The 1st Daughter

Pioneer Woman Cooks Giveaway

2009-12-14T12:14:00.002-05:00

Just wanted to let you all know that my new site is hosting a giveaway I thought some of you might be interested in.

I was recently able to attend a signing of The Pioneer Woman and get an extra copy of her new book to give to one lucky reader of my new site There's A Book.

You have until the end of the year and I'll ship anywhere in the world.
So head on over and sign up! You may be the new owner of one fabulous signed cookbook!

Pioneer Woman Cooks Giveaway

There's A Book

2009-11-24T15:32:00.003-05:00

So, I know, many of you have been wondering...where's Danielle? Well, things have been crazy with moving and a new job (for Alan) and many other things I'm just not going to go into here. But one of the biggest reasons for no posting here is that I'm actually picking up and moving our blog. Blogger has done us well for the last few years, but with a new life I want a clean slate. So, I have two (yes, two) new blogs! One just started up yesterday and our family blog will be up and going shortly.

As many of you know, I love love love to read and so do my kids. This led me to what has now become my new site There's A Book. I remember when Jace was first born and I had the hardest time trying to figure out just what books to get for him. We've all been there, right? You're standing in the book store staring at countless board books and multiple displays, but what to get? It's difficult and every kid is so different. What one child likes another won't touch (as I'm now truly finding out, since our little Eden is also a reader).

Thus, There's A Book was born! I want to help! No more trying to decipher whether a book is appropriate, what age or any of the other countless questions you ask yourself. Each of the reviews will feature a different viewpoint, either Jace (The Turkeybird) or Eden (Littlebug) as well as my two cents about each book they review. I'm also going to be featuring Middle Grade and Young Adult fiction because those can be murky waters as well...I mean when exactly do I feel my little Eden is ready to read The Twilight Series? We'll also have interviews with authors and illustrators and also explanations about all those book awards given to Children's books. I'm excited for it all and I hope you will be too! So, what are you waiting for? Go, take a look and make sure to tell me what you think!

There's A Book

Much Love, the1stdaughter

Turkey Bird and Little Bug

2009-07-15T17:46:00.005-04:00

Well, without further ado here are the pictures of my bird and little bug everyone has been clamoring for:

The two mischief makers together hangin' out.

Jace in his first "real" attempt at swimming, he had a blast!

My little bug is getting so big. She's now over 5 months old and rolls all over the place, she's trying hard to crawl, but hasn't quite figured it out yet. The first of these two pictures isn't my favorite, but it really shows just how big she's gotten, it's just crazy!

The Book Bundle

2009-07-11T23:55:00.003-04:00

As some of you may or may not have noticed, in my side bar I now have another site I am contributing to, 'The Book Bundle'. I will be reading and reviewing various books and posting my reviews to the site. Please take a look and let me know what you think.

Today was my first posted review for Momma Zen by Karen Mazen Miller. It's beautiful, but you'll have to check out The Book Bundle to find out how I really feel about it!

Also, we have a competition going on that you can get in on and possibly win a signed book by Rosy Thornton, but you only have until tomorrow to sign up for it. Check it out!

It Finally Happened

2009-06-20T23:59:00.004-04:00

So, I've been a bit behind on the posting, but that is mostly due to a lack of camera cable that has been conveniently packed away in storage. Ugh. So, thanks again to my dear friend Abbie I have some pictures of the highly anticipated graduation! Thanks Abbie!

Everytime I take a look at these pictures I tear up and can't help but be joyous over the accomplishment that has occurred. The day was wonderful, even with it being moved to the gym because of bad weather the night before, it was great. Alan worked so hard to get to this day and I am so proud of all that he has accomplished.

Now on to the bar exam!
Keep posted for more pictures to come!

Who Decided???

2009-05-24T16:34:00.002-04:00

Hyperlexia, its a word that has recently been added to our family's vocabulary. As I have mentioned in the past, during the last few months we were in Lexington Jace began seeing a speech therapist and a behavioral coach. He started about a month before Eden was born and continued until a couple of weeks before we left. I can't discount it, but I'm not 100% sure it was the cause of Jace's marked improvement. Within a month of Jace beginning he increased his vocabulary from nearly zero to more than 20 words. He began communicating outside of just dragging us to various locations and pointing to what he wanted. This also coincided with the birth of Eden and I have a tendency to believe he finally figured out that he now needed to communicate to get what he wanted.

Soon after his marked improvement the speech therapist began to notice something different about Jace. The behaviorist had already made comments eluding to the fact that she believed Jace to be mildly Autistic. And now the speech therapist believed Jace had a "disorder" called Hyperlexia. We had all noticed that Jace would open books and begin "reading". I say this, because it was surprising and hard to believe. It was always only one word at a time, but it was always a word he said without prompting. In addition to this I might add that Jace already knows his entire alphabet and can count to ten now. He is only a couple of months past two years old now and it's the only explanation I could believe at the time the therapist told us. He was socially awkward but intellectually more advanced than that of the other kids his age.

Now I bring this up because I recently read a post on a fellow parent of a Hyperlexic child, Ben. She says:

"I simply want to acknowledge the murkiness and complexity of having - or not having - a diagnosis, a label, or the status of "disability" attached to one's differences."

Her assessment of a situation her son was in is like many I have seen even in Jace's two short years of life. And I have often wondered about this since receiving Jace's "diagnosis". I wonder why it is that we as a generation of parents feel the need to label everything thing our children do or do not do?

Recently, Eden has been having difficulty sleeping through the night. Granted, moving has disrupted our schedule and hasn't helped, but it shouldn't be this bad. One thing it could be is teeth. Jace and I both got teeth at a very early age. The other is that she is just plain too hungry. We have made the decision to start feeding her cereal and then start with solids a couple weeks later. She will only be four months old in a couple of weeks and we know this is a little early according to the "charts", but I don't care.

When did we as parents start to care what others say and what others have deemed "normal"? Why is it that everyone needs to be put into a cookie cutter shape molded by someone we never met or who has ever even met our child. And I'm not talking about the therapists they see, I mean the people who invented the names themselves. These labels were researched and thought through I am sure by some very intelligent people, but lets be honest...do they know our children personally? No, and yes it's nice to have somewhere to start and say, "okay, this approach may help my child", but why must we judge our children based on a label that may or may not be accurate? Why is it that our schools have to be so overrun that a child can't be given the attention that is needed to help them thrive, regardless of their individual "label"?

I really want to know who made these decisions and then makes us feel inadequate in our roles as parents? Because in my expereince when I make the decisions I feel are best for my children after prayer, study and discussion with Alan they are generally the choices that help them the best. Anyone else out there feel the same or different for that matter?

The 10 Things We Won't Forget

2009-05-04T12:50:00.014-04:00

So, this week is a big week for us. We are moving and, drum roll please......Alan is graduating from Washington and Lee Law School! I can hardly believe it's already over, I never knew three years could pass so quickly. During that time we've had so much to be grateful for including the birth of our two children. But I couldn't mention Alan graduating without mentioning how proud I am of him for this great accomplishment. Completing law school was such a tremendous task for him and I am so happy he was able to get through it and even enjoy some of it.

That being said I thought this would be a great time to mention the top ten things we will miss after we have left Lexington. I know many times I have grumbled about how small and trapped I've felt at times, but truly this has been a fabulous experience and one I won't soon forget. So without further ado, The Top Ten of Lexington:

#1. All of the fabulous and wonderful friends we have made here. I can honestly say that there are so many of you I want to keep in touch with through the coming years. We've all gone through so much together and I will treasure our memories forever. (PS...If I didn't link to you, it's because you need to get a blog! Haha. Not because you aren't a friend.)

#2. My time at Southern Virginia University. While Alan had the privilege of going to W&L, I had some of the best experiences playing in the flute choir at SVU. I met Launa Whitehead, the flute professor there who taught me to love playing my flute again and became a dear friend. I will miss my weekly escape with music, but hope to find it again elsewhere thanks to the inspiration I found here.

#3. The law professors at W&L. One of the reasons we chose to come to W&L were the law professors. At a visit to the school the year prior to coming we met many of Alan's now favorite teachers. Alan knew he wanted something more than just a rote lecture on a daily basis, he wanted professors who cared not only for their subjects, but the students as well. One of our favorites has been Professor Murchison, who was the acting Dean when we came to the school. He was amazing and not only was concerned for Alan, but asked about my well being on a regular basis. You just don't get that at a school where each class has over 100 to 200 people in it.

#4. The Law Families organization. I know I mentioned friends before, but some of these friends I would have never made if it wasn't for this wonderful organization at W&L. We were all in the same situation and the Law Families group made it possible for us to find enjoyment in our times of struggle and people to commiserate with when we needed a shoulder to lean on.

#5. The beauty that is Virginia...just take a look. How could you pass this up?

#6. Jace's playgroup buddies. I can't type this without getting teared up. Alan and I have had our share of worries about Jace and his socialization skills. Well, the playgroup has done wonders for Jace and now he looks forward to seeing his friends whenever he can. He'll run up to them and call them by name some times. It's wonderful and I know he will miss them.

#7. Lexington, the city. Yes, I know I've said it's too small or there isn't much to do here at times, but there's something about the quaintness that is Lexington. To be able to walk down the street and have people say hello or the occasional VMI cadet bow his head while saying "hello ladies". You just don't get that in a big city and I will miss it.

#8. Being so close to DC. It's been so great to take the occasional trip to our nations capitol. This was another reason we came to Virginia, we wanted something different from what we've had. We wanted to be able to experience the East Coast. I can say there are still a few things we'd like to visit, but now we have friends to come visit here as well. So, we'll be back for sure.

#9. My doctors in Staunton. I've already mentioned what a blessing the doctor was who delivered both Jace and Eden, but I'll say it again. I think he saved my life and in addition to that added a little humor to the situation.

#10. Last but not least...the experiences we've had that have drawn Alan and I closer together. It's been great for us to be away from family, I'm not saying we've enjoyed being miles from family who love and care about us, but it was great for our marraige. We are stronger together and have some great experiences that will stregthen us for this rest of our lives. Thanks Alan for getting through this with me.

Now I think I'll go off in a room by myself and cry a little for all the fun times we've had and will never forget.

Ear Infections and Such...

2009-05-02T20:36:00.004-04:00

Well, Eden has been doing a lot of this recently:

Our little sleeper has turned into a non-sleeper in a matter of days. She kept waking up after having been only asleep for a few minutes just screaming and kept turning her head to the opposite side she normally does. Then, I started to feel a little flu like a day or so ago, but nothing too bad. So, Eden already had a doctors appointment scheduled and because of an emergency (on the doctors part) we got switched to this morning. She took a couple of quick looks at her ears and determined that yes our poor little girl has her first ear infection, and it's in both ears! Ugh.

I hope this isn't something that is a reoccurring condition. I have many friends whose kids get ear infections on a monthly basis and I feel awful for them! I also am hoping that it clears up in the next couple of days with the medicine they gave us, because as many of you know we are getting on a plane in just over a week to fly across country.

Besides that things are good. I had a friend, Melissa, come take some pictures of Eden when she was just two months old. By the way, can you believe she'll be 3 months old in just a couple of days??? Crazy! I love these pictures because they show a different side of Eden. Most are close up and show her true self. Thanks so much Melissa!

She also shot a few of Jace with his "hand in the cookie jar" so to speak. He is always asking to get up on the counter to pick out his own snack. So, one of us usually lifts him up and stands with him while he picks something out. Its pretty funny most of the time.

For Every Mom

2009-04-23T20:20:00.004-04:00

I read this post the other day and have to share. It's for every mom that ever wished she was something more than what she is and doesn't realize just how important she really is. It's just perfect.

"That" Mom by JC Handmade (love her blog by the way!)

More posts to come! Including more about pictures my friend Melissa took of Eden.

(PS...I officially have inherited my mothers' hands and I love it!)

If You Listen

2009-04-12T20:42:00.005-04:00

So, Eden is a huge fan of Elizabeth Mitchell's music. I tried to get Jace into it, but all he cares to listen to is Frank Sinatra (which is just fine, don't get me wrong). But Mitchell's music is so fun and I like the fact that it's for kids, but as an adult I can enjoy it too. She sings a lot of songs that I remember from my childhood and some I had never heard before, but I can honestly say I like every song. There is one in particular that both Eden and I love called "If You Listen" (originally written by Francoise Hardy). I can sing this song to her most anytime that she is being fussy and she immediately calms down. I love that I can share this with her and that she seems to appreciate music as much as I do. The lyrics are as follows:

if you listen you can hear
birds sing and flowers grow
if you listen you can hear
my love for you just grow
in the silence that's around
deep peace and love are found
in the days that will be here
my love will call you loud and clear
and in the silent place where loneliness is found
I'll wander through the open door
to look for you
there in that magic land
that lies beyond the clouds floating on the sea of dreams
I'll sing to you

The first few times I heard this song I cried like a baby. It was pitiful. But there's something about what the song says that makes me realize what a blessing it is that I have the two beautiful children I do. I have always felt a passion for music and the power it has in our lives for good or bad. This song seemed to exemplify what I find to be good and uplifting in the music I chose to bring into my life.

I don't know what it is, but it seems like this time around (having another child) I feel more calm, more centered and better able to handle the rough patches that come along. Yes, I still have bad days as you all know, but it's been such a blessing to be able to sit back and truly appreciate what is happening now with both Jace and Eden. The love that I have for the both of them is more than I could have imagined was possible. And not only does it make the love I have for them stronger it has made my appreciation for the other people in my life greater as well. I can honestly say I feel truly blessed to have what I do have in my life now, no matter how little or much, it seems like could not possibly deserve all that I have been given.

By the way, for those of you interested in Eden's stats:
2 month check up
13 pounds 2 ounces (95%)
24 inches long (95%)
16 inches around her head

She's getting so big! And smiling and talking more everyday.

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T20:25:00.005-04:00

Just wanted to say Happy Easter to everyone and share some fun pictures from this weekend.

Here in Lexington we are part of the law families organization at the law school, as some of you know. The wonderful thing about this is that we have the opportunity to get together and enjoy each others company while our kids get to play as well. On Saturday we attended the annual Law Families Easter Egg Hunt. We had a blast, but probably not as much as Jace did.

It all started with the Easter Bunny! Can you believe the Easter Bunny actually made a special trip to Lexington just for our kids? It was awesome! (A little scary, but cool.) Jace of course had to give him a high five and "knuckles".

Following the Easter Bunny was the egg hunt. Each of the kids could get about a dozen eggs, but in the end I think each ended up with more than that. They had so much fun!

The best part...eating the chocolate...yummm!

Eden enjoying the festivities the only way she knows how:

One of the great things about the day was that the party was at this great little park near some of our friends' homes. This meant swings and the best part, slides! Jace had a blast and it was great to hang out with everyone.

Outsider

2009-04-07T16:03:00.004-04:00

Most of the time I feel the stuff I post about is fairly positive and maybe it has given the impression that life is perfect in my neck of the woods. Well, I thought for a change I would write what I feel and let the cards fall where they may.

