Home Alone

Have any of you seen the movie Home Alone? I had a moment last night... So in the movie the bad guys are trying to get in the house and one of them goes to the front steps, which Kevin has "iced" over, and once he steps onto that first step he finds himself flat on his back. I did the same thing in reverse and I've got the bruises to prove it. I stepped on our top step and found myself landing 4 steps down before you could say "banana peel." Man my tail bone is sore! I've even got bruises on my elbows and the palms of my hands! I can tell you the stunt guys were not needed for that bit in Home Alone - just some oblivious soul with shoes that have no traction. I can find them such a person! ha ha and ouch!

So Big So Fast

His first Sunday - boy church clothes are so fun!
Look at those cheeks!
Peacefully sleeping - until Cora discovers where "Baby Mawkin" is!
Here are a few pictures of our Marcus. I can't believe how fast he's filled out. This boy likes to eat! Newborn clothes are getting tight!

Baby Love

Eric loves this picture!
this one too!
Daddy and his boy catching some zzzz's. It was great having Eric home to help for a whole week. I know he saw a whole new side of life (namely his girls!)
I like the blanket - start 'em young!

Marcus Boyce

He's here! Hooray for our beautiful new baby boy! He came on November 22, at 3:05 a.m. He weighed in at 8 lbs 6 oz and 21 in long. He is healthy and we are so thankful he came to us! What a thing to be thankful for on Thanksgiving. Mommy is doing well. Labor went well, only 9 hours. Yeah, "only" 9 hours. We were only at the hospital for 5 hours though. All natural -- again. Daddy is doing well too in case anyone was wondering! He is no longer the lone man in the wilderness.

One more week...PLEASE!

I've got one week left until said "due date" for baby boy Haffner and I'm ready, as are my swollen ankles and numb fingers. I'm ready to feel like I can bend over and pick something up off of the floor without feeling like a giraffe getting a drink of water! Picture that if you dare! I'm very excited to meet this little guy and see just what he looks like. The combination of Eric and I could mean dark, blonde, and even a possibility of a red head. Bald is always an option as well. :) I'm excited to see how the girls react to a little baby.

Cora will, I hope, be very happy to have a "bebe" around because she gets so excited anytime we see a baby anywhere. Balls and babies are what excite our sweet Cora, while Jodi would prefer to be "fancy" or wear a cap backwards and announce, "I'm a boy." What fabulous little personalities wrapped up in my two little girls.

We'll keep you posted on what happens with us. Pray for a baby before Thanksgiving. I want to enjoy my turkey without a kicking, pushing, all consuming baby in my belly. I'll let someone else hold him on their lap while I eat my turkey and stuffing! There will be no posted pictures up until we have pictures of baby boy to add. I consider my figure too much for words and a picuture is worth a 1000 so I'll spare any jealousy. haha

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Halloween!

Hello out there! We had a fun halloween letting the girls beg from house to house. They really enjoyed it. Jodi asked me while I was uploading pictures if we could go trick-or-treating. (Last year she said "trick-or-treat" to every new door we stopped at for about 2 weeks!) Now Cora is a candy kid - we'll have to be careful with this one. She wants a piece in each hand and while her mouth is full she's asking for more. She cries when I have to take it form her to open a wrapper! If I'd let her I think she would practically inhale as much of her candy as she could. Sounds a bit like her daddy - he's never been good at saving treats! Check out the Halloween album.

Run Run Run as Fast as You Can!

This year Eric has been the official assitant coach for the HS cross country team, (last year he was "unofficial".)
They have had a great season (they have their Semi-State meet this Saturday) and Eric has had a lot of fun with it. He started a website for the team and I thought I'd post it so anyone who wants to can see what is happening with Concord Cross Country. http://highschool.concord.k12.in.us/crosscountry/concordcrosscountry.htm

"Mae-men"

This is what Cora says when we finish saying our family prayers! I love it! I think it is soo cute. She folds her arms with Jodi and they each get defensive about whose turn it is to say prayers that night. Cora is getting to be a pretty good copy cat and can repeat at least the syllables of what we have her say. Jodi didn't talk (in words we could understand at least) until well after 2 so this if fun to hear somebody so little say so many words. I love that both girls are learning how to pray and learning how important it is in our family. Children are capable of learning so much. What a responsibility we parents have!

