Happy Memorial Day

Raise 'em high

Make your own parade

Ride the train to visit your dad

"Choo Choo!" with your mama at the train station

Build forts only to storm them five minutes later

Yes, we're alive. Yes, we're American. Yes, we're in town this weekend because we thought we might be having a baby or something. Yes, we're scared to be outnumbered soon!

p.s. Thanks to the hubs for reminding me that we still have a blog. And that he still likes me.

p.p.s. I intend to make up for lost time, so scroll down for catch-up posts.

Post Mother's Day Gratitude List

So I'll admit it. Mother's Day this year was Julianne's worst since we've been married. Eli and I got sick and it totally screwed up my plans. Screwing up Mother's Day for a woman who is 9 months pregnant just isn't right. But at least she took it well. I did wake up the next morning without the evil eye ingrained in the back of my head. Needless to say, I have started to make amends for the delay. As part of my penitence I have decided to publicly declare ten of the top reasons I am grateful for Julianne.



1) She is an awesome cook. And although she is constantly trying new recipes, I'd say 90% of them are great. For a guy who loves food, this is a big deal.



2) She never forgets birthdays. With all the stuff I have to remember, I choose not to have to remember birthdays. So I'm grateful she does most of the heavy lifting in that department.



3) She loves to travel. I have to admit the 6 vacations we had last year were pretty awesome. It's always good to visit family and enjoy new places.



4) She is very caring. Not only for our family, but for extended family and friends.



5) She puts up with the boys. Bennett and Eli all day can become a handful.



6) She gives me my space when I need it. Sometimes I just need some time in the garden or to clear my head.



7) She consistently sets a good example for the boys teaching them the importance of prayer and scripture study.



8) She understands the importance of keeping to a budget.



9) She keeps a journal. Someday I am sure someone is going to enjoy reading that thing. As for me, I might just be a mystery.



10) She enjoys exercising. She is my inspiration to get back in shape.



Stephen

Buddies who give each other bruises

As much as our boys fight, which believe me is enough to make me crazy almost every day, they do have their moments when they actually seem the best of friends. I always have to smile when I catch them in these rare displays of love and affection, and then of course try and burn the memory into my brain for the other 80% of the time when they're at each others' throats and I'm at my wits' end. My favorite is when they hug or kiss each other for seemingly no reason at all. Eli is usually the one to initiate it, and sadly I haven't caught that one on film yet, but when I do I should blow it up and tape it to my mirror.

Last week, we escaped the 90 degree weather for the cooler coastal temps of the SF Zoo

Climbing the fence together for a better view of the kangaroos

Tree posing

Plenty of room on the couch, but they have to sit right next to each other

Brushing buddies, who even want to dress alike sometimes

Before shots

The third bedroom in our house has needed a face lift since we moved in. Poor Eli suffered through almost two years of these drab and dreary walls, whose color reminds me of office buildings from the eighties.

Thanks to Liz's moving next door and having the free time and handy painting skills that we house project ignorants utterly lack, the nursery will soon be a happier place of another color. She has graciously been accompanying me and the boys to Home Depot, where we're pretty sure the worker helping us thinks we were a lesbian couple, for supplies and paint-mixing. Thankfully, she talked me into doing a few different samples, too, because the color I thought I'd definitely want looked hideous once it was up on the wall and reflecting real sunlight.

Move over ugly brown/grey/taupe, here come's Lemon Ice.