The Great Escape

I made a promise to myself that as a resolution this year, I would be better about keeping my blog updated. As I haven't posted since mid-October, that shouldn't be too hard! I'll try to post about Christmas, Thanksgiving, Halloween, New Years, and what ever else I've missed in one big "our life in pictures" slide show thing but that will have to wait for another day (hopefully. :) For now, I'll start anew and commit myself to do better.

What an adventurous week we've had here at the Auernig's! Brad went to Las Vegas for the Consumer Electronic Show on a business trip. (I might have Brad post about this one. It was a week full of surprises from driving down there with his boss and staying in a retirement home to having dinner with an obscure rapper whom they thought was Warren G. A trip definitely worthy of a post.) As for the boys and I we did our best to keep busy while Brad was away. On Friday, we spent the morning at the Kangaroo Zoo with the Elliotts. The kids had a great time and released some pent up energy. On previous visits, Owen ran and climbed to his hearts content but Sam had stayed in the four and under bounce houses. Friday, however, I was surprised to see Sam climb to the top of some pretty tall ladders and head down the slides that looked much too big for a 22 month old toddler. I watched him thinking "I know he's a climber but when did he get so good at it?" That night he showed me just how good he really is....
Already on edge from being home alone with the kids, I awoke with a start to the pitter-patter of little blanket-sleepered feet running down the hall. Sam made his first escape from his crib in complete silence! Not even a thud when he hit the floor! When Brad came home Saturday night we put him in the crib and encouraged him to climb out again for posterity's sake. And thus began the preparations for Sam's big boy bed. The best advice given to me so far has been "Put the crib mattress on the floor and turn the crib over on top of it. They won't get out and you'll sleep great until DFCS comes for you!" YIKES!

Daddy-Brad taking down the crib with more help than he bargained for.

Sam saying "No Daddy! ME!"

Thanks for the great "choo-choo" sheets Gi-gi & Pop-pop!

The first time being tucked in and praying that he'll stay there! In all honesty, Sam did really well. I laid by him for about 20 minutes and he fell sound asleep and stayed there the whole night!

In the days of his crib, Sam was a painfully early riser. We were up between six and six-thirty pretty much every morning. Sleeping in was 7:00 a.m. for us. His first night in his big boy bed he slept until 8:10 a.m. when Owen crawled in his bed and woke him up! I'm not going to expect this ever again but it was wonderful for just one day. (I'll keep a little prayer in my heart that it will happen at least once again sometime in the next decade.)

Good morning boys! I love their sleepy faces.

Owen telling me about how funny it was to wake up Sam. Real funny...

I did it!

We had a successful nap in the big bed today also. So here's to the next chapter in our lives. No more cribs at our house for a while...at least until I feel comfortable with the thought of never sleeping again and being completely outnumbered.

Team Pictures

I often find myself over-scheduling my week and then regretting it when I am too tired to keep my eyes open at the end of the day! This week was definitely one of those weeks and it's only Wednesday. I have much to post and hopefully that will happen tomorrow. For today, however, I need to post about our night last night before I forget the details and the things Owen said.


Yesterday was a marathon day. We dropped Sam off at my Mom's, went to the Pumpkin Patch with Owen's preschool, went to lunch with my Mom, went shopping for a baby gift, went to cub scouts (Yes folks! I'm now a den mother which is worthy of a post all in itself!), left scouts early to go to soccer pictures and stopped by the house just long enough to pick up Brad & the boys and head off to Owen's pictures which we had just found out about at 8:00a.m. that morning. We had been there about five minutes and the boys were having a great time chasing each other around. I looked over just in time to see Owen go head first into a small asphalt paved ditch. Instantly there was blood everywhere. Off to the Instacare. So in lu of this years' team soccer picture, this will forever be our memory:
Owen was so brave and by the time we made it to the Instcare we were all laughing. Even before we had seen the doctor, Owen was asking to go back to play his soccer game. "My team needs me! My head feels good, mom. I'm okay to play." For the record, head wounds bleed like crazy! In the three or four blocks we had to drive, Owen's little cut saturated the pair of sweat pants we stuck on his head to minimize the mess. A little local anesthetic and two staples in a small puncture wound and we were on our way home with a sad little boy who just wanted to play soccer. I am so proud of him. He was so brave! He cried a little when he first fell but after that not a tear was shed when they were cleaning it out or even when the doctor put the staples in. He joked with my mom (who saved the day and came to get Sam from the Instacare-Thanks Mom!) and told her he was "cool like Frankenstein." When did my little boy get so big and tough?

