Idaho

A couple years ago, my aunt asked me to design a website for her vacation rental in Idaho. She paid me with a free week at said rental. That summer, we were all ready to go up to "the cabin" and figured out we were smack in the middle of IVF, so we had to postpone it. This summer, with Wayne having cancer and us moving away so suddenly before Kenzee was born, everyone was looking forward to "the 2nd Wayne Call Reunion". And it did not disappoint. What a blast!

We split the drive up into parts that would hopefully make it easier on the boys. The cabin is only about 5 hours from Salt Lake. And it's the prettiest drive I have ever been on. I wish I had been thinking clearly enough to snap a picture of the amazing lake you drive around. It looks like Hogwarts. No lie. Once we arrived, we unpacked our stuff and set out to check out the house. So gorgeous. And the river runs right through the backyard.

Each family was in charge of an activity. For Cam and I, we decided to do a series of relay races in honor of the Olympics. One was a popcorn race. We rigged a couple cups with rubber bands to fit around everyone's shoes. You had to fill the cups, run across the yard and dump whatever was left into the basket at the other end. After everyone had a turn, you see who had the most. Wayne and Adrienne went first. Once Wayne was on his way back, Adrienne grabbed his team's basket and dumped the entire contents into our team's basket. And thus began the first of 4 cheatings that went unnoticed. Those Calls sure are competitive. ;)



The next race was called the "Soggy Jog." We brought two pairs of sweatpants, dunked them in a cooler a piece and everyone had to put them on, run across the yard and back, peel them off, re-dunk them and hand them to the next teammate. Hilarious. And Jared and Adam got into it as well. Although I must give points to Jared for creativity. Logan decided to busy himself by eating the popcorn from the previous race. lol.



The 'tie-breaker' after 3 races was a crossword puzzle with everyone in the family's names all mashed together. I can't remember who won. I'm sure it was my team. :)



One afternoon, we decided to take the boys for their first ride in the bike trailer. Nash was pumped. Gray was less than enthused. Rookie parents decided not to close the flap on the bike trailer because it was so nice outside. Figured out later that the flap is more for blocking debris and dirt from getting all over your babes from the back tire.



The bike ride was really fun though! We went to the bridge because a friend had told us there was a swimming hole underneath it. We tried the life vests on the boys for the first time. They didn't hate it. But the water was ice cold. So they didn't get in.



We packed them up in the trailer again - flap closed this time, and headed home. And then the chain fell off my bike. And so I did this awkward little push - shuffle - coast all the way home, hoping and praying I made it there before the truck full of Calls left to float the river. I barely made it to the driveway as they pulled out. I stopped all nonchalantly to wave them off and then continued my push - shuffle - coast into the garage. And then I busted up laughing. I am still laughing writing this. oh that someone could have videod that. hilarious.



This is the view from the bridge where we would put the tubes in, and then float to the backyard and get out. Figuring out where to get in and out was tricky the first time, to say the least, but after that it was a total hit. 20 minutes start to finish meant I could go 3 whole times during the boys' naps! YEAH. Oh I loved it.



One time, so many people wanted to go that Cam offered to ride on the small tube. LOL. Oh my gosh so funny. Cam was too heavy in all his 6'5'' frame that the tube couldn't hold him up and stayed submerged an inch or two the entire time.



We took family pictures up there as well. Emilee took them with her tri-pod + timer. Pretty impressive. Gray's hair normally stands straight up like a little dandelion fuzz head, but I decided to gel it a bit for the pictures. And then he decided to start flashing smiles like this. Kills me.



[it has been brought to my attention that you all want to know how I did my hair. So here goes. Step one, if you are in the AZ area, get Melissa Nevitt at Country Cuts to cut your hair. If you are in the UT area, go ask Lisa Crane. Both are phenomenal. Step two, I used my straightener to shape it. Mostly straight, but with an overall bend. The ends aren't curled, it's just kind of bent. Step three, rat the heck out of it. I have fully embraced big hair. Stop fighting it. It's worth it. Step four, wear your mother-in-law's lipstick/lip liner. Life changing. For real, it's so good it makes your hair look better.]



