Roady without Daddy

Generally speaking, Ryan and I like to do most everything together, trips being one of them. But last month Ryan needed some serious quiet time to wrap up his studying for another portion of the CPA exam, so I attempted what was bound to come at some point in time...a road trip, with my two kids (age 2.5 & 5 mos) sans Ryan. Some of you might think that the 4 hour drive from Lehi to Rexburg does not constitute a road trip, but it does when you travel to Rexburg via Twin Falls then up to Rexburg; on the way back it was Rexburg to Lehi, via Logan. So by the time the trip was over I had spent about 16 hours in car.

Thankfully I had Eli with me the first two legs of the trip to sit in the back and shake the rattle at Luke for two hours at a time to keep him happy. On the third leg of the trip I was lucky again to have Kelsey with me from Rexburg to Logan. Her bottle feeding skills are in good shape. The last leg of the trip was hellacious as I had to stop twice to put Max back in his buckles and twice more to try to nurse Luke. Nothing seemed to soothe him and he pretty much cried from Logan all the way home. Needless to say, I was wore out by the time I returned to Ryan after 6 days. But what a fun trip it was.
Here are some of the highlights of my first trip alone with my kiddos:

• Twin Falls- our first stay-over at Carrie & Brandon's new home. We arrived around midnight and after being there only 5 minutes, Max tripped on their beautiful stamped concrete walkway and smacked his head on their step. Max loved Addie's toys--especially her power wheels!
  


• Rexburg-- Nana's house had lots of room to run and play and Max loved gathering rocks and throwing them in her pond. Max loved her neighbor's dog Tanker and all the farm animals down the road. Running--Max showed the first signs of being a future runner. We went to the track at the college one night and Max ran a mile (on his own free will) by himself, without stopping! I was shocked. He threw himself down on the track and cried when we had to leave because he wanted to keep running... a trip to the snow cone shack calmed him down. Nana and Mama were so proud to have witnessed our little running prodigy!

To Logan with Aunt Kelsey--we got to take Kelsey back to Logan as she had car trouble and it was so nice to have her all to ourselves for a few hours. Now Max asks where "Selsy" is all the time. I was ready to come home and get my kids back to a normal routine and see my husband but I just wished Icould have somehow packed up Nana, Eli, and her beatiful, peaceful, place and brought them with me. Thanks Nana for making our first Road Trip such a fun one!

BeLaTeD BiRtHdAy ShOuT OuT!

August is a special time because we always celebrate two of our favorite people's birthdays...Jolea and Jeff. Jolea's birthday was especially fun this year because Mom, Eli, Carrie & Kelsey all came to the PARTY! I always love a good get-together with any portion of my family. We surprised her with a well deserved shopping gift certificate and I made her favorite-- a German Chocolate cake!
We actually celebrated Jeff's big 30th first with just us and then again with his parents; but we were lucky enough to have him all to ourselves on his actual birthday. Max just recently figured out that Birthdays are really fun and mean that candles, fire, and singing are all involved. All week he was talking about Jeff's birthday. We practiced changing the Birthday song from "Jolea" to "Jeff" for days and he had it down and delivered it very well on his Uncle's big day.

Jeff's birthday was also exciting because he bought himself a fancy-smancy new CAR! It is lovely-- a black '09 Camry sporty thing. Now every time Max sees a black car he thinks Jeff is nearby. And what do you get the guy who just bought himself a new car for his birthday?... A fatty carwash package!

We love you JOLEA & JEFF!

The Perfect Time of Day

Luke 5 months, ready for bedtime!

I love my husband for many reasons, but one of the best times of our day is when we get to get our little boys ready for bed. Ryan is always a big, big help. Most nights he bathes Max and I usually get Luke bathed or ready for bed simultaneously. I love it when my little guys are all dressed in their jammies and we and just sit downstairs in our family room and chill together. We all cuddle up on the couch together, Ryan and I holding our clean babies, breathing in the baby lotion, and watch an episode or two of Curious George. If Max is really tired, we can snag something on the Food Network or our old favorite, Everybody Loves Raymond.

