Tall Tales

Seven Years

2011-09-19T00:03:00.001-04:00

Camie turned 7 yesterday. On September 17, 2004 I became a mother. As I sat and watched the 10th anniversary tributes about September 11 this year, I was reminded of how Camie's due date was September 10th. I prayed and prayed that Camie wouldn't come the next day. And luckily for me, she came a week later. But Camie's birth was very typical of her and her personality.

Because I was a week over with my first, my doctor decided to induce me. The labor went very long. I got started on pitocin about 6am, and wasn't ready to push until 11pm that night. I was so tired and weak from not having eaten over 24 hours, but it was time to do the hard part. I remember realizing then that this labor stuff truly was not for the weak. It was hard, and there's a reason why they call it "labor." Minutes turned into hours. I had pushed about 2 hours, and Camie wasn't coming out any further. My doctor came to check me and gave me the option: push for another hour or so (or however long it took) or he could use forceps to grab her head and help her out. Being so tired and weak, I chose the latter option. Looking back, I laugh, because it was so typical of Camie's personality. Even with pitocin running through my body, she was not ready to come out. Because it was someone else's idea, she was not having it. Camie does things in her time, on her terms. This goes with all her milestones, showing affection, having ideas for things, participating in activities, you name it. The doctor literally had to get forceps to force her out.

She was a big baby, 8 lbs. 15.9 oz (so basically a 9-pound baby.) From the get-go, Camie has been on the go-go-go. She was not a super cuddly baby. She didn't like if you held her or snuggled for a long time. As soon as she could start scooting and crawling around, she did, and she took every opportunity to learn and explore (and most of the time) destroy. I remember when she was about 9 months old, Jeff came home from work and I cried to him while sitting outside on the balcony. "I can't do it!" I said. "I have to entertain her 24 hours a day! I feel like a cruise director!" Now we call her "Cruise Director." She is always wanting to know, what's next? And we wonder with her, what's next? Because with Camie, it's always something. She keeps us on our toes. We have to be two steps ahead of her, which can be exhausting. But she is a smart cookie.

Camie on her blessing day, October 2004

I'll never forget being in a Sunday School class when Camie was about 3 years old. We were discussing parenting, and the challenges of it. One of the ladies in the class brought up such a good insight. At the time, I was having a hard time with Camie with behavioral problems, things that were driving me crazy. She made the point that she thinks that the oldest children are the ones in heaven who say, "Here I am, send me. I'll be the oldest. I'll be the one who makes a lot of mistakes and where my parents make a lot mistakes. But I will be the example and try to lead my siblings as best I can." When I thought of it that way, I cried. It is so true. "Camie is such a leader", as her kindergarten teacher told me after having her for 2 weeks in her class. "She is definitely a leader, not a follower." And although it can be trying as the parent, I am so happy for that and so proud. Camie is so confident, and she doesn't care what anyone else thinks (which can be good and bad.) As long as I can steer her in the right direction, and make her think it's her idea, there's no stopping her.

My sister jokingly calls her "CEO." She is definitely the Queen Bee sometimes. She is a doer and has a lot of drive. She is athletic and picks those things up easily. She is so sweet in that she's practically had to share her whole life with a little sister. We joke that when Camie goes to college, and it's time for Maddie to go, she'll probably go to the same school and be her roommate because she can't live without her. Camie's had to share every birthday but one with her little sister Maddie:

Her first one she had to share, her second birthday September, 2006

And this year, when she had her big friend birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese's, Maddie was right there again to help her celebrate and tag along. And I love that they have such a great bond and are the best of sisters. They even share clothes already.

Happy birthday Camie. We love you and don't know what our lives would be like without you!

Maddie's Hawaii "5"-0!

2011-09-06T14:04:00.000-04:00

Maddie is our second birthday in August. Her dad's is the first one on the 10th, and Maddie's is less than a week later, on the 16th. This year Jeff and I were fortunate enough to go to Hawaii in July for a work trip, and when I asked Maddie what kind of birthday she wanted this year, she mentioned a Hawaii or a beach birthday. It was easy enough so we did it!

Years ago I had a good friend who told me that growing up, she and her siblings (she had 5 or 6) would only have a big "friend" party every four years or so. It would start at about 4 years old, and then all the big milestone birthdays like 8, 12, and 16. Being the oldest of two kids, I was a little shocked. I had a big birthday party pretty much every year. How horrible to not have all your friends come over on your birthday and have a huge party! But now that I have three kids, whose birthdays are within 4 weeks of each other, I decided that the every 4 years thing is a pretty good idea!

So this year we just had a family party at home. My mom came into town the day before so she could be here for Emma's 1st, and I also thought it would be fun to take the girls to a movie. So I took the big girls to see "Cars 2" and they really liked it.

Here's a picture of the birthday girl and her sister. For her birthday breakfast I made her stuffed french toast and bacon. My sister gave me the "You Are Special Today" plate which I wanted for a really long time.

So Jeff and I brought back the girls hula outfits when we were in Hawaii. I mentioned to Maddie that I thought it would be funny to wear them for Maddie's birthday. She went upstairs and came down looking like this! I was dying laughing because I thought that she was going to put a shirt on underneath her coconut bra and she didn't. So the pictures are a little scandalous, but super funny.

Posing with Grandma Dunn. Since Maddie was turning 5, I thought it would be funny to call it "Maddie's Hawaii 5-0." I made the banner and the pom-poms to make it festive.

Of course we had to have Hawaiian pizza!

Camie and Emma playing with our mirror.

Emma practicing her ukelele. Her great-great-grandpa Dunn would be proud!

Emma's "One-derful" Birthday!

2011-09-04T21:22:00.000-04:00

I don't know why the start of Fall always makes me reflect on the passage of time. Maybe it's the starting school, the new year, the leaves changing and the weather getting (hopefully) cooler. Or maybe it's the month of birthdays in August and September in our house that make me stop for a second and reflect on just how fast time goes.

When we lived in Baltimore, Camie was turning one, and my mother and father came out to help us celebrate and commemerate her first birthday. I remember talking to some older ladies in my ward who were grandmothers. I told them that my mother was coming that week and how excited I was. "What's the occassion?" they asked. "My daughter's first birthday," I said. "Oh how nice..." they paused. "How many grandchildren does she have?" "This is her first and only so far," I replied. "Oh..." they mused. "That will probably stop the more grandchildren she has. It just gets harder!" I'm happy to say to those ladies, that with each grandchild my mother has had (and she has four and soon to be five) she has been there for all of their first birthdays.

I am so glad that my mother comes out and sees them at this special time. It means so much to me that my parents sacrifice to come out and be with us when these sweet babies turn one. Sadly my dad couldn't make it this year, and we really missed him. But we were so happy to have my mom join us for Emma's celebration. Her actual birthday was Wednesday, August 24, but we celebrated on that Saturday, the 27th. I decided to make panda cupcakes and decorate in that theme. Here are some pictures of the day:

Maddie loaned us her stuffed panda bears to decorate the table.

A picture of the birthday girl the day of her party. My mom got her the dress and shoes. She has been pulling up a lot and our ottoman is just the right height for her to practice standing.

My mother got her this birthday headband to wear. We got it at a children's boutique in Southlake. She wanted it to be a surprise, and when she brought out the gift bag to the car, she said "You are going to DIE." And I did. I couldn't believe how cute it was! It is the year of Kate Middleton and the "fascinator", you know.

She kept it on most of the party. This is her first bite of sugary goodness. I'm not sure she really liked it.

She was a little leary of the candle, I think. When it was lit, she was not happy. I tried to take some more pictures of her with the lit cupcake, but it was not happening.

This, people, is why you don't have a humongous party and invite lots of people to a first birthday. The pressure is unbearable!

Opening her presents.

Emma at this age is so cute. She waves hello and goodbye. She says Mama and Dada, but only usually says Mama when she's upset or wants me. Jeff taught her how to say "Tah dah!" when she was 10 months and it's so cute. She has been army-crawling for a few months, but around her first birthday has started to real-crawl a little, although she doesn't do it full-time. Around her first birthday, she really started pulling up on things and cruising a little bit. She switched over to real milk the week of her birthday and has loved it.

I don't remember my other girls understanding language so much at this age. She loves to read books with real pictures in them, and when we ask her what she likes to eat on the food page, she'll usually point to the banana or yogurt. From age 9 months or so, if she had something in her hand or if she'd put something in her mouth, we would say, "Emma, what do you have in your mouth?" and she would immediately take it out and give it to us. She'll get my shoes and I'll say, "Emma, do you want to try on those shoes?" she'll grab her foot with her other hand and try to put it in my shoe. She loves to point at things and "talk." It is usually the baby gibberish but mostly consists of the word "da-da." Jeff calls her R2D2 because she makes sounds that sound like him. She'll grab a hairbrush and brush her hair with it, or grab one of her sister's necklaces and try to put in on. She loves being with her sisters, although she can be feisty and get mad if they scold her or don't want her to do something. She'll scream at them and crawl toward them. It's hilarious. She's the third! She has to have her voice and opinion heard!

Happy 1st birthday Emma. No more for you for a while!

The Fastest Year

2011-08-24T22:02:00.000-04:00

(photo courtesy of Tiffany Sheppard)

The day was August 24, 2010. I got up early to go to Baylor Hospital in Grapevine, Texas for my scheduled induction. It was about 7am or so and I was nervous. I had had two babies before, and I knew what was in store, but it had been a few years. I was confident that it would all come back to me. I'll never forget getting situated in my room and my nurse, Mary, was entering in some information about me into her computer. She asked me where I was born. I said, "Funny you ask, because I was actually born in this hospital when it was the old one, before they built this new one." "No way!" she said. "Who delivered you, do you know?" I told her the name of my mom's OB/GYN. She knew the name and asked the phlobotomist who was starting up my I.V. She knew him and had worked with him before years ago. I immediately felt so comfortable then, so at-ease. I was also so happy that I was in some experienced hands and they had a little bit of familiarity with me in some small way. I was also so happy that my I.V. was put in my forearm and went in lickety split the first time, without any pain (I swear, for me that is the worst part!)

The day went a little slowly after that. I was sure that it would be faster than Maddie's birth, which took about 8 hours from start to finish. Jeff and I watched a few stand-up bits from Brian Regan and laughed. The nurse kept checking me and said that the baby was still so high up. I was getting concerned that it would take a long time. I remember it was about 4pm and Oprah was on, and I progressed very quickly. I felt the baby drop, and I was feeling the pressure. In about 15 minutes, I was pushing. I pushed for about 45 minutes, and Emma was born at 5:01. My hospital room looked out onto the street that I grew up on as a young child, Bluebonnet Street. What a full-circle moment, to remember riding my bike in the huge dirt mounds where they were building Baylor, and now, having my sweet baby there myself.

I remember a month or so before, at our family reunion in Oregon, my cousin Marianne asked me whether I wanted a boy or a girl. I told her that of course I would be happy with either, but I would feel bad if it were a girl because I didn't want her to be like a third wheel, because Camie and Maddie are 2 years apart and pretty close. "Oh nonsense!" Marianne said. "Those two girls would love that baby girl so much, she would be like their little doll. It will all work out." We didn't know it was going to be a girl. It was a surprise, and I couldn't believe it was another girl, but on the other hand, I could since that's all my family has. They gave her to me and I started to cry. I love that first moment when a mother meets her baby for the first time. It is such a sweet spiritual experience, like your souls are meeting again. I knew instantly that she was mine, that she was supposed to be in our family, and everything would be all right.

Jeff and I also don't name our babies until they're born. I think you have to see them, and try on the names, to see what feels right and what fits. I love that process, because it's so special. I remember reading in my scriptures that morning and thinking about the name Jeff and I had talked about. The nurse brought her into me shortly after that. As I took her in my arms and said, "Are you Emma?" I started to cry. I knew that was supposed to be her name.

Marianne was right. This little girl has brought such life and light to our home, such love, such ease and comfort. She is the sweetest, most laid-back baby and this has been the fastest year ever. I can't believe she is one. Almost every day I tell her to stop growing, and she's not listening. Maddie calls her "Little Sweetness." I didn't want to put her to bed tonight because now she will just keep getting older after one. And that is not acceptable.

Happy birthday Birthday Girl! We love you!

"Oh Mexico...."

2011-06-23T21:55:00.000-04:00

"Way down here, you need a reason to move....

(our 10-year-anniversary trip to Riviera Maya, Mexico)

(The Mayan temple of Coba)

"Feel a fool, running your stateside games...

(our wonderful tour guide Carlos with our wonderful lunch)

(a cenote, an underground cave to swim in)

"Lose your load, leave your mind behind....

(the Mayan temple of Tulum)

"Oh Mexico

"It sounds so simple, I just got to go

"The sun's so hot, I forgot to go home

"Guess I'll have to go now."

Hasta la vista, Mexico! We loved you!!

What Grandmas are good for

2011-05-28T04:46:00.000-04:00

Grandmas are good for going to Ranger Games in April and cheering on the team.

Grandmas are good for giving your kids very special outfits to wear that get passed down from child to child:

Grandmas are good for being there to celebrate Easter and all its spoils:

Grandmas are good for getting your girls all matching Easter dresses:

(Maddie crying because Camie got more eggs than her)

With my grandparents, my mothers' parents on Easter Sunday.

Grandmas are good for celebrating their birthday with us.

Grandmas are good for watching the Royal Wedding with and having a tea party:

Grandmas are good for celebrating Mother's Day with and showing her how much you care (Maddie and Camie both made us plant-holders from Home Depot and homemade cards.)