The Boyces Work?

The title is a little play on words. In my family growing up a holiday was just a day when my dad didn't have to go out on the tractor or go to work anywhere and it meant he could get work done at home! We sure learned the meaning of the word! However, I have my Dad to thank for teaching us how to have fun while working. Not enough people take the time to actually teach their children to work let alone that it can be fun to do together.

Over Labor Day weekend we commissioned the "Boyce Girls" (and parents) to help us get stuff done around our house. We sure labored on labor day - a good solid 8 hours - but man we got a LOT done. We took out 4 trees, Renae got the roots out for one of them; painted 9 window frames and a porch; mulched and pulled weeds around the whole house, and put in hostas in the front. General beauty and fix up. Thanks ladies for all your help! Here are some pictures of the exhausting day.

Go Cougars!

We haven't paid proper homage to BYU football this season so here you go. (Even though the dumb MWC won't allow normal fans viewing opportunity!!!) These outfits are soo cute on the girls and the age difference was just perfect!
This is about as cheerleader as I want them to get.
She's standing at the top of our slide. At least she didn't jump off.
Sticks as pompoms - I think they are quite resourceful!

Picture's of People

Jodi and the camel. We got to see the camel getting her treat for the day. Jodi loved it!

Helping wash dishes. She LOVES water and the sink!
Feeding the Koi at the zoo.
Sleeping Babes and Betsy. Sorry Nana we had to put this on-its too cute of all of you sleeping.
Eric's boot - its off now and he's running a little.
The train ride on our zoo trip.

New Look

I felt like changing things up a bit so here is the new look. A little less green and a bit simpler. I should be cleaning my house or working on my Sunday School lesson for church tomorrow but this is how I felt like spending my time.

Adventures in Breadmaking

I like to make bread. Its better for us without all those preservatives and I know how much wheat is or isn't in the bread. I feel accomplished, like Susie Homemaker, when I get my bread out of the oven.
The other day I was trying to be efficient. I needed to make my bread but had garage sales to hit and grocery shopping to do and I didn't want to wait around for my bread to rise. Time is precious. Well I mixed up the dough and let it rise while we got ready to go. Then I toted the bowl with us. Cars seem to get warm quickly and I figured it would do the trick to help it rise faster. I am a genius! Okay garage sales done, stop at home and put the bread in the pans. Done. Now off to the grocery store. This time I put the pans in the back window to get optimal heat from the sun. Well for some reason grocery shopping with 2 toddlers is not a quick trip. Between switching who's riding, who I can trust sitting near the eggs, and who wants to help push we finally made it back out to the car. I saw my bread in the back window and it was beautiful! It was big and rounded over the pans and...
...oops it was really rounded over the pans, spilling over the pans, flowing over the pans spreading out in a doughy mass taking over the back window. I couldn't help but laugh. I wonder how many people walked past and saw my "science experiment" and then as I was driving home I wonder how many people noticed the crazy lady in front of them with bread dough all over her back window! I laughed all the way home!
But hey how is that for trying to be efficient? It really works if you need dough to rise quickly - just find a hot car and snap you're dough will rise!

Toilet Turtle

I've just got to share this little tidbit with anyone who cares. Jodi -who is mostly potty trained thank goodness- has this funny little thing she does on occasion. There isn't really a turtle in our toilet by the way.

In our lives we spend an ample amount of our lives using "the facilities" and Jodi as a toddler loves to sit and sing, perhaps play with a toy car or rubber duck, look out the window, etc. My favorite antic is when she grabs the toilet seat from behind her, leans it against her back, leans forward and says to me, "Look Mommy I'm a turtle!" It never fails to amuse me and I just wanted to share that little window into Jodi and her adorable personality.

Holes in my ears

After 25 years I got to pierce my ears!
(My mother is slightly disappointed - none of my sisters or my mom have pierced ears - we weren't allowed. She's kidding with her little comments and its funny to me but apparently I'm becoming a "wild child." I threatened to take all my sisters with me. Maybe its this 3rd baby.)
I was worried it would hurt more than I thought it would but it took a whole of 2 minutes and $8 and the deed was done. Now I just have to wait until they heal and I can start wearing "cutesy" ear rings. We'll see how long that lasts before I just wear the same pair every day. :) "Low maintenance Lesley"

We're Still Alive!