Today we are having a day at home. Owen's doing great, just a little sore if I try to check it out. Sometimes when things like this happen I feel like it's the Lord telling me "Come on girl! Slow down a little and focus on what's important." Today I'll do just that.

Primary Program

Last Sunday was the Primary Program in our ward. It was the first time Owen had an actual part and was expected to participate rather than just stand on the front row and look cute (or be naughty. With Sunbeams, you just never know what you'll get!)

We made a deal with our little man that if he memorized his part and stayed in his chair at Primary, we would buy him tie he has been asking for. I have been pretty against buying a four year old a neck tie. I taught the Sunbeam class in my parents ward for three years before Brad & I were married and it is my experience that Sunbeams and ties are a big pain in the butt. Sure they look cute but they are more of a distraction and something else to pester your neighbor with in class. Not wanting to add to the chaos of the twenty-plus Sunbeams in our Primary, I have held off until now. The practice Saturday morning was to be the test. I snuck in the back of the chapel and sure enough, Owen was in his chair and actually singing! So we left the church in search of a tie. Owen was so excited and he promised (and kept that promise!) not to play with his tie during the program. So here it is folks. Owen's first tie.

And here's one of Sam just because he's too cute to resist!

And here is Owen saying his line:

"Answers to my prayers come from Heavenly Father through the Holy Ghost."

What a handsome little guy!

Dino Bones, Cake, & Witches

Last Monday, I said goodbye to another year in my fleeting twenties. Brad took the day off and made me breakfast and we spent the day with the kids at the Museum of Natural History. It was much smaller than in my memory but still a nice way to pass the afternoon and the kids loved "digging for dinos." There is nothing like being surrounded by thousands of year old bones to make a girl feel young and lively!

Owen feeling a little uncertain about standing "in the teeth of a T-Rex."

Wonderfully ineffective goggles that Owen insisted upon wearing.

Sam couldn't reach the sand pit so he just hung over the side.

The huge dino puzzle that Owen put together pretty much by himself.

Sunday night we had cake and ice cream with the fam.

Every year for my birthday, my mom & I head to Gardner Village for lunch and shopping. It is a tradition that I look forward to every year. Now that I have to curious little ones in tow, we spend less time shopping and more time feeding the ducks and "visiting" the witches.

We've now decided that we need to go twice during the fall. Once with the boys and the witches and another day with just the girls. Thanks mom! I always love to spend this day with you.

I had a great time celebrating my birthday! Brad always works so hard to make the day relaxing for me. What a great hubby! Thanks for the great day Bradler!

Stink

Owen is really into playing pretend. Somedays he's a pirate. Somedays he's a dinosaur. Mostly, he's a dog named Pancha. Why Pancha? I'm not sure and when I ask him why that's his name, I hear, "Mom, it's just a great dog name."

Friday morning, Owen, Sam, & I were playing dogs. We "built" a dog house out of a blanket between our two couches and Owen, as always, was the daddy dog. We crawled around and only "bark talked." So I decided I needed a dog name. "Owen, if your name is Pancha, can I be Pancho?" I asked. To this came a very matter-of-fact reply, "Mom if you want to play dogs with me, your name is Stink."

Ah, little boys....

Snack Time

When Sam decides it's time for a snack and I'm not readily available , it tends to look something like this...

Back to School

Owen started his second year at preschool on Tuesday. His teacher, Mrs. Jenn, is superwoman! She had a baby five weeks ago and started school only a week later than normal!

Owen picked out his own clothes this year and there was no changing his mind. It was the "new dinosaur shirt" and nothing else would do.

Owen & his buddy Mason going to school.
Owen pointing out the apple with his name on it.

"Bye Mom & Dad! See you in a little while!"

