NEW home sweet home...just in time for Christmas.

After a year of house-hunting, living in a rental home (that we didn't love), and grabbing our odds & ends out of boxes, we finally bought our new home.  Since it was a foreclosure, it was pretty much touch and go during the process, and I thought it was too good to be true, until they told us at closing - "the home is yours.  Go change the locks!"  And, that is what we did.  It was been a crazy couple of weeks, but we have our own home.  Eli loves all the space to play, and I love dreaming about what I am going to hang up on each wall.

Mom & Beca came to help me get all settled in, while Ben worked tirelessly taking load after load from the old house to the new house, mostly by himself, but then with help from his dad and Nathan.  I am so glad that he is strong, and could handle the task.  And, he never complained, even when he slept on a blow up mattress so that mom could sleep in the bed with me.

Chloe, my little dog of almost 12 years, had been sick with kidney stones over the past week, and I thought she was going to leave this world.  But, she pulled through, and the kids were certainly glad to have her around to play with.

Mom helped me arrange my kitchen.  I love that she cut and measured the shelf liner to meticulously for each cupboard and each drawer.  My mom is pretty great like that.  And, I love that before we even had a couch set up in our family room, she insisted that we put up the tree.  I mean after all, Eli needs to really feel that it is Christmas, right?

This was after we moved in the couch, and as you can see, I might need to look for a smaller star.  But, I love that this tree cost my hubs $8 at a garage sale.  And, I love even more that when I plugged it in, every single light lit up.  What a miracle!

And, I even hung up our stockings.  I love that my mother-in-law makes stockings for each of the grandkids.  I remember being so proud of my stocking as a child, and I can't wait for Eli to feel the same way.  We don't have a fireplace or mantle, so this will have to do for now!

So, we have been getting all settled.  And, fixing things up.  Ben has fixed the garage door opener, the doorbell, the locks, the back door window blind thing, moved around boxes, installed a stove and a fridge, and much much more.  I'm so glad to have him around.  And, I am sure he is glad to have a little helper.

I ma

Blessings...count them one by one.

I LOVE Thanksgiving.  I mean, I love it.  I love the fried turkey, all the sides, and pie.  I love the chaos that fills the house when my family gathers together.  I love the drama that sometimes it causes.  :)  I love getting off of work for the holiday (when I do).  I love lounging with a full tummy and snoozing off to football games in the background.  I love looking through the ads to see what deals there are, even though I rarely need to buy anything.  I love that Dickens on Main starts that weekend in the darling town of Boerne, the place that will always be home to me, no matter where we live.  And, I love the tradition of craft market shopping with the ladies of the family the day after  Thanksgiving.

This year, my cute family has listed our blessings day by day.  It's not the cutest sign in the world.  Maybe one day we'll have a gratitude tree or a cute chalkboard.  But, it's not about being cute.  It's about being thankful.  I wanted to snap a picture of it, so I never forget what was on our minds this year.  Meg & Mom even added to it on their little visit.

And, now that Eli is in pre-school (one day a week), I love that my refrigerator is covered in his art.  I'm shopping now for a fridge for the new house, and I just keep thinking about how nice these stainless refrigerators look, but how I will have to find another place to hang up Eli's things.  Somehow, I feel like a real mom with this stuff hanging up.

I can't wait for this next week.  Especially since I am working my last shift now, before I have the entire week off.  

Friend to friend

Yesterday, I took Eli to get a donut as a treat after his doctor's appointment.  It turns out that he didn't need shots at his appointment like I thought he would.  And, Ben went in late to work just so he could give me emotional support through the vaccines.  But, nevertheless, donuts to celebrate a good appointment!  I love that as we pulled into the parking space in front of the donut shop, Eli shouted, "Yay!" from the backseat.  He shortly abandoned me and the pink-frosted donut he picked out to go to the mirror to have a conversation with himself.  I didn't understand everything he was saying, but judging by the laughter, it must have been pretty funny.

