Loopholes

If you have been a faithful blog reader for some time, then you know that I have a sort of strict interpretation of certain developmental milestones. For example, I won't announce that my child is rolling over unless it can be duplicated in front of a witness. I won't tell you that my child is crawling unless he can traverse across the entire living room. And, I won't gleefully announce that he is walking until he takes 15 or more consecutive steps without support. See, kind of strict. But . . . is it really? Hmm.

There is one area of development, however, that I would have GLADLY grabbed hold of the little loophole, had I known of its existence.

Potty training.

Had I known what I know now, I would have been MUCH more relaxed about the whole thing. I wouldn't have felt guilty every time someone brought the subject up, as if I was the one who peed my pants. I wouldn't have felt like a mommy failure.

For those of you who have not begun the potty training stage, let me enlighten you a bit. AS SOON as your child turns 2, people will start asking if he is potty trained yet. Hmm. You will notice that the older generation will ask you more frequently than moms your own age and that men of all ages will ask simply because they don't know what else to say in conversation. You will hear all about how little Johnny was out of diapers by the time he turned 18 months. Insanity. Thank goodness my grandma (who DID ask, by the way) told me that yeah, Johnny might have been out of diapers, but it was the mom who was potty trained, not the kid.

So, this became my definition of "potty trained". A child is not potty trained until he is self-sufficient on the toilet. I took that to mean that I wouldn't have to ask or remind my child to go to the bathroom. I wouldn't have to wipe. I wouldn't have to jump out of my seat and run to the bathroom to assist. I wouldn't have to wipe up drips or clean out potty seats (which I would never do anyway. More power to those moms who use potty seats.) Oh, and diapers at night were not an option.

Okay, so fast forward to child #1 turning 3. Still not potty trained. Didn't get to go to preschool. EVERYONE asking about his bowel movements. Me, feeling like a failure. Old ladies clucking their tongues.

My child was lazy. Pure and simple. He would rather keep playing while the poop piled up in his underwear. He didn't care.

So, one day, when Grant was 3 years and 3 months old, I decided that enough was enough. I did the unthinkable (according to psychologists) and told him that if he peed his pants he would get a swat. (Don't flay me!) I mean, the child knew what was what. He knew how to do his business IN the toilet. He just chose not to. It took us 3 days.

Read this candid email that I sent to my family just after we had potty training success!

Anyway, like I said, it took us 3 days after I decided that he was going cold turkey on the diapers. I cleaned up LOTS of messes. I changed sheets at least once a day, sometimes twice, for a week. At the end of it, though, my child pretty much fit my definition of potty trained. No diapers, ever. I only had to help him wipe the BIG messes. Oh, but I STILL have to remind him to wash his hands.

So, where is this loophole? Well, apparently, according to what I have learned recently, you can still tell everyone that your child is potty trained, even if they wear pull-ups at night. You can still brag that he was potty trained at 2 1/2 even if, at the age of 5, he is still waking you up every night because he has to go potty. You can claim victory, even if you are still wiping butts. So, relax . . . take a deep breath. There are loopholes. I wish I had known back then, but I'll remember this . . . after all, Cole turns 2 in June!

Playin' it Cool

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Lucky Girl

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Don't Forget

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Parenting

Our Sunday School class just finished up a series on parenting called "Boundries with Kids." It was such a great class. Every time we would start the DVD, my heart would start racing. Sometimes it was because they would show a skit and I could identify with the mom who was doing things wrong. Sometimes it was because I got so many ideas about how to implement strategies to fit each of my children. However, most often it was because I felt so affirmed. I think we are doing things right. And, we know the areas we need to work on and we are definitely working on them. I feel so emotionally vulnerable when I walk out of that class because I just love my kids so much and I want to do all the right parenting things so that they will turn out right and go change the world.

I'm glad we are raising our children in the church and that we have the support of our church family and our own families.

I'm so glad I was raised by parents who knew what they were doing. Well, they faked it real well, anyway. So far, most of us kids have turned out normal.

