cookies and milk

I had a low-key, relatively impromptu birthday party for Kate and some of her cute little friends. Since two of her loves in life are cookies and milk, we decided to run with the theme and decorate sugar cookies and drink milk.

When the guests arrived, we sang happy birthday and she immediately hid underneath the table, which was, of course, adorable. 

We then spent the next 2 hours shoveling hastily-frosted cookies in our faces and licking our sweet and sticky fingers. The day was chilly, but nice enough to run around outside and try out the new swing set. And as a bonus, only 2 children escaped to the front yard. (Um, yikes! Looks like we need to block that small slit in the fence??)

 

At this age, parties are just as much for the parents as the kids and I think we all, old and young, had a smashingly delicious time. 

As evidenced by the remains. 

All in all, a sweet and delicious celebration for my deliciously sweet (and apparently serious) Katers.  

Kate's cake

I love when I have an idea in my head - and it actually translates onto paper...or cake, as it were. I decided I wanted to recreate Leah's rainbow cake only in a single-color ombre format for Kate's birthday this year. And it worked! Kate chose purple (though I'm pretty sure she's color blind, so who really knows what she was hoping for) and we ran with it. 

Three levels of ombre on the outside. 

Four on the inside. 

It wasn't flawless, but I was pretty happy with the result. 

I let Kate help me with the crumb coat. And then I let her eat frosting for breakfast. It is her birthday, after all. 

ktg: 2 years*

What. A. Year.

Watching Kate grow this year has been an absolute pleasure. I just cannot seem to tire of her incredible functioning hands, her ever-growing vocabulary and her bursting-from-the-seams personality. She just moves with ease and it is amazing to watch. Kate is a spunky, smart, silly, stubborn, two-going-on-twelve year old girl.

Today she took a bath in her birthday suit (my favorite suit), ate cookie dough and frosting for breakfast, went to music class, opened some presents, had a 2 year photo shoot (where she did everything but look at the camera and smile) and had cake and ice cream (with our friends the Flahertys).

These days, you can usually find Kate running in the opposite direction you have asked her to go, speaking in third person and just generally moving.

She is only marginally interested in books and coloring (Leah's two favorite loves at that age). You can instead find her stacking, climbing, running, organizing, engineering, separating and collecting.

She is constantly chatting to herself (and anyone who will listen to her) in a low, sultry voice. Unless she is praying, when her voice rises about four octaves. Her vocabulary is getting quite extensive. She can copy anything we ask her to say (including words like Mississippi River and Bettendorf) and she definitely speaks in sentences. She also loves phrases like "okie dokie," "sorry Charlie," "no way Jose," and "dang it." She is a listener...and a repeater. She knows her full name and has referred to her mom and dad as Maren and Ryan once or twice which just makes me laugh.

She eats like it is nobody's business. But only treats. She cannot be bothered with the usual three times daily meals. Though we are improving on that front and can usually get her to eat a bowl of cereal now without her leaving the table at some point...for some reason.

After only knowing the inside of the house all winter and not remembering anything about nature from last summer and fall, she is all about anything OUTSIDE. And she lets us know all day long. "Outside, outside! Kate outside NOW!"

Kate loves being naked. And she loves telling others that various members of our family are naked...even when they're not. Especially at church. She can take her pants off by herself and I think it is the greatest achievement of her life thus far. She continues to try to get her shirts off, to no avail. She can buckle most of her shoes all by herself and especially loves her "toms," "jellies," and "fip fops."

Her favorite songs are "My Heavenly Father Loves Me" aka the "bird song" and "The Color Song" aka the "pink song" even though 99% of the time you'd think she was color blind. She also loves singing to herself and dancing in the car and playing little games like "This Little Piggy."

She now has 16 teeth and loves, loves, loves to brush them with "oof paste."

She is very much attached to a tie dyed pink bear given to her by one of the lovely ladies in my water aerobics class. And she is rarely found (at home) without her red blanket. She was weaned from her binky in February but still asks about it every once in awhile. When I ask her where it is she responds, "binky broken" in a very matter-of-fact way.

