Eric, Catherine, Riley, & Iris

Number Three

2011-11-11T15:42:00.000-08:00

Due June 11, 2012

Playing Catch Up

2011-10-09T12:06:00.000-07:00

So, I scrolled through my pictures for the past six months to remind myself what we've been up to, and I'm surprised how much the girls, Iris in particular, have changed. I guess she's still young enough that six months makes a big difference. So, in rough chronological order, here is our spring/summer:

a picnic with Grandma and Annie, had to be moved indoors because of poor weather

the girls being best frenemies, per the usual

playing "Pretty Pretty Princess"

I think this was the longest Riley's hair has ever been...

... and then the chop (don't know what's up in this picture, I just wanted to illustrate the hair cut)

a trip to the aquarium with our Cueva friends

bowling with Grandpa Craig

AND, big news, I went on a cruise to Mexico, on this boat...

...with these people (my mom, my friend Alyssa, and her mom- no kids!)

We did some mule riding...

...some zip lining...

...some repelling...

...some smiling....

...and basically had an amazing time.

After I got home, I did the Race for the Cure again.

Riley had her end-of-school play (that's her behind the mask- Eric made it, of course)

This is what happens when our friend Katie comes to play

Liz, Eric and I went to see Josh Ritter at Red Butte Gardens, which was amazing and incredible, as always

the girls took part in our wards Children's Parade

Riley still sleeps with her eyes slightly open, which always freaks me out when I check on her in the middle of the night

Eric and I went on a two day rafting trip with my fam, down the Colorado River. Quite wonderful.

Riley had her first day of first grade, and this is the only picture I got (bad Mom). She's doing fantastic and really liking it so far.

I took her out of school the other day so we could go to the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival together. I went often as a kid, and I really appreciate and love those memories. I want her to have some of the same. We had a great time together. Here she is with her favorite storyteller.

In news that wasn't captured in photos, Iris is in a big-girl bed and, thanks to Eric, is also potty trained- hurrah! My job moved me to a full time supervisor position, so I've been gone a lot, and since Eric is able to be home with the girls, he just took that over. It was wonderful.

My work is taking us on a cruise at the end of this month- hurrah! I'd never been on a cruise, and this will be my second in six months. I'm getting to be quite the jet-setter.

Eric and I got released as Sunday School teachers for the 12-14 year olds, where we've been for a few years, and I got moved to the Young Women, as a Beehive advisor. I love it! The girls are at such a good age, and we've got a really great group, so it's been fun.

Iris turned three, and I don't have a single picture of her birthday. The poor second child gets slighted, once again. At least she's too young to realize it. I'll do a whole post about her soon, when I get ambitious.

It just didn't happen for me.

2011-09-28T08:54:00.000-07:00

I was going to blog today. I really was. I had it all planned out. But now I can't find the cord to my camera, and what's a six-month-old post without some catch up pictures? Lame, that's what it is. So I'll find it and get back to you.

It's Spring!

2011-03-24T18:52:00.000-07:00

We're still here, alive and well. We always seem to be very busy, but if you asked me what with, I'm not sure if I could tell you. We ended up surviving Riley's birthday party, and are now trying to deal with having a six-year-old. It seems that this new attitude has been present ever since her birthday, and I just don't know what to do about it. It makes me panicked for the teenage years, I can tell you that.

Iris is as much of a wrecking crew as ever, and keeps us in a near-constant state of disarray. I hope you can see how far the toilet paper stretches in this picture.

The other day, the day after St. Patrick's Day, I changed her diaper to find emerald green poop. I said, "Iris, your poop is green for St. Patrick's Day!" and she said, "It's a miracle!" Don't know where she got that one.

And then she crashes and burns each night. I love to peep in at her, and watch her being still. It's so rare.

In other Bartlett news, I got a job. This is the first time I've worked out of the home since before Iris was born, so even though it's only part time, it's a big change for me. Luckily, Eric's school schedule is really light this semester, so he's able to be home with the girls, which is amazing. We didn't want to do the day care thing. I'm working in customer service, which can be kind of draining, but I'm glad to be able to contribute financially again.

Eric and I had our four year anniversary last week, and were able to spend a night away, which was so needed! In some ways, four years has seemed like a snap, but then I have a hard time remembering when I wasn't married to Eric. We've had some pretty amazing times these past four years, as well as some really challenging ones, but I wouldn't want to share any of it with anyone else! Cheesy as it sounds, I feel like Eric is the other half to my whole. I'll stop now before I make anyone uncomfortable....

Happy 6th Birthday, Riley!

2011-02-24T21:16:00.000-08:00

I can hardly believe our little Riley turned six this week. I have a six-year-old. Wow. It's such a cliche, but she's growing up too fast! We've been so blessed to have her in our lives, and are excited (and kind of nervous) for what the next six years will bring.

We had a dinner with our families to celebrate (spaghetti with sauce straight from the jar- her favorite meal) with cake and ice cream after. As always, she was spoiled by the fam, and got some wonderful presents. The highlight, at least for me, was when she opened one of the gifts from Eric and I, the soundtrack to The Sound of Music, her new favorite movie. It's also one of my favorites, and we've been listening to nothing but, ever since. Eric is really happy about it.

This girl is a blast to have around. She makes us laugh (and sometimes want to cry) each day. She's got a mind of her own, and seemingly boundless energy. She's having a blast in Kindergarten, is reading and writing so well, and has made lots of new friends. She's our little social butterfly, and will talk your ear off if you let her. She and Iris have a typical sibling relationship- besties one minute, bitter enemies the next, and they seem to enjoy both sides.

I asked her some questions on her birthday:

favorite food: crab, and spaghetti (What six-year-old likes crab?)
favorite color: purple
favorite movie: The Sound of Music (yes!)
what do you want to be when you grow up: a space person
favorite toy: scooter and doll house
favorite book: Fancy Nancy, the Bearenstein Bears, and the Magic School Bus
favorite thing to do: hug my mommy (I love those sappy moods she gets in!)
favorite song: "Sixteen Going On Seventeen"
favorite part of school: recess
best friend: my sister, Iris

We love you, Riley!

(Send a prayer my way that I get through the friend party tomorrow!)

2011-02-17T19:29:00.000-08:00

Me: "Your daddy is so great. I love him. Do you know that?"
Riley: "Of course I do. I know that everyone loves him. Except Satan, because Daddy is so good. Satan must have a really hard time with Daddy."

I melted.

It's Been A Looong January

2011-02-01T00:04:00.000-08:00

Wow, I am so happy that January is over. It seemed to drag on for an extra long time, but we stayed busy and (mostly) productive.

A trip to the Bean Museum with the Bartlett fam

I had part of an ingrown toenail removed-again- and this time had some "residual side effects" to the stuff they numbed me with, which is a nice way of saying that a good portion of my left big toe is now completely numb. Although, how it can be numb and still hurt at the same time is beyond me.

Liz and Lad took us ice fishing a few weeks ago, which was very fun.

In self defense, I want to point out that I'm wearing at least four coats, plus about three shirts, and a scarf. It's bulky.

Riley was a complete champion, and such a trooper. She had a blast and ran around like the cold didn't have any effect. Iris, on the other hand, has no coping skills, and had a rough time.

A very fun time was had by all.

I took the girls to the circus the other day with some friends. It was seriously amazing!

Lastly, we went to a "kidney party" yesterday. One of my cousins is donating a kidney to our aunt, which is so incredible, and the fam put together a party for them. The donor's sister, another cousin, recently started her own cake making business, and she's fantastic! I have no idea how, but she made a kidney cake. And it was delicious.

You can't see all the amazing detail in this picture, but she has more on Facebook. (facebook.com/snowcakes1)

I want to put in a shameless plug for her here, and not just because she's my cousin. I really think her stuff is fabulous. So, for all your dessert needs, call Holly Krukowski, 801-750-7222, or email her at snow.cakes@yahoo.com. At the very least, look at her stuff on Facebook- she's awesome!

Here's to a short February! Hope yours is great!

Our Star

2011-01-25T14:13:00.000-08:00

Riley was the "Star of the Week" in her kindergarten class this past week, and of course Eric put together the poster for her, as he is a much better choice for these kind of things than I am. I think it turned out really cute.

Crazy Kiddos

2011-01-10T20:12:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I wonder, are all kids this... unusual?

"Why so serious?"

Riley has had a real hard time staying in bed lately, and has become sort of a master at sneaking out without being noticed and put back. The other night, she crept out to the couch, where we found her, hours later, like this. It looks so uncomfortable, but she didn't even flinch when the camera flashed over and over.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

2011-01-05T21:16:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas to all, and Happy 2011! Wow, we've had a busy and (mostly) really fun year. These past couple of months have been true to form, with the kids running around and me running around after them. We had an amazing Christmas, and were truly, truly blessed. We have an incredible family that we were fortunate to spend a lot of time with, and also got some uninterrupted "Daddy" time (always a high point) while Eric had his winter break from school and work.

Some fun pictures:

Our annual gingerbread house making afternoon, complete with M&M noses.

Lunch with my favorite cousins- we haven't been together in years, and we had a blast!

Christmas jammies- I made Eric's pants, which is a first.

Patti took the fam to California the day after Christmas for a visit to Grandpa, Disneyland, the beach, fabric shopping, and, of course, the beach. It wouldn't be a trip to CA without it.

Looking at these pictures, it seems like all we did was ride "It's a Small World" all day, but that just isn't so. I guess it was just a nice place for pictures.

(I got this picture from Erika's blog- thanks!)

I hope you all had a great Christmas, and that are on your way to a fantastic 2011.

So You Think You Can Dance

2010-11-13T11:09:00.000-08:00

Went to the So You Think You Can Dance tour again this year. It was so much fun! The dances were amazing, as usual, and it was just really great to have a night off with the girls. At one point, while standing up and clapping, I completely lost my head and waved at my favorite dancer. Like I expected him to recognize me as the one who voted for him every week, and come down to say hi. Very embarrassing.

I feel a tradition in the making.

I Went A-Shootin'

2010-11-13T10:59:00.001-08:00

I went shooting the other day, for the very first time, at at range in Springville with some ladies from my ward. I'd never even handled a gun, so it was a little scary at first. I shot a little .22 that wasn't too intimidating, and then tried a .9 mm that had quite a bit more kick to it. That felt awfully dangerous in my hands, so I only shot a few rounds.

with the .22

Some other patrons at the range offered to let us shoot their big guns, and this one scared me to death. An AR-15, I think.

This is Stephanie, the gal who organized our trip, with the AR-15.

Amy, the girl next to me, hasn't ever really shot before, but she was awesome. Don't make her mad. Hers was the .9 mm, which is why her holes look so much bigger than mine.

Gardner Village

2010-10-28T10:31:00.000-07:00

We visited Gardner Village yesterday with Patti, Stephanie, Erika and Claire. It was so adorable! They go all out decorating and have witches walking around in full costume. Riley is going to be a witch for Halloween this year, so she got some good tips.

Iris on a witch's bed

What a cheese!

These women were hilarious!

Aside from the horrible snow and cold, we had a blast! Thanks, Patti!

We've Been (in no particular order)...

2010-10-26T13:57:00.000-07:00

cheering Stephanie on while she ran her first marathon
attending "The Scarlet Pimpernel" musical at the Hale Center Theater
dreading and then surviving the first snow
having our first roller skating experience at Classic Skating, which was a blast from the past for me
loving General Conference
dealing with Riley's THIRD self hair cut, the day before school pictures
getting ready for Halloween
making a road trip to Cheyenne to surprise my bestie, Cheryl. Had a blast and took no pictures, of course
sick with croup (Iris), strep throat (Riley), and pneumonia (me) all at the same time
experienced our first ever parent/teacher conference, and feel way too young for that business

As for me, personally, I'm preparing to be cold for the next five months, and to see the play "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" and the tour of "So You Think You Can Dance" next week. Can't wait!

Iris is Two.... and a bit

2010-10-23T18:46:00.000-07:00

Our sweet Iris turned two in August, and I'm just getting around to writing about her. She is such a fun girl, and she adds so much to our family. It's so amazing to watch as she becomes more and more her own person each day-- she definitely has an independent streak! As far as the "terrible two's", things haven't been too bad. (Hold on while I find some wood to knock on.) She has her grumpy moments, but compared to the ride Riley took us on, this is a breeze!

The best of friends... mostly.

She loves all her aunties.

Iris loves juice, her sister, books and being read to, Nursery, snacks, her stuffed monkey, her winter boots, binkies, Mommy's phone, showers, pink, and her family. She is talking more than ever, and is such a mimic- especially to Riley. She doesn't like being made to sit in her high chair, the idea of ever sitting on the potty, naps- sometimes, when Mom is reading, hair clips, and most vegetables.

