Those Mathiases

The Best Explanation

2012-02-10T23:40:00.001-06:00

This small person and I spend her every-waking-moment together (aside, of course, from the time that she spends sneaking off into my bedroom and unloading my shoe racks and basket of nylons and tights.)

We (ok, I) don't have many secrets from her...and she's becoming smarter and

smarter with each passing day.

She's my miniature shadow, and wants to be where I am, no matter what I'm doing.

If I'm getting something out of the fridge, she wants to help (and often opts for a quick snack).

If I'm doing the laundry, she is the first to help me move the clothes into the dryer (and will spend countless moments just touching and kneading the wet clothes).

If I'm putting dishes into the dishwasher, she's my go-to girl for pulling them out (and making sure

that they're actually dirty).

And, if she hears the tub filling up, she's the first one on the scene (to make sure that the water is the perfect temperature and that her tub toys are all accounted for).

She's the little companion that I always knew I couldn't live without (even if she touches all of my stuff and plays with my never-previously-touched-by-sticky-fingers box of perfect crayons).

Some days are more challenging.

Some days she's teething and cranky.

Other days she prefers to try her daily routine without adequate naps.

And some days I feel a bit weighed down by being the one that knows her best, yet I still can't figure out what she needs when she's upset.

These are the kind of days when bedtime brings a sigh of relief, and a rest from the labors of the day.

For both of us.

But all it takes is a quick peek into her room after she's fallen asleep.

And just like that, she's done it again.

Captivated me with her sweetness.

Bowled me over with that magnetism.

And made me so excited to do the same thing again the next day.

I believe this is what they call motherhood.

And man, I love it.

Dirty face and all...

Walkin' Shoes, Messes, and Matchy-Match Dresses

2012-02-06T10:21:00.000-06:00

I've probably mentioned that The Lady of the House has herself a set of teeny, tiny feet (as in, she just outgrew size 0-3mo!). Now that she's walking (did I forget to mention that she gave crawling the official heave-ho?), we started the search for shoes meant for walking.

As you can imagine, most shoes in 3-6mo size are made for babies that aren't mobile...and certainly aren't made for walking. But, luckily enough, we found some more-geared-toward-walking shoes that we loved...on sale, with free shipping!

And, so far, they're a hit! Hooray.

As for other happenings around here... My Christmas present came this last week! I opened this beautiful box of happiness at my folks' house, and my mom shipped it to me. I can't wait to play with it! I'm going to serge everything in sight, Mom :)

Have I mentioned that this girl is always coming up with new antics? She discovered that SITTING IN the book basket can expedite the process of emptying it...

The Little Miss also taught her dad the virtues of accessories. So far, he's been wearing that necklace everywhere. :)

The other night, to our surprise, Claire ran over to the couch and swiped Brian's iPhone and ran off with it! She scrambled to get away as quickly as possible, and wanted to play with it. Holy klepto-baby! Then on Friday night, I had about one bite of a Rice Krispie Treat left, and she swept in, stole it, and polished it off. Well, mostly. Except for those last bits on her eyelid and face, of course...

And, when she wasn't swiping our stuff, she managed to make THIS mess...

Eesh. And I sometimes wonder where the days go... Picking up after a tornado can be a time-consuming job, as a matter of fact.

Speaking of the tornado, Claire loves to get in the tub. She bolts for the bathroom as soon as she hears the water running. We had a little fun with her hair the other day...

...and she didn't seem to mind.

And after I finished cleaning up that living room mess, I made THIS. Sure, I'm a few years behind in making one, but it was fun and I like how it turned out. I tried it out on the front door, but decided that I'd rather have it inside so that I can enjoy it all day long :) Now to find a pretty ribbon to hang it with...

And, last of all, I picked out Claire's clothes for church yesterday...and then got ready myself. Hmmm...looks like I was going for a theme without knowing it! Worth a picture or two, I decided.

My favorite from the mix.

And, once Brian got home from assistant-ward-clerking, he joined us (before my wreath got yanked from the front door).

Things are good here, and if you need us...we'll be shopping for a cream sweater for Brian too :)

Self-Service

2012-01-29T10:45:00.000-06:00

It's hard to get any help around here...

...'specially when you need a snack, turns out.

Good thing we're a pretty proactive bunch...

And even better that the grapes were already washed.

Like I said, she likes grapes.

Portraits from a Dumb Phone, 2nd Edition

2012-01-24T20:44:00.001-06:00

Living in the Dark Ages isn't generally my preference.

But these student-ish circumstances that we find ourselves in call for sacrifices. And living with a dumb phone just happens to be one that I've chosen to live with. (As you may have guessed, I would much rather spend that saved money on clothes/ruffled/glittery things for Claire, but shhhhh, don't tell the budget!).

And, as dependable and technologically advanced as dumb phones are, sometimes they just won't hold as many pictures as a girl needs. So I decided it was time to opt for the extra memory (via a micro SD card). In doing so, we moved my pictures over to the card, and voila... they're now on our computer and at my fingertips.

You won't be surprised to hear that I enjoyed myself a little walk down memory lane as I looked through them. Considering I got my dumb phone just days before Claire was born, you can imagine an added bit of nostalgia, most especially because one of the first pictures is of our living room...and features my Shrek-sized swollen feet. Eesh!

Man, I'm glad to have these little snippets from my everyday life. So, walk with me a moment, and I'll give you a sneak peek into the first few...

1. Swollen feet. BIG ONES. And Christmas doo-dads.
2. The happiest moment of ever. Claire's birth-day.
3. Proud new daddy changing Claire's very first diaper.
4. Sleeping soundly (in 20 minute increments, as I recall).
5. A dirty diaper on Brian's pillow. No idea how it got there or why someone thought it would be so funny to photograph :)
6. One of my fondest memories of those early days (and tired-est too).
7. New "mom" hair. Shorter and easier to wash and go.
8. Trying anything between the hours of 4-9pm to minimize the screaming and colic.
9. The munchkin that was growing like a weed right in front of our very eyes...and proud of herself, no less.

1. More sleeping. The kind that looked so intoxicating. The kind she got lots of and I wanted. :)
2. Man, I loved that swaddled bundle.
3. Happy in the swing! (The swing that changed my life, remember?)
4. Hanging out at Mamie's house in pink ruffles.
5. Blowouts almost every day while staying at Mamie's house...
6. Next time I make a onesie for a newborn, I'll move the flowers lower. Note to self: THEY DON'T HAVE NECKS.
7. Chewing her hands and thrilled about it.
8. More of that sleep stuff.
9. My favorite Easter Bunny ever...

See now, aren't we just a little less worked up about the ailments of my owning a dumb phone? I know I am.

And, believe you me, there are a lot more where these came from...

No Excuses

2012-01-20T08:47:00.001-06:00

I've got no excuses.

I haven't blogged in NINE DAYS.

And there really isn't a good reason for it.

NO, REALLY...don't get any ideas :)

I think it's just the return-to-normal-ness that January brings.

There's less to report, less that's sparkly and shiny to admire, and generally less going on.

But that doesn't mean there aren't pictures.

So, I give you a run-down of our life lately, picture style.

Turns out someone's winter hat gets a bit toastier inside than we realized. And a toasty winter hat + already unruly hair = THIS.

Yikes.

Someone has been on an "evacuation" mission lately. If it has something in it, I MUST EMPTY IT. The book basket is one of her faves.

And, man, is she proud of herself once it's empty enough to climb into...

Brian has been at it again... He got a gift card from work for Christmas, and ordered some fancy-shmancy, expensive deep-dish pizza pans. They, along with a new pizza cookbook, arrived last week. Everyone around here is quite pleased with the results...

Even Claire liked it :)

Amazingly enough, I started AND FINISHED a project this week. I'm happy with how it turned out, and am excited to have it done soon enough to actually enjoy for a few weeks before Valentine's.

And then, believe it or not, I caught the bug. I enjoyed finishing the banner so much that it inspired me to start another project. I've wanted a Valentine's tree for a while, but have never made one. Claire has a cute white tree in her room (remember it from here?) and I thought I'd borrow it for a little while. It just needed some ornaments, so I turned to my stash and hoped for magic.

And, ta-dahhhhh!

The best part? I'm proud to report that I didn't buy a SINGLE thing for it!

I'm really enjoying it, and think the momentum might actually inspire a few other projects. :)

As for other happenings... It won't be hard to see why I had to buy these cute pants for Claire. I'm not sure I know a family that loves blue and white stripes like this family does, so Miss Claire needed to join in too!

We finally sent Brian back to school, much to our dismay. But, considering this is his LAST semester taking classes? Well, that's worth letting him go during the day (and often in the evenings too). It's the beginning of the end, though...so it'll all be worth it come graduation. He's also teaching organ lessons to 7 students at a local university, so it's going to be an exciting year.

As for me, I'm still waging the war against the Midwest creepy-crawlies (Utah, you never told me about this part...and Florida, you somehow managed to let me forget!), and have heightened a love for containers that hold everything. Even better yet that they keep out uninvited guests!

The new year has brought lots of organizing, deep cleaning, and the purging of old unneeded stuff. Even better yet that our local consignment store is willing to sell my clothes and pay me for it! :)

I've had this little helper at my side all the while...

...and, good grief, I love her. And that cheesy smile and scrunched up nose grin that she's been doing lately? I can't get enough of that either.

That about sums it up for us lately. Life is good, and we're just hanging out.

If you need us, we'll be emptying and then sitting in the book basket, waiting for Brian to get home, and hoping he'll be up to making us a pizza. :)

Of Late, Via the List

2012-01-11T20:04:00.000-06:00

I've been taking fewer and fewer pictures lately. Odds are that it's because Claire is impossible to catch, and is already on to the next project/mess/mischief before I can grab my camera.
Without fail, if the bathroom door is mistakenly left open, she finds her way in there in mere seconds. Today she used the 3 seconds she spent in there to shred toilet paper. And, man, it's a good thing she did. We needed someone to do that!
It's been the warmest winter we've had in Lawrence this year. We even went to the park the other day, and introduced Claire to the swings and slide. She seemed to think they were just alright. But, that little texture-touching Queen SURE DID enjoy the time she spent touching the grass and crunching up dead leaves.

Upon further consideration, I hope this means that she'll actually like touching meat...and can start forming hamburger patties by her 3rd or 4th birthday. Heaven knows that Brian could use some help with it, considering his wife won't do it!
Brian has been out of classes for almost 4 weeks, and they resume next week. Just when the holidays are over and it starts to feel normal to have him around more, he goes back! We'll miss him, but the more structured routine is better for all of us, I suppose. (read: boring/lame/stupid)

Claire's hair has officially reached the wildly unruly stage. It's getting longer in the back and on the sides, but still isn't catching up as much in the front/on top. Doesn't help at all that she loves to run her sticky fingers through it during mealtime. I had to pull a piece of fruit leather out of the back of it the other day. Now that? That's good stuff.

I can never figure out why I don't have more projects to report on, or don't have a list of "books I've just read" to share. And then I remember that keeping a human child alive, especially a wiggly one like we've got, is the biggest and most important project on my to-do list. And, at the end of the day, checking that box off is even more of an amazing feat than I sometimes imagined... :)

Ditching the Self-Timer Remote

2012-01-09T09:38:00.002-06:00

We had such a fun time in Utah...and seeing Brian's brother and his fam was an awesome bonus. At the last minute, our awesome sis-in-law Vivian said she'd be happy to take some family pictures for us.

We were SO excited to have something to hang on the wall besides our best-attempts-taken-with-the-self-timer-remote. And, man, she did a great job! I was hoping that we could at least have a few taken (and have a few to choose from), but Vivian went all out and did a whole bunch!

If you're interested in finding out more about her, check out her photography website. She does a great job, and even travels :)

Thanks again, Vivian. We love you! As for the pictures?

They're priceless to us.

