To a T

Machines

2012-02-10T07:19:00.010-07:00

Blake is in a serious machine phase.

Everything that he plays with gets turned upside down, stacked up, hooked together, and transformed into an intricate "machine."

Each day after quiet time, he struts down the stairs and explains to me the new combination of toys that he orchestrated into a machine.

Usually there are tickets, seatbelts, and start and stop buttons involved with operating his machinery. Sometimes his machines even convert into roller coasters or other modes of transportation.

Back when we were in Hawaii, it came in handy that he could scrounge up household items and turn them into machines. There weren't a ton of toys to play with there, but he hardly noticed. He was perfectly content with laundry baskets and a cooler stacked in about 34 different combinations.

When the laundry baskets got old, he ventured out to the garage to round up items for another new contraption.

I sure love his imagination. And who wouldn't want cleaning devices (I mean gates) maneuvered into their couch cushions?

Celebrating Nash

2012-02-06T06:56:00.005-07:00

I tried to make Nash's birthday exciting - for a two year old. I didn't do anything too elaborate that would be lost on him, but instead, filled the day with things he loves.

After dropping Blake off at school, the two of us went out for donuts.

I was surprised that he totally "got it" that it was his birthday. He sang Happy Birthday to himself approximately 79 times throughout the course of the day.

We went to storytime at the library, picked up Blake a little early from school, and headed to the children's museum.

I think it's safe to say that Nash was in pure bliss.

After naptime, Troy joined us and we took Nash out to dinner. He was pleased as punch to be sung to and indulge in his very own ice cream sundae.

A few days later, we had a small family gathering to celebrate Nash.

Nash caught on fast that he was the main event.

He opened a few presents with help from his eager older brother.

His Grandma surprised him and came into town for a quick birthday visit. She made him a new "nie-night," but he wasn't fooled into passing up the original article.

He blew out two candles, all by himself.

The excitement of the party put him into cuddly, tuckered out mode; my favorite.

I don't think we could possibly love our Nash any more.

Happy Birthday Buddy!

Two on 2/2

2012-02-02T06:47:00.001-07:00

It's Nash's Golden Birthday today.

Technically, it has been two years since he was born.

But in reality, how has he gone from this:

To this:

I feel like I snapped and my baby suddenly turned into a walking, talking, personality-filled little boy.

Two reasons I adore Nash:

1. His vocabulary has taken off and every day seems to grow exponentially. I love how he still says his "s's" like "th's." Like, "yeth," and "thtuck," and my very favorite, "Mommy, thnuggle me."

2. Oh how can I fit it all in two? I love the way he always appears about 10 seconds after Blake. I love how he lets me tuck him in at night. I love how when I go in his room later to check on him, he is never underneath his blankets; he is sleeping on top of a carefully clumped together ball of fluff. I love how he points his finger at me and exclaims "a NAP!" every day around 1pm. I love how he only likes books that are interactive. I love his giggle. I love the way he runs with his arms flailing all over the place. I love when he gets into my bathroom drawer and drapes every single headband around his neck. I love that he is always happy.

I love Nash.

Valentine's-y

2012-01-30T07:12:00.001-07:00

I wasn't going to bother with Valentine's Day decor this year.

But then, some friends and I decided to host a baby shower for a neighbor. And my house was looking a little bare after clearing away all of the Christmas stuff.

So, I gathered some Valentine's Day remains from last year and added a few new touches.

And then the baby shower was postponed because she had her baby two days before the scheduled shower date. What are the chances? Not that I can really blame her for going into labor early.

At least I am left with some fun Valentine's-y touches that probably wouldn't have been put up otherwise.

A new banner for the fireplace.

I am drawn to aqua for every season lately.

I made a heart wreath last year for the living room. Yes, I have a wreath fetish.

subway art via

To kick off the season of love, my friend hosted a cookie decorating girls' night out. She is the cookie queen and mine didn't turn out even close to the caliber of cookies that she creates, but it was still fun to try. And I can never complain about laughing so hard that I cry with the girls while doing something crafty simultaneously.

A certain almost-two-year-old pulled up a chair and took a bite before I could capture the final product.

I'm glad that I got lured back in to the Valentine's Day "extras" once again. It's always fun to have a little something to celebrate, especially when it can be enjoyed in a non-stressful way.

Playtime

2012-01-26T07:53:00.009-07:00

They fight just as much as they get along. But they are best friends.

How to Use Leftover Packaging Paper

2012-01-23T07:03:00.002-07:00

Blake came up with this idea on his own. And I didn't stop him.

We were cooped up for an entire week with colds that the boys could not shake off. I only left the house twice in six days. What can I say? We had to get inventive.

HC in PC

2012-01-19T14:42:00.000-07:00

That's an acronym for Hot Chocolate in Park City.

Ok, I know I've been jumping all over the place.

But I think this post will finally wrap up our Christmas and New Years festivities, now that January is almost over.

We had about 48 hours to spend with Troy's family before everyone dispersed to different parts of the country again. We rang in the new year with them and ended the festivities with a trip into Park City.

We were back and forth between our house and the cabin within those 48 hours because of some responsibilities back home, and somehow in the shuffle we did not gather any winter apparel except coats.

So, we collected whatever concoction of hats and mittens that we could find and set out.

We've been to Park City a hundred times, but the quaintness of all the eclectic shops on Main Street with the mountains as a backdrop still gets me every time.

Nash adores his uncle. Have I mentioned that before?

He also adored the gigantic brass bear.

Our nephew is in there :)

Nash was over the moon about our trolley ride up Main Street. He repeated "Ding! Ding! Ding!" approximately 754 times for the next thee days.

We ended the day at a quaint bookstore/coffee shop. The gourmet hot chocolate options were divine.

We learned quickly that our loud presence among college students and business partners with laptops was not entirely welcomed. We opted to take the boys outside and enjoy some crisp winter air.

And some caramel hot chocolate. Mmmmmm.

Rhythm and a Train Park

2012-01-18T08:24:00.000-07:00

Part of the reason our trip felt like such a whirlwind was because I was working. A lot.

I was enjoying every second of it, but jumping in full force to a new design venture turned out to be incredibly difficult to balance in the midst of the holidays.

I feel like I have a really good rhythm going now.

I'm getting quicker and learning some shortcuts that condense the work into the hours that the boys are sleeping (for the most part).

I'm actually getting full nights of sleep again.

Balancing work and home responsibilities, I feel, is allowing the time that I spend with Blake and Nash to be more qualitative. I feel so blessed to be able to do something I love from home. I feel like I'm constantly glowing from the sense of accomplishment that I receive, and, in some odd way, I feel motivated to be a better wife and mom in return.

But those few weeks leading up to the new year were just plain insane. I felt so in over my head as I learned new coding techniques and the ropes of the company. And because every spare minute counted towards getting designs ready for the launch of our new site, I had to pick and choose the outings I participated in.

I decided to forgo the train park night in exchange for a quality date night with Troy. We visited the train park two years ago, and I knew that the experience would be pretty much the same the second time around. Plus, the boys had plenty of adults to share their excitement with.

However, knowing that there was still a part of of me that wanted to be there, my brother and his girlfriend captured the moments that I missed.

It made me smile as I looked through the pictures, imagining the things that were putting those huge grins on their faces.

Holiday Escape

2012-01-17T06:42:00.000-07:00

In the middle of our quick Christmas Break trip, we spent a couple of days at a nearby resort.

We started the escape by leaving Nash happily napping at home with a sitter, and enjoying a special pool day with Blake.

He couldn't have been more thrilled about the ginormous pool, especially since his grandparents' pool was closed due to the lack of heating in the "winter."

After swimming our hearts out, we admired all of the cool features around the resort.

Blake thought it might be appropriate to strike a triangle pose in front of the enormous Christmas tree.

My parents were awesome enough to take Blake home with them while Troy and I stayed overnight at the resort.

In the midst of all of the swirling holiday stress, it was so nice to have a little 24 hour escape.

And, I got to go out on a date with my handsome husband. We laughed, a lot. Especially at the teenage girls that were sitting next to us at the movie theater and getting completely wrapped up in the wing-dinger of a movie we chose.

Even though we were technically on a ~~vacation~~ trip together, I felt like I never saw Troy except for that little escape. It was much needed and much appreciated.

Ringing in the New

2012-01-13T06:05:00.000-07:00

We came home just in time to spend New Year's Eve with Troy's family before they were whisked away to Hawaii again.

After a long drive home, and an even longer hotel pit stop where Nash decided to crawl on me the majority of the night instead of sleep, I could not have been more thrilled to come home to the best meal of the year.

We have a New Year's Eve fondue tradition that is out of this world amazing.

There are really no words to describe my enthusiasm for fancy cheese fondue. What a great way to kick off 2012.

We also let the boys stay up late and enjoy another round of Christmas. Again, not a bad way to ring in the new.

Blake's best line of the night upon receiving a toy gas tank: "Mom, will you cut off the tag? Oh wait, we better leave it on so I don't forget what it goes to." (The tag had a picture of a car on it.)

We played a rousing game of "The Game of Things" (best large group game ever) where every passing hour seemed to get funnier and funnier. We were all pretty delirious from lack of sleep by the time midnight rolled around.

We ended the night with fireworks that were sure to wake up anyone within a two mile radius.

Under the Tree

2012-01-11T21:53:00.000-07:00

Christmas 2011 in Ten Pictures:

1. Early morning church and quick peaks at what Santa brought.

2. Home to piles of presents.

3. First Christmas where Nash could unwrap.

4. The only things that Blake asked Santa for; a pirate telescope and a hook.

5. A carefully pieced together wrapping job from a beaming Blake.

6. New apron.

7. Got Nash?

8. Teaching our children how to break into safes and sneak out of the house.

9. Done unwrapping, mesmerized with new toys.

10. Hours and hours of happy entertained boys.

(11. Aftermath and naps all around)

Twas the Night Before

2012-01-08T17:36:00.000-07:00

First of all, Happy New Year! I cannot believe that another year has come and gone.

In my mind I'm repeating, Hallelujah! We made it through another Christmas! I'm so happy that it's all over.

We really did have a great Christmas, but it felt like a complete whirlwind this time around. The fact that I'm just getting around to uploading the bazillion pictures reflects how much we've been juggling over the last month.

The spirit of the season still seeped in here and there, but it definitely wasn't in the quiet moments I envisioned we'd have with our eyes all aglow sitting next to the tree each night. I was reminded that life is not going to miraculously slow down at some magical point.

