thoughts on a sunday

• I was feeling kind of down this weekend.  My life is so wonderful, and I am blessed- I realize this- but that doesn't mean that life doesn't get to me sometimes.  Doesn't it get to everyone- sometimes?  Life is wonderful, but that doesn't mean that it's not hard.  My problems aren't huge.  They aren't dramatic.  But still, there are problems, and worries, and stress.  And sometimes I wonder if this overcast weather makes me more depressed than I realize.  I was pleasantly surprised when all those feelings were overpowered this afternoon by a feeling of peace and gratitude.  I'm grateful for what a good day of church can do.  I feel uplifted.  I feel happy.  What a blessing the gospel is, and how powerful the whisperings of the Spirit can be.  So thankful for that.

• By the way, it totally hasn't been overcast here.  It's been beautiful.  Guess I can't always blame the weather.  

• I am amazed at how well Ellery can identify her surroundings.  Every time we drive by, Ellery will proudly announce, "There's Albertsons."  or, "There's McKay's swimming lessons."  What really gets me is when we're on the freeway and she can spot Chuck E. Cheese every single time.  She always gives him a little wave.

• On Tuesday we were headed out the door to go to swimming lessons and my car wouldn't unlock.  Then I noticed that McKay's light was on.  It is the number one rule in our car to not play with the lights.  The battery was totally dead, but luckily Brian was home.  He jumped it, but the alarm was reset and the horn would not stop honking.  It was about twenty minutes of honking before we could reset it.  McKay missed his lesson and we had a big talk about not touching the lights.

• Listen, I know these thoughts are becoming more like the Matthews family nature journal, but I saw a coyote running across the street last Sunday.  It was a baby.  Brian doesn't believe me.  I think I know the difference between a dog and a baby coyote.  We also saw a huge frog today on a walk and it was very exciting.  You really don't have to make fun of me for the enjoyment I find in seeing wildlife.  I already know I'm totally nerdy.  

• Baby Maya was left in the bottom of the shopping cart at Target.  So far, Ellery hasn't noticed, although she did rename one of her other babies Maya.  I was panicked and wanted to go and get her, but Brian said her head was falling off, so we just left her there.  

• While in Utah I got Ellery a bright yellow skirt at Walmart for $1.  I didn't really know what it would go with, but for $1 I just got it anyway.  Well, guess who loves that bright yellow skirt and wants to wear it every time she sees it?  I have had to become quite creative.  I'm rethinking the purchase.  She's also very into wearing two pony tails in her hair.  She will grab them and pet them and tell everyone to notice them.  My girl has a lot of hair.  I want to cut it into a cute bob, but someone's daddy is attached.

• This week, McKay had bike day at school.  McKay has been excited for this day for a long time.  He could hardly wait to show his teachers and friends how he could ride his bike.  A few minutes before leaving for school McKay was riding his bike when one of his pedals fell off.  I tried to screw it back on, but as McKay put it, "Mom, you can't fix it because you're not a tool guy?"  I tried and I tried and then finally realized I had to think of a new plan.  I called my friend Mailee and asked to borrow her daughter's bike.  I told McKay that I found a bike for him to use, but that it was a girl bike- Dora to be exact.  At least it wasn't a pink princess bike.  Anyway, he had a few concerns about this, naturally.  I told him it was either the girl bike or his scooter.  He decided to just be okay with Dora.  I was so impressed with my little boy's maturity during this glitch.  He had been so looking forward to zipping around on his bike.  I was feeling more upset about it, I think, than he was.  He didn't throw a fit, didn't whine, didn't cry.  He did explain to everyone first thing about his pedal, but then he rocked that Dora bike.  He is the youngest in his class and the only one to be riding without training wheels.  He pretty much thought he was a celebrity.  I love that boy.

• Yesterday we all went out to watch Brian play rugby.  He's good and I was proud of my cute rugby player.  

• I heard there is a Winco in Orem now.  We do most of our grocery shopping at Winco.  So here's what I want to tell you.  Go to Winco.  Go to the bulk foods section.  Scoop yourself a big bag of blueberry yogurt covered pretzels.   I don't even like yogurt covered pretzels.  But these.  These are so good.  You can thank me later.

• How come maternity jeans are so awful?  I have a few cute pair, but they are sagging in the bum an hour after I put them on.  I hate constantly having to pull them up.  Another thing I'm not loving- my lovely pregnancy mask.  

