Weekend Memories

This is a LONG post, but I wanted to make sure I remembered some of the random details about this past weekend!

**Shannon and Ethan forgot their temple recommends and had to go back to get them.
**Julia forgot hers as well and had to make some phone calls.
**Lu lu forgot her unmentionables…lol – haven’t we all done that?!
**I had to help entertain (just for a couple hours) two of Bryan’s brothers…boys are much different and much louder than girls!
**Lots of eating out – Café Rio, Goodwood BBQ, Coney’s, Costco Pizza, and creamery ice cream! Yum-o!!!
**Costco brand lasagna is a fabulous idea for Sunday dinner…pop it in the oven frozen, make up some garlic bread and viola – dinner!
**We were late to our celebratory luncheon, thanks to Subway. Our order was 40 minutes late and not quite right. I do have to admit I sent my parents on a wild goose chase – I told them there were only third sandwiches when there were supposed to be 45…tell me this, when did 15 x 3 equal 30?! Pregnancy brain! But still, it was the wrong bread, wrong meat and was late!
**Provo Bakery makes a fantastic cake! Chocolate with Bavarian cream filling and buttercream icing – yummy!!!
**Julia was called “Grandma” at the bakery by a nice old man who said Andrew looked a little like his mommy and a little like his grandma…lol. She was grandma Lu for the rest of the weekend.
**Shannon, Julia and Dad had a grand time throwing “pods” from the trees at each other outside my apartment…until there really was a dead worm in one of them that REALLY grossed dad out – that was funny!

**Poor Aly was babysitting her siblings at my apartment while we were all at the temple and she locked them outside on accident with the keys to the apartment on the table! Good thing their car was unlocked…it was pretty chilly outside. I felt so bad!

**I am so sad that I didn’t get any really good pictures of Andrew in his white outfit on Sunday…he just really wanted to play and did not want to take pictures – we will get some eventually.
**Grammy and Poppie were such good grandparents and took Andrew out to play at the park behind our apartment…it is uncharted territory for Andrew because it has sand! He LOVED it – and now he wants to play there all the time. I am not so much of a sand fan – I prefer the park up the hill with the rubber chip things – less messy and seems less dirty even though I know its not. But hey – that is what grandparents are for, right?
**Shannon can’t say no to Andrew. He didn’t have his shoes on yet, but wanted to go outside. He started crying and Shannon gave right in and let him go out…I still made him come in and get his shoes on…Shanny is quite the softy with Andrew!
**It meant a lot to me when we said good bye and my mom kissed my tummy and said good bye to Carter too.
**We made Grandma Melba’s cinnamon rolls bright and early…at 6:00 am on Friday morning before Bry’s graduation so that his family could have some! There was even enough left over for my family to have some as well. I made the cream cheese icing (against Bryan’s will) and they still seemed to be a hit!
**Andrew adores his cousins! He had so much fun playing with Aly, Cody, Justin, and Rylee. It was so cute to go back in his room and seeing Rylee playing with some toys, Justin with other toys and Andrew just watching them play – he thinks they are just so much fun! We are going to miss them when we move so far away…

**I am so grateful that the trees decided to bloom early last week so we had beautiful scenery and weather for the most part for graduation! There are pink, white, and green blossoms everywhere!

**Greg reminded me of what a beautiful place we live in…when it was time for him to leave he said he didn’t want to leave perfection. It really is gorgeous here with the mountains, weather, etc. We are going to miss it here.
**We are so blessed to have gotten a ton of baby clothes for Carter from Julia, Mom, and Camille. He is going to be SO cute!
**I can totally see myself in Aly – all I can say is I am with her when it comes to bowling – it is not my favorite thing, but I think she will come to tolerate it. It can be fun!
**At Bryan’s graduation Andrew and I were waiting for him to come out afterwards and Andrew thought everyone in a cap and gown was daddy…he didn’t believe me at first that they all weren’t him. He was glad when we finally found Bry!
**Elder Bednar gave a great commencement talk about learning to love learning. I hope I can get a copy of it – I missed most of it walking in the hallway with Andrew.

