Our Yellow Brick Road

December Fun

2011-12-22T19:48:00.000-06:00

St. Nicholas came to our house and filled our shoes the night of December 6th. Of course the boys were full of anticipation. This is such a fun tradition we have.

We had a big snowstorm this past Monday, resulting in a foot of snow. School was canceled the next two days, so Christmas break began early. All three boys have been relaxing--reading and watching 'The Wiggles' (Gavin's new favorite).

This was Gavin's first time to play in the snow. Initially he was uncertain about it, but quickly adjusted. He stayed outside for at least an hour. He ate the snow while Matt and I shoveled the driveway.

Christmas came a bit early to our house. Robert told me a Christmas/Birthday surprise was being delivered at 6pm. I definitely was not expecting a new washer and dryer. The boys spent a good hour watching a load of laundry this morning.

School Bus

2011-12-10T10:51:00.000-06:00

Gavin likes to watch the school buses from our front window. Every time he sees one, he tries to say 'bus'. Adam and Matt get a kick out of this because Gavin can't quite say 'bus'.
Instead he says 'butt'.

Thanksgiving

2011-12-01T11:01:00.000-06:00

We went to Leavenworth for Thanksgiving to spend it with Robert's parents and brother. It was a really nice break. Gavin is getting old enough to start remembering and relating to people. He enjoyed being with Grandma and calls her "Mama Chichi". Uncle Eddie teasingly talked to Gavin like an Ewok. Gavin liked this and now calls him "my Eddie".

I didn't do a great job of documenting all that we did but did get a few photos. We drove up Wednesday. Thursday was spent cooking and eating. On Friday Robert and I went into Kansas City to do some shopping. We bought quite a bit and didn't think about having room in the van to get back home. We were pretty packed on our drive back to Garden City. That evening we took Adam and Matt to see the movie "Arthur Christmas". I love all the fun movies that come out this time of year. On Saturday we took the boys to Liberty Jail. This was their first time there. Of course we initially were met with resistance and moans of "that's sooo boring". However, they enjoyed it. We also stopped to see the temple that is being built in Kansas City. The outside looked nearly complete, with only some landscaping needing to be finished. Word is that it should be opening around April. I've jokingly told the boys that's where they're going to get married (I'm half joking, half serious).

At Liberty Jail--Grandpa Kennington, Gavin, Robert, Grandma Kennington, Adam and Matthew.

Matthew, Gavin and Adam checking out the display at the jail.

Adam's 9th Birthday

2011-11-21T15:28:00.036-06:00

Adam is 9 years old today. His last year in the single digits. It's fun to see his growth and maturity increase with each year. His current stats are: 60 lbs. and 4'6". He currently is really into anything electronic, reading, Cub Scouts, Pokemon and other Japanese anime. He is a great son and a very loving, big brother.

We had a birthday party for him on Saturday. He had 9 friends (and brothers) there. He wanted a 'video game' party so that's what we had. We had a Mario Kart cake, presents, and then lots of video games.

In attendance were: l to r from Adam, Kyler Bennett, Kenji Craig, Cole Thompson, Orion Craig, Cyrus Kentner, Koby Bennett, Gavin Kennington and Matt Kennington.

I love this photo. Even though we had asked the boys to sit on the floor in front of Adam, they just couldn't resist being right there while he opened his presents.

Playing the Wii--Orion Craig (one of Adam's best friends from school), Matt, Adam and Cyrus Kentner (he's been to all of Adam's bday parties in Garden City--that's six parties).

Airhockey was also a popular game to play. This was the best Santa present. Everyone enjoys playing this.

My Blue-Eyed Boys

2011-11-20T15:52:00.002-06:00

18 Months

2011-11-20T15:27:00.000-06:00

I'm 10 days behind. Gavin turned 18 months on the 10th. This is a very fun age. His current stats are:

Weight: 24 lbs.

Height: 31 in.

He is 1/2 inch and 1/2 lb. bigger than Matt was at this age. Adam, however, was two inches taller and a pound heavier. So I'm thinking Gavin may be more of Matt's size---which is little. He is our social butterfly-talking to everyone, either saying "hi" or "bye-bye". He has started putting together 2 and 3 word sentences. He is obsessed with the vacuum. He wonders where it's at, if I've used it, etc. He has literally talked about the vacuum all day. Which basically is him saying, "vacuum away?", or "vacuum mama?". It's cute, but after answering those two questions for the 1000th time in a day, it gets a tad old. He's in a clingy stage right now. This isn't characteristic of him, so I'm figuring it's simply a phase. He enjoys playing with trains, saying thank you, sitting at the piano, and getting his own snacks. He knows where to get a small tupperware bowl and how to get a box of cereal out of the cupboard. He attemps to pour the cereal himself. Sometimes it works and other times it's a big mess. He loves his little, blue bear. He calls it "bear bear". It has a pull string on the back that sings a lullaby when pulled. He is definitely becoming more of a toddler and less of a baby.

Adam's Music Program

2011-11-20T15:11:00.000-06:00

Adam had his Music Program last week. He wasn't too excited about singing but did enjoy playing the drums. The theme was "Heroes". He had hoped for a christmas program, but perhaps, next year.

He got to stand in the front row--great for us, not so much for him.

Gavin, on the other hand, LOVED the program. He had fun clapping after every song, and was very pleased to sit in his own chair. If he wasn't clapping, he was saying 'hi' (repeatedly) to everyone around us.

Whirlwind 15 Days

2011-11-06T21:58:00.000-06:00

Life has been so busy the past 15 days. I have traveled the last three weeks. Our first weekend out of town we went to the temple in Denver. It was a quick overnight trip. It was really great to go to the temple and also to see all the beautiful trees in Denver. The following weekend I flew to Salt Lake City for the memorial on my Nanna. She had died in England the previous month. For all of those that couldn't attend the funeral there, we had a family memorial in Utah. It was really nice to see my siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. It was meant to be just an overnight trip, so I could be back for Sunday. However, my plane in Salt Lake was delayed a few hours so I missed the connecting flight to Garden City. I ended up staying the night in Denver. Originally I was supposed to get home Saturday evening at 8pm. I finally made it home Sunday afternoon at 2pm. The frustrating thing was we only live five hours from Denver but I spent 24 hours waiting to get home. I got home, had Halloween the next night, an awards assembly and class party for the boys and then left again Thursday afternoon for Kansas City. My friends, Amber & Kim, and I headed up there to attend the Time Out for Women conference. We spent Friday shopping and seeing the Footloose remake (loved it!), Friday evening at the conference and Saturday as well. We had a great time. We got home last night at 11:30pm. Living out here in the boonies makes us immune to driving 6-7 hours to go somewhere. I don't know how many times I've said, "it's only a six hour drive--no big deal". I have no out-of-town plans for this weekend. Thank goodness. I've got a couple of weeks to recuperate before Thanksgiving break.

Halloween

2011-11-06T21:44:00.000-06:00

I'm finally getting around to posting Halloween photos. I know I'm a week late but at least I'm doing it. We were behind on all Halloween festivities this year. The day before, on Sunday, I had gotten back in town around 3pm. That afternoon and evening we quickly decorated sugar cookies and carved our pumpkins. We attempted to carve Star Wars pictures. Way too complicated for us! We eventually gave up as the entire face/picture caved in. We resorted to the standard triangles. As for costumes, Adam was Ash from Pokemon; Matthew was the Green Lantern, and Gavin was a Jayhawk. I went and helped at the school for the class parties. It was fun for me and a bit embarassing for the boys. We enjoyed trick-or-treating. Gavin quickly picked up on what to do. Each door he said, "treat" and then an emphatic "bye-bye". Too cute!

Soccer Season

2011-10-24T14:30:00.001-05:00

Adam is playing soccer again this fall. Each year he is enjoying it more and more.

Gavin enjoys going to the soccer games. He is either trying to run onto the field or running around the playground.

Matt decided not to play soccer this year. Not exactly sure why. So, he spends his time on the swings during the games.

Happy Birthday, Robert

2011-10-10T22:01:00.000-05:00

Robert had his birthday last Friday. We celebrated with dinner and cake. The boys get so excited for birthdays. We gave him the new blu-ray Star Wars saga DVD set.

Give Me Kiss

2011-10-10T21:52:00.000-05:00

Gavin has started giving kisses. In these photos he kept running into the bathroom while Matt took a bath in order to give him kisses.

Spaghetti Boy

2011-10-10T21:42:00.000-05:00

"Is my face red?"

Brotherly Love--Matthew & Gavin

2011-09-18T19:54:00.000-05:00

Dig, Dig, Dig...

2011-09-18T14:34:00.000-05:00

About a week ago we replaced our sewer line. What an ordeal! Initially, the plumbers thought it would go in a straight line from the house to the alley. They soon learned that wasn't the case. Rather, it ran diagonally across our yard and then another 10 feet further down the alley. Here's the 'before' picture.

