Canada Part I

Kids

This is what happens at my house when I leave Jace alone with Nixon for more than 5 seconds. This is what Jace has been doing while I have been working on getting my blog updated. Such a nice big brother. He even got it up Nixon's nose. I would love to know what Nixon was thinking.

Canada, Eh?

Brock and the kids and I just got back from Whistler, British Columbia in Canada. We left a week ago Saturday, and got back this past Saturday night. It was our Sanders Family vacation and we had a really good time.

We flew to Seattle with Justin, Maria, and Julia and met up with Grandpa Sanders, my mom and dad, Dane, Annie, and their girls. Justin, Maria, and Julia stayed in Seattle for the night to go to the Brandee Carlisle concert while the rest of us made the drive to Whistler. Its a town kind of like Park City with cute shops all around, lakes, mountains, trees, and rivers. In fact, the 2010 olympics will be held in Vancouver, with a bunch of the events to be held in Whistler, just like when they were here and we used Park City for a lot of the venues. Anyway, it was sunny on Saturday and Sunday so we took advantage and went swimming at the hotel.

Monday through Wednesday was cold and rainy most of the days, but we still managed to have a good time. Luckily the Olympics were on, so we watched them, played card games, and went to yummy restaurants around the village.

Monday we went to a fun lake with a little sandy beach area, volleyball courts, and a big grass area. Again, it was cold, but Brock and Justin didn't mind. They went ahead and jumped in. They must have been excited from the olympics because they each thought they were as fast as Michael Phelps and decided to have a race. Justin won by about a hundreth of a second!

The kids played in the sand, and some of us played with some little plastic rackets seeing who could hit it back and forth the longest. Julia and I lost, even with our record of 5! Justin and Brock got something in the 20s. (these are the games we play when its too cold to get in the water!)

Tuesday Mom, Dad, Justin, and Brock went golfing. The weather cooperated just enough for them to golf. It had rained a little that morning, but stayed dry while they golfed. Brock came home a little upset at his game. It was a beautiful course (so they say) and even though he did win, he was disappointed.

Wednesday we did something called Hydro Bronc. Unfortunately we have no pictures of the contraptions we floated down the river in, and its kind of hard to explain, but we each got in these huge floating "hamster cages" and floated down a rapid river for about a kilometer. (everything in Canada is measured in kilometers) It was really cold slipping into the already wet wet suits, but then once we were in the water I had totally forgotten about that. It was so much fun! Click here to see a picture http://www.whistlerriverball.com/

Thursday mom, dad, Justin, and Brock went golfing again. This time the weather was much better, and Brock played much better. He was 12 strokes better than Tuesday, which made him extremely happy.

Friday it was a beautiful day. We spent the morning in the pool. Jace has become quite the swimmer. We bought him some arm floaties and he loved them! He loved being able to swim by himself. He would jump in and go under the water and just love it. He never wanted to leave. Then we all headed out to go BUNGEE JUMPING! It was so awesome! Justin, Maria, Julia and I all jumped. Brock is a little afraid of heights (okay, a lot) and my grandpa and parents were way to afraid! Annie is pregnant so they didn't jump. We were on a bridge 160 feet from a raging river below. Maria almost didn't go. They had to count down from 5 like 4 times before she finally decided she could do it. Everyone on the bridge was counting! Then it was Justin's turn, and he didn't even want a countdown. As soon as they opened the gate he said, "Am I good to go?" They said yes and he walked right off. Then Julia went. They counted her down and she paused for a couple of seconds and then jumped. Then it was my turn. I decided to jump backwards. They counted me down and I jumped! I screamed for a couple of seconds, and then I couldn't even make a noise again until I bounced at the bottom. I just kept thinking holy crap, I'm still falling, I'm still falling, I'm still falling! It was seriously so much fun. I love stuff like that.

