JULY!

We have spent a big part of our summer playing outside, swimming, riding bikes and scooters, gardening, and all that summery goodness. But at some point pretty much every day I hand the boys the iPad so I can have a break (or get stuff done). And they cuddle up together so sweetly while they pick a show to watch- it kind of melts my heart!

We did a Nana adventure one week to the Planetarium! Here is what the boys (and Nana) would look like on Mars and on the moon. Chase loved all the exhibits and the IMAX. Hudson was originally freaked out by the 3D concept of the IMAX, but quickly realized it was harmless and snuggled on my lap for the whole movie. Chase loved learning more about space, which is one of his current interests.

Of course this summer has been full of BBQs, swimming and smores parties up at my parents house. Nate and Halie came into town one weekend to join us! Hudson just looks so relaxed lounging and eating his s'more. And the other picture was taken when I had Huds on my lap, and Nora walked up and wanted to join us. I love having a full lap- lots of cute little ones to love!

 Oh Hudson- so a few weeks ago we had this little banana that he loved and said he wanted to keep it for "our baby girl" that he wants to come to our family so much. He talks about her all the time. So he said he was going to keep it, and I never really followed up with him on it. Then a week or so later, my mom told us to take some zucchini and squash that was sitting on her counter. Hudson immediately picked out this "baby squash" and said that was the one he wanted. When Nana asked if he would eat it, he said incredulously, "NO! I want to save it for our baby girl!" When we got home that night he went straight to the pantry, holding his little squash. I was super surprised to see him move the cereal boxes around to reveal a little tupperware behind them holding the banana (now completely brown) from the week earlier! He put the squash in the same container, put the cereal boxes back in front of it, and left the pantry like it was totally normal! Ben and I about died laughing. The next morning he also wanted to take his "baby squash" on a walk, so squash came along for the ride.

 We had another fun outing to a park in Ogden to meet up with my cousins who are in town! Tiffany was there was Georgia and Ian (from Lima, Peru) and Kash was there with her five, Ada, Landon, Margo, and we got to meet the new (giant) twins- Garrett and Tanner! It was such a fun morning. Ada, who is nine, was so sweet to run around with Chase and was his partner in their little game of tag they were playing. We had a picnic lunch and held babies and I had a great time catching up with my cousins that I don't get to see enough. Tiff and her kids left before we got a picture, but here's the best we could do of the Hugo and Sam kids!

 During June, the boys had sticker charts to fill out. They got a sticker if they stayed in their beds once we put them down for the night (they have a habit of coming out SEVERAL times every single night.) It took quite awhile, but they finally each earned 10 stickers and got their reward- a trip to Cherry Hill! We took them one Friday night and it was the best! They loved the waterslides so much and both giggled the whole way down and kept wanting more! We love how adventurous the boys are- they make these things so much fun!

 We had a very relaxed celebration of the 24th of July this year. It fell on a Sunday, so the Saturday before we did stop by Bowmans for the bouncy houses, but somehow didn't actually partake in any of the other activities. We followed that up with visiting Franks to see their new baby bunnies! We did some sparklers and swimming that night. On the actual 24th we didn't do much, except that Ben spoke in sacrament meeting a little about the pioneers. And then on Monday (which was the technical holiday) we had a peach pie and watched fireworks with our neighbors. So nothing big or fancy, but we did have several days of celebrating. One thing Ben and I have enjoyed is that several people who live across the marsh from us set off huge aerial fireworks late into the night for several days around both July holidays. Ben and I can lay in our bed and watch the fireworks from our big picture window! Can't beat the comfort and view!

We hit up story time at the library for the first time in forever. We lucked out too, because the boys were only 2 of 5 kids there! (Usually there are about 40!) They had a darling little story time all based on turtles, which the boys loved. At the first when she asked their names Hudson said, "You know what! When I was born my mom and dad just decided to name me Hudson James Hugo!"

The rest of July was mostly spent swimming and riding bikes- it was a busy, full month!

A week of Nana Adventures

The third week of July I taught another quick round of swimming lessons. Since I didn't have my kids in classes, my mom watched them each day. The boys had the best week! Each day she planned a fun little adventure for them to do together- and they loved it!

On Monday she took them to the Discovery Museum. The spent a lot of time at the Derby track. Apparently the word of the day was "aerodynamic" and Chase kept reworking his derby car to make it more aerodynamic. Eventually, my mom figured out that the slanted pieces are the ones that he calls "aerodynamic", which is probably pretty accurate! They also got to do the Music and Motion class, which we used to do all the time (but then they moved it to a different day). The boys had a great morning!

 Tuesday they ventured out to the Tracy Aviary. The aviary completely exceeded their expectations and they all had a great time. Chase was most excited to see the flamingos, so even though he doesn't look thrilled in the picture- he was! The boys also loved using the maps to guide everyone around. They all loved the bird show- and being with their cute cousin Nora!