Grandmas are good for going to the Fort Worth Zoo with on preschool zoo day.

and going to Joe T.'s for lunch after:

Grandmas are good for taking care of babies, for squeezing them, feeding them, and getting them to go to sleep:

Grandmas are good for going to feed the ducks with and seeing the fish in the pond jump up and eat the bread out of the water:

Grandmas are also good for getting Maddie's hair done at Sweet and Sassy right before her recital and racing to make it on time:

(at Pei Wei for dinner after Maddie's dance recital)

Grandmas are also great for sewing with, crafting with, and going out to eat with. But most especially, grandmas are great for sacrificing so much time to come down and be with us for so long, for loving and nurturing, for laughing with and spending time with, for all the little ways that give me the example of what kind of mother and grandma I want to be someday.

Thank you Mommy. We all love you so much.

9 months in, 9 months out

2011-05-24T15:05:00.002-04:00

Today this little sweetheart was born 9 months ago. She has been so wonderful and we can't imagine not having her around. I thought I would record a few things that she's doing right now:

* She is sleeping through the night and has been since she was about 3 months old. She usually does about 6:30-6:30 but I don't really go in and get her until 7. She has been hard to get to nap, but hopefully she is doing better with napping at around 9 am and 1 pm every day. The best thing about Emma (but it can also be a bad thing) is that she will lay in her crib, quiet, sucking on her binkie, until you come in and get her in the morning. On the weekends I have been known to go get her close to 8 am.

* She is drinking forumula and has been since she was about 5-6 months old when I stopped nursing. She drinks about 24-28 oz. a day and can hold her own bottle. She is still eating pureed baby foods, although this last week she has been working on her fine motor skills and picking up cheerio's and puffs with her fingers. She is not quite ready for textures yet, she doesn't really like it when I give her chunky stuff.

* She is sitting up by herself and has been for about 2 months. She was kind of slow with sitting up and rolling over, but for about 2 months she has been doing both pretty well. She'll get up on her hands like a yoga pose, and we call her the "gecko" because she looks like a lizard. She likes to roll around the floor and grab at whatever is in her path. She plays in her exersauser where she spins around and practices standing up and bearing weight on her legs. I've tried putting her in a Johnny-Jump-Up but she doesn't really get the concept yet.

* She enjoys bath time and loves to splash around. She generally will sit still and listen to books in her rocking chair. Her favorite thing to do is suck on her binkie upside down. She will twist it around in her mouth so it's upside down. She is still in her infant carseat and will need to be switched over soon!

* Emma's personality is very sweet and tender. She is not loud, she is not super fussy or difficult. She gives you the biggest smile every time she sees you. She is very easily-amused and a generally easy baby. We call her "Angel" because she is so great. She is so sweet in her attention to detail, she will be on the floor and see a small thread and try to pick it up with her fingers. She usually lets you cuddle and hold her, although she is getting a little more active and wants to be more mobile, so holding her forever just doesn't happen anymore. She is such a patient baby. There have been so many nights when Jeff is out of town and I am getting the big girls ready for bed, and she will just be patient as I deal with them. She just waits while I make dinner or do whatever it is I need to get done. She is not really demanding at all, and is such a pure joy. She is getting way too big, way too fast.

Stop getting big now girl, ya hear?

P.S. The week I wrote this, Emma clapped for the first time. Now everytime you say "yeah" she claps her hands. Cutest.thing.ever. She also learned to fold her arms. The cutest was sitting at the dinner table before we said the prayer and she would fold her arms with us!

March Madness

2011-04-07T22:23:00.000-04:00

March really seemed to fly by. The weather finally turned from bone-chilling cold to warm. It was nice to be able to go outside and get to the park. Here are some things we did during the month:

This picture is hard to see, but Camie's kindergarten class entered a film in the Keller Independent School District Film Festival. There were a ton of entries, and her class won in their category! They all got to go up to the stage and accept their award. The poor things had to wait forever for their category though, it was like second to last and they had to sit there almost two hours to wait for their award to be announced!

This angel got to have her first ride on the baby swing in the park.

Spring Break came the middle of March. We had no plans, so we tried to do something at least everyday. The first day we went to the Fort Worth Botanical Gardens. It was pretty cold that day, and not a lot of flowers were blooming, but the girls had fun running around in the wide open spaces.

St. Patrick's Day came during Spring Break. We invited some friends over to make a fun day of it. Stryder and Saylor and Maddie are doing a craft.

My cute friend Brookly and her twins.

Our cute "rainbow" fruit salad we made.

A leprachan came and hid clues for the kids to find a treasure. One of the places was in the bathroom.

Another clue was in the bird's nest in our crepe myrtle.

The kids found a "pot of gold" in the backyard.

Maddie had a program at her preschool, Keller Christian School. Earlier that day she was balancing on the arm of our couch and fell and smacked her mouth on the tile. She had a fat lip, poor thing.

Singing one of their songs. It was so cute to see them do all the actions. My friend Mandie told me she was filming her son but had to zoom out because she was laughing at Maddie and had to get her on tape.

Maddie showing us her chair-back cover she made in her class.

Field Trip Fun

2011-02-22T23:00:00.000-05:00

On February 11, I volunteered to go with Camie to her field trip to the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. I was excited because since I've had Emma at the beginning of the school year, I haven't been super-involved with Camie's school, and I feel bad. I was in charge of being with Camie and a girl from her class, Mikayla. They both had fun and I forgot my camera that day, so I had to use my phone. Here are some pictures of our day:

Camie and Mikayla sitting in the print of a dinosaur's foot (or how big it would be.) What is this pose that Camie is doing? Sometimes I think she's 6 going on 13.

Camie on the momentum machine. It showed you how when you put your feet in, you spin faster and when you put your leg out, it slows you down.

Upstairs at the cowboy exhibit.

The kindergarten ate in the foyer on long sheets of butcher paper.

Trying out different sizes of hula hoops.

I was shocked that during the presentation, they asked for volunteers, and Camie rose her hand. A few minutes before, she was fighting me because she didn't want to watch it because it was "boring." Who knew? She put her hand on the ball and the static made her hair stand up.

In the gift shop, Camie and Mikayla put on bug masks.

At the end of the day, they went outside and had fun in the sunshine and brushing away at "dinosaur bones." It was nice to talk to the other moms and see Camie in her school setting.

This one goes out to the one(s) I love...

2011-02-20T21:35:00.001-05:00

February came with us looking out our window and seeing this:

Texas doesn't see a lot of snow, and so they are NOT prepared for it. For some reason, they think that dumping sand and dirt on the road will get rid of the snow and ice, (I guess no one gave them the salt memo) so everything kind of shuts down for a while. One snow day turned into two, then three, then four. Then the weekend came. By day six we were going STIR CRAZY. So, we had to get creative. Some of the things we did: we made popcorn, we watched movies, we played games. We baked. A LOT. But some of the other fun things we did were crafts. Lots of crafts, and got ready for Valentine's Day for the girls' schools. I finished my Valentine balls that I started:

Here's a valentine that Camie made for her class mates. She really liked doing it.

Despite the FRIGID temperatures (we're talking teens here), Maddie kept wanting to go out and play. So I had to bundle her up as best I could.

This is a random picture of Emma after church one day with a cute outfit on. I realized that I haven't been taking any pictures of her in her cute clothes.

One of the things we did to occupy ourselves was we made heart brownies for the girl's teachers. Maddie decided to give herself a makeover with some of her eye shadow before we decorated them.

These are Maddie's valentines we made. One other thing we did was melt down all their old crayons and make new homemade ones to give to her class. She found a catalog from the Paper Source store and wanted to make "disguised" valentines, so we did.

When the kids finally went back to school, Maddie had her Valentine's party. It was filled with sugar and happiness.

Then I helped Camie make her Valentine's box. It was so much fun! She really got into it. She pasted the chocolates on her homemade valentines for her friends. I made a small bouquet of "calla lillies" to give to their teachers. The dalmatian was from our babysitter, Sarah, next door.

Another view of the Valentine box.

We've LOVED February!

P.S. On one of the snow days, Camie and Maddie went outside and used buckets and a plastic cheerleading megaphone to make a "snow castle." I was very impressed with their ingenuity!

My birfday

2011-02-03T22:57:00.000-05:00

This year my birthday (January 22) fell on a Friday. Lucky for me, Jeff had something up his sleeve. He always asks me if I want to be surprised, or if I should just tell him what I want to do. I really didn't know this year. It was one of those years that wasn't really a milestone birthday, and I really was so busy with my life and the kids that I couldn't give it a second thought.

Then, the night before, Jeff came home and said he had figured something out. He was going to surprise me, but figured I needed to be in on it so I could help him with it. He had called one of our good friends to see if she wouldn't mind taking our three girls for the night. She obliged, and was very excited to do it. So, we had a night to ourself to go out to dinner, and use a hotel stay with some of Jeff's points. It was a wonderful idea. Emma sleeps through the night, and takes a bottle now, so it was perfect. I was so excited! A night to ourselves! To eat whatever we wanted and take as LONG as we wanted! To go to bed when we were tired and to get out of bed when we wanted to! For a mother of three young children, that is the best gift you could give me (along with a massage thrown in, but that was pushing it!)

We dropped the kidd-o's off and went into Dallas. We ate dinner at Magianno's, and I had one of the best steaks and garlic mashed potatoes I've had in a LONG time. We walked around Northpark Center and I visited the new H&M that is coming there soon (they have a preview store there now.) I got a couple of free birthday gifts, at Godiva and Sephora and Aveda. And then it was off to a nice hotel with a wonderful room on the top floor. The next morning we slept in, and ate breakfast at Manny's by our house. We stopped and picked up my birthday cupcakes at What's Up Cupcake (I opted for cupcakes this year instead of a cake, and this place makes GREAT ones.) And the girls were happy and sweet Emma was as cute as I remembered. What a wonderful birthday. Thank you to everyone who made it all possible.

Thanks to all my family and friends for their cards and gifts. And thank you to my sister Katie who got me a red "You are special today" plate that I've wanted for many years now, but have never gotten around to getting. I will eat my birthday cake (or cupcake) on it every year starting now.

A look back

2011-01-06T12:39:00.000-05:00

It is almost noon, and I am still in my bathrobe. The house is empty of big girls and I am STILL taking down Christmas decorations. Today while cleaning up in peace while the baby naps in her crib, I came across a piece of paper I wrote when Maddie was a little younger than Emma (about 3 months old.) It made me grateful for how easy I have it now. I think I was trying to document her schedule to see if there was any "pattern" to her sleeping. But now that I look back, I realize that until your baby is about 5-6 months old, you are on survival mode. Case in point:

11/20/06
5-5:30 am: Nursed, then put back down
7:30 am: Woke up
8:30 am: Nursed
9:30 am: Down for a nap
11:00 am: Woke up, nursed again
12:00 pm: Ran errands, sat in carseat
12:50 pm: Started to fuss
1:15 pm: Swaddled, rocked, gave binkie
1:30 pm: Put down for a nap
2:20 pm: Woke up from nap
2:30 pm: Nursed
4-4:30 pm: Bounced in bouncy seat, would doze to motion
5:00 pm: Ate 4 oz. formula
6:00 pm: Rocked with her binkie for a couple of minutes, put to bed, cried (her, not me)
6:05 pm: Went and soothed and put back down
6:30 pm: Woke up crying
6:45 am: Rocked, put back down
7:00 pm: Put down, cried
7:15 pm: Cried, went to sleep
9:00 pm: Woke her up to eat
11:00 pm: Bed

Pfew! I am tired just READING this! Maddie was a tough baby, a lot tougher than the other two. She was a tummy sleeper, and it took a lot of time to get her to go to sleep. We still laugh at the memory of Jeff putting her in her basinett in our small closet of our small Maryland apartment, "goldpanning" the bassinett because that's the only way she would go or stay asleep. Emma is such an easier baby and I am SO grateful, because I am usually dealing with the other two when Jeff is out of town! Now I know why I was so crazy back then, and NEVER left the house!

January thus far...

2011-01-05T16:58:00.001-05:00

It's a new year! And with it come new resolutions and goals to be better. As I was reading on my friend Anna's Facebook page, she mentioned that she and her husband were doing the two 365 project. Basically both of them are going to take a picture a day, all year. This got me thinking that this was a great thing, and although I'm not committing to this specific project, it got me thinking that taking at least one photo a day is not that impossible. You see, I usually go weeks or months without taking anything, and then I take a bunch of pictures, and then put my camera down for a while. So far this year, I have taken at least one a day, and it has been fun!

I've put up some photos of our house, because after some months, I've finally finished Emma's room (minus a few details). And for Christmas, Jeff got a great bonus and we found some furniture we liked, so we were able to finally furnish our living room. It has been nice as the house is slowly coming together. It's hard when you have to completely refurnish an entire house! But first, I'll start with this one:

Emma turned 4 months on Christmas Eve and is getting so big!

Maddie had some friends over to play, sisters Savannah and Olivia. These three are great pals and play SO well together!

I had to take a picture of this outfit, it was too cute.

Emma watching TV with me.

Emma's room. When my mom was here she helped me paint it, and we also did other projects for it.

The changing table was given to me by my friend Tiffany. It was dark brown and we put a coat of paint on it and painted the shelves pink. I found the chalkboard and the toy basket at a resale shop, and painted them to match the room.

This dresser was a steal at $15. We put a coat of paint on it and spray-painted the knobs pink. The shelves I found at a garage sale for like $15. They were Pottery Barn shelves, and still had the stickers on them!

I love the photo my sister took of me in San Diego when I was pregnant with Emma.

