Small Joys

Sometimes I wonder how it is that kids find wonder in such small things.  I like some simple things - like sitting on my couch reading while a breeze blows on me from the open window, or drinking a cherry limeade, or seeing duck bums in the air.  Every once in a while I will think that I'm seeing through the eyes of a child.  I do that a lot when I go to the aquarium.  Some of those creatures are amazing, and I am always in awe of how beautiful the little jellyfish can be.  Sometimes I giggle like a little girl at things that I think are cute, which I will admit that I did when we watched The Land Before Time as a family a few days ago.  There are still some things that baffle me though.  And although I don't always understand, I'm glad that I get to be part of that wonder and joy for my daughter.

With a Grateful Prayer and a Thankful Heart

Today, I am grateful for...

a wonderful husband who I love so much and we got to have a great Thanksgiving dinner with at the Coast Guard station.

two beautiful children who make me laugh and smile all the time and always make me happy that I'm a mother.

 a great family of moms, dads, brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, and everyone else who support us and help to keep us going.

the knowledge of the gospel and of the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made for all of us.

the beautiful place that we live in and the good friends we have.

the amazing life that I get to live everyday.

Geeking Out

I am reconciled to the fact that most of my favorite TV shows make me dorky.  I am willing to admit it.  So I thought I would share with you what some of those shows are.  In no particular order, some of the best shows out there.

Frasier - I have been told that this makes me a nerd, although I'm not entirely sure why.  The show is clever and hilarious.  Not many shows make me laugh out loud on a regular basis, and this one does consistently.

Lost - This one is a given.  I know very few people who have actually given Lost a chance and haven't liked it.  Because it's awesome.

X-Files - Yes.  I will admit to watching this show every Sunday night when it was still on the air.  I still have a special place in my heart for this nerdiest of nerd shows.  Some of the episodes are a little bit boring, but a lot of them have great storylines and are really funny.

Father Ted - A British comedy about 3 priests who share a house in a small town in Ireland.  It is so funny!  I absolutely love British TV, especially the comedies.  For more British priestly comedy try The Vicar of Dibley.  Also hilarious: Blackadder, Monty Python's Flying Circus, and the ever popular The Office, which did in fact start in Britain with Ricky Gervais.  You can try some other oldies but goodies like Keeping Up Appearances and Are You Being Served.

Doctor Who - Once again, I laugh out loud at this show all the time.  It's like mostly about aliens about to destroy the earth (hence the dorky part) and the Doctor saves the world.  It's also British and is infinitely better than any other show about aliens you've ever seen.  You should really give it a try.

"I Love You Anyway Too"

Have you read this book?

If you haven't, you should.  Especially if you're a parent.  We just got this from the library a couple of weeks ago and Brett and I fell in love with it.  (Brett will be mad at me when he reads that, I'm sure he wouldn't be happy with that description of how he feels about it.)  This book is cute, witty, and Kennedy to a T.  And potty training has really proved it even more.  Olivia is a little pig that is very good at wearing people out.  Oh, how Kennedy wears me out.  I honestly have no idea how the potty training is going, because the progress is so sporadic.  She has amazing successes, followed by horrible accidents.  We're going on 5 days of this, and my goodness, she is wearing me out.  But man, I love her anyway.

Who wouldn't love that sweet little face?  She got a fun lollipop after one of her major successes, and she was so excited about it.  She is so cute, and even though I probably wear her out just as much as she wears me out, I'm pretty sure she loves me anyway too.  I wish that potty training was over, but even though it isn't, it will be someday.  And in the meantime, I still love my sweet daughter.

A Few of My Favorite Things

Baking

Going to eat dinner with Brett at the station (even though it's only 30 minutes)

The cool June weather here in Oregon

Long stretches of sleep

My daughter being such a good reader

The huge smiles and coos I get from my son

I have an amazing family and a wonderful life. I am so grateful for all of the blessings in my life! And speaking of blessings, Noah is getting blessed tomorrow! Brett got permission to come to church with us tomorrow even though he is on duty. Look for pictures, and make sure to check out my cooking blog which I have been updating much more regularly.

