Finally his first!

Elijah, you had very little hair when you were born and it took at least a year and a half before you had a full head of hair (although it's still shorter on top in the front)...SO, I really hesitated to cut it.  I trimmed off the baby mullet before family pictures in December, but left the rest.  In February I finally had the heart to give you your first real hair cut.  Boy were you squirmy!  Thankfully I used the hair clippers with a guard, so that made it easier.  You looked extra handsome and so much older...here's a step towards me letting my little guy grow up and getting ready for you to be a Big Brubba :0)

7 February 2015

Hearts all around.

As usual I thoroughly enjoyed February.  I love seeing touches of red & pink and hearts everywhere I turn.  I love having a month long excuse to send valentines, leave love notes to Dad & you kids, have extra special dates and festive meals.  Not to mention the sweet packages and valentines we received in the mail!  Some highlights include: Dad surprising me with a date to the Symphony ("Love Notes") and also getting me some practical things I've been wanting (push pins and such to sturdily hang up banners, decorations, etc.) AND chocolate :0) * attending Brie's class party * Brie leaving sweet little notes in our mailboxes * helping Brie & Alex decorate their boxes * Alex & I making little paper school bus valentines and picking out some of his valentine's candy to share with each person in the family * watching "Father of the Bride" with Dad while eating pulled pork salads and sipping on sparkling cider * Dad being my partner in crime (making breakfast while I decorated the table, helping me write little valentines for each of you kids and serving you a special dinner) * Brie & I getting ready together in my bathroom, curled hair and all * working together as a family to send out valentines (Mom: designed valentines & oversaw production ;0), Dad: wrote messages, Brie: cut out postcards, Alex: stamped address and put on stamps, Elijah: added the stickers). *

Since two of you kids are in school this year, I decided to do individual valentines (instead of one valentine with all 3 of you on there).  Pinterest of course held the inspiration and here are the final products...

I still have SO much to learn about love, but I'm grateful for the opportunity I have to love you guys and to be loved by you.  I am indeed blessed!  I love you mucho mucho.

Old Fashioned Fun.

It makes my heart happy to see you kids enjoy good old fashioned fun:

blowing bubbles

stuffed animals

blanket forts

splashing in puddles

car races

bubble baths

story time
digging for worms
exploring the backyard
swinging
tickle wars
piggy back rides...

a Red Letter Day indeed.

12 February 2015

"Today, my committee at Washington University in St. Louis signed off on my dissertation defense!

I am grateful to God for paving the way for this to happen with numerous miracles along the way, to my biggest fans, Sar, Brie, Alex, and Elijah, to my family for praying and fasting for me on many occasions throughout the process, to my dissertation committee for supporting me through three different reschedules of the defense date, and to my friends at the Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis and fellow Ph.D. students and cohorts for having faith in me that I could complete the dissertation. I am humbled, and I am grateful for the privilege I had to gain such a quality education that will help me sustain my family. God is good. Life is good."

We had schemed up a big weekend trip to St. Louis for Dad's dissertation defense and valentine's weekend and then the day before we were supposed to leave Brie was throwing up all day :0(  So Dad & I decided that it'd be best for him to take the train and go by himself.  I decked out his car, made a little poster for him to take, wished him well, prayed a lot that day and then waited to hear from him.  Then a text came through, "Dr. Graden" with a picture of the signed and official document and then "!!!!!!"  I responded, "Yay!!! Said with a GIANT smile and teary eyes!....CONGRATS :0) :0)  You've officially Phinished!  We're all smiles! :0)"  All smiles indeed.  That was one most anticipated and happy moments EVER.  You kids and I got some notes and hearts put together, headed over to ISU and decorated Dad's office door.  Then Brie picked out green roses at Aldi and we made a big poster (our favorite is the little boy making a fist with the caption, "Dissertation Done!") to have setup in the kitchen when he got home from the train.

This isn't just the official end of his PhD program, but of his time as a student.  (I told Brie this meant that he no longer is a student and can just be a teacher now.)  7 years ago we were celebrating his masters' degree from BYU (and announcing Baby #1 on the way) and now we are closing this schooling chapter as we get ready to welcome Baby #4 into our home.  It's been a long and hard yet rewarding and God has blessed us SO much along the way!  I couldn't be prouder of Dad, even after many unanticipated hurdles and turns, for seeing it through to the end!

Tooth number Two.

