Six Flags Over Parenting

Howdy y'all!

We are deep in the heart of Texas.  By we I mean Kendra and me. Before we get to the Texas experience I should answer the question everyone is probably asking, "where are Easton and Layla?"  No need to worry...  They are safe at our house in Chandler.  Then the next question is, "Did you leave them home alone?"  Nope!  That scenario made for a good movie, but in real life would be disastrous   We left them in the very capable hands of our Pastor, Phil, and his wife, Pam.  The two of them and their son moved into our house to take care of the twins while we are attending a conference here in Dallas.  

We have a great network of trustworthy friends who are watching over the twins.  It's almost like a village-worth of people are caring for them while we are away.  They spent an afternoon with Tam and David doing several outdoor activities like getting wet on the slip-n-slide.

and using a bucket of water with paint brushes to do art on their backyard block fencing.  Quite an ingenious idea!

Easton isn't as much into drawing and painting as Layla, but if he's given some water and told to make a mess on the wall, then he's all about it!

The other way the twins differ is their desire to be in front of a crowd.   This picture captures their personalities really well.  Easton would rather be doing anything else besides singing in front of the church.  Layla couldn't be happier if she was given a million dollars.

When my Pastor first asked Kendra and I to attend this conference I offered to fly out Kendra's Aunt Judy to take care of them.  We were excited for that possibility.  Then I threw in a half-hearted joke and said, "or you and Pam could move in our house and take care of them."  ha....  haha.  (nervous laugh as I saw his facial expression pondering the possibility).  Phil and Pam agreed to do it and I was blown away by their willingness and excitement for the idea.  There are very few people we trust alone with our twins for even one hour.  i can count them on one hand.  Phil and Pam are one of those few families we trust whole-heartedly.  Right now I'm trusting them with every asset in our entire lives.  Our kids, our cars, our house, everything... and I mean everything.

We are truly blessed to have such a great church family who we can depend on and who depends on us.  This week we are calling in several favors by asking our family to take some shifts in caring for the twins.  I've been very much at peace this week knowing they are in the best possible care.

They send pictures of the twins regularly, which we are happy to have a window into how they are doing.  Layla is fabulous as always.

It's hard to tell with Easton because his "camera smile" doesn't convey much about his emotional state.

A side benefit for the twins is how we gave full grandparent rights to Phil and Pam.  That means there are virtually no boundaries on when, how, or where they can be spoiled.  Here they are at Chik-Fil-A having a treat of late night ice cream.

Enough about the twins... Let me explain the awesomeness of our week.  On Sunday morning we left Easton and Layla at church.  I just had to get one last picture of the 4 Webbs before we headed out on our magical adventure.

We flew to Dallas and immediately after arriving we drove to Six Flags!  The cost of the afternoon was rediculously expensive, but we had an incredibly silly, fun day that I'll never forget.  Everything is bigger in Texas, even the Slurpees.  I bought the big plastic boot with unlimited refills.  I overdosed on Slurpees so much I thought I was going to puke on the rides.

Luckily I had Supergirl to save the day.  She is a rollercoaster junkie who was bent on riding every ride in the park, which we did.

It's not often we get a chance to pig out on funnel cake.  i've never seen one with ice cream and Oreo cookies on it, but then again... this IS Texas. I'm not ashamed to admit this was my dinner.  That's right.  I didn't have any vegetables or healthy protien or drink my water.  Kendra and I had guilt-free freedom to do as we please without having to be the role models for Easton and Layla.

We stayed at the park until it closed so we could squeeze every last thrill and ride from our extravegant day of excitement.  One of the most enjoyable care-free days we've had in years.

We woke up the next morning tired from sleeping in a new room on a new bed.  The hotel is nice, but you know how it goes when conditions change.  At least the breakfast is free and delicious in the hotel.  I saw the waffle iron and decided that sounded good.  Then I noticed the waffles are shaped like the state of Texas!

I still don't get why Texas pride is so strong and flamboyant, but there's no second guessing how patriotic these people are for their state.

The reason our Pastor sent us to Texas was not for a fun day at Six Flags.  That was just a bonus we threw in before attending the conference.  The real reason we are here is to be trained in Freedom Ministries.  Kendra and I as individuals found freedom from strongholds in our lives.  We teach others how to get free.  When they can respond to God fully as the person God created, that is freedom.  Almost everyone agrees there is value in praying to God. Even our Godless president who is trampling on our religious rights says to "pray for those affected by tragedy". So why is it wierd when we say we hear from God?  I'll never understand how people are OK with one-way communication where talking to God is valued, but hearing from Him is seen as lunacy.

