Family is Comin' to Town

A couple months ago, Kara started talking to me about coming for Spring Break. I was so excited! They were considering driving, driving two days, staying for two, driving for two. I selfishly wanted more time with them, so I started the hunt for plane tickets. I was ecstatic when I found times and costs that would make sense for their family to come via airplane! They purchased them, and the time finally arrived for their arrival. I helped Matthew get the boys ready for bed, and went to get them from the airport on March 12th. I accidentally told them the wrong level for pickup, but they were able to quickly find me. The boys were really excited to see the slide in our basement and Levi said, "one or two of these walls looks new." We laughed because there were no walls down there the last time he was here two years ago. It took them a while to wind down from their fun airport adventure and a new play area, but they finally got there and we all went to bed. 

Before they came, we had some battles with croup. Croup is soooo scary and it got Jay first. Jay usually battles through it and it's mostly just a bad cough. However, this time it was a middle of the night coughing spell that wouldn't stop. Matthew gave him a blessing, I tried to get him to come outside with me, we eventually got some ibuprofen in him, and I went to sleep with him on his bed to make sure he kept breathing as he went back to sleep. Seeing your little one struggle to breathe is such a scary event, and I have learned over the past several months to recognize croup at an early onset and feel pretty grateful. We got Jay into the doctor the next afternoon and she prescribed us the steroids and gave us an extra dose so we could be ready if Hugh started showing symptoms. Hugh was a little later, and we did end up needing a middle of the night steroid for him, but he only needed that one dose. We felt very blessed and grateful the sickness didn't come right as family was arriving and I don't think we passed it on! 

Thursday was our adventure day! It was beautiful outside and we walked to the pickleball park. We played in the sand, the big boys did the scavenger hunt, everyone climbed on the equipment, we played pickleball, and enjoyed feeling the sunshine! It was so nice to be outside and be together! Seth has never been to our house, so it was fun to show him the area and enjoy having the whole fam bam here! We also went to another park in the afternoon and I showed the boys, Kara, and Seth how to ride my fancy scooter! Ross and Levi especially had a great time and did so well! Jack and the kids came out after dinner to visit and play. We were grateful they were willing to make the trip down even just for a short time. Having extra time in the evening to visit with Kara and Seth after the boys were all in bed was awesome! I love having people stay with me, mostly for the time without the kids after bedtime. 

Hank and Jay

Ross, Hugh, and Kara

Levi digging, Hank running in the background, and Hugh digging

Hugh helping Hank dig, it was very cute!

Hugh and Jay sitting on the sand table

Hank, Jay, Hugh, and Ross

All the boys playing pickleball! 

Hugh decided laying on the court was his favorite part!

Uncle Seth gave Hugh a ride home and Hugh almost fell asleep! 

Kara riding the scooter!

Ross's turn

Go Levi!

Hugh chose to ride the wiggle car to the park, and really did quite remarkable for how far it is and how little he is. 

Friday was Pi day, or 3.14, or March 14th. Katey came down with a nasty sickness and wasn't able to bring the clan to party with us, which was a major bummer! We missed having her and her family with us. We attempted a walk in the morning and made it around the block. The wind and rain started picking up as soon as we went out and we were stubborn enough to not turn back! Ross ran all the way around the block and let himself back into the house. We were freezing just in our few minutes out! We determined inside play was the best option, so we got out the playdough and kinetic sand. They all had a great time and that took us up to lunch. Jack and the kids came after lunch, and Lindsay joined us once she finished work. We had pizza for dinner and pies for dessert. I made a chocolate ganache pie, and it was sooo yummy! I got my new glasses, and Kara and Betty Jane came with me. Jay had a hard time playing with cousins over the two days. He loved them, but I think felt a little overstimulated and wouldn't be very nice. We took a lot of breaks on the stairs and tried to make better decisions. The kids worked hard at including him more and overall I think he got a little better at times and a little worse. He still loved it and was so tired at the end of every day! Hugh loved reading books with Ross and Levi and having the extra love and attention. Matthew's work got crazy busy while they were here and it didn't allow him very much time off, he didn't even get to enjoy Pi night with us. 

