Visiting the Fallen Heros

On Sunday, we went to the Boalsburg Military Museum to talk about making the hard choice even when you are scared and either way things won't end well for you. I wanted to remember the Flight 93 heroes. I also wanted to acknowledge the first responders to the towers as well as the first responders in our community. So we walked and we talked and took a few pictures.

How was your Sunday?

Ready For The Runway

I think they've both mastered The Pout.

Sweet Moments

The Babes

Eating peppers. Ok. Gumming. There were no actual peppers harmed in the making of these pictures.

       

Random Pictures

Mom, Mom!! Come look! Okay. You can take a picture if you want to."

The girls love their books.

Seriously. The Babe loves her sister. The Gractetress already has a #1 fan- but not in a creepy way.

   The Gracetress is working on an Oregon Trail project. For extra credit she made a doll (or actually accessorized a doll that Grandma made). She drew the face, made the clothes, styled the hair. Let it be known: I sewed the hair. (Dude. I can sew doll hair. Who knew?)

  "Conan The Babe-arian". Is anyone else hearing the muppet version of "In the navy"? No? Ok, just me then.

We tried giving CK rice cereal. She was faintly amused at first. Then puzzled. Then a little gaggy. At which point, the attempted feeding ended. Better luck next time.








The other night Grace needed to clarify which era I came from: "So, did you grow up in The Depression or was it during Segregation?"

I do love a light moment.

So we're all well here and I have nothing really to say. Other than The Gracetress is the best. My baby is the sweetest. And all that.

Baby Bath

We've discovered that CK loves bath-time even more when The Gracetress hops in with her. Everything is better with a sister.




This is a random stare-down of CK's new friend, "Spider."

Aaaaand here we have the baby snow leopard in its natural habitat:

New Baby. A Retrospective?

Is that the correct word? Who knows but here's a few pictures while I catch up on a little sleep. Or something.

New baby Camille.





And she likes to snuggle!







And laugh. She's a happy one.










And sleep. She loves to sleep.




But mostly she loves her sister.






Yep. I love having a new baby in the house. She's wonderful and everything I could ever want in a baby. (And I think she loves me best of all ;) )

The Gracetress has taken it all in stride and is the wonderful daughter we have always known her to be. And now she is the fantastic sister she has always wanted to be.

We are so very happy and so very blessed right now.

P.S. J will make it into the next round of photos. He's been doing much of the picture taking and the foot work around the house -which is why he's absent.

I'm Thinking...I'm Thinking...**

... about food.

I'm heading out tonight or tomorrow night to see Food Inc. This idea of voting with our money is very interesting to me. Also the idea that healthy-minded people can do to the food industry what anti-tobacco groups did to the tobacco industry is very hope-inspiring.

If we learned to see fast food for what it is: high salt/sugar/fat; rather than how it's viewed now: a quick and easy solution to end of the day fatigue or a yummy treat (that sometimes ends up being an everyday treat); well, we would be moving in the right direction.

I have read a number of articles lately about the addictive properties of food. I have often thought, as well as being told, that food addiction isn't much different than any other substance abuse issue. With the big exception being that one can't "quit food". That whole "needing to eat" thing can get pesky.

But it's true -individuals use mood-altering substances (drugs, alcohol, tobacco, food, whatever) for the benefits they give. Sometimes euphoria, relaxation, avoidance. Maybe the habit becomes an addiction or maybe it's a habit that "can be stopped at any time".

Ideally, one would find healthier ways of dealing with life issues and, those issues dealt with would no longer require the addictive substance. For example, to unwind at the end of the night I like to eat a treat. It turns out that talking with J, watching a show or reading are also great "wind-down" activities. It would behoove me to choose a non-caloric activity at the end of the night

**So it turns out that I started this back in August 2009. Interesting and I wonder why I didn't ever post it. Maybe because I didn't make it to the viewing of Food Inc. Anyone catch the documentary and want to comment?

Anywho, since I seem to have made a habit of not posting and here I find a mostly suitable post ready-made...yep...here you go.

We've Got A Swimmer!

And that's all I've got, folks.

All body parts present and accounted for (except the one we were most hoping to know about).

Looks like a healthy baby and we'll know in another 11 weeks what color onesies to start collecting.

Masculine Child?

We find out on Monday: boy child or girl child. Any thoughts? I'm a little bit excited.

True Colors?

Not personality color. No no no no no.

Your essential color. It is given to you by your mom (or dad or a close sibling). But mostly likely assigned by your mom. Someone who knows you and loves you the most. If you don't already have one perhaps the great love of your life will assign it. Or maybe you will come to Your Color on your own. (In which case, Dude, you just go on with your bad self.)

It's a color that is often paired with you and seems to stick. If you've received colored items from various family members and they haven't stuck, well, it (whatever it is) is not your color.

My color is red. My mom recognized my essential color and gave it to me. Red pj's at Christmas. The dolly with red hair. Red sleeping bags. Red reading lamp. And so on until it stuck. To this day, with all the favorite colors and secret favorite colors I have ever had, red is truly who I am. Whether it's a favorite or not; I am red.

It's my go to color. It's the color I'm most at home in. Peaceful. Essentially. Me. Ahhhh. Red for heart and happiness. Red for rage. Red for roses. Good times.

It's the color that I identify as mine. When choosing anything, I often pick up or look at red first. I may choose a different color ultimately, but we both know (red and I) that it should be red. Red is my color of confidence, happiness, safety. Home.

I suspect that my dad's color is also red. I haven't figured my mom's out yet. I'll have to inquire. Sisters, what do you think? I put Dan's at purple, Miss Moddie's at blue? and MJ's at green (but possibly purple -I have spent most of my life avoiding the purple candies because they belong to MJ. Although that may just have been a flavor thing). Am I close? Dixon seems yellow but I can't recall ever seeing him with yellow. Anyone?

Grace is pink. She tries to fight it from time to time but always comes back to it. I imagine there will be a time in her teens when she loves it again and then will publicly scorn it. Then in her mid-twenties she'll openly embrace the beauty that is pink. What? I'm not saying it will go down exactly like that...let's just say I have experience.

I'll have to speak to J about this but I really think he is both brown and green. Perhaps he can narrow it down for me. But at any rate, earthy tones.

So, what color are you? What color has stuck with you all your life and can now be identified as a "you color"? And while you're at it, what are the colors of someone else significant in your life? And, Have you given any colors?

The Gracetress Does Fourth Grade

Fourth Grade, y'all. And couldn't be prouder.

The Gractress Turns Nine

Here's our Birthday Girl.


All ready for church with her new Supplies. Thank you, Grandma Natalie. Paper and pencils and highlighters, oh my! Sacrament meeting just got a whole lot more fun.

"Guess what, Mom? Now I'm almost as old as I look!"

Thank you, Grace. That's what keeps me up at night.



Our Little Slugger, trying out her new bat. Thank you, Grandpa Tom! We can't wait for softball this Spring.

The Gracetress Does Art Camp

Grace went to art camp this summer. She spent each week working toward a final Art Show on Fridays. Here is a sampling of the products of her labors.

Hotel For Dogs. You can't tell but there's a miniature mailbox complete with removable letters.

Littlest Pet. This is a tent city that all the children contributed too. Grace drew a dog (whose name, I am sure, is Libby).
More work from The Artiste.

A Fiery Mask.

In all, a fun summer and it passed quickly.