The 'Cummings' and goings of our little Wride clan...

First Grade Field Trip

2012-01-19T09:23:00.002-05:00

In November, I chaperoned Spencer's 1st Grade Field Trip. We visited Morven Park, former home of Westmoreland Davis, who was the governor of VA starting in 1918. He grew up in VA, had a successful career as a lawyer in NYC, then returned to his boyhood home to pursue his passion for farming. With him, he brought treasures he and his wife had collected from their world travels.

Half of the first graders went on a nature hike around the property. The assigned day for Spencer's class was cold, wet, and windy, so instead of traipsing the trails, we got to tour the mansion, carriage house, and some of the outbuildings. It's something I've wanted to do as long as I have lived here. Every few years I run the New Year's Resolution Run (a 10k) around the grounds of Morven Park, and I am always struck by the beauty of the place. However, I have never followed up on my resolve to explore more formally. This was the chance I needed.

I loved exploring Morven Park with this fellow and his friends.

Spencer on the school bus.

Our little group.

Spence and me in front of the mansion.

Thanksgiving School Projects

2012-01-17T09:05:00.003-05:00

An overwhelming number of papers and projects come home with my school kids. We haven't the space the keep them all, so I have taken to photographing some of the cutest things, and a select number of the ones that make the photo cut then find their way into the memory boxes.

Here are a few of Spencer's 1st Grade Thanksgiving projects:

Emma's preschool has been awesome this year. Her teacher is very creative, and she comes home with the most amazing projects. Presenting...Emma the Indian.

Here is her Pilgrim outfit.
*You will note that beneath each costume, Emma is dressed in a tutu. Standard daily wear around here. She changes as soon as she gets home.

And just to round out the preschool pictures, here is Emma from the week that they learned about dinosaurs and pretended to be paleontologists. She dug a dinosaur skeleton out of the sand, used a paintbrush to brush it off, all the while dressed in the hat and vest of a paleontologist. Her toilet-paper-tube binoculars were on hand for closer inspection of the specimen.

Fall Crafts

2012-01-17T08:42:00.002-05:00

I'm not the craftiest mom you've ever met, but we do have some standard fall activities that I did as a girl (thanks, mom!) and my kids enjoy as well.

Here we are after having made leaf pictures with two of Emma's neighborhood friends. We went on a leaf walk before that, which was, arguably, the highlight of the afternoon. Collecting leaves is tons of fun. The kids were very creative with their pictures this year, and we had a smiley face/clown theme that caught on pretty strong.

Apple turkeys - another favorite activity. We invited Spencer's pals (both older brothers to Emma's cute friends) to join us for this one and did it the first day of Thanksgiving break. Each child brought an apple, and we supplied the candy. This year, we tried Mike and Ike. They were tasty, but I think we'll go back to something gummy next year since these were a little hard to spear with a toothpick.

Spencer's apple turkey had lots of weapons when it was complete. The turkey had to have 4 hands/wings to manage it all.

Emma made a classic apple turkey with very colorful feathers.

John was very focused on putting the candy on the toothpicks...and eating the candy along the way.

Pumpkinville November 2011

2011-11-18T18:46:00.002-05:00

Most folks go to pumpkin patches BEFORE Halloween, but we may have stumbled upon a new tradition. I bought a Groupon super discount pass to Pumpkinville, only noticing after the fact that it was good for the last week of September, Halloween, and the first week of November. Nice. We went the Thursday after Halloween and were blessed with the most exquisite 70 degree day and no crowds. Grammy and Trina joined us for the fun outing, and a good time was had by all.

The Pumpkinville experience starts with an animal farm. John had a good time pointing at the animals and saying "Oh!" repeatedly.

Then it was off to the hay ride.

There are forts to explore, a hay maze, hay slides, and loads of inflatables to play on. To top it off, we always sample the cider and free apples at the end.

Spencer's P-ville highlight: The football obstacle course
Emma's P-ville highlight: The football obstacle course

Emma surprised me by conquering this one. It wasn't very long ago that she had to be coerced and persuaded to get on a moon bounce, and now she can be found climbing inflatable walls and jumping down slides with great excitement. She kept telling me, "I'm a courage girl!" Yep, got that one on video.

I'm dreaming of a white...Halloween??

2011-11-18T18:41:00.003-05:00

We nearly had a white Halloween thanks to a cold front that came through the Saturday before Halloween. My boys were thrilled. I played Christmas music to cope. Emma watched from indoors. She'll play in the snow when we get the serious stuff.

This is the first time John has been old enough to maneuver solo in the snow. Give the boy some boots and a shovel, and he is in heaven. Luckily he had Spencer to show him the ropes. That's one good big brother.

Charlies October 2011

2011-11-18T15:33:00.003-05:00

For a friend's Halloween party this year, Adam and I were mirror image Charlie Chaplins, complete with a fun little routine for a costume walk-off. No pics of us, but we weren't the only ones who thought fake mustaches were pretty fun.

John was busy making a yogurt mustache and couldn't be bothered with our hairy version. He did, however, think our bamboo canes were great fun. Those have since been hidden to preserve the furniture.

A note from Spencer

2011-11-12T13:14:00.002-05:00

*Spencer asked for a paper and wrote this out the other day. This is my kid, alright. All spelling and punctuation is true to the original.

Dear Santa

I love Christmas so mutch that I wrote this note in November.

I am excited to looking my stocking

Sincerely
Spencer

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T22:02:00.002-04:00

Frankenstein, Samantha (the American Girl), and a little Giraffe sure had fun trick-or-treating tonight.

Spencer and Emma were in charge of ringing the doorbells, and John caught on fast, confidently thrust his little pumpkin bucket forward for treats, sometimes with a grunt. He thinks Halloween is pretty neat. Emma told me later in the evening that she said trick or treat for Johnny; both Em and Spence were good helpers with their little bro. I really wish I had videoed the whole thing.

We spent part of the night running the candy route and the rest of it hanging out on our front porch along with throngs of people. Adam and Spencer had schemed up a pretty great little adventure in which you could choose to do a few "tricks" before getting the "treat." Adam was manning a table with a series of tricks: a crystal ball with what looks like an electrical storm going on inside it that surges when touched, stirring of the witches brew (crock pot full of dry ice, water, and glow sticks), pulling eyeballs out of a witch's cauldron, and reaching into a box to feel the brains (spaghetti). For dramatic effect, fog and a black light. It was a hit! Many kids came through once and then brought friends for a second round. Thankfully, we had Gma and Gpa there to help with traffic control and back-up candy. Gpa even overheard one kid saying ours was the best house, and Spencer had several classmates come through the line. He has already started planning for next year.

Hoping your Halloween was just as Happy!

Utah Trip: Passing through Provo

2011-10-30T21:58:00.010-04:00

First stop in Provo was the BYU Cougar Football Stadium where we got to hang out with cute cousins...

Meet some football players...
Hang out with Jared, a friend from our high school days...
And pass an afternoon with this exceptional family, Cougar fans all...

Next, it was off to Grandpa Bezzant's house, where we spent quite a few days. We arrived on Grandpa's 86th birthday and were there to see him open the gifts Mom had sent out.

This is a favorite. Grandpa runs what he calls the "Bezzant B and B," and there is just about always someone visiting or about to visit.

In fact, my uncle Dan and aunt Susan were visiting while we were. They are some of my favorite people. My kids think they're pretty great too. Here are Spencer and Emma helping Aunt Susan fill vases with garden flowers for Grandpa's birthday bash.

We also took a little trek south to Spanish Fork to see our dear friend Lori's beautiful new home. She was kind enough to host our DT Reunion. My friend CJ wins for the best write-up on the event, so I will link you to her post here.

Here's our Hall Advisor crew: Janna, CJ, Brooke, Lori, and me. I love these girls! We are spread across the country, actually across the world, but whenever I see them it is just like old times. We're not as consistent at keeping our e-mail chains going since we no longer share the same office hours, but the warmth of friendship and ability to share in each others' joys and sorrows remains intact. There was one very notable absence at this gathering. We miss you, Wes; I still haven't been able to find words to voice how much. And Lori - you are my hero. This home is built on a foundation of love; thank you for sharing it with us one summer evening.

This is my cute sister Michelle at her apartment. She is modeling the table that she and hubby Greg refinished and the chairs that they MADE together. That is one cunning couple!

Michelle came with us to the BYU Museum of Paleontology. It was a great (free) afternoon activity for us and the kids.

These are our scary dinosaur faces.

The museum has some fun hands-on exhibits.

There are some most impressive fossils to explore, and the kids even got to meet a student artist who had painted his concept of what a Giant Crocodile might have looked like when locked in battle with a Tyrannosaurus Rex. The picture is hanging on the wall behind Spencer.

After the Dinosaur Museum, we headed over to the Bean Museum, a BYU classic. Spencer had brought along markers and the summer journals we packed on the trip. At both museums, he pulled the journal out and started drawing specimens. Emma followed suit. It made me one proud mama to see my little scientists at work. They also had a great time completing the scavenger hunts available at the Bean Museum.
Emma with her summer journal.

Spencer with his summer journal.

Any time we are in the area, I like to take the kids down to Pleasant Grove to visit the cemetery there. We cut fresh flowers from Grandpa Bezzant's garden and took them to decorate the graves of my grandma and my cousin Kristan.

We also stopped by the Pleasant Grove Veterans Memorial to find Grandpa Bezzant's name.

A trip to Utah wouldn't be complete without a couple rounds of fun on the big red machine. Grandpa is nice enough to let the kids take turns driving. Here's John taking his turn.

Emma and Grandpa on Big Red.

Spencer and Grandpa - Spence drove with confidence, meaning he put that scooter through its paces.

Thanks for a great visit, Grandpa Bezzant. We sure love you!

Utah Trip: Partying in Park City

2011-10-30T21:43:00.002-04:00

After finishing up our time in SLC with a fun bridal shower for cousin Maggie (why didn't I take any pictures?), we spent a few nights up in Park City at the Wride family condo. Highlights were taking a "hike" on the trail behind the condo and playing at the park downtown. Laura is my hero because during the hike she raced Spencer and Emma, keeping them actively engaged along the journey.

When Grandpa joined us from VA, we took on the serious PC venues: Alpine Slide and, a newer addition, the Alpine Roller Coaster. Spencer and Emma did both and LOVED it. They had a good time recounting how fast they went. Again, no photos. I think they are all on Adam's iPhone, so we'll have to track them down later. Also, no trip to Park City would be complete without eating at Baja Cantina. The Peter/Leslie, Kate/Brock and Beard families joined us for the Park City fun. John took a little nap in the shade during the afternoon events, but during dinner that boy wanted nothing to do with high chairs, food, or restaurants. Adam took him outdoors to console the poor fellow, who then threw rocks to his heart's content and was, thereafter, content.

Friberg Favorites

2011-10-30T21:40:00.001-04:00

While touring the conference center, we saw where the classic Arnold Friberg Book of Mormon paintings are being shown. Spencer and Emma each wanted a photo with their favorite of the group.

August - Trip to Utah, SLC Section

2011-10-25T20:58:00.011-04:00

In August, we took a family trip to Utah. It actually began as a boys' trip when Spencer and Adam took off to Seattle for Tyler Lively's wedding (and to see the Boeing airplane factory). They left on Adam's 30th birthday, and we met up with them in Utah a few days later, after a very long, delayed flight during which John slept very little. Fortunately, Emma was a model traveler, so we made it intact. While we had a few things working against us on the Utah trip (not sure we had one symptom-free day since I began and ended the trip with cold symptoms/laryngitis and the rest of the fam took turns with the stomach flu), you'd never know it from the amount of fun we packed in. It was a vacation to be remembered. Hence, this blog post.

Adam doesn't like to drive superfluously, so we segmented the trip by geography. We started in Salt Lake, staying several nights at Jeff and Karen's home. This made it so that we could easily meander over to spend days/afternoons with Great Grandma Wride at will. Adam really wanted our kiddos to have some time making memories in Grandma Wride's backyard because to him this is what summer is all about. He was a regular visitor every summer, coming from various countries overseas.

The kids took to the playhouse immediately. They formed clubs and spent lovely hours serving food to Gma and me out of their "restaurant." Adam was working much of the time indoors (someone's gotta make the money so we can play), but when he did take a break, he was served up "apple pie" and "lemonade" on the very same dishes that have been playhouse staples since his dad's time...plus a few new additions in the form of a Beauty and the Beast tea set, which Emma was pretty happy about.

Here's Johnny responding to the request to "say, cheese!"

Emma making her recipes.

Spencer, fresh out of the sprinkler.

Let's see...what should I order?

The kids and I used some of our Salt Lake time to see the sights downtown. Here we are at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building.

We also took a tour of the Beehive House. One of my favorite stories about this home is that Brigham Young's children had one window that they referred to as the "storybook window." The children would watch through this interior window as the fine-dressed ladies and gentlemen arrived for evening parties, thinking it looked like something out of a fairy tale. Here are Spence and Em posing by the beehive handrails in the later addition to the home.

Here we are outside the Beehive House: Spencer, Emma, Marie, and John.

Here are Spencer and Emma holding up the cards they collected with pictures of the temple. The picture is crooked because John was trying to squirm out of my arms and run around the beautiful grounds of the temple while I was snapping the photo. That little man wants his independence and will run any chance he gets.

One of the evenings we were in the SLC area, we went up Mill Creek Canyon to roast hot dogs with the Wride clan. Here are Gma Wride and Aunt Lori.

John, Adam and sneaky Uncle Randy. John loved being up the canyon, though he took a few rough falls because he would set off running on uneven ground with a rock in each hand. So unwilling was he to give up those rocks that he wouldn't brace himself and came away with a few goose eggs. Later that night when John was the first in the fam to exhibit signs of the stomach flu, Adam and I were wondering if John had a concussion from all his tumbles. Fortunately, 24 hours later he was no worse for the wear. (Big thanks to paramedic brother Dan for calming my fears and talking me through symptoms.)

