Pictures from Grampa's Funeral

My grandpa was a navy war veteran. It was really need to have the navy there at the burial. Here's some of the pictures that turned out (I was hoping to get more, but there are only so many times I can pause long enough to focus the camera when chasing my little tornado!)

What's In A Name

Thank you everyone for all your great recommendations for names for the little one coming. We weren't going to decide on a name until after she was born and we could see her for the first time, but we reluctantly decided that if we want to take advantage of some great deals on airfare we would need to book our tickets to London before the baby arrives. The airline said there was no way around not putting a name on the ticket for the baby. So, we decided on a name for the little one. Here's a picture of the place. Any guesses?

In Memory of Grandpa

My grandpa passed away last Thursday at the age of 94. I feel so grateful that he was my grandpa, and that I had the chance to know him for so many years. Here are some of my memories of him:

Always growing up, it never officially felt like Christmas until he and my Grandma would arrive on Christmas Eve. There was something about their arrival that signaled to me that now it was Christmas.

Drinking lemonade out of colorful glasses in the summertime in their yard. I loved their garden because their were so many trees.

Playing with his dog. He loved dogs, and always treated his dog so well. If I remember right, when I was growing up he had a yellow lab named Jude.

Whenever we would visit, we were guaranteed lots of candy out of the candy jar. There were always hard butterscotch and strawberry candies to choose from.

Growing up, my favorite thing about my grandpa was the fact that he graduated from Harvard Business school. That fact alone left a great impression on me as to the value of education and setting your educational goals high.

(I got some great pictures from the funeral, but I have misplaced my attachment to download them. I'll post them later.)

A New Chapter Begins

Four and a half years ago when Jason and I got married we both agreed we wanted to live overseas for a time. Our plan was get married in December, Jason graduate in April, move overseas in July. Well, needless to say, that never happened. Whenever an opportunity came, there was some reason not to go - Jason took longer to graduate, we found out we were pregnant and my work offered great benefits, there was no one to manage the family business if we left, we found out Antalya had Down syndrome. Anyways, you get the idea.

A few months ago we decided that if we were ever going to live out our dream, now was our best shot. So Jason spent a few weeks scrambling to get applications into graduate programs - writing personal statements, tracking down old professors to write letters of recommendation, researching schools, etc. And then the waiting began...

Until this morning when he opened his email and found an acceptance letter. Jason has been accepted at the University of London! Now the fun part begins - planning a very round-about way of arriving in London (I better check how many blank pages we all have in our passports because I am hoping they will all get used!)

Oh, and Dad - it looks like after all these years you will finally have to give in to Mom's pleas to go do some traveling. If she hasn't convinced you, I'm sure Antalya will. There's no way she can survive without a visit or two from her favorite person:)

Dishes and Amnios

What is it about water that is so intriguing? Occasionally, when I need a few moments to myself, I clear out the sink of the dirty dishes, fill it with a few clean ones, turn the water on a light flow, and let Antalya climb up on a chair and pretend to wash the dishes. It is one her most favorite activities. She will play for as long I let her. I am always grateful when I discover safe, stay-put activities that hold Antalya's attention for more than a couple minutes. 

On a completely different note, a few of you know I had an amnio done last week. We have been a little concerned with a few things about this pregnancy. Just wanted to let those of you who have been wondering know that the amnio came back normal. I have another ultrasound later next week to check the babies growth. Although we haven't let ourselves spend anytime worrying about things, I must admit that I will breathe a big sigh of relief when that is over. Hopefully all these tests will be for nothing other than a mama's peace of mind that everything is fine. I can't wait to meet this new little girl. For those of you wondering, we still don't have a name picked out and are open to suggestions. The only requirement is that it must be a name of a place somewhere in the world.

Awesome Giveaway

One of my favorite T21 blogs has a great offer for any of you Utah moms. Just visit Praying for Parker for a coupon to receive a strand of freshwater pearls ABSOLUTELY FREE from Goldsmith Company Jewelers! I'm going to pick mine up this afternoon. But not only that, if you leave a comment on her blog you will be entered to win a $50 gift card to Goldsmith Company Jewelers.

Thanks Tammy for this great giveaway. 

(Now I just need to decide if I should keep the pearls or give them to my mom for Mother's Day!)