Moments with Captain Jack : Monkeys in the Bed

We've had a rough couple of months with sleeping at our house. Brock doesn't and Jack has been waking up around 2am screaming. Both end up in our bed because Heath and I are too tired to get them back to sleep in their own. I'm grateful for our king sized mattress! I'm also grateful for adorable boys who make waking up after awful nights so pleasant.

One recent morning, I was completely zonked out with Brock on one side of me and Jack on the other. Heath had left for work about an hour before. My Captain woke up and laid on his belly with his face about 6 inches from my face. His silly giggle woke me up and opened my eyes to a gigantic smile and a sweet little "Hi mama!"

Just last night at about 5am, both the boys had been nestled into our bed for a few hours, I heard laughing coming from the other side of the bed. I peek over to see Jack totally out. He giggled for a solid 15 seconds or so. Heath and I couldn't help, but joining in.

Oh how I love my stink bug.

Brock the Tiger's Tale : 6-8 Months

I can't seem to keep up with recording Brock's milestones. He is changing and growing too fast! I have to admit deep down I am anxious for this kid to grow up because he is quite the mama's boy and it exhausts and frustrates me. His smile is very deceiving...he isn't always a happy chill kiddo. Despite the many irritating moments, I do love this smiley wiggle worm. He is cuddly, snuggly, and has the sweetest dimples. Its hard not to be happy when he shows off his grin!

By the time Brockie-Boom-A-Lockie turned 6 months he was sitting up independently, scooting in a circle on his hands, and still not sleeping through the night. Although he's not quite as chunky as Jack was at this age, he is still a big boy- 95th percentile for height, 45th for weight, and 92nd for head circumference. His Dr. was a little bit concerned with how big his head was, so we are hoping it hasn't grown even more by his next appointment. The kid has quite the large mellon!

It wasn't long before Brock the Rock was rocking on his hands and knees. He loved to show off how tough he was, by doing a plank and holding it longer than his mama. I was really surprised he started crawling by 7 months, because he loves to be held all. day. long. He still didn't have any interest in food by 7 months either. After 2-3 bites he had enough and would begin to spit if anything got close to his mouth. "Da-da-da" is his favorite noise to make, even though Ma-ma-ma is his favorite person in the world. He is skilled at giving 5's too. Brock is pretty interested in anything with wheels. He LOVES riding Jacks red car and knew just how to hold on the first time we put him on it. 

One of my absolute favorite things about Brock is that he loves to be roughed up. Hanging up side down, being tickled, tossed in the air, or rolling him across the floor- you name it- he loves it. He loves it even more when its Jack doing the roughing. Brock actually initiates the wrestling with his bro. Jack is pretty soft with him for the most part, but even when he gets too rough Brock just laughs! 

These brothers sure do love each other and it makes a mama happy!

Brock has finally decided to start eating baby food. Sweet potatoes, squash, carrots, and corn are his favorites so far. He is not a fan of apples and will slurp down a little bit of bananas or peaches but he doesn't gobble them up like his veggies. Strange, I know. Before he was 8 months old, Brockster was pulling himself to standing anywhere he could. One thing I've noticed about Brock is he's not content with what he can do. Its clear he wants to be able to do the next developmental skill. Before he could sit, he was never content laying in my lap. He had to be sitting or standing up with help. Once he could sit, he seemed to be really frustrated he couldn't go anywhere. Now, moving around on his hands and knees isn't good enough. He wants to be on his feet jumping or pretending to walk. Maybe he inherited a bit of his mom's perfectionism- which is not always a bad quality! He may just do some really great things in life because of this attitude!

We love you Brock! Keep sharing that contagious smile!

(And try sleeping through the night...its not that bad. You may just like it!)

Out of the Mouth of Babes

Jack is really starting to talk and says some pretty funny things. This latest category of post is all the funny things my kiddos say that I want to remember...

