9 months

Exloring with all the senses including taste a leaf from the huge Oaks that surround us

Nice downward dog Kent, I don't think I'll EVER be able to do that pose

October 20th, Check out his latest trick:

Backwards! Allow me to explain. I hadn't placed him down on the balcony before. He was fasinated with the spaces between the boards and as he stood he peered over his tummy which leaning caused him the need to step back. Pretty cute. Of course once the camera gets out the performance is different - but a performance none the less.

Kent is such a JOY! His babbling and laughing has kicked up a notch. He has always been interactive and it is developing more and more. Wade pointed out the other day that some of the sounds Kent makes sure sound like a little boy. We are getting a glimps of whats to come. It'll be so neat to know what he is really thinking instead of us inserting meanings in for his babblings. Kent is quite the coversationalist you know. Hahahah!

We know all the songs this music table can provide. One time when calling Wade I got the answering machine and just held the phone up to a familiar tune. It is neat to watch Kent get excited about new toys or items that become toys to him. Certain items in our recycle pile are now a part of our livingroom toys. He has made an oatmeal container a great drum, Water bottles are perfect to make krinkly sounds with and push well along the floor with, the cheerios box is aparently a great ramp for his car. He used to stay with his toys and we could play together on a play mat (blanket on the floor) - now however the entire home is his play mat. Put him down in one spot and next thing you know a sweet head has popped around the corner to see what is going on in the kitchen. It's so fun to see him venture around, he is first to spot any possible thread or crumb and dutifully puts it in his mouth. He is good not to swallow, when intervention is required he allows with some displeasure me scooping it out from his mouth. It's as though he likes to savor his find and then carry on. We get a kick out of the precise use of his index finger and thumb. He rubs and feels things first with his index finger. Textures. Things like clothing, carpet, upholstery, crumbs, shirt collars, buttons. Then if a removable item he picks up and studies it prior to placing it in his mouth. Non removable, like a button he lunges head long with a gaping mouth to complete his exploration.

silver rainbow

Where are we going? A complete surprise came with this mode of transportation - this elevator made us feel like we were in a 60's science fiction movie. Labor day weekend we met up with Chad and Amy in St. Louis, MO to attend the temple and then go to The Arch!

Wade and Kent in the parking lot on the beautiful temple grounds. (sorry no pics of the beautiful temple grounds : ) Chad attended on Fri night and then Amy, Wade and I went in the morning while Chad hung out with our children at our hotel. We made the session.... barely! That's 2 for 2 for us having adventures together - last time we went to Winter Quarters Temple and then to the Zoo in Omaha. We all benefited and had a wonderful time serving in the temple, learning and feeling of the sweet spirit there. Checked out of the Marriott and we navigated our way to the Arch. Entering into downtown St. Louis I couldn't believe how many tailgaters we saw! Filling the levels of parkades, tents set up and BBQ Mizzou colours everywhere and some Illinois fans weaving into the crowds. Big college football game. Seeing tailgating is a cultural experience for me. No one tail gated outside the Northlands Coliseum when I grew up, would that be part of the NHL experience if it wasn't ice cold winter time? Well there was a dense crowd of fans gearing up for the game and here we are in the thick of traffic attempting to find parking! Well we did no problem. It was neat to be back here. I had been here once before with my mom and Aunt Jo and Uncle Tom. We came at the time of the Nauvoo temple open house. Only difference is this time we went UP to the TOP of the arch.....

Mia running along the walk with the Mississippi river on one side

and the National park on the other

Eli about to haul up the stairs to Uncle Wade

Mia, Chad, Amy and Elithat's Wade at the top of the stairs overlooking the 'Sip and the amazing bridge

can you see the tiny row of windows at the top of the arch? Narrow door to the elevator that seats 5 supposedly in that little time capsule.

While traveling at a surprising speed up, banjo tunes were the elevator music selection

Thin warm air, lot's of people, I got a little queasy AND it was SO cool up there! : ) What a view! 630 feet high in the sky

The garbage pail

I do wish now that I took a picture of what I'm about to describe; although, it certainly wouldn't be difficult to recreate. I can sum up mid August to Labor day as this: neatly packaged dirty diapers piled next to the garbage pail which is next to the change table which is in Kent's room. You see the garbage pail wasn't overflowing, at all. I had emptied that. Plus I had washed and disinfected it. I changed a diaper for Kent and realized I hadn't placed a new bag into the clean scented receptacle. To remind myself to do so, I placed the diaper next to the garbage. Well before I knew it, I allowed myself to add to that little tight bundle progressing sadly to now 7 diapers piled up next to the garbage - on the carpet!

Well.... that is the story for that part of our home. Unfortunately I could share a description for all the areas of procrastination in our home. It has been an adjustment with our new schedules with our jobs, Wade's new job which he is so happy about and for that I am so happy! My new hours are in the evening when Wade is home he can hang out with Kent and I go in until 8:30 /9pm. And we have our cleaning job at the Institute (which Wade has been so good to recognize this as one way we can SIMPLIFY our schedules is to eliminate that one.)

