Matman

Trevor's favorite things to wear around the house are his Batman pajamas. He won't sleep in them though, because they're too hot. So while he naps, Haley likes to play dress up and be "Matman," (she can't pronounce the B). You can tell they're getting too small for Trevor because they're not that bad on Haley.

They also love to watch YouTube videos on Birch's iPod. They watch the "Matman" theme song and Adam Sandler's song about Elmo. It's catchy!

I always thought it would be fun to have all boys but now I'm surprised at how much I like having a little girl. My favorite thing is to do her hair in the morning. We don't have fancy bows and I do it the same way almost every day, but something about combing her hair is fun for me.

At least for now she'll hold still for a minute and not rip it out if I distract her.

Valentine's smile :)

Running Treats

I've had an extra dose of motivation to run lately thanks to two Christmas presents: a watch and a book. I'm not a real tech-savvy person so when I heard about the GPS running watches, I was sure I wouldn't want one. But the curiosity of how fast (or slow) I am and how long my routes are slowly changed my mind. Birch, of course, was thrilled. Why do all men just love gadgets?

I have liked the watch a lot more than I thought I would. Now I know better what my normal pace is and it feels so good to run fast or long and have a number to prove how hard I went. The only problem was I got a little overzealous the first few weeks, running more than I should have and my lower back spoke up. That's when the second gift came in handy....

This book is by two women (obviously mothers) who write articles for various magazines: Shape, Runner's World, etc. They give their tips on how to stay fit and reach your running goals while raising children and working. They're definitely more hard-core than I am, waking up before dawn to run while their children are sleeping. I was surprised that they didn't talk about jogging strollers or how to run with your children. But they both work part or full-time so our schedules are different. It did made me realize a few things I can and should change about how I exercise:

Strength train!! Once or twice a week

Cross train!! Both of these will help my back stay healthy

Run a race for time and not just for distance

Getting up early sometimes would give me better workouts

Schedule time to run with friends

To Move, To Stay, To Be Happy

Birch finished his residency interviews last week so now we're trying to decide on how we'll rank the schools he interviewed at. It's pretty much coming down to if we're willing to leave family or not. There's a part of me that REALLY wants a change. How often are you given the chance to live somewhere new, knowing that you'll be back in a few years? If it were just me and Birch, I would leave in a second. But thinking about having another baby with my family 14+ hours away doesn't sound fun. And what about holidays, family get-togethers, etc.? We're not the type to go home every month just to visit but I would miss not being able to hit the big family events.

Our top four choices are Tucson, Portland (Maine), Oklahoma City and Omaha. I never would have guessed that I'd want to live in Oklahoma or Nebraska but from what we've seen, they seem like great, family-friendly places. I'm not the kind of person who looks for change--I'm happiest when I'm familiar and comfortable. But when Birch showed us pictures from the cities he visited and described what it could be like to live somewhere new, I got the "grass is greener" fever.

We'll turn in our list in a few weeks and hear where we match on March 17--Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Any thoughts on moving away from family? I'm sure the pros and cons are pretty obvious, but I'm curious how it's been for anyone who has left home for a while. Would you go back and change it? Are you glad it happened?

This weekend Birch met my dad and brothers in Phoenix to play golf (AKA the Frost Open). The moms and kids stayed at the house playing. Here's Haley with her cousin Kate.

And the boys: Trevor and Benson.

Trevor is way into jerseys right now--soccer, football, you name it!

Family Picture

What a victory! I'm sure we're not the only ones who are totally faking the happy smiles in our family photos. After calling someone to take the picture, finding a date/time that works, shopping for clothes, getting ready, finding the right spot, and trying to stay happy and calm so no one is crying in the picture, I am SO glad to have a picture of our family.

We've always wanted to have a picture taken in the desert, so here's our "Tucson Memorial" photo.

Thank you Brittany, for being our "professional" photographer! You did a great job!

Climbing on the rocks on the side of Mt. Lemmon was the best part!

I love this smile and her hair that has finally grown a little.

I think we're about done....

Last picture!

The best part was after taking pictures on a Saturday morning, we went to our church Christmas party that night and came home with a few injuries. Trevor came home with a black eye and Haley cut her lip from running around with the other kids. Great timing!