Life is Precious

There's nothing like a close encounter with peanuts to shed a little perspective on life.  Yesterday, a potential scare arose in Grace's preschool classroom.  A convenient time for AT&T to have an outage, my phone was not working and thus I was unreachable.  Following school procedure, 911 was called and paramedics arrived to monitor my sweet girl.  She did not in fact ingest or get exposed to any products containing peanuts, however this was not clear to me when Kevin finally got through to me on the phone.  "I just got off the phone with the paramedics and Grace is fine," were the first words out of his mouth.  There are no words to explain the emotions my mind and body experienced at that moment.  All I can tell you is I got to that preschool in record time.  When I ran through the door and saw Grace surrounded by paramedics and school staff, doing just fine, (I had to see it to believe it it's a mom thing), all was right with the world.

When I was listening to the news this morning as I was getting ready to make my weekly trip to Costco, I was overcome with anger, grief, and complete shock at the news of the shootings on the East Coast.  In an elementary school, no less.  Children are dead today.  Children who deserved a chance to play on the monkey bars, practice their times tables, and blurt out when their teacher asks them to raise their hands.  My heart aches for those poor families.

Life is so precious.  The little things don't always seem like they matter, but they do add up.  Hug your loved ones today, and tell them they are treasured.  Pray for them, and pray for families all around the world who are suffering the loss of their own loved ones.  Be thankful for the beautiful people God has blessed you with.  

Startup Business Idea

If you are thinking of starting your own business, but have no idea what it is you are looking to run, search no further, I've got it.  After spending the day running here and there, picking up items on hold, shopping for groceries at the local store as well as Costco, running to Walgreens to pick up my one-hour photos (twice, because the first time the pictures just weren't the "right" ones for Grace's show and tell at preschool tomorrow - "B" is fitting, how about a nice picture of the Maui BEACH?!), unloading dishes, sifting out the junk mail, making deposits, and ensuring the laundry room is prepped and ready for the masses (I'll get a start on that tomorrow), I am officially pooped.  And I'm still on Maui time which is 3 hours behind!  If I could have paid someone to do all this for me, say a day or two before arriving home from my vacation, I would have gladly done it.  Nothing beats coming home to a clean house with a stocked pantry, fridge, and fruit bowl, or so I think.  But I wouldn't really know because, as it was, we touched down in Seattle at 8:30 last night, ate dinner at the airport prior to catching a shuttle to pick up our car, as we knew we would starve if we came straight home.  Then we proceeded to make a quick stop at the supermarket for the morning essentials, only to hit the very same market again less than 12 hours later.  And so the day began - goodbye vacation, hello reality.  But, what if you could hang on to that vacation vibe for just another day and ease back into reality with, say, 5 things on your to-do list instead of 10.  Would you do it?  I would.  Just a thought.  Steal it if you wish, with two busy kids and a to-do list of my own, I won't be heading my own company anytime soon.  But let me know if you will.  ;)

I'll post on Maui soon.  After I unpack and upload my pix!

Well Done

What person in their right mind wakes up at 4am to go run 13.1 miles?!  Well, I did!  And so did about 17,000 other people at the Disneyland Half Marathon last weekend.  But, wait.  Let me back up and start at 4am the previous day.  That's when the adventure started.

Breakfast!

Kevin and I rolled out of bed, gathered up our things, and headed out the door in order to park, catch a shuttle and get to our plane which was scheduled to leave at 7am.  My mom arrived promptly at 4:45 (she stayed with the girls), and we were off.  Everything was smooth, and as soon as we arrived in Long Beach we found this great little cafe - Eggs, Etc. (I highly recommend it!) and gorged ourselves.  I was in heaven - the chicken, eggs, potatoes, and pico de gallo were fabulous.  But even more fabulous was sitting through a meal conversing uninterruptedly with my husband.  A scenario such as this is hard to come by for us.