For a long time now, and probably most of my life I have felt like there are times when I'm standing outside myself watching what happens without reacting. Mostly I feel like this is a reaction to times when I haven't been accepted in some fashion and dealt with it by closing myself off to the world. A defense mechanism you may call it. Unfortunately, I think that over the years it has made me unreachable and distant from those I wish I could have good relationships with. I have wondered, and more recently it has become a constant thought, why do I not seem to be able to connect with others in a meaningful way? Why do I feel like I'm the one watching everyone else enjoying life while I continue to trudge through it? Am I the only one who feels this way?

I guess it really started to bother me after I had Eden. I have a really great group of girls here in Lexington who brought me dinners and showed up occasionally to see how things were going. But other than that, nothing. I will say this, knowing that I may rub some people the wrong way, but oh well...no one from the church I go to bothered to call or visit. I think it wouldn't bother me so much if it wasn't the second time it's happened. When Jace was born it was the same thing. To be completely honest, I didn't really expect anything, but what bothers me the most about it is that the image of the organization is supposed to be one of caring and providing for others, but it doesn't really seem to apply to me. Please, don't take me the wrong way, I completely and totally believe in the church and have a very strong belief in the principles, but sometimes it's the people that drive me crazy. I guess it could be that way with any organization.

On top of all of this I have my doubts about everything. About me and what I'm doing with my life. But mostly about why I help others. Why do I care about how they feel about me and why do I continue to put so much effort into giving other people what they want or need. I know all of this sounds very selfish and wrong, but it's just how I feel some days. Depressed, sad, lonely, out of the loop, and just plain on my own. It starts to feel like it doesn't matter what I do for others because no matter what I do I will not be accepted. Or even just cared for.

I guess in the end I just have to be grateful for my husband, who cares for me very much, my children, my sisters and parents, and one or two close friends I may have. I just get worried that in the end I may not have them or that something will happen to the people I truly care for and I will really be all alone. Am I alone in feeling this way or are there others of you who feel like this? Am I trying to hard?

That's all...now on to better posts...

Eden's Blessing

2009-04-05T20:00:00.001-04:00

On Sunday we were able to bless Eden here in the Lexington Ward. It was great and the only thing missing was our family (which is understandable since they live on the other side of the country). Fortunately, we have some great friends here that were able to step in and help out in the blessing circle.

(Pictured from left to right: Chuck Gates, Adam Neilson, Bishop Wilhelm, Alan w/Eden, John Gottfredson, and Scott Rufener)

All of these men (and there families) have been an important part of our lives here in Virginia and I'm so glad they could be here for Eden's big day.

Attack of the Chocolate Mustache

2009-04-04T08:00:00.000-04:00

So, as some of you know Jace is a chocolate fiend. If it is anywhere in the vicinity he will find it and devourer it. In addition to this Jace is an avid baker. So for him, what could be better than baking with chocolate? Nothing...can we say nirvana?

I may mention that he was quite disappointed to have to clean his face off. Not because he doesn't like having his face cleaned (which he's not a fan of), but because he kept smudging his fingers on his face and then licked his fingers off. He just couldn't stop!

Burp Clothes

2009-04-03T00:25:00.000-04:00

When we had Jace we actually found these great inexpensive burp clothes that we still had for when Eden came. Well, actually some of them mysteriously disappeared and so we needed some more. Before Eden came I found this totally cute fabric and decided I wanted to make some burp clothes and a matching quilt. Well, I finally finished the burp clothes and now I'm onto the quilt. Here are the finished burp clothes:

I think the pictures make the fabric look a little more orange than they are, but I couldn't fix it without changing the other colors too much.

Anyways...Part of why I am posting this is because I am considering making and selling these on Etsy, but I'm curious what everyone thinks and how much they would pay for something like this. Any imput you have would be great! Keep in mind that in this group are 12 burp clothes and each one cost me about $2.50 to make. Also, I made them with organic diaper backing and could use non-organic for about $2 each. I was considering selling them in 3, 6, and 12 sets and offering a variety of girl, boy and nuetral prints. Let me know what you guys think, I would love to know!

The Train Set

2009-04-02T20:19:00.001-04:00

Jace loves his train set! And to be honest it's the one toy that no one else is allowed to touch. In the morning when he's ready to head downstairs and play with his train set (usually before breakfast) he will say over and over "Choo Choo, Choo Choo". Some days he will completely dismantle the track and start from scratch (all on his own) and other days he just sticks to what was there. Either way, one of his favorite ways to play is by lying down on the floor and pushing the train around the track while staring at it that way. It cracks us all up, but for some reason he loves to look at it from that angle.

This picture was taken the same day and I just cracked up seeing it.
Jace's version of the "Robot".

What She Was Meant to Do

2009-04-01T20:01:00.004-04:00

About a year ago, before I was pregnant with Eden and Jace was still just a year old, I overheard a conversation while waiting for Alan at the law school. There were two women (obviously co-workers) and one of them was holding a very small baby. The woman without the child was asking how things were going and here is where the conversation got interesting...at least for me that is. She responded by telling her that she felt she had finally found what she was truly meant to do in life, that she was destined to be a mother and it was the most wonderful experience she'd ever had. Well, to be honest I almost burst into laughter sitting there, but I held back.

Now, I know many of you reading will judge my reaction as harsh and unfair, but some won't. Some of you know what it was like for Alan and I the first months of Jace's life and what a trial it was for us both. So, for me hearing this woman making it sound like taking care of an infant was the most effortless thing anyone could ever do made me crazy. I just couldn't wrap my head around it.

Well, I'm not going to completely change my opinion, but I do have to say that when your child does this the majority of the day of course it can seem effortless.

This, of course, is Eden doing what she does best...sleep. She will sleep almost anywhere and anytime. I will say that as she gets older she needs a little coercion sometimes, but really she'll sleep anywhere. She's laid back, relaxed and an all together great baby. She's fussy in the evening for a couple of hours, but to me it's heaven compared to what we went through with Jace's first few months.

So, now I can say I know why some families can handle having multiple children. If they were all like Eden...I would have a half dozen too.

This Little Boy is Two!

2009-03-20T21:46:00.004-04:00

I can't believe it! Jace is two. He had his birthday on the 12th. It was quiet and just the four of us seeing as things are a bit crazy around here right now.

He's now 30 lbs. and 3 feet tall. I look from him to Eden often and find it hard to believe he's grown so much in the last 2 years. As some of you know, Jace isn't much of a talker but we've had him working with a speech therapist and he's improving by leaps and bounds. He loves his little sister, most of the time, but is a bit jealous some of the time. Jace is in love and I mean absolutely in love with cars and trains, he could play with them all day and not be bored. He's also a thinker and can be very quiet at times just trying to figure out how something works.

We are so grateful to have him in our family and can't wait to see what adventures he will go on as he gets older. We love you Jace!

Pictures by Abbie.

So Worth It

2009-02-23T22:05:00.004-05:00

This is another picture by my good friend Abbie. I have to say thank you again, because after everyday that Eden is with us I realize how fast she will grow and not be little anymore. I'm grateful to have these pictures to remind me always of what was.

So, I have to say thank you so much to all of you offering prayers and thoughts on my behalf. I want to let you all know that I am doing much much better and am starting to feel a little like myself again. I finally decided I couldn't just sit around waiting for some miracle, but had to get back to life. It worked, granted, I'm not going to be running a marathon anytime soon, but I am finally able to help with little things around the house, like laundry and dishes. Its amazing how those things can make you feel like you are contributing again.

For those of you who are interested I thought I would give you a brief run down of what exactly happened. I want to start by saying that if I had to do it again I would, Eden is so worth it and now I wish it would be possible again. See, before we had Eden, Alan and I decided that she would be our last. We prayed over this decision long and hard and came to the conclusion that it would be best for our family and marriage to have just Jace and Eden. This decision was confirmed as the events of Eden's birth unfolded.

I went in on the 5th of February early in the morning to Augusta Medical Center in Fishersville VA to have a routine C-Section. Jace was born this way and to be honest I wasn't really that worried, I recovered from Jace's delivery in a matter of days. I had the same doctor and anesthesiologist and felt good.

At around 9am they took me into the surgery room and was asked to get on the table. This is when things started out bad. My spinal had to be done twice and I have to say I don't ever want to do that again, it was very very painful. But again, I felt comforted afterwards knowing that I would be done in a matter of maybe a half an hour to forty five minutes. Eden was born at 9:01 am and they took Alan and her out of the room shortly after.

This was when things started to get not so good. During my pregnancy I had accumulated too much amniotic fluid and my uterus had been overly worked and distended. It was tired to say the least and would not contract. I bled and bled. The doctor tried multiple things to get it to do just that and it wouldn't. Finally, after giving me numerous doses of drugs and lots of blood lost, it began to work.

My doctor, was relieved, but then moved to the next problem, the tissues around the incision. They also bled out and wouldn't stop. Due to this I had to have a drain put in for the time I was in the hospital.

I was stitched up and sent to recovery not really knowing what had happened, just that it took quite a bit longer than normal. I was very sick in recovery and couldn't keep anything down. My blood pressure had to be monitored as well as my blood count (which is still being monitored). They considered giving me a transfusion, but thankfully didn't have to.

All of this has contributed to a longer recovery than I had anticipated and the news that no matter if I wanted them I could have no more children, but I'm so thankful I made it through it and am here to enjoy my two children and husband. So, yes, I would have to say it was worth it. Eden is perfect. Jace is perfect. I love Alan with all my heart and am truly grateful we have the family we do, even if there has been pain required to have gotten where we are.

Status Update

2009-02-15T13:17:00.005-05:00

I found this poem on a friends blog and it reminded me so much of what is happening in our lives now. So much change and flexibility, it just doesn't seem real sometimes.

This being human is a guest house
Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they are a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out for some new delight.
The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing,
and invite them in.
Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.

And on that note an update on our life now starting with the newest addition to the family:

This picture was taken by my good friend Abbie just yesterday. It is such a great privilege to have a friend near who is so talented and can capture these little moments for us. We spent a little more than an hour in bedroom taking all different kinds of photos of our little girl. I can't wait to see how the rest of them turn out!

As for little Eden, she is doing great and is the best baby ever. She sleeps away most of the day and our nights haven't been too bad. We are all still pretty sleepy, but that has to do with other things I will get to later. Eden had some problems with Jaundice but they seem to have subsided and now she is content to be fed and sleep the days and nights away. I love this little girl!

As for this little guy, Jace is doing okay and is trying hard to adjust to being a big brother. The unfortunate thing is that this week he's come down with a terrible fever and hasn't been feeling well for a couple of days now. We are attributing this to getting vaccines earlier in the week, because he hasn't been anywhere else and there are no other problems than just high fever. Other than this, he is a good big brother. He's handling things the way a two year old would and is a little jealous at times, but is very protective of his little sister anytime he hears her crying. He's just the sweetest guy and we love him so much!

Alan and I are doing well. Alan is trying to juggle his school schedule while taking care of the kids and me, since I am still recovering. Fortunately his mom is here to help for another week. If you hadn't heard already, my c-section was a little troubled and my recovery has been too. I am quite weak and due to a loss of too much blood during surgery I am also very anemic. Laying around and doing nothing is not my forte and it's been a struggle to let others take care of things, but at this point I don't have much of a choice. Hopefully things will turn around soon and I will be back on my feet in time for Alan's mom to leave so that I can take care of things by myself.

Eden's Here!

2009-02-06T13:29:00.005-05:00

She's Here!!!

Eden Sidney Smith
8 lbs. even
21 inches long
Born at 9:01am Feb.5th

Both mom and baby are doing well, and are trying to take it easy. We'll keep you up to date as things happen.

The Giftyness Meme

2009-02-02T11:14:00.002-05:00

So when I saw this meme over at my friend Chef Messy's site I had to jump on it. She makes the greatest stuff and I thought that it's something I could for sure do before the end of the year. Here's the deal:

The first five people to respond to this post will get something made by me! My choice. For you.

This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:

- What I create will be just for you.
- I make no guarantees that you will like what I make! [I will make every effort though]
- You will receive your item before the end of the year (or sooner).
- You will have no clue what the item is going to be. It could be a story or poetry [unlikely]. It could be a piece of handmade jewelry or an art doll [slightly more likely]. I may draw, paint, collage, or knit crochet something [though you probably don't want an item with my painting skills!]. I might bake you something and mail it to you. Who knows? Not you, that's for sure!
- I reserve the right to do something extremely strange [completely possible].

The catch? Oh, the catch is that you have to repost this meme and make and send out five surprises of your own.

So, who's in?

Busy Busy Busy

2009-01-15T08:39:00.003-05:00

Man, getting ready to have another baby is crazy! I am almost wishing for the time I have to be in the hospital just so that I can have someone take care of me.

I just wanted to let everyone know that posting may be sparse over the next few weeks, but rest assured that I will put up pictures when little Eden comes. Thanks to my good friend Abbie we should have some cute shots of her and I can't wait to share them with all of you.

As a side note, I am in the process of getting that Etsy site up that I mentioned earlier. My mom, Chronicler, came up with the name and I have been busy trying to make cards and get quilting and knitting items ready to be posted. I want to not have to stress over it too much once Eden is here, but I am sure that's unavoidable.

For those of you interested the name of the shop is going to be "A Little Turkey Bird" and can be visited, even now, though there's not much to look at, not even a banner just yet. My mom came up with the name because of the cards that I will be selling. You know how you hear the saying "a little birdie told me..."? Well, that was taken unfortunately, but I am always calling Jace my turkey bird and we both thought it fit. So there you go! Hopefully before Eden gets here I will have some things up to be purchased, including some great Valentine's cards! So keep checking. I will also have a blog with additional posts so you can learn about what I am doing for the shop, but that's to come.

Thanks for everyone's patience and I can't wait to share all of the fun things coming up in our lives here!

Adventures at the Park

2009-01-09T08:46:00.007-05:00

The weather here has been unusually warm recently (with the exception of the last few days) and so we decided to take Jace to the park. He absolutely loved it and the park here has anything you could imagine wanting for a kid.

Jace loved the swings:

But there were all sorts of things that spun that he just couldn't keep away from:

But his favorite by far were all the slides. He just kept begging dad to put him back up so he could go down again and again:

The Post in Which I Humiliate Myself

2009-01-05T09:07:00.005-05:00

Everyone has been asking and asking. So, without further ado...my pre-baby pictures:

I am only a month away, exactly today, but I wish it was tomorrow. I opted for a self portrait until I can have my friend take some more pictures that are a little better quality when she gets back from break. This way I can avoid staring at my own face when I see just how huge my belly has gotten.

This time around has been much better, I do have to say. And even though I am huge, I am still 40 pounds lighter than when I had Jace, if you can believe it?! I haven't swollen up like a big balloon (outside of my belly) yet, so no swollen feet, hands and ankles yet. Lets knock on wood and hope it stays that way. I just hope it stays on the chilly side to help my cause. I also have had no blood pressure problems and to my big surprise I have been losing weight this pregnancy.

