February, how is it already over?

Truly, January is the longest month, and then you blink and February is gone! I had a goal to write every week, but so far I've been terrible at disciplining myself to write. There have been moments this month when I have thought about writing and couldn't find much good, so I opted to clean some dishes or other random things around the house. Everyone has their hard moments, and this month has had its fair share. 

We kicked off the month with Jay and Hugh's 4 year and 1 year check up. Hugh is still measuring so small, 24th percentile for height and 17th for weight, with a 99% head. Jay's average height, and a little above in weight. Jay's 4 year old questionnaire was hard to fill out, I truthfully couldn't say he did more than a few things on the 4-5 pages of questions I answered. Our pediatrician, Dr. Joe Smith, recommended we get Jay signed up to take some neuropsychic testing. With being so far behind in all the areas, he wants to be sure we aren't missing something. Over the past few weeks, it's been a rollercoaster of emotions associated with taking this step. It's expensive, and I was worried about it being worth it. Dr. Smith pulled me aside at church and talked with me about it, after I reached out to the clinic with my concerns. I had been praying he'd be inspired and my prayers were heard by being able to have this conversation with him. He didn't waver at all on the need, encouraging us to find a way to make it happen. We're currently on the waitlist to be scheduled, and I hope we can get it done soon. I hope we will get some answers, guidance, and help in knowing how we can better help Jay be the most successful in life. Here are some pictures of the month, just because. 

These two are starting to play more together and it's so sweet (usually!)

Jay was VERY pleased when he got to lick the chocolate bowl at Aunt Katey's house.

Naptimes are interesting, but with our camera we now get some insight. Jay always falls asleep in interesting ways, but this has to be one of the best we've seen!

Jay's motto in life could be, "if I'm helping, I'm happy!'

Hugh is climbing onto everything he can, he's such a cutie!

When Daddy comes home we truly are our happiest! 

Jay--->Hugh, same age, so cute!

Again, climbing and soooo pleased! He's usually happy until he figures out he doesn't quite know how to get down.

Hugh

Hugh is pushing his truck around, loves to but isn't quite walking yet.

Big news is we've started the process to finish our basement. Jay and Hugh can't really share a room right now, so Hugh's in our closet when Matthew works at night during busy season. I'm sure the time is slowly ticking where he'll be pulling down everything within his reach, and the closet will no longer be sufficient. We have Wayne Riblett on contract to do it, and we got our official permit through the city. I drew a to-scale drawing, which was so fun! It reminded me of when Oma and Papa designed their house and we got to look at all the drawings. After Wayne came, I had to make a few adjustments based on where pipes are, etc. I am getting so excited and very grateful we have been able to save our money over the years to fund our house improvement. 

My drawing - I had to make some adjustments and didn't take the time to use my ruler to draw my measurement lines. It was a good test of my new motto I'm working on, "better done, than perfect."

I have been looking for a swing set for a while, as Jay has started to need a little more entertainment in the backyard. I finally found a good deal on Facebook Marketplace, and they guy delivered and reassembled it! It's been fun to watch Jay go down the slide in the sunshine and in the snow. He's trooper and loves being outside. I know as soon as Hugh is old enough, he'll be right out there with him. 

I got to enjoy the first swing!

Jay was very excited!

He really really really wanted Daddy to play, so luckily Daddy took a short break.

Jay was finally here for a school party and Hugh and I got to go too! The Valentine's Day party was so fun. I loved seeing Jay in the school environment, and I could tell Mrs. Tiffee and Mrs. Ashley were very aware of Jay and what he needed. I got to learn some of his friends' names, and recently Jay has been talking non-stop about Amy and Kenna. Amy is his girlfriend, but Kenna has given him a couple hugs goodbye. It's fun to see kids be so kind to Jay, I hope he reciprocates appropriately! I also had Jay's parent teacher conference. Jay's making progress, he's engaging more with classmates and he does occasionally use names. Mrs. Tiffee said she'd try to get him in her class next year so he doesn't have to re-learn procedures and can maybe get more of the educational pieces. I left this conference a little more hopeful than the first, and I may have had my expectations more aligned. 

