Fall is so good

Alldredge Orchards

good apples

lovely time
cooking together: apple crisp

a post about Chinese food, a lamp shade and my marriage

I'm a little bit excited about my lamp. I like how it turned out, and I like that it's done. I got the lamp base at a Relief Society Enrichment "swap". free. I really liked the yellow. But heavens, that was two years ago in Portland, Oregon. The lamp has been on my nightstand - shadeless - since. Then, a couple Friday's ago, Dave said, "Get ready, a babysitter is coming, we're going out." And we got into the car and backed out of the driveway without a plan. Just knew we needed some time away. Wondered to Target, found a plain lamp shade. Drove to the fabric store, and got lucky with a $1.35 purchase. (then we shared grocery store Chinese food and picked up twizzlers -for him- and a slice of french silk pie -for me-). best.date.ever. I'm going to remember it every time I look at that lamp.

{Sigh}

chubby cheeks
bald head
kissy lips
blueberry-colored eyes
and that little double chin equal 5 months of perfection.

it's about relationships

It's not about how long the train can be or how cool the crash is.
When Lily plays with the train set, all the little men get along. Hold hands even.

Lily's 3rd Birthday

Dearest Lily,

You are so perfectly 3 now. There was a birthday party of course. We celebrated with your little friends.

That's you, tucked back there behind the door. Oh you were so excited every time the door bell rang. That morning you came into my room while I was still in bed and you knew it was birthday party day. I told you to go downstairs and check it out (dad and I had decorated the night before). It was like Christmas. You and Zach stomped downstairs, your father and I giggled in bed as we heard your voices EXCLAIMING to each other all the delightful things you were finding.

Lily, you were so cute as we sang the birthday song to you. Sort of this shy but pleased look on your face. And then, you wanted your brother to blow out the candles, same as last year.

It's a silly thing, but I used your great-great-grandmothers dishes...and I had a moment. They've been packed away for two years, and getting them out was just one more time to realize we are back home. No more boxes. Which also led me to think about the fact that this is the first birthday you've celebrated with our extended family. And that made me smile.

Post-party...but it's included to show off the pom-pom decorations. Courtesy of dad. He whipped those up, and was pretty proud. He likes to tease about all the party preparations...but don't be fooled, he TOTALLY gets into it.

Then on Saturday, your actual birthday, we celebrated with family and lots of food.

And once again, you requested someone else blow out the candles. But by this time, you were a party PRO. You gulped down a few pieces of cake, and before we had served the rest, you were pulling a heavy wooden chair into the center of the room. (just like we did the day before) You told me you were ready to open your presents. Cracked me up. And the girl who plays with Spiderman action figures and can work all the Transformers was SHOWERED with pink boxes of girlie glory.

Obviously, this made you happy. You're the sweetest thing Lily Anne Painter.

I hope you had the happiest birthday yet, from the bottom of my heart.

Mom