*This was from March. We're still trying to do some catch-up since we've been lazy bloggers lately.*
It was such a nice day that Kevin proclaimed, "It's time for us to go dig something!" So out the boys went to go dig in the dirt. They thoroughly enjoyed getting dirty with their dad.
 Kevin and the boys ready to open his presents |  A Monster Truck! |  Putting the truck together |
 Zachary is excited too |  Chasing the truck outside |  Zachary laughing at the boys being chased by the truck |
 What are you doing, Mom? |  Okay, I've had enough! |  Happy Birthday to You! |
My Aunts Gayle, Nola, and Jeneile put on a Halloweenie Roast every October at my Grandpa Tams' farm in Paradise. They have bonfires to roast hot dogs and decorate the barn as a haunted house. There are children's games and two tractor rides, one in a barrel train and the other in a wagon. The tractors take you over two acres of land decorated with various Halloween scenes. (The best way to describe it is like a drive through a Christmas light display, but it has a Halloween theme.) Honestly, it was amazing...I can't believe my Aunts and Uncles do it every year. We had a lot of fun and of course the boys didn't want to leave. You can't go wrong with candy and tractors!
 Capt. Jack Sparrow, Ryan, and Amy. |  Matthew, Ryan, Zach, and Amy at my Aunt Jeneile's house. |  My uncle Paul driving the tractor barrel train. |
 Optimus Prime with Matthew, Ryan, and Kevin. |  One of the many cool hanging skeleton decorations. |  Matthew riding in the barrel wagon. |
(Do you see why Matthew was so excited? Like father like son.) Now all Kevin needs is a steering wheel and he'll be set. It's a good thing he has something to live through vicariously to fill his need for speed!
We love you Kevin and all that you do for our family. You are one special dad and husband!
This week has been very enjoyable. On Monday Amy and the boys went to play group at the park. Matthew and Ryan both had a lot of fun playing in the park. Unfortunately Matthew was subject to a little potty humor from the other boys and is now concerned about droppings falling from the trees. Silly boy. On the way home from the park Matthew told Amy the following: "Mom, when I get big like you I will drive the car and you can sit in my seat."
On Tuesday Amy attended the Relief Societies "Chat and Chocolate." I'm sure glad that Amy has the chance to interact with other mothers. Being in the Primary takes away that opportunity. Also Matthew has started asking if there are animals in his room. After Amy says personal prayers with Matthew she has to do a room inspection to make sure that their aren't any: Lions, Alligators, and Bears in the room. Funny kid.
On Wednesday the family went to the Veterans memorial pool in Provo. The temperature showed that it was around 95 degrees but it actually felt a little cold. Matthew loved going down the water slides. This time he was actually excited to have Amy take him down the slide. It was funny the last time we went down the slide Matthew was shaking so bad he could hardly walk. But he still wanted to keep going down the slide. Matthew also went to the potty and it was fifth time so he got the "Sheriff" as a reward. Amy and I both think he still isn't interested.
On Thursday Matthew was in a mischievous mood. He is finding new ways to get into trouble every day. As a result of Matthew's creativity we had to tie the picnic table to the Bannister so Matthew couldn't use it as a stepping stool or a lunching pad. We have also resorted to putting the gate up between Matthew and Ryan so that they don't steal each others toys. Sometimes Matthew will come into a room and ask, "Excuse me, is this the "E" room?"
Ryan is growing up so much. It is neat to see how mobile he is becoming. Ryan is a little attached to his mom and chants uMM, Mum, or Mumum until he finds her. He and Matthew are starting to play better together but they still are learning how to share and play nice. The love to wrestle and it is kind of funny to see Ryan end up on top. Ryan also gets mad when you take something away from him and he will bury his head into the floor. It is funny to see how early they learn to pout. The boys appear to be a little too smart for their own good. We are trying to get Matthew to stop throwing fits when he doesn't want to do something. On Friday we asked Matthew if he wanted a snack before he went to bed. Normally this would be grounds for a fit but surprisingly he said "No, Thank you." Lets hope he is learning.
Matthew will also have long conversations about all kinds of random things. During his conversations he likes to say: "Look at me Mom." "I was talking." "I'm just trying to tell you something." Amy and I were both impressed by the quote that is in the home of the Herrin twins. It reads: "Grant me patience to deal with my blessings." I think that is a great way to summarize being a parent.
Just a few days ago we were wondering if Ryan would ever really start crawling. He had been army crawling for some time and on occasion he would crawl with his belly in the air. After our swimming trip Ryan has started to crawl for real. Also he has started to stand up and balance on his own for a few seconds. Then today he started to cruise along the furniture. It is almost like he is ready to walk. Ryan among other things has also started saying the "D" sound, "G" sound, and the "Y" sound.
