The Bosley's

Autumn and the boys got to come to Utah for a couple of weeks for a visit!



 

Spring Adventures

During Spring Break, which was several weeks ago, the kids and I went on an "adventure" along the Provo River Trail. The kids thought it was really cool and we saw several snakes, ducks and turtles. We heard a lot of frogs although they were better at hiding. Walking along the trail reminded me of all the adventures that Brian and I had growing up and made me feel sorry that the world has gotten in such a state that my kids won't be able to have those adventures. It's just too scary to let them go wandering around on their own nowadays. I guess I will have to find my inner adventurer so I can with them cause I just can't imagine childhood without this kind of stuff.

 

 

 

I love this picture of Eden. She looks like a little model.

 

 

In this picture Noah is trying to get up a small hill but it's covered with little rocks and loose dirt.

I was surprised at how jumpy Noah was. Every little sound and bug made him jump. He needs a little more nature in his life, I think. Noah was usually the first to point out the snakes (by screaming of course), but forget about him trying to catch one. I tried to catch one to show him not to be afraid of them, they were just garden snakes, but it was too fast for me and he still didn't want to get too close.

 

 

As we walked along I pointed out all the places that Brian and I likely would've attempted a fort to Noah. He likes hearing all those stories.

We all agreed that this place would be a regular for our summer adventures.

 

Yesterday daddy took the day off and we went to the zoo after Hope got out of school. Sadly, Noah was not here this weekend, but we got a pass for the zoo so he'll get to experience it plenty.

 

 

Isn't this picture awesome?

 

 

These little ladies are quite spoiled. We never have an outing, no matter how small or location, in which there isn't begging, bargaining, tears, tantrums, and Miss Chevious running around like a wild child. In those moments I realize that my children are just like those children that I witnessed before parenthood and said, "My kids will NOT be that spoiled." I fear we have done them a great in justice by spoiling them so. They don't really know how to appreciate the many many MANY blessings they have. I need to do something about this. I'm just not sure what yet.

 

 

 

 

 

From the second Hope heard we were going to the zoo she started begging for a stuffed animal. She has SO many stuffed animals already. Last year Grandma Bosley bought her a stuffed animal snake form the zoo and she insisted that Rattle, the name of the aforementioned snake, needed a baby.

The begging, bargaining, tantrums and tears followed us around all day. We threatened her, asked nicely, reasoned with her....but in the end gave in. This is the problem with the spoiled behavior. We give in.

Oh, did I mention that Eden named her snake after our new backyard neighbor? 

Father's Day - Cursed???

We are beginning to think that Father's Day in the Maxwell household is cursed. Last year I suddenly had to have my gallbladder removed and was in the hospital on Father's Day leaving Ben home alone with the kids for several days...no Father's Day celebration. This year I was determined to make up for it so I started preparing about a week in advance. Ben had been away on a business trip and I thought it would be great to decorate his office while he was gone so he'd get a nice Father's Day surprise the morning after his arrival. This was to be part one of my plan. I dragged all three kids to his office, which is no longer just down the road mind you, had the receptionist get someone to unlock his door for me and we went to town. Actually the kids just wreaked havoc while I put up a cute handmade banner and tied some balloons around his office. I forgot the camera so I didn't get a picture of it but here is what it looked like.

Super Dad

I copied this blogger's super crafty creativity and made my own banner for Ben. Only I hung mine on twine and in Ben's office surrounded by coordinating colored balloons.

He was pretty surprised and also a little embarassed. I knew he would be, but everyone already knows how awesome he is so I don't see what the big deal was. :)

Part 2 of my plan took place Saturday. Hope had her first dance recital as a part of Swan Lake, so I thought that was a pretty nifty thing to witness as a Father's Day treat. And he is so wrapped around her little finger so it was a great Father's Day activity to watch his little Hopie dance. Then he got these fun little questionnaires I had the kids fill out.

Click on the pictures to make the bigger and readable. I also used another blogger's questionnaire. I know...I have no ideas of my own anymore. What would I do without Pinterest?

 Just as a side note: Hope does know how to spell her name, but sometimes she likes to write Hopie, since that is her nickname.

He loved them and I felt like things were rolling for the following day. For part 3 we planned to go to Ben's favorite breakfast place in SugarHouse and then spend the day at the zoo and afterwards I would make one of his favorite meal, Chicken Marsala.

 I was so relieved I felt like I was doing a somewhat decent job of making up for last year's castrophe when 11 p.m. hit. Eden started crying. She hardly ever cries at night anymore, but when she does I can usually hold her for a minute and put her back down. I went in to her room and there was vomit all over her and her bed. Since Ben and I hadn't been to sleep yet, he helped me clean up the mess and I put her back to bed. We thought it was just something she ate, or just a fluke and we went to bed. The next morning Ben went into her room and immediately came back out and told me how bad it stunk in there. He was right. It was like she had taken a midnight dip in an outhouse...a frequently used outhouse...holy cow! It was bad. She had messed her pants like she had never done before. This was Eden's second load of laundry in less than 8 hours.

I was still determined though. I thought that for sure since she had messed her pants and thrown up that whatever it was was surely gone by now and we could go about our plans. So we got the kids dressed and oops! More vomit! And now Hope was vomitting and had diarrhea. We weren't going anywhere. Not only that but there had been so much vomit and diarrhea that Ben no longer had an appetite for his favorite dinner. Once again Father's Day was a bust.

So the family spent the week sick. Ben and I waited last to be sick but now we are better *fingers crossed*. Saturday we decided to have a re-do and went to breakfast and the zoo.

I love the way Eden is looking at Ben.

Ben, I hope you feel how much you are loved and appreciated, because you certainly are. And, if next year Father's Day gets ruined too I think it's safe to say it is definitly cursed. In which case I will just come up with my own holiday to celebrate your awesomeness. It will be called Ben's Day...or something a lot cooler. I love you.

Also...

"Maybe there is some sort of animal we could make a sacrifice to. Like a giant buffalo or some sort of monster like something like the body of a walrus with the head of a sea lion. Or something with the body of an egret with the head of a meerkat. Or just the head of a monkey with the antlers of a reindeer with the body of a....porcupine." --Michael Scott The Office

"I'll do some research." -- Jim Halpert The Office

Time With Grandma

"Mommy Dearest", as I call her, came to visit for a few weeks! Hope has asked pretty much every day since she left, almost a year ago, when she was coming back so she was very excited to get to spend time with Grandma Bosley! We are so proud of her butterfly journey and her weight-loss and healthy life-style and we enjoyed many things we couldn't before it. Such as...

going to the park...

and to the zoo...

Eden taking a picture with her little toy camera.

and playing in the backyard.

We get to spend a few more days with grandma. We sure love having her around.



Where We've Been....

Be Back Soon.....

Hello Again

Here's what the Maxwell's have been up to the past several months.

We've tried to introduce Eden to as many members of her family as possible...and she's loved every single one of them.

(Eden with Grandpa Maxwell, Aunt Donna, Grandma Jones and Aunt Whitney)

We took a couple trips to the Zoo.

Hope turned THREE!!!

And of course Ben made the most amazing cake ever - a sunshine in honor of Hope being our little sunshine who is ever singing "You Are My Sunshine". :)
Grandma Bosley rented a cabin at Sundance that we enjoyed for a few days.



Precious little Eden has proved to be quite a high maintenance child, so bear with me as I continue to update our blog. We have lots more to come, including Noah's 9th birthday post!!!