Security

On September 12th our life took an unexpected detour when our house was broken in to while I was at the gym. The day before the incident the Hubs and I were discussing our plans for the future. Initially we never intended on staying in the rental home for very long...but one year quickly became two and we were feeling pretty comfortable there. We had just discussed that we would both like to stay one more year and then begin looking for our next home to purchase. In fact, on the morning of September 12th, I discussed this plan with the ladies that watch Lo in the gym nursery. 

My class got out early that morning and I distinctly remember feeling like I should take my time driving back home, which I did. Shortly after that I arrived home to find that our house had been broken in to. This isn't the first time I have been robbed, my childhood home was broken in to on a few different occasions and I was robbed while working as a bank teller back in 2001. I knew all of the emotions I would go through in the following days but what I didn't anticipate was how the mother in me would react. I was panic stricken, I didn't want to stay in that house another second! 

I tried to remain calm for Lo because I know that littles can sense those kinds of things, but she pretty much immediately broke out with hives herself. That was so, so sad. We tried to stay at the house the first night to prove to ourselves that we could do it and feel safe again. The only drawback was that none of us slept a wink, not even the baby. So, that morning I packed as much clothing/valuables as I could fit in my vehicle and I headed to my parents house.

Hubby went out of town on a previously planned work trip and all the while we both tried to figure out if/when we would go back home. To make an already long story longer, the home was attempted to be broken in to 2 more times before there was another successful break in leaving our total at 4 times as of today. After the second time we both decided we weren't going back, how could I with a little one to keep safe? So, for the time being all of our stuff is in storage and we are shacking up with my parents while we look for our next home to purchase. Funny how things can change in an instant, huh?

These were the last 2 pictures that I had of us at our rental home. One of Lo acting a fool running around inside and one out in the yard before a bike ride. What sickens me is that someone watched us and knew our routines. They knew I would be at the gym that morning and the window of time they had. To think of us riding the streets in that neighborhood on our family bike rides while some creep watched us makes me ill. Oh well, accept the things you can't change...right?

Lo's First {Unofficial} Day Of Nursery

In the LDS church, babies remain with their parents during all 3 blocks of church until they are 18 months old. As many of you can imagine, and/or have experienced- there isn't a whole lot of meeting attendance when you have a little one under 18 months. We do a lot of hanging out in the mothers lounge/hallway and foyers. The parents of these tots have dubbed the foyers the "pre-nursery class". 

Moving on- the nursery leaders approached me last week and told me it was time to start transitioning Lo into nursery as she will be 18 months on the 30th. I figured she would do fine since she does the gym nursery well, but ya never know with toddlers! Despite being very sleepy I think she did quite well. She is obviously not on the same level as the 2 other kids that are in there with her, they are 3 years old and about to transition to the regular kids program, but she held her own. We are so excited for her and know that she will enjoy being with her adorable nursery leaders and new friends. Yay for nursery!

Lo's first coloring page from nursery. We have it proudly displayed on our refrigerator.

Apple Festival 2013

We decided to go with my brother's family to the Apple Festival over Labor Day weekend. We attended last year for the first time as part of our "B" family vacation and loved being in the Hendersonville area. 

We hit up the festival- ate fresh apple pie, had apple slushies and apple sippers. Lou and Lo rode some rides (Lo's first experience with rides) and bought some apples at one of the vendors tents.

 Afterwards we went to a nearby local steakhouse that we remembered liking last year and it didn't disappoint this year. Then we went to an apple orchard (Stepp orchard, same as last year) where we picked our own apples. We were bummed that the tractor driver for the hayride that we liked was at the festival so we didn't get to ride this year. We brought back lots of fresh honey crisp, Jonah gold and Granny Smith apples though. Mimi had promised homemade applesauce out if the loot.

 On the way out we stopped by a shop that we went to last year because Nell had regretted not buying some serve ware that they sold when we were there in 2012. We happily went back because a year is a long time to regret not buying something you wanted! And one last important stop before heading home- Dunkin Donuts for our frozen hot chocolate and doughnut fix! We have our priorities. :) 

We were smooth sailing back home until I realized that Lo was finger painting in poop from her diaper. Gross! So we barely made it to an off ramp where we quickly got her out of her seat, stripped her down, wiped her and her carseat off and got back on the road. Good times!

