Spring Break Part 1

I'll start with the last few days pre-spring break and then what we've been up to this week. Every month there is one time when parents are allowed to come onsite and be with students for "snack" time. It's a lunch time in the cafeteria and families can join the kiddos for the quick break. Jay's class goes at 10:00, which means he's really not hungry. Mrs. Ashley brought him a busy book, so Hugh and I joined Jay for a couple bites of snack and then played with him and his busy book. I enjoy seeing Jay's teachers engage with him, they're always positive and kind. We had fun this week matching all of Jay's play food to the picture he got at church about feasting on the words of Christ. He found all the food, then insisted that he find a plate, knife, spoon and fork to also match the picture. He has also loved running cars down this box track. He wanted the box opened so bad on both sides, then hurried and got his cars as soon as we finally opened it. He's such a sweetheart. 

Friday I pulled Jay out of school a little early for a chiropractor appointment, then we hit up a nearby park with Katey and the kids. They were finishing up their spring break, so we had such a fun time playing with everyone! We had our picnic lunches and enjoyed the beautiful sunny day. The time went too fast, but since the Merrill's were sick they couldn't come to our house as we originally hoped. 

Hope & Hugh

Saturday morning we went and loaded up as much river rock as we could fit into our empty 5 gallon buckets and a big toy bucket. There was a lady getting rid of a bunch, and if we shoveled it we got it for free. M was the hero, shoveling more rock than any of us could and in at least half the time. It was cute to watch Jay try to shovel, pull the buckets around, and help in his own way. I thought we got quite a bit of rock, but when I spread it out around our front yard, I soon realized it was probably enough to do the front gaps but not anything in the back. We may go get more, we'll see. 

Jay pulling and Matthew guiding, we were so grateful they let us use their wagon!

In the afternoon, we went to our community Easter Egg Hunt and party. The Merrill's joined us, and we got their just in time to hunt for eggs. I think each of the kids got a few eggs, but we missed the very beginning starting so we didn't get as many as we probably could have. They served free lunch, either a hot dog, nachos, or sandwiches, and as sides fruit, chips, and cupcakes. Jay loved the petting zoo, a little too much. They had these two fairly large bunnies with very soft fur. Jay learned that he could pick up the bunnies by grabbing the ears. Yikes!! I caught him doing it and we left immediately. Then, after lunch, Jay ran back to the petting zoo without my knowledge. Katey ran after him, and by the time she caught up, he had already grabbed the bunnies. The owner of the bunnies wasn't very happy and told him he needed to leave. I felt bad Katey had to take the stern look and discipline for me (and Jay). We kept Jay out of there, and went to the playground. The kids played for quite a while, and we stopped at another park as we walked home. It was a beautiful day, and so much fun!

Hugh and Hope sharing the one baby swing!

Loving on the bunnies! Kylee, Tia, Kade, and Jay

Sunday was another great day. I love serving in Primary, and they haven't released us yet so we're enjoying the last moments we have. Right after church, we loaded up food and headed to Grandma and Grandpa's house. Since Grandma had her ankle replacement surgery, she hasn't been able to walk or do much cooking, so we thought it would be fun to bring them dinner. It was also a bonus because it's Grandpa's birthday week. We hadn't seen them since Hugh's birthday, and we had a great visit. Hugh took a long nap once we got there, but when he woke up he was happy and showed off his walking skills. He took several steps and was overjoyed to show off. He also played peek a boo, and gave some great hugs and snuggles. Jay loves Grandpa, but because of Grandma's boot and wheelchair, Jay took special interest in her this trip. Grandpa still helped him find a suitcase, which was Jay's first agenda item upon arrival! Grandma still can't walk and has an additional broken bone in her ankle causing her a lot of pain. She has a great attitude and is being so patient and was actually taking it easier than I thought she would. We drove home in a pretty heavy rainstorm. I have been working a lot with therapists over the past year to decrease my PTSD symptoms that arise from driving in bad road conditions. I could feel the difference in this trip. I was nervous before we left, but M was so careful while driving and we made it home safely! I know prayers were offered in addition to ours for safety, and I felt strengthened by those. I am so sad we didn't get pictures on our visit, but here's a few of Hugh's recent peek-a-boo phase. 

