Gratitude

Keegen has had a tummyache lately. Not sure what the problem is. Hoping it will clear up soon. Because he really doesn't need a real reason to be whiney. Does well enough all on his own.

Oh ya, gratitude. Almost forgot. He had need of two serious diaper changes while we were out and about today. I reached for the diaper bag, which to my dismay WAS NOT THERE. My van was full of wipes. For some strange reason, we had wipes galore, stuffed here and there and everywhere. But not a single diaper.

And then i remembered. My van has this lovely little lazy susan thing in the floor. All hidden under the carpet. Easily forgotten. I try to keep it stocked with wipes, dipes and first aid stuff.

I popped that sucker open and was thrilled to find diapers for my little man.

And i'm oh so grateful that i recently updated his diaper size. I'd been carrying around size ONES forever and just put in some 5's. PHEW!! Crisis averted!

Sprecken zee ENOUGH ALREADY!

Yet another WOE IS ME post. Just got a call from Emily this morning. Good friend across the street. Has a daughter who is a good friend to Bode. Did i mention RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET? They're the ones who joined the church soon after moving here.

They are moving. To Germany.

I don't even know what else to write. Ugh.

Utah Part II

Saturday morning we headed to Thanksgiving Point to check out the Museum of Ancient Life. Dinosaurs. I'm fully on-board with this recent interest of Bode's. It's a very nice change in pace from trucks and trains! We're all learning a ton.

The boys with a Utahraptor. Who knew there was such a thing?

Apparently, Utahraptors eat meat. Good to know.

The boys excavating.

The museum was fantastic. Very kid-friendly. Not too crowded. So much to see. Lots of fossils and skeletons. They had an area with sand and water and buried plastic dinos for the kids to find. They had an area for excavating dinosaur bones. I was really impressed with the place.


Next we headed to the Big Red Barn to see the farm animals. The kids fed everything from goats to horses and a calf and had a lot of fun running around with each other.

Utah Part I

After one incredibly LONG drive on I-80 through Wyoming (my least favorite of states to drive through), we arrived in Salt Lake and were greeted by custard from Nielson's in Bountiful, courtesy of Doug's brother Trevor. Not a bad way to start a vacation. The boys were immediately thrilled to have some uncles to play with even though it was way past bedtime.

Thursday morning we headed up to Ogden to spend the day with Zeke and Angela. I can't really express how much i miss them! Bode and Zeke picked up where they left off. They are such good friends and have so much fun together. They like the same things and get along so well. They are staying with her parents until their house in CO sells, so the bonus was that her parents are on somewhat of a farm and still have horses and goats and a huge, enviable garden. The boys got to ride Dusty the Horse (Bode didn't want to but Keegen did) and run around like only country kids can. Angela and i got to chat all day long with very little interruption and i got to eat all sorts of yummy tomatoes straight from the garden (Angela's dad kept bringing me different varieties to try).

Friday was our day in Provo. Trevor and his wife, Bethany, graduated from BYU. Holy memories, Batman. After the ceremony (which was in the Smith Fieldhouse, where i had PT in the early mornings for ROTC) a bunch of us headed up the RB stairs to check out the bookstore. It was when i got to the top of the stairs and found myself totally disoriented that i realized how much campus has changed in the past 11 years. So many new buildings. A much more modern campus than when i was there (which was at the dawn of the cellphone and email! Ouch!). I love perusing the BYU bookstore. I found some great, yes, dinosaur books for Bode on clearance.

The original Bell Boys, minus Randy

After all of that, we had a family BBQ with Bethany's family. The kids had a great time on the swingset and there was a fantastic two-story playhouse that connected to the upper deck (so now that's what i want Doug to build in our backyard!! I think i said, "Wow. If we had one of those, i'd never see the boys!" That's how much they enjoyed it).

A Pain in My Aspen Grove

We are headed to Aspen Grove tomorrow for the Bell Family Reunion (Doug's parents and siblings and their spouses/children). I've dreaded this (very expensive, too-much-like-church-youth-conference/girls camp/BYU) trip since it was planned a year ago. Oh, the laughter from my father's mouth when told that half the family will not have indoor plumbing for the week (we will, thankyouverymuch. Paid a mint for it). Simply, not my kind of thing, this whole "family camp" idea. I do like camping. In the Shenandoahs. In a tent. For the night. Or two. S'mores and foil dinners. A couple nice hikes. But nothing involving craft tents and silly competitions; etc. Yes, i'm a party-pooper. I've pushed it out to the far regions of my mind for as long as i could. And now, it's way beyond time for packing. The fact that i'm online blogging right now is evidence of serious procrastination.

But now that it is TOMORROW, i am looking forward to a change in scene again. We will visit Bode's long-lost-friend Zeke on Thursday. Friday is Doug's brother's graduation from BYU, so hi-ho-Provo we go! I'm hoping to hit the dinosaur museum at Thanksgiving Point while we're there too (i'd planned to drive the route to SLC that would take us to Dinosaur National Monument, but the main fossil wall is closed indefinitely! BUMMER!). It will be fun to see Doug's family. I can't wait for the cousins to get together. I think Bode will have a fun time in his camp group. I'm not so sure about Keegen. BUT, believe it or not, i WILL TRY to have a POSITIVE attitude! IT WILL BE GREAT! I WILL HAVE FUN! (i will be avoiding the family talent show and family dance like the plague). Seriously. Good times. Happy thoughts.

I hope to come back and tell you all what a BLAST we had...Seriously.

35

So. My newest babysitter was born the year i graduated from high school. Yup. I'm officially OLD. But Doug is older. He turned 35 on Thursday and is feeling one step closer to the grave...

We enjoy food in our house. And we celebrate with lots of it. We woke him to gingerbread waffles with "white stuff" (Cool Whip) and blueberries and sang Happy Birthday over yummy yellow cake cupcakes (gluten-free, baby!). He opened his gifts (the knowledge that he will soon have a couple wonderful photos of me and the boys for his office, a punching bag and boxing gloves). He then played 18 holes of golf "on his way into work." For dinner it was a classic swiss fondue with bread, apples and steamed veggies. Once we finally got the boys to bed, we broke out a decadent non-GF chocolate/dark chocolate cake. It's the Perfectly Chocolate Cake on the back of the Hershey's cocoa box, but i just make the frosting darker. Delish. Then on Saturday we went out just the two of us to dinner and saw "The Dark Knight."

Happy birthday to the youngest 35 year old around!!

School Days

School started for Bode on Monday. He's in pre-K this year (i always thought pre-K meant 5 days a week, but it's only M-W-F). It's at the same preschool that he had his summer dinosaur camp and it's been a really smooth transition. Beautifully smooth. I'm thrilled about it. He has griped everyday about going to school ("i don't like this school" etc.). But once we are in the parking lot, he grabs his backpack and gets on in the classroom. He was obviously anxious on Monday and still did well with me leaving him. Weds and Fri he was awesome. Sat at a table where they have little activities until everyone arrives and they can start more organized stuff. Each day i pick him up, he is happy and has positive things to say about his day. Anyway. I'm psyched and i hope he has a fantastic year!

The First Cut is the Deepest

I love Keegen's hair. It's thin and spare and wispy and does its own natural faux-hawk of sorts. It's a bit wild and crazy and it really suits his personality.

But then i saw the first two pictures from our photo shoot with Jeri and realized he really needed a cut. It was hanging over his ears and too long in the back and just looked, well, silly. Sillier than just a faux-hawk, if you're with me.

So yesterday, while i got some much needed time to myself, Doug took the boys to get haircuts. Bode needed some sprucing up, too, since his first day of pre-K is TOMORROW! (yes, tomorrow. We're on a quasi-year-round schedule). And not to compare in any positive or negative manner, but in the past, getting Bode's haircut has been a major trial. Doug used to have to hold him tight against his chest while the barber worked as fast as she could to just get it done. Much wailing and gnashing of teeth, to say the least. It was a dreaded experience for all involved. However, he's come a long way and was a super example to Keegen this time around.

By Doug's account, Keegen did great. He sat in that big chair that just about swallowed him up with his arms gripping each armrest. I made it clear that i wanted the top pretty much left alone and to just have everything else cleaned up. I think he looks great!

Grizzly Golf

(the above title isn't accurate, but i'm willing to sacrifice accuracy for alliteration!)

The US Senior Golf Open is here in Colorado Springs this week at the Broadmoor Resort. Doug is a volunteer there and has been loving it. He's in charge of the 7th hole and an unexpected visitor came across from the 13th fairway yesterday. Doug said he was walking down the hole and saw something black out of the corner of his eye, looked and realized what it was, just 20 feet from him. He called out to the players ahead who scrambled out of the way. Kept things interesting, i suppose!

http://sports.yahoo.com/golf/pga/news?slug=ap-ussenioropen&prov=ap&type=lgns