Hello out there...
Our computer is on the fritz and we've had some company so I'm terribly sorry I haven't updated everyone on us. :)
Here is a list for you!
1. Eric has a walking cast on his foot. He sprained his ankle really bad at a Cross Country camp running downhill. (His lazy pregnant wife is so happy to do all the work now!) No really he's been quite the trooper with the thing on in the muggy heat. Timing is rough cuz school starts while he's supposed to be on crutches but what fun is wearing 2 shoes every day when you can get away with only wearing one?
2. Jodi saw the movie "Madagascar" and now sings the song "I like to move it move it" ALL the time. Can anyone shed light on where her "groove" comes from?
3. Nana and Bapa Haffner came to visit. The weather was nice and we got to do lots of fun things with Nana while Bapa went to a phtography workshop in upstate NY. (Photo album of the zoo and other fun excursions will have to wait)
4. ITS A BOY! Eric can officially relax - as long as the ultrasound is right. We are excited to add some blue to our twirling, dramatic, giggley household of pink. This bundle is supposed to join us around Thankgiving (I hope before!).
That is us in a quick nutshell. Hope all is well for everyone. We'll enjoy our last week of summer - school starts Aug 16. xoxoxo

This is just a quick note to let everyone know I've linked photo albums to the blog. Its easier than posting all the pictures and its a more compact, viewer friendly format. We have such cute kids I felt the need to post more pictures for all our loved ones to see.

Birthday Fireworks

We had a fun opportunity to go up to Diamond Lake in Michigan and visit some friends. The lake was shooting off fireworks on Sat June 30 and so they invited us to come up. How fun it was to be out on their boat and see the fireworks. They felt like they were coming right at us and exploding right over our heads! The girls loved it! Cora kept pointing and grunting and after Jodi got over the "scary" part she would tell us the colors lighting up the sky. Looking at their faces was so fun. To see the way a child's eyes light up with a new experience is such a fun part of being a parent! (I need to remember these moments when the "other" moments of parenting come up!)
Happy Birthday America! We love our country! How blessed we are to live in such a place! God Bless America!

Workin' at the Carwash

Eric had "wash the car" on his To Do List and naturally there were little helpers who had no problem taking turns playing with the hose and scrubbing with bubbles.

My Girls

Kiddie Tidbits
1. Cora can say uh-uh, we shall see where that takes us!
2. Cora loves shoes, she tries on shoes whenever she sees a pair. She even knows which ones are hers and brings them to me, sticks her foot out for mommy to put them on her
3. She has also really started to copy what her big sister is doing

1. Jodi loves to wear her swimming suits - she calls them "my pink" and "my blue"
2. She loves to draw and color. Lately she's been drawing happy and sad faces after one of her nursery lessons. Then she'll scribble them out and say "Oh, no a monster!"
3. Jodi has got groove - this girl loves to dance and jump around and where those little hips learned to shake I do not know

Here comes the rain!!!

Yippee for rain! It has been soo hot and humid lately that we've just been sitting around like wilted flowers draped over whatever piece of furniture was closest. (not having AC has been rough this past week!) It helped that we had a friend loan us some fans so we could get airflow and man what a difference!
However, it cooled off yesterday with rain and today was overcast and 75 degrees. What great summer weather! Eric and I both think that is just about the perfect summer day. Do you think someone is a born Seattle-ite?

