BUILDING BL(ayl)OCKS: Adjusting, Adjusting, and Living Life

It feels like forever since we got home from Germany, but we can't quite get into the swing of things. Every week feels a little different and nothing quite the same to let us feel like we've got a routine. Jay had some big struggles this week, understanding the difference between school days, pickleball days, and church days. We may just have to figure out how to live life with every week different and teach Jay how to manage as well.

Our week started with taking the van to get serviced up in Firestone. The car shuttle took us to Katey's house after the boys got a little play time on the battery powered tractor while we waited for Katey to get back from school drop off. We headed up to Berthoud to check out their new city park and splashpad. The splashpad wasn't working, which was very sad. The kids managed to find the one little puddle and enjoyed it as much as three kiddos can! The park was very cool and so fun. Jay loves asking Katey to come with him places and Hugh and Hope were happy as clams staying close and doing their own thing. Jay was very sad when we didn't go back to Katey's house to play, so we'll have to make another trip up there soon.

This was a very fun racetrack at the car place

Hugh and Aunt Katey

Aunt Katey, being super Aunt with Jay, Hugh, and Hope

Jay and Hugh were having the best time together in this swing!

Jay did awesome climbing up to the big slides!

Jay, Hugh, and Hope, enjoying their personal puddle.

I also had my first Family Lunch with Jay at school. Waiting in lines is excruciatingly painful for Jay and whoever is in charge of him, so they brought him straight to me so we could sit at the table and visit while he waited for his teacher to bring him "lunch." Luckily, since this is 9:30 in the morning, they served a little more breakfast-y foods. Jay had a huge breakfast, so he didn't eat much. Hugh and I enjoyed seeing him in the middle of the day and I was grateful we could make it.

Uncle was able to come and swap out our vanity! He was able to pull it out carefully enough to leave the tile and just slid the new one in. He was done in about an hour and a half with everything! It looks so good! We love our new faucet, and we haven't had any leaks! I was able to sell our water damaged vanity for half price and the new replacement faucet Amazon sent me. With what the faucet company gave us to repair our vanity and selling both parts, we ended up not losing that much which is a huge blessing!

Isn't it beautiful?! I love it!

Friday we decided to let Jay skip school to come pick apples at Grandma and Grandpa's house. It was a beautiful morning and we didn't want to lose the chance to get some home grown apples. Katey and Hope joined us on our drive down, which was super nice. We had a great time picking apples! Jay played with his suitcases around the yard, and Hugh and Hope toddled around everywhere. They were not the best helpers when trying to sort apples because they loved putting all the apples in the box, not just the good ones. We got about two boxes, which is exciting! These apples have so much more flavor than what you can get from the store. Our visit was too short, but we made it home for lunch and naps and then Katey and Hope had to leave. Also, I found out we have our own apple tree! It's more like a bush, and I don't know how we'll salvage it, but we have a few apples which is so fun!

Jay, Aunt Katey, and Hugh

Hugh and Hope, the little swinging couple

Jay with his suitcases while Grandpa picked apples

Grandpa reaching far!

Hugh helping Grandpa gather apples from the ground

Hugh enjoying the little swing

Hope pushing Hugh

Jay living his best life on the swing

Little chickie Hope

This apple is from our bush! We got a total of 5.

Friday evening we had a game night with the Jackson's. Anna and Ethan are good people and it was fun to have them over. We learned a new game which required so much memory, it made me realize how poor my memory is. I lost almost every round we played, except one when Matthew lost. I am grateful for their willingness to come to our house to play so we can put the boys down and enjoy our evening without having to find a sitter.

General Conference was obviously our weekend highlight! This is the first conference we've stayed home for all the sessions in a very long time. It was so fun to be able to enjoy our home and our space. When it was nap time during the afternoon session, we could put the boys down and enjoy the session with a few less distractions than usual. Of course we had our yummy treats and time outside between sessions that helped us all stay happy and more awake. I loved hearing all the promises we can receive as we follow our Savior, Jesus Christ and become more like Him. I was given courage as a parent and mother. And, I was told I should do a better job studying General Conference - which I am seeking to do now!

They boys did awesome helping each other clean up

They mostly loved the BYU TV commercials that came on at the end

Sunday evening we drove up to Katey's house for dessert with the family and to test drive her neighbors car. We loved the car, but we ultimately decided it isn't the right car for us right now. We both wish it was, but we both had many stupor of thoughts as we contemplated the decision. And, although it was hard to say no to the nice car, we both feel much more at peace. Katey made amazing cheesecake brownies, which we enjoyed as we talked with Jack, Lindsay, Katey, and Jason and let the kids play.

Books on the blanket during Conference, it actually entertained them for a few minutes!

