For You Julie

A little grainy since I used my phone but you get the idea. They were straight before church. It was a wiggly day. People always say she looks like Shrek or Cindy Lou Hoo. Chloe has gobs of hair don't you think? I would love to have piggies as good as hers.

I Just Threw Up A Little

I expect to get a lot of comments to the gist of the title. If you feel so inclined, go ahead, I don't care. Wednesday was our 4 year anniversary and I Failed to take the chance to gush about Andy. So I am going to do it now. You have been for warned. If you have an easy gag reflex click away now.

There are so many reasons I love Andy I thought I would share just a few.
~ Andy has a perfect chest/shoulder. It is just the right size for me head. And that is where I sleep every night.
~ Andy likes to snuggle, which is good because I do to. We can sleep in a twin. I don't know why we have a King, we need to downsize.
~ Andy thinks running errands with me is playing. I love it, he basically likes to shop.
~ When I hate one of Andy's shirts, he lets me chuck it, no questions asked.
~ Andy willingly makes dinner each and every night.
~ Andy got over his fear of spiders just for me, he knew I wouldn't kill them so he got the job. And he does it well.
~ Andy has moved all over the country with me (well, technically back and forth between Wisconsin and Arizona but whatever) We tell people it is because of the job, but really I just like change.
~ Andy picked a college degree that would facilitate my dreams of living around the world.
~ I love the way Andy smells, not his cologne just him.
~ My face fits perfectly in Andy's neck. It is a good place to snuggle, a bad place if you are claustrophobic.
~ Andy will watch chick flicks with me
~ Andy makes a mean Andy Delight
~ Andy will dance for me.
~ Andy works his guts out at a job he hates, because he loves us and wants to provide for us.
~ Andy always gives me the cheesiest pieces of the pizza or the best piece of the garlic bread.
~ He also gives me the least burned piece when dinner goes wrong.
~ If we go out to eat and I order something that I end up not liking, he will always trade food with me, even if I don't ask.
~ Sometimes when I'm to tired and lazy to walk upstairs to bed, Andy will carry me.
~ Andy is my best friend.

We have had four fantastic year. Every one gets better than the last. I thought when we got married that I could never love Andy more than I did then, it wasn't true. I love him so much more now that it doesn't even compare. My heart can't hold it all.

I love you babe, here is to the rest of our lives.

STOP or I'll Shoot!

So I just had the pants scared off me. Well technically they were already off but I digress.

I was, ahem, in the powder room when I heard a loud noise. It was a loud thumping crashing noise. I was immediately alert. It just kept banging and it was so loud I thought someone was trying to break in. Lots of thoughts ran through my head. Fear being the first one. I just thought, this is it, the moment I have always been afraid of has arrived. Someone is trying to break into our house and the fact that they are being so carelessly loud about it means they don't care that we know and instead of just robbing us they are going to viciously maim and kill us. I was terrified and started to shake. My next thought was, oh my gosh we are about to have someone break in and kill us and I'm stuck with my pants down and don't even know where my phone is to call 911.

I yelled for Andy and then suddenly knew what the noise was. I had left the big bundle of balloons from Andy's birthday party in the kitchen they had drifted over and got caught in the fan. Let me tell you, several balloons like that make an awful lot of racket. Scared the poop out of me.

Where I Was

When I was a kid I always heard adults talking about "where were you" moments. I always thought that was so neat. I was impressed that they had seen so much and knew so much. I always looked forward to the day that I would someday have moments that I could remember where I was when I heard about it. I truly thought it cool and somewhat glamorous. Now that I am older and do have those moments I have realized something that makes me a little disheartened. All of those moments I remember are sad moments.

Princess Diana. I have to say this is my very first one that I can remember. I don't remember the date that she died. I just remember being in my family room in the house in Sandy. I was around 12 and I remember being shocked. It was the first time I cried because of someone other than a family member dying. I felt a personal loss by it. It was so strange.

O.J. Simpson. The not guilty verdict is the second thing I remember. I was in middle school and I can still remember what hallway I was standing in when I heard the news. When I think of that trial I see that tiles and the stairwell and the rush of students. Everyone was talking about it. It was unreal.

Oklahoma shootings. This one was scary for me. I was home sick from school. I was watching t.v. when the news hit. I remember sitting there crying. I went to school later that same day. I remember standing in the commons area with tears in my eyes. I realized how vulnerable we were at that it could happen to us as well. That was a scary day.

And finally, the reason for this rambling. 9/11. This day would have gone down in history for me with out the towers. It was the day I started college. Because of this I was probably the very last one to hear about the attack. I had been in class all morning. When I got home about 1:30 all my room mates and some friends were gathered around the t.v. I got two steps inside the door and ended up standing there for at least 20 minutes in shock as I listened. The rush of my first day of class was gone as I was overcome with emotion. I cried a lot that day. I cried for those that had died, I cried for those that had lost loved ones. I cried for fear of the future and our country and finally I cried as I saw everyone draw closer together and stand in a united front. I have never felt greater patriotism as I did that day and the days that followed. I have never felt closer to my neighbors and friends. I had never been prouder to be an American as I was then.

Every year I think about it. All those other events will always be part of my memories. But none of them have a yearly reminder that brings me so much emotion for every anniversary. Today I listened to a tribute on the radio. It was only a few minutes long. It was a song with sound bites from that day added in. There were interviews and news reports and comments from the president. I cried again as I listened to it. I cried as people spoke in fear and cried out for God. I cried as I heard the reporter list off the attacks and I cried as I heard Bush call for unity and strength and prayers on the behalf of our country.

There are many moments that have happened since then that I will never forget either. But nothing brings stronger convictions than this day. We will stand united, we will over come. We will stand for freedom.

God Bless America.

An Old Fart

I'm getting old. Really old. Really fast.

I always think I am so young and hip and with it.

I'm not.

Here is the proof that I am getting old.

TURN DOWN THE MUSIC!!! When did music get to loud? When did I stop turning it up as loud as I could make it? When did it get annoying and just turn into noise? This to me is just about the worst proof of getting old. I have always loved music, music made me feel young and cool. Not anymore. Now I just want you to turn that crap down.

What is wrong with the youth today? Have you seen the way the dress? Or the way the talk? Have you seen the total lack of responsibility and character? The complete loss of manners? Is there no respect left at all? Why is there such a prevailing attitude of entitlement?

When kids sit in the my chair at work and they say I want my hair cut like so and so.

I. Have. No. CLUE. who they are talking about. When I respond with someone I think has the same cut. They have no clue who I'm talking about.

The kids in my chair think I'm old. They ask me if I am about 36 or so.

Kids loitering around stores or theaters or heaven forbid my salon make me no end of crazy. Stop dinking around blocking my door. We have paying customers trying to get in that door. Get out of the way and go play on your skateboards elsewhere.

I yell at stupid teenage drivers. Aren't I supposed to be a stupid teenage driver? I have yelled SLOW DOWN more times than I care to admit.

High school students are looking younger and smaller everyday. I'll have a kid sit in my chair and no joke I'll ask, so are you starting the junior high? No, I'm a senior. Holy crud are you kidding me?

I can't sleep on the floor anymore and jump right up after. I creak and groan and pay for it later. I like my bed. If I don't sleep in my bed my back hurts. Don't old granny's have that problem?

I don't get the music today. I prefer the old good stuff. Like something retro, from the 80's.

When did the 80's become retro?

Jeez, I'm really feeling old. I think that's all for now.

I Want To Hold Your Hand

I have always loved hanging out with Andy. He is so much fun and we always have a great time. Just before Scarlett was born we started having date night, we really felt like it needed to be priority for us. After Scarlett was born we tried to keep it up but it kind of slipped away with a new baby and yet another move and so much going on all the time. A couple of weeks ago we started doing it again. Scarlett is a little older and if we leave after she is down for the night we can actually go out alone.

As we have been going out I have noticed that I really look forward to one thing the whole week more than anything else. I really look forward to holding Andy's hand. That is my favorite part of our date. So small and so silly but it really is what I look forward too. 3 whole hours of being able to have uninterrupted hand holding. It is bliss.

Since we have had the babies hand holding has pretty much become a thing of the past. One of us is always holding a baby or a diaper bag or strapping someone in or feeding someone or changing a diaper or playing patty cake. This is normal and all things that we love to do and we wouldn't give up our kids for the world. But with such busy hands it is hard to make time for each other.

So I love date night and I will make sure we get to keep doing it just so I can hold Andy's hand. It may be the only chance I get for the next 20 years.

You Go Mama!

Our Week In A Nutshell

Andy picked me up at work to drive to Utah Saturday night and we just got home yesterday. There was much that happened and I don't think I will ever write the whole thing. So here are the cliff notes.


We drove a lot. Breaking it up between several days. It was stupid. We won't do it again.

Old friends are still good friends even if you don't see them for a whole year.

I can crawl up and over every seat in the mini van while it is moving even with four thousand bags of luggage and baby gear.

Andy will drop trou anywhere and did. In two different parking lots on two different days.

My kids will can not make it through a wedding reverently.

I want to go back to the bounce house..... with out the kids. I was dying for a turn.

You shouldn't drink a lot of water and a thirst buster on the road when you are headed to the middle of nowhere with no facilities.

I now know I have great aim.

Boston can actually get stuck anywhere.

I will sacrifice Boston's clothes to get him unstuck.

I can nurse from my knees in a moving car dangling over a baby.

People don't remember me, or they just don't recognize me. Sometimes that makes me glad.

Being nice goes out the window when a strange little girl asks for the 1 millioneth time if she can hold my baby.

Scarlett can in fact scream and cry louder than Boston.

People need to lighten up and live and let live.

People that use the left lane for hanging out and pulling their boats and driving well below the speed limit make me really annoyed.

I hate flagged construction.

I love my house and my bed and my routine.

The end.