And even though I have an overwhelming urge to finish up the de-cluttering of our house, put the last of the decorations away, make room for new toys, and produce sparkly clean countertops, I figure I better document a bit of the holidays before the entire month of January passes us by.

We took a quick trip to the desert to spend Christmas with my family. Our Christmas Eve festivities were unconventional as usual, but we clung to those traditions nonetheless.

No Christmas would be complete without transforming my mom's color-coordinated tree into something tacky. The tree has been adorned with a different items throughout the years. We've stayed up late giggling while placing kitchen utensils, balls of yarn, sticky notes, stamp pads, and toys on the tree. This year, we decided on an office supplies theme.

We kicked off Christmas Eve with one of my dad's famous meals and a feature presentation of The Magic Show Extravaganza. Ever since the magician came to Blake's school, he has been begging to do our own magic show. Since my brother and I had a lot of experience producing magic shows in our basement growing up, we were almost semi-professional in our presentation.

Almost.

(Let's just ignore the fact that the lighting wasn't good and these aren't the highest quality photos.)

Blake put a lot of gusto into his tricks.

Abra-cadabra!

Everyone (except the Scrooge, but who could really blame him?) participated in the grand event. My dad made some coins magically disappear in his pocket. Our final trick even featured a disappearing person. The table with the blanket over it helped slightly with that one.

Let's take a closer look at two things that made the magic show especially classy.

1. The gigantic fake fire pixelating on the TV. The crackling noises it produced added a nice touch.

2. The stocking holders.

While we were adorning the tree with staplers and scissors and rolls of tape, the guys rearranged the letters of the stocking holders.

Extra classy. I can't believe I'm even sharing this with the public.

Originally, the stocking holders read "Joy, Peace, Noel."

We laughed pretty hard about all of the "special" touches.

Then it was time to open the traditional matching pajamas.

After we changed, the Scrooge (aka Troy) pointed out, "The magic show was nothing. I'm about to do the strangest thing I do all year." The final gift of each Christmas Eve contains rolls of toilet paper and individual kazoos.

The tradition dates back years and years, but let's just say it involves a parade and the humming of "Stars and Stripes Forever" and leave it at that.

I think the Scrooge secretly likes our fun family festivities.

And one thing is for sure, the boys love these traditions. They are going to grow up thinking that these things are completely normal.

Then it was off to bed while visions of sugarplums danced in their heads.

New Design Venture

2012-01-02T15:06:00.001-07:00

Just over a month ago, I joined the Designer Blogs design team.

I have admired and been inspired by their work for years and feel so blessed to be working with an amazing team of designers. They have been incredibly welcoming to me as I learn the ropes.

What makes this new venture even more exciting is that we just launched a brand new site this week and I could not be more thrilled about how it looks!

With the launch of our new site, we've been working hard to design a ton of new premade designs. I love premades because they are a great way to get a custom look without forking over the big bucks. There are so many beautiful designs to choose from and we do all of the installation. I think I could spend hours admiring the custom design portfolio as well.

In addition to all of the brand new designs, we are doing a giveaway for several gift certificates on our blog. So go click around this awesome new site and enter the giveaway!

2011 Year in Review

2011-12-31T06:36:00.000-07:00

I was in charge of putting together the family calendar this year for the grandparents and ourselves. I've tried to switch over to online calendars and calendar apps but I still like having our lives organized in concrete handwritten form.

Like most projects I tackle, I thought I could whip out the calendars in one afternoon, but of course it ended up taking me several days.

Man oh man was I happy when I finally submitted the images to the printer (and paid extra shipping to receive them by Christmas day).

The month by month pages sum up our year quite well. It will be fun to reflect on how much our babies have grown in a short year as I jot down our scheduled events in 2012.

Christmas Aftermath

2011-12-28T06:01:00.000-07:00

Christmas happened. And it looked something like this:

We sufficiently decked the halls, but the proof will have to wait. We are busy soaking up family and holiday festivities.

A Gift to the World

2011-12-25T06:45:00.000-07:00

With you, we celebrate the Father's gift of His Son.

From our family to yours, Merry Christmas.

This is a touching portrayal of the events surrounding the birth of Jesus Christ. My brother was involved with the filming of this and several other short New Testament films.

Pre-Christmas Happenings

2011-12-23T10:12:00.001-07:00

Before we hit Christmas I must touch on a partial list of our pre-Christmas happenings.

In my cake pop baking marathon, I made some peppermint cake pops.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care.

We delivered our simple neighbor gifts. I'm all about simplifying this year.

We paid a visit to the jolly old man (with a really tacky background). We waited in line to see him twice because Blake was heartbroken after the first time that he forgot to ask Santa if he had a Rudolph.

We saw a few different displays of holiday lights.

I got to join Blake at preschool for his Christmas party. He strategically built stairs and a landing pad for Santa on his gingerbread house.

I continue to be so impressed with his preschool. After decorating gingerbread houses, they had a magician come in to do a Christmas magic show for the children. It was hilariously right on their level. Blake turned to me several times and exclaimed, "Mom, this magic show is SO funny." He was even picked to be the special helper after jumping up with his arm practically coming out of the socket when the magician asked for a volunteer.

The magician turned sheets of tissue paper into a Santa hat.

Blake wiggled his fingers and turned the blank Frosty into a colorful Frosty.

Another night we were thoroughly entertained with Blake's Christmas program. Grandma and Grandpa flew in from Hawaii just in time to attend the performance.

Blake was thrilled to show them his classroom before the performance began.

He loves his buddy Brycen who also "starts with a B."

When the children filed onto the stage, they all had cute little Rudolph noses.

Blake waved frantically when he spotted us with smiles stretched from ear to ear.

I was happy that he actually sang all of the songs.

He hammed it up a little bit.

We were so proud of our little Rudolph.

I wasn't sure what I was going to do with the handmade ornaments from church and school that have started filling our tree, until I received this creation from Blake after his program. How could I throw these treasures away?

Christmas Greetings 2011

2011-12-19T16:31:00.001-07:00

Each year at the end of November it begins: my affinity with Christmas cards.

During most of the year, I let the mail pile up in our mailbox for several days before carrying it in the house and throwing away all the junk.

But not in December. Because in December I can't wait to see what treasures the mailman brings. I love to receive cards from friends and family...both who live close and far. Love it.

With all of our pre-Christmas happenings this year, I contemplated skipping Christmas cards altogether.

But then, each day when I hit the mailbox, I got lured right back in.

I thought, maybe I'm not too busy after all.

I remembered how much I love how Christmas cards freeze each year in time for our family. Someday I can line them up and laugh about our crazy styles and cry about how my babies have changed over the years.

So, I whipped up a simple-as-pie design and sent the cards out to our families and dear friends near and far. And then my heart got all warm and fuzzy when I actually dropped them off at the post office.

Because this is one tradition that in my book, cannot be skipped.

Fa la la la la

2011-12-16T15:13:00.000-07:00

I keep having this recurring dream.

I'm at Disneyland and am running from attraction to attraction. No matter how many days I am there, I always run out of time to fit in all of the rides. It's a stressful dream and I often wake up feeling a little exasperated that I didn't make it onto Indiana Jones or the Matterhorn.

Occasionally the location will change to a different amusement park like Cedar Point, but the theme is always the same. At the end of the day, no matter how fast I run, I just can't fit in all of rides.

The dream kind of feels like my life right now. Always running, never fitting in everything I want to accomplish.

Whoever wrote "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" must not have been a mother.

Let's be honest: holidays produce stress.

I've tried to simplify the "trimmings and wrappings" this year. No outside lights. No elaborate birthday party for Blake. Christmas cards that took me less that an hour to design. No homemade neighbor gifts. All Christmas presents ordered online.

And still, I have piles of clean laundry that have been sitting unfolded for five days and my average bedtime has been between 1 and 2am. In between work parties, church parties, preschool programs, Blake's birthday, gift buying, decorations, cards, teacher and neighbor appreciation, two trips only three weeks apart, preparation for the new year in Primary, and a new designing venture (more on that later), I feel like I'm on a merry-go-round and can't get off.

Don't get me wrong, I am grateful that I have the energy to put into the whirlwhind of the holiday season. And I've enjoyed soaking up plenty of moments dreaming about Santa and Rudolph with Blake, seeing Nash's eyes light up when he spots strings of Christmas lights, and experiencing the joy of giving to the less fortunate.

But I think I'm going to welcome January with open arms.

Blake's Big Day(s)

2011-12-12T14:44:00.001-07:00

Blake was very excited to turn four.

I really wanted to throw him his first "friends" party this year, especially now that most of our relatives live far away. I held on to the party ideas that were spinning around in my head for weeks. I was even almost crazy enough to pull some all-nighters and follow through. But, in the end, with his birthday falling smack dab in between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and right in between two trips for us, I finally came to terms with the fact that I couldn't pull it off (at least not in the way that I envisioned).

So, I filed away my party ideas for another year, and I felt a huge weight lifted from my shoulders. For not being a "party year," I think Blake would agree that his birthday was still sufficiently celebrated.

We kicked off his birthday festivities by making cake pops to bring to his celebration at school.

Blake's teachers invite the parents in on each child's birthday to do an activity with the class. Naturally, I chose to teach his class yoga.

Those preschoolers were pretty cute playing yoga games.

On Blake's actual birthday, our playgroup happened to be meeting up at a playplace. So, we made another round of cake pops and ended up having a makeshift party. It might not have been the classiest celebration ever, but Blake was absolutely thrilled to have all of his friends sing to him.

Some of his cute friends even made his day special by bringing cards and gifts (their moms overheard my griping about whirlwind December birthdays).

Back at home, we brought out special birthday decorations.

Blake requested chicken, potatoes, carrots with dip, and cake for his birthday dinner. I thought that was a feasible request. His uncles joined us for his small evening celebration.

Blake's other request was to play the balloon dart game that we played last year on his birthday. Apparently it wouldn't truly feel like his big day without incorporating this tradition.

These were my shots. Yes, my four year old son has better aim than me.

When the darts actually popped the balloons, little candy pieces fell out.

We moved on to a few small presents, under the Christmas tree of course.

Blake was sung to at least seven times on his birthday. Every time a grandparent or aunt or uncle called to wish him a happy birthday, he stated, "You have to sing to me!" He ate all of that singing right up.

In the end, the thing that Blake was most excited about was his new big bed (a necessity since Nash has been climbing out of his crib and it's time to shuffle beds). Blake was literally jumping up and down when we brought him out to the car after dinner to show him the packaged mattress set.