The mirror we got at a garage sale from my neighbor across the street. It was originally gold and we spray-painted it brown. The bookshelf we found at a resale shop and left it alone. It is a perfect size for baby books!

I love Emma's room. Thanks to my mom and dad who helped with it when they were here this summer!

Emma in her swing. Love the foreshortening (that's for you, my art history fans!)

Maddie sitting in our new living room. I was a little leary of the blue couch when I saw it, but I really liked it, and when we got it home, Jeff pointed out that the color of the couch is the same as the border in the picture hanging to the left of Maddie (a painting I did as a child.)

Another view of the living room from the front door.

I saw these chairs and HAD to have them.

Maddie on their big gift for Christmas. It is so fun!

Christmas Wrap-Up

2011-01-02T22:17:00.002-05:00

This month we've had a lot of fun. December is a busy month, but a fun month. Between dance recitals, outdoor cooking with friends, shopping and visiting family and friends, our days were filled. I tried to capture a few things that happened this month among all the craziness. This is what we did:

Maddie had her dance recital where she did a tap and ballet dance. Her tap dance was hilarious, because they did it to the song "I Want a Hippopatamus for Christmas." Adorable.

She was one of the tallest in her class.

Her ballet costume for "Away in a Manger." She did a really good job!

Maddie and her teacher, Miss Mindy. Miss Mindy extended a special invitation to Maddie to move up to the next level in front of the whole audience. Maddie really enjoyed dance, and watching her compared to the other girls, she really tried to get all the steps right. The other girls seemed to be doing it for fun, but I think Maddie took it a little more seriously, which is totally her personality.

The week of Christmas Jeff had work in Houston, so we all made the trip down and visited my dad's parents. They cooked us a Christmas dinner and we exchanged gifts. Camie LOVED being with her "Pappa" and helping him with anything he was doing. She even went into the eyeglass store for him to pick up his order! Those two are two peas in a pod!

My grandma, Kay Dunn, with Emma.

She and my Grandpa said, "Ok, you can leave, we'll take her for a little while!" I said, "No way, take the two older ones! They're much harder!"

On Christmas Eve, we invited my college friend Adrie and her husband and three kids over for dinner. They just moved down to Texas a week or so earlier, and live about 30 minutes from us. This is my girls with their two boys. Camie had a HUGE crush on their 10-year-old, Marcus. I wonder what Marcus was thinking of it...

That night the girls opened their Christmas PJ's.

and their ornaments...

Emma apparently wanted to eat her's.

Later that night, in Emma's Christmas PJ's, we took a picture of us in her room.

The loot.

Camie and Maddie the next morning, Camie's hula hoop over her eyes.

Maddie's stocking that my mom helped me make.

Some ornaments on our tree. I made the silhouette ones last year for the girls.

My favorite, Santa's Workshop.

The white bear I got at the MOMA gift shop with my mom in New York a few years ago, the lace Christmas tree on my mission in Belgium.

Maddie got this dancer ornament from her dance teacher this year. The apple I got one of the first years we were married and living in Salt Lake. I wanted a tree decked out in Modern Display ornaments, but of course, couldn't afford them. I found these at the Dollar Store instead!

Santa Baby visiting my aunt Diane and my mother's parents on Christmas Day.

Going to church on the 26th.

A Christmas miracle: Emma decided to take a bottle again. Now she gets one a day to get her used to them.

Emma loves hanging out with her family, and her sisters adore her. What a bunch of cuties! Hope your Christmas was as good as our's!

A song of Thanksgiving

2010-11-29T00:15:00.000-05:00

This Thanksgiving, we spent alone. No dinner with family or friends, and it was fine. I ordered a dinner from Sprouts Farmers Market complete with turkey, and all the fixins. It was the best $50 I ever spent. I figured it was just the four of us, and nursing a newborn all day doesn't bode well for cooking for four days. Especially for two little girls that suddenly don't want to really eat once Thanksgiving dinner is all ready.

As I was driving home on Thanksgiving day from picking up my food, I was listening to the radio, and a James Taylor song came on. It was a live version, and he prefaced the song by saying that he wrote it about a girlfriend in 1965. You probably know "Something in the Way She Moves":

There`s something in the way she moves,
Or looks my way, or calls my name,
That seems to leave this troubled world behind.
If I`m feeling down and blue,
Or troubled by some foolish game,
She always seems to make me change my mind.

And I feel fine anytime she`s around me now,
She`s around me now
Almost all the time.
And If I`m well you can tell that she`s been with me now,
And she`s been with me now
Quite a long, long time
And I feel fine.

Suddenly, I thought of my mother. You see, James Taylor is one of my mother's all-time favorite artists. She loves his smooth voice, how it hasn't changed in more than 30 years. She loves his songs, and his lyrics. And I always think of her when I hear him, because when I was a little girl, she would put on one of her many James Taylor records and clean. As I listened to this song, I thought of her, and on that day of gratitude, all that she had given me in my life. How she was determined to give me a better life than what she had. And I was profoundly grateful. Not to mention I missed her.

So I pulled the car over and called her. Through my sobs, I told her my feelings, how I loved her, and how I was so grateful for her and my dad and all that they've done and continue to do for me and my family. My mom is just like this lady in the song, "If I'm feeling down or blue, or troubled by some foolish game, she always seems to make me change my mind....and if I'm well, you can tell she's been with me now, and she's been with me now for a long time, and I feel fine."

This was a very personal moment for me, but I thought I would share it and let her know how much I love her, and whenever I hear J.T., I will always think of her.

Baby of Mine

2010-11-14T21:30:00.001-05:00

A while back, I was having a nagging feeling. Jeff and I were content with our two girls. They were the light of our lives. We loved them and loved our family. But then everyone kept asking if we were done having kids. And I didn't really want to face that question. You see, I had Camie and Maddie 23 months apart, and although a lot of people have their kids that close (or closer) it was very hard for me. I guess the fact that we were just out of law school, moved when Maddie was 2 months old, just getting caught up on our sleep when Maddie came around, and living in Maryland with no family or help practically did me in. I remember those days of feeling like all I was doing was feeding someone, changing someone's diaper, or trying to get someone to sleep all day long. I remember being in tears at Maddie's 6-week appointment when they asked me how I was doing. And I wasn't looking forward to that again.

So when the girls got a little older, and I didn't need a diaper bag anymore, I could take them to the pool and let them entertain themselves, and all the other wonderful things that come along when your children get older, I wasn't too excited to jump into Babyland again. But I knew we weren't done with our family. So what was I to do?

I basically prayed. I prayed to Heavenly Father and told Him that I knew our family wasn't done, but I wasn't super excited to be pregnant or to start over again. I prayed that He would help me remember all the good points about babies and pregnancy, because I was just remembering all the bad parts.

I remember being really pregnant, around 6 or 7 months, and still struggling with feelings of even wanting this baby. I was not super excited. So through my tears, I prayed harder. I prayed that I would be ready, that I would feel love, and that it would all work out all right. And let me tell you, Heavenly Father answered my prayers. On August 24, 2010, my prayers were answered with her:

Emma Louise has been the answer to my prayers and more. She is definitely the sweetest, most easy-going baby a reluctant mother could ask for. She makes me want to repent everyday for those feelings I had. She never cries, smiles all the time, is so go-with-the-flow. She loves her sisters and loves being apart of the action. She is easy to feed and very easy to get to sleep. She started sleeping through the night before she was 3 months old. Not once in those early months did I have to pace the halls, bleary-eyed at 3 in the morning, praying that she would just be quiet and sleep. She has slipped into our family just fine. I didn't think lightening could strike twice with a sweet baby (because Maddie was very sweet.) But I think it has.
And I hope I am not jinxing myself because I am a very superstitious person.

Now everyone keeps asking...is there one more? Jeff's answer is, "Let's end on a high note!" since she's such a good baby. And my answer is, I don't know. Stay tuned I guess. For now we are just cherishing this sweet baby and can't believe how fast the time is going.

Halloween Update

2010-11-10T21:04:00.000-05:00

When I was a little girl, I grew up in Texas until I was 10, a few miles away from where I live now. I remember Octobers being warm, and fun Halloween nights in my short sleeves. Until I moved to Utah, I didn't really know what a REAL Fall was like, with beautiful colors and crunchy leaves. It was then that I fell in love with Fall and all that it entails. It was the same way in Maryland. It makes me sad that my girls do not get to experience a "true" Fall anymore, but we like being able to play outside in t-shirts and shorts and our costume ideas are endless since it doesn't really get cold here for Trick-or-Treating!

We had lots of fun this Halloween season creating lots of fun things for our home and lots of memories that I hope the girls will look back on with fondness. Here are some of the fun things we did in October:

Down the street from our house is a small family farm called Homestead Farms. He had a hayride, a pumpkin patch, and a little petting zoo. We met some friends there one afternoon after school and took a hayride.

"'Hay' mom, look at me!"

My friend Lindsey showed me a really cool website where I got the idea to make these Halloween lanterns out of the million Mason jars that I own. I put them in my window-sill and then lit them along the sidewalk on Halloween night. They were so cute!

A crow decided to land on our table with our spooky Halloween tree. I also had a tree of crows outside on my front porch that I liked making.

My Halloween mantle this year.

I made these cute faces to hang from our three windows in our front. They took a long time but were really cute in the end!

Our beautiful mums in our front yard that bloom in the Fall. Thankfully they were already there when we moved in, and it made our front look so pretty. The girls also loved the gigantic spider. Maddie named him "Spookery."

The cutest Eeyore you've ever seen. Isn't he supposed to be sad?

Happy little Emma didn't get the memo I guess.

Our first attempt at taking photos of the costumes: too bright. See what I mean about Texas?

Camie wanted to be a go-go girl this year and Maddie originally wanted to be a skeleton, but I talked her into a black cat. Luckily my friend had Camie's costume that I borrowed and it fit perfectly! I added the earrings and the headband and she was good to go! Everytime she wore it we would sing Nancy Sinatra, "These boots are made for walkin'."

My Halloween pizza that I made. It was supposed to be a pumpkin face.

Maddie went to a cute Halloween party with some friends.

At Maddie's preschool the Keller Fire Dept. came to talk to them about fire safety. I love this shot of Maddie's tail on the ground!

Maddie and her class with her teacher, Miss Stannie.

Trick-or-treating at the school.

Our Halloween was so fun! I hope your's was too!

Emma is blessed

2010-10-02T23:24:00.000-04:00

Last Sunday, September 26th we blessed Emma in the Woodland Springs Ward in the Colleyville TX Stake in Ft. Worth. We were so happy to have my parents, my paternal Grandparents, and Jeff's sister and husband here to help celebrate.

Silly photo

A four-generation picture of me, my mother Becky and my grandmother Kay Dunn with my girls.

Jeff did a wonderful job with her blessing. He had a lot of pressure on him. You see, when Camie was blessed six years ago, it was a small fiasco because I wasn't able to hear her blessing. Long story short, from where we were sitting in the overflow, to the short deacon who wasn't holding the microphone close enough to Jeff's mouth and Jeff not knowing, it was very disappointing to not hear my first child's blessing. And Maddie's blessing was kind of a blur because we were trying to keep a 2-year-old Camie quiet and were more focussed on that. After hearing a couple of friends in Baltimore bless their children with obedience, I always have made that request with my kids' blessings, but unfortunately, it didn't make it into this one either. Oh well, I will still love my disobedient kids!

At home afterwards we tried to get some shots of Emma in the dress, and she did a good job for us (Michelle took some pictures too.)

She loves to stick her tongue out!

My mother hand-smocked this dress for Camie's blessing and all my girls have been blessed in it. She used pearls that were on my wedding dress, and made the bonnet as well. The little lace jacket was something I bought as a missionary in Belgium to bless my future children in (Belgium is known for their beautiful lace.)

We had a wonderful lunch at our house afterwards and finally used our new dining room table! Thank you Michelle and my mom for spraying my chandelier for me too, it was a great little project and saved me some money on a new fixture!

We had Spinach Pasta salad, Carrot and Bean Sprout Salad, homemade rolls, watermelon, and Chinese Almond cookies and Brownies for dessert. It was a wonderful day!

Camie is 6!

2010-10-02T22:56:00.000-04:00

This post is a little late in coming, but I wanted to wish Camie a Happy 6th Birthday! Camie turned 6 on September 17, and she was very excited for it to be HER birthday. You see, the month of August is the birthday month in my family with Jeff on the 10th, Maddie on the 16th, Emma being born on the 24th, and so on. So by the time it's Camie's, she has been waiting a long time! I didn't do a huge party this year seeing that I had a 3-week-old. So we just took her out to lunch, just Jeff and I, and then had a family party at home. She kept saying she wanted a Buzz Lightyear Party, so that's what we did.

Some things about Camie at her age now: She is LOVING school. In fact, she is MAD if she doesn't get to go, like if the kids get a day off or something. She wakes up early every morning, ready to go. She loves picking out her own clothes for the day. She is super-confident and a born leader (as if we didn't know that already!) She enjoys playing with the boys, but at the same time still loves her Disney Princesses and girly things. She is doing really well with writing her letters and learning to count to 100. She loves to ride her bike and pesters us to take her out to ride it. She is very task-oriented. She loves helping and doing things. I can always count on her to do things for me, or to help me with things. She LOVES to cook and watch cooking shows. She is a great big sister, and although I never really catch her cooing over Emma, EVERY once and a while I will catch her being really sweet with her if she thinks I'm not looking. She likes to do things for Emma though, like holding her or feeding her a bottle. She is a great big sister.

When I brought cupcakes for Camie's class, she was very enthused that she got to help give out the Purell and pass out the cupcakes. She didn't want ANY help from me!

