Mia Saves the Day

June Saves the Day, too!

2012-02-11T22:07:00.001-08:00

Our beautiful girl is here!

Welcome

Julianne Pearl

February 8th 2012

6 lbs 15 oz

21 inches

We've been calling her "June" or "Baby June" (for Mia's sake).

Su, our ever-gracious birth-mom, sacrificed her privacy to let us be a part of every second of June's incredible birth (I even got to "cut the cord." I'm surprised I was allowed to hold the scissors...I was such a mess!). Su is such a trooper and quite the natural birther. Like Asia (Mia's birth-mom), she has been so courageous and is trying hard to be strong though this heart-wrenching process. We also get to have birth-father, Anthony, involved in this adoption. He is, likewise, our hero.

Our precious first moments with our new daughter.

June meeting grandmas...

and grandpa...

And the part I had been waiting for all day,

June's intro to her proud big sis:

Home at last!

Next step? Finalization.

Prayers please for all parties involved.

This is joyous, but difficult and highly emotive stuff.

Of Birthmoms, TteokGuk, and Metric Measurement

2012-02-01T11:21:00.007-08:00

For the last year, amid major career changes, return to academia,theoretical homelessness/construction, and the trying throes of toddlerhood, wehave been privileged (ahem) to have lead after lead of potential baby#2. Mia's adoption had been so smooth... She almost literally fell into our laps! We were certain thatround two would surely be a gloriously similar experience. I thoughtthat in the baby-getting arena (biologically) I had maxed out my difficultyquota and our gathered babies wouldmake their way to us easily. Ihaven't said out loud that I am grateful for the heartbreaks we've had whiletrying to grow our family and I don't think I ever will. I have sincerelyloved these girls with whom I get to anticipate life--and I've loved the babies. So, since we are dealing with realpeople and some of the strongest of human emotions, each of these losses willalways hurt. But I am grateful that I have seen what I can do regardless of hardstuff...not just once, but over and over again.

Now you have my disclaimer for being shy of documenting anyhopeful (but potentially tragic) events. Having no record of the experience makes for a much less difficult recovery. Alas, I made the realization as I was drivingour sweet birthmother, Su, home from today’s prenatal check that nearly all of our inner (and outer!) social circles are very aware of Su’sgrowing belly size, her purpose here, and our little family’s BIG hopes,because they see her every Sunday. Sothere is no reason to keep it quiet, right? And although our entire social circle does not (I hope!)solely consist of ward or family members, here’s the scoop for the rest of it. Sumade her way to us from Korea in November and is staying here with our dearfriends until baby (girl) arrives and she has time to recuperate. She met birthfather, Anthony, during a summerinternship in Michigan (he is African- American btw, so we are thinking thisbaby has got it made when it comes to beautiful genes!)

We get to be an ultramulti-cultural group now which will add somuch more spice to our whole family’s lives. To our delight, Su has been giving us a crash-course in Korean culturewhile she’s here! Just last weekend wasChinese New Year (which Koreans also celebrate), and while Su’s mom was making it on the other side of the world, Su and her friend, Jihye, Americanized the same thing for ushere.

Jihye & Su whipping up someTteokGuk (Ricecake Soup)

So, as far as centimeters go (she's been at 4 for a week), circumstances are right for this baby to make an appearance any day now. I am down to 8 boxes of non-essentials yet to unpack in our new house. All the good stuff (i.e. really small outfits) is clean and folded in a new dresser. Despite the fact that Mia previously wore most of the clothing and used most of the toys, pulling them out of storage with the anticipation of the little warm body to be their inheritor is far better than Christmas!

Baby's 3-D Ultrasound: Can you believe how much detail is in this photo?!
She is posing contemplatively...

Mia's Top 10

2012-01-16T22:56:00.000-08:00

I try to bask in the rare still and lady-like moments we catch of Mia...

...because this chickadee is a mover and a shaker in every sense

(we to appreciate the moving and shaking too)!

Here she is moving and shaking on the make-shift bungee swing

Dad made her out of Gma's exercise bands:

Dad is also proud that his girl is NOT a fair-weather athlete.

Mia would take her daily cruise in our sub-freezing whether with nothing more than her birthday suit

if mom didn't always cramp her style.

Moving and shaking while trying to be helpful:

Some more moving...

Some more shaking (or "shimmying," to be exact)...

...and a little something more to go with that shake!

Lately, Mia finds it comical to escape and hide when I'm not looking. She knows that one of my pet peeves is retrieving her from the glories of Gma's kitchen just beyond the door at the top of the stairs back to our basement abode. Thus, when Mia decides that the ennui of Mom's routine needs to be spiced up a bit, she will make a break for it! Today she must have noticed her tactics becoming stale because when I went to steal her from the usual pre-freedom perch (see the photo below),

I found her, instead, crouched sneakily behind the dryer in our laundry room.

Casually putting Beyonce to shame...

My favorite milestone this month:

mastering the toilet. Hooray!

Holiday Season, Part Two

2012-01-06T15:32:00.000-08:00

Mia and cousin Talan jollifully celebrating by Great-Gma R's fire on Christmas 'Eve:

Loves for Mia's sweet Great-Gma R who is so ahead of the gift-giving game that present opening is just as much a surprise to her as it is to her recipients.

Her Christmas shopping is usually done before March and all is wrapped by Easter!

The usual excitement of Christmas morning was deflated a bit this year.

We had so wanted to be in our new house for the holidays (moving day, by the way, will officially occur this week instead) and even worse, Mia woke up feeling crummy.

It literally took us a valuable hour (the church hour was fast approaching) to convince her to open her stocking...let alone open a present. She just wanted to go back to bed!

Once she had tasted a few of her stocking goodies however, she had picked up a little steam:

Having Christmas on a Sunday was really quite nice. Our ward is blessed with tons of musical talent...particularly a harpist, so our meeting was perfectly ethereal.

It was also a bitter-sweet ending to six years of attending this ward (well, a life-time of attendance for David...six years for me). We will miss seeing both the temple and Gma K sitting next to us each Sunday.

For a touch of nostalgia, Mia wore the Christmas dress my mom had made for me when I was her age (complete with giant white collar) but topped it off with a most appropriate new Christmas coat.

Post-church celebrations with our fun R family: Mia was so pleased with her new purple tutu.

We got to celebrate with Gma K and my siblings the following day.

Mia was feeling much more seasonable after a long, sound sleep.

Gma K made Mia a night gown that, along with her purple tutu,

has been the most key piece in her wardrobe these past two weeks.

Holiday Season, Part One

2011-12-24T14:18:00.000-08:00

Let's start with the annual traditions...

gingerbread-house-making at Gma K's

(my brother is missing, but we get the added bonus of extra special friends!):

Mia and Dad took their Me, our sweet Su, and our respective g.b. houses:
decorating very seriously:

Next tradition...

non-Relief Society craft day with R girls:

Our results were reminiscent of Cinderella, because, with Su as the exception,

not one of the felt slippers we each made fit our chubby feet!

Trimming the tree:

Our Santa experiences get better by a few degrees each year.

No wailing like last time...just a little apprehension.

(This guy also had a genuine Santa beard. Surely that helps!).

Mia has entered the glamour phase.

She anxiously awaits Sunday dress-up time and I revel in her photo-shoot cooperation!

I finally made a stocking for Mia. Up to this point, overflowing stockings from grandmas have sufficed.

Here I am singing my heart out at our stake Christmas production/extravaganza. This program was intense!

And one of the more awkward moments of our lives...posing in a live nativity for the same production

(live, that is, except for the red-headed doll I was holding. We were, obviously, aiming for authenticity).

My sister, Arianna, is at13 years old one of the youngest members of our city's Youth Symphony. They are incredible so I thought it was a good idea to record some of their Carol of the Bells...until my Mom gestured to me that filming is not allowed. Therefore, the song abruptly ends just as it's getting good!

Mia's Top 10

2011-12-04T22:14:00.000-08:00

Maple Leaf Rag:

Showing her sweet Great-Gma R how to get her groove on. We all could use a few tips from Mia.

She knows how to dance and can effortlessly move in ways that I can't even dream up

It is obviously an inherent gift.

Some more dancing- a variation on tap:

Whipping up some "Reduced Guilt" brownies from TJ's:

Mia is a fabulous kitchen helper.

She is rather possessive of her grandpa.

When cousins get within a certain proximity, Mia gets ready to stake out territory.

