Yum yum!

The feedings have begun!

Grandparents in town

With both sets of grandparents living out of the country it is always a treat to have them come visit. In September we were lucky enough to have Warren's parents in town for a week. The kids loved having them around, in fact, the day after they left Joseph, with a pout on his face said, "I miss grandma and grandpa." I enjoyed shopping with Carol and appreciated Fred's ever willingness to watch the kiddos so I could go and have a good time. It was also lovely to have some extra hands quietly doing things here and there, dishes or deep kitchen cleaning that never gets done!

We had Fred and Carol speak in sacrament meeting (when you are the bishop you can ask your parents to speak!) and they also gave a great fireside in our Stake. It was fun to be together. You take whatever time you can.



We held a little "birthday moment" since Rebecca and I never get to celebrate with Fred and Carol.



We're so glad Fred and Carol got to meet Theo in person now!







Thank you for everything, Fred and Carol! We all miss you!

Final installment of my birthday weekend

Last but not least, I spent a couple of nights at Queen Scarlett's beautiful home with her family. Her adorable daughters won their way into my heart (they were there already, but now it's totally cemented) with their welcoming and loving attitudes toward me and Theo. I felt like their aunt and just loved being around them. One time I was playing the piano for her 4 year old and she was supposed to be getting ready for bed instead of twirling to my music. When they asked her to stop dancing she said: "I can't...the music is TOO beautiful!"

QS gave me the royal food treatment with her delicious goat cheese and tomato baked pastries. Sorry, I don't remember the official name. Mmmmm....It was such a treat not to have to worry about food, dishes (I didn't help at all since I was holding my baby most of the time), cleaning up toys, and all the other chores that come with the 3 year old and 6 year old territory back at home.

It was such a nice vacation. I loved every bit of the trip, the conference, the food, the relaxation etc. but above all I enjoyed just being able to talk and talk and talk with my good friends. Everyone needs a "time out" once in awhile. And it had been a long while since I had one!

Thank you to every one who made it possible, including my dear Aunt Astrid and Arnold and Mandi. Thank you to my grandma for watching the kids for one day. And a huge thank you to my husband who without complaint watched Rebecca and Joseph all weekend, fed them (=Chuck E Cheese, IHOP, Costco hotdogs), entertained them (a train ride, Splash water park, fun shopping adventures) and loved them. After hearing everything they did I thought they wouldn't have missed me at all. But when I asked Joseph what his favorite part about the weekend was he said: "Picking you up at the airport!"

Ahhhh, it's good to be loved.



My adorable "nieces"



Making beautiful music together



Scarlett's amazing culinary delights



We met at the BYU foreign language housing in 1996! Can't believe it's been that long.



Keep smiling until we meet again!

Time Out For Women

The next installment of my birthday trip to Sacramento included meeting up with my friend "Queen Scarlett" and going to Time Out For Women, a weekend women's conference hosted by Deseret Book. The theme for the year was Infinite Hope, so it was just an uplifting weekend with inspiring words and music. I felt a little emotional that weekend (not in a bad way) and the several of the musical numbers made me cry. Music just touches your soul. I wasn't able to take notes because I was holding Theo, but the whole experience left me uplifted and wanting to try harder to be a kinder wife and mother. There weren't any guilt inducing speakers, just uplifting thoughts that made you want to be better. It definitely made me want to go again in the future.



With Michelle at TOFW



Having a blast at TOFW



Inspiring music by Jenny Oaks Baker, violinist and mother



Sweet and gentle Ardeth Kapp



Scarlett and I at Ambrosia cafe.

Ohhhh, the deliciousness of it all..... We ate our dessert first because our paninis weren't ready, but it didn't matter....it was all so wonderful the order was irrelevant.



Peach pancetta panini



Mercy River Trio

Birthday trip to Sacramento

For my birthday I flew up to Sacramento to spend the weekend with two of my dear friends. It was Theo's first flight and he did great. Everywhere I went people commented on what a happy baby he was.



Ready for take-off!

First I visited Michelle, who treated me to a wonderful French cafe lunch and a frozen yogurt place where you can put any toppings on you want and they weigh it and charge you by weight. We went on a long walk through a forest area by a lake and had a wonderful time catching up and visiting. Theo and I spent the night at Michelle's home. It was great to see where she is located now and visit with her sweet girls.

Happy Birthday to Me!!!

I love September. It's my birthday month. In my heart I celebrate all month long. Not with presents from others, not with singing or cake every day. But with a joyful feeling. Joy to be alive. Joy that I was raised by the most wonderful parents for me. I rejoice with every passing year that I'm still on the path I've always foreseen for myself. I'm grateful to be fulfilling my mission on earth. I don't worry about growing older, although I'm sure I won't enjoy some of the side effects. But I know this life is just a journey to get to a more glorious destination. I love life. I love my family, this beautiful earth and the wonderful experiences I have been privileged to have. Life is good.

Happy Birthday to Me!

A face only a 6 year old could love?

R: "Mom, is it alright to tell your parents when you have a crush on someone?"

Me: "You SHOULD tell your parents when you have a crush on someone."

R: "I have a crush on someone. His name is [xyz]."

Me: "Hmmm, what does he look like?"

R: "Well, he is missing one tooth and the other one is already coming in."

Only in second grade...