Summer

This summer is shaping up to be one of my favorite seasons ever.

(I took this picture in between digging out the garden bed and spreading grub killer.)

Back yard kiddie pool.

Vegetable and flower gardening + only having to water once a week because it rains over night.

Getting to know the neighbors.

Tessa learning to dig in the dirt and run through the sprinklers.

A standing tea party date with me, the girls and our next door neighbor. Tessa calls her "our pink friend" because she wears pink (well) 90% of the time.

The beach. The beach. The beach. (And two kids who love it)

FREE swimming lessons offered by the city + season passes at the city pool for $6.00 a person.

I'll let you know when I think of more.

Mommy and Daddy time

While it is undeniable that Tessa and Meg adore each other there is still something wonderful about getting your Mommy and Daddy's full, undivided attention. Generally this happens when one kiddo is asleep and the other awake (ie, Meg gets the early morning attention and Tessa gets the night attention). They both glow when they are nestled between us reading stories in bed.

And speaking of that, Meg did get to go on a fun "date" with Mommy and Daddy in October (yes, 3 months ago...I'm behind) that I must brag about.

Because our stake lacks a stake center we have had all sorts of arrangements for stake conference. Its a good thing our stake center will be finished soon because it would be hard to top this last stake conference. With Elder Ballard slated to attend the crowd was expected to be huge - so - the adult session (held Friday night, to avoid Halloween) was held in...

...Trinity Church.

I can't tell you how cool that was! When I found out the location my first thought was "I hope Aaron enjoys his time with girls while I attend stake conference." Okay - truthfully it was :

I'M GOING, I'M GOING, I'M GOING.

Since Aaron's thoughts were pretty much the same we instead got a babysitter for Tessa and toted little Meg along with us.

(Complete with Halloween jammies)

Do I even need to tell you how great it was? The space was beautiful and historic. And acoustically - vastly superior to the gymnasium.


Oh yes, and the message. I'd like to think that I would have made it such a priority to attend if the only draw was Elder Ballard. Yes - I think I would have. But I'll never really know because I was so pumped about having a service in such an amazing space. That said, I did really enjoy his message and the personal level at which he spoke to us. He said many things - but what has impacted my life the most since then is advice he gave that is applicable to anyone.

"Take time out daily for quiet moments of reflection."

Halloween

I'm just going to forgo internet anonymity and brag about living in the town that is the 3rd best place in the U.S. to celebrate Halloween (behind San Fransisco and city I've forgotten). You see, while other people (100,000 - I'm serious) are schlepping around in polyester costumes, looking for parking, wondering where to eat, etc. I LIVE HERE. I have a place to park, I have a legitimate right to trick-or-treating on a street with significant architectural history (i.e. the MANSIONS of federal era ship captains!), and I know that hands down "Passage to India" is THE place to eat.

But enough about how cool I am. I know that the real reason you are here is to see pictures of the girls.

Halloween in my town starts off with a Halloween parade on the first Thursday of the month. Tessa's costume was a work in progress the whole month. For the parade she had her fairy skirt to wear.

Meg's costume, a craigslist special, was much easier and oh so snuggly.

AUGH! Slap me. This kid is so cute!

Daddy is a butterfly (and fairy) hunter. He bagged a big one Saturday night.

When it came down to the ACTUAL trick or treat night (as opposed to the downtown retailers trick or treating, or the ward trunk or treating) Tessa was ready and Boo-yah! Look at that load of candy she collected.

LEED AP

As of this morning Aaron has a title, you may now address him as

Aaron U**, LEED AP

CONGRATULATIONS!!

This means that he knows all there is to know about "green" building practices and so people will pay him oodles to design their buildings. At least that's what I'm hoping. I actually was able to utilize his vast knowledge last night when I was writing a newsletter article for work, but he hasn't billed me yet, so I don't know how drastically his fees will be increasing.

A Most Embarrassing Brag

I finished a quilt.



I'm not proud of myself.

I started it in 2006.

I actually gave it to my Mother-In-Law last year for Christmas, unfinished.

I took it home to finish it.

And it took me all year.

Talk about an anti-climatic gift.

More proof he's paying attention

On Tuesday night I saw Twilight.

I went with some girlfriends, which was good since Aaron may not have appreciated the 13-year-old-like giggling that was happening in the theater (not from me though...of course not).

When I got home that night I was on a sexy-seventeen-year-old-vampire-induced-high (yikes, I know, creapy). Aaron was waiting with his lips puckered - however the high could not cover up the need I had to visit the ladies room (16 oz. of soda) so I had put his kiss on hold. When I came back in the room he puckered up again and when I kissed him his lips were ice cold.


Apparently he had remembered this blog* I had him read...remembered and applied...good job honey. Good job.

I included this a the most recent pic I have of him - the cat has nothing to do with it...but he's cute.

*The blog I linked to is really long, so in summary, if you want your Edward infatuated wife to fall head over heals for YOU try, among other things, sucking on an ice cube before kissing her.

A Press Release

From: Aaron Udy
Sent: Thursday, July 17, 2008 8:56 AM
To: The Press
Subject: My 17 month old can read!

Good morning!

I just had to show off these short video clips of Tessa reading books, they're so amazing. We're thinking about having her tested, we have a regular Doogie Howser on our hands....

However, in retrospect, we wish we would have spoken more than just gibberish around the house. What she's saying makes perfect sense in the language we made up, but most people can't decipher it.

Aaron U**

I love my bookclub

I hosted book club at my house last night. I thought, afterward, how much I love my book club. I know many people roll their eyes at "book clubs" but at this one - if only this one - we discuss the book, compare it to current and past social and political happenings and relate it to our lives, jobs and families. We disagree with each other on meanings of symbols, author's intents and personal beliefs but still carpool home together congenially. Oh, and I hear people using words that I haven't heard since 9th grade english. (Third-person omniscient comes to mind.)

It is invigorating, enjoyable and often-times hilarious.

So, for those who poo-poo book clubs, I dare say, you haven't visited ours!

----

This past month we read "Ella Minnow Pea" which was recommended to me by Mindy. It was a short read but brought up a lot of discussion about politics, the power of institutions, personal convictions, religion, and of course the alphabet.

Behind

Oh so behind.

We just got back from a fun trip to Upstate NY and I still haven't finished posting about my trip to Idaho Falls last month.

Or the many visits from friends and family we've had in the month of June.

Or how freakin' busy Aaron and I have been this month.

Or Aaron's 31st birthday.

I've been wanting to post a picture of Tessa in the dress that I MADE. But since she doesn't really stand up that well right now its hard to get a good shot. So here is a picture of her in the hat that I MADE, a separate picture of the dress...oh and I did find one of her in the whole ensemble.And yes, I did tell everyone who commented on her hat that I MADE it.

(And yes, I did have (heaps of) help...thanks Gloria!)

No more doubt

It is really truly spring here!

With the change of weather I find myself MUCH more motivated to go on walks with Miss T. I guess until now freezing my tush off was not a good enough reason to get out.

Here are some pictures of our neighborhood

I must admit that I schedule our walks to lead into nap time

Timing it so that she's sound asleep but not rested enough to wake up when we get home is practically science.

Wonders of PhotoShop

I was worried I would be sent straight to you-know-where if I bragged about my sweet Photoshop skills on an Easter post. So I just thought I'd show you (in a separate post of course) what that picture looked like when I downloaded it from my camera.

2 down 7 to go

For those of you waiting, full of anxiety, you'll be excited (and proud, like I am) to know that Aaron passed his second architectural licensing exam. Now on to Structures.

I'm IT!