• I am, however, kind of getting really excited for this new little girl to come.  I am still scared to have three kids, but how fun that I get to have a sweet little baby to snuggle and love in a few months.  I love her already.  

Survivor finale is on- gotta go.  Happy Sunday!

thoughts on a sunday

After a yummy dinner of homemade lasagna, we went on a Sunday walk. . .until it rained.

• For family home evening this week we played Simon Says.  When it was my turn to be Simon, I decided to have them hop like a bunny while wiggling their tails, and making a bunny face.  I almost died laughing at Brian being a bunny, wiggling his tail and making a bunny face.  I then had them flap like a bird while jumping around in circles.  My goal was not to get them out, but to just keep watching Brian do silly things that I ordered him to do.  It was fun for me.

• We were in line to use the bathroom at the library.  The little girl who was ahead of us was taking a long time and her mom kept telling her to hurry because there was another little boy waiting to go to the bathroom (McKay).  Finally, she finished, and as McKay was standing there doing his thing he said, "I'm sure glad that I don't have to use my bottom to pee like girls do- they sure take a loooong time to go potty."  And so he's realized.

• This week in the mail we got three pieces of exciting mail.  Not bills, junk or advertisements- but real, personal mail from people we know.  It makes me want to write more letters to the people I love because how great it is to open your mailbox and see someone's handwriting greeting you in the mailbox?  Priceless.  By the way Lindy, when McKay opened his letter he whispered, "wow," in complete amazement.

• I have started walking.  I had stopped exercising all together the last couple months, and I was feeling it. Can I just say that being in shape before and while you're pregnant is such a good idea.  I was in great shape (for me) while pregnant with Ellery and boy can I tell a difference.  It is just a better experience all around.  This last year- with not knowing our future plans, a busy church calling, selling a house, moving and starting from scratch in a new town- I gained weight.  I like to have all those excuses as to why it happened, it makes me feel better!  Anyway, then I got pregnant on top of that extra weight.  And I wonder if that is why this pregnancy has been harder on me.  So now I'm walking so I can feel better!  So far it's working!    

• On one of my evening walks this week I passed four deer in the middle of the street in a neighborhood.  I had never been that close to deer before and it was pretty cool.  They didn't even seem scared of me.

• I can feel this baby move a lot now.  She has started dancing on my bladder regularly.

• Ellery and I are in love.

• Don't worry, Brian just did two spinals this week.  Yep, on real patients.  He also was excited to show me a fully stocked epidural tray (okay, no meds, but all the rest).  I was interested as long as he didn't show me the big needle.  He really wanted to show me so that I could be an "informed consumer".  I told him that he was informed enough for the both of us.  He showed me anyway.  I screamed and covered my eyes.  I might be mad at him in a few months.  It's really big.  I wish I didn't know how big.

• Whenever we tell Ellery not to do something she gets really mad and says, "No. Don't say that!"  It doesn't ever work for her, but it sure makes me smile.  We actually find it hard to discipline her though, maybe because she's always been our little baby and I feel like she's not old enough.  She is totally old enough.  She can be a little stinker.  Mostly when I want her to come to me.  She just smiles at me and knows that I can't make her come unless I get up.  She usually waits until I get up.

• At dinner the other night McKay had a very inquisitive and serious look on his face.  He announced that he had an important question.  As serious as can be he asked, "So, I was wondering, when are we going to get a dog?"

• You are looking at the proud owner of a Silpat mat.  Happy mother's day to me.

• There is nothing better than a freshly cut pineapple.  I could possibly eat a whole one by myself in one sitting.  One of my very favorite things to eat.

• This morning, while snuggling in bed, McKay asked, "When are we going to get our zoo vaccines?"  

• I had a nice mother's day with my sweet family.  I always tear up when I see my little boy singing to me in Sacrament meeting, and today was not exception. . .except, I couldn't actually see him, he was behind the pulpit.  Anyway, I've been thinking a lot about how lucky I am to have my two beautiful children and that I get to be their mother.  I once heard someone say that mother's day should not be a day off, but a day to enjoy being a mother to your kids and reflect on how blessed we are as mothers.  I like that idea, and although I did get some "time off" today, I sure enjoyed being with my kids and counting my blessings.  I love them.  

Happy Mother's day!

two wheeler

We were at McKay's friend Tallan's house one night last week and as we were leaving Tallan hopped on his bike and showed us how he had learned to ride without training wheels.  

