Wow! Has it really been that long since I last posted. I find life so interesting. When Gunnar was a toddler, I found blogging and blogged all of the time. It was fairly new then and not widely known. I had friends and family all over blogging and that was the way that we stayed connected. I didn't want to miss the day to day happens of what was going on with Gunnar and I didn't want to miss that of the blogs I followed. Then Facebook came around and it seems like everyone uses that as a "journal" of sorts to share their happenings which is a total shame because, really to me, it is not...I'm trying to think of the right word...archival or long term memory keeping. That just sounds funny, but hopefully you know what I mean. I've come to realize that there is a time and season for everything. My season right now is 2 busy kiddos (poor Brecken hardly exists in our family), running a business and being a wife and mom (and all that entails). Holiday time is so busy with Paparazzi that I even had to put my Etsy shop on a long term vacation right now so that I could survive. Holiday time is also my busiest time for my shop as well but something had to go if I was going to keep my sanity and be successful so the one with long term benefits won out. I was sad. I did shed and internal tear for that decision but I know that it was the right one. All of this is much like blogging. There is a time and a season and the every day or several times a month posts are of the past right now. It sure nags at my mind all of the time how I need to get on here but I do what I can do. Finally I just sat down. Cami and Brecken has destroyed my house, thankfully they are napping (they are awesome nappers and buddies), I have apple pie filling that has been staring me down to be canned for days, I need to make Paparazzi phone calls, heck, I'm still in my jammies (I deemed this jammy day much earlier today)...the list can go on and on. But I just needed to sit down and start this.

He insisted on wearing his bike helmet to do this. We were laughing so hard!

And we did it over and over again. After a couple of tries, this boy was seriously getting the hang of it.  He knew to put his hands out for balance and everything. He will be ready to board in no time.

The mastermind behind this. The purple thing is the base to a Little Tikes Zebra that rocks when hooked onto it or rolls around when off of it. 

Our boys are daredevils. Straight up crazy, fearless little things. The fun we have some nights can be completely random and unplanned. It is interesting listening to mother's of girls talk about the differences of boys and girls (Heidi-haha). She did not realize how crazy boys were until we hung out all day on her day off a while ago to go Halloween costume shopping. I was standing around the JoAnn's cutting table f.o.r.e.v.e.r. (no joke like an hour) waiting for my number called so she decided to take Cami and Brecken around the store to keep them occupied. She eventually wondered back laughing because she did not truly realize how busy Brecken is. With Cami she can tell her that she is going to far and she can't be seen. Cami sticks around. Oh not Brecken. He looks right at you and walks the other way. Then you get to chase him down. He is just so busy. Gunnar and Brecken are both that way. They just are. Boys and girls are just so different. Maybe my boy and her girl are just so different. Who knows. I hope she has a boy one day...and I am just glad that Brecken and Cami have a buddy in each other.

I was looking for pictures and realized that I didn't even post that Gunnar headed off to 1st grade this year. He was pretty excited, I was over the top excited and Brecken was lost for about an hour before he realized that he wouldn't have to battle his brother throughout the day. Brecken was just so thrilled that he knew where Gunnar's school was and that he gets to see the school bus on most days. I think Gunnar likes the idea of school and then it gets old really quickly. He is super smart little kid, but would rather be doing other things. Jeff likes to say that he is a whole lot like him in  that area. I'm glad, because I was not like them as a student. We've had our fair share of challenges this year, and we are still battling them. I am just hoping one of these days, things click and he enjoys school and acts like he should there.

I convinced him to let me drive him to school. Not really sure why I wanted to. I just did. Remember last year he rode the bus to school on the first day as a Kindergartner. Man that boy is a brave one.

Our boys are just so different. They don't always play nicely, or get along. Not at all...part of that comes from the 3.5-4 year age gap, some of that comes from just being siblings more specifically brothers. I read on one of the ecard things you see on Facebook or Pinterest one day that having your first child makes you a parent, having your second child makes you a referee, and having three or more makes you a bouncer. I totally feel like that! I am always breaking up their two problems with each other. They can have their sweet moments too. The more I look at them, the more I think they look quite different. They have different eye shapes and face shapes, their hair color and style is different (Brecken has these large curls), Brecken is just stalkier and can tan like nobody else. He is our true beach bum with his tan skin, blond hair and totally laid back, slower personality. He is busy for sure but just so Hawaiian. He takes after my side of the family for sure. My aunt said that they used to call my dad the White Hawaiian. She said Brecken is the white Hawaiian. I had to laugh at that. 

Brecken was obsessed with this necklace and wouldn't take it off. It just solidified his Hawaiian ancestry in him.

Going totally cool style on me...

So what has kept me from updating my blog and keeping me busy in my free time. Paparazzi for sure! The end of summer was the most insane time of year for me other than the holiday season. I had 3 local fairs within a months time. It was intense to say the least. The first fair that I did was a very local, small county fair nearby for 4 days. So small and the big highlight was a rodeo. There were literally less than 10 vendors and boy were the days so incredibly long and hot! The weather was well over 100 those days for whatever reason. It was miserable with a few fun moments. It was so incredibly unorganized too which made it hard to be there. But they had the best people watching. Jeff did come out and visit with the boys which helped. 

Owyhee County Fair-this was the smallest amount of inventory I have ever had at an event. It was so weird and I was a little worried.

Canyon County Fair done with 3 of us all together-it was fun!

A short week or so later I did the Canyon County Fair for 4 days with 2 other team members. It was so much fun. The days were just right, it was indoors (however the air conditioning broke the first day and it was miserable. People were telling us that the sheep barn was cooler then here...nice). This was our first run with a larger 10x20 booth. Now that we have that set up down, we can replicate it over and over again. I think I also liked the fact that I was about 3 minutes away from my house. It was awesome. The first night I got home, Jeff asked if I left early. Nope, I just got home that fast! This fair also has concerts with fairly big names every single night. Buy a ticket into the fair and you get into the concert for free. Love it! I was able to take the boys around one of the days that I didn't have to work. It was fun! Perk to having a mom that goes to all of these things. They are always visiting me or I take them. Jeff also took them so they went twice!

I'm not sure where my picture went for the last fair, but it was the Western Idaho Fair, our big state fair. It is 10 days and very long. Thankfully 4 of us went in together. I worked 5 days and we always had two people there which helped pass the time. During this time Gunnar started school which made things even more interesting. Why the big fair is even during the time all the schools start is beyond me. It leaves all of the older people coming out during the day, making for some slow days. With all of this going on, I was SO exhausted. I felt like I pretty much shut down for a time. I received so much help with my kiddos. I really appreciate my family, friends and Jeff for sure. September did not provide any slow moments either but that has to be for another day.

I am so thankful for what I have. I have a great husband, two great boys, even a great dog (thankfully he does not dig or bark-he's a good boy). We have more than we need and then some. We are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints with a knowledge that families are forever and the most basic and central unit of the church. Knowing this makes getting through the little day to day trials that much easier.