A Day Like This One

He toddles but he is still my baby

2012-02-10T11:48:00.003-06:00

Charlie in a Box

2012-02-05T20:33:00.003-06:00

We have finished moving (well except for those boxes in the back room...) and are loving our new apartment. Much to the dismay of Charlie, we have donated our boxes to others who are moving. They were fun while they lasted, and the good thing about cardboard boxes is that more seem to always turn up.

Also, I love Charlie's love of being tickled (like in this video). Just tonight we were visiting with friends when Charlotte (the mom) briefly tickled Charlie's tummy. He laughed and as soon as she stopped, grabbed her hand and put it back on his tummy. Over Christmas break Darren would tickle the little guy breathless until he would scurry away. Charlie only ever made it a couple feet before he would turn around and head back for more. He's addicted I tell you.

Turtle

2012-01-28T19:57:00.001-06:00

On rainy evenings I usually have a neon turtle show up at my door. Charlie and I like him so I think I'll keep him.

Why did the Merrills cross the road?

2012-01-25T07:56:00.008-06:00

To get to the cheaper rent.

That's right. We moved (and are still moving) again. The good news is that we shouldn't be moving again until Keith graduates. Hooray! Three moves in one year is enough for me, thank you very much. Also, now we have an apartment that isn't set up for two single people (two master bedrooms and baths, etc) so we are liking the layout much better, AND it is less rent. Yippee!

It is really hard to keep things baby-proof while moving. It is impossible really. Charlie has enjoyed "unpacking" boxes (read: throwing their contents across the room), getting into things that were previously hidden (like my yarn balls), and exploring unlocked cabinets.

He is also getting braver with walking (though he is still pretty cautious). He will let go of the wall and take several steps to get to Keith or me, and it pretty much makes our day.

How Sweet it is Too Be Loved by You

2012-01-19T08:49:00.003-06:00

This last week has been hard. One of the hardest. And it didn't help that it coincided with Keith being gone at a conference on the other side of the country. I couldn't be happier that he is back. I love this man!

P.S. I am so thankful for family that loves me enough to make me feel that love across so much space, and for new friends here that have become dear friends.

This week in blog history

2012-01-14T08:00:00.004-06:00

2011: Hello World (Charlie came home!)

2010: Haiti Earthquake

2009: Well-Rounded Education (I had a pre-wedding nightmare)

2008: Some Pictures (I spent my first week in Argentina)

Window seats

2012-01-09T10:35:00.004-06:00

Northwest Christmas

2012-01-06T15:18:00.006-06:00

The week before Christmas we said "good-bye" to sweet Grandpa Joe and Granny B in Utah. It hurt to leave. We miss them!

Top-left: Charlie checks a sleeping Joe for life. Top-center: "The Charlies" feed the "moos." Top-right: Gramma rocks a sleeping Brooke.

We promised Charlie (who was growing weary of airplanes) that we were headed to even more grandparents and aunts/uncles in Washington.

Oh, yes. And a cousin. Just had to throw in a picture of Brooke in her spa (kitchen sink).

She is such a gorgeous, fun, smiley, squishy baby!

On the 23rd Alex received his Eagle award! At somewhat of the last moment it worked out that Liz could get off work on Christmas so she and Cory made the trek over the mountains for both Christmas and the Eagle Court of Honor. Hooray for the whole family being together!

I love our family Christmas traditions: vegetarian Polish dinner on Christmas Eve, making decorative boughs to lay on family graves (pictured: the grave of Johnny Angel, my Dad's older brother who died as a newborn baby just before Christmas), decorating Christmas cookies, reading the Christmas story, and cooking up a storm! Other pictures include: Brooke holding one of two wooden dolls that my Grandpa Temus made for his kids. They were a special surprise for Charlie and Brooke in their stockings. (Grandpa Temus died before my parents were married so we have never met him). Charlie adding Grandma to the speed dial on the phone she gave him. Brooke eating wrapping paper and Charlie eating orange peel.

The day after Christmas we headed into higher country where we could play in the snow for a few days. Turned out it was pretty wet so we didn't get out too much, but we still had fun! Charlie loved walking around in the snow but wasn't too sure about being pulled in the sled. I kept putting his arms into the sled but they kept popping right out to the sides again. Kind of reminded me of the little boy in "A Christmas Story" who couldn't put his arms down.

Back on the west side a few of us took the kiddos to a wet day at the zoo and aquarium. Both of them liked watching the puffins swim. However, perhaps the thing that Charlie enjoyed the most was pulling the cord on the back of Keith's hood.

Before we headed back east Grandpa took Charlie on a tractor ride. I thought Charlie might be afraid of it due to his fear of loud noises but he was fascinated. He even tried shifting and was reluctant to get off and go back to Momma's arms.

It was a fabulous few weeks visiting family in both Utah and Washington. We are sooooo blessed to have the wonderful families we do. Come visit anytime!

Cupcakes are no laughing matter

2012-01-06T14:24:00.003-06:00

There was no getting smiles out of this kid while he squished, mushed, spread about, and consumed his cupcake. Apparently birthday cakes are serious business. Although, it might have had something to do with jet lag.

A Belated Christmas Letter

2012-01-03T16:32:00.000-06:00

This year has brought a lot of changes to our little family so we thought it would be a good time to begin sending out that annual Christmas letter. We hope it finds you all happy and well this Christmas season.

The year started with the surprising early arrival of our sweet Charlie (Charles) on January 2^nd. We love our happy, adventurous, redheaded baby (who is quickly becoming a toddler) and having daily little adventures with him. When he was less than a week old, he was diagnosed with Phenylketonuria (PKU) from the results of his newborn screening test. PKU is a rare metabolic disorder that requires adherence to a strict low-protein diet to ensure proper brain development and function. Learning about PKU and how to best care for Charlie has been, at times, an emotional roller coaster. We are forever grateful to those who kept us in their prayers during those first several months. God truly answered them and gave us strength and peace when we needed it most. Charlie is doing fantastic and Katie is learning how to cook all over again.

The months following Charlie’s birth were quite busy as we both defended our theses and prepared to receive our master’s degrees from BYU in April. After graduation we moved to St. Louis where Keith had an internship in a seed physiology lab at Monstanto. The heat and humidity were a shock to our systems so we were glad to take a trip to the northwest in June to meet the newest member of the Temus clan: Brooke Jaggi, born to Sarah (Katie’s sister) and Darren. While in Washington, we took an excursion to Long Beach where we enjoyed riding bikes through the dunes and tasting the wonderful food of the Garlic Festival.

In August we packed up again and moved further east to Raleigh, NC where Keith is now working on his PhD in Plant Breeding and Genetics at NC State University. He is enjoying his program and research on pest and disease resistance in winter wheat. It is a beautiful area and we are all enjoying exploring it bit by bit. Fall was stunning and Charlie especially loved playing in the mounds of leaves on during our walks.

We took a wonderful trip to Utah and back to Washington in September to spend time with both sides of the family and celebrate with Liz (Katie’s sister) and Cory when they got married in Logan. We are so excited and happy for them!

We are thankful this year for the blessings of loving family and friends. We are thankful for our Savior and the peace and strength that come only through Him. May His love fill your Christmas season and bless you the whole year through.

With Love,

Keith, Katie, and Charlie Merrill

Year of the Charlie

2012-01-02T13:28:00.003-06:00

Happy Birthday Charlie!!!
(this blog post contains Charlie picture overload, consider yourself warned)

What a fabulous year! We have loved it! I am constantly amazed at all the changes that have taken place in the last 12 months.

Here is a little about our baby (almost toddler) on his birthday:
-he says "Da-da" and is barely starting to understand what that means
-he LOVES going on walks holding your hands
-he loves stairs
-he has discovered clapping and thinks it is the coolest thing next to slapping tables
-he finds other peoples mouths and teeth absolutely fascinating
-has a whisper voice that I love and a shouting voice that makes me laugh
-has taken a few unaided steps but if he really needs to get someplace he tucks his head and crawls
-is slowly overcoming his fear of the vacuum
-gives wide mouth kisses that melt my heart
-is incredibly curious and examines everything
-has an obsession with drawers and doors

I am so excited for the years to come. We love you Charlie!

Christmas Time is Here!

2011-12-20T23:53:00.004-06:00

Clockwise from top left: Grandpa reading to Charlie, on the plane, Granny B playing with Charlie in the sink (warming up foot for blood test), assembling a new toy, center of attention at Lowe family gathering, brothers battling in Canasta, view from plane headed west, sweet Cleggs

This year we are doing a family tour, so to speak, for our Christmas break from school. We started off with a fabulous time in Utah with the Merrill side. It was just so good and there were just too many pictures for one blog. As always, click to enlarge.

Decorating the tree. Charlie inspecting the tree and walking.

Best parts:
-Charlie taking us on walks around the house (and around, and around...)
-decorating the tree and listening to Christmas music
-Lowe family get together in Mona
-Games (Canasta battle 0' brothers, and Taboo with Granny B and Grandpa, intensely funny)
-lunch with Shawn
-Charlie watching the flocks of starlings out the window
-Charlie chasing Ginger

Thank you for a most wonderful (almost) week. We busted our guts laughing, shared so much love, and felt Christmassy the whole time. Life is good and family is nothing short of wonderful.

Had to add this one: mine and Charlie's hand prints in the snow (his first, he was fascinated).

Happy

2011-12-13T10:34:00.003-06:00

Happy Birthday Keith!!!

I am so thankful that I get to spend my days with you. You are a wonderful dad, sweet husband, and my best friend. I love you!

Checking in: Dadadadadada

2011-12-08T20:59:00.002-06:00

Keith's first semester as a PhD student is almost over! Classes are done and there is just one final between us and Christmas break! Wahoo! He has been working so hard lately. We are aching to get on that plane that will take us west.
Life has been pretty sweet and normal lately. Charlie had an appointment at the metabolic clinic with the dietician and geneticist. Hands down the part that Charlie liked most was crawling around on the exam table while we waited.

You see, the paper on the exam table makes neat crunchy sounds when you crawl on it, and crunchy paper is one of Charlie's most favorite things.

He just couldn't contain the excitement and his squeals were echoing down the halls.

In other news Charlie has started saying "dadadadadada" lately. After work Keith will get on the floor to play with Charlie and have the following conversation:

Keith: Charlie! Say "Dada!"

Charlie: "Aa!" (This is Charlie's favorite vowel/word)

Keith: Say "Dada!"

Charlie: "Aa!"

Keith: Say "Dada!"

Charlie: "Aa!"

Keith: Say Dada!"

Charlie: "Dada."

Keith: GOOD JOB BUDDY! Did you hear that! He said it! He said Dada! Way to go! You're awesome!

I am not sure that Charlie really understands what it is that he is saying, but it sure is fun to see Keith's excitement.

And in the morning, I'm making waffles!

2011-12-01T11:51:00.001-06:00

Keith and I LOVE waffles, especially Keith. All I have to do is make some whole wheat, homemade waffles in the morning and I am queen for the day. Well, in reality I am always queen for the day, but when I make waffles he thinks I am extra queeny. Waffles around here are a big deal.

