Weeks 1-2 in Maryland

The day before Logan, Taylor, my dad and I started driving to Utah, Billy surprised us by making the drive from Tulsa, OK, to Des Moines, IA. We were so excited to see him and impressed he made the trip to see us for less than 2 days. That's my definition of love right there.
Since we've been in Maryland, we have been playing hard. There is never a dull moment at my parents'. The house is so big that there is always something to get into. And the yard is so full of grass, flowers, and squirrels that there is always something to look at, chase, or eat.
Although you won't find any plants here, or anywhere else in the house. My parents totally thought they had baby-proofed their house... Hum, have you met your grandchildren? You know, the ones who get into EVERYTHING!

There used to be a plant there. Not anymore!

Of course the blinds had to get out reach, too.

And the T.V. had to get blocked off, using the coffee table.

There is plenty of room for Taylor to push Logan around, who is very relaxed.

Or for Logan to push Taylor, who is enjoying every minute of it.

Sometimes pushing the ride-on is tiring of these little guys, so mommy takes a turn pushing both of her little guys.

And when I say that they get into everything, that is very literal. Here is Taylor inside the laundry basket.

Taylor is not the only one who enjoys getting into stuff. Here is Logan inside my CD collection box.

We also like spending time outdoors. Here is Taylor helping Bonne-Maman to water the flowers.

And here is Logan helping Bonne-Maman. Well, actually, he's trying to get the water.

Every weekend, Taty Marie comes to hang out with us. She's awesome!

It's so fun to play with Tonton Fred. He's a blast!

We were fortunate enough to be around for the town's annual parade. The boys were fascinated by the trucks, sports cars, and thousands of people.

Logan and Taylor got to eat their first funnel cake.

Taylor was covered in powdered sugar.

Logan thought it was totally worth it.

Logan and Taylor could hang out in the yard and play with water all day.

We made chocolate mousse and the boys got to lick the spoon. Yum! We don't do this very often, so every chance they get is golden.

Bonne-Maman cannot get enough of her little Taylor. He loves her so much he follows her every move.

Of course she cannot get enough of her little Logan, either. He loves her to hold him wherever she goes and whatever she does.

We went to the Apples Orchard to pick apples and check out the corn field.

Logan really enjoyed eating the apples. He was so focused on finishing them that nothing else mattered.

Taylor was more focused on picking apples, biting in them a couples of times, and then throwing them on the ground.

I miss Billy and my friends in Iowa very much, but it's been really fun and relaxing to be out here with my family. Plus it's been great for Logan and Taylor to hang out with their Bonne-Maman and Bon-Papa. I wouldn't have it any other way =)

Highlights of Utah trip

Last month, Billy was able to set up a 2-week rotation in Utah, which allowed us to spend some time with his family. It was really fun to watch Logan and Taylor being entertained by their cousins.

Billy was gone with the car, so traveling was not always an easy task, especially when we were hanging out with Billy's older sister who has 5 kids of her own. Her youngest one, Charlie, is just a couple of months younger than Logan and Taylor. All I gotta say is Thank goodness for the GMC Yukon.

Logan loved playing with Spencer. He kept tackling him down and laughing his head off.

Taylor enjoyed playing with Ashlynn. She chased him around the trampoline and he probaby could have kept going all day.

Going up the stairs became their favorite pass-time. Going down was another story. We still have to work on that.

There are some horses near Billy's parents' house. Logan and Taylor were very entertained by them. And I think the horses were entertained by Logan and Taylor, too, especially after we shared some Cheerios with them.

Going to the playground with 7 kids could have been a nightmare, but with the older kids helping out, it became really fun... Logan and Taylor definitely thought so.

One morning, we went to Sundance and rode the ski lift. I was a little nervous about trying to keep my little movers still for 45 minutes, especially as we got closer and closer to their nap time, but eventually they fell asleep in our arms.

The views from the top of the mountains were amazing. I couldn't imagine anything more beautiful.

If we lived closer to family, I'd bet these 2 would become the best buds in the world. Logan loved getting attention from Spencer.

At Meili's birthday party, Logan had a whole piece of chocolate ice cream cake. He probably could have eaten more, too, if I had let him.

Taylor was very intrigued by Charlie at first. But then he became totally okay stealing toys from him.

Surprisingly he was okay sharing food with him, though. And if you know Taylor, he does not share easily.

Sundays are the perfect day to go to the park. Taylor was on a hunt the whole afternoon, trying to pick up and eat anything he could find.

And Logan was, too, especially with wood chips. They must be pretty tasty, at least that's what it looks like from his smile in this picture.

Logan and Taylor sometimes had a hard time napping and sleeping at grandpa and grandma's house, so occasionally we went out for a ride in the car to get them to sleep. That day we drove by Provo Lake and stopped for a minute to get a picture.