Now, all you non-rookie moms can write a how-to in the comments for me. HOW DO YOU TAKE PICTURES WHILE HOLDING A BABY WITHOUT GOING ALL HUNCHBACK? I seriously look all bent up in every single family picture. And super far away from the rest of the family. Blech. But I do like this one. :)



The rest of the week was spent playing games late into the night, watching a little Lion King (and falling asleep). Lots of playtime with daddy and fuzzy warm jammies we can't wear anywhere else.



Amberlee slept really well. Obviously.



Elisha and Baylee were such huge helps with my boys. They were so excited to play with them all the time it made me so happy. Really fun to watch.



All the grandkids together before we drove out. I love this picture so much. I love all these kids. Man, we miss you Becks!

[On a total sidenote, I'm patting myself on the back a little over this trip because I totally cloth diapered all the way up to Idaho, the entire time we were there, and all the way back down to AZ. I did laundry at friends' houses and the cabin had a great laundry room. So major thanks to Danica for doing a load for me and my Aunt Carrie for letting me use her washing machine. And it totally wasn't as hard as I was anticipating. And I'm slowly being converted into a cloth-nut. I LOVE CLOTH DIAPERS. For real. It breaks my heart a little every time we put them in disposables for one reason or another. Cloth is clearly superior in my book.]

Oh, and if you need a place for a totally amazing family reunion, let me know. I can get you 10% off the rental.

Logo Design: Lexi Rae Photography

Getting to work with Alexia from Lexi Rae Photography was so fun. I was actually smack in the middle of her design when I had to go to the hospital for emergency monitoring. Two days later our sweet boys made their entrance into the world, so she kind of got the shaft. She was so understanding and we finished her design work up shortly thereafter. I absolutely love how it turned out! It fits her very well.

I put together a blog facelift for her as well. I love the fresh colors and sharp fonts. Be sure to check her out if you're in the Utah area!

4th of July

In my family, the 4th of July means a lot of things. Breakfast at a local family restaurant (Mike & Rhonda's) to start. Then, we generally go to a parade, eat watermelon, wear our patriotic shirts, set off fireworks [this one's just me + cam :)], watch the fireworks, etc. This year for 4th of July we were neither in Utah [where the BEST fireworks show is, period.] nor with my family. It was a dreary day. Overcast and kind of dreary. I had been up all night with Nash. He was a very unhappy little boy. I think I surprised Cam when I bounded down the stairs and said "Let's go out to breakfast!" Cam was mowing the lawn at the time, so he showered off and away we went.

We loaded up the boys and drove down to a local olive mill just up the road from Cam's parents' house for breakfast. We honestly had no idea what to expect. It did not disappoint. YUM. I got their fresh olive oil waffle with berries and cream and this genius syrup. If you are every in Queen Creek, figure out how to get yourself there one morning. It was delish. The boys were tired, but happy. I'm a firm believer that babies feed off of their mom & dad's energy. Cam and I were extremely happy. The boys could sense that.


The restaurant had a store attached to it where they sold every type of olive oil you could imagine. They recommended drizzling it over cheesecake or using it in baked goods to add a totally indulgent factor. Oh boy. I'm still kicking myself for not buying a bottle.

We barely got home, fed the boys, and Cam sent me off to see his cousin for a haircut and a red ombre dye. I am in love with it. I feel like it's subtle, but different. She's super talented at what she does. Country Cuts in Queen Creek - ask for Melissa. She rocks.



Cam got all young on me and asked me to go for a scooter ride with him while the boys were taking their mid-day nap. It still makes my heart freak out when he asks me to do fun things like that. Sometimes it's a good thing to act like a teenager once in a while.



We invited a bunch of our friends over for a pool party and barbecue. A few other couples from our ward in Utah have moved down to the valley, so to have them all over helped with some of the homesickness I was feeling. It was still overcast, but made for a great day for swimming. I wish I had more pictures!



This fantastic boy is Jameson. His hair is to-die-for. His mama and I became friends back up in Orem. We sure love them. They made moving to AZ a whole lot of fun. I don't have a picture of her husband, Steve, or Alison or Brian or Isaac. But man, friends sure make life sweeter.



