tom and jo and co.

just a reminder

2010-10-25T23:13:00.001-07:00

We have moved our blog to www.montanaprairietales.com. Stop by and say hi!

This blog has moved!

2010-10-03T18:00:00.000-07:00

Hi friends! You can now find Tom and Joellyn and our adventures at www.montanaprairietales.com. We will no longer be posting on this blog. All previous posts have been moved to the new location as well, so please update your bookmarks and feed readers to the new site address. We hope you will visit us there!

Under Construction

2010-09-29T11:26:00.000-07:00

Happy Hump Day, everyone! I hope you are having a good week. I just thought I would pop in and tell you I'll be taking another short break from posting while I work on some changes to our blog.
When we made the big move to Montana, I made plans to do a lot more posting. I also decided then that it was time for our blog design to grow up a little, and I am finally getting around to making those changes. I will be back on Monday with the new scenery!

Tom and I are heading out for the weekend to a Young Farmers conference. We are hoping to make some new farmer friends and network a little. Today, my first issue of Atomic Ranch arrived in the mail, and I am so excited to bring it along on the trip for something to read! I'll let you know if I find some good inspiration.

See you next week!

Craig's list find

2010-09-28T10:00:00.000-07:00

Check out these tables I bought off of Craig's List for $65.

I'm digging their retro, mid-century vibe, though I have no idea when they were actually made.

What do you think? I'm planning this for a sitting area in my basement. What else does it need? A little color?

Images: sheepskin rug from West Elm.

89 years

2010-09-27T15:35:00.000-07:00

^ Woolie Whale, Hand Crocheted on Etsy

When you've been in a daily posting habit, someone is bound to notice when you go missing for over a week. Sorry. You see, I had to take a blogging break to work on organizing my house. We are still living in chaos after moving 3 months ago. Lately, when I start to feel overwhelmed, Tom has taken to reciting this little poem:

Have you heard of tiny Melinda Mae,
Who ate a monstrous whale?
She thought she could,
She said she would,
So she started in right at the tail.

And everyone said,"You're much too small,"
But that didn't bother Melinda at all,
She took little bites and she shewed very slow,
Just like a little girl should...

...and in eighty-nine years she ate that whale
Because she said she would!!!

-by Shel Silverstein

^ Mama and baby felt whales on Etsy

I sure hope it doesn't take 89 years to get settled into this house.

^ The Enamored Whale, Giclee Print on Etsy

Regardless, I'm back this week and full of things to share. Thanks for sticking around!

diaper verdict

2010-09-18T08:00:00.000-07:00

I've had a few questions about my cloth diapering adventures, so please bare (ha!) with me through one last diaper post.

So, the verdict? After a few weeks of trying them, I've decided to keep going. I maybe would feel differently if I weren't home as much, but for us right now, it works. I love not having as much diaper garbage.

Doing laundry every day hasn't been much of a problem. I try to line dry them as much as possible to maximize the savings (they can take awhile to dry in the dryer), but then I usually finish them off with a quick dryer cycle to soften them up and make sure they are really dry.

She seems to be getting used to the feel of them because she had a few good sleeping nights (before the ear infection came along and threw that for a loop). I was afraid I might have to use disposables at night, but now I am only using them if I'm away from the house for more than a few hours.

Oh, and if you do this, I highly recommend getting cloth wipes too. I just wet about 6 at a time with hot water and put them in the wipe warmer. (If you let any more than that sit wet for too long they can start to smell since they don't have preservatives like disposable wipes do). But it is the lack of preservatives that make them so gentle. And you don't have to worry about separating your dirty wipes (garbage) from your dirty diapers (laundry).

So, newbie mothers, if you are thinking about cloth diapering, go for it! Its worth a try! (And I was a skeptic).

Mad Men and Midcentury design

2010-09-17T08:00:00.000-07:00

I enjoyed these photos from the set of Mad Men. Even though the era of this house is a little bit earlier, you can definitely see some of the same influences as in our house.

Eva—3 months old!

2010-09-16T08:00:00.000-07:00

Eva has passed the 3 month milestone already. Time flies when you're having fun.

Well, mostly fun. Eva is such a joy, but she hasn't been sleeping very well. She came down with a stuffy nose and cold early last week, and true to form (for my girls), she got her first ear infection. She is starting to feel better, I think, so I'm hoping the sleeping improves soon. This momma can't get by very well on this little sleep.

Nevertheless, we moved her into her own room this weekend. She is a light sleeper so I'm hoping she won't be disturbed as much in her own room—even if it means I have to trek to her room to feed her 3 times a night. And it means we have our freedom back. We can to go to bed when we want to, stay up and read, and get ready for bed without tiptoeing and keeping the lights off.

Oh, and she weighed in at a hefty 15.5 lbs last week! This girl can eat. But we are so glad she is healthy and strong.

She will be rolling over soon, I think.

Sarah's 1st day of preschool

2010-09-15T08:00:00.000-07:00

I can't believe Sarah isn't my little baby anymore. She went off to her first day of preschool last week and I've been having so much fun watching her enthusiasm as she gets up and gets ready. Her first morning when we woke her up she was sure it was much to dark to get up (6:30 AM). But when we explained that it was time to get ready, she immediately reverted to worrying that she was going to be late. My mom works in town on Tuesdays and Thursdays and will be dropping her off, so we brought Sarah down to go with her. While she waited for her Grandma she got more and more worried until my mom just decided to leave a little early and drive slowly into town. I hope her excitement doesn't wear off too soon!

a farmer's vacation

2010-09-14T08:00:00.001-07:00

It's often hard for a farmer to get away and enjoy recreating in the summer, so you take advantage of it while you can, usually after a day of rain when the fields are too wet. But now that harvest is over for the year and the grain is in the bins, we were able to have a short break before seeding started. For my family, that meant going to the lake. It's a little late to be reporting on what we did over Labor Day weekend, but hey, we wouldn't want want to miss an opportunity to show you how much fun we had at Holter Lake.

^ See this? That's a happy face.

^ This is a happy face too. I think getting on a boat pretty much takes the cake for my dad. The photo looks a little dark because we were going through the Gates of the Mountains on the Missouri in the shady evening. There is a little hamburger joint along the route (boat access only) so we stopped to enjoy a relaxing dinner by the lake.

And the next day we stayed on for a bit more boating and playing by the shore.

Fall is knocking on our door so we have to take advantage of every bit of good weather we have left! Hope you enjoyed a great holiday weekend also.

Meet Mia!

2010-09-13T07:32:00.000-07:00

This is Mia, the newest member of our family.

She is a beautiful 4-year-old yellow lab and she came free from Craig's list. What's the catch? No catch, really. Her previous owners are a big hunting family and she is a bit gun shy. Also, after she had one litter of puppies they discovered she was a carrier for a common gene in labs that causes heat stroke. They don't want to breed that gene, so their only condition is that we have her spayed. She is a little skittish as she gets used to her new digs and family, but she is really sweet with the kids and sleeps in Abby's room.

ready for fall?

2010-09-09T08:00:00.000-07:00

To be a stylist for Anthropologie seems like a dream job. I've long been among the ranks that love their amazing window displays and store installations (and clothes, duh...), but since I can't browse the store as frequently now, this time it was their website that blew me away. Loving these stitched re-creations of their clothes:

outnumbered

2010-09-08T08:00:00.000-07:00

Oh, this is just too cute. A charming illustration of what its like to be outnumbered by your kids.

kitchen inspiration

2010-09-07T08:00:00.000-07:00

Check out this kitchen remodeled on the cheap. I would prefer to use higher quality materials, but I'm totally impressed with the look she got with very little money. I love the black and white and the antique touches. From here.

(before)

(after)

Magpie's cake

2010-09-06T08:00:00.001-07:00

Wow. These cakes are so stunning I could almost cry. I wish I could do that.

Magpie's Cake. via Creating Cupcakes.

70s decor

2010-09-04T08:00:00.000-07:00

Most of this (except the doorbell) I won't be keeping (sorry!) but I thought you would enjoy seeing it up close anyway.

^ Dining room curtains.

^ Living Room curtains.

^ Hall wall paper. (Just one of the many patterns...)

^ Doorbell.