Let the digging begin! They had to take down our fence to get the backhoe into the yard. Soon after the digging started, they hit un unmarked gas line. The fire department and gas company had to come out to check the gas levels in the house. Then the digging resumed.

...And went on! That is a tree root to the left of the trampoline. So many roots were dug up, we think our tree is dying. At least half of the leaves have turned yellow this week.

...And on! The trench was 10 feet deep. This photo gives some perspective to the depth. See the man in the trench and the gate above him.

Here's a picture of the part of the pipe that replaced the old one. The plumbers and excavators worked for 12 straight hours, in order to get the pipe in and to let us turn our water back on.

The next day they returned to fill the trench back in. It took two backhoes about four hours. In the mean time, all of our grass is GONE.

We now just have dirt. Lots of dirt.

Trip to Colorado---Denver

2011-09-11T22:49:00.000-05:00

We had a four-day weekend over Labor Day. We decided to head to Colorado--specifically Denver and Colorado Springs. When we travel, especially to somewhere we haven't or the boys haven't been to, we try to see and do as much as possible.

Here's Gavin happily playing with his train. He survived the five hour drive quite well.

Adam and Matt playing their Nintendo DSs.

We arrived during the afternoon. After a quick stop at Toys-R-Us, we took the boys to Chuck E. Cheese. Later that evening all of the boys went swimming and I went shopping---by myself. What a treat!

Saturday we spent the day at the Nature & History Museum. Oh, my--what a place. They had dinosaurs, animals, space exploration, geology, health/body, and a discovery zone for young children.

We then took the boys' to their first IMAX movie. We saw one called "Under the Sea". It was about the coral reefs around Papau New Guinea and Indonesia. It was in 3D and very cool. Gavin started to fuss, and he and I were "politely" asked to leave and kicked out. At least they reimbursed our ticket.

Trip to Colorado--Colorado Springs

2011-09-11T22:25:00.000-05:00

Sunday morning we left Denver at 9am and drove south an hour to Colorado Springs. We spent the morning exploring the 'Garden of the Gods' park. The boys LOVED it! They climbed all over the rocks. In fact, we could have spent a couple of days there, hiking all the trails.

Even Gavin wanted to climb on the rocks.

We then drove up to Manitou Springs to take the cog train up Pikes Peak. It was a three-hour train ride, round trip. It was the boys' first experience on a train, and the highest mountain any of us had been on.

Check out the altitude---14,110 feet.

Monday morning we drove over to Seven Falls. It is a series of seven waterfalls. It's hard to tell from this photo, but there are two steep staircases along the falls we climbed to reach the top.

That afternoon we headed over the the U.S. Olympic Training Center. Way cool! We saw all sorts of facilities where the athletes train.

Future olympic bobsledders?

Neat & Tidy

2011-09-09T13:38:00.000-05:00

We went on a trip over Labor Day weekend. I asked the boys to get their clothes ready to be packed. Matthew loves to do this. Every trip we take he folds and organizes his clothes. It's so cute to see his clothes lined up on his bed ready to go.

Mom's Little Helper

2011-09-09T13:34:00.000-05:00

Gavin is beginning the explorer phase. He's wanting to participate in whatever we're doing. And is just extremely curious. Here he is helping me clean the bathrooms. I happily accepted his help because you can't teach them young enough to clean the bathrooms, especially the toilets.

Caught Red-handed

2011-09-09T13:27:00.000-05:00

Gavin is becoming quite resourceful in finding ways to get what he wants--especially snacks.

End of Summer-----Start of School

2011-08-20T13:57:00.000-05:00

Summer vacation ended on Monday. To ensure the boys enjoyed their last day, we had lots of fun. During the morning we walked over to their school and met their new teachers and saw their classrooms. We then had lunch at McDonalds. Then we spent the afternoon playing in the backyard-- swimming, swinging and beating the heat.

Matthew is in 1st grade this year. His teacher is Mrs. Roth. As you can tell from the photos below, he was not thrilled about having his picture taken. So far, he's been enjoying school, although he is too macho to tell anyone (except me when he is lying down to go to bed--he tells me his secrets then). His favorite part of school is lunch. On Thursday I made him buy school lunch for the first time. He was too afraid to in kindergarten. He still didn't want to do it on Thursday but he didn't have a choice. He was worried about not being able to open his milk carton. I said he could ask a classmate or a teacher to help him. After school he told me he didn't ask anyone for help--he simply threw his milk away, unopened.

Adam is in 3rd grade this year. His teacher is Mrs. Nelson (same name as his 2nd grade teacher). As you can tell, he loved having his picture taken. All of his friends are in his class except one, so he's happy about that. He has homework each night except Fridays--usually a worksheet.

Tempting--Part 2

2011-08-18T09:25:00.000-05:00

"Father, forgive me, for I have sinned."

15 Months

2011-08-11T15:00:00.000-05:00

Gavin turned 15 months yesterday. He weighs 22 lbs. and is 30 inches tall (15th percentile). He seems to have grown and developed a lot these three months since his birthday. He's running and climbing and exerting his will. He loves to climb up on the couch and sit. He jabbers all the time. He tends to favor his left hand--throwing, coloring, etc, so we think he'll be another lefty. That makes three for our family. His favorite food is strawberries. Generally he'll eat whatever we give him, although he tends not to eat much of breads and cereals. He loves to play outside, especially anything to do with water.

Tempting...

2011-08-05T16:48:00.000-05:00

So, I got the new Deseret Book catalog in the mail today. Every time I look through one of those, I'm always tempted to buy at least 10 books and blow the budget. Anyone else feel the same way?

Miami Trip

2011-07-31T21:47:00.000-05:00

We made our usual summer pilgrimage to Miami this month. We were there for 11 days. It was a much more low-key trip this time because all three boys got sick, which left us inside for about a week. As a result I didn't take very many pictures. Before the sick monster raised it's ugly head, we spent time at the beach and pool every day, took Adam and Matt on a boat ride, saw a couple of movies and swam some more. While the boys took turns being sick, Rob and I took turns at the beach and pool.

Matt, Adam, Robert's dad and Robert on our boat ride. We went around Miami's port, Key Biscayne, past all the rich & famous homes and other small islands near Miami. Adam enjoyed it; Matt was bored. Exciting side note--I saw a dolphin jump up out of the water and then dive back down--first time I've seen one in the "wild".

This was the view from our bedroom. Not too shabby, eh!

Adam and Matt on our drive home from the airport. We were all going a bit crazy. It's no fun living seven hours away from the airport. Another exciting side note--we drove right past a tornado. It was literally right across the road from us. As we were approaching it, we kept asking in unbelief, "is that a tornado?" and hoping we would get past it before it crossed the road.

Finished Bannister

2011-07-29T10:22:00.000-05:00

Our bannister is finally finished. (sigh of relief) We started it back in November. . . .and finished it in July. We installed it in November and then it sat there unfinished (unstained) for the rest of time until I got fed up with looking at it, knowing it still wasn't done. It looks much better than the original.

Summer T-ball

2011-07-29T10:12:00.000-05:00

Matt played t-ball this summer. He enjoyed it. He said he liked the practices better than the games because during the games he had to wait around for his turn, where as at practice they were constantly doing something. Four of his friends from his kindergarten class were on his team. Their team was called the Cardinals (not sure why they were given yellow shirts).

Fielding a ground ball.

Matthew is the fourth from the right.

Life is a Teeter-Totter

2011-07-07T16:47:00.000-05:00

I feel like my current life is one huge balancing act--teetering between my family and my calling. I spend a lot of time on the phone and away from home now, either at meetings or on visits. I can tell it's been hard on my kids. A lot of things have had to take the backburner, both for me and for Robert. My projects go undone because I'm too busy; Robert's go undone because he's covering for me and/or with the boys. We didn't plant a garden this year and I don't want to even talk about the rest of our yard. Matthew has always been a momma's boy, but lately he's much more attached. He's been playing t-ball this summer. He likes it but doesn't like to go to the games without me. He's refused to go to a couple of them because I had meetings. Tonight is his last one and it will be only the second one I'll have attended. Oftentimes, he waits up for me to get home, trying to stay awake in his bed. I think it will just take time for everyone to get used to our new "normal". We leave for Miami on Monday. It will be really nice to have that time together as a family.

Bicycles & Backboards---Matthew is in Heaven!!

2011-06-24T13:53:00.000-05:00

New Couch

2011-06-24T13:47:00.000-05:00

Our new couch was delivered this week. We had had our previous ones for 11 years and sold them earlier this month at our garage sale. We are loving it!

Happy 6th Birthday, Matt

2011-06-20T21:53:00.000-05:00

Instead of having a birthday party, Matthew wanted to go to Wichita, and especially go to
Chuck E. Cheese. So, we headed to Wichita for the weekend. We had Matt's birthday there--presents, cake, etc. He really liked it.

The boys had a lot of fun at Chuck E. Cheese. We spent $40 on tokens. . .so they better have had fun.

