Ready, set, ...

We're all ready for the baby around here. I'm ready to get rid of the belly. Austin's ready to take 2 weeks off of work. Sammy's ready for the birthing pool to show up. (I told her it was an indoor swimming pool. Bad idea. It's really hard to take back jokes with 4-year-olds.) I'm pretty sure Cici is hoping the baby is actually going to be a baby puppy. In any case, we're all ready.

Yesterday, I was looking at my parents' calendar and realized that with all their trips and conferences I actually do need to have this baby soon if I want my mom to be here. On top of that, I finally finished my ridiculous labor project, so now I'm just fiddling around the house obsessively vacuuming corners.

From reading people's blogs and stories online, the ridiculous labor project seems to be a common phenomenon among pregnant women. I know I've had one (or two) with all three pregnancies. With Sammy my ridiculous project was patching and painting and making new curtains for our rental apartment...that we were moving out of two weeks after she was born. With Cici, I have fond memories of the craziness of fixing up our house to sell and crawling along our basement floor hammering in baseboards a day or two before she was born, and then the night before I gave birth going into this wild baking frenzy that produced apple streusal bars, (which weren't even that great.)

With baby #3, I decided that somehow it would be important if the house was decorated for her birth. I guess as a middle child I'm just a little sensitive about her feeling like she's just "another girl" and nothing special. You decorate for important occasions and her pending arrival definitely is one. So I started with our front door. Nothing fancy, just a simple spring wreath for our spring baby.

 

(Also grabbed a St. Patrick's Day bow-tie for our welcome bear. He's so cute he's ironic.)

 

 

Voila! The front of our house is festive! Then I moved on to our banister. After taking down the Christmas greenery it was looking a little bare.

The festive spring flags actually didn't take too long. About one day with the girls "helping." But then I decided that our huge, unwieldy fireplace mantle that I never know what to do with needed to tie in somehow with the banister for a cohesive look. Because remember, a cohesive decorating look is really important for when you have a new baby.

Voila again! A jaunty garden of spring flowers burst into bloom! They also burst all over my coffee table and floor and sofa for about two weeks, in a glorious hodge-podge of hot-glue sticks, paper cutters, scraps, twine, ribbon, and buttons. There's no way I could have my baby until the project was done. In my defense, making paper flowers when you're a detail-oriented person is a very tedious process. I averaged about one a day before I grew incredibly bored. Which I think is the opposite effect a labor project is supposed to have, thus making it into a ridiculous labor project.

Anyway, for anyone that cares to listen to me whine, with my project behind me, I'm now supremely ready to have a baby. Off to vacuum!

Rebozo Rocking

Rebozo technique

 

 

I'm kind of in a pregnancy rut. Normally I love writing on my blog, reading interesting books, having a life, etc., but these days my brain is very baby-centric, so the only things I really want to write, read, or do with my life involve some aspect of the baby coming this month. (Okay, probably next month.)

Last Saturday Austin and I went to a birth class at my midwives' office. I had a hard time convincing him to go. Before Sammy was born we took the hospital-sponsored series of birth classes, and I made him go with me to the last one on breastfeeding...the memory of extreme boredom is still seared on his brain. It was probably like going to a class on baking cookies when you don't own a kitchen. However, as the ever-supportive husband he came around and said he would go with me this time, probably because I mentioned that we would learn how to use a rebozo, which sounded intriguing and weird and possibly fun to make fun of.

I thought it went well. I could tell Austin was zoned out a few times, but overall the class was very practical, especially as to labor relief techniques that the husbands could help out with. I think Austin had fun rocking my belly with the rebozo, and is now gung-ho about me chopping wood in labor...apparently there is some doctor in China that makes his laboring women chop wood out back to get their babies in good birth positions. We also got a good chuckle when the teacher mentioned the birth video of a couple that had their baby out on their back deck...it's kind of our joke that we should have the baby on our back deck and shock the neighbors. Of course I borrowed the DVD afterwards. The dad seemed very proud of their deck baby..."Yeah, I tell people that we had our baby at 3 p.m. on a Sunday, ON OUR DECK!"

