Just Us

Circus week at school

2012-02-04T21:16:00.001-07:00

At the boys preschool, there is a weekly theme. This past week was the circus. On Thursday, they did face painting. Isaac wanted nothing to do with it, but Milo really wanted a tiger. He was sad that we had to wash it off, so he asked me to take a picture. :)

We had the gunk

2012-01-30T23:11:00.001-07:00

Sorry for the lapse in posting, but we had the gunk in the house. Milo seems to have been unscathed, which is great. Isaac was just diagnosed with a double ear infection, so he started antibiotics last night. I'm still sleeping on the couch, as I stay more upright and don't cough so much. Heres a couple of pictures from the past week...

Dentist trip

2012-01-20T21:37:00.001-07:00

Milo got a very clean bill of health from the dentist today.

Milo

2012-01-18T19:18:00.001-07:00

Milo was in charge of feeding toothless today

January 14th

2012-01-14T19:15:00.004-07:00

Yesterday, Milo was home sick. He had spent the night throwing up, so I stayed home with him. Unfortunately, I had forgotten my work laptop at work, so I didn't have it to work on some reports. Milo and I sat and cuddled on the couch and watched A LOT of dinosaur shows.

Today, he's doing better, but still feeling off. We went and got Wendy's for lunch today. Milo took a swig of the milk only to find it spoiled. I hope the pukes don't come back from the bad milk. We took it back to Wendy's and they gave us fries...cause fries make everything better, apparently.

Isaac is just busy running around, nonstop. Reading books, putting together puzzles, and just can't be bothered to slow down at all. He has been zipping up his jammies and jackets by himself for awhile now.

Pottytime!

2012-01-13T21:47:00.003-07:00

Isaac started showing a lot of interest in potty training, so we bought a potty for Isaac. He is loving it, but hasn't gone yet. He's been sitting on the potty for 5 to 10 minutes at a time.

Cole snapped this picture while Isaac and I were going through the National Geographic.

Breakfast for dinner with Isaac

2012-01-11T19:23:00.001-07:00

The kids meal

Milo built a bee

2012-01-10T18:21:00.001-07:00

With the Trio set the boys got from Santa, Milo made a bug/bee by himself, following the directions. He did a great job!

January 9th

2012-01-09T21:19:00.003-07:00

Today's picture is of Milo playing with some dinosaurs he got for his birthday. Check out my Facebook page for an awesome quote that Milo uttered today. :)

Star Wars

2012-01-08T14:04:00.003-07:00

Today, I thought that I would introduce the boys to Star Wars. While I do enjoy the movies, I'm not a hard-core fan/geek/nerd when it comes to Star Wars. But they are fun to watch. When I told Milo that we were going to watch Star Wars, he asked who was on it. When I mentioned Darth Vader, I was pleased that he knew who he was. "He's a bad guy!" Apparently, friends at school have told Milo about Darth Vader.

So we turn it on and I explain to Milo that nothing is real, it's all just pretend. I snapped this picture because it was just making me laugh. Both kids were enthralled. While Isaac sat through most of it, Milo had to do the classic non-stop questions.

"Who is that? Why is he bad? Is that a boy? Why does he look that way? Is he gonna die? Does he like her? Why is her hair funny? What's a sand people? Why do they live in the desert?"

It was a fun afternoon, needless to say. :)

WHAT?!?! Date Night?! SWEET!!

2012-01-07T21:39:00.002-07:00

We woke up to snow...can you believe it? Finally some snow. Enough that Cole actually broke out the snow blower. It made me glad that I took the boys out to play on their "helicopters" yesterday. On Friday, Janette called to see if she could come see the boys today, so when the snow was piling up, we were worried that she wouldn't make it up.

What I keep forgetting is that Janette is a bit of a "super-Grandma", where virtually nothing will keep her from seeing her babies. We are lucky that she'll drive over an hour to come visit us. So, she came over (she's staying the night with us) and went shopping with Isaac and I at the store. She brought them jammies, slippers, and lots of other stuff.

Since she was here and staying the night, Cole and I got to go out on a little date! We headed to Biaggi's at the Gateway. We had gone there once before for our anniversary. We ended up with the same dinner we had last time, lasagne for me and some shrimp with angel hair pasta for Cole.

But, we splurged a bit and got some dessert. OMG, it was fabulous! Tiramisu may have edged out cheesecake for my favorite dessert... :) Thanks so much for the break Janette! We love you!!!

2012-01-06T21:22:00.003-07:00

Today was my off Friday. I was able to pick up the boys from school about an hour early after I did all my errands for the day. Since we got home early and it was so nice outside, I convinced the boys to play outside...okay, there was really no convincing to be had. :)

Milo and Isaac play really well together. They were both pretending to be helicopters and kept running into each other having mid-air collisions. Meanwhile, I took down our outdoors Christmas trees and swept up the driveway. We then came in and had hot chocolate.