After breakfast we headed to Disneyland where we renewed our annual passes and moseyed over to the health expo.  We picked up our bibs and a few other essential items (new shirts, stickers for the car, posters, etc).  Kevin met and talked with Jeff Galloway, who among many other noteworthy accomplishments, has competed in the Olympics.  After that, we were ready to hit the park.

It has been over three years since Kevin and I have been at Disneyland together without kids.  While I certainly love taking the girls to Disneyland, it was so nice to re-experience it without them.  Perks: not having to navigate and park a double stroller, going on grownup rides, not waiting in line for rides (single riders, woohoo!), being able to go-go-go as long as we want without having to stop for a diaper change or snack, and not having to adhere to anyone's schedule but our own.

My favorite - Indiana Jones

After a few hours, we were ready for dinner, and lucky for us we had reservations at the Napa Rose, inside the Grand Californian.  We had a great dinner, again enjoying sitting through our meal and chatting with no interruptions.  Next up, we were on a mission to find our pre-race breakfast.  For most people, this is quite easy.  Kevin always eats a bagel with almond butter, honey, and a banana.  For me, well, this was slightly more difficult.  Having to avoid gluten puts a wrench in things, and my allergen-free pancakes I had packed were sitting in a suitcase in the trunk of a car in 95 degree heat.  I wasn't feeling so good about them....and trying to find an alternative was proving to be tricky.  Eventually I settled on white rice from a Chinese restaurant, and we headed to the hotel.

Everything was laid out, we were all set to get a good night's sleep as we had to wake up by 4 in order to eat and get to our corrals by 5:15.....and then the disco dance party started.  Some sort of wild bash was happening in the reception hall at our hotel, which was just across the courtyard from our room.  So, I think I finally was able to fall asleep when the party broke up around midnight.  After about four hours of sleep, we were up and at 'em, prepping for the race.  It was terrible.  I am not a morning person.  I was so tired.  I was not hungry, but I knew I needed to eat.  I neglected to grab a spoon from the restaurant, so I had to use a credit card to scoop cold rice topped with almond butter and banana into my mouth.  It was disgusting.

I gave up on eating after I was only a few bites in.  We headed out into the cool, dark morning with all the other half-marathoners.  It took us about 10 minutes to get to Downtown Disney.  We said our goodbyes and Kevin headed off to Corral A, while I ventured off to Corral E.  There were so many people.  The speakers were loud with upbeat music and cheers from various speakers and mc's.  I was starting to wake up and get excited.  I made a quick trip to the honey bucket (those that know me well know this is not something I am comfortable with to say the least, I have a major aversion to public restrooms, I won't even get into my feelings on port a potties...and little did I know this would be the first of many honey buckets for the day).   When the gun went off and the first wave of runners started, I felt a slight hunger pang.  I did my best it ignore it, but the closer it got to my start time, the stronger it felt.  I started to get worried, as I know that when I am hungry while running I get intense side aches, but tried my best to chalk the feeling up to nerves.  Well, it was finally my turn and I crossed the start line and headed off toward California Adventure with a major stitch in my side.  We ran through the new Cars Land, which just opened in June.  I was feeling a little crowded, and very hungry, but I pushed on.  By Mile 3, we were making our way through behind the scenes areas in Disneyland.  I was miserable.  I was pretty sure I was going to have to either walk to finish or just throw in the towel.  I was enjoying the scenery - stables and horses, extra ride cars, trains and conductors, princesses, and all sorts of cast members cheering me on.  But, I was starving.  I finally decided to eat one of my gels that I was saving for much later in the run.  I started to feel a little better, and after a quick powerade stop, felt even better.  I started to pick up the pace and by Mile 7, I was feeling pretty good.  By this time we were out of the park and into an industrial area.  While the scenery was boring, there were several entertainment stations along the way including high school bands and cheer squads, Mexican dancers, and plenty of spectators cheering us on.  Powerade was my friend at this point, and I kept feeling better and better the more I drank.  I was, however, killing a lot of time standing in line for and using the honey buckets.  This was frustrating.  I ate my second gel at Mile 8, and felt amazing.  Until that point I had been averaging about a 12.5 minute mile (keeping in mind the pit stops), and was feeling so frustrated with myself.  Even on my worst day training I did far better than that!  But now I was averaging about a 10 minute mile, and felt much more confident.