Lo and Lou on Lo's first ever carnival ride "the caterpillar". Lo loved it and clapped every time it came around. The ride lasted over 4 minutes and she did great for being 17 months old. After this, I took her on a hot air balloon carnival ride that goes in a circle and the hot air balloons that you sit in go up and down...not a fan! She never cried but she was physically shaking because of the stomach flipping sensation that happened when the ride went up and down...it was too sad. Luckily I was riding it with her so I applied some pressure on her little belly with my hand to help her feel more comfortable and held her little hand. Bless her heart!

My two loves.

Cousins enjoying fresh apple sippers together. All of the grand kids love these cups and use them all year.

I love how Lo is looking at Lou in this picture, makes me laugh.

The apple of my eye at Stepp Orchard.

Someone didn't want to cooperate!

Pooped! Literally, she didn't nap all day until she had the blow out on the way home and then she had a nice little snooze. Seriously, nothing sweeter than a sleeping baby...especially mine!

17 Months

I have many drafts that I haven't published but I wanted to write a quick update about my Lo.

I can't believe she has been with us for almost a year and a half...time has flown by! I don't remember life without her. She has been the sweetest blessing to our little family and is the apple of our eye.  Lo is definitely coming into her toddlerhood and leaving her babyhood behind. She is walking with more and more confidence every day. She is jabbering like crazy repeating random things that we say. She tries to give commands to the Bluetooth in the car now and will tell it to "call wobet" for her Daddy. The other day her Daddy said "oh my gosh" and she repeated "oh gosh". Those are some of the funnier ones of late but there are many more.

She is currently teething, but what else is new! I don't know how many more teeth she has left to cut but I'll be thrilled when it's over. She's not bad with it, but tends to drool, have a runny nose and gets diaper rash. The process of teething seems to be slow and steady for her, it took ages to get her molars thru! She is getting her two teeth beside the front teeth.

She definitely has the mind of an engineer...I can always see the wheels turning in her head just like her Daddy. She loves to stack blocks, she loves to see what she can fit inside of random objects. For instance, she tries to put miscellaneous small objects inside of an Easter egg and gradually the objects get larger and larger until the egg won't shut...testing the limits!

She adores her cousins and loves to FaceTime them several times a week. She loves to play around with my iPhone and knows how to turn on music, the PBS kids app and talk to Siri. She is still a bookworm and will spend hours sitting and faux reading books. The gutter bookshelves that her Daddy made for her room before she was born were definitely an inspired choice. She continues to love being outside in any way, shape or form and loves water. We have had a ridiculous amount of rain this summer and she loves to get out in it and puts her hands out to catch the rain drops.

She has become increasingly more attached to her blankets that Mimi made her that are silky on one side and minky on the other...they are referred to as her soft soft cozy and she can't get enough of them. When it's time for a nap or bedtime we say "do you want soft soft cozy?" And she will excitedly walk back to her bedroom.

She blows kisses on command, waves hi and bye (she waves differently for hi and bye) and says "bye bye". She has the softest curly blonde hair and has already had 2 hair cuts in her 17 months of life. She loves puppies (pup pup) and kitty kats (kee kat). She loves going on walks in her stroller. She loves the nursery at the gym. 

Okay, in going to end there because I tend to get carried away with these update. I could go on and on about our little sunshine.

Rocking her tiara.

E and Lo enjoying bubbles and the outdoors.

Melts my heart!

A bath with Daddy in Mimi and Pappy's Jacuzzi tub.

The day she found a stuffed kitty in the store and begged for it.

New clothes from Gramma and Papa D

She's becoming  more independent-dipping French toast into syrup

Up bright and early, checking out the neighborhood.

First time with pigtails.

We Have A Walker

On July 29th our little Lo walked for the first time. She had taken a step here and there but never more than one until this day...and of course, Robert was on a business trip! Luckily, we were staying at Mimi and Pappy's house so Mimi captured it on her phone. She certainly took her sweet time getting to this point, she's 16 months old! We knew she was plenty strong but she had to decide to take the plunge. She loves practicing anywhere we go!

Ohio 2013

We traveled to Ohio for Ronnie's funeral. He died in May and was cremated so we waited until all if the family could get together to do the funeral/burial. Independence Day weekend seemed to work best for the family so that's when we made our trip up. My parents came with us for moral support and to help with the baby during the funeral which was a huge help.

We traveled on the 4th of July and pulled in to Hubby's cousins home around 5:00. We were able to mingle with family and enjoy a barbecue for the holiday. It was a nice surprise to be able to make it for the celebration because we made really good time on the way up.

