Our Three Sons

Family Pictures

2010-07-01T00:08:00.000-07:00

Matt

Keaton

Andrew

We are so excited to have some new family pictures. They turned out far better than I imagined.

Newport Beach / Whale Watching

2010-04-01T09:01:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful time staying at the Newport Villas at Newport Beach with Cindy and Jackson in January. The boys loved playing ping pong, pool and life-sized chess.

It was such a fun and beautiful resort.

The boys with Grandma & Grandpa Crofts

We went whale watching and even though we didn't see any whales, we did see plenty of dolphins, seals and sea birds and had a great time.

We're Back!

2010-02-03T19:59:00.000-08:00

Yes, we realize it's been a while since we've updated. A lot happened in December. Keaton and Andrew turned 11, Grandpa Jensen came for Christmas and the boys went to AZ to visit their friend Nate.

Happy Birthday boys!

We spent the boys' Birthday at Disneyland. They had fun shopping, eating ice cream, riding the rides and watching the holiday parade. The Haunted Mansion was their favorite ride - it was decorated and decked out for Christmas.

Disneyland in December.

Enjoying all of the Christmas decorations on Main Street.

The boys celebrated their 11th birthday with a few friends from the ward. Cosmic bowling was a blast.

They loved spending time in Arizona with the Mariners.

Matt loves to wear everybody's shoes (and his brothers' hats & helmets) around the house.

Hanging out with Keaton. Matt loves his big brothers (he can say Andrew really well and calls them both Andrew).

Thanksgiving Weekend

2009-12-10T23:00:00.000-08:00

My parents came for Thanksgiving this year. It was so nice to see them. We drove by the homes they grew up in down in Chula Vista, ate at El Juan and, of course, went to the beach. This was our first time visiting Coronado Beach. It was great but a little chilly in November.

The first family picture we've had in awhile. Grandma & Grandpa Biesinger

Some great shots of the kids and the beach.

Veteran's Day on the USS Midway

2009-12-06T16:15:00.000-08:00

We took the family to San Diego to tour the USS Midway. It's an aircraft carrier that was commisioned in 1945. It was used in the 1st Gulf War and now serves as a floating museum.

It was so cool!

The boys had a great time exploring. We really enjoyed spending our Veteran's Day on the USS Midway.

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-15T20:40:00.000-08:00

This picture was taken at the ward Trunk or Treat. We had a great time seeing all of the creative costumes. We're really into recycling this year. Matt is wearing a costume that Andrew wore at his age and the boys are on their second or third year of being baseball players.

Matt enjoying the Pumpkin patch.

Arrow of Light Ceremony

2009-10-07T20:26:00.000-07:00

The boys had their Arrow of Light Ceremony on October 2nd. The Arrow of Light is the highest award in Cub Scouts that celebrates the transition from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts. It was a really nice program and a great accomplishment.

Akela and the North Wind

Sixteen boys in our Stake recieved thier Arrow of Light

Andrew and Keaton wearing their new Boy Scout neckerchiefs and displaying their plaques

Picture Day at School

2009-10-04T20:57:00.000-07:00

My favorite shot of the boys

Andrew

Keaton

I took a few pictures just in case the school pictures don't turn out. The boys sure look handsome with their hair combed and wearing nice shirts. Too bad they won't wear nice shirts every day -they prefer a comfortable t-shirt to anything with buttons and a collar.

Some cute shots of Matt. He is in to everything these days. He loves being outside, climbing everything and making a mess.

It's Football season

2009-09-29T22:06:00.000-07:00

Supporting our team

All smiles

What a great view of the game.

Chris took the boys to the Qualcomm Stadium to watch the Chargers and the 49ers play. They had a great time and can't wait to attend another game. They enjoy watching every football and baseball game that they can.

Back to School!

2009-08-24T15:31:00.000-07:00

Our handsome boys

Andrew ready for fifth grade

Keaton on the first day of school

The boys actually started school a week and a half ago. They are both enjoying their classes and their teachers. They have had plenty of homework . I suppose it's to prepare them for middle school next year - yikes!

Summer Fun

2009-08-20T21:19:00.000-07:00

We took a quick trip up to Utah in the middle of July. We visited cousins and grandparents, aunts and uncles, saw some movies, spent some time with friends and enjoyed the beautiful mountains of Utah.

Gateway Discovery Museum with our friends the Siufanuas.

The whole lot of us

Hiking up Bridal Veil Falls with Jen and Kevin. We had planned to tube down the Provo River but the weather wouldn't cooperate. It was cold and the water was beyond freezing.