I'm so glad Mitch was raised by parents who knew what they were doing. I mean, he didn't turn out so bad.

I'm super glad that we both had both of our parents and that we come from Christian homes. That is so huge.

I'm glad that we waited so long to have kids. I'm glad we waited until both of us were ready. I'm glad we used the time pre-children to watch our friends screw up and talk about how we were going to do things differently.

I'm glad we are flexible in our expectations.

I'm glad that love covers a multitude of sins. I'm glad that my kids love me so much that they hardly notice when I make a parenting mistake.

I'm glad that I love them so much that I can take one look at their little faces and my anger and frustration melts away. I'm so glad.

My first layout with my new supplies!

I did this layout for a challenge on Jen Wilson's website.


Credits:

Papers: Jen Wilson Designs – Laundry Line “Fern” and Second 6 Solids Boys
Natural Fabric Tape, Unwashed Ribbon, Buttoned and Looped Blooms, Garment Tag, Letter Tab, Tied Hanger Tag all from Jen Wilson Designs Laundry Line Accessories.
Laundry Peg – Pegged Paper Bits by Jen Wilson
Fibers and additional ribbon – Jen Wilson All Tied Up
Metal Rimmed Circle – Jen Wilson Enlighten
Little Flowers and heart studs – Jen Wilson Rekindle
Studded Heart – Unique by Digiscrap
Hinge – Miss Mint After Midnight
Red Silk Flower – Retro Diva No Room For Grey
Chipboard Bracket – Suzanne C. Walker
Frames and Flourish: Katie Pertiet Pinned Frames and On the Edge Flourishes 2
Font – CK Becky
Photo doctored up with the Orton Effect. For great instructions go to: http://kimikreations.blogspot.com/2008/01/orton-effect.html

I won!!

Okay, so I don't normally do this, but I just had to tonight. I attended a chat at my absolute FAVORITE digital scrapbooking designer's store.

I called Mitch at 5:00 and told him that I just wanted to set his expectations. The chat starts at 6:00, can I go, and dinner will be ready when you walk in . . . ??!! He didn't protest, so I took that as a yes. So, there I was, sitting at my computer, staring at the screen, logged into a chat room, waiting for Jen Wilson to reveal her new line. Mitch walked in, read over my shoulder and was a pretty good sport about the whole thing.

Before revealing her new line, Jen Wilson gave us a challenge with a prize attached. We had to take a picture of something laundry related and post it in the gallery and complete the phrase, "Laundry is . . .". We only had 15 minutes. So, I jumped up, grabbed my camera (which was sitting right next to me) and RAN to my room while Mitch finished reading the challenge requirements to me. (Such a helper!) I took a picture of the pile of laundry on the floor waiting to be folded and uploaded my pic with the sentence, "Laundry is ready to be folded."

About 2 hours later, I found out that I WON!! I won Jen Wilson's entire new line called "Laundry Line". I get all of the paper packs, all of the embellishments, all of the challenge prizes. Everything!! I am so totally excited! Most of my layouts use Jen Wilson stuff anyway, and now I get all of this for FREE!! WOO HOO!

I wish - updated!

I didn't like what I did with this picture and quote the last time around, so I redid it! Hope you think it is better!

Updated layout

I updated this layout! Check it out!

This makes me happy

The View from Here

Grant's preschool picture

Unsolicited Advice - Vol. 3: Baby Gear - part 1 - The Baby's Room

I bought a baby shower gift for a friend this morning, but almost everything on her registry was discontinued, so I just bought stuff that I thought she would need/like. Not the basics (like diapers, wipes, etc.), but the stuff that you might not even think of until you are in the moment. This, of course, got my mind whirling again. Thought I would pass some ideas on to you.

First of all, don't register until about a week before your baby shower invites go out. This morning was a case in point. Almost half of my friend's registry is no longer available, yet it was all the good stuff that she will need (crib sheets, fun decor, blankets, even a cute changing pad and bouncy seat!). Unfortunately, her shower is tomorrow, and according to the registry, I think she has received one item. And I bet her husband bought it the night they registered. It's some action video. So, if you want to get the stuff you register for, don't register too far in advance. I know, you will be DYING to register, but try to hold back.

