our one year old

He's one!

Our baby turned one today.

Having Urban in our family has made our lives even more rich and full each day.

I really love him.

 I let Urban play in the refrigerator, one of his favorite things to do, and dig in the cake. 

Urban didn't go crazy over his cake.  He liked the fire, just like his dad.  He was also insistent on sharing his cake with Ida.  He just couldn't figure out how to make her eat it. 

 We measure the kids on the toy closet door on each of their birthdays.  I was ambitious to think I could get all the kids standing together from tallest to shortest....but it happened!  If for some crazy reason we would have to move in the future, the door is coming with us.  I PROMISE you that!

 Off he goes!

 By the end of the night when all was opened and celebrated, I rocked my Urban baby while I fed him before bed.  It was 6:45.  I realized that exactly a year ago to the time I held my new, pink, gorgeous baby in my arms after bringing him into this world and I squeezed tight.  I had worked hard to get him here.  I stayed in that moment as long as I could.  And now a year later I held my gorgeous Urban in my arms and listened to him whisper babbles to me in the drowsiness of the evening.  I was overwhelmed with peace.  It has been a good year and I am lucky. 

thanksgiving

We got the idea of making turkey cookies from my sister when she made them with her boys.

Ida wore her swimsuit because I think it was hot in our house, but also because Ida wears her swimsuit practically every other day.  Last night she wore is with striped leggins underneath.  I couldn't find the camera in time to take a picture once the thought occurred.  Darn.  I would have surely sent your reeling. 

After I took a picture of their cookies they each poured two cups of sprinkles on top to make feathers.

Thanksgiving!

Our family was all connected this year for Thanksgiving.  My mom was out West with my sister and her new baby, Stella.  My other crazies were gathered around my dinner table filling their bellies with stuffing and turkey.  My other sister was home with a sick baby but in contact over the phone.  It was good to lay my eyes on my brothers again.

Urban will turn one tomorrow so while we had everyone gathered we also had a small birthday party.  I crafted the truck Thanksgiving morning while the turkey stewed steamily in the roaster getting juicey and golden. 

I nailed the truch first try.  I thought it nearly impossible, but that's just how the day went.  I was ready and waiting with a timer popped turkey at 10:30 for 11:30 guests.  Nothing a tin foil tent couldn't fix.

 

Urban fought his cake and then realized it was edible.  After that the cake had no chance.

We finished the day with gifts, relaxing, chatting and Uncle Mike's house.

Good day.

you have to promise me

Promise me that you will take a minute and go to CAKIES blog right now and read this post that she writes about school picture day!
I mean, NOW!  You have got to see her daughter's picture.
I found it after I posted Emerson and Ida's authentic pictures.
I haven't laughed so hard since talking to my sister about her first date with my best friend and now brother-in-law, Chris.  How he was trying to convince her they weren't on a date to ensure that he would get a second date. I am not joking either when I say that he let her walk herself two blocks to her door in 2 feet of snow to make sure he didn't make a seriously good impression.  Oh, I wish you all could hear the story straight from their mouths.  I don't even know if he believed at the time that his plan would work, let alone have them married ten months later.

I would have posted it here but I have followed Rubyellen's blog for a long time now and know that she has had some creepers in the past stealing images from her. Though obvious I am not going to steal her picture, I still wanted to be respectful of her and not even go there.

But really, I agree completely with everything Rubyellen writes about her daughter's school picture.  It is so genuine and historic, and it sounds like Rubyellen is going to make sure True will hold on to this picture forever.  She's not ashamed.  I LOVE it!  Emerson and Ida aren't going to get away from their pictures very easily either and I'm not sure they would want to.  Though I must say, True's photographer must have been MUCH scarier than ours.

Happy laughing!

On to the wallpaper....
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Question:  What do you predict each member of your family will be doing in 15 years?  Your family as a whole?
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Last summer my sister-in-law shared that she and her family dug up an old time capsule and had so much fun reading the predictions they had buried inside.  Most of the predictions were actually accurate to where she and her sisters were in their lives!  I thought it would be fun to do the same.

Of course these are predictions and I will be the best mother, wife and support I can to my family no matter what their decisions are in the future.

Josh will be 47 and three years away from retirement.  He will still be working at his current airport as a manager, not an air traffic controller.  In his free time he will be golfing with his brothers, growing earth worms, flying ultralights and looking for a baseball coaching position.

Mellissa will be 47.  I will be volunteering my time in as many helpful ways as I can while helping Josh with any at home business adventure we decide to undertake.

Emerson will be 21 and returning from his LDS mission to Cambodia, oh help me.  This is such a guess.  He will be persuing a degree in something that involves a lot of rules.  He likes rules......maybe something to do with math.

Ida will be 20 and going to college in New York City.  She will be studying to be a doctor while quietly getting into fashion/design magazine industry.  She will love the city.  She will be a very good friend to her 4 closest girls.  She will have a boy in love with her and she will marry him when she decides it's right.  I think she will eventually have children but after she is older and established in her career.  She will be one of the funnest people to be around.

Urban will be 16 and going to High School.  He will be involved in sports.  Maybe baseball and wrestling?  He will be working on getting his driver's license and helping his dad when he has time.  Helping dad is a sure thing.  He loves on Josh from the moment he gets home from work until he leaves again. I think he will always hug his mom, he's a cuddler.  He will miss having his brother and sister at home....tear.

