THE BELLS

Eloise

2012-01-27T13:05:00.006-07:00

My friend, Amber, does photography as a hobby and she is SO talented and offered to take some pics of Eloise. She was 5 days old. And, she was a little stinker for the shoot- literally. She pooped 4 times during the session and peed countless times. So, even though she wasn't as sleepy and content as a little newborn usually is, Amber still managed to capture some great ones.

Introducing...

2012-01-11T15:57:00.009-07:00

Where do I begin? Seriously. Because Eloise's birth story is a little bit of a saga. I'm recording this for posterity's sake, so it's going to be a long one.
It all began when I was 36 1/2 weeks. I went to my regular OB appt. and my Dr. told me that my baby was vortex (head down position). I gasped b/c I had been told with my bicornuate uterus that my babies would always be breech and I would always have to have c-sections. I asked my Dr. if she would consider delivering me VBAC (vaginal birth after c-section) since I had had two previous c-sections. Her answer was an unwavering "No, it's too dangerous." I cried the whole way home. Why would this baby be head down? I just couldn't believe that this wasn't meant to be in some way.
I got on the computer as soon as I got home and did some research and found that the ACOG (American Congress of OB/GYN's) had recently changed their stance on VBACs. It used to be that you could only have a VBAC after ONE c-section, but now they were saying that it was okay after TWO c-sections. I was elated and I really felt like it was meant to be that I try for a VBAC. I did some research on Utah Dr.'s that might deliver my baby, but with no luck. I thought to call my neighbor, Jennifer, a nurse midwife, to see if she knew of anyone. She basically said that it just wasn't done in Utah. I was a little heartbroken, but couldn't completely give up hope yet.
Two days later, Jennifer came over and told me she had been thinking about me and decided to contact one of her old employers at Utah's newest and largest hospital to see if she would at least consider me for a VBAC. And, she said she would! I was SOOO excited. She even helped me get an appt. with a perinatologist a few days later. It was a little miracle. So, I switched OB's and hospitals at 37 weeks plus one day. Keep in mind that Oliver was born at 38 weeks and Amelia was born at 38 1/2 weeks. I knew I was taking a risk, but it felt like something I HAD to at least try for.
38 weeks came and went, and then 39 weeks and I still wasn't dilated AT ALL. I started to get worried. Was my body really capable of going in to labor on its own? That was the question that occupied just about my every thought for 3 weeks. If I didn't go in to labor on my own, I would have to have another c-section as they don't do pitocin (labor-inducing drug) on VBACs. Every day I would think, "Today is the day, I just know it." Then, I would wake up the next morning and say the same thing. It was a VERY, VERY long and emotional waiting game. I literally felt like my life was on hold for 3 weeks. I was stressing myself out like crazy (which didn't help the dilating process at all). I don't know how women who deliver vaginally do this with every birth. The "not knowing" part killed me. Suffice it to say that I learned some serious patience and also to let go of some control in my life.
To add to all this stress, we had met our deductible with our insurance company and it was to start all over again on Jan 1st. We were also getting all new insurance with Christian's new employer. So, I was really anxious to have this baby before the new year. My official due date was Jan. 3rd but since I had delivered my other babies early, I thought that I wouldn't have an issue with delivering before the new year. On Dec. 29th, as I went to bed, my low back started hurting. I started timing my contractions and they were coming in at 10 min. apart and then all of the sudden, at 3 min. apart. I knew I had to get to the hospital fast considering my high risk situation. Christian called my visiting teacher and she came and stayed with my kids until Christian's Mom took over. We rushed to the hospital. I was 39 1/2 weeks so I knew this was the real thing, even though I wasn't dilated at my OB appt. the previous day. They monitored me and baby from about 1 am until 4am and I was having strong contractions every 2-3 minutes. BUT, I just wasn't dilating. I was exhausted, but I couldn't sleep for the pain. The last time they checked me I was still at a 0, but 95% effaced. They gave me some morphine and let me sleep and when I woke up, the contractions were all but gone. So, they sent us packing. I can't tell you how disheartening it is to go to the hospital, thinking you're going to have a baby and then to be sent home. Ugh. So, back to the waiting game.
New Years came and went. On my official due date, Jan. 3rd, I decided to call our new insurance company and make sure that I was covered with my Dr. and at the hospital I was planning to deliver at. The representative I talked to told me I wasn't covered at that particular hospital. I had a panic attack. After all this waiting, emotional investment, stress, and hard work, was I really just out of luck? I called the hospital and begged them to make an exception for me. To make a long story short, it turns out the rep. I talked to was mistaken and that I was in fact covered at the hospital I planned on delivering at. That was a long, emotional couple of hours, but I was so glad that we got it all figured out. When I went in for my OB appt. later that same day, I had high hopes. But, once again, I was not dilated AT ALL. That was Tuesday. On Wednesday, I felt like I grew 5 inches in my belly and I was so exhausted all day. Even my Dad said I looked bigger. I went to bed Wednesday night, expecting it to be just another regular night. I wasn't feeling anything unusual. At around 4am, I felt a small gush of water (sorry if that's too much info) but was kind of out of it, so I didn't realize what was happening. I woke up again about 30 minutes later, this time feeling very wet. I woke Christian up and told him my water had broken. We got dressed and rushed out of the house, leaving my kids with my parents who had arrived 4 days earlier. My contractions started as soon as I sat down in the car. They were about 4-5 minutes apart and incredibly painful. The hospital was about 25 minutes away and it seemed like an eternity before we got there. I was soaking wet at this point, gushing water with every contraction. I ran in to the labor and delivery unit, checked in, and this is where the story gets interesting. They hooked me right up and our nurse came in and checked to see if I was dilated. She looked up at me and exclaimed, "You're fully dilated, I can feel the anterior lip!" I might have let out a little scream at that point. How does one go from a 0 to a 10 in one day??!! She called for the anesthesiologist and he was rushed in and gave me what was probably the fastest epidural of his career. Oh, and in the mean time, this same nurse attempted to put the IV in (which, in my opinion, is the worst part of giving birth). After two very painful failed attempts, she called in another nurse to do it. This second nurse got it in right away, no problem. After the epidural the first nurse asked the second nurse to double check to see if I was really at a 10. I'll never forget the look on her face when she looked up and said, "You're not even at a 1, I just made you a 1. You're going to be here all day." Wow. Christian left the room for a few minutes and the next thing I knew, the first nurse was being asked to leave the room. She had clearly shown us that she did not belong in the labor and delivery unit, or maybe in a hospital at all.
Not 15 minutes later, alarms started going off and the OB came in (whom I was meeting for the first time) and stood at the end of my bed. She looked up at me and without the slightest bit of hesitation or trepidation said, "We're going to do a c-section now" and then walked out. I didn't know what was going on, but I just started bawling. Everything I had hoped for for the last 3+ weeks was all for nothing and there was NOTHING I could do about it. Apparently, the cord was wrapped around the baby's neck and her heart rate was dipping with every contraction. They said they couldn't let me labor all day like this, especially considering I was only at a 1. They wheeled me in to the OR, suited Christian up, and started the surgery. It all happened so fast and I knew I had to be strong, because after all, I was having a baby!
Christian was by my side the entire time, comforting me and giving me little updates. He watched the whole c-section. As soon as she came out and I heard that first scream, I was overcome once again with emotion. There is nothing like that noise. I immediately felt so much love for her. Everyone in the OR was saying, "She's so cute!" They took her and washed her up, checked her, and then brought her over to me. She was so cute. I can't tell you how much I loved her from the very first moment I looked at her precious little face. I felt like the happiest, luckiest person in the world. I had a healthy, beautiful baby girl. The next few hours and days were a blur, but some of the happiest of my life. When I have a baby, I really feel like I am the luckiest person in the whole world to have been given such a gift from Heavenly Father. That He trusts me with one of His precious children is such an incredible and humbling blessing.
So, we're officially a family of 5. Eloise Rebecca was born on Jan. 5th (40 weeks plus 2 days) at 7:43 am. She weighed in at 7 lbs, 12 oz. and was 20 1/2 inches long. She is the most beautiful little baby. I am totally and completely in love.

Only seconds old.

The look on my face says it all: this epidural is great!

Meeting Eloise for the first time: pure joy.

Oliver and Amelia meeting Eloise for the first time. Amelia was beside herself with happiness. Oliver took a second to warm up, but is now totally in love and will just stare at her for minutes on end while she sleeps.

Grandma has, once again earned herself a "Grandma of the Year Award" for taking care of me and the kids this past week. She's hung in there like a champ.

Amelia loving Eloise's pink bow- the very first thing she noticed about the new baby.

First pic as a family of 5.

This is one my favorite things about the hospital: taking naps with Baby on my chest.

Going Home!

Grandma getting some snuggle time in with Eloise.

Uncle Davis and Aunt Melissa

Christmas

2012-01-11T15:39:00.003-07:00

I couldn't put up a post about the new baby without first doing Christmas. So, here's a snapshot of the big day.

Davis and Melissa came over for Christmas Eve dinner and brought Oliver and Amelia some gifts that they loved (cars for O and princess jewelry for A).

Christmas morning

After opening the big haul. Amelia was in heaven with her new princess dress (b/c her old one is in shreds) and Oliver loved all his new games.

We decided to take the kids swimming the day after Christmas as kind of a last outing before the baby. Amelia wasn't sure if we were going swimming or disco dancing.

Christmas was great and very low-key this year. The great thing was that my kids finally "got it." They were SO excited for Santa to come. They tore in to their presents and loved everything. Christmas is so magical when you have kids.

Pre-Baby Fun

2011-12-20T18:28:00.002-07:00

So, I thought I'd squeeze in a few outings while I still can. And, it's the perfect time of year to do it because friends and family come to town!

Some of my friends from Albuquerque. I miss these girls SO much and I love seeing them, even if it's only once or twice a year. It's always good times. Btw, this was about 37 1/2 weeks for me.

Amy, my SIL is in town and it was so good to see her and Beau and catch up. Julie, Amy, Beau and I all went to get pedicures today and then out to lunch. I'm exactly 38 weeks here.:)

It's About Love

2011-12-17T16:12:00.004-07:00

A great couple I know is looking to adopt. I don't know how it would feel to not be able to have your own children, but these two have shown such great faith and perseverance through this incredible obstacle. I hope and pray that they'll be blessed with a baby someday. Go here to learn more:

It's About Love

December

2011-12-13T17:03:00.003-07:00

This month has gone by unusually slow for me as I count down the days until Baby #3 arrives. But, we've made the most of it and tried to pack some fun activities in before I'm "unavailable." We got a Christmas tree, went to see the lights at Thanksgiving Point, made a trip to Discovery Gateway Museum, went to our ward Christmas party, got all of our Christmas shopping done and presents wrapped, and played in our first real snow this morning.

It took Amelia about 5 minutes to find and make friends at our ward Christmas party. We didn't see her the rest of the night.

Oliver waiting for Santa with his best friends, Parker and Ethan.

So excited to tell Santa what he wants for Christmas!

At the Children Museum.

Doing some serious construction work.

Feeling right at home on the horse at the museum.

Loving playing in the first snow of this winter.

Brrrr!

Nesting November

2011-11-29T13:24:00.005-07:00

I am in full-blown nesting mode. I cleaned all the kids' drawers out this morning, organized their clothes, cleaned the entire garage (which included all of Christian's window cleaning equipment and was no small task), and vacuumed my car out- all before 11:30 am. I've got a long list of to-do's, but I'm getting there. Anyway, we've had such a great and busy month. First and foremost, Christian got a new job- a great job that he is SO excited about. We went to the Governor's Gala at the Salt Palace in SLC, celebrated Julie's birthday, Christian got shoulder surgery for a couple tears in his labrum, I'm 35 weeks pregnant and counting with a scheduled c-section on Dec. 27th, and we celebrated Thanksgiving with people we love (which I didn't get a single pic of, but was a lot of fun).

My little Loves. Amelia went through a face-scratching phase, as you can see from Oliver's face.

We celebrated my sister, Julie's birthday with some banana cream pie.

Trying to get a Christmas card pic with Grandma and Grandpa Bell.

Just an afternoon tea party in our front yard.

At the Governor's Gala

Daddy a couple days after his surgery.

The other day I was upstairs and it was extraordinarily quiet so I went to check on Amelia. As soon as I rounded the corner, she came running towards me, covered in baking soda, with this "I know I'm in trouble" look on her face and said, "I want to go to time out. I want to go to time out." I didn't deem this time-out worthy, but I definitely explained that she can only "bake" when Momma is there to help her. So funny.

Goodbye Halloween

2011-11-02T18:37:00.004-06:00

We spent Halloween in the best trick-or-treating neighborhood in all of Utah. We went up to Ryan and Macy's house (Macy was induced the next morning so major kudos to her for having us all up). We went out with their kids, Rex, Lucy, and Molly. Their neighborhood is so quaint and beautiful and their ward even makes hot dogs for trick-or-treaters as well as donuts and drinks. So, we made a pit stop there in the middle of our night. The kids had so much fun together, running from house to house and they got SO much candy. Which I had to ask Christian to "hide" from me after I made more than a couple meals out of Snickers and Twixes. Ugh- I need to go to sugar rehab.

Amelia, the princess and Oliver, the future Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Making their way through the 'hood with their cousins.