He was pretty darn excited about his birthday crown from preschool too. He talked about wearing the crown for weeks in advance.

After all of the celebrations, Blake asked, "Am I as tall as dad now because I'm four?" Getting close. :)

Happy fourth birthday, little man. We love you.

Four

2011-12-07T09:17:00.000-07:00

Back in real life, I've been lamenting the fact that Blake's birthday falls around the holidays.

I feel like we can never properly celebrate his big day in between Christmas parties and decorations and gifts and cards and visiting out of state family and on and on and on.

Luckily, Blake is still young enough that he doesn't realize that he's getting slightly jipped on the partying and presents end of things.

Because holding up four fingers for the first time is magical to him, regardless of what month his birthday falls.

Four things I love about Blake:

1. He is very detailed and deliberate in all of his conversations. I never really realized that he was unique in that way until some of my friends commented on how they get a kick out of his unending flow of information.

2. The way he counts everything in sight. And once he passes nineteen, he exclaims, "Twenty Hundred!" every time.

3. His imagination takes him into a wonderland of machine construction.

4. The way he closes his eyes and nods when he really wants to convey something important.

Happy Birthday to our favorite four year old.

Hawaii Wrap-Up

2011-12-06T07:22:00.000-07:00

I could probably fill several more posts with details from our Hawaiian escape, but I must wrap it up before we get into the thick of Birthday and Christmas season.

One of the best parts about being in Hawaii was simply getting to play outside. The boys traipsed through every square inch of the yard.

The best surfing on the north shore of Oahu begins in December, but as we drove past spots where we could view surfers, we noticed that every available parking spot was filled with cars and trucks. Their owners were out on the 7-foot+ waves. Platforms and bleachers were being set up along the coast for the big surfing World Cup. We just missed the competition, but we enjoyed seeing colorful surf boards strapped to vehicles, used as mailbox posts, hanging on restaurant walls, and lining fences.

Another fun site along the shore was the fruit market.

It doesn't get much more authentic than freshly fallen coconuts.

The owner helped us pick out the most fresh pineapple.

She even threw in a few apples for the boys.

Troy thought it was important to take a morning and visit Pearl Harbor since Blake shares a birthday with that tragic event. Troy sat everyone down at the beginning of our trip and wrote out detailed daily schedules to ensure that we fit in everything that we wanted to do. It was super helpful to reference the agenda every day. I think I may be be rubbing off on him. :)

Nash and I played in the palm trees while Troy and Blake watched a short documentary about Pearl Harbor. Blake summed up what he learned by stating, "There were airplanes that had pombs (bombs) and they broke a lot of boats and then there was a lot of steam (smoke)." Well put.

Then, Blake and Nash became celebrities. A group of ten or so young Koreans spotted Blake with his blue eyes and blond hair and like the paparazzi started continuously snapping pictures standing next to him. He became really confused and uncooperative about all of the pictures, so when Nash and I showed up a few minutes later from the ticket line, the entire group rushed over to him and one by one proceeded to snap about a hundred more shots with another blue-eyed boy.

We heard them exclaiming, "American babies! American babies!" It was really one of the funniest things I've ever experienced. Troy thinks they must have come straight from the airport and our blond haired children were the first they had ever seen in person. I really wish I would have taken a picture of them instead of Blake's expression during the aftermath of the photoshoot.

We jumped on a ferry to visit the memorial that rests on top of the sunken USS Arizona battleship.

Within the memorial, there was a wall devoted to the names of the seamen that perished. The building was also constructed symbolically. It had 21 openings that represented a twenty-one gun salute.

The one thing that surprised me the most about Hawaii was how green and mountainous it was. I never minded our drives to various places because on one side of the road we saw the endless ocean and on the other side we saw beautiful rolling mountains. It was really breathtaking.

It was pretty surprising to see colorful peacocks roaming around as well.

One of the coolest things we did was soak in a friend's hot tub overlooking the ocean at sunset.

Uncle Todd was the favorite as usual.

We were on the wrong side of the island to actually see the ball of sun sink into the ocean, but the lit up pink sky was just as dazzling.

'Till next time, Aloha.

Chasing Waterfalls

2011-12-05T06:44:00.000-07:00

Our first and second attempts to hike to Waimea Falls were unsuccessful.

Our original plan was to hike on Thanksgiving morning before letting our feast settle in. We checked online to make sure they were open, but once we got there, there was a small sign on the gate that said "closed." That's Hawaii for you. You must call and then call again if you want to ensure that your plans go through. It was no big deal, we just crossed the street and went to the beach instead.

We rescheduled for the next day, but we ended up snorkeling on the south shore longer than we expected so that fell through as well.

I was determined to make the hike happen so we gave the falls one more shot towards end of our trip while the guys were out golfing.

We were successful at last.

The hike was just under a mile and once again I couldn't resist capturing tropical gems along the way.

At last, we spotted the waterfall.

Of course, the second we arrived, a torrential downpour began.

Sweet Blake tried to shield our heads with his hands.

We took cover under a small changing hut but it didn't stop Nash and Blake from running right out into the downpour. The rain was no good for my camera focus but I had to capture the boys being so sweet with each other (with no coaxing from me).

The nice thing about tropical storms is they blow over quickly, so we were eventually able to venture back out into a light drizzle.

We geared up for a little swim.

The water was cold, so we opted for the shallow end of the pond.

Blake and his grandma played fun games on the boogie board which was another big highlight of the trip for him. He collected a few authentic Waimea Falls rocks as well.

I'm so glad we didn't slip off the island before seeing yet another spectacular site.

Polynesian Cultural Center

2011-12-03T08:54:00.000-07:00

If you ever wanted to be submerged in the island cultures of the Pacific, the Polynesian Cultural Center is the place to go.

It's set up with villages representing Samoa, Fiji, Hawaii, Tonga, Tahiti, Aotearoa, and Marquesas. Each village offers entertaining (and sometimes hilarious) shows that demonstrate the culture. You can watch a Samoan make fire by rubbing two sticks together, create coconut milk with his bare hands, and climb up a 40 foot coconut tree. Then you can head over to Tahiti and learn how to swing your hips.

The costumes, dancing, and food are completely authentic.

Blake scored his very own grass headband in the village of Samoa.

Many of my dad²'s students work at the Polynesian Cultural Center (and he and my mom² volunteer there), so they hooked Blake up with a handmade grass fish as well. He could make the fish shoot forward by pulling the stem through the body.

The boys were slightly excited about the river boat.

Mostly because they got to sit by their Uncle Todd, who they quickly choose over us as of late (he was such a good sport to hold Nash on his lap at multiple restaurants).

The center also abounded with gorgeous flowers and waterfalls.

As the clouds threatened rain right before our big Hawaiian Feast, I tried my hand (or feet rather) at climbing up the coconut tree. I was the only one in our company to give it a shot, and let me tell you, it was way harder than it looked. I thought it would be similar to rock climbing, but it was nothing of the sort. My arms gave out before I could reach the top and I was sore for three days.

After eating exorbitant amounts of authentic Hawaiian food, we topped off the night with the spectacular performance of "Ha - The Breath of Life." We let Blake stay up for the show and he couldn't even sit in his seat he was so mesmerized. He actually cried on the way home because he wanted to see the baby that was born at the end grow into a man. Apparently he was really following the plot line; he was not happy when the performance abruptly ended. I love that he is old enough to enjoy a little theater.

Pineapples Everywhere

2011-12-01T15:29:00.001-07:00

When Troy found out that the Dole Pineapple Plantation no longer serves homemade ice cream in fresh pineapples, he wanted to scrap the visit altogether.

However, after a little convincing from his mom regarding how much the boys would love the train ride, he agreed to give the plantation a shot.

I don't think any of us were disappointed.

We saw fields upon fields of neat rows of pineapples.

The entire plantation was like visual candy.

Nash got lost in the tropical jungle.

We jumped on the Pineapple Express for the two mile tour that circled the plantation.

It might have been the number one highlight of the entire trip for Blake.

Those blue eyes get me every time.

The train took us past some more spectacular landscapes.

After the train ride, we headed to the pond where we were allowed to feed humongous fish (I'm thinking that this photo would make a good jigsaw puzzle).

We also took the audio tour through the botanical gardens. Basically what that meant is everyone else listened to their audio wands while my finger became sore from staying on my shutter button for so long.

No, the matching wasn't planned.

I think I could fill up about 20 posts with these tropical beauties.

We came across a gum tree with the most unique texture. The striking multicolored bark was almost like a striped camouflage.

Bird of Paradise; a beautiful flower and also my favorite yoga pose.

I had to be dragged away from that tropical wonderland to indulge in a sweet treat. The pineapple ice cream might not have been served in a fresh pineapple (and Nash might have been throwing a whopper of a tantrum at that point), but the towers of goodness still proved to be worthwhile.

Hawaiian Thanksgiving

2011-11-30T07:38:00.001-07:00

I don't think I would mind repeating this Thanksgiving Day tradition one bit:

First, wake up and go to the beach.

Next, fill up all sorts of devices with sand.

Find a "woof woof" that makes the one year old squeal to no end.

Become a master hole digger (and roll eyes at husband who threatens to use picture of wife as Facebook profile picture).

Contain Nash from the "dangerous current" in a sand hole.

Then, head home and play in the yard until the feast is ready.

At last, carve the turkey that has been cooking all night in an underground Hawaiian Imu Pit. Gather around the feast at the dining room table with the windows open and the fans circling. Admire the fresh flowered centerpiece (especially since picking the flowers resulted in mom² falling and shattering the bottom halves of her two front teeth - that part could probably be omitted from future traditions).

Last, relax with husband who has patiently waited for hours to watch the Lions game.

Most of all, create warm memories with family.

Laie

2011-11-29T06:26:00.000-07:00

There's nothing like walking up the road to visit the temple grounds, and overlooking the ocean at the same time.

Beach Hopping

2011-11-28T06:37:00.000-07:00

Before I dive into the pictures from our tropical escape, I must first give a disclaimer.

We don't go on vacations anymore. Now that we have children, we go on trips.

Even though our surroundings were warm and beautiful, the behind-the-scenes was a whole different story. We dealt with whining, terrible tantrums, mornings that started before 5am due to the time change, fighting, exhaustion, Nash climbing out of his pack 'n play every 3 seconds, and a 6.5 hour flight with a double ear infection and zero naps.

