Birthday Photos

The party was fantastic. We had Todd's parents, mine as well, Uncle Scott, and even my grandparents! I have to confess, our party continued long after the kids were in bed, with bowling and tennis on my mother-in-law's Wii! (My grandparents are AMAZING. They re-lived their bowling league days and gave us all a run for our money! Party animals!) We also had friends Abigail and Felicity and their families, Yia-Yia, and Miss Amy. The pink princess had a ball! Since "a picture's worth a thousand words," here are some photos.

By the way, 2 has already brought some new things...3 new words and walking down the stairs without any help!

March 29

Eleanor's 2nd birthday was yesterday! I am amazed that my sweet girl is two, and that I have been a mommy for two years! The continuously changing face of baby-and-toddler-hood is a precious thing. The past two years have brought daily growth and development and JOY. Eleanor is a sweet, funny girl who brings richness to our lives. My life consists largely of being at home with she and William, but I never view it as mundane!

Eleanor knew her birthday was coming and has been anticipating it eagerly...talking often of the Papa's and Mimi's who would be coming, the friends that would be at the party, the PINK cake, PINK balloons, and PINK flowers she knew would be here on her special day! She has also been practicing "2" with her fingers and counting pairs of things everywhere! Showing me TWO cheerios on her plate, TWO shoes on her feet, TWO kids at the park, TWO stairs left to climb...Yesterday morning Todd and Will and I crept into her room and sung "Happy Birthday." She knew the day had arrived, a big grin on her face and two fingers in the air!

My life changed so drastically two years ago...thank you, God, for my sweet Eleanor!!! I cannot imagine life without her.

This is what happens...

..when I TRY to get a picture of Eleanor and Will together!

Easter

Easter, Resurrection Day! I am so thankful for the Risen Christ and His saving and keeping work in my life. If Christ had not been raised from the dead, we as Believers would of all men be most to be pitied - for our worthless faith that would leave us dead in our sins. But Christ IS raised, leaving me with eternal life and a very certain hope. As Eleanor and Will get older, I look forward to explaining the Gospel to them. Even now we speak of it to Eleanor, knowing that even though there is so much she cannot understand, the Word of God does not return void, and can begin it's work in her heart.

All that said, we ALSO enjoyed the bunny-and-egg part of Easter, celebrating spring! We colored eggs, made bunny cookies, had an Easter egg hunt with our friends the Younts', and found a basket full of candy and treats. Here are some photos.

No Water

Long story, but while we were spending time with my parents and brother Andrew and friend in Lake City this week, we had NO WATER. But here are a few pictures to show that you don't need water to have fun!



I just have to say, Eleanor LOVED making bunny cookies with her Mimi Gayle! She giggled, gasped, "yumm'd", sprinkled, licked, and bunny sniffed her way to bliss. She is getting to be quite the experienced baker and it shows!

Stock Market Moment

I recently had my first one of these. When I worked for TMC, I had a small amount of money taken out of my paycheck each month and put into a retirement account with TIAACREF (emphasis on "small"...who cares about retirement when there are college loans to pay, starbucks waiting to be drunk, and cute clothes waiting to be bought?!).

Anyway, this is money I never think about. It just sits there, and 4 times a year I am reminded that I have a little bit of money sitting somewhere. In case of an emergency, like the lawnmower breaking in the middle of summer. That's about what it might pay for, if I'm lucky.

So I was talking to my father-in-law (who is very knowledgeable about stuff like this) about the stock market, and how someday we would like to invest something. And then I thought of my sitting money! So he gave me a couple tips and suggested I call TIAACREF about transferring my money to something a little higher risk.

Here's about how the phone call went:

ME (trying to sound like I know what I'm talking about): "Yes, I wanted to see about transferring my funds I have invested with you into something a little bit higher risk but broad-based, like the Total Stock Market or the S&P 500."


CREF MAN (after a long period of typing and silence): "Well, we have the Russell 3000...BLAH BLAH BLAH.... " (In all fairness, I'm sure he didn't actually say "blah, blah, blah." But that is what these inexperienced ears heard.)


ME: "All right."


CREF MAN: "How would you like me to proceed, Mrs. Faris?"


ME (deciding the safest thing to do was come clean): "I DON'T KNOW. I just told you what my father-in-law told me to say. I have NO IDEA what I am doing."


CREF MAN (after a moment of silence, and surprisingly no laughter): "Well, would you like me to transfer the money?"


ME (thinking, "Please, PLEASE don't ask me another nonsensical question!"): YES!


Well, that's about it. My first stock market moment. Maybe my filthy lucre will multiply and in 30 years we'll be able to replace not only a lawn mower, but....well, I don't know, something bigger than a lawn mower!

More Photos

To-Do

I'm a pen-and-paper person, a list person. Grocery lists, wish lists, books-to-read lists, gift lists, notes to write lists, baby-names-I-like lists...and TO-DO lists. The satisfaction I get out of crossing something off my to-do list is hard to understand unless you, too, are a list-maker! I confess that there have been times I've accomplished something that was NOT on my list, added it to my list after it was done, and promptly crossed it off! Kind of sad, I know.

My to-do lists have experienced quite the makeover over the past two years. I had to laugh when I came across a to-do list I had saved in Eleanor's babybook - it was from the day I went into labor. Here's what it looked like:

Swim laps
Store
Budget
Mail Bills
Vacuum upstairs and down
Laundry
Change Sheets
Call Donna
Polish table
Wipe up all bathrooms
Walgreens
Walk dog
Brush dog/brush his teeth
Dinner prep
Dust
Wash sliding glass door
Call Julann


Was I SUPERWOMAN or just INSANE?? I actually crossed off everything on that list other than "Call Julann" and "Walgreens"! And then I went in to the hospital at 8 p.m. to HAVE A BABY.

