Time for a New Forever Family

This is my favorite picture of Steven, my tallest little brother. Today is his wedding day! Welcome, new Sister Babcock!
(Altered quilted pillow shams, part of my gift to the couple!)
On our own, it's just us.
Seen from the right persepctive, the relationship goes on and on. That is what it means to me to be sealed, united, married in the temple of God, bound by restored Priesthood power, for now, and for all the ever afters!

Happy Birthday, Baby!

There was a girl.

There was a boy.

They fell in love. Grew up some more. Went on missions. Got married. Had a baby.

Twenty years ago today, we became parents to a beautiful brown-eyed girl! CELEBRATE!

I Love These Men

The best blessing of John losing his job: more unity. Closer. Nicer. Better. All the good things we were doing in our marriage have continued. Still writing our night love letters to each other. Praying together. Going to the temple together. Dates, cheaper-yes. More lunches together.

Stewart came home from a Robotics competition looking very grown up (bearded) in his uniform.

After Church

I'm about to lose my earring in my left ear.

Seeing the picture I posted for yesterday, I realized it was buttoned a little low. This is more comfortable looking for me.

Sealed With A Kiss

We kissed for the first time 24 years ago (near midnight March 26th-27th).

No make-up, real bed head. John is on his way out the door for Sunday (21st) meetings. I sent him with a kiss.

And I don't think I have worn a yellow shirt in all of our couple posts so far. This was a thrift store find for $1.24. Love half-priced Thrift Town stuff. You have to buy the colored tag that is advertised on sale. Once I went up to the checkout with a basket of blue tags, when it was green, white and pink tags on half-sale. I felt silly, and put back all but one thing that I knew wouldn't be there if I waited for it to be on sale. You have to be thrifty, even with your thrift shopping!

I've heard the argument that you can save more money only shopping department store clearance sales. Ten $5.00 outfits is one really nice $50.00 outfit. Which would you rather have? I understand that--but it doesn't make a lot of sense on my budget and changing up and down chart-size.

I could be talked out of that if I had a personal shopper (like NicoleK!) and a dress size that had more options. It is really, really hard to find plus size clothing I can afford. Whereas thrift stores have stuff all the time in larger sizes. When I find something wonderful, I am thankful that some one's diet plan worked for them and they were so happy and committed to a new healthy life-style that they gave away all their fat clothes so they had to stay thin!

Shared Looks

One of my favorite things about sitting next to John is the shared looks. Someone can say something, and I look at my husband and he looks back and we know. We know what each other is thinking. Sometimes it may still just be a good guess. But he looks me in the eye, and I know who he is.

He Thinks I'm Tasty

Yes, another shot of us at Rita's, last Saturday. I am pre-blogging days in anticipation of my trip to Utah next week. Photo credit: Maxwell.

Today I was home ALONE for the second time in months, and months. The last time I was home ALONE, I made bow ties all day. Today, I played with color! I dyed a white dress navy. And I spray painted a few things. A lamp. A candle holder, and a...tree.

Before. Boring Fake Ficus Tree. Reading Design by Christine's blog made me re-think this decorating choice.


After. I created a Dr. Seuss Truffula Tree!

He Was Invited

Max was invited to the adult session of Stake Conference for his voice talent. Our ward choir sang "Lead Kindly Light" and they wanted him. So he was with us on the way home when we stopped for free Rita's.

And he took a picture of his daddy opening my car door for me. I am thankful he has this example. I hope he will treat the women in his life this same way. Grow up and be a gentleman!

Rita Celebrates Spring

There was no limit. Free Italian ices Saturday to celebrate SPRING! During the course of the day I had Island Fusion (mango+pineapple), Green Apple (thank you, Stewart for taking Roxie and bringing me back another one!), Ritaberry (strawberry plus raspberry plus mystery berries!) and bites of John's Mango.

How I Play and Work

This is the original digital photo. Too dark on our faces. STRONG sunlight behind us.
So I play. Tilt, because I like what it does in couple photos, leaning in on each other. Edit out a few things, including my cowlick.

Play with colors!

I am really writing Saturday, because I know I won't have time Monday morning. I am an official "floater" recruiting assistant for the Census. I fill in when people are sick or if a test session is predicted to be over a certain number. They wanted to hire me as a Field Operating Supervisor, but I will be out of town for the training. So I may come back and just be a Crew Leader again. Which I enjoy. I really love the teaching part. Making assignments comes easily to me. And my class to recertify will be an evening class. John has still been doing the shopping/cooking/kids to school part of parenting with me pitching in on days I am home. Still the role-reversal, most of the time.

Celebrate SUNSHINE

Beautiful, beautiful day at the temple! I am glad we went together this time (last time I had forgotten my recommend to get in). I kept a wad of peppermint gum in my cheek to help me stay alert.

Picking Just One Is A Choice

We are coming up on our first kiss anniversary, March 26th, as John reminds me, and keeps track of amazingly. He remembers all the details, birth weights of the kids, years they were born, ss#'s. As I filled out our Census form he helped me on the years (I insisted that I wanted to do it! It was fun, being on the homeowner's end of the process.)

I helped deliver--I can't tell you how many--of these forms! DO IT! Deadline April 1st to mail in. If you don't, then more Census workers will have to come and find out why you didn't answer. PLEASE! EASY, 10 minutes or less; commercial over.

We ran out of room for inhabitants living here on the first pages. (What would the Tallyman say? I've been watching BBC's "Lillies" and 3 adults, four children per house in Liverpool after WWI was the rule. My favorite line is listening to the father toast his daughter at her wedding; he recounts his failure at getting flowers to grow in his backyard, but he sees his daughters as his lillies.)

(I think I talk with elliptical phrases, too.)

Maybe I forget dates because I know he will remember?

Ohh, wow! It works! Control over blog photo sizes! I learned how to resize photos yesterday from http://funkyjunkinteriors.blogspot.com/

This picture crops out the four differently painted surfaces seen from this angle of the front hallway. (I am itching to repaint. Seriously thinking some lighter colors, even though I love dramatic dark intense ones. I really, really want to paint a black and white checkerboard on my kitchen floor tiles, covering grout lines permanently stained gray-who uses gray grout?)
Oops, 5. Teal glossy living room, salmon long hallway, Tiffany blue under clock (behind my head) green going downstairs and yellow around the corner from the salmon. I have too many favorite colors!

BEFORE

AFTER I buzzed him close.


More after, he shaved. Max is in his high school's musical "Annie." He is practicing his wardrobe costume. You can call him "Daddy W." Suzu got the giggles when she saw him, commenting on how shiny he is! (I thought there was an "e" in shine-y. Thank you, Miss Spellcheck.)

UN-Complicate It!

Today I learned how to do this! From http://funkyjunkinteriors.blogspot.com/

K I S S = Keep It Simple, Silly (rather not use a garbage word like stupid)

I know I make things more complicated when I stress, worry them to death. I wish I were more spontaneous, less encumbered, better at letting things go.

I went across the bridge that takes me over the Susquehanna River, and realized that I had forgotten to take down the Easy Pass, so my sticker couldn't be read. $10 for a year long sticker, or $2 for each Easy Pass use. I had put it up to go through the Harbor Tunnel to the seminary meeting last Saturday and forgot to take it down for work, going the opposite direction. I growled at myself. Silly waste of money, because I forgot. I complained to John and he told me to let it go.

Let it go where? To my Landfill of Regrets? He doesn't live that way. He is good at not letting guilt or shame run his life. He repents, moves on. Lets it go. If there is a problem, he takes care of it the best he can, seeks help, but doesn't even think about "what if..."

I get into a fit of people-pleasing mania. Re-thinking scenarios, how it could have gone better. What I should have done or said.

Today I am going to try to simplify some more. De-clutter one closet. Organize something for 10 minutes, and then move on to something else.

And not dwell or wallow or feel the dread that can come when I get discouraged by my lack of perfection. As tough as people think I am on them, I am hardest on myself.

The RS conference Saturday was all about how to be kind to ourselves when we look in the mirror. Monitor our self-talk. Encourage ourselves. Sing as we walk and walk, like the pioneer children did. I taped my hand-out on the mirror going downstairs to the seminary room. (In white board dry erase markers is a temple silhouette and the words, "See yourself in the Temple of God")

Everyday Prayers

Sometimes I wonder what we look like, our hands entwined, our heads bent, praying. This is a little peek. Maybe it is like this. (Note: I did not take a picture of us praying. This was a coincidence of hitting the button when we were both blinking.)

I am glad I married a praying man. He is good at remembering to pray, even when I am really tired and already half asleep.

We are still praying for help in figuring out job situation. It is easy to point at a wish list and want to just hand it in, like a Christmas wish-list.

"I've been good, so give me this, please."

John encourages me to learn how to say, "Thy will be done" prayers, instead.

They are still specific prayers, but maybe they could be more humble, accepting.

Smile, Kiss, Wear Green

Good smiles here. He kissed me, and yes, some Irish--only 1/8th or so, but it is there.

Irish FRUGALITY?

Does Irish TEMPER come with that legacy?

Irish RED HAIR?

I have red highlights in strong sunlight. My dad has dark hair like me, but when he was younger his beard grew in red. I have a red-haired brother. I wished I had his hair when we were growing up, thick and wonderful. I learned how to cut hair on his head. I wished for Anne of Green Gables' hair. But she wished for hair like mine.

Deborah's blog about Shame-Connection-Vulnerability has made me think more about the stories I tell. What have I left out, too worried about being different?

