Christmas pics

Last night Steve and I realized it was Dec 20th and we had not a) sent out Christmas cards and b) even thought about taking a picture for said cards. So, being the brave, optimistic, and--dare I say-- slightly delusional parents that we are, we thought we'd just take our own pictures and get our cards ordered on Costco.com. So at 7 o'clock last night (aka. just before bedtime) on a Sunday when neither child has had normal naps/meals we set up the camera and snuggled up to our hearth.

Words cannot describe the experience. Maybe pictures can help show.....a tiny bit....what it was like.

Example #1: our first picture. Everyone reasonably happy! But no flash :(.

Example #2: While turning the flash on Judd had a fit (and was subsequently bribed with chocolate---oh shortsighted parents.....) and Wren took off her hat. We like to call this one 'Get The Hat On And Try To Calm Wren' (we also like long descriptive titles for things :))

Example #3: Obviously #2 wasn't card worthy so on to another round. Judd thinks he needs chocolates after every picture. So we give him one (*shaking head). Apparently one is not enough to keep his hat on.

Example #4: I think Steve and I's faces say it all.

so we picked the very last picture that was taken for our Christmas card. When you get it, don't think Wren is always the saddest baby ever, don't wonder why Judd's hands are thrown up in the air--try to just be excited that he even has his hat on at all, and mostly, just be happy you are getting a card at all! :)

Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Last Saturday we went ahunting to the mountains with Steve's mom and dad looking for, well, not your cookie-cutter Christmas tree but a true, feral-masterpiece Christmas Pine. After an hour and a half of driving up and up and seeing NO trees (I'm not even exaggerating here folks) I started carefully preparing Steve for the possibility that we might have to "maybe just go look at that tree lot we saw on the corner." (No easy task, let me tell you) We finally stopped to feed the Wrenners and Steve and Judd hopping in Dad Platt's car to scout further up the trail. Twenty minutes later down the trail they came with this 11 foot beauty.

Last night we decorated our gingerbread house. Judd eat more candy then he put on. So fun!

Merry Christmas season to everyone!

I want to know: What are some of your Christmas plans or traditions?

I love where I live.

I took this one morning when I was up with the kids. I love it here. I love our (rented) house. I love the town. I love our ward. I love the Ross and TJ Max that are both within 5 min. I love how beautiful life is here.

The great catch up (Halloween 2009)

I know this is SOOOO late but I really did have the cutest spooks on Halloween. A little turtle named Crush and a very sweet little mermaid hung out with us all night.

Thanks mom and dad for coming to be with us

And for bring us two monster pumpkins.

Look at how Wren adores her brother.

So I know this isn't the clearest picture, but I had to show off Wren's costume. Mom Lawrence and I made it together. She was SO unbelievably cute. I wanted to eat her.

Judd loved trick or treating, though it was a little scary to be out in the dark at first. He got the hang of it after the first house, though. He still says to me at random times "Another house." :) love it.

pain of posting

My computer is slow. How do I get excited to post when it takes me about an hour to post anything with pictures?

Wren a Len

How can Wren by 6 weeks old already? But as of yesterday she definitely is. Here are a few pics I took of her today.

My little chubber cheekers. I mean seriously!

The best smile I could take....doesn't that just make you want to smile back?

The cutest girl at church today. Thank you mom Lawrence!

My little sleeping lady. Car, your headband could not be more darling.

Taking pictures sure wears ya out.

And this is where I last left her...as of 10 minutes ago. Even judders calls her "my sweet girl".

I hungee

Just recently Judders started telling me when he wants to eat. So cute! He tells me that he's "hungee" then gives me a snack suggestion for him. An "appa" (apple), a "kook"(cookie, my personal favorite as well) or cereal (which he actually says perfectly) are his most requested.

He doesn't always tell me that he's hungry. Sometimes he'll stand on one of his little chairs to get whatever he can reach from the pantry. I always know its time to start dinner when I get a muffin mix box in my lap.

Two years old!

Its Judd's Birthday! He's two years old today.

