The Sweetness Of Family

Although I am close to my family, we're not the type that laments over long absences of each other. Of course I don't think I've ever gone over 6 months without seeing someone, and here I do have my older brother and his lovely family.

I remember soon after my marriage and immediate move to Hawaii I was a little surprised to find phone calls from my family a welcomed but rare occurrence. I was the first married of my siblings and had imagined myself to be a tragic loss for the family, even in the midst of their happiness for me. This was not the case however, and it seemed a pretty smooth transition all around.

Providence had the most difficulty with our move here, and though I think we're missed by my family a bit more this time around (something about the littles that pulls the at the heart) it's more or less the same thing. We miss each other but the real twinges are few and far between.

I'm having a bit of them now though, not too terribly, but I am most anxiously waiting for their visit in a month and to have the fun that all 5 of us together enjoy.

*Picture taken Christmas 2007*

A Late Start, But One None The Less

A ways back I decided to begin school with Providence this year, I thought I would just do this and that daily to start with. Well "this and that" was short lived...getting smaller and smaller till it faded completely away (shame on me, I know).

When talking with my sisters about my frustration they strongly encouraged getting a complete curriculum (more for me then Providence), that way I'd have lesson plans and such. I'm a lister, always have been and probably always will be so this sounded fantastic. Well today was our first day and may I just say Providence was soooo ready for this. She loved it and so did I, I felt like I was playing school in second grade and it was very satisfying.

For writing (since it still seems to be hard for Providence) we made letters out of play dough, I was really happy with how hers came out and so was she...then I had her spend 10 quiet minutes coloring in a book and wonder of wonders SHE STAYED IN THE LINES, for the most part anyhow, you can clearly see it's colored and not just scribbled over (which is how nearly all her "artwork" had been in up till now). Seriously one day of school and this, call me crazy but I could see marked improvement from the beginning of the picture to the end.

I love lesson plans, I love having a list, I love coloring in the lines.

Years Past: Part VII

In Hawaii when the time came for a baby shower a friend offered to hostess it, but since I knew a total of like 10 women and I wanted to include Joe in it and marines are always looking for some way to have a party our guest list ended up being primarily men. What does a baby shower composed chiefly of marines look like? Well to begin: 2 kegs of beer and some food, they'll figure out their own entertainment after that. Our unconventional shower ended up being really fun, and some of the guys even got us presents (like a lunch cooler wrapped in a beer case box with duct tape...I actually still use the cooler). This day is of particular special memory since this pictured was captured, nearly half of these guys were killed in the same helicopter crash Joe died in.

Baby Love Letters: Part V

Q: What makes you smile?

I smile at the silly things you say, like last night when you were "weighing" my head with a tape measure and told me it weighed 30 seconds.

I smile listening to you recite catechism to yourself and imaginary playmates.

I smile when you sing in church, quite your own words but glorifying the Lord none the less.

I smile when you tell me how much you love me, all the way to the top of the trees and under our bed, across the street and to the first star.

I smile at the questions you ask, the outfits you pick, your hair in the morning, the stories you tell....you make me smile.

And So It Ends

I have a {another} new niece! I've been bursting to say that all day but Kelsey wanted to present the news and first photos and I grudgingly conceded. Then she took all day to do it, using the excuse that she just gave birth or something.

So, I am now at liberty to say she's here! Everything went well, Kelsey did amazingly, third times a charm (not that she wasn't amazing with the other two). No name, so we're just calling her baby for now. Providence wants to spend every moment at their house, but is thankfully asleep at home now, she was going on no sleep since 4 something this morning.

To view more pictures check out Kelsey's blog.

What's Mine Is Yours

With the reviews I do over at Simple, we've been getting a fair share of packages in the mail, if they have a P on them Providence automatically thinks they are addressed to her.















She usually finds a "P" somewhere.

This Lord's Day

On the Lord's day Providence and I play a game and watch a movie together, this week was her pick and we played Candy Land and watched Duma (which was a pretty good movie).

Providence whooped me on the first game, I mean smashed. I think I was still back there with the candy cane man when she won. I am a poor loser...even to little kids, I don't like to lose and I don't like to let them win, I mean what's that going to teach them? I'll admit I've gotten a little softer, I'll even do a slow jog from time to time in a "race." But for the most part you play to win, right?

So into our second game it began to look up when Providence got stuck on some licorice not once but twice, I could taste sweet victory when low and behold she somehow made it to two squares behind me and then passed me it was a real nail biter but thankfully I recovered at the last minute and sailed in to win by like 5 squares. She then insisted we play another game so we went 2 of 3. She beat me again, badly again, but I consoled myself by realizing it's a game of complete chance, even so I'm still licking my wounds.

I still enjoy playing games, even when I lose so perhaps I'm not too much of a poor sport.

I want to go to an Eric Hutchingson concert for my birthday (it's around then) but don't really have anyone to go with. Is it completely pathetic to go to a concert by yourself? It doesn't sound too fun, anyone done it?