7 Things

Just the other day (and in my book, that time frame covers up to one year ago) Annie tagged me to list seven things about me that aren't necessarily apparent. So, here goes....

1. I don't mind cutting onions. For some reason I don't cry when I do it. Growing up, it seemed like cutting onions was always my job and maybe I've built up a tolerance. It's one area where I feel tough....lame, I know, but true.
2. People talk about having a sweet tooth, but I truly believe I have a mouth full of sweet teeth. I get this from my grandfather, Pop. I always think about treats and sweets. In fact, I have to limit myself to one day per week of eating sweets. If I don't restrict myself, all I eat is sugar. I am no good at moderation...it's all or nothing. I remember when I was in about fourth grade I used to sneak a mason jar full of powdered sugar in my room. I kept it hidden in the back of my closet and would enjoy a few spoonfuls whenever I "needed" it. I can vividly remember loving the soft sugar melt in my mouth.
3. I like to act like I know what I'm talking about. Sometimes I have no idea about a certain subject, but that doesn't stop me from creating an opinion in that instant. I'm not always full of it, just once in a while. Jane, Annie, & Steve are the only ones who regularly call me on it.

4. Deep down I think I'm an organized person, but on the surface I struggle. I dream of having a home with an attic or cottage just for me and my creative things....all sorts of shelves and cubbies for perfect access and organization, lots of natural light, a big counter-height table in the middle, at least two desks for different purposes, my sewing table/machine, and a great sound system. (this is one of Martha Stewart's craft rooms. for more photos, go here.)

5. I used to work at my dream job and was surprised by how hard it was to stay home full time. Then I tried working part-time from home...that was much harder. Now I stay home all the time with my kids and I love it. I am grateful to have had a fabulous career, but I know my real work (also a huge privilege) is right now--at home with my Sarah & Grant.

6. I fell in love with Steve twice: once when I was 17 and again when I was 24. I'm still in love and I'm 30.Christmas 2008

7. I love to make lists and tape them up on walls where I pass many times a day. I love the feeling I get when I get to check a box. It's almost better than sugar...almost! I sometimes put things like 'eat breakfast', 'shower', 'brush teeth' on my lists just so I can check more boxes.

Lately....

things i love lately:

reading first thing in the morning with S&G...

reading scriptures just before bed w/fam

watching G fold his hands for a prayer..he's so proud of himself.

seeing Steve work so hard and make the choice to be happy and helpful at home, even after a 17 hour day.

Things S&G love lately:

watching a show in mom & dad's bed
waiting for the garbage man each week
playing in the backyard...G climbs the ladder and sits on top until someone is ready to catch him


Something I did lately that I haven't done in a very long time: I gave a Book of Mormon to a complete stranger and bore my testimony to her. It reminded me of my mission and also of my testimony.

New Calling

Steve received a new calling last winter as the primary pianist. He really likes it and does a great job...or so I had heard. Then, just over a month ago I received a calling as the primary chorister! I truly was surprised. Steve literally fell off his chair laughing when he heard about the calling. I never in a million years expected this calling. In fact, the very week I received the calling I kept thinking to myself that I was so relieved to not have a calling in the Primary. That's what I get for thinking!
I am actually learning to love this calling. It's fun to work with Steve. He really is great at the piano...he can pick up at any point and just play perfectly. The hardest part is learning all the words to the songs. It's not like I can just fake it. I have about 80 eyes on me looking for the words and if I don't know them there is a blank silence. This calling is certainly stretching me in ways I never expected from a church calling. I not only have to memorize lots of words in the right order, but I have to "perform" every Sunday in front of all the ward children and their teachers. My voice has never been my strongsuit, so I'm learning to put my fears of singing aside and just sing as loud as I can. I'm not always on tune, but my volume is reaching new heights.
On a different note (haha!) I really am grateful to serve in the Primary. The children absolutely love to sing and the spirit that comes when they sing is fantastic. They have all been so patient with me. I also love learning all the songs again. There are a lot of new songs that have incredible messages and it's great to learn and teach these songs.

A cute story from last week's singing time: I had chosen to sing "Families Can Be Together Forever" as the opening song. Either no one was paying attention or they all forgot the words, but I was performing a duet. The other singer was Sarah. And she was singing her little heart out. I couldn't look at her or at Steve because I knew I'd bust out laughing. But Sarah sang the entire song at full volume. I am so glad I got to hear it in person!

Good for the Soul

Over New Year's, Nate said that skiing in Utah was "good for the soul." I felt that today. I was able to go running all by myself this morning (thanks to a friend who is doing a kid-swap with me). The last five minutes of my run it began to rain. It was about 55 degrees and the rain was soft...perfect! I love the smell of new rain and the feeling of a finished workout. I know my body is capable of healing itself and every time I push my body without injury I feel a small victory. I love feeling my quads burn (just a bit), my lungs fill with air and empty completely, my mind clear as I get outside my house and my world. Those few moments this morning were truly good for the soul.



These pictures were taken last fall at Elizabeth Park, just 1 1/2 blocks from our house. We love being so close to the park and when the weather is good, we go almost every day. There is a 1.2 mile loop around the park and it goes right along the Detroit River. There is a pony livery, great playground, skatepark, fishing and boats, ducks/squirrels/deer, nature paths, and lots of community activities. It just might be our favorite part of living in Michigan.

Easter 2009

This Easter has been fun and quite busy. The kids had a great, sugar-filled day. But we didn't just celebrate on Easter Sunday...we started on the Tuesday before Easter and didn't end until the day after. On Tuesday morning we got together with some friends and kids and dyed Easter eggs. Sarah and Grant both had a great time dying and eating the eggs.


Our next activity was the Marshmallow Drop at Elizabeth Park on Good Friday. A helicopter flies right over the park and drops what seems like millions of marshmallows. Then the kids storm the field to pick up as many as they can. The marshmallows aren't for eating....once we had some for Grant and Sarah we got into a long line and traded in the marshmallows for an Easter prize (crayons and a coloring book). The Easter Bunny did make an appearance, but Sarah made it quite clear that she didn't want to get near him. She kept talking about the Easter Bunny and Easter Frog (who knew?) that we saw at last year's egg hunt. They freaked her out then and apparently left a lasting impression. She also kept looking for her friend Max Joyner because he was at last year's egg hunt too. I wish Max were there too, but he still lives in Kirksville. The Marshmallow Drop was a lot of fun, but next year we'll be sure to dress a lot warmer. Luckily we live so close to the park that once we had our prize we were back home in just minutes. The helicopter dropping all the marshmallows...definitely Grant's favorite part.
Grant & Sarah (she's the one in a dress over her jeans...it's her latest stage) running to get their muddy marshmallows.


The next Easter activity was the quarterly Primary Activity. The Primary had arranged to have four people from the scriptures "visit" the children. They all shared their stories, testimonies of Christ's life, and the importance of the resurrection and atonement. It was a very neat activity and I was pleased that Sarah responded so well to it. A quick tender story: one of the "visitors" was the woman who touched the robe of Jesus and her lifelong sickness was healed. The woman then asked the group if they ever felt Jesus' love help them. Sarah leaned over to me and whispered that He did help her to learn how to use the potty. I love that even in her short little life Sarah is gaining her own testimony of the Savior. I love this one. Grant is actually looking over at the dog down the street.I love Grant's outfit. I bought it all last summer and was so excited to pull it out for Easter. The sad thing is that when I put the saddle shoes on Grant he bucked like crazy. I still shoved his feet in and he wore the shoes for church. When we finally took them off his feet were completely red. Poor guy...looks like he needs new church shoes.I just love this one...these two love playing together and I think this is an adorable shot.

Easter Sunday started with finding hidden baskets and a small easter egg hunt at home. Then we went to church, had naps, and went to an Easter dinner at a friend's house. I made the traditional bunny cake and the kids had a great time decorating it. We had another egg hunt. Grant was much more interested in opening the eggs as he found them, but Sarah proved to be a great hunter...must take after her daddy! It's so nice to have great friends in the area to celebrate holidays with.
The traditional bunny cake...the kids couldn't get enough candy and junk on it. I didn't even get a piece--actually, I didn't even want a piece. But the kids sure loved it!No one had plates--they all just dug in.Love that face....full of bunny cake and couldn't be happierGrant wanted to open each egg as he found it. I also love that he still had a car in his hand the whole time. Sarah was an old pro this year....check out that speed!


Since we didn't dye eggs as a family before Easter, we did it for Family Home Evening after. I was actually very impressed with Steve's level of dedication and skill. Apparently, he takes egg dying very seriously and it shows! We chose to take the kids' clothes off due to what happened when we dyed eggs with our friends. Sarah loved helping Steve put the wrap on the eggs in boiling water.
Grant was just happy to have a plastic egg filled with chocolate.
I love how Sarah is looking up at Steve in this one.Concentrating.
And the finished product.

