Candy Hearts and Paper Flowers

My sisters and I watched Raggedy Ann and Andy: A Musical Adventure numerous times while we were young children. My grandparents made a recording of it on a VHS tape, and my sisters and I probably wore that tape down watching it so many times. Nothing stuck to me more from that movie than the song Raggedy Ann and Andy sang together as a duet while they were scared, alone in the forest: "Candy Hearts and Paper Flowers." Even as a child, I recognized the song as a beautiful song about love, loyalty, and friendship.

I appreciated the song as a child, but I think the song means more to me now as an adult than it ever did back then. It has probably become one of my favoritest songs for one big reason: I associate the song with motherhood. I sang it once for Emma while she was a little girl. She loves it, and asks me to sing it almost every night. Lizzy loves me singing it, too, and will often calm down listening to it, especially when she was a small infant. It has become her special lullaby song.

"Candy Hearts and Paper Flowers" holds a special place in my heart. I have gotten teary-eyed while singing it and listening to it over the last few weeks with my crazy pregnancy hormones raging. It's a special song to me, and I hope it will always be special to my girls as well.

Times when you're real down and low,
Every lonely place I go,
There's a way I always know
We're always together.

Paper daisies to explain
Sunshine always follows rain,
And a heart that's sweet and true
will help us weather the weather.
That's what keeps us together.

Candy hearts and paper flowers,
Sunshine days and skies of blue,
Lines and songs we sing for hours,
Words to say I love you true.

Times get bad and then I worry
How I'll ever see it through,
But candy hearts and paper flowers
Will always keep me close to you.
Will always keep me close to you.

If the night is gloomy and I'd like to hide.
Or a chill goes through me, 'cause I'm scared inside.
That's when I remember all the things you've done.
Little things that warm me like the morning sun.

And I feel so happy, don't you see?
'Cause I start to thinking just how much you mean to me.
So, let the night get gloomy any place I go,
I've got you beside me, that's a fact you should know.
It's because I love you so.

Two Little Blue Lines = BABY!

February 9th, 2011

When I first saw the pregnancy test, I thought it was negative. I was looking for a plus sign, not two blue lines side by side. I threw it away before it dawned on me to double check the instructions on the box, just in case I read it wrong. I felt so silly when I realized I had bought a different brand this time around, and two blue lines meant it was positive. Half in disbelief, and half in excitement, I fished the test out of the garbage and took a second look. A little smile crept on my face when I saw that I was indeed pregnant. Another baby! YAY!

March 18, 2011

This morning was my first doctor appointment. I was thrilled and relieved during the ultrasound when I saw my little "gummy bear" moving around for the first time. Little heart fluttering, little limbs moving-- a healthy little active baby about the size of a grape. My heart was so happy! Another little baby will be joining our family in October!

Introducing Our New Puppy, Miko!

We have another little baby in our home! We couldn't stand not having a dog after Rosie left (mainly me), so we found an adorable black and white maltese and poodle mix, about 11 weeks old. Miko is cute and sweet, easy-going and playful. She acts like a cat half the time, pouncing on things and chasing the laser light, and a "foo-foo" dog during the other half. She loves being cuddled and held like a baby.

Run Miko, run!

We love having her around! The kids are thrilled to have her. Emma loves holding her like a cat, and Lizzy loves running with her and picking her up. Scott loves playing with her and cuddling with her, and I love her sleeping on my shoulder. She is such a darling! I think she's going to make a wonderful addition to our family.

The Highlight of My Day: February 2011

Something good happens each day. Here's what happened in February:

Tue 2/1/11: I had wonderful mommy moments with Lizzy today. We read books together, and she made me laugh out loud with her cute voice, naming animals (most she called doggies), and saying hippos were "uck." She also covered me with kisses while we were lying in bed. She's never done that before, and it was SO cute and funny.

Wed 2/2/11: I showed Scott how to make banana cream pie (the easy way) and it turned out fantastic! Everyone loved it!

Thu 2/3/11: I'm getting better at creating my own soup recipes for dinner. Tonight I made fish soup, and it turned out really, really good! Almost everyone had seconds. Even Lizzy!

Fri 2/4/11: Had a fun night with Marian and the puppies again! Those little guys are growing up fast! Lizzy had fun drinking soda and going on horsey rides with Papa. She liked hugging Woody, too.

Sat 2/5/11: We bought Lizzy a front-facing carseat today! She's getting too big for her infant seat. And we also bought her a Singamajig, which she LOVES!

Sun 2/6/11: I helped Scott make a cell model for his extra credit, using jello, canned fruit, and candy.

Mon 2/7/11: Scott came home with good news. His extra credit ended up being the best in his class! YAY!

Tue 2/8/11: I finished the newsletter today! I need to mail it off ASAP.

Wed 2/9/11: Positive results!!! More later on that topic. Side highlight: We had our annual date night with the kids for Valentine's Day! Brad took the girls out to Iceberg and I had fun with Scott playing video games and drinking Jamba Juice.

Thu 2/10/11: Emma won first place in the Science Fair!!! I'm so proud of my wonderful girl!!! I guess all that hard work paid off. Another highlight: Lizzy used the potty for the first time today! Hooray for Lizzy!

Fri 2/11/11: We went to visit Marian and the puppies tonight. Marian is wonderful! I enjoyed talking to her while Brad watered her plants.

Sat 2/12/11: Marilyn and James invited us to join them on a trip to The Living Planet Aquarium in Sandy. Lizzy LOVED looking at the fish.

Sun 2/13/11: The kids and I watched "Legend of the Guardians: the Owls of Ga'Hoole."

Mon 2/14/11: We all had a very happy Valentine's Day today! Our FHE lesson tonight was on love. The kids had fun making strawberry cupcakes.

