Living and loving my life!

Life is busy around here. My free time lately has been dedicated to things that I love doing. And, I feel so grateful to be able to do so many things that I love.

First, of course, is time spent with my babies. I guess some might argue that time spent with them is not my free time, but I'm going to call it that anyway. On most days and in most moments they are just so much fun. Lucy is growing like crazy! As of today, she is TEN months old. A month ago she weighed 21 pounds 9 ounces and measured at 29.5 inches long - in the 90-something percentiles for both. She has learned how to wave and does it all the time. She's refusing the pureed baby food she used to devour and now insists on eating off my plate. She has figured out how to ride her big brothers' motorized quad, even daring to stand while it's in motion (redefining for us what it means to be fearless). She can stand up with ease and is so steady that we're pretty sure she'll be walking before she turns one. I keep wondering where my baby went... they grow so fast!

It seems that the older the boys get, the more time they spend playing nicely together. They are best friends and do pretty much everything together. I'm so glad they have each other and get along so well, for the most part. They are talking like crazy and come up with the most hilarious things. The other day I captured a moment of the two boys in the backyard, sitting on the steps with big sticks talking about how they were fishing, reeling in their catches. Pretend play at its very best!

They're into pretending to fish because we've been doing a lot of real fishing the last couple of months. My mom bought my dad and I fishing licenses, so we've have a set day of the week when we go fishing together. The second time we went out Hugh happened to wake up while I was getting ready, so I asked him if he wanted to go with us. He was so excited! When we came home later, Ben wanted to go so bad that we all went back out for a little longer. It's a little crazy to have the two boys out with us, worrying about them falling in the water or doing something crazy like getting a fish hook stuck in a finger (like what happened to me when I was a little girl out fishing with my dad and brothers). So, we have rules that we try to get them to follow. Some rules are sinking in better than other... Last week as we were driving out to our fishing spot, I was going over the rules with the boys and when I asked them what the first rule was, Ben said, "Eat doughnuts." Pretty smart kid, I'd say!

Most other mornings are spent running or biking, training for my half marathon next month. So far it's going great! Tomorrow is a 9-miler and I'm feeling pretty good about where I'm at.

Most evenings are spent relaxing on the couch with Marc, either watching a favorite show on TV (Survivor or Amazing Race, anyone?!) or helping Marc with some website projects. He's taught me how to do some basic things and I find it fun to help him do what he loves to do. Now, if we can just get my new blog design up and running... hopefully soon!

Memories made in the Sun

The big highlight of our time down with our friends was an important ceremony; a ceremony where my friend Christy became a U.S. citizen. It was a unique opportunity to experience. Feelings of patriotism mingled with spiritual feelings in such a way that I wasn't sure where one began and the other ended. It was such a privilege to be there for such a big moment for my friend.

I just love this photo! Aren't they the cutest family?!

** The photos above were done professionally by Christy's friend - she got some really incredible shots. Go here to see them for yourself. If you live in the area, you might just find an excuse to hire her for a photo shoot. She's good at what she does and was super nice! **

That day is really one that I won't ever forget. I'm so glad we found a way to be there and so grateful for the initial phone call from Dan that started the whole adventure. And, then to spend a few days in the sun, hanging out with their family was awesome and long overdue.

I'm sure it'll be obvious from the following photos that my boys were in heaven. They had so much fun! Of course, it helped that heaven was just outside their sliding glass door - the backyard held its own little park and playground. One day we'll have to get ourselves a backyard like theirs.

Ben fell in love with this Tonka dump truck (these two were pretty much inseparable)...

Ben found his own little version of pushing toys around like he does with his cars at home, this time at the window sill...

we laughed A LOT (Christy's three are some of the most genuinely hilarious kids I know - after just a day with them, you'd be convinced, too, I promise!) ...

we cleaned up messes (this was just after my two schemed together to get a bag of goldfish open and then proceeded to eat them off the floor) ...

we ate good food...

we cooled off...

we lounged...

Hugh learned from Dan how to play Super Mario Brothers...

and learned from Sorority Girl Elsie how to properly shout "Woo-hoo!"...

we played with Bella, the dog (and learned that my boys LOVE dogs, or at least this particular dog)...

we welcomed Daddy with big smiles when he arrived...