On the very day she was scheduled for her flu shot, Mia woke up with a fever, wouldn't eat, and just wanted to be still-- an oddity because she has an immune system of steel, can always eat, is ON the move at all times, but most of all, because the illness lasted for approximately 4 hours. The moment Dad walked in the door from work, Mia shed her resting apparatus and was ready for dinner.

It was strange. What type of illness does this?

And I have to admit-as crummy as it feels to watch one's baby suffer through sickness,

I was in raptures over her snuggliness.

Mia likes her Dad.

Dancing again:

Mia gets so much hair time of her own that she is quick to dish it out.

She usually implores, very sweetly, "Mommy, I will fix you, okaaay?"

Izzy spends most of her time lately as a surprisingly tolerant body pillow.

Giving of Thanks, 2011

2011-11-30T07:53:00.000-08:00

We all know that to express gratitude for the relationships

& cushy blessings we have is usually a giant understatement,

so I will let it just continue to be obvious that I have the BEST family in the world and I'm glad.

I like where I live, what I know, what I have, what I've learned, it's nice to be healthy.

Really, I'm grateful for these things every day, so is it okay that on Thanksgiving, although I revel in the former, for me it's all about...

...the food?

I collect recipes weeks in advance and dream about them all the while feeling especially grateful for access to a huge variety of relatively inexpensive ingredients.

Here is our traditional spread at Gma K's- the 1/3 times a year the china & silver are put to work

(do people still put these things on their wedding registries?

It is a treat to eat off of fancy dinnerware, but incredibly useless the rest of the time):

Variation on sides this year (in addition to the usual...):

Curried Brussels Sprouts Coriander Cauliflower Sweet Potatoes in a Buttery-Lime Syrup

This is my favorite cranberry relish (with green apple and orange).

We have it every year, but I never get sick of looking at it:

The regular pies were around, but my mom makes the best trifle and it tops them all!

(She always does everything from scratch, including the butterscotch pudding

which I am certain would include a dollop of scrambled eggs if I made it myself)-

This one: Gingerbread & Pumpkin Creme!

One (type of) Graduation Down...A Lot More to Go

2011-11-16T20:44:00.000-08:00

Last night was David's graduation from Fire Academy, something he's been doing in a volunteer capacity during all his spare time lately. He loves it, so it has been worth the sacrifice of having him away and super busy to see how excited he gets about this stuff (And how could he not? Cutting apart cars with really powerful tools, playing with fire, squirting stuff with giant hoses, oh...and saving people's lives... it's like a bunch of little boys on steroids).

Dad got to show off his engine to Mia. She was pretty excited about an up-close-and-personal fire truck!

Here is the big solemn fire-fighting oath-taking moment:

...and here is further evidence of my "little boy in grown-up body" theory:

D.J.H.'s 80th

2011-11-05T09:34:00.000-07:00

This guy had a birthday last weekend.

His birthday is worth celebrating because in addition to all the big stuff he's done as air force veteran, PhD earner, Stanford graduate, world-renowned plant geneticist, etc., etc.,

and the big service he's rendered as bishop, stake president, area authority, missionary, etc., etc.,

he also happens to be my grandpa.

Since it was a mile-marker, a party was planned unbeknownst to him

and he didn't get to have a say toward the invites...

So, the whole family was in on it which made preparations really fun-- I never thought I'd stay in a hotel while visiting Rexburg with all the connections we have there, but because of the nature of the trip, Mia had access to a pool and a lot of live entertainment. Here she is taking a lap with Gma K:

With favorite Heinz cousin, Eli, while grown ups are party prepping...

...and trying desperately to attract Eli's skinny chicken with a handful of corn.

Here is our fall spread with Gpa's favorite cupcakes- applesauce with caramel and carrot with cream cheese-for the open house. Many of the grandkids had a part in table laying which made for a fun time.

It took some sneaking around to keep the whole event (and the entire family's presence!) a secret from Grandpa. Gma was of course in on it and turned out to be a world-class fibber!

He didn't suspect a thing which made for a fabulous reaction when a happy-birthday-singing entourage swarmed him in the church parking lot.

The party made for an ideal Halloween costume venue. Here is Mia's oh-so-exciting get-up. I needed to make something quick & easy that could travel and she would keep in place, so her options were limited to something with ears. She chose a mouse, and had a great time practicing her squeek in the mirror!

We were lucky enough to get two for the price of one during our super short Idaho jaunt!

My sweet Gma & Gpa Harmon made an appearance at the open house to check on us and I am SO glad!

The trip was a success and I am so grateful that I get to claim D. J. Heinz as mine!

Happy, happy 80th Birthday!

Happy (Alfred Hitchcockesque) Halloween

2011-10-31T07:31:00.000-07:00

Here are the creepiest things I've seen all year, and both sightings happened to be within the two weeks before Halloween and within two miles from our current abode.

Coincidence?

Maybe, maybe not...

Either way, just applaud my attempt to be spooky.

Mia's Top 10

2011-10-27T21:20:00.000-07:00

hanging around at our Discovery Park on a crisp fall day...

helping Gpa R test out his new bike- she could sense the gravity of the occasion...

practicing her usual gymnastics...

presenting an autumnal find...

Mia's favorite mode of transportation down Gma R's basement staircase...

showing mom's old Wonder Horse who's boss--

this horse has miraculously endured three households of toddlers,

and somehow made its way back to it's original owner

It went like this:

"Make this face, Dad, for the closest upper-lip shave... Here, just let me do it."

late-night addictions--oh, treacherous web of Sesame Street play lists!

My dear friend, Carol, gifted this sweet collector's doll to Mia a while ago (accompanied by all the books, outfits, and accessories that anyone could imagine). I had been holding out until I felt Mia was a little older and would appreciate her more, but Mia spotted my stash and I gave in to her curiosity.

The doll's name is supposed to be Keisha, but Mia insists that "No, Mommy, it's 'Sheesha!'" So far our nice and gentle doll sessions have lasted three minutes, on average, before a pant-leg gets stuck on a still-shod foot, and Mia gets aggressive.

The subsequent pre-tantrum shriek is "Sheesha's" night-night cue.

Here is a gentle moment:

...and here is an even sweeter one, which I am pleased to report,

so makes up for anything of the opposite nature!

Harvest Time Compensation

2011-10-22T12:10:00.000-07:00

Mia had diligently planted pumpkins at Gma R's this spring in order to have a big pumpkin patch for herself and the other grandkids. It was all in vain, however, because Gma's would-be pumpkin patch looks like this... we had too much fun this summer, I guess.

Luckily we live close to lots of lovely farms where pumpkins are NOT in short supply:

In addition to the pumpkin picking, Mia & Talan took a trip through the corn maze, which included a much less claustrophobic boxwood maze (phew!).

After about 30 directionless minutes in the maze with two toddlers (and a potty accident), we got aggressive and hopped the hedge to the destination (a plywood castle), and all was well...

We had lots of fun and even took a pretty train ride (the hay ride was out of commission),

...but after a while, Mia started to feel overwhelmed by the excitement- particularly the number of pumpkin choices. She declared that she no longer "liked it" (the pumpkin patch), so Gma held her tight and helped her pick out the best Mia-size pumpkin from a more Mia-size collection.

There is not much that good apple pie wont remedy, however, and having finally accomplished what we'd come for, life was good again!

Mt. Spokane 25k

2011-10-11T16:19:00.000-07:00

I got to spend Saturday looking at scenes like this.

Granted, I was on my feet the whole time, and although it was challenging, the views were so worth the effort!

Mulling around the starting line- I needed to squeeze my cheerleader.

It was going to be a while before I saw her again!

David was kind enough to volunteer at this race instead of run it in order to waive the entry fee...

In fact, his whole running posse did the same in order to bank their entries into the more competetive Orcas Island run in February. Brrrr. As a result, this was really a females only event (with the exception of our 10 year old nephew, Sam!)...Mom R and Mary ran the 50k, and Carrie accompanied her son on the 25k.

When I heard John's reggae rhythms through the trees that I knew that I was close to respite! The three brothers manned the best aid station ever- complete with cozy fire and lots of encouragement.

My SIL, Lexi, met me at the finish line while the boys completed their posts.

I was so happy to see her after being alone with my own thoughts for 3.5 hrs.

Mia was so happy to see her best pal, Talan.

They maintained the day's theme with some trail running of their own:

Check out Rainshadow Running for some more fabulous runs!