Anyway, we've experienced incredible breakthroughs individually and in our marriage over the past 6 years.  We facilitated and witnessed others getting the breakthroughs they need as well.  Our Pastor decided to place us into a new level of leadership and get us trained for the purpose of bringing Freedom Ministries to life in Phoenix.  We are here to increase our capacity to help others and to develop a plan to implement this in our local church.

There are about 175 people attending the conference.  Being under the same roof as this many like-minded individuals is extraordinarily powerful.  We start off the morning with 30 minutes of worship to get us all in one accord.

It's difficult to explain to people who have never experienced what being "in one accord" with a group of people feels like.  Those who are spectators or loners or out-right avoiders of God-centered gatherings can't relate. Anyway, the conference is mind-blowing.  I fevorishly type on my laptop attempting to capture all the wisdom and knowledge being presented by the speakers.  Every few minutes Kendra and I look at each other and give the Keanu Reeves, "Whoa..." look.

We ate breakfast, lunch, and then dinner together.  alone.  just the two of us.  It was wonderful. Sometimes we get a date night where we have one meal alone, but this was just off-the-charts enjoyable because we have an entire week of togetherness... without the twins.    

Today for the first time we really did miss Easton and Layla.  We still don't miss the day-to-day efforts required to take care of them, but we miss being with them.  Their hugs and cuddles and smiley faces.  By the time we get home we'll be more than ready to jump into our adventuresome weeks of vacation.  Can't wait!

See you soon.

Box and Sox Rhyme

And so it begins...  4 Webbs, 75 days of vacation, and 100% chance of intense bonding and memories to last a lifetime.  Whatever happens, we're in this together!  If I were Fred Flintstone I'd be shouting a Yabba Dabba Do as I hear the whistle blow and slide down the dinosaur's back.  Work time is OVER!

Easton and Layla still have a tough time grasping the concept of numbers higher than 20. Even though they can count to 100, unless they actually do it, then any number above 20 is just a big number.  So I told them I have off the next 75 days they were excited, but have no idea how rare and magnificent our situation is.  Not many dads get this many days off in a row and even fewer get fully paid while doing it. even fewer get a sabbatical with no work requirements at all.  My boss called me and wished me luck on the time off.  He gave me a stern, sarcastic warning against catching me online or checking email.  Work enforces this time off for every employee with no exceptions.

I became eligible for my sabbatical over two years ago, but kept pushing it out.  Imagine the will power?  If you could take 75 days off from work at any time imagine sitting on that option and not pulling the trigger for 26 months after eligibility.  Why would I do something so obviously silly?  Well, I have two reasons:  Easton and Layla.  I want them to remember our family time together.  From what I understand of my own memories, there is nothing I can recall from when I was three-years-old, which was their age when I became eligible for the sabbatical.  I have memories from age five though!

Of all the toys Easton and Layla receive, there are very few that can compare with a big cardboard box.

The replacement ladder for our attic came in this box and once it was empty I knew exactly what to do with it.  They've been playing in, on, and around this thing for a week with no end in sight.  Until they break it, that is.  No matter how much a toy or activity costs, it is difficult to compete with such simple, imaginative enjoyment of a box!

Easton measures my fathering ability each day by the level of playtime we have together.  If I build the biggest, baddest fort in the neighborhood, it doesn't mean squat unless I play with him in it.  We made the most of the last bits of cool weather by playing several rounds of tag out in the greenbelt. The tree was base and they were moving so fast that I couldn't get a clear picture of them.

Also, I dropped my point-n-shoot camera and broke the flash. yeah, that's a bummer.  My big T3 DSLR takes great pictures, but trying to work with that monster as we run around the greenbelt is next to impossible.  Oh well, I bought the point-n-shoot off Craigslist last year and it served its purpose.  Looks like Daddy is going shopping soon because we will have ample opportunity over the next few weeks for point-n-shoot moments.

We are playing a variety of music genres around our house lately.  Layla had one of her princess dresses on so I turned up the ballerina music and twirled her around.