Such cute cousin friends.

We went and picked these apples tonight at one of ward member's house. They had the hugest apple tree and these apples literally taste like candy. I'm in apple heaven- forget about Halloween candy.

Princesses and Race Car Drivers

2011-10-28T15:57:00.004-06:00

Amelia thought she wanted to be a princess for Halloween until she saw Oliver in his snazzy race car driver costume. She's been begging for a pink race car driver costume ever since. Anyway, we've been keeping pretty busy this week and here's the proof:

Playing in our neighbors' leaves. Oliver and Parker: best buds.

We made one last trip to Trafalga with our season passes before it gets to cold.

Racing with Daddy.

This is the hardest I have laughed in a long time. Oliver (and every other boat) was pelting Christian. He was soaked. And it was really cold outside.

Oliver and Amelia going out to the trunk or treat at our ward party.

Too sour! But that's not going to stop her from consuming every last nerd.

Hanging out in her princess dress.

Me at 30 weeks.

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-18T14:27:00.005-06:00

Let me tell you- Utah has a plethora of amazing pumpkin patches and I think we picked one of the best to go to last week. We had so much fun at Hee Haw Farms. They had so many fun things to do there the kids did not want to leave.

Off subject: Oliver and Christian made this basketball court out of play-doh and they were both very proud of it. Enjoy.:)

Amelia ran right to this little pony. He was certainly no Lil' Sebastien, but he was a close second. She was such a natural on him and loved it. She wasn't scared for even a second. A lot of that might have been that she was only 2 feet off the ground, but still, I was impressed.

Have I ever mentioned that my mom was a rodeo queen in Idaho? Looks like we have another one in the making!

These "animals" were hooked on to a riding lawnmower and the kids were pulled VERY slowly around the farm. But, Oliver and Amelia loved it. They kept running away from us and jumping in before we could stop them.

The potato sack slide. It was pretty fast and, no, we didn't sign any waivers.

Even Christian was a little scared to go down. But not Amelia.

Feeding the goats. No fear for this little gal.

And this was the highlight for Oliver and Amelia. They loved the corn box. Christian and I had a lot of fun burying them.

The only way we could get them out of the corn box was for the pig chase. The kids were divided in to age groups and put in the pig pen to chase the pigs. Our kids didn't fare too well, but they had SO much fun and I was laughing the whole time. I love how Farmer Joe is totally decked out in farming attire...except for his blue tooth.

Oliver wasn't at all afraid to get his hands dirty with the pigs.

On the hayride to pick out our pumpkins. I don't know if I'd call their pumpkin field really authentic or just primitive. Either way, we got a lot muddy and had to weave through sunflowers and tons of poking vines to get our pumpkins, which were all still attached to the vines. No one told me to bring my axe, so I just gave the pumpkins a good kick to break them loose. (I was on my own at this point because Christian had gone home to record the GOP debate.)

The fruits of our labors! The kids had the time of their lives painting and carving their pumpkins. I love this Halloween tradition. And, guess what? Fresh pumpkins are SOOOO much easier to carve than the ones you pick up at the grocery store!

I know you're all wondering why I let Amelia's hair get this long. Put your mind at rest- she got a hair cut the next day. Her stylist (my sis, Julie) is just super booked:).

Goodbye, Summer

2011-10-18T14:18:00.002-06:00

We're sad to say goodbye to summer here in Utah. Especially when we think of the long winter months ahead. But, Fall has been nice so far and we're going to enjoy it while it lasts!

Amelia is really going to miss the sprinklers- she would beg to go out whenever they came on.

A last summer run through the sprinklers with the neighbor kids.

Amelia is so nice to share her bed with her baby, Tami during nap time. She actually doesn't do much without her baby, Tami.

Oliver spent about an hour dreaming up and creating this domino art. He is quite the artist. We still aren't sure where he gets it from.

Cruising in our neighbor's Hummer.

Fun Times

2011-09-09T13:41:00.004-06:00

This has been a really packed month with a birthday, family visiting, education week, end-of-summer trips to Seven Peaks, etc. I was able to go to a few days of education week which I'm so grateful for- I loved it. My Mom came to town a couple times which is always fun, and we went swimming a TON because my kids have turned in to little fishes.

Amelia practicing her floating with Daddy.

Amelia's pretty much learned to swim this summer. It's been SO fun to watch her little body squirming around in the water.

Amelia has also been training all summer to be a Mommy. She even sings a song about wanting 6 kids someday.

Oliver speeding along on his scooter that he loves.

We spent a couple days at my parents' cabin up at Sundance for Labor Day. And what a Labor Day it was. I spent 9 hours doing deep cleaning up there for my Mom.

I love Sundance. I think it has to be one of the most beautiful places on earth. My kids played and played all day.

Oliver's Bday Party

2011-09-09T13:22:00.005-06:00

So, after our family birthday celebration for Oliver on his actual birthday, we had friends over for another birthday party that weekend. I didn't realize what I was getting myself in to and perhaps there are people that are reading this that also don't know about parties for kids so I'm going to include a few helpful tips that I learned from this experience: 1) invite only as many kids as your child is years old (ex: Oliver is 5, I should have invited 5 kids, not 10) 2) no kid party for any sane parent should last any longer than 1 1/2 hours 3) lunch is not necessary and will most likely not even be eaten 4) kids know how to entertain themselves, let them do it as much as possible. ...and you're welcome.
Alright, so Oliver really had a ball. We had a lady who does face painting come and paint all the kids arms/faces. Her work was incredible. We had a bubble gum blowing contest, a balloon-popping contest, the kids decorated and played with swords, they made their own pizzas, and then we had cake and presents. Whew- sounds like a lot. It was. I'm afraid the rest of our kids aren't going to be having parties until they're 12 years old. :)

The face painter

The kiddos showing off their arm paintings

The sword play

The bubble gum blowing contest

Oliver's snake cake

The presents

Happy 5th Birthday!

2011-08-25T14:44:00.004-06:00

Oliver kept telling me all day that he didn't actually turn 5 until he had his birthday cake. So, he turned 5 years old at approximately 7pm last night. We started the day off with his favorite breakfast- German pancakes with buttermilk syrup. Later, when we were at the grocery store, he asked if he could have a birthday doughnut. How could I refuse? He played outside ALL day with friends and then we went to another one of Oliver's faves, Chick-fil-A for dinner. This kid and his Mommy have very similar tastes! :) After dinner, we came home and ate cake and ice cream. Oliver's having a face-painting party on Saturday with all of his friends and he is SO excited.

Oliver enjoying his birthday pancakes. I decorated the light above the table with balloons and streamers and he was so excited to see that when he woke up.

Big 5! You might be wondering about that small corner removed at the bottom of the cake. All of the things I bake require taste tests. Plus, that cake was calling my name at about 4:00. Ladies: I KNOW you know what I mean. Dang, I have a handsome husband. And two adorable kids. I am so lucky.

I had reached my creative and cutesy capacity for the day so Oliver's presents didn't get wrapped. We had a sort of scavenger hunt for him, though, so there was some build-up for his gifts (a new (green) scooter, a drawing pad, and a plastic ninja sword). Aunt Rachel also got him the outfit he's wearing that he put on immediately as well as a couple more shirts and a gift card to Target. What a lucky little guy!

I love my sweet little boy, Oliver. He really lights up a room when he enters. He has such a sweet and tender spirit and personality. He is so friendly and accepting of anyone and everyone. He loves to play outside on his scooter, draw, paint, swim, read (or be read to, rather), snuggle, and play with his Daddy. I love him SO much and I am so grateful he's my little boy.

August 2011

2011-08-25T14:07:00.007-06:00

Amelia discovered make-up a few weeks ago. I found some old lipstick and compact and this girl went to town. I don't know who taught her how to apply it- it certainly wasn't me.

We went up Provo Canyon for FHE a couple weeks ago. We found a spot, started a fire, roasted hot dogs, played some games, and were just about to roast s'mores when a friendly passer-by informed us that there was a "NO FIRES" sign about 10 feet away from our campfire and that some kids had been ticketed a few days prior. We had some very underdone s'mores before quickly stomping the fire out. We have LOVED being so close to 2 canyons this summer and have tried to take advantage whenever possible. There is NOTHING better than a Utah summer night in the canyon.

We celebrated Uncle Seth's birthday at Provo Beach Resort with cousins Cooper, Luke, and Ethan. Here they are watching Uncle Seth tear it up on the Flowrider.

Grandma and Grandpa brought the kids some suckers from their visit to Peurto Rico. It took Oliver and Amelia days to finish them and it took a lot of discipline from me not to throw them away while they weren't looking.

At the Bell Family Reunion in Park City. Pre-lunch treat with all the cousins on PC Main Street.

The day before, we spent the whole day at Jordanelle. Oliver jumped on a tube behind a boat without even being asked. He did so well and loved every minute. He even went hands-free for a second. Wow. Amelia got on as well, with Daddy holding tight, and loved it too. If you look closely at the above pic, you can see my pregnant belly at 20 weeks. For those of you who hadn't heard, we're due January 3rd with a GIRL!

Look closely at Oliver's right leg.

Oliver's drawing of the earth. He is quite the artist and will go through phases when he will color for hours on end.

Our best friends from Albuquerque, the Alders, were in town. It was SO fun to see them and catch up. We miss them! They have two darling little girls, Lucy and baby Mae. This is Oliver's new camera face I guess.

Amelia begged to hold baby Mae the whole night. We finally consented and she was ecstatic.

Oliver's first soccer game. Which turned out to be more like a dog-piling sports event. Either way, it was so fun to watch. Oliver has a soccer prodigy on his team that scored 7 goals in the first half (15 min. halves, mind you) so Oliver didn't see a lot of action. But, he had the sloppiest grin on his face the entire game.

Dog pile # 49.

Amelia is definitely in her happy place in the pool, or any amount of water.

Last week, Aunt Meredith and Cousin David came to town. David's starting at BYU and we got together a few times to celebrate. Here's Oliver with Ben and Abe at Abe's pool.

We took a trip to Thanksgiving Point's Dinosaur Museum. It was $2 Tuesday (as opposed to $10 rip-off day). The kids had fun time digging for fossils and admiring the bones and dinos. Like $2 fun, definitely not $10 fun. :)

Amelia likes to pretend that her sippy is her baby. She tells us when the baby is crying and when it needs t o be held. She is very careful when her sippy is in "baby mode."

Snuggling her "baby" whom she affectionately named Tammy??

July 2011

2011-08-25T13:23:00.004-06:00

We spent a good part of July at my parent's house in Georgia. It had been a while since we had been there and we had such a fun time. My kids loved the pool and all the time they got with cousins and Grandma and Poppy.

A shot of the back lake at Grandma and Poppy's house. We really miss this place. We were there for about 2 weeks.

Taking advantage of all the land to run around on- one of the perks of living in the boonies.

Amelia adores her aunt Amy and cousin Lauren.

Late-night playing with cousins Lilian, Taylor, and Ella.

This was the first annual Jewkes Cousins' Camp in my parent's back yard. All the cousins were there and it was a GREAT time. Oliver loved it. Amelia wasn't old enough to participate this year, but we're hoping to make it back for future years. You can kind of see the banners hanging in the background. We all made them for each of our families. I wish we had gotten a close-up of ours- Christian did a great job on it.

Oliver with his buddy, Gabe at Cousins' camp.

Planting a tree at Cousins' camp.

Playing on Poppy's deck.

I love snuggling with my kiddos and thank goodness they are both snugglers as well.

Amelia got a visit from her old friend, Coda while we were in GA. It was a happy reunion for at least one of them.

Back home in Utah. Love these two.

What a set of buns! Amelia cannot get enough of water- whether it's sprinklers, water fountains, rivers, or pools.

Playing in the sprinklers with kids from our cul-de-sac.

Oliver learned how to ride his bike withOUT training wheels. We are SO proud of him!

May-June 2011

2011-08-25T12:52:00.007-06:00

So, I've decided that I love to look back on previous blog posts and my kids do too. I lost the desire to blog a few months ago because I started writing regularly in my journal, but now I feel like I need to do this for my kids and for family and friends that live away from us. So, I'm going to play some major catch up here, starting with May and June.

These two just love each other. Oliver is so good to Amelia, as you can see by these shots. He always makes sure she gets to wherever she wants to go. They can often be caught holding hands just like this.

This was our neighborhood Easter egg hunt. Great neighborly tradition and my kids first year to participate and they loved it.

Serioso.

Did somebody say, "Candy break!?"

Amelia was feeling very saucy one afternoon.

Wow- what a dirty little one, huh? Strutting around in Oliver's mouse hat that Grandma Bell gave him years ago.

Oliver loved, loved, loved his preschool this year. So did I, except for the 1 hour round trip drive. But, it really was that exceptional of a school. Here's some shots of his graduation.

This was during the annual Bell Memorial Day Extravaganza. It was made even more exciting by the fact that is snowed that day. Yep, you heard me- It snowed on May 31. So, we had to make last-minute arrangements to "play" inside. As you can see, Amelia didn't mind- her cousin Anna was more than happy to give her rides around the huge gym in Heber.

We got a visit from my sister and her kids the next day. Yes, it's still cold outside. This is June 1st. I was so desperate for warmer weather, I forced Amelia to wear shorts.:)

Oliver loves this girl. So do we.