Ride n' Slide

2011-10-02T14:43:00.000-07:00

This weekend, Mia and I got to take full advantage of the perfect fall weather, and the off-season lull (which allows for great deals, like the Hiawatha trail and Silver Mountain Water park combo pack...who could ask for more?) with Gma K and my sisters.

This tunnel on the trail is a thrilling 2ish mile ride of darkness. Mia wore this little headlamp and sang a hugely echoing "Let's Go Fly a Kite" to keep things "light."

Here we are about to be engulfed by the cold, scary tunnel:

Whew! As we zoomed along following our tiny light,

we emerged unscathed, with our family, and next to a beautiful waterfall.

Perfect set-up for an object lesson? It sure felt like it!

We had felt ambitious at the beginning of our ride, and planned to replace the shuttle by riding back the way we'd come. At the end the ride, we happily hopped onto the bus.

Mia thought it was fabulous to ride sans seat belt and next to Gma K.

Then, as if the beautiful ride wasn't enough, we got to top it off with this. Although I have long had a phobia of public water facilities, since I've been a mom, Mia's excitement has overridden my fear of swapping fluids with fellow swimmers...and it was worth it! We had so much fun, that these three pictures (three of the countless trips down Mia's orange slide) are all we documented.

Mia's Top 10

2011-09-25T21:23:00.000-07:00

A girl and her dog:

stopping to "mell" a wildflower while getting sprayed by the "spinker":

transcendental creativity:

Conducting music with a home-made breadstick

(Hals, I still use the whole-wheat version of your breadstick recipe from college):

This is what really goes on between a girl and her dog:

Cousins in grandpa's reclining chair:

Cousins in a box:

Cousins reenacting a scene from Grease:

Whenever we change the sheets on the bed, Mia's thinks it's time for a fashion show.

Friend time with Aaliyah. Check out these girls' growing friendship here and here:

County Fair, 2011 Edition

2011-09-24T10:58:00.000-07:00

We do this with the R family every fall.

Although we always go for the food (I had the best gyro of my life this year) and glean our entertainment from the people watching scene, having these guys was entertainment enough!

This cow-ropin', Harley-ridin', all-American grandpa is his granddaughter's favorite friend. She is most content right by his side. Here is Grandpa R taking his best pals to the horse stables:

Mom loved this sweet and very friendly goat (aren't they all!) even though he isn't a Nubian. I dream about Nubians and their floppy ears.

Encouraging the goat love:

Best part of this particular fair experience... putting our babies on the super over-priced and sketchy rides.

The evolution of Mia's riding confidence is so funny here. Watch as her expression changes with each round (if you can tell with the crummy video quality):

Back to School for Superman

2011-09-22T22:22:00.000-07:00

Wearing his tres chic landscaping uniform for first day of school outfit. Oh la la!
Maybe it will deter all the female nursing students from noticing him...

This is David's back-to-school photo that I insisted he let me take of him while scrambling out the door at 7:00am yesterday morning. We have been in career transition mode for the last year, and this week the chaos on top of chaos that we'd been anticipating has finally begun with the start of the quarter. When he realized that he wanted to spend his working hours doing something more meaningful, it was a difficult decision because he and his dad have built their landscape construction business from scratch. He's good at it. He's passionate about it. He takes pride in it. But suddenly these rewards did not out-weigh the stress that was involved for him. He will be the first to tell you that he is not a business savvy kind of guy. So, now he wants to fix people's bodies instead of their properties. This year is full of medical school pre-requisites: chemistry, biology, physics, chemistry, biology, physics, again, and again, etc. In the mean time, he will continue running his business around the clock while attending volunteer firefighter academy on the weeknights (the nights he's not at mutual or on a scout campout) and weekends (plus doing the additional homework that comes with it at 5am and before his daily run), maintaining two callings in our ward & fulfilling all other duties in that department, building us a modest, but dreamy house, and still making sure that we feel loved, cared for, and important. He is our HERO!

The Summertime Adventures of Mia & "T"

2011-09-06T19:10:00.000-07:00

Mia is blessed to have a sibling by proxy in her cousin Talan.

This summer has been especially fun now that they are each old enough to be independent of their parents and depend more on each other for entertainment.

canoeing...

camp-firing...

huckleberry picking...

bubbling...

flying...

being way less than excited about
tilt-a-whirling...

bike trailering...

Mia's Top 10

2011-08-31T19:12:00.000-07:00

Since we no longer track her age in months, and I don't have any particular milestones to blog about,

Mia gets to be featured in 10 photos (limiting my countless photos is a tricky business) each month or so.

So here's August's:

putting all her post-church energy into the tree next to our parked car

despite my bruised ankles, this IKEA cart has been the most valuable investment we have ever made-

she cruises all over the place with it

at the park with Nemo (Mia's really cute biological brother)

believe it or not, she is about half his age

dress-up

feeding the neighbor's enthusiastic sheep

giving dad a taste of his own medicine

first trip to the dentist-

it was not the most pleasant experience, but at least she got a perfect teeth report

mauling the ever-patient Izzy

showin' off her new (hand-me-down) red whip

the other ride she has finally mastered

CCC Victory!

2011-08-30T11:32:00.000-07:00

Since last year's experience, David has been prisoner to his determination to conquer the Cascade Crest 100. This weekend, conquer it he did (along with running brothers Joe & John), and he conquered it well

at 5th place out of the 200 runners who registered!

This is a HUGE feat for all three of them- we are so proud!

Here they are at the pre-race start, looking a little nervous:

David breezes in to mile 33. Mom R was in charge of this aid station so she, John's family (Carrie, Sam, Gabe), and I camped out here most of the day to refuel and care for the runners' needs.

At mile 53, I got to begin pacing with David through the night. He was fighting for 3rd place at this point and I was so nervous that I would slow him down.

Luckily, my own pride and drive to help David maintain his shooed my anxiety away.

At 7am-ish the next day, as we finally spotted the finish line, David just bawled.

We sprinted across with what juice we had left

(I ran 20 miles...just a 5th of what David had endured...but it's all relative, right?)

to a happy (and not so attractive) victory!

Two things to note:

1. This is not a nice flat or even rolling race. It is up and down the Cascade Mt. range with 21,000 ft. of elevation gain. So to think of this as a marathon x 4 is not so accurate. It's harder.

2. This event involved a lot of family supporters who had just as little sleep and just as much stress as the runners while trekking around the mountains for nearly 72 hours straight...babies, toddlers, and dogs included.

Mia got the privilege of showing off Dad's race prizes-

the coveted belt buckle and shirt that he can wear without shame this year!

Labor Pains & Baby Quilts

2011-08-17T16:37:00.000-07:00

I started making this quilt in February for our baby who was to be born in April. Because we didn't know the gender, I made it as unisex as possible by using a sweet vintage Mary Poppins print as my theme (reds, yellows, blues). Although I crammed, I wasn't able to finish it before the baby was born in April, and for a while after we returned home newbabyless, it sat folded in a pile haunting me.

Since then we have had 7 additional leads on potential babies. Not one of them has come into fruition, obviously, and we have been run emotionally threadbare. It seems like each disappointment compounds with all of those previous, including each in vitro failure and the general hurt of infertility which requires the squishing of our house- full- o'-giant-loving-family dreams.

But something keeps giving us a little glimmer of hope:

Mia was a real-life miracle.

Everything about the way she made it to our family, the perfect arrangement of timing, the hard decisions that your average person does not have the courage to make, the random connections that were created by obscure and unexpected means, was truly miraculous.

If it happened once, surely it can happen again!..someday.

So I finally asked David to set up my quilt frame and I got down to business.

Today, I finished it.

Ta-dah! We are all ready for you, baby! Please hurry.

P.S. If anybody ever tells me again that "at least I am lucky to have avoided pregnancy and labor pains,"

I am not responsible for what follows.

Trail Work(& Play)

2011-08-16T12:57:00.000-07:00

Those who wish to run in the upcoming Cascade Crest 100 are required to donate 8 hours of trail work. For David and his brothers, there is no better place than their nostalgic Priest Lake.

On our way to the R family cabin, we stopped to pick up some groceries at a store with quite the old-school novelty: miniature shopping carts. This place is so rural that it must not have received all the parental complaints of bruised and bleeding ankles. Anyway, Mia was in heaven...

...and Dad spent his time repairing the inevitable:

When we arrived at our destination, Mia and I hiked around while the boys went to work clearing the trails.

Once the work was done, play time ensued!

