Just like Daddy

Cooper is at such a fun age right now. It seems like he learns everything he sees and hears, like a kid-shaped sponge. Jesse dropped his trailer in our driveway and moved a big rock in front of the tire so it wouldn't roll. He went inside and came back out to find this:

Cooper proudly positioned a smaller rock in front of the other tire.... just like Daddy. :)

5 years & 10 years

There is somewhat of an age difference between Jesse and I. He graduated PV in 1998, and I in 2003. Coincidentally, our High School reunions were held on the same day, at the same time, AT THE SAME PLACE... kind of. At Staheli Catering... different buildings (with a mexican wedding in between). We could tell a big difference between the 2 reunions just driving into the parking lot: there was an 81/2 x 11 paper with "class of 1998" written on it to announce the location of his reunion, while my class had hauled in the huge wooden maroon and black "graduation" PV for us to make our entrance through. AWESOME!! We made our way between the 2 reunions several times. Let me give you a few comparisons:
My Reunion: simultaneous sessions of "rock band" being played in each corner and punk music being played for everyone else.
His Reunion: no music.... at all.
My Reunion: real flower arrangements as centerpieces, and a photographer snapping everyone's picture as they entered
His Reunion: Silver streamers and tootsie rolls as centerpieces (Jesse prefered the tootsie rolls, I preferred the flowers), and a disposable camera on each table so guests could "photograph themselves".
My Reunion: A game show with Randy Denter as the host, started off asking contestants who "had the longest scar", and ending it by telling us we all had money or a gift certificate taped to the bottom of our chairs ( I got $5!!)
His Reunion: A chick up front was reading questions off of slides for people to answer: "What was the top selling car in 1998?" "Who was the girls soccor coach our senior year?".... Lame!
My Reunion: a bunch of drunk guys from my class tried to crash the party, but since it was such an awesome party... no crashing needed!
His reunion: No crashing attempted.

Anyway, they were both really nice, just mine was more nice :)
Here's a pic of Jesse and his friend Richard Heideman that he still lifts weights with:

Me & my Beth:
Beth, Jeff, Sarah, Vic, Levi, & me. Odd that I am still way shorter than everyone... even in heels!

Mine rocked, but it would have been better with one difference: Caci.... we missed You!!!! :)

This or That

These are the two choices for Leila's halloween costume this year, we've already picked our favorite, but we won't unveil it until I post Halloween pics. Can you guess which one we'll use?

Kids in a blanket

Still is, and always will be one of the sweetest sights in the world to me: not only are they getting along together, but they are being adorable together!

Out of nine, 2 are mine!

Can you guess out of all 9 grandchildren of Doug and Wendy Syphus, which 2 are mine?
From the back Left: Cohen, Kaylee, (next row) Cash, Maddie, Lyza; 2 babies on laps: Gabby, Leila; seated: Cooper & Crew. The ones in baby blue are my babies. What a handsome bunch!

And of course a picture of daddy with daughter.

Pony-tail... kind-of

Here it is! Her hair is barely long enough to clump some of it together to fit

an elastic around a 1/2 inch strand of it. 9 months I've been waiting! Actually, I've been waiting since I found out there was a girl in my womb. Such a small initiation into girl-hood (and it is small, really small, almost microscopic!), but what a milestone! Jesse came home from work and I emphatically gestured to his daughter's adorned head... he squinted, moved closer, squinted some more, and finally smiled at both of us, hugging us in the pride of the moment (I don't think he even realized what a momentous thing this is for me, he just knew from my gestures it was somthing to be celebrated). Congratulations Leila Belle! I dub your pony-tail the cutest (and smallest) in the land!

I

I am... a Callahan (now).

I think... politics suck rocks.

I know... I'm not perfect.

I want... my sore throat to go AWAY.

I have... an awesome kick-a husband.

I wish... my kids didn't grow so stinkin' fast!

I hate... stupid people.

I fear... not using my time here efficiently.

I feel... like something might be in my eye.

I hear... babies sleeping... ahhhh.

I smell... the air freshener I plugged in to cover up the diaper smell (it works!)

