Boys and Blankets

About 3 years ago Tayden took particular preference to a white doggie blanket. A preference soon turned into an attachment and before we knew it, Tayden had a blanket. I never wanted my kids to be attached to any specific item, but after seeing how great it was for T, I didn't mind. It helped him sleep, made him feel safe, dried up tears, cheered him up and so on and so on. In fact, I loved that he had his very own blanket. 

I decided it was so beneficial, that I made Beckett one right before his first birthday. And I started using it as a transitional object as I weaned him. It was great. He wasn't as attached to it as Tayden was, but it was still his blanket and he slept with it every night.

Tayden is completely over it now. It makes the perfect car blanket, so we take it with us on road trips. I keep it on his bed, but he rarely uses it at night anymore. And the times he does is because his spider man blanket is too hot. Beckett still likes his, but by no means needs it. More often than not he covers his pillow with it to sleep on, or watches TV with it. He naps with it occasionally, but not consistently. 

So, as Cache starting showing a liking for blankets, I was anxious to get his special one done. My mom and I stayed up one night and whipped it up. The first thing I did the next day was wrap him up in it. And you better believe he is napping and sleeping with it every night. My doing of course.

(Becketts blanket is on top, then Taydens and Caches on bottom)

As silly as it is, these blankets mean so much to me. They are a symbol of my kids childhood and innocence. These blankets were a big part of their lives and it breaks my heart a little as they become more independent and leave the blankets behind. I'm not sure if I am ready to let them grow up.

S'more fun

Finally...the much anticipated Idaho s'more!

It was so fun. And oh so delicious.

If you don't believe me...just ask B.

We love s'more fun.

Gold Digger

My mom is participating in a summer technology class right now. She had the opportunity to take Tayden with her on his very first field trip. They went gold mining up by Blackfoot and he had a blast. He made a new friend, threw 100,000 rocks (he told me so) and mined for gold. He even found some, which was super awesome. 

He looked so grown up and it killed me having him gone most the day. Kindergarten will surely be a struggle for me. I'm not looking forward to it.

Tayden had so much fun going on a special trip with Grandma. 

He sure is growing up.

Love him.

Leg One; Utah.

I am quickly becoming a professional packer(d). Haha. Get it. Packer...packard? Its my last name. Super funny.

This is 4 weeks+ worth of stuff for me and all three boys, plus my moms purple carry one. It all fits in the back of my car. I am just that good.

The first leg from Vegas to Utah was smooth sailing. We only stopped once in Cedar City for about an hour, making the trip in 7 hours. The boys were entertained with books, toys and slept for a couple of hours. They did great.

We got to Utah and had a blast. The weather was beautiful and the company was amazing. Tayden and Beckett played for hours outside. Seriously, hours. They loved the space, the grass and the creek. In two days they watched an hour and a half of TV. I don't even know if I'd call it watching TV, it was more like being in the same room with it in. They just played and played and played and it was so good seeing them have so much fun outside.

Beckett had fun making faces in the mirror every night before bed. This is his mad face. It cracks me up.

And again, B being B. He is a little weird, and I LOVE it. He always wears his glasses upside down and loves to have his 'sword' sheathed in the back of his shirt. He is awesome.

It was a great start to our loooong vacation. It was probably the most fun we have had in a long time, which is explains the lack of pictures. We were having too much enjoying Utah.

Now we are in Idaho...which is proving to be equally as awesome!

Its going to be a great summer. 

My life, the whirl wind.

Ever since we decided on building the house, my life seems to have spun out of control. Our landlords were gracious enough to let us out of our lease as long we found someone to take our place. However, that is proving to be harder than we anticipated. We have found multiple people to take the lease, but we haven't been seeing eye to eye with our landlords. Lets just say they are being less than pleasant, way less. 

Ideally, we wanted to be out at the end of June so when I went home to Idaho for the summer, we didn't have a house sitting in Las Vegas unoccupied. We had renters lined up to take it the first of July and summoned my mom for help...with all of 16 hours notice. She was going to come help pack up, help with the kids, and then drive back to Idaho with me a few weeks early. It sounded perfect.

Until the morning of my moms flight. The landlords decided not to rent to our people any longer. We were upset, but decided we still had a few days before we were leaving to Idaho to get the home rented again. So I spent the week showing the home daily, taking care of sick kids (pink eye and a nasty cough/cold), finalizing paperwork for the build, and keeping up on everything else. I would have died if it was not for my mother.

She rescued me. Seriously, she came on a moments notice and took care of everything. She helped with the kids, cooked us meals, cleaned the house and was practically my third hand. And fourth and fifth. I am really am so grateful for her.

