Sorry- I'm a little late!

So it's been a while as since my last post... As far as you all are concerned, I probably still look like this...

But that was about 6 months ago, and thankfully I no longer carry a watermelon at my midsection.

Let's start where we left off, shall we?

July...

was a very hot month in Utah. We had an absurd amount of days over 100*, making it the hottest month on record in the Salt Lake valley. So, we sheltered inside with the AC. 

Levi discovered celery and peanut butter, and decided he liked it. 

July was also the Jensen reunion in Washington (only Ian was able to go) and the Robbins reunion in Provo (same weekend, so I took the kids on my own) and fun was had by all :) the kids loved playing in the pool at Uncle Francis and Aunt Janice's and Ian loved being able to spend precious time with family that he rarely sees.  

Oh yea, and we became a mini-van family.  We don't love the monthly car payment, but we love love love all the space!!!

August...

cooled off to around 90- 95* so we started going outside again. For very brief periods of time. And even then, the kids hid under the playground in the shade most of the time. 

Evenings were particularly enjoyable, and Ian took the opportunity one day to look at clouds, and to teach them about the moon and it's phases. It was cute. 

Another evening we went for a walk around "Bountiful Pond." I've heard it called by other names, but in think this one fits best. It's pretty small- but the kids were happy to run around, and there were ducks to feed :)

We went camping with the ward on Levi's birthday, and considered that celebration enough (...our poor kids...hope it doesn't put him in therapy later in life!)

(It may not look like it, but I promise he had fun!! He's really good at the cool guy stare, haha)

August ended with some changes around the house. We had our backyard fence extended and Ian did some landscaping. It looks soooooooo much better than the waist tall weeds that used to be there!!

It was backbreaking work, but Levi helped him... one handful at a time...

September...

Was a busy month. I started doing joy school with a few ladies in the ward so of course, Ian had to make me a table for when I had 7 toddlers to entertain. It's fantastic, and the kids love it. The legs fold in so I can stash it when we don't need it. More proof that my husband is the greatest :)

Before too long, Ian finished up his projects on the side of the house.  He put in a shed- designed and built all by himself. What a brilliant and talented guy, that husband of mine!!! 

Mid- September brought excitement and anxiety. Around 35.5 weeks along, I was diagnosed with intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP or just cholestasis for short.) Basically, this meant that my body wasn't processing bile properly, and it carries a high risk of having a stillborn. (Of course, the same day I was diagnosed, Ian had to leave on a trip for work.)  Luckily, they decided I wasn't at emergency levels yet, so they would simply monitor me closely, and then I would be scheduled to be induced as soon as I became "full term"- which is actually three weeks early.  

So in our last week as a family of four, we went to "Boeing family day" and the kids had a blast checking out daddy's work.  We also played with Justin, Melissa, Easton, and Bruce. And the day after our visitors left, we started the next great adventure. 

To Be Continued...

We love camping

Both Ian and I were born to camp. Our parents before us, and their parents before them (I'm assuming this about Ian's grandparents) and on through the generations, believed camping was a great family pastime.  So naturally, we decided going camping for the 4th of July with a three year old, a one year old, and a six month pregnant lady for four nights would be a good idea...and it was!!!!

It was glorious. We went to Trial lake (in the Mirror lake area) and spent five days away from the 100+ degree heat of the Salt Lake valley. People commented about how impressed they were that I was camping while so obviously pregnant....but I submit that I will take four nights on a leaky air mattress over that awful heat any day!!... Even though three of the four nights had rain.  The first night, the kids were cold, since they don't stay in their sleeping bags very well, so Ian and Mara went to Kamas and picked up some extra blankets. We were warm from then on :) 

On the second night, the rains fell softly, but they were still wet. Even seasoned campers like us can forget to tuck the ground cover under the edge of the tent, and we ended up with a river running through the middle of our tent in the morning.  It just got caught between the tent and the tarp, and had no where to go but inside.  

So we dried it, tucked the tarp under, and stayed perfect dry for the amazing thunder and lightning storms the next two nights.  Have you ever been in a tent while lightning was shooting across the sky? It makes the tent glow....absolutely beautiful!!

The basic daily routine went like this: we woke up between 7 and 9 everyday- fantastic, with the sun streaming into the tent- and it got later every morning! After breakfast, We went to the lake to throw rocks and get our feet a bit wet. 

We played for an hour or so and headed back to the camp to make lunch. 

Did I mention how peaceful and scenic it was? 

Lunch was delicious, and quickly devoured by our little animals. On a side note, we had a real live woodland creature munching on our peanut butter and jelly sandwiches during Levi's nap one day. We were having "quiet time" and were visited by a cute little chipmunk!! He just hopped up on the table, nibbled the peanut butter, and scampered up a tree :) Wish we had our cameras for that one!

Levi took his daily nap willingly, but wore significantly less than normal. It was stuffy inside that tent!!

Mara enjoyed quiet time, if only for the extra treats she enjoyed while Levi napped. 

After nap time, we headed back to the lake.  Daddy skipped rocks, 

The kids sailed their boat in the little cove that we built for them out of rocks,

And we singlehandedly filled the lake with the amount of rocks we threw in. 

But the kids were in heaven with all of the outdoors and freedom.  

