Hi Milo!

First things first. You will be shocked. Not shocked if you know me, but shocked if you know Tyler. But we got a dog!! His name is Milo. His family was moving to Japan for several years, and they were looking for a good home for him. He's 1.5 yrs old, a miniature schnauzer, and is already house trained and came with everything too. He also is supposedly hypoallergenic. It's weird because he's not a puppy, but it's a good thing. Although puppies are cute, they're a lot of work. Milo just hangs out with all our craziness all day. Here he is on our couch with Jayne, his former owner when she dropped him off last night. :) There are more pics soon. I can see I'll have to photoshop those eyes every time. It still doesn't seem real..


This was the day we got Milo. He didn't arrive until night time, so the girls as usual, stripped naked, got the markers out and were screaming in a box. I think they made up some sort of game. Sometimes I feel like I live in the garden of Eden.

Smile like a princess!

Another one I liked in our stairway. You can tell how narrow it is :)
Showing off

Our beautiful girl. When did she get so big? (sniffle sniffle)

"lips"

Thanks Am for taking them!

Christmas Photos

More coming, but I couldn't resist. Oh, and if you're getting a cmas card, this is the picture you're getting. I spoiled the surprise, I know.

The Family: A Proclomation to the World

In 1995 our church issued a statement that was a declaration, and reaffirmation, of the doctrines and principles that are vital to the happiness and well-being of every family. As members, we are encouraged to study it and live by its precepts.

With all the Prop 8 stuff going on and a lot of personal things that are going on, I thought I should post it. It is VERY helpful for me to rely on this as a standard for what I believe and how I will raise my family. I have italicized key points for me. This is not for anyone I know personally, just something I feel very strongly about posting. Please please, consider what it says. There are good families out there who would give anything to have a child in their home. http://www.providentliving.org/ses/birthmother/searchprofiles/0,12268,2133-1,00.html (Click on link to search for families who want to adopt kids :)

This is a religious statement. If you are not religious, or are strictly a "constitutionalist," this probably will hold no bearings on what you believe. I am not posting this to argue or to make anyone upset. I simply want to state what I believe, besides, it's my blog, I can do what I want. :) ha. I do not post this in judgement of anyone, if you know me you know that I am a very tolerant person (probably to a fault). Like I've said before, this is for me personally and our family.

“We, the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children.

“All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.

“In the premortal realm, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshiped God as their Eternal Father and accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize his or her divine destiny as an heir of eternal life. The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave. Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally.

“The first commandment that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife. We declare that God’s commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force. We further declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife.

“We declare the means by which mortal life is created to be divinely appointed. We affirm the sanctity of life and of its importance in God’s eternal plan.

“Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. ‘Children are an heritage of the Lord’ (Psalms 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, to teach them to love and serve one another, to observe the commandments of God and to be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations.

“The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity. Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities. By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners. Disability, death, or other circumstances may necessitate individual adaptation. Extended families should lend support when needed.

“We warn that individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse spouse or offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God. Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.

“We call upon responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society” (Ensign, Nov. 1995, 102).

For more information go to www.mormon.org

:)

I don't want a Hippopotamus for Christmas

This is what I really want. Mary's Heart.

Maybe if my freelancing and Shade stuff picks up I'll be able to get it...

There's also one on eBay for $6,000 (buy it now price), signed and numbered. You can also bid on it. You think they'd be offended if I offered $500?

I just think it's so beautiful and inspiring.
:)

Christmas Coupons

I'm finally getting around to completing (and I guess, starting) our Christmas shopping. When money is tight, I suggest googling the store's name with "coupon codes" after it. (example: babiesrus coupon codes) Very rarely will nothing show up. I probably saved $100 this way on various items today! I always do this before I purchase something online.

It's Christmas Time in the City

This Sunday was the annual Rochester Christmas Parade. Thankfully we avoided the entire thing by leaving for Church at 11:55 a.m. and returning at 4:30 p.m. I don't have anything against parades, it's just that typically we don't do anything that would require people to "work" on Sundays. Most all parades are on Sundays. Restaurants, shopping and movies are done on Saturday so we have a day to gear up and relax before the new week starts. Also the location of our house is on one of the closed streets so to get anywhere we have to take a huge detour. If you know me at all you know I would rather do anything than stand outside in the freezing cold.



The City of Rochester also does a great job with the Christmas lights. Every year each building downtown is covered entirely with lights. This also means every night there is a ton of traffic from visitors. It's really a genius idea, and has done wonders for the downtown area in a time when businesses are surely struggling.

Other adventures from the Paxton's:
-Tyler had his U of M interview last week. It went well, but once again, we have no idea of anything until Jan.
-Tyler got an interview with BYU, which is going to be next week via telephone.
-I broke an entire bottle of hot sauce as it rolled out of the fridge and onto the floor. Messy. Who put it in the wrong spot, anyway?
-Ava has been talking a ton. Mostly about princesses and Cinderella (still). We had to discuss the fact that it wasn't going to be Halloween anymore, it's going to be Christmas. And there's no trick or treating, rather, Santa.
-Tyler, Violet and I have all been battling colds
-We ate at Inspired Dining tonight. It was alright, but if you're really into eating organic, it's probably heaven-sent that you have a place to eat out. www.mindbodyspirits.com
-Thankfully there have been no more paint or crayon incidents, although our carpet in the basement now sports a collection of black, blue, yellow and green paint. I think Tyler and I have strategically thrown away or put away all writing and painting supplies.

Whew!!

Two Tags

I got tagged a while ago by someone, but don't remember who. If you tagged me and I didn't do it .. let me know :)

RULES:
1. Post rules on your Blog.
2. Answer the six "8" items.
3. Tag 8 other people.

8 FAVORITE SHOWS: *The Biggest Loser* The Office * Project Runway *American Idol *24* Top Design *Bounty Hunter (I can't think of any more)


8 THINGS I DID YESTERDAY * Laundry *Babysat *Ate frozen pizza *Changed Diapers *Turned the heat up to 70 *Turned the heater on in the basement *Talked to my mom on the phone *Made the bed


8 THINGS I LOOK FORWARD TO *Having another baby *Tyler getting into school *Violet being potty trained *Sleeping *Moving out of Michigan *Getting more organized *Ava going to preschool *Christmas morning


8 FAVORITE RESTAURANTS *George's Coney Island *CPK *Kruse & Muir *Inspired Dining (an organic place) *Take Sushi *Macaroni Grill *Bravo *Mr. B's (for their pizza)


8 THINGS ON MY WISH LIST (I haven't started my cmas list, so this will be a stretch .. so I'll just put my dream list) *Twin white pottery barn beds for the girls *An ikea closet *A new bedroom set for us *Some nice sweaters *Dark jeans *Nonfiction books *A trip to Paris (yes, I want to go back!) *An iPod docking station for the kitchen

1- What is your favorite Christmas song? Anything Celine Dion
2- When was your most memorable Christmas? It's a toss up between last year - when we were in PA for our first cmas with two - and the year before when we were in UT with Ava and expecting Violet

3- What is your favorite Christmas treat? Pie
4- What do you dislike most about the Christmas season? Impending January

5- What do you like best about the Christmas season? Church

6- Who is the hardest person to shop for on your Christmas list? My dad.
7- If you could receive one gift without money being an issue, what would it be? I think I covered this prior, but maybe a nice vacation
8- What is your idea of a perfect Christmas Eve. Snow, food, good friends and family

9- Which do you like best, eggnog, or hot chocolate? Eggnog

10- Do you prefer a fancy Christmas tree, or one decorated by the kids? Fancy

11- What is your favorite family Christmas tradition? We don't really have anything specific yet, but we usually do one family on cmas eve, another family on cmas day, and then catch up after. The girls will wake up with one or two presents unwrapped from santa

12- Do you like fruitcake? I don't like nuts in baked goods, so no
13- Do you prefer skiing or snowboarding? Snowboarding

14- Are you dreaming of a White Christmas, or do you say “Bah Humbug” to snow? White Christmas.

