My Two Favorite Things!

 Yup, that's right.  Veggie Stix (which are a healthier form of potato chips) and nakedness!  Stryder LOVES this snack and good thing, since it is free of hydrogenated oil or something like that.  Grandma got him hooked on the Veggie Stix and now is surely addicted!.  Stryder would run around naked all day if we let him.  He thinks its funny to run his naked bum around the house and is not shy about his little manhood, either.  Oh well....it can't last forever right?

The other night, Stryder got his bag of Veggie Stix and plopped his little naked bottom in the middle of the hallway and ate....

...and ate.....

...and ate!

 He would probably eat the entire bag if we let him.  Maybe we can use veggie stix as leverage for potty training......There's an idea!

Struttin his stuff on the catwalk....

They say a picture is worth 1000 words.....I think this one is worth at least 2000!

NeverNeverLand!

"So come with me, where dreams are born, and time is never planned. Just think of happy things, and your heart will fly on wings, forever, in Never Never Land."

We love Halloween (Keith and I met at a Halloween Party) so we pretty celebrate this holiday in style every year.  This year I found the cutest Pirate costume for Stryder on craigslist (of course!) and planned all of our other costumes around it, since I loved it so much.  Pictured below is: Captain Hook, Peter Pan, Tinkerbell, and a Lost Boy Skunk.

"What would mother think of my becoming a pirate?"

 We carved pumpkins this year and Stryder really didn't know what to think!  He looked at us like we were crazy when we started carving them.  But, eventually he warmed up to it and even dared to touch our freshly carved pumpkins when we were done!

 "Second star to the right, and straight on till morning."

Stryder learned the word "star" this past week.  He has been obsessed with pointing to the skies and trying to pronounce "star".  We even have little stars on his ceiling, which is a great way to help him go to sleep at night. 

"Well, I will not grow up. You cannot make me! "

Our little stinker, Krew, was seriously the cutest skunk I ever did see!  He was the hit at the Halloween Party, where we won the family costume contest.  The best part is, he has the stench to go with the costume :-( He is really gassy, people, really gassy!

"This ain't no place for a respectable pirate."

Keith took Stryder out for over an hour to trick-or-treat.  Or as Stryder says, "Tick-or-TeeTee."  They filled up his little plastic pumpkin with all sorts of candy....looks to me like Stryder got the easy part, Just sit in the wagon and look cute!

"Now, think of the happiest things.

It's the same as having wings."

I love having a husband that will dress up in whatever costume I make for him.  One of my friends husbands said of the situation, "Wow, he must love her a lot."  It made me laugh, especially since I was considering putting Keith in the trademark tights!

"All you need is trust and a little bit of pixie dust!”

My mom helped tons with my costume...I have always wanted to be Tinkerbell.  My favorite part was the green glitter shoes, which I totally plan to wear all the time!

“Since I was little, this is my favorite place to come.”

Keith is like the most gung-ho person when it comes to carving pumpkins.  I never even liked carving pumpkins til I met him.  Now I love it!  I even cleaned out his pumpkin for him this year, and that's saying ALOT!  Of course, his pumpkin looks perfect, as always.

"But I'm warnin' ya: once you're grown up,

you can never come back."

As you can see, our boys were super excited about being dressed in ridiculous costumes and paraded around the neighborhood!  Keith and I both figure that we have to dress them in cute little corny costumes when they are young and don't know any different!  

"I'll get you for this, Pan, if it's the last thing I do!"

Stryder literally hated his hat, so we had to resort to other measures in order for his cuteness to prevail....we ended up sewing a string on it and tieing it so he couldn't pull it off.  Hey, he got used to it and eventually stopped trying to pull it off :-)

"It will live in your heart forever!"

With another Halloween come and gone, we have enough memories to last us a lifetime or at least until next time! 

Now, what to be next year...?

My Lil' Pumpkin(s)

I love autumn.  The apples, the pumpkins, the leaves.  All of it.  We went to a pumpkin patch a few days ago, which was lots of fun.  Stryder gravitated towards the rotten pumpkins for some reason, but he loved running around the field and getting really dirty!  I love being on farms, too.  Keith and I both think we would like our sons to work on a farm one day, so they would know the value of hard work.  It brought me back to the long hot summer days I worked at a farm (well, a corn stand).  Some day I will share all the stories I have of working on a farm (well, a corn stand).....being robbed, hit on, stuck in flash flood with no shelter, stranded on side of highway with a truckload of corn, and yes, even the time I got so hungry I just started eating the produce.  Anyways, I took this opportunity to try out my new lens (new to me, bought on craigslist) for my camera.  I think it is a keeper!  Here are some pictures of our outing:

My lil pumpkin...

