everything i love

house on our own...

2012-02-14T11:47:00.000-08:00

Chris and I love a good project and I was organizing some pictures today-realizing that I never compared our before and afters or the do it ourselves versions of things. One of the reasons I love our house is because we have filled it with things we love, made, have collected in foreign travels or unique- not out of a box or a shelf decor. It makes our house-us. If it were up to only me the style would be different but we our building it together and it has made for some great memories.

their version $300

our version $35

RH Baby as well as Serena and Lily had wood boxes on casters that we both fell in love with. Theirs were $89-120 each.

We now have several of these around the house and I love them. Ours were about $20 each.

Remember this sad Stow chair? Love the lines, brand and how sturdy it was so we learned how to reupholster and a few months later (we are slow) we had this extra chair for our front living room.

bought it for $20 + fabric and a few other materials=$50 total

(the coloring in the picture is off but it matches the wall and our pottery barn pillows and window treatments perfectly)

conflicted

2012-02-08T20:40:00.000-08:00

I love these little photos-loving on his chip, then he sees himself and begins to laugh out loud! He is such a happy, silly little boy!

WARNING: needing to vent! So I am writing here which is a safe place to let it out-I am feeling anxious, overwhelmed and nervous about what the next few months will bring. Everyone tells us it will be over soon and we should just look forward but what about right now. How do we make it through today, this week until the next court date. My patience is running thin and I am just tired of it all. Visits, court, meetings, home visits, my conflicting feelings and even guilt! Disrupted naps and schedules...I know not that bad, right. I just want answers!

We have for years yearned for a baby of our own. And now we have been raising this boy as our own the problem is how can we now in good conscience just take him as our own! When his own biomom has the same desires and yearnings. And in the process of losing him we fear she will lose all hope of change or a life. It is actually really devastating. And I am not sure how to explain it but it is just heart wrenching! Why could there not be an easier solution? And why after all this time when things are coming to an end am I not more excited and pleased.

We have no solution and there has been no final decision...which I guess is part of the process. There are so many details that I hope one day will be clouded with my memory even better forgotten. But mostly I just wish that everyone involved would just have peace. And I guess that is my prayer for bio that she will have a life of love, peace and happiness; she deserves at least that. We all are not that different from each other.

funny kid...

2012-02-06T08:58:00.000-08:00

Pirate Adventures must have been really interesting since he rode like this the entire way home.

Baby K found his floaty and enjoyed "swimming" through the house running and kicking his arms and legs all over the place. We laughed so hard!

His new favorite pharse, "what happened?" (with his pudgey fingers up by his face) after he knocks something or does something he knows he should not!

open the frig the other night to find baby Jesus from our Nativity hanging out by the salsa! love this kid....

round 2

2012-02-01T07:57:00.000-08:00

hopefully these will survive more than a month! poor kid...

birthday pictures

2012-01-31T17:56:00.000-08:00

He does not sit still for a second even with Chris distracting him I barely got a clear picture. But it is fun to have them documented. Even now I look back and think how different he looks. We have finally cut his hair and oh my goodness it was long! And his glasses ah! What a cutie.

He is a big boy!

birthday boy

2012-01-31T17:47:00.001-08:00

We have a 2 year old! What!! I cannot believe where this year went but it has been a good one and he has changed and grown and learned so much this last year. And we are so grateful he is still with us and look forward to many other birthdays!

the morning of his birthday I made pancakes and we sang happy birthday with a candle. We have been practicing this song and he was excited to sing it and blow out the candle.

I made his cake again this year and I think it turned out ok except for his red face that started to melt off. I am still not sure what happened to it because everything else lasted and stayed in place. ? Oh well. He was not a huge fan anyway! He never likes desserts anyway but was pretty funny with Elmo and played with his face and the candle. It was cute!

grandparents know him really well and sent some great gifts; books, a train whistle (which he pretends he can whistle-he loves it) and we got him more thomas the train sets. He was very excited to open presents and was a good sport while I tried to take pictures. It was a really fun day. Happy 2nd birthday little man!

museum...

2012-01-30T08:45:00.000-08:00

Both baby K and I love the Strong and try to go once a week. There is so much to do and see. Every time we go there we see something new. He just runs and wears himself as well as me! This 2 year old thing is not for weaklings!!

The fish tanks are very cool!

He now wants to ride on the horses and gets mad if we do not! He was sacred just a few months ago and screamed the whole time.

sorting chicken eggs!

Mission accomplished!

very little winter

2012-01-30T08:42:00.000-08:00

This year has been very mild compared to any other winter we have spent here in upstate NY. And I am not complaininig!

I was however excited to make a snowman in our yard since it is one of baby K's favorite things. But it not there will always be next year.

a few more Christmas things

2012-01-12T17:28:00.000-08:00

the garden factory! this was such a fun place around christmas time.

They have a huge train set, a very cute Santa, a petting zoo, carnival rides, shopping, crafts and carnival rides. They had rows and rows of poinsettas. We did not get a picture with that cute Santa because baby K was really, really not feeling it but maybe next year.

We are already making plans for next Christmas. This year was really fun and next year will be even more packed and more exciting. One thing we will avoid is the Strong Museum of play, yuck! The Santa was really kinda scary and just bad! We waited for 2 hours to see him and not worth it.

We really enjoyed many family traditions this year and will keep some and change a few others. Plus it will be even more exciting because we are going to be in Wyoming. But we will have to make time for a few things around here, definitely the Garden Factory.

some of our favorite things....

2012-01-12T17:16:00.000-08:00

baby K has always loved helping me clean-i guess he really is my son! But his favorite is the vaccum it is one thing he will cry over if you do not let him have it. Funny!

Now that he can see the baby LOVES to watch a few things-Elmo, Toy story, Cars (especially Mater, now you know that he is really Chris' son!) and Nemo. It is really very funny! We are not big TV watchers so we are limited in our selections.

And he is in love with all things Woody right now. We have had this doll for about a year and he has played with him time to time but now it is all about the cowboy things! Rides, horses, etc.

sorry this one is so blurry! the kid is fast! i kinda like it though....

we watch toy story with woody!

we sleep with woody!

And lastly all things dinosaurs! we bought this little guy at the children's museum and he goes everywhere with him. dinner, car rides and we stomp him around grawling at all kinds of things. He is such a big boy!

a family christmas

2012-01-07T18:59:00.000-08:00

all in our PJ's and enjoying the day! Merry Christmas!!

a dump of pictures....

2012-01-07T18:56:00.000-08:00

x-mas eve!

2012-01-07T18:51:00.000-08:00

we love the Polar Express and it was really fun to read again together before we went to bed.

I thought a fun way to involve baby K in the reading of Luke 2 was to make little pictures he could color and look at while Chris read. In my mind I thought it would keep him still and quiet for 3-5 minutes. He loved running and waving them around the room, yelling while Chris tried to read the scriptures. Not the best plan but he was cute and enjoying himself a lot!