McKay was very impressed/extremely envious of his friend's new skill.  

As we drove home I could tell it was really bothering him when he basically picked a fight with me and gave me major attitude about something totally unrelated and threw a two-year old style tantrum.  I could tell he was really upset that he still had training wheels on his bike and it just came out on me.  

The next day when Brian came home from school McKay asked him if would take off his training wheels.  He had calmed down and was not a little demon child anymore, but was still anxious to ditch those training wheels.  So Brian took them off.    

Daddy getting him started.

But he got the balancing thing down pretty quick.

The adorable cheerleader.

Going faster and farther.

High five after a successful practice.

Proud daddy, prouder boy.

And now. . .

He's zipping around, turning, starting and stopping by himself, and going down hills.

And getting cocky enough that he's even ran into a few poles and street signs because he's so cool he doesn't have to pay too much attention.  

He also thinks that anyone who's outside while he's riding is watching him with wonder and awe.  You can see it in his face.  

And he still couldn't be more proud of himself.  

I love that he had such powerful determination to learn something and accomplish it.

I'm pretty proud, too.   

thoughts on a sunday

• I thought about doing a quick post that only said: fevers, potty training, and constipation, but I find myself in a quiet house with everyone "resting" at the moment, so maybe I'll say a bit more.

• We are on day three of potty training Ellery.  We are frustrated.  I knew that she would either be really easy or really hard to train.  So yeah, she's proving to be hard.  It's funny, with McKay, Brian and I got so frustrated we worried that we were going to hurt him.  We had to escape to Grandma's after two really hard days so we all wouldn't go insane.  Well, there is no going to Grandma's here in Oregon, so we're on our own, but luckily we don't want to hurt her.  Ha!  Can you laugh with me about that?  Have you been there?  Or are we horrible?  Anyway, we must have learned a little bit about patience from last time, but that doesn't mean that it's going any better than it did with McKay.  It's worse. . .and I think she's not ready. . .and they really have to be ready.  After two days of doing pretty good, today (day three) has gone downhill.  She is constipated, won't pee or poop in the potty.  Just crying because it hurts or having accidents on the floor (straddling McKay's cowboy rope to be exact, much to his disgust).  I don't get why she won't go in the potty anymore, especially since she kind of likes sitting on it.  We'll see how tomorrow goes, then I might just bag until she's five.  :)

• I don't want all of this to be about potty training, but while we're on the subject. . .We watched an Elmo video about potty training.  They had a bunch of kids on the show saying different words to describe pee and poop.  McKay was very interested in this and wondered how we could watch such a potty-talk filled show.  And when Brian sang a little song to Elle about going poopoo in the potty, he was really confused.  "How come dad is using potty talk?"  I explained to him that when we're potty training we can talk about those things to help Ellery learn to use the potty.  His face lit up and he immediately said, "Knock, knock?"  Who's there?  "Poopoo!"  What could I say?

• Both my kids have this weird fever thing and McKay has been waking up at 4am for the last four days with an itchy cough.  I give him cough medicine and a drink and send him back to bed but guess who's just lying there awake for the next two hours?  McKay.  Poor kid goes back to bed and lays there waiting for it to be light enough to come back into our room.  And I know all he can think about is eating breakfast, because that's the first conversation we have every morning.  He snuggles up next to me and tells me that his tummy is grumbling and then we decide what that tummy wants to eat.  So this morning, we were all up by six- which never, ever happens.  And that tummy wanted Frosted snowFlakes for breakfast.

• Today the kids and I made oatmeal coconut chocolate chip cookies.  They are delicious.  I did something I had never done before, which is use half vanilla extract, half coconut in my usual chocolate chip recipe that just calls for vanilla.  I suggest trying it.  I love the subtle coconut flavor.  

•   It's now May and this is McKay's last month of preschool. . .this year.  He will be going again in the Fall.  We decided a long time ago that we would most likely have him do two years of preschool and start kindergarten when he's six.  His birthday is just a couple days before the deadline.  I hear from most everyone I discuss it with that this is a good decision, but that still doesn't mean I take it lightly.  I am worried about whether it's the right decision for him.  I think he'd do fine starting this year, but I think he'd do even better starting the next.  But I keep thinking about me and Brian.  We were both born in June and I was the oldest in my grade, by a lot, and he was the youngest in his.  This was actually a difficult thing for me because my group of friends were always the kids in my primary class, and those kids were a year ahead of me in school.  I was friends with those girls all throughout elementary, junior high and high school, so it was really hard to be left behind when they all went on to the next school.  I remember in eighth grade my friends had all gone to high school and on the first day of school I had absolutely no one to eat lunch with.  That was a hard year.  Going to college with my friends was why I graduated high school a year early.  I didn't want to be left behind yet again.  Oh this is getting long, but maybe you can see why I am stressing over this.  I want to make the best decision for him, but that's hard to do when you don't know what's in his future.  