The Paper Route

Allright everyone we have started our latest adventure - a paper route. Its our summer opportunity to help us get out of debt faster. We are living like no one else so later we can live like no one else. I mean really who wakes up everyday at 2:15ish, loads 2 toddlers into a car and commences to spend the next 2 hours tossing papers at houses of total strangers? I know, I know...WE DO!!! Yup, everymorning for the past 5 days. We are only at the beginning here but the prospect of an extra $200 a week to throw at the debt ratio we have is great motivation!
The girls are such troopers too! They have actually been more awake during the paper route than I thought they would be. Its okay though because it means that when we get home we can all go back to sleep for however long we feel like. (The girls and I that is, Eric had his last day of school today so now he can join us!) This is forcing us to attempt earlier bedtimes, hopefully one of these days we'll get it all figured out. Happy summer to us!
Funny/weird sidenote: Apparently I'm just motion sick enough that the constant motion while looking down rolling papers in the front seat got to me the 2nd day. Eric jumped out to porch deliver a paper and I opened the passenger door to empty my empty stomach. Eric gets back in the car and says, "Can we at least get out of the driveway?" Uhm, well let me think? If looks could do harm mine just might have. Let me finish my business and pour my water bottle on the driveway and then we can leave. Now we call that house the puke house very morning. :)

Bye Bye Uncle Matt

Helping Uncle Matt play baseball
Pucker up! No more girls for 2 years

Cora Eric Matt Jodi Lesley
My brother Matt left at the beginning of May for his LDS mission (San Fernando CA) and so we thought we'd post some pictures in honor of Matthew. We also want Lisa (who is currently serving a mission and won't have seen Matt for 3 years by the time he comes home) to see some pictures of Matt.

We love our Uncle Matt. Jodi loved talking to him on the phone while he was out at school and won't have the chance for a while. Cora also decided to officially walk by herself the last night Matt was here. We got a video of Cora walking to Matt. She'll be 3 when he sees her next. My guess is she'll be doing more than walking at that point!

Cute Kids

Here are some quick tidbits about my cute girls. :)

1. Cora is very good at imitating the car alarm of our neighbors car. (One of many less than desirable noises heard in our neighborhood often!)

2. When Cora puckers up for bedtime kisses her whole face seems to turn into a pucker to give Daddy his good night kisses.

3. This morning while eating pancakes Jodi kept telling me that I needed to be nice to Daddy and that I needed to say sorry, "Be nice a Daddy okay?" What have I created? I wasn't being mean to Daddy just for the record, she had been reprimanded for not talking nicely earlier in the day and I suppose this was her rebuttal.

My poor little girl!

Sunday while Eric and I were at church meetings Jodi tripped and fell onto my parents fireplace cutting her bottom lip and mashing up her upper gums. We decided stitches would keep her beautiful little face with the least amount of scarring.

Here are the pictures from right when we came back from the ER. She was hungry so she got some yogurt (which you see on her face) and you can tell by her eyes that she is exhausted. We got home after 10:30p.m. just a bit past bedtime. She got 4 stitches in her bottom lip. She was a good sport, mostly. The princess stickers when we left made it all better.

Here are the stitches. Its lookin' a whole lot better!

Great closeup of her dirty face! Doesn't anyone ever clean this kid! :)

And the bathroom drags on!

Jodi pounding away
Cleaning up the dust - plenty of that stuff!
Eric finishing the exhaust fan (well the part before drywall)
Eric putting in insulation - itchy pink stuff
Don't mess with a crazy woman with a drywall gun!

Update Quickie!

Hello All! Thanks for the regular blog checkers out there (that's for you Doug!) and sorry as well because things have been KRAZ to say the least and I've been slackin'.
1. We are now into week #4 on the bathroom, the saga continues
2. We spent the evening in the Emergency Room yesterday with Jodi - 4 stitches on her bottom lip from a run in with a fireplace (more to follow)
3. I don't have any energy because I'm trying to keep 2 little girls noses clean while keeping from puking due to morning sickness (yup #3 will join us in October!)
4. Eric has had a baseball game every day but Sunday for the past 2 weeks
5. Its a good thing I'm sitting because I'm getting dizzy just writing this
6. We love you all and hope everyone is well! xoxoxo ~the 1/2ners

Desperation, Frustration and Jubilation

Our bathroom - an opportunity for learning.
1. Desperation - Eric was supposed to be drilling a hole to the outside for the vent fan when he told me he felt like a male praying mantis, he was digging a hole for his wife and it was going to kill him. (the power tools were giving him a bit of trouble)
2. Frustration - trying to hang drywall with 2 munchkins running around, climbing up stepladders (that would be Cora) and having blizzard weather so the girls couldn't be shooed outside
3. Jubilation - the emotion we will feel when the bathroom is all put back together and how we feel when we walk in to a bathroom that has 4 walls again with drywall hung and mudded, even my tiny little linen closet ready to be filled. The whole thing will just be joyous when we have our new bathroom! (and when we look back over the process rather than being dirty and stuck in the middle!)

