A most wonderful Spring Break!

The Calderwoods have enjoyed not one, but TWO Spring Breaks this year.  An earlier post revealed our adventures to North Carolina for Shaun's break from school.  For my Spring Break we had our North Carolina friends come to visit us.  We enjoyed a day at the temple, a day in DC seeing the cherry blossoms, and a weekend in Colonial Williamsburg.  We are grateful for such wonderful friends to spend time with.  The Wests are wonderful as are so many of our other friends that we wish we could have also seen over this break.  We look forward to more adventures and will be sure to post them right here.  Here are some photos of our week in review.

Above:  Adam and Tawnie outside the Colonial Governor's Palace in Williamsburg

Above:  Ella enjoying a stroll through Colonial Williamsburg

Above:  Shaun and Ella with their backs towards the maze behind the Governor's Palace.  Shaun says the reflection from the flash off his windbreaker makes him look like he's one of the colonial guards in metal armor.

A room in the Governor's Palace said to be for one of the Governor's daughter's.

Two dads with their babies

Shaun and I in the stocks.  You could be placed in the stocks for not attending church.  It's a good thing we do.  But we could have stolen a chicken or another minor crime too to deserve this punishment.

Ella in her colonial bonnet

A colonial family... although Shaun looks more like Sir Elton John than Benjamin Franklin

Above: A day in DC... a view of the Jefferson Memorial through the Cherry Blossoms

Adam and Ellie on the Jefferson steps

The Washington Memorial

Ella in the Tulip Gardens

The West Family and the Jefferson across the Tidal Basin

Me trying to imagine having twins... lots of work!

The girls interrupted someone else's game of frisbee and ran off with the frisbee (as seen here).  Luckily the other family found them so endearing that they didn't mind and even let them play a while.

Shaun and Ella on the carousel outside of the natural history museum

Ellie playing at the World War II Memorial

Ella pointing at the fountains of the WW II Memorial

The WWII Memorial at sunset with the Lincoln in the background

Shaun and the Wests at the DC Temple (being posers)

The Calderwoods in front of the DC temple

Spring time at the DC Temple

Life's little anecdotes

I was reading a fantastic article in this month's Ensign (this is a monthly church publication with wonderful lessons and talks) and found the following excerpt quite helpful:

"We may have to struggle to achieve our goals, but our struggles may yield as much growth as our learning.  The strengths we develop in overcoming challenges will be with us in the eternities to come.  The stuff of growth was never made of ease."  (Dallin H. Oaks, Learning and Latter Day Saints).

For any of you who have been around the Calderwoods this year, it's probably been evident this has been a year of challenges.  I know there are others facing more grave circumstances.  Our struggles are more of just the day in day out variety: being new parents and trying to find the balance between loving our little girl, loving each other, and working hard.  Everyone tells you how wonderful parenthood will be but no one really tells you how hard it will be also.  I feel guilty for missing parts of myself I've had to give up.  I'm not nearly as social as I used to be.  I find after getting Ella to bed I mostly just want to relax.  I feel in some ways that I'm less of a person than I used to be.  I was always instigating social parties, planning things, traveling.  These days I'm lucky if I've gotten a shower in.  But actually, I am very grateful for the sacrifices parenthood has brought.  I may not be all of the thing I was before, but I believe I am more now.  I have found new strengths in working and caring for my family.  I hope my husband knows how much I appreciate him for the sacrifices he makes too.  I can see this family thing really helping both of us to grow.  And the wonderful thing is that our goal we have set out to accomplish is just around the corner.  Shaun will graduate this summer and all of that sacrifice will have been worth it.  I'm not naive enough to think that once we're at that point it will all be over and done with.  I know a whole new set of challenges will present themselves as we look towards employment opportunities, moving, expanding our family... but we will have completed this chapter, and that will be a very good feeling indeed.