Also, please register where people actually shop. I know there are some great little boutiques out there, but the average person won't want to spend $20 on a burp cloth. Target is your best bet. I know that when I find out a person is pregnant or just had a baby, I hop online to see their registry, then go to the store to make my purchase. Of course, in a little town like mine, WalMart would be a good choice, too (probably just for the basics, though).

So what kinds of things will you need? So glad you asked! This is the fun part! I'm going to have to break this up a bit, though, or this would be a really long post.

The baby's room:

Crib: I was given a crib (that was up to code!), which was awesome for a young couple with no money. However, if I could do it over again, I think I would splurge a little bit. I would have liked a wood-tone (boyish) sleigh style crib that converts into a full size bed. So, my advice is to buy a nice crib, especially if you plan on having more kids. You will see that crib every day for years, so you might as well like looking at it. If you do use a borrowed crib, you should REALLY make sure it is up do current safety standards. Do a google search to find out.

Bedding: Bedding has to be the cutest part of a baby's room. Unfortunately, it is not always the most practical. For example, the SIDS Alliance (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) says to keep all soft objects out of a baby's crib, including stuffed animals, pillows and blankets. So, that adorable crib blanket that you want is better off being hung on the wall. Oh, and the SIDS Alliance also recommends against a crib bumper, which is the second cutest part of baby bedding. Why? Because a child could press their face up against it and stop breathing, or they could get caught under it. Grant got caught under his a few times and it was a little scary. Besides, if you change baby sheets as often as I did, you will find that it is a royal pain to work around a crib bumper. I had one with Grant (until he started stepping on it and threatening to launch himself) and didn't have one with Cole. Do not despair, though. I think manufacturers are figuring things out and have come out with MUCH cuter crib sheets and dust ruffles. So, for baby bedding, I would recommend at least 2 crib sheets and waterproof mattress pads and a cute dust ruffle. Sounds boring, but if you hang that blanket on your painted walls and sprinkle a few pictures around the room, it will be very cute. (By the way, I tend to lean toward overly cautious when it comes to preventing SIDS because my little sister died of SIDS. That is a topic for another time.)

A comfortable chair: I understand that some babies share with siblings and there might not be enough room for a chair, but if you have the space, keep the chair in the baby's room. When the baby wakes up at night, you should NOT leave their room or they will start to think it is time to party. In my opinion, this is the reason most parents are up all night. They made the mistake of taking the baby out of the room for feeding time. If you bottle feed, make the bottle before entering the room. If you nurse, close the door, get used to the light and feed the baby in the dark room sitting in your comfortable chair. With both of my kids, I used a nice, little hand-me-down upholstered chair with low arms (perfect for resting my elbows) that had a gentle rock. The back was just low enough to rest my head back and catch a few Z's while taking care of business. I would recommend against a traditional rocking chair because they are terribly uncomfortable and the arms are way too high to rest your elbows while holding a baby. I have found gliders to be comfortable, but again, the arms are way too high. If in doubt, try it out (with a real baby in your arms, if possible).

A low dresser: Not only will you fill it with clothes, you will also provide yourself with a great surface for a changing pad and storage for diapers. Cole's room has a long dresser with a changing pad on one end. We keep his diapers in the drawer just under the changing pad. It is a perfect height and very practical.

Wall Hooks: SUPER helpful. Great for hanging diaper bags, sweatshirts and towels.

Clothes hamper: Because you will need it. Often.

Diaper pail:Some people keep dirty diaper pails in the baby's room. We did for the first couple of months until it started to smell terrible. Soon, we found ourselves keeping it in the garage. Yes, they are super nice to have. We bought the Diaper Champ (not the Diaper Genie) because it does a great job of keeping the smell trapped, you don't need to shove your hand down into the recess, and you don't need to buy any special bags. Just your regular kitchen trash bags will do. We still use this and keep it right next to the trash can in the garage. Why don't we just throw the diapers in the big trash can? Because it smells to high heaven every time you open it. We just open the diaper pail on trash days, remove the offending bag, spray the inside with odor neutralizer (Sol-U-Mel) and put in a new bag.