Uncle Jeff, roasting some s'mores. My kids LOVE their Uncle Jeff.

Emma latched on to Adam's cousin Maggie during this trip. Maggie was about to get married, and the idea of someone wearing a beautiful dress easily merits Emma's attention. Maggie was very sweet to let Emma follow her around, asking all sorts of questions.

Spencer talked Berkley into conquering the mountain with him. There was a steep incline near where we were having dinner, and Spence thoroughly enjoyed traversing that slope with Berkley in tow.

We took a brief hiatus from our SLC stint to travel down to Spanish Fork to celebrate baby Bridget's 1st birthday. That is one cute birthday girl! Johnny has a bit of a cousin crush.

Emma loves playing with cousins and all their cool toys.

Spencer had a great time too. He is looking big to me these days. Not so much a "little" boy anymore.

And Johnny - oh, Johnny. Just sweetness. Look at those cheeks!

Back in SLC, Spencer and Emma came with me on a tour of the conference center while John was napping and Adam working one afternoon. We had a fantastic tour guide, and this proved to be one of the highlights of downtown for me. The kids really enjoyed it as well. Here we are on top of the building.

On our way back to the car, I saw one of my college roommates from Sophomore year - April. She had just moved from Seattle area and was with her two sweet boys.

More Utah highlights to come!

September - how to pass a month while waiting for preschool to begin

2011-10-25T20:29:00.005-04:00

As mentioned previously, Emma was REALLY excited to start her pre-k year, but since school didn't start until October, we needed to find some fun activities to fill the days. She was really jealous that every day Spencer got to go to school, and she had to stay home. So...

We went to the zoo with lots of cousins, Aunt Jenny, Uncle Nathan, Aunt Katy, and Uncle Aaron. (Side note: this made Spencer jealous. He was wondering why we got to have all this fun while he was at school. It's a no-win situation, I'm afraid.)

While at the zoo, we ran into Stephen Haskin and his cute family. Stephen was a Resident Assistant at Deseret Towers while I was Hall Advisor there. Spencer was a baby last time I saw Stephen, so it was really fun to catch up on the goings on of the last 5 years. (Wow, that has flown by!)

We spent lots and lots of time with Trina, sometimes at our house, sometimes at her house. Aunt Julie was out visiting for a week to scan pictures, so we camped out during most days at Grammy's to help in the sorting process. Trina is also coming over weekly to babysit the kiddos while I teach violin. My kids look forward to "Trina day" all week, and now the neighborhood girls do too. They like the imaginative stories that she creates for playtime. I've been really impressed with how Trina has stepped up and managed John in his post-nap state too. He wakes up wanting Mommy many afternoons, but that doesn't work so well while I'm teaching. Trina has figured out how to involve him in playtime, and it has made violin teaching SO much easier. I love this girl.

Emma and I taught John how to paint.

We went to the Heritage Farm Museum with a boatload of friends. If you make reservations and have at least $30 in entrance fees, they will open the museum half an hour early for a group and then provide cookies, water, and a story time. It was a fantastic day.

We had dentist appointments. Spencer has been a champion example when it comes to getting his teeth cleaned.

Emma has been several times as an observer, but this time she got to sit in the chair and have her teeth counted and cleaned. She was fearless.

We also spent a lot of time going to the nearby park with these cute neighborhood friends, K and R. I was watching one of the girls the first few weeks of school until her kindergarten schedule got figured out. We had a great many morning play dates as a result.

Even after K started her all-day school schedule, we still kept up daily play dates with R and her nanny, Nahid, who has become my good friend.

I felt like every day in the month of September was full of fun. Still, in the few moments of down time, Emma would complain of boredom. Maybe it was just exhaustion. She ended many days like this, dressed in her next day's clothes so she wouldn't miss escorting Spencer to his morning bus time (which is way too early at 7:20am).

September was a good month, but we were all really, really happy when it was finally time for school to begin. Can you tell?

Our kids go to school

2011-10-16T19:09:00.005-04:00

...and it's time the world had some proof of it! Hard to believe my last post was back in May. We had a really great summer, and at some point it will be chronicled here. That's a resolution. We'll see how the follow-through goes. For now, here are my two back-to-school kids.

Here's our 1st Grader!
The night before school, Spencer couldn't sleep because he was SO excited. I'm sure there were some first day butterflies mixed in there, but he was amazingly confident heading into his first year of all-day school. Another item of note - the day before Spence started 1st grade, he lost his 1st tooth. It had been wiggling for a while, and while Adam was at a home teaching appointment, he wanted me to take a look at it (couldn't wait for Dad to get home). I gave it a tug, and out it came. Spencer was thrilled!

Here's our Pre-K Girl!
Emma is attending a preschool that is held at one of the local high schools, where the HS students act as student teachers. She was SO happy when she got into this preschool after being on the wait list. It's the same school Spencer went to for pre-k, and while I would have to give occasional incentives to Spence to get him to GO to preschool, I would have to bribe Emma at age 2 to LEAVE after dropping off big brother. We did a co-op preschool last year for Emma, which she loved, but she was ready for her own classroom. Emma's school started about 4 weeks after Spencer's, and that was a LONG wait for our little Lovie. We filled it with fun, but she was ecstatic when the first day of school finally arrived. That morning, Adam asked Emma if she was excited or nervous? "A LOT excited and a little bit nervous" came her reply. You'd never know there was a hint of nervousness; when I dropped her off, she followed her student teacher to her cubby, hung up her back-pack, bade me farewell and was off for free play without looking back. It's a good thing I had Johnny with me, or I might have been the one feeling abandoned.

Speaking of Johnny, here's a photo of that little piece of cuteness to round out the post.
This is John at what I'm embarrassed to admit is his first story time experience at the library. I've been somewhat remiss in that department with baby #3. Time to step it up, especially since this little man doesn't look much like a baby anymore. *Sigh.

Scarlet Pimpernel

2011-05-17T21:25:00.002-04:00

My awesome sister Celeste wrote about the show that became a family event for the Cummings clan at large. You can read her recap here. Good times, great memories...also good to have a little down time in the wake of all that fun.

My baby turns 1

2011-05-04T21:51:00.006-04:00

Still in denial about this one, but tomorrow (Cinco de Mayo), my baby John turns into a one-year-old boy. He is the most delightful little guy. Seriously. This baby is nothing if not good-natured. He's a smart fellow, too. Lately, there have been several demonstrations that show me he understands everything that is being said. He follows verbal instruction to chase after a brother or sister (favorite activity), and yesterday he took great offense when he offered a goldfish to a friend of mine, and she replied in a very sweet, upbeat tone that she didn't like goldfish even as she accepted the offering. He was totally distraught, so he must have understood the words.

John is a great stander. He excels at getting to a standing position without the aid of any furniture to pull up on. It still thrills me to watch. He likes to say "uh-oh", is a SUPERB morning snuggler, loves his mom, loves his dad, loves his big brother, loves his big sister, enjoys a good chase, thrills at a round of wrestling, crawls around with a container of spices in each hand that he swipes from the pantry while I make dinner, enjoys going on walks or runs in the stroller, only complains if he is tired or hungry, grunts emphatically (instead of screaming) when he wants more or needs help because he has stranded himself on an upper floor by climbing up the stairs, and really likes unloading the dishwasher one utensil at a time. Oh, and he likes to eat dirt (or so we assume since he is often found getting into the potted plants).

To celebrate this little man, we started tonight. The missionaries came over for dinner, helped us sing to John-John, and cheered with us when he blew out his tank candle all by himself. We were feeling a little caked-out after our string of birthdays, so we got a little creative with dessert. Keeping in mind John's affinity for eating dirt, we had mud (chocolate pudding) and dirt (crushed oreos) with gummy worms as our treat.

John thought this worked quite nicely as a birthday treat, as evidenced by the photos...

After dinner and a bubble bath in the kitchen sink, he was back to making a mess of the real dirt.

With this third baby, those messes that used to be so stressful now strike me as being funny. Might have something to do with the grin this little lad can muster. We love you, Johnny!

And...the sink bath photo, requested and provided by Adam...just so John knows who to blame later in life when he reads this post. :0)

Emma is 4!

2011-05-04T21:30:00.006-04:00

Birthday season continues at our house. We celebrated Emma's arrival to the life of a 4-year-old on April 18th. It began, as has become tradition, with a birthday breakfast. We believe in having as many opportunities to blow out candles and make birthday wishes as possible. It seemed that on birthday morning, folks were sleeping in, so the parents were hanging out with John-John (who had risen early), trying not to make too much noise, and taking their time getting down to the kitchen to start cooking. Spencer came in with a disapproving tone. "What are you guys doing? You're supposed to be making Emma's birthday breakfast." Well, we snapped to it after that! Your brother sure loves you, Em. Both brothers do, in fact. John lights up with a big smile every time he sees you.

Some things I love about 4-year-old Emma: You have a best friend named R___, and having a best friend has taught you so much how to be a kind, loving and generous person. You are a fashionista, demanding skirts and dresses as daily wear, unless it is time to play soccer. You are one SMART little lovie; at your birthday party, you impressed the parents by "reading" the names of your guests based on the first letter of their names because you know the sounds the letters make. You are responsible, spreading your blankets many mornings without a reminder. You are musical and love going to concerts and plays, especially in what you have dubbed your "concert dress" (right now, that one is the polka dot dress with the floofy skirt). You still love to snuggle, will entertain John to help Mom, enjoy making "recipes" (ones I am working on or those of your own creation), like to hang out on Dad's lap while he works at the computer, and are Spencer's ready playmate and friend. We are so glad to have our very own Emma.

Emma at birthday breakfast time

Emma and BFF R___

Emma decorating her own cake. Spencer had the good idea of using oreos as the center of flowers, and Emma took it from there using pink frosting for petals and lots of sparkly sprinkles. The perfect cake for our beautiful lovie.

Birthday celebrations: preschool snack time, birthday breakfast, family party, and friend birthday party

Spencer is 6

2011-04-12T22:41:00.003-04:00

Hard to believe how quickly the time has flown. Spencer Glen Wride, my firstborn, is SIX years old today. We've had a string of celebrations: a big family dinner last night, complete with presents, cake and ice cream; breakfast in "bed" with the whole family this morning (more candle-blowing); cake and candles with Emma's preschool friends; more cake shared with the neighborhood friends at school bus time; family presents and choco-mint-chip ice cream, just like you requested (kid after my own heart). We skipped the evening installment of cake, but couldn't miss out on the ice cream.

I never want to forget how you didn't go to sleep last night until nearly 11pm because you were SO excited about your birthday. Then, in the morning, you awoke a full hour earlier than necessary and passed the time putting together a Lego Star Wars creation until we arrived with your breakfast cinnamon rolls for a family breakfast in your bedroom. Tonight, you claimed once more that you couldn't get to sleep, so you hung out on my lap reading me stories while I worked through a few "to do" items on the computer. When I asked you if you'd had a good birthday, you responded "A GREAT birthday, and not because of the presents. Because of people like you, Mom." Not to say you didn't LOVE every Star Wars or LEGO-related gift you received. The plastic sword you unwrapped today was met with immediate approval as well and was put to immediate use with Emma countering on the light saber you got from yesterday's present-opening. (Thanks Uncle Joel!)

When I was asking Sunday night what we should eat for the family dinner, you were throwing a baseball up and catching it and responded, "You pick, Mom. I just don't want you to have to spend too much time cooking."

You've always been like that, Spence. Super sweet, considerate of others, and mature in so many ways beyond your 6 years. You still break into belly laughter if anyone says the word "underpants," but what kindergartner doesn't succumb to such silliness? It's part of the charm, really. And it is truly charming to be your mother, Spencer. You're growing into such a fine, handsome young man. We love you!

Baby Spencer

Big Boy Spencer

April Fool's

2011-04-01T10:34:00.004-04:00

I was never really much for April Fool's Day celebrations growing up. I suppose I was too preoccupied with birthday anticipation to care much about the first day of April. Clearly the THIRD of April was much more momentous. However, I have been persuaded to get in on some of the fun; I have a boy who LOVES the tricks and jokes that accompany April Fool's Day. While I still stay away from any mess-making jokes (saran wrap on the toilet seat...just gross), we have had some good laughs. So far:

-Adam froze the kids' cheerios and milk overnight. (Spencer remembered that one from last year and requested it).
-We gave the kids real breakfast, but I hid a little plastic figurine in each bowl. Surprise!
-Spencer had the idea to call Dad, Grandma, and Grammy and, when they answered, ROAR really loudly then say "April Fool's!" If you have our number on your caller id and no message, that's why. Emma thought it was a pretty good idea, so Grandma got 2 phone calls. (Thanks for being such a good sport.)
-Spencer made a sandwich for Adam (at about 9:30am because he couldn't wait any longer) and left the wax paper from the cheese slices inside. Tricky, tricky!
-I got a raisin in my toothpaste cap, courtesy of Spencer, and then constant reminders to brush my teeth, plus an audience as I did so. Sneaky Spence.
-We dressed John up in a dress, which little man thought was hiLARious, big brother and sister got a good chuckle, but Adam only found mildly humorous. Don't worry - it was more of a Scottish kilt, really. A great plaid.
-The kids have been sneaking around trying to spy on my next April Fool's joke. Here's what Spence will discover when he opens his kindergarten snack today - HAMBURGERS!

Or ARE they? It's actually Nilla Wafers, Grasshopper cookies, and colored frosting. Yum! That's my kind of April Fool's.

