Picture a day Challenge--142

Lately, I have just been hit with the realization that my little Spencer boy is growing up. He will be 10 months old in a few days...and that means he is almost a year old...and once he's a year old, he is a few months closer to being 18 mo and heading to nursery...and then he will turn 2...(and then he will start doing all the same "brotherly" things Kaden has started doing).

Trying to not think too far ahead and to just love every little minute of him in the here and now...and to cuddle him in all his cuteness and just snuggle that little guy in a his baby world before he moves on to toddlerhood...

On being a boy--

Over the past few days, I have seen a crazy development in Kaden. He is becoming 100% PURE little boy. Don't get me wrong--before this observation, he was a full of mischief and loved to play like most little boys do.

But lately, I've seen the "other side" of being a boy...the stuff your brothers are made of...the teasing, taunting, and tattling.

He's also taken to some crazy eating habits...uses a fork to pick stuff up, then puts it in his mouth, and then proceeds to mash everything on the fork INTO his mouth with his hands. We end up with one giant mess!

Jenna has not enjoyed this "change"...what happened to the days when she could bulldoze him with ease and he had no concern about getting her back. Many of the pictures we have taken the past few days look much like this:

This particular incident went something like this...Jenna innocently eating. Kaden innocently watching her eat. Not so innocently scoots over ONTO her chair. She freaks out. He laughs. I move him off her chair and set him back on his. He looks over with this devilish grin and starts kicking his little legs on her chair. Yet another SCREAM from the victim...this goes on and on with a variety of different irritations.

This happens lots lately....the pestering AND the screaming.

Sibling rivalry...already....we're in for a long, long road.

Another quirk that has come out in our little Kaden Kid lately is his REFUSAL to wear diapers. Really--I put it on, he rips it off---put it back on--he rips it back off. OVER AND OVER. Good news is, he loves to sit on the toilet. So much, in fact, that he is found sitting on there every 5 1/2 minutes (of which the rest of the time is spent bothering Jenna or causing some kind of small catastrophe). I don't think Brandon believed that I fought SO hard the other day to keep him covered-but today he got a taste of the nudies....and in the end, we just let him run nude and took him to the bathroom a whole lot. :) Perhaps we are well on our way to potty training...I never know!
Kaden's feet are SO darn chubby and it's impossible to find shoes that FIT! I have had an especially hard time with dress shoes. But I found a couple pairs and brought them home to try on him. He went CRAZY! It was quite the sight!! A naked boy wearing only a t-shirt with one dress sock and two new shoes. :) He was in heaven.
I love this little guy--I do. He is such a joy, has such a bright smile and I love his zest for life! But I am definitely seeing that there is a part of boys that is hard-wired a certain way!!!

Picture a day Challenge--141

Today....lots of cleaning...lots of picking up....lots of sweeping....lots and lots of sweeping...where does all that stuff COME from? It's all a mystery.

And so I present...my broom.

Picture a day Challenge--140

"TOGETHER"

I love seeing the friends they are becoming....

Second hand inspiration!

For one reason or another, Thursday is a big garage sale day in this area. As I was taking Brandon to school today, I drove by NUMEROUS signs pointing to BIG SALES. I really had no intention of buying anything--or even going to any. But I happened to drive by just ONE, and it was all over from there on out. I went to several before heading home. I got some GREAT stuff~~~
-an almost new winter coat for Jenna, 3 pairs of shoes for her to grow into, a pair of jeans, a brand new set of pj's, some pajamas for Spencer, an almost new big yellow Tonka Truck, a Buzz Lightyear doll (this was Kaden's purchase), 6 like new books, and some tupperware...

And topping the charts, were my two BEST purchases...FIRST, A brand new Melissa and Doug (they make lots of wood puzzles and learning toys, etc) Responsibility chart. I had actually been pricing these, but they were about $20.00...

Anyway, it comes with all sorts of different "goal" magnets (say please and thank you, help mom, clear the table, get dressed, take out the trash, etc) and then each day you evaluate how you did for each one and put a magnet to give praise. NEW--all the pieces--I paid $1.00!!!!!!
But my top find of the day was this:

Two kids in a toy chest?? No--just the toy chest itself. How much, you ask? $20? $10? Nope...only 5 measly bucks! $5.00....wow. And it is in perfect condition! I was SHOCKED!! HOORAY!! Gotta love those garage sale deals!!!