Ross reading Curious George to Jay

Hugh and Jett playing with the cars!

Saturday morning we used as a reset. We got the Black's off to Longmont, then went for a walk and to play at the parks. We needed some regularity and some time with just ourselves. The boys had a great time playing and I enjoyed walking and getting outside. After naptime, we went up to the Merrill's and enjoyed yummy taco salad and playing at their house. It was interesting to observe Jay there and see that he mainly stuck upstairs and played a lot on his own. I think he knew it's what he needed to do to regulate. Hugh mostly stayed nearby too, which isn't too unusual because he always wants to know where I am. We did baths after dinner and enjoyed the short visit! The Blacks stayed with us that evening, which meant another fun night of visiting for Kara and I. Time to talk and think aloud with a sister is one of my favorite things! 

Sunday morning Jay had his usual big bowl of oatmeal and yogurt, but wanted the cold cereal added to the top. Kara was sure he wouldn't finish, so when he did, we sent a happy Jay photo! I taught in Sunday school and Matthew translated for a friend who was visiting who only spoke Spanish. It was cool hearing him in the background translating what I was saying! Hugh was coughing pretty good, so we had him in class with us too. And, our class had almost 15 youth in it, so it was a full house! We got some good naps in after church, then got to spend the afternoon and evening with Brad and Kirsten and their family! Their kids are incredibly good with Jay and Hugh, so patient and kind and thoughtful. We had a great time visiting with them and seeing Grandma and Grandpa. The weather was beautiful, so we spent our first bit of time outside throwing the frisbee, kicking the balls around, and enjoying the fresh air in the backyard. I made caramel rice crispy treats and they were a big hit! We got to meet little Devin, who is so cute and kid number 9! Brad and Kirsten are amazing parents and I am always amazed by how wonderful their kids are! They taught Jay how to play duck-duck-goose, which he loved! He did not quite understand it, but thought it was great fun! We were sad to say goodbye, our visit was way too short, but we were so glad we got a visit in! 

Jay happy to show off his empty cereal bowl.

My two little Sunday School helpers. They love setting up chairs and hanging out in the classroom until it's time for their classes to start. 

Hugh was too cool to nap, so he and I got some cuddle time. 

Claire, Grandma, Grandpa, Olivia...then in the circle, Kyle, Matthew/Jay, Daniel, Elise, Hugh, Madeline, Katelynn. 

Elise tracing Hugh's hand, and Claire tracing Jay's

Jay and Daniel are about 8 months apart, so fun!

We attempted a standing photo, but Jay was being silly so the size comparison is still a little off. 

Madeline and Hugh, one month apart and finally started to like each other about 30 minutes before we left. 

Monday was a park play day in Longmont. We pulled up to the park after going to Speech and Occupational Therapy, and it was soooo busy. I was tempted to drive back to Katey's house and say we'll see you all when you're finished. I didn't, and Betty Jane saved me. She stuck with Jay the entire time. There were so many kids there that it was hard to keep track of Jay and make sure he was being kind and staying close, etc. She was my saving grace who allowed us to stay and play at the park with the family! At lunch, I told my siblings that I was going to have a baby! They were all so surprised and happy and it was so fun to share! We'd wanted to do it earlier, but it just didn't happen but the lunchtime worked great. I also told Oma and Papa, and Klaire later that day. Papa, I think, didn't believe me at first. I told him it was his birthday and he said something to the effect, "Are you joking?" We're surprised too, and excited and soooo grateful! We've been hoping and praying for a baby for a long time and are grateful for this little one! Back to Monday shenanigans, we went back to the Merrill's and I tried to help Jay nap. I was so tired, I was in and out of sleep, but he would not let himself rest. He would hear the fun happening and didn't want to miss out! I tried for about an hour and gave up. We had a fun afternoon and enjoyed dinner with the family before heading home. Matthew was kind enough to work from home so I could have the car and we were all excited to see him when we got back! 

Hugh, rocking the playground!

Hugh, a little nervous he got to the top of this arch and wasn't sure how to get down.