15- What was your favorite gift from Santa when you were a child? American Girl Doll
16- What is your favorite Christmas movie? Home Alone

17- Have you ever eaten snow? Yes.

18- Who do you wish could be with you this Christmas? Tyler's family

19- When do you put up your Christmas lights and decorations? Thanksgiving weekend

20- Real or artificial Christmas tree? Ideally, real, but in reality we have 2 fakes. One for the porch and one for inside.

Tagging anyone and everyone!

The sun was shining

The sun was shining so I thought I would take a couple pictures of the girls playing on the table. Which they're not supposed to do.



I actually straightened Ava's hair. It's always soo all over, and she said she wanted me to after I had mine done. It was a bonding moment.
My sad attempt at trying to get a picture with both them smiling.

:)

Adoption Recommendation Letter

Friends of ours are trying to adopt their 6th child (4 of 5 are adopted). I sort of like what I came up with this morning :)

November 26, 2008

To Whom it May Concern:

We are writing to fully recommend the Deena and Andrew Kastello as adoptive parents. As parents ourselves, we understand the commitment and vision it takes to raise children with love and a strong sense of individual worth. My husband and I had the opportunity to watch four of the Kastello’s children for a weekend while they were at a wedding. During those few days we were able to understand how their children all are so unique, yet fit together because of what Deena and Andrew have taught them. We also realized the time commitment and exceptional physical and mental strength that Andrew and Deena have every day to raise a large family. It was clear the Kastellos have fostered their individuality and will stop at nothing to give each of their children the best chance of having a healthy, loving home. They embrace change and philosophy that the more love in the home, the better.

Deena guides each of her children based on her love for them, solemn prayer, and invaluable life experiences to help them be the best they can. She inspires her children and all those she comes in contact with to embrace all that life can give them. Andrew also brings strong, unique characteristics to the family. He has overcome challenges to pursue a medical degree. By committing to medical school, and following through with it, he has demonstrated that persistence pays off. His children recognize his sacrifices and what it takes to be successful.

Together they are exemplary parents. They are role models for our family and we will never forget the impact they have had on us as parents. In their home there is a remarkable feeling of love for everyone who enters its doors. Everyone who I come into contact with that has been at their home and met the Kastellos feels the same way. Deena and Andrew have both felt that there are more children that are supposed to be in their home for some time, and have been eagerly preparing for when that opportunity arises.

It is our hope and prayer that the desires of their hearts are met, and they are blessed with the opportunity to adopt another child. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Best Regards,

Sarah and Tyler

(Edited July 4, 2009) Please also see comments, and feel free to comment!

I still love this letter. After trying to add to our family for some time we too are in the process of pursuing adoption. It has led me to reflect upon what steps I took to write an effective letter in hopes it may help someone else:

-Say a prayer that Heavenly Father will help clear your mind and write the things in your heart.

-Write from your heart, don't agonize over every word. Time is of the essence because there is sooo much paperwork to do.

-Make sure you say with a qualifier how you recommend the couple.

-Write about your relationship with the adoptive couple. What qualifies you to write this letter? What qualities do you admire in them? How do you know they will care for and provide for the child? How will they raise their children?

-Are there any hobbies or passions that set apart this couple from the rest of the perspective adoptive parents?

-Describe how they interact with their children, or with the children around them.

-Describe the feelings you get when visiting their home. How do other people feel in their home?

-Keep it to one page. You may have to just cut some things out or be satisfied if your letter is only half a page. The most important part is writing from the heart!

I've been distracted

I've been really distracted lately, hence no blogging. I guess there's been a lot going on. So here's a quick recap.