More baby prep updates to come. Hopefully nothing involving our deck.

The Purpose of Valentine's Day

As far as I can tell from looking at Facebook, the purpose of Valentine's Day is to brag online about the cool things your husband/significant other did for you on the big day. Now, don't construe from this that I'm a hater. I know some people really dislike Valentine's Day, representing it as a contrived, artificial holiday to celebrate something as deep and undefinable as love, but I am not one of these people. I actually think Valentine's Day is a great excuse/reminder to do something nice for your significant other. In fact, this year it was an excuse for Austin to book us a trip to Maui for the weekend.

I basically spent the whole time in a swimsuit or a bathrobe: relaxing, swimming, snorkeling, whale and dolphin watching, beach-walking, and having nice dinners with my husband. (Yes, I even wore my swimsuit to one of those. For a pregnant, sunburned woman, less clothes = bliss.)

 

Happy Valentine's Day 2013!

 

One up, Facebook posters.

Mission: Completion

 

I just got done with my baby blanket project! I'm going on a little vacation soon and for some reason felt compelled to get this done before I leave. The pregnant brain is a mysterious thing.

I may have mentioned this before, but sewing is not really my forte. In fact, this:

has been my most useful sewing purchase to date, because I invariably spend more time ripping out stiches than sewing them. Yes, I could have bought a blanket for way cheaper and much less effort, and yes, it would have looked better, but I feel like being the third girl, this baby needs to have something special. Despite my general lack of sewing talent, this blanket was pretty easy. I looked up a bunch of tutorials but this one was my favorite because there wasn't a seam in the middle of the binding on the edge. A blanket like this was supposed to take one hour, but of course it took me two or three. I actually think that's pretty impressive, considering the kids have been awake/needing me the whole time I've been working on it. Thank you, Dora.

Maternity Jeans Don't Count

I recently returned from a weekend jaunt to Tucson and it was great. However, I think it kind of backfired, because my escape to warmer weather has left me in a bit of a funk coming back. This morning was a good morning though, and it helped me think of some things that make me feel happy.

 

My Girls

 

 

They are generally very loving and helpful. It makes me excited to have another one. Plus they are quite the characters, which keeps me entertained on these winter days.

Cici is excited, not only because of her chef's outfit which she randomly wears, but because Sam has gone to preschool and she can finally mess with her sister's new dolls!

 

Country Music

 

 

Sometimes you get tired of music about love/sex. A lot of country music simply celebrates what is good about life. ("There's no dollar sign on peace of mind") Or it reduces life to manageable terms. (e.g.,  "God is great, beer is good, and people are crazy." Not that I condone drinking.) Either way, it makes cleaning the house more tolerable.

 

Living Above the Inversion

 

Photo Credit: Tom Smart, Deseret Morning News

 

Hurray for living on top of a mountain! Every time I have to drive down to the valley I am grateful I live above the pollution. I don't have to breathe this into my lungs on a daily basis. Plus it's actually supposed to be warmer above it.

 

Pregnancy Yoga

 

 

Pregnancy yoga is the best. Sure the kids still like to climb over, under, and on me, but on the whole it's rather relaxing. Unlike normal yoga, where you are actually supposed to exert yourself to feel like you've had a real workout, with prenatal yoga it mostly involves feeling your belly, making big circles with it, laying down, stretching your arms and legs a little, but most of all, breathing and connecting with your unborn child. For those of us who are not naturally inclined to work out, it's pretty much awesome. Disclaimer: I do switch this up every other day with my old person workout routine on TV, which is actually a bit more vigorous.

 

Maternity Jeans That Fit

 

Have I actually experienced this yet? No. The price is a problem. All the really cute-looking jeans seem to be over 100 dollars. The jeans at the maternity stores I can afford are too big and just not flattering. For some reason, maternity designers seem to think women look like this once they get pregnant:  

 

 

The reality is, some of us just put all our weight in front and our legs don't change size!

