It's a....

GIRL!!

How thrilled and surprised we are!  We cannot wait to meet her.  The boys got to come to the ultrasound with us and were so well behaved.  They loved watching the screen and hearing the heartbeat.  They had a million questions and loved learning the answers.  Shortstop was not at all shocked it was a girl and has been saying it since day one.  Mark thought it was a boy until a few days before the ultrasound.  I however was shocked!  I really thought it was another boy.  We went shopping for girl stuff to announce the gender and the boys loved that too.  

One thing I have to record it what Shortstop said before I found out I was pregnant.  He was playing in the living room and looked up and said "Where did she go?"  I asked who and he answered "My baby sister...she was just here."  Then shrugged his shoulders and went back to playing.  In fact, that is the reason I took a pregnancy test.  So he knew from a while ago that it was a girl and he did not back down from that knowledge.

First day of Kindergarten

The first day of kindergarten for my little Shortstop was August 19.  I have been dreading this day since before he was born.  Don't get me wrong, I am all about education and school and kids learning new things but he is my first and it just broke my heart to think of him having to deal with the world more and what if kids didn't play with him?  and all the other what ifs that dance in my head.  But he was so ready and so excited so I tried very hard not to rain on his parade.  

Two night before school, we did a caveman dinner.  This will be our back to school dinner tradition as it went over so well and the boys had a blast.  It is something Mark's mom did and he loved it so I figured why not.  We ate spaghetti and garlic bread with our hands then shared some cake...again with our hands.  It took them a minute to realize it was ok to get messy but once they embraced it, we had a great evening.  Mark gave him a father's back to school blessing which  was super special for all of us.  Mark commented on how crazy it was he was the father in that scenario.

The night before school Mark took Fullback to some BYU thing and Shortstop and I spent the evening together.  It was quiet as we got out his school clothes and made sure his backpack was ready.  He went to bed a little nervous and asked if I could stay with him at school.  We had a good talk about growing up and what school could be like and he felt better.  I checked on him about 100 times as he slept just marveling at how old and big he is now.

 Look how cute!  He goes to Lakeview academy and has Ms. Dalebout as his teacher with Ms. Allred as the teacher's aid.  His uniform colors are white, navy, khaki, light blue and pink

 Luke was not thrilled to have to say goodbye. The first day we all went to drop him off but every morning since then Mark takes him on his way to work and I pick him up.  It is half day school.

 I think Mark was even more sad than me

 Hanging up his backpack

 Getting straight to work.  He was comfortable and brave and was fine with us leaving.  He hugged and kissed me and then returned focus to his worksheet.  I cried...a lot...but he couldn't tell cause I kept my sunglasses on.

 Picking him up at 11:00 was so wonderful.  I literally got butterflies as I watched him walk out on the sidewalk.  He got in and talked a mile a minute about everything that happened.  It was so fun to listen to Fullback ask him questions and hear Shortstop answer,  and of course I had warm chocolate chip cookies waiting for him.

A few hours later he had a bit of a meltdown.  Emotions and fatigue set in and he went to bed around 6:00.  We have worked out the kinks since then and things seem to be running smoothly.  I am still nervous for him each day but love waking him up, making him breakfast and visiting with him in the quiet hours of the morning.  Our mornings are peaceful and enjoyable.  We talk, get ready. say family prayer,and then he and Mark take off as Luke and I wave from the door.  It is not a bad way to start the day.

Mark gets into racing!

Mark turned the big 3-0 this year and while getting older has never bothered him or affected him, he did take a moment to pause and realize "Hey...I'm getting older.  This is not my favorite thing..."

So he decided to get in shape and sign up for some races.  And he has really enjoyed it!  In March he did the Rex Lee 5k at BYU.  The boys and I were able to be at the finish line cheering him on.  They thought it was pretty cool to see him run at their favorite place in the world.

June brought a 5k dirty dash at Soldier Hollow in Midway... but when he was running he kept going and did the 10k.  I was so impressed!!  He did this one by himself and although he liked being able to do his own thing, next time he wants to do a dirty dash with someone.  And without us there cheering him on, I only got two pictures...a before and an after.