The shock of this pregnancy, and my mom said I should have recorded my doctor saying this, is that he said I need to gain weight! Can you believe it? So, I have been eating like crazy and at my last appointment I finally gained 3 pounds, but that was actually a pound short of what I should have. Oh well, I am not stressing about it anymore. The baby is doing great, moving a lot and measuring just fine. So, I have decided any extra weight is just going to stay with me and I just don't need it.

So, the day is scheduled for February 5th with my favorite doctor of all time and then little Eden Sidney will be here! We can't wait! We just hope she's a better sleeper than Jace... :)

How We Saved the Environment at Christmas

2009-01-04T16:58:00.004-05:00

So, I mentioned in the last post that we single-handedly saved the environment with one gift...well, here's the story:

We mentioned to both sets of grandparents that we would like to try and get Jace some more earth-friendly toys. Also, we wanted ones that would last and be enjoyed. Well, I mentioned before that through a friend I found a company called Plan Toys. I love their stuff. All of it is non-toxic and made from hand out of products that can be replaced easily.

One of the toys we really liked for Jace was a Geometric Peg Board.

I don't know how many of you have ever been to a Cracker Barrel, but they have tons of them out here, and every time we go all Jace wants is the little peg board toy to play with. So, we thought this would be a perfect fit. My Mom and Dad thought so too.

It arrived amidst masses of other presents and was wrapped (still in the amazon box) and put under the tree. Well, Christmas morning came and we opened it, thank goodness Jace was occupied with another toy he received because when it was opened we found this:

Well, needless to say we not only supported the company and it's eco-friendly endeavors, but we also helped to support the life (or lives) of some very hungry termites. So, indeed we helped the environment in more ways than one (even though the later makes me kind of creeped out). We are in the process of seeing about how to get it exchanged so that Jace can enjoy this gift, but for now we are satisfied knowing we indeed helped to stop global warming...hehe.

Christmas Day

2008-12-30T21:02:00.005-05:00

I feel terrible for not posting recently and I promise to be better in the New Year. There is tons to tell you, but for now I thought I would start with the most obvious, Christmas Day. It was great and the only thing missing was all the family we love who were on the other side of the country.

I think that because of this everyone tried to make up for it by sending tons and tons of presents. It was great and Jace couldn't stop wanting to open packages!

Jace discovered a new passion this month, which he shares with his dad, he has to be up helping whenever we are cooking or baking. It makes it so much fun to be in the kitchen.

Jace has loved his Ikea train track and this Christmas he got gobs to add to it and now it's the biggest train ever:

One of Jace's favorite gifts:

Especially after dad taught him how to use his head to play with it:

My favorite gift by far, LL Bean boots for the house, Jace won't take them off:

We really had a great Christmas and I can't wait to post some other funny occurrences (including how we managed to save the environment with one gift from Grandma & Grandpa).

Between A Rock and A Hard Place

2008-12-07T19:23:00.004-05:00

As many of you know I am a little crazy when it comes to crafting. I am pretty sure I get this mostly from my mom, and if you haven't checked her stuff out you should. She does everything and I mean everything, from sewing all the way to glass work that is really cool, oh and by the way she makes the most beautiful cakes anywhere.

Well, I'm rambling so I better get to it. Alan and I are poor law school students with a family expanding shortly. This means a very tight budget and maybe a not too thrifty wife. Yes, I will admit, I just am not great at not spending money, especially when it comes to other people and most of all my children. So, in an effort to put a little cash together and hopefully keep me busy for some time to come I have decided to go the Etsy route, as many of you have done yourselves. I plan to make and sell cards and hopefully expand into some bigger projects like quilting, knitting and maybe even some scrapbooking. I have tons of supplies and so I don't need to buy anything really.

My biggest concern and why I am even writing this post is for input. I plan on doing all different assortments of cards to begin with and also have the option to ask me to make something unique if the occasion arises. But what I really need is a banner that I can use for my Etsy shop. I am pretty good at computers, but this is where my skills are lacking a bit of creativity.

So, this is the deal, help me come up with the banner (ie. do it for me, hehe) and you will be treated to your very own set of 10 cards of your choosing including envelopes. They could be anything from Christmas to baby announcements to thank you cards, you name it and I will do it. I'd like to get this going within the next couple of weeks, so I am asking that all submissions be emailed to me (as well as any questions) at daniellems78 at gmail dot com so that I can open the shop by December 22nd. I know, I wish I could be better prepared with Christmas and whatnot, but it's just too late.

Good luck! I really appreciate all the help and I can't wait to see what you come up with.

Universal Wish List Button

2008-11-29T19:22:00.002-05:00

Okay, so anyone who knows me knows that I am addicted to Amazon.com. It's easy and since we live in the middle of nowhere it makes it so nice for the holidays. Last year I spent over $100 in shipping and this year my shopping is already done and haven't spent a single dime on shipping thanks to this wonderful site.

Now, one of the things that has been a peeve of mine is the wish list thing. Most of my family members have one, even if they aren't always the most up to date, and it makes it so nice to just have a good idea where to start. The thing that I haven't been able to find (until now) was somewhere I could go to have an all encompassing list. Because, even though I love Amazon it doesn't have everything I like and a lot of the time I like things that are only available at places like Etsy.com. I wanted a place where I could say I like this from here or this from here without having to have a wish list at every blooming site.

Well, the day has finally come and has once again reaffirmed just how much I love Amazon. It's called the "Universal Wish List Button" and is available to those of you who use Firefox as your web browser (which I recommend doing anyways, especially for those PC users out there). All you do is click on the link above and add it to your tool bar as the instructions say. Then, when you are out perusing the web and find something you think couldn't live without you click on the button while you are looking at it and it will add it to your "Universal Wish List". It's fabulous! Then when your friends and family take a look at your wish list they can see you want some fabric from a store on Etsy, click on the item and it magically transports them to the Etsy site where they can purchase it.

I love this it is my new favorite thing right now and I feel obligated to tell everyone about it. Use it! You will save everyone you know tons of time and in the end you will end up with tons of stuff you really wanted instead of just stuff they thought you might like.

Hi Papa!

2008-11-27T18:34:00.002-05:00

This is a picture of Jace and I (which rarely put up, especially now that I am getting huge). Jace wanted to say hi to Papa and thank him for the really great sweater he picked out for him. He loves it and it's great in our freezing weather!

Today I am thankful for so much. We are happy and relatively healthy and have a new member of our family coming soon. Times have been difficult for a lot in our country and our family is not excluded from that, though it hasn't been as hard as it has for others. I'm just grateful to have a family and to have the privilege of having friends near me and far away that I love and treasure.

We spent another Thanksgiving away from family this year because of school and money, but that's not to say it was without giving or sharing. We had a wonderful dinner at our friends Heidi and Spencer's home with many of our new law school friends. It was great to have the kids all there to play with each other and the other adults there that we can all relate to at this time our lives. We all brought things to share and had a wonderful dinner.

I'm just so grateful to have this time in our lives because I know it will be one that we look back on with fondness and laughter. It's been tough, but great and brought us together in ways we never thought possible.

Auction for Baby Mia

2008-11-18T12:46:00.003-05:00

Please go visit Abbie's website, the auction to help raise funds for Baby Mia has begun and there are tons of cool things to bid on. Including some cards made by yours truly that may come in handy for mailing off those last minute Christmas notes. It ends on Saturday the 22nd at 6pm Eastern time, so don't wait!

This is such a great cause, I hope we can all pitch in and help this little family out from under the pile of debt they owe just to save their little girl. If you don't feel like buying something off the auction you can always just donate and couple of dollars on the website directly: Help Baby Mia

Every little bit helps!

Baby Mia

2008-11-17T15:13:00.002-05:00

For those of you who may have not noticed I have a couple of new buttons on my side bar. They are to benefit a little girl named Mia who has recently had a much needed heart transplant. There is so much more to this story than just that and if you'd like to read the whole story go here: HelpBabyMia.

Her story has touched my heart as well as many of the friends I know. One in particular is my friend Abbie. She normally has her blog set to "private", but over the next few weeks will make it public to help in the cause for Baby Mia. She is planning a "run-a-thon" as well as an auction coming up, so I would encourage everyone to go visit and see what you can do to help.

We all know that the cost of insurance and medical bills always seems to be more than we can bare. I can hardly begin to imagine how this problem would compound itself when you have a helpless little girl who needs multiple surgeries and more medical attention than most grown adults will ever need. Every little bit helps, even a dollar can make a difference. So, please visit and see what you can do to help. Thanks.

History In the Making

2008-11-05T09:09:00.002-05:00

This election was one that I can truly be proud to say I voted and worked in.

As some of you know I volunteer to be a poll worker here in Virginia, which to me is a great privilege and a wonderful experience. The precinct I work in is quite small, with only 530 registered voters (due to the fact that it's out in the country), but they came out in record numbers. The last election I worked in it was pretty steady throughout the whole day, but yesterday was different. At 6am we had a line out the door and people were anxious to cast their vote. It was amazing to me. I was astonished at the ability of some people to be able to get up that early just to vote, especially when they had to drive in and some, many miles. It was busy like that until around 10 am, when things began to slow down a bit, but we still had voters all day. All in all we had around 350 total voters, which is actually almost 150 more than we had for the primaries held earlier this year. I truly had so much fun just helping the people and working for a cause that helps us all to improve the communities around us.

One thing I noticed while working was the determination in so many to make there vote count. There was one young woman's story of this I had to share because it truly changed the way I felt about how important it is to vote. She came to us around 2pm with her son on her hip, he was just around Jace's age and you could tell he was getting quite tired. At the time we were pretty quiet and had only one other voter in the room. She came up to the desk to see if she would be able to vote in our precinct. Well, she had moved and had changed her address in a couple of places, but not on her voter registration. She then proceeded to tell us that she had actually been to 5 other polling stations that day but for some reason no one thought to call in and find exactly where she could go. Then, I knew why her little boy and her for that matter looked so exhausted. Well, she was on our poll books but with the wrong address. So, we had her fill out some paperwork and within 10 minutes she was standing in the voting booth next to me voting with her little guy still on her hip. As she left with sticker in tow for both of them, she said "thank so much, all I wanted to do was complete my civic duty and show my son how important it is." She felt so strongly that it was her civic duty to vote that she spent gas and time driving around so that she could vote. I have no doubt she would have continued to look if we hadn't been able to help her.

As I see the results of numbers in records all over the country I am reminded of this young woman and the potential we all have to complete our civic duties. It's amazing what we can do. And if for no other reason than that I can truly admire what Obama has done as the first black US President. He came from almost nothing in a few short years to become our new President. Yes, as many of you know this is who I voted for, but I think it's more than that. I truly believe that his story is similar to the story of the young girl or anyone who has the determination to follow their heart and do what they feel is right or what they dream to do.

What a privelege it is to live in a country where we can accomplish these goals and dreams without fear of oppression. It doesn't mean it won't be hard work, but at least there is possibility and hope.

Thank you to all who went out and voted! Now we can all say many prayers that the record number of people who went out for the Prop.8 vote will be enough. It's hopeful to think that in a number of many other states they were able to pass the ban. Let keep our fingers crossed and a prayer in our hearts!

It's Official!!!

2008-11-02T18:10:00.000-05:00

Well, at least for me, Alan is still holding his breathe, he says he wants to wait for one more ultrasound, but we ARE HAVING A GIRL!

I really am excited. I think, like with Jace, I was a little shell shocked just to hear the news and I am a bit terrified of what to do with a girl. But in the end I think it will be perfect. We have decided that we will name her Eden Sidney. Eden was just a name we really liked and Sidney is actually after my great grandfather Herbert Sidney. She is due on Valentine's Day, but we will probably deliver the first week of February, thank goodness!

So, after waiting a couple of weeks we were in a clothing store, looking for something for Jace's costume I might add, when I saw the cutest little dress and had to get it. I got it a little big so that she could where it in the summer time, but I just thought it was perfect. I also saw the cutest leggings on my friend Abbie's little girl Ella and had to get those too, courtesey of Target for like only $3 (can you believe it?). Here is a picture:

Alan actually made fun of me, because he said it's kind of sad when I am photographing the clothes before she even gets here. What can I say? I had a hard time being excited with Jace's arrival because it was so sudden and I was so sick, so this time I'm trying to enjoy the moment more. Especially since we are pretty sure two kiddos is our limit. I should also add that Alan is actually really excited to have a girl too, he's just not as trusting with the whole ultrasound thing.

One Of My Favorites

2008-11-02T18:00:00.000-05:00

Just had to share this picture:

He loves this train set and I can't seem to separate him from it.
I absolutely adore this boy!

Pumpkin Carving and JRC Parties

2008-10-31T21:47:00.005-04:00

We partied like it was 1999 this weekend and completely wore ourselves out! It was so much fun last week to have so many friends over and to spend time just goofing off and having good food.

The first get together was the weekly meeting of "The Law Wives" as we call ourselves. I had everyone over for fondue and card making. Unfortunately I got so caught up in things I completely forgot to take any pictures, but we still had a great time nonetheless.

Our second big shindig was on Saturday. Every year the Law Families get together and have a pumpkin carving and lunch to celebrate Halloween coming. It was so much fun! Everyone brought a pumpkin ready to be carved and got to work soon after we enjoyed a little lunch. The pumpkins turned out great as well as all the treats we had. The only thing I didn't get a picture of was the witch hand puppets we cut out for the kids to do as a craft. It was a big hit and I am glad I had a few left over to use in the future. I also have to give a big thanks to Heidi, who did so much work putting this party together! There is NO way I could have done it all by myself.

Cupcakes decorated with the "toppers" made by my mom and sister! They turned out so cute and were a big hit.

Treat bags for the kiddos. I found the design on Martha Stewart but couldn't find the template, so I just free handed the template myself. I think they turned out pretty good.

Because we always get to see pictures of the kids I thought this one was a good one of most of the parents.

The final (well mostly final, exception is Alan's wolf) pumpkin carvings. Notice any presidential hopefuls?

Our friend John holding both Jace and his daughter Anna. I thought it was hilarious!

And finally, the pictures you all wanted to see...the kids! I was shocked that Jace actually sat still for quite awhile during the picture taking. At one point he actually placed both hands in his lap and waited calmly, such a crack up!

From left to right: Anna, Jace, Leland & Lucy (sisters), and Izabelle. So cute! The only two not pictured were Ty and Patty, both of whom had to leave a little early due to the all to important nap conflict. We are still really glad they came and had fun while they were here.

Oh, and I had to show this. Jace finally figured out how to get grass stains in his jeans. At one point he was actually looking at the grass stains trying to figure out what they were. I feel this is just the beginning.

Next and last was the J Reuben Clark Law Society Dinner. Every year the group is supposed to have an opening social and because Alan is the President this year we were able to host it at our house. Alan grilled steaks and we made everything else that goes along with it, it was quite the spread. Again, the pictures didn't turn out too great, but I think the best part of the day was actually after dinner when everyone was sitting on the lawn enjoying the great weather. Thanks for everyone who came and helped! It was much appreciated!