Ok, now that the truth is out there, I can move on to the pictures guilt free. Because in between all of the drama, we were able to do some pretty amazing things and see some spectacular sights.

We were greeted at the airport with real leis after our long flight. Mine was so fragrant; nothing like I've ever breathed in before. I kept preserving it in the fridge overnight because it was too beautiful and aromatic to throw out.

We started off our 10 day beach hop at Hukilau Beach.

We also spent a day at the beach where they filmed Lost.

And the boys did some "shore" boogie boarding.

Blake could not have been more happy about the waves crashing and lifting up the board.

We visited Turtle Beach where we came face to face with this guy:

Nash was pretty excited about that sea turtle even though he made woof-woof sounds.

Having fun is hard work.

Evening beach walks are the best.

We lost Nash's sandals on day one. Thankfully he didn't have to wear walking shoes the whole time. Uncle Todd flew in few days after us and grabbed an extra pair of sandals from our house on his way to the airport.

I don't know how we could have done this trip without loving grandparents who let us destroy their home, wake them up in the wee hours of the morning, provide countless meals, and guide us all over the island.

They even let us escape a few times so we could participate in activities sans children. One of the best getaways was our relaxing day at the beautiful Hanauma Bay.

Hanauma Bay has the best snorkeling in all of Oahu.

The coral reef stretches across the entire bay. Colorful fish were everywhere and they came right up to our faces. We even spotted a sea turtle. That whole day I kept thinking to myself, "Soak this in now. Because you have a long winter ahead of you back home."

Greetings from Paradise

2011-11-26T11:07:00.001-07:00

We spent Thanksgiving in beautiful Hawaii.

Paradise I tell you.

Much more to come.

Thankful Turkey

2011-11-22T18:00:00.001-07:00

This is the time of year where I can’t help but feel thankful. Thankful for health, happiness, the beauty that surrounds us, good friends, and a loving family.

I'll admit that there are days that challenge me. Challenge me to be as good as I can be. Sometimes it is hard to be thankful when I feel that everything has gone wrong and that I've not lived up to my full potential.

But whenever I am feeling that way, I am reminded that there is always, always, always something to grateful for.

The small act of stopping to reflect upon my blessings makes me realize that each day is a gift. And we are blessed beyond measure.

Even the smallest members of our family participated in adding feathers to our thankful turkey.

(This turkey was made by hot glueing two decorative grapevine balls together. I cut out feathers, glued them to toothpicks, and we pushed them into the gaps after writing what we were thankful for. That's it.)

Hoodlums

2011-11-18T08:15:00.000-07:00

The boys have hooded shirts that they have decided to live in. Especially Blake. He goes through stretches where he wears his hoodie for three days straight, including nights. I have to practically pry it off him at that point to stick it in the washer.

Every night when I peek in on him sleeping, the hood is still in tact on his head. Occasionally he switches it up and wears the other hooded sweatshirt in his wardrobe (like when I tell him he can't wear this one to school again), but for the most part, it rarely leaves his body.

So, Blake was ecstatic when he discovered that Nash had the same article of clothing hanging in his closet.

And now I have two hoodlums.

Smartie Pants

2011-11-16T06:38:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite thing that Blake has picked up from Preschool:

Foliage

2011-11-14T07:19:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again.

Time to rake up all of the neighbors' leaves that have fallen in our backyard since we don't actually have any trees of our own.

A shovel gets the job done as well.

We don't mind too much because we get to enjoy the leaf piles that ensue from our labors.

Fall Mantel

2011-11-11T07:11:00.000-07:00

I have been despising our fireplace for approximately three years and four months.

After discussing the matter over and over, Troy and I finally reached a compromise that I could paint the fireplace white. He has pretty strong opinions against paint (hence why all of our walls are white white white), but even he agreed that the painted fireplace looks so much better than it did before.

Now that our fireplace isn't an awful honey wood color, I am actually excited about decorating the mantel.

I was in a mustard yellow and aqua mood this year, so I switched up the traditional fall colors. And no decor of mine would be complete without a hand crafted wreath (I have a fetish).

subway art via

book idea via

felt flower tutorial via

Homework

2011-11-09T18:12:00.003-07:00

Blake was pretty excited about his first ever homework assignment. He spent hours figuring out all the details of what he wanted in his house (somewhat resembling ours). He thought of everything from furniture in each room to a sand castle outside. We had the best time working on the project together. I think I'm really going to like having school aged children.

(I love that E and those painted fingers.)

Brrrrrrr

2011-11-07T10:03:00.000-07:00

I have a son who I'm not sure I passed my genes on to.

Apparently Blake does not share my genetics for constantly being chilled to the bone. I am perpetually freezing cold. It takes about two seconds for my teeth to start chattering when I go outside on a chilly day. I blast the heat, sleep next to a space heater, and keep the fireplace on all day in the winter.

And yet, I'm still cold.

Even when I'm nine months pregnant, I still sleep in long sleeve shirts and socks and under a thick down comforter. I think that's why I like summer so much. I finally have a chance to thaw out.

Blake, on the other hand, lives for the snow. He spent every possible moment outside over the weekend. Even though the first snowfall of the year is always the most magical for a child, I'm still questioning if we are really related.

Two Witches

2011-11-04T10:01:00.000-06:00

I had to do one more Halloween related post before we move on to the next holiday.

My mom sent me an email this morning with two photos of Blake in the Halloween village we visit every October. It made me feel all sorts of nostalgia for my grown-up baby.

I mean, how did he go from this:

To this?:

Halloween x4

2011-11-02T06:52:00.000-06:00

This was the year of never ending Halloween festivities.

Which led to a serious candy overload.

The festivities kicked off with Blake's preschool party. Those little cuties paraded around in their costumes and then did a performance of sorts with Halloween songs. Blake was clearly zoned out, hence his body facing the total opposite direction than the rest of the preschoolers. I think he was a tad overwhelmed.

Next, we joined Troy for the annual trick-or-treating party at his office.

Blake gathered loads and loads of candy with the friends that he plays with at work outings. One of his buddies is William Blake, who obviously has an awesome name (Blake's is Blake William).

And Blake always gets excited to see his friend Wyatt.

Nash was mostly excited about the prospect of a phone with a cord (to be clear, they do attach headsets).

Our third Halloween event was Trunk or Treat at church. We didn't have any sort of family costume theme this year. I know, shocking.

I decorated our trunk with a BYU theme. We gave out good candy to the BYU fans and tootsie rolls to the U of U fans. To be honest, I would have rather done Michigan State vs. Michigan, especially since MSU is rocking it this year, but I didn't think that it would have quite the same effect out here. So, we went with Troy's Alma Mater instead of mine. I was inspired by my friend Steph's family who displayed the teams that matter back home.

Our Primary organization was in charge of planning the Trunk or Treat extravaganza.

Originally, it seemed like it would be a piece of cake to plan, but we learned quickly that advertising and organizing a dinner party for 250+ people was no easy feat. Especially when our fearless leader came up with the idea to make individual popcorn cones for each guest (to which we all agreed was the best idea ever). I only helped with one of the many batches of caramel snickers popcorn, and man oh man was that a lot of work.

The work paid off though, because the popcorn was a big hit.

In addition to Trunk or Treat, we played hilarious Minute to Win It Games and presented a gigantic trophy to the chili cook off winner. My friend Julee made awesome Oreo mummy prizes for the winners of the costume contest and trunk decorating contest.

Finally, we participated in actual trick-or-treating on Halloween night. Our sweet neighbors went from house to house the entire time with Blake and Nash. They even sacrificed filling their own buckets of candy to help the boys hold their buckets.

We have all definitely crashed from the overload of sugar.

Clark & Tiger

2011-10-31T06:56:00.000-06:00

Happy Halloween from Clark Kent and Tiger Woods.

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's Superman.

The golfer costume was a hand-me-down from Blake, but it was just the right size for Nash, so I couldn't pass up using it again (minus the cap which Nash wouldn't come close to).

Fly on the Wall

2011-10-26T08:04:00.000-06:00

Sometimes I wish I could be a fly on the wall and watch how Blake interacts with his friends at preschool. I wish I knew if he was respectful with his teachers and how hard he works at the "centers." I wish I could be in on those triumphant moments that make him come home on the top of the world.

For the first time in Blake's life, the activities that he participates in during those few hours at school are so foreign to me. He is maneuvering art projects and friendships and snacks while I am scrubbing and writing and errand-running in my own parallel universe.

Even though he rattles off details in response to the questions I ask him about school, I still don't have a complete picture of what his days are like.

That is why I am so grateful for opportunities to pop into his school and accompany him on field trips. I was lucky enough to visit the pumpkin patch with his class. I loved catching a glimpse of the way the preschool routine works and the things that make groups of three year olds laugh.

Each and every one of those bouncing little preschoolers was enamored by the school bus ride. They giggled every time the bus bounced or the wide doors opened. They pranced through the pumpkin patch in their matching school bus shirts and picked out cute misformed and discolored pumpkins.

It made me so excited and happy for Blake that he is forming friendships and the foundation of lifelong learning.

In the Leafy Treetops

2011-10-24T06:16:00.000-06:00

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Fall is not my favorite season.

Especially when there is hardly any color here in the valley compared to the forests of vibrant trees that surrounded us back in Michigan.

But, I finally figured out that if the autumn colors don't come to us, we must go to them.

The mountains are full of the vibrancy and variety that the valley lacks.

Blake was on cloud nine when we took him on a special mountain hike.

I think the mountains are growing on me.

Blog Design Winner

2011-10-22T10:24:00.001-06:00

The winner of the blog design giveaway (picked from random.org) is:

Kourtni who said:
Ooh, pick me!

Congratulations! We will be in touch. Thank you so much to all who entered.

Monster Cookies

2011-10-21T16:08:00.000-06:00

I don't usually share recipes because I am so far from being a kitchen guru.

But I believe that all good things must be shared.

Monster cookies are my all time favorite cookies. They have pretty much every unhealthy ingredient in them, including lots and lots of peanut butter. That is why they are so addicting.

I only make them about once a year because the recipe makes a ton. Like 10 dozen cookies. I have tried halving the recipe before, and they just don't turn out the same. Sometimes I freeze some of the dough so we don't have gazillions of cookies covering every kitchen surface.

Other times I just bake the entire batch and give them away.

I received a text from my friend after Blake and I delivered them last night saying, "Holy best cookie I've ever tasted!"

Yes, they are that good.

