Happy Birthday, Abby!

December 30 (tomorrow) is Abby's 3rd birthday and we are all very excited for the big day. Abby can't wait to be bigger and her birthday, to her, symbolizes all that it means to get bigger. Our girl has gotten so much more adventurous, loving, talkative, fun-loving, funny, and imaginative. She has become an incredible big sister and friend to Sam. Abby asks the best questions (today's best was, "What was baby Jesus for Halloween?") and wants to know why things are they way they are. We naturally think she is the best, brightest, and most beautiful. Happy birthday to our big 3-year-old! We love you, Abby!

Pictures courtesy of the talented Annmarie who did a family photoshoot for us. Thanks again!

Wintertime Fun

Somehow in the middle of our fun lives of park-hopping, running errands, learning new skills (as Sam demonstrates below), and attending Music Makers and the library, winter hit. I wasn't ready. I know my siblings in Utah have now had several weeks of snow and I have pitied them as we enjoyed the outside in long sleeves. But it hit us. Not snow, thank goodness, but winter.

Here's how we've spent the first couple weeks of cold.

Abby has a renewed love of reading. And Sam, being the dutiful little brother, loves reading and anything else Abby loves. This sense of needing to be involved in everything his sister does has already led to several wrestling matches, too many tug-of-wars to even count, and a few buckets of tears. Ah, the joys of having a sibling! You can't tell, but Sam is jockeying for position during this reading session and was surprisingly successful in taking over Abby's spot.

We set up our Christmas tree for our family night last week and had a great time. Abby did a much better job this year making sure the ornaments were distributed evenly around the tree and Sam has spent the week making sure that he knocks off every one of them he can reach. The poor boy has received multiple big sister lectures about not opening the presents because it's not Christmas yet. Of course the lecture begins within minutes of her asking me, "Is it Christmas today?"

We went to Busch Gardens Christmas Towne while we were in Williamsburg last weekend and had so much fun! It was a fantastic way to kick of the Christmas season. We were surrounded by lights, music, hot chocolate from heaven, penguins, dancing, and family. It really was a wonderful day!

We had our Christmas party at church last night and Santa was there for a visit. Both our kids were excited as we waited in line and we were sure to capitalize on the fact that Abby's friends were so brave and so happy to sit on Santa's lap. And wow, they even got a candy cane for being so brave! Abby was all set to go up and tell Santa that she needed (needed!) a new My Little Pony and Sam should get an art set...and then it was her turn. She walked toward Santa, froze, and burst into hysterical tears. Honestly, I don't know how she could have gone from so happy to so freaked out in a split second. Hoping that Sam being on Santa's lap would somehow convince Abby that her fears were unfounded, we sat Sam on Santa's lap and tried coaxing Abby over. Par for the course when it comes to following his sister's example, Sam immediately burst into body-shaking tears (which, by the way, never happens with this happy child) and we had to rescue both children from this frightening experience. Wouldn't this have made a great picture? Too bad Roy and I were both too shocked and filled with laughter to even snap one picture.

My Life on Stage

This was just too cute and typical of both kids to not share.

PS--Do you see the bump on Sam's right eyebrow? It's a cyst that will no longer be there after his surgery January 6.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Two of the things I am incredibly grateful for today are these two crazy kids!

Growing Up

Today was the Primary Program at church. For those not familiar with our church, there is one Sunday service set aside each year for the children to show off to the congregation the things they have been learning through the year. Usually, each child has a little line to say and all the kids sing the songs they have learned during the year. It's honestly one of my favorite Sundays because I love kids and you also never know when the next funny thing is going to happen. Throw kids in front of an audience and they will perform. You always have the Waver (the younger kid who finds the people they know and frantically waves at them until they respond), the Loud Singer (the kid who is convinced they have the obligation to carry the song for the entire chorus), and every once in a while the Loud Singer Who Doesn't Know the Words. But I digress... All the kids were up on the stand doing their program and Abby was sitting on my lap when one of her favorite songs started being played on the piano ("Follow the Prophet"). She wanted to sing with them so we told her she could sing from where we were sitting. She got hysterical and began bawling because she wanted to be up on the stand with them. We talked about how next year she'll be up there with them, but she couldn't stop crying and kept saying (or shouting, depending on which parent is telling the story), "I wanna be bigger!" It was so sad! I ended up taking her to the hallway to calm down and then she said, "I think we should go to the rocking chair. That will help me calm down." The girl definitely has a thing for drama. :)