Kid Update on St. Patrick's Day

2011-03-17T22:27:00.004-04:00

John is crawling up a storm...and up the stairs. He's a happy, happy boy who loves to play with, follow, and wrestle his big brother and sister. He used to sit, flapping his arms when Adam played monster with the other kids, just dying to get in on the action. Now he crawls on over, yelling all the way in his somewhat gruff boy baby voice, to join in the fun. It's a pretty great stage he's discovered. He eats anything and everything, preferring the rubber tips on doorstops to just about anything else he can scavenge. Needless to say, we are trying to be careful about closing doors since we have removed most of those little rubber things.

Emma continues to prefer skirts and dresses to any other apparel and wears her shiny ruby slippers anytime she can...that or her pink snow boots. She plays almost daily with a friend up the street named Reagan, who is just a few weeks older than her and shares her appreciation for the color pink. It's fun to watch Em as a big sister; she loves her little brother (even listed John as one of her "treasures" in a preschool activity today). She has also become an excellent and imaginative playmate for Spencer. She can play Star Wars and build Lego creations with the best of them. Emma is taking violin, and can play the first phrase of "Twinkle."

Spencer is thriving in kindergarten, loves all things Star Wars, rides his scooter perpetually, and has taken up a recent interest in basketball. We have a spring soccer league starting in a few weeks, which he is also excited about. A few weeks back, Spencer started taking piano lessons, and he is doing SO well; I am really proud of him. It is wonderful to watch him as he tackles a tricky part or a new piece, gets frustrated, comes back to conquer it, and gains a whole new level of confidence as a result. Spencer is my project man, always creating something out of markers, construction paper, tape, staples, and any other supplies he can get his hands on. He is also very handy. We finally (today) moved John out of our room, and as I was setting the crib up, Spencer was the one who noticed I had put one part on backward. I was glad he was there to help since I'd already tried righting the piece once before...I have never, not once, set that crib up correctly on the first try.

A tricky leprechaun visited our house this St. Patrick's Day. He drew a shamrock on the kids' hands while they slept, and they awoke to green toilet water AND green milk! Sneaky little fella. (The kids were thrilled! Anything for a holiday. Spencer has declared that April 2nd is "Spencer Holiday" when we all get to eat sugary treats all day long. Sounds like a good excuse to ingest some delicious Easter candy.)

Piano Man

2011-02-09T22:59:00.001-05:00

piano man
Originally uploaded by Adam W.

We interrupt the regularly scheduled catch-up blogging for some current news. Spencer is now playing the piano! He has had 3 lessons so far from an AMAZING teacher (Melaney Tagg), and he is loving it. At yesterday's lesson, he played his first duet; today, he asked me if I would play it with him. Never mind that it has 7 flats and is written in the bass clef (NOT a friendly clef for a violinist). I figured it out, and we played this about ten times this morning (yes - still in our pj's). It was a fantastic, fun musical moment. Emma even had her dollhouse people dancing to the tune.

Later today, I went in to volunteer in Spencer's kindergarten class. They were reading from their writing folders when I walked in, and Spencer proudly showed me the "story" he had written, complete with illustration. "I play the piano. I play the piano really well" it read.

Yes, you do, Spence, and we are so proud of you!

John at 5 Months

2011-02-08T23:37:00.003-05:00

This baby needs his own October post to note some milestones. I cannot look at this sweet little face without smiling. John-John is a champion bouncer in the exersaucer (thank you, Papa). It's one of his joys in life to make lots of joyful noise by going into jumping Johnny mode when he is in that fun contraption.

John is also an all-star sitter.

...when his brother and sister don't mow him over by smothering him with lovin'.

October meant solid foods for John. He LOVED rice cereal the first 2 times he tried it.

Look at that face - pure joy at having something solid. It didn't last long, though. He took a look at what we were eating, saw what he was getting, and noticed that there was no crossover. He only wants food with substance - the bigger the better. When I put a banana on his tray to cut it up, he dives for the biggest uncut section he can sneak. Applesauce even makes him mad - not enough texture to satisfy the palate. That's okay, though. I had high ideals of making my own baby food this time around. This saved me all the effort. Straight to the solids for our little man.

October

2011-02-08T22:34:00.009-05:00

I am committed to some level of completion when it comes to this family record. In an effort to achieve that, I give you the month of October 2010 in recap:

I chaperoned Spencer's kindergarten field trip. We went to a local farm to pick pumpkins and see the animals. I got to keep an eye on this group of cuties.

Here's my favorite of the bunch picking out his pumpkin.

We did another round of the daddy-coached soccer league with some friends from church. Spence has decided soccer is his favorite sport. As I am writing this recap in February 2011, I can note that we pass the time waiting for the kindergarten bus by passing ice chunks back and forth trying to score a goal on each other. His idea, not mine, but I go along with it. Quite fun, actually.

Our local airport sponsors an annual air show; the airport is small, and the event is free. We love planes in this family, so we were off to check it out. We got to bring Gpa Barnard with us, since he came to spend a few months in VA. (We miss you, Gpa B!!!)

We checked out the fancy planes, trick flying, and wing walking.

Adam talked shop with Barry Barbini, a friend and FAA inspector who was working the event.

We saw some friends at the show, too! Here's Spencer with "the other Spencer."

My favorite picture of the day has nothing to do with airplanes. It's lovely and her lolly. Doesn't take much to keep this girl content, even on a hot October Saturday.

Because we can't get enough of planes, we headed from the air show to the Udvar-Hazy Smithsonian Museum for the Air and Scare, a trick or treat event. It was a fun time, but we'll never do it again. Traffic was HORRIBLE trying to get to the museum, and once we were inside it was difficult to maneuver because there were SO many people. Still, it was worth it to get a picture of my two aviators. (Spencer wore the costume John has on for his first Halloween. Spence's outfit comes from a dress up area at the museum).

It was also fun to meet up with some Storm Troopers. The kids are on a major Star Wars kick right now, so I need to pull these photos out to show them again. Spence watches the Endor battle scene over and over from Return of the Jedi. Emma likes the part where the ewok pokes princess Leia, so the film is a crowd pleaser.

We went to the museum with our friends and neighbors, the Abramsons. Thank goodness we had people to chat with as we made our way through the crowds.

On to more dressing up. Here is Emma with her preschool buddies for their dress-up day. She loves this dress from our dress up box. She was a ballet shoe-wearing princess - always a happy combination with this little lady.

Spencer's school doesn't allow dressing up in costumes, but they get into the fun of the season by having WACKY DAY the Friday before Halloween. Siblings were invited, and Emma was just as into it as Spencer. They had a great time planning their outfits. Spencer grew his hair out for a month before the actual day to achieve some pretty impressive height with this mohawk. It was his idea to do a little swirl of hair in the front as a departure from the traditional mohawk. I love that boy.

Emma's peep-toe pink shoes deserve a mention here. She wore them EVERYwhere, no matter how cold it got, until the snow came and, with it, the arrival of pink snow boots. Fashion before comfort for this girl.

Our final opportunity to dress up came when we saw the Pickwick Players' production of "The Wizard of Oz" starring none other than Papa as the GREAT AND POWERFUL OZ. Other characters of note: Joel as the Winkie General, Sarah as the poppy/Winkie/Oz resident, Trina as the munchkin barrister. We prepped for the production by watching a few of the songs on youtube, but our kids didn't know much about the storyline in general. Spencer enjoyed the production; John slept through most of it; Emma was ENTHRALLED. Obsessed, really. She went back with me to see it a second time with the Young Women. Emma can sing most of the songs, quizzes everyone involved about the characters, requested the chapter book "Wizard of Oz" for her bedtime story, and can effectively mimic Papa's antics from the Jitterbug number - an absolute highlight. Ask Em about Wizard of Oz, and get ready for a long, entertaining conversation. She LOVES to watch videos of the performance on Grammy's iphone.

Here's Emma getting Dorothy's autograph. THRILLED to be near her.

Maddie has long been a Wizard fan. She was even Dorothy for Halloween and dressed up for the play.

The group shot. The kids wore Halloween costumes, since the performance was on Saturday, October 30th.

The Tower Master

2011-01-30T23:14:00.002-05:00

Spencer is a very clever fellow. He found a bunch of plastic cups down in the food storage room and discovered a quick use for them. We now have in our repertoire of play things 100+ plastic cups specifically for fort building and, subsequently, battles that involve some serious destruction.

Dulles Plane Pull

2011-01-30T23:00:00.002-05:00

The Dulles Plane Pull is an annual event in our area, and one that has always intrigued me, but we seem to always hear about it after the fact. Thankfully, these cute friends, Amanda and Areeje, invited us to go along with them when Amanda's work team needed a few more people on their plane-pulling team. It totally made Adam's day; he has always wanted to participate in the plane pull. I was pretty happy to be a spectator.

Here's a photo of the team. They didn't have as many people show up as they had hoped, so at the last minute Spencer got to jump under the spectator rope and help pull the plane using the tow rope.

Emma was really sad she didn't get to join in the plane pull, but don't worry...she got her turn to show some strength. Look at those fierce muscles just after she helped her dad and brother pull a school bus. AND she did it all in her pink peep-toe pumps. Love that girl and her shoe fetish.

Here's Adam talking shop with the kids. Adam loves aviation and used to work at the airport. Those were the days.

Here we are by a C-something or other...some big military plane. Adam could tell you. There were some really impressive planes in the line-up. Lots of small aircraft, but the military planes are so big it seems implausible that they could ever make it off the ground. This picture makes the blog because it shows the double stroller at full capacity. It was about 100 degrees the day of the plane pull, and I found myself HUGELY grateful for the double stroller and the Baby Bjorn when we were walking along the hot tarmac with tired kids. Despite the heat, we all agreed that this is definitely on the list of things to do NEXT September.

Kayaking

2011-01-30T22:55:00.003-05:00

Adam works from home, and it has some definite perks - one being the flexibility of schedule. On a regular old Monday morning, we got to go kayaking with some awesome folks, Mike and Cate Todd, to celebrate Mike's birthday. We had a great time paddling around the Potomac and chatting with them. Thanks for the invite, Todds!

My Boys

2011-01-30T22:48:00.003-05:00

Some Saturdays are particularly magical at our home. Every so often, the calendar is clear, leaving room for creativity (and lots of cleaning). So satisfying.

On one such Saturday, Spencer made an ingenious little car for his baby brother John. These two are going to be buddies, I can tell. Note the paper plate wheels and the masking tape roll for a steering wheel. Spencer has informed us that he plans to be an engineer when he grows up. He regularly requests that I describe how to make cars as we drive around town, and lately has me throw back the imaginary parts so he can make-believe manufacture vehicles in the back seat. Emma joins in the fun. "Chassis! Screws! Dashboard! Steering Wheel!"

Here's another snapshot of this perfect Saturday. Nothing better than a boy, a dad, and a little snuggle nap.

Sit-up boy

2011-01-30T22:44:00.002-05:00

I have done a poor job documenting how amazing our little John-Johnny is. (Nickname courtesy of big sister, Emma). Here is a quick video demonstrating his sitting skills at the early age of 4 months. We love this sweet, happy, STRONG little man.

Marriotts and Mormons

2011-01-30T22:38:00.002-05:00

On a Saturday in September, we took a long drive out to Hume, VA to the Marriott Ranch. The Mormon Orchestra of Washington, D.C. had been invited to play for an annual Western Gala held for the diplomats and their families. I play violin with the orchestra, so we did our best to get all gussied up and headed out to the country. We had a spectacular time playing "cowboy" with the complimentary hats and bandanas provided by the Church PR folk. What is it about wearing a cowboy hat that makes everything more fun? After playing some fast fiddle tunes, I joined my cute family, and we meandered about enjoying the activities: pinewood derby races, archery, mini-pony carriage rides, jump rope, and crafts.

Retiree Luncheon

2011-01-17T13:51:00.003-05:00

My mom is amazing. If you know her, you already know that. But she deserves to have her praises sung publicly from time to time. This lovely lady has raised 11 children...let's pause there for a moment. ELEVEN children. As mother of THREE, I'm exhausted just thinking about it. She has monumental amounts of patience, is not easily flustered, and is a genuine nurturer. She put all these talents to work (and to the test) when she took on the formal role of teacher as well as that of mother. In 1990, my mom started home schooling. Each of her 11 children has been under her tutelage; she studied elementary education in college and was well-qualified for the task. When Mom started home schooling, my older brother Aaron was entering 6th grade; I was entering 4th grade; Dan was entering 2nd grade; and Jenny was starting kindergarten. Each of us, and the succeeding children, re-entered the public school system by high school and found success in our studies there.

Now, 20 years later, my mom has retired from home school. In addition to teaching all the core subjects, she has been field trip planner, room mom, counselor, bus driver, dean, principal, and tutor. To celebrate her success (and her retirement), Emma, John and I took her out to lunch at the local Panera. Mom deserves a lifetime educator's award. She has been the single greatest teacher in my life, and I continue to turn to her for counsel and advice. She has been, and continues to be, an inspiration to me, and I know each of my siblings feels the same. She has sacrificed her schedule and her own hobbies and pursuits, deferring those to help each of her children have a strong foundation not just in school subjects, but also in the Gospel. For this, I am forever grateful. I know that this foundation helped keep me firmly grounded in correct principles through my teenage years and beyond. Thanks, Mom.

Princess of Preschool

2011-01-17T13:40:00.002-05:00

One evening at dinner, Adam and I were telling Spencer how proud we were of him for his brave attitude regarding kindergarten. "You are the King of Kindergarten" we told him.

Not to be forgotten, Emma piped up, saying, "And I am the Princess of Preschool."

Yes you are, Emma. Not only are you a master of alliteration, you are an absolute fan of preschool. This year, we are doing a co-op preschool with 3 other friends and are using the Mother Goose curriculum. Emma wakes early each Tuesday and Thursday morning SO excited. Other mornings, she still wakes up early asking how many more days until preschool. She takes her "homework" very seriously, often walking around with a notebook and pencil writing letters. She loves to learn, and we sure love this little princess.

Kindergarten

2011-01-17T13:24:00.003-05:00

Hard to believe, but my first baby is a kindergartner this year. He got a letter from his teacher, Mrs. K, inviting him to bring his parents to an open house before school. We went, excited to see what his classroom would be like and to meet his teacher. Spencer was excited to see his new school.

He got right to work on his first assignment when we got there.

His teacher is AWESOME. She has tons of personality and knows how to make kindergarten F-U-N. There are songs for counting by 10's, learning vowels, and erasing white boards. Spencer was a bit shy at first, but within the week he was telling us how much he LOVES his kindergarten teacher. (He's even written her several special love notes). Her little boy goes to my neighbor's house for day care, so Spence keeps a close lookout after school to spot his teacher at pickup time.

Here is Spencer's FIRST DAY picture. He was all excited, but very businesslike. He didn't want to miss his bus.

He loves to ride his scooter down to the bus stop. He's pretty good on that thing. When he sees the bus come up the street, he ditches scooter and helmet in the grass and gets ready to board. Spencer is so ready to be in school. He loves riding the bus, loves his class, loves his teacher, and I love volunteering in his classroom. Yep...a little separation anxiety on my part. I was all tears as the bus drove away the first day. We're proud of you, Spencer!

4 months

2011-01-17T13:22:00.003-05:00

This blog doesn't have nearly enough pictures of my cute baby John on it. As part of my catch-up blogging, I HAVE to show you how cute this boy was at 4 months old. He has been, from day one, a sweet, smiley little man.

Clemyjontri Park and a Cousin Sleepover

2011-01-17T13:14:00.002-05:00

Remember how I said we love this park? Well, to prove it, we went back the next week with our cousins.

Maddie and Spencer

Ryan and Daniel

Ryan and Emma

After a fun day at the park, we had a cousin sleepover! Here are my cuties with their Pascual cousins...all on Spencer's bunk bed (which, incidentally, used to be MY bunk bed. Thanks, Papa!)

Emma Moment

2011-01-11T12:03:00.002-05:00

Emma and I were playing a game called "Flapdoodle" this afternoon. She drew a question that said, "Name 4 different kinds of fish."

Her response: "Flotsam, Jetsam, Finding Nemo, and Dory."

We're starting the training for next year's Disney Trivia quiz. Peter and Leslie...watch out.

Roommate Reunion 2010

2011-01-03T07:47:00.007-05:00

2000 was a good year. It was my Sophomore year in college and the year I lived in King Henry Apartments with these lovelies...

Four of us (Cortney, Katie, Hanne, and I) were in the same Freshman ward, and Linsy joined us as a transfer from RICKS. This became my core group of roomies in college, and in August of 2010 we were reunited!!

Honestly, I still can't believe we pulled this off. Katie wrote an e-mail this summer saying that she and her cute fam wanted to come for a visit. We settled on a weekend in August, excited to spend some time hanging out together. Some time after that, Linsy came down with her boys for an impromptu visit. (I love that she lives a mere 2 hours' drive from here). Lins decided to plan a return visit to coincide with Katie's visit. We tossed around the idea of having a real roomie reunion, but it seemed like a total dream scheme. After that, my little family was on vacation in Williamsburg for a week, so no further planning was going on. Upon returning, though, we started making some calls. Cort bought a plane ticket a week out from reunion time (Am I right on the timeline, gals?), and Hanne amazed us all by purchasing her ticket to come out with just 1-2 days' notice. Props to Cort and the Hannster for coming from UT and CA, respectively. Double props to Hanne's baby Chase for enduring cancelled flights and 17 hours in airports and planes on the way to VA. It was totally worth it when we ALL showed up at the airport to pick you up...right, Hanne? I'm reliving that moment, and it is still so surreal that we were really ALL together again!

We spent a little time at the neighborhood pool.
(Notice baby John totally zonked in my arms, even though he is hanging out in the water - such a sweet boy. It is a major blessing that he will nap on the go).

Here are some of the kiddos (Megan, Annie, Emma, and Spencer) warming up in the sun.

Here is Eric under the mushroom waterfall. We were SO glad he came to keep Adam company and to help move our group, which included 10 kids, from one activity to another.

We went to the National Zoo on a hot, muggy, humid, August VA day. The kids were troopers. It helped that we had some "Bear Hunters" along. Before we left, the boys had been gathering lots of "bear hunting tools" in a box - miscellaneous toys from the basement, really. Spencer decided they all needed to wear matching shirts with the letter B written on them (in washable marker, of course).

Remember how I said we had 10 kids along? Well here is a photo of the stroller brigade to prove it. Yes, these all belong to our group...including baby James who is sleeping through the noise of the Ape House.

What's that look for, Cort?

We took a walking tour of some of the monuments by starting at the FDR Memorial (a favorite) and walking around the tidal basin.

We ended up at the Jefferson Memorial, and then part of our group kept going to see the rest of the DC sights.

Another highlight was our trip to the Udvar-Hazy Air & Space Museum. It's close to our house and makes for a nice, easy outing. Here's the only large group shot I have from reunion weekend. Excuse the poor attempt to get rid of red eye.

We had fun seeing the sights, but my favorite part was hanging out into the late night hours chatting with these gals. We looked at old photo albums, laughed a LOT, caught up on the recent past, and I am left looking forward to the next reunion. When shall we do it, ladies?

Hanne got to stay one day longer (HOORAY!) with her sweet baby Chase. We had a fun time going to Great Falls.

Then we went exploring a little and found my new favorite playground: Clemyjontri Park.

SO glad you all came, Girls. Here's to the next reunion (and to finally getting this one blogged)!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

2010-12-24T08:59:00.003-05:00

Christmas Eve is upon us, and the Wride fam is pretty excited! Last night, John took a cat nap in the evening, so he stayed up late with Adam and me while we were wrapping the final gifts. John has caught the joy of Christmas and was happily jumping away in in his exersaucer while we played Santa's helpers. Adam and I both agreed it was a memory we didn't want to forget...hence my renewed effort at blogging this morning.

Emma had trouble falling asleep too, but she was relegated to the upstairs level so as not to spoil any Christmas surprises. Occasionally, we heard lovie footsteps above and when I went up to check on her, she told me she had left a present on our bedroom door in the form of a foam Christmas tree sticker. This morning, she was the first up and had more gifts to hand out. I received a bunny stuffed animal from the extensive collection on her bed and another Christmas sticker. She has been looking around for more things to give.

Now, Spencer is busily wrapping in all the biggest boxes he can find. (Gotta be sneaky about presentation, you know). These are three awesome, Christmas kids.

More importantly, in the kids' prayers for the last month, there have been frequent mentions of how thankful we are that Baby Jesus was born. In this most glorious of holidays, we turn our thoughts to Him. I, for one, am so grateful that He has made it possible for me to live again and to be sealed eternally to a wonderful husband and these 3 Christmas-loving kids.

The other Wrides

2010-10-09T22:56:00.004-04:00

Summer Reunion 2010 continues. Just off a Barnard family reunion, we returned to VA in time to host a mini Wride family reunion. Adam's uncle Jeff and three of his four kids plus one spouse came out to VA, and we got to play host. We LOVE it when people come visit because it gives us an excuse to get out and do some really fun things in DC and the surrounding area.

We met up at the Library of Congress. WHAT an impressive building. I am embarrassed to admit, after living here most of my life, that it was quite possibly my first time INSIDE the building. Gorgeous. I could spend a lot of time reading there. Here are Spencer and Emma at the fountain outside the library.

Here are Matt and Karen outside the Supreme Court Building.

Emma and Spence took their turn posing on the steps as well.

We found the perfect way to get around DC: load both older kids in a double stroller that is slightly difficult to steer and have Matt push. (Dan - I'm talking with you on the phone about J. Moyle when this picture is taken. Thought it would be fun to make note of that.)

Emma loved the dollhouse at the American History Museum. That is one of my favorite exhibits of all time. The Star-Spangled Banner isn't too bad, either.

Here we are at the Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Museum with most of the crew: Mike, Matt, Spencer, Adam, John, Michelle, Marie, Emma, and Jeff. Missing from the picture are Karen and Holly.

There you are, Holly!

Jessica's Wedding

2010-10-09T22:12:00.003-04:00

August found us in the Los Angeles area for the wedding of Jessica (Adam's cousin) and Mitch. We absolutely love Jessica and her family. Isn't she a gorgeous bride?

We also loved spending some time with all of these fabulous people (and much of their posterity). The Barnard clan sure is a good one! We spent time relaxing by the pool, decorating for the reception, watching kids, talking, laughing, and eating at In 'N Out.

Finally, a picture of Spencer that just begs to be posted. What a stud.

I Love To See The Temple

2010-10-03T10:23:00.002-04:00

Video is now working! I stopped blogging last night because there was NO way I could post about our trip to California without this little gem. We flew out for a wedding (more on that later). Before the sealing, we were walking around the Los Angeles temple and all the little cousins spontaneously started to sing "I Love to See the Temple." It was a precious sight.

Adam got OLD(er)

2010-10-02T22:34:00.002-04:00

Remember how Adam is the great ruiner of all surprises? Well, this time I got him! Some old friends of ours were in town for a wedding. When we saw them at church on Sunday, I made arrangements to have them over the following day for Adam's surprise birthday party. BJ had to be sneaky when Adam tried to make his own plans to see them, but BJ was convincing when he claimed they had other obligations. Adam was surprised (and thrilled) when the Baldwin fam joined us for dinner and the birthday celebration. We love you, Adam! Even if you are hard to surprise.

Meeting Miriam

2010-10-02T22:31:00.002-04:00

See this sweet baby? My sister-in-law Katy and her baby Miriam now share a birthday. She's old enough now that she is smiling and showing off lots of personality, but I couldn't pass on an opportunity to show one of her early pictures. Look at all that gorgeous hair! And those cheeks...oh, those cheeks.

Adam Thoroughgood House

2010-10-02T22:12:00.002-04:00

One of our days in Williamsburg, we took a road trip to Virginia Beach area to visit the Adam Thoroughgood House. My grandmother, in her genealogical pursuits, discovered that we are descendants of Adam Thoroughgood. (How many great-great-greats is it, Janet?) When we arrived, we were disappointed to discover that they are in the middle of doing some restoration work on the property. Armed with a picnic, and ready to state our genealogical ties and, therefore, our right to be on the property, we braved the construction fencing and meandered around back to explore a bit.

Adam Thoroughgood, the ninth son of a rector in England, came to America in 1622 as an indentured servant to pay for his passage. Upon completing his time of service, he went back to England but returned to America with a wife and 105 men. (Thank you, Wikipedia). He became a leading resident and landowner in VA Beach, and was even a member of the House of Burgess.

The grounds are really quite lovely. They are not the carefully manicured gardens of an English estate, but they have been planned out in a pleasant manner; the wildness and overgrowth of the area was not unbecoming.

Williamsburg

2010-10-02T21:57:00.002-04:00

Traditionally, we take a stroll down the historic downtown Williamsburg area, taking time to sample the wares and investigate the shops at Merchant Square.

One of these days I am going to buy the 3-day pass and immerse myself in history, but with a brand new baby in a bjorn and hubby on the other side of the country, this was not the time. We did manage to sneak a fun picture with one of the "cast members"...at least, Heather and I thought it was fun.

We made it all the way down Duke of Gloucester Street and ended our walk at the Capitol - no small feat considering the heat. (Cheesy rhyme intentional).

We stopped on the way back for some refreshment at Gambol's Tavern (the reason for the Gambol's restaurant tradition Spencer and Trina have created). Without those desserts and drinks, I'm sure we would have melted before we got back to our cars. Everyone was SO glad to have made it to the parking lot. They climbed onto this neat tree while Mom and I paid for the parking, and I snapped a picture before the fun of the moment faded.

Busch Gardens

2010-10-02T21:07:00.003-04:00

Just after our fun visit with Linsy, we headed down to meet up with the Cummings family in Busch Gardens. My grandparents had a timeshare in Williamsburg that my parents inherited, and we have been lucky enough to join them for several summer trips. It always makes me very nostalgic when we go down to Powhatan Plantation and stay in the same unit Gma and Gpa Cummings always had. They were spectacular people, and they loved being in Williamsburg.

This was a big trip for our family. We were REALLY glad to have the support of my extended family since it was our first time braving an amusement park with 3 kids. We found an AWESOME deal at Busch Gardens that got our 3 and 5 year olds in for free. An added bonus was that the tickets Adam and I purchased were good for the rest of the summer! That meant lots of Busch Gardens days for us! Adam was only able to stay in Williamsburg for the weekend because he had a business trip on Monday, but the kids and I stayed the rest of the week with my siblings and Mom. Thank goodness for that! We had plenty of entertainment and lots of extra hands. Sweet Sarah helped me bathe my kids each night; Trina kept Spencer and Emma engaged as they "played stories" and served snacks out of their "Gambol's restaurant" (excellent pink pie...aka fruit snacks); Joel played soccer with Spence and helped me push the double stroller everywhere we went; Heather kept Emma happy and entertained in extreme temperatures, even if that meant giving piggybacks; Mom held John and watched all the kiddos so I could get a few roller coaster rides in too.

This year, we had lots to do besides just the Land of the Dragons (kiddie area), although we do love it there...

Spencer and Emma wanted to spend most of their time in the Sesame Street "Forest of Fun." There is an excellent splash play area, a welcome reprieve from the record heat and humidity. (Heat index on our first day there was a blistering 110 degrees).

Emma's favorite ride in the area was Prince Elmo's Spire. It flips your stomach again and again as the hydraulics push you up and drop you down. She loves that feeling! Spence thinks it is pretty spectacular too.

I'm SO sad that I don't have a better picture of this and that blogger still refuses to upload my videos. Spencer became KING OF THE COASTERS on this trip. Grover's Alpine Express was just his size. He rode it the first time at the end of our first day there, and then proceeded to ride it another 7 times during the week. Hands up ALL the way!

Another favorite moment that really deserves video...Emma, John, and I were waiting in one of the courtyards while the rest of the gang (including Spencer) did a "big" ride. A performance had just ended, and Emma, moving to the music that was being piped through the speaker systems, took to the stage to put on her own show. She danced and swayed to her heart's content and was pleased to receive applause from passersby. What a charming little LOVIE we have.

And the award for BEST BABY goes to none other than JOHN. He braved the heat, didn't complain when he was dragged around day after day, contentedly napped in the Baby Bjorn, smiled from the stroller, and didn't mind being doused with water periodically as his mother attempted to keep him cool.

All in all, two thumbs up for Busch Gardens.

Lovin' me a Linsy visit!

2010-10-02T20:50:00.005-04:00

Linsy, one of my college roomies and best friends, came down with her two boys (Tate and Beau) in July for a quick getaway. Her awesome hubby Darin is doing a medical residency, so we missed having him along for the fun. We beat the 100-degree heat/100% humidity (blah!) by going to Wegmans, the pool, and the fountains...although it was really too hot for even that. Regardless, we had a fantastic time. Tate is a fearless and amazing swimmer, even at age 3, and Beau is all sweetness and smiles. Remember how I said before the was a summer of reunions? Well, this was only the beginning...

John's Blessing Day

2010-09-27T22:45:00.003-04:00

John's Blessing Day was one of those perfectly wonderful Sundays. We were surrounded by family and friends. It was one of those days where the stresses of life seem to melt away to reveal what is most important. I had a meeting in the morning, and I returned to a home where our oldest two were quietly indulging in creativity on the lower level while Adam gazed at a sleeping baby John upstairs. It was such a sweet father-son moment. Adam spent the morning really preparing for the experience that was to come: that of blessing our sweet little boy. It set such a nice tone for the day. The blessing was a beautiful one. Many family members and friends joined us to celebrate the event.

Here is John getting dressed in his blessing outfit. It is the same one Spencer wore for his blessing. My Grandma Bezzant picked it out when she and I went to shop for my wedding dress. We came upon some beautiful blessing outfits that were on sale; she purchased one for a girl and one for a boy. When my first baby was a boy, she gave me the outfit we had purchased that day, and I look forward to having all my boys wear it.

John in blessing outfit, complete with bonnet and bib. (He wore the bonnet all of 10 seconds...neither he nor his dad particularly like that part of the ensemble).

Our group - again a BIG thank you to everyone who joined us! After church, we continued the celebration with anyone who could stay and had a relaxed turkey dinner back at our house. (That's right...after 7 years being married, I finally stepped up and made my first turkey!! And SOMEHOW I forgot to take a picture of it!)

A family photo taken by Brother Baldwin (thanks!) in the church lobby. Someday we'll manage to get all three kids looking at the camera at the same time. Cute Spencer story: Most Sundays, getting Spencer ready for church is a last-minute affair. He doesn't like to get his nice clothes on until the last possible moment. However, sensing that John's blessing day was a special Sunday, he came down wearing just about every piece of church clothing he could manage: white shirt, yellow tie, blue and red sweater vest, pinstripe jacket, and pants. It was the sweetest thing. If it hadn't been ridiculously hot outside, I think we would have let him keep the outfit intact. As it was, he was okay leaving the sweater vest behind. I love that kid!

It was a busy Sunday. John was an absolute angel baby during the blessing and the festivities that followed. By the end of it, he was one sleepy boy. Thanks for letting us share in your big day, John. It was positively perfect! We are so lucky to have you in our family.

Sarah's Salon

2010-09-27T22:35:00.003-04:00

While the boys are away,
The girls will PLAY!

My dad and brother Joel did a lot of scouting this summer. While they were away on high adventure, my sister Sarah organized a salon day at my parent's house. The kiddos and I headed over for a fun day at Grammy's with my mom and sisters. Sarah had the family room totally set up. The foot bath was positioned, pedicure tools set, nail polish displayed, and all the recliners even had towels situated, ready for a relaxed patron to be pampered.

*Sarah gives some AWESOME foot rubs.

Spencer decided he could handle a foot bath, but none of that girly nail polish stuff.

John was happy just hanging out, being held...or being fed. That always makes this baby smile.

Emma, on the other hand, was fully engaged. This is one girl who LOVES to do nails.

She's my very own pretty, pretty princess.

Pizza Picnic at the Fountains

2010-09-27T22:15:00.002-04:00

One of our favorite summer activities is to head over to the local town center where once a week there is a live band playing by the fountains that we frequent. The kids play in the water, kick the soccer ball around, and DANCE! To kick off the summer season, we met up with both sides of the family to have a pizza picnic. I am SO, so sad that blogger will not load videos tonight because I have some choice ones of the kids showing off their moves. Those will have to wait for another night, I suppose. Regardless, here are a few snapshots of the fun.

Emma loves to be dipped by her Daddy.

Grandpa was very obliging and took his turn dancing with our Emma.

Spence showing off our dinner. Yum!

Marie and baby John

Mini-Mission Reunion

2010-09-27T22:05:00.002-04:00

This has been a summer of reunions. We had a delightful time with the Kenworthy family: Landon, Bridget and their little guy, Dathan. While serving his mission in Argentina, Adam was in the same apartment as Kenworthy (still hard to call him by his first name, since, following mission tradition, Adam usually calls former elders by their surname). We celebrated the reunion by swapping Argentina stories, having a barbecue (as close to an "asado" as we could get), and spending the remainder of the evening at the pool. As a bonus, Bridget taught Spencer some swimming technique (gliding), which set him up for some awesome swimming skills by the end of summer.

Thanks for coming, Kenworthys!

Cunningham Falls

2010-09-27T17:27:00.004-04:00

When my mom grew up, she spent the summers with her family at their lakeside cabin in northern California. Lacking quick access to CA, I grew up with my mom making weekly treks to the state parks of nearby Maryland. We'd fill the 15 passenger van with friends, sand toys, and a picnic and head up Rt. 15 for a day of fun.

As a result, I love lakes. I took my kids several times this summer, initially feeling very brave that I would venture such a trip by myself with 3 kids...and now not even remembering what it was like without our little John. He made his first trip to the lake at the ripe old age of 2 months old. As you will see in upcoming posts, he did a respectable amount of traveling this summer. Fortunately, this is one baby that loves snuggling up in a baby bjorn. Unfortunately, it is difficult to get a picture of oneself and one's baby whilst wearing said contraption, and I did not think to ask any of the friends who accompanied us on our lake trips to take one for me.

Here are a few of the "big" kids at the lake.

This photo has my sister Trina, Natalie T (a friend from church), Pascual cousins, and Emma. Spencer was busy building a sand castle, so he didn't join on the train of tubes.

Emma and Spencer on the "beach".

Here is a great blue heron that we have seen several times on our trips. It is a huge, gorgeous bird. If blogger were being more cooperative, I would upload a video we took that shows how close we got to it. As it is, the video upload keeps failing. Ah, technology, our love/hate relationship continues.

4th of July

2010-09-19T21:33:00.004-04:00

What a summer we have had...and get ready for a series of posts to document it. The binge blogger has returned!

We celebrated the 4th of July on the 3rd this year with a party in the church parking lot.

There was a water balloon fight that brought out the kid in Adam...

The kids and I had fun pulling out all our red, white, and blue decorating supplies and then taping it all over bikes and scooters. Then the kiddos participated in a bike parade around the parking lot to showcase their handiwork.

I sought out a small bit of shade with Baby John, but we were decked out in our 4th of July finest. Here's a fun photo of us with my awesome friend Amy. She and I had our babies in the same month. Let's give a little shout out to Baby D - John's brother from another mother.

Disneyland

2010-08-15T21:40:00.008-04:00

I've decided that the reason Disneyland is the "happiest place on Earth" is because it is all about the family. The rides and environment are family-friendly, and we had a great time exploring the park with a good chunk of the Wride/Barnard clan.

We rode:
Monorail
Finding Nemo Submarine Ride
Peter Pan
Matterhorn
Jungle Cruise
Thunder Mountain (Spencer did this one 4x)
Buzz Lightyear space ranger ride (I think this one was a three-peat for much of our crowd)
Indiana Jones
Tarzan's Treehouse
Teacups
Dumbo
King Arthur's Carousel
Sleeping Beauty Castle Tour
Pinocchio
Space Mountain
Flying Rockets

How did we accomplish so much in one day, you ask? Well, the answer is...17 hours in the park, two teenage fast pass runners, and kids so excited about Disneyland they were willing to run around from 7AM until midnight with just a short break in the afternoon. How did we manage 17 hours in the park? Two REALLY awesome grandparents treated us all to a night at the Disneyland Hotel.

THANK YOU!!!

And...THANK YOU!!!

Since we spent the night on the property, we were able to enter the park an hour early and monorail in, which dropped us off right by the Finding Nemo Submarine Ride. From there, we bounced around, fast-passing this or that, revisiting rides we enjoyed, and working the baby swap. It was SO nice to be able to take the kiddos back to the hotel for a midday repose. Without that, there is no way we would have lasted until midnight. AND...a big shout out to Baby John, who is the best baby in the world when it comes to traveling. He snuggles into the Baby Bjorn and goes with the flow, napping when he needs to, and people-watching when awake.

This is one of my favorite pictures from the trip. Emily is demonstrating how excited we ALL were to head to the park. Even though we got in late the night before, it was no problem to get the kids up and ready by 6:30AM.

The first roller coaster of the day: Matterhorn. It was a hit with the kids, despite the scary abominable snowman. Emma likes to talk about him a lot, even though she flatly refused to go on this ride.

Most of the day's cast, waiting for Thunder Mountain (Spencer's favorite ride). Pictured are: Marie, Emily, Spencer, Daniel, Ryan, Maddie, Laura, Alec, Valerie, and Brad. Missing from this photo are: Adam, Emma, John, Tammy, and Tyler.

Our kids were at the PERFECT age for Disneyland. Spencer was old enough for roller coasters; Emma loves princesses; and we have taken all our children to Disneyland while they were infants, so John needed his turn. One perk of Emma's princess adoration...she likes them only from a distance. We saw a few, and she was thrilled about that, but she didn't want to go anywhere near them; thus, we spent no time in line for individual photo ops.

Ryan and Emily on the teacups. Classic!

The rest of the crowd was in the "fast" teacup, with Adam at the wheel.

Daddy explaining the wonders of "Small World" to Emma. This was a definite favorite for lovie.

Twinners!

All of the cousins took turns examining the map and deciding where we should go.

It wouldn't be a ride to Disneyland without riding on Dumbo!

Emma rode the carousel while the boys tried to pull the sword out of the stone. Grandpa helped her stay on and reported later on their conversation. "My horse is a good horse. He is a good horse because his name is Rick." She still talks about good ole Rick.

This picture says it all. We were SO grateful to have a plethora of stroller seats (and people to push them). On the way home, nearly all the kids fell asleep. Spencer is totally zonked out behind Ryan, the lone survivor of the walk back to the hotel. The end of a truly MAGICAL day.

Drumroll, please...

2010-07-06T20:46:00.002-04:00

The results are in. John had his 2 month check-up today. When the nurse put in his rather impressive numbers, she had us go back to the scale just to double check that they were correct.

Head: 16.75 inches (96%)
Height: 25 inches (97.53%)
Weight: 17 pounds, 4 ounces (99.98%)

His weight was off the charts. Nothing but the best for our "All-American boy", as Grandpa Bezzant would say.

At the Nats

2010-07-05T23:06:00.001-04:00

At the Nats
Originally uploaded by Adam W.

Spencer, my dad, and I took a trip down to the new(ish) Washington Nationals stadium to see the pitching phenom Strasburg pitch. He did ok, not great and the Nats lost 1-0.

Doesn't matter how great you pitch, you still have to score a run to win a game...

Spencer loved the trip, mostly the metro trains and the hot dog. We hadn't eat yet - that's why he's a little sunken back in the picture. =)

Emmy

2010-07-05T22:48:00.002-04:00

Emma has definitely noticed that life is different since we added baby #3 to our family. To her credit, though, she has shown nothing but love to her baby brother. Our lovie LOVES being a big sister. She is so proud of baby John-John. Today, when I was reading her a story for her quiet time, she wanted to stop the story (and we were just getting to the scary part of "The Little Mermaid" - her favorite) to snuggle with John. I put him next to her on her pillow, and she wrapped her arms around him to snuggle up. It was very sweet, and something I wanted remember. Hence, I blog.

Emmy - we love you!

Breakfast for Dinner

2010-07-05T22:41:00.002-04:00

The other day, we had breakfast for dinner, which is Spencer's absolute favorite meal of all time. We have already planned that as his dinner of choice on his first day of kindergarten. Because I never want to forget how creative Spencer is, I had to post these two pictures. He made his meal into a work of edible art.

Spencer is a project man. He is always doing experiments, which today meant taking some equal sweetener he swiped from a restaurant table and adding salt, pepper, brown sugar and water to make "medicine." In the absence of random ingredients, he makes ant traps (tupperware containers with straws leading in...since ants like tunnels), draws inventions (the latest being a car/plane/boat combo), and makes forts. I love this kid.

2 months old already??

2010-07-05T22:12:00.003-04:00

The other day, I set up an informal, amateur photo shoot for our little John after church. He wore an outfit that my Aunt Susan and cousins Mackenzie and Kirsten sent out, and it was too adorable not to document. (LOVE it! The thank you note is still sitting on my counter...gotta get that in the mail...)

And so, to celebrate his 2 month birthday, I am posting these photos of our little John.

Amazing how a picture like that can come from a set-up like this, no?

John gave us a sleepy smile. He is starting to give lots of awake ones too, but you gotta be quick with the camera on those.

I love this serious look. John is a VERY observant boy. He spends his awake time actively looking around the room. Ceiling fans are a particular favorite of his. He will spend long periods of time calmly watching the revolution of the fan blades. He also loves to people watch.
(Note the "Super Baby" onesie peeking out from under his Sunday outfit. One of my seminary students made that for him.)

Just to keep us on our toes, this little man continues to defy physical expectation. He is already able to sit up by himself! Sure, it lasts only a second or two before he slumps forward to a tripod sit, but still WAY impressive. I can't wait to see what this little He-man does in life.

Annie Jr.

2010-07-01T22:55:00.004-04:00

Last week, we went to see Pickwick Drama Camp's production of "Annie Jr." Trina, my youngest sister, was one of the orphans. She LOVED being in the show. She stayed with us last week while my parents were out of town. When I commented to her about what a wonderful, pleasant helper she has been, she explained that she learned that from the play "because orphans are nice to each other and help each other." Love it.

Here's a video of one of the numbers. It was such an impressive show, especially since it was put together in just a 2 week camp with 7-14 year old cast members. Awesome.

Rascals. I cannot get blogger to upload the video. Maybe it will magically work after I post this. If not, check flickr for the real deal.

Isn't he handsome?

2010-06-23T23:19:00.001-04:00

John is starting to give some sweet, sweet smiles. He is winning my heart all over again. Love you, Johnny!

Preschool Graduation

2010-06-12T09:14:00.004-04:00

June 7th was Spencer's preschool graduation. We attended the ceremony as a family. We're so proud of our graduate!

Here is a photo of the graduating class.

And the graduate himself: a 5-year-old in full regalia.

As we pulled out of our street, Emma pointed to a book that we have entitled "It's Graduation Day!" In the book, a big brother graduates, and the little sister insists that she needs a hat too. The brother finds her some bunny ears to wear. Emma was holding the book and said, "Let me read you the instructions," which indicated she, too, needed to wear bunny ears if she was going to fulfill her role in the day. We did a quick U-turn to comply with the request since we had some extra time and since she was modeling a fantastic reading strategy. What a great text-to-self connection!

Here's a picture of the pages Emma showed us.

Here's our Emma, making the story come to life.

We were very fortunate to have a carpool of GREAT kids from our ward. Here they are, all dressed up for the big day.

Mrs. Corwine was the lead teacher. She had classes of "student teachers" (high school students) that she mentored as they planned lessons and activities for the preschoolers. Spencer really came to love Mrs. Corwine; I did too. She is a fantastic educator.

Here is Allie, one of Spencer's favorite student teachers. He talked her into many a private drawing session through the course of the year. Thank you, Allie, for drawing Easter eggs, cars, airplanes, and boats upon request. We definitely see why Spencer liked preschool with so many cute student teachers to hang out with.

Finally, here is Spencer with his buddy Luke on their first day of preschool.

This photo is of them on graduation day.

The photo can hardly do justice to the amount of growth these boys have had through the course of the year. They entered the preschool door the first day clutching hands, a bit anxious about what they were getting themselves into. By the end of the year, the darted forward along the sidewalk on the way to school. I was hard pressed to keep up with them. Spencer has become a more independent, confident kid. He has shown some definite math smarts and can decipher many words. I know he will be hugely successful in kindergarten; he's ready for it. The question is...am I ready for my little boy to be in kindergarten? The time is passing all too quickly...

Photo Shoot!

2010-06-02T22:18:00.002-04:00

Okay VA folk...my sister-in-law is coming to town. At least, she is coming if she gets bookings for 12 photo shoots to help bankroll the trip. So, if it's been a while since your last family portrait, go to this link to see her stuff and book a session.

What's in a name?

2010-05-15T14:11:00.002-04:00

For the first hour of John's life, we lovingly referred to him as "sweet boy" and "handsome." After months of discussion and a long list of ideas, we still had not settled on a name. We always like to see baby before proclaiming any name choices, but we were far from a deciding point this time around. With Spencer, we had a top four that we took with us to the hospital, but Spencer was the clear favorite...and he definitely looked the part. With Emma, well...it's a good thing she makes such a cute Emma because I have loved that name for a LONG time and was somewhat distraught when I found out Adam has a cousin named Emma. We used the name anyway. :0) With this little man, it was much more difficult. We went through the usual procedures of combing the baby name websites and genealogy - even asking friends for suggestions via facebook. This resulted in a respectable, even hearty list. We wrote out combinations for first and middle, but it was not until the excitement of labor was over and we got to spend a little alone time with our sweet baby that we settled on his name: John Barnard Wride.

Adam has been fairly constant in his desire to name this baby John; I was undecided, swimming in the sea of options before us. I did find several Johns in my McDonald and Bezzant family lines, so that was a genealogical win. In the hour after baby John's birth, we had our final discussions about his name and discarded all other first name options, alternating between John Porter Wride and John Barnard Wride. In the end, we selected John Barnard to help carry on the Barnard line and because that is also Adam's middle name (his mother's maiden name).

Our choice was quickly confirmed when we discovered that John Porter Barnard, one of Adam's ancestors, was one of the early members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Here is little bit about him (from an e-mail Aunt Shauna sent shortly after we announced John's birth):

"On the 6th of April 1830 in Seneca County, New York, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints was organized with only 6 members. It grew rapidly as missionaries were sent out to take the Gospel message to all who would listen. John Porter Barnard and his wife Eliza Ann were among the few in their neighborhood who believed the story. They received a testimony of the truthfulness of His gospel and in 1837 they became members of the church.
"Through the coming years their faith grew stronger and they were able to endure the persecutions which those faithful, strong hearted early church members were subjected to. Never once did John and Eliza faltered or have a desire to return to their former comforts. The same year that John and Eliza joined the church they left their home in New York and settled in Far West, Missouri. Then to Nauvoo, and on to Council Bluffs with the rest of the saints following the persecutions and death of Joseph Smith. John Barnard was prepared to come with the first group to the Salt Lake Valley, but was called by Brigham Young to remain in Council Bluffs to build a repair wagons as he was an expert blacksmith. They entered the Salt Lake Valley in 1848 and were immediately sent north to settle the community of Centerville, Utah, then to Idaho for some years eventually returning to Utah and settling in Harper, Utah a small settlement north of Brigham City."

Another special thank to Aunt Shauna for also sending this link to the Friend with another anecdote about John Porter Barnard.

We are so thrilled to have such an example of faith and endurance as baby John's namesake. John Barnard Wride, you have big things ahead of you.

John Barnard Wride

2010-05-12T18:49:00.002-04:00

Introducing the newest member of our family: John Barnard Wride

It's hard to believe that today he is already a week old. In some ways, I can hardly remember what it was like without this little man as part of our family. Time with a newborn is difficult to track.

To begin the introduction, a few of his very impressive stats:
Birth Weight: 10 pounds, 2 ounces
Height: 21 inches
Birthday: May 5, 2010 (5/5/10, Cinco de Mayo!!!)
Birth time: 5:33PM

He is loved by his whole family.

And, while there has been some adjustment with a new baby in the home, it is easy to see that his big sister Emma adores him.

John also has a special bond with his big brother Spencer, who regularly requests to hold his little bro.

John, we are so happy to have you as part of our family, and we like to think that you are happy about it too. You are one of the sweetest babies I've ever seen.

Roly poly

2010-05-12T12:49:00.005-04:00

Children never cease to amaze. When John was 4 days old, we put him on Emma's bed for a little tummy time. He promptly proceeded to roll over onto his back. He performed this feat repeatedly, and the camera was on hand to catch him in the act.

Today, I thought I'd try another round of tummy time - this time flat on the ground. You know, give him a chance to strengthen his neck muscles, etc. He had other ideas. That first round of rolling was no happenstance. Each time I put him back on his belly, he would lunge to one side and roll to his back - 4 times in quick succession.

(Is that boy not the sweetest little fella you've ever seen?)

I remember Emma did this same thing twice at her 2 week doctor's appointment. However, I cannot recall a repeat performance after that. Here she is showing John her rolling skills. She's still got it.

Feels like Christmas

2010-05-05T08:16:00.001-04:00

We're off to have baby #3. I had the hardest time sleeping last night because I am so excited! Check here for some pictures later. Hooray for baby Snicket!

Guess what I got for my birthday?

2010-04-22T21:39:00.002-04:00

April 3rd started off spectacularly. Any day that begins with a family breakfast in bed (I don't like to eat alone) shows some definite promise. Then, we were off to an Easter egg hunt with friends. That means happy kids. Finally, we got to spend the day listening to General Conference, which is a total bonus because it means we spend the day with family listening to uplifting messages. Then you add into the mix the fact that I have a husband who is the master of surprise.

That's right. Baby #3 is on the way and, after months of posturing to make sure I was convinced we were going to wait on making such a big purchase, Adam presented me with this on my birthday:

That's right. My dream car - complete with a big, red bow. He did tell me two days before that he had been looking for weeks and wanted me to have a chance to weigh in on such a big decision so we could pick the right minivan. We had looked at a few, and I loved this one. He did all the negotiating over the phone, got his dad to drive him down to the car lot, and managed to deliver this beauty on my actual birthday.

We loved exploring all the features and showing off the stow-n-go seats.

Is this guy the greatest, or what? Love you, babe. Eternity with you sounds like a really great idea.

Cherry Blossoms

2010-04-22T21:16:00.003-04:00

I love cherry blossom season. When I was growing up, there was a cherry blossom tree in our front yard, and I spent endless hours sitting in that tree. It was great for climbing, and I gathered many a bouquet from its branches. The cherry blossoms always come out around my birthday, which is a bonus. Last year, Adam and I took a trip downtown to enjoy the beautiful scene around the tidal basin. This year, we brought the kids and went with our friends, the Rasmussens. We packed a picnic, took a GREAT walk from our friends' apt in Arlington (right by Arlington cemetery, across Memorial Bridge, and down to the tidal basin), and ended the evening with a quick tour of the FDR Memorial.

Here are our friends, the Rasmussens...who have trained their children well how to smile nicely for photos.

Here's our family...not a single photo from the day has both kids smiling. Emma mostly does this funny forced smile these days. Spence was a sport to pose for the picture when he wanted to be playing freeze tag with the fellas. (Love you, bud).

Em humored me for a few more shots down by the blossoms. She likes it when we do things "'cause we're the girls." I love having this little lady in our family.

And kudos to Adam for being our photographer. He loves having a camera that snaps a shot per second, though sometimes the subjects start to wonder just how many photos we really need...

April Fool's Day

2010-04-22T21:11:00.002-04:00

Spencer has been looking forward to April Fool's Day for MONTHS. I'm not a big one for tricks, so while I helped provide some of the regulars (cup of water propped on a door, raisin in the toothpaste cap, paper in the sandwich), the task fell to Adam to pull something on Spencer that he wouldn't be expecting. He came up with a good one. The night before, Adam poured cereal and milk in the kids' bowls. Then, he put the bowls in the freezer. In the morning, he added a layer of fresh cereal on top with a little milk. Spencer was digging away trying to make sense of it. It was by far the best trick of the day...more fun still because we had our friends the Hazembullers in town to share in the fun.

GCF

2010-04-22T21:00:00.003-04:00

Gma W treated us to a super fun day at Great Country Farms with the cousins.

The kids did rope mazes...

jumped on the pumpkin pillow...

and played in the corn...

With each new activity, they seemed to be endlessly entertained. It was only when the adults suggested we keep exploring that they would move on to something new. What a great place!

And, I had to post this video so my sis-in-law can see cute Daniel. He was thinking the rope swings looked like fun. He ran up and managed to get some good rides in by sticking just his belly into the loop. Impressive feat!

Another Teenager in the Family

2010-04-22T20:52:00.002-04:00

March 28th, my sister Sarah became a full-fledged teenager. In the Cummings family, that particular milestone is accompanied by a rite of passage: you get to wear make-up. She looked gorgeous in some nice, natural toned make-up, but the best part is, she is pretty on the inside too.

Sarah and I have birthdays within a week of each other. I wanted her to be born right on my 16th birthday but cannot fault her for coming a little earlier. She is a delightful sister, and my kids LOVE having her as an aunt. Spencer is regularly planning play dates with Sarah, and Emma is always wanting Sarah to come and babysit her. We love how spunky she is and how she keeps us up to date on the latest goings on in the family. Also, she gets as excited as I do about our family beach week. We were definitely meant to be sisters, even if we didn't get to share a birthday.

Sister Celeste

2010-04-22T20:48:00.002-04:00

I'm behind in posting this news, but a few weeks back we got to be with my sweet sister Celeste as she opened her mission call. She read the whole letter out loud; it's powerful. She has been called by a prophet to preach the Gospel in the Denver, CO North mission. She will be teaching in the Spanish language. We are REALLY, REALLY going to miss her while she is gone, but that doesn't keep us from being super excited for her. We love you, Nessa!

Emma's Dance Recital

2010-03-27T21:58:00.005-04:00

Emma, instead of taking a swim class this Spring, got to take a 6-week creative dance class. My friend Emilee arranged to teach a class at her home. Emma asked for weeks ahead if it was time for her dance class and was SO excited when it finally started. The last class, we went to see what she had learned. Emma had a good show of support; Grandma, Grandpa, Grammy, Sarah, Trina, Jenny, Isaac, Lily, Spencer, Adam, and I were all there to see her show off her skills. She did great...although she got a little distracted when I picked up a friend's little one to hold him during the performance. That threw her off her groove. Still, it was adorable to see all these cute girls dancing around the room in their tutus.

Hanging with the Cousins

2010-03-27T21:44:00.003-04:00

We were super lucky to have our NYC cousins come down for two weeks of fun. Spencer and Maddie were in the same swimming class session at our local community center, and the twins took a swim class at the same time. Emma was too young to join in, but she had a blast watching and got in on all the out-of-the-pool fun.

We dyed Easter eggs together...

Maddie learned how to float without anyone holding on, and Spencer can go underwater with great confidence. Major milestones. We're so proud of you swimmers!

One of the days, we decided to take the kids to the Big Apple Circus. It was a great time! The circus was small enough that there wasn't a bad seat in the tent, but large enough to have variety in the acts. The kids loved it!

A trip to Baltimore

2010-03-27T21:42:00.002-04:00

A few weeks back (I know...I'm catching up again), Adam's cousin Kristin came to town...or close enough. She was checking out a conference location in Baltimore. The kids and Adam took the afternoon and drove down to meet up with her. Alas, it was my violin teaching day, so I couldn't tag along, but I have loved looking at the pictures. The kids LOVED the the Daddy time and the outing. Emma's comment on the return trip was, "Daddy, when can we invite Kristin for a play date?' She's always been a favorite. Thanks, Kristin, for entertaining my crew.

DT Friends

2010-03-27T21:35:00.002-04:00

When Adam was still at BYU and just after Spencer was born, I took a job as a Hall Advisor in Deseret Towers. It was the perfect job. For the most part, I could work with Spence at my side. When I had meetings, there were enough siblings and sibling-in-laws attending the Y to help babysit. Best of all, I worked with some AMAZING people. Two of them have ended up out here in VA, to our delight. After being snowed out in February, we had a fun Cafe Rio dinner reunion in March.

The husbands (love the look on Cory's face)

The HA alumni, each with baby #3 (mine is on the inside)

This crowd is definitely male dominant. Cory wins for best photo faces of the evening. He really showed these super heroes how it's done.

Emma was super happy to snuggle up to Brooke and Baby Natalie. She likes hanging with the boys, but a girl who dresses herself and wears mostly pink needs time with just the gals now and then.

Grammy's and Papa's Birthdays

2010-03-27T21:25:00.004-04:00

February is the beginning of birthday season. Dad's bday is on the 10th, and Mom's is on the 15th. This year, we gave edible presents.

For Dad, Macaroni Salad.

And for Mom, the kids helped me create this fabulous fruit bouquet.

We got together to celebrate with a family dinner as well. Jenny, Nathan, Isaac, and Lily surprised us all with a weekend trip from NJ. Our little contingent of the family had already decided to stay the weekend with the Cummings so we could be around for all the games and fun all weekend long.

Spencer worked really hard during our snow days to pose his plastic cowboy and indian guys in an elaborate "I Spy" book for Papa. He was really pleased to deliver the present.

We love you, Grammy and Papa!!

To all the Moms...

2010-03-22T21:05:00.002-04:00

This link is an absolute gem of motherly wisdom. An LDS mom of many (11 if I am recalling correctly) responds to questions. I feel like I am reading my own wonderful mother's council. I have this as a feed in my Google Reader, and it often provides a friendly hint, tip, or bit of encouragement that helps me in my quest to be a good, loving mother.

Thank you, Lori, for pointing me in the direction of this blog.

Emma's First Dance Class

2010-03-11T16:52:00.003-05:00

Emma is in the middle of a 6 week creative dance course, taught by a friend of mine who majored in dance at BYU and wanted to have a little more structure as she teaches her 3 year old about dance. We were happy to take part in the class. It's so much fun to see the little girls show up in their dance outfits. Emma was thrilled from the moment I told her about the class and asked daily if it was her dancing day. Here is a little video of some skills she came home with on the first day.

"You put peanut butter on this foot; you put jam on this foot, and you stick it." Have you ever heard anything cuter than that?

Just make sure you watch past the singing...

2010-03-07T10:26:00.002-05:00

If you read Nie, chances are you've already seen this video. If you missed it, well, it's too good not to share. Weird, wild stuff, I tell you.

Oh, what do you do in the wintertime...

2010-02-19T21:24:00.003-05:00

When the snow falls unceasingly...

We decided to make one of our snowed in afternoons into a cupcake party. Thanks to the foresight of the folks at Wegmans who thought to put Valentines cupcake mix and frosting on an endcap they knew I would walk by (and who put it on sale), we were well prepared for just such an activity. We invited the next door neighbors to join us, and they brought a few friends with them, so it was a merry gathering indeed. Here's the group with their works of edible art.

Texting while Driving

2010-02-12T16:10:00.002-05:00

A friend of mine sent me a sobering story about one individual who was texting while driving. Follow the link to see the video. Definitely worth the time it takes to view.

Okay...one more

2010-02-07T21:19:00.003-05:00

A friend of mine had a great idea this Fall. Instead of signing all our kids up for the county's soccer program, we put $10 towards buying t-shirts and trophies and got some dads to volunteer to coach our group of 10. We met once a week for practice, which ended in a scrimmage of sorts (or as close as you get with a team of 4-year-olds. Adam was the assistant coach, and Spencer found soccer practice to be a highlight of his week. Emma and I loved it too, since we got to hang out with the other soccer moms and kids.

Practices took place in the open area behind Grandma and Grandpa's house. It was SUCH a success that I think we are going to try t-ball in the Spring.

Halloween 2009 and the last of the binge blogging

2010-02-07T21:00:00.004-05:00

Halloween 2009 brought with it a series of celebrations. First, there was the preschool party, where Emma was thrilled to join Spencer in the dressing up, games, and treats.

Next, there was the ward party/trunk or treat. Here is our crew in costume. Adam and I even got in on the fun, dressing up as doctor and patient from the game Operation. Clever, eh?

Finally, we made a Halloween Day outing to Pumpkinville. It turns out that is a great way to beat the crowds. Almost no one was there, so we had the place virtually to ourselves.

We braved the hay ride with these fine folks. There had been a lot of rain, so the trailer nearly bottomed out in the mud ruts through which we drove. We were so glad the Lusvardis kept the tradition of coming out to go trick or treating and that the Aedos were able to join in for some Pumpkinville fun as well.

We made sure to get the traditional costume photo before heading out for trick or treat time. These little ones knew just how to do it!

Trick or Treat!

And, finally, no Halloween would be complete without stopping by to see Grandma and Grandpa...and pick up a few more goodies.

Stitches and Dancing

2010-02-07T15:00:00.005-05:00

Spence has some scar stories he'll get to tell the rest of his life, so it seems that we would be remiss not to document them here. His first round of stitches came back in October 2009 right before Adam and I left for Argentina. Fortunately, he was well cared for by a doctor who is a friend of ours, and grandparents in our absence. Round #2 came right before Thanksgiving (the Sunday before, in fact). Spencer was skating on the kitchen floor in his Sunday socks and rammed his head into a bench. It created an impressive hole, tearing through his eyebrow and even a layer of muscle; it was remedied only after 3 layers of stitches (15 total) in the emergency room.

In other news, Emma is our dancing queen. As soon as we started the Christmas music, she dubbed the rug in front of the computer, her "dancing rug" and regularly was found there rocking out to the tunes. A friend of mine is doing a dance class starting next week for 3 year olds and has invited Emma to take part. She talks about it regularly and tries on all the dance costumes she has in preparation for her class.

Thanksgiving 2009

2010-02-07T14:46:00.003-05:00

I'm bummed that I don't have a single photo of our most excellent Thanksgiving at the Wride's. Grandpa Barnard was in town for Thanksgiving this year, and we made sure to have graham crackers and milk with Great Gpa B, in keeping with tradition.

Another Thanksgiving tradition that started with Gpa B is the turkey trot. Turkey day found us making the rounds at the local middle school track. Daniel, it turns out, is quite the endurance runner. I think he ran 3 miles before tiring out. The rest of were a bit more leisurely in our athletic pursuits, but we did get the heart pumping and the appetites up for all the good food that followed. Before leaving the field, we even had a mini football game.

The Saturday after Thanksgiving, we went to see a production of "The Nutcracker" at the Kennedy Center. It was Maddie's first time going to the ballet, and she was fantastic. She has told Spencer he can go next year because by then HE will be 5. We also saw the McGanns, from our neck of the woods, at the performance. This was exciting because we made a mention in Eva's blog!

Candy Lane at Hershey Park

2010-02-07T14:32:00.002-05:00

In early December, we went up to Hershey, PA to visit our good friends the Jurgensmeiers. Darin is up there for his residency, and Linsy is one of my college roomies, so that is our original connection. They are some of our FAVORITE people, and we had a blast exploring Hershey Park with them. Spencer had a great time playing with Tate, and Emma loved helping baby Beau in any way possible.

Now, Jurgensmeiers, when can we convince you to come to VA for a visit??

Snuggies and Scooters

2010-02-07T14:28:00.003-05:00

Sometimes, you come upon a themed Christmas. This year's are worth a mention.

On the Wride side, all the grandkids got new scooters!

And on the Cummings side, it was a Snuggie Christmas. That's right - the blanket with sleeves!

Christmas 2009

2010-02-07T13:46:00.002-05:00

Let me tell you a little story. I married Adam, master of surprise (need proof? Just ask me about the details of our engagement story). I love Adam, and every time a gift-giving opportunity comes up, I think about how much fun it will be to get him the PERFECT gift and see that PERFECT moment when he opens the gift at the appointed time.

Well, I give up. I cannot succeed in surprising him. It is NOT meant to be. Seriously. Here's the recent track record...

A few years ago, Adam mentioned in passing that he would love to have one of the old Atari or Nintendo systems. I didn't make a big deal of it, but tucked that little piece of info away and started scouring ebay. We were in the early stages of entrepreneurial life (translation: no money), so I got creative and looked on Freecycle too. I had a few leads, but nothing came through. After months of searching, there it was: an original Nintendo system with a few games to boot! We were leaving town the next day for an extended stay with some CA relatives, so I engaged the help of my awesome mother-in-law to procure the package. She tucked it away to save it for Christmas. Six or seven months pass, and one Saturday evening in November while I am busy preparing a lesson for Relief Society, Adam decides he is going to do a good deed and goes up to clean out the garage so his dad can park the car inside since the mornings are frosty. He quickly returns, exclaiming, "Look what my mom has had all this time!" I look up to see him holding the box with the Nintendo, Super Mario Bros, Duck Hunt, Tetris, the controls...even that little gun thing. I am so distraught that he has discovered it that I can do nothing in the way of covering my disappointment. "Oops," he replies. "I wasn't supposed to find this, was I?" Fail #1

More time passes, and Adam's birthday rolls around. I decide to get him a Roku - which is a great little box that enables you to view Netflix "Watch Instantly" on your television. We have a tradition of family movie night that Adam started and all of us love, so it was, once again, a perfect gift. We had moved out of the Wride's basement, and since Adam works from home I made the stealthy decision to have his gift sent to the Wride's home instead of ours...just to avoid him answering the door when the package arrived. Well, we still go to the Wride's house for dinner once a week. You guessed it. The UPS guy just happened to have some late deliveries that summer day, and Adam just happened to be the one to answer the door, look at the label on the package, and immediately he saw the company name at the top: ROKU. "Um, Marie...I think this is for you." Fail #2

This Christmas, I decide to give it another go. Adam's work laptop is dying, and I know that it is one of his resolutions for the year to make a MAC his work machine, so I make the arrangements. His parents and I decide to go in together to get him a new laptop. I pick out the right one, hide all of the e-mails of confirmation and put Adam on strict orders not to check credit card statements or e-mail accounts. I again have the computer shipped to the Wride's house in hopes of better success this time. It arrives without Adam suspecting a thing. Then, one day in early December, he comes out from the office all cheery and announces, "Guess what! My boss is going to buy me a new laptop as a Christmas bonus! And I get to pick it out!" I try to summon up a normal, happy response because I really am quite proud of him. He works hard, and it is always good to be recognized for that...and OF COURSE I am happy to let his boss pay for the laptop since he's offering, but there it is. Fail #3. That night, we go over to the Wride's, and Adam gets to open his present early...

So, I have officially given up hope of trying to surprise Adam. However, that does make moments like this all the more cherished. He DID NOT expect this fun Argentine soccer jersey. See! An actual, legitimate look of surprise.

He was happy with the gift, and I was happy with the reaction.

Here is Spencer playing with the Geotrax Santa brought. It was hard to get him to pose for a picture. He was so intent on making new tracks and maneuvering the trains that we got more focused photos than anything.

This is Emma with a fun book from her cousin Maddie. This book combines her two great passions: books and music. It has a little piano at the bottom so you can play songs of your own or follow the music in the book to play the princess songs. It's been an absolute favorite!

Here's a little overhead of the Christmas morning extravaganza. I love spending Christmas with the Wrides. They are all great, giving people, and it is fun to celebrate with them. (In fact, we were having so much fun with everyone after staying over Christmas eve, we spent the next two nights on an air mattress in the basement just so we wouldn't miss out on all the good times!) Anyone for a repeat performance sometime soon? We miss you all!

Air and Space Museum

2010-02-07T13:37:00.002-05:00

Eager to find indoor outings that would get us all out of the house but enable us to stay out of the cold, we settled on a Wride family trip to the local Air and Space Museum. Spencer and Maddie had a good time matching the pictures on the descriptions of what we were seeing to the actual missiles, etc. on display. Harrison and Emma did a good job of running Grandpa through the paces in the rafters of the museum, and Emily did an awesome job of keeping up with Daniel and Ryan. (Emily - did I ever tell you, you're my hero???)