Then I turned up some dance music nice and loud.  We spun around together and got DOWN in the Webb house.  Easton wants nothing to do with dancing, which is fine.  He just finds other things to do that he's interested in while we get our groove on.

I introduced poetry to the twins fairly early.  My mom was always rhyming her stories and songs that came out of the blue.  I gladly find myself following in her footsteps.  While we are in the car traveling I'll say, "what rhymes with ...?" fill in the blank.  They take turns laughing and saying words that rhyme.  That's all well and good, but I felt it was time to start reading them age appropriate poem to really get them comfortable with it.

I found several free Kindle ebooks and loaded them on our Galaxy Tab.  I also found some online resources as well, such as this one.  Because the library children's section is organized by author (as if children give a single care about WHO writes a book).  That means there is no children's poetry section.  I think that's a shame too, but I just have to hunt around in all of the sections searching for Dr. Seuss-like rhyming books.     

Day 1 of my vacation is over and I can't wait to get work out of my mind over the next few days and truly get into vacation-mode.  Bring it on!

See you soon.

Seeing Rainbows

Greetings friends and family,

I'm already in vacation mode with little motivation to do anything besides spend time with Kendra and the twins.  This coming week will be a test of my ability to focus on closing out work-related tasks while preparing for our upcoming trip.

The pool is officially open, but only for about 20 minutes at a time.  The 78 degree water is only 4 degrees above freezing for us Arizonians.  I was pleasantly surprised to find Easton and Layla's swimming ability came back so quickly.  Last year we spent the first week regaining confidence.  Not needed anymore!

One thing I need to teach Easton fairly soon.  lighten up, dude!  He's so serious about smiling for pictures that as soon as the camera comes out he gives his most un-natural smile.

Then he comes over and says, "can i see the picture?" so he can see himself.  What a funny guy.  My favorite part of the swim was seeing the real-time overcoming of fear.  Layla anxiously stepped out to the ledge of the hot tub.  Knowing she's done this before I could see the internal struggle going on in her mind.  Something like:  I know I've done this before, but it's been a while and I'm scared.  All I had to do was put my hands up and say, "Trust me!"  and she jumped.

I love the way the mind of a child works.  They call me out for being a man of my word almost daily.  If I say it, I better do it.  That's the way trust works.  Easton took a little more coaxing.  After seeing Layla make the leap and hearing my words, "I know you can do it, Big Time!  I believe in you."  He made the jump too.

Our teeth weren't chattering, but the warmth of the towels and chairs sure felt nice after cooling off in the water.  Layla cuddled up in my lap and let me love on her.  One of those moments I wish could be freeze dried and laminated.  Then I could bring it out and enjoy for the rest of my life.

We laugh often.  I mean a LOT.  Situations that probably wouldn't be funny to anyone else we think are hilarious.  We rather enjoy it this way, too.   Especially while they are still young enough to both fit on my lap.  This is the part that won't last much longer.  They are rapidly growing taller. The growth spurts are more pronounced than ever.

 Our time at the park is getting less interactive by the month, it seems.  As soon as we arrive they head off on their own (together, of course) to play follow the leader and swing from whatever is swing-able.

I still have fun with them at the park, but their independence is noticeably greater.  They look at me occasionally to make sure I'm still watching them show their playground skills and performing tricks.  Unlike the other 15 moms and dads, my nose isn't buried in my phone.  I've watched the self-esteem of other kids evaporate as they look for the approval of their parent across the playground only to lose hope.  Their yelling for Dad and waving arms turns into slumped shoulders and a "why bother" attitude.  That's probably the saddest thing I've had to witness in watching other parents in action.  However, I learned this lesson early and understand the value of really being there WITH them and not just because of them.

Easton and Layla think I'm some kind of a magical wizard now.  I found this picture with instructions online and saved it to my phone.  We went outside and as we lay on the ground I pulled out my phone to show them this image.

We stared at the dot, counted to 20 and then...  Whoa!  rainbows in the sky!  Of course, I told them the truth about the science behind how our eyes work.  This kind of learning is what I consider to be the ultra-fun side of parenting kids this age.

OK, one more week of work. I can do this!  See you soon.

Sacrificial Giving

Greetings friends and family,

One week of work left for me!  I took one final picture of me in the little workspace where I built my career for the past decade.  I do not want to have my office space compressed so it's a sad situation.  However, I'm grateful for my job and haven't complained at work one bit.