Over the past six years, we've been to Wichita for at least 8-9 weekends. But we had never been to Tanganyika Wildlife Park. What a neat place! It's a private zoo with tons of interactive exhibits. We got to pet kangaroos, goats, giraffes, rabbits, tortoises, guinea pigs, . . . the list goes on. They also have horse and camel rides.

Gavin giggled with delight over the goats.

"Basketball is my life"

2011-06-20T21:28:00.000-05:00

Matthew has been wanting a big basketball hoop for a long time. So, wasn't he surprised when he saw this in the living room on his birthday morning? Now we just have to figure out where we're going to hang it in our backyard.

Even Adam and Gavin liked it.

Last Days of School

2011-06-20T21:17:00.000-05:00

I'm way behind on blogging. I've been so busy with other things that I've just kept pushing it to the bottom of the list. Both Adam and Matt had a great school years--with great teachers and great friends. The last few days were filled with a Fun Day, Kindergarten Program and the final awards assembly.

The boys' school has a running program during the spring semester. They run during their lunch recess. It's voluntary but both Adam and Matt were very motivated to run everyday. They both did really well. In fact, Adam was first place for the entire school. He ran 71.25 miles. The second place runner ran 58 miles. We didn't realize how much more Adam had run than the others until the assembly. He received a medal and a basketball.

Matthew also was recognized as a top runner. He was one of only two kindergarteners that were top runners. Matthew ran 45 miles and was awarded a basketball. In the photo above, Matt is the third from the left, on the front row--Adam is the first on the right, on the front row.

New Calling

2011-05-25T15:27:00.000-05:00

So, I've had my new calling for nearly a month now. It has been quite a ride so far. I use my spanish every day, at least once. It has been really busy--busier than I was expecting. I used to get 5 phone calls a week. Now it's averaging about 15 a day. I never know what each phone call will bring. I'm still trying to figure out how to manage my time so I can fit everything in. It's like when you have a new baby and all of a sudden you have all this stuff to do for the baby, and you still have to manage your household and other children, etc. I must say, though, it really feels like a privilege to serve the sisters in our ward. And regardless of what skills or qualifications I have or don't have, the purpose of the relief society president is to serve the sisters and their families. It's been a neat experience so far. I'm recording these experiences so I don't forget them. I feel really intune with the Spirit and feel constantly prompted as what to do and/or say. One Sunday I had a strong feeling to go see a sister, so I went Monday morning. I didn't really know what, if anything was going on, but I just felt like I needed to be there and a specific phrase came into my mind to say to her. And it was exactly what she needed. To be honest, it was a bit overwhelming for both of us. I don't take credit for this--I just feel it's the Spirit working and doing it's job through me. I've seen a great deal of financial need in our ward and have often felt after talking with the sister or leaving her home, that I could/should just pay for whatever she needs. But then I've thought if I can afford to buy groceries for her or pay to fix something, I should give that extra money as fast offerings and then have the bishop decide how the money should be used. So, at our pres. meeting last night I felt strongly about sharing this. This morning one of my counselors called me and told me she had been thinking about it all night and really felt and gained a stronger testimony of fast offerings. Beforehand she had felt that since so many sisters have financial needs what can't the church help them all or why can't we have fundraisers. I explained to her the bishop can't pull money out of a hat--the amount of money he has each month to help those with needs depends on how much we, as members, pay in fast offerings. That same counselor and I visited someone yesterday who said she needed help buying food. We went to assess her needs. We both left with the same impression that she does need help but had been exaggerating her need a bit. One of my counselors has only been a member since September, but wow--she is priceless. She has helped so much so far. She's Latina and although I can speak spanish, the other latina sisters really trust and confide in her, more so than they do with me just yet. This is such a wonderful experience for her and really an honor for me to be a part of her experience--to see her growth and development. She's definitely going to be a great leader and asset for the hispanic sisters of the ward. So, although this calling demands a lot of time and can be emotionally taxing, I'm really enjoying it.

Gavin's Birthday Cake

2011-05-14T15:44:00.000-05:00

Gavin loved having us sing to him. He also really enjoyed his birthday cake. It wasn't too fancy--fudge marble cake with vanilla frosting.

Gavin's 1st Birthday

2011-05-14T15:27:00.000-05:00

Our family tradition for first birthdays is to go to McDonalds and buy the birthday boy his first happy meal. Gavin enjoyed his nuggets and fries. He also liked playing in the play area for the first time.

Afterwards, we went home and opened presents. Gavin has enjoyed playing with his new toys. Thanks G&G Leonard for the ball-popper. Thanks Nanna for the Raggedy Andy. Thanks G&G Chichi for the $$$. Thanks Derek, Alexis, Evan & Greta for the bath toys. And of course, thanks Aunt Holly for the swim diapers.

Cheyenne Trip/Holly's Graduation

2011-05-14T11:19:00.000-05:00

Last weekend we made a trip up to Wyoming. We went to say goodbye and send my folks off on their mission. And my sister Holly graduated with her Masters in Counseling from the University of Wyoming. Congratulations Holly!!!

12 Months = 1 Year

2011-05-14T11:14:00.000-05:00

Gavin is 12 months old! Yeah, we made it through the first year!

Weight: 19 lbs. 14 oz. (10th percentile)

Height: 29 inches (10th percentile)

Gavin started walking right after turning 11 months. He's gotten quite good. He can squat down and get back up without holding on to anything. When he's really excited or wanting to get something, he even tries to run.

He loves to play outside and stands by the screen door, banging on it until I let him out.

He has begun to drink whole milk and likes it.

He chatters a lot, seeming to have conversations with himself or one of us.

He wants to play ball with Adam and Matt a lot.

He has learned how to clap. We often find him walking around the house clapping his hands.

The next few pictures truly show how unhappy he was to be sitting in the chair and not walking around.

Oh, CR#P

2011-05-02T15:17:00.000-05:00

That was the unholy thought I had yesterday at church. While getting ready for church, I was thinking about how nice it has been to not have callings requiring us to be so involved in our ward.

I play the organ for sacrament mtg. and that's all, and it's great.

Right before leaving to go to church, we get a phone call to come a few minutes early to talk with the bishop. I thought it was probably a calling for Cub Scouts.

Eeeeeeee--incorrect! Relief Society President--what?? (insert unholy thought).

So much for not being involved in the ward and everyone's business.

(Now, does the bishop really want a RS president that says CR#P?)

Easter

2011-05-02T14:36:00.000-05:00

I'm finally getting around to posting about our Easter. We went up to Leavenworth and to spend the weekend with Robert's parents. The boys always have fun and look forward to going to G&G Chichi's house. We took them to a fun center filled with bouncy things. There was even a place for Gavin to play. Grandma Chichi enjoyed doing that with him. Afterwards we took them to an Easter Egg hunt. There were 5000 eggs there. It was divided by age. Adam easily filled his baskets, but then to his chagrin, the eggs were all filled with Tootsie Rolls--his least favorite. Easter morning the boys woke to not just one, but two baskets--ahh, the joys of being at Grandma's house.

Matthew

2011-04-15T09:40:00.001-05:00

Matthew has always been a bit of a character. He LOVES sweats! In fact, he refuses to wear jeans. This entire school year he has only wore shorts or sweats--never jeans. And he only wore jeans twice last year in preschool. He has always liked being in charge of his fashion. Not that he is fashion-forward--he just wants to have HIS say be the only say. He has been dressing himself and picking out his own clothes since before he was 2 years old.
Matthew has made lots of friends in Kindergarten--a group of about 5-6 boys. Recently he and his friend, Zander, were moved to the same table and they sit next to each other. So, now everything is 'Zander this and Zander that'.
Matthew really enjoys playing sports. He's gotten into basketball lately since they're allowed to play it at recess. The other day he told me, "Basketball is my LIFE!"

New Favorite Pic

2011-04-10T15:09:00.000-05:00

11 Months

2011-04-10T15:07:00.000-05:00

Gavin is 11 months old today.

Weight: 19 lbs. 4 oz.

Height: 29 inches

(Gavin's favorite sitting position)

Gavin is so much fun. I love this age. He's getting mobile and learning to talk and express himself. He's cruising everywhere and is beginning to take steps on his own. Yesterday he took three steps. When he stands without holding on to anything, he grins from ear to ear, so pleased with himself. He's also starting to talk and mimic what we say. He says:

"da-da"

"mom-mom-mom"

"Maa"-Matt

Yesterday after climbing up all the stairs he said "did it". Both Adam and I looked at each other in shock. Then we replied "you did it". Which then Gavin replied back "did it". I'm not sure he quite understands what he's saying but knows enough to vocalize those sounds when he's reached the top of the stairs.

He naps once in the morning and once in the afternoon. I'm about ready, though, for him to stop napping in the morning. I'm tired of not being able to do much of anything or go anywhere in the morning.

Gavin's a very happy baby. He loves to be around other people, especially children. He gets very excited when he can get something he really wants, i.e. the computer, tv remote, cell phone. He studies how things work. I can just see his mind thinking as he plays with things. He's really into the swinging gate--see how the gate opens and closes and how it catches and locks closed. In some regards he reminds me of Adam on how he focuses intently.

Fun Run

2011-04-09T15:17:00.000-05:00

(Adam at the finish line. Matt didn't want to be in the picture.)

We did a 1 mile Fun Run this morning with the boys. A young man in our ward is working on his Eagle project. He organized and put on a 5K and Fun Run to raise funds for his project. Adam and Matt were very excited about doing this. They were the youngest runners. Adam came in first place with a time of 8:48 min. Matt came in 4th with a time of 9:55 min. I came in last. I was walking while pushing Gavin in the stroller. Adam's goal was to finish first. His ability to hyper-focus is definitely a blessing sometimes. It surely drives him to excel.

Tender-Hearted

2011-04-06T13:49:00.000-05:00

My folks are leaving on their mission to Germany next month. Adam has been quite distraught about this because he won't get to see them for two years. He doesn't like goodbyes or having his life change in any big way. I then had to tell him his Aunt Holly was also moving further away, to Seattle. He looked at me, put his head down on the table, and started to cry. Hopefully these changes won't be as hard to adjust to as he thinks.

SPRING

2011-03-24T10:56:00.000-05:00

. . . HAS SPRUNG!!! Which means I survived the winter.
Our tulips are poking their heads up above the ground.
We've seen robins, doves and even a woodpecker in our tree.
And, Spring Break and come. . . and gone.
The boys had Spring Break last week. We didn't go anywhere so we came with something fun to do everyday during the week.
We went to:
the library
had lunch at McDonald's
Matt & I saw "Rango"
Robert & Adam saw "Mars Needs Moms"
watched a lot of basketball, especially KU
...and did spring cleaning. What Spring Break is complete without spring cleaning? A year ago, Adam and Matt started sharing a room. So, it was high time that we cleaned out under their beds and vacuumed.
Now, we're back to school, counting down the days 'til Summer Break.

Pinewood Derby

2011-03-24T10:50:00.000-05:00

Last night was Adam's first Pinewood Derby. He was quite excited. The theme was favorite sports teams, so he clearly chose KU. His car ended up being in the middle of the pack which was a bit disappointing for him (we're still working on losing graciously). Afterwards at home, I told him losing simply helps us do better the next time because it can teach us what we need to improve. He's quite competitve and is already thinking what he can do differently and better for next year's race. He did receive an award to "sticking to the theme the best".

First Full Week

2011-03-18T16:59:00.000-05:00

Gavin has now been weaned for a full week now. This wasn't intentional. In fact, I've always nursed for at least a year. But Gavin and I have really struggled with nursing for a few months now. It started over Christmas break. He was cutting teeth #5 and #6. His teeth were so sharp they kept cutting my skin (but only my left side). Cutting it so much that it would bleed. And the pain was excruciating. So, I went to pumping my left side. But this had it's own difficulties, like finding an outlet if I wasn't at home, having to leave church in order to pump, etc. I would pump for a few days while the skin healed. Then I could nurse again for another week. And then I would have to pump for another week. This went back and forth for two months. I finally had it when it took 10 days for my skin to heal and then only one day for it to be cut again. I realized this was not working out. And sadly decided it was time to wean Gavin. This has been a whole new experience for me. I had never bought formula before--had no idea how much to feed him or even how to make a bottle. I know that's pretty pathetic to admit, but I had never prepared a bottle before. I didn't even own a bottle. Luckily, Gavin has been agreeable about taking a bottle and switching over to formula. I'm not use to being "free" from Gavin--being able to run errands and not having to think about nursing. Or yesterday, it finally dawned on me that I can eat certain foods now that I'm not nursing. I'm still the one that feeds Gavin (gives him a bottle). I still like to cuddle him and don't really want to give that up yet to anyone. Robert has fed him a couple of times but I usually am not willing to share that responsibility.

10 Months

2011-03-10T15:07:00.005-06:00

Weight: 18 lbs.
Height: 27 1/2 inches

Gavin is growing up so quickly. This has been a fun month. He is now:
- waving bye-bye
- eating mainly table food. He'll eat anything. New foods he's tried this month include--spinach, asparagus, fish, pickles, stuffing, strawberries, cheesecake. His favorite food is a banana.
- cruising around everywhere
- had his 7th tooth come in
- dances to music. He's got great moves. He looks likes he's either doing the twist or bellydancing.
- is beginning to say 'mama'.
- sleeping on his tummy. He likes to do that. We can tell when he's slept on his tummy most of the night because in the morning his eyelids are really puffy.

Chiefs Fans

2011-03-10T15:02:00.001-06:00

Gavin is now big enough to wear an outfit that Adam wore on his first birthday. It's fun to see the comparison.

Gavin at 10 months

Adam at 1 year

Earning $$$

2011-03-08T14:53:00.003-06:00

Adam has been diligently saving his allowance for weeks to purchase a $40 video game. He was hoping he would have it all saved by this weekend, just in time for Spring Break. Sunday evening he was counting his money, calculating if he would have enough and realized he would be short $5 this weekend and would have to save another week. This is what he did not want because he wouldn't have it to play over Spring Break. So, he asked me for $5. I said no. But, perhaps he could do some extra chores to earn the money. I told him to think of some possible chores and we would discuss it. Later he asked if he watched and played with Gavin every day after school, if that would be a good chore to earn some money. I thought about it and said, 'How about you play with Gavin for 30 minutes each afternoon while I am preparing dinner?" I'll give you a dollar a day for doing that. He agreed. Yesterday, he realized that it might not be so easy. Simply because Gavin is usually quite clingy around that time. Adam tried all sorts of things and finally found a toy that distracted Gavin while I fixed dinner. Adam is definitely going to earn his money. I was pretty pleased that Adam thought of this idea to play with Gavin. Typically, he is quite self-absorbed and doesn't get out of his own head to recognize the needs and wants of others. So, I was glad that he was putting someone else first. And since he's quite motivated to earn this money, I think he'll stick it out all week.

Family Update

2011-03-01T10:35:00.005-06:00

It's been quite awhile since I posted anything. This month has been busy. Robert continues to work hard building his practice. We're surviving. Thank goodness for the contract he has with the city. We wouldn't be making it without that. He has and is getting more and more retained clients, just not enough yet to cover all of our expenses. So, that's where the city contract keeps us afloat.

Adam and Matt are doing well in school. We had parent-teacher conferences last week. I'm really glad they both have great teachers and are learning lots. During the first week of school, all the kindergarteners were tested to see how many letter and sounds they knew. Matthew was too shy to answer so his teacher had to give him a score of 'zero'. She sensed that he knew his letters but was too bashful, so she wasn't concerned about it. She says he has really opened up now and participates much more, and his scores are well-above the class averages. As a celebration, over the weekend, we took the boys to Wichita to the children's science museum (we had free tickets and a gift card to Applebees so we did it for cheap).

Our school district is adding another elementary school for the 2012-2013 school year. Robert and I have been asked to be on the committee to help decide what the new school boundaries will be. I'm adamant about keeping our school boundaries the same. It's interesting to see how school politics, etc... work.

MATT VADAR

2011-03-01T10:24:00.003-06:00

DARTH VADAR:

COOL VADAR:

BORED VADAR:

This is Matthew. He recently saved his allowance, with a little help from us, to buy this Darth Vadar helmet. It is pretty neat. It can alter his voice to sound like Darth Vadar and it also speaks 'Vadar phrases'. It's been a lot of fun. Matt is a bit small for his age, and with this helmet on, he reminds me of the little boy who did the Darth Vadar commercial during the Super Bowl. In fact, he and Adam act out the commercial a lot.

9 Months

2011-02-10T10:53:00.005-06:00

Gavin is 9 months old today. His current stats are:

Weight: 17 lbs. 8 oz. (20th percentile)

Height: 27 inches (25th percentile)

Gavin has been busy becoming mobile this month. He is crawling and cruising and pulling up on everything.

He has been trying all sorts of food. He is always wanting to eat what we're eating.

Gavin had tooth #5 and #6 come in. This has posed some problems with nursing. The teeth have been so sharp and pointy, that they have cut my skin and I've had to pumped for a couple of weeks in order for the skin to heal.

Gavin is becoming very giggly. He likes to laugh a lot.

Pearly Whites

2011-01-29T15:25:00.000-06:00

Look at that toothy grin!

A Day in the Life. . .

2011-01-25T21:07:00.003-06:00

of Heidi Kennington.

