A milestone...

The day before the camping trip I ran some camping stuff down to my mom so she could pack it for me since my car was too small. We were at her work when Will announced, "I am almost poopy". I figured out what he was saying and we RAN to the potty where he for the first time without being asked/forced did his #2 thing. Hopefully it is a milestone that will repeat itself, over and over, and very soon. Hasn't yet repeated it, it's been almost a week. But someday, I know he will be potty trained! I have never heard of a kid in college in diapers. :)

Jacob Family Camping Trip

Last week from thursday to sunday, me and the kids (not Jason, had to work...like usual. :( ) went with my siblings and their kids, my mom and her kids (foster step-grandchildren) to "Forks of Huntington" campground. It was so beautiful there and we had a great time. There were only two downsides I can think of... deer flies, and COWS, yep, cows, them and their poop were all over the campground. We had to chase them away. But once we did get to witness a mama cow and her calf who got separated, the calf was on a big hill and the mama right by our pit toilet bathrooms, they called to each other and the baby ran down the hill, a pretty steep one too, and then he started nursing. The mama walked away and the baby nursed while walking, then they stopped and nursed for a good 10 minutes right by our camp. It was really cute. The boys did great, Will had a great time with his cousins. Not one time out the whole weekend! YIPEE!!! Rowen loved it too, but not that I didn't let him crawl around too much. He did get a few chances to crawl and ingested a couple handfuls of dirt each time. Minerals. Each family was responsible for a meal, and everyone brought a snack or dessert to share, it worked out great! Both Will and Rowen napped so wonderfully on the trip, Rowen for 2-3 hours each time, and Will for 2. But they also got off their regular sleep schedules, I am still working on fixing that! But they don't nap at the same time anymore. :(


One night I was trying to wear Will out, so I made him walk up to Jess' campsite, which was oh, less than a quarter mile I would say. He said, "I don't like walking, I like sitting, and laying down." It was really funny. He wore himself out everyday playing in the river with Joey. Will's cousin Adam made a great "swimming pool" in the river, it was perfect for the little kids to play in. Will spent the whole day in there and playing in the dirt with his tractor and monster truck. We learned the hard way that a dirty swimsuit when dry, turns to hard sandpaper like material and chafes the inner thighs. Add to that a diaper rash, and you get Will, running around in just a shirt after a while.


That picture is great blackmail for when he is older!


Will loves throwing rocks in the river to see the splash!


Rowen even got some river time one day while Will napped.


On Saturday, I was napping with Rowen for a little bit, and my mom decided to give Will a bath in the river, complete with soap and everything. Then literally, five minutes later, I snapped this picture:


I even got adventurous and tubed the river with Ginger 3 times, and then with Ingrid once. I was surprised just how fun it was.



On the way down with Ingrid, Aspen followed us into the river and into the rapids. She eventually got scared and climbed out onto the bank and ran to follow us instead. A smart idea. Then the river directed us into some very prickly bushes, so I put out my foot to push off of them, and capsized into the river. My hat stayed on. I was happy I didn't hit a rock with my head, and that Ink didn't let go of my tube. Other than some water up my nose, I came out unscathed.

Aspen was a good dog the whole trip. She was mellow and listened and didn't fight at all with Ada and Rodelle. (My sister Jess's dogs). I even brought a muzzle in case she did fight with them, once a long time ago she fought with Rodelle and bit through her arm. So, I took the neccesary precautions. She didn't bug any kids, bark too much, or anything. I am so glad I took her with us. She had a great time swimming in the river, or laying in it, to cool off!


We had a great time and can't wait for next year, the 2nd annual immediate-family reunion. The idea came from going to the extended family reunions with 2nd and 3rd cousins and not knowing anyone, we decided it would be more fun to spend time with just our siblings. For now, we all still live nearby and see each other relatively frequently, but who knows what will happen in the future and hopefully we will all keep coming camping.

The Joys....

OF KIDS...

Yesterday we were driving in the car, and saw some tree cutter guys cutting trees that were interfering with the power lines. After a few "why's" from Will and an explanation in two year old terms of power lines and electricity, he says "Mom, trees are pecial, birdies live in them." That was soooooo cute!

The day before, an almost but not quite so cute thing he did was find a black crayon and draw "train tracks" all over the kitchen table.



Thank heaven for magic eraser. We actually used it one time to get permanent sharpie off a door at a house I was house sitting. I was amazed. A must with kids. It was the same house that Will climbed out of the crib at and broke his arm. He was 1 and a half. Oh boy.

Also, the joys of HOME OWNERSHIP....

Last fall, our sprinklers worked fine. This spring, nada. So after a whole handful of days trying to figure out what the problem was, Jason and his dad, worked all day yesterday and replaced all the valves (at least 3 times) and then the pipe going into the house exploded in Jason's face! Nearly missing him and escaping injury. So, they replaced that too. And replaced a bunch of other crap, and last night...we heard angels singing, no wait, it was just the "chick, chick, chick" sound of the sprinklers watering the lawn! Just in time to save our grass from complete annihilation!



We are leaving in the morning for an immediate family reunion camping trip that is going to be SO much fun! If I can ever figure out how to fit all my stuff I need to bring into my trunk of my car! We are so excited and need the vacation so so bad!

The 4th of July

I know I am a few days behind....but hey, I am trying... I LOVE the 4th! I tell my friends that in my family the 4th is almost bigger than Christmas. We all get together and have a great time (thanks Ink!). It is a holiday that is getting more and more sentimental to me as I grow up. Each year, this one especially, more so than the last. When my niece Emma gave a passionate recitation of the Gettysburg Address, I cried for about 10 minutes. I couldn't stop. I am so so grateful to live in America, to have the freedom to do and be whatever I choose. I feel obligated to not only enjoy my freedoms, use them to the fullest, but also be responsible and grateful to those people who died for me to have the opportunity to have a big barbeque with my family and celebrate that very independence. It sounds silly but the ability to celebrate freedom seems to me like the biggest freedom of all, and just the opportunity to think and believe and celebrate what I want, while I was thinking of the brave people who lost their lives (particularly in the Revolutionary War) to give me that chance, it just got me....right there. Here is a picture of me and the boys on the morning of the fourth. Jason was at work, a very common thing....but did make it later to the bbq just in time for my camera battery to die.



Rowen is the champ of this particular holiday, he had a high fever, teething and also a common childhood illness, Roseola. He now has a rash, that is fading already after only one day. Roseola is a high fever for a couple days, then it goes away, then the rash appears, and goes away, and that's pretty much it. Other than Tylenol, there is no treatment needed. Poor guy. He was just miserable that day. And is still teething by the way.

Rowen's first swim...

This is actually Rowen's second time swimming, the first time we forgot the camera. My niece Shannon, me and the boys went to St. George to film this year's Peer Court Conference, and the boys loved swimming. They also loved the bathtub (we don't yet have one at home, just a shower). Rowen LOVED swimming although you can't quite tell from the look on his face in the picture...



William loves swimming too!