Also, I have to do a little bragging on my little Miss.  She has learned to say "Dada, Mama, Ball, and Hi."  She says all of them in the correct context and is even learning "Jesus" when we read her "Jesus book" at night.  But "Hi" is her absolute favorite.  We went to the grocery store today and she waved hello and said hi to EVERYONE.  And if they didn't notice or say hi back, she would gradually get louder and louder until they  did notice.  And once they did the biggest toothy smile would cover her face.  She is absolutely amazing.  I can definitely see her little personality and she is the sweetest, most loving, and SOCIAL baby!  I'll post more photos soon.  For now here's one of my more recent favorites.

The Calderwoods visit North Carolina!

The Calderwood Family took advantage of Shaun's Spring Break and visited with friends in the great state of North Carolina.  Our adventure started just outside of Raleigh in a nice little town called Holly Springs where our friends Adam and Tawnie live.  After a couple of days with them we headed west to Charlotte to visit with Becca and Troy.  I really only brought the camera out on our first day because the weather was absolutely gorgeous.  So here is just a snapshot of one of our days in my new favorite state (this is where I want to move when Shaun graduates...  I guess we'll see)

Adam and Tawnie took us to a children's museum in Raleigh called Marbles.  Ella could get into anything and then people came around after her and cleaned up.  Is that what heaven will be like?  They had lots of fun things for even the toddlers like a play kitchen, a dress up area, a fire engine and play car.  Ella couldn't get enough and it wore her and Ellie out so much that they both came back home and took long naps... yea!

Can you believe what a heart throb my little girl is?  I just love her!

Ellie is Adam and Tawnie's little one.  She and Ella are the exact same size and they played very well together (which is an improvement over last time when Ella would play too rough so that was nice to see).  Ellie is a sweet heart and already saying several words.  She was a good role model for Ella.  She's looking suspicious in the photo below but she does have a lovely little smile.

This photo was taken actually in our prep before leaving for North Carolina but it was so cute I had to include it.  I love the accessorizing (probably because I am the one responsible for it).  She just loves her daddy.

Mind the Gap... My London Adventures in 2004

This month marks the five year anniversary of the best trip I've ever taken!  Just for the record, I want to note there is a distinct difference between a trip and a vacation in my mind... Vacations= beach, relaxing/ Trips= go, go, go.  I've had some great vacations too just a different ball of wax.  Anyway, I digress...While in grad school a few girlfriends and I decided on a whim to buy tickets to London over Spring Break.  We stayed with friends and did a whirl wind, sleep deprived, four day tour of the mother land.  I think I'm in desperate need of another one of these and maybe that's why I wanted to reflect on some of my favorite memories from that time.

The three photos above were taken at the airport.  We were giddy with excitement and anticipation.  For me this was my first (and only so far) trip outside of the U.S. (unless you count Canada but I'm not sure that actually counts).

What would London be without seeing Big Ben?  After our Red Eye flight into Hethrow we immediately unpacked, showered, and headed into the city to check out Mr. Ben, WestMinster Abbey, and the London Eye.  I think we were going on about two hours of sleep.  But I remember feeling so invigorated.

We enjoyed the London Eye at dusk.  We got to meet some fellow tourists from Texas of all places.  I just couldn't get enough of this fabulous city and the great accents (not the Texans, the British)

I'm sure the locals thought we were the most annoying Americans but we just had to all cram into that phone booth.  It was calling our name:)

After a full day of sightseeing we decided to take in a show.  I don't really remember how we came down to deciding on Mama Mia, but forever after the music of ABBA has been associated with this trip!  It was the PERFECT play to see as the upbeat music kept us awake (that and our pile of munchies that we obnoxiously chewed on during intermission) and the lyrics were then stuck in our head when we were on the tube, went to Oxford, visited the Globe Theatre, and toured the queen mum's home.  This trip had absolutely no drama.  It was just pure, sleep deprived fun!  

The photo below was taken during intermission of Mama Mia by the poor lady whose lot it was to sit next to the loud American girls.

Here we are in Oxford.  What a great town.  I felt smarter just being there.  We visited the libraries and the chapel behind us was said to be where "Alice in Wonderland" was written.  It was a rainy foggy March day and we ended that evening by going to a local pub and enjoying conversation.

Molly and I struck a pose above with some of the guards of Windsor Castle.  Our tour guide, Moe, was a delightful little man whose accent alone would have made the tour unbeatable.