Tue 2/15/11: Three of Aunt Marian's foster puppies got adopted out to good homes, which is both a good thing and a sad thing. The others will be leaving tomorrow, so we stopped by tonight to play with them and say our last goodbyes.

Wed 2/16/11: Had an unexpected guest show up at our house this morning. Things are looking a little brighter! I hope good things will soon come to pass.

Thu 2/17/11: The kids and I had dentist appointments today. I loved all the positive feedback. The dentist called me Ms. Perfect Teeth. Made me want to smile all day!

Fri 2/18/11: The kids didn't have school today, and Brad stayed home from work! I liked the extra company.

Sat 2/19/11: Dinner with Tricky and David at Texas Roadhouse.

Sun 2/20/11: Falling asleep in Brad's lap was nice, especially when he rubbed my neck and shoulders. He's lovely.

Mon 2/21/11: It was nice having another "Saturday". I love four day weekends! We went to the store and bought some goodies, then we went to the park and ate Burger King. In the evening we had dinner with the Bruce Clan.

Tue 2/22/11: Went on a walk with Lizzy today. It was cold and our hands were freezing, but the sun was lovely and warm. We had fun playing with the neighbors' black cat when we returned home. Lizzy loves kitties. She calls them "keeee!"

Wed 2/23/11: Sold three hats today! YAY! And I enjoyed attending our ward's Chili/Soup Cookoff. I tried Sister Heather Jenkins' exceptionally delicious tomato bisque soup. It was soooooo good!

Thu 2/24/11: Lizzy's hair is growing so long and wavy and beautiful! I cut her bangs today, because they were getting in her eyes. My daughter is absolutely GORGEOUS!

Fri 2/25/11: Friday night with my hubby and baby= LOVELY! We had dinner at Panda Express, went shopping at Walmart, and then cuddled on the couch before bed.

Sat 2/26/11: Had a fun morning shopping at Sam's Club and Lowes, buying Emma a new dress and baby dolls for Lizzy at the DI, and eating at "Five Guys Burgers," which was reeeeeally yummy! In the afternoon we got a brand new puppy from a KSL ad online. We're so excited to have her! She's a little black and white maltepoo.

Sun 2/27/11: We went to visit Aunt Marian and Uncle Gordon this afternoon, and brought our new puppy with us. We talked, played Nerts with Marian, and then we had a very tasty dinner: ICE CREAM SUNDAES. Scott and Emma were very pleased!

Mon 2/28/11: I had a fun day with our new puppy. I think her name is "Miko." She looks like a Miko. Lizzy and I had fun playing with Miko outside and taking her for a walk. Miko reminds me of a cat sometimes. She pounces on things the way a cat would, and she likes string and the laser pointer.

Bye-Bye Rosie

On Sunday, February 20th, we said goodbye to our family dog, Rosie. Rosie went to live with her favorite person, Brad's brother Tricky, in sunny California. We were very sad to see her go, but we know she'll be happy with Tricky.

We spent three and a half wonderful years with Rosie, watching her grow-up from a little awkward, goofy pup, to a big, beautiful, graceful (still goofy) dog. We loved having her as part of our family. We'll miss her tremendously.

Good luck, Rosie! We love you!

The Living Planet Aquarium

Lizzy loves fish! She gets excited when we go to Aunt Marian's house, or when we go to her pediatrician's office, because she loves to see the fish tanks. On Friday, February 11th, my sister-in-law, Marilyn called and asked if she and her husband could take Lizzy to see The Living Planet Aquarium in Sandy. I knew Lizzy would LOVE that! I told her Brad and I would love to go, too, so we arranged to go on Saturday.

Lizzy had a wonderful time viewing all the displays and exhibits of fish and other animals. I was surprised by her attention span. She never seemed to get tired of looking at the "fishies." It wasn't until we were at the very end of the exhibits that she began to show some signs of sleepiness (and grouchiness). Overall, she had a wonderful time, and I know she'll want to go again soon.

Lizzy loved seeing the fish with her Aunt Marilyn and Uncle James. Uncle James is a fish-nerd. He knows a lot about fish.

We had a wonderful time! We'll have to go again soon!

Puppy Love

We have spent so much time with Aunt Marian's adorable foster puppies this past month. It's amazing how fast puppies grow. Every time we went to visit they'd look a little older and acted a little more playful. Scott, Emma, and Lizzy loved playing with them, especially little Woody, who became our family favorite. A few days ago they all found loving homes and new families. We'll miss seeing them, but we enjoyed the time we spent with them while they were little, and we'll always have the memories. They are going to make their new families so happy!

1. Black Female with the pink collar: Raven
2. Black Female with the red collar: Ebony
3. Black Male with the yellow collar: Midnight
4. Light Brown Male with the blue collar: Moose
5. Light Brown Male with the green collar: Woody
6. Black Male with the green collar: Jet
7. Dark Brown Female with the yellow collar: Mocha

Emma's Science Fair Project

Emma won first place at her school's Science Fair tonight! YAY!!! All the hard work paid off!

Emma wanted to do a food project this year, so I suggested we do sugar verses sugar substitutes. She had a great time making lemonade and having her cousins and father try the different sweeteners to see which one was the sweetest. Here are some snapshots of her project:

Our whole family went to the Science Fair last night. Emma came home thrilled and excited that she was one of the finalists for her grade. I was thrilled beyond thrilled when the principal announced Emma won first place. Here are some snapshots of Emma at the Science Fair:




Today I'm grateful to be a significant part of Emma's life. I'm grateful that I can be there to help her when she needs help with school work and projects. I'm grateful that even though I am not her biological mother, Emma loves me and appreciates me for who I am in her life. I love her dearly.