Saturday, September 27, 2008

A Good Friend of Mine

I left today and Owen said to Greg, "I love my mommy". "She is a good friend of mine".

I love to be a good friend of a boy that is 3. I love to be a good friend of someone so happy and sweet. Someone that enjoys every minute of a walk that lasts 1 1/2 hours instead of 35 minutes. Someone that picks up a caterpillar with joy in his eyes and laughs as it crawls from hand to hand. Someone that watches a chipmunk for the first time while it eats a blackberry. Someone that holds his favorite owl and tells the little friend that he doesn't have to worry, that we are all going on a walk together. Someone that is so brave to feed pigeons so that his mom doesn't have to enter the coop. Someone that says he loves me throughout the day. Someone that loves unconditionally. Someone so full of joy. Someone who teaches me something new everyday.

I love to be a good friend of Owen.

Monday, September 22, 2008

A Month in Review...

Where have I been?

We have been to Pike Place.

We have been out to eat (and apparently we have been scrubbing floors).



I have been on the pier.



And to Kayak Point Park...


We have been eating cake and ice cream for breakfast..


We have been to the circus.


We have been to the dentist....

and bowling with our friends...

We have been to dinner with Noni.


and to the Utah State Fair...




We rode the train to Salt Lake..
and have been to see cousin Aubrie, Dave and Liz and Grandma Jayne...


(Owen asked Dave if his goatee comes off)



And now we are back.

Sunday, September 7, 2008

Not the day I want

I am stuck home working today. It is a beautiful sunny day and I want to go play. Ben and Kelsey were heading off to the park to hang out by the water. I invited Owen, Greg, Felix and Robee to join along. Sorry Ben. They are off. I am here.

Greg just called to tell me what Owen said as they drove away.
"Daddy?"
"Yes Owen."
"I love my mom, she is a good mom."

I love him.

Thursday, September 4, 2008

The Perfect Day!!


The wedding has come and gone and could not have been better. Angie was happy and smiling all day!!

Friday continued on with the work. Ben and Eric were able to set up the tent, it was perfect. The dumpster was hauled away. It concerns me about myself that my dad and I felt a little sad for the dumpster as it was being hauled away. It was a good dumpster. Emilee and I began pressure washing and kept pressure washing and kept pressure washing. There was no end in sight. We washed off the basketball court for the first 2 hours, then it was off to the never ending driveway. Emilee took her 2 hours, then I finished it off after another 3. The carpet guys came and cleaned the carpet, informing me around 3:00 that it would take 8 hours to dry. Hmmm, 8 hours, no big deal. I think he meant to say 28 hours. That night we had every fan and heater working overtime to dry the carpet. As guests were arriving the next day, it was still wet. We pretended like it was dry. Thank heavens for shoes.




We ended the day on Friday at Red Robin, tired, excited, and ready for a wedding.

Saturday, the big day. Angie's phone won't work so we were forced to text message all day until she arrived. That was the worst part of the day. No, wait scratch that. The worst part of the day was during the morning while I was working on my ever messy room and basement. I received a text message from the bride: Steve and his brother are on their way to watch the game. Confusion. Panic. Re-Read: Steve and his brother are on their way to watch the game. Yes, it is true. The Iowa game was on. Steve, his brother Pete and Greg decided among themselves that this would be a good place to watch the game. Most importantly, Greg somehow fails to mention this to me. Good thing Angie did. I race out to the basement living area and frantically clean and vacuum. I don't want the groom, even in his lounging clothes to sit in a sea of cat fur. Just as the room is clean they arrive. They sit down to enjoy the game. Greg in his moment of insanity sits down with them. What is happening here? Everyone is working, stressing and perhaps beginning to panic. Greg is watching football. Greg comes in to ask what he can do to help. The only logical answer: leave me alone. The anger is too much to bear, he best leave me alone to protect himself. The cleaning, the game and now the fight continue.

Just when I think things are settling down and maybe I will get everything done, Owen enters the picture. My aunt Diana arrived and Owen asked her in his sweetest voice if she would like to see his moon sand. She doesn't know what it is, but would like to see it. Off we go downstairs to see moon sand. Now, when I left, the moon sand was put away in the table, the floor was vacuumed, the basement was ready. When I came down it was NOT. Moon sand everywhere. He had taken the moon sand and apparently threw it all over the basement. What in the world would possess him to do that, I have no idea. My aunt gets the vacuum and spends the next 30 minutes cleaning moon sand. Next time, I tell him, the moon sand goes in the garbage.

Angie is waiting at her house for my mom. They went to her favorite market in Edmonds earlier that morning to pick out the flowers. They did her hair and now she was waiting for my mom to come back and get her. She is left only with a texting phone. We are anxious to be together and start the day.

The house is clean, the tables are set up, the chairs are set up, the kids are clean and dressed, a prayer is said that they stay that way, the food has arrived, Angie has arrived, the judge has arrived, we are ready.

I set up two chairs in the front for Angie and Steve, making sure there was no aisle to walk down. They took their places, we took our places. My dad made a few comments about how Angie hates the spotlight in certain circumstances. He reminded us that when she was little (about 3 or so) she refused to get in a family picture. We actually have a family picture of Emilee, myself, Ben and my mom and dad. Angie is no where to be seen. I am sure she was feeling the same way about now. The judge was introduced and the ceremony began.
Emilee and I found Angie before it started, we hugged and cried. The emotions continued. She was crying and having a hard time saying her part. She took a little while to say "to be my husband" causing a little panic on some. I knew that she wasn't afraid, she loves Steve. As she was saying her part, Steve was nodding and encouraging her on.

It went perfectly! We mingled and talked, while eating delicious food. The day was beautiful.
After the socializing it was off to bowl!! We socked up our feet and headed out. We had rented 6 of 8 lanes at a local bowling alley. Everyone participated and had a wonderful time. Exactly what she wanted.




She is gone now to Greece. She has been emailing that she is having a wonderful time. She has played miniature golf, read almost an entire book, sat on the beach (in shade of course), went kayaking, and has been swimming. I miss her terribly and can't wait for her to come home.
I am glad her day went as perfect as she wanted it to and I am glad she has Steve in her life to hold her hands and nod his head to tell her she will get through it. They make a great team and I love them both dearly.
Oh, and we have no more moon sand.