Woke up at 6:45am.
Made breakfast--grapefruit, cinnamon rolls, and sausage links.
Woke Adam and Matt up.
Put dishes on table for Matt to set out.
Got Gavin up.
Changed his diaper.
Nursed.
Got dressed.
Took Adam and Matt to school.
Came home and fixed breakfast for Gavin.
Loaded dishwasher.
Played a song on the piano.
Printed off coupons.
Put a load of laundry into the washer.
Read Gavin a book.
Sat on floor while Gavin crawled around.
Practied laughing with Gavin.
Got Gavin dressed.
Changed his diaper.
Cleaned up books Gavin took off the bookshelf.
Held Gavin after he bonked his head on the bookshelf.
Said goodbye to Robert as he left for court in a town an hour away.
Put laundry into dryer and another load into the washer.
Put Gavin down for a nap.
Took a shower.
Made bed.
Clipped coupons and wrote shopping list.
Got Gavin up from his nap.
Went to Target.
Picked up a hamburger from Burger King.
Came home and fed Gavin lunch.
Watched the boys at recess while nursing.
Changed diaper.
Did another load of laundry.
Played piano.
Changed diaper.
Played with Gavin.
Watched 10 minutes of Oprah's show from yesterday.
Talked with Robert.
Got the mail.
Talked with Robert some more.
Put Gavin down for a nap.
Went online.
Got Gavin up.
Changed his diaper and clothes.
Switched clothes in the dryer.
Held Gavin.
Talked with Robert.
Put Gavin into the stroller and walked to pick up Adam and Matt from school.
Nursed.
Gave two piano lessons.
Unloaded dryer.
Had boys put their laundry away.
Put Matt in his room for hitting.
Fixed dinner.
Had Adam set the table.
Fed Gavin.
Ate dinner.
Loaded and started dishwasher.
Gave Matt a bath.
Fixed the boys' lunches for tomorrow.
Answered the phone.
Called a friend.
Held Gavin.
Watched Matt and Robert do a puzzle.
Told Adam to get out of the shower.
Played with Gavin.
Talked to Adam about the Holy Ghost.
Had family scripture and prayer.
Flossed and brushed the boys' teeth.
Read a book to the boys.
Nursed.
Put Gavin to bed.
Cuddled with Matt.
Put medicine on Adam's wart.
Kissed Adam and tucked him in.
AHHH. . . . it's 8:50. I'm done!

Adam Update

2011-01-24T21:01:00.003-06:00

I've been thinking about Adam a lot lately. It was three years ago this past week that Adam was diagnosed with OCD and starting his rigorous therapy. I was talking with him about it and he said he doesn't even remember any of the rituals he used to do. I was surprised that he didn't have any memory of washing his hands constantly and thinking everything was contaminated. Now he can so how illogical those actions were. He has been doing great. He says he doesn't feel like he has OCD anymore. That would be nice, but unrealistic, since it's a lifelong disorder. He is doing so well that he hasn't had any treatment or medication since last summer.
I've also noticed that he seems more easygoing and happy, and he doesn't take himself or life so seriously. He laughs at himself more readily. It's really refreshing to see him more relaxed. I've noticed this since he was baptized, so I think it is the Holy Ghost that is calming him.

Favorite Things

2011-01-16T16:23:00.002-06:00

This cupboard has become Gavin's favorite place to play in the kitchen. I cleared most of it out so we could keep a few play things in there for him. It also has become my saving grace while trying to prepare meals. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Adam and Matt like to play a magic trick game with Gavin. They hide a small pink or red cup under a larger purple cup, rotate the cups and then see if Gavin can pick the correct one. Of course, he has no idea what's happening but he loves the attention from his brothers. It's really quite cute to see.

8 Months

2011-01-10T16:04:00.002-06:00

Gavin is now 8 months old. This year is going quickly. Although, when I think back to the summer, it seems like such a long time ago. Weight: 17 lbs. 12 oz.

Height: 27 inches

As the pictures show, his mobility has greatly increased this month. He is crawling and trying to pull himself up on anything and everything. He has five teeth now. The three on the top came in this month. He is enjoying trying new foods and is starting to eat "table" food--yogurt, cereal, bread. He can feed himself Cheerios now. This is a new found freedom for him.

He has learned to shake his head 'no'. This has become a favorite game for Adam and Matt. They ask Gavin a question and he shakes his head 'no'. Such as, "Do you like Adam/Matt? No." "Do you want to take a nap? No." And my favorite--"Does Mom have a big butt? No."

Gavin has been very clingy and cuddly this month, always wanting to be held by Mom.

He blows lots of raspberries and likes to squeal--usually with his mouth closed, so it sounds more like a baby trumpet. He has taken a couple of baths in the big tub and seems to enjoy them. Matt joined him for one of them and that was a bit intimidating for Gavin.

Happy New Year...

2011-01-01T15:58:00.002-06:00

from our New Year's baby!

Favorite Christmas Photos

2010-12-27T14:27:00.006-06:00

We took lots of photos on Christmas. . . . just like everyone else. These are a few of my favorites.

This one shows the joyful chaos of opening gifts on Christmas morning.

I caught this photo before gifts were opened. Both boys are brimming with excitement, expressed in their own unique faces.

We made gingerbread houses on Christmas Eve. All photos of Matt include one with him doing cross-eyes. It's his current favorite look. This was also the first day he was well, after being sick for five days.

This is Gavin's lone opportunity to check out and touch the Christmas tree. He's holding a container of baby food, from his stocking.

We had a nice and quiet Christmas--just hanging out at home in our pajamas. Both Matthew and Gavin had been sick during the days prior, so they both were ready to feel better for Christmas. Matthew was very excited to receive a Nintendo DS. He was certain Santa would bring him one. He would always say, "when I get a DS", never "if I get a DS". Oh, the faith of a little child. Adam received some Wii games and has played them so much he has a Wii blister on his thumb. As for Robert and I, we were just happy to have time to relax. Yesterday was my birthday, which was another quiet day. Robert did spoil me, though, doing all the chores, cleaning, etc. . . including cleaning the bathrooms, which he loathes. I made myself my favorite cake, a Jewish Apple Cake--yummy!

2010-12-21T10:23:00.001-06:00

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Sunday Best

2010-12-20T11:23:00.002-06:00

How many photos does it take?

To get the boys smiling in their Christmas outfits?

Three? I guess this will have to do.

School Project

2010-12-20T10:44:00.002-06:00

Adam has been working on a big project in his gifted class. He has been learning about dinosaurs. He and his teacher put together a shadow puppet show. They made the puppets, wrote and recorded the script, made the "stage" and then presented it to his class and the first grade classes. He had a lot of fun with this and did a great job.

"All I Want For Christmas....

2010-12-20T10:40:00.003-06:00

....Are my two front teeth." That was Gavin's wish this past week.
And it came true. His top teeth came in. Yeah! He was pretty fussy about it. Additionally, he had a cough/cold all week. So, it was a bit of a doosie of a week for him.

7 Months

2010-12-10T14:32:00.003-06:00

Here's our happy, little Gavin. He's seven months today.

His weight: 17 lb. 0 oz.

His height: 26 inches

BTW, his shirt says, "My Auntie is awesome".

He's been busy this month, trying to learn how to crawl. He's almost there. He's also working on getting his top, two teeth. I wouldn't be surprised if at least one of them broke through this weekend.

He got his first haircut this month. I cut off his mohawk. Now it just sticks up everywhere. When the light shines through it, it looks like a halo.

This is Gavin's favorite position.
He's figured out how to move his hands forward but not his legs yet.

St. Nicholas Day

2010-12-06T14:31:00.004-06:00

In our family, we celebrate St. Nicholas Day (European holiday). To me, it is the start of the Christmas season. We set our shoes out on the night of Dec. 5th and St. Nicholas fills them during the night while we sleep. It's always fun to see what he brings. Adam and Matt quite enjoy this. Matt was telling me on Sunday, before putting out our shoes, that he had asked one of his friends at church if St. Nicholas was coming to his house and if he was putting out his shoes. He told Matt, "no". Matt then said, "we're so lucky that St. Nicholas comes to our house".

This year, Adam and Matt each received a 2011 calendar, socks, shirt, hat, Crunch bars, toothbrush, gummis, book, activity pad, and beef jerky. Gavin got baby food (hawaiian delight), finger puppets and a stuffed lion. Rob and I received a calendar and planner, Lebkuchen, gummis, clementines, beef jerky, Applebees giftcard, and a German ornament and magnet. We must have been extra good this year because our shoes were overflowing.

We put out or tree and decorations this weekend, too. In the past I've been known as a bit of a tree-nazi but am trying to let the boys help decorate. However, last night ended up being a wrestling match, fighting over who got to put the German ornaments on the tree. This made me very anxious and uptight because those ornaments aren't really replaceable. So, my dilemma is--do I let them help decorate and run the risk of irreplaceables getting broken, or do I be a meanie and decorate myself in order to ensure nothing gets broken? Arrgh--if they were no fighting we wouldn't have this issue? Why can't we just all get along?

Thanksgiving Weekend/Adam's Baptism

2010-12-03T19:42:00.004-06:00

(L-R: Grandma Susan Leonard, Grandpa John Leonard, Gavin Kennington, Holly Leonard, Heidi Kennington, Adam Kennington, Robert Kennington, Royal Blake, Nanna Susan Blake, Grandpa Jim Kennington, Grandma Cristina Kennington.

