Trent is 3

Three years ago today Trent James Smiley, aka "Trenters", joined our family. We celebrated his third year last night with a super fun Lightning McQueen/Cars party (more on that later). Trent has filled our home and my heart with so much joy. I am getting teary-eyed just writing this because he is so darn special, and I can't adequately express with words how much I love this little guy.

I love everything about him. Everything. Even his stinky morning breath.

One of my very favorite things about him is that he is a very loving boy and has always, since he was a baby, given the best hugs and kisses. I am dreading the day when it will no longer be "cool" for him to kiss his mom. Trent also loves to be loved. He absolutely hates it when he thinks you are mad at him. If he gets in the tinniest bit of trouble, he will inevitably start crying, look at you with those big blue eyes, and very emphatically say, "I don't want you to be mad at me!" Which does make it really hard to stay mad at him for any reason.

He also feels quite badly if he accidentally hurts his big sister. And he still adores his little brother. Ashlyn and Luke are both extremely lucky to have Trent for a brother.

And here are some other random facts about my three-year-old:

• Besides "Trenters", he also goes by Chooch, Choo-Choo, and Choochy Pooch.
• His loves Cars (hence the Cars party) and Buzz & Woody.
  
• Some of his favorite foods include: salad (believe it or not), nuts, pretzels, cheese, yogurt, apples, bananas, beans, peas, eggs, cereal, oatmeal, graham crackers, PB&J, spaghetti, and my baked goods.
• Tootsie rolls are his favorite candy.
  
• He is potty trained! Has been for a couple months now.
• He will, from time to time, flex his muscles and ask, "Where's the gun show?!"
  
• He loves, loves, loves going to nursery. In fact, there have been a couple Sundays, like Luke's blessing day, that we didn't stay for the full block, and he was devastated to the point of tears.
  
• If he doesn't get what he wants, he will threaten you with,"I won't be your best friend anymore."
• He still loves to cuddle.
• He has an adorable smile and an incredibly infectious laugh.
• Wrestling with his dad is his favorite pastime.
  
• He has his own language which consists of words like: 'klink', 'klank', klook', and 'klonk', which he will string together to form long sentences.
• He is a great singer. We have been told on more than one occasion that he is the best in his nursery class. He will also "belt it out" in the van with his sister.
  

I think that just about covers it. I love you Trent. Thanks for being you.

Hold The Phone!

I have several other posts I should be doing, one of which I started a couple days ago, but they must wait. Why? Because we had our first snow day!! We woke up to two inches covering our lawn and Ashlyn couldn't have been more thrilled when she looked out the window this morning. This wasn't like the thin layer of "ice" (as Ashlyn called it after unsuccessfully trying to play in it) we had Monday morning. Nope, this was the soft, white fluffy stuff. After a bowl of cereal, the kids got all bundled up and out they went.

One of the things that sold me on our home was having the backyard right outside our back door and not off a deck and down a big flight of stairs like our last house. I can stand in the kitchen or family room and watch them play. After lots of frolicking, an attempted snow angel, trying to bury Cooper, and a few snowball fights, it was back inside for some good 'ol hot cocoa.

I look forward to many more mornings just like this one in months to come!

Four Months

Little Luke is four months old and he's really not so little anymore. He has grown so much lately and it seems like he is much bigger than my other two were at his age - at least my arms feel that way. So, I did a little research and here is what I found:

Ashlyn @ four months -
weight: 13 lbs 4 oz
length: 24 3/4 inches

Trent @ four months -
weight: 15 lbs 4 oz
length: 24 1/4 inches

Luke @ four months -
weight: 15 lbs 12 oz
length: 24 inches

In short, Ashlyn had the most length at four months, but Luke has the most weight. He beat out Trent by a mere 8 ounces. And considering the fact that Luke was almost a whole pound bigger than Trent at birth, I'd say they are pretty equal. It will be interesting (for me anyway!) to continue to compare their growth and see where they both end up. Brian's fear is that our boys will get my height and his build, resulting in what he refers to as a "manlet".

Now, back to Luke. Here are a few facts about our growing baby -

• He really is a sweet baby, although Brian would disagree. He continues to be an extreme mama's boy, but does seem to be warming up to his dad more and more. I keep telling Brian that it's all in his attitude and that Luke can sense it!
  
• He has a great smile and it just melts my heart. And have I mentioned his laugh? It is infectious. But I guess all baby's laughs are that way.
  
• His good sleeping habits have abruptly ended, much to my dismay. He has, for the past week and a half, decided that instead of getting up once a night, he needs to get up three or four. I was told that a lot of babies have increased awake times at four months, and I am just hoping that he reverts back to his old ways soon!
• Even though he wakes up a lot at night, I have to give him props for going to sleep so easily. All I have to do to put him down for naps or at night is just wrap him up and lay him down. And he doesn't make a peep until he awakes. A breeze!
  
