O' Happy Day!

The Blue Monday Brigade

2012-01-26T15:26:00.000-08:00

Supposedly, this last Monday was calculated to be the most depressing day of the year for 2012. "Blue Monday" falls around the 3rd or 4th week of January every year and is based on calculations of weather, holidays, failed resolutions etc. I decided to spread a little cheer on this dismal day and form a "Blue Monday Brigade" with Persephone. We spent the day doing random acts of kindness together. Persy's favorite service was leaving bags of quarters on all the machines in our local laundromat with a little note that said, "Take a 'load' off and have a joyful day!" She also thought it was hilarious when I camped out in the grocery store parking lot and waited until I saw a weary parent with children and then left a bag of chocolates on their car and drove away. We had so much fun doing various kindly deeds that I might make this a new family tradition.

Tchaikovsky and Children

2012-01-08T18:45:00.000-08:00

Gabe and I enjoyed a romantic date to the symphony last night to hear Tchaikovsky's piano concerto no. 1. This is one of my favorite pieces and I love to play it in the car. Persephone calls it the "Thunder and Lightening Song" because of the dramatic opening. I found myself listening to the piece in rapture as the superb soloist effortlessly played, and I began to get excited about taking Persy with us to the symphony some day. (The pianist performing was only 17 and had played his first recital at age 4. I can't even imagine Persy sitting still for that long, let alone practicing the piano right now. Apparently we are really slacking as parents! ;) When the 2nd movement began, I started to feel a strong emotional pull toward the next little spirit that we hope to have come to our home. I have no idea how long this adoption will take, but I feel like I am being prepared to open my heart for another child. It amazes me that what I struggle to express in writing, Tchaikovsky seemed to express magically in his music.

New and Improved?

2012-01-01T13:58:00.000-08:00

What do you have planned for the new year? I love to get inspired by the goals of others. I actually set my goals during September. I associate that time of year with a new school year and it is also my birthday month. I found that when I made January goals, they were often motivated by the guilt of December overindulgence instead of sincere desire. I reevaluate the goals frequently during the year, and some of my September goals have already been accomplished, while others have been axed.

I was recently asked to share how I make my resolutions a reality, so I thought I'd share a few ideas that have helped me and I hope you'll share yours as well.

1. Only make goals that can be easily measured
2. Reevaluate goals often
3. Break larger goals down into smaller tasks

I use a moleskin note book to help me with the 3rd item on that list. At the front of the notebook are my top 3 target goals. I make tabs in my notebook for the yearly goals, then a place for the monthly tasks and then a third tab for weekly tasks. I also put tabs on my notebook for lists like Christmas gift ideas, movie recommendations etc. Setting goals on a monthly and weekly basis has really helped me with my long distance races and other larger goals.

Here are a few of the goals I have set for this year:
1. Buy a house
2. Complete a sprint distance triathlon (Check :)
3. Get approval for another adoption (Check :)
4. Get 72 hour kits ready for all family members
5. Make an adoption story book for Persy
6. Get CPR and First Aid certified
7. Complete at least 6 more knit projects and learn at least 6 more knitting skills (This one should be pretty easy for me, but I didn't want to turn my joy of knitting into a burden.)
8. Take Persy camping
9. Take an anti-gravity yoga class
10. Complete a mud run or other adventure style race (I am signed up for the extreme Tough Mudder in Colorado with Gabe this summer and we are actively training together.)
11. Get a new half marathon personal record (Check :)
12. Complete at least 4 long distance races of 10K or more

I hope you have a wonderful new year! We ushered in 2012 a little early at our house since the entire family was feeling under the weather. We played games with Persy and ate pizza. When the 8:00pm "new year" came we turned on African drumming music and pulled down my collection of international percussion instruments. We jammed and danced together and then opened the doors to let in the good luck. It was a simple celebration, but it felt just perfect.

Joy to the World

2011-12-27T12:03:00.000-08:00

We hope you had a joyful and peaceful Christmas! I had so many moments during the past week when I felt overwhelmed with love for my little family and for all our extended family and friends. Thank you!

Gabe with his little brother Rob

Persy with a cousin and Aunt Rachel. Everyone is wearing the snugly PJs.

Nativity

2011-12-23T12:44:00.001-08:00

Every year we gather with extended family to reenact the the nativity story and sing Christmas hymns. It is always a memorable night, but this year we were thrilled to have my brother and his kids visiting from Texas. Merry Christmas everyone! What are your favorite holiday traditions?

This year's Troupe. Persy played the roll of Mary, but she still wanted to wear an angels halo to jazz up the costume a bit!

The festive table is set for a meal of clam chowder, rolls and homemade candies.

Advent

2011-12-23T12:40:00.000-08:00

What a fun month we've had in preparation for Christmas! Last year, we started the tradition of an advent calendar with daily treats and an activity. It was something my mother did with me and I loved as a child. Some activities are just plain fun, and others center on service projects or things to remind us of the Savior. Here are a few highlights:

A trip to the Aquarium with friends

Singing Christmas songs by candle light

Playing with indoor "snow"

Wild Wicklow and Glendalough

2011-12-17T13:37:00.001-08:00

We took a day trip during our Irish vacation out to the Wicklow mountains. There were luscious rolling hills and a rugged beauty that felt all the more mysterious and enchanting on a grey winter day.

(This bridge is featured in "P.S. I Love You.")

The lower lake at Glendalough

The entrance into the 6th century monastic settlement at Glendalough. I loved exploring the ruins and cemetery here and I took nearly a dozen pictures of Celtic crosses and headstones.

Dublin

2011-12-16T11:03:00.000-08:00

We used Dublin as a home base during our trip and took a few day trips out of the city. We stayed at a charming Bed and Breakfast called The Adare House and I highly recommend it.

The row houses in Dublin had brightly colored doors. They added a touch of whimsy to the city.

Melinda and I went outside the city one night and learned how to do traditional Irish set dancing with a local group. It is similar to square dancing, but without a caller. We spent nearly every night during our trip listening to the music in the pubs. It is common for musicians to show up at pubs for their own enjoyment and begin improvising off one another . Listening to such lively music was one of the highlights of the trip.

Our first evening in Dublin we went to a memorable Evensong service at St. Patrick's Cathedral.

This is Kilmainham Gaol, an interesting jail that had historical significance during Ireland's revolution. The citizens involved in the Easter Uprising of 1916 were housed here before they were executed. It has also been used as the set for numerous movies.

Melinda and I inside one of the jail cells.

Grafton Street is a lively shopping district. It was festive place to get some Christmas shopping done.

St. Stephen's Green, a pleasant public park with statues of Dublin's literary giants.

Newgrange and Trim

2011-12-15T05:03:00.001-08:00

Home again from a delightful trip to Ireland. The people we met were so warm and friendly, the food was a delicious surprise, and the music kept us out until the wee hours.

Standing outside the 5,000 year old burial tomb of Newgrange with Melinda, my sister in law and fellow explorer. She was an ideal travel companion with a good sense of direction, a taste for adventure, and an interesting intellect.
The construction of these burial mounds is mind boggling. Stones were acquired from all over the country and it would have taken considerable man power to bring them to the mound.

Notice the symbolic swirls featured on this rock outside of Newgrange. The interior was decorated with designs as well. During the winter solstice, the morning light comes in through the entrance and lights up the passage for 17 minutes.