Conference and Spring Break

2011-04-19T15:08:00.006-06:00

Not much to update so far this month other than Conference weekend and Spring Break. For Conference weekend, we went up to the Bells on Sat. night. The kids made a "crazy kids dinner" while the men went to priesthood. They made hot dogs, hamburgers, corn bread, salad, and cupcakes. So, needless to say, it was a very "kid friendly" menu. We spent the night there and watched Conference the next day which was followed by the annual Bell Family Spring Hunt. The kids loved finding all the candy-filled eggs.
Last weekend we made a last-minute trip to Moab for Spring Break (aka, escape the frigid temps. of central Utah). It was so nice to be able to wear short sleeves, because it is APRIL after all. We enjoyed our time down there between Arches and Dead Horse Point National Parks, the big red sand hill, driving along/playing in the Colorado River, and time in the hotel hot tub. And, all this just a short 3 hour drive from home. Love it. We're dying to go back (sans kids) and rent some bikes and really hike around. It's such a uniquely beautiful place.

Getting ready to bake at Grandma's (for the kids dinner).

Also admiring his fancy apron.

Helping cousin Abe make corn bread.

New favorite game: both hop in Dad's sweater and bob around.

Heading up to Delicate Arch.

Hiking up to Delicate Arch. This was right before our camera died. :(

Dead Horse Point

Main lookout at Dead Horse Point

DHP

Amelia at DHP

Playing at the big red sand hill. Christian and I raced almost to the top. I wanted to die. Never been that tired in my life.

Amelia showing off her red sand stains. I'm still getting the sand out of their clothes.

Amelia Bedelia Turns Two!

2011-03-23T15:16:00.004-06:00

I CANNOT believe my little baby girl is 2 years old! She still feels like my little baby and it makes me sad to think she's becoming an independent little diva. So, we celebrated a week ago with one of her favorite meals- manicotti. Julie and Seth and Grandma and Grandpa Bell came for dinner and cake (chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting and oreo crumbles--mmmmm). She was SOOO excited about all of her gifts and wanted to play with them all right then and there.
Amelia is such a little sweetheart. She absolutely loves to snuggle and give hugs and kisses. She has the cutest smile and she knows just when to cheese it up for people. She's become quite the actress/ham/diva. We love it and she brings a whole new level of excitement to our home. She is also very demanding (in a cute way:)) and knows how to get just what she wants. Bring on the terrible 2's!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMELIA! WE LOVE YOU!

After a Small Hiatus...

2011-03-09T17:14:00.002-07:00

Here's a short and sweet update of what's been going on around here. Just to sum up the last couple months: we almost moved to California, Christian went to Las Vegas for a work conference, I went to Denver to help my sister Jennefer with her new baby, Mamie Jane, my Dad came to town, went to my aunt and uncle's missionary farewell, and my sister Rachel came to town last weekend. So, we've been busy and time has been flying by. It's finally starting to get a little warm here in Utah. Let's cross our fingers it stays that way- I'm done with cold days.

Oliver fell asleep on the stairs one night. Reminded me of the time he did this.

These two are teasing each other a lot less, and become sweet friends.

Amelia spends a LOT of time in the pantry, scrounging around for whatever food she can find.

Oliver and Amelia LOVE to read. They'd sit and listen to us read to them all day long. Amelia also has a thing for wearing her jackets all day long, inside the house.

Inauguration and Snow

2011-01-12T13:38:00.004-07:00

Has it really only been 2 weeks since the start of 2011?? The year started off with a reunion with some of our best friends from Albuquerque that came up to Utah for the Christmas break. We enjoyed a fun, yummy lunch at Cheesecake Factory in SLC. The next day, we went up to my parent's Sundance cabin. I cleaned for the next renters while Christian and Oliver sledded off the roof and tromped around in the 4+ feet of fresh snow. And, on the 3rd we got to attend Greg's Inauguration as Lt. Governor at the Utah State Capital. It was so neat to be there at the beautiful state capital building for such an amazing event. The ceremony was so neat and inspiring.

Oliver and I went out and played in the snow in our backyard after a big snow storm.

Teaching him to make a snow angel. So funny.

After lunch at the Cheesecake Factory with the Alders, Jones, and Fears.

Don't hate on our improvised snow boots for Oliver. We only had a snow bib for a 2 year old, so we had to "lengthen" it a bit somehow. He was loving it.

Yes, the snow was THAT deep.

Waiting to sled off the roof with Christian.

At the Inauguration Ceremony.

Swearing in Greg as Lt. Gov.

Christmas 2010

2010-12-29T13:37:00.005-07:00

Christmas this year began with the Open House at the governor's mansion and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's Christmas Concert, both of which were amazing. We had a nice dinner before the open house and then took a picture by one of the many trees in the mansion with the governor and Greg. I have never been to the Governor's mansion before, but let me tell you, it's breathtaking in it's ornate-nous and beauty. It was built in 1902 and is mostly untouched from that time. There are beautiful murals on the walls with scenes from around Utah and the furniture is so classic and elegant. It was such a huge and stunning home. The Christmas Concert with David Archuletta and the MoTab was equally as amazing. The Church does such a fabulous job making things like that so nice. David was so cute- like a little teddy bear and the audience loved him. There were great dancers and the music was beautiful and we got treated to awesome front and center seats. We also got to meet Pres. Uchtdorf before the concert began. He was so nice and has such a beautiful wife!

Helping Daddy put the angel on the tree.

Enjoying the finished product.

Dinner before the open house at the Governor's Mansion.

Amelia and Belle giving each other loves at the open house.

Some of the sweet Bell grandkids (Molly, Oliver, Amelia, Lucy, Belle, and Rex).

In front of the huge Christmas tree in the foyer at the mansion.

We had a really nice, low-key Christmas this year. We went up and stayed at the Bells for the weekend. The kids got one present from Santa and a couple from Mom and Dad and then one each from all their grandparents. They were in heaven. But, for some reason, Oliver (now 4 years old) still kinda doesn't get it. He woke up at his regular time on Christmas morning, walked upstairs and started playing with some old toys. When Grandma asked him if he thought Santa had come to visit last night, he said, "No, why would Santa come here? Where is he then?" We try and explain to him every year, but don't want to make too big of a deal out of Santa, but it looks like we still might have a couple more years before he starts waking up at the crack of dawn and tearing in to his toys. Hallelujah!

Christmas Eve present. Oliver LOVES to draw and spends at least an hour every day doing it.

Some of the Bell grandkids singing "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer." Sooo cute.

On Christmas morning (at about 9am) getting ready to open their presents.

A puzzle for Oliver.

A stuffed tiger for Amelia, our animal-lover.

Breakfast after opening presents (a Whatchamacallit bar).

Oliver playing with his new "car road" which is all he wanted this year.

All the Bell grandkids waiting to tear in to their gifts from Grandma and Grandpa.

Amelia got a very authentic grocery cart from G&G Bell that she LOVES.

We hope you all had a very Merry Christmas. We're so grateful for this time of year and the special spirit that accompanies it. And, we're especially thankful for our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Virgin Islands II

2010-12-13T19:59:00.011-07:00

Just for all of you that have asked: No, we did not go to Magen's Bay. We drove by and it was $10 to get in and from what all the locals said, it's just a tourist trap and there are much better beaches. I'm regretting not going now. We went to so many amazing beaches, but I would have liked to have said that we visited the most famous beach, Magen's Bay. Also, you're probably going to start wondering why we are both still so pasty in these pictures. Well, we slathered ourselves in 50 spf every day. I'm not the sun worshiper I once was... On another note, did you know that I have curly hair? Well, you're about to see it in all it's humid and frizzy glory. Do try and look past it. Anyway, back to our adventures...
On Monday, we went to a beach that a local told us about on Sunday, Secret Harbor Beach. The snorkeling there was awesome even though the beach wasn't that great. We saw tons of fish and some nice coral, but as we were heading back to the sand after about an hour of snorkeling, Christian grabbed me and said, "Look, quick!" I looked down and there was a sea turtle, about a foot and a half long. People told us those are really rare to come by, so we were really excited. Christian chased it for a while, trying to "pet" it. He said he got a little hand on it, but it was unexpectedly fast. We laid out on the floating dock for the next couple hours at the resort there and we met a nice couple from Wisconsin.
On Tuesday, the weather turned a little crummy. It was cloudy, gray, and kind of windy. We were determined to get out, though, and so our first stop was at Coki Beach. It's a major tourist trap and people were trying to sell us stuff the whole time we were there. It took me a while to get in the water because it was a little colder and windy, but I did eventually get in and I'm so glad I did because the snorkeling was INCREDIBLE! The coral was so pretty and colorful and fishes were swimming right a long side me. The water was so clear and blue, despite the choppiness from the wind. I could have stayed out there all day. Christian saw a HUGE lobster hiding under a rock in the coral. He tried to get it out for a while, pulling on it's long antennae, but to no avail. He was convinced that we could have just brought it home and cooked it up at our hotel. Crazy kid. After Coki, we stopped at Point Pleasant Beach and then decided to move on to Sapphire Beach, where we had heard the snorkeling was great as well. By the time we got there, though, the weather had taken a turn for the worse and it was windy and chilly and the water was really choppy. So, we just hung out for a bit on the pristine beach and met a cute couple from Texas who gave us some tips for our trip to St. John the next day. We went back to the hotel and jumped right in to the hot tub and listened to the live music for a couple hours at the pool area.
Wednesday was probably the highlight of our trip. We got on a car ferry to St. John Island, just a few miles from St. Thomas. We were told that St. John is everything that St. Thomas is not and that is so true. Most of the island is a national park so there are almost no homes and the commercial area is very limited. The whole place is rolling green hills and mountains. It's like out of a movie for it's green and jungle-like appearance. We drove on steep, winding roads with the jungle draped all around and above us. It was gorgeous. There are nature trails all over the place. We would have loved to explore this island for a week. We both said that if we ever came back, we would like to stay on St. John. It's just so much more of what you might imagine a tropical island to look like. Our first stop was Lienster and Waterlemon Bay. It was a little hike to get to it, but we finally got our snorkel gear on and got in. We had to hurry whenever we were on the beach b/c both of us just got attacked by what we assumed were sand fleas. They were everywhere at this beach and we were constantly swatting at ourselves. We're both still suffering the effects of these bites. Again, the water was so beautiful and clear. I could reach out and touch all the fish swimming around me. They were swimming in schools of hundreds or thousands and would change directions in an instant, all in unison. Christian has an eye for finding sea life and he called me over to see a little octopus. It was what appeared to be black and white spotted but then Christian tapped it and got it to move and it opened up its tentacles and it was like this florescent purple. It was so neat. Then, I swam off again and Christian caught up to me after a while and said that he had seen a shark! It was 4-5 feet long and was about 30 feet from him. He guessed it might have been a reef shark but it swam away pretty quickly. He saw it for about 10-15 seconds. Let me just tell you, that shark made Christian's dreams comes true. I can't think of anything he would have liked to see more than a shark. He was on cloud nine and wanted to tell all the passing tourists on our way out about it. Next, we stopped by Maho Bay, but there was no beach at all and the tide was a little high b/c of the weather, so we decided to move on to Cinnamon Bay. The beach there was also pretty short b/c the tide was up, but we found a place and got right in to the water. I tried body surfing, but was quickly taken under by one of the first big waves and swallowed enough sea water to convince me to take a little break from the ocean. Anyway, so after lunch we headed out to the most famous beach on St. John, Trunk Bay. People say this is where they shoot the Corona beer commercials and I see why. It was absolutely the most gorgeous place I have ever been. The water was clear blue/turquoise and the beach was white, soft sand and off in the distance were beautiful, green islands. The palm trees and jungle carved a perfect beach. It was about 4pm before we got in the water, so the tide was now quite high and it even rained a bit so even despite those less than perfect conditions, the beach was still amazing. We just enjoyed swimming in the warm, clear water for an hour or so before we had to leave to catch the ferry back to St. Thomas. I could have stayed there all day, though, and wish we would have come earlier.
Thursday was our last full day in the Virgin Islands, but both of us just felt like taking it easy. We picked up some souvenirs at the local cruise ship dock and then spent the rest of the day relaxing by the pool at the resort.
We had such an amazing time. We miss it, but are so glad to be back with our little ones. Life just isn't complete without them. I'm so grateful that we got to go and I would LOVE to be able to go back some day.

Coki Beach

Sapphire Beach.

Sapphire Beach

Overlooking Cruz Bay in St. John. This is the town center and the ship dock.

Cruz Bay

Caneel Bay

Trunk Bay

Cinnamon Beach

There were all these beautiful homes on the hill above Cinnamon Bay.

Showing us how big the shark was that he saw at Waterlemon Bay.

Trunk Bay

Last pic of Trunk Bay:)

Beautiful sunset at our hotel.

Virgin Islands I

2010-12-12T14:46:00.007-07:00

If you've been wondering where we've been (probably not) we took a long-awaited, much needed vacation to the Virgin Islands. It's the first time since our honeymoon that Christian and I have been on a vacation without the kiddos. My parents gave us one of their timeshare weeks for Christmas last year, so we planned this trip to the the US Virgin Islands. We stayed at the new Marriott resort there, Frenchman's Cove. I wrote a really detailed journal of it all, but will spare you some of the boring details. I'm just copying and pasting here from that. Oh, and I'm going to do it in two or three parts for those of us with ADD.