Toothless

2012-01-05T21:08:00.003-07:00

Toothless joined our family right before Christmas. S/He is very pretty and is a pretty cool lizard. Bearded dragon to be exact. S/He's still growing, eating lots of crickets, worms, and veggies.

The boys love her, they love feeding her the crickets.

January 3rd and 4th

2012-01-04T20:11:00.002-07:00

My phone wouldn't upload pictures last night, so I'm already a day behind! Dammit!

January 3rd. Here is Isaac, very seriously watching Thomas the Train. It's his obsession, any questions, check out his 2nd birthday cake. :)

Today, Milo got grounded. It's the first time we've laid down this punishment. I didn't get a chance to talk to Mrs. Chris at Milo's school about his behavior yesterday, but she stopped me this evening. Yesterday, he was pretty bad. When she told him he was being naughty, he said, "Well, it's a good thing you aren't Santa Claus. Lucky for me, he still brought me my Trio Dragon set even though I was bad". Which, is funny, but not...it's one of those parenting times when your heart is bursting in laughter, but you have to be serious. But today, he was a total PITA. Wouldn't listen, follow directions, bugging another child.

So, based on the day before and today, we grounded him. He was pretty upset, a lot of tears. I had to scrub a pan to cook dinner in, so I had put on Thomas for Isaac, and told Milo he couldn't watch TV. So he's standing in the corner muttering about "Mom". I turned off the water and asked him, "What did you just say about me?" To which he replied, "I just said, 'I don't know why my Mom is so rude and mean, all I do is love her'". I stormed out of the house. Why is it that I'm the bad guy? I soon realized I was in a short sleeved shirt and no shoes, so I went back in the house and started packing a bag. Milo started to panic (which made me really sad). He was blubbering "But Mom! You are the most beautifulest, I love you!" Complete with snot pouring out of his nose. I told him he could get a new Mom, which he protested because she would be a "stranger". So I stuck around after he hugged me and told me he was sorry.

Milo and Isaac helped me make dinner. Dinner was drama free, and I got this funny face pulled on me when I told him I wanted to take his picture.

January 2nd

2012-01-02T21:25:00.002-07:00

Snapped this while the boys were watching America's Funniest Home Videos. It's the only time they hold still long enough to get a good picture, when they watch TV...

January 1st, 2012

2012-01-01T21:27:00.002-07:00

This is Milo watching a video of him skiing today that Cole took. Pam and Howdy took Milo, Lydia, and Olivia skiing today at Snowbasin. This was Lydia's first day skiing and she did fabulous. Milo did really good too! He just needs to get some stronger legs so he can last longer. He's a little speed demon too. All this possible because Howdy and Pam love skiing and are passing along their passion to the kids. It's awesome and they are great teachers! If not for them, Milo would have probably never skied, which would be sad because Milo is really good at it. Who knows, maybe Isaac will be joining the group next year? He's definitely tough enough!

New Year's resolution

2011-12-31T15:09:00.002-07:00

I am going to take one picture a day and post here and on Facebook (I hope). I really want to capture my family for the whole year, so that's my goal.

So....look forward to it!!!

Our lazy Sunday

2010-03-21T22:54:00.000-06:00

Same outfit, 3 years apart!

2010-03-21T21:08:00.002-06:00

Ironically, Isaac wore this for the first time today. Looking back, Milo wore this on the same day 3 years ago! Isaac fit into this about 2 months ahead of Milo...little chunk!

Busy end to 2009

2010-01-17T13:31:00.005-07:00

We had a great 2009!

We spent a lot of time playing and spending time with family and friends.

In August, we headed to Washington to see the Dallas family. We went to Cannon Beach, the Astoria farmers market, a small farm (which Milo loved), the Portland Children's Museum, and Cole got some golfing in. Milo even got to crush the garbage in a garbage truck!

October 4th, Milo turned 3 years old! How time flies! He got so many awesome gifts from family and friends. He was very excited for his dinosaur cake too. He can write his name, knows his colors, counts to 15+, spells mom, dad, milo, and milk, and can tell you the letters in words, even big words like 'sanitation'. He loves golfing, climbing, football, and helping Mom and Dad.

For Halloween, Milo went as a garbage truck. He was a hit at the houses!

On December 15th, we welcomed the arrival of Isaac Cole. After about 6 hours of a normal + back labor and a failed epidural, things got chaotic when his heart rate dropped. A quick delivery resulted in our healthy boy weighing in at 7lbs 11oz, 20 inches long at 4:00pm. As you can see, he looks a lot like Milo. Milo loves his 'wittle broder' and is very helpful with feeding and changing Isaac.

So, we rang in 2010 as a bigger family. I go back to work in February with both Milo and Isaac going into preschool/daycare. Makes me sad that Isaac is not going to be in the care of family during his first year like Milo got, but you do what you have to do.