Saturday we got up and packed and made the 5 hour drive back to Seattle. Brock was stressing out so bad because we had to wait an hour and a half to get through customs back into the U.S. By the time we got through, it was 2:00 and we had a 2 hour drive to Seattle from there and our flight was at 5:00. We still had to get gas, return our rental car, and check our bags. We rolled into the car rental place at 4:10, and now he was really freaking out. When we got to the airport we hurried to check our bags and then saw Justin, Maria, and Julia coming in. The gate agent said they only had three minutes to get checked in before the computer wouldn't allow it. They hurried and made it. Then we had to get through security and down about 6 different hallways carrying two carseats, two kids, a diaper bag and Brock's laptop bag. Thanks to Justin, Maria and Julia for helping out with that. We walked on the plane just in time, and Brock had practically no fingernails left! We both sat down and let our breath out! It was crazy. Anyway, we made it home, and look forward to our trip to Disneyland in October!

What Do You Think...

My cousin Michelle Ross wrote this on her blog. I always love reading what she has to say. Some of you may remember her, she went to Jordan our Junior year. Anyway, you should check out her blog some time for some interesting reads - mostly just her thoughts - but they always get me thinking. I just wanted to hear all of your thoughts on this subject. I shared some of my thoughts with her, and will again on my blog if I ever get time.

marriage - the anti-consumer mindset
Last night I wondered...why do people ever get married? Statistics show that satisfaction in marriage drops drastically after the first year and continues to drop...forever...Why would anyone wish such unhappiness upon themselves I ask?In speaking with some of my classmates today about this very topic, one mentioned that marriage goes against everything we are taught in our consumer society. We are brainwashed to think that there is always something better to come. This year our ipods are the "it" thing but next year it will be completely different and we will inevitably be unsatisfied with our current novelty. We are bombarded with messages that make us feel that what we have isn't good enough. Our phone is considered old a few months after we get it. Our computer software is suddenly incompatible with something 6 months down the road. Our car is a year old and doesn't shine the way it used to. Our clothes aren't in fashion 3 months after we buy them. The list goes on and on, but the message is clear: change is needed for satisfaction and happiness. Maybe that's why so many people are unhappy in marriage. Things were so great at first but then you realize after a short time that you are with the same person and expected to still be satisfied? When we are taught to want something better and newer and fresher? It goes against everything we have experienced in life. That is why marriage is the anti-consumer mindset. You have to learn to be satisfied with what you have. Is it possible I wonder? I just see so many unhappy marriages. So many disillusioned couples. So many people who don't know how to connect anymore with the person they once trusted the most. Being a hopeless romantic I want to believe what a religion professor at BYU once told me: that marriage is a miracle. I want to believe that it doesn't have to follow the consumer culture we are wrapped up in.

Bee Haircut!

Okay, so as you can see, Jace desperately needed a haircut. He calls it a bee haircut because of the way the clippers make a buzzing sound like a bee. Smart kid, I know. We decided to bring back the mohawk for a little while before we shave off the entire thing. Cute isn't it?

24th of July Parade and the Cabin

24th of July Parade and The Cabin

We went to the Bountitul Parade on the 23rd and had lots of fun. We always have pizza and all the parade candy we can handle. We then went to Brock's mom's friend's house to watch the fireworks from her backyard. They have a sno cone maker and Jace loved his green "pine cone". We have done all of this every year since Brock and I met, and it is becoming an even more fun tradition with our kids. We then headed up to Brock's grandparent's cabin for the weekend. We hiked, and played in the water, did puzzles (okay, so I did puzzles, no one else did), watched movies, and ate yummy food. Thanks to all involved. Also, another apology for Nixon waking up at night.

Thank You!

Thank you so much for all of your good advice. I think I made it through the worst part. I have really enjoyed the switch. I know that is probably weird to say, but he's only waking up twice now instead of 4 or 5 times, and Brock can help me, which is really nice. He has really enjoyed being able to feed him. Its nice to know that I can leave him with a babysitter for more than two or three hours at a time too. Thanks again everyone!

HELP!! I need some advice from mothers...

...who thought it would be a good idea to quit breast feeding cold turkey. I think I may die! I decided yesterday that I am not making enough milk for little Nixon sleep more than 2 hours at a time, so yesterday I fed him at 8:00 am, and called it quits. He refused to take a bottle until about 4:30 yesterday afternoon, only after I pumped and gave him breast milk from the bottle. He then didn't eat again until about 10:00 PM when he did drink formula (out of sheer starvation). Brock gave him a nice blessing to help his little body with the transition, and he has been drinking the bottle with no fussing ever since. He only woke up twice last night! Yahoo!
My problem, however, and what I need your advice about, is what do I do about this horrible pain I am in?!!! Even though Nixon and Jace slept well last night, I was up so many times thinking I may pass out, and that I may explode. I am afraid to breast feed again or even pump, because I want Nixon to get used to formula, but how long does this last, and is there some medication I can take that won't compromise my ability to raise two little boys? I called Nixon's pediatrician, and she said that going cold turkey was the best way to go. What do you think? Please help!