Peek

A

Boo!

Our basement is coming along! Wayne took off a couple days last week to go fishing, so on Sunday he had the main long wall done. He's continued to work this week, and the framing is almost complete! It's so fun to see! Jay has figured out that Wayne works in the basement. Wayne is also Jay's primary teacher, and when Wayne went down to the basement one day after saying hello, Jay said bye-bye uncle. Now, Wayne is known as uncle. Maybe it's because Wayne has a beard like Jack sometimes does, maybe he just knows Wayne is a good guy and Uncle is way easier than Brother Riblett. When Jay sees the van outside, he talks about Uncle's van and whenever he hears Wayne in the basement he says Uncle down. I am very grateful Jay has respected the boundaries of the basement and hasn't tried to go down at all. 

My friend (and also my first counselor), Sam, took me to dinner for my birthday this week. It was an early celebration and an evening out was such a treat! M took the boys for dinner and bedtime, and I got to enjoy just chatting with Sam. She's an amazing woman and I got to learn about her and her husband (Wayne's) story. I feel very blessed to have Sam's friendship and I know the Lord truly inspired me to call her as my counselor. I hope we get to serve together again someday! 

Monday our first day of spring break was almost a bust. It snowed Sunday night on top of the rain and the ice was thick. We were very blessed the sun came out and melted it. We went to pickleball at the Stake Center, and it was wild! We had extra kids and it felt like we'd play two points and have to track down someone who had left or discipline some kid who wasn't making good choices. We all survived an hour or so, and then called it quits. 

Tuesday I watched two kiddos while their parents were at the hospital with their new baby brother. I only had the little girl for the morning, and she joined us for the chiropractor and playing at the McDonald's play place nearby. I haven't been to play place in a long time, and it was the perfect time to go, 9:30 in the morning and no one else is there. We had the place to ourselves and the kids did pretty good playing. Once we picked up the brother from school, we played outside and survived lunch and naptimes without the brother or sister napping. I was grateful when Grandma picked them up, and also very tired. I think Jay and I were both overstimulated, and took the afternoon easy. 

Jay climbing at the top

Hugh loving the slide

Jay and I cuddling, it's now our after nap routine and I love it! 

I am sure Jay would say today was the best day! We played pickleball in the morning, a much less crazy adventure. And, then we went to Katey's pool and Katey's house! He was sooooo excited! The pool features weren't on due to swim lessons happening, but we had a great time playing. Hugh refused to eat anything before getting into the pool, so he was crabby cakes until he finally decided to eat lunch. Then, he loved the water and toddled around in his float boat and enjoyed floating around in the lazy river. Jay enjoyed everything! He missed the big slides, but enjoyed going down the little ones and splashing around. It was hard to get him to stop to eat lunch! Kade, Abby, and Hope are three little fishes. They love the water, and the twins are becoming great swimmers! The miracle of the day was at the end when we were changing we couldn't find Jay's clothes and shoes anywhere. I knew he had originally put them in one locker, but they weren't there. We checked all the lower lockers in both the women's room and the family locker. I finally said to myself that someone must have needed his clothes and shoes more than us. Katey took a turn looking and tugged on a locker that had a lock on the outside. I hadn't touched it because of the lock, but when she tested the door it opened and there were Jay's clothes and shoes! It was a tender mercy from Heaven! I decided to let Hugh nap at Katey's and we enjoyed the afternoon playing outside. Jay loved driving the battery powered tractor and Kade was a super champ at letting Jay have lots of turns. Jay also loved messing around on the skateboard and with the rollerblades. I loved being able to catch up with Katey and have the extra sister time. I needed it! 

Pies and Parks!

