Visitors from NYC

We had some fun visitors from NYC this past weekend...Jane and her roommate Adrienne Martin (with whom Steve and I went to Brighton) came for a whopping 36 hours!  It was a whirlwind of a day and a half, but boy was it fun!  We picked them up at the airport on Friday night then the girls were off on a date with some boys who live in the area (no, I wasn't the main reason for the visit, but I'm happy to be a cover when it comes with visits from family).  We stayed up way too late, ate way too much, went to more stores than I can handle in one week alone, and had a wonderful time.  I'm so glad to have an airport close enough so that people can come visit more easily.  I really do love my sister Jane.  She is such a strong person, but in the same turn such a sensitive and caring person.  I love spending time with Jane and I hope she'll come back very soon.

Thoughts on Leaving Missouri

When we first moved to Kirksville, two years seemed like such a long time.  But now that we're leaving, it feels like a blink of an eye.  The first few months in Kirksville were a whirlwind of moving in, unpacking and organizing, painting, recarpeting, fixing plumbing, re-organizing what we previously unpacked, etc.  I also was very busy getting used to being home with Sarah all day as well as working part-time for XanGo.  I was still traveling every month for the first five months, which definitely took its toll.  Steve was settling in to the groove of school and did extremely well--in fact, I was very surprised by his good grades in school.  I always knew he was very smart, but I didn't know he was that smart.  After his first quarter he was ranked third in his entire class.  We were busy but very happy in Kirksville.  As soon as we knew it Steve was finishing his first year of medical school and we were having our second child, Grant Steven Later.  He was so different from Sarah and an absolute joy to us.  We really loved our life in Kirksville.  The small town was a big adjustment at first, but it quickly became home and very comfortable.  I always felt safe.  We made wonderful, lifelong friends.  I love the convenience of day-to-day life.  Everything is SO close...the grocery store, the post office, the parks, the church, Steve's school (he came home for lunch most days).  We bought a home and it's been quite a learning experience for us.  We love our home.  It is a cute old house set on an acre lot.  We weren't able to sell it, so we are now renting it and hope that it will work out well.  So, my thoughts on leaving?  Quite mixed, really.  I love living in Kirksville.  It is full of good people.  It is a slower pace of life and although I like to make myself busy, I've learned to love the simple life.  I will miss the "bubble" of med student families; they've all been such a welcome support system.  I will also miss the small town feel.  I will also miss having Steve coming home for lunch every day.  It was such a welcome interruption of our day.  We will miss Kirksville and the life we've lived here.  On the flip side, I am very excited to be moving on.  Steve is so burnt out of studying for tests.  He's so excited to get into the real meat of being a doctor.  I know Detroit area will be different in a lot of ways and I'm excited for that.  I'm excited to have an airport just 20 minutes away, to have a mall close, to have museums and festivals and fun things for the kids, to be closer to family (Steve's sister Sherri is just a three hour drive away). I'm excited to be moving on with our life...or maybe I should say moving to the next stage in our life.

Mother's Day

Today has been a wonderful Mother's Day. It's been a pretty mellow day, but so great and very much needed. I was surprised with a beautiful bouquet of flowers when I woke up, then we went to church this morning, took naps and watched the Jazz game this afternoon, and had a delicious dinner (including appetizers, filet mignon, green salad, asparagus with Hollandaise sauce, twice baked potatoes, and Martinelli's sparkling apple juice...and don't forget Ben & Jerry's for dessert!) prepared by Steve and Sarah tonight.

It's so nice to have a day dedicated to mothers. It's amazing to think of my own children who allow me to be a mother. I love them dearly and I'm so thankful to have had this day to reflect on all the reasons why I love and appreciate them.

I quickly then turn to my own mother who I love so much. Apart from being a hoot at all times she is a wonderful and caring mother. I've never met anyone willing to give so much to her children. She's not a woman of many words, but when she does use them, you'd better listen. A few of the lessons she always taught me growing up: be honest, even when you know it will get you in trouble; respect...always respect your parents, teachers, friends; work, and work HARD, and work hard at everything; live the gospel and love it. I love my mom so much and I'm so grateful for her on this day.

