Summer Vacation

This summer we got to go Oregon for Rubye's baby blessing and to spend some time with my family before Caleb headed off for his mission.  (He leaves on Tuesday!!)  We did had a lot of fun and I'm glad we got to go!

The pub we ate at on our way.

Fish and chips does not sit as well with me as it used to.  Henry had a blast in the Hotel pool though and lucky for both of us, he has the best Daddy ever that was willing to swim around with him for hours.  

 

 

Henry's pallet at G.G.'s

 

Feeding fish at the Hatchery

We spent a day at Silver Falls.  It is a fun little hike where you start at the top of the falls and end up walking behind them then around the pool at the bottom.  Henry loved the waterfall and all of the caves around it.

We spent a couple of days at the coast.  Henry LOVED the beach!  He's talked about it ever since.  We built sand castles, walked on the beach, flew a kite, went swimming (in an indoor pool), had seafood and lots of fun!

(A picture of Daddy looking out the window at the ocean.  One of many beach condo pictures taken by Henry.)

 

Henry "lub"s Rubye!

 G.G. and Henry

I would really reccomend the condo we found.  It could easily sleep 8, there is an indoor heated pool, pool table, sauna and it is right on the coast.  There is a balcony and picture window overlooking the ocean and it was a good price.  Can't get a better combo than that!  I wold love to go back again!!

The second day at the coast we went walked around a couple different towns.  Henry had fun watching all the boats, seals, fish and crabs.

 

Henry having fun on our way home

 

Henry and his Great Grandpa Dixon

 A month later, I found Henry emptying his closet into his diaper bag.  I asked him what he was doing and he said "Go G.G's house and go beach!!"  Agreed, Henry.  Agreed.

Summer

Dear Future Me: 

When you "publish" this years book, put the summer posts where they should be chronologically. 

Thanks,
Busy and Behind

~

We had a fun summer.  I couldn't even begin to go through all of the things we did, but the whole summer went something like this:

 
A chaotic blur.  (In which Henry spent a lot of time wearing fireman hats and Teddy a leash.)

It was actually a pretty fun summer.  My lack of blogging probably had more to do with my desire to spend all my extra time outside or doing something fun as it did with our being busy.  I love being outside and for the first year since we've been married, I had a decent garden to spend time weeding and admiring.  The first part of the summer I spent figuring out how to get rid of the snails that kept devouring my plants.  Once that was figured out I was able to keep things alive.  

 

Fun with Daddy in the Sprinkler

 

A little cocoon we found living under the protection of our zuchinni

 

 

Brussel Sprouts!

They actually got some creepy bug on them so we just tossed the whole plant, but next year I know how to keep that from happening.

 

One of our pumpkins, an onion and some beets

 

We built logs of blanket forts this summer

`

A funny story about a little boy and bedtime

I just went to check on Henry and give him a kiss before I headed to bed.  I walked to find him in his fireman jacket and hugged up to a backhoe. 

Pretty funny! 

I had to record this before I forgot.  Sadly, I did not think to take a picture until the backhoe was moved and the jacket taken off but this is probably a good thing.  Picture with flash plus taking both of those things away probably would have woken him up.  (It was a close call without the flash factor.)  I'll just have to get with it and post Halloween pictures of him in his Fireman outfit.  Then you can pretend like he's covered up and sleeping with an arm wrapped tightly around his favorite mighty machine of the night.

Funny Quote Of The Day

"SOMEtimes supper is REALLY yummy!"

This is what Henry told us during supper tonight.  What delicious specialty were we eating?  RAMEN!  Oriental flavored Ramen!  Makes me so happy that I spend all that time and money making other things that apparently are less delicious. 

Best Day!

Saturday we were relocating a pile of dirt from our patio to the hill behind our house.  (Wildflower hill next spring!!)  As Nate was shoveling dirt from the pile to the wheelbarrow, Dozer was uncovered.  It's probably been there for a couple of months.  When Henry discovered the tiny bulldozer, he exclaimed "Best Day!!".  I like to think our snuggly morning, everyone being home, a few cups of hot chocolate had something to do with it, but either way, I'm glad he had the best day!

Dozer Update:
Since starting this happy post, Dozer has since disappeared again.  Most of Henry's night time prayer was about helping him find Dozer.  And that he was grateful  hot cocoa.  Hopefully we find Dozer again tomorrow.

