Carlsbad Caverns 2010

I had a random thought a couple months ago that it would be super fun to take the whole fam to Carlsbad Caverns and White Sands during the Christmas vacay.  I haven't been since I was 12 and Ben hadn't ever been, hence the thought that it would be fun.  I was so happy when everyone else wanted to go too!!  But White Sands had to get axed because it's somehow 4 hours away from CC...We decided to all (8 of us) cram in my Expedition, thinking it'd be totally cool since the Expo is supposed to fit 8 people.  Ha.  Hahahhahaha!  It was STUFFED to the gills with people and crap and getting in and out of the back seat was a comedic exercise every time.  However, we like eachother's company, so it wasn't awful.  We went down Tuesday morning and had tickets to see Christmas on the Pecos that night, which is a river of lights type thing, on the Pecos River.  It was so cold and the kids had to wear life jackets, but it was really great too.  Devin kept trying to clap for joy, but the jacket kept getting in his way and it ended up being more of an attempt at imitating a seal, poor guy.  I love seeing how excited the kids are for everything, it just really makes things that much greater!  Kyndal has started to pose for pictures, which is adorable, and she also tells herself things to say (in place of "1,2,3 Cheese!") before the pic is taken.  That night it was "Christmas Candycanes!!"... :)  I must say a gigantic THANK YOU to my parents for taking us on this trip, the hotel was brand spanking new and I really enjoy new things (all our houses have been new, haha), so I was in heaven.  We took a lot of trips like this when I was younger and they are all really great memories, I'm so happy to be starting this same tradition with my kiddos.  They've really enriched my life and I hope to do the same for K and Dev.  I must give an honorable mention to Furrs Cafeteria for our dining experience while in Carlsbad.  For some reason 6 adults and 2 kids in a half empty restaurant is really un-appealing to those who work there and we literally got shunned.  *Don't go eat at Larez if you're in Carlsbad!!  Feel free to tell your friends too!*.  Anyway, we only had 45 minutes before we had to be on the dock for Christmas on the Pecos so Furrs it was.  ...  We ate at Furrs all during my HS soccer team years and I didn't miss it, that's for sure, so there were some good jokes going around but it wasn't that awful.  Thank you Furrs for taking people of all kinds...  Dev always has a crap night when we first get somewhere, so we were awake basically all night with him and got to hear Kyndal's nighttime antics first hand.  She for sure talks in her sleep nightly (Heidi will attest to this, they're sharing a room this trip), and Tuesday night she was yelling in her sleep too, she is so loud!  Btw it is mighty creepy to know someone is straight up talking and saying coherent things while completely asleep.  She also has gibberish conversations whilst sleeping, which are odd.  But, bad night aside, Wed morning we got up and had awesome waffles and then we were off to the Caverns.  I haven't been since I was 12, so my memory was awfully sketchy.  I did not remember that to get to the "Big Room" was an hour long walk doooowwwwnnnn into the Earth.  I'm going to take a moment and gush about how cool the Earth is:  It's really freaking fantastic, and I loved loved loved getting to marvel at it.  It's bananas how impressive rocks can be, how impressive knowing drips of water over hundreds of thousands of years can create amazing things, how fully obvious is that God is the man in charge.  Childbearing and Carlsbad Caverns, yep, they are my two major confirmations that there is a God and he knows precisely what is going on, precisely how to make all the tiny chinks come together to create a massively perfect, well, creation.  So beautiful, SO SO beautiful.  CCs is most definitely out of the way of anything and everything, but I promise you, it will be worth the trip!  Anyway:  To continue.  This is prefaced by the fact that everything was awesome and gorgeous and ridiculously cool, so insert all that before each sentence.  We walked for an hour down and into the Earth, 750 feet down and I think a mile back until we got into the Big Room.  The kids, while they rocked the trip down, were done and ready for lunch then.  We took elevators back up to the surface and ate lunch and then ventured back down for the walk around the Big Room.  It really is big, the loop trail is 1.2 miles and takes you by some ridiculous things.  We had audio tours to listen to on the trip, and Kyndal even had one especially made for kiddos narrated by Carl S. Bat (haha).  It was all the same info way watered down, so she was talking about the same things we were seeing and knew what it all was.  By the end of the trip she could recognize stalactites, stalagmites, pools, columns, popcorn and knew you need to be careful on the path and not touch anything.  She also knows all about the bats that inhabit the cave during the summer months, and now knows what bat poop smells like.  Devin did really great too, and even snuck in a nap on Nanna and Aunt Meg for an hourish during the walk around the Big Room.  He loves rocks, he gets uber excited about them, so this was a fantastic trip to take him on.  He either walked or rode on shoulders the whole way and I'm happy to report that he is a total champ.  He's such a little pal.  Just as an aside, I also adore my husband.  He just plain loves K and Dev too, he'll walk along with them for hours talking to them and showing them things and gosh almighty, he is perfection as a Dad.  My favorite mental pictures ever are seeing him walking holding their hands.  I can't stand it.  I'm now planning at least yearly trips to Natl Parks because my kids are so freaking great and love learning and seeing new things.  Kyndal kept wanting Heidi to take pictures of her next to columns or stalgmites or rocks, and she would say (in place of cheese) "Bats live in caves!!!".  She is so adorable!!  Her little prayer tonight said as follows, and I quote:  "Thankful for our big day, thankful for our fun adventure.  Thankful for stalactites, thankful for stalagmites, thankful for the pools with really clean water, thankful for the big statue that is still dripping water and still growing really really slowly.  Thankful we could listen to the bat talk about the bats and where they sleep"  This was after a 5 hour car ride and right after waking up from a 1/2 hour nap, so I think I can be fairly certain she retained a good bit of what she learned today.  My kids are just the coolest little people around, I love hanging out with them!  I love showing them the world and man oh man, we are doing more of this, that is my first New Years Resolution!!  I'll put up pictures probably in a few days, I promise I'm going to shock you all and post on our Christmas trip within the week of it happening!! 

