Dave earned some props!

Dave earned some serious props for pulling off a big birthday surprise! While I am not always the best at waiting for a surprise, I do love that moment when it all comes together and the surprise is revealed. I honestly had no idea what to expect but knew that it would be something fun. As we were driving to the secret location I kept trying to figure out where we were going. As we would pass a particular landmark I would shout out a destination, sure that I had figured it out, only to be met with a sly grin and clear no. After several guesses and several failures, we finally arrived at out destination. Even then, I was still unsure where we were and what to expect. We parked and walked in to the lobby level of a building in the LA's art district. Dave waves at someone but I don't see who. People are walking around sipping wine, nibbling on appetizers and enjoying the art. As we turned a corner I see an old friend- the friend that Dave waved to earlier. Now it all made sense. This friend works for this amazing catering company called Room Forty. We were there to attend one of their "Wine Maker Dinners". After some pretty amazing appetizers in the lobby, we headed up to the 22nd floor to begin the rest of our 6 course meal. The bare bones industrial styled room was set up with large tables and benches and lit only by candle light. There were a few pieces of art hanging on a couple walls and simple vases and flowers adorning the tables. And the best part of all was the amazing panoramic views of the Hollywood HIlls all lit up in the night sky. It was just amazing! We sat down and met the people at our table. A couple with one small child who recently moved from the DC area. Another older couple who are well versed in these types of dinner engagements. The owner's wife, a friends of theirs from church and another couple with 4 kids and a lot of interesting stories. The conversations were as great as the atmosphere and food. And speaking of food, I have never had anything like it. Scallops with a new white wine, duck with a great white, rabbit with smooth red and steak with an amazing red with a little kick followed up by a delicious dessert. While it sounds like a lot of food, the portion sizes were much smaller and few people ate everything on the plate. It was the perfect amount of food and wine. It was amazing! All of this wonderful food, while conversing with some pretty amazing people we just met and the soft sounds of the acoustic guitar being payed by an amazing musician. It was unique and distinctly LA. In a million years, I could not have imagined or planned a better way to spend my 30th birthday. Dave did an amazing job planning and executing a truly special night all the while keeping it a secret from me!! It is quite an accomplishment. My hats of you Dave! And, thanks for an amazing birthday celebration that I will ALWAYS remember!

I miss you Gina!

We actually had to got to a generic portrait studio yesterday for our family photos. Usually this time of year, we'd be meeting up with Gina and she's take pictures of Mason for his birthday and of the family for our Christmas card. Not only is she a great photographer who would meet us anywhere to shoot, she also gave us a great price! Yesterday we sat in the studio with the generic holiday backgrounds and took our posed family pictures. Don't get me wrong, the people were nice and the photos came out nice. But it just wasn't the same! I miss you Gina!! We'll have to make a yearly date to do photos so we never have to go through this again! Here is one little preview...you'll have to wait for the rest:)

A Little Getaway

Once bitten by the travel bug, it is really hard to pass up a great travel deal. So when we saw ridiculously cheap flights to San Francisco, how could we not buy them? We took off Wednesday for a short trip to visit the city and relax. We didn't rent a car or anything because SF has such great public transportation. I think in the back of our heads, we were thinking that this would give a little idea of what it'd be like to travel in Spain with kiddos. I think we did end up utilizing every form of public transport at our disposal. The only one that we'd never do again is the buses because the kids were horrible! But they did pretty good on the trains. trolleys, and cable cars! It was definitely a little more difficult with two kids than when we went with just Mason but it was still fun- still an adventure! We enjoyed the cloudy, drizzly, cool weather. A nice change of pace from the constant warmth of SoCal. I know for all of you sitting in snow or freezing weather that doesn't sound so bad. But after a while, you miss the cooler weather, the rainy days. Although I must admit, neither of us miss the snow! With that said, here are a few pics from our little exploration of SF. We walked a lot of the city (stopping by cool places like TCHO chocolate) and took a cool little boat tour of the bridge and Alcatraz. We also visited the aquarium when the rain got a little heavier. The kids loved that! Mason also got his first taste of cotton candy. I don't think that we'll do that again! He went nuts as soon as the sugar hit his bloodstream! All in all, it was a fun trip despite it's hectic moments with the kids. But if you ever get a chance to visit, you really should! SF is an awesome city with so much to see!