Not far from Newgrange, is the lovely Trim castle. We had a great tour here. Many of the guides we met had a knack for story telling.

Translation

2011-12-01T19:11:00.000-08:00

My Ireland guidebook offers a list of English and Irish specific words to help the confused traveler. I hope that at least a few of the people I chat with have accents so thick that I am utterly flummoxed. Here are a few favorite translations:

Beer Mat = Coaster
Boffin = Nerd
Candy Floss = Cotton candy
Fiddler's Fart = Worthless thing
Gasman = Life of the party
Jacks = Toilets
Knackered = Exhausted
Smalls = Underwear
Starkers = Buck naked (Tee hee :)

Irish Fantasy

2011-11-28T17:12:00.000-08:00

Have you seen this library?? As you may know, I have an obsession for good books and libraries. This is a picture of the "Long Room" at Trinity College in Dublin, and in just a few short days I will be there! I am headed to Ireland for a week with my adventurous sister-in-law. We are going to explore Christmas markets, do set dancing, see ancient burial mounds, listen to music in the pubs, and explore an ancient monastic settlement. Somebody pinch me! We are going to have a blast together. (Gabe will be taking over at home, and he will do an awesome job. He also has some outings planned with little Persy. They will be a cute duo!) Bon Voyage!

Why I Wish I was a Better Photographer

2011-11-20T19:20:00.001-08:00

Here are a few highlights from our recent family photo shoot. We look downright presentable! I just love this little family of mine.

Bringing Home a Baby Bumblebee

2011-11-13T18:34:00.000-08:00

We had a festive and fun Halloween season. Persy was so excited about dressing up and knocking on houses. She ran around for nearly 2 hours gathering treats. We also had a blast doing hay rides, pumpkin picking, decorating, and other Autumn activities. We spent an afternoon at Cornbelly's when my brother came to visit from Vermont and we had a blast!

Paperwork and Prayers

2011-10-25T18:48:00.000-07:00

We just finished up the paperwork towards getting approval for another adoption. Gabe and I both had our interviews with the case worker this week and I couldn't even talk about our previous adoption without getting all mushy and choked up. Honestly, adopting Persephone has been the greatest blessing of our marriage. We are both madly in love with this little girl and when I think about Persy's birth mother I am filled with profound gratitude and awe. We have begun to pray earnestly that another child might come to our family. Wish us luck!

Witchy Fun

2011-10-19T18:34:00.000-07:00

We've had a flurry of fun and festive fall activities the last week. There have been hayrides, pumpkin picking, farms, and farmer's markets. Last week, we saw the witches at Gardner Village together. Persy thought they were pretty hilarious.

Persy is very excited about Halloween this year and keeps asking everybody what their costume is going to be. Last night she said to Gabe, "Daddy, what are you going to be for Halloween?"

"Um, I'm going to be an attorney," replied Gabe.
"Ooooooh, that is going to be SO scary!" Persy exclaimed. We both cracked up. I just love having a three year old.

New Stuff

2011-09-21T12:45:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, each year I try to grow a little by doing new things. I try to do one new thing for each year of my life. Here is the list from my 30th year. What have you been doing to challenge yourself?

1. Read the Old Testament cover to cover
2. Knit a hat, fingerless gloves, and a sweater
3. Heard Hilary Hahn play her violin live with the Utah Symphony
4. Traveled to Turkey and Asia
5. Visited a mosque
6. Toured the famous Hagia Sophia
7. Bought a black truffle and cooked with it
8. Finally moved to the intermediate level of my Pimsleur Spanish study
9. Ran the Halloween Half Marathon with a 10 minute personal record
10.Cancelled our cable in favor of just Netflix and Hulu
11. Swam with Dolphins off the shore of Honolulu
12. Pulled off planning my first ward Christmas party
13. Threw up on an airplane
14. Had a Bunny predict my fortune (This is a popular tourist thing in Turkey)
15. Started doing hill training as part of my regular running routine
16. Visited Old Town San Diego and Coronado Island
17. Read 54 books in one year
18. Started running with a training partner
19. Learned how to do a rib stitch, cables, mattress stitch, sewn bind-off, kitchener, blocking and how to read a knitting pattern.
20. Started a pre-school co-op with a few other mother friends.
21. Saw Hansel and Gretal the Opera
22. Used a Bidet
23. Ate Turkish delight, fried muscles, authentic Baklava, and Lotkma
24. Partied with Gabe at a famous Vegas night club overlooking the strip
25. Played and won my first black jack game in a casino
26. Saw David Copperfield and he made me "disappear" as part of his grand finale.
27. Learned how to play Texas Hold 'Em
28. Got on a road bike
29. Pet a baby llama
30. Ran the Park City Half Marathon

Conquering Fears

2011-08-24T19:47:00.000-07:00

I have been doing a lot of swimming for my triathlon training. I am still a weak swimmer, but I am so excited to say that I no longer feel panic when I put my face in the water and that alone has been worth signing up for the race! (Biking on the other hand has been a bigger obstacle than I had anticipated. Cycling through traffic makes me fear for my life!)

Miss P showing me proper swim technique

Persy took this picture :)

Take a Hike

2011-08-09T16:03:00.000-07:00

Best part about living in Utah? We are just minutes away from mountain paradise. Hiking season came a little late this year because we had a cold, wet Spring, but now we are heading into the mountains nearly every week.
We let Persy do some of her own hiking, and despite falling and looking like she had just completed a Tough Mudder, she could not be happier.

Bedtime Shenanigans

2011-07-30T20:35:00.000-07:00

"The moon is up, it's getting late, let's get ready to celebrate! It's Pajama Time!"

This darling little girl gets so funny and hyper right before bedtime. Could she get any cuter? I think this little stay up late ploy is ingenious. The above picture was taken after we went to a late night movie in the park. Gabe taught her to sing, "I wanna rock and roll all night, and party every day." She was jumping on the bed and belting it until nearly midnight and we were all laughing our heads off. (Normal bedtime is 7:00 p.m. but with a late afternoon nap she is a party queen.)

San Diego

2011-07-22T20:07:00.000-07:00

We spent a busy and super fun 5 days in San Diego again this month for the Utah Bar Convention. The best part about going to the bar convention each year is that we get to hang out with about a dozen other close friends and their families.

Digging at the Beach

Jumping in the water at Sea World

Waiting to see a show at Sea World

Gabe and Persy at the incredible San Diego Zoo

Butterfly Awry

2011-07-22T19:49:00.000-07:00

Sometimes my mothering ideals fall short of the mothering realities. For the last two years we have ordered caterpillars and watched in awe as they slowly transform into butterflies. It is one of those delightful hands on science lessons that I always dreamed of sharing with my daughter. This year, after a month of patient waiting we finally saw our dear little painted ladies emerge from the chrysalis. Persy was just as fascinated with the life cycle as me and I foolishly let her lay on her belly one day and watch our butterflies while I did a little cleaning. When I came back to check on her two minutes later I was alarmed to see her smashing down the butterfly container! When asked what on earth she was thinking she shamelessly replied, "I died them!" Needless to say, I was not a happy mother and our science lesson of the day turned into a rather solemn affair.

Sweet Summertime

2011-06-24T13:07:00.000-07:00

Could there be anything sweeter than days filled with picnics and pool excursions? I am so glad that winter has disappeared for a while. We have a full agenda of fun and friends ahead of us.

