Naptime

Andrew is three and a half and he still takes naps. Granted, his bedtime is getting pushed back later and later (I realize he is probably ready to stop napping, but I love my quiet time in the middle of the day to get a few things done). Before he woke up I was able to capture this picture. He takes such great care lining each one up on the pillow, tucks them in and sends them off to sleep before he drifts off himself.

Happy Birthday my precious Jacob

We celebrated Jacob's birthday with Michael's section again, so this was my attempt at making a carousel cake that fed more than 90 people. In fact, we had three pieces left at the end. The bottom layer is a double 16 inch round cake that took 4 cake mixes and the carousel on top took another two.

Jacob loved blowing out his candles, but several section mates loved helping!

I adore my little Jacob. He is just so darling, kind hearted, and precious. I am so thrilled that he came into our family . . . I'm even grateful now that he came sooner that we expected! It has been a wonderful 2 years. Happy Birthday sweet little boy.

Crimson Kids Easter Egg Hunt

Once a month the children's organization on campus, Crimson Kids, usually plans an event for the children. This was the first event that the "new" Crimson Kids group was in charge of. The kids loved it but weren't too hot about the bunny.

A section mate of Michael's volunteered to be our Easter Bunny. What a champ! He really took a hit for the team wearing that costume. Although it terrified most of the children!

Spring Break 2009

This is the 5 bedroom villa that we were in, the view and the room we stayed in.

Nothing to do but kayak every day. Talk about living!

These two scary creatures swam right up into our private beach. It was incredible!

LOVE these boys. They had such a blast. And their most difficult decision everyday was wether to go to the beach or the pool. Hard life. Really hard.

Despite 50SPF sunblock, Jacob still managed to get tan through the holes in his Crocks. It was darling!

Turks and Caicos was amazing. I have to thank Kristy and Joel for their memories of the trip (most of my blog is verbatim what Kristy wrote . . . because I am actually blogging 8 months later!) and Joel took some amazing pictures of our little cove.

For those wanting a little more detail than the summary above the pictures, read on. We were joined by Rich, Rethsey, and their 5 month old girl Nayeli, along with Joel and Kristy and their son, Thomas. Kristy, of course, found our lodging on the internet; the pictures looked decent, but we didn't have a good sense of what the area would be like or how the house would look in real life. When we arrived at the house, located on the south side of the island (opposite from all the resorts) on Sapodilla Bay, we were very pleasantly surprised. The house was much nicer than expected and the set up was perfect...we had our own little private beach and were walking distance to a bigger beach (~50 yards). We had 4 sea kayaks at our disposal and plenty of lounging chairs and umbrellas (contrary to what the rental agreement suggested). Also, we had rented out the main house, which has 3 bedrooms, but were able to use the guest house as well. A pretty perfect set up!

Saturday afternoon and evening was spent enjoying the beach and ocean and the gorgeous views. Joel and Rich did make a trip to the grocery store and were shocked SHOCKED at the prices. They spent ~$170 on food, including 3 boxes of CocoRageous (think chocolate flavored rice crispies). CocoRageous quickly became the signature dish of the trip. I won't name names, but many people ate it for breakfast, mid-day snack, dessert, and even snuck in another bowl before bed. We bought at least 4 more boxes before the end of the trip. Sunday was a low key day, with more relaxing, followed by our own little church service in the evening (the island doesn't have formal LDS services). On Monday we were greeted by some heavy winds, so we decided to drive up to Grace Bay - the resort area- and check things out. The beach/ocean was pretty, but very different from Sapodilla Bay. There were actual waves! Where we stayed, the ocean was shallow (knee-deep) for at least 50 yards, with no real waves to speak of (perfect for little kids!). Perhaps because of the wind, the beach was largely deserted despite the long line of large resorts along the beach. We walked around a bit, scheduled scuba trips for those who were planning to go for later that week, and had a less than stellar meal at one of the local restaurants. After our Grace Bay trip, we decided on a few things: we were okay to eat at home the rest of the time, and we were happy to be far from the resort side of town.

Tuesday was a stay-at-home kind of day, filled with time at the beach, in the ocean, in the pool, and on the kayaks. On Wednesday Rich and Rethsey went scuba diving. And Thursday Kristy and Joel took their turn. Both couples loved it and said the scuba was fantastic. Michael and I are not certified, and didn't have a huge desire togo this time around. It was so incredible to have absolutely nothing to do . . . no agenda . . . nothing but family time. So relaxing! So relaxing. Friday was another stay-at-home day, and on Saturday we said goodbye while the others headed to the airport and then relaxed until our flight went out the next day.

It is always nice to head back home, but we absolutely needed a break from the cruel winter and from the constant grind that is our lives. We love being busy, but having a week with nothing to do but spend time together was truly wonderful.

A weekend of pure JOY

This is my friend Catie, her husband Steve, and her beautiful children. She has been battling cancer for almost two years and we all missed her so much that eight of her college roommates decided to fly to North Carolina to be with her for the weekend. It was a miracle that we could all find a weekend that worked out for the nine of us!

We were giddy when we all showed up at her doorstep. Words can hardly describe how wonderful it felt to be back with my dearest friends. Obviously, during chemotherapy Catie's hair fell out, so she gave us all matching hat so we could all keep our heads warm through the winter the same way that she did.

We all filled out a 10 year time-line to track all that has happened since we left each other in college. I loved seeing what everyone had accomplished in such a short amount of time. While many of us have kept in close touch over the years, it was great to rekindle our relationships together.

Catie exudes joy. She is so full of hope and light. Her laughter filled us up all weekend.

We went out to lunch together one of the afternoons and then to Duke Gardens. We could barely get anything done all weekend because we were talking and laughing so much.

Courtside 304 Girls

Courtside 302 Girls

Sorority Sisters

The entire weekend was incredible. Indescribable. and Perfect. We love you Catie!