The Epic Christmas Adventure, Part 2, The Finale

2012-01-04T20:56:00.000-06:00

So, early on in our trip, I turned around to find these two sweet girls looking back at me. One was feeding the other grapes, and all was well (clean hands included).

Later, I found the same two girls, and one had gotten her tiny, chubby little fingers on a sucker. :) Talk about a sticky, happy mess. Man, she's never going to forget that Mamie is the best...and we've got pictures to prove it!

While in UT, Brian played a recital in Salt Lake. I didn't snap any pictures, but need to get a few of the ones my sis-in-law took. After the recital was over and we'd enjoyed a nice lunch at the Lion House, we parted ways with the menfolk and headed toward the mall. This group of girls...

...plus this little one? A good time guaranteed!

And then this happened, and I have no explanation for it.

My grandparents were heading back home, and stayed the night that night. It was great to see them, as always, and I was glad that my grandma was still the same, humble grandma...even though she now has a celebrity coat. It looks so pretty on her!

As luck would have it, we were ALSO in town at the same time as Brian's brother, his wife, and their little boys. They came to SLC for Brian's recital that week, then joined us for lunch a few days later. SO fun to hang out with them and catch up! And then, Vivian was kind enough to take our family pictures...

Claire got to play with her cousins, and cousin Andy kept touching Claire's head. It was funny, and we all got a good chuckle out of it.

Love these guys...

An attempt at a two-brothers-and-their-babies picture didn't go quite as well as expected... There may have been one or two that turned out, but this shot represents the general feel of the event :)

That evening, Claire decided we hadn't been feeding her the good stuff, and managed to find it herself. Eesh.

Brian made his KILLER deep-dish pizza, and the crowd was quite pleased...

Though it's usually a Christmas Eve tradition, the annual cookie decorating got bumped back this year, and we were glad to still get to participate. Stacey looks glad, and Emma? Well, I THINK she's glad...

In action.

Miss Grabby Hands getting involved...

There was quite of bit of frosting left over, so Rachel piled the yellow onto a cookie, and I piled the green onto another. We took this funny shot together...

And then Rachel did the unthinkable. SHE TOOK A BITE.

And that's when the peer pressure got the best of me. You can clearly see how it turned out.

I almost died. And, as a matter of fact, I didn't eat anything sweet for MANY hours afterward. Blargh.

Grandpa supervised the silliness, and whispered family secrets into Claire's ear and gave her lots of kisses in the process.

I LOVE that my family lives in Utah, and it's so great that we still have so many friends there. I just wish that the visits were longer, and that there were more time to see everyone we wanted to see. Ugh, it's never enough time!

Albeit a quick visit, we were able to stop in and see my dear friend, Morgan. And, oh, her new sweet baby Piper was a sight to behold! Claire was quite jealous, and wanted to be held the minute I sat down to hold Piper. Good thing Mamie was there to help! It was awesome to finally meet Miss P, even if Miss Claire wasn't so sure about her. :)

The rest of the trip was filled with family togetherness (and sometimes even matchy-matchyness!)...

hanging out with the coolest 25-year-old-Blizzard-loving-guy we know...

an evening of Apples to Apples (quite possibly our funniest yet!), a family music night with some extended family in Salt Lake, and lots of other good times.

And, just like that, it was time to pack up and head home. Five days is such a short time, but we really enjoyed it, as we always do.

The best thing I take away from all of it...is knowing that Christmases never stop coming. And if there are cookies to frost, suckers to share with Mamie, and secrets to learn from Grandpa, we won't stop coming either. :)

The Epic Christmas Adventure, Part 1

2012-01-03T20:10:00.000-06:00

I'll be the first to admit that I don't cut much slack for lazy bloggers. I've been known to send a message here and there to friends/family that says "DID YOUR BLOG DIE???" or "Please post something...anything!"

And, just like that, I was the lame blogger. But it hasn't been for a lack of content. Quite the opposite, in fact. There are so many pictures and so many fun things to report on that I felt inclined to take a NAP every time I thought about reporting on our Christmas adventures.

So I'm well-rested now, and finally ready to tell you all about it.

As I mentioned, Brian had to play on Christmas Eve, so we were scheduled to fly to see my family on Christmas day. Brian got home at about 1:30am on Christmas morning, and when we got up at 6am to finish packing and to begin the gift-unwrapping, he was beat. So was his wife, who couldn't fall asleep because of her running mental to-do list. (more grown-up, way lamer reason to be awake on the Eve of Christmas, no?)

Miss Claire woke up just before 7, so we got started with the festivities...

Having a birthday 6 days before Christmas sure can get a girl warmed up to the idea of ripping the paper off of presents!

Santa brought Claire a little piano (but really, are you surprised?), and I was actually the one to give her her first lesson. Terrifying, yes I know. And probably the last time that I'll be able to play better than she can :)

Brian and I exchanged gifts, and both did some nice wrapping jobs. The one I gave him was wrapped in about 12 feet of garland.

Mine was from "Santa Claire", and was covered in Claire's favorite holiday item... BOWS. The ones we've been using for the last few years have REALLY seen better days, so Brian was trying to use as many as possible in one go. And, I think he succeeded.

Claire opened more presents, and was really taking it all in. Everyone told us that she'd love the wrapping paper most...but our observation was that the presents were at the top of her list :) Like I said, a birthday so close to Christmas can do that to a person!

As soon as the gifts were open, off we went! We got our church duds on, packed our last-minute things, and left a giant pile of Christmas wrapping as the evidence that we'd had our own celebration that morning.

We went to sacrament meeting at a ward closer to the airport, and enjoyed their program (though we were a TAD sleepy!). Then it was off to the airport. We flew to Denver, where we had a 4 hr layover. We played, we practiced walking, and we enjoyed a very nice Christmas dinner via the folks at Panda Express. Our classiest Christmas meal in history...by far.

We flew in to Provo that night, and arrived to find Mamie, Grandpa, and Emma waiting for us! We, in true DORK fashion, donned some silly hats for the occasion...

We arrived at my folks' house to find a tree with LOTS of presents underneath it still...even though they'd opened a bunch already that morning. And, from the looks of it, a lot of it had to do with ONE little girl. (Though, unfortunately, the mini fridge in the background was for my brother. Laaaaaaame-o, I know.)

The aftermath.

We're sure she'll be less scared of the rocking horse next time we're there. Especially when it neighs. Yikers.

The funniest gift she got? A CALCULATOR. To help with the budget, of course. And, she's been playing with it ever since. Now that's my girl...

Here I am, holding up something shiny. Those girls at my house sure know how I like me some shiny stuff...

My mom never ceases to amaze either... She got me my very own SERGER! I was so surprised, and am so excited to figure it out... Thanks, Mom. You've outdone yourself again :) Now hurry to Kansas and teach me to use it, mmmmk?

The other knock-your-socks-off gift I got was this big HUGE Minnie Mouse. About 25 years ago, we went to a company picnic (my dad was the boss/big cheese), and they told us kids that we probably shouldn't enter the drawing for the big stuffed animals. I was really heartbroken, and my sweet dad remembered the story and said he had to get this Minnie when he saw it. Man, I love that Giant.

This pink car has been a real hit, and miraculously, we even got in our suitcase and brought it home. She has been riding/pushing it nonstop since.

Mamie and Grandpa enjoying the scenery.

The next morning brought our traditional Christmas breakfast...

...and Brian made his world-famous Spanish Tortilla. It was amazing, as usual.

More pics and adventures to come. And if you're the type that likes pictures of sticky 1-year-olds sucking on suckers... be sure to stay tuned!

Christmas Eve, 3 Ways

2011-12-24T20:51:00.001-06:00

Since our arrival in Lawrence, we've had three very different Christmas Eves.

In 2009, we spent it with my family in Utah. We went to see the lights at Temple Square, and almost froze ourselves solid! Brian had a job playing the organ at a small church here in town, but told them up front that we already had Christmas tickets booked... so off we went. (Can you spot the blaringly DARK evidence of The Epic Hair Failure That Was 2009? eesh)

In 2010, we had a brand new pink bundle at our house, and had no intention of leaving the house for days and days. We spent Christmas Eve morning bidding goodbye to Mamie, who needed to get back to the family visiting at her house. Brian had his job playing the organ in Kansas City last Christmas Eve, and when he left for the evening, it was my first time alone with the new pink bundle...for that many hours, at least. She and I both survived it, and we even got to hear my dad read "Twas the Night Before Christmas" over the phone.

So here we are. Christmas Eve 2011.

Knowing that Brian would have to work (and play for the services at his church job at 8pm and 11pm...and wouldn't return home until at least 1am), we got going with our festivities much earlier. We are also leaving for Utah tomorrow, so there was no time to waste!

We started by opening one present each...a tradition we definitely liked growing up :) And, we can do it, because "WE'RE THE GROWN-UPS!" (as Brian would say). Claire opened some really fun containers from Uncle Danny. They arrived just in time to be filled up with goodies for the airplane tomorrow!

We shared a most-delicious breakfast... Super-duper thick french toast made from cinnamon roll bread. (Heaven help me, I couldn't even finish one piece!)

Self-shot after breakfast...

This afternoon, we spent quite a bit of time packing and getting ready to travel to Utah for a week. Managing the clothing, entertainment, and food supply for a 1-year-old is no small task (especially with a 4 hour layover in Denver)...and I can only begin to imagine how my mom wanted to pull her hair out when we used to fly to Grandma's house every summer. Heaven help her, she deserves a foot rub, now that I think of it!

Claire was more than willing to help wrap the last few presents to go in our suitcases...

In fact, I'd venture to say that it was her favorite part of the day. :)

She "helped" me with the laundry earlier (read: emptied the entire contents of the dryer, even when they were not needed immediately), sat on my suitcase (to make sure it would close, of course), and really really wanted to help turn the pages when we read the story of Christ's birth from Luke 2 before Brian left for work.

And right now? Well, the Organist is at work, Miss Claire is in bed, and the packing is mostly done. I've got some wrapping to do before Santa comes, some scriptures to read (almost done with the Book of Mormon challenge!), the Sound of Music is on in the background (my faaaavorite), and I'm awaiting a Skype call anytime now...to join in on "Twas the Night" (I never miss it!).

It's been a quiet Christmas Eve, and though it's been a bit different than other years, I think I kinda like it.

On that note, "Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night..."

The Fastest Year Ever

2011-12-21T21:28:00.000-06:00

Man, it's impossible that a whole year has flown by so quickly! We've been shaking our heads and trying to figure out where the time went, and how Miss Claire could really already be 1. Thankfully there are lots of pictures and videos to remind us of days gone by. :)

She arrived one year ago on a cold December morning, right before Christmas. We had just finished our Christmas shopping and made our favorite holiday treats that afternoon. My water broke, and we headed to the hospital. After many hours, a dose of Pitocin, lots of trips up and down the halls of the hospital, 2 tries at an epidural, and a few good scares from our not-yet-named baby girl... we decided that she would need to make her arrival via C-section.

We got prepped for surgery, and in about a half hour's time, Brian turned to me with tears in his eyes and said, "I can see her! I can see her!".

A few moments later, she let out her first cry, and I really lost it. I'll never forget that feeling...of hearing her cry for the first time. Man, that stuff can make a person turn to mush in an irreversible way. And holding her for the first time a few hours later? That was only the beginning of the bond between us.

The last year has been our best yet, and we still wonder what life was like those 5 years before she made her way to us. Needless to say, we're so in love with that sweet girl that it must make people queasy. Just like we like it.

So, on to the festivities!

Lots of people have told us, "ohhh, she's gonna HATE her birthday!" because it's so close to Christmas. Well, I'm no expert, but she seemed to like it jussssst fine from what I could tell. :)

Claire started the day with an awesome little pile (read: gigantic heap) of presents waiting for her. Turns out that both sets of grandparents have a weakness for birthdays too!

She got a bunch of new books from Grandma and Grandpa M, and we're all so excited to have some new reading material in the mix!

