ExerSaucer

Jewel got an exersaucer from Grammy and Pops for Christmas this year. I can't believe we are already at this stage, but she is very ready for it and busy as can be with her new little toy.

Silas is also happy with the new toy, mostly because it is a new angle for him to provide affection. I don't know what he's going to do when she gets more mobile and won't sit still for these little episodes anymore. For now it is great entertainment for all.

Some Highlights

On our way back to Oregon we decided to break up the trip with a stop in Dana Point. Mom and Dad Bury were there after a wedding and staying in a condo just a stone's throw from the beach. We had no idea what a blessing it would be to have this break. Silas has been struggling with a stomach bug the last couple days in Arizona, and from Tucson to Dana Point we made 5 emergency bathroom stops (including two on the side of the freeway because there wasn't enough time to make it to a rest stop). So we were delighted to arrive at the condo just in time to watch the sun dip down into the ocean. We had dinner and ice cream with Grammy and Pops while we walked on the pier and checked out the boats. In the morning we played in 70 degree clear weather, listening to the waves crash while we made sand castles and touched our toes to the chilly water. I never tire of the beach, it is so renewing and refreshing.

After our play time, Silas and Jewel were too tired to wait for lunch or packing up. Silas was asking to go home to his house in Oregon, and we figured the last two weeks of partying and limited sleep were catching up as he curled up on the couch and slept for 2 hours while we all bustled around him. The nap was a blessing for him, because the journey ahead of us was not pretty. Jewel caught his stomach bug and was very unhappy in her car seat. She cried off an on all afternoon. By evening she was getting worse and the breaks between the crying were less and less. I squeezed into the back seat once again and tried all my tricks to ease her discomfort. It wasn't working and our nerves were wearing thin. Silas asked for his headphones to watch his show. We were admittedly jealous. Finally after 10pm we couldn't take it anymore. We stopped at a hotel hoping that a night of sleep would help everyone. Silas had just dozed off, so when he woke up in the hotel room he was disorientated and scared. He clung to my arm in the bed as I nursed Jewel. Jordan watched, helpless to aid these over tired and sick kids who just wanted their momma and their own beds. Silas fell asleep a little after 1 and Jordan climbed into bed with him. Jewel proceeded to wake every 45 minutes with gas or a blown out diaper. Around 7 am she fell into a hard sleep. We all slept until after 10. The road home was long and loud as the crying continued. Graciously God gave us a stellar day with bright blue skies, snow covered mountains, and rolling farm lands. Once we hit Oregon the weather changed and we spent the last 3 hours of screaming battling the pouring down rain and thick fog. We ended up having to stop for gas less than 10 miles from the house, but by the time we got home none of that mattered. Our friends had come over and turned on our heat, Silas was thrilled to be back home with his trains, and Jewel was so thankful to be out of her car seat. Jordan and I climbed into bed that night more exhausted than we have been in a really long time. We debated if it was worth it to save the money and drive. It wasn't a good time to ask, we'll have to re-evaluate next winter. No question we made some fabulous memories. I am so thankful for my family!

The Journey Continues

From the Bury house we moved on the the Bakers. The greatest part was enjoying the changes in their home...a huge renovation has totally transformed my child hood home into a wide open and fancy place to entertain and welcome family members. Almost every night we hosted a party of some type. Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Years Eve, Vincent's birthday, and just visiting with everyone we could.

We had plenty of time to just soak up the sun, each other, and relaxation. Jewel spent most of her time snuggling and sharing her joyous smile with anyone who looked in her direction.

A special walk with Beppe

Snuggling with Beppe in the chair

Sharing some smiles with Uncle Everett

A little relaxing with Aunt June

Silas had so much fun with his cousin Rodrick. They made forts, played cars and airplanes, jumped on the tramp and dug in the sand box.

Rodrick (4), Jewel (4mos), Silas (2), Avery (1)

Jordan fully enjoyed the break from work. This was his longest vacation since we've been married. He did puzzles and read books (yes, he really read books, and is STILL reading since we have been home!)

He and my dad did exercise extravaganza with running, biking, and trails. It was very therapeutic for him, and very rewarding for all of us :) Grandpa also got exercise with Silas, jumping on the trampoline.

Jewel provided entertainment

And I treasured all of these things in my heart. I watched relationships being renewed, bonds being formed, and hearts being refreshed. I had coffee times with much needed conversations. I saw friends from high school and got a glimpse into their lives. I am so glad that I did all of these things, because life is fast. Really fast. I was reminded of that as I watched my precious little Slocum girls, who I baby say when I was 12 all the way through high school, holding my own daughter.
So, we are so glad we went to Arizona. Nothing is more wonderful than our family!!

Little Sister

Let's face it, the only thing little about this sister is the fact that she has a big brother. Weighing in at just under 20 pounds at 4 1/2 months, she is almost the same size Silas was on his first birthday. All the more for us to snuggle and kiss :)
She was the star of the show over Christmas, playing dress up with her cousin Abbie, and looking darling in all her jewels.Similar to her big brother, this little sweetheart lights up for her Daddy.
Her bright smile comes without effort and is extremely contagious.