 

September 2010: A few weeks away from Cici being born!

 

 

I'm not a big fan of shopping online, but my normal jeans are going to fit me for about two more days, so I've made another stab at finding maternity jeans online. I bought size 2 jeans from Gap and was quite saddened when they came and still gave me that saggy-butt look I hate. I was talking to Austin about ordering a size 0, ("Guess what, hun, I haven't been a size 0 since I was 13!") and was summarily informed that maternity jeans "don't count." Whatever. I've ordered a pair of jeans today that will hopefully look cute and up my comfort level with their stretchy waistband. That makes me happy.  

 

Pregnancy

 

Famous midwife Ina May Gaskin said that "Birth matters. The journey through pregnancy and birth offers an irreplaceable way for women to explore their deepest selves." I think most of us have had life-changing experiences that haven't changed our lives. They could have, but they didn't. I didn't want to pass up a life-changing experience this time. 

 

Realistically, I have had pretty much the same complaints as with my last two pregnancies: morning sickness, heartburn, round ligament pain, weird itchiness, etc. But I still tell people that this is my best pregnancy ever, and it is. Why? Because I've prepared and am still preparing this time, and "the essence of childbirth preparation is self-discovery" -Birthing From Within. I've learned so much about myself as a woman as I've prepared for birth, and no matter how the actual birth goes, that has made this pregnancy the best one ever.

 

 



A Permenantly Disheveled State

Cici broke her leg after Christmas, which means she currently lays around the house in her pajamas in a permanently disheveled state, occasionally rousing herself to play with whatever toys happen to be within her grasp.

 

This is our life right now:

 

With Austin traveling I have to be the responsible one and actually put clothes on in the morning, but I do manage to take lots of naps and waste a lot of time. In my defense, I have a lot of time to waste. We don't go out much. It's 2 degrees and hauling around a crippled child when you're already carrying one around inside you gets old fast. So I'm back chipping away at my bête noire, scrapbooking, and while it's depressing how many years behind I am, it's alternatively fun to see how far our family has come in the past 5 years.

                                                                          Sammy

 2009

 

2010

                                     

2011

2012

Cici

2010

2011

2012

Take that, scrapbooking.  I've caught up in one easy blog post.

Why do we even have that lever?

 

  

Are you bored? Annoy someone you love by pressing Ctrl-Alt-Down Arrow on their PC. 

Lofty Goals

I started out my new year by calling our dentist's office and demanding to know why the email I got from them said my appointment was on the 13th. The receptionist calmly explained that the 13th was a Sunday, at which point I realized I was looking at the year part of the date. I could tell she thought I was a total idiot, but I take solace in the knowledge that she said her name was Eunice (I think).  And on that note, Kellie, here's my Bucket List.

Carve something

Okay, I don't really want to carve something. I just want to buy a fertility goddess. No, I haven't gone over the crunchy natural-world cliff, I just love the way a pregnant woman's body looks--it is the embodiment of true womanly sexuality. I equally hate how uncomfortable and dowdy many pregnancy clothes are. If it were 76 degrees warmer here and it were socially acceptable to wander about without clothes on, I would be all for that. But since neither of those things are happening, I want a naked statue. I guess I just want to remind myself I am beautiful. ??? To be honest, I'm not really sure where this is coming from, I just know what I want. Unfortuantely, the best one I found on Etsy costs 500 dollars, and isn't even that amazing. Plus, I'm not sure where I would put it in my house. I may have to carve my own statue with one of the 15 pocket knives Austin owns, never uses, but refuses to let me throw away.

Throw away Austin's pocket knives

Just kidding, hon.

Become a gospel scholar

I will read one church-y book a week. That's 52 books. My Utah library has a bunch, so this shouldn't cost me a lot of money. I will blog if I come across anything worthwhile. (This week I'm reading N. Eldon Tanner's biography. I like biographies and people who initialize their first names, so I think it was a good pick.) I'm not very focused with what I want to read, I just want my religion to become a bigger part of my life on a daily basis. I am open to reading suggestions.

Keep track of my spending

This sounds boring, but I'm actually pretty excited about it. When I don't keep track of my spending, I feel guilty when I buy things, because the money's for the whole family and I'm not sure if we really can afford what I'm buying. With my new keeping track goal I am accountable to myself and can save up for the things I really want. So far I've bought a pregnancy yoga DVD and some maternity tops, and I don't feel guilty about spending the money, because I know what percentage of my total household money for the month my things cost.

Have a baby

And get that baby to sleep through the night much, much sooner than Cici.

-----------------------------------------------

And there you have it. I now have physical, mental, creative, and spiritual goals for the year.

Christmas is Coming, the Goose is Getting Fat

Austin asked me to blog the other day, I believe to relieve his boredom at work, but alas my mind has just not been in a writing mood recently. Probably because it's filled with phlegm. I caught this 3 week congestion thing, so...random blog post.

-Sammy has caught on to the fact that when I tell her that Santa Claus is a tradition, that means he's not real. After a few renditions of "Santa's not real, is he, Mom?" I finally had to tell her that when we believe in Santa, we believe in all the good things that he represents, blah blah blah, so we should choose to believe in him. Austin, on hearing about Sammy's disbelief, seemed appalled that I haven't done more to promote the myth and cult of Santa, so I've been talking him up more. We're even giving the girls presents from Santa this year instead of just stockings.

-Last night the girls and I had a sleepover by the Christmas tree. I thought it would be so magical. It wasn't. In fact, at the two-hour-past-bedtime mark there may have been some snarling involved.

-I am gaining weight at the rate of about a pound a week. 17 weeks left!

-Austin and I agree on one baby name so far. No, I can't tell you, what if you hate it?

-My emotions have all floated closer to the surface. It could be pregnancy, it could be a Cici/cold-induced lack of sleep. People and the irrational things they say annoy me more than usual, but on the other hand I feel worse about being annoyed. I just wish people would use their brains more!

-I vowed to avoid all stores other than the grocery store for the month of December. However, I decided to get some pictures at Costco, because it wouldn't involve me walking more than 30 feet into the actual store. It took me 45 minutes to get my pictures. (And that was with being aggressive and waving my belly around.)

-The best time to go shopping in December is early on a Monday morning.

-Thought provoking question for your holiday season:

Crazy People

 

Awww..look at that cute little face. It's hard to find an ultrasound picture that doesn't make your baby look like an alien, so this one was a keeper. I've emailed and facebooked the big announcement, but in case you didn't catch it, we're having a girl. 

Just a quick endnote here: The ultrasound tech was great, but she might have thought we were a little crazy. She asked at the beginning if we wanted a DVD of the ultrasound and I said no. I just didn't see myself ever watching it or forcing anyone else to watch it. She made some comment about how some people don't have TVs, so either she thought we were really poor or really strict. I didn't tell her I own a TV, I just don't want to watch a video of my ultrasound on it. Then I asked what the ultrasound gel was and she wouldn't tell me.  As she said, "I don't want to say the wrong thing." Maybe she thought we were natural nuts who didn't own a TV and who would freak out about the contents of the gel? Then at the end she asked us if we wanted a CD of the pictures and asked if we had a computer...Austin said yes, we were pretty tech-savvy, and she looked confused. I took pity on her and told her I just didn't think we'd ever watch a DVD, but pictures were great. I don't think she thought we were crazy anymore, but I'm pretty sure she chalked us up as bad parents.

Messiah and Marimbas

Tonight I went to a Messiah sing-in. Remember how I was whining about going to one last year, only to find that the audience didn't even get to join in with the choir on the choruses? Well this one had no choir and no director and no orchestra. We didn't even have to bring music. We just showed up. It was very modern. The music played on the auditorium screen for us and scrolled along as we sang. For the recitation parts in between choruses, LDS clips of Christ's life played during the music.

Their sound is gone out...