Charlie can't have my homemade waffles. This has bummed us out a bit. Food has a lot of emotion connected to it. Saturday mornings growing up always included my dad's pancakes, with lots of homemade raspberry syrup. On infrequent occasions the pancakes would be replaced by my mom's crepes stuffed with her special strawberry filling. These food memories are filled with warmth and love for me. It goes way beyond the food. Waffles have become that special Saturday morning breakfast for us and I have really wanted to give Charlie some warm, love filled, waffle memories.

So for the last several weeks I have been prepping to make PKU approved waffles and have been a bit worried about it. I found a recipe at this sweet blessing of a website, mail ordered a bucket of wheat starch, tracked down xanthan gum, and hoped for the best. Low protein baking recipes are notorious for being finicky.

Would you hold it against me if I told you that I teared up a bit when I sampled that first waffle and it was great? And then again when Charlie LOVED them (especially topped with a bit of applesauce)?

I know it is really not that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things, and that if he never had waffles he would be okay. I also know that some people have it a lot worse off than Charlie. All the same, this holiday season I am thankful for little things like waffles.

Play it again

2011-11-29T16:42:00.006-06:00

Thanksgiving break was so peaceful and fun I keep on wishing we could just do it again. Four days with my dudes was the best!

Charlie helping me keep an eye on the candied yams which he enjoyed later (minus marshmallows).

Keith surprised me by digging out Grandma Temus' Currier and Ives dishes. I love these! The platter above left is one of my favorites with the scene of the pioneers in crossing the Rockies.

The dishes made the meal seem extra fancy. It was fun watching Charlie experience cranberry sauce for the first time. It might have just become his favorite food.

The day after Thanksgiving we made the easy decision to stay away from the crowded stores and go on a little hike in the nearby Umstead State Park.

It was just a stroll but it was fun and included an interesting four-trunk tree (it looked more interesting in real life, which is why I had to go check it out), and, of course...

playing in the leaves. (Double-click to enlarge. Bottom-right: Charlie's newest trick is giving "high-fives.")

We just can't deny Charlie his favorite outdoor pursuit.

Is it just me or is he looking less baby-ish and more little kid-ish all the time? Never mind. Don't answer that. I don't want to know.

Hope you all had a fabulous Thanksgiving too!

Way More than Three Things

2011-11-24T11:03:00.007-06:00

Keith and I have been doing "three things" all day long. We put a slight twist on it though. The three things don't all have to be from today and we can say as many as we like at a time.

Here are some of the wonderful things I am thankful for this year:

My wonderful, generous, best friend, husband.

My true bundle of joy: Charlie.

Dancing with Charlie.

Cranberry sauce. Oh, sweet nectar. Turkey would be sad and dull without you.

Morning walks.

PKU support, heel pricks, and research.

Family, family, family. You know who you are, and you are so loved.

Wild places.

Jabbering with Charlie.

Kisses.

Hugs.

True faith in God. It sustains me.

Honey bees.

Happy text messages.

Skype.

Warm slippers.

Fingers.

Good, healthy, food.

A warm safe home.

Airplanes that fly me to family in a matter of hours.

I could go on and on and on. Life is so very good. If I let myself I could come up with plenty to complain about, but it is all so slight when compared to the blessings that I enjoy.

May you all have a Thanksgiving filled with giving thanks and love.

The Perfect Abortion Candidate

2011-11-23T11:54:00.000-06:00

Thanks to Karen for sharing this article with me. I read it and all I could think was "wow." So I will just share the link with you and let her do the talking (or writing as the case may be).

Read it here.

Just do it.

"Heavenly Father made all of us special"

2011-11-22T10:17:00.003-06:00

My cousin and his five-year old daughter made this sweet video about her brother, Hyrum, who has autism. It is pretty great and is on the LDS church website. Check it out!

Confession: I have a favorite

2011-11-17T12:03:00.000-06:00

Turtles on logs, Keith guarding Charlie from the geese, investigating rocks, pine needles and cones, etc.

I generally don't have a favorite season. I really do love and appreciate them all. And if pressed to choose I would normally choose summer. But this year we were in St. Louis during their hottest summer in decades (yuck, yuck, yuck!) and moved to Raleigh right before autumn hit. So this year fall is my favorite. Hands down. I am absolutely loving the way North Carolina does fall. It doesn't cut it too short (like Utah) and it doesn't make it too wet (like Washington). They say the summers here can be nasty, but I think NC has got the autumn season down to an art.

It helps that we live right next to a beautiful lake surrounded by a gorgeous (though maybe a bit small) forest. (Have I mentioned enough lately that I love this lake?) The colors change bit by bit, first on the trees and then on the ground. And the view changes right along with it. As the leaves make their way to the forest floor the view opens up to expose a maze of sunspots through the trees.

I can't get enough of the feel of the air and the sights. Charlie can't get enough of the textures. I stop every once in a while on our jogs to hand him a leaf which he will happily finger and lick. On afternoon walks we stop and let him explore the wonders that await on the ground and he just can't get enough.

Ahhh. This fall is like spring for me: refreshing and renewing.

Blowing in the Wind

2011-11-16T12:38:00.000-06:00

Charlie's newest fascination is wind. Or rather leaves blowing around and trees swaying in the wind. If I don't hear him scurrying around or playing, there is a really good chance that I will find him at the window watching the trees and leaves move with the wind, calm and mesmerized.

Look at Me!

2011-11-15T14:29:00.002-06:00

Charlie has picked up the habit of turning his head back and forth from one side to the other when he wants someone to look at him. At church this week he was playing on the floor with a 7 month old little girl and he kept on doing this, right in her face, to get her attention. For the first time in his little life it just wasn't working. She looked everywhere but at him. Her mom and I were cracking up at his failing attempts to get her attention and her efforts to not look at him no matter how in-her-face he got and no matter what he did. Poor guy. Rejection is hard.

The Good Life

2011-11-13T13:30:00.005-06:00

Charlie investigating the ground and trying to grab the camera.

Liz shared this lovely little article with me. Check it out. It perfectly describes where Charlie is in life right now, and it is a good place to be.

Diaper (Wardrobe) Malfunction

2011-11-11T16:49:00.003-06:00

When we got to the grocery store Charlie was wearing more than socks, a diaper, and a jacket. When we left, he wasn't. I guess I still need to carry a spare outfit in the car after all.

At least he didn't seem to mind.

Vocal Point

2011-11-10T08:51:00.005-06:00

BYU's Vocal Point is currently rocking NBC's "Sing-Off" competition. I have to check-in every once in a while and watch their clips from the latest episodes. I really enjoyed this one.

Want to see their other songs from the Sing-Off? Click here.

A Mommy Salary

2011-11-09T09:07:00.001-06:00

Wendy Luhabe, on of the world's leading women entrepreneurs, has an interesting idea: give women who give up a career to raise children a salary. CNN interviewed her and you can read the article here (it is not that long and worth the read). Her radical idea is that 10% of a stay-at-home mother's husband's earnings should be attributed or contributed towards her. (This lady thinks it should be more like 50%).

What do you think?

I don't know about the practical side of this but what I do like is that it tries to show that a mother has value in society. A lot of you reading this may think "duh, of course mothers have value to society." The problem is that society doesn't always see it. Our society sees value in terms of dollar signs.

Luhabe says "money is the currency that we use to define value of a contribution to the world, so why shouldn't we do the same for the work of bringing up children, which I think is probably the most important contribution that the world should be valuing."

She also sees paying stay-at-home moms as a way of making them less resentful of that choice.

"If women choose to have children, they must be able to have the support structure that they require to do that joyfully, so that we can bring up children who are healthy, because the opposite side of that is we have children who are growing up without parents. Who are raised by nannies and that creates its own problems in society, so if I had to choose I would choose a society where women make the choice to be at home to bring up their children, because they know that contribution will be valued and secondly when they go back to work they won't be penalized for having taken some time off to go and bring up children.

So it's really an idea that needs to be embraced by society, not so much for the benefit of women, but because we recognize that creating a society where children are properly brought up, preferably by their mothers, would create a much healthier society, a more stable society."

It is not about mothers making money, it is about mothers feeling valued so that they don't resent the decision they made, and that is what I like about her idea. However, I wish that it wouldn't take a monetary amount for society to adopt a culture of valuing mothers.

On a related note there are several groups that attempt to calculate each year on Mother's Day what a stay-at-home mom is worth annually, financially speaking. Here are some estimates: (note: these articles also mention estimates for what a working mom is financially worth on top of her regular paycheck)

$132,288

$115,432

$117,856

Morning Lake Walks, Oh how I love you!

2011-11-08T08:46:00.000-06:00

Perhaps my favorite thing about where we live is how very close we are to this lake and the trails that surround it. I love it, especially in the morning.

Emily and I meet up each day and hit the main trail. Great company, exercise, and a lovely area make for some wonderful mornings.

Charlie seems to enjoy them too.

Life is good.

Halloween Goodness

2011-11-06T16:34:00.003-06:00

I know. I am a week behind the blogging world with the Halloween posts, but oh well. Big stuff was happening this week, like this, and this, and this (in case you missed them). But I didn't want to just skip over our fun, low-key Halloween.

Emily and Brad came over for dinner, games, and deluxe caramel apples. Brad began a PhD program in statistics at NC State this August. We moved into the ward at the same time and quickly became friends. Emily and I have been enjoying walking around the lake in the mornings and trying to convince their little guy to arrive (he was "due" to arrive on Halloween).

The apples were really good! Caramel, crushed candy bars, white chocolate, cinnamon and sugar. You know, the good stuff.

Charlie joined us for a bit but then headed to bed.

The apples may not look fancy, but don't be deceived. They were awesome. As was the candy we had for the trick-or-treaters that never came. Their loss.

Wonderful Sister

2011-11-05T09:22:00.001-05:00

Happy Birthday to my dear friend, sweet sister, and incredible example. You truly are wonderful.

Photo shamelessly stolen from Cory on Facebook. I just love it so much! Taken in the Grand Canyon.

I love you Liz (click to read more)!

33 years

2011-11-04T09:12:00.000-05:00

At Brooke's Baby Blessing in June.

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!!! We love you so much! I, am so blessed by you both, as so many are. Thank you, for everything.

Sweet Potato Minestrone

2011-11-02T15:54:00.003-05:00

Remember that awesome soup I told you about in the last post? Well the recipe can now be found here. Try it, you will LOVE it!

I Do Love a Fair

2011-11-01T13:38:00.000-05:00

We had heard rumor that the North Carolina State Fair was a pretty good one, so Keith and I had been debating for a few weeks if we were going to go check it out or not. As the last weekend of the fair approached Keith's department gave him some free tickets so we stopped debating and went. We loved our first real family day out here in Raleigh.

Can't go to the fair without checking out the biggest pumpkin! Oh, and behind it is the biggest watermelon. It broke the old state record!

Really big potatoes. Since we have been here I have fallen in love with sweet potatoes. I used to just love them at Thanksgiving and Christmas, but the possibilities have opened up to me and they have become more of a staple in my pantry then your normal brown potatoes. Sweet potato enchiladas (absolute heaven), sweet potato minestrone (best. veggie. soup. ever. I submitted the recipe to this site and it will be posted sometime this week), and the most delectable sweet potato hot dish dessert EVER (I would pick this over chocolate cake. Seriously.), too name a few.