Jay's Valentine's box

For President's Day weekend, we partied! Friday we went to "Katey's pool" which is the Longmont Rec Center. Jay could have stayed there all day. He especially loved the big slide and went down several times with me and Katey. Hugh wasn't able to nap on the way to the pool, so he was very clingy and didn't seem to enjoy the water very much. He was a trooper, as he let Jay have all the fun in the world swimming. Since swimming, Jay asks for Katey's pool almost daily. Saturday we did a cookout at the Merrill's. It snowed earlier in the day, but we all bundled up and roasted our hotdogs and s'mores. The fire feels extra good when it's so cold outside. Monday, the Bryce's came down to Brighton to play with us at the rec center park. Betty Jane and Allen traded off following Jay around the park. When I thanked Allen at the end, he said, "It was kinda fun! He moves a lot." I was grateful for a little break, a picnic with family, and the time outside. 

The Stake Primary presidency gave my presidency a gift of lunch together at Freddy's. We finally used our gift card and enjoyed a lunch out together. I've learned a lot from serving with these wonderful women. They each have great strengths, always willing to serve, and strong faith. I admire each of them, and I will miss serving with them. It was nice to eat lunch and not talk anything primary. 

Jay started swim lessons this month. Last year, he cried every lesson and refused to go to the teachers. This time around it's been different, in a mostly positive way! One of Jay's classmates is in his swim lessons, and I heard Max introduce Jay to the teacher on the first day. It was very sweet, and I was very grateful. Jay can say his own name, but if you didn't know what he was saying you wouldn't know it was Jay. Jay's been pretty willing to go to the teachers and explore the water. He's been a bit handsy with his classmates at times and has had to sit out, but he's getting better at understanding the rules and certainly loves being in the water. Every day we have swim, he can't wait to go! I usually have to wait until 10 minutes before we leave to tell him because he'll get so excited he won't be able to do anything else. 

Jay with his swim-mates

Going with the teacher on day 1, HUGE win! 

One part of February that's been a tradition the past couple years here is a Galentine's party. My friend Breeanne hosts and a bunch of women in the ward come to enjoy an evening out. This year we all brought our favorite smell in a bag. I brought chocolate chip cookie dough, popcorn and dark chocolate M&M's and in return I got a diffuser. The evening was spent opening gifts, laughing, chatting, and enjoying the freedom from daily responsibilities. I am so grateful for Matthew always supporting me getting out and spending time with friends when opportunities present themselves. 

I got to throw a baby shower for Renee Clark this past week. Anastasia and I planned it, and it came together beautifully. There were several women in the ward who helped bring a few things and Renee's mom. I loved coming up with some of the punny names and stole some names from online ideas. We played Jeopardy, emoji guessing, and baby's around the world. We had a great time, and it was fun to host at our house. I love having people in my home, and not having to go anywhere. It was a bit squishy with 18 women/girls, but we made it work! Renee and Anastasia were the women who threw me a shower before I had Hugh and I was happy to be able to return the favor. 

Wild flowers, muddy buddies, deer droppings, rabbit food, live bait, s'mores on a stick, etc.

Creek water, blueberries and mint, it looked so cool!

Me, Renee, and Anastasia

I have been feeling throughout the past month I should tell Bishop about Germany. I knew if I did, it would mean he'd work on releasing me, so I didn't want to rush into sharing the information. I continued to have feelings and thoughts and impressions about certain changes to make in my presidency or other callings, but didn't feel like I could honestly request without sharing that we'll be leaving. After ward council last week, I tried to talk to Bishop. He left quickly after the meeting, so I waited around until he eventually popped out of his office. When we started talking, he shared that sometimes the Lord answers prayers immediately. He'd just been praying in his office about releasing me and about a calling for Matthew, didn't receive a clear answer, so he got up and determined to think about it. Right then, I asked to talk with him. I know Heavenly Father is keenly aware of the needs of his members and is especially mindful of leaders in His Church. It's amazing how the Holy Ghost worked on my to prepare me to share with the Bishop and at the same time worked with the Bishop.

