Bryce Canyon

It had been way too long since we had been away as a family- pregnancy, newborn stage and Covid really threw a kink into our travel plans! We finally got away for a few days- to BRYCE CANYON! Our kids hadn't been before and Chase gets a National Parks Pass because he's a 4th grader, which he is very determined to use this year! 

It ended up being a really quick trip- just three days, but it was still sweet. In fact, due to lack of sleep cooperation from Davis and Lila, I think three days was about right for us. We spent two days hiking in the beauty of Bryce Canyon. Our first day we did the Mossy Cave hike, which was short and beautiful (and a little crowded). 

We set off early the next morning for our big hike into the canyon. Lila started off in the backpack on Ben's back, which didn't last long. I ended up carrying her in my arms for a lot of the hike while she slept- during which time Davis rode in the pack! Then once she woke up I carried her in on my back in the backpack and Davis hiked and occasionally rode on Ben's shoulders. It was a little crazy doing a 4 mile hike with tiny kids- but they all did great!

This is my hiking with a sleeping Lila in my arms- we've done that a few times this summer.

Bryce Canyon is so stunning- I was in awe of the beauty! We did the Queens Garden/Navajo Trail hike. You can do each hike individually, or take a trail that links to the two together and you get to see a lot more of the canyon. I thought we'd take breaks and take it slow- but since it was heating up and our boys were doing well we just kept going. 

This particular formation is called "Thor's Hammer", which was the highlight of the hike for Chase and Hudson for obvious reasons. It was right at the end of the hike, while climbing steep switchbacks and immediately Hudson declared that it made the whole thing worth it!

 We stayed in an airBNB  in Panguitch which was really nice. It was spacious and clean and comfortable. This trip was a little bit of a learning experience for me, since Davis and Lila were so little, and Lila wasn't too happy to be in the car, we spent more "down time" at the airBNB than we normally would have. I should have brought games and more stuff to do! But there were TVs so we watched a bunch of movies and that was fine too. We went out for burgers and shakes one night and found the greatest little burger joint that was so delicious. Otherwise we just ate at the airBNB.

It was so fun to do this trip together! It was exhausting and exhilarating. It was a great bonding experience for our family and so fun to see more of our beautiful state. We'll see how soon we are brave enough to do it again!

Lila- 7 months

Miss Lila is 7 months old! She's officially the best smiler ever! Her little eyes just sparkle when she smiles!

A few days after hitting the 6 month mark she started sitting! Her brothers were so excited about this little accomplishment. Chase set up these pillows just in case she fell. She seems pretty proud of herself as well.

She hasn't shown any desire to crawl, but she rolls like crazy! She can end up on the totally opposite side of the room. She's starting to love toys and puts everything in her mouth.

She hit the 7 month mark while we were at Bryce Canyon. It was her first little vacation (besides camping). She handled it all pretty well! Sleeping in the pack n play was a little rough, and so was all the time in the carseat, which is not her favorite. We got through it by playing "Guns and Ships" over and over- it's her favorite song! It never failed us! 

She also is maybe starting to like the hiking backpack a little more. She definitely prefers it if mommy carries her and she likes to pull my hair the whole time.

She loves the water and ended up liking the pool by the end of the summer! She loves her baths and looks so cute in the tub.

After her low weight gain at her six month appointment, we decided to add more calories to her diet. I started adding peanut butter to her banana and it's working! She put on 2 pounds in a month! She's getting a little more chub on her and seems to be thriving. She loves eating solid food!

Mommy is definitely her favorite person, but she's also developed a preference for Hudson. She loves him! I don't blame her, he's really amazing with her. All the boys dote on her and she loves the attention. 

Our Lila girl is such a delight in our family- the perfect little caboose!
 

Back to School

Well after 6 months the boys finally headed back to school! This year will definitely be unique and is off to a crazy start! Although the school district maintained the plan to send the kids back full-time, at the very end of July we got word that instead they would only attend 2 days a week. This allows for much smaller classes and easier social distancing. So this year my boys go to school on Monday and Wednesday and do remote learning at home on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. On the days they are at school they were prepared that it would be a little different than normal, including that they'd be required to wear a mask all day. 