Ok, now back to the fair.
Instead of getting his picture taken, Charlie wanted to do what he does best: be a blur. For every clear shot I post of Charlie on this blog there are at least three others that look more like the one above.

He loved three things about the fair: standing next to the above metal gate,

walking with Daddy,

and watching the bees.

This lady drew quite a crowd. If you want to get people interested in bees, talk about them while standing in a cage with hundreds of them.

If you can try and take you eyes off of the cute little red head with the cheeks (as he is known as at church) and look behind him you will see one of my favorite sights at the fair: miniature donkeys. The two grey ones are regular sized, but the white and grey one is a miniature. They grow to a max of two feet tall! If I had seen these as a kid I would have totally wanted one as a house pet.

This guy was another miniature favorite of mine. We had an instant connection, he was winking at me.

We also went through the arts and craft tents. There are some very skilled and talented people out there! I took a picture of this piece though because I want the pattern! So all you cross-stitchers: keep on the look out!

We also (of course) indulged in a little fair food. I have now experienced a couple of hush-puppies and (gasp) don't understand the hype. Yes, they are tasty, but nothing amazing.

As fairs go this one was pretty good. It can't compete with the Puyallup Fair (yes, I am a fair snob, I know) but it held its own. A good fair is one of my favorite fall traditions.

Born on Halloween, but definitely not a witch

2011-10-31T09:27:00.000-05:00

Photo by the talented Whitney Hardie.

I really lucked out when it comes to my in-laws. My mother-in-law is my dear friend and I am blessed to be a part of her family. The attribute that first comes to mind when I think of her is"welcoming." There seems to always be more room in her heart, home, or around her dinner table for another new friend. She puts guests right at ease and before you know it you feel like you are at home.

She has a big generous heart. She is very sensitive to others feelings and serves everyone she knows. When Charlie was born she would spend hours in the NICU with him, cook us meals, DO OUR LAUNDRY, and just be there whenever I needed her.

She loves being a grandma, and is such a good one too.

I love spending time with her and Joe. They are still best friends after all these years and it shows.

Keith and Bonnie giving their special wave as he leaves for Missouri. This started way back when she would drop Keith off at preschool. He would get to the school steps, turn around, put his thumbs in his ears, and wave to her. She would do the same from the car.

She is a wonderful mother and has raised three awesome boys (I think the middle one turned out exceptionally well). She has a great sense of humor, a ton of faith, high expectations, and a whole lot of love for them.

She is an incredible daughter and is a true blessing to her parents. I have seen the energy and heart she puts into serving and loving them, and I am so thankful that they have her. They have both expressed the same feelings about her to me several times.

She has gone back to school at BYU these last several years and is working towards a degree. I am amazed at her positive attitude and determination as she works at it and constantly pushes the limits of her comfort zone.

I love her adventurous spirit, love of life, firm faith, welcoming personality and generosity to everyone she meets.

In short, I love her.

Happy Birthday Bonnie!

This Video Made Me Cry

2011-10-28T09:42:00.002-05:00

So much pain, faith, strength, and happiness.

Some Great Thoughts on Eve, Motherhood, and More

2011-10-22T21:28:00.005-05:00

I am LOVING this blog ("Empowering LDS Women") that I ran across. It has some really great thoughts and discussions by LDS women striving to live and understand the gospel.

This post ("Giving Women a Voice Without Sacrificing Faith or Family") has some great thoughts on motherhood and working outside the home. So happy for personal revelation! We should remember that all can receive it and it may be different then what we receive so we shouldn't judge.

The talk shared in this post ("The Two Trees: A Symbolic Interpretation of the Creation") was summarized for me quite a while ago by my sister Liz who was at this lecture. (The talk was re-posted here in an easier format to read and is titled "I am a Mormon because I am a Feminist"). I happily stumbled across it again on this blog. Though I happen to believe that it wasn't an accident that I did. Nope, it was definitely the Lord telling me that we learn things "line upon line, precept upon precept" and He will gradually answer my search for understanding as I keep searching.

It is kind of a long post but totally worth the read. All the way through things she said just kept ringing true to me. To get a taste, here are just a few of my favorite thoughts from the post:

On equality:
"Another thing that I am taught is that men and women are equals before the Lord and before each other. Now, don't use the fallen world's sense of the term "equal"—"equal" does not mean identical. Let's face it, there are no two men who are identical, and yet they stand as equals before each other and before the Lord. Can we imagine an understanding of equality that means that a man and woman can be equals before the Lord and before each other? That is the vision of equality that the Restored Gospel teaches me."

"Elder Bruce Hafen says: 'Genesis 3:16 states that Adam is to "rule over" Eve, but. . . over in "rule over" uses the Hebrew bet, which means ruling with, not ruling over. . . . The concept of interdependent equal partners is well-grounded in the doctrine of the restored gospel." '

Eve and the Fruit:
"Women escort every soul through the veil to mortal life and full agency. I believe that when we think about it—two people, two trees—that what we're really thinking about is two stewardships. And that the fruit of the First Tree symbolizes the gift that women give to every soul that chose the plan of Christ. It symbolizes the role and power of women in the Great Plan of Happiness. It was not, in this view, right or proper for Adam to partake first of the fruit of the First Tree. It was not his role to give the gift of the fruit of the First Tree to others. It is interesting to think that even Adam, who was created before Eve, entered into full mortality and full agency by accepting the gift of the First Tree from the hand of a woman. In a sense, Adam himself was born of Eve."

Difference between patriarchy and Patriarchial Order:
"And we know that the term "patriarchy," if you look it up in a secular dictionary, is an order in which men rule over women. We know that that's not the order of Heaven. So obviously we don't have patriarchy in the Church. But we do have something called the patriarchal order. Why is it called that, and why should we reject definitions that try to make it look more like the definition of men rule over women? Here I would like to quote President Ezra Taft Benson: ". . . the patriarchal order [is called such] because it came down from father to son." The right to officiate in the ordinances of the giving of the fruit of the Second Tree in the old days came down from father to son. "But this order is otherwise described in modern revelation as an order of family government, where a man and woman enter into a covenant with God—just as did Adam and Eve—to be sealed for eternity, to have posterity, and to do the will and work of God throughout their mortality."

Those are just a few, and they don't really show the flow of thought throughout the post. I am so thankful for the light that the Restored Gospel shines on topics like this.

Changes

2011-10-21T17:28:00.000-05:00

I used to secretly laugh inside when parents would say that they couldn't believe how fast their kids were changing and growing up.

I don't anymore.

He seriously changes so fast!

He prefers to get his clothes changed standing up. (He would prefer to have his diaper changed that way too, but it just won't work).
He will sit on my lap and have me read his three favorite books to him for seriously forever. I hold a couple up and he picks the one he wants. He gets upset if I start reading the other one. It was just last week that he got bored with reading after a couple minutes.
He is walking while holding our hands.
He LOVES to close doors.
He is mesmerized by the hand movements to "The Itsy Bitsy Spider."
He doesn't even flinch when getting his heel pricked for his blood test. He just watches.
He waves to himself in the mirror.

Everyday there is something new. I love it!

Joey: A Belated Birthday

2011-10-20T15:15:00.004-05:00

My little brother Joe had a birthday last Friday. And in the blogging world, I forgot. In the real world I remembered and called him up. In the blogging world I remembered yesterday and felt bad. Sorry Bro.
And yes, although he is bigger than me now, he will always be my "little" brother.

I loved looking back through old pictures of him. No birthday post pictures have made me chuckle so much. It's that smile. Lovin' life.

He appreciates the little things.

He had longish hair in high school. One day some girls got a hold of it...

And he never takes himself too seriously.

We were best buds growing up. He would drive my Barbies around in their Jeep when they needed to go some place. That is about as involved as he would get with Barbies though. I have fond memories of building forts and playing "Davy Crockett" in the pastures.

He has an amazing ability to work hard and focus on things. Take wrestling; he was amazing.

He adds flair to everything.

And he cleans up pretty good too.

He is an awesome uncle.

And musically talented.

Can you pick out Joe? Hint: he is the one taking a picture as they enter the rapid.

He lives life with full energy and a big, big heart.

I love you Joe!
Happy Birthday!

Oh the memories

2011-10-19T20:13:00.000-05:00

Keith is studying winter wheat, which means that planting season is in the fall (aka: now). In research, there is more to planting than just throwing some seeds in the ground. Seeds must be kept organized because they come from different lines (have different ancestors and thus different traits that are of interest) and are going to several planting sites. Long story short, this all adds up to a whole lot of prep work before a single seed can be planted.

Well it just so happens that Keith married someone with experience working with seeds.

I offered to help Keith in the evenings after Charlie went down so he packed up his stuff and brought it home for a few days. We have spent a few late nights at the dinning room and folding tables weighing, dividing, and organizing seeds into various packets. Our "pre-Charlie years" (crazy to think that there was such a thing) together consisted of a lot of similar activities. As strange as it may sound to many of you, it was kind of fun. We still make a pretty good seed-packing team.

Big Boy Bath

2011-10-18T20:05:00.004-05:00

Charlie has long since grown out of the baby tub and he is loving the freedom and excitement of the big boy bath.

In the big boy bath he can play with thrilling toys like plastic cups.

He learned pretty quick that it is best to just touch the cool knob on the drain and not dip your head underwater to chew on it. Smart kid.

The end (sorry couldn't help it).

Bike Commuting

2011-10-14T19:56:00.002-05:00

Apparently some guy is spray painting this on the streets of NY. Not politically correct, but it gave me a chuckle.

Thanks for saving us money Sweetheart. You are looking good *wink*.

A State Treasure

2011-10-12T14:26:00.004-05:00

Keith and I kept on seeing road signs pointing the direction to a farmer's market. So one Saturday while running errands we followed those signs and were really excited about our find. Say hello to the State Farmer's Market; the best farmer's market I have ever seen. As a lady I met there explained to me in a thick southern accent: "this is one of our state treasures."

Just one section of the market.

The market is made up of three large buildings (and a few smaller ones) that house venders selling everything from produce, plants, baked goods, honey, jam, seafood, antiques, pots, etc. Although not all venders are there everyday, the market is open year-round seven days a week.

According to the pamphlet I picked-up, the market sells more food than any other place in the state. Much of this is caused by other grocers and restaurants buying food from here.

These bell peppers were 3 for $1. Sweet.

This sign made me smile.

This might be our favorite stop at the market. This farmer sells about 15 different varieties of apples and gives samples. Eating them brings me right back to our family orchard and the delicious apples we had there. Grocery store apples just can't compete (in taste or price).

I took some of these little beauties home and made a mighty tasty (low-phe) spread for sandwiches and crackers. Mmmmm.

The building with random decor items and antiques was really fun to walk through.

I love pretty pots.

And of course we have to include a picture of sweet Charlie (the grandparents wouldn't like it if I ended with out one). We are excited to take Charlie here the next few years and let him pick through the variety of tasty fruits and veggies that he can eat. When I look at the produce section in the regular grocery store I see limited options for Charlie's special diet. When I walk through this place I get so excited. Instead of one type of eggplant there are six! The same is true for squash, berries, apples, peppers, etc. For a severely restricted diet like his, this kind of variety is absolutely wonderful.