On our way to the trail head of our traditional Squaw Man hike,

some of the boys were busy keepin' it classy in the bed of John's truck:

The summit of Squaw Man is incredible every time!

White River 50 Miler, Round Two

2011-08-09T13:38:00.000-07:00

Now that David is such a seasoned ultra runner, the White River 50 miler (also the national championship race because of its challenging elevation gain) is just a typical part of our summer routine. This time, however, we got the added bonus of family camaraderie:

Mom R and three of the R brothers took it on and dominated!

The night before the race, we spent some time wandering around Mt. Rainier Nat'l Forest.

While Mia was spoiled at Gma K's house, Izzy got to come and be our vicarious baby.

She made herself at home at our beautiful campsite.

In contrast to the previous weekend's amenities, we slept in full luxury so that David could be on his game! This is my kind of camping.

The White River, for which the race is named, ran right alongside our tent. It looks like watered-down milk.

Joe and David playing a little pre-race Badminton:

The race begins! David likes to get right in there with the big boys. Pretty much everyone in this photo finished in the top 10.

David zoomed right by us at mile 27.

Whew! 11 hours later, all three boys are in, alive, and smiling. Leg functionality, however, is questionable.

Here is our Mom R, chanting her multi-meaning mantra "MOMS NEVER QUIT,"

with only 1/4 of a mile to go.

It was a sweet reunion at the finish line!

Harrison or Bust

2011-08-01T10:46:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, we set out for our first backpacking adventure avec bebe. Although hauling people in addition to stuff prevents a light sprint up the mountain, camping is so much more fun with Mia!

Woohoo! We finally made it...just before sundown!

Mia snuggled dad in the mummy bag to keep warm. He says that it wasn't his best night's sleep,

but apparently she wasn't affected by the tight quarters because, in the morning,

she shifted right into exploration mode!

This is the best tooth-brushing spot on the planet!

Here we are hungry and obviously adjusting to the morning while we wait for our oatmeal to cook.

I lugged my 1400+ paged book to the top of the mountain.
Ididn't read one word of it, but Mia did!

Here is nature's cleverly crafted dish-washing station.

Mia was not happy to get back in the pack when it was time to hike out....

...but she quickly recovered.

2011-07-22T16:52:00.000-07:00

Now that Mia is two, I don't have monthly milestones to title my posts.
Nonetheless, here is what has occupied this busy girl in the past month!

Although our summer weather has been AWOL (and it's July!), Mia spends her happiest moments outside. She is particularly helpful with plant maintenance.

Her bounces get more daring every day:

At the lake, she was fascinated by the parasailer ("balloon"),

and learned the art of the sandcastle from Aunt Arianna.

We've been able to watch the entire life of two little robins, from Mrs. Robin's skillful nest building under the deck, to the laying of perfect blue eggs, to flight lessons. Mia found the best spectator spot:

During cousin Talan's birthday, we got to hike up a miniature (but steep) hill. Mia cruised right up it, and demanded her independence the entire way. Her dad was beaming with pride over his emerging trail runner.

It is a rare occasion that Mia will let me swing with her, so this is a valuable photo.

She is learning to pump her legs, and doesn't need me anymore : (

In fact, at Great Gma R's house, Mia and Dad took turns pushing each other on this very teetery swing. Sitting on it alone results in a core muscle workout.

Our weekly visit to future building site, which is currently green with wheat,

usually draws big smiles from Mia.

Beware the tickle monster! Gma & Gpa R's chihuahuas love this game (not really).

Fanaticism, Part Two

2011-07-17T22:06:00.000-07:00

This isn't the first time, but it is likely the last. In honor of the Deathly Hallows finale release,

we mournfully memorialized with a terminal stint of British pot-roast,

Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans contest, a Potions class, etc.

We tried to make light of Dad's scary red Weasley wig by turning it into a fun hat for Mia.
Our scheme only worked while she wore it.
As soon as it was transferred to Dad's head, the wig, and Dad, became strangers.

Here is bad-A Bill Weasley, complete with dragon claw bling (on right ear), and battle wound.

...throwin' back a pre-dinner shot of fire-whiskey while being sorted.

Being Professor McGonagall was not as fun as last year's character...

perhaps the graying hair, wrinkles, & crabbiness felt too prophetic.

Our cute & faithful house elves

Heinz Reunion Post Script

2011-07-12T13:11:00.000-07:00

I missed a few of the sides from my previous post...

1. Here is a new & valuable D. Heinz family picture. This required a lot of patient and determined directors. A decent photo of this size is no easy feat, and we are only missing four members!

2. David's contagious enthusiasm spiced up this trans-generational game of croquet,

so that even my infinitely bored brother was getting into it.

3. Despite all the activity, this was and is, the best part of being at Grandma's house...

Heinz Reunion & All the Sides

2011-07-11T20:56:00.000-07:00

We just returned from our Heinz family reunion...the first time so many of us have been together in the last five years. In addition to the treat seeing our ever expanding family, we had lots of fun activities!

A group of us ran the Sawtelle Stampede...

...David won second place in the 1/2 marathon

portion and received the promised bag of gold coins.

I was wholly expecting foil wrapped chocolate,

Mia's first canoe ride: but had a pleasant surprise when I felt the weight of the bag!

The Mesa Falls Hikers

David's usual cold water entry-of-choice:

Mia's energy was all expended on the "BIG BOAT"
ride anticipation, so most of the actual ride was spent
like this: My 13 yo. sister, Arianna, has not completely

turned to the dark side of teenagedom yet. I was grateful to catch her jumping into the water with her nose plugged.

Mia follows suit and rarely concerns herself with the consequeces of free-falling
off a rocky precipice (relatively).
Luckily, for the photo, at least, Dad was right there to catch her!

This family is good at producing (and acquiring) girls. In keeping with the first D. Heinz generation, we have 83% female great-grandchildren.

My sis, demonstrating
her pogo-fiddling talent

I insisted that we have a slide-show of family photos, and I am ever-so-glad that I did.

It was a most valuable opportunity for his progenitors to learn important principles from & convictions of our respected grandpa. He knows stuff.

We made a quick trip to visit my Harmon grandparents while we
were close-by. Mia was able to participate in her favorite back-yard
activity with her great-gma gardener: Souvenirs consisted of Aunt
Jacque's fancy oatmeal & olive oil soap,
complete with demonstration & instruction:

Mia acted as commentator to each firework,

in case we didn't recognize the color. We got to attend a real small-towney 4th of July parade. By the time Mia warmed up to the floats and flying candy, it was over.

Enjoying Gma Harmon's peonies:

Mia seems to sense that her great grandpas deserve their title.
She's on to something.

1st Annual "Dirty Bird" Challenge

2011-06-25T22:05:00.000-07:00

Since we are often the cheer squad and support group for the boys in our family, the girls chose this weekend to switch roles for a change. The oldest of the R brothers mapped and marked our National Forest trail (and was particularly determined that we felt "challenged" the entire course with our massive elevation gain, which was consequently dubbed "The Purge," and photo requirement atop a sketchily supported fire tower with 100+ mile views, 5 forded streams, etc.), while the other R brothers kept us fueled at aid stations an supervised our baby adventurers.

Dad, Mia, & Talan, pausing from a little game of "rock-water":

Here is our first stream crossing...we decided to go shoe-less on this one.

It took a while to feel our feet again.

It was easy to smile for this photo, because the aid station was finally in sight!

Mom R & Mary:

Our sweet aid station set-up:

Carrie at the top!

Dos Años, mi Chiquitin!

2011-06-18T20:15:00.000-07:00

Mia had the kind of party that is distributed over a series of days. She is now frustrated that every morning does not begin with a "Happy Birthday, Amelia" greeting.

On her actual birthday, we had homemade peppermint ice cream (yum!) with pretty waffle bowls that Gma R prepared. We got the response we had hoped for when Gpa R brought out her Radio Flyer tricycle. Although she is still trying to master progressive pedaling (she can pedal in reverse), anything that scoots and stores is a thrill.

Of course, the best part of any party are the partiers.

Mia & her cousin, Talan, always come up with something to entertain themselves,

& this, in particular, was extra sweet.

Mia indulged Gma K with a little card sentimentality

Mia even got the iconic pony ride (twice! for good measure) on Aunt Jacque's Daisy.

She was quite the natural and only showed irritation when I wouldn't stop hoovering with the camera.

