RoseGarden

Isaac's Birthday

2010-05-09T19:34:00.000-07:00

Next stop, Isaac's 1st birthday! I can't believe my baby is 1! He's such a little man now. Isaac, you are a fantastic son, and I love you so much! You have brought such happiness to us, and have the most delightful personality. Everyone you come across is smitten instantly with your charming smile, and playfully shy attitude. Love you lil' Ike.

For Isaac's birthday we went to the farm with Ken, Kate and Jared when all of the baby animals were around. It was a fun adventure, and worked wonders for wearing the kids out in time for naps. Wahoo!
Later that afternoon he got to open his presents...
...and eat some CAKE! He was loving it, and begged for more when he finished his piece.Luckily no broken bones this birthday, although the poor kid went in for surgery to get tubes in his ears the day before. What a trooper.

Playing Catch-up

2010-05-09T19:12:00.000-07:00

With everything going on while Paul has been away, blogging has been rather low on my to-do list. My moments of free time have been minimal, miniscule, micro, next to nil etc etc, but I have a moment now and thought I'd try to catch up on some of what's been going on in the Rose household.

First off we had a birthday bash for Aaron, who turned three in March. He is getting to be so grown up now, and is a delight to have in the family. Aaron, you are the biggest sweetheart and I can't tell you how much I love being your mom. We are so blessed to have you with us. You brighten my days, and give me plenty of reasons to smile. What a character, and a joy.

We had some unexpected excitement the evening of his birthday, when Logan accidentally fell on Isaac. I don't think I have ever heard Isaac scream like he did then. Turns out, his leg was broken. More specifically, a growth plate in his left femur. Poor kid had yet another trip to the ER for an x-ray and a splint. His leg has healed now, but sometimes he still crawls with his leg splayed out at a funny angle as if he still has the splint on. It is pretty funny to watch.
Then the next day, Aaron fell off the teeter totter and gained a scrape from his forehead to his chin.
I think I am ready for all of the excitement to die down. I don't know if the kids will survive this time that daddy is away!

Happy 30th Birthday Paul!

2010-02-05T17:29:00.000-08:00

Wow! 30 years old! One more decade down. Since I can't be in Iraq with him to celebrate, I will instead devote this blog to Paul with 30 things I love about him. If you're not interested in reading mushy stuff, might as well check back later when we have more silly pictures of the boys. This one is for my hubby!

1. I love his smile that stretches from ear to ear.
2. I love it when he laughs so hard he throws his head back.
3. I love that he is so easy to read. His face is very expressive!
4. I love that he is handy. He can fix about anything.
5. I love how well he takes care of his family. He works so hard for us, and I know it.
6. I love that he is tuned in to what other people are thinking and feeling. He senses things.
7. I love that he honors his priesthood and covenants.
8. I love how interested he is in other people. He truly cares.
9. I love his strong testimony in the gospel of Jesus Christ. He is a rock.
10. I love that he is always trying to be better.

11. I love how observant he is. He notices the things that I do for him and the family.
12. I love it when he holds me in his arms and just lets me cry when I need to.
13. I love him for helping around the house. He does dishes, changes diapers, vacuums, brushes teeth etc. etc. etc.
14. I love that he wants to take us places. Whether it is the park down the street or to Europe, he is constantly looking for memories to make.
15. I love it that he is such a great daddy. He loves our little boys and lets them know it.
16. I love what a great listener he is.
17. I love that I can ask him anything and he knows the answers. He is a walking encyclopedia.
18. I love how much he makes me laugh.
19. I love him for being such an optimist. He never complains, even when I wish he would!

20. I love it how he motivates me to be a better person.
21. I love how he makes others feel comfortable around him.
22. I love how he treats his mom. He is a good son.
23. I love watching his golf swing. It is such a fluid graceful motion.
24. I love that he is so good at what he does. He is a fantastic dentist.
25. I love that he sits down and watches chick-flicks with me. He may not love them himself, but he knows I do and the gesture means a lot.
26. I love the exact blue-green of his eyes. I hope one of our kids gets them.
27. I love that he is a Jack-of-all-trades. He's good at just about anything he takes up.
28. I love his eye for aesthetics. He has good taste.
29. I love his focus and determination. He will succeed in anything he does.
30. I love how much he loves me too.

HAPPY 30th BIRTHDAY PAUL! I love you so much, and am grateful for your birth! Be safe and come home to us soon!

Isaac is crawling!

2010-02-01T20:57:00.000-08:00

I know his crawling means things are going to get tougher around here, but I just can't help but be excited for him! I'm a proud mama!

Squash

2010-01-16T19:02:00.000-08:00

We have been letting Isaac try new foods lately, with some rather comical results at times. Here is our attempt with home-cooked squash.

...and just to add some more humor to the post, here are some more fun pictures of our little guy.
Does this mean he's rooting for Edward?

Isaac is now our third son to wear this old shirt of Paul's, from when he was a baby. I wish I could post them all up together, but alas our computer is in storage.

Christmas 2009

2009-12-26T20:14:00.000-08:00

It's about time I started posting again, and what a better time to post than Christmastime!

The boys loved decorating the Christmas tree. It was so funny to see only the bottom half decorated, because that was all they could reach. Aaron took preference to some of the branches which became heavily laden with the ornaments he crowded on there.

Gingerbread house decorating has become a tasty tradition. Most of the candy ended up in their mouths instead of on the house.

Another tradition is opening up new jammies on Christmas Eve. They were a HUGE hit since they sponsored the boys favorite things: Lego Star Wars, and Buzz Lightyear. Aaron's nose looks a little funny in this picture because he smashed it earlier that day falling down some cement stairs head first. We were afraid he broke his nose, but it seems to be okay now.

Our live nativity. This is the third Christmas I have had a baby boy around, which makes the season feel special to me. It makes it really easy to imagine the baby Jesus, which leaves me wanting to snuggle my baby warm and tight.

Couldn't resist a blackmail picture. He's just so cute I couldn't help myself!

Honestly, though, it's been a rather blue Christmas. I miss my honey, and my heart ached for him knowing he was spending Christmas without his family. I love you, Paul! These blogs are for you too now! May they serve as a journal of your time away, and bring a smile to your face as you see your sweet children. You've got good genes, love! :-)

Farewell IN Arms

2009-11-30T20:32:00.000-08:00

It actually happened. Today is the day I have been dreading for months. Today I had to say goodbye to my husband. He is being deployed to Iraq until July 2010. I have heard from many that "seven months isn't too bad" or "at least he's a only a dentist." Well, it's a long time to me. Keep him in your prayers, he certainly will be in mine.

New York, NY

2009-10-17T18:02:00.000-07:00

We are becoming very aware that our time out East is drawing to a quick close. Before we finish our time out here, we wanted to take a few special trips. On our list, the Big Apple! We had one full day to take a go at New York City.

The Empire State Building

Times Square

We also had to stop by the M&M store downtown.

This Chewbacca is made all of Legos at the F A O Schwartz toy store.

This is the whole reason Rebecca wanted to go to New York. To play on the big piano that you see in the movie "Big" at F A O Schwartz. She's even attempting Chopsticks.

We even got to meet the friendly neighborhood Spiderman.

By the end of the day we were too tired to get much closer to the Statue of Liberty, so the little speck in the distance would have to do.

By the end of the day the kids were exhausted, as evidenced by the awkward position Aaron fell asleep in. Even little Isaac was all tuckered out. Man, it sure is rough being carried around all day!

What a trip!

Our Bargain Baby

2009-09-26T13:40:00.000-07:00

Look closely...

What do these items have in common?

2009-09-06T16:34:00.000-07:00

Oh to be a kid again

2009-08-23T17:06:00.000-07:00

We've been having fun lately, and here are the pics to prove it.

"Look mommy! Haven't chopped my fingers off yet!" The boys were playing dress-up at the children's museum in Fayetteville NC.

More dress-up. This time as Obi-wan Kenobi and Darth Vader.

Isaac helping me with my laundry.

Isaacs first passport photo.

I had to hold him up high against a wall and duck out of sight. It wore my arms out!

Checking out the marshes of Roosevelt Island. We saw frogs and turtles and bugs bugs bugs. Everyday I hear a particular phrase countless times from Aaron:

"OOOOH, A BUG! I get a tissue! Got da bug mommy! I go frow away"

Hey, whatever makes the kid happy, right?

Project

2009-08-23T16:43:00.000-07:00

My latest project:

SUPERHERO CAPES. DA da-da-DA!

