Wuv...twoo wuv...

We started our red and pink adventures a few days early by making buggy flower valentines for all the boys' friends.

Pretty spectacular, right? If you can't tell, they are dragonflys landing on flowers. I think we made 20, but a few of them died before delivery!

Michael felt like his dragonflys needed mohawks and scary teeth! We did drive by deliveries on the 13th, and the boys ran door to door knocking and ringing bells like they were the police or something. I'm sure we made a lot of mommies happy since we were out around nap time, and I don't think anybody could have slept through the banging!

Valentine's Day was a pretty special day. We got to go through the open house of the Draper temple at 9:00 am. We were running late (there is no hurrying a busy toddler early in the morning!) and there was a pretty good snow storm as we headed out the door. Drew is a very careful driver, but we came close to crashing a couple of times. I just kept thinking, "I can't lose my temper on the way to the temple!" So I bit my tounge and we all made it in one piece.

The tour started with a video at a nearby church, and then a bus ride up to the temple.

I wish I could say these beaming faces were smiling at thier first glimpse of the temple, but no, they were thrilled by the TVs mounted on the ceiling of the bus! Thankfully, the TVs were not on, or I don't think the boys would have gotten off the bus!

Sadly, this is the only shot of the temple I got as we rounded a quick corner. When we got off the bus they had set up these white tent tunnels (for the weather I'm assuming) that led up to the doors, so there were no good spots to take a pic....

except in the tunnel.

Deep breath...It's just one puffy faced prego picture, it's not going to kill me!

After the tour was over and we were loaded back in the car headed home, I turned in my seat to ask what thier favorite part of the tour was. I had grand visions of answers like the mirrors in the sealing room, or the chandelier in the celestial room. But no, all 3 boys agreed, it was the room where they got the cookies and little bottles of water at the end!

It was pretty awsome, though, on the day that the world celebrates love to focus on the love that really lasts. I feel so blessed to have this little family of mine and to know that they can be mine forever. On the day when everyone gets candy hearts and paper poems, we got to stand in front of those double mirrors, like the ones we saw 6 years ago, and see our reflections go on forever. Only this time with 3 little boys and a big round belly! Definitely the best Valentine's Day so far!

And of course I got a good helping of the candy hearts and flowers myself!

Carrots

Daniel loves his older brothers. He tries so hard to keep up and do all the things that they do. The other day Michael and Zach were enjoying some crunchy carrots with thier lunch. Daniel is not a veggie fan, but wanted to be like the big boys, so....

This is his effort to choke 'em down.

It took him a while, but he ate them all!

Hangin' with the Cousins

We got to have the cousins come over to spend the night a few days ago. After a night of pizza and a LATE Scooby Doo marathon we decided it was time to get them out of the house to burn some energy! Spencer and Michael were facinated with stacking rocks by the side of the house.

Emily helped me pull out the last of my sad leftover pansies.

They all were pretty tired.

We feel pretty lucky to live so close to the Goostreys.

Spiderman vs the Autobot

At Target the other day Drew and I picked up these hats, gloves, and backpacks for less than a buck. You know me, no matter how ugly, I'm a sucker for a deal! Of course Michael and Zach were in heaven. (Ignore the date stamps, like I said in a eariler post..it's a new camera!)

I think Zach was showing off for the camera, but Michael was on a mission to save the world from the evil....Spiderman!

(No children were harmed in the making of this blog)

We taped the Superbowl to watch on the newly instituted "Superbowl Monday," a Bates tradition for 2 whole years now. Drew is a good sport about it, and pretends like it's just as good as watching it live. He entered his isolation chamber Sunday afternoon while I vigilantly manned the VCR (a recent DI purchase). He took off work Monday and we started the pregame stuff around 10:00. By the time we watched the game, paused in the middle for a nice long nap (hey, I'm pregnant here!) and caught all the postgame stuff, it was 6:30! Drew was engrossed the whole time, but the boys ran out of steam quickly. So, for the 4th quarter we found something else to keep them occupied....

That's Mary Poppins playing on Drew's laptop in the hallway. Close enough so we could see them , but far enough away that "Just a Spoonful of Sugar" wasn't overpowering John Madden! Thank you Disney!

Down Came the Rain

Hmmmm...What to do with 3 rowdy boys on a rainy day?....Isn't it obvious? A trip to the library. Here they are in one of the themed reading rooms, the Ice Caves. We decided to ride the train instead of pay for parking. I think the boys were more excited about Trax than picking out books.

Granola bar break....

Don't you love rainy days?!

Happy Birthday Daniel

My baby is 2!!! And this year it was everything Dinosaur. He is going through a heavy dinosaur phase, every morning I have to fight to get his dino jammies off and every night it's the same battle with the dino shirt. Forget about the 20 nonprehistoric tops he owns that are like new, atleast boy #4 will have some decent hand-me-downs! So his choice for b-day cake was a simple one.

He just kept pointing and saying "Di-door" (that 2 year old for dinosaur)!

Daddy wrapped the presents while I cleaned up for the party. Bet you'll never guess what the round one is...a frisbee?...no...a football?...You're getting warmer!

On a totally not related subject, my boys are skilled in the art of sneakiness after bedtime. Lately there have been a few late night parties behind a cracked door. I keep coming up to check on them and finding suprises like this:

Atleast they like each other! Hey, and the sheet matches the bedspread...Way to go Mom!

Future Scientists

Michael has decided that he wants to grow up to be a scientist (this all started because of a new show on PBS, "Sid the Science Kid"). He was delighted when for Christmas, Drew got us a 6 month pass to the local children's museum, Discovery Gateway. We took our first trip while Mom and Dad were in town. I think Dad was more excited about all the displays than the kids were. Although, he might have gotten a little discouraged when they wouldn't stand still long enough for him to explain the ins-and-outs of aerodynamics and wind flow! The ball tubes were a big hit.

Micheal spent the longest time at the construction zone, moving blocks with pullies and levers.

There is a life size helecopter outside, and you guessed it...it gets really loud!

I always thought me boys were cute enough to be on TV!

Zach liked dressing up like pirates and wild animals.

We've already been back once, and Michael made me promise that it would be in the plans for next week too.