Easter Best...or worst?!

This is our best shot of the family before church Easter morning. In a batch of about 20 pictures this was the best or worst? Any who, we had a fun Easter and hope you did to.

Last month Elle turned two. For me, my children's birthdays are as much a time of mourning as of celebration. On the night before their birthday I have to hold them especially tight and shed a tear knowing this the last time I will hold them at that age. Often I find myself retracting from other areas of my life because I am trying to grasp all I can of their childhood. This is especially true of Elle because she is determined. And that includes determined to grow up. She does not want to follow Max's foot steps but keep stride with him. They are a wonderful pair.

Elle I love you so. During the past year I loved watching you dance. As soon as you were walking you were dancing all over the house. You are a natural and the way your little body moves is so entirely Elle. I prefer your singing from the back seat to any radio station. We will never forget the fearless way you ran straight into the ocean waves the first time you were at the beach. This coupled with your genuine fear of Sandy (the gentle horse ride at the grocery store) is a great irony and mystery that recalls your soft side too. Having Elle in our home is like living with a story book creature. Your voice and sounds are too cute to be real and turn our lives into a make believe world. Your lack of interest in the potty training bring us right back to reality. For the past year (and beyond) I have tried to tame your hair. Your lustrous locks, like the rest of you, are not to be tamed. Elle is confident and will choose for herself. You also have a wild way about you. It is subtle but not to be over looked. This led to your first set of stitches this year. I am confident they will not be your last. You are a great mix of sweet and sassy, soft yet adventurous. Sad as I am to see this year end I am anxious to see what the next one reveals. Happy, unhappy birthday little love.

Baby Holden

Welcome baby Holden. He was a wonderful early Christmas gift, born December 18th. Our biggest baby so far at 8lbs 9oz. So far he is doing great but wants to be held all of the time. Max and Elle are loving their new brother and he looks like one of us. Hooray for Holden!

Birthday Girl

Our little girl on her big day. We love you as much as you loved

your birthday cake!

Nine Months Old

It is hard to believe that she has been outside just as long as she was inside. I feel a bit guilty not posting the last six months and hoarding them all to myself but I have been enjoying these two little people immensely.

Overheard

Corey: "Max was that an accident or did you do it on purpose."

Max: silence

Corey: "Do you know what is means to do something on purpose?"

Max: "Yes."

Corey: "What?"

Max: "It means time out."

Two Month Birthday

Happy happy two months little Elle Belle. Our sweet little Elle is showing a somewhat spunky side. I love watching her change daily and grow into her own. Her little nose is still pug, eyes are intense (like her personality) and bright blue framed by long, curly eyelashes- perfect for butterfly kisses. She has dainty little hands that are finding their way to that sweetheart mouth more and more frequently and kissable, round cheeks. Perhaps her most striking feature is her dark hair that forms a mohawk of curls on her crown and contrasts her snow white complexion.

Elle smiles and coos in the morning and her spunky side comes out as evening wears on. She brightens up when she hears her adoring brother who gives her dozens of kisses each day. Although she is only two months old our love for her has more than doubled.

I'm an Aunt!

As of yesterday at 6:06 in the p.m. I am finally an aunt. Ali and Curtis welcomed their son and are, of course, instantly in love. I so wish I could be there to love and cuddle him. Luckily, I have my own little bundle but still I want to see him so much. Wouldn't it be fun to get the two of them together?
Max looked at me funny when I told him I was an aunt then I realized in his two year old mind an aunt or ant is a six legged bug. Regardless of his Mom's funny insect proclamations he is excited to be a cousin. Welcome cousin Uzi!

Sweet Little Valentine

We welcomed our new daughter, Elle Marie, on February 6th. Our little family couldn't be happier about our new addition. Welcome darling Elle, goodbye uninterrupted sleep!

False Alarm

A false alarm or more accurately, false labor, sent me to the hospital last week and a reality check. This little bundle is coming and I had better be ready. The next day this was my laundry pile. Three loads- all soft and pink.

Making Me Happy Today

This spread on the homepage of Epicurious made my day. The 25 Days of Christmas Cookies is culinary genius and can't wait to try some. Maybe this baby girl has a sweet tooth but these look so good to me- especially the mini black-and-whites (shout out to a NY favourite) and the smartly frosted gingersnaps. If anyone tries a recipe lemme know the verdict. Happy frosting.

North Shore

Last month Max and I left Corey and headed for warmer weather. My Mom and two of my sisters had planned a trip to our favorite tropical hang out last summer and I had been looking forward to the vacation for months. I always need something to look forward to and this was an ultimate escape. As usual the North Shore of Oahu did not disappoint. The weather was glorious, warm but not hot and the company and accommodations were perfect. More than worth the long flights with Max and baby sister (kicking away in my ever expanding tummy). I don't have a lot of pictures from the trip and realized that we really didn't take many pictures of our girls trip probably because Ali and I were prego and the last thing we want is photos of our bellies in a swim suit. I do have a lot of pictures of Max though. He had a hard time getting turned around so we had some early mornings. Max and I would go for walks on the beach and play in the tide pools to allow everyone else to get some shut eye. Looking back theses are some of my favorite memories from the trip as we looked for baby fish, picked up hermit crabs, searched for beach treasures, chased sand crabs and watched the waves. I think Max loves Hawaii as much as his Mommy.