Looking Like a Dork . . .

2011-06-20T17:23:00.001-07:00

But who cares?

Triathlon training is coming along. I now have use of a bike and it is time to take this show on the road! (Literally!)

3 Years

2011-06-19T19:59:00.000-07:00

Dear Daughter,

Could it really be just 3 years ago that we met? Something tells me that we've known each other much longer. I am thankful every day that you came to our family and answered the tears and prayers of many long years. Happy Birthday my adventurous, loving, intelligent little girl! You are incredible and I watch in wonder as you grow with each year.

The Triathamom

2011-06-07T20:13:00.000-07:00

`I've signed up for my first triathlon! Let's hope that 3 months of training can transform me from awkward athlete to hard core fitness chick. O.K., maybe hard core is too much to ask from a girl that doesn't currently own a bike and is a little nervous to put my face in the water while swimming! I think I'm in over my head, but I hope to have some fun with this new adventure. Thankfully I'm a long distance runner, so at least I have one of the disciplines covered. Wish me luck!

San Diego Highlights

2011-05-07T14:05:00.000-07:00

My wonderful folks invited Persy and I to join them at their time share in San Diego last month. They are always very generous and we've been able to enjoy many travel opportunities as a result. It felt great to soak up the California sun!
Check out these gorgeous California strawberries that we devoured straight from the farm. I don't think the grocery store variety will ever satisfy me again!

Grammy pushing Persy on the swing. They were great to help out with Persy so I could do some running along the boardwalk.

Carousel along the Boardwalk

Fancy Coronado Island-We didn't stay at this famous Victorian hotel, but I think it would be a romantic and very expensive way to spend a week.

We Talk of Christ

2011-05-04T19:05:00.000-07:00

Easter was spent with Grandma and Grandpa in their condo in San Diego. We had a wonderful time, but I realized that there are very few Easter traditions that actually center around our Savior. I do our egg hunt on Saturday and keep it low key without presents, but I still want to incorporate more meaningful traditions. What do you do in your house to keep this a spiritual holiday? I would love to hear.

"And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins." 2 Nephi 25:25 from The Book of Mormon

Knit Happens

2011-05-04T18:55:00.000-07:00

Many that know me intimately find it shocking that I have learned to knit. I am not a crafty girl and I'm not normally drawn to crafty pursuits. Persistence has paid off though and if I can do it, then anybody can do it. Here are a few of the knit projects I finished up this winter.Cabled fingerless gloves

A toddler owl sweater for my little cutie. The yellow dots shown are the owl eyes and the body of the owl is made by doing a simple cable. I have also made a smaller version of this sweater in orange.

Istanbul

2011-04-19T17:09:00.001-07:00

I am woefully behind in blogging, but I just had to post a few highlights from the trip that Gabe and I took to Istanbul last month. It was such a fascinating city. Istanbul is an interesting mix of East meets West, ancient meets modern, and secular meets religious. I studied some history of the Byzantine and Ottoman empires before the trip to make the experience even more meaningful.Our first night out we stumbled upon the Hagia Sophia without even trying. It was so breathtaking that I got a little emotional. I can't even imagine how awed a traveler would have been to see the site 1500 years ago!

It is impossible to feel the scope and enormity of this man-made wonder without walking inside and gazing up at the tall dome.

A little ramp for royalty that leads to the top floor of the Hagia Sophia.

Gabe in front of one of the ornate ablution fountains outside the Hagia Sophia

This picture was taken inside of the Topkapi Palace. I loved these gorgeous tiles from the Ottoman Empire.

A courtyard in the Harem portion of the Sultan's Palace

Outside the Topkapi Palace of the Ottoman Empire

More Istanbul Adventures

2011-04-19T07:19:00.000-07:00

We spent a full afternoon wandering along the old Byzantine city walls. I really love this picture of Gabe. He looks like some Irish gentleman and I have to say he was just as charming to travel with. Being able to spend a full week together was like one really long romantic date.

"Do Not Dring the Tab Water," was only one of the funny English translations that we came across.

Our hotel was along this charming European street and was walking distance to most of the major sites. I loved the morning breakfasts of olives, thick Greek yogurt, spreadable cheeses and Turkish dates that were served.

The spice market smelled as marvelous as it looked.

The famous Grand Bazaar filled with thousands of shops. We left the main tourist scene and let ourselves get lost in the local markets just outside the Bazaar. There were huge masses of people and it was a delightful sensory overload.

The spooky underground cistern built by the Byzantines. This site was also made famous in one of the James Bond films.

This is the outside of the gorgeous blue tiled mosque. I loved hearing the call to prayer throughout the day as we explored the city. Istanbul was unseasonably cold during our visit, but it did mean that I always had a hoodie or scarf handy to cover my head for entering the Mosques.
We took a day cruise down the Bosphorus. We saw beautiful waterfront mansions and stopped at the ruins of a castle that overlooked the Black Sea. We also had lunch in a charming Asian fishing village where we munched on fried muscles and sticky sweets.

Just looking through all my pictures makes me want to return. I hope to visit again someday and to have the opportunity to see many of the other sites that Turkey has to offer. I also left very impressed with the friendly Turkish people.

Hawaiian Excape

2011-01-25T11:23:00.001-08:00

Here are a few highlights from the incredible trip we enjoyed with extended family in Hawaii last month. It's snowing hard in Utah today and I'm dreaming of Hawaiian Green.

3 Ways to End a Tantrum

2010-12-04T13:44:00.000-08:00

1. Tell your child that they are "Not allowed to Smile"
3. Tell the child that their tantrum really isn't that impressive. Encourage them to really commit to the role and give you a louder and more dramatic response.
3. Pull out the camera

Advent

2010-12-04T13:37:00.000-08:00

Christmas celebrating is in full swing around here. We are doing an advent calender with activities each day. So far, Persy's favorite event has been playing with the expandable fake snow I bought at Smith's. We also have plans to make cookies, see lights, and do kiddie art projects. It has also been so exciting to teach Persy about the birth of Jesus.

Gratitude

2010-11-15T17:17:00.000-08:00

Good Things:
* Long, cold nights for knitting
* Sampling an endless variety of hot chocolate flavors from cafes and grocery stores. My two favorites have been Starbuck's Salted Caramel and Stephen's Cherry Chocolate.
* KUED "Circus" mini-series on Wednesday nights
* Sundays for snuggling with the husband and tot
* Polka-dot wrapping paper
* Winter dreams about an upcoming trip to Hawaii. I can practically hear that ocean surf!

(P.S. Persy and I have been attaching thankful feathers to the homemade turkey above. Zebras and Binkies have shown up several times on her list. :)

Witchy Fun

2010-11-10T18:51:00.000-08:00

Yes, we are still here. We've been spending every spare minute outside soaking in all of the sun before this week's snow storm. Here are a few highlights from our fall festivities just to get things caught up. Witch Sightings at Gardner Village

Warm fall stroll through Red Butte Garden

Pumpkin Everything: pumpkin painting, pumpkin patches, and sweet pumpkin sticky rice.

Fall Hiking

2010-10-09T21:06:00.000-07:00

A lot of playing = very little blog posting. I hope that you are also enjoying the spectacular fall weather! We are trying to soak up every once of sunlight to store up for those long winter months.
A Short Family Hike Up Big Cottonwood Canyon

The view in Logan Canyon during our hike to the Wind Caves.

