Some of Sam

Here are a couple clips of Sammy's escapades in our cloudburst a couple weeks ago. (Mama's boy.) I knew it was time to come inside when he could no longer pick himself up from his final puddle plunge (i.e. 1:25).

shivering and soaking, but satisfied

recent stacking fetish

(he's getting those big legos for Christmas... sssshhh!)

first attempts

maybe we'll try again next year?

are boys hardwired to know just where the screwdriver goes?

lastly, here's a little dance.
our favorite is the little head wag when he starts a new song:

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Problem Solved! For now...

For original problem post, click here.

Jack O'Lanterns in California

Can you guess whose is whose?

I grew up carving pumpkins in Utah, not knowing that the cold weather keeps them thriving through the weeks. Here is what happened within six days of carving in California. Apparently most Californians carve their Jack O'Lanterns on the eve of Halloween. I did feel bad that we had to throw these out because they really are much scarier, don't you think?

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Cloth Diapering!

Lately I've started to have a pit in my stomach thinking about the H E A P of trash that Samuel has created on the Earth already. We've thought about cloth diapering before but my recent musings on the unnecessary and abiding waste we've contributed to the world in only 14 months tipped the scale. The other advantages that persuaded me were the obvious benefits for our baby and our pocket book! So I did a lot of research and price-comparing online and found the right gear for us:

My unbleached flannel wipes, to be washed right along with the dipes.

One of my Snappis, for fastening the diapers (no pins!)

My 24 unbleached premium prefold diapers ($2 each!)

My wonderful Thirsties diaper covers

My diaper sprayer (for the more unpleasant ones)
Purchased on eBay

My clothesline dryer (64 feet of line)

My happy boy and supportive husband
(was this his idea to begin with?)

If you clicked on the links, you saw that I ordered my cloth products from the Utah-based company, clothdiaper.com. I didn't know it was based in UT when I first found the site, but was glad to support a local company, even from California! The customer service is excellent, the prices consistently beat those of their competitors (even including shipping!), and we are loving their products.

I don't know why I didn't do this sooner, as it's really going to save us money! It's not nearly as hard or as gross as I imagined it to be. Last night was the first night Sammy slept in cloth, and when we changed him around 6:45 AM this morning, the cloth diaper was completely soaked! We couldn't believe it, and were amazed to think how much those disposables really do hold! We changed him well before we normally would have (sometimes more like 9:00 AM), so I bet the disposables will hold at least double what we found in the diaper. (Amazing... we'll be sure to have some around for airplane flights or other instances when we want to go longer without a change.) Anyway, thanks to our awesome waterproof diaper covers, there was not a leak to be seen, though Samuel was clearly more aware of the wet feeling, which may not be such a bad thing. They say cloth-diapered babies potty-train quicker because they can feel the wet better. We'll see. The downside was that after the rousing early diaper change, he didn't want to go back to sleep as he normally does, so I may need to get some doublers or something to absorb more of the night-time wet.

Anyone else cloth diaper? If so, what do you like?

If you don't cloth diaper and you've been thinking about trying it out, go for it! Get the right stuff and it's a cinch (there are a lot of options out there...). Good Luck!

Keenan's Big Concert

Last year, Keenan won the USC Concerto Competition, and his big performance is coming up this Thursday! Here's for all those who didn't get a postcard announcement:

**Thanks to our good friend "Piano Man" for designing these beautiful announcements!

Samuel's First Birthday

People say the time flies. I say yes and no. Yes, because -- wow -- I have a one-year old. No, because I've enjoyed every minute so far.

Though the memories are fresh, it definitely doesn't feel like yesterday that I labored to deliver Samuel to Life. For me, that experience was a little like running through a large field of roses. While running, you are bewildered by the pain of the thorns, the obstacles, and the sheer exhaustion. You hardly notice the blossoms, and the end is never in sight. As you eventually emerge victorious and continue on your journey, the wounds and bruises begin to heal. The breeze washes you with the sweet fragrance of the field, and looking back, the exquisite colors and scents are overwhelming. You might even do it again. (At some point, I plan to.) Most assuredly, God heard our prayers as Keenan and I ran together that day.

I consider Samuel my greatest blessing. This is hard to explain, but with most of the other blessings of my life, I have had much more control on the receiving end. While it's true that I opened the door for Samuel to come, he was granted and safeguarded to me by Heavenly Father, a bestowal for which I cannot give enough thanks or praise, and by which I remain humbled.

It's amazing what you learn about love when you have a child. As Keenan put it, it's "automatic love." I now realize that up until that point, love is a choice that we make. But for the first time, once a child arrives, love simply exists.

We are so happy to have this little friend by our side. The first thing we noticed about Samuel after he was born was how observant he was. That has remained one of his striking characteristics. He is meek and mild. He is curious and fun. Above all, he is pure, and we see there is much to be learned from him. I should learn from his innocence, his need for people, his helpful nature, his teachability, his eagerness for life's experiences, his love of learning, his determination to keep trying, and how free he is with himself. The list could go on...

I have much more to share about our first year together, but that will have to wait until a later post. For now, some pictures and a couple videos of today's fun. Keenan has long awaited his boy's first birthday, and begged me to make a chocolate cake that Samuel could smear all over his body. I declined, but agreed to make a banana cake with some cocoa in the frosting. (Recipe to follow.)

Favorite breakfast: cottage cheese pancakes
(Recipe to follow.)

First taste of whole (cow's) milk! Mmmmm...

Live Oak Park


Taken at 12:28, the minute Samuel was born.
One year later.


A puzzle present from friends!


A drum present from other friends!
Come on, Sam... it's exciting!!


Making faces at Daddy.




Unwrapping Mama and Daddy's present!
And noticeably winding down.


Keenan's much-anticipated moment.
Do you think he's afraid of fire? Not Mama's boy...




Beautiful eyes.




End of a great first birthday.

G.F.

For a time when I was a teenager, I shared a room with #9, Amanda (I'm #3). My Mom called her my "little shadow." I called her "G.F." (for Girlfriend). This is how I remember her from those days (note bird on shoulder):

But for her maturing years, I've been mainly out of the house, so it was a pleasure to have her out for a 9-day visit so we could get to know her better. She was great to have around and definitely knows how to have a good time!!

I try to do a new activity with each of our visitors (that way they feel special and we're always seeing something new). With Amanda we were going to go lawn bowling with the old people at Arcadia Park, but we were a little bit late and our teacher went home. :( Next time, Amanda! But we did have a couple other firsts, including a journey into the third-world-esque fashion district in L.A. to buy some cute fabric for a skirt, but no pictures of that, unfortunately...

The L.A. Arboretum, where I take everybody:

The one-handed walking

Amanda's always had a way with animals

I've never seen this there before






A first: Mini Golfing at "Golfland" (click there and make sure your sound's on... The voice is probably our lawn bowling teacher's).
Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures inside.
But I won a free game at the end for the first time in my life!


Arcadia Park
Whoever can balance on this thing is awesome!


Perhaps best of all: Newport Beach, also a first (and not a last)

Aunt Amanda showed Sammy how to take the waves

Keenan lost his head taking a rather large wave.

But he found another.

Come again soon, sister!!

Stay tuned for a recap of our Third Anniversary bash...