Thankfully we are talking in the past tense. There is improvement now that can be reported on. But you know having disaster and disorganization about really took its toll on us. We were in a bit of a rut. Thinking about recovering at moms for the time I did makes me more grateful I hadn't come home sooner. I know I wouldn't have been resting or "taking it easy" here. I can thankfully say I don't procrastinate spending and enjoying my time with Kent. My day revolves around that cute little guy. It was just hard to be motivated to do other things around the house. I got a creation mentality and thought about each room in our home and wrote down a plan. 6 days for labour and on the 7th rest! Wade and I were looking so forward to going to the St. Louis Temple for the Labor day long weekend and I desperately wanted the home organized and cleaned before we left. We all got sick and the week dragged on. So we escaped our home for the Marriott. It was so wonderful to be with Chad and Amy and Mia and Eli. Attending the temple I was reminded of order and beauty and how they truly affect relationships. How things were around me is how I was feeling on the inside. (ah that could be said for the good, peaceful uncluttered feelings I had while in the temple, and the unsettled cluttered feelings at home) Saturday night we returned home and the luggage detonated in our living room. Sunday morning - light - I determined I needed even half a day to tackle and correct things around here. It was labor day on Monday and with Wade in full support and even giving me encouragment to stay, went for a boys afternoon out and met up with some of his family at a lake for lunch and I stayed and sorted and put away the pile(s) of bills and papers. It's funny how I can say papers and you know what I'm talking about. "papers" have a way of coming into the home, they just come. No worries I have a filing system, it just hadn't been put to use lately. Got the luggage emtied and put away, and the kitchen cleaned!

Things are on the up and up!! I told my mom that I use the computer only as a treat for myself if I have other priorities accomplished. Kent is sleeping and I have the Kitchen prepped for the flooring guy to come this morning to remove our lino and place in some NEW lino! YEAH! (so now the dining room is housing the Kitchen shelf that we have food storage, storaged. but it's purposeful) he'll also be moving the fridge into the dining room to redo the floor.

It was at the family reunion Elaine and Uncle Tom were discussing a steamer that Elaine uses and is so thrilled about. I mentioned how much I dislike our floor in our kitchen and they briefly said just ask, that's that easiest and a cheap reno that your landlord can do.

I phoned our landlord and asked him if it were possible to have it replaced. Since the 1st day we moved in I never liked this lino. I could have it freshly scrubbed and it still looks dingy and marked. (and I'm a hands and knees floor washer!) Kermit (our landlord) came over and obliged. He told me he will to keep us happy and complimented our being tenants. So today's the day! So far the flooring man is 20 minutes late, but hey -that gave me time to do this. Blog, which has been therapeutic : )

I love Wade and Kent, and I love home and belongings.
We need to pick up after ourselves and adopt more fully "put away, throw away or give away" (my mom ingrained that phrase into me growing up)

Every day is a new day to create! Can't let earthly things crowd out the spiritual things or precious famliy relationships and others whom we need to reach out to too.

Canada here we come!!

For Kents first time flying the flight attendant gave him a pin with gold wings. We had smooth flights with Kent he couldn't have been more well behaved. So for all those other flyer's who gave us looks of 'super we're travelling next to a baby', he did awesome and won their hearts instead. On the flight home I actually had one woman ask me as she sat next to us "so, how does he do flying?' with a bit of a negative tone in her voice. Thankfully Kent was himself that flight too being the chill, mellow, content-Kent with smiles and laughs and sleeping times too. Eager to see mom and Kent got a warm embrace from Grandma! I get SO excited doing the last walk out of customs to push through the doors. Tears come and with a huge smile my feet can't go fast enough. The doors open and there's mom feeling the same way. There is nothing like reuniting.

Our first stop was to James and Rachael's home. Their first time to meet Kent. I still have Owen's voice in my head "I want to hold baby Kent". The boys instantly began calling him Kenty. I loved seeing THEM. Will and Ry have grown and matured so much! Owen is a wealth of information and Thomas since I've only had the opportunity to be with him only one other time his entire life - definitely blew me away with how much of a little boy is now. I love being in their home, where there is fostered much learning, work and play, order, love and security. The boys took right to taking us around the inside and outside of their home. It was neat to see photo's come to life in the club house out back. The boys with their story and explanations of what they like to do in the club house. Showing us their tool boxes from Grandma on their shelves. A sword fight ensued. Running in circles. Laughter. Laughter. Laughter. We ventured around the back of the club house where Owen was a brave tour guide. When he began to climb beyond the pile of wood boards toward twisted barbed wire fence, we turned back. Uncle James and Aunt Rachael were holding Kent on their rocking bench as we continued to explore the beautifully growing garden. Each boy has their own plot to tend again this year. Their back yard continues to change. This summer quite dramatically with the addition of a deck. James showed us the design he drew up. Big project! It is well underway. Look forward to seeing it come to fruition. While James has a new deck, Rachael is working on a new baby! Definitely look forward to seeing the fruits of her labours! correction- fruit. To say the least, what a busy, wonderful family. After the reunion William and Ryrie will be having a recital! William even requested that there be refreshments and a program. They've been preparing and practicing well. Their teacher is their Grandma Williams (Nana, is that how they say/spell it) via web cam! Remarkable isn't it?

At dinner Thomas had a joke to share with us. What's is your name? Jane. What colour is the sky? Blue. something something something... UP. Jane blew up! : ) Thomas's version in a commanding tone is: Name!?, Sky!? (I don't remember the last part but it would lead me to reply with UP! ) Then with the biggest smile he would connect it all - Jane blew up!

I promise Owen and Kent got to spend time together.

N-H-L! Living room hockey at it's best! Puck handling skills, swift goalie, passes and goals! Action packed fight and even a Zamboni!