I got ahead of myself

Okay so here are some pictures of what the bathroom looked like before we had fun demolishing. (I actually ran out of battery in the digital camera so the "demo" pix are taken with the 35mm and we'll have to scan those in when they get developed) I had more but of course now that I want to blog them they are lost in a file somewhere. Aarrggh!

Bye Bye Bathroom!

YAHOO OUR BATHROOM IS GETTING REMODELED!
I think we are just a bit excited about this week, (tired at the same time though!) because we are remodeling our bathroom. I will try to keep pictures coming so you can all see what we are learning as we do it. So far the demolition has been soooooo much fun. There is just something so exhilerating about taking a hammer and SMASHING the ceiling and walls, ripping out lathe boards, and taking a power saw and cutting ceiling boards down. How much fun is that?

Just like her Daddy!

This little girl is definitely Eric's daughter - we have similar pictures of him doing the exact same thing. (I should scan them in and compare the two.) We are regularly picking up the books off this shelf, the 2nd one is her favorite. What a kid!

Ok I'm Back

Allright - I'm so sorry for all you regular blog checkers...our internet had been down and I've actually been playing with the girls rather than making them stay out of my hair while I do something for me. (Don't worry I still do that but its just been different stuff, don't ask me what but stuff never the less.)

Cora turned 1 year old yesterday and we'll get stuff up shortly but we aren't doing the cake until Saturday, so we'll get plenty of messy pictures then for you all to see when I get them up. :)

"Daddy Gone"

Because of a long night Jodi wound up sleeping in mommy's spot on our bed, thus allowing for the following story. This morning as I was working on the computre I heard Jodi wake up. She usually wakes up happy and peppy but she woke up crying. I naturally went in to be motherly and see what was wrong and when I got into the room she was sitting on my bed crying, "Daddy gone, Daddy gone!" (Lucky for her she woke up early enough to go say hello and have oatmeal with Daddy before he left for work.) She sure does love her Daddy!

Kiddie Update

1. Cora can stand up on her own now and took 1 step yesterday - a whole new world!
2. Jodi is going through the naked phase of all naked phases but at least she is potty trained now! wahoo!
3. Jodi has a few favorite things - Cinderella, yogurt, dancing, Backyardigans, singing, painted fingernails, and bossing us all around.
4. Cora's list is a little different but she loves getting out of her high chair, the computer keyboard, peas and carrots, the word "uh oh" and mommy mommy mommy.

