England!

It's not very often that I am downright pessimistic, but that was undeniably my attitude about two weeks ago. It had nothing to do with our destination (England - a dream come true!) but had everything to do with the journey. I (we!) were scared to death of the 14 hour plane ride with our 1-and-2 year olds! (At one point, anticipating the trip, I'm pretty sure I even referred to it at "parental suicide." Nice.)

Well, it turns out my fears were unfounded (lesson learned: pessimism is a waste of time). Our trip to England started out on a great note when our kids champed the flight there (in spite of Ezekiel being so sick I'm sure people thought we were spreading the swine flu. We weren't - we checked. But Kevan did catch vomit in a bag when Ezekiel coughed so hard he gagged. Good times.) They slept, they played happily, and Bekah Jane waved and smiled at every person she could bat her eyes at. And Ezekiel kept talking about going to "England's house." Honestly, minus the vomit, it was a great plane ride. We were STOKED to survive. And the fun began!


Arriving at LAX with 2 kids and all their accouterment...

We made it! Our exhaustion gave way to excitement as we pulled into great-grandma and Rick's beautiful house in the country. This place was off-the-charts charming. We loved it!

And then I saw the garden. Yes, this is their backyard and, yes, I was in heaven. Rick is an incredibly talented gardener and I was in awe of the beauty. Right behind that arch is a creek and beyond that is a barley field. And that's what the kitchen window overlooked. AMAZING. We spent so much time out here, and loved every minute. Why, oh why, can't I find this in Orange County?

The main purpose of this long-awaited trip was to introduce Kevan's grandma to her great-grandchildren. We all loved Great-grandma Plumb and Rick right from the start! Bekah Jane especially stole their hearts with her constant flirting and charm. And they, in turn, thought both kids were "brilliant" and everything they did was "lovely". You'll notice Ezekiel is absent from these pics of the first couple of days...that's because he mostly slept while he recovered from his nasty cold and serious jet-lag!

Going for a walk with Grandma Gina (Gina is Kevan's dad, Richard's, wife). This trail behind the house was like nothing I'd seen before. Seriously surreal. I took the kids along this trail early in the mornings and Kevan and I walked it in the evenings. We couldn't get enough of this beautiful countryside.

Looking back at the house...

Kevan's uncle Nick (Richard's brother) and cousin Sam took us to a Manchester City soccer game! My first pro soccer event... we sure had a great time! And, of course, we had fish-n-chips before the game. When in England, do as the English do...

PS: Sam is the cutest 13-year-old EVER. The accent doesn't hurt, either.

Monday began in the garden...

and then we went to the animal shelter with Grandpa and Grandma Gina:

Ok, you have to enlarge this picture and check out what this horse is doing to my daughter's head!

The kids ended the day helping Rick with his garden:

The next day we visited Ely cathedral - the oldest building I've ever been in! It was incredible.

A view from the roof

Bekah Jane is so pious - she knelt on the praying bench all by herself!

Playtime with Grandpa before heading off to bed

Snuggling with baby sister

Bekah Jane wraps herself in a good book!

The next day we are off to visit a real-life castle!

Bekah Jane frollicking in front of the castle

And then we headed to the aquarium by the sea - Richard used to visit this place when he was a kid and hadn't been back in 30 years. He said it had hardly changed. Taking his grandkids there made for a really special day. And the kids loved it!

Kevan and his dad on the boardwalk

There was also a carnival along the boardwalk...ALL of us kids had a great time!

I swear, she wanted to do this! And she asked to do it again!

Our final day we took a lovely walk to the park with Great-grandma and Rick.

Great-grandma is not one to miss out on the fun! I love her spunk!

And, just like that, our 10 days were up and we said our teary goodbyes.

Bekah Jane was conked out before we even got on the plane - and she slept for the first 4 hours of our flight. This picture cracks me up!

Can you tell Ezekiel is just a little tired?

Happy girl even after 14 hours of flying. Oh, how we thank God for our childrens' sweet dispositions. Why did I ever doubt? We were so, so proud of them!

Thank you, Grandma Plumb and Rick for an incredible holiday! Your hospitality and generosity are an example to us - and made us feel so loved! (They had all kinds of baby stuff already at the house for us - and even baby proofed! The thought and effort to make us feel welcome and at home was so touching!) We had an amazing time in your beautiful home and garden and LOVED watching you with our children. Sitting in your garden listening to stories and just getting to know you was a dream come true. It was a trip we will never forget and always hold dear in our hearts.

More from Ezekiel...

A couple weeks ago we were at the park with our little friend Kate, who is the same age as my Ezekiel. A stranger talking to Kate asked her how old she is and I watched in amazement as Kate answered with all the confidence in the world "Two and a half. I will be three in June." Oh my, I thought, I have seriously dropped the ball in this department. I don't think Ezekiel can even say that he is two, and he certainly doesn't have a clue when his birthday is! So, like any good parent, I decided to teach Ezekiel quickly so that next time he could be the star student at the park!

On the way home, the quizzing began.

Me: Ezekiel, how old are you?
E: I see birds!
Me: No, Ezekiel, say "two!"
E: Two!
Me: Good, honey!! (See, I knew it was simply a matter of unbridling his potential!) And when is your birthday?
E: Dog! Dog! I see dog!
Me: Ezekiel, your birthday is in August. You are two and you will be three in August. Can you say that?

So, on this went back and forth until I finally felt he understood. Phew, crisis averted. My child is no longer on the fast track for unemployment.

Later that night, Ezekiel and I were having a tickle fest and I decided it was a great time to reinforce our lesson from earlier in the day.

Me: Ezekiel, I will stop tickling you when you tell me how old you are. How old are you?
Ezekiel (in between giggles, but with the same confidence he saw his friend Kate display): AUGUST!

Ok, maybe we should hold off on those college applications after all.

Doheny!

We're home from yet another wonderful and memorable trip to Doheny! I have to confess, I was wondering just a bit if this would be the year to do us in. After all, Heidi and I have come a long way from sunbathing in the sand at 15 to now chasing four kids under the age of 3 all in the name of "vacation"! But, you know what? It was another great year! The kids had SO much fun and, even though I got very little sleep the first night (it was freezing and Bekah Jane was teething!), we had such a great day the next day I didn't even care! So, we even braved night number two (MUCH better, thanks to Motrin!) and enjoyed an early morning breakfast (COFFEE!) at McDonald's and a beautiful bike ride the next morning before heading off for home. I'll let the pictures tell the rest of the story!

DAY ONE:

Bekah Jane and Everett setting up camp

Ezekiel discovering his love of baseball

Going for a walk with Heidi's family to see all the birds

Ezekiel jumped on Grandma Jeanine's back while she was taking pictures!

All bundled up for dinner (it was COLD that first night!!)

All cozy in our tent and ready for bed!

DAY TWO:

Good morning Mama! Sure feels good to get out of all those jammies!

Silly girl.

Breakfast with my little man

We rode our bikes to the most delicious bagel place. Man, we look forward to that bagel all year long! (Everything tastes better when you're camping, you know)

*Insert picture of me sleeping peacefully in a beach chair* After breakfast, my two kiddos went down for an early nap and I actually got to take a nap on the beach for about an hour! HEAVENLY!

Me and E playin' ball (Heidi was pitching)

Heidi drew Ezekiel this picture of a barnyard - which Ezekiel called his "animals". He carried his animals everywhere for the rest of the day - to dinner at the pizza parlor, to bed, in the car, on our bike ride, and even home the next day! So cute. He loved that picture!

Heidi heading for the water with the two babies


Kate and Ezekiel enjoying the view

My little sunbathing beauty

Ezekiel loving the waves

"C'mon, Mama, c'mon!"

DAY THREE:

One final bike ride. We rode along the beach on enjoyed the absolutely perfect weather. I didn't want to go home!


Tired babies! So sweet how they fell asleep leaning on each other.



What a full trip brimming with precious memories! Can't wait for next year!

And we're off (again!)

Our family just got back from a fun-filled week in Arizona visiting Kevan's side of the fam. Here is a cute pciture of Bekah Jane, Uncle Gary, and her Avoa (great-grandma):

I'll post more pictures about this trip soon...but, for now, we are off again - this time to Doheny Beach! Yes, Heidi and I are braving our annual camping trip again. I think this year will be even tougher than the last, since we both have TWO mobile children. But it is always worth it!! And Ezekiel is so excited to go to the beach with Kate. So, here goes! We'll be back Friday...wish me luck!

