From Our Home to Yours...

Fall Fun!

2008-10-29T20:45:00.000-07:00

I have been eyeballing the neighbors HUGE pile of leaves for the last week or so and decided it was time for Rowan to have her first experience playing in them! The neighbors (an older couple) were thrilled that I came over, and actually said that the had been wishing kids would come play in there leaves, so it worked out perfectly! At first Ro didn't quite know what to do....but once I showed her how to throw the leaves up, she was was having a ball! She thinks it's so fun, that now, every time she goes into the backyard I swear she finds something to throw all over! Rowan has walked into the house twice now, covered in grass clippings! Oh well....she loves it.

Pictures!

2008-10-23T09:17:00.000-07:00

Im way overdue for pictures of Rowan, so I thought I would post some of the latest. I cant believe how much she has grown up in the last 3-4 months! Her hair is really growing, I bet she has gained 3 pounds or so, and has sprouted at least an inch! :) Enjoy!

Catching Up Part II.....

2008-08-06T06:15:00.000-07:00

After our amazing time at the cabin, it was planned that we would drive 13 hours to Grand Lake Colorado to meet up with my sister Amy, her husband Phil, and baby Kate! We were suppose to leave the Monday morning after the 4th, but after a lot of hesitation and concern for Rowan's well-being we decided to leave Sunday afternoon and drive through the night from Donnelly to CO. Ro slept the whole way and made it easier on everybody.....um, except for Brady who drove the entire way! I kept asking him if he wanted me to drive, but i guess he was in some sort of high energy mode....so he was up the entire night. It was smooth sailing and we arrived at the cabin in Grand Lake around 9:30am.

Amy, Phil and Kate arrived that evening, and it was so good to see them! It was the first time that we had actually vacationed together, and nobody had to work! (Generally when I'm in South Dakota it's work mode the whole time....gotta keep that bed and breakfast running) So we had an awesome time. Teri and Dave drove up from Colorado springs in the middle of the week and stayed with us for a couple of days too. We got to go to some awesome hot springs, a very long scenic drive, and the last day we were there, we went on a full day, advanced, white water rafting trip!!! It was definitely the highlight of the trip!

Rowan navigating...

View of Grand Lake from the Cabin

If we would have gotten a picture of us on the rafting trip, this is what it would have looked like. Same outfits, same guide, same river. :)

Catching Up....

2008-08-01T08:23:00.003-07:00

Our first "family" vacation started us off in Donnelly for the 4th of July weekend and boy were we excited to be there. 4th of July weekend tends to be one of the busiest for the cabin and I believe there was around 25 other people there, so it was crazy, and FUN! It is one of our favorite places to go, so we are always so anxious to get Rowan up there and get her acquainted with "the good life". She had so much fun climbing stairs, playing in the sand, the water, with the dogs, eating good food, getting tons of attention, ect...

Here are a few shots....

Japanese Obon Festival 2008

2008-06-28T21:22:00.000-07:00

We just got home from the annual Japanese Obon Festival! What is Obon you ask? Well, Obon (お盆,Obon) or just Bon (盆, Bon?) is a Japanese Buddhist custom to honor the departed (deceased) spirits of one's ancestors. This Buddhist custom has evolved into a family reunion holiday during which people return to ancestral family places and visit and clean their ancestors' graves. It has existed in Japan for more than 500 years and traditionally includes a dance, known as Bon-Odori. (that is the wikipedia explanation anyway)

It's a tradition for Brady's family and many of his cousins participate in the Japanese dancing. You can see his cousin Jade on the stage dancing, she is in the orange kimono. Brady's sister Aimee and her husband Brian traveled to Japan last year and brought back a beautiful kimono for Rowan to wear. We were so excited to see her get involved in her first festival (thanks guys!) We ended up with some great pictures so I thought I would pass them on!

Is She Too Young?!

2008-06-11T20:18:00.001-07:00

What do you think? Is she too young?

NOOOO, not for a bra, FOR POTTY TRAINING!

Our little monkey is a smart cookie, but I never thought she would catch on to potty training at such a young age! We bought the potty seat knowing that we were going to need it within the next 6 months or so, and who would have ever thought she would actually go, the first time she sat on the potty!? Well, she did and does almost every time we put her on. I am just going with it, not pressuring her to do it at all, but only encouraging her. She has learned the sign language gesture for "potty" and actually uses it. We bought her some training panties, which she wears for a couple of hours during the day, and she has only had one accident! I took her into the Dr. today to have her ears checked (they're fine) and mentioned the potty training to the Dr.....he was actually rude about it. Gave me a weird look and said to not have high hopes and don't pressure her because she is very young. Which I understand, but maybe he didn't hear me when i said, "She goes every time, I'm not pressuring her" Anyway, I could care less, he doesn't know her at all. And why quit a good thing, so we are going with it. We welcome tips and ideas if anybody wants to share!

