tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34746314143384371422024-03-13T14:23:49.174-07:00DeGraff's blah, blah, blahgalihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18240971107479268897noreply@blogger.comBlogger438125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3474631414338437142.post-35423920560388937962016-09-29T10:28:00.001-07:002016-09-29T10:28:29.199-07:00The Day our Lives Changed Forever (Part II)<i>(This has taken me months to have the courage to write and post. These are my actual experiences without too much censoring, so I'm sorry if it is too hard to read. I find it cathartic to replay the events of that day and have them written down as they were lived, though it is something I try not to revisit often.)</i><br />
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I've heard before of a physiological response that humans have to high stress situations...either FIGHT or FLIGHT. Deep down I've always felt that my response to a traumatic event would definitely be FLIGHT, because I'm such a wimp. I had no idea that this theory would be tested in a very real, very terrifying, very intense way that Thursday morning.<br />
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By 9:00 am, we were getting ready to take Lucy to school for her 9:10 start time. I was going to wake Charlie up right before leaving, giving him the most possible time to sleep in. I walked up to his room, opened the door, and what I saw would continue to haunt me for months to come, and even still today. </div>
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From a quick glance one would have thought he was sleeping peacefully, but I could sense instantly that something wasn't right. I could see that his head was face down on his mattress. He was motionless. There was no rise and fall of his back...no indication that he was breathing. I inched forward hesitantly because I also noticed that his ears and cheeks were a little blueish in color, and that his hands were stiff and still. Immediately I knew he was dead. There was no question in my mind. Not even a hope, I would say. I didn't want to go any closer. I had no desire to see any more than I already had. I instantly turned around and ran downstairs for my phone desperately repeating, "Charlie is dead, Charlie is dead, Charlie is dead!"</div>
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The whole scene is really such a blur. I can remember seeing the fear in Sam and Lucy's eyes as I repeated those frantic words and instructed them to stay downstairs. I hate that they had to experience that alone. I have no idea what thoughts ran through their young minds as they witnessed this horror unfold. </div>
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I called 911 and ran back upstairs, still very much NOT wanting to enter back into his room and face what I knew was a reality. The 911 dispatchers instructed me to go back in his room and take him out of his crib. I just remember crying, hyperventilating and saying, "NO, NO, NO...don't make me do that. I know he is dead, I know he is dead." Reluctantly, I pulled his stiff, already cold and lifeless body out of his crib. I gently laid him on the carpet on the floor of his room and knelt down beside him. I will never be able to fully escape flashbacks of that moment. I had never seen death before, and suddenly, I was looking at my child who was clearly gone. His nose was pressed strangely to his face. His blue lips were also matted down in a frozen position. There was no part of me that wanted to be seeing him like this, and every part of me was in disbelief that I was somehow working through these motions. </div>
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I don't at all remember the instructions from the dispatchers, but I know they were taking me through CPR, step-by-step. I was resistant to every step of instruction thus far, and the actual thought of performing CPR was paralyzing to me. In this moment, I can't explain in a concrete way what I felt, but I felt a strong presence of help and strength. I have thought about this moment many times since...this unexplainable feeling that came over me. The warmth in the room...the feeling that I wasn't alone. I can only believe that in that moment I had the help of angels, possibly even Charlie himself, guiding me through my worst nightmare. I pressed my lips to his. I did as the dispatchers instructed. One deep breath. My breath traveled through his hollow-sounding body like a deep breath into a paper bag, confirming what I already knew...he was not coming back alive. I kept saying, "He's dead...it's not going to work. Can I please stop?" Sometimes I wonder why I was so faithless, so quick to give up. I guess I just felt confident in my confirmation that it was over. He was already gone. I didn't work for long before the paramedics arrived. They ran up to his room where I was and quickly swooped him away into the ambulance, leaving us all behind.</div>
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I followed them downstairs and was pulled away to wait with a police officer, while they drove away with my baby. I huddled Sam and Lucy close to me, still not able to console them or talk with them and I immediately called Troy.</div>
alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18240971107479268897noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3474631414338437142.post-80055203124319255552016-08-26T22:00:00.001-07:002016-08-26T22:00:18.808-07:00The Day our Lives Changed Forever (Part 1)<div style="text-align: center;">
It was a Thursday morning like any other, except it wasn't.</div>
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I remember that I awoke greeting the day, rather than the day greeting, or rather tugging and pulling at me. Troy was hustling about, grooming for another long day at work. He asked me if I could iron his work shirt and I was happy to oblige. Usually he does all the household ironing, but on this morning his request made me feel useful and helpful.</div>
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The three older kids rolled out of bed and one-by-one trickled down the stairs. Dad kissed us all goodbye as he ALWAYS does. I prepared lunches, and served breakfast to the kids. We sent Jack off to school. He was characteristically chipper, puckering up for me and Sam to kiss him goodbye before he rode away on his bike. I stood at the corner with a smile on my face as I watched him ride down the court. My mother heart was bursting with pride for the young man he had become.</div>
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I went back inside and finished getting Lucy ready for school. I had plans for my friend Chris to come over that morning and peruse a selection of drapery panels I had purchased on sale. I was looking forward to her visit, but I wanted my house to look presentable after the before-school whirlwind. I started to do dishes and clean my kitchen. I was admittedly enjoying the focused time I had to accomplish a task while Charlie slept in.</div>
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You see, with a toddler, you really don't accomplish anything. Most of your day is spent doing damage control. You are constantly monitoring for saftey and intercepting danger. As soon as you clean one mess, another one has been made behind your back. Charlie was no exception to this kind of toddler behavior. He loved to climb up on chairs, tables, countertops, or spray and dump cleaning supplies, or draw with marker on the floor or upholstered chairs. So naturally, I was enjoying his later wake-up time so that I could do a speed clean.</div>
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I can remember feeling like Cinderella, whistling while I worked. I had my 4 year-old Sammy right by my side with a desire to be included in my chores. I passed him a paper towel and together we washed some windows. He and I were having a great time together...laughing and cleaning. </div>
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Magical mothering moments like these are sporadic for me, which is probably why I took note of it. I LOVE being a mom, but I also find the job description incredibly challenging. Emotionally I struggle to find the joy in the mundane of motherhood. I am often times impatient and selfish. Perhaps every mom feels this way occasionally. The nature of the job requires putting your own wants and desires on hold many times for the immediate care of your dependent children. I was happy to be having a moment with Sam where I felt complete love for him and satisfaction in my calling as a mom.</div>
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By this time it was around 8:45 am. The thought did cross my mind that Charlie was sleeping a lot longer than he usually does, but it made sense to me because he had skipped his nap the day before and was feeling sick the night before. So, I wanted him to get all the recovery sleep he needed to feel refreshed and healthy.</div>
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Around this time, my daughter Lucy wanted to go wake Charlie up. We all loved Charlie and the house didn't feel alive and fully awake until he was bopping around with his usual grin. The kids often fought over who was going to go in and get him from his crib. I heard his door crack open and I quickly snapped at Lucy to close the door so he could get as much sleep as possible. I can't remember her exact comment, but she hurried and shut the door and said, "Don't worry mom, he didn't even budge". Again, I didn't think anything of it. I was relieved that her excitement to see him did not wake him. (also a blessing I wouldn't realize until later)...</div>
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<br />alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18240971107479268897noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3474631414338437142.post-6746583416536101042016-08-24T22:50:00.001-07:002016-08-24T22:50:51.487-07:00My Last Day with Charlie (excerpts from his funeral)[This was my talk from Charlie's Funeral, which details my last day with him.]<br />
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This view makes me so happy. I look around and I see people who love us and love Charlie! In the Bible, in the book of John, the Savior taught his Apostles that he would not leave them comfortless. He would send them the Comforter to abide with them, or he would visit them as well. I testify to you, in this moment, that amid what is an unimaginable loss, we have felt that promise come to life. We have felt the comfort of the Holy Ghost with us. And though the Savior has not come to us, He has come to us through all of you. <br />
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We have witnessed armies of people working and serving on our behalf, some of that service we will never know the extent of. <br />
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A few years ago, an Apostle of our church, Elder Bednar gave a talk in General Conference titled, “Tender Mercies of the Lord” in which he defined the scriptural references to tender mercies as the “very personal and individualized blessings, strength, protection, assurances, guidance, loving-kindnesses, consolation, support, and spiritual gifts which we receive from, and because of, and through the Lord Jesus Christ.”<br />
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We have seen these tender mercies in abundance in the last week. Today I wish to speak about one of the tenderest mercies that I have been given since Charlie’s passing, and that gift was a crystal clear rememberance of my day with him before he died.<br />
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After finding Charlie lifeless in his bed, and fumbling through what you can imagine was horrific fear, I almost instantly felt myself being carried through the day with peace and direction. My mind was filled with happy events of the day before with my Charlie boy. Each flashback was like a gift, hand delivered from God. <br />
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I had remembered how I woke up feeling happy. As a mom, I admit that I don’t always go about my tasks with a smile on my face. But that day felt different. I made the kids lunches. I remember taking great care to balance all the food groups just perfectly, but not forgetting to sneak in a little treat, too. I remember Charlie scooting down the stairs and everyone greeting him as they always got excited to do. He had recently learned how to turn his round doorknob to let himself out and he was always as proud as could be when he would finally escape. We sent the big kids off to school. We had a day with nothing on the agenda. I had hoped to get some cleaning done, but I didn’t have plans errands or appointments or the gym. I got a text from my friend asking if I wanted to go on a bike ride. I now believe this was special inspiration she had to text me. I am not always the type of mom to set aside my duties to play with my kids, but for some reason I responded “yes, that sounds like a blast!” I told Sam and Charlie to get ready for a bike ride and they were ecstatic. Charlie loved to ride his bike. He had a little yellow Strider bike that he was just learning how to pump and glide on. He rode that bike or his blue truck at any chance he got. And it was usually barefoot. We ran into the garage and gathered our bikes and helmets and rode around in the street while waiting for our friends to arrive. I can remember watching Charlie with such focus. I was absolutely tickled about his new bike tricks. I just thought he was the cutest. When our friends arrived, he protested a little when I switched him from his own bike to the bike seat on mine. I scooted forward so that he could see his friend, Elyse, and he let me buckle him in. We rode to the park first where we played and spent some time on the swings. He was so darling. I can hear his laughter now with every upswing. He was having the time of his life. We then rode a little further to the duck pond. All the kids took turns feeding the ducks bread and chasing them around. I was talking with my friend Emily about life plans and our futures. I again remember looking at Charlie with such a different focus. He was standing at the edge of the pond watching all the ducks. There were these little yellow flowering water blossoms all around him. I wanted to pull out my camera, but for whatever reason I felt more like living in the moment. We continued our ride back home and I can’t remember much how the conversation started, but we were talking about motherhood. I said to Emily, “Isn’t it strange how motherhood works. We yearn for peace and quiet, or some time alone without a thousand questions and interruptions, yet we know that when it is all gone, we will miss it desperately.” I feel like that moment of conversation was helping me appreciate even more my role as a parent, and particularly a mother. It was the most idyllic and heavenly morning. Again, like a gift that Heavenly Father knew I would need the next day.<br />
