Fall Days

One thing about fall here at our house is that there is no shortage of leaves. We have about 40 trees - so that keeps us raking for days. This year Gavin got to help. And he was, actually, quite helpful. Brian has come up with a system (took four years to figure out...) and we rake them into a tarp and load them into Grandpa's trailer. Gavin then jumps in to mush them down. We got it all done in two nights, thanks to good friends and neighbors like Jenny and Kameron.
I love pulling out the hats and gloves when it gets cold. They actually take quite a bit of time to put on, but they just look cute. I love how McKay is discovering and running and talking and so excited about life. The past month or two have been a whole new world to this twenty-month old boy. Two in April? Already??
Here he is alerting us of the airplanes...

And then I was THIRTY-THREE

It felt like a Natalie love-fest. My birthdays are getting longer and longer. And by that I mean celebrated for days at a time. I'm not complaining!

Karen called me earlier in the week and got us tickets for Forgotten Carols. We had a blast. I love her dearly and I always feel lucky when we can go somewhere and visit and not be interrupted. She really cares and understands me. Good friends are a happy thing in my life. Several other friends stopped by and called and that made my day(s).

Brian had planned a weekend get-a-way to Little America, but I asked if we could stay at home and buy me some new jeans instead. Brian complied. (Good jeans are expensive these days.) We dropped the kids off to Shauna and drove to Gateway. We ate at Thaifoon, which was delicious. We got my jeans and drove home instead of going to Temple Square because it was so cold. We came home and had a wonderful, kid-free night.

We woke up and picked up the kids and took them to Home Depot to make a project. We all napped and then we took the kids to Karen's so we could go to dinner with Brian's family. When we picked up the kids, we took them to yogurt. No cake, you see... It was fun, I felt loved and thirty-three is going to be great. I don't worry about getting older. I am learning so much! Hopefully I can get better with time??

An Arizona Thanksgiving

The drive down was delightful. Really. I know, I'm just as surprised as you are. We generally have pretty low expectations of how the kiddies will do for ten to twelve hours in the car, but we were more than pleasantly surprised. Gavin only puked once (which I totally caught in a bucket - score!) and McKay cried for a total of ten minutes, just when he was about to go to sleep. Brian read to me and we made it in record time.

Oh - how can you not love this face?
And are those lips the juiciest or what?
We stayed with Matt and Lynsey in Gilbert and the nine of us hunkered down for four days. We have a lot of fun with them and they always make us feel welcome and loved. The boys were so good and played and played and played. Gavin and McKay really are their best selves in a new place with new toys and people they don't get to see as often as they'd like. They love their cousins.

We headed over to my parent's house on Thursday and the kids were again excited to see all of their Arizona cousins. We were the only out-of-towners. Nate, Liza, Lynsey, Dave, and Dave's families were there.

I so appreciated the sunshine and shorts and t-shirts we got to wear. The weather was 70-degree perfection.

McKay's second Thanksgiving. But the first one he was really awake for...

Brian was a hit and played with the little boys before the feast.

Gavin digs the "haim."
All that eating makes a boy tired.
After the Woolf party we headed over to Mother's in Tempe for dessert. McKay was happy to be there. I always love going over there. Brian said, "I like the Snedigar's." Me too.

On Friday we headed to Freestone Park to get out for a bit. The weather was perfect and the little boys all rode their bikes.

After we went on the train Lynsey and I left with the baby boys while Brian and Matt took the older three. And that's when it happened. Gavin had gone down a grass hill on his bike to get to the park. On the way back, they took the same hill, but this side was a bit steeper. Gavin got going too fast and started wobbling and then his handlebars turned and he flew. He rolled and landed on his little face. Brian texted me a picture of him not too long after and I was thinking, "I just left like ten minutes ago!" Poor kid.

And that's what you get when you leave your kid with your husband:
We met up with everyone at another park later in the day, ate at In-n-Out and then walked around the temple lights. Gavin's face was a hit and there was no shortage of attention. The boys loved the lights and loved their last chance with the whole group of cousins.


All in all, it was a fine trip. It was quick, jam-packed and we really had a great time. We headed back on Sunday and got home not a moment too soon. If the ride down was all roses, then certainly the ride back couldn't be. Our low expectations were met - if not exceeded - and the ride couldn't have been longer. Gavin threw up twice, I wanted to throw up for three hours, McKay cried incessantly and Brian just wanted out. And that's just how it goes sometimes...

