isaac's sixth birthday

We celebrated Isaac's sixth birthday last week. I was able to steer him away from the 'water fight party' that he had requested (thank goodness), and we kept the day pretty simple but fun. Me and the boys had a picnic lunch at the 'old house' at Wasatch State Park (one of his favorite places), then that evening some of his cousins came over for his official party. I can call it a party because we had a pinata and played a game (pin the arrow on the Avatar... I'm so clever).

Isaac is still the same inquisitive, lovable, playful, inquisitive, intelligent, uncoordinated, inquisitive boy that he was a year ago, but he does seem older (and look older! Holy cow!). Here are the things about Isaac right now that stick out to me the most:

1) Like I mentioned, he is EXTREMELY inquisitive. He does a great job of making our drives go by quickly by filling the time asking one question after another. You would think that we have covered every single topic that there is known to man, but he likes to re-ask and re-evaluate things over and over. He also asks questions that most kids (or adults) wouldn't even think of (nor care to know about). I think I have gotten pretty use to it, but he can do a good job of exhausting the minds of even the most loving grandma.

2) Kind of going along with his questioning, he has to know the 'why' in everything, so he often draws his own conclusions when he hears the phrase, "I don't know." For example, he often asks questions that I wouldn't possibly know the answer to: "Mom, why did that tree die?". Well, when you say the obvious, "I don't know.", he will proceed to think of all the possibilities... "maybe it has bark beetles", or "maybe it got a disease", or "maybe it didn't get enough water", or....

3) He is very mechanically minded. He loves to figure out how everything works. This is why he loves to hang out in the garage while Adam works on fixing machines or any other project.

4) He loves the cartoon, Avatar: The Last Airbender.

5) He has a huge fascination with plants. That makes up about 75% of his questions lately.

6) Although he lacks some in coordination, he is not afraid to try new things. I'm very glad he has the attitude that he can do anything. Although, he can get pretty frustrated when he can't figure something out. But, he's extremely excited when he does. The bad part about his lack of coordination comes when you combine it with his floppiness, his size, and his obliviousness to who/what is next to him. You end up with a lot of 'accidents'.

7) He takes warnings/cautions very seriously... almost too seriously at times. Say you tell him to watch out for some stinging nettle on a trail, he has to come to a complete stop, then give himself as much distance as physically possible between himself and the threat before proceeding at a snails pace. We often wonder if it's better not to say anything at all in certain situations.

8) He's very outgoing. I don't think I've ever seen him hesitate to talk to someone.

9) He loves, loves, loves playing with his cousins.

10) He has a huge sweet tooth. I think it even rivals mine.

11) He is a really good brother. He seems to appreciate all the cute things that Asa does and he plays with Luke pretty well. He has his moments when he can be a stinker, but he does love them (as I'm typing this he is bugging Luke... but, with love :)

12) I think that the phrase 'To have the faith of a child' directly refers to Isaac. If he knows of someone who is sick, or if he is sick, or if his mom hits a baby deer while driving, he doesn't hesitate to say a prayer for the one in need. And, I get to have my faith strengthened by witnessing his sweet prayers being answered.

There is so much more about this sweet boy that I could say. I'm thankful for what a gift he is to our family. He's definitely one of a kind and has taught me a lot over the last six years (like what an impatient person I am :).

Wasatch State Park



Isaac warning us about some stinging nettle.

Asa managed to cover himself from head to toe in dirt and mud.

Isaac's cake request this year: An Avatar cake with 3 layers

Isaac's first attempt to pin the arrow on the Avatar.




Isaac taking his new bike off a sweet jump in our backyard.