 Wednesday ended up being an "at home" adventure. They made Chase's favorite- chocolate zucchini bread! This picture is of one loaf, after Hudson sneakily took a handful out of it and snuck out the front door to eat it while he giggled. After they both ate their lunches they did get to eat several pieces.

 Thursday they went to the farm! Papa let them ride around on one of the tractors and they were both giddy about it! Hudson's quote of the day was "Papa's my favorite farmer!"

 Friday they road Frontrunner! Hudson had been talking about wanting to ride it all week long. He never mentioned this to me, but sometimes when he really wants something he completely bypasses me and goes straight for Nana. The boys loved the train ride and they changed seats at every stop. They rode to Ogden and back, playing I Spy and marveling at the sights along the way. They finished off their adventure with a slurpee- something I've never given them and that Nana insists is a childhood summer rite of passage.

I am so glad my boys had such a wonderful time while I was teaching- they really had an amazing week. Thanks Nana!

Out of the Mouth of Chase

Overheard one night as he was playing with toys, "My Nana is so smart..."

During our family prayer "...and please bless that Hudson can be a good boy tomorrow. And please bless that I won't lose my screen time. And if I do lose my screen time, please bless that I can be a good boy to earn it back."

I'm one lucky boy! Because tonight my dad is coaching my t-ball game AND it's our turn to bring the treat!

He fell off his scooter one day at the park. One the way home he fell off again. He wasn't really hurt but I heard him say, "Twice! Seriously?!?!"

 In a prayer one night he said, "Please bless that I can understand how space just goes on and on forever."

Hudson has had this thing over the last month where he repeatedly and predictably says, "I love my mommy and I like my daddy." And then Chase has been telling his friends that he loves them, which has weirded a few little kids out. So we were trying to explain that we love our family, and like our friends. Then weeks later, Chase and I had this conversation:
Chase: What is the difference between like and love?
Me: Love is stronger.
Chase: Then why does Hudson only like daddy?

And then...
Chase: But I love my family. And I love my friends. When I think of my friends, I feel love. I LOVE all people.
(This is so true, Chase really does LOVE all people.)

A man in our neighborhood came over with his young son to do some electrical work on our house. Chase looked at his little boy and said, "Hi! What's your name? How old are you? You look like you could be five."

I got after him for doing something naughty and he quietly said to me, "I'm sorry mom. I'm just a little kid. I'm still learning."

4th of July

We love the 4th of July! We had a wonderful holiday weekend this year. It started off early with Aunt Heidi coming to town! She booked a last minute trip to come visit and the boys (and everyone else too) were totally psyched. The first thing she did was take the boys on a special date to see "Finding Dory". The boys loved it, they especially love that Aunt Heidi lets them pick out whatever treats they want. They are super spoiled and they love her. 

Since Heidi was in town, we got together almost every night. We had a fun Saturday night swim night, a girls night with our dear BFSC Jana (who magically happened to be in town for a little bit for a wedding, although we didn't take pictures it was wonderful), and then all got together for Sunday dinner again. Last minute on Sunday morning I realized we did have two somewhat patriotic ties! I had forgotten that the "candy-cane" striped tie from Christmas also works well as an American flag tie. They looked so cute together. I loved that we sang America the Beautiful and My Country Tis of Thee at church, and I got a little choked up each time. I'm so thankful for this great place we live.

Our actual 4th of July was very chill. We did our traditional red, white and blue breakfast (which is waffles with whipped cream, blueberries, strawberries and raspberries). Ben did comment to me that even though it's a patriotic breakfast we make sure we have on the 4th, in reality we also eat it all summer long. It's our favorite.

After a little yard work, naps and a really relaxed day at home we ventured up to my parents house in the late afternoon for the main event! We started with the pool, where everyone had a great time.

Then we moved on to the BBQ. We had Kate's parents and brother join us, as well as our family friend Pam. It was a really fun group. Everyone also really seemed to enjoy the flag cake that Heidi and I slaved over. 

 While we were waiting for it to get dark, Chase ran inside to grab "Go Fish" and rounded up a nice crew to play with him. At one point the boys convinced Nana to join them in the hammock for an awesome story-telling experience by Hudson. His story was all about "a snake named Grapes" and the napkin he was holding was actually a pirate map. That's the extent to which I understand the story.

When it finally got a little darker we let the boys do sparklers, which were a hit, and slightly less dangerous/stressful than last year. My mom bought a whole pack of red, white and blue glowsticks that kept them very occupied and happy for the rest of the night. By the end we were all wearing various necklace/bracelet/anklets that they had made for us. We moved up onto the deck to watch the fireworks- it's really the best view you can get. We watched hundreds of fireworks shows at the same time all over the valley. Will had a patriotic playlist on his phone, so we listened to awesome music while watching the amazing show. It was a wonderful grand finale to a wonderful holiday!

Out of the Mouth of Hudson

He really wants to be part of Chase's T-ball games. He was pushing really hard to get on the field saying, "I've just got to teach the coach! I know how to play! I've been practicing!" and then as I hauled him away from the field muttering (loudly) "This is RIDICULOUS!"

