Halloween

The kids and I went out shopping several times this year before settling on costumes. The chili pepper costume in John's size that said "Hot Stuff" across the front pretty much sealed the deal. We decided to go Mexican themed. Unfortunately we had a hard time fitting Lizzie into our theme. Caroline and Brian came up with several good ideas including fiesta bowl, seven layered bean dip, jumping bean, and pinata. In the end she fell in love with a giraffe costume. We decided to tie a rope to her and carry a stick and call her a pinata anyway, but for some reason none of us wanted to be the one holding the stick and looking like a child abuser.

Halloween...really the day before Halloween finally arrived, and we packed in so much fun that I think we're still recovering. We spent the morning at a pumpkin patch/corn maize/petting zoo with our friends Jenny and Debbie and their families. Then we went to the stake center for games and trunk or treating. After that we headed to a murder mystery dinner put on by Amber Dutton. Great day! 

Thank you make up artist Brian Spencer (left) for the masterful mustache and Jordan Reeves (right) for providing the candy and style. And of course nothing gets done around here without Caroline Booth (taking the picture). Love you guys!

Bike-A-Thon

 Lizzie recently started attending Salem's montessori school. It is amazing, and yesterday's bike-a-thon was further evidence of this fact. The kids (ages about 2 through 5th grade) got sponsors and rode their bikes around the school yard to raise money for the Nutty Putty Cyclers/Liz Logelin Foundation. I was the lucky photographer for the big event. Thank you Salem Montessori!

Miss Dada

This morning while I was changing Lizzie's diaper she looked up at the picture on the wall of John holding her. She said, "Dada hold me!" Then she became very pensive and said, "Dada gone. Night. Moon. Stars...He miss me. He love me. Dada gone. Night. We go find him." She repeated these phrases all morning long. I wanted to know more about what she meant, but I also didn't want to ask any leading questions. I guess that's the psychologist in me. The hundreds and hundreds of clinical interviews I did for my job in Provo trained me well on the dangers of asking kids leading questions. I didn't want her to say what I wished she would say. I wanted to know exactly what she meant.
I asked her to tell me more about Dada and if she remembered him. She said she does remember him and then kept repeating that he was gone but that he loves her.
I asked her where he went and she said, "Dada gone. Week. Watching me. See me."
I asked her what she meant by week and she just kept saying, "Dada gone. Week. Night. Love me. Me love Dada!"
I never figured out what she meant when she was talking about night and week. As for the rest, she might just be repeating back what I've told her so many times before...that Dada loves her and is watching out for her. But either way, she's right. I hope she never forgets.

A Day in the Life of Emily Jones

I wrote the following short (except it's kind of long) story in response to all those of you who have been asking what I do all day. I started it a few months ago, right after John was born. Life has changed quite a bit since then, but I think it's still a good window into life as a mother, especially a new mother. And best of all...it's true.

Where is she, Mama?

My parents attend a single's ward where my dad is currently the bishop. Usually I go to a family ward, but last Sunday we attended the single's ward with my parents because Lizzie was too sick to go to nursery and because (now for the real reason) they were having a linger longer after church. During the third hour I was playing in the gym with the kids and helping a bit here and there with linger longer set up. Lizzie found a little blue football and decided to name it Baby Sophie. She wraped it in a dish cloth and was singing while rocking it to sleep. Suddenly she stopped, pointed to one end of the football, and with a very serious look on her face said, "Bum." Then she turned it over and gasped. She showed me the other tip of the football and exclaimed, "Two Bum!" She turned the football over in her hands several times looking very concerned then said to me, "Where is she, Mama?"

Nutty Putty Cyclers Cross Country Bike Trip for Charity

Sam & Sarah

Sam & Sarah are two of our favorite people ever. They invited us up to Charlottesville this week for a fun afternoon at Bounce-N-Play and apple picking at Carter's Mountain in the evening. We're so lucky to have such wonderful friends.

Virginia Beach Aquarium

John and I used to love to go to Aquariums. From San Diego and Duluth Minnesota, to Myrtle Beath, we loved them all. When we went to Virginia Beach on Monday to see the bikers off on their trip I was excited to find that Lizzie shares our enthusiasm. She loves fish. In fact she just got a beta fish for her birthday. She calls him "Tusi" in honor of the Watusi Cattle at the Safari Park. But I think after admiring the amazing tanks at the aquarium she might have tank envy.

Bike Launch

They're off! The Nutty Putty Bikers dipped their bikes in Virginia Beach's Atlantic waters on Monday and are headed off to the Pacific shore of San Diego.

Little Suzy

Meet my little brother. I call him little Suzy (and he calls me Sam-I-Am). He is seriously the coolest kid I know. He is attending BYU's Marriott School of Business, but has decided to take the semester off to bike across the country raising money for the Liz Loglin Foundation (a non-profit that gives grants to widows and widowers). He, our cousin Jon, and his friend Eric will start in Virginia Beach on October 4th and hope to make it to San Diego in about 2 1/2 months. I love you little brother man!

Families Are Forever...Thank Goodness

Famous

These pictures were taken for an article that will run in the Salt Lake Tribune sometime in August.