...and in the true spirit of gifts that keep on giving, Mia was gifted a musical card fit for our dancing queen:

W.V. Grad

2011-06-17T16:42:00.000-07:00

My sister, Jasmine, graduated from high school last week

with highest honors and whole slew of scholarships.

She is on her way to WSU to study biology as a pre-med student.

This girl is truly an independent woman. She knows what she wants, and gets it, all by herself.

We are proud!

I.P. Company

2011-06-17T13:42:00.000-07:00

We were lucky enough to have prized visitors this last week.

We are now suffering from post-visitation syndrome and counting down the days 'til we see them again at our family reunion.

Mia & her cousin Eli getting absorbing first impressions of our new Discovery Park:

She is quite smitten with her Great-Grandpa...

...and Great-Grandma is just a more refined version of Mom & Grandma K!

Mia finally had someone with whom she could bounce without getting flung off the trampoline precipice.

Because of this new-found confidence, she perfected the skill of jumping with both feet.

We are so excited see you again soon!

Measurement Shift: The End of Babyhood

2011-06-13T21:03:00.000-07:00

Mia is now officially two and she has now officially developed all of the sass that goes along with the title.

Her 24th month has been full of activity. She spends much of her time adventuring around:

Mia is often on the lookout for Grandpa R, and anxious to assist his endeavors.

Since both David and I are pianists (Well, he is. I just play the piano.), and I know that she may feel piano playing pressure, I have pre-determined to show only a marginal amount of enthusiasm over her interest in this instrument.

I am certain that any toddler would spend lots of time banging on anything that makes loud sounds. But she uses individual fingers on individual keys already, and even keeps a steady rhythm amid acoustic chaos. That means something, right?

Mia has had a jaw-full of summertime fist food:

She has also learned to spot signs of a playground from blocks away. A fit is subsequently thrown whether we are approaching the "PUHK" with the intention to play, or just driving by toward another destination. I am certain that she would give herself whiplash with all her body flinging were it not for the restraint of her car seat.

We have been working on leg "pumping." She will chant in time with me "straight...bend...straight...bend..., "

but she has yet to alter the angle of her knees.

For a weekly treat, we drive out to the site of our future home and explore.

It is always, without fail, a lovely scene.

We are so grateful for a beautiful world to share with our beautiful girl!

Mountain Goat Challenge

2011-06-12T12:49:00.000-07:00

David got to take his brother's spot at a grueling 10k last week. This seasoned ultra-marathoner underestimated the "baby-sized" race despite its telling title, The Mountain Goat Challenge. Eager to claim his cash prize at the finish line, David led the pack (he's in the red).

Unfortunately we don't have any post-race photo, because he was too busy swallowing the humble pie he had been served by the Gonzaga cross-country team.

I'd like to see one of those sissies run 100 miles of the Cascade Mt. Range in 20 hours.

I did, however, catch Mia waiting languidly for her racing Dad, supported by this fire hydrant:

Rewards

2011-05-30T10:42:00.000-07:00

Saturday was payday.

We got to witness the most rewarding sealing that I could ever imagine up

and revel in all the joy surrounding it.

To supplement the richness of the day,

Mia and I got the reward of donning the matchy dresses I sewed for the occasion,

and I personally got the reward of seeing my first multi-tiered cake come into

fruition & ingestion

(in spite of the all-too-realistic nightmares I had of it being mopped off the floor just minutes before the luncheon).

The fact that the Lilac City's lilacs finally decided to bloom is its own form of payment for the long winter we are just beginning to escape.

MORAL OF SATURDAY'S STORY:

as I am often being reminded by an ever-patient Deity,

rewards, big & small, are so worth the wait.

Winderthon III

2011-05-22T13:09:00.000-07:00

Last week was our third annual Windermere Marathon (& half). We have slowly recruited more and more members of the R family to participate, and about 25% of our stake members are regulars, so it's more of a sweaty social event than anything else.

Although I am not (and never have been) an especially competitive athlete, I was pleased to have shaved a few minutes off my normal time. Here I am nearing the finish line & feeling grateful for encouragement from sideline cheerleaders (particularly for enthusiastic clapping from the random man in the green shirt).

As always, David was one of the top finishers in the full marathon.

Unlike my own self-preservation method, he believes in sacrificing everything he's got

(including his hair and most of his clothing).

Mia quickly arrived on scene to save the day.

My sweet SIL, Lexi, ran her first half and also proved to be a most enjoyable running partner. Joe was her support at the finish line because he didn't want to reveal the secret techniques that he'll debut in July's 50 miler, an the subsequent 100.

David's other runner brother and trail connoisseur, John:

Here is our matriarch marathoner finishing first in her age group!

Mia's little body can be spotted scrambling behind Gma's finish:

*SIL, Carrie, and almost SIL, Elena, also raced,

but they were a little too elusive for my camera to catch.*

...And thus commences our (mostly David's) 2011 racing season!

Mo. 23 & Printemps

2011-05-17T10:03:00.000-07:00

We are at the end of counting Mia'a age in months and we can no longer contain her babiness with our sneaky vocabulary. In Mia's 23rd month, we are also coercing spring-time into sticking around by taking advantage of every moment it timidly shows up:

like squishing our toes in the garden soil...

...performing gratitude dances for the sunshine god...

....and just filling every second of friendly weather with outdoor activity.

Since most of this spring has been cold and rainy, however,

our Easter egg hunts have either been indoors...

...or shrouded in snow attire.

This month included some other exciting landmarks:

-the fact that I can nearly tame all of Mia's toddler fuzz into one, solitary puff

-my second official mother's day

(a holiday which speedily swung from painful to sweet once Mia finally decided to join us)

-an increase in Mia's already established accessorizing abilities

-reaching our peak imagination skills as we relax in the relative location of our future living room

-the transferring of laundry duty

AND best of all:

-the matching up of cousin T's surname with the rest of ours

(and prepping for his family's sealing!)

East Coast Margins

2011-05-11T14:14:00.000-07:00

I decided today that I've moped around enough and because we did, after all, enjoy some nice moments in the margins of our mostly hellish April "vacation" to the East, that I might as well document them.

Returning to our corner of the inner west is always so painful to one's aesthetic sensibilities.

Why can't our neighbor's double-wide be replaced with this?

Or I'll settle for this...

The best part, of course, was visiting our friends & family!

Here are dear friends, Kathryn & Shannon:

Mia & I got spoiled and loved by Amanda, as always:

While in Annapolis, we visited the famous Chick & Ruth's Delly.

David thought that the menu was photo-worthy.

I'm grateful for a nice waitress who talked him out of the Man vs. Food Challenge.

We tried to soak up as much sunshine as possible before returning to dreary weather and the reality of our disappointment.

Luckily, Mia was unaware of our motives and just enjoyed the moment!

Thanks to some pleas for advice from veterans (most of which was to "break all your normal rules and just survive!"), we had some peaceful travel time.

Half a Decade = Expertise

2011-05-06T14:44:00.000-07:00

It always seems silly to try and articulate how one feels toward anyone in a close relationship because everything seems to be oversaid or understated,

but this I can confidently & publicly declare:

Either five years of marriage has made us proficients, or my husband is just really easy to love...

...as is demonstrated in his giving me free reign over our anniversary celebrations.

Here they are:

one of my favorite, and not-so-manly, restaurants

followed by a Yorkshire moor (and not-so-manly) classic.

Mia Does, Indeed, Save the Day

2011-04-27T09:08:00.000-07:00

We have just returned from a most nightmarish experience in Maryland with broken hearts. The baby we have been waiting for and into whom we have invested so much emotional energy and so many financial resources is not ours after all. After days of rocking, caring for, and loving her we feel a huge loss. One of the hardest parts (as it is with most trials) is shifting what we'd imagined would be. We worry about her future and wonder about what quality of life she may now have, because instead of spending eternity with her as our daughter and Mia's sister, her birth mother chose to parent and we got to make our way home with an empty car seat.

The morning that the non-adoption decision was made, I went outside to "run" the frustration out. Feeling so disheartened I just wandered around aimlessly until Ispotted this barefoot baby and her handsome dad coming to rescue me:

...and she made it okay.

Big Rock Backyard

2011-04-16T18:53:00.000-07:00

Just behind our new property is a beautiful hike to the rock-climbing of the century. It is originally named "Big Rock." We have made good use of this activity during the last few weekends!

Our April 2011 General Conference...

