318 days.

318 days: white crayon + water color cards for new babies Violet and Kyle :0)
317 days: finished cards for Violet and Kyle, got them and other post cards ready to mail.
316 days: fed Snickers. Made gluten-free PB chocolate chip cookies.  Taught Brie about criss-crossing PB cookies :0) She figured out why you use a cooling rack.  More Tangled packet fun. (10/4)
315-305 days: time with Aunt Emmie
304 days: made cards for Mémé and Bry's campus visits
303 days: Looked through highlight pictures from phone to music (instant video :0)).
302-296 days: Mémé was in town!
295 days: got ready for trip
294-292 days: trip to Bloomington Normal, IL.

26 October 2013
Wow, it's been SO busy lately!  I can't believe we're already in the 200s.  Between getting sick, Bry being out of town, two visitors and a road trip to Illinois, Brie and I haven't had much one-on-one time lately :0(  I'll need to remedy that.  No need to dwell on it, but want to do better...

291 days: Unusual Sunday, went visiting teaching with Lij while Brie spent time with her day.  That's a rare occasion.
290 days: At the Hintze's.
289 days: At a Halloween music time with the Hintze's and Shop 'n Save during nap time.
288 days: Brie dressed up in some of my clothes then we played "airplane" (sat on the "plane", had snacks and watched a few short shows on PBSKIDS.org)
287 days: Washi tape {mini} pumpkin decorating and getting ready for our Halloween dinner :0)
286 days: Little stroll (while the boys & Bry stayed at home) to the Leasing Office, getting October birthday cards ready.  Better late than never?!
285 days: We all took naps after church.  Daylight Savings messes with our sleeping schedule.
284 days: Getting apples ready for FHE dessert tonight (Caramel {Snickers} Apples) and putting together quote hand outs.  And watched this scarf tying tutorial...love that Brie's a girly girl with me :0)
283 days: "Tea party" in a blanket fort in Brie's room--strawberry cookies, snuggling and listening to opera :0)  Hardest: Dad gone a lot traveling. Happiest: doing our tea party together.

282 days: Putting together snack packs for our upcoming road trip.  Personalizing each ziplock bag with shapes and colored markets ("Mom you always make things so special."  That sweet girl!).  Reading stories together on the couch from the Friend November 2013.

BelleFontaine Cemetery.

After seeing several billboards advertising the BelleFontaine Cemetery as being the other sculpture park in St. Louis, we decided to make a family outing of it.  Bry packed the lunches and I packed my camera.  (Bry did the driving and stopped when I wanted to take a picture.  He's such a good sport.)  The kids enjoyed the scenic tour for a few minutes, so the sack lunches saved the day.  Although a little tedious for the kiddos, it really was worth seeing, especially at this beautiful time of year.  In the end we had World's Fair Doughnuts for dessert.  How can you lose? :0)

(2 November 2013)

  

To see a list of notable burials (including William Clark & Sara Teasdale), click here.
Glad we saved this little family outing for AFTER Halloween ;0)

our success.

Last Friday (1 November 2013) Bry proposed his dissertation and it was accepted!!!  This was such a BIG milestone.  He surprised me twice that day, first with a SWEET email (pasted below) to the family and then with a dozen red roses when he got home from school.  He wanted me to know that his success was indeed our success and thanked me for all of my support.  Sure love that Bry :0)  That evening we went out for dinner at Maggiano's to celebrate.  I'm so glad we're on this adventure together.

By way of "job market" update, Bry has 3 campus visits done (New Mexico, Illinois, Central Michigan) and 4 to go (University of Toledo, Oklahoma State University, Georgia Southern University and University of New Hampshire).

Dear Family,

I wanted to send you an email to let you know that I successfully passed my dissertation proposal today! This is one of the biggest hurdles in the program. It consisted of a 1 1/2 hour presentation with my 3-member dissertation committee presenting a paper I am working on and outlining the analysis for a third paper I will put together between now and the dissertation defense. The dissertation defense will be scheduled sometime in mid-April and will be the final hurdle for completing all the degree requirements to receive the Ph.D. I felt very blessed today and in the days this week leading up to the proposal--I know I am in good hands! AND I have to put a shout out to the most wonderful companion, confidante, and cheerleader ever...SARAH!! I keep telling Sarah that all these events are just as much her achievements as mine because she is the one holding everything together!

Thanks for all the prayers and support!

Love, Bry :)

Can you move in?

(16-22 October 2013)

Back in the Spring my Mom was going to come out to visit and fly back with me & the kids to jump start our Summer visit.  When it didn't work out for her to come she said that she needed to make a rain check for later in the year.  A few weeks ago, the day after Em left, she called about coming to visit. I  mentioned that I thought we had things under control, but that having her here would be like Christmas and that we would LOVE to have her visit!!  She booked her flight and a few days later she was here :0)

The first night here we all went to try out Andy's Frozen Custard (Ashley, thanks for the info!) in Kirkwood to celebrate Bry getting his 5th fly out.  After the kids went down Mom & I headed over to Target where she (& Dad) thoughtfully outfitted Bry (dress shirts, under shirts, a pair of black dress shoes, socks, belts and pea coat) for his upcoming job interviews and as an early graduation present.  Mom was the perfect person to help with the preparations!  One of the many blessings of her visit.  We got to bed late as we helped Bry get ready for his first fly out to New Mexico State University.  At 2:30 in the morning Lij woke up throwing up and I felt SO yucky (probably from getting only 2 hours of sleep).  Thank heavens for our home teacher who came to give us priesthood blessings then took Bry to the airport at 6:00 in the morning!! And yet another reason I was grateful that my Mom came out when she did.  She has always been so wonderful to take care of us when we got sick, and this time was no different.

