Pop turns 60!

Dad turned the big 6-0 on the 18th of March. And boy, was he was all worked up about it! He kept telling us how he was closer to "the end" and realized he was, in fact, getting "old." I tried to remind him that he was, in fact, not "dead" and that he still had a good 40 years to cherish. I think my encouragement fell on deaf ears. :-) He didn't want to have a huge party at a restaurant so we planned a laid back celebration with family at Mom and Dad's house. We had a great time visiting and reminiscing. Dad was showered with love and gifts and a very special visit from his daughter, Amy Jo. I hadn't seen my sister Amy for years and it was a blessing to hear her laughter again and be a part of her life, if even for a moment. I hope someday she'll be a more permanent fixture in my life because our family is not complete without her.

Aunt Jody, Grandpa Joe, Dad, Grandma Evie~

Amy's Boyfriend, Amy, Desmond (Amy's son), Nana, Dad, Mom~

Patrick, Amy, Me (Elisha and Erik were at a marriage retreat and couldn't attend)~

HAPPY 60TH POP! We love you no matter what age you are ;-)

Spring Rain...bows!

We couldn't have asked for a better view from our backyard after a heavy rain shower. A full arching rainbow from one end to the other was fully viewable from our back patio. It was Austin's first rainbow sighting and he hasn't stopped talking about them since, pointing out "imaginary" rainbows as we drive down the road. Perhaps just a tiny glimpse of God's glory...

Austin Update

Austin is still my little bundle of joy, even though he's grown too tall for us to both fit comfortably in the rocking chair. He's tall and thin - just over 3 feet and 32 lbs. He has a lot of his own opinions now, very independent and clearly knows what he does and does not want to do. So, I'm learning more patience and improving my toddler strategy daily. But he is still my sweet little "Bear" who loves affection and is generally mild mannered and loves to make you laugh.

Let's see, a few of my favorites:

He's a total exhibitionist. I can't keep clothes on this kid. The minute he wakes up or we get home from somewhere he strips off all his clothes and races around in his undies. Not really surprised I guess. The kid is a heat source. I can't put him in footy jammies at bedtime because he sweats so bad and develops athlete's foot! I usually find him stripped down jumping off the couch into a huge pile of pillows and blankets. He's recently been encouraging his friends to go all natural as well and trying to strip down at more public affairs. We're trying to nip this behavior in the bud before he's a teenager!

Speaking of athlete's foot, Austin is a total sports nut just like his daddy. Forget trucks, he's obsessed with anything that has to do with a ball; basketball, football, golf, baseball, soccer. It really started developing after we let him watch the movie Sandlot (forgot about a couple 4-letter words in that show, but nonetheless). He mimics sliding into base, throwing the ball after a hit, spitting, etc, etc. Even the other day he wanted just a pair of shorts on with no shirt so he could be like the shirt/skins basketball players that he saw at the YMCA. He even persuaded me to let him "suit up" at his friend Tyler's house. And watch out, plastic golf clubs are flyin' already folks!

He's started to develop friendships with other kids his age at church, but his best buds continue to be his cousins, Jakob and Aaron. He and Jakob seem to always be in some sort of love/hate brawl, making each other cry over some toy or action, but continue to want to play with each other all the time. When they're together "mine" seems to be the word of the day. I'm sure they'll figure out sharing and working together some day when they're not toddlers. Aaron unfortunately gets the brunt of bad behavior most times but still continues to look up to both boys and follow their every move.

Sleep over!
Austin is a bit...no, a lot...obsessive right now. He'll cling to something during the day and drive me crazy with it. Today it happens to be his water guns. Yesterday and many other days it's bubble gum. And the obsession always comes in multiples. He can't have just one. And I must also have one too. I'm sure its a normal 2 1/2 year old thing to teach parents the virtue of patience and unconditional love. :-)

And, he loves a good bouncy house and foam pit like most boys his age. There's a place called "Bounce" that has about 10 bounce houses and he loves it there. He lights up like the 4th of July when we walk in. We also take advantage of a local gymnastics studio's open play day. He gets to jump around on all the equipment, including the trampolines and bars, and launches himself into the giant foam pit!

His little brain absorbs so much every day. He amazes me with his memory, his love for books and singing songs, and his inquisitiveness. He will definitely be ready for preschool in the fall!

