The Sutton

Reid has this face he makes when things don't go his way.... we affectionately call it "The Sutton."  You can see why....

 

Coach Sutton

 Reid

Grizzle is NINE!

 Boy howdy, where has it vanished?!?  Nine quick years!  He is in his last year of single digits, halfway to 18,.....
 

A little bit of an attitude is starting to emerge.  Little things like mimicking us or waving hands in the air when we're talking... interesting times ahead, I'm sure, but this had been a really great age (I KEEP saying that at every age!).

 

Party time!  All he wanted to do was hang out with a few friends and go see the Lego Movie, so we had a sleepover party on Saturday night. 

(it. was. so. loud.)

 

 

This was taken near 11:00 and they weren't close to being asleep. 

 

Each morning of a son's birthday, we decorate their doorway with streamers.  We got this idea from the Crosses and think it's a fun way for them to know immediately how much we care about their special day!  Grant's streamers this year were red.  I also always serve breakfast on the "You Are Special Today" red plate (he requested cinnamon rolls!). 

 

School party!  Mrs. Burnett sent a few pictures.  I made three batches of brownies with rainbow sprinkles on the top, as requested by my sweetie, and was told that everyone thought they were the best ever!

(thank you, Duncan Hines)

 

Jason had lunch with Grant at school and brought him Chick-fil-a nuggets and fruit.  Grant told me after school that it was so awesome and he loved having his dad join him!  :)

 

Grant changed out of the black shirt he wore to school and put back on the Pokes shirt he had worn last weekend at his party for dinner since it was "his party shirt." He wanted to go to DaVinci's Italian for dinner. 

All smiles!  He was even given a piece of strawberry cheesecake that he shared with Jason and me!

 

Selfie with my cuddlebug in the backseat of the van. 

 

Cake and candle time!

(and yes, if you're keeping track, that would be three different desserts made for this boy.  None very fancy though!)

 

 

Grant also was given a big bike by us and the grandparents.  My dad got him some crunchy peanut butter for our house (guess it's "their thing" over there).

 

Family pic!

 Cuddling with J at bedtime.

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 first family photo

(let's play a game: what is different in the photo below from the photo above?!?!) 

hahahahaha

Reid's new obsession?  The American Flag!

This was his entertainment for 20 minutes one afternoon - waving the flag, and then ever so neatly laying it on the ground and staring. 

(yes, I know the flag shouldn't really be on the ground....)

 

 

Kyle's school assignment from MLK day.  His dream: for people to stop usEing "sigrets" so people can be healthy.  :)  cute kid.

 

A few evenings ago, we were waiting on Jason to get home and to eat dinner.  We hear the garage door go up, and then very quickly the front doorbell rings.  We go to check it, and in front of us, are two policeman. 

 

After seeing us, one of them smirks and says "Is everything okay? Someone from here called 9-1-1 and we are responding."

 

I immediately turn around and look to Kyle who had been dialing several numbers for entertainment a while earlier.  Never did I think he was calling the cops.  Long story short, Jason walked in from the garage to hear the end of this conversation, and knew one of the officers.  As a way to help teach a lesson (this is the SECOND time Kyle's called 9-1-1 - the first time he was about 3, it was from the office, and our neighbor was the officer who came - funny), we wrote this apology letter to our friend. 

 

I think he did pretty well!

Red River 2014

Jason has wanted to take the big boys skiing for quite a while, and after finally persuading me, off we headed for Red River, NM, for a long weekend of great fun!

 

"sleeping in the car" - (aka - we AREN'T tired, Mom!)

 

(30 minutes later....)

Guess who knows best?!?!?  MOM!

 

We were bored... NO ONE travels in the Oklahoma panhandle...

 

 

We left snow and 16 degrees in Oklahoma and headed to the ski town with little snow and average 35 degrees!  It was 49 when we returned our ski gear on Sunday (not complaining - it was perfect ski weather for this crew!)

(note: if you don't want to see pictures, then stop perusing... there are a lot!)

No road trip is complete without the state signage!