Isaac got to go with Adam and pick out a new bike for his birthday. He has been SO excited about his 'mountain bike with gears'!

pulley time

1. Adam's sister, Turauna, and 3 of her girls came out from Michigan for a few days to visit. His other sister, Kelly, and her two boys also came up from Vegas, so it was a bit of a Pulley reunion last week (minus Ann and Andrew's families). Each day offered some fun and a chance to spend time together. I had been feeling pretty bad about our summer thus far, but I think we squeezed in a lot of fun in a few days, so the guilt has been relieved a little bit. The boys had a blast getting to play with their cousins for four days straight and staying up way too late. It was sad to see them go. This was only the second time that I had met Turauna & her daughter Stacie since being married to Adam, and the first time meeting her daughters, Rachel and Kelli (I have yet to meet Natalie). That just doesn't seem right... it makes me realize just how lucky/blessed I am that all of my siblings live within an hour of each other (it's a good thing we like each other). Here are a bunch of pics. We didn't get any at the candy factory - which Isaac is still talking about with great enthusiasm (SO MANY MACHINES!).

ATV ride:


A little rain couldn't keep us from having fun.

Asa sharing a cookie with uncle Mark.



Picnic in Provo Canyon:


One of many times I heard, "Mommy look at me!".

Hike to Stewart Falls:


Kelli and Stacie




Yet another sweet firework show right in our own front yard:




2. So, as we were eating breakfast this morning, Luke says, "Let's call the baby Floozy".
To which Isaac replied, "Floozy? That's a hot name for a girl."
Okay, so I'm pretty certain that my boys don't know what a 'floozy' is, but it's kinda odd that a) Luke came up with it out of the blue, and b) how much sense Isaac's comment made afterward... weird.

3. For a while now, Luke has a line in his prayers that makes me laugh. He says, "Thank you for the opportuners." Isaac keeps trying to correct him into saying 'opportunities', but I think it's funny, so I tell Isaac to just leave it alone (no wonder Luke has speech issues - I'm unwilling to correct him). I'm not exactly sure what 'opportuners' he is thankful for, but he is definitely thankful for them.

4. Adam's brother Mark has been trying to quit smoking, and has now been smoke free for over 3 weeks. This was very exciting news for Isaac, since he has worried about his uncle Mark smoking. He keeps saying, "It's good that uncle Mark stopped cigaretting."

5. Warning: the following story involves the 'P' word: So, you know that feeling in your stomach that you get when you go over bumps in the road? Well, the other day we went over a few bumps in the road and Isaac (in all seriousness) says, "Mommy, when we go over those bumps in the road, it kind of scares my penis." Holy cow, did I have a good laugh!

More pics:


A first: All 3 boys sucked into a movie at the same time.

So creepy...

so very, very creepy.

determination at it's finest

1. My poor Isaac. The kid has the heart of a champion... he just lacks the coordination of one. But, this week he conquered one of the most humanly difficult skills. Pumping himself on the swing. Yes, there are many a 3 & 4 year old who have mastered this skill, but for Isaac (who is almost 6), it hasn't come so easy. The effort has been there... just too much of it. I really wish I would have thought to record his attempts, because it is probably one of the funniest things to have witnessed. There is such a thing as overdoing it when pumping. You just end up working against those natural forces that you're trying to use in your favor. But, I guess he toned it down a bit, and got a little rhythm going. I had actually given up hope of this day, but his determination payed off. Way to go little dude!



2. The very next day Luke figured out how to swing by himself as well. Which sorta surprised me, because he is the complete opposite of Isaac. He may have the coordination to do something, but he doesn't always have the attitude to try. Where Isaac will keep trying, Luke usually gets frustrated and gives up (then collapses into a heap of body when you try to encourage him to try again). There have been a few short-lived attempts by him to learn how to swing, but nothing that would have led me to believe it would happen so soon. Good job little buddy!

I'm not sure what to say about this one.

3. Speaking of slow: Asa has FINALLY decided that I am worthy to be addressed by name. Up until the last couple of days, he has only said 'mama' a couple of times. So, I knew he was capable - he just hasn't felt the need to say it (uncool). He says 'dadda', Isaac (Eye), and Luke (Oooo) plenty, but nothing for the one who brought him into this world. Granted his speech isn't all that impressive at this point, but come on!

But, he's finally giving me something now. Of course now he usually says it when he's upset about something... kind of like an expletive. But, I'll take whatever I can get.

