LegoLand

A 3-year-old's heaven. The rides and play areas are perfect for Andrew's age. We had an absolute blast and it was so fun to play with my mom. I'm realizing now that I took very few pictures of her the entire trip (sorry mom).

This was Andrew's favorite part of Legoland--guns that shoot frogs with water. It was at the beginning, so we told Andrew that we'd come back to it when we did all of the other fun things in the park. He didn't forget, even when Grandma bought him toys at the gift store.

This is what he was shooting.

Entire cities made of Legos; how cool is that?

Push down on the pedal and steer. (Andrew was only slightly retarded.)

There was an awesome water park, a lot of it is kid-powered.

Andrew loved making this flower shoot water; and made darn sure that no other kid got near his territory (except Joshers).

La Jolla Coves

Beautiful weather. Beautiful sights. What more can you ask for?
Andrew's first beach experience. I'm kind of thinking he loved it.

Reunions

It's been five years since I've been back to California and 9 since I've seen my friends from high school....



Kristie & Stephanie are even more beautiful now. These girls were my best friends in high school and we did everything together. We probably partied a bit too much, but I think we turned out ok! Stephanie (mommy on the right) will be having her third (a boy) in a couple of months.

We were also able to visit another family that is near and dear to my heart. When I first met them, they had only one little girl-now they have three beautiful children! Barratt & Marci are the nicest people I know-they are an incredible couple and they made a huge impact on my life.

The Factory

I had my mom slaving away in The Factory making 18 baby blankets. I did the cutting and ironing, while she sewed. They are oh so cute and I can't wait to see my friends' babies wrapped up in them!

Joshers had croup while we were there. I was grateful for the humid climate and Grandma & Grandpa's extra hands to help me! He was happiest while being held-my little Papoose!

Etc.

The rest of the time, we kicked back and watched movies and enjoyed the kids.

Andrew enjoyed getting VERY spoiled by Grandma and taking evening walks with Grandpa-they both were a huge help to me.

Andrew carried around this backpack that Grandma got for him EVERYWHERE!!

Here are some more pictures from the trip:

He's Mine. All Mine.

This man is the biggest goof I know. He loves slap-stick-bordering-on-vulgar comedies. He loves to gossip. If you want to hear him giggle (yes, giggle) start in on the bathroom humor. He makes up funny phrases and songs. And he LOVES when he can get me or his mom to roll our eyes at him in disgust. So much of his brain power is used up for school and work that when he's with us, we get to experience his silly side. So when Randy has something serious to say, we listen. His time in India has brought him to remember his mission days in Madrid, Spain almost 10 years ago. In his daily emails, he takes some time to describe each of the areas he served in. I am just gobbling it up since he has rarely talked about his mission; I hope someday he'll take me there.

Mama Loves

My boys are very cuddly and need "Mama Loves," as we call it, every now and again. Josh woke up from his nap and let me rock him while he layed his head on my shoulder, after about 5 minutes, he popped up and was ready to play. Then Andrew came up to me and said, "My turn?"

It's a dark and drizzly day today, perfect for some cuddle time.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Ours grows HUGE zucchini. I think this one's bigger than Josh! We took one last walk over to our garden the other day. It's done. Kaput. It was fun while it lasted....

Andrew started his first day of Preschool today. I'm doing a co-op with three other moms (something I swore I'd never do). Is it wrong that I thoroughly enjoyed my two-hour break from Andrew today?

Clap, Clap, Clap....Yay!

Josh learned how to clap his hands over the weekend. He's so proud of himself.

He also cut two new teeth (making four total) and he has some sort of virus. He's not so happy right now (who can blame him).

September: The Month O' Fun

We just spent five fabulous days in Lake Powell with people who KNOW how to play. It was so much fun, I'm wishing I was still there. I'll have more about our trip later when I get some pictures from others that didn't misplace their camera the first day of the trip (grrrr!).

Just went to the store today to stock up our freezer full of dinners that require little effort on my part. Randy leaves this Friday for India, and I have no intention of cooking a full meal while he's gone. Sorry Andrew. On Saturday, me and the boys will set off to San Diego to spend time with my mom (and the beach) for nine days. I'm so looking forward to it!

As for October, wish me luck, I'm going to need it....

My Kid?