While thinking of mothers I also think of Steve's mom. She is an incredible woman. She is incredibly in tune with the spirit and is an inspiration to me on so many levels. I'm so grateful that she raised Steve the way she did and that he has so many of her qualities.

Nauvoo

Mom and Annie stopped off in Kirksville for a couple days on their way to Vermont. It was so fun to have both of them here. We had a whirlwind 36 hours of cleaning out closets (Annie's current style helped me get rid of at least half my closet!), eating out (thanks Mom!), hair cutting ("oh Mom, I'm SO sorry, I 'm SO sorry..."), hair dying, and laughing at all our dancing skills. On Friday afternoon we headed to Nauvoo--unfortunately, Steve had to stay home and study. On our way to Nauvoo we ran into water....literally water covered the road. We stopped and were stunned. "What do we do now?" I never have run into that in my life. It was kind of funny, but then we turned around and took a 45 minute detour to Nauvoo.

Once in Nauvoo we checked into our hotel and had a great time. First on our list was swimming, as Sarah has been talking about going to the pool with Annie since last summer when when they went to Annie's apartment pool. Then Saturday morning Annie and I went to a session while Mom watched the kids. It was so relaxing and renewing to be in the temple. I really miss the days of regular and frequent temple attendance. Distance from the temple makes me appreciate it so much more. Also, the Nauvoo temple has such an amazing spirit. The early saints went through so much to build it and it's such a blessing to be there in the rebuilt temple. Anyway, after our session, Mom went and then we all met up for a wagon ride which was Sarah's very favorite thing of the trip. On Sunday we went to church and then saw more sites and then walked the Trail of Tears (the 1/2 mile stretch of road that leads to the Mississippi--it's quite sobering to walk it and think of all the saints as they left all that was comfortable to head into a lot of unanswered questions). Then the kids and I headed back home and Mom and Annie headed east. I was so grateful for their visit. It was fun to show Annie and Mom where we live, but most of all it was just fun to have them here. We laughed the whole time and I can't wait for more visits from family.

Annie, Sarah, Grant, and me in front of the temple. Love the tulips!
"No autographs, please!" Sarah is getting styled up in Annie's cute shoes a big sunglasses.
This is the road that was covered in the swollen Mississippi. Crazy!
The view from the water-covered road. I thought it was so pretty I couldn't resist snapping a shot.
Grant, Mom, Annie, & Sarah in our hotel room.

Visitors!

Mom and Annie are coming on a road trip this week (Nate is buying Mom's Volvo and she is very excited to drive it to Vermont for him--always an adventure with Adelee) and I'm so excited for them to come.   I haven't seen anyone in my family for almost three months, which is the longest span of time since being on my mission.  I know that may not seem that long to most, but I've been very fortunate to see my family often.  I'm so grateful for my parents, brothers, sisters, in-laws, and niece and nephew.  I love that my brothers and sisters are among my best friends.  I love that they "get" me without explanation.  So, I'm excited--more excited than I thought I'd be-- that Mom and Annie will visit, even if it is for only a couple days.  

Grant

I know Grant is so young but I can already tell that he has such a sweet side to him. Yesterday I put him down for a nap in my bed and hurried to clean the house while there weren't any distractions. Then I realized how tired I was so I layed down on the couch for a power nap, which ended up being no more than seven minutes. I woke up to the sound of Grant's cooing in my bedroom. I went in to make sure he was ok and put my face right next to his, still half-asleep. I was just enjoying his cute sounds. Then I felt his soft pudgy hands reach up and pat my cheeks and nose. This went on for at least five minutes. I just wanted to stay there forever. He is such a sweet baby--so happy and full of light. I feel so blessed to have him in our family.

Sunday

I am so grateful for Sundays.  Today especially was a restoring day.  The kids were great and well-behaved at church, which meant I was able to listen to most of the talks/lessons, which also meant I was able to feel the Spirit more than I normally do.  Sometimes Sundays aren't my "day of rest"....with missed naps, trying to keep kids quiet and entertained at church, making dinner, meetings, etc.  But today I feel like I am better able to face the upcoming week.  I truly feel restored and I'm so grateful for that.  

Cute kids!