 My other lil pumpkin...

 The best shot we could get with daddy, Krew, and Stryder in one spot at the same time.....

 The best shot we could get with mommy, Krew, and Stryder in one spot at the same time!

 Love these antique photos....the wagon is a classic!

 Brothers and best buds. 

 Walking with mommy.

 Walking with daddy.

Walking (running) all by myself!

 Counting the pumpkins.

 Having fun on a wagon ride....

Saying goodbye to the pumpkin patch for now!

Krew-be-do is 2 (months, that is...)

There is only one beautiful baby
and every mother has it.

-Chinese Proverb

This past week, my little Krew turned 2 months old!!!  Where does the time go?  Krew is already over 11 pounds and he is just such a sweet baby.  He smiles a ton!  His smile is instantaneous and even comes with a "coo" or two.  I was able to get a short video of his cute little smiley-coo's...See for yourself!

Krew has been more high-maintenance than his brother, Stryder.  He has a touch of colic and we are praying that he will grow out of it soon.  Believe me, I have tried so many things to soothe him.  I tried eliminating dairy, putting him on formula, putting him on soy formula, putting him on a mixture of mother's milk and soy formula, constant burping after feeding, gripe water for colic, gas relief drops, and the doctor even put him on two different types of acid-reflux medicines.  He only sleeps about 3 hours at a time during the night, and we have tried to remedy this, too, by swaddling him arms in and out, cushioning his pack 'n' play, propping him up in his pack 'n' play, having him sleep in his baby papasan, and even having him sleep in his carseat. (Trust me, I was desperate!)  I have pretty much accepted that he will be gassy and fussy for the time being and I will just need to be patient until he can grow out of it. 

On another note, Krew is so much fun to take pictures of!  I love photographing him....He is my muse, so to speak!  Here are some recent photographs of my little Krew:

18 Months of Stryder

I figured that Stryder is due for a bloggy update, and since he's 18 months TODAY, it is quite fitting!  Our Stryder is full of life, hyperactivity, and glee.  He exudes happiness in his easy smile and loud laugh.  He knows no strangers and will walk up to anyone and be his friendly self.  He loves playing outside.  His newest love is Grandpa's tennis racket and throwing tennis balls across the lawn. 

He loves the park, the slide, the swings, and the sandbox.  He has an enormous appetite and will eat pretty much anything, even bugs (don't ask!)  He is has acquired many adult tastes, like pickles, mustard, and pepperjack cheese.  He uses a toddler spork when eating and is a pro drinking from a sippy cup.  He loves his daddy right now.  His mommy is beginning to feel like chopped liver when daddy is around :-)  Stryder is a great big brother.  He will give Krew kisses and when he is crying, Stryder will try to put the bottle in his mouth.  He also loves playing with other kids.  He also enjoys his naptimes, usually.  This is the only time we allow his to have his binky, which he is still quite fond of.  But he is growing up to be such a big boy, binky and all!  He has an infactuation with sports.  We recently took him to the Brewers baseball game and he was completely enthralled! 

Stryder doesn't say too much with his mouth; but he says a lot with his hands.  He has learned some sign language (remember my obessions with teaching him Baby Signs?) and he signs to communicate with us.  Lately, he has been signing sentences (like "more drink, please.") Here are a couple of short videos of him using some of his signs:

   (BTW-Please don't judge me for putting my 27 pound child in a Johnny Jump Up...this is the ONLY way I can get him to perform for the camera!)

I have debated whether or not to post my thoughts and feelings regarding this topic.  But since all of you are trusted friends and family, I feel comfortable enough to do so.  I am happy that he communicates this way, but as a mother, I would be lying if I didn't say I was concerned that he is not using words as of yet.  But his pediatrician has assured me that some kids are just late talkers.  Nevertheless, we are going to have a speech evaluation done in the next month, also recommended by his pediatrician.  My hope is that Stryder will have an explosion of language (and not the sign kind) in the next few months.  Have any of you had a late-talkers?  Do you have any tips or advice?  Stryder can pick up a new sign in a matter of a few days, which may be why talking (something newer and more difficult for him) may not be on his radar right now. 

A typical conversation, albeit one-sided, goes like this:

Me: "Stryder can you say Mama?"

Stryder: Crickets chirping...Blank stare...
Me: "Stryder can you say Dada?"

Stryder: More crickets....Even blanker stare....

Me: "Can you say dog?"