A grand time was had by all. A special thanks goes out to Brock, Kate, and Laura who, without the nudge of parental responsibility, played major roles in entertaining and keeping track of 6 children.

Johnson cousins

2010-02-07T13:16:00.003-05:00

Because the Cummings' home was quite full over New Year's, we got to play host to my sister Jenny and her family. She and Nathan live up in NJ and have two little ones: Issac and Lily. We stayed up REALLY late talking and laughing the first night, and had a great time with their family.

Here I am (I know...uber-prego looking, but this is baby #3) with my cute sis Jenny and her baby Lily.

Isaac was so happy to be reunited with his buddy Grandpa B. They spent a lot of time together when the Johnsons lived in UT, and that bond continues to be strong one. (Gpa used to serve Isaac muffins and grapefruit on a near-daily basis, so they share lots of good memories).

This is one of my favorite moments, captured on camera. My mom and dad really love being grandparents. When we all showed up at their house, they scooped up little Lily to get some cuddle time and both were a little teary-eyed to hold their sweet granddaughter again.

Once everyone had said their hellos, it was time for some more present opening. Christmas occurred in stages this year. Each time a new segment of the family would show up, it was time to open the gifts that were to and from those individuals. Here's a little snippet of the opening action.

And finally, another favorite picture from our visit with the Johnsons. Emma was so thrilled that she and Lily were "same, same" in their heart outfits. I can see these girls being close as they grow up. On the Cummings side, these are the only two girl cousins as of yet, and since it looks like our next baby is a boy...no reinforcements in sight.

New Year's Eve 2009

2010-02-07T12:06:00.004-05:00

Just a note for anyone who is just starting to read. I am binge blogging today in reverse chronological order.

New Year's Eve we split between our house and my parents'. We started with a day of games, food, and fun. Then we headed back to our place with the intent of putting the little ones down for bed so we could stay up and ring in the New Year. Cousins Isaac and Lily were quite cooperative...as was Emma. All three were tuckered out after a long day. Spencer, however, came down in his pajamas when the rest of the family showed up to continue the party. He remembered staying up last year to drink sparkling cider and stuff 12 grapes into his mouth at the stroke of midnight. When a 4 year-old kid has a memory this good, and his negligent parents let him stay up as a 3 year-old, what are they to do but repeat the pattern? So, Adam went off to Harris Teeter to buy some last minute party supplies (how could forget the grapes!), and we all put on our game faces until countdown time. The high school aged kids were all the at the New Years' dance, but we got to hang out with all of the grown kids. Aaron even joined us on his way home from working some crazy hours at a DC law firm, and Melinda's friend Breann hung out with us as well. (See...we are cool enough for college kids).

Games we played waiting for the New Year:
Operation
Don't Break the Ice
Rock 'em Sock 'em Robots
Uno
Condotierre
That one that starts with M...the one Sarah always wins

What else am I missing, gang?

Here's a quick snapshot of our group about to drink cider and eat grapes at midnight.

New Year's Day 2010: Picture Perfect

2010-02-07T11:28:00.005-05:00

We were lucky enough to see just about everyone on both sides of the family at some point during the holiday season. On the Cummings' side, it was never everyone at the same time, but I'm realizing that as the family continues to grow, that becomes more and more difficult. I am resolved to be happy seeing whoever we can, whenever we can. (Beach week, anyone???) I love being a part of this big Cummings clan.

New Year's Day, we celebrated by basking in laziness. We got together at the Clagett St. home for games, food, films, and fireworks. The film of choice this holiday was "Cranford," a recent BBC production and probably my favorite series. It's even giving "Pride & Prejudice" a run for top billing in my book - no small feat!

Here is the cast of characters (at least those who were able to be there at dinnertime):

Grammy and Papa

Michelle and Greg (the newlyweds)

Isaac, Nathan, and Jenny (sorry I caught you mid-blink, J)

Celeste, Trina, Joel, Sarah, Emma, and Adam

Grandpa Bezzant and Celeste

Heather and Melinda

Marie and Dan

Uncle Dan was an absolute favorite with all the nieces and nephews because of this fun game. Since it was cold and snowy out of doors, Uncle Dan became the indoor swing. Others took a turn to help with what would otherwise have been an incessant line of hopeful children, waiting for a turn.

Emma snuggles up to Dan to check out his Itouch. This girl LOVES technology, and she navigates tech toys with authority.

I love this photo. When we were outside to watch Aaron's South Carolina firework display, this group snuggled up. It represents the inseparables. Spencer tagged along with Trina pretty much all day, and I can count on one hand the number of times all week that I saw Greg and Michelle apart.

Grandpa Bezzant is a Christmas regular, and we wouldn't have it any other way. He's a mover and a shaker, this year tackling a Williamsburg/Jamestown/Yorktown trip with part of the fam. He's also about the smartest fellow I know, with an amazing memory for detail and ability to figure out how everyone he meets connects in some way back to the good folk of the San Mateo ward. He runs the Bezzant B&B in Orem and puts us up every time we visit Utah. LOVE you, Grandpa!

Another fun moment captured - Melinda, who is a musical genius by my reckoning, let Emma climb up to play piano with her and proceeded to play song after song at Emma's request (all by ear). We love you, Lin!

The Great Library

2010-02-07T10:38:00.003-05:00

Morning Update: Here is the end result of the kids' library project. These kids LOVE books! It reminded me that Emma's first word was, after all, "book."

Wride B&B

2010-02-07T10:27:00.003-05:00

One major benefit of living for in the Larsen home is that we get to entertain house guests! We had a fun visit from the Gardner family who moved away from our area last fall. Spencer and Emma got to spend a good amount of time with Cole (age 5) in particular since Cheryl and I served in the Relief Society Presidency together and would have weekly meetings. It was a very happy reunion for all. Spencer was SO sad when they had to go home, so we are hoping for a repeat visit soon. The Gardners know how to raise some really good boys. A big thank you to Jim and Cheryl who let Emma follow them around all weekend.

Emma, Cole, and Spencer

Adam, Marie, Kyle, Cheryl, Jim, Derek, Spencer, Emma, and Cole

We're still accepting reservations at the Wride B&B...let us know when you are coming!

Teeny tiny

2010-02-07T10:20:00.002-05:00

Emma is the earliest riser in our family. When I return from seminary, she has either woken the boys or waited to hear the garage door open to call out, "Mommy! I'm awake!" Some mornings, we are quiet enough that we have our morning girl time without waking Spencer up. This photo is from one of those mornings.

Lovie loves all things "teeny tiny." She also loves her babies. For Christmas, her cousin Lily gave her a "teeny tiny" pack-n-play, which is set right next to Emma's bed so she can put her babies to bed. This particular morning, Emma and I decided we would make pancakes for breakfast. Emma wanted "teeny tiny" ones for her baby, and I was only too happy to oblige.

My baby with her baby:

Play Dates

2010-02-07T09:50:00.003-05:00

Our kids are super lucky in that they have many good friends in our area and, particularly, in our congregation at church. A few fun playmates came over the other day for play dates, and I snapped some fun pictures.

Spencer and Luke in the midst of a marathon 5 1/2 hour play date. These two are amazing...they play WITHOUT argument. I kept checking in just to make sure things were still going well. They have the best imaginations and are similar enough in interest that when one suggests a change in their play, the other one always seems to think it is a good idea. We love Lukie.

This is a new development. My friend Sandra suggested we start getting our girls together for a weekly play date. I jumped at the chance since I had dropped the ball on being organized enough to do a co-op preshcool for Emmy this year. (There's always next year, right?) The girls have had a blast playing with all things pink. Remarkably, they both get along really well even though both have had to fend for themselves in the midst of only brothers. They are strong girls, and good friends. Sienna - thank you for being such an awesome friend! Emma loves having play dates of her very own. (The first time I dropped her off, she made sure to tell Spencer, "This is MY play date. You're not coming." Too often, Emma is the one left in the car while Spence runs in to a friend's house. The tables are finally turning in her favor.)

In the absence of outside friends, my two kids play like the best of buddies. Most mornings (after breakfast - food makes a big difference in the level of peace), I am amazed at how well they take turns. Spencer is a very protective brother; he takes such good care of Emma and has such creative ideas for play. Emma, in turn, likes to tag along and mother him when permitted. Emma is more of an independent spirit while Spence requires a companion before he will venture to another floor of the big house we currently occupy. Emma is happy to oblige. At present, they are upstairs. Already this morning they have made a tent out of chairs and a blanket, set up a library by putting books between the rungs in the banister that lines the stairs, and at any moment I expect them to break into one of their other standard games: jet planes, flap-flap (where they pretend to be birds and jump off stairs to fly), or doggy. (Emma goes by the name "teeny tiny pink puppy," and Spencer by "Woof-woof").

I love these kids!

Before and After

2010-02-07T09:27:00.003-05:00

Since church is canceled today due to inclement weather, I decided I'm going to invest a little time in recording some of our family stories. I'll work backward from present day and see how far I get, given that all the usual distractions are still hovering around. (Have I mentioned before that my kids LOVE the computer...especially when I am on it). For the moment, they are happily engaged in what has become a ritual Sunday morning activity: watercolors. Spencer, per custom, is still in his pajamas, while Emma has donned her pink shirt and skirt. She refuses to come down for breakfast until fully dressed for the day. In addition, she picks out her own clothes and most of the time matches quite nicely. She has strong opinions in these matters, so if you see her in a lime green skirt and pea green shirt...just go with it. They are both green - therefore, they match, and she will readily remind you of that fact.

Watercolors have ceased to be captivating, so in an effort to involve the kiddos, we'll post their commentary with the pictures that follow.

Emma: "That's Emma and Spencer and a bag. So, there's tigers in that place, and Lukie was in that place. So, that's it. Do another picture, Mommy!" (My addition: Spence and Emma were so cute when we were getting ready for Spencer's preschool carpool one day that I decided to take picture. They were snuggled up on the carseat booster. Little did I know this would become the "Before Preschool" picture. Scroll down to see the "After" one.)

AFTER preschool, this is what greeted me at the doorway. My friend Meagan dropped off the kids. Her son Luke is one of Spencer's best buddies, and we took the opportunity to take a little photo of the tiger cubs. Spencer loved this look SO much that he slept with it on so he could show everyone the next day. We even skyped with a few family members at Spencer's request so we could share his look. When Emma woke up from her nap, Spencer ran in to greet her. She was terrified that we had sent a boy to preschool and that he came back a tiger. She wouldn't let him within a 10 foot radius for a full half hour. After that, she adjusted nicely to having a tiger for a brother and they played out their stories for the rest of the day.

Spencer: "Once upon a time, Spencer got painted as a tiger. I did it at preschool. And I, Spencer, played with Luke. We were playing with tiger cars. Really deep in the bucket (at preschool), there are some tiger cars. GROWL! SNARL!!!
(We need some video to capture how truly he has mastered the tiger sound).

Snow Apocalypse 2010

2010-02-06T17:01:00.005-05:00

That's how it's being referred to: a snow apocalypse. Record-breaking snow for the second time this winter. We have a hearty 2 feet on the ground here in our neck of Northern VA - more in between houses and places where the storm from earlier this week hadn't yet melted. We're making the best of it, though. Adam and the kids have shoveled a maze around the driveway and are at present playing hide and seek WWI style - in the trenches. Since I'm 6 months preg-o, I'm off shovel duty this round and have been the official photographer and soup-maker.

The neighbors and snowblowers are out now that our 36 hours of straight snowfall has finally come to a close. I like how a big storm brings us all a little closer together. Too often, we become too busy within the walls of our own homes to spend any face time with the folks up the street. Adam's already helped push one adventurous neighbor up the street. We're going to be staying close to home for the next while; no chance of our little Toyota Corolla making it up the hill at present.

Here are a few photos of our snowy day (in no particular order, since I don't feel like fighting that blogger battle):

Noteworthy consequences of this snowstorm:
-VA governor Bob McDonnell has declared VA to be in a state of emergency
-A good chunk of our ward was without power starting at 5AM. Ours flickered off briefly, but we were lucky enough to have heat all day.
-Loudoun County has already canceled school for Monday and Tuesday. (This coming Tuesday, we are supposed to have ANOTHER snowstorm, so who knows when school will be back in? Spencer didn't go to preschool at all last week since Monday was a teacher work day, Wednesday we were out because of last Tuesday night's snow, and Friday school was canceled because this granddaddy of a storm started at 10AM...and just stopped a few minutes ago.)
-We realized that as part of our emergency preparation, we need a basic phone that plugs directly into the phone jack and requires no additional power. When checking in with several friends, we weren't able to get through on land lines because we all have cordless phones.
-One of our bathtubs upstairs is full of some "just in case" water. Gross thing is that it looks like pool water (a strange blue tint). We'll be using our water pitcher with the charcoal filter more faithfully after this. (Don't worry - the bathroom door is locked to prevent any potential safety hazard from the little ones).

Famous Folks in Loudoun County

2010-01-07T19:42:00.004-05:00

Over Christmas break, we went with the entire Wride clan to see "The Princess and the Frog." A little too much voodoo for my tastes, but a fun film overall. As we were exiting the theater, we saw several members of the Leesburg Ward...and if that wasn't fun enough, Sinbad was there with what appeared to be HIS entire extended family.

Adam convinced me that it was poor form to snap a secret photo, but said if I asked first it was okay. There were others doing both, but I let the opportunity pass. However, as we headed to our car, we came across this car:

which had this license plate:

So, to verify our famous person sighting in the middle of Broadlands, I took a picture of Sinbad's fancy Escalade. There you have it, folks; Loudoun County is the place to be. At least, Sinbad and I think so.