Ava licking the batter off of a beater for the 12 dozen frozen molasses cookies I made for a cookie dough exchange. This is the best holiday exchange ever! You're not stuck with a million cookies you have to use right away, and you can even use them as little drop off gifts. All you do is invite 11 people over who each agree to make 12 dozen cookie dough balls. Each dozen is in a separate bag with the cookie recipe. Then you all meet for lunch or just quickly one morning or afternoon, and pick one bag of cookies from each person. Of course, you get one dozen of the cookies you made. Just make sure you put them in a freezer asap so they stay in balls and not a mushy mess. :) It's Tyler's favorite holiday activity if eating them counts.


Violet suffering through four molars all coming in at once. Hey, it's what you get for not getting teeth until you're 18 months old!

I should photoshop this picture so you can see exactly where Ava's letters are for her name, but she wrote her entire name, all 3 letters in the correct order for the first time!!! She wanted me to write Eli's name (her best friend other than Morgen), and then she wrote her name underneath. You can see her upside-down A's and then the V is half-erased sort of next to the I. She was very proud when she got to hold it and I took her picture.

For the rest of the week she went on a coloring spree. The walls (yes, there were little people and A's on the newly-bright white molding), floors, feet, face, sheets and bedding. Last night after she colored on and ripped holes in our down comforter ... we went through the whole house and picked up all the writing utensils and put them on top of the fridge.

This of course was after earlier in the day when her and Violet got out a muffin tin and filled it with an entire container of salt, half a container of ground ginger and all the yellow and blue food coloring. Apparently they were cooking. I was trying to be a good wife and iron Tyler's shirts. I promptly put the stool that they constantly fight over and use to climb on the counters outside with the SNOW.

Yes, it's been snowing for about a week now. It's been cloudy and gray. I always struggle this time of year because of the ever-present grayness.

Tyler Quotes:
"Check your email" - He got an interview with U of M's MBA program!!! YEAH! I cried.
"Did I ever tell you about the time I slept on top of a wardrobe?" - Classic ...

Grad School

Many of you know that Tyler is in the process of applying to grad school to get his MBA. It's been an arduous process, with many long nights filling in essays, organizing recommendations, etc. Tyler has applied to four: Stanford, BYU, UC Berkeley, and U of M. And is still going to get one in to UCLA. It's very weird waiting for the day that your life could potentially change. We don't expect to hear a word until Late Dec/Jan., and just read today that BYU's ranking in Business Week has been upped to 22nd for 2009! That's great news. Plus, they're increasing the MBA class size. Let's hope they're able to forgive his "sins" freshman year of almost flunking out. The other rankings by Business Week also increased Stanford and U of M's average GMAT scores (yikes and yes, Tyler's below that average, not by much though).

We're really hoping for Stanford - really, really hoping.

SAHM

Some of you will quickly know what this acronym means. For others it may be a little foreign. In a nutshell, it's short for stay at home mom. For almost three years I have been a SAHM. Some people greet this new calling with excitement, for others it may bring apprehension, for others it may be the hardest thing ever begun. After three years I think I'm finally to the point where I can say I'm used to being a SAHM and really, really thankful for it. Can you believe it took this long? Today when I made play doh for the girls, made them lunch, made them breakfast, went to the grocery store, put on their little boots and coats, and even put Ava in time out, I am so thankful I am the one that is able to do this. I am able to spend this special time with them and no one else. I am thankful I can teach them what it means to fulfill their ultimate calling by my example. (Yikes!)

Frankly, before I had Ava it was all I could do to go to work and sit at my desk. I was really, really bored. Although I liked what I did, I didn't really like the corporate environment. I think I'm more an independent person and want to do what I want to do. After I came home with Ava I remember thinking, is this it? All my baby does is lay there! Eight months later I was pregnant again and exhausted and in pain every day. Pelvic bone pain is the worst! But as soon as little Violet was born I had to adjust again to the rhythms of bring a mom of two girls. Now that they're growing up - I tear up at least once a week because they're getting so old - I am cherishing each day a little more. I am thankful I get to multitask and be a crazy, laundry-hating, cook, therapist, behavior coach, nutritionist, nurse, driver, stylist and wife. I love being able to be the one completely responsible in all these areas so they are safe and healthy. I love reading and researching the different stages of life and being able to pray and read the scriptures, sing, dance, cook, walk, play, laugh and cry with them.