I wonder... how long I can procrastinate going to wal-mart... ugh...

I regret... wasting so many of my young days wallowing in insecurity.

I love... figuring out something new (even if it's fixing the pipe under my sink, I fixed it MYSELF!).

I always... have a plan.

I am not ... Martha Stewart (I just want to do the things she DOES, not BE her...ew.).

I believe... my family is the coolest out there.

I don't always... replace the toilet paper when I use it up.

I win... speed scrabble against my mom (but not against spencer, he cheats).

I lose... my car keys (for real, anyone, anyone?).

I never... know what to say when I have to "introduce" myself.

I listen...to Jesse when he talks about football and cabinet stuff (for reals, I dig it).

I am scared of... someone ever hurting my kids.

I read... graffiti, and try to figure it out... what the?

I am happy about... Leila's first "pont-tail" today.


If you read this, you're tagged!

Loved "The Four Loves"

Finished The Four Loves by C. S. Lewis a few weeks ago but I have taken the novelty of letting it sink into my mind for a while before I review it here. I still don't think I can write an adequate description. Yeah, it's THAT good. I loved that it made me think, and really analyze my life and relationships with people. Mr. Lewis describes things in such a familiar way that you really can't help but apply the concepts to your own thinking. The introduction and beginning chapters are reflective and engaging, but I didn't love love the book until I got to the chapter on Eros, or romantic love and then the last chapter on Charity, or the love of God.

The chapter on Affection was also among my favorites. Some notes I took on that chapter, and criteria for Affection:
-Affection: warm comfortableness, satisfaction in being together
-you never know it's beginning (when you're aware of it, it's already begun)
-humblest of all the loves
-is and can be taken for granted.... to a point (that's what makes it so comfortable, low maintenance)
-you may pick who you love but affection shows now favorites, it unites the most unlikely of people.
-it's presence does not guarantee happiness
-we both need and give affection
-change is a threat to affection


Notes on Friendship:
- least instinctive of all the loves
-friend means (or should mean) more than an ally, but can be an ally when alliance becomes necessary
-gratitude is not necessary in friendship, we say "don't mention it - and we mean it - now lets get back to what we want to talk about."
- friends "see the same truth"
- Friendship is not necessary for survival, but gives value to survival.
(may I say that this chapter resonantly affected me in how I view my friends. I count them as fewer than I did before, but dearer than ever. They are described in this book as individuals who would be brought together by circumstance, but found virtue in the other by "seeing the same truth" as Lewis would put it, or, working toward the same goal, sharing a mutual understanding. I feel as though I'm butchering the language to try and describe it... best just read the book to understand!)


I didn't take many notes on Eros (romantic love) but I will share my favorite lines (may I also say that Lewis liberally and appropriately quotes Shakespeare in this chapter):
"...Eros, of himself, will never be enough - will indeed survive only in so far as he is continually chastened and corroborated by higher principles."


"We must do the works of Eros when Eros is not present....And all good Christian lovers know that this programme, modest as it sounds, will not be carried out except by humility, charity and divine grace...."

My final and favorite chapter about Charity brought me to tears many times, and has affected me the most of any of the chapters (in this chapter Lewis appropriately refers to Jesus Christ as "Love Himself"):
"Do not let your happiness depend on something you may lose. If love is to be a blessing, not a misery, it must be for the only Beloved [Jesus Christ] who will never pass away."


"We shall draw nearer to God, not by trying to avoid the sufferings inherent in all loves, but by accepting them and offering them to Him; throwing away all defensive armour. If our hearts need to be broken, and if he chooses this as the way in which they should break, so be it."


"In God there is no hunger that needs to be filled, only plenteousness that desires to give."


There were many more powerful, wonderful points to this book. Many more than I could ever share here. I hoped to give a glimpse or a taste to you, and to save some for me ( I hate it when I know I've READ a book but then I don't remember READING it!). Check my "currently reading" spot for what I'm on to next.