Hugh and Hope swinging and Levi pushing

Jay's innocent, "What Mom, I just can't sleep" look

Jett, Seth, Kara, Lindsay, Kade, Jack, and Katey playing Code Names

Tuesday, March 18th, Jay returned to school. I think the routine helped him feel a little more normal, which was good. We hosted family dinner at our house and had the whole crew here (Jack's family, Katey's family, and Kara's family. We set up another table and a kid table in the kitchen. Everyone pitched in to make dinner a huge success! When family comes together to put a meal together, it's amazing! We had three rigatonis, three loaves of french bread, and fruit salad and everything was gone except a few servings of rigatoni. It started to snow that evening before we left for the airport and the Black boys were so excited! They got to see snow and they were thrilled! I was nervous about the airport drive and did my best to stay calm and confident in our ability to stay safe. It was a sad and quick drop off at the airport, and their trip went too fast. It was wonderful to have them here and we enjoyed all the moments! Ross and Levi read books to my boys in the mornings and Hank colored a beautiful flower for Jay. Jett finally let me help him with things and he gave me a hug goodbye, so big wins there. 

Oma and Papa gave the boys these shirts and they LOVE them! They are from their trip to Hawaii. 

Jay's teachers decided Jay should be a tourist when he grows up, and it seems quite fitting to his picture!

Kade, Hugh, Hope, Jett, and Abby at the kid table

The whole kitchen crew! 

Jay pulling Hank around before we left for the airport

Levi and Ross made this, and it was to share with the cousins, so sweet!

The rest of my week I spent feeling so sick. I got a bad sinus congestion cold and had a hard time sleeping, resting, and getting enough energy for life! We had to cancel our Friday evening plans and I laid on the couch during pre-school times. It was rough! The boys handled my lack of energy quite well, which I was grateful for! I had my 12 week appointment and was grateful to hear the baby's heartbeat and Hugh was my super trooper companion. Saturday I was feeling a little better, so we met up with Katie Dahl at a nearby park. It was a couple miles away, so I biked and pulled the boys. The ride there was a constant uphill and the combination of pregnancy and feeling sick earlier in the week made it extra hard! I was grateful the ride home was much easier. We loved our park playtime and Katie worked with Jay on some behavioral therapy strategies to get him to keep his body safe, aka, not hitting or using physical contact to get a need met. She's amazing and we had a great time! 

Hugh learning the scale will turn on when he touches it! 

The boys LOVE when Dad comes home and reads books to them and plays with them!

Hugh riding the motorcycle at the park

Everyone sharing a yummy dinner treat!

Jay mastered these steps while we were at the park and I was so impressed! 

I told them to say cheese and smile, it didn't work, and they were SO done in the trailer. 

Sundays right now are an extra sacred day in our family. Matthew has the day off and it's the only day we get much time with him, even when it's limited by his extra meetings for Elders' Quorum. Jay's primary teachers are working really hard with him and being so patient, we are grateful! Hugh is finally loving nursery. I just walked him into the class by the hand and shut the door before he knew it, and since then, he's done amazing. He's always excited to go! Sunday afternoon walks have become a staple for us. Matthew and I get to talk, while Hugh and Jay ride. We've even been braving some of the cold Sunday's and it's been worth it! Jay woke up one morning and determined he should go to work. He put on Matthew's slippers, his coat, and pulled up the chair to the desk and started typing. It was very cute and he did not want to leave his post! Someday he'll have plenty of time to work, so right now we're working on getting him to play! 

Jay at work!

So happy to be like Dad! 

Bonus Winter/Spring Break

This year they are trying a different school schedule, and Jay had the last week of February off! It was like a bonus winter/spring break. I loved the little break and it felt really nice to have some time to do what we wanted to do and be home! The week did start with parent teacher conference. I decided to ride my scooter there and I wore Jay's neon paw patrol vest. I forgot to take it off when I got into the school and got a few giggling comments. Jay's teachers were overall very positive. They focused on what progress he'd made since previous assessments, not just everything he's not doing. I was very grateful, and I do feel that he has some teachers surrounding him who are trying to help him out! 

