Halloween

So I noticed that there wasn't a Halloween post. I don't really have all the pictures Jessica does but I do have this one. Noah and Griffin are Thing 1 and Thing 2 from the Cat and the Hat. They won the costume contest my work had. There was probably 50 entries. Another note about this picture is their hair. We let it grow out just for this. We did our trick-or-treating on Saturday and the boys hair was cut before church the next day. I love my clean cut boys. :-)

Living the Busy Life

Life never stops at our house and I know Jessica wants to blog more but just doesn't have time. I thought I would toss a few pictures up here just to keep things going and let everyone know we are doing great.



I'm so glad I married someone that makes me look good. It would be a sad sight if Jessica wasn't in these pictures.

Here is a picture of Griffin. He has to be the funniest kid ever. He is always saying the funniest things and his voice is the cutest.


This next picture I like because Noah and Griffin are becoming such good friends. They have started to play well together and really get along. Part of the reason behind this is that they share a room. This gives them plenty of time to build a relationship. It is also nice when they can share a bed when visiting family like in this picture.


Well I hope things will settle down now that the holidays are over and Jessica can get back to this blog stuff. She is way better at it than me.

~Ammon

Hi...

I don't know what to say... I know that I want to say something, just not sure what that "something" is.  I guess I'll keep typing until I figure that out.  

How about an update?  

My mind immediately goes to our church callings.  

Ammon is still scoutmaster and 2nd counselor in the YM Presidency.  He fulfills both of these callings well and has also had 100% home teaching record for 10 months in a row.  (right love?)  He is so inspiring to me.  He is always thinking about ways he can better himself and ways we can better our family.  I knew it was the right decision to marry him 5 years ago but, I'm just now beginning to realize why.  He makes me better.  He loves me unconditionally and is quick to forgive me of all my mistakes.  Seriously.  Lightning fast.  He forgives me before I even get a chance to apologize.  He makes me so happy.  As I type this, I'm smiling because just thinking about him makes me happy.  : )

I'm still serving as the YW President in our ward and I LOVE my calling.  My girls are beautiful, inside and out.  I enjoy spending my time with them and helping them through these tough years in their lives.  I'm actually grateful that this calling takes up so much of my time because it's all good stuff.  Serving the Lord by serving these young women has been an amazing experience for me.

Our boys are thriving.  They are so full of life and energy and sometimes it's difficult to keep up but, they are so important to Ammon and me.  We talk all the time about how beautiful and special they are.  

Griffin is speaking so well.  He started slow with the speaking and now he speaks in full sentences.  I haven't been as diligent in teaching him sign language as I was with Noah but, he enjoys signing when we make him do it.  He likes to sing and dance and be happy.  He wakes up every morning at 6am ready to change the world with a smile.  If only I could wake up so happy...  He doesn't realize that he's smaller than other children.  He thinks he can do anything and has no fear of pain or consequences.

Noah is still so smart.  He's ready to read and I really should be more diligent in teaching him.  His little brain is capable of understanding SO much.  He asks us really deep questions on a daily basis.  He's not satisfied with an "I don't know" or "ask me later" answer.  He understands death and the plan of happiness.  He loves the gospel and to hear him pray to his Heavenly Father is... inspiring.  He enjoys giving talks in church and bearing his testimony.

Ammon and I have been blessed with the awesome responsibility of raising these boys.  We realize this and put all our effort into doing the best we can with them.

So... I guess I wanted to say that I am grateful for the gospel and the role it plays in my family.

No Cavity Club!!

Noah had his first trip to the dentist's office last month.  He did wonderful.  I used to work in a dental office and actually got to do the child appointments so I knew what to tell him to expect.  He was very well behaved and the hygienist was very understanding when I told her that I wanted to take pictures.  : )  Hey, it's just who I am, ok?  I love pictures.  

Getting his 20 teeth polished.

Griffin was so fascinated and watched the entire time from his Daddy's arms.

No cavities!

Checking out his super clean teeth.  He's growing up so fast and I love the person he's becoming.  My oldest baby...

Soccer Mom

Noah started instructional league soccer this fall.  He really enjoyed it at first.  When they started scrimmaging though, we told him that he needed to go kick the ball.  He got frustrated because he thought he had to kick the ball all the time.  Once we cleared up that misunderstanding, things were good again.  He really enjoyed soccer and we all enjoyed watching him.  Ammon especially.  Ammon is a phenomenal soccer player and for him to see his son play was a very special time for him.  I'm excited to finally have the title of "Soccer Mom" and I know this won't be the last season of soccer for us.  : )  Here are some pictures I took on picture night.  There was no way I was paying a ridiculous amount of money on the team's pictures.  Noah loves the camera and we always have to take multiple shots so he can use all of his silly faces.  Love this guy...

Aren't those shirts the most obnoxious color?!

Date Night!

I'm not sure why I don't blog anymore.  I really don't.  I love writing down my thoughts and documenting our cute little life...  I'm going to be better.  Here goes...

A couple weeks ago, Ammon and I got to go out on a date!  Mount Airy was having their annual Autumn Leaves Festival so we decided to go check it out.  It was so nice to go without children.  We browsed all the vendor tents and just had fun walking hand in hand.  We saw SO many people we knew.  I love living in a small town... It's so fun running into friends whenever we go out.

Here we are before we started walking.  I love my husband so much.  He planned this night.  First, we went to the festival.  Then we went out to Ruby Tuesdays for dinner.  I had the loaded mashed potatoes (i lived on these for a couple weeks after i got my wisdom teeth extracted.  so yummy!) and a water.  Then he took me out to Scoops.  Scoops is an ice cream shop located in an old van.  Seriously.  It's a van pulled off the side of the road that sells ice cream.  I like it.  : )

While at the festival we enjoyed our usual.  A funnel cake and fresh squeezed lemonade to share.  Yes, I realize we ate like crap that night.  It was one night.  I'm ok with it.  Apparently I'm a messy funnel cake eater...

