15 months

My sweet Rose and Eve are 15 months old. We are celebrating our anniversary and leave for New Orleans in the morning for our first night without the girls...make it first several nights without the girls. EEK. I'm pretty nervous-- but probably not as nervous as my parents are. But I know everything will be just fine and I have a little Christmas Eve type feeling in the back of my throat. Very excited. Can't believe it's actually here and we are actually going.

We have been in SLC for the last week getting the girls settled and on schedule. Lots of runny noses and icky coughs going around but hopefully the girls will be their sweet, happy selves. Went up the canyon (go!!) before Ben headed back to CO for the work week and have been spending time with family and our darling cousins. Pretty bummed to be heading out of town on one of my FAVORITE weekends of the year-- General Conference-- but hoping to listen over the internet upon arrival.


Here are my two beauties currents stats:

Rosemary Nell
Weight: 23lbs 11oz; 60th percentile
Height: 32 1/4 inches; 92nd percentile


Evelyn Irene
Weight: 23lbs 13oz; 60th percentile
Height: 31 1/2 inches; 75 percentile


Growing so, so fast and staying pretty neck and neck.

Here comes Fall

We are entering the best time of year. Three days till the first day of Fall. So much to love about this season.

I'm very sad that I missed the Utah State Fair. Next year I am going to plan a visit specifically around being able to attend. The Colorado State Fair is in Pueblo which is a couple hours away but maybe we will have to make the trek out there too sometime. Nothing like a good fair. We did hit up a darling little fall fest at Karl's Dairy Farm on Saturday that did not disappoint. It was free and small but I was really impressed with all the different attractions. They had this darling little petting zoo where the bigger stalls with the donkeys and cows closed in an area where sheep and goats and a pig were free to run around amongst all the kids. We fed them grain and carrots and Rosie and Evie loved it. The girls also had their first pony ride and were delighted.

Fall is my favorite season to decorate for. I wasn't sure how I was going to decorate the kitchen and the family room because they are both that crazy blue that just screams springtime. And I also have those tiles above the fireplace that are attached with adhesive strips that I don't want to take down...none of which are very conducive to Halloween decor. I almost decided to skip that room altogether but that seemed like a shame because that is the area we are in the most. So I have been working on spook-ifying the mantel over the fireplace and it's done. It's certainly still blue... and springy...but I'm glad I didn't skip it.

As a side note, I certainly hope people reading this know that I'm not trying to convince anyone or myself that I'm a crafty, creative person. I am not. Not one of my little projects is an original idea or even done very well. I've just been in a crafty mood lately and I blog about it because well...I don't have that much going on. My girls are excellent sleepers and still nap between 3-4 hours a day so between 3 and 5 in the afternoon I like having something to work on...besides reading, blogging, cleaning or making dinner. I know the work we do in our homes is so important. The reading stories, wiping faces, changing diapers, and crawling on the floor is such a special job and I'm so blessed it's my job. It is rewarding. But some days I need something tangible to hold up and say- "THIS is what I did today." Ben is always really sweet about all my silly projects but I have an inkling that in his heart of hearts he doesn't really care about painted pumpkins or fabric covered foam board. Weird. So I hold things up here.

House Guests

By happy coincidence two of my BYU roomies both happened to be in Denver on the same Saturday night from Vernal, UT and all the way from Arkansas. It was so great to spend an evening together and catch up and let all the kids play.This is another house guest that has been frequenting our home lately. Howie. He's such a sweetheart. Clover loves having the company and the girls enjoy having another pooch to play with. I'm doing a little dog sitting on the side to help off set some of my crafting expenses. Everything is so cheap but a can of spray paint here, a yard of fabric there does start to add up.

Speaking of which...I finally got around to finishing the foam board for the TV shelves in the family room. It really adds a little oomph to the room. One of my favorite parts is how the board on the lower shelf is in front of all the TV chords, hiding the mess...much tidier. :)

Labor Day and the week to follow

Oh sweet Labor Day. Loved having a nice long weekend with my fam. Typically when a three day weekend rolls around we start trying to arrange some sort of mini vacation but this time we decided to stick around home. It was perfect. The weather suddenly cooled off from the 90s to the 70s. We went to two backyard BBQs, a luau surprise birthday party, had friends over for a movie and homemade ice cream, went into Boulder for the Hometown Festival, and went on a 15 mile bike ride along the Big Dry Creek Trail. With all the jam packed fun I'm surprised I had time to spend most of Sunday sulking over my missing tooth. Which is still missing by the way-- dentist on Monday. But first, another lovely weekend...
Had a slower week. Spent most of it at home crafting, cleaning, baking, and planning Halloween decorations. I have been gathering awesome ideas off of pinterest. If you aren't on it, you need to be. I got this idea to brighten up bookshelves in my house by painting/fabric-ing foam board to make noncommittal, fun changes. Tried it on my living room shelf and it was super easy and cheap but I'm still trying to decide if I like it...I'm thinking it's too busy. BUT that's the wonderful thing-- you can slide the foam board out and change it whenever you want! Still working on the shelves in the family room. Pics when it's done.