Tumbleweeds were everywhere...

 

On family trips, Jason and I truly value the opportunity that time gives us to develop memories with the kids, and to not simply turn on the DVD or ipod so everyone is quiet.  NO!  If we can avoid it, we won't buy a car with a DVD player just for this reason.  We checked out 4 books on CD from the library and had a great time listening to them and discussing what was going on in the story.  We dance to music.  We joke.  We act like dorks.  It's what it is all about!  They have their leapster games for some quiet time but it's very minimal.  We love our kids - why not hang out and enjoy them (while they'll let us!)?!?

Piddling with camera settings while in the car... just about the only time this trip I used the actual camera instead of the camera on our phones!

We sorta forgot about the time zone difference and arrived about an hour earlier than we expected so we took a detour and drove to Angel Fire to check it out and have lunch.  Cute town and cute restaurant. 

Off we went to the Copper King Lodge at the base of our ski area.... checked in and headed to the slopes to investigate the tubing that happens daily at 4:15!

Grant wanted to take a picture...

The sweet posed photo from above soon turned in to an all-out wrestle match in the snow.  They found out it's a bit softer than the ground at home, yet a lot more cold!

 

Tubing!

G and K had no clue what to expect when we said "let's go tubing" but they soon discovered it was super fun!!!

 

Tubing video

 

Morning 1: Ski School Group lessons

The boys took group ski lessons.  The 2nd morning, after pulling children out of the safety net at the bottom of the easy green three times, we decided to get them a private lesson.  SO worth the extra money - they were doing great at the end of the lesson.

 

When the boys were in lessons, we took off to explore the mountain.  By the end of our last run on the 2nd day, we had both accomplished skiing "blacks."  However, our ideas of how to get down the mountain were different.  I took it nice and slow, going back and forth (and it wasn't really that slow).  JDW, my love, decided he would take the "hot wheel track" way and just aim his skis down, and fly!  Literally.  Straight down.  On the very steep blacks. 

I am thankful he didn't break a bone but glad he had a blast!!

 

Our selfie mid-mountain.  Not sure why he has on the mouth guard as it wasn't cold (and coming from me, that's saying a lot as I get cold easily!)

 The bunny slope's "magic carpet" for beginners to learn how to go down.  We spent a little while here with the boys after lessons so they could "show off" their moves.

 

 We found a family of deer at our cabin after skiing.  We went inside and grabbed our carrots (more reasons to eat junk food, right?) and the boys fed carrots to the deer for at least 10 minutes.  All three of them were having a blast.

 

 

feeding deer - video

We then headed to the back of our lodge and played at the river and fed the ducks.

That night, we learned about the Red River Torch Light - these are the ski instructors on the black slope holding road flares. They do this every Saturday.
Red River Torch Run video

Day Two!

After their round of private lessons, these two thought they were brave - both hopped on the chair lift (without our approval!) to head on another run. 

Goobers!

 

 

Kyle - skiing video

 

Grant - skiing video

 

 This is at the top of the green by the bunny slope.  The main lodge is in between their heads, and the "magic carpet" area is to the right of Grant's head by the other building.  We stayed on this slope the entire second afternoon as the greens up the mountain we found to be too steep and narrow for true beginners and didn't want to risk something.

 

G and K - Ski Jumping video

 

Our room.  The deer feeding incident was right on this sidewalk and street.

 

It was a great trip.  Easy drive.  Good weather. 

All of the giggles and memories made are so worth the time and expense involved, and I am so glad my hubster made this trip happen - he planned it all!!!

 

------- Reid and Catey ------

While we were having fun, Catey and Reid had fun, too!  Catey stayed a few nights with the Loylesses before heading to my parents' house for the last night.  Here she is cuddled up with our buddy.

 

When our phones and internet would get a signal, we'd have a photo from my Mom of this cute face.  He got a Mickey Mouse and went to see Granny one day... I think (hope!!!) everyone had a great time.  He sure didn't seem overly excited to see us on Monday! 

 

Trying to learn his colors with Bubba (he has ZERO interest in colors).