A good book, with great pointers!

My little potty princess the second day of PT.
(for those of you who don't know, Rowan has a super cheesy, crazy camera smile, it's the best thing in the world, and totally cracks me up!) I love this picture!

My New Wheels!

2008-06-11T20:18:00.000-07:00

With the cost of gas and as much as we find ourselves driving, Brady and I finally decided it was time to trade in one of our two SUV'S. I had the 4runner for a great 6 years, and was super sad to see it go. We didnt drive it much as all, it was just a way for Brady to get to and from work....SOOOO, we looked and looked and looked, for a reliable, economic, and SAFE vehichle and finally decided to go with a Subaru Outback. Totally generic, but a great car. A week or so ago, i counted 12 Outbacks within a mile. I have a tendancy to stray from "the norm" so it was hard for me to conform to the idea of having somthing it seems everybody has, but, Brady assured me that it was a GOOD thing. We've had it for about 2 weeks, and it's been great! Plus I dont find myself cringing when I fill up.

Out with the old and in with the used! :)

Farewell 4Runner!

Welcome, my new good karma mobile!

Silly and Sweet!

2008-05-27T20:33:00.002-07:00

It's late, but I really wanted to post these sweet pictures of Rowan and her blanky. She loves to carry it around her neck and wonder around the house, it's SOOOO adorable!

ENJOY!

A little Fun in the Sun...

2008-05-27T20:33:00.001-07:00

Sean and Katie were nice enough to take our little fam up to Lucky Peak one evening last week. We got some great shots of Rowan taking her first mini boat ride! We didnt go far, but we were able catch up with some hungry ducks, watch Sean and Katie's new pup Zoe dive into the water, and be with good company. Rowan loved the ride, we couldnt have asked her to behave better! Maybe next summer Uncle Sean can start teaching Ro how to water ski like a pro?! :)

Our Love Garden....

2008-05-27T20:33:00.000-07:00

This is a bit over-due, but i HAVE to share! Brady and I had decided that this year we wanted to start off small and get a tomato plant to harvest. Neither of us have actually gardened for many years so we were eager to take on the challenge! Brady's sister Aimee and her husband Brian and an amazing inspiration with an unbelievable garden, so, Brian gave Brady and I a few tips on making garden boxes. And...wa-la....in the matter of about two days Brady and I had constructed 3 nice sized garden boxes out of old fence posts we had in the backyard!

Before we knew it, our dream of a single tomato plant turned into: 2 tomatoes, 2 strawberries, 1 eggplant, 1 shallot, 2 green peppers, 1 pablano pepper, cilantro, basil, thyme, sage, and rosemary!!! HOLY GARDEN! But I love it! It's turned into my little sanctuary....

Here are a few pictures of the day we planted our goods...please keep in mind this was about 2 weeks ago, and things are sprouting! I was a little unsure of where to put things....how many things to put into a box....what to put next to each other.....but i just figured it's a learning experience, ill figure it out as i go....even if my strawberries do end up tasting like rosemary! :)

Ill post some more recent pictures of the garden soon!

Happy Mother...

2008-05-11T08:36:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to post a quick blog to say Happy Mothers Day!

I feel so honored to be called "Mom" (or "Da Da" if it's Rowan) and to have something bigger to live up to. Since I have become a mother, my life is definitely different. I've come to appreciate so many more people and things, like other mothers and Other Mothers (the used clothing store). Vacuums and Lysol. Car seats and shopping carts. The simplicity of dirt and grass to the complexity of flowers and bees. Baby spoons and burp rags. (I could go on and on.....)

I found this poem and felt it only appropriate to share today. And to every mom of every kind thanks for contributing to the definition of motherhood.

Enjoy!

The house is untidy from window to door
Marks on the walls and food on the floor.

The washing's unwashed and the dishes are too
There's scum in the bathroom and fat on the stew.

There are toys in the passage and under our feet
The garden's a jungle when seen from the street.

So what have I done, then to earn my repose
To just look around me you'd say no-one knows!

I've held a small hand as her first steps she took
I've made animal noises as we read a book.