My total spent today: $20.00 even. I am so thrilled for getting SO much and spending so little, all things considered.

And if you're totally bored from reading this, sorry...I am just SO excited!!

I think we are getting back in the swing of things though. We spent the afternoon outside and the kids played in the water. I tried to mop the floor and deal with an exhausted and sickly Spencer...that kid's nose is running like a leaky faucet! He has been SO miserable...

The kids were SO cute together...just LOVE watching them play so nice.
Jenna put the slide into the froggy sandbox (that is void of sand) and said "hey mom! Now it's a water park!" Very funny...

Anyway, gonna turn in tonight...can't wait for tomorrow--what treasures will we find cruising the streets and searching out all the yard sales!!?? I'm just full of second hand inspiration!! :)

Picture a day Challenge--139

CAN YOU BELIEVE THE SIZE OF THIS BERRY?!?! Yep, my hand...LARGE strawberry...I LOVE buying fresh fruit!! :)

Fresh--

One of the best parts of coming back from vacation is refilling the fridge! We headed to the Westside Market today to stock up on all our fruits and veggies. We came home with a TON of great stuff! I spent the afternoon cutting, washing and putting it in containers so that we can eat fresh fruit any time we want! And we got lots of dried fruits for our awesome trail mix snack bags.

Fruit loaded in our fridge:
Watermelon, cantaloupe, bananas, mangos, peaches, grapes, raspberries, cherries, and strawberries...we also got lots of fresh veggies: snap peas, broccoli, fresh greens/lettuce, asparagus, corn on the cob, and lots and lots of HUGE Idaho potatoes. :)

Speaking of HUGE, we happened to get lots of large fruit today--check this out!
The strawberries were ENORMOUS, and SO sweet.
In fact, it was actually bigger than the peaches I bought!
And while I was washing our lettuce, I found a cute little ladybug. :) That could have tasted mighty yummy in a salad.... jk
I feel like cutting fruit (and talking to my awesome sister in law Mindi) was about all I did today. When Brandon came home from school, he took the kids to the back room while I rested on the couch and took a nap--he even got them in pj's and put to bed without me helping one bit...I'd had such a hard time with the kids this afternoon and he really stepped up at just the right time.

What a lifesaver...

I think I am having a hard time adjusting to being home. I am just plain exhausted! And I am feeling stumped with what to do with the kids...I need to kick myself into gear and get back into a routine--

Anyone else have a hard time getting going again after vacation??

Missing...

I'm home...and even though it was a great trip, I missed a few things while we were gone:

-cooking my own food!

My feet hitting my bedroom floor every morning...
The crazy speckled tile in my bathroom--which I really never thought I would miss. But I somehow did. :)
Child locks....
Our mess...because it means it's ours and it's in our own house...not spilling all over someone elses house.
MY BED....MY PILLOW...MY SHEETS!
Being surrounded by trees...My own computer...any time I want....

What I miss now:

-Grandpa insisting that diaper changes are a special time to bond with the kids...

-Being with friends

-Laughing hard about nothing particular

-Going to the store alone...

-Having the kids fall into bed each night

-Seeing Brandon all day every day

-Spending lots of time with grandparents

-Bedtime past midnight, every night...

-Being around everything familiar...

- 8 days of vacation...pure blissful vacation....

Happy first day back to school Brandon... :)

Picture a day Challenge--138

After all the eating out we did on vacation, I could hardly wait to cook a nice big comfort food meal...and I hate to say it, but it's the only picture I took today. So, this is it!

A nice roast, homemade mashed potatoes, gravy, carrots, and some rolls...yum.

HOME...

We have been home 2 days now...I am still trying to get the rest of our trip blogged-- :) But for now, I had some thoughts.

Since we moved here, I think I had it in my mind that I couldn't miss home...I wasn't allowed to, and if I did I would not be able to love where we were now. But going home made me realize that there ARE things I love and miss about HOME. And it's OKAY to love things about home and love where I am at now. It really CAN be the best of both worlds...the mountains, open spaces, friends and family back West....the lush trees and greenery, endless list of things to do and see, and a chance to be our own little family here in Ohio.

And that felt so good. But it also brought a sense of sadness--I cried and cried--because it finally felt okay to miss my family, my friends, and all things SO familiar to me. It doesn't mean that I feel the need to dwell on my former home constantly. But I felt a sense of closure. I really do love where we live, and I love where we are at in our life. We have grown so much as a couple and a family. And most of all, we feel this is where we should be.

