Two Months & Memory Books...

Boone is two months old.

Time keeps marching steadily on - but I feel as if lately she is sprinting.  It's not a race, Time!

Stop being such a jerk!

Anyway, we went to the family photo books this past month and stared at pictures of all the babes as tiny littles.  I tried to connect picture to memory as sappy mamas do - those little lips... those cheeks and the way they felt when I kissed them.... The long fingers and the way they softly wrapped around mine... The weight of their little heads resting on my chest... I remember it all like it was yesterday!

And here we are... ferociously living it again and trying to soak it all in because the aforementioned "Time" character is making it all fade faster than I am comfortable with.  So I'm vowing right now to do better at taking pictures with "my real camera" again and post them here on the blog so Boone knows what it looks like when he fell asleep on his Dad's chest when he was nothing but a flour sack. So Kael can see his big adult sized teeth growing into his little kid sized face.  So Dax can see his handwriting as it first came to be.  And so Ace can see his long running tiger obsession in his attire and his facial expressions.

You know - I'm proud to say I speak fluent memories and family photos.  No, really!  I have kept this blog up and alive for exactly two purposes:  To keep family and friends and birth mamas apprised of our little tribe and our growth and shenanigans... and to get it all printed in book format just to watch my babies carefully turn the pages and "oh and ah" at themselves and see that little spark of memory click, then hear them recite what happened in the pictures staring back at them in their own vernacular.  It is magic.

And it is fast magic -- Like lightning speed.  But I want them to know how we spent our days together; that this ride called Parenthood was mine and their Daddy-o's favorite ride of all time.  And that without them, our world wouldn't be quite so vibrant or exciting or purposeful.

6 years.  5 years.  4 years.  2 months.

It's currently my favorite ages.

But I have a feeling they're all going to be good.

A Blessing Indeed...

A few shots and thoughts of Boone's blessing day...

He looked like a little angel with his shock of dark hair contrasting against the bright white of his tiny blessing outfit, and the little boy blue of Grandma Gail's crochet blanket.  And those lashes and that skin and the bow of those little lips... be still my heart, my baby.

Ryan gave Boone such a special blessing and it made me feel butterflies at all that he will accomplish in his life.  He is such a gift for our family! Rumor has it he just looked up at the circle of Priesthood holders and grinned the entire time.... Mister Sweet Cheeks, indeed.

His extended family came out in droves to support.  I know it sounds trite, but it means the world when loved ones come to celebrate a milestone of one of your most loved ones.  It's a full circle - this is your village - we're wrapping our arms around you and yours - moment...

We never take it for granted.  Never.

We had a big party afterwards at our home and everyone ate and laughed and begrudgingly posed for amateur pictures.  :)  The big boys were good lads: sharing their toys with all their cousins and sharing their church notebooks and crayons during church.

Boone - We love you more than you'll ever know.  Like your Daddy-o said in your blessing... there are no coincidences in life -- you were meant to be here surrounded by all these people that love you.  Our family is like a big patchwork quilt full of colorful personalities and different fabrics, but one unifying quality of them all is their love for you, little buddy.

Thanks for loving us back.  Those grins & snuggles are what life is all about.

 XO

Big & Bigger...

Big News - The weather is down right SPRING-like.

Winters in Utah make for hardy boys, so when temps like 50 degrees happen in February, well, they shuck their shirts and play in the hood for hours on end.

In one afternoon alone, I spied sidewalk chalk, a driveway full of bikes and scooters, soccer games, juice boxes, and baseball.

Mama doesn't complain.

Just for kicks --My favorite quotables this week:

"Mom, I think you have a sickness.  I think you should probably be diagnosed with throat-ida-tosis."  

-Dax Man, upon hearing his Mama's nearly-gone voice.

"I am like so dang hot out there.  It is as hot as St. George! I need my flip flops and no shirt."

-Kael, every afternoon the sun shined this week.

 

 "Shame Shame - I know you're name!"
-Dax, who waits for outward demonstrations of affection so he can taunt and tease like a little nugget.

"I want a butter sandwich, please.  But remember to put butter on top, in the middle and on the bottom because that's how I like it."

-Ace, who is clearly a fan of dairy.  :)

Bigger News... as in, size-wise. 

