Is today Christmas?

Ethan has been asking me that question for a couple days. Today he asked it and I told him no, like usual. He said he can't wait for Christmas because he wants a new toy. He's been carrying around this Wal-Mart catalog ever since it arrived in the mail. He turns the pages and looks at everything. Then he lets us know what he wants and we tell him he needs to ask Santa. Can you see how worn this catalog is? The pages have begun to fall out. I grabbed the book before it got completely mutilated so I could document this and then toss it in the recycling bin. I think this whole thing has been absolutely adorable. He hasn't been completely greedy and impatient. He just looks and looks and dreams. I WANT to give him everything he wants but I know its better if he doesn't get it all. Anyway....hopefully Christmas won't be a major disappointment for him when he doesn't get everything in the catalog. ;)

I have found heaven...

and it exists in a pint of coconut macadamia nut gelato. I know the picture is of dark chocolate gelato but this is the only picture I could find from the manufacturer's website. I'm sure the dark chocolate is just as delicious but I'm more of a coconut fan myself. When I have a pint of this in my home it doesn't last more than a day. Its all I want to eat. It is my new favorite ice cream flavor and favorite ice cream bar none. Seriously, I just want to eat this every day until I get sick of it...if that is even possible. Its a good thing none of the groceries stores by my house sell it. If you come across any you should definitely try it, you won't be disappointed. I've been going on the Cafe Classico website regularly to request a retailer in my area. I'm so hooked. Mmmmm...

One Month Old

Sadie is one month old. I can't believe its already been a month since I gave birth to her! She is getting so big already. I weighed myself on our scale at home and then picked her up and weighed myself again to get an estimation of what she's weighing now and there was a 12 lb. difference. Ethan and Luke love taking turns holding her. They love to touch her and talk to her. They are really great big brothers. Sadie is such a calm baby. She hardly ever cries. The only exceptions are when she's hungry or tired. I am having a lot of fun dressing her and putting bows in her hair. The only one that fits her really well right now is the white one she is wearing in the first picture. She really likes her pacifier to help soothe herself. She's been out of newborn diapers for a couple weeks now, its amazing how fast babies outgrow those newborn sizes. We love our Sade!

Gold Star

Do you remember grade school and how whenever you did something good you were rewarded with a gold star? At least, thats what it was like for me. Anyway, I feel like this is a gold star day. I've recently had parent/teacher conferences with Ethan and Luke's teachers. Now you might be thinking, this is just pre-k what can there be to conference about? Its not like we're talking grades and college aspirations here. I've just sat down with the teachers (or emailed) and heard about what kinds of behaviors my boys are displaying, if they are adapting to their environment, whether or not they are understanding the lessons taught, etc. Miss Leah (Ethan's teacher) and Miss Jessica (Luke's) have both had such positive things to say about the boys that I've had to hold back the tears (I know, I know....I'm blaming it on my post-partumness...haha). As a parent, its not often that you receive recognition or even some sort of validation that you are doing an ok job. But this feels like it. I feel like maybe, just maybe, Steve and I are doing something right. At the same time, I can't take all the credit. My boys and I are so lucky to have a big support network and they really are being raised by a community of people who love them. I'm not trying to "toot my own horn" here. Believe me, I am well aware of my incompetencies as a mother (patience? anyone handing out extra helpings of patience?). But for right now, at this moment in our lives, I feel like I can say that we are doing ok. Who knows what the next moment brings. The only thing I know for sure is that I will try my best to do what's best for these two little guys (and Sadie too). This all has made me think about parenting in general.

Its not what you think

I need to vent. I'm so tired of all the junk going on right now because Prop. 8 passed. I'm so tired of being labeled as hateful, bigot, discriminatory, or any other false accusation. I'm tired of the LDS church as a whole being attacked because it exercised its right to stand up for what it believes. I'm disgusted that individuals are being attacked for their political and moral views. Prop. 8 was/is never about hate. I don't hate homosexuals (is this the pc term or should I just use gay?). I could care less what sexual orientation they choose to practice in their personal lives. But when you try to redefine society by redefining marriage I have to object. But do I stand outside your home or business and call you names and try to defame you? No. Do I write letters to your boss complaining about your personal contributions to causes you support and ask you be fired? No. I get that you are upset. I completely understand you voicing that opinion but your "dishonor list" is going too far. I drove by our Newport Beach temple on Sunday to take a look at the protestors there. They had some pretty catchy signs, like "Hate the Mormon Bigotry, Love the Mormon Bigot" or "Jesus Said Love Everyone Bi*ches" or "Did you just cast the first stone?" Or this one here. But I think this one is my favorite here. This woman is so very brave and I wish I would have known about her because I would have applauded her or shown some kind of support. Way to go!! Here's a good quote from Elton John that I got from an email sent to me by the Prop. 8 coalition. Elton John: Heterosexual Couples Have Marriage, Same-Sex Couples Have Civil Partnerships USA Today published an article yesterday in which Sir Elton John spoke about his position on Proposition 8. John clarified his position on Prop 8 while attending the annual benefit for the Elton John AIDS Foundation. He was accompanied by his longtime partner David Furnish, whom he joined in a civil union in 2005. John was quoted as saying, "We're not married. Let's get that right. We have a civil partnership. What is wrong with Proposition 8 is that they went for marriage. Marriage is going to put a lot of people off, the word marriage." John went on to emphasize that civil unions grant same-sex couples the same rights afforded to married heterosexual couples. He stated, "I don't want to be married. I'm very happy with a civil partnership. If gay people want to get married, or get together, they should have a civil partnership…the word marriage, I think, puts a lot of people off. You get the same equal rights that we do when we have a civil partnership. Heterosexual people get married. We can have civil partnerships." Last but not least, when everyone seems against us its nice to read about people who've got "our backs." SACRAMENTO 7 November 2008 (This news release was issued by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sacramento) The following statement was released today by Bishop William Weigand, head of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sacramento and former Bishop of Salt Lake City, in response to attacks on (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) for supporting California’s Proposition 8, defending the traditional definition of marriage: “Catholics stand in solidarity with our Mormon brothers and sisters in support of traditional marriage — the union of one man and one woman — that has been the major building block of Western Civilization for millennia. “The ProtectMarriage coalition, which led the successful campaign to pass Proposition 8, was an historic alliance of people from every faith and ethnicity. LDS were included — but so were Catholics and Jews, Evangelicals and Orthodox, African-Americans and Latinos, Asians and Anglos. “Bigoted attacks on Mormons for the part they played in our coalition are shameful and ignore the reality that Mormon voters were only a small part of the groundswell that supported Proposition 8. “As the former bishop of the Diocese of Salt Lake City, I can attest to the fact that followers of the Mormon faith are a good and generous people with a long history of commitment to family and giving to community causes. “I personally decry the bigotry recently exhibited towards the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — coming from the opponents of Proposition 8, who ironically, have called those of us supporting traditional marriage intolerant. “I call upon the supporters of same-sex marriage to live by their own words — and to refrain from discrimination against religion and to exercise tolerance for those who differ from them. I call upon them to accept the will of the people of California in the passage of Proposition 8.” SOURCE: Roman Catholic Diocese of Sacramento

Halloween 2008

We carved our pumpkins a week before Halloween out in the back yard. Here's Luke holding still just long enough for me to get a pic. We had another heat wave and, sadly, the pumpkins didn't make it to Halloween. But we had fun anyway!

Ethan helped carve out all the guts and drew on the face he wanted me to carve for him.

I took the boys to the store and let them pick out their costumes. Luke chose to be a blue power ranger (and would tell anyone and everyone who would listen) and Ethan was a SWAT team member. Here they are standing by their pumpkins before the pumpkins died. Halloween night we got dressed and went to my sister and brother in law's house for dinner and trick-or-treating. Steve was sick and I stayed at the house with Sade but the boys LOVED going out with their aunt and uncle and grandparents. Ethan, Luke, Ellie and Amerie posed for a pic after they came back with their loot. Ellie is princess Belle and Amerie is a cute fairy. Hey, maybe next year Sade will make an appearance in that fairy costume! I didn't think my sister was getting Steve and I in the pic or else we wouldn't look so weird. Happy Halloween!!!!

Sadie Anne Photo Montage

Here it is! The quality here on the blog isn't anywhere near as good as it really is but I don't have a website to put it on so this is it for now. Mae did a wonderful job on the photography and I have my marvelous husband to thank for the slideshow. Thank you both for all your time and effort. Thank you, J. Lowe, for the inspiration to do this. (Ok, I feel like I'm giving an award acceptance speech or something.)

Sadie and Me

I asked my sister Mae to do a photo montage of Sadie's birth. I'm going to post it here as soon as it gets done. Here is one of the pictures she took right after Sadie was born.

Coming home

Sadie and I came home from the hospital this past Thursday. When we got home this is what we found - I'm so glad to be back home with the boys and my Steve-o. Thanks for keeping the house together and for the signs and flowers, hon! Mae got me the beautiful hydrangeas. I hope I can transplant them in the yard, they are gorgeous.

This is Sadie's girly car seat. Thank you Wendy for lending us the cutest cover to transform the blue boy car seat into girly dream come true! She loves sleeping in the car seat too. I love how when you pick up your baby from the car seat they stay all curled up for a minute before they stretch their legs again. Its so cute.

I just couldn't resist getting a close up of Sade in her car seat. I love this hair bow on her, so far its the only one that fits! She's so adorable.

A good friend of mine made these cute and delicious treats and sent them to me at the hospital. I was pretty popular handing these tasty morsels out to everyone that came to care for Sade and I. Sorry the picture is blurry, it basically gives Sadie's statistics. Thank you Monique!

My mom had this delivered to our house. We get to keep the little star and the moon gets picked up in a few days, cute huh? Thanks Mom!!

Ethan and Luke play soccer

Here are a couple of quick vids of Ethan and Luke at their first soccer game. Ethan brings hope that the US Soccer team may one day win the World Cup. Luke didn't score but he got the girl anyway.