Stryder: Makes the baby sign for "dog," by panting with his tongue hanging out.

Me: "How about baby?"
Stryder: Makes the sign for baby, by cradling his arms, then smiles and waits for my praise. 

So you see what I'm up against?!  The other day, we were at Target and he started doing the sign for dog.  I smiled and just thought he wanted my attention, but then I saw a picture of the Target dog, Spot.  I said, "Good job, buddy, that's a doggy!"  He smiled at my acknowledgement, so I know he understands every word I say.  Another rather curious fact is that he will make the sounds that animals say.  Like I'll ask him what a cat says and he'll reply "EOW", which is "meow" without the "M".  His voice even fluctuates when he says it!  He can even do the baby sign for "hot", which is just the "H" sound.  And, get this, he will also sing the "E, I, E, I, Oh" part of Old MacDonald Had A Farm.  What?

We are truly so blessed to have Stryder as our son.  He is literally a ray of light in our lives.  He makes everyone around him smile.  His happy countenance is contagious.  I am so grateful to be his mom :-)  

YOU'RE INVITED!

It's a VIP Special Event....&

YOU'RE INVITED!

Who: Keith and Lesley's Private Blog
(new and improved)

What: Celebrating the dawn of a new day
(in our blogging world)

Where: www.happyharrops.blogspot.com 
(it's the same address people)

When: October 3rd, 2010 (that's in 1 week)

Why: We have our reasons :-)

Shameless Plug: As a VIP, you'll gain an all access backstage pass to this enticing blog.  You will get the latest updates on things like: Stryder's attempted assault on Krew, Keith's first clinical circumcision, Lesley's tips on how to manage two screaming kids in Target, and maybe even our secrets on how to get fired from your church calling.  You won't want to miss this! 

"C'mon, Tell Us Why?"
For a number of reasons that shall not be mentioned, we have decided to make our blog private.  (I mean, did you watch Oprah this week????!!!!)  Anyways, we have some very important decisions coming up in the near and distant future and it is not necessarily the stuff we want to share with the whole internet world.  I hope all of our friends and readers will continue to follow us.

"But How Will We Know When There's A New Post?" 
Now to address the problem of how people will now we updated the blog or have posted something new.  In considering how to best solve this, I figured I would make a public pledge to at least blog something every week.  (Yes, I realize I may be eating these words at some point.)  This way, you all will know that at least once every week our blog will have a new post and I am forced (for lack of a better word---I really do love blogging....) to keep our blog updated more often, too! 

"So What Do I Have To Do?"
Here's how it works: You send your email address to me, either by leaving a comment or emailing it to me (happyharrops@gmail.com), then I send you an email invitation to our private blog.  You simply click on the link and follow the simple instructions on how to accept the invite.  Then, the next time you visit our blog, you just log in to view it.

We hope to see you there!  

 

Sincerely,

Keith, Lesley, Stryder, and Krew



Farewell, Elder Butterfield!

My brother, Jacob, is going to serve a Mormon mission to Veracruz, Mexico.  The mission presidents' wife keeps an awesome blog devoted to the missionaries and the work.  You can view it here.  I just reported to the MTC this past week.  We are all so excited for him! Below are some pictures of his farewell Open House:  

The guest of honor....Elder Jacob Butterfield

We will miss him dearly!

 

So will everyone in the branch!  

 

We had a great time at his Open House visiting with friends.....That is Stryder's girlfriend, Brittany, above.  He pretty much LOVES her to no end!   

 

The next day Jake was flying out to Salt Lake.  Here is a picture of all the luggage he has for the next TWO years.  It is a big sacrifice that missionaries make to have so little belongings.  We said our goodbyes and my parents took him to the airport.  I am so happy that he has chosen to serve the Lord.  The gospel is a wonderful thing and can truly change peoples' lives. 

 

 

A few days ago, we received an email from Jacob.  It was so heartfelt and brought tears to my eyes.  He says he is doing well in the MTC and will be there for 2 months before he goes to Veracruz.  He said that he can pray in Spanish (muy bien) and that the Spirit is so strong in the MTC.  He was also called as district leader.  If any of you know my brother and would like to write to him, he would appreciate it greatly!   

Elder Jacob Butterfield

MTC Mailbox #217

MEX-VER 1101

2005 N 900 E

Provo, UT 84604

Stryder colored a picture of two missionaries with a Book of Mormon for him and we mailed it off yesterday.  I wrote him on DearElder.com, which is a great service that will deliver letters for free to the MTC the same day.  My mom is also keeping up a blog while he is gone that will post excerpts of his letters.....you can view it here.