Buck Up

Does this picture not just tell you exactly how our day went--try week? 
Holy mother of all.
I don't even remember the last time I ate dinner in public while wearing sweat pants and a dirty tee-shirt. 
Is Chipotle considered going out? 
Exhausted?
Pah. 
I feel as though there are thousands of tiny little leeches just sucking the very life out of me--and high-pitched laughing while they do it. 
Furthermore, my child has adopted this alter-ego which begs me to question whether he is still my child or if someone switched him out for a meany/whiney/grumpy little thing who looks just like him. 
Maybe I'll feel better if I wash my hair. Or my face, for that matter. 


And if this picture makes you feel sad and disappointed, just turn your eyes to 1 o'clock and your day will be brightened. 
So unfortunate. 

All grown up

ately, we've been soaking up as much sun as humanely possible, trying to find ways to transform our apartment from, "Hey, I just moved my furniture from a previous 600 sq. ft  apartment into a much bigger place," to, "Hey, I'm an adult now and know what I'm doing," and also trying to find a balance with me logging in an uncharacteristic amount of hours taking care of the senior citizens, all the while trying to remember for the life of me when the last time I washed my hair was. 
And when it gets to that point, I simply sit down with a bowl of popcorn (after washing my filthy hair, of course) and watch re-runs of Grey's Anatomy while trying to ignore that funk of unknown origin coming from Jude's room. 
As long as it's not a dead animal it can wait until tomorrow. 
Cheers to life and it's many, many ways in which it can seriously drive you to forsake those basic hygiene lessons your mother swore she'd engraved into your brain.
I'm doing just fine, Mom. 
Here are just a few shots that will sum up the highlights of the past week. 

Father's Day

Father's hold a very special place in my heart. I have been blessed growing up in having many wonderful, loving, and powerful fathers in my life. I am grateful every day for good men in this world. 
And I am most grateful for the fact that my little Jude has one of these good men as his dad to teach him too about how to be a good man. Jude, you're one lucky little cream puff. 
My Adam is beyond extraordinary. You will never meet a more humble, forgiving, or loving person who is more full of life than my man. 

From day 1 he couldn't have been more excited to be a father. 

And he's been doing a killer job ever since. 

Nothing has made me happier than seeing these two become best friends.

Happy Father's Day to all you dads and soon to be fathers!  

Hey Jude

Hey Jude,


Guess what? Grandma's in town--all the way from Pennsylvania! 
She decided that she'd leave the beautiful, warm, lush country and venture out to a presently hated area of the United States because it somehow, once again, can't seem to realize that it's June. JUNE. So although it's been cold and rainy the past week she's been here, we've been able to have lots of fun together--and even enjoy a couple hours of blessed sun that poked through during our trip to the zoo.
Favorite part about our zoo outing: you walking up to that poster that shows how teeny-tiny you are compared to those gigantic teddy bears. 
Good thing, too--because mom was starting to think you were getting too big. 
Tomorrow? I think we'll go to the Saturday market and buy you a cinnamon bun. Because you're my little sweety. And also because your little butt cheeks are looking smaller. 


xoxo
Mom

Newport and the Aquarium!

This past weekend Jude got strep throat. Did it stop us from driving two hours to the Oregon coast?

Nope. We decided that we'd pack up our little one, with his eight liters of antibiotics, very own bag of treats, and whiney, "I need a nap, but don't know how" voice and head 

out to visit our dear Mindie and her family before they move out to Utah. 

Mindie and her family live in Newport, OR and while there they took us to the new aquarium that just opened!

Jude, can I just tell ya: YOU are taking this mama's breath away lately. Seriously--

walking everywhere, smiling and pointing at everything and everyone, realizing (as shown above) that you're not quite sure about sand, and discovering the world around 

you--I'm just an adoring bystander witnessing your little mind soar and I'm loving every second. Gosh, I love you, little dude. You also sprouted a neck the other day, due to 

said walking, and I think I might cry myself to sleep knowing that you're more of a little man now than a baby. 

Stop it. 

Memorial Day!

This Memorial Day was spent sleeping in, going to Burgerville with family for lunch--endless hamburgers and delicious fresh strawberry smoothies--and having a BBQ with some awesome friends and, afterward, walking over to the park!

I come from a family of veterans and I am so proud of the sacrifices that the men in my family have made for our country and so grateful for those who have served and who serve today. Thank you for your service! 

Had we been visiting with my family, I'm sure we would've blown up some left over 4th of July paraphinalia in honor of our servicemen. But, in lieu of our dearth of gun powder, we ate about 5 lbs. of meat each and burned marshmallows. And it all felt strangely patriotic.  

p.s. see all the static in that last picture? i thought it was pretty impressive. 

The Rexburg Trip!

Hi Britney.
This is Future Britney.
This time in your life, when you think life is really busy and you gage said business on a how-many-Grey's Anatomy-re-runs-could-I-have-watched-today-but-didn't-have-time-to scale, just remember: you'll have more babies.
More babies.
And these babies won't want to watch Grey's anyway. 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Busy is good.
And aside from getting a new custom TV stand (holla, IKEA!) and Captain Crunch making his way back into my life, we've been taking a few deep breaths and approaching unpacking one article of clothing at a time. 
So here's the rest of the Rexburg trip--including the plane ride there (that pic below is Jude saying hello to the little girl behind us), the mom-van the car rental company upgraded me too--which was surprisingly awesome--girl time with NATALIE, my old roommates Courtney and Kara, beautiful Myra!!, my brother coming to surprise his girlfriend, Courtney (yes my roommate and BF from home, crazy!!), spending time with little baby Finn, who is too precious for words, and his little sisters, Sienna and Maggie, and getting free fro yo because I'm still just that awesome to desperate college boys. It was an epic trip. And it made me miss Rexburg terribly. 


Lastly, please try not to imagine the war zone going on on the roof of my mouth right now due to The Captain's sharp spears shredding my mouth to pieces. 
I'd put the spoon down if I could.