2016 The Summer of the Van. Part I

It was a beautiful summer morning. And I had just found out I was pregnant. 

Yep. 

It was July of 2015, just before Aaron's 39th birthday, we had just finished the whirlwind of the Dayton 4th of July, Scout camp, and three Beutler boy birthdays. I insisted that Aaron take me on a date. A *real* one. So we went to New York Deli and got takeout. And that salmon sandwich was. . . . . .just not as good on a pregnant stomach as it had been before, pre-pregnant. In fact, it was making things a little churny. Or was that feeling due to the fact that I still hadn't told Aaron about my early morning discovery?  

Well that was easily remedied. I had a fortune cookie fortune I had saved for this exact occasion.  I shoved it in his takeout box when he was looking at the scenery (a frequent opportunity). 

It said. "Someone new  is coming into your life to the benefit of you both"

I kid you not. I did not make this fortune. I had opened a cookie and found it inside at P.F. Chang's only 2 months before. I guess maybe there really is something to those fortune cookies. 

He was excited. He was SO excited. He said "Wait, you're pregnant? Really?"    He stopped being excited (stopped grinning) for  minute to ask me if I was excited. I told him I wasn't quite believing it yet, so he was allowed to be excited for a while until I caught up. It may or may not have taken me a couple of months to get there. But I did.

Later on that week I made the mistake of telling Aaron that we were going to need to get a new vehicle, one that could seat 9. Aaron really likes shopping for vehicles.  I started to look online at suburbans and fancy vans.  One night about a month or two later, I was in bed, trying to rest. I was just so SO tired all the time, every morning waking and feeling no more rested than I was when I crashed into the bed the night before. I was ready for the crash.  He came in, he wanted to know if he could buy a van. Right now. "A WHAT?"  

Boy: Dad wants to buy an Astro van, mom. 

Me: No

Him: It's not an Astro van. It's a GMC Safari. That's not the same thing. It's a really nice vehicle. It has all wheel drive. It's only $1100. Jared is looking at it right now and we need an answer right away.

Me: (brain shut down. decided to give up) whatever you want.

Two hours later I cried myself to sleep. I couldn't quite tell why I was so upset, except that I was now going to own an Astro van.

And we were having a baby.

And Astro vans seat 8. 

Boy Quotes 2016 Edition

I know it's halfway through the year 2017, and we are already working on the new edition, but I finally compiled the 2016 edition from all the e-mails I sent to myself so I wouldn't forget these priceless treasures. Here you go, Happy Birthday Aunt Katie! Enjoy!!! (pictures are in random order, as are the quotes)

Isaac: NO mom, You do it! I can't do it!
Mom: You can do it! You are a strong and capable boy.
Isaac: Don't SAY dat!! Those are mean words!!

Isaac: (excitedly watching a receipt come out of the cash register) Is this a message for ME???!!!!

Isaac: Mom, show me some bacon and I will do this. (hands me the peanut butter jar)
Mom: You want me to make you a peanut butter sandwich?
Isaac: Yeah. And bacon.
Mom: You want a peanut butter and bacon sandwich?
Isaac: Here. Put some honey on it. And puts some bacon on the honey. That's what I want.
Mom: (shaking head) You'd better eat this whole thing.

Malachi: Look, mom! I'm stretching and handing you the tomatoes at the same time. (Demonstration)
Elias: That's called EXERCISE, Malachi.

Malachi: And as it heats up, it becomes magma. and then when it reaches the air, it becomes lava.
Dad: And as the lava heats it is like liquid.
Malachi: that's because it is liquid.





Malachi: Mom if you like music so much then maybe you should turn on the radio so you don't use up all your voice.

Mom: I'm hungry are you still hungry?
Isaac: Yes I'm so hungry. What to eat when we get home I say we kill a deer.



Me: Don't you dare feed the dogs goldfish [crackers], that's a waste.
Isaac: but dey like them!
Me: Yes, but then it just turns to dog poop. Feed them dog food.
(next day)
Isaac: Mom, what does "wasting" mean?
Me: It means you don't use something as well as you could have, so it goes to waste
Isaac: And then it turns to poop?
Me: (befuddled, suddenly remembering yesterday's conversation)
Well, if gets eaten it turns to poop.. . . . . . so we don't feed the dogs goldfish.
They don't like them enough.
Isaac: Then why do they eat them?
Me: . . . . . . . . . . .they eat anything. The goldfish are for you!

Elias: Mom, whatever you made for dinner, I'm NOT eating it.

Mom:(helping Isaac pray) and please bless Grandpa and Grandma on their mission.
Isaac: bwess Gwamma and Gwampa on dere mission. . .
Mom: to be safe and have the spirit to guide them.
Isaac: MOM! I can't say dat! Dat is Spanish!

Mom: I think Abrahm wants you to hold him, Samuel.
Samuel: No, he doesn't. He wants someone soft and squishy to hold him.




Elias: Who in our family has hair that is brown and white ? Because I keep finding it in all my food!



Elias:I know what it means if Grandma isn't at church. It means she is home sick.
Mom: Not today. Grandma and Grandpa went to the Chinese Branch.
Malachi: Grandma fought in a battle?
Mom: What?
Malachi: You said a branch wasn't big enough to be a war!
[LDS humor alert--a ward is a large congregation, a branch is the name for a smaller congregation]

Malachi: (to pregnant lady at church) My mom has a problem with boys. She won't stop having them.