Last night Grandma Chris, Grandpa Brian, Uncle Greg and Aunt Stephanie helped us celebrate with dinner and chocolate zucchini cupcakes (i know, its almost like we were cheating in the birthday cake area. Can it really commemorate the day if there is a veggie in it? They were delicious though....and i used up some of my garden's zucchini that is threatening to overtake my fridge. So, overall, clever? i think so!)

Grandma, Judd and Grandpa.
If you didn't notice, the cupcakes were sport balls and the fancy artwork hiding behind Judd in this pic is actually his pinata (we can't wait for Taryn and Evie to come over tomorrow and help us break it!). We were trying for a little bit of a theme here.....okay....a VERY little bit.

Its been a fun couple of days. Though I have to admit, there is just the tiniest element of sadness for me in this happy birthday. I remember when my little boy was my first sweet baby. He has grown up and become smart, funny and loving (remind me to tell the library story...:)). I love him dearly. Happy Birthday my little man!

Wren Lenna Platt

Our new baby girl was born on Saturday, the 29th of August. She weighed 7 pounds, 4 ounces and is 19.5 inches long. She has been a very sweet girl, and Judd thinks she is the cat's pajamas.

Still pregnant

I know you were hoping that my silence meant that we were attending to a darling newborn....us too.

But, nope.

I'm one week overdue today. There is hope on the horizon, however. If the babe doesn't come by herself by monday, I'm going to be induced. Yay!

So until further notice....we're still waiting......:)

And we're waiting.....

I just wanted to update you all. I'm still pregnant. :)

Yep, I was due on Friday, August 21 and as of today Monday, August 24th I'm still pregnant with no relief on the horizon. I am going to the Doctor tomorrow so hopefully we can figure something out.

I have to say, this pregnancy is a breeze so its not that I mind the big belly part (except that I keep hitting into things and people not realizing how big it is :)). Its just that I have some very cute outfits and Granny has made some very cute shoes for this little girl. Actually my mom said, if she was truly one of us the shoes alone would inspire her make her debut much sooner rather than later :).

We're just so excited to see her! When is she going to come??????

Visiting Daddy

So, we thought Stevo would be doing his rotations in Corvallis or close unto but the week before we moved to Oregon we found out that Steve's first two rotations (so a total of three months) would be in Portland. I was pretty upset about it. Of course, Steve was very easy going about it. And in the end we are so very grateful that Steve's brother, Greg, lives in Vancouver, just over the river from Portland. So, during the week Steve stays in Portland and on the weekends he travels the two hours to Corvallis to spend Sat and Sun with Judd and I. It hasn't been too bad, but it is not ideal that our baby is due this Friday!!!! and Stevo won't be done in Portland until the middle of September.

ANYWAY, that was really just background and not the point of this post.

Judd and I decided we need to visit dad so we went up on Steve's d

ay off and together we visited an airfield and Fort Vancouve

r. Judd was t

otally facinated and scared by the hot air balloon.

He was also pretty mad that we made him stop and take a picture in front of the airplane instead of checking it out.

Judders next to some cannons....he was so proud of himself for having a picture taken of just him.

He found a rubber rat in the bakery. Obviously, he loved it. It was just a fun day.

The Farm

After living in a small two bedroom apartment in California this is our home in Oregon! We are just renting this four bedroom house but we love it. It sits on two acres of land a few miles outside of town. We have regular visits from deer, cotton-tail bunnies, birds, raccoons, and "kitty cats" (as Judd calls them). Besides the fenced in garden where we have some tomatoes and zucchini's, there is an herb garden in the front of the house, a grape bower, and across our dirt road, wild blackberries--yum!

Amazingly enough, we found this place on craig's list. The retired couple who own it decided that they needed to spend two years traveling the east coast to really "get to know" that area of the US. It turned out that Steve will be doing his rotations here in Oregon for two years. We needed to move in in June and they wanted to leave in June. It was meant to be.

So here we are, living on 'the farm' :) in a four bedroom house (we use three bedrooms and the owners have all their stuff in the fourth). We have our own washer and dryer!!! And DISHWASHER! All I can say is we are SO happy to be here.

Our new ride

And, ta-da! We are now the proud and happy owners of a 2004 Saab. After months of research trying to find just the right car for just the right price Stevo finally found did it. And then, we actually bought it. (With big thanks to Greg!)

Since being married, Steve and I have only really owned our little 1998 Saturn, which we still love and will put to good use. But now, with Steve doing rotations everywhere from Corvallis, to Albany, to Portland we needed a second car. I think all stay-at-home moms would agree with me, for the sake of sanity, you need a way to get out of the house every once and a while. And while we love the house we are renting, it is 3 miles outside of town--not a comfortable walking distance.

We're Back!

We once again have 24 hour acccess to the wonderful world of the internet. whahoo!

S

Its a girl!

So this is a little late but....we found out our little-one-on-the-way is a girl! We are so excited and can't wait for August to come.

No internet until further notice

So, we lost our internet at the house. And since its completely impossible for me to take care of a won't-sit-still Judd and get anything done on the internet at the library I'm thinking you won't be hearing from me until at least the middle of June. We're moving to Oregon June 16th and will hopefully be getting internet at our house there soooooo.....remember that resolution I made to be a better blogger? Yeah, scratch that. :)

Judder Budder

Judd has developed quite the little personality lately. I love getting to know him, his likes, his dislikes, his attributes..... since so many of our friends are far away I thought I would help you all get to know Judd. So, these are some of Judd's likes:

Judd likes to help me around the house! His favorite job may be sweeping but he's also a first rate duster and is really good at putting away groceries. He's also stellar at reorganizing the kitchen cupboards (which he does several times a day.)

Judd likes to eat. Seriously. He eats pretty much anything but he loves fruit snacks, chicken nuggets and ketchup (really I think it might just be the ketchup), cookies, and spaghetti. This is what Judd looks like most nights after he eats dinner. Look at that face but don't forget to check out those legs!
Judd likes being Super Judd! Aunt Carly made this cute cape and Aunt Gen gave it to Judd as a special present. Super Judd races around our house all the time though I think he gets frustrated that his noble steed doesn't go faster.
Judd likes his aunts and uncles though I have to admit Uncle Hebs and Judd are special buds. Anything uncle Heber is doing, Judd wants to do it too. I couldn't find a picture of just the two of them but here is a picture of us at Disneyland.

Judd likes clothes and shoes. "Shoes" is actually one of the only words he can say that we know what he's saying. And he always tries to help me fold the laundry which actually means he tries to put all the different clothes on his head. Actually, the other sunday we heard some sounds of distress coming from Judd's room. Steve and I went to check on him but it turns out Judd was not in his room but ours. This was the situation we found him in. I had left my dress from church on the floor and Judd just thought he'd put it on. It turned out to be a little more dress than he bargined for, I think, and I had to help him out. Judd likes the Savior. He can say "Jesus" really well and likes to point at the painting of the Savior we have in his room. We are working on folding our arms and being quiet during prayers (I just can't get Steve to do it :)). Judd will sometimes fold his arms for about 2 seconds.....we're getting there....

Blogging....*sigh*

Why do I have such a hard time posting!?!?!?! There are things going on in my life. I have a very cute and funny son. Lots of good things going on with my calling at church. Plans for the new babes. Fabulous ideas to fix our country:). Happy times with my friends. A REALLY good looking husband. So, why do I have such a hard time posting? I don't know. But, folks, there is nothing like a little self improvement when you need it. :) So, hang on tight and keep checking in because here goes a go at becoming a good, frequent poster.

Time for some news.....:)

Well, now that we've spread the word to our families I feel ready to really let the cat out of the bag. Our compact sized family will be growing to a mid-sized one come round abouts August 21st! YAY! We are very excited--well at least Stevo and I are. Judd has no idea :). I think Judd will be a good big brother though. He likes other kids--a lot. He likes to try to hug and kiss other kids--a lot. Not too many kids are that into having a strange kid love 'em up but I think a little newborn cuddle-baby will love it.

So, I'm 13 weeks along. Yes, I've been sick--not fun. Yes, I'm showing a bit, I think. Are we going to find out what the baby is? I guess we'll see. No, we don't have any feelings about if its a girl or a boy. However, there is a latino lady around the corner from us that can tell the baby's gender just by looking at your tummy. She reports a 98% rate of being correct. However, when she was doing her thing when I was pregant with Judd she said he was absolutely a girl. We tried to tell her the ultra sound definitely showed us differently but she was adament. uhhh, That case must have fallen into her 2% side.

Anyway, there is our good news for the spreading. Loff you all!!

Why 8?

Madeline tagged me so here goes.

Here are the 8s:
Rules:
1) Post Rules on your blog
2) Answer the six "8" items
3) Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving them a comment

8 favorite TV shows:
So You Think You Can Dance
Lidia's Italy
Divine Design
American Idol
Design on a Dime
Seinfeld
I can't think of anything else......


8 things I did yesterday:
exercised
cleaned house
made a tuna fish sandwich that Judd wouldn't eat and I loved
read Northanger Abby
was a little sicky
went to Claim Jumper for dinner
played playdough with Judd
watched Muppet's Treasure Island


8 things I look forward to:
Having Judd really talk so I know what he's thinking about
spending my $25 dollar gift certificate to JoAnn's
going to Disneyland again
Having Gen and Heber visit sometime soon
having a real yard/garden with a real house in Oregon (even if its not really mine:))
finding another really good book to get into (any suggestions anyone???)
visiting San Diego before I head out of Southern California
having Steve be done with the boards!


8 favorite restaurants:
Aruffo's in Claremont, CA
Maggie Moo's (technically not a restaurant, I know, but I LOVE their ice cream)
Jamba Juice
Seigfried's Deli in Salt Lake--best bratwurst ever
Cafe Rio
The little Sushi place in La Verne, CA by Maggie Moo's.....what is that place called?
The Something Elephant Something Thai food place in San Dimas, CA....I'm terrible with names.
And even though it no longer exists.....Netty's for the memory of their beautifully thick cookie dough shakes.


8 things on my wish list:
a trip to Ireland, Italy, Germany, and hiking in Switzerland
More children
A Volvo
My own house with a yard and garden--daffodils are a must
awesome, cheap health and dental insurance
a huge library full of all my favorite books
a Co-op in Oregon
to always live near good friends and a temple


8 people to tag:
Gentri
Taylor (hey can I get an invite to your blog?)
Heather (also....can I get an invite to your blog?)
Chelsea
Whitney
Rachel
Amy
Andrea

Hello......Is there anybody out there....Just nod if you can hear me....

SO, I know, i know, its been over a month since my last post and so many things have happened. Some happy, some hard.

Thanksgiving was great. Jill, Matt and Brian (Steve's sister and family) came to visit and we had possibly the best dinner ever. Thank you Matt, turkey guru. Christmas was so fun though we thought we'd never thaw out after over two weeks in the Utah cold (so we're now California wimps. Its true.) Judd got a tent/teepee/tunnel set from Santa/Costco and thinks its great. Stevo got a Best of John Denver CD and now sings Wild Montana Skies all over the house. Loni got beautiful handmade dishes and a veggie cookbook. We're now eating healthily in style. New Years eve was wild with Mom and Dad Lawrence, Stevo, I, Judd and Matt, Jill and Brian having a Karaoke marathon. Brian and Judd ate the microphones while they danced to the vocal stylings of Matthew Odle.

New Years Eve was a somber day. Grandpa George passed away quietly in the morning and the rest of the day we spent with our family around us. We miss him but are so thankful he's not suffering any longer. Families are forever.

We're back in California and just plugging along. We did get a new camera so hopefully there will be more posts on here with some fun pictures.....just keep checkin' back! :)