The capes are reversible. The superman and batman cape are really one cape. Same for the blue and green one.

2 happy boys!

I Passed!!!

2009-08-23T16:29:00.000-07:00

Here's another shameless showoff moment. I passed my grad school competencies, and got straight A's to boot! I am now officially all done with the coursework for my master's in professional counseling. On to the internship....

Philadelphia

2009-08-09T14:39:00.000-07:00

Now that our time is limited on the east coast, we've started making a list of the remaining places we would like to see before we leave. Good ol' Philly was on the list, so we made a day of it. And here are the pictoral results...

Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence was signed (for those of you who, like me, are not great with your American history).

Liberty Bell. Sure brought up memories of National Treasure.

Logan got to sit with his old bud, Benjamin Franklin. This picture was actully taken just a few feet from where Ben Franklin was buried.

Some historic building somewhere...just a good shot of Paul.

Inside Independence Hall.

Our trip would not have been complete without a shot in front of the Rocky statue...

...as well as shot running up the stairs.

Check out those muscles! They're ripped! You'll be shouting for Adrienne when these bad boys come to town!

4th of July Visitors

2009-07-12T17:30:00.000-07:00

We were pleased to have some visitors this week! My brother and his family came out to DC for the week of the 4th of July. What a great way to celebrate my birthday! Again! (They also visited us in Ohio over my birthday). We had so much fun seeing the sights and having late night conversations.

The kids got along great! I seriously think our house was calmer with them here since their girls helped mellow out our boys. There weren't nearly as many kung fu fights as normal. Thanks Sarah and Whitney!

The two cousins chillin' in the stroller

We enjoyed the temple grounds....

...got caught in a storm...

...and, of course, ate yummy cake courtesy of Paul, Tim, Liz, and the kids.

Thanks for coming guys. We had so much fun with you! Thank you for making my birthday special. We love you!

Brothers are Great

2009-07-12T16:40:00.000-07:00

I recently spent some time in the boy's bedroom cleaning and sorting and such. I put Isaac on the bed just like in the picture below...

When I looked over to check on him, this is what I found...

Aaron had "tucked Isaac in." He even shared his own blankie and his favorite stuffed lion. I thought that was just the sweetest thing, so I caught in on camera.

This is our "tummy time" spot. Under our coffee table. It keeps him from getting stepped on by his big brothers.

Big brothers are the best!

Catch-Up

2009-06-14T17:24:00.000-07:00

Now that I am finally feeling a little more up-to-speed, it's about time I filled everyone in on what has been going on. Here is our pictoral timeline....

Isaac's blessing day. He was only two weeks old at the time, but that is when the most family would be here. He was very cooperative, snoozing through the whole thing.

Paul's folks came out to help with the baby...

...as did my mom. My mom stayed for three weeks while Paul was at a military EFMB course (expert field medical badge, for those who don't know the lingo). I don't know what I would have done without all of the help. Probably would have sworn off having ANY more children! :-)

Army Paul, with his characteristic grin.

We celebrated Logan's 4th birthday! Happy birthday buddy! We are so lucky to be your parents. We love you!

Showing off his birthday shades.

And of course, the blog would not be complete without more pics of the new baby.

Yes, he is in a laundry basket. I couldn't pass up the photo op, where he still fits in it.

Paul and the new munchkin, getting to know each other.

Spread eagle. He was so relaxed, it was comical!

My three sons

One Week Old

2009-05-03T13:15:00.000-07:00

Isaac is now a week old! I wish time would slow down and that he would stay this tiny forever! He is such a precious little guy, and a wonderful addition to our family.

Doesn't he have an awesome daddy! And he just keeps getting better with every year and with every child. What a lucky lady I am to have snatched him.

And here's the mama, looking fresh and cute right after delivery. *ahem*

And here he is, our feature attraction, showing you what he does all day long.

I love newborn drowsiness. It makes them so cute and cuddly! They also make for a great sedative. Get one of these guys in your arms and I guarantee it will promote sleepiness in moments.

Isaac Stevenson Rose

2009-04-26T18:30:00.000-07:00

Well, it finally happened... Rebecca had the baby.

Friday morning Rebecca went to her appointment with the doctor, and when they checked her they found that she was already dialated to a seven. There response was, "Honey, your not going anywhere but up to labor and delivery." It was a good thing that both of the other boys were at our friends house. Rebecca then called me up at work and I rode the metro over to the hospital. After breaking her water, a big boy was born. He was 9 lbs 3 oz and 22 inches long! Our biggest baby yet!

This is one of the few times Logan will actually sit still, to hold his new baby brother. He does such a good job, and loves him very much.

I am not sure what Aaron's face is saying; probably that there is someone else to blame things on. It is always good to have someone to pass the buck onto.

Flying Buzz

2009-04-12T19:06:00.000-07:00

Today I am going to tell you a story about Logan and his kite. You will notice that the kite has Logan's favorite character on it.....Buzz Lightyear. Note the tree in the background, it comes into play. This picture was taken after this story.

Last weekend Logan, Aaron, myself(Daddy) and Buzz decided to go to the Iwo Jima Memorial to fly around enjoying the great windy weather while mom was in class. Aaron picked up sticks and ran around like a crazy man, when Logan would yell, "To infinity and beyond,"
at which time Daddy would let go of Buzz and he would leap into the sky truly looking for infinity.

According to Aaron's extensive vocabulary he informed Daddy that "Buzz fly good." Definitely Daddy should have taken note, because after pulling on a string for a while, and knowing that watching a kite for a while is fun, a three year old does get bored. So, what does the three year old do? He desides to give Buzz a little more freedom and let go of the kite handle. Buzz definitely fly good!!! Daddy drops the camera and it is a race.... where too, we are not sure, but Buzz moves much faster than Daddy does.

Thankfully after several hundred yards, Buzz doesn't pay very good attention and runs into this tree. (You will note that this tree had already claimed another victim). Buzz's handle barely caugth on one of the lower branches and Daddy was able to catch him.

Buzz is grounded!!

For how long you may ask? Indefinitly!!

Or until Logan better understands you can't give Buzz too much freedom.

Our Sweet Sons

2009-04-05T09:13:00.000-07:00

With the imminent arrival of our third son, I feel a such a great love for him already! It is amazing how much you can love someone you have never even met. And the love just grows, because I have the same love for his older brothers as well. We are so fortunate to be their parents. What sweet little guys...

The poor kids have had pink eye and ear infections this week. Logan looked absolutely miserable. It made my own eyes water just looking at his.

The countdown is on! 20 days left!!! I can't wait!

P.S. I finished my last class yesterday! I can't believe I am already done with the coursework of my Master's program! Thanks Paul for all of your support. I couldn't have done it without you. I love you, hon!

Aaron's Birthday

2009-03-29T05:55:00.001-07:00

Time seems to pass by so quickly. Aarons birthday was this last week; he is now two years old. Rebecca made a nice cake for his birthday, and we opened presents.

Of course it was nice to see the cake, but so much better to eat the cake. As you can see, Logan is a much faster eater than Aaron, hence Logan is oogling Aarons piece as well.

Aaron has such a fun personality. He loves to hold small objects in his hand and try on the Mr. Potatoe Head glasses.

We sure love these little boys, and are looking forward to having the next one. One month and counting!!

Our House

2009-03-16T07:23:00.000-07:00

We spent this weekend back at our house in Cleveland. What a bitter-sweet experience. It was nice to be back where we spent four of the six years of our married lives, yet sad that we were there to fix the damage others inflicted on our house in our absence. We are posting pics of what our house looked like before and after we rented it out to give you an idea....

The pictures don't capture the essence of the filth that was our home after our renters left. The smell of rotting food and booze was overwhelming! We hired someone to get rid of all of the stuff, but the grunge leftover was horrendous. We woke up at about 7:00 am on Saturday, and worked until midnight cleaning and scrubbing and fixing. We got a ton accomplished, and our house looks so much better. The kitchen floor is a lost cause, and the basement and yard still need a lot of work, but the rest looks pretty good again. At least we don't feel the need to cry whenever we walk through the doors anymore.

So we had quite the whirlwind of a weekend. We send a great big thanks to the Wilde's for their help and support! You guys were awesome! Logan wants to go back to play with Lincoln some more. :-) Hopefully now we are closer to getting our house back on the market.

