This month marked my second Mother's Day! I was spoiled by my boys and was given a delicious breakfast after being able to sleep in! I have been telling Rusty about how I missed our trip to Europe and so as a special surprise he made a cheese platter like we had in Paris. He also got me some books from Henry and wrote a little note and traced his hand in it.
Rusty and I had our five year anniversary! I can't believe that it has been that long. It really does feel like it wasn't that long ago that we got married, but I absolutely know that these have been the best five years of my life! He has made my life infinitely better and brought me so much joy, peace and love than I ever thought possible. The best thing is that we both feel like we are the lucky ones (but mostly me). It was my turn to plan the anniversary so we got a sitter for the night (a Thursday) so we could go out to dinner. We had a little bit of an issue because the fridge broke and the new one wasn't ready yet so we were getting a loaner, but they were about an hour and half late dropping it off. But, we still got to go to dinner at Ivar's in Mukilteo. It was so nice to be able to go to dinner and just talk and relax! I think that is one of maybe three times that we have gone to dinner without Henry. It was nice! I also gave Rusty a present that I made that was Jenga pieces with memories of our five years written on them. That day he ended up working from home so he could be here when the fridge came (ha!) but I made him 10 letters to open on the twenty minute mark of each hour that he would have been gone to work until he got back. And he surprised me with a letter and five beautiful pink gerber daisies. The next day we left Henry with our good friends Amber and Kenny for our first night away! I will admit that I had a hard time, and I may have texted Amber a few times to make sure he was okay, but it was really nice to have time just for us! We borrowed their kayaks too, and drove out to Whidbey Island to stay at the Blue Goose Inn in Coupeville. We stopped on our way at Bowman Bay and put the kayaks in because the weather was just perfect! We even saw a seal! So great! It was so nice to be out there on the water with the bright blue sky and green trees and the blue water with bald eagles soaring above us. This place really is so beautiful!
Then we went and checked into our Bed and Breakfast. There are two old houses next to each other, and they were built in 1901. They are so cool! Each house has a really cool parlor that is open for the guests to use with cool things like an old organ from 1910 that was delivered straight to that house, and an old piano from the same year. They had lots of old games for us to play too! The next day we slept in until 8 (yay parenthood haha) and then we went kayaking at Rosario Beach. It was raining a little bit, so I wasn't sure how fun it would be but it was actually not bad at all! It was kind of cool to be out in the rain like that. We saw lots of tide pools and four seals! We went all over the place and saw chitons, barnacles, anemones, snails, and just a handful of sea stars. We also saw some really cool caves! Then we walked around the tide pools and climbed up to the cliffs above before heading home to get Henry again. It was a great anniversary!
Rusty has been missing riding so much that we have been working to fit that in. He went to a cool track a few hours away a couple of times that he just absolutely loves, but sadly the last time he blew his bike up! But before that second trip we also got a babysitter and went riding by Machias and I decided to be very brave and try harder to keep up with Rusty. I did some new things like going over roots and over a culvert and through a mud puddle. We had a blast and I didn't fall, so it was a very successful day.
In the middle of the month a member of the bishopric came over to talk with us. He asked me how I was liking my calling of teaching the seven year olds, and I told him that I was so happy and I loved it! He then informed me that I was being released and called me to be the secretary in the Relief Society Presidency. Although I was sad to leave my class, I was also excited to have a chance to be with grown ups again and maybe make some friends. Primary had kept me pretty isolated since we first moved in, and as I started working in RS I really did get to meet so many people and make lots of new friends!
Over Memorial Day Weekend we took a trip to Colorado to see family. We took off early Wednesday morning, like early. Our plane took off at 6:00 AM, meaning that we had to leave our house at 3:30. We had hoped that Henry would fall asleep in the car on the drive to the airport, but he was just awake and talking the whole time. He was a little bit cranky on the plane, but we made it to Colorado with him pretty happy. Granddad and Grandma Joan were at the airport to pick us up and then they took us back to their house. We hung out there with them for the rest of the day and Phyllis and Kandi came up to visit, as well as Donna and Jamie. It was so wonderful to get to talk with everyone there and get to see them. It's been so long! The weather was beautiful and we spent some time outside playing on a tricycle that Rusty used to play on when he was little!