Trained

In the midst of terrible threes, we decided to potty train Andrew. For three days we did little but eat, drink, and go potty. I was so concerned that he would fight it (because that is all we have been doing these days) but . . .HE was a CHAMP!

I think this was the thing he needed . . . It certainly helped him out of his tantrum stage! I'll be willing to bet he felt like needed something that he was in control of . . . for once. This has turned out to be more than I could have hoped for! I now have a potty-trained little boy, and my Andrew back. Plus, he's asking to take naps again!!! Welcome back sweetie. I have missed you!

Sushi Anyone?

Andrew had always loved sushi. Weird, huh?

He ended up eating 6 California rolls! Way to go Andrew!

Testing His Boundries

January was a particularly difficult month in our home. I have a certain darling 3 year old who was desperate to assert his independence; and I am a 29 year old who, admittedly, has a few issues with control. This combination does not equate to peace and harmony. For about two weeks we had been battling the dreaded tantrums. Books, toys, clothes, and even his most favorite stuffed animal would come flying across the room if he was angry at a decision that I had made. He wanted to be in control of his own life. (Funny that this starts at such a young age!) I was mortified that I was loosing my little boy. Battle after battle Andrew would decide that he wanted things to be different, to be his way. I was exhausted by trying to keep the house rules intact and my patience was growing thin. The one battle that I decided to give in on: Andrew was finished with naps. Much to my chagrin, I knew I would have to be alright with this decision. He's 3 1/2 now and he's been a fabulous napper his whole life. So away with naps, but . . . welcome "quiet time". Andrew was not too excited about quiet time in his room, but on this particular day he decided to play along.

With both children in their rooms, I finally had a moment to myself so I called my sister Kristen. We couldn't have been more than 5 minutes into our conversation when I noticed a very pleasant and familiar scent. Lavender baby powder. My heart sank. I told Kristen I had to go. Trying to compose my emotions so I wouldn't react the way that I wanted to react, I opened Andrew's door . . . terrified of what I would find. It was everywhere. Everywhere! In his shoes, his toy box, in between his sheets, ALL over him, inside his coat, down the sleeves, all over the floor, the rug and his furniture and because there was a fan going in his room (for white noise) he had decided to pour some of the baby powder into the blowing fan! It was everywhere.

After taking it all in. My first reaction was to call Poison Control. I had no idea what the safest way to clean up baby powder without the entire family inhaling everything that was kicked up by the vacuum. They were a little less than helpful. I decided to spray everything down with a water bottle so the particles wouldn't kick up as I cleaned. While I was in the midst of spraying, I turned around and Andrew was dumping what was left of the baby powder on my head. I was about to loose it, but thankfully the phone ran. It was Michael's sister Kristen. I am certain that she was inspired to call. It may have saved my son's life!

While on the phone with Kristen, I was attempting to clean up the baby powder covered room as I tried to describe the chaos that was my son! I was very grateful for her humor, her stories she shared that compared to this situation and her encouraging words that Andrew would come out of the funk he was in. Distracted by our conversation, Andrew decided to capitalize on my lack of attention. He had begun to track the baby powder ALL through the house. He was thrilled that he could make powder foot prints from his bedroom to the front door! It looked SO cool to a three year old who didn't have to clean it up.

My next move was to strap both children into their booster seats, give them a snack and then resume cleaning. I told Kristen I probably should go, but before I got off the phone, I warned her that I might be calling Andrew's grandmothers soon for reinforcement. I was so close to loosing my cool that he might need a grandmother or two here to help diffuse the situation. As I got off the phone with Kristen I noticed that Andrew was rocking back and forth in the chair so he could knock over the chair and hopefully be freed from his booster. Although it was a clever idea . . . it would not have ended the way that he was hoping. So, I unstrapped the booster from the chair and stuck him on the ground (still attached to the booster). I never thought I would laugh so hard when I saw him trying to get up with a booster seat strapped to his back side. It was so funny. Luckily Andrew thought it was funny too! We were both in stitches for a moment until Jacob started crying. He didn't see the humor in this situation. Luckily, Big Brother was around to comfort Jacob in his time of need.


The booster, unfortunately didn't stop Andrew from coming into his room to track more baby powder through the house. But, it did slow him down so he couldn't make it all the way to the front door.

Plan B. Call a friend and send the kids upstairs. I was so grateful when Brittany answered her phone! She took the boys for over an hour while I started 3 loads of laundry, wiped down, vacuumed, and dusted all of the baby powder from his room and cleaned up the tracks throughout the house!

It's a really good thing that he is so cute. I think we might make it past the terrible 3's.

Snowy Sunday

We have definitely had our fair share of snow this winter. AND we are willing to share with anyone who would like more. In January and February we had two Sundays that church was canceled. While it was enjoyable to spend Sunday in our pajamas as a family, it did make the days following the snow storm a little more difficult to get around.

Best Snow on Earth

After Colorado we went to Park City, Utah. We are a little partial to Park City when it comes to the snow, ski and all winter sports. It was a blast being with cousins . . . when we weren't hugging the toilet! Sad, but true. We all got a version of the stomach bug again this winter. It was quite miserable. But, I have to say . . . long after the fact . . . it was worth the memories!

Christmas in Colorado

We spend Christmas in Colorado with my family this year. We stayed at my older sister Danielle's home. It was such a blast. The picture above has her girls: Talise (8) (baptized while we were there), Renee (6), and our little miracle Macie (8 months). Andrew and Jacob absolutely adore their cousins. After overstaying our welcome at their home for two weeks, my children still hadn't had their fill of cousin time. What a great Christmas!

Andrew made this gift for me and Michael and called it "The best Christmas Present EVER!" We are grateful for the technology these days to save this present digitally. It didn't quite make it home in one piece in our luggage.

Family Photo on campus. Merry Christmas!

