Jordan Bench

Reflections

The Drive

The kids did great on the drive. Props to Abbey for coming prepared with:

movies and shows downloaded
crafts
beaded necklaces
coloring books
LeapFrog toy
treats
and so much more

She was really prepared for that drive.

We managed to make the drive from Lehi to St. George without pulling out an iPad, which was a win for us. We wanted to see if we could do that. We only stopped in St. George — that was our only stop the whole way there, which is pretty incredible.

The second leg after St. George to and from is always the hardest. It's a long drive. Overall, it wasn't too bad.

What Surprised Me About Beau

What surprised me about Beau this trip was that all he really cares about is having my attention.

From the moment he wakes up: "Dad, dad, dad." "Did you know this?" "Dad, can I have this?" "Dad, what are we doing today?"

Whether we're at the pool or on the beach, he wants to play. He wants me to do something with him and focus on him.

I think that's special. I don't think that will always be the case. It's a pretty special time to feel so wanted and so looked up to.

In the moment, it's easy to feel annoyed or burdened or too tired. But when you really think about it, it's just a deep desire for attention and a desire to want to be like me. That's pretty special.

What Surprised Me About Blaire

What surprised me about Blaire was how much she's able to articulate at such a young age.

It was really fun to see her tell us what she wants, play with Beau, tell us what she's scared of, and tell us what she doesn't want to do. She has no problem repeating herself.

She's got such a fun personality. She's funny. She makes you laugh.

Abbey

There was a lot that Abbey did:

She packed everyone except me
She planned and guided us around Disneyland
She managed the kids for nine hours there and back — 18 hours total

She really caters to me and wants to make sure I'm okay. A lot of the things I'll remember from this trip are things she did.

Favorite Parts

Going to sleep holding hands with Blaire
Going on Disney rides as a family
Lunch and dinner at Disney
Beach: finding shells, running away from waves, building sandcastles, walk to donuts
Playing games at the pool — surfer toy, rides
Hearing Blaire talk and watching her eat at dinner
Both kids under my arms — watching David
Chocolate dessert from True Food
S'mores with the kids
Feeding the koi fish and breaking the rules

Moments to Remember

Beach with Beau

Playing with Beau on the beach, chasing waves back and forth. Running away from the waves, backpedaling so the wave doesn't hit our toes. We probably did that for an hour. Seeing how excited he was was pretty awesome.

Pool Days

Holding both kids on my arms and doing laps around the pool. Playing at the zero-entry pool, trying to get the little surfer guy to the edge while Beau tried to take it out with his orange shark torpedo.

Blaire at the Table

Seeing Blaire discover new foods like fried rice or greens and demand more. Watching her love food at the dinner table was really fun.

S'mores Night

Roasting marshmallows, making s'mores, eating them. Then letting Beau burn the roasting stick in the fire and play with it for 10 or 15 minutes.

Last-Night Movie

Movie night watching David. Both kids under my arms, lying on my chest. We rented it on Amazon Prime and ended the trip that way.

Pickleball

Teaching Blaire how to swing and hit the pickleball for the first time. She liked it. She got to hit the ball to Beau. Playing pickleball with the kids is really fun. One day I'd love to have a court at our house.

Memories

The second night, when the kids weren't feeling great, we put Blaire in our bed. Going to sleep with your two-year-old little girl — her fingers wrapped around one of mine, holding hands, face-to-face — is one of the best feelings in the world.

I loved going to sleep every night for the rest of the trip and laying next to her. She slept like a rock.

The last night, Abbey and Blaire went to bed early. When I walked in later, Blaire had her hand wrapped around Abbey's finger. I took a picture. It was pretty cute.