New Bike

C's friend outgrew her bike, and we were the lucky recipients of her old one!  We've been wanting to get C a bike for a while now, but they're just so expensive... (well, really her birthday is in August, and I always imagine her riding a bike for two months before winter sets in and then growing out of it by next summer.  I feel like it'd be wasted money to buy her a new one..at least until she's bigger).
With that being said, she LOVES her new bike.  We picked it up from our friend on Sunday, and she couldn't wait until Monday to ride it so we let her take it for a little spin.

She thought it was so cool until she had to go uphill.  Then she didn't look so happy anymore when she actually had to put some work into it.

And then she was really upset when I wouldn't help her every time.

We took a break after that, and three days later she's going uphill like a pro!
Little brother is very happy to inherit C's bike.  I think we may need to spray paint it though! :)

Father's Day

Have I mentioned how great of a dad this guy is?  C and J both adore him.  It really is a celebration every time he comes home from work!  No matter what we're doing, as soon as that front door opens all activities stop, and the kids come yelling things like, "Hooray!  Daddy's home!  Hi Dad!  Yay!"  They give him hugs and kisses and beg him to come play with them.  Man, I don't even know what it must be like to get that kind of celebrity treatment.  He really is our family's superstar!
I had C make him a little "All About Dad" sheet for him.  Here were some of my favorite answers:

At his job, my dad cuts off people's feet.

My dad weighs 18 pounds.

My dad likes to wear khaki clothes (I didn't even know she knew about the work khaki).

My very favorite answer though was this one:

My dad is special to me be he's a kid of Heavenly Father.

I think that answer alone pretty much drives the point home.  He is special because he's a child of God.  He is special too because he has taught that to his daughter.

I hope he knows and can always remember how very special he is to us!



A Post for Aunt Lippy

Someone (I won't mention names) has been wanting an update on the kiddos.  I haven't really posted anything lately because we haven't done anything super exciting.  We've been perfectly boring in fact.

We have gone to the zoo a couple times this summer.  We went with a group of friends one day and had a blast.

Charlotte and Jonas have both gone through some growth spurts.  We weighed them the other day and they both weigh about 31 lbs. Jonas is one solid boy!
Our little man seems to be constantly injured.  He tried jumping down the stairs the other day and landed on his face.  He got a big ol' scrape on his nose, but I didn't get a picture of it.  Then two days ago he was jumping into a basket and misjudged.  He scraped his eye up, and it was swollen for a while.  He is fast!  I can't keep him out of trouble! :)
Currently he is in love with trains and cars.  Lightening McQueen and Thomas arepretty much his constant companions.

C loves playing with Barbies.  They're taking a little dip in the "pool."

I know this isn't the most exciting post.  I'll try to do better about keeping the far away loved ones up to date with pics of the kids!  Love you all!

Not Your Normal Naptime

I keep my kids on a pretty steady schedule.  They wake up around seven (okay, they wake up at 6 or 6:30, but I don't let them out of their beds till 7), go down for a nap between 12:30 and 1, and go to bed between 8 and 8:30pm.  Even when they were babies, nap times were pretty consistent. 
After lunch today the kids were playing for a few minutes while I was taking care of some things.  I went back to the kids bedroom to find J so we could read some book before naps.  Melt my heart when I saw this:

Little boy had fallen asleep before nap time on the floor with his Thomas train close at hand.  Since I keep them on a consistent schedule I don't really find my kids asleep on the floor.  I've always secretly wanted to find my kid asleep mid-playing...I've felt like it's some kind of motherhood milestone.  Not really sure why.
I usually wipe down his face after I change his diaper.  We didn't even get to that point.  I'm loving his little peanut butter cheeks!

Mother's Day 2012

There is a mother and daughter in our ward that remind me of my mom and me.  They are best friends and always do fun things together.  The daughter spoke in church on Sunday and mentioned how when she went out to Utah to go to school she still talked to her mom on the phone everyday.  Adam leaned over to me and whispered, "Now that sounds familiar."  I smiled at him and then I had to hold back the tears.  Yes, I do talk to my mom on the phone everyday, but even so I still miss her terribly.  This Mother's Day was especially hard due to some unexpected events that have occurred in our family recently.  They have made me realize how truly irreplaceable my mom is and how important mothers are.  Here are a few reasons why I love my mom:
1.  She has always listened to me no matter how much I have to say or how late it is.
2.  She is so optimistic.  She is great about finding the good in every situation and making sure everyone else knows about that good as well.
3.  She is very selfless.  She serves others in a way that I pray I can one day.  Her eyes just see what people need and she quietly gets to work helping them.
4.  She tapes her face up in silly different ways to make the kids laugh.
5.  She always stands up for what is right and isn't going to apologize for it.
6.  She loves to discuss books with me.
7.  She is a peacemaker.  Whenever she was feeling upset or like she was going to lose her temper, she would quietly slip into another room until she felt she could talk about it without offending the Spirit. 
8.  She is patient.
9.  I cannot count how many times I saw her studying the scriptures or praying.
10.  She made us breakfast every morning and felt guilty when she gave us cereal once a month.  She even made breakfast before early morning seminary...getting up around 4:30 or 5am to make it.
11.  She likes to play games.
12.  She sings all sorts of silly songs.
13.  She makes the best biscuits and gravy.
14.  She still talks to me on the phone everyday and is always interested in what I'm doing.

Those are just a few of the many things that make her the best mom. Despite missing my mom, I did have a wonderful Mother's Day.  I was spoiled and didn't have to cook or clean a thing.  I got to spend time with my lovely children that are my sunshine.  And amazingly enough, they both cooperated for pictures!

I love my Charlotte.  She is oh so obedient and happy to please us.  She makes my job pretty easy.  I love how girly she is, and she definitely wants to be the "second mother" to Jonas.  I really hope that as a teenager we can be best friends because I know we would have so much fun together.  She has a lot to say and has taught me that it is important to listen.  I want to listen to what she has to say now, so that she'll know I will listen to her when she's older...when her problems are bigger than a brother who wrecked the tower she built.

My Jonas makes my heart smile.  He is so busy and curious.  I love watching him as he debates between what is more important: obeying mom or figuring out how how things work.  He has taught me a lot about being a mom...that I don't have all the answers, and that what is best for C isn't necessarily best for J.  It's helped me better understand how Heavenly Father can love all his children and how he has a different plan for each of us.  I love how quickly Jonas will apologize and forgive.  He has a big heart. 

Love these kids!  Love my life!  Love my mom! 

Happy Mother's Day (I know, I'm a few days late!)

Day Tripper

Saturday morning we woke up with no plans.  There was nothing we needed to do, no where we needed to be, no pager of Adam's to say: "You can't do anything more than 30 minutes away from the hospital." We were in bed trying to think up how to use our precious day. So I suggested a day trip to Pittsburgh (which really meant IKEA). I could pick up some "Mother's Day" gifts there. I have been wanting to go for a couple years now.  Adam replied, "Boring."  Well maybe not that bluntly, but more or less he declined my idea.  I got out of bed and started muddling through the daily tasks.  I usually don't muddle through them, but I was a little bummed.  About 30 minutes later Adam comes into the room where I'm getting J dressed.  He has a grin from ear to ear and he says, "Guess who's playing in Pittsburgh?  The Astros!  Let's go."  So we got ready (meaning Adam made Astros shirts for the kids to wear and I took care of all the logistics).

We stopped at IKEA first.  Happy Mother's Day to me...I got a few items to organize my pantry and the kid's room.

We then joined up with some friends we went to podiatry school with who moved to Pittsburgh at Primanti Brothers.  They serve some "almost famous" sandwiches that always include Italian bread, tomatoes, coleslaw and fries (all of those items come ON the sandwich...not as a side).  Our little girls were born a month apart and while they didn't remember each other they became fast friends and started begging us to take their picture.  I think they changed their minds as soon as we pulled the cameras out because we could not get them to look or smile at the same time.

After dinner we changed the kids clothes and headed over to the game.  The city is so pretty and has these big yellow bridges.  They close one of them off to walk to PNC Park.  Randee snapped a quick pic for us.

The game was fun.  We bought some seat from some guy selling tickets on the street.  We only bought four tickets and hoped that the seats next to them wouldn't be full so that the girls wouldn't have to sit on our laps the entire time.  We lucked out!

The kids were really good for the game.  I was a little surprised since we had been out all day, and I didn't bring any snacks with us.  The little boys had fun crunching peanut shells on the floor though.

We weren't really sure who we were cheering for.  While we all have to be Astros fans for Daddy, it was really hard not to get excited with the crowd whenver the Pirates scored (which was more frequently than the Astros...)

So fun to chat and catch up with friends during the game!

 Thanks to my hubby for such a fun pre-mother's day celebration/gift.  How will I ever forget the Mother's Day Adam took me to a baseball game?  I think for Father's Day I'm going to take Adam to see the most girly musical that I can find. :)  Seriously though, it was a wonderful day that I will always remember spent with family and friends!

Room with a View

My family likes to go for walks.  About two months ago we were walking around our complex past some apartments that are different than the town homes where we were living.  Adam mentioned that we should move into them because they are situated in a quieter area.  I immediately dismissed his proposal since a 500 foot move seemed like way more work than it could possibly be worth.  Plus, I had just repainted our main floor (after having primed it back for our last move that fell through a week before), and if we moved again we would have to prime it again.  No thank you.
A few days later some workers came and cut down the only tree I could see from our town home.  It exposed another "lovely" row of town homes for me to look at instead.  It bugged me.  A lot.  We get really bad snow drifts in the winter, and I could just imagine them getting so much worse without the tree to block the wind.  Plus, we live on the "dark side" of the building.  It's a bummer in the summer, but just downright depressing come winter.  On another walk past the apartments I started having second thoughts about my hasty dismissal of them.  I told Adam that I would at least be willing to look at them.  So look we did.  We liked what we saw: an actual eat in kitchen without carpat under the dining area, no tile in the bathtub/shower area, two full baths...one off the master bedroom, more counter space, more than just one outlet in the kitchen, 100 more square feet, all one level, trees outside our windows.  The biggest drawbacks were bumping down to 2 bedrooms instead of 3, not having our own private entry, and no first floor apartments were available.
We took a few days to make a decision.  Okay, I took a few days to make a decision.  Adam wanted to move to the apartment, but didn't really care either way...whatever that means. We prayed, I prayed, I stressed, I worried, I thought about it, I decided to do it, I changed my mind...I was so scared that I would decide to move to the apartments and miss the town home and regret the decision I had made.  The two places were just different.  One wasn't really better than the other. I prayed some more and was extra focused on receiving an answer.  The only answer that came was that, "It doesn't matter either way."  So, in the end I decided I cared more about trees and no carpet under my table than private entries and having a guest bedroom (that does not mean we do not want guests!).
So we moved last week, and I can say that I am 100% glad we did.  Our new place just "fits" us better than the other one did. I am so glad that I don't see this anymore when I look out my windows:

But instead I see this:

And this:

And this:

When I first moved to Florida from the desert, all the trees made me feel claustrophobic.  We then moved to a home in Georgia surrounded by trees, and I fell in love.  I love the green, the peace, and the quiet they bring.  And I have to say I am actually looking forward to seeing them glisten with snow on their branches that will be left undisturbed by human feet and cars this winter.  We now wake up to birds singing in the morning instead of our neighbor's dramatic phone conversations, and when I opened the blinds the other morning there was a deer standing outside my window just waiting to greet me.  Is this a Disney movie or what?  Pretty sure tomorrow I'm going to meet some singing chipmunks...

Day Eight - Passions

Life has been a little busy lately. Sorry for dropping the ball on this "daily post" run. We're getting ready to move at the end of this month to a new place, and along with all of my other responsibilities, I feel guilty every time I sit down at my computer.  I've gotten to a point though where I just need a little down time.  So here's a little post about 5 of my passions.

1.  The gospel of Jesus Christ.  It's difficult for me to express in words how I feel about the Savior.  All I can really say is that the decisions in my life are all based upon striving to be like Him and returning to his presence.  The more in line I am with keeping my life in line with His teachings, the more joy I feel.  I am so grateful for all that the Savior has taught and sacrificed for my sake.

2. Families.  Not just my family, but all families.  I agree with Elder M. Russell Ballard's recent remarks at General Conference:

"And, of course, societies at large are strengthened as families grow stronger. Commitments to family and values are the basic cause. Nearly everything else is effect. When couples marry and make commitments to each other, they greatly increase their chances of economic well-being. When children are born in wedlock and have both a mom and a dad, their opportunities and their likelihood of occupational success skyrocket. And when families work and play together, neighborhoods and communities flourish, economies improve, and less government and fewer costly safety nets are required.

So the bad news is that family breakdown is causing a host of societal and economic ills. But the good news is that, like any cause and effect, those ills can be reversed if what is causing them is changed. Inequities are resolved by living correct principles and values. Brothers and sisters, the most important cause of our lifetime is our families. If we will devote ourselves to this cause, we will improve every other aspect of our lives and will become, as a people and as a church, an example and a beacon for all peoples of the earth."

(You can read the full article here.)

I am passionate about strengthening families.

3.  Order.  So we're in the middle of a move.  Boxes are everywhere.  Many of my things don't have a "home" right now.  I am trying to decide what can be packed and what we're still using.  It is driving me NUTS!  I tell the love of my life every night before we go to bed, "I could never live like this all the time."  And every morning, I make all the beds because that is the one thing in my home that can still be organized! :)

4.  Learning.  I loved school.  I want to go back at some point, but I want to go back forever.   I don't really even care if I ever get a degree.  I would really like to just take all sorts of different classes (excluding math).  I'm one of those people that sometimes reads textbooks just for fun (not as frequently now that two people call me "mom").  I know I don't have to be in school to learn, and I do enjoy learning new things everyday.  I really enjoy a classroom setting though (maybe it has to do with my passion for order).

5.  Rules.  I guess this probably just translates to my need for order in non-materialistic means.  I ALWAYS read the directions.  I don't ever enter the "EXIT" door.  I like to know what is expected of me and of everyone else.  I have learned to not freak out when others break rules though.  I had a tough time with that when I was kid (sorry to my brothers).  And now I just feel like I sound crazy...I promise I am not a power-hungry-rule-enforcing type of person.  I like rules mostly for me.  They make me feel safe.