My friend and talented photographer, Jessica Gowdy, took some pictures of Sarah and Grant a few days ago. Check out our cute kids at:
http://jmgphotography.blogspot.com/2008/04/little-s-g.html

Time Out

Sarah is starting to realize her opinion and isn't afraid to voice it. Unfortunately this also means that she spends a lot of time on the step in time out. The rule is that once she calms down she spends between one and two minutes on the step. Then we talk about the disobedient behavior and move on. Tonight Sarah wanted a cookie that she wasn't allowed to have and so she threw a tantrum, which landed her on the step. After many minutes of crying and banging on the step it looked like Sarah was going to stop. Steve then asked her if she was ready to stop crying, to which she answered a very obstinate "NO!" Steve and I had the hardest time keeping from laughing in front of her...it just hit us so funny that she knew she wasn't done crying. So she sat there for another five minutes. Once she was off she was back to her happy old self. I guess this is part of the Terrible Twos.

What A Guy!

I don't know what got into Steve (well actually, maybe I do--a near breakdown at church on my part), but as soon as we got home from church Steve sent me to have a nap. When I woke up I found two fed and now sleeping kids, a clean kitchen, and a clean living room. I'm so grateful that he knows when I've had enough and that he's willing to step in and take care of everything. What a guy!

Not to toot my own horn...

But I received the very best compliment of my life tonight. At dinner Sarah said under her breath, "This is not a yucky dinner." I have arrived! A two year old thinks my cooking isn't yucky!  And then she asked for a second helping of spaghetti.

A few "Sarah Stories"

I was on the phone the other night with Annie and she asked for any recent "Sarah Stories." Well, I was talking for a long time so I thought I'd post a few of her cute things she's done lately.

• Sassy: About two months ago we were in church and the sacrament prayer was about to be said. I reminded Sarah that we were about to say a prayer and that she needed to fold her arms and stop talking. She folded her arms, but kept on talking quietly. I reminded her again, but she kept it up. By this time the prayer had started so I "shhhushed" her. Then she looked up at me with squinted eyes (and a little fire in them, too) and said in a loud whisper, "Don't you shush me!" It caught me so off guard I let a big smile out. I didn't know if I should laugh or punish her. But I did realize that my sweet little Sarah is beginning to get her own opinion and she's not afraid to let it out.
• Dr. Sayah: Sarah LOVES her pediatrician, Dr. Ionas. I don't know if love is even a strong enough word for how Sarah feels about her doctor. She talks about "Dr. Onas" all the time. She gets so excited when it's time for an appointment. She even asked me if she could get a shot just so she could go to the doctor. I must admit, Dr. Ionas is the best doctor we've had. She truly cares about our children and will take time to make sure they are healthy and happy. (She even called personally with test results--and just 3 hours after the test was taken--for Grant and reassured me that everything was fine.) Sarah found some of Steve's leftover surgical gloves from anatomy class and she puts them on daily to play doctor. She puts the gloves on, feels my neck and tummy, listens to my heart with an old stethoscope and then tells me that it all "sounds really good." She likes to call herself Dr. Sayah and me Dr. Mama.
  
• The cat and monkey: Sarah went through this stage of being afraid of a cat and a monkey at bedtime. Neither Steve nor I can figure out why she's afraid of these two animals, and it was beginning to be a problem. So one night we had a prayer and asked that Sarah wouldn't be afraid of the cat and monkey. The next morning I asked Sarah how her night was and she again mentioned the cat and monkey, but then followed up with "Jesus helps Sayah feel better." It hit me so hard that at just over two years she could comprehend such spiritual things. It's so amazing how she understands prayer and that she was comforted by the Spirit to not be afraid. Now whenever she acts afraid of anything she quickly reminds herself that Jesus helps her to feel better. I'm so grateful to have this little girl in my life to remind me of the simple truths of the gospel.
  
• Root Beer: we were out to eat with a big group of people and the waitress was taking orders for drinks. Steve and I both asked for water and then Sarah looked right at the waitress, raised her pointer finger and said, "I'll have a root beer please." I cracked up and quickly told the waitress that she'd just have water. She is not even 2 1/2 and she thinks she's running the show! Hey, at least she knows what she wants!
  

