The Platypus, Petersens and Park Forest Apartments.

On Sunday (16 May 2010) our good friends, Ben & Ashley Petersen came over for dinner and to show us some important footage. (Ashley was in St. Louis last week and dropped in to our future complex to take a tour of one of the model town homes...she took videos and pictures for us!) It was fun to get a better idea of where we'll be moving in just two months. The rooms are smaller than we thought, so it's going to be kind of tight, BUT we feel good about our decision to move there and are SO excited about everything else that goes along with the place...

--lots of other young families who are in school (at least 6 other LDS families who will also be in our same ward)
--the church is a 5 minute walk away
--there is a pool, playground, work out room and clubhouse
--the complex is nestled in a little forest
--at least 3 parks within walking distance

Anyway, we're starting to "garage sale" to find some furniture AND have been using Rc Willey's awesome room planning website to get a better idea of what will fit in each room and how. Gotta love technology.

Aside from that, Sunday evening was beautiful so I asked Ashley if she'd take a few pictures of us and then we snapped a few of them.

(Even though my hair is a bit floofy here...I like this picture.)

Us attempting to do the platypus :0)

We love these guys and are so excited that they're moving to Springfield. They'll only be a few hours away from us...YAY for weekend trips! :0)

the Mermaid Approach.

Brie's figuring out her own approach for putting pants on...
the Mermaid Approach :0)

If you want to see for yourself, here it is.

A visit to Grauntie & Gruncle's.

It's always SO fun to see my Aunt Elaine (Grauntie) & Uncle Bob (Gruncle), we'll take any excuse we can get :0) Birthdays are the best built-in excuses to visit!

(Brie sitting in an adorable little chair that Elaine's Father had made years previously.)

I think Elaine liked her gift :0)

And Gruncle Bob was getting the BEST smiles out of Brie...
it was too cute!

First wedding, CHECK.

Last week I got the DVDs sent off to the Bride & Groom and to the Bride's Parents. I'm officially done. It feels nice. And it feels like a big accomplishment to have set the goal and to have worked til completion. On to other projects now!

(To see the pictures I posted online, click on one of the following links
Bride & Groom AND the Reception)


And thanks again to everyone who helped behind the scenes to help make this turn out so well! YAY for synergy and teamwork!

No Spring? Bring on Summer Cuisine.

Want some fun recipes for Summer?...

(Click here to get the recipes from the Sweet and Savory Recipe Swappers Blog)

On a side note, as some of you may know I've been doing a little Recipe Swap each month since January. We had a pretty good turn out the first few times, but the last few months our numbers have dwindled. I have to admit that it's been a little disappointing, not because I haven't had fun with the girls who have come (because I always leave having had a GREAT time!) but because deep down inside of me I must be measuring success by quantity not quality. Thankfully Bry has encouraged me to keep it up til we move. And after several conversations with other people, I've decided that such is the way of life. People get all fired up and excited about things...and before you know it, the excitement has died and things fizzle. Why is that? Man, that's how I feel about my goals this year. I was doing SO well for a few months and then it's been like pulling teeth to get them started again. But, it's like Bry told me (the first week of Brie's life when I was getting SO frustrated with nursing) that all good things come with a cost. How true it is, eh? So I'm currently in the process of trying to get remotivated, starting to really pray for help and to recommit to do my part. I want to see changes in my life and it's up to me to make them. I love the quote that says,

"If you want something you have never had, you have to do something you have never done!

Now think about that again. A definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over and expect a different result. How much do you want success in life? Enough to change what you are saying or enough to change what you are doing or enough to change what you are focusing your attention on?"

(by Shaun Marler, Senior Pastor of World Harvest Ministries. Click here to see his blog)

Anyway, I am so grateful to have the spirit as my personal tutor, a Savior who has felt my discouragement and knows how to help and for a loving husband (and family) who is always there to encourage and support me.

Two more reason to love Costco.

The other day my friend Becky came over to pick us up to go run a few errands. Brie had taken a CRAZY long morning nap (over 3 hours) which was wonderful, but meant that we were running late. I gave her a quick and small lunch and then we headed out the door. But no worries because the four of us were headed to good ol' Costco. And not only do they have DOUBLE seater carts...which worked perfectly for Abby and Brie...

but they also had the perfect toddler samples...yogurt, "juice" for kids, hummus, string cheese, bran flakes, etc.


It was awesome! We shopped, they had snack time (OK we had snack time too :0)) and everyone was happy!

P.S. If you like hummus and want pre-made, pre-packaged snack sized hummus for the go... Costco sells it. And it's yummily authentic. Check it out!

What do you get when you say CHEESE?

I don't know where Brie learned this but the last week or so if we ask her to smile she gives us this BIG cheesy grin. It's priceless. One because she looks like a chipmunk. Two because she has actually learned to smile on request :0)

**Here Heather and Brie are at my Aunt Elaine's house. Heather was awesome to watch her while I took some pictures (of furniture they're wanting to sell).**

Learning how to nurture...

"I Often Go Walking"

I often go walking in meadows of clover,
And I gather armfuls of blossoms of blue.
I gather the blossoms the whole meadow over;
Dear mother, all flowers remind me of you.