And, lastly, I finished the dresser and we moved it from the garage! I love how it turned out.

Starting a New Year - 2024

We rung in the new year in Arizona! The Blacks were there to join us, and we all made it to midnight. The Black boys stayed up until 9, and Hank was the happiest "cheers" person I have ever seen! He thought it was the best thing ever to clink glasses and drink bubbly juice. We had delicious appetizers and enjoyed an evening full of games. We convinced Papa to play Pictionary before he went to bed! I toggled between Kara's team and Matthew while Seth put the boys to bed. Kara and I were crushing it, and Seth continued the momentum when he joined. Matthew and I were definitely last place, and Oma and Papa were in the middle. We had some great laughs, and that game always brings back such fun memories for me. At midnight Matthew jumped into the pool! I've never seen anyone get in and out so fast, but he felt he should do it since he couldn't roll in the snow. 

We went for a family walk/hike and played pickleball on Monday. Kara and Seth rescued Jay multiple times to keep him walking and moving along our hike. He was very tired and didn't think hiking was that fun. The Blacks left early that afternoon, and the house was much quieter without them. It was a tough goodbye, not knowing exactly when we'd see them again. 

I was able to catch up with Laurissa Beus Stephenson and Clara Hoyle over lunch. We remembered some of our good high school days, but I also enjoyed our conversations as mothers now. Mothers doing everything we can to raise our kids to be good people. Laurissa has 4, and has another on the way. Clara has 3 littles and I've got 2. I love when you can sit down with old friends and still chat and enjoy the time even when it's been years since you've chatted. 

We lost water to Oma and Papa's house for about 24 hours during our visit. There was a big leak, so we had to shut the water off. Plumbers are busy people, so there was no quick solution. We filled the tubs with water and used buckets to flush our toilets with water from the tub. We didn't shower, we used waterbottles to drink and cook. It was an adventure which made us very grateful for running water. I probably turned on the faucet a hundred times that day expecting water. It's now fixed! 

Our flight home was pretty uneventful, as well as our drive home. I was so grateful Matthew got to take work off Friday through Monday after we returned. It helped us slowly resume to normal life. We took down our Christmas decor, the boys opened some of their presents they couldn't take to Arizona and we played games we got for Christmas but hadn't played yet. Matthew got a Lord of the Rings game and we've been playing it almost every free evening. We also got Nintendo Switch sports, and we've been playing that a lot too. Jay is a decent sword fighter and thinks it's very funny when the people fall into the water. 

We've started taking Jay to the chiropractor to see if we might be able to help him regulate his energy and focus more. He's such a joyful kiddo, I never want to change that about him and I am excited to see his growth and progress in life. He's a master at our purple park playground, he did all the tricky things this month for the first time without any help! He's starting to use two words a lot more, saying "right there", "hi xxx", "bye xxx", "Jay hungry", "open gate", etc. His "Thank You", is the sweetest! He talks about Amy (May-mee) from school, Miss Ashley, and Miss Tiffee. He is still the biggest fan of Matthew, has the best laugh, and gives the greatest snuggles right after nap time. 

Hugh turned one this month! I can't believe it's been a year! He's the sweetest, always game for a snuggle and a giggle. He loves Matthew a lot, but I think he's more of a mama's boy. He's mostly drinking bottles of frozen milk, he nurses in the morning and that's it! Yay! He will try most foods, although he's starting to get more picky. Every meal he's messier than I even thought would be possible. He has six teeth (currently cutting #7) and crawls everywhere. He's mastered going up stairs and we are working on the skills of descending. He stands up whenever he can, and will walk when he can push things. He's always curious what Jay is doing and will follow him everywhere. I love it, and it also makes me nervous! We had a great time celebrating Hugh's birthday! Grandma and Grandpa joined us, and we had a surprise drop-in with Uncle Brad. He was in town for a conference, and we were so happy he got to join us! Hugh loved his cake, he couldn't get enough of it! I determined that 1 year birthdays should also be a celebration of me, because it's as much their birthday as it is a day I gave birth. We had my favorite cake, double layer chocolate and taco salad for dinner. He got a fun tunnel, shirts, and a shape sorter toy. He's already mastered the strider bike he got for Christmas. 