Between Mile 9 and 10 came one of the most exciting parts of the race - Angel Stadium.  As I entered the stadium and saw fans sitting in the stands cheering for us, I felt incredible.  I heard people yelling my name, and was so glad I had opted to keep my bib on the front of my shirt instead of the back.  I was so energized and felt like I could go for miles.  I was almost disappointed there were just a short few left.  Fortunately there had been a Clif station where I was able to grab a replacement gel for the ones I already consumed.  I'm picky about my gels - Honey Stinger is what I love.  Clif is my backup, so I was happy to have been handed my second choice :)

At Mile 12 something amazing happened.  I had been listening to a contemporary Christian station on Pandora, and all of a sudden this song came on that I had never heard called Well Done by Moriah Peters.  Here is my favorite verse from the song:

So when my life’s a leap of faith I can hear You say Well done, well done I’m gonna chase You, Lord I’m gonna show the world Your love, woah I’ll run, I’ll run I’m gonna run this race To hear You say well done

What a fun coincidence!  So, that put a little more pep in my step and I felt like I finished pretty strong. Kevin was waiting just beyond the finish line for me.  I had a stiff/sore hip, but did a little stretching and felt fine after a few minutes.  We made our way through the finishers to get our picture taken and have a snack of bananas, peanut butter (forbidden unless we're far away from Grace, so this was a real treat!), and gluten free crackers - yes, the ones that Disney provided were gluten free.  I was stoked!

It's amazing how hungry I was though, even after my fabulous snack.  So, we made our way to Downtown Disney, over to the Uva Bar for an omelette and potatoes along with some much needed coffee.  I forgot to mention that I was still so tired from lack of sleep, at one point during the race I actually closed my eyes and felt like I could drift off while running.  After quick showers back and checking back at our hotel (where we will NEVER stay again for many more reasons other than the noise factor, but I won't get into that), we took off toward Laguna Beach for the last day of the Sawdust Festival.

Laguna Beach is another favorite spot that we haven't visited in years without kids.  I got my first toe rings at the Sawdust Festival several years ago (real ones, not the wrap-around fakies, but the ones that are actually fitted for your toe).  And of course I got a new set this time around, picked out a gift for my mom, observed some glass being blown, and took a relaxing stroll through many art and handmade-goods stands.  It was great!  Then we headed to Newport Beach to eat lunch and eventually went to the airport.  

By the time we boarded our plane, I could not believe I was still standing upright.  I was beat and so ready to get home to my Tempurpedic bed.  I love flying at sunset - we caught a great view as we left, and I loved looking out at all the lights in the darkening sky.  And what better welcome to Seattle than Soundgarden playing in the airport, love that!  We laughed after we got the car and jumped on the freeway toward our house. That was the longest date we have had since having kids.  We accomplished a lot in less than 48 hours, and boy did we have fun!  I am happy to have my first half marathon under my belt.  It was definitely a great learning experience.  Now I know what to expect and what I should do differently next time, mainly nutrition-wise.  So, I'll be set for the Seattle (half) Marathon in November.  Can't wait! :)

Before & After

Summer Synopsis

What a busy summer we have had!  And our vacations are only just getting started.  I am gearing up for my first half marathon.  Kevin and I get to go to Disneyland BY OURSELVES to run it.  It will be a quick trip, but it has been years since we've gone by ourselves, and I am really looking forward to it.  And I can't wait to run my first big race! Next on the vacation list will be a trip to Maui with Nana and both uncles (and all significant others, too), and a few weeks following that we are vacationing at the Olympic National Forest.  Woohoo!