We love her so much!

End of Summer

2010-09-12T11:43:00.000-07:00

I'm playing catch up.... again. We had a great month of August, including (but not limited to):

My birthday, full of relaxation and wonderfulness.

Iris's birthday- more to come later. Can't believe I have a two-year-old again!

Riley starting kindergarten. She loves it! Also more on this later.

A trip up to Deer Valley with Stephanie and Alyssa to listen outside the gates of an Avett Brothers concert

A day at Seven Peaks with the kiddos. Look how jealous Noah looks about Iris's drink.

Onto September, and Patti's birthday. We managed to get a picture where they both have their eyes open!

And yesterday, a trip to the zoo. Been meaning to go all summer, and finally made it. Had a blast!

How hard is it to have us all look at the camera at once? Apparently, very hard.

Iris asked for the tigers the whole time, and we made it to them right before closing time. Very impressive, and made her day.

All in all, we had a fantastic summer! We are glad to be back in our house, and are having a great time fixing and painting. Eric began school again, and, as always, we are much refreshed after the summer break.

We are blessed

Westwater Trip

2010-08-03T20:21:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, Eric and I were able to go on a trip down Westwater Canyon, on the Colorado River, with my family. It's only an 18 mile stretch, so we do it in two days and take our time. It's got some pretty good size rapids, so we left the girls in the wonderful care of Grandma Pat and Aunt Stephanie, who were good enough to take on the job. Eric and I haven't had any time alone together like this since I was pregnant with Iris, so it was much needed, and much appreciated.

My little brother couldn't come this time, so we were in need of another boatman to row his boat. Eric was more than happy to take that over. It was his first time rowing a stretch as technical as this, so there were some nerves involved. Of course, though, he did fantastic. In fact, another family we've been rafting with for almost thirty years came on the trip, and they flipped. Eric was going to tease them about how the rookie didn't flip and the old timer did, but the boatman seemed kind of disheartened (understandably) so he held off.

My wonderful mother does such an amazing job planning the food and the gear. We almost never want for anything.

My sister and Lad recently bought themselves a fleet, and this little baby of a boat was included. It's just a tiny little thing, but Liz is a master boat(wo)man, so everything was fine.

The original old timer himself, my dad, with Terry (Lad's mom) and my oldest and shortest sister Annie

Just keep in mind that the life jacket adds 10.... or 20 pounds. It's very thick.

It was so great to have that little break, and we're indebted to Patti and Stephanie (plus Daron, who house-sat the house we're housesitting for, to take care of the dog) for making it possible for us to go. Does anyone have any ideas for something extra nice we can do for them? It's crunch time this week, as it's our last week sitting for this house, and we're moving on Saturday. The plan was so do as much spackling, sanding, and painting as possible this week. But, of course, the head cold I got while on the river turned into an ear infection, sinus infection, and now pneumonia. Of course it did. So I'm not as much help as I should be. Fantastic.

Wish us luck!

Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi -- Midnight In Harlem

2010-07-27T21:09:00.000-07:00

I went with my dad tonight to see the 2010 Crossroads Guitar Festival. Well, unfortunately, not to the real festival. They made a movie type thing of the show in Chicago last month, and showed it at the University Mall theater for one night only. And it was great. Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks performed this song, and it was magical. This isn't the Crossroads performance, but it's the best I could find.

They're married, and while he is usually so reserved, it seemed like you could really feel the passion between them during this song. Or at least I could. I may have a crush on them now. Enjoy!

2010-07-19T08:51:00.001-07:00

Riley: "Close your eyes and no peeking... or I'll rip your eyeballs out."

My Kids Are So Weird

2010-07-18T00:44:00.000-07:00

While we were on our Jackson Hole trip, I noticed that Iris started a new phase where she'll store her food in her cheeks for long periods of time without chewing or swallowing. 45 minutes or so after the first (and only) bite, something would startle her, and out would flow liquefied pretzel... usually all over Eric or me.

But the other day was the kicker. We had hot dogs and french fries for lunch, ending around 2:30. She ate pretty well throughout the meal, and only stored a bite when we were almost done. We went shopping after, and got home in time for her nap at 3:30, when I realized she still had the bite stored. Call me a bad mom, but I put her to bed with her cheeks full-- trying to get her to spit it out could have been a 15 minute process. She slept for three hours (which was great), and when she woke up at 6:30, this is what she looked like:

It took me till 7:00 to convince her to surrender it, and I found a surprisingly recognizable blob of hot dog and some french fries. Aye aye.

There's no big story about Riley, and it's not news that she's a crazy person. I went in to check on her tonight, and to my surprise, found this:

Well, it is very hot here. Love the tan lines.

2010-07-17T00:38:00.000-07:00

Please click to enlarge. You won't be sorry.

Priceless.

Manis and Pedis

2010-07-17T00:21:00.000-07:00

Eric placated me tonight and agreed to help me give the girls "manicures" and "pedicures" (we're very fancy here). He's actually much better at painting nails than I am... weird. Riley has loved getting her nails painted for a while-- it's kind of something they do together. But this was Iris's first time, and she did very well. She is a little mimic, and luckily followed Riley's example of holding still. I got my motivation when I saw my friend Cheryl's little baby with painted nails-- so adorable!

Very beautiful.

You can't really tell with Iris, but her nails are also green.

Jackson Hole '10

2010-07-16T00:41:00.001-07:00

We made our annual trip to to Jackson Hole, Wyoming to raft down the Snake River the weekend after the Fourth, just as I have done almost every summer since I can remember. I love the area, and I've loved sharing it with Eric and the girls. We always have a great time, but I think this year takes the cake. It was a blast!

This picture of a beautiful sunrise was taken by someone who was up much earlier than I-- thanks, Cyn!

After years of persuading, Grandma Pat agreed to make the trip, and I think she liked it. Stephanie was back for her second year in a row, and Daron joined us for his first time (although not first on the river-- he came down Desolation last month).

Iris was a mess the first night, and kept us all up with her crying for a few hours (sorry, again), but was a dream the rest of the time. She even napped... sort of.

My vagabond children with some of their friends. Notice Iris' storage pocket in her cheeks.

Eric and I captaining the paddle boat down Lunch Counter-- we've lined it up fairly perfectly, if I do say so myself.

I only include this shot so you can see the beautiful scenery we float through.

The weather was great, the water was great (I took my customary swim, plus a few), the food was great, and most of all, the people were great. They made up one of the best bunches I've rafted with, and I appreciate everyone who came. Thanks for helping make it a great trip!

Early Fourth o' July Celebrations

2010-07-03T22:28:00.000-07:00

My dad called today with the great idea that we go with him and my mom to the school he teaches at to watch the Thanksgiving Point fireworks. Eric had to work, but we got Grandma Pat to come along, so it all evened out. We had a pizza picnic, played on the playground, and tried to light sparklers in the wind while we waited for it to get dark.

Iris with her two grandmas.... isn't the sunset beautiful?

Riley and Grandpa Craig

Lucky Iris weaseled three Twizzlers out of softie Grandma Pat

Our family.... minus Eric (remember, I said it was windy)

We had a great time, and are so blessed to live close to our families. We have many opportunities to get together and are grateful for all they do for us. Love you all!

Catch Up

2010-07-03T15:47:00.000-07:00

We've been up to all sorts of things since I last posted. First, Riley graduated from pre-school. It was adorable.

With her good friend, Gracie. She really was happy that night.

Secondly, Eric is the greatest husband ever and took a week off from work so I could go, sans kids, on a five day river trip with my family. It was amazing! I also did the shuttle for the first time, and after driving the truck and trailer almost all night to the end of the river, I got to ride in a tiny plane back to the beginning. Wow.

A quick shot from up in the air above the canyon.

Stephanie and her boyfriend, Daron, came with me. I didn't get a picture of Daron, but Stephanie was very happy to be there.

A tarp-and-oar canopy was erected to keep the rain off of us. Other than this brief shower, the weather was wonderful.

My mother and I, trying to keep the bugs off.

I came home, refreshed and replenished, and ready for summer with my family. We've been to two fairs, so far, and the girls had a great time. I made the mistake of going on a twirly ride at the first one, and therefore didn't have the best time afterwords. I'm such an old lady.

I don't have a picture to prove it, but we moved a few weeks ago, to the house of my parents friends. We needed to move out of my parents old house, which we've been renting, so they could fix it up to sell it, and my parents friends are go to Minnesota every summer, so it was perfect. They have a beautiful home, and an amazing yard, and we're enjoying our stay.

We're having family over for dinner tomorrow, and going to Jackson Hole for a few days this coming Wednesday for another river trip. So we've got some more fun things to look forward to! Happy Fourth, everyone!

Lynn "LT" Stanley Bartlett

2010-05-20T19:12:00.000-07:00

We have had a rough week. Rough, and certainly unexpected. Eric's father, Lynn "LT", died last Saturday, quite suddenly. We had the funeral today, and I'd say it went as well as could possibly be expected. As Eric said, if you come away from a funeral having had a spiritual experience, someone did their job right.

Eric and I have been greatly comforted by the words of a friend in our ward. He reminded us that our relationships don't end or stop short because someone has died. Because of the knowledge we have been blessed with, we know that our friendships and family ties can grow and strengthen even after someone has passed. We have already felt some of that.

Eric and I are so grateful to all who have reached out to comfort us during this hard time. The visits, phone calls, flowers and cards (and babysitting offers) are so appreciated. We are blessed to have such amazing people in our life. Thank you.

For any who are interested, the obituary is here.

2010-05-10T15:30:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I posted, and although I don't have anything terribly exciting to say, I have been busy with mostly fun things. In no particular order...

I attended Womens Conference for the first time this year, and it was amazing. Two weeks later, and I'm still riding the spiritual high.
Eric finished school for this semester, much to the relief of both of us, and we've been enjoying the additional time together.
Eric and I attended the Utah Symphony two weekends in a row, and loved it both times.
Riley sang in church with the primary yesterday for Mother's Day, which was adorable. And of course...
Mother's Day itself. I was loved all day long.
A friend had a baby, and I got to cuddle the sweet, tiny thing.
Another lovely book group meeting with wonderful friends and delicious food.
Eric got glasses. He thinks he looks like a nerd, but I think he looks hot.
I walked the Race for the Cure this past Saturday. Mostly I did it because I was talked into it (who knew Stephanie was so coercive?), but I ended up really loving it. It was so amazing to see all those strong women (and men) out there with a common goal. I plan on making it a yearly tradition.

So, all in all, nothing earth-shattering. But then, I've noticed that these are the times when life is the best. No drama, either good or bad. Just pleasant peace.

Life is good.

The Children's Museum

2010-04-23T20:44:00.000-07:00

For play group this week, we decided to go to the zoo. It's been great weather, and school's not out quite yet, so it wouldn't be too crowded. Alas, the forecaster predicted rain, and sure enough, it poured the day before our planned trip. Better safe than sorry, we then decided to go to The Children's Museum at the Gateway. It was so much fun! They had a ton of stuff there, and so much attention to detail. I would recommend it to anyone who hasn't gone-- or anyone who has, for that matter. We're planning a trip back next week after Eric's done with school.

Riley, my OCD child, spent most of her time in the huge and very detailed play house, trying to get everything organized. Hard for her, because all the other kids there kept playing with things and not putting them back in their proper place. Rats!

Just one room of the house.

Riley loved the horse...

Stephanie loved the horse...

Iris did not.

They had a helicopter on the roof the kids could go in.

Iris wanted none of it.

I didn't get pictures of everything they had-- not nearly-- and you'd be too bored to look at them all even if I did. But just take my word for it, and go.

Alas, I didn't think to get a picture of the whole group this time around. Guess we'll just have to do it again! Thanks to everyone who went-- we had a blast!

Oh and PS, it ended up being a beautiful day, so we could have gone to the zoo after all. Maybe next time.

2010-04-14T18:48:00.000-07:00

Whilst driving home today, and stopped at a stoplight, I turned to my left in time to see the old man driving the car next to me reach over to the old woman in the passenger seat, grab her hand, and bring it to his lips. He then brought their clasped hands up further and gently stroked the side of her face with the back of his fingers, all the while looking at her with such love in his eyes. By the time I turned my now-misty eyes back to the light, it had turned green, and the old man had left me in the dust.

How I hope that's Eric and I in 60 years!

Baby Shower for Miriam

2010-04-13T09:56:00.000-07:00

My book group had a shower for one of it's members, Miriam, a few weeks ago at Mimi's Cafe. She's due at the end of the month, and looks fantastic!