Me and Matt waiting for the boys

We went up to Snowbird and enjoyed their summer activities. It was so much fun. Russell came with us. We were able to ride the Alpine Slide several times, climb the rock wall and take the Tram all the way to the top of the mountian. The kids did the bungee trampoline twice and Chris and I rode the Zip Line. Matt did quite well for missing his nap and being gone all day.

Keaton scaling the wall

Andrew climbing his way to the top. This was a favorite of the kids. I think they climbed each wall two or three times. They made it to the top nearly every time. I gave it a try and boy am I rusty.

Looking up at the mountain before riding the Tram

In the tram

At the top of the mountain enjoying the amazing view of SLC and the surrounding mountains

Taking in the sights

The boys hiked up Mt. Timpanogos for the first time. They began hiking before 7am and got back around 9pm. They saw a moose and mountin goats, hiked through waterfalls and snowfields and had an amazing adventure.

The boys at the start of the hike

A great picture of the many waterfalls and snow fields

Taking a break

Emerald Lake and the glacier. It was around 2 pm when they reached this point. The trails were covered with snow from this point up and it would have been difficult and dangerous to go all the way to the top so they decided to turn around and make it back to the car before dark. .

A view from near Emerald Lake. You can see Deer Creek in the background.

What an amazing adventure! We had so much fun and packed alot of activities into this trip. We also stopped to see Chris' dad and spent some time with him in St. George. We took a tour of the St George Tabernacle and Brigham Young's winter home. The boys really enjoyed visiting these historic sites and would have loved to stay longer.

A Saturday at Oceanside Beach

2009-07-04T11:40:00.001-07:00

Matt playing with a couple of rocks

The boys

The pier

Heading out to body board for the first time.

We learned that catching the perfect wave is not as easy as it looks.

Here are a couple of videos of Andrew and Keaton.

Matt loved the giant sand box

Treat time - Doritos and Cheetos!

What a fun, easy-to-plan day. Can't wait to go back!

Calling All Angels

2009-06-23T21:41:00.000-07:00

This has been a month filled with baseball. A few weeks ago Chris took Keaton and Andrew to an LA Dodgers-Philadelphia Phillies game with their Uncle Blaine - their first trip to Dodger Stadium. Then a week later Chris was able to get some tickets to the Angels-Padres game on Friday night. We decided to take the whole family and make it a surprise. Surprises are supposed to be fun right? Our boys were dying to know where we were going. Is it an amusment park? etc, etc. They could hardly stand it. They didn't want to go unless they had all of the details. They're not so good with surprises.

Shots of the Angel Stadium.They can never say we didn't surprise them.

Matt ready to take his hat off as soon as we put it on.

Our seats were amazing! We were four rows up from the dugout in front of home plate. The boys have really been into baseball. They've become Angels fans and have watched almost every game since we went.

Looking out on the Stadium

Every Friday night they have a fireworks show after the game. It was awesome and a great way to end the night.

Moonlight Beach

2009-06-16T22:40:00.000-07:00

Everything is more fun when done with cousins.

Ready for a road trip.

Easily entertained.

Moonlight beach was great. It had a playground, snack shack, bathrooms, volleyball net and lots of sand.

Keaton and Jesse playing in the sand.

The kids had lots of fun jumping the waves, discovering sand crabs and playing in the sand.

Andrew isn't in any of these pictures since he opted to go to school and participate in field day. He had lots of fun as did we.

It might just be time to go home when your baby looks like this. We had a great time at the beach and then headed over to see the tide pools near La Jolla that my sister's family discovered on a previous trip. We had lots of fun and I think I was the only one to get sunburned. The boys missed their cousins as soon as they left. They would reminisce about how much more fun it had been to go on a walk or play a game with their cousins. Won't you all move out to Cali? Or at least visit often.

Memorial Day Weekend Part 2 - Golf

2009-06-14T17:01:00.000-07:00

Andrew, Chris and Grandpa Jensen went golfing over Memorial Day weekend at Menifee Lakes. They all had a blast and Andrew proved to be quite the little golfer - looks like golf lessons might be paying off.

Andrew looking sharp!Nice form.
Chris teeing it off. Grandpa Jensen hitting the ball.

Chris driving the ball.

Andrew actually hit his first tee shot on the green on a little par 3 hole. He was very excited and ended up bogeying the hole. Great job Andrew!

