Teagan's big brother

Our next door neighbors have a darling little boy who is 3. His name is Isaiah and he and Teagan get along really well. It's been a wonderful blessing to have such awesome people living next door! It's made Teagan's transition into nursery an easy one. Isaiah is in nursery with him and he just follows him into class and doesn't even look back. He gets to play with his best friend the whole time. What's not to like? 

Isaiah is so cute with Teagan. He looks after him and helps him with things. Poor Isaiah knows how to share and gets frustrated that Teagan isn't so good at it yet. He is so patient with Teagan though. It's adorable to watch them play. Teagan takes over Isaiah's bike, takes Isaiah's toys, won't give them back, etc. Isaiah is so understanding and patient and lets him play with his stuff and shows him how to ride the bike and push the cars around. Teagan has so much fun with him. Whenever we walk out of our apartment he runs next door and knocks on their door to see Isaiah. He even started saying "ZAY-UH!" He gets really excited to see his little buddy. 

I have really loved getting to know this family too. Isaiah and I sing songs and his favorite is the bumblebee song. He sings bumblebee and throws in the word mommy and does that over and over until he gets to his favorite part: "OUCH! It stung me!" It's really cute. Jeannine (Isaiah's mom) told me that Isaiah remembers us in his prayers. I thought that was so sweet. He even said, "Shell's nice." I'm glad he thinks so :) Jeannine is awesome and we have so much in common. It's been a huge stress relief to talk to another mom of an active little boy. When I have had a stressful day, I can talk to her about it and she just gets it. I love that they let me invade all the time. This family is one of the best things about our new place! We are so glad to have them as friends. 

Ok Jeannine, I know you are going to tease me about my cheesy blog, but at least now you're in it!

Glade's Birthday!

I can't believe Glade is 2! That came fast. I remember visiting her in the NICU and my heart just aching to hold her and snuggle her but instead watching her in her plastic box and just holding her hand. Now she is the most wonderful thing to ever breach the terrible two phase. Kayce says she is definitely in her terrible two's but I think she is perfect. 

Her Birthday party was in Henrieville (Near Bryce Canyon) where Kayce's parents live. Darryl and I decided it would be fun to see Bryce Canyon National Park while we were there and were invited to stay with Kayce's parents for the weekend. We had a great time. 

We drove down Friday night and stayed in Cedar at Blake and Kayce's apartment. Then, Saturday morning we drove over to Henrieville. On the way through the canyon, a deer decides to run right into the side of our truck! (This is the truck we just bought in February!!) There was absolutely nothing we could have done to avoid it. The deer jumped right out of the bushes and sprang into the driver's side of the car. It broke the side mirror and dented every panel on the driver's side of the car. Needless to say, Darryl wasn't too thrilled. But, everyone (including the deer) was safe, so I guess that's all we can ask. 

We got to Henrieville and it didn't take long to forget the dented truck and have some fun! Kayce's parents, Dale and Janece, were so hospitable and made us feel right at home. The party guests arrived and that was right when Teagan started getting grumpy. He went down for a nap and missed most of the party! It was ok though. Glade got all the attention (and rightfully so) and I didn't have to worry about Teagan wanting to open her presents for her. She was so cute diving into her cake and tearing open her presents. 

After the presents, Teagan woke up and got to spend some time with Curt and Reita before they left. It was fun to see the recognition in his face. He wasn't shy about going to them this time. He had been a bit hesitant in the past, but we got to see them in May, so it hasn't been as long this time and he is a little older now too. 

After the party was over and everyone left, Teagan and Glade were playing out in the backyard with Kayce's brother Clint. The kids kept putting rocks into a metal pail of water and had a great time splashing in it. Then, Teagan starts to cry and we ran outside to find Glade had climbed into the bucket of water, fully clothed with her socks and shoes on. Kayce stood there shaking her head and Janece ran to get the camera! Teagan was upset because he couldn't play in the water with her in it! Glade had a great time in that bucket and as soon as she got out, Teagan tried to climb in. I wasn't going to let him get soaked, so he didn't get to climb in. (Poor kid) 

We attempted a game of croquet, and I ended up having to quit because Teagan was throwing a fit! He hadn't eaten all day (despite several failed attempts to feed him) and was not happy. Poor Clint took over my spot (dead last) and everyone else finished the game while Teagan finally ate something. It was about 9:00 pm before he ate anything besides the Reese's peanut butter cup Clint gave him. That kid just won't eat these days.