Steve and Melissa's Wedding

2009-03-08T16:00:00.001-07:00

Lest Steve and Melissa think we don't care, we thought it about time to post about their beautiful wedding. Again, we've been slackers. Every break I get, I either sleep, nap, snooze, or slumber, (I've just been so tired!!!) so I have not been very good about keeping up on anything. But before too much time passes, I wanted to post some pics of the wedding.

Aren't they such a good looking couple? What a great reason to get the family all together. I really enjoyed seeing my family. It had been too long....

I love my siblings so much! I am such a fortunate sister. What great people, great examples, and I adore their spouses as well.

Our own little, but growing, family. Logan thinks smiling means to strech your cheeks out as far as they'll go. Aaron was just anxious to hop down so he could try for the fountain behind us again.

Me and my sweetie. Neither one of us likes to dance, or is very good at it, but we make exceptions for each other. There is just something special about being in the arms of your eternal companion.

30 week tummy shot. I'm 33 weeks now, and counting down! I am getting anxious to meet my baby boy. Can't wait to welcome him into the family.

Mike and Leslie's Wedding

2009-01-24T09:16:00.000-08:00

So, you have probably noticed that we are a little behind on our blog, considering this post took place on the 27th of December. We had the wonderful opportunity of being in Utah for several things, one was Christmas, the next was for Paul's youngest sisters wedding. Leslie married a nice young man named Mike in the Mount Timpanogoes Temple on the 27th of December. It was a wonderful occasion. We were able to visit with family, and many family friends who we had not seen in quite some time. This was the last sibling of Pauls to get married.

This is Leslie standing with Mike.

At the reception we didn't have to watch Logan very much, he stood in the line next to Grandpa and Grandma Rose. Does anyone besides me find it strange that a three year old active little boy was able to stand in line for almost two hours, and only almost push over the backdrop twice? Well, the secret was the stash of mint life-savers grandpa kept coming his way every few minutes. Busted!

This is what Aaron did for most of the reception. It was a long day for this party animal.

The other part of the reception that had Logan's undivided attention was this bit of food. When do we cut the cake???

Leslie as you can see looked very lovely. Logan also looked rather dashing, shirt untucked, no longer wearing his bowtie, and just being mischievious. Over all, a wonderful day.

Christmas

2009-01-24T08:46:00.000-08:00

For those of you who didn't know, we've taken a little blogging break due to a one month visit to Utah! We're back now and will try to catch up with the pictures and events of the Rose family.

We arrived in Utah on Christmas Eve, so we'll start with some Christmas pictures.

The first and favorite present? SWORDS!

Next up, trucks of all kind.

The boys having fun in the snow with grandma and grandpa

A little Christmas visitor. Aaron is a dog fanatic! He can squeal and chase after puppies for hours on end. Without a fear in the world, he marches right up to dogs and does his best to give them a pat. The squealing is the funniest part. He just gets so excited!

Just for fun

2008-12-17T17:52:00.000-08:00

Wearing daddy's hat

Chocolate face

Here's my tummy at 20 weeks. Half-way there!!!

France Part II

2008-12-17T17:16:00.000-08:00

Notre Dame

Napoleon's tomb

Arc de Triumph

Palace of Versailles

The gardens of Versailles

(can you tell I'm done typing a travelogue:-) )

France Part I

2008-11-23T07:41:00.000-08:00

The remainder of our Europe trip was spent in Paris, where we were able to see a bunch of neat things. We visited the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, the Arc de Triumph, and other amazing sights. We saw a multitude of cathedrals, fountains, statues, etc etc etc. We'll just try to post about the most familiar ones.

Outside the Louvre

Here's the little lady herself, the Mona Lisa! The room was absolutely crowded. I had to elbow my way in to get a shot.

Of course, we had to catch a picture of the final resting place of the holy grail! Where the two pyramids meet. If you're scratching your head, read The DaVinci Code.

Here's another DaVinci code picture. Apparently Silas smashed through this stone (like Paul is pantomiming) to find the next clue to the holy grail.

This was a fantastic cathedral filled with stained glass windows. The lower floor didn't have as many as you see in the picture, but the upper floor was truly stunning to behold!

Pictures just don't do it justice

A statue and a fountain. There were millions here.

And now for the Eiffel Tower. We visited in the day, and at night! During the day, it is pretty neat.....

...but at night, it is Amazing!!! I never knew the Eiffel Tower glowed blue at night. And every hour, it would start to shimmer and sparkle with white lights. It made it look like it was covered with glitter!

The underside of the tower. Kind of blurry, but still impressive.

Ultrasound

2008-11-18T18:12:00.000-08:00

We had our ultrasound today! I have been waiting for this day with much anticipation. We even brought Logan and Aaron with us, with minimal fighting between them I might add. After all the fetal measurements and such, they assured us that the baby is as perfect as can be.

And that....

WARNING: Grandpa Rose, do not read further as the image below may be disturbing.

Well, since I will not be having a daughter in April, my boys have generously donated their toes for painting. I feel so outnumbered, and needed an estrogen outlet! Luckily they still think it is neat and fun, and I can always use the pictures as blackmail if they become unruly teenagers (although hopefully this will not be a cause of them becoming unruly teenagers! Talk about scarring my children.)

So baby boy number three is on HIS way, and now we are back to the drawing board to figure out another name for our precious new son. I don't know how you did it mom!!! We are excited for his arrival, and will be well stocked with clothes and toys for him! And Logan and Aaron will be well stocked with a new punching bag. I think Aaron will be happy to have someone smaller than him to pick on for a change!

Dachau

2008-11-16T07:27:00.000-08:00

Our excursion into Dachau, one of the concentration camps, was by far the most sobering of our visit. Even the weather was gloomy. It is one thing to hear or read about a concentration camp, it is a completely different matter to visit one in person.

Here we are at the gates of Dachau. The sign on the doors mocks the prisoners. It proclaims "Arbeit Macht Frei" or "Work will make you free." We know better, don't we.

This is the major installation office. It is now a museum.

Can you tell what this sculpture is constructed of?

Never again.

This is a guard tower. They surrounded the perimeter. See how I am standing at the edge of the grass. The grass marked the "no man's land." If I had actually lived here, I would have been flirting with disaster. One more step into the grass and I would have been gunned down. Some prisoners fatally ran into the grass for a quick end to their suffering.

The barracks

The sleeping bunks. The prisoners were really crammed in here. The slept head to foot. You were lucky to even get a place to lay down. By the end of the war, Dachau had thousands more prisoners than its capacity to hold.

The bathroom. Charming.

The crematorium where they burned the dead bodies.

This is the site of a mass grave. There were several sites like this, for the times when the crematorium was overbooked.

A parting shot of the camp. You can see the barracks in the background. All of the lines in front are the foundation lines for the other barracks that have since been torn down. And this is only one column of barracks. You can also see the gloomy sky in this picture. The weather that day matched the atmosphere completely.

What a depressing visit. I felt so grateful that I had the freedom to walk in and OUT of the gates. Those who lived here did not have that luxury.

Eagles Nest

2008-11-16T07:08:00.000-08:00

First off, scroll down two blogs, and you'll find another post we created awhile ago but just barely posted. I can't figure out how to move it to the top. Anway, here we are at the Eagles Nest, which was Hitler's hideout. It is also where he committed suicide. Not a very cheery place, but definitely historic. The picture below displays the tunnel up to his hideout.

Here is the actual hideout. beyond the hideout is a moutain trail, which is where the photo was taken. We were incredibly high up the mountains. It took a 20 minute van ride just to get to the tunnel.

Despite the knowledge of where we were, the view was still spectacular.

Here is Logan and his characteristic one-eyed smile. Even after patching his eye, he still does this, probably out of habit. We also wanted to capture one of those rare and fleeting moments where he is holding still and smiling. :-)

Halloween Pictures

2008-11-03T05:19:00.000-08:00

Well, I was waiting to be able to find the pics of just Logan in his costume to add to the group, but have been too lazy to do so. I have decided to post what I have anyway. Enjoy!

I wasn't planning on being in this picture, but Aaron was feeling clingy and would freak out whenever I put him down.

He didn't seem to mind being on the counter though.

The kids being silly in the car. Yes, if you look close, that is stubble on Logan's chin. :-) I had fun with the face paints.

Logan was really excited to work on our pumpkins.

Aaron wanted in on the action too!

Meticulously sorting out the seeds, while Aaron smiles for the camera.

Logan kept saying "Eeew! Gross! It's slimy mommy!" and would them pick up another glob. I let him play in the goop when we were finished. Probably the highlight for him!