Memorial Day Weekend

2009-06-10T19:00:00.000-07:00

Matt reading with Grandpa

Enjoying the beautiful day

Keaton hitting the ball

Andrew mini golfing

Keaton and Andrew racing each other

Andrew soaking Dad

Ready for some fun

Andrew and Grandpa squirting each other

Racing

Grandpa Jensen came to visit over Memorial Day weekend. We spent Memorial Day at Mulligan's with all the go-kart racing, mini golf, bumper boat and laser tag we wanted. It was alot of fun! I mostly watched with Matt as the boys had a good time, though I did get in on the mini golf and bumper boat action. The bumper boats were the hit of the day. We loved chasing and squirting each other. The boys also played their first games of laser tag - also a hit. It was a fun-filled day.

They call me Trouble

2009-06-01T11:48:00.000-07:00

For awhile there, Matt was walking along the walls, cupboards and pushing chairs to get around. He is now enjoying the freedom to walk where he chooses unless he wants to play in the toilet, climb the stairs, touch the tv cords or bang on the fireplace.

Looks a little bit like Trouble

Making his way around the kitchen, under the table and through the chairs.

Taking some of his first steps. He's now a pro and thinks he can walk around with things in his hands and mouth. Not so! Needless to say he's got lots of bruises, scratches and cup marks on his face...nice.

Father & Sons Campout

2009-05-28T11:12:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago the boys headed off to the Father & Sons Campout above Lake Elsinore. It was at an RV campground. The boys had alot of fun until some boys from another ward sharing the campground set off a stink bomb in their tent around 10 pm. They almost came home that night but they aired out the tent and made the best of it. Chris said there was a report of a mounain lion attack up in that area earlier that week. Luckily they saw no mountain lions but Keaton was attacked by ants that night while leaning up against a tree. The boys did have a fun time playing with friends and exploring the area. It was a memorable camping experience to say the least.

Spring Break

2009-04-26T15:41:00.000-07:00

The boys had two weeks of spring break. They spent three days back in Surprise, AZ with our good friends and neighbors the Mariners. They had so much fun going to scouts with Nate, playing mini golf, staying up late watching movies, eating doughnuts and just hanging out. Nate is their best friend and they miss him alot. They couldn't stop talking about how much fun they had and how they wished they were still there. Thanks Denise!

We had alot of fun visiting with family in Utah over spring break. The boys loved playing out in the snow. They had a ruler and would measure all around Grandma and Grandpa's yard. According to the boys we had between 10 and 12 inches. WOW! Luckily it didn't stick around too long. We were definitely not prepared for extreme weather.

Measuring the snow up in the treehouse. They threw snowballs at mom and all of their Grandmas and Grandpas. What fun they had!

What a beautiful view of Mt. Timpanogus from my parents' front yard.

We went with Grandma and Aunt Jen to the Dinosaur Museum at Thanksgiving Point. It was soooooo cool, they really added alot of displays since the first time we went 4 years ago.

Lucky for us, Matt slept through most of the exhibits. He woke up full of spunk.

Easter Sunday with Grandma and Grandpa Crofts.

Matt loved sitting on the stairs and walking along all of the walls and furniture at Grandma's house.

Saying Goodbye to Grandma and Grandpa Biesinger. It was hard to say goodbye and head back to school, work, laundry and the long drive home. We had such a great time. The boys went to see Monsters vs Aliens. We visited with Great Grandma Biesinger, had Wii tournaments, Chris and I even got to go out to dinner one night and a movie the next. The boys had a sleepover with their cousin Russell and got to play with Katie and Maddie. We went to the BYU MOA to see the I SPY exhibit. It was so great to visit with friends and family - we only wish we could have had time for so much more.

Cruisin' - Well, Kinda

2009-04-04T21:16:00.000-07:00

We recently rediscovered a toy that Keaton and Andrew received for their 1st birthday - a walker. Matt has played with it before but was always more interested in playing with the toys on the front side of it. We decided to see if Matt was ready for it now. He is standing by himself and gets around the furniture quite well but hasn't taken his first unaided steps yet. The walker is perfect for him right now. He has taken quite a liking to it, cruisin all around the house. Soon he'll be walking on his own!

All Dressed Up

2009-03-29T17:18:00.000-07:00

Nothing too exciting but darn cute (at least we think so). These are a few new pictures of Matt for the grandparents. These are some pictures we took of Matt this morning before church. We just can't get enough of his smile, his bright eyes, and the cute little gap between his front teeth!

Disneyland - Reliving Old Memories

2009-03-10T20:18:00.000-07:00

We've been enjoying Disneyland over the last couple of weeks. We decided to buy annual passes a few weeks ago and have gone twice already. It has been fun to relive old memories from a trip we took to Disneyland back when the boys were 6 years old. They are now 10 and have changed a lot. We decided to compare some old photos and here are a few examples:

Andrew in 2009 vs. 2005 (a few inches taller)

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Keaton in 2009 vs. 2005 (older...and wiser)

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Tea cup ride 2009 vs. 2005 (same old nauseous feeling)

What a fun place! We are about an hour away when traffic is good. Keaton and Andrew have really taken a liking to Star Tours. We stayed until 11:30pm on Saturday and it wore us out. The boys kept begging to go on one more ride. After we caved they would ask again...I guess we're softies.

