The Champoux Family

Brooke Turns Two

2012-01-12T22:47:00.013-05:00

Brooke is two years old!

We had a brunch of fruit and cake to celebrate. She presided at the head of the table.

Brooke was so excited to blow out her candle and eat her cake. She did a great job.

Justin was a good sport about everything and even helped me wrap her presents. I like the comparison of these photos of the two of them after eating cake. Justin was politely engaged in the conversation. Brooke was just doing her own thing, finding ways to make things more interesting.

When it was time for presents, she carefully opened and played with each one.

She loves all things Cinderella. She loved this doll and likes to brush her hair. It was not intentional, but don't they look alike? They're even wearing the same colors!

Then she went around the room and gave birthday kisses,

hosted an impromptu tea party with the ladies,

and danced with mom.

Brooke is my little one. In fact, I often call her that. Not only is she my youngest, but she also has the petite frame of a little girl (whereas Justin is turning into a solid-bodied boy), and she has always been long and lean. The contrast of her physical smallness with the expanses of her energy, imagination, and determination is striking.

I love spending my days with her. She has such zest for life. She will rarely sit down for a quiet, reflective moment. She is a blur of movement. Several people have recently said that Brooke looks like me. I don't know. I think she is much prettier. And she has my mom's big bright eyes. But I like to think we look alike. Sometimes I even dress us alike!

Brooke loves her daddy and squeals delightedly, "Daddy home!" when he arrives. She thinks he is the greatest thing around. Brooke is a daredevil and has an uncanny ability to make every situation more dangerous for herself. Sometimes she will literally walk around the house with her eyes closed just to spice things up a bit.

Brooke is independent and assertive. She likes to feed and dress herself and even put on her own shoes. She doesn't want to hold hands when we're walking outside. Some of her common phrases are, "Brookie do it!" and "Shoo, shoo...go away!" The day before her birthday, she told me she wanted to try the potty, and she did it successfully on her first try. We hadn't even begun to do any training with her. She was so excited and proud of herself. All that independence can lead to some pretty serious tantrums, but the rest of the time she is so sweet and loving.

Brooke loves water. Always has. If she sees one of us in the shower, she'll desperately start trying to take off her clothes so she can hop in too. Her new rain boots are one of her favorite things. Sometimes she will just wear them around the house.

But she is happy to accessorize with just about anything. She loves to get all her gear on, hook a little purse to her doll's stroller, and then wheel it around and around the house. She also lately enjoys putting diapers on all her toys (dolls, trains, books, whatever).

Brooke loves to play games, to sing, and to dance. We love this girl so much. Don't grow too fast, little one.

Christmas Memories

2012-01-11T23:18:00.012-05:00

It seemed like Christmas passed by so quickly this year. We love the Christmas season and how the world just seems to be a better place in December and how we feel completely at peace with eating our weight in Christmas cookies.

To put us in the spirit, we visited the Christmas lights at the LDS temple (where we were married!).

I also took the kids to see the lights at the National Zoo, and Justin tried ice skating for the first time. He did great!

My mom accompanied us to see the Christmas trains at the Botanic Gardens downtown.

Brooke talked me into buying this little Christmas carousel at CVS. Mark would disagree, but really, this is an essential holiday item.

I sewed an Advent calendar this year. It was a fun project (well, there were a few late nights working on it when I questioned just how fun it was). But I like how it turned out and the kids loved pulling out a felt ornament every day to put on the little tree.

Justin and I also enjoyed planting an amaryllis bulb together and watching it grow during December. He has helped water it and take care of it. He is a gentle soul.

Christmas Eve at my parents' house was so nice. Here are the little Joseph and Mary from our nativity reenactment.

And we opened a few special gifts, like these beautiful boots of Glendon's that Bobette gave to me. We have so enjoyed having Bobette visit out here!

Brooke got some tickles from Uncle Matt before it was time to hop into Christmas PJs.

Ta-da!

This year Justin only asked Santa for one thing: a watch. Santa delivered and Justin is in heaven with his new watch. He wears it nonstop and he is happy to explain its various functions and features to anyone who will listen. He has started setting his alarm for 7 am every morning, and he wakes up to it faithfully.

Seeing him with this watch on makes him look so much older to me.

The big presents from us were these Razor scooters. Both kids are still getting used to them and need more practice, but they were excited about it. Probably not as excited as they were about the $3 toy cell phones they got, but still pretty excited.

We hope you all had a merry Christmas!

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T15:19:00.002-05:00

Wishing you a year full of smiles!

Going Private

2011-12-29T22:13:00.003-05:00

Well, we've decided to make the blog private (i.e., invitation only). We'd love to continue to share it with friends and family, so please email us or leave a comment here if you'd like an invitation. Don't be shy! I promise we'll be flattered -- even if we haven't actually talked to you in years and you are still blog-stalking us. We love blog-stalkers, at least those we know. And we'll be absolutely crushed if you don't ask for an invitation.

See you in our soon-to-be private but still cool as ever blog! Happy New Year!

Welcome to Boyhood

2011-12-18T14:59:00.002-05:00

Justin had his first trip to the emergency room on Friday afternoon. We had just come home from preschool and were taking coats off in the front hall. We often play this little game where I spin the kids around as I take their coats off. Justin's coat was half-way off so his arms were stuck behind his back, and he got dizzy and fell, hitting his chin on the hardwood floor and splitting it open. I will spare you the more gory details, but let's just say I was concerned enough to call 911. It was bleeding so much there was no way I could drive him to the hospital myself and have him stuck in the backseat. So Justin and I got a ride in an ambulance. Our good friend across the street came over and watched Brooke until my mom arrived.

Justin was so brave, even though he was hurting and it was all overwhelming. We had to wait at the ER for a bit, but we had our own room with TV and books to keep him occupied. He got four stitches right under the side of his chin. The nurses couldn't believe what a good patient he was, and he lay totally still during the procedure. Justin was very quiet and subdued in the ambulance and the whole time we were waiting at the ER, but once he got his stitches he perked right up and started telling me all about our adventure, and especially how great it was to ride in the ambulance. It has been the hot topic of conversation for him all weekend! He is doing just fine. I was so proud of him and what a brave little patient he was.

It's funny how life can seem busy and stressful one minute, and then something actually stressful and important comes up and changes everything in a flash. We are so grateful that he is ok and grateful for good doctors and hospitals.

Merry Merry

2011-12-15T13:00:00.006-05:00

This month we've been enjoying everything about the holiday season--decorating the house, baking cookies, shopping for gifts, going to parties, and getting sick.

Brooke squeals excitedly whenever we see Christmas trees, lights, or Santa. Justin has been asking lots of questions about how chimneys work--I can see his little mind trying to piece together how Santa gets up and down them.

He performed Jingle Bells with the children at our church Christmas party. I love how hard he is working to sing the song and ring those bells!

Both kids scored some antlers at the party.

And both got to meet Santa. While we were waiting in line, Justin kept asking me every five seconds, "Can I still tell Santa I've been a good boy?" Then he would shove his sister or something (not in a mean way, but just out of over-excitement), and then anxiously ask me again. When he got to Santa, he froze up at first, but then remembered the one thing he wanted to ask him for: a running (i.e. digital) watch.

Brooke was a little less enamored with the experience.

Justin also did a terrific job performing Christmas songs with his preschool class. That is some very intent pretend-book-reading. After every song he took a deep and serious bow (this is something he apparently learned to do himself, and he was the only one). It was hilarious. I love this kid. He is four going on forty.

The kids were so excited to pick out a tree and decorate it. As we drove home with the tree tied to our car roof, Mark jokingly asked Justin to let him know if he heard the tree fall off. A few minutes later when I was trying to ask Justin something, he worriedly told me that he couldn't talk and listen for the tree at the same time. It was so cute. We hadn't realized he was sitting there carefully listening for the tree the whole time. And since we brought it home Justin has been helping take good care of it, and checking the water levels every day for us. Brooke enjoys pulling ornaments off the tree, and even ripping them up if she's able to. They are such different personalities, those two!

In the Fast Lane

2011-12-12T14:40:00.003-05:00

For Mark's birthday we signed him up for a NASCAR driving experience. He got to drive a real race car and then ride along while a professional race car driver sped around the track.