My little dancing twinkle toes!

Kyndal started dance classes this past week!  She is SO STINKING ADORABLE.  Can't stand it.  She was so excited, the morning of she woke up and fished her leotard out of her drawer and pulled it on along with her little ballet shoes and danced around for 3 1/2 hours before we left.  She kept asking me what time it was, and checking the clock.  The pictures I got while she was in class are bad, so I'll try again this week.  But here are a couple of her just before!  I'm so excited this day has come!  My little girl is in dance classes!  Also, I'm unbelievably sad, because it means she's growing up :(

5 years...

5 years ago today, Ben's father passed away at the age of 75.  Without going into too much detail, it was relatively sudden and unexpected.  From the time Ben & I knew he was sick to the 13th of Sept, was about 8 weeks.  We'd only been married 2 years, and this was a rough thing to go through so new to "real life".  For me, Jerry was the first person that I've ever been close to that passed away.  Even though I hadn't known him for nearly as long as many other people had, I dearly dearly loved him.  I love his kindness and his generosity.  I love how much he loved his wife, children and grandchildren.  I always enjoyed, and now treasure, the times when Ben tells me stories of all he's done with his Dad.  His Dad taught him the value of hard work, and that is one of my top 3 favorite qualities Ben possesses.  I'll forever be grateful for the truly wonderful example Jerry was (and still is) for Ben. 

Among the many sad and difficult things Ben and I saw and dealt with during that time, one of my most frequent thoughts was how sad I was that we hadn't had any children yet for him to know and love on.  A year and a half later, when we had Kyndal, I realized that was not something I should mourn.  One of our most treasured moments in that hospital room as first time parents, was seeing how Kyndals mouth turns down at the corners, just like Jerry's did.  When she was sleeping, her bottom lip stuck out, just like Jerry's did.  This, I feel strongly, was a gift to us from Jerry.  Sometimes, over the past 3 1/2 years, I've gotten sad again.  How Kyndal would have loved Grandpa Wiltbank!  They would've gotten along perfectly, they are two peas in a pod.  Jerry liked making people laugh, and Kyndal lives for it.  Kyndal loves to talk talk talk, and Jerry was known for talking people's ears off.  I wish that Kyndal and Devin could feel his love here on Earth, so badly.    But then, I'm reminded that they DID know him.  And if I'm lacking in other areas, I know of a surety that he spent time with them in heaven before they were born.  I know that he watched over them there, and still watches over them on Earth.  I know that he and Kyndal were the very best of friends.  I know that seeing Ben as a father, and seeing Ben with a son of his own, makes him very proud.  I have a testimony of eternal life, because of Jerry.  Because I feel his love when I cry, and when I hurt for Ben for losing his father. 

Jerry had a strong testimony too, and a couple of weeks before he died, we got to hear it.  It was very short, but very powerful.  I'm grateful for the example Jerry was to me the short time I got to know him.  I'm grateful for the love he had for his family that still lives on today.  I'm grateful I know he loves Ben, he loves me, and he adores my children on Earth as he definitely did in Heaven. 

