James at 2 1/2 and Peyton gets married

This boy....

 He's as moody as he looks.

Friday was his half birthday and although he had no idea what we were talking about, he understood a celebratory doughnut.

 Doughnuts are his love language. In true 2-year-old James fashion, he threw a colossal fit at the grocery store. He was that toddler and I was that mom.

I thought about not getting the doughnut after all but since we got the it to celebrate him being smack dab in the middle of his second year---what's more two than boo-hooing and protesting the unfairness that is waiting?

Other fun facts about James:
He has to be the one to turn on and off his lamp during story time. He can get himself completely undressed, including diaper. He's tried peeing in the toilet a couple of times. He knows all the colors except blue--he says red. He knows the letters E, O, and T and numbers 1, 2, 3, and 8. He sings the alphabet song. He's taller than Henry was at this age by a couple of inches. He always wants to ride the balance bike or watch a show on the kindle or jump on the trampoline. He loves Little Critter books, especially I Was So Mad.

 He likes cinnamon toast, Honey Bunches of Oats, Lucky Charms, chips and cheese, most fruit, anything sweet to drink (because it's a rarity), and doesn't eat much at dinner.

Everything makes him laugh or mad--there's not a lot of inbetween. He is a pill during Sacrament meeting and an angel in nursery. He knows all the words and says them all every day. He gets into people's stuff, eats their candy stash, and somehow everyone is more than happy to help him all day long. #babyofthefamily

Saturday was my nephew Peyton's wedding so I got to go to Logan 2 weekends in a row!

First of all, I want this tree in my yard. I think it's a magnolia but I don't know what variety.

 Isn't it amazing?

 Sarah was sick this day so she stayed with Justin's parents. It was an up and back in a day trip anyway but we missed her.

 These little goons waited outside the temple with cousins so they had a great time. I had never been inside the Logan temple before so that was cool. I grew up seeing it from our backyard in River Heights so it was weird to think I never had been in it before.

 Peyton and Marissa! Woohoo!

They mispronounced Syme every step of the way. I don't miss those days. Good luck with that, Marissa!  (I always have to spell Dye when telling people my name but no one ever mispronounces reading it.)

 Then we went to Old Grist Mill for a sandwich while we waited for the luncheon. Then we went to the park and waited some more. It was such a nice sunny day, not hot at all and I had an epic mom fail and didn't put sunscreen on anyone.

 James and Erica pink right up at the slightest physical exertion so this isn't all sunburn, yet.

After the luncheon at the park pavilion, James was beyond tired so we drove north through the towns of Smithfield and Richmond. I want to live in Smithfield someday.

When James woke up we drove to the Aggie creamery and I don't need to explain why. Cookies and cream.....

And since we were nearing dinnertime and I was still hungry, we stopped at this taco truck because tacos. James has a hotwheels taco truck that he loves more than the other 100 hotwheels cars he has. He was so excited to see a real one. The tacos were good.

 Then we went to the reception. This is the only photo I took. It's of friends and his sisters decorating their car.

I am one step closer to becoming a great-aunt and that is weird but cool.