Sweet Big Sis

Emily is the best big sister in the world! Last night, when Eric got home, Emily had him sit on the sofa while he held Gianna. She got a book and was "reading" it to them. Eric got my attention and I made the "aww" sound. Emily looks up at me and says, "Mommy, wanna sit on fofa and Emily read book you?" I couldn't resist! She is so cute and sweet not only to her little sister, but to all of us.

Eric's Truck

So, you wanna know what kind of truck he got? Pretty cool, huh?
JK. This is a completely wooden truck we saw in a parking lot the other day. We thought it was awesome. There's something cool about wooden reconstructions of metal things.
Seriously, though, this is his new truck. Everything is good to go on it. The only thing wrong is the cosmetic stuff. Who needs something pretty when it runs great?

Pictures

Here are a couple of pictures I grabbed today. Emily is getting less and less fond of being subject material, but that can be good in it's own way. Perhaps I'll have less cheesy Emily and get some of those more solemn moments.
Gianna is such a smiley baby. None of us can get enough of her bigger-than-her-face smiles...I just can't catch them on camera. BTW, she had her 2 month appointment yesterday and she is now 9 lbs 4 oz and measuring at 22 1/2 inches long. All the nurses were commenting on how small she is, but then realized that she's gaining appropriately for what she began as. She was also a trooper yesterday with her shots. She only cried long enough for them to poke her and then it was over as soon as the band-aids were on.

Appointments

As a missionary, the only thing worse than not having a teaching appointment was to have someone not keep their appointment. I always wondered why people just didn't tell us the truth that they were not interested. It's better to have the rejection and move on than to wonder if they merely forgot or if it really was their fear of telling us no.
I revisited this experience yesterday as we went down to look at a vehicle. The owner of the truck told us to be there between 3:30 and 4:00 pm. To me, that means anytime between that is a good time for her. Well, we showed up 15 minutes early and kept trying to contact her for the next hour. (She works the night shift, so we didn't know if she was just still sleeping or maybe had run out for an errand, and we'd already driven quite awhile to get there.) After numerous futile phone calls, door bell rings and knocks on her door, we decided to load the girls back in the van and just forget it. Figuring at this point that the lady wasn't home, I playfully honked the horn at Emily (I know, I'm such a child!). It's a good thing I did. That is what woke the woman up so we could test drive the truck...which we did end up purchasing and taking home last night!

Emily Quotes, Again

Yesterday I almost got side-swiped while getting on the interstate. I didn't raise my voice, but my tone was definitely chastising the driver of the offending pickup truck. Emily told me, "Stop, Mommy. Be nice." Road rage is NOT allowed around Emily.

Today, she tried telling a stranger to "be nice." This individual was apparently using an angry tone in his conversation with another person and Emily didn't like it. We don't know what the person was saying because they were speaking Chinese/Mandarin. How do you explain to a child that you can't shush adults?

While we drove over some train tracks today, Emily shouted, "Choo-choo Street!" She loves driving over the "choo-choo streets" because they make the van rumble/bounce (we have a few of those close to our house, so she really loves it).

And, if you ask Emily why Gianna is crying, she'll tell you in a very matter-of-fact tone that "Jonna" wants her pacifier. Not a paci, not a binky, but a pacifier.

Sleep Wallering

Emily has been sleeping in our room on a spare mattress for the past week as she has been sick. This is where she was supposed to be sleeping...



This is where we found her...

Our Funny Girls

Don't be alarmed by these photos...we just caught them in rare moments. They don't normally look like this.
Emily has the most gigantic tongue I've ever seen. I think being sick this week adds to the weirdness of her face, but I laugh every time I look at this picture, so I thought I'd share.
Gianna's hair went crazy after her bath last night, so I caught the look on camera. To me, she looks like she could be a mad scientist...crazy sticking out hair but bald on top. And the look on her face? Classic. Plus, the red-eye adds to the feeling of the image. Funny, I never thought there would be an actual purpose/use for red-eye.
Hope you enjoy giggling at these less than flattering images of our girls. Everyone needs a good laugh once in awhile. Have a great day!

Sizing and the Fashion Industry

Women, in general, tend to be influenced by very small numbers. Different clothes can make a woman feel good or bad about herself. Although two items are in all actuality the same size, if one is marked to be a larger number/size, the woman will gravitate to that smaller number. For instance, I have a pair of jeans that is a size 6. I fit into them just fine. However, today I put on a pair of khakis that measure the same and fit the same as those jeans. The difference is not in the appearance, but in the tag-identified size: 10. I admit, I have felt like a fatty all day long, yet my logical self says that I shouldn't. They are the same size, they are just marked differently as they are made by different brands.
I find similar inconsistencies with children's and infant clothing. It would make it a whole lot easier to purchase these items if they were more standard across the board. So, instead, I get to sort through by measuring different outfits to see what size my girls actually wear. A size 0-3 months item for Gianna can either swallow her or be just right at this point, yet newborn clothing still fits her. Emily, in like manner, wears pants ranging from a 2T to a 3T whereas her shirts can be anything from a 2T to a 4T.
All in favor of standardized sizing, say "Aye!"
"AYE!!" But, in the meantime, I'll continue feeling like a fatty as I wear my size 10 khakis and feel thin wearing my size 6 jeans.

