The Becks of Both Worlds

Music Monday

2012-02-13T12:44:00.000-08:00

I decided to make Mondays "Music Mondays".

I often find music that I just fall in love with.

This just happens to be one of my favorites at present.

I found it after watching all those Disney previews (you probably know the ones I'm talking about if you've seen any new or new to blu-ray videos).

I hope you enjoy it like I do!

Hmm...

2012-02-08T07:44:00.000-08:00

I'm trying to get really up and running and

I want to know what you think.

I want to have themes for different days, but I need your help in deciding what to make each.

I've hear things like "Wake up Wednesday" and "Thrifty Thursday"

but I don't want to copy someone else's "thing.

So any ideas are welcome!

Is it February already?

2012-02-06T06:26:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you, but this year is already beginning to speed by.

We are 1/12 through the year. And while that doesn't seem like much, it means that we have about 11 more months similarly time-sucking as the last one.

Don't get me wrong, January was great-

new year;

new commitments;

new prospects-

But I'm not ready for the rest of the year to fly by.

The closest thing on my mind is that my beautiful baby boy will be turning three in just 2 weeks! Gah!

I remember when I held his small 7 lb frame in my arms.

Now he's getting too big to carry.

Oh, me...

On the bright side, Trent only has 6 more months left of his Masters program!

YAY!!!

I know he's excited (as we all are!).

So, hopefully the rest of the year will slow down in some respects, but speed up in others...

Blueberry Muffins

2012-01-28T06:32:00.000-08:00

Sometimes a recipe comes along that just speaks to you...Then you tweak it a little more, and it's even better. This is one such recipe.

Blueberry Muffins

(adapted from The Food Network Kitchens)

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp fine salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter (plus more for muffin tin)

1 tsp. lemon zest

juice from 1 lemon

2/3 cup sugar (plus more to sprinkle on top)

2 large eggs

3/4 cup milk

1 1/2 cups blueberries

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Butter a muffin tin.

Cream together the butter, sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice until fluffy.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Fold the flour mixture into the butter mixture in thirds, alternating with the milk.

Once mixed, fold in the blueberries.

Spoon the mixture into the muffin tin (makes 12 muffins)

and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Let cool slightly, and enjoy!

Under the Weather

2012-01-20T06:55:00.000-08:00

We've all been under the weather over here. For the last week and a half (at least) we've been fighting colds, ear infections, and sore throats. Luckily, Trent manages to eek by unscathed...again.

So there's been a lot of this:

And this:

And tons of laundry trying to decontaminate everything.

I'll be happy when we're all at 100% again.

So that's what we're doing here these days. May you all stay healthy and happy. :)

Recipes I've Fallen in Love With

2012-01-06T06:01:00.000-08:00

I'm a big time Blog Hopper.

I hop a ton of them, actually....

And I'm totally in love with Pinterest. It's a sad obsession, really.

But out of all of it I have managed to find some great recipes. And I thought I should share those links that have brought me culinary happiness. :)

First up on the list is Sweet Granola over at Delia Creates.

She has some great things over there-lots of crafts, projects, and recipes.

I actually made this granola last night, and I can't seem to eat enough. It's soooooooo good!

Next up are Double Dark Chocolate Pomegranate Cookies from over at Made.

I've got to admit that this is actually one of my favorite blogs to follow.

She has SO much going on over there.

(Seriously, check her out.)

But these cookies combine 2 of my things-Chocolate and Pomegranates

(I'm in LOVE with pomegranates, actually.)

And finally we have Taco Chicken Bowls over at Budget Bytes.

These are so EASY!

I love this blog because it breaks down how much the meal would cost to make...

And, as it implies in its name, it's "on a budget" cooking!

I'll definitely be making these all again soon.

Totally worth it.

Belated Christmas Newsletter

2011-12-28T13:44:00.000-08:00

Yes, I know...

I am terribly behind on my Christmas posting.

And it may only get worse until the new year.

But at least I'm doing it now, right?

What's the deal? Well, I planned on actually sending out Christmas cards with pictures, but things didn't work out like planned. But no worries...This will have to do.

So what are we up to here in Buena Vista? A lot! I'll take you through the list.

Ethnie

Ethnie turned 5 this year! Can you believe it?! And as a result she started Kindergarten. (I still can't believe that I'm old enough to have a kid in school already.) And she loves it! She had a little bit of a rough start, but once she knew how she needed to behave it was smooth sailing. One of her favorite things (in school and out of) is ART. This kid could color all day if I let her. She also loves playing big sister to Leo and showing him the way. :)

Leo

Leo is growing like a weed and is ALL BOY! This kid keeps us laughing constantly. He'll be turning 3 in less than 2 months now. He's in love with Lightening McQueen and the whole Cars/Cars2 genre. He also turns anything into a weapon. I will say that he is thoroughly enjoying having the apartment "to himself" while Ethnie is away at school. Although I think it may be spoiling him just a bit...;)

Trent

Trent has been a busy boy.When he's not working full-time at Southern Virginia University he's plowing through his course work from VTech to obtain his MBA. And when he's not doing that? He is busy being on the High Council at church. (And yes, he's a little young for those that know what the calling is.) He thoroughly enjoys playing video games when he's not busy working or being Dad.

Rebecca

As for me? Usually you can read past posts and see what I've been up to. But I'll summarize it for you. This year I went out to visit my family in Oregon and ended having an emergency appendectomy...Not an ideal vacation...I also signed up to be a Pampered Chef Independent Consultant! It's been fun an educating, and I hope to learn more and do even better at it as time moves on. I'm busy trying to figure out how to make my blog more profitable, but I'll get to that in another post.

As a family, we're doing wonderful! We love just spending so much time together and growing as a family. I really wouldn't change our family for anything.

Merry (belated) Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and your family!

How do you like?

2011-12-21T06:39:00.000-08:00

Thanks to the wonderful work of Stephanie over at Dirt and Lace Designs, I now how a new blog design!

Oh, and I even have a button! See?------->

Doesn't it look fabulous?! If you ever need a blog redesign, you should really check her out.

Thanks again, Stephanie for all your hard work!

Making Some Adjustments

2011-12-08T18:35:00.000-08:00

I love food.

I REALLY love food...

To a fault...

And it's haunting me now.

It's no surprise that my health has never been fabulous. But I now believe it has something to do with my diet. That's why it's changing now. No more fast food. Less processed food. No eating after 9:00 pm. There are some other diet changes I need to make, but I'm taking baby steps with those.

Combined with the exercise I've been doing, I'm taking big strides. And I feel so much healthier, and better.

But like I said, I've got a lot of changes. And it will take a lot of time before my energy gets to a normal level.

Baby steps...

O Christmas tree! O Christmas tree!

2011-12-02T19:23:00.000-08:00

"Thy leaves are so unchanging!"

And now I bet that song is running through your head. Ha! Well, this week I've been running around frantic trying to get our Christmas tree together and in functioning order. It's not complete yet, either... I'm waiting for some ornaments to come in the mail. Hopefully next week...*fingers crossed!

In the meantime I thought I would show you what I do have. :) I wanted a more natural and "easy" Christmas this year. I didn't want excessive baubles and such like I've had in the past. I leaned more rustic and organic...not 100%, but just laid back. So this year I made cranberry and popcorn garland, and even made burlap pinwheels!

I also have more natural burlap to make stocking from! I'm going all out this year. I still have boughs from our tree to make into decoration, and I am in the process of making a wreath for our front door. See? Still lots to do! While it has probably been the most effort I've given, I love it the most. :) So, take a gander at our tree!

Once Again

2011-11-28T08:33:00.000-08:00

Once again I failed to bring my camera with me! Yargh! Such a frustrating feeling. I wanted to catch all of these memories but have nothing to show for it.

Well, moving forward...We were up at my in-laws this Thanksgiving holiday. It was a busy, chaotic, fun, family-filled, enjoyable weekend...

We hit a couple of movies- Hugo (so totally worth seeing!) and Arthur Christmas (which I didn't get to see the last 30 minutes of because of Leo).

We shopped Black Friday a little, and got most of our Christmas shopping done!

We got family photos-I can't wait for everyone to see them! They're beautiful! Thanks Linde!

We set up their house with Christmas decorations...

Oh, and we also ate a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner prepared by my father-in-law and niece. It was so nice!

Tonight we're going to go get our Christmas tree! I'm so excited! We're going to decorate with a little more natural elements like cranberries, popcorn, and gingerbread. It'll smell heavenly!

And hopefully soon I'll get to my holiday baking...And don't worry, I'll share my recipes. ;)

I'll see you all soon!

What to do...

2011-11-18T14:17:00.000-08:00

We're coming up on Christmas and I have absolutely no idea what to do for the kids. Thoughts?

There are a few things that we get every year like Christmas pajamas, jumbo suckers in their stockings, and such. But for the "big ticket" items I'm not completely sure. I've come across felt food:

[source]

I thought this would be a genius idea for Ethnie. We had to give away all of her old plastic food because it was getting chewed on and and breaking apart. I think a set (that I can make) with even felt pots and pans (if I can manage it) would be brilliant for my little girl.

Now what to do for my little man? Bean bags?

[source]

Otherwise I'm drawing a blank. Any ideas out there?

Tried and Failed

2011-11-17T13:30:00.000-08:00

I really tried to do 2 separate blogs, but failed miserably. So what do I do now? I'm combining the 2! I'm going to put my family life on (nothing too private, of course) and also my cooking, baking, sewing, and crafting.

I actually won a a blog redesign and can't wait for it to get up and running. :) So hopefully soon I'll have a new look. I'll let everyone know when we're officially back in business!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T19:04:00.000-07:00

Have you seen how adorable my little girl is? Well, now you have! We had a heck of a time finding out what she wanted to be for Halloween. At first she wanted to be Rapunzel, and then she wanted to be a "hammer" girl. Haha, don't ask. And then she landed on Snow White. And how adorable is she?!

As for Leo, he found a sword and a shield in the dollar area of Target and he was hooked. Fortunately I found a knight costume. :)

The handsome little devil!

Unfortunately he wouldn't even let the costume near him when we went trick-or-treating in Lexington. He was a cranky little bugger. It was a very extended Halloween, and I am so glad that it's over now! We have literally BUCKETS of candy now... And the question is how do we get rid of it? Ay ay ay!

And now a few candid shots of my littles. :)

Ethnie got a new red coat for this winter (and it seems that she's really going to need it having felt the weather so far!).

Since Ethnie has been taking tennis on Tuesdays and Thursdays, Leo and I have spent some time walking around on the SVU campus. I got some great shots of Leo looking at the fish pond.

I love my family so much! How did I ever get so lucky?!

A Physically Healthier Me

2011-10-26T07:48:00.000-07:00

This is my friend, Coca-Cola. We've had a love/hate relationship for a very long time now. Just over a month ago I decided to break up with it. Yes, it looks all nice, cool, sweet, and red...But I hate what it was doing to me.

Did you know that a 12 oz. can of Coke contained 41 grams of sugars? Yeah. Sickening, isn't it? Plus, it was doing a number on my kidneys. I've always had bad kidneys, but coke always made it worse.

Sad as it is to admit, I was drinking a Coke almost every day. And I didn't think anything of it. Now that I know the sugar content it almost makes me physically ill to know I was putting all of that junk in my body. Seriously. And now I've replaced it by trying to drink about 2 liters of water every day. Sometimes I make it and then some...Some days I only make it about halfway. But at least I'm trying. And I'm feeling better for it already. :)

A Healthier Me

2011-10-24T11:10:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I was fortunate enough to go to Time Out For Women. For those of you that don't know what that is, it's a day and a half of inspirational speakers and musical guests designed to uplift and encourage us as women. And you know what? I feel uplifted and encouraged!

The theme this year was "Choose to Become." This means that we choose to become closer to the women we really want to be. And I've been wanting the motivation to do this for quite some time. But then I saw the scripture on the front of the program:

"All things are possible to him that believeth."

-Mark 9:23

How AWESOME is that?! I've been spending my time waiting for something to come along and hold my hand through this process to be a healthier me. And then I thought that the only person I needed to hold my was my Father in Heaven. I was waiting for someone to tell me that this was a good idea. And then I realized that this was a good idea. I just needed to believe in myself. And now, after a much needed shove to do what feel was best for me, I'm moving forward.