We opened Christmas PJ's from Grandma-go Packers!!

and ate a really yummy meal with the Sister missionaries! What a great way to spend the holidays.

christmas fun! (a month late)

2012-01-01T18:36:00.000-08:00

We love Elmo around here and auntie erica sent this little laughing one!

this was the baby's big toy for the year and man he is obsessed with it! He wants to play with choo, choo trains all the time.

piper even got a few fun treats! if you look really close you can see a candy cane dog treat.

and candy for breakfast! It was a really good Christmas.

family traditions

2012-01-01T18:01:00.000-08:00

my mom makes the best sugar cookies in the world. we tried to recreate this tradition but ours were not as good. perhaps part of the problem is not being at home with her and making them. the baby however had a great time decorating these cookies.

look at the concentration on this kid's face. this is serious business!

Christmas lights

2012-01-01T17:44:00.000-08:00

We tried to do a little photo shoot with the baby and Christmas lights. It is funny as much as you plan and try to create a picture, the best pictures are the moments that just happen.

It is hard with an active 2 year old who does not stay still for a second!

feeding the reindeer

2011-12-27T18:39:00.000-08:00

A classmate gave us "reindeer food" but we could not find time to feed them until after church on Sunday!

So here we are in our Sunday best outside feeding the reindeer. Isn't he just the cutest.

Nana sent the cute outfit and he bent the glasses all out of shape...cute!

a christmas program

2011-12-27T18:14:00.000-08:00

They were dancing to Jingle Bell Rock. It was really cute. Baby K just danced and jumped all over stage. When they were done every one clapped and cheered! Baby K turned around saw everyone and started screaming, crying. Too funny!

pre-christmas

2011-12-27T18:05:00.000-08:00

we have yearly passes to the strong and heard that their evening with Santa was really fun. it was way busy and we waited too long to see a really cheesy fake looking santa. i would not recommend it. but it was worth a try.

and the reindeer ears! too much.

we do not let this little, busy man have much sugar but some good friends gave us a chocolate candy advent calendar. He loves it! yells candy!

And our Charlie Brown Christmas tree!! It has survived the babies! It is also potted so we plan on planting it in the spring. I like the idea of planting a tree rather than cutting it down!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-27T17:53:00.000-08:00

We had so much fun getting ready for Christmas and had a very busy but fun holiday.

we had to do it

2011-12-22T19:34:00.001-08:00

This kid is really high maintance we have decided! after several doctors visits and one very, well really two very bad eye doctor experiences, we finally have these silly glasses. He does look so cute but after only 2 hours in the things they are already bent and do not sit straight. I am not sure how these will survive this 2 year old.

watch what you say!

2011-12-22T19:30:00.001-08:00

After a particularly frustrating day in court we were talking about how stupid it all is while playing with the baby and he began singing through the house, "stupid, stupid, stupid!"

Chris drops the baby off at school on his way to work and one morning was running late, ran out the door and right before he got to daycare remembered he did not have his work badge to get in the door. "damn it" he said out loud and from the backseat repeated "damn it, damn it"

He will finally ride the horses on the carousel

happenings...

2011-12-12T18:26:00.001-08:00

I could not think of a title for all the pictures and stories of late so happenings....sounds good.

He will be 2 in January and every day we are surprised by what he does and says! lately we do a lot swimming in the tub since his swim class ended. He counted to 10 with Chris the other night going back and forth, back and forth. Some times I will hear him singing to himself while he plays, you can only pick out parts of songs like ABC, snowman or halloween-favorites lately.

He can now climb anything and loves to do it. It kills me every time he pulls the piano bench out by himself and is up there in a second, poking at the keys. He giggles, sings and some times even stands up to dance! Not only does he climb onto the dinning room chairs in a second but the table and then he reaches the light but he can also balance on the back of them. Which makes me crazy nervous he is going to push or pull it over on top of him-again!

Our neighbors have this huge blowup snowman in their front yard with candy canes, snowflake lights and all sorts of fun festive decorations. As soon as he gets home or it is evening he begs/yells to see that snowman! He sits in the window and just talks and sings to him.

This is such a great time of year to have a toddler. He is excited and animated about everything we see and do. It is really fun. We have several Christmas books, some about Jesus and a few about Santa and frosty the snowman. His favorite this week has been the Polar Express! Which is one of my favorites too. He will yell, "All aboard! choo, choo, Santa and elves throughout the book. We read it probably 8-10 times a day!

I have decided he will only be 2 for one Christmas so he can be sticky with candy canes and he can play with the xmas tree ornaments and other decorations because we did not put anything out that he could not break. We even found a plastic little people nativity that he can play with and he loves it. He kisses baby Jesus and mommy Mary. It is really cute.

In other news we had court about 2 weeks ago and not much happened except to announce that the surrender paperwork was not written and they would need more time. So December 21st. Ah! We have decided to hire an attorney to help with the wording of this document and make sure it is something we can all agree upon. But we do not have very high hopes that it will be written and signed on that date. I guess it is possible but not likely. It is a very interesting process but we are moving in that direction. Yeah! Huge blessing and we are thrilled.

We have a great amount of gratitude to Baby K's biomom and have seen how much love our father in heaven has for her throughout this whole process. It is also very interesting to see pieces of how His plan is unfolding. And we are reminded yet again (you'd think we'd have learned) that we are not in control and He does have a plan for each one of us. Trust, follow and submit.

projects..

2011-12-12T18:21:00.001-08:00

I feel better when I am doing something/creating something with my hands. These are 2 of my favorites.

I love how this wreath turned out. My iphone picture distorted the colors which is my favorite part-red and more of a green/teal.

And a crayon melt! We have seen these all over and wanted to try to make one. I think we would do it differently if we make another but it was fun to try. And will be so cute hanging in a toddler's room. Again, sorry for the color distortion in the phone pic.

another birthday...

2011-12-12T18:15:00.001-08:00

I have never been one for big parties or all the attention that b-days bring and the older I get the more b-days change for me. Not in a bad way they are just celebrated differently. It was a great day! We had church, I actually got a nap! We fed the sisters and Chris cooked a great meal! And then I opened presents.

Baby loves the birthday song and still makes me sing it to him over and over again. Which is good practice for his b-day coming soon. He was just so excited to help me blow out the candles and eat some of this cake. It is really great chocolate cake! Thanks hun for a relaxing and uneventful birthday. It was exactly what I needed!

a church party

2011-12-02T19:11:00.000-08:00

Our ward had a great Christmas Party with 150+ people. We were able to see Santa, share some yummy food and enjoy a little program with songs, games and a short message.

Nana sent this adorable homemade Sunday outfit and we thought it was a good opportunity for him to wear it. We had lots of comments about him from ward members. He loves to be around other people and be where the things are happening.

Poor Chris was asked to MC for the event but baby K has been so attached to him lately that he would not leave his lap so Chris had to carry him and hold him while talking and keeping up with everything. It was a busy night!

There was not really a line when we went in to see Santa but people kept pushing in front of us and baby K was very excited! At one point he jumped down and ran right up to him. He came back very quickly! but I am glad that I had my phone out to catch this second in front of Santa.

We were all exhausted by the end.

