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Ok...so I have been so focused on keeping up with my photography blog, that I've totally neglected my family blog (how sad is that???) Anyway...I wanted to write a little of the last month. Kevin has been away from us since the end of March and I was not handling the separation well at all. There have been few, if any, times in my life where I have truly experienced homesickness. I am truly a gypsy at heart. I love new experiences, new places, and new faces. But, probably the combination of being a lone mother of a two year old, living in a foreign country, and just missing Kevin to death brought on a rather crazy case of homesickness. So, we flew to the USA to be with Kevin. And what a fun experience it has been!

I was super worried about flying for 10 hours with a toddler. But, once again, my little master-traveller handled it beautifully. Out of 14 hours of being on the "road" so to speak, we had 5 mintues of bad behavior. I was amazed!!! (Where did this kid come from anyway?) He played with the little toys I brought, his books, ate snacks, played with the earphones the flight attendants gave him and was happy as a clam. He briefly watched the airplane movies, and just chilled in his chair for most of the time. The guy beside us was amazed. You could tell when he sat down that he thought he'd have a rough flight. But, aside from the crumbs that were thrown his way a couple of times, it was a "good flight" according to him.

Our plane was delayed both in London and in Chicago. We ended up getting to Omaha at 9pm (about 4am our time). Kevin waited for several hours for us and it was so good to see him at the airport just reading his book. When we got home, we were so exhausted, we just fell into bed.

It took us a couple of days to recover. But, recover we did! And then the adventure began. The first week, we mostly ate at all of the restaurants I've missed, hung out at the swimming pool and basked in the sunlight, got a suntan, and played board games. For the first time this year, it truly felt like summer. I got a little bit of a sunburn, Weslee always smelled like coconut because of the sunblock we had to smear all over his fair skin. It smelled like barbeque in the air. And the hot, sticky breeze blew all day long. At night there were fireflies and a big bright moon. It was a wierd sensation of feeling like you're finally "home" and knowing all the while that home is thousands of miles away in a whole 'nother country.

The next week brought time with my family. Mom, Dad, Bubba, and his wife Tessa, Charla and my little clan all met at my brother's loft apartment in Kansas City for a weekend sleepover. We shopped at the outdoor market, went to see "Up", strolled through an art fair, and just hung out and talked. Weslee almost got his ankles nipped off by these vicious little dogs at the swimming pool at their apartment complex and he screamed joyfully at them at the top of his lungs. He was so excited to have those little ankle biters circling around him. I don't think he realized the growling was a scary thing. I was feeling a little edgy and overprotective. I'm not a dog person anyway...so I wasn't real wild about the crazy dogs at the pool. Dad made some awesome steaks for us to eat, and Tessa was a gourmet chef and we got to sample her food. I got to take pictures of the different family groups and we got to hear my sister's latest songs she's written. It was so awesome...and hard to say goodbye at the end of the weekend.

One of the coolest parts about going to Kansas City for the weekend was that we got to begin our adoption process. We met at LDS family services to begin the paperwork for another adoption. We're hoping the process isn't too long and tedious. We'd really like our family to grow. So...if you're reading this, and you know of anyone who is considering placing their baby for adoption, please send them our way. We'd love to chat with them.

Two days after returning home from Kansas City, we found ourselves on the road to Denver to be with Kevin's sister, Denise for 4th of July. Knowing that Denver is where we want to settle when we exit the Air Force really made Denver feel like home. We had such a fun time. We cooked out on the barbeque, hung out and talked until late at night, played Guitar Hero on the Wii, played the piano, went to the movies, and all of the nieces and nephews beat up on Kevin. He brings it on himself. It's wierd that Kasen, our oldest nephew in that family, has bulked up to the point where he could seriously contend with Kevin in a wrestling match. The two of them had fun messing around. We had so much fun laughing and joking around. I really miss that family!