I've built a mud pie and admired a snail
I've rescued the dog from a grip on his tail.

I've wiped away tears and I've listened to tales
I've used mediation to get smiles from wails.

So I guess what I've done isn't easy to see
It won't clean the house and it won't cook the tea.

But if I have helped make a child feel good
know that she's loved and that she's understood,

Then I know that my work, though not easy to see
is just as important as any could be.

The Remodel

2008-04-20T19:34:00.001-07:00

We have been super busy the last month remodeling the dining room, and I think it is almost done! Brady tore out the nasty carpet that I have hated since the day we moved in and together with my dad, they put in the new hardwood floor!! YIIPPPEEEE! Im in LOVE with it! It matches the hardwood that is in the kitchen, and it flows together so nicely. One thing led to another and we decided to paint (the walls were originally bright yellow) and then I convinced brady to put up a chair rail and new baseboards. It looks freaking awesome! I have sort of a little spanish theme going on in there, and the orange might throw you off a little, but it's totally me!!!Here are some pics!!

After the carpet was torn out...

New floor AND new paint...

Brady working on the base boards...

We had a lot of this....

and a lot of this...

and this...

and we got THIS!

BEFORE...

and AFTER!

Our Adventure on the Ranch!

2008-04-20T19:34:00.000-07:00

Baby Rowan and I traveled to South Dakota last week visit my sister and her family on the ranch! We were there for 7 nights and we had such a blast! We kept busy with the "normal" activities of the bed and breakfast (that my sister runs), and still were able to get out of the house for some local fun! :)

We happened to be in SD over branding weekend, so I was able to witness a LIVE branding! It was planned that I would ride Ginger (a 90 year old horse) to help herd the cows. The time came and before I knew it I was on Ginger and watching a ton of cows running by....AHHH! I chickened and got off the horse and just watched all the chaos. :) It was SOO fast that I didnt even have time to get comortable on Ginger. Oh and by the way it totally started raining and hailing at the very begining of all of this. Anyway the branding was weird. Maybe im too much of a city girl to handle it? I felt sooo bad for all of the baby cows! I knew they had to be branded, but I didnt take into consideration the fact that they had to be vaccinated, castrated, and have their ears sliced to "mark" them. All of this while the mama cows were on the other side of the fence, mooo-ing for thier babies. :( SO SAD! I couldnt handle it and I made Amy come and pick me up! Oh and not to mention the kids were frying up cow balls and trying to force ME to eat them! NO THANKS!

After all of the craziness of the branding, we settled down a bit and got a few more activities into our short time on the ranch. We played and played and played with Rowan, shot some pumpkins with Amy's nephews Ryan and Paul, took Ro on the ranch rollercoaster, went on a cool hike, fed the donkeys, and played with baby Kate! We had such a great time!

I was a little hesitant traveling with Rowan all by myself, but she was SUCH a good girl. I believe we grew closer together over the week, since all we had was each other (no daddy). I feel funny saying that, considering during the week it is normally only her and I. But it was just different, we definitley relied on each other more and strengthend our mother/daughter bond. :)

Here are a few shots:

The Buzz...

2008-04-05T08:39:00.000-07:00

I have been avoiding creating any post these days, only because we have SO much going on, I sorta feel overwhelmed by trying to make a post about everything. So I'm just going to give ya the scoop on what has happened over the last couple of weeks. :)

To start off, I had my 6 week follow up apt in Salt Lake city a couple of weeks ago, and received great news. The new medication i was put on in February is working wonders! PRAISE THE LORD! My pulmonary artery pressures were hardly existent on my Echo cardiogram. They had a hard time estimating them because they were practically in the "normal" range. YEAH! When Dr. Elliott told me that I started to cry, all I was really hoping was that they were lower then they were in February. So to hear that I was "normal" was a blessing from God. Only 5-10% of people with Pulmonary Hypertension are reactive to this type of medication, and it's the best position to be in with this disease. My prognosis is great. Thanks for all of the prayers and support I constantly get, it means so much to me.

