Family Algebra: Does Family(A) + Visits(B) = Food(C)?

As I look at this post and the last one, I am reminded how it always seems that whenever we have family visit from out of town, not only do we experience the typical sight seeing adventures but it always seems that food becomes just as important. This is what happened when my cousin Russ and his wife Elizabeth and daughter Megan came for a visit. We had a fun visit with them as the babies were able to play and Dan and Russ were able to share Korean mission stories.


Dan feeding Sam Korean soy bean paste soup at the restaurant. Our waitress said that the babies love this soup and made some just for Megan and Sam!

Megan enjoying her delicious Korean Entree!

Next food of importance: Geno's! You can't hit Philly and not get a cheesesteak. Forgeddaboutit!

Geno's or Pat's are always at the top of the list when visitors come, and that is all right by us because we love it too (Geno's is the best of course)! We think Sam has joined our appreciation for Geno's as well as he is acclimated to Geno's famous cheese fries!

Saying Goodbye to My East Coast Cousin

One of the blessings of being out here in the east is the opportunity to hang out with Tom and his family. Their son Luke is close to 24 months, so it has been fun to let the kids be around each other. Unfortunately it has become time to say goodbye as they move back to Utah. We will miss our family and our Brooklyn trips.

Sam and Luke at Lombardi's Pizza in Soho. Good brick oven pizza, supposedly the first pizza shop in the country.

Alysha, Tom, and Luke Bean

The Stromberg family

Growing and Growing

Sam crawls. Seemingly not a big deal, but he was a bit delayed. While I was in Utah I constantly worked with him trying to get him to crawl. I baited him with just about anything, but he just wouldn't crawl for some reason. Everyone kept telling me he was waiting for his daddy to come home. Sure enough, Dan got home late on the 5th, and on the 6th (2 days prior to his 10 month birthday) Sam became a crawling machine. Maybe he was waiting for daddy, better late than never!

Although a tad late to crawl, he seems to be on the verge of walking. Even though he can crawl really well now, cruising is his choice for mobility. He especially loves his Lion walker from the Bean grandparents. Everyone warned us about this stage, he is already into everything in the kitchen, the computer chords, and the coffee table drawers.

Welcome Home Danno!

Daddy finally made it home on January 5th. His plane did not get in until 9:30 PM so Sam was a bit cranky at first. And of course, Sam didn't recognize his dad, but after a few minutes of reading a book to him he began warming up to Dan and even rested his head on his arm.

This gave mom and dad hope that all would be well in the end. And in the end, it has been wonderful. That is why it has taken us so long to get this updated, we have been enjoying our time together as a family. The feeling of being a complete family again is indescribable!

Christmas in Qatar

As you may know, Dan spent Christmas this year in Qatar. I sent him a few Christmas decorations hoping he would be able to make the best of it!
Of course, there was coal from Mrs. Clause in his huge stocking.

Warming his hands by the fire

The week before Christmas Dan had the opportunity to fly into Cairo. He flew right over the pyramids, catching a hazy view!

Christmas at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center

This is not how we intended to spend Christmas 2007. But as Dan and I have learned, things don't always go perfectly as to how you may wish them to go. With Dan away in the desert for Christmas, we thought we would join him in his misery. On the Friday before Christmas Sam and I were admitted to the hospital. I thought I would take Sam in for a check up on a small cold that I wanted to clear before our plane ride home to New Jersey on the 29th, but unknown to me it was more than your common cold. Sam had RSV! My poor baby, what did I do to him? I thought it was deja vu as I saw Sam being hooked to the oxygen and heart monitor. My heart broke for my little Sam and I was having a hard time holding it together while not having Dan to lean on, which made it even tougher!

Luckily we had family to there for support that really pulled through and came to visit several times, bringing smiles, goodies, presents for Sam, blessings and all the love and support we could ask for.

Like I said before, things don't always work out to exactly how you have planned and I thought for sure we would be out before Christmas, but not so. Sam and I spent Christmas Eve in the hospital. I thought it would be quite depressing, but thanks to my good parents it was more memorable than anything. Dad bought us a steak dinner and brought it to the hospital, along with a garland strung with Christmas lights to cheer our room up. He also went out in the snow searching for a speaker attachment for our Ipod so we could listen to Christmas music as well. So with the decor, steak dinner, and the Christmas music our evening was filled with cheer. We were also lucky enough to receive a visit from Santa. He brought a warm blanket and hat for my Sam.


On Christmas day we received more visits from family, which Sam enjoyed unwrapping all of the Christmas presents they brought.

My Christmas Day Meal

With delight and surprise, at 9 pm on Christmas day Sam's doctor called our room and told us we were being released from the hospital. That evening Sam enjoyed freedom from his chords as he played on my parents living room floor. As all hard trials or unwanted events, I learned a few things. I was reaffirmed about how wonderful families can be. Wishing that Sam had his dad to be there for him I was reminded that Sam not only has Dan as his father but Heavenly Father is also there to rely on in his time of need. Then my dad reminded me that even though we were there on Christmas day, I was blessed with the BEST Christmas gift ever, Sam. We knew that this RSV Virus was going to shake off in a matter of time and we would still have our little Sam. We sure love our little guy and times like these remind me how much of a blessing he is for our whole family!
NO CHORDS ATTACHED, WE'RE GOING HOME!

4 Year Generation?

No not quite, but if you replaced me with Dan it would be! We had the chance while in Utah to go visit Sam's Great Grandma Mathews in Logan. Grandma Mathews is almost 90 years old, so we are grateful she was able to meet Sam. He was a hit with her and all of his great aunts. We had a great visit, lunch at the Blue Bird Cafe and enjoyed great grandma's homemade apple strudel.

35!

So my 35th birthday has come and gone and even though Dan was not here to share it with me, I cannot be ungrateful for those things of which I did have for my birthday this year.
*As my cousin Lisa pointed out to me, it was my first time to celebrate it as a mother!
*I had my family with me to celebrate!
*Last but not least, I enjoyed the evening of my birthday at the Nutcracker!

Merry Christmas to All

Our friend Kristina told us about a great special at a photography center where you could get your child's picture taken for only $9.95. I thought it was a great deal to have our child's first Christmas pictures taken for that low of a price! So I brought in his cute Christmas clothes and they took a bunch of adorable pictures. The next thing I knew, it wasn't just $9.95 I would be spending. I guess you could say that as a new mother I just couldn't resist leaving the other pictures behind! So enjoy our baby's first Christmas pictures.

Christmas Jammies

It's always been a tradition to get Christmas Jammies for our family and I couldn't resist these cute Old Navy Jammies for Sam! Besides, it's so much fun being a mom and getting to dress my little boy in cute clothes.