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The rest of the day was really not much different. I decided to make some chocolate chip cookies for the kids when they got home from school, just like June Cleaver would do. Charlie and Sam were both busy helping me. Which means they were picking more than mixing and spilling more than measuring. Charlie loved to scoot a chair up to the counter when we were cooking. But again, the moment was out of the norm…cookies after school were not unheard of, but certainly not the usual.<br />
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The feeling in our home was peachy. The kids sat and did homework obediently. I sat with them and chatted about the day. Nobody was fighting or ornery. It was just perfect. Lucy was being helpful and Jack was playful with the little kids. <br />
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I took Jack to a playdate and scurried off with only Charlie to do a quick grocery run. Just he and I. Before going into the store, we sat in the parking lot making our list. He climbed all over me while I wrote. I loved having him there alone with me. In the store he started to protest being strapped in the cart, so I unstrapped him and let him sit in the big section of the cart. That seemed to make his day. In fact, I had two mini watermelons I was buying. He took an entire watermelon and chucked it over the cart leaving a wet explosion in the store. Instead of feeling annoyed or frustrated, I picked up the drippy watermelon in my hand and was laughing to myself thinking how darn adorable he is. We gave it to the store employee and went on our way. <br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EP7ltLEnqOc/V76GBmhZPXI/AAAAAAAADcg/86VMAmBldOsHcBktfM1uhKK9CcOHHbaBQCLcB/s1600/IMG_5638.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EP7ltLEnqOc/V76GBmhZPXI/AAAAAAAADcg/86VMAmBldOsHcBktfM1uhKK9CcOHHbaBQCLcB/s320/IMG_5638.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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(taken the day before Charlie died)</div>
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As the evening approached, I could tell he wasn’t feeling well. He started to get fussy and wanted me to hold him. When troy got home I had him sit with him for a minute while I got some Advil and a warm bottle. I took him in my arms as I always do, pausing at the bottom of the stairs for him to say his famous Nigh Night to everyone. I put him down for the night.<br />
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We had a sitter that night so that we could meet briefly with our church leader, President Harrison. When we walked into his home, the Spirit was so palpable. Everything from the way they greeted us, to the warm lighting, to our conversation, to the music, was just special. I believe it was where we were supposed to be. Troy and I then ran to Pinkberry for a treat, and had some very in depth conversations about our kids, family, and plans for the future. <br />
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We got home and put the other kids to bed as we always did. We had no idea our lives were about to change forever in the morning, but I know with a certainty that God knew and that he prepared us in the best way He could by increasing our love for our children in a way that we would only recognize after.<br />
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I miss that little stinker more that words can possibly express. We all will. I will miss the way he needed me. I will miss our quiet moments together. I will miss him doing all the things that used to drive me nuts. Like our Jack said, “He was a cool little dude.”<br />
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We feel intense pain and sadness when we think about the void he has left, but the miracles and tender mercies we have felt have been innumerable and have assured us that it will all be okay. We look forward to the day when we will see him again. Until that day, we will be faithful. We will be doing all we can to live with him again. I know that God lives. I know that we have a Savior who knows us, who carries our burdens when the load is too much to bear.<br />
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We love you Charlie boy. Momma loves you.alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18240971107479268897noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3474631414338437142.post-4890605170421737532016-08-24T12:44:00.000-07:002016-08-24T12:45:23.912-07:00Special thoughts from Charlie's funeral<div style="text-align: center;">
For Charlie's funeral, I felt impressed to ask my friend Emily to share some sweet memories of Charlie. This impression came very distinctly after kneeling in prayer, with my husband, for guidance and direction as we struggled to put together the funeral program. We immediately drove to Emily's house to ask her if she'd be willing to take on this somewhat daunting task. She was so willing, as I knew she would be, and I felt so good about her speaking knowing how well she knew Charlie because he and her daughter were best friends. </div>
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A few days later I began doubting our decision. Was it too much to ask of a friend? Should my husband or I, or a family member be the ones to be sharing about Charlie? Did she feel overwhelmed by our request? So I called Emily with my doubts. She simply said, "From the day Charlie died I somehow just knew I'd be asked to speak at his funeral and I am prepared with some thoughts and ideas." I just started crying. In answer to prayer, the Spirit had led us both to the same conclusion, and it was definitely meant to be that way. Here are the words Emily shared at Charlie's funeral. They could not have been more perfect. </div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/28553287673/in/dateposted-public/" title="4861c"><img alt="4861c" height="1024" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/9/8355/28553287673_56888f709f_b.jpg" width="683" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="font-size: 14.000000pt; font-weight: 700;"><i style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">CHARLIE </span><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt;">Sept 7, 2015</span></i></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="font-size: 13.000000pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 13.000000pt;">I honestly feel so honored to be up here today. Our family loves Charlie so much
and I know that all of us here that knew him, love him too, so I hope I can share some
thoughts and memories of him that we all have and treasure. I have a little girl almost
exactly the same age as Charlie, and so we’ve had a lot of play time with him the last
22 months. Charlie is one of her best friends. He is one of the only reasons she will
even go to her church class every Sunday. She always says, “Charlie! Charlie!
Charlie!” And he was always such a good sport to put up with her “mothering” him.
She loved to feed him granola bars, pat his head, rub sunscreen on him, give him hugs
and kisses and even, sometimes, look down the back of his diaper to make sure he
was clean. He was a patient, sweet boy. And like my daughter, everyone wanted to be
around Charlie. People were drawn to him, because they could feel of his love.
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="font-size: 13.000000pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 13.000000pt;">Charlie was blessed to be born into such a fun, loving, awesome family! If any of
you know anything about the DeGraff’s, it’s that they love to have fun! They are always
going on fun family adventures and making special memories, and Charlie was NOT
just along for the ride! He wanted to be a part of everything, and he was! Charlie
probably had more fun, love and adventure in 22 months than other kids have in years!
Charlie was one of the most coordinated, and capable toddlers I have ever met. He
could do everything. I remember giving him a ball to play with when he was so little
and he threw it right back to me. And he could jump on the trampoline and even ride a
strider bike! A few of my favorite memories are: that Charlie loved to RUN! Especially
run away from Ali and Troy when they wanted him to come. As soon as one of them
would say, “Charlie”, he would turn and look at them, with his cute little smirk on his
face, with a twinkle in his eye, he would turn and start running in the other direction!
(And usually with only one shoe on!) Charlie liked to run into the dug out, to hang out
with Jack’s baseball team, and he also liked to run onto the soccer field to join Sam’s
soccer practice and would start kicking one of the balls just like he was part of the team
or he would run down the sidewalk, following the kids on their bikes, Charlie always
wanted to be a part of everything.
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="font-size: 13.000000pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 13.000000pt;">Charlie also loved to CLIMB and was good at it! Anytime you would walk into the
DeGraff’s house, you would find all the chairs up on top of the table to keep Charlie
from climbing up onto the table or onto the counter or even to the sink to turn on the
water. He loved to climb wherever he was and could also climb out of his crib. He
would climb and find the toothpaste and squeeze it all out, everywhere. But he was just
such a happy, go lucky kid that he made all of these climbing adventures seem fun and
easy. He would make us all laugh and his laugh was contagious and made everyone
feel happy. And as we know, “Charlie could hang!” He loved to hang on things and was
so strong, Troy could lift him up to hold on a tree branch and h</span></i></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 13.000000pt;"><i>e could hang there while
Ali took a picture. And he LOVED it. He always had a big smile on his face. He could
hang from trees and monkey bars and shopping carts and drinking fountains, it was so
cute. He is such a fun loving kid.
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<i style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 13.000000pt;">Charlie also loved to SWIM! I can’t believe what a good swimmer he was! Ali
would put his floaties on and he would just jump into the water and never wanted to get
out! He would walk along the edge of the pool and then turn and jump right in, usually
landing on a another kid! He loved to jump in over and over again. And smiling the
whole time. Charlie didn’t say much, but he always had this happy look in his eyes,
and he knew what was going on. He knew much more than we did. He was like a
wise, old soul, with so much love and understanding. Charlie was always happy and
everyone wanted him around because they could feel his love through his sweet, kind
personality.</span></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 13.000000pt;">Charlie was a LOVER! I remember even when he was little, he would let me hold
him and he would wrap his arms around me and hug me and just snuggle right in. And
let me hold him forever. He would give hugs to people he didn’t even know, but
especially to his family. I know that he gave lots of hugs, cuddles and love to Ali, Troy,
Jack, Lucy and Sam. Maybe he was just giving us lots of extra love so that we would
know how much he loves us. I asked Sam if he liked to wrestle with Charlie and he
said, “he would sit on our heads and pull our hair!” He loved his brothers and sister so
much! I know that Lucy loved to tickle his tummy and make him laugh! Troy and
Charlie seemed to have such a special, strong bond, possibly because Charlie loved
adventure as much as Troy! I remember how Troy would hold Charlie’s feet in one
hand and let him balance and hold him way up high and Charlie would just laugh! He
also loved to sneak sips of Troy’s soda. And Charlie was Ali’s little buddy. Always
hanging out and loving each other! He loved to be on the front of his moms bike for
family bike rides. Charlie is blessed to be a part of an amazing, strong, righteous family!
</span><span style="font-size: 13.000000pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 13.000000pt;">As you know, toddlers are your WHOLE LIFE! They demand every minute of
your attention, to make sure that all their needs are met and that they are safe and
taken care of and they are SO BUSY and it’s all you do! But toddlers are also the
WHOLE LIFE of a family! Charlie was the life of his family! Charlie made everyone
laugh, Charlie made everyone happy, Charlie made everyone play, Charlie made
everyone have fun, Charlie made everyone serve, Charlie made everyone feel better
and Charlie made everyone feel loved.</span></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 13pt;">Of all these precious memories, how could I best describe Charlie? It is this:
Charlie is love. Charlie loved his family, he loved being with them, he trusted them , he
loved others and he showed loved through his hugs and kisses and through his bright
blue eyes. He loved every minute of his life which his family helped him live to the
fullest. I hope we can all be like Charlie and show this unconditional love to others.
