Merry Christmas!

Our House, On the Corner of Our Street

Here is a little advice. Never buy a house that has to be completely painted from floor to ceiling and needing various other home improvements, when you are in your first trimester. Or really, if you are pregnant at all. You know those shows you watch on Saturdays that are about people who buy fixer-uppers hoping to rehaul and "flip" them? I watch those shows and I see all the mistakes people make, thinking they are going to get X amount done in X amount of time. I always thing of how foolish those people are.

Now I know better. While we are not attempting to flip our house, we did intend on making many improvments before we moved into the house. We went into closing thinking we could get everything done in six weeks. Yeah, right. Combine a sick and tired pregnant woman, a guy already putting 40 hours a week into his day job, 2 rambunctious children needing constant entertaining, and a house older than half of my siblings and delays happen. I had such high hopes of moving into a house where all the projects were finished and we just got to enjoy living there - gone! The plan is to move in this weekend. While the driving back and forth between houses (a 20+ minute drive) and living off of fast food life will hopefully be over, I think we'll just be trading one form of chaos for another. Well we've got about five months until the newest Lewis joins our family, so that is our new goal. Wish us luck!

I Simply Remember

Over the past week I've been thinking about a few things that have brought a smile to my face. In no particular order, these are a few of my favorite things.

* Living on the coast and already having been to the beach three times.

* Already rocking an awesome tan.

* Girls night out and wonderful friends to spend time with.

* Hearing my 19 month parrot back almost everything that is said to her.

* Mani/Pedis and having long nails (not super long, but longer than usual).

* No Bake Cookies (Yes, I got the recipe to work!!!)

* Talking to my mom and my sister.

* Good books to read.

Yes there is more, and this list is ever evolving, but for now this will do:)

Like Dust in the Wind

Last Sunday I wanted somthing sweet. Big surprise, right? I decided to make some cookies - some No-Bake cookies. Now I used to make awesome No-Bake cookies. They were pretty and shiny and moist. Now my cookies are dry and flaky. I found a recipe that assured me my No-Bake cookies would be restored to their previous awesomeness. That was not the case. As I was stirring in the oatmeal, the mixture became dryer and dryer. Eventually I was left with this, not even suitable to try to shape into cookies. All wasn't lost as Erik is using it as an ice cream topping. Perhaps my problem is in trying to halve the recipe. Maybe I'll use fewer oats next time. If there is a next time.

Sprinkle

It was warm enough today to get the sprinkler out and have some fun. Amelia loves to play in the sprinkle (her version of sprinkler), and although Charlotte was hesitant at first, it didn't take long for her to get in on the action.











Relaxing after all the fun in the sun. I'm appreciating all the hot but not sweltering days while they are here.

A Trip to the Circus

The Cole Brothers Circus came to town and we decided to give it a whirl. The circus likes to trick you into coming by offering "free" tickets for the kids and discounted tickets for adults. The adult tickets, with the discout, are $12 each, and then if you want to sit in acutal seats instead of bleacher seeting its a $2 upgrade per seat. It was amusing to watch people show up 5 minutes before the show started and being surprised when all the bleacher (free) seating was taken up.

All in all it was an enjoyable evening. There were tigers, and trapezest, camels, zebras, elephants, clowns, dirt bikers, motorcyclist, dancing, and more. Amelia really enjoyed the show and Charlotte amused herself by walking up and down the stairs and climbing on the stairs.

Daddy and his girls. I'm not sure why Amelia has a grumpy face.

Amelia and Taylor (her cousin) riding a camel. Please forgive the evil eyes, the lighting wasn't great.

Mommy and Charlotte

Enjoying some cotton candy.

Charlottes favorite part was climbing up and down the stairs and playing on the chairs.

Part of the Show

Charlotte loving some soda and then crying when I took it away. She would seriously have drunk all 30+ ounces if I let her.

The Finale

Easter Tulips

Not having found anything I loved, I decided to "make do" when it came to Easter dresses for the girls. Unexpectedly we found ourselves in Raleigh Easter weekend and a quick trip into Gymboree on Friday, while taking a turnabout Crabtree Valley Mall, yielded these beautiful tulip dresses. Well actually it yielded Amelia's tulip dress. We had to trek to Triangle Town Center for Charlotte's dress, but I was enamoured of the dresses, and it was worth it.