What you don't need:
A table lamp:, Save your money. What would you use the table lamp for? Are you planning to read a book during your midnight feeding? If you turn on that lamp, expect to be up with a wide-awake baby all night. Now, a super dim night light next to the changing table is helpful for midnight diaper changes, but make sure it is super dim. I just cracked the door a little instead.

I really can't think of other things you don't need because that was all I really had. Hmm. Maybe others can chime in on this topic.

Stay tuned for more unsolicited advice.

Unsolicited Advice - Vol 2: Books to Read

When I was pregnant with Grant, I was obsessed with learning all that I could about babies and newborn care. Thankfully, there are a lot of great resources out there! Here are my top picks:

1 - The free Baby Talk magazine. Get a subscription. It is packed with articles about newborn care and gives you lots of information about what your body is going through. Sure, there are some controversial articles (mostly about nursing vs. bottle or family bed vs. crib), but those are kind of fun, too.

2 - On Becoming Babywise - In a nutshell, this book helps you to train your child's eating/sleeping patterns so that he or she is more predictable and you are better able to meet his/her needs.

It is a pretty controversial book, but it was massively helpful for me. The people who don't like it or don't think it works are typically people who didn't really read the whole thing or didn't actually try it. I would read it BEFORE you have your baby. Moms who read it while struggling with feeding/sleeping issues get pretty frustrated (plus their hormones are working against them). (Edit: Rachel, you will have lots of moms tell you that the book did not work for them. It seems that moms who didn't have success in this area are A LOT more vocal than moms who did. I think that those of us who were successful feel a little guilty and don't want to rub it in the other moms' faces, so we don't talk about it much. Trust me, though. There are many, many moms who swear by the principles in the Babywise book. Oh, and in the beginning of the book, the doctors explain that if the child has health problems then the book is probably not for them.)

Word of caution, though: Use your own mommy-instincts. Every child is different. The book makes it sound like if you do it right, your child will take nice, long naps every 3 hours and sleep through the night in a couple of months.

Grant and Cole were both Babywise babies. Once we had things down, it was easy to predict what was going to happen with our boys. One time I dropped Grant off at T&B's and said, "In about 1/2 an hour, he is going to get fussy. You need to put him down for a nap. That will last about 30-45 minutes, then he will wake up. You need to feed him right away. He should be happy for about 2 hours, then he will get fussy again. Put him down for a nap." Low and behold, he did exactly what I said he would do. See . . . he was a Babywise baby. That is the point. Not that your child will do things exactly like the babies in the book, but that he or she will do things according to a routine. I was totally thrilled when Cole behaved more like a Babywise baby (with longer naps!) and I was much more relaxed with his schedule than I was with Grant. Bottom line is that you have to be flexible.

As for "sleeping through the night", you really should look into the definition of this term. For some parents, "the night" means from 12:00am to 6:00am - basically the times that the parents sleep. Their night. My night is about 9:30pm to 7:00am, however I value time with my husband, so I put the baby to bed around 7:00pm. Is it reasonable to ask a newborn to sleep for 12 hours without eating? Nope. In fact, it is dangerous in the beginning (they could go into a diabetic coma - and I don't say that to freak you out, just make you feel better about feeding at night).

So, in the beginning, I put the baby to bed around 7:00pm, then fed him around 11:00, then 3:00, then 7:00. Not really a big deal. After all, I only had to wake up once or twice. And, he slept in between. Most doctors would define "through the night" as about 4 or 5 hours of uninterrupted sleep. The baby's sleep, not yours. After a couple of months, we (the baby and I) woke for just one feeding. That lasted a while (maybe 5 or 6 months), then tapered off completely. And, I can say with all honesty that those middle of the night feedings were some of the most precious times.

Okay, I have gone off on a tangent here. Gotta get back on track. I'll cover feedings later.

