Bowen's Crazy Hair

Check out my glorious redness!!!

No photos please!!!....our little celebrity

So, I have the cutest red head out there, but dad was very shocked when he first saw Bowen. In fact, after the 35min. of all natural delivery, they had to rush me off to surgery to stop my hemorrhaging (again with the hemorrhaging, I think I’m broken) so I really did not get to see Bowen until about 3 hours after surgery. When I came out of surgery dad handed me our new bundle of joy and he said “another red head.” Ethan was born with peach fuzz that looked red, but Bowen was full blown red. Poor dad just wants one that looks like him, with the dark hair, maybe one day dad.
I kid you not I can not go anywhere with out people coming up to Bowen & I to tell me how cute he is and, to make comments about his “beautiful” red hair. I live in Portland…AKA crazy town so I have also got some funny comments like. “he looks like an elf, if elf’s were real” and “he looks just like Frodo Baggins from Lord of the Rings.” And “he’s a little leaf Erickson, a little Viking.” At these times it’s a bit hard for me to keep my momma bear from emerging, but then I considered the source…Portland crazies..... I then take a few breaths and I’m fine. WE LOVE our red head, he is so funny and soooo cute all you ladies that are 1 need to watch out, heart breaker on the loose.

Their HERE!!!

Kara, had her pups on April 16th. Kara had not 3, not 5, not 7....but 8 puppies!!!!

I was a little shocked at first, but they are all so cute and sweet that I got over my shock pretty quick. Granted i'm sure I will be a little, ok probably a lot, overwhelmed but i'll manage some how. Jeromy will be heading off for two back to back rotations for 10 weeks, so I will be holding down the home front all by myself. with 2 kids, 2 dog and 8 puppies that makes me out numbered 12:1, but I'm tuff i'll figure it out some how.

Brazil, Brazil!!!

Jeromy and I started talking about Brazil again last night and we both got the Brazil bug bad. We almost booked tickets to surprise Paulo for his 40th birthday, despite the fact that we can’t afford them, or know what, or where we will be in the next year. I loved Brazil sooo much, the people are amazing and so welcoming. We have VERY good family friends that live in Sao Carlos Brazil, Paulo & Marcia Machado and their two boys. Jeromy has been out to see them twice, me once, and they visited here once. They really are a part of our family, and we miss them so much. I kid you not; Jeromy and I have plans to send Ethan out there to stay with our friends for a summer when he’s 15 or so, and probably Bowen too. All we have to do is work on their portuguese, and they will be set. We also have a 30 year plan to build a home for us and our friends out in Brazil so we can stay when ever we want. It’s crazy that $30 grand would build a BIG house and have room for our family and Paulos' while we stay. I just have to work on my portuguese, but I plan to be fluent one day. I want to be able to tell Paulo and Marcia how much I love and care about them and their boys on my own, without help. I want to be able to go down town and buy as many shoes and clothes as I want on my own, with out EVERYONE knowing I’m an American. Brazil will always be a part of my families life and I am grateful for that.

Children of Promise

I had to post a blog to tell everyone about these awesome books I have been reading. The Children of Promise series books are amazing; I have really enjoyed reading them and am very excited to finish up the rest of the series. I’m sure most of you have seen theses books or have heard about them and maybe even read them, but to you that have not….you must go now and get these books and start reading them. They are about a Mormon family living during WWII, and trying to adjust to all of what war brought to our country. It’s a modern day story of pioneers that really has touched me and made me think about a lot of things. To tell you all the truth, every time someone would start talking about Pioneers all I would hear most of the time was blah, blah, blah. I know I’m horrible, but heck I have heard enough stories and it really was boring to me. But, these books are not that way to me AT ALL, I had NEVER thought about the trails that our great grandparents went through; they also were Pioneers that deserve to have their stories told.

178th General Conference

I don’t know about all of you guys but, I am really excited for General Conference this weekend. I love conference; church in your pj’s is there anything better? We always have scones in the morning with powered sugar…yummy, yummy, this year I’m going to make conference bean dip (7layer bean dip) and maybe do a relish tray or spinach dip with French bread. I’m really excited to have Ethan get to listen to President Monson, or at least try to listen to him. Ethan already understands that he is our new prophet and he blesses him almost always in his prayers at night (It’s so cute). It’s amazing to me that this is the Prophet; my boys will remember most and probably be the most influential in their lives, it’s very exciting. I have found the most amazing general conference packet for Ethan to do while he listens at sugardoodle.com. That site is filled with amazing ideas and help for callings and FHE. Jeromy and I have decided to give FHE a more valiant try at our home, and this site has and will help soooo much. I also am curious to see who will be called into the 12, and like most everyone else I’m very excited to hear President Monson speak as our Prophet for the very first time.