Rock and Roll Baby

2009-03-03T16:11:00.000-08:00

Check out my pearly whites

Really?

This is my new dog, Spot

Hamming it up, standing on my own, hanging out

Matthew was having so much fun on his Birthday. He loved all of the attention and was hamming it up for the camera. Here he is rocking to the music.

Happy Birthday Matt!

2009-03-03T15:32:00.000-08:00

The Birthday Boy

Lots of of fun cars from my brothers

Homemade pizza for dinner

He wasn't quite sure what to do with his cupcake. He dropped the first one on the floor, so we gave him a second. He liked the cake better than the frosting. YUM

Birthdays are exciting, birthdays are fun, especially when you're 1.

Hollywood Boulevard

2009-02-28T12:26:00.000-08:00

This is as close as we came to the famous landmark.

Ripley's Believe It or Not Odditorium!

Some of the many stars on Hollywood Blvd. and some of the few we saw and recognized.

Grauman's Chinese Theatre

Posing with Bumble Bee from Transformers.

Keaton and Freddy Kruger

Our first trip to Hollywood...and probably our last! We dropped Cindy and Jen off at the airport on Saturday and decided to do a little exploring. We thought it would be fun to go to Hollywood. We headed north and drove forever. We had no idea Hollywood was soooo far away. We finally arrived and were surprised at all of the characters in costume lining the Blvd. Anything for a tip, we came to find out. All of the characters were basically dressed-up beggars. A photo for a tip - no exceptions. We fell into the trap and took a few pictures. Andrew was worried about catching a disease from one of the characters and wasn't interested in posing for any photos with characters (we saw Darth Vader, Yoda, Superman, Superwoman, Batman, Spiderman, Shrek, Snoopy, Cat Woman, and many others). We then took a tour at the Guinness Book of World Records Museum. It was strange and interesting. All in all Hollywood was a disappointment. We were exposed to lots of graffiti, interesting characters, angry street preachers,and so much more. This was definitely not our favorite trip. In Keaton's words,"It was loud, dirty, busy, and crazy. You wouldn't be sad if you never went there." That sums it up. And now we know that other than a trip to Universal Studios we probably won't be returning to Hollywood.

Enjoying Time with Family & La Jolla Beach

2009-02-19T17:41:00.000-08:00

Cindy and Jen came for a visit last week. It was so nice to see them - we only wish they could have stayed longer. We spent our time visiting, shopping, doing crafts and exploring. Matt loved all of the attention. Luckily, the boys were out of school on Friday and Chris was able to take the day off so we spent the day at La Jolla Beach. It was windy and cold for California. We bundled up and went to see some seals and find some tide pools along the beach. Jen was brave enough to reach her hand in for some shells until she saw a crab or two.

This beach was beautiful with lush greenery, flowers and cliffs

And lots of cool weathered rock formations

On the beach with Dad

Exploring the awesome rock formations

The boys loved climbing on the rocks

The tide pool area

On our way to see the seals

Seals waiting to have their pups

Jen, Cindy & the boys seal watching

We dropped Cindy and Jen off at the airport on Saturday. It was sad to see them leave. The boys kept saying how it just wasn't as fun without them.

Exploring Southern California

2009-02-16T17:43:00.000-08:00

San Juan Capistrano Mission

Koi Pond with Giant Goldfish

San Juan Capistrano

The family

The boys

At a distance

We've been trying to see new things each weekend. A few weeks back we decided to take the Ortega Highway on our way to the mission San Juan Capistrano It was a steep, winding two way street . The view of Temecula and Lake Elsinore from the top of the mountain was amazing. The boys didn't like that there were no tire guards or railing to keep our car from going off the road. It turned out to be a long drive with most of us feeling a little carsick.

San Juan Capistrano was a really neat Catholic mission, all but the exterior walls of the church were destroyed by an earthquake several years ago. The boys had been learning about some of the missons at school and thought it was neat to see it firsthand. There was also an olive press (it looked like a giant wagon wheel), garden and cemetary on the grounds. It was a beautiful place.

On to our next adventure at Tom's Farm.

Panning for gems/rocks at Tom's Farm

Matt enjoying the train ride

Me and the boys after our quick train ride.