So, that's it for now. Hopefully we can hold off on the partying for a little while so that I can recuperate before planning anything too crazy. Sorry for the long post, but I hope you enjoyed. And if you want the pictures do look a little better when you click on them.

Happy Halloween!!!

2008-10-31T20:49:00.005-04:00

(Alan actually carved this himself! I thought it turned out pretty cool.)

So, this is the first year Jace seemed to be aware of the fact that he was actually getting dressed up and going trick or treating, which made things so much fun. He and Alan both decided to get dressed up and what a pair the two of them are:

Every Halloween here at W & L the law families get together to take a few pictures of kids sitting together and then go out on the town to "trick or treat" together. I really love the last part of this because all of the businesses downtown sit outside and hand out candy to the kids for a couple of hours in the early afternoon. It's so nice, because those of us who have kids that really aren't old enough to enjoy gorging themselves on tons of candy can still have a little bit of fun at a decent hour. Here are a few of the pictures from the gathering:

For some reason Jace just wasn't into the whole "group photo op this year. It made things quite difficult, but my favorite part of the picture is actually the look on Ty's face (who is the son of our friends Heidi & Spencer), right next to Jace and Alan.

Again, the crying, he never stopped for any of the group pictures and unfortunately more kiddos ended up saddened after his outburst...sorry guys! If you look closely though you can see Anna (she belongs with our friends John and Ashley), who is the little panda bear sitting in the middle. It was the cutest thing, because she's normally very very friendly and outgoing, but is going through a "shy" faze. Well, she ended up sitting kind of limp all the way through the pictures. I felt so bad, but she is still so darn cute!

PS...If you click on the pictures they actually look much better a little larger!

The Issue of Common Ground

2008-10-31T11:34:00.004-04:00

I have quite a few things to post in the next few days, including photos of our crazy weekend and the upcoming Halloween celebration scheduled for today, but before I did that I thought I would attempt one last time to post something about the upcoming election.

So, I am sure that most of you noticed that I took down the last post which included a video of all of the candidates "views" on marriage. Mostly, I wanted to find some common ground where all of the people I care for could agree on, but I also recognize that politicians are what they are sometimes. And unfortunately coming to a place where we can all agree can be difficult. That's fine, and I have come to the resolution that I am okay with agreeing to disagree when it comes to political matters.

I have a friend who feels strongly about politics in many of the same ways that I do. It has been nice to be able to discuss things and learn more about both candidates together. She recently posted on her blog (which is private) and I felt I had to share what she said:

"A friend of mine recently said that she would like to know someone who can endorse either candidate 100%. I too wonder if such a person exists. Since I am not that person I would respond that my choice has come with much thought and research. I have decided what is most important to me and to the future of my family. And I must say that I have been inspired this election year. The inspiration and leadership, decision making and rationale of the candidate I endorse is what I feel will benefit our country most. I hope each of you can find inspiration and will vote one week from today."

She also posted a link to this article which I found to be very encouraging, If you can’t (or can) say anything nice. . .

Like our mothers always taught us, the best thing in some situations is not to say anything at all if we can't find anything nice to say. But what I liked about the article was that everyone no matter who they were voting for could find at least one thing nice to say about the opponent and in many cases actually admitted to being interested in having a conversation with them. The other thing I liked was that people actually felt good doing this. I will admit, I have said some not so nice things about the guy I am not supporting, but when it comes down to it we are all still human beings. We all still have feelings, homes, families and many other things that actually tie us together.

I guess what I am getting around to saying is that regardless of who we vote for or who wins in the end, we all have ties to one another. We aren't the same and that's not such a bad thing. It's when we can actually open up to see the goodness in each other, no matter our differences, that we truly become better people and might I add, more like the Savior. I am grateful to live in a country where we have these opportunities and can express ourselves freely. I too, like my friend, am glad to have been a part of this election process, to have been more inspired to research and listen with an open ear to all that is being said.

Please feel free to comment, I promise, this time I won't be taking this post down or have hurt feelings. I want to know how you feel about what I have said. Thanks and that's all I have on the subject, maybe until the election is over.

Over the River and Through the Woods

2008-10-19T11:39:00.005-04:00

So for years my family, myself included, have come up with multiple business ideas and ways to help us make a little extra cash with the hopes of one day being able to work for ourselves only. It's in our blood I guess and most of the ideas have actually been quite good, but lacked one thing or another to get the business off and running in the best direction.

Well, the time has come again, but thankfully my sister (now living close enough to help get things going) and mom have put their heads together to come up with a great idea. Over the River and Through the Woods is an idea spurred by countless hours baking cake after cake, mostly by my mother but also my sisters and I. Two things I know that have occurred to us over the years is one, why you can't enjoy a great treat without all the additives and extra sugars that major corporations today add to make things easier to sell? The other is that, why should it be so difficult for the average person to be able to have a cute cake (or cupcakes for that matter) without spending an arm and a leg paying a professional?

Thus, the creation of Over the River and Through the Woods. It is a small business idea focusing mainly on baking and many of the things that fall into it. Do you want cute decorations for some cupcakes you made without downloading templates and hoping you don't shake the powdered sugar the wrong way? Would you like to have the perfect cake for a little ones birthday or even for a wedding when the budget is a little tight? Go now further. I suggest checking out the Etsy shop or even the blog to get an even better idea of what my mom and sister are up to. I promise you won't be disappointed.

Also, this week if you visit the fabulous website Perch you will have the opportunity to enter a giveaway to win some of the fabulous things they are cooking up.

A New Love

2008-10-10T13:38:00.003-04:00

Okay, so, Alan and I really try to find toys for Jace that are "Earth Friendly", as I put it. We also try to find him things to help him work out his creativity and thinking gene, since he seems to do a lot of this. So, when I saw a post on my friend Maya's site I just had to let everyone I know about it. It's a company I had never heard of before, PlanToys, but there toys are absolutely adorable, are right up Jace's ally and probably most important to us right now...they are way affordable. I can already think of quite a few to put under the Christmas tree for him this year and I can't wait!

Did I mention I love to buy things online??? It's something I have become quite good at, since we live in the middle of nowhere!

Status, Updates and Conference

2008-10-09T20:40:00.003-04:00

So I have had many of you ask how Jace has been doing since the accident and now that I have a few pictures I thought I would let everyone know. He is actually doing pretty well and I honestly think I was the one more damaged in the accident. Jace ended up with a bit of a black eye, as you can tell from this picture, but much to my dismay has become quite enamored with the new gate, as shown in the next picture.

He has actually learned that he can take the stick pretzels we give him for a snack and put them in the holes in the top of the gate (they are normally used so that you can adjust the size of the gate). What a goofy kid! He even appaulds for himself once they stay in place, he cracks me up. So, all in all I think he is doing fine and has even bonked his head a few more times since then without fussing too much. What can I say? Boys will be boys I guess, and I just need to get used to that.

Other than that we have been pretty busy. Alan is doing well in school so far and has also picked up teaching a class at Southern Virginia University in the next city over. He likes it because he is actually helping students to prepare to go to law school and help them learn the things that you really need to know. Part of the reason for being asked to teach the class is that this year he is serving as the J Rueben Clark Law Society President for the the law school here. It is a primarily LDS based organization, but that is not a requirement only that you have some type of religious belief and feel the need to help others through law services. He's excited about this opportunity and the teaching that has come.

One of the things he is asked to head up is also the General Conference gatherings here for the law students. The nice thing about the law school is that you can reserve the classrooms (which each have huge screens that come down) and actually watch conference in the room. It's been something we have really enjoyed since the first year Alan was in law school. Most of the families who come have children and it makes it nice to allow them to run around without feeling like you are disturbing anyone. Also, we have food and lunch provided by the JRC Society. This year we were able to set up a nice build-your-own sandwhich bar and everyone else brought side dishes. It was great and a big success thanks to everyone that came. Thanks again!

The Worst Day of My Life So Far

2008-09-22T18:59:00.002-04:00

Today I can easily say was the most awfully terrible day ever. The last few days I haven't been feeling well and it continued this morning. So, to begin with I felt sick this morning with weird pregnancy stuff.

Well, Alan needed to get to school a little early so we all got up and dressed so that Jace and I could drop him off. When we went out to the car we saw that some of the garbage that was in our trash can for tomorrow's pick up had been knocked out. Alan was basically tucked into the car and running behind so we decided we would get it when we got back. After that things seemed to go pretty normally. We dropped Alan off, I had a visiting teaching appointment and then we were headed back home. When I pulled up I was mortified. Someone, seeing the small amount of garbage took advantage of the situation and knocked the can over and rummaged through every bit of our garbage. I just couldn't believe it. Things were strewn everywhere. So I left Jace in the car and spent the next 10 minutes cleaning up before heading inside. I feel so violated. Fortunately we are very careful about what we put in our garbage and nothing too personal was taken.

Then Jace and I had some lunch and within an hour of arriving home it was time for naptime. I put him down and everything seemed just fine. (After the garbage incident I had already checked the house for any unwelcome guests, yes I am paranoid.) Well, about 10 minutes after I put him down I heard him start to scream, so I ran in to find his face covered in scratches and his cheeks bright red. I still have no idea what happened, and all I can assume is that he was trying to climb out of bed. Regardless, I was spooked and called Alan begging him to leave class to come be with me and Jace. He of course did and we spent the next couple of hours together.
On Mondays Alan teaches a class at the local University here (Southern Virginia University) and it was getting close to time to leave. Jace and I had a playgroup we were planning on going to for the afternoon and so we both got ready to leave. Only a matter of minutes before we decided to head out Jace decided he would rather go downstairs and had figured out how to work the gate. Before I could catch him he was tumbling down the stairs to the basement. Fortunately, about 30 minutes before hand I had thrown a blanket on the stairs I was planning on washing later. If it wasn't for this Jace would have gone all the way down and I don't know what kind of shape he would be in.

This was the absolute most horrifying moment of my life. Both Alan and I ran to try and save him, but couldn't. I only realized just a few minutes ago that during my attempt to try and catch him I actually fell down a few stairs and bruised up my legs pretty bad. But at the time I really didn't care. I feel awful and I think I feel worse knowing there will be other times in my life when I just can't save him no matter what I do. But he's such a tropper and within a few minutes and some good chocolate milk in him he was hitting the gate and ready to leave.

I'm still a little wary and fear I will be waking him up a couple of times tonight just to make sure he doesn't have a concussion. I just never knew I could feel so absolutely helpless as I watched my little guy roll right down the stairs. I just hope he has learned some respect for the stairs and that the new gate we bought will stop this from happening again.

Our Summer Place

2008-09-21T13:41:00.005-04:00

So, some of you were a little interested in how we spent our summer and where we stayed. Because we were staying for such a short period of time, too far away from relatives that we could stay with, we were forced into getting a "vacation" rental. It was gorgeous and I was absolutely spoiled, but it wasn't without a price. Still, we enjoyed our summer place and look forward to next year being somewhere a little more permanent. Here are some pictures.

First is the view from the windows on the top floor of the home we stayed in:

It was breathtaking and we absolutely loved it when it wasn't foggy to see.
Only just a short drive from the house was the beach closest to our place, although when we got there Jace was more interested in chasing the birds than getting in the water.

And then there are the shots of the inside of the home. I absolutely loved every inch of it. The only hang up was that it was 2 stories and the downstairs underwent a bit of construction while we were there. Other than that it was perfect. Everything was new and better than we would normally be able to enjoy. So, of course I enjoyed every second we had there. The best part was that it was big enough to have company when gas prices permitted it.

Oh the Places You Will Go

2008-09-17T21:29:00.004-04:00

Because I know those of you out there dying for pictures are just dying for one kind of picture I thought I'd start off with these few. I did download all of our pictures from this summer and I had nearly 500. So, that's going to take some sorting, but I thought while I get the stories together with the pictures I give you a little preview.

I had no idea Jace had grown so much, but in the course of a few short months he really has turned into a little boy instead of his typical pudgy baby self. Don't get me wrong, I think this is probably my favorite time of his life so far, but it's hard not to get a little teary looking at those cute pictures from months before. So here goes from oldest to most recent:

Nickel Creek - When You Come Back Down

2008-09-16T18:32:00.001-04:00

Finally

2008-09-16T13:54:00.005-04:00

Okay, I know you all are dying to find out what has been going on with our crew here in Virginia and I promise to post pictures within the next couple of days. We are finally in our home for the school year (yes, we moved again), but it was not without a few trials. These included, but not limited to, a visit from a bat (yuck!), a dead squirrel and a salmonella poisoning (Alan). Thankfully we are all healthy and critter free finally!

As I have been unpacking I was reminded of something I had actually forgotten over the past few years of school, having a child and moving multiple times. I found an old band that I used to listen to back when I was waiting for Alan to come home from his mission. For those of you who don't know Alan and I both served missions, at the same time, but it was something we decided very early on in our relationship. He knew that it was something he needed to do and I fully supported him. So for two years while we both served, we wrote letters (some more frequently than the other) and grew in ways that have strengthened our marriage and lives more than we could have imagined.

I often listened to Nickle Creek and many of their songs have found meaning in my life but this one in particular was meaningful to me at this time in my life. It's When You Come Back Down, I posted it in the next post. I knew it was the right thing to do with us both being parted for two years, but that doesn't mean it was easy or without trepidation. But, as I said before, in the end it was one of the best and hardest things we have done together and I am grateful we both made the sacrifice.

It's Official

2008-08-01T16:03:00.002-04:00

Well, as many of you know Alan has been spending his summers during law school working for a firm in San Luis Obispo. We've loved it here. It's a small firm in a medium size city and the community is great. Today was his last day at the firm this summer and we had already been planning on coming back. But of course you never know for sure until there is a concrete offer and so we have both been on pins and needles.

Much to our overwhelming happiness the partners took him to lunch today and made it official. It's great! And we are so excited to know where we will be after law school is finished. The firm has been great to not only Alan but to our family. It's the perfect fit for our family and the way we want to live. Truly we have been blessed a great deal!

Not Too Long Ago...

2008-07-30T12:00:00.002-04:00

This little guy made his way into our small home. Jace has been a blessing and one of the hardest things Alan and I have ever done together. If you noticed in the last post I made mention of another upcoming event. Soon we will be expecting another addition to our family! We just recently found out and are so excited! It should be in late January or early February that it happens. I personally can't wait, not just because the little person will be here, but also because I won't be pregnant anymore. I'm just not a good pregnant person and because of that we think this will probably be our last. But no matter what we are just so excited and can't wait to meet the newest member of our family!

On another note, today we welcomed another cousin into the family. Little Izabella Lyn was born this morning and is an even 8 lbs and 19.5 inches long. We can't wait to meet her and want to say congrats to the family!

ABC Meme

2008-07-28T16:03:00.002-04:00

Here's the second of three Meme's I have been tagged with recently and this one is from my cousin over at The Patience Project. The next one I will have up in a couple of days and will be some long awaited pictures, I know you all have been dying to see! Oh, and does anything on the list surprise you??? Leave a comment and let me know.

