Gifts for the kids

So I decided to make a gift for each of my nieces and nephews. Here are my first two:


This is Wyatt's mug, which I decided to do in green. The inside of the cup is light green and speckled. I made the stripes by covering the mug with tape.







Sidney's is a light pink mug with a speckled handle and inside. I was hoping it would turn out darker but I don't think I put enough coats on. I made them at a place called Color Me Mine, which is a pretty addictive place.
Anyway, I mailed these out on Friday and I hope to finish up the rest sometime in the next two weeks. I think it's nice to have something with your name on it, especially when you're young. I hope to post pictures of the next 6 projects as well.

Calls from Kids

I have had two great experiences with the phone in the past two days. On Wednesday, I answered my phone to find myself talking to Wyatt. While I didn't understand all that he said, I did understand my name and that he was a Nana's house. He also told me that his mom and dad were at work and that he liked Isaac. He talked a little more about being at Nana's house and then abruptly hung up. Luckily, Mom warned me about that an abrupt hang up might happen so I didn't call back to make sure that he was ok. My co-workers were looking at me like I was insane. When I told them it was my 2 and 1/2 year old nephew, they nodded understandingly. (They know how much I love my kids.) I couldn't stop smiling.

Today I heard my cell phone vibrate, which is a rare occurance when it is in my purse, which is kept in my desk. I answered it to find my sister and her daughter on the phone. What a treat to hear Lauren talk about riding a "horsey" at the fair and hear her say "chocolate milk." When she said my name and that she loved me, I misted up. I had a stupid grin on my face for the next hour, which was commented on by more than one person at work. It's amazing how the sweet voice of a child that you love can lift your heart. I am one lucky aunt. I can't wait to get together with my family to celebrate September birthdays.

April birthdays

This weekend, along with being Conference weekend, was the family celebration of three birthdays. Wyatt turned one years old and Brooke and Alison became a year older as well. (It has always been my opinion that once you hit 25, your age doesn't really matter that much.) I went over to Wyatt's house on Sunday afternoon to see Wyatt eat his cake. His parents had a small celebration that included Britnie's parents, brother, and his wife and son. We sang "Happy Birthday" to a confused Wyatt and then he was able to dive into his own cake, which he soon demolished. It was so cute to see him approach the cake, lick it a few times, then figure out that he could eat it. After a quick bath, he was able to open his many presents. My parents, Alison, Isaac and I left soon afterwards to catch the afternoon session on conference. At 5 pm on Sunday night, the whole family, with the exception of Jen, John, and Lauren, came over for dinner.

It was another good meal by Mom and afterwards we had ice cream cake. Alison and Brooke opened their presents, as did Wyatt. It is so nice to get together with family. Moving down to Orem has been fun, but I will admit that the hardest thing is being away from my family. Everyone else lives within a half an hour drive to Mom and Dad's house. But I guess an hour and fifteen minutes isn't so bad. I was the last to leave. On my way home, I talked to a new friend of mine, Brian. Because we celebrated Brooke and Alison's birthdays early, I would like to wish them a happy birthday for this coming week.

Ye long week...

