California, Chapter Three: Three Musketeers... and a Princess

Our time in California was really special, mostly because our boys got to know each other a little better. Now that they're a little older they can interact and play more. I'm sure it will only get better as they get older!

What's kind of neat about our three little musketeers is that they are each almost exactly 5 months apart. Luke was born July 21, 2009. Benjamin was born December 27, 2009. And Hugh was born May 17, 2010. 5 months apart. It's really cool. Don't you think?


The first musketeer, you know. It's my Luke:

("Yeah, mom, what's up?")

Luke is almost 19 months old. He's quiet. He's really sweet and a lot of fun. Cautious by nature - he still prefers cruising (walking while holding onto someone/something) or good, old fashioned crawling to independent walking. He loves watered down apple juice and hates milk.


Then there is Benjamin:

He is about 13 (and a half!) months old. He is adventurous and loves to explore. He started walking a few months ago, and is always on the go. He's a lot of fun and his pretty blue eyes will suck you right in.


And, last but certainly not least: Hugh!

Hugh is almost 9 months old. He's a good crawler and he likes to pull himself to standing. It seems like he's a good balance of Luke's cautiousness and Ben's adventurousness - he always wants to be in on the action, without being aggressive. His favorite food is avocado. The way he hums when he eats is too stinkin' cute to try to describe. He has a cute raspy/husky tone to his voice that's awesome when he laughs, but heart-breaking when he cries.

And my favorite thing about Hugh: there's something elvish about the way he smiles, the tips of his ears stick out just a bit that is so charming and endearing.


The boys had a lot of fun playing together. Most days Grandma and Grandpa got in on the action - allowing for Megan and I to sneak away to run some overdue errands, and spend some quality, quiet sister time. I love these next to pictures because they're so indicative of our visit - Hugh and Luke playing with toys, staying in one spot for at least a few minutes at a time, while Ben is on. the. go. nonstop.

I had a desire to capture a picture with all three boys, standing or sitting side by side. Now, you wouldn't think it would be that difficult.

Oh, but it is.



In this one, Hugh and Luke were ready. But Ben didn't think the idea of standing still in one spot sounded like that much fun - Grandpa was there trying to wrangle him into place... but then Ben looked away at the last second.

Then Ben decided to be a good sport, but by that time Luke started to get bugged.

And THEN, Ben decided that his first instinct was correct - that standing still for a picture really wasn't that much fun and he bailed. Meanwhile, Luke was still bugged.

Hugh can't figure out what's irking his cousin.

("Dude, chill, it's just a few pictures!")

When the other two folded, my little nephew, Hugh, was still there, camera-ready:

Such a cute kid!

Speaking of camera-ready....

Besides the three musketeers, we had a fourth character in our troop: a Princess.

AKA Audrey. She loved hanging out with the boys. She even challenged them to a few races up the stairs.

(Hugh, Luke, Audrey: bottom to top)

As usual, one of Audrey's absolute favorite things about a visit to Megan's is getting to see (and occasionally pet) their cats, Einstein and Watson.

(Einstein tolerating my toddler's attention.)

(Audrey loving every minute of it!)

It was really fun to watch how Ben and Hugh interact. They are good kids.

Even better, for me, was to see all three boys get together on their own and play.

There is something that is just right about seeing all three together - so close in age, on the same level, enjoying being together.


These moments were my favorite.

But, they also left an aching in my chest - wishing that we lived closer so that these didn't have to be special moments. More than anything, I wish that these three being together, in the same room, could be mundane and common and boring - just an everyday occurrence. (I'd even settle for a weekly or biweekly occurrence, I'm not picky!)



I love this next picture because it shows the moment when Hugh decided to break away from the little pack...

and come say hi to his Aunt Mandi.

I loved getting to hold, talk to, play with, and get to know my cute little nephews better. It was so much fun.




Chapter Four, up next....

California, Chapter Two: Walks with "Gampa"

We had a pretty set schedule while we were in California. Megan and I were both trying to maintain each child's regular routine. Trying to balance having respect for The Routine but also trying to maximize our time together made for quite a bit of back and forth, but it worked out and we made it fun.

Audrey, Lucas, and I stayed at my parent's house, so once we woke up and got dressed, we'd head over to Meg's for breakfast. Most mornings that meant homemade pancakes. We were not complaining. I started to feel guilty that Meg was going to too much trouble for us, but when she assured me that most mornings that's what they do anyway, I decided to shut my mouth and enjoy the deliciousness! (My kids have been in for a rude awakening, returning home to our usual breakfast: cold cereal and toast!) Once breakfast was over there was usually time for a little conversation and a little playtime for the babes, then I'd leave with my two so that her two could have their morning nap.

During this break, we'd head back to "Gamma and Gampa's House" for some hang out/play time before we'd reunite with Megan, Ben, and Hugh for some more fun and lunch and more fun before all four of the kids would need their afternoon naps.

Most days, since the weather was so lovely, my dad and I would take Audrey and Luke for a walk down the street or around the block.


