This day in history

1958 - Yakety Yak, by The Coasters, became the number one song in the U.S.A., according to Billboard magazine

1960 - The first Etch-A-Sketch went on sale.

1984 - Steve Carlton of the Philadelphia Phillies earned his 100th strikeout of the season and led the Phils to a 4-3 win over the Cincinnati Reds.

2009 - Mason was born.

I could really wax poetic about all my little guy's amazing talents and qualities. He is seriously cool. But I will just say, the day he was born he changed my life for the better in the most profound ways.

Today he is going to eat a cake that looks like a train and open presents and get loved on by lots of people who care about him. It seems so insignificant a way to celebrate the life of one of the most important people in my life. I sure love my Mase Face.

July 4, 2011

It's not that I'm too lazy

For the sake of not writing things twice, and also because I actually am too lazy, I am posting the letter I wrote to my brother this week.

Dearest Kelson,

It would appear that my last e-mail never got to you because I attached too many pictures of my cute kids. That is your loss big time! Mason has been sick a lot lately which is a bummer but also kind of cute because he's so cuddly, but mostly a bummer because it's scary and sad. Brielle has been a total babe. She's a rolling pro and loves loves loves the attention of cuddles and kisses. I'm pretty sure she'll be making out a lot as a teenager. If her dad lets her out of the house.

We have been painting the new house nonstop. It's still not done but a lot of progress has been made. You wouldn't believe how much more painting there is and how much harder that painting is when the ceilings are 10 to 20 feet high. There has been very much precarious standing-on-of-ladders by myself. For all the hard work we are putting into the place it would be nice to think that we are going to stay there for a long long time. But alas.

But until that time we can make plans about how seriously cool we would make it if we were going to live there forever. (A slide that goes down the two giant terraces in the backyard right into our infinity pool at the bottom?) Please bless that the yard is no longer a hazard to babies who are learning to walk and also that Tim falls in love Perry and also with his commute to work.

Cousin Sarah asked Em and me to take her engagement pictures with Wayne over the weekend. Did I tell you we're planning her wedding? Oh yeah, mom must have because you mentioned it in your letter. I went dress shopping with her the day before the pictures and I actually enjoyed shopping more that pulling out my toenails with is not typical of me. Probably because it was her money getting spent and not mine. Anyway, the pictures turned out cute and it made me wish that I still had that big expensive camera that I used for a week and then returned.

Other things:

Tim and I had our 6th wedding anniversary and celebrated by eating, of course

It was Father's Day and we got Pop a Nook and Tim got a Drimmel

I successfully killed a baby's 104.5 degree fever

Pop shot a crow in the back yard and it's wife is really loud now and I think Pop is kind of sad but he won't admit it

Mason got a haircut that makes him look older so I hate it

We have been watching the Bachelorette like it's our religion

There are two Mormons running for President and Mormons have been all over the Internet lately. Mostly good stuff though! Well...so long as you don't read the comments

Mason went to the Brigham pool twice this week and I think he likes it as much as his mom.

Love you like a brother!

Crystal

Oh, Brother

The youngest kid in my family is on a mission in the Phillipeans. Do they say "the Americas" in other countries? Oh, I guess they probably say "the States." He is not in the States. These pictures he sent make me wish I was also not in the States, for just a little bit.

I love their little gangsta faces.

 Cool story - this kid is a little deaf, so they teach him by drawing pictures in the sand. Awh shucks.

Gluttons for punishment

Well we bought another house! Two houses away from the one we were going to rent. And actually, we don't close for another couple of weeks. But we found a house we like in an area that we (I) really like and we're movin' in. Eventually.

First we have to...
Grade the yard and add a ton of dirt. At least sixty tons to be more specific.
Put in a yard including sprinklers, sod, and trees.
Build a deck.
Paint the entire house.
Redo or finish all the finish work that the previous owners never did or did really really poorly. (Tile work, baseboards and trim, countertops, that kind of thing)
Refinish the hardwood.
Finish the basement? Hope not.

Wish us luck!