Easter came and went, and we got some great shots of Ro in her Easter dress. However, somehow I managed to delete 150 pictures from my camera, so I have NO proof of how cute she REALLY looked! I was depressed for about a week, and then finally snapped out of it. I put her dress back on her, but it just wasn't the same. My mother in law, Nancy, taught Rowan how to find eggs laying around the house, pick them up and put them in her basket that she was carrying! OMG, it was amazing...there are TWO years old that cant do that! I have a genius child, I already know it! :)

Brady's first football game is in about an hour, so the boys are all excited about that! It's always fun to have a reason to get together with family and friends and hang out in the park for a couple of hours. This season I will be selling water and powerade at the games, we'll see how that goes! Hopefully we can make a little $$$ on the side. :)

The football game was a success! Brady's team won with a score of 37 and 28! GO COUGARS! We managed to get passed the freezing tempatures and high winds, we had a great time on the sidelines watching football and playing with Rowan! Here are some highlights of the afternoon!

Rowan chillin with Grandma Nancy and Lolo

Exploring the hard to walk on grass!

Playing with Grandma Nancy's Wallet

Number 70, Yup, he's mine...

BREAK!

Brady loves his baby.

hmmm.....wallet

She did such a good job sitting with me and watching
the game!

Weeeeee! Pop is so much fun!

2008-03-12T22:10:00.000-07:00

VIRTUAL BOOK CLUB, WANNA JOIN US?

Hey! My friend Sara and I are gonna read a book together.....Lets say it's a Virtual Book Club that we are attempting to create! Then we can chat online about it! Check it out at www.ourvirtualbookclub.blogspot.com

Starting sometime within the next few days, we are going to read:

The Middle PlaceBy: Kelly Corrigan

http://www.amazon.com/MIDDLE-PLACE-Kelly-Corrigan/dp/1401303366

Let us know if your interested in joining us!!

Sunday!

2008-03-09T20:06:00.000-07:00

Well, I have to start off by saying I am completely looking forward to going to bed. Today was exhausting! Nothing new or unusual took place, but we filled our day with a LOT of activities!

To start the day off, I woke up without knowing that it was daylight savings. I was not prepared for that AT all. Not only did it throw my day off, but Rowans was just as crazy, who knew that omitting ONE hour from your day would make such a big difference!? And of course, we only changed the clocks with the easiest access. So the one we look at the most (above the TV) wasn't changed, and even though i KNEW it wasn't changed, i was continually questioning what time it REALLY was.

Rowan had breakfast and went down for her nap. Brady and I actually lounged on the fat sack and finished an episode of Arther (a PBS cartoon which was on for Rowan, but somehow we got sucked into, (wondering what happened to "Pal", Arther's lost puppy) and then Anne of Green Gables came on so OF COURSE we had to watch that. Well, we watched some of it, then showered.

Rowan woke up, we fed her lunch and we headed to Blue Sky Bagels (YUMMY) for bagel sandwiches. Rowan, like always, sucked on a pickle and intently stared at us while we ate, hoping she would get a bite of something! Then Brady decided he wanted to back-track home some he could pick up something for Sean. We thought Rowan poo-ed her pants so we unloaded her, changed her diaper, loaded her back up, and drove BACK towards Sean's house. Sean and Katie live in an awesome neighborhood and they have a park right behind their house, so we put Rowan in the stroller and we walked to the park.

I forgot to mention Tucker. He has had a semi-traumatic weekend........he is SUCH a naughty boy, destroys the backyard, barks barks and barks, torments the squirrels and the dogs on the north side of the fence, so we put up an electric fence. EEKKKK! We are in the "training stage" of this new operation. But he thinks his world is over. There is quite a bit of training that goes into the procedure (if you don't want a neurotic dogs on your hands) Anyway, he knew right away what was going on.....I did all the training by leading him around the perimeter of the "boundary". I put up orange cones as well, so he would notice where and where not to go. Anyway, he was scared out of his mind, and i thought he knew NOT to go over the red fence line, so I let him off his leash and, yep, he went right over it and shocked himself....then he freaked out and came back over it got shocked again, then ran towards the garage door and had to go over it AGAIN! OHHHH poor Tucker. :( He immediately hid in the house.....he scooted himself under our bed and it was nearly impossible to get him out. He paced for hours, not knowing where he could go (i think) and WOULD NOT go near the patio door.

So to continue with my day, after another training with Tucker, he freaked out, so we HAD to get him out of the house, and we took him with us on our little excursion. And here we are walking to the park....Brady, Rowan, Sean (his dog, Chip) Tucker and me! We had a great time, Rowan loved the swings, going down the slide and walking in the grass. Sean did some training with Chip and Tucker got to run ALL over. It has been years since I actually swung, so i hung out there, pumping back and forth. It was awesome! :)

After getting home from Sean's, Brady put Rowan down for a nap and I headed to the public library. I have been on a reading kick and was determined to get a good book. I hadn't been in the library since College (about 3 years) so i was sorta overwhelmed. Especially considering I have never gone to the library for a Novel. Anyway, I wondered around for a bit, picked up a couple of books, paid a 9 dollar fee, and checked out. I ended up with The Measure of a Man and The Devil Wears Prada. Funny combo, but the library was closing, so I abruptly made this decision.

