Today the boys built a fort while I was mopping the kitchen floor. They pretended to be pirates and hid their treasure in a secret hiding spot. I love the days when they play together so nicely. 
1 week ago
The New Bagno
Around Christmas time last year I started talking to a buddy of mine about remodeling our master bathroom. We have a wall between the shower, bathtub that didn't appear to be serving any serious purpose, the shower was a cheap plastic insert, the countertops were lame and the faucets were starting to break. My friend seemed pretty excited about helping out and Jen and I had been watching a fair amount of HGTV, so we got started.
We got started at the end of January. We started by ripping up the floor, tearing out the shower, taking out the cabinets (Jen painted them white for reuse), and breaking off the ugly white tile surrounding the bathtub. The drywall behind the ugly white tile started coming off with the tile, so we decided to just take out the wall and replace the drywall.
We needed to put down cement backer board on top of the subfloor because we were replacing laminate with tile. Through this point it'd been pretty easy.
I was starting to get tired of spending every spare hour I had in this bathroom, so the professionals installed the countertop when they delivered it. Worth every penny.
We'd gotten a shower pan type kit, that included a tapered floor for the shower, then we had this stuff that we painted on the walls that acted as a membrane to waterproof the shower.
By this point, I'd spent so much time at the hardware store that I'd gotten to know all the employees by name, and even met one of their girlfriends. We needed to rent a tile saw to cut the tiles because we'd decided to use 18X18 tiles diagonally. So, I was cutting tiles from about 8 AM to 1130 PM with a 2 hour break to go to my nephew's baptism. Then, when we were laying the tile down the next weekend, for some reason we mixed up the entire bag of mortar. After about halfway through we were racing against the mortar drying. At some point the next week, I pulled a towel off the bar, and the towel bar chose this moment (not any of the previous 10 years since the house had been built) to detach itself from the wall. Of course, it fell on and cracked a tile that we had left on the floor after fitting. Luckily, I had plenty extra tiles and Lowe's lets you use their tile saw if you don't mind the inconvenience.
Cutting the tiles for the shower was easier, but installing them was harder. We'd decided to use a prebuilt shelf, but that needed about a quarter inch more than we had between our wall and the other drywall, so we installed another sheet of plywood behind the cement backer board (we'd done this before water proofing). The shelf was a nightmare trying to match up with tiles and such. The shower handle needed a handle extension that only one hardware store in the state carried. At the end of this, I never wanted to see another tile saw.
After installing all the tiles, grouting was pretty easy. I learned it's probably worth a couple bucks for the plastic gloves (I went through a day and a half or so of extremely red and raw hands, not sure if it was the abrasive nature of the grout or some kind of allergy I have).
(No pictures during this time because I was so sick of the whole project)
I left Jen in charge of most of the painting and she did an awesome job. We installed the baseboards with the help of an old pro (Jen's dad), installed the lights, and we were done.
And my favorite part was the mood lighting (and shelf) we put over the tub. I'd actually pushed for installing a free standing tub, but I think this is a cheaper option to get a nice effect.
Can't say I'm excited to do another huge renovation project, but I learned quite a bit doing this one.
number 3
Phil is well on his way to building his basketball team. This pregnancy has been so different, we were both sure this baby would be a girl. So we were a little surprised to find out that in fact we are having another boy. But we are still excited and happy that everything looks healthy. I guess I need to keep trying to train myself that bugs and snakes are fun and not disgustingly creepy.
Independence Day
The 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays. I think living in Washington DC for a few years just gave me a new perspective on everything we celebrate. The last time we visited DC, Phil and I were able to see the newly restored "Star-Spangled Banner." I stood in the room bawling thinking about everything it stood for, and now every time I hear our National Anthem I get a little misty-eyed.
Anyway, I love being able to teach our boys about the holidays and why we celebrate. This year we went to a parade and watched some local fireworks. Despite the above picture (we were sitting in 90 degree weather) the kids quite enjoyed the parade. Sam waved at all the horses and tractors and Wade loved racing to pick up the candy that was thrown.