Note: Matthew Kennington is hiding behind Grandpa Leonard)

We had a full Thanksgiving weekend. We had a full house for the Thanksgiving holiday and Adam's baptism. Our parents, all three sets, and my sister visited. Thursday we had our Thanksgiving meal, raked leaves and hung out. Friday we did a bit of shopping. Normally I go out early in the morning but this year I had an eye infection and just didn't have the energy for it. The boys made gingerbread men cookies and we did some more hanging out.

Saturday was set aside for Adam's baptism. He wanted it to be just a family affair - so it was just family, the bishop and the bishop's son, Adam's friend. He was very attentive during Aunt Holly's talk (her props included Luke Skywalker, Ben 10 and Buzz Lightyear). Afterwards, we came home and had some refreshments--white cake (Adam's favorite) and German treats. Later, we had dinner at McDonald's per Adam's request.

On Sunday, G&G Kennington, G&G Leonard and Aunt Holly went home.

Monday was spent putting in a new bannister. Royal and Robert did it in one day. Once we stain and finish it, I'll post pictures. It looks really nice. And it's just in time since Gavin is on the verge of crawling.

We are thankful for lots of things--having family for Thanksgiving, Adam's choice to be baptized, a new bannister and being able to spend time with our loved ones.

Adam's 8th Birthday

2010-11-21T15:48:00.003-06:00

It is Adam's 8th birthday today. It's a bit hard to believe he is already 8 years old.

8 great things about Adam:
1. He loves to read!
2. He asks tons of questions about everything!
3. He really strives to do everything well!
4. He likes to tend Gavin!
5. He has made good choices of friends!
6. Although he likes to be contrary, he secretly wants to do what's right and obey the rules!
7. He happily shares what happens at school!
8. He made me a mother!

This is his "happy" face that church is over and he can now open his presents.

Wow! $20! What is he going to spend it on?

Of course, a Star Wars book.

"Use The Force"

2010-11-20T16:01:00.002-06:00

Adam had his 8th birthday party today. Wow, what a party. We had 11 boys here. And it was non-stop energy. In hindsight, we insanely had the party last for three hours. When things got a bit crazy, I reminded myself that it only happens once a year and for only a few hours. And that I can handle that. Adam is really into Star Wars so that was the theme of the party. I bought a bunch of wrapping paper and used the rolls to make lightsabers. We spray painted the "handles" silver and let the boys decorate them and then they each chose what color they wanted the "blade" (red, green or blue). As you can see in the photo below, they were a big hit. And since 8 year old boys can be a bit rough, they didn't last too long. While they were playing with them, I kept a roll of clear packing tape handy to do any repairs on the lightsabers. We fed the boys pizza and cupcakes for lunch. We also had a pinata and a bunch of others games.

Funny, Funny Matthew

2010-11-11T09:59:00.002-06:00

Today he looked at me cross-eyed and started singing,
"Don't you wish your girlfriend was hot like me? Don'tja! Don'tja!"

New Sport

2010-11-11T09:49:00.002-06:00

Adam and Matt have invented a new sport.

It's called BABY JUMPING.

6 Months

2010-11-10T09:36:00.005-06:00

Gavin is 6 months olds today.

Weight: 16 lbs. 8 oz. (45th perc.)

Height: 25 1/2 in. (25th perc.)

This past month has been chalk full of milestones.

His first two teeth came in this month.

He has learned how to sit on his own and is really enjoying it. As am I.

He is starting to take longer naps. He still takes three per day but usually at least one of them lasts over an hour. His evening nap tends to get shortened or he takes a quick one after nursing.

He is beginning to express his preferences, for example, he decides between a couple of toys which one he wants to play with.

He is drinking from a sippy cup. I wasn't sure how he would do with this because he has never liked a pacifier or taken a bottle. And he doesn't suck his thumb much either anymore. But, he's figured out how to drink from the spout and tends to think it's great fun. He nurses five times/day.

He continues to be quite social. He gets quite giddy when he sees children, or adults that he recognizes. He leans into someone that he wants to hold him. He doesn't fuss about being with "strangers" (not yet--we'll see in a couple of months).

He smiles a lot and is very friendly. He was named after his Uncle Mike, who is also smiley and friendly. So, we named him correctly.

He continues to have crazy hair. The mohawk continues to be long while the rest is really short and fuzzy. Once all the grandmas see him at Thanksgiving, I'm tempted to cut the long wisps so everything is the same length and he won't look like a skater-punk.

He is eating stage 2 baby food. He enjoys all fruits and vegetables so far. We've been trying out turkey this week.

Even though Gavin is a very happy baby, here is evidence that he does have his moments and definitely lets us know about it.

It's so cute to watch him watching himself in the mirror.

"My toes are my favorite toys."

6 Month Itch

2010-11-06T23:39:00.004-05:00

For some reason, we got an itch for something new when both Adam and Matt were six months old.
When Adam was six months old, Robert got a new job so we moved from Kansas City to Emporia.
Then, when Matt was six months old, Rob again got a new job and we moved from Emporia to here, Garden City.
Now, Gavin will be six months old next week.
So, has the itch reappeared? Yes.
Are we moving? No.
Is Robert starting a new job? Yes.
He has decided to start his own law firm.
This we'll be his last week at his current job and more frightening, his last week with a steady salary.
We both feel good about this.
Amazingly, in a town that is 2/3 Hispanic, Robert is the only attorney that is fluent in Spanish.
We're hoping to capitalize on this. We've been busy getting everything organized.
So, here's go nothin'!

Our Little Lion King

2010-11-02T22:36:00.002-05:00

We dressed Gavin up as a lion. It's the same costume we used when Matt was a baby. The first picture is of Gavin (5 months). The second picture is of Matthew (4 months).

By the time we had taken pictures and finished trick-or-treating, Gavin had had it. He was ready to get his costume off and go to bed.

Adam Vadar

2010-11-02T22:17:00.002-05:00

Adam loves Star Wars. So, it was no surprise when he wanted a Star Wars costume. He initially wanted me to make him a Yoda costume but I knew that it wouldn't look professional and therefore wouldn't get Adam's approval. So, he used his allowance to buy his own costume.

Matt the Ninja

2010-11-02T22:01:00.003-05:00

Matt dressed up as a ninja this Halloween. He had a great time. He ran from house to house for nearly two hours.

Just waiting to go trick-or-treating

The stash!

Playing Soccer

2010-11-02T21:41:00.002-05:00

Adam and Matt played in a small, soccer league during October. Both boys enjoyed it a lot. Sadly, I didn't get any photos of Matt playing. His leg hurt and he didn't play on the Saturday that I brought my camera. One of our favorite memories was of Matt's goal. He was running hard to score a goal. Right before he reached the goal posts, he kicked the ball really hard, slipped in a puddle and was covered, literally, in mud from head to toe. It was a great looking goal but he was so embarassed. He went home right after and took a shower to get all the mud off.

All Things Round

2010-10-25T14:45:00.002-05:00

Aren't these pictures cute of Gavin? How can you not like a cute, naked baby?

Matt's class went on a field trip today to the pumpkin stand. All of the children were very excited to pick out their very own pumpkins.

Quick Note

2010-10-20T14:41:00.002-05:00

Just wanted to quickly note down what's happening before I forget-----which could be in two minutes, the way my mind has been working lately. Gavin got his first tooth last Sunday, the 10th, and his second tooth today. Now that most of the hair on the sides of his head has fallen out, it is starting to grow back in. It's really short and soft right now. His head looks a bit like a fuzzy tennisball. And I guess we can now say he is an "official" sitter. Yesterday he sat on his own for over a minute.

5 Months

2010-10-10T14:06:00.003-05:00

Weight: 15 lbs. 3 oz.

Height: 25 inches

This month Gavin has focused a lot on using his hands. He tends to favor his left hand. Adam was the same way and ended up left-handed so we'll see what happens with Gavin. He is quite adept now at holding and grabbing things. He isn't interested in being on the floor. He justs wants to stand up on our laps. I'm beginning to wonder if he'll learn to roll over and sit on time. He can somewhat sit by himself--with his arm out front propping him up. For the past two weeks he's been repeating the same sound all day long. He's almost ready to cut his first tooth. We can see it just below the gum. He has a new schedule now. It's taken the entire month to kind of figure it out. He dropped a feeding and a nap. So, now he nurses 5 times/day and naps 3 times/day. He wakes up about 7:30am and nurses; takes a nap around 10am; nurses at 11am; eats lunch=veggies; naps at 1:30-2pm; nurses again at 2-2:30pm; naps for the last time at 5:30-6pm; nurses, and then nurses again at 8:30pm before bedtime. He doesn't sleep for long periods during the day. Each nap is only 30-40 minutes. But, at night he does great. Once he's in bed, he rarely makes a peep. I usually check on him because he's so quiet. As for baby food, he's happily tried cereal, carrots and sweet potatoes. We'll start fruit in a couple of weeks. He smiles a lot and loves to have people talk to him.

Hey, sweetie--come here often?

"I've fallen and I can't get up."