These photos give just a quick glimpse into our time together, but I wish everyone could have the chance to spend a day in their home, among their family. There is love in their actions and expressions, there is joy, there is calm even amid the moments of chaos, there is patience and temperance in moments of teaching (I'll never forget Levi's first experience with ebay!). Dan and Christy have both overcome their own personal Mount Everests, and dare I say on multiple occasions. They have their own stories that uplift and inspire and make the world a better place - well, at least my world. It truly is a blessing to call them friends.

The Best Neighbors

Eight years ago (this week, in fact) Marc and I made our first big move as a young, married couple from our little duplex in Springville to an apartment in a little suburb of Portland. Tigard was home for just a little over a year, but we loved our time there. Some of our favorite memories all stem from the first big decision we made upon arrival - where to live.

After walking through at least a couple of dozen apartments, we finally ended up at Cross Creek. It wasn't even on our list of places to check out, but somehow we ended up there. I still remember walking up to the manager's apartment, looking around at the lovely setting of the complex, and already feeling like we had found the right place for us. When Christy (the manager) and her almost-one-year old daughter, Maddy, showed us one of the open apartments we felt even better about living there. There were some specific things that happened that finalized the decision and made it very clear to us that it was a good choice. I just didn't realize at the time how much such a decision would affect my life.

After living there for just a couple of short months, Christy echoed my squeals of excitement when we found out we were expecting our first baby. And, then just a couple of weeks later she was waiting as we returned home from the hospital with nothing but tears, broken hearts, and news that we had lost our baby. I remember being so touched by the tears she shed right along with me. I didn't expect compassion that deep from such a new friend.