• Please let my baby come in September so that I don't have to deal with this again.  

• My baby is huge.

• Or maybe it's just me.

Happy Sunday.

thoughts on a sunday

Thought it was time to put a picture of all of us on here.  

• I really don't want to brag, but last week when I came downstairs after getting ready for church, McKay looked at me and said, "Mom, you look like the girl from Single Ladies!"  Me and Beyonce.  I get it all the time.

• While stopped at a light on a freeway exit McKay looked out the window and said, "Mom, I see a dead man," just as nonchalantly as could be.  I then noticed the homeless man laying flat on his back in some grass on the side of the street.  It was very hard to tell if he was sleeping or if he really was dead, as the location was a very strange place to take a nap.  Another driver actually got out of the car to make sure he wasn't dead.  He wasn't.  Just nappin'.   But I love how McKay just noticed a dead man with absolutely no alarm or concern in his voice.  

• On Monday Ellery woke up throwing up.  My poor girl threw up twelve times in less than four hours.  It was heartbreaking.  She just laid around all day and I washed towel, after towel, after towel.  She was so good though, and by six o'clock she was running around with her brother.

• Last night I was trying to describe someone from our ward to Brian but I didn't know his name.  "He's a normal looking guy with brownish hair."  Brian just looked at me like, "Are you serious?" and then we both started laughing.  We still haven't figured out who I was talking about, even though Brian played basketball with him yesterday.  He said he didn't see any normal looking guys. 

• Of course I'll do a separate post on this, but we took off McKay's training wheels yesterday. He and Brian worked on riding his "two wheeler" all afternoon and he is doing great.  Still needs more practice stopping and starting, but we're sure proud of him!

• Potty day is getting closer and closer!  Today we picked out some undies for little Elle.  She was so excited and picked out princess undies, of course, and a pack of Tinkerbell.  She and McKay had just watched the Tinkerbell movie on tv earlier this week, so she was really excited about those undies.  Like really excited.  Brian was having a really hard time accepting her choice as he is not a fan of the little fairy.  He kept trying to tempt her with Minnie Mouse or Dora, but she was not giving up those Tinks!  He had to admit defeat, and we had to have a conversation about why he hated Tinkerbell so much.  

• After we got home from the store, Brian made a bold move and let her try on some of her undies, sans diaper.  Naturally, she chose a pair of Tinkerbells and insisted on ditching all of her clothes as she ran around in just her new undies.  Her face was adorable and her dance moves/excited squeals/ running around in circles were priceless.  I don't really know how this potty training thing will work for her because she is really into being a baby and being babied, but I was encouraged when she had a fit at having to go back to her diaper.  We shall see- next Friday is the big day!!!

• After Elle was dancing around in her undies Brian looked at me and said, "I can't believe my boy is riding a bike and my baby is wearing underwear.  What is going on here?"  I agree.  I can't believe it either and they are just growing up so fast.  McKay is going to be five soon.  FIVE.  How can I have a five year old?  

• Rugby has started up again, and Brian is playing on Saturday mornings.  He's also playing ward basketball, also on Saturdays.  He's also studying on Saturdays.  I am a nice wife on Saturdays.

• I had a doctor's appointment this week and was relieved to hear that everything on the ultrasound was normal.  So baby girl looks good and healthy.  They couldn't tell me anything except the gender when we got the ultrasound, so I had been waiting to hear that everything was normal. So glad that everything looks good so far.

• Ellery loves to talk to the baby.  She pretty much has the same little speech prepared every time.  She first says, "Mom, can I talk to your baby?" and then she'll pull up my shirt- has to be skin to skin- and say, "Hi baby.  How are you?  I'm going to play with you when you come out.  Okay?  Bye baby."  It's adorable.  But it wasn't so adorable when I was visiting teaching and she was getting restless and wanted to talk to the baby.  Remember the skin to skin thing?  Well, I then spent the remainder of the visit trying to keep her from pulling up my shirt and exposing my lovely stomach.  It was a fight, and thankfully I won.  

