It's good to have them back

For the past two and a half weeks Sarah and Grant have been sick. Not just sick, but SIIIIICK! We've only left the house for the absolutely necessary items from the grocery store and the trips to the doctor, which is less than five times in 17 days. It's so sad when they are sick. They just weren't themselves, moping and groaning around all day. They didn't really want to just sit at home, but weren't up to doing anything else. I don't think I realized how awful it was until they became better. It's like a light just came back on and the life came back into them. Grant started tackling Sarah, Sarah wanted to dance, and I knew they were back. I'm just so glad they are feeling more like themselves. I always love them, but I surely enjoy them more now that they are fun and healthy. It's good to have them back!

Memory Lane

I've been going through old pictures today and I found a stack about 8 inches thick of all my BYU days. I had a great time. Yes, I was gaining a college education, but let's be honest....my real focus was on having fun. If I could go back to a former time in my life it would be "post-mission BYU". (Not that I don't love my life now, it's just that all my thoughts were focused on fun instead of responsibility mixed in with fun.) I had great friends (couldn't have asked for better roommates), was dating a lot, a great job at the MTC, classes that I mostly slept through, and a locker at the HBLL. Life was good.

Grant is 16 Months

Grant is now 16 months, which deserves an update.

• He's in the 85 percentile for height, 15th percentile for weight.
  
• Grant discovered his bellybutton today and when his index finger finds it he giggles for minutes on end.
  
• In the past 10 days he's cut four molars.
  
• He loves to walk outside and step in the snow, even when it's below zero.
  
• Grant only knows how to play rough....he recently learned to tackle. he tackles every small child he sees. It's fun when we're home with soft furniture, but poses a small problem at church or the supermarket (thus all the bruises on his head).
  
• He loves to dance and play with any musical instrument (piano, ukulele, guitar hero, drum).
  
• He loves to climb, which scares me to death. I've found him many times on top of the kitchen table screaming for me to rescue him. He's not scared, just mostly mad. So he yells and grunts until I come to get him down. Then as soon as he gets a chance, he's back up on the table again.
  
• Speaking of grunting and yelling....Grant used to be terrified of the vacuum. He'd cry and run away. But the last few weeks he carefully approaches it, squats down, and yells/grunts at it.
• Grant loves Sarah. He loves watching her, playing with her, copying her, tackling her, eating her food.
  
• He will pick up one of Sarah's dolls and cuddle it tightly in his arms, then he'll bounce up and down and flash his famous smile.
  
• Grant doesn't really speak yet. As i mentioned before, there is a lot of grunting and yelling, but not much of understandable words. He does make a few animal sounds, but not the typical ones. He likes the elephant, squirrel, and the bee. He does say "dada" and "pupup". The doctor says we should worry if he doesn't have five words by 18 months. We have two months to work on it!
  
• He loves flirting with any woman, whether at the store, the doctor's office, at church. Grant knows he's cute and he knows how to work it. He catches her attention, lowers his eyes, looks back up again, tilts his head to the right and makes his smile go deeper. It's a killer, even for me. Watch out girls!
  
• Grant loves his bath. If he even hears the bath water starting, he's up the stairs faster than you can say "bobs-your-uncle" (don't they say that in Mary Poppins?), then he grunts like crazy until I take off his clothes. Today he was lucky enough to need two baths, so it's been a good day.
  
• Any time Grant hears a beat he begins grooving in step. He's so pleased with himself and can't help but smile the world's biggest smile.
  
• He always sneezes in twos.
  
• Grant loves to cuddle, but only when it's his idea. I love these moments and am happy to take them when they come.
• Grant loves to have minimal clothes on. When he's having a rough time, I just start to take off the layers and he progressively becomes happier.
• Still loves to nurse...I know, I know; he's 16 months! He absolutely addicted though. I have him down to nursing just morning and night, but if it were up to him he'd nurse all day long. He is so peaceful and comfortable when he nurses that I hate to take it away from him.
  
