Time passes and Remembering.

 *WARNING* This is a very long, catch up post.

Well, I have been a little busy lately and have had no motivation to post anything. Thus, much has happened that has had no documentation whatsoever. Yikes, I’m terrible.

Gavin is now four moths old. It seems like I was just pregnant waiting for him to come. Now he is just this beautiful bouncy baby boy. At four months, he is almost always alert (even when he is supposed to be to doing other things, i.e. eating/sleeping). He reaches for everything and generally prefers to be standing. He smiles all the time and laughs when you have tickled him just right. He appears to be teething (who knows when those bottom teeth will cut through) because he always has his fingers or entire fist in his mouth, the drool seems to be by the cupful, and he is extra extra fussy/restless. However, despite all of this, he is still the cutest, chubbiest, most squishable baby I know!

Carson is almost four years old, however, his height puts him at five or six. His bright white blond hair is adorable and he is still as smart and witty as ever. He still LOVES everything transportation but has a new affinity for super heroes and transformers. He has begun watching shows like Top Gear with his Daddy and spends as much time as he can with him. I am pretty sure his Daddy will win the Coolest Dad and My Dad is My Best Friend awards this year and probably every year. If he could, Carson would never leave his dad’s side and would copy his every move. Carson is such a good big brother. He absolutely LOVES “his baby” (which is how he often refers to Gavin when talking to others). He constantly helps me out with tasks/chores related and unrelated to Gavin. He LOVES to “serve” his brother. The other day was the perfect example of this. I had set Gavin down in his bouncer, gave him a toy, and went to go get some breakfast. Carson had been following behind me when he decided he was going to go watch a few cartoons. But before leaving he said, “ Mommy, if Gavin drops his toy then just call “Carson, Carson” and I will come running in to pick up Gavin’s toy for him.” A couple of days prior to this Carson helped Gavin in a similar way and after having done so he came a told me what he had done and then, remembering a family home evening lesson we had months previous, he said, “That's,that’s….what’s it called again?" I said, “Do you mean serving?” Carson nearly interrupted me and proudly said, “ Yeah, serving. I was serving my baby!”

Though he started a little late, Carson completed 1 year of preschool. He loved going and learned so much. He loves to ride his bike, play good guys versus bad guys, play baseball, wrestle, tickle, and most of all…make people laugh!! He is excited about living in Washington because of the prospect that his bad owies (terrible eczema) just might get better.

After completing a year residency program in Salt Lake City at the Veterans Hospital/Maran Eye Center, we have a JOB!!! Hooray!!! Mason was offered a position at Ballard Optical in Washington as one of two Optometrists there. We are so happy and feel immensely grateful for this blessing and opportunity. So after Mason’s last day at the VA, we packed up our belongings (with lots of help from family) –way too much junk--and headed for the Evergreen State. We are excited to be living by family and in the beautiful Northwest. We look forward to establishing ourselves in Seattle and building relationships that hopefully last a lifetime.

So that is what I wrote two months ago, saved, and never posted. Terrible, I know. Gavin is now six months and such a joy. He sits up, can balance on his hands and knees, and has begun to kind of hop on his knees in an effort to move forward. SO CUTE! Gavin still has no teeth but I guess I should be happy about that. We started solid foods. He has a particular affinity for sweet potatoes and water. He is a 20 pound, extra tall, bouncy baby boy and we love him to pieces! Carson is four and continues to surprise me. He vocabulary is impressive. Just today, while we were looking at a double dump truck, he said to me, "As you can see, it has two dumps." What the? Was that my four year old starting his sentence with "as you can see"? He has started his second year of preschool and just loves it. I love hearing all of his stories of how things went and what he has learned. He loves being with other kids and really does well around various personalities. He is a sweet, honest, helpful, smart, obedient little boy who also is very particular, demanding, sneaky, bossy, and totally OCD. We absolutely love him and can't believe our little man is so big.

Mason is settling into his new job. He really loves the people he works with and thoroughly enjoys practicing. He has loved being by his family; it has certainly benefited us. I keep busy just being a mom. Most days, nothing amazing happens. Dishes, laundry, diapers, feeding children, and so on. I finally have running apart of my life again and my new BOB Double Jogger (that my sweet husband surprised me with) makes it so much easier and it feels great. I am starting to make some new friends here but will never be able to replace the dear friends that I so terribly miss! Last month, marked an entire year that my little sister has been in Heaven. It was a very difficult time that I had been anticipating with mounting anxiety and emotion. I miss Vanessa so much but no matter what I go through or feel, I can't shake the feeling that I have to try to be happy, hang on and endure for her. That's what she wants. She wants me to live my life by obeying God's commandments, laughing when something is funny, teasing and playing jokes, and eating lots and lots of chips!

As I end this enormous post, those five people that actually read my blog, know that I love you and miss you all dearly. Know that I haven't been ignoring you, rather have just been swallowed up in my responsibilites.

Now enjoy some pictures!

 

 Brothers...I know, I know, Gavin is huge!

 

Mase and I in front of the restaurant we ate at after he proposed.

On the ferry and in heaven.

Posing after "the incident!"

Eager to eat.

First day of preschool.

My little man.

G-man showing his balancing tricks...note how he keeps his feet together.

Being silly.

Coming to attack the camera.

Chubbs!

Farewell for now. That should do me for another six months! :)