3 - The Happiest Baby On the Block

When Grant was about 5 months old, Mitch was on a business trip and was watching a morning talk show. He saw the doctor who wrote this book, plus a few parents who tried it being interviewed and insisted that we get it. I checked it out at the library and absolutely loved it. It is very practical and totally works. It should be read either before the baby is born or in the first couple of weeks. It is for babies in the first 3 months when they are totally fussy and you can't figure out why. Yeah, Grandma will call it colic, but it probably isn't (I have SUCH opinions about this label!). The book will explain to you in very practical terms how to soothe your newborn. It was a bit late for Grant (because he grew out of that stage), but we practiced it on other babies in our care, then used it with Cole. LIFESAVER. Seriously. It will save your sanity. How I WISH we had it for our firstborn.

4 - The Girlfriends Guide to . . . - You will laugh your head off and maybe learn something in the process. It is very light reading and so much fun. When you are done with the first one, move along to the next and the next. Oh, you will love these books.

And now, what not to get:
What to Expect (blah, blah, blah) - Dumb book. Not well organized. Don't waste your money. If, however, curiosity has gotten the best of you, borrow the book. Most women who have been pregnant have it. If none of your friends have it anymore, you can always pick up a copy at Goodwill. You'll find lots of copies there . . . hmmm, wonder why?

With all my Heart

NOOOOO! Stay in the crib!!

Argh. And, double Argh.

Background: On Christmas night, we put Cole to bed in a pack-and-play at grandma and grandpa's house. We thought he was going to sleep, but the next thing we know, he is out of bed running toward the family room where the adults are playing a game. We put him back in bed. He climbed back out. Back in, back out. I don't know how many times this happened. I was trying hard not to laugh while Mitch dealt with it. Mitch used his daddy voice and Cole finally stayed in bed.

Today, Grant and Katie were playing outside while I was writing the previous post. Next thing I know, I can hear little pitter-patter feet running across the floor and the swoosh of the glass slider. It sounded suspicious, so I went out to the family room only to discover my almost 20 month old trying to get outside. He was supposed to be taking a nap. In his crib. Which is pretty high off the ground.

Now, I already knew that he could get out. Soon after the Christmas night incident we put him in his crib and told him to show us how to get out. He obliged. However, somewhere along the line he figured it would be best to stay in bed until big brother comes by to get him out. After all, the floor is way down there and is not very soft.

Today, things have changed. Grant NEVER did this! WHY, oh WHY must Cole be so adventurous! Don't get me wrong, I love his spirit, but ARGH. I'm not ready to move him out of his cage!

Unsolicited Advice - Vol. 1: Maternity Clothes

My brother and his wife recently announced that they are expecting and I am SO thrilled! They are going to be the best parents.

I love giving all kinds of advice regarding children, but I have learned that timing is everything. So, I'm going to do a series of postings over the next couple of months BEFORE the blessed child makes his/her appearance. No one likes unsolicited advice when they are going through the pains of child rearing.

Anyway, here goes - Vol 1: Maternity Clothes

Buy your own good, basic maternity pieces now, while you still have the money. I would recommend a few pairs of jeans, some nice dressier shirts, a sweater or two and one nice, little black dress. In the beginning, you should be able to get away with buying the size that you are right now. So, if you are a medium, buy a medium. However, you probably won't be able to fit into medium in the last couple of months. Even my skinny friends had to go up a size in the end. Large is nothing to be ashamed of.

Try your best not to flip out on the young girl who directs you toward the plus-size section when you expressly asked where the maternity section is. She is ignorant and has obviously never been pregnant, so she has no idea how offensive that is.

Borrow the rest of your maternity wardrobe, but only from people who won't freak out if you stain their clothes. (Rachel, I saved all of my cute stuff for you!)

T-shirts are cheap and they get stained, so don't spend more than $10 on a t-shirt. You'll have to replace them for your next pregnancy anyway. Oh, and nursing shirts are pretty ugly. Don't bother. We will cover nursing gear in a later posting.