So what is this "A Healthier Me" business? My mission is to become healthier in more ways than one. My goal is for a spiritually, physically, and an emotionally healthier me.

Spiritually: My goal is to be more spiritually minded, always looking for ways to improve my testimony and the testimonies of my children. I've always kind of coasted with this and never expanded my mind in such a nature to leave not an ounce of doubt in my heart of my Savior's love for me and His children.

Physically: For anyone that knows me, I've always struggling with being healthy. My immune system has never been fabulous (thanks, Mom, for that one. ;)). I'm striving for a healthy body. It isn't about appearance for me. And, believe me, I will go into depth more about that some other time.

Emotionally: I've always battled depression. I don't think a lot of people realize how many people suffer from this. Sometimes I can't tell if it is attached to my spiritual and physical or if it is a chemical thing. So through my spiritual and physical growth I will come to a realization of what I need to do to fight this.

Why am I telling you all this? Well, hopefully I will be blogging more about my goals and my journey towards them. Whenever I have a moment that has helped me grow in any of these ways I will post it with the title of "A _________Healthier Me." Feel free to join me on my journey as I progress. And hopefully I will here some uplifting words of encouragement. Welcome to my Yellow Brick Road to Health.

So behind!

2011-10-17T06:52:00.000-07:00

Many big adventures keep going on. And since I'm terribly behind on so many of them, how about I show them in photos?

As I've mentioned, I started selling The Pampered Chef. I received my kit last week and have been having so much fun playing with my new goodies. I'll have to post some of my favorites on occasion. :)

Every year in Buena Vista they block off the main street in town for Mountain Days! We always look forward to this day. They have a lot of vendors set up, activities for the kids, and food. Who wouldn't want to go?! Well, Since Trent was off at classes that weekend, I took the kids alone, but we still had fun. :)

Here is Ethnie learning how to milk a cow. Haha! She got wet from all the water. :)

Old Ford Mustang? Yes, please! Who doesn't love classic cars?

Leo grinding some corn. The kids were fascinated by this area. Between the corn mills and the water spigots, we couldn't seem to stay away for long.

Leo's turn to milk the cow. :)

And just one more good moment of mother and daughter. I love these kids!

We also had a few good weather days so we went outside and started to color with chalk. This is one of Ethnie's favorite activities. :)

It's Official

2011-10-04T16:19:00.000-07:00

I am now OFFICIALLY an Pampered Chef independent consultant! Yay! Trent and I felt really good about this decision. So if you want to schedule a party, let me know! There are a lot of benefits of hosting. :)

You know you're the mother of a school-age child when...

2011-10-03T13:01:00.000-07:00

You get a packet from said school to sell things. Yep. That's right. They start in kindergarten these days. I can't believe it! Ahh! I remember selling this stuff when I was in school. I hated it. And people really didn't want what you were normally selling. Sad, but true.

Fortunately, these days (internet and all) you can order online! That means I can give all of the information to all of you and you can browse at home on your computer. Plus they have much nicer stuff than when we sold crap (Am I right?). Sooooo.....

Here's how you can help (no pressure! Ethnie is just VERY excited and went on a spaz-out when she got home about it.):

It's Fundraising time for Ethnie's elementary school (Groan...) BUT... they're selling tasty treats, wrapping paper and lots of cute things (for not TOO much).. and you can order online to help support us! Go to Minkco.com and use the school code: 113078500 (use it at checkout) and the name Ethnie DeSpain so she gets credit. So that long number is seller ID, seller name: Ethnie DeSpain. The name of Ethnie's school is F.W. Kling Elementary School in Buena Vista, Virginia (you'll need all that if you're ordering online). Thanks everyone!

So many times...

2011-09-29T05:14:00.000-07:00

So many times I've gotten on my computer, logged in to blogger, and wanted to write a post. But I can never seem to find the words that I want to convey. I want to let people know what we're up to, but I don't want to over-burden them with my troubles. I want to share pictures of my kids, but don't want to overload anyone with their cuteness. ;) I want to be philosophical, but really don't have the energy to come up with something. So I'm left just kind of blank. And that's the reason that I really haven't written anything in a while...I'm blank.

So, what's the line? I really want to know from those that actually really read my blog, what do you want to really know? I don't mean the polite "How are you doing?" while you are on your way to somewhere and and feel it just the proper thing to say...just to be nice. Please let me know.

Where Were You?

2011-09-11T09:09:00.000-07:00

I was 18 at the time...staying with my brother and his wife. My first year of college in Colorado. My first experiences by myself. I woke up and started getting ready for classes when the TV was turned on. I couldn't believe it. Smoke billowed from the first tower.

I nearly forgot to head to classes. I wanted to stay and watch...There is something about such a devastating disaster that holds your gaze. I believe it's the unbelief. The horror that someone could actually do this is mind blowing.

Entranced, I headed to my car and turned on the radio. And began my usually 15 minute drive to campus. It was located just outside of Ft. Carson military base. I was caught up in traffic for two hours. All military personnel was called in. I turned and looked at other drivers as we creaked by each other, many were in tears, others dumbfounded. All in disbelief.

Then I heard it, "Oh, my God! Another plane just flew into the second tower!" Tears streamed down my cheek. I proceeded to listen as each tower collapsed out of the sky.

I remember. Where were you?

The Pampered Chef

2011-08-29T06:52:00.001-07:00

As some of you may know, I've decided to start selling The Pampered Chef. I never expected to get pulled into one of these "pyramid" vendors. But as money gets more tight, and we have lots of bills to pay, I needed something to feel like a contribution, financially.

Let's go back about 3 weeks...

I was at a friend's house while she was having a Dove Chocolate party (yes, they really do have Dove Chocolate parties, and it is delicious!) and a few friends mentioned that I would do really well at selling The Pampered Chef. I can work my own hours, I really enjoy cooking, and I always love some good baking/cooking gear. But I was thoroughly convinced.

That night I went home and talked it over with Trent and searched out the website. Looking over the sign-up process and the perks, I suddenly got a really good feeling about it. I looked at Trent and wondered what he thought about it...

"Funnily enough," he said, "I feel really good about this." We both felt really good! Yay!

It may seem trivial, but when everything around me seems to be at a standstill around me, it was nice to have something to look forward to. So I decided to move forward...Then I hit a wall. I need 4 party dates before I can fully sign up and get my gear. While a have a few friends willing to help me out, I was finding any support anywhere else nearby. My family is supportive, but they so far away that they are unable to host a party for me.

This is why I have decided to come to you all-my blog readers in Buena Vista and the surrounding areas. I need 4 party dates before I can get all set up. If you would be interested in hosting a party please let me know! If you want to know what the rewards are for hosting a party you can click here for more information. If interested, you can leave a message, write me and e-mail, or call me. Thanks so much for listening through this. I really appreciate it and hope to get up and running soon!

Appendectomy

2011-08-13T14:16:00.001-07:00

This post doesn't have any pictures, just so you know. I'm finally getting a moment to write about another part of my trip. So the continued story goes as follows:

While I was in Oregon I wanted to visit my grandpa on my father's side who lived about 3 hours away. We had a hard time deciding the days so we chose Monday. We went out and had a nice visit and a good lunch with my Grandpa Guy, but also with my aunt (Dad's sister). We visited for a good while and then headed home.

On the way we stopped and got some ice cream. It tasted really good, but then I started to feel sick to my stomach. At first I thought nothing of it. But then it proceeded to get worse...Then I thought it was food poisoning. I continued to get extremely sick over the next 5 hours until I could no longer vomit, move, or do anything else. So back into the car it was for another hour long drive to the hospital (my parents live in a very rural area).

Their diagnosis? Severe appendicitis. I was hooked up to IV fluids and a Morphine drip, which barely touched the pain. They didn't have an on call surgeon so I had to be loaded into an ambulance and shipped off another 45 minutes away to a different hospital. Once there, they pretty much rushed me into emergency surgery. And it was a good thing, too...My appendix was just about to burst.

Post-op was long. I was in the hospital for another 2 days. My biggest frustration was the adhesives they used on me. I'm severely allergic to medical adhesives and they glued my incision back together, then used little tapes strips over that, and a giant "silver" patch over that. This was all almost 1 1/2 months ago and I still have a scar from the rash. I'm almost completely better.

So that's my appendectomy story. There are a few parts left out for a future post. But I don't know when I'll be able to get to that one either. We're pretty busy here between Trent and work, and school, and getting Ethnie ready for Kindergarten which starts in just a week! So, I'll hopefully be back in full swing soon. That's it for now!

Playing catch up

2011-08-01T13:19:00.000-07:00

Okay, I know I'm a delinquent blogger. We've had a lot on our plates for the last month or so. You'll see as I continue blogging. I'm going to blog as I can in stages. This part is the pre-surgery post.

I went out to Oregon with the kids, sans husband, at the end of June through the beginning of July. Believe me, it didn't turn out how I planned. But I got some great shots in before it went south.

The beautiful Grandma Ginnie. I was so happy to see her! I hadn't seen her in almost 5 years! That's way too long!

Ethnie playing in Grandma Ginnie's yard.

Leo riding tractors with Papa Dennis

My wonderful parents

I missed this whole part of my trip!

Long time, no post

2011-07-08T11:18:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I know it's been a while. We've been a little busy over here, and I've been gone for 2 whole weeks! And let me tell you, it wasn't my best vacation. I'll have to explain everything at a later date. But let's suffice it to say that I went to visit family and ended up having an emergency appendectomy while I was there. So right now I'm in recovery mode. When I'm feeling more like blogging I'll give you all the low-down. :) Until then!

Getting it back

2011-06-01T07:27:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been having more and more body and health issues. I'm sure that comes as no great shock to some of you. Things just haven't been right. And I've been racking my brain on what to do help things improve. Diet and exercise has been the thing in the back of my mind, but I never really got the full motivation. It wasn't until a family member suggested my diet might need the changing, this is without his knowledge of circumstances, that I got that final umph to get off my keister. The plus is that Trent decided to jump on board with me so that we could teach our kids healthier eating and exercise habits.

This isn't a body image thing for me. I really just need to get healthier. Plus I really can't afford any extra weight on my knees. (For those that don't know the knee story you can go here. And no, I'm not pregnant if that's what you were thinking.) But of course I decided to wait until after Memorial weekend to start my new regimen.

My intent was to start yesterday, but I was so sunburned that most of what I could do all day was stay in booty shorts and a light tank top to minimize rubbing my skin. But now that I'm doing a little better I "jumped" into action...Well as much as I could anyway. We wanted to get up at 6:15 to start our exercise, but Leo woke us up earlier. After resting a few minutes with him, I finally got moving and did some exercise, took a shower, and ate a healthier breakfast. (We also got a bunch of much healthier snacks to keep around.)

The funny thing about all this is that even though I look okay and I'm not overweight, I have a long way to go. I'm terribly out of shape, coming from a former high school athlete to a mom. And I didn't realize just how much I ate until I tried to manage it.

I really don't care about my weight, just about how healthy and good I feel. But just to track progress I'm going to post my starting weight (don't judge) to track my progress. Please help motivate me! I can use all the help I can get!

STARTING WEIGHT:
143 lbs

Ethnie

2011-05-20T09:51:00.000-07:00

You were probably wondering where the post for Ethnie was after the last one of Leo...Well, every time I would sit down to write (and I tried several times) something came up-usually it was the kids wreaking havoc on the apartment or on each other. But Leo is sleeping on the couch right now. And Ethnie is playing quietly in her room. And Trent is still at work. So now is when I have the time...

Do you know this child? If you do, then you know what a live-wire she really is. She came to us almost 5 years ago and has kept me running around ever since.
People often wonder where we found her name, and the answer is...on the internet! Yep. I have an obsession with Celtic/Gaelic/Irish names...In fact, if we weren't so positive that Leo's name was supposed to be Leo, he would have ended up something like Liam or Owen or the like. And the meaning of her name?

Ethnie=Little Fire
Brietta=Powerful One

Oh, how she lives up to her name! We butt heads often (in fact, all the time!). And do you know why? It's because we are EXACTLY the SAME! Yep. Ask my mother. She'll tell you all kinds of stories. We're are both very stubborn individuals so it makes it hard for us to come to some common ground. But this way I know what makes her tick.