Halloween Fun

This year, we found a cute bumble bee costume for Willow online. We tried it on and liked it so we bought it. When I showed Mason that his sister was going to be a bee, he immediately told me that he was going to be a fly for Halloween. Not wanting to sound like a judgmental mom, I asked about other possible animals that he could dress up as for Halloween. But he had his mind made up. Willow would be a bee and he would be a fly. OK. Now, try to find a fly costume for a toddler (for a reasonable price). Nearly impossible. We'll have to just make one, I decided. We tried and we failed. I think Dave and I both suck at making costumes. The wings just wouldn't come together right. So for Harvest Festival at Fuller (the week before Halloween) he wore his Spiderman costume from last year. Still bug related! So I had one week to pull out something else for him in time for trick or treating. He said he wanted to be a spider. A few alterations to the fly set up and I think we'll be set. Yeah, more technical difficulties and a broken sewing machine. Well, Spidy is close enough to the insect world that our bug theme isn't ruined. And he loves Spiderman. So Spiderman he was-again!


All the neighborhood kids getting ready for trick or treating.


Willow enjoying her first sugar cookie at Harvest Festival.


Mason riding the ponies by himself- for the first time in 3 years!

Siblings

Mason really wanted to hold Willow. Not being a real "cuddle bug", I wasn't optimistic. But it actually wasn't too bad. Here are a few photos.

doula training

This past weekend, I attended my official CAPPA (Chilldbirth and Postpartum Association) doula training. Since I decided to pursue this goal, I have been blessed to be at 10 births, supporting women and their partners through one of the most intimate, amazing and miraculous moments of their lives. I do consider it a blessing and privilege to be asked into someone's birth and do my best to support them through those hours of uncertainty and intensity. My attendance at this training this weekend makes me an official doula-in-training with CAPPA and puts me on the path of certification, which I am hoping to complete by January or February 2010. The training was a weekend training that started early and went to about dinner time. Additionally, it was about 40 minutes away. Those of you that know me, know that I am not a morning person. So it definitely has to be something important to get me out of bed that early on a weekend! On a side note, I must say though that there were other women who traveled much further than I did to attend this training. Cudos to you all! Back on topic, I learned so much this weekend about how to better support women in labor. I was reaffirmed that this is the career for me. And I was reminded again of the awesomeness of God in allowing humanity to participate in creation and designing our bodies to work and to birth! I am convinced that women know how to birth their babies. It is a deep, innate part of femaleness. Unfortunately, our culture and society has made women doubt this truth and doubt themselves. I think there is a growing number of women (and their partners) that are being to listen to their bodies and trust their instincts. They are asking questions and making informed decisions about what is best for them and for their baby. I hope that this trend continues. Pregnancy and birth are not medical conditions. Pregnant women are not sick.

Listen, I know that not every woman wants to feel labor. I know that not every couple wants to have a natural birth. That is fine. That is each couple's choice. But at least know your options before making a decision. Know the risks and benefits of each procedure and medication. Read up on them for yourself. Don't just trust someone else to tell you the whole truth. Ask your doctor about their attitudes toward labor and letting things progress in their own time. Ask about their c-section rates, etc. Get information. Whether or not you agree or choose to have birth in a natural way, just make an INFORMED decision. Ok, I will get off my soap box now:) In an effort to pursue my passion to educate, here is some information for you to think through.

I know that most typical Americans don't really understand natural or normal childbirth and don't even know the word doula. I think that is a shame! In fact, that is part of the passion that I have developed over the last few years- a passion to educate people about birth choices. Did you know that most couples spend more time researching what car they want to buy than how they want to bring their child into the world? To that end, here are a few facts about the benefits of having a doula present at birth:

(1) It reduces the likelihood of c-sections by 50%
(2) It decreases the length of labor by 25%
(3) Reduces the use of oxytocin (pitocin) by 40%
(4) It reduces the use of narcotics by 30%
There are many more advantages but these give you an idea of the significance of a doula's presence!