Tom's Farm is a neat place not too far from home. They have carnival rides, restaurants, a furniture store, a produce stand and candy shop. They also had a shooting gallery, train ride and mining area. The boys loved panning for gems and rocks in the mining area. They were excited to find an arrowhead as well as several other minerals. The train ride was very short and a bit dissapointing but the atmosphere was pretty cool with a live band and cowboys roaming the streets.

Homemade Surprise

2009-02-16T10:39:00.000-08:00

I copied this from my friend Diane, I thought it sounded like alot of fun. If you want to participate, here’s how it works:

1. Be one of the first 3 people to leave a comment on this post and I will send you a handmade gift sometime in the next 3 months.
2. You get to pay it forward as well by doing the same thing for 3 people on your blog, plus one back to me.
3. Once you leave a comment telling me that you want to participate, you need to make a pay-it-forward post on your blog within one day.
Get crafting!Go right ahead and be the first three. You never know what you might get!

I love this little guy!

2009-01-22T21:33:00.000-08:00

Matt is growing so quickly! This picture was taken before we left Arizona. He sure looks like Trouble. At ten months he is rolling around, trying to pull himself up and rocking back and forth, no crawling yet. He loves to stand up and bounce to music. He makes all kinds of sounds and seems pleased with himself. He is generally happy and the fact that his hair naturally sticks up makes me smile.

Hello From Sunny California!

2009-01-20T19:25:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! We finally have an internet connection, so it's time to catch up on our posts. We packed up and moved over the New Year's holiday. Thanks to Jason & Denise for letting our boys sleep over and for feeding us and loaning us a bed. We miss you all. We are so excited to be settling in here in Murrieta, CA. We stayed in a hotel for four days waiting to move into our home; those were long days and nights with everyone in the same room. Luckily we were able to get out and see some sites.

We had fun at the beach in Carlsbad. Matt wasn't sure what to think about the sand. We were going to go to Legoland but it was rainy in the morning and we didn't want to go for just a half day so we went to the beach that afternoon after the weather cleared up. It was still a bit chilly and we weren't planning to get wet but... The boys started running away from the waves. Then they took off their shoes and rolled their pants up to their ankles. Then up to their knees. Then they pretty much jumped into the waves head first. They didn't seem to care that the water was a little chilly. When it was time to leave they were so wet and full of sand that we had to have them take their pants and shirts off and sit on garbage bags until we could get them some new clothes. We also learned that it's not a good idea to wash sandy clothes in the washer unless you don't want your washer to drain. That was an expensive lesson. We didn't know why the washer wasn't draining but a plumber came out and found 2 cups of sand blocking the drain line.

The boys said, "this (the beach) is better than Legoland!"

On Sunday we went to see the San Diego Temple. It was beautiful! The missionaries showed us several pictures of the interior and other pictures. Did you know that there is an open-air atrium in the middle of the temple?

On Monday we went to the San Diego Wild Animal Park. The boys really enjoyed the safari train ride. They took lots of pictures, fed the ducks and saw giraffes, cheetahs, gorillas, lions, elephants and other animals up close up close. This park is only about a half hour from our house.
Looking out over the Wild Animal Park. Andrew kept asking if he could take a ride in the air balloon they had in the center of the park. This was the next best thing. The boys bought a stuffed animal to remind them of all the real animals they saw that day.

Farewell to Arizona

2008-12-30T23:38:00.000-08:00

Goodbye Arizona! The movers will be here tomorrow to start packing us up. We are so sad to be leaving so many wonderful people and places in Arizona yet excited for a new adventure. I think our missions brought out our sense of adventure and desire to see and experience new places. Arizona is our new home away from home. We have loved it and it has been a great place for our kids - Keaton and Andrew have made a lot of great friends that they hope to stay in touch with as well. After living here for over three and a half years we have so many fond memories and have enjoyed making new friends and exploring the great sites here. We will also miss the mild winters (but not the hot summer days). Who knows - maybe someday we'll be snow birds and live here in the winter... In the mean time please drop us a line or stop by if you're ever in the LA/San Diego area.

Happy Birthday Boys!

2008-12-30T23:29:00.000-08:00

The boys were so excited to have a birthday party with some of their friends before leaving Arizona. It was organized chaos with nine kids in the same room but they all seemed to have a great time playing games at the park, eating pizza, eating cake and ice cream, opening presents and ending with a Wii Tournament.

Box Car Racer

2008-12-25T16:12:00.000-08:00

The boys have had alot of fun playing with boxes. They have been pushing Matt all around the house. They even put a pillow and blanket in so he'd fit better and be more comfortable. He doesn't seem to mind and even enjoys it.