We got to play pickleball one morning, outside and it was beautiful! We played at the park and enjoyed the weather outdoors. I was grateful the weather mostly cooperated for the week! In late February, you never know what weather you'll get! It was nice enough that we went to the car wash and got the van washed. It's been a long time since we've done that, and Hugh and Jay were both wide-eyed as we went through. I spent a while vacuuming the van and got it looking pretty good. Just as we were about to pull out, the lady next to me locked her keys in her car. My first thought was, that stinks, I think police officers help with that. Then, I thought, she probably doesn't live too far, I should see what she needs. She was very flustered, of course, so when I asked her if she wanted a lift home, she was more than grateful. She called me "baby" at every turn and when she said thank you as we dropped her back off at her car. The boys thought the lady should come home and play with us, but it was a great opportunity to serve and I'm glad we could do it. 

We also got together with Katey, a couple of her friends, and Katie Dahl at a park in Thornton. I found one that seemed about half way for those coming from the north and for us from the east. It worked out so well and we had a great time! Both Katey(ie)'s were super helpful with the boys which made everything a little easier. I love hanging out with good people and strong women! We had a fun little picnic and made it home in time for naps.

Hugh and Jay riding the teeter-totter

I was able to do a little more service throughout the weeks by taking meals to two different families. One was gluten free and the other just regular. Serving helps you realize how many problems and struggles you are grateful you don't have! I've hardly ever taken meals to people, but this past month I've done three! It's been good for getting me outside of myself and looking for other's needs. 

Another highlight was going to dinner with my friend, Sam. We recently tried a super good Mexican food place, Lupitas, and so I shared it with Sam. We had a great time visiting and stayed until the restaurant was closing. She's a great listener, kind, and thoughtful! I am grateful for her and for the time we had together. I am also grateful that Matthew watched the boys so I could have a night out. 

The day finally arrived for the baby shower I was hosting for Anastasia. We were going to have it in early February and it never worked out, so finally it came on the first of March. Matthew was the super star and my saving grace, by getting the boys to Platteville to hand over to Katey and then getting home and helping me set everything up. Setting up on my own wasn't really in the plans and I was grateful for his help. My granola turned out super yummy for the parfaits and a couple ladies brought some fun additions. I planned the game "Baby Feud" and it turned out very fun! We had about 15 ladies in total, which was the perfect number for my house. I was grateful as everyone left and Matthew helped me get everything back in order. Katey was amazing and let me stay home to eat lunch with Matthew and take a nap and then come get the boys from her. I needed some time to reset after the shower and she was more than willing to take the boys for a bit longer. 

We had one very full Friday evening, and it was so fun! It started with a quick visit to my friend Breeanne's birthday party. I dropped in and then came home to set up for our murder mystery date night. Matthew and I sent out roles and invitations earlier in the week and we had the BEST time! The couples we invited, the Jacksons, Dahls, and Griffiths, don't really know each other, but are so awesome. Everyone had the perfect roles and everyone got into it. We had some fancy foods and chocolate fallen cake to go with our Duke's Descent theme. None of us totally solved the mystery, but we came close and we had an awesome time doing it. We all laughed and chatted and no one really seemed to be ready to leave even when it was over. It's been a long time since we've had interactions with couples in such a positive, uplifting way, and it was refreshing for us! 

A couple other quick notes, I went to the eye doctor and got a new pair of glasses. Hugh was my partner in crime and did amazing during the appointment and shopping for new glasses. He found a couple pairs to try on and he was the star of the optometrist office. He actually lost one of his toy cars and we couldn't find it anywhere. They said they'd put it in my file if they found it, and sure enough, when I went to get my glasses, they'd found it and kept it! 

Hugh in the chair before the doctor came in

This was the first pair he found and wore for a long time!

I later found him this kid pair which he thought was pretty cool too.

