Hong Kong

David has been in Hong Kong all week on business and he is in the air flying home right now. I can not wait for him to get home. It is has been a lonely week and I am not accustom to a traveling husband. David's been to Mexico twice these past few months and then this week long trip to Hong Kong. This one week is the longest we have been apart in our marriage. It beat out his 6 day trips to Mexico. I have lots of friends with traveling husbands so go ahead and laugh at me and I will just take my hat off to you because I don't know how you survive. The worse part is that David is only home for a few days before he's off to NYC for another week. 

Hong Kong from Victoria Peak

David eating a chicken foot. He has really struggled with the food and I feel very bad bad for him and for anyone else within a 10 mile radius. David is a beast when he is hungry! :)

 Hong Kong LDS Temple

A market

We have been able to chat with the webcam most days even with the 14 hour difference and that made a big difference. I still really missed him. I can do 4 days but after 4 days of him gone it's just getting through and kind of miserable. But I am grateful that he is employed and I'm also grateful that I am able to be a stay at home mom so I'll stop complaining how and just be excited his on his way home and that the category 10 typhoon hit Hong Kong the day before he left and didn't delay his flight. David was in Hong Kong for the release of a product for the Asia Area of the LDS Church. He works really really hard and I know I complain sometimes that he is a workaholic and never takes a vacation day but I really am grateful and impressed. The other day I was thinking about how hard David works and that I need to stop complaining. I take care of all things financial in our marriage and I mean all things including insurance and taxes and budgets and retirement accounts and well....everything and sometimes I get miffed that David doesn't have to worry about any of that because I take care of it for him. But then the thought came that David doesn't get mad at you that you don't help him with his work. In fact because he works so hard is the reason you have finances to take care of. :)  So I am extremely grateful for my good husband. He is my partner is every sense of that word and man, I can't wait for him to get home tonight.

Lucas Update

This is Lucas at the beginning of August when he first started getting up on his hands and knees.

 This is Lucas at the end of August moving all over the place. He is an army crawler and seems perfectly content to stick with that instead of normal crawling. He manages to get anywhere he wants and several times I've gone to get him from his crib and he is standing up in it. He loves being able to get around and it hasn't been as hard as a thought to keep him out of things and little toys out of reach. Legos are a bit of a problem because they get left out but even the older boys are doing better at keeping their Legos upstairs in the toy room. Here's a picture document of Lucas getting from the family room to the kitchen via the end table.

Here's Lucas two weeks ago hanging out in his high chair while we are getting ready for school. This is when I finally made myself go pull out his 12 month size clothes. He almost 9 months old and is one BIG baby.

Lucas has just two bottom teeth and not much interest in eating solid foods. I try about once a week to give him something and it takes forever to get 10 bites down him and only 1 bite actually enters his stomach. I get lazy about trying because it's so time consuming. It's on my list of things I need to accomplish soon: Get Lucas on solid foods!

Isn't he adorable? He is really the most content baby. We were at my mom's yesterday and he started crying and my mom was so surprised to hear him fuss. Her comment was something like maybe your mom has heard  you do that but I sure haven't. He is starting to be more vocal especially when tired or hungry. He has slept from 8 pm to 7 am for several nights in a row now and I am so grateful to have my baby sleeping through the night without me having to let him scream it out. Pretty much, he is perfect!

School Days

I was not ready for school to start and in complete denial of it. Instead we played really hard and then finally the afternoon before school started I pulled back the backpacks and school supplies. David was out of town in Mexico for work and my sisters husband was out of town also so the few days before school we played and played. We went to the splash pad almost every night David was gone. We went to the Lindon swimming pool for the first time. It's a saline pool instead of chlorine. I'm so glad I discovered that. It works so much better for every one's skin. Saturday we went to the Manila Park Pond and then saw Cars 2 together and Grandpa came also. Sunday Autumn and kids came over for dinner and visiting. Monday we went to BYU to buy our 2011 football shirts (which Jacob wore on his first day of school) and ate lunch on campus with Uncle Ammon and his girlfriend. And then bright and early Tuesday morning reality hit and I had to take Jacob to school. We did really well with our summer homework program. We only missed a few days and the boys earned lots of points that they got to redeem for fun field trips. I thought it was a huge success and can't wait to do it again. In fact if things didn't work out with teachers this year I would have home schooled the boys. I had them on a waiting list for a charter school but they didn't get it. Jacob's teacher is Mr. Crandall which is who I requested and he is very happy there. He is working really hard on not talking and loves getting rewarded for good classroom behavior. Academic wise he's grade levels above but Mr. Crandall is doing a great job at keeping him with stocked with books on his level. I think the amount of homework he has is completely appropriate for second grade so I'm happy too. The other thing Jacob started this year was piano lessons. I'm excited for him to learn. He's excited too learn and then though the first day of new songs to practice is always drama and a bunch of "I can't do this" he has big smiles when he comes home from lessons. Yet another way to teach my child that he CAN do hard things. Jacob chose to be an early bird this year which means he goes to school from 8:00 to 2:15 pm. David usually takes him to school in the morning and I'm so grateful that Jacob gets himself ready. He even makes his own lunch. Some mornings I get out of bed just in time to say a prayer before David and Jacob leave.  