For Sale

I'm selling my cute diaper bag on e-bay, if you're interested you can bid on it HERE

Cooper's Post

I think one of the best things we did for Cooper was to have Leila so close to him. For 2 reasons. 1) He knows the world does not revolve around him. 2) he has a little friend to play with all the time! If "play" in this case means tackle and wrestle.His favorite things lately are: popsicles, spongebob, tractors, "big-boy pants", books (Owen, Are you my mother?, and Go dog GO), and Daddy (always been his favorite... always will).I also can't do anything around the house without his help. Laundry - he has to help sort the laundry by color, change it from washer to dryer, AND help put it away... though not always in the right places. Dishes - he HAS to help wash, and along with the laundry, sometimes the putting away can be a little scary. Cleaning- this one's my favorite. Sometimes he'll mimick me cleaning and pull out a wet wipe and start wiping stuff down, but boy style. He'll shove the picture frames and kleenex off of the end table and wipe it down with his wet wipe and then leave all the stuff on the floor as he moves to another object to "clean". Also, there will be tears if he is not able to help with sweeping, mopping and vacuuming. I'm not sure if he actually LIKES cleaning... or if he just wants to be a part of whatever I'm doing... and that's usually what I'm doing. (*sigh*)
But Daddy and football are definatly his favorites. Once when we went to one of Uncle Sam's football practices he got scared of all of the Samoan's yelling, so now every time we pull up to the stadium and get out of the car he has to prove his bravery by saying " I not scared of football mama, I not scared!"
At JV games he even gets to go down on the field with Daddy. Lucky little guy!

Leila's Post

Check this kid out! I was hoping that my baby would stay... well, a baby, for longer than she has. I call a "NOT FAIR!" on babyhood.... they grow much too fast. Especially this one. Within the last few weeks she's started crawling (like really real crawling) and exclaiming "DADA!" at everything she likes... and sometimes at her Dada.She salivates and lunges at all the foods she can't have yet and scarfs down the stuff she is allowed to have (she can eat, that's really what I'm getting at. Don't be embarrassed later Leila, but really, you can put it AWAY!). I've noticed subtle differences between her personality and Cooper's that are typical "girl" tendancies. For one, she is very particular about how she is held when being put to sleep: Arm out, face up, sucking on her blanket. Her Daddy knows how to do this the best so she mostly prefers him to do it. In fact, she mostly prefers him for everything. I feel kind of bad for her that all day long she just wants daddy and she has to deal with me until he comes home. (Sorry Leila, I'll just have to do!)Also, she and Cooper have developed a funny sort of brother/sister relationship which is mostly defined by Cooper trying to play with her and she enjoying it, then getting hurt and looking to mom or dad and Cooper pretending like nothing's wrong.I mentioned previously that my children are "disarmingly" adorable. This has turned out to be literally true of Leila in several cases. Mid-July when she was a mere 7 months old we were at temple square for cousin Allison's wedding. Leila was enjoying the day on a blanket in the shade, when a group of 8 or so tourists stopped to listen to her cooing and jabbering and watch her smiling and grabbing at her feet. They stayed for a few minutes, all of them comenting on how sweet and bright she was and just as they were moving on ANOTHER GROUP (this time only 5 or 6) stopped to talk to her and smile at her. Talk about missionary experience!! If these people weren't members already I bet they want to be now just because of the cute baby at Temple Square!! Seriously, wouldn't you?!!
Also, our ward Chorister sat next to us in sacrament meeting last week and her daughters were holding and doting on Leila, as we stood to sing the rest hymn I was holding Leila as she grinned up at the chorister and (for the first time) started opening and closing her chubby hand in a primitive wave. The chorister smiled and continued leading the song with a grin and renewed vigor. The experience was nothing if not charming.
Leila seems to be a very personable personality. She is ingenious in her efforts to win over new acquaintances by constantly mastering new tricks just as the opportunity develops. Perhaps she'll join the circus.

