Happy birthday, mama

Sometimes, but usually only on her birthday, I think about how lucky I am to have had my mom in my life as long as I have. Her mom passed away when I was only about 10, not too much older than my mom is now, and back then since grandma Adelina lived in chile and didn't have a cell phone, they only spoke at most once a week and saw each other every few years.

I can't remember the last time more than 48 hours has passed without some sort of contact with my mom. I talk to her on the phone almost daily. The crazy days that I may not get around to talking to her and we end up playing phone tag she can check my Instagram or blog for updates. She lives 20 minutes away from me, so we see each other at least once a week.

She truly looks more beautiful with each coming year and I can only pray I inherit her gorgeous skin that seems to get better with age.

My mom spoils those around her with crazy amounts of clothing and toys and gifts but most importantly, love. I can honestly say I have never in my life felt for even a second she did not love me. She radiates Christlike love and has been essential (along with my dad of course) in the growth of my testimony and building me into the woman I am today.

I hope I say it enough. I love you mom! (And yes, dad, I am sending you that lovely picture of mom as soon as I publish this!)

oh Keely.

Ten years ago this month I met Keely Song Shaffer. She lived across the hall from me in the freshman dorms and since my roommate was a complete Russian Psycopath, I met her and Amy and immediately connected with them and made their room into my second home until RS finally moved out and Jasmine moved in. And even then I still spent way more than my fair share sleeping on the floor of their room in between the two beds. She was spunky, super into creating music and dancing and had the most contagious personality. I knew immediately upon meeting her that we would be best friends.

I say that Drew is my best friend, and that is true. BUT Keely was my best friend a full year before I met Drew, or any boy in Utah, my best friend who wrote songs on her guitar with me about being all alone on a Friday night in our dorm room and wistfully imagining our lives with boys (but to be honest that part without boys lasted all of maybe two weeks). Sneaking glances every five minutes out our windows into the windows of the dorm W-hall, which happened to be the only set of dorms (ours and theirs) in which there was a dorm of boys with windows facing a dorm of girls. Which made for a lot of poster-sized note writing, prank phone calls (back when cell phones weren't quite a big deal yet), flirting, drama and so many tears shed over names that no longer matter. But much like my first year with Drew, my first year with Keely (and Amy and Jasmine and Andrea and Katie) as a freshman at BYU was one that I would love to live over and over again. It was idyllic even with the drama that accompanied, because I happened into some seriously solid friends that I am not sure too many people could ever live up to.

Before I met Keely I thought mashed potatoes came in a box in powdered flakes. Then we went to her family's house in Idaho for thanksgiving and I made my very first batch of REAL mashed potatoes and couldn't believe what I had been missing for 19 years of my life. And today I made a batch of mashed potatoes and thought about Keely and what our friendship had evolved into over the last TEN years and the emotions surging through me were like ones I had not felt in a really really long time. So there I was, crying over some mashed potatoes tonight.

Remembering all these good times we have had. Meeting our husbands in the same ward. Falling in love in 2005 at the same time and getting engaged and married in 2006 within months of each other. She graduated early and left BYU for grad school in in the Midwest, her husband happened to apply at Ohio State for Dental school and wouldn't that be a funny coincidence and he got the spot. The moved within 20 minutes of my parent's house and wouldn't it be great to be able to see them when we came into town to see my family?

In 2009, I called her to tell her I was pregnant and six weeks later she called to confirm she was too. Our babies met for the first time in Utah, January 2011.

By August 2011 we had moved in with my parents in Ohio and much to my delight we had so many playdates, even though my dear sweet little d could never stop hitting her poor boy.

In April 2012, we moved out to Massachusetts, but I didn't cry because I knew there would still be playdates when I came to visit family in Ohio and she would still be there because dental school lasts forever, right?

We welcomed second babies within three months of each other in early 2013.

Aside from my parents, the first person I called to tell we were going to move to Ohio November 2013 was Keely. Our oldest boys had learned to absolutely love each other and even skyped on occasion. They looked forward to playdates and little d was thrilled that we would be able to see L anytime we wanted to when we moved to Ohio.

2014 has been perfect. It was harder in the winter but so wonderful to have someone to get together with before I knew anyone else in my area. We got together every other week or two, and once summer came it became more frequent. A week does not go by that we do not talk or see each other.