The kids loved watching the race cars go around. We were standing down in the pit and the cars are very loud, so I brought protective ear muffs for the kids (we use them at home when Justin plays drums).

As if I wasn't nervous enough for Mark to race around in one of those cars, the place had gotten backed up and made us wait for over an hour after our reservation time. That meant it was almost totally dark by the time Mark climbed in. We asked the owner if it was still safe to drive and he said, "It's borderline." That didn't exactly calm my fears! This place was not great about sticking to reservation times--we had already come out once back in the summer (when it was actually his birthday), but they had messed up our reservation and after waiting for an hour the kids gave out and we had to leave. So we really weren't excited about having to come back a third time.

At least the wait gave us plenty of time for photos!

And Mark finally got behind the wheel, tore up the track, and made it back in one piece. The professional driver even did a doughnut for him during their ride. He looks pretty good in a race car, don't you think?

Thanksgiving in Missouri

2011-11-29T11:04:00.004-05:00

It was a wonderful Thanksgiving with Mark's family in Missouri. My back started feeling much better (hooray!), and we enjoyed a week of visiting with family and eating all kinds of incredible food. On the big day Mark's parents quietly cooked all day and turned out a delicious Thanksgiving feast and the best apple pie ever. During the week we were also treated to Jill's meatloaf and Ray's French-style stuffed pumpkins.

The kids loved playing with all their cousins,

spending time with Nana and Pepe,

and visiting their great-grandparents!

We spent a fun morning at an indoor play place.

And the hotel also provided plenty of entertainment. This is Justin pretending to be an airline pilot making an announcement. Both kids loved swimming in the pool and also riding up and down the elevator and shouting, "All aboard!" Hopefully we'll be back again soon!

Pain

2011-11-11T22:39:00.010-05:00

Pain is the body's alarm system, alerting us to injury or potential threat. When you don't feel pain, you don't notice its absence. When you are in chronic pain it makes you wonder how your body ever functioned normally and if it possibly ever could again.

I tweaked something in my back last weekend, while playing with the kids at a playground. I have spent most of the week lying on the floor trying to minimize the pain. I was feeling pretty good after the surgery and thought I was mostly out of the woods. After one year, one surgery, three epidural injections, four months of physical therapy, and plenty of money, it is fairly discouraging to be feeling the same debilitating pain as I was last November. But my doctor is optimistic that it is just temporary inflammation and not another herniated disc.

My back pain has become the focal point around which the rest of my life revolves, and I am sick of it. Simple things, like just rolling over, take monumental effort when I have these flare-ups. The "just get through it" days have been plentiful this past year, and I feel like this precious time with my kids is being robbed from me. Last night I was planning to attend a big lawyers' dinner downtown with Mark, and even though I felt awful I really wanted to go, so I tried to heave myself into a dress, only to end up in a frustrated heap.

In the midst of my pain and frustrations, though, I am comforted by my faith in the Gospel and the knowledge that all will be restored and perfected in time. Challenges are what make us grow. This past year has taught me greater patience and humility in a way I could not have known otherwise. It has taught me to not take for granted the wonder of our bodies, the ability to exercise, the chance to spend my days on play-dates with the kids, the everyday things that are easy to take for granted until they are taken away.

Brooke imitating me, lying on the floor icing her back.

Justin is 4!

2011-11-06T22:27:00.003-05:00

Hard to believe this little man is only four years old. He seems so much older, and it feels like much longer than four years since he was born. I don't know how we ever got by without him--to sing songs for us, to play little jokes on us, to wrestle with us, to help us discover the world afresh.

Making birthday cupcakes for preschool. This was Brooke's first time helping out with baking. She thought stirring was terrific, until she realized she could dip her fingers in and eat it. Stirring seemed pretty pedestrian after that.

One of his presents was a poster of the solar system to hang in his room. He loved it. He is very interested lately in learning about the planets, how many moons each one has, how big they are, how hot and cold they get, etc.

We had a fun birthday dinner with the family.

Thinking hard before blowing out his candles and leaving 3 behind forever.

He agreed to take a picture with me, but it was hard to tear his focus away from the new truck sent by his Nana in Utah. Happy birthday, Buddy!

Costumes! Pumpkins! Fall Festivals!

2011-10-31T21:42:00.008-04:00

Happy Halloween! This year Justin chose to be a pilot, which was not surprising given his love of airplanes. But if you ask him if he'll be a pilot when he grows up, he'll remind you that, no, he is going to be a rock star. Brooke went as a sassy witch, and, true to her costume, maintained a sassy, non-smiling expression in every picture. I have to admire her commitment. No matter what I did she wouldn't smile for a single one.

Our handsome pilot, ready to take to the skies.

Here he is in the preschool Halloween parade!

A little wave as he walks by.

Oh my, this girl has got spunk. Still not smiling for any pictures--and this was days later. But absolutely adorable.

Brooke with her cousin and best friend in the world (next to Justin of course).

Last night we carved pumpkins with Erin's family and feasted on her homemade Halloween treats.

The night before that we hit the Halloween party at church, where Justin remembered that the cake walk is the greatest game ever.

Extra credit if you can guess what TV characters Mark and I went as. We thought we were pretty clever when we came up with it, but we ended up just having to explain it all night long, and I'm certain that some people at church now think Mark is actually named Clive.

Last weekend we picked out our pumpkin at the Leesburg Animal Farm. Brooke simply loves animals. She is not afraid of them at all, and nothing makes her happier.

Her first pony ride! We'll have to work on keeping her heels down if she's going to be a cowgirl.

Justin was a big fan of the haunted school bus.

The whole family loved the giant hay slides, but we don't have the photographic evidence of that. So here's a cute one of Mark helping them on the little playground slide.

With the early snow this past weekend, I feel like we've had to cram all our fall festivities into this past week, but it's been fun! Now I'm ready to settle in with some of the kids' candy haul and watch Chiefs football with Mark. Hooray for fall!

My Son, The Genius

2011-10-27T08:41:00.002-04:00

Ok, I have to brag a little here. I love the way Justin's mind works. He is so observant and thoughtful and loves to understand how things work. And at three years old, he's well on his way to discovering the theory of relativity! On our trip home from Utah last week he turned to me and said, "Mom, when you're flying on an airplane you feel like you're just sitting still and not moving, but if you look out the window you see you're actually going really fast."

Utah

2011-10-18T15:00:00.004-04:00

It's been a couple years since we'd been to Utah, and it was wonderful to reconnect with family and spend some time out there.

We were so blessed to have those days with Glendon in the hospital. There was a steady stream of friends and family who came to visit him there, which I know made him happy. The doctors said most patients get weakened by visitors, but Glendon's vital signs always improved when people came in the room--you could literally see the numbers jump. Glendon loved people. This is a photo of my dad and Bobette with two of her fun nieces.

Justin and I had a few days in Utah together before Mark and Brooke could join us. I couldn't travel with Brooke by myself because of my recent back surgery. Poor Justin had to entertain himself most of the time, but we did spend a really nice afternoon at This is the Place Heritage Park, which commemorates the spot where Brigham Young and the first LDS pioneers reached the Salt Lake valley. We walked around the little village, checked out the pioneer schoolhouse, and got some sticks of candy and Sasparilla.

We took Mark and Brooke back there after they came out. I am so grateful for the legacy of the pioneers and the sacrifices they made for future generations.

The kids enjoyed visiting the ranches. At the Johnson Ranch, Justin fell in love with this antique plow and spent a lot of time making me sit on it so he could "take us on a tour of the ranch." He named the plow Rusty Good.

But it was hard to top the experience of driving this Rhino around by himself. Well, he only steered it, but it was probably the greatest thing that has ever happened to him.

We also visited Castle Valley Outdoors, where people come in to do hunting, fishing, and wing-shooting.

We chased giant grasshoppers,

played with bird-hunting puppies,

and played with cousins.

On the way home we stopped by Castle Valley Ranch to see the horses and cattle. Brooke was enthralled with the cattle and mooed wildly the whole time. It was difficult for me to be at this ranch without Glendon.

