best friends

Gavin and Lexi, Lexi and Gavin....that's the way it is. Forever fated to be close siblings. Blonde-haired and blue-eyed. Obviously brother and sister. Nearly always together.

On this day at Granny's house, Gavin and Lexi were playing outside in the muggy early evening, waiting for Sunday dinner guests to arrive. Instead of wreaking havoc with the place settings and swiping food from the counter, they ran in the tall grass, played peek-a-boo through the mesh chair, and discovered the neighbor's dog.





One hot afternoon in Mesa, Gavin and Lexi played with water on the back porch. This would occupy some children for hours. With these two it lasted about ten minutes, but they both got soaking wet.




Most evenings, these kiddos bathe together. On this night, bubble bath was a special treat. Hairstyles and smiles came and went with the soapy water.




Now, at home, the Littles have re-discovered toy cars together. The city mat and toy garage have new life as two little motor-mouths send vehicles for a ride.




Gavin and Lexi have a sweet relationship for sure, but it isn't without its sour parts. I often wonder if Lexi will remember the torment she endures at the hands of her older brother. I hope Gavin will grow into a protector, and that Lexi will always look up to him.

For better or worse, they are brother and sister. And hopefully, friends forever.

A Colorado Day

I have been having blogging withdrawals. Computer issues have prevented me from posting pictures, and I have so many awesome pictures to share! Three cheers for Garry, who fixed the problems last night.

We have been back in Colorado almost a week. What a lovely week! Even though our return to the Springs was not the original plan, I have new eyes for its beauty and new love for my home and friends here. Although I am sad our moving plans have not worked out as expected and I miss my dear family, this is our home for now and I am content.

I could hardly wait for our first morning walk. We set out on Monday morning, eager for cool breezes and a familiar route. When we stopped at the "hidden" park on the way home, the kids scattered for their favorite toys. They met friends as they played, and we ended up staying an hour instead of the originally allotted 15 minutes. I was ready to capture our adventures with the camera.

Lexi has grown up a lot this summer. Parks are fun for her now, and she has NO fear. She loves to climb to the highest places and adores going down slides. She is not content to swing for long. What a big girl!



She also wants to be just like her big brothers. She grabbed Tyler's abandoned bike helmet and made it her own for awhile.



Zach and Gavin did a few laps around a green space adjacent to the park. Here they are doing the "silly run," with arms flapping and legs splaying awkwardly out to the sides. I wish these pictures included a sound clip with Gavin's delighted giggles. Another time, Tyler and his new friends did a lap on their bikes. Zach ran the perimeter barefoot on the grass -- and beat all of the kids on bikes!



When he wasn't running, Zach was climbing. Monkey Man loves the high places!



Tyler followed suit, but mostly played with the other little boys at the park. I exchanged numbers with their mom; we hope to set up another park date soon.



This week we have enjoyed several trips to the park, often associated with our morning walk. We also attended a park playgroup for the first time this summer. Seeing old friends was so much fun! We are slowly getting back into our routine at home, with chores and reading, regular bed- and nap-times, and even the daily afternoon thunderstorms.

It feels so good to be back!

Home

Life is interesting.

Sometimes I wish it were boring, and that I could count on sameness and consistency and my illusion that I have some measure of control. But I don't live on Easy Street (I'm convinced no one does). I live on Adventure Boulevard or Surprise Avenue or Holdontoyoursocksitsgonnagetwild Drive.

More precisely, I live on Begonia Terrace.

Remember that post where I waxed dramatic about real estate and my bank account? Yeah, well, those were my thoughts and feelings that day (and for several days following). But those thoughts and feelings slowly morphed into another plan, which begat a different idea, which led to these other thoughts and feelings, which developed another animal entirely. This was a very emotional process for me, and if I could sell tickets for other people to ride my roller coaster of a summer, I think I'd attract thrill-seekers worldwide.

The short story is that Garry flew to Mesa on Friday and drove us home on Saturday. We are back in Colorado Springs, and our house is off the market. Our moving plans are officially on hold while we catch a collective breath, take stock, and simply enjoy each other and our life in the gorgeous state of Colorado. We trust that if a move is part of our eternal plan, then God will work out the details.

Having the perspective of the last six weeks, I am very grateful for my blessings: for dear parents who are generous and patient and forgiving; for Garry's stable and rewarding employment; for children who can adapt; for cherished friends; for air conditioning; for the priesthood and the temple; for repentance; and most of all, for a husband and children living together with me under one Colorado roof.

I have a new ability to see and feel and appreciate the joys in my life. And if that is the reward for this craziest of summers, then the journey was worth it.

