Boston Trip Part Deux

Ahhh... the cuteness, it cannot be contained!

Make way for Ducklings

The real things!

Shiloh taking in the action.

Preparation for the Frog Pond

A pond?! In the middle of the park? Insanity!

Hey, look over there!

Ah, I have run out of time and my computer isn't cooperating. Maybe more later. Or possibly you are tired of Boston pics. Meh, we'll see what this weekend has to offer.

The Ulricksons!

This past weekend Mark, Mia, and I (and Marble, of course) travelled to Boston to visit our friends, The Ulricksons. We had a fabulous time seeing Matt, Amy, and Heidi after 15 months and meeting Shiloh for the first time. The girls all got along well and played like they saw each other all the time. We got to see the beautiful city of Boston, walk through the parks, splash around in the Frog Pond, play at Waldon Pond, swing at the park, and even had some fabulous adults-only dinners!


We have tons of pictures. I tried to keep it to one blog, but with so much cuteness in one house it was impossible! Look for more cuties to come!

The first of many yogurty snacks at the Ulrickson house.

Storytime with Mark

Swingin' good time

Heidi swinging high

Mia enjoying having a swing-buddy

Shiloh taking in the action

Mia making a complicated meal involving running the blender and pouring it directly on the burner in Heidi's kitchen.

Taking care of baby Shiloh (aka Ninoh in Miaease)

Bathtime is more fun with friends!

Mia loving the water splashing out

Accessorize!

It's been a bit since I've updated. We've been stuck in a world of a crying, hurting baby; Finding Nemo; darkened rooms; yogurt; and desperate pleas to eat something, please, Mia.

Mia has Hand Foot and Mouth Disease. Oh yeah. It's so sad, poor baby.

ANYWAY! Before the "disease" that took over our lives happened, Mia was obsessed with hats. Hats for her, hats for daddy, and wanting hats for Mommy. She has yet to learn that hats just do not fit Mommy. Alas, she remains undaunted in trying to accessorize the entire family.

See? Hats make every outfit better!

Oh yeah, converted another one.

Though, I think this one looks much better on me. Don't you think?

Over-sized men's sunhat and over-sized orange Lego... the hottest accessories for summer.

Welcome to the World...

Huge congratulations to our friends Jared and Gina! They welcomed their first child, Leah Elizabeth, yesterday. She is gorgeous and we cannot wait to get our rhyming girls together to create some mischief. ;)

We couldn't be happier for you guys! Enjoy your new blessing. :)

(Seriously, go see their baby girl... she has quite the head of hair and is so cute and tiny!)

Flower Girls and Marble Update

Ah, weddings. The loveliness of the bride, the excitement of the groom... and the always interesting antcis of the flower girls. My younger sister, Lindsey, is getting married in November (yes, I'm in the wedding, and yes, I'll be 30 weeks pregnant... yikes) and Mia and her cousin Cloe are the honorary flower girls. I stress honorary because since Lindsey is a brilliant bride, they will not be walking down the aisle, but will still look stinking cute in their dresses with daisies in their hair.

Marble update -- I'm currently 15 weeks 3 days pregnant (but who's counting?) in what is quite possibly the fastest pregnancy ever. Its literally flying by, which scares me because maybe it'll catch up to me in the 3rd trimester? yikes. Anyway, we heard the heartbeat again today -- such a lovely sound! The "big" ultrasound is scheduled for 3 weeks from now, though we will not be finding out the sex. Sorry, guys, its way too much fun to torture you! My weight gain is okay (read: I actually gained weight this time) and everything else looks wonderful!

So you are telling me that you are picking my dress out for me?

Hmm... I guess this'll do.

Ooooo! I look pretty!

Kiss the pretty baby

Posin' -- ya think she's used to taking pictures?

Cloe

Cousins!

Be My Escape

It seems that no matter your position or current place in life, you just have those days. You know the ones... where you spend half the day contemplating a dash to Mexico or dreaming of the grass on the other side of the fence. It doesn't really matter how amazingly blessed you realize you are, or the realities of said grass. Just sometimes the monotony, frustrations, and ruts of this grass just seem to be too much.

I tend to think of life in song. Is it the musical lover in me? Who knows... but this song has been my theme song the last couple of days:

And I've been housing all this doubt and insecurity
and I've been locked inside that house all the while You hold the key
And I've been dying to get out and that might be the death of me
And even though, there's no way in knowing where to go, promise I'm going because
I gotta get outta here
I'm stuck inside this rut that I fell into by mistake
I gotta get outta here
And I'm begging You, I'm begging You, I'm begging You to be my escape.
"Be My Escape" by Reliant K

It is the ruts we let ourselves fall into due to our own doubts, insecurities, and just plain listening to the voices in our own heads that get us here. It makes it to where we can't get past all this junk to enjoy the moment, or just realize that no matter what is going on in our lives we are more blessed than the millions of people grieving, starving, or fighting for their lives.

But we still need escape. God has promised to be our escape. I find myself half-praying these lyrics sometimes, begging God to rescue me from what I've created in my own life. Rescue me from myself. Its funny, though... I want him to just swoop in like Superman or Batman or something and fix it -- all the while I go on about my life making that same rut deeper and deeper. It occurred to me today... that just doesn't make sense.

It is up to us to make that first step. He does promise to be our escape. He's there ready, willing, and more than able... we just have to actually sit down and allow Him to do it. To open our minds and hearts and possibly break them down a bit. I have tried so many other forms of escape on those days -- Sonic runs, talking with friends, surfing the Internet, blogging... and they aren't bad things, really. But they are temporary fixes. I'm happy for a minute and then I spill the apple juice twice and drop the high chair tray on my foot. And it all goes away.

But those days I actually sit down with God and pray, read the Bible, and just think about the amazing life He's given me? Oh yes, that's an escape.

** I realize that this is a departure from our normal blogging program. I hope you've enjoyed it... but if you haven't, pictures and Mia-stories will return, I promise! **

Imagination Station and Belly Explosion

So, at 20-months, Mia's imagination is starting to emerge. Is that early? I have no clue... you'd think I'd know these things considering I, ya know, studied it in school. I believe its early, but then again its not full-blown imagination either. Mainly just the idea that she could pretend to be something else.



So lately, she's started acting like she's a dog. She now crawls on the ground and barks and everything. But at first she kinda, crouched down? And kinda said "woof". She seems to be in pain but she's really a puppy dog.



A video! (Please excuse the very, very high-pitched narrarator. That's how you talk to dogs, right?)




And, our other child. Who is making my belly explode at exponetial proportions. There has been a request for belly pictures. From more than one person. So... if you don't want to see my belly, stop reading, though it is a clothed picture, so its not that scary.

The belly! At 14-weeks. Yes, I'm sure there is only one in there. And yes, I'm due in January.

So either the whole "You show earlier with your 2nd" is true or this is the biggest fetus ever. Scary. I'll go with the first.