Fall Break

I LOVE that the kids get a fall break, even if it is only two days. Between school, friends, piano and sports I feel like I hardly see Chase! I was looking forward to spending some good quality time with my boys! We packed in tons of fun activities (and also got a decent amount of chores and yard work done as well!). On Thursday we hit up the Discovery Museum with the Bennetts. It was so fun, as always, and so nice that they all have a little buddy to play with. And of course, I thoroughly enjoyed chatting with Alyse so I didn't take pictures, except this one of Davis mowing the whole first floor. He loves this lawn mower (and our identical, but very weathered one at home). 

 I had promised the boys forever ago that we could see Incredibles 2 once it came to the dollar theater, which nicely aligned with our break! I was going to be super brave and take Davis too, but when my mom offered to take him instead at the last minute I jumped at the chance! So just the big kids and I enjoyed this movie together. I laughed so much at Jack-Jack and how uncanny the similarities are between him and our own Davis Jack. Like, I think the producers may actually know Davis and based the character off him. The boys laughed and laughed through the movie, until it got a little intense and scary for them and then I had them BOTH on my lap.

 Friday morning we hit up the zoo. I've loved having a zoo pass this year. I knew Hudson would love it, but Davis enjoys it just as much! He oohs and ahhs over every animal and it's darling to see him so excited! Hudson took a little map of the zoo and was sure we were going to find treasure with it, hence him holding it up in this picture!

 Davis loved the elephants, and he really went crazy for the gorillas. We have been reading him "Good night Gorilla" and I think in that moment it totally connected for him.

Ben and I were able to have a nice date night at the temple during the break as well. It was wonderful to get away with my main man and have a chance to talk about our family. During General Conference in October a lot of changes and challenges were given- and Pres. Nelson urged us all to spend more time in the temple. We don't get there as often as we'd like, so we decided we needed to make it happen soon. We talked a lot about goals for parenting, what's working and what's not, and how we think we can step up our game and teach our children more at home as two-hour church goes into effect in January. It was a much needed night out. I'm so thankful for the Booyse's watching our boys, and for my wonderful husband. 

One more thought from this time- during the women's session of conference Pres. Nelson gave all the women four challenges. Along with attending the temple more often and participating more fully in Relief Society, he asked us all to do a 10 day social media fast and to read the Book of Mormon before the end of the year. Both of these have been such good experiences for me, so I wanted to record my thoughts here. First, on the social media fast, it was a nice break. I didn't miss it as much as I thought I would. I am thankful for the connections that I can make with people through social media and for all the good on there, but it was great to unplug for a bit for a reset. It also made me think about how I spend my time. Secondly, reading the Book of Mormon. I was somewhere in Alma when the challenge was given, but I decided I'd just start over and try to read it all by the end of the year. I'm spending a lot more time each day in my scriptures and I'm actually really loving it. I'm making a lot of connections I hadn't before and I can actually feel my mind functioning more clearly as I take more time to study. Some of the thoughts and themes that have impressed me as I've been reading are:

• The Lord doesn't take away people's trials just because they are righteous. He helps them through them and gives comfort. He's always there for them, but the trials don't just go away.
• Over and over, he asks us to focus on things that really matter and reminds us that material things pass away and aren't forever. Focus on Christ and family and service and relationships.
• Life is a refining process- it isn't easy for anyone. We can learn from trials.
• Remember all your blessings come from God.
• It can be easy to be confused by Satan if you aren't continually focusing on actively trying to stay close to God.

Anyway, Fall Break was AMAZING! I loved having my kids home and just really soaking them in. I loved taking them on adventures and focusing on having fun for a few days. I love those little guys. They really are the best!

Our Favorite Place

 We love the mountains in Utah, especially in the fall. I'm convinced there isn't a prettier place than Big Cottonwood Canyon. Every since our first fall camping trip there 3 years ago, we've tried to make it back each fall to enjoy the beauty. Early one Saturday morning we packed up the kids and headed to Silver Lake, which is seriously so beautiful!

 The drive itself is amazing. Then the "hike" (it's more of a walk) around the lake was just beautiful, peaceful and just good for the soul. Our kids loved it there. Davis ran around the whole thing, his little legs were just pumping away the whole time.

 The colors were so vibrant and the setting is just amazing. We'd had kind of a stressful week prior, and this was just the fix we needed. As we were driving back down the canyon, Ben mentioned that this is his favorite place in Utah. This is saying a lot for Ben, because he's always hesitant to ever pick a favorite anything. I have to agree, this place is my favorite.