4. While watching a show about hippos, I heard Isaac ask, "Daddy, are hippos dangerous?"
Adam: "Yes, they probably kill more people than any other animal in Africa." (You may want to google that before taking that as fact :)
Isaac: "How? By sitting on them?"

5. Luke was chewing on a piece of steak and apparently he had been doing so for a while, because he spit it out and said, "Ah, this is not working in my mouth."

A few pics:


The boys running circles around our sweet firework show on the 4th of July.

an end and a beginning

1. My time in the Young Women's has come to an end. I've been dreading this day (mainly because I can think of plenty other callings that I wouldn't want to do :). These last 3 years have been some of the greatest in my life. I am extremely grateful that God knows what I need better than I do - and reminds me of it. He really is good to me. When I was first called, I was nervous. I didn't know how I could handle being around a bunch of obnoxious, dramatic teenage girls... oh, how I was humbled. I quickly found out that these girls were not only the opposite of what I had imagined, but they were so much better than me. I VERY soon realized that this calling was more for my own personal/spiritual growth than it was for anything I could offer them. These girls made me not only want to be a better person, but, more importantly, a better mother. There are so many of these girls that I would be proud to call my own daughter (kudos to their parents).

I'm going to miss them. A lot. It's only been about a week since being released, and I already feel the void. They were so much fun! If nothing else, Wednesday nights were a great opportunity to laugh and play with a bunch of girls (seriously - it was my social life) and as a bonus, I didn't have to worry about getting the kids to bed (thanks for all the support, Adam!).

But, at least a great new presidency was called in, who will love and care about them in just the way they deserve. I can at least feel great comfort in that. My turn is over... now the big question: what next?

2. My littlest bro got married on Friday. The baby of the family is all grown up now and it feels sorta weird. If he's old enough to get married, then that means I'm old enough to have 3 kids with one on the way... wo.

But, it's a good thing. He found the perfect girl for him (and I'm not just saying that because she might happen upon this). I really feel like he got really lucky to find such a down to earth, well prioritized, smart, and beautiful girl. I'm very excited to have her as a sister-in-law.

Their wedding day went beautifully. The sealing was extremely nice. I think all of us married folk there got more out of it than the new couple (disagreements? What disagreements?). One of my brothers pointed out that it would be great marriage counseling to be able to sit in on one of those every week. Amen to that. It was a great reminder of the covenants we make and where our priorities need to be - just what I needed.

3. It is now possible to feel the baby move from the outside of my belly. This is very exciting for the boys. She finally shifted upward (or maybe she grew :) and now the fun starts. I can't wait for the boy's reactions when you can actually see the baby moving around. I've always loved that part.

4. Asa figured out how to get out of his crib. Not cool. It is among my least favorite 'mile stones' as a parent. It's a good thing he's cute.

5. We finally did something summer-ish. We loaded up the family along with a few friends in some OHVs and went for a little ride. We finally got to roast the ginormous marshmallows that I found at the store a couple of months ago. My boys had been dieing to get out and roast some dogs and mega marshmallows... but, summer was slow to get here.


The Barkers


The Dyrengs

huge marshmallows = huge mess

More pics:

Isaac's preschool graduation

Our great adventure on Memorial Day was to "hike" Memorial Hill.

sometimes it's cool to be wrong... extremely cool

So, I guess there are certain things that are better left to the professionals. Take ultrasounding, for instance. I should not assume that me and my sis + an old ultrasound machine = 100% accuracy. Despite my concern of getting my hopes up - only to get them dashed, I went ahead and tried to get a sneak peak (I had to know now!). And, I swear what I saw was 100% boy. I had seen it before, and I so I knew I was right. But, apparently, sometimes I am wrong... thanks goodness. Was it a strategically placed umbilical cord? Maybe. But, whatever it was, it wasn't there today. CRAZY!!! It literally blew my mind when the ultrasound tech said it was a girl - not just a girl, but unmistakeably a girl. Well, I am obviously on cloud 9 right now. I don't think my mind has completely grasped the realness of this, but maybe as I now transfer that bin of boy clothes into the growing garage sale pile and buy my first pink item, it will sink in. WOW!!!!!!

p.s. Just so my sister's reputation isn't completely tarnished, I must mention that she was right on my last one. Lucky guess? :) (Love ya Steph!!!)