The next day the three of us headed up to the cabin for some down time before the rest of the family joined us up there. We went for some hikes up to the waterfalls and then on another trail after driving through a new canyon. It was fun to have some time just us there and get to see the place that Rusty loves so much.
We also had some down time just hanging out at the cabin. Rusty started fishing and Henry was just so happy to be sitting by him. He caught two fish and I CAUGHT MY FIRST FISH ON A FISHING POLE!!! Woo hoo! It was a teeny, tiny thing. But it still counts. :)
That night Phyllis, Kirk, Chase, Kandi, Levi, Kelsey, Logan and Margo all came up to stay for a couple of days too. We had a delicious dinner, good talks by the fire, and then the next day we went four wheeling and did some shooting. Then we went back to the house in Canon City for a balloon festival.
The balloon festival was so much fun! They called it a balloon glow, and they had a bunch of balloons set up for people to walk around and see. When we first walked in I saw that some kids were being allowed to pull the cord to let the fire out and I immediately wanted to do it. I begged Rusty to ask the guy if we could do it, but he said that if I really wanted it I needed to ask. So, I did! And they let me do it, and then after that everyone else in the family did it too haha.
The next morning we tried to go and see the balloons take off, but they couldn't make it up because of the wind. :( So we decided to go to the Royal Gorge for the day. That is something that I have always wanted to do, and it was really great! It's beautiful and it was lots of fun. We rode the gondola over the gorge, Henry played on some toys, and then we had picnic before driving through a new canyon on the way home.
That night we went out to dinner and Rusty was so excited to make me eat some Rocky Mountain Oysters. I tried them and they actually weren't too bad, but I just couldn't get over what they were haha. Henry had his first kids meal that night though; the first time we ordered food just for him! He is getting so old!
The next day we stopped by Short Stop (one of the places that sponsored Rusty when he was racing) and met up with Troy, and then we also met the owner. It was great to meet him. Then we had lunch at a Mexican place before heading to Manitou Springs to meet the family. Manitou is one of my favorite places in Colorado! We all walked around and looked at shops before we got delicious food at a gyro place.
Before our flight out we spent some time at the Garden of the Gods hiking around and taking in the scenery. It is just beautiful there! We enjoyed our time there and Henry sure had a lot of fun just running around free.
The Kissing Camels!
Waving!
Henry's Highlights
- I taught Henry some sign language and it has gone really well! He can say food/drink, please, and all done. And although it's not sign language, he has gotten really successful at pointing to things that he wants. I walk around with him and tell him to point to what he wants and most often he will take me out to the garage to the balls, to the front yard, or to the bananas. :) His friend that I watch one day a week does the sign for "more" and Henry has started doing it. I'm not sure he totally understands what it means but sometimes he does it in the correct context.
- He says hi, mama, dada, nana, no, and ya.
- Loves to help with loading the dryer, putting produce in the bags at the grocery store, and the dishwasher. He responds really well now to things like, "Bring me your ball/book/choo choo/shoe, etc." and "Sit down!"
- He LOVES three stories right now in this order: 1. I Love You Night and Day 2. Eight Silly Monkies Jumping on the Bed 3. There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly. He will bring it to me, turn around and back up and plop down on my lap, and then say please. After I finish he opens it again and says please. He could read I Love You Night and Day five times in a row before getting tired of it.
- Still loves Geoffrey.
- Gives kisses, high fives, pounds it, and waves. His new wave is so cute, he opens each finger one at a time. He also lifts up his shirt and searches for his belly button when you ask him where it is. This is seriously one of my favorite things ever. In my whole life.
- He loves bubbles! I've never seen him say "please" so earnestly except for with food as he does for the bubbles.
- Henry tries to put on his shoes and socks now all of the time.
- For some reason his new favorite toy is the wooden piece that we have in the sliding door as an extra lock. He will pick it up and drag it around with him wherever he goes.
- Food is still a favorite thing for him. He brings me the bags of chocolate chips from the pantry and asks please a million times. He also loves to carry a whole apple around with him and take bites. He loves it!
- He has started to really copy us and will do things like use my brush to brush his hair or my hair, try to clip his toe nails, brush his teeth, feed me, put things away, and turn lights on/off.
- He has gained a huge obsession with standing in the driver's seat and playing with the steering wheel. And running around in the bed of the truck.