December is a big month

2011-12-02T18:28:00.000-08:00

As soon as Thanksgiving is over and December arrives the speed of things increase and we get so busy; parties, gifts, shopping and Santa. Which is fun in and of itself but I really want the baby to have memories of Christmas to be more about celebrating the birth of our Savior and not so much about Santa and toys. I do love December and the holidays but we are determined this year to really enjoy the peace and joy of this season.

One thing we decided would help is to make an advent calendar using my grandmas's wall hanging. We plan out and carry out one service/gift each day as well as a little scripture calendar of all the prophecies and events around Christ's birth. We are only a few days into December but it has brought a calming spirit to the holidays. And I think a different focus.

Everything about our Christmas decorations has to change this year. We still have yet to get a tree because of the babies and there business (the dog and baby K climb and jump off and onto everything now). We will find on that will work and it will be nice to have a few little ornaments out.

Thanksgiving

2011-12-02T12:12:00.000-08:00

We have so much to be thankful for this year! It was also a great Thanksgiving with good friends and family.

Can you tell we all just ate a lot of food? Baby was already sleeping and we did not even take a picture of the group together. Everything was really good though.

These 2 have always had a special something! Adam taught baby boyo some great new things like, "you wanta wrestle! elbow and knuckles" We shared a few of those talents on Sunday in nursery. yeah! They had a great time together.

we just love these friends-we enjoyed some football, shopping (black friday crowds shopping), salon visits! last minute photoshoots and late nights talking. It was really fun break and we were glad the Lynes drove all the way from tennessee to hang with us.

I mean how cute are they!!

mommy love

2011-11-19T17:36:00.000-08:00

How cute is this kid!!

craft on...

2011-11-13T19:26:00.001-08:00

We are just starting to think about Christmas and plans for all the holidays. I made my first homemade ornament this year. A little owl!!

I am so excited for the holidays this year.

a little light in the distance

2011-11-07T09:53:00.000-08:00

Last week we received the TPR (termination of parental rights) paperwork with a court date on November 29th. It is the first step in a long process but this is good news!

Just a funny babyism: Last week we were shopping and walked through the Christmas isle, santa. Baby got really excited called Santa, Santa! Then we kept shopping. And he continued to call for Santa. Yelling, "Santa, wher r u, Santa!" People actually stopped to watch him, laughing. cute!

And the children's museum has a special football display right now. Chris was very excited!

apple picking with the nanas

2011-11-02T18:18:00.000-07:00

What a great trip with the grandma and nana! We all miss them. They came for Time Out for Women but that was just an excuse. We went shopping, pumpkin patches, apple picking, farmers market, out to eat and just staying up way too late talking and laughing. Wish we had more of these long weekends.

Letchworth with the nanas

2011-11-02T18:14:00.000-07:00

Halloween evening

2011-11-02T18:12:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween!

Mom brought these luminaries while she came to visit a few weeks ago. They were so cute and we got lots of compliments. We also had a few children come to the house which was really fun our quiet deadend street does not get a lot of traffic.

instead of taking him around the neighborhood (he could careless about candy) we made treats and showed him off. It was great to see friends and enjoy some great company.

we love carmel apples and these were all done up with chocolate, heath bar and some had nuts as well. yum, yum!

Halloween-ward party!

2011-11-02T18:04:00.000-07:00

This was a great ward party-a chili cook off and a trunk or treat! We were nervous because baby threw a fit each time we brought his costume out but he was so distracted by everyone that we just slipped him right into it.

One of my favorite child's books..Where the Wild Things Are. I thought everyone grew up with this book but some many people had no idea who he was. um?!

A co-worker gave baby K this bubble sword "sorre" as he calls it; and he LOVES it. Carries it all over the place. I meant to paint it gold but close enough.

Boston people

2011-11-02T17:56:00.000-07:00

Our good friends from Boston are no longer in New England! They just moved to Nashville, TN. Which we are excited about but I realized I never posted the rest of our wonderful trip. (with a huge thanks to the gardner family for watching our sweet puppy)!!

beautiful week

2011-11-02T17:50:00.000-07:00

We have had a beautiful and wonderful week. The sun is out and the leaves are so colorful.

He loves to help out in the kitchen.

apple picking

2011-11-01T19:22:00.000-07:00

A little apple picking, picture taking and tracker riding! What else could you want. Thanks!! Aubrie and Brad for introducing us to this fabulous apple farm. They have the best homemade doughnuts and cider. YUM.

pumpkin finding

2011-11-01T19:19:00.000-07:00

This is serious business finding a pumpkin! We have the best pumpkin patches in upstate NY. They have animals to feed, food to eat, apples, trains, bouncing houses, decorations and trackers. This year our favorite thing!

This day the tracker was not giving rides but working so it kept driving past us; pulling things and moving others. Each time baby K would cry and cry for a ride on the tracker. It was very sad! But really funny as well.

He loves getting rides!! And I love this time of year.

a new england fall....

2011-11-01T19:12:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite time of year in NY! And we are enjoying all the fun things we can do and enjoying time together. Time outside, painting, apple picking and pumpkin patches, hikes, picnics and all the yummy food that is around this time of year.

his friend Chase-we talk about him from time to time and baby K just giggles, "chassse" he repeats. Cute!

who is this?

2011-10-03T10:41:00.000-07:00

He looks so big in pictures lately! Last night he woke up about 11:00 and I tried to walk and rock him but he was too heavy, wiggly and big so I got in bed and we snuggled but man when did our baby become way too big for even snuggling. I love it and dislike it at the same time. I for one miss those baby snuggles. We get lots of hugs and kisses but usually they are in passing as he runs on to something else. What a sweet and special baby.

We really have no updates about our "case" because nothing is happening. We have tried hard not to worry about it and just "wait" on the Lord. Easier said then done. But for the most part we are not reminded of this often so it is easy to get into a routine and I think for the most part take for granted that he will always be with us. Every once in a while I get this little sting of a reminder that he might be taken away. There are just no guarantees right now. I know, the Lord loves me, Baby K as well as his bio-mother so things will work out in the end. Faith, hold on and endure. It is just not that simply sometimes. I just want a little piece to say or show me that yes we are at least moving in that direction. Ok! Enough right.

What an adventure this has been but we are grateful for the lessons we are learning and the support from a loving and all knowing Father in Heaven.

the end of summer

2011-09-28T10:47:00.000-07:00

Right now it is still in the upper 70's so it does not feel like fall is coming. But we really excited for all that autumn brings. One thing is a SUPER grandma/nana visit in less than 2 weeks. We are all really, really excited for that.

It is so nice to be out more and enjoying the weather. This is a hike by the lake we were enjoying until baby flipped a switch and was just done! We got out of there fast. Then baby K and I ran a 5K for the house of Mercy. Wonderful organization to support. And once again we did not run it together. That has been the plan for a years now but for one reason or another we always have something else to do that day. This year Chris volunteered to help out with the cleanup in Owego for a day because of all the floods they have received lately. It was quite the experience! He said entire streets of homes were being almost gutted because the water, mud and other yucky brown stuff had covered the basement and first floors of their homes. Most people do not care flood insurance so what could you do. Thousands of $ worth of damage. Their crew worked on a couples home who are in their 90's. It was disgusting, hard work. And he is a good man to have taken a whole day away to go and help. We are grateful for the church here who not only helps each other but so many others throughout the area.