And now, we're back at TLF. Weslee and I went to the pool for the last time today. The smell of coconut sunblock is still in the air. I have a photoshoot in less than an hour, my last photoshoot of the trip (I've done 7 in total). My camera battery is charging over by the toaster. My clean laundry is begging to be folded and packed away into the suitcase for the last time. I'm beginning to make to-do lists of things that need to be done when I get home. We'll have our last game night tonight. Finger printing for our adoption process tomorrow morning and our last meeting with our adoption caseworker. By this time tomorrow, Kevin will be alone in this very room.

He won't have to worry about me stealing the covers at night, or Weslee waking up at 3 am thinking it's party time. He won't have to worry about the laundry basket overflowing or cereal pieces all over the floor. There will be no one to contend with for computer time. In short, as Kevin put it, it will be lonely.

I am so glad for this short trip back "home" with Kevin. So glad for the laughs, and the memories, and the sunshine, and the fun we've shared together. It has been the dose of medicine I needed. But Man! It's hard to leave "home" behind...because you see, "home" is always where Kevin is. Where he is is where I belong. So, here is wishing that "home" comes back to England very, VERY soon.

P.Y.O. Isleham

So, we kept seeing these signs around town with a big strawberry on them. They said P.Y.O. Isleham. We asked around and found out that (duh!) it was a "Pick Your Own" Strawberry place. So, today we hopped in the car for a fun berry adventure. It wasn't really planned. In fact, I thought of it while I was showering this morning. I threw some clothes on, changed Weslee and we headed out the door before my hair had even dried.

We picked about 4 kilos (and no...I don't really know how much that is) of strawberries and spent the rest of the morning hulling and slicing them to make jam tomorrow (and to eat for the rest of the day). There is nothing more tasty than fresh picked strawberries. The store bought ones don't even compare!

Today while picking berries, I had all kinds of flash backs of working with my grandma in her garden and helping her pick blackberries. She's always telling a story about me picking blackberries and eating way more than I picked. They would tell me to "just pick the black ones" and to eat only "one at a time". Today, I found myself saying almost those very words. "Wes, just pick the red ones". "Eat that strawberry you've got in your hand before you pick another one". I have so many memories of watching Gram make jelly and jam and I realized today, that my son will have similar memories of me, endlessly stirring behind a very hot stove of wonderful fruit...and then eating it later on hot toast with butter.

I also have to say, I love his little dirty cherub face in these pictures too. Not only is he covered in sticky strawberry juice and dirt...but snot as well. England has been tough on this poor kid. I'm pretty sure he has some crazy allergies! Everything flowers like crazy here...and pollen is so thick in the air, it settles in a yellow dust on your car overnight. His nose is always running and he is forever sneezing. My little angel with a dirty face!

Oatmeal

So, my mom just left from a fabulous visit. Well, it was fabulous for me, and she SWEARS it was fabulous for her...but she was sick the whole time. Throughout the night I could hear her coughing. I thought FOR SURE she'd lose a lung. But, she's back home safely in the USA with both of her lungs. Whew! (That was close).

Anyway, the very first thing she did when she got off the plane, after kissing Weslee mercilessly was hand him a hand-crafted, homemade-with-love little bunny that my sister in law made for him. Mom and I thought he should have a British name since we are having this fabulous UK adventure for the next few years. We called him "King Henry". We called him that for approximately 12 hours. But, Wes had his own ideas for this bunny's name. He named him "Oatmeal".

It's an appropriate name. He looks like oatmeal. Weslee likes oatmeal. So, it's a compliment to the bunny. Anyway, he loves sleeping with Oatmeal now along with "Sheepie" (his partner in crime and his best comforter) and Port-a-Peep, the smaller, more portable version of Sheepie.

Anyway, this is a shout out to Tessa, my very gifted Sister in Law. Thank you, thank you for the cute bunny. And to all of you who don't know Tessa, she makes the most awesome vintage stuff. Check her out at http://www.tessamariearanda.com/.