Charlie, we love you, thank you for teaching us how to love. We know your love will
continue forever and we’ll miss you everyday.</i></div>
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alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18240971107479268897noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3474631414338437142.post-71421390080109710472016-08-22T23:28:00.000-07:002016-08-22T23:28:03.045-07:00Our Last Summer with Charlie<div style="text-align: center;">
I am lucky enough to live with a man who loves adventure and creating memories with and for his family. His zealousness for constant activity is sometimes met with resistance by me. I am a homebody, I've come to realize. Or at least that is what I look like in contrast to his constant need for fun and stimulation. Usually when he is coming up with fun vacation ideas or outings, I grumble about cleaning out the garage, or staying home to do chores. Boring. </div>
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Never have I been more grateful for his pushing and prodding for more vacations than I was last summer. The summer of 2015. Our last summer with Charlie before he died.</div>
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Our summer of 2015 was filled with family, friends, vacations and outings. Charlie was just a toddler. A busy, exhausting toddler. Vacations sounded fun to me, but they also sounded like a lot of work and I am the first to admit that the thought of extra work gives me anxiety. Vacations require planning, packing, loading, flexibility in sleep schedules, laundry, driving in the car for a loooooong time, money, etc. Sometimes it just sounds easier to stay home. But Troy was insisting on a few trips, and I knew we would just have to make it work to accommodate all the needs of our children.</div>
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One of the first pre-summer trips we took was to Disneyland and Southern California. True to his personality, Charlie was so easy going at Disneyland. We really didn't do many activities tailored to him, but instead he was content to follow the older kids around and watch what they were doing. I do remember taking him on one kiddie ride, Dumbo. The trip wouldn't have felt complete without letting him ride that iconic ride. He was ecstatic. It was at night and all the magical lights of the park were below us. It didn't take long for him to find the control stick that made Dumbo go up and down. He and Sam fought for the control. He wasn't a wildly expressive boy, but you could certainly tell by the smirk on his face when he was elated. </div>
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He also loved the beach. We spent a day at Crystal Cove and another at Three Arch Bay. He loved the water and wasn't scared of the waves, which put us on high alert. At 3 Arch, Troy dug him a huge play hole of water to splash in with the other kids. He loved jumping in and filling up buckets of water. At the end of a long beach day, I wrapped a towel around him. He LOVED to be wrapped up in a towel and it seemed like the perfect way to "wrap" up the perfect day.</div>
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We also enjoyed a good number of boat days. It was fun to have Charlie with us as a toddler rather than an infant. He was really mesmerized by the boat, and he LOVED water. As long as he had his water wings on, he could basically participate in anything. I have sweet memories of Sam paddle boarding Charlie back and forth between me and Troy. Charlie was loving the free ride and giggling the entire way.</div>
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After Charlie died, I was very happy that we had just spent time with both sides of the family. We enjoyed a DeGraff reunion in McCall, ID and a Sessions reunion in Lake Tahoe. It was really special to think that his cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents all got to know him a little better before he passed away. </div>
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In Tahoe, a few memories stand out. One day we were rollerskating when all of a sudden the skies turned from blue to black and out of nowhere nickle-sized hail began pounding from the sky. I grabbed my camera and we ran into the hail with the kids, singing and shouting and celebrating. It was so much fun. </div>
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I can also remember that Charlie was very jealous of my 3 sister-in-laws newborn babies. Every time I would be holding one of their babies, he would run over and try to get into my arms. We have him on video trying to weasel his way into my lap for my sole attention and affection while I was holding a baby cousin. </div>
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In Idaho, we went to a rodeo, played on our Aunt Brooke's farm, and spent time at the beautiful Tamarak resort area. Charlie loved being around his cousins and wanted to be doing what they were doing. If 20 kids were piled into the hot tub, he wanted to be number 21. If cousins were riding bikes, he would hop on a skateboard and join in. We spent 8 hour days at the lake and he was such a trooper. One of the most impressive things was that he could paddle a child-sized kayak on his own. He would be out in the middle of the lake right along with everyone else on paddleboards, boats and kayaks. </div>
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I have beautiful memories of him walking along the sandy beach and through the tall grass. I couldn't get enough of his wobbly walking and his curious spirit. He just wanted to explore everything!</div>
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On the last day in Idaho, we went to one of our favorite river spots. The scenery is nothing short of heavenly and peaceful. Charlie and I spent most of the day together on a paddleboard alongside dad, stopping to take pictures occasionally. Charlie insisted on holding and using his own paddle. </div>
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One of the last trips of our summer was camping in Santa Cruz. Oh how I fought the idea of a camping trip, and I am so happy I lost. It was a two day trip. Yes, it was a ton of work, but so worth it once we got there. We brought two tents. One for us and the big kids, and a small one dedicated just to Charlie with high hopes that it would help him sleep better. That was definitely wishful thinking. The first night we tried to put him to sleep in his "own" tent with his pack and play inside, he instantly hoped out and started scratching and pushing on the door from inside. We all sighed, then laughed and tried to put him down again. And again. And again. Needless to say, he ended up sleeping with us that night, the little rascal.</div>
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Aside from sleeping, of course he loved camping. He was mesmerized by the fire. He loved helping his older siblings gather wood and fire burning bushes. He spent a lot of time playing in the dirt and during the day, he enjoyed trips to the nearby ocean. He was such an easy guy to have along for any ride. </div>
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One night at sunset on the beach, Troy grabbed my camera and took a few shots of me snuggling with Sam and Charlie. I am so grateful for those pictures because usually I am not in any pictures. Now I treasure any shot of Charlie and I especially love seeing us together. </div>
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I am so grateful for my husband and his push to go on vacations and outings as a family. We have a lot of sweet memories that aren't vacations, but some of the most tangible memories are of the times we were enjoying one another together. This year has been rough trying to enjoy and make new memories with one member of the family absent. To be honest, it is not the same. It is very sad for us to feel that void. We miss Charlie as a wonderfully fun and spunky addition to our family.</div>
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alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18240971107479268897noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3474631414338437142.post-71167229233294476682015-11-21T23:21:00.000-08:002015-11-21T23:21:26.886-08:00Traces of CharlieWe had just come home from the hospital, leaving our lifeless Charlie behind. Just the 5 of us now. Charlie was gone.<br />
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I went upstairs to my bathroom searching for signs of Charlie. I glanced down and noticed that my white bathmat was stained with yellow pee on the edge. I chuckled thinking about a couple days prior when Charlie was standing diaperless by the tub waiting for the water to heat for his bath, and he peed on my mat. He always got a kick out of watching himself pee. I sat there looking at the pee. Tears began to flow. That spot was merely a remnant of his living, breathing, functioning body. That would never happen again. Sadness overcame me as I knelt down on the mat. As crazy as it sounds, I pressed my nose to that dry, yellow stain and took in the smell of him. I just needed something, ANYTHING, that would help me remember his scent.<br />
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My parents followed us home from the hospital that day. Immediately they went into working gear. They tackled piles upon piles of laundry. Washing and folding for hours. I was so grateful. Later that night I walked into my room to see the piles of laundry they folded and I panicked! What had I done? They washed every piece of Charlie's clothes. Not a scent of him remained. I had no yogurt, booger, dirt-smeared shirt to snuggle and smell. I was crushed.<br />
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As the days go slowly by, the traces of Charlie begin to fade.<br />
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We've already wiped the downstairs bathroom vanity clean from his smears of toothpaste artwork. Oh, how he loved that sink and vanity. It was his canvas, and toothpaste was his medium. <br />
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I've removed his countertop booster seat and cleaned the floor beneath it that had plenty of evidence of his food-throwing hobby. He had really turned food rejection into a talent. His mess used to be confined to the area directly below his chair, but as his abilities to chuck food increased, his damage radius grew to include the entire kitchen floor and its surrounding walls.<br />
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His favorite toys are tucked away in the garage and his carseat sits in storage collecting dust.<br />
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I know that eventually his room will change. We will have to take the crib down. Maybe we will sell that annoying, old, squeeky glider that all my babies were nursed in. His clothes will get boxed up.<br />
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I'm doing my best to fill the house with pictures of him. We see his darling grin around every corner of our house. But nothing seems to be a good substitute for the visible traces of his living, energetic presence in our house. I never want him to fade from our memory.alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18240971107479268897noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3474631414338437142.post-63623149652755494552015-10-27T00:39:00.001-07:002015-10-27T00:45:50.944-07:00birthday eve<div style="text-align: center;">
We had just wrapped up a whirlwind, hot October day of the kids' soccer games and the Trunk-or-Treat at church. Our kitchen was a bomb from concocting a hopeful winning batch of chili, and evidence of costuming 3 children was scattered around the house, along with dirty soccer uniforms and equipment strewn about. However, after getting those highly sugared kids to bed, not much was going to interfere with my tired and aching pregnant body plopping onto the couch with a good TV show.</div>
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My due date was scheduled for November 16th. Throughout my pregnancy (which I had adamantly declared as my last), I had shared with a few people that I had one wish. I wished that my water would break so that I could experience labor in a different way. It just seemed so fun to me to have your water break, and I had never experienced it with my 3 previous babies. I pictured running around the house with excitement, grabbing suitcases, and running to the hospital with urgency.</div>
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So, that night we laid down on the couch, turned on a show and I elevated my feet. We were utterly exhausted from the day's events. My feet were tingling with relief. Every inch of my pregnant body was aching. Just as we were settling into the show, I felt a strong kick followed by a rush of warmth. I swear I even heard a popping noise! It had happened. Not only had my water broken, but it had happened THREE WEEKS EARLY! Now that was a wish I never dared to wish for. 3 weeks early!! Was it Christmas???!!!!</div>
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I was so excited, I could hardly contain myself. I said to Troy, "Babe...my water just broke." He was in total disbelief. We both just started laughing. I hustled to the bathroom to remedy the situation, then without another thought, I told Troy to start cleaning! I knew we'd have to call my parents to come over, and even though they are my parents, there are some house situations you don't even want your own parents to see and usually our house is in one of those "situations". So we shoved stuff in closets, wiped down counters, cleaned bathrooms, changed the bedsheets. You name it, we did it. I was also texting friends who I had just complained to that night at the Trunk-or-Treat about my pregnancy woes, and I'm pretty sure I had a permagrin the entire time.</div>
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Once we got a handle on the house, I called the hospital for instructions. They wanted me in immediately. I, however, decided to follow my own counsel and take a shower and get ready before rushing off to the hospital. Glad I did.</div>
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My excitement was still pulsing through me when we got to the hospital. I just couldn't believe my water broke and labor was happening 3 weeks before my due date. </div>
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Once we were settled in our room, and hooked up to the machines, we could breathe deep and take it all in. Our last baby was on his way, and it felt just as exciting as it did with our first.</div>
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Things progressed much slower than I anticipated. I guess I imagined the baby just slipping out by the 4th go-around. Wasn't the case. We spent the entire night in the hospital, not sleeping a wink. I was so frustrated with the wires and the nurse visits every 1/2 hour. I was wishing we had stayed at home to sleep in our own bed. </div>
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Morning came and still no sign of baby any time soon. The day rolled on with very slow progress. I'm pretty sure they started me on pitocin to get the ball rolling. I think that had something to do with potential infection after your water breaks, but I can't remember. At any rate, the initial excitement was starting to dull. We were getting antsy to meet our boy.</div>
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Finally around 6 pm I was ready to start pushing. Troy suited up to deliver our boy. Our doctor, Dr. Phelan, was always nice to allow him to deliver the baby as he coached from the sidelines. We set up the video camera in just the right flattering and modest angle, and it was GO time. I pushed only a few times and our precious son, Charlie Troy, was born on the 27th of October.</div>
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He was perfect. We noticed right away his unique ears. They looked different than the rest of our kids. He also had a really cute mouth. His upper lip protruded forward over his bottom lip. We adored him. We studied him and held him until the kids arrived later that night with Grandma and Grandpa. We couldn't wait to show him off and to see each of our kids meet their new brother.</div>
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As expected, the kids fell in love. They each took turns holding him. They stared as the nurses took his measurements and ran their tests. They just couldn't believe he was here. We were all in LOVE! </div>
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We could have never imagined in that moment just how special this little baby would be.</div>
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(He was a whopping 8.1 pounds. I thought that was impressive for his early due date, and it made me even more grateful he didn't go full term! He was also 19 inches long.)</div>
<br />alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18240971107479268897noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3474631414338437142.post-44547241428507594132015-10-25T22:30:00.000-07:002015-10-25T22:30:46.755-07:00For my boy<div style="text-align: center;">
I have sat at this computer 50 times in the last 6 weeks attempting to articulate my feelings about the passing of my 22 month old precious baby, Charlie. Each time I am paralyzed with fear. Fear of my inability to write eloquently. Fear of who will be reading this story. Fear of recounting the details that scare me. Fear of sharing miracles that are sacred to me.</div>