This is how it usually went:

Audrey charges ahead, as fast as her little legs can carry her. She runs until one (or both) of us calls out to her to stop and wait.

Then she stops, turns around and says, "Come on, Gampa."

Then she gets a little impatient, tired of waiting for Luke's slower steps, so she charges back to where we are. Smiling and laughing the whole time. Which makes Luke laugh really hard, seeing his sister running full speed right at him, stopping when she is just inches away.

And then she's off again, not capable of maintaining the much slower pace of Luke's still-learning strides. That cycle repeats for the duration of the walk.

And I have to say, I love watching my kids having fun together, making each other laugh!

Sometimes my dad would carry Luke on his shoulders or in his arms.

Other times he would walk behind, holding hands with Luke for the extra balance-support he needs.

Sometimes we'd go around the whole block, sometimes we'd just go down the street and back, and sometimes we'd get to the sidewalk in front of my parent's house and get distracted by the dried up star-like balls that fall from the tree in their front yard.

One thing that was constant was Audrey's insistence that we "Come on, Gampa!"

California, Chapter Three coming soon....

Christian Clan Reunited!

Our family is together again.

The kids and I left Adam for a little over a week for a visit to my hometown in California. My parents had come to Utah to visit my siblings and their families who live here a few weeks ago. While they were here I had the idea of hitching a ride with them back to California and surprising my sister, Megan, with a visit. Fortunately, the stars aligned to make it all work out. The car ride from Provo was a little squished - my parents have a Honda Civic and with two big car seats in the back it didn't leave much room for the fifth passenger. But we made it all work. We took turns in the tiny nook in the back seat and drove straight through. It went well. Audrey and Luke were champs! I was pleasantly surprised by how well they did. There were a few little moments when either both or one of the kids got antsy or cranky, but they didn't last long. The whole visit was really, really good. I will fill you in on the visit soon, but first, I wanted to tell you about our first night back home.

Adam picked us up at the airport, then we had a few hours at home to unpack and play and eat dinner. After I put Luke to bed for the night, and armed Grammy with a few weapons to keep Audrey busy and happy, Adam and I went to a concert for an early Valentine date night. It was a Mindy Gledhill concert at Velour in downtown Provo. It was a lot of fun. It was our first concert together, and the first time either of us had been to Velour. It is a very cool venue. It's a really old building with exposed brick walls.

(The nice brick walls actually doubled as seat backs for us... which was nice.)

The room probably holds between 150 and 200 people. And it was filled to capacity. I really loved the vintage/retro vibe of the venue and the way the stage was set fit that same vibe.

I loved the little light strands! And the red gauzy curtains! And the stained glass!

Part of the ticket price included a free cupcake from The Sweet Tooth Fairy, and they were delicious!

(Adam got a chocolate-chocolate and I got a vanilla-vanilla and both were scrumptious!)

The great ambiance and the yummy cupcakes made the wait for the show to begin a nice relaxing time together. We talked. We cuddled. We did this:

And we stole a few kisses.

Very respectful and restrained.


Not at all get-a-room style.

That's not how we roll.


In public.


These were the stamps we got when we arrived and checked in at the door.

(Flowers - if it's difficult to see.)

After about 30 minutes, Mindy came onstage bundled in a thigh-length parka, armed with a readily recognizable, and very large, Jamba Juice cup. She welcomed all of us and then began a series of good news and bad news - that she had lost her voice, that there would be some notes that would simply be inaudible, but that we could turn it in to a sing along.

Then she introduced her opening act: Libbie Linton. Another local singer-songwriter. I'd never heard of her before, but she was really good. I really liked her style and her voice. She was super unique and fun and funny too. Kind of a dry humor - just my style!

She played guitar on some and then broke out the ukulele for one.

I thoroughly enjoyed her set of eight songs. So much so that Adam got up between the acts and bought me her album! Hooray for early Valentine's!


Then, Mindy came out and started her show. It was true - her voice was mostly gone. She managed pretty well in her lower register, but she needed extra help with the higher parts. Everyone in the audience sang every song. It was a really cool night.

This is what Mindy had to say about it.

Overall, it was a fantastic night. If you've never heard her music, I would strongly recommend it. Here are a few of her videos:


Anchor




All About Your Heart




Hourglass





I was looking forward to a great concert... and I got an unforgettable one instead!

California: Chapter One: The Park

We left Utah early, early Friday morning, February 4.

Like, early.

Like, so early that you don't consider it morning yet, but still the middle of the night. We pulled out of the driveway at 4:19am.

The trip went really well. Leaving so early was a great thing since a big chunk of the 14 hour trip was behind us before the day officially began with the sunrise. Audrey and Luke traveled so well - with the exception of a quick stop at a McDonald's Play Place in Winnemucca to let the kids run around and play, we drove straight through, only stopping for gas - during which we'd use the facilities and change diapers. By noon, we were already 2/3 of the way there! We pulled into my sister, Megan's driveway just a few minutes after 5pm. My trip was a surprise. Megan had no idea that I was coming.

