Asher's Glamour Shots

While I work on Tuesday and Thursday in the office, Asher goes to visit his friends Liv and Heather. We have been so blessed to have so many amazing women live nearby that have babysat Asher. Thank you Katie, Heather, Elise, and Melissa! And to our subs Melanie and LuAnn. Anyway, Asher has really loved playing with Liv, and Heather is taking a photography class and took these cute pictures of Asher:

Thanks Heather!

Seven Ways you know you have a Toddler:

1. Your suitcase becomes inhabited by a 30 pounder:

* I know that not all toddlers are nearly 30 pounds, but I am just working with experience people!

2. Your bathroom time is not only interrupted by someone, but also his toy table:

3. Your trash can becomes a new place for socks or various other nondisposables:

4. Small items just seem to cover your floor at ALL times, no matter what you try and do about it. :)

5. Your lower shelves are not longer a place for books:

6. Instead of finding something wrong when he looks in the mirror, your thirty pounder just seems to LOVE himself. And you have a bag full of dirty diapers hanging from your door. Gross, I know.

7. And finally, Dad's quick shower turns into Asher's unsupervised baby powder extravaganza:

P.S. I love the little footprint in this one. Even with all of the above, I think I wouldn't mind freezing Asher in time.

A long time!

First of all, congratulations to Gardner, my oldest brother, and his wife Crista, and their children Cameron, Addison, and Axel on their new baby boy!!! We are so excited for a new baby Crane.

Yes, it has been a few months, and it may be a few more before my next post, but that's just how the Popes roll.

We had a great and busy end to 2009.

Asher and I (sadly Mike had to stay home and study) were able to share Thanksgiving with my family in Utah:

The girls in all of my mom's aprons

Cameron and Addison in their cool school shirts



Gardner & Crista

Maren, Grant, and Dad

Asher and Axel: man talk

And we were able to gather with Mike's family in Billings, Montana for Christmas. It may have taken us 2 1/2 days, 3 missed flights, one Asher throw-up on a flight, a desperate, unsuccessful search for a sippy cup in the the ENORMOUS mall of America, and one unplanned night in a shady hotel to get there, but it was definitely worth it. We had a great time.

Visiting our friends, the Trendlers, in Minneapolis during our second day of our prolonged layer-over. So fun to see them though.

Big cousin Joe showing Asher what Chucky Cheese is all about.

The Popes and the Nyes... and yes, the Nyes are attempting to steal children.

A shepherd with his little uncooperative sheep

Now back to the cold, harsh reality of a Chicago winter in January. Wah, wahhh.

Good Luck House Cat!

Tonight we sent Maren and Grant off to Oklahoma where they will settle in and finally begin a really settled life. We were all so sad to see them go and its exciting and heartbreaking at the same time. I'm looking forward to hearing what adventures they have and wanted to wish them good luck on their journey. I thought it might be nice to re-count some of our favorite Maren-isms to help her on her way.

1 - One time Maren and I were driving home from Layton with freshly baked cookies she held on her lap (she was maybe 12 at the time). I took the on-ramp too fast and finally once we were safely settled on the highway again Maren stated: I literally almost tossed THESE cookies.

2 - Maren would come stay with me during college weekends and once we went shopping at Nordstrom Rack for jeans.... She was open to trying anything on and was always surprised at how cute each pair looked on her.

3 - When she was little for some reason mom and dad would let me take Maren anywhere with me and I always remember not wanting to go places unless her cute little 3-4 year old self would come along. People just loved her immediately.

4 - After I'd moved to Salt Lake from Ogden I was at home one time and for the first time in my life experienced some "attitude" from Maren. When I asked her about it she cried and said we'd promised to watch ER together on Thursdays...

5 - When Maren was a baby she had a hard time falling asleep and I'd take her in the library and gently massage her face and then hold her eye lids shut... In my young 14 year old mind I thought that it was helpful...

6 - One Christmas Maren made me a journal. It had all my favorite things pasted into it and I can barely stand to write in it unless its really important.

7 - The trip to Hawaii and our ride in the rental car when I realized she actually does make crumbs.

8 - Any time that Maren would show up at my house without anything. She would just show up and hang out and I was just super glad to have her around. I kept pajamas and anything else she might need just on the off chance she'd come... She would be happy with whatever the plans were and just hang out. Like a house cat...

We love you Maren and I'm so proud of your grown up self! Good luck in Oklahoma!

The Grapefruit

Some of you may have already heard the big news, buuuuut Grant convinced me to try a Grapefruit a couple of nights ago. I have to admit, I didn't mind it too much.

I must really love Grant right?

Happy Birthday Mom!

Happy Birthday MOM!

I am of the opinion that I was given the exact mom I needed. You are my best friend and my biggest strength and one of the funniest most honest people I know. I had a couple of memories I wanted to share:

1 - Shoe shopping with my mom and her sisters and lunch with them afterwards while they laughed through stories of growing up and if I closed my eyes I couldn't tell which one was laughing.

2 - Laying out on our back lawn when I was little... It was the first girl time I got to spend with my mom. We'd put on our swim suits and take towels out back and just relax... I was only 3 or 4 so it couldn't have been all that relaxing for her!

3 - In middle school when I desperately wanted straight hair and she would get up so early and spend hours trying to help me blow my hair straight - for those of you with curls this was in the days prior to good product or straighteners.

4 - The days I had dance right after school and she would pick me up and drive me to dance while I hid below the windows and changed into a leotard.

5 - Late nights playing games when if we convince her to stay up long enough she gets super punchy and funny.

I love you mom! Thank you for being so good to all of us and making each one of us feel like your favorite.... or is that just I really am your favorite?

Our Uncle Gordon

Our Uncle Gordon, the husband of my dad's sister, passed away on November 2, 2009 after battling Leukemia. He has always been a great and brilliant man. My cousin Rand shares a little about him and their difficult experience here.

I just thought I would share a recent memory that I have of him. When Maren was married in the summer of 2008, my Uncle Gordon was in remission and was in attendance at all of the days festivities. Maren's reception was outdoors on a golf course that did not typically handle weddings. Needless to say, there was a lot of set up and take down for the beautiful event. My sweet Uncle Gordon insisted on staying until the very last lantern was taken down and last chair folded, even until the midnight hours. He could have used one of thousands of excuses; however, he was there even when the sprinklers came on and began to soak us all. Yes, just one small example of how he has always been a great and brilliant man. I love the Lewis family and wish I could be there to show my support this weekend.