So, what have we been up to this summer....lots of park playdates, playing in the kiddy pool and water table, going for a lot of runs, berry picking, drinking our share of smoothies, and staying cool at the mall.

Mud Mountain Dam Park with Paige

We take our Jamba Juice very seriously!

Berry picking with "my boys" as Grace calls them :)

Sisters on the swings

Les Gove Park with Keza

One of my favorite recent mall excursions still has me laughing.  A couple weeks back when we were reaching hellish temps of 93 degrees and up, I took the girls to the Supermall to get some Orange Julius and ride the carousel..and stay cool! Well, we took a little detour through Nordstrom Rack and suddenly Grace started screaming at the top of her lungs.  I calmed her down and she shakily pointed to a faux fur vest hanging at her eye level.  "What happened to that dog and why is it on a hanger?" she asked.  Oh my! I was not prepared to deal with such serious matters, but luckily one rack over displayed some lovely sparkly pink sweaters that quickly caught her princess eyes, and she was over the pup.  This, followed shortly by her first (and dreadfully unsuccessful) honey bucket experience have been the most traumatic events all summer, so I guess we're doing all right. Grace starts preschool next week, and she is so excited (so am I!!).  She also just graduated to a twin size bed...isn't she just all grown up?! Oh, and her favorite new food is "chicken on the bone" aka drumsticks...with hot sauce of course!

Can't get enough of that adorable little face

Chicken on the bone

New bed complete with princess sheets

Emma is growing leaps and bounds, too.  It won't be long before the girls are sharing clothes for a bit, before Emma outgrows her sister (I think!).  She is much less prissy or particular about her clothes, but maybe that's because she just can't articulate her feelings on the matter as well as Grace.  Emma loves to be naked, and insists on wearing shoes (you may remember my past blog on her insistence on no socks or shoes, in the dead of winter...complete 180 in the summer!).  Her hair is growing into adorable little curls and falls straight into her face, so she is forced to wear cutie patootie bows or pixie pony tails.  Her vocabulary is booming, and she is the most polite tike you'll ever meet, never forgetting her please and thank yous.  This morning, in fact, as we were leaving the gym, Emma threw a little tantrum because she didn't want to go (I may have forgotten to mention how strong-willed and stubborn she is, too.).  As she lay on the floor kicking and screaming yelling "no thanks, no thanks," I asked if she wanted to go home and have a smoothie.  "Yes please, yes please" she replied as she continued to scream and cry. And if she is around when you cough or sneeze, you can expect her to immediately ask if you are ok.  And she will keep asking until you answer!  "I do" means "I want" and we hear it a lot.  It's cute, but I will be glad when she has a new phrase :)

Naked baby!

I do shoes!

Loves corn on the cob!

So big!

I love that the girls are at an age now where they play together, and actually enjoy each other for the most part.  One of their favorite things to do is ring-around-the-rosie.  Neither one of them gets the words completely right, and they are almost always off beat from each other, but it always comes together when they "all fall down." And what better place to practice than in the middle of the aisle at Target?!

Grace is three...going on 16!

Where does the time go?  Wasn't it just yesterday we were driving 30mph on the freeway as we brought our brand new baby home from the hospital?  Didn't she just learn how to toddle and babble?  Weren't we just snapping onesies and changing diapers?  I guess time has flown by.  My little Grace is three years old now.  No more toddling, it's walking and running for this girl (in sparkly pink shoes, of course).  Talking a mile a minute, unless she's singing (a princess song, no doubt).  Now Grace puts onesies on her dolls and helps change Emma's diapers (and wears only princess underwear herself).  We live and breathe princesses at our house.  Grace is typically dressed up in Cinderella clothes (or one of her fashionable friends), and pretty much always wears a crown.  She loves to have her fingers and toes painted, and had her first official mani and pedi with Nana and Gigi this past weekend.  Definitely a girly girl! 