Some of the long term benefits include:

(1) Improved breastfeeding
(2) Increased time spent with baby
(3) Decreased postpartum depression

Here are some great resources to learn more about normal/natural birth, it's benefits for mom and baby and doulas in your area:

Childbirth and Postpartum Association www.cappa.net- Find a doula
Doulas of Southern California www.dascdoulas.org- Find a doula in SoCal
The Business of Being Born www.thebusinessofbeingborn.com-Watch the documentary, links to other great resources
Giving Birth Naturally www.givingbirthnaturally.com-Everything you ever wanted to know about the risks of medical interventions, medications and how to do it all naturally
Dr. Sears www.askdrsears.com- Great information on childbirth and newborn health and care(and much more) from the the Sears family of doctors

Playing and Baking

Helping mommy make brownies!


I AM a big girl, see?!!

Look at me after "baking" outside!


In the process of making mud pie.

Oprah

If you didn't get a chance to check out the Oprah show today, you can see it online. Our good friends, Vanessa and Rolondo and their daughter Raven, were on the show briefly today. The topic was about women and their hair, particularly African-American women. Chris Rock was the guest. He was talking about his new documentary coming out next week entitled Good Hair. It was a great show that was applicable to women of all ethnicities. Chris Rock made a great statement in the end of the show. He said, don't wear your hair for her, or him or because it is what other people are doing. Wear your hair for yourself, because you like it. My friend looked at me and said, that could be said of most things women do in America. We are a culture of image. It is hard, especially for women, to achieve the image that is set out as "ideal" or even normal! I am very conscious now that I have children of what I say about myself in front of them. I want my daughter to have as an example a mom who is happy in her own skin, who cherishes herself and who is confident in how God made her. I want my son to see the same so that one day he will desire to find a secure and healthy women to spend his life with. As a Christian, I am reminded that my worth does not come from what I wear, how I look, what my hair looks like or who likes me. But my worth comes from my identity in Jesus Christ! I have to say that I have been wearing my natural hair for a few years now. First, because I couldn't afford to color it. Recently, by choice. I can finally say that I like my hair and my hair color. And for those of you that watched the show, I'm a proud natural NON-BLONDE brunette!

Thanks Mom!

My mom recently spent two weeks with us, taking care of the kids so I could finish all my work for my practicum With Dave back to work, there is no way I could have done it without her! Thanks for playing with the kids, feeding them, and generally spoiling them with love, attention and toys! I miss her already! The kids did really well with her and she brought all kinds of fun things for them to do and play with. They did crafts, made cookies, played in the dirt, colored and all kinds of other things! Once I finished my work, we tried to spend a couple days having fun. We went to Amy's Playground, an indoor playground in South Pasadena. I know what you're thinking- why do you need an indoor playground in Southern California? Well, when it's 101 degrees outside, you don't really want to play in that heat. So the indoor playgrounds are nice! My mom had fun watching the kids run around and play with all the different attractions.

Family Time

The anatomy of the daddy jump.





Followed by some family squeeze time.



Or should I say family shove time?

The End is Here

So after all the pomp and circumstance of graduation in June, I didn't officially graduate. I had to complete my practicum this summer in order to finish my program requirements. So I did some work for an organization in Pasadena called the U.S. Center for World Mission, founded by Dr. Ralph Winter. I worked on a couple projects for them and one project for a woman affiliated with the center. I really enjoyed my time there and am going to keep volunteering there in the future. All of that to say yesterday I finished all my work for the practicum and turned in my very last and FINAL paper to Fuller! I am very excited and relieved to finally be done. It is a bit anti-climatic but it's over!

So maybe it's a little cheesy, as Dave commented, but here's a pic of me handing in my very last paper!