Camelback Mountain Hike

2008-11-29T19:10:00.000-08:00

Chris, Keaton and Andrew hiked Camelback Mountain the Saturday after Thanksgiving. It was a much harder hike than they anticipated. After parking about a mile outside the park they figured it was about a 5-mile hike and it felt like it was straight up. The hike starts with a long section of railroad tie stairs, then has 2 sections where you have to hold onto a handrail to get up and then the rest of the trail is basically large boulders that you have to hike through, over, and around. Keaton and Andrew did fine on the way up while their dad struggled but Keaton and Andrew had a harder time coming back down.

Andrew & Keaton ready to hike Camelback Mountain in the background.

Taking a quick break to let Dad catch up!

The first section requiring a handrail to climb up. Hold to the rod!!!!!

The second handrail section.

At the top...finally.

They made it!

Coming back down at sunset.

The Closest Thing We Have to a Tree House

2008-11-29T18:47:00.000-08:00

Andrew and Keaton are going to miss sitting in the Palo Verde tree in our front yard. They really are little monkeys. They love to climb everything - trees, walls, whatever they can find. They even did homework while sitting in the tree once. It's funny because it is such a small tree but they love it.

Thanksgiving and "Bolt" in 3D

2008-11-29T18:41:00.000-08:00

We spent Thanksgiving day at Chris' cousin Katie's home in Chandler, AZ. We had Thanksgiving with Katie and Randy 2 years ago and hadn't seen them since then. Heather (Katie's sister and Chris' cousin) and her husband Nate and their family came down from Utah for Thanksgiving as well. It was so much fun to see everybody again - it has been way too long. Wow, their kids are really growing up and are so cute. The boys weren't too sure if they would have fun with the younger kids but it turns out that they had such a fun time that they didn't want to leave after about seven hours of playing, eating and visiting. They played in the sandbox for hours, burying things (even some of the kids) and playing on the swingset.

The day after Thanksgiving we took the boys to see "Bolt" with their friend Nate. We had no idea it was going to be in 3D. We all wore these cool shades. This is a picture of Keaton, Nate, and Andrew after the movie. What a fun afternoon activity.

A Good Laugh!

2008-11-25T20:11:00.000-08:00

This was the hardest we've heard Matt laugh. Keaton was jumping around and yelling Boo! It was the funniest thing. Matt just kept laughing and laughing. We caught Matt on tape after he'd been laughing for 5 minutes or more. We couldn't stop laughing along with him.

Fall Baseball League - The Copper Crushers

2008-11-19T19:12:00.001-08:00

Keaton and Andrew have been playing their second season of kid-pitch baseball and have been lucky to get a great coach who has helped them learn the fundamentals pretty well. He holds the boys accountable but is very positive and has taught them a lot of good lessons about teamwork, attitude, and discipline.

Safe!!! Here are a couple of clips of Andrew stealing third base.

This is Keaton with a base hit...well, almost. We thought a tie goes to the runner but the ump called him out. Anyway, nice hit Keaton and nice RBI! He had two base hits tonight that we weren't able to catch on the camera but this was a good one too.

Here's our future slugger. Matt appears to be enjoying the game as he relaxes in Dad's chair.

Going to California

2008-11-06T06:42:00.000-08:00

We're on our way to Murrieta, CA as Chris was given the opportunity to work on a larger, more challenging project for work and we felt like this was our next adventure in life. The boys seem pretty excited about being near the beach and theme parks. They are sad to leave behind so many friends, as are we. Arizona has been such a wonderful place to live aside from the hot summers. If you know anyone on their way to AZ who needs a house ours will be available for sale or rent. We are looking at moving at the end of December so the boys can finish the second quarter of school here. In the meantime Chris will be doing lots of traveling and we will be doing our best here at home. We hope we'll see lots more visitors. Feel free to stop by on your way to the beach or come and stay a while.

Here it is right above Temecula. It's a whole mile closer to Utah than our current home and an hour less on the road. Wow!

Andrew said he'll miss climbing the fence to Nate's yard (their friend next door) and going to Marley Park. Keaton said he'll also miss climbing the wall and our tree out front. He'll miss Arizona but is looking forward to being close to Disneyland.

From Google maps it looks like Disneyland is about 55 miles away, Legoland is about 44 miles away, and Sea World is about 65 miles away. We went house hunting last week and have talked to friends in the area and it seems like a nice place to live.

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-05T12:10:00.000-08:00

Matt made such a cute little skeleton. He wasn't too sure about all of the pictures. We were trying to catch him smiling. No such luck!

Did you see a ghost?

Hey everybody. Just hangin' out waitin' for ghosts and goblins to come to the door.