Initially Chase was bummed by these changes, but with a little discussion he came to the conclusion that he'd rather be in school under less than ideal circumstances than not go at all. We have talked a lot about how this year we will BE FLEXIBLE and MAKE THE BEST of whatever the circumstances may be. I know my kids will learn a lot academically this year, but these life lessons may be even more valuable!

We had our traditional Back to School Feast on the Sunday before started. The boys chose the menu- and they are settling into quite a grove of picking basically the same thing every year, even though I suggest alternatives. They wanted grilled salmon ("Because it's the only time you ever let us get it!"), grilled pineapple, broccoli, creamsicle jello and almond poppyseed cake. I love this little tradition- it's such a fun thing to celebrate!

 We followed up dinner with the sweetest father's blessings from their dad. Davis got one this year, and although I told Ben to bless him to start potty training better, he didn't. The big kids blessings were so sweet and even though I can't remember what Ben said, I remember the love and the spirit there.

And then that Wednesday the boys finally got to go to school! Davis definitely thought he was going too. All morning he would bark at me, "Mom! Shoes! Mom! Mask! Backpack!" I think he believed if he could be properly outfitted he'd get to stay along with the big kids.

 The boys chose these Minecraft shirts- and although not my favorite (and more expensive than I'd like for a T-shirt) I wanted them to feel special on the big day. Their new Nike's were probably even more exciting to them! Nana made them several masks and they chose their first day masks with great care.

 I was sad to see these two go to school. They have been such great helpers around the house and I've really enjoyed their company. But ultimately I felt like the best place for them to was to be in school, so we decided to send them even though there are a lot of online options right now. They thrive at school, they love it, they love their friends and I want all that for them. The house is quiet while they are gone and I am always excited to get them back home and hear all about how their day went. After 6 months at home, it felt foreign to send them away for so many hours!

 Chase started 4th grade. He has Mrs. Blankinship- who I've still never met (thanks to COVID there was no back to school night and no parents allowed in the building), but I've heard great things about her and Chase likes her a lot. Even more exciting, most of his closest friends are in his class! He's only got 11 kids at school with him, and the other 5 boys in his class are all good friends! I couldn't have hand picked a better group for him. During his home learning days he does so well- he really just digs in and gets the work done. He's always been such a motivated learner, so even if home learning isn't ideal for this social boy, he can do it just fine!

 Hudson started 2nd grade! His teacher is Mrs. Evans- who Chase also had in 2nd grade and we loved her. He was so excited when he found out his class assignment! He also has his two best buddies in his class- Hyum and Richie- although sadly Richie is a Tues/Thurs kid so he doesn't get to see him at school at all- one of the big disadvantages of this hybrid schedule. He only has 8 kids in his class! He is loving school and seems to have a lot of fun there. He's also doing really well with online learning- it takes a lot of discipline to keep moving through the assigned work and programs and he's figuring it out!

 Our school is off to a great, albeit unconventional start! The school district assured parents that they would continuously reevaluated and send the kids back five days a week as soon as they felt it was safe enough to do so, but their initial plan to was to stay on this schedule until Christmas. We are determined whether we are in school full-time, part-time or not at all, we are going to make the best!

Lila- 6 months

 I put her in this dress my mom saved that I wore as a baby! I kind of love the 80's look with so many ruffles! Also, she looks darling in blue!

A major accomplishment of this last month- sleep training! At 5.5 months I decided to let Lila cry it out. She cried in the middle of the night for about 45 minutes the first night and then was pretty much sleep trained! On a few nights, she woke up and cried for a few minutes and put herself right back to sleep. We also let her sleep in her swaddle with her arms out. She's done amazing! So far, my best sleeper. I still do a dream feed with her around 10:00, but otherwise she sleeps all night and it's the best.

