Happy 12th Anniversary

Twelve years ago yesterday (July 13, 1996), J and I were married. Twelve years!!! So hard to believe. It seems like I should be saying Happy 5th anniversary or Happy 7th - but Happy 12th? Crazy.

I had planned to write a little summation of our lives together so far, but I have pink eye, and the squirmy baby on my lap has pink eye, and his big brother will wake from his nap any second, so there's no time to wax nostalgic today. (Didn't post yesterday for the same reason.) Ahh, life in suburbia. So romantic.

So here is what I'll give you instead. Twelve reasons why I still love my husband, after a dozen years of marriage. I still ask myself - how did I make such a good decision at 25 years of age? Seriously, how? I made so many bad ones. At least I got that one right.

So here goes. Twelve reasons (in no particular order) why I love my husband. After 12 years. And why I hope for dozens more.

1. You put Snoop Dogg and Green Day in the mix with Natalie Merchant and Lisa Loeb on my iPod Shuffle
2. You have a good heart, and you're a big teddy bear
3. You're an awesome father to our boys
4. You brew your own beer
5. You make me laugh
6. You're gorgeous
7. You keep our yard beautiful
8. You're a grill master and an excellent cook
9. You're a good communicator
10. You would rather backpack than shoot a deer
11. You do what’s right
12. You love good music (and you teach me about it, since I am clueless) – and your taste runs from Merle to White Stripes to Led Zeppelin to Smetana’s The Moldow
13. You're not afraid to be an a**hole
14. Most of the time you are not an a**hole
15. You have some bad boy in you
16. But mostly good
17. You are fun to be with
18. You love the outdoors
19. You are very smart but not pretentious
20. You like to do things right
21. You put family first and work hard for us
22. You're a great dancer
23. You keep me from taking myself too seriously
24. I can see us hanging out when we’re old and gray
25. We’ll visit brew pubs and go hiking
26. Or lie on the couch and watch movies all weekend and avoid the three-dimensional people
27. Just like we did in the beginning.

(I actually went over 12, but that's good, right?)

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My Cleaning Buddy

A coworker told me that she sometimes cleans her house with her baby boy in the Kelty on her back, which reminded me that we had a Kelty tucked away in the closet - and that Sawyer is big enough to try it out! So I strapped him in and started cleaning. He just rode along and took it all in. :) We'll use the Kelty a lot more - for hiking, not cleaning - when the weather cools off.

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Best Seat in the House

So J and Parker had an awesome time at the 4th of July fireworks! They didn't get back until around 11 p.m., though, because J parked far away and walked downtown (25 blocks!) with Parker in the jogger. The crowds were shoulder to shoulder on the way out, and they got caught in a deluge on the way back and were soaked. But Parker was on his best behavior and the view was amazing. It was a great introduction for Parker to fireworks, and J couldn't said it was the best he's ever seen - and definitely the best view. (Not to mention the Jack's BBQ and other great food.) Thanks, Kim, for your hospitality! Here are some pictures taken before the show started.

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Happy 4th, sort of...

We finally had really cool plans for the 4th of July - to go downtown and watch the fireworks from a condo right on the river (thanks to my lovely friend and coworker, Kim M., who invited us) - and what happens? Little Sawyer wakes up with a 102-degree fever. Parker had really been looking forward to his first fireworks show, and these opportunities don't come along often. So J decided to take Parker, just the two of them, so Parker wouldn't miss out. I, of course, and seriously bummed out to be missing the fun. Sitting at home now, I just talked to J. He says the apartment is absolutely incredible, right on the river, and they're going to have an amazing view of the fireworks.

****SIGH******

Poor Sawyer has been cranky all day, whimpering and feeling miserable. So it was definitely the right decision for me to stay home with him. He's sleeping now in his dark, quiet room on cool sheets, and his little forehead feels cool for the first time all day. But it's still a little depressing to be home on such a fun occasion, missing hanging out with friends, being around the excitment - and most of all, missing the expression on Parker's face when he sees those fireworks for the first time.

Don't get me wrong - I can't wait to hear how it goes, and I'm so glad they're getting to do this. J has promised to take lots of pictures, which I'll post later. Here's a picture of a very grumpy Sawyer, and Parker before heading downtown.

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Thanks, Aunt Susie!

Parker's Aunt Susie (my beautiful big sister Susan) sent Parker a sweet gift for his birthday - a doggie napper, with a detachable pillow and built-in blanket. It's really soft, and Parker loves it. For the first week or so, he insisted on sleeping with it in his bed. Now he likes to lie on it in the playroom while watching videos or reading books. Thanks, Sus, for thinking of Parker Warker on his birthday! We love you. :)

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