Growing Watermelon

We have had a garden for two years now.  Both years I've thought how wonderful it would be if we could grow our own watermelon.  Last year we grew a watermelon that fit nicely in the palm of my hand.  You can see how well it went this year.  The one on the bottom could be a baby cantaloupe.  Maybe some other kind of melon.  I can't remember what I planted there.  All of my melon plants took up probably 1/3 of our garden.  And this is what I got.  I think next year we should do something better with that space. 

Happy Birthday Henry!!

Happy Birthday Henry!! 

As of Saturday, Henry is 3!  I can’t exactly say that it’s hard to believe he’s 3.  It's crazy that he's 3 and no longer a baby, but he is obviously no longer a baby.  Always my baby, but he is not a real baby any more.  His vocabulary has picked up like mad.  He listens to everything and will repeat any word that he hears and finds interesting, I suppose.  He will be playing (sometimes in a different room) and just repeat a word he hears and incorporate it into whatever is going on in his head at the time.  Because of this, we really have to watch what we say.  There have been a few instances where we have tried to retrain him in his sayings, but once heard it is not forgotten.  For example:  “Oh me dosh.”  While not the worst thing a kid could say, I would much prefer “oh my goodness” or something a little more removed from the real swear word phrase.   It is harmless enough though that it’s pretty cute when says it, especially when he adds in his frustrated or excited inflections. 

Another funny Henry-ism is his “Henry doing frazy!” followed by running in circles with hands waving in the air and crazy sounding yelling.  He will also let me know when something is driving him “frazy” with a “Driving Henry frazy. (shaking head) Henry like that.”  When he says “Henry like that” it really means he doesn’t like that.

He hasn't fully integrated I, me or mine.  Everything is “Henry do it”, “My do it”, or “My holp” (help). 

Henry’s Favorite Things:

Mighty Machines -  A Canadian TV. show about all kinds of trucks and big machines.

Choo choos & their tracks – I think his favorite Mama/Henry activity is when we sit and build his train set together.  “Hahoe” (backhoe - pronounced like hat hoe minus the “t”) and bulldozer push tracks to where there are needed, then we snap the tracks together.  It’s a little different every time and he has so much fun creating the little train world and placing all the trains, trucks and accessories in just the right spot.  Everything has to be delivered with a truck or train though (except when I sneak and do it when the trucks are busy moving other supplies).  It’s just not real if you sit it in its spot with your hands.

Building forts – And having Mama or Daddy in them with him.

Hire Frups (Fire trucks) – All fire trucks but especially one he found in his Uncle Calebs stash of Match Box cars.  He has carried it everywhere since he discovered it at G.G.s house.  He even has to have it to fall asleep at night. 

HaHa - His stuffed monkey.  Another sleep time necessity. 

Ranch - With everything including but not limited to cottage cheese.

Cottage Cheese

Fractor Frailer (tractor trailer) - He’ll stop and stare at parked tractor trailers, think for a bit and say “I’m big red!”.  Which is a line from Mighty Machines for those of you that are not regular Canadian TV watchers.

The beach – He has only been once that he remembers but he LOVES it!  I recently found him packing his diaper bag/suit case for his trip to the beach.  He has been asking for weeks for a trip to the beach.  He will ask “Beach?  Otay?!  Dea?!” (Pronounced like idea, but without the “I”). 

He sure is growing up!  He recently decided that he was no longer interested in wearing a diaper.  Ever.  I fought him every night for a couple weeks to keep him from stripping it before bed time.  Then he realized he could strip it in the middle of the night and that I would not wake up enough to put it back on.  After a few nights of naked Henry bum, we decided that he might be ready for night time potty training.  So far, he’s done an impressive job!  I can’t say I was ready for this process, but he was ready enough that it has been fairly easy so far (considering it’s night time potty training).  ***Knock on wood!***

He is a BUSY little boy but he is SO sweet!  He loves to hold and help take care of his cousin Rubye.  Every baby he sees is Rubye and “tute” (cute but with a “t”).  He loves to cuddle and gives us lots of hugs and kisses.  He frequently says “Lub each other!” (We love each other!) and lists off everyone he loves.  “Lub Mama.  Lub Daddy.  Lub Teddy.”  Etc, etc.  He tells me when I look “fretty” (pretty), points out “fretty” things all over stores, admires pretty flowers and sometimes picks them to give to me. 

He loves his Daddy!  When we eat supper before Daddy gets home he makes sure to ask that Daddy get home safely.  He loves playing with his Daddy and helping him with everything he does.  I think that his most favorite thing is when we are all home together.  If the world could be just the way he wanted it, I think we would spend all our days together.  Playing together, “holp(ing) each other”, going places together and just spending time together in general.  We love our little Henry and we are so glad that he is ours.  Happy Birthday Henry!