The proof:

love thyself

1. The other day I caught the tail end of a conversation between Luke and Isaac:
Luke: I love myself.
Isaac: You can't love yourself (said in a 'your crazy!' tone).
I jumped in: Yes you can. It's important to love yourself. If you don't love yourself, then you can't love other people.
Isaac: I do. I just think it's weird.

2. As Isaac was saying a family prayer, he said his usual, "I love you Heavenly Father and I love Jesus and all he's done for us and I love the Holy Ghost." Then he added, "Please bless you guys to be safe up there." Seriously, it is so hard not to laugh during prayers sometimes.

3. This last Sunday both Isaac and Luke got up and bore their testimonies at church for the first time. It was definitely a proud parent moment - I was a total goober soaking it all up. Of course it was the only Sunday that Adam has had to miss in months... lame. Isaac got up first and said something like, "I know that Jesus died for us... I love my family and Jesus". Then he gave the bishop and 2nd counselor a high five as he passed them on his way down... very appropriate. I'm actually surprised that Isaac hasn't asked to go up before now - since other kids do - but I guess he hadn't noticed until now. Once Luke saw Isaac get up there, he wanted a turn, so he got up and said, "I love Jesus", and ran back down beaming. I was quite surprised that he went up there all by himself. I'm so extremely glad that my boys don't suffer from the debilitating shyness that I experienced as a child.

4. A few things that I love about Asa right now: 1) How he pats me on the back while he is giving me a big ol' hug. 2) How he squeezes his eyes shut and laughs and cheeses it, thinking that I can't see him. 3) His powerful nod and 'uh-huh' to tell you what he wants. For example: he'll say 'nana', then do a big ol' nod of the head (almost knocking him off his feet) and say 'uh-huh'. 4) And, surprisingly, I love when he says "no,no". He says it in the cutest tone, while exaggerating the 'o' with his mouth. I don't necessarily encourage him to say no, but I still think it's super cute when he does. I wonder how long before I'm changing my tune on that one.

5. Now for the big one.... Isaac is no longer a thumb sucker! A few nights ago he asked me to take his blanket away because he wanted to try to sleep without sucking his thumb (blanket = thumb sucking). Well, he made it. He came out the next morning so excited that he didn't suck his thumb. Good job, little dude!!! Now Luke is the only remaining thumb sucker in the family. Just a note: I was once a thumb sucker, myself. So far 2 of my 3 have also been thumb suckers... I wonder what number four will be. Of course, I was also awkwardly shy (as previously mentioned), and 0 out of my 3 have been dealt that hand. Interesting... or is it?

A few pics:

Silly batman, don't you know that you don't wear socks with heels.

Mmmmm... pie.


While going through old boxes I discovered my old school discman. Isaac immediately dug out some CD's. This is Isaac winding down to a little Enya.

it's all good

So, I must be a very mature, understanding, get-the-big-picture sort of person. Okay, not really, but I am a little surprised at how quickly I got over my self pitty. I really thought it might take me a little longer to get over my disappointment. But, I can actually say that I think of my little baby boy with excitement instead of mourning that he is not a she. It's cool, it's okay... it's all good. I look at my three rowdy, unruly, crazy boys and I'm thankful. I wouldn't trade them for the world (most of the time). And, I can't wait to add yet another level of craziness to my chaos, for whom I also won't want to trade (hopefully) once I meet him. Yeah, I'll still be a little bummed that I won't get to raise a little girl, but there's a bigger picture. And, at least I have an abundance of nieces to live vicariously through. Yay! Boy number four! :)

p.s. I just overheard my boy's playmate ask if we had any "pepsi, which is pop". Luke told him very enthusiastically, "No, but we have pickles!" I love that random boy.