A Poem - for the Mamas

WHAT DID I DO TODAY?

What did I do today?
Today I left some dishes dirty,
The bed got made around 3:30.
The diapers soaked a little longer,
The odor grew a little stronger.
The crumbs I spilled the day before
Are staring at me from the floor.
The fingerprints there on the wall
Will likely be there still next fall.
The dirty streaks on those window panes
Will still be there next time it rains.

"Shame on you," you sit and say,
"Just what did you do today?"

I nursed a baby till he slept,
I held a toddler while she wept.
I played a game of hide-and-seek
I squeezed a toy so it would squeak.
I pulled a wagon, sang a song,
Taught a child right from wrong.
What did I do this whole day through?
Not much that shows - I guess that's true
Unless you think that what I've done
Might be important to someone
With bright blue eyes and soft blonde hair.
If that is true - I've done my share.

-Author Unknown

Our Annual Valentine's Day Feast

Valentine's Day has always felt too commercially driven to me (and Brett and I are massively in love everyday ;-) so we forgo the pricey roses and chocolates in lieu of one of our favorite meals: steak and crab legs! We've prepared our annual dinner together for the past 4 years and it's something we both really look forward to on V-day. No reservations required and no worrying about if you did just the 'perfect thing' to make the other feel loved. The love is in the meal we prepare and enjoy together. It's a bit trickier to indulge in a romantic dinner at home with a toddler, but we managed to do it this year at 8:30pm when Austin was a snoozin'! A little late for high calorie succulence, but who cares!

We paired out king crab and Omaha steak with my favorite new recipe for green beans and some tasty artisan bread. Then we topped it all off with the only dessert that can hold up to the deliciousness of the meal itself: chocolate bundles! These little puppies are made of puff pastry with your favorite candy bars melted inside. And, as if that's not enough, we top them with chocolate ganache and whipped cream (the real stuff). Thanks, Paula Dean!

Our conversation centered around family, work and each other. It was so fulfilling to be able to talk with one another at the table as opposed to reciting persuasive commands like "eat 3 more bites and you can have a..." to a 2 year old over and over again. Brett gave me a wonderful homemade card listing "The Reasons You'll Always Be My Valentine" and I, being the loving and caring wife I am, forgot to even sign his card I bought him at the store. Damn! I better get my act together next year...so unlike me. By 10pm we were stuffed and ready to call it a night. But alas, dish duty awaited. I must say, it is the ONLY drawback to our Valentine's day of love! Anyone want to volunteer next year...spread a little love our way? ;-)

We hope all our family and friends were as blessed on that evening as we were.
XOXOXO

Kisses, Hugs, Knucks, High Fives...

Bedtime at our house goes something like this:
PJ's - Brush Teeth - Potty - Stories - Rocking Time - In Bed

Once in bed, it goes something like this (per Austin's request):
Kisses - Hugs - Knucks - Kisses - High Fives - Little Baby High Fives - Kisses - Knucks - Hugs - "Night, Mom" - "Love You"

And sometimes before I leave the room Austin reassures himself like this (referring to his bed): no bugs, no spiders, no snakes, no bees...

It makes me smile every time. I'm not sure if he's trying to prolong the inevitable or if his little routine is just what makes him comfortable before sleep. I don't care, I love it.

Idaho City, ID

In keeping with our new year resolution of 'creating family memories', we ventured up to Idaho City. I hadn't been up that direction since I was a kid and Brett never had. I mostly remember the hot springs - well that's pretty much all I remember. The facilily had a funny sign in the dressing room: "Welcome or our OOL, notice there's no P in it." Sadly, the hot spring pool isn't even operating any more. So what else does Idaho City have to offer in the wintertime? Well, snow and lots of it. We were looking for a snowy adventure and we found it. We meandered up a plowed summer camp road and had a blast enjoying the brisk air, beautiful scenery and each other. Lucky for sparky, he got to share in the adventure with us. I've never met a lab that didn't enjoy a good romp in the snow! So, cheers to our first family adventure of 2011! May we enjoy many more moments like this one - minus getting the new car stuck in the snow and flagging down the only car we'd seen for hours (ok, maybe minutes) to pull us out!

My boys...
The momma...

The once happy snow angel creator who got a little too cold...