Our flight left really early on Friday morning and we got in to St. Thomas, Virgin Island around 9pm, so we were pretty worn out and hungry. On the drive to the hotel, we were both a little surprised by how 3rd world-ish it seemed. I mean, it is technically part of the US. At the hotel, the guy at the front desk recommended a place to eat that was close so we headed straight there. When we looked at the menus, we were shocked to see how much the food cost! It was $14 for a chicken burger at this little restaurant. And, we would soon discover that this was one of the cheapest places on the island. So, we both went for the special that night at $8-10 for a burger. I couldn't even eat half of it being that I haven't consumed that much red meat in almost 2 years. And, the last time I ate a hamburger that size, I got sick. Anyway, our waiter was awesome and sat down and wrote down all the best beaches and all the other worthwhile things to do on the island.
After dinner, we went back to our hotel. I knew that it would be nice, but I had no idea how big and nice it would be. The kitchen was all granite, there were 2 big bedrooms, and dining area, a sitting area, 3 TV's, 2 big bathrooms, and 2 porches. Everything was SOOO nice and cozy. It was going to hard to leave the room! When I woke up the next morning, I went straight to the window. Wow. Wow. Wow. Not only did we have an incredible view, but it was absolutely BEAUTIFUL! We were surrounded by beautiful beaches, with green, rolling, tree-covered hills everywhere. I could see straight through the water at the beach from our hotel room, more than 5 stories up. This place was stunning and I wanted to see as much of it as possible. You have to know that I have always dreamed of going to a place that has white sand beaches with clear, blue water. You might think this is crazy, but it seriously was on my life checklist so it was that much more gratifying for me. After we got the essentials (food and snorkel gear) in town, we went back to the hotel and got into our swimsuits and headed down to the pool and beach. The resort pool was nice, but the ocean was too incredible to pass up. We started snorkeling right away. I just could not get over how clear the water was. I could see straight down to the bottom as if I were swimming in a pool. The water was so warm, too. The snorkeling right next to our hotel wasn't the greatest, but we still saw some coral and fish and Christian got a conch shell for Oliver. We spent the rest of the day lounging in the pool, hot tub, and beach. After a day of swimming, we got dressed and headed out to explore the entire Marriott complex (which included our resort, a hotel, and beach homes along with more pools and restaurants). We ended up at Havana Blue, a famous restaurant on the island that's also been featured in Gourmet magazine and other places. We decided to splurge and eat there. It was good, but nothing to write home about. The atmosphere was so nice, though. It was open-air and right on the beach with these pretty drapes flowing in the wind and blue lights everywhere.
The next day was Sunday so we found the local branch about 20 minutes away and went to church. It was such a sweet, spirit-filled branch. It was Fast Sunday so we heard the sweetest, most humble testimonies from the members there. There's nothing like being in a place like this that reminds me of how blessed I am. These people have very little and live such simple lives and I have so much and still find reasons to complain. Everyone there was so welcoming and nice and I could tell that they loved having visitors. Christian and I were both so touched by the spirit we felt there.
After church, we decided to drive around the island to look at all the beaches so we could decide how to spend our time the rest of the week. It was really neat to drive around almost the whole island (it's only 32 square miles) and really get a better feel for St. Thomas and the culture there. We saw some amazing, picturesque beaches. We drove through Charlotte Amalie (the capital) and learned a little about the history there. The US bought the Virgin Islands (well, about half of them, Great Britain owns half) from the Danes in 1917 during WWI. Blacks were brought here in the slave trade and so they mostly occupied the island. Now, it's a melting pot of people from all over the world. They speak English and there's a lot of Spanish-speakers as well, but the people that live here kind of talk like Jamaicans. They definitely have their own dialect. We were told that it's a relatively safe island if you stay out of certain areas, but that the locals know better than to mess with tourists b/c that's the main source of income for the people on the island. So, we felt safe the whole time and people were VERY nice. After our island tour, we came home and read for a few hours as we watched the sun set out by the beach. Christian found some crabs and was trying to determine whether they were connected to the shells they crawled around in. Don't worry, I wouldn't let him go too far in his testing. He was sure to boil all the shells he brought back to our room b/c a lady scared us out on the beach with her tales of bringing shells home with things still living in them!

Our kitchen in our room.

One of the bedrooms.

The sitting area.

The view from our room.

The view from one of our patios.

The dining area.

These little critters were all over the place and had no fear of humans.

See what I mean?

Sunset view from our room.

Getting ready to head out. View from a balcony in our resort.

All the lights to the right in the distance is where Charlotte Amalie is. See the big cruise ship coming out of the dock? The people there live by the cruise schedule.

View from a balcony in our resort down to the beach below. The dark areas in the water is where the coral was.

I've never been on a cruise before, so I was blown away by how big the boats were.

One of the beaches we visited on our Sunday drive. This is Sapphire beach. Off in the distance is a key off of St. Thomas and then behind that is Jost van Dyke (a British Virgin Island).

All the Leaves are Gone

2010-11-24T14:14:00.006-07:00

Last night was supposed to be the blizzard of 2010 here in Utah. Everyone got off work early, roads were closed, weather was the only thing on TV, and the stores were full of people stocking up on food and water. Well, we got .005 inches of snow at our house. If that's all a Utah blizzard has to offer, I'm disappointed. Anyway, I bet those weather people are feeling REALLY stupid right about now. We've had a busy month, which is why I haven't blogged in a while. So, here's a little bit of what we've been up to.

Election night at the Hyatt (I think). Herbert and Bell won! Congrats! Yeah!

The Gov. and Lt. Gov.'s acceptance speech. It was such a cool night to be around all that media. Some people even said they saw us on TV and Christian was trying really hard to get on camera, so I was glad when someone saw him.

After lunch at Chick-fil-A. I pulled out the camera and Amelia yelled, "Cheese!" and then made this funny face.

Amelia and Oliver took their first-ever bath together a couple weeks ago. I've been reluctant because it just seems gross for two people to share the same yucky bathwater. But, they LOVE every minute of it and play so well together in there. Look at the love on that girl!

Seth threw a "surprise" party for Julie's birthday. His idea of surprise though, is telling everyone to show up at a certain time and then leaving her at home to go get pizza. I guess she was surprised- just not in the traditional manner.

Helping Julie blow out the candles.

Playing some Wi.

We went on a little family hike up the American Fork Canyon on what was the last semi-warm weekend of the season. It was beautiful and the kids loved frolicking around on the trails and in the leaves.
I made Christian wear this with Amelia. I couldn't stop laughing. From this picture, it doesn't look all that secure but it was. Okay, maybe it wasn't.

We spent half the time trying to hold Amelia back from leaping in to the river and/or off of small cliffs.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!

Fall is Definitely Here

2010-11-02T14:43:00.004-06:00

I didn't get a single picture of Halloween, not a single one. I don't know if it was the cold or the rain or both that left me totally unmotivated to pull out my camera. So, these'll just have to do:). We've had a fun October as we've made a not-so-smooth transition from warm, summer weather in to cold, frigid fall weather. I hear so many people saying how much they love fall weather, but honestly, I'll take spring over fall any day. Because at least with spring, there's the promise of warm days and nights to come.
Anyway, so, we started the month out with a zoo outing with cousins, Belle and Abe. It was such a nice day and we had so much fun. A few days later, we headed up a canyon in SLC for a campfire/FHE with the Bells. It was so pretty with all the changing leaves and so fun to hang out around a warm fire, roasting hot dogs and marshmallows. Then, about a week later it snowed here. The kids were so excited to go out and play in it. Amelia lasted as long as it took her to fall down and then she wanted nothing to do with it. Oliver could have played in it all day. And he just about would have if it weren't for our friends, Dylan and Layla that came over to help us decorate Halloween sugar cookies.
Last Friday, American Fork city put on a Main Street trick-or-treat. We "visited" all the businesses on Main St for treats. I must say that AF has one of the cutest little downtowns I've ever been in with the quaintest little shops. We'll be back for sure.
On Saturday, we went up to SLC to Christian's brother, Ryan and his family's house to do the real trick-or-treating. We started the night out with delicious soup in pumpkin-shaped and colored bread bowls and finished the night with some fast, wet, cold trick-or-treating. It was pouring and we were drenched but Oliver (Thomas the Train) and Amelia (a leopard) and their little cousins didn't let that stop them from getting all the chocolate they could carry. Amelia loved going to all the houses (and would scream if we "forgot" to take her to one) and dipping her chubby little hands in the treat bowl. Oliver loved running from house to house with his cousin, Rex. Ryan and Macy have the BEST neighborhood for T-or-T'ing. A few guys from their ward even supply hot dogs, doughnuts, and hot cocoa for wearied trick-or-treaters. On Sunday, we celebrated my sister, Julie's B-day. Here's to November!

There's grocery-store-feet and then there's campfire-hands.

Playing in the leaves with one of our neighborhood friends, Parker.

Getting cozy while watching a flick together.

For Your Viewing Pleasure

2010-10-14T21:13:00.004-06:00

I'm too lazy to write a full update. Plus, not much has been happening, so here's a picture run-down of recent happenings. Enjoy!

Doesn't this look cozy?

Amelia loves pushing this little stroller around our cul-de-sac.

At the Governor's Gala. Don't worry, I'm not 6 months pregnant. This dress was just a little too big and not a flattering cut. At least that's what I'm telling myself.

Picture of all the kids on our street playing one night. And, this is basically just our family and one other. Perfect, right? We love it.

Getting ready for a cruise.

I don't know what was happening here. Oh wait, it's a head shot for one of those "sponsor a poor foreign orphan" campaigns.

Um, someone's excited about being let loose in a puddle of water with no shoes on (this was on Daddy's watch).

Pumpkin painting with Grandma (who saved the day by watching my kids so I could get away for a few hours).

Pumpkin carving with Daddy.

The finished product.

How does a child go from this (see above) to this (see below) so quickly?

Amelia obviously wasn't a fan of the mullet. But I'll tell you who was...

Uh huh, looking good!

Amelia in her new winter coat that she loves wearing... in the house.

Oliver turns 4!! And more!!

2010-09-22T12:36:00.003-06:00

Ok, so this is ALMOST a month late. But, my goal for getting this up was within a month of his b-day, so I'm doing just fine by my book.:) We had such a fun day together- doing all of Oliver's favorite things: library, pool, Provo Bakery for a doughnut, lots and lots of treats, and hamburgers for dinner. If it were up to me, I would have just stuck some candles in a cake and called it good. But, thanks to Aunt Julie, Oliver got balloons, a motorcycle for the top of his cake, and even a few more presents. (I'm not a big , extravagant birthday person, never have been, probably never will be.) Beau, Amy, Seth, and Julie all joined us for burgers and cake and it was a really great day for my sweet, little Oliver.
Oliver really is one of the sweetest, most tender boys. He loves to snuggle and give loves. He is very creative and can draw houses, cars, and trucks better than his Mom. He also knows how to write his entire alphabet (thank you, Super Why). He loves music and can pick up a tune and memorize a song within just a few times of hearing it. He's a very good imitator, too, just like his Daddy. He loves his little sister, Amelia and they play so well together (most of the time). He is VERY social- loves to play with other kids- girl, boy, younger, or older. He is such a handsome, fun little guy and we love him soooooo much!

The handsome birthday boy with his chocolate peanut butter motorcycle cake.

Singing "Happy Birthday."

What could that be...??

A new bike!!

*************************************

On another note, we gave Provo a good try, but after 3 months, we decided it wasn't for us and so we made the move up to American Fork. So far, we LOVE it. Our ward is awesome, we live in a cul-de-sac with tons of kids to play with, and it's so green and pretty here. Another exciting note:

AMELIA IS FINALLY WALKING!!!!

I know some of you had your doubts about our little chickadee walking, but at the ripe age of 18 months, and only one week after entering nursery, she is really doing it.

"He he he he- I showed you guys!"

Bear Lake 2010

2010-08-30T11:26:00.005-06:00

We went with Bells up to Bear Lake, UT at the beginning of August. It was such a fun trip complete with a rodeo, beautiful hike to Bloomington Lake, trips to the pool and lake, tons of fun games on the HUGE field of grass, and, of course, the best raspberry shakes in the world.

The hike to Bloomington Lake

Bloomington Lake

The boys- about to get in the water.

Hanging with Abe at the rodeo.

I had no idea how beautiful and clear the water is at Bear Lake.

The cousins

BBQ'ing

2010-08-04T13:41:00.002-06:00

I walked out on our patio the other day and this is what I found. How did the little monkey get in there and what was she thinking??? Don't worry- a thorough bathing soon followed.

Ok, SHE wasn't happy, but I haven't laughed that hard in a while.