100 Things about me...

I was challenged by a friend to record 100 things about myself and I rather like this friend so I will try and see what flows from my brain to the keyboard...
1. I am not strict enough with bedtime and it makes me crazy some days!
2. I am thinking too hard about this list
3. Don't make me go to the mall with you, I'll get cranky really fast!
4. I love having 2 little girls to play with
5. I need to play with my kids more often
6. I'm a project girl - always got a new one on my mind
7. BYU intramurals are one of the things I miss most about Provo
8. I coached a kindergarten soccer team this year (my sister)
9. I can't concentrate as I look around my living room, I need to set my timer and do my 15 min of cleaning.
10. I often start things and have to finish them later (like this list!)
11. I have a cow fetish
12. and flip flops (thanks nanci for not doing the letter!)
13. I grew up in Michigan and Indiana
14. We had cows, chickens, 80 acres and pigs for eating (hog roasts - yummy!)
15. Fall is my favorite season
16. I've always liked my nose
17. I love to read but need to read more classics
18. I'm the oldest of 9 kids - love it!
19. I've always wanted to have a button collection
20. Stickers are some of my favorite things
21. I aspire to be a great cook
22. Eating food is a hobby of mine
23. Making bread is one of my new favorite things
24. I love socks
25. I built a snowman while Jodi was taking a nap cuz I wanted to have a snowman to sing "Once there was a snowman" to
26. Someday I'd love to have a book published
27. I've always wanted to ride in a double decker bus
28. My husband teaches at my old HS - weird :)
29. Smiley faces are a great accent
30. I am a scrapbooker with lots of the "stuff" but not much to show for it
31. I often wonder just how I spent the day
32. I am a list maker
33. Maybe someday I will get organized!
34. I want to write more letters this year
35. I took sign language during college and wish I could practice it
36. Mascara and silver eye shadow are all the makeup I own
37. I asked for Berry Blistex for Valentines Day
38. We are getting out of debt this year
39. I have the XM radio tuned to Dave Ramsey almost every afternoon
40. I despise the NBA and NFL
41. College sports are my bread and butter :)
42. I'm asking Eric for help cuz I'm faltering
43. My husband says if I stay true to form I'll finish about 1/2 of this
44. I actually miss the mountains
45. I just love the leafy green trees of the Midwest
46. Our life has a Hispanic soundtrack thanks to our renters upstairs
47. I don't recommend rental properties
48. I'm very excited to get our bathroom remodeled - we're doing it with LOTS of help from my dad
49. I love the outdoors and look forward to a camping trip or two this summer
50. Whew, half way!
51. I sure hope my spelling is okay because I'm picky about that
52. I think I'm pretty good at making cards
53. I'm scared of my basement
54. I HATE spiders
55. Spiders make me cry if they are bigger than a dime
56. I played the oboe in HS
57. Our marching band won 2nd in state when I was a freshman - I loved marching band
58. I played 4 years of varsity soccer in HS
59. I have a BYU intramural champ t-shirt - family heirloom baby!
60. I wear my contacts longer than I should
61. My singing is much better in my head than out loud
62. I just love a good garage sale
63. A friend calls me Spud and my kids Tater Tots
64. 8 squared
65. Daisies are my second favorite flower
66. Get your kicks
67. I have a tackle box that houses my rock collection
68. I am not this many inches tall
69. Sweet peas are my favorite flowers
70. I am a perfectionist (all but house work) and it carries over to Eric, poor guy!
71. I love Eric this much times infinity
72. My children show me how vastly flawed I am
73. I love to work in the dirt and make things grow
74. The morning hours of the day are much more enjoyable to me
75. There is just something so exciting about a brand new box of crayons
76. I'm a country music kind of gal
77. If I were a food I'd be a shishkabob
78. I fixed books to put myself through college
79. dogs NOT cats for me
80. I've rather enjoyed this chance to reflect upon myself
81. Seahorses are just such fascinating creatures
82. I've got a hankering for some Girl Scout cookies!
83. It will be so much fun to take Jodi and Cora to the zoo when it gets warmer
84. I really like meeting new people
85. Squishy mud between ones toes is just blissful
86. I'd rather eat spinach than blueberries
87. I love a politically charged conversation, I just don't know enough to contribute much
88. I love my sewing machine and my collection of fabric
89. Contact paper is a really cool thing - its just so versatile
90. I want to learn how to knit and crochet, shocker I don't know how :)
91. I've always wanted green eyes (mine are very blue but I don't mind really)
92. Wrapping my hands around an oversize mug of hot chocolate makes me feel warm and cozy
93. I like the idea of being able to identify the plants, trees and flowers I see. Now I just need to learn what they are!
94. One of my prize possessions is a trophy for winning a greased pig contest when I was 7 at the Millersburg Farmer Day Olympics!
95. Its a conspiracy - printers and ink are always empty or broken!
96. Nauvoo is one of my favorite places - we were married in the Nauvoo temple
97. I've never seen the Atlantic Ocean
98. I'd really like to have a Passport and use it
99. Homemade granola is my favorite sweet cereal (much to my father-in-laws disappointment, its not very unhealthy as sweet cereals go)
100. As we were leaving the hospital Eric told me he needed to go out into the wilderness for 3 days and kill a bear with his bare hands after what I had just done, which was giving birth to Cora naturally. Yeah, I think I'm pretty tough stuff.

Eric's 27th

Eric and his loot. Thanks for the birthday cards and calls. We had scrumptious salmon. My tastebuds water just thinking about it. Yummy! (Thanks Ted!) Ragamuffin Jodi did have her hair in pigtails but she has a mind of her own.