Justin watched a cowboy lasso a horse and saddle him up. How many kids can say that? Thank you, Glendon, for sharing these places with us!

A Western Burial

2011-10-17T15:26:00.009-04:00

On Friday we buried Grandpa at the Johnson Ranch in Sevier, Utah. He is placed next to his children Shad and Tawny, both of whom died as young adults before I was born. The iron fence around the site comes from Bobette's childhood home. The Johnson Ranch is situated in a breathtaking and remote area. There is no one else around for miles and miles and it really feels like the end of the earth. It is just where Grandpa would want to be--and of course we buried his cowboy boots with him.

It took an hour for this procession of cars to drive along the dirt road to the ranch--you can mostly just see the dust clouds from the cars.

It was a cowboy funeral. After arriving at the ranch, family and friends hiked up the trail to the ridge where the burial site is.

After Glendon's brother Franklin dedicated the grave site, Mark and the other pallbearers lowered the casket down.

All the men took turns shoveling to cover the grave. It was really touching and a nice way to pay a last tribute to Glendon. He would have been pleased at how many friends and family were there.

Brooke placing a flower on the grave.

Next to the grave site are the remnants of Bobette's grandmother's childhood pioneer home from near Richfield, Utah. They were brought here years ago and are a beautiful reminder of our faith and our pioneer heritage.

More of the old Heppler home. Behind Brooke you can also see a little "window" carved out of the ledge of rock by wind.

After the burial some of the cousins found a rattlesnake and also this little racer.

After lunch the extended family headed home, and our family enjoyed a quiet evening staying at the ranch house. We visited the grave site again and watched the sunset. Later we watched a full harvest moon rise over the distant ridge in the east, and then marveled at the Milky Way and shooting stars.

Happy Trails

2011-10-13T21:07:00.011-04:00

We had a wonderful funeral service for my grandpa today. Elder Russell M. Nelson, an apostle from our church and a long-time friend of Glendon's, spoke and we all felt the spirit of the Lord so strongly.

I am grateful that my sisters and I were able to offer a few remembrances too, and I wanted to share mine here...

Grandpa was always larger than life for me--a living embodiment of the American dream, the Western cowboy, and the educated gentleman rolled into one. I don't think I can begin to express how much he means to me and how much he has shaped my life. But one thing I loved about him is that he appreciated and noticed beauty in everything around him and never failed to point it out and compliment it. Grandpa noticed the beauty of the earth, the beauty in people, and the beauty of the Gospel.

Grandpa was so connected to the earth. It's hard to believe those Utah mountains he knew so well can continue to exist without him. I remember him commenting on the bright green of the mountains in springtime, and how the mountains appear to be draped with a Persian carpet in the fall. Grandpa loved animals and they loved him--horses, cattle, dogs, even birds. Grandpa knew all about them and marveled at God's creations. He knew about types of plants--whether it was rose bushes and tomato vines in his garden at home or desert plants at the ranch. He taught me how the shape of the stem on an Aspen leaf allows it to flutter in the breeze. And Grandpa shared his love of fishing with me. As my husband, Mark, said this week, "It's a bad day for trout in Heaven." Some of my fondest memories of Grandpa are from my days at BYU when he would pick me up early in the morning to go fly-fishing on Thistle Creek. I loved fishing just the two of us. Grandpa always reminded me of the proper rod timing, "Whomp...Whomp." After a morning of fishing we'd snack on Dr. Pepper and oatmeal raisin cookies back at the car.

Grandpa also noticed the beauty in the people around him. One of the things I admire most about Grandpa was his interest in other people and his ability to make new acquaintances feel like old family friends. He never acted superior to anyone, and everyone he met was a friend to him. Whether it was a high-ranking politician or a grocery store clerk, Grandpa showed the same amount of love and respect for them. He remembered things about people, showed concern for them, and took care of them. He was exceptionally generous. And he certainly admired the beauty of Bobette, my dear Nana. Even in the hospital last week he was talking about how beautiful she is. They have such a sweet and enduring love story.

And finally, Grandpa loved the beauty of the Gospel. He had a strong testimony and always shared it with others. He was a spiritual man, and his prayers were thoughtful and candid conversations with his Father in Heaven. I think it is fitting that he was called home on the Lord's Day, and I know that he went joyously.

Grandpa was such a good role model to me in many, many ways and I hope that I will always admire the beauty of life as he did, and as he taught me to. He always let me feel his love for me. I am truly lucky to be his granddaughter and to have shared many memories with him and learned so much from him. Grandpa, I love you and miss you and can't wait to see you again.

"A good cowboy knows when it's time to go home."

2011-10-10T15:43:00.000-04:00

Glendon Johnson, my dear grandpa, passed away yesterday afternoon, surrounded by his family and lots of love. We are so grateful we could be here in Utah with him and that we have had these few days to say goodbye. The doctors are amazed that Glendon recovered from the initial heart attack and was able to speak with each of us. It is such a blessing. President Monson, the prophet and head of our church, came Saturday and gave him a blessing. We have felt the tender mercies of the Lord in so many ways these past two weeks. Glendon was a fighter to the end and he loved people so much that I really think he hung on until we were all ready for him to go. The funeral will be in Salt Lake City on Thursday. Thank you all for your love and prayers.

Brooke's Boutique

2011-09-21T16:58:00.005-04:00

Well, I have to admit it really is fun to dress up a little girl. I love putting her in a dress every Sunday, and of course we've got the photos to prove it!

A dress my mom lovingly saved from my childhood.

A family hand-me-down. Made a perfect Easter dress.

A gift from my mom and Katie, for Mother's Day.

A gift from my mom. Love those puff sleeves!

Bought on clearance last year. She looks like a miniature princess!

Ok, actually a skirt, but I love the glint in her eye in this one.

Couldn't believe I got this smocked dress for $1 at a thrift store.

Perfect linen beach dress, also a thrift-store find.

Little Miss Brooke, in another one of my childhood dresses.

Successful Surgery

2011-09-15T13:13:00.003-04:00

Right before leaving for the hospital yesterday morning--last time I'll be holding this little girl for a while.

My surgery went well yesterday, with no complications. I came home last night and Mark and my mom are taking good care of me and the kids. I am feeling pretty sore and stiff and still groggy, but my leg pain seems to be gone already and I'm glad to be hopefully on the other side of this now.

We were sad to miss Justin's first day of preschool, but my dad got to take him and everything went great.

My mom watched the kids all day and they had a fun time. This is one of Brooke's favorite games lately--she puts on her hat and sunglasses and shoes and pushes the doll stroller around the house, usually she fills it up with toys and teddy bears too.

The past few weeks have been busy with doctor's appointments and getting the household ready, and I've been hurting a lot, but I tried to make the most of my time alone with the kids. Here are a few of my favorite recent photos:

Brooke LOVES to ride horses!

Asleep after a morning at the playground.

Both kids are huge Mickey Mouse fans, and they both are crazy about this little car.

Stocking up on groceries. I turned around to find Brooke totally absorbed in this soap opera magazine.

Here We Go Again

2011-09-13T22:22:00.003-04:00

I've been dealing with this slipped disc in my back for almost a year now, and despite all the procedures and physical therapy it has only gotten worse. I feel pain in my back and left leg constantly. So I'm having back surgery tomorrow morning, and hopefully this will finally fix me up. I'm excited for an end to the pain and a return to normal life, but I'm also a little nervous. Actually, the hardest part about the surgery for me is that I can't lift anything for one month afterward, which is quite a challenge with little ones to care for. We are so grateful for the many friends and family who have volunteered to help tend the kids and bring meals. Thank you for all the love and support and prayers!

Camping

2011-09-08T16:27:00.003-04:00

Last weekend we went camping with friends for a night at a local campground. It was a much-needed break from everything else going on right now. The kids loved it all--roasting hot dogs and marshmallows, running around in the dark with glow sticks, sleeping in the tent. And we had a great time visiting with our friends!

Under the Sea

2011-09-03T16:09:00.003-04:00

When we were in the Caymans I was nervous about a hurricane, but the weather there was terrific and we returned to DC just in time for an earthquake and Hurricane Irene! Here are a few more photos of the trip, from our underwater camera:

A live starfish that our boat captain found in the ocean.