I can't take credit for the recipe because my friends and I used to make monster cookies in college. As you scan over the ingredients, you'll clearly see why these cookies are an annual event. But they are so worth it.

As a side note, I used peanut butter m&ms instead of plain m&ms this time around. I searched five different stores for Halloween colored plain m&ms and they just did not exist this year.

Remember to enter the blog design giveaway that ends tonight!

Sopping Wet

2011-10-20T16:28:00.001-06:00

We were at a park playdate with friends last week when I heard Nash's screech.

I should have known better than to suggest a park with water in proximity in the middle of October.

I chased Nash away from a tiny foot-deep stream about 27 times until somehow he snuck behind me when I was positive that he was on the slide. The next thing I knew, he was standing in the little stream, completely drenched from head to toe. He reluctantly got out of the water to walk back to the car with me, sopping wet.

He seemed surprised to be sloshing around in wet socks and shoes, but he never even cried.

In his defense, it was the same stream that he "slurped" from during the summer.

I'm sure that colder temperatures and a full set of clothes made no difference to him.

I can never underestimate Nash's daring antics. I am caught so off guard sometimes because Blake would have never walked into a stream of water fully clothed when he was younger.

I didn't have any spare clothes in my car, so Nash spent the rest of the playdate in Blake's sweatshirt. Having no pants or shoes didn't slow him down one bit. Not surprisingly, I still chased him away from the water for the remainder of the morning.

Blog Design Giveaway

2011-10-18T16:25:00.000-06:00

A few years ago, I became a nerd.

I absorbed myself with all sorts of tutorials on html coding. I learned how to reprogram the standard code to make my blog unique. Then, I started combining html coding with photoshop, and custom blog design became a passion of mine.

Some of my friends and family members have asked me for blog makeovers throughout the past year. Here are a few of the layouts that I have designed (click on each picture to be redirected to the site):

Each and every project has challenged me and made my hobby grow even more. The only problem is that I get so absorbed with each job that things like meals and my bedtime get neglected for a few days.

Even so, as a thank you to all of my faithful readers, I am doing a blog design giveaway. My style is typically clean and simple. I use a lot of clean lines, simple frames, and geometric patterns. I also only design for blogger blogs (no wordpress, sorry).

The blog design giveaway includes a 2 column design (with adjustable width), custom background, custom header, matching font color, custom sidebar titles, favicon, and installation. Custom signatures, tabs, post dividers, and blog buttons are optional.

If you like my style and are looking to spruce up your current blog design layout, all you have to do is leave me a comment.

The giveaway ends Friday, October 21st, at 11:59pm. I will announce the winner on Saturday morning.

Patch

2011-10-17T06:05:00.000-06:00

We made our annual trip to the pumpkin patch.

There were tractors.

And a corn maze. Nash was all about collecting dirty ears of corn.

One can probably guess what happened next.

There was hay throwing.

Which naturally led to reprimanding after one older brother got hay in one younger brother's eyes.

Blake can whip out a serious pout face.

Until he realizes that it's not going to work on me.

Our friends captured a little behind-the-scenes while we were testing the light on the hay ride; the holiday killer conveniently joining us straight from work at the very end (after trying the "I'm allergic to pumpkins" excuse), me switching lenses, and the boys off in la-la land (or devouring hand-sanitizer). Pretty typical.

And super classy with that porta-potty in the background.

Apparently all of the pictures were very funny.

Because everyone knows that the pumpkin patch is 10% picking out pumpkins and 90% taking fall ambiance pictures.

Nash Time

2011-10-13T06:30:00.000-06:00

Have I mentioned how much I love spending quality time with Nash while Blake is at preschool?

We run a lot of errands, but we also do special things together like park dates and storytime at the library. I'm amazed at how many details I notice about Nash without the distraction of a bigger, louder older brother.

Aside from the ear piercing screams, this has got to be one of my favorite ages. Nash has somehow managed to get even cuter.

Grasshopper

2011-10-11T06:59:00.000-06:00

We had a little visitor in our backyard the other night.

I'm not the biggest fan of insects. But after watching our boys light up at their discovery, I was reminded of Iris Krasnow's quote:

"Being there...is about crouching on the floor and getting delirious over the praying mantis your son just caught instead of perusing a fax or filling the dishwasher while he is yelling for your attention and you distractedly say over your shoulder: 'Oh, honey, isn’t that a pretty bug.' It’s about being attuned enough to notice when your kid’s eyes shine so you can make your eyes shine back.”

Oh how I strive to "be there" and make my eyes shine back when my children come to me with their eyes aglow.

Never a Dull Moment

2011-10-10T05:42:00.000-06:00

Scene: Our house. 10:12am. Sunday morning.

I knew we couldn't go more than a week before the next catastrophe hit our home.

The fact that it had been almost two weeks since the last malfunction should have been our first indicator that we were past due for the next problem.

It all started on Sunday morning while we were getting ready for church. The boys were in the bath tub when our Carbon Monoxide detector started blaring through the house. The only thing I knew about Carbon Monoxide was that it had been termed the "silent killer." I knew we had to get out...fast.

Troy called the fire department (thankfully he was still home) while I frantically pulled the boys out of the tub, grabbed their church clothes, and rushed outside.

I was still dressing them in our driveway when the fire engine arrived. The fully-suited firefighters brought their detectors inside and found traces of CO throughout our entire house.

There wasn't much they could do until the gas company arrived, so they were kind enough to give our boys a tour of the fire engine.

Blake ate that right up.

It was around that time when a lot of neighbors and those passing our house to go to church started asking what was going on. We created quite the spectacle.

Troy and I decided that it would be best for the boys and me to head to church since it was cold outside and we couldn't go back in the house. Thankfully, I was already dressed, and I swept up my undone hair with some pins I had in my purse.

That's when our good friends and neighbors started stepping in to help us. I called my friend and asked her if she could bring some extra snacks to church since I didn't have time to grab anything and there was no way the boys could make it through three hours of church with no sustenance.

Our story spread quickly and so many gracious families offered their homes and meals to us while we waited.

Troy stayed behind and sent me text messages to keep me updated while I wrestled the boys at church. It happened to be a frantic day because I was running around in preparation for the Primary Program that is next Sunday. In all of the chaos, I accidentally left my diaper bag in the chapel. Of course Nash needed to be changed after the chapel was filled with the next congregation, so another friend stepped in and lent me supplies.

In the end, the gas company ended up detecting a lot of sulfur that came from a car battery that Troy was charging overnight in the garage (my car battery having to be jump-started three times on Saturday is a whole other story). After airing out our house for several hours, we were able to go back in. It still overwhelmingly smelled like sulfur, but after contemplating the logistics of obtaining clothing and food and beds (and nie-nights), we were happy to have access at all.

I am so thankful for that Carbon Monoxide detector.

Wear 'em Out

2011-10-07T15:33:00.000-06:00

One of the many mantras I live by is "wear 'em out."

This mantra came to be because I love nap time. The boys desperately need it (although Blake's nap time has turned into "quiet time"), and I benefit immensely from a few hours to recharge each afternoon.

In order to ensure quality nap time, I do all I can every day to wear our little boys out. We rarely spend mornings at home. Instead, we hit up parks and pools. We have playdates. We run errands. We take walks and ride bikes.

I want to instill active habits while they are young.

But sometimes, I wear them out a little too much, and nap time backfires on me. Our boys have both always been exclusive "bed" sleepers. However, once or twice a year, they get so exhausted that they actually drift off in the car.

I do all I can to prevent car naps, because if they catnap in the car they won't fall back asleep at home. I make sure we're home on time. I pass snacks to the backseat. I roll the windows up and down to distract them. I talk and sing to them.

On rare occasions, none of my tactics to keep them awake work. Although short car siestas mean long afternoons for all of us, I have to admit that I love seeing their eyelashes rest on their cheeks and their thumbs firmly planted in their mouths. It means that I have done an exceptional job at wearing them out.

Holding On

2011-10-03T17:10:00.000-06:00

I am holding on to summer as long as I can.

I may be the only person on the planet who is not a fan of fall. Sure, the leaves are kind of pretty (at least back in Michigan), and fall holidays are fun, but that's about it in my book.

Fall is just one more reminder that the cold, cooped up days of winter are on their way. I'll take the scorching heat any day over the crisp fall chill in the air.

Every evening, as the darkness sets in earlier and earlier, I am reminded that my season will soon be put behind us.

But I think I'm in denial that one more summer is really at its end. I haven't pulled out my fall decor yet, and I certainly haven't dusted off the sweater bins and boots bins.

Lucky for me, it has been warm enough to trick us into feeling like it's still summer.

It may be October, but we're still swimming. And loving every minute of it while it lasts.

Poolside stretching.

Snapshot in Words 2011

2011-09-29T17:48:00.000-06:00

Our photos are full of celebrations, vacations, and family adventures. But the memories I find myself already sifting through the past to find are the ones that I didn't think to photograph. I don't ever want to forget the unique texture and tones that make up our family's life from one hour, day, or season to the next.

When our children all grow up and move away I want to remember how our family runs right now, what we do from day-to-day, what we like, and what we don't. What makes us tick. Sure, I write about thoughts and events here, but the day-to-day stuff, not so much.

So, last year, I started a new tradition of writing up a little "snapshot" of life in our family. A synopsis of life as we knew it. After going back through those snippets of information, I couldn't believe how many details have changed in one short year. (Last year's is here.)

Here's my 2011 snapshot of life as it is right now in our family:

Blake always wants to know what the plan for the day is. The first thing he asks me each morning is, "What are we going to do today?" On days when I haven't quite thought through our agenda in advance, he pesters me until I can come up with an concrete hour-by-hour plan. If the plan doesn't include some sort of outing away from home, Blake is utterly disappointed.

We have officially become a two-pizza family. Making homemade pizza is basically a weekly occurrence at our house, and one just isn't enough anymore. I'm already catching a glimpse of what it will be like to feed future teenage boys.

Preschool is in full swing for Blake. We have found our rhythm and it's working for us. He tells me every detail about school on the way home and I love it. I can't believe how much his handwriting has already improved in the first month of school.

I am shocked at how much I can get accomplished during the three hours Blake is at preschool. I love having Nash all to myself, even if he is being dragged from one errand to the next. One morning last week, we ran nine errands in total.

We finally jumped on the bandwagon and signed up for texting plans. I wasn't a fan of the impersonal communication at first, but I have to admit, we are full-fledged texters now. Sometimes it is just easier.