Nash decided to rest up during the pool party part of the afternoon. He was exhausted from the night before and spent the pool party out cold in his carseat. Cute boy.

About half a mile from the house is a farm that puts on a fireworks show for the city of Queen Creek. We sat on the patio furniture and watched the fireworks with Nash and Gray on our laps. At this point in their little lives, focusing on anything was a majorly big deal. Gray really hadn't shown excitement about much before that night, but during the fireworks, he kept his eyes glued to the sky for 20 minutes straight and every now and again his little arms and legs would tense up in excitement. And then the boys started talking. Oh it did my heart good.

That night was its own kind of magic.

We are the luckiest.

Oats 2.0

Now, I like oats. My sister Jessica dubbed me the creator of the "oatpocalypse" when I was pregnant with the boys. I could eat oats every morning and love it. If there is oats in a recipe, I will always declare it a good idea. And so, introducing the boys to oatmeal for their first encounter with a spoon...well, I should've seen the reaction coming.


Ah, he is my baby. What a stud.

**P.S. don't forget to enter the giveaway!

GIVEAWAY: Arise & Shine Forth EFY 2012 CD

This blog ran off and grew up before my very eyes. I posted about getting to go back to EFY a while ago, and ever since getting to visit during a session, I have been wondering how I can have the same feeling in my everyday life that I enjoyed while I was a counselor 4 years ago. I was so dang excited to get an e-mail from LDS Radio asking if I'd be interested in reviewing and giving away this year's EFY CD on my blog. Um - YES. I love ALL things EFY. And man, this CD is a good one. [oh, and Your LDS Radio streams music like this 24/7 online or on your phone. Rad.]



As soon as we put the CD in our player for the first time, I turned to Cam and asked "Why don't we just listen to music like this all the time? It makes you feel so good and you don't have to worry about any of the garbage that sneaks its way into the rest of the media." Part of me honestly wonders what I'm afraid of. Am I afraid of missing out on something if I just decide not to listen to popular music? Am I afraid of being "too good?" Regardless, the EFY CD for 2012 is awesome. For real. Good enough to make me even question needing popular music? That's pretty good.

I am a lyrics person. Cam is a music person. Together, we appreciate songs in all their glory. I have to say, though, that the styles on this CD are pretty varied. It was really refreshing to jump out of that Janice Kapp stereotype and into something more modern. The theme song is great - Arise & Shine. But I think my favorite track at the moment is the song "He'll answer back." It has a Missy Higgins vibe and invokes confidence in your personal testimony. I love it. I could listen to it over and over again. And every time I hear the chorus my heart just burns. I love the reminder that my God has confidence in me.

He sees the heart inside me.
He knows the strength I have.
He's always there beside me.
When I kneel down, I know He'll answer back.

The gap between followers of Christ and followers of the adversary is widening. The gray area is almost completely gone. It will cease to exist before we know it. Sometimes I panic because I don't know how I'm going to be able to raise my boys in a world that is so evil. Sometimes I smile with a confidence that comes from a higher power because I know He is watching over us and that we are steadfastly on His side. Anything to help me keep my feet firmly planted on His team is exactly what I need in my life. The lyrics from the Arise & Shine Forth CD help empower and remind me of the responsibility I have. I love that.

There's a song called "All Great Men" on the CD that also just brings me so much peace. I hope my boys will listen to it and understand it and strive to live up to its words. I feel like young men nowadays are either rockin' or total losers. Cam is rockin'. Lucky me. :) I hope my boys will be rockin' too. WANT to get married. WANT to have a family. WANT to work hard to provide, preside and protect. Having media around that encourages that can only help.

I know the CD is aimed at the youth. Maybe I'm immature, but I couldn't help but connect with it on a totally personal level. It came into my life during a bit of a rough patch and it was exactly what I needed.

So, want a copy for you? I thought so.