Kate weighs 23 pounds (which means she hasn't gained any weight since her 18 month checkup! Oops!) - 12th percentile. She is 32 1/4 inches tall - 19th percentile. She wears size 2T clothes (with an occasional 3T shirt to provide ample room for her belly and an occasional 18 month pant for her stubby legs). She wears a size 4 diaper and has shown no real interest in potty training and I'm not about to rush it!

She is definitely a mama's girl and I love it. She loves to give kisses (of the regular and Eskimo variety), hugs and to cuddle.

Kate is intense in every way. She is intensely happy. Intensely dramatic. Intensely energetic. Intensely sad. Intensely endearing. And she can go from one extreme to the other...and back again...in half a second.

She has an amazing relationship with Leah. Kate already understands and sees things that I could never have even imagined at her age. She seems to know when Leah does things out of her control. And she also senses when Leah might need help and has come to find me on occasion.

Kate has added a lot of life to our home. A lot of excitement. And a lot of normalcy, which is probably the best thing we could have ever asked for. She is definitely a gift. And I can't wait to see her continue to grow.

*...and a little bit as this info includes some of June 2014 as well.

mother's day, take 8

The past seven years as a mother have simultaneously flown and crept by. I have no idea how in the world more than seven years have so quickly passed, yet it feels like I have always been a mom to my darling girls.

I posted a picture on Instagram with the following caption, "It's been an emotional day as I think about my 7 years as a mom...and a bit overwhelming as I think of my role in the years to come. Motherhood has been more intense in every way than I ever could have imagined. Harder, happier, more satisfying and stressful, more gut-wrenching and gratifying and definitely more full. I have a long way to go but am so blessed to do it next to these two beautiful girls with the example of my own incredible mom."

I feel like I have done a bit of growing this year - becoming more comfortable with myself as a mom and with my girls. They could not be more different. Leah is quiet, but loves the spotlight. She's tough as nails, but absolutely has her moments of weakness. She has a sneaky sense of humor and is just plain fun to be around. At the same time, Leah has stretched me far more than I ever could have imagined and it is the further stretching I know is down the road that terrifies me to tears sometimes. 

Kate is fiercely independent (Ryan calls it stubborn and we're both certain she got it from me...so, fiercely independent it is). She is hilarious and crazy and inquisitive. She hates sitting still, but I think she's more of an introvert like her mom and dad. She's learning to love to read and sing, but would still rather build and explore. She cries at the drop of a hat, but laughs just as quickly.

My home is usually not clean - it's cluttered with toys and blankets, diapers and dirty laundry, shoes and schoolwork. I don't wash, dry and straighten my hair every day like I used to and I often swap my daily date with the jogging stroller for a mid-morning dance party. 

I'm really tired. I cry a lot. And I have so many new wrinkles (no gray hair...yet!). But those girls also give me energy. They make me laugh. And I have tons of smile lines too.

I've tried a little harder this year to put down the to-do list and get on the floor. To stop and look Leah in the eyes. To not cry over spilled milk (or a $700 bottle of medicine). To listen to Kate's imagination run wild. To let my girls be little. And to be there when they need me. I'm so proud of the girls that they are and the good choices they make each day, and I'm learning to be proud of myself for the same reasons. 

Because I know the next seven years, and the seven years after that, and the seven after that...are going to fly by as well. Some days might creep, but the years will fly. And no matter how intense they are, I can't wait to take flight. 

(And for proof that both of my girls do, actually, smile while looking at the camera...just never simultaneously.)

My Family is Blessed...

Leah had the opportunity to give a talk in Primary (the children's group at our church) today. It might seem ironic that someone who can't physically talk would be asked to give a...talk...but we are so blessed to have volunteers in our church who are responsible for the Primary who really believe in Leah and her abilities. 

I sat down with Leah and, with her topic of "Our Families are Blessed when we Follow the Prophet," discussed possible directions for her talk. 

I am being completely honest when I say I probably helped her just as much as I would any other child. We read through a few different talks given recently by our modern-day prophet, President Thomas S. Monson. Leah picked the talk she wanted to focus on. And she was very clear about it!

She then chose each of the parts of the talk she wanted to use. She chose to include part of a song about prophets. And (after suggesting 307 choices), she gave the okay to give three personal examples that related to President Monson's talk. 

The switch she uses is relatively quiet, so it's hard to hear in a big group. So, Leah decided that she would give the intro and closing on her switch and she would let me read the rest of her talk for her. 

Ryan and his parents were all able to see her give it...and she had a few other adults in the room in tears. I really was so proud of her. She worked hard and did so well!!

Our family is blessed with Leah in our lives!

Our Families are Blessed when we Follow the Prophet

Leah Layton Primary Talk || May 4, 2014

Today I’m giving a talk about how families are blessed when they follow the prophet. My mom is going to read the talk for me. 

In the primary song, “Follow the Prophet,” the last verse tells us, “Now we have a world where people are confused. If you don’t believe it, go and watch the news. We can get direction all along our way, If we heed the prophets – follow what they say.”

 

Last month, we all had the chance to listen to our prophet, President Thomas S. Monson, speak to us in General Conference. 

On Sunday morning, he gave a talk about love. President Monson said, “Every day of our lives we are given opportunities to show love and kindness to those around us.” 

• This week at my school, we had a walk-a-thon. My friend Addi showed love to me by walking next to me the entire time. It made me feel good inside.
• I can show love to my little sister Kate by sharing my toys with her and being nice.  
• Another way we can show our love is just by smiling. Lots of people tell me they can feel my love when I smile. 

President Monson said, “May we begin now, this very day, to express love to all of God’s children.” 

I know our families can be blessed if we follow the prophet. 

I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Easter best

I dressed the girls in their Easter best two Sundays late since we were out of town on Easter (Boston!) and the following week (Turkey!). So here you have my girls in their Easter best...AT their Easter best. That Kate, I tell ya. She's cute, but she's going to have lots of pictures with which I can blackmail her later in life...

 

april in an instant

And just like that, April is over. A month we have been planning and prepping for and dreaming of for the last year came and went in the blink of an eye. 

With final preparations in place for our travels, and the weather taking a serious turn for the better, we left our littles with their "ma and pa" (as Kate apparently likes to call them) and ventured across the country, and then across the world. 

It was a month to remember. And I feel so incredible to have been a tiny part of the things we experienced. More - much more - to come. 

Turkey, looking down

And as a final ode to Turkey, the view looking down. Of course. 

Turkey || Izmir and Ephesus

After our whirlwind and too-brief stop in Cappadocia, we drove back to Kayseri, returned the car (that we avoided wrecking) and hopped on a plane bound for Izmir on the western coast. 

When we landed, we took a taxi ride in the rain to our hotel (and our driver estimated our fare with exactness...he must do it a lot!). We chose a small boutique hotel and each room was themed around a Turkish author. I loved being surrounded by books and typewriters in the lobby. (I WILL own a vintage typewriter one day.)

We quickly got settled and then ventured on a walk to the Aegean Sea. We ate a delicious meal (where there were less than pleased that we didn't order drinks) of beef skewers and chicken with basil sauce and then purchased nougat cakes, baklava, almond tarts and eclaires for our nightly snack while playing a riotous game of Phase 10. 

In the morning, a big, white van showed up at our hotel to take us to the ancient city of Ephesus. Our incredible tour guide, Gonja, filled our heads (and my notebook) with a wealth of knowledge about the religions, economics, history and culture of Ephesus. 

Our first stop after the hour drive was the house of the Virgin Mary - said to be the only place in the world where Muslims and Christians officially pray together. It is argued this home is where the Virgin Mary spent the last years of her life, as Ephesus is where John lived and Jesus asked John to take care of her. We lit candles and tied our wishes onto the wishing wall. (And the boys had a good laugh in the bathroom: "Santa Maria!"..."Thomas? Was that you?")

We then drove along the lush, green, rolling hillsides to Ephesus City. There we saw pharmacies, hospitals, schools, businesses, temples, libraries, homes and more, all unearther, the modern-day excavations uncovering an incredible view into an ancient way of life. 

Dr. Pyfer stood at the doors of the medical school. 

Marathon Maren stood at the foot of the statue of Nike, the Goddess of Victory - glad that my race was victorious this year! 

We toured the Terrace Houses where we saw original mosaic floors, terra cotta pipes for plumbing, game boards for backgammon, kids graffiti etched into the walls, formal dining rooms, courtyards fit for kings, marble beds, wooden furniture, wine cellars, sewer systems and frescoes decorating the walls. And the solo surviving toilet. 

We walked through the Agora commercial market with "billboards" carved in stone lining the marble roadways. 

We walked by the Baths of Varius and reminisced on our own experience just a few days prior (and thanked the heavens for modern day plumbing and heating!). 

We stood on the grounds of the Temple of Domitian, one of the largest temples in the city. 

We walked the stone roadways of the colonnaded street (and other roads) flanked by columns on both sides. Roads where chariots and royalty of days past once stood. 

I crossed another library off my "Library Girl" list. Celsus Library was magnificent. The facade has been reconstructed with all original pieces, its towering tiers of columns, and four statues personifying wisdom, virtue, intellect and knowledge standing guard out front. The edifice faces east, toward the rising sun, to benefit early risers. We stood on the platform for the statue of Celsus, or Athena, the goddess of truth (which is now housed in the Istanbul Archaeological Museum). We even found the gate to the basement, where it's likely the Government Documents once resided. I wonder if anyone met their one and only in the basement of a library in Ephesus? 

We ran the steps of the Theatre, where Paul preached to the Ephesians and the citizens enjoyed gladiator fights and other entertainment. I even fell down a few steps. Twice. Carved into Mt. Pion, it is said to be the largest outdoor theater in the ancient world. 

Our next stop (after a bathroom break in open-air stalls!)...

...was the pagan Temple of Artemis, of which only one column still stands. The Temple is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and was destroyed in 268 AD, and again in 401 AD and once again in 614 AD. It was discovered in the 1800s after years of searching. In the distance, you can see the Christian St. John's Basilica and a Muslim mosque built from ruins of Ephesus City. It is said there is a Jewish Synagogue in the area as well, which is currently being searched for. 

Gonja then took us to Topkapi Gardents for a quiet lunch with a stunning view of Ephesus. After, we took a private tour of Topkapi Carpets, a local Turkish carpet studio. We watched as they formed thread from wool, cotton and silk (silk worms! eeek!). We saw the canisters filled with colorful indigo, walnut shells, saffron, beetles, pomegranates and more used as natural dyes. We then witnessed carpets being tied in intricate designs with Turkey's famous double knot before we (figuratively) drooled over the pricey final products. One day. 

After we finished, we hopped back into the van and drove to the airport where we said goodbye to Gonja and flew back to Istanbul for our final night. 

We laughed until we cried (I'm the only one with real fake crying skills) as we took our farewell pictures before we parted ways to head home to Iowa and New Hampshire and officially put #LPGobbleGobble2014 in the books. It was one of those nights you really hate that you live so far from such good friends. 

Ryan and I spent our final morning walking around the streets near our hotel in the drizzle and then cabbing it to a mall trying to find more Turkish Delight, which we were delighted to find, among other, more interesting eats.

We had an incredible time in Turkey with the Pyfers. They are officially on our "will travel with..." list for the future. 

And Turkey definitely made it on our "must go back to..." list. 

People there are the same as here. They go to school, work and church. They have talk shows, reality shows, game shows and news shows. Some are wealthy. Some are poor. They call their friends (sometimes while driving!). They love their kids. They laugh. They cry. They just do it on the other side of the world. And I am so happy to have witnessed a small part of it. 

Like I said before, we only just skimmed the surface, but the landscapes, people and culture were some of my favorite to date. I hope to go back one day, but for now, I'll go stare at my Iznik tiles while I eat a piece of Turkish delight.