Hello!

Good old fashioned SUMAS fun time to be had by all.

In case you didn't know or don't remember, nothing says "good family fun" like celebrating the 4th of July in Sumas!  Ever since the first year we took Wayne, when he was 18 months old, and I saw the look of wide-eyed wonder on his adorable and precious little face, I've been committed to reliving the experience and making memories over and over again.  We normally go with a group of friends, and walk over to the ball fields after a BBQ, but the BBQ is cancelled in any year the hostess has a 1 month old baby, and this being one of those years, we decided to ask the Scheib's to join us.  A little cousin bonding was in order!

Immediately upon parking, a bathroom trip was in order, and studly Uncle Tyler volunteered to supervise, and thankfully came back with a HUGE bag of the BEST kettle corn ever!

The kids all hung out in either the back of the van or the Denali, it switched throughout the 2 hour wait until the fireworks began.  And a note to future Tanya reading this post to try and remember what time go to get a good spot:  We arrived at 8:30, but to 9 or 9:15 would have been just fine.  

Got to love those Scheiber's!

Wayne told me boys were too cool to lay on blankets, they would sit on chairs in the back of the car.  Whatever!

Just as long as he knows that no boy is too cool for his Mama!

Doesn't it look like they are having a blast?

Here's the Wyatt hoarder.  She hogged him most of the night!  :-)  I think she was using him as her own personal heater...

Tyler had to step in to "back door" duty to make sure Weston didn't launch himself into the road.

This was hilarious.  Weston had to say "HI!" to anyone and everyone either walking or driving by.  Oddly enough, very few people actually returned the "hello" to the little dude.  Poor ignored kid!

Once the fireworks began, the kids settled down for the most part.  Weston would suck in a huge breath of air with each new firework, then clap his approval as it melted back into the sky.  So darling!

my FOUR favorite boys in all the world

How could I ask for anything more?

 

Well, I could ask for them to 1) look at me 2) smile 3) at the same time,

but then again, miracles don't happen every day.  

This is the best of 27 pictures I took of them in this pose.  I'll take it!  :-)

Today a milestone was passed.

Today was the first day that I realized....




Our boys need more than one box of macaroni for lunch.  The need two.  Wayne, Weston and Wyatt can polish off almost an entire two boxes of mac and cheese.  Oh my.  I am in for it when they hit their teens!  It's a good thing I like to cook.

He gets knocked down...

First off... turn your speakers on, to enjoy the full essence of this post.

Today, I'm talking (or writing) about what it's like to be Wyatt, at 11 months old.  Born the third of three brothers, it pretty much goes without saying that he'd have to learn to fend off his brothers.  Or so you'd think.  But in our family, Wyatt is the least picked on.  Wayne and Weston LOVE him, and would never rough house or do anything else that could remotely hurt him.  They are VERY careful of him, and do anything they can to make him happy and get him giggling.  

But being the third born of three boys, Wyatt as we all know is very laid back, passive, easy going... you get the idea.  Defending himself is not even in his nature.  So when we play with cousin Trevy, I have to keep an extra eye (or camera lens) out.  You see, Treven is a FIRST born boy.  And a spunky one at that.  Treven and Wyatt are opposites in a lot of ways.  Treven is walking, Wyatt is sitting, Treven is go-go-go, and Wyatt is slow, slow, slow.  

Here's a summary of what I mean.  I realize that I could have dropped my camera and jumped in to help Wyatt, but Wyatt's pretty tough, and if I did that, then I wouldn't have these pictures to remind us of how small and defenseless Wyatt was at 11 months of age, when he's a 6 foot, 4 inch, 220 pound strapping young man!  :-)

Here's Wyatt, innocently rolling on the ground.  Treven notices him, and walks on over. 

Here, you see that Wyatt knows trouble is coming... to sit on top of him!

"Trouble" has arrived.

Note to Treven:  Contrary to popular belief, Wyatt is not a step stool.

Poor Wyatt!  :-)

And for good measure... Treven must make sure he knows who's boss!