All in all, any job or career takes practice, and it's taken three years, but every moment has been worth it.

Yes, I read it too.

I'd committed to reading Twilight before the movie came out so I could see it with some friends from Church. It was a fun book. I read it in two days. :)


Take the Quiz and Share Your Results!

Little paleontologists

The "local" dinosaur in Rochester Hills is a Mastodon. While digging up the ground for a new Wal-Mart a Mastodon skeleton was found a few years ago. Mastodon lived in green, marshy areas, unlike the dry rocky areas some of the better-known dinosaurs lived in. There is a little nature center in Troy, the next city over, that has some fun rocks and casts of the bones kids can dig. It was perfect for kids Ava and Violet's age.

Ava was a fearless climber and climbed all over these huge (fake) boulders. It was probably at least 10 feet up. I would have never done that.

I really wanted to get a picture of Violet's face because lately all you can see is her head as she moves quickly from one place to another. So here she is with her brush, ready to discover some bones!

After we were done inside, there are some short trails in the back. We walked all around, and Violet got her first official bee sting. I had to pull the stinger out of her finger. Yuk! She seemed ok though her finger and a small part of her hand were swollen.

Happy Halloween

Hope you all got lots of candy.
Love, Cinderella and Tinkerbell




Tyler and I as Marilyn and Jack Bauer. I more or less just wanted the wig to see what I would look like platinum blond. It was fun.

Poisoned Profits

I love nonfiction books. I love finding out other people's point of view and reading about their travels, life experiences or research. The latest book I read is called Poisoned Profits: the toxic assault on our children.

Ok, so the title is a little scary, I know. You should know that most authors do not title their own books, editors do, so I'm chalking up this title to that. But you should also know how AMAZING this book is. I hope all of my blog readers go to their library or book store and check this out. This is especially interesting for any parent, soon-to-be-parent, or anyone interested in the environment or learning disabilities.

I first found out about Poisoned Profits on NPR. Diane Rehm was interviewing the authors and critics of the book. It was a very interesting - and sometimes heated- conversation.

Essentially the book is presented like a trial would be, with evidence, defense, witnesses for the defense, victims, and justice chapters. The authors are particularly interested in how chemicals affect our children, because most research, public policy and warning labels only apply to adults. Children, and children in-utero are much more susceptible to environmental factors. This book explores this point.

I used to think the placenta filtered out much of the chemicals the mother is exposed to, but this book said no, that a ton of chemicals are still found in babies umbilical cords, meaning that the placenta cannot filter out these chemicals. This book talks about which chemicals are particularly harmful, and where they can be found. (pesticides, water, food, air, etc.)

The authors are journalists, so they write very factually. As a former professional writer I appreciate this! It's annoying when the writers blatently put their bias into articles, because you don't hear the evidence, only the emotion. This book is not like that.

Some of the effects of these chemicals in animal testing have shown:
-autism like symptoms
-ADHD, ADD like symptoms
-non hodgkins lymphoma
-cancer
-tumors
-birth defects
-learning disabilities

If you're interested in learning more about what this book talks about, their website is:
http://www.poisonedprofits.com/solutions.php?page=2

The best part is the solutions page, which I have linked to. It gives a list of great websites and awareness-type information. If you read this book, let me know how you like it!

You can see the cover on my shelfari to the left. I will never be the same after reading this book.

I've got a crush

I've never been a huge James Bond fan, but I am secretly in love with Daniel Craig - the only blond James Bond. Well, now that I'm blogging about it I guess it's not so secret. Sigh. Go see Quantum of Solace Nov. 14! YEah!

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1024524313/

A picture for you

If Ava could draw you a picture, it would look like this. Her drawings have gone from scribbles, to circles, to faces, to now, people! You can find these everywhere in her little coloring area. On the table and on every piece of paper in sight. Each one has eyes, eyebrows(!), arms, legs, nose and hair. As you can see to the right I've been trying to get her to learn how to write her name. She just enjoys drawing circles and these little people too much. I draw dots to connect, but somehow they just end up circles. She can sing her ABC's, and has told me how to spell her name once, but I think it will just take time.

"I cutting my hair"

Yes, when a little girl has learn to cut and watches mommy cut daddy's hair an inevitable experiment is about to take place. Thankfully there was just a small section of hair cut, but it looks like a lot when it is on a white sheet! I think she was going for the "short on one side, long on the other side" look. So fashionable. We'll see if I can still put it up for Halloween.

Blake's Cider Mill and Orchards

Tyler's work had discount tickets to a somewhat local orchard and cider mill. This was our Saturday.
The closest thing I got to a picture of both of them. Violet was headed straight toward me so I would pick her up.
Violet
Ava's pose with a pumpkin. She's not going to be a model, I'll tell you that much. I asked her if she wanted a round one or a tall one and she said, "A big one!" So we got a big one.
Sleeping in the car with a doughnut carefully held mid-air.
Tyler carving the pumpkin.

The hill of hay. Violet didn't want to sit on this either.
Ava posing as a pig.

Looking at some farm animals.
Violet passed out for about an hour and a half until it was time to go. It was funny.
Still sucking on those fingers. Hope there wasn't any e-coli from the petting zoo or hay or anything. Oh well.

Deliberate plagerism

Tyler found this and thought it was funny. It's totally true.


> YOU MIGHT BE FROM MICHIGAN IF.......
>
> 1.You've never met any celebrities.
> (although I have .. Steven Tyler (Aerosmith), Cypress Hill (a looong time ago), and Oasis)

> 2."Vacation" means going to Cedar Point.
>
> 3.At least 1 member of your family disowns you
> the week of the Michigan/Michigan State game.
>
> 4.Half the change in your pocket is Canadian.....eh!
>
> 5.You drive 86 mph on the highway and pass on the
> right.
(True, true, true)
>
> 6.Your idea of a traffic jam is 40 cars waiting
> to pass an orange barrel.
>
> 7.You know how to play (and pronounce)Euchre.
>
> 8.It's easy to get VERNORS Ginger Ale, Sanders Hot
> Fudge sauce, AND Faygo Pop.
>
> 9.You know how to pronounce "Mackinac."
>
> 10.You've had to switch on the "heat" and the
> "A/C" in the same day.
>
> 11.You bake with SODA and drink a POP.
>
> 12.The movie "Escanaba in Da Moonlight" wasn't
> funny. You consider it a documentary.
>
> 13.Your little league game was snowed out.
>
> 14.The word "thumb" has geographical, rather than
> anatomical, significance.
>
> 15.You show people where you grew up by pointing
> to a spot on your left hand.
>
> 16. Traveling coast-to-coast means driving from
> Port Huron to Muskegon.
>
> 17.You measure distance in minutes.
>
> 18.When giving directions, you refer to "A Michigan
> Left."
>
> 19.You know that Kalamazoo not only exists, but
> isn't that far from Hell.
> (There really is a town called Hell, Mi)
> 20.Your year has 2 seasons: Winter and Construction.
>
> 21.Home Depot on any Saturday is busier than toy
> stores at Christmas.
>
> 22.You know when it has rained because of the smell of
> worms.
>
> 23.Owning a Japanese car was a hangin' offense in your
> hometown.
>
> 24.You believe that "down south" means Toledo.
>
> 25. You get used to see **** droppings on your car windshield from
> seagulls no matter how far from the lake the inland parking lot is.
(I'm going to change this to Canadian Goose poo ... and on the sidewalk, not car windshield)
>
> 26. Can never understand why bird lovers want to protect those pesky,
> smelly Canadian geese.
>
> 27. When an inquisitive co-worker asks you why you bought a large SUV your
> answer is: We have an over-population of deer in my town.
>
> 28. Only a Michigander can plan in mowing his lawn during the summer
> months at 10PM at night because there's still sunlight out there.
>
> 27. A good Michigander knows that no matter what...I-75 will be under
> construction somewhere.

