Raw Food Yummies!

We made a yummy raw feast for our company. Check out the yummy chocolate cream pie! And we also made strawberry shortcake, and strawberry-banana pie. It really tastes great, guys, no kidding. Here are some cute pictures of Rychen P. "licking the bowl" which is something I got to do growing up, so it's the special job for the special helper!

Who needs a teddy bear?

Not my kid! He is cuddling his basketball!

Rychen P. is growing up so much! Today at church he went to nursery all by himself, and stayed the whole time without crying for either of us!! (for the past 2 months, one of us would go in with him for the first hour, and then he'd either come with us to class or go to Grandma's sacrament meeting.) But this week we've been praying for him to feel safe without us, and on the way to church we had a talk about how we were going to "Sing songs, say prayers, eat the little bread and little water, then go to nursery and play with the kids, and say Goodbye Mommy." And what do you know, it worked!! I dropped him off, he ran for the bubbles and never looked back. Hooray!! No cry-it-out necessary!! Now a couple other necessary changes, then he'll really be autonomous... (maybe then he can be a big brother?)

By the way I also want to brag about how reverent he is during sacrament. We have sure come a long way, and it's taken lots of prayers and brainstorming. The 2 great lifesavers have been the picture flipbook and the little hymn book. A while ago, when we wondered how to get him to get the point of sacrament, we decided to bring some pictures of Jesus for him to "think about Jesus" during the sacrament. He looks forward to it so much because he likes to eat the "little bread and little water." Then we had some trouble with song time, so we let him use a little hymnbook from home, and wah-lah, now we can sing from ours, and he "sings" from his little one. He sits so reverently, and folds his arms for all the prayers. Then during the talks he can color or play with his alphabet letters--quietly! Hooray, we haven't had to go out into the hallway for several months. Phew! (But trust me, it was a long process. We thought we'd be hallway partakers for 15 years)

Relaxing in the yard

The other day, the weather was so beautiful, that we could not stand* to be indoors any longer. We opened all the windows and doors, but we just had to get outside still. So we threw out a picnic blanket in our front yard, brought out some snacks and books, and just relaxed outside for quite some time. We also picked some wild blackberries across the street--that's what he's eating.

Rychen P. loves picking blackberries. He can recognize a blackberry bush from inside the car, driving down the road! There is a park by dad's office that has probably a 1/2 mile stretch of blackberry bushes, so we like to go there to "eat out" for lunch. Ha! Call it God's Restaurant. Rychen always gets a stained face, of course, not to mention his clothes. But how can I resist? Look how cute he is!

*I was going to say "bear to be indoors any longer" and then I changed it to bare, but I still couldn't decide how to spell it so I just changed it to stand. Alright alright, so I'm not perfect. Anybody want to clue me in?

Loving Housework

Here's where I brag, my 2-year-old loves housework!! I think a lot of toddlers like to help out, but they really are in the way, so moms shoe them away. Well, we decided we better reinforce that habit instead of discouraging it, so we always let him help (Okay, usually it's Rychen... he's more patient than I am).

Rychen has great ideas! He lets Rychen P. help vacuum for just a minute or two (holding on, and walking veerrrryy slowly across the room) and then he says, "Okay now you sweep!" and Rychen P. is all for it! Or they will take turns, one do one and one do the other, and then switch. Here they are vacuuming together.

You might be wondering where Mom is while this is going on. Well, probably on the computer or reading a book. Ha! Don't worry, he helps me do dishes and cleaning the kitchen during the day. I'm not that deadbeat. (and he's SUCH a big help at the grocery store...)

Family Home Evening

Like most members of the LDS church, Monday nights are reserved for "Family Night" or Family Home Evening. We used to just sing songs with Rychen, but now he's old enough for a lesson. We use a flip book that has various gospel pictures, and then just tell him about the pictures. Sometimes we go off of something he's shown interest in, like one week after he had his birthday money we did Tithing, and as he's gotten into the "little bread" (sacrament) at church, we did a lesson on that. Now we decided to do Baptism.

We had a great idea for an object lesson: Rychen P. is very fastidious and always wants to clean his hands. So we had an activity where we got hands dirty, and then cleaned them off. We talked about how Baptism is how Jesus cleans us from our mistakes. And looked at the picture of baptism. (He thought it was a swimming pool! oh well) Rychen P. got really into cleaning his hands over and over. We tried to apply it to the gospel as much as we could--but, ah, Two year olds.

E-Mubba

Quick funny story, no pics. Rychen P. has gotten really into books. We have a great little library right by Dad's work, so we hang out there often. Well, today Rychen P. was asking for specific books! He wanted a book of firetrucks. So I said, "We better check the computer then." He came with me and sat down at the computer and says, "I want check my e-mail" (he says mail mubba.) How hilarous!! He picked that up from us, so he must think computers are only good for e-mail, and he doesn't understand what e-mail is! But we are always saying that around here. ("Gotta go check my e-mail real quick," etc.)

Rychen's New Office

Rychen recently transferred brokerage firms, and is now with Raymond James. Here he is in the new office with the expensive furniture. Ha!

The Photographic Talent of Rychen P. Jones

Rychen P. has quite the affinity to the camera. I can't take it out without him wanting to play with it. Instead of deleting his pictures like I normally do, today I thought I would share some with you. Keep in mind, he is only 35 inches tall.

This is what the world looks like from a dog's perspective. Your dog doesn't even know what you look like, I bet. But he's quite familiar with your ankles. (I think those are the Alldredges way back there)

This is the only picture that actually looks like a grown-up could have taken it (besides the obvious fact that the camera is less than 3 feet off the ground). This is Uncle Whitney being his usual silly self, and Carol in the background.

Here is what a headless mommy would look like.

These are the bottom-halves of Great Grandma Huxford & Grandma Jones.

And Rychen P. was sure to document the beautiful furnishings of the new office.

Actually, his photography can be kind of fun! Perhaps I'll enter it into the county fair...