Another part of my "no worries" mentality is because when the twins start school in August I'll be able to work from home as much as I want.  The past five years have not been conducive to working from home because of the noise level and they expect me to be involved in their playtime, mealtime, and discipline if I'm inside the house.

Another milestone lately is how much their strength is increasing.  They can (and do) pick each other up and carry their sibling around the house.

When they were babies Kendra and I would say, "show me your cute face!" and they would both tilt their heads and smile.

Well, so much has changed in four years compared to this updated version, but the core of their "cute face" look is still very much shining through.  Kendra and I are extremely blessed for them to be best friends.

Easton's interest in Space Shuttles hasn't waned since I regretfully informed him the program is shut down (temporarily).  I showed him the Challenger disaster and explained what happened.  That didn't deter him one bit.  He is determined to fly the next version of the space taxi, whatever that is.  I often have individual playtime.  The way I start it is by asking, "You and I can do anything you want.  so what do you want to do?"  Easton's answer this day was to for me to help him hang his Space Shuttle and rocket posters above his bed.  His eyes are certainly set beyond this world.

Speaking of out-of-this-world goals...  I sold my bike.  My beloved, top-of-the-line mountain bike that I owned for the past 7 years.  I'm still grieving the loss of my trusty friend on the trail, but the story is just beginning.  My passion and hobby outside of work for the past 10 years has been mountain biking.  If I could do only one single activity for the rest of my life it would be mountain biking.  I like being close to nature and God while at the same time being away from cars and society.

If I love to do it so much, why would I sell my bike?  The short answer is, "because God told me to".  The long answer is as follows:

Our church is in the middle of building a new facility on campus and the capital stewardship campaign (fancy phrase for a building fund drive) is just kicking off.  I'm an advisory board members, on the finance committee, and the pastor's personal armor bearer.  We've been involved in our church for 6 years now and call it home.  As you can see, we are already heavily invested with our time and money.  But that's not good enough.  pastor is looking for me to step up as a leader at a higher level.  The only way to lead is by example.  The building will go up and I'm excited to be a part of making it happen.

So what does this have to do with my bike?  My writings so far seem kind of scatter-brained, but let me pull it together.  I've been praying about how much to commit to over the next 24 months and the $ amount God put in my heart is enormous.  It will take faith and sacrifice and a miracle, but I believe.  Every journey begins with one step and selling my bike allowed me to give the entire proceeds as a first fruits gift towards our commitment.  I just put new tires on my bike and had it fully serviced by the bike shop.  But then God...  that phrase has always choked me up because the Bible is full of stories where people thought and planned one thing while God had other plans.  But then God...  told me to sell my bike and give the entire amount to the building program.  "NO!" I thought.  "anything but my bike!"  I frantically thought through the list of other assets we own that I could sell to get that amount.  Then I stopped.  I didn't ask "Why?" or try to cut any deals because I know better than that.  Then, all that stuff I've been teaching the twins for five years came flooding back into my mind:

Slow obedience is NO obedience!
Good choices lead to good consequences.  Bad choices lead to bad consequences.
No whining
You can't get your hands on something new if they are full of something old
Trust me, I have something better for you
I am a man of my word:  I'll do what I say I will do.
I own it all.  There is nothing you can give me that I don't already have (remember Layla giving me the rock?)
It is better to give than to receive.

the list goes on and on, but the revelation was so intense it's hard to describe.  I've been teaching Easton and Layla these things since the time they could understand my words.  Then in a single moment God asked me to if I truly believe the stuff I've been teaching.  Now, I get to see God as my Heavenly Father in the same way I've been teaching the twins to see me as their worldly father.  Talk about an amazing revelation!  Wow!

After that whirlwind of emotion and thought I simply said, "Yes, I will obey."  I immediately listed my bike on Craigslist around 11:00 PM.  The next morning at 7:00 AM a guy called and said he would be right over to buy it.  I was hoping SO badly that this was just an Abraham and Issac test and God would provide a substitute so I wouldn't have to sell my bike.  but that didn't happen.  I sold it and gave the entire proceeds on Sunday.

This is the empty slot in my garage I'll look at every day.

where my next bike will go.  :)  I realize this is temporary stage where I don't have a bike.  I'll get another one when the time is right.  It's an easy sacrifice knowing that my temporary loss of hobby will result in eternal change for others.  The new building will house the training center where Kendra and I will lead the "freedom ministries" training.  It will also be where the children (including Easton and Layla) will develop their foundation of who God is.  It's hard to put a pricetag on those two things, but it's worth way more than a silly bike.  When will I get another bike?  I don't know, but I'm trusting God for his favor and blessings.  So long to my bike, but I can't wait to see what God has in store for our family and the church building.