Miriam, Alyssa, and me

Stephanie, Suzie, and Dani

Miriam opening gifts

The cute socks that Stephanie knitted- she's so talented!

We love you, Miriam, and are so excited for you to welcome your sweet new baby boy!

General Conference 2010

2010-04-05T22:01:00.000-07:00

Conference was wonderful, as usual, wasn't it? I always feel so uplifted and supported after watching. There was such a strong emphasis on family this time, and how we all need to do better, but our leaders have this gentle way of putting it that makes me feel not that I've been doing poorly, only that I can do better. I come away with a renewed determination to do more, be more. I truly love this gospel, and am so grateful for the knowledge I have been blessed with.

Iris at 19 months

2010-03-31T12:51:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe Iris is already 19 months! Where has the time gone? I haven't posted just about her in a while, so I thought I'd catch you all up on her goings on.

She loves to play with her toys, books, and babies. Sometimes just climbing into the toy box is all the entertainment she needs.

She's a pickier eater than she used to be, which can be frustrating. Riley got finicky about food around 18 months, and has never stopped, so at least I know what's in store for us.

She and Riley get along really well, for the most part. Riley is pretty patient with her, and Iris loves to tag along. She doesn't seem content to let Riley cause all the mayhem, and is now our Troublemaker-In-Training.

She's talking more and more these days, and can say about 20 words (at the last count). She's climbing everywhere and into everything. Keeps me on my toes.

She loves books, and can be occupied with a stack of books while I cook dinner or try to clean. If I'm very quick, I may even get a whole room done before she finishes and comes to undo my work. Dear girl.

She is so sweet, and if caught in the right mood, will cuddle-- that's the time my love for her is an almost physical ache in my heart. She's added so much to our family, and we can't imagine how we got along without her.

Iris Helena-- we love you!

Open Mouth, Insert Foot

2010-03-11T20:59:00.000-08:00

While it's horribly embarrassing, I just have to write about my experience last night. And I need to provide some background. So there's a relatively new dessert cafe open in Orem, called The Chocolate. It's on State Street by Classic Skating, in one of those old houses converted to a store. It shares a building with a photography studio. It's amazing. Eric and I went there a few weeks ago at the end of a date, and it was... wow. Delicious. And mostly reasonably priced. As Eric and I waited for our treats, we crossed into the studio area, to use the bathrooms. There we found pictures on the wall (obviously) and felt free to criticize. I really didn't care for most of them. On our way out, I noticed a sign that said Ladies Night at The Chocolate is on Wednesdays. Open an hour later and free milk all around. Huzzah!

Fast forward to last night (Wednesday). I had Stephanie and Alyssa over to watch a movie, and when Eric got home earlier than usual, we realized there was still time for us to make it to Ladies Night. Huzzah again! Off we went, and again, as we waited for our treats, we went over by the bathrooms to look at the pictures. I can't lie-- I took them there just to show them the pictures I didn't like. Mean, mean, mean. As we turned the corner, one of us joked about how horrible it would be if the photographer was around to hear us. And then we (mostly Alyssa and I, Stephanie was nice) proceeded to make fun of these pictures. Not horribly, I guess, but certainly not nice. I began to feel uneasy, like someone was watching me. Sure enough, I turned around to see a man on a couch at the other end of the room, mostly in the shadows. Wow. We stuttered out some apologies, and tried to get away, but not before he could say something like, "Oh, so you don't like them? Let's see some of your pictures." Wow. I was mortified. Beyond mortified. And I also just felt bad.

So we hid out upstairs and ate our treats, not having the courage to go downstairs in case we were to see him again. But then the cashier guy brought us up three tarts, and told us they were from the photographer, who said not to worry about it, and that there were no hard feelings. He was concerned he might have been rude, and hadn't meant to be. Wow again. Could I have felt any worse? I think not. We continued to be hideously embarrassed for a few minutes, until the photographer himself came upstairs. I wanted to sink right through the floor. But he was amazingly professional. He said not to worry about it, and he knew he had to have thick skin to be in a business like his, etc. We were able to apologize again, and chatted for a few minutes, friendly as anything. I was very, very impressed. He was quite professional. So, shout out to Studio 216 in Orem. It's not my cup o' tea, but I really respect that guy.

Now all I need to do is work up enough guts to go in there again to drop off the "sorry" note I wrote this morning when I had a guilty conscience, so I won't feel banned from my new favorite place.

Oh, and never do that again.

Riley's 5th birthday... better late than never

2010-03-04T20:35:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Riley! February 22nd

We actually had the party on her birthday, and I've been meaning to post about it ever since. It was a lot of fun... mostly. First we did a pinata, which everyone except Riley seemed to enjoy.

She took one whack at it....

...and spent the rest of the time up our apple tree.

Oh well. She liked getting all the candy after I finally broke it on the tree. These new pinatas are a little too sturdy for kids.

Then we had cupcakes and ice cream. Yes, she's plugging her ears while we sing to her.

Then presents. She, of course, enjoyed this!

Then bowling. She took her first two turns, and then ran around like a dog the rest of the time. Why does she look so scared, you ask? It's her new picture face.

We had her family party the next Sunday, and had a lot of fun there, as well. Thank you so much, Lad and Liz, for giving her a weapon.

Liz and Lad

2010-03-04T20:17:00.000-08:00

Hello, I'm back. I survived my mega-month. It all turned out great. Liz is married. It's still weird, and (no matter how much I like Lad) a little sad to say that. I know I ruined the dream when I married Eric, but we were going to be Thelma and Louise, and now we can't. Men. Bah.

As far as men go, Lad is great, and perfect for Liz. I, of course, cried most of the way through the ceremony, and when Liz said her part, I gave an audible sob, which Liz mistook for a laugh, and glanced over her shoulder to see who it was. Kind of embarrassing. Eric took the pictures, so I don't have anything to show you. I just got on Adobe to try to get one or two converted to a pdf so I could post them. But then the percentages started changing, and I panicked and got off quick. What are the percentages even for? I'll post them when Eric gets them to me, and I make no promises on when that will be. So, in the meantime, you'll have to take my word for it that it was amazingly beautiful.

And a huge special thanks to my pseudo-nanny, Stephanie. She agreed to take on the job all day Friday and part of the day Saturday so I could concentrate on the details. Wow- huge job. Thanks very, very much!

March won't be very exciting by comparison, but I do have a sister turning 30 and a brother turning 20. Kind of big birthdays. I want to do something nice- any ideas? And we also have our anniversary... I also need ideas for that.

A Fantastic Idea

2010-02-13T23:03:00.000-08:00

I know I'm not the only one who thinks that "New Moon" was made much better than "Twilight". There was a bigger budget to work with, and a far better director. It followed the book more closely, the acting was better-- not so schizophrenic in Kristen Stewart's case. So, I have really been wishing there was some way they could just re-make "Twilight". And then I had an amazing idea. How about Stephenie Meyer stops sitting on her hands, finishes "Midnight Sun" (the story of "Twilight", but from Edward's perspective, for those of you not in the know), and then they make a movie of that! Am I brilliant, or has everyone already thought of that?

Three Showers

2010-02-11T22:39:00.000-08:00

We're getting to the home stretch of this wedding business. We've made it through all three showers, and are coming up on the week of weeks. Valentine's Day Sunday (and teach Sunday School), Liz birthday Monday, temple Tuesday, dad birthday Wednesday, deep breaths Thursday, reception Friday, wedding and luncheon Saturday, collapse Sunday. We can do it.

I thought I'd post a few pictures of the showers. The one I was most involved it, the friend one, was at my house, and was a Fancy Nancy themed shower. Riley went to a FN birthday party a while back, and Liz was jealous. So we threw her a FN shower. It was tres fancy. (Everything in French is fancier.)

Fancy Nancy herself

Three very fancy friends. These lovely ladies were the ones who helped me with decorations and food. Many thanks!

You can't see very well, but the girl in the center made herself a headdress out of pine cones and needles. She won the "Best Costume" contest.

Lizzie (or Theodosia, as we call her) and Joan

Joan brought about a dozen purple feather boas, which were given to guests not dressed fancy. Afterwards, Riley tried them all on, and was almost buried.

Then we had the ward shower, which I was supposed to help plan. But the good ladies in our ward just took over, and I only ended up bringing chips and salsa. Everyone is so nice!

Not very flattering, but we can't be too picky.

And tons of thanks to these wonderful women for taking the ball and running with it. You're great!

I don't have any pictures from the third and final shower, Lad's families shower. But they were all very nice-- I'm glad to know Liz is marrying into such a great family.

Well, wish me luck, everyone! Don't know why I'm up so late-- I have to get up early to put together 20 Valentine's for Riley class party. Need sleep. But I do need to know if anyone has an idea of where I can get a dress to wear to the wedding. I need it to be sage green, sandstone/ rust, or possibly brown. I guess I could find a skirt, but I'd really rather a dress, and I'm having a devil of a time. Suggestions? It's getting down to the wire here.

Snow Day!

2010-02-04T22:25:00.000-08:00

Our play group is so cool. It snowed quite a bit last week, and we decided to go sledding. I'm thinking we mom's may have had more fun than the kids.

Ivan and Riley

Tanya, so adorable

me, Katie (the Unibomber), and Alyssa

Me, and yes, I am standing up on the sled. I'm cool.

Kyson, Melanie, and Brynlee

Katie and Coleman

Alyssa and Tanya

Josh, who joined us part way through, Katie and Coleman

Brynlee, Melanie, and Kyson

Ivan, Alyssa, and Tanya

me and Riley

the whole crew

We all have so much fun together! For this week, we went to the aquarium in Sandy, which was awesome! Of course we didn't take any pictures, but take my word for it--we had a blast!

Play Group

2010-01-21T12:11:00.000-08:00

I get together with three friends every week for a play group, and this past week, someone finally thought to take a picture. Aren't they so cute?

Brynlee, Iris, Riley, Noah, Kyson, Tanya, and Coleman

Don't you love how they all appear to weigh about the same? They're ages range from 4 months to almost 5 years, but they're weights probably have about a ten pound range. Kids these days...

I'm about to enter into my busy season, made busier than ever before because of my sisters upcoming wedding. I'm helping plan two showers for her (the ward one and the friend one), one of which is next Saturday. Then I'm going to the one planned by her fiance's side of the family. Then is her other shower. Then is SIL's birthday. Then Valentine's day. Then sister's birthday (same one getting married). Then dad's birthday. Then sisters reception. Then wedding. (Reception will be the night before.) Then Riley's birthday. Somewhere in there sister will go to the temple to receive her endowment. Then the first week of March is my other sisters birthday. Then anniversary. The brothers birthday. Jeez! Add to all that my usual routine: play group once a week, book group once a month, teach Sunday School every other week, cleaning, cooking, shopping, and mothering on a daily basis, and I'm one tired lady!

Riley the Singing Sensation

2010-01-08T11:27:00.000-08:00

Riley had her school program a week or so before Christmas- it was truly adorable. They sang a bunch of songs, and watched some old school Christmas movie, had cookies, and visited Santa. So cute!

Walking in (that's her shy wave)

She would only sit with Santa if someone would sit with her, in this case, Tanya.

Eric the Artiste

2010-01-08T11:20:00.000-08:00

Eric had to/ got to participate in an art show for school last semester. He chose what I think is some of his best stuff, and it hung with the other students work in the library for a few weeks. He worked very hard, and we are very proud of him. I didn't get a picture of the artiste himself on the night of the opening, so you'll have to use your imagination.

His artist's statement

Festival of Trees

2010-01-08T11:12:00.000-08:00

We went to the Festival of Trees in the beginning of December... finally. I've been wanting to go since we've been married, and we got our act together in time to go this year, and convinced my folks to come along for the fun. It was amazing, as always.

Fancy Nancy

2009-12-31T14:01:00.003-08:00

Riley went to a Fancy Nancy birthday party for one of her school friends a few weeks ago, and I've been meaning to post pictures ever since. It was so adorable! All the kids dressed up, but I don't think I'm beng prejudiced when I say that Riley was the fanciest. Maybe because we take Fancy Nancy very seriously around here.

Utter Destruction

2009-12-12T21:00:00.000-08:00

I leave Iris unattended for less than a minute, and here's what I come back to. Yes, there are three different sizes of zip-locks here. Lucky for her she's so cute and shakes her pointer finger at me when she does something she's not supposed to.

NEW MOON!

2009-12-12T20:46:00.000-08:00

I've been meaning to post about seeing New Moon ever since I saw it. It was an amazing evening. All ten of us got together a few weeks prior to make ourselves shirts (yes, mine says "Mrs. Edward Cullen"), and most of us had gathered at my house the night before to watch Twilight to pump ourselves up. We had a great time.