Name and a Blessing

Okay - so I know he does not look very happy here. We had a struggle before Sacrament and after Sacrament meeting so I do not have very many pictures of Andrew in his white clothes. We are going to take some this week when, hopefully, he is a little more happy. Andrew really wanted to play outside instead of getting in the car to go to church...and then he wanted to go to nursey right when we got to church. He was okay once things got started though. He did look adorable though. And thank you mom for making such a beautiful sealing/blessing outfit for Andrew. You are amazing!

We were so blessed again to have so many people that mean so much to us and Andrew there for his blessing. Andrew did really well and didn't cry one bit. Bryan gave a beautiful blessing and I am so grateful for those who were able to record and make notes of the words he spoke. There was such a special spirit in the chapel during Andrew's blessing - I don't know if there was a dry eye in the room.

Following the blessing we heard from our new and old bishopric...and the stake president gave the closing remarks. Due to a very tiny bladder and a very sensitive uterus I missed the talk. It was given pretty much to Bryan and I personally about Andrew. I wish I could have heard the words he spoke, but he talked about how special Andrew is and the blessing of adoption. I am hoping to get to meet with the stake president so I can hear more of what he said. I know Andrew will want to know one day.

I do have to say that this weekend was one of the most amazing in my life. I feel so blessed and so loved. I know the Lord knows me and my family. He knows what is best for us. He has a plan. I am so grateful for all that I have been given.

Time and All Eternity

On Saturday, April 27th at approximatley 11:00 our sweet Andrew Bryan was sealed to our family for time and all eternity. We were so blessed to have family and so many close friends there to share in this amazing experience. Words can hardly express the feeling in that room, especially when my son walked in, dressed in all white. He is truly a special child with a very special spirit. It brings Bryan and I so much joy to know that he is now ours forever. I love Andrew with all of my heart and I know that the Lord brought him to our family. We were prepared and were led in the path that would bring us to him. He is such a joy and light to our family and to all who knows him. I know the Lord has much in store for him and he will do many wonderful things. I feel so blessed to have such an amazing child in my family; my eternal family.

The song "Families Can be Together Forever" has a whole new meaning for our family now. What a wonderful experience we were able to share with so many and to seal our son to us for all eternity.

"...Families can be together forever through Heavenly Father's plan. I always want to be with my own family and the Lord has shown me how I can, the Lord has shown me how I can..."

BYU Graduate

My Graduate of Brigham Young University

I have to say that my husband is one of the most dedicated, hardworking, persistent, passionate people I have ever known. His drive to succeed amazes me. Bryan has graduated (well, pretty much...he is taking one more class for dental school right now) with a Bachelor's degree in biology. He has such a love of the sciences and loves to teach me all about it! Bryan loves to learn about what makes up life...down to the nitty gritty. He has an amazing long term memory. I was good at school because I could "scarf and barf" pretty much - cram and then ace the test. Bryan studies SO hard and then he manages to retain it all! The facts that he is filled with is astonishing. I am so proud of him and love him so much. He has been through so much these past couple years, but yet he never gives up and strives to do his best. He is such an inspiration to me and I know he will inspire his children in the years to come, as his father did for him. I love you Bryan and am SO proud of you!!!

Loving the "Babyness"

I had my baby shower today and it was so much fun! My friend Louise from my ward did it for me with the help of some other wonderful friends. I am so blessed! We had a ton of fun and I (Carter) got some really cute things. I can't believe how incredibly SMALL the clothes are....I forget they come so small. (I am sure greatful they do though!) We had a chocolate fountain with strawberries, pineapple, grapes, pound cake, and cream puffs, as well as a delicious pasta salad!(I ate veggies in there that I never eat...tomatoes, olives, cucmber, etc.)Yum-O! We played a couple games. Megan Hambly won the game of who knows me the best! It was so fun to have her and Sarah Sheranian there. I am so greatful for this pregnancy, Carter, and wonderful friends to celebrate it all with.

Wonderful Friends!

I just have to say that I have wonderful friends. Ashley and Liz flew up here on Wednesday last week to spend the weekend. Debbie drove up on Thursday morning and Audrey came down on Friday. We even got to spend quite a bit of time with Sarah. We got to see Ryan and Megan, as well as Clayton and his cute fiance Danny. Here are some pictures of all the fun we had - I didn't take very many, but thanks to modern technology I just copied them off of the other girls' cameras.