A Few Items of Business

Item #1:  What the what??!!  I blogged!  Ok, I was really forced into it, however, I still did it.  I have my dear friend Kara to thank for the forcing.  She uploaded all the pictures she's taken of our outtings for the last 4 months and then passed the baton to me.  Which means I can't let her down!  So what follows is every fun thing we've done with Kara, Allie and Bella over the summer (& Dev's 18 mo post).  Rest assured, we did super fun things with other people too, those posts will come as soon as I have feeling in my fingertips again.  For example, we went to Pagosa Springs, CO last week and I took 700 pictures.  So...  that'll take a while to sort through.  Anyway, thanks be to Kara!!  I love ya!!  You've got me started blogging again, Praise the Lawd!  I for real have felt terrible the last couple of months about not documenting my kids' lives.  I've compensated by taking billions of pictures, but that makes it almost harder to blog since I am literally a deer in the headlights when I try to start blogging about it all.  But I must move past my fears so that my kids realize I adore and love them.  So, great sigh of relief, I've gotten started.  That's the biggest step right?

Item #2:  I am going to go private.  My reasons are really single-fold.  I want to be able to tell details about our lives (like last names, exact whereabouts, etc).  This blog isn't for the masses and I really just want it to be as personal and detailed as I can have it so that it's more (big fat cliche time, watch out) like a journal.  Since I'm so spotty at real journaling, this is it...  So.  In order to not make me feel like a big ole loser, anyone, really, anyone (that isn't creepy), send me your email and I'll add you to the list.  Mine is benandabbey at hotmail dot com.  Send 'em on over, I'll be keeping a count and if you don't send a request, then know you made me cry myself to sleep.  Also, realize I'm mostly kidding about the crying part.  The change will happen in roughly a week (so that I can give everyone enough time to remember they desperately wanted an invite to my blog, duh). 

Suction Cup Feet

Oh, be still my aching heart.  As a disclaimer (she'll get her own post soon, no worries people), I adore Kyndal.  She is brilliant, funny, bright, the apple of my eye.  She never ceases to amaze and/or make me slap my forehead in awe.  But Devin is my baby.  It was probably a combination of me waiting with bated breath for each milestone and Kyndal being fairly advanced (Yeah, I said it, I'm that Mom.  But she was.  What?), but I don't feel that K was ever a baby.  Devin on the otherhand, relishes it.  I think it was the 4 mo or the 6 mo post I did, but even back then we knew.  He was born to be a baby.  I will list the reasons for you:
*He still drinks from a bottle, he refuses to drink milk from anything but.  So, he still drinks from a bottle.  He walks around holding his doggie (lovey) in his right hand and his left (he's fo sho going to be a leftie) has the bottle held off to the side.  How much more baby do you get than that?
*His little chubber butter feet make suction cup noises on our tile floors.  I'm getting choked up right now just explaining it, but hearing the tiny suction cups coming around a corner to me really makes my heart squeeze. 
*He's ridonkulously flexible still.  Sitting in his carseat, he can lift his leg up and put his toes in his ear.  He does it often and laughs because he knows we get a kick (ha!) out of it. 
*He loves peek-a-boo and patty cake.  It's now because he gets such a response from everyone (remember, he's adorable).  So cute.  He goes and hides behind furniture, you can see his little self crouching down and then he pops up.  Game as old as time, but I tell ya, I'll never tire of it! 
*He snuggles.  A lot.  And if he needs some snuggle time and we're not giving it to him, he stops a few feet in front of us, turns around and backs up into between our legs and just chills.  He backs up nice and slowly, so I'd like to find a way to install a back up beep on him, like concrete trucks have.  Beep, beep, beep!  Here comes a cute baby to get a love!  When we put him to bed, he burrows down into our shoulders (Ben & I alternate kids each night).  He's 18 mos old.  I love him. 
*We get lists of what children should be doing developmentally at each well child visit.  Devin is the poster child for them.  Kyndal was already doing most things on the list but then not at all for some things too, but Devin is a perfect check list.  Check, check, check, check.  Yup.  Devin is fully an 18 mo old.  He has always had to soak in every detail and complete every tiny step in developing.  Very dependable.  My mom has said since really day 1 that he is like a glacier.  Slow, solid, strong and immoveable.  Yup.  Still that. 
Here are the reasons the my heart aches.  My baby is not a baby anymore.  Observe:
18 mo Stats-
*Weight is 23 lbs 12oz, 21st percentile
*Height is 33 inches, 56th percentile
*Lil bitty head is 18.1 inches, 9th percentile.  No worries there, it's growing!  So in case you had weird thoughts of a normal sized child with a baby sized small head, eradicate them.  If his own mother didn't have those thoughts (lie), then you can't either!  Also, don't worry, because I asked the doctor if it was ok. 
*He says 22 words, most of which make me want to punch myself in the face they are that cute.  Sometimes, things are just so cute you have to inflict pain somewhere, ya know?  He says "bubbles" and then leaves his mouth in a little "o" for a few seconds after.  "No!" has joined those 22 words in the last couple of weeks and oh my, I just want to laugh when he says it.  "No!  No!  No!  Nonononono!" (Just as a comparison and to validate my comment about Kyndal, she was saying 67 words at 18 mos.  Ok, done).
*He's discovered that throwing tantrums and fits expresses frustration well.  Which is fun.  Because he glares.  So couple a glare from a little tiny boy with the sad face that's been documented previously, and whew.  He throws some doozies.  He also holds a grudge (BEN).  He also gets mad and/or frustrated at things or when he doesn't get something given to him fast enough and then he throws said item away and throws a fit (BEN).  Ben continues to tell me that he was an angel child and no way he threw fits like Dev does.  I still refuse to believe it. 
*He insists on eating all meals with a fork in his hand, whether he needs the fork to eat the meal or not.  He pretty much feeds himself, which is kind of nice (Kyndal still wants me to feed her sometimes and she recently bit the crud out of my fingertip). 
*He inspects everything and tries to figure it all out.  Engineer in the making for sure (how could he not be with the Dad he has and the Grandpa and Aunt he has?).  He's got a great little focused face.
*Erm, he climbed out of his crib at 17 months.  I think he's been pondering the best way to do it for a while now though, because I put him back in for his nap and he climbed right back out in about 2 seconds.  Bam.  What's next Mom, I'll figure it out and make you look stupid.  What. 
Well, I'll stop here because the next task is to upload the pictures I've taken this summer and I'll have more to tell about him.  Basically, I freaking love Devin Thomas aka Little Buzzer aka Buzz Buzz aka Butter aka Peanut Butter.  Such a great little kid, I couldn't ask for anything more or different in him.  I live for his kisses, I live for him holding onto my shirt with his fat little fist while I'm carrying him.  I live for the words that come out of his mouth.  Yesterday, he said "Arget" for Target.  *tear* 