A- Attached or Single: Attached…
B- Best Friend: Alan
C- Cake or pie: Cake any day, I love any form of it.
D- Day of Choice: Saturday, because it's the one day that I know Alan and I can spend together out doing things we love doing.
E- Essential Item: Music, I can't go anywhere without some kind of music, I also can't do anything without it on in the background including writing or reading.
F- Favorite Color: If not black then I would go with blue.

G- Greatest Accomplishment: Finding myself everyday, it's the best part of being alive, because it continues to happen.
H- Hometown: At the moment, I would say...that I have no idea.
I- Indulgences: Anything chocolate or sweet.
J- January or July: January, July is my least favorite month...I just have too many bad memories associated with it.
K- Kids: 1 Boy - Jace and if you are reading carefully you'll find out that we have one more due in late January early February!
L- Life is incomplete without: Alan
M- Marriage Date: March 25, 2004
N- Number of Siblings: 2 sisters
O- Oranges or Apples: Both - it depends on my mood.
P- Phobias or Fears: Drowning.
Q- Quotes: One of my favorites is on my mom's site Coopers Chronicles, but here it is: "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world." ~~ Marianne Williamson
R- Reason to Smile: Only one more year of law school!
S- Season: Toss up between Fall and Spring (it's Virginia, it's ruined me because of how beautiful it is.)
T- Tag 5 friends: Anyone who feels up to it!
U- Unknown fact about me: I am a HUGE Weepies fan (much to Alan's chagrin).
V- Very Favorite Store: Man...I would have to probably say Amazon for online and The Pumpkin Patch for in person (they have the cutest kids clothes ever and they actually fit Jace).
W- Worst habit: Spending too much on books.
X- X-ray or Ultrasound: Ultrasound, just a lot cooler, you can see everything right then and there!
Y- Your favorite food: My dad's enchiladas, I could eat them anytime, I just wish they weren't so filling because I just want more!
Z- Zodiac Sign: Sagittarius

Have You Ever???

2008-07-24T12:24:00.002-04:00

Well, I've been tagged by a few people and I am just getting around to doing it. So, for those of you whom are waiting just keep watching, I'll have more up soon.

As for this tag, my sister The Youngest One asked us to go through this list and bold anything that we have done. It was really fun to think about the things that I have accomplished and forgotten about. I would love to see any of my friends do this, just because I would love to know more about you. So, consider yourself tagged! (PS...I wouldn't try to cut and paste from word to blogger, it didn't work for me and I had to redo the whole thing.) And now here is my list:

200 Have and Have-nots!
1. Touched an iceberg
2. Slept under the stars
3. Been a part of a hockey fight
4. Changed a baby's diaper
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Swam with wild dolphins
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a tarantula
10. Said "I love you" and meant it
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise
15. Seen the Northern Lights
16. Gone to a huge sports game
17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty (It was closed the day I went.)
18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Bet on a winning horse
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Taken an ice cold bath
28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Ridden a roller coaster
31. Hit a home run
32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
33. Adopted an accent for fun
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment
36. Loved your job 90% of the time
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Watched wild whales
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach
41. Gone sky diving
42. Visited Ireland (I REALLY REALLY want to.)
43. Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited India
45. Bench-pressed your own weight
46. Milked a cow
47. Alphabetized your personal files
48. Ever worn a superhero costume
49. Sung karaoke
50. Lounged around in bed all day
51. Gone scuba diving
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Done something you should regret, but don't
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Been in a movie
60. Gone without food for 3 days
61. Made cookies from scratch
62. Won first prize in a costume contest
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Been in a combat zone
65. Spoken more than one language fluently
66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone
67. Bounced a check
68. Read - and understood - your credit report
69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy
70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did
71. Called or written your Congress person
72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
73. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
74. Helped an animal give birth
75. Been fired or laid off from a job
76. Won money
77. Broken a bone (Only my nose, but it’s only cartilage.)
78. Ridden a motorcycle
79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph
80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing
82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
83. Eaten sushi
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read The Bible cover to cover
86. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
87. Gotten someone fired for their actions
88. Gone back to school
89. Changed your name
90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands
91. Eaten fried green tomatoes
92. Read The Iliad
93. Taught yourself an art from scratch
94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt
96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
97. Been elected to public office
98. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
101. Had a booth at a street fair
102. Dyed your hair
103. Been a DJ
104. Rocked a baby to sleep
105. Ever dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all fours
106. Raked your carpet
107. Brought out the best in people
108. Brought out the worst in people
109. Worn a mood ring
110. Ridden a horse
111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap
112. Cooked a dish where four people asked for the recipe
113. Buried a child
114. Gone to a Broadway (or equivalent to your country) play
115. Been inside the pyramids (One day.)
116. Shot a basketball into a basket
117. Danced at a disco
118. Played in a band
119. Shot a bird
120. Gone to an arboretum
121. Tutored someone
122. Ridden a train
123. Brought an old fad back into style
124. Eaten caviar
125. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn’t need
126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant
127. Published a book (Hopefully one day this will happen.)
128. Pieced a quilt
129. Lived in an historic place
130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage
131. Asked for a raise
132. Made a hole-in-one (Does mini-golf count?)
133. Gone deep sea fishing
134. Gone roller skating
135. Run a marathon
136. Learned to surf
137. Invented something
138. Flown first class
139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite
140. Flown in a helicopter
141. Visited Africa
142. Sang a solo
143. Gone spelunking
144. Learned how to take a compliment
145. Written a love-story
146. Seen Michelangelo’s David
147. Had your portrait painted
148. Written a fan letter
149. Spent the night in something haunted
150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane (Once we have our own house we will!)
151. Ran away
152. Learned to juggle
153. Been a boss
154. Sat on a jury
155. Lied about your weight
156. Gone on a diet
157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget
158. Written a poem
159. Carried your lunch in a lunchbox
160. Gotten food poisoning
161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission
162. Hiked the Grand Canyon
163. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks
164. Gone to the opera
165. Gotten a letter from someone famous
166. Worn knickers
167. Ridden in a limousine
168. Attended the Olympics
169. Can hula or waltz
170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books
171. Been stuck in an elevator
172. Had a revelatory dream
173. Thought you might crash in an airplane
174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert
175. Saved someone’s life
176. Eaten raw whale
177. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint
178. Laughed till your side hurt
179. Straddled the equator
180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing
181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival
182. Sent a message in a bottle
183. Spent the night in a hostel
184. Been a cashier
185. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
186. Joined a union
187. Donated blood or plasma
188. Built a campfire
189. Kept a blog
190. Had hives
191. Worn custom made shoes or boots
192. Made a PowerPoint presentation
193. Taken a Hunter’s Safety Course
194. Served at a soup kitchen
195. Conquered the Rubik’s cube
196. Know CPR
197. Ridden in or owned a convertible
198. Found a long lost friend
199. Helped solve a crime
200. Commented on a friend's blog today.

The Movie of the Moment

2008-06-24T14:08:00.002-04:00

Well, while I figure out how to get the pictures from my camera on to our lap top I thought I would update you on some of the happenings here in California. Alan is loving his job and has been given a few projects he's really enjoying. While Jace and I stay at home together he has recently become addicted to a new movie:

Other than that we have been spending a lot of time in down town San Luis Obispo just walking around enjoying the sites. Another one of Jace's new favorite places happens to be any bookstore where he can find new books to become obsessed with. Of course he takes after his dad and is addicted to any book having to do with trucks or cars. It's great for me because I can give him a book to read in his stroller and I can spend the better part of the next 30 minutes looking for books for me. It's been a great summer so far and it's looking like it's just going to get better. In a couple of weeks #3 and her husband along with parents are coming for the 4th of July week. I am so excited to have everyone here and so is Alan!

As soon as I can get some pictures off my camera I'll get them posted. Until then, I hope everyone is having a great summer!

Breaking Dawn

2008-06-23T14:06:00.003-04:00

So, for those of you who don't know this...I am obsessed with Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series. I have been able to attend one of her book signings in SanDiego for her book The Host and now after a lot of suspense I found out I am going to be able to go to her book signing/concert in LA for her last book in the Twilight series, Breaking Dawn! I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am! The concert portion of the signing is going to be by the lead singer of Blue October (a band I am really crazy about already) and then she is going to talk a lot about writing. I can't wait to go!

Thanks to a group of girls I met online through The Host Index, a forum dedicated to discussing Stephenie's latest book, I am going with a very large group of them. They were great and after finding out early on that we thought the tickets were all sold out one of the girls found out that they weren't. Well, she cared enough that she talked to some of the others girls (who don't even live in the state) and they got together to buy the tickets for us before they sold out. It's amazing and I can't wait to get together with them all.

The 3's Meme

2008-05-21T15:35:00.003-04:00

I've Been Tagged....

1. List 3 Joys:
- My family (Alan, Jace and everyone else in my extended family)
- Playing my Flute
- Writing/Reading

2. List 3 Fears:
- Drowning (even though I love to swim, I know…weird)
- Losing Alan or Jace
- Losing “Me” (This is something I have been working on since I got married and have now doubled my efforts since becoming a mother. It’s really not an easy thing to avoid.)

3. List 3 Goals:
- Be the best wife and mom that I can be (not someone else’s version).
- Play my flute in a movie soundtrack one day.
- Finish writing my book (I’m about a quarter of the way through it!)

4. List 3 Current Obsessions:
- Food (And I don’t mean eating it, I mean not eating it. I’m really trying to lose the “baby” weight. So far I’m down 30 pounds!)
- Stephenie Meyer and anything related.
- Trying to appease a one year old in any way possible.

5. List 3 Surprising/Random Facts about myself (This is harder than it looks. I’m trying to come up with things everyone doesn’t already know. Or maybe it’s because I’m not really that mysterious. Hehe.):
- I am addicted to BRAVO TV (especially since we now live in a place that has “real” cable). I love shows like Top Chef and Project Runway.
- When I was about 10 or 11 I had a vivid dream about an orchestral piece that I still remember and will one day write down and publish.
- I am terrified of walking on piers. I know it’s weird, but I can’t help feeling like I am going to fall through one of the too worn pieces of wood.

Now I am supposed to tag 5 people... Hannah, Ashley, Heidi, Chef Messy, and anybody else who feels up to it!

We Finally Made It!!!!

2008-05-19T12:45:00.003-04:00

We finally arrived at our destination in San Luis Obispo CA! It's beautiful and the place we got to stay at is gorgeuos. We are actually staying in Los Osos which is a small community just west of SLO and is very close to Morro Bay.

On our trip accross the country we passed many unusual things and some very wonderful landscapes. Unfortunately I was so busy taking car of Jace that I took zero pictures, yep ZERO! Next time I will have to do a better job.

The first night we stayed in Lexington Kentucky (yes, another Lexington) after we discovered that there was no way we could stay in Louisville due to the Kentucky Derby booking up every hotel all the way across the state. Alan and I both agree that the first day was the most beautiful and neither of us would mind living in Kentucky. It's breathtaking!

The next couple of days were kind of a blur and not too much to look at besides flat ground as far as the eye can see. One of the unusual things was the 8,000 lb. Parrie Dog in Kansas! Yep, you read it correctly. Now looking back we wish we would have actually stopped, because there is no way to believe this really exsists.

That night we were able to stay in Denver with some good friends from our BYU ward, The Evers. It was great to catch up with them and see how things are going. Their little girl Elle is too cute and has gotten so big since the last time we saw her. Unfortunately Jace was not on his best behavior after a long days drive and had to skip out on dinner early. Thanks again to the Evers for letting us stay with them, it was so much fun!

The next day was beautiful and quite different from the previous days due to driving through mountain after mountain. The only really scary thing was driving through The Eisenhower Memorial Tunnel. It's almost 2 miles long and only two lanes one direction. Eeck! I am really clostraphobic and this nearly mad me crawl out of my skin! After that we passed both Breckenridge Ski Resort and Aspen Ski Resort much to Alan's chagrin. He hasn't gone snowboarding since we left Utah. Everything was truly beautiful!

That night we were able to stay with my sister and the tall guy! It was so great to see them and probably the best part was Jace's reaction to the dog they have there. It started barking at him, and what did he do? You would have expected him to run screaming to me or Alan...nope, he laughed harder than I have ever seen over and over again. It was hilarious! We went out to breakfast the next morning at The Bear Paw Cafe in St. George, we all would agree that it is highly recommended if you are passing through. It was fabulous!

After that we drove down to grandma and papa's (Chronicler) for a much anticipated reunion. It was so much fun to have a couple of days to relax and enjoy getting reacquianted. Mostly for Jace since he hasn't seen them in such a long time, but it was great and I think Jace enjoyed himself so much he didn't want to leave.

Then it was onto Alan's mom and dad's for a quick one night stay. We were able to run to Ikea for Jace's summer bed and a few essentials. And then had to quickly run up to SLO to get into our place for the summer.

The only thing that would have made the trip better would have been a visit with the middle sister's family, but we will make up for it at the end of the summer!

We love it and are excited for visitors! It's going to be a great summer!

Here is the view from our back windows (it doesn't do it justice):

Oh My Holy Crazziness!

2008-05-01T22:24:00.005-04:00

So, I had to laugh tonight...Alan turns and tells me, "you know, you should post something on your blog tonight because if you don't tonight you won't be able to for a couple more weeks and it's already been forever since your last post." I just laughed and promptly added it to my long list of things that are driving my insane before we head back to California for the summer. Why can't we be there already?

For your viewing pleasure, the list:

Pack - not just for the trip, but everything. I think I already mentioned we are moving to a new place this coming fall, but have to be out of the apartment we reside in currently by Saturday.
Store - everything. Fortunately I have a fabulous flute professor here and she has been gracious enough to let us put our things in her basement for the summer. Ah...thank you thank you!
Do the laundry.
Call the power company.
Let Alan study...haha...yeah, sure, when sheep fly.
Alan's finals - four of them, we currently only have one left. Thank goodness.
Play in four different concerts, one being in D.C. Thankfully these are just now over.
Download all and every picture of Jace onto our portable hard drive for the grandparents. This is a must, or I may lose my head!
Get someone to take care of the yard at our "new" place. Since we will be gone and won't be able to mow. Blah.
Make sure our summer places are still there and secure.
Clean our old apartment.
Call various persons to shut off, cancel, hook up numerous services.
Not forget Jace while leaving Virginia...hehe...even though it would make the trip a bit more enjoyable (he hates riding in the car), I could never forget him!
Alan needed to reschedule and go to a doctors appointment today. Oh, yeah, it was in Roanoke.
Oh and just in...we had to run up to D.C. today because my headjoint for my flute I recently purchased and had have exchanged finally came in yesterday. How convenient.
And last but not least did I mention that we are driving to California from Virginia and leaving on Saturday with a one year old?

Please...kill me now...if you don't hear from me for more than a month just imagine that I probably did the job myself and or I can't pry myself away from the sound of the ocean waves on the shore long enough to blog. Hehe. Hope to see you all soon!