Adam started kindergarten a week later than Jacob. He was excited and ready to go! At his kindergarten assessment his teacher was blown away by him. She's seen good readers like him but what really impressed her was his handwriting and fine motor skills. Adam wrote and practiced handwriting every single day this summer mostly in English but also Spanish. Plus Adam is an excellent thinker and she tested his math far and above kindergarten. The thing I liked best is that she told Adam that she thought he would be a great leader in kindergarten and able to help the other kids learn to be good thinkers and good listeners. Right now my kids don't need a teacher to teach them reading, math and writing. I've already done that. But I love that Adam is learning to be a leader in kindergarten and that his teacher is telling him he can do and be more. Instead of the attitude that you already know everything I teach so let me just focus on the other kids. Adam was kind to let Matthew get in the pictures with him. Adam goes to school from 11:23 to 2:15 pm so he spends the morning with me and then gets out of school at the same time as Jacob. This schedule I am really enjoying. Adam is a good helper in the mornings and then Matthew and Lucas sleep in the afternoon while the other two are at school.

Adam waiting in his line to go into his classroom 

The bus was late so they made a friendship circle and talked about being friends and being kind and respectful. Adam insisted on wearing his kindergarten shirt that he got from the doctor after getting his school shots. He thought that it was required and there was no way I was going to convince him otherwise so I didn't say a word.

Adam's teacher is Mrs. Wolfe and Adam is very happy with her and in his class. He loves doing his homework however has realized that most of the kids have their moms to read them for their 15 minutes of reading homework and not the other way around.

Overall I'm really happy with how the school year has started and the teachers. I'm volunteering with the take home readers program and I like that because I can bring the other kids while I switch out the books and don't have to find a babysitter. After our experience with Jacob and the school last year I was very anxious about this year but things are turning out great and both of my boys are very happy. That's all I want: happy kids!

Rock Climbing

David got to go rock climbing at work earlier this summer and loved it, which was surprising to me because he is afraid of heights. He likes to tell me that looking down from a tall height just makes his stomach clench and I keep telling him that's what being afraid of heights means. So don't tell him I told ya'll that he's afraid of heights. Anyway he thought it would be a great, relatively inexpensive family hobby. I thought that the boys were still too young. So part two of our "second to last weekend of summer" activity was to go rock climbing at the Quarry. After our picnic and hike, we went home for Matthew and Lucas to take a nap and as soon as the woke up we raced down to Provo. Well I was wrong about the boys being too young. They loved it and Jacob especially surprised us. Adam is my brave boy and Jacob is my drama and thus cautious boy. However Jacob just scrambled up the walls like a mountain goat and Adam did also until about 15 feet up and then he won't budge. I think we've discovered that he's a bit afraid of heights. Really I tried everything to get Adam to go higher and then David tried. We were just so surprised when he told us no. Adam is one tough kid but he couldn't make himself go higer. But he is only 5 and as long as we didn't try to make him go higher than what he wanted to go he just kept climbing and rappelling down and then climbing back up to where he was comfortable. I know it looks like Adam is belaying Jacob but really I am and also I must say those harness are really not the best look for my backside.

Here's Jacob at the very top. He reached the top of all the easy climbs and also one of the harder ones. He was really proud of himself and I loved giving him a chance to try something new and succeed at it, teaching him that he can do anything he sets his mind to even if it's hard. It was really fun seeing Jacob so proud of his accomplishments.

Here's Matthew rock climbing. It was so cute and he was so proud of himself.

Lastly here's proof that I participated. It was a lot of fun and even I was a bit scared to look down knowing that only that harness was holding me there. The boys climbed for three hours! David and I only got to climb twice because the boys aren't old enough to belay. I thought they were going to be so sore the next day but they weren't. I was and I only climbed twice! We took them again on Labor Day and again they climbed forever. Matthew and Lucas didn't do as good that time. Lucas is getting old enough that he doesn't like being strapped in the stroller just to watch. He wants to move. If David was in town for any length of time these days we'd take the boys to rock climb up the canyon but we might have to wait for Spring.

Bridal Veil Falls

David was going to be out of town the last weekend before school started but I wanted to have a big last weekend of summer activity. So we had to hold it early and it was the "second to last weekend of summer" big activity. First was David's last soccer game. Nope we didn't go. Well David went and I really meant to go but...nope it didn't happen. But after soccer we packed the cooler, car and kids and headed up Provo canyon. I was really disappointed with Battle Creek Falls so we choose Bridal Veil Falls this time. We had a great picnic at the park and then walk up the nice paved trail to the Falls. See, this is a family friendly hike. Fat baby Lucas rode in the stroller instead of me carrying him. Already a vast improvement over our last hike. The Falls did not disappoint. They were beautiful and the cool mist was so refreshing. Look how much water is still coming over the Falls in the middle of August. I made a causal bet with my sister that there would still be snow on Mount Timpanogos on Pioneer Day (July 24). I not only totally won the bet but the snow stayed until like August 5th or something. I'm pretty sure this is the first time in my life that I was right and Autumn was wrong and so I needed to document it somewhere. This public blog seemed like a good choice. :)

Jacob and Adam loved climbing over the rocks and through the absolutely freezing water.