Last week was a really difficult week and then with Chris gone all day Saturday. I was really grateful for the RS Broadcast that evening. I made our favorite chocolate chip pumpkin cookies for the event and left a few at home for Chris. It was such a good message that I really needed to hear and a wonderful reminder of our power and influence as women.

a little catch up

2011-09-26T11:53:00.000-07:00

We are getting settled into our new ward now that Chris has officially been released. It has been wonderful to have nursery, be involved in new things and meet new people. The ward is busy with activities, needs and opportunities- this picture was from our ward picnic and there is a campout next week. It is great, of course a transition in all things but we will get settled and enjoy it.

We are loving all the huge veggies from our garden this fall. Tomatoes (roma, heirloom and garden), cucumbers, green peppers, strawberries, squash and jalapeno peppers. then Basil and peppermint from the herbs. Yummy! We were both surprised at how well the little garden worked and are making plans for a much larger one next year. Still learning a lot but enjoying it.

And we have been wearing our rainboots since this has been the wettest month of the year. Baby K is pretty cute in his little shoes-he loves to call out "march, march" when he wears them because they make a fun sound on the hardwood floors as we leave.

enjoying the museum

2011-09-21T18:27:00.000-07:00

We purchased a year pass for the Strong Museum of Play and are enjoying our little afternoons or mornings there. We are all things Elmo these days. There are also all these great events like cookies with Santa and Clifford appearances! It will be great during the winter.

And Chris met us over lunch and took baby K on the tiny train. I love his face in this one. Poor Chris but they are cute together.

Baby K also started swim class again which he loves! It was really cute watching him giggle, splash and play. He loved it.

home projects

2011-09-21T13:07:00.000-07:00

We are reupholstering this little vintage chair we picked up from an antique store. And I cannot believe how well the fabric we found matches everything in the living room. It has some great bones. I will posted an update soon.

I love these paper roses and fabric wreaths. This was just some herringbone I had left over in the piles of fabric that I have. I like the winter look even though it is flowery.
Chris and I needed something to hold our firewood inside the house. I was seeing all these great storage boxes at places like restoration hardware so at a local estate sale we snagged 2 of them. They both needed some repairs and then we added the casters. We talked about painting something on the side but there was nothing appropriate for this one. Maybe we will for the baby's book box. We'll see. I like it though, simple, stable and different.

This has been in the works for months but it is the baby's growth chart. I wanted to have something simple and I love how it turned out. We still need to hang it in the baby's room and mark it with all of the heights. I am glad we decided to make it ourselves.

Chimney bluffs at Sodus Bay

2011-09-20T21:33:00.000-07:00

Saturday's are usually taken by visits with bio mom and then recover from those visits but last Saturday we heard early that there would be no visit. I told Chris we should make a list of things we would like to do and then when this happens (it is happening a lot lately) we could just choose one and jump in the car. We were wanting to do a hike outside and decided Chimney Bluff state park was not too far and would some thing totally different in the area. It was really so beautiful.

The pictures of course do not do the view justice partly because they are just pictures but also because the day was so hot and humid that it almost looked steamy. You could see the heat in the air and horizon. We were all exhausted by the time we got home. It was a great day trip despite the heat.

images from our boston trip

2011-09-20T12:03:00.000-07:00

they will one day be good friends....

2011-09-18T21:59:00.000-07:00

and we are moving in that direction.

I know this picture is really unclear but I like it. It shows how well these 2 are getting along these days. It has been a rough transition for all of us to say the least. I am losing my patience.
But baby K has been so funny with Piper these last few days.

At one of the visits with bio mom and the worker last week they were coloring pictures and one had a picture of a dog on it. The worker said they could not figure out what he was saying. He was calling for Piper! So cute!! NOTE: the way he says piper is like a french accent (pypeh) so no wonder they could not understand him. Also they did not know the puppy's name.

Friday when leaving for his visit I was putting Piper in her bed and saying good bye. He came right over said bye, bye Piper (in his french accent) and gave her a big kiss right on her face. That was a big step forward.

They have been playing better together and baby K knows how to interact now on his own without jumping in my lap or wanting me to carry him every where. It has made things much easier and I hope it just keeps getting better.

painting

2011-09-07T19:33:00.001-07:00

the babies

2011-08-16T18:21:00.000-07:00

we have some cute kids in this family!

activities at the lake...

2011-08-16T18:08:00.000-07:00

This was a perfect location and house for all of us to spread out and enjoy all kinds of different activities. We watched tv and movies in the theater room, sat in the sauna as well as the steam room, went sailing on the new boat, played in the kayaks or on the beach. The house had a climbing wall in the basement, a ping pong table and some toys. We needed more days to do all the things available right at the house. It was so fun!

swimming in the lake

more sparklers and glow sticks

catching frogs, butterflies and anything else the boys could find

painted faces

2011-08-16T18:02:00.000-07:00

Jess brought a face painting book and we all had fun! how cute are the girls...

even the boys got in on the action and went to town

Bear Lake Faerber 2011 Faerber Family Reunion

2011-08-16T16:00:00.000-07:00

This was our second Faerber Family Reunion. I think Amy should be in charge of all the renions. This house was so nice and perfect for everyone.

View from the porch with dad's new sail boat in the background

the whole group! I think it turned out great with all the kids and adults.

packer fam...we lived in our bathing suits. very fun!

most of the day was spent at the beach or in the water

daddy is so funny!

ti amo

2011-08-15T20:37:00.001-07:00

packer ranch time....

2011-08-08T21:09:00.000-07:00

I am not even sure where to start with all we did on vacation which is why these have taken me a month to slap together and here I am just going to put some pictures out there because it was just too fun to write all about the details. sorry!

the whole gang

the those cute babies

lots of book reading from all the grandma's

the baldies

the hikes.....

and more hikes...

and a few fireworks since we had zero in NY

And the cousin love!! ah...these K kids were just so great. half the time i did not even know where baby K was because I knew they were playing hard and having fun. Baby K just loved his cousins. they were so good to him; singing old macDonald over and over again, letting him have toys and books and letting him tag along. they were so great! Just check out that face.

I still have so many pictures to go through that I have not even looked at them in a week. It makes me sad and I want to be back there with family and on vacation. Ah! It was just so wonderful.

one of the greatest men

2011-08-01T19:37:00.000-07:00

Grandpa Foote is a wonderful partiarch for his family. He is such a hard worker, writes family histories, runs, serves and still does so much for his family and community. He makes us want to be better people and work harder. And we were so grateful we could travel to see both grandma and grandpa. Plus so sweet to have baby K meet the two of them. Chris was able to spend an afternoon helping grandpa on the computer, with his geneology work as well as a new recorder for blessings. These were sweet moments that we are grateful to have shared with them.

unmotivated....