2011-04-14T12:40:00.000-07:00

looked like this:

April 2011 General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

22

2011-04-13T09:57:00.000-07:00

We have been willing in the spring by spending a lot of time outside. Mia has a whole "outside" routine. After going to visit Izzy and Winnie, she RUNS down the hill to the "jump" (trampoline). Here she is cruising down the slope!

Gma K's friend, Doug, who is a former Math teacher, got this awesome wooden cutting set for Mia. She has got all the names of the fruits and veggies down, and, as was Doug's intention, is subliminally learning her fractions.

One of our parks is exclusively for toddlers. It has these fun climbing rocks! While there, we got to meet with Mia's beautiful birth mother, Asia, and her cute son, Nemo.

Nemo is 18 months older than Mia, but with her hair, they are close to the same size!

Grandma K always begins the birthday season for my family. We went to Texas Roadhouse for her dinner, and I could hardly believe her courage while the staff sang to her and set her on this saddle. Mia wanted to get in on the action:

We have been washing and prepping all of our baby things for our new addition!

Mia thought the Boppy worked better as a clothing accessory. She danced around with it on her shoulders all day!

Since we have been at Grandma & Grandpa R's house, we've had party after party with the cousins. Mia is in heaven when Talan and Sydney come to visit!

Aunt Arianna's 13th birthday, which followed Uncle Ethan's and Gma K's, was celebrated at one of our favorite winter destinations: the giant indoor water park. Mia slept well that night!

Smelling the pansies only to feign delight at their non-smelliness:

Mia loves the reaction she gets from Mom when slimy hands meet newly washed hair.

A sweet moment between our two girls:

Featured here is one of Mia's many pole-dancing moves, complete with subtle smile.

On the same note, here is some nearly nude table dancing to

Sesame Street:

Dr. Ghee-reg

2011-04-03T11:48:00.000-07:00

Last week, we were so privileged to attend one of Greg Mortenson's lectures. As one would expect, it was incredible. My sister, who joined us, commented that he is not the most stellar speaker- it is true, he did not schmooze the audience. His content, however, was inspiring and informative. We were elated as we left. He was just the way we envisioned him...an ordinary, matter-of-fact guy with an extraordinary heart and drive.

David and I both reveled in Three Cups of Tea and Stones into Schools, as does everyone who reads them. His overarching theme is to create peace by empowering through education. His particular focus is on educating girls (a wholly un-Talibani effort) because he adheres to the belief that women have great influence. It is a familiar principle, and one that we often hear about every Sunday in Relief Society.

Since not all of us can spend 80% of our lives jaunting through the Himalayas to distribute our resources, what does Mr. Mortenson suggest we do in our own corner of the world?

1. Spend time asking questions and listening to the wisest people in our lives...our elders. They know stuff. Our culture is lacking in sincere interest for our history, the rich lessons we can learn from the past, and those who have witnessed these things first-hand.

2. Hold education in high-esteem and express gratitude for the easy access we have to it by taking advantage of it!

3. Sesame Street answer: accept and appreciate differences in each other. Fight to dissolve barriers and ignorance.

4. Invest these principles into rising generations!

5. Check out these organizations:

http://www.penniesforpeace.org/

http://www.ikat.org/

C.C.C.C.

2011-03-30T10:15:00.000-07:00

"C" is for Chewy Coconut-Chocolate Cake: a good birthday cake for my good mom. It was so tasty, even with a post-Texas Roadhouse belly.

The chewiness comes from oatmeal, and the coconut comes from the coconut milk the oatmeal is soaked in. The chocolate comes from the special dark cocoa powder, and the rest of the goodness comes from a stick and a half of butter and real vanilla with some fancy liquor from Mexico.

The original recipe is at Hillbilly Housewife. Substitute 1 cup of water with 1 cup of coconut milk (I used the light kind). For the frosting, I just made a regular butter cream chocolate frosting, but used a generous amount of coconut milk for the liquid (I wanted it to be runny enough to drizzle).

Mia has a well-practiced "more chocolate please," then, to emphasize her sincerity, she does a little dance while I sing "chocolate is a girl's best friend."

21

2011-03-17T18:20:00.000-07:00

This body can hardly contain all its personality.

Mia has been exercising each morning with her dad. As you can see, her hard work is paying off.

Mia has spent much of the last month nestled into whatever box she can find

(we've got a couple stragglers from our move).

This is our morning Mia, complete with her 4 "B's"- bunny, blankie, binki, and big hair.

I am always surprised by how closely and stealthily toddlers observe their parents. A few weeks ago, I found Mia situated, almost perfectly, with my running accessories.

Grandma R will often allow Mia to work her hair magic. Mia loves it and the results are always stunning! For payment, Grandma R gives Mia free reign in the laundry room...

Now that we have access to a full-fledged entertainment system,

we get to see this smile every weekday at 9:30 am. Elmo's World!

Mia has learned to name her parts.

She is somewhat camera-shy, so I had to bribe her to perform with a blue jelly bean at the expense of articulation, but you'll get the jist.

Handy & Dandy

2011-03-06T17:08:00.000-08:00

Mia's got a handy dad. Although it's been tempting, we have never had the courage to spend $300+ on the Nordic ski attachment for our bike trailer. So, having found ourselves determined to squeeze in another ski excursion last weekend and without an unoccupied Grandma to babysit, David got creative:

He worked late into the night...

...only to up the ante on his morning workout.

It's easy for me to say, but this view was well worth the effort!

Veinte!

2011-02-22T18:03:00.000-08:00

Our sweet 20-month-old valentine (reminiscent of a flamingo here):

Mia got too close to Aunt Bev's wood stove and couldn't have had better luck. This "owie" has received way too much attention. She didn't even cry when she got it, but I'm pretty sure that 50% of our county's population has been emotionally manipulated by Mia's

"look at my poor wrist" promptings.

"Yoga for Sleepers" position # 83: The Supine Frog

Behold, Our new stomping grounds!

Hobby farm and house coming soon (we hope)!

Mia just can't seem to keep herself out of the spotlight...

AZ, Part 2

2011-02-21T07:03:00.000-08:00

AZ continuted...

Mia picked grandma's kumquat tree clean! She would store the little fruits in her cheeks for hours.

Mia didn't want to share the stale bread with the ducks. No matter how many times Gma demonstrated, she kept popping it into her own mouth. I swear...she is not starved!

Rockin' at the Phoenix IKEA:

Uncle Grant took us to The Cornish Pasty Co. in Tempe. YUM!

This is how Mia thanked him:

Mia was convinced that Grandpa's shoes needed re-tying at least three times a day.

We met some old suguaros!

Tonto National "Forest" was in my grandparents' backyard. We made good use of its trail system and found that the desert really can be stunning!

AZ, Part 1

2011-02-11T11:17:00.001-08:00

We just returned from a nice, long visit to our family in Arizona. Although we were hoping for lots of balmy weather, we experienced an entire slew of extremes (from 75 deg. and sunny to -25 degrees and blizzardy!). Fortunately, the high-quality time we had with our friends/fam made the weather much less noticeable!

On the way down, Mia (who was flying as a "lap-infant"), got to experience all sorts of seating arrangements as we desperately sought means of entertainment. We are grateful to have lucked out with toddler-friendly fellow passengers.

Right when we arrived, we were lucky to catch our friends Amanda & her David while they were on a business trip. They spoiled us with a trip to the zoo.

While there, we spotted the Jabba-the-Hut of all prairie dogs...Can you believe how FAT this guy is? I'm convinced he has a harem of female prairie dogs who constantly scurry around to gather his food and feed an obviously insatiable appetite since he, himself, has become one with the mound of dirt beneath his large bum and cannot do it himself.

The grin on David's face here is a result of the bonding moment he had with the animal of his soul: the formerly endangered gray wolf.

We celebrated the sunshine with the appropriate melon:

Our dear Aunt Bev transferred us from desert valley to her mountain town with a elevation of 6000 ft. We were ever so glad to be kidnapped.

Mia was convinced she had gone to heaven! I have never seen her so animated as when she had her cousin (2nd cousin), Taylor, to keep her company. Is it weird that even the most mundane demonstration of human sociality (when Mia is the demonstrator) is big news to me?

Taylor and her cute big sis., Hunter, guessed Mia's favorite game: dress up and act silly!

David had to get in on the action...

It was difficult to say farewell to this sweet family. They were so good to us.

After all the delicious food we ate that week (Aunt Bev is a chef and her daughter, Vanessa, is just really good at everything, so we were well-fed), David decided to hire a personal trainer. She didn't cut him any slack!

