Up and At 'Em

Just thought I'd blog this morning before we head up to Sun Valley, ID for the rest of the week. Yesterday I was cruising through my packing list and loads of laundry when Bentley came over to me and for the third of fourth time asked me if I would kiss his leg because it was hurting. I finally realized that he had spent all morning making sure he didn't walk on his left leg. I started poking and prodding all over that leg to see what was up--no response except that he still wouldn't bear any weight on it. To make a long story short, we ended up at the pediatrician's office (after a practical call to Grandpa Sherm) and he remained equally baffled. During the rest of the night last night Bentley continued to coddle his foot and made sure not to walk on it.

This morning Bentley woke up, climbed out of bed, came to find me and said "my foot's all better!" Classic--but we'll keep an eye on him and hope that he really is fine.

Random things I am loving lately:
1) Scrubs reruns on Comedy Central 2) Joshua Radin's song "These Photographs" 3) Peaches (our first batch of the summer and soooo delicious!) 4) Mushy and very sweet babies Beatrice and Kai 5) Banana Boat's oil free sunblock for faces 6) Caroline's long hair (shaping itself into a lovely baby mullet :) 7) Pasha on SYTYCD--his charm and goofy smile kill me and he is a great dancer--can't wait to see what style he performs this week 8) My orange Franco Sarto cork heels.

Splash Park

Yesterday evening my kids were very restless. Caroline fought and fought her afternoon nap for almost 2 hours and by that point she had woken Bentley up after endless grunting and cooing and playing and whining in her bedroom next door to his. At 4:00 pm I realized we needed a distraction so I packed the kids up in the car and drove to the nearby splash park (normally we would have just walked over but a) it was about 95 degrees outside and 2) the tires on my double stroller are all flat and need to be repaired) We ended up having a great time. Bentley got soaked over and over again while Cares bravely reached out for the splashes and sprays. She laughed (and inhaled deeply) every time the cold water touched her skin.

When we got home Cec and her kids came by to eat Wendy's dinner and play for a while. Bentley, Will and Ethan headed upstairs with the basket of cars and played happily for quite while. In the meantime, Cec and I played with the little girls and ending up bathing them together (yay for Maddie to have at least one girl cousin!)

I think we need to have late afternoon activities more often! The kids both went to bed easily, fell asleep quickly, and slept until 7:30 am (this is a novelty for us since my kids seem to be the king and queen of all early risers:)

Our Weekend

So we did end up at the Gateway on Friday night and I was totally surprised at how busy it was. Once we parked and headed up to the shops we discovered that there was an annual sidewalk chalk festival being held on the main street. It was actually really cool and fun to see the artists working and their artwork coming to life on the cement. At the south end of the mall there was a children's area for kids to create their own pictures. Bentley wandered around coloring in everyone else's pictures and then Joe drew a truck and sun for him.

On Saturday we found our way to the Fort Herriman Days car show and Bentley was in heaven! It was about 100 degrees outside so we didn't last long but it was fun to see my darling boy so amused and so excited about each car we looked at (except for the pimped up monster truck which scared him so much that he wouldn't even go near it!) We missed Ethan and Will while checking out all the vintage and specialty cars.

On Sunday we gave Joseph the only thing he hadn't worn yet from his father's day shopping at Old Navy last week--a new swimsuit. Bentley tried it on to see if it "looked good." Notice Bentley's and Joseph's hair--they both got cuts Saturday afternoon and now Bentley looks like our little enlisted Marine :) We had dinner at my mom's house and stopped by the LeBarons to pay Grandpa Neil a visit on Father's Day too. We got home way later than we planned to so today we did absolutely nothing and my kids and I had great naps. Tomorrow we will face the world again :)

Fathers

I love fathers. I always have thanks to the fact that I have such a great one. And now I am married to one and he too is an amazing daddy. I think any child who can look at her father and see the classic traits of a hero is one lucky kid. My dad has always embodied strength, bravery, incredible intellect, hard work, a safe haven, playfulness and spirituality. Now that I am an adult and a parent myself, I see how he is still all of these things but also gentle, concerned, adoring and very, very wise.

It is wonderful to me that once Joseph became a daddy and we welcomed little Bentley and Caroline into our family, I fell more deeply in love with him. I love to hear him sing lullabies to our children and to watch him throw them in the air and chase them in the yard. I love to hear him read stories to them and watch him draw endless illustrations of cars and trucks for Bentley. I love that when Joseph walks through the door at the end of the day, my kids are both elated and want nothing more than to soak in time with and attention from their dad. I love to hear Joseph pray for our family and earnestly seek help in rearing and teaching them (even while they are still so small :) I love that the responsibility of being a father resonates strongly within him yet he delights in the role and knows he can shape these little lives profoundly.

