Week 2: Arkansas

 Monday was Memorial Day and we enjoyed having Zach home all day long. We went to Crystal Bridges Art Museum (post to come). Then we went out to dinner. It was a great day.

There was a huge thunder storm on Monday night. It was loud enough to wake us up and Ryan ended up in our bed from about 2am on. With all the rain the night before, Zach took the truck to work on Tuesday. The boys and I took the stroller and walked to the Library (just a little over a mile away). We got a library card and checked a few books and DVDs out. It will be a fun routine to keep up this summer. Like I mentioned before, Brady's nap time is proving to be the hardest time of the day for me and Ryan. Being cooped up in an apartment is a little tedious. Especially when Brady takes three hour naps! But new books and DVDs to keep us busy every week should help with that.

On Wednesday we went to an elementary school park that we discovered on our way to the library the day before. We packed a lunch and made a day out of it. They had swings that were super low to the ground, so even Brady got to play on a swing. He got a little creative with it.

 There were a few puddles left over from the rain earlier in the week. Brady entertained himself by splashing in the muddy water. He was a mess by the time we left.

 Once we decided to go to the shade for our picnic I started pushing the stroller and just assumed the boys would walk. Ryan led the way, but Brady ran over to the stroller and wanted to get in. Before I could help him get situated he was in the under basket. It was so cute I had to take a picture.

 We are becoming picnic pros. The afternoons here are just perfect for eating outside. And I have found that everyone's day goes better the more time we spend out of the apartment.

 On Thursday it was pretty windy. We went to the boys' exercise Stretch 'n Grow class. Ryan and Brady love it. I am amazed at how "in to it" Brady gets. It's a class for 2-5 year olds but Brady keeps up with the best of them. This will be our last week going to Stretch n Grow class though because I've signed Brady up for a Mom & Tots class and Ryan for a Fit Kidz class at the Walton Fitness Center. They start this next week on Tuesday. I think they boys are going to love it. We went out to lunch with Zach after the boys' class and then came home for Brady's nap.

After nap time we went to the dollar store and bought kites. Ryan was psyched. He had a friend, Jake, in Las Vegas who used to fly kites at the park and he was excited to be just like Jake. I discovered that I am an awful kite flier. We never got it up, but we had fun trying!

 After Zach got home we headed out to a soccer field. We hoped the extra space would get the kites flying. Unfortunately, the evening looked like this:

 I guess that's what you get with a 50 cent kite. Next time we will just shell out some real money for a decent kite. Ryan and Brady enjoyed it though.

Friday morning, the boys came along with me for my run. I ran down the trail to the park and let the boys play. It was cold. Which was strange because it is June! I was happy I packed a jacket for Brady. This is Brady's "cheese" face. He is happy in this picture. In this case, looks can be deceiving.

 We ran home. I showered and then we packed up our lunches and went out back for a little picnic and play time with the green balls. We knew it was time to go inside for Brady's nap when he started using the ball as a pillow. Sweet boy.

 It rained during Brady's nap. So after dinner we headed outside to splash in the puddles! It was definitely a highlight for the boys and kept them busy for a good 40 minutes before heading in for a warm bath.

 I got my camera out and told Ryan to give me his best splash. So he ran as fast as he could, slipped and wiped out on his little bum right in the puddle. I should have been recording! He was okay, but as soon as Brady saw Ryan on his bottom he sat down in the water too. He has to do everything Ryan does these days.

 By the end they were soaked. But they never complained and we only went inside because Ryan had to go to the bathroom.

Once back inside they took a long, warm bath and went to bed.

We had a fun week but were ready for the weekend to be here. It's funny how long a short work week can feel! Summer story time starts up at the library this next week on Thursday mornings and we have the boys' first exercise classes on Tuesday morning. We had a few friends go out of town this past week for the Memorial Day holiday who get back in town this week so we are excited for a few play dates this coming week as well!

The Lake, A Picnic and Five Guys

 Last week we went to Lake Atalanta again. Zach and Ryan fished and Brady threw rocks. I'm sure it is no surprise that the boys were skunked again. That's what you get when you go fishing with a one year old.

 Soon Ryan joined in the rock throwing. It resulted in a couple great "brothers" pictures.

 Friday afternoon we picnicked at our apartment complex. The boys loved it and we even met a little girl Ryan's age and little boy just a month younger than Brady. They were just in town visiting their grandma who lives in the complex, so we may never see them again, but it made for a fun afternoon play date that day! The little girl, Shelby, knew Ryan's name but insisted on calling him "boy".

 Since coming to Arkansas, whenever someone asks Ryan what his name is he responds, "Dash"- like Dash from The Incredibles. I took the boys to an exercise class last week and to this day the instructor thinks Ryan's name is Dash. I never corrected him. Ryan loved it.

 One highlight of the weekend? Five Guys! Ryan loves the peanuts and can actually eat a whole hamburger. He was bummed that we didn't go one last time in Orem, so imagine his excitement when we drove by one here in Arkansas! We had to go. Brady got a hot dog and ate the whole thing.

Tired.

Ryan and I spent three hours waiting for Brady to wake up on Friday so that we could go to the splash pad. I heard Brady waking up and by the time I came out of his room from getting him, this is what I found in the front room:

  I don't know why he waited until right before Brady WOKE up to go to SLEEP. Sleeping at the same time seemed like a better scenario to me.

Anyway, Brady and I were playing in the front room for a few minutes before Ryan woke up in a daze and stumbled into the dark bathroom. I waited outside the door with Brady but didn't hear anything. I went to go check on him, turned on the light and found him peeing into the trash can!

That's a first!


Happy ending: Zach ended up coming home early from work just as we were getting ready to leave for the splash pad so we got to go together! All that postponing paid off! :)

One Week In

 We will have been in Arkansas for one week tomorrow. Zach started his internship with Walmart on Monday. So far, things are going great! Monday and Tuesday were orientation days for Zach and he thought it was about a day and a half too long. He is excited to to get to know his own department (Realty) and figure out what project he'll be on for the next 11 weeks today. It will be fun to get the recap tonight when he gets home.

We are adjusting to living in a two bedroom apartment. I definitely miss the space while Brady is napping and Ryan and I are looking for something to do, but other than that we haven't really missed the house in Orem. It is reassuring to know that we can be as happy in a small apartment as we are in a spacious house. The boys have been sharing a room and things seem to be going well (cross your fingers!) It helps that we wear them out every day. They laugh and giggle a little when we first put them down but they do settle down and go to sleep without any intervention eventually.

The boys and I haven't skipped a beat since coming here. I was lucky enough to meet a really awesome woman in our ward who invited us to a go to a community pool with a bunch of other moms from the ward on Monday and then to a park day on Tuesday. At the park on Tuesday another woman in the ward invited us to go to the library for story time this morning and tomorrow we are meeting up with the group of moms to do a Stretch-and-Grow exercise class for the boys. On Friday we are going to check out the local Splash Pad with a friend from BYU-I and her son (her husband is also doing an internship for Walmart this summer). And I thought we stayed busy with friends and play dates in Provo! There are so many moms with little boys in this ward! I feel really lucky that friendship have fallen into place on their own and am excited to get to know the women in my ward better. I wasn't sure what our friend situation would be out here since we are here so short term but the women here have been so welcoming. It's been awesome and makes me want to be a better friend to new-comers from now on.

 We have been to a couple parks that have their swings low enough to the ground that Ryan can get on them on his own and he loves it! He even pumps his legs if I can give him an initial push. He is growing up so fast and it is so so weird.

 Monday afternoon was a little long being cooped up in the apartment waiting for Zach to get home so on Tuesday morning we went out and bought a little inflatable pool to put on our porch. We are on the second story so we don't have easy access to the lawn. This worked like a charm and the boys loved it because we filled it with bath water so it was nice and warm.

 Popsicles in the pool. It doesn't get more summer than that! When we were done with the pool I just dumped the water off the side of the porch. Luckily the people below us weren't out on their porch at the same time- it was a major waterfall! I hadn't even thought to check but I will have to remember to check for them next time!

 We have a magnolia tree in the back. My mom's bedroom is decorated with magnolias so I think of her every time I see it.

 We finally got a new wheel for the Phil and Teds jogging stroller yesterday and I couldn't wait to give it a spin. So this morning Ryan rode his bike and I pushed the stroller on this great trail right by our apartment. It was my favorite thing we have done so far. There is a park about two miles down the path. I'd like to run them to the park, let them play and then run back a couple mornings a week. Ryan had so much fun on his bike- not having to worry about cars or stop signs or anything. He was in bike heaven.

 We saw squirrels and bunnies and even a cat on our walk/bike ride. Brady was loving the wildlife! We even found this stump that someone cut into a seat. Ryan thought it was pretty cool.

 With all our activities in the morning, Brady has been taking really good naps while we've been here. Ryan on the other hand has been struggling. He gets up super early in the morning and then refuses to nap and is so so so cranky by the time Zach gets home. I tried letting him lay down in my room yesterday to get some sanity time for me but he never actually slept. He just pretended he was fishing off the bed with Zach's computer cord the whole time. Today I reversed it and told him I was going to lay down (and I actually got a 30 minute nap! Heaven.) and left him in front of the TV on the couch. This is what I woke up to find:

Success! 

I have been pleasantly surprised at how well we have adjusted to life in Arkansas. We have a few fun activities that we are saving for Saturdays (a Safari Drive Zoo, a Railroad, a few different hikes, etc.) when Zach can join us. And we seem to have plenty to do to keep us busy during the week. We miss our friends in Orem and will definitely be ready to go back at the end of summer but I am excited for the next 11 weeks!

All the way from Arkansas!

We made it to Arkansas on Thursday. Zach starts his internship with Walmart Realty on Monday. We left Orem on Tuesday morning- pulled out of the driveway at 5:21am. Leaving bright and early put us at our first stop- Vail, CO a little before lunch. 

We stopped and played (and changed 3 dirty diapers!) at the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens before heading to Subway for lunch. It was our first real rest stop and we were only an hour and a half away from our first hotel in Denver. The drive went better and much faster than I thought it would. While exploring the hotel the first night we went out to the pool. The water felt pretty good for being an outdoor pool so I slipped my shoes off and thought I would step in on the first step. As soon as I stepped in, my foot slipped from underneath me and before I knew it I was in the pool fully clothed. The boys thought it was HILARIOUS and wouldn't let me forget it.

 I had never spent any time in Colorado before and Vail was beautiful.

 The gardens had these great trails all through them with beautiful flowers and landscape all around.

 This is Ryan's "king of the mountain" face:

 Zach carried his motorcycle on the back of the truck and Ryan's big boy bike hitched a ride too.

Day two we got off at about 6:30am. Brady was happy to eat a doughnut in the car in his pajamas. We went all the way to Wichita, Kansas the second day. We stopped about an hour west of Wichita at a little park to play and ate lunch at the Pizza Hut buffet. The boys loved it- all 3 of them.

 Our apartment here in Arkansas is nicer than we thought it would be. It's a two bedroom, furnished apartment on the second floor, which means we get vaulted ceilings! I love it. It will be a comfortable stay for the next 12 weeks. The only hiccup we ran into was the first night we were here the AC didn't work. It was 87 degrees in the house at bed time. We put both boys down in their underwear/diaper and kept the windows open all night. The next day we called maintenance and they had it fixed by the afternoon. We've had fun making trips to Walmart and are staying busy exploring Rogers and Bentonville. Ryan and Zach have been fishing everyday since we left Utah. They are loving it.

Today we took a hike at Lake Atalanta in Rogers, Arkansas. They have a great trail that goes the entire perimeter of the lake (2.5 miles) and Ryan walked the whole thing! I was way impressed. You can't go to a lake and not do a little fishing along the way so the boys brought their fishing poles.

 Even Brady.

 Brady was a champ and rode in the hiking backpack the whole way (minus two "fishing" stops where he and I threw rocks in the water. You can imagine how successful those fishing stops were with me and Brady scaring all the fish away).

 Zach and Ryan did catch their first bass of the season though. It was pretty exciting.

 Brady was a trooper and thoroughly enjoyed throwing rocks into any water he could find. I think he would have been happy to spend the whole afternoon at these puddles.

 Zach is really enjoying teaching Ryan to fish and Ryan is really enjoying learning how to fish. He asks to go everyday and so far Zach has been happy to oblige.

It is beautiful here in Arkansas. We are really enjoying our time here so far. We'll see what we have to say after Zach starts his internship- but based on our experience so far, this could prove to be our best summer yet!

Stay tuned.

I love this picture of the three moms in my life and the little boy who made me a mother. 

Happy Mother's Day!

Havin' a Party!

Since Ryan's birthday is in June and we will be in Arkansas on his actual birthday with no family/friends around, we decided to throw him an early birthday party. It worked out great because Zach's mom was in town and my mom was here too. You can't miss an opportunity to party when you have BOTH your grandmas here! And party we did.

We got to celebrate with seven of the cutest boys I know (we never got a picture of Calvin- Tucker's little brother). We got things started with a yummy Costco pizza lunch.

Logan, Brady and Ryan

Tucker, Nathan and Isaac

After lunch the boys went fishing for prizes. They loved it. It kept them busy for quite some time. 

Next came presents and then it was time for cake. Pam found this perfect Thomas the Train cake for Ryan. Thanks Pam! 

 I think he liked it... just a little bit. :)

Blowing out the candles. He is such a big kid now! 

Ryan got a lot of really great presents. One of his most exciting ones was a big kid Lightning McQueen bike from Grammy Pam. After opening it, everyone got on their shoes and headed outside to take it for a spin.

Each boy got a turn and I loved to watch the other two follow right along as the other one rode the bike. They look like little ducklings.

We were so happy that Ryan's cousin, Logan, came all the way from Ogden to come to the party. Ryan and Logan don't see nearly enough of each other and when they get together they can just play and play for hours on end. I think if you asked either of them they would tell you that they are best friends. I love that.

 Ryan's other best friend is Tucker. They have become the best little buddies this year and it would not have been a party without Tucker! We sure will miss him this summer while we are gone!

Happy early birthday Ryan dear! I can't believe you are (will be) four!