One night Ben and I were having a little bit of a heated discussion, and we were both talking at the same time. Hudson (who was supposed to be in bed) peered over our railing and said in a calm voice, "Hey guy, when you talk at the same time no one can understand you! I can see you are getting frustrated..."

After a day with a few tantrums, Ben took Hudson on a little ice cream date. As Ben was pulling him out of his carseat when they got home Hudson looked up at Ben and said, "See I'm so happy now!"

Not a quote by Hudson, but about Hudson-
One night after Ben brushed the boys teeth we had this conversation:
Ben: Do you know how I remember which boy's toothbrush is which?
Courtney: Hudson's is the red one because Hudson has so much rage.
Ben: Yes. That's exactly how I remember.
Courtney: Me too.
Hudson, when both your parents unknowingly have been using the same pneumonic based on your anger issues, do you think it's time to scale back the tantrums?

Lest it seem like Hudson is a tantrum throwing-terror at all times, he has an incredibly sweet side. One day I was very upset and crying when he walked into my room. He walked right over to me with a big smile on his face, cupped my face in his hands and said, "I still love you mommy!"

After telling me that he learned about loving others in nursery, I asked him who he loved, "You and my daddy and my brother. And Unky Will, Aunt Katie and Nora. And nana and papa. And Heidi. And Dr. Hall because he delivered me so I love him too!" (I had to laugh because his list was so predictable up until that point)

 He's been saying, "I love mommy and I like daddy." for a month now. I think he just thinks it's funny. And he obviously LOVES his daddy, and usually prefers him to mommy.

Ben overheard the boys playing in their room one night
Hudson: Drop and give me 20!
Chase: I'll give you 3.

He's been talking about "a snake named grapes" a lot lately.

 After his first swim lesson (that I taught) failed (the water was cold, and outside was cold, and once he realized that he. was. done.) I was talking to him that night about how he was going to try to do swim lessons again the next day. He told me, "Yeah, I'll do swim lessons tomorrow. I've got to teach the girls in my class to swim underwater!" (I love how self-important he is. I really do. I love that he thinks he needs to come to class to help me teach it- instead of to learn there. But in his defense, he is way more daring than the two girls in his class.)

In the car, totally out of the blue, "Mommy guess what?! I love the Doctrine and Covenants."

Me: Take a good nap, and then you can go to Nana's after.
Hudson: breaks into a huge eyes-closed smile
Me: You like hanging out with Nana, don't you!
Hudson: Yeah. She's the best. (Still smiling, mouth still closed.)

Guess what! I don't like cucumbers. I like daddy. And I LOVE pickles!

The Rest of June

June flew by. Between two weeks of teaching swimming lessons, going out of town both weekends after swimming lessons, and just general summer fun, the whole month was busy and fun! 

We made time one Friday morning for a Nana Adventure. For months, Chase has been talking about wanting to tour the capitol building- which ended up being a perfect adventure for a Friday morning. We printed out a scavenger hunt online and found the corresponding art in the capitol building. Chase was very interested in the architecture, and I was surprised by how much he already knew! We located and identified all three types of Greek columns (doric, ionic and Corinthian), which he already knew about (apparently from pbs!). Hudson mostly liked that his voice echoed in the rotunda. We talked a little about government and how the legislature worked and just enjoyed exploring a little. Chase cracks me up that he was so interested in seeing the capitol building! It was a fun morning. 

We celebrated our favorite guy on Fathers Day! It was the day after we got home from camping, so we were all pretty tired. But we had a nice relaxing day together. Ben has gotten really into golf lately, so we gave him golf-related presents and made cinnamon rolls for breakfast. We had dinner up at my parents after church and enjoyed celebrating the awesome fathers in our lives. 

 I've been making more of an effort to have the kids help with the cleaning this summer (it's so much faster and easier to just do it myself). I've especially been trying to get them to clean their room, which they can totally do, they just usually end up playing in there for a good hour first. This is what I found the other day when I asked them to clean their room.

 I turned 28! It was a really fun birthday. It was our last day of swimming lessons (yay!) and then my mom took me out to lunch. We had a quiet night at home, complete with a pie (I'm not a cake fan) and the boys gave me their presents. Then the next day, Ben and I took a last minute trip up to Park City! We decided to combine my birthday celebration and our upcoming 8th anniversary (which is a week later) and have a weekend away! My parents watched the kids- the kids were ecstatic- and Ben and I enjoyed a wonderful, relaxing, romantic weekend in the charming beauty of Park City. We ate at delicious restaurants, slept in (a little), browsed the art galleries on Main Street, shopped at the outlets, and just enjoyed each other and the beauty around us. I missed the boys a lot, and they didn't miss us even a little bit. Hudson even greeted us with his classic, "NO! I don't want to go home! I want to stay at Nana's for two weeks!"