It was a wonderful evening.  Can't wait til our next date!

and I quote...

"Rather than being judgmental and critical of each other, may we have the pure love of Christ for our fellow travelers in this journey through life."

-Thomas S. Monson

It doesn't get much cooler than this...

Noah snapped this picture of Ammon and I (and Griffin) before we left to play giant dodge ball with the youth in our ward.  Ammon had matching soccer jerseys that said "twins" on the front.  We completed the look with soccer socks, matching tennis shoes, and headbands.  Yeah, we're hott!

By the way, giant dodge ball was a hit!  You just use those huge exercise balls to play the game.  It was a lot of fun!

Brain freeze!

poor buddy.

ps -- around here, no day is complete without some "pink chocolate milk" and unnecessary band aids.

5 reasons...

I know I say it a lot but, Ammon is a fantastic dad.  He really is.  He is so patient with these boys of ours and let me tell you, that can be hard thing to do sometimes.  Well, for me anyways.  I love this picture and here's a few reasons why.

#5 - Griffin is wearing cute clothes that his Aunt Michelle got him for his birthday.  He looks so handsome!

#4 - Griffin is wearing his fish backpack.  The kid is seriously obsessed with backpacks.  Or anything that can be turned into a backpack.  If he had his choice, he'd wear a backpack at all times.  Even when he's strapped into a carseat or going to bed.  (yes, we've had to deal with those specific situations)

#3 - Griffin is sitting on top of the car.  Ammon is always doing fun stuff with his boys.  He understands little boys and knows what they think is cool or awesome.  Me?  I try but, I don't think they'll ever think I'm as cool as Daddy.  And that's ok.  I think he's pretty cool too.  ; )

#2 - Tickling!  Tickling is huge in this house.  It's just so cute to see these boys laugh like that.  I'll never understand why they enjoy it so much.  I HATE being tickled.  It's true.  Just ask Ammon.

And the #1 reason I love this picture is... those adorable little wrinkles by Ammon's eye.  Can't you just see how happy he is?  I'm so grateful that our Heavenly Father blessed us with a family.  And blessed us with Noah and Griffin specifically.  We talk all the time about how lucky we are to have them.  They are so important to us and to know that I get to be their mom FOREVER is an exhausting but also glorious thought.

Trains, Trains and more TRAINS!

Back in June (the 12th) Gigi and Pap came with us to the NC Transportation Museum.  That place is LOADED with trains.  Noah and Griffin were super excited to see real trains everywhere.  It was another scorcher of a day but, that's alright.  We had fun anyway.  It was unseasonably hot.  Up near 100 degrees.  

I've been having some trouble with my DSLR in lots of sunlight so a lot of these pictures are over exposed.  I tried to bring it back down a bit when I was editing them.

Same train.  Different angle.  Gosh, I LOVE my little family of boys.

We were able to ride 2 trains that day.  Here are the boys in the passenger train.  They had us in a different car but, the ac went out.  And the windows wouldn't go down.  We were about to ask them to stop the train and let us off.  Yep, the 100 degree weather sounded so nice from the inside of that train. They saw that we were miserable and moved us to a different car.  One that had ac.  Thank goodness.  I can't think of another time I was THAT hot.  Whew!

This was the other train we were able to ride.  A caboose train!  We were in the front of the line so, we got to sit up top.  And the windows worked in this train.  : )

Piatt boys.  So handsome.

We also got to ride a rail car.

Gigi with the boys.  They love her SO much!

What's this thing called?  A switchboard?

love.

Learning the science behind train tracks and wheels.

Thanks for a wonderful day, Gigi and Pap.  We really enjoyed ourselves and enjoyed spending time with you. Our children are extremely spoiled.  They love trains and have been able to ride 4 of them!  Not many 1 and 3 year olds get that opportunity.  Love you!

Zoo Keepers

We decided to brave the crowd and head to the NC Zoo on Memorial Day.  Whew!  It was crowded!  And hot!  Before we got there, Noah said he wanted to see a polar bear and a parrot.  That's it.  Thank goodness we were able to oblige.  Gigi, Pap, and Ammon's sister Joni (and fam) were able to come too.  We bought a year membership which gets us into other zoos and aquariums for free!  When we were in Myrtle Beach we hit up the aquarium.  The boys loved it!  Here are some pictures of our day.

Here's Griffin, Kiera and Lathen watching the seals.

And again.

 Noah climbed this huge rock and was so proud of himself!  He doesn't know that he got a little help from dear old dad.  : )

Watching the alligators.  Or crocodiles.  I'm not sure which.

There was this really neat water fountain exhibit.  The water would stay low for awhile and then shoot up like a rocket.  Pretty cool.

This was Noah's reaction when he saw it.

The boys were able to ride the carousel.  Noah HAD to be on the eagle (in the background) and Griffin picked the zebra.  I thought Noah might freak out once it started moving but he did great.  Loved every second.  And of course Griffin loved it.  That kid loves everything and has absolutely no fear.

As the day wore on, the clouds got thicker.  It down-poured for quite awhile.  We tried to stay dry but after about 15 minutes, Noah and Lathen started running around and splashing in the puddles.  For some reason, Noah held his shorts up the whole time.  I guess he didn't want them to get wet?

We had a great time but the rain was getting to be a little much for the kids.  Griffin was exhausted and falling asleep in the stroller while getting pounded by rain.  And Noah could not get warm.  We headed back to the car for some dry clothes and lunch.  Before we even got onto the main road, Griffin looked like this.  Noah toughed it out a few minutes longer but soon looked like this:

We're excited to go back!!  Once it cools down a little.