Our Valentine's Week

Again, I'm behind on holiday posting because of the absence of my camera! I've been hoping I'd have it back in time to take a few pictures, but it's MIA from the repair company. *sigh* I feel so disabled without it!

The week of Valentine's day was a fun-packed week for us, and thankfully we were in between illnesses. I belong to a group out here called the Network for Residents' Spouses (NRS) and usually attend the weekly playgroup. I was asked to host the Valentine's Day party here at my house, so on Thursday we ended up with around 30 people packed in here! It was a lot of fun. The boys helped me scatter some heart decorations here and there, and we had some red Christmas lights up on the stairs. And since the house was already clean and I had leftover treats, we had Eli's Sunbeam class (the 3 year old class at church) join us the next day for a party repeat!
We celebrated our family day of Love on Saturday. The boys each got a small heart box of chocolates, which they went to town on immediately! They each got a little movie (Thomas the Train and Cars) courtesy of Grandma K., and Grandma B. had sent them a little care package earlier in the week with some cars, dinosaurs, and candy! What lucky little boys!

I lucked out on Saturday as well.... my sweetheart pulled out all the stops to spoil me. He woke up early and took my car out in the freezing cold to wash and vacuum it (much needed!). He even taped hearts all over the inside with little messages on them, and included a pink airfreshener! I was glowing all morning while driving it out around town on errands =). He also splurged on some orange roses (my favorite color!), which I know is kind of extravagant for our current situation, but I do LOVE flowers!



We also got to go out on a REAL DATE! We traded babysitting with some friends of ours out here, so they went out the week before while we watched their kids, and they watched Eli and Owen for us on Saturday. Brad picked the restaurant - Sophia's - which was serves up YUMMY meditterranean/Greek/Italian type food - my FAVE. It was so nice just to be able to spend a few hours together with no worries - laughing and talking and just enjoying our DATE. Of course I always know I love Brad, but it's nice to have times like these now and then to remember how fun it is to be "in love" too, you know what I mean? Anyway, I don't really use this blog as a forum for professing my love for Brad, but he is an AMAZING guy, I LOVE HIM, and I'm so thankful that after all these years and the crazy twists and turns our lives have taken, that he LOVES ME too! I'm a lucky woman!

PS. I'm editing to mention that we also had two other couples over on Sunday evening (actual Valentine's Day) for a candelit dinner of chili and cornbread. One of the couples brought sparkling cider, so I had an excuse to unpack my goblets that had been stored away for two years. It was a lot of fun! *(Except for the part where Owen woke up puking in the middle of the night)* Anyway, I can't believe I forgot to mention it =).

Poop, Snot, Barf

Sorry for the unattractive title, but these are the inevitable unpleasantries of motherhood... made especially fun when you get to deal with them all at ONCE. Hence, the lack of blogging in the last week... I've been "up to my elbows" as they say =).

First, the potty training. Eli has been officially in underwear for two weeks now. Really, it has gone more smoothly than I could have hoped. After all of our half-hearted attempts to start, I just had to let go of diapers cold turkey. And guess what - not a SINGLE pee accident in all that time! And he's gone to church, the store, and friends' houses! Wow. I still have to remind him and take him throughout the day, but if I forget for a few hours, he will just hold it rather than pee himself (and he won't tell me he needs to go, lol). But the poop... OH. THE. POOP. I have had to clean up poop out of his underwear EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. He refuses to tell me when he needs to go, and never produces on the potty even if I sit him there for a half an hour. He sneaks away somewhere quiet (usually playing trains) as soon as I am busy (ie. putting Owen down for a nap). He has a sticker chart, bribery chocolate, and knows as soon as he poops on the potty he will get a NEW TRAIN, and yet, no success. Ugh. Thank goodness for my diaper sprayer! For those of you unfamiliar, it's like a kitchen sprayer that hooks to your toilet tank - I use it for spraying poop off the cloth diapers, and it also works great for messy undies and little training toilets!
And since we are discussing nastiness, of course winter illness brings on even more! Owen ended up with unexplained diarrhea for a couple of days two weeks ago. It figures that I had recently re-committed to cloth diapers full time and we had no disposables in the house. After hosing diapers out all day, I called Brad at work and begged him to bring some home with him! We lost a few nights of sleep over this illness, because it seemed to hit hardcore in the middle of the night.

Owen recovered from the diarrhea and had a good week last week, and then this week got a major cold. The WEIRDEST thing though, is that after I put him to bed on Sunday night, he woke up and puked ALL OVER the bed, himself, and nearly missed Eli. I thought he was getting the flu on top of it, but he was fine the next day. I washed up all the bedding (you know what a task that is), only to have him to it again the next night! Again, fine the next day, and the next night, then Weds night he lost his cookies all over MY bed! The best we can figure is that he was just having a little gag reflex to the thick cold secretions when I'd lay him down. Ugh. Washing bedding 3X in one week is NOT fun, not to mention getting up in the middle of the night to clean puke off of a crying kid and then try to find somewhere clean to sleep. Thank goodness for Brad and his help - the poor man was on-call and getting woken up all night by his pager as it was. Last night was much better - no puking, and Owen slept pretty well most of the night. So hopefully we are OVER IT.