Last year, on Christmas Eve, Bentley was very sick. He had been fighting a rough cough and running a very persistent fever for 3 or 4 days in a row. We kept thinking he would get better at any moment but things just seemed to be getting worse. While staying at my parent's house, Bentley woke up after just an hour or 2 of sleep with a burning body and a wheezing cough that was worse then ever. We had finished opening presents and were just preparing for bed when we heard our little boy crying and started worrying about him more and more. He was so sad and so tired and totally miserable that it was breaking my heart. All I could think of was to ask my Dad and my husband to bless my son. And so they did. It was simple and tender and short. And for me it was incredibly profound. Grouped together were the three boys I loved most in the world. And to see sweet Bentley with the hands of his loving father and adoring grandfather laid upon his head was a beautiful gift--one that captured the inherent goodness and love of both my father and my husband. I am surrounded by amazing fathers and I am one lucky girl.

This is Summer

The past week has finally felt like a typical summer week. The kids and I have headed out at every opportunity and now we just need some down time :) Here's what we did:

Monday: dropped the kids at Grandma Bobbi's so I could grab lunch with a girlfriend who's having relationship turmoil in her marriage. Met Mary at Downeast Outfitters to look at T-shirt ideas for our Sun Valley trip. Rushed back to my parents' house to see my Dad before he headed back to work. When he pulled out of the garage he scratched up the side of my car (mostly just the paint) and then advised me to go have it buffed out so we could see what the damage really was. Scheduled time to do that on Wed. with my mom so we could drop the car off and then take the kids to her house to play. Met Joseph at the pool for Quiznos Subs and FHE.
Tuesday: headed to the pool--just me and the 2 kiddies. Got a silly sunburn on my back because I put my own sunblock on and did a horrible job! Made manicotti and shelled edamame beans for dinner.
Wednesday: met my mom at the car wash (for a cleaning and buffing). We piled in to her car to grab lunch and go back to her house until the car was done. The kids played with all her fun new toys and loved cruising around her deck and yard (just as they had done Monday when she watched them!). Had leftovers for dinner and then Bentley and I watered the dead spots in our yard and our new plants which were looking a little droopy. Watched So You Think You Can Dance--my very favorite TV show--ever.
Thursday: met Krista and Mary at the Cottonwood Heights pool. Saw my neighbor there who live 4 doors down. We laughed that we had driven clear across the valley just to take our kids swimming! Came home for nap time like we always do (and avoided a sunburn since Krista graciouslsy helped me apply sunblock). I made parmesan chicken--thanks for the yummy and easy recipe Heid,--tomato basil salad (with basil from my garden!) and cut up fresh watermelon. After dinner I headed out for a haircut and bikini wax (ahhh--the drama of being a woman :) Watched SYTYCD results show when I got home.

Today we are home and I am still in my PJs :) Feels good. We are planning on heading to Gateway for dinner and some Father's Day shopping. We'll also let Bentley run around in the Olympic fountains (they ARE right across from the Apple store...)

A funny story from my 3 year old: Bentley asked Joseph a few days ago if he was his father. Joe said "that's right. And what is mommy?" Bentley replied "in the kitchen." Joseph went on to ask about children and so Bentley said "am I your son?" Joe told him he was and then asked "what's Caroline?" Bentley replied "a doctor." He's too fun.

Anywhere Chairs

So these pics are long overdue but I've found a free moment to post a quick entry. My kids absolutely adore their anywhere chairs. They each received one for their first birthday. Bentley's has been through the wash several times, climbed on, jumped on, slept on and spilled on. It has served as a cave, a fort, a parking terrace for his Hot Wheels cars, a drawing surface, and of course--the perfect spot for watching a show.




I knew Caroline would love one too when she'd sneak on to Bentley's whenever he wasn't looking or while he was asleep. Since we've gotten hers (thanks Grandma Bobbi!!) she has climbed over every inch at least a hundred times. This lead to a lot of sliding off the edge or tumbling over backwards but she is remarkably tough! She hardly ever cries and just keeps on scrambling up the front and over the sides and so on. I love that Caroline's chair matches the green accents in my home decor for the summer. Wonder how that coincidence happened...

Waterfalls and Timp

What a glorious summer day! We planned quite an adventure--hiking to Stewart Falls in Provo Canyon. Joseph's parents stayed overnight at their cabin in Sundance and we met up with them this morning. Mary, Seth, Tillie, Bob, Evie and Elijah joined us to create a small LeBaron caravan. It was quite epic preparing and packing up the two kids and lunch for all of us, but once we got under way, it was so worth it. Yes Bentley cried within the first 10 minutes when a stick scratched his leg. And yes, Caroline cried within the first 15 minutes when Bob carried her instead of Joe (this happened because Bentley didn't want anymore plants touching his body and begged Joseph to carry him on his shoulders, thus transplanting Caroline). After Cares relentlessly fought riding with Bob, I traded her over to the Baby Bjorn and she was pleased as pie for the rest of the journey.