The Big 3-0

2010-09-07T13:23:00.001-07:00

I guess it is time to start counting my birthdays in half years, now that I have passed the triple decade mark! I was dreading turning 30, but it ended up being a truly wonderful weekend and now I'm excited to see what the next decade will bring. I feel happy with where my life is right now, happy about my wonderful little family, happy being a full time mother, and happy with all of the rich relationships I enjoy.
(Snorkel Gear from Gabe- I can't wait to use it for an upcoming trip to Hawaii!) For my birthday, I went to two evening performances of the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival. I had a blast and some of the stories made me laugh so hard that I was snorting and crying. One night I went to the festival with friends and the next night with my snuggly husband.

Two of my very close friends threw a fun party for me on my birthday. There were friends from church, friends from book club, and friends from law school. The food was tasty and I had a wonderful time just chatting with everyone. I don't think I've had a "real" birthday party since I turned 16! It made me feel so loved to have friends celebrating with me.

Lots of cute kids running around and having fun at the party.

Our close friends Yosef and Lindsey

Persy laughing with our close friend Dave. Dave has a houseful of boys and they are all very cute with Miss Persy.

Preschool

2010-09-07T12:57:00.000-07:00

First Day of Preschool today! A couple of amazing mom friends and I are doing a preschool co-op one day a week this year and Persy will be attending. She ran right into the home "classroom" without a good-bye to her mom and had a major meltdown when I came to pick her up and take her home. I guess that's a good sign, (even if it breaks my heart just a little.)

Twenty-Nine Things

2010-08-30T06:17:00.000-07:00

If you've followed our blog, you may have noticed that several years ago I started trying to do one new thing for each year of my age. It's just a fun way to make sure that I continue to grow each year and see new things. This is my last week to be twenty-nine, so here is a list of what this year of life has brought me:

1. Ran my first marathon
2. Saw a baby elephant nursing with its mother
3. Heard Beethoven's 5th Live
4. Went Snorkeling off the coast of St. Thomas
5. Made my first cheesecake
6. Mastered the one-handed egg crack
7. Tried out new hikes to Doughnut Falls, Hidden Falls, and Cecret Lake
8. Ate Sudanese Food
9. Drove a rental car
10. Learned how to thread my own sewing machine and made bean bags and pajama pants
11. Flew International with a child
12. Finally read "A Christmas Carol"
13. Visited new Salt Lake City landmarks: Red Butte Garden, Utah Museum of Fine Arts, and Discovery Gateway
14. Ate Somali Food
15. Started doing Zumba dance classes
16. Saw monkeys in the wild
17. Swam in an underground cenote
18.Went to a Big Bad Voodoo Daddy concert
19. Went to Holi Festival
20. Shared my adoption story with high school students
21. Went to an Estate sale
22. Ate Conch
23. Watched a butterfly emerge from its chrysalis
24. Improved my knitting by learning how to increase, decrease, and purl stitch
25. Went to Coba
26. Toured through caves in the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico
27. Painted my own pottery
28. Went to Ogden's Treehouse Museum
29. Ran the famous Canyonlands Half-Marathon and beat my previous half-marathon time by a full 25 minutes.

Alright, so now it's your turn to help me out. As I approach the big 3-0 I'd love to hear your ideas for things to try this next year!

Cecret Lake

2010-08-27T12:49:00.001-07:00

Last week, we had a fun hike to Cecret Lake, up near Alta ski resort. Persy loved scampering across the rocks near the lake and watching the many chipmunks. She is my little adventure girl!

Sitting near her friend Ethan

The scenery was incredible and the trail was surrounded by summer wild flowers. This picture doesn't do it justice!

Beat the Heat

2010-08-27T12:40:00.001-07:00

We've had a wonderful summer! There has been a lot of hiking, gardening, swimming, exploring, and playing. We also had several super hot days this summer filled with art projects, reading and science experiments. I had 42 activities I wanted to do with Persy this summer, and we completed 37 of them! Whew. Here's just a sample of what we've done:

Painting with Water- Persy loved watching the lines disappear in the hot sun.

Squishing Bag and then painting with it- Persy was bothered by the texture. The green food coloring might have grossed her out too.

Indoor 2 Litre Bowling - a huge hit that we'll do again this winter.

Big Girl Bed

2010-08-01T14:59:00.001-07:00

After just one rough night, we've transitioned to the Toddler Bed. Persy seems to love having the "Big Girl Bed" in her room, but then every night she climbs out and sleeps on the floor. Not sure why.

This is how we find her after each nap and each morning. I never hear a "thump" or a cry, so I'm pretty sure she is climbing out and preferring to sleep on the floor. Puzzling. I wish she had told us her preference for "roughin' it" before we bought her the bed. We could have saved some cash! :)

St. George

2010-08-01T14:51:00.000-07:00

We had a blast last month in St.George with extended family. Persephone had a wonderful time playing with her older cousins and I had a delightful time seeing several productions at the Utah Shakespeare Festival and also Tarzan at the Tuacahn. It was pretty much an ideal vacation to suit both our interests and I'm thankful to all the extra help that I got from the grandparents and cousins.Lots of Swimming

Snail Collecting

Cousins

Sun Valley 2010

2010-07-29T12:26:00.000-07:00

We took another wonderful trip to Sun Valley for the Utah Bar Convention this year. It is always so much fun to go there and hang out with some of our friends.Persy now has several little friends her age that go to the convention. This cute little boy is Theo.

Eating sushi with our friends the Millers and their three little girls. I often brought a separate meal for Persy when we ate at restaurants because of her peanut and tree nut allergies. She is such a picky eater that she rarely makes a fuss about not sharing my entree. I was pleased that she gave the edamame an adventurous taste though.

Sun Valley is beautiful in the summer!

Doughnut Falls

2010-07-26T18:46:00.000-07:00

My awesome 11 year old niece has been visiting from Texas this month. She spent a couple of days at our house and then we hung out again in St. George. Texas sounds like a great place, but it does lack mountains so we had to get out for a little hike together. (Actually the hike was a littler longer than planned because as the fearless leader I got us lost and we ended up turning a one hour hike into 3 1/2 hours. Whoops!) I'd love to do more hiking before it gets cold again. What are your favorite Utah hikes to do with children?
Dang, she hasn't even left for home yet and I'm already missing her. She was so helpful with Persy too!

Persy Playing Underneath Doughnut Falls

Hidden Falls

2010-07-10T13:09:00.000-07:00

We're trying to get some good hikes in this summer. We searched for Hidden Falls up Big Cottonwood, but I'm not sure that we actually found it. Oh well, it was a perfect morning just the same exploring with my friend Megan and her two kiddies. I love living so close to the mountains.

Persy's friend Ethan, snuggled in with his mommy

Sugar and Spice

2010-06-30T16:01:00.000-07:00

Sugar and SPICE, (and everything nice . . . ) That's what little two-year-olds are made of.

Fire Station

2010-06-30T15:46:00.000-07:00

We had a fun little trip to tour a fire station this morning. I love that Persy and I get to do these activities together. It makes me feel happy that I get spend so much time with her because I love watching her discover the world. The firemen let the kids climb into the fire truck and look around the ambulance. We were about to finish the tour when they got a call and had to jump into their trucks. It was pretty exciting!