We then went to playgroup, where I was thrilled that he didn't hit, push, or shove another kid.  (That was a pretty big accomplishment considering the week we've had.)  And, he had a great nap, with bed-head to prove it.

Then, we played at the park, even though the slide and swings were sopping wet from the earlier rain shower.  This face is one of the main reasons that I love being a mother.  Eli is happy, and he knows it!  And, come to think of it, I am too.

Cookies for Santa

...and a tantrum for Eli.

I had the bright idea to take Eli to one of those paint-your-own-pottery places.  I thought it would be so fun to make a cute plate for cookies for Santa and maybe and ornament or two.  What started out as a fun little mama-son play date, quickly turned into a total melt down.  It ended with me prying him off of the concrete sidewalk in front of the store 45 minutes later and calling my husband to come help for reinforcements.  By the end of it all, I was pretty sure I might throw a tantrum also.

This was a reminder that Eli is simply not into crafts.  He much prefers running in the outdoors, kicking balls, punching balloons, and anything else that doesn't involve sitting still.

But, when all was said and done.  I will say that our plate turned out cuter than I imagined.  I hope one day Eli loves it.  Ben said not to get too attached to it, because there is a good chance that some day, with an active little guy like Eli, that fantastic plate just might accidentally break.  Well, at least I have a picture to prove that it is simply adorable.  Thanks, Eli, for giving me a day to remember.

Happy, happy birthday Eli, dear!

It happened.  My baby turned 2.  My world has been changed over these past 2 years in the best way possible.  And, this kid is perfect for me.  I love him like crazy!

Mimi, Aunt Meg, Sadie & Cinco all came in the night before to surprise him (and me) for his birthday.  We were bummed that Grandma & Grandpa couldn't make it from Austin, but we had a spectacular day.

A day full of play time...

Cupcakes & singing...

And, new toys.  He couldn't get enough of his new tool play set from Mimi & Gramps.

It was a lot for a new 2 year old to take in.  And, at the end of the day, I am pretty sure he was delirious.  In fact, he said "night night" to everyone...and everything (including his tool set, his Mickey balloon, and his birthday cards).

What a day!  And, what a boy!  Eli, you are simply the best kid a mama could ask for.   

A sentence

Tomorrow, my baby turns 2.  And, today, he said his first 3-word sentence..."mama no work."  He has said a lot of 2-word sentences, like "it hurt", "I kick", etc.  But, tonight, it was "mama no work".  Whoah.  It wasn't my imagination.  Ben was there also.  And, by about the 5th or 6th time that he said it, "mama no work", it sounded like he was pleading with me.

I sang him the usual bedtime songs with a crack in my voice and tears rolling down my face.  I have been feeling like I am so lucky that I get to spend so much time with him, compared to my past job.  But, when I work, which is about twice a week, I work a 24 hour shift.  So, that means I don't get to tuck him in at night or greet him when he wakes up.  And, I realized that what he was asking for was just that...for me to sing, rock, and read stories to him at each bedtime.  Although my 24 hour shifts usually feel like an eternity without seeing him, I guess I seemed to think that he was just fine without me.  And, I know he is.  But, now, I also know that he misses me.

I have already thought about how hard it will be to go to the hospital to work on Christmas Eve, and be without my little family.  I have thought about how difficult it will be to walk out the door leaving our new baby girl for the first time.  But, I was more focused on how hard it will be for me, and now I see how hard it will be on Ben & the children.

I somehow feel that I am cheating Eli by being away at times.  Maybe I am, I don't know.  But, for now, I will lay in bed, grateful that I tucked him in tonight...and, even more grateful that I get to greet him first thing in the morning, with the helium filled balloons I got him after he went to bed (he has been asking for balloons that float all day).

Darling Eli, mama loves you.   I hope you know that.  Even when I am away.

Halloween, and then some.

Just got through with a great few days.  Halloween was last Thursday, and I was a little worried about whether Eli would cooperate or not.  He looked so cute last year, and the silly mom in me wanted him to be just as cute this year!
Last year...

This year, I got him a little doctor outfit, to be just like me.  And, on the trial runs, I tried to put it on him twice, and he HATED it.  He just said, "No, no, no" in the sweetest voice until I took it off.
Well, he put it on, but wouldn't keep the hat, stethoscope, or name tag on, but I was still very proud of him.

Trick-or-treating with a bunch of toddlers was a total blast.  We loved it.

Then, the next day the ladies all had a 2-day outing at Time Out for Women, which was so great.  It was so great to be with Mom and sisters/sis-in-laws.  And, it was so uplifting to hear encouraging words for 2 days.  We left feeling higher and ready to take on the world!

One of my favorite things said was in a song by Mercy River,
"I may not be the best at many things.  But, I believe I love you perfectly."
That pretty much sums up me as a mother and a wife.  I sometimes feel overwhelmed and inadequate, but I know that I am doing my best and Heavenly Father is helping me to take care of my wonderful family, because He loves them more than I do.

Here I am, back at work.  This was the first moment I have gotten to sit down, in 5 hours.  But, I wouldn't have it any other way.  I was able to help a colleague with an emergency hysterectomy and then deliver a darling baby boy!  What a wonderful morning!

3 years...out of forever

This past week, Ben and I celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary.  This year we decided to go on a mini-trip for 3 days, to make it special.  It turns out that I was delivering babies and working the past 2 anniversaries we had!  We went up to Boston and drove around the area and up to Vermont.  We did a lot of walking through cemeteries, looking for Ben's ancestors, who settled in the area in the 1600s.  I would say that is very fitting for October.

Woburn, MA cemetery

Bellows Falls, Vermont

The fall leaves were beautiful.  Texas is wonderful, but there are some things we just don't have much of around here.  Changing leaf colors is definitely one of them!

It was a nice getaway, but somehow we spent the entire time talking about Eli, watching video clips and looking a pictures of Eli, and calling Mimi & Gramps to check on Eli!  We sure did miss him every second of it.  Call us rookie parents, but we couldn't wait to get back to him.  Thank goodness he was in good hands. Mimi even spoiled him with pirate gear, which he loved...minus the head band thing.

At the airport, our flight home was delayed, so that the US Vice President could land on his fancy Air Force Two, to watch the first game of the world series.  So, air traffic control stopped all flights, which would have made us miss our connection.  After they told us we would miss the connection, and we should rebook now, we got off the flight in Boston...only to be told 5 minutes later that there were no more flights that night and no hotel rooms in the city due to the world series.  Yikes.  I guess they felt bad that a prego girl would be spending the night on the floor of the airport, on her anniversary, so they flew us to Chicago to spend the night and then flew us to San Antonio in the morning.  But, alas, we made it home.  Eli was happy to see us, and we were certainly happy to see him.  Kids are the best.  Remind me I said that when I am having "one of those days", but they really are the best.

I can't believe we have been married 3 years.  In some ways it feels like yesterday, but in others it feels like Ben has been by my side forever.  Life with him couldn't be better.  And, he most certainly makes me sane.  I love him like crazy and will forever.

Harvard University Courtyard

Terrible, horrible...

One of my favorite books as a kid was Alexander, & the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, by Judith Viorst.  There were some days I felt like nothing was going my way.

Yesterday was one of those days.  It was a slew of events... hitting an 18-wheeler's tire on the highway, sitting on the roadside for 1 1/2 hours waiting for the tow truck, finding out the house we put an offer on was off the market because of squatters (yes, squatters), having to pay to rent a car to drive to work today, hearing that the car was probably totaled, and having Costco not be able to fill my ink cartridges.

I was sad.  I spent my whole day crying, whining, and moping.  And, I have to say that I went to bed sad and with swollen teary eyes.  I never got over it all.

So, today, when I woke up, Ben asked me if I was feeling better, and I wasn't sure I was.  I left for work and went the wrong way and ended up taking a 30 minute detour, which made me late.  At that moment, I braced myself for another Alexander day.  But, then I thought about it.