70s lighting

2010-09-03T08:00:00.000-07:00

Here's a look at some of the original lighting in our house.

^ Dining room retractable light and ceiling fixture.

^ Den/office

^ Hallway sconces.

^ Eva's room.

^ Abby's and Sarah's room.

^ Bathroom.

What do you think? Should we consider keeping some of them? Which ones do you like? I don't know if we will go completely authentically retro everywhere, so some of these just won't go with our decor.

70s hardware

2010-09-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

My Grandma must have had a great time picking out all the hardware for this house. Here is an up-close look.

^ The kitchen.

^ The hall closets.

^ Master bath.

^ Bedrooms.

^ A light switch thrown in.

^ Laundry room.

^ Bathroom.

^ Eva's bedroom.

I think these could be worth something on Ebay. Don't you?

Fashionista

2010-09-01T08:00:00.000-07:00

Sarah has a great sense of style, don't you think?

to pet or not

2010-08-31T08:00:00.000-07:00

We promised the girls when we moved to the farm that they could get a dog or two—eventually. It was just too much to take on right now with a new baby, so we told them they would have to wait.

Actually, we have plenty of dogs around already.

The dog on the left is Polly. She belongs to my Mom and Dad. Polly came from a litter that belonged to Tom's parent's old black lab and golden retriever, and Tom and I surprised my parents by bringing her up one Easter weekend when we were newly married.

The dog on the right is Sammy and he lives at my Uncle Bob's a mile down the road. Whenever they leave home he comes over to visit. I don't mind seeing him come around once in awhile as I am very entertained by how smart he seems to be.

And finally, this is Belle. (Coincidentally being led around by Sarah dressed as Belle). She belongs to my Uncle Darrel, who brings her out with him when he comes to work. You may know her as the sandwich thief suspect.

At least now we know Sarah loves dogs!

Oliver

2010-08-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

Now that we live closer we have enjoyed some visits with my nephew Ollie (and his parents, of course).

whooo whooo

2010-08-29T08:00:00.000-07:00

The other night we had a visit from this owl outside our living room window. We were pretty sure he was watching us through the window.

As a funny coincidence, we had this book sitting on our coffee table:

You don't get to see wildlife like this in the city. So far on the farm we have seen lots of antelope, foxes, a badger, rattlesnakes (ew!), a grizzly bear (well, our neighbor saw it), a coyote, a garter snake, a toad, an eagle, deer, porcupine, cows... (O.K., now I'm running out of wild animals)...

Sweet sisters

2010-08-28T08:00:00.000-07:00

The girls adore their little sister. Abby has learned how to change her diaper and loves to be the first to rescue her and pick her up when she starts to fuss.

Sarah loves to make her smile. There are times, though, when she misses being Mommy's baby. The other night she asked "Can you put Eva away and come cuddle with me"? Me: sad face. How do you keep up with 3 (or more, heaven forbid) kids and give each one the attention they deserve? I know this baby stage won't last and things will get easier soon, but I definitely feel like my older two are getting the short end of the stick at the moment.

Oh happy and glorious day!

2010-08-27T08:00:00.000-07:00

Yes, you are seeing this right. Eva is taking a pacifier!

She suddenly decided she liked it one day last week and has been taking one ever since. If you've never had a baby that used you as her only means of pacifying, you might not get my excitement. But believe me, this is huge.

diaper update

2010-08-26T10:27:00.001-07:00

Eva's new diapers arrived on Monday, so we have been trying them out for a couple of days.

I settled on these Bum Genius Elemental diapers. One-size (so we don't have to keep buying them as she grows), all-in-one (because you all advised that this was the handiest option—thanks!), and organic (not the reason I bought them, but a nice bonus.) For the most part, I like them. They are easy to use, and they clean well in my washing machine. I even like using the cloth wipes. Easy peasy.

They come in a lovely array of colors. (They look pretty cute all strung out on the line!) I'm afraid I'll need a few more than 12, however, if I go for this long term.

And, they are pretty stinkin' cute on my chubby baby, I have to say.

But, I have one (not-so-minor) complaint. I'm not sure Eva likes them. The last two nights she has woken up every 2-3 hours, which is no picnic after she has been consistently sleeping for 5-7 hours straight a night. She isn't napping as well during the day either. I'm thinking these don't whisk the moisture away as well as disposables and she might find them a little bulky/uncomfortable. Anyone else have this problem? I am going to try disposables tonight and see if it makes a difference. If it does, I'll trade off a few more times just to make sure that is what is causing her to wake up.

In any case, the jury is still out on whether or not this is the solution for us. I'll keep you posted.

school days

2010-08-26T10:21:00.001-07:00

Abby started second grade yesterday! She had seemingly no fear considering it was her first day in a new school (new state!). We offered to take her on her first day, but no, she wanted to ride the bus. And she did great!

She has the same teacher I had in Kindergarten—same desks, same classroom . . . It was a blast from the past to take her in to back to school night and see many familiar faces. Here she is showing off her new backpack.

Sarah starts preschool in a couple of weeks. This move has been the hardest on her, so we will see how she does. I can't believe how big she is getting!

supper at home

2010-08-26T08:00:00.000-07:00

We also had many harvest dinners in our house, since it is conveniently located to many of the fields we were cutting. My new dining table got a great initiation, and I think we stretched it to hold 14 the other night.

Here it is, set for dinner.

A special friend gave me this vase as a gift a while back, and I found just the perfect thing for it to showcase. :)

Harvest supper

2010-08-25T08:00:00.000-07:00

We sometimes bring harvest supper right out to the field so the guys don't have to shut down too long to eat. It takes a little extra effort to bring chairs, tables, hand-washing supplies, and all the food out, but it is always fun and festive.

This year, I shared cooking responsibilities with my mom and my aunt Ruth. We took turns providing the entire meal each night, which meant the other nights we had the night off. I really enjoyed doing it this way.

My dad always comes in for dinner and steals the baby. Sarah always gets after him about it because she thinks he is too dirty to hold the baby. :) He washes his hands of course...

And Eva doesn't mind, obviously.

It's a great opportunity to catch a quick cat nap. They always go back out after dinner and work until the wee hours of the morning.

Yummy deserts follow every meal. We certainly can't keep up this habit. It isn't so good for the waist line. Sarah wanted a fork for her brownie and a spoon for her ice cream. You use both at once, right?

Abby enjoys her brownies and ice cream while listening to her tunes. Hmmm.

The evening light is a perfect time for photo ops, so we try not to forget the camera.

Harvest time

2010-08-24T08:00:00.000-07:00

I've had fun showing you our house over the last few days, and I'll be back next week with more photos.

But for now, I thought I'd dedicate this week to catching you up on our busy life around here. Harvest is almost wrapped up. It is a festive time and takes everyone's time and energy and long hard days to complete.

The bins are full of pure gold—golden wheat that is, and our overflow quonset is full clear to the front. Trust me, this is one huge pile of wheat.

^ This is the quonset from the outside, but this picture doesn't really do it justice.

^ Unloading the combine out in the field.

^ The girls enjoy the occasional ride in the combine after we bring supper out to the field. More about harvest dinners in another post.

^ Here they are after a trip around the field with Grandpa.

Happy 13th Anniversary, Farmer Tom!

2010-08-23T06:00:00.000-07:00

Hello, my favorite farmer! (Never thought you'd be called that, did you?) Thirteen years has brought us full circle back to Montana, and I couldn't be happier.

Thank you so much for taking this leap of faith to move home to the farm, to a place we believe will be so great for raising our precious family. I know it isn't your home, but I hope it will feel like it eventually.

Thank you for taking on a brand new career you know nothing about and diving right in.

Thank you for working these long, hard, harvest days and still coming home and pitching in around the house.

Thank you for being such a great daddy to your little girls.

Thank you for not getting angry when I wake you up and tell you to roll over so your snoring won't wake the baby.

Thank you for being understanding about how little I have been able to accomplish during the days when you are out working so hard.

And thank you for always cracking jokes at the dinner table and making everyone laugh. I love you so much for that.

Thank you for 13 amazing years, and may there be many more!

County Fair

2010-08-22T21:48:00.001-07:00

We ventured out this afternoon to check out the County Fair.