I wish I had known about the belly band. Apparently it makes your regular pants last SO much longer, plus they look sort of cool peaking out underneath your shirts. Buy one in basic black or white. Maternity camis are great, too. Your chest will grow, and it is nice to have a cami to rein them back in under your button-up shirts (otherwise you get the peak-a-boob effect). These should be extra long because your torso grows a bit (understatement) and unless you like the look of stretch-marked belly peaking out underneath the shirt, you will want to cover it completely. (By the way, if you DO like the look of the stretch-marked belly peaking out, we need to have a prayer meeting . . .)

Figure out your pants-preference. A word of caution, though: If you like the idea of below-the-belly pants, imagine what it will be like when your belly is larger. I do not have a flat backside, yet my below-the-belly pants refused to perch on my built-in shelf and were totally falling down by about 6 months. Borrow these. As much as you HATE the idea of the panel, you may change your mind in the last couple of months. Of course, at the VERY end, you won't want ANYTHING pressing against your tummy, so buy them in Large. (I had cute jeans in Medium for the first part of pregnancy, then Large, ugly things for the last half.) You can always stick with the stretchy pants. They are cheap and look cute under your tent-shirts (blah!).

You do not need maternity underwear. However, you do deserve new panties, so go on out and buy some bikinis. Then, buy new ones when the baby is born. You deserve it.

Don't buy any new shoes right now. It is a sad fact that feet typically grow a bit during pregnancy. I used to be a size 7 and now I am a size 8. Argh. Of course, you can get flip-flops and slippers. (I kept slippers under my desk at work.)

Come back for more unsolicited advice! My mind is whirling with "mommy-wisdom" and I just want to puke it out. (Oh, maybe not such a good thing to mention at this early stage, huh?)

Homecoming

Saturday night was Homecoming at my alma mater, George Fox University. It was also my 10-year reunion. We try to go to at least one home basketball game each year since Mitch used to be the assistant coach, so we decided to attend homecoming. Let me tell you, it takes courage to go to a reunion. I figured that I wouldn't know or remember anyone. I was a bit distracted from about Sophomore year on (when I met Mitch). Turns out that I knew a few people and recognized a few more. It was still a bit awkward, but Shawn Shelley (who is married to Becky, has 2 adorable kids and teaches at Junction City High School - threw that in for you, Tootsie!) always does a great job of being loud enough to put everyone at ease. Seriously. Mitch thought he was great!

Anyway, about 40 of us showed up with our spouses and a few kids. We talked a while, took pictures and tried to "catch up" with people that we barely recognized. And, of course, what do you talk about when you can't think of anything to talk about? Kids. Hey, that's okay. I can talk all day about my kids!

After the reunion, we had a little time to kill, so we visited with my Grandparents! It was very nice to be able to sit in their living room and chat without our kids with us. Grandpa and Grandma will be moving into their new digs at the retirement community on Saturday. They are very excited, and I can't wait to visit them to see how they can cram that much stuff into a tiny apartment. I imagine that they will be dumping a lot more stuff over the next couple of days.

After visiting with the Grandparents, we headed out to find a place to eat. We used to live in Newberg, and we do have our favorite spots, but we decided to look for something new. We ended up at a sports bar and grill that was actually kind of cool and had great food. Too bad the MANY televisions tuned to ESPN were distracting my date. However, Mitch did a pretty good job of making me feel like he was listening, and at the same time, he got to catch up on what was happening in the world of sports.

So, after dinner, we drove on over to the GFU gym for the basketball game. The place was totally packed out (and for those of you who haven't been back for a while, they have bleachers going all the way up on both sides, now). The girls absolutely killed Linfield. I think they won by about 40 points. The superfans, although sans makeup and crazy hair, were out in full force, as was the cheerleading/dancing squad. Can you believe they are allowed to dance at basketball games now?

The men's teams kept the score close all night until eventually the Bruins pulled it out in the 4th quarter (last 30 seconds!) to beat Linfield by a couple of points (I THINK it was 2). Anyway, it was fun to sit with Mitch's former players and catch up with them, hear about their families and meet the kids.

