irrigation - it was on the list

When we were house hunting I had a list of all the things I would really like the house to have. I was flexible and we made plenty of offers on houses the didn't quite make the list. I prayed about this list hoping to find a house that matched it. In the end we found it (except for the basement. But I guess we did get that, just unfinished and not attached to our house). 

The reason I wanted irrigation is this...

And it is a great way to water fruit trees.

While they were out there William found a gecko.

He was very sweet and wouldn't run away from the kids. If we set him down he just stuck around.

I finally decided he must be dieing, but when we set him outside and left him and then went back to check on him, he was gone.

Tied up

After Family Home Evening Russ wrapped the kids up in some kind of wrapping tape from work.

The kids thought it was pretty funny. 

They both tried to break out of it, but Gracie needed help.

This happened a few weeks ago, tonight we talked about being reverent. The kids needed some reminding and it was a really nice evening. We reminded them that they get to go up on the stand in church next Sunday and sing and Gracie turned to me and said, "I get to go up?" When I said, "yes" she ran to me and gave me a hug. And then William said us hugging made him embarrassed. It was a pretty funny night.

I have to admit that I am a little nervous for them to sing up there. Not because I think they won't do a good job. It is just that last year I bawled like a baby.  But I think I had a lot more things against me last year, like:

1. it was the first time William ever went up on stage 

2. he looked at me the whole time while he sang, "Mother I love you"

3.I was pregnant, so hormones were crazy

I should be okay this time, but who knows cause there will be two kids up there. And I better not cry cause Gracie really does not like "my happy face cry". That is what she calls it when I cry because I am happy. And being a mom really does make me happy. Wish me luck.

Again

I plan on having more details soon.

Right now I have to go wake up my son and get him to school.

Dear Joseph

Dear Joseph,

Time is a strange thing. It seems like you were born just yesterday and at the same time it is hard to imagine a time that I did not know you. I believe that is because I have known you a lot longer than 6 months.

You have grown very large, 20.6 lbs to be exact.

You sit up like champ and you love it. Your favorite is to sit on a blanket outside.

You love baths. You get excited when I pick you up naked cause you know the bath is coming. You bathe in the kitchen sink and I love it. When I picked out this sink this is exactly what I pictured - a baby bathing in it.

You love to eat, you tend to favor sweet potatoes and mixed veggies but you will eat fruit now. Fruit used to make you shudder when you would eat it, and you wouldn't eat it for very long.

You no longer need to be swaddled to go to sleep. Sometimes I swaddle you to rock you because it is just the routine, but I unwrap you when I lay you down. I know when you will really go to sleep if you turn your head to the left when I lay you down.

We moved your bassinet out and you sleep in a pack n' play. You seem to sleep better there, but you still wake up to eat once or twice a night. Someday you and I will sleep through the night.

You smile a lot and are a happy baby.

So now you are half a year old, but one whole lot of cute.

Love,

Mom

Cherished

There are things that you have that you know you love now, and then there are things you know you will cherish forever. For me, this is one of them.


Debbie from Mimi Leavitt on Vimeo.

Thank you so much Mimi. (See her other work here.)
I don't ever want to do family pictures without a video again. You get so much more of the interaction. I can't wait to see the pictures. I can see Russ and I years down the road, wrinkled and gray watching this with a smile on our face and a tear in our eye. And I am sure the kids will like watching it too.

This time last year...

I was at a Muse concert. I guess I should say, this month last year. I think it was the 15th? 19th? Anyway, it marked a big day for me. I was pregnant and sick and I had purchased the tickets before I knew I was pregnant. I wanted to go so badly, but throwing up at a concert would NOT be fun. I looked at the calendar over and over again and decided that it was about the time I should be getting better (my second trimester) and I was determined I would be better. And I was. Sorta. I felt pretty crappy, but I was able to stand for all their performance and didn't throw up. 

That also meant that it was time for us to move into the house we had bought. 

That was such a crazy time. I had no part in moving so unpacking was kinda tricky, but so many people helped me and things went so well. A lot of work has been done since then and I think I am ready to start showing my house to the internet world (I am actually not ready, but I feel like if I post this then I have to get ready) I won't (can't) do it all at once. So I will go one room at a time. Plus we will be gaining 3 rooms in August when Mark, Ashley, and Sam move out. I will have a lot of work to do over there. It should be fun.

Living here has been great. Sometimes it is easy for Russ and I to look at the house and only see the things we need/want to get done and not see all the progress we have made. It really is such a nice place to live.

So hopefully once a month I will feature a room in our house. Starting with next month.

Now I need to go get ready for the basement sale. I hope I see you there. It should be fun.

Easter Sunday

This year I made Gracie's skirt and bow and William and Russell's bow ties. I also updates my sweater with flowers. Looking back I wish I had made a bow tie for Joseph. His tie is cute, but a bow tie may have been better.

I love Gracie's skinned knees poking out in this picture. It reminds me of Idgie from Fried Green Tomatoes. I love that movie.

Gracie is just cute and William is holding the "Elder Wand" from HP.

I am so glad I made at least something for Easter. My aunt posted something my grandmother had written about growing up in Colonial Mexico. One thing she mentioned is that she always got a new (handmade) dress at Christmas and Easter. This is a tradition I want to continue. She also said that growing up she had 2 dresses. One she was wearing and one being washed. Reading about her childhood (where she didn't have much but at the same time had everything)  made me think a lot about luxuries and what would have been luxuries then seem like necessities now. I need to be better about not taking the luxuries for granted. And not spoiling my kids...or myself. Cause you can be happy without a lot of "stuff". Maybe even happier if we can live without it and without wanting it.

I have everything I need and I am so grateful for that. 

Happy Easter.