I'm also turning off my 401(k) contribution and diverting those funds to help meet my commitment.  I've been contributing 10% of my income since I joined my company 16 years ago.  Taking a 24 month break from contributing is a way for me to show God I trust him with my whole future all the way through retirement.  I don't trust the government.  I don't trust Wall Street.  I don't even trust myself.  But I know God will take care of me and my family.

The fruit is always bigger than the seed!  This is the story of my practical application, doing what God tells me to and trusting him for the future.

See you soon!

The Zombie Moth

Greetings friends and family,

The last few nights have been interesting to say the least.  On Sunday night at around 3:00 AM Easton came into our room wide awake.  He said there was a bee in his room.  He was scared of it and cuddled up in bed with me.  Normally after a few minutes of comforting words and back rubs he heads back to bed.  This time he begged me not to send him back to his room.  I taught the twins to be careful (maybe fearful) of bees and wasps.  Maybe we overdid the cautious warnings.  Anyway, I walked with him back to bed and we turned on the lights in his room.  nothing there.

Back to bed I went, then 10 minutes later here came Easton again with the concern of the big bug or bee buzzing around his room.  I went back to his room and got out his bug catching net.  I said, "if you see him, catch him in the net and squish him with your shoe."

Back to bed I went, then 10 minutes later...  Kendra and I hear the bug flying around our room!  I jumped up with no contacts or glasses, armed only with a towel.  I chased it all over the bathroom and finally swatted it down.  Turns out it was just a moth.

Easton came into our room bright and early (go figure) and I excitedly led him over to the bathroom to view the deceased critter.  (gasp!)  it was gone!  We were invaded by a zombie moth who's trail of moth wing dust indicates he headed towards our closet.  I hope that's the last we will ever see of the moth, but that thing caused us several hours of sleep!

We leave our bedroom door slightly cracked and have done so for the past 5 years.  Originally it was so we could hear the twins if someone cries or needs us.  Neither of them get out of bed once we put them at night except to go pee or once in a blue moon if they have a nightmare (or a zombie moth).

Last night Easton came into the room after Kendra and I had gone to bed and turned the lights off. We were um...  uh...  cuddling closely in the dark and I looked over to see Easton's shadow standing there at the side of the bed.  The lights were off, his eyes were closed and he was virtually sleep walking.  Thank God.  Kendra and I tried hard to control our laughing at the awkward situation.  We held our breath waiting to see if Easton noticed anything unusual going on in our bedroom when he came in.  After a couple of minutes of him telling us in a sleepy voice about his dreams we breathed a sigh of relief.  Mr. Inquisitive would not have let that moment go if he suspected anything was out of order when walked in.

So from now on we will lock our door.  that policy starts today!  They are old enough to knock and  wait patiently for us to come and let them in. whew!  that was a close one.

Easton is getting into Legos pretty seriously now.  He played with the transformer lego man for a while, but asked if he and I could rebuild it as a car.  So we did it together and I'm proud to say he is becoming almost self-sufficient at build some smaller items like this.  Layla jumped in the picture and photobombed our celebratory moment, but we had a good laugh together when viewing the picture.

My office of 10 years is being moved.  Shrunk, actually.  Our entire floor is compressing.  After years of avoiding the incredible shrinking office phenomena which plagued every other floor and building on campus, the compression people finally caught up with us.  As I was cleaning out my office I took a picture of my eye-level shelf to show what I look at all day long.  The twins as babies and one of my favorite pictures of Kendra.

When I return from sabbatical I'll walk to a different office down the row from where I've gone for 10 years.  I foresee several accidental walk-ins on whoever takes over the space where my office is now.  we are such creatures of habit...

Ten days until sabbatical!  Can you hear that? ...  That's the sound of me not caring about work anymore.  Each day my motivation to finish strong is cut in half.  I just hope I have enough gas left in my tank to even show up next Friday to work.