• He is truly a rascal....he's in to everything, he is always in trouble, he eats everything he shouldn't and nothing he should, he creates chaos....but oh, I love that little rascal! He is such a joy. He's so curious and his giggle and grin make me so happy.
  

Sarah

While I was putting Sarah to bed tonight we had the following conversation:
Sarah: I'm a daughter, right?
Me: Yes.
Sarah: ...and Grant's a son.
Me: Yes.
Sarah: Daddy's the moon. And you're the stars.
Big smiles all around. She knew she was being cute and clever, which makes her even that much more cute. Love that girl!

And that's the story of the first...

While visiting in Utah Sarah found a new favorite book. It is the story of Priscilla Mullins, one of our ancestors who came across on the Mayflower. Sarah loved the pictures and the story. Annie was so great to read it to her almost every night. One night when Annie was sick of the story she asked Sarah to read it. Happily, she obliged. Sarah turned the pages and accurately told the story and at the very end she said, "and that's the story of the very first Halloween." Who knew the pilgrims celebrated Halloween!?!

Partners in Time Out

Sarah frequently lands herself on "the step" for being naughty. Usually she has to sit there because she's hit, shoved, or sat on Grant. The funny thins is that as soon as Sarah is sent to the step, Grant follows her over and sits by her until she's done her time. It cracks me up every time.