Alyssa, Katie, and I

Most of us waiting to be seated at the restraunt: Suzie, Stephanie, Miriam, me, Katie, Alyssa, Melanie, and Whitney.

Alyssa and I tried so hard to take a picture of ourselves, but it never worked. Someone took pity on us.

The whole group after the movie, clustered around Edward. Sigh.

So You Think You Can Dance and Emmylou Harris

2009-11-21T11:17:00.000-08:00

So Stephanie and I went to the So You Think You Can Dance Tour a few weeks ago. It was AM-A-ZING. Loved it. Look how close we are! (Sorry for the sideways pic, I'm in a hurry.)

We are very excited to be there.

The awesome Bollywood routine by Jason and Caitlin

I loved this routine with Brandon and Jeanine. It wasn't technically demanding, but so powerful.

This was my all time favorite routine of the season, the Wade Robson jazz number.

This awesome number with the top three guys- doesn't it look like they're flying?

The amazing 'addiction' routine. I may or may not have cried.

The Travis Wall routine with Jeanine and Jason. So beautiful.

The breast cancer routine. Lovely.

The crazy cool number with Jeanine and Brandon. Love.

The final routine of the evening, done just for the tour, using all the dancers. It was fun.

And then, just two nights ago, I went to the Emmylou Harris concert with my sister, Liz, and my folks. Wow. She's SO cool! (I must have said that at least fifty time during the show.) It was a much different crowd then the Red Butte one I went to two summers ago, but just as good- or better! Wow. Buddy Miller played the opening act, and then he played with her during her part. So good!

And we met him. Wow.

Yargh, Matey!

2009-11-21T10:52:00.000-08:00

Don't ask me why, but I decided to have a Halloween party for Riley this year. By the end of it, I figured I must be crazy. But Riley had a blast, and that's the main point, isn't it?

It was rather adorable, if I do say so myself. We had a pirate theme, so we went on a treasure hunt all over the house (I burned and singed the edges of the clues, and wrote cutesey little rhymes on each one- it was the craftiest thing I've ever done.) Then I had a treasure chest- final hiding place in the oven- filled with "gold".

Here are the kids showing off their haul

Digging through the treasure chest

I had made sugar cookies, and the kids frosted them. Here is my friend Alyssa's daughter, Tanya. She is super adorable.

I'm pretty sure Riley just ate the frosting the whole time.

We had a cake walk-type thing.

My dad came and dressed as a pirate to read the kids a pirate story. He was awesome, as I knew he would be.

It looks like I didn't get a picture of the pirate hats we made and decorated. They were beautiful. All in all, it was a very fun and exhausting party. And then that night, I was struck down with the swine flu, and stayed down for a week.

Sweet November

2009-11-03T10:25:00.000-08:00

I have the best month planned out for me. You can't even believe it! November is usually the most 'bleh' month of my year, but now I know the secret to getting through it: plan in advance a ton of really fun things, so you look forward to it!

As a precursor, I went to see Ingrid Michaelson at the end of last month. La-la-love her! I didn't know a lot of her stuff prior to the show, but I've been listening to her ever since. She's awesome.

Now into November and this weekend: Stephanie and I are going to see the So You Think You Can Dance Tour! Hurrah! We have amazing seats, too. Let you know how it goes.

Then, on the 19th, I'm going to see Emmylou Harris with some of my family. She's so cool. I saw her two summers ago, and she is my idol. My girl crush.

And then, I know you all know, New Moon comes out! And I already have tickets! Actually, I've had them for over a month now. They're incredible seats! And I'm going with nine friends- who even knew I had nine friends? It's going to be spectacular! (I'm running out of positive and enthusiastic adjectives.)

And then, of course, Thanksgiving. I love this holiday. Back in my trimmer years, I used to start 'conditioning' in late summer. I'd eat more and more each day, stretching my stomach to it's full potential, to make sure I could take advantage of the delicious food on Turkey Day. I can't afford to do that now, but I do still love the food. And family, of course.

Aren't you amazed at my month? It's going to be the best month of my life.

(And before you start to think I've gone spending-crazy, and pitying Eric, I should tell you that Ingrid Michaelson was my birthday present from my sister, So You Think You Can Dance is my birthday present from Eric, who got off the hook this year- since it was my idea that I carried out, and I'm paying for Emmylou by selling plasma- my very life's blood.)

Spooky

2009-10-22T16:57:00.000-07:00

Gather ‘round me, young ones, and I’ll tell you a classic Halloween tale. A true story, filled with horror, gloom, and all sorts of goop. It’s the account of my day, two days ago.

It began, much as my average day begins, with my eyelids being pried open my Riley, my four-year-old. It’s a horrible way to start the day. It takes everything I’ve got not to let it influence my mood for the worse, and make me start out the day on the wrong foot. After a quick breakfast, I got to work, as I do every day. (I swear I leave the house relatively picked-up and clean when I go to bed each night, and a little dirt fairy comes and messes it up while I sleep. There’s mountains of laundry, which I’m sure breeds itself , dishes to be cleaned, beds to be made, toilets to be scrubbed, toys to be picked up, binkies to find... it’s endless. Thus, I’ve marked the time after breakfast as the time I put the house back together again, so I don’t have to stare the mess in the face for the rest of the day. I do it all again before I go to sleep, but that doesn’t seem to make any difference.) On the morning of the day of terror, I started one of five loads of laundry, and was unloading the dishwasher when I dejectedly noted that the kitchen floor is begging to be swept and mopped. I decide to do it that night, after Iris is asleep. And, speaking of sleep, it’s time for her morning nap! Hurrah! Nap time is the best time. After I put her to bed, I (Mother of the Year) park Riley in front of a movie, and have an internal debate on the merits of a shower. Bizarrely enough, the shower wins. As soon as I turn the water off, I hear Iris crying... crying the cry that I well know. The poop cry. I hasten to her room, knowing if I’m quick enough, I can change her and she’ll actually go back to sleep. It’s a nine-wipe diaper, consisting of what appears to be a lot of peanut butter, corn, and carrots. She does go back to seep, at least for a little bit, and I get to sit down. Ahhhhh.

Later in the day, Riley plays outside with some friends, and comes in covered in black something. It looks like oil, but doesn’t smell like it. Paint?, I wonder. No, it doesn’t come off like any kind of paint I’ve ever seen. I’m still not sure what it is, because my conversation with Riley about it went something like this:

Me: “What’s all over you?”
Riley: “What?”
M: “The black stuff on your shirts, pants, shoes, face, and hands. What is it?”
R: “What black stuff?”
M: “The.... never mind. Just go take your clothes off and meet me in the bathroom.”
R: “What?”
M: “GO!”

It took some Varsity scrubbing, but we mostly got it off her skin.

After I cleaned Riley, and the now-black bathroom, it was time for dinner. Unusually enough, Riley ate just fine, and Iris refused. It’s ordinarily the other way around. I was so flustered about the change, and kurflomoxed about what to feed Iris, as everything I tried made it to the floor, that I didn’t notice how much milk Iris was drinking. On some level, I knew I kept refilling her cup, but I suppose it didn’t register. After about two and a half cups of whole milk had been downed, I had a brilliant idea—yogurt! She loves yogurt. I fed her a whole Yoplait in no time, only to have her refuse the last bite with an odd look on her face. She kept shaking her head, and then made a gurgling sort of sound. And I knew what would happen. All over. All over her, all over her high chair, even dribbling down under the padding, in the buckles, and pooling on the foot rest. All over. It came up looking like cottage cheese and smelling worse. And I could only sit there and watch, guiltily. Mother of the Year, yet again. I had glutted her on dairy—it’s a wonder her stomach didn’t come up, too. After she finished, she looked at me, and giggled. She was apparently no worse for the experience. Her usual after-dinner rinse under the faucet just wasn’t going to cover it this time—she needed a full bath. By the time I finished with that, and jammied her up, it was bed time. Whew. One child down, one to go.

Shortly after Iris went to sleep, and as I was beginning the gargantuan task of cleaning the slop, Liz came for dinner. She was meeting her friend Lad here, and we were all going to have dinner. As she got out the ingredients for pesto pasta, I explained what had just happened. She sympathized and offered to help clean (proof of true friendship, as it smelled truly revolting), which I denied. She was about to begin when Lad came. Riley commandeered him and corralled him into her bedroom, where Liz went shortly after. I had finished with the chair, and started sweeping the floor when I noticed the smell of pine nuts. “Liz must have opened the bag before she went to Riley’s room,” I thought, and swept on. The more ground I covered with my broom, the more pronounced the scent became, and I began to notice a smoky aroma mixing with, and then overpowering the pine nut smell. It suddenly dawned on me—Liz had put the pine nuts on a cookie sheet under the broiler before she went to Riley’s room! I rushed to the oven, and stupidly opened the door. A split second after the rush of oxygen filled the oven’s cavity, a great burst of flame exploded out of it. Luckily (in this case) the batteries in our smoke detectors have run out, so I knew we wouldn’t be bowled over by the piercing beeps, and I was oddly calm. I called out, “Liz, we have a fire....” Another stroke of luck was that Liz was there and knew how to put it out using baking soda. I had no idea what to do, and would have had to let it burn out by itself and ruin the oven. Wow. It was a rather large oven fire. Whew. As Liz and Lad cleaned it up, I sent Riley downstairs with yet another movie, and finished sweeping and mopping the floor. Liz and Lad (I could call them Double L) went to get a pizza, and we sat down to eat. Aaaaah. Maybe the fourth time I’d sat that day.

We chatted back and forth over the pizza, and I guzzled my much-needed Dr. Pepper. Double L had opted for juice, and I poured them cups. Lad reached for his with a little too much gusto, and... bonk! Pomegranate Ruby juice spills all over the table, down the legs, and onto the floor. Boo hoo. My freshly washed floor. I only mop it every other month or so, and here I did it twice in one day. At least that part of it.

By then, Double L was feeling unnecessarily bad, and could, I’m sure, feel the waves of despair cascading off of me, and quickly took their leave. I put Riley to bed without incident, fortunately for her, and watched a mindless movie, trying to forget the previous 24 hours. Can’t believe I wasted a shower on a day like this.

The next morning I found that despite my nightly sojourn to Riley’s room at midnight, to help her go potty, she’d wet the bed. And so it began again.

Spooky, huh?

???

2009-09-22T19:27:00.000-07:00

How do I fix the new picture to be centered?

The Past Six Weeks Or So....

2009-09-22T18:46:00.000-07:00

... From Now Going Backwards.

Riley's first day or school- shorry for the sideways picture. Couldn't figure out how to switch it on this computer. It was so adorable! She likes it so far, and is learning so much so quickly. I'm so proud of her!

I went on a two day river trip with my fam while Eric stayed home with the chilluns. More pictures to follow. It was amazing.

Iris turned one! We had a little party for her, which was much fun. I thought she'd lunge for the cake, but she actually was kind of wary. It took me dabbing some frosting in her mouth before she did the expected lunge. Look at the size of that cake. She probably ate more than half. That's my girl.

One happy girl

I took the girls to Thanksgiving Point a few times. This is the look I get from Riley most of the time.

Iris likes me, though.

My dad's side of the family had a much over due reunion, which my mom headed up. She did a great job, and it was a lot of fun. Here's me and my sissy, Liz.

Riley, very intent on the crafts.

Family pic, minus Eric, who was working. Notice Riley trying to escape.
Sort of better.
The whole crew.

No...

2009-09-04T18:27:00.000-07:00

I haven't forgotten about my blog-- I've just been super busy and have had no access to the internet. But I will soon! And it's been a fun month! More to come!

Kangaroo Zoo

2009-08-05T22:31:00.000-07:00

I took the kids to Kangaroo Zoo the other day with Melanie, her son Kyson, and ner neice Brynlee. We love Kangaroo Zoo! It's slightly overpriced, but well worth it for the stressed out mom. Riley and Kyson ran wild, Iris and Brynlee played in the enclosed "two-and-under" pen, and Melanie and I talked and even sort of relaxed. Totally worth the price.

Iris in her pen-- I need one at home

These two are such good friends... most of the time

They get tossed around pretty good while going down the slides, but they love it. All part of the fun.

Isn't he so adorable? Look at those eyes!

That's Brynlee with her back turned- she's a cutie. She and Iris are the little chunkers of the group.

