Our IV Wedding Anniversary. *cutesie vomit warning*

copied and pasted from an e-mail i sent my friend (hi jodi!!) this morning:


It was our 4th anniversary yesterday. We went to Petite Louis, a French bistro in Roland Park.

I had been bugging him for 3 days asking him what he got me for our anniversary. And he kept putting me off. I gave him his presents the night before in hopes of getting my own early but alas, he told me I had to wait until our dinner.

So we get there and he sneakily retrieves a package from the back of the car. It's about the length and width of a postcard and about 3 inches deep. As we walk into the restaurant I beg him to let me open it he says no. He puts it on the table between us and every 8 minutes or so throughout or meal I ask if I can open it now.

Well just after we order dessert he says I can open it.

It is a box full of mother of pearl buttons with a velvet jewelry box in the middle. (Now I should explain here that when we were in high school I always had a spare button or six in my pocket and when we dated in high school any time I passed him in the halls I would hand him a button. Quirky - I know... I don't know why I did that). Many years later when we reconnected he bought me a jar of buttons from an antique store and so they have become a thing with us.

Anyway, I open the velvet box and it's a gold ring with a beautiful pearl. Ben takes the ring out, gets down on his knees in the restaurant and says, "The last 4 years with you have been amazing. This is the engagement ring I never got you. The pearl is because I know you love them and because of how much we both love the ocean. Will you please promise me again to be with me for the rest of our lives?"

Our dessert arrived with two glasses of champagne on the house.
Then he kept saying sweet things the rest of the evening like "I know this has been our hardest year yet and I know we've been bickering a lot but I wanted to tell you that I love that we fight and it only strengthens our relationship...." and he goes on to tell me what a wonderful mother I am...

I got all gooey and soft and smooshy and was completely embarrassed by how much i thoroughly enjoyed the moment.

November is over so here's what happened.

I haven't posted anything decent in a long time so let me catch you up during this lull.

On the 9th-11th of November j&i came with us to Pittsburgh to visit my sistaw and my goddaughter (and good friend, Kali). Aside from the atrocious drive there (I blame myself) it was a good trip. Esther made instant friends with Kit-Ten and proceeded to wrestle and put her in a head lock every chance possible. My allergies stayed relatively at bay until the last day there when they kicked into full gear. We went to the handmade arcade which was pretty neat. Lots of Etsy participants were selling their wares. We did our christmas shopping. Casey and Kali were as gracious hosts as they could be to 5 people intruding on their space (granted they got a lot of space)... and i forgot to take pictures...

On the 17th and 18th 3 pigs were slaughtered and butchered in the wood shop. They are currently residing in freezers all over the county, one of which is ours. poor pigs. yay us. yay organic meat, yay knowing where your food comes from.

We spent thanksgiving with Ben's mom (Hi Oma!). It was a glorious feast. Ben's sister and her fiance (hi Jes and Eric!) brought Mercury (their tiny-faced, gravity defying sweetheart of a dog) who followed Esther around because she left a trail of crumbs behind her everywhere she went. Aside from gnawing on slightly stale bread, Esther was quite taken with the 'ish (fish) and would lead anyone in arms distance over to the fish tank and then pat her chest and say 'ep (help) meaning "can you please lift me up so i can poke at the glass and eventually try to climb in the fish tank to be with those oh-so-interesting bug-eyed little fellas."

Opening day was last saturday. Opening day is a pretty big event here in Redneck-ville. While the majority of my family did, we did not participate except later that night when Ben assisted in hosing out and hanging up the 5 deer that were shot and pulled from the family farm and he did go out Wednesday at 4:30am...My brother (hi-ya Miah!) came into town for the weeks-worth of hunting.



And then: There's our anniversary!!!!!!!!!! (see next post)

I'm sorry...

I'm sorry i don't post anything worth while these days just a lot of pictures of Esther, which are of course, worth while but not necessarily substantial evidence of what my life is like these days.

Work has me very very busy and less inclined to spend any time on the computer other than when i'm forced to.

Also, the holidays are here and wreaking havoc on my life... That said, i can't wait to see many of you this coming holiday season.

More pictures of Esther...


Esther trying to eat the coat hanger she stole from her Daddy.Esther trying to get the finger puppet to stay on her little fingers.



And my newest Mommy Heart breaking moment:

me to esther: I love you
esther to me: I Vuv Vu

and then she kisses/head butts me.
and then i melted into a big old puddle of dumbfounded and overjoyed and completely in love!


AND...

She calls the guy who stocks the health food isles at the grocery store "DUCK!"

She's growing up too fast...

Pictures from Oma's Visit