Daddy's Mitt:

We got Jack a baseball mitt for his birthday. The kid can't catch but he thinks he is super cool when he wears it and tries to catch. He is OBSESSED. So obsessed that he will not quit asking me or Heath to play baseball or shoot with him until we cave and play for a bit. It was one of those times. Jack wanted Heath to gets his 'big mitt' and play baseball with him, so he asked "dad mitt?" ...it started to sound even worse because Heath was preoccupied with something and wasn't responding to Jack. Jack repeated over and over "Dad mitt? Dad mitt?". Soon Jack was getting frustrated that Heath wasn't getting his mitt to play, so he started slurring his words and saying them louder. "Da mitt?! Da mitt! Da mitt!" I could not stop laughing, but didn't really want to hear such vulgarities out of my toddlers mouth! Please just go play catch with the sailor-mouthed kid!

Concern for Mama:

We were leaving the high school after watching a basketball game one night a few weeks ago. It had been raining and the parking lot quickly turned into a sheet of ice. I was carrying Brock and Heath had Jack. Even after Heath warned me of a slippery patch and trying my best to walk carefully, I slipped a bit. Luckily I caught myself and didn't fall but it scared me so I squealed a little. Instantly Jack shouted, "You o-tay Mama?" He even asked 4 or 5 more times before we got home. If that couldn't melt the ice, I'm not sure what could.

My rough and tough toddler sure does have a sweet and tender side. Just last night, I climbed onto the kitchen counter to get something on the very top shelve in a cupboard. Jack was eating dinner and carefully watched me. "Don't fall Mama." He shouted. After I jumped down he grinned and said "You not fall. Jump!" I love my Captain.

My Dad Is 60!

This guy is my hero...

He doesn't look it, but last month (this post is a little late) he turned 60. "Where's his old man belly?" you might ask. Well, he doesn't have one because he is one hard working, disciplined individual. Those are just a couple of the qualities I love about my dad. He has many amazing attributes. Here's a some of my favorites...

One of my dad's qualities I admire most is his spirituality. I have always felt his deep love for our Savior and His gospel.  His dedication to being a disciple of Christ has been an enormous blessing to our family. I have numerous memories as a teenager and even now, of coming home late at night or waking up early to find him on the couch immersed in his scriptures or on his knees. If he wasn't around, it was clear he had been there because I would find his scriptures or an ensign article left opened.  His example of making time to be still, ponder spiritual things, and develop a relationship with our Savior and Heavenly Father has made a lasting impression on me. My padre is also diligent in doing all all he can to help me and my sisters develop strong testimonies. I don’t think many families have such purposeful and well-planned FHE lessons as we did growing up. I felt the spirit often, learned of important principles, and sensed ways I could improve, even nights when I was being a bratty, selfish teenager. Thanks to my dad and mom, now our annual family reunion has a spiritual focus, one to help us become more unified and feel the spirit. 

I mentioned my dad is hard working. Saying it that way just scratches the surface of his work ethic. I don't remember seeing him sit around the house watching TV or reading all day. Of course he did and does those things to relax, but not until he has exhausted himself doing what needs to be done-  teaching school, logging, cutting firewood for us, cutting firewood for others in need, sharpening chain saws, doing car and boat maintenance, fulfilling his church callings, preparing talks for funerals, fixing solar stuff, doing random house fix-ups, visiting widows etc etc. He always has a list of "to do's". He has perfected the skill of being "anxiously engaged". He does what needs to be done whether he likes it or not. Doing so has modeled him into an awesome guy!

I also love that my dad is simple. He doesn't get caught up in the cares and coveted attitudes of the world. He never wants the latest and greatest and is a wise steward over what he has. Because he and my mom are frugal, my sisters and I experienced some great things growing up. I wouldn't trade summer vacations to California's Redwoods, building a schoolhouse for an impoverished village in Guatemala, or snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef for having a fancy car or the coolest toys growing up. Through those experiences traveling, my Dad taught me to respect and love the beautiful world Heavenly Father has blessed us with and to 'live simply so others may simply live'.