I love this country and all the freedoms that come with it. Happy Independence Day!
End of the week
There are a few things Wade absolutely loves. The list is:
Macaroni & cheese
Ice cream
Cottage cheese
Golfing
Camping (pronounced tamping and only done when it is 'end of week')
This time we just came out back.
Macaroni & cheese
Ice cream
Cottage cheese
Golfing
Camping (pronounced tamping and only done when it is 'end of week')
This time we just came out back.
Feeling like summer
This is our make-shift fun until daddy can come home and blow up the swimming pool.
They don't mind at all.
Preschool
Wade has his end of year preschool program a few weeks ago. He got to stand up on the stage and sing songs with his friends. He even had a part to say into the microphone (which he is not scared of in the least). He did a great job and we are so proud of all he has learned this year. 
baby animals
Last Saturday we headed out to a local baby animal festival. We got to pet the goats,
and Wade rode a horse.
Sam was enamored with the baby ducks. He would have stayed there all day if we'd let him.
I think Phil liked the bunnies the best. He was a good sport to come with us.
At a loss...
This week tragedy stuck our family. The sweet wife of Phil's cousin passed away after giving birth to their third child. She contracted a Strep A toxic shock infection, and after a hard battle she succumbed to it.
You can read more about the story here. It has truly broken our hearts, but at the same time we are so thankful to know that we call all be together again someday.
Kurt, Phil's cousin is left behind to raise 3 small children on his own. He also has a mountain of medical and funeral bills to pay. His family has set up a donation fund for him at www.honeybearlane.com. If you feel you can help in any way, it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks to all...
easter
The bunny rabbit (as Wade calls him) came to our house last week. He left eggs all over our yard, which Sam was concerned about, until he realized they had candy in them...then he was on a mission. Wade was just thrilled that he got a new car in his basket. That boy and cars...geesh!
Family Night at the Capitol
A month or so ago, Phil managed to get himself elected to be a delegate for our district at our local caucus. Since then we have since been bombarded with information about each of the nominees. Last week we were invited by one of the state legislators who was up for re-election to attend a special family night touring the capitol building. I think the main thing we learned is that the Utah capitol is often filmed in movies in place of our nation's capitol (which I have also toured). It was fun to do something different for family night, and the boys thoroughly enjoyed driving their cars all over the walls, floors, benches and desks inside.
Needless to say, I think the legislator won Phil's vote (and not just because she is Lavell Edwards daughter-in-law....yep, he was there too).
grandma
My mom called last week early in the morning to inform me that my Grandma had finally passed away. She had gone in her sleep, and my Grandpa had not woken anybody up because he didn't want to trouble anyone. It was expected; she had been experiencing the ravaging effects of alzheimer's disease and dimentia for many months.
Sadly, I had not had much interaction with her since the disease had started to take its toll. I remember her attending my wedding at the Salt Lake Temple. I remember the hug she gave me; the same bear hug she always gave me over the years.
I once heard a volunteer fireman tell of how he frequently rushed to the scene so that he could have the 'good' assignments (as they usually give the important assignments to the career firefighters, unless they've not arrived yet). He arrived at one house second. The first was assigned to go up and bring down the homeowner's dog (all people had already been evacuated). He remarked at how jealous he was of that assignment, because he would return the real hero, having rescued the dog. He was asked to go retrieve a pair of shoes, so the homeowner wouldn't have to stand outside in bare feet.
Weeks later, the firehouse received a note of thanks, remarking that everyone was so helpful, and someone even brought down a pair of shoes for her. The firefighter said that it was then that he realized that 'not every day is going to offer a chance to save somebody's life, but every day offers an opportunity to affect one'.
