Lizzie Get Your Gun

My dad loves to go target shooting, especially trap shooting.  He has his own trap launcher and even reloads his own shotgun shells in his lab at home.  The sons-in-law and even grandsons enjoy loading shells and going shooting.  My mom watched Callie one morning so Davis and I could go trap shooting with Russ and my dad.  Don't worry -- Davis was just in charge of pushing the button to launch the traps.  But he didn't really enjoy it -- he thought it was too loud, even with his headphones, so he ended up hiding out in the car.  He is definitely my kid! I used to watch fireworks on the 4th of July from within the safety of my house when I was a kid...

setting up the trap launcher

happy face -- obviously we haven't started shooting yet

smile -- he still hasn't pushed the elusive launching button

It's always best to pose for pictures before anything loud and unsettling happens.

Notice my dad is wearing a special padded vest.

He has obviously shot his rifle many times.

That weapon will bruise your shoulder in half a second flat -- it's got a kick, baby!

Wish we could have borrowed the vest while we shot...maybe next time.

I realize that I look awkward and unnatural in this photo.

That gun was heavy, people!

I am posting this photo to document that I have been there, done that.

And I did hit a clay pigeon.

But I'm not disclosing how many shots it took.

This picture must be out of order because by this time, Davis was in the car.

The pro

Russ's "Mini Me"

In many ways, Davis is a mini version of Russ.  This is especially apparent in the following photo:

While we were in St. George this summer, Russ convinced me that it would be a good idea to buy Davis his own golf clubs.  Russ said he would even skip a game of golf while on vacation and put the money towards the purchase of said golf clubs.

I bought it.

 

We bought the clubs on one of the last days of our trip, and we didn't have a chance to use them in St. George. 

On the way home, we stopped at the golf course in Fillmore. 

We gave Davis his clubs for the first time.  He was elated.

He and Russ hit a large bucket of balls.

Davis looked like a little natural.

His little golf bag looked like a toy standing next to Russ's bag.

Here's to more Father/Son outings!

Callie's Blessing Day

On July 15th, Callie Marie Lasson was given a name and a blessing by her daddy.  It was a beautiful blessing for a beautiful baby girl.  We waited until July so that my dad would be healthy enough to join us (he was in the ICU when Callie was born).  She had to wear a 6-month blessing dress (although I think Davis wore a 6-month outfit to his blessing, and he was only 6 weeks old! My babies are half-grown when they are born!)

We enjoyed having the family over for a yummy brunch of breakfast burritos, muffins, fruit, and crumb cake.  The weather wasn't too warm or windy (very unusual for our neighborhood).  The kids enjoyed playing in the yard, and our family stayed for more than three hours -- it was perfect!

Before church -- gotta love Davis's face!

(It's so hard to get a picture of him smiling anymore...)

My sweet friend, Joy, came over before church to curl my hair since I am totally incapable of doing it myself!

our little family :)

 

with Grandma and Grandpa Hadfield

How many kids can fit on a playset?!

with Grandma and Grandpa Lasson

with Grandpa Little

my beautiful baby girl!

This Kid Makes Me Laugh

Davis has been cracking me up lately.  Here are just a few of the things he's said (interspersed with a few random pictures from the first half of 2012--in no specific order):

• March 27: Davis finished a page of stickers and I suggested we throw the empty page away. He pointed to the recycle symbol on the paper and said, "this means it needs to be recycled." 

 giving his cousin, Dani a headlock hug

 reading stories with Dani and Dax during their visit to Utah in March

dying Easter eggs with Grandma Hadfield

• While driving, Davis offered me a jelly bean.  I don't really like jelly beans, so I tried to politely refuse it.  But Davis kept insisting it was really good.  So I took the jelly bean and pretended to eat it.  He said, "Mom, did you just pretend to eat the jelly bean?"  It caught me off guard and made me laugh.  He insisted again that I try it.  So I pretended again, this time adding in fake chewing. Again, he said, "Mom, did you just pretend to eat the jelly bean AGAIN?!" I laughed pretty hard again, and then changed the subject. 

 

Davis went through a phase where he was obsessed with tools.

He took his wrench all over the house to fix things.

Here he is fixing the sink like the plumber on one of his favorite episodes of Curious George.

 

He carried a bunch of tools around in his pajamas.

