Roll over

I know I don't give my dog near enough devotion here on my blog.

I should. She is my first baby after all.

But, truth be told, I spend half of my days getting after her for trying to eat food off the baby's tray and the other half cleaning up after the newest mess she has made.

Then night comes and she practically begs for me to hold her and just please love her. I guess all the threats to give her away if she jumps up to steal food from the counter one more time do something to her psyche.

Then I come upstairs to find her sleeping on my side of the bed.

Now if that doesn't prove I love her, not sure what will. Roll over dog and make me some room.

Only

A good summary of yet another lovely Sunday in our house:

• We were ONLY five minutes late to church.
• I ONLY lost my keys twice on the way out the door.
• Carsten ONLY pummeled his sister four times during sacrament meeting
• I ONLY had to take him out twice for crying loudly during the meeting
• Elisabeth ONLY threw one tantrum, prostrate on the ground in front of the Primary room.
• Then she ran out of the primary room and hid for ONLY five minutes.
• Elisabeth ONLY fake cried a few times to try to get picked for a turn during sharing time.
• Elisabeth ONLY threw her shoes, headband and bracelet once across the room during music time.
• Carsten ONLY hit one kid over the head with a block during nursery.
• Carsten ONLY sat in one puddle on the way to the car.

It could of been worse. Much worse.

Let's face it. I have NO idea what I am doing as a parent. Just trying to "enjoy the moment." Or at least that is the phrase that goes through my head multiple times a day on Sundays. Like enjoy how Elisabeth sang in front of our congregation today with the other kids and she knew and proudly sang every word. Or how I taught Elisabeth how to wrestle with her brother and he could not stop laughing as she pinned him to the ground. Or how Carsten correctly identified the Macaw in a book today.

Enjoy the moment, enjoy the moment, enjoy the moment. It helps, right?

Being missed

Our lives are insanely busy. Everyone who knows us knows this. Part of it is my personality, part of it is where we live and part of it is just the place we are in our lives with jobs, kids, church, you name it.

Lance called me this afternoon. This was our conversation:

L: We have been too busy lately. Do you realize that it will be one whole month since we have spent a Saturday together as a family?

K: Yes. It's been a crazy few weeks.

L: What are your plans tonight?

K: I was planning to go to the gym with the kids. Why?

L: My meeting is over at 6:30 p.m. Can you skip the gym tonight?

K: I could. But why?

L: Because I miss you. I just want to spend time with you.

Yes, my heart melted then and melts now as I type this. It's nice to be missed.

Marriage can be a wonderful, wonderful thing when you are married to your best friend.

Mathematical summary

Mathematical summary of our lives these past few weeks:

36. Number of people we had over to participate in our first annual Road Rally. It was a blast to plan it and I *think* everyone else had a good time. . . and we will definitely be doing it again next year. Wishing we could have invited more of our friends. . . Next year for sure!

One of our Road Rally participants "planking" in a public place.

I love how the people in the background are just going about their Yogurtland business here.

Another group completing another task for the event - all getting under a piece of furniture.

Some of the rallyers listening intently to the award ceremony.

Proof we were there. . . having a good time.

100. Number of times this boy asks his mama to pick him up each day or to read him a book.

5. Size EB wears. Goodbye toddler sizes, hello big girl section.

Elisabeth hanging out with her BFFs, getting ready for bed with curlers in her hair.

They didn't last more than 15 minutes.

1. Number of times I brought my preschooler and toddler to Disneyland by myself.

0. Number of times I will be bringing them to Disneyland again solo.

7. Number of places we have lived in the past 10 years (realized while filing out paperwork for the lovely home (that is in our ward, near the elementary school) we are currently in escrow to buy).

1000. Number of times I have signed my life away on all of our paperwork for said home.

22. Days until escrow closes (if all goes well.) Finally settling down is a dream come true. Fingers crossed everything goes smoothly.

6. Number of cold sores on my upper lip due to the stresses related to buying a home.

Bebe

Elisabeth pronounces baby with a French accident. Sure do love our "bebe" girl! She also pronounces bag with a MN accent, much to her Papa's chagrin. Makes a mama proud.

Diddle diddle dumpling

This little kid hates shoes. No sooner do I get his shoes on then one comes off. We can't help but recite the nursery rhyme every day - so much Elisabeth knows it by heart.

One shoe off and one shoe on
Diddle diddle dumpling my son John

New type of confidence

I know we are always growing and changing. However, I look back on this last year and realize I am a drastically different person than I was even a year ago.

Here are some of the things that have changed:

1. I am now a runner. For anyone who has known me since high school you will realize how against my nature this is. A flat-footed, short-Achilles tendoned, uncoordinated girl has no business running. Yet I do. Three to four times a week averaging 14 miles a week. I have run two 5Ks and one 10K. I love it. I love the 30 minutes it gives me four times a week to just think and do something completely and solely for myself.

2. I am into fashion. For someone who used to joke that I needed to be nominated for TLC's What Not to Wear and would buy most of my clothes at H & M, TJ Maxx, and Target, this is a shock. I wouldn't say I have good fashion sense. But I do have a few friends who have impeccable taste and I have started to take their shopping advice. I have discovered the beauty of the personal shopper at J.Crew and the thrill of fitting into size 8 at the White House Black Market. I love buying shoes at Nordstroms and for the first time in my life have passed over mary janes and flats for a pair of fashion boots, Sperry top-siders, heels and wedges. I love how I feel in nice clothes and love getting dressed in the new outfits I have. I love wearing clothes that are modest, yet still fitted and attractive. In the words of my friend Tai, I have abandoned my Minnesota Mormon style for California Chic. I think I need to re-read Confessions of a Shopaholic. Though I am not anywhere near addicted to shopping, I think I now understand the heroine in that book better than when I first read it.

3. I have lost 40 lbs and kept it off for four months. I have lost this amount of weight before in the past. The only difference is this is the first time I have kept it off and have done it by just living life - no dieting. Just exercising, watching what I eat most of the time, and enjoying the foods I want to enjoy within reason. #1 explains why I have been able to do this and this probably explains why #2 has become such a big part of my life.

4. I am going to grow my hair out. I haven't had long hair since I was in 1st grade. Something inside of me is aching to abandon my sensible, short conservative hair cut and embrace long, sexy locks - even if it requires me taking time to style it every day.

Overall, I feel a new type confidence within me that is blossoming, different from the confidence I have felt before. I have been a capable person for much of my adult life. I am far from perfect but feel I am well-grounded, hard-working, determined and have a firm conviction in my beliefs. This year I have gained a different kind of confidence - a confidence in my physical self. For the first time since I have gotten married I feel beautiful inside and out. Something about this is wholly satisfying to me.

I have a few friends and my sister-in-law to thank for the inspiration that has led me on this journey. You guys know who you are :-). One of the beauties about relationships is the best ones inspire us to be better.