Pink?

I love my little boy. He didn't wet his pants, he just loves puddles and with all the rain we've had, Emerson has had a lot of fun splashing all over!!

A little time for the boys to have some R&R

Do you think he is ready for a little sister?

Can you tell what gender our baby will be?

I think I went pink crazy. :)

So fun.

event

Carpet came today, looks great! Washer and Dryer are delivered tomorrow. Can't wait. Really I bought them in November before Thanksgiving, but through wise counsel from my husband I delayed delivery until just before the baby to give enough time to my contractor to finish all the dust and floor work in an adjacent room. So it's basically done and the W/D come tomorrow, I am celebrating!!!!! Yea!!

Washer / Dryer blaahh blahh blahh

I'm so glad to be looking for a washer and dryer. So glad to be able to put it in my house, but I feel like I've just been doing home work for the last 2 days straight and want the assignment to be over. Pricing vs. value, where to buy, what is on sale, what do I want? I guess this is why I enjoy just getting things that are given to me. I am not a particular fan of the choosing process. Once I choose I know that I chose it and am responsible for the consequences the negative 'What if's' always gets me. I should be cool with the process of choices after finishing choosing so many things for the house, but still. The homework process is getting old.

We have GAS

I love our new house. There are many things that I appreciate more about it because it was a labor of love to get it. I think having a home with Gas will be one of them. I can no longer take for granite that when I go to the stove the gas turns on, because for the last 3 months it hasn't. My generous friend lent me her cook range that I used on the patio, which was very enjoyable on the nice warm summer evenings. I am so excited to be able to cook inside though and use my water spout on the back splash. Oh can't wait. I was getting my teeth cleaned and watching the food net work. Have any of you ever seen "At home with Giada". Wow I just really loved her style and it got me sooo excited to cook :). Maybe soon I will have some yummy food pictures.

Washer / Dryer

Washer / Dryer recommendations, do you have any?

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween!!

Emerson loved all the Halloween activities this week, between the mom's group Halloween day, the city parade, and Trunk-or-Treat at the church he was in his costume almost every day. We carved a small pumpkin together. He thought it was so neat. I had a battery powered candle to put in it and he handled the candle like it was real, even trying to blow it out. I think the battery candles are the greatest things!!

We watched Super Man to help him get excited for his costume. It was a lot of fun to have him dressed up like a super hero. I figured James could be Lex Luther and I could be Loise Lane, but our costumes just never happened. (being pregnant kind of ruins the Loise Lane look)

Out on the Town

We took my father-in-law, Brother in-law Chris, Friend David Chapman, and Chris's Girlfriend to a really nice dinner in SF. Saturday night. I got a babysitter for Emerson and had a really nice evening out to celebrate all the hard work we've done the last 2 years.

Way to go Team!

Mom Came to visit!!

This past weekend my mom came to visit. Because Utah has UEA weekend and my mom had a few days off. She flew out Thursday and we had a blast all weekend. It was so nice, like having 4 hands and a constant streams of fun girl conversation all for 4 days straight. I think I am going through withdrawals today. We visited the Science Space Center, Shopped at IKEA (which, having your mom with you makes it so much easier) and many many other places, did the laundry at the laundry mat (which never went smoother), enjoyed some house work, sewing, girlie movies, and our favorite foods. Saturday Mom, James, Grandpa Brent, Emerson and I went to the local steam trains. Emerson loves the trains!! On Sunday I got to sit with my husband, Emerson, and my mom for church, so fun! Here are a few pics.

Emerson's excited anticipation of seeing the train

Car Show / Birthday / Blue Angle's

Orinda has a car show to raise money for the senior citizens of the city. We went this year and saw some fabulous cars. These were my favorites. A back to the future 50's blue convertible Chevrolet

and a Lamborghini ( this car was gorgeous)!

I just love the way the doors open.

Emerson loved it too, I had to stop him from climbing inside.

this picture doesn't do justice to the beautiful evening scene of the bay and the golden gate bridge. I had my hand held camera on full zoom, the view was silver in the sunset, it was breath taking!

Yea!!! My little buddy turned 2. He is so much fun and just learning new things every day. He has transitioned during the last few weeks to become much more verbal about his wants. "No" is now a word I hear in response to about everything I ask or suggest. He is surprisingly affectionate and loving. When he was first born he didn't like to cuddle, but now we cuddle up with a blanket and a book. He will want to hug dad goodbye in the morning and hold my hand in the car. He is sooo precious! He's all boy though, trucks and cars and trains. His favorite part about his cake was the trucks. I couldn't even get him to eat a bite of cake he was so busy playing with the toys.