Holidazzle

I absolutely LOVE dancing. And I love Christmas time. But, I love even more that these two things became a standard weekend celebration for several weeks in a row. We had holiday party after holiday party for three weeks. By the end of the third Christmas (dinner/dancing) party I was warn out - we even left early because we were so tired. Lame, but true.

These pictures are from the Harvard Business School's annual Holidazzle. We were sorely over charged for an open-bar event but it was SO worth every penny. We danced until 2 in the morning. I almost forgot that I had to get up with children the next morning!

Most of these people are from Michael's section. The school splits the 900 students into 10 sections - named after letters in the alphabet. Michael was proud to be placed into section H. H is brimming with incredible people full of personality and talent. It has been such a blast for Michael to get to know these classmates. We loved spending the evening with them. It was the best date we had all year!




A special thanks to Andrew for helping me to get ready for my date with papa. I love you little guy!

A Time for Giving Thanks

We are grateful for so many things.
To start, we are incredibly grateful for our two boys.
Our marriage.
Our Savior.
Our Testimonies.
The roof over our heads.
Running water.
A safe vehicle to drive.
Our friends.
And plenty of food . . .

Two events down: Kristy's Shower and the Hampshire House Fundraiser. Two to go: Thanksgiving dinner with Michael's Learning Team and Thanksgiving dinner on Thanksgiving.

It's hard to imagine Jennifer Smith being fooded out, but I was on the brink. Four large parties in a matter of 6 days made me not want to cook for a month! (and much to Michael's chagrin, I didn't!) Both Thanksgiving dinners turned out great. It was really enjoyable having so many great friends at our table that week. I don't know what we would do without such wonderful and loyal friends. Thank you all!

And a special thanks to Joel Williams for always entertaining our boys with the Wii. He was so helpful while we were busily cooking in the kitchen!

The Hampshire House 2008

In honor of my dear friend Catie Stubben, who is still battling cancer, decided that I wanted to host another party at the Hampshire House to raise funds for basic cancer research for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. So in September I applied to run with the Dana Farber team in the Boston Marathon again and was accepted! Overwhelmed by the thought of training for another marathon and planning another fundraiser, I decided to do things a little differently this time around. I was going to work on just the fundraiser and then work on the training. Last time, I had begun my training in September and threw the party in November and for three solid months my entire life revolved around this endeavor. Splitting this up this time around has helped keep the rest of my life a little more balanced.

Invitations went out and RSVP's trickled in until the event. We hosted around 60 friends for an evening of dinner and dancing. The Hampshire House was decorated so nicely and the food was delicious. Our DJ, Reggie, was amazing. We raised over $5,000 that night toward our goal of $9,000. I couldn't have asked for things to go more smoothly. We had such a blast!

Honoring Kristy Williams and her son

We celebrated in anticipation of Thomas Mario Williams the best way we know how . . . with food and friends! Two dear friends of ours flew in from D.C. (Leanna Kowallis) and San Fransisco (Regan Williams). It was a fun, but busy weekend. As you can see from the first photo I look exhausted . . . because I was.




We are so glad that Thomas is here safe and sound. Sometimes it helps to blog 6 months after the fact, things always seem better with a little time. I remember this weekend being really stressful because we threw Kristy's shower on Saturday, we had guests in town for the weekend, and then on Monday I was hosting a Dana Farber fundraising event. It was a non-stop weekend. Now that I look back at the photos, I can appreciate more how much fun it was!

Happy Halloween! I know it's almost April, but we're just getting around to posting our Fall happenings.
Life at HBS has been wonderful, but it is completely packed with things to do from dawn until dusk some days. I have, quite obviously, found no time to blog.

So, back to October . . . we went Trick-or-Treating to Beacon Hill again this year. It was a blast and the weather was so pleasant! We had been enjoying the winter cold a few days prior to Halloween so we were really grateful that weather cooperated just for this fun little evening.

This is the American Flag. I know that you know this fact, but . . . did you know that this is the very flag that is hanging outside of Sen. John Kerry's home? It's true. He was actually out giving candy to children this year. Last year he just had his house keepers passing around candy, but this year he was up for re-election, so it was necessary that he pass out his own candy!


Pirate Andrew says . . . aaarrghh!

Little monkey just wants to go home. Sad day. He'll soon understand how cool Halloween is.

Andrew's Birthday Party

What was Andrew's Birthday Party Theme? I'll give you one guess.



So this cake doesn't look very big, but let me tell you . . . it was a layered 16" round, 15 pound cake that fed at least 80 people! It was enormous and SO much fun to create.

Michael goes to class in "sections". There are 90 people in his section, and he sees them every day, all day, all week. His section was cute enough to invite Andrew, Jacob and I to come to class after the day was over to celebrate Andrew's 3rd birthday with them. I was admittedly worried how Andrew would react to 90 adults singing "Happy Birthday" to him. I was thrilled and surprised to watch him enjoy every minute of the attention!

Right as I walked into class, my children were swooped out of my hands to be loved and cuddled by Michael's classmates the whole time we were there.

This is Michael's classroom: Aldrich 109, Section H.

This is our resident HBS wild Turkey: Henrietta. Warning: She has a really mean streak! Luckily we were permitted to pass behind her without being chased all the way to class.



Have you ever seen someone SO excited for their birthday?


We had a few of Andrew's friends over to celebrate his birthday and to help us make train shaped pizza. Too bad you can't tell the shape from these pictures, there was SO much cheese and pepperoni put on top it buried the dough!

Happy Birthday my little love. I am so grateful to have you!

I love my boys!

Cape Cod

We had a few days off of school so we headed down to the Cape with some friends. This is the darling little Bed and Breakfast that we stayed behind. There is a little carriage house behind this that is just as darling and New England. It has two floors and each floor had two bedrooms and a bathroom with a living room and full kitchen. It was ideal for our three families. What a fun weekend!




These are Andrew and Jacob's friends. William is 3 and Oliver is 18 months. Perfect little playmates!