Our three sons. Keaton and Andrew have chosen a costume and stuck with it for a couple of years at a time. They wanted to be Jedis for 2 years and now baseball players for 2 years. Maybe they'll want to do something entirely crazy and unique next year - or maybe not. The boys went to a fun Halloween party this year with a bunch of friends from the ward and then out with Dad for lots of treats.

Making the Grade

2008-10-31T21:44:00.001-07:00

First quarter grades are in. These pictures are from the awards assembly the school had this week honoring fourth and fifth grade students for their achievements.

Andrew and Abby made the honor roll. Way to go guys!

Keaton was awarded the Principal's honor roll and was selected as the student of character from his class. His teacher said that he is kind to everyone and is always on task. Great job!

Fall Soccer Season

2008-10-26T19:12:00.000-07:00

Fall soccer league is coming to a close. The boys only have one more game.

Here is a short video clip of Keaton playing goalie where he blocks a shot and then boots it down the field.

This is a picture of Andrew playing goalie in the second half, kicking a goalie kick. We have a video of Andrew but the file is too big to upload to the blog.

They have had a fun season. They had 3 friends from our ward on their team - Kaden, Jared, and Nate. Their team was one of the younger teams but they played very well. Tuesday nights were very busy for the boys who have Cub Scouts from 6-7pm and soccer practice from 7:30-8:30pm. They also just started fall baseball but have had to miss Tuesday practices for obvious reasons. After their last soccer game this Saturday our lives will get a little simpler.

We also found out how hard it is to get a good video clip of them playing soccer with our new camera. We are going to try to get some better clips this Saturday.

Pinnacle Peak

2008-10-22T21:32:00.000-07:00

Chris took the boys on a 3.5 mile hike up Pinnacle Peak in Scottsdale during Fall Break. They had so much fun. They are planning the next hike up Camelback Mountain. Then on to Havasupai Falls - well, maybe not. They enjoy hiking and exploring. It's getting cooler here and is perfect weather to enjoy being outside.

With water and snacks we're ready to go. Matt and I stayed home since the trail is not stroller friendly. (Actually, we ran errands and got groceries, etc.)

The only shade to be found on this hike!

Dirt, rocks, sagebrush and cacti, oh my.

We're definitely in the desert.

Boating on Lynx Lake (Part 2 of the Camping Trip)

2008-09-13T21:44:00.000-07:00

On the way home from camping Chris took the boys boating, partially to fulfill some of their cub scout requirements but mostly as an excuse to have some fun. They went out on a row boat and a paddle boat that afternoon. The boys learned how to row and can now row frontwards and backwards and turn. They thought the paddle boat was a lot more work but really enjoyed rowing.

Andrew and Keaton getting geared up.

Andrew rowing.

Keaton rowing.

Lynx Lake north dock

Chris, Andrew, and Keaton getting set to take off on the paddle boat.

Camping near Lynx Lake

2008-09-13T21:08:00.000-07:00

Chris took Keaton and Andrew camping last weekend with a couple of families from our ward. I stayed home with Matt, who had just been circumcized earlier in the week. We thought it wouldn't be that fun to take Matt camping anyway where he is still so small and we would be without the comforts of home. Chris and the boys love camping and had a lot of fun.

They shot blow dart guns, made a fun tree swing, played ladder ball, played by the river and caught a frog, climbed on the rocks around camp, rode a 4 wheeler, saw a skunk, and had fun being dirty, smelly boys. One of the boys who came along fell on one of the rocks and broke his arm the last day. We didn't know until we saw him in church on Sunday with a cast on.

Andrew and the blow dart gun

Keaton with a blow dart gun and playing ladder ball

Keaton on the swing

And Andrew too...

But the funnest part was:

Of course, playing with friends.

Growing like crazy!

2008-09-11T14:44:00.000-07:00

March 2008Matt was born five weeks premature. He weighed 4lb-10 oz. He was the smallest of our three boys. He stayed in the hospital an extra day to make sure he could keep his body temperature up on his own.

April 2008

He gained weight rapidly and started to fill out nicely.

May 2008

Looking pretty serious.

June 2008

Matt on his blessing day.

June 2008

Showing lots of personality and some curiosity.

July 2008

Sitting up in his Bumbo chair with his brothers.

August 2008

Trying to sit up on his own.

September 2008We just started him on baby cereal. He is not too sure if he likes it...

He's getting so big.

Our little Matthew.

Matt is now 16 pounds and continues to grow quickly. He is so much fun. He is laughing and trying to talk. He has a bottom tooth breaking through so he drools a lot and tries to chew on everything. He is a pretty even-tempered little guy and is such a blessing in our lives. Keaton and Andrew are good big brothers. They always want to hold, hug, and kiss him.