I love this little fireball with all my heart! And though we clash quite frequently, we're two peas in a pod. When she starts kindergarten this fall I will miss her terribly, but will be happy for the peace....at least until Leo disrupts it. :)

Two Leos

2011-05-11T15:38:00.000-07:00

This is Leo. Leo is a funny kid. He loves music. He doesn't let anyone bully his big sister. And he has a strong personality. But everyone loves him. He's irresistible. He draws everyone in. And he has a fantastic smile!
This is (from left to right) my Grandma Ginnie, my mother, Gaye Bledsoe, and my Grandpa Chick. But Grandpa Chick's real name is actually, you guessed it, Leo. This is who we named out little boy after. He passed away about 14 years ago, and we all still think about him often.
We actually had a few different names picked out. But one day I got a very strong impression that he should be named Leo. This Leo loves music. He was a funny man. And everyone that met him loved him, and love him still. He drew everyone in. And when he smiled, the room lit up.

I miss my Grandpa. I always will. But I have a constant reminder of what kind of man he was in my little Leo. I am very blessed.

Word Vomit

2011-05-02T13:18:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I just like to rattle off what's on the top of my mind...And for some reason, one of those times is right now...

I've had a lot on my mind lately...For the last month or two I've been having an inward struggle with myself and who I am. It is so easy as a young mother to just get lost in what you're doing that I've lost sight of who and what I am. Often I contemplate the "what ifs" of life:

"What if I hadn't moved to Virginia?"
"What if I had gotten a different degree?"
"What if I didn't decide to be a stay-at-home-mom?"
"What if I decided to travel more before I got married or had kids?"
"Where would I be if I hadn't chosen this path?"

That's a lot, and sounds pretty selfish, I know. I don't mean to be selfish. I really don't. I just have a hard time, sometimes, accepting that this is all I'll ever do. I've never been one to just stay back and let my life be decided for me. I miss days of adventure and fun and no responsibility. Living life moment to moment and enjoying not having to take care of anyone beside myself.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE where I am right now. I have a wonderful supportive husband that lets me rant and rave about what's on my mind, and I have two beautiful young children who I love more than anything. I'm fairly happy. Seriously.

Sometimes I just wish I had something outside of this apartment that allowed me to be who I truly am: Adventurous.

Is that so wrong?

Late Easter Post

2011-04-28T07:28:00.000-07:00

I know...I'm a slacker. I've seen so many people blog about their Easter egg hunts and all of that for a while now, and I'm just getting started.

So, SVU has an annual Easter Egg Hunt for the "SVU Family," meaning friends and family of SVU. The kids, or rather just Ethnie, had a great time finding eggs...

Leo? Not so much. It was a little cold, and we had to wake him up from his nap to go.

What he did like was, of course, the chocolate...
And Ethnie enjoyed it, too. I think Leo ate all of his candy in that 30 minute time span. Ethnie ate about half and then complained fr the rest of the day that her tummy hurt from eating too much candy. Haha...
And it was so nice that Trent could be there and enjoy the fun with us. He actually took that entire day off of work to be with us (and do homework, which he never really got around to).

Gingersnap Fun

2011-04-18T06:41:00.000-07:00

I know I've announced my new blog, but I'm really trying to generate more interest. I have a few followers, but I'm wondering, is anyone else even noticing? If you do, please go over to Gingersnap Fun and comment. It makes me feel like my projects are worth doing and sharing. Please? Show a girl some love. :)

Sick and Snuggles

2011-04-13T05:46:00.000-07:00

It's been a long week...already. But we're making it through. Leo has bronchitis again. We took him into the doctor on Monday morning and they prescribed him an antibiotic and so far he's doing much better and actually sleeping at night.

This is Leo all morning before we took him in. He was so miserable. Poor guy. :(

But now that he's starting to feel a little better, he and Ethnie have been snuggling together. It's so cute! I think I have a similar photo of this with me and my sister Lisa, except she was actually crushing me. Haha. Just kidding.

Park Weather

2011-04-09T16:14:00.001-07:00

A few days ago the weather was positively gorgeous. So, with my new found freedom, The kids and I met some friends at the park in Lexington. It was so nice! Leo just loves the swings so he stayed there pretty much the entire time. Ethnie? She was running around so much that I couldn't get a picture of her. But I got plenty of Leo and his friend Caleb.

This is one that I just had to add since I didn't get any of Ethnie at the park. Isn't she just the little fashionista? Love it. :)

Weird

2011-04-06T07:03:00.001-07:00

I just registered Ethnie for kindergarten. Ahh! I can't believe that she'll be old enough for school this year. Where did that time go? If you find it, let me know.

New Van!

2011-04-03T16:50:00.000-07:00

Take a look at our new (to us) 2005 Toyota Sienna! I am so excited! It drives like a dream, and is perfect for our little family. I couldn't be happier about it!

Stow n' go seating

I Guess...

2011-03-28T09:30:00.000-07:00

We're sticking around for a while. Was that in our original plan? No. But when does life go according to plan? I guess I should tell you all why. Here goes...

First of all, Trent got a promotion at work last week. It was offered to him the week before, and after much prayer and thought he accepted. We're able to now afford life much better than we were. And we're now stable. :) Trent will be able to finish his Masters program while living here. (Plus we didn't need the added stress.)

Secondly, Trent got a new calling at Church. He was the Elder's Quorum 1st Counselor, and has been called to the High Council...Big jump. For those of you that don't know what I'm talking about, everyone that "works" in our church is actually given a "Calling." After prayer and careful consideration, people are called to different "jobs" such as Bishop, Counselor, Relief Society President, and so on. We don't have paid clergy. Everything is service. We choose to serve in these callings. As a part of Trent's calling he will travel around our Stake and help watch over the Wards and Branches.

When Trent's calling was announced in church a friend came up and said, "I guess The Lord doesn't want you going anywhere. A promotion and a new calling? You're staying for a while." And I guess we are. But you know, we actually like it here. That has never been the issue. And now money shouldn't be an issue for a while.

Sot that's what has been going on her in Buena Vista. :)

I've Launched

2011-03-22T07:08:00.000-07:00

Sort of. :) In an attempt to sew, craft, cook, and bake more, I created a blog to showcase it all. I know...Why so many blogs? I want to separate these things in my own way. And eventually, hopefully, it will become a profitable blog.

You can check out Gingersnap Fun by clicking here. Enjoy!

How A Toddler is Like a Cat

2011-03-17T06:01:00.000-07:00

Yep. I meant it, too. Have you ever realized what they have in common? Here are some similarities I've come up with. If you notice any others, feel free to share them. :)

One of their favorite toys is an empty box.

They love being played with/teased with a ribbon or string.

They often try to communicate, but you have NO idea what they want.

They pee on everything.

They mark their territory.

They're always trying to get on the counters.

They almost always want attention.

They want food when they want it, and how they want it.

They can be difficult to potty train, but even when they are they have accidents.

They are fun to snuggle when they'll let you. :)

Did I miss anything? If I did, feel free to add something. :)

When You're a Mother

2011-03-16T07:18:00.001-07:00

Nothing is yours.

Your clothes aren't yours-They're a drying towel, a washcloth, a kleenex.

Your furniture isn't yours-It is a trampoline, a bed, a fort, a tent, a mess.

Your TV isn't yours-It's an on-demand movie theater filled with Sesame Street, Veggie-Tales, etc...

Your Personal Time isn't yours-It's Snuggle time, it's on-demand snack time, it's "Mommy, I need MORE attention!" time.

Your body isn't yours-It's a carrying device, a personal walker, two hands and two feet for getting whatever needs they have.

Your lips aren't yours-They're boo-boo kissers.

But most importantly:

Your HEART isn't yours-It fully belongs to them. And you wouldn't have it any other way.

Being a MOTHER isn't always easy, and it can seem at times like nothing is as it used to be, or never will be yours again. But it is, and always will be, the most rewarding job, life, that you can ever have. Yes, I miss my personal space at times. But NO, I wouldn't change it for the world.

I'm Addicted

2011-03-08T06:46:00.000-08:00

...To Crafting Blogs! Seriously! It's really ridiculous. You see the links that I have at the side of my blog, but I have way more on my bookmarks on my browser. But they are all awesome and all teach me something a little different. Here's a list and links. :) Enjoy!

Make It and Love It

6th St. Design School

Made

Made by Rae

Tatertots and Jello

Mama Says Sew

V and Co.

Brimhall Bliss

I Am Momma- Hear Me Roar

What's cool is that they are always showcasing each other and other blogs, so I HAVE to check them all out! But they seriously have a lot of great ideas. :)

Working on a Project

2011-02-27T16:37:00.000-08:00

Since we got the kids bunk beds, I've been looking for a way to make them more exciting. SO, I decided to make them each a tent! Yep. I'm going to make removal velcro panels for the bottom bunk for Leo, and a draped tent from the ceiling for Ethnie. I even have the material ready. Now I have to just cut it up and sew...which in this house could take a while...I saw this fabric and couldn't resist it. This gray,and orange and white stripe will be for Leo. I have a few ideas how it will be, but I have yet to solidify it. What do you think?

Catching Up

2011-02-24T07:44:00.001-08:00

It's been a while since I've really posted any recent pictures, so here goes...

On Valentine's Day Trent took a half-day and surprised me with Tulips. (No, no pictures of the flowers.) The day was SO beautiful that we took the kids to the park after Leo's nap and we had a great time. It's been a long time since we've done something like that as a family. The kids thoroughly enjoyed it and hated to leave when the wind picked up. Here are a few pictures of the park. :)

Yes, Trent had Ethnie pose for the camera. Haha. She did well, too. :)

We did a "drive-in" theater one morning and the kids loved it! Good times! We've had that little plush car that Leo's in since Ethnie was 3 months old. It's still a hit in the house. ;)

Leo's taken to climbing under our covers. He'll pull off all of the pillows and just hide underneath the sheets. Here are a few adorable moments. :)

Baby Boy

2011-02-20T07:19:00.000-08:00

Two years ago I woke up at 6:30 am to fierce contractions. After a few phone calls to doctors Trent, Ethnie, my parents and I headed down to Roanoke, Virginia. At 3:49 pm, on February 20, 2009 we welcomed a wonderful baby boy to our family. We named him Leo after my Grandfather, a great and wonderful man.

In two years Leo has grown up, cut new teeth, learned to walk, talk, and run. I wouldn't trade them for anything. Happy Birthday to my wonderful boy!

My 2-year-old!

Leo at 1. :)

Newborn Leo at home

Ethnie holding Leo for the first time.

New baby boy!

Night One

2011-02-13T16:32:00.001-08:00

Night one in bunk beds...Leo kept climbing up to the top bunk. Eventually we just let him. Right before we went to bed we put him in his own bed. Tonight we put Leo to bed 30 minutes earlier than Ethnie and he still climbed up and fell fast asleep in her bed before she went in to bed. We switched him again. One day he'll get it. Or maybe we'll have to switch them up. :/

Bunk Beds!!

2011-02-12T15:06:00.000-08:00

First off, sorry for the poor picture quality. I really wish I had a DSLR camera to make things look so much nicer. Oh, well...

Since Leo is turning 2 in a matter of days now, we decided it was time to get him a big boy bed. The only problem was that we didn't have any space for one. We were cramped as it was. So we decided in favor of bunk beds. :) Ethnie would sleep on the top and Leo on the bottom. When we asked her Ethnie about she was so excited! So we commenced with the plan.

Luckily I found a great deal on some bunk beds online, and a mattress for the top bunk, and some bedding for Leo. I was so antsy for it to come quickly. And it did! Although the mattress came 2 days later than the bed so we had this HUGE box just sitting in the kids' room.

Today the mattress was supposed to arrive so we got to work putting it all together. Let me tell you, putting something this HUGE with kids around is NOT easy. Many tempers were flared, and Both mine and Trent's hands hurt for that little tool they give you to put it all together. But finally it was done! But then we had to clean out the closet and the room for the things that we weren't using then...That was a problem.

We have big closets, but no space otherwise. So if we're not using something, guess where it goes? Yep. Needless to say, we donated a lot of things to Goodwill. But we made it work. and it looks great! Here are some pictures of it. The kids already LOVE their new bed. Although I will say that making bunk beds is so much more difficult than a regular bed. Oy.