One of those days

We woke up Friday morning to rain in Mesa -- lots of it! The thermometer read 77 degrees....in July! I stayed in my pajamas, working a little around the house, anticipating a lovely morning walk once the rain stopped.

Then, as he is prone to do, Gavin changed the plan. He wandered into my bedroom, where he was alone for less than a minute, and drank a bottle of Benadryl.

I had just gone to the bathroom. When I came back to finish folding laundry, Gavin met me in the hall. "I feel better, Mommy!" I hadn't been aware that he was feeling badly. I probed, and that's when he told me he drank some medicine. Sticky pink liquid was on his hands and his feet. I found a puddle on the carpet, an empty bottle next to it.

Two minutes later I was on the phone with Poison Control. Once we determined that Gavin had likely ingested three ounces of liquid, the nurse gave strict instructions to go to the nearest ER. However, since I spent six unnecessary hours in that very ER a few weeks ago, I was pretty stubborn. I wanted to know what the risks were, what symptoms to watch for, and exactly how serious this episode was. Once the nurse spelled out the risk of seizure, I bolted for the van. She called ahead to let the hospital know we were coming. Even though I was concerned my child was dying, I was horrified that I hadn't showered yet.

ER doctors and nurses observed Gavin for four hours. He drank activated charcoal in a cup of chocolate milk. He gave a urine specimen in a plastic cup (!), and, since I forgot clean diapers, spent a good portion of our visit with a bare bum. He used the potty several times and was rewarded with apple juice and a popsicle. He charmed every nurse, EMT, fireman, doctor, and medical aide that walked by. He watched TV and read books and colored and tossed a ball in our tiny exam room.

At the end of four hours, Gavin was pronounced "out of the woods" and we went home. Insert gigantic sigh of relief. This kid has nine lives, but I think he's already used five or six.

On the way home from the hospital (at 2:00), Gavin fell asleep immediately. (Like maybe in the parking lot.) I was starving, so I picked up a sandwich at my favorite place. While waiting at the window, I remembered I had left my camera battery plugged into a charger in the ER exam room. I called the hospital. My things were at the front desk. I drove Gavin to my mom's house and transferred him to bed. Of course he woke up. I left him at home and took Lexi to the ER.

Meanwhile, Gavin cried through lunch with Granny. He was so tired; this kid NEEDS a nap every day. Zach and Tyler were crying because the ER visit had messed up our last day in Mesa. They really wanted to go swimming, but I needed to shower and pack before picking up Garry at the airport. Eventually Granny intervened and graciously offered to take the big boys swimming while I stayed behind to get things done at home. All parties were satisfied.

I packed up our stuff and started to load the trunk of the van while the Littles climbed and played inside. It was a hot and sweaty job. We all took a water break and then went to Target, where I bought water for our trip and a pair of flip-flops for Gavin (he lost one at the mall the day before). At check-out I realized that the credit card I had used to pay for the ER visit was missing. I couldn't remember if I had gotten it back or not. I drove home quickly, anxious to look around for the missing card.

Sometime in the midst of this, Garry called to tell me he had missed his flight from Denver to Phoenix. His flight from Colorado Springs to Denver had arrived on time, but he had a couple of hours to kill before his next plane left. All of the seats at his departure gate were full, so he found a place to sit several gates down the concourse. He set an alarm on his phone to alert him to return to his own gate. It wasn't until the alarm rang that he realized he had set it to ring at his flight's departure time -- not boarding time. He had missed the flight, and there was nothing he could do about it. Luckily, there was a flight two hours later. Unluckily, his wife was not very happy about the delay.

So I got back to my mom's house...and the front door was locked. Somehow I had never gotten a copy of the house key (I blame myself). I knocked on the door, but I knew the boys and Granny were swimming, my dad was in Seattle, and my sister was on a date. I knew my mom would be home in half an hour or so, so I went to get gas in the van. When I returned, I was surprised to see my sister walking out the front door....apparently she had been home the whole time!

Thankfully, the evening improved. I found my credit card. We ate pizza for dinner, the babies went to bed, and Zach and Tyler watched a movie. I packed up the rest of our stuff in the van. Garry and my dad arrived from the airport. (What a sweet reunion!) Then my sister and cousins came over for a fun evening of talking and laughing.

It wasn't the day I had planned, but at least it ended happily! A healthy little boy, a husband at my side, lots of love and laughter to go around....life is good.

Permission to jump

My fun friend, Christa, gave us free passes to Bounce U, an indoor inflatable park. At the last minute, we made reservations for this morning. I'm pretty sure the kids thought they had died and gone to heaven. We spent two hours running and jumping and climbing and sliding. We all left sweaty and exhausted. I would say it was money well-spent...but since I didn't spend a dime, the morning was even better!