Oh the joys of getting our hair done! Andrew wanted in on the action...

Our trip to campus - we had fun at the BYU Bookstore. They were even good sports and walked home!!

It snowed one night and the girls thought it was SO exciting so they went outside, in the cold, in their jammies to eat some snow!

My sweet best friend looking out the window with my little boy. I love the way he is looking up at her. He was really mesmerized by her...one morning he saw her laying on her pillow and he just couldn't get enough of her beautiful curly hair. It was so cute!

Ashley is a great photographer and has some cool features on her camera. She took some beautiful pictures of the flowers at Temple Square.

This is like the only shot I got of just me and Liz. Not the most attractive, but hey - it's okay, right? I hadn't even gotten to the point of getting my hair done for the day...four girls and one bathroom...need I say more!
















I have beautiful friends - Debbie and Aud, what beautiful women!











And to close....my little Andrew. He was the subject of many pictures this weekend. He is just too cute and he LOVED all the attention!!

Onions make you cry....

...but can apples?? The answer today would be yes! I have been working with Andrew being off the bottle. He had some cereal today, yogurt, crackers, juice, a couple licks of a banana and then for lunch we sat down with apples. I cut the skin off because he doesn't like it so much. We were playing bite a piece off and spit it onto the tray. (Strange I know, but apparently this helps with sensory...even allowing it in his mouth is a step).

Well, I went first and Andrew followed when he heard the apple crunch. To my amazement and utter delight he took a bite and chewed it up!!!!!! My eyes filled with tears when I saw him do this and I quickly got the video camera. I can honestly say it makes me emotional to think about it again. This is a huge step for Andrew and it was a memorable experience. We really are getting there. He didn't eat much, just a couple bites, but they all got chewed and swallowed without any getting spit out!!!! Apples were followed with potato sticks from the can (fries) and ketchup, which is a calorie loaded favorite of his. I am just so proud of this kiddo - he never ceases to amaze me!

Bye Bye Bottle

We have done it...and hopefully it sticks! We are going to try and get Andrew off his bottle; not the Pediasure, but the actual drinking it from a bottle. We started tonight and I have to sat it went fairly well. We slit the nipple on his bottle, turned it upside down and stuck a straw in it so that it still looks the same with the pediasure bottle, but is a straw. He also has a variety of sippy cups that I so lovingly invested in trying to find one he likes! Bry went in to read books with him tonight and he took one sip from the straw and a couple sips from the sippy cup. This was not super great considering he usually drinks a whole bottle during nighttime books. I was worried...so we sat on the floor and read more books and I told him if he wanted to turn the page he had to take another drink through the straw. It worked! He drank a half a bottle of pediasure...not quite as much as he usually does, but that is better than three sips, right? I was glad. I know he can do it...he is just a little on the stubborn side. This could be a trying week, but I am ready!

I Love Sundays!

I just have to say that...I love Sundays. It is the day when we have no appointments, no school, no homework, no work....just family time and it is just wonderful! Being that it was conference weekend we had even more time to spend together. Between the morning and afternoon session Bry decided that we should go for a walk by the Provo River. It was wonderful and Andrew loved the water. It really makes me so grateful for all I have been given when I see my husband and son spend time together. Bryan is so good with Andrew and Andrew just loves spending time with his daddy. It was a beautiful day and just so peaceful. Bry and I were talking about how much we were going to miss Utah. We have made some great memories here and feel so blessed for having the opportunity to expand our little growing family here.

Breakfast Baby Steps

Andrew still struggles with his eating, but we have gotten on a breakfast schedule. I have decided to become less lazy with mornings and get moving. Andrew has been eating dry cereal for a while now and just has it out of a bowl. Mind you he doesn't eat very much, but at least it is something. Anyhow - we have started eating cereal in a bowl with milk every morning! I let him pick which cereal he wants...then he has to eat a few dry to make sure it is safe...and then we eat if from the bowl with milk. He even lasts long enough that it gets a little soggy, which is great for his texture issues. I am just so proud of him! The morning these pics were taken he had picked Honey Nut Cheerios for breakfast. After we eat cereal we have some yogurt as well. Hopefully his food intake will increase as time goes on. Baby steps!!