It's been a year...

Today marks one year since my brother's death. Many people have asked how I'm doing, so I decided to share here.

I'm okay. It's hard to think about what he went through and what could have been (again, useless... but it just comes up). And I miss him. We were very close growing up and became distant when his struggles began to overwhelm him, pushing away those who loved him most. We were beginning to rebuild our relationship when he died. That aspect of grieving remains pretty raw. 

While I'm still coming to terms with his life, I am completely at peace with where he is now. That comfort overshadows the hurt. All is well, and more good things lie ahead. Stay tuned. :)

Week in Review

As usual, we've had a busy week around here! This is what we've been up to:

Scotty- Work, school, exams in every class (in the third week?), financial aid drama, very little sleep, tennis, and date night in with hot wife. :)

Alison- Relief Society General Broadcast, total insomnia from adjusting to new meds (that's over with for now, thankfully), kids, date night in with hot hubby, housework, and visits with friends.

Jamin- Skirmish after inviting the class bully to play--on the condition that said bully would be nice (Jamin handled the situation like a champ), a sleepover at Brock's house, ESPN College Gameday at Bronco Stadium (thanks again, Charly & Clarke! you're brave!), preschool, and first gametime soccer goal!

Travis- Playing with his big brother and baby sister (often shutting the door to keep grownups away), running nonstop, talking nonstop, building blocks, darting into the soccer field to try to "play on Team Jay-Jay,"charming the socks off of everyone (except when I took him Visiting Teaching), working on his 2-year molars, and learning his colors.

Libby- Avoiding afternoon naps, going to bed by 6:00 (the upside of skipping that second nap), playing with her brothers, tackling her brothers, laughing with her brothers (seriously heart warming), removing her headbands (waaah!), and standing unassisted for the first time!

No Comment

After receiving numerous emails, I guess I should explain.

I disabled blog comments in June and have no intention of changing this.

It's not that I don't enjoy reading comments. On the contrary, I do. I just enjoy blogging more with the comments turned off. Weird, I know. But that's just me. 

I keep this blog primarily as a family record... hence the reason it's so focused on our children and other family news. (Side note: Scott and I each have blogs for our personal musings, but they're 100% private). Sharing updates with family and friends is the secondary (yet still important) function of this blog. Perhaps this is why I prefer blogging without comments: it keeps me focused on that main purpose.

Blue Seals

Jamin had his first soccer game on Wednesday. 

He plays for the Blue Seals. Like the name? That's what happens when 4-through-6-year-olds pick. (For the record, Jamin voted for "Bulldogs.")

Jamin was excited but a bit confused at the beginning. He didn't quite understand the concept of team playing against team-- probably because we usually play one-on-one at home. 

By the end, he was running with his team and kicking the ball the right direction. Definite progress!

"Go, Blue Seals! Have fun!"

Blue Seals in action:

A few minutes in, I felt a tap on my shoulder. Scotty came! He skipped class (shhh!) so he could attend Jamin's first game. What a nice surprise.

We also had other visitors: Charlotte...

...and Brock!

We had a great time watching.

Jamin also had a blast, even when he was cheering from the sidelines.

Guess who won? 

Go, Blue Seals!

Nine Months

At nine months, Libby...

Crawls very, very fast.

Is Mama's shadow.

 Has begun to cruise.

Trills, grunts, and makes many unladylike noises.

Loves to dance.

Still wears 3-6 month clothes.

Is a binky thief.
Has the biggest, darkest blue eyes we've ever seen.

Chews on her toes.

Mimics Daddy's silly talk.

 Jumps and laughs upon standing.

Thinks mangoes are the best food ever.

Is highly ticklish.

Can't stand her carseat.

Looks fabulous in pink.

 Sleeps like a dream.

 Is absolutely beloved.

Just for kicks, here's Jamin at 9 months:

And Travis at the same age:

Real Date!

Scott and I are lucky enough to be best friends. He is truly the only person I could talk to all day, every day. Even when we do absolutely nothing, we have a blast together.

This works to our advantage in our current stage of life. With three very young kids and an odd/demanding schedule, we face quite a challenge planning date nights. Thankfully, we love  hanging out around the house together. So our "date nights" usually consist of just that.

Yesterday, Scott welcomed his first day off-- no school and no work-- in over a month. We celebrated with our first real date-- leaving the house sans kids-- in over a month. It was heavenly.

Yes, we're grateful to always enjoy each other's company. And we're even more grateful when we can do so away from home on occasion.

11:30. 4:30.

At 11:30 each morning, Libby can chew on cars in peace...

...because the boys anxiously await Jamin's bus.

At 4:30 each evening, Miss Libby has Mama all to herself...

...because Travis anxiously awaits his brother's return.

Between 11:30 and 4:30, Mama enjoys a slightly quieter house.