The McPhie Family

The Last Few Months

2010-01-20T09:11:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I haven't updated this thing in forever and because of that, I don't even know if people are checking it anymore but here goes... As of September we had a new addition to the family. Little Riley Scott McPhie arrived on September 3rd, late in the evening. He weighed in at 7 pounds, 13 ounces. Mom stayed to help out for awhile and it was nice to have an extra set of hands, as three children has been quite an adjustment for me. This new little guy is a sweetheart and is always ready with a smile.

Austin turned 4 this year on September 30th. Despite the new a baby we still had a birthday party with a dinosaur theme. It was a lot fun. He has also began attending preschool this year and is really having a blast.

In October we made our traditional trip to the pumpkin patch. We went with all fully ripe orange pumpkins this year. Jared made quite a fashion statement by tying plastic bags over the kid's shoes as well as his own because the patch was a field of mud. We enjoyed the fresh kettle corn they always sell there and had wonderful time as a family.
Halloween/ Beggar's Night was pretty wet and cold but the allure of candy was strong enough to keep the kids going. Austin was a panda bear, Tyler was a giraffe, and we dressed Riley as pea pod, which he hated.

November was actually unusally warm this year and we had a quiet and relaxing Thanksgiving at home.

Christmas is always a lot fun with the kids. They are getting old enough to really get into it and it is fun to watch the anticipation and wonderment in their eyes. We did all the usual stuff. We went to the mall to see Santa and ride the Christmas train. We opened new pajamas on Christmas Eve and read all the special stories especially Christ's birth. Christmas morning was a whirlwind of wrapping paper and excitment, which was also fun to watch. It was a nice holiday, the only thing missing was extended family. Hopefully we'll see more of them in the years to come.

So Merry belated Christmas and Happy New Year everybody!

Tyler is Two!

2009-06-18T06:21:00.000-07:00

June 15 th was Tyler second birthday. It is hard to believe that so much time has passed. When we moved out to Iowa, Tyler was just a tiny newborn. He is still our little smiley but toddlerhood has brought about a desire to be totally independent and he has some attitude to go along with it. He had a fun time opening presents and this was the first time he was more interested in the gift than the paper it was wrapped in. He decided on an Elmo cake this year. He calls him "Melmo." He managed to stick his hand in his cake before we couldn't even get it in the car to bring it home. He lifted his frosting coated hand and said"uh-oh" as if he didn't know how this happened. The good news is that the cake still tasted good. So now we are looking forward to all the challenges, changes and growth that come with having a two year old. Happy Birthday Tyler!

Boy, Oh Boy!

2009-04-28T10:49:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, April 22nd we went in for our 5 month ultrasound. We are blessed to be expecting another baby boy. Jared was very surprised, he was pretty sure this one was a girl. I was not so easily convinced, as we have an established track record of having boys. Austin and Tyler are pleased to be getting another brother and I know they will all share a special bond. We are excited to welcome this new edition the beginning of September. Thankfully, the baby is growing well and all is as it should be.

Happy Easter (better late than never)

2009-04-28T10:20:00.000-07:00

Well we had a fun Easter holiday this year. It was a lot warmer that last year, which we were thankful for. Both boys enjoyed dying the eggs this year and they were thoroughly dissapointed when there weren't any more eggs left to dye. Austin forbade anyone from eating the eggs; to him they are almost human.
We attended a community egg hunt. It was a total bust. All the parents jumped in and grabbed the eggs. Austin was lucky enough to get one egg. Poor Tyler just ended up with a bite-sized snickers. There were a lot of kids crying while other children walked by with overflowing baskets. Austin, however, was so proud of his one egg it did not occur to him to cry. I was grateful for that.
We later had our own Easter egg hunt at home and the kids had a blast. I divided the back yard in half and the kids each hunted for their own eggs. Since this was so much better than the other Easter egg hunt we will just continue with this tradition and forgoe the community hunts.
The Easter bunny came through and brought lots of goodies for the kids baskets. We explained to Austin that the Easter bunny is a wiley guy and he would hide the baskets and we would have to find them. This was also fun. Jared found his basket the night before because he was going to put my basket in the same spot that the Easter bunny has already hid his.
Despite all the fun cultural and secular Easter activities we most of all want to remember the Savior, his sarifice, and that he rose again so that we all might. Happy Easter everybody!

Merry Christmas

2008-12-27T09:12:00.000-08:00

Well this year was a lot fun. This is the first year that Austin really understood what was going on. Therefore there was a lot of anticipation for the big day. Austin picked out the gift he wanted from Santa back in October when we first starting receiving toy magazines in the mail. He saw gorilla mountain and his mind has never wavered. Tyler, of course, loves Elmo so that was the natural choice. Santa came through for both of them and they couldn't have been happier.

We didn't travel this year, so we missed family and friends but we did not miss packing and hectic traveling. It was a nice quiet holiday at home.

Thanks to all our family for the wonderful gifts and thanks to our Heavenly Father for the matchless gift of his son, The Savior of the world.

Merry Christmas everybody.