Toadally Froggy

2009-08-04T09:23:00.000-07:00

We went to the Utah Museum of Natural History yesterday, to see their Toadally Froggy exhibit-- so much fun! The first Monday of every month is free, which made it even better. We got to see so many different kinds of frogs and toads... and did you know that all toads are frogs, but not all frogs are toads? Crazy. And they grow a ring around their bones every year, just like trees. We learned all sorts of new things, and the girls were so great. Riley had a blast running around and playing. Some of the other exhibits have interactive play, like the "dinosaur bone hunt", where you could pretend to be an anthropologist and dig for bones. Or a huge watery sand pit, where you could pretend to be... a sand digger. I'm not actually sure what that was supposed to teach you-- Eric and I needed a break right about then, so we sat and watched. The only bummer is that my camera ran out of batteries after I had taken only one picture. I hadn't even thought about recharging them-- I guess I'm taking more pictures than usual. So we couldn't record the day for posterity, but we had a great time anyway. We met up with my sister, Liz, when we were finished, as she was getting off work, and got a pizza from 'The Pie' (which I highly recommend) and ate it at a nice little park. Riley made a friend there named Gabi, but her mom called her Gabs. So Riley got mixed up and called her Scabs. And as they left, and Riley called out, "Goodbye, Scabs!", we heard Gabi call back, "Goodbye, Curly!". Four year olds are so adorable.

The Froggy exhibit only goes until September 14th, so you have one more chance to catch a free day. Everyone should go, whether you have kids or not. It was a blast!

Heber Rodeo

2009-08-01T11:31:00.001-07:00

Riley and I tagged along with my sister, Liz, and some of her friends to the Heber Rodeo last night-- we had a blast! We loved watching the cowboys, and the fireworks after were up close and amazing. I love rodeos!

Riley actually smiled for the camera- I was so glad!

Riley with her cotton candy Hitler 'stach, and Liz.

Riley's friends, Caleb and Hayden, mostly known as Haleb and Haleb. She loves them, and was being such a little flirt. I kept missing the shot of her leaning up against them and putting her head on their shoulders.

Cabin Trip: Part One

2009-07-30T20:46:00.000-07:00

I had to split the telling of last week's cabin trip into two parts because: WARNING! There are a lot of pictures. This round should actually be part two, as these pictures show us at Eric's aunt and uncle's cabin, and we spent the first part of the week at my dad's family cabin. But Eric was the photographer during that time, so the pictures are on his fancy-schmancy camera, and the artiste in him won't give me access- even if I dared- until he's doodled with them. And I got tired of waiting, so we're doing this out of order. Part One!

I tried to get pictures of us all doing our favorite things. Eric, fishing....

Riley's favorite thing was playing with Kyson, who came down with his mom and dad on the weekend. But I spaced getting a picture with them together- again- so this shows her playing with the Tinker Toys airplane that she and Eric made. A tie for second place favorite would have been a picture with her and Matt, Stephanie's gentleman friend. Riley looooves him.

Iris, eating, of course. Love. She's smiling because she knows there is a huge box of Cup O' Noodles behind her.

There should be a picture of me reading, or playing some form of cards. But we didn't get one.

Matt found a horned lizard guy on one of our walks and got Riley to hold him.

Where animals are concerned, she'll smile for the camera. Maybe we should have brought the lizard along with us?

No halo.

Halo. Huh?

Group shot on our walk to Tommy Creek. Again with the no smiling Riley. I'd settle for a glare if she'd just look at the camera.

All our family pictures will show her back.

They found a birds nest on their walk to the "big" rock the next day. And since it involved an animal, Riley was all smiles and poses.

She is so adorable. I wish we could record more of this.

Of course we chose to go to Bryce Canyon on the one day it stormed. And Riley got car sick and threw up on the way there. We didn't stay too long, but long enough to snap a few pictures.

Love the mohawk.

Trying to show more of the canyon.

Our Hiatt friends

Stephanie and her gentleman friend, Matt.

Throwing sticks over the bridge with Grandma Pat the next day.

The customary front porch picture on our last morning.

Thank you, Marilyn and Gerry, for letting us visit your wonderful cabin. It was one of the best vacations we've ever taken!

Jackson Hole, Wyoming

2009-07-17T20:44:00.000-07:00

My family has been going to Jackson Hole to run the Snake River each July for years and years. It's been one of my favorite trips, especially since Eric and I have been married and he's come along. It's so fun to watch him experience and enjoy what's been such a big part of my life. This year we brought along sister-in-law Stephanie, as well as our friends Melanie and Tyler, with their little boy Kyson. He and Riley are the best of pals, and will probably marry one day. Melanie got all the pictures of them together-- I'll have to snag them so I can post. She got one of them snuggling on the same camp chair. Awwww.

I'm not entirely sure I was supposed to blog the following two pictures. But if I wasn't, they really shouldn't have made it possible. This is my dad rowing, Tyler in the back and Stephanie and some of my parents friends in the front. Watch Stephanie eat it.

And then the grin.

We had Iris in her pack and play, but the nights get so cold, so I bundled her up pretty good. It might have been overkill.

Look at those rosy cheeks.

Playing around on the boats in between runs.

Iris will be our next oarsman... er, woman.

Couldn't get them in fast enough

Our little group. If I look awkward and uncomfortable, it's because I was. Riley kept slamming her weight (which isn't much, but still) into me unexpectedly, so I was braced.

Twilight

2009-07-17T14:03:00.000-07:00

I'm a Twilight fan. So sue me. I own all the books, have the special edition movie, and the soundtrack. Don't judge. Back in, oh, about April, I saw that the Scera Theater here in Orem was showing movies on their outdoor screen during the summer. Guess what played two nights ago? Oh yes! Twilight! I'd been planning on going since I read about it in April. I went with a few friends and we had a really fun time. There were definately some crazies there and we ended up next to some of them. I'm all about the hooting- even did some of it myself-- but don't quote the movie word for word in a loud voice. I was forced to 'shush' them... loudly.

I guess they meant it when they said "large" soda and popcorn. After I ordered and had to walk back to our seats, I felt like such a heffer!

Riley's dance performance

2009-07-15T15:04:00.000-07:00

Riley had her dance concert a few weeks ago, and I'm just now getting around to posting the pictures. There were three dances, but these only show the costumes of two. It's about the most adorable thing I've ever seen.

California

2009-07-09T15:20:00.000-07:00

We went to California last week to visit Eric's grandpa-- it was awesome! We had such a good time! Eric and Riley drove out two Saturdays ago with Patti and Stephanie, and Iris and I got to fly there the next Monday. Usually I miss out on things because I'm still nursing (i.e. river trip). Not this time! Ha! I love to fly, and Iris was a gem.

We went to the beach several times, but unfortunately Riley got salt water in her mouth and eyes on the first wave. It was hard to convince her to get back in after that. We had dinner and ice cream at Ruby's, the diner at the end of the pier on Seal Beach. I love that place-- so quaint. Eric, Stephanie, and I went to a Dodger's game and watched the fireworks after, which was very fun. We went to Disneyland-- Riley and Iris's first time, and my first time since I was about 10. I was a little aprehensive on top of my excitment; I thought the kids would drag and make things miserable. Just the opposite! They were so great! Riley had such a blast, and Iris was a trooper with only one nap. We loved it! Unfortunately Riley is going through a new stage where she covers her face in all pictures, but that's OK. That was an all day adventure, of course, and we took time to recuperate the next day. Eric and I were able to see our good friends Drew and Sarah, who moved out there last year, which was great. We have so much fun with them, and wish we could see them more often.

The main purpose of the trip was to get Eric's grandpa's car, to replace the Civic lost in the wreck. It's a Lincoln Towncar, baby! We're riding in style! After a few mishaps, we got home safely on Saturday night (or Sunday morning-- it was about 1:30 am...).

It was such a good trip. Patti, Stephanie, and Grandpa were all great-- thank you!

I have pictures almost exactly like this from two summers ago when we visited. They're both even wearing the same coats. We should shop more.

Very stoic

Right after Iris tried to eat the pole

Tinker Bell's friend, Faun was so bored... no wonder Riley wouldn't look at her

Even Tink herself couldn't get the hands down

River Trip

2009-07-09T14:49:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, Eric and Riley got to go on a five day river trip with my family. Boo hoo, once again, I had to stay home. I actually thought I would revel in the solitude, but it turned out to be a very lonely time for me. I'm glad Eric and Riley could go, and even more glad they were safe and had a good time. I didn't used to be such a worry wort, but I was concerned the whole time they were gone! There were a few kids on the trip, which was good for Riley, and they both loved the rapids! Here are a few pictures:

Sweet Summer

2009-07-09T13:56:00.000-07:00

Unusually enough, I haven't been posting because we've been off having fun. It's been such a great summer so far! Eric would heartily disagree, but I'd say the weather has been perfect, we've had a blast with the kids, and an unusual ammount of time together. Eric's work has been really slow, which is rough on our bank account, but so much fun for our family. At first, I have to say it was srtange to have him here so much-- I'd gotten used to him being gone. But I'm accustomed to it now, which means it'll be all the harder when he starts school again in the fall. Oh well-- I just won't think of it.

The girls are doing great, and loving summer. Riley doesn't understand it yet, but she'll be starting pre school in the fall, so we've been trying to let her have all the fun possible this summer. She runs wild a lot of the time, and I bless our next door neighbors daily for having a trampoline, swings, and a slide in their backyard-- not to mention a lot of grandkids! Our pool is open, and she's leaning to swim, and getting pretty good. Her fearless attitude about it leaves me cringing often, but I don't want her to grow up as a wimp, so I try to hold in my gasps.

Iris is almost 11 months-- I can't believe she'll be a year old soon. Just can't believe it. She continues to turn up her nose at pureed baby food, but just loves grown up food. Other than sweets, of course, and honey, I think she's eaten just about everything we eat. She had a half a can of spaghettios and a Riley-size portion of enchiladas for lunch the other day. Not kidding. She's crawling like a maniac, pulls herself up to stand, and is beginning to cruise and to stand on her own for short periods of time. I'd like to put off the walking for as long as possible, now she's not behind on her moter skills anymore. She's a happy baby, and we sure love having her around.

Eric and I are just enjoying our time together, although we have had our share of tiffs about whether or not the air conditioning should be on. He battles our yard almost daily, and we've both got some quality reading done. I'm reminded each day why this is my favorite season.

Baby Got Back!

2009-05-26T10:30:00.000-07:00

The Golden Age has ended

2009-05-26T10:26:00.000-07:00

It's the end of an era. The era in which we were a two silver Honda Civic family. Eric's is gone. He got into a nasty accident the other day, and although he is thankfully fine, the car is not. Bye bye. I think that's been the hardest part-- Eric loves that car! He's a bit bruised and a lot sore, and is in mourning for his car. Boo hoo. When we get to the wrecking yard, I'll get a picture of what's left of it.

In Other Great News...

2009-05-21T12:35:00.000-07:00

... So You Think You Can Dance is starting tonight! Can't wait!

Iris...

2009-05-21T12:27:00.000-07:00

... is crawling! Hurrah! I was talking to a friend the other day, and right as she asked if Iris was crawling yet (and as I was saying no), Iris began! It's still slow going, but it's happened enough times that I know this isn't a fluke. It's so cute!

All I could get were drunk baby faces.

She buckled.

Striking a pose.

I have a crazy family

2009-05-21T12:19:00.000-07:00

Before working in the yard the other day, Riley said she was cold. This is what she came out wearing: scarf, hat, sunglasses, and mittens. In May. OK.

I couldn't get her to pose for a picture, so I hope you can see. I felt like a paparazzo, sneaking up on her to get a shot.

Eric also didn't care to get his picture taken.

Thanksgiving Point

2009-05-04T10:47:00.000-07:00

Melanie and I took the kids to Thanksgiving Point the other day-- it was so much fun! It's so great to watch Riley and Kyson actually play together. Up until fairly recently, their time together consisted of stealing toys from each other, screaming at each other, and tattling on each other. But they've started enjoying one another recently. And therefore, Melanie and I enjoy them together.

Thanksgiving Point is a lot of fun, and the kids loved seeing all the animals. Of course, the highlight was the horsey ride.

My Little Chicken

2009-05-04T10:33:00.000-07:00

The other day, in a fit of domesticity, I went through the girls' clothes, transferring Riley's old stuff that Iris will soon fit in to (sniff), and audios-ing the stuff that's too small. I came across Riley's Halloween costume from her first Halloween. She still loves it.

I am fairly certain

2009-05-04T10:32:00.001-07:00

my left leg is a smidgen shorter than my right. Huh.

Welcome myself back...

2009-04-18T11:33:00.000-07:00

I am kind of embarrassed about how long it has been since I've posted. Only a handful of posts ago, I was reporting on Iris, the four month old. And now she's almost eight months. Wow. In my own defense, taking two kids (one of them being Riley) to the library to use the Internet is just a recipe for disaster.

Not a whole lot has happened in our lives recently. We're always busy and mostly happy. Eric will be out for the summer in two weeks, so we obviously can't wait for that! He's got an obscene amount of work to do to prepare for the semesters end, but he'll get through it smelling like a rose... he always does. Iris is rolling all around now, and working on sitting up. We were a little worried there for a while, because she was getting pretty far behind, developmentally. She hadn't done a lot of things she should have by her six month check up, so our doc sent Kids on the Move to our house to work with her. They're part of a federal program to help kids with all sorts of problems catch up to where they should be. So they come out once a month, and we work with her in between. It's apparently working, because she's a rolling machine, and is making progress with the sitting. It's sort of expected that she's a bit behind, being a month premature and spending all that time in the hospital. She lost a lot of development time. But she's doing great, and at this rate, she'll catch up in no time. I'll tell you one area that she's not a bit behind in-- eating. She loves it! Squash, carrots, bananas, sweet potatoes, pears... it doesn't matter what I give her, she gobbles it down like a pro. The other day, she ate two whole tubs of pears in ONE SITTING! She just kept going. And she doesn't even get it all over her face-- it's like she doesn't want to waste a drop. She's hilarious, and has been so much fun.

We had a great Easter last week. We went to Patti's to dye eggs, and then had a few hundred Easter egg hunts in the yard. She got pretty good.

We went to Eric's aunt Sherri's house for Easter dinner, and had the traditional Easter egg hunt in their backyard. They do this each year, and begin with a picture of all the kids on the back steps. So now they have countless pictures of them all with squinty eyes, because the sun in staring you right in the face. It was a lot of fun, of course.

Happy Birthday, Riley: Part Two

2009-03-09T11:56:00.001-07:00

Like I said, we had her family party on her birthday, the 22^nd. I was thinking of having it during the week sometime, but it just worked out that my parents and some of my family were going to be down our way on that Sunday, so we figured we’d just have people over for dinner and then cake and presents after. We ended up having about 13 people for dinner, and then another seven came afterward. Wow. Our house isn’t a shoe box, but it’s not really equipped for that many people, either! It was packed, and more than a little warm. I have to say, Riley made out like a bandit this year—she now has more technology to her name than I do. Eric and I got her a pink lap top to help teach her letters and numbers, Patti got her a kid’s digital camera, and Uncle Cort and Aunt Donna (and Spencer and Garrett) got her a princess CD player. Of course, she got some other wonderful presents as well, lots of books and cute clothes. I was just thinking of the difference a generation makes, and wondering what kind of presents she’ll want in a decade. Oh boy. I made the cake for this party, and I was pretty proud of it, seeing as how I don’t bake, as a general rule. It was cookies and cream with melted chocolate and crumbled Oreo’s on top. Tastey. So, thanks to everyone who came and for all your love and support to Riley. She loves you, too—and prays for you daily.

There was something up with the camera, so the pictures are all blurry

Happy Birthday, Riley: Part One

2009-03-09T11:23:00.000-07:00

It was Riley’s birthday on February 22—I can’t believe I have a 4 year old! We had a party for her little friends on Saturday the 21st, in the morning (princess themed, of course) and a party for the family on Sunday evening. We had a few cancellations/ no shows for the friend party, which I was a little disappointed about, but it all went well. We had crowns for them to decorate with stick-on gems and other bling, and we played “Pin the Tiara on the Princess”, using a 4 foot tall poster of Sleeping Beauty, the current favorite.

Since the party was just an hour long, we only had time for cake and ice cream and presents after that. I had made up little gift bags with all sorts of princess trinkets, and didn’t make any changes for the two boys who came. So they left with Ariel bubbles, Cinderella stickers, Snow White and Jasmine balloons, etc. They didn’t seem to mind. I got the cake from Harmon’s, mainly because I couldn’t resist. I took a picture which doesn’t do it justice. It had little plastic figurines on it: Belle, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty. It was covered with that horrible processed frosting (that, unfortunately, I actually like) in the shapes of flowers, and I had them write, “Happy Birthday, Princess Riley”. It was beautiful.

Riley is such a fun little kid. She’s got tons of energy and enthusiasm and is so curious! Although she sometimes wears me out, I wouldn’t tone her down if I could. She’s in Sunbeams this year, and loves learning so much about Jesus and Heavenly Father. She says her prayers by herself each night, and actually pitches a fit if anyone else prays at mealtime. Her prayers are so sincere and heartfelt (albeit a bit long winded), and I’m so proud to hear them. If you are reading this, then she’s probably prayed for you! I’m so grateful to have her in our family; it really wouldn’t be complete without her.

She’s still a bean pole—tall and skinny, although she hasn’t gotten much taller lately. I think she’s not too much taller than other kids her age anymore. I think the doc said she in the 63 percentile or something like that. She’s only 32 pounds, which is only double Iris’ weight. Her doctor isn’t concerned about it, so neither am I. She doesn’t react well so change unless thoroughly briefed beforehand, so we get used to going over things in advance. She keeps us on our toes. But I’m really not complaining—like I said, I wouldn’t trade her passion even if I could.

Happy Birthday, Riley! We love you!

Draper Temple Open House

2009-03-02T11:06:00.000-08:00

We were able to attend the open house for the Draper temple the other night- wow, it’s so beautiful! They said it’s the 129^th temple worldwide and the 12^th temple in Utah. Wow. It’s smaller than other temples I’ve been it, but set in an incredible area, right up in the hills. It’s a pretty striking scene. We took both girls with us, and even though Iris was ready for bed around the time we started, she did really well. Riley, also, was so great. We’d tried to prep her as best we could about the need for reverence and respect, and she did much better than I expected. It blew her mind, though, that she was allowed in, because when I go to the temple, she always asks what I do in there, and I tell her that she can know when she’s an adult. So she was really confused that we were bringing her inside. Every time I see a sealing room, I think of our wedding day, when Eric, Riley and I were sealed together. This was obviously the only other time we’ve all been in one of those rooms together, and it was really special. How blessed we are as members of this church! They showed a quick video clip in a church house before we were shuttled over to the temple, and it had part of an interview with Jeffery Holland. He said, among other things, that heaven just wouldn’t be heaven to him without his wife and family, and how grateful he is for the sealing power we have. I feel just the same way.

On the way home, after being generously praised for her good behavior, Riley was looking for more compliments, and waxing poetic. She talked about how much she loves Heavenly Father and Jesus, how happy she was to go in their house, and she said, “I love them so much that I would give them everything I have! I would give them all my books and toys- I’d be OK without them.” And even though I know she doesn’t know what she’s talking about, my eyes just filled with tears of gratitude for this special daughter—and family—we have.

My Little Ballerina

2009-02-18T10:22:00.000-08:00

I mentioned earlier that Riley has been taking a dance class... it's possibly the most adorable thing I've ever seen. I tried to take pictures, but every time I get one, she stops dancing and calls out, "Can I see?". So it's kind of a distraction for the other dancers.

This was taken post-lesson in our living room

She's really feeling the music

The whole class- and you can't tell by looking here, but the adult girl looks exactly like my sister in law, Erika, who also has an identical twin sister. Plus, the girl that lives next door to my mother in law also looks like Erika. So there are at least four girls running around with the same face. Good thing it's a pretty one.

Still Here....

2009-02-04T12:03:00.001-08:00

What a lame blogger I am. There hasn't been much to post about, but still. We hangin' in there, things are the same, but good. Iris is five months now, and as winter is almost over, I should be able to start taking her out pretty soon. Maybe by the end of this month. At the beginning of this ordeal, I wondered, "How am I going to stay inside for six months? Not possible". And now that we're coming to the close of my incarceration, I wish I could say that it has flown by and been a cinch. Alas, can't. Riley has gotten more used to it, and is easier to handle, but other than that... it's rough when going to the grocery store takes a day and a half to plan. If Eric weren't busting his brains in school right now, with organic chemistry, it's accompanying lab, micro-biology, it's accompanying lab, and figure drawing, (plus all the homework), and working about 12 days in a row at his job, it might be a little easier... for both of us. But he's almost done with the pre-dental classes, and at this point, I'm super grateful that he even has a job! So, all done complaining.

Riley is in a little dance class, and let me tell you, there is not much cuter than a row of little girls dressed up in pink tu tu's and tights. Pictures to come. Adorable.

Failed Trannie...

2009-01-21T12:59:00.001-08:00

The transmission in our washing machine blew out this week. I didn't even know washing machines had transmissions. So now I'm at Patti's-- bless her-- using her machine to wash the four loads that piled up while we waited to find out the problem with ours. Riley's watching movies to kill the time... so far she's on her second go round with "The Rescuers". And I'm looking on Craigslist to try to find a cheapie replacement washer, as I don't want to fork out $180 to fix our old one. Wish me luck.

Iris is 4 Months Old

2008-12-30T23:40:00.000-08:00

Can you believe it? Didn't she just get out of the hospital last week? It sure feels that way, but I've already had to put away a ton of clothes that she's outgrown... so sad. Anyway, she had her 4 month check up the other day, and the biggest worry was her cradle cap. What a difference from a few months ago! I'll take the scaley head any day. She's tipping the scales at a whopping 15 pounds 1 ounce, which puts her in the 78th percentile! Our little Squasher. (It puts it in perspective when you realize that Riley, almost 4 years old, is only 31 pounds.) The doc was obviously thrilled with her progress, and gave me the green light to try some rice cereal so I might not have to continue feeding her every two hours. Keep your fingers crossed for me that this works. She sure doesn't like the bottle, and she gets angry fast if I'm not there to feed her. All errands must take under and hour and a half, as I can't take her with me. It gets old. So we'll see about the cereal. She had some shots, of course, and did really well. She only cried a little, but did give me burning, reproachful looks, as if to say, "What do you think you are doing? How could you let this happen to me?" She has so much personality, and it's fun to get to know her more each day. She's found her fingers, and spends the majority of her time with them shoved down her throat, occasionally gagging herself. We wondered if she might be worrying about her weight and feeling the social pressure to be thin just a bit early! She's a constant tooter, and she and Eric engage in competitions to see who can stink up the place the quickest. It's been a toss up so far. She still hasn't been to church, although I did hold a 9 month old throughout Relief Society last Sunday who was barely 15 pounds as well, so I felt like she was there. Iris is such a great baby, and as long as she's fed and well rested, she's not complaining. We love having her, and thank Heavenly Father each day that she's healthy. I was finally writing about her stay in the NICU in my journal the other day, and I just cried to remember it all. Seeing her hooked up to all those machines and tubes was just awful, and I pray every day that I never have to see it again. We love you, Iris!

Happy Christmas!

2008-12-29T13:52:00.000-08:00

Christmas is over. How sad. Now I'll go back to hating winter. But we did have a great time this year! Eric got done with school the week before (earning himself a 4.0 this semester, if you can believe it!) and had a while off from work, so we were able to spend a lot of time together, which is always great. It's amazing how much better behaved Riley is when there are two authority figures around. She's been so much fun!

We had Eric's family Christmas party the Sunday before Christmas, and it was great to see everybody again. I love getting to know these people, who are really becoming like family to me. So even though we just saw them on Thanksgiving, this was really fun. We had a gift swap, and this year we acted out the Christmas story after dinner. (Iris was perfect as Baby Jesus!)

We went to visit Eric's Grandpa Bartlett on Christmas Eve, who lives in Springville. I've only ever met him at his annual birthday parties, which are widely attended. There have always been so many people there that I've never said much more than hello and goodbye to him, so this was a nice chance to talk a little. He's a really funny guy! We left there and went straight to my grandparents house up in American Fork for dinner. It's always a fun time, and this wasn't an exception. We opened up a few presents after dinner, read out the Christmas story, and just visited. Very nice. After we got home that night, Eric and I did a simplified version of the story from Luke, using Riley's little nativity set. We've talked to her about it before, but I think she liked seeing us play it out. We opened up a present each, and then went to bed.

My family came over on Christmas morning, and we all opened up presents together. I love sharing this time with family! Eric and I are so blessed to have both of ours close by. After breakfast, Eric and I and the girls headed over to Patti's for more presents. Scott & Erika and Stephanie were there as well, and we had a great time. Patti and Stephanie had made a Christmas feast, which was delicious! Unfortunately, Eric had to go to work for a few hours, so I stayed there with the girls while he was gone. I thought about going home, but Patti and Stephanie were taking such good care of us, I really couldn't!

Although we received many gifts that we are so grateful for, we have been blessed to feel the Spirit often and remember the real reason that we celebrate at this time of year. How fortunate we are so have the Lord in our lives, and to have let Him in!