• I've been missing our families this weekend.  We didn't have much going on and I just wished that we could go and hang out with our family.  Anyone want to move to Portland?  You'll like it, I promise.  

Happy, happy Sunday to you!

seriously, i'm posting about easter

How annoying is it that I have waited until now to write about Easter?  

We spent the Easter weekend with Brian's family.  The whole family was in town because of Lindy and Alex's wedding a couple days before, so we lucked out and were able to spend conference weekend and Easter with the family.  We had such a good weekend and we loved being all together again.  

Here's a brief recap of our activities:

Conference:  Treats after each rest hymn, Elise cutting her paper up into teeny tiny pieces, Adele's cinnamon rolls, big McKay's purchased homemade goodies that came to the door at random, coloring to stay awake, Missy's amazing artwork, me doing a loud snore that startled me awake, and of course the amazing messages we got to hear.

The Easter stuff:  Dying the eggs, finding the eggs, breaking the eggs, snow on Easter morning, more conference, remembering and pondering, delicious Easter dinner, having a family stretch, playing games after the kids went to bed.  

My camera battery died right after we got to Utah, so I only took a few pictures, and none at all during this weekend, so these pics are all courtesy of Ken, Jaynann and Adele.  

Elise, McKay, Sharp, Marilyn, Brigham

Marilyn and McKay

Silas and Addie

McKay, Elise, Elle, Sharp

In Brian's family they do such a fun thing with their Easter eggs.  A few weeks before Easter they delicately crack just the bottom of all the eggs they use and save them.  Then they dye the real egg shells, just like you'd dye a normal hard-boiled egg.  After the eggs are dry the egg shells are filled with candy and little treats and sealed with wet tissue paper.  These are the eggs that the children get to hunt for, and once the hunt is over they get to crack all those beautiful eggs and find their surprises inside.  

It's the funnest tradition, but I still haven't decided how we will do Easter.  Luckily I didn't have to because we were at Grandma's this year, but by next year I'm going to have a plan of our own to follow.  I had always thought that these eggs were too much work, but after seeing them again this year I may have decided that a little hard work is worth it.  We'll see.

after easter

I have four pictures.  Four pictures to show for the wonderful time I spent with my family after the wedding festivities.  Brian flew home on Monday and I got to hang out for a few more days to spend some time with my family.  

We did a lot.  We kept busy.  We did not take a lot of pictures.  Here is what we do have:

Ashlyn turned three and had a belated birthday party just so her favorite cousins could be there.  She loves books and so Lisa threw her a book party.  Let me tell you about my sister Lisa.  She is amazing.  She throws amazing birthday parties for all seven of her kids every single year until they are twelve.  Not only that, but she   hardly spends any money while doing it.  

And.  My amazing, birthday-party-throwing sister Lisa just started a blog.  (Yes, I said it.  It's time.)  She started one mainly as a way of journaling for her family, like me.  But she also has wonderful ideas and is documenting/sharing them on her blog. She will hate this and try to get me to erase it.  Go take a peek! 

Okay, back to the book party.  The kids loved it.  There were different books in several areas of the house and they went to each "station" and read a book and then got a little prize for their goody bag that went along with that book.  It was so simple, yet so fun for them.

Alyssa, McKay, CJ, Ashlyn, Ellery, Eto

After the party we went to swimming at the Lehi Legacy Center.  It's a fun pool, but was SO crowded because of spring break.  My kids had a ball, and I was grateful for uncle Trevor who played dad for my kids- meaning he let me not get all the way wet while he wrangled my two little monkeys as well as two or three of his own in the lazy river.  We swam for a couple hours and then I knew it was time to go when Ellery had a total breakdown about wanting to be big and go down a huge water slide by herself and McKay tried to run away from me because he wanted to stay longer.  I left the pool with two crying children.  Okay, maybe two screaming children.

We did a little shopping while I was there too.  I took this because Ellery had found one of uncle Jason's orange hunting beanies and wore it around while we shopped.  Oh, and she also carried a windmill.  I enjoyed a whole day of shopping and running errands with my mom and Jana.  It was so fun to spend the day with them and mom was so helpful with some of the things I needed to get done and I was happy to get to spend some alone time with my cute mom.

