28

Its my birthday today.

I'm 28 (though for some reason Steve keeps trying to convince me I'm 29. why is that funny?).

At the risk of getting lost in meaningless thoughts, I thought today about how life goes....It just keeps running, and at an ever increasing pace, it seems like.

I feel the same as I did when I was 12 (except maybe a little more comfortable in my skin--may have something to do with being done with braces *shudder*) but here I am a college grad, a returned missionary, a wife to the best boy I fell in love with freshman year at the BY, and a mother to two sweet little people.

In the last four years alone I have lived in Brazil, Grantsville, Salt Lake, California, and now Oregon.

There have been lots of happy, happy things. Like the night (one week after I got home from my mission) I told my dad I was going to marry Steve. He didn't say anything, just gave me the bones. :) And my birthday in 2007 when I found out little Judd would be joining the party. Or, just a few weeks ago, when we blessed little Wren and my whole family and most of Steve's family got to be there. --pictures pending--

There are things that have been tough--though when faced with those things I have to be SO thankful for my mission. If I learned anything in 1 1/2 years it is that "this too shall pass." Even if something is terribly hard, painful, annoying, inconvenient, happy, funny, lazy, busy...whatever, it will not last forever. The point is to ask for the strength to see it through joyfully.

I'm joining the club of moms who want to keep their kids in a shoe box and not let them grow anymore. (I know, its a little bit creepy of a club) My Judders and Wren-a-len are changing and growing and are not staying my babies.

I learning how to cook and sew(a very little bit!). I'm trying to take the time to play and trying to find "projects" i can be excited about (thanks for the inspiration Mom, Gen and Car). And, dare I say it, I'm realizing that time is finite, at least for me and my little life.

ahhhh, and we're back to time. Like I said, it just keeps going.

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".