Her with her teacher, Mrs. Janet Trautman.

Jeff and I thought it would be nice to have some one-on-one time with Camie, so we took her to lunch.

Camie's cake that she wanted. I tried to make it look like Buzz was standing in moon dust (which was cookie crumbs.)

For her presents she got "Barbie and the Mermaid Tale" movie and doll, puzzles, a jump rope, a book and doll from Jeff's mom, some silly bands from Eric and Dall, Color Wonder books and Markers from Katie and Brant, and Maddie wanted to get her some lip gloss flavored like M&M's.

"It's the most wonderful time of the year!"

2010-09-17T09:17:00.000-04:00

Camie and Maddie both started school this year at new schools. Camie started Kindergarten at Independence Elementary, with her new teacher, Mrs. Janet Trautman. Camie was SO excited to go to Kindergarten, seeing that she was almost 6 and really ready. Camie also craves activity and a schedule, something her too-laid-back mother just couldn't provide on a day-to-day basis. She is a busy-body! I also LOVE that her school is literally around the corner and we can walk there! Her dad takes her on the mornings he's here, and he says she just talks his ear off the whole way there. It reminds me how important it is to have one-on-one time with your children, and to always be at the "crossroads" in their lives.

Maddie started preschool at Keller Christian School. She goes Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9-2. It gives me a nice little break a couple of days a week from the big girls, and will get her ready for Kindergarten next year. She has some friends from church who also go there, and I think it will be a fun experience for her. Maddie can already write most of her letters by herself, and is really advanced academically, but it will be good for her socially. Her teacher is Mrs. Stannie Kimble, and is a grandmother herself and very nice.

Yeah for the new school year!

Maddie's 4th

2010-09-16T22:56:00.001-04:00

For Maddie's 4th birthday this year, I wanted it to be special for her. I knew that I would be having the baby close to her birthday, and that her little world would come shattering down as she was kicked out of the "baby" slot. And Camie had her first "friend" party at 4 years old, and with my Jewish Mother Guilt, I always feel like Maddie gets the shaft a little bit. So I decided to go all out this year and give Maddie a great birthday party. I debated, and checked around, and finally just decided to go to her favorite hair salon in Southlake, Sweet & Sassy for an ultimate Princess birthday party. There was hair done, makeup, nails painted, dressing up, dancing, walking a runway, crowning, cake and ice cream, and to top it off, a limo ride in a huge pink car. Hopefully it was a party that Maddie will never forget. (For more pictures of her and her guests, check my Facebook account.)

Happy Birthday Miss Maddie! We love you!

The Luckiest

2010-09-13T23:07:00.000-04:00

When I found out I was pregnant with Emma in December, I started to panic. Not because it was my 3rd baby and I was a little rusty. Not because I would be pregnant AGAIN in the summer heat. But because I knew that my Dunn Family Reunion was scheduled for late July/early August, and I hoped and prayed that my due date didn't fall around then and that I could go.

I missed the one before that, two years ago in Taos, New Mexico. Jeff and I lived in Baltimore, and we just couldn't swing going out with our two kids and the expense it would've required at the time. I remember talking to my mom on the phone and found out that I was one of only three of my MANY cousins and second-cousins who didn't go. And one of them was my little sister who had JUST had a baby, and a good excuse. I was heartbroken, and cried as she told me about it. I vowed that come hell or high water, I would go to the next one, when there was one.

You see, our Dunn Family Reunions aren't your typical "meet in the park on a Saturday afternoon for a couple of hours and call it a Family Reunion." They are events, they last 3-4 days, and they are planned for us all to reconnect and talk and catch up and relive old memories. Like we used to when we'd go to my great-grandparents house in Holladay on Sunday nights. The first official one was started by my great-grandparents, Bill and Melba Dunn in Midway Utah at the Homestead when I was about 14. Since then we have had them in Seattle, Jackson Hole, Monterey CA, and Taos just to name a few. I have the fondest memories of them, and how our family bonded together.

These are my great-grandparents, Bill and Melba Dunn who started the whole tradition and then passed it down to their six children, who have taken turns planning and hosting the reunions. (Thanks Elizabeth for the picture!)

My Uncle Jeff planned this year's in Sun River, OR. I counted the weeks when I found out my due date, and saw that I would be 36 1/2 weeks, almost 37. Everyone asked if I was going. Jeff had hotel points he could use, and an airline ticket. We knew once we purchased, there was no going back. I talked to my doctor, twice, and he said that if everything looked good, then there would be no problem to fly. Then the date got closer. I brought it up again. My doctor looked at me as if I were crazy. "No no no, you can't fly that close to your due date," he said, like it was the first he'd heard of it. I couldn't believe it; I was confused, upset, and heartbroken. The tickets had already been purchased. I got a tear in my eye in the office and was noticeably shaken. He reassured me that I could call Southwest and get them refunded with a doctor's note. But I didn't care about that, I wasn't concerned about the money we'd be out. I would be missing out AGAIN. I consulted some friends and my sister. They told me to just go, and not tell him, that if I felt it would be ok, then it would be fine. I was scared (the rules girl in me) but also realized that it was easier to ask forgiveness than permission. And I wasn't missing another one. So I decided to swallow my pride, throw caution to the wind (literally) and go. I also knew that it would be the last big trip we could take with the two older girls. I wasn't missing out.

So I went looking like this. This picture doesn't do it justice, but I was UBER pregnant. I faced all the questions, I got the "bless your hearts", I thought I would be thrown off the plane twice. But I wasn't missing it, and I told my family that the ONLY reason I was going, is because I loved them more than anything, and I wouldn't miss it for the world. Everyone told me I got the award, that if I could go, then anyone could go. I felt good. We had so much fun, and it gave the girls a trip they would never forget. (Aren't my cousins cute? Me with my cousin Sydney, my mom and sister, Lucy and Clara.)

We flew into Portland and drove a little down the Oregon coast. It was FREEZING but just as beautiful as I remembered it as a teenager. Jeff had never seen it and loved it.

Camie and Maddie made new friends with my cousins kids and played so mini-golf with their Pop, who is the biggest golf lover ever.

The girls rode a pony and played in the "woods" behind our two-bedroom condo that we absolutely loved.

We did so many other things like a huge family bikeride, swimming,
great dinners and breakfasts, seeing deer outside our condo,
having a BBQ and reconnecting with family members, games,
going out for ice cream. But mostly we just enjoyed each other's company and the beautiful weather, and the time spent together. And seeing sites like this from our car:

And we loved riding in the car, sans movies and lots of technology, and listening to these two girls color, play, sing, and be together. Jeff and I were able to have great conversations in the car, and it was so nice and peaceful. I thought, "it won't be like this for a while." We relished in the time together, as our cute family of four. (Thanks Kate for taking the black and white pic.)

Thank you, Uncle Jeff and Aunt Lisa and family for planning such a wonderful reunion. I wouldn't have missed it for the world! And I'm so glad I was lucky enough not to this time. I love being a Dunn girl.

Introducing...

2010-09-11T23:38:00.000-04:00

Emma Louise Sullivan

August 24, 2010

5:01 pm

9 pounds, 1 ounce

20 inches long

I can't believe it's been almost 3 weeks since I've had this little angel. So many changes in our house, so many things I thought I forgot that are old-hat and have come right back. Emma is such a sweet baby and her sisters are in love. We love her so much and are so happy she's a part of our family. We didn't know we were having another girl, and from the moment I saw her, I knew she was supposed to be with us.

I told my mother before she was born that I hoped that with this baby, I would remember to be more present, to remember that all the bad stuff passes, and to relish in the moment. Tonight as I was rocking her to sleep, and looking at her sweet angelic face, I was reminded of a cross-stitch that my mother did for my little sister in her nursery, and tears came to my eyes. The last part of the poem that says,

"Cleaning and scrubbing will wait til tomorrow,

For children grow up, we've learned to our sorrow

So quiet down cobwebs, dust go to sleep,

I'm rocking my baby, for babies don't keep."

Letters

2010-08-22T16:20:00.001-04:00

Dear Camille Rue,

How did you get from this........................................to this so fast?

I can't believe you are starting kindergarten tomorrow. You are very excited but pretty scared. I am afraid you are like me in that you have a nervous stomach and you think about things and make yourself sick. I guess I will just have to get used to it and try to sympathize with you because I know what that feels like. You can ask your grandparents and your dad about frequent stomach pains and trips to the E.R. whenever significant things happened in my life (missions, marriage, moving to Baltimore.) You are excited to get a blessing from your dad to calm your nerves and to help you in your new school year. And your teacher gave you some magic glitter at "Meet the Teacher" night so that you can sprinkle it on your head tonight and sleep soundly and not be nervous. I know you will do so well. You are so nice and kind to other children, and have learned so much. You can write so well and you are so ready to learn how to read. I will miss your energy and your sunny attitude, and mostly, your helpfulness. Who is going to be here to help your sister when she needs something, or to get something for me for the new baby? I guess Maddie will have to take that role. I love you and want you to know how proud I am of you.

Dear Maddie,

It seems like yesterday you went from a bouncing tubby baby and now you're this 4-year-old preschooler who talks like she's 14. It seems like yesterday that I had you. I know that your little world is going to change, and you have been hanging onto being my baby for a while, talking like one and wanting me to hold you. But I am proud of the strides you've made in becoming independent with dressing yourself and brushing your teeth and just becoming more self-sufficient. You love babies and coo when you see them, so I hope that you will love this baby and be just as helpful. I know you will be lonely on the days you're home and Camie is at school, but now you will be the big sister and you will do great. You are such a sweet and loving child, and I love you.

Dear Jeff,

Thank you for being such a great husband and father. Thank you for putting up with my pregnancy and all my hormonal-swings. Thank you for all the hard work you do and for not complaining. I don't know how you're able to go to work and travel, come home and clean the house and take care of the kids, and do your church calling, and do such a good job with all of it. You are my hero. I love you.

(at Balboa Park, San Diego in their botanical gardens)

Dear Mommy,

Thank you for leaving your life behind to come down to the suffocating heat to help me during this fun and important time. I always appreciate you coming to help me, especially when new babies are involved. It has been so fun hanging out with you and seeing you interact with my girls. I love to hear them laugh. These are times that I will always remember and cherish. I love you.

(photo taken in San Diego by Kate Pease)

Dear Baby #3,

I am anxiously awaiting your arrival, and cannot wait to meet you. I am so excited for when they give you to me, and I have that famililar feeling of "I know you." I can't wait to see if another girl is joining our family, or if we will have a boy. Either way, I know that you are supposed to be in our family at this time. The last few days you have been moving like crazy, I wonder if your home is getting too cramped. It's definitely getting too cramped for me! But I love you and can't wait for you to meet your two big sisters and the rest of your family. Please be healthy and safe. I love you.

Love your daughter/wife/mother,

Erika

Reasons I am happy today

2010-07-18T20:56:00.001-04:00

1. Sleeping in 'til 9 am this morning. Thank you girls for playing and not waking us up!

2. My handsome and extremely helpful husband Jeff decided spur-of-the moment to take the girls down to Houston with him on business. The girls, as you can guess, find this very exciting because they get to a) drive down in the mini-van and watch movies, b) get to stay in a hotel where they can jump on the beds, eat anything they want for breakfast, and play opposom watching TV at night when we think they're asleep and c) get to visit Great-Grandma and Grandpa Dunn and ride their horses and feed their chickens. Today Maddie asked me, "Mom, do they have Lucky Charms at the hotel?" and then proceeded to tell me that she wanted to see Buttercup the horse, but that one of the horses was "too wild. He's wike a Mustang."

3.. I have enjoyed a quiet, peaceful day. Literally, I have been sitting in my house enjoying the quiet. Because it's not often that that happens, and in a few weeks this house won't be silent anymore. It has given me great time to think and to reflect on all the things I'm thankful for.

4. I was able to hang some things in Camie's room, and organize baby pictures/momentos of the girls that I've been meaning to do for a long time. All the while listening to classical music coming from the stereo in Cam's room. It reminded me of when Camie was a baby, and I had a small boombox in her room where I would always play classical music. I would nurse her, and hold her, and enjoy that beautiful time listening to that beautiful music. It reminded me of how simple it was back then, and how FAST time flies. Camie will be 6 in two months, and I can hardly believe it. Even to this day, she loves to listen to classical music, and sometimes prefers listening to it in the car.

5. Eating what I want, when I want, without anyone wanting it! I enjoyed some yummy homemade pizza with fresh mozzarella that I made the other night with my awesome homemade crust, and corn on the side (a Dunn tradition, eating pizza and corn together.) For lunch I had the sweetest watermelon I've tasted in a long time.

6. Watching the birds in my beautiful backyard hopping around and eating things in the grass.

7. Feeling my baby kick in my ever-expanding belly. I'm very excited to meet this little person and see what he/she is like. My girls are getting so old and independent so fast, it will be nice to have someone who is dependent on me again, and who I can selfishly love on without any protest. Camie has been flip-flopping whether she wants a brother or sister. Prior to this, she would say that she wanted a boy, because we already have two girls, and "if it's a girl, I'm going to be mad." When people would ask Maddie what she thought it was, she would say, "Camie says if it's a girl, she's gonna be mad" even to perfect strangers like cashiers. Now she's saying, "It's a surprise!" Maddie constantly refers to it as a "her." She'll hug my belly and say she's hugging the baby. Last week in church Camie got to feel the baby kick and she liked it. The other day Camie out of the blue said, "Mom, I want it to be a girl. And I want to name her Emily." We'll see soon enough!

