we did it!

We finally closed on our house today! After a few unexpected hiccups in the process this morning, we were able to close this afternoon and we officially move in tomorrow. Hurray!
This also means that I will not be adding any new posts for a while, since I have no idea when they are actually going to hook up our internet. Until then, here are a few cute pictures of the boys.

Waiting for the Seymour Hamburger Festival parade to start. (Yes, it's actually a hamburger festival!)
Ky as the flag passed
Kade doing his Veggie Tale puzzle. He does this puzzle several times a day, every day.
Ky and his equally loved Noah's Ark puzzle. He really is smiling in this picture, just a little too hard.

our olympic games

We have been enjoying the Olympics these past few weeks. I've stayed up way too late several nights watching. Kade and Ky have enjoyed watching some during the day, although they only get to see events like fencing, water polo, trampoline, and some of the other events that don't make it into the primetime coverage. They have made up their own Olympic events around the house, like "diving" off the couch into the blankets of water, and RunUSA, which is running from one end of the basement to the other,and jumping onto Bart's temporary bed--a mattress on the floor.
So today, their aunt Sadie and I held the Miller Olympics and had 10 events for them to compete in. They really got into it and we all had a great time.

This is the opening ceremonies
Here is a photo finish in the sprint event
Kade's very successful long jump
Ky showing off his soccer skills
Kade cheating a little bit in the basketball event. (If you are confused about who is who by which piece of the warm-ups they are wearing, they insisted on switching half-way through. This is what happens when we only have one of something.)
Ky's balance beam routine (By now the warm-ups have come off)

Kade having a great time in the cycling event, even though he was way behind

This is the event they made up this week, called RunUSA. I gave him a perfect 10 for this jump.

Go USA! They both won gold medals, and did not want to take them off for lunch.

still feeling betrayed

This was taken at a church about an hour and a half south of Green Bay. As you can see, we are still feeling the wake of Brett Favre's departure. I think this is hilarious! Just a small example of what the Packers mean to this state.

congrats!

I just wanted to say congratulations to my little brother and his new fiancee! They just got engaged and are going to get married just before Christmas. Jonathan, we can't wait to see you and to meet Linda.

dead to me

Dear Brett Favre-

The past few weeks have been a little rocky. Silently, I have cheered for you, hoping that somehow I could watch you play in Lambeau Field one more time. In a lot of ways, I moved back here to Green Bay to see you play. I wanted my boys to see the legend that is Brett Favre. Yet, you felt betrayed by the team that gave you everything. You decided you were bigger than the fans that cheered for you when you won, blamed the coaches and receivers when you lost, cried for you when you lost your father, prayed for you when your wife had cancer, and dreamed of you bringing another Super Bowl Trophy back to Titletown. Still, you decided that "personal reasons" were too strong ... and you pleaded to leave. I thought it could never happen (you've said it would never happen in several interviews). Then today, I heard the news that you had found a different shade of green. That you would leave the frozen tundra and move on to Broadway. I saw the picture above, and only one thought came to my mind ...

Brett Favre is dead to me.

The Brett Favre that I know was a hero, a superstar. He won the Super Bowl the first year I moved to Wisconsin. He won MVP awards. He threw touchdown pass after touchdown pass. He would celebrate like a young boy with his teammates. He would take a sack, stand up and say, "I thought you hit harder than that." He dove over linemen, linebackers, and goal lines. He broke records. And then more records. He loved the competition, his teammates, the fans, and Green Bay. Guys in this area dreamed to be like him. Women dreamed to meet him. Men hoped their boys would grow up to be like him. Everyone wore his jersey ... everyone. People named their children after him. He was a part of Green Bay ... and I know that Green Bay was a part of him.

This man I see on TV today is not Brett Favre. Brett would not think the grass was greener in New York. He knows there is no grass in New York. He would know that the Packers were 13-3 last year and the Jets 4-12. He would remember that he was sacked only 19 times last year ... while the Jets QB's were sacked ... 53 times. He would realize that the Jets play the Patriots ... twice. He would understand that the other team in New York won the Super Bowl last season. He would remember that Packer fans are the best in the world, while the Jet fans start booing players from the moment they are drafted. He knows the media in New York beats up stars, chews them up, spits them out, and then puts their picture on the back of the New York Post. He would realize that his likeness is on the cover of Madden '08, and that retirement was his healthiest move. He would see that New York has no Lambeau Field, no Holmgren Way, no cheeseheads, no Brett Favre's Steakhouse, no brats, and no polka. He wouldn't think the grass was greener in New York. He knows there is no grass in New York! Brett Favre would realize all these things and never play anywhere except for Green Bay.

This man who calls himself Brett Favre will play for the Jets this season, but it won't be the Brett Favre that I know. He may even throw a touchdown pass, but to me it won't be Brett. He may celebrate with his teammates and win a few games, but it won't be Brett. He may (will) get sacked from time to time, but it won't be Brett. I may see his face on Sportscenter, but it won't truly be Brett. The Brett that I knew will always be a Packer. Today, the Brett Favre that I cheered for has died.

Rest in peace Brett ... Sunday afternoons will never be the same with out you.

my 100th post!

In honor of my 100th post, I thought I would do the traditional 100 random facts about us. Do not feel obligated to read all of them, but you may learn something new if you do.