We have our own bedrooms!

2008-09-06T18:04:00.000-07:00

Keaton and Andrew have always shared a room, mostly because they have always wanted to be together. Recently though, they have had a tough time getting to bed and waking up on time so we decided to separate them after almost 10 years. This hasn't solved the problem (yet) but we are hopeful they will start getting to sleep earlier soon. Here are their thoughts on the move.

KEATON:

"I like having my own room. It gives me more space for all of my things."

"I like my new desk. I've found something to put in every drawer. I also have a new Diamondbacks poster." - KJ

ANDREW:

"This is my new room and my new Brandon Webb poster."

"At my desk I like to read, write and use my new desk lamp. I also have my own alarm clock so I can get myself up in the morning." - AJ

Back to School!

2008-09-02T18:59:00.000-07:00

Yeah! It's always so exciting when a new school year begins. The boys are now in 4th grade. Wow, does time fly. They have mentioned a few times that 3rd grade was a lot more fun. Fourth grade is challenging. They are learning cursive as well as doing a lot of social studies and science this year. We were told that they would have about 45 minutes of homework each night but it usually ends up taking about 2 hours plus 30 minutes of reading. The estimate of 45 minutes was actually pretty accurate but since they spend over an hour each day complaining about homework and finding various ways to tease and bug each other it usually ends up taking 2+ hours. We put a schedule together on family night to help them manage their time better during the week (so they can play more) but the jury is still out on whether they will concentrate better on homework.

Andrew ready for another sucessful year.

Keaton ready to roll.

Take me out to the Ballgame

2008-08-08T20:32:00.000-07:00

We had so much fun at the Diamondbacks game last night. Chris got some really great tickets from work. We were sitting on row 18 just above the dugout. They played the Atlanta Braves and lost 4-6. The D-Backs rallied in the bottom of the 8th inning but fell short. The boys' little league team this spring was the Atlanta Braves so they were excited to see their major league counterparts play the hometown team. Keaton and Andrew noticed that the D-Backs have lost all 3 games we've attended - maybe we're bad luck...

The boys supporting their team.

Andrew on top of the D-Backs dugout singing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" during the 7th inning stretch. Andrew usually doesn't enjoy singing so we were surprised he was willing to go up - maybe it was the cute cheerleader that convinced him.?.?.?

Keaton not about to sing since he didn't know all of the words (or so he says).

Matt just chillin' and enjoying all of the lights, noise and fanfare of the baseball game. Matt lasted most of the game but took a cat nap for about an inning.

Tree Monkeys

2008-07-14T22:32:00.000-07:00

The boys had a blast playing at my mom's neighbor's treehouse. It had six levels and looked questionably safe whereas the zip line seemed quite sturdy. Russell, Cali, Jessie and Shara joined in on the fun.

Keaton having a great time.

Andrew coming down the zip line.

Andrew climbing the tree infront of Grandma & Grandpa's house. Every time we were outside they'd say, " Watch me!" or "Look how high I can climb."

Keaton hanging onto the branch like a monkey. They had so much fun playing outside where it wasn't quite as hot as it is at home.

Utah Vacation

2008-07-07T22:17:00.000-07:00

The boys swimming with all of their Utah cousins. They had fun playing games and having a sleepover. We really miss spending time with all of you.

Playing mini golf at Cascade with Granma & Grandpa Crofts and Jen and Kevin on the 4th of July.

Keaton and Andrew teamed up with Dad to soak Aunt Jen with water balloons. Okay, we all ended up soaked as well as the deck and kitchen floor and anyone else in the way.

This swingset has been here since Aunt Jen played on it. It's seen better days but is still loads of fun.

Matt looking cute and oh so big at four months old.

We enjoyed visiting family this past week in Utah and wish that we could have stayed another week or two. The boys had a sleepover with their cousins, swam, had a water balloon fight, did the slip and slide, watched Kung Fu Panda and Wall-E, played mini golf, went to Sqaw Peak, hiked Bridal Veil Falls and rode the zip line from the neighbor's treehouse. We also enjoyed a BBQ, mini golf and tons of fireworks with Chris' family. Chris got in his first golf games of the year. He golfed at Cascade, Talon's Cove, and Sleepy Ridge. I went to my first card making class ever, went shopping and enjoyed spending time with our families. It was fun for everyone to see Matt; he is getting so big. At four months he traveled pretty well for having to lay in his car seat for 12+ hrs. The boys keep saying how much they miss being in Utah and speculate about what they would be doing if they were still there. We had so much fun and wish we lived closer so we could visit more often. We send our love to you all and thank you for letting us share a week with you.