September

Elizabeth has been having really bad leg cramps that wake her up at night.  We tried everything to help her and heat seemed to work so together we made some heating packs.  She liked putting the rice in, and soon just began playing with the rice.  I learned that sewing around rice is hard and so all the lines are crooked but it does the job.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Elizabeth LOVES to sing and she has lately been making up her own songs.  She likes to stand on a bench and use it as a stage.  She always bows after her songs.  It is super cute. (So is her love for her brother- pictures all the same day).

 

 

 

 

 

Elizabeth, James and I all got bad head colds in September.  The kids got better quickly but my head cold lingered for three weeks; every day I would say, if I am not better tomorrow I will go to the doctor but I never did.  While I was sick Elizabeth and Ben went to a party and a Rockies game; they always have a lot of fun.

On September 19,  we went to the Baldpate Inn in Allen's Park with my parents; it was a late celebration of Mom's birthday and an early celebration of mine. It is always wonderful and the food tastes delicious.  We were a little disappointed at the lack of color in the mountains.  It turns out that there was a type of beetle (or something) that ruined all of the aspen, so we were missing our beautiful yellow/gold mountains. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This year I turned 29! It was kind of an emotionally hard year for me because I am now officially older than Aaron when he passed away.  It is hard to know that my life is progressing, changing and aging and that he is not.  I have kids, hopefully will have more kids, will watch them grow up and will one day have grandkids.  He doesn't have these opportunities in front of him.  It is a different type of finality and loss to me this year and it made me a little sad and gloomy. 

However there was one especially wonderful moment on my birthday, when we got to go and see Jasen as he flew to the MTC to serve for two years in Fiji.  It was so amazing to see him and to see how he suddenly seemed transformed from a silly teenage boy to an amazingly powerful and confident adult.  He was so excited and so confident and it was wonderful to be able to see him again before he left.  He was able to meet James, although he cried or slept most of the time, and to spend more time with Elizabeth (so hopefully she will remember him, maybe, when he gets home). 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After gruelingly slow traffic on the way home we made it home for some Chipotle with Ben and cheese cake with Mom and Dad.  Ben and the kids got me some new exercise clothes, I got some kitchen stuff from the Newson's and I got a blender from Mom and Dad.  Although I was sad, it was wonderful to be surrounded by loved ones.

I started making smoothies with the blender I got from Mom and Dad for my birthday.  Elizabeth likes to help me make them, but doesn't like to drink them as much.

 

 

Speaking of smoothies, here is a facebook post from October 13: 

Diaper bag hiked up on shoulder, baby screaming in car seat, toddler being a toddler, bend down to pick up the carseat and the diaper bag flips up over my back/head spilling my breakfast shake all over my hair, back, down my leg and the floor. Going to get a towel I brushed past the toddler and got smoothie, from my sweater, all over her face and hair. I guess we are doing laundry and cleaning the carpets today.

Another big thing that happened in September is that Ben went and took the GMAT (the test needed to get into Grad School).  A little over a year ago he took an online course to prepare but life got crazy and he didn't end up taking the course.  He has thought about it since and never taken it, so he just decided to try and see how he did.  He did not do as well as he wanted to but he now knows what to expect and has gotten a little more motivation.  Now we just have to decide if he wants to go to Grad School.