After the game, we had dessert with the athletic association, then went out for pizza (which is a tradition for Bruin basketball players) and met up with my reunion gang. Again, kind of strange and awkward, but we ended up having another great time until the coaches showed up and we were able to gracefully leave my former classmates. We chatted with the coaches and caught up on life until we were kicked out of the pizza place at midnight. It was really fun!

Where were our kids this entire time? They were spending the night at Mitch's parent's house! So cool! We slept in the next morning (until about 8:00), arrived right on time to church and did NOT have to drop kids off, which would have made us late, enjoyed the service and Sunday school, then met up with the kids at Red Robin for lunch. It was such a great date weekend! We have to do that more often!

Sunny Winter Days

My Nerdy Little Secret

We were challenged to do a layout about our nerdy little secret. This is what I came up with.

Love is in the air

I did a version of this for our Valentine's Day cards! Had so much fun, I had to do an entire layout!

My brother's plight

Does ANYONE out there know of a good church in the downtown Seattle area? My brother and his wife are having terrible luck. Read all about it here.

PLEASE, let me know if you know of a good, evangelical, Christian (as in Bible-teaching, "must be born-again", statement of beliefs based on the Nicene Creed, etc.), not-too-big and not-too-small church right around the downtown Seattle area.

Junior First Citizen

About a month ago, I got a call from a gal from the Chamber of Commerce who told me that I needed to get Mitch to go to the City of Dallas Community Awards because he had won an award. I couldn't figure out how I was going to casually ask him if we could please get all dressed up and buy expensive tickets to go to this award night that we had never gone to before. I told her that she might want to ask Mitch's friend Jeff to get Mitch to go. I'm sure Jeff could convince Mitch. Maybe tell him that as business leaders, the two of them should go and bring the wives along. So, the next day, Mitch tells me that we are going to this award night. Good job, Jeff!

Mitch starts to get a little suspicious over the next few days because all kinds of people asked him if he was going to the award night. "Oh, you really should go Mitch!" Hmm. He starts to wonder if he won an award, and if so, which one?

Of course, I am trying to do my best NOT to spill the beans, but I'm so stinking proud of him that I started to grin every time he mentioned the award night. I tried to hide behind my hair (which is pretty short) and pretend it was no big deal. So, one night he announced that maybe we should skip the award night and go out just the two of us. I was so proud of myself when I responded, "Sure! Whatever you want, as long as I get to wear my new dress!" (hiding behind my hair, grinning) He decided that maybe he wasn't getting an award. I did a good job!

Anyway, we go to the dinner and sat in the back. We talked with our friends and laughed a lot. It was fun! Then, the awards started. I was amazed at the time and effort that the presenters put into their speeches. The presenters tried to keep the recipient a secret for as long as possible as they told stories of community service, acts of bravery and whatnot. After a while, it became obvious who the recipient was, and it was always very moving when they went up to accept the award. I was impressed with the whole production.

So, we were enjoying the awards, when all of the sudden our friend Jeff starts walking up to the front. I think Mitch figured it out at this point. Jeff gets to the mic and tells stories and highlights the personality traits of my beloved husband. He waxed eloquent. It was so great! I was called up to present Mitch with the award and he was almost speechless when I handed it over. He was greatly honored to be the recipient of the Dallas Junior First Citizen award. He thanked his family, his community and his Savior and received a standing ovation.

I just have to mention that the Dallas Community Awards were started about 60 years ago with only 2 awards: First Citizen and Junior First Citizen (under 35 yrs. old). Now, there are about 10 awards given out. It was awesome to see Mitch recognized for his contribution to the community. It meant a lot.

I know that it has been a while since that night, but I was planning to do a scrapbook page about the whole thing. My creative juices are blocked in this area, so I figured I had better write this down while I still remembered! Sorry!

Watching you think

Remember WAY back in August when I said I got a great picture of Grant when we went berry picking? Well, here it is! I did some dreamy photo editing and there ya go!

I told you I would scrapbook these pictures!