I ate a lot of pie this past week! First, I found a GF pie crust mix at the grocery store for $1.75, so I bought it not knowing if it would be any good. It was a gamble, but for two bucks it was worth a risk. I was very pleasantly surprised! I made a peach pie with a crumble topping for the Pie Party on Pi-Day (3.14). It turned out super yummy! I was grateful I showed up late, so most people had already eaten a bunch of pie and didn't need any more. There was one other GF pie there, a strawberry pie. I also attended my first GF Cooking Club. There are several women in our ward and nearby community who are gluten free, so we're starting a once per month club. The hostess provides the food, recipe, guidance, and we all bake together. Hugh was a super trooper, and played around while I mixed the empanada crust together by hand. I was grateful Julie Ramirez was there, she helped me with Hugh and later with Jay when he came for a few minutes after school. We learned how to make empanadas and chicken pot pie! It was really yummy! I loved hearing all the opinions on different flours and what works and doesn't work. I am hopeful I can become a better baker and chef over the next year learning from these ladies. Jay joined for the eating portion of the event, but he really just wanted to play. Madelynn had new puppies, and Jay was very intrigued, but less than gently. I was terrified he was going to hurt one of them, but luckily he didn't!  

We were supposed to get a GIANT snowstorm last week, Thursday and Friday, but it never really hit us. Littleton (down by Grandma and Grandpa) got about 16 inches, and we got maybe two. They cancelled school in advance on Thursday, and we had NO snow - a small dusting on grass. Thursday night it started to snow some more, and what you see below is the amount we got. Jay did have school Friday, so we enjoyed walking to school in the snow. 

Because of the forecasted snow, Matthew stayed home from work an extra couple days. Jay was beyond excited to have Daddy join him for lunch or at least come down and eat lunch. One day Matthew pulled his chair into the family room so he could talk with us while he ate, Jay proceeded to grab a chair and sat across from him. It was very cute! 

Friday evening we had our festive game night, featuring all games of luck! I was very lucky in our first game, 3's, and then very unlucky all the rest of the games. We played Qwixx, Farkle, and SkipBo. Matthew isn't a huge fan of luck games, so we don't play very often. It was a fun treat and we had a great time spending the evening together! 

Sunday evening I got to attend the worldwide Relief Society Devotional. They broadcast the first part from Salt Lake, a recording of messages from the RS presidency and President Nelson. It was a beautiful evening. I was reminded that the relief we bring from being part of the Relief Society is the Savior, Jesus Christ. He is relief! We had the opportunity and obligation to share Him with everyone within our influence. I felt particularly impressed I need to share Christ with Jay, Hugh, and Matthew. My role as a wife and mother will have an immeasurable impact on their lives. With this in mind, I have the opportunity to share Christ with them, to serve them, to love them, and to lift them. 

I also felt I needed to improve at getting out of bed in the morning and choosing to start my day. I've been letting the boys wake me up, then I roll out of bed kind of being "forced" to start my day.  I have been doing better this week at rising before the boys and having time to pray and study the scriptures. President Nelson promised if we seek to be where the Lord wants us to be, He will help us be there every day! I'm trying to put this to the test, seeking spiritual time early in the morning. Overall, my attitude towards the boys and about life has been much better with this new found purpose and intention in the mornings. 

Good deals are my weakness, I can talk myself into needing almost anything when it's on a good deal. I found some Duplos on a great deal on Facebook Marketplace. The pick up location was kind of on the way to Costco, so it was simple to swing by and pick them up. I even picked up a free kid pool on Tuesday morning, we won't even be here for the summer but I couldn't resist! I barely fit it into the van, and was a bit nervous it would even fit. Minivan for the win! 

Got the pool! I had to slide all the seats all the way forward (except mine)

Exciting times ahead! We cleared out our basement on Saturday, sprayed for bugs, and swept up some random stuff. Cleaning out the basement has spurred me to get rid of a few things, so I made a quick run to donate this week. With our basement empty, construction has officially begun! I don't have any pictures yet, but we have one wall framed - the whole length of the house. The wood dropped Tuesday, and he framed Wednesday. Jay thinks all the sounds in the basement are trains, cars, or someone knocking on our door. For now, we're trying to keep the basement a secret so he doesn't request to join Wayne down there every day. 