I love my Mermaids

2010-07-07T23:42:00.001-04:00

These pictures were taken by my friend Tiffany last summer at our old pool. These girls love the water and things haven't changed this summer. Good thing we have six pools to choose from so we don't get bored!

Oh what do you do in the summertime...

2010-07-05T23:16:00.005-04:00

when the days just seem to fly? Do you...

have an end-of-school bash

do you have homemade ice cream to mash?

and tell Miss Susan thank you and Good-bye?

Is that what you do?

So do I!

Oh what do you do in the summertime,

when it's oh-so-very hot?

Do you...

dress-up for a party...

and lose your first tooth...

and pick your Uncle's nose a lot?

Is that what you do?

So do I!

Oh what do you do in the summertime

when family comes to stay?

Do you...

go to the mall

with Aunt Shawna and have a ball

and go to the pool and play all day?

Is that what you do?

So do I!

Oh what do you do in the summertime

in southern California so bright?

Do you...

pose by the sea

eating food so dreamy

and watch the seagulls twirl

above San Diego all night?
Is that what you do?

So do I!

Oh what do you on the 4th of July?

Do you...

fire up the grill

and make a yummy flag cake?

(Sorry, that last one didn't rhyme.)

P.S. Thanks to my sister Kate and sister-in-law Michelle for letting me steal some of their photos.

Thoughts...

2010-06-13T23:56:00.003-04:00

(a picure taken on Mother's Day with Maddie looking a little tipsy)

I have been having lots of thoughts lately. Mostly my thoughts are about my expanding belly and how the inevitable will shortly come upon us in a few weeks. I have been thinking about trying to be in the moment more, and not worrying so much about things I used to worry about. Tonight as I put my girls to bed, I thought about how much I love them and how fast they are growing. I love right before they go to bed, when we read the scriptures, and then they each choose a book to read. They both sit by me and rest their head on each of my shoulders. Tonight Maddie wanted some "vampire kisses" that her Aunt Shawna was giving her while she was here visiting. They love to lay on their bed with their head dangling while I eat their necks.

Today we were watching some old home movies when Camie was 2 and Maddie was a baby. I can't believe how fast 4 years has flown. It made me excited to see who this little person is that will shortly join our family. It makes me wonder if I will remember how to take care of a baby. I have forgotten so much. Right now I just wish the days would go by a little slower.

"Preschool is over, and we are going home..."

2010-05-27T20:52:00.004-04:00

Tomorrow is Camie's last day of preschool. This year I decided to do a co-op with some other moms in my neighborhood since it was her 3rd year of preschool and I didn't necessarily want to pay for a third year (she went two years in Baltimore.)

I have learned a lot this year. For one, although I really enjoyed certain aspects of it, I don't think I'm cut out to be a teacher. This is probably my last year of doing any sort of co-op. What I didn't like about it was the somewhat unpredictability of it, escpecially during the winter when kids would get sick and rescheduling had to be done. I'm the type that needs to be able to count on something so I can plan my day. However, I did love the freedom of it though, to be able to tailor the curriculum to what I like to do and what I thought worked for them. I also liked that they were exposed to many different teaching styles. I felt that Camie and Maddie both grew and learned a lot this year; I can definitely see a difference in them from the beginning of the year to now.

Maddie is also wrapping up her little preschool. She went to a two-day-a-week in someone's home as well. She has learned a lot, and I really appreciate all that Susan has done for her and the class this year. She had some fun field trips this year, to the fire station and taking a tour of Central Market. She is learning better how to write although she feigns incompetence with other things. :)

I am somewhat melancholy as to the end of this era. I will miss my one-on-one time with my kids every other day. I will miss the ability to just pick up and leave out of town or on a fun outing at a moment's notice. I will miss all the dancing and the crafts and the coloring boxes. But mostly, I am realizing how fast time is going and how our little family of four will change oh-so-soon. Next year will be an entirely different year when it comes to school.

The beginning: the first day of school at the end of August.

Maddie at Miss Susan's preschool.

Camie and her class at Tiffany Sheppard's house.

Camie's field trip in the fall to the pumpkin patch.

Maddie with her preschool buddy Owen at Halloween.

Teaching preschool at my house. One of the activities I did was painting with chocolate pudding. Cameron got it ALL over his face. Let's say that I had a lot of trial and error in my teaching too.
Case in point: chocolate pudding, glitter, etc.

Camie at Tiffany's house again one day.

Their Christmas play and concert.

Teaching at my house again. When I got to teach at my house Maddie got to participate, which she liked, but also was a problem sometimes.

Picnic in our new backyard (the grass looks SOO much better now from when this photo was taken!)

Camie's class fieldtrip to the zoo with siblings.

Ft. Worth Zoo is great!

The last week I taught we learned about May Day and I made a makeshift maypole. The kids LOVED it and wanted to dance around it many times. It was great until the crepe paper started to tear off!

Maddie painting at our house.

We also talked about Cinco de Mayo and I made some paper flowers to give to the kids.

Nine.

2010-05-05T22:36:00.002-04:00

Nine years ago today Jeff and I got married. I don't have any of our wedding pictures scanned, and I need to because there wasn't a lot of digital photos back then. Jeff and I were commenting on how sometimes it feels like we've been married a long time, and other times, it feels like the blink of an eye.

I got home from my mission in December 2000. Within two months, we were engaged. But we had dated before my mission and wrote all throughout. I was very ready to take the next step, and at 24, I felt pretty old to be doing so.

I remember I always wanted to get married in the Salt Lake Temple. It was my favorite Temple, and where I was sealed to my parents. But after some months of persuasion and thinking about it, Jeff convinced me to get married in the St. George Temple. My family lived there, all of his family was there, and it was only one of the few temples where you could have a white ceremony (where you are sealed right off the Celestial Room and all the wedding party wears white.) Looking back, I am so happy that we chose that. It was so special to see all our beloved family and friends in that room, dressed in white. It felt like what it would be like in the eternities. It was also very special because a lot of Jeff's family and ancestors were sealed in that same room.

I remember there was "standing room only" in our sealing. I remember it being really windy that day. I remember feeling so excited to finally be married to Jeff. I remember after our 2pm sealing and all the pictures, being so hungry and piling into Jeff's Mazda truck in my huge dress and going to Frost Top for burgers. Jeff didn't have his wallet and promised to pay them back. Seeing our dress, they agreed.

I remember that night dancing with my Dad. I remember being so grateful that Jeff's dad was there, in his tux, enjoying the evening (he was pretty sick around that time.) I remember laughing as we did a conga line to "Taking Care of Business" at the reception.

I remember about 4 months after we got married and watching September 11 on our TV in our tiny one-bedroom apartment. I remember driving away from Salt Lake City to move to Baltimore Maryland and saying goodbye to everything familiar. I remember the look in his eyes and his smile after I gave birth to both Camille and Madeline. I remember so many wonderful and hard times throughout these nine years. And I am so grateful for all of it.

Jeff carrying me over the threshold in our first house a couple months ago the day we signed.

Welcome Home

2010-04-30T18:45:00.003-04:00

My nesting instinct has officially taken over in full force. It's probably not a great idea to buy a house when you're pregnant because I see all these things I want to do with the little time that I have before the baby arrives. We've done a few things little by little, and it's been fun and exciting. Here are some things we've done:

We painted our front door from cream to a blackish-green.

Here's a picture of the bump around week 22 or so--yes, so big, yet so much further to go.

I made a Family Home Evening chart that I've been meaning to make for eons.

Camie and Maddie and I went strawberry picking one day with some friends and bought 6 pounds of strawberries. The next day was spent making 12 jars of homemade jam.

The girls helping me with my pots on the front porch.

This was a great project for them to do...they were great helpers.

Here's a picture of the front of our house. The house was landscaped really well when we moved in, I just planted some flowers in the front flower beds. We also put up the shutters on the second-story bay windows.

Here's a bigger view of our house. We are really loving it, it's so nice to have our own place, at last!

It makes me think of the Feist song "Mushaboom":

"Unpacking the bags and setting up, planted lilacs and buttercups...

It may be years until the day, my dreams will match up with my pay"

And we'll collect the moments one by one, I guess that's how the future's done."

We are really happy and can't wait to make memories in our new home.

Family Rules

2010-03-21T10:38:00.003-04:00

I have always been a "rule girl." Just ask my parents, my sister, my MTC companions. I have always believed in following the rules. My daughter Maddie seems to have taken after me, and I laughed when she was at the playground recently and saw some 'tweens taking the swings and twisting them around together. "Oh, we not supposed to do 'dat!"

This week as I was unpacking a couple more boxes, I came across this big piece of parchment paper when I had written some family rules. We were living in Baltimore, and we had a much-needed FHE about some basic family rules. I can't remember how old our kids were, maybe around 3.5 and 1.5 or 4 and 2, and we wrote them on a piece of paper and stuck it on the fridge. I used illustrations so they could remember the rule even though they couldn't read. Even though Maddie was really small, she knew the drawing of mouth and teeth meant "No biting" and she would even say it (I think she had had some problems in Nursery with this.)

Over time, the girls added more drawings, and the paper got old and brown, but I wanted to remember these rules we made before I sent this good piece of paper to the recycling bin. In case you can't read them, they are as follows:

1. NO hitting and NO biting.
2. Always listen to Mom and Dad (in retrospect, this should've been #1!)
3. Always hold hands when in the street.
4. Always use good manners.
5. If you get out a toy, always clean up.

On the back, I wrote some other rules that I wanted to inforce, but wanted to just remember them for my own sake. They were:
* No toys at the table (thanks to Jessica Seinfeld)
* No TV on while we eat
* No TV until you're dressed for the day (but ask Mommy first!)
* No grabbing toys away from our sisters or friends. Whoever has it first gets to play with it, the other must wait their turn.
* No toys in the car except on LONG trips
* Time-out doesn't start until you stop crying (an idea from my friend Michele Calderon)

I look back and chuckle at these rules, because these were things we were struggling with at the time. We used to have a lot of contention about toys before the girls were old enough to get the whole "sharing" thing. I used to hate when they would bring them in the car, and inevitably they would get dropped, or they wouldn't share, and the whole car ride would be turmoil.

I'm thinking of revamping our family rules as our kids are now almost 6 and 4. What kind of rules do your families have?

And happy first day of Spring to everyone, this is what Texas got on our first day of Spring. Crazy! I have had a cold the last couple of days and going from 70 degrees down to 35 was not good for my congestion.

Happy St. Patty's!

2010-03-17T13:59:00.003-04:00

I usually don't get super-into this little Irish holdiay, but I decided since my girls have both Scottish and Irish on both sides, that I would make it fun today. For weeks the girls have been bugging me to buy sugary cereal (which I don't do.) One day Maddie saw "Lucky Charms" and asked if she could have it. I told her that we could get it for a treat on St. Patrick's Day. I figure once a year is good, right?

I also made a green lunch and we tried to do a shamrock craft with sponges and paint, but the girls were more interested in stamping their paper than making a shamrock. Oh well, I tried.

As for our new house, we LOVE it. We love all the space, the natural light, the new furniture we've been able to get. I will post pictures as it gets a little more "lived in" and we have visitors coming in the next little while, so we're hoping that will help us accomplish some things before they come. But I figure it's pretty funny that we've been in it about 2 weeks and still haven't been to Home Depot. It was move-in ready, so we were lucky.

Here's passing on some luck of the Irish to you all!

Maddie's green lunch with broccoli, lettuce, green ranch, green applesauce, and a fortified organic green smoothie (I had to combat the sugar from breakfast!)

Our jello desserts (for the easy recipe, go here).

Silly St. Patty's girls!

Winter fun

2010-02-22T11:12:00.003-05:00

This month Texas has seen some snow, which is crazy! I guess all that snow in the East has made its way down here! We got a few inches one day where it snowed all day. The girls were loving it, and I told them to go out and play in it because it would soon be gone! Sure enough, by the next day it had melted significantly. I was glad we saved all our snow-gear from Utah and Maryland.

Because of the unusually cold weather down here, we have been inside a lot. We have played games, had hot chocolate, and done many crafts. I have used a lot of ideas from this website that my friend Stacy told me about over Facebook, and I love it! It is so great and wonderful to do with preschoolers! I'm always looking for ways to keep them entertained!

As far as some news goes, for those of you who don't already know, I am expecting. I am due around the end of August, not uncommon for me (Camie is Sept. and Maddie is August). That's just how I have kids, I guess. We are also moving at the end of this week into our first house! We are so excited and feel so blessed with how it all worked out. We are also so excited that Jeff's youngest sister Michelle and her husband Matt are moving down here closeby to work. Matt is staying with us until we move out and then taking over our lease for the last couple of months. It was amazing how so many things fell into place. I truly know how Heavenly Father looks out for us and is mindful of our situations.

Look at all that snow!

Our attempt at a crooked snowman!

A valentine craft

Maddie the artist.

Maddie painting.

Camie doing her "Kandinsky" print.

Camie's finished product. A work of art!

A birthday, a scavenger hunt, and other adventures

2010-02-06T13:49:00.005-05:00

January was my birthday month, and for the first time in MANY years, I was actually not depressed! I think it was because in the past, I have lived in Utah and Maryland for my birthday, and January 22 usually brings freezing temperatures, gray skies, and seasonal depression. However, this year in Texas it was sunny and clear and warm, in the high '60s. It was wonderful! My friend Tiffany hosted a birthday breakfast for me at her house, and it was so fun to get together and talk. That night Jeff gave me a wonderful birthday cake and took me to Celebration, a wonderful restuarant. I used to go there with my mom and grandparents when we lived here or when we would visit, and it tastes just the same.

