Love ya doll!

It's that time of year again...travel, turkey, and snowy roads. I feel so blessed that this time of year brings back such wonderful memories of one of the greatest girls I ever knew: Katie (KT) Renville. This year marks the third anniversary of her tragic accident and death. I don't want to get all depressed about it this time around, instead I wanted to write to tell the world that my recollection of and experiences with Katie make me want to live a better life.

I met Katie at my first ever read through for a play at BYU: Grimm Tales. What an excellent play it was. It was the place I really got to know Katie. Katie and I had many laughs as each of us took our turn learning how to drive the van with the trailer. We would go out to The Malt Shop for shakes and had a few sleepovers. Funny that through all this interaction with Katie I never knew so many of her intricacies that are absolutely fascinating. She truly served others. As much as I felt she was one of my best friends, there were many others who were so fortunate as I to say that she was a best friend to them too. She loved freely and openly. She knew how to have fun and she also knew the ethic of work. I don't know anyone who worked as hard as she did. And she excelled at so many things: acting, dramaturgy, directing, friendship, stage managing, school. She put her heart into her work. And, I find it so interesting that half of the things I know about her today I didn't find out about until after she died. It wasn't because she kept them from me. It was my being oblivious. Nowadays, I will think about Katie at least weekly. And every time I ponder her life I realize something else I took for granted while she was here. (I really should have drank out of three straws with her a little more).

One day in our van ride home she looked at me and just said "Debra doll, I love ya." I never even once thought she didn't mean it. I want to live a little more like Katie. I want to work and mean it. I want to love and mean it. I want to laugh and mean it--just like she did.

Katie Doll. Love ya!

Hitler reacts to BYU loss

We're Expecting

Here's the news: Baby #2 is on the way. We are due toward the end of March. We're already at the beginning of 6 Months--not much further right?

Here are some pics

16 Weeks



20 Weeks


Baby ultrasound at 22 weeks (today)


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That last part is Sophie expressing how excited she is to be having a playmate.

Sophie's Christmas Dress

I wanted to get some dresses for Sophie, so I decided instead to make one. This is the outcome.

No longer a scooter

People have been asking lately, "Does Sophie walk?" And here is video answer to that question. Even though it seemed that she would be content to scoot around for the remainder of her baby days she took her first few (10 on the first try) steps about one week before she turned one.

For another month she still scooted and scooted and occasionally if she thought that T or I were not looking she would pull herself up and walk. So, she was perfectly capable of walking for sometime but just didn't. I think that she had a hard time of letting go of scooting herself.

Then, one blessed Tuesday morning, we were at the church for a music play group of sorts. Sophie scooted over to the wall, pulled herself up and ventured out. She hasn't stopped walking.

This video perfectly depicts everyday life of Sophie. She walks into the kitchen, then out and into the living room, to her bedroom, to our bedroom where she stops at the closet and pulls off some hangers and pulls out our shoes. Repeat this sequence about five to ten times and that gives you a glimpse into Sophie's habit of walking.

There have been a couple of times that she will be sitting down and she'll scoot once or twice, look up at me knowingly ("remember, mom when I would do this"), smile, then stand up and walk to her destination.

Oh, how we love this little girl.

A strange obsession

Every once in a while we'll catch Sophie walking around the house holding something under her chin. Usually it is one of her cell phones, or her sound machine, but this time it was a deck of playing cards. She never stops amazing us with her many talents and skills.

B.L.T.

This year for Halloween TJ, Sophie and I went as Bacon Lettuce and Tomato. It was a lot of fun. Sophie was so cute and LOVED all the attention. We had a costume parade at the church and she smiled SO BIG as everyone gawked at her. That's what we get for having a cute baby (or should I say toddler?) then, right? TJ's choir robes threw us off a bit, everyone guessed "Adam and Eve." I think the lettuce leaf in my hair threw them off a bit too. But, the fact of the matter is that we had an absolute BLAST.