September

September started off with a bang with Aunt Heidi coming to town! So much of those first two weeks were filled with hanging with aunt Heid (and her cute friends from Boston) as much as possible! The main event was Heidi running the Big Cottonwood Half Marathon. We came out to support her! Hudson was ready to be a "commentator" and was using his lanyard as a microphone. You could hear his talking into it saying things like "this is an exciting race! The runners are coming through now. No sign of Aunt Heidi yet!" 

These kids were the cutest cheering section ever. Luckily we timed it pretty well and didn't have to wait too long before she crossed the finish line because their attention span was pretty short. Davis, however, loved clapping for anyone and everyone he saw! It was darling. It was so exciting to see Heidi pass us on her way the finish line- she was looking great with a smile on her face! 

 We had a fun labor day party at my parents house, after spending the whole morning organizing our toy room! The boys helped do the corn, very enthusiastically I might add. Such great helpers!

 Soccer season is in full swing. Ben is Chase's coach, and this year Chase is the very youngest kid in the whole league. Some of the kids he's playing against are almost two whole years older than him, which has been frustrating. But we keep encouraging him that you get better by playing better players. Mostly it's going okay! Games are mostly at 1:00, which is super hard with nap time. Sometimes I skip the game so Davis can nap, and sometimes we take him and he takes a short catnap in the stroller. This was one of those days. This nap didn't last very long, but it sure was cute!

 On 9/11 we took the boys to see the memorial in Kaysville. It was kind of cool to be there on the actual anniversary. I got to show them the picture and memorial to my old neighbor who died that day in one of the planes. Both boys are very interested in Patriots Day (I guess that's what we are calling it now) and I think we've instilled in them a respect for that awful day and how it changed the world we live in. I got kind of emotional this year, as I watched a few different tributes on the news and on social media. I kind of can't believe that my kid's whole lives are in a post 9/11 world. The devastation of that day means more to me now that I'm a mother than it even did then.

We had a fun Saturday evening filled with events- first an open house for my cousin Ella (who got married last summer in Colorado) which we stopped by. Then on to a multi-cultural celebration in the ward in Salt Lake where my parents are serving their mission. The only picture I took all night was of Davis because he looked so darn cute.

The kids had another random Monday off school mid-month, so we made it a whole day of fun! We started off at the museum and it was a blast. All three boys are so into it these days and we had so much fun together. We ended up playing in the move-it section upstairs for a good while, doing yoga together and trying new tricks on the mats. I love seeing the boys be creative and learning and exploring!

We finished the day with mini-golf at Cherry (Scary) Hill! Chase has been wanting to go golfing FOREVER, and we finally made it happen! Ray, Diane and Nathan also joined us. It was a darling, fun night. Davis wanted to be part of the fun and even helped Ben hit a hole in one! The other boys had a great time, even if Hudson did get fed up a few times and just picked up his ball and threw it in the appropriate hole.

We played at Will and Kate's one evening (it was Will's birthday and we stopped by to give him a present). The weather was dreamy so we stayed and played outside for awhile. These two babies were too cute sharing this car. They mostly took turns pushing each other in it, but eventually Davis just hopped right in with Anna. I'm pretty sure we have pictures of Will and Ella doing the same thing from 30 years ago! 

Just a thought from an experience I had this month. I had this certain family in my neighborhood on my mind at the first of the week. I knew they were going through some hard times, she has some health problems they can't figure out. They are pretty shy and I'm not sure people know them very well (I really don't know them very well). On Wednesday morning I woke up and I just knew I needed to take them dinner. I texted her and let her know that I was bringing it and she was thankful. I was feeling really overwhelmed though. Taking them dinner meant I definitely needed to go to the store first, along with some other errands and so many other things to do that day. I just wasn't sure how I was going to get it all done and started mentally figuring out which things could be moved to another day. I said a prayer while driving around in the car, asking Heavenly Father to help me get it all done. I felt like it was inspiration that this family needed dinner, but I needed some divine help. I felt peaceful and felt like it was all going to be fine. The rest of the day went so smoothly. I got everything done that I needed to and dinner delivered to them on time. I know Heavenly Father helped expand my time (and probably blessed me with extra green lights and no lines at the grocery store) so that I could serve this family.

Davis at 18 months

Yes, he's still routinely wearing this little bowl on his head as a hat. It's my favorite.

Our adorable Davis turned 18 months! He's in nursery now and so far he LOVES it. We knew he would. Toys, friends, snacks- it's basically heaven for him.

At 18 months he's more of a daddy's boy than ever before. He goes nuts when he sees his dad, and gets so so sad every time dad leaves for work. He pretty much insists that Ben put him to bed at night. He loves his mommy...until dad is in the room and then mom is not so popular.