2011-08-01T11:35:00.000-07:00

I am not sure what else to call these feelings that I am having right now except that I am very unmotivated. And I hate it! We are overall busy but I actually have some time on my hands right now and have so many things that I would like to be doing but somehow I just find myself not doing them. And I think the worst part for me is that I cannot figure out what it is that is keeping me from changing it. Depression or anxiety, summer time schedules, stage of life with an active toddler, all the many changes right now or maybe in some areas lack of changes (like in our court case)......I am just not "doing" much these days. And perhaps I just need to adjust my to do list. It might be enough right now that baby K and I (+ chris) are fed, showered and able to survive this August heat without driving each other crazy. Which would be a good way to spend time; together and happy but I am just feeling unfulfilled. And I cannot figure it out!

scenes from the ranch...

2011-08-01T10:40:00.000-07:00

Chris and I were commenting after leaving that this place is (I know really cheesy) but sacred. Grandpa and his family worked this land, bled on this property and struggled to remain faithful and steadfast. It is sweet to have this place still in the family and be able to enjoy it with family! And we love that still we can share time together with our family.

18 months

2011-07-31T20:12:00.000-07:00

Marks the beginning of many things...many changes.

He is talking so much and imitating everything we say, even phrases. Good and bad! He loves to learn Italian; bacio, ciao, via, andiamo. He says cow, dog, cat, bye bye, nite nite, wow, car, bus, love you and many animal sounds.

The only thing he will sit still for is a book and has many favorites. He is now running every where and is very physically active; climbing couches and stairs. One of his favorite things to do is pull objects out of cabinets, boxes and drawers. And then put them back in. He loves to pull tp off the roll and splish, splash in the tub!

He is the sweetest baby. He gives hugs, kisses and snuggles often. His smile is so contagious and giggle is even better. We play chase often; he will smile, laugh and then run toward you, fall into your arms laughing.

This summer has been so great outdoors, splashpads, sprinklers and swimming pools. He loves all kinds of fruit and eats pretty much anything else. One of my favorite things is his love of music. He will sing old macdonald had a farm. (E-I-E-I-O) and loves to do the motions to many others like twinkle twinkle little star and the wheels on the bus.

I also love that he gets so excited to meet new people especially babies or kids. He is a little overwhelming and loud to some but he gets like a little puppy excited to see new people. Very social!

We have this little fire truck with lights and buttons you can push that make siren sounds and say different phrases. Chris taught him to make the walkie-talkie noise and put his hand over his mouth. It is the funniest thing! He will push the button and do it over and over again.

Baby K is moving up to the big boy room at daycare and he will now be in a nursery class at church; which is so wonderful for me. I can now be present at church and hear something other than the baby. He is sweet but busy, busy boy especially in church. Anyway, it is really nice to have some time in church again!

The federal law for foster care states that after so much time in care the termination of parental rights (TPR) will be written. If we go to trial though it could take over 3 years. We hope we will not have to go to trial. But things are moving forward ever so slowly....we will try to be patient. It is easier at times than others.

We love this age and could not be happier to have baby K in our family right now!

Louis Lake visit

2011-07-29T19:53:00.000-07:00

We decided very last minute to drive to the lodge and Wyoming. Our extended family was there for a reunion and we were excited to see everyone and spend even a few hours in Wyoming.

It was great to see the lake, the lodge, family and even enjoy a little taste of Lander.

The Faerber Family at the Lodge.

monkey love

2011-07-29T19:48:00.000-07:00

this little guy is just so funny! he keeps us laughing all day every day with his smile, his giggle and his playful nature. ah. we love him.

jet setting

2011-07-28T10:39:00.001-07:00

We had a great vacation with family all over the state of Utah and then Wyoming. It was fast and furious but we saw everyone on the Packer side and all the family on the Faerber side; plus aunts, uncles and cousins at the Lodge. It has been a hard week back to life and reality!!
Chicago has this great museum they call it for kids. Really just an indoor play area but it was great for baby K to run around and he was tired out for the long plane ride to Utah.

Baby K did really well on the flights overall but the last one has really hard for everyone. We had been traveling for days and we had a really long flight earlier that day. We boarded the plane with no air conditioning and sat there for 45 minutes. Miserable! We moved to the flight pad and they then informed us that we could not take off because of thunderstorms. So we sat there for an hour. This flight total was supposed to take 40 minutes. An hour and half later; the baby slept the entire time; the Pilate suddenly and loudly announced that we could go and he took off fast! The noise and the movement woke up the baby and he was not happy and cried/screamed until we were at cruising altitude. There was a lady sitting in front of us who talked non stopped, very loudly so we knew everything about her life. She was so mad that the baby was crying! (he cried for probably 15 minutes, maybe 20) in the entire 2 hour flight that was horrible for everyone. She seriously threw a tantrum!! She made loud comments like, "put a bottle in that baby's mouth" and put her fingers in her ears, turned around to give us dirty looks and then she began to curse and yell. Finally she stomped her feet and stormed up the isle for another seat. It was actually a big scene that we can laugh about now because she just embarrassed herself; but it did not help anything!

sleeping on the plane

this was the baby's entertainment in the car with all the driving!

Sammy singing the wheels on the bus in the car!

We are home though and recovering. Tons of pictures to come.....

a little carnival

2011-07-14T18:10:00.000-07:00

Wednesday evening we both came home feeling antsy to get our vacation started. Since we would not be leaving yet we found a little carnival to escape to instead. We got there early before all the high schoolers arrived and enjoyed a few games, a snow cone and a beautiful evening out!

I had my phone in the pocket of the stroller and when we got home (I am so bad about keeping track of it) much later, the baby was asleep; I was packing, I could not find it any where! I searched the car, the stroller, both bags. It was gone. Chris called it several times. And nothing! I was sick because I had already water drenched one iphone and now I completely lost it. Chris called it again and someone answered. We were so blessed that someone honest had found it and was willing to meet us right away to return. They would not take our "reward" either. She had even sent me a facebook message and called a mutual friend we had to try and find me. I am so grateful that we were able to get it back.

This was such a fun evening.

bowling

2011-07-10T11:22:00.001-07:00

1st time bowling....

We had a great time bowling with friends and baby K did really well chasing bowling balls and even bowling a little himself. And we were the only ones in the entire place. Of course Packers won! Thanks Chris (I am not a very competitive person). It was great to get out and spend some time with friends.

stony brook state park...

2011-07-10T10:45:00.000-07:00

Baby K's mom has been missing visits so Saturday we took off for a little rode trip down to Stony Brook State Park. It is so beautiful and the weather was just perfect for a watery hike! We had the best time and on our way home commented on how few weekends we have had free between foster care, church and callings.

I love this picture. I feel like it captures baby K's faces and personality. So cute.

the trail follows the river along waterfalls, slides and pools.

As we were swimming people kept commenting on baby K and his excitement in the water. The water was cold enough it was taking my breath away a little but that did not stop baby! He dipped his face in and kicked and splashed in the water. He was not afraid of the waterfall or the rocks. Such a silly boy!

it was a great trail and there were not too many people.

