The Case of The Appearing Tooth and the Disappearing Pants

Our baby Brie had her very first tooth appear. We were all very surprised by it because we had no warning of it's arrival. One day last week I had my finger in her mouth trying to dig out whatever she had put in and I felt the little tooth poking through. We can now see those jagged edges coming up and we can hear the clink clink when she drinks out of our glass.

The funniest part is watching her get used to the feeling of having a tooth. Brielle now always has her tongue in the side of her mouth. I think she is feeling the tooth. How cool that it is there. One down and a bunch to go. We just hope that the rest come in as easily.


As Brielle's tooth was making it's appearance, her pants were disappearing. I put her down for a nap one morning and I heard her playing in her bed forever. She usually cuddles up to her bear and goes to sleep, but this particular morning I could hear here jabbering away and squealing. It sounded like a great time. I finally went in to check on her and she had taken off both socks and tossed them out of the crib (normal) and had also taken off her pants and thrown them out as well. What????? I was so confused. How did she do it? She was quite impressed with herself.
 

My Favorite Things

Tonight was our Enrichment night at church. As most of you know, I am the enrichment counselor, so I was quite involved in helping put the night together. It's over! Yeah! And it was so fun! Yeah!

We had a night called "My Favorite Things". (It was an idea I had after we did something kind of similar in a different ward when I was enrichment counselor there.) We played the song from "The Sound of Music". You know - whiskers on kittens, warm woolen mittens, rain drops of roses, etc. We started with a meal. Those who brought food brought their very favorite casserole or their favorite salad or favorite dessert. They also brought the recipes to share. After we were done eating the fun began. Each person came with something that was their very favorite thing. Something that was simple and not expensive, but something they love and can't live without. They had these items wrapped up and each of us got to choose a package. One person would unwrap their package and show what it was and the person who brought it had to tell why they liked it so much. It was so fun. We got to know each other a little bit better and we got great ideas for favorite things like cooking gadgets, cleaning supplies, lotions, candles, movies, chocolates, gardening stuff, books, etc. So much stuff. All kinds of things. I think it was a good night and I hope everyone had a great time.

As I was searching for what my favorite thing would be to bring, I came up with so many. I made a list.

1. Cozy, warm, soft, thick socks to wear in the cold winter time. (This is what I took tonight)
2. Sugar scrub. It makes your skin so soft and is great for shaving your legs.
3. MAC makeup's eye lid eye paint. It acts as a primer for your eye lid and keeps your eye shadow on so long.
4. Clorox Wipes. I use them on EVERYTHING. Especially now that I have food being thrown everywhere.
5. Harvest scented Yankee candle.
6. Boston Red Sox baseball cap. Perfect for when my hair is out of control.
7. Body Butter. It's so much thicker and more moisturizing than most lotions.
8. Salad Spinner. I use this so often. It's so easy for washing and drying lettuce.
9. Paul Mitchell Super Sculpt styling gel. This is the best I've found for curly hair.
10. Compact Flash. It's a little gadget that I can plug my memory card from the camera into to easily upload pictures instead of hooking up the camera.

What are a few of your favorite things?

Holding On

Saturday was the day that we finally went to get Brielle's nine month pictures taken. We've taken her at 3 months, 6 months and now 9 months. I was excited to take a family picture, but that didn't quite work out. I had our outfits all planned out and everything. :(

Brie took a morning nap while Scott and I cleaned out and organized the garage. We were both a mess when she woke up. I said to Scott, "We have one hour to get Brie fed, bathed, dressed and ready for pictures and also get us showered and ready for pictures". Yikes! We rushed and made it! But then . . . Scott went to put on the sweater I wanted him to wear for the picture as we were leaving and we noticed huge bleach stains on the sleeves!!! We have no idea how those got there, but in the end Brielle was the only one getting her picture taken that day.

She was tired by the time it was our turn so most of the pictures didn't turn out that well. She was smiling, but I could tell her eyes were tired. One of them turned out beautifully though. I adore this picture of her walking and us holding on to her hands. It is so cute and shows her little personality right now so well. She is so ready to take off.