Enter below and I'll pick a winner next Friday!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Full Disclosure: I received compensation for this post in the form of a CD to keep and a CD to give away to one of my awesome readers. All the opinions are completely my own. I'll tell ya if it totally stinks! Don't worry. :)

4 months

FIVE months old. How on earth are my babies 5 months old? Blows my mind. They are SO much fun right now! We are full of giggles, [and tantrums] and trying new foods, and playing all day. Naps come and go. We've been a little bit all over the place lately. We went up to Idaho for a family reunion, back to Queen Creek, and now we are in Texas for chiropractic school (!!). I am so in love with them. They flirt with everyone, everywhere we go. I survived my first plane ride with them. My mom came with me. They slept the whole time. Genius children. We've started teething, though a tooth has yet to make an appearance. They bite HARD though. It's only a matter of time.

I was way too busy to get a 4 months old post up, so this is a mish mash of the details I want to remember from that point of their little lives.


This is how we spent many of our mornings. Watching the bunnies run through the yard and checking out all the colors outside. I would sit with my back against the door eating my breakfast and we would all talk about our dreams from the night before.


Gray has turned into a total heartthrob. He pulls these faces all the time. Once in a while he will smile up at me and squinch up his nose at the same time and cock his head to one side. I could just smooch him all day long.



The cloth diapers are going really well. We cloth diaper all throughout the day and then they wear disposables at night. I love how their chubby little legs look in them. The laundry isn't near as bad as I was anticipating and there is something wholesome about hanging diapers up on a clothesline. It does my heart good to see my boys wear something I made for them each and every day.



While down in Queen Creek, we got to spend a lot of time with Amberlee. She helped me so much with the boys and man did they adore her!



Nash rolled over one day and hasn't done it since. He'll push himself up like this and just hang out. Gray loves tummy time far too much. Most of the time he sucks his hand and falls asleep. He's just not very interested in moving.



Ah, the sunglasses. The boys wear these little blue sunglasses Aunt 'Lyssa bought them all. the. time. They love them. The sun is like the plague. Full squinchy eyes, throwing back their head, and random hysterics ensue when exposed directly. The sunglasses make things all better. Everyone has a better time.



I made the boys a bunch of little guy ties. (I'll blog about that eventually. SO quick and easy.) I truly believe in white shirts and ties at church and I can't get over how handsome all three boys look every Sunday. They are growing up so fast!



It took us a long time to get health insurance set up after we moved to Arizona. Because of that we skipped their 2 month appointment. I went in for their 4 month appointment and got hit with the vaccination bomb on my own. Cam couldn't come with me and I had left all binkies at home. Needless to say, I wasn't very confident. We had a fantastic nurse. She had all 3 shots done within 10 seconds and had put Nash in my arms before he could even scream once. He calmed down within five minutes and talked and cooed in his car seat so I could be with Gray while he got his shots done. Gray calmed down immediately as well and I left the office with two happy boys. We were good and sore for the next couple days, but I truly enjoyed the cuddle time. I was so proud of them! They do so many brave things.



We met Aunt Sheri for the first time on our way up to Idaho. She is one of the best ooh-ers ever. Made me feel downright talented for making my own cloth diapers. I sure like her. Just being around her is a pick-me-up.



The rest of the month, we spent a great deal of time in the car. I snapped this picture in a Jack in the Box parking lot. I was feeding Nash, Gray had just been burped. We have truly mastered eating/burping/changing on the go.



We spent a few days visiting friends in Utah on our way up to Idaho. The Youngs introduced the boys to toys. Clearly they were a hit. We left with the stark understanding that we needed to find ourselves a toy or two. I had never seen my boys so dang happy!



Nash has turned into quite the drama king. He gets hysterical at the funniest things. For a baby who always cries with a purpose (I consider myself extremely lucky for this), he has been finding a whole lot of purpose lately. He is so funny when he starts making a fuss though. He pouts with the best of them. He sticks his bottom lip out and looks so unbelievably sad, it's heart breaking, but he does it so often that it just cracks me up. What I love most is how my boys interact. One morning, Nash was having a really hard time with living in general. I walked over to pick Nash up and Gray had his hand on Nash's shoulder. I don't think there's anything else that makes my heart happier than the little things that show me they love each other.