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But for my sweet boy, I have to put one finger in front of the other and type.</div>
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My prayer is that I can document all that needs to be written on Charlie, his life and his death. It's also my hope that anyone reading this will feel of my absolute adoration for a loving Savior and an all-knowing God. It is without reservation that I testify that they live and love us so personally. I have always believed this, but never as much as I have in these last 6 weeks. I believe our Heavenly Father has an eternal plan for us. I will trust in His plan, though as a mortal it is at times hard to be patient. I will never doubt the miracles I have seen and felt in the days proceeding and following Charlie's death. I believe heaven's angels were sent to carry us, and continue to do so today.</div>
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Thank you for your love and support. I hope you enjoy our little corner of the internet.</div>
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<i>Charlie Troy DeGraff</i></div>
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<i> </i></div>
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October 27, 2013 - August 27, 2015</div>
alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18240971107479268897noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3474631414338437142.post-40639647734475850322012-08-08T08:56:00.000-07:002012-08-08T08:56:03.044-07:00Yosemite - Staying Cool<div style="text-align: center;">
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Yosemite temps were in the 90's during our stay.</div>
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Being at our dusty camp felt hot and miserable, and just the thought of hiking triggered perspiration, so we opted for the river as a daily outing which was delightfully refreshing.</div>
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Not to mention that 2.4 seconds back at camp made everyone FILTHY, so the river was a nice way to "shower".</div>
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It was my favorite part of the trip.</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7737868818/" title="IMG_4157 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4157" height="427" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7265/7737868818_403582bedd_z.jpg" width="640" /></a> </div>
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Jack and Yasmin spent a day climbing broken trees, building rock "rafts" and crossing rivers.</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7737897562/" title="yosemite15 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="yosemite15" height="1024" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8286/7737897562_c942c3f9a0_b.jpg" width="683" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7737874430/" title="IMG_4178 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4178" height="1024" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7129/7737874430_dc8739034b_b.jpg" width="683" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7737876072/" title="IMG_4187 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4187" height="1024" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8425/7737876072_4d6c56e83e_b.jpg" width="683" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7737895616/" title="yosemite14 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="yosemite14" height="480" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8292/7737895616_73167b53d2_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7737872250/" title="IMG_4176 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4176" height="427" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7124/7737872250_a7d1ce3c74_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7737869596/" title="IMG_4171 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4171" height="1024" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7264/7737869596_0c5dd6b3f9_b.jpg" width="683" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7737888648/" title="4460c by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="4460c" height="1024" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8433/7737888648_56bf2995ba_b.jpg" width="683" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7737880336/" title="4295sq by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="4295sq" height="640" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7248/7737880336_5f4e9c451a_z.jpg" width="640" /></a> </div>
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One morning we got to the river early in the morning and we were the ONLY ones there. It was amazing to be wading through the middle of the water in complete peace and away from the crowds of tourists that populate Yosemite.</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7737885460/" title="IMG_4454 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4454" height="1024" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8429/7737885460_777d6f0b27_b.jpg" width="683" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7737894522/" title="yosemite6 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="yosemite6" height="480" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7257/7737894522_69e462e178_z.jpg" width="640" /></a> </div>
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Sam loved feeding the ducks. He would squeal with excitement as they inched closer to him.</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7737883448/" title="IMG_4439 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4439" height="427" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7117/7737883448_eb1e29412c_z.jpg" width="640" /></a> </div>
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Troy's swan dive. This was followed by him attempting to teach me to dive from something other than the edge of a pool. Sorry...my attempt is not pictured. Let's just say it didn't look this graceful!</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7737892322/" title="IMG_4498 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4498" height="1024" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8287/7737892322_8c3ef51ced_b.jpg" width="683" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7737901454/" title="yosemite17 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="yosemite17" height="1024" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7135/7737901454_62f83d970f_b.jpg" width="683" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7737877956/" title="IMG_4190 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4190" height="1024" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8287/7737877956_20e49693c8_b.jpg" width="683" /></a></div>
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This was an amazing experience. We were wading through the river when out of the bushes appeared this deer. It was so beautiful and not the least bit timid about us being there. This was one of those moments I was so glad my camera tends to be a permanent appendage.</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7737887300/" title="IMG_4458 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4458" height="427" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8287/7737887300_f5c27cb5f0_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7737890972/" title="IMG_4481 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4481" height="427" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8422/7737890972_cb4e5f46d4_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7737893876/" title="yosemite3 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="yosemite3" height="480" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7137/7737893876_500cc2a1b9_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7737882032/" title="IMG_4426 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4426" height="1024" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8294/7737882032_e320affd48_b.jpg" width="683" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7737878542/" title="4197bw by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="4197bw" height="427" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8421/7737878542_6d3ab18179_z.jpg" width="640" /></a> </div>
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You can't tell from the picture, but there was just enough current to carry Lucy on a lazy float down stream. </div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7737889774/" title="IMG_4462 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4462" height="1024" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7123/7737889774_697faf461d_b.jpg" width="683" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7737879832/" title="IMG_4267 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4267" height="427" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7266/7737879832_1b51d45e93_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7737899696/" title="yosemite16 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="yosemite16" height="1024" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8281/7737899696_33515dbef2_b.jpg" width="683" /></a>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7737893008/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="IMG_4500 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4500" height="1024" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8288/7737893008_c45421b297_b.jpg" width="683" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack is riding the "dad ferry"</td></tr>
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</div>alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18240971107479268897noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3474631414338437142.post-71189295849044127932012-08-01T08:07:00.000-07:002012-08-01T08:07:32.282-07:00Yosemite - Wild Raspberry Harvest<div style="text-align: center;">
Who knew that wild raspberries grow all throughout Yosemite?</div>
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Of course, my kids who have a radar for pickable fruit, instantly discovered this hidden gem.</div>
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They begged and begged for 3 days to go and pick raspberries, so on the final day in the park we obliged.</div>
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And as it turned out, the little spot we found had beautiful light for photography so I was in heaven.</div>
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We discovered that these raspberries are best when almost purple. The red ones were a little on the tart side. And since we haven't died yet, I am pretty sure they <i>are indeed</i> raspberries and not some other look-a-like poisonous cousin.</div>
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Jack goes into a zone when he is picking berries. It's like his "happy place". He doesn't talk to anyone because he's too occupied with finding enough berries to fill his bucket.</div>
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Lucy on the other hand is far too lazy to do the actual work, but finds sudden energy when the bucket is full and ready for eating. Let's just say we review the morals taught in "The Little Red Hen" often.</div>
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We LOVED having cousin, Yasmin, along for our trip. My kids adore her and it made it fun to have one other person with us.</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7688921220/" title="IMG_4339 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4339" height="1024" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7116/7688921220_cbb3d85e1b_b.jpg" width="683" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7688936332/" title="IMG_4406 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4406" height="1024" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7121/7688936332_aff5869a32_b.jpg" width="683" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7688943500/" title="yosemite12 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="yosemite12" height="480" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8168/7688943500_163d74410b_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7688933460/" title="IMG_4391 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4391" height="1024" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8028/7688933460_624a0abaf5_b.jpg" width="683" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7688922426/" title="IMG_4340 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4340" height="1024" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8292/7688922426_c204f266c5_b.jpg" width="683" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7688941802/" title="yosemite11 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="yosemite11" height="480" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7131/7688941802_ca0a9d4bd0_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7688924466/" title="IMG_4347 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4347" height="1024" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7117/7688924466_ab6115de09_b.jpg" width="683" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7688928838/" title="IMG_4363 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4363" height="1024" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8159/7688928838_9e311cd9d8_b.jpg" width="683" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7688934926/" title="IMG_4394 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4394" height="1024" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7118/7688934926_72a5c35436_b.jpg" width="683" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7688930850/" title="IMG_4378 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4378" height="427" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8154/7688930850_52e4c3a19b_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7688937550/" title="IMG_4411 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4411" height="1024" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8161/7688937550_56ffbd156f_b.jpg" width="683" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7688944848/" title="yosemite13 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="yosemite13" height="308" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8022/7688944848_28fef2743c_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7688940178/" title="yosemite5 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="yosemite5" height="1024" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8145/7688940178_031fb4f4bc_b.jpg" width="512" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7688938642/" title="IMG_4412 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4412" height="1024" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7253/7688938642_295765dac9_b.jpg" width="683" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7688925370/" title="IMG_4348 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4348" height="1024" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7262/7688925370_34b4d52fea_b.jpg" width="683" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7688940922/" title="yosemite10 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="yosemite10" height="480" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7265/7688940922_ae9a9b22b0_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7688931844/" title="IMG_4385 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4385" height="1024" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7263/7688931844_02c3117a45_b.jpg" width="683" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7688927256/" title="IMG_4361 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4361" height="1024" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8006/7688927256_1eabd1e05e_b.jpg" width="683" /></a></div>alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18240971107479268897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3474631414338437142.post-89752471446589059372012-07-30T13:31:00.000-07:002012-07-30T13:31:48.978-07:004th of July<div style="text-align: center;">
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My kind of 4th of July includes:</div>
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good friends</div>
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BBQ</div>
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bikes</div>
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fireworks in the street</div>
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barefoot children</div>
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water play</div>
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sparklers</div>
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We spent all of June moving (BOO...yuck!), so we really wanted to do something fun for the 4th. Our new house sits in the perfect cul-de-sac for having a party in the street. So we called up some friends and threw together a BYOM 4th of July party. It was PERFECT and met all the requirements for my ideal 4th of July!</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7678502370/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="4july6 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="4july6" height="1024" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7112/7678502370_e2c76e5a3b_b.jpg" width="683" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I think I counted 21 kids/babies total!</td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7678486314/" title="IMG_3855 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_3855" height="1024" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8430/7678486314_32c42dd7e7_b.jpg" width="683" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7678499218/" title="4july7 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="4july7" height="1024" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8148/7678499218_1eeee34267_b.jpg" width="683" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7678489502/" title="IMG_3853 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_3853" height="1024" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8291/7678489502_0dae7dc713_b.jpg" width="683" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7678491884/" title="IMG_3852 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_3852" height="1024" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8289/7678491884_f315094c82_b.jpg" width="683" /></a></div>
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Isn't she a doll face? </div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7678503602/" title="4july5 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="4july5" height="480" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7109/7678503602_d9d9d79949_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7678591374/" title="4july3 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="4july3" height="1024" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8147/7678591374_71e7a9de5d_b.jpg" width="683" /></a></div>
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Bike derby</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7678496536/" title="4july8 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="4july8" height="240" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8015/7678496536_755611b923_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7678481944/" title="IMG_3889 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_3889" height="1024" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8282/7678481944_c5220c7845_b.jpg" width="683" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7678483552/" title="IMG_3858 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_3858" height="1024" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7253/7678483552_de72d4e0b2_b.jpg" width="683" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7678482826/" title="IMG_3864 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_3864" height="427" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8430/7678482826_82f58b297c_z.jpg" width="640" /></a> </div>
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I will never get tired of seeing her buns! It's impossible to keep those things covered! Ba-da-BING!</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7678493724/" title="IMG_3828 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_3828" height="1024" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8434/7678493724_27af299680_b.jpg" width="683" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7678504820/" title="4july4 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="4july4" height="480" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8160/7678504820_641b61581e_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Lucy set up a regular Happy Nails. She gave all her friends a patriotic manicure!</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7678478868/" title="IMG_3930 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_3930" height="640" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8166/7678478868_6d95d2f36c_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7678507668/" title="4july2 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="4july2" height="1024" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7123/7678507668_4d2c84743b_b.jpg" width="683" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7678480222/" title="IMG_3919 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_3919" height="427" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8028/7678480222_8cfee54a59_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7678510610/" title="4july1 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="4july1" height="1024" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8293/7678510610_434127f46c_b.jpg" width="683" /></a></div>alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18240971107479268897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3474631414338437142.post-59958407286281433682012-07-30T11:39:00.000-07:002012-07-30T11:39:56.561-07:00Yosemite - Meadow<div style="text-align: center;">
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There is NOTHING on this planet that compares to seeing the sun rise and experiencing the newness of morning in a beautiful place like Yosemite. </div>
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This particular morning we were up and at em before the sun peeked it's head into the valley floor.</div>
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We snuck, and I say snuck because if you get to Curry Village before the 7am shower attendants arrive, then you can shower for free. </div>
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Feeling clean and fresh, we decided to take a stroll through this beautiful meadow. On our walk we saw a doe with her 2 frolicking fawns. They were so lovely to watch. We wished we could get closer, but since we'd already trapped squirrels and snuck showers we figured we ought to at least stay on the marked path.</div>
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So, we took some pictures and continued on.</div>
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I LOVED the meadows of Yosemite and next time I will be sure to lay in one during sun down. </div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7666498290/" title="IMG_4207 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4207" height="1024" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7260/7666498290_4a6f8fd46a_b.jpg" width="683" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7666497652/" title="IMG_4205 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4205" height="427" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7140/7666497652_bb8411f63a_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7666500820/" title="IMG_4223 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4223" height="1024" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8025/7666500820_250c55d2e2_b.jpg" width="683" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7666499068/" title="IMG_4215 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4215" height="1024" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8286/7666499068_d9c56fd79d_b.jpg" width="683" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7666499956/" title="IMG_4219 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4219" height="1024" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8288/7666499956_eed9482b80_b.jpg" width="683" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7666501998/" title="IMG_4235 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4235" height="427" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7110/7666501998_480337ffaa_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18240971107479268897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3474631414338437142.post-20265381344441648182012-07-28T21:16:00.003-07:002012-07-28T21:16:32.734-07:00Yosemite - At Camp<div style="text-align: center;">
Boy, are kids a lot of work! </div>
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Boy, is camping a lot of work!</div>
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So you know what camping + kids must equal = Eeeeeekkkkkk!</div>
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And what makes it all the more special is when you are packing the night before the big campout and one of your kids gets the FLU!</div>
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At about 11:30 pm Sunday night, after packing/preparing for several hours, Lucy threw up in her bed.</div>
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Awesome, we say. Maybe it's a fluke? She has thrown up before because of something she's eaten that didn't settle well. So hopefully that's it!</div>
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But what if it's not? Should we bag the whole thing? </div>
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Camping and the flu don't seem to mix!</div>
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We decide to carry on. She didn't throw up <i>that</i> much. Let's take our chances.</div>
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So we did. We had an excellent, easy drive. Jack didn't even get carsick around all those turns. Thanks to the Dramamine we tried 8 times to get him to swallow until we dissolved it and made him gag it down. But no FLU!</div>
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We set up camp. Troy did a lot of work in the 90+ degree heat of the day. Then he started to feel "woosy". Uh-oh. He tried to shake it off with a dip in the river, but eventually the bug got him. </div>
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We had to enjoy the foil dinners without him on the first night. </div>
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The kids LOVED assembling these. I didn't expect them to go over this well, but they found it so fun to prepare, cook, and unveil the finished dinner all by themselves. They were really tasty too.</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7663729864/" title="IMG_4067 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4067" height="427" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8147/7663729864_06cb7e99dc_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7663749472/" title="yosemite1 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="yosemite1" height="384" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8015/7663749472_1a5c26f2d2_z.jpg" width="640" /></a> </div>
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The next morning Troy felt great. YAY! I don't think I could have held down the camp very long solo! </div>
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Jack was busy collecting "hay" for the fire. I know I've mentioned before that he is OBSESSED</div>
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with ALL things fire. He could collect wood ALL day, if we let him.</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7663734946/" title="4202bw2 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="4202bw2" height="1024" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8165/7663734946_f9e7b27447_b.jpg" width="683" /></a></div>
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I learned quickly that it would be IMPOSSIBLE to keep Sam clean. He was just learning to walk, but crawling was his main mode of transport, so he and the dirt became one. At the end of the day I took a wipe to his hands, feet and mouth and called it good enough!</div>
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Sidenote: It was well into the 90's the week we were there, so we were SOOOO hot in camp. We went through tons of water, and our only refreshment was the river!</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7663754146/" title="yosemite8 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="yosemite8" height="480" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8289/7663754146_2f9197faa0_z.jpg" width="640" /></a> </div>
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Troy was adamant about making really fancy camping dinners. Trust me, I was campaigning for weenies and beans! He borrowed a dutch oven from a co-worker and concocted this delicious chipotle chicken and rice dish. Oh man...the aromas were divine. The only problem was that we didn't have any fancy tools for lifting the dutch oven lid. So as you can see, he had to opt for some makeshift devices. Just as I was done taking these pictures, the lid tipped and dumped all the charcoal into the food. Oh boy, was he bummed. Or mad. Or maybe a teensy bit furious.</div>
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It was a real bummer. We tried to salvage it, but most of the food had tiny bits of crunchy charcoal. It was absolutely as tasty as it was aromatic...it was just a little bit crunchy.</div>
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The next night we bagged our planned meal and took everyone to the Curry Village cafe for burgers and fries. BEST MEAL I'VE EVER EATEN and best decision we've ever made!</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7663755576/" title="IMG_4114 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4114" height="480" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8020/7663755576_60a481ce45_z.jpg" width="640" /></a> </div>
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These kids slept so well. The nighttime weather was warm enough to sleep lightly covered. It was heavenly!</div>
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Even Sam had great nights, but he kept waking up at 5:30ish. Usually Troy or myself would take him on a drive or bike ride to keep him quiet for the other campers. That was kinda brutal, but you do what you've gotta do.</div>
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I love this picture with Jack and his Lion.</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7663743172/" title="IMG_4319 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4319" height="427" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7263/7663743172_12e8525b16_z.jpg" width="640" /></a> </div>
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This picture is a favorite too. All my kids LOVE daddy!</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7663731928/" title="4099bw2 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="4099bw2" height="1024" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8156/7663731928_2190b5221c_b.jpg" width="683" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7663752464/" title="yosemite7 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="yosemite7" height="480" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8146/7663752464_9a85941a68_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Troy built Jack this squirrel trap which provided hours of entertainment! It seemed like a good idea until the Yosemite Ranger came by and reprimanded me with dirty looks about the whole shenanigan.</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7663732874/" title="IMG_4103 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4103" height="640" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8286/7663732874_6a17353438_z.jpg" width="640" /></a> </div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7663751502/" title="yosemite2 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="yosemite2" height="480" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8283/7663751502_4117e4bac4_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Lucy found her church friend, Eliza. They had fun running between campsites, riding bikes, and coloring.</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7663746538/" title="IMG_4329 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4329" height="1024" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8426/7663746538_60c196b16e_b.jpg" width="683" /></a></div>
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These are my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE pictures of the entire trip. Maybe of all time.</div>
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This was the cutest morning interchange between these three lovers. They just kissed and hugged and snuggled with Dad as they woke up. </div>
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I love my boys.</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7663744930/" title="4328bwash by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="4328bwash" height="427" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7133/7663744930_48c653d637_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7663750494/" title="yosemite4 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="yosemite4" height="480" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8004/7663750494_4cac04062a_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7663743842/" title="4325bwash by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="4325bwash" height="1024" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8151/7663743842_79ce4b4d4e_b.jpg" width="683" /></a></div>
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Despite all the hard work that goes into camping with kids, it was TOTALLY worth it!</div>alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18240971107479268897noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3474631414338437142.post-45987144048463633872012-07-28T20:18:00.000-07:002012-07-28T20:18:50.849-07:00Yosemite 2012<div style="text-align: center;">
We hadn't been to Yosemite since we were kids.</div>
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Our friends offered us a campsite that was going to go vacant for their reunion, so we jumped on the opportunity.</div>
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I'm so glad we did. You just can't put into words the majesty of the landscape in Yosemite. From the valley floor or the Glacier point overlook, the scenery is incredible.</div>
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I only wish, as always, that I had taken more pictures!</div>
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I will slowly attempt to document our visit.</div>
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We hope to make this a vacation spot every year!</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7663737868/" title="IMG_4237 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4237" height="427" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7112/7663737868_1019f9fa85_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7663741260/" title="IMG_4271 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4271" height="1024" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8424/7663741260_77931c60b3_b.jpg" width="683" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7663735828/" title="IMG_4226 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4226" height="427" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7263/7663735828_913ffc37c8_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7663736780/" title="IMG_4234 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4234" height="427" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8143/7663736780_2dc3fc04b4_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7663731026/" title="4433bw by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="4433bw" height="1024" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8283/7663731026_2cb88047d2_b.jpg" width="683" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7663739488/" title="IMG_4251 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4251" height="427" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8002/7663739488_310f069477_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7663748070/" title="IMG_4406 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4406" height="1024" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8001/7663748070_dccc1d0183_b.jpg" width="683" /></a>
</div>alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18240971107479268897noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3474631414338437142.post-22984611924967033152012-05-15T13:54:00.002-07:002012-05-15T13:56:06.369-07:00Sam's Circus<div style="text-align: center;">
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He's officially ONE.</div>
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A glorious</div>
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binky sucking</div>
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crawling, climbing</div>
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food-throwing,</div>
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tongue clicking,</div>
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mouth smacking,</div>
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nap taking,</div>
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dancing, head-shaking</div>
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outdoor loving</div>
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baby food hating,</div>
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teething, drooling</div>
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laughing</div>
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loving </div>
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ONE YEAR OLD!</div>
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The theme for his one year party was undecided until I realized that he has made it through a year in the circus called OUR FAMILY! That is not an easy task and he makes it seem effortless.</div>
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Happy Birthday Sammers!</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7201394030/" title="1776c2 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="1776c2" height="640" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5238/7201394030_398c585cb4_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7201409090/" title="samparty8 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="samparty8" height="640" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7087/7201409090_de7be0ba5d_z.jpg" width="640" /></a> </div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The Guests</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">{DeGraff Cousins, Grammy Gwen and Grandpa Jay, Brady & Ashlin Clan, Grandma Mary - not pictured}</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7201400056/" title="samparty1 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="samparty1" height="213" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7093/7201400056_6dfe8a71d3_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7201401858/" title="samparty2 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="samparty2" height="320" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8162/7201401858_44bdd10207_z.jpg" width="640" /></a> </div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The Food</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7201395320/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;" title="IMG_1830 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1830" height="1024" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7243/7201395320_31f9c89903_b.jpg" width="683" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7201405510/" title="samparty4 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"></span></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7201405510/" title="samparty4 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="samparty4" height="1024" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7237/7201405510_22d0759780_b.jpg" width="683" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;">
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7201406360/" title="samparty6 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="samparty6" height="480" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8004/7201406360_f4c495b2bb_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The Cake</span></div>
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Sam was a little timid with everyone standing around watching him. That didn't stop him from picking, then eventually digging in.</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7201396596/" title="IMG_1897 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1897" height="1024" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7078/7201396596_1d6a72ac6b_b.jpg" width="683" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7201407662/" title="samparty7 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="samparty7" height="320" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8166/7201407662_a0cfe478f1_z.jpg" width="640" /></a> </div>
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Eventually he got "in the zone" and didn't want anyone bothering him. Must be a learned trait.</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7201398926/" title="IMG_1949 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1949" height="1024" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7097/7201398926_990759ba34_b.jpg" width="683" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7201403756/" title="samparty3 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="samparty3" height="240" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5470/7201403756_008b7963d8_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7201392320/" title="IMG_1762 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1762" height="1024" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5279/7201392320_92ab9870d0_b.jpg" width="683" /></a></div>
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Lucy was happy to volunteer her help.</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7201397756/" title="IMG_1911 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1911" height="427" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8022/7201397756_06f38a36c5_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7201393024/" title="1766c2 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img alt="1766c2" height="1024" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7226/7201393024_9e8efb7047_b.jpg" width="683" /></a></div>
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We love this kid.</div>
</div>alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18240971107479268897noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3474631414338437142.post-21567121701892100122012-03-28T08:23:00.008-07:002012-03-28T09:08:57.630-07:00Elephant in the Room<div style="text-align: center;">There is an</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:180%;">ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:180%;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;">I hate to bring it up, but I just can't seem to shake it. He is following me <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">everywhere</span> I go these days!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I almost can't even say it out loud, so I will whisper it.</div><div style="text-align: center;">ready?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">We are almost, pretty sure, that we kinda most definitely are going to probably want a #4 baby sometime in the future.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH, ok. I said it.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Now the problem is WHEN?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">When exactly am I going to want to commit myself (and my ENTIRE family) to 16 weeks of brutal punishment?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">When will it be the best time for Troy to take over all meal cooking, grocery shopping, bedtimes, sports practices, while I am hunched over the toilet bowl barfing my brains out?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">How on earth will Sammy be cared for? He is still a baby, but I want to do this sooner rather than later. No use putting off the inevitable.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">When am I going to want to have these "Mrs. Doubtfire" legs back? Summer? NO!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PJXVCHUpkUk/T3M0ZQvMURI/AAAAAAAADV4/VMBO2zRpFgk/s1600/veins1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PJXVCHUpkUk/T3M0ZQvMURI/AAAAAAAADV4/VMBO2zRpFgk/s400/veins1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5724977159912313106" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BuTWGlrNvbs/T3M0OjrTvFI/AAAAAAAADVs/1NEu9OcLtMk/s1600/veins2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BuTWGlrNvbs/T3M0OjrTvFI/AAAAAAAADVs/1NEu9OcLtMk/s400/veins2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5724976976017734738" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />When do I want to wear compression stockings in the latter half of pregnancy? Summer? NO!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">When do I want to sign up for more of these awesome things:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OUCQ95jJ_3M/T3M2ri-O6UI/AAAAAAAADWE/1kP5SCi5eVU/s1600/IMG_4267.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OUCQ95jJ_3M/T3M2ri-O6UI/AAAAAAAADWE/1kP5SCi5eVU/s400/IMG_4267.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5724979673068136770" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:78%;">(They are really not THAT bad. They are actually WORSE in person! Poor me, poor me, poor me. HA!)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />Is it best to have a new baby in the summer when everyone is home and wanting to be entertained, or in the spring or winter when kids are at school?<br /><br />So many questions. It is definitely time to hit my knees in prayer and figure this all out. I am going to need divine intervention to get me through another pregnancy, that is for sure!<br /><br />So, there you have it. This pesky ELEPHANT is exposed. Now what?<br /></div>alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18240971107479268897noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3474631414338437142.post-54418579098281759602012-03-23T07:09:00.004-07:002012-03-23T08:09:29.216-07:00Baking Party for Lu Lu<div style="text-align: center;">Lucy is officially FOUR!<br /><br />To bring in her 4th with a bang, we had a<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);font-family:lucida grande;font-size:180%;" >BAKING PARTY</span><br /><br />with her group of preschool friends.<br /><span style="font-size:78%;">(100% inspired by One Charming Party)</span><br /><br /><br />There were going to be a couple more invitees, but a few days before the party Jack sheepishly mentioned that he wanted to be more than just the "big helper" at the party. He wanted to wear the frilly apron and bakers hat too. It was so cute to hear him ask. Of course he wanted in on all the fun, even at the price of wearing a ruffly apron.<br /><br /><br />At the start of the party, the girls (and Jack) played with playdough at the table. Then a few at a time would go and make the giant flower for their hat, using coffee filters and cupcake wrappers. I loved the color combinations they all chose. Each one was totally unique.<br /><br />Then the kids made fruit skewers. I had soooooo much fruit and the girls gobbled up every last piece!<br /><br />My mom read them a story while Lisa and I set up the cakes for decorating. Each child got their own triple layer cake to embellish with piped frosting and M&M's. I saw a lot of finger-licking going on! I think that's a good sign.<br /><br />It was quite literally a SWEET party for a SWEET little girl<br /><span style="font-size:78%;">(who happens to look sooooo old in all these pictures!)</span><br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:78%;">**note** my camera's ISO was set to shady for part of the party, so some of the photos were way too warm (yellow). I salvaged what I could.</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6861543850/" title="IMG_0649 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7247/6861543850_1b37bc97dd_z.jpg" alt="IMG_0649" height="427" width="640" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6861545674/" title="bakingparty1 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7054/6861545674_fee9f0c6ff_z.jpg" alt="bakingparty1" height="480" width="640" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7007662169/" title="bakingparty by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7128/7007662169_04f820398d_z.jpg" alt="bakingparty" height="640" width="640" /></a><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">The Whole Group<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">(bella, nora, ella, jack, LUCY, annie, grace, paisley)</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6861541618/" title="IMG_0629 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7279/6861541618_9f90b24ffd_z.jpg" alt="IMG_0629" height="427" width="640" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6861547604/" title="bakingparty3 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7178/6861547604_05137c2d59_z.jpg" alt="bakingparty3" height="640" width="640" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7007663861/" title="bakingparty2 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7052/7007663861_3359875d43_z.jpg" alt="bakingparty2" height="192" width="640" /></a><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Flower Making Station w/ Grammy Gwen<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6861533154/" title="IMG_0378 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7118/6861533154_9c8bc856a8_b.jpg" alt="IMG_0378" height="1024" width="683" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7007677705/" title="bakingparty11 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7062/7007677705_cc33a58f3f_z.jpg" alt="bakingparty11" height="480" width="640" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6861563692/" title="bakingparty12 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7205/6861563692_af399418b5_z.jpg" alt="bakingparty12" height="192" width="640" /></a><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Fancy Nancy Storytime<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7007651483/" title="IMG_0497 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7212/7007651483_bfa75caff3_z.jpg" alt="IMG_0497" height="427" width="640" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7007653665/" title="IMG_0522 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7213/7007653665_11f345f027_z.jpg" alt="IMG_0522" height="427" width="640" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6861536364/" title="IMG_0515 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7277/6861536364_661575c4dd_z.jpg" alt="IMG_0515" height="427" width="640" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7007670339/" title="bakingparty6 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7136/7007670339_e5d83ff2df_b.jpg" alt="bakingparty6" height="1024" width="683" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7007670417/" title="bakingparty7 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7278/7007670417_6d14e79b71_z.jpg" alt="bakingparty7" height="320" width="640" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6861556092/" title="bakingparty8 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7233/6861556092_bc75086e4f_z.jpg" alt="bakingparty8" height="320" width="640" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7007667439/" title="bakingparty5 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7215/7007667439_cea690fd3d_b.jpg" alt="bakingparty5" height="1024" width="683" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6861557814/" title="bakingparty9 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7190/6861557814_3e4ee0191f_z.jpg" alt="bakingparty9" height="480" width="640" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6861559312/" title="bakingparty10 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7059/6861559312_4b54623720_z.jpg" alt="bakingparty10" height="480" width="640" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6861537926/" title="IMG_0531 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7048/6861537926_f6fd21b517_z.jpg" alt="IMG_0531" height="640" width="640" /></a><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Even though this boy was wearing ruffles and flowers, he still had to be the one in charge of the fire. He lit Lucy's birthday candles like a big boy. You can see that Lucy looks a little unsure about her brother with a lighter in hand.