On Wednesday, Amy finished the Harry Potter book. The kids were a little neglected that morning but it was nice to finally be able to talk with her about the book. Matthew also said some other fun things. One day when we asked him to put away his cars he responded by saying "absolutely." Amy made him lunch one day and he said it was "beautiful." We think he got those words from "Little Einsteins" because we don't remember saying them in our everyday conversations. Then when we were going to the store, I had parked the car too close to the pole and Amy couldn't squeeze in. Amy told Matthew that she was going to have to wait for Dad to back up the car. Matthew then told Amy, "Mom you are too fat to get into the car." We all laughed. Matthew's imagination has also taken off. Today he was eating a hot dog for lunch and he decided that it had become an alligator and was going to eat his peas for him. He likes to get his pillow and blanket and pretend to sleep under the table. Our tomato plants have started to give fruit and we are happy to eat the BLT's.
This week I had Monday and Tuesday off. We thought it would be a good time to do some fun things around Utah County. On Monday we decided to go the Veterans Memorial Pool and Water slide in Provo. It was great! Matthew and Ryan both enjoyed the water. Matthew didn't like the little pool as much as the deep pool and the water slide. The first time I really had to talk Matthew into the water slide but after the first ride that is all he wanted to do. Amy took Matthew down the slide a few times but at the end she isn't tall enough to keep Matthew out of the water. After the second time of getting too much water in his face at the bottom of the slide, Matthew informed Amy that he wanted dad to go down the slide and not her anymore. 
Earlier Monday morning we told Matthew that we were going to go someplace fun. In response he said, "Are we going to Kmart?" Looks like we need to get out more if "fun" is going to Kmart. Sorry we don't have any pictures of us swimming but this is a "G" rated blog.
On Tuesday we went to Thanksgiving point with the boys to visit the "Farm Animals." Matthew was very excited. He loved the baby horse and all the other animals. He really got into the cow sounds and Amy and Matthew enjoyed a horse drawn wagon ride. After we had visited all the animals Matthew was able to go on a pony ride. As soon as he got on the pony he gave it a hug and told him that he loved him. Kids are really funny that way. All in all they were both very enjoyable outings.
On Saturday Morning around 10:30 a.m. Kevin started reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It was a great read. I finished it around 2:30 a.m. early Sunday Morning. Amy was very kind to let me read all day long and ignore the kids. I'm sure I'll get my turn when she starts reading the book. Of course I don't want to ruin the read for you but it really is a great story. Drop me a line when you want to talk about it. I still have one or two unresolved issues.
Amy and I were able to schedule and confirm our trip to Disneyland this fall. We are going October 10-14 and we will be staying in the Ramada outside the main gate. With the proximity of Disneyland to our hotel we should be able to go in and out of the parks based on our children's napping/eating needs. Everyone is excited and happy to have a vacation.
Another birthday has come and gone! It was a great day. It started out with a great breakfast and some doughnuts. My coworkers came down and sang happy birthday and it was exciting. After lunch Amy had arranged for some of my workers in Conferences and Workshops to surprise me with cake and ice cream. It was a nice NASCAR cake. After work I went home and we had some KFC for dinner and opened my present. Amy does a great job of making birthday's fun. It is sad to realize how much my birthday revolved around food...I'll have to fix that for next year.
We spent the fourth of July in Perry this year. We really enjoy the community breakfast, small town parade, and the little children's carnival. We stayed with Grandma and Grandpa Tams and we spent a lot of time playing with Grandma's water slide and trucks. Matthew and Ryan both had a great time with their cousins. In the evening on the fourth we lit a few fireworks but for some reason both Matthew and Ryan don't like fireworks. Funny boys. I will post a photo album on our website soon that will show you all our pictures. We really did have a lot of fun.
Today I attended the PMI-Northern Utah Business Meeting and Luncheon. I am interesting in becoming a member and I wanted to see if it was worth the expense. The meeting was very interesting and very audience specific. I really enjoyed the presentation given by Barry Rellaford: The Speed of Trust.
The idea is if trust does not exist in your organization then you are less effective. You pay a tax. Think about working with people you don't trust. You check everything, you watch over them, basically you are just doing it for them. In a trusted environment you can let that person do their job and they are not only trustworthy but they are proficient in their responsibilities. Much of the presentation was from a Book by Stephen M. R. Covey...the son of Stephen Covey and the appear to be sound. I will start reading the book and I will let you know how it goes.
Overall I would say that my impressions were great. I hope to go to other meetings after the summer break.