I must admit, however, we were a bit disappointed. No carnival, not many vendors, and even no cotton candy! It certainly wasn't what I remembered as a kid, but then I could have been seeing it through candy coated eyes at that time. Tom was hoping to get Abby excited about the possibility of joining 4-H and we were all hoping to experience a bit more small town spirit. Maybe next year we can get our kicks at the state fair!

Atomic Ranch

2010-08-21T08:00:00.000-07:00

A friend told me about this magazine that specializes in mid century homes in rural areas. How perfect is that? (Thanks, Tanya!)

The description reads:
Atomic Ranch celebrates midcentury houses—from 1940s ranch tracts to 1960s architect-designed modernist homes. With an emphasis on affordable solutions and homeowner renovations, our quarterly magazine shows you how to make your house cool, both inside and out.

So, of course I subscribed.

eat. sleep. poop.

2010-08-20T08:00:00.000-07:00

Farmhouse Tour Part VIII—the basement bedrooms & bathroom

2010-08-19T08:00:00.000-07:00

(Note: These photos were taken before we moved in as the house was with my Grandpa's furniture still in it.)

^ This is the first of the two bedrooms in the basement. It's hard to tell scale in these photos, but both bedrooms are large.

^ This room has a cool brick wall because it is on the back side of the fireplace.

^ The second bedroom.

^ I bought this sectional in the family auction also. Not sure what I was thinking, but maybe there is some potential here? They need some work.

^ The carpet in this room takes the cake, but its in competition with the upstairs bathroom orange shag.

^ And last, but not least, is the basement bathroom.

^ The shower is large enough to fit our whole family. In case we ever needed it to...

So there is the tour! I hope if my extended family (or Grandpa!) ever reads my blog that they won't be offended by the fact that we plan to make some changes to update it for our family. It really is a great house. Our tastes have just changed from the styles 40 years ago! :) This will be a fun journey to share with you as we remodel, and we hope you'll stick around to give your suggestions and tell us what you like/dislike.

Thanks for stopping by!

Farmhouse Tour Part VII—the basement

2010-08-18T08:00:00.000-07:00

(Note: These photos were taken before we moved in as the house was with my Grandpa's furniture still in it.)

^ This is the stairway landing, and on the wall are memorabilia from my Grandparents visits to Korea.

^ And on down into the basement. I remember the shelf at the bottom of the stairs being full of my Grandpa's Louis L'Amour westerns.

^ The basement fireplace. Notice the duck tape on the last staircase rung? That's because all the grandkids would fly down the stairs, grab onto the rail, and swing around to the floor. 'i guess it gave in eventually.

^ Check out this wallpaper!

^ The paneling in the basement is no more. My dad tore it off along with all the ceiling sheetrock so duct work could be added for the new heating system.

^ It's a daylight basement so this door leads out into the front yard. My parents held a family auction when they cleaned out the house so everyone in our large family would get a chance to keep things they liked from the house. I was able to acquire this houndstooth sofa. Sweet!

^ Many a ping-pong match were played in this room. I wish there were just a few more windows along the left wall to take advantage of the daylight basement, but its still nicely lit for a basement.

^ This back room is large but unfinished. It has no windows, but we are thinking it would make a great media/family room.

And finally, to finish the tour, I will show you the basement bedrooms and bathroom. Last stop! See you tomorrow.

Farmhouse Tour Part VI—the upstairs bedrooms

2010-08-17T08:00:00.001-07:00

(Note: These photos were taken before we moved in as the house was with my Grandpa's furniture still in it.)

^ This bedroom now belongs to Abby and Sarah. It's nice and bright and has room for 2 twin beds.

^ Lots of good storage, too.

^ When my girls are teenagers they will be able to fully appreciate having a sink in their room. Right now it's just an unusual novelty (and a bathtub for Sarah's Polly Pockets.

^ This room will eventually be Eva's room. It is pretty large too, as you can see by the twin beds in here.

^ Again, tons of built-in storage.

And that's it for the upstairs! Next up, the basement. I know you can't wait!

Farmhouse Tour Part V—Bathroom & Laundry

2010-08-16T08:00:00.000-07:00

(Note: These photos were taken before we moved in as the house was with my Grandpa's furniture still in it.)

^ Here is the main bathroom. You got it—that is classic orange shag carpeting.

^ And the laundry room. I like this room. There is a door leading out to the backyard where there is a clothesline. I've never had a clothesline before. Turns out I like to line dry clothes. Simple pleasure.

^ On the other side my Grandma used to have a sewing area here. A couple of these drawers are full of old fabric.

What is your favorite room so far? Tomorrow I will show you the upstairs bedrooms which are now the girls' rooms.

Farmhouse Tour Part IV—Living Room

2010-08-15T08:00:00.000-07:00

(Note: These photos were taken before we moved in as the house was with my Grandpa's furniture still in it.)

^ This is looking into the living room from the dining area.

^ Looking from the living room into the hallway back into the bedrooms. My grandma always had a fish tank on this shelf, which was made by my uncle Raymond. Pretty cool—except we are took it out to open up the room and make the layout work better with our furniture. (We kept it, R & K, if you are interested in having it!)

^ The painting on the wall was done by my Grandma. She painted quite a bit, along with her photography and other hobbies. I remember her working on this one.

^ The carpet in this room is pretty cool. My Great-Grandma had the exact same carpet in her house. I'm told that was an accident! Anyway, it's lasted for years and is probably in the best shape of any of the carpet in the house.

^ Pretty sweet furniture, yeah?

Tomorrow—wait for it—the bathroom and laundry room! I bet you can't wait! :)

cloth diapers

2010-08-14T17:53:00.001-07:00

I am very seriously contemplating going the cloth diaper route. I've been inspired by various friends and family, and this blog post. The diapers I'm considering are these by Bum Genius.

They are adjustable and should last until she is potty trained. I would buy the ones with the snaps, however, because I've heard they last longer than the velcro. This particular kind has an insert that goes inside. They also have an organic cotton variety that is all-in-one. It is more expensive but seems convenient, too.

My mom thinks its pretty funny that I'm considering going that route on my third (and probably last) baby. She did cloth diapers on her first two, and thought it was a luxury when she could do disposables with her third baby.

The reasons I think I might like cloth this time are:

I am staying at home with this baby.
My little Eva has a sensitive little bum, and I'm hoping cloth will minimize her rashes.
It is a bit of an initial investment, but I will quickly make up the cost of what we are spending on disposables (as in just a few months). Eva goes through a LOT of diapers a day right now.
We burn our garbage here on the farm to reduce what ends up in our little landfill, and the disposables don't burn very well.
I have a new high-efficiency, front load washer, so I should be able to keep the diapers washed with a reasonable amount of water/energy.
The company I linked to above will give you a 30 day period to try them and return them if you don't like them.

BUT, I am also skeptical for a few reasons.

Its not just the diapers you need. The diaper shower (which attaches to your toilet) comes highly recommended. Also, you need a pail and liner. Of course I can just use any old garbage can while I'm trying them out, but it's a lot of money to spend if I don't end up liking it. (But, I can send them back if I don't like them, apparently!)
I can't decide. Will I like the insert? Or is it better to go with an all-in-one?
I've heard line drying them keeps them stain-free, but with the Montana weather, that might not be possible many months out of the year.
I'd like to get by with 12, but as frequently as little miss Eva needs changed, I might need to get 18.
I've noticed cloth diapers can add a lot of bulk, especially the pre-fold variety. I'm not sure how these will be. I don't want them to restrict her movement.

I need to make the decision fairly quickly because I'm running out of diapers. I have taken to buying my diapers online in bigger boxes, and having them delivered right to my door, so I can't leave myself too short! :) Can any of you cloth diaper users out there offer any advice?

Farmhouse Tour Part III—Kitchen & Dining Room

2010-08-14T08:00:00.000-07:00

(Note: These photos were taken before we moved in as the house was with my Grandpa's furniture still in it.)

^ These cabinets and all the other built-ins in the house were custom built by the builder. The kitchen isn't entirely original. The counter tops were once avocado green, and the stove and dishwasher are updated too.