Here are a few pictures- sorry I forgot to rotate some.

My dad with Iris's jammies

The girls with their matching PJs- they look like a red polka dotted blob

Riley has a big, bling "R" ornament, and here Eric is trying to get her to give him some rapper attitude.

The girls both passed out on me

Christmas morning, Riley showing everyone her presents all spread out

Iris's yammika. My grandma made her this hat, which is unfortunately a wee bit small

Christmas morning

Eric and Riley coloring princesses

Iris loved being a gift

Grandma Pat and Stephanie in their matching ear muffs

Snow, Snow, Snow!

2008-12-23T11:31:00.000-08:00

I heard the back door shut this morning, and looked on our deck to find Riley in my boots. I guess she couldn't resist the call of the snow.

Still doesn't like to have her picture taken, though.

So Fancy...

2008-12-23T11:23:00.000-08:00

I walked into Riley's bathroom the other day to find this. She's so meticulous.

Finally Got The Family Picture!

2008-12-23T11:12:00.001-08:00

We finally got around to getting our family picture taken. About time, wouldn't you say, since that's all Grandma Pat wants for Christmas? I made Eric promise that we'd do it yesterday, since he's been putting me off for weeks, and of course yesterday was the day that it snowed about a foot. We didn't want to drive up in the mountains, as I'd planned, so we compromised for our back yard. (Everything is so covered in snow that it doesn't make a difference.)

Poor Iris was miserable and finally fell asleep to escape. Eric had to photoshop in this head of Riley, because it was the best of he and I, but Riley was making a goofy face. You'd never be able to tell, would you? Handy having a photoshop master in the fam.

Right after we took the last one, and Riley was about to lose it.

Managed to get a cute/ non glarey one

Ignoring Eric with the camera

Husband Tag

2008-12-17T21:20:00.002-08:00

1. Where did you meet your husband? Playing basketball in front of Drew Champion's house when I was in 7th grade and he was in 8th. I don't think I actually played.

2. How long did you date before you were married? Kind of a trick question... we dated for a while my senior year, but then he left on his mission and I Dear John'd him. Bummer. A few years later when we started dating again, I kind of dumped him a few times throughout the course of about five months. Bummer again. He was amazingly persistent. So, the last time we "started" dating after the last time I ditched him, we dated for about three months before we were engaged, and then were engaged for four more. Hurrah for me- I finally got it right!

3. How long have you been married? Two years this March

4. What does he do that surprises you? He's such a hard worker and not a whiner at all. I'm often surprised when I remember just how full his plate always is, because he never complains.

5. What is his best feature? He's got a cute dimple he could store ketchup in, according to some random crazy lady. It's adorable. I also quite like his forearms.

6. What is his best quality? As previously mentioned, his amazing work ethic. He's also got heaps of brains and is a real smartie pants. Also, he never stops trying to make me laugh, even when I'm stubbornly unresponsive.

7. Does he have a nickname for you? Baby Face, Sweet Cheeks, Sugar Sweet... you get the idea. Anything random and cheesy.

8. What is his favorite food? Anything unhealthy. Burgers and fries probably top it all.

9. What is his favorite sport? Baseball. I just don't see the appeal.

10. When and where was your first kiss? Which one? Um, the very first one was just before Christmas in 2002 in my bedroom doorway. (I love that story.) The first one when we started dating again was on my livingroom couch, in March 2006.

11. What is your favorite thing to do as a couple? Hard to say... we don't get much practice at being together. I'd say just relaxing. We're always going somewhere or doing something, so it's a real treat to just lay together and talk and talk. At least I like it.

12. Do you have any children? Riley, who will be 4 in February, and Iris, 4 months

13. Does he have any hidden talents? Tons! I think some people know that he takes great photograghs, but I bet most don't realize that he's an all around artist. He draws and paints and sculpts and all sorts of things. He also plays quite a few instruments; he'll say that he can't play any of them well. But when he picked up my sisters penny whistle and blew out a tune on his first try that had taken her a while to master, she was sure irritated.

14. How old is he? He'll be 25 on December 30- a quarter dead!

15. Who said I love you first? I did. I had him so terrified that I'd dump him if he scared me by moving too fast that I knew he'd never be the first to say it.

16. What is his favorite music? He's got a wide range, but I'd say that Wilco is probably his favorite band. Their concert this past August was awesome!

17. What do you admire most about him? What a great father he is. Our two girls each take a very different kind of parenting, and he's so confident and capable with both. I couldn't have picked a better man to help me raise our kids.

18. What is his favorite color? Green

19. Will he read this? Eventually

Business in the Front, Party in the Back

2008-12-09T11:49:00.000-08:00

Ironically enough, it was while I was drafting that last post that Riley decided to turn my mom's family room into a barber shop. She took to her head with a pair of scissors, and had given herself a mighty fine mullet by the time she was found out. I wish I'd had my camera that day-- there was SO much hair on the floor. Just chunks and chunks of it. I didn't want Riley to think this was OK to do, so I didn't want to laugh, but it was hard not to! She looked so goofy! The lady who cuts our hair wasn't available to fix it till the end of the next day, so she had to go around with a mullet. Like she cared.

Here's her mug shot-- it doesn't show just how short it is above her ear.

This, also, doesn't quite do it justice; it was all I could get.

At "Rabacky's" (Becky's) for the fix

Ta Da! Of course, this was after Becky blow dried and curled it, which I certainly won't have time to do. So it looks a little more, uh, masculine now.

She's already been mistaken for a boy twice-- considering we don't get out much, that's practically 100%. The guy at Little Caesars called her Little Buddy. Oh well, what can you do? It was pretty funny.

This was taken the morning of the Big Cut- isn't that a cute hair cut? Oh well.

Iris's Blessing

2008-12-04T11:52:00.000-08:00

We've had such a busy week, and it's taken me a while to get around to posting about it. Last Wednesday, I made pies for the first time! My mom and I got together do do it, and had about a dozen pies at the end of the day (literally... the last one finished baking just before midnight). Eric had to work on Thanksgiving, so I took the girls up to Sandy to Eric's aunt and uncles house myself. It was really good to see all the family, and I was so glad that Eric got off early enough to come up that evening. He works so hard and misses out on so much. Dinner was, of course, delicious, and I managed two helpings of almost everything, and a third of the potatoes and gravy. I think the younger cousins Garrett and Spencer were impressed.

We had Iris's blessing the next day to avoid the germs of church and so that the family in town for Thanksgiving could also attend. We had so many people coming that we actually ended up holding it in the church house because our house wouldn't accommodate. It was supposed to start at 2:00, so about 15 minutes to, I started to feed Iris so she would be happy during the blessing. As I was feeding her, she let out a big ol' explosion (which happens frequently), and I thought, "Wouldn't it be funny if that blew through her diaper?" That used to happen a lot, but not much recently, so I didn't think too much about it. A few minutes till 2:00, we finished up and I made to pick up Iris to take her back. Yuck, yuck, yuck- of course it HAD exploded through her diaper, and was now all the way up her back, covriing the back og her dress and all over my skirt... and hand. Riley was with me, so I told her to be quick and go get Eric and the diaper bag. I thought I'd been urgent enough and put the fear into her. Apparently not. Eric said she ran into the room, alright, but sat primly down and said not a word. Meanwhile, I've got a hand and lap covered in excrement, and I'm unable to grip Iris with my one clean hand without touching her back, which is also covered. Quite a pickle. So I sat and waited for Eric... and waited. After more than 10 minutes, I manned up and carried Iris in to get the diaper bag myself. Eric came after me and made the mistake of laughing. I'm sorry to say that I got quite snippy with him. Luckily we live really close to the church house- obviously- so Eric ran home to get me another skirt and another white dress we happened to have in Iris's size. We were in such a rush to get her cleaned up and changed that I didn't even look at how my new skirt looked. We finally got things started, and Eric gave her a beautiful blessing. The bishop then surprised me by asking me to bear my testimony. A double surprise, because when I got up in front of the big group, I noticed that my slip was now showing about 3 inches below my shirt. The pooped on skirt was much longer, and I hadn't even noticed. Why, oh why can't I be the kind of person that things so smoothly for?

Well, we got through it all, and the most important thing is that Iris is blessed. I guess it will make a funny story for later. I seem to have a lot of stories like this. I didn't have the heart to take pictures after the blessing, which I of course now regret, soI'm going to put the blessing dress back on her and take pictures later.

"White, White, White, White..."

2008-12-01T10:35:00.000-08:00

I was getting Riley dressed the other morning and noticed we were putting Snow White panties on her. So I started singing, "I'm wishing (echo: I'm wishing)... for the one I love (for the one I love)... to find me (to find me)... today (today). " Then she started singing the first line and I echoed. But she soon stopped me and said that instead of echoing with a Snow White song, I should be singing about my panties. So she told me to sing, "White, white, white, white, white." So now we sing, "I'm wishing (white, white, white)... for the one I love (white, white, white)...". Love it.

2008-11-20T22:14:00.000-08:00

I found a bunch of pictures that I meant to post, but never could, because I was waiting for Eric to touch them up, or whatever he does. I don't know if these have been worked on, but they look fine to me.

Riley's cast when she broke her leg for the second time last April. It didn't slow her down at all.

Eric took Riley fishing up Provo Canyon this summer. Like the hair? She wouldn't ever let us brush it, so we had a rag-a-muffin child. Hence the cut.

These are from when we went to Marilyn and Gerry's cabin for the weekend this summer and Eric taught me to fish. Man, what a belly!

I Miss My Family

2008-11-20T21:44:00.001-08:00

Eric has been sleeping on the couch for over a month... now he's kicked out of the house altogether. Not to fear- it's not marital discord, it's germs. Iris's inability to sleep anywhere but in bed next to me had him on the couch, and the germs that attacked him this week have him at his Mom's. Patti's going to start some gossip in her neighborhood. (It wouldn't work here, because he's already gone so much, our neighbors won't notice the difference.) The coughing and all-around-yuckiness has been coming on for a few days, so he's just kept his distance. It was getting worse yesterday, so we decided that he could sleep here last night, and if he woke up this morning feeling worse, then he's move to his mothers until he felt better. He did feel worse- and it's a good thing he got out of the house, because he felt even worse-er later. He went to the doc and they gave him something or other... he ditched classes today to sleep... he called in sick to work to rest up... I have high hopes that this will be a short separation. I really miss my husband. Having him gone is no new thing- actually, as I write this at 11 PM, this could be a normal day. If not sick today, he would have gone to school before I woke up, then gone to work straight from school, and wouldn't be home yet. I wouldn't have seen him before now anyway- so this really isn't different. But we've been so terrified that I would get sick that he hasn't so much as given me a high five for days. (Can you imagine if I got sick, too? What a disaster. If Iris had gotten the shots like she should have, this wouldn't be this unnecessary big deal.) I miss my hubby.

And to cap it all, Riley is also sick. Her cough has been coming on for days as well, and when she
woke up this morning, she was also worse. I've had a time trying to keep her hands and lips off Iris, I can tell you that. Her little friend had strep throat the other day- the day after they had been playing. So when I saw her red and raw throat, and heard her hacking cough this morning, I took her to our trusty pediatrician. (I swear I should have his office on speed dial.) Luckily, it's not strep, but she's spending the night at my parents, just in case. As hard as it is to have her craziness all day, every day, I now find that I've missed her today. She knows that she shouldn't touch the baby as long as she is sick and coughing, so when she coughed last night, she said, "No more coughing, Throat!". And when she coughed again a few minutes later, she said, "What did I tell you, Throat?" It was adorable. I miss my girl.

So Iris and I spent a lazy day watching the beloved A&E five hour version of "Pride and Prejudice". I haven't had time to watch that in one sitting in precisely three years and nine months (the length of Riley's life). So, cheers and thanks to my mom and dad for taking care of my Little Sicky, and cheers and thanks to Patti and Stephanie for taking care of my Big Sicky. I wish I could do it.

Look at the Bright Side

2008-11-18T21:38:00.000-08:00

These things bother me:

Couples canoodling at church. 'Nuff said.
Christmas lights turned on before December 1. (See also: Christmas music played before previously mentioned date, as well as any kind of blow up decoration... for any holiday.)
The Library Nazi. She is my nemesis.
The geniuses hired to work the phones at insurance companies, billing offices, etc.
Drivers of SIX door trucks (that's right... THREE cabs) who pull enormously long trailers and run red lights.
Hannah Montana
People who go to school sick and get my husband sick.