Kris, Lindsey and me on my birthday

Sharee and Maryn

Tiffany and Michelle.

My yummy triple-chocolate cake.

Camie's hair was getting long, so we gave her a haircut:

And one boring Saturday, we amused ourselves by riding in laundry baskets,

and playing play-doh. I asked Maddie to clean up the play-doh, and I said, "Maddie, are you finished?" She said, "Yes," and I went to investigate. This is what I saw:

Needless to say I had to seperate all the colors again and put them back. I thought it was hilarious! Then I sent Camie on her first "picture scavenger hunt." Here are the results:

Something pink

Something that swims

( I thought this picture was a little strange...am I weird?)

Something new she got for Christmas.

Catching Up...

2010-01-20T17:59:00.005-05:00

December came and went in a blur. It seemed as soon as the tree went up, it was down again. We had fun getting ready for the holiday in our usual way, which for me, is usually doing various Christmas crafts for my house and baking....and baking....and more baking. This year was a first in that we had a white Christmas for the first time in a long time, and Dallas/Ft. Worth hadn't seen a white Christmas since 1927. Despite everyone's opinions, we drove to Utah on Christmas day, trying to make it there by Sunday for a new nephew's blessing. Despite all the backtracking and twists and turns in the road, we made it. One reason why I love my husband (of the many): he drove all but about 3 hours of our 2-day trek in the car. The kids were fine, but we were sure trunky.

One of the many highlights was going to Camie's preschool Christmas play, where (miracle of miracles) she actually said her line and sang all the songs (probably the loudest.) If anyone knows Camie, you know that she is incredibly shy in front of a group of people, so I was pleasantly happy and surprised.

Here is some of the things we did in December and the first part of January:

Getting the first snowfall in December; Maddie eating it.

Camie's gingerbread house she made at preschool which was eaten about 3.5 minutes after this.

Camie's makeshift costume as a Wise Man.

The other kids in the Christmas play.

New jammies on Christmas Eve (their Christmas list for Santa is taped to the door behind them.)

Some presents she got from her Grandma Sullivan at her house.

Maddie's lion cub from Grandma S.

Grandma Dunn's Christmas tree.

Eating Mexican food before opening presents at Grandma Dunn's.

Cousin Claire (la petite ange.)

The Sullivan crew at new nephew Grahm's blessing (congratulations Eric and Dallas!)

Making sugar cookies at Grandma Dunn's.

For Christmas their Great-Grandpa and Grandma Gregg gave them each $25 which they chose to spend entirely at the Disney Store....

and a carousel ride.

Camie has been perfecting her basketball skills on the hoop next door (she makes a lot of shots! Underhanded, but nonetheless.)

Maddie just uses the "Daddy Slam Dunk"

Maddie with her new dog Bolt.

Ding-Dong Merrily on High!

2009-12-03T04:58:00.005-05:00

One of my favorite things about Christmas is the music. For some reason I can't start listening to it until around or after Thanksgiving (although some years it's been sooner.) I love how music can take me back to remember wonderful Christmas-past's. My classics in the repertoire is Amy Grant's "Home For Christmas" and Harry Connick Jr.'s Christmas album. They never get old, and remind me of Christmases growing up. I also love Jazz at Christmas-time. There's nothing like Ella Fitzgerald's "Sleigh Ride" and Dean Martin's "Let It Snow." And Nat King Cole's "Christmas Song" and "O Holy Night" have brought me to tears.

A while back my sister called and had a proposition for me. She wanted me and my mom to start saving our money so we could take a trip to Europe together. As we chatted about where we would love to go and what time of year to go, I said that the best time to go, in my opinion, is Christmas-time. True it is freezing. But I was so fortunate to serve my mission in two HUGE Christmas-towns in Europe, Brussels Belgium and Strasburg, France (which they refer to as the "Christmas city.") I spent the first one in France, and the second in Belgium, and they were probably the best Christmases of my life. Both cites go all out, and deck the town in lights and wonderment, especially in the Grand Place in Brussels and at the Cathedral in Strasburg. It is purely magical. Both towns also do open-air markets where you can buy roasted nuts, homemade wooden toys, and other wonderful quaint and beautiful handmade gifts.

One of the best contacting tools we had (especially at this time of year) was singing. In both cities the missionaries took advantage of the crowds as we stood on street corners and sung in our best french and our best harmonies. But my most memorable singing we did was in Brussels. We had a wonderful missionary in the mission who was very gifted in music. His idea was to get two or three zones together and do a Christmas concert in Belgium at the International Ward. Luckily I was included in this. We practiced for weeks, we invited members and nonmembers alike, and got two standing ovations. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I sang these hymns, as I felt the Spirit so strong, and as I was at the end of my mission, I looked out and saw so many wonderful people who I loved dearly and was sad to leave.

(Brussels market and festival in the Grand Place)

I had a new favorite Christmas song from that experience. Elder Blomberg asked all the sisters to sing "Coventry Carol." There were probably 8-10 of us and we had a three-part harmony in this little-known song. As I practiced my part and learned the words, it gave me a new appreciation for a little-known story that we usually don't really talk about: the slaying of babies under one-year-old by King Herrod. The Coventry Carol was written in Coventry, England, and the song is about this one-last lamentation of these mothers of these baby boys. Since they were not allowed public mourning by King Herrod, they sang one and only song of mourning. As they rocked their babies for one last time, the song is hauntingly beautiful, mostly in a minor key, but with a note of hope at each phrase. We sang this song in English, and I'll never forget how beautiful it sounded.

(The Strasburg open-air market around the cathedral at night.)

(Strasburg)

It was 10 years ago that I was so fortunate to be in these wonderful cities at Christmas, and it is my goal to go back someday and experience the magical European Christmas again. I am so grateful for that experience in my life, where I learned the true meaning of Christmas, of loving and serving those people and proclaiming Christ's birth in word and song.

Thanksgiving

2009-12-03T04:38:00.002-05:00

This year we thought we would take advantage of living somewhat close to family, and went to Houston to have Thanksgiving with the Dunn's. The advantages of Jeff's job is that he gets hotel points, and we were able to get a really nice hotel which we only had to pay the taxes for. It was a two-bedroom suite with a kitchen and seperate bedrooms and bathrooms for us and the girls. The hotel also gave us breakfast AND dinner, which saved us money, and it was good food too!

But aside from the sweet hotel stay, it was so nice to have Thanksgiving with my grandparents and my Uncle Mikey. Mikey surprised the girls with two goldfish upon their arrival, but in the subsequent days, one of them kept dying, which Mikey would then go back to the pet store and get a "replacement." We took the two home with us, but unfortunately, they did not survive. I guess we are just goldfish killers!

The girls also loved going to see "Grandma and Pappa's horses" and to feed their chickens. I love that the girls can get up-close-and-personal with these animals, I think it's a great learning experience, and they absolutely love it.

It was also nice to eat such a good dinner, and to go around the table and express what we were thankful for. It brought tears to my eyes to hear everyone's responses, and it reminded me that family and your roots are really the important things in life. I learned a lot about my extended family from this trip and helped me appreciate my family history. I am so proud to be a Dunn girl, and I'm so happy that I have such a wonderful husband who is so great with my family. They love him, and he loves it too!

The girls jumping on the hotel bed. They're not allowed to jump on their beds at home, so this is a real treat whenever we stay at a hotel!

Thanksgiving morning, taking the elevator down with toys and books to bring to Grandma's.

Camie and Maddie loved their huge backyard too and Camie wanted to climb the tree. She's such a climber!

My Grandpa Dunn carving the turkey and my Uncle Mike making the mashed potatoes.

Jeff and the girls waiting for dinner.

A shot of the whole crew. Thanks for the wonderful Thanksgiving!

Bop-Bobbie

2009-11-06T21:15:00.002-05:00

This past weekend, Jeff had a "honey-do": upload our old movies from our camcorder (which we don't use anymore) to our computer to save them. He did, and we watched most of the old movies this past weekend. Memories of Maddie's birth, Camie's 2nd birthday, holidays with friends and everyday outings came flooding back.

"Do you know what I realize when I watch these?" Jeff said.

"That time goes by too quickly?" I said.

"Yes, and that all these small things that we make a big deal about don't matter. In the grand scheme of things, it doesn't matter. We tend to sweat the small stuff, and it doesn't matter." He's right. I can freak out when my girls misbehave just the slightest bit or get my house messy or do something that I told them a million times to not do (i.e. leave the backyard to go around to the front yard.) We need to take it all in, and just be. And enjoy them.

"Do you know what I realize?" I said. "That back then I thought my life was so hard and complicated. But those were the simple times! Sitting on the back porch with baby Maddie on your lap while Camie blows bubbles off the balcony. What was I complaining about?"

"In another five years, you'll say the same thing about this time...'that was when it was simpler'." And he's right. This is the last year that I have both kids home. Next year Camie goes to full-day school. And although I jokingly say I look forward to it all the time, life will get busier. My girls are not little anymore.

5 and 3 are pretty big ages. They are pretty independent, and I can see how they totally love and depend on each other.

They want less and less of me, it seems. I used to sing them to sleep every night when they were little. I tried it the other night, and Maddie said, "Don't sing, Mom" and quickly shot me down. It made me sad. Sometimes I want those sweet babies back. Tonight as I got the girls ready for bed, I held Maddie like a baby and Bop-Bobbied her. This is essentially just rocking back and forth and saying "Bop...Bobbie" with each rock. It is something my mother did with me and something her mother did with her, and I'm sure on and on wherever it started in that Hallberg swedish line of her's. The girls laughed and wanted me to do it to each of them.

No matter how big they get, we can still "bop-bobbie."

Since I've posted last...

2009-10-25T23:57:00.005-04:00

we've done a few things. We've mostly been homebodies (which has been good to my gas tank and my wallet, but questionable for my sanity.) I've taken my turn teaching preschool and the girls and I have done some Halloween crafts. We've also had some fun adventures this month with the kids. For example:

going to the Flower Mound Pumpkin Patch with Camie's preschool class
a hayride with the kids (where I found out I'm really allergic to Texas hay...ouch!)

and picking a baby pumpkin.

The mandatory "pumpkin patch" pictures

I just thought this picture was funny. Maddie loves being naked. This day she was eating a chocolate cupcake, and Jeff said, "Hey, she looks that Baltimore director! What's his name?" You got it, John Waters.

Our community (Crawford Farms) had a Fall Festival last weekend which was really fun. They had a little petting zoo...

and homemade cotton candy (my favorite!) And yes, a Fall Festival in Texas calls for a sleeveless shirt. It was gorgeous weather! A bit weird, in my opinion, but oh well.

Pony rides

Face painting

and lots of games with treat prizes.

Yesterday we went down to Ft. Worth to check out the famous Stock Yards and met Mo the Buffalo.

Watching the Long Horns walk down the stock yard (they do it daily.)

And Jeff had to get a picture with Boss Hog's car.

afterwards we ate an awesome lunch at Cattleman's Cafe.

For Art's Sake

2009-10-07T22:03:00.005-04:00

A couple of weeks ago I went on a weekend-getaway with my friend Tiffany. When we moved into the ward, we found out we had a few things in common, including a love for art (Tiffany majored in Art Teaching at BYU.) So when she found out that the Terra Cotta Warriors Exhibit was at the Houston Natural Science Museum, she proposed that we leave our husbands and kids for a weekend and go down and see it! And since my grandparents live there, we had a place to stay.

I learned so much about the Terra Cotta warriors. It was so neat to see artifacts that was over 3000 years old (well before Christ's time.) I'm glad that I got to see it.

We then ventured to Houston's Museum district, which is home to the Rothko Chapel, The Byzantine Fresco Chapel, The Cy Twombly Gallery, the Menil Collection, and the Dan Flavin Installation. I'd been to these museums before, but it was about 12 years ago. I had learned about the Rothko Chapel in my Humanitites class at Highland High School, and was excited to see it in person. The two summers before when I was 18, I had been able to see his work in many other places, including our nation's capital, and Europe. He was soon becoming one of my favorite artists back then.

I remember seeing my first Rothkos in person. I stood in awe at the Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C., at the enormous colorfields, taking up the room. I was 18. At that time I had, what I would describe, a spiritual experience. I felt in awe, and humbled, and felt deep gratitude for the opportunity to see such beauty. I remember showing my Dad the Rothko colorfield for the first time. He took a minute, looked at it, and said, "I don't get it." I huffed at him, rolling my eyes, because to me, he was missing the point. I repeated the expression that Julie Hewlitt drilled into our heads that year in school: "Many people say about modern art, 'What's the big deal? I could do that.' The point is, you didn't. He did."

I have been priveleged in the years since to have been to many more museums, many more exhibits, and many different citites in the world. Coming back to the Rothko Chapel and the other galleries, I had a new-found appreciation for all the things I saw at that time in my life. It reminded me of our desire to create, to make something that no one had ever made before. To provide a space where people could revere and meditate, and even worship if they wished. To ponder on life and the grand scheme of things. To leave their mark in history.

That evening we attended the General Relief Society Broadcast. I felt uplifted and inspired, but in a different way. I was reminded how all of these things are connected, and how grateful I am that we are all children of God, that we are created in His image, and that we are blessed with the ability to create, to express ourselves, and to connect with other human beings.

The Terra Cotta Warriors Exhibit: They had 15 terra cotta warriors and 120 artifacts.

(Yes, this is a replica.)

Next: The Rothko Chapel. Marc Rothko was commissioned by the Menil Family in 1964 to build a sacred place. Dominique de Menil said, "The Rothko Chapel is oriented toward the sacred and yet it imposes no traditional environment. It offers a place where a common orientation could be found--an orientation towards God, named or unnamed, an orientation towards the highest aspirations of Man and the most intimate calls of the conscience."