Blake's all-time favorite activity is to pile up all the couch cushions or bed pillows and turn them into some sort of pretend locomotive. He invites Troy and me to ride on his bus/car/train/airplane, buckles us in, and serves us snacks while we await our destination.

Troy is studying for the GMAT. Every time I catch him going over calculus formulas I am so grateful that it isn't me who is doing the studying. It is just not the season in my life right now for intense grammar and mathematics.

Nash is a serious screamer. The blood curdling variety. All day long. Sometimes we think that our ear drums are going to burst.

Blake loves to play on the computer. He can successfully turn it on, type in the password, open the internet, and navigate to Disney Jr. I think children these days are just born with innate technology chips in their brains.

One of my favorite things about Nashy is the sound he makes for a cat. He shakes his head back and forth and moans "meow" as if he is in agony. Sometimes I show him pictures of cats just so I can chuckle about his adorable expression.

Speaking of cats, we have a stray one that likes to hang out in our backyard. Troy and I used to plot ways to get rid of it, until some neighbors told us that he was probably a good mouser, and that's why we've never had a mouse in our house. I now have much more loving thoughts towards that ugly cat.

Blake and Nash's bath time always includes imaginary stories about two heros, Eblakeity and Enashity. They, along with their dog, Scraggamuffin, and their parrot, Rosy, save the day time and time again. The storyteller (me) is frequently challenged to come up with creative plots and opportunities for rescuing people in distress.

I started cutting the boys' hair myself. Sometimes it doesn't turn out quite even, but thankfully, it grows back out. It bothers me when hair starts to grow over their ears, so instead of taking both of them to a salon every 6 weeks, I now take matters into my own hands.

Troy is travelling less this year and we are thankful for that.

Blake has become fluent in a new language. It's called "Whinese."

We do our best to make it to church on time. Troy always has meetings before church, so I am usually frantically scurrying to get myself ready and the boys bathed and dressed in ironed shirts and ties. I set a goal every week to leave our house by 20 minutes to the hour (our church is less than a mile away), but without fail, we never seem to get out the door before 5 minutes to the hour. There is always a shoe that is too tight or a bathroom emergency or hold up on packing the right snacks.

We have a "warm fuzzy jar" that sits on our kitchen counter. Blake adds a fuzzy pom-pom ball to the jar whenever I catch him sharing, saying something kind, demonstrating independence, following directions, etc. He sure loves to please me, and I love to pick out his positive actions. About every three weeks, he fills up the jar with warm fuzzies and earns his idea of the ultimate reward; a redbox rental and candy from the gas station.

Nash has invented his own unique sign language. He uses signs frequently, just not the standard ones that we taught him. We have to go through a little sign language decoding session whenever we have sitter.

Blake rarely wears pants or underwear for the hours we are at home. It helps tremendously to allow him to be successful at potty training (and keeps me from ripping my hair out). But whenever the doorbell rings, I make a mad dash up the stairs for his underwear drawer, because no one really wants to see that.

I'm convinced that Nash is going to be potty trained before Blake. He is already showing interest. Sometimes I think I'd rather wait until he is six though.

Our house has become a major money pit. Just when I think one more thing couldn't possibly break down, it does. This year alone, we have had three flooding issues in our basement. A burst pipe, a sewage back-up, and a leaking dishwasher. Then there's the furnace that has broken down 4 separate times and the A/C compressor that had to be replaced. We have spent many nights either without heat or without air conditioning. We have been forced to replace the garbage disposal, garage door motor and belt, and dishwasher. And like every other summer, we have had sprinkler system repairs to deal with. That doesn't even include the myriad of issues our vehicles have visited the mechanic for. So, when the transmission went out on our lawn mower last week, it didn't even phase us.

Hide-and-seek is Blake's favorite game. Without fail, he copies every place that I previously hid in when it is his turn to hide. Then, he announces where he is hiding while I am searching, despite my efforts to teach him about the suspense element.

Some of my friends started a book club and I have cultivated a new found love for novels. The majority of the books sitting on my nightstand in the past were parenting books or how-to books. I have really enjoyed expanding my horizons. And I feel so refreshed after a night out socializing with book club friends.

Sometimes I cheat and read the last few pages of a book so that I don't have to completely put my life on hold to find out what happens (I did this for the third Hunger Games book). Troy can't believe that I skip ahead; he thinks that completely ruins the book. I've just never really been one for surprises. When I know what is going to happen in the end, I can finish the book at my own pace without staying up into all hours of the night because the suspense is killing me.

Troy gets really animated during college football games. It always makes me smile when I find that he has set six football games to record each Saturday. He gets through them quickly by fast forwarding through all of the commercials and time-outs.

Blake's naps have become few and far between. He naps maybe once or twice a week now, and I have a feeling that his last nap is not too far off into the future.

Speaking of "lasts," if you want to read a heartwrenching children's book about savoring the often-fleeting "lasts" (because parents so often focus on the milestones that make up childrens' "firsts"), check out Let Me Hold You Longer. I just cannot get through that book without tears welling up. The poignancy touches me deeply.

Blake and Nash are going to welcome their first cousin in March! We are thrilled for Troy's sister Tricia and her husband Jacob to enter into the world of parenting.

Life is good.

Under the Weather

2011-09-28T17:36:00.001-06:00

It feels like we have been living in a sea of everything breaking down and waiting around in doctor's offices for the last week.

After sorting through some of Blake's issues with professionals (who are completely as stumped as I am), Nash's weekend long fever took a turn for the worse. I'm always hesitant about bringing the boys to the doctor for fevers and sniffles, but this time, he seemed absolutely miserable.

Nash was so out of it (from very little sleep last night) that he decided he wasn't going to keep his eyes open for anything. He fell asleep standing up for a good fifteen minutes. He was all the rage of the patients in the waiting room.

Two hours later, we walked out of the pediatrician's office with a terrible ear infection diagnosis. I'm glad my mother's intuition to bring him in was right this time around. And I never mind the extra snuggling and rocking time I get with my groggy babies when they are sick.

City Lights

2011-09-22T17:43:00.000-06:00

A year and a half ago I purchased a new camera.

I felt like I had sufficiently outgrown the one I had and I was ready to take the leap to the beautiful DSLR camera I had deliberated over and saved up for.

With my purchase came some high expectations.

I envisioned the images that the new camera would produce: they would be breathtaking, just like the ones I saw from my photographer friends.

When the new camera finally arrived, I immediately started shooting with confidence. In my mind, there was no effort involved in producing beautiful pictures. I was confident that the new technology would produce out of this world photography.

To my surprise, the first pictures I downloaded weren't anything fancy. The second batch wasn't so hot either...nor was the twentieth.

For some reason the crisp clarity wasn't miraculously making it's debut.

I gradually realized that I was going to have to really work with this camera.

Since I loved my new found hobby so much, I was willing to put in the hours it took to get on the right path. I learned how to work the bells and whistles and shoot exclusively in manual mode. I watched tutorials, I asked other photographers questions, and I read books to help build on the base I had.

I'm still climbing the learning curve every time I take my camera out. I rarely get shots that I "love." I am the most critical of my own work, and I know I have a long way to go before I am consistently producing images that I am proud of. There is always something new to reach for and it is overwhelming at times, but I don't mind because I am gradually growing into my expectations.

I am always up for new challenges in photography. My friend and I ventured downtown to experiment with some night time images. The shots I loved most are far from professional, but I was on cloud nine playing with city lights and movement (and non-wiggly children).

I could have photographed the gumball machines all night.

Favorite of the night.

Stop and go.

I Love My Children

2011-09-16T17:05:00.000-06:00

My heart always spills over with love for our children. But it's no secret that I've been having a hard time liking some of their actions lately. Sometimes, in the most tense moments, I have to repeat over and over in my head, "I love my children, I love my children, I love my children."

As a result of the rough times we've been having, I am aching to be reminded of their little personality details that I love so much. It's therapeutic in a way, to take moment and focus on all of the good traits that have been put on the backburner in the midst of the war in our household.

Five Reasons I Adore Blake:
1. His memory and attention to detail blow my mind. He can recall a location that we visited two years ago by seeing the parking lot.

2. The way he scrunches up his nose when he gets really animated about telling a story.

3. He can focus on one task for great lengths of time and he'll sit on my lap and read stacks and stacks of books with me.

4. He gets Nash to laugh hysterically in the moments when I don't know how to distract him.

5. He absorbs knowledge like a sponge. It fascinates me to hear him sound out words. He wrote his name all by himself for the very first time this week (after working with his disinterest all summer, he decided to write it on his own).

Five Reasons I Adore Nash:

1. From the minute his feet hit the ground each morning, he runs. I love how quickly his little legs move trying to keep up with his brother, and how he waddles from side to side in the process.

2. He delivers pairs of shoes to the right people when I announce that it's time to leave.

3. He talks. A lot. And he says the cutest words. Bate=Blake. Bup=Book. Syuck=Stuck. Yucka=Sucker. I could go on and on. Man it's cute.

4. He only likes books that have flaps on each page for him to flip open. He tosses the less "hands-on" books aside.

5. I could kiss those cheeks all day long.

How to Use Leftover Window Screening

2011-09-14T16:30:00.002-06:00

Our screen door leading to the backyard was punched through a few too many times thanks to our littles.

I finally got around to replacing it. When I was finished, there was about a foot of leftover window screening.

I decided that my summer long crafting hiatus had come to an end, so I repurposed the extra screening into an earring holder. I also solved the issue of having to dig through my overflowing jewelry box from 7th grade to find each earring's match. Win, win.

If your earrings are scattered all throughout the house like mine were, here is an easy tutorial on how to make this earring holder.

You'll need:

Window screening (it comes on a roll in the windows section at your local hardware store).
A picture frame. I used oval but you could use any shape.
A hot glue gun or staple gun.

Take the glass out of the picture frame. Use the glass as a pattern to cut the shape out of your window screening. Hot glue the screening onto the back of the frame (You may want to use a pencil eraser to push it it place so you don't burn your fingers on the glue that comes through the screening - I learned that one the hard way). You could use a staple gun as well if the wood in your frame is thicker. Hang your earrings and you are done!

I keep my earring holder resting on the counter in the bathroom, but it would look awesome hanging on the wall as well.

Boating Run Down

2011-09-12T17:19:00.000-06:00

Boating ranks #1 on our list of summer activities.

The only problem is that the lake takes months to warm up to a bearable temperature, so we always feel like we are cramming in boating trips at the end of the summer instead of spacing them out.