New House

Nani sent a box of birthday gifts for you a few weeks back. This mammoth box almost killed me to lug to the car (and the whole while I was worried that you were running into oncoming traffic at the post office because I couldn't see a darn thing while carrying it). It wouldn't fit into the trunk. It barely fit into the backseat. It sat in the house, waiting for Nani's arrival and I tripped over it more times that I would like to admit. And then, you gave me a brilliant idea! You tried climbing into a very small box, but you wouldn't fit.

I immediately got to work on emptying the mammoth box and storing all of your gifts in the closet until Nani arrives. Then, we took a knife and some crayons to the box to make the MOST AWESOME HOUSE EVER! You love this thing. You sat in it reading books to "Sheepie" for over half an hour the first night we made it. Since then, you've pushed it down the stairs to sit in while you watch movies, and right now, it's outside where you had lunch. You and Sheepie have had alot of fun in your new little house.

Mayfair Date

After my impromptu photo shoot today with one of my Young Women, Weslee and I hit the RAF Mildenhall Mayfair event. We made it a "date". Weslee loved it! He got to pet the owls from a local wildlife reserve and even ride the teacups (he chose the pink one). I was worried that he wouldn't stay on the teacups by himself, but he rode them the entire 5 minutes, twirling his cup around and around, shouting "WOW, Mom, WOW" the entire time. It was so fun to see his face each time he would pass me. He was spinning himself so quickly, it was hard to get a picture of his face at all. We had a fun time. I love going on "dates" with my little man!

You're Two...

Weslee,
You're two. Where has the time gone? You've traded your cute little chipmunk cheeks from your first mortal days for the leaner look of your toddler years (though no matter how old or lean you get, I'll never, as long as I live, forget holding you in the hospital for the first time with only your cheeks poking out of the blankets, and falling in love with you instantly. ) You've kept the beautiful blue eyes I adore so much.

You bring joy to my life everyday. You are a wonder of a little boy. How I ever earned the privilege of being your mother, I'll never know...but you are one of a kind. You are my own personal angel. I couldn't ask for more from a son. I am so very proud of you.

Some of my favorite things about you at this age: You are so compassionate. If anyone is crying, or hurt, the concern shows in your eyes. If it happens to be me that is crying or hurt, you come and stand beside me, pat my back, and ask if I'm "doh-tay?" I love that you kiss owies, both mine and your own. You try to love and care for everyone you come in contact with. The nursery leaders have told me that you've been a real friend to those in nursery who are crying or hurt. I am so proud of you for being a good friend.

You are so independent. "My too" or "my turn" is something we hear alot around here. Thank heavens you want to do things on your own! I love watching you put your wellies on to go outside, struggling with everything you've got to get your little feet inside those rain boots. I love watching you "read" books to yourself and to me. You don't want to sit in the high chair anymore, but in the other "chai-oo" to eat your food with the rest of the family and drink out of a normal cup, not a sippy.

You are obedient. I rarely have to ask you to do something more than once. If I ask you to get in bed, please...you begin climbing into bed. If I tell you to hold my hand when crossing our street, you hold it up for me to reach. And, the latest in miracles, when I'm mowing our crazy lawn and leave the back gate open for a split second to get the mower where I need it to go, and I ask you to stay in the backyard because it's dangerous near the road. You stay right within the door frame and go no further. You poke your head out to see what's going on, but you never moved out of the backyard. I thought to myself, "This child is uncommonly obedient" and I was so thankful.

You are helpful. Mommy has such a big job to do right now. Holding down the fort while Daddy is gone is a big responsibility and I appreciate all of the help you give me every day. You unlock the door to the car each time we go somewhere. You like to help carry the groceries in from the grocery store. When you spill at the table, you often get down with a rag after the meal and help me clean up the mess. You pick up your toys, often without being told, every evening before bed. You put your dishes in the sink after the meal. And, you help me load the washer with our dirty clothes. You have no idea how much these small things really do help me. I appreciate all that you do to make mommy's burden lighter while Daddy is away. I love you for it!