The weather has been gorgeous this week! Good weather brings out my play first mentality. We've hit the park almost every day after school and usually after naps. The sunshine has been healing for all of us! I love watching the boys grown and learn how to do new things. Hugh is becoming a master of slides and stairs. He LOVES slides! He will go up the stairs and down the slide over and over. He's definitely my child. I loves slides, too! He also gets so excited when we start walking towards the swings, so it's probably fair to say the park is one of his favorite places. We have one really tall slide at our neighborhood park that is very steep. Hugh wanted to climb up, so I let him. He got to the top, and before I could stop him, he went face first down the slide! I jumped off the ladder to try to catch him, but I was too late. He got a face and mouth full of woodchips. He cried, I cleaned him off, he took a short break on the swings, and was ready for more. He's now much better at turning around and going feet first on his tummy! Jay always has an eye on Hugh and wants to do whatever he is doing. Jay has also been mastering different climbing structures at parks, and loves the big fast slides. He especially loves any park that has a double landing and climbing to the highest landing and going down the extra big slides. Jay is also getting better at pedaling his bike! He will pedal around the patio on his own, which is HUGE progress. I am excited and hope he continues to stick with learning it! Biking would be a great way to use his energy.

Hugh getting ready to climb the tall slide. 

Jay and Hugh swinging

Hugh and Jay on the motorcycle!

Hugh and Jay on the landing!

The boys have been playing a little more together, and I love it! Here a few pictures of recent happenings. 

Cooking for the last time in the cement only basement.

Hugh's fine motor is impressive, it took Jay a long time to learn this skill! 

They both still love this train! (Jay)

Hugh

Jay and Hugh both loved playing in a small bucket of water! It entertained them for quite a while! And, Jay finally learned how to use the squirter! He could fill it and squirt it, big win!

Free cone day! We made it to Dairy Queen for our free ice cream cones, then hit up a new park to eat them. Jay and Hugh didn't eat much of theirs, so I ended up eating most of the ice cream. We had so much fun exploring the new park and enjoying the time outside. 

Jay

Jay, Hugh, Mama

Hugh trying out his cone

Here is a picture of Jay's most recent school projects, he loved the fish the most! That's what he always wanted to show me. He also saw the dentist at school and got a free toothbrush. He has carried it all around the house every day since. He continues to clean everything he can think of. All you need is a little spit and some elbow grease. Jay's your man if you need something cleaned. He has cleaned window, weights, books, the play kitchen, the floor, his own teeth, cupboards, cars, etc. 

Hugh isn't quite walking, but is getting more adventurous on foot and on knee! He loves climbing onto things. He can get down from the table just fine, but when he's standing on the play oven door he signs and says all done and squeals until you come help him get off. Jay's learning how to help him off, which is helpful and a little nerve wracking. 

A Week of (Likely) Lasts

This week felt like a week of several lasts, Jay's last swim lesson, my last presidency meeting, my last ward council. I also had some fun firsts, and some fun repeats. 

Jay wrapped up his last day of swim lessons last week. He had to sit out for not listening and touching the wrong kid. I say the wrong kid because some kids will act like nothing happened and just ignore Jay. Other kids will cry, fuss, and whine...Jay chose that kind of kid to touch, so he got in trouble. Overall, it's major improvement over last year. He didn't cry, and he mostly went to the teachers when they asked. 

I know I'll be released soon as Primary President, so I most likely had  my last presidency meeting and ward council meeting. My presidency has been a great blessing to me over the past two and a half years! They have been there for me when life has been really great and when life has been really hard. After I had Hugh, they took the reigns and led without any hiccups. In our presidency meeting they shared how they appreciated the way I was respectful of their time and allowed us to do virtual presidency meetings, and how I tried to keep them as close to an hour as possible. They also shared how I did a good job of listening to everyone's opinions and taking them into consideration before making decisions. Those were two focus areas I had throughout our service, so I was grateful to hear they felt that. I learned from them about boundaries, about how to speak up when things aren't going well or I feel like I am not being heard/seen. I have loved getting to know the children, and I know Heavenly Father has helped me remember their names. Names are hard for me, and I remember my first few weeks I was very overwhelmed. I have seen God's hand guiding me and inspiring me constantly throughout the past two and a half years. 

Matthew was able to take a couple hours off on Saturday so I could attend Women's Conference. I took a couple pieces of fleece to make two blankets for donating. We finished one right away, but the other we had to wait until the guest speaker finished and we finished with lunch. I was very grateful Anna was willing to stay and help me get it all tied together. It took us about 45 minutes to do the whole thing ourselves, and it surely would have taken me a lot longer alone. The speaker was the mission president's wife, she did an amazing job talking about how we should help others along our journeys in life. Sometimes we are running with people, sometimes we're cheering them on, sometimes were running alone, but we should always be ready to act on the nudges given to us by our Heavenly Father. He will use us as an instrument in His hands to help those around us. I want to be someone Heavenly Father can nudge! 