Brie, you've been wiggling your loose tooth for over a month.  Yesterday you were home feeling crummy with a cold and your tooth was getting so close to coming out.  You could barely go to sleep last night...you kept jumping out of bed to look in the mirror and see the progress.  This morning Dad tried to tug on it a bit, but it was hurting so we left it alone.  Just as you were about to get in the shower I turned to walk out of the room and accidentally bumped you with my arm.  I turned back to apologize and there was your tooth on your lip.  Albeit unintentional that was just the help it needed to come out and we all cheered for you!  You were thrilled :0)  There you have it, two teeth down.

The past two weeks...

...have been especially productive for Elijah.  He has learned how to undress himself and talk off his wet AND poopy diapers (and has even tried his hand at sculpting with poo), knows how to open the child locks on drawers and can now get out of his pack 'n play.  We must have a baby coming in less than 8 weeks!  Oh dear.

Punxsutawney Phil.

Our wake up call came at 3:30.  We started our birthday with traditional strawberry pop tarts, got layered in winter gear (thermals, 2 layers of shirts, ski pants, wool socks, boots, scarves, hats, gloves) and were out the door by 4:00AM.  They had forecasted some nasty weather so we wanted to make sure we had plenty of time to safely drive into town.  We parked at Walmart and ran inside to get some heavy duty ponchos for the freezing rain that had begun to fall.  Thank heavens we got them, they saved the day!  By 5:30 we loaded in to the shuttle bus headed for Gobbler's Knob.  It was a quick but stifling 5 minute drive up the snowy hills.  Between the bus being heated, our layers of warm wear, my baby girl keeping me warm, the smell of alcohol (a lot of people party it up and drink the night away in the local bars), cigar smoke, 5 hours of sleep and a sugary breakfast...we exited the bus and I felt like I was going to puke.  Not to mention that there was no seating, sloshy ground, rain coming down and 2 hours to wait.  Uggh.  Aunt Rachie helped me find a snow bank to rest on and for a few minutes and I wondered what in the world we were doing.  BUT after a short breather, donning our inner circle passes, we headed pass the big crowds (who had probably been there since 3:00AM) and went straight down to the front section, 20 feet from the stage.  The bands and performers rekindled my excitement to be there and I loved the beautiful firework show that preceded Phil's awakening.  Thankfully the time passed quickly, the rain let up and the big moment arrived where all the Inner Circle members parade down to the stage, knock on the famous wooden door and pull Phil out for his moment of glory.  Apparently he was grumpy (was trying to bite his handler)...no wonder he saw his shadow and forecasted 6 more weeks of winter ;0)  After the official prognostication when much of the crowd was dissipating we made the short walk to the stage and got one last picture of Phil.  From there I spotted a newscaster and told Rach that we needed to go get ourselves interviewed :0)  Just as we were walking towards him, he was walking towards us and said that indeed he had hoped to interview us (was it our awesome, highly-sought after hats?? ;0)).  He got us situated in front of the cameraman then interviewed us both, saying that he was with CNN and that we would see the interview either online or TV at some point, yet over a month later I still haven't found anything, hmm :0/  In any case, it was fun to have the prospects of being on TV, a dream that I'd long associated with our twin groundhog pilgrimage.

(Monday 2 February 2015)

We spent the rest of the morning in town: a breakfast buffet, art and craft fairs (a balloon man was giving out balloon figurines to every birthday groundhog who came by), and groundhog birthday party (where we met a handful of other people from around the country who shared 2/2 as a birthday--it was a unique and instant feeling of kinship--and got photographed by the local newspaper) and souvenir shopping galore (how could we pass up the plethora of groundhog paraphernalia??).  By 10:30 we were sufficiently satisfied with our experience AND pooped so we bid adieu to Punxsy and drove our tired selves back to Du Bois.  The remainder of the day consisted of PJs, catching bits of "Ground Hog Day" (which was running marathon style on AMC all day long) between napping and snacking.  It was the perfect ending to our birthday weekend.  Aunt Rachie and I kept saying how the whole experience couldn't have gone any better.  Yes we had some COLD and WET weather and the entire trip was a bit exhausting, but it went so smoothly and was fun and memorable. We may have to keep it a once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimage because we don't know how it could be topped!!