I have been working on a lesson about gratitude for this Sunday.  And, as I thought about how bad the last 24 hours had been, I suddenly realized that it wasn't that bad at all.  I really needed to count my blessings, so that is what I'm doing.  Counting & counting.

I wasn't hurt during the accident, and it could have been pretty bad.
This baby girl inside of me is safe & sound.
I have a great husband that was able to come rescue me from the side of the road.
I have a darling and silly little boy, who made me smile a zillion times yesterday, between my tears.
At least the car was insured.
Pay day is right around the corner.
My visiting teaching companion brought over a yummy supper when she heard I had a bad day.
I ran into a friend in the grocery store, while buying milk, and got a much needed hug.
We have family within a couple of hours drive, who have extra cars, just in case we need to borrow.
I went to bed, even sad, next to a husband who loves me, and down the hall from my little boy.
...and so much more.

When I stopped to think about it, my day could have been a lot worse.  And, it just wasn't.  So, I am thankful for my MANY blessing.  And, I sure do hope I can change my slumpy, grumpy attitude.

Rainy Sunday

To me, it is hard to beat coming home from church on a rainy Sunday with the smell of roast, potatoes, and carrots filling your house.  That is what happened yesterday.

But, there is one thing that might be a little bit better...a rainy Sunday nap.  Yesterday morning, I was tired and coming home from my 24 hour hospital shift.  Yes, the prego ladies and babies kept me busy that night.  So, when Eli went down for his pre-church nap, I decided I better get some beauty sleep also.  I told my husband to wake me up at 11:30, so that I would have time to get pretty for church AND cut up the potatoes, carrots, and onions to put in the crockpot before we left for church.  Well, Ben woke me up at 12:10, exactly 40 minutes too late...until I saw the roast in the crockpot was covered with cut up potatoes, carrots, and onions.  Yes, I wanted roast yesterday.  But, even more than that, I wanted a nap...a nice LONG nap.  And, my fantastic hubs gave me just that.  Thanks, darling Ben.  You make my life easier in a million ways.

Conference Weekend

It's Thursday, and I am still thinking back on what a great weekend it was.  I love General Conference weekend.  When I was little, maybe I loved it because we could watch church from our home, in pajamas, while cross-stitching.  But, now, I love it because I feel so blessed, empowered, and peaceful after listening to great talks all weekend.

Some of my favorite jewels from conference this year are:

President Thomas S. Monson:

My dear sisters, your Heavenly Father loves you—each of you. That love never changes. It is not influenced by your appearance, by your possessions, or by the amount of money you have in your bank account. It is not changed by your talents and abilities. It is simply there. It is there for you when you are sad or happy, discouraged or hopeful. God’s love is there for you whether or not you feel you deserve love. It is simply always there.As we seek our Heavenly Father through fervent, sincere prayer and earnest, dedicated scripture study, our testimonies will become strong and deeply rooted. We will know of God’s love for us. We will understand that we do not ever walk alone. I promise you that you will one day stand aside and look at your difficult times, and you will realize that He was always there beside you.

 President Dieter F. Uchtdorf:

My dear friends—please, first doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith. We must never allow doubt to hold us prisoner and keep us from the divine love, peace, and gifts that come through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland:

Also let us remember that through any illness or difficult challenge, there is still much in life to be hopeful about and grateful for. We are infinitely more than our limitations or our afflictions!...Trust in God. Hold on in His love. Know that one day the dawn will break brightly and all shadows of mortality will flee.  

President Thomas S. Monson:

Whether it is the best of times or the worst of times, He is with us. He has promised that this will never change. 

This past weekend, we went to Corpus Christi to visit my brother, Zack, and Beca & Grace.  That always makes for a fun time.  We did a lot of baking/eating and crafts with the kiddos.  The guys mowed the lawn, while the kids had a front row seat at the window, eating goldfish.  And, we played "haircut"...luckily no real cutting happened.  And between it all, we were actually able to listen to most of the General Conference sessions.