I think we've created a monster

If you know me, you know that I love my coffee. And while I love to support local, I often end up at Starbucks because, well, they're everywhere! It's so convenient. Dave started getting frappacinos lately because he always felt a little left out on my coffee runs. So now he can have a little drink while I have my coffee. And Mason usually gets a little Horizon's chocolate milk (his coffee) so that he is not left out either. Well, on the way back from the beach, we stopped at Starbucks before we got on the freeway home. I got my latte, Dave got his chocolate frap and Mason got his milk. Well someone else in the car noticed that she was the only one without a drink. And boy did we hear about it! Mason was nice enough to share his chocolate milk with her when he was done drinking what he wanted. You would have thought that she had never had a drink before in her life and was never going to get another one! She sucked that straw for like 30 minutes, long after all the milk was gone! Mason then set his eyes on Dave's frap with whipped cream. Dave let him have a couple turns which basically consisted of Mason trying to eat the whipped cream and get as much chocolate out as possible. So now, Willow has tasted the good stuff and there is no going back. Our family trips to Starbucks just got a little more expensive!


This is Willow's serious face. She is really going after that milk!


Mason enjoying a taste of daddy's treat!

Just had to

Of course Mason loves everything Willow has and Willow always wants everything Mason has. So, here ya go!

Fire Update

As of today, the Station Fire, which is the one burning near us, is still less than 50% contained. It has burned over 150,000 acres and is still going. We got a little break in Pasadena today with a shift in the winds. This means the smoke wasn't blowing our direction for a change. I read today that they are getting smoke all the way in Louisiana! The fires did get down pretty close to the city again the past couple days but the fire crews did an awesome job keeping it at bay. They set some backfires to try and stop the flames from spreading in Arcadia and Sierra Madre, both cities east of Pasadena. The air quality is still pretty crappy so we've been keeping the kids indoors. I try to get at least get them out of the house for a little while in the morning before I go to work. But looks like they are starting to get a handle on this thing and hope for full containment by the 15th or so. Hopefully sooner so the air clears out and the kids can get back outside to play!

Happy Anniversary

Dave and I have known each other for 13 years now. We met our junior year of high school, starting dating our senior year and got married after our senior year of college. 7 years, 3 moves (including 1 cross country), 4 degrees and 2 beautiful children later, and I love him even more today than I did on the day I married him. Dave, I love you for the man that you are and that you continue to grow to be. I feel so blessed to be on this journey with you. You are my soul mate, my partner, the one who gets me, my best friend. Thank you for 7 wonderful years!

Update on the fire

It definitely smells worse this morning than it did yesterday. Over night the fire spread from 35,000 acres to nearly 90,000. It is making a steady march to Mt Wilson, where firefighters have been set up and using as a control center. It also homes all the local radio and television communication towers. It also has a beautiful old observatory. They are prepared to defend it but recognize that they may not be able to. So we'll see what the day holds.



This is Mt. Wilson observatory before on a normal day.


The antennas of Mt. Wilson.

Fires

In southern California, August is one of the hottest months of the year and the beginning of fire season. LIke all of nature, the fires are part of the natural cycle of the forests. But the fire that is currently burning near us is a little different. The area of La Canada and Pasadena/Altadena hasn't seen a fire in about 60 years. Needless to say, there is a lot of growth available for the burn. Because of this the fire has spread rapidly and in all directions. While we are pretty safe because we are about 10 miles south of the mountains with plenty of concrete between us, our neighbors north of us are not so fortunate. Thousands of homes have been evacuated (including our pastors'). From it's start on Thursday it has burned over 35,000 acres and is only about 5% contained at the moment. Amazingly though only 3 structures have burned. Those firefighters are amazing! Because of how rare it is to see such a big fire in this area, people are pretty curious and going out to look out areas to get a view of the flames. Dave and I are no different. It is a little mesmerizing. We've been taking photos every day I guess in an effort to document it. We actually have a pretty good view just from our own front lawn. The lack of winds have kept it from spreading any faster and kept it from blowing ash our way as well. That is definitely good! But we're still staying indoors because there are a lot of particulate matter in the air that can cause health issues. We'll keep you updated but know that we are ok and not really in harms way. The biggest problem for us will be the air quality. You can also check out for more information. Here are some pics of what we have seen so far.