Things have changed. (By the way, I have not brushed Luther's teeth since that day.)

Here is an example of a recent to-do list:

Laundry
Dinner prep
Call Amy
Play at Park

At the end of the day, I had been able to cross off TWO of those things!

Todd was gone this past week at Shepherd's Conference. The first two days he was away I was sick, and my to-do list, had it been written down, would have said this:

SURVIVE

And praise God, it would have gotten crossed off!

So, gone are the days of to-do lists that are the size of a small novel. I honestly don't remember what it feels like to do so many tasks in one day. Maybe I made that list for a joke or something! Now I have two precious children from the Lord, and although the house still needs to get clean and phone calls need to be made, and although I still find great enjoyment in accomplishing something I can cross off my list...I have come to realize that the things that fill my days now are so much more eternal, and filled with so much joy!! Reading children's books, feeding, bathing, brushing teeth (my kids' rather than my dog's!), coloring, building block towers, singing, rocking, praying, playing...I love my life and thank my Savior for each moment!

I Can Top That....

Todd and I and our friend Amy H. are American Idol buddies. We have had great fun so far this season! I was inspired to write this blog this week as the Idol contestants were telling their most embarrassing moments, because I have to tell you, I was NOT impressed. Come on, people, surely you have got something better! Now, I did make numerous runs up and down the stairs to pop in a paci, give another goodnight kiss, and do laundry, so maybe I missed a couple of good ones. Anyway...

I have had more than one EXCRUCIATINGLY embarrassing moment, let me tell you! But I'll share, condensed version, what might be the topper:

Driving up the 14 freeway near Santa Clarita one December evening, on my way to help my then-boyfriend-now-husband decorate his Christmas tree, I rear-ended someone, who then rear-ended the car in front of her. Embarrassing enough, I suppose, but that is NOT the story. My airbag went off, smoke and airbag dust were everywhere, and Christmas ornaments were in my lap. I got out of my car - ON THE FREEWAY - never mind pulling over to the shoulder. My car door closed behind me and LOCKED. What insane person ever invented that feature, I ask you???? MY CAR STARTED TO ROLL BACKWARDS DOWN THE FREEWAY (I was at the top of a hill). Could this story could get any worse? Yes. I RAN BESIDE IT. Crying. You would be, too, trust me. As my renegade car began to pick up speed, someone sent from the Lord, I tell you, drove up behind my car and stopped it with his car. Maybe an angel!! End of embarrassing (understatement) story? Nope! All of a sudden SOMEONE I ACTUALLY KNEW arrived on the scene.

TOP THAT, Idol contestants!

Photos

A New Career

I've been toying with the idea of a little side career in writing jingles. My sister used to say, "You have a song for EVERYTHING!" I think I was born for this! And now with my own little daughter begging me for songs about YOU NAME IT - from her rocking chair to characters in her books to her sandwich at lunch time - I come up with new little jingles nearly every day. Impressive, huh? Here are samples - off the top of my head - of a few of my lyrics:

"Mr. Bubbles, Mr. Bubbles, no more bubbles in the bath - No Way!" (One of Eleanor's most recent favorites, I must say.)

"Brush, brush, brush your teeth, every night we brush;
We brush the bottoms and the tops,
Brush, brush, brush we must!" (I know, quite clever.)

"Red and green and yellow and blue,
There's the orange bead, too
We like to play with colors, yes, we do!" (Sung while Eleanor plays with her bead maze.)

"Little William, little boy,
You fill my heart with so much joy!
Mama loves you, yes I do,
Little Will-boy I love you!" (A bedtime favorite, and very sincerely sung by me!)

"Here we go up the stairs, on this (fill in the day of the week) morning."
Variation: "Here we go up the stairs, (fill in names of those going up the stairs, including baby dolls, blankets, teethers, toys, dirty laundry...)

Now of course these lyrics fall slightly flat when you can't hear my catchy MELODIES! Just trust me. I try to come up with my own original little tunes, although I must confess that after I wrote my first jingle ("Watching for the deer, watching for the deer, that is why we are here; Watching for the elk, watching for the elk, that is why we are here!" - on the drive to Lake City in the wee hours of the morning) my husband pointed out to me that the melody bore a striking similarity to "Deep and Wide." Well, there's nothing really new now under the sun, is there?! Watch out, jingle land, here I come!

Splish, Splash!

Hey, Bub!

Today at dinner Eleanor began saying "Hey, Bub!" to her little brother. Todd and I got a kick out of it! Here is "Bub" on his first stroller ride sitting like a "big boy" rather in his infant seat.

Pink

Eleanor loves PINK. The word "pink" is one of her favorites to say. She requests her pink jammies every night. The pink washcloth for her bath. The pink jam for her sandwich and the pink crayon to color with. And she has recently requested a pink cake for her upcoming birthday! Like her mother, she is a huge fan of chocolate...but chocolate is not pink. Our friend Amy brought a strawberry cake (EXCELLENT! A true hit, Amy) to our house last week, and you should have seen Eleanor's face when the foil was removed to reveal that pink beauty! She loved it. When I told her just one more bite, she grinned at me and held up 4 fingers. "You want more FOUR more bites?!" I asked...yep, that is what she wanted. I then asked her what kind of cake she wanted me to make for her birthday, chocolate or strawberry...."pink!" So then, it is decided. Pink it will be!