Andrew

You exhaust me every single day, but I love you.  You have the most contagious smile in the world.  I love when you laugh with your big open mouth and tip your head back.  I love how curious you are and how intently you watch what your brother is doing.  I know you want to be just like him.  Thanks for playing in your room by yourself while I rested the other day.  Here is what I found when I checked on you.  You, on top of the toy bin, with an arm completely out of your shirt singing along to the toy jukebox.  Love you forever.

 

St. Patrick’s Day

The little leprechaun turned our milk green this year so Tyson had cereal with green milk.  And then while the boys were all getting haircuts he left a scavenger hunt for them to find the gold at the end of the rainbow.  Andrew was happy sitting with daddy and watching all the commotion by Tyson.  He did great on the hunt!  He skipped or hopped or jumped to each clue and he did exactly as the leprechaun said.  :)  I love holidays.

 

jumpin’ as high as he could

     

Andrew’s ears

As previously mentioned many times, this winter has been awful for sickness, especially for my little Andrew.  After 2 ear infections and 4 antibiotic treatments with in a month’s span, the pediatrician sent us to the ENT.  The verdict is if Andrew gets one more ear infection in the next 4 months he gets tubes put in.  Right after that appointment Andrew caught another cold.  I keep waiting to be woken up in the night with a screaming Andrew.  I’m holding my breath.  It is like I can feel it coming.  He’s a ticking time bomb. 

I have some pictures from his latest Dr.’s appointment.  I just wanted to document the chaos of those tiny rooms.  We’ve been there way, way, way too many times in the last 2 months.  I think 7 times…

 

Oh ya know, just playing in the garbage.

and mad when I stopped him.

Lederhosen

Brian was born in Germany so we have this adorable lederhosen outfit that his parents bought him when he was little.  His mother has a picture of him around the age of 2 in the outfit.  She gave it to us when Tyson was a baby so that we could do the same with him and all of our boys.  A few Sunday’s ago we dressed Andrew up.  It is the cutest thing.

   

Lovin’ the hat

Loving the cane…

 

until we took it away :)

Grandma Dickson

This is my first experience of losing a grandparent.  It was more difficult than I thought it would be.  I was able to see her 3 days before she died.  It was a sad visit for me, but one I am very glad I made.  She was very sick.  Her breathing was labored and when she looked at me it was like she was looking through me.  I told her that I loved her and Tyson did the same.  I left that night knowing in my heart she wasn’t going to make it more than a week.  So when she died I was very sad but at the same time very relieved.  The way she was living was no way to live for her or for my grandfather.  He looked worn out and exhausted.  His heart was breaking because he said to me when I was helping him get her into bed, “It’s heartbreaking, isn’t it?”  I know it was her time to go even though we all miss her. 

Her funeral was so nice.  A cousin from each family gave a talk as well as my mother.  My mother and brother made me cry with their talks and my brother mentioned me and the towel I made her for Christmas I completely lost it.  Grandma was such a grateful lady.  I made her a hand towel for Christmas a few years back.  She called me and thanked me as well as sent me a note.  Anytime I went to her house she told me how she’d told all her friends and showed them the towel.  And she always thanked me again, every time. 

Andrew must have gotten car sick because we were almost to the church for the funeral and Andrew threw up.  We almost missed the family prayer trying to get Andrew cleaned up and settled.  Brian stayed with Andrew in the Relief Society room just in case he got sick again, and Tyson went into the funeral with me.  In all the hustle of Andrew, I completely forgot Ty’s bag to keep him entertained.  Max was being so nice and sharing everything with Tyson and Tyson was being really good too. 

My father dedicated her grave and gave a wonderful prayer. 

 

This casket makes me smile.  I remember her telling me she had picked out her casket years ago and that it was light blue.  Isn’t it pretty?

And here are some pictures of my dear Grandma.  The oldest pictures I have on my computer only go back to 2005. 

My bridal shower

 

Graduation

My wedding

And days before my wedding…