In Sam news, he is moving very quickly on his tummy and on his feet. He does an army crawl and is very quick at getting where he wants to go. If he's standing, he is extremely good at getting around the room by cruising along furniture. It's exciting to watch. Sam also learned how to clap his hands today. We did a whole lot of clapping at dinnertime as a result of his new-found skill. I can hardly believe how fast my boy is growing up and am falling in love with his personality. Sam is so fun and so full of life!

For those who are interested, here's Sam clapping. This is only a couple minutes after he first showed us he could do it. In an effort to capture the moment (and not make Sam feel like the second child ten years down the road by not having any of his special things on film--you can thank your Aunt Becky for that, little man), we had to not just video him, but post it on our blog. :)

Fall Photos

One of our family traditions is to take pictures out in the leaves. What that means is that Roy and I take turns being the cameraman and the one being goofy to get our kids to smile. It's a lot of fun. We took probably 25 pictures of each kid, but here's a sampling of our favorites of each.

Sam:

Abby:

Happy Halloween!

Our little Tigger and The Little Mermaid (she wasn't Ariel--she was The Little Mermaid because her name is Abby) had a great Halloween season. We did the traditional activities and had a great time!

Visiting a Pumpkin Patch:

Decorating Pumpkins:

Please admire the face Abby drew. You can see two eyes and a smile on the top of the pumpkin drawn in marker. She is just now starting to draw shapes for faces and it's so fun to see (and brag about)!

Sam, as always, wanted to participate as much as possible so he got to hold a paintbrush and be cute.

Dressing Up and Trick-or-Treating:

While trick-or-treating, Abby was sure to let everyone know that Sam was too little to grab his own candy out of the bowl so she was going to take one for herself and one for her baby brother

Sam. Proud parent moment!

Enjoying the Loot:

Sam got to enjoy several sucks of a lollipop before it dropped it to the floor in hopes of grabbing another great prize--an empty Nerds box!

Bathing Beauties

When Abby was about 7 months old, we got this cute picture of her in the bathtub. Abby is a very photogenic kid and we take lots of pictures, but this remains one of my favorites. Look at her cuteness!

A couple weeks ago, I got some cute pictures of Sam in the bathtub. Since we now have more than one bathroom, that means I get to do a little bit of bathroom decorating in our guest bathroom. I want to put up a black and white bathtub picture of each kid, but I can't decide

which picture of Sam to use. He is also incredibly photogenic and just so cute! What do you think?

#1--This shows a lot of Sam's mischievous personality. And look at those rolls!

#2--But then look at that smile! Can't you just feel happiness pouring out of him? I absolutely love my boy!

Happy Fall!

We are really enjoying the gorgeous fall weather! And somehow my kids are getting bigger and cuter. I can't stand it!

Still Alive and Kickin'

We are buried in boxes (again), but our move was a success and we are in a cute townhouse in a neighborhood with lots of parks. Sam is starting to crawl backwards, the kids wrestle a lot, and Abby always wants to go exploring. Life is good!

Continue in Patience

There are so many times when our patience is tested and tried and we feel stretched thin and unrewarded for the work we do and sacrifice we make. This message was perfect for how we have felt recently and a good reminder that though we may want to be rewarded right now, our Heavenly Father has His own timing.

Continue in Patience

Picture Update

That's right, Abby, attack the kids who are running away.

But please do notice Zach has a gun too.

Sam participating in the water games with cousins. So much fun!

Abby's favorite thing in Culpeper is "Art School".

Check out Sam's newest skill! He can't pull himself up to stand, but it is really good at standing once he is up and holding onto something.