Leo's new bedding. He actually already took a nap on his bed without any troubles. Yay! He didn't even roll out of bed. :)

They both can climb the ladder pretty well...Almost too well for Leo. But they have fun. :)

Sorry

2011-01-17T19:27:00.000-08:00

My last post was mostly a ventilation post. I'm sorry if you all think I was trying to complain about how terrible my life momentarily is. I actually am very lucky. That day just happened to cut my last nerves and I let it all out.

Plainly put, I've been thinking more and more these last few days about how lucky I really am...I don't deal with these things on a daily basis when so many have sick or afflicted children year round. I don;t know how those moms and dads do it. I take my invisible hat off you all of you. I wish I could be as positive and strong as all of you. (You know who you are.:)) I have no right to complain. And I mean that.

Oy

2011-01-16T07:55:00.000-08:00

If anyone reads my Facebook statuses, then you know that we're sick over here. Yes. Again. For the last 2 months (maybe less) we've been fighting to stay well. So, what happened?

Last month was a sickies convention. Ethnie got strep. Leo still had his cough from before Halloween, So they each got antibiotics. Ethnie got better, Leo didn't so much. Then I got Bronchitis. And since I love to share so much, the kids got it, too. So we all got a round of antibiotics...again. We all got better, even Leo's cough dissipated. We were healthy in time for New Year's. Yay! Remarkably Trent remained unscathed. Lucky guy.

Then this month came around. About a week ago Leo started getting hives. And then he got a terrible cough and very red, bloodshot, and goopy eyes. We had no idea what they were from. Then he started to get really sick. We took him to the doctor where we got the response of "viral hives" and a bad cold. Really? It wasn't our regular doctor, so I was skeptical. Leo continued not sleeping at night for 3 days. Seriously NO sleep. Trent and I were both sleep deprived. Leo was screaming in so much pain! It was the saddest thing I've ever seen! So we took him to the doctor again. Leo's eyes got a little better, but the hives were itching, his eyes were still almost completely bloodshot, and his head was in pain. Turns out he has the beginnings of a bad ear infection. I was glad we took him in again before it got worse.

That night Ethnie kept waking up in extreme pain with a fever of at least 102. We gave her motrin and evaluated in the morning. Turns out that she had the same as Leo was going through. Ironically enough, that was the first night that Leo slept through the night. So Ethnie was now miserable.......And now I have it. Let me tell you, it is NOT fun. Knowing what the kids have been going through makes me even more sad! It's bad enough for an adult, let alone a child that can't tell you what's wrong.

Once again, Trent goes unharmed. He may get it within the next week, but I doubt it. That has been a huge blessing through all of this. He's been the most wonderful man ever! He's been caring for all of us, cooking us breakfast, lunch, and dinner. He even went to Wal-Mart and did the grocery shopping for the week, and did the laundry, and cleaned the entire apartment. Seriously, he is my Superman. I was blessed to find him. No one else would have stood by my as well as he has through everything. I love you, Babe!

Bright side is that we're finally in the mend. Hopefully it will be quick.

Positivity

2011-01-07T09:10:00.000-08:00

This year one of my goals was to do my best to stay positive. So far it's been okay. I haven't really had anything that I wanted to complain about. Are there a few things that irk me? Of course! But I'm not going to let it get to me.

I saw a quote in my Real Simple Magazine. I love this magazine! Seriously epitomizes everything I want to do or be in life...simplicity. :) Like I said, I ran across a quote by Margaret Lee Runbeck from Time For Each Other and it struck a chord with how I need to live.

"Happiness is not a station you arrive at, but a manner of traveling."

Simple? Yes? Worth living? Definitely. So that's my goal. Maybe you can all help me by reminding me of my life decision. It may not come so easily at first, but I know it will be worth it in the long run.

Merry Christmas!!!

2010-12-25T10:07:00.000-08:00

It has truly been a wonderful Christmas morning! And we have all been very blessed! Here are some pictures of our goings on for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Christmas eve day we had Chocolate and banana pancakes. Yum!

And Ethnie and Leo were able to open 1 present as well as get their Christmas P.J.s.

Even Mommy and Daddy got new P.J.s.

Christmas morning came with lots of fun...and candy...which they ate...and ate...and ate...

Ethnie showing off her new things.

And Leo's

This kid LOVES his sucker. I couldn't get it open fast enough for him. :)

Grandma Chris and Grandpa Cory got them this beautiful new table, and it has already gotten a lot of use. :)

Now this is my favorite! Oma and Papa Dennis MADE these blocks that will fit perfectly into the wagon! I can't wait to put it together!

These blocks are seriously HUGE!

We'll have another "Christmas" next week when we go visit Grandma and Grandpa. But we have been very blessed this holiday season. Merry Christmas to you and yours!

Getting Ready For Christmas

2010-12-21T07:05:00.001-08:00

I know it's been a long while since I've done any real posts. So, let me tell you what we've been up to this last month...This is, in it's own way, a sort of Christmas "letter." We've all been under the weather so cards didn't go out this year. We'll aim for next year...

Trent's been pretty busy with work and has been putting in quite the hours. It's so sad seeing the kids so depressed when he leaves for work. But he always makes up for it on the weekends. He is simply amazing with the kids, and they love him so much! Every time I watch them all play together it makes me feel so happy and lucky to have found such a wonderful man. :) He sacrifices so much for all of us. I can't even put it all in words how very lucky we all are. He keeps making advances at work all the time, too. I've heard several times from Trent's colleagues how lucky the University is to have him there. He definitely makes me proud. :)

I've been keeping somewhat busy. I managed to get all of my Christmas shopping done a few weeks ago, so now I don't need to stress about it. :) I just went to the doctor yesterday to find out I have Bronchitis. Yuck. I'm finally taking some antibiotics for it as well as some cough syrup, which tastes nasty, by the way. But the kids have been keeping me on my toes, as only they can.

Ethnie is still a little ball of energy. She is such a big help, though. She never ceases to amaze me at how much she can do. I guess I still see her as my little baby, but I forget that she's 4! She's been taking ballet, but is on a break for a few months (her teacher just had a baby a few weeks ago). But she's excited to go back again. She is a budding artist and LOVES to color. I have so many papers all over the house, I feel bad trying to thin through them. But I have to otherwise the apartment would be filled to the top with drawings. She's also just gotten over Strep. I can't believe what a trouper she was, though. Other than her cough, you couldn't tell she was sick. What a resilient little girl.

Leo has been sick, too. The doctor believes that he had a nasal infection and gave him some antibiotics because he's had the same cough since before Halloween. The problem now is that he's still sick with something else, probably a bad cold now. Poor guy. But through it all he is still a very active little boy. He loves movies and will actually sit still through a big portion of them. He also loves music and dancing, as well as copying his big sister. I can't believe that in 2 months he'll be 2 years-old. Crazy! Where did that time go?!

All-in-all, though, we're hanging in there. We managed to get a Christmas tree and decorate it. Sunday night we finally put all the presents under it. Amazingly, the kids really haven't been trying to open them. But they (at least Ethnie) are still excited for Christmas.

Here are a few recent photos that I've taken of my little ones getting ready for Christmas.

We got this beautiful 7 foot fraser fir. It smells so good!

I finally got Leo to stand still in front of the tree this morning.

Ethnie has NO problem posing for the camera. :)

And just to show how adorable they are, I had to post a few more. :)

Isn't she beautiful? I love this gorgeous girl. :)

Merry Christmas from all of us here in Buena Vista!

Love,

Trent, Rebecca, Ethnie, and Leo

Celtic Woman / Chloe Agnew - ''O Holy Night''

2010-12-09T10:21:00.000-08:00

I just love Celtic Women. Here is one of my favorite Christmas songs of theirs.

Ballet

2010-11-21T11:06:00.000-08:00

Rthnie's been taking ballet for the last few months and she just loves it. :) Every Friday from 10-11 she gets to learn it all from her teacher along side her little friends. She is so cute and just loves to show us what she's learned (in her own little way, anyway). These last few weeks they've been performing their dance they have been working on. They did it 2 weeks in a row because some students were leaving for a while, and some fathers couldn't come another week. But it was so cute! We got it on video, and when I figure out how to get it on here I will. :)

Playing Catch-up

2010-11-19T18:31:00.001-08:00

It's been a long time since I posted last. A lot has happened. And I didn't even finish posting about New York! Ah! There were 2 more days, but I lost my momentum...Oh, well.

My Mom came and visited! I was so happy! She came right before Halloween and it was nice to enjoy the festivities with her. Here are a few pictures of her visit. :)

The kids LOVE their Oma!

Ethnie and Oma

Leo and Oma

Leo sitting in our new chair we found at Goodwill for just $25! Woot!

Reading together.

Getting ready to go trick-or-treating

Oma with the princess and our young Jedi warrior. :)

New York: Day 2

2010-10-27T06:39:00.000-07:00

Now we venture into day 2. But this, I think, was my favorite day.

What better way to start the day than to go the the temple? Well, our first stop was the LDS Manhattan Temple. It is beautiful! It's was amazing to see this bright shining beacon through all the concrete jungle. And the second you walk through those doors the world is all gone. You can't hear the cars, the horns, or all the hub-bub of NYC life. All you feel and hear is pure peace.

Although I didn't want to leave, we had an appointment at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. We had a VERY long walk...And we were all exhausted when we got there, but we were happy to see it. We ate lunch in the cafeteria, which is over-priced as most cafeteria food is. But then we were able to explore...And we Trent and I explored from 1 until 5:30. There was just so much to see!

I had to make the Greek/Roman exhibit stop first. I LOVE Greek mythology and the statues. It was awesome. I love seeing bits of history. I made the observation that all of these antiquities were made and built to last forever, even though the civilizations didn't. I'm sure that when all these were made the craftsmen didn't think they would die out. Like any civilization, no one does. Can you look into to future and see our country fold under everything and cease to exist?

Next we took on Egypt. So cool! I love tracing history in reference to the church, and you can see some similarities everywhere in most cultures.

I had to get a picture of my knight...Um, I mean a knight...
The artwork, was simply amazing. We saw such talented artists as Monet, Van Gogh, Seurat, Degas, and many many more. I was stuck for extended periods of time in both the Monet section, and the Degas (think Blue Dancers) exhibit.

Seurat...
Monet...
And at the end of our time there we ventured over to the History of Music Exhibit. Look at the inlay in these guitars! It's hard to see from this photo, but detail was exquisite.
After the Met we snagged a cab with some of the other students. Our initial goal was to go to Serendipity, but the wait was an hour and a half, and we had to be at Lincoln Center in the same amount of time. So instead we went to Patsy's.
Here we are with some of the students at Patsy's. And the pizza...
was AMAZING! Good ol' New York style pizza. I'm drooling just thinking about it again.
After dinner we snagged some more cabs and headed over to Lincoln Center where we got to see La Boheme. It was wonderful, and the sets were incredible! Seriously, there is a lot of cash going through this place to get everything so perfectly.
Of course we were exhausted...again. The show didn't get over until 11:30, and we still had about an hour long trek back to the hotel. But it surely was an amazing, and very full, day of NYC excitement. :)

New York: Day 1

2010-10-22T09:45:00.001-07:00

Well, I'm finally getting caught up. After 5 days in the big city we are glad to be home and with our beautiful little babies. :) As I said earlier, I'm going to spread this trip out for a while, namely because there is just too much to tell and too many picture to post. So here is Day 1:

After a long day of driving (we left from Wal-Mart at 1) we finally arrived in the Big Apple at 9:30 pm. Gladly, we actually had a hotel, they had been staying in Hostels before this trip. And we CRASHED. You would think that on vacation you would actually get to sleep in, but there was so much planned that we were up by 7 every morning.

We started by hitting the Metro. I used to think why would people want to use the metro when they could drive...Now I know. NYC traffic is ridiculous. There is no need to have a car...and if you did it was only a matter of time before it would be thrashed. Sorry for getting sidetracked...

So we came up by NBC Studios.
Here is Trent's first shot in NYC.

We were scheduled to go to St. Patrick's Cathedral first. On the way we happened to walk by Rockefeller Center. It was so nice and huge!
This is me by the rink and the famous sculpture (can't remember the name of it).
We also walked by the Lego store...Later in the trip we actually went in the store and it is SO cool!