Well, finals are over. Yeh!!! This past week has been insane. After a final on Tuesday, I went to work. I babysat Wyatt and Sidney on Wednesday because Mom went to Idaho to help with Grandma R. I don't know how mothers around the world do it. Attempting to entertain and feed to kids and get anything done is impossible. The only reason I managed to get dinner on the table is because I started it before Wyatt arrived at noon. I ended up making chicken crescent squares.
On Thursday I took my last final. I was one of the first ones done with my Victorian Lit test, which included a matching part, short answer, and essay. I hope being the first student done isn't a bad sign. I feel ok about it; not necessarily really good or bad. After my final, I went home, changed, and then drove to Provo for an interview at the Provo City Library. I had a hard time getting any feedback from the two women who interviewed me. After the 1/2 hour meeting, I drove the hour back to work and slaved away until 9pm. I was so tired after Thursday I went to bed early.
On Friday, Dad and I went to work at the cannery. We then went shopping and fielded phone calls from Grandma J, Mom, and Aunt Peggy. Dad took me to lunch at Tony Roma's after I got a phone call from the Provo Library asking me to come in for a second interview on Monday. I did some laundry and Jordan and Isaac came over for a little while. When it was time for Isaac to be fed, Jordan and I took him to see his Mom in Ogden. By the time Friday night was over, I was pretty tired.
On Saturday morning, Dad and I went to the temple and then to see Grandma J. at the hospital. She was still pretty upset that she hadn't been moved to the rehab center on Friday. According to a nurse, she had found Grandma on the floor of the bathroom the night before. Grandma doesn't remember anything about it. Apparently the nurse had given Grandma a sleeping pill and left her alone. Grandma then woke up and decided to go to the bathroom by herself. The nurse figures that Grandma fell asleep on the toilet and slid off. Nothing is broken or even bruised though. After a brief chat and blow-drying Grandma's hair, Dad got me home in time for me to get ready for work. I worked until 6, then went to Sherma's house for a party. All the old Kaysville City Library staff were there. It was nice to catch up with people I haven't seen in months. Erica is pregnant with her second child, Nikki is looking for a house, and Mike is getting ready to move away to college. Sadly, Karen, Jo, Eric, Hillary, and Kim couldn't make it. The food was wonderful. I got home at 10ish but ended up staying up much later on the computer. It was nice to know that Mom was finally home after a week of being in Idaho.
Sunday was a nice day of rest for all. Church went well with a Relief Society lesson on unity. The rest of church was equally as interesting, especially the three musical numbers from the choir. I had tithing settlement, then made dinner: pasta, marinated chicken, and salads. The pasta was way too spicy but the chicken turned out perfectly. It was strange on Sunday night to realize that this was the first weekend in months that I didn't have to study for a class on Monday. Dad helped me get the Christmas Tree up and put on the lights. I then decorated it. I decided to put some photos of the family on it and I think it turned out to have a simple and homemade look.
On Monday I had my second interview at the Provo City Library. It went well and the director along with two other librarian's seemed to like me. I went away with a positive feeling. I then picked up some food on the way to work, where we had perhaps the slowest Monday night ever. My co-workers demanded a recap of my interview and gave me their opinion's on the situation. After work I went out to IHOP with Ryan, who I hadn't seen in a while.
My Tuesday morning began with a phone call from the Provo City Library saying that I hadn't gotten the job. It ended up being a contest between me and two other people. Sadly, I didn't win out. I lay in bed thinking about what my next move would be when I heard someone enter the house. It turned out to be Jordan and Isaac. Jordan presented me with a belated birthday gift and then made me a wonderful lunch of pasta with red sauce made from scratch. I got to play with my darling nephew, talk with my wonderful brother, and forget my problems for a while. Without them being there, I suspect I would have sobbed. Anyway, after they left I took a shower and waited for my parents to come home. Dad came home late and almost immediately we left for Salt Lake to pick up Mom. I told Dad about not getting the job and started to cry. Thankfully he let me cry in silence and pretended not to notice. After picking up Mom, the three of us then met up with Jen, John, and Lauren for dinner. The food at Rinos was good although a little expensive. Mom, Dad, Jen, and John then went to see a play at Pioneer Theater while I babysat Lauren. Lauren and I read books, played with toys, and looked at the Christmas tree. Lauren touched the branches and needles but then wanted to eat it. We discussed it and decided that it wasn't a good idea. (Actually, I won out on the argument because I am the bigger of the two of us :) It was dinner time so I warmed her bottle and let Lauren eat her fill. Her night ended with pajamas, another book, and a song from her Aunt Jess. She was asleep by 8:20 pm and I watched a movie since I had left my book in the car. I had forgotten how much I like the movie Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Driving home with Mom and Dad, I couldn't get Monday's interview out of my mind. It is strange to have such a wonderful interview and not get the job. I guess the person they chose must have been amazing. Anyway, it has been a while since I have had a week that has been this crazy. I am hoping this week will be a little less insane. Thus ends the week report.