<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7007656501/" title="IMG_0605 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7100/7007656501_cb2361b3ca_z.jpg" alt="IMG_0605" height="427" width="640" /></a><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">This is my favorite picture of the whole party. I love how Sammy is peeking up over the table's edge!<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7007657629/" title="IMG_0609 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7178/7007657629_08f051762a_z.jpg" alt="IMG_0609" height="640" width="640" /></a><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I LOVE this girl and I am so proud to be her mom.<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7007659711/" title="IMG_0639 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7122/7007659711_c7dd074b9a_z.jpg" alt="IMG_0639" height="640" width="640" /></a><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Take Home Favors<br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Playdough and Rolling Pin</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/7007665093/" title="bakingparty4 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7127/7007665093_8bda0b9687_z.jpg" alt="bakingparty4" height="384" width="640" /></a><br /><br />A HUGE thank you to my mom and our adopted Aunt Lisa who came to help. There would not be ONE single picture of the party without them! I would have been running around like a crazy lady.<br /></div>alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18240971107479268897noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3474631414338437142.post-69748353325740261432012-03-02T07:35:00.002-08:002012-03-02T12:57:03.120-08:00Instagram-o-rama<div style="text-align: center;">Twelve in 2/12 for Jack and Lucy.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">1. 100th day of school</div><div style="text-align: center;">2. pizza night (notice pizza "man" drawing)</div><div style="text-align: center;">3. bike rides</div><div style="text-align: center;">4. winter POLAR swims</div><div style="text-align: center;">5. kisses through the window</div><div style="text-align: center;">6. playdate with 3 Jacks</div><div style="text-align: center;">7. lucy sending Jack off to school</div><div style="text-align: center;">8. bathtime (Jack is the lifeguard for Sam, he thinks)</div><div style="text-align: center;">9. He requested this picture with his works of art</div><div style="text-align: center;">10. Class mascot tied around his waist for a bikeride</div><div style="text-align: center;">11. Picking "honeysuckers" from the yard</div><div style="text-align: center;">12. Valentines class party</div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6945664237/" title="instagramJACK by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7043/6945664237_3354c15111_b.jpg" width="774" height="1024" alt="instagramJACK" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;">1. Making Valentines garland for the mantle.</div><div style="text-align: center;">2. pink tassel bike ride</div><div style="text-align: center;">3. Night time hot tub swim</div><div style="text-align: center;">4. Carousel at the Mall (I accidentally bought 20 dollars in tokens)</div><div style="text-align: center;">5. A new hairdo</div><div style="text-align: center;">6. stripped down immediately after church</div><div style="text-align: center;">7. Lucy LOVES reading</div><div style="text-align: center;">8. Our friends sent us hair-bows and Lucy thought it a good idea to wear them ALL at once.</div><div style="text-align: center;">9. ballet preparations</div><div style="text-align: center;">10. These two stood for 30 minutes ZONED in at the tv....NAKED</div><div style="text-align: center;">11. Mid-day nap, then pee on the carpet</div><div><div style="text-align: center;">12. Making gumball necklaces for 6 sweet valentines</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6799549260/" title="instagramLUCY by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; "></span></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6799549260/" title="instagramLUCY by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7037/6799549260_26cc9887e3_b.jpg" width="774" height="1024" alt="instagramLUCY" /></a></div></div>alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18240971107479268897noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3474631414338437142.post-15437519003298307992012-02-29T00:16:00.003-08:002012-02-29T00:28:17.527-08:00two lovers.<div style="text-align: center;">I fear that a wedge has been driven between me and my first true love, Mr. Canon.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">This new fly-by-night lover goes by the name of Instagram.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Mr. Canon is that guy you want to take home to mom and pop (a quality guy), but Instagram is the summer fling. He's convenient, easy, and provides instant gratification. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:78%;">(not that I know anything about this analogy as it relates to REAL relationships!!!)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">At any rate, I think we'll see how long this new relationship lasts. I think we all know the "good guy" wins in the end, but for now I'm enjoying this scandalous new lover.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Here's a bit of Sam during the month of February.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6940539307/" title="instagramSAM by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; "></span></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6940539307/" title="instagramSAM by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7203/6940539307_f4050544f7_b.jpg" width="774" height="1024" alt="instagramSAM" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">1. morning feeding</div><div style="text-align: center;">2. the entertainer</div><div style="text-align: center;">3. a winter hot tub swim</div><div style="text-align: center;">4. naptime</div><div style="text-align: center;">5. post bath free wheelin'</div><div style="text-align: center;">6. unloading dishwasher</div><div style="text-align: center;">7. teething bug</div><div style="text-align: center;">8. a day at the park</div><div style="text-align: center;">9. playing darts with Grandpa</div><div style="text-align: center;">10. lucy, his daytime pal</div><div style="text-align: center;">11. chalk chomping</div><div style="text-align: center;">12. piggy back rides<br /><br /></div>alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18240971107479268897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3474631414338437142.post-28047805204674599292012-02-08T12:42:00.000-08:002012-02-09T11:55:14.231-08:00More Bodega Bay<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:78%;">(Sorry. We are STILL on the topic of Bodega Bay.)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I just want to start by saying that this picture below is one of my new favorites! I think it needs to take the place of my current BW enlargement in the play area. I just love how happy the kids look <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:78%;">(even though they are clearly smiling/laughing at Troy who was behind me pulling funny stunts.)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6842873767/" title="8918c by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7014/6842873767_1f756b7bff_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" alt="8918c" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Our trip to Bodega Bay is great in so many ways, but the main reason it's so wonderful is because we are all together with our distant siblings and cousins which doesn't happen that often.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Both years that we've been, we've totally lucked out with beautiful winter weather <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:78%;">(meaning the sun was out MOST days).</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:78%;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:78%;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Some of the highlights from this year were:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:78%;">{hot tub swims, discovering hidden beach coves, napping in the sun, burying jack, sunsets}</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6842949771/" title="bodegabay7 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7160/6842949771_d78a7c2af3_z.jpg" width="640" height="640" alt="bodegabay7" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">On the last day everyone headed back home, but Troy and I decided to stay a few extra hours. It was heavenly. We were the ONLY people on the beach and the weather was perfect.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6842901769/" title="9094c by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7027/6842901769_3bd68e7137_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" alt="9094c" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:78%;">{Boogie boarding the dunes, crashing while boogie boarding the dunes, rolling down the dunes, forgetting my swimsuit and hot tubbing fully clothed, the boys braving the FREEZING waters for a surf, discovering the best clam chowder house!}</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:78%;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6842918105/" title="bodegabay6 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7156/6842918105_de1596060d_b.jpg" width="683" height="1024" alt="bodegabay6" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Hunter and his lashes are always picture-worthy.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6842904633/" title="bodegabay1 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7026/6842904633_851f6afb2a_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="bodegabay1" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">When I think of Bodega Bay, I think of this very picture. Grasses, sand dunes, beach and a sunset.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6842877659/" title="IMG_8961 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7017/6842877659_1d162ecf4d_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" alt="IMG_8961" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:78%;">{Finding caves, letting Sam crawl and eat sand, cousins, races, beached jelly fish, grandpa napping Sammy in his "kangaroo pouch", pictures of jumping off the dunes in cool poses}</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6842930699/" title="bodegabay7 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7165/6842930699_9b58c5f1fd_b.jpg" width="683" height="1024" alt="bodegabay7" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Sunsets, sunsets, and more sunsets.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6842910319/" title="bodegabay5 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7014/6842910319_6f5a12073f_z.jpg" width="640" height="213" alt="bodegabay5" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6842881389/" title="IMG_8967 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7013/6842881389_bcca5a6eb7_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" alt="IMG_8967" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6842887985/" title="IMG_8973 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7033/6842887985_f97891695a_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" alt="IMG_8973" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">The bay at night.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6842894191/" title="IMG_8995 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; "></span></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6842894191/" title="IMG_8995 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7166/6842894191_4b2de8c1b1_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" alt="IMG_8995" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">For all the other memories, you can watch an 8 minute video <a href="http://vimeo.com/34175580">HERE</a> of our trip. I don't know why you would, but you can.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18240971107479268897noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3474631414338437142.post-68730915439684805032012-02-05T23:55:00.000-08:002012-02-06T00:08:39.450-08:00bodega bay 2011<div style="text-align: center;"> Right before Christmas, we went to Bodega Bay for a family reunion.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">My parents rent this fantastic house and we eat and play for 4 straight days.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Every year we try to fit in some family photos.</div><div style="text-align: center;">I'll be honest, it is not everyone's favorite thing to do.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Remember two years ago when we all froze our hineys off in the 35 degree weather?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Well this year was better, but not by much. Still cold. Still windy, and MORE kids to finagle.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">But when all is said and done, I am always happy that we did it.</div><div style="text-align: center;">I love having these pictures of the whole crew together.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6828393703/" title="8454c by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7031/6828393703_c5c26bfe38_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" alt="8454c" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6828396175/" title="bodegabay2 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7026/6828396175_5f029a18ac_b.jpg" width="683" height="1024" alt="bodegabay2" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Our kids are all doing their own thing. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:78%;">(but might I point out that my chest has never looked bigger! Just sayin')</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6828397413/" title="bodegabay3 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7005/6828397413_6ed7fb9009_z.jpg" width="640" height="213" alt="bodegabay3" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">The 6 Grandkids.</div><div style="text-align: center;">(with one on the way...and many more to come...<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:78%;">not from me!</span>)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6828399429/" title="bodegabay4 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; "></span></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6828399429/" title="bodegabay4 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7170/6828399429_d1d617f1e1_b.jpg" width="683" height="1024" alt="bodegabay4" /></a></div>alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18240971107479268897noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3474631414338437142.post-12040289275277044412012-02-04T22:00:00.000-08:002012-02-04T22:37:54.634-08:00<div style="text-align: center;">His name is not Jack anymore.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">It is now Jack D.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Because in his Kindergarten class there is also:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Jack F. & Jack G.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">When his classmates say his name it's almost as though it is supposed to be spelled....Jackdee.</div><div style="text-align: center;">I actually wonder if they know that his name is just JACK and not Jackdee?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">He has even started referring to himself as Jackdee. The poor kid. Why did we pick a name that was embroidered on every stocking and bedroom pillowcase in the 2006 Pottery Barn catalogue?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Well, the answer to that is simply because we liked it. It is a strong name & well suited for his strong character.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6821108701/" title="9733cSQ by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; "></span></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6821108701/" title="9733cSQ by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7153/6821108701_dbdf77c656_z.jpg" width="640" height="640" alt="9733cSQ" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6821108701/" title="9733cSQ by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><br /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Lately, I am so amazed by Jackdee. He is so grown up.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">He takes the initiative to make his own snacks. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:78%;">(as pictured above)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">While at home alone with Sam <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:78%;">(for a few minutes while I ran Lucy to preschool up the street)</span> he decided to go get the mail <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:78%;">(a major NO-NO while home alone)</span>. I could just tell that the simple act of walking to the mailbox made him feel SO independent.