While we were staying at Billy's brother's house, we went to Antelope Island where we got to see the Great Salt Lake.

Billy was the only one adventurous (or crazy) enough to actually walk into the Great Salt Lake, filled with these bugs that move in waves everytime someone walks close to them. Gross!

Maybe one of these days we'll invest into one of these. Taylor loved being pushed around the house.

Logan also really got into it, especially after he saw Meili riding it super fast all over the house.

Just for fun, here's a picture of Logan eating pasta and meatballs.

Taylor is a little cleaner because most of the food ended up on his lap, in his chair, and on the ground... not in his mouth.

Other highlights without pictures:

• We actually got to Utah a whole day earlier than we had expected. We drove through the night as well as through naps.
• We picked fruits and veggies in grandma's garden (apricots, peaches, apples, green beans, yellow squash,...)
• Billy took the boards! Then he was finally able to relax and spend some time playing with us.
• Billy and I went tubing but only made it 100 yards before our tube popped underneath a bridge.
• Billy, who was holding Taylor, tripped on a coffee table that was blocking off the stairs. Billy dislocated his shoulder, but Taylor was fine.
• Billy, who was holding Logan in his carseat, tripped down the stairs. He hurt his back really bad and had to go to the ER, but Logan was fine.
• The boards, the tube, and the fall ALL happened the SAME day. Bad day for Billy. Hopefully that's not a reflection of how well he did on the boards.
• The last night in Utah, after the boys got to sleep (all 3 of them), I layed in the hot tub. It was so nice and relaxing...!!!

Logan. Taylorsville. Ogden?

While we were staying in Provo, our little family ran into an old friend of Billy's.

Friend: What are your kids' names?
Billy: Logan and Taylor.
Friend: Ha! Are you naming your kids after cities in Utah? Logan. Taylorsville. What's next? Ogden?
Billy: Haha! No, it was a coincidence.

For a few days, we completely forgot about the conversation, but as we were driving to Layton, it came up again.

Billy: Hey, look, we're driving through Taylorsville.
Me: I didn't even know there was a city named Taylorsville until your friend mentioned it.
Billy: Yeah, there is. Hey, do you remember when he said we could name our next boy Odgen?
Me: Yeah, I actually really like it. When he said it, I kinda laughed because I knew he was totally joking, but I wouldn't mind naming our next boy Ogden.
Billy: Really? I thought the same thing, but I wasn't sure you'd like it.
Me: Then let's keep with our tradition of naming our boys after cities in Utah.

Looks like the next boy we have will be named Odgen. Thanks Billy's friend for the suggestion.

Logan & Taylor are 13 months!

This month has flown by really fast. It is hard to believe that 1 month ago, Logan and Taylor turned 1 year old. Before we know it, they will be driving off to college… I wish I could freeze time to this moment because I love this stage so much. The boys are so playful, fun, curious, and cuddly.

This month, Logan:
- got his 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th teeth
- said “ball”
- Got caught playing in toilet water at his cousins’ house
- had his first dental check-up (and hated it)
- pooped in the bath tub (with Taylor in it)
- Slept through most of our 17 hour-drive to Utah
- Met four more cousins, the only ones he hadn’t met yet
- Helped to pick fruit and veggies in grandma’s garden
- Crawled on the trampoline
- Saw horses for the first time
- Got on the ski lift to admire the views of Sundance and its surroundings
- Saw Provo Lake and the Great Salt Lake
- Did a great job during our 1 then 2 hour-flights
- Said goodbye to daddy for 2 months
- Sat in his new convertible car seat
- Loves to walk and run while you hold his hands
- Started watching Baby Einstein, and loves it
- Could never get sick of climbing up stairs or furniture
- Loves taking baths or going to the pool
- Could push his ride-on all day
- Loves watching other kids play
- Hugs and cuddles when he gets tired, and sometimes just because
- Loves dogs and other pets
- Eats just about anything, especially if one of us is eating it

This month, Taylor:
- got his 8th tooth
- ate rice from chopsticks, roasted chicken, potatoes, and pasta
- had his first dental check-up
- Slept through most of our 17 hour-drive to Utah
- Met four more cousins, the only ones he hadn’t met yet
- Helped to pick fruit and veggies in grandma’s garden
- Crawled on the trampoline
- Saw horses for the first time
- Got on the ski lift to admire the views of Sundance and its surroundings
- Saw Provo Lake and the Great Salt Lake
- Did a great job during our 1 then 2 hour-flights
- Said goodbye to daddy for 2 months
- Sat in his new convertible car seat
- Loves to walk while you hold his hands
- Started watching Baby Einstein, and loves it
- Could never get sick of climbing up stairs or furniture
- Loves taking baths or going to the pool
- Could push his ride-on all day
- Loves watching other kids play
- Kisses a lot (and sometimes bites)
- Loves dogs and other pets
- Is becoming a better eater (better late than never)