The boys and I got free tickets to the Butterfly Pavilion and it truly felt like I took an elephant into a china shop. In museums, Jay is beyond curious, moves quickly from thing to thing, and loves touching. The spiders didn't move nearly enough, all the stingrays didn't move enough, and the butterflies were not noisy or grand enough. When we entered the pavilion part, they said don't touch anything....I knew I was in trouble. It was quiet, peaceful, and humid. The paths looked like running paths to Jay, so we probably spent a total of 5 minutes in that part. It was beautiful, and a lot of butterflies. The playset at the end had one slide and one little truck to play in. Jay did well there until more kiddos started coming, he got a little handsy and we left. Needless to say, we won't be paying for a membership anytime soon! My boys need a place where they can be rough and tumble and jump and play and confined spaces where I don't have to constantly run after them wondering where they went. 

We're rounding out the month with M on a one-day work trip to LA to meet with a client and a sick day for the rest of us at home. The boys are running fevers, we got some fresh air at the park but it wiped them out and they were very ready for afternoon naps. 

We also celebrated our anniversary at the Melting Pot! Neither of us have ever done a fondue dinner and it was a very fun experience. They did a great job providing everything GF with great options, especially in the dessert bar. I loved dipping everything in chocolate. The cheese and broth were fun as well. I loved spending the evening with M, slowly eating dinner, chatting, and having time to simply be together. 

Thanksgiving in OK

We had the best Thanksgiving in Oklahoma with Brad and Kirsten and their family! We flew in and out with Grandma and Grandpa, and the Blaylock resort shuttle picked us up right on time. The kids had a table set up for us to check in, Matthew and I were first time guests so not quite elite status yet. We had room keys, folders full of resort maps, breakfast and meal times, nearby attraction lists, everything created by them. It was amazing and so fun! They made us feel like royalty. When we left, we gave them a 5 star review - of course! 

The classic DIA bridge walk. 

Dad, Jay, Mom, Hugh

Grandpa, Hugh, and Grandma on the return flight

Riding in the airport shuttle 

The Welcome Table, Grandma, Claire, and Katelynn

Thanksgiving, the main reason for the trip was awesome! The food was spectacular, and I made 7 layer pie, sweet potatoes, and corn casserole. Those three dishes made it feel like a complete meal for me. Really everything was delicious and it was such a blessing to be with family. 

Daniel and Jay at the kid table, they did really good and ate most meals here together.

The only thing Jay loves more than cleaning is helping Grandpa clean! 

Per Blaylock tradition, the men did the dishes and cleaned up dinner. 

Cutie Hugh thought dinner was yummy, he'll be a Thanksgiving veteran next year.

Dad, Jay, Mom, and Hugh

7 Layer pie, yummy! The GF crust turned out super well. 

Every evening we stayed up late talking about all sorts of things, and got up early every morning with Jay and Hugh. Madeline and Hugh became pretty good buddies. They played around each other so well, never really bothering one another and always following to see what the other was doing. I loved watching them interact, and they sounded so similar we were always wondering which one was making what sounds from where. Hugh gives a lot better snuggles than Madeline, so the kids loved holding him and he took it all in stride. 

Kirsten, Hugh, and Madeline

Madeline and Hugh

Madeline and Hugh

Hugh loving the rocking horse

Hugh, 10 months! Such a happy, loving little guy.