And then all of his training and working out lead him to....the Spartan Race.  It was about 9 miles (a lot of it hiking) and 29 military grade obstacles.  He did it with two brothers-in-law (Matt and Tyler) and two buddies (Dan and Evan).  They had a great day of camaraderie, feeling manly and just being proud to finish the dang thing!  Alicia was able to go and be the token wife who takes pictures which I was grateful for.  I so wish I could have gone but I was sick with morning sickness and didn't know what I would do with the boys the whole day.

I am so proud of how hard he has worked and how far he has come.  He is debating doing a half marathon and some more dirty dashes and I look forward to cheering him on at those too!  Great job honey!

Seattle for the 4th

When we were first married we wanted to make it a tradition to go to Seattle for the 4th of July every year.  We did really well for a few years and then three summers in a row we had something come up that made it so we could no make it to Mark's home.  So this year...we made sure of it!  I really enjoy being up there and Mark loves where he is from so very much.  Nana and Grandpa were excited to have the boys around for a week and did everything they could to make it comfortable.  We also told them our happy news of a new baby so that was fun to do in person.  We decided with this trip that we would need to do a lot of outings to keep the boys entertained and I am so glad we did.  They have a book called Larry Gets Lost in Seattle and we let Jack pick a couple of places in that book that we would make sure to go and see.  He thought that was pretty cool and I always love playing tourist wherever I go.  When we did hang out at Nana and Grandpa's they read books, played in the backyard tent, explored the basement toys, and colored.  It was a busy and somehow relaxing vacation all at once.

 Matchy matchy for the 4th

 Hanging out at Celebration park enjoying the festivities and live music

 And of course cards with Nana

 Getting ready for fireworks!  They loved them and we giggled and oooo'ed and ahhhhh'ed the whole time

 One day we went to the waterfront to the Seattle aquarium, Ivar's restaurant, drove by Pike's Place market and the Hammering man...all things on Jack's to do list

 We rarely get all four of us in a picture so I had to document it

 Mariners game!  Jack (and Mark) were sooooo excited to go.  Dad Elkington got great seats very generously and I think was a little proud to have his boy and his grandson with him.  Jack was perfect he entire game and it even went 11 innings!  Mark taught Jack how to keep score and they got new baseball hats.  Jack enjoyed warm peanuts with Grandpa and loved making friends with the people around them.  

 Boating with Nana and Grandpa to Gig Harbor

 One day Nana and Jack were talking about lighthouses and Nana showed him the one she owns.  Jack asked "How does someone get up to the light?"  Nana said there would usually be a door at the bottom.  Later, when no one was looking, Jack decided to take it upon himself to add a door...with permanent marker.  I was not very happy with him and tried to find white paint to fix it but was stopped by Nana.  She said she loved it and never wanted it to change.  His thought process was pure and innocent...his actions were not.  But if she isn't mad then I guess no harm done.

Another very important to see thing on Jack's list was the Space Needle.  He thought the elevator was the coolest part, and who can blame him.  You can see the city and it goes very fast!  The boys liked walking around the top and picking out souvenirs.  We even had a snack at the top with a great view!

The last day we were there I was super sick with a migraine and morning sickness so Nana and her three boys went to the new Minion movie and let me rest all day.  It was nice to relax before the long drive home the next day.  

We had a great time and look forward to going again.  The boys were so good on the drive and are very comfortable at Nana and Grandpa's house.  We also got to stop in at my parents house for one night so they got lots of grandparent time in one week.  They are so lucky to have 4 amazing grandparents who love them and want to be a part of their lives.  

How is he 5 years old?

Although almost impossible to believe, Jack is truly 5 years old on 5-10-15.  His birthday was super low key since we were at Disneyland the weekend before.  We drove back from California on his actual birthday which he was totally fine with.  He appreciated getting to choose the movies in the car and the special suckers we got for him from the Disneyland parks.  He even said "This is a great road trip birthday!"  We did cake and ice cream with family and presents the next day.