Matthew got to take off Friday and Saturday night this weekend! We made the most of it by baking triple chocolate scones, watching the live action Little Mermaid, and playing Pandemic. We haven't baked together or played a game other than Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter for a long time. We had a great time, and I love having some 1:1 time with M. 

Sundays are extra special during busy season. M has chosen not to work and thankfully his team fully supports him being off. He works extra long hours during the week to make it possible, and our family is very blessed because of his sacrifices. This past Sunday the weather was perfect, we went for a long family walk. Walking gives us time to talk, laugh, and share about everything happening in life. There's something about walking and talking that does my soul good. M grilled a delicious chicken dinner, and we wrapped up the evening with the Blaylock family chat. We've started meeting together on zoom every month, and it's been a lot of fun to see everyone and stay better connected. 

Daylight savings time hit this week, and it's been so hard to get to bed early and to get out of bed in the morning. The mornings are dark, and I've been exhausted. Monday being cloudy and the day after daylight savings started, it made a great excuse to go to the Merrill's for a playdate. I played pickleball here, then met Katey at her church building for another round of pickleball. The kids were super troopers, and we had a great time playing! Kade and Abby did a great job letting Jay play with them, and when Jay asked them to play outside they obliged. Someday those three are going to be besties, they continue to get better at playing together and I love watching the friendship bloom. Tia's 4th grad choir concert was that evening. She did a great job, she even rocked the drums for one of the songs! She's such a great girl! All the Merrill kids wanted to ride there and back with me, so I loaded everyone in the van. It's a good thing we bought the van, we wouldn't be able to haul all the fun in our Forester! 

Today I got to make butternut squash soup for my friend Anna. She had mouth surgery, so I took her and Ethan dinner. I've never made butternut squash soup before, but I got to use the squash from my garden! I've been saving it in the basement, and I still have more. I need to continue to experiment and use it. While prepping dinner during naptime, I helped Katey (via FaceTime) learn how to make a hooded towel. I am so grateful for technology that allows us to connect with each other whenever and wherever we are!

Matthew has been reading my childhood journal this past week. He's been loving it, sharing moments with me that I've totally forgotten. This morning I shared a few with Oma, and she in turn shared a strong testimony with me. She said she has seen God's hand in my life from the very beginning. He's been there every step of the way, giving me experiences to help me learn and grow and get to the place I am now in life. Right now, life feels a little overwhelming and I often don't know what to do to help Jay with the many challenges he faces. Oma testified to me that Heavenly Father sent Jay to me, and He will continue to give me experiences and help with Jay just as he has for every previous step and phase of my life! 

I'm a glasses 100% of the time girl now. They are prisms, and I am hoping they can help me have less headaches. They should help my eyes focus without having to constantly use the muscles. My eyes don't naturally align vertically or horizontally, so by the end of the day they can be very tired. Luckily the boys have been very respectful of not touching, and I think they are helping some. 

Jay loves taking care of things, his animals, his baby, me, Hugh, you name it. Here's a sweet picture of him carrying his baby. He wanted Olivia to have a shirt on, then he wanted to carry her. He accidently got some slobber on her head, so he ran to the bathroom and you can see he's wiping it off her head. 

Hugh continues to be a light. He cut through another molar on the top, so he has two molars, 4 on the top in the middle, and three bottom center teeth. He loves getting into things, being silly, and HATES when I leave his sight. He cries when I go upstairs, use the bathroom, walk into the garage, anything...it's a little rough, but I am grateful he knows and cares for his mama. 

Occasionally they'll play together and it's a beautiful thing! This moment made my mama heart full. It only lasted about 30 seconds, but still provided hope that someday they'll play together. 

Projects and Things

I am working on keeping up with my blog, so this one will be a shorter entry. Last Friday, we had a carpet lady come and give us a quote and show us samples of carpet for our basement. Having her come really started to make things feel real. We don't know exactly when construction will start, but we are starting to move everything out of the basement. Matthew doesn't have a lot of time, so on Saturday while I was at a baptism, he and Jay went to work clearing stuff out. 

