10 Years! So Long!

Today is our ten-year wedding anniversary! I know it sounds cliche, but I really can't believe it's been ten years. In some ways, that rainy, exciting, happy day in Massachusetts seemed like it was forever ago, but in other ways, it doesn't feel like it's been that long. I'm so happy that I'm married to my best friend, not just for time here in this life, but also for eternity.
 

Look at that wet ground and those wind-tossed trees! It was the only Saturday in Massachusetts in the summer of 2002 that the weather was bad. It's taken ten years, but I think I've finally gotten over it.

 

At the reception...

I've always thought this picture was cool because of my reflection in the mirror. 
Plus I like how I look kind of like an evil bride. :-)

 

 

Our wedding cake was pretty and so delicious!

The cutest little old lady ever! She even wore a tiara!

 

Whew! That was a sweet trip down memory lane. I can't believe that all happened ten years ago today. The day after our wedding we left on our honeymoon. We spent a week in beautiful Prince Edward Island, Canada. We said then that we'd come back to the island with our children for our ten-year anniversary, and that's exactly what we're going to do--we leave today! Which is the reason for the "So long" part of the title of this post. You didn't think I meant ten years--so long (i.e., such a long time!) did you? I'm going to be spending much of the summer in New England with my family, so I won't be blogging again until late August or September. It's time to take a break!

I hope you have a fantastic summer! See you in a few months! So long!

Road Trip! Kiddie-Style

This summer we're going on a road trip halfway across the country, and then we're going on an international road trip to drive up to an island off the coast of Canada, all in the course of four days. Yikes!

John is old enough now that he's good for long car rides. He can pretty much take care of himself and keep himself entertained or otherwise occupied. (Can I just say that the inventor of the portable DVD player should get a Nobel Peace Prize for bringing some peace and quiet to traveling families everywhere?)

Sam, on the other hand, is either content in the car or very unhappy. And when he's unhappy, he lets us all know it, loud and clear!

I'm hoping that he will be as happy and comfortable as possible, so that the rest of us will be too. I've found that when it comes to road trips, as the baby goes, so goes the rest of the family!

"Remember how sweet I am, Mom, even though I just screamed my head off for 20 minutes."

 Wish us luck! We'll need it!

Little Boy in the Woods

Guess what? This is my last post having to do with Summer 2011! Finally! Perfect timing now that Summer 2012 is getting underway, right? It took me long enough! My goal is to do my blogging about this summer in the fall and have it all done in November. That's the objective; we'll see if it gets met!

I've been wanting to post these pictures for awhile (ever since last summer, in fact!). I took these when we were at Plimoth Plantation in Plymouth, Massachusetts last July. I love the greenery and the sunlight, and of course I love the sweet little blond boy who is the star of these pictures (that would be my little Sam, still not even two! Now he's going to be three in a few months. Where does the time go?!) These pictures have some of my favorite things in them: Sam, Massachusetts, a historical place, green woods, and sunlight. No wonder I like them so much! (Although they do involve something that is definitely not one of my favorite things...keep reading for the scoop...it rhymes with "scoop" by the way. I'm sorry, my 7-year-old's sense of humor is rubbing off on me! It's his fault.)

 

(In the first picture Sam was standing far away from me because he had run away to fill up his diaper in private. So as nice as these pictures are, they do involve a poopy diaper. Just thought you'd like to know that nice little tidbit!)

A Glimpse Into My Day

Outside my window...the sun is shining and it's a beautiful day!

I am thinking...that I'm glad I took out my contacts a little while ago because my eyes feel so much better now. For some reason when I look at the computer for awhile my contacts have been going all buggy on me.

I am thankful...for my health, especially after being sick a few days ago, and to have good health overall.

In the kitchen...I need to do some de-cluttering, for three reasons: 1) it needs de-cluttering, 2) a guy is coming over to measure our counters tomorrow. We're having granite countertops put in this summer at my husband's insistence. And he says I'm the spender! and 3) we're having a huge party here on Saturday for around 60 of my husband's co-workers, so the kitchen needs to be totally clean and clutter-free.

I am wearing...a purple shirt and a knee-length denim skirt.

I am creating...this blog post.

I am going...to drive halfway across the country at the end of next week, from Iowa to Massachusetts! And then from Massachusetts we're going up to Prince Edward Island, Canada for our ten-year wedding anniversary vacation where we honeymooned. I can't wait!

I am wondering...how I'm going to get everything done that I need to do before then.

I am reading...The Rebellion of Jane Clarke by Sally Gunning. It's a good historical fiction novel set on Cape Cod and in Boston at the time of the American Revolution.

I am hoping...to sleep well tonight after having insomnia for the last two nights.

I am looking forward to...our vacation plans this summer and going back East to see family and friends for much of the summer. I'm also looking forward to watching the Summer Olympics in London in August (on TV, not in London. I wish!).

I am learning...to just let some things go in order to have more balance, sanity, and peace in my life.