If we had a boy

Introducing, Braxton Paxton! (jk) we would never name our poor boy Braxton.
A friend (thanks Sierra!) did this on her blog so I thought it would be fun if I did it for a boy since we already know what two genetic variations of a girl would look like. The two pictures I picked are terrible, don't look too closely. One was our Christmas picture last year and the other one I was pregnant with Violet. Who knew we'd have a red-head!!?

Our front yard

One of my favorite parts about living in Michigan is the fall. We have a large maple tree in our front yard that gets bright red leaves. This is the third fall we have lived in our house and each year I just wish the fall would last longer. All down our road and throughout the small, quaint downtown area we live in these trees line the streets and blocks. On Tuesday night we took a walk to the park and got a snack on the way home. We then raked up the leaves and the girls sat in the pile for a few short moments before getting out. Now that I think about it, I don't think Violet sat down at all. She's much too particular for that.


Chocolate face.

Brother Brag

Here's a video of a house fire my brother, Bryce, fought for 10 hours and where he experienced his first back draft. He said he cut a hole in the garage and went in with another guy, then, all of a sudden he looked down and he was on fire and a hand reached out and grabbed him and the guy next to him. He was fine; I think this is sort of a common thing in big fires. He loves it, I am so proud of him! The house was destroyed ... needless to say.

A little project

I've been working hard on knitting some leg warmers as baby presents. I'm a complete knitting novice, but for little kids and babies, I think these are really easy! For the girl ones I knit 2 pearled 2, casting on 36 stitches. I then did a criss-cross all the way down along the seam. I chose pink and brown. For the boy ones I did a plain brown, and stuck to casting on 36. I knit 2 pearled 2 for about two inches. I then knit a row then pearled a row to get the plain area. I made them approximately 12 inches long (maybe a little shorter). Babies are so small!

I think leg warmers are a cute option instead of tights or snow pants. They also pad little knees as babies start to crawl.

Guess Who This is

If you watch tv in our house, tonight is a very special night. In honor of this show, take a look at this and figure out who is singing.

:)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3A0G6axSS4

Shade

If anyone is in need of cute, modest, extra long shirts or basics, check out Shade Clothing. I've been selling Shade on the side as something fun to do since January, and right now there are great sales on summer stuff and the fall stuff just came out ... enter my code PAX61898 for 10% off your first online order. Or if you want to see samples of the clothes, just email me sarah.paxton@shadeclothing.net. www.shadeclothing.com

End of Summer Sprint

We have been doing a lot outside lately, trying to get in as much playtime as possible without wearing 5 layers against the cold. Every year the cold strikes during a different month. Last year it was around Halloween, sometimes it's December. Sometimes there's a foot of snow by Thanksgiving. One can never tell. I am also cold-blooded so I get so cold I just can't move and would rather die than go outside in the wind chill.

Fall is slowly approaching. There are a few leaves on our driveway and front lawn already. I went through the girls summer clothes and put away all the outfits I was dead tired of or too stained to look at for one more washing. I also put away the baby shoes since there is no baby in the near future. Violets feet are growing slower than Avas did though, so I can still cram her foot into cute size 3 shoes.

Ava has figured out a good way to get a "tubba." She goes outside and starts dumping sand on her and Violet's head. Violet then does it to Ava. It's a game to them. Of course, I am stuck and have to give Ava a bath. Here's what she's been doing lately.

Laying down on her back. For a girl that hates to get her head wet, this is a huge step. She has to have a towel to wipe any water away that gets in her eyes.