I got home and Brady decided he was going to work with Tucker in the backyard, (failing to mention that he left Rowan in the kitchen.....and walked in on her with a mouthful of dog food in her cheeks!) HELLO! And she was pissed when he scooped it out of her mouth! UGH. Then he was off to Home Depot and Lowe's. Afterwords Brady confessed that Home Depot to him was like Gap for me.....he could spend HOURS there. However, the only problem with that is I could never "spend hours at Gap" I can only spend HUNDREDS at Gap! hehe.

I made sure Rowan didn't only eat dog food for dinner, and fed her chicken and rice soup. She only ate this while sitting on my lap because she was throwing a HUGE fit for no apparent reason. The only thing that calmed her down was if i was holding her. I think she takes after me in that if she is hungry...she is GRUMPY! We played after dinner until Dad got home, then I headed to the gym for a quick 25 minute cardio session (I'm determined to shed some pounds). While I was working out, Brady gave Ro a bath and put on her Jammie's. I got home and gave her nighttime snack (mandarin oranges) and put Rowan to bed. She is so dang sweet, I love it when she lays her head down and her pillow without fussing and knows it's time for ny-night.

Brady and I forgot to eat dinner, or just avoided worrying about it....so he ate bean and bacon soup, I made guacamole and a peanut butter and jelly sammy. AND FINALLY, here we are. So yep, that was a day in the life of Brady, Rowan and ME! Welcome. Oh yeah, and I'm going to bed now. Sleep tight!

What in the world is HTML?

2008-03-08T18:58:00.001-08:00

I have been trying to "re-vamp" my blogger layout and it is pure craziness. Who in the world came up with such "code"!! I have probably spent 5 hours downloading from one website, uploading from another and putting it all together. I had some good advice from my friend Sara (thank goodness) she gave me a website that takes you through it step by step. It's finally to a point of originality, so I actually enjoy looking at it! I'll attempt to spice it up every once in a while with something new and exiting, in the meantime....ENJOY! :)

I am looking for a good book, does anybody have any suggestions?!

Ode to my Dutch Oven

2008-03-03T20:46:00.000-08:00

I received your holiness on my "big day"
Even though it was not my wish, may I say.

You were bulky, overweight and sat on a shelf
However, there was no one to blame, but myself.

Until one sensational day, not so long ago,
I glanced over my shoulder and said, "I'll give you a go!"

You really are, a marvelous shade of red,
And by gosh, you wouldn't believe the Bread!

We've been through a lot, my dear dear friend
But it was my fingers I was trying to defend

After being in the oven at nearly 400*
It was your blazing hot knob that nearly caused me to seize!

As your majestic lid jilted to the floor
It was a peace of your knob I could see no more.

And here we are, you there with a crippled knob
My heart will always admire and my fingers will forever throb.

The Dutch oven has not let me down! I have made amazing stuff in this pot, and everybody should own one. If you would like more recipes, please let me know, I would love to pass them along!

WALKING!

2008-02-21T12:15:00.000-08:00

Little Miss has been cruising furniture for quite some time....but It blew me away when she decided to walk over-night! It started last Sunday, the 17th, by walking a few steps between Mom and Dad, and by the end of the day she had a good 10 steps down! YEAH FOR ROWAN! She is walking on her own now, and is really well balanced. She is getting to be such a big girl! It's hard to believe that she is cruising right into her toddler"ness". I no longer have a little baby girl.... :( it's hard giving those days up, but it's so rewarding as a parent to be to hold Rowan's hand as she develops into a little girl.

Happy Valentines Day

2008-02-14T12:15:00.000-08:00

It's nearly 1:30 and I'm anxious to put Rowan's Valentines Day outfit on!! I'm sitting on the couch, wondering why my baby has been sleeping for nearly 4 hours! She was cranky early this morning, and by 9:30 she was ready for a nap. Sometimes I'm not totally positive when she wakes up in the morning. We always have the monitor on, but depending on the volume, sometimes I cant hear her (Normally she is up around 7:30 and is ready for a nap after 10) She is on her last dose of antibiotics for a double ear infection, is congested and has a pretty bad couch. I know that sounds bad, but actually she has been acting fine. I'm sure she is just catching up, and her body is trying to rejuvenate....but i cant help but be worried about her! :( Poor girl! As a mom I always wish I could give her a secret pill that would make everything ALL better! But all i can do is hold her tight, and without using words, try to make the yuckiness go away.