We don't see any big trips in our future, but we are hoping for some camping trips and fun with family/friends once the weather warms up.

The BABIES!!!

2009-07-06T21:43:00.001-06:00

In our garden...

Yes, we attempted a SFG this year (square-foot-garden). Milo helped in April with the planting of starts and now he must go out every day to check on the babies. It's so cute.

Lately, his OCD has rewarded him with a fresh ripe strawberry almost everyday...and sometimes a cherry tomato. I still have yet to taste anything from the garden save from some carrots. And yes, I'm jealous, but I'm happy to let him have dibs. :)

http://www.squarefootgardening.com/

Yeah, so I suck

2009-06-21T21:23:00.002-06:00

I have no excuse, I just suck.

I'll try to post more.

Cole had a good father's day and was able to get in a round of golf. Milo is doing well, he can spell his name, knows all his shapes and colors, and is working on learning more letters.

2008-10-16T17:29:00.004-06:00

On Friday, we left to Park City for a night. My grandfather had asked my cousin if she'd like to use the timeshare, so she invited us up. When we got there, we left for dinner and ended up at Wasatch Pub and Brewery (or something like that). I was so unimpressed. The food was not that great and the waitress rathered talking to her coworkers than helping us with anything. Oh well...and I still tipped well too! Ugh!It was FREAKIN' cold! It was forecasted that snow would be visiting, so we were bundled up. Cole snapped a picture of Milo in his new winter coat walking down Main Street in PC.

After dinner, we headed back to the Marriot Mountainside Resort. The timeshare
was really quite nice. You walk into a small kitchen area with a dining area and a TV area. To one side is a big bedroom with a tub big enough for the kids to swim in and a nice shower. To the other side is a big bedroom with a little kitchen area and your standard hotel bathroom. We stayed in the one with the kitchen area. While Cole and Maggie enjoyed the 7 Deadly Zins (red wine), I made myself some hot cocoa (I forgot my Bailey's!). Milo and Olivia were running around, having fun. At one point, Milo falls down and hits his head on a lamp. So he starts crying.

I pick him up to console him and I feel his little tummy lurch. The night before, he had vomitted a bit, so I immediately knew what was coming. But, I didn't make it to the bathroom before vomit soon covered one side of the couch, a crazy area on the floor, and the wall and doors. As I ran to get him into bathroom, he vomitted more. At this point, I start to get queasy as I notice that I have vomit all down my back, pants, and shoes. I get the bath going for Milo. He's turned a scary shade of green, but manages to act like his normal self. I let him chew on a washcloth and cleaned him up while stripping myself down. Even my bra got it!

When we get out of the bathroom, Cole was cleaning and Maggie had called the front desk. They sent up a person to clean the carpets. Poor Milo. He went to bed, woke up at 1:00am, but got back to bed. The next morning, he was fine.So, after some persuasion from Maggie and Olivia, I opted to ride the Alpine Coaster. It was sooo scary, but so fun! Here's a short video. I kept hitting the stop button on my camera, but oh well!

After the coaster, we went to the hot tub. It was snowing, but we found a nice tub that was about the same temperature as Milo's bath. He loved it! He was 'swimming' around and having a great time...even attempted a cannon ball into the tub! We went home soon after.

It was after we got home that the rain started and the snow came. Our first snow of the season! Milo loved it! He's definately an outdoor kid! We ended up with about 5 inches of snow. It was all gone by Monday though! But poor Cole, he's been sick since Saturday night. It's Tuesday night now and he's just starting to feel better. Looks like I got it first and the boys got the mutated bug!

Milo's birthday party

2008-10-06T21:02:00.002-06:00

Saturday...what a trip!!!
First, I woke up...very sick...tummy cramps that had me doubled over. You'd think I would then spend my time in the restroom, but NO! I just had to suffer.

Then, the power went out...it was out for over an hour...almost 2. Cole called the power company to which the recording said, "Power is expected to be restored at 3:00 PM". Nice, the party starts at 2:00. Luckily, the power came back on.

Also...it rained the whole time. But the party was nice! Milo got a lot of fun stuff, lots of books and train stuff and a good assortment of clothes. I didn't make the cake, we hired someone, and she did a great job! White cake with strawberry and raspberry filling. YUM!

Here are some pictures from the party! I just wish that I had felt better and would have been able to enjoy it more!

Another year

2008-09-30T15:05:00.002-06:00

I really can't believe that Milo is turning two on Saturday. It seems like time is certainly flying by.

We went shopping today for his birthday. Cole and I bought him a bike and two outfits. We found a lady that will make him a train birthday cake, her daughter works with Cole, so that's always good. Milo and I hit the party store and the Dollar Store to finish up with plates, streamers, ect. He loves trains, so that's the theme this year.