Free at last! 

Or is Treven coming back for more?

A Sunday drive in the country

Since Sunday turned out to be a pretty nice day, we laid low around home for most of it.  By 3:30 we were all getting a little stir crazy at home, and since it was Father's Day, we headed up for a little impromptu visit with my parents.  Todd had got in the night before, and Breanne and Tyson were back from camping.  Tyler brought up the boys' cars so they could go for a little drive, and hopefully occupy themselves.  Our strategy TOTALLY paid off.  They were engrossed in the thrill from behind the wheel for over an hour!

Things started out pretty smooth...  Practice steering on a smooth, flat lawn.  That lasted all of 3 minutes.

Now this is more like it!  Wayne had to push his truck up hill, but he coerced Uncle Todd into helping him.  Weston wasn't far behind!

What goes up, must come down....

And go back up again!

Poor Uncle Todd!

Hmm..  What's he running from?

Wayne looks pretty excited about something, but what?

Suddenly, it all becomes clear!

Nothing like a couple of Silves boys to provide some good clean fun on Father's Day.  Here's the Dad that started it all...

And another Dad and his boy (and his Mom!)

Grandma and Wyatt, having a snack.  It was getting cold, so they had to pull up his socks, just like Tyler used to do in high school!

I love this picture...  The world as Treven sees it.

Time for dinner!  

Not where I left him.

This is not how I left him, but certainly how I found Weston the other night.  I guess he'd rather sleep in a hard plastic tub than his soft and cozy bed!  The room was pitch black until my flash lit it up...  I love how he sleeps like a frog!

Just how I'm feeling....

Turn up your computer speakers, listen to the song, read the lyrics, and sing along...




Where is the moment we needed the most
You kick up the leaves and the magic is lost
They tell me your blue skies fade to gray
They tell me your passion's gone away
And I don't need no carryin' on

You stand in the line just to hit a new low
You're faking a smile with the coffee you go
You tell me your life's been way off line
You're falling to pieces every time
And I don't need no carryin' on

Because you had a bad day
You're taking one down
You sing a sad song just to turn it around
You say you don't know
You tell me don't lie
You work at a smile and you go for a ride
You had a bad day
The camera don't lie
You're coming back down and you really don't mind
You had a bad day
You had a bad day

Will you need a blue sky holiday
The point is they laugh at what you say
And I don't need no carryin' on

You had a bad day
You're taking one down
You sing a sad song just to turn it around
You say you don't know
You tell me don't lie
You work at a smile and you go for a ride
You had a bad day
The camera don't lie
You're coming back down and you really don't mind
You had a bad day

(Oooh.. a holiday..)

Sometimes the system goes on the blink
And the whole thing turns out wrong
You might not make it back and you know
That you could be well oh that strong
And I'm not wrong

(yeah...)

So where is the passion when you need it the most
Oh you and I
You kick up the leaves and the magic is lost

Cause you had a bad day
You're taking one down
You sing a sad song just to turn it around
You say you don't know
You tell me don't lie
You work at a smile and you go for a ride
You had a bad day
You've seen what you like
And how does it feel for one more time
You had a bad day
You had a bad day




On second thought, now that I read the lyrics, they are completely lost on me.  The only part I get is, "You had a bad day."  I get that.  

As of today....

Weston is definitely my favorite brother.  You'd think since I was the baby, no one in my family would forget about me.  I'm pretty quiet, and generally happy, so I understand.  But they do.  Forget about me.  Especially when Mom just made chocolate chip cookies.  I could see them cooling on the rack, I watched her hand one to Wayne and the one to Weston, and then I watched her leave the kitchen.  With me in my high chair, eating Cheerios.  Tell me, would you eat Cheerios if you could be eating a chocolate chip cookie?  I think not.  Just because I've never had one before, doesn't mean that I am not smart enough to figure out that this is something GOOD I am missing out on. 

