Our Trip to Albuquerque

At the end of September, Jason had to travel to Chicago for a week. He was scheduled to teach at a KINDLE conference for recent DCE graduates. (We're so proud of our studly leader/teacher DCE!) The boys and I figured that this would be a perfect time to visit some relatives, so we made a whole family vacation out of it. Together, we drove down to New Mexico to see Amy's parents. Jason flew out from Albuquerque while Jaden, Cody, and Amy stayed behind with Grammy and Papa. We were happy that Grammy & Papa were willing to entertain us and keep us company in Daddy's absence.

Grammy and Papa had done a wonderful job of preparing and toddler-proofing their home before our arrival. Grammy had set up one room entirely as a reading area (so cozy with the couches, blankets, and baskets of books!) and another as a toy room. Jaden and Cody absolutely LOVED the new play areas. The new toys were especially a big hit. The boys were big fans of the toddler-sized rocking chair...

Jaden

Cody

...and the rocking horse made by Great-Grandpa Sylvester. They were constantly reaching for this horse and "asking" to ride it. Both boys learned quickly how to bounce themselves up and down, which usually made them giggle or shriek with pleasure!

By the end of our visit, Cody had even learned how to climb off and on the horse all by himself!

Papa encouraged the twins in their "Rock & Ride" play...

... as seen in the following video. Papa is such a ham! :)

Jaden & Cody also enjoyed trying out Grammy & Papa's piano...

...and rolling around Grammy's large exercise ball. Jaden was a particular fan of this ball and daily found where Grammy put it away.

Probably the highlight of Grammy & Papa's home, though, was the easy access to the backyard. At times, Grammy would simply leave the door open and let Cody and Jaden freely roam in and out of the house. Only having one step to enter the yard was much preferable to our multiple stairs back home. Cody would often walk back and forth over this step simply for the sheer pleasure of going in and out of the house!

Once outside, the boys loved playing with the yard hose, 

running down the grassy hill, listening to the sounds of dogs and planes,

and bouncing & throwing various sports balls.

We were basking in the beautiful Albuquerque weather! This is likely the last day all year that the boys will be able to wear their shorts.

Cody & Jaden had a variety of playmates for the week. Papa even stayed home from work one entire morning just to hang out with us. 

He was great at practicing the art of throwing with Jaden and Cody.

He also tried to teach the boys how to pull weeds. Papa's plan didn't work so well, though, as Cody and Jaden mainly just started handing him rocks. 

Grammy also had a few creative ideas up her sleeve for how to entertain the boys. Here, she pulled out some bubble wands (Look familiar, Becky? Thanks for leaving them in ABQ!).

Jaden was especially curious about the bubbles and watching them float.

Mommy, of course, is not a new playmate for the boys. It was a treat, however, to get some pictures of Mommy's playtime with Jaden & Cody, as she is usually the one behind the camera. Here we are, discovering how much fun it is to bounce on Grammy's exercise ball. 

As you can tell, this activity elicited LOTS of giggles! :)

And here we are taking advantage of Grammy's reading room.

Evidence that mommies of twins are twice blessed....

Thanks for taking these fun pictures, Grammy!

Finally, one evening the boys spent time with some playmates their own age! Grammy & Papa's neighbors have a 3-year-old girl Kyree (I think), and 14-month-old twins, Keera (I think) and Owen.

This is the best shot we got of the 2 sets of twins, as they mainly just played past one another. The mommies really enjoyed sharing twin stories, though, and we all liked watching the kids interact.

Other than being great playmates, Grammy and Papa were also HUGE helpers! We found a convenient spot for the boys' daily snack bar. :)

On his morning off, Papa fed the boys their entire breakfast.

Jaden and Cody showed Grammy and Papa how they fold their hands to pray before mealtime.

Not only did they help with mealtimes, Grammy and Papa also assisted with baths, getting dressed, washing the boys' dishes, and even a few diaper changes. What a treat is was for Mommy to have all this hands-on help! In the evenings, we enjoyed playing a few games and watching some TV, but we also ventured into a couple projects together, too. The biggest project was getting Grammy's help with the boys' Halloween costumes. Along with their cousin Ryan, Jaden and Cody are going to be little jailbirds (with Ian as the big bad cop!). These costumes were easy-peasy to make with white onesies, black pants, and a little duct tape.

Our finished products!

A closer look will show you that Jaden and Cody's prisoner ID numbers are their birthdays. Thanks for your crafty help and great advice, Mom! :)

Thanks for taking such great care of all of us, Grammy and Papa! You are creative, patient, thoughtful, and loving grandparents. Jaden and Cody love you! We enjoyed our time with you immensely!

Still to Come: Out on the Town in ABQ...