Santa

2008-12-27T09:08:00.000-08:00

This year our ward had a primary breakfast so the kids could see Santa. Santa is actually a memeber of our bishopric but he does a really grat job playing Santa. Austin asked for the Fisher-Price Gorilla mountain and asked Santa to bring Elmo for Tyler.

Let it Snow

2008-12-27T08:57:00.000-08:00

There is one thing that Iowa is never lacking in the winter and that is snow. Austin is really enjoying the snow this year and Tyler likes anything his big brother does. So on the days that are a little warmer than sub-zero I bundle the boys and they explore this winter wonderland.

Happy Halloween

2008-11-02T16:39:00.000-08:00

Well we had a nice begger's day/Halloween. The carving of the pumpkins was a good time, although the kids tired of it long before the work was done but they still enjoyed the final product. I turns out that Austin was desperate to carve his green pumpkin. I thought he was too fond of it to put a knife in it but he insisted that his pumpkin needed a face. So it got one.

We got a lot of use out of our costumes this year. We attended a couple of costume parties put on by families in our ward. We also attended a Halloween party at the library and Jared's school. We went to the zoo for their night eyes. You dress up and they hand out candy and they have a big area filled with jumping castles and other blow up toys. The boys had a blast.

We enjoyed trick -or- treating around the neighborhood. Austin was thrilled with all the candy. Tyler's favorite part was knocking on the doors. He just kept knocking until someone answered and as soon as they did he was off to the next door.

We also had our ward Trunck-or-Treat and added to our already huge stash of candy. All in all it was a good holiday and now the preparations begin for the next one.

Our Annual Trip To The Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-19T17:27:00.000-07:00

One of the great things about living in a farm state is the availability of fresh, seasonal crops. This time of year, is of course pumpkins. About 20 minutes from our home is Howell's Pumpkin Patch. In addition to the tractor ride out to the patch, they also have a petting zoo and a kiddie area filled with activities for our little ones to enjoy. They also have the best kettle corn I have ever had. The boys had a blast hunting for that perfect pumpkin. This year Austin decided to go against the tradional orange pumpkin and opted for a green one instead. He loves it so much he has spent the last couple nights sleeping with it, while the other pumpkins stay outside on the porch. I have a feeling that Austin's pumpkin will not be going under the knife at carving time. The boys enjoyeed seeing all the tractors (I think its a boy thing). Also, they played on some wiggle cars. Tyler decided to try several of the cars, while attempting to try a another one he got tripped up and ended up with a very muddy hind end. He was happy though and that is all that matters, right? They aslo played in a corn pool and Austin climbed the huge pile of hay that was set out for that purpose. So now, after much ado we are prepared for the Halloween season.

Austin's Third Birthday

2008-10-11T14:24:00.000-07:00

My little Austin is becoming a big boy. He has grown up a lot over the past year. He is potty trained, which was a huge accomplishment. He has been to his first movie in the theater (WALL-E). He has graduated from car seat to booster and consequently can get himself in and out of his seat (this is good and bad). He can help comb his hair and brush his teeth, if he wants to, and he can communicate ALL his many wants.

He has been asking about when his birthday would come for months. It finally arrived on Tuesday, September 30th. In the morning we had a party with a few friends at the club house. The theme was, of course, WALL-E. It is his favorite movie, since he went to see it with his Dad when it came out over the summer. Grandma found a WALL-E shirt for him to wear to his party and I was able to find one for tyler to wear too. So they were both coordinated with the birthday theme.

We had pizza for his birthday dinner and a WALL-E themed cake and gift opening with just our family in the evening. He had a good time and in the future probably won't remember one minute of it but it was still worth it.

Thirty Years

2008-09-23T11:46:00.000-07:00

Well, September 19th was a fateful day. The day that I officially turned 30 years old. It turns out that its not so bad, being three decades old, atleast it doesn't bother me when people act suprised. If people weren't surprised it might sting a little. However, I like the saying it is not the years in your life that count but the life in your years. I just hope the next thirty years will be as full as the last thirty have been. Happy Birthday to me!

NAUVOO

2008-07-24T10:21:00.000-07:00

Our little family just returned from Nauvoo. What a miraculous place. The temple was absolutely breathtaking. It was an emotional experience to see the temple standing as a testimony of all the many sacrifices of the early saints. I am sure they are smiling from up above. We are grateful that we were able to take part in a session and view the incredible inside as well as the outside of the temple.

We enjoyed visiting the many historic buildings and homes. We felt like we had gone back in time. Everything was so well kept and put together.

Carthage was touching even with my little screamer (Tyler), and Austin kept asking "Where's Joseph Smith?" We explained what happened but I don't think he fully undertood.

The pageant was excellent and the pre-pageant activities were a blast. Austin watched a puppet show, learned a Scottish dance, participated in a sack race and a tug of war and walked on stilts. He loved it.

Overall, it was an amazing experience and one that we will never forget.