Sunday morning we went hiking in Bryce Canyon National Park. Dale and Janece know the area very well and took us to the best spot and we got to see everything and go on a really pretty hike. It was a lot of fun. Then they took us to lunch and we reluctantly packed up to make it home in time for Darryl to get to school the next day. We really wished we could have stayed longer. 

We had such a great time with Kayce's family. It was so fun getting to spend time with them and especially Glade. Teagan and Glade played together so well, for the most part. Teagan is a tough kid when it comes to falls and bumps and bruises, but he has a tender heart and his feelings get hurt sometimes. It's funny that it's already happening. He is only 18 months, and if he falls or gets hurt, he usually gets right back up no problem, but if Glade pushes him away, he bawls and carries on like it's the worst thing ever. The two of them played pretty well most of the time though. They loved to run off and hide in the shower with the sliding glass doors. You would hear them singing and laughing and find them either fully dressed in the shower together, or in the tub. It was adorable watching them play and interact. They are going to be quite the dangerous pair pretty soon. I have a feeling they will be partners in crime and love every minute of it. 

Forgot my camera, hoping to steal some pics from other people, when I get the chance . . .

Happy Birthday Darryl!

This year for Darryl's birthday my family went camping. We went up into the Unitas out past Kamas. We had lots of fun, but it was so exhausting camping with an active toddler. Teagan had himself a ball running all over. Darryl couldn't stay the whole time and I was going to go home with him, but my mom got sick and so she went back early instead. I decided to stay so my dad wouldn't have to clean up camp alone. We went to Provo River Falls and Teagan loved putting his toes in the icy water. I had a tight grip on him the whole time so he wouldn't get more than just his feet in the water. I get a bit paranoid and over-protective, but I can't help it.

The morning of Darryl's birthday, we realized that we had forgotten a few things and we needed to drive to the store in Kamas. Darryl and I volunteered so we could get back into a cell phone reception area. He had to make sure to tell Blake Happy Birthday too. It was cute that he was so insistent on talking to his twin on his birthday. I of coarse took advantage of the cell phone reception and got to talk to Kayce. Oh how we wished they lived closer!

We had quite the feast for Darryl's birthday. Devin made brisket in the dutch oven and we had baked beans, watermelon, potatoes, and pineapple upside-down cake. It was delicious and fun to cook outdoors. Amanda's parents were camping with us too and it was really fun to get to know them better. Darryl had a blast camping as always because he gets to play with fire. That's what he did most of the time. He is quite the pyro. That's why he wanted to be a firefighter!

The next day we went to Trial Lake and from there hiked to Wall Lake. It was gorgeous and I really want to plan a backpacking trip there someday. It was a great hike. Not too long or strenuous but not too short and easy. It was perfect for us since we had Teagan. He mostly rode on my dad's shoulders and he even fell asleep while he was up there! It was adorable, and right as I was about to get a picture, it started to rain a little bit and that woke him up. We stopped to get a bottle of water out of the backpack and Teagan noticed something in the pack that caught his eye and he yelled out excitedly "GUM!!!" Sure enough there was a pack of gum in the backpack. I am not crazy about him having it, but he obviously knows what it is! I gave him about 1/4 a piece since he was so excited to have it. He actually chewed it for a while instead of just swallowing it. I was surprised. My baby is growing up!

After our hike, we cleaned up camp and made it home in time for a BBQ at the Keddingtons. It was really fun to see everyone again. Our families used to get together several times a month, and as the kids got older and lives got busier, our visits are fewer and farther between. Teagan is really shy around people he doesn't know very well, but he sure loved Chad. It was cute to see him follow Chad around and reach for him. Nearly the entire Young/Cornell/Keddington clan was there, and our numbers have grown so this was quite the feat. Since we had been camping, we didn't stay long. We were all exhausted. It was nice to get home and get to bed early.

We had a wonderful celebration of the 4th of July with a fireworks show put on by Garrett. I was excited to see Teagan's reaction to the fireworks, and was disappointed when he didn't even care enough to notice them. He had himself a great time playing with the steering wheel of my mom's van. He LOVES anything he can "drive." He stands on the driver's seat and grips the steering wheel and jerks it back and forth as much as the steering wheel allows when the car is turned off. He has a great time and is content to do that for quite a while. It's funny. 

I am grateful for my wonderful hubby, Darryl! I love him so much and I hope he had a great birthday. We got to see GG the next day and wish her a happy birthday too. (GG is Teagan's Great-Grandma Pam.) It was a great weekend.