Ever since she had shocked me with her own surprise visit just a week and a half after Luke was born, I've been wanting to orchestrate my own for her. This was my opportunity. I had talked with Megan on the phone many times in the days leading up to our departure. Never once leaving any hint or clue - often even commiserating with her about how crappy it is to live so far away from each other. She had actually called me, wondering when my parents had left our house that morning, so she would have an idea about when they'd be getting in - at that point, we were only about an hour and a half away from her house. I kept up the charade - silently giggling the whole conversation!

When we got there, I told Audrey to knock on their door, while I hid just out of sight (Meg has a glass front door which would have given me away). Audrey has a pretty soft knock, so when they didn't answer right away, my mom went to add to the knocking effort. Megan's husband, Marc, answered the door. Megan was in the front room, but could see enough to notice the little girl with our mom. I'm pretty sure the first words out of her mouth were "Nuh-Uh! No Way!" And then I literally jumped my way into her house - my excitement making me resemble Tigger, no doubt. Keeping our coming a surprise was difficult but entirely worth it for the look on Megan's face! I loved seeing the surprise and the happiness at our arrival!

We didn't stay long since it was time for them to get started with their bath and bedtime routine. But we all reunited for a trip to one of the city's parks the next morning. We put our kiddos in the swings first.

Luke, it turns out, has not stopped loving swings. It has been a long and very cold winter in Utah, and we haven't been able to venture outside to play on the swings since the early fall. We were all relishing in the warm California weather -a 40ish degree increase from the frigid temperatures we left in Utah.

And both Luke and Audrey were so excited that we could go outside and play!

(Audrey with cousin Ben to her right.)

All of the kids had such a fun time on the swings together.

Benjamin is Megan's oldest boy. He has the prettiest light blue eyes I've ever seen, and his laugh is so infectious! I'll tell you more about that in a future post.

And this cutie pie is Hugh, Megan's younger boy. He is a doll with the cutest little grins that totally melt me. And he's got this amazing husky voice. It's awesome.

I think Ben and Hugh were still getting used to me - some times it takes a little time! - they really were having a lot of fun!

Right next to the swings was a big play place with a bunch of different slides, stairs, bridges and jungle gyms. Audrey started eying them from her swing, so we played on those next.

Traversing the treacherous ladder/hammock bridge:

She looks a little nervous, a little intense, but she did really well. And felt really proud of herself when she got across safely!

I made Luke try a few different slides with me, and he liked them alright... but then started signaling for a repeat turn on the swings...

It is definitely safe to say that the swings are his favorite!

Our outing to the park was a great beginning of our week in sunny California!




Chapter Two coming soon....

It's Been Quiet Around Here...

...and I'm very sorry. I've been a total slacker when it comes to this blog. I've been on top of all of the other areas of my life though.

(I'll leave it to each of you to individually decide if I'm being sincere or sarcastic.)


A few highlights from our recent past:


Christmas was awesome! It was so much fun to see everything through the eyes of our wee ones. Audrey especially since she is now a Christmas expert. It was really cool to be a part of the unbridled excitement that only belongs to very young children!

This was taken just after opening our Christmas Eve Pajammies: Adam got some sa-weet sweats, Luke got a way cool Toy Story 3 set and Audrey a "Napgown" featuring Cinderella...no surprises here!

And even though it's blurry, this next picture has become a favorite because of the HUGE grin on Luke's face while he watches Audrey cavort! A perfect snapshot of those two - they love being together! (Except when they don't!)

With the chaotic activity of the holiday season behind us, we've settled into Winter Cave Mode - only venturing out when it's necessary. It's so cold outside most days, that it's hard to enjoy being outside, especially with the two kiddos. When we do go out it's for specific errands (like groceries and such). Or sometimes we'll try to go and play but that usually lasts about 4and a half minutes before Audrey is begging to go inside and "go get warm" or Luke starts to grunt and growl - a sure sign he's not comfortable or happy.


Audrey begged to go outside and put our umbrella to the test - it was sort of rain-slushing outside...

But was very quickly ready to go back inside and wait for a warmer rainstorm.

(Are you coming, Mom?)

So, we've resigned ourselves to finding ways to be entertained inside. (No small task, mind you.) Most of the time Audrey is at the center of all the fun - Luke is happy to do whatever she wants... for now.



She loves to dress up (especially as Cinderella):

And one of the newer pastimes is dancing in Luke's crib before bedtime:

(The plastic device sitting on the edge of the crib's railing is a little music player that goes inside of a stuffed teddy bear - she hits the play button and commences with her dance recital.)

Do I detect a little Flamenco influence? She's definitely got the flair for it!

We know it's over when she starts to get bored...

it's similar to writing blog posts, really. I'm kinda bored so I know I need to wrap it up!

Our 2010 in Pictures

Here's a little picture slide show of the past year. Enjoy!




(music: "I Prayed on Christmas" by Harry Connick, Jr. from the album "When My Heart Finds Christmas" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" by Frank Sinatra from the album "Now That's What I Call Christmas!")