Politics and Religion: Two things you are not supposed to talk about with company

2011-10-11T09:51:00.005-05:00

I think Rev. Jeffress calling Mormonism (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) a cult and non-christian was the straw that broke the camel's back for a lot of people. All over the internet there are people voicing the opinion that the religion of a candidate should not be the focus of the presidential race.

I say amen to that.

I am not going to vote for someone because they are or are not Mormon, just as I don't vote for someone because they belong to one party or another, or because of their race, etc. A candidates actions and political positions should be what people look at to decide who to vote for. And I am not the only one saying so. Here are a few of my favorites:

Don't judge candidates by their faith (REALLY good article by William Bennett)

Just for the Record: Anti-Mormonism is Bigotry Too (by James Fallows, who doesn't like Romney politically, but hates bigotry all the same.)

Anderson Cooper and Rev. Jeffress (This video made me laugh. Cooper interviews Jeffress and can't get a good answer as to why he thinks Mormons are non-christian and belong to a cult.)

On a very related point, although I don't think religion should be the focus of a presidential debate, I do think that false information should be corrected.

I am a Mormon, meaning that I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I believe that Jesus Christ is my personal Savior. I believe that the Bible is the word of God. I also believe that as there were prophets in biblical times there are prophets today. I also believe that the Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ that goes hand-in-hand with the Bible.

I strongly believe that whenever people are looking for the truth they should go to the source. For example: if you want the truth about Mormons, ask a Mormon or go here (or click the "We belong" button to the right). Don't believe what someone else says about what we believe or do. Ask us.

P.S. I also really like what my friend Nate had to say about Jeffress' comments and the Book of Mormon. To read it visit his blog here.

P.P.S. Tomorrow we will return to our regularly scheduled, lighter, posts. But I just had to put my two bits in on this one. I take my faith personally and don't like it when someone who doesn't know what they are talking about tries to tell the world what I believe.

On Choosing to Listen

2011-10-05T10:12:00.002-05:00

I ran across this blog today and have been quite intrigued and impressed with much of what I read. So many of us, no matter what our church is or what our life story is, are looking for truth and to feel a little closer to God. I love hearing about the journeys.

Here is an especially good post. You will be glad you read it.

9 Months (a good excuse for lots of Charlie pics)

2011-10-04T13:44:00.000-05:00

How does this little bundle of sweetness...

Photo by the fabulous Whitney Hardie

turn into this big bundle of energy, in just 9 months?

He likes to roar!

Do you see those teeth?!? 8 going on 10. No joke.

I don't know, but it has been a great 9 months watching it happen.

See those delightfully chubby legs? They are his new tickle spot. Pinch. Pinch.

He keeps us busy and doesn't let us work too hard.

He loves playing in the sunspots.

Keith and I often find ourselves wondering how it was that we were so blessed to have this little guy in our lives. Awesome.

Oh, and he crawls. He figured it out and is taking off! He is not satisfied yet, however. He is now putting serious effort into standing and walking. Watch out world!

It is one of the best things ever when he makes his shaky little way across the room and into my arms. Love it.

A Great Conference Weekend

2011-10-03T16:10:00.004-05:00

This past weekend was the semi-annual General Conference for my church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints). What is general conference and why do we have it? Read about it here.
There are four main session of conference for two hours each. Two are on Saturday and two on Sunday. We listen to prophets and apostles, just like people did in the bible long ago. It was great (more on that below).
Before the first session began on Saturday, we went and picked up Charlie's new crib (yippee for Craig's list)! He has been sleeping in a porta-crib and is liking his new digs.

Keith's family has a tradition of having "conference breakfast" Sunday morning. We carried on the tradition with a breakfast casserole.

Between Sunday sessions we bundled up Charlie and took a long walk around "our" lake. We have walked/jogged/biked on the trail before but have never done the whole loop at once. It was great. We really live in a gorgeous area.

We were hoping that with the cover over the stroller Charlie would doze off. Not so much. But he was happy.

Some things that stuck in my mind from conference:

-I am really REALLY blessed to have such wonderful parents. Words just can't express it.
-If I do my part God will guide Keith and I as we try to be good parents to Charlie. He deserves the best.
-Lots of things can be scary (money, family planning, parenting, etc) but as we do our part God will be with us every single step of the way. If we do our part we have no need to fear.
-Scriptures are a great gift, we should utilize them daily. They are often how answers will come.

One foot at a time (and a thank you)

2011-10-01T13:00:00.000-05:00

Thank you everyone who commented on this post and who have encouraged us along the way. I am constantly uplifted and inspired by the faith of others who overcome hardships and make life beautiful. We have so much to be thankful for. Thank you!

On a related note, I came across this video and website. It is worth a peek.

200!

2011-09-30T11:00:00.000-05:00

This is post number 200 on this blog! Wahoo! It has been fun to take a moment and look back through some of the previous posts. When I started this blog I was single, in Provo, headed to Patagonia, didn't plan on getting a masters degree, and had met Keith but thought he was nerdy and kind of boring (sorry sweetheart, I have since changed my mind). Such a lot has happened since then!!!

Thanks for reading!

Here are just a few memorable posts and experiences in no particular order:

He don't eat no meat?

Me and Him, Him and I

The Unexpected

And the Whirlwind Continues... (post wedding)

Cerro Torre (Patagonia)

Penguins! Penguins! Penguins! (Patagonia)

Graduation Take Two

Christmas Adventures

Sun

Peek-a-boo

2011-09-29T08:54:00.003-05:00

Charlie's favorite game.

Where I Am

2011-09-28T09:22:00.007-05:00

Treasures from a wet fall walk.

Sunday evening we had dinner with a couple here (both are professors in Keith's department) who have a son and daughter. Lucia, the daughter, has PKU. Andrea (her mom) greeted us at the door and explained to Lucia that this was Charlie, the baby that has PKU, just like you. Three year old Lucia excitedly grabbed my hand and led me upstairs to her room where she showed me her toys, pictures, fish, etc. She was the picture of a happy, worry-free childhood.

During dinner we talked a lot about PKU and a lot about other, normal stuff as well. Andrea offered to teach me how to make a special bread Charlie can have. They were warm, at ease, and I kept mentally pinching myself at our fortune of their having befriended us. PKU was just a tiny part of their life. They explained that they hardly thought about it anymore.

Andrea admitted that, of course, it hadn't always been like that. For the first year, being a natural worrier, she had fretted over the dangers of PKU and what it meant for her daughter's future. Jim, her husband, explained that it gets easier after the first year or two. Managing PKU gets easier as it becomes a habit. Then Andrea said something that has stuck with me. She said that everyone deals with it at a different pace. And that is okay. She said she didn't know where we were with it, but she understands how it feels and it is okay to deal with it at our own pace. She wanted to have us over though so we could meet Lucia and see that everything really is going to be okay.

There is a difference between knowing something with your mind, and having an emotional knowledge of something. Before this weekend I logically knew that Charlie would be fine. That is why I weighed out his little bowl of food, always gave him is special formula (power milk, as we call it), and took twice-weekly blood samples. All of those things assured my mind that he would be okay. Meeting Lucia assured my emotional mind that he would be okay.

Meeting Andrea let me know that it is okay if I am still coming to terms with PKU. They are further and further apart, but there are still days when I have a hard time with it. Days when I wonder how this will affect his future, how we will cope with it as a teenager, what this means for our family planning, for his future family. There are days when I still hate that it affects all of those things.

I have come a long ways since last January when I first heard the term "PKU" and I couldn't go more than a few hours without crying. I have a more positive outlook on it then I ever could have imagined back then. Really, really, life is good. But sometimes it is nice to know that it is okay if I am still working through it; still coming to terms with this curve ball. It is okay to admit sometimes that life is hard, as long as we remember the good too.

P.S. While thinking about this post I ran across this post and thought of this song. The morning after "diagnosis day" (when we first got the PKU news), Keith and I were driving back to the hospital for another day at the NICU. The sun was just warming up the sky and this song came on the radio. I still remember where we were in route. That was the moment when I peeked outside of my own situation a bit and saw that life was still good. I felt like this song somehow explained what I couldn't at that moment.

The video is a bit sad, but the song is what made me breathe a little easier that day.
Hello World by Lady Antebellum lyrics here

A Wedding Vacation Part 2: Washington

2011-09-25T20:36:00.008-05:00

Charlie and I arrived in Washington a few days before the Puyallup Fair began (read: best. fair. ever.). I may be a bit biased (as it is located in my home town) but it is one great state fair with a great theme song. Scones, fudge, taffy, giant pumpkins, giant slides, little piglets, massive horses, this fair has it all.
Little know fact: my mom won the blue ribbon one year for whole wheat bread. True story. And the judges didn't even taste it fresh out the of the oven and smothered with honey, like I did throughout my childhood.

The newest member of the Temus clan got into the fair spirit too.

The Charlies discussing fair food like scones. Stuff of legends.

The only night our schedules combined to get us all to the fair at the same time was the first night it was open. This meant that the giant pumpkins had not yet been weighed and displayed. It has been a Temus tradition, ever since before Sarah had discovered her toes, to take a picture of the kiddos in front of the largest pumpkin at the fair (see examples below). Sadly the grand kids' first giant pumpkin picture was not, in fact, in front of the largest pumpkin, but rather a runner up. Maybe that is why they look so disgruntled about the situation.

Other note-worthy Puyallup events at the time included the salmon run. Dad did his best to catch what he could and I gratefully brought some of the smoked spoils of his efforts back to NC.
One morning I accompanied him to the Puyallup River before Charlie woke up (thanks for watching him Sarah!). As it turns out, I did the fishing and he did the catching that day, but I still greatly enjoyed the morning on the river with my dad. I hope I never get too old to go fishing with him.

Blackberries were also going crazy all over the place. Sarah and I went on a long rambling walk with the babes that included picking an enormous amount of the juicy delights (some of which made it back to the house).

There was more berry eating then walking going on and it was wonderful!

Charlie helping Joe hang lights.

We did have a bit of work to get done while we were there as well. There was reception #2 to prepare for in the backyard. Mom and Dad did a great job with the planning and prep. It was lovely.

The day after the reception we slept in (minus the babies and their mothers that is) and relaxed the day away with family. Perfect.

Charlie loved being allowed to sit in chigger-free grass (unlike his summer in Missouri).

Plato (who has limited experience with babies) came right up to him, plopped his stick down, and fully expected him to throw it for him.

Charlie wasn't sure what to do with it and Plato didn't understand what was taking him so long.

Charlie's favorite part about the backyard was relaxing in the swing. He could have stayed there all day completely content.

Thanks Liz and Cory for getting married so we could come visit! It truly was two of the best weeks of the year.

A Wedding Vacation Part 1: Utah

2011-09-21T09:55:00.001-05:00

Click to enlarge

Liz and Cory got married! The wedding was SO WONDERFUL! And the receptions were gorgeous! They got married in the Logan, Utah temple, had a reception in Logan, and then another the following week in Puyallup.

We all flew out to Utah for the wedding and spent a few days with Granny B and Grandpa Joe in Orem.

Charlie was a champ on the planes (and it was so much easier with Keith along this time!). He liked watching all the action out the window during our layover in Atlanta.