Four Jobs that I've had:

Two bad:
1. I drew gold lines on fancy picture frames for two months. Worked from 6am - 3pm. Nearly went insane.
2. I worked in a tile showroom where we maybe got 1 person to walk in per week...and that is pushing it...I'm not sure how the owner made any money.

Two good:
3. Worked selling concessions and tickets and the $1.50 movie theater (yes, I did say one dollar and fifty cents!) - I worked with 12 people who were 16 and 17, even the (really cute) manager was 17, and we had an hour of down time between movies...what could be more fun!
4. MHOC - You have to like your first "real" job, and my bosses and co-workers were great.

Four Places I have been:
1. Rome (brag brag brag)
2. London (see above)
3. New York
4. Bermuda

Four Favorite Foods:
1. Chocolate Chip Cookie (Dough)
2. Lasagna, Aaron's specialty & Butternut Squash
3. Taco Soup
4. Treasure's (by Hershey I think)

Four Concerts I'd like to go to:
1. Garth Brooks
2. NKOTB reunion
3. Bon Jovi
4. Dixie Chicks

Four reasons why I love being me:
1. I have well formed feet.
2. I can walk to accomplish a lot of my errands.
3. I have good ideas (implementation, well, not so much)
4. I can make a delicious dessert.

Four Classes that I wish were offered to and that I could participate in right now.
1. Bewitched 101: The art of the nose wiggle.
2. Don't Waste time: 1 class, 1/2 hour
3. Remember me: Focus - faces and names.
4. What Not to Wear

Four friends or relatives that I am tagging:
1. Jamie
2. Tracie
3. Christin
4. Maria (if only she had a blog to respond on...hint, hint, hint)

I'm Flattered

Yesterday I had someone tell me that I reminded him of a Botticelli painting...Birth of Venus to be exact. (He tactfully waited until his wife came in the room to tell me that so that I didn't think it was a pickup line.) In particular it was my coloring and the way I had done my hair. I had an idea of what painting that was but I did google it to be certain. Despite the fact that she is...um...well naked I was terrible flattered and in fact I was in a pretty jovial mood all day because of it.

See the entire painting here...

He passed (of course)

Aaron took his first of nine architectural licensing exams earlier this month. Here is a picture of Tessa helping him study.

After he took the exam he sent me a txt msg that said "that was about as fun as a root canal."

Of course, no one ever does as bad as they think on this like this so Aaron was pleased and relieved to get the notice in our big stack of holiday mail that he had PASSED the "Pre-Design" exam!! Next up, Materials and Methods.

Self promotion

In case you've stopped your all consuming habit of checking my other blog you should know that I posted pictures of the before and after of our bedroom.

9 Months/ 6 Months

The traffic fairy was not as accommodating this morning on our real drive to the doctor. Rain and the day after a vacation combined to make us 1/2 hour late for the appointment. However it gave Tessa time for a long nap so after a brief moment of alligator tears right at the beginning she did very well at her appointment.

This appointment was her "6 month" NICU follow-up visit. Meaning if she had gone full term she would have been 6 months at this point. I'm not sure if I talked about this earlier but that is her "adjusted" or "corrected" age and that means in terms of developmental ability she is only expected to act like a 6 month old. And based on her weekly occupational therapy activities, her monthly pediatrician visits, and of course, today's appointment with the pediatric developmental specialists she is right on track. In some things, particularly her schedule for eating solid food and in someways her visual and social skills she is a bit advanced and closer to her actual, chronological age. As she gets older her developmental abilities and chronological ages will start to align and merge around two years of age.

Today, 9 months after birth and exactly 6 months after hospital discharge, she giggled during the physical exam and smiled smiled smiled at everyone, until she got sleepy, then she just stared and snuggled with Daddy.

She weighed 14 lbs 14 oz, and is 27 inches long! And, in case you are either challenged in the math department or in denial (like me) in three months my little big girl will be ONE! Pardon me while I go find some sand to bury my head in and pretend she'll be my little one forever.