Keepin' it Real

There was one day not too long ago (well, actually, I have lots of days like this) where I looked around my house and thought: There is not one square foot of house that doesn't look like a tornado hit it. I had to laugh out loud and then decided to just take pictures of every room. Why? To remind myself of this season in my life... The time where I'm still trying to find a balance between mom, wife, and housekeeper. Will I ever find it?? The time where I walk into another room to pick up and come back and find yet another mess. The time where keeping up on dishes and laundry and basic cleaning seem sometimes impossible to me. The time where sometimes I just want to sit or read or sleep or play with the kids rather than pick up the house.

I'm an organized person, but staying on top of cleaning has never been my strong point. If I focus on that and only that, I do a great job. But I feel like I have so many other things (and people!) that need my attention. Less TV and napping on my part would certainly help. I'll work on that... But for some reason, I just feel like I will want to remember this. Because this is as real as it gets.

Friends

This past year I have really come to know and love the girls in my neighborhood. It was not too long after I had McKay that I discovered I was pretty lonely. I had just quit working and was still adjusting to being home full-time. Not that I needed to be doing something every day, but I just felt like I needed people to talk to. I have so many good friends - but this stay-at-home mom business required that I meet some other people with the same occupation. This past year has been so much fun and it is awesome to know that I don't just have neighbors - but true friends right next door. I have loved getting to know them and hanging out with the moms and have good friends for my boys to play with.

Since Melinda and Justin have been building a house, we've secretly been getting excited about the idea of moving or building something a little bigger. We've looked at lots and prices and the only thing that I really worry about is moving away from here. I know we will find good people wherever we go, but I feel like we just got here, even though we are on year six in this house. Like I really love it here. Brian has lived in Pleasant Grove his entire life. For much of our marriage we've talked about different places we could end up, never thinking that Pleasant Grove is that place. Perhaps I've said that just out of principle - that Brian certainly cannot spend his entire life in one city. Can he? We'll stay put for now until something wonderful comes up for our family, no matter where it is. But for now I am grateful for these people and the lasting friendships we've made.

The truth

Remember last week when I was all blubbery about my family? Don't get me wrong...I love them the most. But the past four days have been hard. Everyone is sick. Everyone is grumpy. Cleaning up a lot of grossness. And I'm ready for it to pass so I can see the butterflies and rainbows again.

Halloween 2011

What a week. I really do love Halloween now that I'm not teaching. And someday when I do teach again, I vow to be more patient and fun about the whole thing.

We've had activities all month long. I love to make the most of the month, since it all passes so quickly. So we started off with Cornbelly's and then took the kids on the Lindon train (which Gavin cried all the way through) to the Barnyard Boo and Saturday Spooktacular at Thanksgiving Point.

Grandma Judy had her traditional Halloween party. Gavin was pretty sure that every game was created just for him. McKay stood there for about two minutes and then was done. The other hour he was content eating in a highchair.

Can't do Halloween without pumpkin carving!!

Trick-or-Treating was a first. Last year we were rained out and went to about five houses. The weather was perfect and we loved it. This year McKay walked by himself for awhile. He got his first piece of candy and, just like Gavin at this age, opened it right up and was content. He soon realized that he would get more if he walked up to the door and opened up each piece as he got them. He was a sucker maniac. Gavin got to go door to door with his friend Ayda. Good thing she was there to keep him plugging along or else he wouldn't have done it.

I was getting bugged that Gavin was wimpin' out and being a baby about knocking on doors. He wanted me to hold his hand to every door. Of course after we got home I realized that this kid will probably never want to hold my hand trick-or-treating ever again. Next year he's gonna be like, Catch ya later, mom! and I'll be yelling at him to slow down and wait for his brother. What am I so worried about? A sensitive, tender-heart is just who he is. I don't know if and when that will change. Brian always says he'd rather have a cautious kid than one who doesn't think and gets himself into dangerous situations. I guess he's right, even though I want Gavin to be braver.

Happy Hallowiener was a hit. Fifteen minutes in and Brian was thinking about going to buy more hot dogs. He's all about everyone having a good time and our driveway was packed. In my mind, the 144 dogs we passed out were plenty, although he's thinking 200 for next year. How soon until this is totally out of control?? The boys ate their body weight in hot dogs and candy and were wired the next day. And then Gavin was planning his costume for next year. Yikes.