I got to go to Starbucks and grab a yummy treat with a friend on Monday evening. Michelle has a 23 year old son with Autism and we spent a lot of our time talking about being a mother of an autistic child and the challenges it has. Although our challenges are very different, it was nice to have some one to talk with. She also lived in Germany for a few months after she and her husband got married, so it was fun to share with her all of our adventures!

Katey and I did a quick park date in Platteville to swap some games and give her some shoes for Oma. Hope and Hugh played well together. They loved running back and forth between the cornhole holes and would wait for each other and run down, then do the same thing on the other side. I hope these two kids stay close and always enjoy each other. Their joy and sweetness is so fun to witness!

Friday I got to host Gluten Free Cooking Club at my house! It's a club with a few ladies in our ward and we've been taking turns this year. I have loved getting to know a new group of women and I enjoyed having them in my home. Hugh was afraid I was going to leave him, so he hung tight to me all morning. We made pumpkin cake, enchilada sauce, Brazilian cheese rolls, and refried beans. Everything actually turned out very yummy, which was a huge blessing! The ladies were so great with Hugh and when Jay got home they listened to his jumbled way of saying things about school with so much grace. They all thought the boys were so cute! We had a yummy lunch, they left, and Matthew was kind enough to help me with the mounds of dishes. In the evening, we went out to one of our favorite Mexican food places and enjoyed a meal made by someone else! I had done enough cooking for the day, and the boys actually did pretty well for being in a restaurant setting.

Saturday was our garage clean out day! We have been wanting to organize our garage for a long time AND we needed to move stuff down to our basement that belongs there instead of in the garage. It was an all day project. It involved the whole family and the boys loved playing with all the things we were taking off of shelves. They did a great job entertaining themselves and mostly staying out of trouble. Jay and Hugh both love to help and it was cute to see them join us in simple ways. We swept out the garage, hung tools with our own makeshift hanging boards and hooks, and threw away things we didn't need. Our neighbors recently told us they were having a mouse problem, particularly in the garage and I feel very blessed we found no signs of mice anywhere and hopefully our cleaning helped with it even more!

Here's our before picture

Three men, three buckets, and three helpers!

After!

This is the side view

This is our freezer nook

Sunday evening was a fun Blaylock gathering at Andrew and Jessica's new home in Parker. Steph and Ken and their kids were in town, which made it all the more fun! There were kids running everywhere and in all directions! We loved being able to visit and enjoy Jessica's fine cooking. She always does a great job hosting parties and her food is always amazing. Her home is decorated for all the holidays and this was no exception. Hugh loved looking at all the decorations and would say "pumpkin" or "spooky" which made everyone smile! Hugh also loved playing catch with Uncle Mike and Brady and Caden. He's gotten super great at catching the ball and loves playing catch. Jay loved the suitcases he found in the basement with Grandpa and also loved playing in the backyard. We all went on a walk after dinner and enjoyed a beautiful path behind Andrew's house. Jay ran almost the entire walk and Hugh and I did our best to keep up with the crew.

Jay, Ty, and Henry jumping on the trampoline at Andrew's house

Monday we continued the fun with the Armstrong family! Steph and the kids came up mid-morning to do laundry and enjoy our company! I loved our morning together. The kids seemed perfectly happy to play with all the various toys in the basement, outside, and in the house. Michael had a magic 8 ball that he asked all sorts of questions and it was fun to think back to when I used a magic 8 ball to guide my choices as a little kid! Jay was so excited when he saw everyone come get him from school. Jay was eager to play and enjoyed the bit of cousin time he got. I loved having a chance to visit with Steph and catch up on life. I am grateful she was willing to make the drive to see us!

Jay pushing Hugh, with Kenzie, Michael, and Ellie in the background.

The boys are growing in all the ways and are at such fun ages! Jay loves saying "Trick or Treat", he started on his own accord when I put up the fall decorations. He's a super helper with the dishwasher and usually unloads all the plates and utensils. He knows where everything goes and is more than happy to help. Whenever Matthew lets him help with dishes at night, he's anxious to join in! Jay is doing so much better at pooping in the potty and once he does and he gets to wear his special unders, he talks about them all day. He'll say things like, "special unders go to the park" or "special unders go to school." It's very funny! One morning I asked him if he wanted to choose his shirt for the day, or if he wanted to, he grabbed his unders and reached into the shirt drawer and said, "unders choose shirt." I have no idea where he picks these things up, but they keep us laughing and his sweet personality continues to impress me. Hugh is the "come" guy. He loves asking people to come, and uses the sweetest hand gestures with him. He'll look up at me with those beautiful blue eyes and say, "Mama come outside" or downstairs or wherever, and it's hard to refuse! He's so kind and growing so much. He even learned to jump with two feet off the ground. He doesn't always get two feet off, but he still loves to try! He also loves shooting hoops - maybe we have a future basketball star!