Suprise time for me.

The last blog post I made was at my mother-in-law's house (which is where I am now) and where I predicted that Matt would learn to crawl by the end of the month.

WRONG!!

I went upstairs to where Ben and Matt were after I finished the post last time and there he was, crawling after the bunnies!! It was awesome and a little scary! I think our carpet at home is a little more slippery than the one at grandma's so he was able to get some traction and take off!! So, our little boy is officially no longer a tiny little baby...

Wow.

Now, Hobbes just has to learn to stay out of the way, or his ears will get pulled off (fortunately he's a patient dog...I will have pictures/video of this later don't worry)...

Super Baby!

Unfortunately there are no pictures to go with this post, but once our computer gets back or our pictures get accessible then there will be tons to upload!

Exciting new things that Matthew has decided to master on his own somehow and in the last 24 hours include:

1) Going from being on the floor on his back or stomach to sitting up again. He learned this while our backs were turned. Neither Ben or I saw him trying to figure it out, yesterday he just fell over from a sitting position and then all of a sudden, he was sitting up again! Very cool.
2) Peas are now an acceptable flavor.
3) He has learned the value of self propelled motion. He is almost crawling and yesterday he took two or three lunge crawls towards the dog and freaked out our poor canine. I don't think Hobbes (the aforementioned mutt) ever thought the little person would be able to move on his own but now that he can, Matt heads straight for the dog every time!! It's really funny to watch. I'm betting he'll be crawling well before the month is out!!
4) While Ben and I were on our technology hiatus Matt grew two bottom teeth and is discovering that he can bite things. This is not as great for us as it is for him.
5) This is even less great for us but a communication marker nonetheless. He has discovered the power of the whine for more than just to tell us that he's tired or hungry or messy as was his previous tendency. Now, he will whine when there's something else he wants that he doesn't have. This afternoon is was Ben's sister's two bunnies. However, they wouldn't have appreciated being chew toys so he got to whine about it for a while longer....Ben and I are hoping to rub out this whining thing because we aren't that fond of it.
6) Matt can now find anything to grab with two hands that is taller than him and will use it to pull himself up to a standing position. Fun to watch, a little scary when he does it during bath time.
7) He is a dare devil and during the last few days has decided that sticking his face in the water during baths for an instant is a thrill. He comes up wet and grinning and it's cute.

Pictures will be back soon!

We're still alive

Don't worry...our lengthy absence is only temporary. It's been a busy busy last few weeks and the main source of the lack of communications is because Ben's computer (more "fondly" known as Toby) has decided to die, and then not die, and then die again...and all in the screen. Then at other times between dead and not dead he has screen seizures that shake the screen making it impossible to read or do anything with. Did I kill Toby the PC? Heavens no! Although Ben thinks, probably correctly, that my love of Macs didn't help with Toby's unforseen illness...So...until we get a new computer our internet access will be random and unfortunately far between (at least for me...Ben can use his computer at work of course).

Thankful for Life

An aquaintance of mine died this morning of Cancer. Most of you didn't know this person and I barely did either. He was in one semester of a creative writing class with me at SVU. I think you get to know someone on a different level when you get to read each others poems and do creative thinking and story writing together. That was the only semester I knew him but he had an infectious goodness and wrote the best poems and the best stories that were uplifting and expressed happiness for life. He was like Dr. Seuss in his poetry and really really creative. He wrote an adorable short story and it was about a guy who wrote a sad short story and it won a contest for funny short story or something ironic like that and throughout this day in the story he met a girl and had hot chocolate with her. I'm trying to see if I can find a copy to share.

Not only was he a great writer but he was a really good good good person. Didn't say bad things about anyone and seemed to always have an eternal perspective about every challenge and trial of small and large proportions and it made a big impact on me. Even when he had to stop going to school because of his health he would send updates to everyone from Facebook and still worked on his websites which promoted a courageous happy way of living. I encourage you to check them out. He was a really amazing kid and the world needs more people like him, especially now, that believe in doing the right thing and that do it with a smile every time. It is sad that he's not here anymore but he made an impact on lots of people and knew what came after this life.

If I can find his poems I will try to post a couple of them that will make you smile. I am so glad that I know what comes after this life. To have that perspective and that surety makes death not scary or that tragic at all.

Mail Time

We got a package from my mom last week and Matthew was really excited by it, so we gave it to him and this is what he did with it.

Thank you mom for the cool stuff! After Matthew scratched at it long enough he wanted to play hide and seek/peek-a-boo with his blanket. He lifts it up on his head (or we put it on his head) and then he wiggles around until it falls off.

I think it's his new fvorite game.

