More Melita

So many people have commented on how much Melita looks like her Daddy. I like this picture (above) of the two of them.

I see how much she resembles her Daddy when she smiles. When they smile, their whole face smiles- especially their eyes :) This is one of the first things I noticed about Randy when I first met him!

Colter wanted me to take a picture of her with these pajamas on her because they were a gift from his teacher. I love how these pictures show so well what she looks like most of the time when she's awake...
Sometimes in the evening, after the other kids are in bed, Randy and I sit with Melita on the loveseat and just talk and play with her. I think we are both enjoying her more than ever because we both realize how fast she is changing. She often distracts me from my daily duties!


We do have a few other things going on right now... only 10 more days of school, field trips, programs, summer planning, preps and convention coming-YAY! Oh, and Mondays the big planting day!

My thoughts have also been with so many around the world these days. So many have lost so much. So many lives have been lost as well. I am so thankful for each day I have been given but realize that my life could change at any time. It is a reminder to me to use my time wisely.

Just this for now,
Alison

Such A Sleepy Girl

I think I mentioned before how much Melita likes to be cuddled and fall asleep in our arms. Well, it hasn't changed much. I think most babies are like that! Here are some of my favorite pictures of her sleeping. In the picture below, Colter asked if he could hold her so I could finish breakfast one morning. He sat down and rocked her and pretty soon she was asleep. He was SO pleased. :)



I must record some more about Melita's now so I can remember it for later...

Since about 2 months old she has been sleeping through the night. I usually nurse her around 10 o'clock and swaddle her and put her to bed in the bassinet in our room. In the morning when Randy gets up at around 6 o'clock he gets her and gives her to me in bed. I nurse her and she goes back to sleep on my pillow until later in the morning. Only once and a while does she break her routine but more than ever I realize what a lucky Mom I am!

She has never taken a wa-wa so we finally gave up on trying to give her one. She doesn't suck any fingers or blankets either... or should I say YET!

She takes long naps throughout the day and is always SO happy when she wakes up.

She still doesn't like her car seat but is getting more used to it finally. She just won't sleep in it very often!

She is enjoying her baths more and more and smiles often when she is having one.

When I tell her we are going to go and get Maya from school she smiles and starts kicking her feet. I think it's just because I'm talking to her but sometimes I wonder... The same thing happens when I tell her we are going to go get Kyla and Colter. *BIG smile*

She is able to sit in her Bumbo more and more and is starting to look at and respond to toys. Sometimes she even makes a swipe for them.

Her smiles and "talking" is more and bigger these days! So precious!

I have some more pictures to share of her and some 3 month pictures to come. Just this for now.

Have a great weekend everyone!
Alison

Piano Recital-May 2011

Colter and Kyla with thier piano teacher, Mrs. J.

They were a little nervous and the video isn't great but here is the kids playing their second set of songs for the evening. Thought you might enjoy it Grandma and Grandpa, since your weren't in town for the event! ;)

Hugsfromus,
Alison

Forgotten Yeast Fix!

my "forgotten yeast fix" cinnamon rolls without one large pan that already got eaten

Yes, the yeast is slightly important when you are making bread. Since I have been making very large batches of bread, I have forgotten to add the yeast to my dough twice! The first time I did it, I cried bitter tears because I thought of all that flour (almost 13 cups), and honey (3/4 cup), and all the rest that I would have to throw away!!! After I dried my tears, I did a quick search on google to see if I could fix my mess. I couldn't believe it! The dough COULD be saved!!! It just meant I would have to make cinnamon rolls with it instead of bread loaves.

So the second time I forgot yeast I did the same thing again and skipped the tears... who can argue with putting cinnamon rolls in the freezer!

Head on over here to Country Kitchen Recipes to see what I did!

I gotta stop doing this,
Alison

Another DIY Day

This video is for you Grandpa Larry, Grandpa Steve, and anyone else who is interested. This is one of Randy's recent designs to install an underground electric dog fence. In one evening he put wire around our 5 acres and around the neighbors 5 acres.

I'm really thinking I see an underground sprinkler system in our future. ;)

Alison

Memory Lane Monday: Bonnie R.

This week my thoughts and memories have been with Bonnie R.and her recent passing. She would have been 99 this summer. I have some sweet memories of her throughout my life. Here is a picture taken in 1982 that I wanted to share today...

Me with my grandma Alice, great-aunt Sylvia, Dottie and Bonnie

Bonnie gave me the Sand Dollar that you see in the picture at the top of this post in 1989. She had one that was broken open and she showed me the doves that were inside of it. We sat there, together in my Grandparents living room, and marveled over the beauty and wonder of it...

I was reading about the sand dollar and noticed that it's a dark color when it is living. After it dies and is washed up on shore, the sun bleaches it white. The top of the sand dollar has a five-fold radial pattern like a star or a flower. If you break it open, there are little dove-like shells inside that once were the teeth of the sand dollar. As I sit here and gently shake my sand dollar, I hear the little pieces inside.

More than this little sand dollar that she's left behind with me, I am so, so thankful for the quiet sweet influence Bonnie had on my life throughout my younger years. I'm thankful for her 75 years of service in a work that she saw as greater than her own plans and desires. I'm thankful that she had time to stop and talk and share something with me that day. Like the quiet sand dollar that sits on my shelf, there was something truly beautiful inside.