We Need YOU!

2011-01-20T18:44:00.000-08:00

We have officially begun our search for baby #2.

As we have read, been told, and most importantly, experienced, when it comes to our method of family expansion(adoption, for those of you who weren't aware) it really does come down to

WHO YOU KNOW.

Therefore, we enlist anyone who does us the great honor of reading this blog into our

networking for babies campaign!

We have learned that privacy and modesty will not help us out here, so you have our permission

(actually we are begging you)

to tell everyone you know to tell everyone they know about this:

www.davidashleyadopt.blogspot.com

We are hoping to appeal to a birth-mother who is considering an adoption placement for her child, and particularly, a healthy African-American child (like Mia ).

19

2011-01-17T12:36:00.000-08:00

Mia is now 19 months, and as silly as they come! She is a constant source of entertainment.

Grandma K got Mia these "Melmo" house slippers. She is quite proud of them. He is her favorite monster. We often catch her humming "la, la, la, la Elmo's Song."

Every time Mia gets ready for bed is an opportunity to sport a new "hat."

Hat + deftly navigating the "hello"- what more can girl need?

Another type of hat

This is Mia's favorite "silly" face

When she tilts her head, she is winding-up for more silliness...

This look must be contagious!

We get to be graced with my sister's piano practicing much of the day

& Mia makes the most of it:

Ice and Little Skates

2011-01-08T15:01:00.001-08:00

Two facts about the Ice Palace:

1. It hosted my 9th birthday party

2. It rents skates in a whole assortment of sizes, including baby size 5

This subjects in this photo are moving at a high velocity, and Mia couldn't be more "chill."

After 2.5 hours, she was still going strong & she cried when it was time to leave.

Holiday Season, Part Two

2011-01-05T18:15:00.000-08:00

The holidays are more than over, and we are just now getting them documented. This has been a hectic time with lots of changes for our family: relocating and all that goes with it, a new teaching job for Mom, continued schooling, etc., etc., etc. Our Christmas celebrations seemed to be hurried and we lost some of the excitement in the stress of "survival." It did allow me to continually ask myself "What do I really need to get out of Christmas?," and thus rid most holiday commercialism from our worries.

Just before Christmas, we made an attempt at a matchy extended-family photo shoot. As usual, Mia would scoff at all our efforts to get a smile...until we give up and put the camera away. THEN she won't stop smiling! Here is the closest thing we got.

As we all are, Mia is quick to squeeze her squishy baby cousin, Sydney.

On Christmas Eve', Mia (and her assistant, "T") spent a long time consulting

Aunt Mary on the importance of hair care.

She also demonstrated to Aunt Brittney the right way to "Wellie."

Christmas morning in our temporary basement bedroom:

Mia received such sweet gifts from grandparents, aunts, and friends.

Here are some of her spoils. Beautiful doll and books from our literature promoting Great Gma...

(All the "exciting" wooden puzzles are from Santa...)

A cute hat and "pack-pack" from Aunt Jasmine...

A "fort" from Gma/Gpa R...

An art easel from Gma K...

A trip to the indoor water park from Great Gma/Gpa Heinz...

This baby has no shortage of attention!

Here is our post-Christmas Sunday morning.

I love this photo because it demonstrates what happens whenever I try to snuggle Mia.

She gets silly, and I get hair in the eye.

Happy New Year!

Holiday Season, Part One

2010-12-21T12:53:00.001-08:00

We began our series of traditions this year with Gingerbread Houses. Gma K made sure that David and I each had our own since we tend to conflict on exterior style and building methods.

Here are the results: David's is the gingerbread hut, complete with a festive, sandy beach.

egg nog 'stache and other evidence

Mia helped me put out Gma K's nativity set. Like she is doing in this photo, Mia felt inclined to kiss each of its members.

Here is our little dresser-top-we-are-in-the-middle-of-a-move tree. I still like it.

Because our tree is out of reach,

Mia gets to focus all of her ornament destruction energy on Gma's.

Here is a blurry picture(cold hands don't make for good photography)

from the Christmas light lake cruise we go on every year.

It miraculously transports us from dockside to the North Pole (just behind us)

within about 23 minutes.

And here is our iconic photo with the mall Santa.

I actually appreciate Mia's apprehension to sit on an unfamiliar, hairy man's lap.

1 & 1/2

2010-12-14T12:55:00.000-08:00

At this point, I suppose there is no turning back. Mia is officially a toddler. Here are some of her 18 month activities:

snow excitement

mimicking

modeling practice for National Geographic

pre-"hair time" bathtub relaxation

...and other semi-nude activities

This is a common scenario.

My pre-teen sister has an unconditionally devoted fan and couldn't care less.

A DEtached car seat carries an entirely different connotation.

While evaluating our new accommodations (Gma K's house),

Mia needed to test the sofa's bounce potential.

An Up Close & Personal Itsy, Bitsy Spider

Here is a little taste of Mia's communication abilities & subtle rhythms:

Au Revoir Mon Château

2010-12-08T21:59:00.000-08:00

We have sold our house and moved out. I am feeling a little like Ruth Wilcox in Howards End,

when she bequeaths her little summer cottage to an almost stranger rather than her own children:

To them Howards End was a house: they could not know that to her it had been a spirit, for which she sought a spiritual heir...A wych-elm tree, a vine, a wisp of hay with dew on it--can passion for such things be transmitted...?

It was difficult to finally arrive at the decision to sell it. After going round and round about our goals and struggles, we determined that these things are more valuable than this particular home:

the ability to adopt baby #2 next year- To do so would require more usable space, like another bedroom in a smaller home overall, rather than 3500 sq. ft. of unfinished, but potentially beautiful real-estate.
less debt into boring things like $35,000. worth of water system

Despite the woe, we feel so GRATEFUL to have been able to sell it in such a timely manner, for our asking price, and to a family with a vision for its completion and an appreciation for the details we've invested.

This is what I will miss the most. I loved opening my eyes in the morning and seeing our pretty trees through our Gothic window.

This is what would have been my future kitchen window. We built our (snow covered)water feature around it with the intention of more pleasant dishwashing experiences.

Our nostalgic "Paul Revere" lantern:

This sweet quail is just one of the many residents whom we will miss.

These dormers would have been in Mia's future bedroom. I have often imagined seeing her through those windows at various life stages.

We worked so hard to get the perfect shutters. Apparently very few homeowners are concerned with authenticity. We eventually had them custom made for the windows and spent many hours each year taking them down to re-coat with paint and then return them to functioning order! At least we were ready for all types of inclement weather with such protective measures.

Here is our last Sunday picture in our usual spot:

Goodbye, Chestnut Lane! I'm sure our neighbors won't miss us as much as they say they will. They will be saved from lots of dog rescuing excursions.

Fanaticism

2010-11-30T15:22:00.000-08:00

HOGWARTS HOLIDAY FEAST

Secret Identities REVEALED

Professor Lupin (luckily the full moon had occured the week before):

a more mild-mannered (I hope) Bellatrix LeStrange:

The head table- McGonagall, Dumbledore, Snape:

Ron Weasley getting a re-sort from the Sorting Hat:

Due to educational budget cuts,

Hogwarts had to enlist Trelawney's family fortune to fund the feast:

The lovely Mme. Rosmerta (wo)manning her post at the Leaky Cauldon's Bar:

Fred and George Weasley (George is still recovering from his Death Eater attack):

The entire Weasley clan was present. Here's Bill:

As was expected, the quickly quilling Rita Skeeter popped in so as not to miss any action:

Professor Sprout:

Dolores Umbridge and her latest victim, Luna Lovegood:

Cheerio!

Thankful...

2010-11-27T11:04:00.001-08:00

for THIS, most of all...

but also for tasty traditions. I brought my usual contributions Aunt Jacque's.

Candied yams:

Cranberry-Orange relish (which I eat by the spoonful):
Thanksgiving was a little empty because of the missing guests. G & G & Aunt Amy were snowed in to their homes in Southern Idaho. Mia still had a glorious time playing with the available cousins. With some help from Gma K, she was able to keep up with older & wiser McKenna.

17

2010-11-24T18:58:00.001-08:00

In her 17th month, Mia's interests have surfaced and taken hold. It is fascinating how these little personalities come to us already formed. Although genetics, and especially environment, help to shape them, there is no squelching what is already there!

This girl is a dress-up lover, through and through. My dish towel drawer usually looks like this to accommodate her accessorizing.