We gave her this little train, and she kept wanting to play with it, even when there were other gifts to open.

Mamie and Grandpa sent this cute puppy, and she has already loved pulling the string and making it bark.

We also gave her a stuffed polar bear (to go with one of the books we bought), and she has been snuggling with it over and over. Pretty cute stuff, we say.

We wanted to keep things low-key for her birthday (read: no party), but I'd been working on a skirt in my head for a while, and finally got it made.

And the matching shirt? Well, I just couldn't resist.

We spent the day together (hooray for Brian being on Christmas break!), read books, went out to lunch...

...and Claire made time for her favorite activity. That's right...quality time with the binder of bills.

Then it was time for the main event. The cake!

She was intrigued from moment one...

...and went right for it.

She was pretty lady-like, and never obliterated it. She did, however, eat most of the top layer! Now that's a girl after my own heart :)

Claire finished the day with a warm bath, and a showing of our favorite movie.

It was a fun day, and we were so excited to celebrate the best year ever. Here's to year 2 being even more fun!

Ditching the Mailbox

2011-12-20T21:37:00.002-06:00

Once upon a time, it was December 20. And not a single Christmas card had left the apartment of Those Mathiases. To make matters worse, a Christmas card had never even made it to the top 5 starred items on the household to-do list!

So here we are at December 20, and we won't be showing up in your mailboxes. But if we had? Well, we'd have included a picture such as this one.

We'd have included a few little scribbles about our year. Something to the effect of...

This has been our best year yet! The late 2010 arrival of Claire Elizabeth has turned our lives upside down, and we can hardly contain our sometimes-so-ooey-gooey-that-it-makes-people-gag affection for her. We've laughed, we've cried, we've paced the floor, and we even had the TV schedule between the hours of 10pm and 5am memorized for a while there. :)

These days, we're sleeping more, and loving the job of chasing around a just-turned 1 year old. Claire loves to touch everything, and has a particular affinity for things that are not allowed. She can remove the safety covers from the power outlets in record time, can unload her entire book basket in mere seconds, and can often be found leafing through the clean clothes in the dryer. We love her to pieces, and can't wait for the excitement that year 2 holds.

At this point, our greatest accomplishment as a couple has been our ability to keep a human baby alive for an entire year! Just over a year ago, we were not sure we could handle it, but we've loved the process...sleep-deprived and all.

Brian is in his LAST year at KU, and will graduate this summer. He is still playing for a church in Kansas City, and the members of the congregation have become like a family to us. It's much like having 40 more grandparents closeby to love and take care of us!

I stay busy with the chasing of the 1 year old, and try to squeeze as many projects in as possible when I can. I'm still working on a humongous quilt for our bed, and hope to finish it in the spring. (I'm hoping that just thinking about it will help move it along more quickly. If that's the case, then I'm making great progress!)

We will be spending Christmas with our Utah family, and can't wait for the great things that 2012 will hold - graduation and hopefully gainful employment just to name a few! While we're not sure where a job will take us in the second half of 2012, we are confident that any place can become home...just like Lawrence, KS, has.

And that's what matters most, of course. Because, as they say 'round these parts... There's no place like home.

Merry Christmas!

The Audit

2011-12-13T11:22:00.000-06:00

I'm not afraid to admit that I'm a mathematician at heart.

Math was almost always my favorite subject in school (except Calculus, blah) and I usually excelled in it.

I have an odd memory for numbers, including a weird knack for remembering how much everything costs at many of the grocery stores around town.

While it's not always my natural tendency, I prefer a clean and organized system. Hence binders with bills and paperwork in them. (Though we've officially gone paperless with our budget, gasp!)

And someone at my house has discovered the binder. And it appears that she just can't get enough...

She can be found many times a day, having pulled the binder off the shelf, flipping through the pages.

She runs her hands over the bills, looks closely at the contents, and concentrates very carefully.

Brian finally put it all together the other night. He announced, "She's auditing us!"

Not sure what that means she's doing when she climbs into our cupboards...

...but for now, we're happy to just wonder.

Tiny Teeth

2011-12-06T13:36:00.000-06:00

The Little Miss has had her bottom teeth for a while now. She seems to have been teething for months, and her front two teeth just broke through recently.

I tried to get a picture of them the other day, but ended up with this instead. (Pictures of a freshly-bathed, non-sticky-handed, wet-eyelashed baby are my favorite, I think.)

Our resident Houdini has been playing with her carseat a TON lately, and I took this picture of her acrobatics just yesterday.

Besides documenting her antics, you can actually kinda see her new top teeth...

She's got one more poking through on the bottom, and two more that look close on the top.

Here's to a mouth full of pearly whites in no time :)

Dia del Gracias 2011

2011-12-04T10:02:00.000-06:00

It has come to my attention that sometimes a person can spend so much time being thankful-or-whatever that she neglects to highlight other significant life events... Such as the Thanksgiving!

Our Dia del Gracias started with a focused scan of the Black Friday ads. Even Claire got involved...

Then it was time to make filling for our traditional Thanksgiving pies. French silk for Brian and coconut cream for me. Here's Brian whipping up his attempt at tasty pie...

And here I am, making MY mouth-watering pie.

This year we spent Thanksgiving with friends, and it was a lot of fun! We arrived in the early afternoon, spent a good deal of time chatting, eating appetizers, and then preparing the feast. Our amazing hostess ordered a smoked turkey, and it was incredible. Brian doesn't love turkey, but said it was the best he'd ever eaten. My favorite part? Not having to reach into the bird! I CANNOT DO THAT, remember? Gag, barf, die.

But, doesn't that look like a feast that you want to be involved in? Yes...yes, you do. I made that vat of mashed potatoes. And I learned that it IS, in fact, possible to make too many taters. I still haven't quite come to grips with the idea, and am still thinking that there weren't too many... There just weren't enough people there to eat them. :)

Claire made friends with this cute little blondie boy, Grayson. He's a month older than she is, and is toddling around on two feet like a pro.

Claire ended up exhausted from the pre-feast festivities, and turned in for a nap while we ate dinner...

I'm not one to post pictures of people that I think they'll probably dislike. But Tom (far right) made this face in both pictures I took, so it was clearly on purpose...and thus safe to post :)

He's a really funny guy, and even joined us for a family picture!

As luck would have it, the whole lot of us were stuffed beyond reason...and our little ones were ready for bed when dinner finally finished. So we headed home for the night, and met back the next evening for leftovers and pie. Needless to say, some of the pie didn't make it to night #2 :)

Speaking of pie, didn't they turn out nicely?

Brian's tasted great (SO much better than the raw-egg-less/pregnancy-approved version he made for me last year), and we were pretty certain it was the best he'd ever made.

But, as luck would have it, my coconut cream was the hands-down winner. It made dreams come true, brought happiness to everyone within a hundred miles, and even tilted the earth off it's axis for a moment or two.

Oh, how we love thee, Dia del Gracias! Can't wait to see you again next year...

Gift Ideas

2011-11-30T22:06:00.000-06:00

The lady of the house is having a birthday really soon. In thinking more about it, I've realized that I have two options.

Option 1: Throw an elaborate party.

OR

Option 2: Give her things that she really wants.

My tendencies lean toward Option 1, but my gut says to go with Option 2. And so, I've compiled a list of gift ideas to tickle Miss Claire's fancy on her birthday.

Gift Idea #1 - Allow her to play underneath the computer desk for as long as she wants.
Gift Idea #2 - Leave the bathroom door open.
Gift Idea #3 - Let her eat grapes whole AND put the stems in her mouth.
Gift Idea #4 - Permit her to play with Brian's school books and papers, and shred every last one to bits.
Gift Idea #5 - Give her a container of wipes to empty completely.
Gift Idea #6 - Spend the day holding her up to look out the living room window.
Gift Idea #7 - Leave the dryer door open and let her touch the clean clothes for an entire day.
Gift Idea #8 - Let her eat paper. As much of it as she can get into her mouth.

Now that I've got this recorded and have reviewed it, there seems to be a pretty strong pull toward Option 2, actually. Something to consider, that's for sure.

So I guess I'll ponder that. And, if you need me in the meantime, I'll be trying to find a recipe for birthday cake that's made of cut-up grapes. They are her favorite, after all.

Giving Thanks, Day 30; The Finale

2011-11-30T21:49:00.000-06:00

Can it really be?! It's the end of the Thankful Challenge 2011!

It's been a good thing for me. To be more thoughtful about the blessings in my everyday life...especially the small ones.

So, at the end of 30 days, I'm thankful for the Thankful Challenge.

It was good fun. But, now that we're done with it, I'm ready for play-by-play blogging again!

Stay tuned... I made a doozy of a coconut cream pie for Thanksgiving this year, and it was better than Brian's silly french silk by far. Pictures and a full report to come...

Giving Thanks, Day 29

2011-11-29T23:04:00.000-06:00

About a month ago, we decided to read The Book of Mormon before the end of the year. Reading the whole thing before the clock strikes midnight on January 1 means about 10 pages a day. (With a few flex days built in, just in case SOMEONE falls asleep on the couch before her reading is done. Ahem.)

We'll be finishing the book of Alma soon, and the experience has been a great one so far. I am, yet again, reminded that there is great power in The Book of Mormon. Diligently reading from its pages has welcomed a sweeter, kinder spirit into our home.

So far, my favorite takeaway has been the very clear message that Heavenly Father keeps His promises. He loves His children. And His arm is stretched out still.

Today, I'm thankful for the Book of Mormon. All 531 pages of it.

Giving Thanks, Day 28

2011-11-29T07:37:00.001-06:00

I'm thankful for the kind folks at Brian's church job in Kansas City... for buying Claire's car-seat and stroller for us. What none of us knew at the time is that it would also become her favorite toy.

Here's to more gifts that keep on giving...

Giving Thanks, Day 27

2011-11-27T21:49:00.001-06:00

I'm grateful for this time of year. For the decorations, for the music, for a husband with a weakness for Christmas.

And for glitter. Lots of it.

Giving Thanks, Day 26

2011-11-26T19:17:00.001-06:00

I'm thankful for self-shots.

Giving Thanks, Day 25

2011-11-25T22:26:00.000-06:00

We decorated our Christmas tree today, put up our garlands, and set out our Christmas village.

Claire got up from her nap to find a whole bunch of new, shiny things she could try to touch. Sure, we'll have to watch her a bit more closely, but that's just how things go around here.

Christmas as a married couple was great, but Christmas as the parents to a little one?

Awesome.

And, today, I couldn't be more grateful for that.

Giving Thanks, Day 24

2011-11-24T22:22:00.001-06:00

Today I'm thankful for good friends.

New ones, old ones, and the kind that make this very Kansas feel like home...

Giving Thanks, Day 23

2011-11-23T22:17:00.001-06:00

Today I'm thankful for family recipes.
For ones passed down from one generation to the next.
For hand-written directions that remind me of home.
For finished products that taste just like they did when I was kid.
For good food, fond memories, and carrying on a tradition.

And, even though I shook my fist at the sky because of it tonight, I'm thankful for SECOND attempts at my mom's pie dough.

Sure, there are just five ingredients. Yep, only five. And I managed to leave one out.

20% of change to a recipe can sure mess it up. Ughhhh.

So, as it stands, I'm also thankful for second chances. :)

Giving Thanks, Day 22

2011-11-22T22:59:00.000-06:00

Today I'm grateful that someone in this house...

...FINALLY appreciates good spaghetti as much as I do.

Now that's more like it.

(The leave-the-bib-on war continues, and so far the bibs are losing.)

Giving Thanks, Day 21

2011-11-21T22:26:00.003-06:00

Today I'm thankful for surprise phone calls from my dad...

Sure, he's usually really busy "steering the ship" at work, but luckily not too busy to call me for a quick minute to ask "what I know for sure".

So, in honor of our conversation today, here are a few things that you might not know about my dad at holiday time...