Zugspitze

2008-11-03T05:07:00.000-08:00

The Zugspitze is the tallest mountain peak in the German Alps, so of course we had to check it out. We rode to the top in a cable car. The ride was a bit of a frightening experience really, knowing that only a little cable and a rickety old box were keeping us from plunging to our deaths. It was a bit like a roller coaster, the tallest roller coaster EVER. But my, the view was AMAZING!

Who says the lines on maps don't really exist?! They do here! That line in the picture below is the actual dividing line between Germany and Austria

Okay, a bit juvenile, but a lot of fun. We had a blast throwing snowballs off the mountain and timing their descent. It felt like those snowballs took forever to fall. A memorable and worthwhile day trip.

Cinderella Castle

2008-10-27T15:06:00.000-07:00

Neuschwanstein Castle

Hoenschwangau Castle

One of the neatest (and most exhausting) stops on our trip was to the famous castles. For those of you who don't know, the Cinderella Castle at Disneyland (the one on Disneys famous logo) was designed after the Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany. The castle is massive and completely gorgeous! The inside was really fascinating. Many of the paintings were painted straight on the wall, complete with fake frames painted around them! Almost every square inch inside was painted in some way, whether with murals or decorative colors.

The hike up to the castle was a killer though! We started out hiking up to Hoenschwangau, which is where we are in the photo below. Look how far away Neuschwanstein is! Both castles are situated on hills, so we had to hike up and down the first, and up and down the second. This was one of the hardest parts of the trip...being nautiously pregnant while hiking up mountains. Paul was the trooper though, as he had to push the stroller the whole way!

After we toured Neuschwanstein, we took yet another hike up to an old bridge which affords a greater view of the castle. Much to our chagrin, when we arrived we found the palace bedecked with scaffolding for a massive rennovation project. Still, it is an impressive castle to say the least.

Some more Fall foliage, with Hoenschwangau in the center.

Here is the close-up of Hoenschwangau. It was also amazing, just different. I have never seen an orangy-yellow castle before.

We were all pooped by the end. I envied Logan at the time!

Garmisch

2008-10-26T15:02:00.000-07:00

On for the next installment...

GARMISCH - Linderhoff Palace

We spent one week in Garmisch, which was absolutely breathtaking! The mountains you see behind Paul and the boys surrounded the entire area. The leaves were starting to change for the Fall, so there was a panorama of colors everywhere you looked. I could not believe so much beauty could exist in one place!

Our first day-trip in the Garmisch area was to the Linderhoff Palace, which was built by King Ludwig II. It was the most elaborate, ornate, and all around decked-out building I have ever seen! Every surface was covered with something or other.

Here is the palace exterior.

And a picture of the royal bedroom. Can you believe it!!! (Maybe there was a little ego involved in the building of the palace, what do you think?)

The grounds were equally impressive with a massive fountain and immaculate gardens. I loved these covered walkways. I could have wandered through them for hours meditating, if the kids would have allowed it. I have to admit, the boys did all right considering it must have been pretty boring for them. I kept Aaron distracted by pointing out any sculptures of horses and the color purple (his favorite), which he calls "puh-puh."

Here is an elevated picture of the grounds and palace.

The king also had a grotto built for him, complete with seashell ship in a pond, choir seats, and a stage for performances!

We took this picture to start the photo journal of my expanding waistline. (Didn't know where else to put it, sorry).

The Linderhoff Palace was a fun stop for our family!

Rothenberg

2008-10-22T09:10:00.000-07:00

Rothenberg

(rote-en-berg)

Rottenberg is an ancient walled city in Germany we visited in the first week of our trip. What a neat city! The architecture was incredible! I would have loved to just sit for hours enjoying the atmosphere and passersby (preferably on a warmer day, that is).

One of the most morbidly fascinating part of Rottenberg was the building of torture. Here are Logan and Jason in the stocks.

These large baskets were used for dunking alleged witches. If they drowned, they were not a witch...rather late to be finding that out, don't you think! They also dunked bakers who's bread did not weigh the required amount. They were dunked one time for every ounce their bread was off the mark.

The kids just playing around, having fun.

Germany Vacation

2008-10-20T08:18:00.000-07:00

Hi friends and family! We are now back from our two week trip in Germany to visit our friends the Brooks, and relax. It was a whirlwind trip and we are absolutely exhausted, but it was well worth it! There was so much to do and see that I'm going to divide the trip into multiple posts.

BAMBERG

We arrived in Germany by flying space available through the military. We flew in a huge cargo plane, where all of the luggage was stacked in the middle! It was an all-night flight, which I was nervous about at first. However, as it was not your traditional plane, we all got to lay out on the floor and sleep!

We arrived in Ramstein, where our friend Aaron Brooks picked us up. The poor guy had to drive 3 1/2 hours to get there, and about 5 hours to bring us back to his house in Bamberg (due to traffic)! It made for a very long day of traveling.

The first place we visited was downtown Bamberg. We were in luck as there was a huge flea market going on that weekend. Paul was in his element roaming the streets trying to find a good deal! It was so neat seeing the old buildings and tasting the German treats. We sampled roasted chestnuts (you know, like from the song "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire..."). I didn't like them that much, but Paul did. While shopping around we took pictures of the massive old buildings.

Here is a little side street packed with vendors.

We didn't know what half the buildings were, but took pictures just because they looked cool!

We found flowers in windowboxes to be a very common yet beautiful aspect of German scenery

In case you were wondering, Paul got really good deals on a German beer stein, (he's always wanted one) and a nutcracker. He bartered in Russian so that he wouldn't sound like a touristy American, and the tactic worked in our favor. :-)

Family Portrait

2008-09-15T06:02:00.000-07:00

We'll give you a second to mull this one over.

(April 25, 2009)

First Day of Preschool

2008-09-10T17:17:00.000-07:00

Logan started preschool on Tuesday. He was so excited and proud to go to school. He has about 4 other friends attending the same school, so it has been an easy adjustment for him. As for his mommy, however, I can't believe how hard it can be to say goodbye to your child for a few hours! My little baby is growing up!...(nevermind he's only three).

Aaron has decided he's big enough to start brawling with his big brother. He likes to tackle him, while Logan just lays there giggling.

More of our daily silliness! Don't they just crack you up! They make me laugh every single day.

2008-09-01T15:34:00.000-07:00

Paul had a four day weekend, and we thoroughly enjoyed having him around! To make the most of it, we decided to do some more sight seeing. We went to the Holocaust Museum on Saturday, which was a sad but interesting experience. Aaron cried through most of it since he was tired and hungry (never a good combo!) and a lady near us said "go ahead buddy, there's plenty to cry about here." Very true. We also visited several art galleries around the Smithsonian Castle. Logan was the one wh0 cried through this one. None of the art lovers were as sympathetic about it this time around, so we hurried through and made a hasty exit

Here we are in front of the Smithsonian Castle. Neat architecture and lovely gardens. I also like this picture because I feel proud of my mom muscles, being able to carry both boys at once. :-)

Another shot of the castle

Logan is sword-crazy!!! Just ask anyone who speaks for a few moments with him. The first thing bound to come out of this mouth is a request to sword fight (sound familiar grandma and grandpa Rose?). Aaron is finally old enough to somewhat hold his own. They are so funny together.

Paul has been fiddling with the settings on his camera and needed guinea pigs. I have to admit I was rather reluctant. I never realized I was so shy in front of a camera! The boys have no fear though, if they can hold still long enough.

Random Summer Pics

2008-08-17T17:32:00.000-07:00

We've decided to take a moment to post some random pics we've taken over the last few months. It feels like we haven't had a chance to catch our breath lately, with so much going on. A crazy school semester and even crazier tenants in our house have made this a very stressful and busy month. We apologize for our tardiness in posting, and hope to catch up soon. Until then, enjoy!

What's a summer without good bubbles?

This is Aaron right after a LONG nap. He just looked so cute, even though he was grumpy, that I just had to catch the moment.

Here is how we entertain ourselves...

Earlier this summer, Pauls parents came for a visit. Needless to say, I think we wore them out! ("Hey Gwampa, wake up!")

Family Fun

2008-07-13T18:19:00.001-07:00

Our most recent adventures have been with Paul Family.
This is a picture of a baseball game that we went to. With the Dodgers vs. the Brewers. While the atmosphere of the game was good, as well as the company, the weather was pretty cold, making for great snuggling. We love spending time together.

