Love these piggies

this just in

First tooth!
Its her upper right tooth next to her middle teeth. Her new nickname is Snaggle, & that is chocolate on her tounge.

Elliot 10 mo

Happy 10 months ElliotShe is getting so big. She is in the vacuum stage. She has been crawling most of the month. She just started saying "more" with her hands. She does the cutest little wave with just three of her fingers to say, "Hi".


If I can't find her I go to the toy room and she is usually standing up on something playing with toys. Cars and balls are her favorites (and the new monkey :)

Likes to explore..and taste new things

and her brothers do her hair

(here the styling tool was the shop vac)

Love you Miss Elliot

Fur Real (wait for it)

Fur Real Monkey Hug

Fur Real

Fur Real

Say Pre-K!

Mrs. Sonya & Mrs. Marie

Yesterday was Rowdy's first day of Pre-School this year. He did some pre-school at Lynda's house last year and learned so much! This year he is going to the Baptist Church at the other end of Justin.
We got him a new thermos and a new shirt and he was so excited for his first day. Mom on the other hand was a little tender-hearted. I know its not even kindergarten or anything! but it is the beginning of the end. I am so excited for him, because I know he is going to love the whole experience. He's just my little man and.. well, I hope I've taught him the things he needs to know up to this point. Its just so crazy the Baptists will be teaching him now. Ha ha! just kidding. I know he will do fine, He is a good kid.
Ezra had a hard time when we dropped him off too. Ezra started crying, " I want my Brother. I want Rowdy!" It was sweet, sad. Ezra and I cried together for 2 seconds at the car. Then we had a fun day together

Rowdy loved playing at the playground with Miles and Grayson (They are in the classroom next door). He liked to sing Ring around the Rosies . He learned about the letter A and Zero. and He loved his lunch. He liked it when someone held the American Flag and he sat by his friends. "That's all my favorite parts."

Rowdy is loving to draw and especially write these days. When he got a dry erase board for his birthday he just sat down and told us, "I am going to write all of my ABC's. and Did! with hardly any help. Then when he was done with that he did the abc's with the capital and small letters, all by himself. He loves to write letters and birthday cards to his cousins. and just discovered how to draw cactuses, temples, his people are improving, and he has his own fancy signature.

Love you Rowdy

Breakfast at Tiffany's

We, spur of the moment went down to Tiffany and Bobby's this past weekend... The kids and I. We thought we might see Cody, but we missed him entirely. We pretty much missed Bobby too. But did that slow us down?
We went to Sea World! Yep just Tiffany I and our five crazy children. We had our hands full, but we all had fun. The Sea World in San Antonio has a full on water park and splash parks throughout, which is awesome because I always remember being hot at the San Diego park. We did half of our day at the water park and half at the animals and shows.
The littles loooved the sea lions and the sea lion show, with "Uncle Max" the big fat walrus.

We got to feed the dolphins. I say feed because Ezra didn't care. He was just chucking the 2 dollar a piece sardines in the pool.

Kodi Lynn was more savvy.

We sat in the splash zone at the Shamu show... Holy Wall of Water! poor Elliot.
(This is a before picture)
and eww it was all salt watery
Elliot loved the aquariums
Well we all did, but Elliot was the only one who would sit still long enough for a picture.

We stayed Sunday and went to church with Tiffany and drove back just as Cody was getting home, and just in time for a Laurel presidency meeting.
Thanks for the awesome trip Tiffany and thanks for always feeding us. We had a great time

Museo

Cody has been on the road and I was feeling a little antsy to get out of the house. I invited Lynda and Miles to the children's museum, but she had stuff to do at home and offered to trade my littles for the boys. I had so much fun with them. It was nice having some quality boy time.

FFA Here we come
(Future Firefighters or Farmers?)

Yay for our museum pass. Already a big fan

Rowdy's first trip to the dentist

I don't know if Rowdy had been reading books or talking to cousins, but for me it seemed out of the blue, he wanted to go to the dentist. He was bugging Cody and I to go for 2 weeks.

The nurse said he was the perfect 4 year old patient It took him a minute but after he got the hang of it he loved the spit sucker
He is now brushing 4 times a day and trying to floss more than that :)
Love your smile boy

Week before school

I know.. its the week before school. why should I care about school... but I am going to miss all the extra time with the YW. We hadn't seen each other for mutual in a while because of a postponed Saturday service project. So we went rouge and had a non-mutual activity at my house on Tuesday night. It was sooo fun. I love love love the girls in our ward. and I am so sad they have to go back to school its been fun having the more laid back summer hours and crazy activities with them. I love this calling. (so do my kids)

Rowdy is turning into the biggest flirt and has like 3 different girls he has wanted marry.
And the littles also get plenty of attention
The following Saturday we went and did our lake clean up/boating activity. It was sooo fun! I am bummed I didn't bring the camera. Everyone had so much fun. The boys and I got a boat ride as well. Rowdy was soooo excited. He was telling everyone, "I got to ride in a jet boat!" and he pointed out on the boat, this was his first time in a "fast" boat. He got to go on the tube with Sister Haller. (I was holding Ezra). Rowdy was sooo stoked. Ezra love the boat ride too. He would crack up everytime the boat would bounce over a wake, and then... he was quickly rocked to sleep. Later we went to celebrate Zoe's birthday with some of the same YW. Zoe had a minute to win it party, which was also Sooo fun! Yay for the YW. and yay for the program. and yay we get to partake of it.