My Mom, sisters, and I couldn't think of a way to celebrate my Dad's 60th that he would really enjoy. He's not one to love the party scene or people making a big fuss over him. My nephew Jed came up with just the right celebration for Grandpa Kerry. While he enjoyed some ice fishing with the boys, the girls created a "Mountain Man" cake for our mountain man Dad...

 After lunch and cake and ice cream, what did my Dad do? He went our to an elderly neighbor's house to do some yard work. That very act is the epitome of who my Dad is. I sure love him for it. I'm grateful for his testimony, his hard work, his example of living simply, and of course all our great memories!

Happy 60th Dad! I love you!

Simple Moments : Graham Crackers and Milk

I love the moments I get to spend one on one time with either of my boys. Brock was napping, so Jack and I had a chance to have some fun together. Nothing says fun like sharing graham crackers and milk and Thomas the Train. It wasn't anything special, but one of those times I realize how much my Captain is growing up and how much I love him. Jack showed his sweet side by handing me a graham cracker from his pile- "Here Mama!" So glad the camera was right in front of me to capture his cheese ball face.

A $500 Lesson : Part Two

After thinking and thinking and driving Heath crazy by talking about it every second possible, I finally arranged to meet with the guy selling the camera. The craziness of that night was another witness to me I shouldn't have bought the camera.

We met the seller in Salt Lake and I checked the camera out. Everything was working perfectly just like he said, so I decided to buy it. While I was looking at it, Heath was meant to drive to the bank to withdraw the money to buy it. The only problem was, he couldn't find the bank. He drove up and down the street looking for it. Brock was screaming, Jack was hungry and whining, and Heath was frazzled, which rarely happens to him. He came back to get me without the cash. The seller was understanding and said he would take care of a few errands and meet up with us again after we were able to get the money. We drove through downtown and found another Key Bank. I walked up to the doors literally seconds after they had closed. I tried to withdraw from the ATM but it would only let me take out so much. I was $100 short and the seller wouldn't take a check. It was an extremely stressful and frustrating evening. The frustration wasn't the only indicator the purchase wasn't the right decision. While stopping to get some dinner, we past the bank Heath couldn't find. It was in plain sight! He drove past it multiple times. Then, while driving to the freeway on-ramp, we past another Key Bank. This one was even closer to where I was looking at the camera and I had made a deposit there the week before! We both couldn't figure out why getting to our bank turned into such a problem.

At the time I thought the frustration of the night was because I didn't end up getting the camera that I wanted. However, a few days later I was able to meet the seller again to pay for and pick it up. This didn't solve any of my frustration. Even after getting it, I still felt uneasy. Thinking it was just the anxiety of jumping into something new, I decided to move forward.

 I did enjoy figuring out how to use all the fancy buttons and started getting ready for the two weddings I would be filming at the end of December for some friends. I had a great time filming Natalie's Bridal shoot and her and Tona's wedding day. I learned so much and became excited about what this could become for me. Editing and creating a movie for them was even more captivating for me. Days later I took some footage for a friend at the airport, of her bother arriving home from his mission. With the footage, some pictures, and a great song, I made a fun video for him to remember his mission. At the very end of December, I did a 'love story' interview for Ashley Bayles Johns and her new husband Tyler that turned into a video for their wedding reception. Creating these videos was fun, challenging, inspiring, and energizing for me. I really love capturing special, even simple, moments and making them into a memorable keep sake.

Despite all my excitement and passion, there was still an underlying uneasiness. Slowly, I was realizing just how much I didn't know about filming. Learning something completely foreign while taking care of two kids under the age of two was overwhelming. I noticed I wasn't enjoying my boys because I was preoccupied with learning the fine points of filming. In fact being a mom was far from enjoyable; Jackie and Brockster were annoying me because they continually prevented me from being glued to the computer or camera like I wanted to be. I loved doing videography, but it didn't feel right.