What a fun time we had celebrating her 3rd birthday!  First we had a fun dinner party at Nana Carol's house. Both Gigis were there, as well as Uncle Bups, Uncle Danny and Mel.  

Because every princess loves a good carbo load, we had spaghetti!  Then we sat around and visited before digging in to the cake.  The cake....

When a certain three year old cutie patootie requests a princess castle, a certain mommy delivers!  I had soooooo much fun making this cake.  I'm pretty sure Grace loved it, too.  And it tasted pretty darn good, as well (thanks goes to Mrs. Betty Crocker!).  

And then there were the presents.  When in doubt, go for the girly stuff with this kid.  Tea sets, princess costumes, carriages and Cinderella dolls, princess backpack, princess blanket, frilly dresses, a magic mirror, princess "chopstick" for her beautiful lips, princess bubble bath, and princess books.  Did I mention princess stuff?  She was in heaven!

 Then came the real birthday.  We decided to forego a formal party for friends, but we wanted a low key, fun celebration.  A playdate at the park was perfect!  Cupcakes for a snack, lots of room to run around and play, and a chance for mommies to chat and have some grown up time.  Everybody was happy!

At the end of the day, Grace was a happy camper, and that's what matters most.  We are so blessed to have such a healthy, bright, and spunky little girl.  It's hard to believe in the fall she will be starting preschool, it seems like she should still be my little baby!

A light at the end of the tunnel?

Emma Joy-less.  That's what she has been for far too long.  Perhaps we finally have a solution?


It all started back in February.  No wait, I guess if I want to be really accurate, I should say it started back in October.  Yes, October.  We all got a cold.  Emma and Grace each had their first set of ear infections.  Then Emma developed this awful cough.  It.would.not.go.away.  By January, after countless doctor visits and nurse phone consultations, she finally saw a children's pulmonologist.  (These guys are not very easy to get in to see!)  The verdict - Asthma and some funky condition called Bronchomalacia, which I am more than likely spelling wrong.  On with the inhalers and nebulizer, and within a couple of weeks she was much better.  We thought.  But, wait.  Next came the second ear infections (both ears) in February.  More antibiotics.  But they didn't work.  So, more antibiotics.  And they worked this time!  For exactly two weeks.  And then she had another ear infection.  I failed to mention that this entire time her eczema has been driving her crazy, and her scalp has been scaly and itchy, too.  Back to the ears - a new antibiotic and she was set.  For a couple weeks, when the problem of course returned.  Or never went away.  Who knows which.  All I can tell you is at this point we were losing our minds with not getting any sleep, repeatedly visiting a doctor of some sort, and trying to entertain a busy, chatty three year old while keeping an irritated one year old comfortable.  (Not having much luck)  Ear surgery and tubes were finally done on June 5th.  We were excited at the prospect of sleep and a happy baby.  Only, that didn't happen.


Turns out there is this thing called "atopic triad" which I can't pretend to know enough about to describe, but I found some helpful info here and of course from our doctors.  To sum it up, a combination of symptoms (such as chronic ear infections, asthma, and eczema) are often attributed to severe allergies, likely food.  Had an allergy test done last week (blood draw for babies = heart palpitations for momma, a mild cry from baby).  Here we are on June 22nd and we finally have some answers (or so we hope).  It seems that Emma has several food allergies.  Mostly things that she eats on a daily basis.  Lovely, I now feel like I have been poisoning my kid.  No more eggs, bananas, wheat, dairy, chocolate (poor thing!), or tomatoes.  Or beef, but I don't believe she's ever even eaten it, so she won't miss that.  What on earth am I to feed this kid?!  She's already been off dairy for a couple weeks, drinking coconut milk in her bottle which makes her smell insanely delicious.  But I was really hoping to get her back on cheese and yogurt since she loves it beyond belief.  Guess we'll hold off on that.  (And of course you probably know we are already a nut-free family due to Grace's allergy, sheesh!)