^ These cabinets and the others throughout the house have very elaborate hardware. And carpet in the kitchen? It might have worked for my Grandma, but I wouldn't recommend it when you have 3 children.

^ The secretary desk is a handy spot. The fireplace beyond matches the planter in the entry.

^ On the far right of the fireplace is a wood box. Can you see the horseshoe handles? Well, as long as I can remember this was carpet-lined and contained toys instead of wood. It is a favorite hideout of the kids.

^ Another view of the kitchen from the dining room.

^ The dining room. Behind the curtains are sliding glass doors that lead out to the deck. The buffet and china cupboard on the wall were made by my Grandma's dad and were brought over from their old house.

Tell me what you think! Next post: the Living Room.

Farmhouse Tour Part II—Master Bedroom & Bathroom

2010-08-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

(Note: These photos were taken before we moved in as the house was with my Grandpa's furniture still in it.)

^ Master bedroom.

^ The closets—a bit smaller than what we were used to with our big walk-in.

^ Doorways that lead to the entry hallway, den, and bathroom.

^ The old wall-mounted that toilet that takes like 6 gallons to flush each time, and the shower which is also a bit smaller than what we are used to.

^ The master sink. Again a bit smaller than what we are used to. Spoiled? Yes. What's your point?

Tomorrow: the kitchen!

Our new old house—Farmhouse Tour Part I

2010-08-12T08:00:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I know a house that is built in 1971 isn't that old. It is old enough, however, to have possible asbestos, lead paint, and electrical and plumbing that isn't up to code. Its old enough that some things have reached the end of their lifespan, like the roof. And heating system. And pipes. And carpet. Oh, the carpet in this house. Much of the decor is original and was picked out by my very savvy Californian Grandmother. While I appreciate and admire her style, and I love how the house represents so much about her and my Grandpa, the house needs some updating to fit the tastes and lifestyle of a family in the twenty-tens. I hope we can do right by them and bring this house back to the glory it was when they built it while still incorporating our own personality.

I hope you enjoy the tour.

(Note: These photos were taken before we moved in as the house was with my Grandpa's furniture still in it.)
Part I—Entry & Den:

^ There is a big planter right when you walk in the door. We will probably take this out to expand the master bathroom area. (More on this later).

^ Another view of the entry area, looking into the den/office beyond. (The heat registers on the baseboards are all gone now! My dad replaced boiler and hot water pipes with forced air heat and air conditioning.)

^ One of the many built-ins in the house. The scallop trim is a common theme.

^ Looking down the hallway past the den. There is lots of wallpaper in this house. It all has to be removed. Even if I wanted to keep it, removing the heat radiators revealed lots of holes in the wallpaper behind them.

^ The den, looking back toward the entry. The door to the left leads to the master bedroom. I think every house built in the 70's has paneling everywhere.

^ The den looking the opposite way. This door leads to a little dark room. My Grandma did a lot of photography and some of her own developing.

Up next: the Master Bedroom and Bathroom!

Monster Cookies—a harvest staple

2010-08-11T08:01:00.000-07:00

Monster Cookies

1 c. brown sugar
1 c. white sugar
1 sq. margarine
3 eggs
1 tsp. corn syrup
1-1/2 c. peanut butter
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. vanilla
4-1/2 c. oatmeal
1/2 bag baking M&Ms (or regular dark chocolate works great too!)
1/2 bag white chocolate chips
1 c. raisins

Bake at 350˚ for 10 minutes.

We freeze them by the bucket full so they are always fresh and ready for harvest lunches. Enjoy!

the world according to Sarah

2010-08-11T08:00:00.000-07:00

This is what you get when a 4-year old finds your camera.

^ the cloudy sky

^ the gravel driveway (notice the bolt—there are all kinds of artifacts like this in our driveway from the years of working on farm equipment.)

^ a random rubber boot (either drug up to the house by the dog or Sarah—hard to tell. Maybe it was the dog and Sarah.)

^ the living room wallpaper

^ the popcorn ceiling (it's sparkly!)

^ the living room carpet

^ her *messy* room

^ toys on our new table

^ the baby's head

^ the shop

^ her Daddy working on the swather

There were a hundred more like this. I should give her the camera more often. Gives you a glimpse into life around here!

Our farm house—on the outside

2010-08-10T08:00:00.000-07:00

^ The east side. We can't park in the garage yet. It's still full of stuff from our move!

^ The front entry.

^ The wrap-around deck. I'm not sure I would trust your kids on it . . .

^ Looking out the front door

^ The front of the house. Daylight basement.

^ The back yard.

^ Much of our yard looks like this: dirt, dry patchy grass, and gopher holes. We have some work to do! :)

^ The back of the house.

^ The back from another angle.

We are very blessed to have such a large house to raise our girls in. This was my Grandpa and Grandma's house and they built it in 1971. I have many memories here of picking strawberries in the backyard, sledding down the hill out back, harvest dinners in the front, and playing "kick the can" below the deck. Coming soon: a tour of the inside!

Utah house tour

2010-08-09T08:00:00.000-07:00

Before I show you our new house in Montana, I thought I would give you a tour of our house in Utah.
My mom wondered if that would make you all think we were missing it. Well, are we? Not really. We miss the neighbors of course, and we miss that everything was new and clean, but the house belongs to someone else now. Picturing them living there makes me not miss it at all. Sure, we were proud of it and all the work we did to make it home, but we brought our belongings with us and look forward to making our imprint on this house here, eventually.

It took us a little over a month to sell the house, which was pretty good in the current market. We definitely didn't get the price we would have liked, but we were lucky to not be in a short sale or foreclosure situation like so many others in our neighborhood.
So, here is the tour:

^ This was a great kitchen. I loved the rich dark cabinets, granite counters, and tile floors.

^ I installed the glass mosaic tiles myself.

^ In the dining room, I painted this mural on the wall to match the wallpaper in the entry (next photo). I loved the impact it made in the room.

^ I found the wallpaper on sale online from Ferm Living.

^ We tore out the original deck and added a Trex deck and this iron railing. It added tons of character to the backyard.

^ We had a small backyard, but we had one little area with drip irrigation lines so I could grow flowers, tomatoes, herbs, and peppers in pots. It was a fun, manageable way to have a low maintenance garden.

^ The living room. Tom bought my piano for Valentine's Day one year. He'll never top that one. :) I loved my photo gallery wall.

^ Sarah's room. I pulled her two-tone pink wall from a Martha Stewert paint card. Her bedding was Shabby Chic from Target.

^ Sarah's dress-up wall.

^ Abby's room. Bedding from Pottery Barn Kids.

^ The girl's bathroom. Lots of pink in our house!

^ Our master bedroom.

^ I loved the vaulted ceiling and chocolate brown wall in here.

^ Master bath. I do miss this bathroom. Its just a tad bigger and better appointed than our current master bath. I miss our walk-in closet too.

^ Hallway and laundry room.

^ The basement. This table and chairs is an antique that belonged to Tom's grandma.

^ Our office area. Most of our basement furniture was from IKEA–the cheapest way to furnish a large room!

^ The family room. The wall hanging is from CB2.

^ The kids' play area. The vinyl on the shelves are Stampin' Up! and left from a photo shoot we did for the catalog.

^ Guest room #1

^ Guest room #2

^ Basement bathroom. We finished this room ourselves and I love how it turned out.

^ More vinyl from Stampin' Up!

Hope you enjoyed the tour! Coming soon: photos from our new old house in Montana.

(: SMILES :)

2010-08-08T08:01:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Nanna!

2010-08-08T08:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday today Nanna! It was fun celebrating with you!

E is for . . .

2010-08-07T08:00:00.000-07:00

^ Abby made this cute little elephant for her baby sister.

August panorama

2010-08-06T08:00:00.000-07:00

(click to enlarge)

Yesterday I showed you the view from our front porch. Here is the same view, almost a month later on a hot, dusty, August afternoon. The green wheat fields have all turned golden. This time it's taken with my zoom lens so you can see all the combines across the valley. These are custom cutting crews that can cut their way across the valley in a hurry. The other night we could see 16 from our window. I can count at least 9 in this picture alone.