Jay circulated through the cousins, but by the end of the trip he knew everyone's name and Elisse and Daniel were probably his favorite. Elisse always knew when Jay needed a buddy and would go upstairs and play with him. She often called him, "little mister" - which made us all giggle. She shared her ice cream cone with him, and usually always joined him at the little kid table during meals. All the kids were extremely patient with Jay, and let him join in the fun whenever possible. There were more toys than Jay ever thought could be in one place. He loved the cozy coop and wanted to drive it on all the walks we went on. 

Jay wanting Grandpa to leave the game and come play, and Kyle

Jay, Katelynn, Kirsten

Elisse and Jay

We got a tour of OU, it was awesome to see where Brad worked and to see the campus. It was beautiful, with a lot of fun old looking buildings. We had to chase Jay all around the campus, but luckily we left Hugh at home napping which made it a little easier. 

Kyle, Brad, Kirsten, Grandpa, Jay, Grandma, Elisse, and Dad

Jay and Elisse

Jay and Elisse

Brad smoked lots of different meats while we were there, including the turkey for Thanksgiving. It was very yummy, all of it moist and delicious! Most evenings Nathan or Matthew would help Brad with his meat prep. 

Matthew had to work the Monday after Thanksgiving and most of the kids returned to school, so we went with Kirsten, Daniel, Madeline, Grandma, and Grandpa to the Oklahoma City Children's Science Museum. We had an awesome time! Grandpa helped me chase around Jay, or pushed Hugh in the stroller when I went after Jay. There was so much to explore, we didn't even see everything. Jay loved the playground area, where you could climb up and choose various slides to descend. 

Jay operating one of the horses. 

Grandpa and Jay

Hugh in the baby area

Kirsten, Daniel, Madeline, Jay, Grandpa, and Hugh - all looking at the trains

Jay and Daniel - buckling up for a flight

Daniel and Jay - I'm not sure who the pilot is, but they loved it.

Madeline, Daniel, Jay, and Hugh

Sports were a big part of our visit. Kyle and Trevor wanted to play Matthew and Nathan in a Turkey bowl, but they ended up just playing together which worked out much better for everyone. We played Tennis one day, Matthew and I beat Nathan and Olivia. Jay loved playing on the trampoline with anyone he could convince to go. We went on a walk almost every day, which was such a great way to get moving even when it was quite cold! We did not get the warm weather we were hoping for, but enjoyed the outdoors anyways! We loved checking out a couple local parks, and it was so sweet to see the kids all play together there. 

Katelynn (on top), Daniel, Jay

Jay

Everyone thought it was sooooo fun to go through Matthew's legs on the slide.

Claire and Katelynn soon copied and asked Matthew to go down. 

Claire helping Jay climb in

Aunt Michela and Jay

Daniel and Jay

Claire, Katelynn, Jay and Uncle Nathan

Hugh and Claire

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Uncle Nathan helping Jay zipline

Matthew and most of the cousins, Grandpa, and Boppa (Kirsten's dad) went to the BYU vs. Oklahoma State game. It was a great game, even went to OT, but we lost. There was a slow drizzle all day long, so everyone came home wet and frozen. Matthew thought it was totally worth it, while some others didn't think quite the same. 

Boppa and Cara were adopted grandparents for Jay and Hugh. Jay really loved them, and let Boppa adjust him and then wanted everyone else to have a turn. I was very grateful for the adjustments, we all needed them.

We made a couple trips to the local ice cream shop, called Braum's. It was delicious soft serve, and we even got a treat before driving through Christmas lights. Elisse was very sweet and let Jay have a few licks while they looked at the lights together. The lights were so fun to see! It helped me get a little more into the Christmas spirit! 

Christmas lights!

I also really appreciated how much Brad and Kirsten talked about the Gospel in their family. Brad asked a question after church that I loved, he said, "what did you learn or feel at church today?" It really made me think, and the question continues to help me consider what my focus is on Sundays and if I am approaching my church meetings seeking inspiration and learning. I know I have room for improvement! We loved our time, and we were sad when it came to a close. It's good to leave while you're still having fun, so we will definitely have to go back! Someday when the boys get older, I think they'll love their Oklahoma cousins even more than they already do and there will be tons of fun had by all!