Even though it was the middle of October, the weather was seasonably warm during this weekend. We were able to get into the water to go "paddle" boating and splash around with the children. We just keep hoping that winter will not join us too soon!

Topsfield Fair

One afternoon while all of our husbands were oh, so busily working, we went off to play at Topsfield Fair. The kiddos loved it! We are already out numbered 6:4, but next year it will be by an even bigger margin 9:4! All of my first year friends are pregnant!

This is Alli. She has two darling boys and is expecting a daughter soon!

This is Heidi and Alicia. They both have one child and are anticipating the arrival of another soon!

You can't go to a Fair and not enjoy a ride or two! We rode the carousel, the Crazy Bus and went down the Fun Slide. (It was actually a LOT more fun that it looks or professed.)

I have always loved the fall in New England. And this year is no exception. A few other first year moms and I took our little guys to a Pumpkin Patch to pick out the most perfect pumpkins.

This is Andrew's friend: Billy

Jacob with Sheldon Galbraith and Madeline Vetter

I can't ever get enough of this little guy!


We wish you could be here to enjoy the fall with us! Love to you all.

Preschool - My little one is growing up

Andrew loves preschool. His teacher Trudy is darling . . . she has a south Boston accent and loves all of the students. I love that my kitchen pantry door is covered with all of Andrew's art projects that he brings home each week. I also love that I get a little one-on-one time with Jacob.

This is how excited he was right before he left for school. Annie Archibald and Lauren Stone ride with Andrew to school.

Although Andrew was a little bummed that he didn't get to ride on a school bus, I reassured him that he could sing "The Wheels on the Van" instead and it would be just as fun! It seems as if he bought it.

This is a picture after school. He had the time of his life!

Let the Blogging Begin!

Please don't fall off your seat. There is a new post.

It's been a while, I know. Really, there is no good excuse for letting our blog go for so long. Regardless, we still have found many excuses not to blog. After our cyclone vacation around the west coast this summer, we moved into a new apartment in Boston and started business school. Finding time to sort through 3,000 pictures from these last few months has not been as high on my priority list--as it obviously should have been. Needless to say, things have been busy. Very busy.

Let's start with May:
After recovering from the race, I spent my days packing up our apartment, caring for two boys and a husband with the stomach flu, and playing Mario Cart with Andrew. I knew it was getting to be a terrible habit for the both of us when my Andrew was requesting to "race cars" all of his waking hours.

June 5th -10th: We flew to Sun-Valley, Idaho for a family vacation with the Smiths.

Andrew has had a lot of luck lately. The pilots on our flights have been super nice and have let Andrew land the plane the last few times!

All of Michael's family was able to make it to Sun Valley. We had an incredibly fun week . . . and hope we can make this a regular vacation spot!

The resort in Sun Valley

Attempts to take a Grandparents/Grandchildren photo:

Family Photo:



Andrew between photos.




Pool time:





bicycling into town:

Andrew with his phone obsession:

Girl's afternoon:

Lonnie and Cheryl's 40th Anniversary party!

my sweet Andrew.


June 11th-21st: We flew to Park City for a wedding, and to see my sister Danielle and her family. We walked around Main Street in Park City, we met friends and family in SLC and in Provo, we enjoyed two trips to the Hogle Zoo, and LOVED the fresh mountain air.

These guys were pumped to be here!






Wild roosters and turkeys totally belong in a zoo!

The is the most gorgeous carousel I have ever seen!



Macie was still on O2. It's pretty common for premie babies to be on it until their official due date.



June 22nd- July 21st: We flew back to Saratoga, California to spend a month with Michael's parents. There was no way we could have packed in more than we did. We were exhausted and so were the boys. It was a magical 4 weeks.

Lake Berryessa:

So the picture isn't out of focus, it was the smoke from the forest fires in Northern California.

Andrew was in heaven. He loves "Granka's fast boat".


Jacob crashed! He was so tired.


Vesona Park:









Trains, Planes, and Fire Trucks . . . what more could you ask for?

So proud of himself for sliding down such a big slide.




Swimming with our friends, The Other Smith's:



Fourth of July:

Los Gatos, the neighboring town had a really fun musical celebration in the morning.








San Jose Children's Museum:










Santa Cruz beach:
This beach is only 30-40 minutes away from Michael's parent's home. It was so much fun to go with the Call girls and their friends.



My dear friend Beth Call Hulme



Andrew's best friend in California, Seth Hulme.



Emma Prusch Farm Park:


This is Andrew's cousin Max. He was such a help with the boys while we were at the farm. He is a wonderful older brother and cousin . . . Thanks Max!!








Muir Wood National Forest:

Golden Gate Bridge heading into Sausalito Island



Max


Kenna



Inside of one of the fallen trees




Monterey Aquarium with the Smiths and Keysers (Michael's parents and sister Mimi's family):









Oakland Zoo with our Other, Other friends named the Smiths:




Jacob and Asher . . . both Smiths.



Kim Smith and her son Bennett

We've visted quite a few zoos in the last few months, but none of them had a miniture amuzement park like this one! Andrew LOVED the roller coasters. It wasn't too scary, but it had enough torque to make your stomach drop.







July 22 - August 8th: We flew from Cali to Colorado Springs, Colorado to spend three weeks with my family.

Grandma Cowser's home:



Gratefully the boys adjusted quickly to my parent's home. This whole summer they were remarkable mobile and easy going.

Mr. Biggs Indoor Playground:

We took Jacob and Andrew to an indoor play ground to meet some more of their best friends:(in order) Reid, Tanner (twins above) and Andrew Michael (below).

I loved seeing my friend Liz Hasler Christensen. It seriously brought tears to my eyes when she walked in Mr. Biggs with her little clan. Her boys are so beautiful and full of life. I don't know how she does it! Moms of twins amaze me!

Renee's birthday party:



We snuck the boys in the back . . . to the "girls only" Princess Garden Party.

