I'm thankful for...

well, so many things, really. But here are a few that I'm particularly grateful for right now (I meant to write this over the Thanksgiving weekend, but didn't get to it):

• Firsts. It is so fun to see Grant experience or do things for the first time. Smiling, cooing, sleeping for four hours at a time...I thought that these things might not be as exciting with the second child and I'm very glad that I was wrong. It truly is a privilege to be a parent and I'm loving my second go of it. Some of Sarah's firsts: speaking in full sentences, seeing things that are common to me for the first time through her eyes makes so much more meaningful and special (like the fact that she can open the cupboard door and find a strainer).
• Distance: Being so far away from everything and everyone I knew so well has been one of the most enlightening experiences of my life. Before moving to Kirksville I thought I knew myself pretty well, but I've become much better acquainted with me, my husband, and our children. I'm still figuring out who I am and how to be and I owe it to distance.
• Government Programs: WIC (gives us milk, cheese, eggs, cereal, dried beans, and peanut butter...and saves us at least $75 a month!), Medicaid...makes it possible for us to have our beautiful baby Grant and also my gallbladder surgery all at no cost to us.
• Stability: not talking financial (because that won't happen for a few more years), but because of my husband. I can always count on him to be himself. He always pulls through and does fantastically. He steps up and helps with the children on a daily basis, he makes dinner (he even made a delicious turkey roast the other day), he studies SO hard and does really well in school, he manages to keep the stress of school outside the home, he keeps us all laughing, he is the MVP of his basketball team (and loves to tell me about every play he made), he is very tender-hearted and always wants to do more for those he loves. I love him and am very grateful for the stability he provides in my crazy life.
• Enlightenment: I love to know that I can seek God and find him. I feel so secure knowing that He is interested in me and will enlighten me with what I need to accomplish what I should and want to accomplish. I wish I always felt enlightened...perhaps I should work harder on that one. But I guess it's those times of unenlightenment that make the enlightened moments so profound. I love when I feel that Heavenly Father trusts me enough to provide more information...what a blessing!

Sarah & Grant

Many of you have requested updated pictures of the two little ones...so here they are tonight in their jammies. Sarah is in the stage of giving a very fake smile for the camera, so this is the best I can do. Grant is just learning to smile and it's the sweetest smile ever. We love our kids so much!

I'm back!

The past two months have been a bit crazy, with the arrival of baby Grant, having both grandmothers visit, going to Utah for two weeks, finals for Steve, getting my gallbladder removed, having Jane visit, Sarah's second birthday, and Thanksgiving....it has been crazy, but I'm still alive and finally feeling like blogging again. I'll do my best to get things caught up in the next few days. It feels good to be back!

The Latest Little Later

We are so happy to announce the arrival of our newest addition to the Later family. Grant Steven Later was born on Wednesday, October 3, 2007 at 10:08 p.m. He was scheduled to be induced on the morning of the 4th (which also happens to be my birthday), but he decided he needed to have his own birthday. I began having contractions around 4:30 in the afternoon on Wednesday finally went into the hospital at 7:30. My labor was progressing so quickly that I barely had time to get an epidural, which finally kicked in when I began pushing. I am happy to say that it was all worth it when the doctor handed me a beautiful baby boy. I can't begin to describe the instant love I felt for this little person. It's such an incredible experience to become a mother, even the second time around. Here are some pictures of the past few days as we've watched little Grant grow. He is a great baby and we're so happy to finally have him here.Kasey, Steve, and Grant--just minutes after delivery.
Grant being cleaned off after delivery.

Steve and his two little ones hanging out at home.
He is a great baby...only cries when he wants something. But when he does cry, boy does he cry! Is it wrong that I think this face is cute?
There's nothing sweeter than a sleeping baby.

Touchdown!

I love my little family!

I just want to say how much I love my own little family! Tonight we took a walk to the park and Steve and Sarah took a detour into a neighbor's lawn to catch a butterfly...they actually caught it and Sarah held it between her little fingers for a few seconds! I just stood on the side of the road watching and was overcome with a feelings of happiness and gratitude for my own family. I love being a wife and a mother and although both jobs are quite difficult at times, I can't think of anything that I would rather be doing. I feel so blessed to have a wonderful husband who puts up with all my craziness and puts a lot of spice in my life. He is such a great example to me in so many areas and I'm so glad to have a partner who challenges me to be better, even without saying a word. I also feel so blessed to be a mother to Sarah...I never knew motherhood could be so fun. Every day Sarah amazes me with how smart she is becoming, her cute sense of humor, and her sense of knowing how to give and receive love. I am very excited to be welcoming another little one into the family in just 10 days. I know this addition will change things, but I'm hoping (and banking on what others have told me) that it will be changes for the better. I just love my family and I'm so grateful I get to be surrounded by these good people!