It's That Time of Year

2008-04-12T12:56:00.002-04:00

Everything here is crazy, but it has to be one of my favorite times of year...especially on the east coast. The cherry blossoms are blooming and the colors on the landscape are breathtaking. The other thing about this time of year is that it inevitably it is the busiest time for both Alan and I. The end of the semester is coming (Alan sighs in relief) and this means finals for Alan and concerts for me. Which also means finding babysitters and Alan spending more time with Jace.

This semester Alan has some pretty tough classes and I somehow have managed to get way too involved in everything relating to my flute playing. So, yesterday, I had to leave Alan at home with Jace at noon so that I could board a bus to go up to Washington DC for a performance. It was fun and I got to hob knob with some people who won't remember me, but it was fun to meet them nonetheless. We had a great performance and then we left. I didn't get home until one in the morning, which meant Alan was home with Jace most of the day. Fortunately Jace was in a pretty good mood and from the sounds of it they had a great time.

Due to all of my absences as of late Alan has been spending a lot of time outside with Jace and been taking the majority of the pictures recently. So, the pictures in this post are all courtesy of Alan...thanks! I can never manage to get pictures with Jace's eyes open anymore, but Alan has been able to. When I take his picture he just starts to blink constantly so he doesn't have to have the flash in his eyes! He's way too smart for his own good.

If Your Life Was a Soundtrack...

2008-03-31T21:39:00.005-04:00

My friend ChefMessy tagged me for a meme tonight that I thought was pretty cool because I am such a music junky, so here goes!

If your life were a soundtrack, what would the music be?
Here’s how it works:
1. open your library (iTunes, winamp, media player, iPod)
2. put it on shuffle
3. press play
4. for every question, type the song that’s playing
5. new question — press the next button
6. don’t lie and try to pretend you’re cool

opening credits: “Stolen” by Dashboard Confessionals

waking up: “You Are My Sunshine”(Acoustic Version) by Elizabeth Mitchell

first day at school: "Adagio for Strings" by William Orbit

falling in love: “Yellow” (Acoustic Version) By Coldplay (funny because this is Alan and mine's "song")

breaking up: “Shut Your Eyes” by Snow Patrol

prom: “Come Away With Me” by Norah Jones

life’s okay: “Great Indoors” by John Mayer

mental breakdown: “18th Floor Balcony” by Blue October

driving: “Suddenly I See” by KT Tunstall

flashback: “Citywide Rodeo” by The Weepies (this is funny for reasons many may not understand, but yeah...)

getting back together: “100 Years” by Five for Fighting

wedding: “The Way I Am” by Ingrid Michaelson

birth of child: “Swing Swing” by All American Rejects (huh???)

final battle: “Light Up My Room” by Barenaked Ladies

death scene: “I’ll Be” by Edwin McCain

end credits: “Sweetness” by Jimmy Eat World

I do have to admit I only used music that was in "my library" because we have over 17 gigs/4,000 songs that are not all mine and quite a few I can't even understand because they are in another language (ie Spanish). Even still I had a ton of music and when I hit shuffle this is what I came up with. Really fun and I was surprised by some of the outcomes! Thanks ChefMessy, that one was way more fun than most!

I tag Chronicler, My Dad, and TheYoungestOne.

Sick Day

2008-03-30T13:52:00.003-04:00

Today Jace and I are home sick. Blah. So, its 2 pm and I am still in my pj's and Jace just got out of his. We are trying to get better, but someone will not take a nap to save his life! I wonder who that could be? Anyways...this gave me a chance to snap a few more pictures and play around this morning:

What a remote is really for:

Check out other great shots at Mother May I for Best Shot Monday.

My Guys

2008-03-27T22:07:00.007-04:00

So a couple of weekends ago we decided to take a short trip to Robertson Lake. Its about 20 minutes south of us down a curvy road with little houses scattered accross the landscape. The lake is beautiful:

Of course with all the beauty Jace would find his one opportunity to fulfill his destiny as a drummer:

Mr. Introspective, Jace is always thinking and this is the perfect example:

The best part of the day was watching Jace with his dad and the wonderful shots I got of the two of them I love:

Writing

2008-03-23T13:15:00.002-04:00

Well, some of you know I have started to write a fiction book. This is something I have thought about for a long time, but just never really thought that I was cut out for. I mean I was supposed to be the music person not the writer. But when I started to think of it I remembered growing up with the strangest dreams and a very vivid imagination that would sometimes get me into trouble. I always had teachers who loved the way I wrote in school, but again I really didn't think I could do something like actually write a book. I haven't gone to school for English and I haven't read too much, some but not all of the classics. When I started talking to Alan (who is an English major by the way) he said it may better to not have corrupted my mind with other peoples ideas and that I should give it a shot.

Who knows? Maybe its been days of talking to no one but a little guy who can't talk back and I have lost my marbles, but I decided to take a shot at it. I am sure my grammar is not the best, but I really don't care. So far the couple of people that have read it have enjoyed it and I am enjoying it more than I thought I would. I am starting to think I should be recording it rather than trying to write, because though I do type pretty fast (about 50 wpm) I just can't write as fast as my brain can think. I already have a pretty good idea about what the plot is and know who most of the characters are, it just getting my fingers to move fast enough to type it all. I love it! And who knows maybe I will be a big time author some day, but chances are slim to none. But I really don't care I am having a blast and really enjoying the story.

The really fun thing about it is that I feel like I have found a bit of myself in the process. I have found that there still is a little of me left after trying to do so much for everyone around me and it hasn't taken up too much of that time to find it.

Set Your TiVO

2008-03-17T20:37:00.002-04:00

Anyone who is a fan of this man:

Tim Gunn from Project Runway & "Tim Gunn's Guide to Style" on Bravo

Or if you are a fan of The Biggest Loser OR if you happen to be both OR neither...you have got to watch The Biggest Loser episode tomorrow night (Tuesday) at 8pm eastern time!

Tim Gunn is amazing! He can do things with clothes and people that few can. And tomorrow nights episode is the "make-over" one. I am really excited about this if you couldn't tell.

The thing is that I am a firm believer that if you look good, you feel good and by so doing are more inclined to reach your body's "ideal" weight. I have seen this happen with me in the past and have also been witness to it in the here and now. Unfortunately its not working so well for me in the here and now, but I'm working on it.

I am just looking forward to seeing how he highlights their best attributes and takes the focus off their not so great spots. Its going to be a great show and I hope you all get a chance to see Tim in action!

The Post Office

2008-03-14T20:55:00.002-04:00

I'm not quite sure why I am even writing about this, but here goes...I think I need to vent. Honestly, my life has been relatively uneventful recently. I mean that for the most part I have been pretty happy. I am enjoying being with Alan and Jace for the last week during his spring break. I started writing a book that I am actually enjoying. Its been a good week, well, up until maybe today.

I say maybe today because I did get some news a few days ago that some blood tests I had done on Monday came back with some interesting results. Typically I have had wacky results regardless of when they have been done. I don't know why but this time it really bothered me. I have put a lot on my plate recently, maybe more than I should have, but I was still happy. But unfortunately this meant very little time for exercise, even though I have been trying. Its hard to be a mom and wife and me. That's not to say I am not enjoying it and that it hasn't had its overwhelming "Ah ha!" moments. Its just different and I think these results pushed me a little in the wrong direction.

I was okay. And today I went in for some follow up work, which included a two hour stint in a doctors office with a 13 year old boy. He had similar problems and many others that I never imagined he could have at his age. It was a good conversation. I left and spent some time by myself doing a little shopping, which I never get to do. It was good. During that shopping I found something I had to get for our soon to be new niece. So after I got home we all got in the car to run a couple errands, including going to the post office.

Generally speaking I am a very considerate person in any situation where I deal with someone behind a "counter". I have been there and know what it is like to stand on your feet for 8-10 hours at a time and its always nice to have someone actually acknowledge what you do for them. So, this was no different. I approached the man at the counter who I had seen before and no one seemed to have been particularly nice to him. I began with a cheery, "Hi"...to be abruptly interrupted when he found that I had not filled out the address (because I didn't have a label). He asked angrily why I hadn't done this and shoved me to the side of the desk. He demanded I fill it out, told me I could have written it on the package and then told me no, to put it on the label he pulled out from behind the counter (the one I was going to ask for). I filled it out while he helped someone else and began to cry. When he was finished he recited his general questions for mailing packages and I said no without ever looking at him. I paid in cash, he set the change on the counter and I left. He never said anything else. I went out to the car where Alan and Jace were waiting, upset and blubbering. Alan is going to talk to the post office on Monday about this, because he has had similar problems with him.

I'm sorry to rant, but I think it helps. I still get upset thinking about it now and I know I shouldn't. Maybe he was having a bad day. But who knows? I never had the chance to cheer him up. I know its not my fault, but I think after this week I maybe I just needed a good chance to cry. Thanks for listening.

Happy Birthday Jace!

2008-03-12T19:52:00.005-04:00

So, he's all grown up and I can't believe it! Awe...its hard to believe that its been a year with our little man. It has gone by so quickly, but at the same time I feel like he's been here forever. He's walking, trying to talk, but can only manage to say "quack, mom, dad", and some other syllables I can't quite understand yet. He loves to read. He LOVES Winnie the pooh. He is for sure an outdoor guy and will pass hours without getting cranky as long as we are outdoors. Oh, and the outdoors gets even better when a car drives by, because he takes after his dad in a big way with this. Did I mention one of his favorite magazines to read with dad is "Motor Trend"? Its hilarious to me. He has also become quite bashful in the last few weeks and will cling to my side while tilting his head and grinning from ear to ear whenever anyone pays attention to him. He is great and this is only a small part of him. Alan and I are so grateful he decided to be a part of our family and are grateful Heavenly Father trusted us enough to let us take care of him.

So, Happy Birthday Jace, we love you more than you know!

Great Post

2008-03-11T18:03:00.002-04:00

So those of you whom have not had a chance to check out my friends blog over at The Laurent Files really need to. Her "cathedral" post today is one that all of my mother/wife friends really need to read.

I just want to say thanks again to her for brightening my day!

The Cutest Kid

2008-03-09T19:34:00.003-04:00

Okay, so I know I am biased, but come on....really? Could you argue with me?

Jace has been teething (well, his entire life), it never stops. And the last couple of weeks have been really bad. So, when he finds something that helps and makes him laugh, I'm all for it!

Next Question

2008-03-07T22:23:00.002-05:00

So, to all of you who have not had a chance to read and comment on my last post please take a stab at it! I love the comments and appreciate all I have received so far. It has really helped my creativity get going!

So, next question...If you were falling off a very tall building to your demise what would your final thoughts be? And, how would you feel? (Besides the obvious fear.) I know this may be somewhat morbid, but that's not my angle. I just want to hear your thoughts!

That's it for now. As soon as I have some more info on where I am going with this I will let you all know and thanks again!

Dreaming

2008-03-06T17:50:00.004-05:00

Since the time I was a little girl I have always had vivid dreams. The sky was the limit, quite literally. I used to fly in my dreams all of the time. I loved it. On occasion I still do, but not quite as often as I would like. All of my recent reading and efforts to be more creative made me wonder about this. The places I would go while dreaming are different today from when I was very young. And the places I would go were not always familiar to me to begin with.

So, I wondered...where would you go if you had 24 hours and could fly anywhere. Now, when I say fly, I don't mean on a plane. I mean, if you could take flight from the place you are sitting at this very moment and go anywhere (even multiple places), where would you go? And why? Also, if you could take someone with you, besides your significant other, who would it be and why? Just curious. It has been on my brain for a few days now and I need to know what you think!

I Finished!

2008-03-03T22:30:00.002-05:00

Can you believe it? Well, I know that both Alan and Jace will be happy to have their wife and mom back for awhile. I finished the 3rd book in the Twilight series tonight and the 4th doesn't come out until August. So, I am officially back in the world of the living in a matter of 6 short days.

Really good books! I would recommend them to pretty much anyone. Although I did have a friend tell me recently that she tried to read the first book and got to scared half way through. I don't know, I didn't find them terribly scary, but I have always been a sucker for a good horror story. I am not sure though that I would put these books in that classification. I would just say maybe a little suspenseful.

My review...the 1st was by far my favorite. Then I would say the 3rd and then the 2nd. I am just not a torn romantic kind of girl and the distraction of having to chose between two "loves" is just annoying to me more than a real story. I guess maybe I can't relate and that's what bothers me. Or maybe its that I really am pulling for the guy that makes the most sense, the guy that makes the main character truly the happiest, and I just think the other guy is only a story filler. i.e. I wish Jacob was out of the story all together, but then I guess she would only have a couple of books to sell instead of 4. Anyways. all in all very good reading. Fast and especially good if you haven't read in awhile.

I Have Officially Been Sucked In

2008-02-26T21:07:00.005-05:00

So, my sister has sucked me in. She posted about this series and I have heard numerous people talk about how wonderful these books are. Well, I started reading this morning and I am already 150 pages in, even after taking care of Jace all day and going to flute choir this afternoon. It is great so far and I am usually super-critical of Vampire books. Most people, other than my immediate family of course, don't know that I am a HUGE fan of vampire stuff in general. The problem has been that most of it is borderline as far as the moral character is concerned. So, I was excited to see this series done by someone who is a member of my faith. Now, I know that doesn't neccessarily mean it will be a PG book, but I am hoping. So, far its great and I would recommend it to anyone in need of a good get away.

Update: Its Thursday and I finished, even with Jace and a thousand other things going on. It was awesome! I absolutely am in love with this book! Now on to the next two!

2nd Update: As of Saturday I finished the 2nd book and I am now onto the 3rd. Note:2nd, not as good as the 1st, but I have high hopes for the 3rd and 4th(coming out soon). PS...I am not a Jacob fan in the slightest!

My Happy Place

2008-02-24T18:02:00.004-05:00

So, as many of you know I served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints when I was about 24. I was able to go to the Columbus Ohio area and had many companions whom I still am friends with today. I also had quite a few trials and obstacles to overcome. Some my own shortcomings and others had to do with the people I served with, and not just in a negative way. Its tough to knock on someones door and poor your soul out to a complete stranger in hopes that maybe, just maybe they can catch a glimpse of how you really feel and help them find what it is you have found. It was a really good experience and I can say that more firmly the farther I get from it.

While on my mission I often had a difficult time being positive, I'm just a realist, what can I say? It made it hard to find a silver lining when I continually saw poverty and hopelessness. And I wasn't serving in a third world country! This was America. It really opened my eyes, but that's another topic all together. So, in an effort to overcome these circumstances and at least get my mind back to the purpose of what I was doing I decided to find "my happy place". I know, it sounds cheesy, but it really did help. It was something that I could think of and remember what I had been given and why I wanted to share it with everyone I came in contact with. It was really personal and so, I'm sorry to disappoint, but I am not going to share what it was. Needless to say it was an event that has occurred in my life.

Recently, I have found that I have some of the same struggles. Not that I am disappointed with where we are or what we are doing. I wouldn't change anything. But I look around it is hard to see so many people making choices that really keep them from progressing or even just simply finding hope. I mean, we live in a not so good area of town and just the other day I saw someone in our parking lot buying drugs. Its hard to see this stuff and just wonder why they are where they are, but I digress...