  

These are all the tools he fit inside his pajamas!

• April 21: We bought Davis a "big brother" t-shirt. He wore it three days in a row while we were in the hospital with Callie. On the fourth day, he wanted to wear it again, and I found out he thought he wouldn't be a big brother if he didn't wear it.
• April 21: On the way home from the hospital, Davis just kept whining that he wanted to play games on Russ's phone.  To distract him, we pointed out Mt. Timpanogos and told him that Russ climbed it. Davis responded, "Dad, when I was your age I climbed the Eiffel Tower but I couldn't pick it up because it was heavy." What?!?
• April 30: Davis took apart small electronic pocket keyboard said, "a circuit board!" (He was correct.) 

 taking care of his stuffed turtle (he tucked it into the blanket next to him)

I have to drive him around to get him to fall asleep for a nap, but he finally fell asleep on his own this time.  Of course, it was while he had a babysitter...

• Uses "Thursday" to refer to any time in the future. 

 

I told Davis he could wear these new pajamas when he went to bed by himself

(without us lying by him or sitting in the room). 

 This was the first day he did it (January or February). 

He did it once and then didn't do it again for quite awhile!

 He didn't start going to bed by himself consistently until a few weeks before Callie was born.

We finally told him we would leave his bedroom door open if he stayed in bed but we would close it if he got out of bed.  It only took a few closed doors until he learned to stay in bed.

• May 15: I asked Davis what kind of birthday cake he wanted, and he said, "a salad cake. It's yummy, delicious, and scrumptious!" 

playing "chest" (as he calls it)

• May 17: Davis said, "I want to feed Callie. I have a special belly button where she can drink all my milk." I told him he didn't have any milk and he said, "Oh how sad!"  Later that night, I went to Costco by myself, and Russ fed Callie a bottle.  Davis said, "Dad, why you feeding Callie? You don't have the special button.  Only my mom has the special button." 

 I let Davis "cook" while I was making dinner.

I gave him some ingredients I thought were harmless -- sugar, rice, raisins, etc.

 He made a giant mess, and then he started to eat all of the sugar-coated raisins.

He had a blast.

• May 20: Davis wanted to listen to some "tunes" in the car. I turned on some instrumental music. He didn't want to listen to that because it was "pretty music," and he wanted to hear some "rockin' tunes."
• Davis calls hand sanitizer "hanitizer." 

hanging out after church

• May 23: Davis and I were playing "soccer practice" in his bedroom. (I was tossing a small ball to him, and he kicked it back as hard as he could.) Before I threw the ball, I asked him if he was ready. He said yes. I asked, "how ready?" and he said "four." Then he kept saying he was "Ready. Four" each time it was his turn. 

Davis loves to make baking soda and vinegar volcanoes.

• May 25: Davis was wandering around. I asked him what he was doing and he said "decorating." I asked him what he was decorating for and he said "for my party." (His birthday party was on the 19th.) Then he started repeatedly asking Russ if he wanted to help decorate. 

playing "Don't Break the Ice" with Grandma

• May 27: Davis was bugging me while I was trying to feed Callie.  To distract him, Russ yelled from the other room, "Help, Davis!"  Davis ran in there and asked, "What seems to be the problem?"

testing batteries with cousin Brett

• June 14: Davis was dancing, and I asked him where he learned his moves. He said, "From daddy. He knows how to rock moves."

reading bedtime stories with dad

• June 14: I told Davis I was going to mow the lawn, and he told me to use headphones to keep the grass out of my ears. I told him dad wore headphones to listen to music when he mowed, not to keep the grass out! 

painting with water

• June 16: Davis was cooking food for me in his kitchen. I asked him if he was going to be a chef someday and he said, "No I'm going to be a superhero!"

•  June 16: Davis randomly bore his testimony to me today.  He said, "I'd like to bear my testimony. Thanks for Jesus. Thanks for my dad, Russell. Thanks for my mom, mom. Thanks for Callie Marie."

proudly displaying the playdough worms he made all by himself

• June 21: We were headed to the doctor for well-check visits for the kids. Davis said they were going to "examinate" him! While we were there he told the doctor his jokes (Why did the bee go to the doctor? Because he had hives! How do you keep a bull "from stop charging"? Take away his credit card!)