Saturday Morning

One of my favorite things about my kids is seeing them love each other. This morning I wanted desperately to sleep in, but Sarah & Grant would have none of that. So instead, I put Sarah in Grant's crib and climbed into her bed while my body tried to wake up. For the next 15-20 minutes my two rascals jumped, laughed, cuddled, and giggled together in the crib. It was definitely the best way to way up on a Saturday morning. They truly love each other and are happiest when the other is near. I hope they will always be close. I'm so glad they have each other. They are both so tender and sweet. My little Sarah is so intuitive. She can always tell when I'm stressed or upset and she has no hesitation in sharing hugs, kisses, "I love you's", and even an occasional "you're a good mama, Mama." She makes me melt. And then there is Grant. I just have a complete crush on that little fatty! He is so happy and will smile at anyone. He loves to play peek-a-boo. He also loves his "blankie blue"--he'll run from another room if he hears anyone ask where it is. Then when he sees it he cuddles his face in it and giggles. Can't imagine my life without him. Sarah and Grant are so different and I love them both so individually. I feel so blessed to have them. Here are a few pictures from Saturday morning...it was a jammie kind of day (at least for Grant it was; for Sarah, it was a naked kind of day).

Halloween

We had such a fun Halloween yesterday. Not only were we feeling well enough to leave the house (we'd all been sick the whole week), but we got to trick-or-treating! Sarah was absolutely thrilled to dress up as her favorite princess Giselle (from Disney's Enchanted). She was able to wear her flower girl dress again from Michelle's wedding. When I brought it out to get ready for Halloween Sarah literally hugged the dress for over five minutes! She is such a girl! I let her wear the dress most of the day and everywhere we went she told people how "beautiful and lovely" she was. Love that girl! For the past few months I'd ask Sarah what Grant should be for Halloween and she always wanted him to be Prince Edward. So I used some leftover fabric from a previous project and below is what we ended up with. The weather was perfect for trick-or-treating and the kids were not one bit cold. We only visited houses on our block and Sarah came back with tons of candy and even a teddy bear! "Giselle" in our front yard chomping at the bit to go trick-or-treating.
"Prince Edward" looking so very pleased with his costume. Grant hated the arms, but as long as he had his sword in hand he was happy.
Our local Walgreen's was doing free photos today so Steve and I took the kids. I love how Grant is holding on to Sarah and she is looking so sweetly at him.
"Giselle & Prince Edward" It was Steve's idea for Grant to go without pants for a more authentic look. Pretty adorable!

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.