We had our first behavioral therapy session with Sister Dahl, aka Katie Dahl. We have to call her Sister Dahl so the boys don't get confused with Aunt Katey. She came over to help me work on helping Jay to stop hitting and using his body in unsafe ways. She's amazing at what she does and gave us so many pointers and makes it seem so natural. We are working with Jay and she's so willing to keep giving us her time and energy and resources and she's truly a gift from Heavenly Father right now. Some of Jay's behaviors are getting really hard and they are really hard at school too. Matthew and I haven't known what to do and she's giving us new ideas and perspectives and hopes for being able to help Jay in ways we didn't know how. Heavenly Father works in mysterious ways, and I am continually grateful he works miracles in my life every day! Jay's an amazingly happy boy and very good at helping. Here he's helping "Beary", his bear, clean up the magna tiles. Beary got all the tiles into the bucket! And, Jay loves hauling things around. In this second picture, you can see him hauling our trash cans around...he brought them from quite a ways away! 

Beary helping Jay clean up

Can you see Jay out there with the trashcans?!

We also got to have Grandma and Grandpa up for dinner on Sunday which was the best! The boys were sooooo excited when they woke up from naps to find Grandpa and Grandma here. We love having them come and feel so blessed to have them close. They are so good with our boys and our boys love them so much. The boys took an extra love for Grandma during this visit as she read them books and played the finger game with Hugh like she did at the cabin. 

Matthew, Hugh, and Jay listening to Grandma 

Grandma doing the finger game with Hugh

Hugh updates are that he's transitioned to a big bed! He's been doing amazing! He's so happy to be sleeping there and Matthew even put him to bed there at night without my knowledge. I'd just been doing naps, but when I was gone for the evening, Hugh requested the big bed, so Matthew obliged. 

He's unsure how he feels about his sandals, but he's happy to show someone who's willing to see!

He tucked himself underneath the blankets in the pack n' play that he usually sleeps on top of. 

Do you see him in that big bed? Amazing! 

He thought he was so funny with Jay's shoes on and he'd just previously sat in the melted ice water in the pool, so he happed to be pant-less too. 

Painting and Projects

Painting began at our house on President's day! They painted the main floor and the upstairs hallway, and redid all the baseboards in the same areas. It took them Monday through Wednesday to do everything and we really like how it turned out! It's taken some adjustment because it's soooo different than it was, but it is beautiful. While they were painting, we lived in the basement. I was so grateful our basement was finished so we could enjoy a bathroom, carpet, and everything we needed for entertainment! We picnicked downstairs each day for lunch, which made for a fun adventure. Katey and Hope joined us in our basement dwelling on Wednesday when I had a class in the morning. Luckily, by the time they finished their work in the evenings, we had dinner at our kitchen table and we all slept in our regular beds and rooms at night. Three days was enough time to feel displaced and greatly appreciate having my home back! 

I wondered how'd they paint up that high, and here they are! 

The finished kitchen

Monday, President's Day, we went bowling with the Bryce's and the Merrill's. Jay had a big spill on his first or second turn and then was pretty hesitant to keep going. Katey was the super aunt who helped him bowl almost every time! Hugh wanted to bowl too, so he took a few of Jay's turns. When Jay was struggling, Jack sat with him and talked to him. Then, Lindsay saved the day with extra snacks. Jason walked around with Jay in the arcade when he was done bowling. It took the whole crew to help the day be successful for me and I was so grateful! We lucked out hitting a special where we could bowl two games so Hugh and I stayed with Jack, Lindsay, and Allen and bowled the whole time. We went to Katey's for lunch and then I helped Kylee, Tia, and Katey whitewash some new bedframes they got. We found the bedframes for free on the street on a Sunday walk, and went back and picked them up for the girls. They worked hard sanding, and then we refinished them. They turned out very cute! 

Katey helping Jay, Jack in the background

Hugh thought his own water cup was so fun! 

Aunt Katey helping Hugh

We had a Relief Society activity on Tuesday evening and I got to pull out my sewing machine! I sewed hearts all night, which was fun. I also taught a sister how to sew that had never sewn before. She did a great job, and I realized how hard it is to teach someone a new skill. It was nice to have an evening out and some time with women in the ward. 

We drove for the first time to Brantner Elementary school for Kinder Round up! If we decide it's where Jay needs to go, it's going to be a drive. It took me a little over twenty minutes to get there. We met Matthew there after work and got a tour of the school. I had the chance to discuss with the vice principal a little about Jay's needs and asked what we could do to make sure he's set up for success day one of the school year. She connected me with some people in the district special education department and I hope we'll be able to find some answers soon. .......I stopped writing (as in literally stopped) because I got a call from the Special Education department. We were informed if we send Jay to Brantner, or Padilla, or anywhere outside of our school district, and they determine he needs central program, like an Autistic classroom, and they  don't have capacity to take him, they'll send him back to his home school. Their Autism programs are currently full, with waitlists. Jay could get on the waitlists, but will always be lowest priority because of being out of district. I was heartbroken getting this news. I thought we'd found a hopeful solution where Jay might actually be able to find success and support, and then we were told no and our chances of any help are very slim. Our district has no autism programs or trained professionals. We also felt anger, anger that we know help is available but because we live on the wrong side of the street we can't get access to the help. We're on the waitlist for Padilla, and I don't think we'll be sending Jay to Brantner, it just doesn't make sense if he can't access resources for Autistic kids. We're looking into additional ideas for how to get Jay support he needs close to home and through the home school. We're praying and realize that Heavenly Father has a much better and grander plan for Jay than we even come close to understanding. We'll find Jay what he needs with guidance from Heavenly Father because He loves Jay so much and is there to help us!

We were so excited when the painters finished and we got to put the house together again! We kept pictures off the walls for a while to let the paint cure, but having couches in place and our living space back was a great blessing! We're spending any good weather day outside walking and going to the park. We have to take advantage of the sunshine when it's here. I think we're all itching for summer and we've still got a lot of winter and cold springtime ahead. 

Hugh bundled up to stay warm in the car during school drop off and errands! As he would say, "it's coldy, coldy, coldy!"

We try really hard to go on Sunday walks, we enjoyed a short stop on our walk this week at a park. 

Service, Love, and Prayer

The first half of February has been packed! It's been full of service, love, and a lot of prayer. I have felt overwhelmed with my to-do's in a way I haven't felt in a long time and I've needed to rely on Heavenly Father for strength beyond my own! I've also needed many family and friends who have encouraged me and helped me continue, even when it felt like there was no end to my responsibilities. I have felt strength from Heaven in so many ways and am very grateful! It's good to have busy times, to remind you of the things that matter most and to be grateful for the less busy times. 

I'll start by sharing various service opportunities I've had within a short two week period. I started by teaching Sunday School on the first Sunday of the month. I love teaching and Matthew got to be my co-teacher again. I was able to pull in some Church history from the Saints book, got the class up and moving around a couple of times, and I think they enjoyed learning. I quickly moved from lesson preparations to preparing a talk for the following Sunday. My talk was on seeking and receiving revelation, and I really enjoyed studying it. I was blessed to sit down and write and feel my own revelation coming as I wrote. The same Sunday I gave my talk, I taught Jay's primary class. I had my friend, Katie Dahl, sit in with me. Jay loves Katie, and it helped me be able to focus on others in the class and teach the lesson. We talked about how Jesus protects us when we follow him, and made little sheep. Jay loved his sheep necklace, and I think the other kids did too! 

Matthew and I were able to go to the temple together to do a session Friday evening. On our way, we dropped off dinner to a family in the ward who needed it, and before we came home, we cleaned the temple. Lila Conner watched the boys and she said they did pretty well. We stopped for dinner at Culver's and ate in a parking lot to enjoy some quiet time together before going to the temple. I love when I can feel peace in the temple and truly enjoy my time there, without rushing. Cleaning went well, and luckily our temple is smaller so it only takes a crew of 10 about an hour to vacuum everything. They usually don't make us do any deep cleaning, just vacuuming and raking. It was a very late night, and we were tempted to not take the whole drew to church cleaning at 8am the next morning, but loaded everyone up anyways. There were only a couple people there to clean, so it was a good thing we showed up. I found that Jay is the best trash buddy for cleaning the church. He loves to push trashcans, so we gathered trash from every room in the building and he had the best time! We all got home feeling happier and ready to have a better day. 