We also got to hang out with this cute little boy.  This is Ellery's much loved cousin Carson.  They were both preparing to get a tandem diaper change here.  Look how big and long my baby is!  Jana fed us a yummy dinner and we went through all of our maternity clothes so that I could bring them home with me.

I don't have pictures of going to dinner with the whole family, hanging out and talking at mom and dad's, going to dinner with Katie, Jason and Molly (missed you Kris!) and lunch with my sisters.  Plus I'm sure there's more I'm forgetting.  I am really bored and annoyed that I'm still writing this post, so I'm just going to leave it at that I loved getting to see my family and I miss them.  The end. 

thoughts on a sunday

McKay with his slug cage around his neck and Elle with a lip gloss-filled cell phone talking to baby Carson.  She talked to him on and off during this whole hour long walk, which is funny because she tells me often that he can't talk yet.  She's kind of a little bit obsessed with him lately.

• Is it annoying if I keep going on about the weather?  We have been enjoying lots of time outside this week and I am obsessed with the area that we live in.  It it so gorgeous here.  There are huge clusters of pine trees, ponds with accompanying wildlife to observe, walking paths weaving throughout the community and the air just feels clean.  I love that we can go out our door and in about one minute we can walk into all of that.  I feel so happy that this is where we get to spend these couple years.  

• About that wildlife.  We have been going on lots of walks/bike rides this week and have seen plenty of animals.  There is a pond a couple minutes from our house where we saw a beaver (or something that is like a beaver that I can't remember the name of but I like calling it a beaver), fish, ducks including ducklings, and geese.  Not to mention the slug that we found on the sidewalk who instantly was captured (with bare hands!) and became McKay's pet.  He didn't even live long enough to get a proper name, but those were a few great hours for my son.  

• Instead of crickets chirping at night, there are frogs.  I have yet to see one, but I am pretty determined that I'm going to catch one for my kids this summer.  I just really feel strongly about it.  Brian thinks I'm insane.

• Is that enough about the local wildlife?  I thought it might be.  So how about earthquakes?  What is up with all these earthquakes?  I'm afraid that McKay's nightmare is getting closer and closer to becoming reality.

• Today Ellery and McKay were taking a bath and she stood right up and said, "I have to go poopoo."  So I ran and got the little potty that we had just gotten out yesterday, and grabbed her bubbly body and sat her down.  She will tell you that we sat and sat and sat and sat and sat and sat, and then she said, "I'm going!" and she did.  Except it wasn't poop.  But still.  We were all so happy that we marched around the house clapping and singing about it.  Oh she was proud.

• I should say that we are not potty training her.  We are talking it up, as we have been for several months actually, and it's getting very near.  But this morning was just on her own so we went with it.  Maybe she's more ready than I thought.  

• Last night I helped out at a wedding reception of someone in our ward.  Before the four hour reception, I had gone grocery shopping with both the kids, and before that I had gone a little crazy organizing several areas of my house.  I had pretty much been on my feet all day.  By the time I walked out of the reception I was waddling like I was nine months pregnant.  Sweet.  Waddling already.

• How come I always seem to have to go grocery shopping on Saturdays?  It happens way too often.  Like almost every weekend.

• In church McKay will often ask me to tell him the words to the hymns so he can sing.  I tell him one line at a time and then we try to catch up to the singing.  Some songs work better than others.  Most of the time he has no idea what he's saying.  Sometimes I wonder if I'm disturbing those around me.  Either way it sure is sweet.

• This week, as a Jane Austen-virgin, I was invited to watch Pride & Prejudice with a group  of devoted fans or other virgins like myself.  A cute girl in our ward threw a Jane Austen party and we ate yummy treats in our pajamas while watching the original version.  I have seen the "Kierra Knightly version" but I am told that does not count.  So far I am a fan, although the language is hard to follow because they talk so fast.  Part two is on Tuesday so I'll be able to draw formal conclusions then.

• Brian took his eleven year old scouts on a hike Saturday morning.  They saw lots of slugs.  I wish I had a way to make this more interesting but I really don't know what else to say about it.  I'm realizing that Brian and I have not had a real conversation in two days.  Saturday was crazy busy and today we haven't had time without kids.  Guess it's time to stop blogging and go talk to the husband.  Maybe something really amazing happened on that hike and I just haven't heard about it yet.  

Happy Sunday!

ellery

There is a reason we are finding it so difficult to come up with (and agree on) a name for this baby.  It's Ellery.  At least for me it is.  I love the name Ellery.  When I was pregnant with McKay, and before we knew he was a boy, we had names for both sexes.  McKay and Ellery.  Now we have a boy and a girl and we have a McKay and an Ellery and I'm afraid that no other girl's name compares.  I just can't find one that I love as much as that one.  It's feminine and beautiful.  And I want to love this baby's name, I really want to love it.  We have a small list of names, but I'm finding it really hard to just settle and not be totally in love with one the way I am with Ellery.    

Just for fun, this beautiful bride is the original Ellery.  Isn't she gorgeous?  This is the first and only Ellery I've actually known.   She is my best friend Katie's sister and I find myself talking about her all the time.  Well, basically I say, "My friend's little sister was named Ellery," when people ask me where we got her name.  It happens often.  Ellery is an amazing dancer as well as being a total sweetheart, so I wasn't surprised when Katie told me that there are a whole bunch of baby Ellery's inspired by this girl.    

This picture was taken at her wedding reception a couple years ago.  I wanted to make sure and snap a quick picture of these two together because I figured it might be the only time they would be in the same place at the same time.  I think it will be fun for my Elle to look back and see where we got her name.  

And as for baby girl, I'm just hoping that something comes to me.  And even more, I'm hoping that Brian agrees.

mother's un-tuition

With my first two pregnancies I had no strong feelings of what I was having.  I had guesses, but nothing more.  If I've talked to you about this pregnancy, you know that I had some pretty strong feelings that I was having a boy.  I haven't been shy at saying so.  I had a feeling that there was a boy for us even before I found out I was pregnant.  This pregnancy was more similar to McKay's- heartburn, acne, feet growing, insatiable hunger- all that good stuff.   All my dreams have been about a boy.  And I've just had a feeling.  I just kind of knew.  

Well.  I guess I don't really know that much, because we found out today that I was totally wrong.  It's a girl!  I'm still kind of shocked about it.  It's not that I wanted a boy so much, I really didn't care either way, but I had been so sure it was a boy that I was just really surprised about this little girl.  

So now, we can get serious about naming this little one.  McKay really wants Lindsey (he has been attracted to that name for some time now) and Ellery is voting for Snow White.  Whatever her name will be, we're sure excited to have her.  

  

thoughts on a sunday

at the open house

I just got back from a fun little trip to Utah for Lindy and Alex's wedding.  That's why I haven't been bloggin'.  But now here I am and there is plenty to report on- the wedding, Easter, fun with family.  But because it's easier, here are my thoughts from today.

• I know this is old news, but I'm too proud to just not talk about it.  Guess who picked the winning team in her March madness bracket?  Yep.  I did.  To be fair, I must admit that I pretty much always pick Duke to win every year, and lucky me, this time they did.  Brian's bracket did not compare.  When you know, you just know.

• This morning Brian was fixing the kids lunch.  Top Ramen.  Our kids love to help us cook and are often by us at the stove even when it's on.  We have taught them that it's hot and to never touch it and all those safety things.  But apparently we haven't taught them well enough.  Brian was at the sink and hear Ellery say, "What's that red?" and then screaming.  Her poor little finger.  She is totally dramatic about owies right now anyway, so to actually get a real one, well, you can imagine.  Or maybe you can't imagine her crying for over an hour and insisting on being held by only me, who had one side of my hair done, the other side completely wet-frizz and had yet to get dressed.  And then the little princess laid on the floor while I did the rest of my hair- head propped up on a pillow, hand dipped in a bowl of ice water, snuggling her bear and pink blanket while I dropped chocolates and jelly beans into her little mouth to keep her from screaming.  Just a great way to spend the afternoon.

• McKay has sweetly remembered to pray for Elle's finger in both the prayers he said today.  He also remembered to ask that his tongue wouldn't feel weird anymore.  I have a sweet boy.  I love him.

• My kids are sleeping.  It's seven-thirty and they've been asleep for half an hour.  Last night it was six-thirty.  I am so happy to have them back in their own beds, going to sleep on time.  Well rested kids are definitely a priority of mine, just not while on vacation I guess.  It's good to be home.

• Tomorrow we get our first ultrasound.  We are all going to go and it is blowing McKay's mind that we'll be able to see the baby in my tummy.  They were asking questions about how you can tell if it's a boy or a girl.  I told them that if it has a penis, it's a boy, if it doesn't, it's a girl.  McKay said that he hoped it had one.  Ellery then decided to have a full blown melt down as she cried, "Where is my penis?  Where is my penis?"  for about twenty minutes.  You should have seen the proud look on McKay's face.  By the way, I think this baby will have one.

• Before we left for Utah I took the kids to the dentist.  With the type of insurance we have, there is not a lot of choice with who you see.  It's kind of like you take what you can get.  Well, there was one dentist that took our insurance in this area, so I was a little nervous when we went not knowing what to expect.  Well, it was pretty much Christmas morning.  My kids walked out of the dentist with a helium balloon each, a barbie-type doll, a knock-off transformer, stickers, blown-up gloves with faces drawn on by the dentist and a cell phone filled with lip gloss, not to mention the regular stuff like floss, toothbrushes and those little dental mirrors.  It was insane.  I needed a whole extra bag to cart all this stuff out of the office.  The dentist was really nice.  Very young and very laid back.  But I now fear that their expectations of dentist visits will never be the same.  Luckily there' no cavities or problems so we won't have to go back for awhile.

• Oregon is very green.  Even when it's not all green, it's still very green.  It's very noticeable after being in Utah with all the brown sticks.

• I can't hold my stomach in anymore.  Not that I was really, but now even if I wanted to I can't.  It's a weird feeling.

• I cut my hair.  A lot.  I cried about it, as usual.  Why am I being so reckless with my hair lately?  I'm used to it now and actually don't hate it.  There comes a time with my hair when it's long and has been long for several years, where I just have to chop it and start over.  So I started over.  I've now made Brian a promise that I wont' do anymore drastic things to my hair ever again.  I don't know if I'll keep that promise, and actually, I'm making it sound more dramatic than it is.  It's just passed my shoulders.  The reason I cried about it was that I asked the girl to cut a lot off, but not to that awkward length that isn't long, but isn't short either.  You know the one.  She assured me she wouldn't do that, and then I walked out of there with, you guessed it, the awkward length.  Stop talking about your hair!  Okay.

• Have I told you that I don't know if I can name another child?  Especially with Brian?  I sometimes wonder why I didn't get one of those husbands who doesn't really care about names and just lets their wife take control of it.  But maybe there aren't those kinds of husbands anymore.  I don't know.  But he's difficult.  He has an association with every name, usually a bad one.  And naming a person is just hard anyway.  Especially if that person is a boy.  Ahhh!  Help us.

• Brian is back in school and busy, busy, busy.  He is doing more clinicals than ever this semester, which is good, but takes up a lot of time that used to be free.  

• Ellery has been telling me that I'm the best mom in the whole world.  She also says that Carson is her best cousin in the whole world.  She loves baby Carson.  She also says that Taylor Swift is her best song in the whole world.  She's passionate about Taylor Swift.

• While shopping a few days ago, Jana and I realized/rejoiced in the fact that we don't dress like teenagers anymore.  It's weird because you never really notice that change happening, and then here we are.  Women.  We dress like women.  And we like that.

• I'm ready to go eat some ice cream now.  I'm already suffering from horrible heart burn and I pretend that ice cream makes it go away.  

Happy Sunday!

his view

A couple weeks ago- during spring break- we took a little trip up to the hill to see the OHSU campus.  I have been wanting Brian to show us around up there since we moved here.  

Not too bad of a view to look at almost every day.  It was actually quite foggy because it was still fairly early in the day so it's not the best picture.  It's actually not the best picture for other reasons also, but the view from the hill really is beautiful. 

McKay was so excited to eat at a cafe.  We weren't sure where we were going to eat, but he started talking about cafe's and then we walked right by one and so that's what we did.  How does he know about cafe's?  

Now, notice Brian's face.  This is the why-are-you-taking-a-picture-hurry-up-then face.  I am putting it here for everyone to see in hopes that he won't make it anymore.  Also, notice the joy on McKay's face from being in a cafe.  Ellery is perfectly ready for a picture and I appreciate that.

OHSU has a tram that goes up and down the hill.  It's a big hill.  We rode it.  We liked it.  The kids got a sticker and even got to help the tram master (that's the guy who works on the tram- i just made it up) direct the passengers off the tram and to the right.  They thought that was very cool.

OHSU is a pretty amazing campus to visit.  Lots of hospitals, pretty views, and cafe's.