Smigeons of this and that 8-26-08

Another week gone by, unbelievable! Annelee and Jonathan and baby Judah came in on Tuesday of last week and stayed with us until Friday. I met Annelee through xanga a couple of years ago (I think when I was pregnant with Noah) and we met in person last year for the first time. We really hit it off, and I was very sad that they were moving to Washington state. However, she promised they would come see us...and they did! We had a wonderful time with them. Unfortunately I got sick with a cold (not just a little cold, but the kind that makes your whole body ache and your head feel like exploding) the day they got here, but by Thursday I was feeling much better. We went to the Farmers market, made yummy dinners, went to the beach and got ice cream, had a bonfire and just did normal life together. I have to say that our friendship is so easy and comfortable. I absolutely love that. Because I was sick, Annelee just really stepped up and took care of me...ok, so I was a bad hostess She fixed my toilet, her and Jonathan made the burgers the second night, she had coffeewaiting for me one morning when I woke up, and on and on it goes. I kept telling her that I was the hostess and was supposed to have all of that for her...but I was a bit incapacitated and she stepped right in and made herself at home. LOVED it. In fact, this morning I was really wishing she lived with me...want to Annelee? We had such a wonderful time with them! (Don't Noah and Judah kind of look alike?!?!)

I took the kids to my neigbor's mom's house on Saturday. They have a pool and this massive tree house complete with a bridge. Landon loved it. They also had a swing hanging from the tree. Noah loved that and stayed in it most of the day. We ended up staying for dinner (Jonathan was on a business trip). Noah's newest word is yuck. As the my neighbor's mom put the lasagna on the table Noah kept repeating, "Yuck.Yuck.Yuck." Thankfully he ate it right down which negated his terrible manners. It is quite adorable how he says the word. I couldn't help but laugh. Sunday we had a cookout with some friends. I made a blueberry pie (yum!). We had to leave early though bc my kids had not had a nap the day before and they most certainly needed one on Sunday.

Last night we had a photo shoot with Amy. We have been trying to plan this thing for months. Thankfully it all worked out to finally do it, but getting myself and two kids ready all alone was quite the task. Jon met us there and this time we got family pics instead of just me and the boys. Landon did awesome and I am sure she got some sweet pictures of him. Noah was a bit concerned (or at least he looked that way most of the time) and he rarely smiled. He did dance a lot, but that didn't really translate into a smile. Oh well...I am sure she got some awesome pictures. Smiles or not...Amy's photos are always a work of art and I am super excited to see them.

Today is library day. Landon wants to get a dvd about garbage trucks. He was infatuated with them last year at this time, and then his garbage trucks got buried in his closet and lost all appeal for about 6 months. Now they have been resurrected once again. I love when that happens. He has been using his imagination so well lately. This morning he played play-do for a good hour using his cars and trucks to "smash" it and play acting various other things. I just love to peer into his imaginary world, and lately, I have had many opportunities to do so.

Jon and I are continously living and learning. Marriage is such a constant effort in putting someone else over yourself. I am not very good at that. I never thought I was a very selfish person, but marriage has shown me that indeed, I am. And prideful. I can most definitely see how marriage is meant to make one more holy, and in the process, joyful and content. Jon and I have both been extremely busy (grad school, kids, friends, family, work, and other things) and I think that we have had too much on our plate. Competing interests are never good. I am so glad I am going to be out of school soon so that things can calm down a bit soon. That will be so nice.

To close, here are a few beach pictures (are you sick of these yet?). The night we went to the beach with Annelee and Jonathan it was super cloudy, but we went back the next night and it was GORGEOUS. The sun was hitting at such an angle that nearly everything had a slight orange glow. I wish I could have captured the essence, but I think you had to be there.