No week should start until Tuesday

I love President's Day! It came just in time this year. We were getting a little stir-crazy with all the rain & wind & snow, when suprise! A beautiful sunny Monday morning with no school, no work, and no plans!

Matthew & I (& Henry) hiked up and over the hill/mountain behind our house. Views from north to south:

Valentine's Day was a total bust this year (not that I mind!), because the kids were so sick, so it was nice to go out with my Valentine.

Come back soon for this girl's birthday post:

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.

My little brother Ross is getting married. I couldn't be happier for him. I hope that he doesn't mind if I repost some words he recently wrote. Ross, do you mind? He shared some super-sweet stuff about my grandparents and love and marriage. He pretty much hit the nail on the head, so here you go:

"I have been hesitant to get serious with anyone because I always assumed that when you get married, your life ends and you become a dud person and don’t do anything. (Wait, Ross, where did you get that idea? Your parents? or dud sisters? or married brother who doesn't do anything? Kidding Ross, moving on.)

"Then I saw my grandpa, we talked for a minute about life and relationships and blah blah blah. He told me that he was 18 when he married my then 17 year old grandma. He said ‘that’s when the adventure really started, I was nothing till I met her, we traveled we worked, we played, we spent all the time we had together, and it was that way until she passed away’.

"See I had this silly notion that things ended when you paired up, but the secret is, if you play it right, that’s when things actually start to get interesting. All the 'goals' i had planned to reach before I got married are now going to be twice as cool because I get to share them with someone else. I’ll still get to see Europe, but i won’t be alone. I’ll graduate college, and so will my wife. Everything will just be times two."

Exactly. Except the part about Europe, Matthew & I missed something there. Darn kids! But we still have time, lots of it, and it is great to spend most of it with someone I love and admire and am proud of. & that makes me laugh. & thinks I'm cute. & I could keep going, but I'm losing readers by the second.

Here is the happy couple. The happy day (when their life ends & they become dud people) is May 12.


I do have just one itty bitty reservation about this engagement. Emily, do not take this personally, but I really am worried about it. What if the nieces & nephews get us mixed up and as kids often do, resort to nicknames to distiguish between the two of us. Landon & Haylie used to call my husband Big Matt for no reason at all! Let me just say right now that I will gladly be Old Emily & you can be New Emily or Young Emily or Ross's Emily (aw), just as long as I don't have to be Big Emily.

Seriously, congratulations you two! You are both too cute for words. & Emily, I can't wait to get to know you better!

I know better.

Every mother I know knows better than to leave the house in pajamas. It's just a bad idea. It makes the individual mom look bad and it makes motherhood in general look bad, like it's all just staying home lounging around all day. That said, every mother I know has done it. I know I have, even though time after time I live to regret it. Take this morning for instance, I got up and it was just too cold to put on jeans, so I put on flannel pants. I made breakfast for my kids, combed hair, checked backpacks, etc. Suddenly it was time to go. I grabbed the baby, also still in his pajamas, but in my opinion, it's perfectly acceptable to take a baby out in their PJ's. Am I right? or lazy? Anyway, we all hopped in the van and hightailed it down the street and around the corner to the bus stop just in time to see the bus pull up. Perfect. I kiss my girls, they hop out and get in line as the bus doors open. I am almost in the clear. Then, Catherine spills the entire contents of her backpack all over the sidewalk. Weeks worth of kindergarten papers start to blow away in the cold morning wind. Oops, I guess I missed one backpack this morning. Bethany & Gwen help their little sister gather up her papers and books. The papers seem to be multiplying in thin air. The other kids make the busdriver wait as they help too. Two other moms get out of their cars to help. I stay in my nice warm van in my nice warm pajamas wondering what looks worse, to be seen outside on a busy street in flannel pants and slippers, or to be considered rude and heartless for not helping my 5-year old pick up her stuff, even as my friends, one of whom is pregnant, go out of their way to help. While I'm pondering, everyone else gets the stray papers back in Cate's backpack, the kids get on the bus, the Moms get back in their cars and everyone drives away, including me. I mouth Thank you before I drive home. I have learned my lesson yet again. Or have I?