Vacation!

At the end of February, Kevan and I went on an awesome trip to Washington DC with my parents. Early in our marriage, we always said we wanted to go to DC and England before we had kids. But, as life so often goes, Kevan went to Iraq instead and a year later I was pregnant with Ezekiel. So, needless to say, we were pretty excited when my parents asked us to join them while my dad did some business out there! Matthew and Alice had our kids (God will reward them in heaven!) and we had 6 wonderful days of history, culture, and the best food we've ever eaten. It was AMAZING.

This trip was always a dream for Kevan, since he'd never been and I was mostly just excited to share it with him. I didn't think I would actually love the city so much. Being a country girl at heart, I was surprised to find myself completely fascinated by the art and culture of DC. It really is a beautiful city. And everything about it boasts pride and significance...I'd even call it sentimental. Every artpiece, every architectural detail, every stroke of the brush seemed to have meaning and purpose - reinforcing the values and principles that our country was built on.


And, while we couldn't take pictures of this, one of our greatest highlights was sitting in on the House of Representatives and the Senate while they met. We actually got to watch them deliberate (the stimulus bill, in case you were wondering). Fascinating. Plus, Kevan couldn't have been more star struck if Mel Gibson had walked in.

Our first night there we ate at this AMAZING Brazilian BBQ place... you know where they keep bringing you different kinds of meat until you just can't handle it anymore. But it was fancy pants and the BEST food ever. I'd go back just for the salad bar.

Kevan and my dad walking back from dinner (so handsome in their trenches!)

Night #2: Kevan and I did a sunset walk around the white house and the monuments. My Marine husband kept on truckin' like it was nothing, but I was freezing and itchy (stupid long underwear!) and my feet hurt. But we ended up having such a great time, I will always remember it. Thanks for keeping me motivated, babe!


Outside the capital, after our tour. SO beautiful.

A visit to Arlington cemetery and the Marine Corp monument. Kevan has always wanted to see this in person.

Checking into our Bed and Breakfast in Gettysburg. We spent the last 2 days in this historical town at the cutest little place.

Dinner with mom and dad at this super cool restaurant that was converted from an 18th-century farm house. They even had an underground railroad room you could look at.

Such an awesome trip and fun time with Kevan and my parents. Thank you, mom and dad and Matthew and Alice!!!

Good Day/Bad Day

Today was a good day because we took the kids to the Irvine Park (LOVE that place, by the way) and OC Zoo. Family days like this are one of my very favorite things in life. Kevan and I usually get some sort of treat (Starbucks today!) and then we head out and watch the kids have a wonderful time. It brings us both so much joy to see them laughing at the goats, hear Bekah Jane screech with excitement at the ponies (she even balls up her little fists and shakes them when she's super excited), and watch as Ezekiel walks up to every animal saying "HI! HI!" as if they've been missing him. Yeah, they're adorable and we are absolute suckers for days like this.

But today was a BAD day, too, because when we got home we got a message from our realtor. Another offer rejected. Auuughhh...this home-buying process is proving to be brutal. It is exhausting and time-consuming and an emotional roller coaster. We've been depressed looking at so many dumpy houses in our price range, or decent houses in ghetto neighborhoods (I'm not kidding...one place even had a Mexican restaurant directly behind it blaring mariachi music 24-7!), and then excited when we find a nice place, and then hopeful, and then disappointed when they go with another offer. Yep, a roller coaster. We are confident, though, that the Lord will provide just the right place (we keep reminding each other of this, depending on who is least frustrated at the moment!). And if the sacrifice of me being a stay-at-home mom means finding a home we can afford is a little bit more challenging, it is TOTALLY worth it! So, the search goes on...

He makes me laugh...

Yesterday I had a pot of tulips next to Ezekiel in the car on our way to bible study. He looked at them and said "Flowers! I got flowers!" I told him "Those are for Aunt Heidi, it's her birthday today!" So he began to sing Happy Birthday. When he was done, I said "Great job, honey! Now, when you see Aunt Heidi, what do you say?" After a brief pause, he looked up at me with abosultely certainty and said "PLEASE!"

Isn't that always the right answer?!