Now let me take a break from Handel for a moment and talk about one of my secret hobbies. My experience tonight reminded me of it. In college I thought it would be fun to take a percussion class to release some stress and become a cool drummer person. It turns out that drums weren't really my thing--not musical enough--so I focused on learning to play the marimba.

I became pretty good at it. By the time I left school I was up to four mallets and could play this song:
(At least listen to past a minute where it gets cool.)

I don't know if I'm still any good at it, because it turns out that marimbas are expensive and hard to fit in your house. So now it's not my hobby, it's just my secret hobby.

One day during class, the better percussionists were going to play a song one of the others had written. They hadn't practiced all together, but they went ahead and put three marimbas in a 'U' and the guy who wrote the song directed it. It was a mess. They weren't sure when to come in and were dropping notes right and left. They stopped, defeated. Then one of the seniors in our class stepped in. "Come on, try it again. I'll direct." With confidence and verve he led the group on to a rousing performance of the student composition.

All we like sheep are gone astray...

Now I will share a moment from the sing-in. Right before we started singing, the guy who put this thing together asked who wanted to sit while we sang. Only a few people in the large audience raised their hands. The lights went down. The music started. I looked around me to find everyone sitting. I stood up. My little brother stood up. Everyone else stayed sitting as they sang. Halfway through the song, I sat down, defeated. Sorry, bro.

We definitely needed a director to tell us when to stand, (Because really, who sits as they sing the Messiah? Especially after they voted not to?) and bring us in at the appropriate places. We also needed a choir in front of us to make the "rough places plain," i.e. make us sound good, and maybe a small orchestra to get some energy flowing. (Or we could have gotten off our tushies and stood up...)

After I sat down, my dad leaned over and patiently whispered to me how when everyone else was sitting you can't really stand up because you'll block their view of the music. Thanks Dad.

The quest to find a decent sing-in continues.

The Name Game

Next week we find out if we're having a boy or a girl. I can think of pros and cons to both genders, so I've decided to think that either would be good. (Although if you look/sound disappointed if we announce it's a girl, I will probably punch you. What's wrong with girls?) Once we find out the gender, then I can finally start thinking about names. As a parent, you have to consider not only the first name, but nicknames, middle names, first-name last-name combos, what the initials spell, how many other kids have your child's name, and what's going to sound really dumb in 20 years.

I like discussing names. I go by my middle name, so I've had quite a few name discussions over the years. Going by your middle name is great. You get a distinguished initial in front of your signature. You can go with whatever name you feel like that day. In fact, if someone calls me on the phone I can tell who they are and how well I know them just by what name they are calling me. I like finding out that someone I know is also using their middle name, because then it's like we're both members of a secret club. The Cool Middle Name Club.

However, there are a few things that annoy people who use their middle name. And by people I mean me. (Mild annoyance, not I-will-instantly-go-home-and-viciously-blog-about-you annoyance.)

1. The question: "What's your real name?" I'm not a superhero, people. My middle name is on my birth certificate, thus making it "real." Perhaps you meant..."What's your full name?"

2. Forms that assume everyone goes by their first name and only have space for a middle initial instead of my full middle name. Because then do I put my middle name under the space for the first name? Because it's not my first name.

3. When a receptionist asks me what my name is and I sound stupid because I go, uuuuuhhh...and try to remember whether I previously gave them my first name as my name (for easier medical billing) or my middle name as my name.

4.  People who leave off the first initial when writing my name in formal situations. (Like on my credit card. Or my temple recommend.) The E. in front makes my name dignified. Leave it off and my name looks like a snowman without a head. Just not that impressive.

Which leads to the dilemma I faced when I got married. I couldn't really figure out what to do with my maiden name. Lose the first initial and use my maiden name as my middle name? Not a chance. I love that first initial. Hyphenate? Overkill with middle name usage and hyphenation usage. Keep it? Disrespectful to the concept that my husband and I are becoming one. Make Austin use my maiden name instead of his? Really, really tempting, since I had an easier last name. I didn't want to look like a dominating wife though, so I just dropped my maiden name altogether. Maybe I'll use it as a middle name for this next kid.