I took Andrew to the dentist yesterday. I prepped him the night before our appointment by having him practice opening his mouth wide. I told him we were going to the dentist and if he'd let them look at his teeth, he'd get a toothbrush and a toy. I figured he'd maybe let them take a quick look at his teeth, after hearing of other parents' dentist woes. But he did so good! He let them take X-rays and clean his teeth. The bummer part was the dentist found a cavity, but he was able to repair it right then without numbing him. I'm so proud of you Andrew!

Our Slumbering Babes

Josh and Andrew have two, very distinct sleeping styles. Andrew, being the monkey that he is, likes to sleep sideways or upside down, with his blankie covering his head. We still can't figure out how he can breathe! Joshers likes to take up as much room as possible in his crib, his arms outstretched and his legs look like a frog laying on its back. He looks so comfy! It's our favorite thing to sneak into their rooms before we go to bed, just to watch them looking so sweet and peaceful.

The Road Less Traveled

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth

Then took the other as just as fair
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear
Though as for that, the passing there
Had worn them really about the same

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet, knowing how way leads onto way
I doubted if I should ever come back

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence
Two roads diverged in a wood
And I took the one less traveled by
And that has made all the difference

~Robert Frost

Randy and I have been lucky throughout our marriage; the big decisions of life have come easily for us. The decision for Randy to study chemical engineering; an easy and logical decision. It was a very difficult degree, but Randy enjoyed it. By the time he actually graduated, he had enough credits for two bachelor's degrees. BYU wrote us a fun letter that basically said to hurry up and graduate, or else!

During our engagement, Randy decided to pursue medicine. Another easy decision. We knew it would be hard, but we naively forged ahead. It was an uphill battle to complete his B.S. degree, get his GPA up to par (Randy, math genius that he is, FAILED calculus and had to retake it), and jump through the MANY hoops to be a competent medical school applicant (volunteer service, shadowing, research, publications, etc.). Randy took the MCAT not once, not twice, but three times! In the end, our dreams came true, and we were accepted to our first choice; we've been so happy and grateful to be here.

In the midst of this, we made another decision to start our family, another easy and natural choice. We started our new life, just the three of us. Medical school has been hard, and at times, way more than we bargained for. Randy studied his heart out his first two years, and more times than not, he'd be just one point away from making honors. He studied, and studied, and studied, while I kept the home running and chased around our little guy. He took his Step I board exam, passed it, and then jumped right into his third year. A lot less studying, but very long days. On some rotations, he worked 80+ hours. Josh came to us during all of this (an even easier decision), with colic and reflux, but also joy and sweetness. We made it, and I think it's made us stronger.

Somewhere during third year, Randy decided to pursue Radiology for his residency. It's a competitive residency to get into, we knew it would be another uphill battle, but we felt like it was the right and natural course for Randy to take. A research opportunity all but fell into Randy's lap-an all-expense-paid trip to Bombay, India for one month. We knew this would be the golden ticket Randy needed for his upcoming interviews, so we gladly accepted with little reservation. It seemed that our trail was once again easily forged ahead for us.

Then a little bump in the road: A rotation in the Intensive Care Unit. Call every third night was grueling for Randy. He enjoyed the learning, but he was tired, and burned out. The reality that he would have rotations like this one, for a year during his internship, hit us hard. And the reality that a Radiology residency also meant a 60+hour work week for another 4-5 years after that intern year, hit us even harder. It wasn't just the 60 hours that was hard to swallow, but the many hours he would need to study just to keep up. And once residency was over, it is a 50-60 hour work week (plus call) until retirement . We took many walks up the canyon this summer, and talked and talked and talked about our options. Randy kept mentioning Pathology and how he couldn't quite take it off the table. Pathology doesn't require an internship year, and the residency has very little call and the work week is between 40-50 hours. He decided to shift his schedule around so that he could squeeze a month-long rotation in Pathology. He figured that after a week of exposure, he'd be able to make a decision to either stick with Radiology or pursue Pathology. The decision needed to made soon because applications for residency were being accepted in a few weeks.

Well, the week went by, and nothing. Another week, nothing. We spent our evenings talking, going in circles, about which residency would be best. We prayed, fasted, attended the temple, and at last received an answer: Both decisions are good. You decide. So, Randy decided Pathology. And I decided to support him in whatever decision he made. He also told his Radiology professor, who was heading up the research experience in India, that he had decided a different path, knowing that he was burning a big, and very important, bridge. She still wants to send him, and we are grateful.