Around the house...it's clean but a little cluttered here and there (like in the kitchen), and I need to start really packing for our summer trip. Almost every time I go in a room I think about what I need to pack that's in that room. It's starting to feel a little OCD.

I am pondering...the slow but steady improvement of the condition and health of my hair. Deep, I know.

A favorite quote for today...I've been repeating this quote to myself this week: "When you find yourself at the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on." (from President Franklin D. Roosevelt.) It's been a difficult week, with my sons and I all at various levels of sickness, being stuck at home a lot because of it, feeling stressed and not in control of things and overwhelmed by all that I want to get done, not having my husband here (he's in Baltimore on a business trip). But I keep tying that knot and hanging on! So far, so good.

One of my favorite things...Just one? How about three? Summertime, Pinterest, and banana splits.

A few plans for the rest of the week: Getting ready for our party on Saturday, shopping, errands, copyediting, and packing.

A peek into my day...It's not a peek that will make you want to switch places with me, that's for sure! This was Sam having a meltdown this afternoon. I think it was his longest one ever. This is one of the more mellow pictures--in the other ones I took he's screaming his head off and kicking his legs in classic toddler tantrum fashion. He's getting over pneumonia so it's not all his fault. But man does it drive me nuts!

This was a fun thing to do--I like random things like this. I always wonder about the little details of people's lives so I don't mind sharing my own. This is from The Simple Woman's Daybook blog. I hope you enjoyed this little glimpse into my day!

The Definition of Delight

If you were to look the word "delight" up in an illustrated dictionary, you could very well find pictures like these to define it!

 

 

  

"You're not really going to make me get off this ride, are you?"

Sam was so delighted to go on these amusement park rides last summer! I've been wanting to post these pictures on here since then because I think they're precious! I was really surprised by how well it went with him going on rides because I thought he was too young (22 months) to even be allowed on them, and that he'd be scared to go on them alone. But I was wrong on both counts!

The other reason I like these pictures is because I love Canobie Lake Park in Salem, New Hampshire. It's an old-fashioned amusement park that was built in 1922 and is located in a beautiful, picturesque setting. I've been going there since I was a child. In fact, there's a picture of me riding that same ride that my kids are riding in the picture above when I was a kid! I'd post it on here if I had it but my mom's got it.

These are a few more pictures of our day at Canobie last summer. I hope to go back and spend another day of "delight" there this summer! 

John likes the King of Pop's music. He has good taste, if you ask me!

John and Sam driving their cousin Hayley around in a cool (or flaming hot) set of wheels.

I can't help it--I love this stuff!

Canobie Lake, which sits right next to the amusement park. Lovely!

Sunset

I love sunsets! This is a simple pretty one that I saw one evening outside my house.

Date: Sometime in 2011
Location: Iowa

The reflection of the sky in the window is a pretty thing too.

Starting to fade away...

But there will be more sunsets to come. That's one of the great things about them--they're not as elusive as rainbows and they're such a nice way to end the day. Nature really knows how to do it right!

Five Things for Friday

I decided to get a little creative with my "Five Things" today by having them be something from each day of this past week. So without further ado...

1. Sunday: I woke up with the hugest, fattest upper lip ever. It was shocking! It looked like a collagen injection gone terribly wrong, but what actually happened was that I got stung by a mosquito in my sleep (hey, there's a cheap alternative to collagen injections! I see a business idea in the making...). It was buzzing around before I went to bed but I was too kind (and lazy) to kill it. I found it in the morning laying dead in the tub--sweet justice! Meanwhile, I didn't leave my house all day so that I wouldn't scare any children or make adults politely try not to do a triple-take when they looked at me.

2. Monday: Memorial Day and the unofficial start of summer--Yay! Some of our friends came over and helped put our new trampoline up. We'll be anchoring this one down into the ground so that it doesn't blow away in the wind and get damaged beyond repair, which is what happened to our last one after we'd only had it for a few months. That was a bummer!

3. Tuesday: I got two moles removed as a precautionary measure because they were getting a little bigger. The doctor shaved them right off. It was quick and easy, except for the Lidocaine injections, especially the one that went into my little toe. Ouch! Lidocaine and disappearing moles and a mosquito-induced fat lip all in three days; what an exciting life I lead!

4. Wednesday: Remember a few weeks ago when I said that I had banned myself from Pinterest until I got my life organized and under control? I finally succeeded in doing that last week! Needless to say, I love being back on Pinterest again! I'm no longer a skeptic and I unabashedly love that site. I spent a lot of time on there today, "working."

5. Thursday: The last day of May and also the last day of school, which John missed because he was sick again. He's missed three days of school in the last week. Poor kid! I'm not sure what's going on. Then Sam came down with a temperature of 105 this afternoon, which is just scary. Meanwhile I'm hoping and praying that Peter and I don't get sick. Me especially, because I have a whole lot of things to do in the next two weeks before we leave for the summer!

So that was my week summed up in five things. Our weekend plans include Stake Conference with Elder L. Tom Perry, which will be neat. As long as we aren't sick, that is! Have a great weekend!