But before we went to party I had to take Dez to the dentist. He went back all by himself (while I watched everything through a window) and did a great job! He only cried once because he didn't like the sound of one of the instruments they were using. After they turned it off, he was fine! After it was over and done with, I found out that they had put sealants on a few of his teeth (to protect against any future cavities) and found out that Dez actually had one cavity! What?!? I was in complete shock! I brush his teeth twice a day every day! Oh well, I guess. He's going back at the end of this month to get it fixed. Still couldn't believe it.
After the dentist it was time to pack to go to Jasper. (For those of you who don't know, my grandparents own a huge house in Jasper where we go to celebrate the 4th of July and Christmas. The house is big enough to hold all of my mom's extended family. We look forward to going every year.)
Usually when we go to Jasper we don't plan to leave until Saturday but I wanted to get there a day before. They were having a parade in the morning and I didn't want Dez and Dax to miss it. So off we went on a Friday evening.
I packed all our bags. I planned all Dax's meals. I made sure we had all our swimming gear and sunscreen. I loaded everyone in the car. I buckled up and turned on the car. Then I realized....
I have no idea how to get to Jasper.
Of all the many, many, many years we have gone to the same house, I have never driven or even paid attention to where we were going!
It was then that I started to tear up. I've never noticed how much I depend on you. It was very bittersweet going to Jasper this year. I was so excited to see family and have Desmond play with boys his own age and to even have people see Dax for the first time! But at the same time I desperately wished you could have been there. I hated having to split myself in two to take care of each of our two boys. It was a battle the entire weekend. Should I stay and swim with Dez while asking someone to keep an ear out for a sleeping Dax? Or do I have to ask someone to watch Dez while I watch Dax? I felt like I should have been in a million places at once. It was definitely a struggle for me to have to choose between them. I thought I'd never have to do that in my life. But, lucky for me, my family was more than willing to help me out.
Anyway, we arrived on Friday evening. Desmond and Will became best friends within the first 30 seconds. They took off screaming and running throughout the house. They were funny to watch and even more hilarious to listen to. I'm glad Dez has such good cousins.
On Saturday Dax decided to wake up at 7:00. Uhhhhh, man, but it was early. I fed and hurriedly put him back to sleep to get a quick nap before the morning parade. It was perfect timing. Dax and Dez woke up later at just the right time to eat breakfast and get dressed and load up onto the trailer for the ride into town.
The parade was funny. Funny as in, are we the only ones here? Did the parade get moved to a different time/place? Nope. Nobody shows up for parades in Jasper apparently! It only lasted 5 minutes!(Literally!) It worked out to our advantage though. We loaded up on the candy!
After the parade we swam. We swam and swam and swam and swam! Geez Dez is part fish, I swear. And boy, is he tan!! No sunburning at all, just tan! He definitely inherited that from you.
Dez got to open his first birthday present that afternoon.
As you can see, he was pretty pleased with what he got! Thanks, Grandma Nicki and Granddaddy for the cute outfit and new Hot Wheels track!
Throughout the day, I noticed Dax being a little grumpy. He was definitely his usual happy self, but there was just something off. He took 3 naps that day, which kinda tipped me off. It was after his second nap that I realized he was getting sick. Poor little guy can't catch a break! He didn't even feel good enough to stay in the pool for more than 15 minutes. But, you know Dax, he was thrilled to be somewhere new and to see new people. But at the same time still a little miserable.
See? Ha, just kidding.
That night was the infamous fireworks display. And let me tell ya, Jasper does not go cheap for this thing! It is the most awesome display of fireworks I've ever seen. Every year they go all out! The show must have lasted 30 minutes. We arrived at the park 30 minutes early to get a good spot to view the fireworks. But even then we were pretty far away.
As soon as we parked the truck and trailer Desmond started to panic. He hates loud noises. He even hates to be in a public restroom while someone is drying their hands with those air dryers. We still had 30 minutes to go before the show started but he was adamant about keeping his fingers in his ears. He did NOT take them out! I kept trying to explain to him that it wasn't going to be that loud (since we were pretty far away) and still had a long way to go before it actually started.
Poor guy, can you see the despair in those little eyes??
But, I just knew that once the fireworks started he would be fine. And, sure enough, once they started, he enjoyed them immensely! And Dax! Talk about mesmerized! He just silently stared with a look of awe on his face. He was completely entranced by the whole thing.
I know these are terrible pictures. Another reason I wish you had been there; you know how to set our camera to the right settings.
The next day it was obvious Dax wasn't feeling well. He started to get a mild fever and had the beginnings of a runny nose. I let Dez swim one last time and Dax take one last nap before I started packing up to head home. As soon as I got into the car to drive home I got to tearing up again. I HATED that you weren't there to be with us and enjoy the wonderful time we had. I hate that you have to miss out on all the things we've been doing. I HATE that Dez and Dax have to miss out on getting to play with their dad.
But, despite all that, we absolutely had a blast this weekend. I'm so grateful for all the help that was given to me and for all our wonderful family that we got to spend time with.
Happy 4th of July!
Love, KK
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