The Tent Works

Two Christmases ago John & I bought a tent for our family.  We "practiced" sleeping in the same room, all of us with kids under the Christmas tree.   Summer came & went without us even getting the tent out of the box.

It has been a rough year of working, getting Max stable & healthy, busy schedules, and we just haven't gone camping together.  Yet.

I have fun childhood memories of camping:  the Badlands, SD, Mississipi Palisades, Illinois, and somewhere in California surrounded by redwoods... 

Our honeymoon included a quick, sleepy trip to Zion's National Park in a two-just-us tent.  I really thought we would be hearty campers as our children came along.

But that was before Crohn's Disease symptoms (I thought they were just part of being pregnant) and soft toilet paper & conveniences of home made me less outdoorsy for entertainment.

John & Sam went to  father & sons campout, tried it out at home so they could set it up in dark on mountain side...and ended up sleeping in cabins!

But this summer we are going to try again!

Ever Wonder What You Will Do On Your Next Date?

Last Friday I took the 2:30 pm train down to BWI.  John picked me up, and we drove the rest of the way here, DC temple.  Gorgeous tulips in bloom.  John already blogged this picture, so I am borrowing it.  Two hours of service, and it was still light outside when we left. 

Then we went out for sushi.  And coconut shrimp.  Fun date.  Thanks again to Ian Ritchie, for yelping a great place to eat.

This Friday?  Boys will be camping.  Girls will be catching up on some book-reading and maybe some films!

Suzanna Coco, 2nd time

She dressed up again for her report, since the first time she forgot her flash drive- slide show at home, this time, the French teacher was absent.  Hard to go through with all that work and STILL not be able to do her presentation!

Grandma Sandy let her borrow her Channel jacket and  No. 5 perfume.

Anniversary Shoes

Our old ones were each over 10 years old.  Mine were 15 years old.  It was time.  We had talked about it being a gift to each other in our attempts to be healthier this year, walk 6 days a week.  John's parents heard about our plan and treated us!

Love the new bright colors in footwear.  These are John's.

And mine.  Very impressed with Charm City Footwear.  The employee made me roll up my sweats so she could see my ankles and watched me walk away and towards her so she could see how I walk, and which shoes to recommend to compensate for my pronation.

After measuring both feet, she brought out 3 pairs for me.  I tried them all on, comparing each one to the other two, in turns.  Comfy walking shoes!  With a 2 week try-it time, bring shoes back if for any reason not satisfied, even bring them back muddy, for store credit.

LBD Inventor

So as NOT to leave you with a bad taste in your mouth, another PICTURE of Suzanna

The assignment was to do a report on an inventor.  So she is giving a report in AP French on Coco Channel, and dressed up:  lipstick, pearls, heels, (modest) little black dress=LBD.  You can't see her hair in this early morning shot, but it looks like she has bobbed it, short and looking historically acurate, just tucked under and bobby pinned.

Warning: If you are squeamish, don't look

Less than an hour after I sat down to read my book, the dental assistant told me things had gone really well.   She escorted me to the back room explaining that the roots weren't gnarly like old-people's teeth are, they were intact, smooth, perfect.   Still silly from laughing gas, Suzanna signed that she wanted to see her teeth.  The dentist-student said that was an unusual request.  He descretely dabbed at them with a towel and uncovered them for our view.  Suzu signed "picture" and I obliged.  Here they are, beautiful!  She has recovered with ice cream and soup, only small swelling and bruising on lower right side where she said the last stitch is still intact, still a little sore.

The marvels of modern dentistry!  Actually, I was really impressed with how well they take care of us at the Dental School.

Take MORE Couple Photos, As You Are

I had an art teacher, Brother Joe Bennion, who assigned the class to create 100 mugs.  And then smash them.  Because those first 100 would be predictable, boring.  The 101st and 102nd would start getting interesting. 

Other art teachers would insist on thumbnails before starting the final drawing/painting, at least 20, so you get thinking of different options, not just the first composition that pops in your head...

Taking consistent photos of the same subject changes how you see the subject.

(Yesterday)

We have hundreds of couple photos.  Many, many more than I have blogged.  Most of them are John holding his long arms in front of us, aiming for our heads.  Some of the photos are of his ear, and we have to redo.  Sometimes we used the timer.  Sometimes one of our children would come help us.

When he lost his job for 18 months, I blogged and photo coupled to keep me feeling united with him.  It was a way to pose, snuggle, show our solidarity visually.  It started out just for me, to keep myself from being angry or feeling too worried about what would happen to us--if I could stand by him and smile, things would be okay.  It turned into something I looked forward to, especially as the couple file increased.   Good memories, fun images.

We have gotten out of the habit since that intense 18 month trial and photo-taking side activity.  But it is something I want to try and weekly update.  Start again.  Return to, redo, remind, remember.

My strong advice:  don't wait for the perfect moment, outfit, body-weight, haircut, health status.  Take a picture today of you and yours.