Albuquerque Zoo

One of our many trips that has yet to be documented on my blog was to NM.  Just so happens that Kara was there too!  We grew up next door to eachother, and her parents still live there in Abq as well, so the heat of summer will often find us back home visiting!  The girls were missing each other (the Mommies too!) so we planned a trip to the Abq Zoo.  The girls were so excited to see each other!!  So of course jumping was necessary. 

They have THE cutest baby orangutan (no clue how that's spelled).  It's usually one of our favorite exhibits, but this day was a treat in that we got to see the little guy antagonizing (I think) it's Dad with a branch.  He was hanging upside down and kept poking and tickling him with the branch.  Too funny!!  The older orangutan just sat there, completely still.  I was highly impressed with his blocking skills!  I mean, I've prefected the art pretty well of blocking things out (like Dora or Diego for the 1003rd time), but this guy had it down. 

Ah, the famous tiled chair!  It was super hot, sorry kiddos if you had square shaped burns on your lil legs!

I think the girls were kind of annoyed with us posing them...

This was near the elephants, which makes for the first time that Devin has really been close enough to get a good look at one.  So we were super excited about the cute little baby elephant and Devin must've thought we were speaking of the bushes down below him...?

Love this little baby!!!  Such a doll.  I'll take any chance I can get to love on her!

Feedin' the gigantic lazy creepy Koi fish.

Devin was pretty sure he wanted to jump in and swim around with the fish, so I had to restrain him...  If he'd fallen in I think I might've just left him to fend for himself.  Eww... (Only kidding!!...)

Kyndal must plan on being a model!  Never looking at the camera on purpose, yet still posing.  She's got it dooowwwn. 

Sweetest kids!  We can't wait for Miss B to join them!  Just a couple more months and we'll be able to set her up right there with them :)

Um, hi.  You'll hear this a lot, but get used to it.  He's the cutest baby boy ever. 

And SHE is the sweetest big sister ever (most of the time............) 

VBS- Heroes Headquarters!

Kara's church does a VBS every summer (Vacation Bible School), so I took the opportunity to put Kyndal in it.  She was so stinkin' adorable.  Kara and the other people at her church worked SO hard to get everything ready for the kids and make the program so awesome.  All the songs they sang and all the Bible stories and verses they learned, so great!  Kyndal was always so excited every night for it, and then when she'd come home and night she'd yell us (yep, I mean yell, not tell, haha) about her whole night and what she learned.  So grateful she had this experience!  I love seeing her light up when she's learning things, it's truly great.   

Doing some crafts with Miss Emily!  Wearing her sweet little super hero cape.