Teething

So tonight Steve and I finally figured out why Grant is having such a hard time...we thought it was the switch to the big crib, or maybe being in the same room with Sarah, or maybe that he just wanted to be a major pain at 3 a.m.  But actually, Grant is teething! He has two little nubs on the bottom.  I can't believe we didn't even think of that before.  Hopefully now that his teeth have broken through he'll be doing better. It's just nice to know that there is a reason for his recent grumpiness--and now that we know the reason, we hope he'll return to his happy old self soon.  

SIx Months

I can't believe that Grant is six months today! Seriously, where did the time go? We think he weighs around 18 lbs. and is about 26 inches long (it's been about a month since his last appointment). Grant is mostly a super happy baby. He is truly a joy and we love him so much.

Some of Grant's favorite things: laughing with Sarah, jumping in the Jolly Jumper, taking drives to the lake, going on walks (when the weather is above 45 degrees), smiling at strangers, smiling and cooing at mom & dad, the first three bites of rice cereal, cuddling with anyone , sleeping in the big bed with mom & dad, rolling over (mostly from back to front), almost crawling (he gets up on all fours and scoots back), taking baths, getting any sort of attention, reaching for and gumming anything within arm's reach.

Some of Grant's un-favorite things: sleeping through the night, sleeping in his big crib (we finally made the switch from the bassinet, as he has literally outgrown it), taking his acid reflux medicine twice a day, when Sarah takes his toy, getting his clothes changed, being tired.

I love my kids!

I don't think Sarah's been feeling 100% today because she's been in a very cuddly mood.  Earlier I today I was kind of bothered by it because I was trying to do my morning routine and the cuddling wasn't really part of all the laundry and dishes.  But then we took a few minutes and just cuddled.  It was a great little break and I had a chance to think how much I love this little girl.  I just put Sarah down for her nap and as I was leaving she told me she loved me.  I feel so blessed to be a mother and to be entrusted with this incredible little person.    Being a mom isn't easy or glamorous, but moments like these make it all worth it.  I am also so grateful for little Grant.  He is a little more intense than Sarah, but I love him just the same.  He is getting so big and his personality is starting to come out so much.  It's so fun to watch him discover the world around him and laugh (or cry) about it all.

A funny sidenote:  About a half hour after I wrote that above, I heard whispering in Sarah's room.  I went in to find her in the middle of her big bed with three books that she was reading  The whole I time I thought she was asleep and then I find her reading!  Love that girl!

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter! We hope you all had a wonderful holiday! We had a great weekend full of Easter Egg Hunts (two outside and two inside), a wonderul day at church, a non-traditional roast and potatoes dinner, and lots of family time. It was a great and relaxing weekend.


Here is a clip of Grant laughing, Sarah eating her candy in secret, Sarah dancing, Grant rolling over....jam-packed full of excitement!

A cute picture of Sarah and Grant in their Easter outfits....it's just too bad that it was a balmy 27 degrees outside! Sarah is in the stage where she does this crazy face for the camera when I say "smile"...still pretty cute though.

Jumping Grant

Grant loves to jump! I wish they made these contraptions for adults! A big thanks to Grandpa Regehr for sending us the Jolly Jumper--it's a life saver. This was taken about 10 days ago.

Finals are Finished!

Congratulations to Steve on finishing his finals! I am so happy for him and I know he is so relieved. Steve seems to get the flu every time finals come and unfortunately this time was no different. But Steve pushed past all the pain and headaches and he finished all his finals--and did really well, too! Congratulations on a job well done!

Update

I've kind of taken a break from blogging and I need to catch up. So here is my "quick" attempt at updating for the last five months. I'll post pictures soon.

