"Good job, honey!"

With my terrible memory, I thought I'd better write some recent quotes from Nolan:
"Good job, honey!"
"Mommy pee pee on potty, good job sweetheart!"
After burping: "Gross one!"
While looking up in the sky: "Nolan eat that moon!"
When he was feeling attention deprived: "Put Ezra down right there."
"Mommy do it!!!"
Looking up on the hill at the TV antennaes: "Antennae lights come on night time."
Most nights while looking up at the temple picture on his wall: "Mommy Daddy married in temple."
Being tucked into bed: "Daddy leave. Mommy cuddle."
When I turned on the blowdryer, he yelled, "Settle down!"
Looking at a picture of he and Ezra: "Sweet boy."
Looking for a snack: "Make you something."

Nice melons

We've now had two cantaloupes from our garden. They are so yummy! Soon our watermelon will be ready, too.We're not getting much else right now except basil, a few strawberries, and a handful of tomatoes. I don't go out too often. It's a jungle (of weeds) out there!

And calling all Grandmas and Grandpas: Here are some of the most recent pictures that we've taken of the boys. It's hard to believe that Ezra is already 3 months old and Nolan is 2 1/2! Before I know it I'll be wrinkled and looking back on this time with warm feelings of nostalgia. But for now, one of the best times of the day is nap time! Here are the little toadies:This is Nolan's personality lately: a tantrum-throwing thief! He stole that big Donald Duck from the church nursery while I was exercising. He ran out to the doors with it and I was too pooped to take it back since I was carrying Ezra and all my stuff. So he got to take it home for the weekend. You can see it in his eyes that he knows he got away with something. And of all the toys to steal... that?! Really. Speaking of eyes - check out how scared Justin is of Nolan's tantrum. In case anyone forgot, click to make the pictures bigger.
Ezra is a dream baby. I'm sorry for those out there who think it's obnoxious that I keep saying stuff like that. But it's true. He's so good. I just want to munch on those cheeks! He is so yummy! I'm expecting giggles and rolling over any day now. He's getting too big!
Whether naughty or nice, we love them both at the end of the day... because by then they're sleeping!
Last Saturday was Justin's open house at work. His company only does this every few years because they do a lot of military contracting. Nolan got toy rockets, airplanes, cars, balloons, otter pops, coloring books, and treats. We hung out in Dad's cubicle (while Ezra ate) and Nolan drew on the white board. We even saw small explosions outside. The free lunch was great, too. The next day we asked Nolan what his favorite part was. He said, "Color Daddy's markers." Maybe we'll get him a white board for Christmas!

What a HAM

Justin has passed the HAM radio test and he is beside himself with excitement over his new hobby! He is so delighted to have his own call sign (K foxtrot tango somethin’ somethin’…). He made his first broadcast to someone in Brazil the other day (using the Internet somehow). He said it was scary because his Portuguese is a little rusty. But boy was it fun to hear about their current weather conditions. Congrats, honey! I hope it's all you've dreamed it to be. Now we'll just have to get you a radio in the next few years.
My hobbies are currently nursing, sweeping, picking up toys, changing diapers, and reading 3 to 4 pages of my book a day. I think it would be a good book if I could read it for more than 5 minutes at a time. When I get the chance to read longer, I end up falling asleep. It reminds me of when I was in college and tried to read from my textbooks.
Nolan's hobbies are screaming, destroying, coloring, and singing (we're actually proud of the last two). This is how he sings the snowman song from Primary: "Once a Nolan, tall tall tall, sun, melted, sun, melted, small small small." He even gets the tune just perfect! We suspect that he thinks people are singing about him rather than a snowman. I wish I had a video to post. He's also started doing hand clapping games with me.
Ezra's hobbies are nursing, cooing, and smiling at anyone that looks his way.

Reunited, and it feels so good

We just returned from the Moulton family (Justin's mom's side) reunion in Logan. It was a big event. Almost the entire family of Tom and Evva Jean Moulton was present. We were only missing a couple husbands, I think. All 29 great-grandchildren were there so there was lots of kids running around. None were quite so energetic as our Nolan though. At one point, I heard an adult cousin call out, "Is that Nolan in the street?" Oh boy, what fun! By the way, he wasn't completely in the street... that's what I tell myself to make it seem less traumatizing. I know people think to themselves, "Why can't the Petersens control or at least keep a good eye on that kid?" I've said it before and I'll say it again: We try! I think I play the role of frazzled mom quite nicely.
So back to the reunion... what a group it was! We had a potluck dinner at beautiful Adams Park. Justin and I enjoyed the egg toss, though I was the one that ended up with egg on my hands. It was fun watching each family arrive. I'm glad we weren't the last ones... being late isn't tolerated in the Moulton family. The next morning we had a delicious breakfast at the church pavillion near Moultons house. The big surprise was a train pulled by a 4-wheeler. What joy filled Nolan's eyes (and screams filled the air) when he saw that! I even took a ride and it was pretty enjoyable. Thanks, Grandma, for chopping all that delicious fruit! We took a picture of eveyone and even waited for Ryan to arrive, only to realize later that two of the granddaughters weren't there. Maybe we can paste them in later. After breakfast we enjoyed swimming, frisbee golf (I got a hole in one!), and socializing at the Campbell's house. What a day! We love the family so much and are grateful for everyone who contributed to such a fun reunion. Thanks, Grandma Petersen, for letting us stay with you.

As a side note: as I type Nolan is crying because I wiped the booger off his finger before he had a chance to eat it. Oh, I love little gross boys! Losing a booger can be a very sad thing.

Justin and I have recently talked about the course our life has taken. We used to talk about where we would vacation and what we would accomplish. Now we're happy when the floor is picked up and the lawn is mowed. We have challenges that don't get posted on the blog and it's easy to feel completely overwhelmed and even depressed. But yesterday I read the blog of a young mother who is losing her sweet 8-month-old boy to a rare brain cancer. I wept as I read her first post after finding out that her son's cancer had spread throughout the brain in such a way that it could no longer be treated. She was writing at 4:30 a.m. after she had rocked her baby back to sleep after he had woaken from the intense pain. She talked of how they would take him home for his final weeks and enjoy being together as a family. I still cry every time I think about their plight. But the interesting thing about her post is that it was full of hope because of her testimony of the plan of salvation. She said she feels so blessed that her family is sealed in the temple so that they can see their baby again after they've all left this life. What a simple testimony, yet her faith is getting her through the most difficult challenge I could ever think of. For all my challenges, I certainly would never choose that one, and I feel so grateful for all the good in my life. I don't blog much about my testimony, but I'd be lost without it. When times get tough, faith is the one thing you can count on.