So, we go to go "home"--and we had the most wonderful time. It really, truly was the best time we have had in a long, long time. But it also came time to come back to our own "home"...which got me thinking about HOME and what that really is.

As I was wandering around Gardner Village on Saturday, I came across a sign with a quote:
"Home is not just a place, it's a feeling"

That really hit me...

It isn't necessarily about a place. It is about how you feel when you are there.

And since that is the case, I love knowing I have so many places to call home--being with friends, family, with my husband and children, in the mountains, or surrounded by trees...

They're all home to me...and THAT is a wonderful feeling.

The 411 on 4-1-1

Today Jenna is 4 years, 1 week, and 1 day old...and we are FINALLY giving her the big birthday present. Since we were out of town we didn't get it together before we left, today was the big day...

Though, no big surprise...oh well. :)

We all went outside to help put it together. After looking at all these pics, I realized that poor Spencer looks lost--and homeless. And in some of the pics, he is positioned as if we were taking a "where's waldo" picture! And please note he is missing his pants...again....I am SERIOUS when I say my children have an IMPOSSIBLE time keeping their britches on all day! :)
Yes, Spencer is going for the leaves...but I had to get the shot of the little girl helping her daddy put the training wheels on her new bike!

(exhibit A: Where's Waldo in the background....) Kaden (wearing pink kitty boots)admiring those purple streamers...every little boy's DREAM!
(Exhibit B: Where's Waldo shot again....obviously not ME taking the pic since I am in it! kidding Brandon, kidding!)
Jenna showing off her Barbie--we got her bike for a GREAT deal--it came with the bike, training wheels, a barbie bike that attaches to the handle bars, a backpack, a water bottle, the streamers, and an extra Barbie to ride the little bike on the handle bars. ALL of that for under $45 with tax....pretty darn good in the world of new kid's bikes. I was so happy it came with so much stuff--we didn't bother with any other presents! NICE....and she was THRILLED!
Doesn't she look So grown up?!?!
I hope she had a good birthday--really hope so...

Happy birthday my dearest 4 year old little girl!

Picture a day Challenge--137

Happy Memorial Day...

Going Home...

On Sunday morning we enjoyed a DELICIOUS full (FREE) buffet breakfast at the hotel. It was great. Then the kids got all suited up and we headed to the pool before we had to catch our flight. The kids love to swim...love it.

It was kind of funny--we all ended up in the hot tub for quite a while. :) 3 children, 3 floaties, and 3 adults (my sister was still with us)...1 hot tub.


Brandon kept surprising Kaden by swimming under the water and popping up--this picture is right before him jumping out of the pool and running for the hot tub. :)

I was able to call my friend Lisa last minute (we saw her the first day in Utah) and she loaded up her family and came down to swim for a little bit with us. I was so glad to see her again. And my kids LOVE her kids...thanks Lisa for your last minute trip up to see us!
Jenna and Gabriella pretending to be The Island Princess...

swimming with the dolphins. :)

We put the kids down for a nap and loaded all our stuff--and not long after we loaded the shuttle with our bags (2 more than we went with, just for the record.) We had our hands full!! Jenna and Kaden had fevers--not sure the cause, but they were both not feeling well at all. As a result, they both slept almost the ENTIRE 4 hour plane ride. It was SO NICE. Not that I enjoy them being sick--but if they WERE going to be sick and completely ZONK, I would prefer it be on an airplane when we need some calm. :)
We had a layover in Chicago--it's SUCH a busy airport. Jenna rode the moving walkways over and over...and over and over...good thing they're free. :) And TOTALLY entertaining. The flight from Chicago to Cleveland was just over an hour--so really quick. The kids slept most of that too.

We got in and were picked up, loaded ALL of our luggage and went home. Because our bodies were still on Mountain Time, we put the kids to bed and unpacked almost everything, did laundry and then went to bed. It was SO nice to wake up having things already DONE! :) AND, the kids slept until almost 9:00 a.m. WOW.

Glad to be home...Glad to be unpacked and settled....

But at the same time, wishing I could just blink and be back to last week.... :)

Picture a day Challenge--136

On our way home...after one AMAZING week....

Back to Utah...

It's time...the day we had to leave...what a bittersweet day. It was so much fun hanging out with my dad and sister (and occasionally my brother's Noah and Caleb)--so much fun to see all of Brandon's family, cousins, my sister's-in-law, etc....what an AWESOME vacation. Really, really, awesome....