As a family we will be living here on our five acres, unless we run across a similar dream home on more land.  I think there is a possibility we may have one more child and some outdoor animals.  I hope that all of our children are best friends, good people and citizens, and strong in their beliefs. I hope that we have a strong family unit where everyone is secure in who he/she is.  LOTS of LOVE!

Mellissa
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Emily...In 15yrs, I hope to be working part time again out of the home as a social worker. I hope to be 100% healthy! I WILL have pin straight teeth.

Chris...In 15 yrs, He could retire in 12yrs fully, but won't, and doesn't want too. He will continue to teach at CHS until both kids have graduated. He will continue to coach football, and hopes to pick up coaching soccer again in the future.

Jack...In 15yrs, he will have graduated from Chelsea High School. From there I choose not to predict what his future will hold. I will say that I will do my best to support him in all positive decisions he makes for himself and his future. I will also love him and be there for him if he makes choices that I would not.

John..in 15yrs, will be a Junior in Chelsea High School.

As a family in 15 yrs I hope that we are still living at 555 Washington St. I hope that Chris and I are able to be good enough examples to our kids so that they are raised knowing that they are loved and that they are strong enough individuals to choose right from wrong.

In 15yrs we will have a dog. We will call her Francis.

I hope in 15yrs that both our children have a foundation of a true testimony of the gospel of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

In 15yrs, Chris and I will very likely have adopted another child (hopefully a 3yr old or around that age) when I'm about 45. Very possibly another boy. I WILL be the oldest mother in this child's kindergarten class. :)

See you next week-Emily
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No question for next week.  I will be busy cooking a turkey and a birthday cake!!!  We will get back to things sometime after Thanksgiving. 

pajama rama

Today was pajama rama at school.

It's total excitement over here.

Bumblebee and Ms. Kitty think not having to get dressed in the morning is completely the way to go.

Little Urban is doing much better.

His face is almost completely healed and the rash on his body is following along properly.  Phew!

well....

Are you having a bad day?
Really, it happens to everyone and it's okay.
Sometimes when I am having a bad day I see someone who is dealing with something far worse than what I thought was so traumatically terrible.  It makes me feel selfish and worse than before, but then I actually feel gratitude for the small trial I have and things start getting better.
*One of my special friends, Marian, shared her feelings about the same thing in this post.  After I read it, I started counting my blessing immediately.*
Anyway, here's a story.
I was talking with my mom yesterday morning and she reminded me that when I was younger I developed a sensitivity to the antibiotic erythromycin.  She said she calls it more of a sensitivity because it caused vomiting and not hives or anything severe as some people experience.
I knew exactly what she meant...............................................

Urban is allergic to penicillin.  Can you tell?

Josh remained calm watching each rash bump join with it's neighbor.

But, that is what Josh does, which leads me to believe that is a reason he is so good at his job and so good with me.

I did not.  I wanted to FIX IT!

But, that is what I do, which leads me to believe that is a reason I am the mother I am and so good with Josh.

Dr. Jack/John Scheerer assured us that he would be okay but warned that it would probably get worse before it got better.

Today was worse than yesterday.

Dr. S is always right, which is why we drive 45 minutes to see him when life calls for it.  I just can't find anyone local with his hippy genius.

This experience was a friendly reminder.  It is all in how you look at the situations life brings.  Urban is in good spirits, it could have been worse and it can only get better from here.

Plus, after seeing his sad little rashed face, these picture retakes don't look so bad!  I am convinced the photographer asked them to close their mouths....or something.

Let me remind you how they look when they really smile.

a good student

Someone was Student of the Month for being responsible.

 And a different someone was very proud of his sister.  He thought it was pretty cool that his mom was at the assembly too.

I watched Emerson every now and then to see how he interacted with his classmates.  I have always been so curious!

He behaved himself very well.

I was proud of both of them that morning.

 Ida was neither reluctant onr worried to walk infront of the entire school body and a handful of parents to get her "gold medal."

 She was undecided about the "free cookie" card to use during lunch.

 And by the end of the assembly she was quite certain she was under dressed!  I know because she told me.



Wallpaper Tie--Black Tie

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Question: You are invited to a black tie event. You have found four to seven dresses you love. What are they?

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1. Dress- My favorite dress EVER!!!! Carolina Herrera. Photographs by Stewart Shining.
AND
1. Dress- My favorite look of all time! Reem Acra Cap Sleeve Gown with Lace Back Style #:REEMM20005.

2. Turtleneck- Lace "Jennifer" Ralph Lauren. Skirt: Pleated silk chiffon. Skingraft. Lucky Magazine. Sept. 2011.

3. Dresses- Gucci.

4. Troy Burch- Sequins Dress

5. My look for less!:) - Tracy Reese. Marie Claire Sept 2005. Top left-Plenty by Tracy Reese.

6. My other custom look for less. Laura Galic- Mera Dress. Found on Etsy.

I would have it custom made in a matte black silk fabric and order it made a looser fit sewn just below my knee or to the floor.

See ya next week--Emily

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1.  Number one!!  I wasn't surprised, Em, to see we both love this.  Reem Acra Cap Sleeve Gown with Lace Back Style #:REEMM20005. 

2. Elie Saab

3.  Lanvin

Mellissa

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Question: In 15 years, what do you predict your life will be like?  What will each member of your family be doing?

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