Taking a post-Flashdance session breather:

Snuggling into her favorite spot with a bit of Eric Carle:

"I'm so glad when the FUN PARENT comes home, glad as I can be!"

Here, Mia snuck the "Quiet Book" out of my church bag. I try to keep it hidden during the week so that it becomes a novelty on Sundays.

Oh, Snow!

2010-11-19T11:08:00.001-08:00

We woke to lots of snow yesterday. Mia was fascinated. We were already prepared with the gear: lovely hot-pink bibbed snow pants from the baby thrift store and the only warm coat I could find sans Disney princesses or the like. We went out first thing in the morning so as to get a good deal of sledding in before Dad had to go to work. Welcome winter!

Little Lamb

2010-11-01T10:50:00.000-07:00

My mom sewed all of my Halloween costumes, and so to continue the tradition, I sewed Mia's. After spending a couple days on it, I began to question the sanity of the operation and determined to get as much use out of this little fleece jumpsuit as possible! David and I were our boring selves because we are saving all of our costume creativity for the upcoming Deathly Hallows debut. Watch out!

Mia was a bit wary of the unrecognizable attendees (and really creepy music) at the ward Halloween party.
She DID win the prize for best animal costume, though. I was proud!
Here is our oh-so-exciting pumpkin featured at Gma K's house. We were feeling lazy, so it kept its guts and only received a superficial make-over.
My sister, Jasmine, was rather festive, however. At 17, she was the most excited to get dressed up, convinced (boy)friend, Spencer, to participate, and even donned a live accessory- her dog in footed jammies. Mia thought it was pretty funny.

Porcupine Adventures #6

2010-10-30T11:37:00.000-07:00

Presenting...

The World's Naughtiest (and most expensive) Dogs

Sweet Sixteen

2010-10-18T15:08:00.000-07:00

Mia's activities in her 16th month have typically taken one of these forms...

identifying objects-

spending lots of time on Dad's shoulder's-

browsing her library-

"dressing up" and posing-

trying to squirm off of Mom's lap (unless Mom is doing something interesting)-

"cleaning" (yay!)-

soliciting applause-

developing a taste for fine art-
taking daily inventory of the dogs from the back porch (This time, they were not where they were supposed to be, and as of right now, one is still on the roam...nothing new.)-

Sekani Trail Run

2010-10-16T18:35:00.000-07:00

Although we just had a race two weeks ago, today's run was quite a contrast to the Leavenworth relay. Trail racing is much more my thing. It is far less competitive and more laid back. One is able to enjoy the beauty of the terrain instead of "pounding pavement." Focusing on the technical footing and the changes in the trail make the miles far less mundane. The racers are also much more sociable and friendly. Today, when Mom R took the family's notorious wrong turn (someone always gets lost), another racer ran to her rescue, sacrificing his time and energy. David enjoyed it too, I'm assuming, because at the end he stated, "I felt like a wolf."

We meant to match, but David ruined our scheme with his sweet sweatpants.

Oktoberfest and a Live Baton

2010-10-05T10:38:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, David condescended to the realm of mere mortals by running a marathon relay with me. It was a difficult but BEAUTIFUL course in the Leavenworth cascades. Thanks to his quick pace, we won! The unclaimed prize: an Oktoberfest 2010 beer mug. Yay.

I always look so lovely in my race photos. The chunk of hair on my left side gives me a striking resemblance to my dog when she runs.

Woohoo! Our finish time...comical for David, but exciting for me!

Our future runner testing out the course:

Mia was our real-live baton on wheels. Non-runner passed her off to finishing runner. It was wonderful to have her sweet face waiting there for me!

Emerging Bookworm = Happy Mama

2010-09-28T12:58:00.000-07:00

Mia spends at least a cumulative hour a day in this lovely recliner accompanied by a book from a nearby basket. The fact that this is Mia's entirely independent activity of choice is so pleasing to her book-loving mama. Because it's the only time she will sit still, nearly all of the pictures I have caught of her in the last month are while she is deep within the cardboard pages of The Very Hungry Caterpillar (or its equivalent). Here are a few from the collection-

Reading to the "buh-buh"... very sweet!

"Mom, can't you see that I'm busy?"

Here she is demonstrating our high style sensibilities- an inherited night gown and Mom's SmartWools:

C'mon Down to the County Fair!

2010-09-18T08:51:00.000-07:00

Each year, the week after Labor Day, we get to enjoy the county fair. It is a fun tradition and always thoroughly entertaining.

Our favorite part: the animals...the kind that live in a barn (not to be confused with fellow fair-goers who tend to engage in barn-like activities...they are not as kind to the camera as this pig). What a cutie!

We are in love with the sweet Nubian goats and dream about the day when we can justify this hobby farm addition. I have romantic ideas of homemade goat cheese and goats' milk ice cream.

This was one mad mama cow. She kept threatening the little kids. She was surprisingly deft with that left horn. It could quickly find its way through the gate and only few inches from one's face!

Because Mia's hair gave her some height, we were able to sneak her onto the merry-go-round without any notice. She wasn't quite sure how to feel about it.
She was not shy, however, about letting us and everyone within a 40 ft. radius know when it was TIME to go. Poor grandpa is probably a few years closer to hearing loss.
One can always count on a cultural experience while attending the fair. Odds are, you may even be graced with a piece (or two) of exquisite decor on the neighboring vehicle and thus return home with an enlightened mind.

15 Instead...

2010-09-14T11:38:00.000-07:00

This is my 100th post and I am tempted to fill it with 100 of something, like 100 pictures of Mia, which I could easily do, but I will spare any potential viewers from my parental obsession and fill it, instead, with 15 pictures of Mia to celebrate this 15th month of her life!

#1 Just showing off her pretty curls-

#2 This supergirl loves to "dress up" already! She pulls mom's clothes out of the drawer and puts them on however she can. She had a little help with this lovely ensemble-

#3 Hangin' out at the lake with Aunt Arianna-

#4 Exploring one of this summer's many campsites-
#5 Sitting oh-so-proper in the tub (with a custom designed outfit to preserve modesty)-

#6 Just being silly!

#7 Finger painting with food colored yogurt...this makes for a fun clean-up!

#8 Giving a full-body hug to one of the many dogs in her life...

#9 Singing "la, la, la" on the back porch-

#10 Dancing with her favorite high-tech toy: a wooden spoon-

#11 Singing again in one of mom's sweatshirts again-

#12 Just about to read the all-time favorite-

#13 Putting all eight of her teeth to good use-

#14 This fearless fish cruised right into the chilly lake and only peeked back to make sure I was still behind her-

#15 Making one of the assorted animal sounds which usually accompany The Very Busy Spider

Au Bon Pain (and Soup)

2010-09-07T12:15:00.001-07:00

I feel so excited with the oncoming of crispy Autumn weather for so many reasons. One of them is the change in our dinner repertoire. During the summer we rely heavily upon our grill and fresh salads- nice, but not very comfy. The cooler months allow for a much cozier menu: soup and bread. I make some version of each pretty much every day in the fall and winter. Although some may argue the endless qualities contained in a good loaf of artisan bread, especially with the influence of current carb-less diet trends, I simply cannot part with it. More on that in a moment. First, let me touch on my reasons for loving soup.

-it is foolproof (for the most part) and I don't follow recipes well
-with just a few ingredients on which are easily kept on hand, one can create an endless variety
-it is a "one pot" meal...less clean up
-things can easily be disguised (this is a good thing if you are the cook)
-it fills you up inexpensively. My husband is always hoovering in the kitchen to make sure I am preparing enough food for his oh-so-manly appetite.
-it can be made any time of the day and still be warm. I am always worried about dinner getting cold with a spontaneous and unpredictable husband.
-it makes the house smell yum

I got this book last year, and have used it as a guide to know what flavors can be combined successfully. It is full of good stuff. It is vegetarian themed, but meat can easily be added.
Okay, a serious weakness regarding the bread I would make daily...and consume daily...mostly by myself is just that. Well, and that it would take hours to prepare and .25 hours to disappear. I have about three recipes that I would rotate- a regular soft honey whole wheat, an Argentine crusty bread, and an herbed focaccia. I would always use whole wheat, add flax, only use natural sweeteners, but my mass bread binge would outweigh the healthiness factor. So, here is this season's resolution- spend less time making it every day and more time eating less of it...every day. I fully intend to do so with help from Jeff & Zoe:

Watch this for the master recipe!