A long update

Circumstances being what they are, I haven't really had the time to update my blog in the past two weeks. I will try to summarize what has happened and hit the high points for my readers.
I got a flu shot on the 17th which caused my arm to hurt quite a bit. On Friday night, the 17th of November, Roberts and Lowe women alike met to help Alison with the Festival of the Trees project. We cut, sewed, and frayed stars. There was good food, good conversation, and two adorable babies to entertain us so the time quickly sped by. The next day I worked from 9:30 to 3 pm, then went to a late lunch with Ryan and John. I went home exhausted with flu-like symptoms. Sidney and Wyatt came over to have fun with their Grandma and Poppy. I spent most of the time upstairs trying to shake the flu-like symptoms caused by the flu shot I had received the day before. I did come downstairs in time to see Wyatt taking a bath in the sink. What a funny boy! On Sunday morning I felt even worse and did not go to church. I slept quite a bit but still managed to get a paper written for my History of Christianity class.
Work and school followed for the next two days. On Wednesday, the 22nd, I was awakened by my darling niece who showed me the hole in her smile since she had lost a tooth. I had breakfast with Mom, Dad, Sid, and Wyatt, then went to school for one class. (My other two had been canceled but Dr. Francis would not relent on his grilling class schedule.) After a rousing class in which donuts were served, I returned home to help with my niece and nephew and clean the upstairs bathroom. Jen and Lauren came out to help with the Thanksgiving preparations and a good time was had by all. I ended up watching two episodes of an interesting show called Numb3rs and cleaning up the basement in anticipation of Aunt Renee and cousin Mark's arrival.
On Thanksgiving the following people came over to eat: Grandma and Grandpa Roberts, Jen, John, Lauren, Josh, Brooke, Uncle Mike, Renee, Mark, Timothy, Roxanne, Doug, John D., Jen D., Jason, Jacob, Emily, Michael, Ethan, RJ, Nathan, Diane, Larry, Amy, Sarah, Nancy, Jordan, Alison, and Isaac. Jeremy, Britnie, Sidney, and Wyatt came over later. We had three turkeys and a ham along with some other great food. Three tables of people made for fun madness. We ate, talked, and then ate some more. After 3 pm, we had a baby shower for Brooke. Jen and I went together on a gift of books and baby blankets. By nightfall, the aunts were in the living room talking while Brooke, Josh, Alison, Sarah, Amy, and I played a game. It was fun. Amy and I were crushed by the other two teams. (It is nice to be humbled every once and a while :) Jordan and Dad went to see Grandma, who seemed to be better and appreciated the Thanksgiving feast they brought her.
On Friday morning, Dad and I went to the temple. Afterwards we went to see Grandma. When entering Grandma's room, a person is required to put on gloves and wear a face mask. Her cough is still horrible but the pneumonia seems to be getting better. After we went home, I headed off the Alison's house to babysit Isaac while she worked on the tree skirt for the Festival of Trees. Isaac had just gone down for a nap so I studied for a while. I finally decided to take a nap myself when Alison's parents arrived. Her dad played with Isaac while the two ladies sewed. I then took a nap only to be awakened by my mother and Aunt Renee stopping by. All in all, I am not sure how much sleep I got. When Alison and her dad left to buy wood for the signs, I took over playing with Isaac. What a darling baby. I helped introduce him to the blanket buddy that Grandma Roberts made for him. It is a bunny. He seemed to like it once he realized that it couldn't hurt him and that he could eat the ears. After putting him down for a nap, I helped Alison and Pat finish the tree skirt and then headed home to get ready for a night out. Ryan and I ended up at Mikey's house where we watched the end of the Jazz game and then hung out for the rest of the night. Once in a while it is nice to just hang out at someone's home and watch movie previews, listen to music, and talk.
On Saturday I was awakened by my mother telling me about a job that Aunt Diane had seen on the Provo Library website. I decided to apply for it because it pays more than my current job and it would be a nice change. I finished the book I was reading, 84, Charing Cross Road, and took a shower. Later that night I went to dinner with Jen Evans and her friend Erin, who seems really nice. We ate at Mimi's Cafe and had fun talking about life, men, traveling, school, and other interesting topics. We then went to the theater to see Stranger than Fiction, which I would highly recommend. Will Ferrell isn't his usual goofball self, Emma Thompson is brilliant as a tortured writer, Maggie Gyllenhaal is great as an angry baker, and Dustin Hoffman is the typical odd literature professor. It follows the life of Harold Crick, an IRS agent who begins to hear a narrator speak about his life. I won't ruin any more of the movie for those who plan to see it. I would give it 4 stars out of 5. Since there are only about 15 movies ever made that get a 5, that is pretty good. As a person who occasionally writes short stories, the idea that a character from my story could be walking around is amazing. Anyway, I got home about 12:30 pm but couldn't get to sleep until about 3 am. Cursed insomnia :(
Today I went to school and work. School was fairly uneventful. I got a paper back that my Victorian Lit teacher wants me to re-write. Grrr. In my History of Christianity class we discussed the beginning of the Baptists and Quakers in the 1600's. Good stuff. Mom took the day off to help Alison decorate for the Festival of the Trees which is this week. I included a picture that Mom took with some of the background blacked out. The stuff in the background was very distracting and I wanted to have the phocus be the tree. Alison, Emily (her sister), Aunt Diane, and Mom were the decorators. The theme of the tree is taken from a poem by Robert Frost. Tonight, work was completely crazy. Mondays after holidays are always insane. I guess I should try to go to bed now.