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">He does extra chores without being asked and encourages Lucy to complete hers.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">He solves problems on his own whether it's searching for a tool to fix things, or developing a better system for how something is done.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">His teacher reported that he is kind to everyone and loves to get a good laugh out of the class. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:78%;">(hmmm...who's kid could he be?)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:78%;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:78%;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;">I am just so proud of him. It is surreal to watch my kids grow up into little people, but I like the little person he's becoming.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;">way to be, jackdee! </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:78%;">(I couldn't resist a little poetry)</span></div>alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18240971107479268897noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3474631414338437142.post-67064287306729620402012-02-03T12:31:00.000-08:002012-02-03T13:06:43.132-08:00Sand, Sea, Fire<div style="text-align: center;">What better way to put the cherry on top of a great vacation, than by spending a few days at the beach? </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"> If there is one thing we really miss about So. Cal (besides some wonderful friends) it would definitely be long, sunny, sandy days at the beach!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Jack tried surfing for the first time on this trip. We're not talking a few practice runs in the foam or whitewash. We're talking straight out into the big boy waves (probably not more than 4 ft.). It was so fun to see Troy paddling out with Jack at the front of the board. It only took one good ride for Jack to be hooked. They even had a good crash and it didn't seem to phase Jack. I'm excited to see him progress into surfing solo. I may even get out next time. I've only been out once since I've become a mom. sad.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6810569421/" title="IMG_0070 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7006/6810569421_765a3613a6_z.jpg" width="427" height="640" alt="IMG_0070" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">We made a stop by Jack's Surf Shop for some board wax, and of course had to pick up some more "Jack" paraphernalia for our Jack. Lucy adopted the trucker hat for her own.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6810571545/" title="beachblog by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7147/6810571545_ea3b83868d_z.jpg" width="640" height="240" alt="beachblog" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6810567457/" title="IMG_0056 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7013/6810567457_7544791120_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" alt="IMG_0056" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Sam was surprisingly content crawling around and smashing his face into the mesh. That old trick never gets old. With some beach rocks and some sandy pirates booty, he stayed as happy as a clam.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6810572397/" title="beachblog1 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7011/6810572397_3e2c9dec2e_z.jpg" width="480" height="640" alt="beachblog1" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6810568105/" title="IMG_0058 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7012/6810568105_8dbe88c9e7_z.jpg" width="427" height="640" alt="IMG_0058" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6810565427/" title="IMG_0039 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7021/6810565427_0219a3302c_z.jpg" width="427" height="640" alt="IMG_0039" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6810575903/" title="beachblog3 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7023/6810575903_53399fe3c7_z.jpg" width="640" height="320" alt="beachblog3" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Troy zipping up the later-to-be-stolen wetsuit.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6810566193/" title="IMG_0041 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7030/6810566193_6647b8b84e_z.jpg" width="427" height="640" alt="IMG_0041" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">The surfers heading out for the first time.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6810563255/" title="9928c by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7016/6810563255_f50a3fbd6f_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" alt="9928c" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Lucy expressing her happiness to be at the beach. She seriously LOVED every bit of this vacation and has begged to go back everyday since we've been home!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6810576793/" title="beachblog4 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7161/6810576793_6acaf6516c_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="beachblog4" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Jack must have pulled Lucy on the boogie board for over a 1/2 hour. Back and forth, back and forth. He treats her so well (most of the time)!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6810561301/" title="9916bw by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7008/6810561301_cb74101bc0_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" alt="9916bw" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6810561667/" title="IMG_9919 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7154/6810561667_3a8e670ec3_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" alt="IMG_9919" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Ahhh....the beach campfires!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Weinies never taste better than when they're roasted over the fire.</div><div style="text-align: center;">And marshmallows...don't even get me started! I could eat dozens and so can my kids.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Jack needs intense monitoring while by fires. A cage would actually be a suitable way for him to view a fire. He would honestly hop inside the ring if he could. We caught him several times trying to turn over logs with a short stick, or sneaking squirts of lighter fluid. He LOVES fire and it was hard to drag him away each night!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6810564471/" title="IMG_9987 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7019/6810564471_1d6bcb7a68_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" alt="IMG_9987" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6810577719/" title="beachblog5 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7152/6810577719_d3f3f85df9_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="beachblog5" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6810570045/" title="0104c by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7155/6810570045_a726e8bfab_z.jpg" width="640" height="640" alt="0104c" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I love this picture of Jack gathering "firewood" aka seaweed and beach trash.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6810563625/" title="IMG_9980 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7002/6810563625_8905a03362_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" alt="IMG_9980" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6813522797/" title="9991c by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; "></span></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6813522797/" title="9991c by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7145/6813522797_aea38e2e4f_z.jpg" width="640" height="640" alt="9991c" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6813522797/" title="9991c by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><br /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">We will definitely be doing this more often!</div>alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18240971107479268897noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3474631414338437142.post-15439095105299979322012-02-03T12:15:00.000-08:002012-02-03T12:29:04.984-08:00Play along.<div style="text-align: center;">Let's play that game 2 truths and a lie.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Except for, instead of a lie, how about I just tell you 3 truths about our vacation?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Truth #1:</div><div style="text-align: center;"> I may have put powdered laundry soap into the dishwasher instead of powdered dishwasher detergent and nearly flooded the kitchen of our hotel apartment. It only took about 8 beach towels to sop it all up, and 3 more runs of the dishwasher to keep it from FOAMING to the ceiling.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Truth #2:</div><div style="text-align: center;">Given the trusting folks that we are, Troy placed his and Jack's wetsuit on top of the van to dry overnight in the parking garage. When we woke up, someone decided they liked the fit of Troy's wetsuit. It was gone. I hope they know he pees in that.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Truth #3:</div><div style="text-align: center;">Sam struggled with a gnarly cold the entire vacation. So one night while we were all cooking around the campfire, I decided to wrap him up tight and take him for a walk up and down a 1/2 mile stretch of the beach....in the pitch blackness of the night. When I returned with my now sleeping babe we began packing up to go home and realized the keys were lost. They were in my pocket and now gone...somewhere along the shoreline of the beach in the blackest black of night. So with only a cell phone for light we began our search for my dinky keys in a vast beach of sand! By nothing short of a miracle (yes, I was praying) we found the keys (just before some of the most epic meltdowns) and made it back to the hotel. Phew.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Here is a picture of the kids eating their disgusting to us, but delicious to them bubble gum ice cream.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6810574919/" title="beachblog2 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7163/6810574919_abf2e959d2_b.jpg" width="410" height="1024" alt="beachblog2" /></a></div>alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18240971107479268897noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3474631414338437142.post-43276387428910709582012-01-22T07:20:00.001-08:002012-01-28T00:14:52.277-08:00Happiest Place on Earth<div style="text-align: center;">It seemed ironic to be shedding a tear at the Happiest Place on Earth.</div><div style="text-align: center;">But before I knew it, that's exactly what I was doing as we walked out on our last night there.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Shoot. There was no pregnancy to blame those kind of kooky emotions on. Just plain old nostalgic memories causing my quivering chin and watery eyes.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">For 3 years we have had the southern california resident annual passes, and for 3 years Jack, Lucy and I enjoyed outings to Disneyland. Spoiled, I know. I really grew to love that place. Not in a lapel wearing/pin collecting/Mickey Mouse hat sporting sort of way. But in a fun/bonding with my kids/new mom experiences sort of way.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">So on our way out I was remembering all of those fun outings as just the 3 of us, or with great friends like Amy and Heidi. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">For our last visit (for a while anyway) to Disneyland, we got to enjoy it all together as a family. 4 wonderful days of sunshine, magic, and happiness. Really, it was THAT good! We stayed at a great hotel, generous compliments of Troy's dad, that had two bedrooms and a kitchen. Everyday we went to Disneyland from 10-1, then napped at the hotel until 4, then went back to Disneyland for the night shift from 5-8:30. That, my friends, was the recipe for success and HAPPY, less-grumpy children (or parents).</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I carted around my big camera with the resolve to take lots of pictures and get lots of video footage, but just like EVERY other time at Disneyland, it just didn't happen. Disneyland happens to be one place I really dislike taking pictures. I always find myself too busy with lines, kids, strollers to add a camera in the mix. Not to mention, sometimes "documentation" takes away from the overall enjoyment of the experience. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">But here are a few photos from our trip. Not pictured, but captured in video are:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">1. Lucy getting chosen for Jedi training and not being able to figure out how to "activate" her lightsaber. Sooooo cute!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">2. Jack taking DEEP nervous breaths in and out before his first ride on California Screamin' blasted up the hill.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">3. Sam crawling around Wilderness Adventure Camp and grinning from ear to ear.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">4. Lucy running away when Darth Vader appeared.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">5. Jack and Lucy riding the toontown roller coaster and Lucy's expression of sheer TERROR the entire time.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">6. Surprising the kids on our first night at the hotel with the news that we'd be going to disneyland in the morning. Quickly followed by disbelief, then erupting in excitement.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">The obligatory family photo complete with harsh sun and squinty smiles.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6774567771/" title="IMG_9831 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7003/6774567771_daf1843154_z.jpg" width="427" height="640" alt="IMG_9831" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6774563363/" title="IMG_9771 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7147/6774563363_2c4ee85e35_z.jpg" width="640" height="640" alt="IMG_9771" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">A unique smile from Jack</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6774561531/" title="IMG_9757 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7159/6774561531_1cc4bbf8fd_z.jpg" width="427" height="640" alt="IMG_9757" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6774562593/" title="9765bw by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7150/6774562593_76db112704_z.jpg" width="427" height="640" alt="9765bw" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6774573633/" title="carouselblog by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7013/6774573633_18d971bd33_z.jpg" width="640" height="256" alt="carouselblog" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6774569799/" title="IMG_9868 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7173/6774569799_4624f3a93b_z.jpg" width="427" height="640" alt="IMG_9868" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6774568881/" title="IMG_9866 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7153/6774568881_a7e349f210_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" alt="IMG_9866" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6774564239/" title="IMG_9775 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7171/6774564239_6f5f373a30_z.jpg" width="427" height="640" alt="IMG_9775" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6774568231/" title="9840bw by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7018/6774568231_6a8e250f13_z.jpg" width="427" height="640" alt="9840bw" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Jack's first official roller coaster.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6774565575/" title="9823blog by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7145/6774565575_d2d996dae1_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" alt="9823blog" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Me with "rollercoaster hair" and another photo of my childrens' unique expressions.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6774566845/" title="IMG_9827 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7141/6774566845_17a1c682d5_z.jpg" width="427" height="640" alt="IMG_9827" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6774572923/" title="IMG_9912 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7026/6774572923_f2815f891c_z.jpg" width="640" height="640" alt="IMG_9912" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Mesmerized by a mermaid named Ariel.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6774570921/" title="IMG_9883 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7019/6774570921_b592c9bc23_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" alt="IMG_9883" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">The end to a great trip!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloomphoto/6774572075/" title="IMG_9892 by bubs n' lu, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7001/6774572075_6a51c59657_z.jpg" width="427" height="640" alt="IMG_9892" /></a></div><br /></div></div>alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18240971107479268897noreply@blogger.com3