Favorite Friday... Jon

I don't really need to post anything about why Jon is my favorite, but I am going to anyway.

He does quiet acts of service for me all the time. This morning, I was having a slow go at it and before I was even functioning really, he had unloaded and loaded the dishwasher. He didn't say anything, probably thought I didn't even notice, but I did.

Then he and E watered the patio plants. This may not seem like a lot, but instead of hauling multiple watering cans from the kitchen - which makes a terrible mess not to mention how heavy the cans can be, we've developed a system where we send a line down to the ground (the deck is ten feet up) and someone on the ground ties the hose to the line. When the hose is pulled up, the ground person turns it on and the deck person waters everything and sends it back. It takes time. Again, done quietly and without fanfare.

He makes the bed with me in the morning.

He rubs the insides of my forearms and hands when we watch movies (one of my favorite things).

He loves me even when my pants get too tight.

He kills bugs, scary ones, for me when I am freaking out in the bathroom.

He lets me go to UT or OH or wherever with the kids, while he stays home and works. He doesn't grumble about it, just tells me he misses me, how bored he is alone and wishes I were home.

He makes me laugh - everyday.

He is a gifted artist with a creative spirit. Don't believe me... check this out.

He's happy to see me when he comes home, even if he was happy to leave. ;)

He doesn't complain when I spend too much time on the computer ignoring him.

He compliments my cooking.

He is talented at everything he tries his hand at.

He watches the kids so I can go running on Saturday mornings. I can sometimes be gone for hours and he never says a word.

He makes the best waffles, bar none.

He downloads apps to my phone that he knows I would like.

He charges my phone when I forget.

He keeps gas in the car so I don't have to do it.

He is worthy of the Priesthood he holds.

He is a good man. I mean a truly amazing, kind, sincere person.

He's terribly handsome, even without all his hair.

He has an incredible work ethic. He is the hardest working person I know.

He spends everyday doing something that he loves and is passionate about.

He makes sure to leave me hot water for a shower and doesn't complain when I don't leave any for him.

He hangs up his towel after a shower.

He likes to experiment in the kitchen.

He'll watch chick-flicks with me.

He supports my need to organize.

He lets me rearrange the Netflix queue with whatever I want and doesn't change it, even if that means he will be watching my choices for weeks without a break.

He reads to Esther before bed, even though we are both tired and ready to relax for the night.

He is the quieter of the two of us and doesn't mind being in the background most of the time with me making a lot of noise front and center.

He can fix anything and he always - ALWAYS - does it the right way, no shortcuts.

He hates clutter as much as I do.

He is learning Italian with the rest of us.

He is my best friend.

I could go on and on all day, but...

Most of all, he loves me for who I am today. I couldn't ask for more than that.

Happy Anniversary

Taken at Jon's Graduation from BYU in '07

On Sunday Jon and I celebrated our 13th Anniversary! It was pretty chill. We played baseball with the kids in the park and finished the day with vanilla milkshakes and a movie.

Thing is, I can't figure out where thirteen years went. It just seems like a blink and not, if you know what I mean. We figured out that by the time we celebrate another thirteen, E will be 24 yrs. old and Sis will be 20!! Jon will have had his 50th birthday and I will have blown out 46 candles on my last cake. Then we will really be wondering where the time went. I am not going to get all sentimental here. I have saved that for my own personal journal, but suffice it to say, I am grateful for the life I have and for the last thirteen years with Jon. They have been beautiful and full. We have experienced so much. We've learned together, grown together and wanted to strangle each other at times. We've made a family together, run a business, finished school, restored a house, moved 2000 miles, had adventures and trials, laughed until our bellies ached and cried until our eyes were dry(okay that one is me). I had no idea life would be so much fun.

Jon gave me these drawings done by a classmate of his. I love Lawrence's work. I have wanted some of his art for awhile now and I was so happy to get these two.

The images are only 5"x5" with the paper being 7"x7". He paints with tea for the background and uses pencil for the illustration. Jon chose these two because they remind him of our kids. I would like to get a few more of his drawings before we leave school. They are wonderful.

First, in honor of E. Its a long story, very funny, and totally embarrassing. Maybe I'll post the video. (As I write this, E is jumping up and down behind me, begging me not to post the video, as he feels it will show him as "an insane kid who liked to put underwear all over his body for fun".) Let me just say, he was 9 and he called himself Underpants Man. I can still hear him shout, "Underpants Man to the rescue!" like it was yesterday. I will say, all the underwear used in the filming was clean, albeit used.

This drawing holds another little piece of significance for me. As a kid, my mother always told us to wear clean underwear. I know, I know... Everyone's mother taught them to wear clean underwear, but her reason was very specific. If we were in accident and had to go to the hospital, imagine how mortified she would be as a parent to have her child caught wearing dirty underwear. I have never forgotten that. It still makes me smile to think of it. And the inscription on the drawing says never forget. Don't worry mom, I still remember.

I didn't ask Jon what specifically he thought of with this one. The inscription across the bottom reads, Or the warm lonely wind that always blows across this place like a BOX FAN... Can you feel this? It's just lovely and carefree and a little bit magical. I know the pics don't do them justice. The detail is fantastic. I love how he uses tea as a watercolor. It's so warm, so organic, so simple.

Sleeping Companions

E was up early on Monday, like 5:00am early. Sis was asleep on the couch in their room and Claudio had made himself comfortable.

E found my phone to snap a pic as he thought it an unusual and funny site. (The light is a table light in their reading nook as it was still dark when he shot the pic.)
I love our pets! The hair drives me crazy, Jacks' especially, but life wouldn't be the same without them. They love their "kids" and their kids love them. What could be better than that?

Farmers' Market

The problem with farmers' markets out here is they are almost all on Sundays, the good ones anyway. This year my edible garden consists of one tomato plant and three peppers, plus oodles and oodles of herbs. Needless to say, I miss eating fresh. I love buying locally though and especially not having to hop in the car for a trip to the market.

While we were in UT, a new farmers' market started up just down the block from our house. Today was its second week and we decided to check it out. It's still small, but I have great hopes for it. I talked to my kids about how we can lessen the impact we have on the earth when we support efforts like this. I let them pick out the produce they wanted for the week and they helped carry everything home.

This is the loot that we picked up this week. The cabbage was from PA, but everything else we bought was from Essex MD, less than 30 minutes from our house! Its all organic and fairly priced. We used bags from home and walked. Right about now I am feeling extremely grateful for these delicious strawberries and the fact that the rain waited until we were home to enjoy them. And I would be lying if I said needed the dahlia... purely a want and I love it! Isn't she gorgeous!

Baseball Crazy

We are officially baseball crazy here. What we lack in equipment we make up for in enthusiasm. Don't laugh. Currently we have one ball, one mitt, and one bat - one little league sized bat I might add. (E's mitt got lost somewhere in the move and I believe Jack got ahold of a ball or two thinking they were his chew-toys. We have never had a good bat and I have never owned a mitt of mine own.) Just means we get a little more exercise chasing that fabulous lonely ball across the field.
I decided if I was going to remain sane through the summer it meant getting out and doing things with the kids. Just a few blocks from the house there is a park that is big enough to hit the ball around. There are two fields, one (below) with little grass and the other (above) lush and green. We've been trying to spend some time everyday at the field playing ball and as the weather has been wonderfully cool, turns out we've been spending a lot of time at the field.
E's got a great arm on him. How did I not know this before now? Seriously, the kid can throw. Sis' face lights up everytime she gets a hit or makes a great throw. And I LOVE to hit the ball. I love to throw, catch, hit and run deep when one of the kids gets a piece of it. I love baseball. How did I forget this?