Birthday Morning

2010-06-16T14:45:00.000-07:00

Persy turned two last week and we had a wonderful day together as a family. We went into her room with singing, balloons, and a birthday crown. She was jumping up and down with excitement.Running around overjoyed

The shower of balloons that have littered our house for days now

Felt birthday crown that I hope to use for years to come

We opened presents right before we went to the aquarium. Gabe stayed up late putting together this darling wood kitchen from Ikea. She has loved preparing "snacks" for us and stirring "spices" into her dishes.

Joint Birthdays

2010-06-16T14:34:00.001-07:00

Persephone and Gabe have their birthdays just one day apart, so they will forever be sharing birthday celebrations. We decided to spend Persy's day with just our little family and took the full Saturday to be together, (a rare treat!) We went to the Aquarium and then out for pizza that night. It was a simple and perfect afternoon!
Looking at the sharks in the aquarium. Persy loved the penguin exhibit and was pretty excited about touching the sting rays and star fish. She is a real animal lover.

Blowing out the candles on the birthday cake- Persy got pizza for her birthday and Gabe got lasagna the next day. We ate on Thomas the Train plates that Persy picked out from the party store.

Look Who's Two

2010-06-16T14:20:00.000-07:00

Children's Art Festival

2010-06-11T19:53:00.001-07:00

Persy and I spent a fun morning doing various art projects at The Children's Art Festival in Springville yesterday. Her favorite projects were the paper mache balloons, card making, and sidewalk coloring.

Grow it Yourself

2010-06-11T19:40:00.000-07:00

I teamed up with a couple of my close friends at the Community Garden this year. It's going to be a lot of work but I'm already salivating over the thought of peas, beans, melons, tomatoes, beets, lettuce, leeks, potatoes, corn, pumpkin, peppers, eggplant and more.

Wander List

2010-05-30T13:57:00.000-07:00

Dreams of world travel and adventure occupy my thoughts today. Here are a few things on my ever evolving "bucket list."

Go camping in the redwoods
Walk across Britain, staying in Bed and Breakfasts along the way
Take tango lessons in Argentina
See the Northern Lights
Cruise pass giant glaciers in Alaska
Feel the mists off of Victoria Falls
Visit all 7 Continents
Sing Karaoke in Japan
Hike to the ruins of Machu Pichu
Be an extra in a Bollywood movie
Run a marathon in another country
Walk through a Monarch butterfly forest
Go to Chaco Canyon during the Solstice
Get tickets to the Sundance Film Festival
Eat Pad Thai in Thailand

What's on your list?

Time with Thomas

2010-05-28T12:33:00.001-07:00

Persy and I had a scenic drive to Heber yesterday to ride on Thomas the train. Persy really adores this show and was very excited to ride on the train. We had a countdown to the event and every day she wanted to know if it was time to go on Thomas yet.

I Need a Much Faster Camera

2010-05-21T12:19:00.000-07:00

My camera has about a serious delay problem and it is driving me nuts. You need to be quick to catch the ever elusive toddler!

Mixing Work and Pleasure

2010-05-21T11:29:00.000-07:00

Gabe had a conference to attend in St. Thomas last week, so naturally I wanted to come along as well! My in-laws generously agreed to watch Persy for a few days while we traveled.
I was fairly giddy the whole trip about having time all to myself. I slept in until the obscene hour of 9:30, (which was actually just 7:30 Utah time, but still . . . )

Beautiful beaches outside of our room

Celebrating our 8 year anniversary at a romantic little restaurant in Red Hook. In addition to this yummy meal we also indulged in a LOT of peanut butter and peanut M&Ms. Nut products are banned from our house because of Persephone's peanut and cashew allergy. Needless to say, their forbidden nature means that we both crave nuts. One of the best parts of traveling without Persy was not having to stress out about what she could eat and if she would be safe because of her severe food allergies.

We stayed at a really lovely resort for the conference, too lovely in fact because I hardly left the premises! I spent all day swimming in the warm ocean and reading under palm trees while Gabe was at his conference. Gabe was also able to do some scuba diving one afternoon and we spent a morning snorkeling together. It was such a relaxing and fun trip!

Toddler Humor

2010-05-11T13:12:00.000-07:00

I love how Persy bring extra humor, dancing, and play to my life. I'll be doing something mundane when all of the sudden she prances in with one of my hats or gives me a funny look that will make me laugh.

Butterfly Release

2010-05-11T13:05:00.000-07:00

We had the magical experience of raising caterpillar larvae and watching them transform into lovely painted butterflies. It was incredible to watch them just slip out the chrysalis. Persephone took an active part in our little science project and loved feeling the butterflies crawl on her arm before we released them outside for the remainder of their short, but hopefully happy, nectar filled lives.

Self Esteem

2010-04-30T13:41:00.000-07:00

I've never met a toddler that didn't absolutely love themselves. They seem totally enamored with their own toothless smiles, chubby tummies, and wild hair. What happens to this unabashed joy in self as children age? Wouldn't it be lovely if each adult you met embraced their own talents, bodies, and thoughts without the need to lift themselves up by demeaning others? Imagine. . .

The Great Outdoor Challenge

2010-04-24T16:28:00.000-07:00

We've been participating in The Great Outdoor Challenge this month. The goal is to get outside every day, regardless of the weather and take a picture. Going outside isn't a challenge for us, but remembering my camera and taking decent pictures is a different story. One of my personal goals is to make it outside with Persy every single day and we pretty much keep that commitment unless winter air quality has us home bound. I think spending time in nature is vital for both children and adults. It has such an impact on our physical and emotional health and is the perfect playground and classroom for young children.

Ant and bug observation is very popular right now. Persy poked at these ants and then bent down to give them an enthusiastic kiss before I could stop her.

Feeding the Ducks

In Our Community Garden: We are getting ready to join with two other families to plant a scrumptious garden of tomatoes, cucumbers, beets and other healthy fare.

Persy proves that learning can happen anywhere and nature can be found even on a small apartment balcony. We had a little discussion about grass since she is so fascinated by the gardeners who come to mow the lawn.

A Beautiful Spring Sunday Walk in Our Neighborhood

So Long, Farewell

2010-04-14T12:08:00.000-07:00

I had to say good bye to one of my childhood friends this week as she prepares to move her family to Boston. Rebecca and I have been friends for nearly 20 years! When we were in Jr. High school she moved away for a couple of years to Arizona and I remember sobbing dramatically before she left. This farewell was less teary, but I still felt a pang of emptiness as we departed. I really hate good byes.

At a Mad Hatter's Tea Party a few years ago, Rebecca is standing next to me second from the left.

Breakfast before Boston with the same group of friends.

Easter Cutie

2010-04-10T18:29:00.000-07:00

We had a happy Easter spent with extended family. We enjoyed listening to many messages about Christ and Family during the LDS General Conference on Saturday and Sunday.
Persy Dying Eggs with Daddy

Persy had no competition for her egg hunt, so she brought in quite the haul. I filled her eggs with toy farm animals and stickers since most Easter candy is off limits with her nut allergies.