How...Romantic?

For our first anniversary, Brett surprised me with an overnight trip to Park City, Utah. The next morning we went shopping in the outlet mall, had a fabulous lunch, and then headed to Salt Lake to go to the aquarium. Brett had reservations for dinner that night, but we were pretty early for them. We decided to go to the Gateway and see a movie. The movie that we were willing to see that started at the right time was Pirates of the Caribbean 3. Romantic, no? Thus was born our anniversary tradition.

On our second anniversary, we went out to dinner and saw Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. I was thrilled to get out of the house because Kennedy was born only 6 weeks earlier.

For our third anniversary, we went out to dinner and saw Terminator Salvation.

It seems that the first big blockbuster action movie of the summer always comes out in May, just in time for our anniversary at the beginning of June. So, next week, we will be continuing the tradition by going to dinner and then driving the 30 minutes to the movie theatre in Crescent City, CA to see Robin Hood. It may not be totally normal, but we enjoy it.

Shiny Shoes

Brett's letter today said that his company is considered the sharpest there because they have the sharpest uniforms, shiniest shoes and know their required knowledge better than any other company. He said that he was told that at our station he will pretty much only be doing search and rescue in really rough waters. Of course, he's thrilled about that, especially since some people got sent to places where they will be cutting grass and painting parking lots. He is still having a great time and has done a lot to earn the respect and trust of his lead company commander. Our life events have come down to a matter of days.

Noah comes - 12 days

Brett comes home - 15 days

We move to Oregon - about 18 days

And within all of that we will all (including Lucy) have our birthdays!

Lucy - March 15 - 3 years old

Noah - March 23 - 0 years old

Ashley - April 5 - 25 years old

Brett - April 13 - 28 years old

Kennedy - April 17 - 2 years old

We have decided that the months of March and April are going to get really expensive for us in a few years! That's a lot of birthday cake to eat in a month's time!

Stuff from Me and Stuff from Brett

Here's an overview of today:

• As of today, Brett has been gone for 3 weeks. So far, no gigantic breakdowns, just some small ones. And only 4 1/2 weeks until he comes home!
• Kennedy has been a NIGHTMARE the past few days. Today has been the worst. I am definitely learning to be more patient. I think the poor thing has allergies because her face has been leaking all day and she's starting to cough because of all the stuff in her throat. I think that Brett being gone is starting to get to her a little bit too, since she has been hitting me like crazy.
• Today is the 35 week mark for Noah, which means that there are only 4 weeks until we get to meet him finally!
• I made some Lemon Poppyseed muffins that turned out pretty well, but I wish that Brett was here to taste them.

Also, from Brett's last letter, here is a funny story that anybody who knows Brett will appreciate. Plus, it really lets you know that he's having a good time amid all the hard stuff. :)

"By the way, while our company was doing an exercise we find ourselves in quite often of holding our guns straight out for a half hour straight, my lead company commander yelled out, "Where's Lee at?"

"Lee aye," I replied.

He said, "Lee, did you know I have been emailing back and forth with your wife?"

"No, sir."

"You have a baby due on the 23rd, right?"

"Yes, sir."

"Ashley is her name, right?"

"Yes, sir."

"She seems like a very nice girl."

"Oh, she is, sir."

He was doing it to show to the company that although we might feel he was being a jerk for having us hold the gun straight out while telling us all of this, and we being in pain and tired already from the workout, that he has our best interests in mind and that he knows what he is doing; and he does. Later we were shining our boots as a company (but silently) and he cracked some really sarcastic joke, that got me smiling (which we are at no point allowed to be caught doing (imagine how hard that is for me)) and he turned to me and said, "Lee, Ashley must have terrible eyesight if that's what you look like when you smile." I replied, "Actually Chief Ruchser, she does." Everyone busted up laughing, and he yelled, "Lock it up!" which means shut up and quit smiling, because everyone was laughing. He went out of sight so he could have a chuckle, without letting people see. Everyone thought it was pretty hilarious."