We have casually invited many families to come boating with us over the last few years, but vacations and weddings and reunions and other outings have always seemed to get in the way of following through with those invitations.

So, this year, we made plans with friends in advance and we didn't let anything else take precedence on our calendar. We went boating four out of the last five weekends. We had so much fun that we are itching to get back out on that water, even if the temperature is rapidly dropping. We wish we could have invited everyone that we know and love, but time just plain ran out on us.

I'll let the pictures tell the rest (and I apologize if you get a little carpal tunnel in your fingertips from scrolling through).

Blake was really into tubing all by himself this year. We were impressed with the risks he took. Troy is longing to get Blake up on the surfboard with his new found bravery.

I want these two babies to hook up someday:

Can you imagine the possibilities with the deep blue eyes they both possess?

Todd schemed about jumping off the back of the boat to knock Troy off the surf board.

He got pretty close, and Troy was really shocked. Brothers are the best.

Ouch.

Our final day of boating revealed the smoothest water we have ever seen on this lake. Our friends impressed us with their slalom skills.

Our last day was also the first day that Nash actually fell asleep on the boat. I savored that rare moment while I could.

One of the best parts about having friends with us was that our boys never got bored.

It seemed like everyone stepped in to entertain them, even if it meant poking a straw into a juicebox a million times to produce nonstop giggling.

As if the entertainment wasn't enough, luring Nash into a second nap of the day was a miracle.

Until next year...

Naughty by Nature

2011-09-09T16:44:00.000-06:00

Sometimes, I get so hopping mad when things like this happen...

...that the only thing I can think to do is take a picture.

I think I have officially given up showers while Nash is on the roam now that he open doors and pulls chairs up to places he can't reach.

I might have kept my cool regarding the incident if Blake hadn't simultaneously generated the umpteenth accident of the week.

Instead, I put myself in time out.

Oh, and I need to find a new home for the markers.

Please tell me I'm not the only one who has days like this.

Five Day Celebration

2011-09-08T07:13:00.000-06:00

I turned older over the weekend. I wasn't expecting anything fancy, but the celebrations ended up lasting for five days straight.

Day One:
I opened the front door to find this waiting for me:

I had no idea that my parents were driving here to surprise me. I was pretty shocked to find them on my front porch.

Day Two:

Troy's parents flew in all the way from Hawaii to surprise us as well. I accidentally found out about that surprise in advance, but it was still wonderful to see them. They had some flight vouchers that were going to expire, so they couldn't pass up a long weekend to see their grandsons. The boys were pretty psyched about the double dose of attention they received. As an added bonus, Troy and I had a nice night out with several couples from our neighborhood.

Day Three:

Day three was the actual big day. It's always nice to hear from friends and family and wake up to things like this:

(The best they could do with some missing letters :)

I started the day with a hot yoga class (yes, I paid to hold excruciating poses in a 100 degree+ room) and some shopping with my mom. We went to dinner downtown, followed by a production of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" at our favorite theater.

Day Four:

The Primary children sang a birthday song to me at church, despite my efforts to hide the fact that I turned older.

My dad made a delicious feast for everyone. The theme of the entire weekend could have been huge feasts. I'm not huge on cake, so we had peanut butter pie instead.

But nothing made me more happy than seeing how adored our boys were by the grandparents who missed them so much.

Day Five:

Somehow the festivities carried over into a fifth day. I guess those are the perks of being born on Labor Day, and always having a long weekend for celebrations. We all piled into the boat for a final day of bonding.

Blake was having the time of his life.

Until too much fun turned into a trip to the ER. Blake got whacked in the head with an unsecured surf board, resulting in a nice little gash.

I guess all good things must come to an end.

First First

2011-09-06T16:49:00.001-06:00

Today marked Blake's first first day of school.

I have been anticipating this day for a while now. I have really looked forward to our time apart because of the tension we've been having this year. I have been eager for Blake to experience the structured social learning aspects of preschool. I have craved more structured and organized days. I have longed for individual quality time with Nash.

Some days I have thought, this day can't come fast enough.

So, I was surprised when the tears welled up when I dropped Blake off at school today. I didn't expect to miss him like crazy for the three hours he was away. I didn't realize how quiet the car would sound without Blake overpowering every noise that Nash made. I didn't know that I would wake up every hour last night with nervous anticipation. I didn't realize how much it would make my heart break when Blake expressed that he was scared to leave me.I didn't know that I would have a panicked feeling of letting go.

I kept wondering what Blake was doing at preschool and wishing I could be alongside him, soaking up every detail of discovering the classroom routine for the first time. I imagined what conversations he was having and what projects he was working on (and crossed my fingers that he was remaining accident-free). Every time I thought about how much fun he must be having, a huge smile spread across my face. Because I knew that he was in such good hands.

We went to his preschool orientation last week and I couldn't have felt more confident with the school and teachers we chose. Knowing that Blake was on cloud nine eased a lot of my worries.

And at least I knew he'd have a good story to share with his new friends about our ER visit yesterday.

Even though this change is bittersweet, I think preschool is going suit Blake quite well.

Splash

2011-08-31T06:50:00.000-06:00

I am in love with splash pads.

I tried taking the boys to the local pool once this summer, and it was absolute chaos trying to keep them both afloat in the midst of a crazy crowd. It about gave me a heart attack. Splash pads, however, give them the freedom to run around and get soaking wet without being submerged in water.

It has been so hot here lately that if we go outside, we have to stay wet. I know my mom is rolling her eyes because it is 117 degrees where she lives in the desert, but it has been hot enough that regular parks are out of the question. The brand new modern splash pad we stumbled upon a few weeks ago has become our new weekly outing.

The Dark Cloud

2011-08-29T06:32:00.000-06:00

{photo taken at Lake Michigan}

Thissummer has been amazing. For real. We have been able to do so many amazingthings and go to so many beautiful places.

Butthere is a dark cloud that has been hanging over any ounce of fun we have hadover the last year. After 10 months of persistence, Blake is still not evenclose to being potty trained. And it is something that as his mom, I literallydeal with every hour of every day.

Iknow that parenting wasn’t designed to be easy. But in my short four years ofparenting, this issue has definitely been my biggest struggle. Getting anewborn to sleep through the night seems like cake now, and that was hard work.

Wehave tried everything to try to motivateBlake to use the potty. Making a big deal of it vs. not making a big deal of it. We've tried sticker charts, potty training books and dvds, potty training parties, new underwear, toyprizes, putting coins in a piggy bank, and working towards fun outings. We've triedconsequences for accidents; time-outs, lectures, yelling (unfortunately), having him clean his underwear, and loss of so many privileges. We've had him wear a timer around his neck thatbeeped to remind him to go. We've let him run around with nothing on (only at home) to encourage potty use. I've read three books onthe matter and about a hundred online articles. Neither rewards nor consequenceshave motivated him. Nothing, I mean nothinghas worked.

Blake is almost four years old; too old to still be having constant accidents. He is so smart and advanced in every other area of development. But he is making very little progress unless I make himgo to the bathroom every couple of hours (to which he fights me tooth and nail). And when we’re away fromhome, forget about it.

I’mstarting to feel like a failure as a parent. For centuries, parents have beenteaching their children to use the bathroom. Where have I gone wrong?

It’sto the point now (after almost a year) that every time Blake has an accident (whichis several times a day if I’m not on him every minute), I get disgusted, angry,and frustrated. Then I feel guilty about my disgust, anger, and frustration. Sometimes I have to put myself in a time out. Ihave to work really hard to enjoy other moments with Blake because I’m so fed upwith his accidents so much of the time.

Therehave been a lot of tears and a lot of desperate prayers on my part. So many friends have tried to understand and offer advice, but they mostlyscratch their heads because they have children who “just went” (at two).

Sometimesthe only solace I feel after a particularly challenging day is sneaking intoBlake’s room late at night when he is asleep. I linger over his bed and watchhim breathe in and out. There is something magical about watching his eyelashesrest on his sweet cheeks. It makes my heart fill upwith gratitude for my precious boy instead of feeling like the end of the world is on its way.

I’msure that this frustration and heartbreak are more common than I suspect and I’mnot alone with these issues. I know we will make it through eventually. I justneed to breathe…and venting helps a little too :)

The Next Best Thing

2011-08-25T15:01:00.000-06:00

After playing our hearts out at the sandy shores of Lake Michigan for a few weeks, we went through some sand withdrawals once we came home. We succumbed to the next best thing; a manmade beach in the mountains.

The short stretch of rocky sand was nothing like the silky smooth Lake Michigan beaches. I'm still on a little bit of a Michigan high, so I was thrilled when Michigan was named The Most Beautiful Place in America on Good Morning America last week. There really are some beautiful beaches in Michigan, and not many people know about them. Go Michigan!

Even though the manmade beach paled in comparison, the mountains did add a dazzling backdrop. And the difference in sand texture didn't seem to affect the boys' ability to play hard.

{Rock Tasting}

Mischief

2011-08-24T15:48:00.000-06:00

This is what Blake does instead of napping these days:

He builds elaborate parachutes for George.

And this is what Nash obtains when he climbs (yes, climbs) up the shelves in the pantry:

They think they are so clever.

Older

2011-08-23T16:33:00.000-06:00

On Sunday, Troy turned older.

It probably didn't go down as the most memorable birthday ever, considering he had to attend a 6:30am church meeting and a bunch more meetings spread throughout the day. To top it all off, he was asked to sing a solo in church (which was kind of my fault to begin with). He did a great job, but being nervous all morning until the performance was over wasn't his favorite way to celebrate. And the boys and I barely made it through the solo because we were all really sick.

I tried to make it up to him by baking some fall-off-the-bone ribs (a definite first), a gazillion homemade rolls, and a cake (that he termed "dainty"). He has never really been a fan of birthdays anyway, and clearly, another year older did not equate to more maturity.

Yep, he was the one who was chucking throw pillows at me while I was brushing my teeth last night.

I'm so glad he's still young and fun.

Girl Crazy

2011-08-22T08:29:00.004-06:00

...and he's only 3.

Twentieth

2011-08-19T06:10:00.000-06:00

We hit our twentieth park of the summer last week.

We saved a good one for the big 2-0 (although now we've been to 21 after stumbling upon a great modern splash pad the other day). The park is right downtown, and it always feels a little bit like Central Park to me in terms of its location and features. It may not be quite as large as Central Park, but it still spans over several blocks.