Holi: Festival of Colors

2010-04-10T18:14:00.001-07:00

When I was a freshman in college I had a boyfriend from India that would charm me with exotic tales about festivals and wedding celebrations in his country. I could listen to him talk for hours as we gobbled up egg curry and ate it with our fingers. (His fingers always had the lingering delicious smell of spice.) He told me about the Holi festival where people would run around throwing powdered dyes at each other. It sounded like so much fun. I was thrilled to find out that Utah has its own Holi festival at the Hare Krishna temple in Spanish Fork. I went to the festival with my adventurous friend, Megan and we joined thousands of young college kids to throw dyes into the air and at each other. My pictures don't do the event justice, since I was reluctant to take my camera into a multi-colored war zone. My best recommendation is to google the event or check out a video on YouTube.

BEFORE: Wendy and Megan

AFTER: Even my boogers had turned magenta.

Wild Goose Chase

2010-03-30T19:10:00.000-07:00

Spring weather has turned us into explorers. Last week, we went to Wheeler Historic Farm and Persy had a grand time chasing the geese, picking up pebbles and sticks and trying to eat rabbit poop. This girl is very busy!

Making a Run for It

2010-03-26T20:13:00.001-07:00

Just a couple of pictures from my recent Half Marathon in red rock country Moab, Utah. I ran the race with my cousin, friend and former roommate Melia. The red rock and bright blue, cloudless sky were just stunning!
Stretching with my fan club. I was so happy to have such a supportive husband and daughter to greet me at the finish line.

I finished the race a full 25 minutes faster than my previous half marathon in Vegas. Go me!

Making Goop, Teasing Your Parents, and Other Toddler Adventures

2010-03-10T16:37:00.001-08:00

Here's a little bit of what we've been doing . . .
Lots of teasing games of hide-and-go seek . . .

Playing in the Snow

Making "Goop"

Feeding the Ducks

Class with the Cool Kids

2010-03-08T19:24:00.001-08:00

Persy got to start nursery this week! We're going to take turns attending with her because of the peanut allergy concerns. She loved playing with the other kids and singing songs. It was definitely a lot more fun than going to Sunday School with us.

Awww, Nuts!

2010-03-08T18:37:00.000-08:00

It's been several months since we found out that Persephone has a life-threatening peanut and cashew allergy and I'm still dealing with the diagnosis. I'm arming myself with all the information I can find. It's life changing for our family, but I'm trying to stay optimistic and up-beat. Here are some of the things we have to think about now:

* Reading every single label. She can't eat anything with nuts, that may contain nuts, or may have been processed in the same place as nuts.

* Restaurants have become scary places and this is a real bummer for a family that enjoys eating out. Asian food, ice cream parlors and bakeries are out of the question since they pose too much risk for cross-contamination.

* Carrying an epi-pen everywhere I go and always looking for possible signs of an allergic reaction. Staying up to date with my CPR and carrying a cell phone in case I need to call 911 has become a priority.

* Making cookies, cakes, and any other baked goods from scratch since most candies and chocolates are off limits for Persy

* Worrying about what we'll do for holidays like Easter, Halloween, Christmas, Valentine's Day. We've found a few sites where we can order peanut-free chocolate, but I've been working on coming up with creative candy alternatives.

* Concerns that she will pick up something with nuts and eat it or some other child or adult will unknowingly give her something with nuts.

On a positive note, Persy has been very cooperative about her asthma breathing treatments that we do each day. We call it "Bear Lungs" because it makes her strong like a bear and we do a big, ferocious growl each time. She also has a fun dinosaur mask that she uses with a nebulizer when she has an attack. I sometimes catch her putting her mask on her stuffed animals or "practicing" on her own.

St. George

2010-03-03T11:58:00.001-08:00

Last week, Persy and I spent a few days in St. George with my folks, grandma, and one of Persy's cousins. My favorite part of the trip was an amazing 11 mile run on a trail near the Virgin River. Persy loved swimming every day, playing outside, and receiving constant help and attention from her 8 year old cousin and grandparents.

We've Been Making a Mess

2010-02-17T13:07:00.000-08:00

The long winter months have had us doing a number of fun sensory activities. We've also made a lot of cookies and spent a fair amount of time coloring. Persy's favorite indoor sensory activity is the bean box. We measure, spoon, and touch together. The spare shower curtain is put down for easy clean-up.

Vacation MVP

2010-02-14T08:37:00.001-08:00

We call Persephone our "Adventure Baby" because she adapts so well to changes on vacation. She just loves to see and do new things. She was fun to travel with on our vacation to Mexico despite few naps and late bedtimes. (This doesn't mean that we didn't have our share of meltdowns too. I think you really have to expect some emotional struggles when traveling with children so young.)

A Catnap Taken at Chichen Itza

Everything seems new when you are a tot. Persephone is examining one of the many shells we found on the beach.

Crazy Coba

2010-02-14T08:28:00.000-08:00

Our last day in Mexico, Gabe went scuba diving in some cenotes and on a whim I signed Persy and I up for a tour to Coba. The concierge did a terrible job describing the tour and I was already on the bus far from the hotel before the tour guide informed us that this was a fourteen hour tour with multiple adventure stops! (Not exactly the news you want to hear when traveling internationally and alone with a temperamental toddler.) We somehow survived the napless day and I am glad that I got to see some of these incredible sites.

At the Cenote- We put our feet in and splashed about to cool down a bit. It felt like a sauna in there.

Steep Stairs at the pyramid at Coba, (I didn't attempt the uneven and dangerous climb with Persy.)

This picture says so much - check out Persy's scowling eyes. She is not happy to be in the carrier right now and wants to get out and jump off the rocks. I wish I knew how to photo shop out that lame bikini chick that stepped into this, and several other shots that I took. She had the right idea though, it was incredibly humid and hot touring around Coba.

This was the worse moment of the day- Persy had just thrown up a full juice box all over herself and her carrier. I splashed water on her head to cool her down and then let her explore a bit. She kept wanting to jump off rocks and I reached over to stop her and tell her "No!" when she gave me a sly look and jumped full force right into my mouth. I had a fat, bloody lip for the rest of they day. After that naughty and hectic moment our day got much better.

Our last stop on the tour was a large group of impressive caves deep in the jungle. I kept having to take the backpack off to stoop under low entrances in the cavern. I'm very grateful for all the help the other tour members gave to me. We ended up becoming friendly with most of the people on our tour because traveling with kids is such an ice breaker.

The caves had millions of stalactites and stalagmites. Some of the caverns were filled with water. Persy was fascinated and wide-eyed in the caves. When we left the caves we saw wild monkeys in the trees! We also saw alligators while driving through a swamp area earlier in the day. I was thrilled!

Tacos and Tortillas

2010-02-04T18:56:00.001-08:00

We ate tacos, salsa, and other Yucatan food with wild abandon. My favorite food from this region is Tacos al Pastor. I think I can eat 5 in one sitting. I also fell in love with a fruit flavored jelly candy.

When we found out that one of the restaurants where we ate made each tortilla by hand we asked if the cook we come out and give us a demonstration. She seemed rather delighted by our interest.

Love this man!

Valladolid and the World's Longest Car Game

2010-02-04T18:54:00.001-08:00

After paying an outrageous $50 for the toll road to Chichen we decided to take the long way back to Cancun and stop by the colonial town of Valladolid. We got there right at twilight and strolled around the charming town square. I was extremely impressed with the maintenance of the city center. It was spotless and all the buildings had fresh bright paint with lovely white borders. There were delicious food stands and a waterfall and romantic conversation chairs through the plaza. I'm seriously ready to move there!

