the joy.

I can't help but feel joy
when I look at this face every day.

1. two-teeth grins

2. hugs and kisses
3. baby girls

Wee, sleeket, cowrin, tim'rous beastie...

Living in a basement room, we have had our encounters with quite a few lovely creatures: ants, spiders of all shapes and sizes, and a nasty bunch of earwigs that would not quit in the fall. There have also been those creatures we have never seen but have definitely heard in the walls. I hoped that would always stay the case, but you never can tell what will attract a mouse...

Around 3 this morning I woke up to a loud clinking against our baseboard heaters. Joy of joys. I wasn't quite sure what to make of it at first until I realized it was on the move--from behind our bed to down the side of room, behind our chest of drawers, and--save me now!--behind Dot's crib. Ugh! Luckily, for this poor mother's sanity, Dorothy was in bed with us sound asleep (a typical occurrence when ya'll are sharing a room and the wee one starts fussing).

By this point I had turned on the lamp, elbowed Marty several times to wake him up, and was staring at the spot where I figured our guest was about to emerge. And oh, did he. That little gray mouse came flying out from behind the crib dragging in its mouth one of Dorothy's nuks! I about died! She had thrown one behind the bed the night before, and apparently this seemed like a great treasure to the mouse. That dang little thing would not let go of it. It ran under the crack at the bottom of the door, and even with us talking, the light on, and the door blocking the nuk's path, it pulled and pulled on the silicon nipple, the plastic side banging against the door with every attempt. Finally, after about a minute of trying, it let go and scampered off to some other area of the basement.

Woooowee! I'm laughing about it now, but in the middle of the night it hardly seemed amusing. I had awful dreams about all sorts of things invading our room for the rest of the night.

I hate to say it, wee mousie, but your "best-laid schemes" are coming to an end. The traps go out today.

1. waking up to see the humor
2. making it 6 months before a mouse appeared
3. only seeing one. and hopefully only the one.

45 days

The very first contractor we started working with
(ahem) LAST FALL
was our dear excavator/road man/ septic man.
Who is the only person holding us up at this point?
Yes.
The very same man who started his work first.
BUT
this post is not to complain (too much) about him.
We have finally taken action.
Don't push a pregnant woman around--
he got some pretty words from me.
I also drafted a letter to dismiss him from his duties
should he decide to keep procrastinating past next Tuesday.

ANYWHO,
the point of all this is
that even if we have to switch contractors,
our house WILL be done in 6 weeks or less.
It has to be.
We locked in our mortgage today,
so that settles it.

Ahhhhhhhhhh.
Doesn't it feel lovely to know
when the end of something will come?

1. Knowing just how much longer
2. Limited Edition Ginger Snap Ben and Jerry's
3. when the baby girl falls asleep before 7:30

In honor of this lovey dovey month...

Oh, this wonderful man.

And it just keeps getting better.

By any other color...

For most of the years I lived at home, ALL of our walls were painted in white semi-gloss goodness. This was a pragmatic choice by my parents; nothing can really clash with white, and more things will wipe off of a semi-gloss surface than say an eggshell surface. However, being surrounded by all that stark whiteness deeply offended my aesthetic self. So, now that I have the chance to paint the walls of my own home, I am throwing caution to the wind and incorporating a myriad of hues.

Marty and I have spent quite a bit of time hemming and hawing over exactly what shade of green, yellow, orange, blue, or red to use. We thought we had chosen well, and then the other night we picked up a new set of color samples. Now I think we FINALLY have THE colors that will grace our walls.

Drumroll, please:

The kitchen will be a lovely shade of "Organic Garden" green. Doesn't that name make you excited to cook a meal?

The dining room will be the calming, yet stately shade of "Pond" blue.

"Cheerful Hue" yellow will welcome everyone to our home and invite them to move into the music room.

The living room, where we will probably spend the majority of our time, will be covered in the warm shade of "Torchlight" orange--a subtle peachy hue.

And our master bedroom and downstairs bathroom will feel airy and light dressed in "Southern Breeze" blue.

Don't you just love paint names? I'll let your imaginations do the work for right now. Hopefully within a few weeks I'll have pictures of our painted rooms.

I should end by adding that by the time I was a teenager, my parents let me paint my bedroom a color other than white. I should further add that they now live in a home with beautiful colors covering every room. I am so proud:)

1. colors and the ability to see them
2. ice cream
3. Entering the third trimester--4 person family, here we come!

can I? can I? can I?

I recently checked this book out from the library
and was giddy looking through the recipes.

I can make my own english muffins?
crumpets?
cracked wheat loaf?
cinnamon raisin bread?
artisan breads?
and more?!

Well,
in theory I can.
I have yet to try any of these recipes.
But Rose Levy Beranbaum assures me I can do it!

I think I'll add it to my wish list
with visions of sourdough dancing in my head.

Anyone have a recommendation for another
good bread book or recipe?

1. baking stones
2. a new kitchen in which to try new recipes!
3. sharing a car with Marty--I love the mornings where
I get to take him to school and see him off!

The Call.

They extended.
I accepted.

Farewell Relief Society.
The other end of the building is calling.

And so begins my journey as Primary Chorister.

1. New opportunities
2. Music

3. Excellent examples to follow