I think it's neat that the Rothko Chapel over the years has hosted speakers like Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu, Jimmy Carter, and the Dalai Lama, to name a few.

Next, the Byzantine Fresco Chapel Museum. These original frescos were from a chapel in Crete, and displayed in a really modern way. I liked the old mixing with the new.

The Cy Twombly gallery. His art is very modern, and very weird, but I found it fascinating. To me, it was like looking into the mind of a madman (although I don't know if he technically is, he's still living.)

The Menil Gallery, which, like all the other galleries, are totally free. I didn't realize how many gems were in here! Alexander Calder, Piet Mondrian, tons of Magrittes (along with other surrealist painters), and even some Marcel Duchamp. And more artifacts. By this point, I had kind of had it with artifacts.

The Dan Falvin Installation. Not too exciting, but kinda cool nonetheless.

My cute Grandma Kay Dunn who hosted us. She is the sweetest lady.

Me and Tiffany.

Motherhood (some thoughts)

2009-09-29T23:35:00.003-04:00

This past weekend, I got to go down to Houston with my friend Tiffany for a little getaway. We stayed with my grandparents and got to go to a ton of museums, out to eat, and see the General Relief Society Broadcast (pictures to come later.) And as I got home, and saw my sweet girls as they ran and gave me a hug, it reminded me of how much I enjoy being a mother (even though I really love sleeping-in too, and unfortunately for me, the two don't go hand-in-hand!)

As we all know, being a mother is hard, for so many different reasons. Today I locked my kids outside because it was a beautiful day, they were getting on my nerves, and I was "forcing" them to play in the backyard. Camie was throwing a fit and thought that my putting her out there was some kind of punishment, while her sister just played away happily with some blocks, trying to ignore the tantrum. I heard some sassy words toward me escape Camie's mouth, but I ignored her and didn't give her the negative attention she was wanting. At that point in the day, motherhood was very hard, and I had nothing good to say about it or my children.

Later that night, after dinner, I put them both in the bath, and they insisted on a bubble bath to the glow of the nightlight (which is pretty bright in there.) Can you blame them? It is pretty soothing. I got Maddie out first and gave her a "horseback ride" on my lap. Camie wanted to wash her own hair and body, and when she got out, she dressed herself and combed her own hair. I realized how big she is getting, and she craves to be independent and self-reliant. When she was done, she hugged me for a long time and said, "I love you Mama." At that point in the day, motherhood was sweet and worth it.

I love the seasons. I love fall and spring because you look forward to them; that although you have long days of winter or hot summer, the simple short sweetness of the reprieve makes it all worth it. And at those times of love and tenderness from your child, however difficult they may seem to you, it makes all the negative stuff worth it.

P.S. Last week I started writing what a call a "positive" journal where I would write down only the positive things that happened in my day or in regards to my children. It really has helped me in my outlook on things!

Five

2009-09-18T21:03:00.004-04:00

Yesterday my Camille Rue was born five years ago. As it rained down, I was reminded that it rained on her birthday those years ago.

I am so blessed to have her in my life, and I know that she was supposed to be the oldest of our family. She has such a strong spirit, and is so capable and loving. Camie is a born leader, and has a lot of charisma that her peers are drawn to. Camie has always been very gifted physically, in that she has picked up athletic things and is very coordinated. She loves to do anything physical, whether it be running around the living room to her favorite song, swimming, playing catch, trying to ride her bike, or hiking in the mountains. I love that we can take Camie to any amusement park, and she is pretty game to ride the rides and have fun. She is definitely a lot of fun in that department. Since she was 9 months old, she has been constantly on the go, and every day is an adventure.

Camie is so sweet and helpful. I can ask her to do just about anything for me, and she'll do it. She is constantly helping her sister, and Maddie is quite spoiled that way! She has insisted on pouring her own drinks, brushing her teeth, dressing herself, and doing other independent things at the earliest age, which has been a little hard for me since I'm such a control freak! But she is very capable, so I just have to sit back and trust her.

Camie has done a lot this year. From moving from Baltimore to a new house in Ft. Worth, to making her own bed almost every morning, to writing all her letters and wanting to sound them out, to learning to swim, to taking the back off her booster seat and strapping in her own seatbelt every time. She has accomplished a lot! We are very proud of her.

Camie's favorite things right now are: helping me cook (nothing new), playing pretend with her sister (where she's the master and her sister is the dog--go figure), going to preschool to play with her friends, playing PBS Kids and showing her sister the ropes, and playing Memory and Candyland. Her favorite shows are anything on Noggin, and surprisingly (not at my prodding) Spongebob Squarepants! If she had her way, she would swim everyday, eat Skittles, and watch every movie she owns back to back! She also loves to do crafts and anything creative. Camie weighs 48 lbs. and is 46 1/2 inches tall.

We love you Camie and wish you many more happy birthdays to come!

Her 2nd birthday

Her 3rd birthday

Getting sung to in Preschool on her 4th birthday

Blowing out her 4th birthday candles

Five.

Like Mother Like Daughter

2009-09-09T21:07:00.002-04:00

Maddie is like me. When she's napping, she likes to sleep in her skivies.

And she would prefer not to be woken up, even if the funnest activity is planned.

She is a little moody for a few minutes...

until she's ready to get going on her own.

But she is known to be "Gumpy" when she wakes up.

Until she's ready to join the world, and then she's happy.

What we've been up to lately...

2009-09-02T09:34:00.009-04:00

August and September are such busy months for us. Between celebrating Jeff and Maddie's birthdays (within six days of each other), starting school and getting ready for Camie's birthday in September, it just doesn't seem to quit.

We celebrated Maddie's 3rd birthday on the Saturday before her birthday. We took her to Build-a-Bear where she chose a pink unicorn, and took her to lunch and got her a new birthday dress at Neiman-Marcus. She had a fun birthday, it was so nice to spend time together as a family. As we were driving home, Jeff leaned over to me and said, "I've loved today." With all the planning and work, it's so nice to hear that. Here's some pictures from her day:

She woke up to Teddy bear pancakes with a side of blueberries.

Making her new unicorn, "Honey Pie."

At Northpark, the best mall ever!

Eating lunch at the Mermaid Bar at Neiman's. I have been coming here to lunch with my mom since I was a little girl and it hasn't changed (except for it has gotten bigger to accomodate more people.)

Maddie's teddy bear birthday cake.

Jeff had some work in San Antonio, and we had a little extra money so we decided to go down with him and go to Sea World. We had so much fun, although it was unbearably hot. Luckily we ended the day at the water park there. We can't wait to go back and visit Shamu again!

At the entrance.

Seeing the dolphins swim.

Jeff took Camie on the log ride. Of course Maddie had NONE of that, my little unadventuresome one.

Playing at the waterpark to cool off.

At the Shamu show, Camie got soaked even though we were about 20 rows up!

This year both girls started pre-school. It's nice because I have just one of them every morning. I thought that because they were both starting school, we would have a "Back to School dinner" and talk to them about what to expect. I know some other people have this tradition and I thought it was really sweet and a good way to kick off the new year. I always loved starting school and thought it was so special when I would get my Dad's Father's blessing every year.

The 2009-2010 theme: "Listen and Obey", a common phrase in our house, but especially this year because their pre-schools are being held in people's homes.

Camie's crown that she helped make.

Maddie's.

The Menu:

Chi-Chi's (a great Mexican drink thanks to Uncle Brant)

Vegetarian Mexican Lasagna

Green Chile Rice

Corn on the Cob

Tres Leches Cake with Fresh Strawberries

Yum!

Cheers to a new school year!

Camie's first day. She goes three days a week from 8:30-12:30 and we even have a carpool! Carpools and making lunches are all new to me!

Maddie's first day the next day. She goes twice a week from 9-12.

My baby's an official pre-schooler now!

Happy Birthday Katie!

2009-08-26T20:50:00.003-04:00

Happy birthday to my one and only, my younger and sweet sister Katherine Elizabeth Dunn Pease.

Katie was born when I was 8 years old, and I remember it distinctly when my mom went to the hospital in Grapevine, TX (which was across the street from our house at the time) to have her. My grandparents watched me and got the phone call that Katie was born. Little did I know how much my life would change. I remember how I wanted to hold her when I came home from school, and my mom would make me wash my hands. She was so cute and chubby, with reddish hair and plump cheeks and arms and legs (she was 10 lbs when she was born!)

Throughout the years, Katie and I have had our moments, as she always wanted to hang out with me and my friends when I wanted nothing to do with a little sister; the constant comparing and taunting, but through it all, we have come out of it as adults and best friends.

Some fond/funny memories I have of Katie: when she was a baby, my dad was lying on his back and holding her up above his head, playing with her and jostling her around. All of a sudden, Katie spit up white foamy bile into his mouth. It was so disgusting! I just laughed. When I was 12 or so I had a birthday party and we went ice skating. We all posed for a picture by the railing, our arms flung out, being silly. There, in the corner, is 3-year-old Katie posing exactly like us, mimicking our every move. I remember the day that Katie and I found out my parents had sold our house on Wilson Ave. in Salt Lake. We both layed in my bed, just crying and talking about all our memories and things we'd miss about that house.

Katie has always been so good at music and dancing. When she was little, she taught herself how to play the piano by ear. When she was a teenager, she got into hip-hop dancing and was a back-up dancer for an LFO concert that came to St. George. She still can do a booty-jiggle that can make Beyonce cry. I love that about Kate, how confident she is, how decisive she is, how she is who she is and doesn't apologize.

Kate, thanks for being such a great little sister. Thanks for talking to me all the time, and giving me good advice. I love you and hope you had a wonderful birthday. I'm so glad we got to meet on August 26, 1985 and have been best friends ever since. I hope we always will be.

(Katie holding her angel baby Claire on her blessing day. I love this picture of them.)

A birthday tribute to Miss Maddie

2009-08-18T10:29:00.004-04:00

(2.5 years)

(1st b-day)

(about 7 mo)

(about 4 mo)

(1 mo)

Dear Miss Maddie,

This past Sunday, August 16, you turned 3. I can remember being in the hospital, and after you came out, they told me you were a girl. They gave me to you and I started to cry. From the moment you were born, your grandma started calling you "Angel Baby" and we knew that you had a sweet and calming personality.

As your Aunt Katie would say, "Maddie, can we just freeze you at this age?" You are the sweetest little sister to Camie, and you just adore her (you always have.) If Camie is ever out of your sight, you look around for her frantically and call her name, even if she is just a few feet away playing by herself at the park or the pool. You are always concerned about her, that she is not lost and you are not left behind.

You are so loving and kind to other people. You have no problems saying hello to people and striking up a conversation. Everywhere we go people mention to me how adorable you are. Your smile and your huge brown eyes are so expressive, as they show excitement, joy, happiness, and sometimes sadness and disappointment. Your emotions are close to the surface, and there's no guessing how you feel at any time of the day. You frequently tell me, "That hurt my feelings." Because of this, you are very perceptive of other people and their feelings. You can pick up nuances and details, and what other people are going through even at your young age. You feel a genuine concern for them and their well-being.

Like your mother, you're not too athletic, and are usually super-cautious to do anything physical that might be a little scary. Your little legs are sometimes made of rubber, but you like to have fun doing other things. I always joke with your dad that if our family went on a skiing vacation, you and I would do a couple runs down the hill, and then prefer to sit by the fire in the lodge, sip hot chocolate, and people watch, while your sister and dad would tear down the hill again and again. And I love that about you. I love that you take your time, that you take time to smell the roses, and notice every crack in the sidewalk, every flower or pebble on the ground.

I love that you like to sleep in when you can, that like me, you'll just lay in bed and talk with me. I love that I can take you anywhere and you'll be well-behaved. I love that you're my buddy, and you love to give hugs and have always been a snuggler. I love your little laugh and the sweet way you talk (that you can't say your l's and r's and w's.) I love that your savor life instead of running through it. I love that you are so smart, but mostly I love it when you tell me you "wuv" me. And Maddie, I love you too, more than you'll ever know. Happy birthday Angel!

Love,

Mommy

(3 years)

Happy Happy Birthday

2009-08-10T20:56:00.003-04:00

Happy birthday to the best husband in the world. Jeff turns the big 3-2 today. I can't believe it was 10 years ago that we met, and have celebrated almost every birthday since.

There are many many things I love about Jeff, but just a few are:
-- When I first met Jeff I was struck with how confident he was. He was confident without being cocky. He has always known who he was and hasn't apologized for it. He had just gotten home from his mission, and he stood out to me in our singles ward in St. George, UT. I knew it would probably be a matter of time before our lives would intertwine.
-- Jeff gets me to do things I'm scared to do, i.e. move across the country twice, go jetskiing, and pretty much anything else physical (let's just say I'm not very athletically-inclined.) He is a great compliment to my personality.
-- Jeff is a fantastic writer. He can express himself so well, and has written me some of the best love letters and poems over the years.
-- Jeff is a wonderful father, and doesn't seem to mind being surounded by women and all our drama. He is patient and is always willing to sacrifice for us.
-- Jeff has the best "white boy" dance ever, and it makes me laugh every time.
-- Jeff is such a hard worker but likes to have fun too. He is good at balancing things in his life.
-- Jeff has almost been to every state in the country (minus a few) and I'm excited to do more traveling with him throughout our lives.
--Most of all, Jeff has a very strong testimony and love of the Gospel and his family.

Jeff with Camie on her birthday 2 years ago.