On Emerson's birthday dad took the afternoon off to play with Emerson. We went to the Berkeley Lawrence Science Center. There are fun roller coaster exhibits that are hands on and educational, a huge building block table and much more. Ever since we went there with dad, Emerson has been asking to go back.

Happy Birthday Little Emerson (no candles, last year he burnt his fingers, really I just didn't bother to buy any).

On Saturday James had a co-worker that invited us to enjoy the fleet week Blue Angles show from the rooftop of his apartment building in San Fransisco.

It was a great vantage point. Everyone was outside to watch the Angles fly. I have never seen so many sailboats in the bay.

The Blue Angles put on an amazing show. Emerson was in Ahh of the planes and scared. We were buzzed by one plane and it startled the whole group. Emerson was asking to go inside. I think he may like it a little more as he gets older. :)

General Conference

Wow, wasn't General Conference wonderful and inspiring!! I can't decide which talk and what theme I thought was most important and most meaningful to me. . . How about you??

For those of you privileged to attend the Relief Society Meeting the week prior I loved the Prophets message and story of the sister looking out her window at what appeared to be her neighbors dirty laundry when in reality it was the dirt on her window she was seeing. I also loved President Monson's message of Gratitude during his Sunday morning talk. Of course Elder Ochdorf's talk about simplifying life must have hit home to everyone in ear shot of his words. How true it is that we need to keep to the fundamental basics of life and not allow all the clutter to clutter out what is most important.

I also have to say after living in the bay area and being right in the middle of the gay right conflict with Proposition 8 for gay marriage I feel a deep sense of respect for Elder Packer. He doesn't mix words and although what he says may not be popular or feel good fussy, he is willing to step out and speak the word of God. To stand and speak words that are not easily accepted is something I don't really like to do, I respect the 12 apostles for their exemplary lives and examples that continue to motivate me to re-evaluation and improvement.

Isn't General Conference Great!! Truly I look forward to it, all year, twice a year.

Recent stuff

Here is a finished look at the kitchen. This house has come a long way.

adjacent family room.

Emerson and his buddy spent a morning going to the little farm near our house. Look at the cows. Moo. . .

It was recently my brother in law's 17'th birthday. I went over to have a little birthday fun. We ambushed his friend and made a great mess with shaving cream. (that's me on the right)

I also made him a duvet blanket cover jean and fleece.

Utah Trip in July

Mid -summer I took an unexpected trip to Utah. I have been meaning to get these pictures up. I also promised my nephew Asher I would post his jump/slid video. It is Emerson's favorite home video to watch. . . "Jump Jump Jump" he thinks it's so funny.

We visited his cousins one evening and enjoyed McDonald's chicken nuggets and trampoline time.

Emerson and his cousin Violet.

She is just couple of weeks younger than Emerson

We took a trip to the lake an jet skied. Emerson even got on the ski with me, but some how that picture didn't work out. He sure loved exploring with his Grandpa though.

A beautiful sunset!~!

I just went slow because of the prego thing, but could help but get out on the lake.

Some summer photo's

I took a trip to Eureka Ca. to have a last farewell to my wonderful Grandma Swiss's Eureka house.

She was moving to Utah to be closer to have kids.

This is the cousins hanging out in the front room .

Who knew a box could be so much fun!

The beautiful park down the road

Grandma's kids. My Dad on the far Left. Uncle Dale, Aunt Jeanette, and Uncle Jerry.

the last goodbye to Grandma's house.

Northern Cali is so beautiful . . . I had to stop for a picture!!

The drive was only 5 hours and it was heavenly

Emerson travels really well and was asleep for half of the trip.

James built a crazy computer that is housed in an aquarium .

Just hanging out

This kid is just getting too big. I love hanging with my little man.

His favorite things are TRAINS, TRUCKS, and CARS.

Sound like a boy to you?

We ripped out the false fire place and put a new one in just hours before a big party at our house, needless to say, I didn't get a lot of sleep that week and my hands were completely black, stained by grout for the party, but we finished it. . . a miracle.

The party was fun. . . looking back I was too preoccupied to take pictures at the party, should have done that.

