Sweet "Home sweet gingerbread Homes"

Our townhouse hasn't sold yet. We've had 4 showings and really positive feedback, but no offers & it's hard to keep cleaning & stay hopeful week after week, but we're trying...
We have an idea of doing an open house with a GINGERBREAD theme. I found these adorable mini-gingerbread houses to serve w/ hot chocolate on notmartha.org
So, I'm excited about that. And if we don't get many visitors for the open house, then we'll just have to throw a party afterwards & show off the cutest gingerbread houses ever made!

Here's the gingerbread "townhouse" I made to look like the house we're selling (2 Story w/ balcony).

Anyone who has tips/ideas on selling a house in a buyer's market, please pass them along.

Our Scary Mess Monsters

With the firefighters taking front stage, it's a little hard to see the argyle golf socks pulled over the calves, but it was a great look. And here's our cute kitty:

Happy Halloween!

So Proud

I'm so proud of my brother...
Not just becuase he's an admirable doctor.
Not just becuase he serves our country.
Not just becuase he saves the lives of brave soldiers.
Not just because he's a fun and caring father.
Not just because he's my brother.
...but I think any of those things are reason enough.

I'm just so proud of who he is & of all he does.
And kuddos to my amazing sister in law who "holds down the fort" during his deployments. She's expecting a baby next month, so please send prayers their way!

Guess who

I'm thinking of someone:
who usually has a dirty face
who tries to talk to everyone, though it's sometimes hard to discern most words
who's often missing important items of clothing (a shoe, a shirt, etc.)
who sometimes takes things that don't belong to them
who walks funny because their balance is off
Did you guess a hobo?

Very close guess. Actually, I was thinking of most toddlers. Well, maybe MOST mothers keep their toddlers fully dressed with clean faces, but those tasks seem to frequently elude me.

Now you might see my label for this post & wonder "who would have more than one post to warrant a label like that?" The answer would be me.

I am a Mormon

If you haven't seen these videos, they are worth watching:
http://www.mormon.org/people/
I think it's a great media campaign since the LDS church is often perceived as a localized religion (i.e. Utahans). But, with over 12 million members- the majority of which live outside the U.S.- we are a faith of diverse individuals who are striving to raise strong families, develop personally & serve others according to universal principles which transcend time & culture.

But I love how they announce their religion like it's an AA meeting. Is being a mormon as taboo as being an alcoholic? Hahaha. It's like "I'm strong enough to admit it... I'm a licensed attorney. I'm a busy mom. I adore my husband. I love my life. My name is Julie & I am a Mormon."

Excuses

Here's why I haven't been blogging:

Since the bar finished, we've been busy getting our townhouse ready to sell. We've added a new sink and countertops, painted the kid's room, replaced a few interior doors, hung new window treatments, & packed away things for staging. We still have several things more to do (plus more packing & minimalizing). We hope to have it officially on the market soon.

Due date

This is the week I was due to deliver the baby we lost. We plan to go on a family hike & plant a wildflower in the mountains.

I found a quote I like from a website on grieving:
"We don't move on and forget -
we move forward and remember."
Vicki Pond

Florida

My nephew was baptized last weekend. We really wanted to go & see my brother's family before he deploys again. My husband stayed home to work, but it was still such a fun trip & I survived 4 flights with 3 kids.

Mothers Day

I adore my mom. She's amazingly patient. She's my friend and example. I'm also grateful for my mother-in-law who raised the greatest gift in my life. Here's a video for them from the kids...

I'm blessed to be a mother- silly giggles, slobbery kisses, messes, tantrums, and all.

Spring pictures

Some spring happenings...

My brother's family came to visit- the kids loved having their cousins come for a sleepover.

We "attended church" by listening to Easter messages at home in our pjs. I also made these cute cards to send to our great-Grandmas. (I very rarely make cards anymore, but the few I do make are usu. for them b/c I know they love them enough to justify the time it takes to make them.)

Also, D just started another hockey season. His games are so fun to watch.
One game, I told him he'd done a good job & that I saw one of his shots was SOOO close to scoring. His response, "I had two close shots, Mom, weren't you paying attention?!"
Here's a picture of the last time he played goalie.

Enjoy the sunshine! (or the rain or wind or blistering heat or whatever signifies spring where you live!)

Good idea, bad idea

Do you remember watching Animaniacs as a kid?
I was always amused by the "good idea, bad idea" sketches. You know, like:
Good Idea: Playing the piccolo in a marching band.
Bad Idea: Playing the piano in a marching band.
Good Idea: Doing your own yard work.
Bad Idea: Doing your own dental work.

Well, we are starting a side business with a friend.
Here's our list of business ideas we think are a bad idea:
--A petting zoo with large predatory cats.
--"Super Skivvies" adult superhero-themed underwear.
--House flipping in this economy.
--Marketing "I heart Al Gore" bumper stickers in Texas or Utah.