Blahg

2010-07-28T21:08:00.003-06:00

That's about how I'm feeling about blogging lately-blah, blah, blah. So, here's a little update on our July. Since the 4th, we've had Oliver in swimming lessons just about every day. He's feeling so much more comfortable in the water, but not yet a full-fledged swimmer. Next summer, hopefully. Anyway, we have been going to the pool every day so he doesn't forget all that he's learned. We discovered the Veteran's Pool in Provo that is so great- slides and a huge splash area for the kids with an immersion entrance so I can watch him without having to get all the way in (i.e., lay out). Amelia is also loving the water, if we can manage to keep the sunblock out of her eyes. If we're not at the pool, we're at the library or hanging out with Julie. We went to a BBQ for the 24th of July (Pioneer Day in Utah) with some people from Christian's work and then headed to Farmington for the weekend. As soon as we get to Grandma's house now, it's as if we don't exist- he follows Grandma around everywhere and talks her ear off. He loves his Grandma! As for me, I've been running again after about 3 weeks of physical therapy on my knee. It feels good to be back at it, though I've lost a lot of endurance. Christian's still working hard and getting things done. Anyway, like I said, "blah, blah, blah."

Julie gave Amelia a haircut and it's so cute. We're twinners.

July 24th weekend. Someone stayed up too late watching the fireworks.

At the pool during a lifeguard break.

See what I mean about the sunblock? Ugh- it's so sad!

July 4th Weekend

2010-07-12T13:38:00.005-06:00

I kinda loved that July 4th was on Sunday this year so that we could celebrate on Saturday AND Monday in different places and get to enjoy 2 parades and just basically have 2 days of parties. So, it started out at the Kaysville parade on Saturday morning. I know you're probably thinking, "Kaysville parade? No thanks." Well, I'm here to tell you that Kaysville was where it was at. We walked away with so much fun stuff including a yo-yo ball, a t-shirt, a handsome tie, bead necklaces, and a bag full of candy. Plus, if you stick around til the very end, huge water-squirting trucks come by and "cool" everyone off. It was seriously a really fun parade, only made more fun by the fact that we got to be there with tons of family. After the parade, we went to my sis-in-law's parents' house for a pool party. Then, we went to the Bell's for a yummy BBQ, s'mores, and fireworks. On Sunday, we had my siblings and their spouses over for burgers (note to self: never make turkey burgers EVER again, esp. when Christian's going to be eating them). Sunday night we went down to University Ave. where the Provo parade comes through. Beau and Amy had gotten a prime spot and were camping out overnight to secure it for the parade the next day. So, we hung out for a couple hours, played some games, roasted s'mores, and ate way too much candy. The next morning, we joined the campers just in time for the parade. It was really touching to see all the veterans and families of soldiers killed in Iraq. It really made us appreciate the freedom we enjoy because of the brave men and women that are fighting/have fought for our country. After the parade, we went to Amy's parent's house for gourmet burgers and swimming.

Oliver and Abe ready to score some serious candy at the Kaysville parade.

At the Kaysville parade, eating lunch with Amelia.

Sporting the red, white, and blue.

Some of Christian's blogger friends were in town so it was fun to finally meet them.

Greg and JoLynn riding in style in the Provo parade.

Random... Christian thought it'd be funny to load Amelia in this bag and tote her around for a bit. She loved it and actually fit quite nicely inside.

Big 5

2010-06-22T14:57:00.002-06:00

The only picture from the whole weekend (at Cheesecake Factory).

Happy 5th Anniversary to us! We had such an amazing time celebrating last weekend. Grandma and Grandpa Bell were kind and generous enough to watch our kids ALL weekend long. After we dropped Oliver and Amelia off at their house, we went to dinner at my favorite restaurant, Cheesecake Factory in SLC. The next day, we spent the whole afternoon at Seven Peaks water park. I'm not a huge fan of amusement parks, but I'm a major sucker for water parks- I love 'em. That night, we drove up to the most beautiful little park I've ever been to. It's South Fork park, up the Provo Canyon and it is GORGEOUS. After my husband, Bear Grylls, I mean Christian, gathered a tree from the forest, chopped it up, and started a fire (with nothing but a lighter and some newspaper) we roasted hot dogs and s'mores and attempted to tell each other some ghost stories. I say attempted to tell ghost stories because I only got about one sentence out before Christian asked, "Is this the hook in the car story?" Yeah, well. Anyway, it was SUCH a fun weekend and it was so nice to be together- just us- for a couple days. I'm so grateful for Christian- for what a hard worker he is and for what a sensitive, interesting, sweet, thoughtful husband he is. Since it was also Father's Day this weekend, I'd just like to mention what an incredible father he is as well. Our kids really couldn't have a more dedicated, devoted, active, fun Dad. I am so grateful for for him.

Utah Valley Marathon 2010

2010-06-13T15:28:00.004-06:00

It's over! I ran the Utah Valley Marathon this weekend! It was an absolutely gorgeous course, one that would be difficult to match in beauty. I had really been praying that I wouldn't have the anxiety that literally cripples me before races and, good news- I was hardly nervous at all once I got to the start line at 5:30 am (yes, you read that right). It started to rain just before the race began which made for kind of a cold, miserable first half, but there are advantages to the rain too (mostly a decreased chance of dehydration). Anyway, it stopped around mile 11 or so, so I was pretty much dry by the finish. So, the race started in Wallsburg, a quaint little town up the Provo Canyon. At about mile 4, I suddenly felt this intense pain on the outside of my left knee as I was running down a hill. I've never had knee pain before, so I chalked it up to the cold, steep hills, and the fact that I hadn't yet stretched. So, I took a moment to stretch out and then kept on going. Every time I reached a hill (which was 90% of the first 20 miles) the pain would just shoot through my kneecap and keep throbbing until I was on flat ground again. I plugged through, though, determined to keep the 3:40 pacer in sight (that was my goal time and Boston qualifying time). There were a few times that my knee would totally buckle and I would have to stop and stretch (and there might have been some- no, a LOT of crying). But, I would kick it back in to gear and catch up with the pacer again when I thought of all the training I had put in to this for the past year. I did this for the first 23 miles and was right on target to qualify when my knee just completely gave out. Every step I took my knee would buckle and pain would shoot through my leg. I was determined, though to finish this race and did finally cross that finish line at the end of 26.2 miles with a clock time of 3:46. Overall, I was pleased with that time considering the pain I had to push through and the race conditions. Most of all, it was a huge confidence boost for me because I KNOW that I could have finished in 3:40 if it weren't for my knee. So, St. George- here I come!

Trust me, you didn't want to see the frontal picture. It wasn't pretty.

Post-ice-bath and shower. I know this is a little posed, but you know how some people still look good after a work out? I'm not one of them. (For proof, see past blog posts... I'm not going to put the links up because I really don't want you to go see them again.)

Make a note of it

2010-06-06T13:42:00.003-06:00

Before you read Reba's spectacular and new post below, I have some exciting news...

I have a new cell phone number. Rather than tracking down all your email addresses, I'll just post it here.

801-404-8994.

Has it only been 2 weeks?

2010-06-05T11:04:00.003-06:00

I literally cannot believe what a whirlwind these past 2 weeks have been. Let me just give you a quick play-by-play to give you an idea of our first week or so here in Utah. We packed the moving van on Saturday (2 weeks ago) and waved goodbye to Albuquerque. We made it all the way to Helper, UT (about 2 hours from our final destination) before our moving van broke down on the side of the highway. We waited there for over 4 hours until Penske finally decided to buck up and just tow us out of there. We got to Christian's parents' house in Fruit Heights around 2am. It was quite the trip, to say the least.
Sunday- day of rest. Literally.
Monday- drove to Provo to find a place to live, signed a lease, and then back to Fruit Heights.
Tuesday- move-in day, drove to Provo, arranged for my family to meet us at our new place to help move us in. Went to a pre-wedding dinner with my brother, Beau's wife's family in Provo. Drove back to Fruit Heights.
Wednesday- Beau and Amy got married in the Salt Lake City temple. Reception at Soldier Hollow in Midway. Back to Fruit Heights.
Thursday- I drove to Provo to clean our house and unpack. Then, met up with my sister, Julie's husband's family in Midway for a pre-wedding BBQ. Back to Fruit Heights.
Friday- Julie and Seth got married in the Manti, UT temple (very long, beautiful drive). Drove back to Provo for their reception. Back to Fruit Heights.
Saturday- Drove to Provo to unpack the house. Spent the night at my parent's cabin in Sundance.
Sunday- Church. Back to Fruit Heights to spend the night.
Monday- Memorial Day with the Bells in Morgan, UT. Drove to Park city afterwards to get Christian some new work attire. Went and bought a car in Murray. Back to Provo to spend the first night in our new place!
Tuesday- Cleaned my parent's cabin in Sundance= nightmare because Amelia screamed the whole time (she's got ANOTHER cold). Jason and Claire (my sis) were our first guests that night in our new home.
Wednesday- drove Claire and Jason to the SLC airport.
Thursday- unpack, unpack, unpack.
Friday- the same.
Saturday- I think I've finally got my head above water. YEAH!

Whew! I know it sounds like a whirlwind, but it was totally worth all the stress and driving because we got to witness the coming together of two amazing, beautiful couples in the temple and also got to spend lots of time with family.

Pre-move: Amelia playing in the rapidly emptying cupboards.

Double Trouble

Amy and Beau after the sealing. Her dress was seriously one of the most stunning dresses I've ever seen. And, she practically made it. This girl is not only fun, sweet, and beautiful, but seriously talented.

It was a dream come true for all the little girls around.

I don't know what's up with the funny face Christian is making here. He might make me take this down once he sees it, so enjoy it while it lasts.:)

With the kiddos at Soldier Hollow Golf Course in Midway.

We tried our best, but conditions were a little windy.

Beau and Amy's reception at Soldier Hollow.

Amelia and Poppy. She was being pretty picky about who had the privilege of holding her but I guess Poppy made the cut.

Julie and Seth after their sealing at the Manti temple. Let me just tell you, it was the prettiest temple I have ever been in. I was seriously regretting not getting married there myself. G-O-R-G-E-O-U-S. Not to mention, their sealing was beautiful and so touching.

Julie looked amazing. Not too hard when you look like Julie, but still.

See what I mean about the Manti temple? It sits atop a little hill and is so picturesque.

The reception at a friend's house in Provo. The florist/decorator/planner was so talented- the reception was so beautiful. Note: this is before the table arrangements and hanging lanterns were in place.

Sisters- Jenn, Amanda, Julie, me, Emily, Jessica, and Rachel.

The spread- all very color-coordinated by the talented chef (Seth's cousin).

I would also like to give a little shout-out to all the wonderful people in our ward in ABQ that helped us with the move. The Young Women showed up and cleaned almost my entire house, so many of my friends watched my kids, and then the Elders Quorum moved us all out. Thank you, thank you, thank you. It truly was an act of charity. We miss you all and hope to see you soon- please call when you come to UT!

It's Official: to Utah

2010-05-06T12:17:00.003-06:00

So, I guess we should make an official announcement: Christian has accepted a job in Provo (yes, Provo) Utah! It's for a start-up company that he couldn't be more excited to work for. So, it's back to the old stomping grounds we go. Actually, we're hoping to find a home NOT in Provo- nothing against the place, it just kinda doesn't feel right to me to live there unless you're a student. They want Christian to start the first of June so we'll be packing up and moving towards the end of this month.
We are really so sad to be leaving New Mexico. We absolutely love our ward, our home, our friends, and the city of Albuquerque. We will really, really miss this place.

Look Who's...

2010-04-30T14:45:00.004-06:00

...CRAWLING!!! No more army crawl for this little chickadee, she's up on all fours. I love how her little bum sticks up in the air as she moves along. We had my brother Jake over for dinner last night and as soon as he picked her up, she laid her head down on his shoulder for like the next 20 minutes. She's becoming quite the snuggle bug- just like her big brother.

Oliver having a little fun at Amelia's expense- the story of his life nowadays...

Christian showed Oliver that he could "make" a truck out of dominoes and wooden blocks. He spends a huge portion of his days now crafting these trucks.

Yes, he crafted this entirely on his own.

Please ignore the mess.

Utah, Half Marathon, and some Motivation

2010-04-26T11:19:00.004-06:00

So, we went to Utah a couple weeks ago. We love being in Utah with Christian's family. Oliver got to attend his cousin Benny's birthday, we spent some time in Provo with my fun sister, Julie, and I got to have a few Demarle parties with my sisters-in-law.

Oliver ready for some cake at Benny's bash.

Oliver's attempt at the pinata.

I only got a couple pictures in Utah- I'm so bad about remembering to take them! We had to come home to Albuquerque a little earlier than we would have liked because I was running in the Albuquerque half marathon on Saturday. There were like 10 people from our ward running it, so it was really fun to be there with everyone. The temperature couldn't have been better, but it had rained really hard the night before and since the first 2-3 miles were through a dirt field, it made for a VERY muddy day. My shoes still haven't recovered. I got third in my age group and got as an award a... medal same as the finisher's medal!! Yeah!! I'm going to refrain from posting a picture of me post-race because I always regret my sweaty, puffy-faced portrait.

The kiddos waiting for Momma at the finish.

On a side note, I am training for the Utah Valley Marathon on June 12th right now and let's just say I'm a little burned out. I've been training for marathons for a year now and I need some new motivation! Any ideas? Anyone want to run with Utah Valley with me? :) Also, I get almost unbearably nervous at races. We're talking throwing up nervous and it literally makes me sick to my stomach- any ideas on this one??? I'm desperate for some advice!