What's around the next corner on Memory Lane?
See you next Monday!

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Mother's Day 2011

This was the best mother's day yet! All three, I mean four, of my kids around me laughing and happy (it helps when Daddy is telling jokes) on a beautiful sunny Sunday afternoon...

Thanks to my kids for all the special gifts they made at school for me...

Thanks to Randy for the flowers and the lunch out at my favorite restaurant with Mom and Dad.

These were a mothers day gift to myself. I had the couple from Randy but I bought the kids to complete the family...


Have a super week everyone!
Alison

I would rather...

I love this picture that I took on the last day of April. The wild flowers by our road are abundant this year. Colter brought me a bouquet which I put in a glass jar and set on the table. This picture show him getting a hair cut later that evening. I loved how the light was shining in the window on his flowers and how he's grinning over the top of the chair at me.

I was having a hard time finding the perfect quote for this picture. I just started playing with some words and came up with my own quote.

Just waxing "rather" philosophical today.

Don't mind me,

Alison

April Company

Not only did we get to go on some trips in April, we also got to have some company. Loren was one of the first people to see and hold Little Lita at the hospital. Then he left on a trip to visit Hawaii and some other Pacific Islands. He had just gotten back not long before he came to stay with us so he really noticed how she had grown and changed.

The picture below shows Loren showing us his pictures from his trip...
Lita likes to be cuddled and she will often go to sleep in our arms. It was so cute when Justin was holding her this evening and she just fell asleep...
Here is Loren and the kids walking to the bus one morning. They also enjoyed going on a run/bike ride with Justin one day after school...

Can't believe it is the 10th of May already. A beautiful day today! We encounter joy and sorrow all along the way. Just feeling so thankful that there is help every single day.

Stay encouraged!
Alison

A Long Weekend

On the last weekend in April, we made a short 3 hour trip back the Idaho to see some more cousins. Even though we live so near each other we hadn't gotten together to see our new little cousin Logan (above) yet. It was so fun to meet him finally! Here are some more pictures from our super fun time together.

Here is Lane showing his cousins, Colter, Kyla and Maya his super fun creek that runs through his pasture. The kids collected some eggs from this creek that came home with us in a jar. They hatched over the next few days and are swimming around in the jar. They were a great show and tell for the kids...
It was so fun to get to know Morgan better. I love this picture of her, she just has a sparkle in her eyes that fits her personality very well...

Uncle Ryan handywork. Lots of fun for the kiddos...

Colter enjoyed lots of outside time!

Morgan and Kyla during a quiet moment blowing bubbles. Morgan loved to blow bubbles!
Our wonderful hostess Jeannie holding Melita...

Colter taking some time out to read a story to Lane...
Kyla finds a tire swing. So fun...
The kids had fun with Easter Buckets on Sunday morning. Here is Maya, maybe not quite awake yet...
Thank you Ryan and Jeannie for the nice time together... the fishing, the visiting, the food, everything! Thanks Lane, Morgan and Logan for sharing your fun house, yard, and all your toys with us!

See you this summer!
Alison

Baby Grady

Welcome to our new little Nephew, Grady Allan! He was born on April 19th at 7:45am. He weighed 7lbs, 7oz and was 18.5 inches. We are so excited to meet him!

And here is another picture of the kids while Sarah and Emma (Grady's big sisters!) were here...

The day after this picture we left on another trip to go see some more cousins! Pictures to come soon.

Have a great day!
Alison

Precious Moments

April was a busy month. I was out of town for three trips. I'm just trying to get caught up from ALL those pictures! ;) The second trip was an overnight trip to Idaho with Mom and Dad to visit Grandma Gladys and Uncle John and Aunt Carol, and to meet my brother John and bring his girls back home with us for a week. I just took Maya and Melita with me for this trip. Above and below is a picture of Melita with Grandma Gladys. I love how she is smiling up at her. She is just bursting with smiles these days!!!
Cousins Sarah and Emma came back with us to stay at Grandma and Grandpa's for a week. While they were here we were happy to hear the news that they got a brand new baby brother!!! Good thing they had some "baby time" with Melita so they would be used to their new little brother when they got home! ;) Below is Sarah holding Melita...

And here is Emma holding her...

There is so many things I want to remember about these precious nieces of mine.

The best way to describe Sarah is that she was exactly like Kyla was in so many ways. So curious and inquisitive and just always thinking a couple steps ahead of you. She was so loving to her cousins and made us smile over and over for the precious things she would do and say.

Emma was so much like Colter when he was her age. Just big eyes taking it all in! She was always a couple steps behind the others but enjoying all the activity at her own little 2 year old pace. I think it's so cute how she calls her brother "she". I wonder if it's because she held Melita first! Too cute!

Because of battery issues and a forgotten camera one day, I didn't get all the pictures I wanted. Some are on Mom's camera so I hope to get those soon and add to my post. But wanted to get caught up here...

Alison

Happy May Day!

I captured these flowers in May 2009 and wanted to share them for May Day today.

I got up early this morning and went out on a walk. The mist was hanging in the air and there was thick frost on all the new buds. It's like everything is just waiting to grow. Waiting for the sun to smile down on it. It was so cold. But the birds were still singing. I guess I can sing too...

It was good to be out on a walk. It's been a while. Today is going to be a good day. A very good day,
Alison