At her doctor's appointment she was 13 lbs 4 oz (6th percentile) and 25 inches (30th percentile) with a 17 inch head (77th percentile). The asked if she was sitting yet- of course she wasn't! She has a tiny little body and a big head- she's quite top heavy! Our doctor wasn't super concerned about her tiny size- especially since she'd grown quite a bit in length. He mentioned that since our other babies have tended to be tiny we might just have tiny babies! He encouraged me to feed her higher calorie solid food so we started adding peanut butter to her mashed banana and full fat greek yogurt to her other fruit purees. I think it's working- she's definitely chunked up a little!

 She spends a lot of time on this blanket in the middle of the kitchen floor. This blanket is super soft and fluffy and I put her there while I do dishes and cook and whatever else. She stays pretty happy as long as I keep talking to her while I work.

Half a year with the sweetest baby girl in the world! I love this beautiful girl so much. She's been the best addition to our family, we are all smitten!

The End of our Summer

 The last few weeks of our summer break were glorious! After running around like crazy most of the summer, those first few weeks of August slowed way down. We spent lots of time around the house, playing with friends, swimming at the pool, having movie nights, and just generally enjoying each other and the slower pace of life. One thing was for sure though- after nearly 6 months of being "out" of school (albeit with remote learning for some of that time) the kids sure were anxious and excited to get school started!

Hudson got to host a little swim party one night at my parents house. He invited Richie, Hyrum and Nora Bacciocco. This is the sweetest little group of friends. Somehow I only snapped a picture of him and Richie (they really are two peas in a pod!) but it was such a fun night. I'm glad we made these little swim parties happen. They were super chill for me, I literally just sent out a text to the moms to invite the kids, picked up pizza and ice cream sandwiches and let the kids play. I didn't even put our plates! Or drinks! Just let the kids eat around the pizza box and jump right back into the pool- and the kids all had such a blast!

We had a fun morning at the park with my friend Carly and her cute boys- and got to introduce her to my little Lila Carly! Lila is named after her dad- but a big reason we love the name Carly is because of this dear friend. And I told her she's welcome to tell people Lila is named after her (which she assured me she does) and she calls her "little Carly". 

 Hudson saw this trick on TV and was so excited to do it! He got my dad to acquire him the supplies and help him make it and then was so excited to take it to Sunday dinner with the Hugos the next day. When Hudson gets an idea into his head he is really persistent until we make it happen.

 These brothers- during our COVID experience their relationship has grown so much and it fills my heart with joy!

 Nana really saved us this summer- both with offering her pool, and helping me with Lila so I could swim with the kids! I couldn't have done it without her, and the boys wouldn't have had nearly as much fun!

 Davis started dressing himself and it's almost always head to toe RED. He loves red, which he's become more and more vocal about. He thinks he owns all the red things.

 Just a normal night with the Hugo boys. These two love dressing up! (Chase has always hated the idea of dressing up)

 Lila just continued to be the sweetest, smiliest little girl you've ever met. This summer was a little crazy with a newborn, but she was a champ! A lot of her naps definitely got cut short so we could do fun stuff for her brothers and she rolls with it pretty well. Her brothers also had to be more flexible to accommodate the baby and they were likewise understanding. I'm so thankful for my great kids!

 We worked on the concept of building a balanced snack so the boys could be a little more independent. We've talked about adding fruits/veggies and protein with a carb (the carb is always a given with these kids). I had to laugh at this little creation of Hudson's! He said it was hard to eat.

 Like the good mom I am, I pulled out watercolors to do with Davis one quiet afternoon. He loved it and not surprisingly, mostly used RED.

 Naptime- on weekends Ben and Davis usually nap together. During the week, Lila and Davis tended to both melt down around 1:00. I love having their naps synchronized, but it was hard some days when Davis wasn't done with stories and Lila was losing it and needing to nurse before being put down. Enter Chase! He'd come switch me out and read to Davis while I nursed Lila. 95% of the time, Davis would end up falling asleep while Chase read to him and I'd see Chase sneak out of Davis's room, quietly close the door and give me a thumbs up sign! I'm so grateful for that wonderful kid.