Catch-up post #1

I really hate it when I let the blog go for so long, and then I feel like I need to catch up for the sake of record keeping.  But alas, here we are.  So buckle up and get ready for some updates.

In September we blissfully got back in to the routine of the school year, and enjoyed the beginning of the awesome fall weather.  And of course, no September is complete until we've celebrated the Autumn Equinox.  This years celebration could not have been more perfect.  The weather was ideal with clear and sunny skies and nice cool crisp air.  Perfect for a campfire in the mountains.  We got our favorite camping spot at our favorite campground in American Fork Canyon.  We were basically the only people up there (I can't remember for sure now, but I think it was a Tuesday night), so it was quiet and peaceful.  We explored, collected colorful leaves, ate a yummy dinner, sat around the campfire eating s'mores, and talked a lot about seasons and why they change.

This was our 5th annual Autumn Equinox celebration, and it was so much fun.  Its one of my favorite family traditions, and I hope that our kids keep looking forward to it every year as much as I do.

Coming soon: posts on Halloween, A trip to Moab, potty training, and of course...a personal essay or two.  I'm ready to get back to blogging, so stay tuned!

About The Boy

(Charlie with Matt's dad on a recent hike)

Charlie is growing up so fast.  I mean, look at this picture.  Does that look like a toddler?  No, that looks like a little boy, and I can hardly stand it.  He is learning and changing so much everyday that I thought I should take a minute to record some things about him right now before I forget.

Even though Charlie is in the throws of the terrible two's, he is also a super fun age right now.  He is at the stage where he is learning everything and soaking it all up like a little sponge.  His funny little personality has erupted, and he cracks me up all the time.  I can say with certainty that he has the spunk and fire to match his red hair.  Here are some notes for my own memory.

-Our Charlie boy is a talker.  He talks all the live long day.  He asks a lot of questions, and genuinely wants to know the answers to them.

-He is painfully shy in new places and around new people.  We have been to story time at the library SO many times, but he can still barely bring himself to get off my lap and sit on the story rug.

-This summer he transitioned out of his crib and into a big bed.  It was relatively painless.  He still even takes a nap most days! (hallelujah)

-Charlie loves music and dancing.  He knows a lot of words to The Avett Brothers, and loves to sing along while we are in the car.  He can also sing his ABC's, twinkle little star, you are my sunshine, the itsy bitsy spider, and many of the songs from Frozen and Tangled.

-He has a vibrant imagination!  He can turn anything into a toy.  He loves pretend play, and will frequently pretend to be a super hero, fireman, ballerina, mountain climber, and a daddy.

-He loves reading books with us.  Sometimes Matt will stay in his room for 30 minutes at bedtime, just reading book after book.

-We have tried one stint of potty training, but it was a no go.  It became a power struggle about getting treats.  So we backed off, and will try again when he seems more ready.  In case you were wondering...I am SO ready.

-Charlie is the pickiest of picky eaters.  It drives me crazy.  He could stand to gain a little weight.  But on top of being super picky....he is SUPER stubborn.  It's a bad combination.

-Charlie has a very compassionate soul.  He looks out for his sister.  He sticks up for her when we get frustrated or lose patience.  He tells me what she needs, and misses her when she is away.  It brings me so much joy to watch him learn about his sister, and understand her in ways that I don't.  He has a special heart, and I know it will serve him well all his life.

-Charlie can identify all of his letters, and numbers up to ten.  He can count to twenty, and knows most shapes and colors.  In terms of learning, I think he will be more than ready for preschool.  In terms of separation...not so much.:-)

-He is a snuggle bug.  He wants to hug and kiss and snuggle all the time.  During the day he will frequently come to me, squeeze my leg or my head and say "I just yuv you, Mommy."  Its the best thing ever.

He is my little buddy, and a bright light in our lives.