So now for the question you've probably already asked me if you know me. "Why do you go by your middle name?" Well, I have had a lot of answers for that question over the years. Here are some: (My first name is Elisabeth by the way. With an S.)

1. I had a really bad nickname. Lizzy. Sometimes "Lizard Breath." How did I get the worst nickname for Elisabeth? There's not even a 'z' in my name. I really like Liz, but right when I got old enough for that we moved, and there was a girl in my class named Elizabeth who went by Liz so I didn't want to seem like I was copying her.

2. In conjunction with this, growing up, I didn't know any other Lizzys, but once we moved I met a couple more Elisabeths...and I didn't really like them that much.

3. My parents named me Elisabeth because it was the only female scripture name that fit with their "A,B,C,D," + "scripture name" naming pattern. (I have actually realized recently that my parents could have named me Esther.) I like the biblical story of Elisabeth, but my middle name has a rich heritage and interesting story behind it, and reminds me of my great-grandma who also set aside her more conventional first name, Mary, in favor of using her middle name. Which is also my middle name.

4. I asked people to start calling me by my middle name when I was 12. It was a very transitional time in my life. I was going through an existential crisis and searching for my identity. I knew it wasn't "Lizzy."

These are are all good answers to the question of why the middle name, but the truest and also shortest answer is that I just like it better than my first name. I would splash my name all over my blog here, but sometimes I blog about stuff I don't want my husband's coworkers to read, and I'm 100 percent sure it would turn up in a google search for my name. (And no, I'm not being paranoid, apparently they google spouses from time to time.)

As far as our girls go, our Polish last name made it hard to get too crazy with the first name. (Hopefully they will get married someday, but I can't predict a good name combo for that.) Our strategy has basically been to pick first names that we both think are special and have positive associations with. Both middle names have been my pick. Sammy's middle name, Gene, is a variation on her dad and grandfather's middle name, so she has a bit of heritage there. Cici's middle name is Page, because I love books but also because her first name was more of a risk and she needs a solid second option. Both of our girls could actually go with their middle names if they don't like their first names, but that's for them to decide. 

The Errand of Angles is Given to Women

There is a fancy Relief Society poster in the lobby at church that boldly proclaims, in cursive script, that "The Errand of Angles is Given to Women." Now, we all know that it is far too easy to find things at church to make fun of, so I usually refrain, but every time I pass it I can't help but laugh and try to think of some clever mathematical joke involving women and the "Errand of Angles."

I'm still drawing a blank on jokes of that variety, but I will say that after thinking it over, I'm not sure which is more intimidating: the message that women are expected to fill in for mathematicians, or that they have a mandate to act as if they were heavenly messangers. I'm leaning toward the second option as actually less intimidating, mostly because we don't know much about what angels really do with their time.

Anyway, the intimidation factor of angels and angles aside, I was thinking that this time of year can be intimidating as a woman, and especially as a mom. I know that as the person that sets the tone for the home, if I want the holiday to be special and Christ-oriented and family-oriented and fun and peaceful and my house to always be clean and smell like cinammon, and oh yes--for every family member to feel loved and remembered and get the perfect gift, that I have to be the driving force to make that happen. Yesterday I was making lists (one of my favorite activities), and ended up with three basic lists for the Christmas season: To Do, To Buy, and Traditions I Want to Have. I don't want to give away anything, (Sorry. I know blogs these days are all about giving away things.) so I thought I'd share the "Traditions I Want to Have" list.

Traditions

-Put up Nissemen. (It took me one year to copy the cutouts, one year to color them, one year to buy a flesh-toned colored pencil to color their faces with so they don't look too pasty, one year to lose them in a move, another year to re-copy, re-color, and buy a laminator, (must have had a lot of energy that year) and this year I'm finally cutting them out! God willing they will make it onto my walls as well.)

-Wrap books. (Heard about this in Relief Society. You wrap 24 Christmas books and let your kids pick out one a night to unwrap and read during December. I am 15 Christmas books short of 24, so I cheated and checked them out from the library today--I've already wrapped 19 of them!)