You Wanna See My Driver's License? or The Joys of Governmental Bureaucracy

First off, bonus points to anyone who can tell me what movie the first half of the title came from. Since Brett and I have decided to become a military family, I guess that we are going to have to get used to dealing with the annoying red tape and long lines that come with it. Thankfully the people in Cape May (USCG boot camp) are very nice and willing to work with us. Somehow they found out that I'm going to be having a baby before Brett comes home and were working with him to get me on military insurance before that happens. First, you have to be entered into DEERS (the military dependent database). That part was easy because Brett took care of it there at boot camp before he called me to give me more info.

Second, get a military dependent ID card. Slightly more difficult. I had to drive all the way to Fort Worth (about an hour away) at 6:30 in the morning, pay $5 to park downtown, and then find out that I had the wrong address. So then I had to drive to the Naval Airbase, which took me an hour when it should have taken me 20 minutes because my directions were wrong - twice. The first time they got me lost in downtown Fort Worth, what with all the one way streets and such. The second time they took me to the east entrance of the base instead of the front entrance, which I wasn't allowed to enter. I finally got there by following some very sketchy directions given to me by a guy at the ID office. I thought there would for sure be a huge line and I would have to wait for hours since I had gotten there an hour after opening. Thankfully there was absolutely no one in line and the people at Cape May were very quick about faxing the paperwork that I needed over. We got all the info entered into the computer, and then the guy told me to switch chairs so he could take my picture. I was sitting in the chair for 60-90 seconds, and I was wondering what was taking him so long and started to wonder whether or not I should ask him if I should smile. Apparently not, because after a while he said, "We're all done." What? Mug shot anyone?

I was slightly miffed at not being told that the picture was being taken, but my sister and sister-in-law had the same experience. Their pictures weren't much better. Then I got stuck in horrendous traffic on the way home. But the point is that I came away with my ID.

Third, fill out and fax in Tricare paperwork. Done. Since I got it all faxed yesterday I will be on military insurance before Noah is born, which means he's free! Yay!

Also, I finally got a letter from Brett yesterday! He said that nothing could have prepared him for what it is like, and that it is worse than the movies, but that he loves it! He said he's doing really well, he loves his company commanders, and that he is enjoying himself. If you're interested in seeing what boot camp is like and watching his actual company commander yell at people, go to YouTube and type in "It's Just Eight Weeks."

A Good Moment Amid the Madness

We have all been sick since New Year's. Kennedy gets a fever every evening, which I'm sure has not improved her mood (for more details, see the previous post). I have been a little less patient and poor Brett comes home to a grouchy wife and daughter when he is sick and tired himself. Needless to say, it hasn't been very much fun for the past week. But, amidst all of the stress and sickness, there was a cute moment.

Lucy loves this little couch we got for Kennedy almost as much as Kennedy does. She lays on it all the time. The other day Kennedy went over and sat by her and just pet her so nicely. It actually lasted for about 3 minutes, which is more than I can say for most of the Lucy/Kennedy encounters. It was really sweet and made me remember that there is good within the bad and that being sick doesn't last forever. Also, check out my cooking blog for some seriously yummy treats!

Books Read 2009

Seeing as how I've been cross stitching a whole lot more than reading lately, I don't think I'll finish another book before the end of the year. In that case, I'm going to post all of the books that I read this year. The grand total was 35 which is a heck of a lot more than I've been able to read in years past, mostly due to school. I hope the format isn't confusing. Some of these were rereads for movies or just because I wanted to. I put a ^ next to those ones. I also put a star * next to the ones I particularly enjoyed. I hope I can find as much time to read next year, although something tells me that with moving twice and having a second kid, that's not going to happen. If you have any questions regarding specific books or authors, let me know in the comments!

Alias Grace Coraline* Raising Healthy Eaters: 100 Tips for Parents Frankenstein^ The Green Book The Partly Cloudy Patriot The Blithedale Romance The Name of the Rose*The Wordy Shipmates The Lightning Thief* The Thirteenth Tale The Screwtape Letters^* The Lord of the Flies^ The Sea of Monsters The Titan's Curse The Battle of the Labyrinth The Hunger Games* The Graveyard Book The Fire Kimono The Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World Angels and Demons^ Stardust Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince^* The Last OlympianFahrenheit 451 Keturah and Lord Death A Curse Dark as Gold 1984* The Time Traveler's Wife^* Possession Brave New World^* Twilight^ The Lost Symbol Catching Fire* New Moon^

How Do You Manage?