Matt+Me+Mexico

Well we just got back from our anniversary trip to Mexico a few days ago, and I thought I should probably get blogging about it before I start forgetting all the awesomeness.  We arrived in Puerto Vallarta on Tuesday evening, right around dinner time.  We stayed at a great all-inclusive resort.  Right when we arrived we headed to the buffet for a quick bite to eat, then went straight down to the beach to play in the ocean and watch the sun set.

The view from our room

 

 

I forgot to take a picture of our room before we messed it all up, so I snagged this one from google.

 

 

 

That night we spent most of the evening at the beach, then got cleaned up and did some exploring around the resort.  The whole next day we were exclusively at the resort.  We slept in as long as we could, which didn't actually end up being that late.  It's hard to sleep in when you're body is so accustomed to being woken up by little people when the sun comes up everyday!  But we took advantage of the quiet morning and went for a long walk on the beach before breakfast.  I'm pretty sure all we did was hang out at the beach, eat, go back to the beach, eat again...take a nap...play some cards...swim in the ocean...read and fall asleep at the beach...do some boogie boarding...and eat again.  Oh, and somewhere in there Matt played a couple games of beach volleyball.  It was divine. 

 

 

Even though the resort had two really nice pools, including a pool that was exclusively for adults...we didn't set foot in either of them during the whole trip.  We both love swimming in the ocean so much...and we figured we could swim in a pool any old time.

 

The next day we went on a zip lining excursion, which lasted for about 6 hours.  It was so fun!  First they load a big group of us on a speed boat, and take us on about a 15-20 minute ride to this little fishing village.

 

From there we got on these huge trucks, and were driven through these remote villages high up into the mountains.

 

Then we got all geared up, and rode some mules even higher up into the mountains.  This part was hilarious.  My mule's name was Peperoni, and Matt's mule was named Macaroni.  The guides were these really fun, and they made the mule ride quite entertaining.  Then we reached the start off point for the zip lining.  They gave up instructions, and off we went...flying through the jungle, repelling down waterfalls, and even riding some water slides.  It was a great adventure, and I'm so glad we did it!   I won't post all of those pictures because there are so many.  If you want to see them all, I posted them on Facebook.  Here are a few highlights.

 

 Yes...we actually did one of the zip lines hanging completely upside down!  It was so freeing once I got over the initial terror :-)

 

When we were done, there was a cute little grandma at the bottom making fresh quesadillas, and we had ourselves a well earned snack.  Then we rode the truck back down to the fishing village, and rode the boat back to our starting place. 

 

The next couple of days were more lazy days at the beach.  We should have taken more pictures, but we were too busy enjoying doing a whole lot of nothing.  I read a book and a half, we both got a lot of sun, took a lot of walks, and ate way too much delicious food.  I think my favorite part was watching the sun set everyday while we either walked along the beach, or sat in beach chairs.

 

 

On our last full day, we took a taxi into town...and walked along the Malecon...which is this beautiful boardwalk along the coast in Puerto Vallarta.  It was a beautiful, happening place to spend our Saturday night.  There were tons of restaurants and shops, and a big beautiful old church.  We wanted to go inside and see the church, but there was a wedding taking place.  There were a lot of cultural activities happening that night, including a dance festival.  Then we took a very terrifying taxi ride back to our resort, in which I was sure we were either going to be kidnapped or die in an accident.  It was quite handy in the moment to be with Matt, who speaks fluent Spanish...and was ale to calm the situation.  I don't know why, but it seems like every time Matt and I visit a different country, we have at least one death defying cab ride!:-)

 

 

Overall, we could not have asked for a better vacation.  The resort was wonderful, we did exactly as much as we wanted to (although Matt was a little bummed about not getting to surf), and most importantly we were able to remember that we are people...and we have a relationship that is outside of our responsibilities as parents or anything else.  We were able to have space and time to reconnect in a way that I'm not sure we even knew we needed to.  And we came home refreshed and ready to get back to life as usual.  I wish we could do this every year!:-)

 

P.S.  A huge thanks to both of our parents who stepped in and took care of the kids for 6 days!  We couldn't have done it without you!  Muchas Gracias!!!







Oh, hey there blog!

Long time no see!  Kinda forgot you existed there for a little while!  Ah well.  Life went on.  I have proof below.

So I am going to try a little something to get me back in the habit of blogging again.  I am going to try to write something everyday.  Some days it might not be much...maybe a few pictures, maybe some thoughts about my day.  But I really need to get back in the habit of blogging!  So, to kick things off...proof that we are alive and well.

 Just after Christmas, Charlie turned two.

 ...and he quickly became the cutest two year old on the planet.  Except for when he's ACTING two :-)

 We have had some gorgeous spring days around here.  But it never lasts for too long.  Just this morning we woke up to snow on the ground.  But hooray!  The daffodils we planted last fall are starting to pop up!

 I got a haircut.  I kind of hate it when it's straight...but curly ain't so bad.  Which is kind of backwards from what you would normally think for a short hair cut.  Whatever...it's just hair.

 I taught the kids how to make silly faces.  It's what the cool kids do, ya know?

 Aubrey is 7!  What?!

 She loved her birthday.

 Soaking up some vitamin D, and the loveliest spring day yet.

 Did I mention there was snow on the ground this morning?  I'm trying not to feel sad about it.

 'Cuz, really...what's better than having a snack/picnic in March?

 For some reason, this weirdo like to walk around with sock on his hands ALL. THE. TIME.  It's the funniest thing.  And no one's socks are safe.

The End.

Naptime Writing

Charlie is napping and normally this is my time to read a book, or catch up on my favorite shows while I eat lunch.  Today I am just thinking thinking thinking.  So I thought I would write a stream of consciousness post.

-Last night I went to a parents night at Aubrey's school.  LeeAnn Taylor, the author of the book The Fragile Face of God was the guest speaker. LeeAnn has five children, and three of them have the genetic disease Fragile X syndrome and autism.  The flier hung on my refrigerator for days and I kept saying, "I'm not going to that."  And then the day before I decided I should go.  If nothing else it would get me out of bedtime duties.  There was only a small group of us, but it was perfect.  LeeAnn shared her stories with us.  We laughed, and wept, and nodded our heads in understanding.  We hugged each other.  No one else really knows.  No one else really understands, except other mothers and fathers who are raising children like yours.  It is so validating and important to make connections with these people.  Every time I walk into Aubrey's school, I feel at home.  Those people know me without having to really know me.  It feels safe.

-Charlie is exploding with knowledge.  He repeats everything I say.  A sponge, is what he is.  Oh, but he and I are in a tough patch right now.  He has reverted to his horrible sleeping habits, screaming for hours at bedtime, needing me to sit by his crib and rub his back while he falls asleep...and then slowly crawl out when I think he's out.  Then he wakes up in the night and the process starts all over.  It goes on and on.  Nap time is a little easier.  But he just wants to be with me, near me, touching me at all times.  All day long he follows me around the house saying "Catch you!  Catch you!"  I know I should just give in, because this time of him wanting to always be with me isn't permanent...but it is exhausting.  By the time he (finally) goes to bed at night, I feel like I can't handle one more second of human contact.  Which is a real treat for my husband!

-Aubrey is sweet.  Is there a better word to describe her?  I can't think of one.  Lately I've been thinking about her spirit.  I've been thinking about how her body and mind are not in perfect working order, but that her spirit is.  Her spirit is whole, I know it, and it is serving a purpose.

-I'm going through some transitions in my life.  Things that maybe should be scary or stressful.  But I am feeling really peaceful and calm and blessed.  Please, God...don't take that as an opportunity to turn my life upside down.  *Knock on wood*

-Matt and I took a road trip to Idaho for an Avett Brothers concert.  It was so much fun.  Matt and I are really very different.  So I love to spend time with him doing things that we both really love.  No matter what, Matt is really good company.  I think we're really lucky to have each other.

Charlie just woke up.  Time to get back to reality.

Goblin Valley

When it looked like the government shutdown wasn't going to end in time for the annual Grand Canyon hike, Matt decided (with his dad and brother) that the trip must go on, only in a different place.  So they decided to hike Little Wild Horse canyon, down near Goblin Valley State Park.

Since it was a lot closer, I decided at the last minute that we would all go along.  Matt said he would carry Charlie on the hike with him, and I figured Aubs and I would stay at the hotel (in Green River) and swim/hang out while they hiked and we would catch up with them at Goblin Valley when they finished.  That's not quite how things went down, but it ended up great.

Matt felt bad about leaving Aubrey and I behind at the hotel, and once we started driving towards the beginning of the hike, I started feeling like I didn't want to miss out on the gorgeous scenery!  So instead of dropping them off, we decided to just start the hike and see how it went with Aubrey.  Matt's mom volunteered to take her out if things got too rough for her, so I could finish the hike with Matt and everyone else.

Well, somehow...we ALL made it through the whole (8 mile) hike!  It took a group effort (thank goodness for big, strong families) and 6 hours.  Matt's dad and brother both took turns carrying Charlie in the pack, and Aubrey on their shoulders.  But I would say that Matt carried Aubrey (On his back, shoulders, or in his arms) for at least 90 percent of the time.  And he never complained.  Not once.  Ok, except for all the drool that Aubrey left on his shoulder.  He didn't really care for that :-)

The hike turned out to be a bit harder than any of us expected.  There had been a big storm the night before, so even though the weather was perfect for us, all the slot canyons were full of water.  Which made things a bit trickier, especially for the people who were carrying my children.

Oh, but it was BEAUTIFUL.  Gosh I love Utah sometimes.  I mean it was just so incredibly gorgeous.  I swear the view around every corner just took my breath away.  It was so worth the trouble.

There were a few times along the hike when tears would come to my eyes as I watched my whole family work together to get us all through...especially Aubrey.  I'm so glad she got to be a part of something so special.  I'm thankful for family members who will shoulder (literally in this case) some of the burden of her challenges in order to help us be unified and never left out.  We are so blessed!

So it was a great weekend!  The kids had some meltdowns at Goblin Valley the next day, just out of sheer exhaustion.  After two nights of hotel sleep, and a really long day of hiking...they were pooped.  I think we lasted about 15 minutes at Goblin Valley before we decided to put them out of their misery and head home.  They were both asleep within 5 minutes in the car.

 I swear, I offered to carry Charlie on several occasions...but the men felt it was their duty or something :)

Aubrey was entertained all weekend by "the little girls" as they are called in the family.  They're the little girl cousins.

 

 Matt's dad is 68.  He is a stud, and I'm not afraid to say it.  It's no surprise where Matt gets his endurance.

 My gorgeous mother in law, Jan.  None of this could have happened without her either!  She was a great cheerleader.  Every time we got through something tough she would say "Look!  We can do hard things!"  Love her.

 Gosh, I love these people.  Could they be any cuter?

 Charlie was an absolute pleasure the entire hike.  He was just thrilled to be there.  Didn't whine or complain at all.  And when he got tired, he just zonked.  Here he is sleeping while Grandpa carries him.

Here he is sleeping while Uncle Jeff carries him.  (He didn't even wake up during the transition from grandpa to Jeff)

Our niece Sofia showing us how to navigate through these water filled slot canyons.  The older nieces and nephews eventually started going way ahead of us to talk us through each one, telling us the best rocks to step on, and where the water was deep or shallow.  They're the coolest kids around.

It was tight in a few places, but Charlie loved reaching out and touching the rock as we walked along.

  This is my favorite picture in the history of ever.  Excuse me while I go jump my husband.

 And this in the only picture I took at Goblin Valley the next day.  I swear, there are some places in Utah that look like a different planet.  We're so lucky to be so close to all this natural beauty.

The End