Family Days

It has definitely been the summer of reunions. A few months ago we hit Ryan's Grandma's up in Logan (a lot of people we didn't know at all, talking and asking trivia questions about a lot of deceased family members we knew even less- it was great to see his grandparents though), then a few weeks ago we headed up to Island park for my Mom's side's family reunion- so so much fun. I think I already wrote about that, but I just got some new pictures, so I'll squeeze a few in here anyway.

Then this last week we trekked up to Park City for the Kendall Reunion- Ryan's Mom's side. It turned out great considering the fact that the day we left we discovered that our transmission on Sophie, our little Kia, was shot and would need to be replaced. Cars are an entirely different subject on which I'm horribly tempted to dedicate an entire blog. Oh what adventures we have buying cars (Mr. Snaggletooth man would have to be mentioned several times). And fixing them. And doing it again. . .and again. . .and- well you get the idea. We make ourselves feel better by reminding each other what a killer deal we got on it (no link between that oh-so-low price and the ensuing breakdowns whatsoever, right?)But hopefully we'll have a long stretch of fix-it-free time where we can just enjoy our smooth ride. :) And what a saucy car she is!

Wow- I've gotten way off subject. So, family reunion! I've come to the conclusion that people love you and your company until you have children, then they just love your children. :) We were constantly surrounded throughout the whole reunion by admirers of every height and age, but it wasn't us, it was the chubby little one-year-old that was stealing the show. She went so far as to completely upstage the upcoming bride (Ryan's sister Aubrey) a few times at her own bridal shower. Shameless! Actually, I was just so happy that I got a super social little girl- she loved every minute of the attention and a few times Ry and I felt like newlyweds again since we were hanging out just the two of us most of the time.

This last one is Ryan and I in our matching farmer's tans. Apparantly it got quite the laugh from those sitting on the side of the pool. :)

Be Careful, she bites.

We just went swimming. Reese LOVES the water! Although watching her bend over to lick up pool water doesn't really get me that thrilled. I think the part that she loves the most, though, is all the "friends" everywhere. She keeps looking at all these little kids that are running around like, "you are THE coolest people I've ever met". She had a great time, and came home completely pooped. Ah, good old summer days.

So. . .my baby is a biter. I've been thinking of making her a t-shirt as a warning, "Beware, I bite people"- or maybe something a little snappier- you know, something that just rolls off the tongue and yet at the same time serves as the proper hold-me-at-your-own-risk warning. On Sunday we stopped at Ryan's grandparents to pick his sister, Megan, up. She leaned over to Meg like she was going to plant a wet one, but instead she clamped down with all four of her little chompers (including the nubbins of canines she's got coming through) on her cheek! I have to say I was horrified. Only weeks earlier I'd seen the cover of a parenting magazine that said, "Parents, if you have a biter read this!" I think I laughed at it- so blunt, so funny. . .and now I'm wondering why in the world I passed it up. "Where is it?! I need that secret parenting know-how to stop this problem!" Alas. We'll just have to figure it out without the help of American Baby experts.

We just got back from Island Park from the Derr Family Reunion, which turned out to be a smashing hit, leaving all of us wondering why we've waited so long to do it. I hadn't seen some of my cousins for over six years and it was so fun to talk and catch up and laugh at all the kids (I know I shouldn't laugh, but Annalee running from the dogs about killed me- you would have thought it was a killer snake chasing her!) and enjoy how beautiful Island Park is. Man! Ry and I had a few free hours, so we decided to hike up Mount Sawtelle- I can't believe my parents have lived there for almost three years and I haven't been up- it was breathtakingly beautiful! I seriously felt like we were somewhere in the Swiss Alps (my braids really helped the whole 'Heidi' effect). It was amazing, I could feel the air catching in my chest as we drove to the summit because it just looked like we were on a road to the sky- amazing! Then later we came down a bit and hiked around and found this amazing (I'm not sure I've used that word quite enough yet) field of lupine- tall blue-ish-purple flowers. I lay on the ground, buried in the flowers, and looked up at the sun filtering through the tree above. It was just about the most beautiful moment in my life. Not just the surroundings but the sounds, being there with the man I love, and feeling totally, completely, 100% peaceful. Mmm. It was great.

I recently read Tuesdays with Morrie, and loved it. I'm sure that my experience with Marguerite probably made me love it all the more (man, I miss that woman and her lukewarm ensure and eucalyptus cough drops), but I don't know, do you ever feel like its just the perfect time in your life to read certain books? Like they were written just for you?