The beach is always a good excursion to go on, and even more so by seeing wildlife. This is a baby sealion that we saw on the beach, it seemed to be sick or lost, because it didn't seem do much besides sit there, I guess they could say the same thing about us, we just sit on the beach as well not doing a whole lot, but it sure is fun and relaxing.

This was Aarons first time at the ocean, and he loved it. One big sand box with water close by, what better way to get dirty!

Paul's parents love playing with the boys at the beach, and the boys love spending time with them. Being buried in the sand is something everyone needs to experience some time. This was one of Logan's times.

A Traumatic Week

2008-06-26T07:12:00.000-07:00

Our sweet Aaron gave us quite a scare this week. When I went to check in on him at the end of naptime on Tuesday, I found him having trouble breathing and completely limp. He couldn't even support his own head or lift a single finger. Needless to say, I was absolutely freaked out! I called 911 and told them the situation and they sent an ambulance over immediately. A minute before the ambulance arrived, my visiting teachers arrived for their scheduled appointment that I had forgotten about in my panic. On finding me frantic about Aaron, they quickly offered a prayer, and told me they would watch Logan while I took Aaron to the hospital. It was my own miracle having them there when I needed help so badly! So the ambulance arrived and whisked us off to the children's hospital in DC, sirens blaring. At this point, Aaron was completely out of it and wasn't aware of anything around him. When we arrived at the hospital, there was a room full of emergency staff ready to take care of him. It turns out he had a seizure due to a high fever, and we have had to watch him carefully to be sure it doesn't happen again. They think he has a viral infection that caused the fever, but we are still waiting for the results of some of the tests. He is doing better now, but keep our little guy in your prayers.

Memorial Day

2008-06-15T17:32:00.000-07:00

We are several weeks behind in our blog, so this is our update. Several weeks ago was Memorial Day, and we thought it would be nice to go to Arlington National Cemetary to remember those who have fallen while fighting in defense of our great nation. Every Memorial Day the Old Guard places flags in front of all of the tombstones in the cemetary. It is an amazing site.

We also had tickets to the speach given by President Bush given at the ampitheater next to the tomb of the unknown soldier. It was very stirring to listen to the Army Band play for several hours before the speach, then we had the opportunity to listen to the President, and to see him fairly closely. His remarks were very inspiring and made us think of the many great blessings that we enjoy living in this free nation where we are able to worship, act, think, speak, and persue the desires of our hearts. Gratitude is the best word to describe the feelings we felt while listening and contemplating the message and music that was presented.

God Bless America!

Monticello

2008-06-01T16:06:00.000-07:00

This week we thought it time for another adventure! Our escapades took us to the Thomas

Jefferson estate, Monticello. Isn't the house beautiful! It was enormous for the time period, as you could fit the average 1700's home in the front foyer. By today's standards, it was actually surprisingly small. The photos make it look larger than it is. It was still impressive though!

Here is the graveyard and memorial to Thomas Jefferson.

The gardens were extensive, as seen below. This picture captures only a fraction. Multiply it by about 20 to get the true scope.

Here is a sweet picture of Aaron and his daddy.

The house is surrounded by flowers which were in full bloom during our visit. How accommodating of them!

The flowers were breathtaking!

Aaron and his toothy smile! What a little trooper, and a ham!

Logan was not quite so happy. We knew our visit was over when the melt-downs started. Poor kid. Time to go home. But what a neat experience!

Air Show

2008-05-25T18:20:00.000-07:00

Rebecca had school this last weekend, so the rest of us had a boys day out. Yea! What better thing to go do than go and see than an air show. The day didn't start out real great in as soon as we stepped off the bus at the show, a jet passed by really close and naturally made a lot of noise. Logan then started to cry and said "I want to go home." Off the bus less than two minutes and he is ready to go home. Aaron and I needed to convince him to stay, so we started to look around at all of the neat vehicles. Climbing aboard and learning about these airplanes, helicopters, and other military vehicles finally loosened Logan up. Aaron was pretty calm through the whole thing.

The boys now know that this is a tank and it makes big holes in things.

This is a stryker, or also known as a green ambulance to younger crowd.

"Airplane go real fast," and "airplane real loud," is Logans explaination of the F-16.

The Blue Angels were really amazing. There were many different flying groups and stunt planes that put on performances. They also had the Golden Knights, or the Army parchute team jump and put on a performance with smoke streaming behind them. A day of pure testosterone, nothing wrong with that; even after a little bit of a rocky start.

Logan's 3rd Birthday

2008-05-18T13:35:00.000-07:00

On Monday we celebrated Logan's 3rd birthday. He has been looking forward to this day ALL YEAR. Every day he would tell me "my birthday is on May, May twelf." Especially after we celebrated Aaron's first birthday, Logan could hardly contain his excitement for his birthday. Well, after much anticipation, and a few temper tantrums, here are the pics from Logan's big day.

He got a case of Star Wars Mr. Potato heads...

His favorite is Darth Vader. He even imitates the creepy breathing!

Of course, we have to include birthday cake pictures. You'd hope by this birthday we could have taught him more gentleman-like manners, but no such luck. The fork was a wasted effort.
And Aaron likes to copy big brother...

He also got a lefty golf club, gummies (yum) and finger puppets from grandparents. (Thank you!) It was a fun day, if you discount all of the naughty little things boys do when they are overly excited (like snitching four birthday cupcakes when mommy was taking a shower. At least he shared with Aaron, right? Does that count for something? :-) ).

Happy Birthday Logan! We love you so much!

Happy Mother's Day!

2008-05-11T05:12:00.000-07:00

This post is dedicated to our mothers out there whom we love very much. We want you to know how much more we have come to appreciate your efforts and patience now that we are parents too!

The top 10 things we've learned about motherhood...

1. A mother's work is never done.

2. A mother never stops worrying about her children, no matter how old they are.

3. ALL mothers are working mothers

4. Being a full-time mother is one of the highest salaried jobs, since the payment is pure love.

5. It kills you to see your children grow up, but I guess it would kill you quicker if they didn't.

6. We never know the love of a mother until we become mothers ourselves

7. Every day of our lives we make deposits into the memory banks of our children.

8. When you are a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts. A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child.

9. Sweater, n.: garment worn by child when its mother is feeling chilly.

And..........drum roll.........

10. Mothers are:

Multi-tasking

Outstanding

Tender (tired)

Heaven on earth

Encouraging

Reliable

Grandma Wheeler

Thank you for listening to me through my ramblings and rough days!

I love the memories I have of our outings and activities together. I will keep them forever!

I am a better person because of the love you have shown me throughout my life.

I love you mom!

Grandma Rose

I love you Gran'ma Rose!

We love your squeezes, and your visits.

I love you mom, thank you for all that you have done for me. You are the greatest.

2008-05-02T05:46:00.000-07:00

Today's blog: Smiles and Sleepers

Smiles...

This is what I have the pleasure of seeing every day!

Sleeping...
Unfortunately, the boys have been sick for the last two weeks. It was so sad to watch Aaron crawl to a pile of blankets and snuggle himself in. He just laid there for a while looking miserable until he finally fell asleep.

Logan did the same, crawling in my bed and dozing away. As a mother of two VERY active little boys, this was extremely unnatural behavior to witness. Needless to say, I got to spend the last two weeks snuggling my sick little boys. You couldn't hear me complaining, though. :-)

Now everyone is healthy at last, just in time for Aaron to get a bloody nose. *sigh*

What's a mother to do... poor kid.

Robins

2008-04-27T14:38:00.000-07:00

When we first arrived at our apartment here, we discovered a birds nest on our back porch lamp. We have been delighted twice now to find it occupied by little robin families.

The other day I found these three eggs in it, although a 4th egg followed shortly.

Here are the brand new baby robins, fresh out of the egg! It is amazing to watch the parents swoop in to feed the babies. The tiny robins stretch their necks up as far as they will go and cheep furiously for the rights to the first worm.

Speaking of wildlife, we found this guy while washing our car. He was sleeping contentedly when our little Logan decided to investigate. Luckily I saw what was going on and grabbed hold of Logan, or I don't know who would have gotten the bigger surprise, Logan or the possum.

Colonial Williamsburg

2008-04-20T13:15:00.000-07:00

Due to his hard work and efficiency, Paul earned a 4 day weekend pass. We were originally planning to use it to go to Cleveland to paint our house, but before we could go, some renters moved in!!! That meant we had a last minute 4 day vacation we could take, so we decided to go to Colonial Williamsburg, which is a few hours away. Paul has an aunt uncle and cousin in the area who were kind enought to take us in on such short notice. Colonial Williamsburg is an old fashioned town where history has been preserved.

