Sunday Funday

Someone was really excited about going to church today.  Apparently she didn’t realize that soon she would be sweating because it was scorching hot outside and no one would think to turn on the air conditioning. 

It must be nice to be so oblivious. 

5k What?…the continuation

Remember I won the 5k training?  Remember how I said I didn’t want to do it?  Well…I secretly wasn’t ever going to contact the trainer and hoped she would forget about me.  But you know how those runners are:  Motivated.  Energetic.  Optimistic.  She was at my front door before I had any excuses formulated in my head. 

My trainer’s name is Janna and she’s been running for years.  Lots of years.  She’s 53 and ran a marathon a few weeks ago.  However, despite my feelings of inadequacy, I ABSOLUTELY LOVE HER!  Somehow with her wily ways, she has made me excited about training.  And she doesn’t even laugh that I get winded tying my shoes. 

Janna made me sign up for two races.  The first is a leisurely 4th of July fun run.  It’s only 2.6 miles and mostly downhill.  I can do that.  The second one is in September and it terrifies me. You can check it out here:

http://www.warriordash.com/

I will legalize my last will and testament before the event just in case. My favorite Italian gets everything – you know who you are.  Too bad for the rest of you; should’ve been nicer to me.

Vacation Musings

I had a wonderful trip to Idaho!  I was able to see the people I love and even a few people I don’t care for…(AJ).  A few special thank you’s:

THANK YOU to Mom and Dad for giving me the good car to drive around and for paying for lunch everywhere we went.

THANK YOU to Rob and Sharen for reminding me what it’s like to be with good friends. 

THANK YOU to Rachel and Jared for the delicious Dutch oven cooking and organizing such a great evening around the campfire.

THANK YOU to Robert and Jeta for giving me a place to stay and feeding me like royalty all week. 

It’s possible I came back to Oregon and cried like a baby.  Possibly.  I will not confess anything. 

It was good to be with my family again. 

Travel Log

This is where I am right now:

 

This is where I will be this evening:

I’m extremely excited to see my peeps!

Father’s Day, Part Two

I remember without any fogginess the day I met Michael.  I thought he was the most handsome man I had ever seen.  I didn’t know then that I would eventually marry him, but I did know I had never had a reaction like that before.  Eleven years and a few gray hairs later, I love him more now than I ever thought I could, and he still remains the most handsome man I have ever laid eyes on.

Michael is such a good Daddy!  He goes to work early so he can have more time in the evenings with Eva.  He changes diapers without being asked even though he gags every time.  He sits on the floor and plays with Eva after work. He gets her ready for bed every night and wakes up with her if she cries during the night.  He pushes her stroller on walks.  He thinks everything she does is genius.  His whole world revolves around Eva and her well-being.  He still talks about her birth as the most amazing event he’s ever witnessed.

Before we had Eva, Michael was worried he wouldn’t be a good father.  He constantly worried about his ability to love a child and be patient.  I was never concerned about whether or not he would be a good father.  I knew he would be excellent at it. 

I was totally right.

Happy Father’s Day, Mykey!  I love you!

Father’s Day, Part One

Happy Father’s Day!  I was conflicted about whether I should be posting about my own father or my baby’s father.  I decided to go for broke and write about both. 
Let’s start with my own Papa.  It’s no secret that I love and admire my dad.  I previously listed ten things I love about my mom, so here goes ten things I love about my dad.

1. He is generous.  Whether it’s family, neighbors, strangers, employees or clients, his generosity is boundless.
2. He is outgoing and magnetic.  My dad has a way with people.  He makes everyone feel important and is easy to connect with.
3. He appreciates nice things.  Art, food, literature, etc.  He is fond of talent.
4. He is wise.  Dad is the go-to for advice on everything from financial planning to religion.  I trust his judgment without hesitation.
5. He works hard.  He has spent his life working to support his family.
6. He is a successful businessman.  He works long hours to maintain the success of his business and is respected for his competency. 
7. He is hilarious.  From unique song lyrics to quips, he has a wonderful sense of humor.  
8. He is supportive.  He takes care of his own and is on our side in battles. 
9. He is thoughtful.  He is always buying little gifts if he sees something he thinks you might like.  He keeps the grandkids stocked with special surprises and remembers souvenirs when he goes someplace exciting.
10. He treats my mom like a queen.  40 years of marriage and he still comes home with flowers and holds her hand at the movies.  He is a wonderful example of true love and affection.

I love you, Daddy!  Thanks for being so great.  Happy Father’s Day!

Ace

Michael had a performance evaluation at work yesterday.  He received passing marks in all of the categories and his supervisor wrote the following comments about him:

In the last year Myke has been focused solely on the transition project, building various ecommerce applications and custom web applications.  His performance on this project has remained very strong and he has distinguished himself as a vital member of his team.  Myke is a gifted programmer and a hard worker.  He develops high quality code, works quickly and efficiently, communicates well with his peers and puts in a lot of effort to ensure the success of his projects. 

In addition to his duties on the transition project, Myke assists the portal with mentoring other developers and his advice is frequently sought to help solve difficult problems.  

Myke has a bright future with the company and we look forward to seeing him further his career within our family.

I'm so proud of him.  That’s my boy!  

The Nerve of a Canine

I made BBQ pulled pork sammies for dinner last night.  They were delicious.  Because I am so considerate and kind, I saved all of the pork fat for Aika.  As I was shredding the meat, I carefully set aside the globs of delicious fat and imagined how excited he would be when I presented the bounty before him.

I mounded the tender fat pieces in a pile and laid them out on a tray. Aika was peacefully napping on the kitchen floor so I gingerly set the food in front of him and nudged him awake to behold the most beautiful sight any dog has ever awakened to.

That dumb dog stood up, sniffed the scraps, looked up at me, and walked away.  He pretty much gave me the finger.  I could see the disdain in his eyes that I would think he would want such slop.

This means that both of my children are S-P-O-I-L-E-D.

I definitely blame Michael. 

Superhero Heartbreaker

It’s a shame these two are cousins and we don’t live in Kentucky.  They would have the most adorable children. 

Where’s Waldo?

Should I be concerned that she sleeps like this or should I just continue taking pictures of it?  What would my parenting book say? 

Too bad I don’t have a parenting book.  Pictures it is. 

Oops

I went Strawberry picking on Friday and it was wonderful.  I picked 9 pounds of berries, made freezer jam, and felt like a good little housewife.

When I returned home from the farm, I opened the back door to retrieve Eva and this is what I saw:

My hands were dirty so I set her in her car seat while I cleaned up with a baby wipe.  I then got in the car and drove home but never buckled her in.  She apparently thought it was the best ride of her life.  Good thing it wasn’t very far.

Oops.