The baby kicked up rocks and jumped in puddles. We had a great day and really needed that break. It was nice to just jump in the car and drive away. In face when we got home we realized we had left the garage door open and it had been that way all day. Good thing we have a safe neighborhood because the door was unlocked into the house. Ah! silly.

baby K loved the pack again this year and feel asleep on the walk home!

pageant

2011-07-10T10:27:00.000-07:00

The YSA (young single adult) had a gathering for pizza before the pageant began!

baby K loved these little twins...so cute! they played peek-a-boo and tag for over an hour.

It was a really late night. Baby K survived but he was really, really tired. He fell asleep on the way home. cute baby!

i love this baby boy

2011-07-06T20:03:00.000-07:00

tonight we had this little boy in rolls of giggles. i love it when he runs away, comes back and falls into you wanting you to tickle him again.

photos from the phone....

2011-07-05T17:51:00.000-07:00

extras from the weekend

check out that smile from the baby....

so sweet! dadda & bobo

wow-it is hard to get pictures of a busy baby....

we are so grateful for all those (and their families) who serve our country and all that we enjoy because of their sacrifices. hope everyone had a great 4th of july!

happy b-day

2011-07-05T17:26:00.000-07:00

Baby K keeps repeating happy birthday america!

And we had a great long weekend......

we were craving a poolside this weekend! the cubiotti's are soo good to us. we enjoyed a great bbq, potatoe salad, pies and other yummies. Good company and a wonderfully warm pool. It was heaven. The baby K loves water and had some new toys to play with in the pool. Wonderful!

At one point Terri brought out bubbles and baby K was so excited! He loves to watch you blow bubbles and really wants to do it himself. Terri could not keep him from making a mess so jokingly he said, "stop" and right away baby K repeated very loudly, "STOP" and then everyone laughed. He loved it!

tres leche cake...so yummy!

poolside at our house today. it was a great weekend.

holiday!!

2011-07-03T17:52:00.000-07:00

Sweet land of Liberty!
we were a little homesick for Lander this weekend....the best small town celebration and family of course but we have had a good time.

I love the 4th of July and this year we all have several days off, together! Well almost off. Saturday baby had a visit in the middle of the day and I got a mani/pedi so after that we took off for a splash pad. And then we attempted to watch the famous Penfield fireworks. We were all having fun and hanging out until a little family walked by with several balls. (Which is the baby's favorite these days). And he chased after them, fell and threw himself on the ground screaming. He never stopped so we packed up and left just as the fireworks were about to begin. Ah! how children change your life. Fun times. The family even tried to console him by giving him one of their balls but the tantrum had taken over. ah! silly man.

It was way past his bedtime and we had already had an exciting, full day. Chris and I were able to see a fewfireworks from the car as we drove away.

When we got home we got an email from a branch member saying the our usual and expected break the fast meal was no more. The person in charge just decided they were not going to do it. So that meant that Chris and I got to throw a meal together for 80 people at 10:00 at night. Walmart trip, late night rice crispies and 10 pounds of meat cooking in our crockpot all night. Oh the joys! That was my last Sunday at the branch though so I guess we went out with a bang. Not one of our better meals but people travel from all over and after 24 hours of fasting they expect to be able to eat before they drive home. When you are that hunger you will eat anything. And it was good just fast and easy!

In our neighborhood we have this cute little ice cream shop so we walk there often. It is yummy ice cream that is locally made.
the baby loves it!

the culprit

2011-07-03T17:46:00.000-07:00

The baby harbers no ill feelings....he began to play with the chairs all over again. I love this picture because he does this all day and what a cute face.

We have had a lot of tears these last 2 weeks but we thought the carousel would bring laughs. He screamed and screamed until we were out of sight of the thing. What a kid!

better days ahead....

2011-06-30T18:45:00.000-07:00

I love this little guy! I am so grateful actually that he has something real wrong with him. Both ears are infected and 2 of his molars are coming in; which means that he is not sleep much; he is taking lots of tylenol and we are all trying to survive the tantrums etc, until he gets better. Whine, whine!!! His black eye is looking better and he can see out of it now. I am glad that it is not the terrible 2's coming to stay. The doctor today thought I was crazy.

McDonalds

2011-06-27T19:16:00.000-07:00

We headed to the market for veggies and fruit for the week and the service at RMH. Bobo got a flower from one of the venders. And we enjoyed another empanada! yum....

Saturday was a busy day! We scheduled to make dinner for the Ronald McDonald house which houses families who have loved ones in the hospital. They were packed so we cooked for 40 people. And we had a lot of help and really enjoyed cooking for others with others.

his hair is so big! and all that drool...love him.

The house was really homey and well decorated. We felt right at home and had everything we needed; even a play area for the baby. He would not play there without me, whined, cried and threw tantrums but we all survived. Plus it was great to chat with families and enjoy some good food. It were really glad to be able to make it happen.

summer time!!

2011-06-27T17:28:00.000-07:00

On hot days we swim in the backyard. I put together a very funny video of this afternoon but Chris thinks a naked baby swimming is inappropriate for the web. so sorry!

Baby K is teething his molers. Which has been truly testing my patience. I know is this really note worthy but ah! I cannot walk out of the room without a full on tantrum. Baby K is not a crier either so you know it is a big deal when he is screaming. It has been non-stop for 2 weeks. He is not sleeping through the night any more and I am out of ideas. So tired.

In other news we got a call last week for a 26 month old little girl who needed a place to stay for a few weeks until her foster parents returned home. Chris and I were really excited to have a playmate for Baby K. At least for a few weeks. We were told she would come Monday so we had everything set up for her and last minute they called to say in fact, no she would be going home to her momma. Which is a good thing I know. But we were sad. Plus I am not sure that anyone was going to tell us. Chris called and called and finally got a hold of the caseworker just to comfirm her dropoff time and she then informed us oh no she will not be coming. Seriously, this is one of many reasons why normal people do not do foster care. So frustrating! I know for them it is a job but for us it becomes and well really is our life.

I felt awful but baby K somehow pulled a chair onto himself and now has a great big bump. Poor kid has had a rough few weeks.

Sunday I was asked to give a talk and it was my week to teach gospel doctrine. It was a really busy week of preparation and I was grateful for the time spent studying. My topic was desire. Which I really struggled with and I think that is why I learned so much. I am just glad it is all over and I enjoyed a long nap Sunday afternoon.

Strawberry picking....

2011-06-19T19:25:00.000-07:00

We found a local farm that has fruit throughout the season that you can pick. It was strawberry season so we picked 8 quarts for $16! What a deal. It was a beautiful day and we had a great time with our friends the Lynes family.

a few pictures!

weddings...

2011-06-19T12:16:00.000-07:00

This weekend marked the fourth wedding out of the six that we have before July is over. They are not the best for babies but this one was a little easier. It was particularly fun because we got to see Amber, my cousin from Omaha and her adorable family! Her kids are the cutest. How we did not end up with one picture of them I am not sure....but we had a great time. Plus it was a beautiful wedding!

Besties

2011-06-19T12:08:00.000-07:00

Our good friends moved to Boston over the winter holiday and we have all missed them! Baby K and Adam have a special something, they always have... he screams and cries when anyone tries to separate them. We really should have gotten a video of that. I cannot put him in the car, feed him nothing unless Adam is right there. Silly kid! He just loves Adam!!

