It's too hot to play...

Seriously.

 

It's hot.

 

I sort of wish my boys were here so I didn't look so foolish running through the sprinklers by myself.

 

Okay.

 

I didn't really do that, but I did find something else to do!

 

It's been the weekend of SEWING projects.

 

See, my sewing machine has a short power cord.

 

So I pull the kitchen table over closer to the outlet.

 

Which is also RIGHT NEXT TO THE AIR VENT!

 

Score me!!!

 

So, what did I sew?

 

A quilt top... but it's too hot to quilt it right now.  Nothing says "Heat Exhaustion" like holding a quilt on your lap when it's over 100 degrees outside. So instead it's hanging on my banister just waiting for a cool day or a long drive.

 

 

Some new... uhhh... I don't know what they're called.  They hold my curtains back.

 

 

 

 

A "couch" runner... which if you have children and your couch back is open to the dining room table and right next to the back door will save you tons in cleaning... because every time they got up from the table or came in from outside they would run their hands along the back of my new pretty grown up couch.  I was NOT impressed.   So, I made this removable, washable, kid friendly piece of insurance.

 



 

 

And my favorite... runners for my new living room tables...

 

 

Seriously, my favorite.

 

It's weird that a small piece of fabric can put a smile on my face.  It's not just the fabric... it's all of it. 

 

Now that our basement is finished, and we have a great family room for the boys to be boys in, I can finally have a PRETTY adult space. 

 

And it's exactly what I want.  I spent ages shopping for the perfect couch, months for tables... and now, it's the little things that are falling into place.  I still need lamps and one more small table for next to the couch, but it's almost done... and it's perfect.

 

 

Oh.My.Jeep.

I have been driving a sub-compact for almost 5 years.  

I loved it.  

A Nissan Versa Hatchback.  It was my very very first new car, they had just rolled it off the truck and it was still wrapped in plastic.

And when I was searching for a car at that time, I was considering the following:

1. We were about to try for baby #2, which meant several years worth of yucky baby things being spilled in the car.

2. Mark was on the verge of going out on his own, so it had to be super cheap AND cheap to run.

3. After driving trucks for several years, I wanted something that would FIT into parking spots (or better yet, the garage at my office), but that could still haul a ton of stuff!

So, after much research... I bought my itty bitty, cute little Versa.  

And I really did love it, so when Mark decided to list it for sale, I had very very mixed feelings.  

Especially since Mark was looking at a Jeep to replace it.

ACK!

And then my cute little blue car SOLD!

And I had to get serious.

We test drove one, and OH. MY.  How different they are!

So, re-evaluating my top three needs from a car, I came up with:

1. My boys are bigger, and more active, and I need something that can fit not only THEIR bigger bodies, but their friends too!

2. Family time... trips to Zions, trips up the canyon, trips to Moab... where ever... we plan on having a LOT of road trips.  Dirty, muddy, road trips.

3. Uhhh... still want something smaller than a TRUCK! 

And so, Mark got his wish, and yes, she's "mine"... but as my nephew Trevor pointed out, Uncle Mark was driving her! 

Dinner Out

On Saturday Night, Mark proposed a rare treat... Dinner out!  

The boys LOVE a local pub called Iggys... Evan because it's a sports bar with lots of TVs, Ryan because we never have to shush him or make him sit still in their big horseshoe booths.  

Mark and I like it because we don't have to keep the boys quiet, but the still have great food and a good atmosphere!  

Anyway... We talked Evan into something different than his usually Coconut Shrimp...

And he ended up with a sandwich as big as his head.

Ryan is the picky eater, and of course, ordered just burger with nothing on it and fries.

He had a blast eating the giant fries though... and my favorite moment was when I talked the boys into eating a fry "Lady and the Tramp" style... 

 

And I caught this face as Evan realized he was about to "EWWWWWW KISS BROTHER ON THE LIPS!!!"

I know that everyone enjoys different things, but I couldn't ask for a better night "out" than spending it with my boys and sweet husband!!

The Best Morning

I am thankful that my Thanksgiving morning looked like this:

 

It seems silly and simple, but PJs and checkers, gathered around the kitchen table was a pretty perfect moment.  

Home Sweet Home

If I had any doubts about our choice to fly to Ohio for this surgery, they were chased out of my mind as we flew home yesterday.

Seriously, we were notified at 2:31 pm (eastern) that they had made the first cut on Wednesday the 7th... and we landed in Utah at 10:50 am (mountain) on Wednesday the 14th. 

He was back in Utah less than 7 days after having open heart surgery... and not just a small surgery... they literally cut his heart into two pieces and sewed it back together.  They removed 11 ozs of muscle so that his heart could hold a normal amount of blood once again. 