1. Bart and I have been married for 5 years
2. We met at BYU
3. Bart has a bachelor degree in communications
4. He also has a master's degree in physician assistant studies
5. I have a bachelor degree in business management
6. Kade and Ky were born in December, 2005
7. Kade loves the color orange
8. The first color both of the boys learned was purple. I don't know why because it's not like we had a lot of purple around, and it's not an easy word to say.
9. Ky loves trucks, cars, tractors, etc.
10. Kade loves sports
11. Bart and I love to watch The Office together
12. My favorite movie is Pirates of the Caribbean
13. Bart's favorite movie is Field of Dreams
14. Kade and Ky's favorite movie is Cars
15. They also love The Incredibles, Finding Nemo, and Toy Story 2
16. I love chocolate everything!
17. Bart likes chocolate and peanut butter candy, ice cream, etc.
18. Bart likes to buy me shoes, and he has great taste
19. I love numbers, and often dream in numbers
20. Bart sometimes has dreams in Spanish
21. Bart is fluent in Spanish
21. Bart is certified to translate Spanish at the clinic where he works
22. He speaks Spanish because he served his mission in Panama
23. We all love the beach and the ocean
24. I love Disneyland and Disney World
25. We won the stay in Cinderella's castle last March
26. We were in the parade at Disney World
27. Ky and Kade's favorite ride at Disney World is the Buzz Lightyear ride
28. Bart's favorite sport is baseball
29. Our first date was to a baseball game (to see the former Provo Angels)
30. Our first kiss was in a baseball field
31. Bart proposed in that same baseball field
32. We were married in the Mt. Timpanogos Temple
33. Bart is exactly one year, one month, one week and one day older than me
34. I love the Twilight books
35. I tried really hard not to get sucked into the whole Twilight thing, but needless to say it didn't work, and I'm so glad it didn't
36. I worked as Finance Manager for a candle company, For Every Body, before the boys were born
37. I want to be a wedding planner when I grow up
38. I love shoes
39. Bart was born in Des Moines, Iowa
40. I was born in Salt Lake City, Utah
41. Kade and Ky were born in American Fork, Utah
42. We have kissed in 17 different states
43. Kade and Ky have lived in 4 houses and 3 different states since they were born 2 1/2 years ago.
44. Bart and I have lived in 6 different apartments in the 5 years we have been married
45. Bart played baseball, football and basketball in high school
46. I was a cheerleader in high school
47. I love the color green in so many different shades
48. I have a serious sweet tooth and eat way too much candy, ice cream, cookies, etc.
49. I like to make cookies, cakes and other yummy treats
50. I have started to really enjoy trying new recipes lately and we have had some delicious meals as a result
51. I have 3 brothers, one older and two younger
52. Bart has 1 younger brother and 1 younger sister
53. Kade and Ky could say their ABCs when they were 18 months old
54. Kade and Ky's first words were both "dada"
55. Kade's first word besides "mama" and "dada" was "ball" (very appropriate)
56. Ky loves to sing
57. Kade and Ky have been on an airplane trip 5 times
58. I didn't go on an airplane until I was 18
59. Bart and I saw Harrison Ford and Calista Flockhart at Disney World
60. Bart loves hats
61. Kade and Ky like hats too
62. I do not like to wear hats
63. I learned how to sew when I was four years old
64. Bart is an eagle scout
65. Bart is a Gators, Badgers, Packers, and Braves fan
66. Even though he graduated from BYU, he is not a Cougar fan
67. I am a cougar fan
68. Bart would watch sports a lot more if he wasn't such a great husband and father
69. Bart is an amazing golfer
70. Bart tried to teach me to play golf, and he was a very patient teacher
71. The only time I played a round of golf, I beat Bart on one hole
72. Kade is an amazing golfer too
73. Kade swings left and throws right
74. Ky usually swings left, but we're not sure if he's just copying Kade
75. We have pizza and french fries every Friday for "Fun Family Friday"
76. When we were first married, we watched Letterman almost every night as a rule so we would have to stop studying and spend some time together
77. We drove from St. George though Arizona to Nevada just so we could kiss in 2 new states
78. We forgot to kiss while we were in Nevada, so we turned around and went back
79. We love to eat at Giordano's
80. We love Pudding on the Rice
81. One or both of us is always sick on Valentine's Day
82. Kade and Ky love, love, love fruit
83. Kade will not, under any circumstances, eat noodles
84. Ky loves noodles
85. Kade loves peanut butter sandwiches
86. Ky does not like peanut butter sandwiches
87. We eat a lot of popcorn
88. Bart loves frozen things like, Otter Pops, slushies, smoothies
89. Ky always remembers to say "Thank You"
90. I don't like to wear long sleeves
91. I love the 4th of July-parades, fireworks, BBQs, warm weather, matching red, white, and blue clothes
92. When we met, Bart drove a 1977 Mercury Marquis with emerald green plush interior
93. Kade likes to talk with his hands
94. Ky always wants to know where Kade is
95. We painted Ky's toenail blue for the first month of his life, so we could tell the boys apart. We had to remove a sock several times to check who was who
96. Kade was born breached--he's liked to hang upside-down ever since
97. We feel lucky to have such great friends and family
98. We feel lucky to have have each other and Kade and Ky. We couldn't ask for a more perfect family
99. We are excited to move into our new house and start the next chapter in our lives together
100. We are happy to have this blog as a way to stay in touch with those who are so far away. Thanks for reading!

breaking dawn

My sister-in-law Charise and I went to a Breaking Dawn release party last night. And yes, it was just as cheesy and crazy as we thought it would be. But how often do I get to do anything like this? Never, so we had to take advantage of the opportunity. It started at 9:30, but we didn't get there until after 11, which means that we missed a lot of the activities, like designing Bella's wedding dress, having Alice tell your future, guessing which character each of the bookstore employees were dressed like. We did get to hear the trivia questions, and eat free cookies, get free stickers, and buttons, and we got our books shortly after midnight. Hooray! No, I haven't read it yet (although, there were several people at the party that I'm sure stayed up all night and have read the whole thing already.)

The employees representations of Alice and Jacob
Aro
The stack of new books
Charise and I with our copies