He loves Christmas more than most people.

He gets so excited to give Christmas gifts that he often gives them before Christmas because he can't stand the wait any longer. (!)

He loves a good deal, but thinks camping out in the freezing cold for a cheap laptop is about as bad of an idea as you can have.

He has read "Twas the Night Before Christmas" to us every year that I can remember. When I haven't been there to hear it in person, I've dialed him up and listened by phone.

There's a very real possibility that the kids in the family are NOT the only ones who like to get up super-super early on Christmas morning. :)

I love you, Dad. And we can't wait to spend Christmas with you!

Giving Thanks, Day 20

2011-11-20T22:31:00.003-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for that moment...

for that one...

and that one too...

definitely this one...

...and, certainly for this one. (Because, double pom-poms? How am I to resist?!)

Life is good.

Giving Thanks, Day 19

2011-11-19T20:38:00.002-06:00

Today I'm grateful for something a little different. Something we don't necessarily discuss very often on these very internets.

I'm grateful for the honest truth.

For admitting that not all of our days are exciting, fun-filled, or picturesque.

For admitting that sometimes the laundry doesn't get folded when it should. ("That just needs a little Downy spray, dear!")

For admitting that sometimes this mom gig can be hard and tiring...especially when the lady of the house STILL DOESN'T SLEEP THROUGH THE NIGHT. (There, I said it.)

For admitting that I often think that someone will find out I have no idea what I'm doing, and that this fact might very well mean that I end up with hooligans for children.

Yep, that's the honest truth. But the even more fantastic part? The OTHER honest truth.

For knowing that I am abundantly blessed to be living this life.

For knowing that the laundry doesn't always get folded and WON'T always get folded. And that that's just fine. (Thank you, Downy spray.)

For knowing that this mom gig is, on the other hand, the greatest thing I've ever found myself doing. Even though I sometimes act like I need a nap in a big way, which may or may not be true.

For knowing that no one has raised perfect children. And, if they're hooligans after all, I can just blame all of it on their father. :)

Yep. Today I'm grateful the honest truth.

Both kinds.

Giving Thanks, Day 18

2011-11-18T22:32:00.005-06:00

Today I'm thankful for graham crackers.

The lady of the house sure likes them. (Truth be told, she probably fell in love with them when I was pregnant with her. They were a life-force of mine for a while there.)

Anyway, those silly crackers came through in a big way tonight when we were in Old Navy... though at first she didn't want to touch them, and wanted me to put them right into her mouth for her. (um, really?)

But either way, heaven bless them. And all the more reason to grab another box next time we're out.

Giving Thanks, Day 17

2011-11-17T19:11:00.002-06:00

I never thought I'd say it.

But, today I'm thankful for my sewing machine.

She and I? We haven't always been friends, you see. In fact, I'd say that until just recently, she had a better relationship with my mom than she did with me. Which I couldn't blame her for. They did spend more time together. :)

But that machine and me? Well, we've been figuring things out together lately, and getting more projects behind us.

Without her, I wouldn't have this quilt...

and I certainly wouldn't have had this angry bird...

She's been helping me with some small gifts lately, and is finally acting more willing to help with my new bedspread/quilt. (I sometime cower in fear at the thought of it too...)

Yep, it looks like that sewing machine's a keeper. And, if you'll excuse me, she needs my attention...

Giving Thanks, Day 16

2011-11-16T19:44:00.001-06:00

I've spent the last hour or so cleaning out my picture folders. Deleting duplicates, blurry ones, and scores of food pictures that we certainly don't need. (Bet you didn't know that it can take dozens of shots to get a stack of cookies to look jussssst right for a food blog, huh? Eesh.)

I'm so thankful for photographs. Looking through our pictures in the last hour has taken me on a major walk down memory lane. While I've just been sorting through files from the most recent two years or so, I can't believe the way life breezes by. And today, I'm grateful to have so many pictures to document the ride. An external hard-drive and an online back-up service are a small price to pay for these kinds of memories.

For some reason, this one really stood out to me. Christmas 2009. Our last Christmas picture as a family of two. Brian before glasses. Me with almost-black hair (shudder). Happy together, and hardly prepared for the kind of excitement that would come before the next Christmas.

Today, I'm thankful for this picture. For hair tragedies that were eventually repaired. For the man who looks handsome with or without glasses. But most of all, I'm thankful for the time in our lives that this picture captured. For the reminder that miraculous things are often just around the corner.

And if a picture can nudge me like that? I'd say they're definitely worth taking.

Giving Thanks, Day 15

2011-11-15T22:02:00.003-06:00

I'm thankful that Miss Claire is feeling better tonight. She's had a fever for the last few days, and just hasn't been herself.

Tonight she was unloading laundry baskets, changing the channel on the TV, and trying to grab the computer cords again.

She's baaaack.

And I'm so glad.

Giving Thanks, Day 14

2011-11-14T21:11:00.002-06:00

It would be impossible to do a Thankful Challenge without a day like today...

Why? Because today I'm thankful for my mom. And it just so happens that today is her birthday.

(Her senior picture from just a few years ago.

Beautiful, even though they colored her eyes the wrong color...)

I'm thankful that she continues to answer my phone calls, even on occasions when I've already called twice in the last half hour.
I'm thankful that she listens and always offers reassurance when I need it.
I'm thankful that she's taught me a thing or two about glitter.
I'm thankful for her example of kindness.
I'm thankful that she has shared her love of beautiful things with me.
And most of all, I'm thankful to have this lady as my Mom and best girlfriend.

Happy Birthday, Lady. I love you.

I hear there's a sale on remnants at the fabric store...and I'm sure your cart could use a few. :)

Giving Thanks, Day 13

2011-11-13T20:09:00.003-06:00

One year ago, I was 33 weeks pregnant.

And swelling up like it was my job.

I was still sick, a lot tired, pretty nervous, majorly overheated, and had ankles the size of an ox.

Though I could only imagine it, I really didn't know what it was like to have a baby around my house.

And, just like that, it's a year later. Claire is almost a year old, and she's more fun than I even imagined. Sure, she's into everything. Sure, she touches all of our stuff. Sure, she even thinks it's FUNNY to race to the open bathroom door while I chase her.

But I love her, and I'm so thankful for her.

And, if she really is serious about doing the laundry, we'll be sure to let her stay a while longer...

Napping, But Not Really

2011-11-13T11:18:00.001-06:00

Lately, the Lady of the House has been rebelling against her naps.

I can't say I blame her... considering there are always rolls of toilet paper to touch, dishes to help with, and remote baskets to climb in. But still, as we say at our house, "It's good for babies to take naps!"

For the last little while, she's been working on a new antic.

Often after she's been in her crib for a little while (and ought to be asleep), I'll peek in...only to find her awake. Or, other times, I'll hear her waking up from a nap...only to come in and find this cute face.

And, at first glance, you might be mesmerized by the sweetness...just like I am.

And then you take another look. And you realize that she hasn't been napping at all!

As a matter of fact... she has actually been pulling dresses off her make-shift closet rack. Some end up in her bed, others make their way to the floor, and the rest are stuffed between the rocking chair and her crib.

Annnnnnnd, just like that, she's done with her nap.

And, oddly enough, I'm suddenly ready for one.

Giving Thanks, Day 12

2011-11-12T22:20:00.003-06:00

Brian had the day off today. No weddings to play for, and no homework demanding to be done. So, did we spend the whole day doing "get the work done day" stuff?

Nope. We sure didn't.

I had a committee meeting for church, and he watched baby girl while I was gone for it.

He put baby girl down for her morning nap, then did the dishes.

I got home to find him slaving away in the kitchen, and knew that there were plenty of other things on my to-do list that we could get done on this very Saturday.

And that's when we decided that we were the bosses of today.

When Claire woke up, we all went to lunch together.

We walked around downtown together.

We even went and looked at CHRISTMAS stuff together.

We had dinner, played with Claire, and watched TV together.

We played a card game (can you believe it?) together, and even kinda had fun (Matt and Brittany, this is your fault).

Today, I'm thankful for days like today. Sure, I love a good work-filled Saturday, but today we chose the family togetherness kind. And, wow, I sure liked it.

Giving Thanks, Day 11

2011-11-11T21:00:00.005-06:00

Today, I'm thankful.

For the veterans I have known in my short 29 years, who've offered their dedication and service.

I'm thankful for the veterans I don't know, because I'm living here in a free land while they're serving their country here and abroad.

And, most humbly, I'm thankful for the veterans I can never know...who've given their lives for the freedom I enjoy.

I can never say thank you enough.

(Unless, in some way, the number of ugly-cry-tears I have shed while watching surprise reunions of soldiers and their families counts for something. If so, chalk me up for some from earlier today...)

Helpful

2011-11-11T09:14:00.003-06:00

She loves to play back there, even though she's not really allowed.

She always wants to touch Daddy's books, even though she's definitely not allowed.

And, as of today, she sure seems to like sitting in the remote basket...

But, lucky for her, there wasn't a rule about that.

Giving Thanks, Day 10

2011-11-10T20:57:00.003-06:00

Today I'm grateful for a husband who understands that I need to get away from the house by myself sometimes.

Who gets that a "Girls Night Out" with friends is a great idea once in a while.

And who is more than happy to spend time with his little girl while I do it.

Man, I love that guy.

Giving Thanks, Day 9

2011-11-09T18:45:00.005-06:00

Today, I'm thankful for these.

They're cheap, they're disposable, and they're my best friends.

Were it not for them, there would be NO MEAT-TOUCHING at my house.

Giving Thanks, Day 8

2011-11-09T08:22:00.001-06:00

Today, (ok, yesterday...I forgot) I'm thankful for Fall. I LOVE the colors, the crisp air, the pumpkin muffins, and well....

THESE GUYS.

I'm thankful for the season of thanks.

Giving Thanks, Day 7

2011-11-07T19:58:00.004-06:00

It's thundering outside, and the rain is pelting our windows. I keep thinking that I can hear the garage door opening, and then I remember that we don't have a garage. That's thunder, silly girl.

It was cold today, and I wore my winter coat (zipped up this year, huzzah!). I ran a bunch of errands without needing to take it off, and that means winter is right around the corner.

Today was the perfect kind of soup day, and I made a big batch. Girl soup, as a matter of fact. (Because Brian is at a work retreat...and isn't here to not really like the kidney beans in it.)

After dinner, Claire and I read stories until she got bored with them, played with/crashed her blocks, and snuggled until she fell asleep.

So today I am grateful for...today.

For a good storm outside.

For a roof over my head.

For a warm meal to eat.

For a husband and daughter to love.

All of it.

Giving Thanks, Day 6

2011-11-06T19:03:00.000-06:00

Today I'm thankful for a certain baby girl...

...who can't put her gold jewelry down long enough to nibble on some cut-up grapes.

That's a girl after my own heart, I tell you. And I love her to pieces.

Giving Thanks, Day 5

2011-11-05T21:36:00.007-05:00

Today I'm thankful for having called a truce with my Crockpot.

As you can imagine, I was nervous about being friends again. But after the Chile Verde Burritos* she made tonight while we were in Kansas City?

Oh man, that was a relationship that was definitely worth rekindling...

(*recipe found here)

Giving Thanks, Day 4

2011-11-04T14:38:00.002-05:00

Today I'm thankful for this...

Because I do.

I'm also thankful, as it turns out, for the days when the piles of laundry are big enough to actually climb. For days when baby girls are getting their two front teeth and are super cranky. And for the occasional day when I've been cleaning and look down to realize that I'm still in my PJs at 1:30 (read: yesterday).

Because those days? They're the ones when Dove chocolate really comes through in a big way.

Giving Thanks, Day 3

2011-11-03T09:50:00.001-05:00

With an amazing artist for a mother, I've spent my life surrounded by beautiful things. And lately, I've become more and more grateful for a desire to make things with my hands.