We became fast friends. One of those friendships that doesn't take any effort. It was an added bonus that our husbands liked each other, too. And, over the last eight years, even with long distances separating us and visits that are much too infrequent, we've managed to keep our friendship as strong as it was when we were neighbors at Cross Creek.

~~~

A couple of weeks ago we were able to spend a little over a week in the sun with our all-time favorite neighbors. The boys and I squeezed ourselves into the back seat of my parents' Civic, as they were headed to my brother's house which was conveniently right on the way. I'll admit the boys weren't super pleased with my traveling arrangements that included waking them at four in the morning and them being strapped in their car seats for an insane amount of time... but we survived. Thanks, in part, to moments like this:

(We had to leave Marc behind to finish up some urgent work projects, but he joined us for the last couple of days.)

Once we arrived, I think the boys thought they were in heaven. And, I felt exactly the same way, though for different reasons.

More to come...

Our week of fun

The week with my sister in town went way too fast, just like I expected. Since we had to schedule our days around naps for our four little ones, we had to make the most of little sections of time in between.

Our days started off with Mandi and her two coming over (from my parents') for breakfast together with my two. After enjoying pancakes (on most mornings), there was always some time for playing on the floor for the four cousins before it was time for morning naps for my two. Mandi and her kids would head back to my parents, only to return after a couple of hours once my two were awake.

We'd have lunch, followed by a trip to the park or to the lake or a walk around the neighborhood. Then, we'd separate again for afternoon naps for all four kids, meeting up for another hour or so after the afternoon naps, before starting the nighttime routine of baths and books and prayers and good-night snuggles. As soon as I'd get my two down and settled for the night (a bit earlier than her kids' schedule), I'd then spend a couple of hours over at my parents' with Mandi and her kids. There was a lot of running back and forth, but it was worth it to maximize our time together.

Not only was it wonderful to spend time with my sister, I loved watching our kids connecting. We've always assumed that Lucas and Ben and Hugh would become fast friends, since the three of them are so close in age. The biggest surprise was how much Ben adored Audrey. I had assumed that the 2-year age gap (plus the fact that she's a girl) would somehow get in the way. Audrey would try to get Ben's attention and then run from him, which made him run after her giggling all the way, which then made her scream, which made Ben laugh even harder. It was super cute the way they all interacted with each other. (I did get some really great videos that I'll try to upload this week.)

It's been way too quiet around here. I wish there wasn't so much distance between us, but I'm so grateful for visits that happen much more frequently than could be expected. Luckily Mandi is much braver to make the long trip with two kids than I am... yet. One of these days I'll figure out how to do the same with the same level of competence and patience as her. Maybe.

Here's just a glimpse of our week together:

* The three boys - Hugh, Ben, Luke

* I think Hugh enjoys the swings more than it appears. Can't be sure, though.

* And, I don't know if one can enjoy swinging more than Luke.

* Ben and Audrey, flying high

* Feeding the ducks at the Lake, a big hit!

Our week together was fantastic! Perfect weather, fun activities, good company, and memories to live off of until the next time. Mandi, Audrey and Lucas - thanks for coming to see us!!

Surprise visit

All day Friday we anticipated my parents' return from there little jaunt two states away, to visit some of my siblings over the last couple of weeks. Finally at about 5:15pm, just as Ben was helping me clean up his toys so we could get started on our bath-/bed-time routine, we heard a knock on our door.

It wasn't my parents' usual knock, though. It was a softer knock. Marc looked at me curiously and asked who it could be. I wasn't expecting anyone (other than my parents). He answered the door and in walked this little girl:

That's my niece, Audrey. (That's her at her home, two states away, where it's very cold and snowy right now. There's no need for her umbrella here, or the sweater for that matter, in our 76 degree weather.) Following her through our front door was her brother, Lucas:

Unbeknownst to me, my sister made some very secretive plans to make the 13+ hour drive with my parents (and her two little ones) to spend a surprise week with us.

(I got all of these photos off my sister's blog, since I haven't gotten any photos of them since they arrived. Maybe tomorrow I'll finally remember to charge our camera battery, so it's working again.)

I was so stunned. I think the first words out of my mouth were something along the lines, "Nuh-uh!" I had just talked to Mandi on the phone less than two hours before, wanting to know what time my parents had left her house that morning, so I could get an idea of when they might be getting into town.

She was so, as the Italians say, furbo. (Which basically means sly, but it describes how she was better than just saying she was sly.) For the last couple of weeks, she's known about her plans to come and never gave any hint that she was coming, even during our phone call, just moments before they arrived.

It has been a fun weekend. I mean, how could it not? Pancake breakfast, cousins getting (re)acquainted, an afternoon playing on the swings and the slides at the park, the three boys (each five months apart) playing with the ball air popper toy, a crazy day at church (four adults with four little ones - I'm sure we provided some good entertainment), a delicious steak dinner with these amazing potatoes that my sister made (I have to get the recipe!), more playing on the floor with the kids, hide 'n seek, and good-night kisses.

The good news: they're here ALL week!

The bad news: time flies when you're having fun. Saturday is going to come much too soon.

Halloween Fun

Before the trick-or-treaters started coming around, I separated the candy into two bowls. Any guesses of which one I set aside for us? ;)



It is true that we love Butterfinger, but we really weren't planning on keeping them for us. I swear! For some strange reason we didn't end up getting a lot of trick-or-treaters, so we still have tons of the other stuff leftover, too. We have already hidden the candy from sight until we figure out how to get rid of it. Using it for bribery is the leading choice right now.

And, here's the final product of our Jack-o-lantern. It's a five-eyed, long-mouthed, scary-monster pumpkin, with toothpick/candy corn hair. We had a great time carving it together!


We had a thrilling Halloween... and we hope you did, too!

Our Swamped Saturday

Our day was so full! It was nice to sleep in two hours and get up at 7:30am. Marc made his delicious whole wheat pancakes and then was off to his Judo class. I headed out the door a half hour later for our last soccer game. The girls on our team are such a joy! Tabitha and I had so much fun coaching them and interacting with them. They played hard and worked together... I am very proud of them!

As soon as the game was over, I rushed home to find Marc cleaned up nice in his slacks and a tie. I hurriedly changed into a dress and high heels, and within 15 minutes we were out the door again. A family fried was getting married over on the coast, about an hour and a half drive. We made it there with about fifteen minutes to spare.

The couple was married in the backyard of a house that was literally on the edge of the ocean. It was a very beautiful setting and fortunately the weather cooperated, adding to the beauty of the day. Here's the view we enjoyed during the ceremony:

Annmarie and Kevin are a darling couple and we wish them all the happiness and love as they begin this journey together!

It was wonderful to be able to witness their wedding. We stayed and mingled for a while, gave our best wishes to the happy couple, and then we made our way back home.

We had a half hour before our next "activity" for the day, so we took a short 15 minute cat nap on the couch. It was just what we needed. Then, we went to the church for the baptism of Alex, a young man in our ward. He is a sweet boy and it was wonderful to celebrate his beautiful day with him.

Are you getting tired yet?! Yeah, you might think this is where our day ended. No, no. We came home and changed into some more casual clothes and then rushed over to a pizza place for a party with the soccer girls. This soccer season was so much fun that I can't wait for next year! Tabitha and I will be signing up to do it again. How could you not after having such a great group of girls to work with?!

It was a great ending of a stupendous soccer season and the perfect ending for a wonderfully packed day!