Matthew and I were content to just dip our toes in over the bridge.

Once I Photoshop that ugly brown fence out of this picture, it's going to be a really good picture of my boys and the mountains. But who knows when I'll get around to that so I went ahead and posted it. I now realize I have no pictures of Lucas but he was a perfect baby content in his stroller.

The pond

I'm not sure what to call this place but Jana thankfully introduced us to it. We met her family and Hancocks there to play and visit. It's a man made fishing pond but they have brought in "sand" and roped off a section for swimming. The kids were in heaven and it wasn't just because Pacen was there. I was in heaven and it was totally because Erica was there (and Jana and LaNell). We sat and visited while the kids played and after they left we stayed longer. It was so nice. We love our house and where we live but I really miss my friends. There are great people out here too but I still just really miss my friends. Erica, Jana and I are the same age, we each have 4 children who are the same ages, and we are stay at home mormon moms. It was so nice to be with these fabulous ladies that I have so much in common with. We just have lots to talk about and relate to. It's just easy and fun and no drama! I was really bummed when they left. But talked myself out of my funk by realizing that there are just as great as people here too and I need to be the one to invite them to things. My ward here is a little bit older and I am one of the youngest in our ward. So there aren't very many ladies in my exact situation in life and they already have their friends and their routines and carpools and team and I could go on and on. But I need to just get over it and make new friends. But it was just a great moment at the "pond" with girls where old friendships just picked up where they left off even if one of us had to up and move to California. Okay enough of my I miss my friends pity party. Just go make new friends, Ashley! It's not that hard......

Here's Matthew hard at work digging a massive hole to flood. He's very good at following his older brother's not so nice instructions of where he can and cannot dig. Plus he is totally losing his swim trunks in these picture. Matthew was scaring me because he kept following his brothers deeper and deeper into the water until it was at his chin. Time for swimming lessons!

We came back to the pond a few weeks later when David was in Mexico for work. We were supposed to meet cousins but they had to cancel and I was afraid that without playmates the boys wouldn't be as excited. Well, I was wrong. It turns out that sand is a little boy's paradise. We will definitely be back to this park next summer.

Battle Creek Falls

The Battle Creek Falls trail head is located in Pleasant Grove and the six years that I lived there I always meant to do this hike. I had heard that is was really family friendly and easy. So when my sister called saying her husband was at of town and wanted to play with me and my other sister I suggested this hike. After taking my sisters to the wrong trail head (so much for my acute sense of direction) we set off. I was a bit disappointed. Maybe it was because I had a 18 pound baby on my chest but that was not exactly an easy hike. It is steep! I guess it was short-only 1.2 miles but I wouldn't have called it easy. Easy is a nice flat hike in my book.

When we got to the falls, there was no place to really sit and no place for the kids to play. It might have been because the water was still very high and moving very fast. We went at the beginning of August and there was still a ton of water. The falls were too loud for Matthew who stuck his fingers in his ears to combat the noise. Plus after this Matthew pooped out. I would have been the mean mom and made him walk but Amy was the nice aunt and carried him most of the way back down.

Amy and Matthew, me and Lucas, Jacob, Ben, Adam and Emily (Autumn took the picture)

I thought it would be like Bridal Veil Falls where there is a place to play in the water or at least dip your toes in but I was having panic attacks because the water was moving so fast. There were several drowning in rivers this summer and one was in the AF canyon. So we didn't stay very long at the falls. We had packed some snacks but there wasn't a place to sit and enjoy them.

We headed back down and found this little cave and then found a place where the water pooled a bit and was slower and let the kids throw rocks and build a dam. When we got back to the trail head the kids wanted their snacks but instead we decided to go to Autumn's house and eat lunch. We ended up spending the rest of the day at Autumn's. The kids played and I spent the afternoon talking to my sisters. It was a wonderful time! I'm glad my sisters live close.

The cute boys!

These pictures were taken back in July but are too cute not to share. This is Lucas at 6 months and a little bit learning to sit up. Notice the boppy in case he had a little tip.

Precious!

Adam likes having pictures taken of himself. He is the only one though.

That's why I can't ever seem to get a picture of all the boys that's semi decent. At least in this one they are all looking at the camera and that took me about 20 pictures to achieve. Matthew refused to let go of his Lego's for the picture.

One July night driving home from the gym, a summer thunderstorm started. When I got home I rounded the boys up to sit on the front porch and watch the spectacular lightening show. Matthew however, didn't like the noise. At the 4th of July he plugged his ears with his fingers and closed his eyes. This time I managed to get him to open his eyes but the fingers stayed firmly in his ears.

This is my "I just got back from the gym" look

The storm only lasted for about 20 minutes but we had a great time out of the porch. I love summer showers and I love these little boys even more.