Our first sight was a horse that Logan was thrilled about. Aaron could care less, since all he could see was the back of daddy's shirt

Here is Logan taking to the life of an old fashioned outlaw...

...and here he is after being tried and covicted for his crimes. His sentence: 1 minute in the stocks!

Paul thought he would keep the little guy company while serving his sentence.

Aaron didn't have nearly the fun we had. He cried the whole time.

The next day we went to some Revolutionary War battlefields. Aaron was much happier that day, and Logan was enthralled by the cannons! He kept peeking his head in the barrel. Good thing they're not loaded!

Then we went to the beach in Yorktown.

We saw jellyfish in the shallow water! A first time for me, outside the Monterrey Bay Aquarium that is.

Logan loved wading his feet with Aunt Marilyn...

...while Aaron was content to play in the sand.

What a wonderful day, and a fantastic vacation!

2008-04-06T08:11:00.000-07:00

We used to say that Logan had lead in his pants. The kiddo never climbed on anything. It took him forever to even learn how to climb onto our couch. That carefree stage of our lives is now over as Logan is becoming quite the climber. He likes to shimmy his way up our pantry and get the cereal from the top. He is getting pretty good at it too.

Up he goes...

Coming down with the prize.

Here are some more pics of our adventures in DC. The capitol building is HUGE! And the inside is fantastic. We'll have to take a tour again while we are here.

Aaron loves shoulder rides. The problem is that I have to worry about it raining drool on my head. It will be nice when he is no longer teething, but I would never wish these moments away for anything.

Happy Easter

2008-03-23T17:55:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter everyone!!! The roads were actually busy on the way to chuch this morning with all of the people who attend for Christmas and Easter. There were cars parked up and down the road near every chapel.

Anyway, yesterday we had a ward Easter Egg hunt. Logan is now old enough to remember how much fun Easter was last year, so he was extra excited. He has been asking me all week to hide the eggs for him so he could find them. Well he finally got his chance.

He's showing us his haul.

Aaron and daddy just chillin'. Actually they were freezin' because it was super cold outside! (hyuck hyuck) It really was cold though.

Logan and Aaron eating all of the fun Easter goodies. I love that they are good friends,(as long as Aaron doesn't touch Logan's Buzz Lightyear, that is). It has been great to have two boys in a row. They are so much fun!

Aaron's 1st Birthday

2008-03-23T17:37:00.000-07:00

On to phase 2 of our blogging extravaganza! Our little Aaron turned 1 this week! Where has the year gone?! We are so blessed to have this sweet kiddo in our lives. He makes me smile every day, and our family is more complete with him in it. Happy birthday Aaron! I love you!

One of his new toys. Get a load of the smile! An apparent success.

Thanks Grandma and Grandpa for the presents! Big brother helped open them. He tried to snitch a few of them too, at least the ones that were sugar coated!

His first taste of cake. Need I say he never hesitated for a nanosecond!

He picked the whole piece of cake up and tried to shove it all into his little mouth at once.

When that didn't work, he tried it piece by piece.

So yummy!

By the end of the day, Aaron was all tuckered out.

Posting at last!

2008-03-23T17:00:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! I know, I know. We are such slackers! It seems like we go through weeks where nothing eventful happens. Then suddenly we have tons happening! After a long dry spell, now we have a lot to add to the blog.

First off, last week we had a visitor from Germany. Our friend Aaron Brooks came to stay with us for a week while he and Paul took a Forensic Dentistry course over here. His visit was packed full of sightseeing and game nights. (We'll send you the pics soon, Aaron!) We sure miss our dental school buddies!!!

Here we are inside the National Archives (Remember National Treasure, where the Declaration of Independence is kept). While we were there, we saw John Adams. We thought he was Benjamin Franklin at first. Oops. He said ol' Ben is shorter, and more rotund than he is. :-)

We are in the National Botanical Gardens here. Logan loved throwing pennies into the fountain pool. I won't tell you where he got the pennies, though. We might be arrested, or something. "He just likes to recycle, officer, that's all!"

My sweetie and me! I sure love hanging out with my husband.

No snow

2008-02-23T08:11:00.000-08:00

What a mild winter we have had this year! After our time in Utah and Ohio with their long and cold winters, I can hardly believe we have no snow on the ground! I can't say I mind, though. So instead of sledding outside, the boys hopped in a laundry basket and went sledding inside. Of course there is the ever present Buzz Lightyear that Logan never puts down (thanks Grandma and Grandpa Rose!).

We had a visit from Pauls sister Jackie and her family. So here are all three Rose family grandchildren together. I love the pink in a sea of blue.

One day I went to go get the kids up from their nap, and this is what I found. Logan has discovered he can climb into Aarons crib. Now I have a hard time keeping him out of it. There has been little sleep happening in our household ever since. Aaron seems thrilled.

This bathtub hairdo reminded me of Calvin from Calvin and Hobbes, so I thought I'd add it in.

2008-02-11T09:58:00.001-08:00

Now that Aaron is crawling, we find him in all sorts of funny places.

Logan just loves playing out in the snow. He doesn't even seem to mind the cold, while I'm freezing just watching him from inside !

Paul and Aaron during a golfing date while Paul's parents were with us. We had a blast with them. The kids sure love their grandparents

Logan bowled better than I did! I love those little ramps that allow little kids to bowl. We had a blast.

(Doesn't this pic just make you wanna poke that little belly button).

Exploring DC

2008-02-10T10:07:00.000-08:00

We have been soo bad about posting! I will try to keep things more up to date. We just haven't taken many pictures lately. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. :-) It might also be that I have just been lazy about posting.

Anyway, here we are outside the International Spy Museum. It was really neat! We learned how to pick locks, identify suspicious characters, and how to hide bug devices. Now is that valuable information or what!

In this next picture, we are outside Ford Theater, which is where Abraham Lincoln was shot. The theater is still operational too. You can actually buy tickets and see a show there, although it is closed at the moment for rennovations.

Just across the street from the theater is the house where Lincoln died. We got to walk through the house and even see the bed where Lincoln drew his last breath. Lincoln did so much for this country and I have a great respect for that man.

More Christmas Pics

2008-01-14T10:29:00.000-08:00

Here are the pictures from Christmas Eve. Naturally we have a picture of Aaron smiling...

We spent Christmas Eve with my aunt and uncle out here. They have some fun Christmas traditions. One of them is to shape their Christmas tree in a new way each year. This year they made an Ent (The tree people from the Lord of the Rings series).

We also played out the nativity story. Paul and I played Joseph and Mary, Logan was a shepherd, and Aaron was the baby Jesus.

This is one of the gifts to the baby Jesus from one of the three the wise guys (that's what my aunt and uncle call them. Wheeler humor). Aaron was entertained for an hour with this shiny package with loopy bows.

Logan wanted to sit in a manger too! And his flock joined him in.

What a fun evening. I sure love having family out here!!!

Christmas pics

2008-01-14T10:04:00.000-08:00

Here are the Christmas Eve jammies!

I love this picture of Aaron, because you get a good profile of the cheeks. Doesn't it just make you want to squeeze them! I also love the look on his face.

The hands-down favorite toy this Christmas was a Buzz Lightyear doll (ahem, action-figure) that Logan got from Grandma and Grandpa Rose. He never puts it down. Buzz even sleeps in his bed at night, and Logan insists that Buzz gets a kiss goodnight too.

The next favorite was a set of lightsabers. We have at least 20 lightsaber fights in this household these days. And the moment Paul walks through the door from work, Logan runs up to him with lightsabers in hand to fight his daddy.

Here is Aaron opening some presents. Quite honestly, he was happy with the wrapping paper.

Christmas Eve

2007-12-30T07:19:00.000-08:00

This Christmas we decided that we were going to stay home here in Washington DC for the Christmas season instead of going to our parents houses. This is our first Christmas away from parents in the five years we have been married, so it was a little different. We decided to make a gingerbread house again this year, but we learned from last years mistake, and we bought a kit instead of making it from scratch. It doesn't taste as good, but it is a lot less stressful, and much less clean up afterward.

Aaron and Logans favorite part of making the gingerbread house was eating the components.