Easter 2010

2010-04-05T13:27:00.002-06:00

I loved that General Conference fell on Easter Sunday this year. It was so neat to really reflect on the Atonement and Resurrection of our Savior in addition to listening to so many amazing talks. I loved conference this year- it was definitely one of the best years I can remember. There were so many talks that I felt directly applied to my life. Maybe that's because there were a lot of talks about parenting and raising children and I feel that I have a lot of room for improvement in that area. Seriously, though, I loved it and have made some goals to be more patient, humble, and selfless, especially with my family. I'm so grateful for the gospel and the direction it gives me in my life. So, without further delay, here's a recap of our weekend:
We had yummy buttermilk pancakes for breakfast and then Oliver and Christian looked for their hidden Easter baskets. It actually took Christian longer than it took Oliver to find his basket. What can I say? I learned my hiding skills from the best: my dad. He used to hide our baskets each Easter and it would literally take us hours sometimes to find them. Someone would inevitably be in tears each year because they couldn't find theirs and my Dad was somewhat merciless- he wouldn't give in easily and tell us where ours was hidden and sometimes he couldn't remember (there was 11 of us after all).
Anyway, in between sessions we had an egg hunt in the back yard. Amelia was all over that and figured out how to open the eggs and the candy inside them before Oliver even figured out that there was something inside the eggs. That girl means business when it comes to chocolate.

Exploring the loot.

Oliver found the golden egg!

On a side note, Amelia is officially army crawling. She is in to EVERYTHING.

After the final session, we went over to the Alders for an Easter dinner. It was such a nice, beautiful day. Here's to warm weather!!!

Catch-Up

2010-03-27T10:19:00.004-06:00

Why is it every time I look at my blog I feel guilty? I ALMOST just gave up on it all together, but then I remembered that this is my journal too, and we've had quite a few important happenings around here that I really should document. Sorry, I know these catch-up posts are a little boring...

It was Amelia's FIRST birthday last week. We celebrated by going to the park as a family. Then, I made some cupcakes and we sang "Happy Birthday" and opened presents that Oliver helped me pick out earlier that day (wrapped in leftover Christmas wrapping paper because that's how I roll).

Then, my mom came to town last weekend and we celebrated again, this time with Jacob because it was his birthday last week as well. We had dinner at El Pinto, a beautiful New Mexican restaurant in the old part of Albuquerque.

Outside El Pinto. I know, my eyes are closed. We're working with what we've got here.

The next night, we had glazed poppyseed bundt cake for Jacob, which is my all-time favorite cake. If you've never made this, do- now. You won't regret it.

It was so fun having my mom here. She's so fun and easy to talk to and is such a great listener and friend. Come back soon, Mom!!!

"Until next time, folks!"

Blast from the Past

2010-03-11T15:41:00.002-07:00

Inspired by this post (my SIL), I decided I would do my own little "blast from the past."

The first time I saw this picture (which was only about a year ago) I was seriously struck by how similar Oliver and I looked. I also really like the pole-dancing move I was doing here.

Um, community bath anyone? The weird (and scary) part about this is there are 3 people in there with us that I don't even know. And this is not an illusion (though it may appear that way with the 80's-style bathtub and mirrors) but we were fully un-clothed.

I kid you not, my mom let me go out in public with this 'do. The 80's were not kind to us. But, wait, it gets worse...

Yep, that's me. Don't act like I'm not making this work. This is what I call the trifecta of 80's perfection: perm, mullet, acid-washed jeans. One word: h-o-t.

SUCCESS!!!

2010-03-05T13:09:00.004-07:00

"Most successful men have not achieved their distinction by having some new talent or opportunity presented to them. They have developed the opportunity that was at hand."
–– Bruce Barton

That quote could just as well have been said by Little Oliver, right??:) I had a mission companion who, EVERY time she came out of the bathroom, would throw her arms in to the air and yell, "Success!" It must be noted that most Filipinos (who live in the Philippines) talk very openly about their bowel movements. This was somewhat alarming to me at first, but that's another post for another day... now back to Oliver. Yes, he did it! He is officially POTTY-TRAINED!! Ok, not officially, he had a little- no, a BIG accident (for which both his underwear AND his jeans are the dumpster right now) during his quiet time yesterday, but all of his pee-pee's have made it in the toilet. And, here's the clencher: it only took half of a day for my 3 1/2-year-old to get it down. I am sooooo proud of him, as well as relieved that I no longer have to change my child's man-poo diapers (hopefully).

Now, on a MUCH lighter note, here's some of the pics we got back from Amelia's latest photo shoot with Liz Evans, photographer. Liz was commissioned to take pictures for an Etsy shop, Bowtique, that makes little girls' bows (I don't own any of these bows). So, she asked a bunch of moms in our ward to bring their girls over for a photo session. Excuse me if this is a little overboard, but I really can't resist.

Sidenote: Liz is an INCREDIBLE photographer. I was super impressed the entire session. So, if you're looking for someone to shoot you, your kids, or your family, I HIGHLY recommend her. She can be found here.

GIVEAWAY!!!

2010-03-03T13:36:00.002-07:00

FYI: I am having a giveaway on my other blog, Peachtree Cooking for a FREE Demarle Silpat in honor of the launch of my new Demarle website! Go on over there to check it out and enter!!!

QT to Denver

2010-03-02T08:03:00.005-07:00

We made a last-minute, quick trip to Colorado last weekend for my nephew, Gabe's baptism. My sister's family lives in the prettiest little town outside of Denver called Parker. We got there Thursday night and Gabe's baptism was on Saturday so we spent the time chatting, exercising, and cooking. It was so fun to be able to spend time with family and be there for this special milestone in cute little Gabey's life. Congrats Buddy!

My Mom reading to the little boys, Oliver, Gabe, and Hayden.

Amelia had an adoring fan club all weekend with all her cousins. Here she is with Izzy.

Oliver and Izzy loved jumping on the tramp together (maybe because she was the only one Oliver could keep up with on that thing).

The special boy, Gabe on his special day.

Hayden was always there when I needed a break from holding Amelia. He was sooo sweet with her and would just sit and hold her for like 20 minutes at a time.

Grandma and the Tubba Love.

Could this girl be any cuter????

Valentine's Week

2010-02-16T10:52:00.003-07:00

The week started out great with a Valentine Cookie Exchange at my friend, Kristie's house. We each brought a couple dozen cookies, ate to our heart's content (and a little beyond probably) and then took about dozen cookies home. It was so fun to hang out with just the girls and to eat my favorite dessert!

Is your mouth watering? Because it should be. These cookies tasted every bit as good as they looked.

Kristie (the craft queen) made these water bottles with Valentine messages on them for the party.

Then, a few days later, I took Amelia to have her pictures taken by a girl that just moved in to our ward. She's an incredible photographer, as you can see. See her website here.

On Saturday morning when I woke up, Christian had spread little hearts all around the house with reasons why he loves me. Sooo sweet and fun to read. He's really getting good at this gift-giving thing. Then, he packed the kids up to come watch me run a Valentine 5K. Just so you know, I have placed 3rd for women in just about every race I've ever run here in Albuquerque. But, the curse was lifted I guess and I had a great race and I won 1st place for women! Yeah!!
That night, Christian put together a fun date night for us- doing all of my favorite things around town.

Sunday morning, I got up and made heart-shaped pancakes and buttermilk syrup. Christian had, once again, surprised me with little cut-out hearts all around the house that led to a very unexpected gift- a book I've been wanting:

Then, later that day Christian and Oliver decorated sugar cookies while I attempted to make heart-shaped pizza that ended up looking more like the silhouette of Jabba the Hut. Oh well.

It was such a fun week. I'm so grateful to be able to celebrate the love I feel for my kids and husband on Valentine's Day. Yeah, I know it's a big commercialized thing nowadays, but sometimes it's just nice to set aside a day to really reflect on the love I feel for my family. I have 2 amazing, wonderful kids that I love more than life itself and a husband that is so sweet, sensitive, caring, loving, hard-working, handsome, smart, and really funny. I love them all soooo much and that is all the mushiness you're going to get out of me on this blog...:)

Demarle Rendez-Vous!!!

2010-02-12T08:50:00.004-07:00

Demarle Flower Mold on Perforated Baking Sheet

Remember when I told you all about some of my favorite Demarle products? Well, I am going to host a Rendez-Vous (party) at my house for anyone in New Mexico that would like to attend to show you all of my favorite cooking gadgets and explain a little more about the company and their amazing products. They have been used in such restaurants as The Cheesecake Factory, Subway, Ritz-Carlton and many more for years and years and were actually only available for commercial use until recently when they were finally released for use in the home market! Yeah!! Some of my favorite features are:

They are completely non-stick, from the Silpat cookie sheet liner, to the trays and molds. You literally just "pop" everything out from muffins to cakes to quiches.

They are a cinch to clean- simply rinse in warm, soapy water, shake dry, roll up, and throw in a drawer. No scrubbing needed!

They help food retain moisture so everything is sooooo soft and moist!

They have a lifetime warranty so you will never buy another loaf, bundt, or muffin pan again!

They work in microwaves, freezers, and ovens.

They really make simple cooking look like a million bucks- your family and friends will be amazed at the beautiful, fancy food you'll be able to create!

So, you are all invited to my home on Tuesday, February 23rd, from 6-8pm for my first official Demarle Rendez-Vous where we will cook, eat, and of course, have fun!

And, if you can't make it, I would be happy to host a party for you and your friends any time. Also, if you'd like to check them out online and/or place an order (they have a 30-day money back guarantee so you can try and see if you like it) their website is demarleathome.com. (My representative # is 8394 if you want to place an order.) Let me know if you have any questions or just want to know more!

A little chocolate can't hurt, right?

2010-02-08T12:15:00.003-07:00

We're pulling out all the stops to try and get this not-so-little (11 months) girl to crawl. One thing's for sure, she's a girl after my own heart. Nothing motivates like chocolate.

Announcement! Demarle!

2010-02-02T05:00:00.001-07:00

I am soooo excited to let you all know that I am now a representative for Demarle products! You might have heard of the Silpat, Roulpat, Flexipans, etc., etc. In my opinion, they have the most amazing cooking and baking products and are frequently referenced on some of my favorite cooking blogs, My Kitchen Cafe, The Sister's Cafe, Bakerella, Picky Palate and many more. Here's just a sample of some of the things I've been cooking up this weekend. For my full post on these incredible products and recipes for the cookies go to our cooking blog, Peachtree Cooking.

Silpat

Voila! Baked perfection!

Flexipan straight muffin tray

The Elephant in the Background

2010-01-26T18:45:00.006-07:00

Ok, I'm just going to go ahead and nip something in the bud right now concerning our family Christmas card:

No, we didn't have those pictures taken in Kabul, Afghanistan. Yes, I agree the telephone lines and concrete utility shed make for a depressing backdrop. Yes, Albuquerque has much, much prettier places than that. Yes, we were told we were being taken to a pretty location for our picture and were pretty surprised when we got there. Yes, I'm taking all of you off our card list for next year, because even if you didn't say anything I know you judged us in your heart.

The truth is, we are doing a different political theme every year, and last years theme was "Stills from a war-torn Iraq." Stay tuned for next year's "North Korean Yuletide."

Christian

Some roll with that butter?

2010-01-21T12:49:00.004-07:00

The other night, I made these rolls for dinner and Christian was slathering the butter on (much like the above picture). He looks up after about 3 rolls and said to me, "I don't care if die five years sooner, I just want to eat as much butter as I want." Somewhat amused at this, I said, "It's not about dying from clogged arteries, it's about getting fat." (Meaning that I didn't really care about clogged arteries either, I just didn't want to be a blubber bum and he took this to mean that it actually doesn't affect your arteries, it just makes you gain weight.) Well, the next day, every roll he ate had about 3 times as much butter as the night before. With a very satisfied grin on his face he said, "Now that you told me butter just makes you fat, I feel much better about eating a TON of butter with everything because I don't care about that." Ummmmm....okay. Eat away, Honey! (I don't want to break his heart by informing him that butter does in fact clog your arteries AS WELL as make you fat.)

Zupas Wisconsin Cauliflower Soup

2010-01-16T08:50:00.002-07:00

I posted the yummiest soup recipe over at my sisters' and my blog today, Peachtree Cooking. If you're looking for a delicious soup to warm your insides in this frosty weather, check it out!

Cabin Fever

2010-01-12T13:33:00.002-07:00

I've got cabin fever. My two little babies are sick. Oliver started getting sick about a week ago and Amelia followed suit a few days later. Oliver just had a cough and slight cold, but Amelia had a fever, cough, and cold. So, I finally took her to the doctor yesterday and she has a double ear infection, a sore throat, eye infection, and croup. So, so sad. The girl won't eat, sleeps all day, and when she is awake, she just flops around like this:

So, in case you're wondering where we've been, we're just holing up til we get better!

Southern Living

2010-01-07T13:15:00.007-07:00

So, like I mentioned in my last post, we went to Hilton Head Island, SC and Savannah, GA while we were visiting my parents over Christmas. My Mom was nice enough to watch Oliver and Christian and I took Amelia (she won't take a bottle and I'm still nursing, otherwise we would have left her too) for our overnighter. It was about a 4-hour drive there and we stayed at this French-ish country inn right off of Main Street in Hilton Head. Hilton Head was so clean and pretty, with bike paths everywhere and tons of people were out and about riding. It's known for it's golfing, so there were green golf courses everywhere. There's really only one main road that goes around the relatively small island. So, we drove down this road, by all of these big, beautiful neighborhoods with lakes and ocean views. We stopped by the ocean and got out, but it was pretty cold, so we didn't stick around. It was a really nice, white sand beach, though. We also sneaked past a security guard to go see a neighborhood of big, fancy homes by the ocean. It was kind of crazy, though, because in this neighborhood and all over the island there were pine trees mixed with palm trees by the ocean. After dinner, Christian went back to the inn with Amelia and I hit up the outlet malls. The next morning, I got up and went on one of the best jogs ever on the bike paths through all these old neighborhoods. Someone should start a marathon there. It's a runner's paradise.

This picture doesn't do this place justice. It was so old and antique-y and beautiful.

These were the gardens around the inn. Soooo beautiful.

Too bad it was so cold outside, because that pool looked pretty inviting!

This is by the beach. We had this elderly couple take a picture of all 3 of us, but somehow, it got lost??? I think they just managed to focus the picture, not actually snap it... Oh well.

After a yummy breakfast at the inn, we drove about 45 minutes south to Savannah. I was a little surprised at first to see how big the city is. It's right on the water as well, but unfortunately, we didn't make it down there. Nor did we see Paula Dean or any of her family members.:) We mostly stuck around the historical district. If we ever go back (which we will) we'll be sure to see the river sights as well. I could literally have spent a week touring through the historical district. We only had a few hours, though, so we decided to go to the Mercer House, where the bulk of the book, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil took place. Christian had recently read it and was excited to tour the house of the famous designer Jim Williams, whom the book is about. The house was filled with REALLY old antiques and art and great stories.

The Mercer House

While we waited to go on our tour of the Mercer House, we stopped for lunch at this tea room, Gryphon Cafe. It was an old pharmacy made in to a restaurant and we were both in awe of the decor and atmosphere. It was incredible, not to mention it served one of the best salads I've ever tasted.

The ceiling was made out of tapestry and this stained-glass window/chandelier was right in the middle of the restaurant.

I know it's not totally apparent in this picture, but the attention to detail in this place from the tile flours to the wood paneling and stained-glass accents was remarkable.

This was the square/park right by the Mercer House. There are 13 squares just like this organized all over the historic district, surrounded by big, old, beautiful houses and churches. It was so green there and Spanish moss hung from all the trees. Amazing.

This was a monument to the Polish soldier, Kazimierz Polaski, who helped defeat the British in Savannah.

The rest of the pictures are purely for your enjoyment. They are just a few of the old, beautiful houses that we saw that day in Savannah. It was incredible to see how well-preserved and maintained all these historic buildings are. As you can see, someone (whose names rhymes with Shristian) went a little camera-crazy.

Georgia on My Mind

2010-01-04T14:48:00.004-07:00

We went to Georgia to visit my family the day after Christmas. After being stuck in the Denver airport for the better part of a day no thanks to a certain Nigerian terrorist, we finally made it to my parents house on Hickory Hill Farm:). We kept so busy the whole time we were there which is saying a lot since my parents live 20 minutes away from civilization. We saw Sherlock Holmes (loved, loved, loved it), played tons of fun games, took a short trip to Hilton Head Island and Savannah (post to follow), celebrated 4 birthdays (in 2 days), celebrated the New Year, ate at my fave BBQ place, Cafe Pig (named so appropriately for the portions I ate), went bowling, and played more fun games. It was really such a nice, relaxing, fun trip.

Just a taste of our trip to Hilton Head. This girl just screams, "Come and snuggle!"

One night we went to my Aunt Jana's house to celebrate my cousin, Parker's and Christian's b-day. This is Parker's dog, Poppy. Amelia loved that little thing.

We celebrated Christian's birthday at home the next night. The Big 3-0. Wow. Can't believe it. Which means we're only a couple years from a mid-life crisis, right?:)

We brought in the New Year with the kids a little early that night. My ultra-crafty sister, Emily, made these cute little glasses out of pipe cleaner.

Our "countdown" (to 8 o'clock) was rung in with some pots and pans by the little guys.

We went to the local Griffin bowling alley the next day. I'd like to say that Oliver tore it up and by his expression in this picture, you might even believe it. But, the truth is that his bowling skills, like his mom's, leaves much to be improved upon.

We take this stuff VERY seriously.

Stay tuned for a follow-up post on our trip to Savannah and Hilton Head- it was amazing!!!

Merry Christmas!!!

2009-12-25T14:18:00.002-07:00

We started the season out right with a Christmas party for my very part-time job at Smiles for New Mexico Kids Pediatric Dentistry. My brother, Jacob was there as well as my sister, Jennefer and her husband Jim (who happens to manage/co-own the company). So, the Jewkes were definitely representing. After the main festivities, the guys played some Rockband. I'm just going to go ahead and let you know that Christian killed it. I'm always telling him he could moonlight as a lounge singer. See for yourself:

On Christmas Eve, we lazed around all day. Then, I bucked the trend by making Cafe Rio pork salad and burritos. After dinner, we read in Luke 2, sang some Christmas songs, then had a little "talent show" with Oliver. We had a singing portion, a dance portion, and then a do-your-own-thing portion. That was a hoot and maybe even a tradition in the making...

During our lazy Christmas Eve, I put Amelia's socks on her ears and Oliver kept calling her a cow. I guess there's some likeness. :)
That night, after the kids went to bed, Christian put this train set together for Oliver while we watched It's a Wonderful Life, which I'd never seen. Can you believe that? Such a cute flick.

Oliver came out of his room on Christmas morning, totally oblivious to it being Christmas or that there were toys and gifts waiting for him. He could have cared less...until we uncovered the train set. It took him a second to grasp that it was really his, but then he literally played with it for 4 hours straight.

Amelia, unlike Oliver, dove right in to her presents.

Grandma Bell gave Amelia this doll and she hasn't had it out of her sight or grasp since this morning. She's absolutely mesmerized by it.

JoLynn, Christian's Mom, painted this picture for all the kids. It's of the house they grew up in. Isn't is amazing?

Ok, I know this isn't the prettiest picture, but this was our breakfast. It was a sort of crumb cake. P.S.- it's supposed to be a Christmas tree.

This was our first Christmas with just our little family and we really missed being with everyone, but it was also really nice just to be able to go on our own schedule, relax, and enjoy the festivities at home. It's been a great day. We're headed to Georgia tomorrow to be with the Jewkes for a week. Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas!!!

Christmas Pictures

2009-12-20T15:51:00.008-07:00

We finally gave in to peer pressure and decided to get family pictures. You might even get a Christmas card from us this year! Although we've saved our family picture for the actual card, you can enjoy this little sampling!

Can you tell that Christian and I were REALLY cheesed out by the engagement picture pose?

Birthday and the River of Lights

2009-12-17T13:22:00.007-07:00

It was my birthday on Tuesday and since no one is going to give me a shout-out, I guess I'll just do it myself. Just kidding. Birthdays are actually becoming a little less exciting as I get older (Surprise, surprise!). I'm 28. There, I said it. Now you don't have to go call the census bureau. Anyway, it was actually a really great birthday. Let me tell you why. First of all, our friends, the Alders and Fears, had us to dinner on Sunday. They made the best homemade pizza I've ever had (soon to be featured on Peachtree Cooking). And, as if that wasn't enough, they bought the yummiest cheesecake ever from Whole Foods that cost more than your Dolce & Gabbana sunglasses. I have such sweet friends here and I'm so grateful to them for making me feel so special on my birthday.
Then, on my actual birthday... Oh, you thought I was done? No, no, no. I kind of ruined the annual Chick-fil-A breakfast in bed this year by getting up and going on a run before the crack of dawn, but, hey, I knew I had to create some kind of calorie deficit for the certain junk-food consumption that was going to be going on that day, right? Anyway, so after I got home, Christian hurried off to Chick-fil-A and got just what I ordered (which has only taken him almost 5 years to perfect). Then, Christian let me take the afternoon "off" (a.k.a.: no kids) and buzz around town (a.k.a.: grocery shopping). When I returned home, he had set up a cute little scavenger hunt for me to find my gift. It was really sweet and so memorable. I think I might make this an annual thing for myself too. :) Is that okay, hon? That night, my brother, Jacob came and babysat for us while we went to dinner at the famous El Pinto (great setting and ambiance, not that great of food) and finished the day off with a movie, The Blind Side (which we loooooved). What a great day! I really couldn't have asked for anything more. Now, on to more exciting things...

We were feeling antsy a couple Monday night's ago, so we hit up the mall for some FHE action. Of course, we can't go to the mall nowadays without letting Oliver ride the carousel.

Amelia and I just waited patiently for Daddy and Oliver on the carousel.

Then, last weekend, we went to the River of Lights with the Reidheads. It was really, really well done and neat. A definite must for families in Albuquerque this time of year.

It was really cold that night, but Amelia wouldn't have known. It was probably in the high 80's under all that padding.

Just a very small sampling. It was awesome.

Again, Oliver and little Berlynn couldn't be separated. They are just such sweet companions.

Thanksgiving in Utah

2009-12-06T16:16:00.002-07:00

We had plans to stay here in Albuquerque for Thanksgiving this year, but at the last minute, decided to make the 20-hour round trip drive to Utah to spend the weekend with the Bells. We celebrated with the extended family at a local church building and it was so much fun. The Bells are such a warm, welcoming bunch, not to mention REALLY good cooks- everything was to die for and I've still been dreaming about a few dishes... The whole weekend was really relaxing and nice and included dinner at Red Iguana, bonfire hot dogs and s'mores, BYU vs. Utah football, Belle's birthday party, lots and lots of shmoozing, and of course, some shopping. I also went down to Provo to spend part of a day with my sisters, Julie and Jennefer.

Christian's Mom, JoLynn, had these three little monkeys "help" her make muffins.

JoLynn took Oliver on her walks every day. He loves his Grandma Bell.

Amelia having some bonding time with her cousin, Molly.

Belle celebrated her 2nd Birthday- she's such a cutie!

Here are almost all the cousins decorating cookies at Belle's bash.

dddt

2009-12-01T13:00:00.005-07:00

You think these guys are awesome???...

Well, ya ain't seen nothing yet. You've got to check out Christian and his 2 brothers' new blog at dontdodumbthings.com.

Tubbas x 2

2009-11-18T14:21:00.004-07:00

My little Tubbas (Amelia) is 8 months old. I can't believe how big she is! She is such a sweet, little angel baby. She is just soooo lovable and irresistibly squeezable. See for yourself:

And, in case you were wondering if these two were really siblings, here's your proof:

Oliver, 8 months old

Bell Boo 2009

2009-11-05T16:46:00.000-07:00

We had such a fun-filled Halloween this year. We celebrated on Friday night at our ward trunk-or-treat. Last year, we were one of the only couples to NOT dress up. This year, we decided to go all out and again, we were in the minority which always makes for an awkward evening. You let us know if you think we pulled it off...

Is it just me or was everyone and their daughter, aunt, grandma, niece, cousin, and sister a ladybug this year?

I know it's not terribly obvious here, so I'll just tell you- we were an 80's couple. Christian could also pass for Joe Dirt. You decide...

On Saturday night, we went trick-or-treating with the Reidheads. They had an aspiring chef make us dinner at their house afterwards and let's just say I've been dreaming about that meal ever since. Best spaghetti I've ever had. Probably one of the best dinners I've ever had.

And here's the duo again from the fair, doubling up in the stroller. Yes, she's also a ladybug.

A little clip of "Thomas the Train" collecting loot for his Mommy and Daddy...:)

Dinosaur Train

2009-11-01T16:47:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been throwing a kid in the air, or playing a game, or singing a song with them and they ask over and over to do it again? If they like whatever you are doing, it's always you who imposes the end on the event, not them.

Anyway, the other night, Oliver and I were singing part of the song to Oliver's favorite show, Dinosaur train, and he kept wanting to do it again. So I started wondering how many times he would want to do this, assuming I complied for as long at it took. And when he was over it, I wondered exactly what that would look like. Like ancient sailors imagining the end of the flat earth, I had never seen the end of a toddler's capacity for an activity he is loving, and I was really curious what that end would look like. Would he go until he fell asleep, would he say he didn't want to do that anymore, or would he just throw up or implode at some point? So I settled in the for long haul, and only started singing the song again when he asked me to. Next time you wonder how many times your short associate will repeat the fun activity if it's left to him, the answer is...

61

And the conclusion was as anti-climactic as most things in life. After 61, he just looked at me for a few seconds, and instead of asking to do it again, he asked for a "treat of a pumpkin" (those little pumpkin shaped candies his grandma sent him).

Ideas

2009-11-01T16:46:00.000-07:00

What are your favorite games to play with your young kids (Oliver is 3)?

Thanks

Christian

Happy Halloween from our house to yours

2009-10-30T14:40:00.000-06:00

If you watch 30 Rock (which I sincerely hope you do), you'll get this. If you don't, repent, then watch this:
http://www.nbc.com/30-rock/video/clips/werewolf-bar-mitzvah/172301/

Now, enjoy this little piece of work:

I'm dreaming of a white...Halloween???

