 of the tree

Teancum sitting on the back deck watching from a distance.

It was crazy the last part of the tree took out part of the clothes line as it fell not like in the video where it broke the limb it hit the cross bar just right and snapped it right off. It was headed for the guys that were guiding it and grazed the one that thought he didn't need to move out of the way he is okay and we just need to weld the cross bar back on but all around it was a pretty strange day.

valintiens day

sorry it took so long to post our valintiens day pictures our computer was having problems so we bought a new one with our tax return. so now I can post again.

We had a great dinner. Alan ordered my favorite chinese food and we brought it home because Teancum was asleep in his room and we were the only ones home (for the first time since we have moved in). Alan bought me the most thoughtful gifts. One is a statue of a husband and wife dancing and the other is a ring that is a heart with the sign for I love you in it. I love it and am very happy with his choice in gifts. I gave him "the gift of music" as he called it. It was an itunes gift card and he was very happy with it.