As this is kind of a downer post, I'll add a few pluses:

My super kettle. I have about four cups of hot chocolate a day now that I've pulled it out. Tons of sugar, but as I've all but given up Dr. Pepper (the second love of my life), I don't feel guilty.
I have a solo date planned for this Saturday night. It's Eric's night off, so I got an advance ticket to see "Twilight", because yes, I am one of those girls. I heart Edward. So I'm going to some restaurant (I haven't decided where yet) where they will serve me food, and I can eat it without once saying, "Please stop that" or "Stop throwing your food" or "Did you spill your milk on purpose?". And I won't have to clean up any food or milk, or stop Riley from suffocating Iris with a hug, and my food will be warm when I eat it, because I won't have popped in and out of my seat nine times to get more milk or apple sauce or whatever before getting to eat. Ahhh, bliss. Then I'll go to see the movie. I don't have hopes that it will be as good as the books- I'm not an idiot- but I think it will be alright. All in all, I can't wait for my date with myself.
And as much as I complain, I really do have it great. I have a husband I never see, because he's always either at work at at school. He never gets time to do what he wants for himself, and he never complains or guilt trips me. He works so hard to provide for us and to get good grades- I am grateful, in a roundabout way, that he's gone so much. I have a daughter that bounces off the walls with unrestrained energy. She isn't shy or slow, and she's full of love. Sometimes it's hard to have all that energy trapped in our house, but I'm glad that she has it. I have a baby girl who is out of the hospital, when it could have been so much worse. She's home with us, when other babies born with similar problems aren't nearly so fortunate. Yeah, I can't go anywhere because of it, but we have a god shot at keeping here healthy this winter, and hopefully she'll then be healthy for life. I'm grateful that we were given a solution, no matter how hard it is to carry out.

Blessings are all around me, hidden in the middle of my obstacles. If I can only remember to wake up and pay attention, I'm in awe of all that I have been given.

Boo! Hiss!

2008-11-18T09:15:00.000-08:00

I am angry. We found out the other day that Iris' appeal was denied. How can that be, you ask? I wouldn't know. The insurance company is sticking to it's age guidelines like stink on rot, and even the pediatricians letter urging them to change their minds didn't do it. We're trying a second appeal, but I don't have very high hopes. Oh, and when I asked the doc's office for more specifics, in case we tried to pay for these ourselves, I found that it would probably be just under $15,000 instead of $8,000. The price goes up according to her weight, so we estimated the rate she would gain (it's all in those cheeks!), and viola. $15,000. Not possible.

So thanks to all you who prayed for us. I guess it's not over yet, but I'm not very hopeful. We can't qualify for Medicaid because we already have insurance, and there aren't any supplementary programs in Utah. Write your congressman.

Iris 'Tubbs of Fun' Bartlett

2008-11-12T14:12:00.000-08:00

Iris has been such a fun baby so far! We're loving having her (Riley sometimes a little too much so...) and are so grateful for her. For those of you who wonder about her current medical situation, I'll give a brief update. Her pediatrician recommended that she get a series of six shots to help prevent her from getting RSV this winter. Because of the condition of her lungs at birth, and the full week she spent on the ventilator, she would likely have to be hospitalized if she did get sick this winter, and could very possibly have lung problems the rest of her life. We obviously want to avoid that. The doc says that this first winter is critical: if we can get her through this without getting sick, she'll probably live normally for the rest of her life, with no residual problems. That's why I've become a hermit of late- I'm avoiding all germs. But, back to the shots: six of them, at about $1,200 a pop is a lot of money. And the insurance won't cover it unless it can be proved that it's medically necessary. Apparently working for an insurance company gives you more insight than a doctor to whether it is necessary, because even though the doc says it is, she was denied. Don't even get me started on insurance companies. So, we're appealing, and will know either way by December 3. I'm asking everyone to keep us in your prayers. I really feel that she should get these shots, and I don't know how we'll pay for them if the insurance company denies her again. Please, please pray that this will work out. Thanks!

But in the meantime, we love her and we're thrilled to have her!

Warning: Nudie Shot!

2008-11-12T14:08:00.000-08:00

When Riley gets herself dressed!

Denim cape, anyone?

A Fun Day

2008-11-07T15:13:00.000-08:00

In my efforts to keep Riley and myself from going crazy during our autumn/ winter imprisonment, I've tried to take her out to do fun things that don't involve germs. (It's amazing how little there is to do...) The other day, I, along with my brother Graham and his dog, Dusty, brought the girls up to Sundance to run around. There were hardly any people there, so that helped with the germs, and she and Dusty could run around to their hearts content.

Graham and Riley by the indian statue

Graham had a rope that he was throwing for Dusty- then it got caught in a tree! Here he's trying to knock it down with a large piece of wood he found. (The wood is the blur in the middle left of the picture.)

You can't see it well in this picture, but the wood got caught up next to the rope. It just wasn't Grammy's day. He eventually got the wood down using another piece, but never got the rope. Bummer.

I tried and tried to get Riley to let me take her picture, but she kept hiding behind things. I guess I really irritated her, because just after I took this picture...

...she charged!

Later that evening, I met up with best pal Melanie and her son Kyson- best pal of Riley. With my mom taking care of Iris, we were free to take the kiddos to Hee Haw's. It's got a corn maze that we didn't do, and lots of fun things for kids.

Melanie took the kids down the slide- I confess, I was chicken.

(I was shamed into it later.)

A train ride using barrels with animal heads as cars.

When we went to the pumpkin patch, Riley strayed from the path and came back covered in burs! Those suckers hurt to get out!

Melanie and I took turns pulling the kids around in a cart.

Kyson and Riley liked making "corn angels" in the big pit of corn.

Carvin' Punkin'

2008-11-05T17:56:00.000-08:00

I'm finally getting around to posting the pictures of when we carved our Halloween pumpkins. It was a lot of fun, even though Riley had a freak-out tantrum and had to go to bed midway through. Just because it's Halloween doesn't mean we get special treatment! It was even more fun because we grew them ourselves- we'll definitely do that again. I guess all the petting and rubbing that Eric and Riley did throughout the summer worked!

Riley's "before" picture (I couldn't figure out how to rotate this- sorry!)

Eric's "before"- how handsome he looks!

my "before"- how... tired I look!

Riley actually liked getting the goop out herself!

Bleh

the "after"- Eric suggested tons of "silly faces", which was Riley's only qualification. She rejected them all, only to pick the most simple one!

again with the rotation... Riley the Pumkin Head

Eric decided to drill holes all over his- I think he felt quite manly with the drill!

my "after"- you can't tell by this picture, but she has eyelashes

Mr. Pumpkin-Head

Iris and Riley's pumpkins

Punkin'

2008-10-27T13:33:00.001-07:00

We picked the pumpkins from our garden the other day- quite an impressive haul! Some were still greenish, but as the vines were freezing, we thought it was better to pick them now. We had an impromptu photo shoot with the girls posing with the pumpkins, and I liked the pictures so much, I changed their clothes to do more. Here are a few of my favorites:

Riley loves her sister

Trying to get one looking up at Iris- it sort of worked

Neither girl was very interested in this pose

Look at those cheeks!

After a change of clothes.... I love this one!

This is Riley's fake smile- she mostly refused to smile naturally...

... and got really irritated when we kept trying to make her!

Iris passed out before too long...

... and resisted all efforts to wake her!

Coooool Pix

2008-10-15T12:48:00.000-07:00

I'm now the proud (paper) owner of this sweet little sussy, and it should be delivered in five days! So, allowing a day to let me figure out how it works, my posts should get much more interesting in six days! Eric's big ol' SLR had way too many knobs and wingeys, was much too expensive, and I was terrified of it. I'm told that there's little I can do to mess this baby up, and the salesman at Best Buy promised that I could bring it straight to him if I figured out a way, and he'd fix it. So there.

Nobody Puts Baby In The Corner

2008-10-15T12:39:00.000-07:00

I love Dirty Dancing. It's a fantastic movie. I'm still not sure why I don't own it. I rented it the other day, and as I sat watching it last night (in the dark, by myself), I noticed my face involuntarily stretching into a huge grin every few minutes or so. It's just so good! I know it's one of the cheesiest movies ever, and one of my guilty pleasures, but I don't care! It's like the movie Clue. So hokey that I can't get anyone to watch it with me, but worth watching alone.

I've had the time of my life.

Kid's Say The Darndest Things

2008-10-02T13:32:00.000-07:00

Riley is constantly spouting off these hilarious comments, and I thought I'd share with you some of my favorites.

To me as I dropped her off at day care: "But Mommy, you look like a nice human, and I don't like it when nice humans leave me."

To Eric: "Daddy, why don't you have enough hair to comb?"

To me: "You have red owies all over your face. ALL over it!"

To a female whose identity I shall hide: "You look like Grandpa Craig- you have hair on your face!"

"I had poc-porn at the cervix!" (Translation: "I had popcorn at the circus!")

Last but not least... my personal favorite, to me: "Mommy, if Iris is out of your tummy, why is it still so big?"

Introducing Iris Helena Bartlett

2008-09-18T11:41:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! For once, I have a good excuse to not have posted in a while! If having a kid in the NICU doesn't get you off the hook, I don't know what will. But it no longer applies to us, because Iris is home now! I doubt I have to try to express how happy and relieved we are. She's doing great: gaining weight nicely, sleeping well, hardly fussing, and most importantly, having NO breathing problems! Hurrah!

A quick summary of her time in the hospital: she had the pneumonia at birth, which took 10 days of antibiotics to get rid of. She had underdeveloped lungs , which took a few days on a C-PAP, about a week on a ventilator, another two days on the C-PAP, and then a day on minimal oxygen to get up to scratch. And, due to all her energy going into breathing, she wasn't digesting her food well, and then not gaining weight once she was. So the last week of her stay, we concentrated on that. Two Sundays ago, I checked back into the hospital, and had her "room in" with me, so I could be there 24/7 to give her all her feedings. They had taken out her feeding tube, and we were trying to push her into eating more using hunger as our tool. Once again, she showed her independence and unwillingness to be pushed into anything, and went and LOST weight! So after not leaving that cursed room for three days straight, we admitted defeat, and the tube went back in for a few feedings, to let her rest up for the next round. So I went home... I think it was Wednesday night... and then came to the hospital every three hours during the next two days to feed her- the nurses gave her a bottle at night. For some reason (probably since we weren't pushing her!) this seemed to do the trick for little Iris, and she finally gained weight for 48 hours of breast or bottle feeds! (That was the requirement before she could leave.) So hallelujah! We got her home Saturday morning, and have been adjusting ever since.

Luckily, Riley is being a real sweetheart about the whole thing. Actually, when Eric and I came home from the hospital after the birth, sans baby, she was a real terror, and we quaked to think of the coming years. But now that she had some time to adjust, she's being terrific. We have to watch her, obviously, to make she she doesn't suffocate Iris while piling blankets on her to "keep her warm", or shove binkies down her throat... she likes to give Iris each and every one of her own, as well as the binkies we have for Iris. It's pretty funny.

So thanks to everyone who prayed for us... I promise we felt those prayers! It was only after Iris made the turn that the hospital staff let on exactly how sick she really was. Ignorance is bliss! We felt the blessings of the prayers and thought that people put in on our behalf, and we really appreciate it. We love you all!

So What Did You Do This Week? I Had A Baby!

2008-08-28T12:11:00.000-07:00

As some of you may have heard already, we had our beautiful baby girl this week! Big surprise! I woke up Sunday morning with a "stomach ache" that Tylenol wouldn't cure, and was tracking contractions by noon and into the hospital by one. Iris Helena joined us at 1:02 AM- suffice it to say, this labor was quite a bit different from my 5 hour Riley labor! We got to hold her once before she was taken away to the nursury, then the Special Care Nursery, and then to the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit). She's early, obviously, so her lungs are a bit under developed, and she also has a stubborn case of pnemonia. We haven't been able to hold her since that first time, which is pretty hard to take, and it's so difficult to see her covered in wires.

She was born 19 inches long, 5 pounds and 13 ounces, and full of sass! The NICU nurses tell us that she has no difficulty making her wishes known, even under all the sedation! We named her Iris, thinking that such a sweet and gentle name would rub off- but it looks like we have another Riley on our already full hands! We're so excited for her to get better so we can take her home. Riley doesn't understand why she can't see her, and it's causing her some stress, I think. Iris's antibiotics will take 7 to 10 days to run their course, and then we need to concentrate on getting her lungs up to scratch, and then we'll be able to bring her home. So, sometime between 2 weeks to a month. I'm optimistically thinking it will be 2 weeks to the day.

Thank you so much to all the people who helped and supported us while I was in the hospital, and who are continuing the help now that I'm out. (By the way, I feel fantastic!) We appreciate it more than we can express. It was so nice not to have to worry about Riley on top of everything else! Thank you!