That is Jack in a nutshell...appreciative and conscientious of how everyone is feeling.  He always reassures me that even when he is mad or fussy, he still loves me.  He never wants anyone to be sad or hurt by his actions.  He is rambunctious and silly and loves to perform, even if he acts shy.  Lately he is all about drawing and making crafts, especially if he finds instructions on how to make something in The Friend.  When that magazine comes in the mail he absorbs every page and loves learning all about other kids and the gospel.  His testimony is astounding.  He prays all the time and tells me "Mom, I know Heavenly Father and Jesus love me. "  When I ask how he knows he answers "The way I feel and the creations I see."  Scripture time is something he looks forward to each night and loves to say "Now what do those scriptures mean?"  But more often than not he is the one trying to explain it to us.  

He loves his brother and gets annoyed with him as well.  He can't wait for the new baby to get here and has named "her" Honey or "him" Calvin (like Calvin and Hobbes).  That is bar far his favorite thing to read and he loves repeating the jokes he learns.  Books still keep him occupied more than anything else in the world.  Spending time with his dad or going to BYU are close seconds.  He is still working on learning how to ride a bike but gets super nervous to try it without training wheels.  

He cannot wait to start school in a couple of weeks but did tell me "The one thing I am sad about mom is that you won't be with me.  You promise you will pick me up every single day?"  My heart will go with him each morning and I am pretty sure I will hold my breath until he is back with me each day.  Love you so much Jack bug!  You are truly a bright light in this family and teach us so much.  Thank you for the constant hugs and kisses, the love notes and flowers you find in the yard, for holding my hand often and for still wanting me to carry you to bed sometimes.  I know those moments will be over soon so I will cherish them every single time.  You are kind and brave, thoughtful and witty, smart and humble.  These are all qualities I pray you keep always.  

 How old are you?

 Love this kid

 These boys are so handsome!!

 I kind of phoned in the cake this year.  Like I said, we got home the night before and he had said he wanted a Bolt cake...so I made the icing look like white dog hair and then just put some of the Bolt symbols on it.  Fortunately he loved it and that is all that matters!

 Since Jack was little he has gotten anxious and angry and emotional at the sound of the "Happy Birthday" song.  Sometimes he can contain it and just walks out of the room to be alone and other times it would cause a full on tantrum.  Not super fun when we would go to other kids' birthdays but he has been trying really hard to work on being ok with it.  He sat quietly while we sang to him (with his permission) and then grinned when it was over.  He gave me a thumbs up and whispered "I did it mom...I didn't cry at the song!"  I was very proud of him.

He got very spoiled this year...what with a trip to Disneyland AND presents but I love birthdays and can't help myself.  Happy birthday buddy!  Love you to the moon and back.

Disneyland

In May we took the boys to Disneyland for a full 3 days!!  We usually only stay for 2 and were so excited to have that one more day.  It made all the difference.  We were able to take the whole trip at the boys' pace and do everything we wanted and more.  They were amazing and so much fun the entire time.  This was by far the best Disneyland trip we have taken to date.  The weather was cool and sometimes rainy, which we love, and the crowds weren't too bad until the last day but we had planned for that and it didn't affect our fun!  We didn't stay on property this time which I missed but the boys didn't care.  They were just excited the hotel had bunk beds for them.  Even as I type this I am thinking "Hmmm...could we go back to Disneyland next month?"  We love it there and the day after we return we are usually planning the next trip!  True story

 All ready to go!!!!!

 These are three very cool dudes

 Jack was tall enough (and beyond brave enough) to ride every single ride but two!  And he is only 2 inches away from those.  This was him coming off the Tower of Terror.  I could not believe he went on it but he loved it!

 Poser

Just like his brother, Luke loves to read any and all maps

 Sleeping in the stroller...a common sight over the three days

 We love Cars land

 Luke wasn't so sure about this guy...

 This was a monumental moment for Jack.  Last time we came, Cars Racers said he was tall enough to ride at the front of the line, but at the height station right by the actual ride, they said he wasn't.  He was heartbroken!  So this time...we had to document that he was more than tall enough.  He and I had a great time riding it since it was both our first times.

 Anything that looks like a car grabs Luke's attention.  He loves all things truck and cars and things that go

 Family selfie on the Railroad

The Mouse that makes this all possible

Disneyland is my favorite place in the world and these two are my favorite people.  They love the magic, appreciate everything we do and get them and love to recount the rides for weeks after.  Luke fell in love with Snow White and Jack held the brave card proudly on each new ride he went on.  I love making Disney a huge part of our family and look forward to many more trips to this magical place.