Change of Plans

Well, after preparing 100% and dropping the kids off at the grandparent’s house tonight, I received a phone call. My nurse midwife is very sick and the doctor can’t cover. SO…the induction is set for Sunday morning (10/10/10).

Meet Caroline

Announcing he birth of our third child. Caroline Maria Snow.  Cara weighed in at 6lb. 10oz., and measures 19 in. tall.  Mother and baby are doing well.  Here are a couple of pictures for your enjoyment.  She is amazingly beautiful. :)  Here is one of Cara before her bath. Sooooo cute!!!!!



And here is one with me and my little daughter.  :)



More to come!

Madeleine’s Photo Book

I realized I never posted the online version of the baby book I made for Madeleiene using My Publisher. Check it out!

Madeleine’s Baby Book

I am really pleased with how it printed and they are always offering really good specials, especially for first time users. I feel confident recommending them.

Boy or Girl?

Time is winding down. I will be induced Friday, October 8th at 8:00am. WooHoo!! I and everyone else in this household can hardly wait! We just have a few minor things to finish up around here and then we’ll be good to go.

The big question is…Is our little baby a boy or a girl???

 

Take your best guess and if you are correct, you’ll get a prize. Just kidding. No prize. Sheesh, I’m the one who has done all the work the last 9 months!! I think I should get a prize! Oh, wait. I guess my new son or daughter is prize enough ;)

Wish us lots of and luck (and a speedy delivery and recovery PLEASE).

We love you all!

The Love of My Life

I put this video together with images of Julie taken over the last few years.  She is wonderful and I love her so much.  Click here if you can’t see the video or here to watch in HD.  Enjoy!  Julie is an amazing woman!

The Red Rocks

I remember scrambling up the red rocks of Southern Utah when I was little. Now I watch my children do the same thing, just as happily.

Don’t mind my weird smile in this one.

Some scenery.

 

With Beard

Rob has always wanted to grow a beard. Well, in St. George, he finally had his chance. Stunning, eh? Actually, it surprised me that I didn’t dislike it as much as I thought I would. It was kind of fun to have him extra manly for a few weeks :)

Slow Design

I found the blog Opal Never Shouts via an interior designer friend and I’ve enjoyed browsing through it very much. The latest post about the Slow Home Movement caught my eye. Here is an excerpt:

 

 

We live our busy lives running here and there, working to pay this bill and that bill, buying up goods that last till they break, and filling our lives with many things that may not be of much importance.

We just love what Ecodecorista, has to say about the slow design movement in her recent blog post:

"I think what we are actually seeing is the start of a paradigm shift in the way we think of our homes and communities. Instead of moving every four to five years, and thinking about houses as commodities that only need to last until the resale, conversations about what makes a home last for a whole lifetime are emerging. Decorators are blogging about incorporating your collections and all the things you truly love – and about choosing vintage furniture and new custom pieces with heirloom qualities. Instead of being caught on an earn-and-spend consumer treadmill, people are changing their consumption patterns, simplifying or downsizing their lives, and making things themselves."

"At what point did the house become more about the future tenant than the current resident? It’s hard to trace the moment, but let’s hope it’s passed. Because for too long, home design has been hijacked by the allure of resale value. Maybe now we can begin again to think of our houses not as investments but as homes."

We love the idea of a cozy home that doesn't come with a huge financial strain. A home that reflects the family's personality and isn't a replica of the house next door, and a home that that is timeless and quality craftsmanship instead of trend driven and impersonal.

I LOVE this!! Don’t you?

I’ve definitely been caught in the trap of thinking of my house as an investment instead of a home. I’ve definitely been caught up in the “buy what’s cheap now” thought. Obviously, there are many things that are best to buy from Walmart, Target, and Ikea. But lately I really have started to shift into the slow design train of thought.

Just last Sunday I set my eyes on a china cabinet my grandpa built from scratch and with pride decades ago. It will be mine as soon as we move into our new home and it is beautiful!!! It’s also of very high quality. Go to any store and take a look at the cheap, fake wood furniture that is mass-produced and even my very untrained eye can see a gigantic difference. This is a piece that will last decades longer (for his great, great, great grandchildren probably). 

Another example is the baby’s nursery for which I’m currently gathering items. I’ve decided to go less “cutesy” and more “natural”. Interpretation: Wood, earth tones (with a few pops of color), and texture. It’s going to be different than what you might expect for a baby’s nursery, but I think it will still work because babies are about the most organic, pure, and connected things on earth! It will also be less expensive to decorate because most of what I need is coming from our own storage closet, will be handmade, or will be refurbished second-hand items. I am STOKED to see how it turns out. 

One thing I’ve struggled with a little is how do I incorporate refurbished and handmade and recycled design into my home when my taste isn’t shabby chic but more modern and clean? Ideas??

Sarah & Vance

On the 4th of July we took portraits of our niece and nephew.

This is Vance. Isn’t he so handsome in his tux?!

This is Sarah. She is growing into such a beautiful young woman.

We love these two very much!

Nate’s Latest

Nathan is just growing like crazy and he is really developing into a SMART, FUN, and HILARIOUS boy. Some of his favorites are:

The old Transformer cartoons
Building spaceships with his Trio blocks
Playing outside with his friends
Coloring and writing letters
Reading books
Running, throwing, jumping
Lucky Charm cereal
Babies
Music with electric guitars

He also loves to ride his bike. At the beginning of the summer we got him a bigger bike with training wheels. One day Rob was sitting in the living room and saw Nate ride by on his friend’s two-wheeler! What?! He had decided that since his friend could do it, he could too! So he practiced and before too long he was flying!! What a great feeling for a little boy! Rob was a little disappointed that he didn’t get to teach his oldest son how to ride a bike…it’s such a dad thing. But we’re super proud of Nate for his motivation and perseverance.

Here’s a funny story…

I was in the house one afternoon and suddenly heard all the neighborhood kids kids run up to our porch and begin chanting, “Do it! Do it! Do it!”. Then one kid said, “Just do it, we won’t laugh.” Hmmmmm. I opened the door and Nate was standing in the middle of the crowd with another little girl from the neighborhood. I asked what was going on and Nate said they all wanted the two of them to kiss!! (But he didn’t want to.)

I asked Nate to come inside so I could talk to him. I asked why they wanted them to kiss and he replied, “Because we’ve done it before.” Oh! Wow. Trying not to laugh I asked why he had kissed her before. He said, “Because she was being nice.” I then asked how long they had kissed and he acted it out for me. We’re talking a good 5 seconds! Sheesh!! That’s a pretty good first kiss!!

I tried not to make a big deal about it and just said it’s a good idea to wait until he’s a lot older to start kissing girls. I then praised him for not doing something he didn’t want to do just because all his friends wanted him to. He seemed pretty proud of himself for that and now he’s decided kissing is gross. Thank goodness! He’s such a cute and nice boy that I’m sure he’ll get plenty of kisses later on (sigh).