Boone is HUGE.

Seriously he just busted out a gut and cheeks and he is easily in 3-6 months clothes but they're only JUST long enough for his long old legs.  What am I gonna do?  What is he trying to do?  I feel like he's gonna play soccer this fall with his brothers or something at the rate he is growing. 

Mama complains.  

And finally, correct me if I'm wrong, but 'dem lips are just asking to be kissed a zillion time a day, 

Am I right?!

Swoon.

Happy Spring Things!  It won't be long until we've summited our snowy hump known as winter before surveying blue skies and blooming crocus.  And that is VERY newsworthy, indeed.

Traditions of Sun...

Our winter tradition going beyond ten years... The St. George Home Show with my Mama & Sister!

I had my doubts.  I didn't want to strap poor Boone into his seat for hours on end.  He is so young and I didn't want to expose him to a bevy of nasty germs.  He isn't sleeping through the night and I didn't want to keep my Mom and Sister up at night, and on and on...

But tradition hollers loudly - and the smog that covered the Wasatch Front leading up to the weekend of our excursion, sealed the deal.

So we drove south to find spring.  Warm sun in a beautiful blue sky quickly put all my doubts to rest.  It was gorgeous and the Vitamin D was just what the doctor ordered after a couple of months of being inside watching gray and white landscapes out the window.

The homes were beautiful per usual.  I love how the trends are going toward light and airy.  I also love the lower maintenance floors and the minimal decor and the tendency toward fine craftsmanship.

I mostly loved that my little travel buddy was a milk guzzling sweetie pie.  He seriously didn't make a peep the entire drive down or back home.  He was ah-mazing!  And it's a right of passage for all babies who belong to Grandma Gail... every single one of her grandkids have had their turn being doted on at the Home Show and I think all her baby whispering puts them right at ease.

And the big boys had a Bachelor weekend in the sun all their own.  RyGar loaded their bags full of camo and took them to the Wayne house to shoot their BB Guns at rabbits (for the record only one rabbit was killed and I'm pretty sure Ryno did the deed).  

They rode four-wheelers and stayed up late telling stories and visited the uncles and played in the mud pits (which I can attest to as I am just now conquering the monstrous laundry pile that awaited me upon my return). 

I don't know how I got so lucky that out of all the boys in the Universe, I got the best ones... 

And even though Punxatony predicts an early spring... I will make it without complaints either way now that we have all had a taste.  Besides... we know just where to find it if it gets delayed.

A Long Valentine's Weekend...

President's Day coincided with Valentine's weekend this year.  It was also the first weekend we (and by we - I mean, Boone and I) actually got out of the walls of our house for a night on the town.  Kinda.  Sort of.  I mean, if you count going to the Sportsman's Expo dinner as a "romantic night out" with a five week old in tow - well then, we nailed it.  :)

We met all the adults of my family Friday night in Salt Lake.  We had prearranged for the big boys to sleep over at Grandma Janice's house and cousin Zane's house.  And there we were - with a babe in tow - and thousands of other sportsmen - at a banquet dinner.  It was fun to visit with my Mom and sisters and watch my Dad rock the babe.  OK and not cook dinner or do the dishes.  I even made Ryno pose for a selfie as evidence that we did celebrate Valentine's weekend with a date night.

Sunday fun-day was Valentine's.  All my boyfriends went to church and I prepped them a "No Fork" noodle dinner then presented them with cookies the size of their faces.  #winning

P.S. It took Kael .3 seconds to lick his frosted name right off the top of that thing.

Bright and early on President's day we headed to Provo to walk through the new temple.  The boys were SO DANG GOOD I nearly banged my head into a wall.  Boone slept in Ryan's arms the entire time.  Ace only had one outburst when he saw the mural with "A TIGER!" which he prompted ran up and petted and hugged profusely - oops - and Kael and Dax didn't even trip one another or drink from the fountains that were all roped off.  I call that a win.  The temple woodwork and stained glass was all so AH-Mazing!  It was a beautiful, early and drizzly morning with my faves.

And it ended with a nap with one of my faves...

Ohhh naps are truly my love language - so even though RyGar didn't send me flowers, he wins because he did give me that... the baby AND the nap!  :)