So back to renting the home. After two other applicants being turned down...even though they met the requirements, I'm at my wits end. I'm frustrated and need a break.

So here is where we are now. The car is loaded and we are headed out bright and early in the morning. I have no idea how long we'll be in Idaho or when we are coming back. I don't know if I'll be coming back to this rental property or if this is my last night here. I don't know anything. And if anyone knows me, they know that is completely against my grain. I am trying my best to be relaxed about the situation and keep sight at the light at the end of the tunnel. I know in a few months this will all be worth it and I will really be able to start planting my roots here in Las Vegas.

I am hoping for a nice, calm and relaxing trip to Idaho. It's be chaotic and I am ready for a slower pace.

Hopefully, I can get back to blogging regularly and get some pictures up of the kids.

Until then, wish us luck! 

He Cooks

Tayden loves making snacks. Alot. I find him in the kitchen quite often whipping up something to eat. Lately, he's been fancying s'mores--He is practicing for Idaho so he can be like Grandpa Mennear. 

His very first snack he ever made was for me. 

A clump of nutella topped with cheese. And yogurt scrambled with cheese. Lucky me.

This was his first attempt at a s'more.

 Poptart, nutella and marshmallows. 

 He did a little better the next day. Grahams, marshmallows, nutella and peanut butter.

He's my kid. We could eat PB all day.

 

And my personal favorite. A snack just for Dad! Scott had some meetings after church, so as soon as we got home Tayden started on his surprise for Dad. A little bit of milk, some cottage cheese and fruit loops all stirred up. Then topped with smashed wheat thins and about four tablespoons of sprinkles. Put in fridge to cool until dad gets home and ta da! Yummy special daddy cake. And it was delicious! Just ask Tayden.

Peace at Home

In a few short months, we get to call this piece of land home. We are building a home in Las Vegas and couldn't feel better about it. It happened fairly quickly, but both Scott and I feel like this is the best decision for our family.

It all started when we got an email from our landlords about our upcoming lease. It doesn't end for a full year, but they felt it necessary to give us plenty of time to make our decision. Neither of their offers were beneficial to us and I went into hysterics. We've been floating down here for two years and I am ready for some stability. Craving it actually. So, Scott and I got thinking about it and he presented me with the idea of buying a home.

I immediately hated the idea. I had no intentions on stay in LV. In fact, there were days I was dying to get out. My heart is in Idaho, and it probably always will be, but it was holding me back to accepting the Lords plan for me. As badly as I want to move home, I feel even stronger that we are supposed to be in Las Vegsas. It took me two years to admit it, but now that I have come to terms with it, I have the peace I have been searching for.

It's funny how that happens. I was searching for peace in the way I thought I wanted it, but found it in the way the Lord knew I needed it. He is amazing like that. And it makes me even more grateful for my beliefs. 

So, after Scott and I prayed and pondered about it. We decided to take the leap. The market in Nevada is crazy. 'Used' homes are super expensive and are immediately eaten up by investors. Leaving next to nothing for families like ours. We looked into building and were surprised with what we found.

Things are done a little different in Vegas. The homes and land are a package deal. If you see a model you like, then you can only build on certain pieces of property and if you like the property you can only build certain models of homes. That makes building very affordable and in most cases a better deal then purchasing a home off the market. We fell in love with the first set we saw. It tugged at my heart and I knew we were supposed to be there. It just felt like home. We talked about it and decided to go for it, but ran into some complications on the way. So, we set out on a new search and found a few homes we really liked, but again ran into some minor bumps like outrageous city taxes. Scott had mentioned how frustrating it is to feel so right about something, but not have it work out. So we asked for help.

The next day, our luck changed. One thing after another fell into place and we were on our way to building a home. We got the last lot of the first wave in the community that we loved. We feel very strongly that the Lord has a hand in our life and is looking out for our best interest. This is where we are supposed to be and it is completely evident. It doesn't change the fact that I fully intend on getting back to Idaho. It doesn't change my yearning to be closer to family. But it does change my outlook and perspective. And most of all it gives me great peace. I wish it didn't. I wish my wants were the same as Heavenly Fathers. But they are not. And I am learning to trust his plan. And in doing so--I find a whole new level of comfort. 

I am excited for this journey. And I am excited to have stability, not only for me, but mostly for my children. Scotts job has alot of opportunities available right now that would be hard to find anywhere else. The experience he is gaining is priceless and will hopefully allow up to get home in the future. But for now, this is home. And I am finally accepting it.