And he sat at our kitchen table last night and ate dinner... he had coffee with me this morning.

As we come into the Thanksgiving season, I cannot even begin to count the blessings that have entered our lives over the last 7 months.

It was April 9th that we began this journey.  It was April 27th that we were told how difficult and dangerous it would be. 

And today, November 15th, is the day it all falls behind... a difficult chapter in our lives coming to a close.  The next chapter will be one of healing, and moving forward.

Later, I will write the whole story down... right now... it's too difficult, the emotions too raw... but today, it becomes the past. 

Resistance is Futile

I was talking to Evan today, and trying to explain Chest Tubes and Temporary Pace Wires and some of the other foreign attachments Mark has right now.

He says to me, "OH!  Like the Borg!!  COOL!"

Whatever helps him understand and not get freaked out I suppose!! 

The word is out...

And I hope now it makes sense as to why the ol'blog has been a little slow!

If you didn't know before... or didn't know until the FB posts started... Sorry... it was one of those things that I couldn't really talk about openly because it was just toooooooo much to put into words.

Let me give you some details, now that I can wrap my head around them and form the words.

Mark had open heart surgery on Wednesday.  He has a genetic disorder of the heart that was diagnosed in April.

It has been a very long hard summer.

We appreciate all the wonderful thoughts, prayers, assistance and EVERYTHING that everyone has reaped upon us.  We could not have made it out here to Cleveland without it.  He is doing very well, and we hope to be on our way home next week.

Oh, and some of you might be unaware of why we would travel across the country for something like this...

Basically, as awesome as our care options in Utah are, there are very few surgeons who have the training and the background to complete what we had done today.  Knowing that it wasn't an option in Utah, we did a lot of research and found the surgeon we felt most comfortable with... and he happens to be at the Cleveland Clinic.  Who would have thought Cleveland would have one the of the number one Cardio Hospitals???

It just melts your heart...

Funny, how such a simple thing can make you fall in love over and over and over again. 

I'm pretty lucky I think.

Eleven Years



Love is when you look into someone's eyes and find everything you need.

Beat

One of my favorite quotes is pounding around in my head today...

 To walk we have to lean forward, lose our balance, and begin to fall.

 We let go, constantly, of the previous stability, falling, all the time, trusting that we will find a succession of new stabilities with each step.

Today, I am moving through instability, but focused on each heart beat, each step, each breath.  Tomorrow will bring a new set of experiences and new steps to be taken.  But today, each beat, each breath, each step. 

Just the two of us...

For my birthday this year, Mark and I decided to get out of Dodge... without the boys!

We headed out after work on Friday, and drove down to Moab, Utah, the home of Arches National Park.  It's a place like no other on the planet... unless the planet is Mars. 

And what better place to spend your birthday but lost in another world with just the love of your life??

Date Night

October is already slated to be a busy busy month for our family, and knowing that, Mark and I arranged for a nice quiet night out with OUT the boys.

My beautiful sister came over to watch them, and Mark and I headed out.

That is after Evan informed me I had on too much eye make-up.  That's what I get for letting him watch Ferris Bueller!

We went to dinner at a local pub, and then sat in the truck trying to figure out exactly how old it would make us if our date was over before 7, lol.

We really didn't want to watch a movie, and on short notice, that really limited our options. 

But then we decided to take a nice quiet drive up the canyon and just talk and be with each other.

It wasn't very crowded, Oktoberfest was going on at Snowbird, and I think that sucked most of the traffic away from Big Cottonwood. 

And we timed it just right... Just as we came around the final switchback before dropping back into the valley... the sun was setting. 

It's a little blurry, since I took it from a moving truck with my phone... but at least you get a small idea of how beautiful it was!

It's funny how, even after being together for almost 11 years, something as simple as a drive in the mountains at sunset can be one of my favorite moments. 

New Love vrs... "Less" New

(I almost typed "Old" love, but then that made me feel REALLY, well, OLD, so I changed it.)

So, here's my lesson in how the heart "matures"...

My adorable brother-in-law was married last weekend, and now I have a beautiful new woman in my life I get to call my sister. 

They are so very much in love, as you can see from their first dance....

And then, fast forward...

And here is Mark and I... ten years after our first dance:

I believe he was yelling across the dance floor at my other "sister", Casey. 

Hell, I was just shocked he sent Evan to find me so we could dance! 

Who cares if he's chewing Casey out while we do it!  

PS, Here is Casey, dancing with my Brother-in-Law.... 8 years of marriage, with one 4 year old thrown in for good measure!







Why Mark is Awesome

Okay, really there are a million reasons why Mark is awesome.

As I stood there watching him at this moment, it just made me smile.

 I'm sure this seems silly... A handful of gummy snacks makes my husband awesome??

