August Rush

I know, gone are the days of faithful blogging. I often think I should blog about something- anything! But I get busy, and these days, there seems to be little time for "free time" at the computer.
I am just listening to the soundtrack from the movie "August Rush", and thought that I would share my thoughts on the movie. Hey, I have to start somewhere, right? :)

I must make this clear, I REALLY enjoyed this movie. I think it has made it to my list of favorites. August Rush isn't much of a movie though, I must admit myself. There were so many holes, and I understand it's hard to keep interested in a movie where you have to ____ __ the _____! :)
I guess one reason why I liked it so much was just because of that- it was almost like I was reading a book, and the details were alive in front of me, while the rest was left to my imagination. For someone who thinks to much, and over-analyzes EVERYTHING, this was an enjoyable movie.

While at the movie, I also discovered how much Grace likes to explore unfamiliar restrooms... she let me know her need/desire to go potty about 10 times through the entire movie. She only convinced me 3 of those times.

For your listening pleasure, here's a little sample of the awesome music. Just click on "Enter the Site" It seems to capture the love of music in all of us! Oh, and just for a laugh (and to brag about our little girl), we went bowling over the Thanksgiving weekend with Thom and Stephanie. Grace was SO good! To convince you, Thom's blog shows proof that Grace was just excited about each frame as we were! She's such an amazing girl!

Carter Look-a- like Meter

Last night during the Red Sox vs. Rockies game Sam and I were reading blogs written by our friends and we came across this fun site our friends had posted. So we gave it a whirl. We have now tried this THREE times, and it has given us the same answer 2 of 3 times. The second time we did it we used a different picture of Grace smiling, and it just so happens that she looks 3% more like her mother. Poor girl. :) So, for all those who have ever wondered who Grace looks more like, here is your answer!
We also tried another site some friends posted (we were just trying to keep ourselves calm during the game!) that gives you a goth name; appropriate for Halloween, I think! My name is Poison Passion and Sam ended up with two: Don't Have Eyes and Cthulu's Confidante. Go to www.deadname.com and try it out!
Sam's parents are flying in today- and I am so glad they are coming. I was surprised by the abundace of energy I had yesterday, because I deep cleaned our apartment. Now I am so thankful for that energy! :) Oh, and hooray for rain, and Game 2 of the World Series! It makes this time of year even more enjoyable! (crazy huh? :)

Carolina Beach or BUST!

Sam had Fall Break last week, so we headed to Carolina Beach, NC for a little rest, repose and recuperation. Even before we left, however, in my forgetfulness and hastiness to get everything done, I forgot to strap Grace into her stroller, and when her book fell out of her lap she leaned forward to get it- and got this nice battle wound in return...
She has since earned the name of Charly Chaplin. :)
The few days we had away from home were sorely needed, and we really enjoyed just spending time together. Carolina Beach was a ghost town- literally! There were not many others there, and so we had the beach all to ourselves, and Grace could eat all the sand she wanted to! This was her first time at the Atlantic Ocean, and she loved every moment of it! She especially loved walking in the water as the waves covered her feet and the sand disappeared from beneath them.
She also learned a new sign while we were there for BIRD. (The sign is made by putting your thumb and pointer finger together in a pinching motion near your face, like the beak of a bird).We did the sign a couple of times when the seagulls and other birds would land to find food, and afterwards, wherever she saw a bird she would make the sign. Even at breakfast at McDonald's, she would drop whatever utensil she was holding to make the sign. So, you can imagine the fun time we had with that... and the attention she got from everyone who saw her!

Now we are home, and back to reality. But, the Red Sox have clinched the ALCS, and play the first game of the World Series tonight against the Rockies in Boston. It's great to be able to say: here we go again! So, reality has been placed on the back burner for now... and I am okay with that. :) Go Sox!

In a Nutshell...

Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one.

~Jane Howard

A picture is worth a thousand words, right? I believe these are worth more than I could ever explain, so I will let you enjoy them while I share a slice of what we've had the pleasure of experiencing:

Grace's birthday was something spectacular, now that I look back at it. She just seemed to blossom overnight! She understands new signs in ASL so quickly, and she has also recently made up her own sign for her "special" blanket. She is simply amazing!

Grace and I went to Utah for a few days to visit family and friends while Sam stayed behind and caught up on school work, although I don't know if "catching up" is really possible in grad school. We missed him, (and the warm weather!) but Grace found ways to keep busy, as you can see. One day we went to visit Kim and her girls: Grace now has aspirations of being a cheerleader. She also learned that day that it is possible to put something back when you take it out! In one of the photos she had taken out all of Brittin's crayons out of it's box, and then remarkably picked them up, one by one, and handed them to Brittin or Virginia. She LOVES being the center of attention!

The last day we were there we went to visit her great-grandparents, who have only seen her a handful of times. She may not remember them as she grows up, but she will always know how they lived. They are amazing people- I hope someday to be like they have become.

I couldn't leave this out if I wanted y'all to see her true character: Grace is a little flirt!
We got together with some old friends for lunch on Friday, and Sarah and Kennan Allred came. He and Grace have, of course, been friends since birth, and it seems they have been missing eachother more than we knew because when Grace crawled away, Kennan came chasing after! Grace LOVED the company she was in, and was content sitting as close as he would permit. A little too close for comfort, I would say! :)
Life is good, and we had a good time- but it is so nice to be home. I love it here.