Ya Gotta Read Big

Emily has a passion for books. It's been this way since she was a little baby. When she was big enough to move around, she would scootch herself to the bookshelf and pull all the books down and get on top of them. Then, she'd open one up and it appeared as if she was truly reading it as she turned the pages. I am glad that this passion has not diminished. Now she brings a whole stack of books for me to read to her. When I told her "only one" today, she grabbed a stack (seven books total), and replied, "ya gotta read big, Mommy." I chuckled and let her bring them all to me.
I remember loving to read books and devouring them as quickly as I could. I remember my mom bringing home a large BOX filled with books from the public library for our family to read (come on! There were nine kids! How else would she be able to transport them?). I even believe that my poor eyesight is due to not being able to put down a book in order to turn on a light as I'd read into the dusk of evening. This is part of the reason I majored and graduated in Humanities: Comparative Literature. I still love to read, it's just more difficult to find good books. I'm currently reading the series THE KINGDOM AND THE CROWN. When I finish with this, perhaps someone out there has a suggestion for something else for me to devour, because I still need to "read big".

Spring is in the Air

I wish there was a way to capture scents and publish them on the web. I woke up this morning and smelled spring. It has been beautiful and warm the last couple days. This evening, I have all the windows open and can smell my neighbor's charcoal grill (I love the smell of charcoal, even though we have a gas grill) and can see through our trees to a beautiful gold, pink, and blue sunset. I am very excited to have spring on the way. Perhaps we will stay in Georgia longer...I have a MUCH shorter winter this way.

Make-over

I mentioned to Eric a few weeks ago that I'd love to have a full make-over. We chose to go the "cheap" way since I wasn't sure I'd like going so dark. Bad choice. It came out with a green or "ash" tint. We opted for a better (yet, ironically, not more expensive) product and got great results. Eric did a great job being my colorist. As usual, I opted to cut my own hair, too. Now that we know how to do it, I'm brave enough to let Eric always do my color!

Tested and Blessed

The Gospel according to St. Matthew Chapter 25
34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

I met Eric for lunch today and we ended up on the topic of finances. Everyone seems to be a little tighter in their budget than they've had to be in the past. As we discussed some things, I thought how much it stinks to have to be so strict on our spending. I was much chastened on my drive home.
As I approached the intersection after getting off the interstate, I noticed a very dirty man standing on the corner with a piece of cardboard held in front of him. I'm sure the image is familiar to all of you. I contemplated taking the further right lane so I wouldn't have to feel his eyes on me as I waited for the light to turn red. I never carried money with me anyway, so I might as well avoid him completely. Instead, I found myself pulling into the left lane with the thought that I really couldn't help so why try to avoid him? Something hit me personally as I read his sign "JUST HUNGRY". I immediately grabbed my wallet and hoped there might be a dollar bill still hiding in there. Sure enough, there was. In fact, there were two dollars. I rolled my window down and addressed him. As he approached me, I apologized that it wasn't more. Two dollars doesn't purchase a whole lot these days. "God bless you," he said. I returned the response with tears in my voice. Although I had never been forced to beg for food, I have been hungry and unable to satisfy that hunger due to my circumstances. At that point in time, somehow my money was blessed to stretch to provide enough to sustain me. I could relate to this man and was so grateful that I had two dollars to spare for this stranger even in this time of tight budgeting for us. It was my time to provide for him who hungered.
As I drove away from this man, I began to cry. I was so sad for him and so sad I didn't have more that I could give him. I know I was given this experience to remember what it was like to truly have nothing and to be grateful for all that I have been given. I have a wonderful husband who works diligently to bring home the money to pay for every bill, need, and want. My children are fed and clothed, and when they need medical attention, I can take them. I have a beautiful home with heat and running water. I have more than adequate clothing. I can shower with soap and wash my clothes in a washing machine and dry them completely in a dryer. I have all the conveniences of life and more. I have been given yet another experience to further strengthen my testimony of the love of Jesus Christ and his atonement. That is the emotion I was filled with as I left that stranger. In this, I have been blessed abundantly. I pray that our Heavenly Father watches over this man and all others who are hungry this day.

Definition of a "Berry"

Berry: noun. pronounced "beddy" or "betty". Any small, ball-like food that can easily be eaten with fingers and is a desirable food item. Examples: strawberries, grapes, marshmallows, or olives.
I get a kick out of figuring out exactly which "berry" Emily is asking for. She knows all of the real names but has continued to refer to them as berry. I also adore her "English-is-my-second-language" pronunciation of the word: it's too cute!