Singing "Happy birthday" to him this year with his disastrous birthday cake I made. After two attempts, I just decided to frost the mess and call it good. Memories, right? At least it tasted good. And I swear I am a pretty good baker, it's just that the nonstick on my cake pans were totally gone. Another thing I love about Jeff: he hardly EVER complains.

Utah, Part Deux

2009-08-05T15:08:00.006-04:00

More adventures in Utah continue! We had lots of fun, i.e.:

My sister Katie came down to St. George to visit

and we did Maddie's hair for Sunday which we called "Pageant Hair" or if you're in Colorado City, "Polyg Hair"

This picture looks like Camie "playing" with Claire when really she's just moving her stuff so Claire can't touch it...oh boy. Look at Claire's face, she's like, "Please, I just want to play!"

Then my mom and my sister and I went to Vegas for a half-day and hit up H & M (oh how I miss you!) and Yogurtland

and then to Caesar's to the Palm Restuarant for lunch. Yummy.

Katie insisted on playing a couple of slots before we left.

Camie took a two-week swim class at the St. George city pool and had fun.

Her teacher is teaching her to kick...

and then on the last day it was off the diving board! She had no problems with it, she loved it, she can be so fearless sometimes especially with physical stuff.

We then headed up to SLC for the July 24th weekend and went to the Days of '47 Parade which I haven't attended since I was a kid. We got great seats, practically front row!

Camie, of course, was not too impressed, especially with all the loud noises.

One of the many neat floats along the parade.

My brother-in-law Matt Kirk was in the parade dressed as a clown.

Then we walked back to the car and passed one of my favorite Salt Lake buildings, the Cathedral of the Madeleine. It reminded me of the story of Pres. Hinckley's funeral and when his casket passed by the Cathedral along South Temple, they tolled the bells for him. Sweet.

Maddie in front of one of the doors.

Later on the next day we went to another Salt Lake institution, Ruth's Diner up Emigration Canyon.

Maddie and Camie pose in front in skirts that I made them.

I have been coming to this place since I was in junior high, and they have done a lot of remodeling and changing of the place, which frankly, I don't like...but what can you do?

Later that night we went to the Salt Lake Bee's game, a AAA team and first sat on our blanket...

but then moved to a seat in the 3rd inning or so.

As long as Maddie had her nachoes (which she stole from her aunt and uncle) she was fine. I LOVE summer nights in Salt Lake, it's one of the things I miss the most about my hometown.

2009-07-25T19:06:00.005-04:00

What A Gorgeous Group of Gals!!!

- I'm so proud of my princesses. Yeah, you guessed it. This is Jeff. I just couldn't resist posting pics of the ladies - Thanks Dall, you're a pro!!!

- These photos were taken at the Brigham Young summer home in St. George, UT. I got to spend a few days seeing the family during the 4th of July weekend in the midst of their 1 1/2 month annual summer pilgrimage to UT. Here's a vote that this year be the last!

- Don't get me wrong, bachelorhood has its up side. Going to bed late, playing video games when ever I wanted, catching up on "Lost" episodes (I've seen 'em all, bring on Season 6), eating egg-salad sandwiches (Ka despises them) and Totino's Pizza was fun for the first week. But then I start yearning for homecooked meals (Ka's a fantastic cook), play-time with the girls and the quite hours at night together with Erika and it's then I realize, this bachelorhood stuff sucks!!! (sorry grandma for saying sucks). Needless to say, I'm extatic for their return and can't wait to see Erika again - my best friend and "wuff-howse" (rough house) w/ Camie and Maddie.

What we've been doing this summer...

2009-07-09T00:24:00.008-04:00

First, we enjoyed Grandma Dunn's company in Texas, helping us move in, organize, have fun, and read books (among other things.)

Then we packed the minivan and took a road trip to Salt Lake City and drove for two days...

We stopped in Albequerque to sleep at a great hotel (thanks Jeff!) The girls did great in the car!

We got to Salt Lake and enjoyed dinners on my sister's patio

We played at Sugarhouse Park

We had picnics and called Daddy

and helped celebrate a special niece's 1st birthday

We saw my sister's childhood friend Brittany with her own kids (crazy!)

Camie made a new "over the fence" friend at Aunt Katie's house named Thomas

and we visited one of our favorite Baltimore friends, Chloe

and a very pregnant-so-good-friend Jodi days before she had her baby

We had a "cousin lunch" at Cafe Normandie with A.J. and Alex

We found an authentic Belge frites and waffle place in downtown SLC (and talked to some french people at the table next to us!) The frites were awesome, by the way, along with the andalouse sauce.

We took a hike up Big Cottonwood Canyon

and saw real moose!

Katie and I then decided to revisit our childhood and go see Brighton Camp. Brighton Camp is an LDS girls camp for 12 and 13-year-olds only, and we both have fond memories of it. This is "Hernia Hill" where every camper has to lug up their luggage...although now it's completely paved.

While in SLC we also visited the Oquirrh Mountain Temple Open House. It was beautiful!

I had lunch with some college friends and their kids: Jenny, Jana and Korrin.

And then Kate and I went to Takashi and got waited on by our cute cousin Andrew.

We celebrated the 4th in St. George, with Daddy too!

We had an awesome potluck lunch at the family cabin in Pine Valley, and played a mean game of Corn Hole.

We went swimming...

and swung on Great-Grandma Leila's swing set with crazy cousin Evan :)

I did my usual "rocket" with the sparklers

while we sat out on the street in lawn chairs waiting for the fireworks.

We hiked the Dixie Red Hill above St. George with Daddy

and have been playing dress up, along with many other things.

And summer's not even over!

A getaway

2009-06-20T09:59:00.004-04:00

My mom was so kind while she was here, and volunteered to watch the girls for us while Jeff and I got away for a couple of nights. Jeff had work in Tyler and San Antonio, so I went with him. We first went to Tyler and had a wonderful dinner at a really good restaurant there, and then went swimming at our hotel. The next day we drove down to San Antonio, which was a little drive, but Jeff indulged me by stopping at a couple antique shops in a tiny town along the way. It was so nice just to drive and be able to talk and converse like the good ole days, sans kids.

We drove through Austin to San Marcos, and stopped at the biggest outlet mall I've ever seen in my life. The San Marcos Outlets are where it's at. The best thing? A Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids and Williams-Sonoma outlet all in one. I was in heaven.

Then it was on to San Antonio. Our hotel was sooo nice, we stayed in a suite with a kitchen and everything. Then we went down to the River Walk and took a boat tour. It was so cool and I learned a lot about the city. Did you know the Spanish were in San Antonio as early as the 1600's? I had no idea!

We had so much fun being by ourselves for a couple of days. I remember watching this segment on the Today show once, and they were talking about keeping your marriage alive and healthy. The lady mentioned that you should have weekly date nights, but also getaways or vacations just by yourselves. She said that just one getaway a year without your kids did more for your marriage than a weekly date night. And I totally agree. It's just not the same, it's so nice to be able to talk without being interrupted, listen to the music you want in the car, sleep in however late you want, have no schedule and be able to go and do anything you want! We ate at Casa Mia on the river walk, which is supposedly the oldest restaurant on the river walk. We got seated at 9pm and it was so nice! I thought, "I haven't been outside my house past 9pm for the longest time!" I felt like a "normal" person again, with adults and just sitting back and people-watching.

Don't get me wrong, I love my kids to pieces, but it's just nice to get away and focus on each other and enjoy the things you took for granted before kids.

Here's some photos of the trip:

a view of Austin from the car, the state capital

From our front door in our hotel room in San Antonio. We even had 2 TV's and a DVD player where we checked out a DVD and watched it that night!

Our kitchenette, which we didn't use.

Me at the River Walk

on the boat tour

the oldest Catholic cathedral in San Antonio

some ducks playing in the water

an ampitheater

a cool sculpture along the River Walk

La Mansion, the only 5-star hotel downtown. I totally want to stay here someday!

A cool mosaic

Looking down at the restaurants along the River Walk. We ate at one on the right.

While waiting for our table we went up and took a quick picture of the Alamo. We didn't get to go through it, maybe next time!

Houston

2009-06-13T22:53:00.003-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, I went down to Houston with Jeff and the girls. He did some work, and we also visited my grandparents (my dad's parents.) Camie had been there once before, and loved visiting their horses they own and helping feed them. Maddie was a little different (shocker!) She kept saying, "I don't wike dis pwace, its too durty." But we had fun visiting and letting my grandparents get acquainted with the girls. I'm sure it's not the last they'll see of them.

My Grandma Dunn feeding her horse.

Camie and Maddie help clean up. Camie was a pro! She knew just what to do!

A picture of my Grandma that Camie took.

Jeff and the girls watch a horse in the walker (he was running, as if you can't tell.)

Then we drove to the Houston temple and got out and saw the grounds.

It's a beautiful temple.

My grandpa, Billy Dunn

Camie's favorite part was helping Grandma make cookies at her house.

My Uncle Mikey, Camie, Grandpa, Maddie and Grandma.

A humongous picture of Sam Houston on the side of the road as we were driving home.

Ponder (and I don't mean think hard y'all)

2009-06-12T22:50:00.004-04:00

A few weeks ago when my mom first got here, we went up to lunch with her and her parents (my grandparents) to their favorite restuarant in Ponder, TX. The Ranchman's Cafe is a bit of a jaunt, and by a railroad track where it was built in 1948 and has tons of history and fame. The best is when you hear the whistle of the next train coming (reminds me of the cafe in "Fried Green Tomatoes.") Countless celebrities' photos and autographs line the walls (among them, Cindy Crawford and George Clooney, to name a few) and they serve down-home cookin' that is really good. It was really fun to go up there with them.

Maddie walking outside in vintage (this was my dress as a little girl.)

The girls loved Woody, so I took his picture.

My Mamie (Grandma Gregg, 87 years old) and my mom (age not disclosed :)

Beautiful Nail--it exists!

2009-06-08T15:05:00.003-04:00

This is no lie. I saw this in Houston and almost died laughing when I saw the sign. Watch the video below and you'll know why.

A day in Fort Worth

2009-06-05T17:08:00.005-04:00

It has been a while since I've posted anything. My mom has been here for a while and we've been organizing, decorating, planting, and taking care of bored kids. Hopefully in the next little while I can put up some pictures of our new place.

Today, however, we re-lived a couple of experiences I remember fondly from my childhood. We went to lunch at Joe-T Garcia's in Ft. Worth, which has been around for as long as I can remember. It has totally expanded, though, and it was neat to see autographed pictures from celebreties, anyone from Country music stars to Tom Brokaw. It is a Ft. Worth establishment. What I remember about it was the hot corn tortillas smothered with butter. Yum.

Then we rode the train that is at the Ft. Worth zoo. I think the actual track is about 5 miles long, and takes about 45 minutes to ride round-trip. I remember riding it as a kid, and I'll never forget riding the Hogle Zoo train in Salt Lake when I moved there and then said, "That was it?" Compared to the Ft. Worth one, it lasted about 30 seconds and didn't compare. But the girls loved it, and we loved watching them.

Thanks Mom!

We sat outside by the fountain.

This picture is sooo unflattering of me, and my hair needs to be done in the worst way, but I wanted to show the view of the garden outside. Gorgeous!

Riding the train.

I had a view of this blonde pony tail the whole time.

And the occasional cheek.

The conductor.

Me and the girls. My mom says she has a photo of her on the train with her mother, me on the train with my mother, and now me on the train with my girls.

And finally...Dallas!!

2009-05-12T22:35:00.005-04:00

Note: I have posted a ton tonight in order to catch up from our move. If you're interested, read on.

We finally rolled into Dallas on Thursday, May 7th. Of course it had been raining our entire drive down, and then when we get there it's sunny and 90 degrees. Thankfully it hasn't stayed that way. But it made it nice and hot for the people who helped us move in.

The details on the house: we decided to rent a townhouse/duplex in Keller which is technically Fort Worth. We thought that it would be good to get down here and then really investigate where we wanted to buy. And since Camie doesn't start kindergarten until Fall 2010, we have a little time. So it will work out.

The perks: It is bigger than our old apartment, and has two levels. It has a front porch, a backyard, a two-car garage, a laundry room, and wonderful natural light all throughout the house. It was built 3 years ago, and is about $340 less a month than our apartment in Maryland. Also, another perk: Dallas/Ft. Worth makes it so easy to recycle! One of my goals this year was to start recycling more, and they provide you your own recycling trash can that you set out with your regular trash. No need to sort it or drive it down to the dump, they come get it for you! Also, another perk: the girls have a playroom off of their bedroom where I am putting all their toys. Hooray!

We went to our ward on Sunday, which is very small compared to what we're used to. Apparently the boundaries are a mile and a half north to south and four miles east to west. We have about 350 people in our entire ward (that was about the number of actives in our Baltimore ward, not to mention the other half who didn't come.) I feel like I'm in Utah again in that way. We met some nice people, and I even met a girl who served in my mission the same time as me! (although we never served together.) I think we're really going to like it there.

It has been a breath of fresh air to deal with friendly people in retail stores (you people in Baltimore know what I'm talking about) and the southern hospitality. Also, I almost peed my pants when I found out there's a Jamba Juice and a Super Target not even 5 miles from my house. Heaven.

Camie and Maddie in our kitchen the day we got there.

I told them to run around now, because there would be a ton of furniture in the way after that!

The next day we went to visit my grandparents on my mother's side who live about 15 minutes away. They had never met the girls and the girls really took to them, especially with chocolate ice cream in the mix.

Camie sitting in Papa's chair. She could get used to this.

This is me and Maddie dancing with my Mamie who is 87 years old. She is so cute, and a hoot!