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Funny Kid

Today after Beck ate his dinner, Casey and I were standing around the kitchen and Beck was eating Gerber's Puffs in his high chair. I heard him laughing, hard....like he wanted my attention. We turned around to see him holding puff up to his closed eye and busting a major gut. He's so much like his father.

Good News

We live in a country full or opportunities, yet, we still turn on the television to find so much sadness, despair and devastation in our world. From the economy to the earthquake in Haiti and even a missing mother of two here in Utah, there are so many things to pray for help and comfort about. 

I watch the Today Show just about every morning. I would say bad news outweighs good news every morning - but one thing they do have o their site is a page dedicated to GOOD NEWS. It's too bad we don't hear more about this. I encourage you to click on this link and add a little love, a little charity, a little confidence and a little more happiness to your day. Enjoy....

CLICK HERE FOR GOOD NEWS

Too Fast

When you're about to have a child enter your life, more people than you can count will tell you that they grow up way to fast. I didn't quite comprehend the degree of how true this statement is. To all of you who are going to have children, take heed to these words: THEY GROW UP TOO FAST! Cherish every second you have.


Casey and I switch off every weekend letting each other sleep in a bit- we both normally wake up in the 5-6am hour, so sleeping till 9 or 10am is a treat for us one a week. Well, today was my turn to sleep. Like the great husband I have, Casey got up at 8 with Beck, fed him breakfast and then played with him until I finally rolled out around 11. I could hear Beck complaining about something as he was hanging in his pack n play - I came halfway down the stairs, just where he couldn't see me. I called out his name so he would look at me. Instead, he looked at his daddy and laughed. This went one for about 3 minutes, until he finally saw me peaking around the corner on the stairs.
I expected to see excitement in his eyes when he saw me, as he normally does. I wasn't entirely disappointed, he was excited to see me, but only because he wanted something. I picked him up, and he pointed to the kitchen. I followed his tiny finger about ten steps down the hall and he signed "more" rigorously as I made my way towards the kitchen counter. Sitting there, bright and delicious, is a canister of his favorite snack, Gerber's Lil' Crunchies. As we approached the object of my son's affection, smiles on both our faces, he moved his tiny hand in circles on his chest to sign "please" delighted. He knew exactly what he wanted and precisely how to ask for it!
The way his Pack n Play is situated, he can see right into the kitchen. I am sure he was just waiting for someone to pick him up so he could have some of his favorite snack.
He has known how to tell me "more since he was around six months old, so that sign wasn't a surprise. I have been trying to teach him "please" for a few weeks now; he has been able to make the sign, but the concept of saying "please" is much more intangible than asking for something in particular. I was also impressed that his mind could put it all together so quickly and on top of that, so polite!
He's growing up. A large part of me is saddened that it is happening so swiftly. Life really doesn't give a parent the opportunity to savor each moment like it deserves. To me, that is just a reminder of what little we get to take with us after we leave this world and how special what we do take actually is.

Happiest Boy in the World.

Every day with the boys in my life is an adventure. It's no secret that Casey is wild and thinks he's hilarious. It is also becoming apparent that Beck is taking after his father more and more each day. He is constantly making faces just to make me laugh - not that he needs to try to get a smile from me. 

Beck had a little cold...he and his daddy have way too much fun together...

Last night, I was up late working on a birthday cake and when I finally went to bed, after midnight, Beck woke up and Casey was rocking him back to sleep. Casey and I went to bed and I was absolutely freezing!!! After a half hour or so, Beck woke up again and I realized his room was also freezing cold. Our heater wasn't working. Some time around 1am (keep in mind I get up and start working around 6am), I was awake, downstairs, trying to figure out what the heck was wrong and why it is blowing out cold air. After some hustle and bustle, while Casey was warming up our little munchkin, I decided to change the filter and it (thankfully!) worked. Anyhow, once I was done, Beck was still screaming. It was all Casey could do to just calm him down. Once I picked him up, he stopped. I wrapped my little boy up in fleece blankets and cuddled him as I rocked in his chair. He stared at me, wide eyed. I leaned down to give him a little butterfly kiss on his forehead. He had no expression. He just kept staring at me. The next thing I know, out of the darkness, I am slapped in the face by a miniature hand. He felt across my face and put his tiny palm on my eye. More butterfly kisses. He smiled up at me and I just laughed. Then I was slapped again. 

I have no idea what time I went to sleep. I didn't care. It was time well spent. 

It's so funny to me how he knows that Casey is the fun one. The instant Casey comes home from work, Beck wants to play with him. Moments after he wakes up, he calls downstairs for "Dada" - hoping it is time to play. I kind of wish I was fun - or funny....but I'll settle for the last person he wants to see before he sleeps. 

Sometimes when he is sitting on my lap, either eating lunch or just watching Madagascar, he'll turn his head and look up at me. I love that 6-tooth smile. 

(Beck got a hole in the toe of his pj's from his Auntie Becky in Santa Barbara)

I Run

I have never been able to run. I have crappy knees. It's hereditary.

I have been hearing a lot about this "runner's high" and it sounds so intriguing. In the past, I've only been able to run about 5 minutes before walking for ten to calm the growing inflammation just below my thighs. I decided to buy a soft supportive brace this week and see how it worked. Turns out, it's great.

I ran 3 straight miles on Monday night - granted, it took me an hour - but I only stopped because I needed to get home. Last night, I ran 2 miles. I was tired.

Both times, the experience was exhilarating. I think I will do it again tonight. Only, I will skip the Wendy's chicken sandwich after.....

Greatest Snow On Earth

Tonight must have been craft night in Heaven. Someone spilled a lot of glitter.

I've been inside all day, but I knew it was snowing. I finally took a quick walk outside to check the mail and had the most peaceful 5 minutes. Everything sparkled like billions of tiny diamonds as the street lamps shone over the freshly falling snow. It was so cold that Harry didn't even want to come outside with me. Pete stood next to the door, on the doormat, to keep his little paws from freezing.

This is the most beautiful snow I have ever seen. I didn't grow up with snow. Before I moved out here, I think I'd only ever had one white Christmas. While after Christmas, I normally prefer the snow to stay in the mountains, I decided to make an exception tonight.

The roads were empty. I could hear the snow crunching beneath my feet as I trudged along in my fuzzy boots. I like moments like this. Moments that belong to me. Just me.