Throughout the day we had been playing car games with our friends. One game in particular involved naming famous people, (Ernest Hemingway for example,) and then the next person coming up with someone who's name started with the last letter of the previous name, (i.e. Harrison Ford.) We played the game on and off for 8 hours before I grew weary and ran out of "F" names. I thought the game would end soon, but the three competitive attorneys in the car kept things going for over four more continuous hours!! The little villas we were driving through had dozens of speed bumps and the lack of street lamps sent us flying through the air as when we missed spotting them. There were literally over 55 speed bumps on our way home and it became this awful nightmare of a ride as I endured what felt like the world's longest commencement ceremony with random names being called out as we bounced along the back country. Needless to say, I quickly figured out why somebody would be crazy enough to pay for the toll road.

(P.S. After a day of hiking, swimming, and exploring I felt awesome but did not look so hot. I really hate this picture. Ugh.)

Swimming in Cenotes

2010-02-02T19:08:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite vacation moments was when we went swimming in an underground cenote. When I was floating in the cool cave water I looked up and saw long tree roots and hundreds of bats flying around overhead. There were also dramatic stalactites and blind cave fish.

As a matter of fact I did ignore all of the "Swim at Your Own Risk" signs . . .

The little boys who rushed our car promising to "watch our stuff" for a bit of cash.

Chichen Itza

2010-02-01T16:50:00.001-08:00

Chichen Itza is one of my favorite archaeological ruins. The Mayans were such a fascinating and advanced society. I could write a whole paper about this site! (Actually I did write a paper about this site in my undergraduate days. The paper focused on osteological evidence for human sacrifice found in the sacred cenote.)

Ahh . . . the romance is still alive! When we came here several years ago we walked up the steps of the large pyramid, but they don't allow tourists to do that anymore.

Persy playing in front of the observatory.

Gabe, Persy, Wendy, Jared, Sade

In front of the Sacred Cenote.

Holding my little Adventure Baby

The sacrificial Ball Court

Trip to Isla Mujeres

2010-01-31T15:54:00.001-08:00

We took a day trip out to the beautiful and small island of Isla Mujeres. The beaches there were pristine and gorgeous.

Persy is mad in this picture because she wanted to lean dangerously out the window of the boat and mean old mommy wouldn't let her. The boat ride was really rough and each time we jumped into the air Persy would squeal, "Wheeeee!!!!"

Jared and Sade

Persy signing "dog."

We walked down the steps from the restaurant where we ate and had the beach to ourselves. Persephone was delighted by the sand and waves.

We ate scrumptiously fresh fish and conch from a beach side restaurant.

The Beaches of Cancun

2010-01-31T15:32:00.000-08:00

We're home again after an incredible week exploring the Yucatan in Mexico. It was warm, sunny and gorgeous and I'm missing it already.

Our fun and adventurous friends Jared and Sade were able to join us for the first half of the trip.

Sunday Spinning

2010-01-14T10:44:00.001-08:00

One of the fun parts of being a girl is spinning around in fancy Sunday dresses. This is a dress that was my favorite as a little girl and my mother saved it to pass on to Persy.

Highlights from a Year of Passionate Reading

2010-01-04T12:59:00.000-08:00

As most of you know, I am a very passionate reader. I keep a detailed list of what I read each year and like to catalog and review each one in an on-line account. I think this must mean I have some serious nerdy tendencies, or perhaps that I am just a former librarian turned mom. Anyhow, at the end of the year I like to see what general themes I've been drawn towards. Out of the 38 books I completed last year, here are the highlights of those that I would strongly recommend. The items with an asterisk are non-fiction titles.

1. My Life in France by Julia Child *
Oh Julia, after reading your book I really feel like we would have made the best of friends . . .

2. Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger

3. A Natural History of the Senses by Diane Ackerman *
I've read this book at least three times now. I have favorite passages highlighted. I don't think it will resonate with everyone, but I just love Ackerman's writing style.

4. Gertrude Bell: Queen of the Desert, Shaper of Nations by Georgina Howell *
Why don't we learn about bold women explorers like this in our history classes?

5. Catching Fire and The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
I couldn't put either of these down. I can't wait for Collins to complete her Young Adult trilogy.

6. They Poured Fire on Us from the Sky: The true story of three lost boys from Sudan by Alephonsion Dena and Judy A. Bernstein *

7. The Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner *
Part travel writing, part psychology, lots of humor . . .

8. The American Revolution: A History by Gordon S. Wood *

9. The Forgotten Garden: A Novel by Kate Morton
This is the type of book I long for but rarely find. It is infused with mystery, romance, adventure, strong female characters, and fairy tales. Sometimes multigenerational novles can be confusing, but Morton's book was easy to follow. I especially recommend the audiobook format for its superb narration.

10. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

11. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
I know it's shocking, but this was my first time to read the classic. I love Austen's wit.

What are you reading? I'd love to know your recommendations!

Christmas

2009-12-30T07:55:00.001-08:00

We put all of Persy's presents into an igloo tent on Christmas morning. She had a lot of fun playing inside. We spent Christmas in Logan with extended family and had a great time that weekend hanging out, bowling, running, going to "Sherlock Holmes," and even playing laser tag.

Persy and her cousin with their new Mongolian princess hats.

Gabe, exhausted after all the festivities

Twas the Night Before Christmas . . .

2009-12-30T07:21:00.000-08:00

There is something about being in a children's hospital at Christmas time that is very humbling. Persy ended got sick last week with a cold and then ended up in respiratory distress again. As we took care of her I couldn't help but notice the other weary parents there with children much sicker than our own. I felt sad for them, and so grateful that Persy was able to leave on Christmas Eve so we wouldn't have to spend our holidays at the hospital. I also felt grateful that we have some new medications to try with Persephone and also received additional counseling regarding her peanut allergy. We are so very fortunate to be near to excellent medical care.

Nativity Cast and Crew

2009-12-22T12:42:00.000-08:00

Every Christmas my family gets together to act out the Nativity. There's always a festive dinner of clam chowder and Christmas candies. There's always the somewhat rambunctious group of cousins running about dressed as angels, shepherds, etc, and there's always the stern warning against lighting house and hair on fire as we each light a candle and sing "Silent Night." It's always a fun event that everyone enjoys!

Our Little Angel

The Wise People

Mary, Joseph, and a Shepherd

The night ended with Persy getting to open gifts from her Grammy and Grandpa.

Scary Santa

2009-12-19T20:27:00.000-08:00

I can't stop smiling at these pictures of pure terror we caught on Gabe's iphone . . . I hope this doesn't reflect poorly on me as a mother.

More Medical Adventures

2009-12-16T05:48:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I wish I had a medical degree. It would certainly be more useful in my role as a mother than the anthropology degree that I currently hold. Yesterday, I had the opportunity to expand my medical knowledge yet as another crisis unfolded with Persephone.

We were sitting at dinner and Persy was picking at her meal and whining about the nuisance and eating when I decided to give her some peanut butter in hopes of enticing her appetite. We had her 18 month appointment earlier in the day and the doctor had cleared me for introducing this new food into her diet. Within seconds of her first lick she began rubbing her eyes and sneezing. I hurried and snatched her from the high chair and immediately ran to the car as hives began to spread across her face.