Once the kids are in the car, you just don't mess with things. Jenna had a fever this morning anyway, so Grandpa had to say good bye through the door. :)
We made a stop at Grandma Lita and Grandpa's house to say goodbye to everyone there. We got to see Brandon's Aunt Cindy and Uncle Brian for a minute before the left. I must say, just by looking at the pj's of Grandma Lita, you can tell what kind of grandma she is--FUN, FUN, FUN!! :) The kids will miss her so much!
And Uncle Tyler goes to the MTC on July 30th--so it will be 2 years before we see him again...will miss you Uncle Ty!
Aunt Tia was Spencer's favorite friend this morning...he had a ton of fun playing with her beautiful smile! :)

MISSING--grandpa (he wasn't feeling photogenic)--AND Jenna...where WAS she??
Our drive back was kind of sad, really...I don't think I ever really took full advantage of the beauty around me when we lived there. I always felt like the drive down I-15 to Utah was brown, deserty, and blah. But this time I saw the wide open space, the green rolling hills, and the distant mountain peaks. I can't believe I never really noticed all of that before...
Headin' South--Salt Lake, here we come!

We drove straight down to West Jordan where I met some friends for lunch--MET being the key word here. :) For several months I have gotten to know a GREAT group of women through a blog called Apron Girl's . These are some of the most crafty, talented, and KIND people I have ever met. And since I was going to be in Utah (where many of them live) we agreed to meet!

We went to a place called Gardner Village and met at Archibald's for lunch and had a great meal full of good conversation! Not even an awkward moment. They are just the kind of gals that you will always feel at home talking to!

Gardner Village was the most amazing place! Tons to look at--crafts of all kinds, decorating ideas, a live band, pioneer women walking around (which made me chuckle), etc. I wish I had been able to spend more time and buy TONS of stuff--I was sure tempted to!!

For more pictures of our afternoon out, you can click this link.
After lunch we headed back up to SLC to our hotel. My mom was planning on flying in and meeting us there to spend a day with the kids (since she had been in California all week with my sister Sarah who just had a baby.) We had a beautiful room at the Residence Inn--well, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a living/dining room and kitchen--complete with dishwasher and stove! It was SO nice to have the space we needed with the kids and it was SO comfortable! As soon as we checked in, the kids and Brandon headed for the pool. My legs needed a date with a razor before I would dare show them in public! :)


The swam for a little while and then we headed in to Salt Lake to meet my cousin Joseph and his wife Ashley (who I have never actually met--we have just talked lots!) We didn't want the normal chain restaurant--and I happened to find a place online called the Red Iguana, that had really great reviews! And great it was! Yum!!

They encourage people to bring a bumper sticker to put on their door...quite the spectacle! :)
I loved all the bright colors! So fun!!! Now, you will not be seeing any pictures of Jenna. Being the bad parents we are, we took her out even though she wasn't feeling so well, and she totally zonked in her chair--like, OUT--slept almost the whole time and didn't eat a thing. I felt so bad that she wasn't feeling great...
And here's the happy couple! Joseph and Ashley were SO fun to hang out with. I am so bummed we didn't get to know them better when we lived close. But thank goodness for blogs, email, and phone calls! :)
My sister Esther met us for dinner and swimming later in the evening. It was nice to see her again! She is getting ready to move to Washington D.C. where her husband has an internship for the summer.

Kaden was a MESS! :) He loved all the food too--not so much the salsa. :)
Now, get ready for some serious Mexican food--tacos de carne asada...
Flautas (or as Ashley called them, FLUTAS)
And fajitas...sizzling and hot off the grill!
After dinner we headed back to our hotel and put the kids to bed--we hooked up our Wii (yes, we brought it with us!!) to the hotel TV and played for a while. When Joseph and Ashley left, Esther and I went down for a soak in the hot tub. My mom had called during dinner and said that she had accidentally booked her ticket for the wrong day and not realized it--she was really coming on Sunday (AFTER we went home). We were SO bummed not to see her and spend the day. So, since it was late when we finished hot-tubbing, Esther stayed instead...

Thanks to EVERYONE we got to see--this trip has been so great! But I have to say, I am counting down the time to a homecooked meal....all this eating out is really getting old. :) (even though I was TOTALLY looking forward to it at the beginning).