So, yet again, I have discovered things that make me happy and help me focus. Jace and Alan are obvious choices. I recently found many of the friends Alan and I had while living in Utah on one of our friends blogs. This is a great happiness for me. It was a great time in our lives and it always made me think that I wished we could have all stayed there forever. It was great. I have many other things that make me happy, but I wonder....

What is your happy place?

Sleeping Beauty

2008-02-22T20:50:00.003-05:00

Okay, so, it would be no surprize to anyone in our family that Jace just isn't a good sleeper. Never has been and I'm beginning to think he never will be. So, needless to say anytime a light comes on or he hears anything, and I mean anything, he jumps up in his crib ready to attack whatever it may be. Its nice to know that he is ready, always, to do whatever he needs to. I have always envied other people for their cute pictures of sweetly slumbering children. Jace just isn't calm in any way, but that's okay he has a lot of other fun things that make up for it. But, back to the sleeping....Alan actually caught this picture just the other day and I love it! I think I will frame it and keep it forever.

Tag, I'm it Again

2008-02-18T20:35:00.003-05:00

Here are the instructions:

1. Answer the follow questions.

2. Tag 5 people by leaving a comment on their blog letting them know they have been tagged and to view your blog for further instructions.

Questions:

10 yrs ago:

I was just moving back to my parents after living in Austin Texas for 3 years ruining my life and learning some hard life lessons.

5 Things on my list of things to do today:

Play with Jace
Rest – I’m trying to get over a cold, again.
Practice my Flute
Post on my Blog
Search for Recordings of the pieces I am playing.

Things I would do if I suddenly was a Billionaire:

Pay off school loans (Ashley & I have this in common)
Take care of both mine and Alan’s family (i.e. payoff anything and get them all their dream houses)
Take care of Jace’s education
Buy a Platinum Flute (yes, they exist)
Get Alan whatever crazy version of his current favorite car (probably a McLaren)

3 of my bad habits:

Wasting too much time on the computer (blogs) (Again, Ashley & I are on the same wave length)Finding something to do other than what I know I should be doing (reading a magazine when I should be crocheting Alan a hat).
Devoting to much of my time to other people (if you can say that’s a bad thing, but I seriously don’t take care of myself and would do anything for a friend in need).

Places I have lived:

Hemet, CA
Austin, TX
Provo, UT
Columbus, OH
Lexington, VA

Jobs I have had:
Bank Rep (for a couple different places)
Telemarketer (sorry, but I was pretty good at it)
Accounts Payable Clerk at a Construction Company
Office Manager at UVSC Dining Services
Mom – I’m not sure I can say it’s the best job quite yet, I think I am still getting used to the idea of it, but I do love being with Jace more than I ever thought I would.

Things most people don't know about me:

That I am completely and utterly insecure. Well, maybe my mom knows this, but I always doubt everything I do and constantly worry if I am accepted by others. I know it shouldn’t matter, but I am just weird.

That I have a dream to one day play my flute in an orchestra for a movie soundtrack.

I Tag...my middle sister, my little sister, chronicler, adan, and Lauryn.

The Really Odd Meme

2008-02-15T17:45:00.002-05:00

What kind of soap do you have in your bathtub/shower right now?
Dove Cucumber Body Wash

What color or design is on your shower curtain?
Its white with purple, green and blue dragonflies all over it.

What would you change about your living room?
Uuummmm…I would make it not in an apartment and in a house of our own.

How many plants are in your home?
Well, I have flowers from Alan for Valentine’s Day, but other than that none. Apartment living just isn’t conducive to plant growth for me.

Are the dishes in the dishwasher clean or dirty?
No dishwasher here, unless you count me and there is a pile waiting for the washer to start again.

Do you drink out of glass or plastic most of the time at home?
We have these really cool red plastic cups that we got at the Crate and Barrel outlet when we got married. We only have 6 of them and I wish I would have bought twice as many since they were only a $1 and we will have them forever. I love the Crate and Barrel outlet.

Do you have iced tea, made in a pitcher, right now?
Nope, can’t stand the stuff. I just never got into drinking leaves.

Do you have any watermelon in your refrigerator?
Nope, but it sounds good.

So, what is in your fridge?
From the top…all natural sandwich meats, cheddar, jack, parmesan, feta, smoked gouda with dill cheeses, whole wheat bread, whole wheat English muffins, organic cottage cheese & sour cream, jello 100 calorie pudding cups, eggs, real butter, unsalted butter, organic salad mix, mushrooms, power ade, earth’s best carrots (jace’s favorite), newman’s own salsa, grape juice, organic apple juice (for jace), a bottle, a juice cup with organic pear juice in it, organic 1 & 2 % milk, britta water pitcher, all natural bacon, organic…apples, oranges, onions, garlic, shallots, celery, green onions, and tomatoes. I think that’s everything.

What's on top of your refrigerator?
The Kitchen Aid, a Wolfgang Puck grill, Organic Red and Gold Potatoes, napkins, plastic forks and a glass vase I can’t find room for anywhere else.

White or wheat bread?
Wheat, I can’t eat white bread anymore because of my PCOS, besides I don’t like it that much anymore.

Comet or Soft Scrub?Neither, I’m a method girl.

Is your bed made now?
Yep, thanks to Alan I didn’t have to make it this morning! We usually do everyday. Its just a habit we got into on our missions, since we were required to there it just sort of got ingrained in.

Is your closet organized?
Yep, even Jace’s is.

Can you describe your flashlight?
Yep, its red with a black ring around the top and we usually have to get it from Jace if we need it since its one of his favorite toys now.

If you have a garage, is it cluttered?
No garage yet, although we will have a storage unit in our new apartment that I am excited about. I can’t wait to not have to figure out ways to disguise Rubbermaid storage containers as tables our barriers for Jace.

Well, there you go. Strange, very strange.

Happy Valentine's Day

2008-02-14T21:02:00.002-05:00

As a way to think of this holiday in a more positive note (as I am not a typical participant), I am thinking of this day as a day for me to reflect on all the love I have in my life now. I am grateful for an amazing husband who takes better care of our son than I do a lot of the time and takes care of me better than anyone else ever could. He really is my prince charming (I know its cheesy, but its true). I am grateful for a happy healthy fun little guy who is my son. The son I thought for a long time would never be, I am grateful for all the tough days and all the better than I could have imagined days with him. Who knew I could love two men at the same time? They are the best thing I that ever happened to me. I am grateful for my parents, for the love and support, for the friendship that has developed now that I am able to really appreciate them. For my sisters, the extention of who I really am deep down inside, they know who I really am and love me anyway. For Alan's family, I never knew that people who I only knew for a few years could love and support me unconditionally, just because they love Alan. For my friends, here in Lexington and everywhere I am gratfeul for the few that I have, I would rather have the few than dozens and not be as appreciated or understood.

Thanks everyone and I hope you have a great Valentine's Day!

A Day With Dad

2008-02-12T20:31:00.000-05:00

So, today I decided that I would be more civicly-minded and I voluteered for the election. About 2 weeks ago I was sworn in and today was the first time I acted as an Officer of Election. It was fun, long, but fun. It was really interesting to see how things really work and what goes on "behind the scenes".

This of course meant that Alan was left alone with Jace all day! I didn't see him at all today, it was sad, but I think they survived. I mean I heard a few coughs from Jace's room when I came home and Alan was here doing his homework. So, both are alive. Although I am not sure who had more fun today, Jace or dad? You be the judge:

I mean, at least he wasn't drooling all over himself and he did manage to get a diaper on him! They must have had a blast!

My Little Nose Picker

2008-02-10T18:51:00.000-05:00

I couldn't believe it. I turned to look at my sweet innocent Jace as he was staring at the TV playing one of his favorite movies, "Meet the Robinson's" (yes, I know I am a terrible mom and let my child watch TV), and caught him doing something I thought I would never see. He was standing there with half his little finger stuck up his left nostril! I'm not sure it could have gone up any further. And I am sure that the watching of the TV has lead to this downfall in his behavoir. What is his world coming to!? Oh wait, I'm totally kidding... I had to stop myself cracking up while I told him that he shouldn't be doing it. While I am sure he wondered, "why not mom? its a hole and my finger fits in there perfectly?" Oh, the joys of childhood! I am sure I will catch a picture soon enough and then the world will witness my sweet little nose picker.

Baby Do's & Don'ts

2008-01-29T21:23:00.000-05:00

If you haven't read this already you need to. Especially if you need a good laugh. We laughed so hard I was crying!

Baby Do's & Don'ts

Reading Day

2008-01-28T20:18:00.000-05:00

In an effort to appease Jace's reading obsession:

We have decided to keep his books on a new shelf in his room and he can let us know when he would like to read rather than carrying them all over the apartment.

You won't believe it, but it works! Today he came and got me and looked up at his books. We picked out a few and then sat down and read for at least a half an hour. This kid cracks me up, but I am not going to argue with it. I love that he loves to read, its great!

Check out other Best Shots at Mother May I.

The Day Finally Came

2008-01-28T19:48:00.000-05:00

Yesterday our dear Prophet left to be with his sweet Marjorie on the other side. It is such a bittersweet thing. To be honest I really wasn't sad until I saw this picture on my mom's (Chronicler) blog:

It made me start to think of all the wonderful things he did and will continue to do. He was the Prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints when my family began to be truly active in the church again after a few years away. He was there when I finally chose to come back. He has done so much in his life from being a husband and father to a leader and disciple. I'm sure it won't be long before we have another Prophet and leader of the Church, and I am sure I will support and care for him just as much, but it will be hard not to hear his voice the next time the church meets for its semi-annual conference. He had such a good sense of humor, a kind voice, and he always left you feeling like you were better than who you thought you were. I will miss him dearly, but can't help but be happy for him. He is finally at peace with his sweetheart, Marjorie, and I know nothing else would made him happier.

I wanted to share this experience we had while living in Utah. It was the day his sweetheart was laid to rest. We had gone up to Salt Lake for the day and were across the street from where the funeral was being held, in the Tabernacle. Neither of us knew it was that day, even though we were aware of her passing. As we came down the steps of the conference center to the street a procession of cars began to drive by, the first was carrying Marjorie and it was of course followed by our dear Prophet. As he passed us he thought enough to roll his window down and wave to us as he drove by and smiled. This, in what had to be his most difficult time of grief. He remembered the people standing on the street, not knowing who they were or if they knew who he was. I will always remember that hand and his sweet smile. I am grateful to have been given the opportunity to live during the time of this great man.

Writer's Block

2008-01-25T22:12:00.001-05:00

Can I just say, I have had so many things on my mind recently that I can think of nothing to put to paper (or web in this case)? Of the many things floating around here are a few:

The Story of Stuff : My friend over at The Laurent Files posted this and I can't stop thinking about it. I know that since Alan and I got married we have done nothing if not collect stuff. Its amazing to think of how much we have accumulated over the last almost 4 years now. Enough to fill a 2 bedroom apartment and wishing it was 3 bedrooms. Its crazy and makes me extremely guilty. What to do....this has been on my brain constantly since watching that video and probably even before. Its hard to know where to start, but we all need to, don't we?

Books, books, books: Jace is a crazed little man. Today he went screaming to his books as I organized them. Ripping and pulling at them, begging to be read to. So, it began again and we read and went over and over again with his Animal ABC's flash cards by Eric Carle. He wouldn't even stop when a friend came over. He insisted on continuing. He cracks me up and makes me wonder whats really going on inside that little head of his. I wonder who he will be, where he will go and how I can best help him.

Hats: Alan can't find a beanie to save his life and when he did it fell out of the car and into the parking lot where it spent the night, was run over and then snowed on. Hehe. I feel bad, really. So, I am trying to crochet him one and hopefully turn it into something more. I mean I can't have the only husband, and now son, with huge heads right?

Pictures: Anyone who knows me well enough, knows I can't take a really good picture to save my life. Thus, the reason I purchased a better camera, to compensate for my poor photography skills. I mean really, when I was in high school I took my best picture on a trip to NYC on top of the Empire State Building. I was trying to take a landscape picture, instead I got a really cool picture of the building, go figure? Anyways, I am trying to figure my camera out and take better pictures, but I just am no good. So any advice would be great!

Last but not Least, My Flute: Some of you know, I play the flute, and just a couple of months ago I purchased a new one. A professional one. Which was also an untimely purchase due to the fact that my other one broke beyond repair. I love my new flute, but it has come with added costs, and I don't mean financial. It is different and I have to learn to play it differently than my other. So, added back problems, head aches, achy fingers, etc. And now come to find out, I need a different mouth piece for it. Ugh. Hopefully it will help with the other problems in the long run, but it does mean another trip to DC which is about 6 hours with Jace both ways. It should be fun and at least its a change of pace for a bit.

Okay, so I know I said I had nothing to write about, but who knew? Thanks for indulging me.

It's Snowing!

2008-01-17T14:22:00.000-05:00

For the the first time this year it really snowed. We thought this was the perfect opportunity to take Jace out for his first real go in the snow. So, he got bundled up:

But for some reason he just didn't seem to take to the snow:

We felt so bad, but his footing just wasn't stable and down he went! He turned out to be okay, and learned one of the greatest things about the snow, catching the snowflakes on your tongue:

All in all it was a fun 10 minutes in the snow, but I have to admit I thought he would enjoy it a little more. There's always next year!

Resolutions

2008-01-14T19:32:00.000-05:00

So, not that many people really care about what I make as my resolutions this year, I find it useful for me personally to "post them up". At least its another way of making myself accountable and a little reminder that doesn't include my "fat" picture on the fridge. It also occurred to me that I have only ever had one year that I actually made resolutions and kept them at the urging of a Bishop I spoke with. I don't know that the year I made and kept them changed me forever, but who knows, maybe it did. Come to think of it, that was the year I met and fell in love with my husband. So, come to think of it maybe I should be doing this goal setting thing more often and not just on a yearly basis. Who knows maybe I will actually make a difference in someones life and not just my own. So...here goes...

I figured I could narrow it down to 4 categories and maybe I could be more specific this way (Mentally, Physically, Spiritually and Externally).

Mentally:
1. In an effort to keep up with my focused and intelligent husband I have decided I need to try and read at least one new book every 2 months. I want to do more, but lets be honest...I am starting from scratch and its better to set it somewhere I know I can reach than shot myself out of the water.
2. Read to Jace everyday. This already happens most days, but I think I am going to need to stock up on some more board books because he gets tired of the same ones over and over again.
3. Think more positively. I have a tendency to think people think the worst of me, I need to stop this. I'm not sure how to do this exactly so if anyone has any ideas let me know.

Physically:
1. I know its stereotypical to do the weight thing, but I have to. Alan and I want to have more kids and I don't want Jace growing up think his mom is fat. So, here goes. I want to lose at least 80 pounds by this time next year, more if I can.
2. Go to Yoga at least twice a week and work out at least 2 other times every week.
3. Take Jace on walks at least every other day (while its cold) and everyday (when it gets warmer).

Spiritually:
1. Read my scriptures everyday by myself for at least 15 minutes.
2. Write in my journal once a week.
3. Pray everyday with the intent to listen and act.