Babysitting

On Saturday night I had the honor of babysitting Sid and Wy. Sid started out playing a computer game while Wy complained about the weather and the state of world politics. He then moved on to my hairstyle, then about how he was hungry. Luckily, I could do something about him being hungry. After Wy had a bottle, Sid and I played with her felt dolls. I ordered a pizza. While Sid and I ate, Wy was entertained by being in his saucer. Sid kept making him laugh but eventually finished her dinner. Wy was getting really tired so I changed him into his pajamas, gave him his meds, fed him, sang to him, and put him to bed. Then Sid and I curled up on the couch and watched "The Wizard of Oz." After it ended, she got ready for bed. While she was brushing her teeth, her parents came home. All in all, a good night. I just hope that next time I babysit the weather is nicer. I really wanted to take them to the park. I just love spending time with my nieces and nephews.

Wyatt and the green, green grass

On Wednesday, Brit dropped Wyatt off for a couple of hours. While I had breakfast, Mom took Wyatt outside to pick a zuccinni. When they didn't return, I looked outside. Mom and Wyatt were sitting on the grass and Mom was laughing. I grabbed my camera. Wyatt was discovering grass. With Mom making sure he didn't fall over, he would kick at the grass and try to grab it with his hands. Then he would look up and smile while his doting Grandma laughed. He seemed a little perplexed that the grass wasn't coming up very easily. We made sure he didn't end up eating the grass and I took a couple of pictures. He is such a darling boy. How did we ever get so lucky?

A birthday celebration

On Sunday we celebrated the birthday of Jen, my sister. Everyone but Jordan managed to make it up to the house for dinner. We had all three babies in one spot so we decided to take a picture.
Wyatt and Lauren were in pretty good moods but Isaac had just woken up. He probably could not understand why so many flashbulbs were interupting his normally calm waking-up period. Mom made great Santa Fe Pasta along with tomatoe salad, fresh vegatables, fruit salad, and rolls. We ate homemade ice cream for dessert. A good time was had by all, especially me. I love being around my nieces and nephews. They truly are the lights of my life.

Sidney and Wyatt

My oldest brother has two children. His oldest is a daughter named Sidney. She is five and will turn six at the end of July. She is smaller than most kids her age but she is very smart and outgoing. Unfortunately, Sidney seems to have inherited a stubborn streak which I also have. This picture is of my brother and Sidney sledding this last winter. It took my brother and sister-in-law a while to have her. She was the first grandchild on both sides of the family. I was going through a hard time in my life when she was born. Spending time with her helped me through it. Her sweet innocence and happiness still amazes me. My mom babysits Sidney almost every Wednesday after she gets out of Kindergarten so I get to see her for a few hours every week. She considers me one of her best friends. I can't express how much I love her.
This last April her little brother was born. They are five years apart. Wyatt was born on April 1st of this year. Here is a picture of him sleeping my his Daddy's chest. At 2 and a half monthes, he smiles and has laughed on more than one occasion. He is so precious to our family.