During the priesthood session, Beca & I took Grace & Eli to Wendy's to get a frosty.  It was an adventure to say the least.  They were SO happy.  You can see it in their faces.  This picture was taken just seconds before Eli darted off to dance on a table across the room while Grace handed me a smashed up waffle cone in her hand, saying she was all done.  Good thing Beca & I were there together to handle these two crazy kids with man-to-man defense style.  It opened my eyes to the future I'll have with two kiddos to chase.  And, I can't wait!

Eli is really into this super cheesy smile where he squints his eyes, shows his dimples, and says cheese.  It shouts delight and bliss to me.  I have a feeling this is one of those things that he is going to stop doing one day, and I am going to miss it terribly.

I heart my family

I love my family.  I love the blissful chaos that fills my parents' home when we get together.  I loved growing up with these crazy people.  And, even more, I love raising kids along side them.  I got to spend the last 8 days at my mom & dad's house visiting them.  By the time the end of the week rolled around, all 6 kids were there with our own kids and spouses.  I can't believe the whole Baum-squad was able to get together (and it wasn't even a major holiday).

(This is all of us...minus one brother-in-law, Michael, and plus one cousin, Sonny).

Anyway, this week, I was surrounded by great people, places, and things, and it made me thankful for a lot.  I am blessed.  I am grateful.

I am thankful for my mom and her mad gardening skills, and her ability to teach me sewing tips, like how to make a ruffle!

I am thankful for nieces and nephews, who keep my little kiddo great company...and always (well, usually) give me a reason to laugh!  Kylie drove Eli around in her brand new "4 wheeler".  And, Sadie had the "prettiest popcorn ever party" with him, because they behaved on the trip to Walmart.

I am thankful that my parents, Mimi & Gramps love their grandbabies so much, and I can always count on them to do things like...take the grandkids to Build-A-Bear on their 1st birthday, or let them ride on their lap to mow the lawn, even if it makes it harder!

I am thankful that we gather in the beautiful hill country of Texas, close to San Antonio (and Sea World - which makes for great entertainment for the kids...even though it was too hot, too crowded, and at times, almost miserable).

I am thankful that we were able to visit the LDS temple where we got married nearly 3 years ago, for the peace that it brings to know my family will be together forever, and for my mom for babysitting Eli that day!


I am thankful for birthdays, and for all the cake that comes along with them (especially mom's chocolate fudge frosting cake and orange cream cheese cupcakes).  And, I am so glad that my sister in law, Beca, introduced the family to her second verse of "Happy Birthday" - the "We Love You So Much" verse.

I am thankful that I have a hard-working husband, who can't wait to slip into some work clothes and start helping my parents with the yard as soon as we arrive.  And, he makes a yummy brisket (ever since he got his garage sale smoker a few months ago)!

Here comes sissy.

Maybe this is two posts in one day.  But, this one deserves it's own post.  We were so happy to be able to share this news with our family this month.  And we really couldn't be more thrilled.  Can't you see the excitement in Eli's face?

We kept this one a secret for longer, because I was nervous since my last miscarriage.  But, what can I say, you get to a point when you have to let the news out, because, lets face it...my hips don't lie.  Seriously, they don't.  I think they might be expanding by the minute!

...and August flies by.

This last month was so busy.  At least, that is what everyone always writes when they haven't written anything in a long time.  It was filled with house-hunting, a family reunion, surgery for dad, and announcing some news for our little family.  Here are some tid-bits from it.

Ben's parents were up in Austin for 2 weeks from Panama.  So, it was a great cause for a family reunion!  We were so lucky to have family come from Washington, Utah, and North Carolina to spend time with us.  Eli just soaked up all of his cousin, aunt & uncle, and grandparent time.  It was hot.  But, it was a hot blast.