The best part of the park is the water canyons. There are little streams and waterfalls that replicate a topographical map of the rivers that run through our valley. The water is only a few inches deep and is perfect for wading.

We also did some serious swinging to celebrate the twentieth park mark.

Now that I have been researching parks all summer, I feel like we have only scratched the surface of the parks in our area. Maybe we'll have to double our goal.

I feel so thankful that I get to spend every single day with these two little boys and that I am the one who takes them on field trips. I really don't want this summer to end. I am grasping on to these last few weeks of freedom and warmth with all my might.

Another Nie-Night

2011-08-17T15:30:00.005-06:00

I didn't think that anyone could love his nie-night and thumb more than Blake.

I'm not sure how the term "nie-night" was even coined to represent the loveys in our household.

But somehow it caught on, because Nash might be even more attached to his beloved nie-night and thumb than Blake. Thankfully, Nash's little yellow chick is more normal-looking to carry around than Blake's raggedy, cut up bumper pad. The chick even has Nash's name embroidered on the body in case there is ever a question of who it belongs to (it was the best baby gift).

Nash's nie-night rarely leaves our house (I have to set some boundaries), but when we are home, it seldom leaves his hands. Even when he is getting into mischief.

I dread the day that it becomes shabby and worn out, but right now, I am so thankful for that soft yellow chick that lures Nash to sleep. Of course, when I was flying alone with both boys, he didn't drift off until the wheels were coming out for us to land, but that thumb and nie-night sure saved us from what would have been a lot more ear-piercing screams.

You would think that Nash had died and gone to heaven by the way he lights up each time he is reunited with his nie-night. When we were on the beach one evening in Michigan, Nash saw a light yellow towel sticking out of someone's bag in the distance. He sprinted through the sand as fast as his little legs would carry him, shouting, "Nie-night! Nie-night!" He was pretty disappointed when he got close enough to realize that the towel wasn't the genuine article.

I'm beginning to think that we may need a back-up in case the real deal is ever lost. I don't know how either of us would survive without the nie-night.

Imagination With a Receipt

2011-08-16T22:54:00.005-06:00

I love the imaginations of preschool aged children.

I think that is why I always gravitated towards the young ones back in my teaching days.

But I don't think I grasped back then just how fulfilling it would be to have my very own creative sidekick who constantly invents pretend scenarios.

He built an elaborate car wash made of blocks completely by himself. He asked me to be the first customer. As I drove my matchbox car into the structure, he about gave me a heart attack when he stopped me and exclaimed, "Wait! Would you like a receipt? Yes or No?" What was I thinking when I rushed in to get my car scrubbed without first taking care of important receipt decision?

Then, he stacked up all of the couch cushions into a fort turned restaurant kitchen. He took my order, swiped my "card," prepared healthy meals like cookies, french fries, and ice cream, deliberated over the ingredients, and vanished and reappeared as he concentrated on each task.

Troy came home late from a work dinner tonight to the remains of our day of play. He reminded me that Blake isn't always going to be so eager to include us in his pretend scenarios.

That struck a chord with me because no matter how much I am trying to be right down on his level, I am often multitasking with meals, dishes, cleaning, bills, email, or church assignments, and giving him the "I'll be there in a minute" line over my shoulder.

When I put away the empty fort after I put Blake in bed, I found myself longing for the little boy that enthusiastically filled the cushions all day. Because Troy was right; he won't want to include us in every detail of his life forever.

Blake's deliberation in all of the tiny details of his imagination makes me want to be more deliberate in my mothering. I can't ignore every distraction, but I don't want to let disruptions that are postponable get in the way of this favorite age of mine.

I receive a receipt of affection, forgiveness, and trust on a daily basis from Blake, whether I deserve it or not. I may be the teacher, but I have a lot to learn from him. I hope that his imagination continues to inspire the rest of us.

Michigan Wrap Up

2011-08-12T16:38:00.003-06:00

I promise, this is it. But thanks to my brother, I saved a good one for last.

Michiganders

2011-08-11T07:09:00.017-06:00

The scenery and gorgeous beaches were a huge perk on our Michigan trip. But there is nothing that beats visiting with family and friends that we have waited over two years to see.

I spent an afternoon with Abby, my best friend from high school. I wish it could have been much longer. We were joined at the hip back in our younger years and I still don't think we could ever run out of things to talk about. (That is Nash's hand on my leg. He was not happy when I put him down for a split second.)

She became a mom since the last time I saw her and I've been dying to meet her little boy. Blake obviously adored Austin as well.

I met up with my friend Katie (in addition to our Chicago trip) a few times so that our children could befriend each other.

Blake was smitten by her sweet baby girl.

He might love babies almost as much as I do.

Blake was just as fond of Katie's twin boys, a switch from all of the twin girls that he plays with at home.

We spent a day with Mari-Beth, who was basically my second mom growing up. She has taught every grade in elementary school and preschool, so the boys were naturally drawn to her teacher-like qualities.

My aunt arranged a big family gathering on my mom's side of the family in honor of us being in town. I don't know if there is anyone that can entertain children more than my Uncle Jim. He nailed "horseshoes" into Blake's feet and had everyone cracking up.

After playing several rounds of Cribbage (which was almost a daily occurrence throughout our entire trip), we sorted through hundreds of old family photos at the gathering. I loved seeing aged photos of my grandma and hearing stories about our ancestors.

My dad's side of the family held several gatherings as well, in addition to the official family reunion. Right before we left town, we had a big picnic at the park. Six of my dad's eight siblings were in attendance with all of their local children and grandchildren.

Naturally, there were more cousins to meet.

And more memories to be made.

And of course, more sand.

We wish we could bottle up all of these dear friends and family members and take them home with us. Because even though Michigan is beautiful in the summer, it is the people that really make it feel like home.

Rainy Days

2011-08-10T07:31:00.004-06:00

I forgot that in Michigan, you can count on it raining at least one or two full days each week, destroying the option to meander along the beach. The view of the sand from our front porch was completely drenched with puddles. We're not used to that much rain here in the mountains.

We improvised in the entertainment department on those days.We went to the children's area in the mall and Nash chatted with all of his homedogs.

Blake tried on his uncle's gigantic (and wrinkly) clothes.

Nash was tempted over and over to play with the gadgets on the sewing machine.

My mom made Blake a basket full of engaging activities that kept him occupied for hours. Each bag in the basket had its own activity.

Not even the rain could keep us from staying busy every single second.

Water, Camera, Action

2011-08-09T15:23:00.000-06:00

We spent an evening at Coast Guard Festival in Grand Haven, Michigan. I grew up going to the Musical Fountain that overlooks the channel every year. It's kind of like a scaled down Bellagio experience.

My brother amused us with his new fancy camera complete with a thousand gadgets. It took him 10 minutes just to assemble it all.

That contraption was heavy. I had to use the ground for support.

We topped off the evening with our dad by hitting the Coast Guard Festival rides. We went on the swinging, twisting pendulum pictured on the right. I learned that my stomach isn't quite what it used to be. I hope my ability to enjoy roller coasters isn't tampered as well, because I am a roller coaster maniac.

A trip to Michigan in August just wouldn't be complete without Coast Guard Festival and the Musical Fountain (and a hundred other things).

NT & TN

2011-08-08T10:49:00.001-06:00

My cousin had a little boy exactly three months after Nash was born. He and his wife named him Tanner.

That means that these cute second cousins are named Nash Tanner and Tanner Nash.

Everyone at family gatherings was getting pretty confused about which name to call which blue-eyed boy.

Living in Our Swimsuits

2011-08-06T10:06:00.001-06:00

We are home.

Back to the familiar things we missed while we were gone: Our own beds. Central air conditioning. Blake's stuffed Curious George who he greeted with a warm embrace. My husband who we missed dearly for two and a half weeks.

Blake is at his very first fathers and sons campout. Thinking of him discovering tents and sleeping bags for the first time and roasting marshmallows late at night with his dad delights me to no end.

Life is orderly here. The simplicity of it all is therapeutic and peaceful. Yet our hearts are still reaching back to the warmth of the lake, the chaos of bouncing from one activity to the next, the sounds of seagulls squawking and waves crashing, and the fact that we lived in our swimsuits all day long.

I found that digging a hole for Nash was a good way to keep him entertained...and confined.

There was a lot of sand castle building.

And a little yoga on the beach.

How we love that place.

Although I loved coming home after weeks jam-packed full of memories there, I will always consider the sandy beaches of Michigan to be my home as well.

I'm so glad it is becoming just that for our children too.

We brought back plenty of Lake Michigan sand in our suitcases to last us until next time :)

Parks & Rec

2011-08-04T06:10:00.001-06:00

There is a big playground sandwiched in between the place we are renting and the beach. I couldn't be more happy about that considering it is about the only time that Nash will leave my hip. All of sudden, he won't go to anyone but me, and he wants me to hold him every second. Needless to say, my arms are very grateful for the entertaining park across the street.

Nash has no fear when it comes to climbing.

Blake, however, has suffered cuts and bruises up and down his legs from playing so hard.

Where's your belly?

We like to take bike rides for recreation in the evenings.

Sometimes cousins join in on the adventure.

One night, we ventured out on a 14 mile bike ride around Muskegon Lake. On one side, the sun glistened over the water. But on the other side, we saw over and over again how hard the economy has hit Michigan. Factories that were once booming are now in ruins.

We certainly never run out of things to do here.

Nash - One Point Five

2011-08-02T06:16:00.005-06:00

Nash hit the half-way mark to two.

Less of a baby, more of a little boy.

I can hardly believe that Nash is 18 months old already. He has been my roomie here in Michigan and I can't get enough of pulling him into my bed each morning for a good long snuggle. That's about the only time he will hold still, because once his feet touch the ground, he is on the go.

His personality is emerging more and more every day. He imitates everything. His favorite word to repeat is "stuck" (and he uses it in the right context). He follows his brother around relentlessly. He climbs up the highest stairways and dives into water with no fear. He shakes off bumps and falls like they barely happened. He gives out open-mouthed kisses and high fives to anyone who asks.

When he's not being sweet, Nash can be a handful and a half. He certainly has a mind of his own. His favorite activity is playing in toilet water. And his favorite accessory to the toilet is the paper. He seems to have radar for open bathroom doors with porcelain bowls calling his name.

He screams an ear-piercing scream when he doesn't get his way. I often get the sympathetic comment from onlookers, "You've got your hands full." It's true. But my heart is full too. I am so head over heels in love with our charming little Nash.