11 Fabulous Years

"There is only one happiness in this life, to love and be loved." George Sand

Today is our 11th wedding anniversary, and besides the 3 kids, the extra pounds and the gray hair (Todd), nothing has changed since that blissful day 11 years ago. We're just a couple of big kids goofing around and having fun as much as possible while trying to raise a happy and healthy family.
I'm pretty proud to tell people how long we've been married when they ask, and I love to see the look of surprise at my answer with the inevitable following question, "How old is your oldest son?" I like to follow-up and say, "You know, people do get married just for love still, not only for unexpected pregnancies!"
I feel bad because the other day my friend asked me if our family had any plans this weekend. I thought for a minute and then told her,"No, no plans." The fact that it was our anniversary Saturday never occurred to me. Tonight we were going to go out to dinner and then down to the beach, but Todd was busy tiling our kitchen floor and our babysitter got called into work so we just stayed home saying we'll make it up another night- both knowing that it will probably never happen! But life doesn't stop just because it's a special day.
I feel so blessed to have the life I do. A beautiful family, wonderful friends and a handsome, loving, helpful, hard working, supportive husband who spoils me and is an amazing father to our children.
I'm excited to see what the next 11 years will bring for us. And the next 11, and the 11 after that.......

Honey....you're old !

Todd has always loved soccer. He played from 5 years old all the way through high school. When we were dating our senior year, Shantel and I would go watch his AYSO evening games. (We enjoyed the evening games because Todd's team wore white shorts, and with the lights shining behind them there was no need to ask them,"boxers or briefs?"....)Naughty girls!
Anyways, Todd has tried to pass his love of soccer onto our kids. He has coached both boys teams for the last 4 years and has been itching to play himself. Our friend Ken Putnam has been playing in a co-ed indoor soccer league and invited Todd to try it out.
Todd has been so pumped and excited to go play. Last week was his first game, and he learned that he's not quite as swift and agile hauling an extra 50 lbs. around. So this week he went mountain bike riding a couple of times and has been stretching more tryng to build up his endurance and get his game back. So this Thursday's game rolls around and he's feeling a little more confident. He's out there, he's feeling good. 4 minutes into the game, playing defense, he was in pursuit of cutting off a through pass. Todd put all he had into it and cleared the ball only to hear a "pop" along with agonizing pain shooting through his leg. He pulled his hamstring. Poor Todd. Honey, I'm sorry, but you're old. You might need a little more than a couple bike rides to get back into shape....just a thought.

A Not So Welcome Milestone

Another chapter of our lives has started. My baby, my constant companion, my shadow started pre-school today. Sigh.......Shouldn't I be missing her?
All I can think about are the many things I can accomplish by myself, 3 mornings a week, for 2 1/2 hours. I can think of many pros, but the cons just aren't coming to me. Mom of the year here!

Pros:
- Go to PTA Board meetings and other meetings by myself without 20 potty breaks
- I can get through shopping a lot faster
- I'll save money because I'm a sucker and get her something every time we go out
- I'll have time to exercise and get in shape- I know, I was laughing so hard myself that I could barely type it!

Now some Cons....
Hmmmmm....I'll have to get back to you.

Quite Possibly the Perfect Day

So today I had what to me is quite possibly the perfect day. The boys who sleptover here were picked up by 8:30 AM, Todd was out mountain bike riding for the morning, the kids were mellow because they were exhausted from staying up all night with the friends, and I had a Saturday with no plans.

I know I'm behind the times, but I finally bought the first 2 books in the Twilight series last weekend. With this week being so hectic , I was only about 50 pages into the the first book. So, I decided today was the day for me to relax and celebrate MY survival of the 1st week of school.

I sat in my bed, in sweats, all day long reading my book. It was fantastic! Todd brought lunch home for us, the kids were quiet and did their own thing, throughout the day a kid would wander in with a book of their own and lay down and read with me for a while. No one bothered me, I just read my book all day! Todd never even asked me if I was going to get up and do something else today. He vacuumed & mopped my living room (necessary after the sleepover), made dinner, and bathed the kids! What a great guy!

I finished the book around 9:30 tonight, and everyone (including Todd) was crashed out for the night. I ended my day with some Ben & Jerry's Half-Baked ice cream (okay, so it was the whole carton!) and watching some Jon & Kate Plus 8 episodes that I had recorded. Honestly, does it get any better than this?

Crazy?!

To celebrate the end and survival of the first week of school, I got this bright idea for my boys to each invite a friend over for a sleepover. Trevor however has 2 best friends-twins- so of course we invited them both. So I had three 7 year old boys, and two 9 year old boys.

We all had a great time. We ordered pizza & soda, I made brownies and popcorn and they played the Wii and watched movies all night. Maddie of course thinks she's one of the guys too, so she joined in with the video games, the belching contests and the making of noises only little boys can make with their armpits. I really need to find some girls for her to hang-out with!

Open mouth, insert foot!

Okay, so I'm at Trevor's school this morning, making small talk with some moms I knew from last year. The other moms took off, and I'm left with a mom who I worked with a couple times last year with some PTA things. I knew that last school year, she was a stay at home mom so I think to myself-let's do a little PTA P.R. so that I can call on her to help this year. She was dressed up very nicely in a skirt and heals so I commented on it. The conversation went as follows:

Me: Hey, how's it going? You look so nice and dressed up today, do you work now?
Mom: No. I just have some visiting to do today.
Me: Oh how nice! What a good friend you are!
Mom: Actually, I'm a Jehovah's Witness. I'm going knocking on doors today.
Me: That's great! Good luck with that!
Mom: Are you going straight home?
Me: Actually, I have a couple of errands to run and then I'm going home.
Mom: So you'll be home in about an hour you think?
Me: Ya, probably
Mom: Great! I'd love to come by and share some information with you. I heard you were Mormon and I'd like to share the true gospel with you.
Me, who does not handle confrontation well: Actually, I totally forgot- I have to take Madison to speech today. It lasts for most of the day, and I get back just in time to pick up the boys from school. (Really no speech today, and it only lasts 45 minutes!)
Mom: Well, you need this information! Why don't I go to speech with you and we can talk there?
Me: They don't allow anyone there except patients and immediate family (I say lying through my teeth)
Mom: Well, what are you doing tomorrow?
Me: Oh, look at the time! We're gonna be late! Gotta go!(Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! I don't need help this badly!)

2 down, 1 to go!

Today was the first day of school! Yeah! It also starts another year of being PTA President-Boo!

Nathan was up and dressed, ate breakfast and made his own lunch by 6:15 this morning- he doesn't start school until 8:00! Trevor on the other hand was dragging up until the very last minute- he starts at 9:00 and we barely made it!

I have a son in 2nd and 4th grades- I feel so old! Maddie was very upset to learn that she was not going to pre-school today and in fact has to wait until next Monday for it to start-oh the tears! Drama!

Here are some pics from this morning.

(Above)Maddie, 3 1/2 years- obviously this picture was taken before I broke the news that she didn't have school today!

Trevor 7 years, 2nd Grade

Nate, 9 years, 4th Grade

They almost look like they like each other, don't they?!