I think we might attempt to make daddy a valentine, and maybe some heart-shaped cookies! :) I think I hear some squeaking...I'll be back with some pictures of Rowan's 2ND Valentines day!

As promised, here is my little Valentine!!!

My Trip to Salt Lake City....

2008-02-07T21:03:00.000-08:00

My mom and I left for SLC early Wednesday morning, for my follow-up appt with Dr. Elliott, my pulmonologist. I am suppose to see him about every 3 months, but time just got away and it had been more like 8. Overall I have been feeling really well, so I was assuming things would be fine.

After we flew in, we were able to get a light breakfast at Wild Oats, and plan our navigation through the big, snowy city. Not only were we there for a Dr. Appt, but HELLO, Salt Lake has AMAZING shopping! There were two places that I really wanted to hit before we left....TaiPan Trading and the Nordstrom Rack. I had heard both places were hidden jewels and had great things!

So we made our way to the hospital around 11:30 am, praying for good results. There is sort of a routine of procedures that I go through every time I go to one of my follow up appts. I check in, a nurse takes my vitals, i review my medications with the pharmacist, i get blood work, i show everybody rowan's newest pictures, i have an echo cardiogram, i do a six minute walk, and finally, chat with the doc.

To make this short and sweet my echo showed my pulmonary artery pressures extremely high. Higher then when i was pregnant and feeling awful. I haven't felt weird or different, so i really thought that there MUST have been an error in the test, praying to God that it was a mistake. Dr. Elliott decided he wasn't going to risk it, and told me that i was going in for a right heart cath (which shows exactly where my pressures are). The cath mimicked the echo, and yup, my pressures were/are EXTREMELY high. :( The good news is that I respond really well to a medication that expands my artery's, not all people have such a good response, so I'm actually very lucky. The pill that I am adding into my daily dose, acts a lot like Flolan (for those of you that remember, it's the medication that was in my pump) It drops my pressures more than half of what they are, and really close to normal levels. I just pray that I respond well, and progress less. Even though my disease is incurable, I am blessed to have so many options as far as medication.

For anybody that would like to know about this crazy disease, I've added the PH website to my list of links, check it out and learn something new.

As far as shopping we were able to SQUEEZE in TaiPan trading AND Nordstrom rack! Both are great stores, i had taken an empty suitcase to bring home any goodies i might find, and it's a good thing! Nordstrom rack was amazing! I think it's my new favorite store, and definitely one i will hit every time I'm in SLC. And TaiPan has GREAT home decor for very low prices, also a goodie, but thank goodness for my mom, she ended up carrying a ton of stuff onto the plane! We barley were able to get by with carry on. :)

Overall, it was a fun day filled with good/bad news. God has lead our family down this sticky road, and we are determined to get down it with a positive and optimistic mindset. Cheers!

Play Time!!!

2008-01-30T08:33:00.000-08:00

Jessica and Ezra came over to play last Saturday and we had so much fun! It is SUCH a relief to have some other "mommy" friends! Ezra is two months older then Rowan and just started walking....it's the cutest thing EVER! He has a full head of hair and I think eight teeth, I cant believe how fast he has grown! At one point during lunch we caught Rowan and Ezra staring at each other and babbling back and forth to one another....I'm sure they were talking about their love of french fries and pickles!

Jess is such a great mommy and I love learning things from her. She has been teaching Ezra sign language, and think he knows "more" and "please"....it's such a great idea that I'm attempting to do that same thing with Rowan. After just one day of trying to teach her "more" she actually started saying, "ma, mm, ma" it was so awesome! She is such a quick learner! :)

Here are a few shots of the little tots destroying the living room! :) Come play again soon Jess and Ezra!!! :)

The Rain.....

2008-01-27T09:21:00.000-08:00

It is seriously blowing sideways (as in horizontal).

I love it though. I love everything about rain and snow and hail. I love the sound of the wind and watching the branches of the pine tree dance. Listening to the rain tapping the window is like listening to a thousand black beans dropping onto the hardwood floor....(i know this sound because it really happened....in my kitchen) The rain is so refreshing....it's as if the world is taking a shower, and everything dirty and bad is being washed away, giving life another opportunity to dry off and re-bloom.