One day during all of this, I couldn't take the conflicting feelings any longer. Brock was napping and Jack occupied throwing and chasing his football. I said a silent prayer. After reviewing everything that had happened up to that point, I began to recognize those moments of uncertainty as the answer I didn't necessarily want to hear. At that moment I knew this was not the right thing for me to be spending my time on. Once I told myself that, a feeling of peace rushed over me like a giant wave rolling into shore. Right then I decided to finish up the videos I committed to doing and end trying to pursue being a wedding videographer there, at least for now.

The irony behind this videography exploration is that I planned on naming my potential business "Skipping Rocks Productions". The reason being my desire to capture and focus on enjoying the simple things of life- like playing hide and seek with Jack, giving Brock the fishie a bath, listening to Heath talk about his much loved, fat, black ladies in the field, or skipping rocks on a still lake. The videography distracted me from doing just that.

I can testify that doing what Heavenly Father wants me to do made me feel a million times happier than doing what I wanted to do. I had good logic behind my decision to buy the camera, but He is much smarter than me! At the beginning of this post I mentioned I'm glad I spent $500 when I shouldn't have. It was the best money I've spent in a long time! It taught me how the spirit speaks to me, that I have an incredibly supportive husband, and where true joy comes from. Well, my boys and I have some rock skipping to go do now...

A $500 Lesson : Part One

This is really strange for me to say, but I'm glad I spent $500 when I probably shouldn't have! Let me explain...

Over the last couple of years I've really enjoyed editing our home videos and making little movies from our vacations, of the boys, and for birthday celebrations. I filmed two weddings thinking I would be interested in becoming a wedding videographer. I just used our little handheld camcorder and had a lot of fun doing it, especially the editing. I spent many months thinking what it would take to break into the wedding industry as a videographer. I knew I would need a professional camera to get better footage. My search on KSL classifieds began. After being deceived and making one poor purchase (that's another story in and of itself...) I was back to the search on KSL.

After more research on the top prosumer video cameras, I found an excellent used one in my price range- a Canon XL2 with less than 100 hours of use and in mint condition for $500. The guy selling it used it to film for National Geographic and ESPN. This camera is legit. Its like the mother of all professional video cameras.

Heath and I had several discussions about whether or not to spend more money on another camera. I knew it was something I want to pursue, but wasn't sure exactly what it would take to make happen. I about made myself go crazy by analyzing the pros and cons of the purchase for days. Here's a sample of some of my thoughts-

Pros:

It would give me the chance to pursue something I enjoy, something that challenges me, something that makes me excited. I haven't really felt that way about much since I've stopped running. Heath told me the benefits of me having a hobby would be well worth the $500. Another pro, is the potential for making the $500 back and then some. It would be great to have a little more income, even though school teaches make bank...ha.

Cons:

Its a lot of money to spend, when I know very little about filming. It's money we should be putting in our medical savings account. I was also unsure how I would balance learning how to work such a fancy camera and all the technical filming skills, learn how to develop a business, take care of my boys, prepare a lesson for YW's each week, cook, clean, etc.

I continued to flip-flop on how I felt about the entire idea. Sometimes I thought "yeah, I should pursue videography" and sometimes the opposite thoughts, "no, not such a good idea". We prayed for direction and I continued to feel torn. Overall I didn't feel that great about buying the camera, but my strong desire to purchase it clouded my ability to see that. Hindsight, I realize that was the spirit trying to guide me.

(to be continued...)

Simple Moments : Peace and Quiet

On Thursday this week I took Jack to play group at his friend Kason's house. When I got home Brock was ready for a nap. He went down quick and stayed asleep for 1 hour!! Both completely out of character for Brock. I did the dishes, cleaned the kitchen and living room, and warmed up some leftovers for lunch. I can usually only get one of those things done while Brock is napping if I'm lucky. I was sitting at the table in the warm sunlight eating in a quiet house. Something so simple felt so incredibly good! I could enjoy my food, enjoy the sun, and actually think without someone interrupting by whining or pulling at my leg begging for something. Don't get me wrong- I LOVE my boys, but it was just the kind of moment I needed to rejuvenate and one I probably wouldn't have appreciated 2 years ago!