Hikers and Puppets

Greetings friends and family,

What a great week for the 4 Webbs!  Kendra completed her gun safety training, I'm almost fully recovered from the surgery and the twins are fully qualified as hiking buddies.  Kendra took Friday for a day-long class.  She learned how to hold a hand gun and all about the laws of carrying a firearm in the great state of Arizona.  I took a vacation day to cover the home front including taking care of Will, our part-time triplet.

I was tasked with planning our church's Men's mentoring group hike.  As a part of our fun-filled Friday we took a practice run on the trail I planned to hike with the men.  We made it to a high point of one of the peaks and they were jumping around like Rocky at the top of the staircase.

Easton's hat is straw like my cowboy hat.  He said, "we are the same now!" as we were walking down the trail.  It's hard to explain to a five-year-old that he and I are so extremely similar in looks, and personality that the hat isn't even necessary for us to be the same.  Not sure what was up with the peace sign flashing.  I think Will learned that somewhere because I know I never taught them that.

This was Will's first time trail hiking.  He did great to keep up with the twins and even led a little while.

I stopped to take a picture of the most beautiful wild flower I've ever seen.  and there was also some yellow weed behind her.  Made for a great picture.  She's getting very comfortable with her model poses.

I should have turned around sooner than we did because by the time we approached the final climb out of the canyon they were all three dragging their feet and asking me to carry them.  Nope!  Time to put on their big-kid pants and push themselves a little further than they think they can go.

Promises of a dunk in the hot tub was enough to keep them moving all the way to the Pilot.  Layla suited up in her new two-piece swimsuit.  The Disney store had a sale and she continues to grow out of clothes.  Since we'll be vacationing heavily this summer it was time to upgrade her wardrobe.  

Easton and Will decided the water temperature was still a few degrees too chilly for them so they jumped out after a quick few minutes of splashing around.  The pool pump broke so we're not able to run the cleaning system or heat the water until next week.  Another $1,600 cost of home ownership coming up next week just before vacation!  Home-ownership is SO much cheaper than renting...  Glad I'm not throwing my money away on rent anymore.  Yeah, right.  In all seriousness, I'm happy we are good stewards of our money and have the funds to fix stuff as it breaks.

Anyway, the men's group hiking trip was a big hit.  We had over 30 guys go with us.  Pastor took time to give us a few nuggets of wisdom and questions to ask each other as we engage in conversation.

We covered over five miles.  The temperature crept up with every step, but we started so early that we left just before the sun was glaring down.

We stopped at the top of a peak for a photo opportunity and a break for the slow-pokes.

Half of the group took the long hike with us and half, who weren't physically able to go that far, took the easy two-mile hike.  We met up in the middle and finished the hike together.  Everyone had a great time during the hike and especially during brunch afterwards.  I liked getting to know some new guys and finding out who are the next prospects for us to include in our mentoring program.  I'm always on the lookout for future leaders and those who are open to being mentored.

One of the questions we asked each during hike was, "When did you become a man?"  I'll save this personal story for my next blog post.

The other event we did was to see a real puppet theater.  I had no idea what to expect, but like I always say, "You can't have adventures unless you go adventuring!"  The ticket prices were higher than I expected, but the experience of doing it once was worth the money.  And the theater performed a modified version of Rapunzel.  

The theater seating area and stage are huge, but only a few benches lined the front where I sat.  There was a large mat in the front where kids could sit and of course the twins and Will wanted the best seats in the house.

No pictures were allowed during the performance, but let's just say it was entertaining, but not exceptional.  The performance was comprised of one lady telling a story and doing all the voices except the singing.  She did a good enough job to keep their attention almost the entire time.  There were some creepy parts with the old lady stealing the baby Rapunzel and the prince's eyes filling with blood and going blind after falling from the tower into a patch of thorns (not joking).  I'm glad we went, but probably won't buy any season passes.

On another day at the Webb house Kendra applied her magic teaching skills to explain the concept of wind.  Layla is attempting to blow the plastic thing through the glass bottle.

Then she gave them straws and let them roll a piece of paper around the floor.

Easton is my inventor, engineer.  He just picked it up with the straw and carried it.  Smart boy, eh?

The twins are always up for a trip to wander the toy aisles of target.  This picture Kendra captured is very descriptive of their imaginative and adventurous personalities.  Layla is into acting and Easton is into superheros.  There are ways to combine the two for some good old-fashioned play time.

Just two more weeks of work and this guy is off for 72 days of vacation.  Can't. Get. Here. Soon enough.

See you soon!