-Magnetic Nativity. (My friend gave this to me. The kids put up a magnet piece each day.)

-Stocking for Savior. (I will try this one out this year. You know, you write stuff and put it in stocking. My kids are still pretty young, so it could be lame.)

-Paper chain. (Red and green paper chain links, each one has something about Jesus on it. "Jesus is kind." "Jesus is the Prince of Peace." etc. The kids rip one link off each day. At this age, it's all about ripping things, magnets, stickers, etc.)

-Nativity dress-up. (Sammy loved it when we re-enacted the story of Noah for Family Home Evening one night. She made me tell it every day for the next week and act it out with her. I think she would really have fun with this one, but again, there's the age thing and we only have four people.)

-Meal in Living Room. (We ate Christmas Eve dinner by candlelight at our coffee table last year. It was fun and simple.)

-Watch Nativity video Chistmas Eve while eating treats. (Also simple.)

-Go sing in Messiah. (I usually fly solo with this one and leave Austin with the kids. I'm thinking Sammy might be old enough this year. It's just hard to find a good sing-in near our home though. Last year I went to one nearby and the audience wasn't allowed to sing, we just had to listen to the choir. I left halfway through in disgust at those music hogs.)

-Put family pictures on piano. (I don't have any family pictures downstairs. Why? Because the four of us are not photogenic enough to get one good picture together. I'll just put us on seperately though.)

-Take treats to next-door neighbors. (We did this last year. I usually dread awkward stuff like that and only did it because it was our duty, but it ended up being a great evening of visiting.)

-Service. (Must do something service oriented that doesn't cost money. Babysit for people so they can do Christmas shopping? I'll think about this one.)

-Slideshow. (I thought it would be cool on Christmas to watch a slideshow of our past year as a family. Nothing fancy. I think I could make this happen.)

-Book to hang on tree. (Just a little book for us to write Christmas memories in each year. Except I know it would just be me writing unless I made people do it. And by people I mean my husband.)


That's it! Here's to a great month ahead.

A Thousand Strange Places

Life is returning to normal...I'm decorating for the holidays, touring schools for Sammy for next year, and I just got back from my first official midwife's appointment. During which the police showed up at my house. You know. Just normal life.

However, I would be remiss if I didn't post pictures on the blog about a time when life was not so normal...a time when we sailed the wine-dark sea and walked the alleys of the East...a time when we viewed a thousand strange faces and a thousand strange places, and through it all clung to our quest for bold adventure:

Fish pedicures

 

 

and a firm knowledge of who we were and where we came from:

 

 

Formal night after a couple weeks at sea

 

 

So now, without further ado, I give you: Italy, Egypt, Israel, Turkey, Greece, and Crete!

 

Italy

 

Yes, that's me.

 

 

Egypt

 

 

 

 

 

Israel

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Turkey

 

 



And back on our ship...

 

Austin gets bored and starts making these small towel animals...

 

Greece

 

 

 

Crete

 

 

 

 

And back home...

 

 

where Sammy calls me "Nana" for a week and Cici won't let me out of her sight...the girls have commandeered our empty suitcase and go on frequent trips. I don't plan on going anywhere for a while. These epic trips sure take it out of you.





It's Not the End

Back in the United States! And the first order of business...the elections! I waited in line to vote for over an hour with my two kids, but at least we all got stickers! I was disappointed that Romney wasn't elected, mostly because I like change (Yes, we can!) and I was curious to see what he would actually do after all his flopping around on the issues. But let's be real: Romney was one of two uninspiring choices, not the prophesied Messiah. And in that spiritual vein, here are some fun Mormon myths to read about:

http://ldsliving.com/story/64534-the-truth-about-mormon-myths

I'm not very passionate about politics, but I am proud of our country. In Egypt, the people don't support their elected leaders if they didn't vote for them--they throw rocks and burn buildings to show their disapproval. At least we haven't gotten too far past rants on Facebook.