October
--Grant surprised us by coming about 12 hours early! We had planned to induce labor on Thursday morning, October 4th, after Steve’s test (which also happened to be my birthday), but Grant wanted things his own way. I began having contractions on the 3rd around 4:30 pm. I didn’t think anything of it—I was probably more in denial because I still had A LOT to do before he came—but the contractions became stronger and only about 5-6 minutes apart. I had a friend (Tana Nelson) who was over and helping me finish some bows and she made me lie down on my bed. Steve came back home around 7 p.m. and we decided to go to the hospital. I checked in at 7:45 and the next three hours were a whirlwind. I was immediately admitted and put in the labor/delivery room. Apparently I was progressing faster than I thought. I was hooked up to an IV and the anesthesiologist was called in. He took his dear sweet time getting to me and the epidural barely kicked in when I began pushing. I was grateful for the relief, though. Grant Steven Later was born at 10:12 p.m. I was still kind of in shock. I couldn't believe that I had just had a baby. My second baby! It all happened so quickly, but it was incredible. Steve was such a great support, even though I did get a bit annoyed...but come on, no epidural! What do you expect?! The whole birth process is so incredible and we are so happy that Grant is here and healthy.
--Steve’s mom came to help with the new baby and stayed for 12 days. She was such a great help and even took Grant overnight a few times so I could get some much needed sleep.
--With the help of Steve’s mom and a few friends I was able to make about 400 bows and sell them at the Red Barn Festival just 9 days after Grant was born. My goal was to sell enough bows to buy a new TV, as ours had died about 4 weeks before. I am very happy to report that the bows were a success and we bought a new TV…a flat screen that will hopefully last us for a very long time.
--My mom came to visit for a week to help out with the new baby. We went to Columbia to Sam's Club and also checked out our old house there. My mom was very happy to see that it was well kept. My first memories of my life were in that house...in the basement during tornado warnings, sleeping in the same room with Nate & Josh, getting dressed for church in the laundry room...good times. We also went to the farmer's market and Mom did a lot of projects around the house, which Sarah loved helping with. We had a great time and we’re so grateful she came to visit and help.
--We found out we’re heading to Detroit area for Steve’s 3rd and 4th years of med school! It was Steve’s first choice, so we’re really happy.
--The two kids and I headed back to Utah with my mom for a two week visit. What she didn’t know was that the rest of the Madsen kids were also heading back for a visit. It was my mom and dad’s 60th birthday (six days apart from each other) and we all surprised them for the weekend. On Saturday morning, October 27th, we sent in Sarah and Beth to their bedroom and then the rest of us followed singing “Happy Birthday.” Mom and Dad were in shock! They couldn’t believe that we were all there. We’d never been able to pull off a surprise before and this definitely was a good one. We had been planning it for months and Annie arranged for Mom’s substitute at the temple as well as another doctor to cover Dad’s call for the weekend, neither of which is a small feat. We all had a gourmet breakfast by Josh, went to the temple for a session together, had dinner at Chipotle, and hung out that night. The only thing missing was Steve…other than that, it was perfect. Mom kept saying how it was the best birthday she’d ever had and that for every birthday in the future she would be hoping that we’d all be there surprising her again. I don’t know if we’ll be able to pull it off again, but it sure was a fun weekend.
--Sarah was able to spend Halloween with her cousin Beth. Sarah was a cowgirl and Beth was Raggedy Ann. They thought Halloween was the best idea and, as always, had a great time together. They went trick-or-treating and Sarah would say, "Tricky treat!" Grant didn't dress up this year, but he's super excited about next!

November
--I traveled back to Missouri by myself with two little ones, which ended up going really well. Grant slept most of the time and Sarah read books and played with her dolls. By the time we got to the car for our three hour ride to Kirksville, Sarah & Grant were so tired they slept most of the way. I was so relieved. And the three hour drive gave me a chance to think and let my mind go. It was something I hadn’t done in a very long time. I actually enjoyed the drive a lot more than planned. We got home just in time for Steve to begin finals….always a fun time!
--I had to have my gall bladder out on Nov. 16. Jane came to help with the kids for four days. It was so great to have her here. I was pretty drugged up for here visit, but it was fun to have the company and the help. I don’t think I could’ve survived without Jane. She was so good to play with Sarah and hold Grant at the drop of a hat. My surgery went well, but the recovery took longer than I thought it would. But now the gall bladder is gone, so no worries!
--Steve finished finals and was able to get in a few good days of deer hunting. He had a great time with some of the locals, but unfortunately, he didn’t get any deer. (which is ok by me!)
--We celebrated Sarah's second birthday on the 20th. Because I wasn't up to throwing a big party yet, we just celebrated with our own little family. Steve took Sarah and bought a pizza and then they went to Wal-Mart so she could pick out a present from Steve (Bard style). Then we all had a pizza picnic on the floor while we watched Jungle Book (Sarah's gift frm her daddy). Now every time we have pizza Sarah thinks it's time for a picnic and a show--Jungle Book, of course. Then after our picnic Steve and Sarah decorated a princess cake, which Sarah thought was the coolest thing ever. It was such a fun and relaxing day!
--Thanksgiving was fun…we got together with about eight other med student families and did a potluck dinner. This was especially nice for us because with my surgery, the last thing I wanted to do was make a huge Thanksgiving dinner with all the fixins. It was a really relaxing day and we had a great time.