October is Almost Here

This weekend was National Alpaca Farm day so we went to celebrate by visiting some Alpacas in Raphine, VA. As it turns out, our primary president happens to be the owner of the farm that we visited and it was really cool to see what she and her family do all the time. Matthew was very interested with them and obviously not afraid of them at all. Be prepared...there are lots of pictures in this post.
Perhaps the good thing about having a large hairy dog to play with is that Matthew, so far, isn't afraid of big animals. Of course that might change when he learns how to walk and discovers his own perspective of them...

Of course everything that he feels needs to be eaten and tasted as well but don't worry. Fortunately the Alpaca didn't want to be drooled on but was curious about Matthew as well.

They were surprisingly nice animals, after all the things I've heard about Llamas I had some doubts, but these guys were nice, they didn't spit, and they were very friendly.

There were also some goats and chickens outside of the barn that the Alpacas were in so we took Matthew over to see them.

He wasn't quite sure what to think...

The next two pictures are a persuasive argument for Virginia in the fall and winter seasons. After the Alpaca farm we drove around to some local places. This was a beautiful little house that had a yarn shop and an antique store (the barn in the next picture is the antique store). It was a beautiful rainy cloudy day and the scenery was breath taking. I love fall, winter, and spring here. Summer is a different story.

The yarn shop is in the next picture on the left. It was a cute store and had really beautiful yarns and sooo many colors. It was a nice way to spend a Saturday.

This is part of the same property and I just thought it was beautiful.

I just wanted to add this one in on the post. This was after church today. Matthew can sit on his own for several minutes now and play. He was particularly proud of himself this afternoon.

Family Night at SVU

This past weekend we had a chance to have some fun. Ben's mom invited us t an SVU family fun night for faculty/staff and their families. There was a hot dog and hamburger dinner, games to play and an big inflated projector screen thing to watch a movie on when it got dark. I accidentally put the pictures in the wrong order so they start with the latest that night and end with the beginning of the evening. This was Matt and Ben getting ready to watch "Forever Strong", an inspirational movie about rugby, at the end of the evening.
Matt was in an amazingly good mood the entire night and when he needed to go to sleep he fell asleep and slept through most of the movie, which was impressive because it was kind of loud. He did a really good job that night.

The event was up at the school's new athletic fields but I didn't think to take a picture of all of them. Matthew has been wanting to stand up on his own for a long time so we help him feel a bit more grown up. I don't think he likes the grass though. Whenever it tickled his legs he started to cry...we'll work on that.

This was also the first time he's ever worn a jacket in his life. I think it looks adorable on him.

This is my new favorite picture of our 5 month old adorable giggle fit machine.

He had a really good time, we all did, and we were really glad we went.

Some Pictures I've Been Keeping

I've been greedy with some pictures and felt like sharing some that I've taken over the last few weeks. There hasn't been a lot of events to go to so I've photographed some of the things that go on at home, which are always cute. Enjoy!

We've been trying out "real" baby food with Matt and he's been enjoying it. This was one of the first times he had carrots and he likes them. He's not a picky eater yet. I think he's just enjoying the change of flavor - anything that's not formula must be really interesting.

He's learning to sit up by himself and is really really close to not falling over. A plus and minus is that he doesn't mind falling over so he isn't intensely motivated not to fall over. But the good part is that he doesn't care if he falls...he's 100% boy for sure.

This is one of the outfits/vests that Matt is quickly outgrowing. I wanted to make sure that he wore it before it became impossible so this was what he wore to church two weeks ago. He looked very handsome.

Matt loves baths and always looks adorable afterwards all wrapped up in his towel, I love hugging this toweled baby!

Matthew and the Pacific

Back in July while we were in San Diego for Mike and Ashley Griffin's wedding, we decided to take Matthew to see the ocean for the first time. It was great because it was only a short walk from the house Ben's mom had rented for us for the week.


Matthew seemed to think it was really great, and we went at a pretty good time in the morning. It wasn't packed and it was a very spacious beach with lots of sand.



Even though the water was a little cold on our feet, it still felt really good to be by the ocean again.

Of course we had try to get Matthew a little closer so he could see what the big deal was all about...

...and we thought he needed to feel the Pacific ocean for himself. He was a very good sport.

8 Years and 5 Months

Today has two meaings for our family. Of course it has been eight years since September 11, 2001. Today also means that Matthew is five months old. It is spectacular to see how much he's grown. He's gone from this little tiny person...


...to being able to sit up by himself almost totally on his own. I took these pictures this morning in the cute little tye-died outfit that was a gift from Jean, John, and Maggie Coggins. He wears it really really well!



He is so observant and attentive. He's already wanting to multitask because there are so many things he wants to do.

He has the most adorable giggle we've ever heard and is such a happy baby. He sleeps through most nights and is always excited to see us when he wakes up. He is always in a good mood

and loves to smile. He's trying to figure out how to crawl and we think he has figured out what he's supposed to do, but he's still working on making it get him accross the floor. He rolls over now which gives him a little bit of freedom that he really likes.