Even though we live close to medical care, it always seems a long drive to me when I'm fighting traffic and I can't see her from the rear view mirror. Persy was coughing a little and I was quite worried that her respiratory problems would worsen during my drive to Instacare and she might go into anaphylaxis shock.

Fortunately, she remained stable through the drive and with a dose of benadryl her condition improved after a couple of hours of monitoring. I think the benadryl made her a little hyper because she spent the long evening at Instacare running around, saying "hi" to every entering patient, and delighting in the otterpops and suckers that the enamored nurses were supplying. The poor girl looked all swollen like Quasimoto, but she couldn't have cared less.

So, short story long, it looks like we will need to visit an allergist to confirm the peanut allergy. We also have to keep Persy away from any products that may contain peanuts, (which are a lot,) because any additional exposure greatly increases her risk for anaphylaxis shock. This child certainly knows how to keep things lively and expensive!

18 Months

2009-12-14T19:07:00.000-08:00

Our smiling, running, jumping, laughing, dancing, difficult to capture little girl is growing up way too fast!

Sous Chef

2009-12-10T21:29:00.000-08:00

I've been making a lot of cookies with the help of the world's cutest sous chef. She likes to help pour, knead, frost and sprinkle. She enjoys smelling each of the spices with an enthusiastic "Mmmm. . . " Fortunately for me, she is also enthusiastic about helping to sweep and clean afterwards.

Mixed Reviews

2009-12-03T19:59:00.000-08:00

Lights on Temple Square got mixed reviews from Persy this year. She loved going inside the visitor's center to see the giant statue of Christ, but she was cold and a little cranky for the outdoor portion. Classic grumpiness! :)

Bed Head

2009-12-03T19:52:00.001-08:00

Love Story

2009-11-23T20:05:00.000-08:00

I LOVE . . .

* nuzzling my nose into her silky, just washed hair.
* the way she signs "hot" with so much flair that she looks Italian.
* how she cracks herself up.
* watching her run in a circle, iggling because she can't keep her balance.

* how she gently rubs my back if she sees me lying down.
* her intense fascination with all things train related.
* the way she folds her arms and likes to say little prayers all day.
* how excited she gets when she helps me with laundry.
* her long brown hair and dark brown eyes.

Expedition

2009-11-05T04:44:00.001-08:00

Gabe left in the wee hours this morning for a trip to Peru. He will be visiting Machu Pichu with my father and two brothers. I hope he has an incredible time!

Little Chicken and the Bollywood Star

2009-11-04T11:32:00.000-08:00

Playing in Nature's Toy Box

2009-10-18T13:05:00.001-07:00

This past year, I've become more aware of the calming effects of nature on both Persephone and myself. If I'm feeling disgruntled, a little air and sunshine usually has the power to diffuse a bad mood. I make it a point to spend at least a little time outside each day, regardless of the weather. With perfect fall temperatures over the last couple of weeks we've been spending a lot of time outdoors walking, exploring, playing. I let Persy collect pine cones, leaves, stones and other small objects to bring home and play with together. She loves to take them out of her bowl and then put them back in again. Sometimes the best toys are the free ones that Mother Nature provides!

First Haircut

2009-10-15T19:18:00.000-07:00

Run, Wendy, Run

2009-10-04T18:13:00.001-07:00

I knew that running a marathon would be a challenge, but I had no idea it would be so much fun! I was amazed by all the friendly volunteers and the great crowd support. I also felt a lot of camaraderie with my fellow runners and really enjoyed the gorgeous course route for the St. George Marathon. As a first timer, I don't think I could have had a better experience. One thing that really helped me was running most of the race with a pacing group. I finished in 5 hours and 28 minutes, (I had no goal time and had estimated my pace at closer to 6 hours, so I was pretty thrilled with my time.) I feel very blessed to have had this opportunity and thankful for all the support I received from friends and family.

St. George Marathon By the Numbers:

0 Blisters (Smart Wool Socks Oh, how I love thee!)

1 Pre-Race Banana

2 Times listening to "I'm Gonna Be" (500 Miles) by the Pretenders and feeling so happy that I actually started to sing out loud while I ran.

4 Family members that came to cheer me on

5 Hours of sleep the night before

6 New friends (Thank you Deb and Esther)

7 Thousand runners in the race

11 Mile mark when I wished I was a man so I wouldn't have to wait in line for the port-a-potty

15-17 My favorite miles of the race with breathtaking scenery of Snow Canyon- I can hardly describe my elation

22 "The Wall" - My 2 mile stretch of nausea and fatigue

24 Family greets me and some angel hands me a bag of crushed ice (Pictured above at mile 24, the finish line is so close I can almost taste it!)

26.2 Miles completed!

I Love the Mountains, I Love the Rolling Hills!

2009-09-30T05:23:00.000-07:00

I am often surprised by the fact that I have lived in Utah nearly all of my life and I still feel like there thousands of places in the state left to discover. Here are some pictures from a lovely little Mommy-Daughter hike to Doughnut Falls that I took with Persy and my friend Megan. The fall leaves were just beginning to change and the drive up the canyon was quite stunning.

Megan and her cuties- I'm lucky to have an adventurous friend that will do such fun things with me. This is one of the same friends that traveled throughout Europe with me before we both got married. We are constantly planning excursions and expeditions that we want to go on when we are little old ladies.

The kids all loved tossing rocks into the water!

I love my Kelty backpack! I also use it around the city to do errands.

San Diego Beach, Utah Attire

2009-09-30T05:14:00.001-07:00

I really love this picture of Gabe and Persy! Notice the long sleeve shirt and pants. He's not wearing a wet suit, he is wearing the clothes that he planned for the plane ride home after our few hours at the beach. He didn't let the absence of a swimsuit destroy his fun, he just dove right into the ocean pants and all! (Don't worry, he dried off in time for the flight.)

San Diego's Wild Animal Park

2009-09-23T19:11:00.000-07:00

For my birthday, Gabe planned a family trip to San Diego. The first day of vacation we went to the Wild Animal Park. It was an impressive park where you could see lions, giraffes, elephants and other wild animals in a more natural preserve type setting. We had fun, but we were all so stinking hot that we felt like we might faint and found ourselves shelling out cash for touristy little spray bottle fans and overpriced ice cream. I hope I can go back some day when the temperatures are more reasonable.

The best part was the safari type tour where we got to see giraffes roaming around and eating from trees.

Petting the Very Tame Deer

Cabin Getaway and Henna Too

2009-09-23T18:50:00.000-07:00

Few things bring me greater joy in life than spending time with dear friends. (Right now the only thing I can think of to top that list would be spending time with my family.) I feel so blessed to have friends that I can rely on for soulful conversation, friends that helped when I moved, friends that I can count on to help watch Persephone on occasion, friends that are loyal and love me with all of my flaws. Here are some pictures from a fun overnight cabin trip with two of my closest friends that I have known for nearly a lifetime.

We applied henna art in the evening and then wrapped it in tissue to dry overnight. We were all pleased with the finishing masterpieces that lasted a couple of weeks.

Breakfast at Road Island Diner

The lovable Julia and Megan

We all jumped in a cold mountain lake the next morning. Julia was the only brave enough soul to keep swimming long after Meg and I rushed for our towels.

Pre-lake Smiles