You are imaginative. I love sneaking up on you while you're pretending. I caught you feeding "Sheepie" in the high chair the other day and asking him to help clean up the mess. (Your tone of voice sounded so much like me as you said "Uh oh, mahss. Keen up, keen up, sseepee!" and you pretended to wipe the tray.) I know that we probably shouldn't encourage the whole "gun" thing, but I love watching you pretend to shoot the bad guys and then "die" in the hallway. I know my laughter just encourages you...but it's dang funny!

You are smart. You have always picked up new things quickly. I am persuaded that you will do well in life at whatever you pursue simply because you grasp new concepts so rapidly. I love that you want to learn. You are inquisitive. All day long you'll ask "Dat?" meaning "What's that?" and I'll tell you, "That's a car-jack." or "That's a magnet." or "That's a microphone." and I'll hear you repeat the word to yourself. You always surprise me when a few weeks later you'll whip that word right out and use it in the right context. Today you could see your shadow at dinner (a word you learned 3 weeks ago on a walk) and you looked at me with a knowing look in your eye and simply said, "Dahdow, mama". I was shocked as I acknowledged you were right. Or today when we were watching a documentary on Joseph Smith and they showed the earth on the screen. First, you pointed out that it was a circle and then asked me "Dat?" I told you it was the earth and that yes, it was in-fact a circle. "Eawt". "Eawt." Eawt." I heard you say it over and over again while the earth remained on the screen. I will not be surprised if we see another "earth" in the near future and you pull that new word out of your bag of tricks.

You are a daily miracle to me, my boy. I hope I never forget to see you as the miracle that you are. I hope I don't ever let the little bumps in the road that happen from day to day get in the way of all of the incredible good that you do. I hope I always remind you, over and over again, that I love you. I hope I tell you of your incredible worth to our Father in Heaven enough times that you always believe it. I hope I nurture the gifts that are already in your possession and help you to become the man your Father in Heaven (and I) see in you. I hope I always treasure each day with you.

Because I know that the next time I blink, another year will have gone by. It won't be long before you fly the coup and I'll be missing the dirt smudges, the booger kisses, the little messes, and the mooshed bugs. I'll have a stain-free shirt, but I'll be missing your little fingers wrapped around my own. I'll look at those scribbles in my scriptures with fondness. I'll be longing for the sound of a sleeping baby on my chest. I'll miss your laughter ringing through the house. So, I hope I always remember to treasure those things while I have them. Happy Two Years, my big boy! Here's to another great one!

Tycle...

Is there anything more endearing than hearing a toddler begin to use language? I am totally enamored with hearing Weslee's attempts to communicate his feelings, his wants and desires, and placing labels on everything that makes up his world. Some of his words are easy to recognize: mommy, daddy, hi, bye bye, and my personal favorite...Yyyyyep! Others are a little harder to make out. And some are impossible for me to understand. It's the ones that I understand but no one else does that just tug at my heart strings. I'll be so sad when he talks like a grown up and I don't hear words like "wuz zoo" (love you), "Deezus Cwyst" (Jesus Christ), "day too" (thank you), "a-mas" (airplane) and "tockolee" (chocolate) anymore.

Lately, one of his favorite words (because it is one of his favorite things) is "Tycle". This word, to Weslee, means motorcycle. There is a bouncy motorcycle at the park, and he runs for it shouting "tycle, tycle, tycle". He thinks his trike looks like a motorcycle (in fact, the reason we bought this particular trike is because when he saw it he started shouting "tycle. My tycle" in a very excited voice. We were there to buy a trike anyway. Thought it would be good to get one he was so excited about. And everytime a loud vehicle passes our window....sometimes even when Wes is completely asleep, I'll hear from some part of the house "Tycle. Mom! Wow! Tycle!"

So, even though I don't necessarily like "tycles" and even though I definitely don't listen for them all day, I love my son's enthusiasm. He teaches me everyday to enjoy life and be excited for the miracles (including the tycles) that are all around me.