Elder Pieper returns

Andrew finished his mission yesterday and is back to real life. My parents and grandma picked him up at the mission home in Pocatello last night, and brought him back to Rigby, where the rest of us were waiting (thanks to my man for being ok with me coming up north for the occasion). It was trippy seeing him again, especially as a missionary.
Some pictures:

Elder Pieper with his treats I made to commemorate his mission.

Andrew with his mission souvenir. Yes, that is a real dead racoon. Disgusting.

Uncle Andrew with the nephews (both were born while Andrew was gone!)

The five original Piepers, all back together again. awwww.

family bonding

Noah and Kyle went up north for this week's BYU game (ready for a happier ending than last week's). It was a little hard to let them go, but the thought of Noah and Kyle doing male bonding things was adorable. Noah was definitely excited. Before they left, he kept saying: "football game, Dad!" and "rah rah goooo cougars!" He helped me pack his bag full of clothes and toys and some snacks, and kept mentioning the "trip" that was coming up. They left on Friday and came home on Sunday, so it was a solid chunk of bonding time for the big boys. From what I hear they had a great time and barely missed me and Jake at all! While they were gone, things were definitely different around here. I didn't know what to do all day Saturday without college football from sun-up to sun-down. I had complete control over the remote (now there's a power trip). Jake seemed to love all the attention he got from Mommy, just like I loved being able to give it to him, without worrying what Noah might be doing in the other room! The house stayed nice and clean, and Jake was safe and sound from any big brother attacks. But on the flip side, the house seemed empty and Jake and I also missed out on the sweet Noah hugs and kisses, and I decided I'd rather have Kyle than the remote. (but it was fun while it lasted, WE tv)

that sad day

Pictures from the game last week (no we don't really want to talk about it). But notice the expressions, how the smiles faded as the game progressed.

sad.

4.66 months

Jacob had a big month. He mastered the roll over, and he has been using it and a little pull and scoot to change positions/locations when the boredom sets in. So he is able to keep himself busy exploring the world from his tummy. He also loves his exersaucer, and the amount of time he plays happily there often surprises me. Sometimes when he is busy playing, I catch his eye and say hi, and then he gives me the biggest, sweetest, and most endearing smile. He is losing the toothless baby smile, now that his first two little teeth are already poking through.

(if you look closely, you can see the first glimpses of those two cute little teeth)

Consequently, he produces a lot of extra saliva and uses it to spit and blow bubbles. He has developed some midnight snacking habits, and so he and mommy are up four times a night. But we're going to work on that. He got a real big boy haircut courtesy of daddy and the clippers. He lost the little mohawk he was growing, but he hung onto the patch and bald spot in the back. He is up to 14 lbs 9 oz, and almost 25 inches, so he is growing. He got his first round of shots today and took it like a champ. He laughs a lot, especially when you tickle him, and even Noah has been successful at getting some giggles out of him. He likes to be swaddled, but lately is more interested in his mouth having access to his hands. Pacifier: take it or leave it, which is good because Noah often runs off with and hides Jake's pacifiers. He does put up with a lot from his big brother, but it's making him tough. Sum Jake up in a phrase: good-natured.

awwww.

Toddler Art Group

Ever since reading about a Toddler Art Group started by this amazing lady, I've been wanting to start one. I have a thing for art, and my favorite kind of art is art made by children. So I invited the toddlers in my ward and we've made it through 2 weeks of our Toddler Art Group. We meet on my back patio, with the intent to create something artistic, and then let the kids go to town. Today we had 13 little artists, and wow, it was beautiful chaos. Here are some pictures of the process/finished products. (by the time I broke out the camera, most of the kids had moved on to new adventures!)

And here are a few bonus pictures of Noah. He is my little guinea pig who tests out the projects before we meet with everybody else. He really got into this homemade paint/colormixing/fingerpainting activity (more so when he was locked into a highchair!).

Labor Day props

I seriously love being a mom. But some days are a little draining (or nights, as in Jake's nightwaking schedule has become a little exhausting). This morning I read some good words that are worth passing along:

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said this, speaking specifically to young mothers: "Do the best you can through these years, but whatever else you do, cherish that role that is so uniquely yours and for which heaven itself sends angels to watch over you and your little ones...You are doing God's work. You are doing it wonderfully well. He is blessing you and He will bless you, even--no especially--when your days and your nights may be the most challenging...Yours is the work of salvation, and therefore you will be magnified, compensated, made more than you are and better than you have ever been as you try to make honest effort, however feeble you may sometimes feel that to be."

[from April 1997 General Conference Report, read the whole talk here.]

So it feels pretty good when others appreciate the work you are doing. Along the same lines, but on a lighter note, this is most recent way my man gave me props.

(the stick man is kyle and he is saying "Push!!!!" Good thing this card was censored.)

Let it begin

Go Cougars. What a game. For an eerie story about how Kyle and Christian predicted Oklahoma's QB injury seconds before it happened, read this (in my brother's words). And for a video reaction at the end of the game, watch this. BYU played a good game and we love our cougars, as you can see.



(And you will continue to see that we Campbells love our Cougars, as I'm sure we will have similar pictures and posts for the next few months every week that BYU plays. And we have all-sport passes, so that's what we mean by fully invested!)