Dinner Plans Anyone?

Is anyone interested in a reading a section on my blog consisting solely of menu plans for both simple weekday dinners and for more formal dinners as well? I'm considering taking the time to do that if friends and family are interested. Leave a comment saying "ay mate" if you're feelin' it and I'll get planning!

Drum Roll Please!

As promised in a previous post, I took a picture of E's new pom pom animal creation--a dragonfly. Please note the glue on her chin, she got a liiiittle too close to the dragonfly when I was taking pictures. She doesn't seem to notice or care though! E's new baby sister S. gave E. a Klutz Pom Pom Animal book as a gift after she was born (a little tip I read in a parenting magazine to help the siblings like the new baby) and it's been a hit. Check the series out at www.klutz.com. Typically you can pick them up at specialty toy/book stores.

E's turtle and butterfly will follow in another post. I still need to take a picture of those two little guys...

Pretty Little Find

I found these adorable thank you notes at Cost Plus World Market up in Kimball Junction (right next to Park City) and wanted to post them just in case you too had a World Market nearby. They were not only beautiful but such a great deal--only $4.99 for a set of 8 cards and matching fuchsia envelopes. Don't be surprised if you receive one at some point :)

S's First Few Days of Life

Finally after much anticipation, S came into the world, just three days overdue! It actually worked out well as I had three additional days to prepare for her arrival with the help of my Mom. In a way, it was perfect timing.

My labor and delivery with S took place much faster than with either L. or E. This I appreciated greatly! I must confess I kind of felt like I deserved that much after such a difficult pregnancy :) I am so grateful she is here. It is so nice to once again enjoy food, even the dreaded hospital food. Yes, foodie friends, the hospital food...you heard me right.

S is an angel and we are so happy to be a family of five now. She is eating and sleeping well and allowing me a decent amount of sleep during the night. We love her to pieces and can't wait to begin this journey all together.

I am very grateful to all of you who dropped by gifts at the hospital, made meals for us, and called to check up on the "mama". All of your thoughtfulness is much appreciated here on our end. Thank You!!!

So Little

Ode to my Odyssey

I swore to never drive a mini-van
and often made fun of people who did
but I’ve been humbled greatly
and now I’m schlepping kids

I love my Honda Odyssey
and I openly admit with glee
my driving experience greatly improves
with every turn of that big ol’ key

Luxurious features really get me going
Leather, bun-warmers, sunroof and 6 cd-changer
oh how I’ve never known such comfort
nor my automotive experience full of such splendor

So before you make fun of me or any other mini-van driver
take an Odyssey for a test drive and soon you will see
that you too are a believer
and will start writing poems like me!

Something Other than Pink this Time Around

While we are on the subject of the baby I thought I'd take a minute to post a picture of her nursery bedding--recently purchased after extensive "research". I saw it, I LOVED it, I considered how perfect the colors were and then I quickly whipped out that stash of cash from my Craigslist sales and looked at Ben in such a way that he couldn't resist! Oh the leverage you get when you are 9 months pregnant!

Over the next month we'll be rearranging rooms, furniture, etc. and once the nursery is complete, I'll post more pics.

Two Words...BIG and OVERDUE

So my due date (Feb 18) has now officially come...and gone....It is now February 20 and still no sign of baby. Unfortunately, I haven't experienced contractions of any sort yet. I can't believe I am saying this, but I want to be in pain...I want contractions...I want to get this baby out! As a friend said on Sunday, "I look ready to burst". I think that pretty much sums it up! Here is a picture my Mom took of me yesterday..."bursting" with baby. You know you are big when people express feeling sorry for you after taking one look at you. This 40 lbs is becoming more than I can handle! Hopefully the next post will be announcing this little girl's arrival into our family. Hear that little baby??? We're waiting!!

XOXO

To properly document our "wildly" fun Valentines Day this year I wanted to post a picture of E with all her adorable Valentines Day art she made in preschool over the past few weeks. It's amazing how many animals and bugs can be made with hearts! I also wanted to show off an adorable card Ben gave me for Valentine's Day this year. He actually made it and cut out little doors...#1 and #2. What's behind those doors? I'll never tell! :) I hope you all had a wonderful Valentine's Day 2007! XOXO

Happy Birthday Ben!

Happy 32nd Birthday to a wonderful man!

Things that make you go "hmmm...."

Everyone is still sleeping soundly here at the house but I've been up since 5:22 a.m. due to a bout of insomnia. This does not bode well for me today as I went to bed at midnight so we'll see how it all unfolds! So much happened in SLC these past few days and so much is going to happen over the course of the next few days. Things on my mind include: a tragic accident involving a family with young children, a drunk driver who fled, and a father so willing to forgive; also on my mind are the shootings at Trolley Square last night (a mall I like to visit after the kiddies go to bed), Ben's birthday today, Valentine's Day tomorrow (perhaps E's favorite holiday), and of course, the pending birth of baby #3 on Sunday (the official due date). My mind is full of thoughts about life, its fragility and how at any moment our lives too could end whether by fate or just unlucky circumstances. It makes me further motivated to cherish each day, each child, Ben, and all the blessings that take place in my life each day. These events also make me want to strive to be better, do more, care more, extend myself more, etc. as there is much to be done while living our lives here on earth. Well, off to grab a few more minutes of sleep before sunrise....I hope you all have a wonderful day!

Cheese!

Every time L sees me taking pictures of items for Craigslist or Ebay (which is fairly often lately due to the "nesting" that's kicked in!) he always puts that little body of his in front of the camera and gives a big "Cheese". You can't deny a kid a few shots when he's that cute! The best part for him though is giggling at the image on the little screen right after shooting the picture. Here are a few of his "cheese" poses over the past few weeks.

More Catching Up - L's 2nd Birthday

L didn't quite know what to think of his birthday party...he enjoyed the cake and the balloons but it wasn't until every eye was on him, "Happy Birthday" was sung, and presents were placed in front of him that we could see the wheels start turning in his head. It was as if he thought, "Who me?" After some gentle and not-so-gentle prodding from the older and wiser kiddies he finally figured out it was he that should open the presents. L. kept saying "Wow" about everything...it made all the giftgivers feel good :) Mom served beef stew, baguettes and salad (Tiffany's yummy contribution) for the guests and lemon cupcakes with cream cheese frosting for dessert. Coincidentally all the B cousins were in town so it was a real treat to have everyone from Ben's side of the family there together.

Catching Up - E's 5th Birthday Party

One of the best things I did this past January was outsourcing E's fifth birthday party to Red Butte Gardens up at the U of U. After a night of contractions and staying up until the wee hours of the morning making this Ladybug cake (thank you Google images) I was more than grateful to just sit, relax and let the party planners go to work. All the kids seemed to enjoy painting pots, planting paper whites, learning about aphids and ladybugs and going on a ladybug hunt. At the end of the party all I had to do was write a check and leave the mess...priceless!

Craft Project Gone Awry

One could say this was a craft project gone awry but one could also say this was one of our most successful projects yet! Needless to say we've moved on from markers (thank heavens these were "washable") to pom poms and googly eyes. Keep your eyes peeled for future postings of pom pom creations. Exciting, I know.