I am, however, disappointed in the weather. BOO!!! I've been watching for two weeks now. For a long time, they were predicting a great day in the 70's. But now, mid-60's and rain. That's what happened last year! So now the question is....hotdogs and hamburgers or pizza? Thankfully, it's not going to be as crowded as last year as not as many invites went out, but still! Our yard is soooo beautiful and healthy this year, it would be great for the kiddos to run around on.

Side note: They just opened at Chucky Cheese in Layton by us. Guess that could be an alternative for next year.

So, yes...Happy Birthday Milo! You are the greatest gift I've ever received! Love you! :)

Milo's boots

2008-09-04T13:20:00.002-06:00

So, for awhile now, I've been wanting to get Milo his first pair of cowboy boots. I just love lil' kids in boots for some reason, cracks me up. And of course, Cole holds ever so dearly to his "hick" roots. So, we've been looking for some, but could never find what we wanted within a reasonable price range.

A cramp in the leg prompted me to do some walking, so why not walk in the mall? I wanted to stop by Bath and Body Works to see if a new scent had come in for my cousin who is so far away. So, after visiting there and getting Milo a new blue ducky for the bath tub, we kept walking. I forgot there was a Payless Shoe Store there, so we went in...and there they were...size 7 in toddler. A bit big, but boots run small, yes?

I took them down, took off Milo's shoes, and put them on. He was hooked! Got out of his stroller, ran all over the place, threw a fit when I tried to take them off. And who can turn down a Buy One Get One Half Off sale? So he got a new pair of sneakers too.

So, yeah, the boots, he loves 'em. Kept them on the whole day. I just hope I can keep them off of him when he wants to wear them with shorts...LOL!

My new Pick-Me-Up-Video

2008-08-18T21:25:00.002-06:00

Stumbled upon this while cruising YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkTQwP2gFxU

Some pictures from the trip

2008-08-10T16:58:00.004-06:00

Our Vacation

2008-08-05T12:38:00.002-06:00

So, we left for a little week break to visit our friends, Rob and Jamie and their cute new addition, Ruby. They live in a small town in Washington, called Cathlamet. We had a fantastic time! Jamie and I even left for a few hours to get a pedicure! It tickled like all get out!

I have sooooo many pictures to post, but they have to wait just a bit. I want to put up the edited versions. :)

We are off to have a play date with Denise and Jaxon today as well. Tomorrow is Denise's birthday, so I am showing her the fine dining experience of Cafe Rio (which she hasn't yet been to!!!). It's utterly un-Utahn to not have ate at Cafe Rio...and she's been here a few years so there is no excuse!

Ahhh....Summer!

2008-07-17T09:43:00.003-06:00

We've been having the "classic" summer. A bunch of nothing but seem soooo busy!!!

In June, we took Milo to another Mommy and Me swim class. He did great this time, understood a little more than last year. Unfortunately, no pictures. Soon after the classes ended, we switched babysitters. Denise and her sons Brennen and Jaxon have taken Milo into their home when I have to work. Jaxon and Milo, though we've always thought they were peas-in-a-pod, have really become good friends. I watched Jaxon for Denise and got some pictures of these boys playing together.

I've decided that I really need a hobby! Cole is golfing and climbing a lot, but with Milo around, it's hard to do both those things. So, I've started playing with Cole's dSLR. These are just the beginning, with no editing. There's a lot I need to learn!

Ahhh!

2008-05-05T22:35:00.003-06:00

School is done! YAY!!!!

It's not all good though. I unfortunately did not get into the nursing program that I applied to and now am rethinking the whole thing. I would want to get my masters to be a CNM, but I don't want to be starting my career at 40. Just not my thing I suppose. So, we're in a "wait and see" type of stance. Focus on the family and home and have a good summer.

After work today, I headed down to my cousin's house. Cole was in the area to pick up a new color plotter courtesy of ksl.com classifieds. So, we all decided to go to dinner. We went to The Pie. I hadn't been there in ages and wasn't aware there was one down in WJ/Draper area. I got a calzone (aka zappy), and though it was good...it wasn't nearly as good as the one I got in Scotland...that one was to die for!

Milo has had an off day today. I guess he's been a bit blue. He really didn't want me to leave him today at the sitters, and she said that he was sad all day. He was really whinny in the car with Cole, but was great at my cousin's house and at dinner. On the way home, he cried for about 20 minutes. OMG, I was going to die! So I started singing Thomas the Train songs, and then Old McDonald, and all sorts of songs. It was the only way to make him stop crying.

When we finally got home, he went nuts! Running all over the place playing with a broken toy. Considering it's Cinco de Mayo, I swear, it was only water in the sippy! I guess this is what happens with an extremely tired 19 month old!

Just thought I'd say

2008-04-20T19:43:00.001-06:00

I HATE FINALS WEEK!

there, I feel better. Carry on!

Please, Thank You!

2008-03-18T16:57:00.002-06:00

So, we've been working with Milo on sign language a lot since he really doesn't like talking...LOL!

I've been signing off and on with him since he was just a teeny tiny baby, but really started doing more recently. He's been signing please and thank you now for about 2 months or so. Here's a video. I had to ask him to say it, but if you got something he wants, he'll sign without a prompt! :)

He's also modified want and hungry as well. We're working on more signs. It helps that I took so much sign lanugage in school. I was only a few months away from getting certified as an instructor.

Aww! Four years ago

2008-02-27T21:35:00.002-07:00

On the 28th of February, Cole and I got married. It's been such a great four years! As soon as we got back from our honeymoon, I started working for ITI (big career change). Shortly after, we bought our home. Then we bought some koi fish, a cat, and a dog. LOL! We went on many trips, saw many things! All these memories did nothing but make our relationship and love stronger. We were blessed with our little Milo.
We are at a great point in our lives. Sure, there are things on the horizion that are life changing, but we'll tackle that as we've done everything else! (Mainly school for me! YIKES!)
I love Cole so much! We offer each other support, love, and we really tend to even each other out. He has been a great husband, a great provider, and the most wonderful father I could have wished for our boy!
Here's to many more years! Watch out Wendover! Here we come! LOL!

Yes, it's been a month

2008-02-21T09:34:00.002-07:00

Between Photobucket and their Bandwidth crap and school and starting work again, I just didn't blog for a month! WOW!

Not much going on...how sad is that? Milo had some problems this month. Got some sort of belly troubles and left him with a bad diaper rash. He's still not talking, but has started signing please and thankyou.

I started back at ITI part time. I am working on the food projects, so it's different from what I've done before, so it's nice.

Cole is busy...always drawing or thinking of a new thing to do to the house. He wants to tackle the main bathroom next, but I hope he finishes the basement bedroom and bath first.

A bunch of snow!

2008-01-09T11:24:00.000-07:00

I took these pictures when it was still coming down. At that time, it was about 8 inches, I looked online, and it said my little town recieved upwards of 12 inches! In Salt Lake, they had to close down Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons. There was a small avalanche in LCC. I wonder if the garbage man will make it...LOL!

Our silly boy

2008-01-04T15:34:00.000-07:00

One of the many things I love about Milo is how he can make me smile! Look at my child, hamming it up. He's hiking the ball, playing in mommy's hat, looking for daddy's belly button, and chewing on his lovey. LOL! I love how full of expression he is.

What we've been up to.

2007-12-29T11:47:00.000-07:00

Our Tree

Milo got his first haircut right before Christmas. We went to the Dollar Cuts store, and a lady, all goth'ed out in black lipstick, did a scissor cut for Milo. Of course, we think he's all grown up looking, but I don't know if you can really see the difference....

After:

Before:

Well, we had a very good Christmas...a lot of driving, but it's always so fun to see and visit family and friends. On Christmas Eve, there was a pretty good sized snowstorm. We had planned to drive up to Huntsville to visit over chili with my family and to then go to Snowbasin to see a light parade, fireworks, and rumor had it that Santa would be there. But the storm was just getting to be too much, and although it had quieted down a bit, it was windy and we just weren't sure how Milo would do outside in the cold and windy snow. So, we took Olivia and headed to our house where her mom waited for us. (Maggie didn't make it up it was snowing so bad....)

The drive was pretty crazy, the good ol' Ford Escape is great in the snow. There were a few times when we could barely see from the snow blowing over the guard rails. But a little over an hour later, we made it home. Maggie and Oliva stayed for awhile, and we talked over some yummy and very sweet hot cocoa.

On Christmas morning, we were lazy. We took our time and played with our new toys. Milo got a few fun toys from us and Santa. He also learned how to open presents, though he didn't seem to care what was INSIDE the package...LOL!

We headed down to Payson and Spanish Fork to visit with Cole's grandparents, and then made our way to Santaquin for Christmas and dinner with his family. My mother-in-law practically got me a new wardrobe! LOL! Lots of pretty shirts, and some notecards that I asked for. Milo got a ton of clothes, his first Tonka truck, and some more toys, and Cole got some DVD's and clothes as well. Milo discovered golf clubs. My father-in-law's birthday is the 26th, so he opened a new club from all of us. Milo was fascinated by it...is it a sign of what's to come?

We then headed back up to Salt Lake to hit my parents house. There, we had dinner, again...lol! And opened presents. It was a mad house, but so much fun! Everyone was busy and talking and just having fun. Lydia and Milo both had presents from Grandma Norma that she bought before she passed away. I have yet to wash the shirt she got him because I swear it still smells like her, but the little boy doll that she got for Milo, well, it's one of his favorites. I got the Golden Compass books I asked for and a great hat/sweater/glove set that I asked for too. Cole got some drinking essentials. LOL! We got a lot of other neat things too...all in all, we all made out pretty good!

We got home around 11. Poor Milo was so tired. The next day, he took a 4 hour nap!