Pretty much daily

The shots you are about to see were taken in a 24 hour period. We may have been a little more leniant and picture happy because it was his birthday, but Munchkin 2 year old does make a major mess in the kitchen area at least once a day. I have been going to bed exhausted :)

We made Ezra dirt cups for his birthday

Ezra is always cracking us up.

This picture was taken after Rowdy had been running around the house pretending to be Batman. Ezra, wanting to participate in the super hero-ness stuck the bucket on his head and said he was "Diaper Man"

It is bed time at our house. Ezra has been getting out of bed tonight. Earlier I heard the boys' door open and shut and some rustling around. He usually comes into my room. I went back to check and he was sitting inside the bathroom sink playing with the water.

Elliot 9 mo' yo

Stats: 17lbs. 14oz (45th percentile), 2 ft 3 inches (45th percentile), head size 18.3 (90th percentile :)

Here she is on her 9 month/Ezra's 2nd b day enjoying a magic motion picture ride with her bro's at Chuck E Cheese.

She is mobile! She still won't crawl on all 4's for more than a stroke or 2 but she's all over with her army crawl. Especially if there is food involved. Ezra loves to feed her (he enjoys the perks) She is in the vaccum stage
Daddy's girl
She can say "Moma"! and she can screeeeam!

She loves to stand up. I found her crying doing the splits the other day.

Still no teeth, but the Dr. said any day now. She loves her a toothbrush Loves to eat, loves paper, loves to eat paper, is in her own room, laughs at brothers, loves water, hates car seats, semi-ticklish, still a good sleeper.

Breakfast with the Bowler children

soggy cowboy jumping jacks

Ezra's 2 year? interview

Ezra is 2

Ezra is always keeping us laughing.

If he isn't hamming it up, he has us laughing at his contagious laugh.

He loves accessories, mostly to get a reaction from people... Goggles, shoes, hats, glasses, bracelets.

This summer his classic outfit has been a diaper and the cowboy boots. but if he doesn't have those on he has probably snaked someone else's shoes.

He loves anything with marinara sauce

He still isn't a fan of bananas

He was sprouting a molar during his birthday celebrations. So he was terribly 2 right on the money :) that morning I heard him in the front room yelling at the top his lung "NO! Its MINE!!" I just smiled and thought wow that happened right on the dot.

He still loves to snuggle. He will lay down by us for 15 or 20 minutes just snuggling.

He love to jump on the love sack. and lately he will hold his hands together in little fists at his belly and just smile and fall face first into the love sac, from atop the blue chair.

He talks quite a bit, but sometimes it needs translation.

His favorite song is, "Praise to the Man". Every single time we get in the car he asks to listen to it. and will ask louder and louder until you put it on... (it was a primary program cd) but he can sing a bunch of other songs and his voice is so cute. I should record them. He can sing:

ABC's , Praise to the man (beginning), I am a Child of God, I love to see the temple, Give said the little stream, The Wheels on he Bus, and The wise man song.

He Adores his Dad. Talks about him all the time.

and he still loves milk but "Dad" has trumped "Milk" in the frequency of use.

Ezra is pretty shy at first, especially to people paying attention to him. He tends to be more friendly to those not paying attention to him :) but once you win him over he will melt your heart.

Whenever we go shopping he looooves to help push the cart or hang on the front. He usually loves to bend over and push the very bottom bar. The one that is like 2 inches from the floor. so he can't see where he is going he just goes for it.

HE is a sweet sweet brother. IT is soooo cool watching he and Rowdy share and play and wrestle together. they have a lot of fun. Ezra loves Elliot. He like talking to her in a baby voice and he also loves to feed her "puffs" or her bottle. He calls her "Ette"

He can be pretty stubborn. He is opinionated a lot of the time, and not easily distracted. He has been getting into trouble lately hitting and biting, but its probably just him not understanding how we are playing with each other (I always fake chew on Elliot's face).

He is getting so big he pulls up stools to climb up to the counter. He loves going potty on the toilet. flushing it and washing his hands.

He is loves the glider bike he got for his birthday and actually took off down the block a few days ago. Cody had to chase him down in the car. And he has started to say his own prayers.

Cute things he has said in his prayers.. "Please bless Daddy to get home safely" When I ask him what he is thankful for he says, "Dad." and the other night he said he was thankful for "Chuck E Cheese" (we took him there on his birthday.) and he says the end so excited "Aaaaamen!"

The other day Cody was tickling me and got stern with Cody and just said seriously "No! Don't tickle Mom!" until Cody stopped

He just melts our hearts. His hugs are the best, and his pouty lip kisses too. We are so grateful for all he brings into our home. We love your guts Ez-rig-idy

Lets just go

Its Katie and Locke's last week here. Katie and I are sick of putting on sunscreen, bathing suit scrounging, towels, too long to get wet routine. So we just decided to go today. Roanoke has some sweet little splash parks so we just ran over to one without all of that. just bits and pieces. The water was actually cool and there was a breeze. And we didn't stay long enough to get burned. It was lovely and refreshing. Elliot crawled out of her sun protection


Everyone say, "John Deere!"



Side note. Last Saturday we went to Grandbury Lake. There was a cool vintage town square. We found a cool little sandy beach and splash park. The lake water was... still warm. Its been 108 for as long as I can remember now. and that's probably the temperature of our little pool out back. At least its not humid. So anyway the cold water at the splash park was pretty refreshing