trash picking

Question: It is common practice in our area for people to dump unwanted furniture, toys, etc., on their curb for anyone to take. Are you comfortable taking someone elses' junk to use in your home? They say, "One man's trash is another man's treasure." Does this hold true for you?

uh-oh

My brother, Tyler, is visiting us from Boston this week. The kids love playing with Uncle Tyler and we all really enjoy having him around, but he is a little bit of a bad influence on me. Ok, more like I am easily pursuaded by his charisma and charm. Regardless, I have been talked into (forced into is more like it!) creating a facebook page. Heaven help us! I think the computer has taken over my life. Ok again, not really. But I am enjoying myself. Last night Ty and I were up past 11pm (which is super late for me since John usually tries to talk me into going to sleep around 9:30 because he knows how grumpy I am if I don't get enough sleep) sitting on the sofa next to each other, communicating via facebook. I even sent him an electronic poke in the ribs and he threw an electronic cake at me. Weird, but fun. I will remain faitful to my blog, but it is fun exploring this new network and getting in touch with old friends.

birthday memories

I turn 29 today. I thought in honor of the day I would do a little reminiscing.

10 years ago: I was enjoying my freshman year at Bryn Mawr. The guy I was dating at the time actually came and seranaded me from outside my dorm room window, then he blindfolded me and took me to a nearby park where he had set up a little table with birthday cake. It was incredibly sweet (the date not the cake... although the cake was good too). I haven't thought about that in ages! I was also looking forward to my summer in DC working as an intern for a congressman on Capital Hill.

5 years ago: I was married and very pregnant, anxiously awaiting Samuel's birth. We had a quiet party with John's family and a few friends from church. I was working at Carelift International trying to keep my Russian in good form. I was looking forward to quitting work and being a stay-at-home mom.

Last year: I spent the day with the boys. We went to institute at the Broomall chapel. While the kids were freaking out, I managed to gouge a chunk out of my wrist trying to catch them. On my way to meet John at his parents' house so we could go out to dinner with his office, I was rear ended by a car going about 40mph. I am hoping for better luck this year. This was my second accident (neither one my fault) within a month. I was shaken up but after the police came and made their report - wishing me a happy birthday - I met John and we went to dinner. The food was really good and John's office had gotten me balloons, a card, and a cake. So sweet. I love the people in his office.

Today: I took John to work, went grocery shopping, took a shower and dropped Sam off at school. Now I am enjoying some peace and quiet (James is napping) and looking forward to dinner and a movie with John tonight. For my birthday I was hoping for an offer on our house, but seeing as how we haven't had anyone go through the house for a month, I think it is a long shot. On the plus side, we have a showing tomorrow, so who knows?!

Come one! Come all!

We have found THE BEST water ice place in the Philadelphia region!! For you non-Philadelphians, water ice is neither water nor ice, it is a version of shaved ice but smooth like a slurpee, yet you eat it with a spoon. My description doesn't really do it justice, you just have to come out here and try it.
Anyway, the place is called George's Water Ice. It is on Marshall Road in Upper Darby just near Hampton Road. John drove past it awhile ago and wondered if it was any good so last week he took us all out for a taste. He said it is like the water ice from his childhood... AMAZINGLY GOOD! So good we went back again last night
So far we have tried grape, cherry, blueberry, strawberry lemonade, and rainbow. All of them have been incredible. The strawberry lemonade was a real hit! And yes, Jamie, they do have pina colada! It is even super cheap; $1.00 for a small and $1.50 for a medium. The only problem I have found with it so far is that it is so yummy you tend to eat it too fast and get major brain freeze. That happened to James last night, poor guy!
So everybody should go and try it as soon as you can. You'll probably see us there.

living with ghosts

Our ward is transitory- to say the least. Right now about 1/3 of the ward is made up of married students who have come to Philadelphia for anywhere from 1 year to 8 depending on their area of study. Since John and I have been in the 1st ward since 2001 we have seen a lot of people come and go. It is amazing how living in the east affects our relationships with the people we meet at church. So many of us are far from home so we are not only a congregation, they are our friends, our advisors, our substitute family, our childrens' friends, our preschool groups, our teachers, pretty much our everything. We have met many really incredible people in our ward and I am so grateful that I have had the opportunity to meet them, but there is one major problem making all of these great friends: none of them stay. So every summer we say goodbye to more of our friends who have finished school and are off to start a job in the real world or to more schooling somewhere else. My heart breaks every year. This year Samuel's best friend is moving away and I fear his heart will break right along with mine.
The good news: although our friends leave, the lessons they have taught us and the examples they set for us remain. Most of the people in the ward now are too new to remember Michelle Burk, Chelise Pykles, Brooke Burgess, Christina Berg, Emily Gray, Erin Meeker, Kera Tucker, Kim Cook and Erin Knowles to name a few. But I remember them. Each one of them have made an irreversable difference in my life and who I am striving to be today.
We are still trying to sell our house and move to another, nearby suburb. This move will include a change of congregation. We will no longer be in the city ward. It has been a difficult decision and one over which John and I still agonize. However, we decided it will be the best for our family in the long run. We will miss the amazing people we leave behind. I don't know that we will ever be in a ward with this many high-caliber people again... hopefully I'm wrong, but I doubt it. But I will carry along with me the lessons that I learned from all of the friends who have left before us as well as the examples of Stephanie Smith, Christina Howden, Heather Wakefield, Heather Gull, Rebecca Sloan, Donna Judkins, Eryn Horton, Annalee Waddell, Adrienne Murray, Jennifer Clark, Kate Buxton and the many other sisters and friends who are leaving this year or staying behind to welcome the next group of students.

Disclaimer: When I mention the name of the wives, I am including their husbands in my thoughts too...it would just take forever to list EVERYBODY. We really have had some exceptional husbands in the ward too!

Disclaimer II: Do not feel dejected if I did not list your name. I did not want the post to last forever AND my brain doesn't function so well these days. Consider the list to include all of you wonderful people I know from church. I truly believe I have learned something from each and every one of you!!!

fun stories

Just a couple fun stories of the boys from the last week...

Last Friday we had Samuel's best friend and his little brother stay the night at our house. We took them to a fun fair at the Healthplex where they jumped on the moon bounce and raced through an obstacle course until they were so tired they could barely walk straight, then we took them home. The younger boys were asleep by nine but Sam and his friend stayed up talking until well after 10. When I went in to check on them later, they were both snuggled up on Sam's bed, sound asleep. It was so adorable! I'm so sad I didn't think to take a picture.

Tuesday night John went out to dinner with his partner and some drug reps. James, who had taken a four hour nap (woo-hoo!!) was wide awake at 9:30 when he got home. John took him upstairs and read James some stories for a while. James was holding onto a lightsaber and started playing around, "Look at my flashlight, Daddy!" John laughed, "That's not a flashlight, silly. That is a lightsaber." James looked at John and said, "But Dad, I am using my imagination!" I love it!

singing in the ...

My kids sing. All the time. It doesn't matter where we are or what song it is, they sing. So tonight for dinner we went out for pizza. As we were getting ready to leave the restaurant, James burst into a loud chorus of the Star Wars theme song... da dah da da da dah dah da da da dah dah da da da dah!!!!! He didn't just sing it once. He sang it over and over. The delivery guy was on his way out the door when he turned and looked at James and then at me. "Is he singing Star Wars?" I laughed, "Yep." He smiled, obviously a Star Wars fan himself, "Right on!"
Right on, indeed!