Breakthrough

That sweet face is a little deceiving. The last couple of weeks, Lewie's boisterous voice has been delivering constant grunts, screams, yells, cries and extreme fits. He is wearing me out big time! The blaring sounds are usually accompanied by body thrashing, head butting and even hitting. I think these major tantrums hit because of a combination of teething and his age, but mostly because of his desire to comunicate. He is so frustrated that we dont always know just what he wants and he can't express it. 

The other day, just when I thought i was going to lose my aching mind. After lewie had spent hours making it very clear that i was somehow not meeting his needs, he pointed to the fruit basket and very sweetly said "nanna?" It was such a breakthrough! It was the very first time he had told me what he wanted! I was thrilled. He was proud. Do you want to know the sad part? We didn't have a banana! Heartbreaking.  Now we keep the bananas stocked and he's making baby steps. Somehow, through his loudness, he's still so full of gentle pudgy sweetness. I don't know how he pulls off both extremes so very well.

Sunday Evening

On a Sunday evening a week ago, I was able to leave Treavor home with the boys and go with my parents and sisters down to Provo for Haylie's patriarchal blessing. It was fun to be away for a few hours, to have dinner with my angel grandparents and to be able to listen to Haylie's blessing. She is such a sweet girl, full of Spirit and life, and a desire to do right and make people around her happy. I felt blessed listening to all that she is. I am so very fortunate to have 3 Sisters who emulate such grace, beauty and virtue. 

It was a great day, and always so special that our Grandpa can give us that powerful blessing.

 

Nursery

Guess who started nursery...

He had a great time. Right when I walked in to get him after church, he went and picked up the laminated  apples and worms and started jabbering away, telling me all about the lesson. I hope he's able to communicate ok with his teachers in his made-up language.

I put him in the same vest that Owen wore on his first day of nursery. 

Remember this?

Lately

 

We closed on our house in Lehi. It is such a relief and a blessing that that chapter has closed. It's something we've been waiting for, for a long time now! We feel blessed to have been able to live there, and that we were able to move when the time was right. We were blessed to find renters while we still owned it, we would have loved to have sold at a higher price and it will continue to affect us financially for a while i'm sure. But that's what life is about right? Trials and blessings, and hardships and joys, and tender mercies and challenges all in the same set of circumstances. One thing i've learned in the last few months, is that everything works out. Always.

Fall is here. It is beautiful! The air feels fresh and great! The leaves are bright! This kind of change is always welcomed by my soul. I love variety in weather and am grateful for the newness when the next season comes along. A new season always reminds me of God's blessings, his beautiful creations and his love for me. What a blessing the gorgeous mountains and the changing leaves and the crisp air are. All for us to enjoy.

Lewis is a lefty! He's always used his left hand a lot, but lately that's all he's been using. I think it's safe to say he takes after his daddy and his gram and is a right brained, left handed guy.

So cute!

Also, his toes still don't fit on his feet. Ever since birth that toe that pops right up and sits on top of his big toe has cracked us up. Treavor says to him a lot "i'm sorry your foot, just wasn't made big enough" maybe there will be room for all 5 toes someday.

 Owen had Howdy day at school and LOVED it! We knew that there would be horsy rides available for the kids, and a couple days before, he told me he would be too scared (a couple weeks ago a firetruck came and he was too nervous to get on it). After a short talk about how he is always proud when he tries new things, and that he didn't need to be nervous because his teachers would be with him, his mind was set to get on a horse. I was so happy he did it, and he came home so proud. He loved dressing up and told us that when he got on the horse he said "ride like the wind".

We've been enjoying the last few opportunities to be in the pool, and all of the sudden Owen took off with swimming! He's been a little cautious all summer, not getting his hair wet, staying on the big step and dipping his face in occasionally was a really big deal. Last night we spent a fun family night in the pool with goggles on. We would go under and wave and play and dive for things. He was a total fish! Swimming all around and going down the slide over and over (his first time trying) Treavor and I were saying that we could watch his cute face under water all night. Owen was thrilled and very proud of himself!

It seems that he is at an age where new things happen every day. It has been so fun to watch how happy it makes him.

Treavor and I spent the weekend in Midway with three other couples.We were thankful to  Mally who came and worked her tail off with the boys, while we got to have a fabulous get-away. It was so great and we came back totally rejuvenated!