Well, the boys had both already eaten... Mark had just walked back down to us after helping with someone else's machine, and he grabbed a little baggy of snacks for himself. 

And then, as he went to put one in his mouth... Ryan saw him and begged for some. 

So he held out his hand... and Evan came over... and between the three of them, Mark got one itty bitty gummy from his bag.  

So then he grabbed a granola bar... and shared that too.

And he loved every minute of it.

And that is why my husband is awesome

Father's Day Adventures

I swear, that IS the trail... or what's left of it after a record START to the run off. 

This is Mark helping bring one of the machines in our "It's all about what the men/dad's want *cough*6 hour*cough*" ride's crazier sections of "trail". 

And I use the word "trail" loosely.

Oh, MAN do I have a lot of great pictures to share!  It will take me a few days to get them sorted out!

We woke up this morning to a complete downpour, so we headed home early, but I think everyone enjoyed the weeked!

What does your husband do?

You know, I get that question a lot.

It's hard to explain in one sentence.

I've come up with all sorts of answers over the years.

Most of them sarcastic.

I can tell you, he's incredibly talented.

And smart.

And I am very proud of what he has accomplished.

Even if it is hard to explain in one sentence!

The SKY IS FALLING!

Or, the HORSEMEN ARE APPROACHING!!

Or some other random "The end of the world is near" phrase.

This incredibly handsome man:

Spent ALL DAY yesterday scrubbing the bathrooms. 

ALL DAY.

SCRUBBING.

WITH A TOOTHBRUSH.

SCRUBBING.

USED UP EVERY OUNCE OF BATHROOM CLEANER I HAD.

ALL DAY.

Now, my husband is a very good provider and caretaker.  And he will occasionally do the dishes or make dinner. 

He almost always takes out the trash.  And he keeps a mighty spiffy yard. 

He can even fold laundry (even if I sometimes refold the towels and sheets).

But, he gags at the thought of cleaning a bathroom. 

I think maybe it was my anniversary gift.  Or maybe he just decided that I wasn't keeping the grout spiffy enough.

Who cares. 

It translated into AMAZINGLY shiny bathrooms. 

And I decluttered and cleaned elsewhere, and we ended up with a shiny clean house by the end of the day. 

He is sooooo my favorite right now!

Ten Years Ago Today

Oh, how I love this man!

Sunday Morning Shine

A carry over from Mark's military past is a perfectly shined shoe.

I remember when Evan was little, he would sit at Mark's side as he went through the steps that were literally drilled into him.  He would watch intently with each swipe of the brush and swirl of the polish.

As I stood this morning and watch from the doorway as Ryan did the same, it was a very powerful moment. 

As a mom, there are certain things you do for your children.  You kiss the owies, you fill their tummies, soft and loving.

As a dad, there are others.  Mark is an amazing father.  He's tough, and sets the bar high.   He's quiet and strong.  He leads his sons by example. 

He doesn't wear his heart on his sleeve, and his praise must be earned.  But he's also the type of man who will sit on the back steps and teach his sons to polish their shoes.  To fish, change the oil, mow the lawn.

My Latest "Junk"

Isn't it pretty??

(Don't worry, even if you think it's an old busted wooden box like my husband, who has NO imagination, I'll still like you... after all, I still like him.)

Speaking of my husband's lack of imagination.

We were standing around the kitchen this weekend, and I was cutting the guts out of an old book I had picked up for an upcoming project.  He was looking at me like I was NUTS... so I said, "Isn't this cool?  I got it at the DI for FIFTY CENTS!" and then I demonstrated how I was going to use it.  "They charge like $30 for this!!"

He looked at me and said, "You went to the DI?" (Our local thrift store.) 

 Wait:  Let me translate that since you can't here his tone of voice.  It was more like "EWWWWWWWW You went to the DI??  Did you completely sanitize yourself after you left?? You soooo have cooties now!!"

I looked at him blankly. 

"I go the DI a lot."

"YOU DO??" Again, with inferred tone: EWWWW!!! You're gross!!

At which point I laughed.  And I started pointing out some of my DI purchases (the majority of which are up-cycled into display pieces around our house). 

His jaw hit the FLOOR. 

 "You did NOT get that OR that (pointing at this and this) at the DI."

"Well, that's not how they came, but yes, I bought them at the DI."

"Why would you go to the DI?  Can't you get that crap at the craft store?"

"Yes, and I could have paid $30 for a frame instead of $4.  And I wouldn't enjoy it as much."

I could see my husband struggling with his dislike for second hand stores and his love of my NOT spending money. 

He stopped talking.

I have taken that to mean that 1. I can buy whatever I feel like at the craft store if 2. I never ever ever tell him about my trips to DI again.