First, Grant loves trains. We are lucky enough to live by some major train tracks. We get stopped by trains quite often, which for the normal person is an annoyance. But for Grant, it's the highlight of his day. He points and makes his train sound (which sounds more like "shhhh shhhh" than "choo choo") then makes the motion of pulling the whistle. Because of his fascination with trains we've been reading our two train books over and over and over. I love to see him get excited about something and be able to express it. It's no secret that I'm a bit worried about his speech, but I think he'll be just fine. He totally understands what we're saying. It's just that he has a tough time forming the appropriate sounds. I guess I'm starting to understand what the different grunts mean. He does do a few signs (please, more, thank you), but only when it involves something tasty, like chocolate pie! But his favorite word/grunt is for the train or car.
Second, because we've been reading our train books Sarah has learned a wonderful life lesson. We love to read The Little Engine That Could. The other day I told Sarah that she had to use the bathroom before having her nap. She told me that she didn't have to go, but I insisted and she ended up sitting on the pot. I left her alone to clean up the kitchen and I could hear her repeating something in her little squeaky voice. I snuck over to the bathroom and heard her saying to herself, "I think I can. I think I can. I think I can." My heart melted. She is so sweet and tender. I just love her!

My day at court

I was wrongly accused of speeding about a month ago. Not entirely true. I was clocked at the speed of 37 in a 25 zone, but in my defense I was less than 30 feet away from the 35 MPH sign. Anyway, I went to court this morning to visit with the judge and hopefully get my fine reduced. Thanks to my nice neighbor who watched Sarah & Grant I was able to go to court by myself, which I actually got excited about. Although I was in court, which wasn't all that fun, there were a few exciting highlights:

• remembering in the first place to leave my cell phone in the car rather than going through security, fighting with the guard about how my cell phone is safe, finally accepting that I have to take it out to my car, then returning the phone to the car and going back through security (I've done this twice with kids...no fun)
  
• sitting down by myself and starting a book with no interruptions
• a pair of high school age boys coming into the waiting room with handcuffs on. The entire crowd turned to watch them and we all wondered what they were in for, although no one spoke about it.
• sitting in the court room and listening to others' cases. One guy hired a lawyer to get out of the traffic violation of a rolling stop at a stop sign.
  
• getting my fine reduced $10 (now down to $115) because we're living on student loans. Thanks, Judge.
  
• and the one that truly put a smile on my face: being afraid that the woman approaching me would mug me, but then being relieved when she told me that I look just like the actress Jennifer Love Hewitt! The weird thing is that she's not the first person to tell me this. I don't really see it, but it certainly made me laugh all the way home!

Sarah

Just some fun random pictures of my favorite three-year-old.Making/decorating cookies with Emma.
Posing at a great park in Columbus, Ohio.
On her favorite ride at Chuck E. Cheese's....."I'm being such a brave girl!" she shouted the entire time.

Just for fun....isn't she sweet?

55 Degrees

Today Grant woke up from his nap before Steve and Sarah, so we hung out in the front yard. He was thrilled...and so was I. We hope Spring is here to stay.

P.S. I'm loving my new camera!

I should be doing lots of other things....

....but here I am blogging. While I was cleaning up the kitchen tonight, a question came to me: "why do I like the process so much?" I remember preparing for job interviews and creating a statement about how I enjoyed the process of having an idea, creating a plan, carrying it out, and seeing if it worked. It's funny to realize that my interview answer really is how I feel. I truly find joy in the process of things. I don't really know where my ideas come from, but I love it when something inspiring hits me. It seems like my mind won't stop until I've formulated all the tools and materials needed to make the idea work. I love to go out and buy or find what I need. I usually try to find the least expensive options. Then I put the whole thing together in my mind--this can be the longest part of the process, but also the most fun. Once I have my mind wrapped around the steps, I usually mull over them again and again just to make sure. Then I finally get to make the plunge and give it a try. This process literally keeps me up at night sometimes. It's not uncommon for me to go to bed after 2 a.m. because I've been sucked into the vortex of the latest process. I know it all sounds crazy, but it also gives me something to look forward to and to figure out. Sometimes I feel a little let down when I finish a project. Strange, I know. However, sometimes I get excited because I actually took some crazy idea and made it into something. And then I can easily duplicate it (i.e., a new style of bow, baby blankets made from old pajamas, spaghetti dinner). Usually my processes revolve around craft-type things...I want to expand my "process thinking" to motherhood, marriage, getting healthier, and my church calling. I think I can do it...and I hope I can get to sleep tonight!

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.