Sunday morning the Easter bunny "hid" eggs around grammy and grandpa's house for the girls to find.

Amelia checking out her booty.


Charlotte sharing a chocolate bunny with her Aunt Catherine.


I'm not exactly sure what Amelia is doing here, but this picture makes me smile.

Sweet Charlotte


Grown-up Amelia


It was a wonderful weekend to be spent with family celebrating both my Grandpa Joe's life and the resurrection of our Savior. I am grateful to have so much to be grateful for.

Retaining the Retainer

re-tain-er [re-tey-ner] noun
1. a person or thing that retains.
2 .a servant or attendant who has served a family for many years.
3. Also called cage, separator. Machinery. a ring separating, and moving with, balls or rollers in a bearing.
4. Orthodontics.
a. a fixed or removable device worn in the mouth to hold the teeth in their new position during the adaptive period after straightening appliances have been removed.
b. Prosthodontics. a part on a bridge or the like by which the bridge is attached to the natural teeth.

Twelve years ago this month I received what every 17 year old who is about to graduate from high school and go on to college wants: braces. Despite my perfectly straight teeth, at a routine cleaning it was decided that those baby teeth I continued to hold onto had to go. And, in order to make room for the adult teeth they were going to have to pull down, I need to have braces attached to my teeth. Excuse me? Braces? At seventeen? No thank you! Its not like I hadn't had these baby teeth for years and years. Where was this decision when I was 13 and everyone had braces?

So for the last few months of my senior year of high school and then through the first two years of college I wore braces. So hear I am in college, 17 years old, looking 15 at best, and I have braces. Is anyone shocked that the boys didn't come in flocks? Do you know how difficult it is to say "Plautz" with braces on? I wore braces for two year. In March of 2000, 10 years ago this month, the braces came off and I received a retainer. The doctor told me to wear it everyday, all day (except meal times) for something like six months. Did he seriously think that was going to happen?

I tried wearing the retainer for about two days and decided that it wasn't working for me. I finally was free of the mandatory metal mouth and I wasn't going back. Well at least during the day. I dutifully wore my retainer every night, and I have continued to wear it most every night for the last 10 years. Now I'm trying to decide if I should keep wearing it. Has ten years been long enough? Should I give it five more years? Should I have a new retainer made? Should I have it plated in 14kt gold and made into a keepsake pendant for only $300? Decisions, decisions.

A Little Show

A cute video courtesy of my sister.

Foiled

I've been really struggling, and pretty much failing, at trying to get to church on time. Three months into my pregnancy with Amelia, Erik was called as the Elders Quorum in our ward. Pretty much from the time Amelia was born, through Charlotte's birth, and to the present I've been getting our child, then children, ready for and to church on my own. There have been easier times and more difficult times. I am currently going through a difficult time. Yesterday I decided to get up a half hour earlier than usual to ensure we would leave on time for church so last night I asked Erik to wake me up at 6:30am. This would give me the opportunity to have a little time to myself to take a shower and eat breakfast. Do you think that happened? Nope. Amelia was up at 5:45 this morning. Erik woke up with her and tried to convince her to go back to bed, but that is pretty much a fruitless task. Despite my extra half hour we were still 15 mintues late to church. Add the fact that I couldn't find one of the earings I wanted to wear, I had the most frustrating time trying to find Amelia's shoes, and I left my cell phone at home, by the time I got to church I was not a happy camper. So it looks like I'm going to have to get up even earlier next Sunday. We'll see if it helps or what obstacles I will have to suffer through. She sure is cute though!

Lost in Translation

A conversation between Amelia and me yesterday during lunch.

Me: Amelia, you're beautiful.

Amlelia: What does that mean Mommy?

Me: It means I like to look at you.

Amelia: Oh. (Pause) Mommy, you're so pretty.

Me: What does that mean Amelia?

Amelia: It means I have to look at you.

Hmm . . .