Here we see the Cathedral. It was so amazing. I was in awe of the architecture the entire time. People kept looking at the stained glass and statues everywhere, but I was stuck looking at the ceiling. The arches and buttresses were just so incredible how they can hold up such a massive structure.
And these doors? Wow.
Next we went to the Pace Gallery. The Pace Gallery is a Modern exhibit which was intriguing. I'm not normally a modern art type, but it was interesting seeing peoples different mediums, and just they way they interpreted what they felt or saw.

Afterward we went to the Museum of Modern Art, otherwise known as MoMA. Trent saw a project in Venezuela that was started after his mission, I believe in 2007. We had to get a picture of the area he knew so very well.
And I had to get a picture of a Jackson Pollock.
And here is where I also found my art love, Claude Monet. He really is my favorite. It just always catches me in awe. So ethereal, and calming. I love his works.

We had some time after MoMA so we walked around for a little while and I got some new boots. :) We also picked up a New York shirt for Ethnie. We even ran into Elmo. :)

Gradually we made our way to Times Square where we would be meeting a group of people so we could all go to dinner. Let me tell you, Times Square was so massive. So loud and overwhelming. We sat on the red steps and just people watched for a while. It's always interesting to try and read people and what they're doing.
As we sat there we also noticed something else...A little raised from the crowd and aboce the streets, it suddenly becomes more peaceful. It's amazing how trapped you can feel just completely surrounded by the hustle and bustle, but if you just remove yourself ever so slightly everything is easier to see and comprehend.
After dinner at Junior's, where we had the largest piece of cheesecake I have ever seen, we went to see Mary Poppins. I was ecstatic! The new music, that not shown in the original movie, just didn't catch me. It felt like "filler" music. Not my thing. But the sets were cool. It's amazing how much creativity came into it. The roof came off and could be lowered to the stage. Things that broke were able to be instantly be put back together. And Bert (my favorite character) walked on the ceiling. Yes, he really did!
After all that excitement we were all ready to go to bed. Amazing.

Pictures

2010-10-21T04:53:00.001-07:00

Well, we're home from New York City...And we have a lot of pictures to prove it. However, I'm waiting until I get caught up at home before I post them. And when I do I'll do 1 day at a time describing different days. I just thought I'd let you know seeing as I haven't blogged in a while.

Loads of Pictures

2010-10-01T08:19:00.000-07:00

So, you've probably been wondering why there haven't been any pictures for a while. Well, since my computer broke we got a new one, and wouldn't you know it, the memory card for our camera doesn't sit in the SD slot now. But for my birthday I got some money and I decided that I wanted my own camera, so I got one. :) Now I've been catching up on my picture taking...a lot. Here are a few:

This is a very regular sight anymore-Trent studying...

Big hugs!

Just happy. :)

Leo LOVES his build-a-bear animals...Really.

Happy to be siblings...I love Leo's "Cheese" face!

A little more natural now.

This is Leo's idea of helping me with the laundry. I couldn't resist a picture.

Ethnie has started to take ballet and I couldn't be more excited! She is having so much fun learning and dancing with all of her little friends. :)

Dance, Baby! Dance!

I Need A Place...

2010-09-28T12:53:00.000-07:00

To put all of my things. Preferably where I can get to them so I can actually use them.

I have, buried in my room, so many cool things: Paints (oils and watercolors), fabric (all different types), a sewing machine (that's way to high for me to get to easily), craft supplies, my guitar (that hasn't been taken out of it's case in ages), music (that I haven't been able to sing from in years). That's a lot. So maybe I need more of a room than just a little plot of the living room or bedroom.

What prompted this? I was looking online at all the cool things I would love to make/sew/paint/sing/play but realized that I have nothing that I could just leave out and not worry about the kids getting to them. So in my next place I am going to make sure that I have that little plot of land for my things ans myself. Yes. Yes I am.

Sleeping

2010-09-08T11:42:00.000-07:00

I love my daughter. She really is a funny kid. She has so much energy that I don't know what to do with her. But with that energy she wears herself down by noon each day. She, however, refuses to take naps and we find ourselves in a battle of wills.

I know that I only have myself to blame for this because, as much as I hate to admit it, she is exactly like me. We're both stubborn and hard-headed, and refuse to take advice that others know will benefit us and those close to us. But how does this all connect?

Every day we have "Quiet Time" from 1-4 while Leo sleeps. And I always tell her to lay down and watch the movie (all the time hoping and praying she will take a nap). Sometimes she does...eventually. Other times she doesn't and the evening goes far worse than it really should due to her crankiness...

But today we have another success...And she fought it "sitting up." And here's the photo to prove it:

I love my daughter. But I have more patience for her when she takes her naps. :)

4!!!!!

2010-09-06T17:08:00.000-07:00

September 4th, Labor Day of 2005, Ethnie Brietta came into this world weighing a mere 6 pounds 3 ounces. As she grew up she became quite the little chunker. And, boy, do we have the pictures to prove it! Now she is a little fireball of lean muscle. Can it really have been four years? I keep checking the calendar to make sure. But she is!

We celebrated her birthday on the 2nd before we left for the weekend, and it was so fun! All of her little friends from church came and they all colored, ate cupcakes, and ran like crazy. It made me realize that we need more space. Here are some pictures of our home celebration.

Some of the brood coloring

Ethnie opening up her presents. She really enjoyed them all. Thanks to everyone!

The birthday girl in question. :)

We made several kinds of cupcakes: orange dreamcicle, chocolate, and chocolate Oreo. Yum!

Blow them all out!

There were a lot of kids!

Thank you to everyone that made this such a wonderful birthday for Ethnie. We're so lucky to have such great friends!

Way Behind...

2010-08-04T06:17:00.000-07:00

All I can say is that we're trying to keep busy over here. I can't believe we're already into August! Wow. Where did the time go? Before you know it September will be here. (Oy!) But here is a glimpse of how we've been keeping pretty busy:

Well, first there is school. Trent got in to VTech for his Professional Masters program! We're very happy about it. So He should be starting classes in September. It's two days a month alternating campuses in Richmond and Roanoke. We're just happy that he'll be continuing his education and, hopefully, making life a little easier for us in the future.

I'll be starting a class at the end of the month. I just bought my books, so it feels even more real now. I'm kind of scared since I haven't been in school in over 3 years now. Wow. Where did that time go? No clue.

There was a County Fair in Lexington one weekend and we HAD to go! We couldn't miss this opportunity for the kids. It's not the same kind of fair that I am used to with with all the animals (and stench) in stalls waiting for their blue ribbons. They had great rides, games, and....FUNNEL CAKES! Yes. I am aware of how sad that may seem that I am more excited about funnel cakes than rides, but oh, well. Here are a few pictures of Ethnie on the rides. Leo was still too little for any of them. Maybe next year?

Trent and Ethnie are in the red one.

"De plane! De plane!"

Just happy to be having fun. :)

And, of course, Leo enjoyed watching. (Although he would have preferred to be out there doing it all, too.)

Another classic Ethnie face. I love it!

Trent needed to take the GMAT in Roanoke, so we decided to accompany him for the journey. The kids and I had 4 hours to kill while he took his test. So what did we do? We went to Target (always), and then we decided to hit up the local zoo. I didn't know it existed until the night before! It's a small zoo, but it was fun anyway. Ethnie didn't want to leave when it was time to go pick up Trent. The zoo even had a small play area. That was nice so that Leo could get out of the stroller for a little bit. I even went down the slide with him. I must have looked utterly ridiculous! But I really didn't care. I was having a great time with my kids. :)

I can't remember what this animal is even called, sadly. And you can barely see it, but it's there! Just click on the photo to see it larger.

A snow leopard! So pretty and right out there where we could see it! A lot of the animals were sleeping in their little "caves" because it was so hot. :(

Ethnie looking at the porcupines.

I just loved how she was very excited and anxious to see the next animal.

And Leo, once again, being a trooper through all of it.

Well, that's what we've been up to in July!

Just the Tip of the Iceberg..

2010-07-22T06:33:00.001-07:00

WARNING!: PICTURE OVERLOAD AHEAD! ;)

We were very lucky to spend an entire week with my sister, Amber, and her 3 kids: Khai, Kendall, and Gavin. We had so much fun! It's been 3 whole years since I last saw them. That's WAY too long! I always forgot my camera, and Amber always had hers, so I copied her pictures to my computer so I could share them. And the ones that I posted really are only the tip of the iceberg...

On the supposedly last day we went up to SVU to get a "mini-tour". It really is beautiful up there, and Trent is lucky to work in such a beautiful building. SVU holds a special place for Trent and me because this is where we met and fell in love. It's also where we finished up our BA degrees. It's a shame that I really don't just look at the beautiful architecture anymore. But here are some beautiful shots Amber were able to catch...

Main Hall

Chandler Hall, where I spent most of my time as a Theater Major.

Tower of Main

Then the rest of the days sort of meshed together.

Leo just being plain ol' cute!

One day we took all of the kids to Boxerwood park. This place truly is awesome! We played, walked around, and just enjoyed all of the beautiful scenes of nature.

Kendall and Ethnie looking at the pond. Ethnie really took to Kendall.

Leo, once again, looking like a stud. :)

That's my spaz girl. :)

Kendall and Blaine enjoying the Eagle's Nest.

All of the kids before we entered the park (and before they were all red from the heat and exhaustion).

Uncle Mike was quite the hero this weekend. He took the kids on outing so we sisters could have some time. This picture is up at the Parkway overlooking BV.

Ethnie's "I don't know what you want from me, Mom" face with Aunt Amber.

I love this kid! Khai is awesome!

We truly are all Bledsoe children. ;)

Kendall

Me and my baby girl.

What a chick magnet

(L->R) Leo, Blaine, Gavin, Khai, Ethnie, Kendall
All the kids chilling and taking it all in. :)

We really had a good time (airports aside). Hopefully we'll be able to get together more often. Every 3 years just isn't often enough. Miss you already, Am!

Growing Old

2010-07-09T12:33:00.000-07:00

I drove to Wal-Mart today to do some grocery shopping. Another typical trip-crying baby, tantruming toddler, and too much to think about. After everything was bought and paid for, I loaded up the car, kids and all, and headed for home. On the way I saw something that caught my attention...Driving in front me was a couple on a motorcycle, one of those big two-seaters. But the thing that was most amazing to me was that this couple was most likely in their 70's. And they looked completely and utterly happy about being together on their bike, gray hairs in the wind. :)

I looked at them and contemplated for a second how wonderful that would be. I hope that in another 50 years that it would be me and Trent. One day I hope that we have enough vitality in ourselves to buy a motorcycle and just drive wherever the wind may blow us. Just a little moment for reflection. I look forward to the next 50, or even 100 years if we can, just spending that wonderful time together.

Recipes

2010-07-01T08:18:00.000-07:00

I have about a million recipes stacked up on the table. About a million more shoved into a folder on my bookcase. And then I have another million or so stashed with all of my cookbooks. Oh, and don't forget the million I have in a file on my computer. Yes. I have a lot. No...a TON. And what is even more sad? I want MORE!

Yes, I am a recipe-holic. I can't seem to get enough, even though I don't have the time, space, money, etc. to create them. I horde them in the hopes that I will one day get to them. "One day when I have my kitchen, I'll do it." Yeah. I try to prepare them for the future. (At least that is what I tell myself.) And I also get recipes from friends and relatives.

Am I complaining? NO! And the truth is, I have found several new and wonderful recipes from my stockpiles. I just thought I would put this out there. Am I the only one? Or are there others like me?

Ebene Quartet (Quatuor Ebène) plays Pulp Fiction - medici.tv

2010-06-27T14:12:00.000-07:00

"Millions of Peaches"

2010-06-21T05:54:00.000-07:00

I know that was a bad reference for that one song from who knows when, the one everyone couldn't get it out of their heads, and now it's in mine and probably yours again...But we did pick peaches. :)

Yes, Saturday The kids and I met up with Merilee and the boys in Charlottesville for some peach picking. It was a long drive (as any drive with young children is), but the scene that awaited was wonderful. Imagine looking around yourself and seeing nothing but fruit trees and vines clear into the distance. It really was beautiful.

And then came the picking...Ethnie and Alex seemed to thoroughly enjoy it. Leo and Quinn also enjoyed it...to a point. It's kind of hard to get into the fun of the festivities when you're bound into a stroller.