Owen has been so excited to go back to school again this year. He loves it and has been asking to go back since a few days after preschool graduation last year. It always tugs at my heart strings to watch him run through the door without so much as looking back but am so glad he enjoys it so much. And lets be honest here, the break is great for both of us. He loves It makes the rest of the time we do spend together that much better. Here's to another great year!

Aspen Grove

Setting up the play tent
We headed to the mountains for our final camping trip of the year this past weekend with our friends the Elliotts. We stayed at Aspen Grove on the South East corner of Strawberry Reservoir. We had a great weekend full of campfires, dutch oven cooking, and an attempt at fishing in the cold wind with five kids! We didn't expect it to get as cold as it did. The temperatures at night dropped to 27 degrees. The first night we stayed nice and cozy with the heater in our trailer working like a charm. The camp was covered in thick frost in next morning. The second night was a different story! We purchased a new battery for the trailer the week before we left and it died at about 1:00 a.m.! I don't mean drained dead. I mean defective dead. Luckily, the Elliotts' brought a generator (which was surprisingly quiet) and we were warm and toasty again in no time. (Note to self: bring extra battery when camping from now on!)

Three cold little boys huddled by the campfire!

The little boys were in heaven. There was a hill behind our camp that the kids could climb through the trees and play the day away. Staci brought a little Survival Kit for each of the boys containing a plastic pocket knife, gun, compass, canteen and flashlight. As soon as the package were opened, their adventure began. They "hunted" for their dinner. They "scared away the bad guys." They hiked until they crashed. Even Sam got in on the action. He decided the hills were dirt slides and spent any time he wasn't chasing the big boys around, sliding down the hill with a huge smile saying "whee!" After the kids were in bed, we spent the nights laughing around the camp fire until we were too cold to sit there any longer. It reminded me of all the times we stayed up laughing with Brad and Staci when we were all newlyweds. Nearly 8 years and five kids later, we still laugh like no time has past at all.

We came home smelling like camp fire and dirt. A sure sign of a successful camping trip!

ThE fARm AnD tHe FaM!!

We spent our Labor Day with my family at the farm. It was our first real family vacation of the year that every member of my immediate family could attend. Since these get-togethers don't happen very often, I forget how much fun we all have when we finally do make it under one roof for longer than a Sunday dinner!

Whenever the whole family goes to the farm, we usually take our tent-trailer which our boys absolutely love! Every night while putting Owen to bed he would tell me, "Mom this is the best cam pout ever!"
Friday and Saturday the weather was beautiful! We spent the day out on the boat and playing in the yard. We roasted our hot dogs over the fire for dinner and spent the evening riding the four wheelers. My kids could not get enough of the four-wheelers. Every time we turned around, both Owen & Sam were climbing up on one. They were actually pretty content to sit on them and pretend they were on a great ride until someone could take them. On Sunday, we came home from church with a storm rolling in over the mountains. The rain started soon after and it didn't let up the rest of the weekend. It was great! We stayed inside drinking hot chocolate and playing games together. It reminded me of so many vacations we took as a family when I was young. We had such a good time and took advantage of the time to relax.

We celebrated Matt & Ryan's 25th birthday on Sunday with some yummy brownies and cobbler. Happy Birthday Matt & Ryan!

Thanks for a great weekend Mom & Dad! We appreciate all of your hard work & are so grateful for all the memories! We love you!

Owen's First Big Game

When we signed Owen up for soccer, we had a pretty good idea he would have a great time and that he would learn a lot from organized sports. We had no idea that we would have almost as much fun as he did! Tuesday was Owen's first big game of the season and it was one of the funnest activities we have done with Owen so far. We yelled. We cheered. We laughed until tears rolled down our faces.

Lining up for the game to begin.

Check out Owen's smile!

The ever important half-time oranges!

Owen crawling across the field because "dogs like to play soccer too."

Having a little water break!

Owen almost scored a goal in his first game. We were just excited that he was headed in the right direction!

"Good game guys!"

I think the post-game treats were his favorite part!

Brad helping Owen take off his socks!

Aunt Laurie made Owen this AWESOME cake to celebrate! He thought it was the coolest and it tasted as good as it looked!

Owen needed just a little more frosting....

GREAT GAME O-DADDY!