Had the cute sister missionaries over for dinner last night. I made a carrot cake with maple cream cheese frosting (also found on pinterest) and it is heavenly. It took a bulk of the afternoon but I really enjoyed making it and Rosie and Evie helped by carrying and gnawing on carrots for a few hours.

I love carrot cake and it's always been a favorite. I have this awesome memory of my sixteenth birthday party that exploded into a million people at the house. Lots of people I did not know including some questionable characters. My mom had gotten one of those Costco carrot sheet cakes-- you know the kind with all the mini frosting carrots on top?-- and cut it up and walked around the house offering pieces to a bunch of thug-types who were break dancing in our basement. Most refused. So embarrassing but so cute. My fabulous Benny brought me home this gorgeous autumn plant basket and my favorite chocolates the other night. For NO REASON at all- just because he's sweet like that. (and because I often make comments/suggestions to lead him in the right direction...) What a lovely surprise.Cutie pies 1 and 2 have been playing their little hearts out. I have been terrible about putting them in shoes. I can literally count on one hand how many times I have done it. It's just one more step I can't bring myself to do after they are both dressed and ready to go. I'm feeling a little regretful now because not only do I have about five pairs of darling little baby shoes they will never wear, but they look so adorable in them! I decided to start being a better mom and making a bigger effort when we go out because Evie is now walking all over town and she loved wearing her little sneakers. They look all grown up and ready for school. Cute, cute.

Femininity

"I wonder if you sisters fully understand the greatness of your gifts and talents and how all of you can achieve the 'highest place of honor' in the Church and in the world. One of your unique, precious, and sublime gifts is your femininity, with its natural grace, goodness, and divinity. Femininity is not just lipstick, stylish hairdos, and trendy clothes. It is the divine adornment of humanity. It finds expression in your qualities of your capacity to love, your spirituality, delicacy, radiance, sensitivity, creativity, charm, graciousness, gentleness, dignity, and quiet strength. It is manifest differently in each girl or woman, but each of you possesses it. Femininity is part of your inner beauty.

"One of your particular gifts is your feminine intuition. Do not limit yourselves. As you seek to know the will of our Heavenly Father in your life and become more spiritual, you will be far more attractive, even irresistible. You can use your smiling loveliness to bless those you love and all you meet, and spread great joy. Femininity is part of the God-given divinity within each of you. It is your incomparable power and influence to do good. You can, through your supernal gifts, bless the lives of children, women, and men. Be proud of your womanhood. Enhance it. Use it to serve others."

-President James E. Faust

Had a rough day yesterday. I was flossing my teeth late Saturday night and one of my teeth fell out. FELL OUT. I know, how very gross. It was one with a cap on it that I think I had a root canal on several years ago. I'm very good about brushing my teeth and fairly good about flossing --but I haven't been to the dentist since we moved here (over a year!!! AHHH!) because well...it has been a little crazy. AND I realized that when I went to the dentist before we moved I was pregnant so they didn't take any x rays. So I think I have probably had a cavity brewing under that cap for quite awhile.

So anyways...I was feeling extremely hideous yesterday and was just down in the dumps. One tiny tooth snowballed into a day of total self-deprecation. I kept imagining myself toothless and homeless in a few short years, fatter than ever of course.

I read this quote last night (thanks amber) and am feeling much brighter today. I still have a lot to offer the world (we all do) albeit toothless. I think I and most the woman I know need to stop focusing on our imperfections and think more about how we can enhance our femininity through doing good, loving and helping others.

It is very easy for me to become somewhat obsessed with outward appearance. My mother raised my sisters and I on the phrase "pain before beauty". Taking pride in your appearance certainly holds some validity but shouldn't hold our self worth.

Take care of yourself, exercise, GO TO THE DENTIST, get your hair done, count calories... but don't forget about working just as hard at enhancing your inner beauty. It's far more important in the long run. And inner beauty won't go clanking into the sink and disappear without notice.