We (Benjamin Ranch) own a combine so we do all our own cutting. It will take us until the end of August—at least—to finish the cutting. It will be fun to watch them cut the fields right below our house. Normally I would be out getting my time in driving the combine, but this year I will have to be content watching the action from the house with the baby.

2010-08-05T12:04:00.000-07:00

2010-08-05T12:02:00.000-07:00

View from our front porch

2010-08-05T08:00:00.000-07:00

(Click to enlarge)

Chubs

2010-08-04T08:00:00.000-07:00

The longest stretch Eva has slept at 6 weeks is 5 1/2 hours. She hasn't repeated it yet, but we'll take what we can get! :)

playing salon

2010-08-03T08:05:00.000-07:00

Abby and Sarah have to get creative and entertain themselves a lot while I tend to Eva. They were playing "salon" the other day and came to show me Sarah's hairdo. What do you think? I was impressed.

We did swimming lessons every morning for 2 weeks and had lots of chilly rainy mornings at the pool. Crazy Montana weather. Still, it was a good way to add some variety to these girls' days.

5 weeks

2010-08-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

At 5 weeks Eva still has her fair share of fussy times but she is starting to mellow out a little. We figured she had a little bug (like the rest of the family), but she is feeling better and we've started to see some smiles emerge. Oh how we love her!

1 month old

2010-08-01T08:06:00.000-07:00

Eva's first month went by so fast. She is filling out, and she likes to eat at least every two hours. That means mommy doesn't get a lot done, but we don't mind because this time will pass too quickly.

^ Sleeping peacefully, as long as she is being held.

^ She just loves my mom. I do too, and she is my indispensable helper.

^ This is my sweet future sister Annie.

^ And this is our growing family!

Josh's wedding

2010-07-31T08:00:00.000-07:00

On July 7, we had the privilege of attending Tom's cousin's wedding. It was a beautiful setting with a gorgeous view of the Bridger's and a creek running through it.

We got to see some great old friends, and Eva got to meet her Nanna and Papa and Auntie and Uncle for the first time.

It is great to be back home in Montana so we can enjoy occasions like these!

Leaving town

2010-07-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

This photo isn't the best, but it represents a good memory. We were on our way to Montana (for good this time), and Eva was so relieved to be out of her car seat, which she would barely tolerate. (She does much better with it now). We had stopped at a hotel in Butte after a drive that took nearly twice as long as normal. Sarah and Eva were so cute visiting on the bed and enjoying a break.

Goodbyes

2010-07-29T08:23:00.000-07:00

***post edit: Sorry, there was a problem with the photos. Fixed!

Our last week in Utah was spent saying many special goodbyes. One afternoon we met these dear friends at the park for a picnic.

Charlet and I had fun being preggos together and comparing notes. These little critters were born only 2 weeks apart. I wish they could play together when they are older, but hopefully we will still get to see them once in a while! Miss you already!

^ Nicholas and Eva

red, white, and blue

2010-07-28T20:05:00.000-07:00

Here is Eva sporting her adorable red, white, and blue plaid dress (Thanks, Jordan and Erin!). So patriotic. I should take a photo of her in her car seat now so you can see how much she has grown!

By the way, if you gave us a baby gift for Eva, you haven't received a thank you note. Yet. I have big plans to get announcements and thank you notes out one of these days and I haven't even started. Nor have I unpacked the boxes that contain the supplies to make them. But I have good intentions! I'm sure they will arrive in your mailbox before she goes to Kindergarten.

In the meantime, thank you all for your generosity. Love ya!

Catching up

2010-07-27T11:35:00.000-07:00

My card reader just blinked "CARD FULL". And then it said "REPLACE BATTERY BACK". Not a good combination when there is a new baby in the house. There were photos like this one from when Eva was only a week old. That means I have a lot of catching up to do!

^ Notice the blue glow under Eva's blanket—evidence of the Photo therapy light treatment for her jaundice. It was a relatively painless experience this time thanks to a blanket style that we could use while holding her (instead of a bed style like we had when Abby was a baby.)

I'm going to postdate some photos to go up each day so I can ignore my blog for a couple more weeks. What??? You think I have time to blog with a new baby, a house to unpack, swimming lessons to attend, laundry to do, and harvest meals to cook?

No, really, I know some of you are anxious to see photos of our new old house and life on the farm so you can better picture how crazy a couple of city geeks like us look in the midst of it. I promise they will come soon.

Until then, this blog is going to be dedicated to baby bragging. With that, here are a couple more photos from the first week Eva was home with us.

^ Note the adorable Hanna Andersson polka dot jammies. Love these. Thanks, Paula!

6 weeks old

2010-07-26T11:29:00.000-07:00

This is one of Eva's sweetest times of day. I was sitting here enjoying her sweet contentment and little smiles when I finally decided to get up and get the camera. This is the only photo I got though. Because every time I get the camera she gets this look on her face like "that's lookin' a little sketchy. Can you get that thing outta my face?"

And sure enough, the next photo looked like this:

She's saying, "Let's get on with this business so I can go back to sleep".

Wait a minute. That's my line!

Did I mention it was 4 AM?

We're goin' on a bear hunt

2010-07-14T16:38:00.000-07:00

...and we're gonna catch a BIG one!

Read about our latest adventure on my mom's blog. We live only a couple of miles from the neighbor mentioned.

This doesn't happen every day around here!

Settling in

2010-07-02T15:22:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Montana! We have been here for nearly a week so I should squeeze in an update. The settling in part is proving to be a challenge amidst busy summer farming schedules and adjusting to life with a newborn, so it looks like the process is going to take awhile. I promise to start posting more often as soon as I can get me feet under me. There is much to share!

So far mosquitos and moths top the list of My Least Favorite Things about Living in Montana. I can't go far without my can of Off or a Bounce dryer sheet (who knew? Jury is still out on whether or not it works well enough). And Tom and I are a sight as we declare war on the moths every night. We turn the light on in the kitchen to draw them to one room, then I hold the vacuum and Tom mans the hose as we suck up as many as we can find.

Fortunately my list of Things I Love about Living in Montana is much longer. At the top is sharing meals with my parents and seeing extended family more often. Between a church convention and cousin Kristi's beautiful wedding, it's been like a family reunion!

We've had plenty of adventures so far. One night a big storm knocked out our power for an evening so we cooked dinner in my parents motor home. That night I tended to Eva by candlelight, and we were sure glad to have our power back on the next morning.

I also made my first major grocery stock-up trip to Great Falls. I was so glad to have my mom along to help me because as it was, it took about twice as long as we planned on with 3 kids in tow. I want to know how anyone manages to accomplish anything with more than 3 kids. Spill it. What's your secret?

Eva is doing great, although I'm looking forward to days when she doesn't wake up every 2 hours at night. Nanna came yesterday and took the older girls to Bozeman for a week, so we will have 2 less to keep track of.

Tonight we have a big dinner with family and I made red velvet cake from scratch to celebrate Mom's birthday tomorrow. Happy birthday Mom! It's so fun to have time to bake and to celebrate with you!

Happy 4th everyone!!! Let us know how you are celebrating.

Goodbye, Stampin' Up!

2010-06-25T03:31:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I went to the office one last time to say goodbyes and introduce baby Eva. It is a bit surreal to say goodbye to a job I've held for 10 years. (I can only imagine what it would be like to retire from a job after 30 years as some do!)

The day was bittersweet and I will miss the great friendships and amazing talent that I had the privilege of working with everyday. Goodbye, and I will miss you all! Keep in touch.

Sent from my iPhone

A big journey

2010-06-25T03:11:00.000-07:00

Blogging from my phone seems like a great way to stay awake at 3:00 AM when I'm up with a newborn. I might not make a lot of sense and I might fat finger a few words...

Today we headed home to Montana--for good this time. We started off after Eva's doctor appointment (she has regained her birthweight of 7 lbs. 11 oz. and looks great)! Tonight we are in Butte enjoying the comfort at the Comfort Inn. Eva was delighted, as she expressed like only a newborn can, to be rid of her carseat for the day. We normally would have reached the farm after spending 11 hours on the road, but we were happy with the progress we made and are glad to only have what would usually be about a 4 hour trip ahead of us tomorrow. It might only take us 8. :) Traveling with a 2 week old is for the birds. My mom and Sarah are with me, and Tom and Abby follow us up tomorrow (or later today, that is, at this point). Soooo glad to have my Mom's help. You're the best, Mom!