Happy Birthday Steve!

Happy 28th! Today is the one day of the year that we all get to celebrate Steve! We love Steve for so many reasons and we're so happy we get to celebrate with him today. Here's a little clip of Sarah wishing her Daddy a happy day.

About a week and a half ago the three of us took a little mini-vacation to St. Louis. We've lived in Missouri for over a year and haven't been there to visit yet. One of our main purposes was to go to a Cardinals game for Steve's birthday (yah right, you don't like your birthday, Steve!).We had a great time seeing the sights and just being in civilization. I didn't even mind being stuck in traffic! We did lots of eating at great places, a little shopping (a couple Cardinals onsies for the new baby), visited the temple, visited the famous St. Louis Zoo, and Steve's all time favorite was the Cardinals game on Friday night(it was his big birthday present). We took the metro from our hotel to the game and Sarah loved riding on the train...she kept saying "choo choo" the whole time. The Cardinals played the Cincinati Reds and we even saw Ken Griffey, Jr. strike out. The Cards won 8 to 4 with a Rick Ankiel's grand slam in the 6th inning. One of Steve's favorite stories of the game was when I was screaming my little heart out for the Reds as they scored an in the park home run. I couldn't tell who was on what team--they both wear red. What can I say?....I never was the most sport savvy! Sarah loved the game as long as she had a different treat every inning...popcorn, hot dogs, root beer, fruit snacks, etc. We had a great time and can't wait to go to more games. St. Louis is a great city and we had a wonderful time having a break there.

Steve and Sarah on the carousel at the St. Louis Zoo. We were there just after the zoo opened, so we got to go on the carousel for free for the first hour! Sarah was in heaven...she thought we were at Disneyland and kept asking to go on Small World. She was a little hurt when she finally understood that we couldn't go on Small World, but all the cool animals made up for it.More pictures of Steve and Sarah at the zoo.

The Saint Louis Temple. It's just off a major freeway and it's gorgeous. Steve and Sarah outside the brand new Busch Stadium....also, the arch in the background. The Cardinals fans are crazy and very devoted. None of us had on red and we felt very out of place....at least we know for next time!

This is Ankiel's grand slam...it was AWESOME!!

Steve is so happy! Hope you have the best birthday ever!

Isn't Sarah the cutest!?!

We had these pictures taken while we were in Utah. Sarah was 19 months then....and now she 21 months! Time is going so quickly. I love this close up of Sarah because it shows her cute smile. I love this little girl so much. I love that I get to hang out with her all day long. She always has been such a sweet person and I feel so blessed to be Sarah's mother. She is learning to talk and it's so fun....one of my favorite things she says is, "Mama. Mama.........I yuv you!" I melt every time!

This chair was my great grandmother's, then my grandmother's, and now my mother's. As a little girl, I always had my picture taken in it and now it's Sarah's turn. She loved sitting in the soft blue velvet. In fact, when we were staying at my parents' last summer and we couldn't find Sarah, she was most likely sitting in this chair all by herself just feeling the fabric. Gotta love that girl!

KCOM Lawnmower Man

Steve and a few of his friends created this short clip for the incoming student orentation. You may think riding to school on a lawnmower is a bit ridiculous, but I've actually seen (on more than one occasion, mind you) two grown men driving on a lawnmower around town. I guess it's a cultural experience around here!

Also, you may notice that these guys all have terrible facial hair...it's what is known as the "osteostache." Steve had this brilliant idea that all the second year students should grow a mustache as a way to bond and welcome the new students. I don't really understand how growing facial hair accomplishes these objectives, but the idea caught on like wildfire. Within a few days all my friends were quite angry with me for Steve's awesome idea of the "osteostache." Perhaps it would be better if they could actually grow facial hair, or if Magnum P.I. were still on TV, or if there would have been a prize for the best 'stache....but apparently, the reward of male bonding trumps all these!

Rumor has it that this is the first video of many more...I'll keep you in the loop as they come. It's been a huge hit at school and Steve is revelling in its success. Hope you enjoy!