Tyler's First Birthday

2008-06-26T07:35:00.000-07:00

Tyler turned one year old on June 15th at exactly 4:18 p.m. It was nice that his birthday fell on Father's Day this year. Austin was a big help with the opening of the gifts. Tyler doesn't really understand it all yet and enjoyed the ripped up paper more than the actual gifts. We invited a few families over to celebrate with us and we had a good time. Tyler's cake had the caterpiller from baby einstein. The store also gave me a little complimentary cake just for Tyler. When we put the cake in front of him, Tyler immediately put his hand in and licked the frosting. Once he determined that he liked it he plunged face first into the cake-no time to use hands! It was a big mess and I think as much cake landed on the floor as in his mouth but he had good time. Happy Birthday Tyler!

First Haircut

2008-06-26T07:24:00.000-07:00

Tyler finally got his first big boy haircut. That fine baby hair was hanging over the ears and was forming into a nice mullett. I was a little worried about him sitting still, but he handled it rather well. He even liked the little buzzing by the clippers around his ears and on his neck. I'm glad the experience was an enjoyable one.

Update

2008-05-04T12:48:00.000-07:00

Well it has been a busy month and I have fallen behind in my blogging. We had Jared's Dad and grandparents visiting the end of March. Grandpa Bobby took the boys to Toys R Us and bought Austin a deluxe play-doh set. He was thrilled! Tyler got a mater truck that you can walk behind and all the bells and whistles you can imagine. The Great Grandparents also bought Austin a fun fishing game. Grandpa Bob and Grandma Mitzie are now serving their second stint in Nauvoo and we will be visiting them the end of July for a little sightseeing. It will be our first time visiting Nauvoo and we are excited to see all the historical sites and the temple.

Mom/ Grandma Reitz was out to visit at the end of April. We had a good time and she spoiled the kids rotten. Austin got excited every time she opened her suit case in anticapation of more gifts. They also had a good time together at the play ground. Unfortunately we did not take any pictures of the visit. We'll have to be better about that in the future.

Most recently, the boys and I traveled with some friends to Pella, Iowa for their annual tulip festival. It was a short 45 mile distance from home and although the weather was still a bit chilly we enjoyed visiting and seeing all the pretty tulips. Jared has been frantically studying and preparing for the end of the year. I intend to go back to Pella later this summer with Jared along this time, to spend a little more time browsing around the cute Dutch Village and of course re-visit the Dutch bakery. We intend to take a lot of fun little day trips as this is Jared's only free summer (school/boards will keep him busy for future summers). We'll keep the posts coming as we see what Iowa and the surrounding area has to offer.

Happy Easter!

2008-03-24T12:58:00.000-07:00

Jared went back to school today but we had a nice Easter before Spring Break came to a close. Saturday we had a little Easter egg hunt for the boys in the yard. Tyler preferred the role of spectator while Austin had a blast hunting those eggs. It was freezing outside and we even got a little snow that night. Due to the weather we chose to go inside to open the eggs and see what treasures had been found. We also dyed some eggs on saturday. Austin loved every minute of it. In fact, he had a little tantrum when he was informed that we were out of eggs. He was so pleased with his colorful eggs that he wanted to take them to bed but I told him they had to sleep in the fridge. So he kissed them goodnight and said, "night, night Easter eggies." In the morning he was thrilled to find his basket and all that the Easter bunny had left him. We enjoyed getting the boys dressed up in their Easter outfits for church. All in all it was a successful holiday. Happy Easter everybody!

Easter at the botanical center

2008-03-15T12:59:00.000-07:00

Well we have made it to spring break and for a little fun we visited the Des Moines botanical center for their Easter festival. It was very warm and tropical, which was a nice break from the chilly iowa weather. The boys were able to hold and pet little baby bunnies. They also sat with the Easter bunny and got a treat from him. We also enjoyed walking around and looking at the palm trees and other tropical plants. Austin particularly enjoyed the giant goldfish and the waterfall.

The King of Hearts

2008-03-15T12:51:00.000-07:00

For Valentine's Day I took the boys to the library for a party. They both had a good time. The library puts on a puppet show, sing songs and tell stories. Austin also got to make a crown. He was the honorary king of hearts for the day.

The much anticipated, highly publicized first blog

2008-03-03T11:03:00.000-08:00

Well, here we are by popular demand. This is my first time blogging and so far I have found it to be pretty user friendly. Our little family of four is trying to stay warm in this cold Iowa weather and we are learning first hand the effects of cabin fever. We hope spring is close at hand.
Des Moines has been a fun new experience. Since this is farm country we were able to visit quite an elaborate pumpkin patch nearby this last fall. Austin really enjoyed this. We have also found that Des Moines has some strange traditions. Rather than celebrate Halloween on the 31st they celebrate beggar's day on the 30th. Oh well, it works out as long as the kids get to dress up.
We spent Thanksgiving hare in Des Moines. The school put on a great meal at lunch time, catered at the the Ramada Inn. We enjoyed it so much we think we will make this an annual tradition. For Thanksgiving dinner we went the Kovac's. I made the pies and Laurie did all the rest. Pretty sweet deal.
We escaped the bitter cold for a short time and enjoyed a Southern Christmas in Georgia. This was the first time that all of the Reitz family was able to be together in quite a while. We enjoyed the many things to do and of course just spending time together.