Aunt Betty's Funeral

Friday at noon was Aunt Betty's funeral. Aunt Betty is Fred's (Scott's dad) older sister. They grew up in Scotland together and Fred says that Betty really helped to raise him. One memory he told me about is that Betty helped him to learn big words. They would walk along the shore in Scotland and she would teach him. The first word he remembers her teaching him is "submarine". Betty and her husband Alec moved to the U.S. and settled in Holladay, UT. They opened a pastry shop that is just down the road from where we live. It is still there and her son now runs it. He made the cake for our wedding. Scott worked in that pastry shop when he was young and remembers decorating cakes. He really loved Aunt Betty and Uncle Alec. Scott says that I would have LOVED Alec. He is so happy for them that they get to be together again. (Alec passed away in 2002.)

The funeral was lovely. Betty's children and grandchildren told really fun and cute stories about her. Everyone is happy for her. The only really sad moment was when a granddaughter sang "Loch Lomond" and I think everyone lost it imagining the two Scottish sweethearts being reunited again. Betty and Alec spent their honeymoon at Loch Lomond, a lake in Scotland. For those not surrounded with Scottishness, the chorus is this:

Oh ye'll tak' the high road and I'll tak' the low road,
An' I'll be in Scotland before ye',
But wae is my heart until we meet again
On the Bonnie, bonnie banks
O' Loch Lomond

We went to the cemetery for the grave side service and Brian played the bag pipes as people gathered. Fred said a few words and sprinkled a little dirt and a little water from Scotland. What I loved the most was that the grandchildren threw down rose petals in the path where the casket was carried. It was very sweet and I have requested the same be done for me one day. I thought it was a neat way to honor a lady, just as you do a bride.
It was a long day for little Brie. She did alright during the funeral, but was very tired by the time we reached the cemetery. Here she is in a daze playing with the grass. Lucky for us, she fell asleep in her car seat on the way back to the church and slept in the Relief Society room while we got to have lunch with the family. I think that is one of the beauties of a funeral. It brings together so many friends and family members that you don't see often. I was glad that Scott got to see so many cousins and aunts and uncles again.

Picnic on the Creek

Brielle and I went up the canyon to Mill Creek today for a walk and a picnic. It is just right up the mountains behind our house. We had a fun time together. We went on a walk along the creek and looked at all the fallen leaves and the water in the creek. I thought I might get some cute fall pictures of Brielle, but funny thing, every time I put her down to take a picture a leaf or a rock was immediately in her mouth. After digging out a number of leaves and a few rocks, she stayed in the stroller and I gave up on pictures until she can learn what is for eating and what is not.

*Shoving the leaves in before I can get them out of her hands. Boy did she throw a fit when I took her delicious snacks away.*
*Now trying to get another rock in. They must be good!*
Thankfully, she didn't fill up on leaves and rocks and we were able to have a picnic by the creek. Brielle had a nice lunch of bits of ham, cheese and carrots and loved it all. I just really enjoyed being up the canyon. It is so pretty right now.
 

Raising the Roof

It's done. Fred and Rama's house has a new roof. After much deliberation and concern over what color shingles to choose and should they be 30 year or 40 year and what kind of vents should be put on . . . it is done. And it looks great. Good choices Rama! The workers kept trying to finish it, but it kept raining on them. Thankfully it turned sunny enough for them to finish and Fred and Rama have a new roof over their heads for at least the next 30 years.

BEFORE
AFTER (almost. it shows the new color)


 

Investments

Scott has taken a new position at Fidelity Investments. His training began this week and is going well. He was in a group called Self Directed Brokerage and has interviewed and been offered the position of Investments Representative. He will now be in a more sales oriented role - which we all know, suites him well. He is excited about the new position and will be in training from 8am - 5pm for three weeks. He is hoping that this step will lead to even bigger and better opportunities.

Brie and I are excited for Scott's new position, but not too thrilled that the shift has to change. It has been a dream to have Scott leave early in the morning while we are sleeping and then be home by 3pm. We have loved it. He recently found out that after training his shift will be Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, 8:30am - 7:00pm. Stinks for us that Brie won't see him much on those days, but at least we'll have Wednesdays with Scott home all day!

A big fat congrats to Scott and good luck!

Reunions

Saturday was a fun day of reunions for us. We left in the morning with Fred and Rama in the mini van to drive up to Logan. It was raining so HARD, but we made it safely. Each fall Rama's family has a reunion on the Saturday of Utah State's homecoming football game. We got to go have lunch, play games and chat with lots of people from Rama's side of the family. It was fun. I'm sure it was fun for Rama to see everyone again and it is good for Scott and I to get to know them a little bit better.