Recently, I've fallen in love with gorgeous fabrics. And, if you can believe it, it seems like this new appreciation trumps my love for paper! (gasp)

I'm still trying to teach my hands to do the things my brain wants to create...

But for now, I'm grateful to always be thinking of the next project. And the fabric to go with it.

The Return of the RS Wig, Baby Jeans, and Other Extraordinary Events

2011-11-02T18:57:00.003-05:00

Things have been fairly uneventful around here lately... But that doesn't mean we don't have lots of PICTURES to share. Here are some from the last little while.

Claire and Brian reading a magazine. (read: Claire destroying a magazine while Brian watches)

Claire tried on my Richard Simmons wig the other day. She told me she liked it, and I told her she could wear it around the house, but never in public. Because that would be weird, of course. But in pictures? Yes, that's just fine. :)

Things got spooky around here for a few weeks (almost didn't put them out this year, and was glad I did at the last minute!).

This little girl has developed an unequivocal love for the bathroom. If the door is open, even for a brief moment, she bolts for it. Weeeeird. So, clearly, this has become a familiar sight (even though the door is always closed now). Another note of importance? She got her first pair of jeans recently. Skinny jeans on babies? I almost died of the cuteness.

She has an amazing way of making food look like shrapnel when she's done with it. Oh, and she's rebelling against bibs lately. Argh.

We bought her these cute pajamas on clearance last year, and I think she might have to wear them all winter. Only problem? The hole for her head is WAY too small for that noggin, and she gets really ticked off when stuff is too tight...

I always hoped that someday when Brian and I had babies, they'd have his blue eyes. And MAN did I get my wish! Sometimes she uses them as weapons, I tell you. The older ladies in the grocery store seem to fall prey every time...

Another of Claire's fascinations lately? Looking out the front window. And pulling on the blinds. Awesome, no? She loves to stand on the couch, and climbs the arms constantly. She'll even do it in a dress if the situation dictates. (That pink sweater just happens to be the very first thing we bought for her when we found out we were having a baby girl. Siiigh.)

This is one of Claire's other favorite spots in our apartment. She loves to touch the books. The only thing she loves more? Touching the books AND eating graham crackers.

And, here's a picture of her standing on her own. She LOVES it when we clap and cheer for her, and grins and laughs right along with us. She took a few steps the other day, but won't walk for a while yet, I'm sure...

We enjoyed a fun Halloween, and took part in one of our favorite traditions. Sugar cookies!

And, now that we have pictures to look back on, we can ALSO learn a lesson in better posture :)

We even shared some with the neighbors, and took some to a dinner with friends. Look at us sharing like grown-ups!

It's been a fun Fall so far. Life is good, and we've got a lot to be thankful for. Stay tuned for more Giving Thanks posts!

Giving Thanks, Day 2

2011-11-02T15:29:00.003-05:00

Today I'm grateful for education.

We sure do have a lot of it in this household (almost 4 degrees among us!), and it's been a great blessing to us already.

Special thanks to loving parents who have encouraged us these many years (starting waaaaaay back in Fall of 2000), reminded us that we will indeed finish gathering diplomas someday soon, and who continue to support the effort to get as much of this education stuff as possible.

(And Mom for helping with/doing lots of my art projects...and Dad for not letting me give up on fractions altogether.)

Giving Thanks, Day 1

2011-11-01T22:44:00.000-05:00

A dear friend of mine started a thankful challenge last November. When she started it again this year, I decided I'd join in too. (If you think that I'm the type of person that likes to do cool stuff but needs a good testimonial first, you're right.)

So here we are.

Today, I'm giving thanks for an unexpected package that showed up on my doorstep this afternoon.

An unexpected package from a sweet girlfriend of mine that really really knows me.

A friend that really really knows that this would quickly become my new favorite book in the whole world.

A new favorite book that somehow just managed to nail it.

And, the best part? The book (about a child that is the craaaazy boss of his househould - similar to a household I know quite well!) is about as close to my actual life as could be.

And, to use one of my favorite phrases as the closing line? Well, folks, that's a win.

Thanks, B. You're the best.

Take Two

2011-10-28T14:37:00.003-05:00

Like I said...

...helpful.

Helpful

2011-10-27T14:23:00.002-05:00

This looks like the beginning... of something very good.

Sure, she has already tried to crawl onto the open dishwasher door, grab the sharp/pokey/stabby silverware, AND suck on the edge of the dishwasher rack.

But those things aside, she's quite helpful.

And for now, I suppose that's good enough...

Marque Dos

2011-10-22T23:04:00.001-05:00

Whenever I think of the 2nd edition of something, I ALWAYS think of the automated lady's voice that says "marque dos para espanol" (press 2 for Spanish). Weird quirk? Yes. But it's the truth.

So here we are with the 2nd edition of our Utah trip...

My mom's former calling (before she got called to 2nd-counsel the laaaaadies in the Relief Society) was as a leader for Activity Days (for the pre-teen girls in the congregation). They had already made plans to visit "the dairy"...and we planned to go along.

And, I'll have you know...this wasn't just ANY dairy.

Sure, it had cows like any other dairy.

Sure, it had milking machines and men wearing knee-high galoshes (out of necessity - gag, barf, die) like any other dairy.

And, sure, it smelled like the end of the world like any other dairy.

But the reason it wasn't like the rest? It's the ONE dairy owned by the LDS church. And my dad? To put it in a familiar form of speech around here... Well, "he's the boss of it".

When we arrived (believe you me, we could smell that we had arrived before we actually could see the cows), we were given these plastic booties to put over our shoes.

My dad offered me an extra one...to put over my face. I turned it down initially, but later regretted it. Eesh.

While photography is not technically "allowed", I shook my fist at the sky in defiance, snapped away, and then hid behind my dad until it was safe to come out. :) Actually, the boss-man said it was okay...as long as I used the pictures for good...and wasn't sniffing around and using them to whistle-blow or something. (I was NOT sniffing any more than was required, I'll have you know.)

We got to see the cows all lined up (ready to be milked). We got to see the milking machines. We got to see the huge milk storage containers. And we even got to see one of the tanker trucks that hauls milk to one of the companies that buys from the dairy. Pretty cool, I tell you.

What did Claire think? Well, she was a little bored. Or intoxicated by the smell. Jury's still out on that one.

I made some new friends, including this beauty (we're pen-pals now).

We marveled at the beautiful scenery...

We got to see the process start to finish...

...and got to see some brand new calves that had just been born that morning (dangit, I don't have any pictures of the little ones!)

This picture is one of my favorites. If I were out there, I'd definitely be the cow on the mound...yelling something about being the queen of the mountain :)

Near the end of the tour, we even got to see a live birth just getting started. We had to leave before things got going (I have a weak stomach, remember?) because we were making the mom-to-be pretty nervous. She was a first-timer, and didn't like the group of us getting so closer (man, I remember THAT feeling!).

We had a great time, and Claire woke up just in time to share a chocolate donut with Mamie...

As for Grandpa, he made sure that we all had a great time...and that we got to bring home some of the "stink" with us. Yeah, that's right. It was deeply embedded in our clothes, hair, etc. Blah!

It was a really fun experience, and we were glad to get to go. Thanks again, "Big Don", for taking us!

The rest of the week seemed to go quickly (as usual). We were really excited to get back to Kansas, to meet up with Brian, but are always sad to say goodbye to family as a result.

On one of our last nights, we played Apples to Apples. Claire could NOT handle being left out...and Mamie let her have her way with the cards.

And, just like that, she showed those cards who was boss (I breathed into a paper bag and tried not to freak out about the disorder of things!).

We got to spend time with my sisters (home from BYU to see us), and snapped a few nice shots before we left for church that last Sunday.

I'm so glad we were able to spend the time with my family...to settle into a normal, everyday routine with them. I loved that part!

And, to top off the weekend, we celebrated with a homemade Wendy's Frosty! (Claire prefers hers in only a diaper, on the kitchen counter, surrounded by Mamie and her aunts...)

Thanks again, fam. It was a blast. And, while you're at it, eat another bite of that Frosty for me. :)

A la Utah

2011-10-19T20:49:00.000-05:00

Months ago, when we found out that Brian was going to be competing in the Canadian International Organ Competition, we knew that it'd be a good chance for Claire and me to head to Utah! 2+ weeks at home alone in Kansas?! Noooo thanks, we said.

Then we realized that the timing would be perfect, and we could stop and see my bro and his family for a few nights on our way to Utah. Brand-new-baby Thomas needed our swift attention/affection, so it was a done deal! Brian packed his bags for Canada, and we packed ours to head Westward.

First stop, Denver. We played Sesame Street bingo with Ella, held baby Thomas, and managed to eat lots of good treats :)

I was SO excited when I realized that Denver is only a short distance from one of my very favorite old roommates, Aimee! She and her sweet little girl came to see us, and we enjoyed a nice lunch...

I had to pinch myself when I realized that we, once giggling roommates, were enjoying a "Mom lunch" together. My, how times change! It was really fun to see her and catch up, and I only wish that we lived a few hours closer together...and could share recipes in person :)

Steven and his fam took me out for BBQ, and Ella quickly informed us that she would NOT be eating pickles on this outing! hehe.

Steven and Meredith were as generous as two people could be...and it was nice to spend some time with them. They are warm and hospitable, and I hope someday we'll see each other more often.

I got to ride in Steven's fancy Mustang, and was amazed that Claire's carseat even fit in the backseat, while I sat in the front! Miracle of miracles, I tell you.

And, just as I suspected, baby Thomas is a delight. He is a sweet tempered little man, and holding him quickly reminded me that my baby Claire is humongous (and so busy!) now. I hope she gets to know him well, and that she doesn't boss him around too much, though my assumption is that the opposite will be true!

We snapped grandbaby pictures for my folks, and just like that...we were headed back to the airport.

Claire climbed me like a tree on flight #1 (to Denver) so you can imagine my relief when she had a nap on flight #2 (to Utah). Hooray!

We arrived, and the fun began right away! Claire loved my family's dog, Belle, most of all. She was just scoping things out at this point...

...then quickly made her move! Sweet Belle just tolerated all of it. The tugging, the pulling, the grabbing, the poking, and even a bit of riding. :)

Mamie even bought a high-chair just like ours, so that everyone felt at home. One of the best things Mamie gave Claire during our trip? Kitchen utensils! She loved to play with them...and for the first few days, her time in the highchair (with the utensils) was the only time she let me put her down. I became quite fond of that funnel in no time :)

Eventually, she warmed up to Mamie...and even allowed herself some playtime on the floor. Whew!

We found out that Brian had made it to the 2nd round of the competition, and were so excited for him!

In the meantime, Emma taught Claire everything she knows about Wicked, and even shared her hat.

Seeing and being around Emma was so fun, and we LOVED the chance to hang out with her. She is growing up really quickly, and was super helpful when it came to bathing, tending, and playing with Claire. Claire loved the attention too!

It was fun to be with Neil too... He doesn't like to get too close in pictures, so we both made the same face about not touching :)

We hung out with the fam, spent time with Grandpa, and tried an amazing new cookie recipe that we'll have to share sometime soon.

Week #2 started off with a trip to Idaho! Claire went right to Grandpa Tibbitts, and we were amazed at how quickly she warmed up to him. Clearly she knows how much we love that cowboy...and felt right at home with him. The fact that he had a remote probably only helped too. :)

She also took a liking to Grandma right away, and that was fun to watch. Seeing my little person with my sweet grandparents was really cool... even though she really REALLY wanted to put things into their VCR.

She even had her first sucker at their house, and I tell you...she didn't want to give it up. After it had run through her hair and covered her hands and face in stickiness, she finally let go of it. Great Grandpa knew she'd like it, and man was he right!