The view from our street. All the white above the mountain is smoke-not clouds.


The fire at night from our viewpoint in Pasadena.


The fire just above Nasa's Jet Propulsion Lab, in Pasadena.


The view from above the Rose Bowl.

Cloudy and Green

Our family recently visited Portland, OR for the first time. Up to this point, I have been told by numerous people that I would love the city because there is great food, great scenery, great public transit and because it is a "green" city. I was starting to think that all the hype about Portland was only going to leave me disappointed because it had been so built up in my head. But after about a week in the city, I have to say that I really did like it. I was impressed with how beautiful it was- so many big green trees, mountains and parks everywhere. The public transit was great and the kids loved riding the trains and buses.


The food- delicious. The food carts lined up and down the downtown streets let you eat basically any kind of food you want. Could there be anything better than that?


And green indeed! I know that "green" has become hip or trendy and some even equate it with a "left wing" agenda. But I was concerned about "green" issues before we ever moved to California and have found much more support for these concerns here than I did anywhere else I have ever lived. But I have never seen a whole city committed to living a simpler and cleaner life- until I went to Portland. Evidence of this could be found in the public recycle bin next to every public trash bin throughout the city, the countless bikers and bike lanes throughout the city, the readily available composting bins, and ample vegetarian and vegan food! Oh yeah, did I mention the lack of box stores and chains? In every neighborhood, you could see something new and unique- a value that is so important to Portlanders. They pride themselves in doing it themselves whether it means growing their own food, maintaining gardens with indigenous plants and flowers, or making their own crafty things instead of buying them. I do admire this though having a black thumb I'm not sure how well I would fair;) The pace of life is slower, calmer, and definitely more natural. They grow local and buy local. They are friendly and generous, though not too fond of the wealthy Californians who keep moving up and driving up the cost of real estate. Glad we don't have to worry about that since we're so NOT wealthy! But most of all, I just felt it refreshing to be in a city, large and vibrant, that was clean and committed to changing the impact that cities have on resources and the environment.



This was a bike and beer festival on the river downtown. They actually had these "compost offices" with three bins for your trash. One was labeled 'landfill', another 'recycle" and the last 'compost'. How many cities offer that in public spaces?



This guy actually won a contest in which the prize was a brand new tricked out bike. The contest- give up your car and get a new bike. So this guy won (yes, others, many others, entered this contest) the contest by signing the title of his car over to them and in turn received a new and lighter mode of transportation!

Now I know that this was our first visit and that we don't live there with the day to day, season to season feel. And I am ok with that. For now it will remain in our heads a haven for progressive city living and all around beautiful city.

Bumps, bruises and boxer eyes

Willow is, uhm how should we say, adventurous. She is now 14 months old and already has a chipped tooth. She often has bumps and bruises, some from her brother or neighbor and many more from her own actions. For example, a couple months ago she got a sizable bruise on her head because she wanted to run around with a towel on her head after bath time. But she got going to fast with the towel over her head (and eyes) that she ran right into the dining room chair. She has some nice scraps on the knees and elbows from trips and falls. She even got a scab on her head when she fell outside and face planted on the sidewalk. But the most recent "injury" was what Dave and I affectionately termed her boxer eye. We still haven't figured out exactly what happened- whether she fell (or was pushed down) or if her pink eye spread- but she ended up with a swollen eye that looked like she was in a boxing match the night before.



