Happy Birthday Baby Peter....

It's hard to fathom but my baby turned a year old yesterday! Last night, as I got ready for bed, I thought about my Peter and what a blessing he has been to our family over the past year. We love this boy so much and can't get enough of his big smile and his squishy cheeks.

He is the most determined baby I have ever met. When he gets his mind set on something, there isn't anything that can stop him - but he does it with a big smile on his face.


It's hard to believe that in the past year he has gone from a helpless infant, to a little boy who is into everything and when I put him in bed he jumps so high in his crib, that he actually gets air.

Happy Birthday my Baby Boy. I love you so. Just don't grow up too fast.

Forty Years in the Making...

The day after Andrew and I celebrated our tenth anniversary, my parents celebrated their 40th anniversary.

As part of their celebration, they took my siblings and me and our spouses/significant others to dinner tonight. We ate at Creekside Restaurant at Solitude Ski Resort and enjoyed amazing views and incredible food.


As a "party favor" my mom gave each of us a small box of treats tied with brightly colored bows. Inside each box were forty pieces of candy, forty dollars, and forty of my moms favorite quotes, scriptures and oft repeated family mantras. It was such a sweet touch - totally typical of my mom. We had a great evening together and it was a fun way to celebrate my parents and their wonderful marriage. (The only sibling who wasn't there was my brother Peter who is serving an LDS mission in Osorno, Chile - which is exactly where my parents want him to be.)

We missed you Peter!

I am so grateful for my parents and for their marriage. They have always been an example of a great partnership and an affectionate relationship. They gave me a template after which I could pattern my own marriage and I am so thankful for that example.

So, Mom and Dad, thank you for a wonderful evening tonight and for a lifetime of love and happiness as your daughter. Here's to many more years of a practically perfect marriage.

Sunsets

Just one more reason why I love summers in Utah

(as seen from our front porch.)

You're Welcome.

Ten Years

How we've celebrated our anniversary...

1 - Romantic dinner at Sequoia's overlookng the Potomac in Washington, DC and a night at the Ritz-Carlton.

2 - Rented recumbant bikes and had a picnic on the lawn of the US Capitol.

3 - Took Abby (who was 15 days old) and went to Hire's, because we didn't dare leave her with grandparents even long enough for us to grab a burger. Ahhh, the first child.

4 - Went to dinner at Ruth's Diner and pretended we were on a first date. Laughed really loud - and often.

5 - Took Isaac (who was 2 months old) to see the Italian Job. He was an angel through the previews but we left with him screaming half-way through the opening scene. Andrew forgot his wallet so we didn't even have money to get a treat at the food court. (Not our finest moment.)

6 - My brother Richard married Tiffany and we celebrated our anniversary at their gorgeous reception.

7 - Andrew was in Minnesota and I was in Utah. (Not our most romantic moment.)

8 - Andrew gave me a gorgeous ring to celebrate our anniversary and the end of residency. What a love.

9 - Closed on our house and moved in. (I was four days away from giving birth so I wasn't much help or much fun.)

10 - A fabulous getaway to Monterey and Carmel for just the two of us. Andrew rented us a convertable and we drove along the coast. Remembered why we fell in love in the first place.

Here's to the next ten years with the love of my life and my best friend

Ten Years Ago Today...

I can't believe it's been ten years today since I married this amazing man. After ten years of marriage, nine anniversaries spent together, eight years away from Utah, seven years of med school and residency, six arguments(?), five moves, four kids, three cars, two hearts, and one life together, I wouldn't trade anything.

I love you Andrew - more today than I did on the day we both said "Yes."

Seven is Heaven!

A couple of weeks ago, we celebrated Abby's 7th birthday. One of our family's birthday traditions is to decorate the kitchen the night before the big event. We hang streamers and balloons, a sign on which we write all the things we love about the birthday baby and we also hang up pictures.

As Andrew and I decorated the kitchen the night before, I was going through old family pictures marveling at how Abby has grown. One of the pictures I found, was of Abby, Isaac and me in the hospital right after Isaac was born. I was so struck by this picture, because I distinctly remember at the time thinking that Abby was such a big girl. She could talk and sing and do many things and with the birth of Isaac, she was no longer my baby. As I looked at that picture, I was shocked to see what a baby she really was and it makes my head spin when I think about how quickly those years have flown by.


For Abby's birthday this year, all she wanted to do was go to the "This is the Place Heritage Park." This is seriously one of her favorite places on earth. Ever since she was four and fell in love with "Little House on the Prairie, she has been a fan of all things pioneer. She loves wandering through the park, imagining what it would have been like to have been a real pioneer. So when it came time to celebrate her birthday, this was all she wanted.

A few months ago, while we were at my mom's, Abby found an old dress my mom had made for me when I was little and asked if she could have it. On the morning of her birthday, she asked me if she could wear it to the park and it was amazing. (When my mom made the dress for me, it was totally appropriate for church, but these days, I think it is best worn as a period costume.)

(The bonnet was Abby's addition and not part of the original Sunday dress.)

Anyway, we spent several hours at the park and all the kids loved it. There were so many fun activities, animals to love and things to see. As we were leaving, one of the ladies at the front gate stopped Abby and asked why she was leaving. She told the lady that she was going home. The lady was a bit confused and told Abby she shouldn't leave if her shift wasn't over. Based on Abby's outfit, she thought Abby was a volunteer there and didn't want her skipping out early. It was really funny and Abby loved it.

Anyway, it was a perfect way to spend my sweet Abby's birthday. We love this girl and are so grateful to have her in our family.

Happy Birthday Abby-girl. You are more than I could have wished for and I love you so!

Summertime - and the Living is Easy?

A few weeks ago I realized that this is the first summer in four years that I haven't had a new baby or moved (or done both.) So, as the end of school approached, I found myself looking forward to a mellow and relaxing summer with my four kids.

What was I thinking?

What is remotely mellow or relaxing about entertaining four kids all day, everyday? I'll tell you what - NOTHING!

A few days ago, my kids were particularly whiny. Isaac was teasing Henry and Henry spent most of the day in hysterics. Finally, I was able to put Henry and Peter down for a nap and enjoy a little quiet time. Unfortunately, that quiet time was interrupted when Henry came out of his room and I noticed he had purple paint on his hands and feet. When I went in his room, I discovered that he had found some poster paint and had painted his wall bright purple and his carpet purple, pink and green. I spent the next several hours trying to get that cleaned up without much success.

Peter inspecting Henry's handiwork

Later that day, Peter was irritable and started throwing-up - a lot, everywhere. I spent the next several hours cleaning up those messes. By the time I got my kids to bed I was at the end of my rope. I was worn out and apparently my kids were acutely aware of how frazzled I felt.

The next morning, Abby brought me two notes. The first read:

And the second read:

So that afternoon, Andrew and I went out to the backyard and courtesy of Abby and Isaac, enjoyed a back rub, a foot massage and more lotion and body sprays than you can imagine. The whole time we were there, Abby kept telling me to "just breathe and enjoy nature" and "spas are here to help you relax." It was a very fun and relaxing afternoon and I felt so lucky to have sweet kids who are so thoughtful and do what they can to pamper me.

So no, there isn't much that is mellow and relaxing about having four kids home all summer, but summer does provide the time to slow down and enjoy the sweet moments with our kids. And hopefully by the time school starts again, the sweet will outweigh the stress and the fun will outweigh the frantic. That's what I'm planning on anyway.