That night we found out that Brian had been eliminated from the competition before the final round...but were so proud of him for placing somewhere between 6th and 10th place! We were all kinda bummed at first (would it have been SO wrong to want the $25,000 grand prize?!), but were so proud of him too. He's worked really hard this year, and we love him for the example he sets about working your guts out and going all in :)

And, just like that, it was time to say goodbye to G&G. Saying goodbye always comes too quickly, but we managed to sneak in a 4-generation picture before we left.

I love these people so much, and was glad they were finally able to meet Miss Claire. And, G&G, if you're reading this...I'm sorry if there are unidentified objects in your VCR :)

After a quick trip to Arco, we headed to see my sister-in-law Kelly in Idaho Falls. She and Claire are old friends, and they quickly picked up where they left off. :)

Cousin Weston is growing like a weed, and so is Cousin Ben! It was a surprise to get to be with both of them that morning...and it was fun to get some cousin time in too.

After a quick visit with Kelly, we drove to Downey to see Brian's grandparents. Their house was adorned in cute Halloween decor, and we had fun chatting with them (and Aunt Jodi) for a bit before we had to take off again. It was a whirlwind of a day, I tell you!

Our final stop of the day was to see Great Grandma Sleight! She greeted us warmly, as usual, and shared her stash of toys with Claire. Some of them have been around since my dad was little. :)

We were able to visit for a bit, and then had to hit the road for the final leg of our Idaho trip.

It was great to see so much family, and the trip was a fun one. We listened to Adele on repeat, ate stale cinnamon bears, stopped at every rest stop (or so my mom says), enjoyed stealing bites of Emma's shakes, and made some good memories to boot.

More of our trip to come...

Homeward Bound

2011-10-14T10:36:00.002-05:00

Claire and I left Kansas 14 days ago.
Brian's been in Canada for 12 days.
In that time we've gotten the hang of living out of suitcases, sleeping less (Claire, can you really be serious about getting up at 2am again? really??), and spending time with family.

But in 3 short days, we'll all be back at home.
Together.

And, man, we can't wait.

Cousinly

2011-10-05T12:00:00.001-05:00

Claire got to meet her 2 cousins from my side of the family this last weekend.

We did a mini-photoshoot, and captured some real gems...

Love these little ones!

Likes/Dislikes

2011-09-26T11:11:00.003-05:00

Likes eating licorice in the living room.

Dislikes nectarines in the high-chair.

Can't blame her...

Visitors from Up North

2011-09-22T08:29:00.007-05:00

Brian had a recital early this week, so his family came down from Minnesota for a visit this last weekend.

Claire and Brian watched at the window, waiting patiently for them to arrive...

And when they got here, Uncle Danny got right to business. Claire seemed to really like the attention...but mostly when no one touched her or picked her up (hello, separation anxiety!).

We spent the weekend hanging out, eating good food, and catching up on the last few months. Brian and his dad grilled a grill full of meat (a perfect job for the men, I say)...

...and his mom and I were hard at work in the kitchen. (A picture of ME on the blog!? You can tell there was another photographer in the house!)

We had Costa Vida/Cafe Rio knock-off salads, and they were delicious...

Joe hung out, and was found catching some zzzs a few times... after getting up for early morning seminary. (Wait, I thought this was a vacation!?)

Brian's recital was Monday night, and it went smashingly. Claire and I came late, and were able to hear the final piece from the lobby. Sounded awesome even from the hallway :)

The Minnesotans after the main event...

Claire started to warm up to the family on the last day (figures), but not before she devoured as much toast as she could stuff in her mouth at once...

And then that time came...for them to load the car back up, to head back up north. Here's Claire saying goodbye to Grandpa M...

...then to Grandma M.

It was a fun visit, and we were glad to spend some time together. Here's to a weekend of family, good food, and as much toast as you can eat ! :)

I'd Been Wanting

2011-09-14T20:20:00.001-05:00

I'd been wanting to take some pictures of Claire in her crib/bedroom...

But it never seemed to be the right time. For any number of reasons.

The light was wrong.
The light was right, but the child was screaming.
The light was right, the child was happy, but the clothes on the child were stained with cantaloupe (Why, cantaloupe, must you be so horrendous to remove?!).

And then it happened.

The light was right, the child was happy, and the clothes were free of cantaloupe war-stains.

This was a day for the record books...and fortunately, we've got pictures to go with it.

Busy Busy

2011-09-07T22:32:00.001-05:00

Since Claire started crawling, and then started pulling herself up to anything/everything, she's been an even busier busy-body... And, obviously, that's makes for a busier mama too!

First things first...she keeps me busy, what with the chopping of dozens and dozens of grapes. They are her go-to food, and she eats them by the handful (and really REALLY wants to eat the stems too!).

She also makes sure that I get plenty of chances to scrape the "dead" grapes off her highchair. You know... the ones that didn't make it to her mouth, but made it off her tray. Those are my favorite kind! :) Especially when I miss one, and it ends up on the floor...only to be found by the bottom of my foot later. (gag, barf, die)

She also makes sure that I'm always thinking about when the cutoff should be to wash the next load of baby laundry, she makes sure I'm paying close attention when she tries (relentlessly) to play with the trashcans, and she makes sure that I'm working on beefing up my gag reflex (she had a major barf episode yesterday that would've made the old me die a horrid, horrid death).

But, she's not just making jobs for me. She's really busy too!

Getting into my purse and finding the mail...and then going to all the work of sorting the ads. Man, I appreciate the help, I tell you! (She'll be circling the good deals soon enough, and that's worth it in the long run if you ask me...)

She's also been very busy smashing our popcorn up into tiny pieces, thus making it easier to chew. (The only way to keep her from trying to eat it is to put her binkie in while she runs her hands through the bowl, then smashes the kernels with her fingers! haha.)

She's also been SUPER busy helping me with the vacuum. I thought it might have a clog the other day, and she was determined to help me with the thing. Kept climbing up on it and everything. Thanks to her help, we discovered it was just a clogged filter. Ship shape...and it's back to normal, all because of her efforts.

And, though it may come off that I'm ungrateful for the extra work, I'm actually just the opposite. Thrilled to death to have this little one crawling around our house, touching our stuff, yanking on the shower curtain when I'm taking a super-quick shower, and searching (ever-searching) for the pot of gold inside our sub-woofer.

I love this girl...dead grapes, baby laundry, smashed popcorn and all.

I Sure Do

2011-09-04T20:22:00.000-05:00

I sure do like being the mom to that little girl. And the wife to that organist.

Life is good.

Portraits from a Dumb Phone

2011-09-01T21:03:00.001-05:00

First things first. We're not a smart-phone FAMILY, per se.

We have one. And it belongs to Brian.

I, on the other hand, have a "dumb phone". Brian informed me that that's what they're called in the technology world when they can't do real-people-phone things like access the internets, fetch emails in a snap, and tell you anything you need to know at any given second.

So, no, I don't have a 435 megapixel camera in my phone like some of the rest of you. But, lately, mine's been doing an okay job of at least documenting life here and there.

First things first, it captures breakfast...

It catches a quick glimpse of the two of us in clean clothes right before Claire undergoes a major poo-splosion...

It sees her caught in the act of maneuvering between the two couches to rummage through the baby supply basket (diapers, lotions, and other she's-not-supposed-to-touch stuff)...

It peeks in on naptime and the hobbies that hurriedly happen therein...

It snaps another shot of the narcissist in action...

It sees Claire on all fours, ready to make her move...

And it provides evidence to Brian that I, despite popular belief, am not the one messing with the technology around here (and further identifies that she IS crawling, and CAN reach everything we own now)...

But, best of all, it catches moments like these...

...and if you want the truth? If I can capture that kind of thing, that's enough for me.

I'll be the first to admit that I'm in love with a dumb phone. And I don't care who knows it.

He Humors Me

2011-08-26T09:47:00.001-05:00

I know that I'm a ridiculous wife much of the time. I've been known to get nostalgic and sentimental. I take a lot of pictures. And, for heaven's sakes, sometimes I just won't quit.

But this picture? This one's important.

This one has been long-awaited.
This one MEANS something.
This one's for the record books, I tell you!

That's right. This one is a picture of Brian's LAST first day of school...

This one marks the beginning of his FINAL YEAR in doctor school.
This marks the last August in history that I can refuse to call him "Dr. Mathias" instead of Brian.
This one celebrates many years of first days of school, and of bidding them adieu (as a student, at least).

And, if you ask me, this one's something to celebrate...ridiculous or not. :)

Our Little Narcissist

2011-08-24T17:00:00.003-05:00

Who needs toys...

...when you've got your own reflection?!

8 months

2011-08-17T09:43:00.000-05:00

Claire will be 8 months this week. Man alive, time flies.

Here are a few shots of our recent happenings...

Still all dressed up after church (and amazingly happy, considering naps get all messed up on the good Sabbath).

Running her hands through our popcorn, after many attempts to keep it away from her. She didn't care to EAT it (thank heavens), but could not keep her hands out of it...

Claire seems thissssssclose to crawling. As these things go, that means it will probably be at least another month before she humors us and makes her move.

She has, however, perfected the backwards scoot. In fact, she managed to end up HERE the other day. Eesh.

She loves these little wrist rattles, and they've become our go-to when she reaches her wit's end at church or in the car-seat.

And, just a collection of some of my favorites from a few days ago. This girl is SO busy! Most times, I just want to be sure that I don't miss any of it...

Good to get in the habit now of not taking my eyes off her, I suppose. Heaven knows that once she's really on the move, I'll be the only thing standing between this sweet girl...

and our STUFF.

Whew.

The Boss

2011-08-11T21:20:00.001-05:00

Claire's bottom front teeth broke through about 2 weeks ago, and it's clear that she hasn't been too fond of the process.

Her sleep schedule has been more unpredictable than usual, she's been quite fussy, and, darnit, I think she just hates all of this.

But, we're getting through it. And the happy moments? Well, now that they're less frequent, we're hanging on to them more than usual.

Last week, we took these pictures at Mamie's house.

I tell you... we just love this little girl.

New teeth and all.

Going Home

2011-08-10T14:07:00.001-05:00

I'm often asked where "home" is. And it never seems that people get the answer they're looking for.

"Well, I grew up in Florida. I went to the last 2 years of high school in Washington state. I lived in Utah for the better part of 9 years, and my family moved there as we were moving to Kansas."

People just stare for a second. And blink slowly.

Yeah, I know it's a lot to take in. I lived it. But after our visit last week? I realized that Utah is becoming more and more of my home. And I'll tell you straight up, I kinda like the way that sounds.

That being said, it was an awesome trip. We saw very little of Brian (he was busy teaching at the BYU Organ Workshop), but enjoyed our time with my family.

We hung out with Mamie (once Claire warmed up on day 2), and soaked up every minute together.

We played with Grandpa a whole bunch.

And watched Claire wiggle and squirm all over his lap...

We even discovered that Claire loves to steal the pen from his pocket JUST as much her mom did as a baby.

We did quite a bit of fabric shopping, perused the clearance racks at Dillard's (thanks again, Dad!), and were so excited when this guy finally flew in and joined in on the fun...

We got to see some dear friends...

We enjoyed the beeeeeautiful dry heat, and just gawked at those never-changing mountains. Man, I love those mountains.

We visited Brian on a short break from teaching, and he managed to keep his sandwich away from the scratchiest scratcher we know :)

We went out and did GIRL stuff one evening...

...and even attempted a self-shot with six subjects :)

We hung out with Auntie Emma every chance we could.

We tried to convince Claire to help fold laundry...to no avail.

We even found a set of twins in the family!

We started staging the beginnings of my quilt (hooray!).

We placed, pinned, and posed to our heart's content.

We (Brian and I) EVEN got to sneak out once or twice without Miss Claire...which was weird, but also kinda fun.

We worked on my quilt/bedspread a whole bunch more, and finally got all of the pieces in place.

We breathed a big sigh of relief, considering this was all the fabric we had left!

We got the chance to see my dearest friend Nat, and shared our best memories of her sweet Gram that passed away while we were in Utah.

