My mom (Nana) got to meet her grandson, Sam Post, for the first time that Friday night when we all converged at Jill's house in Lehi (mom flew in from St.Louis, Amie--Matt's wife--came up from her Dad's in Price, where she is living while Matt is in Iraq). When Amie first arrived, she brought Sam up to greet us upatairs, then she went down to the basement to find where Jake had run off to. We all passed Sam around and loved on him, and he looks so much like Matt, we all started to cry. When we heard Amie coming back up the stairs, we all hurried and wiped our eyes and noses so we wouldn't upset her. Later I found her in the kitchen alone looking at some photos of Matt my mom had taken while visiting him Wisconsin (where he was all summer waiting to leave for Iraq), and she was crying but trying to hide her tears, too. I hugged her and told her we were all being so silly, trying not admit we missed Matt, although his absence was the big elephant in the room! Man, I miss having them near by and I can't get over what a great sister-in-law she is! She has so much peronality, courage, testimony, and integrity--we are so lucky she's in our family!
My cute Sisiters-in-law: Amie holding Sam, Audrey (very pregnant) holding James, and me (we have red eyes from the aformentioned crying).
Saturday morning we all got together at my mom's best friend Janet's house for a scrapbooking extravaganza. We also squeezed in a little baby shower for Audrey (who is having a baby girl any day now; they plan to name her Maeby--yes, just like the girl on Arrested Development--fun, huh?). Janet was such a great hostess, and it was so fun to see her and her family again. She and my mom held James almost all day (when he wasn't nursing or being held by an auntie--spoiled!). Thanks, Gray family, for putting up with us all day, and thanks for the nice chat, Janet!
This is a very backlit photo of Amie in Janet's living roon, talking on her cell phone to Matt with Sam on her lap. It was great timing because we all got to shout hello to him and got to know (for at least one more day) that he was alive and well.

Aunt Jill playing with Jake on Saturday (10/21) at Janet's
Me and Jake having a tickle fight just as he was going home Saturday.

After our scrappin' marathon, we ordered some Chili's to go and ate it at Janet's, then we went on a little tour of homes, to see her daughters' new houses. Laura and I went back to Jill's house to sleep after stopping at Walmart and Wendy's (at about midnight--I stayed awake enough to watch half of Nacho Libre, then crashed). We left for home at about 11am on Sunday, stopping in Idaho Falls to eat lunch and watch the Joseph Smith movie again at the Visitors Center (Laura & her boys missed it at Temple Square because the boys got lost on the elevators). We got a little punchy after that, and laughed at the silliest things. I about died when I finally realized that Monida, MT is named that because it's on the MONtana- IDAho border (yeah, I'm quick...it made me think of this: "Ol' Beauford's the sly one--he already knows his ABC's!"--name that movie). Also, I drove through Butte, MT for the very first time in the dark, so we spent the whole time trying to figure out what the huge glowing white arch-shaped thing up on the mountain was. We kept making guesses, and I kept jokingly saying, "It's La Virgen of Guadalupe, y'all!" The next day, I got this email from Laura (click on the title):

What We Saw in Butte

"I laughed when I looked it up. You really know your religious statues....Ha Ha."

Even though I didn't get home to my cozy bed until almost 11pm (I took Laura to Helena, then swung back east to Livingston), it was a super-fun roadtrip (thanks in part to the totally-awesome mix CDs Laura and Willy made for me--click here for my new favorite song from Will--THANKS, GUYS! ROCK ON)!

I'm Still Alive...

...just like Pearl Jam. I have not fallen off the earth--I am super busy, even right now, but I just wanted you to know that I am fine. I have been away for three main reasons:

1. our computer is literally retarded. It has slowed down and we have chosen a new one, so we'll be switching over in coming weeks.

2. lots going on (which I will write about) like pre-school activities, a laid-up husband (he's fine now), a weekend in Utah with my homegirlz, and all the Halloween festivities.

3. I have rached my "Six-week slump," which is my personal version of baby blues. It takes that long for the energy and hormones from having a baby to wear off, to settle into a schedule and start dragging a bit. Mostly I have been going to bed earlier to catch up on all the sleep I missed during James' first month, but it only takes a few weeks for everything to level out, so don't worry! He's starting to get a little "spoiled", fussing even when he's fed and changed and comfy, wanting to be held, etc...(it's all your fault, grandmas and aunties!)
We are all WELL and still verry HAPPY!

I've got pictures and stories to post, so when I get a minute, they are coming!
I gotta tell you about funny dad Layton, the movie at Temple Square, Our Lady of the Rockies, figuring out Monida, watching (and owning) New York Doll, and the trunk or treat party. Right now I gott a feed my family and take a drive/chat with one of my Young Women...later, y'all!