Deja Vu (or A Funny Thing Happened on the Way Through Culpeper)

Roy got a phone call yesterday offering him a job as the Manager of Intellectual Property & Technology Transfer Policy with a company called BIO in Washington DC. He started talking to them about a week and a half ago and has been anxious to work for them since. An impressive salary increase, great employee benefits, real holidays, evenings, and weekends off coupled with the fact that it is his dream job led to an immediate yes. He starts October 12. We're really excited for him! Since he started the interview process, I stopped unpacking so since half our stuff is still in boxes, this should be a pretty easy move. We're sad about moving from Culpeper since it stole our hearts quickly, but the commute would be way too long every day. We are looking at moving somewhere along the Orange Line of the metro (for all our old DC friends who know where that is) and have appointments to look at places tomorrow. We are really excited about the opportunities Roy will have in this new career. By the way, I still don't completely understand what he'll be doing, but I know the title and any questions you have can be directed to Roy.

And We're Back

Moving is always an interesting experience. It's exciting to see new places, meet new people, and explore. It's exhausting to unpack and organize, change information and start up all the utilities etc, and learn a new area. We love Culpeper so far. It's a great mix of a small town feel with easy access to all the things we consider essential. And yes, Target is one of my essentials. So is access to more than one park. It's been so nice to spend time with Roy's family up here and see the cousins play together. Abby and her cousins took about three seconds to be uncomfortable around each other before running and playing. Sam took a little longer to get accustomed to the noise while not in the safety of a lap, but the boys have won him over now.

So on top of all the moving fun, we have discovered a great park:

attended Roy's swearing in:

explored downtown Culpeper (including discovering a fabulous bakery with the world's yummiest doughnuts):

bought a new car

attended cousin Zach's birthday weekend celebrations (where our camera stayed, dang it!)

started Abby in art school

started both kids in library story time

found out my brother (finally) got engaged and started planning our CA adventure for the wedding. Yes, Neil, I did say finally :)

and did lots of other fun things that will have to wait for another post and our camera to return home.

And We're Off

Moving day is tomorrow. I think we're ready. We were a little disorganized for our move here so we've been a little preparedness-happy this time around and hopefully it will pay off tomorrow. Roy will load the truck in the morning and I'll take the kids to library school and run errands. Hopefully we'll have the truck loaded, lunch eaten, house cleaned, etc and be driving off by 1 pm. Optimism is a good thing, right?

Abby has had a few funnies this week that have kept the stress levels down.

Abby and Sam were playing in the front room, I was in the kitchen, and Roy walked into the front room from a long absence in the bedroom and said, "Hey! Where's my crazy-head?" Without missing a beat, Abby responded, "She's in the kitchen."

Yesterday we were on our way to make a donation and we were explaining what we were doing with the bags of clothes, toys, and other stuff. Abby was quite upset about donating toys she never played with (of course) and then suddenly said, "I don't want to give away Sam's clothes! Then he would be naked!"

One of my favorite oft-repeated Abby phrases is, "Okay. I'll try." She says it in this cute voice and always makes me smile. We saved the kid's stuff to pack last so they didn't lose it, but some things got boxed up that Abby apparently cared deeply for and we would have rounds of tears over the object. Several times when we suggested she play with a replacement item, she would sigh and say, "Okay, I'll try." Too cute.

Sam is as lovable and wonderful as ever. He is incredibly independent, which is handy for packing, and loves watching Abby. Everything she does makes Sam laugh. He gives huge hugs and slobbery, wide-open-mouth kisses. Sam is babbling more and growls a lot. He's a pretty great kid.

It's been a good year in Wise, but we're excited for our new adventure in Culpeper. Here we go!

First Day of School

Abby really wants to go to school so we're taking advantage of our week left in Wise to go to library school. She was so excited all morning to go to school! She packed a backpack full of essential school supplies (dolls and My Little Pony toys) and was ready to go an hour early. Here's to the first of many first days of school!

All dressed and ready for school!