Naughtiness and Fun

Well after the marathon holiday catch-up, I thought I'd post some funny and naughty things I caught my kids doing in the last month. The pictures are from my camera phone because my good one is still broken, so sorry about the quality!

Story #1: Little Picassos

The boys were pretty inspired after their trip to the art studio in January. One morning I had the bright idea of letting them "paint" the wall with water. They were THRILLED. They were getting along so well and seemed to be so wrapped up in making water "rainbows" that I snuck away to fold laundry in the bedroom.



When I came out to check on them, I was shocked to discover that the water had somehow turned the wall black and blue! Then it dawned on me... Eli had gotten into the pantry and helped himself to the actual watercolors (did I mention after the Cheerios post that there is now a LOCK on that door?!). It took quite a bit of scrubbing to get it off, but he helped me clean it up. Then he repeated all day "we don't put real paint on the wall, only on paper."

Story #2: Headbands

The boys love my headbands... what more can I say? They fight over who gets to wear them, and actually broke my favorite black one with the flower... grr! Though I have to admit, I think they look kind of cute in headbands =).

Story #3: Monkey Business

One afternoon the boys found it hilarious to run shrieking through the house with monkeys hanging on their necks. Brad and I got a good laugh at that one!

Story #4: The Dentist

Eli had his first trip to the Dentist... not only no cavities, but NO PLAQUE. And he really did GREAT. He was excited to go and was very cooperative - even with the tooth brushing, flossing, and flouridating. The hygenist was awesome with him, and the waiting room was really set up fun for kids. We had to stay for 20 minutes after our appointment just to play. Owen got his teeth briefly looked at too, but he wasn't as excited or cooperative =).

Story #5: Giant Dinosaurs

Eli and Owen each picked out a giant dinosaur for their birthdays (with a giftcard from a friend). Good old Stegosaurus and Triceratops are lots of fun and very splashy in the bathtub! Between the four of them, I end up with water dripping down the walls after their bath together. The kids also love bubble baths, but have emptied out TWO brand new bottles into the tub in ONE week... I will be locking our new bottle up as well =). Much laughter, squealing, and splashing occurs during bathtime around here!

Catching Up Part 6: Sledding and Snow Men

Are you starting to wonder how many catching up posts there are going to be??? Haha. This is the last one, I promise! Anyway, it wouldn't be a trip to Utah without some good old sledding and snow man building! Last year we forgot to bring snow clothes for Eli, and with Owen being only a few weeks old, we avoided the outdoors, lol. This year I made sure to pack correctly! We had to borrow a coat for Eli, but luckily had some snow pants that still fit him and his old snow suit from last year fit Owen. We improvised on snow boots - covering Eli's regular shoes with a pair of Grandpa's old socks - they went up to his knee under his pants to keep snow from getting in his shoes. We went with Grandpa and Sky, Ash and Kenna over to the park for some sledding!

Three kids on a sled:

Both boys cried about going down, but kept wanting to do it again so I guess it was fun afterall.





After a few sled rides, we goofed around in the snow a little. It was all fun and games until some snow landed on Eli's face. As soon as he felt the cold on his cheek, that was the END of the fun! Major waterworks ensued, and he sniffled the whole walk home. Oh well... it was a fun memory to make!


One day I went into town alone to do some shopping, and Brad and Grandpa took the boys out in the front yard for some sled pulling and snowman building. Didn't they do a good job?


They thoroughly and effectively wore the kids right out!

Our trip home went more smoothly. We took the I-80 through Wyoming and Nebraska this time. There were some very pretty parts of Wyoming - forests that looked like they'd been frosted with diamonds! Nebraska was very boring... and COLD. We spent the night in Lincoln, NE and everything in our car was frozen the next morning. Even the DVD player didn't work for a while until it got warmed up (and can I just say how THANKFUL I am for car DVD players???? It's the ONLY thing that allowed us to survive such a long road trip with little ones!). We made it home safe and sound, worn out, and happy. We had a great time and sure love and miss everyone. We are happy here at home as well.

Catching Up Part 5: Geat Grandma and Temple Square

For our Family Home Evening on the Monday we spent in Utah, we were able to head down to Salt Lake City with Brad's parents, and Skyler, Ashley and Kenadee. We stopped to visit Great Grandma Alta Benson (Grandpa B's Mom) at the care facility she was staying in. Grandma had been living in Idaho and came down for the holidays, only to get very sick and end up needing to be admitted for a while. It was Owen's first chance to meet his Great Grandma. She is always a pleasure to see as she cares very much about her family, and keeps amazingly good track of her nine children and dozens of grandchildren and great grandchildren. I am so grateful we had the chance to see her, because she passed away just a few weeks after our visit. She lived to be 90 years old, and spent over 30 years as a widow... she lived an honorable life and left quite a legacy in her family. We love and miss her, but are glad she is now reunited with her husband, patiently watching over and waiting for the rest of us.

After visiting with Grandma, we went up to Temple Square (the city block where the Salt Lake Temple and visitor's center are located) to see the magnificent Christmas lights! It's been a few years since we've seen them, and it was a first for both of the kids. Brad and I have special memories of walking around there at Christmas time - we visited together on our third date - the infamous night of "Buddy Ball" that started it all... ahh those were the days =). This night was just as magical, if not more so in that we were able to share it with our children. Eli especially loves the Salt Lake Temple, and was thrilled to see it in person. He now tells everyone that we all got married in the Salt Lake Temple ...I keep trying to explain that just mommy and daddy got married there, but he'll have none of that =). The only draw back to the evening was the temperature... IT. WAS. FREEZING. No exaggerations! We had on long john's and all our warm layers, and it still felt like the arctic. We only walked around for about 20 minutes, then headed upstairs to The Garden restaurant on the 10th floor of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building next door to the Temple.





This is the view from the window on the 10th floor of the JSMB. I have NEVER been up there before! Now that I know about it, heading up there for the view will have to be a new tradition! It was GORGEOUS to see the Temple and all the lights from that angle... not to mention much warmer =). We were able to see the Temple spires from our table.

See the spires in the background?
Now, The Garden was a nice treat for us, but unfortunately is was getting late in the evening and both of our kids were alternating with meltdowns. Eli was STARVING, but when his quesadilla finally came, he completely freaked out because it looked different than the ones I make him (aka there were black spots from the grill on it). Grr... so Brad and I jumped up and down a lot to keep the kids out in the foyer so as not to make a scene. I'm pretty sure the fountain out there is not for playing in, but thankfully the hostess turned a blind eye because there was not way to stop those little turkeys! They even got Kenna involved....

We stopped by the giant Christmas tree in the JSMB lobby on our way out. Can you see how soaked my children are? Anyway, here are some fun shots with the family!

What a fun and memorable night!

Catching Up Part 4: We love our Utah fam!

Getting out to Utah for a visit is nice for a lot of reasons. The change of scenery is exciting, we inevitably do things out of routine that are fun, Brad is off work so we get to be with each other ALL day, EVERY day for a WEEK, plus we get to go on a DATE and leave the kids with grandparents, we get to eat at Cafe Rio, visit Temple Square, and best of all, hang out with the FAMILY! This visit was really a blast. Last year when we visited, Eli felt really shy around everyone and would usually scream "Ow, guy!" whenever anyone looked at him (including Grandma!). This year he was so outgoing and friendly to everyone - he was excited to see REAL people that we had been telling him about and showing him pictures of. He got a kick out of learning and remembering everyone's names. He just seemed so comfortable and happy, that it was obvious he KNOWS this is his family! Owen made himself right at home as well, and got to exploring every nook and cranny of Grandma and Grandpa's house. It's also exciting that the boys have cousins now (with two more on the way this spring). Brad and I were the only married ones on his side of the family for a couple of years, so now that two of his brothers are married with kids, and my sister is expecting a baby, the fun is just multiplying!

The day we arrived, Grandma and Grandpa Goodrich and Aunt Nancy drove up from Salt Lake to see us. We sure wish we could have seen them one more time, but the week went so fast!



The boys enjoyed playing with cousin Kenadee (Skyler and Ashleigh's daughter) who is right in between them in age. Funny enough, she was a little nervous about these two and their "scary" dinosaur toys. They eventually warmed up to each other, and I know they have some fun years ahead of them!

Eli totally reminds me of Brad in this picture:
I wanted some cute pictures of the boys in their matching Christmas outfits, but after 3 days on the road, this is all the cooperation I got:

Eli thought Aunt Heidi was especially cool this trip... he really enjoyed going to two of her basketball games to watch her play!

Of course Brad got to play some ball with his Dad and Skyler... Eli got to practice his dunking skills!

One of the hi-lights for me of course was getting to see my adorable sister and her adorable belly! I can't wait to meet my little nephew! Hopefully we can time our trip in May right so that I can be there for his big arrival... Aub, you are the most beautiful pregnant mama ever! Aubrey and Dale spent some time with us on New Year's Eve, and then I went down for a nice afternoon and lunch with her in Spanish Fork a couple of days later. It was fun to see all of her baby preparations, and just be able to shoot the breeze like the good ol' days =).

Owen took up with Grandpa this time around, and even took a few naps with him! Grandpa's got the magic touch for getting babies to sleep it seems....Eli was excited to see Uncle Chris this time around. He's never say so, but I think Chris was pleased since Eli was especially scared of him the last visit =). This is the two of them sharing a sucker and reading Dino Train together... it was so adorable I HAD to get a pic!
And last but not least, our newest little nephew Trevan - Scott and Jen's first baby. I am so sad I don't have more pictures of him, but our camera broke right at the end of the trip. He is really a GORGEOUS baby... all that dark hair and blue eyes to contrast it. He was born the day before Owen's first birthday! And of course, he looks cute in this sling with his pretty mommy, Jen.

We sure love and miss everyone!