The Three's: tagged by Jen

( I tried to give true answers that were different from The Fours a few months ago)

3 smells I like:
Pier 1’s Citrus & Cilantro
The Sonoran Desert after rain
Bleach water (reminds me of clean laundry and swimming)

3 smells I hate:
“Bathroom Smells”
Almost any perfume, especially in abundance
Vomit

3 Jobs I have had
Nanny
Deli Girl
Institute Instructor

3 Movies I Can Watch Over & Over:
Raising Arizona
Cinema Paradiso
A Room With A View

3 Fondest Memories:
Birth of My Children (does that count as 3?)
Our Wedding Day and the following month of celebrations
Trips to the Beach in Mexico

3 Jobs I‘d Like to Have:
Grandma
Reporter
Legal Assistant/Researcher

3 Places I Have Lived:
Tucson AZ
Provo UT
Pinehurst NC

3 Things I Like to Do:
Clean
Scrapbook/paper crafts
Have small parties and give gifts

3 of my Favorite Foods:
Good steak
Tacos
Chocolate chip cookies

3 Places I Would Rather Be:
Tucson
Asleep
Nowhere (I like it here)

3 Websites I visit Daily:
My Links List
Google

3 Things the Make Me Cry:
Hormones
Misunderstandings with loved ones
My kids hurting

3 People I am Tagging:
Jill
Laura
Anybody who wants to post this...

Finally--a photo of the kids last week, showing off the door hangers they made with stuff Aunt Judy sent in a fun box-o-gifts.

Rainy Days and Mondays...

It's a rainy fall day outside and we are snuggled up playing legos and packing scrapbooking materials for next weekend's "Sisters Retreat" down in SLC. I'll be taking James and my sister Laura down to Utah on Thursday night and hanging out with my sister Jill, SIL Audrey, SIL, Amie, and my mom for the weekend. I am looking forward to it, but I have lots to do around the house (and in the car--clean up and oil change) before we head out.

Blogger's image server seems to be down again, so no photos today, but I have a special addition of Heidi-isms for you. She is suddenly getting creative with pronouns. Por ejemplo:

"I 'Scuse"= Excuse Me
"Me Are" = I Am, as in, "Heidi, you're not going" "Oh, yes me are!"

There were lots of things that happened last week that I wnated to blog, but most of them have slipped past me, darn it! One item of note--our dear governor, Brian Schweitzer, was a guest on The Colbert Report! I think Stephen was kind of intimidating, but the Schweitz did pretty well --even when Stephen made fun of his bolo tie and hardly let him talk about good ol' Montana coal as an alternative to foreign oil.

Also, the grandparents made it home to Arizona safely on Wednesday. They both have colds and will take some time to recover, but they made it! I think it's an awesome feat, to be 81 years old and drive 1300 miles (some of it in snow!!!). Most people even ten years younger don't even have their licenses anymore! I talke to the G'rents last night and they told me another tidbit: my cutie cousin, Bill Elrey, is getting married to Courtney the hairstylist (we met her at Sam's wedding) in Februray 2007. Hey, Bill, February 17th is a lucky wedding day! Pick the 17th! Congrats on the engagement. In other cousins news, Dave & Lacy found out they are expecting a girl in February, which I think is great. I am a fan of first-born girls!

There is trauma and hullaballoo comig from downstairs, so I'll sign off for now. Have a great week...

PS: If you do happen to be hungry for photos of my part of the world, our recent visitors hve posted some...if you look over to my links list on the right, you can click on My Sister Laura or My Beloved Gilmores (scroll down to October 9th) and see photos of my gorgeous town and baby!

Beautiful Boy

James got all dressed up for his blessing on Sunday...thanks, Nana, for sending the cute suit and shoes and blanket (we used Nana Lyn's afghan on blessing day).





Proud Parents!

(don't ask me why my hair looks so wretched or why I am making that face--I may have been delirious from the fever and chills I had the night before).

Blessing Day

On Sunday, October 8th (Happy Birthday, Tyler), James was blessed at church by his Daddy. Great-Grandma & Grandpa Elrey were there, and so were Grandma & Grandpa Melin.

(I have more pictures of James & his parents, etc...I'll have to upload them later!) After church: Heidi, Great-Grandma, James, Great-Grandpa, and Addie
At Church: Grandpa & Grandma Melin with Baby James
Great-Grandparents with James

These pictures are from last Tuesday morning-- great-grandpa loving James.

manic monday

I have been trying to post pix of James' blessing day and the Grandparents' visit for the past few days and can't get blogger to work. I don't have time to try something else as I am "single mom" today (Rich is out of town)...so just be patient...there are MANY MANY photos to come!!!

Guess Who's Here?!...

...My Grandparents! Gram & Gramp Elrey DROVE the 1300 miles from Tucson to Livingston (stopping in SLC for conference & mission reunion) to visit us and meet James. They arrived Monday at about 2pm when I was just getting out of the shower (after a whirlwind of house work--thanks for coming thru for me, Mom M!), the baby was at the doctor with Rich, and the girls were across the street visiting Cousin Danny. Everyone was home within a few minutes and we were so happy to be together again... Look at all the love! James snuggles with his Great Grandma Lyn...
...awwww!
The girls loved on Papa Bill (look at Heidi's face! I looove it!)
They played "show-and-tell" for a while...
...and shared more kisses...
...and more hugs, while watching Baby Einstein's "Baby Neptune" video (Heidi's current obsession). I don't have to tell you how great it is to have them here, just for the love and the company, but also because it brings me JOY to see this first and fourth generation together! It's such a blessing to watch Grandpa giggle with Addie and Heidi or to see Grandma snuggle James (etc...). These are days I always envisioned but feared I might never experience because I didn't have kids til I was 30!

Conference Weekend

We had a fun visit with the Lehmans (my sister, Laura, and her husband, Darrin, and their boys, Gabriel & Jared) over the weekend. They came from Helena to join in our General Conference weekend festivities. This photo is of everyone (except Rich & Darrin--I was taking the photo) eating hot fudge sundaes after we had taken a walk to enjoy the fall foliage between sessions.

Thanks for coming, Lehmans!