I still have trouble realizing that it's already been five months since he was born. We've really lucked out with such a happy and easy baby.

Greatst Achievement of My Life #3: SO CLOSE!

I would just like to say that today I have FINISHED my senior paper. It is in two copies, in two envelopes, ready to be distributed (after Matthew's Dr.'s appointment) at the office AND place of residence of my professor.

Meaning I am that much closer to having a REAL degree and a REAL diploma to frame and hang on my wall.

It was a lot of work. Here's what I did:
1) I Rewrote every single paragraph in the twenty-six page paper one by one.
2) Numbered and reorganized those revised paragraphs for clarity and logical progression of my ideas.
3) Edited through those making sure there were transitions, and no redundancies.
4) Pushed PRINT

The space has been made in my list of life accomplishments to put "finished senior paper and received BA in English from SVU" at slot number 3. If you're curious...Number 1 would have to be marrying in the temple for time and all eternity to the most wonderful man, and Number 2 is Matthew Johnathan Griffin.

So, yes. This is a big moment for me.

The next step, which I also hope to accomplish today, is to schedule a meeting for next week where I will be told that the paper is brilliant and that it needs no further improvement! (keep your fingers crossed...)

Hobbes gets a haircut

So we have this rather hairy dog named Hobbes. Around the summer time I start to feel bad for him. Summers here feel like Jabba the Hut's armpit and it must be even worse for Hobbes having to wear that thick fut coat all the time. Every few months we give him a little cut so he doesn't look like totally shaggy and I decided today it was time to help, maybe just by 1 degree, with the heat by cutting off more than usual.

Hobbes! Time for a haircut! He is so expressive...and obviously thrilled.

He is such a good tempered dog. He is so gentle and was very patient with me as he got his haircut. This is how it turned out.

This is how much I cut off. I know, gross, but I had to prove it.

Hobbes liked it and did some of his tricks for me after we were all cleaned up. He can shake with both hands...

...roll over...

...play dead, with a smile...

...and be really cute.

Hopefully it will help with the heat and we won't have to do it again for a while!

Michael and Ashley's Viginia Receptions

After the wedding in California (which I still need to post) Michael and Ashley had two receptions in Virginia. Michael was raised in Northern VA so on Friday the 7th there was a beautiful reception up there to celebrate with old family friends that the Griffins have known for a long time. It was a beautiful location and it turned out to be perfect weather and hardly any bugs! Rare for an August in the area. Ufortunately, I only snagged one picture of the event. There were oysters at the buffet that was served and Lena was brave enough to try one. Really, she got one and wasn't anxious to try it, but when her 8 year old newphew, Alex, swallowed one without a second thought, she was determined.

The following day, Saturday, there was an open house at Ben's mom's house n Buena Vista, where Michael and Ashley went to school. It was really nice, and there were lot of friends from school there and from the ward they were in when they both lived here. Ashley used to work at a local cafe called Franks for the Memories, and they catered the lunch. It was delicious.

Poor Matthew was really exhausted after so much traveling during the past three weeks that he fell asleep at the open house and we set him up in Pat's room between two pillows.

Pat recently bought a red Smart Car and named it Clifford and the owner of Franks also has one. We thought it was funny to drive up and see Clifford gaurding Pat's driveway like this...

These were the center pieces used at the Northern Virginia reception and the open house. I thought they turne out beautifully. Pat and Mike's sister, Lena, put them together.

The yummy bbq buffet that we still are eating leftovers from. Yummy!

Pat has a gorgeous garden in the backyard and that's where tables were set up for lunch.

Mike is in the teal stripes. Ashley's parents are in the red and blue on the left.

Everyone had a good time and plenty to eat. Pat and Lena did a great job setting up their house and it was a lot of fun.

Super Genius?

I think so! Not only did I make an excellent tasty dinner, using produce fresh from Ben's Mom's garden but I figured out how to get the pictures off my other Nikon! I was looking at the camera my Step-Dad recently passed down to me and thought "hm...I wonder if I could put that memory card into this one...then maybe I could get these year old pictures finally off the old camera..." And guess what? It worked!! Be prepared for pictures of snow, my trip to Boston last March and many more! I'm so smart! This also means I can start telling of our most recent adventure to California for Mike's wedding!

Our little Jedi baby. So cute, even though it's blurry.

Ben's shot of a beautiful sunset that got even more gorgeous as the night wore on.

This is the action shot Ben took of me taking a picture of the same sunset. It was breathtaking. I haven't developed the film yet though...

Every year Ben goes back to Falls Church, VA to play in his high school's Alumni soccer game. It's awesome to watch Ben in his element.

Winter 2007 when it actually SNOWED and was worth anything. It was so beautiful!

This is what our dog Hobbes looks like during bath time...

Stay tuned for tales of last Christmas, my trip to Boston, the place we lived when Matthew was born and other adventures that have already happened.