life, roli and the blue.

Let me introduce you to the blue. Soon after I met Treavor I learned that he had a blanket. He was attached, much like a child. Maybe we should call it a blank ey. He gushed about this blanket and how perfect it was. He slept with it every night in college, and "it kept him warm on cold nights and cool on hot nights". It's like it was "magic" I thought he was a little loony until I gave the blanket a try myself. Let me tell you, this blanket is incredible. It's probably as old as he is and is just worn enough to equal the perfect amount of weight on your body. Just a week of two after I learned of the blanket obsession, I was going on a family vacation and Treavor offered his blanket (that we had named the blue) and told me I could take it with me. I knew this was a huge sacrifice and accepted his gift on loan as the first sign that he liked me. a lot. My family met the blue before they met Treavor. When I was telling my mom about the sweet, fun, funny, gentleman who let me borrow this blanket for the trip, is when she says she knew for the first time that I was in love.

I love the blue and all the stitching Treavor's mom has done at his request to repair the coziest blanket ever. I love it not only cause it's comfortable beyond compare, but because sometimes when I use it, memories of our blissful courtship come flooding back.

The obsession didn't stop there.

Every time Owen is watching a movie, or "resting on the couch" he insists on "the cozy blue blanket"

Owen has a stutter. He has for a year now. He's always been extremely verbal and started talking pretty young. A few months after he turned two he woke up one morning stuttering and it hasn't stopped. it's had good days and bad days, but has always been there. We've researched a lot and learned from experts that this is extremely typical and most often toddlers will grow out of it. Well the time finally came that Treavor and I along with the pediatrician felt we needed some extra help. To make a long story short I got in contact with an "expert" who gave us some wrong information. I went against motherly instinct (that is so very real and usually correct, why do I ignore it sometimes?!) and implemented his suggestions. We knew it was wrong immediately! Basically I had just made Owen aware of a problem he had no idea he had. He was a changed little boy for a few days...basically shut down. He began to talk less and when he did, his speech was high pitched and super high in volume. His face would turn red, his vanes would pop out, he would get completely stuck, and unable to get words out, he would experiment with crazy voices and baby talk. It broke my heart watching him, so insecure and frustrated that he couldn't communicate.

After fasting and praying that 1. we would find a therapist that would connect with Owen and make him feel loved and 2. he would gain confidence, we decided to take him to a Primary Children's outpatient clinic. We had a 2 hour evaluation where we met a speech therapist named Lori. He absolutely loves her, calls her Roli and cried when we had to leave. We've already learned a lot and will start a 12 week course soon.

I'm writing this, not because it's super exciting to read, but because I wanted to keep a record of little Owie's trials and triumphs in the road ahead and also to document the sweet answer to prayer "Roli" is. Owen trusted her and opened up to her the instant he met her-- a true miracle after I thought about it and realized that he has never responded to any adult that way outsid of our family. He can't wait to see her again...what a blessing!

Also: Lewie was looking pretty dapper on Sunday.

puppy dog

If Lewis were a puppy dog, his tail would always be wagging.

That's the best way I know how to describe his excitement for life these days. He is on the go!

He means business when it comes to discovering, climbing, crawling, gooing , chewing, and keeping me on my toes.

Gorgeous, right?

Treavor and I just returned from a weekend away in Arizona where we attended my sweet friend's wedding. It was absolutely perfect! All of Jessica's grace and beauty was summed up in one gorgeous event. She deserves the very best...a man who will take such good care of her. I'm so thrilled that, that's exactly what she got.

Halloween

We had a busy, fun-filled, sugar-loaded, sleep deprived weekend with:

A gooey, squishy, sweet frog

and

A goofy, happy monster who's costume was oh so fitting.

The weekend brought:

Church trunk or treat

Halloween half marathon

Peters adult party

A visit to Great Grandma and Grandpa

Trick or treating at Treavor's work

Trick or treating with the Bell aunts

and

Trick or treating with Grandma Kat

It left us with:

Tired boys

Blistered feet

Too much candy

and

A happy Halloween

When I told Owen that if he ate all his candy, he would get a stomach ache, the excitement in his big eyes left me confused until he enthusiastically said

"then we'll have to rest on the couch and WATCH TV?!?"

It was only getting better.

This cute face waiting for me at the finish line

Ken and Buddy the elf (Adam) talking football

Great Grandma and Grandpa Ellertson

Halloween night with Gram