Dear Doctor,

Here is an email I wrote to our doctor today:
"Hi Dr Noimark, I'm sorry to bother you, I just have a concern I want to ask you about. This week Otis swallowed a tiny doll (the size of half of my pinky finger). It passed in his stool within 24 hours. But it was a doll that I bought last week in Prague and I am wondering if I need to be concerned about lead poisoning?"

At least Milly still has a complete set

When Otis does something he's not supposed to, he always immediately says to me, "don't look at me" or "don't go look in my room". So he just said this and I went into his room and he had peed all over his train rug and some books.

This has happened before and will happen again but I decide to write this down for some reason today. Then while I was cleaning that up he went to the bathroom and when I went in to ensure all was clean and flushed I noticed the tiny baby of the nesting dolls I just bought for them in Prague. Gross. The kid puts everything his mouth. When he was a baby, everyone told me he would grow out of it... I'm still waiting.

But he's still my super hero. He still comes in and snuggles with me in bed every morning around 5am. He is full of energy. He is full of kisses. And he is full of love.

Annual Jackson Ski Trip

This was in January, and it was the best.

Top of tram

top of Headwall

I will serenade you some time too.

Sunday is no-fun day

I'm kidding about that title...kind of. Ty has to travel around to different wards on Sundays now which leaves me solo with the kids for sacrament meeting. Just for record keeping's sake, one of our first weeks in the Hyde Park ward Otis slowly left our seats, looked back at me with a smile then ran. I knew better than to chase him. At first I gave him my evilest eye look and pointed and mouthed, "get back here". But I ended up having to get up and follow him as he ran around and around while I walked my most reverent walk behind him until I cornered him in the front corner near the stand where he kicked at me until I grabbed him and took him out.

A few weeks ago at one point during ward conference he threw his shoe and ran up to the stand while the bishop was speaking--we spent the rest of the time in the hall.

Today he screamed out, "Oh my God!" (something Mormon's do not say) just as the opening song ended.

I get alot of sympathy nods and "I've been there" looks from older women in the ward. Of course, I also get some, "tsk tsk's" here and there. But I consider most Sundays a success if I leave the area we were sitting with no permanent damage done.

So after a particularly bad Sunday, a woman in the ward (with no kids herself) told me she had something for me and hoped it didn't offend me. It is a quiet book that she made by hand. She had been a nursery leader and made quiet books for all the kids (talk about magnifying your calling) and had an extra and thought we could use it. Tears filled my eyes most of the day as my kids were playing with the quiet book. I appreciated the book more than she will ever know. Not because it keeps my kids even close to quiet, but because she genuinely just wanted to help. These are a few pages from the book.

I am surrounded by some really amazing people here. People that are so different from me and I love that. I don't mean to comlpain about church, and obviously if it didn't believe in it with my whole head, heart and soul, then there was no way I would put myself through the torture each Sunday. But it's true and I'm a happier person because I believe that.

Belgium

While I was in Utah in January, Ty took the train to Belgium for the weekend. He went to Brussles and Bruges and really enjoyed it. Now I need to start planning my solo trip...

She scoots!

After a lot of time watching Otis scoot while she is trapped in the stroller, Milly is ecstatic to have her own. She is obsessed with it.

Kids are the worst

Sick kids, that is.

Both kids have had a bad stomach bug. It is NOT fun for anyone.

Watching Dad leave for work

Otis has his eyes on a piece of candy someone is holding above my head to bribe him to be in a picture.

Both kids were really sick this day but we had to get out on a bike ride and get some fresh air.

The kids have been eating only bananas, crackers and toast for over a week.

Beautiful day at the Italian Fountains in Hyde Park

Utah-California

*I didn't bring a camera home, so all of these pictures are stolen*

When we were in Utah everyone asked me if I liked living in London. My answer was always, "I am happy when I'm there, but when I'm home- it makes me want to be home." It is just so fun being close to friends and family, and especially cousins. The kids were in heaven.

These 2 looks more like siblings than cousins

Breakfast with Grandpa

Met up with our favorites at the beach.

Zaid and Otie are destined to be next door neighbors and BFF's

cousin luncheon at Mimi's

Firework show

Sweet baby Ivy Lucille

Got in a lot of snuggle time with Grandma

Milly still can't see a dog without saying, "Coco! Whitney!"

Polar Express party

It was wonderful to be home and it's wonderful to be back. Just for the record, I will say that I flew home with the kids by myself. I didn't sleep for the week leading up to the flight because I was fretting it so much. It was long and horrible, but I survived. And the time home was worth it.