All of this to say... Thanks Weston.  Thanks for waiting for Mom to be in the laundry room to grab one cookie of the cooling rack, drop it on my tray, and then cheer me on as I shoveled it by the handful into my mouth.  I'll never forget that my first cookie came from you.  Today, you are my favorite. 

Your Little Brother,
Wyatt

Dinner at the Lynden Park

Since it was a BEAUTIFUL night, we packed up the boys and headed to the Lynden park.  First, we ran a few errands, and grabbed a subway footlong for us, and nuggets and fries for the little guys to eat.  When we got to the park, we headed straight for the water, our favorite spot!  We ate, Tyler opened a Father's Day gift from Wayne.  It was a new reel, for him to fish with the next morning.  It was delightfully relaxing, and it's really fun to just be able to enjoy the boys now that they are older.  It's less work!  :-)

Who is this boy, and when did he grow up?

Wyatt was SHOVELING fries into his mouth.  He loves food!

Tyler took Weston into the water, but it was a little cold for him. 

It's okay buddy, Daddy's got you!

After dinner, Tyler took the big boys to the playground, and Wyatt and I walked over to my grandparents' house.  Several aunts and uncles were visiting from Canada, and I wanted to see Pake.  He has cancer, and had gotten a hospital bed since the last time I'd visited, so it was nice to see him again.  Everyone else was eating dinner, so I kept him company.  We had fun talking, and it was interesting to hear the things he remembered.  We talked about his garden, back in "the good old days" as he put it, and his fish pond.  I told him that us grandkids used to try and catch his fish, and he thought that was pretty funny! 

10 Steps to Become the BEST Dad EVER!

Step One:  Have a great example of what a self-sacrificing, fun, Godly man a father should be.

Step 2:  Appreciate where he came from.

 

  Step 3:  Be a darn cute little kid yourself.

 

Step 4:  Find and marry the most wonderful girl in the whole wide world.

Step 5:  Convince her that having a baby would be a good idea.

Step 6: Have a delightful little boy, and call him Wayne, after your own dad who even in his own short life, has influenced yours in so many ways.

Step 7:  Decide that having one boy is just not enough, and have another.  Call him Weston, and be prepared:  He's going to make life interesting!Step 8: Love life with those two boys.Step 9:  Decide that if two boys are great, three would be even better!  Welcome another baby Silves boy to this world, and then call him Wyatt.  Just when you think you know what a Silves boy will look and act like... Wyatt will change everything you THOUGHT you knew.Step 10: Sit back, relax, and enjoy Father's Day 2010 with three of the most fun, rambunctious, happy and delightful little boys you ever knew.  And YOU are their Dad! 

Dear Tyler,

I thought I loved you more than I ever could, until we had Wayne.  I remember how terrified you were that you would "break" our baby, and you were nervous my entire pregnancy.  After Wayne was delivered, we were separated for a short while, me busy in the O.R., and you busy getting Wayne his first bath.  I remember worrying that you wouldn't know what to do, or that you would be scared.  When I was wheeled into our room, I saw you holding Wayne, like a football in one big, manly hand, and I saw your other hand directing traffic, putting things away, and getting situated.  What on earth had happened to you in the 20 minutes we were apart?  That was when you REALLY became a Dad.  You were scared, nervous, excited, and dozens of other things, but none of it mattered because you knew... Your son needed you.  I fell in love with you all over again.  As we've added boy after boy, that love has only continued to change and grow, in ways that I could never have anticipated and that only God could have planned.  Seeing you with our boys, you are one AMAZING Dad.  They adore you.  I love to see you doing the little things with them, talking to them and teaching them.  I know that you appreciate being in every moment of their lives, because you understand what it's like to grow up without a Dad.  I am so sorry for that, but I am so grateful that God blessed you with a father who's influence in you surpassed his life here on earth.  I hear all the time how much you  look and act like him.  How can that be?  You were 8 when he passed away!  Again, God's plan in your life would bring you full circle, to the amazing Dad you are today, with the history and genetics of your own Dad coming through, even now!  Again, amazing.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  I could not have asked for a better father for our kids, or a man to share my life with.  I love you.