December
--Steve started his sixth quarter of school.

--I worked on lots of projects for Christmas gifts and Sarah really wanted to help. Anytime I wasn't sitting at the sewing machine, she was! "My sewing," she would say (she gets her personal pronouns mixed up a lot...always calls herself 'my' instead of 'I').
--We made the trek back to Utah for the holidays. We had a great time seeing family, eating great food, skiing, etc. Sarah loved being adored by grandparents, aunts, and uncles. Grant was a good sport with and started sleeping through the night (however, he didn’t continue that when we came back to Missouri).

--Christmas has become one of my favorite holidays with Sarah. She was SO excited about everything…everything but Santa, that is. She loves the idea of him and even likes looking at him from a distance. But any time she is within five feet of him she basically loses it. As long as we keep a safe distance we’re fine. Christmas was a great day spent with family and lots of good food—the perfect combination.
--Wise Man story: Sarah, my mom and I were downtown in SLC and I wanted to see the lights at Temple Square. So my mom dropped Sarah and me off and did a few loops around the block. Sarah loved the lights and when I told her about the nativity she was really excited to see Baby Jesus. At the nativity I told Sarah all about the birth of Jesus…the donkey ride to Bethlehem, the no room at the inn, the night in the stable, the shepherds, and the wise men. She was pretty cold so we moved on quickly after that. We walked through the whole square and saw all the lights and the whole time Sarah asked to go back and see the Wise Men. It was really cold so I told her that it was time to go. Once we were back in the car and on the freeway headed home, Sarah started singing “…the wise man built his house upon the rock…” She thought we were meeting that wise man! I’ve never put those two wise men together. Sarah amazes me all the time!

--Steve and I celebrated our fourth anniversary! To celebrate my dad gave us his tickets to the Jazz game. We also went to sushi for lunch the next day. It was so fun to just have some time with the two of us.
January
--Came back home….business as usual. Here are a couple pictures of an ice storm. It is so beautiful, but very dangerous. Something we don't get in Utah.

February
--Liesel Enke (one of my very best friends) got married and we (Sarah, Grant, & I) went back to Utah for the wedding. It is not easy traveling with those two, but we made it. They were such good sports and did the best they possibly could. The wedding was so fabulous. Liesel was so happy...she literally was glowing. I love going to weddings. Steve always makes fun of how much I love them. I always tell him that I want to get married again...not to someone else, I just want to have that day again. I am so happy for Liesel and Adam. They are so happy and I hope they have a wonderful life together.
--Sarah went “skiing” for her first time. Well, Amy just held her in her arms as she skied down the bunny hill twice. If you ask Sarah what she thought of skiing, she says, “Bwight.” Pretty great, eh? Nate, Amy, & Beth were also in Utah the same time and we had a great time with them....eating out, singing & dancing (while eating out), skiing, working on projects with Amy, shopping, etc. It is so fun to be with them!
--I tried selling some bows….nothing huge yet, but a start.
--Grant got sick with what I was hoping would be the 24 hour flu. It ended up lasting for six days! I’m just so happy to not be covered in a disgusting mess anymore. He's pretty happy about it, too!

--I told Sarah it was time to go somewhere--it doesn't really matter where--and about 3 minutes later I found her like this....shoes on the wrong feet and her coat on backwards. Hey, at least she was covered!

(This picture of Sarah and my dad is from last summer. Sarah was about 20 months old. I know it doesn't fit in with the rest of the post, but I came across it and think it's too cute not to include!)