My mom has a little talent when it comes to cake decorating!


Andrew trying to help blow out the candles! Thanks bud.

Pizza with Egglestons:
After the birthday party, we headed to Carbondale for a weekend with Michael's sister. It was a beautiful drive. We met them at a yummy pizza place just outside of town.

It was a good thing they had buffalo to ride at the restaraunt.

This was Jacob's face when he recognized his cousin Genivieve.


Pool and Carbondale:







August 8th-15th: San Clemente, California for a Cowser family reunion.

Not that we hadn't already been having quite the reunion, we decided to have it in a more glamarous location.


This is the beautiful place we stayed (above) and this is the gorgeous view (below):


A few shots of Danni and her family.

Talise 7

Renee 5

Macie 3 months


Beach Days:



His feet still never touch the ground!


Disneyland was magical.

Nemo's submarine ride:

Roller coaster after roller coaster.


Mickey's Parade


Danielle and her family . . . except Macie.


Loving it!

August 15th-18th: We flew back to Park City for a friend's wedding. Loads of fun.

August 18th: Flew to Boston to move into our new apartment and start school.

Wonderful things come in tiny packages - an update on Danielle

Last night I was about to blog about Danielle. I wanted to tell you that she went home on Marathon Monday. She was doing so well after 9 weeks of bedrest in the hospital and the doctors were really surprised that she had made it to 32 weeks, so they decided to let her go home. Danni has been really enjoying at home bed rest . . . in fact, I think I recall her referring to this as pansy bed rest. The "real" hard times are being stuck inside of the same four, stark white walls, with alarms ringing and lights on around-the-clock.

Several weeks before she went home, while she was at Memorial Hospital, she bled again. She was just a few days over 27 weeks along and we were thrilled that she had made it as far as she did, but were obviously still quite concerned for the baby. Luckily, her bleeding stopped on it's own, but the doctor warned her: "This is kind of like baseball, it's three strikes and your out."

Before I had a chance to write an update I got a call from my mom last night. After many foul balls, she finally struck out. Danni started bleeding right after dinner. The ambulance came, started 2 IV's, strapped her to the gurny and headed to a trauma level hospital. She said they even rode with the sirens and lights flashing (Andrew would have LOVED it!).

Not long after her OB arrive, he rushed her off to surgery and delivered her baby. She was one day shy of 34 weeks. Perspective is such a funny thing. If this had been a completely normal pregnancy, we would have all been shocked when she delivered a 34 weeker. But, since we have all been praying our hearts out that she would be able to carry this little one just a little longer, we are so thrilled that she lasted for 10 1/2 weeks past her first bleed.

Her name is still to be determined. But she is a beautiful, tiny, little love. She was born at 4 lbs. 1 oz and 17 inches long. Danni was able to hold her for a second to kiss her and smell her and then she was taken to the NICU where they could help her breathe. She is on a CPAP machine that helps her lungs to breathe more efficiently.

Danielle is doing well. She is anxious to be able to get up and walk around again--like a normal person. She's been on her back for close to three months and she's ready to start running!

What an answer to so many prayers.

The most fitting word for this race.

Look at the concentration. It was quite an intense race.

This was right before mile 9. I thought the runners would thin out a bit but, I guess that's hard to do with 25,000+ runners.

This was at mile 9. I was SO excited to see my parents.



Thank you so much for coming to support me Mom and Dad. I love you!

This was mile 16 where Jhordan joined me to run the rest of the race. I was obviously thrilled to see her too!

This was at mile 20 when Linsey joined us.

We just crossed the finish line . . . you can see it in the back ground. I was dead. Really.

I was so grateful for these two friends who helped me to finish.

The medal.


Finding Michael after the race was all I wanted to do. He has been my rock of support through all of the training, injury, and execution of this race.

Dana Farber really takes care of their runners. Inside of the recovery zone they had a place for you to change out of your drenched clothing, some nice food prepared for you to enjoy, but most importantly, over 40 massage tables with volunteers prepared to work on your very sore muscles. What a dream come true!


I admit that I look terribly tired here! It was such a rewarding tired though.

What a wonderful experience all of this has been. Thank you everyone for your love and support.

Boston in 4:15

I finished the Boston marathon. It was wicked awesome.

I'm sore, very sore. And tired, very tired.

I arrived at the Boston Common where 25,000 runners, give or take a few, were trying to load buses to head to Hopkinton--the start line for the race. It was amazing to witness a sea of runners file onto these buses. It was so efficient.

Hopkinton was electric. I had about an hour before my wave started and I enjoyed the time to relax, stretch, get a few last minute pieces of advice, and prepare for the mental battle ahead. The weather could not have been more perfect! Just as we were lining up to start the second wave of runners, the sun was peaking it's way out from behind the last of the clouds. The temperature was a perfect 52 with a slight breeze.

I was surprised how quickly I was able to cross the starting line with as many runners as there were, I think my delay time was only about 6 minutes. I started the marathon running 9:43 minute splits per mile and finished the VERY hilly last half of the marathon running 9:44 minute splits. I stopped to visit with people who had come out to watch, to stretch, to walk through the water stations--generally, I didn't push myself too hard until the end of the race. I don't know where my energy came from, but I had it . . . until mile 23.

I thought I'd be very emotional at the end . . . and I wasn't, I was cranky and couldn't believe that I had run so far and I still had to keep running . . . 3 more miles. My legs were killing, my feet aching and my body tingling. And there were still several hills to overcome at the end. I thought if I saw another hill, I would just swear . . . literally.

Once we finally rounded the street onto Boylston, the thousands and thousands of people in the crowds were just a blur in the backgroud. The finish line was about 700 yards away and I was behind a man who stopped. So I stopped. The way I was feeling, I was fine walking to the finish at this point. It's amazing to me how far I had come and with only 700 yards left, I felt SO justified in walking to the finish. I was convinced that my body could not start running again. And then, out of NO where, I found myself sprinting to the finish line. Talk about psycho. My mind was off and my legs were on and I didn't feel like I had any control over either.

Crossing the finish line was so relieving. I don't think I would have made it as far as I did, with the pace that I did, without Jhordan or Linsey there to help run me in. I was so grateful for their support on the course. Jhordan ran me in from mile 16 and Linsey joined up with us with 6 miles to go. It was great to be flanked with love and support for the last 10 miles. I loved that they were able to cross the finish with me too! The way the course is laid out, they have barriers to keep the crowds back for the last 2 or 3 miles of the course, so they literally weren't able to jump off the path anywhere. (Thank you both for being with me!)

I'm going to throw together some pictures of the race that my family and friends took, and I'll add a few more details . . . I just thought you might want to know how it was. So amazing. I even have thoughts about do it again next year, and I'm close to convincing Michael to join me!

Thank you for all your love and support. I can hardly believe that I just finished the Boston Marathon!!

Boston Marathon

There are only 5 days left until the race. Every time I think about it, my stomach drops into my toes and my heart skips several beats. I am so excited, but as excited as I am, and I equally nervous. After all of these months of training, and these MILES of running, what if I get sick, or my knees give out, or the weather is atrocious? I feel pretty certain, that no matter what happens I’ll be running on the 21st of April, but what if???

The boys and I met Michael after work yesterday to join him for dinner. He works downtown in a beautiful building in the heart of Boston’s Back Bay. There is no way to be in Boston and not be aware that the marathon is fast approaching. Adidas is the main sponsor for the race and they have larger-than-life size ads everywhere you turn. They are photos of previous runners with their bibs, their number and a quote scribbled across the front them. Just seeing them triggers the aforementioned stomach-heart reaction.

Several of my favorites are:
A girl, her blonde hair pulled back, she has a white jacket on (it must have been a cold race day), she looks like she was struggling. Her bib said “my legs were screaming, but the crowd was screaming louder. Impossible is Nothing.”
Two men with white shirts on, both look filled with fatigue. “We started together, we ended together. Impossible is Nothing.”
My favorite:
Two women running, their brunette hair pulled back, black jackets on. They must be close to the finish line because they are holding hands and they have a look of relief on their faces. The bib reads: “Make sure your friends are right where you need them. Impossible is nothing.”

For some reason this ad always evokes so much emotion in me. I can’t pass it without welling up with tears. I can just imagine the fatigue I will be feeling after 26.2 miles. To know that my family will be at the end to strengthen and support me is a little overwhelming. My parents are arriving on Thursday with my sister Kristen and her son Tyler. Michael’s parents are flying in on Saturday night. And there’s Michael. Michael has been amazing during these last 8+ months of training. He’s never once complained about my Saturday runs that consume the entire morning, or the naps that I love to take after them. He has been so encouraging and accommodating.

If you’ve never watched the Boston, let me try to paint a picture for you. This is the most prized marathon in the nation. This is one of the only races that you have to qualify for . . . and the qualifying times are rigorous. (Unless you are running as a charity runner like I am. There are only a small percentage of us and we’re going to be bringing in the rear!) Imagine 25,000 runners. And then, imagine ten times that number of spectators lined along the course—the entire course—all 26.2 miles of the course to cheer, support and encourage the runners. I hear that there isn’t a quiet moment the entire run. I’m so used to hearing my heart pound and noticing the rhythm of my breathing. I doubt I will even be able to hear those over the roar of the crowd. I hear it is magical. I hear that near the end you experience one of two emotions: you are so exhausted that you don’t want to finish the race, the fatigue is so great that you will gladly give up all the months, hours, and miles of training to just stop running; or you are so exhausted that you just cry for the last 5 miles after ascending Heart-break Hill.

No matter the emotion, I am determined to finish this race. In September of last year I started training for the Boston because of my friend Catie Stubben who was diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma. This is a rare disease in which cancer cells are found in the bone or in soft tissue. Catie was 22 weeks pregnant when she was first diagnosed and because of the progressive nature of the cancer, it was imperative that she begin chemotherapy immediately. It overwhelmed me to imagine being in her position: a mother of two and pregnant with her third with seven months of chemotherapy, doctors appointments, surgery, and radiation ahead of her. She and her husband Steve were incredibly courageous and optimistic through the whole process.
Because of our concern for Catie, Michael and I became involved locally with the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. It was through this involvement that I received an invitation to race in the 2008 Boston Marathon with the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge (DFMC) team in honor of Catie.
To support DFMC, we have been raising funds for cancer research. With many generous donations, we have nearly reached our personal goal of $7500. If there are some of you who would still like to donate to this wonderful cause, we are allowed to accept donations until May 21, 2008.

Here's how to donate:
By following these instructions, any donations will be applied to the DFMC fund-raising goal.
1. Click on www.RunDFMC.org.
2. On the left side of the page, click on the "Support a Runner" button.
3. Enter my first and last name: Jennifer Smith, and follow the prompts from there.

In case you wanted to track me on race day:
On April 21st, go to www.baa.org and put in either my name or my bib number: 22210
The race starts at 10:30 am east coast time.


Here's a really cool site with an interactive map of the coarse:
http://www.boston.com/sports/marathon/course/map/

My baby is One

I can hardly believe it when I say it. Jacob is turning one tomorrow and I already miss him being a baby. He has been the most pleasant creature ever to grace this earth. He is happy, playful, sweet, and agreeable. He puts up with his older brother when he needs to, but often ends up winning Andrew over.

Jacob has been an incredible blessing to our family from the moment he arrived. We love you little guy!

Jacob as a newborn


My sweet boy at one

A stop-over in the snow

On our way home to Boston last week we decided to stop in Park City once more. Michael's sister Mimi and her family were there on spring break and we hadn't seen them in almost a year. This seemed like the perfect time, plus it was just one more excuse for us to postpone our trip back to the New England Winter.