2009-10-29T14:21:00.000-06:00

This is real time, folks...snow...in Albuquerque,...New...Mexico...on Oct.29th, 2009. If this is any indication of the winter ahead, I'm going to go in to hibernation.

Halloween Cookies

2009-10-28T21:25:00.000-06:00

In an effort to be more"cutesy" and "crafty," I took Oliver to the grocery store to pick out some Halloween cookies to decorate for Family Home Evening on Monday night.

Oh, alright, we were already at the store, I saw some cookies and asked Oliver if he wanted to decorate them for Halloween. At least the frosting is homemade!

Anyway, so that's what we did. Oliver has more artistic talent than his Momma. (No surprise there, though, as I'm not hard to one-up in this particular category.)

It's Monday, so naturally, I'm not wearing make-up. Excuse this fact and pay attention to the expertly decorated sugar cookies.

The thing is, they looked a WHOLE lot better than they tasted. Note to self: Smith's sugar cookies are not worth the plastic container they come in.

Remember Sears and Roebuck?

2009-10-24T09:10:00.001-06:00

Do you recall ever having heard tales from your parents and/or grandparents of the Sears and Roebuck catalog coming out at Christmas time and them devouring every page, making wish lists, refining those lists, etc., etc.? Well, let me tell you, we've had our very own modern-day Sears and Roebuck experience the past couple days in the form of a Toys R Us catalog. This guy cannot get enough of all the cars, trucks, and trains devilishly calling to him from this calculating toy conglomerate's pages. He has spent hours perusing the toy-filled pages and occasionally will lift his head to ask, "Momma, Daddy, can you pull this movie/car/truck/train for me out of the magzazine (magazine)?"

Can't you just picture that face on the "Let's raise money for orphanages in Africa" commercials?

Marathon: Check

2009-10-19T14:16:00.000-06:00

I did it. Do I want to do it again? Ask me in a few days. I didn't set any records, didn't meet my goal time, but, hey, I crossed the finish line at the end of 26.2 miles. Christian was so sweet to meet me at the halfway point with much needed nourishment and encouragement. I bonked at mile 18 (meaning, in essence, that each of my legs felt like they weighed half a ton) and added about 2 minutes to each mile after that. Christian also had the forethought to bring his long board with him so he could wheel me around after the race (like I said, my legs felt like they were made of lead). Mistake at the St. George Marathon: eating too much. Mistake at the Duke City Marathon: eating too little (bowl of Cheerios for breakfast, half a banana, and one Quaker granola bar along the course just doesn't cut it, hence, the bonking). But, at the end of the day, I finished the entire Duke City Marathon.

At mile 26

Proof:) (That's me in the white tank-top.)

My fan club

Fair to the Fiesta

2009-10-14T09:26:00.000-06:00

About 3 weeks ago, we went here:

with our friends, Rachel and Rett. They have season tickets to the rodeo at the fair. Let me tell you, nothing beats a RODEO at a STATE FAIR. Three words: belts, buckles, and Wranglers. Somehow these "underground cowboys" become really "cool" for this two-week event in NM and they strut their stuff like they're not afraid to wear it all year long. Anyway, I love rodeos, always have, maybe it's in my blood since my Mom just so happened to be a barrel-racing rodeo queen in her younger years.

This twitterpated duo likes to ride double, whether or not the stroller calls for it. Oliver and Berlynn at the fair.

Next, we went here:

which is one of our favorite events here in Albuquerque. People come from all over the world for this one-week fiesta and it's the largest of its kind. Usually, we go see the mass ascensions (when all the balloons lift in to the air at once), but this year we opted for the special shapes glowdeo and were we ever glad we did. It was awesome.

On the bus on the way to the Balloon Fiesta Park. Oliver hasn't stopped talking about this bus since that night. I mean, look at his face- could he be any more excited???

Overlooking all the special shapes balloons as we drove in to the park.

The announcer would count down and on "1" all the balloonists would light 'em up. It was REALLY cool.

Oliver obviously didn't think it was as cool as we did- he was so scared when the balloons all lit up.

But Amelia loved every second of it.:)

This was Oliver's favorite balloon- the Wells Fargo horse carriage, even though he was convinced it was Thomas the Train.

Oliver loves to line all his cars up in this fashion in different places around the house. In case you're not sure, yes, he's still WAY in to cars.

Playing with Amelia before bed time. She always gets so giggly before night-nights. Check out that tummy love.

Peachtree Cooking

2009-10-08T13:41:00.000-06:00

Mmmm good! And there's more where this came from as you'll see when you visit my sisters' and sisters'-in-law blog, Peachtree Cooking. I must explain the reason behind the name in case you haven't already figured it out. We're from Atlanta (a.k.a., "Dirty South") and Georgia is known as the Peach State. We live right next to Peachtree City, hence, "Peachtree Cooking." Enjoy!

P.S.- We've been tagged at christianandrebecca.blogspot.com so stay tuned!

SGM

2009-10-05T09:46:00.001-06:00

We got home from St. George last night and it was a long, long drive home. I wasn't able to finish the marathon. I made it to mile 15 and couldn't go any further. I don't know if it was the carb loading the few days before, filling my body with foods that I have never eaten before in my life (think buttermilk banana pancakes- yuk), the foods I ate the morning of the race (also foods I have never eaten before a run), the stress of the event, or the cup of Endurance Gatorade I drank at mile 3 (it has 3x the sodium as regular Gatorade as has been known to make people sick before) which caused an intense burning in my abdomen and chest starting at mile 4. I stopped at mile 13, on the verge of vomiting, fell in to a nurse's arms as she administered oxygen. Paramedics came within a few minutes and urged me to go to the hospital. I wasn't about to be carted off in an ambulance, though. After about 5 minutes on oxygen, I decided to see if I could just make it the 2 more miles to the next nurses station. I barely made it to mile 15. I had nausea, burning in my stomach, abs, chest, lungs, and throat. I sat down on the side of the road and just cried. I knew I wasn't going to be able to finish the marathon. It was one of the most humbling experiences of my life. I had to ask to be shuttled to the finish- the ultimate ride of shame and I cried the whole way down, the rest of the day and even now as I relive the day here on my blog. Anyway, I feel so horrible, so humbled, depressed, anxious, etc. The fact is I'm not a quitter, never have been, and I don't intend on this being the last marathon I [attempt to] run. I've got a few that I'm considering within the next month and a half so stay tuned. As a side note, there were so many nice people who stopped to help me, encouraged me, and made me feel better at the end of the race and I'm so grateful for their support. Congrats to all the people who finished, especially my bro.-in-law, Jim, who trained me and my sisters and gave us advice all along the way. He set a PR of 3:10! Julie, Jessica, and Jenn (my sisters) also all finished with flying colors. Great job!

Book Recommendation

2009-09-28T12:13:00.001-06:00

The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite.

By David A. Kessler, MD

In one word, this book is revolutionary. In my opinion, one of the best books, ever.

Supdate

2009-09-20T19:43:00.000-06:00

I don’t know what the deal is. Writing a post has just seemed really laborious to me lately. That, and I’ve been saving my best material for the blog I’m starting with my brothers sometime in the next 5 years. Let’s give it a shot though.

Oliver is as interesting and funny as ever. He makes me laugh everyday. Makes me a bit sad to see him growing and changing, though. I just don’t know how you’re ever going find anything better than a 2 year old. Just won’t happen. Hawaii, Brad Pitt, owning a jetpack. Those are the other coolest things in the world, and none of them come within 10,000 miles of a quirky, bright 2 year old. Every time Oliver develops a very cute and improper pronunciation of a word (recent examples are “medi-vam” for mini-van, “berry” for very, and, “wuff” for with, as in “Daddy, let’s do it wuff me.” i.e. come do it with me.), I mimic the wrong pronunciation to keep him in the dark on the proper pronunciation for as long as possible, which maintains his squeezability level at “very high”. But somehow, even though Reba and I do our best to hold the lad back, he always eventually stumbles upon the right way to say the thing, and his daddy dies a little inside. I have no idea how he does it. Remember your mom worrying about a certain friend of yours who might expose you to words and things such as "wiener", The Doors, and Mortal Combat? It’s the same deal here, except its that he must have some friend or nursery leader who is telling him that the car is called a car and not a “dada.” And that a cool car is called a cool car and not a “dobby dada.” Still, the age-old compensation for this loss of your furry puppy’s shed coat is the new, fascinating one growing in its place. He’s become so effusive and curious and observant and gregarious. There is a little girl whose backyard abuts ours, separated by a block wall. Oliver has never interacted with her, but has heard her the few times I ask her to throw us back an errant Frisbee or Bentley (i.e. Ventley car). This girl, Rebecca, is around 6 years old. One day he was out in the backyard alone and must have heard her out there, so he starts yelling her name. The wall and the lower position of her backyard prevent them from seeing each other. But he’ll yell her name out until she answers. Oliver speaks as well as a regular barely-3 year old, which is to say, semi coherently. Rebecca, the neighbor girl, has a speech impediment, so she’s not much better. So these 2 monkeys just bark questions and demands (“I can’t see you! I can’t see you in the front” Or, when she had a friend there “Hey ladies! Hey ladies, where are you!”) back and forth blindly with very little getting done or understood. Oliver runs to different parts of our tiny, flat yard to find the magical spot where he can see her, yelling "I can't see you" all the while. Most the conversation consists of "WHAT?" But Oliver loves it and sometimes drags his stool out to the wall, and pulls himself up for the 5 seconds his little biceps can manage, and these short glimpses of nasally Rebecca make all the yelling very worthwhile. After a few of these sessions, Rebecca figured out that if she climbs to the top of her swing set and if Oliver stands in the right place, they can catch visual pieces of each other through the trees. Triumph. He’s also more energetic lately. This energy is sometimes fun, and sometimes obnoxious. Rebecca and I get a mirror on our unfiltered responses to this energy when we hear him say things like “You’re driving me CRAZY!” His least pleasant habit is the way he talks to the baby. It’s not so much talking as it is a very loud, repetitive, low “EEEEEEEEE” sound. Close your eyes and imagine a large female baboon in heat screaming this noise 3 inches from your face and you’ll get a pretty accurate idea. Another interesting thing, sometimes funny, sometimes not, is his reaction to the—luckily few—times Amelia is upset and crying. It doesn’t upset him at all. He either doesn’t notice it one tiny bit, which is awesome, or he treats it as a game of behavioral leapfrog. He’ll look at the screaming infant, smile at the challenge, and think that she has initiated the game called “Anarchy and Chaos” and that she’s challenging him to beat her. For example, she was howling in bed the other night. This was an hour and a half after they both went to bed, so Oliver should have been asleep, and probably was before she started up. As I listened to her wail, I could swear I heard a loud roaring sound. Like a person imitating a lion. But Oliver has never roared without my initiating it, so I didn’t know what to think. I heard it again and again. I go in there and Oliver is smiling wide, just roaring his little heart out. If the circus is in town, you might as well join up until it leaves.

Amelia is such a sweet little tub-a-love. I don’t know how else to say it. She’s such a chunky little tub, and she’s such a sweet little love. She is the best-natured, happiest, calmest baby. So happy. Just happy to be there. Happy to be eating and watching other people eat, assuming that they are gaining the same high satisfaction out of their eating that she gets from hers. If you’re eating some yummy chocolate or milk somewhere, that thought makes her smile. And it’s good she’s robust, because Oliver gets a bit aggressive with her. But she handles it like a champ. She gets so happy and excited when you put her down for a nap. Then when you get her up from her nap. Then when she sees mama coming toward her and she knows it’s time for second breakfast. There’s nothing more gratifying to me than getting her to smile or laugh, or watching her grab something and shovel it to her mouth with a Venus fly trap's focus. And it’s a wonder for us to watch her physically develop on her own, with no help. Oliver’s torticollus (one tight neck tendon) threw his entire balance off for a while and slowed his motor skill development. So we just got used to having to work with a baby and frowning a bit every time Reba got her babycenter.com email update on what your X month old should be doing. Shut UP babycenter! Take your preachy milestones somewhere else, you smug *$#%(^@#! But Amelia just gets it done. She could be raised by a pack of wolves or Greenlanders and she would still get it done. She’s such a serene little girl. A few years back, someone in heaven gave a big fat “No Confidence” vote on Reba’s and my abilities to raise regular babies. “Okay Boaz, who are we sending to Christian and Rebecca? How about little Clifford and Elvyra over there?” Pause. “What! Are you crazy, man? This is Christian and Rebeca BELL! Read their file, bro! Not a chance. That's what we call the blind leading the blind. Why don’t you go grab a couple of those cloud-raking angelbots we made last week and send them down as babies. Have them cry every few months to keep things believable.”

Sometimes when I’m out in the world and a little baby is crying I have to stop myself from yelling “What sort of a ratrace do you think we're running around here, anyway? What is wrong with that kid!” Oh, yeah. Right. Babies...cry.

I have a bad feeling about number 3… Could be the great equalizer.

Stalking the "ladies"

Riding the train from Abq to Santa Fe

Bad fit

2009-09-16T20:34:00.000-06:00

I've always maintained that we shouldn't force devil worshipers to attend early morning seminary. Finally, I'm proven right.

http://www.kcra.com/news/20926216/detail.html

p.s. you have to watch the video