I have been thinking a lot lately about how much having a child changes your life. Probably because I'm soon to have another one in the house. I have no idea what it is like to juggle two children, but I figure that literally billions of people have done it before me, so I will survive and adjust. Some of the things that Kennedy has been doing lately have made me wonder how it will be when I have several kids in the house who are her age or older. There are some cute, and some not so cute.

*Every time I ask her what color something is she says "Yewow." I don't know why yellow seems to stick in her head, because she actually knows some of her colors, but that's always the first one out of her mouth.

*We now have to buy a new camera because yesterday Kennedy dropped ours and bent the lens. I guess that should teach me not to let a 19 month old handle technology.

*Kennedy is getting into the movie stage. She is always wanting to watch something. "Mouse" (Ratatouille), "Kitty" (Aristocats), "Meeno" (Finding Nemo) and so on. What if our kids all disagree on the movie that should be watched at any given time?

*Kennedy has been coughing so bad lately that it makes her throw up, usually in the mornings. So almost everyday lately I've had to change and wash her sheets, multiple blankets and her bear.

To be honest, I don't even know how I am going to manage to give two kids a bath everyday. At least Noah won't need a bath everyday for the first little while. I am looking forward to seeing him grow, just like I love watching Kennedy grow. I am definitely a little bit nervous, but I'm sure that it will all work out in the end. Especially since I still plan on having more kids. It will be hectic, but it was hectic when Kennedy came and we adjusted. I would never give her back and I am so happy that she is a part of my life. I know that Noah will make me feel the exact same way.

Meep Meep Zip Bang!

Some Kennedy updates:

1. She loves sitting in this shopping cart and saying "meep meep!"  She likes it when we push her around in it a lot.

2. She is getting really good at her animal noises, body parts, and other parts of her vocabulary.  Her newest ones are a chicken ("bawk bawk") and her elbow.

3. Even though it's cold outside, she always wants to go out and play.  Even when her nose and fingers are red she cries when I bring her back in.

4. We were at Target trying to pick out a Halloween costume for her and narrowed it down to two.  We decided to let her pick between the leaf fairy and the witch.  I thought for sure she would pick the leaf fairy because it was sparkly and colorful, but no.  She LOVED the witch costume and wouldn't put it down.  She even kissed it!

5. I'm worried about switching her to a toddler bed.  I feel like she's going to have a hard time with it.  And because we'll be moving around for a while and I have to do it at least 6 weeks before the baby is born, I have no idea when I'm going to do it.  Does anyone have any help?

No Pictures, But An Update

So, yet again, I have no pictures.  Hopefully that will be remedied soon.  But here are a few things you might be interested in:

1. Brett brought home some lilies for me (my favorite) on Monday for no reason at all.  They are blooming spectacularly and are filling my kitchen with the best smell.

2. I decorated for Halloween yesterday.  I have a very small collection of holiday decorations, but they make me happy.

3. We finally heard back from the Coast Guard and our waiver for the new baby was approved!  Yay!  We still don't have a boot camp date, but we should by the end of  next week, hopefully sooner.  I will make sure to let you know as soon as we do!

Some Things I Have Been Thinking About

1. I'm officially in my 2nd trimester today.  I actually feel like this pregnancy is going much faster than the first, and it must be because I have Kennedy to keep me occupied and distracted all day.  In a few weeks I should be able to feel the baby move, which will be awesome, because then I won't have to wait to go to the doctor and hear a heartbeat to be sure the baby is in there.

2. I am so grateful for the atonement of Jesus Christ.  I don't know how I would get through without it, since I am completely imperfect.

3. How much I love my husband.  He is an incredible man and an amazing example to me.  I know he loves me and he shows it everyday.  He is my best friend and I love him more than I can say.