There was a young couple, like us, that got baptized! Ian and Kayley are so kind and have two super sweet little girls, close to Jay and Hugh's age. We see them during nursery drop off and they've been very consistent coming to church over the past month or two. Our boys thought seeing the baptisms was so cool and often ask when we're going to another. 

I also started a class called Hanen. It's Wednesday mornings from 9-11:30. I drop off Jay and almost immediately have to log into the session. One Wednesday we met our new Speech Therapist and learned about the program, and the second session was just with the parents of these kiddos with Autism. The curriculum is built for parents of children with Autism, to teach us how to communicate with them better. Katey and Hope came for our long session and helped with Hugh. Hugh was a little concerned about why I was ignoring him, and wasn't super receptive to Katey's help. I think he'll warm up over time as it becomes routine and he knows I am still around. I am excited to learn and it's already challenging some of my normal thought processes, and I am trying to have an open mind to learn some new things that will maybe really help us along our journey with Jay! We feel blessed to have gotten into the program, as there is usually quite a waitlist. We took the stroller to get Jay and then Jay and I were playing stop go on the way home. Hope and Hugh though playing and running in the snow seemed more fun than riding, so they hopped out and walked the rest of the way home. They are such cuties!

Hugh and Hope

The two little two's, so cute!

Hugh and I got to go to lunch with Jay for family lunch day and we visited the Kindergarten pod afterwards. Jay does so much better this year at staying at the table and eating his food, it's fun to see the growth in him. The tour of the kindergarten pod was okay, I left not feeling excited to send Jay to kindergarten. We've been praying and fasting to know where to send him to school, and we're still waiting to hear back from the school we're truly hoping for! Needless to say, we're still praying and praying for him to get into the right school that will provide him with the resources and support team for this stage of his life. 

Amongst all the things noted above, I was asked by the RS activity committee leader to come up with ideas for how to roll out a month of service for the ward. When I was asked to do this, a flood of overwhelm came over me. On top of everything I had to do, an assignment like this seemed too much. My friend Anna was standing nearby when I was asked, and the leader looped her into the request. When I finally finished my talk, teaching primary, and all the other things, I sat down with Anna to see what we could send. Anna had already come up with some amazing ideas and a theme to go along with what the activity leader wanted. She was prepared and lifted this burden in a way that I needed! Anna was an angel and an answer to my prayer! We've now met with the leader and handed everything back to her and her committee for final roll out. 

We enjoyed having the missionaries over for dinner and the boys also loved it! Jay loves playing with the missionaries name tags, and during the winter, they always have a tag on their coats that they let him play with. They shared a fun message and brought the Spirit into our home, which was a wonderful blessing. I secretly hope that my feeding missionaries might someday be positive karma for my boys being fed by families on their missions. 

We've decided to repaint our main floor and redo baseboards. The painting is beyond our skill level due to the nature of our home, so we got some quotes and one crew also does baseboards. Their quotes came in very good and we're moving forward. In preparation for painting, I've had to choose paint colors, buy baseboards, patch holes, caulk stairs, and move as much as possible out of the main floor. Paint color was sooooo hard! My friend, Breeanne, came over a couple times to help me look at the paint colors and think about what might look best. She's only a few days from having a baby, so I know she sacrificed to make the time to come by! I was very proud to fit my 12 foot baseboards inside my minivan, and Hugh was thrilled too! He kept saying, "So big!" Patching holes and caulking the stairs was my nightly activity. It was something I couldn't do with the boys awake. Our garage door has also been not working, so I called a repair guy. He came and found we had faulty wiring and quickly fixed it. I am soooooo grateful to have a garage door that opens and closes now!

When I stood up and my heel hit the baseboard and things went flying, Matthew said it was the last straw

We've gone to Home Depot a lot lately, and Hugh's been a trooper

"It's so big!" - Hugh

Caulking step 1, taping

Caulking, I realized I needed to get a tube to use with my caulk gun. The hand tube was way too hard.

First quarter done!