Holidays 2008

We made the trek to Salt Lake City for the holidays. I must never make a flight reservation through Chicago during winter ever again! After being in the airport for five hours, we were finally told that the flight was canceled and that we needed to rebook. We were able to get on another flight to SLC the next day. This was definitely less than ideal, but through the process we made a new friend who ended up being our saving grace for the flight. Alisa, who was also trying to get to SLC, ended up coming back to our house to spend the night. She was willing to sit by us and help with the kids until we met Mom in Salt Lake. I truly don't know what I would have done without her. She was a Christmas Miracle!
It was great to be in Utah for Christmas. I love being near family and sharing all the fun traditions. I especially love for my kids to be near their grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. It is such a special thing for Sarah and Grant to see family. They thoroughly enjoy every second of the attention and love. And I thoroughly enjoy watching them entertain everyone they see. It's such a blessing to be able to visit every so often.
The kids and I were in Utah for almost three weeks. Steve was only able to be there for one week, which was more than we originally thought he would have. Steve was especially excited to ski, and the snow was perfect. I didn't make it up the mountain this visit. Since Grant was born, my arthritis/tendinitis has been acting up. The last 2-3 months it's been painful daily...to the point where I have to take one step at a time and I'm afraid of carrying kids around for fear my leg will give out on me. Needless to say, it has made me kind of grumpy and on edge and that kind of attitude is never helpful with toddlers around. So, while in Utah, Dad got me an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon (the doctor I've seen since I was 12 was out for the holiday) and I came away from that appointment completely deflated. He basically told me I had a congenital problem with the formation of my femur--that it actually is rotated wrong in my hip socket. His message: take some Tylenol for the pain and get a hip replacement in 4-5 years. Great. Not exactly what I wanted to hear. Oh, and he noticed some degeneration of the head of my femur, which could (but probably doesn't) make him think I may have cancer! Awesome. I was pretty stunned after that appointment and felt totally overwhelmed. It was if all the pain and struggle from my childhood had all come crashing back down on me. I felt like this health condition was one that I had beaten ten years ago. I had already gone through the struggle and I'd learned all my lessons from it. I wasn't in the mood to have to go through it all again. I was frustrated because I was hoping to get some support and relief from the pain and all I got was a bad prognosis. But after a slight cry I think I realized that maybe there is something valuable yet to learn from arthritis. The following Sunday some family members and close friends all had a fast for me. I was so touched and grateful by all the support in my hour of need. I truly feel so blessed to know of the power of fasting and prayer. I was really hoping to get into my original doctor the next day so I could get his opinion...and our prayers were answered. Dr. Toronto had a cancellation at 10, so I was able to see him! I was so relieved and hopeful that I would have better news. It was such a relief to see Dr. Toronto. He was the one who originally diagnosed me with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis 18 years ago.
He's been there every step of the way. I love his way of doctoring....he is so positive and encouraging. After I told him about what's been going on for the last year or so he asked me where it is that I want to be. I told him I didn't want to be in pain (and therefore be nice to my kids/husband) at every move and it would be great to run a 5K. He was completely reassuring that these things were well within my near future. I had an epiphany moment in the exam room that morning. Dr. Toronto asked me, "how do we get you to where you want to be?" He was totally hopeful and positive. He didn't say, "sorry, you have a major problem" and send me on my way. He admitted that there is a problem, but he didn't dwell on it. He very clearly and hopefully helped me create a plan to get me better and stronger. I've thought a lot about that conversation with Dr. Toronto. I love the positive attitude. I love the plan of action. I love the support. I love having a goal and working toward it. I hope to apply this attitude toward more areas in my life. I am truly so grateful to have a doctor like Dr. Toronto. It makes such a difference to have someone who knows me, my history, and how hard he can push me. I remember one time before a marathon--about two weeks before--I had pulled my hamstring and could barely walk. Rather than telling me not to run the race, Dr. Toronto gave me a plan that would allow me to do the race and not kill myself. I appreciate his opinion and support so much. I really was blessed to be able to get in to see him and get his direction. Wow, that was a lot longer than I planned. So, how am I doing now? I'm taking some medication, which helps. I'm stretching, which also helps. And I'm trying to strengthen my weak areas, which will help. I have good days and bad days. But I'm hoping the bad will become fewer and further between.
Steve and I also celebrated our 5th Anniversary (December 30th). We had to celebrate it early because he was going back to Detroit. We were able to go to Mikado for sushi--our favorite place to eat in Utah. It was so fun to be with Steve and eat really good food--two of my favorite things. I can't believe it's already been five years....time flies! I won't write all the gushy things here that I love about Steve (that's in a personal letter), but I do love and appreciate him. He works so hard for us and always makes time for us. He is a wonderful man and I'm so lucky to have him as my husband. Here's to another five!
This year's New Year's Eve was perhaps one of the most boring of my life (except for the one on my mission when I slept through the whole thing). It was Annie, Ryan and me and we sewed an apron. Then we had artichoke dip at midnight and went to bed. No offense, Annie and Ryan, but I much prefer your first anniversary (when we all slept in a king size bed in a sketchy, moldy hotel) to this New Year's Eve! It wasn't that it was bad company, we just were all tired and ready for bed.
On New Year's Day, Nate and Josh and their families came in. It was so fun to all be together. The boys were all so excited to go skiing and it had been snowing nonstop for a week. Unfortunately, at the end of the very first run Dad made a hefty spill and completely tore his shoulder. He has since had reconstructive surgery on it and is waiting to start rehab. Poor dad. He was surely disappointed, but he handled it pretty well.
A few other highlights: our duplex back in Detroit flooded while we were gone. Luckily, our neighbors are super nice and they helped out so much. I don't know what we would have done without them. The main floor bathroom had to be gutted and put back together--which all was completed by the time we got home.
Steve was pulled over for a minor violation and the officer informed him there was a warrant out for his arrest. Lucky for us, it was a different Steve Later...but still a bit jolting to hear that news.
Sarah got two princess dresses and a refrigerator for her kitchen set for Christmas. Grant got a few balls and some trucks. I gave Steve a Nintendo wii (for Christmas and our 5th Anniversary) and he gave me a Nikon D60 SLR camera (for my birthday, Christmas, and anniversary). I LOVE the new camera....it's so nice to push the button and capture the shot! I'll write more about it later.
Overall, we had a crazy, busy, fun and memorable holiday season.

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.