So, after tabling those propositions, we decided to develop an on-line prep course for students taking the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT).
After law school, I taught LSAT classes for a large test prep company. There were strategies I thought were helpful & others I plugged with less genuine enthusiasm. I'm excited about the prospect of developing a course that is individualized, flexible, effective, and with any luck, somewhat profitable. We met with the friend we are teaming up with this week. Although this will be a tremendous amount of work, we are excited about the opportunity.

Good idea?

Lovable

I love this shot of my boys! They both look so much like their daddy. When we were in Indiana, a lady at church once told me, "I didn't realize who your husband was until I saw your baby." (I still chuckle about that!)
When I delivered James, we couldn't decide who's nose he had. But, we took some pictures and when I had them printed I couldn't believe I hadn't seen it before. He had his daddy's nose, just like my other cute, lovable boys.

Customized Bunk Bed

Since we live in a 2-bedroom townhouse, we have to be somewhat creative with our space. We designed a bunkbed that would fit our preschooler's smaller mattress. It's like a built-in loft bed.

My husband anchored the frame into the wall studs on both walls. Also, it's resting on the ladder itself for extra support away from the wall. I think he did a great job. It's nice because it doesn't take up as much room as a standard bunk & isn't too close to the ceiling fan because it is only a little higher than the chair rail. The foot of D's bed fits under it perpendicularly. The kids are thrilled with it! It leaves them a lot more floor space to play in their room.

We'll miss you Grandpa

My grandpa was a beekeeper.
He taught me that life is sweet.
Sometimes you get stung.
Even still, life is sweet.
We'll miss you Grandpa.

"The pain of grief is just as much as part of life as the joy of love.
It is, perhaps, the price we pay for love." -Collin Murray Parkes

Husband's Perspective

I thought I would record my perspective on all that is happening.

To say that this experience has be "a little hard" or "somewhat difficult" would be an understatement of epic proportions. The last several days have been arduous, mentally and physically. I hate to see my beloved wife suffer and I do all I can to comfort and help her; though there is only so much I can do. I am trying to meet the kids' needs while insulating them from the worst of this. Then, of course there is work, and more peripherally, church responsibilities. All while being unable to deny that I, too, have suffered a deep loss. The best analogy that I have come up with is that I feel like I am juggling three or four pieces of china (some obviously more valuable than others) while balancing on a high wire, and I can't remember if there is a net below. I have said to myself, on multiple occasions each day, "this s-ucks," (that one was for you, Don).

Despite these feelings, my family and I have been the recipients of some of the
most tender mercies imaginable. From quickly and powerfully answered prayers to the loving service of people who watch and play with my children, do my dishes, or simply and sincerely ask me, "how are you doing?" This experience has greatly strengthened my faith. I know my Savior has carried, and is carrying, my family and me through this.

Finally, to James, I am sorry that I never got to see you yawn, or feel your little hand close around my finger, or watch you take those first halting steps or watch you as father yourself. I hope someday, somehow, to be able to. But I am not sorry you came into my life. I am a better husband, a better father, and a better man for having you in my life, if only for a short time.
Rockabye Sweet Baby James.

Lessons on Love

I woke up early this morning & had a hard time going back to sleep, so I wrote this in my journal...

Lessons on Love

I had a baby yesterday
& felt the Love of the Lord
through the hugs,
shared tears,
& kind words
of those who love Him & love me.

I held my baby yesterday
& felt the Love of the Lord
through the depth of love I felt
for my sweet child.
And it did my heart good
to love him,
to hold him,
to name him,
and to wrap his tiny body with his perfect feet,
his beautiful hands, delicate face, & still heart
in the blanket I stitched with love just for him.

I lost my baby yesterday
& felt the Love of the Lord
through answered prayers-
comfort when we prayed for comfort,
healing when we prayed for healing,
help when we needed help,
& love when our hearts were breaking.

LOVE is a gift.

Post removed

I deleted our last post about expecting a baby because we are miscarrying. I'm 14 (almost 15) weeks along, but the heart is no longer beating & the baby's not growing. This is our 2nd miscarriage.
I'm just waiting for the body to release the pregnancy naturally & am hoping there are no complications that necessitate additional intervention. I started spotting lightly last night. I'm thankful for some time to process what's happening.
When doing research on the internet, it seems that we might be able to determine the gender when we see the baby. I sure hope so because I'd like to name the baby.
Our chosen names are:
Hope for a girl
James for a boy
Hope I like because we are sad, but we have hope- hope for another baby someday & hope that things happen because a loving Heavenly Father has a plan for our lives.
Baby James is inspired by a song called "Sweet Baby James". Our baby will never grow to be a Jimmy or a Jim, but will always be just "Sweet Baby James". The end of the song goes:

There's a song that they sing when they take to the highway
A song that they sing when they take to the sea
A song that they sing of their home in the sky
Maybe you can believe it if it helps you to sleep
But singing works just fine for me
Goodnight you moonlight ladies
Rock-a-bye sweet baby James
Deep greens and blues are the colors I choose
Won't you let me go down in my dreams
And rock-a-bye sweet baby James