fructoowhat?

So I'm feeding Maddi dinner tonight.
And she's loving it.
I pick up the jar to see what's in this little Gerber meal.

sweet potatoes...carrots...peas...water...fructooligosaccharides.

Oh my.

I googled it (don't we all?).
Welcome back to Biology 101.


I'm sure it's fine- FDA approved and all- just, well, intimidating.

Have you had your fructooligosaccharides today?

maybe I'm crazy.

I miss finals week.

Not taking tests, per say. But the thrill of finally being done with classes and the anticipation of the Holiday waiting just around the corner. Spreading out on the floor in my sweats with books all around, a cup of hot chocolate and some Norah Jones. All the study guides and the silly little mnemonic devices. And the flash cards. Oh, the flash cards. Is it strange that I miss making flash cards? I used to color code them. A different color sharpie for each subject (a Type A-er's dream come true). But nothing could top that feeling of walking out of your last exam (regardless of how well you performed on it) and knowing you were finally free. At least until next semester...

Tis the season, my friends. Enjoy your finals while they last.
If you're as crazy as me, someday you will miss them.

hello, goodbye.

Madison's first word was "hi." Her favorite word is "hi." Every morning she wakes up and says hi to all her toys. She says hi to everyone in the grocery store. She stands up on the pew and says (sometimes yells) hi to everyone at church, waving the goofiest little wave.

She's got "hi" down pat. But lately, we've been working on waving to daddy as he leaves for school and saying "bye."

Madison's favorite consonant sound is "d."

So everyone morning we wave to daddy and she says, "die!"

update.

micah came home and flipped the breaker. and all the kitchen appliances work again (now why didn't i think of that? thank heaven for husbands).

nap #2.

and for lunch, i discovered a recipe for the best comfort food on the planet: noodles & co. mac and cheese.

All is well.

so far today:

the microwave shorted out

the dishwasher stopped working

i scorched the christmas treats for the neighbors

the baby screamed all the way through her naptime

...it's gonna be a good day.

Dear Rachel.

(Yes, this post is for you.)

I just wanted to say thank you for reading.

It's your encouragement (and others like you) that gives me motivation to keep writing.

Sorry I missed a day! :)

Really, it means so much to know you are interested.

Much love,
Kate

ps: good job on the praxis!!!

We just watched a man win a quarter of a million dollars on national tv.
He lost 239 pounds (then ran a marathon) in seven months, added years to his life and inspired thousands in the process.

After that we saw some friends of ours (an a capella group from BYU, actually) on a commercial for a new singing competition series. We are so excited for them. And we are counting down the days to the premier.

Last weekend, we watched my cousin perform in a world-renowned dance group that brings joy to people all over the globe (this summer they toured China. ! ).

I feel so proud of all of them. I feel inspired by them.
But it makes me think,

What can I do?

Not that I feel I need to be on tv or travel the world.
It would just be nice to make a difference, you know? To know that what I do means something to people.

Then I read this on my sweet sister-in-law's blog:

"We...have a lot to learn about simplifying our lives. We have to decide what is important and then move along at a pace that is comfortable. We have to develop the maturity to stop trying to prove something.
We have to learn to be content with what we are."
- Marjorie Hinckley

Silly me.
I know I mean the world to my husband.
And I make a difference in my little girl's life every single day.

And that's enough.

"One sees clearly only with the heart."

"...Let us see the Christ in Christmas.

This is a season of rejoicing. A season of celebration. A wonderful time when we acknowledge that our Almighty God sent His only begotten son, Jesus Christ, to redeem the world. To redeem us.

...But most of all, let it be the season of seeking the Lamb of God, the King of Glory, the Everlasting Light of the World, the great Hope of Mankind, the Savior and Redeemer of our souls.

I promise that if we unclutter our lives a little bit, and in sincerity and humility

seek the pure and gentle Christ with our hearts, we will see Him.

We will find Him."

President Dieter F. Uctdorf
2009 LDS First Presidency Christmas Devotional

conversations with an (almost) one-year old

TWO WEEKS AGO:

"Maddi, say 'Mama!'" "Duck."

LAST WEEK:

"Maddi, say 'Mama!'" "Tuckey." (Which means one or more of the following: Doggy, Duckie, Cookie, or Turkey.)

THIS WEEK:

"Maddi, say 'Mama!'" "Daddy."

And then she laughs and claps for herself.

She's just full of personality, my kid.

What are you doing next Saturday?

We are going to this:In fact, Micah will be singing in it.

And it's incredibly affordable.
And it's for a wonderful cause.
And you won't find a better, more entertaining pianist anywhere. Really.
(Think Pirates of the Carribean polka-style.)

I've had a hard couple of weeks.

All silly, little things, really.

Like the fact that my baby is getting four teeth all at once and not sleeping well, which translates to me not sleeping well, which translates to me being very grumpy all the time.

And me being grumpy all the time means I'm often a naggy, irritated wife/mom and then I take out my frustrations on my family. Which makes me feel horrible.

And this time of year is just so darn BUSY. I like busy, but it makes me stressed. And I function poorly when stressed.

And to top it all off, my acne's flaring up (I'm not a teenager! Why do I still have skin problems?!?! For crying out loud!!!!), which basically makes me want to hole up in my house and not let anyone see me. Vain and silly and ridiculously self-conscious? Yes. But it's how I feel.

But today I realized something. I don't have it that bad. My life is wonderful, in fact. And me dwelling on all my little tiny irritations has kept me from noticing all those around me who are much more busy (my husband, for example), who are struggling with much worse, and who may need some encouragement, help, or just a friend.

So let me start over:

I've had a selfish couple of weeks.

I apologize for not noticing. for not reaching out. for not being a better wife, mom, and friend. It's not because I don't love you. I've just been distracted.

I'll keep working on it.

"Try a little harder to be a little better."
Gordon B. Hinckley

Good thing we learned about the Alamo...

Micah came home from school tonight with a bottle of sparkling cider.

to celebrate.

He got a job offer from USAA in San Antonio. Whoohoo!

We haven't decided anything, yet, but it sure is nice to have options!

Congratulations, Love. You are the man.

Oops.

Madison pulled a lamp off an end table tonight.

And it shattered.

The worst sound I've ever heard, ever:
glass breaking, then my baby crying.

She's fine. Amazingly, not a single piece of glass touched her. But I thought my heart would just about hammer itself out of my chest. Two thoughts went through my mind.

1. I feel like a horrible mother. I know she likes cords. I knew she could reach that one. I should have been watching more closely. I know I can't shelter her from everything, but oh, I wish I could.

2. We are protected. We are watched over, cared for and loved infinitely more than we can understand. I feel so grateful to my Father in Heaven for looking out for my little one (HIS little one) tonight.

And tomorrow we are re-babyproofing the house.

(please excuse our lack of bedskirt.)