Friday evening we won our last Harry Potter game! We've been working through the expansions and adding the expansions together for several months, and we won! It was a fun game and we had a great time playing together. I love playing cooperative games with Matthew. I'm not great at losing, so I love when we can both win. 

Baptisms are one of my favorite parts of my callings. I love attending them, the Spirit is always so strong and you can see the faith of the little one choosing to follow the Savior. This baptism brought extra feelings for me as he's the oldest in the family followed by three girls. He made me think of Jack, and how much I still rely on Jack for support and help with things and how much I've looked up to him (and still look up to him). This little boy is setting a good example for his sisters, and I hope he continues to! 

When Jack was living with us a couple years ago, he told me if I ever decided to get a new kitchen sink he'd help me install it. For my birthday last year, I opted out of any gifts and asked for money to do things around the house. I made my mantel, bought some fun decor, and still had some money left so I bought a kitchen sink and faucet. Jack and Lindsay came down with the whole crew to help us on Saturday. Matthew had to work, but the kids and Lindsay were awesome helpers with Jay and Hugh while Jack and I worked. Lindsay saved the day by being able to synch up some screws that Jack and I couldn't get. The sink is beautiful, deep, and I love it! The only mishap was Sunday morning I checked for leaks and water was pouring out of the disposal side. I quickly called Jack, and he told me how to tighten it up. Luckily, it was a simple fix and everything is working awesome now! I felt so loved by the Bryce's sacrificing their day to help me. Having a bigger, deeper sink will really be a blessing! I can take Hugh's tray and wash it off without spilling water everywhere - it's amazing! 

Before

After

Saturday evening I spent with Renee and Anastasia. We watched Ever After and chatted. We try to do a night out every couple months, but schedules, sick kids, weather, etc. often causes us to cancel. They are fun ladies and usually we have uplifting conversations, no negative talk, etc. 

Kylee turned 12 this past Sunday! She's officially in young women's, has her ears pierced, and is growing and maturing all the time. She still has a love for life and great energy, which I love! We all gathered at Katey's house to celebrate her birthday. We had a delicious taco salad and crockpot cake. It was a great way to end our fast! It filled my heart seeing all of our family gathered to celebrate Kylee and to be together. Having family close is a huge blessing. The only pic I snagged that night was of Jay and Kade giving hugs goodbye - so cute!

Jay and Kade giving hugs

Monday afternoon I got a call from Mike letting us know Tanner was playing volleyball up in Greeley. Matthew was able to sneak away from work a little early (and then work later at night) to go with us. Jay is getting better at staying on the bleachers, but loved this lady's purse. I was grateful for her kind attitude, and realization he was just curious and wasn't truly trying to steal anything. We enjoyed catching up with Mike and seeing Tanner play. Tanner played great, and men's volleyball just brings a fun and exciting environment. 

Today Matthew got an official offer from Germany! We've been waiting for this day for the past five months! They said we'll be going to Munich from June 1st through August 31st. It's a little slower time for the team there, but it's a very busy time for the team here so it's a blessing for us. We were originally thinking we might be leaving April 1st, which would mean we'd jump from one busy season to Germany, then back to another full busy season. We were willing to do that, although it sounded exhausting. June will be better, it will be summer and Matthew will celebrate his 30th birthday in another country! We feel truly blessed to have this opportunity for our family. When Matthew applied to the program, we saw mountains move for him to get the necessary signatures and the papers filled out in time. It was something that I could never quite forget about, which is often how the Spirit communicates with me. Heavenly Father has been in the details, and continues to be. I am so grateful for His watchful eye over us, and I know He will continue to bless us as we seek to do His will in our lives.

Jay and Hugh continue to be so fun. This first picture is of Jay helping put dishes away. His assignment is always his plates, followed by all the bottles. He does a great job, and I love seeing him learn how to do things. Hugh is a climber, he likes to get onto anything he can! The last picture is of Jay and I going through the car wash. A new car wash opened by us and they're offering free car washes, so we went. Jay was really unsure what he thought about it, but it provided us with some good entertainment when he refused to nap. 

Jay doing the bottles

Hugh looking so handsome on Sunday

Hugh climbing on the rearranged food storage

The car wash!