While we were at it, we watched as Claire and Henry rekindled their baby romance.

We met my dad in Salt Lake for lunch, then took some fun pictures of Miss Claire that afternoon (and Emma was a great help!).

We admired my mom's beautiful flower beds, and pinched ourselves at the idea of ever owning our own dirt someday...

We got lots of kisses from Grandpa.

We made mozzarella sticks with Uncle Neil and earned a thumbs up (which he would not offer until he has tasted them!).

We sat in, and then tried to get out of Mamie's Bumbo chair.

We (Mamie and I) took turns waiting outside with Claire while Brian played a recital in Salt Lake.

We even got to see Brian's brother, Steve, and his cute family...

We packed our bags (to the weight limits, thank you), said our goodbyes, and headed back toward Kansas. It was a fantastic trip, and went all-too-quickly.

It's always hard to say goodbye, but knowing that those awesome people (and my gigantic quilt!) are going to be there next time we visit in October will make the wait worth it.

And the fact that it's finally starting to feel like home? Well, that doesn't hurt either.

Because, if we've learned anything about home since living in Kansas? It's that there's no place like it...

Today?

2011-08-07T09:36:00.003-05:00

Today, I miss them.

My folks, that is. (Rest assured, we brought Claire home with us...though they would've preferred it otherwise.)

Living far away is hard. And I don't have to like it.

An Indoor Summer

2011-07-24T19:50:00.001-05:00

Like most of the country, Kansas has been SLAMMED with a wicked heat-wave the last few weeks. It's been over 100° most days, and there's little relief in sight. The cicadas are humming (ok, screaming) outside our windows, and the humidity is enough to turn just-straightened hair into a poof-bomb in no time!

But, that doesn't mean we haven't been having any fun. We've just been having it indoors :)

This week, we got to have Kansas City's finest BBQ with Brian's uncle Don and aunt Cheryl and their girls. Aside from the little hiccup Claire had when we got there (read: total meltdown), it was fabulous.

Oklahoma Joe's makes an amazing pulled pork sandwich, I tell you. The likes of which we will dearly miss when we aren't just up the road from them someday!

It was fun to see family and catch up...

Uncle Don is famous for "the face" that he always makes in pictures. Turns out not ALL of us were doing it when Brian took the picture! Joke's on me...

In other news, we've just been hanging out. And one of us has been learning to scoot. In a backwards direction, that is. Her face perfectly describes how she really feels about it.

As for her eating habits, Miss Claire still will not touch pureé, so we've turned to these shwanky little mesh bags. (She can chew people food but not deal with the chunks.) So far, she's taken a liking to bananas, nectarines, watermelon, and cantaloupe. And cucumbers? Well, she likes them like her dad likes them. Just kinda.

She also LOVES to stand up at the ottomans, and seems pretty proud of herself when she's upright...

While she can sit up, there are times when we turn around to find THIS. Yep, just lounging the day away. I tell ya...this girl understands summertime, don't ya think?

She likes it even more when she's got a partner in crime!

As for me? Well, I've been hanging out with THESE tools a lot lately.

I'm working on my first quilt!

Gathering fabric has been really fun (akin to paper shopping, but more tactile!), and cutting? Well, that's not my favorite, but it's just part of the gig.

I can't WAIT to get to Utah this week (for lots of reasons!) to get tutored by the master seamstress/quilter herself. Wahoo for having a professional in the family :)

And, last but not certainly not least, Claire has finally started pulling her weight around here. She's been fascinated with my calculator for a while now...so we took charge. She's now in charge of the budget.

And something tells me, we won't be buying any more pureé anytime soon...

Surely

2011-07-18T22:58:00.006-05:00

Surely there's a market for this kind of skill, no?

Finished

2011-07-13T12:18:00.005-05:00

I've never been very good at finishing projects.

And Claire's sweet presence in our house for the last (almost) 7 months hasn't improved my already-shaky ability to start, work on, and then finish projects. Mind you, I'm happily interrupted by her...but still.

So with that being said, you'll know what a big deal this actually is...

A finished project! Miracle of miracles!

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to sit a spell.

Turns out that finishing projects feels oddly unfamiliar, and can make an amateur a bit light-headed...

An Invitation

2011-07-09T14:52:00.007-05:00

We (read: I) had been wanting to try a new recipe from a site that I recently discovered, and now absolutely love.

Hoho cake.

Ummm, yes please, I thought.

It seemed so perfect for the 4th of July, but it was just the two of us...and it lost out to a mini-batch of fruit pizzas at the last minute. So we were going to put it on hold for a while.

And then The Organist had a crummy day the other day... so when he got home from work, I surprised him with THIS.

And this cake? Man, this cake... We've shared it with neighbors, and there's STILL a lot left.

So, I thought I'd extend you an invitation.

If you're in the neighborhood, won't you stop by and have a slice?

It's Alive!

2011-07-06T18:19:00.002-05:00

Brian didn't have a website.
And he wanted one.
(note: www.brianmathias.com was already taken...ugh!)
He didn't know how to make them.
But he knew what he wanted it to do/look like.
So what did he do?
He did what he always does.
He dug his heels in, and figured it out.
And now, after many hours and lots of hard work, it's finally ~~alive~~ live!

Check it out!

She's Bored With Us

2011-07-05T09:30:00.000-05:00

Earlier this week, Claire let us know that we were too boring for her tastes...

So, we wanted to make sure that her 4th of July was a show-stopping celebration.

She started it off with a wet washcloth...

And, to reflect a recent trend...this was the response when she dropped it. (Heaven help us!)

We played on the floor together, bought her a new toy that lights up/makes lots of noise/has a piano (3 important requirements around here), watched the fireworks without any tears, and Claire even had her first taste of a red popsicle (she LOVED it).

She slept through the night for the 2nd time this week, and we are THRILLED about it. Here's hoping that it'll last!

As for Brian and me, we celebrated the day with THIS.

Yes, that's a 2" thick filet. Brian used part of the birthday money from his parents to buy this little beauty (after much persuasion by his wife). He grilled it, and said it was PERFECT.

I had a little taste (I prefer chicken, generally) and it was amazing, indeed. Now I'm only a tad worried that he'll develop a habit of buying $11 pieces of meat in the future!

He also grilled corn on the cob, and I almost died when I tasted it. Oh, yum...

We had fresh watermelon, and then a few mini fruit pizzas for dessert.

It was a tasty celebration, and we enjoyed the opportunity to consider our many freedoms. We feel SO fortunate to live in these United States, and know that the liberties and conveniences we enjoy don't come without cost. We're SO grateful for those that have served, those that currently serve, and those families of soldiers that sacrifice by staying behind and supporting them from afar.

We enjoyed the city fireworks from our balcony, and loved the day we got to spend all together.

In the end, we think Claire had a good 4th. We didn't see any of the gigantic yawns AND she went to bed with a popsicle-stained tongue, so that must've meant it was a success...

A Double HB

2011-07-02T14:05:00.000-05:00

A double Happy Birthday today - to the first 2 "Steve"s I ever knew...

First, to my older brother, Steve. Who played in the sandbox with me, who rollerbladed down the steep driveway with me, who went on bikerides with me (to the library and to the "Coffee Cup" for candy and Yoohoo), who paved the path in school for me ("Are you Steven Sleight's sister!? Are you as smart as he is??"), and who consequently taught me that being really smart is nothing to be ashamed of.

Thanks for STILL being an example of excellence in everything you do. That little boy that's due to arrive at your house in a few months is going to be so lucky to have you as his dad...and could be no better off than to turn out just like you.

And, another big huge Happy Birthday to the Steve in my life that goes by "Grandpa". The one who always threatened to saw off the saddlehorn, but didn't after all (just in case I needed something to hold on to). The one who took us fishing, and still loved me even when I refused to eat our successes from the day. The one who faithfully serves, even when his recliner is comfy and a nap sounds much easier.

Thank you, Grandpa, for being such a kind and loving man. For teasing us so much, for singing silly songs and laughing with us, for sharing your frozen gallon of water with us, and most importantly...for marrying us. I can think of no greater privilege as one of your grand-daughters.

So, there you have it. Happy Birthday to 2 of my favorite men in the world...

Wish I could be with either or both of you today...but if I can't be, perhaps I'll just bake a cake. And have a slice, just for you.

On Loan

2011-06-29T19:47:00.003-05:00

I knew Claire had borrowed something from me...

Turns out, it was my face.

33 years

2011-06-29T10:10:00.003-05:00

Happy Anniversary to 2 of my favorite people in the whole world...

Thanks for finding each other at that big ol' BYU... and making quick work of the whole engagement thing. Thanks for being the parents you are, and for everything you've taught us.

Some of us wouldn't have had it any other way... :)

A Minnesotan Adventure

2011-06-28T13:15:00.003-05:00

Brian's work schedule is about to pick up in a major way (5 weddings to play for in July!), so we took the chance to head toward Minnesota to see his family last week.

We were SO thrilled to find plane tickets at a smashing price, and were able to fly instead of drive (hooooraaaaaayyyy!). We arrived Sunday night, and started off the week by visiting with Brian's extended family.

The next night was another celebration, this time for Brian's upcoming birthday...complete with this change-your-life banana-chocolate cake. Mmmmmm.

Claire took the opportunity to wear one of her party outfits. She loves a good party... (actually, we found out that she HATES them!)

...and a wild party it was. Complete with people taking a turn with this head-scratcher thing. (Some of got the sqeaumies from the idea of it making it's way around the room and DECLINED the opportunity to participate.) Even Grandpa took a turn!

Claire spent quite a bit of time getting better acquainted with Uncle Danny...

...and Brian made deep dish pizza for his family while we were there. Ohhhhh, that pizza!

That night, we went bowling.

And you'll never guess who CLEANED UP. That's right. I beat every single one of those boys. :)

Claire and I stepped outside when she had decided bowling was no longer fun, and when my rickety shoulder decided that it was time to call it a night.

Wednesday brought Brian's actual birthday, and you can see that Claire was already staking out his presents...

And she got exactly what she wanted. A whole mouthful of that pretty blue paper...

Brian loves ice cream cakes, so I decided to try my hand at one. This is what it looked like before frosting...

...and this was the final product.

We decided that 28 sticks of fire might be too much for the cake, so Brian stuck with 3 candles this year!

THIS is what was inside. And, man alive, I tell you...it was the most amazing thing ever. The chocolate crunchy stuff was spot-on, and next time we'll just leave out some of the ice cream and enjoy the crunch!

We had a chance to gather with a bunch of old friends, and it was a blast to catch up, even though Claire hates parties and made sure we knew it that night! (My favorite part of this pic is how Avery is taunting her mom...hehe)

Thursday night, Brian played a recital at a church in Minneapolis where he used to take lessons. His former teacher was there, and it was fun to hear him play. (...from the hallway, of course. Turns out Claire doesn't like parties OR recitals.)

Uncle Sam took Claire outside for some fresh air when the recital ended...

...and we snapped a few pictures.

We said goodbye to Joe, who was bound for a church activity that next morning...

...and spent a while at the park on Friday. The zoo was too busy and the parking was outRAGEous, so the park was perfect!

We played some croquet that night, then Brian and Sam tried to crack the code that is the accordion (the arrangement of the buttons on the opposite end, that is). I think Brian could have a great back-up career with that accordion, actually...

Claire spent that last evening hanging out with Grandpa Mathias.

And, before we knew it, Saturday morning came. We stopped over to see Brian's grandparents, and then it was off to the airport.

It was a whirlwind trip! We ate lots of ice cream (every night, as it turns out), got to see lots of family and friends, and learned that Claire may need to be eased into parties in the future. :)

My guess? She'll eventually like cake just fine, and parties will be worth it after all...

Half a' Year

2011-06-27T08:44:00.004-05:00

If you had told us how quickly 6 months could fly by, we probably wouldn't have believed you.

Here's to the best 6 months we've ever had...