The 5th was the day of the funeral. There were so many people there that we didn't even know but we tried to mingle with most people as they came in the church so we could introduce ourselves. The funeral was held at the church that Ronnie's family has attended for years. 2 different Pastor's took care of the service, there was beautiful music and Hubby  closed the funeral with his thoughts about his Dad. He did a beautiful job and I know that his Dad would have been so proud of him.

I don't know where he got the strength to speak at his own Dad's funeral but he did an incredible job.  We went to the cemetery where family and friends paid their respects and Hubby dedicated (said a prayer) over the grave. Once everyone went back to their cars to leave, my Hubby took Lo over to the grave so that he could have a minute with her- telling her about her Grandpa that she was only able to meet once. It seems weird to write about this on a blog that other people read, but it's a collection of my thoughts and it's a sweet moment that I don't want to forget. 

We went back to the church and had lunch before going back to Kev and Theresa's so that Lo could take a nap before the next scheduled gathering. Later that afternoon we went to hubby's Aunt Fran and Uncle Neal's home where they hosted the family and some close friends for a dinner. It was nice to be able to kick back and enjoy time with he family. Kev and Theresa made a slideshow that I heard was really good of all of the pics of Ronnie over the years. I hate I missed it, but I was keeping Lo entertained so she didn't ruin it for everyone else.

Saturday we deemed a fun day. Kev a d Theresa generously offered to show us some sights- We went to a chocolatier, an outlet mall, a cheese place that gave the Amish a run for their money, a outdoor store and a steakhouse. Later that evening we met back up at Neal and Fran's for dinner with the family.

Sunday morning we said our goodbyes to everyone, loaded up Ronnie's belongings in our car and made the trek back home. The trip home took a lot longer than the ride up...we were definitely glad to be home! 

Some of the few pictures I have from the trip-

Hubby and Lo

The cheese store of all cheese stores...amazing!

Traveling with a toddler was a full time job for 2 people. It was difficult keeping her entertained and difficult to get her to take naps along the way but better than I expected. Did I mention she cut molars on this trip? Yikes!

Pioneer Trek 2013

The Hubs and I had the privilege of being advisors on the trek for the youth this year. Our Bishop asked us a few months ago if we would be willing to go and after much consideration we agreed that it was an opportunity that we couldn't pass up. We were nervous about leaving the baby for 3 days and 2 nights but she was in good hands with Bab, Roc and their gang.

The trek was held out in Blythewood on a horse farm that belongs to a member of the church and her generous neighbor. We hiked a total of 18 miles over be 3 day period and slept outside covered by nothing but a tarp. We were responsible for 2 handcarts of youth totaling 15 people. We had the greatest kids and had the best time with them. It was physically challenging as most would expect. Luckily, we weren't allowed to help with the 400+ pound handcarts unless necessary. I helped during the women's pull and that was all that was needed.

Each of our family units were given a baby that was to be carried and treated like a real baby for he duration. Each  baby came with a name and a story of a real pioneer and we didn't find out until the last day if our "baby" made it to the valley or not. Our leaders gave us the rest of the baby's story on the morning of he last day and both of our people made it and had long healthy, happy lives. Coincidentally, one of the babies that we assigned to one of our groups was the story of our bishop's great-grandmother...so that was pretty special.

After we read the outcome of our babies stories we gathered for a funeral service to bury the babies that didn't survive...talk about heart wrenching! One of the youth stood up on the hi behind our crowd of youth and softly played "Come, Come Ye Saints" on her violin...there wasn't a dry eye! It was really a neat experience and definitely an emotional one. It was neat to see that the youth finally understood the sacrifices that the pioneers  made for their religion.

Going on the trek as an adult was an exercise in patience in many ways...but at the same time, it gave me a greater appreciation for the youth of the church. These kids are strong and it gives me hope. 

Some other tidbits worth noting- we got to have Jose (Bab and Roc's bonus kid) come on our trek and be a part of one of the families that we were responsible for. I also got to have one of my cousin's kids in my group which was neat. We ate good, were privy to portable potties (thank heaven!), were super hot, got sunburned and eaten up by bugs. Got to see the youth really shine...they had to dig deep sometimes but they never let us down. It was an amazing experience that I would do again in a heart beat.

On our way

Our babies

Hubby helped design this temple that the kids  built