Better than Beautiful

Whether you've been married for 1 day or 1,000,000 days, there are words that a wife always loves to hear: "I love you", "You look more beautiful than the day we met", "Are you losing weight?" (you know he REALLY loves you), and "I'm wrong, you're right", to name a few. Well, the other day I heard something that ranks at the top of such a list: "This is one of the best cookies I've ever had!" Why such a big deal to me? Well, I made chewy brownie cookies from a Crisco recipe, and Justin is big on neither chocolate nor cookies. So, that means that after 12 years of marriage, there are things that we do for each other that are still fresh, new, and unpredictable. So sparkle up your relationships, ladies, with a batch of chewy brownie cookies. If you chow a dozen of them in one sitting and he still asks you if you've lost weight, you know it's LOVE.

Happy Anniversary!

On April 27, 2008, we celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary (yes, lots of celebrations lately). The gift for 12 years of marriage is linen, but Justin went the more traditional route - yogurt and roses. We started the morning at church where we dedicated Jedidiah and Jack (more about that later), then we had a nice lunch with my dad and sister-in-law. After that, we realized we had to pick some things up at Costco. So, in addition to the few necessities, Justin came out with my presents: one yogurt from the food court and two dozen red roses! I love it! So I enjoyed the drive home eating my yogurt (with Jonah and James incessantly asking when they were going to get their share) and my lovely roses are now on display in the dining room. I wouldn't have thought 12 years ago that's how we would celebrate our 12th anniversary, but I wouldn't have it any other way (well, maybe without the kids whining in the back seat, but that's everyday anyway)!

HB2Me!

So I turned 36 a few weeks ago, and as part of my present Justin gave me the ENTIRE day off. He contacted my friends and planned a day for all of us to go to Disneyland. Well, you know women - always changing their minds. So upon meeting in the early morning, dressed for a day with Mickey Mouse and coated in a thin film of sunscreen, we decided instead to hang out in Orange County for a day of shopping and eating. And shopping. And eating. Did I mention shopping? And eating? From The Corner Bakery for breakfast, to Claim Jumper for lunch, to Tokyo Lobby for dinner, to Cherry on Top for dessert, I had a restful and fun day. Really, that was what I wanted. I appreciated all the work Justin put into planning a "day away" for me, and I enjoyed every minute of it. I was gone from morning to night, and I came home happy and one year older. At this rate, I can't wait to turn 37!

Happy First Birthday!

Wow! Our baby boys are one year old! While we really have felt every day of the last year, it has gone by fairly quickly (minute by minute, but quick minutes). They are healthy, happy, and growing into fun little boys! Jed is our "little James" - he is very talkative and he shows his emotions from one extreme to the other, from very fussy to very happy! Jack is "little Jonah" - he has an even temper, is playful, and calm for the most part. What a responsibility we have as parents to raise our sons to become faithful men of integrity (Romans 10:17) . What a joy it is to have a "full quiver" (Psalm 127:4-5). What a task it is to clean up after them all! :-) We know that by God's grace and mercy, we're living a blessed life!

Snake Bus

So I started teaching James how to read. I know he's only 3 1/2, but, believe me, it's totally no pressure. He already knows all his letters and sounds, so, reading comes next, right? We're using reading rods, which are little interlocking blocks that each have a letter on it. From what I understand, using tactile skills enhances visual learning. Anyhow, this is how today's lesson went:

Me: James, put these letters together: b, u, and s. What sound does "b" make?
James: Buh.
Me: What sound does "u" make?
James: Uh.
Me: What sound does "s" make?
James: Sss.
Me: OK, now, let's put those blocks and sounds together. What does it say?
James: Buh-uh-sss.
Me: Again. Faster.
James: Buh-uh-sss.
Me: You're doing it! Again!
James: Buh-uh-sss!
Me: Yay! What does it say?
James: Snake!

I guess that saying "You get what you pay for" currently applies to James's education.

3:10 to Arcadia

Sunday was my birthday and Josephine surprised me with a rare gift - A whole day off. I spent the morning doing our taxes and trimming some grass. Then I thought, "What am I doing?" After cleaning up I got in my car and tried to figure out what to do. There were too many options. I wandered to Costco then settled on renting movies and heading to Arcadia. Josephine had arranged for me to get an uninterrupted night of sleep at Hotel Golden West (the guest house at my brother-in-law's).

So, I grabbed a burger at Tops and two movies and settled in to "cocoon". It was very quiet. I ate my whole lunch without interruption while watching the movie. After 3:10 to Yuma I pondered my next step - another movie? take a nap? listen to my thoughts?

Well, the strangest thing happened. I couldn't relax. It was too quiet and I missed Josephine and the boys. After the movie I spent 30 minutes going back and forth. Should I stay or should I go? It was weird. Here I had what I thought I wanted - peace and quiet. In the end, the silence was deafening.

I went inside and chatted with Laurence, Cina, Lolo, AJ and Lea. I explained why I was leaving and about 9 p.m. I headed home. The boys were asleep when I arrived and I ended up watching the other video - Battlestar Galactica in bed with Josephine at my side - as it should be.

Then around 11 pm I put my head down on the pillow to sleep. Right then Jedidiah woke up and cried for about an hour. Then Jack woke up and cried as well. But eventually they both went back to sleep. I slept on the couch while Jed watched Baby Einstein and eventually slept. Josephine collapsed in bed after finally getting Jack back to sleep.

Normally, it would bother me but this time I was glad to be home. Tired but glad.

Funny thing is on Saturday afternoon, I left around 3 p.m. and headed back home around 9 p.m. Left at 3 and gone for 6 hours. 36.

Happy 36th Birthday to me!

Who let these dogs out?

Nana sent all the boys a card for Valentine's Day, but it's not just any card - it's one of those that plays a song when you open it. The last time she sent one of these, it was for Thanksgiving and the song was "Another One Bites the Dust" - Jonah and James still love opening and closing that card to no end. So, this video is what happens "when the dogs are let out". Check out James the second time they play the card, after Justin tells them "Again!"

I think James' antics are his conscious way of making up for the first year of his life, which was filled with colic, sleepless nights, and lots of neediness. That's when we thought FOR SURE we'd stop at two. ;-) Now he's this character who will do anything for a laugh. And he's showing off all the dancing skillz he got from his mom.