Poor Jacob didn't have any snow gear, so much to his dismay we kept him inside and began training him to be a concert pianist. He's actually doing quite well!

Los Gatos Easter Egg Hunt

The week before Easter I took Andrew to the neighboring town's Egg Hunt. Los Gatos really know how to do Easter well. There was a local radio station there filling the air with music, booths with games and toys, a pony ride, a petting "zoo" and of course, the candy eggs. Andrew really had a blast!

I was begging Andrew to look at the camera here . . . but the DJ was way more entertaining!

Unfortunately, if you stop to "smell the roses" in this situation, you lose out the treats! It was amazing how many people showed up for this Egg Hunt. There were thousands and thousands of egg hunters!

Sadly, this is the last set of pictures that I have from our trip to California. It really was a magical time. We are super excited to head back there again this summer . . . we're taking the whole summer off. Michael has been accepted to business school and we're going to enjoy life a little before he's back to the grind stone. So, summer plans include a trip to Sun Valley Idaho to celebrate the Smith's 40th Anniversary (WAY TO GO!), to Colorado to enjoy my sister's baby when she arrives, and to a few places in California. PLUS, if I can convince Michael, we might go on a short trip to Europe without the children.

Grandpa's Fast Car

Andrew LOVED Grandpa's fast car. It was such a treat for him when we finally let him take a ride in it. We rolled the top down and strapped a booster seat into the back and they were off. Three generations of Smith men heading to the candy store. Michael told me that Andrew had the time of his life. He was hanging his little hands out of the car the entire drive. I hope Andrew doesn't get too bored now that we are back in Boston. We had an adventure almost every day while we were in California. In Boston it is just a little harder to get out and about . Plus, it's still winter here! I am really looking forward to enjoying 2 springs!

Because Jacob was too little to drive in the fast car, we let him drive Dad's rental car. It wasn't really a fair trade, but since he's so little, he really doesn't know the difference! I guess there will come a time when we will have to worry a little more about trying to be equal with rewards and privileges. Luckily we are only caught up in drooling, teething and nap times for now.

Mustard Flowers in the Vinyard

So there is an immaculately manicured vineyard at the end of Chester Avenue--the street the Smiths live on. I guess the owner of the land plants these beautiful mustard flowers each year to fertilize the land. For weeks we would drive by these blossoms and watch them dance from the breeze. As the weather warmed they blossoms would become so full they looked as if they would burst. In the evenings they would close up again as if they were trying to stay warm. One afternoon, on our way home from the farmer's market, Lonnie and I pulled over to take some pictures of the boys in the flowers. It was a perfect day, as most days in Saratoga are and the colors were so vibrant.
The next week on the way home from church we were all a little heart sick when we saw that the flowers had been plowed under to fertilize the soil. It hadn't dawned on me that they had to be underground in order to nourish the land. So sad. It's a good thing we captured a few moments of their glory!

Happy Hallow Park and Zoo in San Jose, CA

Happy Hallow was a lame attempt to be a park or zoo, but it was totally worth going to see my dear college friend Mandy Watkins and her darling children. Andrew loved the petting part of the 5 species "zoo", Jacob didn't mind the carousel, and of course they all loved the playground. I'm sure we'll make it back to California again this summer, and Happy Hallow might even make our list of destinations. I hope we can meet up again Mandy--we sure miss you!

Boston

We're home. It feels different.

We had such a magical time in California it was so hard to leave. We miss Michael's parents terribly, but are so grateful for the time that we had with them. It was wonderful for the boys to get to know their grandparents!

We arrived Friday night around 5pm. Because we were still on West Coast time, we headed to Costco to stock up on supplies and food. The boys went down around 11pm--I am really excited to get back to our schedule again!

I went for a run on Saturday. It's been a little while since I've had a good run. We've been a little under the weather-flu, colds, sinus infection. It felt great to be out along the Charles River again, but it was cold and windy. As I passed hundreds of pedestrians who were just out and about on a Saturday morning, I noticed that their faces wore expressions of a long hard winter. They were dressed in black coats, hunched over to protect their bodies from the cold wind, the furrow in their brow had certainly been there all winter long and there were very few smiles.

That's a huge difference between New England and California. There is sunshine and perfect weather year round in Cali, so there really isn't a good excuse to be crabby. In Boston, they usually endure terrible, cold, bitter winters that last from November and into May sometimes. It seems they have earned the right to be a little more harsh and biting.

If we could escape the winter every year . . . I would be fine to stay in Boston all our lives. Spring and Fall are just glorious! Once the buds are on the trees and the smell of spring is in the air, the entire city wakes up from it's winter slumber. And Fall, Fall is so radiant with color and beauty that you wouldn't want to miss it for anything . . . even if it means winter is just around the corner. I guess we'll take the good with the bad (and occasionally escape to California).

I have a few blogs from California left to post. They'll come as I find time while we're settling back in this week. Thanks for joining us on our adventure!

s-m-r-t

Andrew is such a clever little child. He loves reading, knows all the letters in the alphabet-and the corresponding sounds that go with them, and can whip together a puzzle right in a few minutes. I am going to have to be very diligent as a mother so he doesn't get bored and lose his love of learning.

Capitola

What a beautiful little city. I reminds me of one of my most favorite vacation spots: San Clemente, Southern California. It's a darling little town, with views straight from heaven.

We ate at Gaile's, our favorite little diner. The food was delicious and the weather was just perfect for sitting outside in the sunshine. Afterward, we headed to the beach to fly our kite while Andrew enjoyed a little surf. He was so giddy about the water . . . if you look closely at some of the pictures--his feet aren't even touching the ground. He was so excited he couldn't keep his feet on the sand while he was running. He just floated in the air. (And anyone who has seen this little guy run, will totally understand what I'm talking about. He really just runs in the air--his feet are so high off the ground it amazes me that he ever moves in a forward motion!)