And just being able to spend time with each other was a special time. The kids were partners in crime picking very green peaches. I found it very difficult to teach a 3-year-old how to pck ripe peaches. Oh, well. The experience was the most important part of the excursion.

Hopefully we'll be able to come back in the fall and get some apples. ;)

"I Love to See the Temple"

2010-06-14T08:20:00.001-07:00

On Saturday we decided to take the kids to the Washington D.C. Temple. It's SO beautiful! Trent and I have been several times, but we've never really taken the kids. That's why decided it was time to show them the importance of the Temple in our family and our life. I wanted them to touch the Temple, even though they couldn't go in very far. It was a beautiful morning, and we were also very lucky to have Cory, Trent's father, come with us. It was such a wonderful day about Eternal Families".

Walking around the grounds.

The kids really enjoyed the time

Ahhh...So beautiful...

Thanks for taking all the photos, Cory! (We forgot our camera. :( )

Continuing Education

2010-06-05T15:04:00.000-07:00

Yes. We are. Both of us, actually. Trent and myself will be gaining additional education. A little more explaining? Okay...

Well, Trent decided that it was finally time for him to take the GMAT in an effort to get his Masters Degree. He's signed up, and has payed the massive fees for both the GMAT and the down payment for the Virginia Tech Professional Masters Program. The program is 2 days a month alternating between the Roanoke and the Richmond campuses. He's seems pretty excited...and nervous. He has yet to take the test (which will be toward the end of the month), which will decide if he gets in. I have faith in him, though. He's always been pretty good at these things. :)

As for me, with Trent working at SVU and everything, I qualify for free tuition. Yay!!!! I get a free education! Unfortunately, I already have my Theater degree. So I decided to expand. At first I thought maybe Music- I'm about 15 credits or so away from finishing that, and enjoy it. But I don't think I would enjoy it enough to finish it. Then I thought Business- to sharpen my business skills, and to have a degree in something a little more lucrative (plus I actually enjoy business). Then I thought about English-it's something I've always enjoyed. I already have some of the classes already, too! So decided on English, for sure.

I know I really don't need a second degree. But why not? I want something to work toward out of this house. And I might as well as long as it's free. :)

So that is what we're on track for. Hopefully all will go well. :)

My Kids Are Cool

2010-05-27T09:16:00.001-07:00

They just are. :)

Just A Bunch of Sickies

2010-05-25T06:14:00.000-07:00

I know I haven't written in quite some time (for me, at least). We haven't been up to much because we've been holed up at home. First it was the kids that were sick. They had a fever and coughs, and all of that junk. It seems it has been going around town. Now the kids are all better...And then I got it....And it still hasn't left. 2 weeks later, I don't feel any better than the day before. So that's why I've had nothing to post on. Oh, the uninteresting life of me. :)

CAUTION: Multiple Photos Ahead...

2010-05-09T10:05:00.000-07:00

Rather than post a caption for each and every photo, I'm just going to sum our trip up...

So, Saturday we went to Boxerwood and met up with Lisa, Mike, and Blaine. We all had such a great time. :) The kids really enjoyed running around and playing. Hopefully we'll be able to do this more often with each other. :)

Life is an adventure...

2010-05-05T07:45:00.001-07:00

This is more of a contemplative post...

I was watching our new neighbors move in this past weekend, and our old ones move out. It made me sad. There is no other way of saying it. No grandiose language, just sad. "Why?" you ask.

Well, Trent and I will be celebrating our 5th anniversary next week. It's been the best 5 years of my life! I wouldn't trade it for anything. And we've been in the same apartment for almost ALL of those 5 years. That's a long time in the same apartment. Don't get me wrong, it's a very nice apartment, but I'm ready for a change. We've been here a total of 6 years. I'm used to moving around...Even if I was in the same town, I was moving from apartment to apartment...And I miss it. Plus the same white walls are draining me of all my life energy. (I've always wanted to paint my house all these vibrant colors.)

The kids share a room, and all the stored baby stuff is making the apartment bust at the seams. There's no room for expansion. And eventually, one day, we want to expand in all manners of speaking.

I think what I hate most is watching everyone around me moving on with their lives; making changes for the better, and growing. I've often described our little life as "limbo" for lack of a better word. Our friends and neighbors bought a house by campus, and they've moved on and up. And I'm so happy for them. But I'll admit I'm jealous. We used to leave our blinds open (both of us) and we'd always look in and wonder what each other was cooking, or "Why are they doing that funny little dance?" (Most likely them laughing at us.:) But we miss it.

There are lots of students a lot younger than we are moving on starting their families, and finding jobs all over the country. And good for them. I really am happy for them. We never got that far. We have a job, and I'm glad of that. And I would even love to stay her in good ol' BV, but we have to make enough to stay here.

I'm not posting this to complain, but to tell a story. About 2 weeks ago, Julie B. Beck was here to speak for Women's Conference. I LOVED it! I got so much out of it! She told a story about her parents when her father was the mission president in Brazil:

They moved down there with 7 children and had #8 two weeks after they arrived. Now that's a strong woman. Her mother was very homesick, and nothing seemed to go right...She had 3 babies in cloth diapers and no dryer (and nothing ever gets dry in that part of Brazil without a dryer because f the humidity). They had no vacuum to clean the dirty, dirty floors. They had a rodent problem. And there was a hole in the roof the poured onto their kitchen table every time it would rain (which was all the time, living in a tropical climate and all).

Eventually it got to her and she went up to her room and cried...actually sobbed. Her husband came home at a very unexpected hour (she had hoped to be done with her crying spell before he got home) and caught her sobbing. He asked why she and told him why she was so unhappy. He had been oblivious because he was excited to be there and reliving his mission days. Then he started laughing. He then explained to her that they could get all of that fixed, and search for the things she needed. But the main point was that the best they could do was to think of it as an adventure.

Life is an adventure, and we get out of it what we want to take. If you want to be miserable and not find any good in the situation, then you'll be miserable. We must change our attitude to change our circumstances. I believe this with all my heart. And now I've started to think of life as an adventure...And our house is no longer cramped, it's cozy. Whatever Heavenly Father wants to throw at me, I'll take as a new adventure. Bring it on!

Safari Park

2010-05-01T18:54:00.000-07:00

Today we had the great pleasure to go to the Safari Park in Natural Bridge...For FREE! Wahoo! We spent all morning there and had a blast. :) We rode through the park and let Ethnie feed the animals (with what food we could scavenge after she spilled the ENTIRE bucket). Afterward, there was a little mini-zoo which the kids thoroughly enjoyed. Here are a few (or a lot :) of pictures.

I had to get this one of Trent. :)

And this one of the kids. :)

Leo kept wanting to pet the goats. Too cute.

He wanted to touch and see EVERYTHING.

And of course Ethnie had to pet them all, too.

Watuzi. It's horns were huge!

I actually love this picture.

Bactrian Camel (I was trying to teach Ethnie about camels while we rode past them. :)

She wanted to see them all, and feed them all. She had so much fun!

Rhea.

And Leo wanted to see them all, too. :)

"Look, Mommy!"

"Llama face!"

My Life...In Shoes

2010-04-26T13:18:00.001-07:00

I went through my shoes the other day. Cleaning them out is a necessary evil that I would rather not perform. I hate it. Really hate it. Whatever it may sound like, I usually define how I feel with my shoes. I'm not much for clothes shopping (although I will gladly go provided I don't have to spend anything). I'm always drawn to the shoe department. I swear it has it's own gravitational pull that I can't defy.

Sounding crazy yet? It will get worse. Whenever I see shoes I can determine the personality behind them...to a point, anyway. And why am I obsessed with them right now? Well, because of my knees. I can't wear the shoes that I would rather wear now or ever again. Wearing those super-high high-heels is no longer an option, so I have been forced to find shoes that suit me and won't kill me in the process.

Exhibit A: Flip Flops
Something I throw on to run out the door in a hurry. I have many...in many colors...You would think I have enough, but I always want more. I don't know why...Maybe it's that they take no thought...Which I have none of lately.

Exhibit B: Wedges and Low Heels
What I can wear when I want the look without the pain...but they're really not the same as a pair of 4-inch, red patent, peep-toe heels...Just not the same.

Exhibit C: Running Shoes
Where am I running to? Nowhere, but they feel nicer when I go for a quick walk with the kids. But I hate tying the laces. Lazy? Sometimes I am.

Exhibit D: Flats
Another replacement when I just don't care...Seriously, not my favorite, but I've been fortunate to find some that I can tolerate.

My newest obsession? I've been looking for a suitable for my red shoes (you know...those ones I mentioned earlier? A thing of beauty, really.). I finally found a suitable, and liked, pair for the job. Welcome home my red, Bandolino, peep-toe, crocodile skin, low heels. :) I love them. At least as much as I can love a pair of 2 inch heels. (I'm seriously in love with super-high heels...Still not joking.) Welcome to the family, Girls.

Life Lately

2010-04-19T08:31:00.000-07:00

It's been a long while since I've posted on the family. There's no "I think". It's just so. That is why, as is tradition every now and then, I'm going to let you know what's up in our little family in BV.

Trent is still working at SVU. And with times like these, we're just grateful to have an income and work. He really enjoys his job, and keeps getting more. He is now the Accounts Payable, Purchasing, Payroll Coordinator, and is also working on a work study committee, as well as special projects. At least we know he job security. And we're very grateful for that.

I just had to post this picture of Trent with the kids. He just loves spending time with them, adn reading to them.

I would write about me, but you already know what I've been up to (especially since you obviously read my blog;). But to sum it up, I've been reading, writing, exercising, and just finding my purpose in life.

Leo is quite the little charmer. :) He is getting faster and faster, just like his sister, and will soon be able to outrun me...although that isn't saying very much since I really can't run anymore. He is very vocal these days. His new favorite word is 'Nnnnnnnnno." He's definitely learning a lot from his big sister, especially her vocabulary. But he says a lot more than "no". He now says "Amen" when we're done with prayers or, rather, "Amuh," but we know what he's really saying. He LOVES music and trying to play the piano. This kid is into rhythm and sound and makes noise as often as he can.

And Ethnie? She is growing leaps and bounds. She'll be turning 4 this year and I wonder where the time went. She's in Primary this year and loves it. She really enjoys the singing time and learning about our Heavenly Father and Jesus and the prophets. She is becoming so articulate and sometimes catches me off guard with some of her phrases. And she too is incredibly fast. No one believes quite how fast she is until she around them. Christy describes her as "bouncy" which totally fits. :) I love this picture of her. She looks particularly grown up and gorgeous here. I can't help but think of her growing up when she looks like this. It both breaks my heart and warms it. It hurts to know that she is no longer my baby girl, but it makes me so happy to see her grow up and learning both of things around her and her Heavenly Father.

So, that is life in the DeSpain home. Wish we had more to tell. We love and miss you all!

Learning To Love To Write Again...

2010-04-11T16:43:00.000-07:00

I've always found myself at a crossroads when it came to what I should do. Considering myself a "Jack-of-all-trades" I've never been a "master" at anything I've really pursued...Except for writing. People that have known me for many years (I'm talking back in high school and grade-school) Know that I enjoyed writing...And I was good at it. I always found a new and interesting angle for a story. I even won a few prizes in school for it. I've always been complimented on my creativity and structure (not to mention, grammar).

So, why bring it up now? Well, I was fortunate enough to attend a writing seminar on Saturday. It was paneled by Orson Scott Card, Brandon Mull (of the Fablehaven series), Aaron Johnston (Co-writes with O.S.C. and writes his own stuff, including graphic novels), and Edmund R. Schubert (an editor for one of O.S.C.'s online literary magazines).

We spent all day learning and speaking about the ins and outs of writing novels, short stories, etc. From 9 ( we needed to arrive early to check in) until 5:30, we were thrown into this literary ocean of knowledge. From "Inventing the Story" and "Viewpoint and Structure" all the way to "Finding Time to Write", "Essential Elements", and just trying to get published. These guys know their stuff, and they were willing to give us the keys to the "publishing" castle.

But the best part? I had a deep desire to pull out my pens, my paper, and my computer and get to work. And after I had that desire, I felt that this was what I was meant to do. I believe that this vacant writing period has helped me to realize its' importance. If I would have tried to write 10 years ago I would have quit. Now with a new perspective and charge of purpose I feel ready.

