Mid-October we headed to Palm Springs for a night with our good friends, the Christensen's. The kids had a great time playing the pools and floating the lazy river. It was perfect weather for the pool and was a fun way to spend the weekend.
Logan
Miss Gwen
Cute Tuke
Taft in his "superhero suit" (on loan from the other Herways)
Baby O
Logie doing thing right.
The Christensens are moving at the end of this month and we are so bummed about it. Logan is right in between Taft and Luke's ages and they all seem to love playing with each other. The Christensens don't have family around here either, so most Sunday's it seems we're hanging out, we spent last Thanksgiving with them, and will again this year before they leave. They're always up for doing something and as a result we've spent a lot of the last year and a half with them. It's been so nice having friends like them here. We'll miss them a lot.
Just last week we did a family hike in Torrey Pines with our friends. Taft was a great hiker and Lukie does surprisingly well hanging in the hiking backpack.
Toward the end of October the Peterson's came to San Diego for their fall break vacation. Mike Peterson was in Seth's transitional year group in Spokane, but they now live in Arizona. Mike is a DIE HARD BYU fan, so naturally he and Seth bonded quickly. We spent an afternoon at the beach with them, ate at Phil's BBQ, visited Legoland, and had a weenie roast on the beach one evening.
The picture above is at the beach near the Naval base. The planes fly overhead and can be SO LOUD.
I love this little Lukie. He is too small for just about everything at Legoland which is the absolute pits. For him and for me, but mostly for him. He cries every time Taft goes on something that he can't go on.
This Halloween was the best yet. Taft and Luke were so in to Trick or Treating this year and were literally running from house to house.
Our Halloween festivities included pumpkin carving, a library party, ward Trunk or Treat, pizza with friends and Trick or Treating the night of Halloween.
I had to put up this series of pictures because it is so difficult to get a normal picture of them. Taft found it appropriate to keep his arm on Luke's head for these pictures.
The day he put loads and loads of vaseline in his hair while I was in the shower. FYI Vaseline is incredibly difficult to get out of hair.
This little Lukie is definitely becoming more of a little boy and less of a baby. He loves "choo-choos" and "cucks" and any other train, plane, or automobile. He is starting to speak more, but he has his own language that only true linguists can figure out:
Shoes-"she-she"
Thank you-"dee do"
Snack- "ack"
Taft- "Taaaa"
Mom- "Mama"
Dad- "Mama"
Nana- "Nuhnuh"
No- "Nuhnuhnuhnuhnuhno" (while shaking head)
Ball- "Doll"
Kung Fu-"Fu" (Taft is obsessed with "practicing" Kung Fu with Seth (read: being thrown all over the bed)
Water- "wah-wah"
Cookie- "cookie" (go figure)
I want- "Eh" Example: "EH wah wah, EH wah wah, EH wah wah" and yes, he'll say it multiple times in a row to make sure he gets his point across.
Out (as in out of high chair): "Owie"
Outside: "ide"
Again: "ginn"
Where did he/it go? "Wheredego?" With a shoulder shrug
Pee Pee: "Tee-tee"
One of my favorite things about Lukie right now is a little skip/hop/limp thing he does when he's excited about something. He'll do it while we wait for Taft to get out of school, or when he is excited about a toy, or just about any time he's pumped about something. I also love that Lukie is such a goof. He's gets in moods where he just acts so goofy and I don't even understand what he's doing to trying to be. Seth's favorite is that Lukie wrestles now. Lukie is still a snuggy bug when he's going down to sleep and again when he wakes up.
Lukie had been showing a lot of interest in using the potty. I did the three day program like I did with Taft. It was pretty promising up until the afternoon of the last day when it all fell apart. I gave up and we'll try again in another month or so.
Lukie likes to have some time to relax before he falls asleep. He sings "Twinkle Twinkle" and "ABCs" to himself in his crib until he falls asleep. He doesn't say the words clearly but he has the tune down. And yes even though they are the same tune, he does know the difference between the two songs.
Lukie says hi to everyone we pass along the street.
Lukie misses Taft so much during school time. He gets so pumped to go and get him when it's over. "Ta coo! Ta coo!" (Taft's school) But then tries to annoy Taft the whole stroller ride home. That's what brother's are for right?
Here are a couple of videos Seth took the other night when I was gone. They're kind of long but I love them.
I've just been terrible at keeping up with the blog. Part of the problem is Instagram has taken place of all my blogging. Since our only camera at the moment is my phone (and the quality is not very good) so I don't actually end up with many photos that are worth keeping or sharing, but I guess something is better than nothing!
So an update according to the contents of my phone:
(L-R: James (3), Bennett (3), Jack (4), Dane (3), Taft (3 1/2)
These 5 boys are all around the same age and all live on the same side of our street. They are all very good, sweet, nice boys. The older boys on the street are a different story. I'm trying really hard to like our 6 year old next door neighbor, but he makes it really hard. He's super bossy to Taft and he's kinda naughty and likes to talk Taft into being naughty too. I really feel we lucked out on this street. Every evening when moms and dads are getting home from work, you will find all these little boys running around, riding their balance bikes and scooters.