We just about melted into hot lava at the dinosaur park.  But, the kiddos (for the most part) seemed to love it.  This just happened to be Ben's birthday.  We followed it up with a yummy lunch at Rudy's bbq.  And, yes, I forgot to take any pictures of Ben on his birthday.  Happy, Birthday, Ben.  You are a real gem for putting up with me!

We all went paddle boating or canoeing on lake in Austin.  It was beautiful, filled with views of downtown...if you went far enough down to see them.  You see, I have been having this wish to go paddle boating with Ben & Eli for a while now, and I can say that it is checked off the list, and we won't be doing it again.  It was hard work (and Ben did most of it) to paddle our little legs and control Eli from climbing all over the boat.  But, he was simply adorable in his life jacket, if I do say so!

We happened to see this dude doing a little yoga in the park.  Cool.  Keep Austin weird, right?

We went to Cabela's outdoor store, which actually was a fantastic activity.  It was full of animal exhibits, and aquarium, and a shooting gallery...AND it was indoors and air-conditioned!  Good times for some dude-bonding stuff!

And, then, we had an "Everyone" Birthday Party.  This was my sis-in-law, Janae's, idea since we are never together for birthdays.  The kiddos loved it.  Complete with cake, pinata, bunnies, ladder ball, and water balloon launching.  Eli looks so grown up hitting a pinata.  Slow down, pal!

I had to go to work, but Ben & Eli joined the rest of the family for a trip to the state capital.  Kids will be kids.

And, oh, there was so much more!  I didn't manage to get picture of the family talent show.  Eli did some impromptu somersaults, after seeing the other kids dance.  When my niece, Grace, found out I didn't have a talent, she so kindly signed me up for "hospital stuff".  So, I put a toilet-paper made cast on teddy bear Truffle's broken leg.  Good times!

Thank goodness for family.  Janae and Nathan were great to open their beautiful home to the chaos.  But, it was the best chaos we could ask for!  And, we can't wait for November when Ben's mom & dad will move back here!  Yay!

The day after we left there, we went to check on my dad who had a hernia surgery.  He had to just stay one night, but we welcomed him home the next day with happy voices.  Since it was mom's birthday, too, we sang a great medley of "I'm so glad when Gramps comes home", "Happy Birthday, Mimi", and "We love you so much".  And, we definitely do love them so much!

 And, one last thing.  I love that dad's allergy bracelet says Sunny Delight.  It is true.  That junky juice makes his throat close up.  But, it was pretty funny!

639 Loma Vista Circle

Our house in Mesa, Arizona sold.  Hmmm.  I thought I would feel total relief, and I do feel glad that it frees us up financially to look for a home here in Texas.  But, with it, I feel a sadness.  This was a great home for us...it was our home.

In that house, I visited for dates with my husband-to-be, and chatted with him & his roommates, falling in love with him more every day.

In that house, we came home after our honeymoon, and started our life together as Mr. & Mrs. (This did involve me replacing some of his decor with mine.)  But, it ended up being a nice blend of B&L.  It was a great surrounding to gather with friends for game nights.

In that house I came home from work eagerly to find Ben to show him my positive pregnancy test.  Eight months later, my water broke in that same room!

At that house, I knew that my patriotic husband would make sure to have our flag flying outside on every Veteran's day, Memorial, day, Independence day, and Election day (and any other day he was feeling like it).

In that house, we brought our darling baby boy home and learned how to be parents.  Eli sure did mark his territory back then peeing on the couch almost every time we changed his diaper.

In that house, Eli made it through each first year milestone, making us more and more proud with every roll, laugh, crawl, and Frankenstein step.  And, when we celebrated his 1st birthday, we were proud of him, and with ourselves for making it through the first year!

It was a great home for us.  Our hearts are filled with memories of that place. Tears crawl down my face just thinking about it.  We left some great things behind, along with some really great people.  But, thank goodness I took my two favorites along with me on this crazy ride.  For now, home is where Ben & Eli are.  So long, 639.  I'll miss you.  And, I hope the next family loves this place as much as we do!