See you home on the range!

Sent from my iPhone

Sweet Eva

2010-06-16T20:28:00.002-07:00

Eva's first day

2010-06-13T15:05:00.001-07:00

^ Not loving her first bath . . .

^ Meeting sister for the first time

2010-06-11T17:43:00.001-07:00

Feeling so blessed

2010-06-11T14:38:00.001-07:00

We have a healthy baby girl! Eva Grace was born at 12:25 today, June 11th. 7 lbs., 11 oz., 19 inches long. (We are pronouncing her name ee- va with a long e.) I went in this morning to be induced but was well into labor on my own before we got there. More photos later!

Sent from my iPhone

Our Big News

2010-06-07T19:13:00.000-07:00

No, not baby news. (Psych!) Hopefully that news will come in just a few days.

This may be old news to some of you, but now that both of our employers know, it is nice to finally be able to be open about our plans here on the blog. I haven’t been the best blogger over the past 9 months, largely due to the fact that most of our news centered around plans we needed to keep to ourselves for awhile as they developed.

We are planning to move HOME—to the place we both still consider home even after living in Utah for 10 years—MONTANA! It was an idea percolating in the back of our minds for a couple of years, but since we have had a great life in Utah, there seemed to be no reason to rush the decision. THEN, we got pregnant. It was the first event in a series of events that made it obvious to us that it was God’s plan to lead us in that direction.

Our plans are to move to my family farm in Fort Benton. My parents could use some extra hands, plus, when they are ready to retire they would like to see their years of hard work stay within the family, so it is a great opportunity. Yes, it is a major career change for both of us, but we both feel like it is a different pace of life that will be so good for our family. And the best part is being closer to both of our families!

We will be moving into my Grandpa’s home that is filled with memories of both my Grandpa and Grandma. Grandpa reached a point this fall where it was just too much house for him on his own, and we appreciate all the efforts of my parents and other family to get it ready for us to live in.

So, we have sold our lovely home of 5 years and are living with a dear, kind and generous friend from my work while we wait for the baby to arrive. Soon after, we will head north, for good! We look forward to keeping you up-to-date on our adventures!

Until then, we have many goodbyes to say to the wonderful people we have come to know here in Utah. We will miss you all!

Oh, how to decide!

2010-05-29T11:32:00.000-07:00

The lovely and talented Darla took some belly shots for me recently, and she mixed in other shots of whole family. It was impossible to choose just a few favorites to post here, so please be sure click over to her blog to see more from our shoot and more of her fabulous work! Oh, and leave me a comment to tell me which is your favorite! (I can't decide!)

Silly, I know . . .

2010-05-17T21:13:00.000-07:00

. . . to obsess about a diaper bag, when there are much more important things in life to worry about. But alas, it is a major baby necessity. I posted my dilemma on Facebook and the answers were too mixed to be helpful. (Yeah, I know I should listen to you, Mom. Moms are always right. You almost have me convinced, too, but then I keep seeing myself with this other bag casually slung over my shoulder . . .)

So, now I'm going to reveal the bags in question and poll my blogging friends.

Would you buy the one on sale (the brand I've been eyeing, but an older model at 1/2 price!), or the one you really love (same brand, but the "premium" model), not on sale, which roughly translates to 4 times (gulp) as much as the other one?

Believe me, I have justifcation. I mean, if I carry this thing every day for 2 years, the cost per wear is merely pennies. Okay, cents. And this is my 3rd baby, so I know how much I rely on a good quality diaper bag. And people spend crazy money on designer purses all the time. This is going to double as my purse for the next 2 years. And . . . alright, enough.

Here are the diaper bags in question, in no particular order. Which one do you like? #1 or #2? (Don't cheat and look up the prices!)

I do actually already have one of these bags in my possession. But I also have a receipt, and I'm not above using it!

the many faces of Dawson

2010-04-06T20:52:00.001-07:00

As Tom and I browsed through the photos the kids took at Easter brunch, we were highly entertained by one particular nephew.

This isn't the first time he has hammed it up for the camera. I looked back through my archives and found many such photos. Here are just a few. He has food on his face in almost every single photo I have of him.

Dawson, you rock!

Easter Sunday

2010-04-06T20:43:00.000-07:00

We dressed in our Easter finery for a lovely Easter brunch at the Gallatin Gateway Inn.

You know how the kids always finish eating first? (Perhaps because the adults are too busy taking pictures of their food.) Well, they begged to use the camera while the rest of us finished eating. And you know what? That turned out to be a grand idea because in the end, the best photos came from them.

Family: you can find more photos and order prints here.

4th quarter stretch

2010-04-05T07:00:00.000-07:00

30 weeks down, 10 to go. Here I am, posing for the obligatory belly shot:

Seems like a good time to take one, before the 4th quarter "stretching" begins. Ha ha.

I also thought I'd share a few tips on maternity clothes, since I was looking for info when I was at the stage of outgrowing my regular clothes. I did have a few clothes left over from my previous pregnancies, but many I had given away or loaned out, and the rest, well, let's face it. Most things are pretty out of style after 5-8 years!

I wanted to be fairly modest about what I purchased, so I bought mostly pants and just a few tops. I've been able to use a lot of tops, elastic-waist skirts, and jersey dresses from my regular wardrobe which has been great. My options are thinning as I get bigger, but hey- only 10 weeks left! People can forgive me for wearing the same things all the time for that long.

So, in the photo above I am wearing a pair of dress slacks I bought from A Pea in a Pod. Their pants fit me the best by far (they have a what they call a "secret-fit belly panel" that is very comfortable to wear.) I needed dressier clothes because of my job, and even though I wasn't able to find these on sale, they were worth the money since I wear them once a week at least.

I'm also wearing an open cardi from Anthropologie. I have several cardis like this and they make a great transitional wardrobe item.

And here is another photo of me modeling my favorite (and only) pair of maternity jeans:

I bought and then returned 2 other pairs of more expensive jeans before I found these. I found them at the Expected maternity boutique in Fort Union. They carry a few pricey high end brands also, but the brand I really liked was the more affordable Lilac line. These jeans were long enough for a change, stretchy, and super comfy. I got them on sale for about half of one of the other pairs I had purchased and returned. Lilac specializes in maternity clothes that can be transitional (worn after your pregnancy too). These jeans do have a fabric belly panel, but they also have an elastic band on the inside that can be tightened, much like those they put in kids pants these days. How cool is that?

I also bought 2 shirts at Expected; the red patterned shirt in the jeans photo and the white shirt in the top photo. Both were on sale (even better!) and both have ruching on the sides, so I do think I will try them after pregnancy as well.

Hope that info is helpful to all you newly-preggos out there!

Meeting Ollie

2010-04-03T16:01:00.001-07:00

Ahhh, what a sweet Easter treat: to meet our new nephew/cousin.

April Fools!

2010-04-01T15:23:00.000-07:00

I got to stay home with the girls today because my sitter was going out of town. Abby had us dress up as monsters for Fool's day. (She made our masks and hands out of paper.)

Oooooh, scary!

This is what it looked like out our front door today. Mother nature's idea of an April Fool's joke?

Blogging hiatus

2010-03-30T20:53:00.001-07:00

My blog has been neglected lately—as I'm sure you've noticed. I've been focusing on more important things like baby-making . . . and sleeping. I figured I would return with a vengeance when baby #3 makes her appearance but the thing is, now I'm worried I'll lose all my readers in the meantime. Are you still there? Really?

Actually, I've missed the interaction I get through this blog, so I'm feeling some renewed motivation to post more often. And I don't want to look back on these 9 months with no memories to show for it.

So, with that, above I'm sharing one of my favorite photos from last fall. Mom took this when Dad walked the girls to the babysitters house on the last morning of one of their quick visits to see us. If I remember right, this visit was when I very first found out I was pregnant and was very uncertain what the outcome would be. Mom and Dad came down to lend their support. I had a lot on my mind at the time, but it's great to have this photo of a happy memory.