Max (2.5 yrs) & Luke (5 months)--Jammie Time

Then it's off to bed, with prayers, scripture time, and of course, story time from Max's current favorite...a 200 page Disney Classics book. Luckily, he doesn't want us to read to him each word, he just goes from page to page asking what is going on in the pictures (he now knows all names of the 7 dwarfs but could care less that Snow White is poisoned by an apple). I just love this little routine. It is one time a day that we can just all sit and be together...what a perfect way to enter into slumber.

Rewind: Oquirrh Mountain Temple Open House

Towards the end of July, Jolea told me that she would be taking her family to the open house of the Oquirrh Mountain Temple and she invited our family to go with them. We love doing things with the Beatty Family and what could be better than exposing our little ones to the beautiful temple. I was really excited as I realized that we had taken Max to the open house of the Rexburg temple when he was just a year old, and now Luke, even as little as he is, would be going to his first open house too! What a beautiful little temple it was and Max did relatively well practicing his reverent skills, considering he is 2 1/2 years old. I had been showing him pictures of the temples and as we got closer to the temple he saw it and shouted "Mom...Teeeple!" He was especially excited about the 'swimming pool' (aka, The Baptistery), the 'Cows' (aka, The Oxen) and the elevators that we got to ride time and time again (as we had strollers with us.) He was equally excited about the cookie he received at the end of the tour. I was thrilled that just last Sunday we were able to go to our meeting house to be a part of the beautiful dedication of this temple. Ryan and I had just attended the temple together and it just made me wish I could go every week. I am so glad that Max and Luke were with us as we walked through that holy house and that at such a young age, Max knows that the 'Teeple' is a special place.

REWIND: 'And the Rockets' Red'....SCARE

This past 4th of July we learned that Max doesn't like fireworks unless he is a considerable distance from them. And by considerable distance I mean, inside the house and a good foot from the window. He enjoyed the little Pops that Dad bought for him but that was about as good as it was going to get for him.

Thanks to our great friends and neighbors, the Bambrough's, for all the entertainment they provided.

The most entertaining part of the evening had to be when Matt flipped over in his wheelchair and was laying flat on his back in the road right by a lit firework (that's not the funny part). Mark and Ryan run over to help him as his wife Krista stands by laughing and taking pictures of the whole scene. They have such a good sense of humor about life!

Luke loved the fireworks and Ryan had a good time lighting them...mostly with Krista & Matt's kids. It was perfect way to finish celebrating the freedoms that we are so blessed to enjoy!

Oh What do You do in the Summertime?

At the end of June each year, Lehi holds it's LEHI ROUND-UP DAYS. Every year at this time, I am reminded again why I just love living in small towns. Lehi has a lot of pioneer and cowboy heritage and they definitely showcase it in the parades and rodeo each summer.

Max has a real love for horses and loved the all horse parade on Thursday. On Saturday we went to the "big" parade and cheered for our ward as they marched down Main with our Double Decker Bus Float. It didn't take Max long to learn that waving to the pretty royalty girls earns you lots of candy. What a weekend it was!

On the 4th of July, we always go to Tooele for the parade and then we always get together with the Johnsen side. This year I actually ran in the 5K prior to the parade with Stacey and Jeff. Crazy enough, we each placed in our own age groups...Jeff took 1st, Stacey 2nd, and I took 3rd. Considering that there were several hundred runners, I think we were pretty pleased. We enjoyed the parade and then went back to the in-laws house to shower and get ready for our BBQ at the Hogan's farm in Stockton. Aunt Jill has a great place out in the country and she bought one of those big inflatable water slides for the kids this year. Max loved it there. He just ran and played all day. Matt took him to see the pigs and he is still talking about them. We had Eli with us too and I think he had a good time using the theater to play his Wii, using the putting green, and all the good food.I love the traditions we have on these holidays. Ryan has made one of his own 4th of July traditions. Every year after the parade and before the BBQ lunch he watches the Hot Dog Eating Contest on ESPN. It fascinates him and it repulses me every year.Other than the parades and holiday fun, we've spent the summer swimming (even took Max and Eli to 7 Peaks for the first time), had a few BBQ's, and mostly enjoyed the summer evenings outside. Max has a real love for the water! Looks like swimming lessons are in the very near future. We've had our share of popsicles and ice cream and always have an ample supply of sunscreen and mosquito wipes around.
So that's what we are doing with our Summertime!