Snorkeling at Cemetery Reef

Mark feeding stingrays

Swimming with our fearless water baby

Angelfish at the Barrier Reef

New coral at Cemetery Reef

Cayman Islands

2011-08-27T13:13:00.014-04:00

My dad turned 60 this month, and to celebrate we convinced him to take us all to the Cayman Islands! We had a couple beautiful apartments on quiet Seven Mile Beach. The water there is so blue and clear that you can walk out in the ocean and just look right down and see the fish all around you. We had a bit of a rough start, though--the second night both kids were up with a stomach bug, but luckily it only lasted a day and no one else caught it. Besides, cleaning up after sick kids doesn't seem so bad when you're in a tropical paradise!

We also celebrated our anniversary and Mark's birthday while we were there.

On Mark's big day we had dinner at the Cracked Conch, overlooking the ocean.

Conch ceviche!

At the turtle farm we saw sea turtles ranging from 2 weeks old to 65 years. There used to be many more turtles around the Caymans, but between the increased tourism and Hurricane Ivan a few years ago their populations have dwindled. I remember swimming with wild sea turtles when my family visited years ago.

The kids loved these baby turtles!

Mark and I took a snorkeling boat trip to the barrier reef and Stingray City, a shallow sandbar out in the ocean where stingrays gather. They swam all over us and were very gentle. Mark was brave enough to feed one some squid! The stingrays feel soft and smooth like butter. The reef snorkeling was awesome and we saw lots of amazing fish and animals.

We also drove around the island to see the blow-holes,

had a pirate treasure hunt,

swam in the pool,

and the ocean,

watched Disney movies,

made crafts,

took sunset walks on the beach,

and did lots of grilling!

And of course some family photos!

On the flight home the pilots invited Justin into the cockpit, which was definitely the highlight of the trip for him. He has been talking about all the buttons and flying his toy airplanes around the house all week.

Seen and Heard

2011-08-11T20:50:00.003-04:00

"When I'm a rock star my name will be Justin the Rock Star."

"Bye, Daddy! Become one with work!" (yelled out the door to Mark as he left for work)

"You're breaking my heart!!!" (yelled loudly in church when Mark tried to get him to sit still on the pew)

"Mormons don't lay eggs." (a little confusion here between Mormons and mammals)

Aquarium

2011-07-30T22:14:00.003-04:00

I took the kids to the Baltimore Aquarium yesterday. Mark was actually driving up to Baltimore for work meetings, so we hitched a ride with him. Even though mom was the one who spent the morning chasing the kiddos around the aquarium, hauling the diaper bag, and feeding them lunch, when we got home Justin put his arms around Mark and said, "Dad, it was so fun to go to Baltimore with you!" He's right, though--it's always fun to get a little extra time with dad during the week!

Of all the wonderful things we saw, these bubble tubes were hands-down the favorite thing for both kids. Justin enjoyed running and weaving between them like a border collie.

In the splash zone at the dolphin show!

Watching divers feed the stingrays. The Aquarium really is great. I remember going there with my family when I was about 10. I still have the toy dolphin they got for me there that day.

Cousins

2011-07-26T09:50:00.002-04:00

These girls are so cute together, and I'm excited to see their friendship grow as they get older. They're seven months apart, but they'll be in the same school grade. Avery just turned one and took her first steps last week. Happy birthday, Avery!

Weeeeeee!!!!!

2011-07-12T22:39:00.004-04:00

It was a milestone in our family today: both kids rode in the shopping cart car at Safeway, and there wasn't even much territorial battling! I missed having a little one up front in the cart with me, but it was cute seeing them in there together. Brooke was able to reach out and knock a soy sauce bottle off a shelf, but other than that it was incident-free. The best part was that half-way through the store, Justin stuck his head out the car window and shouted "WEEEEEeeee, Weee Weee Weeee, WEEEEEEEEeeeee!!!!!" He was imitating the little piggy from that Geico commercial (this one), and it was absolutely hilarious. I love his little sense of humor.

Swimming Lessons

2011-07-12T22:05:00.002-04:00

For the past three weeks we have been swimming every day--Justin has made huge improvements and Brooke only cleared out the kiddie pool with an exploded diaper one time! Justin is now doing the "alligator walk" (see above), kicking, blowing bubbles in the water, almost floating on his back, and even getting his head under the water (sometimes) without flipping out. His swimming teacher, Angela, has been so great, and going everyday has really helped him improve and get more comfortable in the water. I am proud of him, and it's been fun swimming with him. It's been exhausting taking both kids swimming every day, but it's been worth it. Brooke is such a water baby and can't get enough swimming time. She is unafraid and doesn't mind walking out to deep water and even getting her head under water. This week we are sticking to sprinklers in the yard, but we'll be back to the pool soon!

Little Patriots

2011-07-07T21:51:00.003-04:00

We had a fun 4th of July! We started off the day with a church pancake breakfast, then went to a delicious BBQ with friends, did some sparklers at Peep's house, then watched fireworks. Justin is still talking about the fireworks and imitating them!

PA Trip: Trains and Buggies

2011-06-26T15:06:00.009-04:00

All of Justin's dreams came true last weekend in Pennsylvania. Not only did he get to play with goats, feed a calf, and hold a baby bunny, but he also got to meet Thomas the Train! It was a real, working steam train with everything a boy could want: big clouds of steam, a conductor, bells and whistles, a caboose, and porters who shouted "All aboard!" and then came around to take tickets.

A family photo with our friend Thomas.

There were also tents set up with train tables, games, and storytellers.

But the highlight was actually taking a ride aboard Thomas.

Brooke loved the train ride too.

That afternoon we also got a tractor ride around the farm where we stayed.

The farm was very close to the Strasburg train station, so we got to see Thomas puff his way back and forth across the corn fields all afternoon. By the way, could this kid be any more all-American?

It will be hard to ever top this vacation for Justin!

After eating dinner in an old train dining car, we took a horse and buggy ride with a friendly Amish man. He drove us around his family's farm and talked candidly about what it's like to be Amish. I really admire the faith and work-ethic and slower pace of life of the Amish. They so willingly make sacrifices for their faith and their families. As a Mormon, I feel an affinity with the Amish in terms of being a member of a particular religious community that requires strict obedience and whose members strongly identify themselves by their faith. Although the Amish work very hard, in some ways they seem to have it easier. It would be so liberating to wake up every day and know exactly what you're going to wear and what chores need to be done and to not have all the distractions of the world interfering. It is challenging to be in the world but not of the world. Maybe we just need to move to a farm--I'm sure the kids would be thrilled!

PA Trip: Down on the Farm

2011-06-23T21:07:00.010-04:00

We took the kids up to Pennsylvania Dutch country over the weekend and stayed at a great farm bed and breakfast. The kids were thrilled with all the animals and loved helping out with farm chores. On Saturday morning we enjoyed a big farm breakfast with applesauce and yogurt, fresh milk, homemade bread and jams, eggs, beef bacon, and pumpkin pie. Justin couldn't believe they had pie, and all weekend he kept exclaiming, "Can you believe they have dessert for breakfast in Pennsylvania?!" On Sunday morning we got to tag along with the farm owners to their Mennonite church. In the evenings when the kids were in bed, Mark and I sat on the porch swing and watched millions of fireflies light up the cornfields.

The kids loved these baby goats.

For some reason I was nervous about touching this little, harmless donkey. I'm braced to run backwards (even though the donkey appears to be asleep).

Baby chicks in the barn.

Brooke was fearless with these hens and I was even brave enough to pick one up!

Feeding a baby calf.

Milking a cow.

Brooke's favorite thing was playing with the many farm kittens.

Justin and I loved the baby bunnies.

Justin peaking in the smokehouse.

Jumping for joy!

Getting ready for bed in our little farmhouse room. Justin thought sleeping on a bunk bed was about the greatest thing ever.