My Boys Are Growing Up So Fast!

We gave Nixon rice cereal for the first time about a week ago. I know, I know, they recommend waiting until he's six months, but my doctor said to go ahead and try since he's so small. He probably didn't get more than one or two spoonfuls down since he kept spitting it out, but he's getting better every day, and last night he finished his whole bowl! (It was only about a tablespoon's worth, but I was still happy about it!)

And I couldn't be more proud of my big boy Jace. He'll be three in October and I decided it was time to start the dreaded POTTY TRAINING. I was so nervous because everyone I talked to said that boys are so hard, and to plan on at least weeks, if not months of cleaning up after his mistakes. I guess I lucked out though. Brock and I started our potty training weekend on Saturyday, and he has only had about 4 mistakes since then, and none of them were poopy ones! He has really taken to it and is doing so well. He goes without needing to be reminded most of the time, and even went poop when no one was supervising! He just walked in and did everything on his own. I have never done this before, but everyone keeps telling me how lucky I am.

And lastly, we also moved Jace from his crib to a big boy bed in his new room. I know, its probably a little late, but he is doing really well with this too. He wasn't too thrilled about it, but once he falls asleep, he stays in there all night. Hopefully this will continue, because I do not want him in our bed, EVER!

My boys are growing up, and while it makes me really happy and excited, I have also been a little bit sad. It's strange not to have to pack diapers for Jace anymore, but I love it!

4th of July Weekend

Fourth of July Festivities

Our weekend started Thursday night. We went to Eaglewood Golf Course to have dinner, play some catch, and watch fireworks. Jace was so excited all night. He kept saying, "It's getting darker, here come the fireworks!" Then of course, once they started he got a little scared at the warning, but was fine once he found us and laid down. Friday we slept right through the Parade we were going to go to, but went swimming that afternoon to make up for it. Jace had a lot of fun with Aunt Ju Ju. We had a BBQ with Brock's family that night, and had our own little firework show in the street. Jace covered his ears the whole time. Saturday was our ward breakfast and parade, and since Brock and I are on the activities committee, we had to be there early to help set up. It was a big success, and the water activities afterwards were a lot of fun. The kids (and men) in the ward took turns shooting basketballs to try to dunk whomever was lucky enough to get dunked. Brock took his turn and Jace made his shot to dunk him. It was really fun. Then, my family always goes camping over the 4th, and since we decided not to have Nixon wake everybody up during the night, we just went up for dinner and games. Overall, we had a great weekend. I love the 4th of July.

Nixon is 4 months old!

Nixon turned 4 months on the 28th, and I took him in for his well check-up this last week. He weighed in at a whopping 12 lbs, 6 oz. (not even double his birth weight!) which was the 10th %. He is 24 and 1/4 inches long, 30th %, and his head was only in the 5th %! We have such a tiny guy! He is healthy and happy, and doing well. We love this little guy!

Jace's New Favorite Thing to Do

Jace has figured out how to open the refrigerator and he does it about a million times a day. He comes to me all day long with new fun things to eat and drink. Usually a can of Fresca or Diet Coke, or the occasional jar of pickles. He is so funny. He opens it up, looks around saying, "Hmmm", climbs up inside, and then comes over with something he NEEDS to eat. That's another thing. He doesn't just WANT anything anymore, he NEEDS everything. It is essential that he has it, or he may die. Opening the fridge is the first thing he does in the morning, the first thing he does when we come home from anywhere, and the last thing he does before we say "No Jace, its too late. Close the fridge." He is usually nice enough to bring two of whatever he finds so that I can have one too. But I quickly figured out that this is just because he needs his own and doesn't want to share. He also needs the whole bag of whatever he is eating. A few crackers and chips is not good enough. "I need the whole bag!" Or, "I need twenty." We love our Jace.

Summer Fun

The View from Las Vegas

What a Blast!