Unlike her big brother, she is only tolerating of the pacifier and spends a good part of her awake time figuring out which fingers will be her favorite.

Jewel is a lot like her momma. She is most content to be interacting or snuggling. She is easily pleased and is mostly just delighted to see that she is making those around her happy. Her best sleeping happens in the crook of an arm, and she does not like being alone. I can remember as a kid loving to fall asleep with my door open to the sound of my parents and their friends talking in the kitchen. Last weekend we had three families over for dinner. There were 8 kids between the ages of 2 and 4 sprinting up and down the stairs, having pillow fights, melt downs, and the usual verbal confrontations. Jewel slept through the entire show, in the evening hours which is usually her most difficult time to nap.

Silas absolutely loves her. He is very gentle and loving with her. The best is watching him kiss her. He says "kiss, kiss" as he puckers up and tries to plant one directly on her lips while she is bobbing her head all around. He always gets the giggles and has several slobbery attempts before finally making his target.

Jordan squeezes her and cuddles her every night when he gets home. Jewel gets so excited to see him, she shows it with her whole body. She kicks her legs, waves her arms and belly laughs at him. He calls her his "chunky monkey", which I am trying to get rid of. We are going to have to have some serious talks about why dads do not call their daughters "chunky monkey", even if it is done in love.

She is my total delight. She has just started waking up happy in the mornings, instead of crying for breakfast. So I first hear her talking and cooing over the monitor. When I go in to get her she has the brightest and biggest smile on her face. I pick her up and she immediately nuzzles her face into my neck. When Silas was a baby, I would sing to him as I rocked him to sleep at night. If I sing to Jewel, she instantly picks up her head and opens her eyes and looks right at me, as if to say "Oh, we're still talking? Yay, I have more to say, too." Once she is starting to doze off, I put her in her crib. The transition is always tricky, but last week I tucked a little blanket with silk on the edges into her hand. She clenched it and put it up to her face. Many of you know, it wasn't until after my mom removed the silk from my baby blanket that I finally slowed down with the thumb sucking. I still love the feeling of silk in my fingers. It is so fun to share attributes with her, especially since everyone comments on how much she looks like Silas and Jordan.

So we've decided, she's a keeper :)

Our motivation

So, why was the whole trip worth it? Here are the smiling faces we were headed for.

Playing dress up with AbbieWe took a trip to the zoo with the cousins, Aunt Mandy, and Grammy and PopsWatching the Polar Bears swimWe took a trip to Winterhaven to see the Christmas lights. Silas and Brandon ran through the entire neighborhood. We picked our favorites, watched the music and water show at least 5 times, held hands and even saw Santa.

A little affection :) I LOVE this picture!Enjoying Christmas Eve (eve) dinner with the family, even Boomer (we missed you Uncle Chris, Aunt Christine and Ellsie!)Abbie and Jewel had lots of special timeAnd the girls did their best to steer clear of the wild and crazy boysPrecious giftsChristmas Eve morning, with gifts galore!These three boys had so much fun together in the four days we spent with the Bury Family. This is a serious shot, not planned or propped. Busy reading.

Saying cheers to chocolate milk!

Thomas jammies for all three

The Bury 'Christmas Vacation'

So I am a little late getting out our holiday pictures. It has been a daunting task since we had so many aspects and so much time...what a HUGE blessing!

Jordan took two and a half weeks off of work and we packed the Xterra to DRIVE our TWO KIDS from OREGON to ARIZONA. Yes, it is true. Mapquest estimated the trip to be 25 hours.

So, we hooked up the DVD player, stocked the cooler with snacks, and took off down the I5 stretch. We had a great plan. After getting everyone buckled in around 7:30, we started a movie for Silas. Surely by the time the movie was over at 9 or 9:30, he would just fall right to sleep. He sleeps in his car seat often, no problem. Well, at 3 a.m. this stinker was STILL AWAKE. He didn't watch any more movies, he didn't talk, he didn't cry, and he didn't sleep. For nearly 7 hours he simply sat in his car seat. We even tried the NyQuil after midnight. Nothing. He finally conked out around 4 am and we of course had to stop by 6 am for gas.

Despite the crazy night, Jordan was able to get us to northern California through the night drive. I slept a little (more than Silas) and was ready to take shift two of driving.

Jewel was a total champ, slept the entire night, and since it was too cold outside she had her stretching time on the drivers seat while we unfolded our legs and ate our breakfast.Silas was remarkably happy, and the stop gave him just enough of a refreshment that he was WIDE awake when we got back in the car.We watched more movies than I will admit as they day wore on. However, there was not a single tear from either kid. Silas also did not eat the entire time we were driving. Finally in the evening we got him to eat one cheese stick. So, 29 hours later, we arrived. Silas only slept a total of 6 hours the entire trip, and the final three I spent wedged between their car seats holding in Jewel's pacifier and holding Silas' hand. But, we totally survived.