Summer Camp

2011-06-21T11:02:00.002-04:00

Justin loved his first little summer camp! It was just one week of morning camp at a local farm. He enjoyed seeing baby animals, making crafts, taking nature walks, going on a wagon ride, and running through sprinklers. Brooke and I had some good girl-bonding time. We went to playgrounds, saw the farm animals, swam at the pool, saw a kids' music show, went shoe shopping, and ate at IHOP.

Happy Father's Day!

2011-06-19T21:12:00.002-04:00

Brooke having a picnic lunch with her dad in Lafayette Park.

Justin learning the secrets of grilled flank steak from Papa.

Welcome Summer!

2011-06-01T17:59:00.004-04:00

Looking forward to a lot more of this...

Popsicles on the deck,

swimming at the pool,

"fishing" at the town fair,

hiking at Great Falls park.

Preschool Memories

2011-05-27T12:57:00.009-04:00

If I had to sum up in one word our experience with Justin's first year of preschool it would be "glitter." He has brought home some amazing arts and crafts this year, and we now have glitter in our car, house, bags, and clothes to prove it! Honestly, though, it has been such a great year for him--the school and his teachers were wonderful. I can't believe his first year of preschool is already over! His teachers email photos of the kids every month, so I've collected a few highlights from his year...

First day of school

Last day of school

School photo

Teachers Claire Bradshaw and Ellen Land

Music with Ms. Buchko

Birthday celebration

Preschool Mother's Day

2011-05-19T10:56:00.003-04:00

Ok, I am behind on posting this, but Justin's preschool class had a very cute Mother's Day party a few weeks ago. When the moms first came in, the kids were lined up to sing a song. But once they saw their moms all the kids ran to them--all except Justin, who valiantly held the line and wouldn't budge until the song was over. They were all so cute and it was fun to be in preschool with my little buddy.

At the Playground

2011-05-17T22:20:00.003-04:00

Cupcakes

2011-05-17T21:52:00.002-04:00

Justin and I made chick cupcakes for his preschool class to go along with their farm theme this week. He was very excited about it, and proudly decorated them himself. I was excited to use the Martha Stewart cupcake carrier that Mark got me!

Imagination Movers

2011-05-15T20:03:00.002-04:00

We got to meet the Movers on Friday! The Imagination Movers on the Disney channel is Justin's favorite show and he also loves listening to their CD. He dressed like them for Halloween and I think one of the reasons he loves to play drums so much is because Rich (his favorite Mover) does. They were doing a photo op at the mall, so the kids and I got up early and waited in line for a couple hours to see them. Justin was so excited, but also a little shy when he finally got to meet them. But he told Rich that he plays drums like him, and he got a high-five from all the Movers. I have to admit I was as star-struck as Justin! The guys were very nice and so sweet with the kids, even though they had a lot of kids waiting.

Mother's Day

2011-05-15T19:51:00.002-04:00

This post is a week late, but I just had to share the cute Mother's Day card Justin wrote for me (with Mark's help):

You're a great mommy because you...
make us food
take me to school
make pudding together
go to the grocery store when we run out of groceries
answer the phone
go to Costco with me to buy more chicken when we run out
take us to Clemyjontri playground, but not in the morning
go to the grocery store to get more grapes.

My little girl on Mother's Day.

My boys going to soccer class Saturday morning.

Date night with the greatest husband ever.

Easter

2011-04-27T22:39:00.004-04:00

We started our Easter weekend off with Easter baskets and an egg hunt on Saturday morning. The kids loved it--Justin said he was making "bunny ears" in this picture. Mark had a good idea and thought we could get away with putting Trix cereal rather than jelly beans in some eggs, but I'm pleased to say my kids were having none of that. Even Brooke caught on quickly and showed nothing but scorn for the cereal eggs.

After the egg hunt, we surprised them with tickets to the circus! We went early to see the pre-show too and got to meet some of the performers and clowns. Justin's favorite thing was the motorcycle cage. Brooke liked the elephants. And just in case they hadn't had enough sugar, we introduced them to the wonders of cotton candy!

Oh, how I love kids in Easter outfits! So sweet. Sunday was a wonderful day to remember and give thanks for the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. I taught the Easter lesson to the young women at church, which had forced me to study and ponder the Savior's life and mission all week. It was a wonderful, uplifting week. I am so grateful for the gospel plan, which allows our families to be together forever.

We hope you all had a happy Easter!

His Sacred Name: An Easter Declaration

2011-04-22T11:54:00.002-04:00

Please enjoy this video published by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints!

Bird Week

2011-04-14T10:29:00.002-04:00

My mom told us about this live stream of an eagle's nest with three little babies, and the kids and I have been getting a kick out of watching it this week. Last night while we were eating dinner, we watched the daddy eagle bring home a squirrel and then rip it up and feed it to his babies (I know, good choice of dinner entertainment!). We've been having fun making all sorts of bird crafts this week--Justin's favorite were these edible chocolate nests. You can check out the eagle video here: http://www.ustream.tv/decoraheagles.

Day at the Farm

2011-04-04T21:17:00.004-04:00

We had a wonderful morning at a little farm today. Justin liked the piglets best!

Brooke loved this calf and thought it was so funny when it licked her hand.

I did not pose Justin for either of these shots. He has a way with striking contemplative poses.

Brooke would have climbed right in with the animals if she could have. She is fearless!

I don't know if you can see Justin's face in this one, but it is hilarious.

And of course we had to check out the little tractors!

Trickster

2011-04-03T21:12:00.003-04:00

Justin's favorite thing to do lately is find a bookshelf and then knock all the books or toys off it. He doesn't do it to be mean, he just thinks it's a pretty funny joke. When I went in his room the other day and found a mountain of books on the floor I asked him what had happened. He said, "That's because I'm full of tricks!"

Couture

2011-03-29T10:18:00.002-04:00

My grandmother sent Brooke this adorable outfit--baby jeggings and a "Juicy Girl" tunic. My little girl is already more stylish than I am!

Vintage

2011-03-28T10:45:00.003-04:00

That is me on the end in the blue dress, in 1982.

This is Brooke in the same dress, in 2011.

2010 Book Reviews

2011-03-18T11:36:00.002-04:00

I'm finally getting around to posting about the books we read last year. I always love to hear what everyone else is reading--please leave a comment if you have a recommendation!

Truman, David McCullough

Mark doesn’t get much spare reading time, so it took him most of the year to read this, but he said it was well worth it!

Never Let Me Go, Kazuo Ichiguro

This one goes on my top-ten-all-time-favorite-books list. Mark read it first and recommended it. Read it.

The Associate, John Grisham

This was kind of a fun legal thriller, especially since Mark has a little experience with being a young associate at a big law firm. But it lagged in parts and we thought the description of the firm seemed overly dramatic (or maybe just outdated).

How to Be Good, Nick Hornby

Well, we love Hornby novels, but this was not our favorite. We still enjoyed his clever writing style and his commentary on human emotions and relationships, but this one just felt more forced than his others, and even came out preachy at times.

The Help, Kathryn Stockett

I liked this book for the most part. Interesting characters, suspenseful story, good commentary on questions of racial and socio-economic prejudice. I also liked the way it really painted a portrait of a particular time and place.

Nine Stories, J.D. Salinger

An amazing collection of short stories. Salinger’s characters are so real, and the stories so haunting.

Priceless: How I Went Undercover to Rescue the World’s Stolen Treasures, Robert K. Wittman and John Shiffman

An interesting book about recovering stolen art, by the founder of the FBI Art Crime team. There’s quite a bit about the guy’s personal life (and grudges) which I could have done without, though. But the ghost-writer’s sister is a friend of mine, which is cool!

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

I started reading this for a book club, and forced myself to plow through the first 50 pages, but then I couldn’t go any further. I found the tone irritating and phony. Also, once I gave up on it, I read the last page and it ended exactly as I would have predicted.

A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens

This was the second Christmas in a row I’ve read this, and it just gets better. A friend told me they didn’t need to read it because they already knew the story, but I disagree. It would be a shame to never read this. It’s not just the story, but the way Dickens tells it.

The Cricket on the Hearth, Charles Dickens

The Battle of Life, Charles Dickens

Two more wonderful Dickensian Christmas stories.