(Speaking of, see that cute little jacket Sarah is wearing? Has anyone seen it? I've been missing it for a few weeks I think, and I can't remember with my pregnancy-governed mind where on earth we may have left it.)

redneck recreation

2010-03-01T20:46:00.000-08:00

We began our first day in Vegas doing the tourist thing. (This isn't the redneck part, by the way, in case you are wondering). We went on a fabulous tour of the Ethel M chocolate factory. Well, they weren't actually making any chocolates that day . . .

but the free samples,

and the chocolate shop . . .

. . . made up for it.
Here is our crew for the trip:

THIS is the redneck part of the trip:

Yep, we made the adventure to the Nascar races. On top of that, we actually stayed in RVs in the parking lot. Here is our campsite:

But to be really be considered a redneck, we would have had to have astroturf, couches, and our own flagpole complete with flags for all our drivers:

At least that's what I told myself.

Hanging out with Uncle Lee:

Striking their best poses:

A view of the stadium from our seats. The place was gigantic and the amount of people stifling.

See the black cover on the car? That was because of the rain delay we had the first day. In Vegas of all places.

And this is the face of bored children while they waited for the track to dry off.

Eventually, the drivers entered their cars. We had a good view of the pits (here is Danica Patrick getting in her car).

And the green flag flew:

(Notice the empty seats in this photo. This was the Nationwide series race. The next day for the Sprint series race, these seats were all full.)

After another rain delay, they still finished the entire race. And some of us (Sarah and I) were finished too by the time the race was over. Oh well, nothing a little cotton candy can't fix, right?

We were glad for sunnier and warmer weather the next day.

The noise level in this place was out of control. First, there was this:

Next to the air force base with heavier than usual air traffic meant that we heard these overhead from 6 AM to 10 PM everyday.

Then, at the track, we wore these headphones for noise protection, and to give us something to listen too other than the roar of the cars during the race. Aren't we cute?

Here are our race buddies, Tawnya and Lee:

If we were seriously redneck, we would have race jackets for our favorite drivers:

Even if it means sporting a sponsor like Viagra:

As it was, we did sport some of our own memorabilia, but we were more into M&Ms:

All in all, it was a grand family adventure and we enjoyed our time with the girls' cousins. Speaking for myself, however, I can honestly say that my first Nascar experience with likely also be my last.

How's this for cute?

2010-02-03T12:41:00.001-08:00

I might have to splurge on my first new baby girl outfit. First for this pregnancy, anyway :)

Via Mama Rosa's on Etsy.

Ultrasound update

2010-01-28T20:22:00.000-08:00

Everything looked great today, and I am cleared to go back to full time days at work next Monday. No new anatomy revealed itself either, so we are still prepared for a girl!

Being the 3rd time around we are running out of brilliant ideas. How about some name suggestions? Other than the fact that the first two are both biblical names, we have no patterns to follow (A, B, C, or T, T, T :)

Help!

Pregnancy update

2010-01-24T09:00:00.000-08:00

20 weeks today!

That means I'm halfway there. An also-pregnant friend recently reached the same milestone and said "the long half is ahead". Probably so, but I can't help hoping that after 5 ultrasounds, doctor appointments at least every two weeks, countless nights of worry, one ambulance ride, 2 nights in the hospital, 2 units of blood, ugly medical bills, and too many head-in-the-toilet moments to count, the long half is over for me. Hoping for smooth ride ahead. I am feeling pretty good (aside from the typical fatigue and nagging bouts of nausea) and am working again. I have another ultrasound on Thursday, so hopefully we will have an update and more good news then.

Thanks again for all your support and good wishes!

Sunday

2010-01-22T17:12:00.001-08:00

^ Playing "Barnes and Noble"

sledding

2010-01-22T17:10:00.001-08:00

amazing technology

2009-12-31T20:29:00.001-08:00

I'm not sure which is more incredible; how developed everything is at just 16 weeks or the fact that we can see it so well. We were able to get 8 minutes of video of our new little one, but I'll spare you that. Here is a few seconds if you would like to watch:

IT'S A . . .

2009-12-30T19:58:00.000-08:00

I had an ultrasound and doctors appointment today that went very well. The baby looks healthy and gave us a great show of it's wiggles and acrobatics. The placenta abruption area has appeared to have gone from 7 cm down to 2 cm, which is very good.

The plan for returning to work is to start January 11, and work half days for 2 weeks to ease back into the activity. It has been a relaxing 3 weeks, but it was also very nice to see outside of our house today!

And yes, we were able to see certain anatomy. It is quite early for that (16 weeks) but the tech got a good look and is pretty certain it's a . . .

. . . GIRL!

We do know how to make girls and we are certainly excited to have some more sugar and spice in our household. Tom did say he needed to go home and watch some sports to feel manly again.

season's greetings

2009-12-27T18:52:00.001-08:00

Sending some Christmas cheer from our home to yours!

Even though we originally planned to be in Montana with our families, we still had a special time together at home. After being away from the girls for a week and a half, it was a sweet reunion.

On Christmas Eve we let the girls open a couple of presents to get them started: pajamas, a game, and a Christmas movie.

This picture was taken the next morning with their new prized American Girl dolls.

You might have noticed Sarah's new short "do". Well, she took the scissors to her own hair, not once, but twice, so we had to do a little evening up. I actually had to choke back tears while doing it because her hair has grown so slow. :( Oh well, suits her sassy personality I guess.

Tom got me a Kindle for Christmas so I've been passing my time in bed with a good book,"Three Cups of Tea". I recommend it. Now I'm moving on to the next book, "Stones into Schools". Both are about a guy (who happens to live in Bozeman, MT) who has dedicated his life to building coed, non-religious, non-extremist schools in small villages in Pakistan and Afghanistan. It is pretty remarkable to think about spending your life in such a selfless way.

Happy Holidays to all! Good night.

an update

2009-12-17T18:54:00.000-08:00

Today I had a visit with the doctor. She listened to the baby's heartbeat (healthy and strong) and drew blood to see if my body was doing its job of building its supply back up. I don't yet know the results of that. I am feeling a little stronger each day but am still battling with morning (all day) sickness.

Here is the plan at this time: I am to be on bed rest for another 2 weeks. Then I'll have an ultrasound to see if the placenta is healing properly. Then, with a good report, I might be able to increase my activity and go back to work. That will bring us almost to the new year!

Thanks to all of you for your support, e-mails, phone calls, comments, etc. It builds me up and keeps me encouraged (and gives me something to do in bed!) Thanks also to our amazing neighbors who are providing us with yummy meals. Your help is so much appreciated.

We were also advised to cancel our plans to go to Montana for Christmas, unfortunately. We knew that might be coming, but it is hard just the same. We may have Tom go up and bring our girls back next week so they can be with us in time for Christmas.

One thing I neglected to mention in my last post—my official due date is June 13!

plans are what you make until you know what you're doing

2009-12-13T19:14:00.001-08:00

So, I spent the weekend in the hospital.

Oh boy. This is a long story. Where to start.

I've kept this close to my chest for awhile because it seemed like it would be easier "in case", but now it is apparent that I won't be able to keep it to my self much longer, plus I've realized the support of everyone around me is so valuable. I am 14 weeks pregnant! This unexpected expectation has us delighted and scared at the same time. It all started when I was feeling really lousy for days. I thought I was coming down with the flu and went in for a test. The doctor ruled out the flu but drew my blood to check for mono (turns out I've already had that-who knew?) and various other ailments. The tests came back negative on all accounts, so he diagnosed me with stress and depression. I thought I was going crazy. It wasn't until I was chatting with a friend about my symptoms and she said "Are you pregnant?" that things clicked. I took a test and immediately called the doctor (a different one!). I had been using the Mirena IUD for about 3 years. It is supposed to be 99.9% effective, and when pregnancy does happen it is often ectopic (tubal) or due to a displaced IUD. Not the case with me. How could we not feel like this was meant to be?

The first ultrasound indicated that the IUD was so close to the the sac (or even in the sac) that removing it would almost surely result in miscarriage. After a second ultrasound and advice from a specialist that leaving the IUD in place would create even more serious complications (premature labor and infection), we choose to remove the IUD.