The finished Product.

( I am dying to repaint this room now that we have the fire place in. I had envisioned a travertine tile with a white prefab wood surround, more blues colors when I picked a cooler tone for the room. . . now I really want to warm the walls up with a different color . . . Maybe in a year or two . . :) . . )

Before the summer ended we went to SF for some fun and enjoyed a walk through a tunnel aquarium . Emerson loved it.

Patience

What do you do when you are low on patience?

Room-ba; Scoo-ba

Are any of you looking to buy a new vacuum. . .??? Or does your husband not know what to get you for a special occasion. I highly recommend a roomba. . . the mechanical vacuum that cleans on it's own. James bought us one when we moved in. I don't think I will ever go back to a hand held vacuum. Seriously!!! I love it and it does a great job. We programed it to run every night at 4 am in the morning. I wake up to a vacuumed and swept floor every day. and if I feel a room needs a little sprucing up. I move the roomba into that room turn it on and walk away. Amazing. The other night when I was prepping for a mom's group gathering at our place I thought I don't want to run the Scooba (mechanical mop) because it does make noise. I used my Wet Jet for a little bit, thinking I could just it the really bad areas. . ., getting the job done was taking too much time. . . so I took the 1 minute it requires to fill the scooba with water put it on the floor and turn it on. I moved on to other things by the time I was done with that my floor was cleaned too. After the party the floor was totally dirty again. I just turned the Scooba on and walked away. I can't believe it!! For me I think this it just as useful and helpful as a dishwasher. With a dishwasher some dishes have to be cleaned by hand, but on a regular basis the dishwasher does the trick. Same with the Roomba and Scooba. Some messes require direct clean up with a vacuum but I don't have to hassel with the weight and pushing of a big vacuum on a regular basis. It is amazing. I totally recommend it to all women!!!

A Little Girl :)

I couldn't help but cry when James and I sat together and found out we are having a GIRL. I am thrilled and excited, but initially scared. My life with a child has been filled with construction, dump trucks, and dirt. Thoughts of high school, pms, boyfriends, and all the girl drama to come really scares me. I think the roll of motherhood hit me hard knowing I'd be raising a little girl. Besides this, I can't wait to decorate a nursery in Pink and all the girl fun that will come with this new bundle of joy!!

Baby Baby Baby

Maybe some of you all ready know, but We are expecting. . .

I am due December 27. James's Birthday. I will find out the gender end of August. We are thrilled and excited. I am out of the first trimester sickness and feeling much, much better!

Surprise for Bekah

Ok, so I am soooo behind on updating my blog, but I can't shorten the datail of our move to our new house. We had given our 30 day notice. I was packing little by little, transfering things to our new house. It wasn't quite ready to move into yet, because we needed PG&E to hook up our electricity and to install a hot water heater so we could take warm showers. A needed trip to Utah came up in the middle of our thirty days that took Emerson and I away from the project for a week. There was going to be a lot of work to come back too. (I wasn't looking forward to it). I came home on a Sunday and met James at church. We drove to our apartment. Upon entering . . . it was empty. Nothing left but pictures on our walls.

No we hadn't been robbed.

James had moved the whole apartment while I was gone. What an awesome guy!!! We drove to the new house and slep there that night and I had a hot shower in the morning. . . :) It was the greatest surprise!! So we are in our new house and it is great!

30 Day Notice

Yea!!! We gave our land lady our thirty day notice. We will be moving in to our new home. The 2 year project is coming to an end. There are still some loose ends, but we are basically there. I am excited!

Emerson and the Monkey

Fun Zoo Video

Poop

My son immediate reaction to pooping is to stick his hand down his pants and feel to goo down bellow. He pulls a pooped covered finger out and then starts whining that it's covered in poop. He seems shocked that he has poop all over his finger, although he just stuck it down a poop filled diaper. It makes me laugh and I'm glad he's telling me in his own way, MOM I JUST POOPED MY PANTS. Next step. . . .potty training.

Pics

Yea!! My Parents came to visit! We met at a family wedding in LA and drove together to SF. I rented a Mini Van. I never thought I would be a mini van fan, but I really enjoyed the automatic doors that slid instead of opened. Oh and all the space in that vehicle. My dad was totally comfortable on the 6 hour ride.

More breakfast meals that I just love. Grape nuts, yogurt and fruit.

My Cute son