Externally:
1. Start my home based knitting/crocheting/sewing/scrapbooking business. Its something I have been thinking a lot about and I just need to do it. So look for future posts with projects.
2. Spend time actively with my family. We spend a lot of time in front of the TV, this has to decrease. During the winter it is more difficult, but Jace loves being outside and I want this love to continue. So, I think we are going to try and be outside at least a couple times a week during the winter, even if all we do is go for a drive (its too beautiful here to pass it up). And during the warmer months be outside everyday.
3. Do something for someone else every week. It really does make me feel better and I want to try and take the focus off of myself.

So, there you have it. It might be lame and it might be great, but either way it is what it is and I want to be better. So, here goes.

If You Act Now I Will Throw in a .... with the Purchase of This Brand New Block Set!!!*

2008-01-07T21:52:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I really do pray that littleman does not grow up to be a used car salesman. But man wouldn't you buy blocks from this kid?!

As I am new to this Best Shot Monday I thought I would throw one out there and see how it goes. Hope everyone likes it!

*Limited time offer, you must act within the first 90 seconds to claim your prize! Hehe.

Happy New Year!

2008-01-02T21:36:00.000-05:00

Return of the Burrito Boy!

It just wouldn't be a new year without him. As you can see he got a few nice comfy blankets from grandma for Christmas and he loves them. My favorite gift from far away was a package full of homemade goodies from my mom, I was so happy to have some homemade fudge! Alan got the basketball he had been drooling over for months. We had a fabulous Christmas here with the 3 of us, but were a little homesick for family far away.

As for New Year's we now know that we are parents because our New Year's Eve festivities included watching the "ball" drop in Austrailia before we went to bed at 10. What can I say?...when you have a 9 month old, sleep is precious. Even if I was the one protesting my youth and wanting to stay up later, Alan brought me to my senses and we went to sleep early.

All in all its been a great year with so much to look forward to with the year to come. We are so excited to have you all in our lives and wish you all the best year yet!

Crazy Hair!

2007-12-23T19:54:00.000-05:00

Here is the crazy before:

and another couple:

Needless to say...little man needed a haircut!

So here goes....

And the end result:

Surprizingly enough it went really well and he seems to be a happy little boy!

Be Careful What You Post About

2007-12-20T19:34:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I already knew this...the whole Murphy's Law thing. I should have never said Jace was healthy in my last blog. The sick bug finally hit him and I have no idea where he could have gotten it from. We don't get out much. So, we had an unscheduled trip to the doc's today and after a quick strip search nothing was found. Thank goodness. They just said he will probably have the sniffles for a few days , but should (knock, knock....on some wood) be back to normal. One of the random things that came with this little bout of illness is a very annoying and strange girly squeal. Jace has decided that this is his form of communication for the time being. Its odd because from the time he was a few days old he has had a very deep boy voice and would grunt all the time. So, needless to say I hope this doesn't stay for very long.

One more final to go for Alan and this semester is history. Thank goodness today was the worst one and its over. Even though I know he probably wishes he could change a million things.

Update

2007-12-18T21:06:00.000-05:00

Isn't this the cutest guy you've ever seen? This picture is a little old, he was about 8 months old and now he is 9. So, I am going to have to get some new pictures to post now that we randomly found an internet connection in our apartment! We will see how long it lasts, we are hoping to split the cost with someone for it.

Jace is walking! If you all can believe it. He started last week really walking and can take about 5 to 6 feet of steps before getting too wobbly and falling over. Its great because he has always been frustrated not being able to get around. Now comes my challenge...he wants to get into everything! Its okay though, I'll trade that any day for the ungrumpy kid I have now. Its so much fun. He is eating "big kid" food like carrots, which he cannot go one meal without. He is trying to talk and won't stop saying "mom mom mom mom". Its really cute, but not so fun when he is sad, because than I feel horrible. He is doing well and is relatively healthy. We couldn't ask for much more.

In the meantime I have been working on some Christmas tags and a few scrapbooks. Take a look:

Other than that, things are good. Alan is finishing up on his finals and I have been trying to recover from a cold. But things are good.

I'm Not Dead! I Promise!

2007-10-20T19:52:00.000-04:00

Everyone, FYI, If you didn't read the comment by my mom aka chronicler, Alan and I are poor law students and can't afford the internet for now. So, until things change I won't be posting too much. Jace is doing great and will be walking any day now! If you can believe that?! He is only 7 months, but can't wait to get going. He has always hated being stationary. Alan is doing well with school and well, me...lets just say its going okay. With the exception of friendship my life is great, exercising, playing my flute and being a mom & wife, things are good. That's all I have got for you now!

Fun for All!

2007-07-26T10:56:00.001-04:00

If anyone wants a good laugh check out the new site I added to my links:

A Little Bit of Here and There

Collin filmed our wedding video and is a friend of the family. I think his site may take a bit of strange humor, but Alan and I think its hilarious! Take a look.

I Finished!

2007-07-26T09:18:00.000-04:00

Well, it was a quick read, as usual, but none the less great! The last Harry Potter was everything I expected. Because I know so many have not had time to finish or even start (ie. my hubby who has begged me not to say anything, clearly a very difficult task) the book I am not going to go into great detail, but this is some of what I thought about this "last" installment.

Some of the predictions were right, but most of the ones I had read (especially about the deaths) were not. I guess I had thought there would be quite a few more deaths to persons close to Harry, but then again hadn't most everyone close to him already been put to rest previously? I mean really how much more could this kid take? There were two deaths in particular that made me sob uncontrollably and they probably aren't the ones that people would normally think of.

I was pleasantly surprised by the course of one of the main characters and surprised by the past of another. It was a roller coaster at times and at other times I wished it would just hurry up and get to the parts I knew were coming. The epilogue was a little lame I think, just because you already have a pretty good idea that all of that would occur based on the past events in the books and including especially the last chapter. But I guess some people need closure that way, I just wish it would have been a little more detailed if she was going to go the wrap up route.

All in all a great read! I highly recommend the series to anyone and everyone. To be honest I would say you would be crazy not to take a dive in the deep end of these books. I have read and reread these books and they have rekindled my love of reading. One I think I found as a young child, but then had destroyed by years of boring and mediocre books being shoved down my throat by teacher after teacher. Its nice to have a reminder of what reading truly is, a journey into our imaginations, taking us to places we have never been but have always wanted to visit. And we don't even have to leave the comfort of our living rooms. If you haven't read these books, READ THEM!

Harry Potter Mania

2007-07-18T16:05:00.001-04:00

Can I just say I am a huge Harry Potter fan?! If you couldn't already tell. I am so excited for the last book...I am one of the few who says no way that Harry will die, but we will see. Alan and I were able to go see the latest movie this weekend thanks to mom and dad coming to visit the little one. It was pretty good. I just reread the book and of course I liked the book better. That's to be expected, the book is like 800 pages and I have no idea how they thought they could fit it all in within 2 and a half hours. I would have to apologize to anyone who goes to see it without reading the book because I don't know how they would follow the plot at all. I kept having to think..."okay, yeah, that was here in the book...".

On the subject of the book...all I can say is lay off it to all the people trying to spoil the ending. The people who are the real fans are going to sit back and wait to get there copies, hide away for a few hours and discover the magic all on their own. I can't wait to see what happens and if any of my predictions are correct.

To Cry or Not to Cry

2007-07-16T16:57:00.000-04:00

And it has begun...the battle of the wills. Mine and his. For most of Jace's life he has been a pretty good sleeper. Of course he slept in a swing, bundled up the entire time. Well, he is now getting to be too big to be bundled and he won't sleep in the swing all of the time anymore. So, we started trying to put him in a crib. Well, this is not fun for him at all, as he prefers the motion of a swing I think to rock him to sleep.

We knew this day would come and I guess it is probably a better thing that it has come now instead of later. He is in the process of trying to learn so many things and I think he just feels like sleeping is an unnecessary nu sense. In changing the sleeping arrangements this has brought the inevitable crying and unhappiness. According to many different sources it is okay and not okay to let him cry himself to sleep. So, what is a girl to do? Stop reading! That is my solution. No one knows Jace better than I do. This doesn't mean that I have had an enjoyable time listening to him scream every night for at least an hour or more. It kills me. But I just don't know what else to do. He is such a cutey and I love him so much. I am pretty sure he knows this and that I am doing it for his own good. I can only hope the throwing up stops soon and eventually he will figure out it is easier to sleep than upchuck his entire diner every night. Luckily for me the first few nights my mom and dad were here to support Alan and I through this. I can only hope it will get better.

What is Your Blog Rated

2007-07-09T16:40:00.000-04:00

An all out good time for all! Hehehe.

7 Random Facts

2007-07-06T00:40:00.000-04:00

My funniest Aunt S'mee has tagged me for 7 random facts ... one made up and you will need to guess which one. Here goes:

1. When I lived in Austin I was able to play a flute and guitar duet (I, naturally played the flute) on a nationally broadcasted radio network.
2. I managed to have more mission companions than any other sister during the span of my mission, reaching a wopping 13! I was told by my dear mission president that I was either crazy before or after my mission, he thought it was the later. I was known as the "fixer sister".
3. During my senior year of highschool I sang in an international competetion and was able to preform in the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C.
4. My two sisters and I interviewed Sonny Bono for a TV Show on MTV called MTV News Unfiltered.
5. A cousin of mine and I auditioned for a popular teen game show in matching purple shirts and didn't make it on, probably due to a wrong answer on a test we were given. Which is heavier a ton of bricks, feathers or rocks? I answered...bricks.
6. When my hubby came home from his mission I tried to talk him into getting married only a few weeks later, but wasn't able to. We got married 3 months later instead.
7. Before going on my mission to Columbus Ohio I recorded an album titled "A Sunday Morning" with hymns I arranged for flute and piano. (If you want one you could probably email chronicler for one, I think she still has quite a few at home.)

2007-06-29T15:20:00.000-04:00

So, its been a hectic couple of weeks. Jace is now completely over his ear infections, but the doctor told us that the reason he is still cranky is because he is now teething. As my dad told me, if its not one thing it is something else. I love him to death, but I will admit it has been hard.

Since I was young I inherited the depression gene and for quite a few years I have been able to kick the problem. To be honest I thought it had gone away. No such luck. Its as if something else has control of my thoughts and actions and I just can't do anything about it. It makes it very hard sometimes, but I am grateful to have Alan in my life. I feel bad because over the last few days he hasn't gotten too much sleep I think. I just need some help in the Jace department, which sometimes means at least a continuous 3 or 4 hours of sleep at night. Its funny how much of a difference it makes.

There was a post on my brother-in-law's blog that also cheered me up a bit. Un giro eterno. I promise its not in spanish, but the poem really made me think about Jace. I am really grateful to have him here. I have often wondered what he would tell me about where he has just been and help me remember the places I have long forgotten. It helps me to put things in perspective and remember that this too will pass. I am sure that one day I will look back on this time and be grateful for the lessons I have learned, but for now I am just going to get through it all.

Its Official!

2007-06-18T23:31:00.000-04:00

Jace has an ear infection, two to be exact. My little boy hasn't been snatched up only in pain. I'm so dissapointed that I didn't pick up on this sooner, but I did call the doctor. What do doctors know anyway...he told us from accross the country that he just needed to be on a better sleeping schedule. Well, I should have known this was bogus to begin with, Jace was on a schedule until he started feeling bad. He was trying really hard to tell me, "mom, I feel really gross, help me!"

Well, he ended up with his first fever today and screamed continually all morning. I just knew he had something wrong. So, we took him to an urgent care and the doctor told us he had a sore throat and ear infections in both ears. I feel so bad for him! We were able to get some antibiodics and he is now sleeping for the first time all day. Hopefully tomorrow will be better and he won't feel so sick.

The Invasion of the Personality Snatchers

2007-06-15T09:49:00.000-04:00

Someone help! My childs personality has been taken! For the last 5 days some other kid has taken over his body, I'm sure of it. He is constantly screaming and absolutely will not sleep. I'll admit Jace has had his bad days, but on a whole he has never been like this. I want to tell this other kid to go back to the "mothership" and send back my real son. The mild mannered baby who generally takes 3 or 4 scheduled naps a day, wakes up once in the night, and generally is a pretty happy guy. What is going on!? We can only hope this will dissapate after he figures out this whole sitting up thing he has been working on without stop for the last two weeks.

The Conclusion

2007-06-11T23:15:00.000-04:00

Okay, so I have whinned enough about not having my life back yet. I figured it was time for me to figure some things out. I have decided to go back to school online and get my Graphics Design degree. Yes, I absolutely love music and I will do that eventually one day as well, but I need something that I can do at home.

As some of you know I love to scrapbook and my biggest beef since being in Virginia has been lack of availability of product. I have wanted to change that for awhile. So, I thought it would be great to try and design my own line of papers and scrapbook supplies. Well, I have a ton of ideas, but no way to transfer that info to paper. The remedy would be to take classes online to get familair with the software I need, take the general classes I need from an online community college and the finish up at a college when Alan is done with school. This way I keep myself occupied when I am at home and get to work on something that has been brewing in my brain for quite awhile. It should be great, wish me luck!

Life After Jace

2007-06-06T17:15:00.000-04:00

I've read tons of mom blogs and tried to find as eloquent of words as they have found to describe what is going on in my life now. Needless to say, this has contributed to my lack of posting.

We are now in California and only a few hours away from family. I thought this would make things different...not really. My life isn't much different from when I was in Virginia, with the exception of having Jace and the bonus of not being sick all the time. It may be a bonus or maybe not. It was definently a distraction to be sick all of the time. Now I have lots of time to consentrate on what is or in my case what is not going on.

I have never been one to try spin a positive note on things, atleast in my own sphere of exsistence. I'm funny that way...it works for others...not for me. I take walks on the beach with Jace as often as the cold weather will allow, read and spend time writing in my journal for the first time in a long time, and eat up every happy minute I have with Jace. Its the time outside of all that which has become difficult. I live in a box, with a person who can't speak to me and a phone that rarely has a signal. Throw me a pity party please!

Don't get me wrong...I love my life...I wanted Jace more than anything, but I don't think I realized how different things would be for me. I used to work a lot, and when I say a lot I mean like 60 hours a week a lot. I find my hands idle now and the devil taking over in my mind. Its difficult, and incredibly lonely. I just continue to live for the sweetest smiles in the world and the fleeting conversations I can catch between signal posts.

My life is good, difficult but good.

The Longest Trip Ever

2007-05-09T10:49:00.000-04:00

Well, we finally made it. We are in California! Wohoo! We are going to be staying in San Louis Obispo for the summer while Alan does an internship for a law firm out here. Hopefully it can turn into more than just an internship because the area is beautiful and neither of us would mind living there. So, for the summer we are roughing it living in a house on the beach. It should be a blast especially because its so close to family, who I am sure will visit.

The trip here was long...we did it in 3 days driving and now both Alan and I are completely exhausted. Jace is too, he doesn't like riding in the car, unlike most kids his age he won't sleep unless he's forced to. But thank goodness we are finally here!