A Sunday Stroll

2011-03-13T19:59:00.000-04:00

Winter

2011-03-11T14:23:00.007-05:00

My procedure went well yesterday and I'm enjoying having a little time on my hands to read and catch up on things. So here are a few photos from the past couple months so you can see what we've been up to!

Sledding after the big snowstorm. Justin was very cute about holding onto Brooke.

Doing laundry with dad.

Justin loves to paint at his easel.

Brooke prefers to munch on the crayons.

Justin and I built a spaceship out of an Amazon box that was just the right size for him. Some days it's a spaceship, but some days it's a pirate ship.

Captain Justin at the helm.

Brooke loves to play Justin's drums and can actually hit them pretty well. She usually only gets a crack at it when Justin is off at preschool. Justin still plays his drums everyday too.

Brooke is so adventurous, and lately has developed a love for slides...

cars...

and especially her scooter. She loves this thing so much, and she has figured out how to really fly down the street on it. She has worn holes in both shoes from riding this so often.

Watching TV with dad.

Watching TV with buddies.

Watching TV with Thomas.

Brooke always looks cute, whether she's the little lady in red...

or wearing matching outfits with Peep.

Justin enjoyed making a balsa wood propeller plane with Papa.

Preparations

2011-03-09T14:45:00.006-05:00

My back has gotten bad again so I'm getting another epidural steroid injection tomorrow and then starting another month of physical therapy. This is the last shot I can get, and then the next step would probably be surgery, so I'm praying that it will heal this time. It is frustrating to feel so constrained by my body--not to be able to sit down and play cars with Justin because it hurts too much, not to be able to pick Brooke up all the time, and to spend all my spare time doing PT exercises or talking to doctors. I just want to get back to normal life. So I've made lots of preparations to ensure that I can focus on healing this month and hopefully put this behind me. We're going to have help from my mom, some friends, and a part-time nanny with the kids. A couple of wonderful friends have volunteered to bring us dinner the first couple nights, and my dear friend Sarah has already dropped off a bag full of goodies for us. I gave the house a good cleaning, did all the laundry, and stocked up on supplies. I even packed the freezer full of pre-made meals. This was my first attempt at freezer meals, and I'm super excited about it, so I have to share...

On Day 1 I had a ton of groceries delivered from Peapod (which was a treat, and totally worth the $7.95 delivery fee). Then we went to Costco and Target to stock up on meat and household supplies. I shredded two rotisserie chickens from Costco and used one to make chicken gumbo (recipe from Martha Stewart). I froze half of our gumbo and cornbread muffins for later.

Day 2 was cooking up 5 lbs of ground beef with some onion and garlic, and freezing them in 5 separate bags (for tacos, sloppy joe's, stroganoff, etc.); making 50 meatballs (I added some cooked, chopped spinach to sneak in a vegetable); and making 2 meatloaves. This was the biggest cooking day.

Oh yeah, I also had to make playdough for Justin's preschool class that day!

On Day 3 I used the other rotisserie chicken to make 10 burritos. Just mix chicken with some rice, black beans, corn, jar of salsa, and taco seasoning. Then roll up in burritos and wrap in foil. They are ready to microwave whenever you want them! I also made sweet and sour chicken.

On Day 4 I needed a break from cooking. But on Day 5 I made beef stew.

So now I have a freezer full of dinners! And buying the meat in bulk and cooking in big batches saved a lot of time and money. I'm excited to have a month of minimal cooking and some help with the kids. I even went to the library and checked out a good book to read while I'm taking it easy. There's got to be an easier way for a mom to get a break, though, right? :)

Love Hurts

2011-02-14T07:42:00.000-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day! In honor of the day I dressed the kids in red yesterday. I had hoped to get a nice photo of them together, but we were running late for church so I only had time to snap a quick one with my phone, and this is what we got.

So as a little holiday game, we want to see if you can come up with a better caption for this than "Love Hurts." The winner will receive a copy of my very favorite Valentine's Heart Sugar Cookie recipe (or if you live near me, I may just bake up a batch for you!).

Sometimes a boy just has to dance...

2011-01-21T07:57:00.002-05:00

Birthday Suit

2011-01-17T21:52:00.004-05:00

My special gift to Brooke on her first birthday was this sweater which I made (pattern and yarn by Debbie Bliss). I love the colors and the style of it on her.

The truth is, I started knitting this more than three years ago, in the weeks before Justin was born. I've worked on it here and there over the years and finally finished it just in time for her birthday!

How wonderful to have this precious girl to wear it.

Cute and spunky, just like Brooke!

Birthday Parties

2011-01-10T21:03:00.008-05:00

On Brooke's first birthday, we celebrated with a family lunch,

A few presents,
And cake, of course! I made her a non-dairy chocolate cake, shaped like a "B."
She liked it ok...
But enjoyed the plate even more!
Aprés-cake clean-up with dad:
Birthday tickles from Papa:
We had a second party the next weekend to celebrate Matt's birthday too! Katie made Cafe Rio pork salad:Matt had a little help blowing out his candles:

And so did Brooke (this time she got apple cake):
And now, some cute pictures of the birthday girl:

New Year's Baby

2010-12-30T22:36:00.002-05:00

Our little girl is one year old today! Just think of all she's learned to do in one year: breath, cry, eat, roll over, sit up, reach, grasp, babble, stand, crawl, walk (almost!), smile, laugh, play, whine, recognize her name and some words, say "da-da," drink from a cup, dance, whistle, turn book pages, go down slides, bang on the piano, splash in the tub, rip up papers, unpack kitchen cabinets, play peek-a-boo, wave bye-bye, hug a baby doll, and climb on everything. She has been a busy girl. We couldn't be happier that she is ours. Happy birthday, Brooke!

Onward and Upward

2010-12-14T15:31:00.004-05:00

Brooke is keeping us all entertained with her playfulness, cuteness, and general mischievousness! If there is something to climb, she'll climb it. If there is something to eat or chew on, she'll do it (all kinds of food, cardboard boxes, phones, cotton balls, chalk, dirt, you name it!). She is close to walking on her own, and loves to push her walking toy around. I adore her in pigtails.

3 Stitches, 2 MRIs, 1 Epidural, and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

2010-12-06T16:19:00.005-05:00

Ever notice how things seem to come at you all at once? Three weeks ago, while hosting a baby shower, I sliced my finger on a breadknife and wound up in the ER with three stitches. It stung for days and left me unable to drive, do dishes, change baby clothes, or give baths.

Exactly one week after that I woke up with some serious back pain. Every movement was excruciating, but on the plus side my stitched-up finger now seemed pretty trivial! There was one horrible night when Mark had gone out to the store after the kids were in bed, and I tried to go to bed myself. I wound up lying on the floor half-dressed, unable to move an inch more, and thinking to myself, “I’m too young for this!”

This was right before Thanksgiving, so I had to wait until the following Monday to get an MRI, which confirmed that I have a herniated disc in my lower back. I actually needed two MRIs, and I got to go home for a couple hours in between them. During the first session I started feeling a little panicky from the loud noises and being inside that tiny space. But after going home and having two hours of watching the kids by myself in the kind of pain I was in, I was looking forward to the second MRI. I actually fell asleep during it! You know you are in trouble when an MRI seems like a spa retreat.

On Tuesday I was able to see an orthopedist and get an epidural steroid shot to help with the inflammation and pain. But when we first got there, the doctor was running an hour behind and I had to bring Brooke with me, so we settled into a waiting room chair, and then suddenly the weight and pain and frustration of everything I’d been dealing with all week overcame me. I started sniffling a little, and then I really lost it. I was sitting there clutching Brooke, just weeping, with everyone staring at me. And then a compassionate English woman came over, hugged me and held Brooke while I composed myself. She was so kind and said, “Don’t worry, we all have our weeping days.” She really comforted me and gave me hope that things would get better. It was a blessing to receive such kindness from a stranger. My dad also helped me that day by meeting me at the doctor’s to watch Brooke, picking Justin up, and then watching my kids. Then I called my dear friend Katie to ask for a ride to go get the epidural. Even though she was in the middle of baking a Bundt cake, she rushed right over and drove me, sat with me through the procedure, and then watched my kids that evening while I rested.

