Arizona Thanksgiving 2013

We were happy to get to warmer after the cold streak we'd been having here at home.  We hadn't been to Arizona for a year, so it was nice to go back.  After a quick stop in St. George for a night, the drive was pretty easy.  Our boys are still good travelers.  I don't know at what point we will stop saying that - but with treats prepared ahead of time and some DVDs, they are good to go.  And Jonah was just a sweetheart, both ways.  Bless him.

We stayed with Dave and Karyn and their kids.  My family is always so nice to let this party of five crash their place for days on end.  The best part about trips like these is how occupied the kids are.  We literally hardly see them for days as they are off playing with cousins from morning 'til night.  Gavin and McKay are at ages now where we could send them to the park with the other kids and I felt like they would be safe.

Thanksgiving dinner was at Grandma and Grandpa Woolf's house.  It did not disappoint!  While I do not have a picture of my race earlier that day, I ran a 10K with Allison and Karyn.  It was hard.  I was last.  But that's not the important part.  The important part was that I actually did it.  The other important part was that Brian held Jonah after our yummy dinner so I could fully enjoy my piece of pumpkin cheesecake.  The kids loved making gumdrop turkeys with grandpa and Gavin worked extensively on his drawing for the art contest.  He won "Most Original" and was pretty excited about it.

Nate and Lynsey and their families came over to Dave's everyday so there was lots of playing and park time.  I accidentally broke McKay's stick during the group picture, so he's was a little bent out of shape.    Made for one of my favorite pictures of him ever!  We did an adult date night with yummy mexican food and the traditional Bahama Bucks run.  Dad rode his bike over and took the kids around the block a few times.  We visited Mother.  Ann and Steve Williams and their kids even drove over to see us for a bit.  Steve took Brian to sushi and made his year complete.  Seeing them was an absolute highlight.  It was a wonderful, quick trip.

In a split minute decision, we decided to go home a little early and left at 7pm and got to St. George around 2am instead of leaving the following morning.  I was grateful that Brian got us there in one piece since I am not always a reliable nighttime driver!  As always, we were happy to get to our little home on 1010 West.

Family Pictures

Taken in a 7-minute window of waning light on Thanksgiving Day at Mother's by Matt Evans.

Case of the Sickies

We are on day five of our daylight savings hangover.  What a mess!  After waking up at 5:30 for the past week, it's safe to say this has been the hardest one ever.  I prefer to do it like the Arizonians and skip it all together.  Jonah is still in a daze and way off on his naps.  And then the two days he decided to sleep in til 7:00, Gavin woke up sick.  We've had two sick days (Gavin home from school) - coughing, snotty, poopy boys.  McKay's has been hanging on for at least a week.  Poor little buddy.  I, on the other hand, have been pretty dang productive.  I generally am not one to park the kids in front of the tv for hours.  Until today.  So with my low guilt they are totally occupied and I'm getting lots done.

As the tides have turned, Gavin has been testing my patience with his new Kindergarten sassiness.  I remember him doing this for a few weeks when he started preschool.  He's not being the nicest to McKay.  It makes me sad.  They all go through phases and obviously brothers can't treat each other perfectly all the time.  McKay has been the cutest little thing and is helping and saying thank you and giving me hugs and kisses all over the place.  Minimal crying and whining.  Maybe he's growing out of that?  Either way, this is where we are now and next week it will be something new I'm sure.

We'll see if Jonah escapes the sickness...  I'm guessing not since McKay leaned over him last night and drooled right into his eye.

Halloween 2013 - The Avengers

Our day was simple and fun. It started off with me taking the two little boys to Gavin's parade at school. The kids walk by for a few seconds, but his happy face and hug as he walked by was well worth it. McKay and I had a wonderful morning jumping with Ivy and making granola bars together. The boys were anxious and McKay asked over and over when it was time to trick-or-treat. Brian got home and we got things set up for Happy Hallowiener. We met up with Dave and Risa Jense and their cute girlies and new baby to continue our walking the neighborhood tradition. It's so nice to have good friends for our kids. Hallowiener was a hit. We had a handful of people come up and give us a hug or tell us how awesome of a tradition this is and how much their kids look forward to it each year. That's good a reason as any to keep it going! I love the ages of these boys... Their excitement lasts all day and into the next. They loved their costumes. This year was the first year of literally running from house to house. That's how things will be from now on! No time to dilly dally - gotta get that candy! McKay woke up an hour later than usual the next morning and walked in and said, "That sure was fun trick-or-treating last night, wasn't it?" Success!

Ordinary Days

I will just say this. Life is good. Things are really, really good. We are enjoying our routine and simple days.  I love these kids and they teach me so much!

McKay loves his little brother.  He can't keep away from him!  The other day I saw him kissing and licking the back of his head.  There's always something...

Jonah will sit like this and watch his brothers jump on the tramp.

Someone is always in a costume around here.  And Gavin has a thing with weird faces lately.

Gavin knows all of his letters and sounds.  And he's reading a little too!

Jonah is not quite sitting up but when we need room in the cart, he just hangs on and comes along for the ride.

The latest. A brain dump.

Gavin: Cutest Kindergartener around! This kid loves school. I take mental pictures of him turning and waving to me over and over as he walks up the sidewalk to his classroom. There's something awesome about the age where he still will love me in public and yell "I love you, mom!" at me from the playground.  The other day we were driving and Gavin looked at the window and saw the sunset.  "Isn't that beautiful, mom?"  So sweet.  He's learning to read and is pretty sure he's the best student in his class.  He loves a good knock knock joke and is learning to deliver them pretty dang well.  One night over dinner we did jokes for at least 20 minutes straight and he was laughing like I've never seen him.  He's my best helper!

McKay: Still marching to the beat of his own drum, as I'm sure he always will.  He's at a fun age and is turning into a big boy.  He officially stopped napping this month.  Hurray!  Bedtime has been 100% better.  By 8:00pm he's so stinkin' tired that he just lays down and sleeps.  For Mr. Energizer Bunny, this is a great thing.  We have fun one-on-one time while Gavin is at school and Jonah naps.  We cook, we color, we clean, we jump.  He loves mommy school and is starting to identify some letters.  He loves me to jump on the tramp with him.  He always tells me which ninja color I will be and tells me how to do the moves right.  He loves watching Power Rangers and Super Hero Squad. McKay is also a pantry thief whenever we go anywhere.  

Jonah: Happy as ever!  He is loud and so squealy!  A week away from 7 months, he rolls and isn't safe to leave on a bed anymore.  We are making the switch to a bottle.  He was getting lazy eating and I don't know if it wasn't enough or what.  Who am I kidding - I'm getting a little lazy too.  I have moments of guilt but then I look at his 20 pound chubby, rolly deliciousness and think, "I made him that big!  What do I have to feel guilty about?"  I think we did a good job.  He loves his baby food - everything but peas.  He's doing two two-hour naps a day now.  Jonah loves his brothers who can always get a laugh out of him by sticking their fingers under his chin.  He loves to watch them play and I'm sure it will be no time before he gets in on the action.  

Fall Fun

What could be better than fall? I'm looking out my kitchen window at piles of yellow leaves on the ground and still on my trees. (I sure wish that they would come down all at once so we could just rake all at the same time...) Our shady yard during the summer is well worth the work! But things are just pretty and yellow and starting to get chilly. Break out the hot chocolate and winter clothes! Pumpkinland with cousins and Gardener Village with the Nelson's.