Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Two already


This is from the day we first met Vivian at the hospital in Kentucky.




And here is the day we brought her "home". Check out that frowny mouth.








And at about 10 months. Love those huge cheeks!


I have to confess I was a little worried about Vivian, and sometimes wondered what I had gotten into. She was kind of a grumpy baby. Hardly smiled, took a very long time to laugh, and then did it rarely. Then when we found out she was going to be a middle child, we were afraid she would get lost in the shuffle between the new baby and the demonic 3-yr old.




In the last few months, Vivian has really come into her own. She has a great sense of humor. She is extremely sweet and compassionate. She is really quite obedient. She is an adrenaline junky. She comes with a dash of vinegar. She's a complex little girl. I predict she will be either an engineer or an opera singer--man has she got lungs. She has NOT gotten lost in the shuffle. She is an excellent mimic, which makes her a fast learner. She likes to blow her nose, and sometimes misses the Kleenex. She loves to clean things. She contorts into strange shapes to make herself impossible to pick up when she doesn't want to do what you want. She says "yogurt" like an old German man with phlegm. "Gogurhk." The first thing she says when when I go get her in the morning is, "Shhhh... Sammy." She will not watch any TV, has absolutely NO interest in it. Except for "manna manna" from the Muppet Show, which she thinks is hilarious. She is a tease. She still frequently has a very serious look on her face, even when she is having fun. But her sweet laugh is right there waiting. She is an absolute delight, and I am so glad she is part of our family!


Monday, August 24, 2009

The Utah Pilgrimage



We just got back from the annual trip to Utah. It was a very fun trip. We were gone 3 weeks, and saw all of both of our families. I was going to do a long post with lots of thrilling details, but it is easier to post pictures on Flickr. So check that out for oodles of pictures. But for now, here is why I love Utah:

And this:

There are so many kinds of beauty. Very different from anything in the Midwest. Every time we go back to Utah, I appreciate it more.