My back still hurts, but it is no longer debilitating. I started physical therapy this morning, and will go twice a week for at least a month. Because of the steroid, I have to limit my sodium for a few weeks, so between this new restriction and my ban on dairy due to Brooke’s milk allergy it is getting harder for me to find things to eat! It has been difficult this week to tend the kids, especially Brooke because I’m supposed to avoid lifting and she needs/wants to be lifted all day long. The first couple days after the shot my mom and a number of friends came over in shifts to help. My mom also watched my kids during my PT appointment today, even though she is feeling sick herself. I am so very grateful to everyone who has helped me these past few weeks!

Now that I am a few days out from the worst of my ordeal (hopefully!), I’ve started thinking about it all. How do I react when bad things happen? Because it is in the hard times that we are tested and our character is determined—and I don’t think I got a perfect score on this one. Did I meet my trials with grace? Was I forgiving when people let me down? Was I charitable even when the doctor’s receptionist was rude? Was I properly grateful for the service I received from others? Did I learn greater empathy from the experience? My favorite line from A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is, “They learned no compassion from their own anguish. Thus their suffering was wasted.” As I think over the past few weeks, I have to admit there were times I felt selfish, angry, and entitled. But I have also had flashes of clarity, in which I’ve felt that I was learning greater humility, empathy and charity. I know that even though this experience seemed traumatic for me, that other people out there are facing much bigger challenges.

In case you’re wondering, my back was likely injured from picking up my kids so much (and not lifting properly with my legs instead of my back). But how can I resist these adorable little munchkins?! I’d gladly give up all of my body for them (and piece by piece, they just might get it!).

3 Years Old

2010-11-20T11:16:00.000-05:00

Justin turned three this month!

On his big day I took him to the Rocknoceros concert at Jammin Java. He loved it! The band was great and sang happy birthday to him, and even let him come up on stage and look at the drums after the show. That just made his day--drums are his favorite thing. He has a little set in the basement and plays them every day. When he's not playing them he carries around little Q-tips to play air-drums. Justin loves music so much, and he can't help dancing and air-drumming when he hears it (we often get a crowd gathered to watch him at the mall or restaurants--it is hilarious to see this little kid just rocking out).

He helped make cupcakes to take to his preschool class. Few things bring him as much joy as a cupcake.

Justin got fun presents from everyone, but his favorite thing was the stomp-rocket from dad.

We celebrated with family and make-your-own pizzas.

Justin insisted that he wouldn't turn three until he blew out the candles on his cake (which he also insisted had to be strawberry, so that's why it's pink). He keeps telling me that next he will turn four, and then he will turn back to two. If only that were true!

Brooke and Peep enjoyed the party!

After dinner we had a dance party in the living room, where DJ Justin was spinning his new Imagination Movers CD.

The beloved stomp rocket. Happy birthday, Justin!!

Thank You, Veterans!

2010-11-11T10:30:00.000-05:00

Today I am thinking about the men and women who have served our country, and I am so grateful for their service and sacrifice. I am also thinking about the spouses and children who are left to carry on when a loved one is overseas or does not return. Our freedom is bittersweet; it is a debt that cannot be repaid. When I consider the price of our freedom and abundance, it makes me want to live more fully!

My grandfather was a dentist in the Air Force, and he and my grandmother are buried at Arlington National Cemetery. It is sacred ground and it's humbling to go there and be overwhelmed with the countless headstones marking the lives of so many who served our country.

Halloween

2010-11-01T20:54:00.007-04:00

Happy Halloween! Justin loved having trick-or-treaters come to our door almost as much as he loved going around getting candy himself. He was so excited every time the doorbell rang and liked dishing out handfuls of candy to the kids.

He carved his first pumpkin and was especially excited about putting the light inside.

He loved the costume parade at preschool! He dressed as an Imagination Mover (his favorite show on Disney). He's holding little q-tips in place of actual drumsticks. I thought he looked pretty awesome--dressed up, but still looking cool. Although, how cute is that miniature Batman behind him?!

Justin treated the class to a rockin' air-drums performance.

Miss Brooke was cute as a bug in her ladybug costume!

But she also sported this little number at a church Halloween party.

Our cousins went as Little Bo Beep and her sheep. So, so cute!!

And Peep and Papa looked spooky in vampire capes!

Boston

2010-10-28T15:43:00.010-04:00

Brooke is such a great travel buddy that we decided to take her up to Boston for a weekend to visit my sister.

After stopping by BU to see Katie's department and my old art history department, Katie and Matt let me show them around the Museum of Fine Arts.

Mark arrived Saturday morning and we kicked things off with a ride on the T to Harvard Square.

A book sale in Harvard Square.

We headed down to the river to see the Head of the Charles regatta and eat clam chowder (that's our old apartment building sticking up behind me!).

Skinny jeans and boots are de rigueur in Boston. Seriously, everyone was wearing them!

Fall foliage in Harvard Yard.

Mark took a walk down memory lane on the law school campus.

Sunday morning we got to attend the new Cambridge stake center. It was great to see old friends at church!

And we had a nice Sunday walk around beautiful Mount Auburn Cemetery.

Thank you Katie and Matt for a fun weekend!!

Birthday!

2010-10-20T22:23:00.007-04:00

Last week I turned 30 (what?!), and it was full of fun birthday celebrations with friends and family! The day before we met Mark downtown and had a picnic lunch in Lafayette Park across from the White House.

On my birthday, my mom watched Justin in the morning so Brooke and I could spend a little time at the National Gallery of Art. We took a quick stroll through the sculpture garden and then checked out the galleries. Brooke enjoyed the Judith Leyster! We also got to see a performance by a choral group performing seventeenth-century German songs in the courtyard. It felt good to be back in an art gallery--it's hard to go often with toddlers and babies. There are some artworks that feel so familiar to me, that seeing them again is like reconnecting with an old friend. Of course I went straight to the Flemish (I am always so amazed by the minute detail and vibrant colors of Van Eyck and Rogier). We also looked at some German and Spanish, and then the Dutch. I've seen these galleries so many times, but this time I was really struck by just how dark the Dutch paintings are--overwhelmingly so after looking at the luminous Flemish ones. Maybe it's just because I was in more of a festive mood on my birthday!

My parents brought over a great dinner and Mark brought home the most wonderfully delicious birthday cake ever! The kids loved helping me blow out the candles.

It was great to celebrate with family!

Then on the weekend Mark took me to dinner at Jaleo, a tapas restaurant, and he had arranged for my friends to surprise me there. What a sweetheart! And Erin made me another birthday cake! It was so fun to go out with friends and enjoy a gourmet meal. Thanks to everyone for a wonderful birthday!!

Brooke's Faces

2010-10-03T21:25:00.004-04:00

Happy

Contemplative

Funny

Sad

Silly

Goofy

Questioning

Laughing

Interested

Bored

My Knight

2010-10-03T21:19:00.003-04:00

Me: Justin, are you happy?
Justin: Yeah.
Me: If you could change one thing about your life, what would it be?
Justin: I'd be a knight in shining armor.

On the Move

2010-09-26T17:57:00.006-04:00

Brooke is so curious and loves to crawl all around the house exploring everything.

She especially loves to look out the window,

but also likes being under the table,

or trying to climb the stairs (scary!).

She is pulling up on all the furniture and taking her first little shuffling steps while holding on!

She also has to check out most things by tasting them, so this is the hilarious face she makes while crawling towards something interesting--ready to explore!

Preschool!

2010-09-16T10:08:00.004-04:00

Justin was very excited to start preschool and he is really enjoying it. Here he is going in on his first day!

He loves his teachers and just runs right in without even saying goodbye. *tear*

His teachers requested tote bags instead of backpacks, because it's easier to put their art projects in. Good idea! Of course I couldn't just give him one of the Westlaw bags we have lying around, so I made him this one with an iron-transfer. He is really into airplanes right now, so he loved the bag. I just drew the design on paper in ink, scanned it into my computer, colored and resized it with Photoshop, then printed it on the transfer paper and ironed it onto the bag. My first little mommy project for school! I think I'm going to like this preschool thing too.