You'll be proud of us . . . we even took Jacob our of his stroller.

What do Detectives, Art, and Spokesmen have in common?

Well, I'll tell you. These were all the podcasts of This American Life that I listened to on my 21.2 mile run this morning . . . that extended into this afternoon. I have a terrible farmers tan, a bruise on my leg from a stick that kicked up and smacked me, I have consumed 2.5 liters of water in 3 hours, and I could fall asleep standing. Plus, to make it a "real" run, I still have 5 more miles to go . . .

Not today though. We're going to head to Capitola for the afternoon. I will enjoy hobbling on the beach with sand between my blistered toes!

Here's to the Boston Marathon.

Monterey

It was a miracle that both Michael and Lonnie took President's Day off of work. Cheryl and I were in utter amazement. Our husbands . . . who are an awful lot alike . . . tend to work every holiday minus Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years.

We decided to celebrate by heading down the coast to Monterey. It was just beautiful. On the drive down the rolling hills were a velvet green, the artichoke fields were immaculately manicured, and the ocean was, as it always is, magnificent.

We packed as much as we could in one day: the beach, lunch, the Aquarium, Ghirardelli's Chocolate Parlor, the outlets and In-N-Out in Gilroy on the way back home. Needless to say, we didn't need to eat for days. But, how could you pass up an In-N-Out . . . even if you did just eat an enormous cookie sundae?










There isn't anything as satisfying as Ghirardelli!
(p.s. does anyone else get concerned that Jacob never leaves this stroller?)


Andrew is in an ice cream coma. That's a good place to be!

Lets go fly a kite . . .

Even though it didn't make it to the highest of heights, or up much at all, we sure had fun.

Barefoot in February!! I could be that the weather was so wonderful . . . or that mom forgot the shoes. It may have been a mix of both . . . we'll never know.


All of these pictures are from a darling park out in Mountain View. We had a wonderful Saturday afternoon. I love the picture of three generations of Smith men . . . in order of the most amount of energy! Our hearts will be broken when we have to leave. Thank you so much Lonnie and Cheryl for sharing your home and your hearts with us and our children. We all love you so much.

My sister Danielle

This is my sweet sister Danielle. She has two darling little girls: Talise (7) and Renee (4). For years now they have been trying to have more children, but for years were unsuccessful. This last Fall they began the journey into the world of IVF. With incredible success (and a little divine intervention!) they were able to get pregnant with their third little girl.

On Saturday Danielle was admitted to the hospital. She began to hemorrhage in the night and didn't know until she stood up the next morning that she had been bleeding. Early on in this pregnancy, she was told that she had a condition known as placenta previa. This means that the placenta is covering a part or all of the cervical opening. In her case, it is a full placenta previa. And, were she to dilate at all, the placenta would tear away from the uterine lining enough to cause heavy bleeding. Knowing this, the plan has been to take the baby via c-section at 37 weeks before her body might go into labor on it's own.

To make a really long story short: Danielle was having some strong Braxton-Hicks contraction this last week--strong enough to start dilating the cervix. She was rushed to the hospital (labor and delivery) where they admitted her, did an ultrasound, and ran several labs. The blood loss wasn't too significant to affect either her or the baby, and the babe is doing well. Unfortunately, because Danielle has already started dilating, she will most likely have to remain in the hospital until the baby is born. Since Danielle is only 23 weeks along, we are hopeful that the baby can wait for at least 8 more weeks. According to the high risk maternity team, 31 weeks gestation is ideally the earliest they would want the baby to come. However, the NICU attending came to speak with Dan and Danielle and told them that the earliest this baby could be born and still have a fighting change would be at 27 weeks. Obviously, we are hoping for more than a fighting chance! This is going to be a long several months for my sister and her family. We feel really blessed that everything is alright with the baby and things outside of the hospital are going smoothly so far. Luckily, My mom lives a few miles away and Dan and Danielle have a wonderful supportive network of friends who have stepped in to help lighten the load.

If you remember, please keep them in your prayers. I'll keep you posted if there are any new updates.

Park City

Can you believe how much snow there is? I think we might be out of the drought!

A week with cousins-and my sisters

We decided to a take a week's vacation, from our two month vacation in California, to Colorado Springs. All of the perfect weather was too much to handle! We felt much more comfortable in the blizzards and freezing wind.

Although the entire last sentence is completely false, we did go to Colorado, and we had a fabulous time. Andrew and Jacob loved being with their cousins and really enjoyed jumping from one set of Grandparents to another.
We were too busy having fun and didn't get as many photos taken as I would have liked, but here are the few we took:

Cousin Tub Time--Jacob (10 months-9 days older than Tyler) Tyler Christensen (10 months)

My sister Kristen Cowser Christensen (25 years) Renee (4 years old -- what a doll!!)

Andrew-quite a doll too. He really loved being included
in the older-cousin-girl-games. Lucky for me I decided to
cut his hair--so he doesn't look like a girl!

Danielle-my much older sister. (She's 11 months
and 2 weeks older than I am.)

How could I ask for any more help?

I was in the middle of making a cake. I needed a few more ingredients, so I ran downstairs to find brown sugar and vanilla. When I came back upstairs . . .

Andrew is the best helper in the world. I don't know what I would do without him in the kitchen. I love you little Andrew. Never stop exploring.

Fisher Park

There is a great little park in the neighboring town from the Smith's home. Andrew and Jacob love to go play there.

Hanover, New Hampshire

I have so much to fill you in on, but I wanted to highlight the weeks greatest news. Michael was accepted to the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. He would feel so honored to accept this invitation, but we're going to give it two months and see what comes of the 4 other applications that he's submitted. We couldn't be more excited. (I just wish the average weather during the winter in New Hampshire were about 50 degrees warmer! That's not asking too much is it?) Hanover is quite remote, but we've heard wonderful things about the people and the campus. We could certainly make this our home for two years and really enjoy the experience.

Hooray for Michael!