Hasta Luego Hermana Lambert...

(I wrote this a month ago but didn't have the internet for a while so it never got published until now...)

This is going to be a difficult post to write. Especially because it's the eve of my little salty sister's departure to the MTC. What makes this even more difficult, is that as I'm writing she is sitting at the kitchen table singing to Jack while he sits in his high chair and he is completely mesmerized by her. I have been so excited for her, but now that she is about to leave I'm becoming a little selfish and don't want her to go. My heart hurts.

...I couldn't seem to finish this post. Since I last wrote, Jack and I made the trip with my parents to drop off Hermana Lambert at the MTC. Talk about emotional. Even though I know she is doing a wonderfully important thing, what our Father in Heaven wants her to do, it has been difficult for me. I found a lot of comfort from the talks at general conference about missionaries. She is going to be powerful. She has a sweetness that I think many people will gravitate to and be willing to be taught the gospel because of.

Kristi and I have become very close in the last five years. From running track, swimming, and playing soccer together in high school to having weekly chats on the phone when we didn't live near each other, having talks about boys and discovering new braids for our hair together- she is one of my closest friends. I've always had a big-sister protectiveness for Kristi, especially through high school and her first couple years at USU. But I have realized she may be my younger sister but she's not my baby sister anymore. I have much to learn from her. She is a confident, steady, and fun-loving young woman. I have been so impressed as I have seen her strength to stand up for her beliefs- even if that means putting boys in their place when they try kissing her on the first date! She already has the love of sharing the gospel. Kristi had several missionary experiences in the last year by helping a good friend get on track to serve a mission, have spiritual conversations with coworkers and taking them to temple square, and giving Book of Mormons to non-member classmates at school. I need her confidence in sharing the gospel! The people in Spokane, Washington are unbelievable lucky. And they better be nice to her haha!

Love you Rhino, Puff-Muffin, Yamaguchi, Power Ranger. 

Be The Salt.

Lessons from the Captain : Smile :)

Jack has always been a happy chill kiddo. It is simply part of his personality. I also think he is that way to teach me a lesson or two. Lately I've thought about another meaning behind "become like a child"...yes it means to become submissive, patient, and full of love, but I also think it means to be happy. As we are full of love for others its much easier to be happy.

The Captain seems to have that quality down. Nearly always when anyone he knows looks at him he gives them a huge grin. If he is a little bit sad, tired, hungry, or grumpy a smile or silly face from someone else often changes his mood. I can't help but wonder if he thinks "Oh thats Aunt Kristi. I love her! ...what was I crying about? I can't remember now because my Aunt Kristi is smiling at me."

I'm not trying to make Jack sound like a perfect baby (even though I think he is:) ). He still has his rough days, but overall he has taught me that a smile can often change your attitude. Days when I am stressed, exhausted, or feeling a little down- a few mins of playing peek-a-boo, tickling, or making silly noises with my Captain really changes my outlook on everything else. He has that effect on me because I love him so much. I am struggling to describe what I've learned from the Captain, but I know it has to do with love, family, and smiles. Thanks for always smiling Captain Jack! :) :) :)

Honorary Contributors to 585 W. Mulberry Street

The last few weeks have been stressfully exhausting. We've been trying to get the painting, tiling, and electrical done on our house before tomorrow's inspection. Heath typically spent every night working on it after getting home from teaching. I don't remember the last time he was home before dark. Jack didn't always get his normal naps and it seemed like I made 2 trips to Home Depot a day. All the employees know me and Jack very well:) One lady usually comments, "He gets bigger and bigger every time I see him!" or "Weren't you here this morning?" Some days I wanted to go back to renting an apartment.

Despite all the stress of decision making, tedious paint touch ups, tile-motar mixing, light fixture installing, and late-late nights, I truly feel blessed. Mostly because of my hardworking husband. When Heath commits to something he gives his all, and does it without complaining. He put in a bazillion hours of work on our home. I'm one lucky girl.

Yesterday was one of those days when I realized how wonderful the people are in my life. My parents, Becky, Jake, Jed, Madi, and Emily sacrificed their entire Saturday to help us get the electrical work finished. Heath's parents, Trevor, and Heidi all put in a lot of time too. Craig (Heath's Dad) stayed at the house with Heath until 2 AM finishing the tile on our shower. And everyone did it for nothing in return. If they think they will be getting a fat check in the mail they will be disappointed...

There is no way we would have been able to do any of this without our families. They sacrificed a great deal to help us. Giving up several weekends, dealing with tired kids, working with lack of sleep, taking work off, using vacation days are just some of the sacrifices. Our parents, the Hatchs, Trevor, Anthony, Cass, Kristi, the Hammonds, and the Reseachs (who are pretty much our family) will all be honorary contributors of the Bleazard residence. They all deserve to have their names on a plaque or our house named after them or something:)

Thanks Everyone! We love you.

Keep your fingers crossed that we pass inspection!

Snap Shots of Summer

Our summer can be summed up in three words…
HOUSE, WIGGLES, and FAMILY.

HOUSE:

After deciding to build a house instead of buying, we felt like it would be smart to do some of the work ourselves to save even more money. Some days I would have said that was an awful decision. But I really think it was a good thing for us. Not only did we learn a lot, but it was rewarding to work on our own home! Heath is a roofing and hardwood laying expert, we learned the basics of electrical wiring, we now know how to tile showers and floors, and we experienced the full process of painting.

We couldn’t have done it without wonderful family and friends. Jake Hatch, Anthony Bleazard, and Nate Reasch were our electrical, roofing, and painting experts we relied on. Our parents put in loads of time helping too. We should be moving in by the end of September!!!

WIGGLES: 

Saying Jack is wiggly is an understatement. The 7.5 month old Captain loves to jump, army crawl, kick, grab hair and earrings, wave his arms in the air, rock on his hands and knees, roll, and get his hands on anything in sight. He doesn’t stop moving. There are too many “squirrels” to watch and investigate. And I know it’s only the beginning. My little stinkbug has learned how to use his helmet too. He’s going to have a painful awakening when he no longer has his protective head-gear. The days of sitting still are gone.

Jack’s latest sounds have been mma mmaa mmaa and da da daaa (I encourage the mma mmaa mma sounds every chance I get:) He has also discovered how to spit. He spits when he eats green beans or peas, when I wipe his face, and in his car seat… just because he can I guess. Jack is a graham cracker monster. He can gobble down an entire cracker in no time. He also loves loves loves peaches just like his mamma.

Daddy’s little bear likes to be roughed up too. A little toss in the air, tickles, or “gentle” wrestling with dad always brings a smile to his face. He has been such a trooper while we work on the house. Unlike Mom, it didn’t bother him one bit to arm crawl all over the dusty floors.

I could go on for pages about our Captain. He brings us so much joy. I recently attended a craft night for Relief Society. The quote on the project I did sums up what Jack does for me:

“While we try to teach our children all about life- They teach us what life is all about.” Thanks for the lessons Captain.

FAMILY:

We were able to have lots of fun times with our family this summer. Here’s a condensed summary.

· Crawfish catching at the Grantsville Dam with Jake, Tanner, Brie, and Easton.

· Surprise Birthday/Father’s Day Party for my Mom and Dad- best surprise ever. They had no clue.

· Hammond Summer Games Birthday Party for Jake & Tanner- Slip n’ Slide, twinkie eating contest, arm wrestling. Oh yeah.

· Echo Triathlon- We did a relay with my mom and took 2nd place. I swam, Mom biked, Heath ran, and Jack coached us.

· Olympic Park- Thanks to my little sista, who works there, we were able to live it up at the Olympic Park for free. Heath smashed the ropes course record and I felt like I was going to die on the bobsled. 75mph in a metal sled does not feel good.

· Ping-Pong, Ping-Pong, Ping-Pong.

· Story time w/Uncle Heath- Easton, Mack, and Jack loved having Heath read storybooks to them. My heart would melt.

· Mexico Trip- Heath traveled to Mexico with his brother and our nephew Bayden for some medical stem cell treatment. Heath was the translator.

· Dutch Oven cook-off- We entered the contest over the Fiesta Days in Kamas. Took 1st place in the dessert category with our Citrus Cake. :)

· Visit to the Hatchs- Jack, my mom, and I took a trip to Gunnison for a visit. We got to see their newly finished basement. Beautiful! I’m going to hire them to finish ours:) Jack loved the attention from his cousins. Bronco riding on cousin Jed’s back was a hit.

· 4th of July Grantsville Fun Run/Walk

· 24th of July Kamas Fun Run/Walk- Heath placed first in his age group.

Summer was wonderful. Looking back on it is a great reminder to me of how blessed I am. I have amazing family and friends, two handsome boys, and soon a home to continue creating great memories in.

The Gorge

My childhood was filled with wonderful trips to places like Lake Powell, Flaming Gorge, Southern Utah, Redwoods, Yosemite, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon...and many others. If there were science lessons to be learned, beautiful hikes to take, impressive land features to see, adventures to be had, and most of all fish to catch at a particular place we probably traveled there. Looking back on it now, I feel so fortunate to have had those kind of experiences. My parents were kind enough to invite us on a trip to Flaming Gorge a couple of weeks ago. After a long school year, a break was very much needed for Heath and my Dad. My Mom and I got talking during the trip about how refreshing it is to relive childhood experiences. She just got back from Hawaii and body surfing there took her back to the days she spent in the surf while vacationing in France as a little girl. This trip did the same thing for me. I felt the child-like adventurous side of me come back- especially when Heath and I were on top of a 35 ft cliff or while we were wrestling for position on the tube, hanging out on the boat while the fishermen caught fish after fish, or when my Dad quizzed me about some rock formation.

The trip was wonderful. Jack handled camping fairly well. He loved watching the wake the boat made and found out he loves sucking the juice out of grapes. I got much needed sun and time outside, my Mom got Jack-time, and Heath and my Dad caught 50+ fish. It was a great start to summer.

Fish were caught...

 

Cliffs were jumped...

Life jackets were worn... (even though we think his cheeks alone could make him float!)

Tubes were ridden... (just so everyone knows- I knocked Heath off.)

Sun was soaked...

Naps were taken...

Glassy water was skied... (my first time in 2 years!)

Boats were driven...

Mohawks and mullets were styled...

More wonderful memories were made...

Thanks for the fun-filled trip Mom and Dad!

Wrangler Bums

Heath has a pair of wranglers that he usually wears when he works with the cows. If I'm being honest, I would have to say I don't find them attractive, but Heath is convinced I love them on him... Thank goodness he just wears them to work in. Even though I don't love the wrangler look, I couldn't resist posting pictures of this little buck-a-roo. He has a very cute wrangler bum! (sorry husband.)

This handsome cowboy outfit was a DI find from Jack's Aunt Lisa...as are most of his clothes. I must say he is one cute little cowboy. Heath was beaming with pride when he saw Jackster dressed like this. Like father...like son. I love my boys.

24 months. 104 weeks. 730 days. 17,520 hours...

Marriage definitely helps perfect us. This quote often reminds me why a happy marriage takes work. "Our marriage really can be the most satisfying and sanctifying- and most demanding- experience of our lives. It is more than coincidence that the most sanctifying experiences of our spiritual lives should also be the most demanding experiences. Family life, with marriage at its center, is the homeroom of the earth school our Father created to give His children a place to learn and to grow. Our homes are laboratories where we test and develop our religion.
"Once a couple is married in the temple, they are not yet living a celestial life. Rather, they walk out of the temple much the Adam and Eve left the Garden of Eden- to enter a sometimes tough and lonely world. Their temple wedding gives them the authority of eternal marriage, but they will spend the rest of their lives working to create a marriage of celestial quality, striving and growing against opposition."
-Bruce C. Hafen

24 months. 104 weeks. 730 days. 17,520 hours...Any way you calculate it 2 years isn't very long in the big picture, especially when compared to veteran couples like my mom and dad and my in-laws. We have a long way to go, but some days it seems like we've always known each other- like we've been married 24 years not 24 months (in a good way of course!). Other days I find out something new about Heath or I realize I have so much to learn about being married. Lucky for me, Heath is very forgiving...or at least forgetful! As the hours, days, weeks, months, and years continue to add up I hope we will keep learning how to be more loving, be more patient, more forgiving, more selfless, more unified, more Christ-like.

I'm so grateful for this Heath and all he does to work toward creating a marriage of celestial quality, especially in the face of adversity.

Heath would agree, I know because he told me last night:), that we are each other's best friend. I wouldn't want it any other way.

Best friends have disagreements about how to pronounce the word syrup.
Best friends give each other back rubs after rough days or head aches.
Best friends can get annoyed of each other when dirty socks end up on the floor right next to the laundry basket! or when the other says she is ready to go but still has 10 more minutes.
Best friends do things just because they know how much the other loves it... ie-walking through a field of cows or competing in triathlons.
Best friends tell each other when they have a booger.

Best friends make important decisions together like building a house.

Best friends argue about who gets to take the Captain to Priesthood/Relief Society. 

Best friends forgive and keep loving. 

Best friends eat graham crackers and milk late at night together and talk.
Best friends are entertained for hours taking photo booth pictures...

Happy 2 Year Anniversary Guap! 

I love you.

To celebrate Heath and I went to the Temple and dinner at the Olive Garden. My sister Bec and Brotha-in-law Jake offered to baby sit. Bec is one of my role models, so I thought Jack was in good hands until I found these pictures on my camera...

The answer is Aunt Bec...

Jack has some pretty cute cousins...

Animal Expert Jed

Super Princess Madilyn

Giggly Emmers

(Emily is 3.5 months older than Jack...they weight the same...)

Thanks Bec and Jake! 

Captain Jack's Log: 4.5 months

Squeals. Thumb Sucking. Eating. Rolling. Giggles. Grabbing Toys. Eating Toys. Smiles. More Thumb Sucking. Naps. Jabbers. Grabbing Mom's Hair. More Eating. Peek-a-Boo. Sticking Tongue Out. More Rolling. Hiccups. More Jabbers. Kicking. More Smiles. And lets not forget explosive poops. . . That sums up Jack's day.

Jack is growing up too fast. I want to pickle him so he stays just like this! But then he starts doing something new and I realize the fun will continue. At his four month check up, Jack weighed 16.7 lbs (82 percentile) and was 26.25 inches long (90 percentile). He is a big boy. His smile matches his height and weight. I can't get enough of it! Jack puts everything in his mouth. He LOVES being on his belly. Bath time is full of kicking and giggles (good sign he is a natural swimmer). Dad's guitar playing and walks in the stroller can keep his attention for hours. We love you little munchkin!