After the lake, we made dinner and the kids played together.  It was really cool to look over and see them playing together- sometimes with directions from us, 

Sometimes with games of their own,

And sometimes, Mara's idea of a good game...

quickly morphed into something else entirely!

Dinner was amazing. Every. Single. Night. 

On the second evening, before we made this awesome area for their boat, the kids were wading in the water. Levi went a bit too far, lost his balance and went face first into the water. It scared me SO bad! Ian says he was only in the water for a second or two before I "momma bear" ran over to him and yanked him out, but I swear it was longer than that by the time I got off my rock and ran into the water.  We were both wet-Levi completely soaked- and cold (I think we decided the water was about 60 degrees), and since it was after dinner, the temps were getting chilly, so Ian got the car and drove us back to camp. 

The last afternoon, we went in the water on purpose. 

Ian and Mara watched the minnows (Mara likes minnows, but not mean-o's, she informed us),

But Levi didn't last long in the water. Either it was too cold or he could still remember his "dead man float" from a few days before. He played on the rocks, including pretending to sleep, 

but refused to give me a decent smile.  

Eventually he couldn't help himself :)

We saw our fair share of bugs and worms, 

And it amazes me how little we are bothered by them after sharing our homes for a few days...

We all ended up with one or two bites, but the winner was Mara with 34 bites at the end of it all!!

Eventually, all good things must come to an end. We played at the lake one last time, and began the trip home.  Levi slept but Mara was high on all the attention over the previous couple days and insisted we play a game. I spy and 20 questions came in handy, although she wasn't very good at the latter. She could come up with good ones, but when she was guessing it went like this...

...

Ian: is it an insect?

Me: yes

Ian: does it fly?

Me: yes

Mara: is it a dragon?

...hilarious, every time!!

Needless to say, camping was a success- we love spending time together!!

Crayons

Our kids, like any kids, love to color. And we had a full ziplock baggie of about a million half inch pieces of crayons...which would get opened daily and promptly dumped out and spread around the room. This consistently drove Ian crazy. So today, I cut 'em into quarter inch pieces, melted them, and voila!!

Now we'll have a full ziplock baggie of circle crayons!!

You're welcome Ian!!

Green beans

We were eating dinner when Mara noticed the little beans in her green beans.

Mara: there's a little pea inside!!
Me: yes, there are tiny beans. Eat the whole thing!!
Mara: I love green beans- they're my favorite treat!!

I had to confirm that she meant treat, and she assures me that they are. Makes me smile :) keep that perspective little one!!

Oops!!

I forgot!! In February, we celebrated 5 years together!! With Grace's help (and her roommate) we were able to spend a night at the local Marriott ALONE!! Our first night without kids in three and a half years!!!! It was so amazing we forgot to take pictures :) but trust me, it was so worth it!!

Last one!!

February began with hope of some warmth, sunshine, and better breathing air.

Also, my kids are obsessed with balloons.  Even this picture set Levi off on a "B" babble.  

As she gets older and more exciting, Mara has begun to try fun acrobatic moves.  Levi is determined to be just like her.  Always.  In everything she does.  Its quite hilarious.

Levi turned 18 months mid-February and has begun the mischievous stage of the terrible twos. Everything from eating lipgloss with a "my little ponies" comb, to brushing the kitty (or trying to brush my hair with that nasty kitty brush), to trying to delay bedtime by bringing the pillows to the front room.  He also fell off the bathroom counter this morning.....but thats another story.  (I just hope he learned his lesson!)

February also had a few firsts.

 Ian's work gave him Jazz tickets so Ian and I went to our first Jazz game, with decent seats.  We weren't even in the lower bowl (the second to bottom row in the top bowl though), but I'll tell you this much, neither of us enjoyed it enough to spend as much as those tickets were worth!! I'm so glad I married someone NOT obsessed with sports! 

Mara used a vending machine for the first time and LOVED it.  She just kept pushing the buttons and hoping for more.  

As the kids get older and begin to play together a bit more, I am thoroughly enjoying their troublemaking antics.

They asked me if I could get them breakfast.  Mara: Special K red berries.  Levi: Mini-marshmallows.  

They go on shopping trips together.  

They repurpose furniture.

One day I heard Levi wake up from his nap and then he went silent.  This is what I found.

I tell you, these kids.  Spending so much time inside makes them quite inventive and self-entertaining!

 Of course, Mara still needs her snow walks occasionally.

Only one trip for Ian in February!!  But one day he was taking forever getting home so I asked what    was taking so long...

Sometimes you just have to be patient!

March, although only 8 days in, has been entertaining already!

It began with a breakfast experiment- Cinnamon Roll Pancakes with cream cheese syrup.  Amazing! Seriously! You need to try these!!

We had a friend come over for a few days and the kids enjoyed imagining with him. 

Rocket ship! To the moon!

Mara tried her hand at Mr. Potato Head....She's a bit mixed up, but she likes it! (also has been wearing her Belle dress all week...That girl is hooked!)

Ian had said he wanted to let Mara's bangs grow, so I haven't been cutting them... But a few nights ago, I couldn't take the shaggy dog look anymore!  So I just trimmed a thinner layer.  Sorry Mara, can't let 'em go quite yet!

So there you have it! A fully, completely, up to date blog!! Hooray!