My Couch is an indoor Sandbox

I love my kids, I really do; especially Cooper when he uses the under-seat compartment of his trike to smuggle sand into the house. When I found him, he was scooping it out of his trike in handfulls onto the ottoman for his trucks to have a realistic construction site. I have to laugh be cause honestly... in his mind it's just logical: trucks need sand, sandbox has sand, trike can carry sand.... BINGO! Sand comes inside. Once I explained sand does not come inside he was very helpful about cleaning it up... he didn't get upset or throw a fit, he methodically scooped it back up into his trike. When he saw how the vacuum lifted it up as if by magic, he was way more into that than the novelty of having sand inside. But still, for a moment, he had created his own little world of sand.... pity it had to be right on my couch!

Wedding... isn't it about... TIME?!!!

To be fair we really only waited 6 weeks (that's how much notice we had), but it seemed longer. I said before how beautiful the whole thing was. I'm not so good at taking pictures and having them turn out, so I didn't even attempt the reception. With all the candlelight I would have marred the whole thing. Best just remember it how it was: simply magical. But here's us *trying* to look our best in our formal attire. Yeah, and also, no pictures of Spence and Taylor. It was their day after all... but some dip-wad was handling my camera... ooops I mean...

Nice Stuff.

Spencer and Taylor got married this weekend. It was THE MOST BEAUTIFUL wedding I have ever seen. Candlelight, fireworks, awesome food. Everything you could possibly imagine... and MORE! As if that weren't enough, Taylor's Auntie is letting them live in her house (for almost nothing), and her Grandma gave them all this furniture for a wedding present:

I know Taylor deserves to have it this good... but I'm not so sure about Spencer ;)

Washington County Fair 2008

The rain in the afternoon thinned out the crowds so much that we were able to walk on to any ride (except the ferris wheel) without any lines! Cooper loved them all except this one:It was too jerky for his liking. he got so scared he even held Maddie's hand! Then there was the Merry-go-round:
See normal people.....
And then us......

No normality here folks... best just pack up and leave.

Me & Annie

We like each other, that's a fact. We also like how we understand each other's quirks and habits, and how we respond in kind. Aside from that, there are several things I know for sure about me & Annie:

(1) We'll grow old... eventually

(2) We'll grow old... together

(3) We'll grow old... gracefully!

You may ask "how do you exactly plan on growing old gracefully when you can't even be graceful now?!"

Answer: With big hats of course!

Old ladies with big hats are always graceful! You know that kind who wear scarves and sunglasses (and, of course, big hats), as they drive their convertables through town. Sure, we may not have any of those kind of classy old ladies in our town yet.... but that doesn't mean me & Annie can't be the first! (We plan on taking a cruise just to test out our big hat theory.... we'll never see those people again!)

We've had this idea brewing for a while now, and that was the extent of it. We knew we'd get old, and we'd wear big hats. Just as old age was imminent, so were the big hats... and that was our plan. Until I saw a clip on Martha Stewart (here) about couture millinery (millinery = the art of hat making)on Martha Stewart.

Now it looks like we'll be making our hats as well as wearing them.

Here are my favorites from Suzanne Millinery on 61st street in NYC

Find your favorite big hats, and you too can grow old gracefully.

Just like me & Annie

Endowed

Now that Taylor recieved her endowment in the temple... we're just one step closer to the actual wedding day! I can't believe my buddy's getting married! Man! Talk about Crazy!

I never thought I'd see him this happy with ANY girl; now look at him! Well, she isn't just ANY girl either. She's one of the best I've met... seriously amazing, Spencer's going to have to get hisself into gear if he's going to keep up with her awesomeness.

New Building

This has been a dream of Jesse and Kevin's ever since they expanded out of their leetle shop and had to lease a second building; building a huge, all-inclusive shop to house the entire workings of Green Valley Cabinets. After shopping around and looking at several options, they've chosen a lot and it is in the process of being leveled for the foundation of the building. Everyone who's ever built anything (house, company, anything) knows how labor intensive and exhausting it is just to get to this point, but how rewarding now that it's all finally coming together. Jesse wants this to be the end-all, be-all for GVC (please, please, PLEASE!) and to pass this building on to Cooper. So for posterity, and our little Coop, here's our little family on the cleared dirt all ready for the foundation of our GVC building: