Cousin Pals

We had cousins in town for 2 weeks in July and my kids were in heaven! They spent pretty much that whole two weeks at Grandma's playing. That is all they wanted to do, and they had a blast. I'm so glad that these kids love each other so much. I think they are at ages where they are creating wonderful memories and lasting relationships. 

Nora and Alyssa loved that they were twinners in fun new dresses.

We took the cousins with us to a library magic show and 3 of them ended up on stage with a variety of drinks poured from an orange juice container. Zeke really got root beer and Kylie really got strawberry milk. This wizard was pretty good, we couldn't figure out how he did his tricks!

Ashlynn's family got a puppy and all the kids were so excited to play with him. He's still a baby though - Zeke was bummed when the little guy zonked out right away.

I have no idea what game this was or why Nora thought it would be good to flop over the roof of the Cozy Coupe, but I couldn't resist taking this picture.

Everyone pile on Aunt Heather! Nora sandwich!

I love the cousin train. They're so dang cute. 

Memorial Day Weekend

We packed a lot of fun into this past weekend. We spent a lot of time out and about and with Aaron's family and it was great. Saturday and Monday were really quite nice and our plans weren't changed by rain!

We took umbrellas to the cemetery in case of rain but ended up using them for sun.

I think we went to the park twice on Saturday!

Monday we had a rocket launch. We are getting back into a pattern of holiday rocket launches and it's just as fun as it was before! Nora got to retrieve the body of this one while Zeke went under the fence into the field to get the nose and parachute. 

Watch them go - up up and away!

Aaron did some burst pictures on his phone and we got some really great pictures that way. So much fun!

Best Days of My Life

About a year ago I was driving to work and heard Bryan Adams' Summer of '69 on the radio. I wondered to myself if there was a 'best time' of my life that I wished I could relive. It only took the minute or so between exits on I-15 to mentally flip back through the 8 years I had known Aaron and come to a realization. There have been so many wonderful times and fond memories, but even the most blissful times weren't without their problems. All things considered, I would rather have the combined joys and challenges of now than any other time.

That's as true now as it was last summer. Our wedding day was seven years ago today (truly one of the very best days ever!) and life gets better all the time.

Going Home

Our 20 months in Midvale were filled with challenges. We simply endured and had faith and hope that things would get better. It's true that happiness is a matter of attitude. But it's also true that staying someplace where you are not happy is probably not worth it if you have the choice.

There were huge joys, despite the trials. Nora was born in the middle of our time there, and Aaron found his current job. We were blessed with ward members who made an effort to get to know us, invited us to playgroup, and made sure our pantry was never completely empty.

And we learned, and learned, and learned some more. We learned what was really important to us in both a home and in a community. We grew in managing our money. We discovered we would rather to be close to family than close to work. We realized we love the small mountain valley we grew up in more than we thought we did. And experience taught us that the top item on our home amenities wish list is feeling secure in our home.

It has been an amazing blessing to move to Midway and leave the challenges behind (some of them literally). Every morning as I open the blinds to let the sunlight in I am grateful for the beautiful blessing it is to live here - both in this townhouse and in this valley. We are truly happy to 'pay for' living here in longer commute times and other little costs that are more than we had before.

Aaron I look at each other all the time and say 'I love it here!' Which could be followed by 'Why didn't we do this sooner?!', but we know why - it wasn't time yet, and we wouldn't appreciate it as much if we hadn't had the challenges.

Spend, Spend, Spend.

So I got my first paycheck last Friday and kissed the last of it goodbye today. Started by being frivolous buying three pair of pants that don't have holes in them. Then Yesterday the cars brakes started grinding. It's amazing how fast automobile repairs will suck you dry. $600 and most of the day today and the last of my check is gone but I have brakes on the escort again :D

Paused

Expecting a new arrival 'any day now' is an interesting experience. Aaron described it yesterday as being in pause mode, which fits perfectly. We have to be (and we are) ready at any time to drop our normal routine and bring this baby here. Plus there are several things that are on hold until our little lady makes her appearance. However, the catch is we have to keep living our normal routine until the moment comes, and we have no idea when that is. It's a bizarre set of circumstances. An experience I'm glad to be having, although it is one of those growing-and-learning experiences that is pushing me to further develop my patience and faith. I'm grateful that I am aware of our progress, and that every day brings us closer to one of the greatest moments of our lives.

August, Baby

According to traditional textbook definitions, our 'could have a baby anytime' started a week ago. Now we can say with certainty that she has an August birthday. It's not a huge consolation, but it is one thing in the world of unknowns that is expecting a new arrival. We keep telling her that anytime is fine with us and soon would be great!

That's not to say there has been no progress. I've been nesting, which I think Aaron finds amusing. I am attacking projects that I have been noticing for the past 4 months but not had the energy or motivation to do. I'm pretty sure the 'extra' energy I've got is all in my head; however, the accomplishments are making me feel good. Now visitors who dare traverse the jungle of cars, trucks, airplanes, train tracks, and couch pillows that is our living room floor can be rewarded with adequate seating. That's a big achievement.

The changes of the baby dropping lower are in full force. Zeke dropped for maybe half a day then came back up to stay for the rest of the pregnancy and all 16 hours of induced labor (after which he was born cesarean, perfect yet stubborn). This little one, though, has her head where it belongs and has introduced a whole new world of aches, pains, strange sensations, and a growing hope that I will in fact go into labor in the near future.

I am also loving the fact that a second child means we already have the baby gear. I don't think we have bought anything for this little one yet, which our budget appreciates, and I have appreciated not having to research, compare, and decide on carseats, strollers, and the like (to say nothing of the 'Do you think we'll need this?' items). Nearly all of our 0-6 month clothes are gender-neutral, and thank you to her grandmas for giving us dresses for church.

I think we're ready. As ready as we're going to get, anyway. But, as we wait and anticipate, I'm enjoying feeling (and watching) her move and knowing that, for a few more days, I can keep her safe and sheltered in ways that will never be possible again.

Bombarded by Parenting Propaganda

In the past 4 or so years I've read many pregnancy and parenting blogs, articles, and forums. Many of them, especially the forums, have contributors who think that whatever they did for their child is universally applicable. Occasionally I see 'This is what we did, and it worked for us, hope it helps' and I like those people - but alas they are the minority. Why can't we all just get along?

For example, we bought Zeke a new carseat last weekend. He was in desperate need of an upgrade, and this new seat is perfect for him. I was crawling the web looking for tips on taking carseats on airplanes, and found a mom who had similar age kids in a similar carseat. One of the responses to her question was 'I would never put my 3 year old in that carseat. My kids ride this other carseat.' Okay, well, good for you, thanks for sharing; but aren't we both trying to accomplish the same goal here (i.e., trying to keep our kids safe)?

And all that stuff you get as an expecting parent (okay, an expecting mom, expecting dads get left out when it comes to free stuff). Once you wade through the health advice and the advertising, you're left with parenting magazines that tell you you should nurse your baby because that's what 'good moms' do, along with pictures of smart, happy babies latched on. And there might be a few other articles (valuable or otherwise) in between. This time I flipped through the free stuff collection in the car and recycled it as soon as I got home. (It's aimed at first-time moms anyway, what's up with that?) Then I went and found the magazines I got when I was pregnant with Zeke and tossed them too. Not sure why I kept them for 3 years and 2 moves... My 3+ years of Zeke-parenting experience will be my first reference for caring for a new baby anyway.

The lesson I keep learning and keep reminding myself that I have already learned is that I should do what's best for us and our kids. It doesn't matter what someone else thinks or does.
And that 'good mom' I am constantly comparing myself to? In my moments of greatest clarity, I don't think she really exists.

Grandparents

Grandparents are special people. I spent so much time with my Grandma while she was alive - Sunday dinners, lazy afternoons, holidays ... My earliest memories are of being with my Grandma Draper.

I am loving watching Zeke develop his own unique relationships to his Grandmas and Grandpas. Going to grandma's house is a greatly anticipated event. Zeke knows the way to Grandma's, and if it even looks like we might be going 'over the river and through the woods' (because we do!) he gets so excited.

It surprised me a bit just how early on Zeke began to show that he knew what happy things were waiting when we said 'We're going to Grandma and Grandpa's'. Things like Grandma Carlile's house always has crackers and Goodnight Moon, and Grandma Loertscher's house always has granola bars, ride-on and push-around toys, and often a Price is Right just waiting to be shared.

I don't think I would have stayed sane during Zeke's first 9 months without grandparental arms to hold and soothe him. Now that he's older, when we come to visit the order of business is quick hugs before running off to find the toys. Then snacks. Earlier this week, Zeke asked my mom for a cracker and a drink of milk in the 'McQueen cup'. He definitely knew and used of the Carlile house amenities!

One of the best parts has been watching our parents become grandparents. One family already had grandkids, the other didn't. Either way our parents were new to being grandparents to our child, and it has added a wonderful new dimension to our relationship with them.