At the library with a little statue. We walked there and each girl got to check out two books on their library card. Everyone was surprisingly well behaved and Ava stayed very close to me the whole time (even though there were kids running around everywhere). Violet emptied out two small shelves of cardboard books and then got excited when she saw big rows of books. She tried to run away from us to start throwing books off the shelves, but we laughed and picked her up.

I've started going back to the gym after taking the whole summer off (who wants to be cooped up in a gym in the summer?) After the gym the girls were hungry and we don't have any food here, so I got them ice cream. The idea was to get them the literally quarter-sized cones from McDonalds, but as I went through the drive-thru they handed me normal size. I was freaking out inside when they told me they just put less in the cones. Yeah right! Apparently you can only get them when you eat in. I almost considered giving them back or throwing them away. But oh well, Ava was in Violet's new car seat so there would be less mess in the new car seat. I took this picture of Violet COVERED in ice cream. She was tired, stickey, hungry, and mad about her runny nose. You can see Ava in the background eating her cone. We had to stop at the park on the way home to eat outside, which of course meant playing more. They also ate 8 chicken nuggets between the two of them. Crazy!! I didn't have any .. the rest of the 10 piece got dropped and went in the trash. I wasn't going to eat nuggets after going to the gym. That would have been too sinful.

Pictures of the girls

Today it was raining outside and the girls were playing. I wanted to get some candid pictures of them, but as soon as they see me with my phone or camera, they come running. So this is as good as it gets. I've been a little light on the family pictures lately. I think it's because everything happens so fast. They do one thing for about two minutes, and before I get the chance, the cute moment is gone. Today I tried to get Ava to say election terms like, "George W. Bush" "John McCain" and "Barack Obama." She could say them all except Obama, she said Barack ok, but by the time she got to Obama, she was so tired she just said "Grandma" which sounds like "Gama."

Pop trivia

For all of you celebrity gossip nerds, I thought I would come up with a little pop quiz for you. Most of these are off the top of my head .. so enjoy. The first to respond correctly to all my questions can pick any topic and I will blog 500 words about it.

1. Who is LC?
2. What is Oprah's first show this year going to feature?
3. Name the latest female reality tv star to get sentenced to jail for DUI
4. Name all members of the Britney Spears family.
5. Who are the two people Mariah Carey married?
6. Who is Paris Hilton dating?
7. How many Pitt-Jolie kids are there?
8. What cause does Hayden Panittiere (sp?) love?
9. When Britney went to Mexico earlier in the year, what famous male movie star did she hang out with?
10. Name your three favorite reality tv shows.

Go Highlanders!

Tonight we went on a date night with the kids to an Adams High School football game. They were playing another school in our city, Stoney Creek (there are 3 HS total in our city). Of course Adams blew them out of the water and when we left the score was 48 to 15. Being that Adams is my alma matter it was a blast from the past to enjoy a friday night football game. The kids had a good time. Here they are sitting between bleachers. Violet enjoyed scraping gum off the cement and trying to eat it.

What's cooking

For those of you that are dying to know what our kitchen now looks like, here it is! It's not done, but I couldn't resist posting my pics, even if it is cluttered. We have to still put a dishwasher next to the sink (it is above to the left, where the giant fridge used to be) and hang more of the doors. I'm also thinking about putting a bar in on the left wall with stools once the dishwasher is gone. The walls are Behr's Corriander seed (a warm green) and the cabinets are cottage white. All trim and doors are now standard white. We put in new molding around the bottom and had to special order our crown molding because they no longer keep what we want in stock.

What it looked like before:
http://paxventures.blogspot.com/2008/08/everything-but-kitchen-sink.html
http://paxventures.blogspot.com/2008/07/quotes.html

I have some better "before" pictures but they're on my memory card which is currently on the fritz. Until Tyler fixes it you'll have to deal with my camera photos. After 3 years we figured we had better do something about the kitchen! It looks SO much bigger. I don't even know whose kitchen this is!