As soon as we got home we got a visit from some of our very favorite friends from Boston!! We were so excited to see them again and to meet their little 8 week old baby girl, Claire. Robb and Heather Jenkins were friends that we hung out with in Boston and then we moved to Utah and they moved on to go to law school in Washington D.C. Robb will be finished this spring and accepted a job in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Sidenote: They are also the friends that we went on a trip to D.C. with and when we arrived at our Marriott hotel at 11pm we were given the last room in the hotel with only one king bed. It was a fun trip.
We got to meet Claire, who mostly slept and then ate. Shocking I know. We did get to see her drunken looking state after having eaten. She is a cutie. And Scott and Robb got to enjoy the downfall of the Yankees together as they saw the end of their last game in the play offs. Heather and I told labor and delivery stories. My how conversations change once you have kids.

P.S. Yes, my hair is an afro because I had been out in the humidity and rain. And yes, I have chicken noodle baby food all over my pants. And yes, the more I see Brielle in pictures with other children, the more I realize that she has turned orange from all of her orange baby food. I was hoping she just had good, dark, olive skin.
 

Visit from a Southern Gentleman

Yesterday we had a very exciting visit from one of our favorite Boston friends. Jeni (Hendrix) Ennis was a great friend to me, Kamber, Randi and Scott. She is from Alabama and moved back there just about the same time the rest of us were moving from Boston. We hadn't seen her since then. She has gotten married and had a son, Ethan (13 months), and is pregnant with the next. Yeah for her. They live in Alabama still and boy, is her southern accent strong!!! She and Ethan came over yesterday to go to dinner (Cafe Rio) and then play at our house. It was so much fun to see Jeni again. It was a blast to get to know Ethan! He is hilarious. He is HUGE and laughs at everything. We put him on the lazy susan and spun him around and he was shrieking and squealing and laughing. I love the kid. So did Brielle.

Bubble Bath for Brie

Brielle got to take a bubble bath. How luxurious huh? She loved it. She was fascinated with the bubbles and patted and slapped them in her hands. She had a great time in the bath tub with all of those bubbles.
Her favorite part of bath time is still wrapping up in the towel at the end though. I think because I squeeze her and cuddle her so much. She laughs and smiles and loves to be all wrapped up. What a cutie.
 

What a Conference Weekend

This general conference weekend was a fun one for sure. I always enjoy conference weekend, but most especially when we get to spend it with family. We started out Saturday morning with the morning session. It was funny to us to watch Brielle. She played and didn't much care about what was going on until the choir started singing. She dropped everything to come close to the TV to hear and watch them. She loved the singing. We missed the second session on Saturday (lucky for us it is on every day this week at noon) so that we could go to the University of Utah vs. Boise State football game. Scott was excited to go because it was his first U of U game this season and I was excited to go because it seemed to be a perfect day for it. I love a beautiful, fall, sunny day at a football game. Unfortunately, it was a little too sunny. It was so stinking hot in the bleachers!!! Brie won't keep a hat on her head and was tired so I spent the whole first half standing in the portal in the shade holding her while she slept. I was probably better off than those that were baking in their seats. We did alright through the third quarter but then a very funny thing happened . . . Boise State caught yet another interception and ran it back for a touchdown. The score was then 36 to 3, so Scott was ready to leave. He got to go to a Bratwurst party with his Dad and Brian before Priesthood session.
Sunday morning, Bryce arrived with his friend Karen at 9:00am. We had a delicious breakfast of eggs, bacon, hash browns, orange juice and toast. Yum! We then all watched the morning session together and I really enjoyed it. I liked Elder Nelson's talk of gathering Isreal the best.
In the afternoon, Bryce and Karen left to go to the Conference Center for the afternoon session and Evan arrived with his friend Mary. Brielle presented him with the log o' ground beef that would be used to grill hamburgers for lunch. I'm sure it weighed more than her. We grilled hamburgers and ate lunch together and then slept through, I mean watched intently, the afternoon session of conference.
It was all very good. We loved what we were able to learn this weekend (one of them being don't take a 9 month old to a football game) and that we got to spend time with Bryce and Evan.