Zeke is fortunate to have all of his grandparents living and living close by right now (plus one great-grandpa) and I hope that the good times and good memories continue for a long time.

A Little Respect

I feel sorry for 2009.

Practically everyone we have heard talk/write about 2009 mentions how glad they are it is over. (Like a whole lot changed in your life when the clock struck midnight...I know, I know, it's symbolic - but still.) I don't remember 2008 or 2007 being so quickly shoved out the door. Or 2006, or 2005.... Maybe we missed the memo? We don't think 2009 was so bad.

2009, I don't know why everyone was so ready to get rid of you. Maybe they are just ready for a change. Maybe people are ready to switch to more familiar 'twenty-ten' rather than the cumbersome 'two thousand nine'. Or maybe it's simply that 9 is forever the runner-up to the celebrated number 10. Regardless, we remember you fondly even while we look forward to the new year.

2010, there are some big expectations out there for you, and I trust you are up to them.

Have a Nifty Thrifty Christmas

Before Thanksgiving we decided to put our spending plan on a budget. With debts we want to pay off and things we want to save for, it was time to really control more regular expenses like grocery shopping and hobby spending. It's been one of those 'growth experiences', the kind that are difficult but beneficial. There have been some growing pains, but I have learned a lot.

I've discovered that I have more food storage than I thought. It's not much, but there were a few things in my pantry that I had been avoiding, mostly because I wasn't sure what to do with them and didn't want to take the time to find out. It really didn't take long to figure it out and now I wonder why I didn't do it sooner! I have also been reading my friend Heather's parsimonious blog, which has me thinking about new and creative ways to save money.

We did most of our Christmas shopping with cash back from the credit card we want to pay off. I think our Christmas gifts get fewer every year, and our Christmas joy and peace and love get larger every year. To me this is a direct correlation. Giving gifts to the people we love is important to us, and keeping it simple means we feel love and not stress.

Aaron got a gift card for an office supply store; a 'thank you for spending a lot of money in printer toner at our store this year' sort of thing. So we went shopping for office supplies and Aaron had his spreadsheet out to record all of our potential purchases and calculate the tax, wanting to use the whole gift card without spending anything extra. When he paid for his order, the cashier was stunned that the total was exactly the amount of the gift card. I'm still impressed, and we were both exhilarated. It was fun to accomplish something like that.

I guess we're taking 'cheap thrills' to a new level.

Mind reading made EASY

You can't do it. There now wasn't that easy. :D

Along the same lines if family, friends, strangly compelled people, any of the aforementioned individuals' pets, zoo residents, ect. do not leave comments on blogs how will you know they read them. YOU DON'T.

Wow there's a couple of really easy things that you can do on a fine Friday the 13th with no effort at all.

Have a lucky day all. :D

Oooh! Pick Me! Pick Me!

So -- how many of you read our sidebar?

[ . . . ]

That's what we thought.

If you did read our sidebar, you would already know that we have started a photo blog to share more of our life with you. It's not a one-photo-a-day effort, but more of a chance to share our fun photos and the stories they tell. (Thanks to Skye for her photo blog, which inspired ours.)
Really, you should start looking at all the good stuff to the right of our posts: our latest, greatest, breaking news, the ever-increasing list of blogs we read, and the pictures and lists that are updated regularly.

Now don't fret - we've only been photo-blogging for a week, so you'll be able to catch up.

Preserving the Memories

There are moments that we forget, even just transiently, that come back full force when we flip though our photo albums or open a folder of digital pictures. Aaron and I treasure our picture collection and the stories and feelings the photos represent.

This month I began the project of scanning my parents' printed photos into digital form: making them easier to share, organizing them chronologically, and creating a backup. We started with baby Dynna, primarily because she will want baby pictures for a wedding video in the near future. I have scanned and named about 2 years of pictures so far.

Though these pictures, I see tangibly just how Zeke links our two families together. I see Zeke when I look at a young Aaron. And I see Zeke when I look at a a two-year-old Draper as well.

Aaron (3 years old)

Draper (2 years old)

Noisy & Malfunctioning Sounds on Blogs

I've been to several blogs recently and there seems to be a trend to put a playlist of music or have some sort of music playing when you first load the blog. While these things can be fun it can really be a pain in the butt when you are trying to keep the volume down to avoid waking others; STUPID HEARTBURN. Tonight I got to listen to a song that sounded like it was being dragged down like it was playing on a dieing cassette recorder, thought that we had gotten past that sort of thing. Ah, the joys of technology. So for those reasons mainly I probably will never do such a thing to my blog. ^_^