Farewell to the Cockatoo, the Old Man, and the Mane

One evening last summer, I sent Max outside to help his Daddy in the yard. After about an hour or so, I went out to find that my husband had made good on his threats of shaving Max's hair and so the first of the Summer Buzz was born. I was somewhat mortified as I looked at my little boy who reminded me of a sheep that had just been shorne of all it's wonderful fluffiness.

Max mid buzz

But after a few hours of looking for the positives to keep myself from shaving off one of Ryan's eyebrows in his sleep in retaliation, I thought the buzz really showcased Max's big blue eyes and yes, it was a lot cooler than that mop of beautiful blonde hair he had. Ryan reminded me that it was free also...another positive.

Barber Daddy

So about a month ago, I didn't give Ryan any grief when he told me the time had once again come for the annual Summer Buzz. Ryan assured me Max's hair would be grown in by late August when I plan on having some pictures of the boys made together. It took a little convincing for Max to cooperate, but once we promised ice cream... he was all good. Ryan suggested that while we were at it, that we should shave the "ugly hair" on Luke too. WHAT!?!?! I was hesitant. I was really hesitant. I didn't cut Max's hair until he was 10 months old, and that took a good amount of prodding and some kind of bribe I'm sure; I was trying to make it to his first birthday when all of the other natural rights of passage occur and the universe makes you let go. I don't know why I am like this. Is there some unwritten rule that once you cut your baby's hair for the first time, then you lose some of the baby? Somewhere in my subconscious Mommy mind this must be it. The Cockatoo Tuft

I didn't care that Luke has a cockatoo tuft and an old man patch that refused to fall out like all of the other fine baby hair was doing. It was the original stuff! It's what he had when he was placed in my arms for the first time. Old Man Patch

Ryan repeatedly told me this was crazy woman talk and that the ugly hair needed to go. He also told me Luke would come out of it unscathed and still just 4 months old! I agreed the tuft and the patch were a bit ugly...but I didn't want to alter any of the BABY in my baby. But I gave in. Ryan shaved off the little cockatoo tuft on top and took a good portion of the old man patch in the back off. I was okay. I'm the accomplice

Then the crazy OCD in me kicked in and I couldn't leave well enough alone; I took the scissors out and was determined that the hairline be perfectly straight for my baby's first haircut. I kept trimming and trimming forgetting to account for the several adorable neck rolls that Luke has. When he finally lifted that chubby little head up, Mommy saw that she kind of trimmed a little too much. Oops. Neck roll down to reveal Mom's botched trim job

Ryan took the scissors from my hand and told me he was going to get the vacuum to clean up. To which "crazy Mom" once again showed up and said "Not before I put Luke's hair in a baggie!" He gave me that look that husbands give when they don't "get it" but they don't want you to explain it either. Baggie 'o Baby Luke Hair

Max's Shorne Mane

At the end of the day, Ryan got to play barber and save money, the boys both look and feel cool for the summer, Max got ice cream, and Mom let go of some weird idiosyncrasies...and there's one more baggie of baby hair in this house now. All cleaned up, happy and ready for bed

Luke turns 4 months old...then 5 months old

OH MY...LOOK WHO'S FIVE...months old already!I realized that a month has gone by and I haven't posted these pictures from last month when Luke turned 4 months old. Yesterday he turned 5 months old. He looks about the same...probably fatter. At his 4 month appointment his stats were:

17 lbs. 8 oz

25.5 inches

(Max's stats at 4 mos were 17.3 lbs and 26 inches...just about the same!)

By 4 months old:

Luke fits his whole fist in his mouth

Puts himself to sleep most nights

Sleeps through the night most nights

Has some serious snot & congestion issues we are still trying to figure out

Has lots and lots of gushy chubbiness to love

Knows who his Mom, Dad and Max are

Between month 4 and month 5 Luke has morphed into a little lion cub. He likes to growl and loves for you to growl back at him. He is getting stronger and stronger and can sort of sit up for a few seconds before his lower half realizes how heavy his top half is. Although with these thighs, you would think he could support all that weight.

We are still trying to work out the formula issues. We thought we had found one that worked, but alas...last night we had another puking episode for a few hours. So I am trying to keep up with this boy's eating demands...not an easy task!
He is such a happy baby! We just love him and can't imagine our lives without him.