All in all, as overwhelmed and frustrated as I am and have been by all of this, I am grateful to at least have some direction that doesn't include pumping more drugs into my baby's little body.  There are so many helpful blogs and sources out there by moms who are pros at this.  In all of my free time (ha!) I have been exploring them a little, now I am ready to research the heck out of them.  Thinking about cooking and baking for my family in the long term feels daunting, even dreadful (which is crummy because that is one area of mommyhood that I have always enjoyed!), and it certainly is an art.  Those that have it figured out, hats off to you!  Anyone that has some helpful suggestions or resources, they are graciously welcomed.  In the meantime, I am hoping *fingers and toes crossed* that by eliminating these known problem foods she (we) can get some quick relief and a good night's sleep.  

Can Preschool Start Tomorrow?

Normally I love Tuesdays.  Normally.  Under a normal set of circumstances. But today was just one of those days....I thought it was going to be great.  I woke up early and was ready before anyone else was even out of bed.  I was excited because it was the last day of MOPS before summer break.  Our morning went as usual, we got to the church and a great time was had by all, as usual.  Home for lunch and then naps.  This is where things took a turn for the worse.

Grace is new to the world of bed-sleeping.  For the most part she has done really well, but the past couple of days have been challenging to say the least.  Knowing that we needed to get to Target after naptime (let me back up and explain...at bedtime last night I bribed Grace with a new pair of sandals if she stayed in bed all night....yes, I've become "that" mom.), I really needed her to get her rest.  But no, a mountain of animals on her bed, Grace nowhere to be found, and naptime was already haflway over.  So, whatever.  Off to Target with an incredibly grumpy and testy kid.  Oh, and her cheerful little sister. 

Here's what I don't understand about children's clothing and accessories.  Why, when we spend so many years as adults wearing adult things, do designers and stores feel it's necessary to make toddler shoes that are trendier than the ones I wear?  Wedge espadrilles for a three-year-old? No thank you.  Gladiator sandals in pewter or bronze for a toddler?  We'll pass.  Where are the pink and purple mary janes?  What happened to those cool little shoes that light up when they walk?  Thongs with bling bigger than her toes?  I don't think so.   

So, we proceed to buy a few household items and even a few groceries.  Target really knew what they were doing when they started selling food.  As I was attempting to "teach" Emma not to suck on the cart seat strap, I looked over and saw Grace munching on an apple, and we are still nowhere near the checkout aisle, love this kid.  I jokingly told her she was going to go to jail because we didn't pay yet, and all hell broke loose.  She started yelling she didn't "wanna" go to jail (not even knowing what it is) and she was sorry she ate the "magic apple" (one too many Disney movies?!)...and people were staring.  No, they weren't staring.  They were glaring.  Because I'm "that" mom.

Somehow we made it home in one piece.  I made dinner and convinced Grace she would be oh-so happy if she ate outside at her picnic table.   Alone.  Ahhh....peace.  Or so I thought.  But she kept needing this and that, and my vision of sitting down at the kitchen table was quickly squashed by countless trips out the back door.  When she asked for a third helping of noodles, I told Grace she needed to eat the chicken sausage on her plate first.  When I peeked through the blinds to check on my sweet child, she was burying her sausage in the garden.  Either she believes chicken sausage grows on trees or she's more clever than I thought.  I'm pretty sure it's the latter and I have to give her credit for that.  But really?!

After dinner, despite our repeated instructions not to do so, Grace was yet again talking about poop.  When I gave her "the look" she began SINGING about poop.  I told her to sit in time out, and she informed me singing is different than talking, so "it's ok Mama."  Oh. My. Goodness.

Tomorrow afternoon I am having an allergy test done, and the girls will stay home with a sitter.  Am I crazy to actually be anxious to go to my appointment?!  Needles and itchy arms....crazy three year old who thinks she has the world figured out...I think preschool in the fall will do her some good.  And me.  It will definitely do me some good.

I did mention I love her, right?

Because I Said So!