We have never been on such a rugged outing with both of our kids and it was tricky business--but we had a lot of fun (in between the crying :) Bentley spotted about 50 caterpillars, a ladybug, the moon high above Timp, and birds and a squirrel. He also loved throwing rocks into the river--a classic Bentley activity. The views and scenery were some of the prettiest nature has to offer. Timpanogos was covered in fresh, white snow while the forest below was as green and lush as can be. The bright blue sky against a snowy, towering peak is always beautiful. I am a mountain loving girl (I get this from my parents :)

It was great fun watching the "big boys" play in the waterfall--it made me happy. I also loved that little Evie was right there with them climbing in the river and running under the big falls. She's a cutie. On the way home, Bentley opted for Daddy to carry him in his arms rather than on his shoulders (quite the workout for my hubby!) I carried Caroline in the backpack and she loved it. About halfway back I could feel her little head resting heavily on my neck and shoulders--she was snoozing peacefully.

Now that we are home and the kids are in bed for the night, I think I am ready to join them! It was a great family adventure but I am getting tired. Too bad that Bentley is singing and playing in his bed as I type this--I guess the hiking (or more so the carrying of 38 lb. Bentley and 18 lb. Caresie) simply wore mom and dad out.


FYI: I love our hiking backpack. It has tons of convenient storage space, a great water bottle holder, a sun shade and cushioned straps and belts for support. I don't think they make this same model anymore but I am sure there are comparable ones out there (which don't cost a fortune!) If anyone is thinking about buying one, take your kid (or any kid really ;) plop them in the backpacks and actually try them out at the store. This made our decision on which backpack to buy really easy--comfort counts.

Wedding Weekend

A week ago at this time I was frantically trying to get ready after hosting overnight guests, lining up a babysitter and getting my kids down for much needed naps. Why was I doing all of this? Joseph's cousin, Elizabeth, got married last week and we were involved in all the festivities (including a wedding dinner last Friday up in Brigham City). I always stress about date nights and leaving the kids behind but when I am finally out the door with my hair done and make-up on if I am lucky, I finally relax (especially if I have a killer CD to crank and sing along to as I drive :)

Anyway, the wedding dinner was lovely, the wedding beautiful, and the reception very chic and stylish--just like Liz. We brought our kids along for the final event--the reception at the Salt Lake Country Club. Liz's family lives in my old neighborhood and it was fun to show my babies off to those who knew me when I was just a kid. Plus, Joseph and I had hardly seen them since we'd been away from them attending wedding events and we were missing them. It was a busy and rushed weekend but it was well worth celebrating such a devoted and righteous and happy couple. Congratulations Liz and Nick!

Kai Baby

Yesterday was a beautiful and spiritual Sunday. We attended Kai's baby blessing where his daddy gave him a touching blessing. John referenced several sons from the scriptures and blessed Kai to be like them in their obedience and spiritual stature. I was touched by the tender words. I am constantly in awe of all of the angelic little spirits entering the world these days. They are precious and helpless but at the same time, they are mighty souls and will grow up to fight battles in the name of righteousness. What powerful spirits these sweet children have.

John and Krista both shared their testimonies and I felt the love they have for the gospel and their growing family. Afterward, they hosted us at their home for a very tasty lunch in their backyard filled with big, shady trees (I am so jealous and wish I had some of those too!)

We ended the evening by visiting my parents and Heidi and Ben just before they left for Reno once again. We won't see them now for over a month--that 's no fun. Thanks for always playing hard when you do come Heid (and for babysitting my kids while we were at the temple :) It was a perfect Sunday.

Jen & Jason

We've had a whirlwind weekend--and it isn't over yet. Not much time for blogging. Anyway, we had our first overnight guests since baby Cares took over the guest room :) Jen and Jason Walker from Phoenix, AZ made a big move to Jackson Hole, WY and so they found their way to Herriman for a visit on their way up--a very overdue visit I might add. Jen is a dear friend of mine from grad school. We used to see each other almost every day while were at ASU. As busy as we were with rehearsals, class and teaching projects, we frequently found time to grab bagels, tuna sandwiches, coffee and Moutain Dew:), Jamba Juice or Taco Bell (I guess we were hungry a lot!). We'd sit and talk about our stressful lives, demanding professors, life goals, being married, and so on. Jennifer was an invaluable friend to me and I loved dancing with her and hanging out together. Even though we only see other here and there now that we have both graduated and moved away, it is still so fun to visit to catch up on all our professors, classmates and dance friends and simply hear about the latest in her life. She and Jason are comfortable and open and like all old friends, easy and delightful to hang out with. We talked for hours and when the kids were awake, they were so sweet and playful with them.

Good luck with your new job Jen! It was so fun to see you and Jason :)