I am going to set aside time each day to read and write. I am going to make it an active part of my life. I will check in every now and then to let you all know my progress. But as for now...

Let the writing commence!

It;s About Time

2010-04-08T06:48:00.000-07:00

We've finally gotten Leo to sleep at night! What a blessing that is! Last night he didn't wake up once. Trent and I slept through the entire night and woke up rested and ready for the day. I can't remember the last time that happened.

After more than 13 months of sleepless nights we've finally figured it out. I knew that boys usually ate more than girls, but I didn't know to what degree. Leo would constantly wake up because he was hungry. Even at a year old, he was still hungry in the middle of the night. After many trials and attempts we figured out that rice cereal in his bottle FINALLY did the trick. We tried it when he was younger to no avail. Maybe it's the combo of real milk and the cereal that did it. But I really don't care so long as he's sleeping.

Can you tell I'm a little happy? ;) I was really cranky most days. But in this one night of pure, uninterrupted sleep I am so pleasant (and infinitely more patient). Just thought I'd share the good news. I couldn't keep the happiness to myself.

Failure...

2010-03-31T09:15:00.001-07:00

To take a picture, at least. ;) I made a cake for the final day of my cake decorating class and didn't take photos to show you. I feel sheepish. It tasted very good, anyway. I made a lemon cake with a lemon meringue filling and cream cheese icing. Yummy! It was Easter themed with a few baskets, and some eggs in the grass. saying "hoppy easter" on top. I hope a description will do. :)

Positively Wicked

2010-03-18T13:01:00.000-07:00

Every now and then SVU purchases show tickets for touring groups in Virginia. This season Wicked was touring through Richmond, so Trent and I took the opportunity. See, our 5th anniversary is this May, and we were at a loss of what to do. When we heard of Wicked tickets circulating through the school we decided to celebrate early.

Christy was kind enough to watch the kids over night (although I doubt she'll eve do it again...The kids weren't very kind to her overnight), and Lisa watched them while we traveled home this morning. We stayed at Erin and Merilee's house overnight so we wouldn't have to make the 2 hour drive late at night. I must say that I love living so near to family. It definitely is a great blessing to us!

So last night we went out to dinner at The Cheesecake Factory. It's kind of a tradition for us every anniversary, and we felt that this one should be no different.:) The food, as always, was delicious. We shared an appetizer, had our meals, and, of course, shared a piece of cheesecake afterward. So good! Then it was time to head to the theater...

Finding it, however, was not as easy as it was supposed to be on the map. After getting turned around for about 20 minutes, and calling 3 friends, we eventually made it there on time. Then there were some seating issues...See, we had a group of 80 people (each coming at different times) and of course no one sat in the right seats. So we ended up sitting somewhere else even though we saw who was sitting in our seats...They didn't even bother to get up and check their seats! That's really frustrating. So our view wasn't as nice as I would have liked, but we still could see. :)

The show? Was awesome! No, it wasn't Broadway, but it was still good. The girl who played Elphaba, Marcie Dodd, was incredible! Dream role...I would love that part. (That or Fantine from Les Miserable.)

Although I missed Ethnie and Leo terribly, I must say I rather enjoyed not having to wake up in the middle of the night. I can't remember the last time I slept in until 8:15...Guess my college days really are behind me.

Anyway, we had a blast! I don't know when we'll get to do that again...but someday we will. Happy early Anniversary to us!

New Haircut

2010-03-10T05:49:00.001-08:00

Ethnie hair was becoming a problem...It was long and beautiful, but we couldn't keep it nice. She always got food in her hair. She chewed on the ends of it constantly. And She wouldn't let me brush it as often as it needed to be. So I hacked it off in an attempt to make her hair easier for both of us. :) Here are some pictures.

I HAD to out this picture of because Ethnie is such a cheeseball!

I often say that Leo has AWESOME bedhead. Here's the proof...

Trust me...She's not as innocent as she looks. ;)

Another cheesy moment, but I love her to pieces!

I started to put Leo's big soft blanket (from Grandma Chris and Grandpa Cory) on the living room floor, and these two love to cuddle on it. I must admit it's a very soft blankie. :)

Only For Your Child...

2010-03-09T05:55:00.000-08:00

Only for your child will you...

Wear silly hats....

Pretend to be a raptor....

Make 3 different variations of dinner so that everyone is happy...

Watch Dora the Explorer for the ump-teenth time...

Make silly faces even with a ton of people watching...

Let your body go...

Spend so much money on a birthday party they won't even remember...

Color (Okay maybe I'd do that anyway;)...

Listen to them sing out of key...

Applaud after every hop, twirl, or song...

Clean up vomit willingly...

Stay up all night to make sure they're okay...

Wash 3 sets of sheets in the middle of the night...

Lay down your life...

Give up everything...

Cry...

Only for your child.

Decorating...

2010-03-01T13:34:00.000-08:00

Cakes, that is. :) I'm very excited about this, actually.

My friend Cami called me about a month ago and said that DSLCC was offering a non-credit course in Cake Decorating. Knowing how much I love to bake she asked if I'd like to take it with her. Of course I said yes! Wouldn't you? The class starts tomorrow and will be every Tuesday in March from 6-8. I get my kit tomorrow, too, and I'm excited to see what will be in it (like a kid at Christmas!).

Trent has been very supportive of me and my "me time". Trust me, he benefits from it, too. I'm infinitely in a better mood when I've had time to be just me, and not Mommy. (I'm sure there are others out there.) Thanks Babe for letting me do this! Love you!

Birthday Boy!!

2010-02-21T17:42:00.000-08:00

Can you believe my baby's 1 already?! I sure can't. This year has flown by, and it's almost like it didn't exist. (But I know otherwise...) It seems like yesterday that I was holding Leo in my arms for the first time. Now he's a highly active toddler. Yesterday was his birthday party (which happened to be his actual birthday) and all of his friends came and had cake and animal crackers and pretty much ran wild all over. But it was fun to watch them all together. :) Here are some fun photos!

Leo opening his presents. He was so blessed to have good friends. :)

This maraca was, I believe his favorite.

This is what remained of his cake afterwards.

The brood having their cake and eating it, too. :)

Happy boy. :)

"Now what am I supposed to do with this?"

"Ahh...I get it now."

The Monkey cake. I thought it turned out pretty well. :) It was a rich chocolate with a chocolate ganache and toffee filling. Yummy.

Ethnie "No Naps" Brietta

2010-02-19T05:58:00.000-08:00

Being the toddler she is (more like a little girl anymore, really), Ethnie decided to completely nix her naps. I can't blame her, really. Life as a 3-year-old is always full of excitement, and if you fall asleep you'll just miss out. (From her point of view, anyway.)

As a compromise, we've decided to just have "Quiet Time". Ethnie gets to withdraw to her tent while I get some alone time. It's nice to have that time. However, Ethnie keeps coming out and wanting to play with me. (We're still working on it.) As a result of these sleepless afternoons, sometimes she just wears herself out and she just crashes on the couch, or on the kitchen floor in her tent. Here are a few pictures of her "post-nap".

Even Daddies get really tired and need a nap.

In this one she looks so much like a teenager, it's scary.

Recent Photos

2010-02-03T18:37:00.000-08:00

I was looking through my most recent posts and realized that I hadn't posted any new pictures. The last ones were our family pictures and those were taken back in September! Seeing as it is now 2010, and Ethnie is almost 3 1/2, and Leo turns 1 in less than 3 weeks, I felt it necessary to put up a few new ones. It's amazing how much they've grown in the last few months. I love them so much!

For some reason I just love this picture. It's almost like he's saying "I know I'm cute. And what are you gonna do about it?"

Ethnie has the most beautiful blue eyes EVER!

All ready for church. 9 a.m. church has almost killed us, but we persevere!

Brother and sister, so cute! Thanks Grandma Chris for Leo's new birthday outfit. It fits him so well, and he looks so dashing. :)

Ethnie playing with Aunt Christy

Leo loves his Uncle Gentry. He can sense his energy anytime he's around and he almost explodes with excitement. :)

Gingersnaps

2010-02-01T07:52:00.001-08:00

I finally set up a blog for my "business". Here's the link-

http://homebakedgoods.blogspot.com

I will gradually post more pictures of "products" as I make them.

Home Baked

2010-01-19T11:06:00.000-08:00

I've constantly been wondering what I can do to help our family a little more...Financially, that is. So, after talking to some of the ladies at play group, I decided to start selling baked goods out of my home.

Why baking? Because I love to do it. And I'm a little bit known for my sweets out here in good ol' BV. I've set up a new e-mail account, and a Facebook profile (Home Baked if you're interested). I soon hope to have pictures of some of my goodies posted and might even start a blog to pump up the merchandise. ;)

Just thought I'd let you know what was going on in our house since it's been a while. Hopefully I will get back to posting regularly, granted I don't go crazy. :)

Merry Christmas Letter

2009-12-27T08:26:00.000-08:00

I know it is after Christmas, and I haven't sent out any Christmas cards, so I'm doing my card online via my blog. I usually keep this updated frequently, but I would like to sum up how we've been this year.

Trent turned 27 this year in September and has been doing really well at work. Especially in these tough times, we are exceedingly grateful for employment. He is the Accounts Payable and Purchasing Coordinator at Southern Virginia University (SVU). SVU is where we both received our degrees from, and we enjoy continuing to be a part of the University. Trent really enjoys his work especially knowing that he is helping with the progress of this still growing educational facility. He's also doing well with his callings at church. He continues to be the Ward Clerk, but I don't think he would change it. He's been in a clerk calling since we met 6 years ago. But it suits him well and he's been blessed because of his service.

I've been pretty busy this year between doctors and the kids. First, little Leo Anthony was born in February, and then I had knee surgery October 30th. My recovery is going well on the surgery, and I can almost function like normal again. I went through a walker and a cane and now walk on my own two feet. I go to physical therapy 3 times a week to progress more quickly. As for motherhood- I enjoy it. Yes, it has it's moments, but I wouldn't trade it. I get to watch these wonderful young minds grow and develop. And it especially satisfying knowing that I have played a part in it.

Now, for the bulk of the post- The kids! I know this is more what everyone wants to know about.

Ethnie is growing so fast! She turned 3 in September and has fully come into her own as a little girl. She's potty trained! Wahoo! She stills wears a pull-up for sleeping, but that's fine by me. She enjoys Tinkerbell immensely and playing with her doll. She really is a girl. She is, however, the most resilient little child you will ever meet. She's strong-spirited, and carelessly active. She runs everywhere. Even if she falls down, she gets up and keeps going like nothing ever happened. She gives everyone a run for their money. She is a wonderful big sister! She is always there to play with Leo and keep him entertained when I need it. She enjoys helping out with everything! She loves doing dishes with Daddy, and cooking with me, and cleaning with anyone. :) She has been a wonderful blessing in our lives.

And now, Leo. He's our newest addition! He was born February 20th, 2009. He has to be the happiest baby ever. He is now 10 months old and growing as quickly as his big sister. He has 4 new little teeth, and is working on a couple new ones as we speak. :) He took his first steps almost 2 months ago while Umma Gaye was here helping out. And now he is a smidge of confidence away from fully taking off. Leo LOVES his sister! She makes him so happy. I just love listening to him giggle while playing with Ethnie. Those two are like peas and carrots.

As a family, we continue to grow and learn. We've learned the value of employment; the joy of spending time with our family; and the blessings of being where we need to be and doing what we need to do. We have been blessed beyond imagination in all our endeavors. And while we don't know why we're still in Buena Vista, we're happy to know that we're here for some purpose. We miss all of our family and friends and wish we could see you all. We are grateful for the holiday season to reiterate what's truly important in life. We're grateful for our Savior Jesus Christ- for His birth; for the Atonement. And He is the rock in our lives.

We love and miss you all! Merry Christmas and have a very happy New Year!

Love, The DeSpains

And I would love to thank Linde for these beautiful pictures. Her photography is wonderful, and her touch-up work is phenominal!

"Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow..."

2009-12-19T07:06:00.000-08:00

We woke up to a beautiful sight..........

SNOW!!!

We decided to take Ethnie out while Leo was napping, and she had so much fun! Here are a few (okay, so maybe a little more than a few...) pictures of our hour outside.

Trent and Ethnie "dove" right in.

Ethnie and her neighbor friend, Josh.