On the way...

"Oh no! My backpack won't buckle in my car seat!"

Dancing with all the other students and Miss Nancy.

Abby and Alice--two peas in a pod!

Sound Bites

Life in the eyes of an adventurous, fun-seeking, happy two-and-a-half year-old:

• As we drove past the Ford car dealership, Abby delightedly said, "Oh look! There are cars on those balloons!"
• "Oh, you said no, Mom? I'll go ask Dad!" (I have NO idea where she learned this, but I see this line being said for at least the next 16 years. Heaven help us.)
• "But I wanna be 16!" (Her response when I told her that no, she can't drive the car today, but she can when she's 16.)
• "Where's my car?" (Said every time Roy takes it to work.) Followed quickly by, "I need it! It's my car!"
• "But Mom, I'm doing my job." (Abby says whenever I ask her to do something she isn't totally thrilled about doing.)
• "Are you a monster?" (Our next job is to say yes, growl, and then chase.)

Abby dancing with Backyardigans.

Life in the eyes of the 6-month-old little brother who thinks his sister is hilarious, life is the best, everything should be eaten, and that we should laugh at every possible opportunity. Good philosophy.

• "Abby is so funny!"
• "Hmmm, mulch. Mouth."
• "What are you doing, Mom? Quit making me laugh!" (Then, as he's laughing he attacks me with his gooey open mouth for a big kiss. I love it!)
• "Rock? Mouth time!"
• "DAD! Pay attention! It's me!" (We know this is what he's saying because he shrieks and stares Roy down until Roy pays attention.)
• "Food! Finally!!!" And the shoving begins.
• "Who are you? And why are you talking to me?" (Sam gets lots of attention when we're out in public--he's cute and always making noise. He will be all smiley and talkative until someone talks to him. He then goes stone-faced. The really persistent adults tickle his feet or continue talking until they get a little grin. The extra effort is worth it. Sam has one of those light-up-his-face, breathtaking smiles.)
• "What's this? I'll stick it in my mouth and find out."

Yes, that is his toe in his mouth.

The big Sam news of the week is that he got his first tooth! Hurray!!!

Roy got to see a 10 foot tall marijuana plant today at work. I got to see it all wrapped up in the back of the squad car when we picked him up at the end of the shift. Go ahead, be jealous. That sucker was squashed into a big black garbage bag and took the whole back seat. Perks of Roy's job. :)

Cutest Kids on the Block

Not that I'm biased or anything, but we have really cute kids. I don't even need anyone to tell me that because I just know it. They may have gotten their strange sense of humor from me, but I'm pretty sure the looks came from Roy. At least that's what strangers and friends alike say when they see our kids, "Whoa! It's mini-Roy!" or "Wow, that's Daddy's son/daughter." I used to think it would make me sad if my kids didn't look like me (not that I'm vain, but, for crying out loud, I carried them for 9 months so I should get something out of the deal!), but Sam and Abby are both too cute for me to even be upset about the constant commentary about the origin of their looks.

We had a great time out at the park this week. Sam attempted to sneak in bites of mulch while Abby practiced her scooter. We love being outside and both kids are happiest when we're busy so we spend lots of time inventing things to keep us busy, which results in many romps to the two-and-a-half parks we have in the area.

We had a stressful Wednesday. Without going into too many details, Roy's new job he is transferring to almost became the job that wasn't. Thankfully, all the miscommunications got resolved and the rescinded transfer is now unrescinded and we're still heading to Culpeper at the end of the month. Phew!

And because it's been an entire paragraph since I got to show off the world's cutest children, here are my favorite kids dressed in their Sunday best!

How can you beat this smile?

(Can you tell who is learning what to do for the camera?)

Abby picked out headbands at the store yesterday and was so proud to show off her matching dress (thanks, Cindy) and headband. Everyone we saw today was expected to make a comment on her outfit (if they didn't do it willingly, they were invited to comment on Abby's cuteness by the queen of cuteness herself). As you can tell, she is extremely proud of her new big girl look!