Liz picked out some simple and beautiful wedding colors. I absolutely loved her dress, Charlie's green bowtie, our bridesmaids dresses, and Brooke's little dress (click on the collage above to see them all). When you are this cute it is socially acceptable to chew on your dress.

Keith's parents (Granny B and Grandpa Joe) drove us up to Logan and played with and took care of Charlie during the wedding and reception. It was so sweet of them and definitely made Charlie's day more enjoyable.

Charlie inspecting Grandpa's tie.

The rest of our time in Utah was fabulous as well. We got to go on our first date in over four months (thanks Grandma!) and visit with family and friends. We had a fun BBQ with the Cleggs on Labor Day. We love and miss these guys!

The Grandparents took us on a walk up Provo Canyon and it was SO NICE! I had really missed the mountains and that non-humid, mountain air felt wonderful!

Along the way we did a little bird-watching, a little botanizing, and saw a beaver too!

Grandpa Merrill (Great-Grandpa to Charlie) came over for a visit.

Four generations of Merrills. What a fabulous group of guys!

We also couldn't miss out on a trip to Mona for a Sunday dinner with Grandma and Grandpa Lowe. It was great to visit with them again.

Tuesday Keith dutifully flew back to NC and Charlie and I continued on to Washington for more family fun!

We love our family! Thanks for the wonderful trip!

Thoughts on 9/11 by Pres. Monson

2011-09-11T18:58:00.002-05:00

I am spending relaxing time with family (a great way to spend 9/11 or any day) and wasn't going to log on and post anything, but then I found an article that I had to share.

I could talk about where I was that morning, the fear, the disbelief, and the unknown, but I would rather just let you read this article in the Washington Post written by Thomas S. Monson. I believe he suggests the best lesson we could possibly take from that experience.

Three Things

2011-08-30T14:47:00.004-05:00

I posted once before about Three Things but didn't give the background story. Here it is: One night while Keith and I were engaged he was taking me home after a long, hard day at school and out of the blue he asked for three good things about that day. It caught me off guard, but I came up with them. Ever since then, near the end of the day (especially on either particularly bad or good days) one of us will often say to the other "three things." The other person is then supposed to tell about three good things about that day and (because we are uber-romantic like that) one thing we love about the other person. Then the person who asked does the same.

So that is the story and here are today's Three Things:

1. Jogging/walking this morning on the Lake Johnson trail. It was one of those really enjoyable jogs when it felt great just to be out moving. Also, I love all of the birds I see along the trail. And I love my jogging buddy (even if he does always fall asleep by the time we are done).

2. Nutella on homemade banana bread. Banana bread never had it so good.

3. The excitement of seeing loads of family in just a couple of days! Yippee for Liz and Cory!

What are your three things today?

Hi There

2011-08-29T15:39:00.005-05:00

Click to enlarge

Yep we are still here. We survived the earthquake and hurricane without to much drama and are getting settled here in Raleigh. I am just glad to not have to face another move in the near future! We have been busy finding our way around (church, school, metabolic clinic, stores, etc), emptying boxes (i.e. making toys for Charlie), and getting rid of yet more stuff (nothing like moving to give you the urge to purge). In short we are keeping busy.

Charlie loves exploring the new place (he has become fascinated with shiny door handles and faucets) but is increasingly frustrated with his lack of mobility. This in turn makes me frustrated with his fussiness whenever I walk across the room.

So sorry for the silence (if anyone is still there). I promise to get back in the swing of things soon.

Arrived

2011-08-15T09:46:00.003-05:00

We made it! We pulled out of St. Louis Thursday evening and (six states later) arrived at our new home Saturday afternoon. Charlie was an absolute champ but is glad to be out of the car seat. I brought along two new toys (a set of plastic keys and a plastic container filled with objects (key, marble, etc.)) and when all else failed to keep him happy those novel (to him) toys would do the trick.

With the help from one awesome guy from the ward here we got unloaded by Saturday night. Although we were a bit disheveled (anyone know which box the iron is in?), we made it to church the next morning and are excited for our new ward. There were a few other new people there starting school at NCSU as well and LOTS of young families. We took a short drive that afternoon over to campus to try to orient ourselves a bit before Keith had to dive right in with meetings today.

The relative drop in heat (although not in humidity) already has me liking this place. And if that wasn't enough take a look at these pics:

These are the views from our little deck attached to our apartment. Trees! Trees! Trees! Hooray for living adjacent to a forest again! (I grew up next to one). It is so nice and quiet except for the lovely birds.

In short, it is a great area, nice apartment, and we are excited for our new adventure!

Moving

2011-08-11T13:00:00.001-05:00

Top center: Charlie on the brink of mobility. Top right: my last shipment of milk to the Mother's Milk Bank (since Charlie was born I have donated about 28 gallons, yikes!). The rest: Charlie is happiest with a full tummy and boxes to play with.

Good-bye St. Louis! NC here we come! The truck is loaded and we are headed east!

Love and Marriage, Love and Marriage, Goes Together Like a Horse and Carriage

2011-08-09T13:44:00.003-05:00

We are still in the thick of packing and cleaning; but I had to take a moment to share with you today's post from a blog I follow. If you are impatient for the good stuff, just scroll down to the second section (the part under the second photo).

Here is the post.

Keith and I often say that we are still in the "honeymoon stage" (we aren't going to let it end). I think what this guy wrote about his wife comes the closest to describing the feeling: "If I could have another first kiss in exchange for a second of what we have now, I wouldn't take it."

I didn't know it could be this good.

P.S. Less than a month! I am so excited for Liz and Cory!

Packing

2011-08-04T11:00:00.000-05:00

It's that time again! Boxes are being pulled out from under the bed and filled with our worldly possessions. Thankfully we unpacked minimally over the summer so there is not too much to do. Not having finals and graduation right before moving also makes this move comparatively easier than the last. It is all relative though, I still hate moving. One week and we are outta here!

After planning for years, we are happy to be on our way. PhD school: here we come!

Charlie Bit Me

2011-08-02T15:30:00.002-05:00

Charlie's fourth tooth broke through today (his seventh month birthday). I know you all have seen this but I think of it every time I nurse these days. "Charlie! That really hurt!"

Just call me Iron Chef Katie

2011-07-30T13:40:00.002-05:00

Last Saturday Keith, Charlie, and I attended a free PKU event/cooking class at the cooking school here in St. Louis (L'Ecole Culinaire). In a word, it was awesome. I had been incredibly excited for this ever since we got the invitation in the mail over a month ago. We started off by having low-phe snacks and while we got a chance to meet others in the group. Their were PKU'ers ranging from 5 weeks old to adults. Talking with others about PKU without having to give the back story (what it is, how we deal, etc) was simply wonderful. It did good things for my heart to talk with others who had "been there, done that" with PKU and lived to tell about it.

One of my biggest fears with PKU has been that it would hold us back from doing what we want with life. It did me a world of good to meet teenagers that did school sports, families that traveled internationally, and others who didn't let PKU interfere with living their life.

Side note: the lady in the picture above is married to a man with a different metabolic disorder that also requires a low-protein diet. Too much of a different amino acid would leave him blind. There are only 150 known cases in the world. Yep, 150. When I learned that I thought two things: 1)everyone has something (I am realizing this more everyday), and 2) count your blessings.

After getting to know people and listening to some presentations on possible medical treatments for PKU and how to make the PKU diet as nutritious as possible, it was on to the cooking! Chef Jeff divided us into groups and gave us pointers as we worked on several low-protein recipes. All ingredients could be found in local stores (a plus as a lot of PKU-approved food is special order only) and the food was delicious! A couple of my favorites were the potato salad (I don't care for potato salads but this was great, and no mayo), and the grilled portobello salad with roasted red pepper dressing. Yum!

Iron Chef Keith with Sous Chef Charlie (Charlie got a little apron too but it didn't fit.)

All in all it was a great experience. Incredibly yummy food, good info, and people that I connected with instantly. Wonderful.

The Arch

2011-07-21T11:34:00.002-05:00

Our time in St. Louis is drawing to a close. (It has been a crazy quick summer!) We couldn't leave St. Louis without a trip to a place that is on all of the postcards though. The Arch.

My dad likes to say that St. Louis built the arch so that the sun would have something to set behind. While sometimes it does seem that way (not a mountain in sight) the idea actually began because the riverfront was rather unsightly and needed some sprucing up. So St. Louis decided to build a monument. As St. Louis was the starting point for many westward explorers (Including Lewis and Clark), the arch was built to symbolize the westward expansion of the U.S. Beneath the arch is a museum operated by the National Park Service which chronicles the Lewis and Clark expedition and the exploration and settling of the west. It is the first time (at least that I remember) that I have had to go through a metal detector and bag check to enter a national park. No ice axes in this park!

Across the street from the arch is the old courthouse where the Dred Scott case (which was instrumental in starting the Civil War) began.

Trivia fact: the arch is the same length across the base as it is tall. It just looks taller than wide because it tapers as it goes up.

Fabulous Feet

2011-07-18T18:49:00.003-05:00

Charlie's seemingly endless fascination with his hands is waning. The reason: he has discovered his fabulous feet. I must admit, I think they are rather great myself.

They are his new favorite toy while on his back. If he catches them out of the corner of his eye while eating he must stop and watch them wiggle for several minutes before resuming his meal. I don't have a picture (yet) but lately he bends over while sitting up and sucks on his big toe. Part of me wishes I was flexible enough to do that. My favorite part of his foot fascination: making him laugh when I wiggle mine.

The end.

Little Piggy and Charlie Chuckles

2011-07-16T10:01:00.002-05:00

I really don't like listening to a recording of my voice, especially when it is a silly voice. However, Charlie has four wonderful grandparents, and this is for them.

Just Fishin'

2011-07-14T14:03:00.008-05:00

This video made me smile, and gave me a lump in my throat too. Thanks for taking me fishing Dad.

Get Out of Town

2011-07-11T13:25:00.010-05:00

On Saturday we spent the day at the Shaw Nature Reserve. It was the first place we have gone here where we didn't feel like we were in a city (read: where we could go for hours and not see people). Needless to say, it was really nice.
And no, I don't purposely give Charlie carabiners to chew on, he grabbed that while we were packing for the day. His first two teeth popped through within two days of each other last week so he is serious about his teething rings.

Swimming

2011-07-09T12:33:00.000-05:00

Our apartment complex has a pool which is great when the weather is soooo hot and even better with Charlie.
The first time we went it was overcast and Charlie was a bit skeptical so he just stomped around on the step.

Since then he has enjoyed getting pulled around so he can look at the reflections in the water.

Sometimes he gets a bit too intent on looking and dips his face in. It doesn't seem to phase him too much though; he just smacks his lips and smiles.

He LOVES sitting by the water feature and feeling the rushing water pouring over the rocks. I can just see his little mind working: rapids!

And of course: splashing!

I love our little adventures!

He don't eat no meat?

2011-07-08T11:50:00.008-05:00

Recognize the movie line?

Yummy Chickpea and Quinoa Salad from here.

Over the last couple of years Keith and I have made half-hearted attempts to eat lower on the food chain (i.e. more vegetarian). We aren't opposed to killing animals for food (I was raised on a sheep farm) but have been motivated to eat less meat for other reasons. One, because the less meat we all eat the more food there is to go around (it takes a lot less land to produce a pound of non-meat protein than meat protein). Two, because it is healthier. And three, because we are commanded to do so.

We made efforts now and again to create vegetarian meals but laziness always over came me and eventually I would resort to the old chicken stand-by. Coming up with non-boring vegetarian meals took more effort and creativity than I previously thought. It also required buying ingredients that I wasn't used to having on hand. I would rationalize by telling myself that we didn't eat meat every meal so it was okay.

The closer Charlie comes to eating "grown-up food" the more I realize that I need to learn a new way of cooking. His diet will be way more restrictive than a vegetarian diet (no dairy, beans, eggs, tofu, whole grains, etc) but if I can become comfortable with planning vegetarian meals it will make it easier on Charlie and me.

So lately I have been expanding my culinary horizons. I have cracked open and explored some new (an old but rarely used) cook books and have done some digging on the internet. I am experimenting with quinoa salads, roasted vegetable dishes, vegetarian soups, bean salads, and more. I try to make at least one (hopefully a few) really low protein dishes and then one protein rich dish. That way when Charlie is older he can eat all but one thing on the table and Keith and I will still be getting the protein we need.

I have a long way to go but I am finding that the switch isn't as hard as I thought. Yes it is taking more planning and effort but that is okay. All of those ingredients that I didn't have before, I am slowly accumulating and they will become the staples of my pantry.

It feels good to know that our meals are becoming a bit healthier for us and a bit better for the world but I am humbled that it took Charlie to motivate me to change. In so many ways, he has made our lives better than we ever could have imagined.

A Weekend with the Lincolns

2011-07-07T10:10:00.004-05:00

We spent the Independence Day weekend playing tourists in Springfield, IL, former home of Abraham Lincoln. That is where he lived for most of his life and is buried along with his wife and three sons (one son is buried in Arlington). The picture above is from inside the Lincoln Library and Museum (one of the coolest museums I have ever been too). It was more of an experience than just a collection of artifacts. I left with a greater appreciation for this man than I have ever had before.

The National Park Service gives tours through the home the Lincolns lived in for 25 years before moving to the White House. It was really neat to see. The four blocks surrounding it (including the homes) have also been restored and house different exhibits.

We also explored his old law office and the old state capitol building where he practiced law and where he was laid-in-state before burial.

I am always impressed with how unique and lovely old homes are. Not like the cookie cutter neighborhoods of today. The attention to detail and creativity in the wood work was neat to see. Each one was a little different.

Lincolns tomb. Inside the halls are lined with various statues and quotes by Lincoln. I love experiences that really make history mean something to me. Experiences that go beyond the facts and actually teach me something really meaningful. I really got a sense from this weekend that Lincoln isn't just an icon statue. He was just a man who sought and received direction in his life and did the hard tasks that were given him as a result. Because of that he went from an uneducated back woodsman to the man who saved our country from splitting at the seams.

Six Months

2011-07-02T13:21:00.000-05:00

I know every parent says it, but time sure has flown! Charlie is six months old today! Crazy! In someways his birth seems a lifetime ago (especially when I think about how different life was before then), but I still am amazed at the changes that have occurred in such a short time.

He loves exploring with his tongue (and just sticking it out in general).
He has discovered his feet and continues to be fascinated with his hands.

He is happiest when standing or sitting (though he is a bit wobbly).

He is teething and chewing on anything he can get his chubby hands on, and if there is nothing around, his lip will do.

The above statement also means that he is anxious to grab any object within reach (including the camera, I have a lot of shots like this).

He is awesome!

It is a Really Long Beach

2011-07-01T13:02:00.007-05:00

The first weekend that we were in Washington the family went to Long Beach (near where the Columbia River meets the sea, and arguably the longest beach in the world). Keith flew in for a couple of days and joined in on the fun.
This area is where Lewis and Clark first encountered the Pacific Ocean. They too began their journey from St. Louis so I guess you could say we followed their route. Does the use of airplanes make it cheating?

My dear "little" brother. He is not so little anymore but he will always be my little brother.

The Charlies staying out of the wind.

Jaggi, party of three.

While we were there a near by town was holding a garlic festival. In short it was a yummy day.

Garlic ice cream anyone? In full truth, this was not the garlic ice cream. Though I did try some, Alex and I weren't nearly as excited about it as we were about this cherry chocolate wonder.

What a sad little garlic clove.

Garlic and local clams. Oh the joy!

Garlic and roasted corn on the cob. Best-corn-ever.

Brown pelicans on the beach. There were tons of them! I later learned in my bird book that these large flocks are a local wonder.

Fondue night. Sarah and Darren are somewhat of a cheese guru couple. Needless to say, the rest of us reap the rewards.

Bike riding on the dunes, light houses, kites, weird shops (alligator man?), worlds largest frying pan, good food, good people.
Wonderful weekend.

Love these people

2011-06-29T13:01:00.006-05:00

Charlie and I spent two wonderful weeks in Washington with the family (Keith joined us for a weekend trip to Long Beach which is a later post). Liz was leaving for a 14 day trip through the Grand Canyon with Cory and others, and we all got together (minus Joe) to talk wedding stuff, hold babies, and generally have a grand ol' time.

When Charlie and his newest cousin Brooke met for the first time, they didn't seem too sure about each other.

They soon got better acquainted as they got hauled all over town with us.

You can get anything at Costco.

There are new residents at home these days. The sheep have been replaced by a new species of lawn mower: Scottish Highland Cattle. They are very friendly if you have orange peels in hand. The two cows (Jasmine on the right and Rosebud to the left) are both now mommies to bull calves.

Jasmine had hers right before we got there and he got castrated while we were there. We have castrated many lambs in the past but capturing and controlling a big fast calf (while watching out for the momma with horns) put an interesting twist on the process.

Little Brooke was blessed while we were there.

Sarah crocheted her dress and bonnet.

Brooke really is a sweetheart and Sarah and Darren are wonderful and cute parents. Sarah is especially fun to watch as she "gushes" over her precious little bundle.

The sweet ladies in my home ward threw a baby shower for Sarah while I was there. It was so fun to catch-up with people I haven't seen in years and hear about all the wonderful things going on with them.

The best overall part of the trip really was just spending time with family. I love these people so much!

Love you all!

Mystery Flowers

2011-06-28T13:10:00.001-05:00

I was standing in the shampoo section of the grocery store yesterday when a store employee approached me with the above bouquet of flowers and explained to me that someone had bought them and asked her to give them to me. After making sure I understood her, and making sure she had the right person (I was hard to misidentify in my lime green baby carrier), I accepted the flowers. My perplexed mind started turning. Keith (the only one who gets me flowers these days) was the first to come to mind and I called him.

"Are you at Dierbergs?" I inquired skeptically.

As he denied any involvement I heard lab sounds in the background and knew that he was not the mystery man. Besides, he had bought me flowers a few days earlier when I came home from Washington (see below).

Once home I arraigned them on the living room table and smiled as I remembered the sweet older gentleman that had stopped to talk to me at the store. A baby is much more of a novelty here than in Provo, UT and I never get through the grocery store with fewer than three people stopping me to admire Charlie (mostly his cheeks and how happy he is to wander the store with me). Yesterday the last person to stop me before I left was a sweet man I met in the milk section. He was on his way to the register (past the flower section) when we parted. He seemed unusually interested and impressed by Charlie. Maybe it was just the timing, but his interest and our conversation reminded me of my Grandpa Earl who passed away the day before. I like to think that it was both of them who gave me those flowers.

Thank you for brightening my day.

Sweet Reunion

2011-06-27T16:22:00.006-05:00

My sweet Grandpa Earl was reunited with his sweet wife yesterday. I am sure his daughter Nancy and several other relatives were there to greet him as well.

Today I am filled with memories of him. Playing hardball at Shanghai (and then offering to give me cards), watching the birds at the backyard feeder (he could recognize individuals), tending the raspberry bushes, giving us candy behind Mom's back, showing us the backrooms of his store, hugging me and telling me that I was beautiful and to "be a good girl."

Grandpa, I love you. You really were and are the best grandpa ever. You loved Grandma completely and each of your children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. That is so much love for one person to give, and you gave it so well. I miss you, we all do, but we are so happy that you are where you want to be: with Grandma again.

A belated birthday

2011-06-23T02:02:00.004-05:00

Photo by Hardie Photography

I am so blessed in my father-in-law.

Joe is one of the nicest guys I know. He is always thinking of others. He is a caring son, husband, father, and grandpa.

Consulting the bird book at Betsy Lake in the Uintas, 2009.

He is also an impressive birder. I love sharing birding adventures with him and hearing about his latest sightings. He has passed this love onto his grandchildren too.

Our wedding. Photo by Hardie Photography.

His grand-kids love him and have so much fun with him.

Photo by Captured by Dash.

I love his sense of humor.

I love the way he looks for the good in life, enjoys the little things, and loves people. Thanks for being the best father-in-law I could have imagined.

Happy (belated) birthday!

P.S. Keep smiling!

A Day for Dads

2011-06-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

Photo by Hardie Photography

I love dads. Caring, loving, fun, dads. Today is Keith's first Father's Day as a dad and he is already great at it. I have loved watching him sink into this role.

Charlie loves playing with Keith and watching as he walks around the house. They are already great buds.

Photo by Hardie Photography

I am not ashamed to say that I am a Daddy's Girl. I am blessed to have a dad who took me on crazy adventures, taught me life lessons as we fixed fences, looked out for me, and just loved me completely.

I am also blessed to have a father-in-law that treats me as a daughter, looks out for me, talks birds with me, and loves me. I have it on good authority that he would take me over Keith if he had to make the choice (good thing he won't ever have too).

My Grandpa Earl truly exemplifies what it means to be a good dad. He loves Grandma so completely. His children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren love him so much and are blessed by him.

I am thankful for all the great dads out there. They bless the lives of their families more than they probably realize.

These guys make me feel old

2011-06-16T08:00:00.000-05:00

Alex with Charlie, and Josh with Brooke

Alex and Josh are three months apart. I remember when our respective mothers were on bed-rest before they were born. I remember baby-sitting them and changing their diapers. I (along with my sisters) used to dress Alex up in our doll clothes.

They are now holding our babies.

Center of attention

2011-06-14T01:12:00.000-05:00

Charlie and I are in Washington visiting family and meeting Brooke, my new niece. Charlie is loving all of the attention.

His first bath up here in Grandma's kitchen sink was a big affair involving Grandma and both aunts. I almost got elbowed out.

I think he could get used to this.

Addict

2011-06-08T21:59:00.008-05:00

I am addicted to taking flower pictures (I know, no big surprise to you). Our birthday trip (the first of many) to the Missouri Botanical Garden didn't help any. Oh if only I could live there! It is the oldest botanical garden in the world and it is huge! We spent a blissful three hours there and only explored a fraction of it. My pictures don't do it justice (at all) but cutting my collection down to fit on a blog was still painful for me.

Totally awesome flower.

It is one of my life goals to learn more about nature photography. I fiddle around with the manual settings at times in hopes that one day I will get a big girl camera and learn how to use it. I have a long way to go, but I do enjoy it.

The flowers were amazing! We spent most of the time in the Climatron (that just sounds cool) which is a huge glass dome housing a piece of tropical paradise. The variety was astounding.

This is a pitcher plant. Keith and I both think they are one of the coolest plants ever (does that make us nerds?).

One of the things I love about Keith is that he enjoys botanizing (my computer doesn't think that is a word). When we go to places like this (or hiking for that matter) we stop frequently at plants that catch our eye and marvel at the design of the petals, the unique placement of a stamen, or the pattern on the leaves. Most people would get impatient, but Keith enjoys it as much as I do.

Do you see the snakes?

We spent a long time at the above flower.

It is not just the showy flowers that I find fascinating and beautiful either.

I love moss.

I don't know what this one is but I love the checkered pattern.

My fellow botanist and love of my life.

Sweet hollow tree trunk.

Charlie just couldn't keep up with our enthusiasm.

A Birthday Tradition St. Louis Style

2011-06-08T11:12:00.008-05:00

For as long as I can remember I have had strawberry shortcake for my birthday cake. Puyallup valley grows some amazing strawberries. Instead of being tough enough to ship without spoiling, they are small, juicy, and packed with enough flavor that your mouth tingles when you bite into one. The first crop is ready right around my birthday each year. There is nothing better than Mom's shortcake smothered in fresh Puyallup strawberries and homemade whipped cream. Heaven.

St. Louis is home to Ted Drewes Frozen Custard (since 1929). It is a landmark and they sure know how to make frozen custard! It is some good stuff! On a previous stop there I discovered that they have a frozen custard version of strawberry shortcake. It was quickly decided that this year my traditional birthday cake would have a St. Louis twist.

Charlie fell asleep in the car and wanted to stay that way.

Keith was able to go to work late (he made me breakfast, yum) and get home early yesterday (my birthday) so we packed up Charlie and headed downtown.

Here it is! It was SO GOOD! Shortcake topped with strawberries, a huge dollop of their frozen custard, and whipped cream. Yum yum!!! It didn't beat Mom's cake and Puyallup berries, but I am liking this St. Louis version of a tried and true tradition.

P.S. We made our first of many future trips to the Missouri Botanical Garden this weekend to celebrate as well. A post is short-coming.

Big Happy News

2011-06-03T14:40:00.001-05:00

Liz is getting married!!!

On a double date to a Jazz game with Keith and I.
Keith and Cory bonded over their memories of Stockton and Malone. Liz and I bonded over our ignorance of such things (don't they just sell cars?)

His name is Cory. We think he is great. And he will be my newest brother in September!

Cory graduated from BYU this last April as well. He graduated from the law school though.

He is from Logan, Utah and that is where the big event will be held (in the Logan temple to be exact).
Congrats you two! We are so excited!

So much zoo, so little time (Memorial Day Weekend Part 2)

2011-06-02T09:00:00.000-05:00

Baby giraffe.

Saturday evening Keith's brother Paul came for a welcomed visit on short notice. He and his family are en-route to Germany where he will be stationed as a flight nurse in the Air Force for a few years. He is shipping their van there from the port here in St. Louis and stayed with us for the weekend. Sunday was spent at church (we love our ward here!) and playing games at home. Monday, before getting his on a plane to Ohio, we all visited the St. Louis Zoo. Free, huge, and awesome.
I really hope Charlie likes the zoo when he gets a bit older, because I sure do!

He was great though and oh so cool looking. He really likes his sunglasses which surprised me.

This picture is for Dad.

Paul wanted a picture with these critters and Keith was all too happy to oblige him (click on the photo to enlarge).

I love watching the giraffes. So lovely, graceful, yet humorous.

The zebras were lovely too.

It was a hot day and most of the animals were laying out in the shade.

We, especially Keith, loved having an unexpected weekend to spend with Paul before he heads off. It was great.

As for Charlie, all the excitement was too much to handle.

House O' Butterflies (Memorial Day Weekend Part 1)

2011-06-01T09:51:00.005-05:00

We had a fabulous Memorial Day weekend. It was filled with family, new places, animals, and a surprise guest. But you will have to wait for the second half of this two part post to hear about that. To start off, Saturday we went to a ward BBQ and then visited the butterfly house. We had been there once before but the camera battery died (sad day!) and so we had to return (twist my arm).

In the spirit of full disclosure the reason the weekend is split into two posts is because I couldn't narrow down the pictures to one post. It is a problem.

Some of the pictures are a bit fuzzy looking because of the high humidity level that they keep in the butterfly house. It feels very tropical. The warmth plus Keith's walking put Charlie to sleep quite quickly.

There were beautiful butterflies and flowers everywhere! Over 200 species of butterflies live in the house (which is more like a big greenhouse).

This moment allowed me to cross Life Goal #95 off of my list (I have 100 written, and no, they are not being crossed off in order, I have way more than 5 left). I have always wanted to have a butterfly land on me. This little one fluttered around and landed on me for several minutes. It is such a little thing but it made me giddy anyway.

Our butterfly friend visited Keith and Charlie as well.

There were AMAZING flowers there! It made me really want to visit somewhere tropical.

P.S. The one picture we did get the first time we visited the butterfly house was of Keith and Charlie in the middle of hundreds of cockroaches. Lovely.

Stay tuned for more weekend goodness!

Me and Him, Him and I

2011-05-25T10:39:00.005-05:00

Thanks for the challenge Whit.

For a little while Charlie willingly took pictures with me. (Onesie from Keith's trip to D.C.)

But only for a little while. He soon said "okay, enough pictures."

I asked nicely though, so we rolled over and he cooperated for one more.

Charlie: "Alright, Mom. That is all you get."

To seal it he spit-up on his shirt. So I took it off and he went back to playing. But I just had to sneak in for a few more.

Charlie: "Mom, I am playing here. Can you get out of the way?"

Me: "Okay, Charlie. Just one more quick one..."

Charlie: "Ugh. I give up."

He was watching me skeptically the rest of the day.

P.S. I don't know why, but Keith and I have a lot of fun putting words into Charlie's mouth.

Surrounded by geneticists

2011-05-21T09:30:00.000-05:00

Besides his dad, Charlie has another geneticist in his life. Aside from his weekly blood tests, Charlie has a visit with the geneticist at the metabolic clinic every few months. His last one was this week. He doesn't seem to mind the check-ups too much as he (and his cheeks) get a lot of attention from the nurses.

He seems to know that he has a way with the ladies.

After being weighted and measured we wait. Charlie chews on his hands (his go-to form of self entertainment these days)

and plays with Dad.

Though if you make him wait too long he gets cranky.

After a long talk with the dietitian, and a check-up and discussion with the geneticist, we headed down the hall to the lab to get his weekly blood test.

All I have to say about this part is that there are good phlebotomists and bad ones. I absolutely adore the good ones and think the bad ones should stay the heck away from my child! This week we had a bad one. I won't even go into what we are paying to get his blood taken each week. Let us just say that the medical system needs an overhaul.

What we learned:
As of now (we won't know for certain until he is about two) it looks like Charlie has a medium to low tolerance for phenylalanine. If we were to guesstimate we would say that he is looking at about 6.5 grams of protein a day for the rest of his life.

Breast milk has different amounts of protein for different ages of the nursing baby. The amount of protein decreases steadily between birth and sixth months. We don't know what it does after that.

The important stuff:
Charlie is doing great. We are still working on getting his levels stable but we are close.

Welcome to the World

2011-05-20T08:41:00.005-05:00

The Jaggi family has another member. Brooke Elizabeth came into the world yesterday afternoon at 9lbs 14oz.

I can't stop looking at the pictures of my new niece. She is precious. Sarah and Darren: I am so very thrilled for you both. Sweet Brooke is blessed to have come to you.

I Love Saturdays

2011-05-14T11:30:00.006-05:00

Playing with sun spots earlier this week.

We woke up to a soggy morning. Fat drops of rain slipped off the leaves outside and plopped in puddles on the saturated ground. I woke up slowly and listened to Charlie on the baby monitor cooing at his mobile in the other room.
I took my time getting out of the cozy bed and going in to get him. When I did he greeted me with a grin and a laugh. We stared sleepily out the window at the wet world as his special formula heated up.
After his breakfast, he laid on his play mat and watched me make German pancakes. We danced to Tyrone Wells on Pandora. Keith made Charlie laugh over and over again.

Guess the movie: "I have a big head, and little arms!"

This afternoon we are all going to the Science Center. Sometimes I wish Saturdays could last a whole week.

Were you aware?

2011-05-12T10:01:00.001-05:00

Guess what I just found out! May is National PKU Awareness Month! Were you aware of that?

In the next few weeks I will bring to your awareness other PKU related things as well as give some Charlie PKU updates (exciting, no?).

In the mean time here is a video made by a mom of a little girl (named Katy :) ) with PKU. It is a bit goofy (she admits it), but it explains PKU a bit and what it means on the day-to-day.

Enjoy!

4 Months

2011-05-08T09:00:00.002-05:00

Charlie is four months old! It really is crazy how fast those months have gone by. Just crazy. He has changed from this tiny little baby who sleeps all the time to this sweet little person who is incredibly observant and interactive. We love him!

He has turned into quite the chunk. (If I had a dollar for every time a stranger told me that...) He loves looking at trees and the light as it shines through the leaves. He loves our walks and all there is to see on them.

I never get tired of kissing and munching on those sweet cheeks.

He is quite the talker. He can go on and on by himself or hold a long conversation with you.

He is a pretty good listener too.

He is still a great sleeper (10 hours at night, hooray!).

His newest joy is laughing with his reflection in his toy mirror during tummy time. He also loves "standing" on our laps and looking around with his new perspective.
We are still learning, but life with this little guy is sweet.

Graduation Take Two

2011-05-07T09:42:00.007-05:00

Keith and I graduated and walked together for the second time just two weeks ago (sorry for the post delay, moving happened). Getting a master's degree was, at one point, something that I thought was a pipe dream for me. It was hard but it was great. I think one of the best things that I got from the experience is an increased confidence in myself. More so than from any other achieved goal in my life, getting this degree proves in my mind that I can do really hard things. I can stretch myself further than I previously thought possible, and succeed.

The whole experience was made all the better by going through it with Keith. He was like my personal coach and tutor.

Liz also graduated with her master's degree in business and is off to work at Amazon after a couple months of celebrating (China, rafting, long bike trips, etc).

The two of us are the first women in our family to get master's degrees. (Graduation robes are fun and funky, but not flattering).

We have been so blessed to have the support of family, especially after sweet Charlie arrived. Grandma Merrill and Charlie have grown quite close as she took care of him while I was in class and preparing to defend my thesis.

We crossed paths with the Madsens after commencement. Their sweet little family is headed off to Texas this week. The last of the original roomies have left Provo. It is the end of an era.

Meet me in St. Louie

2011-05-03T17:10:00.004-05:00

We have made it to St. Louis (just a few days shy of the tornadoes) and have begun settling in and finding our way around.

Keith and Dad drove the moving truck and moved the boxes into the apartment. They rock.

Charlie and I followed a few days later via airplane through Chicago. Charlie did great on his first flights. I got many compliments on how great he was from flight attendants and fellow passengers. That made me happy but I was glad to have it over with.

Keith got the TV working just in time for me to watch the royal wedding on our second full day in St. Louis. I admit all unpacking came to a halt (for me at least).

Keith has started his internship and is liking it. We went to the hospital and found the lab (Charlie will be getting his blood tests done there instead of at home because it is so close, but the are only once a week now!!!) and met Charlie's new dietician. Things are mostly unpacked and with flowers on the table it is feeling homey.

Oh, and I saw my first Northern Cardinal!

This guy needs a nick-name

2011-05-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

Little brothers often get a bad rap, but Shawn is a pretty swell guy.

Our wedding, 2009

He is a cutie.

Mormon Trail Wagon Train, 1997

He is a great friend to his brothers.

Payson Canyon, 2005

He is adventurous in so many aspects of life.

Uintas, 2009

But he knows when to take it easy too.

He is fascinated by different cultures and amazing at learning languages. He can hold a conversation in Spanish, Russian, Arabic, and sometimes English.

But don't be fooled, he is cool enough to keep the nerdiness to a minimum.

He is a fabulous son, brother, and uncle.

We love him.

(Shortened version: Shawn called Charlie "Beaver" before he was born and randomly found this beaver bunting (complete with beaver teeth) and gave it to us for Christmas. I really almost died laughing. I guess you had to be there.)

Happy Birthday Shawn!

Dad

2011-04-29T18:10:00.005-05:00

Keith and I named sweet Charlie after my wonderful dad.

2011

I am blessed to be his daughter.

2009

I love his adventurous spirit and his love of God's creations.

Patagonia, 2008

He loves and has built a great marriage with Mom.

Andes, 2008

He takes his kids fishing. That sounds like a little thing, but it is not.

Bowron Lakes, Canada, 2006

He loves the good and simple things in life (like finding a ripe blackberry bush on his walk home through the woods).

Patagonia, 2008

He keeps friends for life.

Dad and Steve, Colorado River, Grand Canyon, 2002
(Dad and Steve climbed Denali when I was little. While there they decided that the next trip they took needed to be someplace warm. After that they got on the waiting list to raft the Grand Canyon).

He spends quality time with us kids and teaches us about everything from physics to gospel principles.

He is courageous.

He helps each of us reach our full potential in whatever we choose to do.

Dad and daughters on the summit of Rainier, 2001.

Dad and sons on summit of Rainier, 2010.

I love you Dad.

Happy Birthday!

Sweet Bug

2011-04-26T13:12:00.003-05:00

I love my dear little brother Alex; even if he isn't so "little" anymore.

Colorado River, Grand Canyon, 2002.

He will always be "Bug" to me. (The story behind that nick-name might embarrass him as a now grown teenager, so I will resist from telling it in a public setting like this).

Wonderland Trail, Mt. Rainier, 2000. If you look closely on the hillside behind him there is a black bear headed downhill.

He has always been a trooper when it has come to his older siblings. (We dressed him up in doll clothes when he was a baby).

Sledding in the back pasture.

He is great at making friends.

He is smart and a hard worker. I am so impressed with the grit he has shown in is tough classes this year.

Bowron Lakes, Canada

He is a genuinely happy guy that can always make me smile.

He is a great person to have around when there is work to be done.

He cleans up pretty well too. (In truth I just had to put this picture in here because it is cute and it amazes me how much he has grown the last few years).

He has a bit of an attitude though that keeps you on your toes.

Slick Rock, Utah, 2005

He is ALWAYS up for an adventure.

Summit of Rainier, 2010.

In short he is amazing. I am constantly impressed with the wonderful guy this little brother of mine is turning into. I love him so very much!

Happy Birthday Bug!

Not the average anniversary

2011-04-26T13:06:00.003-05:00

August 2008, our first date

Yesterday was our second anniversary. I spent it running last minute errands in Provo and Keith spent it driving a U-Haul across Colorado and Kansas with my dad. Tomorrow Charlie and I will meet him in S. Louie.

Thanks for the most wonderful two years, Keith. I am a stronger, happier, better woman with you. I love you!

All Together

2011-04-14T15:21:00.009-05:00

Keith's older brother Paul, his wife Jenae, and their three cute kids have been staying with his parents for the last week. It has been awesome to have so much family around.

We love visiting in the evenings. Charlie watches wide-eyed as his cousins run around. I think he is excited (and a bit worried) to join the fray. He likes it when Katelyn, Tanner, and Trevor come over to him and pat his tummy and pet his head ever so softly.

With uncles around, wrestling matches are sure to begin. I think Keith lost this one.

Shawn gave the boys wrestling masks that he picked up in Mexico which prompted growling, muscle flexing, and Keith jumping in to help Tanner pin Shawn. Sometimes the difference between big boys and little boys is slight.

Trevor played it safe and helped Grandpa with dinner.

This weekend we found a precious break in the snow and rain to take family pictures. Paul is in the Air Force and is being transferred from his nursing post in Texas to Germany where he will be a flight nurse. They will be there for three to four years, the same amount of time that we will be in North Carolina, so it will be a while before there is another complete Merrill family picture.

In between shots Keith had the job of keeping little Charlie warm.

Shawn had the job of keeping the other kids entertained and happy. Adding kids to big family pictures definitely makes the experience a bit more exciting, but we got some good ones. For a sneak peak you can go here. We got a big family picture and some of the three of us too.

Monday Keith and I joined Paul, Jenae, and the kids in the park. Keith and Paul played a couple rounds of Frisbee golf (I don't have enough patience for that game) and Jenae and I hung out at the big toy with the kids. As such I didn't get any pictures of Keith and Paul at the park. Luckily for us a photographer for The Daily Herald followed them around the course taking pictures for an article on people enjoying the spring weather. Not a groundbreaking news report, but some pictures of Keith and Paul showed up the next day in the newspaper. This is one of them.

Katelyn is amazing at making friends. She found a bunch of new ones at the park and played with them most of the time.

Tanner loved the swings.

Trevor mostly liked exploring...

...and hanging out with Mom.

Charlie stayed close to his mom too.

Paul left for training yesterday and Jenae and the kids are staying with his parents in Orem while he is gone and before they leave for Germany. It is so nice to have family nearby; we will all miss them.

P.S. Classes are over, my final paper is turned in, and my last final EVER is on Saturday. We are so close!
P.P.S. I have only packed one box. Yikes!

Her children arise up, and call her blessed

2011-04-11T10:37:00.005-05:00

Sixty wonderful years ago today, my dear mother was born.

The world is a better place because of it.

I love her energetic spirit.

Slick Rock, Utah 2005

They way she leads and guides her children, always encouraging us.

Captaining the "Banana Peel". Colorado River through Grand Canyon, 2003

She doesn't let circumstances hold her back and keep her from living life to the fullest.

Trekking in Patagonia with a bad knee, 2008. It got replaced less than a year later and she is still going.

She never stops doing what she loves...

Rock Climbing in the Tetons, 2010. Mom and Dad spent much of their dating days climbing in the Tetons. Dad says that Mom was beautiful to watch climbing because she made it look like a dance.

...and now she brings the family along!

Middle Teton, 2010

No matter what her age, she always is young at heart.

Wenatchee River, WA, 2007.

She loves Dad and together they are a great team. They have been my greatest examples of how to create a happy marriage and life together. What a blessing they are to me!

Our wedding, 2009

She serves and serves and serves those around her. When Charlie was born early she got another plane ticket and stayed through the NICU stay and for weeks afterward. She got up with him at night, hauled our laundry through the snow to wash it at the laundromat, cooked, and cleaned. Most importantly she helped me adjust to this new life of being a mother and gave me hugs when I needed them.

With Charlie, January 2011.

Thank you Mom for who you are and they way you live your life. I am blessed to be your daughter.

Happy Birthday!

Our Weekend

2011-04-05T11:24:00.005-05:00

This weekend was our last Conference Weekend in Utah for the foreseeable future, so we spent it with our wonderful Utah family.

Friday night and Saturday we stayed with Patti and Paul and their wonderful kids. Charlie loved playing with sweet Emily.

We spent Sunday over at Grandma and Grandpa Merrill's where Charlie got lots of attention. Grandpa played a game with Charlie where he would start from across the room with tickle fingers out and slowly make his way across the room to tickle Charlie. After a few rounds Charlie would squirm and smile in anticipation when Grandpa was only halfway across the room.

Uncle Shawn was there too. We only have a couple of more weeks with this guy!

Charlie got Grandma time too and Ginger was jealous.

Conference weekend wouldn't be complete without an in-between-sessions nap.

A few conference gems:

-Often times answers to prayers come when we are on our feet (serving) rather than on our knees.

-Don't resent the very trials that help us reach our divine potential.

-As we do our best, and do what is right, we can be confident that God will guide our steps, even if it is so delicate that we do not recognize it at the time.

-The atonement is there so we do not need to suffer the full weight of our sins. We can heal spiritual pain through the atonement.

-No woman should ever feel the need to apologize for choosing to be a homemaker and to not work outside of the home. Their work in the home is the most important.

-Each child is born with challenges to overcome and faith to be developed.

Sweet Sarah

2011-03-25T10:00:00.002-05:00

Sarah is one of the most infectiously happy people I know. She can find the good and joyful in any situation.

Bowron Lakes, Canada
That trip had a lot of not-so-great parts (mosquitos, rain, portaging loaded canoes up hill, etc). It was still great though and Sarah helped make it so.

She is so responsible and reliable.

Sarah sticking with the boat, Wenatchee River, 2004

But you need to keep an eye out for her mischievous side.

Wenatchee River, 2005. I probably deserved what I had coming.

She LOVES seasons. Especially fall and spring. I think of her every time I see fall leaves or daffodils.

Nebo Loop Fall 2006

She is determined. The three of us sisters were sharing this tent on the Bowron Lakes trip. It had seen its fair shares of adventures over the twenty some years Dad had it and it was getting a bit nasty. The mud of this trip wasn't helping either. Sarah made up her mind to clean it and dove right in. It was heroic really.

Bowron Lakes

She is encouraging and uplifting. I always feel better after a chat with Sarah. It is fool proof. This picture is of my first time summiting Rainier. Sarah and Liz cheered me on every step of the way.

Liz, Dad, Sarah, Me. Mt. Rainier 2002

She is creative.

Knitting Charlie a bunting, January 2011.

In short she is a great sister and friend. The Littlest Jaggi is going to be blessed to have her as a mother.

January 2011

Happy Birthday Sarah!

Good Day

2011-03-24T14:11:00.004-05:00

Three things:

Laughing with Keith as we watched our blinds blow in the wind this morning. (Our windows were closed. Gotta love Wymount).

Charlie's shirt says "I'm super awesome like Daddy"

Dancing to Jack Johnson in the living room this afternoon with Charlie. His big blue eyes scanned the room as we twirled and rocked, but they always came back to me with a smile.

Liz and Charlie January 2011

Lizzy is coming over for the basketball game this evening. I remember when she was a teenager and she decided that she wanted to be called "Elizabeth." I had a hard time with that and she told me that I could be the exception and still call her "Lizzy." I sure am going to miss her.

What are your three things today?