More from Maine

My dad (Gus, as the girls call him) bought fairy wings and wands for Sarah and Beth and they had the best time prancing around in them. A cute side note: Gus went up to Amy and with the wings in hand and asked, "The girls need these, don't they?" And he went straight to the sales clerk. What a softie!
Somehow I was able to get all this stuff into our suitcases and all the way home to MO. Thank goodness the worker at the airport didn't check them for being overweight.

Beautiful shots of Maine...you can't tell, but the ocean is just beyond the houses. It is absolutely gorgeous!
Beth and Nate in Ogunquit while we were waiting for a table.
Amy and Beth on the rocks...that's the Atlantic behind them!
Kasey and Sarah...
Jane with Beth and Sarah on her lap.
Ryan was super excited about his lobster.
I brought this microderm-abrasion kit from this fancy spa (thank you XanGo!) and everyone, including all the boys, did the treatment to themselves. Everybody was so amazed at how fresh and smooth their skin felt. It was great to all be so in touch with our feminine sides. Enjoy the pics!

Maine with the Madsens

It was kind of an impromptu trip for everyone, but somehow we were able to all be together (except Steve who was in St. Louis) for just one day in Freeport, Maine. For my family these days don't come around too often and we had the best time just being together.

Sarah and Beth posing in front of a giant LL Bean boot made completely out of sand.

My mom and I both were able to get these toys working...all you have to do is turn the front wheels from side to side and you move forward. Way fun!
The whole Madsen fam after Ben & Jerry's ice cream in Freeport, Maine. (Kasey, Sarah, Jane, Jessy, Josh, Beth, Nate, Amy, Annie, Ryan, Mom, & Dad) The plan is to photoshop Steve in on the far left...we sure missed him a lot!

Sarah & Beth

After Steve left for St. Louis for his two week preceptorship I was able to meet up with my family in Maine. It was just Mom, Amy, Beth, Sarah and me for the first few days, which was nice to let the girls play and be with each other. Sarah loves Beth (Beffy, as she says) so much and had the best time copying her every move. The first few slides are of Sarah and Beth dancing on the bed with their new 99 cent purses...you would have though they won the lottery! The rest of the pictures are of the two girls hanging out in Freeport, Maine. We had a wonderful time!

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Canada Day

We went to Alberta, Canada to celebrate Canada Day with Steve's family. It was great to see family and attend all the Canadian festivities. Here's a quick slideshow of our trip. Thanks, Grandpa Regehr for being an incredible host. We love you!

Chuckwagon Race at the Raymond Stampede

These miniature wagons are pulled by miniature horses, which are no taller than 36 inches. These races were Sarah's favorite part of the entire stampede. This clip doesn't even do it justice, but it really was hilarious to see these tiny horses race around the arena.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

My dad shares season tickets with a few friends to the Bees games, Salt Lake's AAA baseball team, and we have a great time going to the games. Steve already left for his ER preceptorship in St. Louis, so I went to a game with my parents and Sarah. I tried to explain the game to Sarah, but she could care less. I really thought she'd like the idea of the swinging bat and the flying ball, but she was mostly enthralled with the mascot, the Bee. If she wasn't eating her foot long hot dog or sipping on her 48 oz. root beer she was watching and screaming for the Bee.

I love going to baseball games...I practically grew up at the baseball park. With two brothers and a dad who all played on teams for as long as I can remember and ate, slept, and dreamt baseball from March to October, I could either curse the sport or embrace it. (But I really didn't have a choice....I was to embrace it.) I remember learning all the names and nicknames of my brothers' teammates and nagging at their apponents. I remember playing in the sand by the dugout. I remember sneaking off to by tiny boxes of Nerds for 10 cents, and my mom always finding out about it. I remember long, hot days at Bywater Park, then on to night games at Ken Price Field as my brothers got older and always having so much fun. It was about the time my oldest brother Nate graduated from High School that the Bees (then they were called the Buzz) came to SLC. It was just natural to keep going to baseball games. I love the atmosphere of baseball...the smells, the lingo, the hot dogs, the waiting for the incredible double play or the occasional home run. It's just the best and I'm so glad that my family continues to carry on the tradition of baseball. Whenever we get together as a family we still play woofle ball and we have a great time!







Sarah and my parents (Adele & Bard) eating hot dogs and hanging out at the game.