Boxing matches with the boys don't always end well....but today Zach and Tyler were all smiles.

Zach was the first kid in the group to ascend the spider web tower. Tyler wasn't far behind. The boys spent a lot of time climbing up and down this structure.

Gavin had the time of his life. He kept up with the big boys -- no problem.

Lexi was pretty little for this place, but had fun toddling around. She also loved playing with the balls and balloons on the ground, and made friends with a very sweet mentally-challenged boy who just adored her.

After the first hour, we switched rooms, and the boys spent nearly all of the second hour on this slide. I bet they climbed up and slid down a hundred times. With ten minutes to go, Lexi and I went down the slide, too. She was ecstatic, so we did it again...and again and again. It was so fun to slide down with all of my kids at once! We crashed in a heap at the bottom and laughed and laughed.

And good naps were had by all. :)

Zach and Ty's excellent adventure

Zach and Tyler are reluctant to return to Colorado, and I can understand why. They have enjoyed a most excellent summer!

Two days after we drove to Mesa, we met Garry's mom in Kingman, Arizona and sent Zach and Tyler home with her. They spent a week in Logandale, Nevada at Grandma's house and then a week in Provo, Utah in Grandpa's condo. Every day was an adventure! I think they really enjoyed a life without the constraints of siblings who nap and require so much extra work and supervision.

In Logandale, a rural town in southern Nevada, the boys love to play in Grandma's big backyard. The trampoline is always a novelty, as is air hockey in the back room. One night they drove to Mesquite for dinner and Toy Story 3.



During this visit, Zach and Tyler joined a huge throng of 15 second cousins -- the children of Garry's cousins who live in (or were visiting) Logandale. The boys were in heaven with so many children to play with. They were especially fond of Aunt Sandy's pool. They also visited a water park and the reservoir with all of the cousins. Tyler reported catching frogs. Pretty fun for some city kids!



Garry traveled to Utah to meet the boys, Grandma and Grandpa Bartle, and Great Grandma Terry during the last week of June. They all spent a week together. They did things like visiting BYU (the Creamery, Grandpa's office in the ASB, the CougarEat, and the Bean Museum), going to movies (Karate Kid and How to Train Your Dragon), enjoying a hot air balloon festival, and playing lots and lots of games in the condo.



Playing pool in the condo's basement rec room was once again a favorite activity. I love the way Zach sticks his tongue out while he plays. This is a concentration thing -- he also sticks his tongue out when he hits a baseball or throws a football. So fun!



I was thrilled to hear that Zach and Tyler talked Garry into hiking Y Mountain! The boys and I completed that hike last summer and the summer before, and I'd love for it to be a tradition every time we visit Provo!





One of the reasons behind Garry's trip to Utah was a reunion for members of his childhood ward in Provo. His dad was bishop of that ward in the '80s, and Garry has many fond memories of the people in that time of his life. It was fun for him to reconnect with them.



Garry's cousin, Angela, was visiting Provo at the same time and graciously agreed to bring Zach and Tyler back to Mesa. They were already transporting four children and a dog...I can hardly imagine wanting to add two kids and a ridiculous amount of luggage to their load, but they did! Garry took this picture just as the kids were pulling out in Provo. They arrived in Mesa at 1:00 a.m.



The boys' summer adventure has continued in Mesa. They aren't anxious for it to end! This has been one rockin' summer for those kids! Many thanks to our dear family who has sponsored so many terrific memories.

Long-distance

We have really been missing our Daddy lately, but thanks to modern technology, Garry is only a phone call or a computer screen away. Today we used Skype for an online video chat before church. The kids and I were so excited to see the face that goes with Daddy's voice. Lexi waved and kicked her legs while the boys crowded around the computer.


Here the boys are making their best fishy faces for the camera. They were telling Garry about swimming lessons and he referred to them as fish. The silly factor increased exponentially from there, which escalated to fighting, which prompted a sudden end to the call. Garry definitely saw a slice of real life today!

Happily, we will be together (in person) again this weekend. Garry is flying down to take us home. Despite my post from a couple of weeks ago that detailed our plans to live with my parents, we have decided to live as a Bartle family unit in Colorado until the house sells. We have no idea what the future holds. My current feeling is that it will take a long time to move forward, but that's OK. We will be together, and that's what counts.

Love you back

Garry sent me this sweet photo today.

Thanks, sweetheart. The lovely gesture boosted my spirits.

Can't wait until we're together again.