Grandma was one who affected everyone's life every day. Whether it was through her hugs, her smiles, her rolls, her letters, her love, or her complete devotion to the gospel of Jesus Christ. No one who met Grandma can say their life wasn't better for it. From squeezing me when I was a little boy, to packing us a bag of presents to open each day of our trip across the country, to sending me a book to read when I had sent her a letter one summer telling her I was bored, to being there for my wedding, she made my life better.
mischief
Did those pesky leprechauns visit your house last night?
They certainly made a mess at ours! When we came downstairs this morning, the house was covered in little green footprints. The furniture was all mixed up and turned over. Our box of lucky charms was spilled all over the floor (which of course, Sam plopped himself right down and started eating them up). And our milk was even turned green! While our trap to catch the leprechaun didn't work, we still managed to track down the pot of chocolate gold that he had hidden behind the curtains. Hopefully the rest of our day will be just as lucky!
date night
So, I completely forgot that about a month ago I had purchased tickets to see Toy Story 3 on ice. When I opened my calendar yesterday, I was excited to see that the show was that night. After everything we've been going through lately, it was so nice to have a fun night out with my boy.
Wade was so excited to see all of his favorite characters. The giant tub of popcorn and a new Buzz Lightyear toy may have contributed to his excitement as well.
Wired
Life has been a little crazy here the last few weeks. We are still trying to figure everything out with Wade. On Friday we took him in to Primary Children's to have an MRI of his back. The results....he has an osteoid osteoma, a benign growth on his backbone. He's going to need surgery to remove it and we meet with an orthopedic surgeon tomorrow to discuss our options. But it has been causing him quite a bit of pain, so we will all feel better when it comes out.
We still don't know for certain if this is connected with his seizure. Currently, he is undergoing an EEG test to measure his brain waves for any more seizure activity. It is quite the process. It took nearly 2 hours to get him hooked up, and it was not comfortable. Wade was so good through the process and only teared up once. This is what he looks like.
Pretty sad, huh.
Luckily, he gets to wear this super cool pirate hat so mom doesn't have to cry every time she looks at him.
I just have to say that I feel so, so blessed to have this beautiful boy. I love him so dearly and love watching how mellow and calm he has stayed through all of this. He is so brave, much braver than his mom. I also have to say that I have managed to stay much calmer through this than I thought was possible. I know our Father in Heaven is watching over us and helping me through this. And I am so thankful for all the support and encouragement we have received from all our friends and family. It is very comforting to know there are so many people willing to help and so many prayers being offered in our behalf. So a very big thank you to all of you.
We will continue to keep you updated. But for now, know that we have a very happy little boy who is not letting this slow him down in the slightest.
scare
Tonight I am hugging this boy a little tighter. He gave me a good scare today.
I dropped him off at preschool and got a call from his teacher about 45 minutes later saying I needed to come get Wade right away and that something was wrong with him. When I picked him up, she told me she was almost certain he had just had a seizure.
Long story short....after a lengthy afternoon of doctor and hospital visits, it appears he did have a seizure, but at this point we are not sure why. He had a CT scan at the hospital (he was a champ!) that thankfully came back clear. He'll have an EEG done in the next few days and a follow up appointment with a neurologist.
Tonight I am so thankful for the many little miracles that happened today to help me make it through. And I am so thankful this brave little boy is in my life. I love him to pieces.
a sunny day
It felt like Spring yesterday so the boys and I went outside to play. They were beyond thrilled to get out of the house and run around. We drew pictures on the driveway, played hopscotch, ran, jumped, climbed and just loved being in the sunshine.
Sam's newest obsession is airplanes. We have a small airport near our home and we often hear small airplanes flying over head. Sam will stop dead in his tracks when he hears them and focus on the sky until he finds said airplane. It's much easier to find them when you are outside.
trains
My boys love playing trains. They play every morning while I am getting ready. And as long as I am nearby supervising, they play very well together. (I wish I could say the same for when I step out of the room).
I can't believe Sam has already figured this out. I guess that's what happens when you watch your big brother.
Now, if we only had a bigger house where we could set up a train table....someday.
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