Cole has taken the week off, and won't go back to work until after the New Year. It's been weird having him home. It always seems like a Saturday over and over and over again! We've just been taking it easy....doing things on our time and just having fun. It's been nice.

Santa Claus!

2007-12-18T11:26:00.000-07:00

We went down to South Towne Mall to see Santa with Anita and Lydia, and Maggie and Olivia. We took all three kiddos last year, I think it's a great tradition. Milo did very well...he was a little scared when Cole first placed him on Santa's lap, but he soon calmed down. Afterwards, Santa asked Cole, "What's his name again?" And Cole told him, "Milo" and Santa said, "I know someone very well with that name!" and then pointed at himself, as the little girls were still around. While we were waiting for the pictures to come, the girls and Milo ate some candy canes and played with their reindeer hats.

In Loving Memory of my Grandma

2007-12-10T11:05:00.000-07:00

http://www.legacy.com/saltlaketribune/Obituaries.asp?Page=LifeStory&PersonID=99103686

Most of you know that I lost my precious, sweet Grandma Norma on the 2nd of December. She died of natural causes, that all started with a damn broken hip. She fell on the Thursday night/Friday morning before her death.

My mom asked me if I wanted to speak at her funeral, but I just couldn't do it. My heart felt that it had been shattered to a billion pieces, and I had no idea where to start picking up the pieces. Every little thing that reminded me of her caused me to break down and cry. I rarely slept, and when I did, it wasn't restful. My little Milo sure helped me through this, he is such a joy.

Grandma's funeral was the 7th. There was a viewing on the 6th. They really did an amazing job, she looked as if her herself had applied her makeup, ever so meticulously as she did in life. Her hair was perfectly teased...she would have been happy with the results.

My grandma was so important to me. My sisters and I were lucky in that we grew up just around the corner from her. We were always over there visiting. She had a stack of photo albums for each of her children full of pictures. We would sit on her bed for hours and look through those albums. When we would spend the night, she would let us wear her silky PJ's (which were entirely too big on us little girls) and make us hot cakes for breakfast in the morning. Hot cakes...lol...always caused a bit of an argument. You see, they aren't called hot cakes, they are pancakes we would say to her. She would put the syrup in her fancy glass bottle, and we would talk over breakfast, or read the newspaper.

It was her house that we went to when we were meeting our dad for visitation. He would pick us up and drop us off there every Friday. And just about every Friday, she was there for us...waiting. There are only a few times that I can remember her being out of town. And then, she would walk us to the corner, flashlight in hand, and wait for us to safely enter our home before she turned around to walk back to her house.

Come Christmas, the little bedroom was turned into gift central. The bed was covered two to three packages high with gifts for every member of her family, and of course, covered with an afghan so as to deter peeking eyes (which only led to more peeking).

There wasn't a birthday she missed, an Easter, a Christmas. Every holiday I can remember from childhood...she was there. She always told you how much she loved you, how proud she was of her family. Her place was always clean. She always had cookies for us, always had an open lap. We would lay with our head in her lap and fall asleep or just get really relaxed while she tickled our faces and necks. And when we would try to return the favor, near her mouth, she would come alive and pretend to try to bite us, always resulting in screeches of laughter.

I remember the songs she would sing to us. I remember the funny shows she would watch on TV. Or the journals...she would write in every night, diligently recording the temperature, sun rise/sun set, barometric pressure, ect.

When I got into my older teens, she moved away to Nevada. It was hard not having her around, but I had so much going on as well. Her visits were always a joyous occasion, we would sit at the table, holding hands, and just talk about stuff, life in general. We started writing letters back and forth, though, I think I ended up dropping the ball on that. I remember one letter said, "So are you still working with that DNA stuff?" :)

She moved back to Utah about a year or so ago and was living with my Aunt. One day, at my mom's, we were talking. I asked her, "Grandma, do you really love everyone in the family? There are ones that steal, most smoke and drink (she was very LDS), some have done prison time....how can you love that?" She sat and looked at me, and then said, "Well Sarah, those are the ones that need the most love, don't you think?"

And those words ring with me all the time now. As hard as it is to support those who can not seem to get their feet under them, and it seems easier to turn your back to them, by her example, it's not the answer. Without love, no one can prevail in this world anymore.

My grandma taught me a lot. She taught me to reach for my goals, to love everyone and to forgive those who wronged you. She taught me what love is, how to be a strong woman, and how to be the best person I can.

The last time I saw her in a coherent state was at Milo's 1st birthday party. I was so happy that she made it, and felt bad that I didn't get to spend more time with her. I just found the card she gave to him, and it opened the flood gates once again. I am so sad that Milo will never get the chance to know her as I did. He will, at least, have her as a distant shining star. Her memory will live on, because I will always talk about her to him.

How I long for her touch, her comfort. My heart is heavy. She is so missed, and so loved by so many. She was a wonderful person, they don't come much better.