...and to the miracle of having kept this little girl alive for half a' year already. :)

This and That

2011-06-17T12:12:00.001-05:00

We've been taking it easy lately...and, man, it's been great.

Brian heads to campus each day to get about 5 hours of practicing in, and he loves it. (Frankly, I shudder at the idea of doing anything besides sleeping for that long...) He comes home and we have lunch together, and we get to spend the afternoons at home. It's pretty awesome, I tell you...even if it's temporary and will probably never happen again in our adult lives (except just one more awwwwesomely long Christmas break coming up - remember how this will be year 3 of 3 of Doctor school!?).

We've been going to the splash park a lot, have eaten our fair share of fudge-pops, and have been enjoying the time together. Good stuff, I say. Gooooood stuff.

In other news, Claire still doesn't much care for solid foods.

We both feel the same way about the whole process, in fact.

Thankfully, the wet washcloth at the end is worth it.

We took a little trip over to the recital hall the other day...and she only KINDA liked it. (See how she pulls out her pacifier and just holds it now? Ugh.)

She waited (but not necessarily so patiently) while we got some shots for Brian's website.

While this one looks like I may have an affinity toward the organ, rest assured that I'm still a musician by marriage. I was a stand-in while we got the settings right. :)

And, the final product! Pretty fancy if you ask me. His website is almost finished, and it'll be fun to share the result of many hours of hard work. As it turns out, Brian doesn't know how to build websites, so he has taught himself...

We're getting ready for our trip to Minnesota, and are excited to introduce Claire to lots of friends and family there.

Other than that, we're just enjoying the summer.

Sans the apple slices of yesteryear.

The Problem

2011-06-12T20:54:00.005-05:00

The problem with the self-timer?

There's no one...

...to get the attention...

...of the little one. And, if she just happens to be looking at the camera, you get the "I'm sucking my bottom lip because my mouth hurts" smile.

Good enough, though.

Good enough.

The Way Summer Looks Around Here

2011-06-08T20:21:00.001-05:00

Exactly one year ago, if you had told me that I would still be alive to experience summer 2011, I wouldn't have believed you.

In June last year, I was in the throes of the death-sickness that was pregnancy. I was living on apple slices, Wheat Thins, and toast. And I often found myself crying in the kitchen when I couldn't find anything else to eat to calm my stomach.

No, really. I thought I was going to die of it. (And if you had told me then that I'd be sick the whole pregnancy, I would've punched you. Hard. And then cried. A lot.)

But, I digress.

Last year, I had a hard time picturing whether there would be healthy summers ahead of me for the rest of my life. But, my flair for the dramatic has since calmed a bit. And, for the last few weeks, I've discovered that there IS such a thing as enjoying summertime. Yes, the heat and humidity in Kansas are enough to almost kill a person, but I find myself quite enjoying this year otherwise.

We went back to the splash park again the other day. LOVED it. This is definitely going to be something we remember about this summer...

As a matter of fact, we played so hard at the pool that one of us fell asleep on the way home...

As for Brian? He's been practicing a lot, working on a few projects, and still manages to find time to grill up a storm. Last year's apple slice/Wheat Thin/toast diet didn't allow for much grilling (or anything with flavor, for that matter), so we're making up for it this year. Ohhhhh, yes we are.

As for me? Well, my pretty flowers are in full bloom. We've even spotted two hummingbirds! It may sound strange to be excited...but, truly, this makes me turn colors on the inside. I have such sweet memories of sitting on the porch at my Grandma's house...and watching the hummingbirds come to her little red feeder. I'd pretty much do anything to be just a little bit more my Grandma, so this is a good start.

Claire has been teething, and you can imagine that we're all REALLY excited for those first little teeth to come through. I realized something horrid the other day. Don't kids get teeth/molars until they're like 14!? Heaven help us. (Jackie, please ask Doug...and reply, stat.)

This, for the record, is what she looks like when she's afraid of the red-eye reduction light on our point and shoot camera.

And this is what she looks like when she'd rather not have a nap...

I've also been working on reorganizing things (read: new obsession). I emptied my craft shelf and rearranged everything. If you look closely, you can see my latest project...

Yes, that's right. A ribbon-collector's DREAM is what that is... I built it for less than $4, and have already caught myself walking into Claire's room just to stare at it. Weird, I know.

And, finally, our summer has involved packing around this growing baby. She's getting heavier and heavier, and lugging her around in her carseat is becoming quite the challenge! (Remember my busted shoulder? Oi vey.)

But, for some reason, this little face can get us to do just about anything. Heavy or not.

Slap a few ruffles and a headband on that little one...and man, we're pretty much toast.

And this year, it's sure better to be toast than to live on it.

Amen and amen.

Her First Dip

2011-06-04T11:27:00.001-05:00

We've fallen in love with some things in this-here Lawrence, Kansas. And yesterday, well, we added another thing to the list.

The splash park. The free one, that is.

It's not very big, but it's free. And it's only for tiny people and their parents. It's only 12 inches deep at the deepest point. And the water? Ohhhhh, the water. It was perfectly cool on our first 95° day yesterday.

Bless that splash park. Bless it, I say!

And this little beauty took her first dip in the pool...

Her favorite part about it? Sucking on fingers. Brian's, her's, and mine. Doesn't matter to whom they belong these days...

This little darling already has 2 swimming suits. Perfect, I say. One to wear while the other one dries!

She has been loving her baths at home, but she was pretty stoic at the pool. There were plenty of little kids to keep her attention, and the fingers kept her busy, of course.

Special thanks to Mamie for this cute hat, to Jackie for her reminder about learning to like going to the pool after 3pm, to the smell of sunscreen (for bringing back a childhood full of memories of the beach)...

...and to these two. Just because I just love 'em.

Especially poolside.

Here's to more splash-parking. And my guess? It'll be in the forecast about as often as those 95° days this summer.

Come to think of it, perhaps I need another suit too...

Solid Foods, Strawberries, and Big-Fat Steaks

2011-06-01T11:42:00.001-05:00

Obviously, rice cereal didn't go over that well. It has gotten a little better since, but it still looks like torture when we feed it to her. Awesome.

So, we tried our hand at squash.

The results?

She hated it.

And she gave her dad lots of looks like this one. WHY are you feeding me this gross stuff, pizza man?

Since then we've also tried bananas. She hates those too. Who is this child, really?

Speaking of fruit, I got a great deal on strawberries the other day. Ten pounds of them, in fact.

Turns out it takes a really long time to wash, hull, and slice that many berries! But, don't worry... I didn't try to can them (remember this post?). Instead, I chopped and froze them.

Now that? THAT is a good supply of smoothie-ready berries. Mmmm hmmm.

I decided that I wanted some mustard yellow earrings the other day. It was the good Sabbath and the end of the month (the budget was already crying), so what did I do? I painted some.

They were pearl-looking before. Few shades of paint mixed together, a few coats, and some clear nail polish to seal them... and, just like that, I became my mom. And it felt awesome. (She paints shoes when she can't find them in the right shade. Did you know you can do that?!)

On Monday, we celebrated our Memorial Day with boring things. Like chores and stuff. And then Brian pulled out these babies. His boss (a fellow BBQ fiend) gave them to us for Christmas. Don't worry. I didn't touch them. No way, no how.

It was windy on Monday night, but a little wind won't come between this guy and his fat slabs of meat...

He roasted some seasoned potatoes, those beautiful steaks, and some corn on the cob. The corn was INCREDIBLE...and the steaks? Well, you can only begin to imagine how good they were.

As a person who always chooses chicken over beef when there's an option, I was really impressed. Thank you, David (Brian's boss), for showing us what real meat is supposed to taste like! If you're not careful, Brian may try to negotiate a way to work for cuts of meat instead of money...

Since Monday, we've been busy around here. Brian's been hard at work practicing for the competition he's doing in the Fall. While he's been gone, we've been cleaning, scrubbing, doing the laundry, organizing things, and the like.

Well, at least ONE of us has been busy. The other one of us?

The busiest she's been lately has been trying to get both fists in her mouth at once.

And, so far? She's been successful.

My guess? They taste better than squash.

Just Because...

2011-05-25T21:43:00.000-05:00

Just because she sleeps in her crib now doesn't mean I don't wake up really often to check on her...

Just because she looks really cute in her church clothes doesn't mean we hear any of the talks or lessons at church...

Just because she's bored (and extremely limber) doesn't means she's allowed to do this kind of thing...

And just because he's working on the computer does NOT mean he's allowed to scare me like that...

Brackets, Scar-faces, and Local Pizza Places

2011-05-20T19:05:00.000-05:00

Just so you're not worried anymore, here's the update on our closet.

The fix-it guy came the other day, and ta-dah! Allllllll fixed. He took off the last bracket, patched the hole, re-painted it, and gave us 2 brand new brackets. Secured IN STUDS. He told me that he even hung from the rod, just to test the strength.

And that? Well, that's reason enough to keep my cardigans (in every color) after all!

This week, Claire gave herself a nice big scratch in the nighttime. Right across the face. Since her nails had just been trimmed, we think we discovered the culprit.

You'll see the 2 of them in this picture. Yes, that's right. Those chubby little FEET! One scratchy toenail to the face can make you look pretty tough, I'll say...

In other news, Brian is done with finals! Hoooraaaaaaaay! It has been a wildly busy semester, and he has been gone many nights and weekends for school and work. To celebrate his new-found freedom (or at least the scaling-back of his schedule), we went to a local pizza place downtown.

They advertise their slices as "As Big As Your Face". And, I'll tell ya, they weren't kidding!

I knew ahead of time that there was no way I could finish mine...

We haven't mastered the self-shot as a family of 3 yet, so we did it in 2 stages. :)

Claire tolerated the occasion, and that was about it.

And, because she had to sit through our indulgence in local cuisine, we decided to try rice cereal for the first time today.

I'm not sure if you can tell, but as I saw it? She didn't much care for it.

Something tells me that she'll come around, and if not?

Well, there's always hope for pizza.

Weekend in Review

2011-05-17T08:50:00.002-05:00

When Claire was born, Brian bought her this little piano for Christmas. Seemed fitting, ya know? So the other night, we got it out for the first time.

And she was mesmerized.

It plays a few different little songs (Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven, according to the musician of the house) and she seemed to like it.

And, just like that, she plays the piano better than her mother!

It was also a moderately nice weather weekend, and Brian couldn't fight the grilling urge any longer... so he made kabobs! And they were AMAZING. Really, the best ever.

And even though he had to take a second shower to get the BBQ smoke smell off him, it was worth it. :)

And then there was the REAL adventure of the weekend.

We were watching TV on Saturday night, and heard a really loud crash. I had moved some of our food storage earlier in the day, and was sure that the shelf had given out.

So Brian went to check it out. Nope, food storage shelf in laundry cabinet still intact.

I thought it might be our hall closet. Nope, still intact.

So Brian wandered into our bedroom. And this is what he found.

Yes, that is a fallen clothing rod. And a huge hole in the drywall, where the bracket PUNCHED THROUGH THE WALL. And, no, your eyes do not deceive you...there is NO stud behind the bracket to hold the weight of a clothing rod. Hmmm, weird.

So, there we were. 10:30 at night and trying to figure out where to put all of our hang-up clothes. We piled them on our bed first, and Claire assessed the situation.

After she gave the piles a few good kicks, she kindly offered up her newly cleaned room. She asked if we had added a new load of weight to the closet earlier that day, and we told her that we had not. She raised an eyebrow just like we did.

And then she gently reminded us that it would be okay to get rid of a few clothes here and there anyway.

And, to top off the weekend, Sunday was National Chocolate Chip Day (what? you didn't know? and you didn't celebrate?) so I made a batch of these.

So, we're still here. Camping among our clothes, waiting for the maintenance people to show some interest in our dilemma, and enjoying a cookie or two.

And our Goodwill pile has grown a lot in the meantime. :)