Family Home Evening Hilarity

Last night we were having Family Home Evening, and we were talking about Easter. We watched a short video about Palm Sunday and the last Supper. Then, I tried to tell Kevin about how Heavenly Father and Jesus loved us.

I said, "Heavenly Father and Jesus created the earth. They sent Kevin to earth..."

Kevin promptly interrupted me. "I'm not on earth," he told me adamantly.

"You're not?" I asked with amusement.

"No," he said, "earth has too much water. I don't want to walk on the earth. It's too blue! It's too watery! It's too...it's too...it's too water on the earth."

Grig and I started laughing, and he became a bit angry, "Don't laugh!" he told us.

"Sorry," I apologized. "So, Heavenly Father and Jesus sent Kevin to the ground..."

"No!" Kevin protested again. "I don't walk on the earth. To the grass. I walk in the grass."

At this, Grig and I tried to contain our mirth again, but he was just too cute!

So, evidently Heavenly Father and Jesus sent Kevin to the grass because the earth has too much water.

He recognizes pictures of the earth, but I don't think he quite understands that we're on it yet.

So this morning, I took him on a tour of google earth and showed him our home from the street view. Then we went to earth view and zoomed out until he could see the entire globe. Afterward, he said, "I DO live on the earth!"

I love our son. He's really at a fun (if sometimes frustrating) age right now.

Sometimes he's so sweet and helpful, and other times it's like he's progressed to being a teenager. He can be really moody and get angry in an instant. However, we're really beginning to learn what an incredible person Kevin is, and for that, I am very grateful. I wouldn't trade him for anything.

Not even more sleep.

Tubing

Yesterday, for Family Home Evening, we had a ward (congregation) ski night.

I guess it was more of a stake (combined combinations from the area) ski night, but it was pretty awesome, because they also had tubing available for children three and up.

Kevin is three now, and so we paid for use of the tubes and over-dressed ourselves to go tubing.

The first time we went down the 600 foot slope, Grig dragged Kevin behind him, and at the end he got pretty freaked out. However, a couple people suggested to us that we should let him go by himself. They told us that he would travel more slowly with his own weight than being pulled by ours.

Kevin and Grig going together. (We put the camera away afterward because it was getting too dark)

We decided to take their advice. Aren't we glad we did! Kevin loved it!

I went first, and as his small body on his small tube came hurtling around the curve at the end, I shouted, "Hold on, Kevin! Don't let go!"

As he came to a stop, I helped him up and he said, "Mom! I did it by myself!"

He was so excited. I think I had been more freaked out that time than he was. He proceeded to go for a couple more times, and just got more excited every time.

Grig and I also had a great time. The first time, I was tense and I kind of hurt my neck, but after that I relaxed and really enjoyed myself. I would go so fast around the bend that I almost flipped over a couple of snow banks, and when I went tearing around the end curve I rode so high that I nearly hit the fence at the top!

It was great.

After a few runs, we went inside to eat. They had chicken soup and chili available, as well as a lot of desserts. Kevin mostly ate chips and pretzels. We tried to feed him other things, but he was more interested in those.

After eating, we went back out and tubed until 8:45 or so.

They had a little jump at the very end, and most people kind of went up the side of it, but for some reason, I was nearly always going off the top and getting some air. One of the workers told me, "Now you're just showing off. We're going to have to slow it down. You're having too much fun." I laughed and told him he shouldn't slow it down. It was awesome.

We had to go to bed early, so decided we needed to leave. At about 8:30, we were talking about leaving and Kevin held up one finger and said, "No, one more time," in a very bossy and commanding voice.

So, we went one more time.

We're really glad we went. We had a lot of fun.

Family picture taken after the first run. Kevin still wasn't sure how he felt about it at this point. 

Dog in the Stroller

I've been walking a lot lately.

During the morning, Kevin, Dakota, Arkhon, and I will go out with the stroller and go on 1-2 hour long walks. It's been really nice, because the weather's been wonderful, and I feel really good when we're finished.

This has nothing to do with what I'm writing about, but it was a beautiful sunset the other day, and I wanted to share it.

Kevin and the dogs really enjoy our walks too. Usually they all take a nap when we get back, and I can actually get a few things done. However, a two-hour long walk is too long for a puppy Arkhon's age, so usually after a few blocks he takes a break in the basket of the stroller. We try to take frequent rests, and frequently take drinks, but sometimes I feel really bad for Dakota.

She's pretty old and I can tell that by the end of the walk she is finished. Kevin usually gets finished with riding in the stroller by that time too. So, yesterday, I did something unusual.

Arkhon was riding in the stroller already, Kevin wanted out, so I said, "Okay." I took him out and said, "Dakota, it's your turn." I then placed her in the stroller. She sat sideways with her bum in the seat and her paws resting on the lip. She got this really happy look on her face, and Kevin helped me push the two dogs in the stroller.

We went that way down the sidewalk for a while, until we came to some playground equipment, and Kevin wanted to go play. We moved toward it, and I saw a little boy watching us. It turned out to be someone we knew. He was looking at our stroller, and suddenly his eyes got really wide and this big grin spread across his face.

I asked him if all dogs should ride in stroller, and he nodded his head yes. It was pretty funny.

Dakota enjoyed the break while Kevin played on the slide and swings for a while. Arkhon doesn't like breaks very much, but he is taking them better. I think he likes them more than he thinks he does.

I wish I could have taken a picture, but I didn't have the camera with me. Maybe I'll have to bring it today, just in case it happens again. I'm planning a shorter walk today though, because I have a lot of things to get done in my house. We're running out of clean clothes.

Our washer's been acting strangely lately, and the apartment is supposed to be sending someone to fix it, so we haven't been using it, because we thought they were coming soon.

They're probably going to come today when I have it full of clothes.

Dakota and Arkhon are becoming pretty good friends. She's old, so if he gets too rambunctious, she'll bark at him or snap a bit. I think in our language it would sound like, "Shut up and sit down!"

Unfortunately, it just makes him excited because he thinks she's playing. So, then we'll call him over so she can have a break.

Sometimes this happens though, and it's too cute for words:

Arkhon and Kevin love each other. They play pretty well, unless they're getting tired. Then hitting and biting ensues, but Arkhon is beginning to learn to walk away if Kevin is getting rough. That's a wonderful improvement!

BFF

To top it all off, we've had wonderful weather lately. Last night, Grig, Kevin, and I went out to eat for Family Home Evening. We had a coupon for a restaurant, so we ate there, and then we went on a walk together. We ended up at the library, where we checked out a few books and then walked/ran back to the car. One of Kevin's favorite things to do right now is say, "Run, run, run," and have all of us run (or speed walk when we're being lazy) down the sidewalk with him. It was a nice evening, and we enjoyed spending the time together.

Grig gave an excellent lesson on spiritual preparedness. He talked about ways that we can improve ourselves as individuals and as family members.

Arkhon chasing Kevin. He loves him.

We've got a lot to work on, but we're moving as a family, and that's what's really important.