Trajan's New Favorite Game...

Grab whatever toy Hadrian is playing with ...

and run like hell
Oh and he thinks he is HI-LARIOUS!

He doesn't do it to be mean, he just LOVES it when Hadrian chases after him. He grabs the toy and then runs behind one of the couches waiting silently to figure out which way Hadrian is coming. Then he jets out the other direction and a chase ensues. It is pretty hilarious. But don't tell Hadrian I said that, he doesn't like that he has to keep an eye on Trajan at all times.
So between this game and Trajan's teething they are going through toys pretty fast. I picked up these cute toys at Cost Plus World Market.
He he. Bite me.

They can destroy these $2 toys all they want, as long as they don't destroy my coffee table

Ahem

TRAJAN

Cells and Cows

As I was sitting on the couch this morning, enjoying my first peppermint mocha of the season and flipping through my hundred-thousand (but not BBC and still bitter about that) channels I came across one of those infomercials for this 'Golden Age of Country' collection. It reminded me of something really funny that happened to me last week, so I am going to share....

Now that my parents live 3 hours away from Salt Lake it is a bit challenging getting back and forth from the airport. On Monday both of my parents had to work, so my Grandpa and Grandma Merkley were awesome enough to drive me out to Salt Lake to the airport.

My Grandma and I sat in the back seat chatting, while my Grandpa was driving in the front with his old-school twangy country music blaring. All of a sudden there is a loud 'RING RING'. Although it is not my usual ring tone, I reach for my cell because, well, whose else could it be?

I am reaching for my phone when the twangy country music fades and my grandpa (who happens to be driving, remember) reaches into his coat pocket and pulls out a cell phone. My eyes get huge and my mouth drops open...

"Hey pardner what are you up to today?... Oh I spent the weekend gettin' the cows down from the mountain. I am goin' back up cause a few are missin' "

and so on and so forth.

With my eyes still wide and mouth gaping open I turn to my Grandma like "What? The?" She just shakes her head and says "Oh your Grandpa and his cell phone"

It was so surreal. So funny. My 79 year old cowboy grandpa, driving down the highway, talking on his cell phone about getting the cows down off the mountain and putting them in the corral.

It was so cute that I just giggled.

Can you imagine this guy driving around on a cell phone?

(I stole this photo from Ashley, I think it is just such a great picture)

The First Encounter

Monday afternoon I brought Trajan home to meet his new brother, Hadrian.


Following this moment came the snarls, and growls, and snaps. Oh my.

I have been naive and stupid. I figured if you took one sweet, good natured angel and put him together with another sweet, good natured angel you would get two sweet, good natured angel BFFs and rainbows and hugs. Instead I get frustration and snips and snaps.

My sweet little Hadrian is a bully, yo!

He has figured out that Trajan can't jump up on the couches or bed, so Hadrian jumps up and stands on the edge looking down at Trajan like "neener neener neener you can't get up here"

And in all of Hadrian's three and a half years I have only heard him snarl twice, but oh don't worry he has made up for the past three years in the past three days. Snap, Snap, Snap!

Poor Trajan- he absolutely worships Hadrian.

He follows him around, puts up with the snaps, lets Hadrian have whatever toy or food he wants, and is Hadrian's little shadow. Only Hadrian doesn't think he needs a shadow. Hadrian thinks he needs left the hell alone. I tried to convince Hadrian that they have loads in common and should be BFFs. They are both sweet. They both love me. They both love to play chase. They both love their ears rubbed. They both love to pull the guts out of every toy they can get their paws on. They both LU-UUUV food.

But NO, he doesn't believe me. He says he will never be friends with that little ball of spaz. He just looks at me like "whatever Mom, just keep him calm ok? and make the humping STOP" I'm working on that part, Bud.

But then there are moments....moments when Hadrian playfully chases Trajan through the house and ends the romp with a big wet kiss for Trajan. Moments when I have hope that they will someday be the little buddies I imagined.

And then a snap usually follows shortly after.

A Crazy Halloween

My family thinks they are fun and everyone else is boring.

I say we are crazy and everyone else is just normal.

Autumn and I showing our true colors.

With all this crazy in my family tree, I knew I would have a blast when I found out I got to spend Halloween in Utah with them.

How often do twenty-somethings go trick-or-treating? How often are the people opening their door to find these twenty-somethings trick-or-treating totally not surprised?

Trick-or-Treating at Grandma's

How cute does Makall look?

We did take kiddies with us, you know, as an excuse for being twenty-something and trick-or-treating. Lucky is showing us how she shoots her webs!

Ladybug Lexie and Spiderman Lucky

But hey, how can we not have turned out like this? Look at our role models...

My Uncle Terel and Aunt Julie

My Aunt Julie's Marilyn Monroe Witch pumpkin...How cool is that?!?!

And this cave woman? My Aunt Lisa aka Ms. March 2000 B.C.

I had so much fun on Halloween...I am thinking I have to go back next year!

TRAJAN!

I went and picked up our new baby, Trajan, yesterday. He is such a happy little sweetie!

I am posting a few pics at hubs request so he can see our new little guy. It is kinda hard to get photos of Trajan. For one, I am busy following him around making sure he doesn't have an accident in the house. But mostly I can't get a good photo because at all times he is trying to give kisses.

I will try to get some more today and add to this post. I will also be posting some pretty awesome Halloween pictures too!

What I Woke Up To This Morning

I woke up to steam coming off a little creek behind my mom's. Isn't the country beautiful? I love mornings here.

Unfortunately my mom's poor neighbors had to wake up to me in pajama pants, a blue ski hat, and a bright red sweater that went to my knees walking around.

Happy Halloween

Hap Hap Happy Halloween.

Almost.

I am heading out to Utah tomorrow to spend Halloween and pick up my new puppy! I am going to miss spending Halloween with Michael and Hadrian, although I don't think they will miss spending it with me.

See I am one of those people that dresses up their dogs. And their husbands.

This was Hadrian's 1st Halloween...
Wasn't he a cute little dinosaur?

Michael was Clark Kent. The slacker wouldn't even go full-out Superman. Lame

For Hadrian's second Halloween he and I were jailbirds.
and as much as I begged Michael wouldn't dress up as a cop. He thinks he is some rebel and won't even pretend to be "The Man"

Last year was my favorite costume. Hadrian was Peter Pan, isn't he just so so cute!
I was a pirate. I was supposed to be Tinkerbell but when my costume arrived it was totally see through and...well...I'm not a ho... so I had to be a pirate.
This year....well, this year Hadrian doesn't get a costume. I figured Michael wouldn't make him wear it on Halloween, so what is the point?

Trajan isn't going to get a costume either. How great of a first impression would that be? "Hi! I'm your new mommy! Here put on this itchy, uncomfortable costume"

Well I'm off to eat my bowl of chili (one Halloween tradition Michael didn't weasel his way out of) and pack. Have an awesome Halloween and if you are in Vernal come join the party!