Our sweet Sophie was 6 months old yesterday. I told Jonny the other day, "Look at her. I swear she got cuter while she was taking her nap." As if she could get any cuter! She is the sweetest, happiest baby. She seriously only cries when she is hungry or tired (or if she rolls over and over until she runs in to the wall with her head, which happens a lot lately). She grins from ear to ear any time we look in her direction. She smiles so hard that her little nose wrinkles up and her eyes disappear.





She is our Balm of Gilead. Her soothing little spirit has been like therapy to me. Things were pretty hard when she was born. Emma's diagnosis came as such a shock to us and it was so hard leaving Emma there in the hospital with Jonny for 4 days while I came home with Sophie and Matthew. The day I brought Sophie home from the hospital I showered, ate lunch and went back to the hospital and met with the Diabetes Educator and the Dietician for 5 hours of learning how to take care of Emma. I left Sophie and Matthew at home with my Mom because they didn't want us to take Sophie to the pediatric unit as they were worried she would pick something up from one of the other kids there. I left the hospital that day and cried and cried. Cried that I was leaving Emma there and cried that I had a two day old baby that I had been away from for six hours and cried that poor little Matthew had been shuffled from relative to relative for three days.



Then 4 weeks later Jonny left for a month and I about lost my mind trying to deal with taking care of a new baby and Emma. Really I was writing this not to complain about all that, but to say what a sweet joy and blessing she is in our lives. I tear up on pretty much a daily basis when I look at her and feel her calming, healing spirit having an effect on all of us.

The Breakfast Bandit

I left my breakfast for a few minutes the other day to help Emma with something. I came back and I'll be darned if this little rascal wasn't in my chair helping himself to my omlet and corn salsa. And, yes, that is a Diet Cherry Coke with a heavenly slice of lime in it to wash it all down. What better way to start the day?

Welcome to Fall

Welcome to fall in these parts - it was 90 degrees one day and 40 degrees the next. Emma keeps asking me why it gets dark so early and why it is so cold. Amen! I really need to move somewhere tropical before it starts snowing!



Conference weekend brought bushels full of home-grown apples from my parent's trees and popcorn picnics on the family room floor.



We took our annual (when we live here anyway) trip to Gardner Village to see the Halloween witches. Good times. If you need help getting in the Halloween mood, this place will do the trick!





Perhaps my favorite moments of the day:



Emma feeling the witch up...





Emma checking out the witch's you know whats... She must take after her father.

Packing Away the Summer Jammies

It is almost time to pack away the summer jammies. It is getting colder at night and the kids huddle under their blankies when they watch their morning cartoons. And even though I bought them new winter jammies at Costco and Emma loves hers so much she that insists on wearing hers around the house - even when it's still 80 degrees outside - I am sad to pack away the summer ones.

Sad because I think they are the cutest thing ever and sad because of what it represents. I love the summer and am sad to see it go. And I really love the fall too, but I despise winter and and feel it coming fast.

The last couple months have flown by. We celebrated Jonny's 32nd birthday with Coffee Cake - his favorite.



Emma had her first swimming lessons and loved them. She now insists on burying her head in the bath water and blowing bubbles. Freaks me out every time. Matthew was devastated to be left out - he thinks he can do everything she does.



We took a quick trip to Colorado to see Jonny's two sisters and their families. We stayed in a beautiful mountain home and the entire visit was divine.









A summit of the red heads was held and all agreed that they are adorable.



Jonny's sisters watched our kids for us so we could go on a date. I made every effort not to talk about kids or work stuff. I could hardly think of a thing to say. Clearly we need to go out by ourselves more.





Matthew started sleeping in the "big boy bed" in the same room as Emma. This has been great because now Sophie is not in the room with Jonny and I. There have been some set backs, such as the other morning at 6am when a naked Matthew appeared at my bedside and said, "Mom. Need go potty." The next thing I heard was pee hitting the floor, sinking into our super thick carpet. It is kind of better when he is contained in a crib.

European Vacation

My sister Jenny has instructed me that I need to put a post about my trip to Europe. So here it is. I spent the last month or so in Nice, France.



Everything about it was amazing. Every weekend I was there, I took little trips around the area. The first weekend I went to Rome.



Rome was amazing. I think I liked that city the most. The only problem was that I was not with my darling wife Amanda. My job sends me to a lot of neat places, but I can't fully enjoy them by myself. I need my wife. While in Rome, I visited Vatican City,



and did my own little Dan Brown site seeing tour.






The Next weekend I went to Paris.



Paris was wonderful and it seemed as though I walked about 15 miles. I spent a lot of time with the missionaries and saw just about everything you could see in one weekend. It was a good time, but once again I missed my wife. You just can't enjoy one of the most romantic cities in the world when you are by yourself.

Once again I had to pay tribute to Dan Brown.



Most of my time was spent on the Cote d'Azur. I loved it there. the weather was so beautiful and the water was so blue. I have never in my life seen an ocean as blue as it was. Around Nice, there were a lot of beautiful mid-evil cities. St. Paul was one that I loved the most.






Nice, however was my home most of the time. It was wonderful.






Last, but not least there was Monaco. How beautiful it is.



I loved my European Vacation, but I am so glad to be home. Nothing beats being with my family. I love you Amanda.