As you can see, it was pretty dramatic. She has those big beautiful eyes like her brother and to see one of them only open about half as much as the other was so pathetic. It didn't seem to really bother her too much but we did have to keep a close eye on it. The girl just doesn't really let anything slow her down. Bleeding, crying, eye swelled closed- she just keeps moving. I think she gets that from her dad:)

Concerts and Cars

The two most popular things in our home this summer are concerts and cars. Mason has taken to performing numerous songs on his guitar while sitting on the toy box in the living room. These songs usually include some aspect of his day, incorporating some exciting and recent event that has happened and then a series of what we like to call "Mason words". These songs last anywhere from 1 to 5 minutes and usually immediately followed by another original piece. Occasionally, we get his version of Coldplay or Weezer. After destroying the one pick he had by chewing it, he began strumming with his hands. Well, he's been playing so much that he started getting blisters on his thumb and finger. When we told him that all guitars players get this, he stopped whining and almost adopted a look of pride-like he had joined a elite group or something. It was pretty amusing! But we decided that picks would be helpful. So Mason and I had a little special mommy-son time at "The Guitar Center". It was like watching a kid in a candy store. He just went from one side to another, touching everything, playing as many instruments as he could and of course asking to buy everything! One very helpful associate showed Mason the mini guitars (which were still as big as him) and got a couple down for him to play. He sat on the ground and played, strumming his little heart out! I wish I had my camera with me!

Now, Willow likes to get in on the concert action too. Sometimes she tries to strum the guitar while Mason is playing. She usually gets a swift kick or push away from her brother. The tears ensue until I can distract her with another instrument that is just as appealing as the guitar. Those of you with two kids know that no toy is as appealing as the one the sibling has! So it usually takes some convincing that the shaker or drum or any other instrument will be just as fun as the guitar. Sometimes, Mason has a streak of selflessness and gives up his "special" and lets her play with it, trying to teach her how to strum it the right way. Watching that is pretty amusing! But once she gets going with another the instrument, the two of them make a pretty good duo, a LOUD duo, but pretty good.



Cars are the other big hit this summer, as has been for the past year. As is his custom, Mason dumps his bucket of die cast cars out on the floor and either singles out a few that he wants to play with (all the "Cars" cars) or takes all of them and lines them up on his town scene play mat. This option is the choice du jour most days. Willow of course loves to come in and pick up, i.e. destroy his neat lined up cars. The scene is not very different from the guitar. I try to convince Mason to share. He says no. I then try to convince him to pick out a couple cars that she can play with next to him. He says she can have the cars but can't play in his room. "She's gonna mess up my cars!" I try to let Willow play next to him anyways. She gets bored with her two cars when she sees the hundreds of other options nicely lined up next to her. She goes for them, he screams and cries while hitting her arms away. She begins to scream too. Before you know it, everyone is crying and pushing around fighting for the cars. Needless to say, I end up taking Willow out of Mason's room with her two cars while Mason slams the door closed and desperately tries to reassemble his nicely ordered rows of cars. We recently bought Willow her own car to play with. That was pointless- Mason hijacked it already and she still goes for the car that he has! Who knows, maybe in a couple years they'll be able to play together a little more civilly.

Summer Swim Class

My dreams of having a little surfer boy have been given new hope once again. Normally Mason doesn't like to play in water. Water that shoots up from the ground scares him, water splashed on him is scary, waves crashing up near him scared him...well, you get the picture. But we've seen signs of serious improvement this summer. We signed him up for two weeks of swim classes through our local parks and rec. So he started last week in the beginner class. He was a little skeptical and I had to go in the water with him on the first day. But once he got it, he warmed up to it pretty quickly. From day two on, it was just him and the the teachers- his favorite was the guy teacher:) Week one he was still a little clingy and reluctant to get his head in the water. But by the end of week two, I couldn't get him out of the water when class was over. And today, at his final class, he was going completely under water, blowing bubbles and kicking those little legs! He was so excited and I was proud of him. He told me "I'm so proud of me in swim class. It was so much fun!" Who knows, maybe we'll get a water baby yet?! Hey, as long as he's not afraid of the water, we're good!


Mason looking pretty darn cute after a good frog jump across the pool!





Mason working on his kicks on his tummy.





Kicks on his back...trying to keep his head above water, little shorty!





Swimming with his favorite teacher.