This picture was taken on our final day in London at our friend's flat.  It was a Sunday and after church we took a drive through the countryside.  We were exhausted.  How we managed to stay awake still amazes me.  I think it might have had something to do with the massive amounts of chocolate we ate.

So to the girlfriends who accompanied me on this trip of a lifetime I say thank you for the memories!  I hope to do it again some time.  This time others are welcome to enjoy the experience with us.  New friends, husbands, family... but I just know it will never be quite like that crazy trip in March of 2004:)

Calgon Take Me Away

I remember when I was a little girl those commercials for Calgon Bath Oils... at least I think that's what they were.  I distinctly remember the young mother of children soaking in a bubble bath jacuzzi tub having her "moment" of solace as the turmoil of her busy life melted away... all thanks to Calgon.  I used to think those commercials were super cheesy.  Truth be told, they probably were to some degree, but at moments like this in my life I find myself uttering those words, "Calgon, take me away!"  Yes, take me to a warm soaking tub with no noise, no poopy diapers, no work or work politics, no laundry to be done or husband to get through school.  Yes, if Calgon can do all of that I will not only buy it, I will become it's official spokeswoman!

It's not that life is bad.  I am aware that I have it pretty good.  I have a beautiful baby, a kind and loving husband, a good job, and a nice home.  But February just brings out the doldrums in me.  Every year around this time I find myself wishing Spring would hurry and arrive already.  Perhaps that's why I proclaim May to be a month of celebration!  It's not necessarily because it's my birthday, more likely I'm honoring the season of Spring and ready to go out and enjoy life.  See, maybe I'm not as egocentric as some thought;)  At any rate, I've decided if I'm ever rich enough February will be my month to go on a yearly cruise, preferably somewhere tropical and excellent so I can come back with a fantastic tan and impress everyone (okay, maybe I am egocentric a little bit).  Maybe if my doctor prescribes it for mental health reasons I can have insurance cover a bit of it.  What do you think?  

Okay, you're right... I'm dreaming.  But for now, dreaming is what gets me through these wet and cold winter months.  

My little girl turns one!

I didn't know how exciting it would be to see my little girl turn one.  It was even more exciting than celebrating my own birthday, and for those of you that know me that's saying a lot considering I take a whole month to celebrate my birthday... I realize that this is slightly egocentric but that's a discussion for another day.  I would have given Ella a whole month of celebration too were it not for two reasons.  One, I might be setting the bar a bit too high for a one year old and two, Ella shares a birthday month with her father so I thought perhaps I should give him a little credit too.  So this year I threw a combined birthday bash in their honor.  We had friends and their kids over for what I called a "Presidential Birthday Bash!" in honor of Shaun, Ella, and all those presidents with birthdays in February.  We handed out american medals and resurrected my favorite game, the Question Ball, revised edition for married couples.  It was quite the fun evening.  Unfortunately, I was so busy hosting the event that I only got a few photos of the night.  Here's just one of Shaun and Ella blowing out their candles on their separate (but equal) cakes.  Also a close up of Shaun's cake to show I may not be an ace of cakes, but at least a can make a decent one.

Later in the weekend we threw Ella her own little family party with nana and papa.  Ella opened gifts from her auntie Stephanie, friends, and enjoyed wearing her PJ's from grandma and granpa C that night.  She got lots of books, a few clothes, a little bear, music maker, and ring thing.  She loved every bit of it but probably loved the cake best!

Oh she's such a poser!  With every day that personality grows.  She ran down the hall with her new clothes and turned around to show them off just in time for the photo above.  What a ham!  The outfit of course is from nana.

And if the cake is not enough, I'll try the plate too she says.

This face is saying "don't judge me".  I am entitle to dig into this cake with my bare hands and then stuff what I can into my mouth.

And this, this is the look of satisfaction that comes after digging into a triple chocolate cake with chocolate frosting.  Admit it, you wish you could do it too with such style and grace!  But alas, such a right is reserved for the babies of this world.  And it wouldn't be a true 1st birthday without diggin' in:)