The next day we headed out at 8AM and trekked back to Illinois (mostly by way of the Ohio then Indiana Turnpikes).  We met up at the car rental location where we were warmly welcomed home by Dad, you cute kiddos and the adorable pictures (thanks to Brie) that were adorning the front windshield.  How grateful I am for your Dad and his willingness to watch you kiddos (with the exception of 4 hours on Monday morning when he was teaching and my awesome visiting teachers, Carrie & Sarah, helped out) for FOUR days so Aunt Rachie & I could realize our dreams!  What a man and what a trip.  I feel blessed all around :0)

And there you have it Punxsutawney Pilgrimage 2015.

the Inner Circle.

Most of Sunday was spent in our hotel room.  Aunt Rachie soaked up the sleep to get over whatever sickness she was fighting and the roads were {potentially} too bad to venture a half hour to church.  So we stayed put.  I listened to conference talks, wrote in my journal, emailed people and this baby girl and I enjoyed some Captain Crunch while I lounged in my PJs.  Definitely not our typical Sunday.  I could feel myself getting uptight about the situation, but felt like it was important for me to learn to roll with the punches and be happy with what is.  After all, how often do I get such a laid back day with my twinner?  In the end, it was a great day.

That evening Aunt Rachie had us signed up for a little reception (with some light hors d'oeuvres) where we got to meet the members of the Inner Circle (the guys in top hats and tuxedos) and Phil.  One of the guys loved the t-shirt I had designed and asked if they could get the design to use.  Another one wanted to trade his top hat for my ground hog hat...no way!  It was fun to meet other ground hog's day fans and to have everyone ooh and ahh when they found out we were twin ground hogs....the Mormon girls from Utah.  A journalist from a newspaper in Harasberg, PA took our picture for their website, that was fun! Before leaving one of the guys from the inner circle gave us passes to the front section at Gobbler's Knob.  They turned out being worth their weight in gold!  Afterwards we checked out Ground Hog Headquarters with its variety of paraphernalia.  There we met Robert "Bob" Roberts, Phil's guardian.  For dinner we went to Punxsy Phil's restaurant where I ordered their famous pancakes ("is it too early for flapjacks?").  We called it a night early to get some sleep before our 3:30 wakeup call.

(Sunday 1 February 2015)

(picture for the Patriot News Harasberg newspaper)

Getting to Gobbler's Knob.

The night Aunt Rach arrived I gave her a Punxsutawney Pilgrimage kit: Info packet, birthday card, Arctic White Cocoa, Groundhog droppings, Nutty Butters, {matching} Snow PJs & fuzzy socks.

Saturday (31 January) at 3:30AM we loaded into our rented Chevrolet Traverse and started our trek to Pennsylvania.  Driving in the dark really wears on my eyes so Aunt Rachie did the first 4 hour stretch.  It was fun to chat in the early morning hours and to see the beautiful sunrise over Indiana and Ohio.  We briefly passed through West Virginia then made our final stretch into the foothills of the Appalachians.  We were planning on heading straight to our hotel in Du Bois to take a nap, but took a wrong turn and ended up in the snow-covered and hilly Punxsy (as the locals call the town).  We were surprised to find out that "Ground Hog Day" wasn't even filmed there and the movie version looked nothing like the real deal.  

We wanted to check out Gobbler's Knob first, but our GPS kept sending us to a private drive on top of a hill.  We abandoned technology, followed our groundhog senses and finally arrived...and even saw our shadows ;0)  It was a cold, but beautiful sunny day and it was providential that we spent the afternoon there before the weather turned bad for the rest of the weekend.  We got our picture taken in front of Phil's famous door, tromped around a bit then drove around town.  It was like a groundhog heaven...groundhog statues, signs, souvenirs.  We felt like we'd made it home to our mother land :0)  Even the local grocery store was groundhog themed.  We went to the Weather Museum, bought some souvenirs then ventured into Barclay Square to see Phil's Burrow, see the souvenir stands and warm up (a tiny bit) with some hot cocoa.  We were dressed for roadtripping not for winter weather and were SO cold, but...we wanted to watch a chainsaw artist carve a wooden groundhog.  Aunt Rach bought me and her each a carved groundhog, what a fun souvenir!

By evening we drove the 30 minutes to our hotel.  Rachie was coming down with something and was feeling sick and feverish so we stayed in for the rest of the night.  Thankfully Dominos delivers :0)  Anyway, that was our Punxsutawney Pigrimage, day 1.

(Saturday 31 January 2015)

Roo is TWO!

Today this big boy is TWO!  Although two is still young to understand the world of birthdays and celebrations, we have all sure been excited to celebrate you Roo :0)

Two years ago today I was just getting hooked up to pitocin, excitedly awaiting Elijah's arrival.  It was the most peaceful birth day I've experienced yet.  That evening when you were ready to come your birth was fast and furious and we were thrilled to finally meet you!!  Roo you have been a JOY to have in our family.  We've loved you to pieces these last two years.  Other than the last few months (you got a little jump start on your terrific twos), you've been nothing but sweet and easy going.  And now that you're entering the world of autonomy, tantrums and screaming... it may require this{sometimes immature} mama to dig a little deeper and learn to act a little kinder, but I still love you SOOO much.  I can't imagine our family without you.  

If I were to sum your two year old self up, I'd have to include that you...

• are SO fast!  You love to be chased around the house and I can't outrun you so I have to outsmart you.  You are quick on the stairs and can walk up or down them unassisted but often request to hold my "hand".  How can I say no to that?
• have gotten to be a little bit of a hip attachment to me and dad (Mama Dada).  You have a hard time when we leave the room and want to be wherever we are.  Somehow you always seem to be able to squeeze your head in before a door closes and then slide your little body in to the room.   You are especially attached to your Dada.  You sure love him LOTS and will contently sit in his arms and suck your thumb :0)
• have so much to say.  You are saying more and more every day.  You're our little parrot and repeat about everything that you hear.  You're starting to put little 2-4 word sentences together. I love hearing you repeat word by word your scripture verse at breakfast and utter your simple little prayers while bowing your head and clasping your chubby little hands over your head.
• may be small, but you are BIG on energy, smiles and enthusiasm :0)
• are so loving.  I often see you give needed hugs to siblings (and parents) and share with others.
• have the cutest little dimpled, chubby-cheeked smile.  I could nibble those cheeks all day.
• are getting the hang of nursery again, after transitioning to an afternoon schedule and not having Alex there with you anymore.
• are busy, busy, busy!  If I leave you unattended for a few seconds you are often pushing a chair over to climb up onto the counter to get in to something.  Most recently you've poured out a partial bin of quick oats and played in it like snow.  Then today while posting a picture of you on Facebook, I came down to find that you had strewn fake snow ALL over the family room.  You silly little guy.  I should have known better ;0)  Speaking of messes, the last two weeks you've taken to undressing yourself and taking off your diaper, whether wet or poopy.  We currently have to put a strip of duct tape across the front of your diaper to ensure that you keep it on.
• are so much fun!  I love the four hours we have together, just the two of us, each week while Alex is in preschool. (We'll soon be adding your baby sister to the fun.)  You're often my grocery store helper or will content yourself with toys, books, or the shoe basket while I get things done in the kitchen.  You are asking more and more for me to read to you and request to sit on my lap.  I love holding your small little warm body as I read you books and you excitedly point out objects on the page name them.
• are usually sitting up to the table like a big boy.  You insisted on that a few months ago.  Well, maybe I should say you are at the table with us, if you're not hopping on your chair, or getting down to pick up spilled food or get a napkin. (You love your napkins!)  You make quite the mess, but it's fun to have you with us.  And you are so polite, always saying "more pease" and "thank you."  You also are drinking out of a big boy cup and feed yourself with a fork or spoon.  You are quite the picky eater, very rarely eating vegetables.  We call you our carnivore because you love protein--meats, cheeses, yogurt, sour cream, milk, etc.  But you got a sweet tooth like your mom and can polish off your dessert, especially if it's chocolate.

Happy Birthday, Big Boy!!  We love you much mucho.

Who does it hurt?

This morning while changing Elijah's diaper Alex helped himself to a pack of fruit snacks, shoved them all into his mouth and came upstairs with a pack to give to Roo.  We were getting ready to head out and volunteer in Brie's class.  On the short drive over I asked Alex if he could give me a full apology...

Alex: I'm sorry that I took the fruit snacks without asking.  That was wrong because it hurts...it hurts the crackers? the fruit snacks?  who does it hurt? (You're usually apologizing for something that has hurt someone or hurt their feelings.)
Mom: It's not that it hurts someone, what is wrong with it?
Alex: I don't know.
Mom: You took something that is not yours without asking.  That is stealing.
Alex: {stated matter of factly} Well, they're in my belly button now.

Oh Alex, I couldn't help but laugh. You crack me up! :0)