Summer Days

2010-09-12T21:57:00.001-04:00

Well, I guess I'll have to admit that summer is finally over. The weather is getting cooler, the days are getting shorter, and Justin starts preschool (!) this week. But we've had such great moments with family and friends, so here's a little recap of how we spent our summer days...

There were many days spent at playgrounds, especially Meadowlane and Clemyjontri. Justin likes playing with tractors and driving on steering wheels, and Brooke loves the swing.

We made it to the pool a few times. Brooke is fearless in the water and loves to kick and splash and even float on her back.

We went on a hike with friends. Justin loved seeing this waterfall at the end of the trail. He walked the whole way all by himself, and only fell in the creek once! He was a really good sport about that too.

Poor Brooke was struggling to see the view of the Potomac from inside her baby carrier.

We went to the zoo, where Justin thoroughly enjoyed his first snow cone! His favorite animals were, coincidentally, the elephant (because it's big) and the tiny elephant shrew (because it's fast).

One monkey up high, one monkey down low.

We saw fireworks on Independence Day (well, Mark and Justin saw them, but I stayed home to put Brooke to bed).

There were lots of great times spent with family!

Justin enjoyed a puppet show at the Claude Moore Colonial Farm fair...

story-time at local libraries...

music shows at the mall or Jammin Java...

and bubbles and sidewalk chalk at home.

He also went to a little gym class once a week, where his favorite things were jumping off the springboard and buying Cheetos from the vending machine afterward.

I enjoyed the farmer's markets, although it was hard to keep Justin from eating all the fresh berries. We met Congressional hopeful Patrick Murray at one market, and he posted this photo (taken by his photographer) on his Facebook page!

On days that were too hot or rainy, we stayed in and did crafts...

or read a good book...

or played cars...

or built a rocket ship to fly to the moon...

or just took a nap on the floor.

Avery's Blessing

2010-09-08T14:35:00.002-04:00

Sweet Avery was given a baby blessing on Sunday at church, and she looked adorable in her little dress!

Brooke definitely has my mom's eyes, I think. I don't usually put any headbands or bows on Brooke, but I got this one for Katie's wedding and I like it. It's not too big and doesn't get in her way at all, and I love the design (it's from Baby Flair Boutique on Etsy).

Wash Park: Then and Now

2010-09-06T21:23:00.005-04:00

I've mentioned before that Washington Park was one of my favorite places to go when we lived in Denver. I have great memories of going for long walks there with Mark or with friends, and of just sitting out on a blanket with baby Justin and enjoying a beautiful day. On our trip to Denver a few weeks ago we got to spend an afternoon at Wash Park, and it surprised me to realize how much our family has grown and changed in the past two years. What is it about having kids that makes time seem to pass so quickly? The days are long but the years are short!

So here are a few comparison photos, all taken in my favorite spot near the lake at the park. Brooke is just a month older than Justin was in his baby photos here:

Justin in 2008

Brooke in 2010

Justin in 2008

Brooke in 2010

Justin in 2008

Justin in 2010

Brooke in 2010

Berry Desserts!

2010-09-04T21:38:00.004-04:00

We went berry picking last week and I've been enjoying trying out some new recipes with our harvest. Here are three of my favorites...

Raspberry Almond Coffeecake
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Raspberry-Almond-Coffeecake/Detail.aspx

Blackberry Apple Pie
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Apple-Berry-Pie/Detail.aspx

Peach Raspberry Cobbler
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Peach-Raspberry-Cobbler/Detail.aspx

Wedding Part 2

2010-09-03T20:17:00.004-04:00

A few more wedding photos to enjoy! You can also check out some of the professional photos here.

8 months

2010-08-31T13:02:00.003-04:00

Brooke is 8 months old today! She is such a cutie and a sweet little girl. Brooke loves to swing, listen to music, eat Cheerios, and play in water. I especially love how she and Justin are developing a little friendship. She lights up whenever she sees him, and loves to laugh at his antics. One of their favorite things is for Justin to push Brooke in the swing--they both just laugh and laugh.

One day last week she started crawling, and just like that, life with Brooke will never be the same. Sometimes as a mom I get anxious about my kids progressing or learning something (like Brooke crawling, or Justin learning the alphabet), but then one day they just take a leap forward, and suddenly there's no going back. And then you kind of miss the way they used to fall over or say a word wrong in a funny way. Anyway, Brooke can get all around the house now, and of course she wants to explore everything and taste it all too. So she keeps us on our toes!

Colorado Springs

2010-08-27T20:55:00.008-04:00

After a few days of catching up with friends in Denver, we headed down to Colorado Springs for some relaxing family time. Brooke was still a little sick, but seemed to be doing better. We settled in at our hotel Tuesday night, and Justin got to sleep on the pull-out couch in the living room. At 1 AM he came into our room crying, and threw up all over Mark and our bed. We got everyone cleaned up and back to bed, but then I got sick too. Mark spent the rest of the night alternately helping Justin and me. It was a miserable night and our room was in such a horrible state by the morning, that we felt compelled to give the cleaning staff a large tip. We pretty much stayed in bed all the next day. At least we had this amazing mountain view out our window!

So a lot of our vacation time was spent in the hotel room. We learned an interesting lesson about how Justin is growing up when we had to explain the concept of regular live TV to him. He kept wanting to watch his favorite shows and couldn't understand that the hotel TV didn't have On Demand (actually, it did, and we ended up purchasing several episodes of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse in desperation, so Justin is still well-entrenched in the On Demand Generation).

Luckily, our hotel also had an arcade room, and the driving game was a big hit with Justin. He didn't even need quarters--he was just happy playing around with it.

We also bought him a toy airplane, which he loved, and insisted on flying all around the hotel.

Brooke got a baby doll, which she also loved, and which happened to look exactly like her!

By Thursday we were feeling ready to venture out, so we checked out the Air Force Academy. We even got to see cadets practicing parachute jumps out of a plane! It is such a beautiful campus and location.

The incredible AFA chapel.

And we drove through the Garden of the Gods, which was breath-taking! We'd hoped to hike through here, but we were all too sick for that.

On our last day we visited the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, where the highlight was feeding giraffes. It's a neat zoo right up in the mountains.

Colorado Springs is a great area with lots of fun things to do. We managed to hit a few spots, but there was much more we had hoped to do. At least we all got well and got home safely! Next year, though, we might opt for the stay-cation...

Denver!

2010-08-26T21:35:00.005-04:00

We returned to the land of Justin's nativity to see old friends, enjoy the great city of Denver, and escape the DC humidity! We have such fond memories of our time in Denver, and it was great to go back again. The first few days we were generously hosted by our dear friends the Allreds. Brooke loved their swing set and Justin loved all their toys (he informed me that their house is more fun than ours).

The day we flew out was Mark's 30th birthday, and I surprised him with tickets to the Rockies game and had arranged to meet some of our good friends there. It was so great to see them, and it was a gorgeous night for a ball game!

The wonderful Krumholz family watched our kids so we could enjoy the night out!

After catching up with people at church on Sunday, we had a delicious dinner at the Grange's newly-renovated, impossibly-cute house. Justin and Isabel were fast friends! They knew each other as babies and it was fun to see them together again.

And their new little girl is adorable!

Ryan makes these amazing stencil prints. I wish I had more photos of their house--it is awesome.

On Monday we had lunch with the judge Mark clerked for when we lived out there, and his secretary. This was one of our favorite lunch spots--I love that the door says "Get In Here."

We visited our old apartment building in Uptown. So many memories of walking baby Justin around here in the stroller. He's so funny--when we were looking around he started singing Miranda Lambert's "The House That Built Me." Seriously, he thought of that all on his own with his little two-year-old intuition. In case you're wondering how he knows that song, I have the album in my car and he often requests it.

Then we spent a nice afternoon at Washington Park--that's Justin smelling the flowers.

I miss this park. Denver weather is wonderful!

We also had a great visit with the Jones', although Brooke got sick all over their floor (this was just a prelude of the illness that would overtake all four of us the next day in Colorado Springs).

And we stopped by the Harrow's great house, where they treated us to incredible chocolate cake! Justin repaid them by helping their son mow the lawn.

Next up, our Colorado Springs (mis)adventures...