I feel more confident when my hair is newly cut. Michael Harrington (HAIR-haha) has cut my sister-in-law's hair for years and years, and Lisa, Amy, and I think Sara, too. I used to go every other month for years, and years. Spikey, bedhead, short short, bobs. I used to have short hair all the time. I tell him I want a "Michael Miracle" and let him experiment, do whatever he wants to try. My only requirements are easy to take care of and don't make me look older than I am. It is only been the last three years that I've been growing it out. I've referred friends from Church to him. I love sitting in his chair, hearing stories about the books he is writing, laughing at his insights into beauty. He remembers everything you tell him. He always asks about my kids, my quilts, my art. He likes to read, too, and I gave him a Book of Mormon one year with my homemade fudge.

I don't want him to look at me later and ask why I never told him what I believed.

We've been praying for missionary experiences as a family. I wonder if the kids know how powerful their example is?

Even growing up in SLC, I could have done more.

I want to be better at it.

What is Our Money Goal?

He is holding up his finger to give me something to focus on, aim at.

We've been writing down our financial goals, plans. I've been wrestling with whether or not to continue doing what I am doing at work, different phase, different projects, but being a crew leader again. Or not. There is a trade-off, switching bread-maker roles. (Meanwhile, John has learned how to make homemade rolls!)

Seriously. I miss being home. I miss being a homemaker full-time. These have been specific circumstances, John taking care of all meals and kids while I work 45 hour weeks. How long can we continue like this?

I am going back to school! Taking a class to update my teaching certificate.

Need More Light

This is what happens, even if you hold your photo arm still, but not enough light. The camera can't focus as well.

We are taking the Sunday School class, Strengthening Marriage and Family Relations. John's parents are the teachers. It was wonderful, hearing my father-in-law bear testimony of the wonderfulness of marriage. They have been good examples to us.

And no, we don't think our marriage is in trouble. Strengthening something that is good, to make it better is our goal.

More light, more knowledge is a good thing.

Mistletoe in March

Do you see the mistletoe, still hanging in the front hallway? I never took it down from Christmas. Then I thought it was good to keep it around for Valentine's Day. And now, St. Patrick's Day kisses? Kiss me, I AM Irish!
This was my entry for "So You Think You Can Quilt" last month. VINTAGE is the theme this month. Even if you aren't one of the contestants left in the game, you can still WIN PRIZES and make a quilt to fit the theme!

Recent flurry of activity. I took my bag of bows to sew to my seminary meeting and then to the RS wonderful conference and luncheon on Saturday, and even sewed through my couch date with John. We've been downloading episodes of "The Middle" and "Community" and laughing out loud. Together.

A Little Change

BEFORE

AFTER

Married Dating

Sometimes just sitting on the couch together can feel like a date.

Our couple journal-notebook writing every night is like a mini-date. I read what John wrote the night before, he reads what I wrote, and then we add to it for the other to read the following night. Back and forth. Two different colored spiral notebooks, with the pens clipped on as the book marking the page we are on. I highly recommend the practice. Sometimes it is nice to have a place to write a love note your spouse is guaranteed to find!

Max had a free Maryland State Boychoir concert Friday night, so we could have gone out. That counts, except for the driving Max there and back part. One of my favorite things about married dating is the car talking time. I take that back. Not always true, if I am feeling tense and distracted by traffic.

It's hard to write feeling so tired. I have four more library dvd movies to watch while making bow ties this weekend. Solo activity. No, that's not true either. John irons the bow tie strips before they turn into individual ties. He comes and sits by me through-out the process to check on me.
Roxie's turn to cook. She learned how to make pot-stickers! And we ate them with chopsticks. We probably eat with chopsticks at least once a month as a family, to practice.

Can You See the Calendar?

Years and years ago for Christmas David and Julie made magnetic calendars. There it is over John's shoulder on the fridge, still in use.

The days disappear! John always rounds up, and says we have been married for nearly 30 years now. (It's only been 21, or will be, in a month and 7 days.)

Every day I have to sign my name and write the date on reports and documents...less than 50, but more than 20 times. So it is drilled into my head each day as they disappear.

I've been working under deadline pressure to finish current work project. It is nice to see the end in sight, on the horizon. Maybe Monday or Tuesday it will be done, and I can clean my bathroom, think about what to wear to Steven's wedding (Sarah Babcock, HELP! What do you know about expectations/plans? Can you show us what you and Ellie have planned, so we won't clash with you guys?)

The EAGLE Was LANDBECK

"The Eagle has landed." What is that quote from?

Originally used by Neil Armstrong when the first man-made craft (the "Eagle") landed on the moon, now used to indicate the completion of a "mission objective".
Roxie's art teacher told her about the school art show that "your brother made" tonight at the library. Big celebration put on by the library showcasing his project and local school art!

Good job, Stewart! Congratulations!

He planned, coordinated, built the art display bulletin boards in the public library so local school art can be shown! The library had an art open reception. Stewart gave a short speech of thanks to his volunteers and encouragement to creative artists, telling them to continue working, even when it is difficult.

Roxie is standing directly under her picture--it is the black matted one on the top row above her head.




(Stewart looks like his daddy!)

Love you, Bye!

Taken three minutes ago, after seminary, right before I run out the door to solve the problems of yesterday. Busy, busy, happy, sleepy!