Remarkably, an ultrasound 2 weeks later revealed a normal pregnancy. I say remarkable because from even before I was pregnant, I was constantly bleeding. Sometimes terribly. I had so many scary moments where I have completely lost hope, only to find it again. The bleeding continued but I was able to get reassurance every couple of weeks when my doctor listened for the heartbeat.

The last couple of weeks I saw some improvement. I was looking forward to hitting the 14 week mark where I would hopefully see the morning sickness start to subside (as it did with Abby and Sarah). Fast forward to last Friday. I headed to the doctor for a routine prenatal appointment. It was supposed to be my last bit of reassurance before I broke the news. That is where the hospital comes in.

(Warning... stop here if you want to avoid TMI-too much info!!!) I walked into the clinic and stood in line waiting to check in when I suddenly felt a huge gush of blood. So much so that I could feel it running down my leg. I rushed into the bathroom and proceeded to bleed a very alarming amount of blood and clots. I used my cell phone to call the clinic, and my doctor was able to come in and help me. She advised me to call Tom to come get me as I was going to have to go to the ER to have a probable D&C (to terminate the pregnancy). In the meantime I was very close to passing out from losing so much blood so she decided to call the paramedics. The rest is a bit of a blur, but I had my first (and hopefully last) ambulance ride and arrived at the ER. When I got there they did an ultrasound, and miraculously, there was Baby. Kicking and sucking his/her thumb. (Sorry. Too early to tell which!)

The ultrasound revealed a placental abrubtion. Basically, a portion of the placenta detaches from the uterus and causes the bleeding. This can occur without affecting the pregnancy. It is unclear whether or not this was a new injury or the cause of my bleeding all along. Over the course of the next two days they monitored my blood levels, gave me a transfusion, and sent me home with orders of bed rest, at least until the bleeding has subsided. I'm am pale and weak, so at this point I'm just not sure when I will be able to return to work and normal life.

The prognosis is good. Hopeful. If the bleeding starts again (at a signifcant level), worst case scenario is they will have to terminate the pregnancy to stop the bleeding. Best case, I get lots of rest and the placenta heals itself.

I've been on a blogging hiatus the past couple of months because I've had to focus simply on taking care of myself. I will do my best to keep updating about my situation. In the meantime, I can't say enough thanks to our family, friends, and neighbors for your support and prayers through this challenging time.

My Mom and Dad braved the bad weather arrived yesterday to retreive the girls and keep them until Christmas, so they are well taken care of.

On a final note, since this post has gone on long enough, I wanted to give a shout out to all of my friends and fellow bloggers who are going through their own pregnancy experiences. I feel like I haven't given adequate congratulations while being so uncertain of my own fate, but I am truly excited and happy for all of you!

halloween

2009-11-07T08:41:00.000-08:00

I'm nearly week behind the Halloween posting trend, but I couldn't let this year go by without sharing photos of my own scary ghouls . . . er . . . beautiful princesses.

a recent visit . . .

2009-11-07T08:38:00.000-08:00

. . . from two of our favorite people!

^ Us girls in our coincidentally matching red and black.

Thanks for coming Mom and Dad!

Happy Birthday Abby!

2009-10-15T06:00:00.000-07:00

{ Abby is Seven!!!! }

One minute I can hardly believe Abby is turning 7, and the next I can't believe she is only seven—she is so grown up. Right now she is enjoying first grade, reading chapter books like a champ, making arts and crafts in every spare moment, and is looking very toothless (and about to loose the second of her two front teeth!)

We had a birthday party for both girls at Jungle Jims. I had a hard time narrowing down the photos, but you'll see they had LOTS of fun with their cousins and friends.

Thanks for coming, everyone!

Canon in Love

2009-10-12T20:00:00.001-07:00

Last weekend I was asked to play piano for a wedding (my sister-in-law's sister-in-law). Here are a few photos from the event:

^ Me and my dear husband. (I managed to let his birthday slip by on October 6th without acknowledging here on the blog. We celebrated at the Cheesecake Factory. Yum! Happy Belated Birthday Tom!)

^ Me and my sistahs

^ My sweet nieces

The bride asked for the traditional and beautiful Canon in D, but I wanted to change it up a bit. I ended up mixing it with "Can't Help Falling in Love" for what you could call "Canon in Love".

I made a quick little recording in Garage Band (very easy, I might add!) and thought I would share it with you. The recording isn't perfect so don't be too critical. The part I mixed up is towards the end during the brides processional.

Enjoy!

Happy Birthday Sarah!

2009-10-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

{ Our princess turns 4 today! }

^ Since daddy had to be gone today, we celebrated as a family last night. She gets to share a birthday party with Abby next weekend.

^ Abby made hats for the occasion. Sarah's said "birthday girl" and Abby's said "lucky sister".

^ Look at the card I got from Grandma B! Thanks Amma!

^ She opened this and said "I love this! I love this! I love it... What is it?"

^ It's her costume/dress up, and it suits her to a T.

Happy Birthday Sarah!

needle felting

2009-09-19T23:20:00.000-07:00

A few nights ago Abby asked me if we could do a craft together. So, I grudgingly agreed (yeah right) and this weekend we hit the fabric store. Inspired by a recent article in Martha Stewart Living (September 2009 issue—you can also see examples here, here and here) I decided we should try needle felting.

This decision set me back a bit money-wise because of the expense of the fabric and the new tools we needed, but it was fun. 100% wool works best, and I chose the fabrics above. The girls chose these:

These are the tools we needed: a mat that looks like a giant flat brush, and felting needles.

We cut our felt shapes out with the Sizzix Big Shot die-cutting machine from Stampin' Up!

We then used the felting needle to attach the flower. The friction from the needles moving rapidly up and down through the fabric melds the two layers together.

Here Abby is using one needle to attach the leaves.

After you finish with the needles, it looks like this:

And the reverse side looks like this:

You can use it either way. For Sarah, I liked the look of the more defined shape. But for the rest of our projects we used the soft fuzzy side, because that was the look inspired by Martha. Here is Abby's finished pillow:

And Sarah with her pillow:

And here are the pillows I created:

The felting was fun, but the Amy Butler fabric I used to back the pillows was my favorite part!

I used my motivation to sew up a couple of pillows out of this brown and blue raw silk fabric I've had sitting around for ages.

summer's end

2009-09-09T20:22:00.001-07:00

I can't think of a better way to cap off the summer than spending a weekend in Bear Lake with great friends.

^ Best buddies

^ Susan's reaction when she found out she would have to put up with the Clarks for 3 days.

^ Breakfast tastes better from someone else's bowl.

^ Breakfast on the go. No time to stop and eat.

^ Cute little Emma doodle.

^ Loading in the rented jet skis, and hoping the truck doesn't drown in the process.

^ Ready to go!

^ Tom thinks this photo belongs in a Yamaha brochure: "the perfect family friendly activity. Buy a Yamaha today!"

^ Posers

^ The view of the beautiful Bear Lake blue waters from the hills above.

^ Susan rocks a helmet

^ Setting up day camp on the beach

^ Pulling out when the weather went south

^ Sarah on her personal stage

^ Tom makes lunch

Banoffee Pie

2009-08-31T22:18:00.001-07:00

It was suggested to us while we were in England that we should try this traditional English dessert: banoffee pie (banana and toffee). I pulled the recipe from here, and this was the result.

This particular recipe uses a great method for making the toffee. The pie was rich but delicious. It passed the ultimate test; my dad liked it!

London icons

2009-08-21T19:00:00.000-07:00

The legendary London icons are famous because they indeed show up on every London street (and in every souvenir shop!) Most of these photos didn't happen because I was seeking them out specifically for this reason, but as I was looking through my photos later I found several coincidentally included one or more of these icons.

^ The black taxi cab. Some trivia about the black taxi: Drivers must undergo rigorous testing that can take up to 4 years before they get their license. They must pass strict criminal background and character checks as well. Only black cabs like these can be used for hire, and they are known for their sharp turning radius. They can turn on a "sixpense".

^ The red double-decker bus

^ The Ford Model A . . . wait, that's an American icon. I'm confused.

^ Harrod's department store. Harrod's has over 1 million square feet of selling space in over 330 departments. It would probably take an entire day to explore the whole thing.

^ The red phone booth

^ The red mailbox. Londoners are very fond of red.