I love you Grandma.

Leave me presents!

2007-12-08T10:48:00.001-07:00

bgcolor="ffffff" align="middle" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" >

Cole's birthday

2007-11-19T12:41:00.000-07:00

My dear husband had himself a birthday last week. Milo got him a subscription to Urban Climber and a very cute card, and I got him a pair of nice Merril shoes. There was a wreck on the freeway, so he stayed home in the morning. I made a nice breakfast of coffee, eggs, and pancakes. Then he left on his merry way.

Milo and I had a play date with Denise and Jaxon. We had already planned on The Cracker Barrel for brunch. I wasn't sure if Milo would eat, but he proved me wrong. For breakfast, he had 4 Eggo mini waffles, two pancakes, a fried egg, 6oz of milk, and some toast. He proceeded to eat some ham, hashbrown casserole, a buiscuit, part of a banana, and more eggs. I thought kids were supposed to eat you out of house and home when they got older! Here are J and M at the CB...lol

Then, we went to our house to play. Milo was showing Jaxon how to ride the zebra, showed him his book, and tried to get him to help him escape. haha! Besides one head slap, and some pushing, the boys did very well together. It will be fun to get together again!

When he got home, it was a tossup between going to good ol' MacCools or to Ruby River Steakhouse. The lure of a ribeye won, so off we went. We had a great time. The waitress was so fun, and of course, Milo turned on the charm and got some crackers out of it. We got Milo a jacketed sweet potato, which he loved. And, then for the birthday boy, this HUGE slice of cake...the three of us managed to eat most of it though!

The last nice day of the year

2007-11-10T15:41:00.000-07:00

A Saturday in November that's in the 60's. Why not go and have some fun? And as always, never forget your camera!

Wordless Wednesday

2007-11-07T15:49:00.000-07:00

The walls in the mall are totally tall

2007-11-06T16:42:00.000-07:00

Milo and I had an excursion today. We went to the mall to meet up with Denise and Jaxon. We haven't seen them since Milo's party a month ago! We got there a little early, so we cruised on over to Mervyns...and low and behold...a SALE! On cute boy clothes...$30 later, Denise called. We walked over to meet them. Jaxon was smiling sooo big! He was sporting his new stroller!

We decided on Chick-Fil-A for lunch. Milo, the usual piggy, was too busy watching Jaxon to really eat very well...though he did manage 4 nuggets and a few fries. The mall has a play area for lil' kiddos. So we went there (after a stop at the shoe store and Gymboree). The kids had a blast! Crawling, walking, tunneling. It was a grand time.

We've had a busy week so far this week. Monday, Milo started being watched my my mom and other miscellaneous people at her work as my BIL has started a new job and is unable to watch Milo. Luckily, this is a temporary situation until the end of the school semester. I'm not sure what we'll do next semester though. I had a test in my physiology class, which I feel pretty good about...but her tests are hard to guess at how you did. So far, every one of her tests, I've scored an 83...I'm hoping for yet another repeat. :)

Last night, we went to dinner with Poopader to our favorite, MacCools. Of course, Milo is so well known there. We did the half-price appetizers again and ordered Milo a children's grilled cheese. The pig ate most of the sandwich, the applesauce, and had quite a few bites of the potatoes. He also snaked on cheerios and dried fruit before dinner came out. Milo and I went to the shuffle board after dinner to play for a bit. He wasn't as into it as he was the first time.

He has also started to give kisses! Well..he licks you...but it's all in fun! I love it.

On Saturday, we went to the park. Oh what fun! We had a bit of excitement when we sent Milo down a big slide by himself. He hit a hump on the slide and almost flew off! It was kinda scary! But, he had a great time playing, and loved the slides even after that incident.

Milo the Monkey!

2007-11-01T13:21:00.000-06:00

I'm cold

2007-10-29T15:25:00.000-06:00

I suppose I could turn up the heat, but I'd rather not. Maybe just put on a jacket...hold up.

There.

So, today was fun. I had a pop quiz in one class (4/6...not bad for not studying) a test in another (I'm hoping for at least a 70) and then we got to disect a sheep heart in my lab. And I almost lost my cookies...twice. If I didn't know better, I'd suspect something implanted in my uterus. Stuff like that usually doesn't make me queezy. Oh well. LOL!

Milo is 100% off of bottles with the exception of a water bottle that he curls up with to sleep...no sucking, just likes to hold it. He's weird...what can I say? He's walking more and more, getting more and more independent. It's so much fun to watch.

We (Milo and I) went to lunch with our friends Becky and her little girl Amelia. We went to the Cracker Barrel, where both kids made a fantastic mess of mashed potatoes, corn, carrots, juice, milk, cornbread, and biscuits. And I somehow managed to eat some stew...don't know when that happened. Our poor waitress...complete with broom, mop, and a full pregnant belly, was awesome. I wish I could have tipped her more than the 20% I gave. She went above and beyond...even bringing Milo a cornbread muffin while we were waiting (I think she sensed melt-down point approching).