Robert's Birthday

2010-10-10T13:53:00.003-05:00

Robert's birthday was this past Thursday. I think he had a nice day. He took the afternoon off----and took a nap. He didn't want anything too crazy, so we kept it low-key. We did the traditional things--dinner, cake and presents. The boys and I gave him a new bag for work and chocolates. Gavin gave him a nap on his shoulder.

Adam and Matt are thinking, "who's this crazy guy?"

40 Things

2010-10-07T11:20:00.002-05:00

40 Things About Robert--

1. Robert was born October 7, 1970, in Logan, Utah--40 years ago today.
2. He is the oldest of three boys.
3. He is now the father of three boys.
4. According to his boys, he makes the best (Kraft) mac-n-cheese.
5. He enjoys playing soccer, baseball, tag, etc.. with his sons in the backyard.
6. He is incredibly patient.
7. He paid for all of his college education by himself--all 7 years.
8. He has had lots of jobs in sales and was quite successful at them.
9. His favorite meal is lasagna.
10. He LOVES chocolate.
11. He can fall asleep in two seconds.
12. While in college, he went to a singing audition. He did so well that he was called back to go to Nashville. However, he turned it down because he can't stand country music.
13. He used to deliver pizza for Dominos.
14. When he was 3 years old, he won a "cutest baby" contest and won a trip to Disney World.
15. He loves to read biographies and other non-fiction.
16. When he asked me out on our first date, he had it all planned out. I was really impressed. He didn't ask, "So, what do you want to do?"
17. His first mission call was to Peru. While in the MTC it was changed to Puerto Rico because of too much violence and the lack of safety for the missionaries in Peru.
18. He likes to pick out his own clothes and doesn't really like me to shop for him.
19. He has lived in four states--Utah, Kansas, Virginia and Nebraska.
20. He grew up with cats as pets. He named his first one "George Brett" after the baseball player.
21. He loves to negotiate. He is always trying to negotiate a deal or get a bargain.
22. He graduated for the University of Kansas and wants our boys to do the same.
23. He loves that I shop in the clearance section.
24. He wants to live near the beach, preferably Florida.
25. He tends to have a lucky streak. While in law school, he won a number of contests, winning us tickets to a Broadway play, a TV, many dinners out, and lots of t-shirts.
26. He works really hard at not watching football on Sundays.
27. He does the dishes! And the dusting!
28. He enjoys 7-11 slurpees. He's even been given the nickname "slurpee boy".
29. He tends to let our boys stay up late and will play with them while putting them to bed.
30. He likes to watch "Dog, the Bounty Hunter" and "Top Chef".
31. He has lived in Kansas for 28 years.
32. He likes to occasionally make a late-night run to Dairy Queen for a blizzard.
33. He works really hard at his job.
34. He would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to have season tickets for KU basketball.
35. Since we bought our house, he's learned to lay flooring, tile, do electrical and plumbing work, install appliances, do lots of demo, and paint even more.
36. He likes Coke over Pepsi.
37. He watches Sports Center every night.
38. He is low-key and laid back.
39. He was 26 when we got married.
and #40. He is very loyal and loving to his family. And we're happy to celebrate his birthday with him.

Weekend Update

2010-10-03T21:23:00.003-05:00

We've had a nice weekend. Adam and Matt have tomorrow off from school so they're extra to have a longer weekend. The boys had a soccer game yesterday morning. One of the moms in our ward started up a mini soccer league because all of the other leagues in town hold their games on Sundays. So, most of the kids ages 4-7 in the ward joined up to have our own soccer league. The rest of the day was devoted to General Conference. Watching conference with children isn't usually quiet or relaxing. Most of the time it's a lesson in patience for me. We do have some type of conference activity and candy to keep the boys entertained and somewhat involved. We had conference bingo for them this time. I remember being Adam's age and watching general conference at our house in San Antonio and thinking, "this is so boring. I don't even understand what they're saying." And even though we heard lots of complaints and said multiple times, "put the ball away and come sit back down", it was nice to spend so much time together as a family. Any other Saturday would have been spent doing chores, errands, etc and we wouldn't have been together as much. Between sessions, Robert took the boys to buy new tennis shoes. We told Adam he has to finally get some tie shoes, not the velcro straps anymore. He struggled with learning to tie his shoes in kindergarten and hasn't wanted to do it since then. We explained that since he's older now it would be easier to learn. And it was. He got it down in just a few tries. Matt even learned how to do it. So, they did spend part of conference tying and retying their shoes. They're both at the age now that they only change shoe-size about once a year. And I've learned, through trial and error, that if we buy the better shoe brands (Skechers, Nike, etc) we only have to buy one pair per year. In the past I bought shoes at Walmart but ended up replacing them every 2-3 months. Now we just need to teach them how to ride bikes. That's for another weekend.

I Love NY

2010-09-29T13:29:00.003-05:00

All three of our boys have worn this outfit that Auntie Holly gave us back when Adam was a baby. Here's a couple of photos--one of Matt and one of Gavin wearing it. I have a photo of Adam wearing it as well but we didn't have a digital camera when he was a baby so that particular photo is not on our computer. Matthew is 3 1/2 months in his photo and Gavin is 4 1/2 months in his. Can you tell who's who?

Gavin's 1st Cereal

2010-09-22T15:07:00.002-05:00

On Sunday, Gavin had his first serving of rice cereal. He seemed to enjoy it and didn't fuss at all about eating it.

Matt wanted to be in the middle of the action. Here he is helping feed Gavin.

Weekend News

2010-09-19T21:39:00.002-05:00

I title this 'weekend news' although I can't really say there's much news to it. We've had a nice weekend. Yesterday Adam and Matt seemed to get along better than most days and played well together. Basically just goofing off and having fits of the giggles. It's great fun for Rob and I to see them laughing and having fun with each other. Two weeks ago Robert repainted the basement. Yesterday we finished painting the trim. Only the doors are left now. We fed Gavin his first baby cereal today. He did better than expected--no crying, not even a 'what-the-heck-is-this' face. I'll post pictures later. He has dropped his evening nap. Now we're down to three a day. Last Sunday after church we were informed that the spanish branch we attend would be dissolved into the english ward. That officially happened today. I'm excited for the spanish members to be in a fully functioning ward and be able to enjoy all the blessings that come from that. I hope the language and culture differences won't be a barrier to anyone feeling welcome and/or accepted. So, that's my short post. Just wanted to record what's going on around here.

Growing Up

2010-09-11T21:49:00.003-05:00

Earlier this week Matt and Adam were discussing who was stronger. Matt said he was 'cause he could do more push-ups. Of course Adam countered that and said he could. So, they both got down on the floor to see who could do the most push-ups. Adam did a typical kid push-up with his bum in the air, but Matt had the correct form and quickly did 10 of them. This caught me by surprise. Not that Matt hasn't always been athletic and quite stocky, but that he could do push-ups properly at his age. I told him to let me feel his muscles. I noticed that his biceps, triceps and shoulders seemed to be quite a bit stronger. So, I asked him if he had been practicing doing push-ups. He replied that he hadn't. So, then I asked what he had been doing to get stronger arms. He said that he's been doing chin-ups during recess.

Adam went to a classmate's birthday party this week. It was the first girl party he has been invited to. He even received a princess invitation. I wasn't sure if he would want to go but he said he did. When I took him over to Alexa's house, I noticed there were 6-7 girls there but no boys. Alexa's mom (who happens to be Matt's kindergarten teacher) told Adam not to worry, that more boys were coming. After the party ended and Adam came home, he told us about the party. He said, "When I went inside, all these girls swarmed around me and my stomach felt weird and I didn't know what to do". Both Robert and I started laughing.

4 Months

2010-09-10T14:21:00.003-05:00

Gavin is four months old today. He is doing really well. He has a happy disposition and really enjoys smiling at anything and anyone. He seems a lot more interactive this past month. His current stats are: weight: 14 lbs. 5 oz (50th percentile); height: 24 inches (30th percentile).
In comparison to Adam and Matt, Gavin is the heaviest (by one ounce) and the shortest (by 1/4 inch). So, I'm thinking of him as our "stubby chubby". He continues to nurse six times/day and nap four times/day. He goes to bed about 9pm and sleeps 'til 7am. He's grown into his 3-6 months clothes. He loves to stand on our laps and has little interest in lying down. He no longer wants to be in his bouncy seat since it's too reclined for his liking. He is enjoying his exersaucer, as seen below. He also likes to sit in his highchair and be scooted up to the table with the rest of us during mealtime. He recognizes himself in the mirror and is just thrilled to see himself or any other baby. He breaks out into a big smile. He is getting quite adept at grabbing and holding onto his toys, our glasses, my hair, etc. He rolls from his tummy to his back and is starting to work on rolling from his back to his tummy.

His hair has fallen out on the sides, so he's sporting a mohawk along the top and down the back. He's got big, blue eyes that always seem to be very alert. It looks like he is starting to develop a dimple in his chin like his Grandpa Chichi. He has started drooling a lot and some days sports a rash on his chin from it. He continues to spit up a lot and it has gotten gradually worse as he's gotten older. I've been eliminating any and all foods that could possibly be bothering him. I feel like it's only safe to eat bananas and turkey sandwiches. However, the doctor today told me that at this point I can start eating everything again, including dairy. And simply try to pinpoint the exact foods that bother him. We're glad Gavin is doing so well and is a healthy boy.

Weekly Update

2010-09-05T17:00:00.003-05:00

So, here's an update to my previous post this week. Gavin is doing much better. He's back on his normal schedule, including four naps and six feedings. He has started rolling over from his tummy to his back. I've done a better job of having Gavin do 'tummy time' than I did with Adam and Matt.
Adam is enjoying school. He's started up his gifted class again, which he loves. This year he is grouped with another student and not on his own.
Matthew won't admit it but he likes school. He did tell me he liked preschool better because it wasn't as long, but he said he laughs more in kindergarten because he has made lots of friends and "they are funny".
Robert spent all day yesterday painting the basement, at least the family and guest rooms. He's going to paint the study tomorrow. Somehow Labor Day weekend is always full of labor in our house.

Where Are You, Calgon?

2010-08-31T09:20:00.003-05:00

Gavin and I have had a trying few days. He's just not himself. Since Friday, he's dropped a feeding and a nap. He's only nursing five times a day. That doesn't seem like enough for a three-month old. And's he's only napping three times a day, for a total of 90 minutes. Up 'til this point, he's been a great napper. He never fussed about it. I would just put him down and he would happily sleep. But the past few days, he's been falling asleep on my shoulder but as soon as I put him down in his crib, he clings to me like a monkey and starts crying. The schedule we had is now totally blown. Most of the time now I'm not sure when to feed him and when he's tired. I'm hoping today we'll get back to normal. He fell asleep on our walk this morning. So, when we got home, I didn't dare wake him up. I just wheeled the stroller into my room while I showered. In fact, he's still sleeping now and it's been an hour. Not having some type of schedule is stressful for me. To help me survive, I just keep telling myself that it won't last forever. In fact, it will probably last just a week or so before we get it figured out. Until we get to that point, though. . . . .AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

Surviving School--Part 2

2010-08-23T13:50:00.003-05:00

This morning, before we left for school, Matt told me he was going to try really hard and not cry about going to school. How cute it that! Also this morning, both boys told me I'm not allowed to kiss them goodbye when we get to school. I've been directed to do that at home before we leave. Adam told me it's just too embarassing. Golly! I didn't think they would start this so young.

Surviving School

2010-08-22T15:12:00.003-05:00

Adam and Matt made it through their first, full week of school. The first three days were great. And I started to think that, Matt especially, was just going to adjust without any problems. Then came Thursday morning. Matt did not want to go to school. In fact, he was so upset about it, he was crying. That's a big deal for Matt since he's so stoic and macho. I know that if he's crying about something, then he's definitely upset. I think it's the length of the school day that's hard getting used to. He's gone from 8:15am to 3:45pm. That's a long day for a kindergartener. I felt bad making him go. Friday wasn't much better either. I think he does okay once he gets to school. At least that's what his teacher says. Matt gets to bring show-n-tell this coming Thursday. He wants me to bring Gavin, so he'll get to see me during the day. We'll see what his teacher says about that.

Utah Trip: Snowbird

2010-08-18T12:22:00.002-05:00

We spent the first full week of August at Snowbird Resort, near Salt Lake City, Utah. We had a fun trip, and it was so nice to finally go on a vacation. The boys, even Gavin, did great in the car. We drove over 2100 miles on this trip. I was expecting it would take longer to travel and drive now that we have Gavin, but it really didn't. We stopped every 3-4 hours. I would nurse while we ate and then we would get gas and hit the road again. Normally once we've driven up the canyon to Snowbird we don't leave the entire week. This year we went down into Salt Lake three times. Once to visit with Robert's brother and his family; another time to visit with my mom and our Clason cousins, and a third time to tour Temple Square. We enjoyed the cool, mountain air. And just relaxed and played.

We took Adam and Matt on their first real hike. It was to Secret Lake in the Albion Basin near Alta. The lake is a bit of a secret because it is not visible until you crest the ridge. It was a 2 mile hike. We even took Gavin, carrying him in our arms. My brother called me a pioneer woman because I was carrying a baby up the mountain and then nursed him in the shade of a scrub bush. The boys had a lot of fun.

Here's a family photo while on our hike. L-R: Adam, Grandma Leonard, Robert, Matt, Heidi holding Gavin, Uncle Derek, cousin Greta, Aunt Alexis, cousin Evan, Uncle Owen, and Aunt Holly.

This is a picture to document Gavin's first time swimming. The water was as warm as a bath so he enjoyed it.

Utah Trip: Alpine Slide

2010-08-18T12:09:00.002-05:00

A major event the boys were looking forward to on this trip to Snowbird was the all-day activity pass, and specifically, the alpine slide. That was the #1 thing they wanted to do. Robert, Adam and Matt spent all of Tuesday on the alpine slide, riding the tram up to the 11,000ft. Hidden Peak, and riding the slide somemore.

Robert and Adam zipping down the slide.

Aunt Holly and Matt cruising down the slide.

Aunt Holly and Matt enjoying the chairlift up to the top of the alpine slide.

Utah Trip: Aunts, Uncles,and Cousins, Oh My...

2010-08-18T09:48:00.005-05:00

While in Utah, we got to visit lots of relatives. It was nice seeing everyone. Matt and Evan at Temple Square

Matt, Greta and Adam walking hand-in-hand. Greta was much more enthused about this than the boys--but they were good sports.

Visiting with my mom, their Nanna. L-R: Matt, Adam, Greta, Uncle Derek, Nanna Blake, Uncle Owen, Aunt Holly, Evan, Heidi and Gavin. Nanna got to see all of her children and grandchildren during this visit.

Greta, sweetly giving Adam a kiss.

We also got to visit with Robert's brother, Mike, and his family, that now live in Utah. Here are Matt, Uncle Mike, Kieralyn and Adam playing a game in the backyard.

Utah Trip: Temple Square

2010-08-18T09:34:00.003-05:00

Of course, since we were near Salt Lake City, we wanted to take the boys to Temple Square. They had both been there before but did not remember doing so. We went with my siblings and cousins. We spent about an hour and half there, walking around. We shared with them some of our personal family stories of Temple Square, such as, their Grandpa Leonard being baptized in the Tabernacle, and their great-great-Grandpa Reichmann passing away inside the temple, in the arms of then prophet, Joseph F. Smith.

3 Months

2010-08-17T10:03:00.002-05:00

Gavin is 3 months and one week old. I would have posted this last week but we were on vacation. He weighs 13 lbs. 6 oz. and is 24 inches long. He has reached quite a few developmental stages this past month. He started sleeping through the night (yippee). He now sleeps from 9:30pm-7am. He started laughing. Adam and Matt are his favorite things to laugh at. And he has started to grasp/grab things. He nurses 6 times and naps 4 times each day. He went on his first roadtrip this month---all the way to Utah. He also got to meet all of his cousins. He loves to suck on his fingers, thumbs and any type of cloth, especially my shoulder when I'm carrying him.

1st Day of School

2010-08-16T11:00:00.002-05:00

We got back from our vacation from Utah last night. So, Adam and Matt had their first day of school today. Adam starts 2nd grade and Matt starts Kindergarten. They missed the first couple of days. Here they are dressed and ready to go. Both were a bit anxious and said they don't like school. However, secretly, I think Matt was pretty excited and Adam was happy to see his friends again. (Holly--notice their shirts?)

Heading to Utah

2010-08-04T13:51:00.002-05:00

Although the summer is winding down and school will be starting next week, I am finally going on vacation. Robert, Adam and Matt have gone on trips this summer but not me. I haven't gone anywhere for the past six months. That's a long time when you live in the middle of nowhere. We're leaving on our trip tomorrow. We're driving up to Cheyenne to see my folks and for Grandpa to do a bit of (free) dentalwork on the boys. Saturday morning we'll leave for Utah, specifically Snowbird. Adam and Matt are quite excited. Matt's been counting down the days, and every morning tells me how many days are left 'til we leave. This will be Gavin's first roadtrip. Hopefully, he'll sleep a lot. He's nearly 3 months old (next Tuesday). He's starting to play with toys--trying to grab them. Last night he laughed for the first time. Adam and Matt were jumping off the couch and Gavin thought that was quite funny. Since the boys will be missing the first two days of school, we went down there this morning to find out who their teachers are. Adam's second grade teacher will be Ms. Nelson. This reminds me of one of my favorite childhood books, "Miss Nelson Is Missing" , in which a 2nd grade teacher named Miss Nelson turns up "missing" because of the naughty behavior of her students. Matt's teacher is Mrs. Lightner. She and I are friends from PTO and her daughter was in Adam's class last year. I think she'll be a good fit with Matt. Today is being spent doing laundry, packing up food, cleaning the house, and hopefully not forgetting anything. It will be so nice to get out of town and see lots of family---and mountains.