Final bottom steps

Final top steps

Valentine's day this year was a little extra fun! We started celebrating Thursday evening by meeting Matthew for dinner at Lupitas in Brighton. We'd never eaten there before, but it was soooo yummy! The servings were huge and delicious. I packed the boys some mac and cheese and other food for them to eat while we ate the restaurant food. Sometimes restaurants can be really hard with the boys, but they did well! Valentine's morning, I made pink pancakes in heart shapes. Hugh actually recognized them as hearts and it made me so happy! I also made Jay's valentines for his class and his little valentine box. He continues to carry his box around and loads it up with all sorts of toys. I also decided to make a little treat for my ministering sisters and companion. Hugh and I dropped off Jay at school and then walked to make our deliveries. It was a brisk morning and we only caught one sister at home. Jay's school party was an ice cream party and he and Hugh had a great time! It's always fun to see Jay in the classroom and how his teachers know him well enough that they are also on the Jay anticipation/high alert mode for him. We left the party and packed our lunches to go up to Jack's house. Betty Jane, Allen, and Roxy watched Jay and Hugh while I went to the temple with Jack and Lindsay. Two weeks in a row being able to go to the temple, what a blessing! Hugh slept almost the whole time, and I think the kids were grateful when we got home so I could take Jay home. It was wonderful to be in the temple with Jack and Lindsay, and I missed having Matthew with me. Valentine's evening, we had pizza for dinner and we roasted s'mores on our indoor s'more maker. S'mores are comfort food, and have been something I've loved since a young child roasting mallows at Grandma and Grandpa's house in the summer. I ate more than I could count, then we watched the live action, "Cinderella." We watched this movie while we were dating and it brought back fun memories! I made the boys, Matthew included, little scratch off valentines cards. It was fun to watch the boys try to scratch off and I think Matthew is slowly working through his scratch offs as well. 

When I told Jay we were going to meet Dad for dinner, he ran downstairs for several minutes. Came back up, loaded and ready to go!

Pink heart pancakes!

Pink rice crispy treats

Jay's Valentine Box

Jay's Valentines

Jay loves to help Mrs. Kim, so here is helping her clean up the tables after the party

Hugh loves the busy wall in Jay's classroom!

Homemade indoor s'more!

Scratch off Valentine's I made for the boys

We kicked off the month with a family bike ride and pickleball outside. It was a "warmer" day and we wanted to get outside together. February is when Matthew's work really starts picking up, so we were grateful to squeeze in one last Saturday fun activity before he starts working all of the Saturdays. Matthew did get to ride the scooter because his bike tube has a big hole, so we need to get that fixed for summer!

Matthew, Hugh, Jay, and I finishing up our ride. 

I also sold my dresser and my bookshelf that I bought when I first moved to Colorado. It was sad to see them go, but the lady who bought the dresser was so excited to have something so beautiful to store her sewing things! We actually delivered the dresser to her house and she paid us extra, which was very nice. I also sold a few toys we weren't using. It's nice to get rid of clutter and also make a little extra cash. 

Hugh has recently started to say things are silly, and even calls things silly gooses, which is very funny! I also built a little bear with playdough the other day and he said, "I like it!" I've never received a compliment like that from a kiddo and it was so sweet! He loves reading books and could sit on my (or anyone's) lap forever reading. He's also started to line things up, from cars to blueberries to chips. 

Hugh and Jay lining up the cars

Jay is getting better at building with magna tiles and is getting some tall towers! He's getting better at sentences and using appropriate pronouns, like I, me, you, her, and him. He's always so happy and gives me the best cuddles after naptime. 

I helped Jay steady the tower a bit, but he built it and I was so impressed! He then wanted to use his "light" to shine through the tiles.

Jay with his most recent schoolwork. He comes home with lots of papers that people color or paint for him, I only included one here. 

When Jay chooses to do his lite-brite, he does amazing work and it's fun to see his focus!

Living his best life on our bed with his jacket, he's been very into jackets and being "cold" 

Time to clean the church! Jay ran downstairs and loaded up his things. He's prepared for anything!