It has been a few weeks since we've made the decision. At times, we both have felt peace about it. But we've also felt a little unsettled about it. Randy has dreams where he switches back to Radiology. And I almost daily ask Randy if he's sure he still feels okay about it. I think we are feeling a little uneasy because we've never taken this road before: The EASY road. More time for family, hobbies, vacations, and whatever else we want to do. Weekends! To run around and do errands together or play. To not miss out on the hunting and fishing trips, and other family events. To not have to squeeze in a little fun here and there. To live a completely normal life; and no more uphill battles.

I still keep waiting for Randy to switch back. And who knows, he just might do that. But as September 1st draws closer (the first day we can submit our application), the notion that we are actually taking the road less traveled is becoming more real....

Goodbye For Now.....

I said goodbye to my best friend and lovely step-sister today. You'd think that living the student life, where good friends come and go, I would be okay with letting her go. Nope, this is different. I'm going to miss her like crazy.

Cristiana and I first met in Provo where we both lived as newlyweds. We made the 12-hour drive to San Diego together to go to our parents' wedding; we became fast friends. We both moved to the U so that our husbands could go to grad school and we had our first children (both boys) just a month apart. We spent many of our days together, taking our kids on walks, going to the zoo, swimming, shopping, watching movies, sewing, and many other fun excursions. And even though we lived just a couple of miles apart, we had at least one 45-minute phone conversation a week. Our boys were best friends and it's going to be tough the next time we go to the children's museum because I know Andrew's going to ask if Pete is coming. We had our second and third children (she had twins) just 6 weeks apart (all boys again!). She has seen the good, the bad, and the ugly side of me, and still loves me. I love her confidence, patience, and sincerity. She is an amazing mom and example to me.

We sure are going to miss them, but we're also excited for them and their newest adventure: Wade will be doing his post-doc in Nashville, TN. We love you guys! Good luck!

Card Ideas

I don't even know how I found this website: http://cardpositioningsystems.blogspot.com/

What they do is design a layout for a card idea, and then people submit their ideas. A lot of these cards are then snatched up by Scrapbooking Trends magazine for publication.

Also: I've started taking pictures of our card swap cards (so I can give them away without feeling regret)-just go to the "CREATE" label.

Here are some cute ideas from that website:

Andrew's Idol

Coy lives in our neighborhood and his Dad is one of Randy's classmates. He is a year older than Andrew, but I wouldn't exactly classify him as one of Andrew's friends...he's more like Andrew's IDOL. Poor Coy couldn't shake Andrew from his side when we went to the zoo today. Andrew didn't care much for the animals, or me, or really anything else unless it involved Coy. He followed him around EVERYWHERE and did exactly what Coy did. When Coy was out of sight, Andrew would say, "Coy? Coy? COY!!!?!," and if he couldn't find him, he'd come running to me in a panic. He tried holding Coy's hand on several occasions (and we won't mention the kissing incident during our camping trip this summer). Well, Coy wanted to hold Nicole's hand, NOT Andrew's, so sweet Nicole said, "Andrew, you can hold my hand."

Lucky girl, or should I say, Lucky boys?!

Coy has helped me out quite a bit this summer:

"Andrew, COY uses the potty like a big boy."

"Andrew, can you talk like a big boy, like COY?"

"I bet you can put your shoes on all by yourself, just like COY does."

He also taught Andrew the art of peeing in the trees (only for camping, of course!).

My Cheesers

The Sweetness

It took two trips, but we finally got some good shots of Joshua. Target has a good deal right now; no sitting fee, a free 8 x 10, and 1 sheet for $3.99 (expires Sept. 10). The only way he would smile was when I was holding him up in a standing position. Such a stinker.

Did your kids do this?: He likes to roll onto his tummy when he's sleeping and then gets all mad because he can't roll onto his back again. I remember Andrew doing this, too.

Like Mother, Like Daughter

I'm fully convinced that there is a "crafty" gene; and I'm fully convinced that I've inherited this gene from my mother. From a very young age, I've loved doing "crafty" things, and since I've entered the world of motherhood, I've been able to fully embrace this instinctive need to create.

My mom's craftiness has surpassed all comprehension in the last few years. She picked up sewing, and she's gotten really good at it. She enjoys making gifts for others, and I've been the lucky recipient of many of her creations. Check out her website, D&M Custom Creations.
(She gives great discounts!)

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” ~Marianne Williamson