Going Batty

Cutest little bat ever. I told Max Happy Halloween this morning and he asked me right away if he could put on his costume. He wore his costume all day- except his nap because he was too hot. Max LOVED Halloween and trick-or-treating with the kids.

Happy Halloweeny

Have I mentioned that Halloween is my favorite holiday? I think I mention it every year. Pam sent me these and I thought they were worth sharing. I especially liked Helda. Maybe I have a little Helda in me.

The USVWs

I was recently called to volunteer with nine year old boy scouts- The Bear Den. I don't have any brothers so Boy Scouts is a foreign concept. My knowledge and participation in Girl Scouts is strictly confined to cookie consumption. Fish out of water is a mild term after leaving my first den meeting last week.

For our initiatory meeting our agenda was to come up with a den name and banner. Our bears came up with the den name the Ultimate Steel Viking Wolverines or USVWs. You thought it was some patriotic acronym but alas. I wish I had a picture of our banner which was a concoction of felt strips, dragons, shields and googly eyes glued at random. Throughout the meeting I kept thinking that in 7 short years I am going to have one of these boys myself and why does it smell so bad in here?! Do all nine year old boys have a gas problem?

Welcome Darling Pink!

Welcome Darling Pink! Like Max, many of you guessed correctly. We are so excited to meet little pink come February. Pink is very fitting for Valentine's Day.

Out of the Scene

Yes, I have been out of the blogging scene as of late. I take that back, I'm out of any sort of scene. We moved completely away from any kind of scene. There is no "scene" in Midland. Then why no blogging you ask? I have been busy. Civilization isn't the only thing I'm moving out of these days; I'm also growing right out of my pants thanks to baby numero dos. My four month date with the porcelain throne is finally coming to an end and it is about time! Exactly one week from today we find out if we are having a baby brother or a baby sister (or baby sitter as Max says). If only we could also have a baby sitter appear along with the baby- now that would be helpful. Any who, I have posted a poll in the side bar and you can cast your vote. Max has his vote in so now make your prediction. One week from today we'll find out the verdict.

Olympic Fever

Although I do love the Olympics, admittedly I am super excited about the games in China and seeing some of our stomping grounds from only a couple months ago. Beijing wasn't my favorite city we visited but it was where I saw some of my favorites sites and learned the most about the Chinese ruling body past and present. I remember Beijing as a city with a lot of really crazy new architecture and outlandish design (you'll get a feel just seeing the Olympic structures) but by the government quarters around Tien'anmen square it still feels very strict and no non-sense. A member in our group who was there earlier in the day saw a government vehicle pull up with guards and pull a man off the square and quickly drive away. This is not a place to mess around. I also thought this was the place where you could feel the clash between the old and the new China. Although things are changing, the government is still an all seeing eye.

The Olympics were to start in just over 2 months from when we were there but buildings were still in the process of going up. Our guides told us that they were not worried about things being completed because they have crews that work around the clock and I don't doubt that they will be completed. The man power in that country is still hard for me to comprehend. I also think that the Chinese love to sparkle and they see this a stage to show their country's skill and power on an international stage. The Chinese can put on a good show so I am really excited for the opening and closing ceremonies. I can't wait until tomorrow. Go 'Merica!

Outside of Beijing hiking the great wall.

Members of the high court.

Corey and Grant displaying their athleticism playing Chinese hacky sack with the senior citizens at Jingshan Park.

Flexy man stretching at the pagoda on Prospect Hill.
Everywhere we turned this man was somewhere stretching.

Our posse cruising around the newly restored forbidden city.

Moving On

One of my least favorite things in life is moving. I have always disliked it. I usually don't mind the change to a new location and think it can be exciting but packing and unpacking things is the worst. This time around I was relieved when I found out that a moving company was going to pack and move us. The day came and the packers entered our small apartment and packed up all of our belongings in a matter of hours. The result was shocking. I felt empty as I walked around our vacant apartment. In the past I have packed up all of our things gradually; I now realize that this process is helpful in slowly saying goodbye to another phase in life coming to an end.

As I gave the apartment a look over memories from the last couple of years came peeking through as I noticed the stain a squashed blueberry left on the carpet from a baby shower, I found a long lost binky behind where the armoire once stood and was surprised not to see Corey's shoes spilling out of his tiny closet for once. If the walls of our apartment could talk they may tell you about our baby's exploring hands reaching through crib slats to brush their orange peel texture or warned me about the blue crayon incident that was to happen a year later. They could tell about study groups around the sofa, long discussions on cold winter nights about where we would go next- fueled by peppermint tea with honey and could have probably reprimanded me for declaring the apartment "disgusting" on arrival and correctly predicting that when the time came I would be terribly sad to go. In Howard's End, E.M. Forster shares his sentiments about homes in saying, "....a house in which one has once lived becomes in a sort of way sacred." For good or bad our memories are tied to them and this was a good home. Goodbye Boston.

Happy Flag Day!

Here's to a merry fourth of July and to hoping the cloudy Boston skies clear up so I can see some of this: