Zion Protectors

Elise is still adjusting to having a little guy running around the house, messing with her and her stuff. Today she came up with a creative way to protect herself from Zion's little grasp.

Jeffrey came home from work to find Elise is this spot. She proudly pointed to the basket drawers that were pulled flush with the couch to form a barrier and said, "these are my very own Zion protectors!"

Bless-you-ing

Someday I'm sure that a big wet sneeze from Zion will elicit an, "Eww, gross!" from Elise. But I much prefer her response today:

"Zion is bless-you-ing. His bless-you made rain!"

Buzzed

Zion had his first hair buzz tonight. A rare candy treat helped to keep him still while Dad wielded the clippers. Occasionally Zion would let go of the candy long enough to grin and say, "buzz".

Elise helped out by pulling out the mirror so Zion could have a better view.

Zion and I with short hair. I got my hair cut today too.

Zion is covered in clipped hair on the back, green candy goo on the front, and very little hair on the top. But he still manages to be adorable.

My Favorite Place

The kids and I just got back from my favorite place in the world, my grandparents' home in McMinnville, TN. Here are some old pictures taken over the years at their home.

My grandpa Tom rocking me to sleep

Great-grandpa Tom rocking Zion


My sisters, Amber(left) and Summer(right), with me in the middle on the front porch of my grandparents' home.


All four of my grandparents on the same front porch. My grandmothers became best friends in highschool.


Me, holding Elise on that same porch swing.

A journey to my grandparents' home begins as you put on the gas, straddled the gully and bear the bumps of the steep, gravel driveway. This is the driveway where Jeffrey's car almost met its end as the bumps punched a hole in the oil pan on our first cross-county road trip. These are the very bumps that would awake me as a child in my folks' minivan, announcing that our 30 hour trip from Arizona was almost over. This driveway passes by the little school where both of my grandparents taught. It was to this school that we trekked for hot showers the Christmas that the ice storm knocked out my grandparents electricity and water.

These are just a sampling of the memories that flood over me as I drive to my grandparents' home. I've grown from a baby into a mother in this house over many Christmases and spring break holidays. And now I get to kiss my kids goodnight in the very room, beds, and sheets that I slept in as a kid. Elise sits in the highchair that I sat in, and my dad before me.


I have lived in nine states and a life on the move is the norm for me. So I am glad that although my home is wherever my husband and children sleep, I have one spot on earth that has always been my home.


Grandpa Greg and Zion

Elise asleep in the cradle my grandpa made for my Uncle Steve

Mammoth Caves

Last weekend we visited Mammoth Caves with our friends Rod and Leah Stuart. We spent Saturday afternoon in the caves, tucked the kids into bed in our hotel room that night, and then settled in for a game of Carcassonne and good conversation with Rod and Leah. The next morning was filled with more caving before heading home. Both of the kids handled the caves very well. In fact Elise didn't seem to get how unusual they were. We joked among us that kids are as excited about everyday stuff like a fun chair to climb on as they are something truly extraordinary like Mammoth caves. After finishing our caving excursions, Elise verified this hypothesis. Leah asked Elise which cave was her favorite. Elise replied, "Umm, that one." She pointed to the building straight ahead and said, "the visitor's center."

Colburns and Stuarts

The boys

Zion insisted on being in my arms almost the whole time. Those 27 lbs sure did make spelunking difficult. But I don't think I could have held a more lovable load.

Hiking with Daddy

This is Elise and Zion's new entertainment while I make dinner.

An Elly-Bean, a Popsicle, and an Elephant

If you ask Elise these days what she is, she will likely reply that she is either an Elly-Bean (her nickname), a Popsicle, or her latest - an elephant. She is quite insistent on her current status of elephant. She claims that she is a sister elephant, Zion is a baby elephant, I am a mommy elephant, and Daddy is a daddy elephant. I have mostly gone along with her game. I've even fed her peanuts and told her that broccoli is elephant food too.

While her imaginative play grows, in other areas she is entirely too literal. The other day we were riding in our car. I mentioned to Jeffrey that Zion was walking really well. Elise piped up from the back, "No Mommy. Zion is not walking. He's sitting right here in his car seat."

She is also quick to catch me if I slip up on the name of an item, or the quantity of items. We have a Mr. Potato Head set that consists of a potato head, a carrot, and a head of corn. When I suggested to Elise that we go and play potatoes, she quickly corrected me, "There are not potatoes Mommy, there is only one potato." I can't get away with anything around this girl.

We had a wonderful weekend spent with family at my cousin Andrew and Brenda's home. It was a mini reunion, including my aunt and uncle from California, my cousin Sarah from Yemen, and my grandparents from McMinnville, TN. Unfortunately we forgot our camera. So you will just have to imagine some of the highlights which included building a tower of blocks around Elise, Zion zooming up the stairs, lots of games, and my grandma's homemade blueberry pie.