I mean! These 2...they are just too funny together.

We were so happy to see them and glad they could join us for a quick weekend. We stayed up way too late and played way too much but it was worth it. Great friends, great people and good times. I am determined to make it Boston before the summer is over.

festival season in rochester

2011-06-14T14:01:00.000-07:00

Rochester has a ton of festivals of many kinds. Chris' boss suggested one so we met her there to check it out. It was cute!

I love these next pictures! so funny-this is the local minor league baseball team's mascot.

and the baby's face when he actually saw him!

public market

2011-06-14T13:55:00.000-07:00

Saturday was a busy day! We got plants at the public market as well as empanada! YUM! they are so good and I have been craving them for weeks.

We got our garden planted and a few other errands done around the house. We have a big to do list!

summertime

2011-06-14T12:39:00.001-07:00

I am in full summer mode! I love it. It has been years since I felt like I had a summer off and I really am still working and just as busy but with the baby I am doing such fun summer things it feels like a real summer.

a little swimming...

more splash pads + parks....

lots of walks, runs, gardening and just hanging outside...

reading with dad!

2011-06-10T18:31:00.000-07:00

The baby loves books! He is so sweet to carry book after, book and sit himself down for you to read to him. And if it is a favorite you will have to read it over and over. really cute!

And our iris plant exploded this year so we split it up and now have iris' all over the yard! fun.

Seneca Zoo

2011-06-10T18:13:00.000-07:00

We had a great time at the local zoo this week, Chris was disappointed that we did not wait for him. (someone has to work). I was excited to see how the baby would react to the animals if really at all.

I saw alot of these faces throughout the day. He loved it, pointing at the animals and even making noises back and forth with a few. There was a monkey busy swinging and calling out so the baby joined right in. A women and her son walked up to see the monkey and she commented, "I thought all of that noise was from the monkey!"

We both loved this indoor viewing area (with AC) and we could watch the huge polar bears and the seals. They were really funny! Sorry for all the pictures but the baby loved running around inside.

a little girl was teasing the seals with keys, they would follow her all around. Baby K would just giggle and laugh. It was really cute.

The baby loved finding all the animals. Rhino, bald eagle, snakes, fish and birds! He knew lots of baby signs for animals and we both had a great time in the sun!

And the poor, tired baby in his new Pea Pod tent.

I told Chris I would sacrifice next time and he could take the baby all by himself since he missed out on all the fun.

Water Park

2011-06-06T19:21:00.000-07:00

we had such a great time with the tank at the water park. it took the baby a little to warm up but once he got the hang of it he could not be stopped. he cried when we left.

Just look at this face! Poor baby did not even have his cute new bathing suit since we had no idea they had this splat mat. It might be our new favorite park.

a picnic

2011-06-05T19:23:00.000-07:00

May was National Foster Care month and to celebrate the county threw a great picnic at the YMCA summer camp.

they had a DJ, catering, a playground, waterpark and many other activities for the older kids. It was really a fun celebration.

Baby K had a great time with the other babies and on the play ground.

We are so grateful for our foster care network of support. What a blessing this entire experience has been for us.

Waterpark

2011-06-05T19:20:00.000-07:00

updates....

2011-06-04T19:00:00.000-07:00

well the short of it is..."I am just not pregnant any more." We never really get all the details but that is what we know. No baby, no sibling.....

We are really just treading water because things have not really changed. The county is waiting to write the TPR until the neuropyshic evaluation is done so we just wait.

Visits are 4 times a week, one hour each and they seem to have little affect on the baby. I rarely even see bio mom.

feeding the ducks

2011-06-04T18:53:00.000-07:00

we live just up the road from the bay which has boating access, fishing and lots of ducks.

baby K was so excited to chase them and feed them, plus it was a really nice evening!

memorial day

2011-05-31T11:09:00.001-07:00

Happy Memorial weekend! Every year we join the Molinari's for their small town parade and picnic. It is really a good time. They have great fresh food and great company.

I love this weekend because it means that summer is really here and it is so beautiful here!

Chris worked so much on the yard as well as the bathroom and the entryway. It is nice to have progress made.

waiting for the parade! we could hear it coming. they do a really nice little program to honor all those who have served and are serving our country.

weddings at church...

2011-05-31T11:04:00.000-07:00

Our little singles branch has 6 weddings this summer! that is a lot for a small group of singles. we had our first of the season this last weekend. and it was a really busy one for us!

Day 1- baby K is so easy going! he just played and played.

By day 2-he was exhausted and throwing up by the end! ah! we all survived and were grateful it turned out so nice.

Baby K is going to have a sibling....

2011-05-19T19:27:00.000-07:00

That is right....no we are not making an announcement! But his birth mother is pregnant again! Really! I know I should be happy for the miracle of life again but I know what conditions this innocent fetus has to endure until he or she arrives and it makes me sick. (I am totally venting) but I think I can be upset. She gets to try all over again with this one and rumor on the street (literally the streets) is that since she could not get baby K she tried and tried to have another one. Ah! We are first in line that is if we decide we can/or want to do this all over again with her. I am not really sure how I feel about all of it but right now I am just really angry with her and all the decisions she is making.

He is the cutest thing! tonight we brought out some new summer PJ's and when I got him all dressed he got really excited because they are full of cars. Pointed to his belly (so proud of himself) and yelled "CARR." really sweet!

Peter Pan....

2011-05-15T18:47:00.001-07:00

what we have been up to...

2011-05-14T19:27:00.000-07:00

enjoying the playground & sunshine

a quick bath after throwing up all over the car and then again his room when we got home! yum.

his new favorite word wow!

an attempt at family pictures

2011-05-03T18:34:00.000-07:00

We had a beautiful day on Saturday so we grabbed the tripod and camera and headed to our favorite little park.

apparently we were not unique in our thinking because it was busy with brides, families and couples also taking pictures.

we have hundreds that did not turn out but i think to get one or 2 that we like all on our own was pretty good.

plus we enjoyed the day and the baby loved running around!

a BIG boy!

2011-05-03T17:28:00.001-07:00

I cannot believe that Baby K is 16 months this week. We are celebrating everything little thing but he is doing so many new things each day that it is hard to keep up.

He gives the best squeeze hugs ever! When daddy lays on the floor bobo will walk right over and give him hugs, kisses and pull up his shirt (he likes to play with daddy's hair)

Today he said a million times-"caar" in the window, he has stickers with cars, books over and over again. Some of his other new words are-yucky, ball, duck and many, many baby signs; all done, milk, thank you and bird!

He waves bye, bye, does the actions to popcorn popping, monkeys jumping on the bed, and twinkle, twinkle little star. Music is his favorite.

It is really fun to see his little personality get bigger and bigger. He loves games like peekaboo and chase me. He is very social and LOVES other children.

His hair just keeps growing and getting curlier. We are not going to cut it just yet.

We love his excited face! Ohhh!! cars, animals, babies he makes the best face.
His play has changed a lot since now he is practically running! All he wants to do is walk from room to room, pick up toys and have you chase him. And he will bring his favorite books to you. We love to sit with him and read a book together. Sometimes he will sit still for this others he will walk turn the page, move onto something else and then come back to turn the page again. Really cute.