 He's running all over the place and talking a lot now! He's starting to say lots of words and clearly understands the things we are saying to him. He's little comedian and likes to tease or do little "bits". He asks for a kiss by smacking his lips, and then mostly just offers you his forehead or cheek to kiss. He also sometimes smacks me so that he can show me "soft". We are working on the not-hitting part of that game and just being soft. He knows what soft means, and does "soft" well, but also thinks it's funny to hit people. I think he likes the contrast? Work in progress.

At his appointment he was 26 pounds (75th percentile) and 32 inches (35th percentile). So there's that from the baby who wasn't even on the growth chart! I knew he'd catch up. He's starting to eat with a fork and spoon, like the big boys. He desperately wants to be big like them and do what they are doing. He has hauled the little balance bike or the boys scooters out of the garage to try to ride them. He always puts on one of their helmets first- he knows the rules! He also frequently dons a little backpack as the kids are getting ready for school. He just always wants to be part of the fun!

School has started again! We did our traditional back to school feast a few nights before school started. The boys were so excited to do this again this year- they helped me come up with the menu. Salmon, steamed broccoli, mashed potatoes, blueberry jello salad and a poppyseed cake for dessert. We ate with the fancy goblets and hung up our back to school banner. The kids actually wanted crowns this year (as opposed to last year when they told me not to bother because they were silly). It was so fun to put together this feast for my little people. They were so excited for it and we love having a tradition to really celebrate a new school year, new possibilities and how exciting education and learning can be!

We finished the night with Ben giving the boys father's blessings, which was really special. I'm assuming this, of course, because I was mostly in the other room trying to keep Davis quiet. 

The big day was so exciting! They had their outfits picked out a week ahead of time. They were so excited to wear their new shoes and to be at school.  Chase got Mrs. Evans this year. She seems nice and he was really excited because that's who he wanted. It's his first year not being in class with his buddy Luca, which will probably be a good thing for him to branch out and make other friends. This is also his 4th year in a row (counting preschool) with Ella Johnson in his class!

One sweet little story- I talked to him a little before school about how he's a big second grader now and it's his job to watch out for the younger kids in our neighborhood at school (and Hudson, of course). Well another mom, who's son Enox is in 1st grade this year and having trouble with bullies. She told him if he's having trouble at the playground to go find Chase and stand next to him. She said that Enox told her that Chase is always so nice to him, says hi to him on the playground and gives him a skittle. A skittle? So then I asked Chase about it, and yes, sure enough, Chase gets skittles from some random child who brings a bag every day (Chase didn't even know the kid's name) and puts them in his pocket and hands them out to other kids at recess! "One per kid!" According to Chase when I asked him about it. This kid is a born leader and I'm so glad he can be a good friend to these younger kids. We have several older kids in our neighborhood that I know have watched out for Chase at school and I'm glad he can be that kid for someone else. We live in the best neighborhood.'

 Taking pictures before school- and Davis most definitely wanted to be involved! He misses his brothers, mostly "Chase!" who he talks about all day until he gets home!

Hudson is in kindergarten with Mrs. Turner. I think she'll be a great fit for him this year. She's spunky and strict, which I think is a good combo for Huds. He's got Nora Bacciocco in his class, as well as Sophie and Daniel (two other kids from our neighborhood). Hudson is in morning kindergarten and my normally slow-moving boy has been getting ready super quickly every morning because he's so excited to go! I think Kindergarten is going to be a great year for him!

Our End of Summer Stuff

Our summer break has officially come to an end. School has started and we are back into the normal hustle and bustle of life. This summer has been one for the books- really, I enjoyed pretty much every day of the whole three months. The kids had a blast, we did so many fun activities, spent great time together as a family, had fun with our friends and made a million new happy memories! 

Our "summer routine" was awesome this year. I told the kids they could leave their room at 6:45 am and go watch TV as long as they were quiet. This worked amazingly well. Davis has been teething and just generally a crappy sleeper this month, so I was able to sleep in a little (7:00-7:15 usually) and it made a huge difference to me! After we were all up and had breakfast we went to the gym pretty much every morning. I checked the kids into the kids club and worked out with my friend Megan and it was awesome. Usually about once a week we'd have an adventure planned somewhere (museum, hike, zoo, etc.) so we'd skip the gym on those days. Otherwise we were really consistent.

After that we'd have time to play. Sometimes at home, sometimes with friends. Sometimes they kids played with Davis so I could get a few things done around the house. We all had lunch together (Chase asked that our normal 12:00 lunch time be moved to 11:30 because that's when he eats at school and he gets hungry. Sometimes I did, sometimes not). After lunch I'd put Davis down for his nap and then I did reading time with the other two. We read a lot of good books together this summer, highlight were "Little House on the Prarie" "Little House on the Banks of Plum Creek" and "Ramona the Pest". After reading time they got to watch TV and I got the mostly nap. It was awesome.