The last few years have been an ever-changing whirlwind that have left me feeling more unsure of myself than I can remember feeling in a while. I think I always have issues until I can identify the roles I'm playing, and it's been a crazy adjustment. Missionary to normal girl, engaged and then married, and suddenly I'm pregnant and now a mom. I love everything that has happened- I don't want this to be negative at all, because I love my life, but it feels like I'm just starting to get a handle on who I am. Because you change as life rolls on- I know who I was at this time or that time in my life but its been quite a journey (wow that sounds cliche) to figure out who I am as a wife and mother, and especially not just who I am in those rolls, but who I am as an individual in this time of my life. Anyway, I loved all the questions that arose from it- What's wrong with being number two? (seriously good for me since I have this idea that I have to do EVERYTHING, and not just do it, but that somehow I'm the only one in this world that's expected to be perfect at it) Will the ones you love know it when you're gone?, etc. Things to think about, and definitely work on. It's fantastic, and if you haven't yet, I highly recommend you pick it up.

It's ok, it's just fiber

Anyone seen that Orbit commercial where the girl is mad at her boyfriend so she tears everything he owns to shreds- with her teeth? I saw it last night and remember thinking it was weird, that was until today when Reese went on a rampage and I realized it was terribly parallel to my life. Cupcake wrappers dug out of the drawer, diapers (thank heavens they were the clean ones), a stack of papers, and then, the one that made me laugh- several of those little reply cards you find in magazines, each with a giant soggy hole in the middle. Did I give birth to a goat and just not notice? I do recall thinking her shoulders were a little fuzzy when she was born. :)

A little note here- these pictures are from about a week ago when she decided to sample some tree bark. Doesn't seem to taste too good, but that doesn't stop our girl!

Milk Does a Body Good!

So... On the way home from work yesterday I turned around in my seat to see Reese, sweaty and triumphant. The source of her joy was in her hands: in one she held the fabric from the canapy of her carseat, in the other was the plastic frame it once-upon-a-time was wrapped around. Hello Miss Olympia! I mean, I didn't even know those things came off- I guess they just don't make em like they used to. Either that or I should get my baby a personal trainer.

I feel as though we've passed into a new phase here. I mean I always had this idea that it couldn't be that hard to do the mom thing. Hmm. . . yeah, that was a nice thought before I actually had one. I have officially become the frazzled mother with the grubby baby and ghetto carseat.

Reese got me laughing today though. She was crawling around on the kitchen floor while I was cooking. Earlier we'd had some peaches, and I guess I'd missed one when I cleaned up the floor. I looked down and she had this peach blob plastered to the side of her head, but she had no clue. She was crawling all over the place, talking to herself, nibbling on anything she could get her mouth around and looked up at me with a huge grin. I burst out laughing and ran for the camara. It took a few tries (mostly because as soon as I got down to her level she attacked me, and flashes were never meant to be used at that close of range), but I finally got the picture.

And to begin. . .

Well, we've done it. We are now officially on the bandwagon. Something we usually try not to do since we pride ourselves on being "original"- at least until we find something we think is cool that everyone else has already discovered to be so. Oh well. :)
So, I'll give you a quick tour of the Badger Den.

There's Ryan- a history major at BYU who is the world's biggest kid at heart (who lives in a pineapple under the sea, Ryan? Come on, who is it?). He loves the rugged outdoors, but that comes second only to reading. One of his greatest goals is to someday own a book collection roughly the size of the Library of Congress, and suprisingly we just might make it, especially at the rate he's bringin' home the books lately. He's got about a year and a half left here in Provo and then (so far as our plans hold out) he'll be studying at Nebraska State. Apparently their Lewis and Clark/Western Expansion classes are pretty sweet.

The youngest of the Badgers is Reese, our up and coming daughter who will soon turn 1. Wow, that's a year that definitely flew by. At the moment she's tuckered out from a morning of playing at the park where she ate dirt and bark and a few blades of grass but somehow seemed all the happier for it, grinning at me through her dirt-smeared face. She's a little social butterfly that LOVES people- anyone at all (this excepting those of you who are her obvious favorites- you know who you are, wink wink). And lately she's learned how to scowl, which is a bit disconcerting for Ryan and I for two reasons. First, premature wrinkles on baby smooth skin is just plain sad, and second, no one should be made to feel that inferior by someone who isn't even one yet. :) But seriously, she's wonderful. I can't even imagine life without her, she just makes it all so much better, and we definitely laugh more than we ever did before she came along. Yes, yes, I definitely recommend having children. :)

Then there's me, Molly. Most everyone that knows me knows that I'm ridiculously into anything culinary. My latest fetish? Cupcakes. Who knew that such a wide world existed? I know I didn't until last week when I spent a few hours in Barnes and Noble trying to decide just which book(s) I would be taking home with me. Other passions include France- food, language, anything, as well as writing (which is why I'll probably be the one you hear from the most), and even though I'm not good at it, I find plants and flowers to be wonderful things. If I had a green thumb and could keep even one of them alive (our cactus doesn't count) I'm sure I would find them even more wonderful.

Hmmm.... I feel as though I'm rambling. I have to be honest and say that that is most likely what you're going to get reading this blog so if you can't handle that, if you really need to read things that go somewhere, from someone who gets straight to the point then this is probably not the place for you. I have to admit that the prospect of rambling has got me a little excited, because I believe that the poignant little somethings you find hidden in a pile of rambles are sometimes the best things you'll ever find.