2015 will be a different story. Probably the hardest year of my life, and as much as I am trying to brace myself for it now, I know that nothing can prepare me for it. Keely's husband will graduate dental school. They will move someplace, anyplace that is not within a 30 minute drive of me. And I probably won't know when I will see her again. And that is hard. Really hard. She's due with her third baby the week of my birthday, and I am no fool when it comes to balancing friendships with multiple children. One kid was a piece of cake, two made it more difficult but manageable, but by three, your friendships are based on convenience and I will no longer be convenient after next year (unless Drew gets a sudden job change and we happen to move to the same town as they do, but I'm not holding my breath).

It was Keely, after all, that helped shape who I became as a girl entering her 20's. And now, as I look into what the last year of that decade will be like, I will be without Keely by my side entering my 30's and that scares me a little. I depend on her so much. She has been my greatest confidant, a friend I could talk to about anything and I know she would never judge me for it. She gives the best advice. She helps balance me and keeps me feeling calm when I feel like everything is going wrong. A really good girlfriend is hard to find. And I guess what I am saying is I am really grateful I have a loving Heavenly Father who put Keely in my path at such an important stage in my life and learning experience and helped shape me into the kind of person I am today.

I will enjoy the next year, with all of the playdates we can muster, as long as it lasts. And when she does leave, I can't promise I won't cry. Because duh, I will. But I can promise that there will be some happy tears. Because I know that when I let her go she will move on to bless the lives of other people. I know we will keep in contact, because with children so close in age and husbands who have known each other as long as we have, it's inevitable, and for that I am so, so grateful.

I have long stopped snapping photos each time we have had a playdate. I try to remember, but sometimes I just want to soak up every last moment and I do. And watching our boy run around the zoo, or in the backyard, hand in hand, I really couldn't ask for too much more.

Oh, Keely and her adorable family. Me love you long time :)
Best Friends For Ever.

Keeping a one year old happy on a plane is no easy task. Counting my blessings I don't have to worry about it again for a long while.

Mowing lawns

Confession: I have mowed approximately three lawns in my lifer counting today. My first experience I had to beg my dad to let me mow our backyard as a teenager, and it took me well over an hour and I ran out of gas and if I remember correctly he ended up finishing the front yard since I only got to the backyard. Our yard is not large. The second time was at like 9 months pregnant when is was trying to go into labor, I used our push mower while drew was out of town for the day and, well, A was still two days late and I did a serious hack job on our lawn.

Now that we have lived here in ohio over 8 months, and our usual lawn boy (Drew) was out of town, I decided to take the leap. To be honest I was terrified but then I remembered why we got the lawn mower we chose... Ease of start up and use. I asked drew before he left how long it took him to mow usually, and he said 45 minutes. For the record it took me 50. 50 minutes of being in awe of my husband for doing this every week (I would much rather tote both kids in my trailer, uphill, riding my bike, which I did earlier that day), and thinking about how much I want both of my kids to learn to mow the lawn. I grew up wonderfully and love the way my parents raised me BUT I did grow up thinking that only boys did things like mowing lawns and taking out trash, and girls cook and clean. There's nothing wrong with that, but I do want to make sure that my son can cook. And bake. And paint and clean and  craft. And my daughter will take her turn in mowing the lawn. And taking out the trash. Maybe play on a baseball team with her brother. And maybe, if I ever manage to learn myself, I could teach her to drive her dads stick shift car. Ok, maybe not the last one, but all the rest holds true. Equal opportunities for both genders in our family. Except no nail polish or ear piercings for d. 

As for if I will allow barbies and Legos in the house, I am still leaning towards no for both parties. Too many small pieces to step on. :)

They've already tracked a couple hundred miles, so I guess a little green is a good finishing touch before retirement ....

Our first of many tball weekends

D had his very first tball game Saturday!

Drew made an awesome coach and ow as worried that the lack of scoring and overall competition would mean both guys would dislike it, but I was wrong.

First at bat

It's a single!

The coaches parents and kids were all good sports and we even have two girls on the team... Something for little sister to aspire to?

After tball we did our favorite thing to do on a Saturday for lunch: good truck festival!!! This one happened to be in the historical village of Ohio or something. So lots of old school games and attire.

This is what happens when I use my phone for a mirror while applying mascara.... Love them!!

And headed to my parents house for dinner to celebrate Rurys birthday (who I of course got no pictures of!!) and play with the cousins.

My dad treated A to her very first caramel apple. She loved it. I have a feeling caramel apples will be a coveted commodity in our household come October...