After naps the kids ALWAYS wanted to play with friends. Many days each week we grabbed some friends to go to the pool with. Sometimes we played with friends at home or their houses. Then we had dinner and did bedtime routines. The kids played so hard all summer that putting them to bed was no problem! They were always asleep within minutes of saying good-night.

This might seem tedious to write down all this stuff, but I just wanted to record it for my memory. I really loved these days! Enough structure to keep us going, but enough flexibility that I wasn't stressed like crazy and we had some good downtime. This summer has really been the best!

A few more things that actually got documented (I really didn't take many pictures this summer, I guess I just wanted to be more present enjoying my children than worried about getting the best shot of them).

Most days after TV time the boys had a popsicle on the porch. Almost always without Davis, but for some (messy) reason we included him this day. He was thrilled. He needed a bath promptly afterward.

I finally convinced Ben to go to the zoo with us one Saturday and it was possibly the best zoo day we've ever had. The older Davis gets the more excited he gets about every animal. Cute Hudson brought Seamore along so she could see her parents and uncle (A Seal and 2 Sea Lions- who were conveniently being fed and doing amazing tricks when we went by!). The animals were active and entertaining and there were employees all around to teach us things about the animals. We got there early and beat the heat and the crowds. It was some great quality family time! 

On our last week of summer, the boys reminded me that we hadn't made it to Hill Airforce Base yet. So we went. The big kids loved it. Davis realized he could sneak under the ropes around exhibits to run away from me (and I cannot slide under those ropes nearly as easily). After a fun and exhausting/stressful 45 minutes we called it a morning! It was fun and I'm glad we did it, I just probably won't be taking Davis back any time soon. 

We've had a few fun trips to the Discovery Museum with the Bennnetts this summer! I love that they have all these matching little boys for my boys to be friends with! I love this pictures of Davis and Brooks on the helicopter! They are only 2 weeks apart and cute little buddies. Their big brothers were all playing and running all over the place, so Alyse and I just stayed close to our babies.

We've spent some fun evenings playing soccer- getting Coach Ben and Chase ready for their soccer season. Our ball-loving baby loves to be included, but also makes it slightly harder.

And that's a wrap on Summer 2018! It really was an amazing time. I asked the kids several times what their favorite summer memory was, each time I got a different answer from there. There are just too many to choose from! 

A few of my Favorite Things

I like to use this space to record some of my favorite things about each of my little guys these days!

Chase:

I love Chase's zest for learning, it continues to astound me. Lately his obsession is the Lusitania and other disasters at sea. I love how he's always wanting to tell me what he has learned. I also love how Chase is such a wonderful older brother. He lets Hudson come play with him and his friends- it melts my heart to see them running off to play together and that he's happy to include him. There aren't many kids in the neighborhood Hudson's age, and there are a lot of kids Chase's age, so Chase just lets him tag along. He's also so sweet and helpful with Davis. He picks him up and carries him around, plays cute little games with him, and tries to make him happy when he's sad. Chase is such a great kid, I love watching the great person he's becoming.

Hudson:

Oh Hudson, this kid makes us laugh all the time. That is probably my #1 favorite thing about him right now. His sense of humor and comedic timing are the best (and his facial expressions when he knows he's being funny). I always talk about his imagination, but it really is the best. He has very involved imaginary games going all the time (just tonight he was in Star Wars world for over an hour, assigning everyone at our dinner party a different role to play and he stayed in character all night long). He's working so hard on reading right now and I'm so proud of him. Also, he does this thing where he furrows his brow and looks upwards while twisting his mouth that is so hilarious- he does it when he's thinking or trying to show that he's mildly disappointed in you.

Davis:

I could go on and on about all my favorite things about Davis right now. One of them for sure is every time I go get him out of his crib. He meets me with the cutest smile, and then immediately runs to the other side of the crib to tease me like he doesn't really want to get out. Then once I pull him out, he always snuggles into me for a short love. It's really the best! Also, he does this little trick that makes us all laugh. We count to three and then he plops right on his bum! He'll do it over and over and I don't know how it doesn't hurt him! We call it "doing a Davis". I also love his laugh, and how when he's in a group of people who start laughing, he fake laughs along very enthusiastically with everyone. There's also something so cute about the way he walks- he has so much confidence and he's got places to go. I really love everything about him and this stage is especially cute, but these are just a few of my favorite things.