At the bay, killing time one evening before bed while Seth was working overnight.
Seth taking Lukie out for a spin (err....float) on the bay
Seth and Ryan taking the boys (Taft and Logan) for a ride while Gwen sends them off mermaid-style.
The kayak was our big Christmas purchase last year. Unfortunately, we don't take it out as much as we'd like. It turns out it's kind of a hassle to strap it on the car and Luke pretty much hates wearing a life jacket. Our next ocean gear is supposed to be a surf board or stand-up paddleboard. I don't think Lukie will like either of those.
Family walk at sunset
This looks like a hug but was actually a wrestling match. One of many more brotherly wrestling matches in their future.
Entertaining themselves while we waited for Seth to round on patients one Saturday morning.
Seth has been looking forward to the Coronado Fire Department's open house every since their open house last year. Seriously, he's been talking about it for weeks. The Fire Department does a great job with their open house. They invite all branches of law enforcement, search and rescue, border patrol, and a few others. They bring all their vehicles and let the kids get inside and take a look around. It is pure heaven for boys between the ages of 1 and 10. They have live music, free food (well...hot dogs), and lots of stuff for kids to do. It's one of Coronado's top social events of the year. ;)
This cracks me up. These boys have so much personality EXCEPT when it's time to take a picture. Helloooo...anyone home?? They were so pumped to get inside a real fire engine but you would have no idea from these photos.
Three out of four looking at the camera. I'll take it.
The day finally came for Taft. He has been dying to start school. It was a tad anti-climactic though because when I picked him up the first day, I asked with a lot of energy in my voice:
"Did you have so much fun?!"
"Kinda."
Well, ok. I think he does like it. So far all I've been able to get out of him is what he plays with and he has a friend named Henry. He has two teachers and they are both so sweet. It's not too academic, but for his first year at least I just want to make sure he's having fun and has a good first impression of school.
Taft loves to do preschool workbooks at home, knows shapes, all his letters and their sounds (single sounds, not blends yet), colors, numbers (can count to 15, recognize up to number 10), and is starting to write letters on his own. It's so fun to watch the wheels turning in his head and see how he figures things out.
We just got home from a week long trip to visit family and friends in the great state of Utah. It was the SUCH a nice time of year to visit. I was reminded of how absolutely gorgeous Utah and the Wasatch mountains are. I wish we would have spent more time hiking around, but we were able to spend time there.
The biggest news of the trip came the night we rolled in to town. My sister got engaged! Yahoo! For the first few nights of our trip my parents rented a condo in Park City. We rolled up to the condo about 11:00 p.m. We walked in the door and there was my sis, flashing a diamond ring on her left hand. She's getting married in late December so the wedding planning began immediately. I was able to go wedding dress shopping (she found one!) with her, my other sis, and my mom. We even found the place she'll being having her wedding reception.
We were very, very busy all week. It's hard for me when we go to Utah because of course I want to see family but also have so many friends I want to catch up with. I did live there for nearly 26 years after all.
This post is going to be super longer. Here are the highlights:
1. Park City adventures: Alpine Slide, Alpine Coaster, Main Street, Canyons
2. Silver Lake, Bridal Veil Falls, Donut Falls
3. Lots of mountain biking for Seth- Wasatch Crest Trail, Millcreek, City Creek
4. BYU/Utah game with Herways and Colie (not really a "high"light but memorable)
5. Most of all....seeing family and friends!!
Silver Lake
Silver Lake
Bridal Veil Falls
Nature Tuke
Top of Guardsman Pass
Cousin BFFs
Got together will a group of girls from elementary school!! All of these girls but me grew up in the same ward. I hadn't seen some of them since high school.
We had all of my family visiting, except Pete, who was away in Vermont for a 7-week training for work. They were here for just a quick visit, but we were so glad to have them here. Carissa especially gets lots of points for making the trek down to see us. She was visiting her family in northern California and drove 8 hours just to be with us for one full day! We were so glad to get to see her, Jayda, and the newest member of our family, baby Alexander.
Everyone was here over Seth's birthday so we had extra people to celebrate. Over the time they were here we went out for Seth's birthday dinner, rented wave runners for the bay, played tennis, swam at the hotel pool, and hung out at the beach. It's so nice living in a place where people actually WANT to visit!
The pictures below are all out of order but you get the idea.
Lukie at the pool. Eating of course.
Grandpa and Lukie at the beach checking out military planes/helicopters/jets in the sky.
I'm not really sure what going on here but I like it.
Mermaid Jayda
Lanx and Trab (Travis)
Nana and Alex
Sunday evening walk along the bay
Me and the Birthday Boy
I said, "Taft you're a fish!" he said, "No! I'm a SHARK!"
I love this picture. Alex has a lot of fans. His grandparents are high up on the list.