Drew naturally thought that if his son was going to play tball, he should have his own real bat. That thing is real metal. Oh

And real tball baseballs which are basically like a real baseball. I think it's safe to say my pitching days with this boy are over. His line drives terrify me mostly because I have zero immediate reflexes.

We are all terrified, except of course the cat who also happens to be the easiest target...

And I'm getting some baby melons, yay!!! My first attempt at growing from seeds and it helps heal the hurt of the dead green beans and zucchini, and knowing that my tomatoes only have a few more weeks of fruit to bear :( already planning for next year!!!!

August Boston trip...

Or the whirlwind 5 says before preschool started. Wonderfully exhausting would be an appropriate way to describe it. If drew and I had gone alone I am sure it would be been a relaxing break to get to visit with the reunited family after the two years blake spent in Milan Italy. But add two kids into the mix and you have a steady stream of complaints, bribing, naps, crazy fun, whining, teething, diaper rashes, (the latter two from A of course) and overall craziness. But both kids slept consistently through the night and even slept in the first day, which is good considering they hadn't napped in two days but certainly not good enough to try and replicate. Maybe if there was less whining and complaining involved. Maybe.

The First night, D slept in Blake's bed since h wasn't there yet and the rest of the time he was on a "perfect" (his words not mine) air mattress. The fact that it doubled as a trampoline I am sure had nothing to do with that :)

Also of note: we did NOT dress appropriately for this trip. I thought: august in New England in a crowded house with no a/c so we brought clothes accordingly. Shockingly for us, It was downright "autumn chilly" most days!

But she still rocks that halter. And Cassie's phone. Oh, and her purse...

D finally got to see his beloved tmnt movie with everyone minus A.

It was "PERFECT!" (What else would it be???)

Family game night.

Day Trip into little Italy section of Boston.

Hanging out with uncle blake. Taking notes for how to grow tall...

That works :) d shouldering the weight of Brady and Blake.

Love these people 

The things you find when you have kids...

Secret playground near the Paul revere statue! We have been to that area a zillion times and I have never noticed it.

The best!

And the ride home...

Always sleeping like a lady, ankles crosses and everyhing.

It should be noted that most family activities the grown up attempt to talk and hang out and our kids demand 24-7 attention, meaning "don't you date try to have a grown up conversation". Lucky us the dowlings have the BEST next door neighbors, can say that because the Wilson's live across the street ;), who adore and care for my kids like they are one of the Kehoe clan. Spear headed by d's girlfriend Lauren, whom he hung out and had meals with more than with our own family. 

She's amazing. And the rest of her family follows suit, feeding, playing with, biking with, cleaning said bike, entertaining, loving on, etc. then the weekend capped off with Blake's homecoming talk which he did amazing at. How did he get so mature?

Cassie helped D nap so he was well behaved (being asleep definitely falls into that good behavior category in my book), and uncle Cory's endless supply of iPhone cases should probably be added to A's list of "things we should keep in the car to keep her from screaming all the time." 

Saying goodbye is the worst, especially when you don't know/have planned when you'll see friends and family again.

Lauren did get D the same sweatshirt from the cape that she's wearing here. We left on Judy's birthday (Lauren's mom), and the saddest thing was not getting to say goodbye to the rest of the family. :(

But we did get lots of love from Lauren and Murphy.

Bffs

Oh how we love that Murphy boy.

Headed home and that new tmnt backpack survived initiation and made it through Boston to the first day of preschool :)

Oh we love that dog.

And again, pooped out before we got on the plane.

Meaning both plan rides were with a very antsy and wide awake 16 month old. Who we almost had to pay for her to have a ticket because southwest makes you show birth certificates and the ONE TIME I fly without them they say I will have to show it and I had to have the pediatrician fax over her shots record... WHO WOULD EVER VOLUNTARILY HAVE A LAP CHILD OVER 2?! That's my question. Anyone over about 6 months traveling with me is a stress induced flight with a side of NEED CHOCOLATE IMMEDIATELY and I cannot stress how much I dislike flying with children before they can sit and watch a movie. So in conclusion, D is a dream to travel with, and his crazy sister is a travel monster (and I say that with the most amount of love I can muster, grateful we are done traveling via plane for the remainder of 2014). Gorgeous but dangerous is her MO, but I promised her that if we came out of that trip alive, I would buy her some new adorable clothes. She must be carerra because any good carerra will do anything for a shopping spree.

We almost didn't make though...

Whomp whommmmmmp.