Every year from the first of December through the first of January the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints puts on Christmas concerts for the public, and also decorates the temple grounds that you can go walk through just like at Temple Square. We had a nice evening as a family listening to a choir concert and looking at the lights. It is a great missionary tool.

Rebecca has an aunt and uncle who live in Chantille, Virginia, which is about half an hour from where we live, and they invited us to spend Christmas Eve with them.

We had a wonderful night, filled with activities. We made pizzas in the shape of the letter of our first name, then then we read Luke 2 in the Bible, and acted out the Nativity story. Paul was Joseph, Rebecca was Mary, Logan was a shepard, and Aaron was the baby Jesus. It was a lot of fun, mainly because we were spending time with familiy, and Paul's family used to do this same thing by recreating the Nativity.

Happy Holidays!

2007-12-23T06:28:00.000-08:00

After three long weeks of being lazy with our blog, here we go with another installment of pics. The unfortunate thing is that we don't have any pictures of the really cool things we have done lately. For example, Paul and I went on a date to see a christmas concert by the army national band. Afterwards we walked around downtown DC and saw the white house all lit up at night. We also saw the national christmas tree and yule log. What a great evening to spend with my best friend. It is too bad that we don't have pictures of any of this. We do have some christmas pics of the boys, though...

Aaron is getting so big, and is still quite the smiler. He is also getting some teeth. You can probably see them on the bottom if you look really close. He is also starting the squirmy stage. It is hard to keep him in my arms as he squiggles (is that a word?) this way and that. No crawling yet, but he is getting closer.

Logan is a hoot to have around. When he wants something but is sure I'll probably say no, he brings it up in a matter-of-fact way. He won't look me in the face, but rather looks off to the corner of his vision, and says something like "let's have chocolate, okay?" And he acts like this is a perfectly reasonable request for 7:00 in the morning. It just makes me laugh the way he does it, and then he laughs too. I can then can easily distract him towards oatmeal instead of chocolate for breakfast.

It took a lot of bribing and a few minor tantrums to get the boys to hold still for this picture. Here is another I took that more closely matches the reality of the experience.

I just thought this was comical. Logan thought it was the coolest thing to put the sticker on his forehead. Little did he know what was written on it. He is sure worth a whole lot more than that to me! Our children are truly a priceless treasure to us.

Thanksgiving Week

2007-12-02T14:29:00.000-08:00

Last week we went to California to visit Rebecca's family for Thanksgiving. But before we left we took some family pictures in beautiful DC while the leaves were still changing. This next one is one of my favorites. Everyone is actually smiling! It was cold that day, so it was had to stop your teeth chattering long enough to snap a shot.

Our time in California was wonderful! We spent a few days each with Rebecca's parents, her brother Scottand his family, and her brother Jeff and fam. And for a special treat, her sister Emily and her family flew out from Idaho to see us! We had such a great time visiting family. I love my siblings sooo much and it was really hard to say goodbye not knowing when I would see them again.

We went on a triple date to the temple. Scott and Kim watched everyone's kids while Jeff and Gina, Tony and Emily, and Paul and I went to the Sacramento Temple. What a neat experience to sit in the temple with my sisters, brothers, and husband. I'll treasure those moments.

At Scott and Kim's house we had the chance to decorate gingerbread houses. It was a competition between the girls, boys, and my family. Our house is in the middle. We won the "most unique" prize, the girls won the "most decorated" prize, and the boys won the "most candy eaten" prize.

In case you're wondering what the pictures below are all about, our gingerbread roof has a message for santa on it.

I bin good

Pleez stop heer!

We had so much fun, and hope it doesn't take so long to see everyone next time.

Halloween

2007-11-04T17:03:00.000-08:00

Halloween is SO much fun when you have kids!!! It is a hoot to dress them up in their costumes and hear them say "chick er cheet." Logan loved the jack o lanterns on display. He kept trying to blow out the candles that kept the pumpkins glowing. Aaron didn't have a clue what was going on, but he was sure cute in his lil' monster costume. Logan was a caterpillar. He really could have used some extra pairs of legs when he walked his own set off. He was exhausted when it was done, but elated with his full basket of candy.

I can't help but throw in a picture of my sweet baby boy. He is starting to roll over really well, and is a pro at sitting up by himself. He only tips over when he gets dive bombed by his big brother.

Paul loves having little boys to play with. He and Logan have a Sunday night tradition of wrestling on our waterbed. Logan has no fear as he jumps through the air to tackle daddy. He then usually gets a head lock and tickled, but comes back for more grinning from ear to ear. Boys. *sigh*

Here are some more costume pics.

Aaron trying to eat Logan's costume

So proud to be a caterpillar!

Honest Abe

2007-10-28T13:58:00.000-07:00

This last weekend we decided to go visit Honest Abe Lincoln. We parked at the Arlington National Cemetary and walked across the Memorial Bridge to the Lincoln memorial. As you can guess, Logan loved walking up the stairs and down. He has way too much energy. Aaron enjoys the lap of luxtury and riding in the stroller up the elevator. After that we went and looked at the Vietnam memorial. There was a tour there with a park ranger, and he probably talked about the memorial for half an hour; some of the history behind it, how it was chosen, what it is supposed to mean, etc. It was very touching and very informative. I gained a lot more of a perspective of the Vietnam War from the presentation, and a greater respect and reverence for those that fought in that war.

Paul was recently called to be the Webelos leader in our ward, so now we all go to the church on Tuesday evenings, and Logan shoots hoops for an hour. There are only three boys, so it is really easy to work on projects they need for their advancements. It is also nice that they are eleven years old, and enjoy participating regardless of what is being taught and what they know about it.

Today Logan and Aaron were supposed to take naps before going to church, and it was really quiet for quite some time, so we thought that the were both sleeping, a parent's dream come true! Well Logan decided to try a new canvas for his art work, and we began to hear laughing coming from their room. Never a good sign during nap time. Behold, part of the results....

To Know Me is to Love Me

2007-10-21T17:01:00.000-07:00

Paul had this shirt when he was a baby that reads "To know me is to love me." We took a picture of Logan in the shirt when he was 6 months old, and recently did the same for Aaron now that he is around the same age. I just get a kick out of it whenever I put them in this shirt. I sure love my little boys and am so proud to be their mommy.

One of our latest adventures was to the Natural History Smithsonian. Logan really liked the dinosaurs. It was amazing there, and lots of fun. We had a hard time keeping Logan in one spot long enough for a picture, so we don't have many to post from the museum.

Here are my sweet boys. I love it when they play together. It makes my heart melt. They just love being around each other. Aaron positively lights up when Logan walks in the room, and Logan delights in making Aaron laugh. They're a great team.

My Projects

2007-09-30T15:33:00.000-07:00

I did it! I actually did it! I finished my projects! These projects have been in the works for YEARS.

I made this quilt for Logan's bed. Logan had been sleeping in a hodge podge of bed coverings.

His original sleeping arrangement?...

Comforter with blue zebra stripes

Pink rosebud sheets

Snowflake print pillowcase.

It was rather comical to see those patterns together like that, not that he minded in the least. But his MOTHER minded. So I did something about it. I have to say I am very proud.

I have been working on these stockings for years. I think I started the one on the right before Logan was born, and the one on the left before Aaron was born. Needless to say, we're buying the remainder of our Christmas stockings.

Thanks to everyone who donated jeans for the quilt below. I think it turned out rather well, but you'll have to look at it up close to really do it justice. I used all sorts of jean parts in it. I am excited to use it as a picnic blanket for the great outdoors.

So that's it for my episode of Shameless Showoff. Next week should be about the boys again. Stay tuned!

Air and Space Museum

2007-09-23T06:36:00.000-07:00

With the nice weather, Rebecca has been taking the boys to a water park that is close to our house. They seem to enjoy the sprinklers and the new little friends that they make while they are there. We also went to the Air and Space Museum in downtown. It was exciting. Logan enjoyed the interactive section where you can learn about how winds work, weight, and simple physics. Mostly he likes to push the buttons. Aaron just enjoys the free ride of being carried everywhere. We have also been feeding Aaron solid foods which he seems to enjoy immensely.