What's the girl's name who sings this song mama?
Laura Story
Why is that her name?
Because her parents liked it for her when she was born.
Why was she born?
Because her parents wanted a baby (treading in murky water, here...)
Why is the song over mama?
Because she needed a break from singing and so another song could come on.
Oh.  What's the name of the boy that sings this song?

And it continues.  All. Day. Long.  How does a kid come up with so many questions?  My mind is exhausted.  I need a break from all the inquiries.  Please! Go ask Scott, doesn't he know?  Oh, he is at work.  He works at Disneyland today? Oh, and he works at heaven with God tomorrow? That makes sense.  Good ol' Scott.  His mom is nice and lets him eat yogurt in the car.  She also lets him climb up the slide instead of only going down it, and she lets him do two things at once even though Grace has to keep working on only doing one thing at once.  Oh, and his mom of course never makes him eat his vegetables, yet he keeps growing big and strong so he really doesn't need them. Yes, Scott, you are sure are a pesky imaginary friend.  Can't you help a mama out once in awhile?  I mean yes, I do appreciate that you don't give Grace peanut butter, but do you have to insist on eating chocolate chip cookies for dinner?  Really?

Almost-three is interesting.  Most days it's fun.  Some days it's a nightmare.  Typically it is a challenge, a crackup, and a reward all wrapped into one big adventure. 

My Barefoot Bandita Turns One!

It was a sweet day.  And by sweet, I mean filled with sugar and yummy goodies.  And of course, my sweet girl was turning one.  Although Emma was casually late to her party, taking a slightly extended morning nap and then of course beautifying herself, she had a blast once she arrived at Hello Cupcake. 

Family came from out of town, and her favorite friends were there as well.  She didn't seem interested in the healthy snacks Mommy brought for everyone, but when you've got cupcakes, who needs fiber and protein?! Apparently Grace!

Mommy and Daddy made a wish on Emma's behalf, and Grace helped blow out the candle.

The cupcake was a hit.  In fact, I think I saw Emma steal some bites from other people's cupcakes, too!  Opening presents was fun, and lucky for Emma, we had some great helpers on our hands. 

Lots of books, some really cute outfits, fun outdoor toys, money for the college account, gift cards, and my personal fav - the Old School Sesame Street Collection from the 70's and 80's!

 Grace even scored some fabulous new accessories, but Emma could care less about those!  She won't even keep her socks on much less wear shades or pretty headbands.

I think it's safe to say a great time was had by all.  There was the occasional spilt milk, but I don't believe anyone cried over it.  And we even had a gloriously sunny afternoon greet us on our way out.  Doesn't get much better than that!  (And thanks to the awesome friends and family members that took these pictures.  My hands are always full, and without you I would never have any pictures of my family.  You rock!!)

Emma's Almost One!

Where the heck did the time go?  A year ago, I was very large, very uncomfortable, and very over-due to have a baby.  Emma was taking her sweet time, and there was practically no sign that she would get the show on the road.  Well, once this girl makes up her mind, she is determined!  After finally going into labor, an hour and a half later start to finish (sorry to all you 48-hour laborers) I was holding my new baby girl with the sun streaming in the window at 8am March 25, 2011.  Fast forward a year, and I now realize the urgency, the chaos, the incredible rush of that day would be simply the sign of times to come.

I've gone through some pretty bittersweet feelings over the last couple of months as I watch my baby turn into a toddler, and my toddler into a little girl.  No matter how much these girls change, one thing that remains the same is their love for each other.  Please, God, let them always cherish that love!  Grace's little high pitched voice encouraging her sister to roll, crawl, walk melts my heart.  It's balanced out by the periodic, "Leave me alone, Emma, I'm not in the mood," or "I don't want Emma to get my....(insert practically anything)."  But, all in all, these girls make each other pretty happy, and that is a major blessing.

So, happy almost-birthday to my baby.  It's been an incredible year.  I love you to the moon and back.

Even on days like this :)