We are going to go to MacCool's Public House for dinner tonight with my Poopader. Every Monday night (at the Layton location) is 1/2 price appetizers. Here's to banger and mash, finn skins, pierogies, and bbq chicken wings.

Oh yeah, I should be cleaning too. Fun stuff, I tell you what. I'm thankful my head is attached to my body. One less thing to remember. W

e are going to try to get out to get us some pumpkins tonight, either before dinner or after. I'm sure that will make for some fun pictures. I wonder if Milo will like the insides of pumpkins? I always hated it...made my arms itchy!

Anyhoo...here's a vid of Milo walking and going down stairs. LOL! I'm such a proud Mommy.

Milo looks more like

2007-10-28T21:12:00.000-06:00

Travel anyone?

2007-10-25T11:29:00.000-06:00

I saw that Emily had this on her blog...and what fun! I need to get my butt out there and get some more traveling done. If you are looking for a great site for help on hotel reviews, things to do when you get there, and just advice, http://www.tripadvisor.com/ rocks my socks!

What's new?

2007-09-27T10:36:00.000-06:00

Agrh! So, needless to say, we've been busy.

I started school at the end of August. I was origianally signed up for Human Anatomy, Human Physiology, and Physics, but dropped physics because I really thought that I might be getting in over my head. So far, so good. I love my physiology class, we just took a test, I have no idea how I did. I'm hopeful though. My anatomy class is kinda boring. The professor cackles all the time and it drives me bonkers. The labs are fun though (this is the dork in me).

We are almost done with our remodeling. Cole and his buddy Eric got the tile done. It looks fantastic! Cole then did some additional tile on the window sills, and then did a tile mosaic over the oven. I just have a few more areas where I need to paint, and finish some touch ups. The new carpet is in too. Cole is still working on the downstairs bedroom/bathroom.

Milo is doing so great! He's learning things all the time. He started walking last a little more than a month ago! He just motors through everything! . He has 6 teeth now. The lovely boy in him has figured out how to blow spit bubbles. At his 1 year appointment, he was 19.6 lbs and 30.7 inches long. He's a skinny long boy! It's just amazing how quickly they grow up. It's hard to imagine, just a year ago, he was laying in my lap most of the day.

Here he is at his first football game, University of Utah with my grandfather, my uncle, and Cole. (Cole took this picture, that's why he isn't there)

The end of an era

2007-07-23T23:47:00.000-06:00

Today, we finished reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It was an amazing book and I am quite pleased for the most part. A part of me feels so sad though...there's nothing better than the anticipation of a book in which you really feel a part of.

Once upon a time, I made fun of those "Harry Potter freaks". I just didn't understand, even though I was totally emmersed into the Earth Children series by Jean Auel (completly different genre though). Honestly, who cares about a boy wizard?

And then, my dear husband finally got me to listen to the first book. My commute to work was about an hour long, each way. I figured I'd give it a try, besides, I was sick of listening to the radio, and repeating news every half hour. And....I was hooked. I listened to each book we had until then, up to the Order of the Phoenix. And then, I reread/listened to them...I was hooked. I am completely sure that I would have been in Ravenclaw and that my best class would have been Potions and Charms...lol! I never would have thought that I would get so wrangled into the lives of these fantasically imagined characters.

I suppose, I feel a bit depressed though. No more adventures, most of my favorite characters gone. At least, JKR gave us a bit of insight to keep us from wondering, "but what happens???".

I can not wait until I can read these stories to Milo. I hope to see a spark of imagination in his eyes when we read the first book.

Congratulations JKR. You have opened the imaginations of countless children...grown up or not...:)

Our summer so far

2007-07-19T11:09:00.000-06:00

This summer has been quite the full one...lol!

Milo and I did swimming lessons (Mom and Tot). They were for two weeks. Milo did great, he loves the water, loves to kick in the water and loves to splash. While we were there, we met Denise and her son Jaxson. Although Milo makes Jaxson cry...cause he's a bully, we've gone to lunch quite a few times. Hopefully, Milo will stop yelling at him.

We started doing some renovations on the house. We tore out the carpet from the front door to the kitchen nook, and put down some backer board to do tiling. We picked out our tile, and now we are just waiting for it to show up. We are also repainting the kitchen and nook area, and are planning on refinishing the cabinets.

My father was diagnosed with esophogeal cancer earlier this month. Luckily, they found that it is very superficial, and the doctors are quite sure they can remove it all with surgury.

Anyhoo, that's about all for right now. I'll try to be better at this blogging stuff. It's all new to me!

Perfect Timing

2007-06-08T15:50:00.000-06:00

Just as I sit to write, Milo wakes up and is crying...oh well...I'll get caught up later!