• He continues to get lots and lots of love from his two older siblings. Ashlyn now likes to carry him around, which must be carefully monitored!
• He is a pro at spitting up. I never went through as many burp cloths with my other two as I do with Luke. All the burp cloths I was given when Ashlyn and Trent were born have come in handy!
• He must be held at all times! If I lay him down or put him in the bumbo, he is only content for a few minutes - a half an hour at the most! And since I am a push over, I will inevitably pick him up and snuggle him and he is content once more.
• If he can get a hold of your cheek, he will plant a big, wet, open-mouthed kiss all over it.
• He continues to be a wonderful, irreplaceable addition to our family.
  

And now for a little photo comparison:

Ashlyn (Oh, I do miss those bows and bracelets!)

Trent
Luke

When I did a photo comparison at two weeks, I thought Luke looked more like Trent. But now, I definitely see Ashlyn. Although I still think he has Trent's mouth. Regardless, he is adorable!

Mr. Susie Homemaker

We unfortunately, and much to my chagrin, did not plant a garden this year. But, don't you worry, plans are already in the works for next year, with plenty of tomato plants for bottling tomatoes, spaghetti sauce, and soup! The timing for a garden just didn't work out this year with moving in and having a baby. However, lucky for us, we were blessed to harvest a few fruits, thanks to the previous owners. Cherries, strawberries, raspberries and grapes to be exact (and one mysterious zucchini plant). The cherries, strawberries and raspberries were few in number, but the grapes were plentiful. So plentiful in fact that our poor vine kept falling over, and Brian threatened to, "just get rid of it," a time or two. But, he didn't. And it's a good thing he didn't, because he (with very little help from me) did something quite delicious with those lovely grapes.

First came the harvesting when they had reached their "peak."

This job was taken seriously. Very seriously. We mean business people!

The grapes smelled delicious, and tasted just as good. I could have eaten the whole bowl if it wasn't for those annoying seeds.

Next came a very thorough washing,

followed by chopping, squeezing, boiling, and straining.

Have you ever actually had grape juice that wasn't from a box, bottle, or reconstituted from frozen concentrate? I'm talkin' fresh people! So, so, so good! Again, I could have gulped a gallon of the stuff if it wasn't destined for another path. And if it didn't have such an off-putting color.

And this is where I came in (besides the afore mentioned consumption) to make a brief appearance in the process. I gathered the jars, lids, sugar, pectin, & canner, and then coached Brian from the sidelines.

And after some mixing and more boiling, this was the end result:

Wondering how we got purple grape jelly from that brownish-green juice? Through the magic and wonder of food coloring! (Thanks for the suggestion Mindy!) It made for much prettier jelly. And yes, we have tried it. And nobody got sick. Success! It is, quite frankly, the best grape jelly I have ever had.

We will be transplanting our now "beloved" grape vine to a more permanent and secure location, and crossing our fingers that it survives so that we can repeat the process next year.

Good job Susie!...I mean Brian!

And one more photo, just because he is so. gosh. darn. cute.

Mindy's Spider

For those who can't view Mindy's blog, this is what I was up against:

See? I win.

Yo Mindy...

my spider totally trumps yours.

This beast has been hanging out in the corner of our backyard. Can you say 'Charlotte'? I totally expect to see the word 'awesome' weaved into that web tomorrow morning.

YIKES!! Now that is what I would call a HuMoNgOuS spider. Of course I don't have a PVC pipe to compare it to, but believe me, my spider could eat your spider for breakfast - (especially since yours is already dead).

Three Months & Stuff

Luke is three months old today. I know I should follow that phrase with, "I can't believe it has already been three months." But, instead I am saying, it's only been three months?! It was such a busy summer and so many things happened, that it makes Luke's birth seems like a long and distant memory.

Luke is such a good baby and I never hesitate to say that when asked how he's doing. I am 100% in love with my little guy.

Just look at that face. How could you not love a face like that? Of course, he is not always so content. He does pack a powerful punch, I mean scream, when he feels like it.

He loves to suck on his hands, particularly his thumb if he can get a hold of it. I fear I may have my first thumb sucking baby.

He is a mama's boy - big time. Don't get me wrong, he loves Dad too, he just doesn't know it yet. For now, he only tolerates his Dad in small doses...very small doses.

He has added so much to our little family in his three short (but very long) months on earth, and has earned a big, soft spot in my heart.

In other Smiley news, fall is in the air. The days are getting shorter, the air conditioner is rarely turned on, the leaves in the canyons are beginning to change color, and school has begun - for me. I am back at it again this semester, but not at SLCC. I decided it is about time I finish up my art degree, so I am back at the U of U. I feel inadequate and out of touch with my skills, but am so excited at the prospect of graduating in the spring! And yes, I will be throwing myself a big ol' partay when I'm done. Taking ten years to earn a degree definitely deserves a party.

Since fall is in the air, we spent one final day at the splash park.

We have gone to a splash park every week this summer and have had oh so much fun. Lots of good memories there, like the time a bee pooped on Mindy's beach bag. Or the time Mindy "lost" her keys. Come to think of it, the splash park wouldn't have been near as exciting without the Eyres.

In all seriousness, the splash park provided more than just water fun for the kids. More importantly, much time was spent relaxing and conversing with good friends and family. What could be better? If you didn't join us this year, there is always next summer!

And now that fall is here, so is football season. Go UTES!!