We have spent more time outside now that spring is somewhat here but he hates to sit in the grass and really hates it when he has shorts on.

He is such a good eater. olives, goat cheese, sausage-he will eat anything.

He is a great sleeper and are so grateful for that!

Visits right now are twice a week now and that makes for an easy schedule. We are loving it! He is our sweet, busy and active boy who brings joy and love into our home and lives. We are grateful to be parents to him right now.

Easter.....take #3

2011-05-02T20:50:00.000-07:00

Baby K scored for Easter this year! and we just keep taking pictures and "pretending" it is Easter because we are either too busy or I dress him up like a little girl. So here is Easter again!!! We found this cute chair at an estate sale and cleaned it up. He loves to rock and read in it. He got a wood dump truck from Plan toys (we love them!).

grandma sent a singing Easter chick that the baby loves! Good thing it has an on/off button. thanks grandma...He got books, easter candy, a neighbor gave us an antique chalk board. I am not sure what to do with it yet but I like it. And we tried hiding Easter eggs but he did not really understand. Next year!

um, an easter baby girl.....

2011-04-29T10:42:00.000-07:00

Chris hates!! hates this outfit. And when taking pictures of him in it, I will admit. He looks like a little girl. Sorry!

My mom will love this little outfit and I think I still do but maybe it is the white collar but it is girlie. It is a blue plaid romper outfit. I have to post these and one day we will make fun of a teenage boy who people often think is a girl. And we have the pictures to prove it.

Happy Easter!

some easter....

2011-04-29T09:34:00.000-07:00

We had a great Easter weekend! It was packed with dinner parties and friends. And it wiped me out so much so that I did not even put the baby's Easter basket together. Chris promised that we would just pretend this weekend would be Easter and take pictures of the babyboyo in his Easter outfit.

we ate some fabulous food! homemade panna cotta and a fried goat cheese & pomegranate salad....yum! these were just 2 dishes out of 2 yummy dinner.

grandma packer sent this cute hat last year and it was big, big! this year it just barely fit!! Still cute, cute.

We have been hanging outside every chance we get!

featured

2011-04-16T17:30:00.000-07:00

I was featured on Tools 4 etsy! Just click on the title. fun, fun!

the price of a family

2011-04-16T16:26:00.001-07:00

Chris and I have been married for 7 + years and about a year into our marriage we started planning for children. It is funny how things work out. People ask a lot of questions especially in the church probably because family is so important but really is that any one's business? We have always been really open to talk about "things" but have not really shared a lot of this on the blog. I look back and realize that I am not remembering a lot of the details or even major events.

So now as I sit here 4 years into our work with the fertility clinic, recovering from a related surgery; I thought I might try to recall some of what we have gone through. I do so not for others to feel sorry for us, we all have things we silently struggle with and at this point we laugh about most of what we have gone through. But one of the things I have learned from our small branch is the more we are willing to share with each other, the more we can bare one another's burdens as we have promised our Heavenly Father at baptism. I struggle to accept help but recognize that I have gained great friends as they have served and loved me/us through the years.

I can also see how much we have enjoyed over the years without children. Trips, time to learn about each other and years of struggle that will forever bind us together in a way that nothing else could. I am grateful. When we moved to Rochester for school almost 6 years ago we were reading every possible book we could on fertility; checking temperatures every day and keeping long journals of our every move. We planned, worried, prayed, fasted, even started working the temple in the hopes that by spending time there each week our desires might be granted. Again we gained so much more from our weekly service there. And we realize now that is not how things work.

We heard of a great fertility clinic right around the corner from our apartment and made a slow attempt to move forward with something I think neither of us wanted to face. If we did not acknowledge it, we hoped it might just happen and we would not know otherwise. After running some fun tests like an iodine test under an X-ray machine to clean out the fallopian tubes, blood work, examines and sonograms to check the ovaries and eggs. We found out right away that, not to place the blame; that well both of us were to blame. I have a syndrome and well Chris overall did not have healthy numbers. Chris was scheduled for surgery, really not fun and I will leave out those details. And that next summer we started our first suggested treatment. A Clomid pill with blood work, sonograms and our first IUI. I did not react well with this hormone pill which gave me to this day horrible hot flashes that kept me up at night. Chris used to touch by back sometimes and say wow you feel like you are warm. And I felt like I was melting from the inside. We can joke about it now but at the time it was just not fun! This went on for about 7 months.

Interestingly enough most couples only have a 25% chance of conceiving and our team gave us a 5% chance. Wow! With each month and each try we would get our hopes up and we'd begin to dream about names, nurseries and I'd occasionally come home with a baby item or two. I think looking back this was the hardest part. The ups and downs. It still is. It was so hard each month and each treatment when the doctors and nurses had such high hopes especially when everything looked good. Then devastating when it did not.

The next treatment, after a switch in medical insurance which took months to get in order, since everything costs thousands of dollars. Was what they call super ovulation. It is exactly that, they try and get your body to produce as many eggs as possible. So that meant shots every night, bloodwork every other day and a sonogram to watch those eggs get bigger; so more shots then watch them get smaller; so a smaller dose and it was a balancing act at least for me. This went on for 6 weeks each cycle and we have done 6 of them. It was a struggle to balance work, appointments, YW and all the medicines. At one point we were doing an intermuscular shot that was a really thick oily material that was drawn out with one huge needle and given to me by another because it was thick and then had to be rubbed in because it would solidify. I would get bruises and still some times feel the lumps from the shots. A little ironic that i made Chris give me these shots since he is afraid of needles. But he did really well.

Again I am leaving out Chris' part in all of this but he got to go to the lab and turn in his sample. And each time we would laugh because Chris did not have to even be there for me to get pregnant and many times the IUI would take place with a female nurse and female doctor.

When baby K came that made things a little more complicated. The technicians that know us by name now would give baby K a sticker each time because we would go together 3, 4 or even 5 days out of the week. One nurse commented to me once that I was started over again really quickly (because baby K was little) I told her not so nicely that it was none of her business but the baby was not mine. Ah! People do not think some times.

I think we are finding a good balance now in making decisions for how to move forward and realizing that the Lord has a plan for our family. We realize that "our" children just might not come to us through us, just as baby K has found his way here. Plus our babies could never be as cute as he is. We still have a long road ahead and who knows where that will take us but we are hopeful and so are the doctors. We trust in the Lord and we are loving life right now.

We have one more treatment before IVF and that might take some time before we can decide to take that step or even be able to afford that step. Who knows! I keep telling Chris that it might end up with a reality show called Lisa & Chris + 9!!

we are getting ready for Easter

2011-04-12T16:56:00.000-07:00

I love Easter not only because it means that spring is really on it's way but it is a wonderful holiday aside from the commercial side of it. It also means we have so many months of great weather ahead.

These were so easy to make! We have been singing and playing lots of games with these little guys.

I also made a really easy easter egg hunt basket for the baby. I like these untraditional colors.

We have been making loads of different little baby boy bowties!

and a cute white wool easter egg basket.