Leaping Logan

2007-09-15T14:46:00.000-07:00

Logan is growing up very fast. He is enjoying just about anything he can get hishands on. Lately he has been enjoying playing golf in the grassy area behind our apartment. Last weekend, Pauls parents were visiting from Utah, and we all went up to State College in Pennsylvania to visit Paul's sister Jackie, her husband and new daughter. While we were there, we walked around Penn States campus before the Penn State vs. Notre Dame football game. While some went to the game, others went to the park and had a barbeque. This was the first time Logan had had a smore. Needless to say, he never let the marshmallow sit long enoughfor it to be placed between a graham cracker and chocolate, but he enjoyed himself none the less. The next day was the blessing of Jackies and Jareds new baby. It was a great event to be present for.

Adorable Aaron

2007-09-15T14:26:00.000-07:00

Here is a glimpse into the life and personality of our little Aaron. Aaron is probably just as smiley as Logan was as a baby. His little grin lights up his little face. Aaron is starting to sit up by himself, and only tips over after a minute or so. Aaron loves his brother! Even if he does get pushed and poked and man handled by him. He and Logan are going to be great buddies and playmates. Aaron can also stand up by himself if you prop him against a couch or hold his hands. All babies can do that, but it is fun anyway. Wiggling is his newest passion, and he does that constantly. What a cute baby boy.

2007-08-27T05:43:00.000-07:00

The county fair came to Arlington last week, so we decided to venture out for some fun. It was the first fair for Rebecca, Logan, and Aaron, but old hat for Paul. Logan liked the ride where he sat in a car.

Logan was absolutely terrified to ride the carrousel. It took all of Rebecca's soothing influence to keep him from bolting. He looked stressed and nervous for the whole ride. When it was over, he hopped off gladly, then looked back and wanted to ride it again. Go figure.

As you can tell, once again Logan got into my makeup. This time, it was the lipstick he got his hands on. He'll need to work on his aim. None of it ever touched his lips.

As for the eye patch, I took Logan to an ophthalmologist this week. We had noticed Logan's right eye wandering regularly and decided to check it out. It turns out Logan has Amblyopia, or Lazy Eye. Occasionally his right eye stops working because it doesn't see as well as his left eye. To correct the problem we need to patch up the good eye. This forces him to use the bad eye. He will also need glasses, which he will start wearing sometime this week. Wish me luck keeping glasses on my active toddler. My guess is that we're going to end up spending a small fortune on replacement glasses. :-)

Here's our smiler in action.

Aaron started solids this week. He loved the rice cereal, so it was an easy transition. He also loves to smear it all over his face and hands. Logan wanted to eat the rice cereal too. I let him have a taste, which he promptly gagged on and ran to spit it out in the garbage can. Apparently it wasn't as big of a hit for Logan as it was for Aaron.
Look how great Paul is with the kids. They absolutely love him. What a fantastic husband and father! He is doing well and is enjoying his work as a dentist.

Mount Vernon

2007-08-12T08:06:00.000-07:00

Our family made a trip to Mount Vernon last week, which was George Washingtons mansion and plantation. What a neat experience! The grounds are quite extensive, and the house is kept in pristine condition. How amazing to walk where our first president walked. We saw the room where he found out he had been elected our first president, and we saw the room where he passed away. Paul had a treat in seeing George Washingtons dentures on display. It was a worthy Saturday adventure.

By the time this photo was taken, the kids were done. We tried to snap a picture in between sobs from Aaron, and wriggling from Logan. We were partly successful.

Logan thought the child statue was pretty neat. He kept staring at it.

Here is George Washington's tomb. What a great man

On the home front, Aaron rolled over for the first time. I can't believe my little baby is growing up! *sniff* Logan got into our markers, and decided they would look best scribbled all over his wall. That kiddo never seems to find an end to his mischief making. But he warms our hearts with his adorable smiles and sweet hugs. I'd do anything for him when he says "I yuv yoo mommy." What precious moments.

Here's our Curious George. He spotted a blue tailed lizard and wanted to poke it. Unfortunately it was unobliging and scurried away. Smart lizard.

Isn't Aaron a cutie! Just look at that smile.

Williamsburg Weekend

2007-07-27T13:49:00.000-07:00

Well, this last week was rather exciting. Logan got his head stuck between the metal bars of the hand rail in our apartment. It took a little work to get him out, and I don't think he will do that again, but I wont hold my breath. Last weekend we went to Williamsburg, VA for a suprise 50th birthday party for Paul's aunt and uncle. While there, we stayed in a time-share and there was this miniture golf course on it, so we decided to go play a round. We also indoctrinated Logan into the art of golf. He loved it. Aaron got to ride in the stroller around the course, soaking in the sunshine. Paul's mom came out as well to go to the party and to go help his sister Jackie have her baby that is due, any day now. Things here are going well and we are staying out of trouble, for the most part.

Iwo Jima Visit

2007-07-14T08:57:00.000-07:00

We are now pretty much settled in our apartment. The trouble now is trying to keep our place clean with Hurricane Logan leaving a trail of havoc and mayhem in his wake. But what can you expect from a toddler. He is great about helping to clean up though, and sings the "clean-up song" whenever I ask him to put things away.

Here's our family outing at the Iwo Jima monument. We're glad our camera has a rapid shutter speed, because Logan was off in a flash within milliseconds of this picture being taken. Paul is learning photography, and is thus our family photographer, which is why he's not in the picture.Logan got into Rebecca's makeup this week. In an effort to beautify himself, he decided that mascara around the eyes would give him the desired look. If his goal was to look like a raccoon, he succeeded admirably.
Aaron is getting so big! He is only 3 months old, wearing a 6 month outfit! I'm lucky to have pulled it out of the closet in time. Enough pictures Mommy!!! I don't wanna smile anymore!
Daddy and Logan just chillin' on the couch.Spending a relaxing Sunday afternoon together.

Independence Day

2007-07-07T05:35:00.000-07:00

Well, we have now been here in Washington, DC for two weeks. It has been a good experience already. This last week was also the 4th of July and Rebecca's birthday. To celebrate we decided to go and see some of the sites on Arlington National Cemetary; they included the Eternal Flame (JFK's grave), the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and several other smaller memorials such as the mast of the USS Maine. We walked through the cemetary, which was really nice, and there are some great views looking out over DC. That night we watched fireworks in our backyard and had an icecream cake that Rebecca had picked out. The little boys were exhaused. They seem to be handling the move very well, partially due to the close park and the swimming pool which they visit almost daily. Life is going great.

Fun with a squirt bottle

2007-06-17T19:31:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day to all you dads out there!

Paul reported for duty this week in DC, so he is now officially playing army-man. We are moving to our new place by Fort Myer on Saturday. I can't believe our time in Cleveland is almost over. What an adventure it has been these past 4 years, and how fast it has gone! And now we are about to start a whole new adventure in the nation's capital.

As for the home front, Logan's new favorite game is to squirt things with a squirt bottle. He even tries to sneak in a shot at mommy and daddy if he gets the opportunity. We have to keep our eyes on that little kiddo. Aaron just sits and smiles at us. What a happy boy.

We're eager to see what the next 3 years have in store for us, but look fondly on the last 4.

Life is about to change......

Enjoying Our Final Days in Cleveland

2007-06-10T16:30:00.000-07:00

Cleveland has so much to offer by way of parks and recreation. Here we were visiting the science park where we let Logan run free. We were also able to see what Logan looks like with long blonde hair, and what Rebecca will look like when she is a little old blue haired lady. The teeter-totter was perfect because Mommy + Logan = Daddy. Let's see who can paddle who the hardest.

Graduation and Blessing

2007-06-03T17:57:00.001-07:00

We celebrated graduation from dental school on the 20th of May, and what a celebration it was! It took 4 years of hard work to arrive at this momentous occasion. I couldn't be more proud of my wonderful husband! We also got to enjoy Aaron's baby blessing the day before. We had lots of family attend the events, and our house was filled to overflowing. What a wonderful time it was.

Logan's birthday

2007-06-03T17:36:00.001-07:00

Well, we now have a 2 year old running amok among us. Logan had his 2nd birthday on May 12th. He had lots of fun opening presents and eating lots of birthday cake. What more could a little kiddo ask for?
His favorite things:
Playing in water
Blowing bubbles
Dooda and mummies (soda and gummy bears)
Giving squeezes

Welcome Aaron Rose!

2007-06-03T17:08:00.000-07:00

After 39 weeks of waiting, we welcomed our son, Aaron James Rose, into our family. He weighted 7 lbs. 2 oz. and was 19 inches long. According to all of our friends, he is the spitting image of his older brother Logan. In other words, he's a cutie. We are so excited to have him in our family!

We're in!

2007-05-28T21:39:00.001-07:00

Well, looks like it works for us!