My Abby

Despite the impish incident described in the post below, I adore my Abby and find joy in her every day. Tonight before bed, she really wanted to give the baby a kiss, a hug, and a pat (via my belly!). She asked in her prayer, "Please bless that Mama's tummy won't hurt too much because of the baby." She really does have a tender heart and an amazing mind. She learns quickly and remembers everything! I'm so grateful to be her mom.

Katie's First Haircut

Here are some important facts--for the record--about Katie's first haircut:

1. It was not planned.

2. Nor was it wanted.

3. It occurred on Saturday while Luke was at work and I was grabbing an 8-minute shower.

4. It earned Abby a 2-hour time-out and a prohibition from using scissors until she goes to college.

5. It kindled in me the most wrath I have felt yet towards my firstborn.

6. It actually COULD have been worse, but it was still bad.

7. My mom put it into perspective for me by reminding me that she had her ponytail chopped off by her sister Connie when they were young. (She had the first A-line cut that is now so popular!)

8. I can laugh about it now, since the trauma has worn off.

9. When I called Luke to tell him about it, I cried. All those beautiful baby curls scattered on the floor! And Abby insisting that Katie had done it to herself!! He couldn't help laughing--he was so relieved that no one was bleeding or unconscious, after hearing my grim tone of voice.

10. Katie-Bug is oblivious to the whole ordeal. :)

Mother's Day

The other day, a friend was complaining about how lame it was to receive only an e-card from her husband last Mother's Day. Luke must have been listening more closely than I thought, because he really outdid himself on Sunday! He had to work all day, but he and Abby had picked out these gorgeous flowers the night before, so they were there to surprise me Sunday morning. He took care of dinner (with some help from the hospital cafeteria!), so my afternoon was nice and relaxing. Abby did a great job of singing with the Primary kids in church, and she wished me a Happy Mother's Day about every hour throughout the day. It was really cute! I love the cards and the handprint art she made me too. I felt very appreciated!

The White Kitty

Katie is somewhat obsessed with this white kitty, who lives in the house behind our apartment. She stands at the window watching for him and chatters excitedly when he appears. She also goes crazy over all the dogs that live around us. When we play outside, she runs up to each one and tries to give it kisses. It's really cute! With her around, I wonder how long we will stay pet-free . . .

Riverside Park

The girls and I got to visit beautiful Riverside Park on the Spokane River over the weekend with some friends. The temperature was perfect, and the river was huge! Here we are on the bridge over the Bowl and Pitcher rapids. Abby had a fabulous time roaming the hillside, picking wildflowers.

Little Miss Independent

Evidently, Abby proudly sported this "flashback to 1987" outfit to preschool while we were out of town. My favorite features are: the fleece socks with sandals, the drop-waist belt with an empire-waist dress, and the size 2T coat. She was probably the envy of her preschool class in this get-up!

Piggies: Before and After

Here are Katie's cute
pigtails Sunday morning.

Here they are Sunday
evening, after two naps
and a three-hour
wrestling match with
Mama at church.
(Luke was working, so
I was on my own.)

Hey, at least she's still
smiling, right?

Lots of News!

Well, I've been seriously absent from the blogging world for about a month now, but I do have quite a bit to show for it! Here's what's been going on around here:


We are expanding our family! We're expecting Baby #3 on October 23rd. (Hooray! . . . Yikes!)


I'm 3 1/2 months along and feeling really good, now that the nausea is gone. :)

Abby turned 4 years-old! Our little "Sweet Pea" is so grown-up and had a great birthday. She's still way into Calico Critters, so that was her party theme again this year!

An extra special part of Abby's birthday was having Luke's mom and sister, Nora and Lara, in town for it. They stayed with Abby and Katie while Luke and I went to St. Louis to find a home . . . what lifesavers! It sounds like they had some fun adventures together while we were gone.

While in St. Louis, we bought this house! We're excited about it, but nervous, of course, to be first-time homeowners. This is an older home (built in 1941), but it's roomy and charming. We're excited about the big yard, the cute attic bedrooms for the girls, and the pretty wood floors. It seems like a fun neighborhood with lots of kids. Things are destined to be a little crazy for these next few months, until we're settled, but I think we're up for the adventure.

On our way back from St. Louis, we had a layover in Salt Lake. I stayed for two days and got to attend my mom's 60th birthday party! All eight of us siblings made it, which was really fun. (Too bad Luke and my brother-in-law Spencer had to miss it.) The party was planned for a nice restaurant but had to be moved to . . . Intermountain Medical Center! My dad broke his hip about a month ago (no, not the "old person slips and breaks his hip" syndrome--he was mountain biking!). He is recovering from his second surgery on it, so we held the party in the waiting room of the OB/GYN department, where my brother-in-law Dan works. You can see my dad, ever the good sport, joining the party from his hospital gurney. It actually turned out great . . . and very memorable! I was in SLC for less than 48 hours, so I didn't see many people, but it was awesome to hang out with my family!