Aside from taking care of us sickies, she helped me run errands, figure out my new sewing machine, loaded us up with healthy goodness at Costco, made Nana's baked apples, encouraged me to get in bed at a reasonable hour, gave me foot rubs, came to an Oktoberfest with us, had a tea party with Brie, got Brie & Alex hooked on pomegranate juice ;0), did laundry, kept the kitchen cleaned, took us out to eat and took me shopping to the Scholar Shop (a great consignment store) and Kohl's.  She listened to me share some things that had been weighing on my mind, and ordered a book "Parenting with Love" and started reading and implementing it with me (HUGE BLESSING!!  Providential timing in helping me to set a much more loving tone in our home while Bry is busy interviewing and it's just me and the kids.).  I could go on and on.  At several points I asked if she could just move in with us ;0)

This time in particular when she left, it not only felt like my dear Mom was leaving but one of my best friends.  I love you SO much, Mom.  Thank you for EVERYTHING!!  And Dad, thanks for sharing her with us ;0)

Standing small.

Yesterday Elijah turned 8 months old.  I can't believe he's only four months away from his 1st birthday.  With the holidays those months are going to fly!

I just wanted to take a minute to mention how much Lij has grown up the last few months.  He has become our ATB (All Terrain Baby).  He crawls and sits, is now pulling himself up next to things and is standing.  One of my favorite sights is of him standing next to the back door, looking outside.  Bry and I were joking last night that even when he's standing tall he is so small :0)

We're kind of slow in the food department so he's still just eating purées (fruits & veggies mixed with oatmeal or rice cereal), but we did introduce him to chicken purée over the weekend.  Not his favorite, but he doesn't mind it too much if it's mixed with something else.  He loves the puff snacks and Mum Mums, and is getting better at holding and drinking from a sippy.

He likes to be where the action is and is often under foot.  It's so fun to come in a room and see all three kids playing.  We still have to watch for Alex, he's still so intense with everything that he does, but is trying to share and be sweet with Lij.  In fact the first thing Alex wants to do when he wakes up is see his baby brother, and if he ever hears him crying he comes and asks, "what's wrong Lij?"  I'm trying to encourage that sweetness and brotherly love as often as I can.

Brie ADORES Lij!  One of her favorite things is carrying him around or making him laugh.  She's great to help out when he's crying, when I need a diaper for him, or to feed him while I'm working in the kitchen.

He recently cut his 3rd tooth.  Man, I forget that teething is no fun for anyone.  But for his sake I'm glad he's getting some little chompers :0)

We sure love you Elijah!  You are a JOY in our home.  Thank you for all of your smiles, giggles and snuggles.  We are SO grateful to have you.

Graden Nerd Squad.

(Click to enlarge picture)

Since Bry went on the job market last month I've had academia, colleges, professors and all things graduation on the brain.  So when vistaprint.com was running a special (40% off + free shipping) I decided to peruse Pinterest for ideas and then designed some family tshirts in honor of Bry graduating.  I was planning on saving them for May, but with a NERD theme for Halloween I couldn't help but pull them out to use.

To start off the evening we had a fun and festive dinner (mummy dogs, witch chips, buried dip, boo juice and chocolate cobwebbed pudding cups).  When it came time for trick or treating we got in our rain gear (It had rained all day long) and headed out.  It sprinkled here and there and we got dripped on when the wind blew the wet branches, but other than that it was really pleasant and perfect for tromping around and puddle jumping in our galoshes.  There weren't a lot of other families out so the kids were told at almost every door to take a handful of candy and to even take a few pieces for their parents.  We didn't mind that ;0)  Brie led out and was the first one to each door, I got to hold Alex's hand as we walked around the complex and Bry carried sweet, content little Lij.  

Halloween jokes are a tradition here in St. Louis, so this year we were prepared.  With a little bit of prompting and coaxing at a few of the doors Brie told her practiced joke, "Why did the cyclops give up teaching?  Because he only had one pupil."  I thought that was fitting for our NERD theme ;0)

All in all we had a FUN evening celebrating and spending time together as a family.  We're squeezing in the moments as we can between Bry's campus visits.

organizing buddies.

Brie and I were decorating for Autumn/Thanksgiving today.  I gave her a bunch of fake flowers and asked her to arrange them how she wanted in a certain vase in the living room.  A few minutes later I come in to find Brie in the corner, looking like a gopher digging up all of the junk that usually resides there.  She didn't just stop at putting the flowers away, she wanted to have the corner organized as well.  Man she takes after her parents!  A few minutes later I was in the dining room folding laundry...

Brie: Say goodbye to your favorite movies.
Me: Why?
Brie: I'm putting them away.
Me: On the shelf?
Brie: In a box.

I couldn't help but laugh.  She sounds like a little miniature of myself.  How many times have I told her to say goodbye to something that I was packing away.  Too funny to have the tables turned :0)

yucky again.

Alex has been sick practically all month. My family affectionately calls him our little vector.  Poor kids seems to pick up and spread one bug after another.  In any case, he currently is getting over a cold.  Today at breakfast he mentioned that he was feeling yucky again.  Then he mentioned saying a prayer.  I asked him if he wanted to say it, after which this little scene took place.

Alex: {putting his right hand on his head as if he was giving himself a blessing and wrapping the other arm around his stomach like he was folding his arms} Dear Heavenly Father...I feel yucky again and again and again, amen.