2 Years

Josh graduated from nursing school in the Spring of 2012, he got a job that summer working at The Peaks (an orthopedic rehab center) in Orem, and we were thrilled that he got a "real job". But it was an hour long commute from our home. And he hadn't gotten around to quitting working his other full time job at Redbox, so he was gone a lot. And we knew that an hour commute was not sustainable for us - although it was just 3-4 days/week it meant his very long work day was that much longer. He left at 4:45am and didn't get home until 8pm on work days. 

So we started looking for someone to rent our townhome so we could move to Utah County. We listed it available and knew that if we hadn't found a place to live in Utah County yet, we could crash in my parents' basement while we looked. 

We rented faster than I ever dreamed we could, and wound up having about 6 days notice to pack and move. We moved Labor Day weekend 2012, leaving all of our stuff at a storage unit and sleeping my parents' basement. 

A month later we finally found a place to live and moved again. 

Then our landlord (in a move of epic jerkishness) evicted us delivering 30-day notice on Halloween. So we moved again - this time to American Fork. The week of Thanksgiving Break. 

In June we started house hunting and found the please, and somehow we wound up closing Labor Day weekend exactly 2 years after we left Foxboro for Utah County. 

Because it happened during the same weekend, it magnifies the differences in our life then and now. Now we're getting ready to move for the 4th time in 2 years, and I'm swearing up and down we'll never move again unless we feel like it.

We are thrilled with this home we've found. Shopping for and choosing it was a surprisingly beautiful experience. I wanted so desperately to walk into a home and have God send a bolt of lightening and a clear message to both of us that simply said "THIS IS IT!!!" BUY THIS HOUSE!" (Did you say it James Earl Jones' voice? If not, go try again.) But when we walked through this home the first time we just liked it. It was comfortable and calm and peaceful and exciting all at once. We shopped some more after it, we made and offer and got it under contract. But we kept shopping even after it was under contract.  It doesn't have everything we thought we could get out in Spanish Fork, so we looked around a bit more. 

We scheduled another walk through and when we left Josh just kept saying how comfortable and calm and peaceful it was. I thought of all of the things we can do there, I can see our future there and our family in that home. I especially love the neighborhood - it's in a circle, it's close to my sisters who watch my kids while I work, and it's closer to civilization (read: Salt Lake City). So it's an easy win for me. When we thought more about it, we decided that Josh's comfort and my excitement were as clear of a message as anything would ever be. 

We're moving in a couple of weeks when we've had a chance to paint the pink room (so many boys in my life!) and Josh has a weekend off work. But before that,we'll definitely be spending more time there. 

keys, police, flowers

This morning was one of those mornings. 

You know the kind, when you wake up to the sound of birds singing and you roll over in bed and that handsome little boy next to you puts his hand on your cheek and says "I love you so much" and then you slowly meander to the kitchen, share a leisurely breakfast, share with brother, clean up, do chores, and realize that you have SO much spare time you can all play a game together, then read some stories from the library, (REALLY read, all the words on all the pages) and still have time to put your shoes on before getting in the car. 

It was that morning. And I just kept thinking "wow, how come things are going so smoothly?" and then I remembered that Josh had cleaned the house from top to bottom the night before which always makes for a better morning. So we walked out the door, to get in the car and reached for my purse and it wasn't there.

So I reached for my keys on the counter. And they weren't there. 

So I started scrambling around my house looking for the missing keys. Then I looked through the windows of the car and saw my purse on the floor in the front seat of the car. Then I realized my keys were probably in there and starting thinking of a) how I could get my keys out of there. Right now as I'm writing this I think the better question would have been How can I get to work without a car. Because surely it's possible. But I'm a spoiled first world resident so instead I tried to figure out how to get my keys out. I called Josh, and texted Josh, and called my sister to tell her I'd be late, and called my office to tell them I'd be at least late, if I ever made at all, and called Josh again, in case he didn't notice the first, and sent another text, just in case. 

But then Katy said did you call the police? 

Which is how I know that the Police Department will come and break into your car for you if you ask nicely and they're bored. (I did, they were.)

Which is also why we had time to sit around picking dandelions out on our front lawn this morning. 

Which is also why I was late for work. 

In other news, once the police got there and let me in to my car, I grabbed my purse and reached for my keys and there they weren't. So, that was another fun 30 minutes searching for them. (They were DEEP under the seat of the car.) 

But the best part is that while we were waiting for the very kind police officer to rescue us, the boys picked "flowers" for me. Then Tommy sweetly tucked the dandelion behind my ear and told me "I'll put this boo-tiful fowler in your ear and then we'll cover it with your hairs so your boss can't won't ever see it." 

Meanwhile little John picked all the flowers he could find then threw them up in the air and jumped on them. So, there's that. 

These boys of mine, they are not the same as each other are they?

Oh Little John

L:ittle John is at that lovely age (2.5) where he knows exactly what he wants, and he'll do whatever it takes to get it. That means I spent lots of time saying things like "Little John! Beach balls are not appropriate stools!" and "don't hug the crock pot again." and "climbing the bookshelf is dangerous" and my new favorite "the fridge handle isn't strong enough to hold you."

Somehow my very clear and scientific explanations of gravity and force and heat do nothing to deter him. So he is my most injured child. We are constantly finding bruises and scrapes and bumps all over his arms, legs, and apparently magnetic noggin.

But when he gets injured......my how he snuggles. When this boy wants you, (which is not always) you just soak it in because though the love and stillness is fleeting, it's well worth the spontaneous investment.

He's also at the really fun language age. Where he says funny things, repeats sweet things, and grunts enough things that you just want to giggle at his "communication".

After climbing the fridge door to get an otter pop out of the fridge, he told me "big one. pop. fridger." and I translated "you got a big popsicle out of the freezer?" and he corrected me. "NOOOOOOOO no popsicle. oughtta 'op." (because, duh.) I managed to keep me "all squares are rectangles but not all rectangles are squares" lecture to myself. I'll save it for another day.

He's a little crazy. But aren't we all?

And handsome. But aren't we all?

One of the best things about Little John is that most photos of him have something blurry happening. It's usually his face or limbs because he has exactly 2 speeds. Stopped to examine the ground, and full blast. 

It's so funny to me how he relates to the world and to me so differently from Tommy. Where Tommy is reserved, shy and cautious, John is enthusiastic, wreckless, and brave. He doesn't often hold back, and because he's so much like me, I am surprised that when we divide & conquer, Josh usually takes John and I negotiate with T because Tommy & Josh are far more alike and John and I seem to operate similarly.

I just love this little one.