I just rolled in after a short trip to Vegas, and a long drive back. Tuesday morning around 9:00, Nixon and I left to go pick up my dad. We got his stuff and left to go pick up Jenn Phillips. We gassed up the car and headed out to St. George around 10:00. We arrived after a very easy trip (thank you Jenn for sitting in the back with Nixon and keeping him company!) and chatted with Nolan and Treo, and got to see their sweet 9 day old Jaylee. We went to the Pizza Factory (a must in St. George right?) for dinner and then headed out around 7:30 to make the rest of the drive to Las Vegas. We checked in to the hotel and then my dad went to the airport to pick up Julia and her friend Paige. We pretty much just went to bed that night.
Wednesday morning was the day of the show and we were to be at Caesar's Palace by 6:30 AM, but it was first come first serve so we decided to leave at 5:00 AM. When we got there we were kind of nervous because there were so many people already there. We were hoping we would make it in. We ended up being about 200 out of 375 people they let in, and we felt so bad for the 150 or so people that didn't get in. Especially the next people in line, suckers. Anyway, we were walking in, just following the people in front of us, when someone who worked for the show asked me how many people in my group. I told her four, and she said, "Follow me." When she started walking us to the front of the whole audience we started getting excited. She said, "We want you four to be in the shot when Jessica Simpson is singing. Inside I was like WOO HOO! But I acted cool, like, oh, of course you do. We took our seats in the VIP area, but unfortunately they only had 3 seats together and one alone. Paige generously took the seat 3 rows from the front in the center aisle, while the 3 of us sat a few rows behind her. Julia was a little upset because there was a huge camera set up right in front of her, she thought, this is going to be bad. Then, the camera man stood up right in front of her, and only made it worse. Luckily, after the first segment he completely moved out of her way. Just in time for Jessica to come out. It was so fun to see all of them in person. Then, after they talked to her, they went to commercial and moved us to the front and center while she sang. We never saw a camera get us, but it was so awesome to be 5 feet from her while she sang her new country song "Come on Over"which is what you're hearing right now. Then we got to see a little piece from "O" one of the shows there, and then Rita Rudner, a comedian with a show in Vegas. It was so much fun. Then, after the show, a bunch of ladies came up to me and said, "Okay, what are you, Jessica's sister, her cousin?" I told them neither, and they were shocked. They thought I looked a lot like her, and they figured that that was why we were getting such good treatment! It was awesome.
We went back to our hotel, where Nixon had finally fallen asleep after refusing to take the bottle and giving my poor dad a hard time. I felt so bad. We got to see the show on TV, and all we ever saw was the back of ourselves. Oh well, it was so much fun. Then we went to the pool for about an hour, and decided it was just too hot to even do that. I am so glad I don't live there. We went back, showered, and were going to go shopping, but fell asleep. Remember, we had been up since 4 AM! We met up with my cousin Candice, who is going to dental school there, and went to the Cheesecake Factory. I know, I know, we have one now, but I still love it. We were going to stay and go shopping at Fashion Show Mall, but again, we were all sooooo tired. We just headed back and went to bed. Then all the girls had to get up early again to leave by 6 to get to the airport while Nixon and I slept in. My dad and I headed out at about 10:00 and went to St. George again to see the kids. We went to lunch with Nolan and then headed home.
I just need to take a second to tell all of you what an amazing dad I have. He dropped everything (and for a retired person, there was a lot to drop!) and drove out with me just so I could have a babysitter while I was at the show. I am so lucky to have such a great dad. I am sure Nixon wasn't too much fun, since he wouldn't take the bottle, and what guy wants to go to Vegas on a girl's trip, and listen to us for 3 days straight?! Thank you so much dad. I love you more than you know.

I'm going to the View in Las Vegas!

Okay, so I am going to Vegas tomorrow because I got tickets to The View in Las Vegas for Wednesday. I am so excited! So everybody watch at 11:00 on Wednesday, Jessica Simpson is on so it should be good, and try to find me, Jenn Phillips, my sister Julia, and her friend Paige. Woo Hoo!

2 for $20 at Raging Waters

Everyone needs to come to Raging waters tomorrow, the 20th. Its half off on the 20th of every month. It'll be fun!

Jaylee Joy Sanders 06/15/2008