Snow is yummy...Just stay away from the yellow kind.

Just enjoying the white.

Our steps.

Our parking lot...I don't think we're going anywhere today...

Trent shoveled our front steps this morning, poor guy.

2009-12-17T06:25:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

2009-12-13T07:00:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

New Hair Cut!

2009-12-04T05:19:00.001-08:00

Ethnie's pile-o-hair. :)

After the cut had dried. (I know this is backwards, but that's how they posted. ;)

Still wet...

The back

This is her hair before the cut. It had gotten so long that it was just tangling up. Plus I think this suits her personality a little better. Spunky. :)

November

2009-11-18T07:48:00.000-08:00

The month really has been flying. Due to everything going on, I really haven't had anything to post about. But I'll give you all a little update...

Ethnie is doing well on her potty training, although she still has her moments. The only time she wears diapers is at naptime and bedtime. So she's doing pretty well. :)

Leo cut 2 teeth a few weeks ago. Literally, I came home after 3 days and he had a new tooth. Plus he is an official crawler! No more army crawl for him. Plus he's been using my walker to try and walk (as you can see in the picture. Big steps for this little guy. We all think that he may be walking in the next month at the rate he's going.

Mom has been here for the last almost 3 weeks. It really has been such a blessing to have her here. I really don't think I could have handled things without her. And, although I know she has missed Dad, and he has missed her, she is wonderful! Sorry Dad for having her so long. I think she is really enjoying being here for these milestones with the kids. I know I will truly miss her when she's gone.

I'm recovering well. I've been having in home physical therapy for the last 3 weeks. Next week I start outpatient therapy. I can (slowly) go up and down the stairs one foot at a time. And I am now using a cane which helps me get around much easier. I've been very blessed that it will be a relatively short recovery compared to the last knee surgery I went through.

Thanks for all of the prayers and thoughts! I really have felt them and the support. Thanks to the Rockbridge Ward Relief Society that has served us so well by bringing dinners. I know I, as well as the rest of my family, truly appreciate them. How can I be sad or frustrated by all of the recovery when I know my Heavenly Father truly loves me? I can't.

An Early Halloween

2009-10-29T05:03:00.000-07:00

Due to the circumstances, I will be unable to spend Halloween with Trent and the kids...But I didn't want to miss the fun! So this year we went to Lisa and Mike's Ward Halloween party. We had fun...and so did Ethnie and Leo. Here are a few pictures of them all. :)

Trent, Ethnie as a geisha (Thanks Christy for the costume!), and Leo as a monkey. :)

Too precious! The monkey trainer and his monkey. ;)

Blaine as a cowboy. :)

Ethnie LOVED Blaine's whip. lol

He's getting pretty big!

And Ethnie is just a show-off.

Mommy and her girl.

It was nice to spend Halloween with The Vorwaller family. :)

Such a ham! She kept saying "I'm wearing red chap-stick!"

Mike and Blaine

Surgery Update

2009-10-22T14:49:00.000-07:00

From my last post I was supposed to have my surgery on Dec. 4th unless there was a cancellation...Well, there was a cancellation. My new date is October 30th. That's right. Next week. I was a little shocked to recieve the call. I knew it was possible, but when does that ever really happen? So my pre-op is on Monday and my surgery will be friday morning at 7:15 am. Which means I have to be there by 5:15 AM! Ugh! I will be in the hospital for 3 days. Good thing it's a weekend.

Feeling Like an Old Lady

2009-10-19T13:30:00.000-07:00

It's been a long month. I'm sure I've written about this before, but I just want to bring everyone up to speed. Today I finally got the "call", and I'll explain more about that...

Ever since my pregnancy with Leo, my knees have been even worse for wear. And, also after I had Leo, we maxed out our insurance for me so anything else I went to the doctor for should most likely be completely covered. Yay! We seized the opportunity and started to get me to an orthopedic surgeon. After x-rays we discovered I had patello-femoral syndrome. Definition?

Patello-Femoral Syndrome is a condition caused by the patella (knee cap) not tracking properly over the femur (thigh bone). The patella normally rides in a groove on the femur. The patella is really a fulcrum - it gives leverage to the big muscles on the front of the thigh. These thigh muscles are called the quadriceps - or quads for short. The quads are so named because they consist of four muscles. With PFS, you get an imbalance in these muscles - usually the lateral or outside muscle over-powers the inner medial muscle - and this pulls the patella out of it's normal groove. When the patella doesn't track properly in it's groove, it causes pain under the patella.

No. Those aren't my words. They come from http://www.spinalhealth.net/inj-pat.html. After physical therapy (which didn't work), I had an MRI done, and it revealed severe arthritis in my knee. My patella was also higher than normal. And the groove in my femur is also shallow. Oh, and I have cysts on the back side of my patella so that every time I bend or move my knee they rub. Ouch.

We prayed about what we should do when we got the results, so when we went in the choice was clear. After hearing my options, we decided on a partial knee replacement. Part of the femur will be ground down and a metal plate put on top of it. Then the back side of my patella will also be ground down and a plastic piece will be put on the back of it. I should be able to walk shortly after and the recovery should take no longer than about a month.

I got the call today and I'm scheduled for December 4th. But I'm also first on the "cancellation" list...If they have a cancellation, I'll get that spot instead. :) So, really it could be this month if someone cancels. Wow. It's come up so quickly. Reality is beginning to sink in. A lifelong problem is about to be fixed. I'm excited!

I also have been going to a shoulder specialist. Why my shoulder? Well, in High School I injured it playing softball. Actually, I dislocated it 3 times during 1 game, and ever since then it has been prone to dislocation. Yikes, I know. I can't swim, or lift my arm fully above my head because of it. Anywho, that's another part of the story. But I went and found I have severe shoulder instability.

I had an arthrogram in which they injected dye into my shoulder to see the muscles and tendons better while having an MRI. So, I've had quite a bit of radiation exposure this year. :) We got the results today.

"Well, you weren't lying." is what the doctor said to me. Of course I wasn't lying! Would I lie about the ability to actually live life to it's fullest? Ugh. But we found that I have a small rotater cuff tear, and blah, blah, blah. So I am going to have "left arthroscopy with labral repairs and other repairs as indicated." (That's from my form for the surgery)

So, it is going to be a long winter. I have a lot going on. And it's getting closer and closer. That's my life right now. Hopefully all will go well. I'm optimistic. And I know that I'm supposed to be taking care of this now. "Serenity now."

Just A Bunch of Sickies

2009-10-07T05:47:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since my last post (for me, anyway). So, I thought I would catch you all up on what we have NOT been doing:

We haven't been doing much. We enjoyed a wonderful Conference weekend. It's always so uplifting. I especially was struck by Elder Scott's talk about the Book of Mormon. Very powerful for those of you that haven't seen it!

On Sunday we went on a picnic at the Glen Salem Wayside with Lisa, Mike, and Blaine. It was very nice, and the weather was beautiful...a little windy, which brought a little chill, but very beautiful and sunny. It was very nice to watch Ethnie and Blaine playing so well together. As long as there are no toys to share, they're great. Haha. But seriously, they get along really well.

We just sent my computer in to get fixed. :( I'm so sad about it. I love my computer, but the screen has been on the fritz. And since it is still under warranty, we're trying to get it repaired. Unfortunately it will be gone for up to 2 whole weeks! Ahh! And since all of my photos were on that computer (which all of our files are now on an external hard-drive) none will be posted until after the return of my lappy.

As for the rest of the week? Leo and I have been sick. Runny nose, cough, achy, sore throat, the whole nine yards. Which leads to a lack of sleep...which leads to mommy not being in a very pleasant mood. :( We actually took Leo to the doctor yesterday for a sick appointment, just to find out that, yes, he was sick, and no, there really wasn't much else we can do for him other than what we have been doing. But I guess $30 buys peace of mind. Hopefully Ethnie will be resistant to it. So far she has only had a little bit of a runny nose, but is very good otherwise. Trent has a little tickle in his throat, but it seems to stop there with him. Whew. But he has been an amazing help to me. Last night he slept with Leo in the crook of his arm so that Leo was elevated, but couls sleep, and then I could sleep because he wasn't grabbing for me or kicking me every 5 minutes. But today we're all doing much better, even though we still feel terrible.

Thursday, Trent and I will be going back down to Roanoke for my Orthopedic appointment. We will get my MRI result and finally figure out just what we're going to do, surgery-wise. It will be nice to finally get it taken care of. People wonder "why now?" but the answer is: It's FREE! After I had Leo, we had payed all of my deductable, and polished off our max out of pocket. Woohoo! So now insurance will be picking up the tab. :) And maybe we'll even get my shoulder done (if we push it). We just want to make it so that I can function on a normal level without the worry of pain or dislocation.

So that's what has been going on. The next time I post pictures will proabably be around Halloween, so keep your eyes posted. :)

10 Honest Things

2009-09-28T07:46:00.000-07:00

So, my friend Cami tagged me and challenged to come up with 10 honest things about myself. This could go any way...But here goes:

1. I am petrified of spiders! Seriously. My older siblings took it upon themselves to torture me with those little plastic ones (you know...for Halloween), and ever since just the thought makes me cringe. There are several movies I won't watch completely becuase of it- Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets, Arachnophobia(for obvious reasons) and IT. *Chills*

2. I noticed a lot of people made the comment about being awful at grammar. Well, I am a grammar Nazi. Seriously! My mother HATES when I would correct hers growing up. Haha...Still does. I hate when people use "I" when they really should be using "me". Drives me nuts, but I have learned to keep my mouth shut and suck it up (for the most part).

3. I really, really, really want to get a B.A. in Interior Design. It's always been a passion of mine, but every school I've ended up at didn't have the program. When we have a little more expendable income I plan to get my second degree (online, of course, so I can still be a mom). After that I want to start my own design business on the side. I would take the jobs I wanted in order to still be a stay-at-home Mom. But that won't happen for a while.

4. I cannot act. You would think having a Theater degree that I would, but I can't. I was always more interested in the tech side: Lighting, costuming, and set design. But is that really surprising seeing as I LOVE design?

5. I'm always worried I'm going to die young. Chalk it up to paranoia, or the fact that I'm only 27 and have never had the best of health. And this scares me because I would be leaving my wonderful husband as a single dad. Plus, it's just scary for a number of reasons.

6. I get so easily addicted to reality shows. It is really sad. And since we have a DVR for our Dish, it enables me. So sad. I know. So far I am addicted to The Biggest Loser, So You Think You Can Dance, Hell's Kitchen, America's Next Top Model, and those are just the reality shows. You don't want to know what ALL I have on timers. I realize how pathetic that is.

7. I call my parents ALL THE TIME. I'm sure they get annoyed by it, but it's just because I miss them so much. I really wish that I lived much closer.

8. I always worry whether or not I'm a good mom. I'm sure that it doesn't matter how AWESOME of a mom you are, most mothers worry about it.

9. I am incredibly stubborn. (another one from the family tree I guess ;)) And this makes parenting extra hard, because Ethnie is just as stubborn as I am. So we butt heads very frequently. I'm sure Trent gets annoyed with two very strong-willed, independent ladies running around the house.

10. I love Trent more than I can describe in words. He loves me even with all of my flaws. And I am lucky to have a wonderful husband. I often feel that I don't deserve him.

Well, there you go. I now tag Linde, Merilee, Renae, Jessie, Mimi, Heather, and Lisa. :)

Love You, Babe...

2009-09-24T10:45:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to share with the world just how wonderful my husband is. He is so thoughtful!

Today I was having a rough morning...Leo woke up every 30 minutes or so last night leaving me with practically no sleep, Ethnie was being a typical 3-year-old and just not choosing to listen to me, and I was stressing about finances for the family reunion, let alone finances in general. So Trent calls me up and asks if I would like him to pick something up for lunch. I said "Sure," never wanting to turn down fast food (I love it, but it does not love me back...). It took, however, a little longer than I thought it would have, but being busy with Ethnie's moods I didn't think about it.

And then he came in the door...Carrying not only that wonderful bag of McDonald's (I know...It's a weakness!), but a dozen red roses and a smile. What a wonderful man I married! He always knows how to brighten my day, let alone my LIFE! Thank you, Trent, for getting even sweeter with time. I love you!

D.I.T....

2009-09-22T06:14:00.001-07:00

...Dancer In Training