4. Halloween is coming up and so is the fall weather.  I am so ready for some cool air and to put my little ghost on my front door.  Holiday baking is going to start and I'll get to dress Kennedy up as something cute.  And I think we may actually make it to Boo at the Zoo this year. :)

I've Got a Singular Impression Things Are Moving Too Fast

Bonus points to anyone that can tell me where the title is from.  My computer background changes every time I open my computer, and of course many of those background pictures are of Kennedy.  Yesterday, this one came up.

I realized that this picture was taken almost a year ago, and look at the changes in Kennedy!  I can't believe how fast time goes.  A year ago Kennedy was about 6 months old, her hair still stuck up, and she couldn't crawl.  We didn't have any inkling about the Coast Guard, and we weren't ready for another baby.  But look at us now.  Not only has Kennedy changed so much, but our family has.  We've grown together, been through some tough things, been through some great things, and are ready to embark on an adventure and expand our family.  We have been so blessed.  The only thing that hasn't changed much is Lucy, and she's still the great kitty that entertains and loves us.  I just got to thinking about our moments in time and how much we need to treasure them, because they are only memories before you know it.  I'm so happy to be on the journey that I am and am savoring the moments I have now, especially since I know that there will be tons more moments to come.

A Good Life and a Winner

I had quite a few good moments yesterday that made me remember how good my life is.  I stood in a clean kitchen eating Phish Food ice cream and listening to "Under Pressure" while Kennedy was asleep.  I watched Kennedy read a book to herself while in her room.  Brett came home and gave me a back rub for no good reason.  I have a great life full of simple pleasures and great people.  And no, I haven't forgotten about my contest.  Congratulations to Noelle who won How to Cook Everything!  For those of you who missed out on the contest, or even if you didn't, watch early next week for another cookbook giveaway!

Hogwarts and Horcruxes

I just finished reading Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince again yesterday.  I love that book.  It is my favorite in the series, closely followed by Goblet of Fire.  I am so excited for the movie to come out in a couple of weeks that I can hardly stand it.  It's going to be amazing!  The previews that show my favorite part of the book look awesome and very well done.  We are old fuddy-duddies who have a baby, so we won't be going to the midnight showing, but I will be buying tickets for the night of the 15th so we can go enjoy Harry Potter!  Thank you for indulging me.  And on a Harry Potter note, on Monday night I had a dream in which Voldemort and some Death Eaters did Thriller.  That's right.

Because a Thankful Heart is a Happy Heart

A few of my friends have running lists on the sidebar of their blog of things that they are thankful for.  Today I felt like I needed to start this on my own blog.  Over the past few months in particular I have been struck by how many things I have to be thankful for quite a few times.  I have been blessed beyond measure, and certainly more than I deserve.  Rather than just have a blog post every once in a while about things that I am thankful for, I'm going to keep that running list on the side.  Also, you should look up the Veggie Tales song Thankful Heart.  It is darling and perfect for this blog post, but I can't find it to share it with you myself.  I hope that you can see the hand of God in your lives as well and see all that you have to be thankful for everyday.

Things I Love

Here is just a little list of things that I love/am grateful for.

*Farmer's Markets - even if the only one I have access to is tiny.  I love going on Saturdays and seeing all of the people walk around and all of the fun things for sale.

*Kennedy doesn't drink formula or out of a bottle anymore - so much cheaper and more convenient.

*Friends - I love getting together with our friends and just having a good time.  Who doesn't?

*Scripture study - I have been much more regular about this lately and it has been great.  I have been learning a lot and have been getting much better at it.

*Birds singing - it's such a happy sound.

*Walks with Kennedy - she loves being outside and putting her toes in the sun.  I love telling her about all of the things she is seeing.

*Brett - he's always thinking of me and Kennedy, and is always so helpful.  He's so happy and he never fails to make me happy to.

*Disney Channel - specifically Playhouse Disney.  I love these shows for kids.  They are cute and educational and Kennedy loved most of them.

*Food - food makes everyone happy.  Enough said.  But, I am making spaghetti and meatballs tonight and Mexican chicken soup tomorrow.  I'm really excited for both!