O mother, I give you my love with each flower
To give forth sweet fragrance a whole lifetime through;
For if I love blossoms and meadows and walking,
I learn how to love them, dear mother, from you.

Words: Phyllis Luch, 1937–1995.
Music: Jeanne P. Lawler, b. 1924.

This song will forever remind me of my Mom...and her love for flowers, plants and gardening. If any of you have been over to my Parents' place you've surely noticed the "jungle" of plants adorning the kitchen corner or the beautiful flower beds out front. That's my Mom for you. She is so good at taking care of things, keeping them alive and helping them to flourish...whether it be plants, sick children, pets, etc. She has always been so good at nurturing, sympathizing and loving others. Let's be honest, I am not so good at this...well at least the keeping things alive part! When Bry and I were first married we struggled to keep plants alived and joked that it was a good things that Brie cried, otherwise I would probably have forgetten to feed her :0)


Mothers' Day 2010

Bry woke me up to a yummy breakfast in bed: 3 crêpes
(peach, strawberry & spiced apple fillings).
What a sweet, sweet husband he is. *Tim helped too.*

Brie delivering our card to Mémé.

Oh my dear Biscus...what a WONDERFUL Mother she is! I look up to her in so many ways and am so grateful that she was picked to be my Mom. I hope someday to be like the Mom she has been for me. I love you, Mom :0)

What perfectly gorgeous weather we had for Mother's Day!

Sweet Rach agreed to take some
pictures of me & Brie...here are a few.




Four Generations--Teddy Grahams, Mémé, Me and Brie


Catching the tail end of the Graden Family Dinner.

I've been talking a lot with my family and friends lately about how I would love to have more kids, but the thought honestly scares me. Most days I feel like I barely can stay on top of things with just Brie. But ya know, I have decided that this is a trial of faith for me. Being good with kids does not come naturally to me, but it is something that I am striving to be better at. I don't mean to complain or to compare, I guess I'm just trying to be honest. Becoming a mother has been a reminder to me that God does not give children to those who are "most prepared" or who will be the "best parents", but that He knows best...and knows that some of us really won't be amazingly naturally wonderful parents, but that that will help give us a reason to turn to Him. Turning to Him means better days and inspired ways of handling frustrating situations....it means more love in my heart when mine has run dry...it means seeing Brie and Bry with His perspective. In any and every case, even though it has been one of the hardest adjustments for me to make, I am grateful to be a Mom! And I am grateful that it is turning me more to my Heavenly Father and to those things that are most important. (And Brie...if you happen to read this someday, know that it hasn't been a hard adjustment because you're hard, k? Because I love you SO much! You have brought so, SO much joy into my life! I sure love you bug! It would have been hard no matter who came first :0))

**By the way, have I mentioned that when
Brie was a few months old I decided MOM is an acronym for Maker of Milk? :0) **

And...3 milks please.

For Heather's 21st Birthday (6 May 2010) we decided to take her out for drinks--to a local restaurant that serves all non-alcoholic specialty drinks.


Let's just say that us young mothers (with our young kids) felt pretty out of place. We mentioned to our server up front why we (such unlikely clients :0)) were there and he asked if we'd rather sit at the back lounge...PERFECT....out of sight!

Heather, the only one who truly fit in
(being a CUTE, stylish college girl) was such a good sport!

The Birthday Girl.

Here's the whole gang...back in the lounge.
We joked that we should have ordered our drinks and then asked for 3 milks :0)

I ordered a Shirley Temple because
Heather had mentioned it was fun with the Cotton Candy.

Notice the martini AND the toddler snacks. Priceless :0)


For Heather's bday Bry and I gave her a Canada Kit...


A few things that might be fun to have while she's on her mission in Toronto.

All in all the whole experience made for a good story
AND it was fun to be with the birthday girl :0)

Soon-to-be Sister Barton.

I can't believe that Heather is 21 today (Happy Birthday!!!) and that she enters the MTC in less than a month. Craziness...she sure will be missed!

Yesterday she came over for me to do some "studio" portraits--so that she could pick one to use on her missionary plaque--but since the weather was absolutely perfect we ended up doing a full photo shoot. I'm so glad we did! Heather is so great to humour ALL the pictures that I take :0) Here are a few from the shoot...

I have more posted on my Facebook page (type in Belle Petite Photo)
and will have even more posted on my photo blog in a little bit.

In any case, Heather and I ended up spending most of last week together (she came and babysat with me and was such a life saver!) and I was so grateful to have made so many fun memories before she leaves. Here are a few high lights from our week...

Missionary clothes shopping at JcPenney's and
mixing and matching outfits all week long!

Making mini cards for her to take with her on her mission.

They were really simple to make, but CUTE and will be fun to have on hand. You never know when you can use a little card, especially when you're on a mission.

Dressing the kids up and taking pictures.

Love this....the girls being all goofy and little
Scotty seeming serene as can be :0)


Italian Pizza Party = Papa Murphy's Pizzas
(garlic & chicken, bacon & cheese, onion & cheese),
Italian Sodas and Chocolate Pizza.

We made this little sign as a souvenir of
our week and thank you to the girls.


Fun times. Thank you Heather for
EVERYTHING!! What good times :0)