Father's Day

Thanks pinterest for our little ideas.   They did my little interviews completely independent of each other and didn't know the other's answers.  I love how many are the same. He's a basketball watching, cross-fit obsessed, water drinking, kind and playful giant.  They're pretty spot on.

Father's Day weekend for us meant:

- Nana and Grandpa took the girls to Orange County on Saturday to play with their cousins for the day, so we had a babysitter stay with Finn while he napped and Ross and I took a vacation day at a nearby hotel pool.  Ahhh... that's when this desert heat doesn't seem so bad.

- we did breakfast in bed for Ross of course.  And it wouldn't have been the same had I actually used the powdered sugar for his french toast and not accidentally corn starch.  It's true.  He ate his whole plate before he came downstairs and said... "that was delicous.... buuuut.... that wasn't powdered sugar." huh? I looked a the box I'd been sifting from.... 100% pure corn starch.  As if it was rubbing my insane mistake in my face.  Luckily he likes a good story.

- Blue cheese crusted steak for dinner.  All in all, a more successful meal than breakfast.  Which isn't saying much I guess.  But it was good.  Any red meat with blue cheese is a hit with me.

Did I mention I covered our father's day french toast in corn starch?  Best father's day ever.  

Did I mention he turned 34?

He's so mature.

Are you dying for a list of 34 things I love about this boy? What?-- it's been done too many times you say?

Too bad.

1. He listens to me complain about home projects for far longer than should be allowed.

2. He makes waffles and pancakes from scratch when I'm not there to do it.

3. He comes home tired from work-- but never too tired to suck all the last bits of energy out of the kids before bed-time. He's a jungle gym.

4. He always does bed time. Except on his birthday.

5. He makes rules like "let's kiss for 10 seconds every night when I get home" when he notices that we're forgetting about each other because our kids are much cooler than we are. And much more demanding.

6. He helps me put the sheets on the bed at midnight when I've inevitably forgotten about them until then, even though he's perfectly happy to sleep on the mattress cover.

7. He always packs the car.

8. And he always cleans out the car after a trip.

9. He always offers to let me have his food if I don't like what I've ordered. (I wouldn't make him trade with gross food... but it's nice to get the offer.)

10. He gets a really great ooh la la face when I've actually done my hair. It makes me feel great all night.

11. He'll never finish off a treat he thinks I might enjoy. There's always some for me.

12. He carries all the heavy bags on trips, happily--- views it as a work out.

13. He's so quick to apologize.

14. He's patient with me and with the kids.

15. He loves his family... the one he came from and ours of course.

16. I'm pretty sure he lets me make him an icecream sundae most nights just so I don't feel alone in my splurging.

17. He works his tail off so I can stay home and be a mama.

18. He respects all that THAT means.

19. He finds the good music and puts it on my ipod so I don't have to figure it out.

20. He DVR's all the shows so I still don't have to know where any channels are.

21. He wakes up at the crack of dawn to work out so he can still come home at a decent hour.

22. He laughs at my jokes and looks proud when I'm funny.

23. Any time we fight, he tells me, "I always knew that with you, it'd never be boring". Good thing? I guess that could depend on tone of voice and what we're fighting about.... but I'm gonna keep thinking it is.

24. He takes the girls to Costco most Saturdays to give me some quiet time.

25. He always makes the dreaded calls to the cable company, or Apple when we have a computer or tv issue even though I'm the one complaining about it. But he knows I'd rather bury myself in quick sand than sit on the phone for 2 hours with some guy from India that makes me start with making sure the computer is plugged in. can't handle it.

26. He appreciates food.

27. He watched the new Jane Eyre with me and didn't say anything rude.

28. Probably because he secretly actually really loves chick flicks. But usually not period pieces. So it still deserves it's own number.

29. He stuffs his closet full with his exercise ball and inversion table because he knows I can't stand for them to be anywhere else in the house.

30. He notices my eyelash growth (or says he does.)

31. He doesn't notice my waist growth (or says he doesn't.)

32. He adores his kids and gives them real, tender, genuine attention and love EVERY day.

33. He loves the Lord.

34. He's mine. (awwwww.....)

He survived it!

And still got home in time to give me the gun show. :) I'm a lucky lady.

It sounds WILD... 10 miles, most of which was extremely uphill or downhill, electrical currents, inclined, greased monkey-bars, lots of water, some claustrophobic spaces and lots more. He got a bunch of footage on his waterproof head-cam. I just might have to post some here eventually for record's sake.

It's too bad he was behind a guy in a thong for most of the race. It's a little distracting. And super gross.

Ross's Ragnar

Last weekend, Ross and a bunch of his friends did the Southern California Ragnar which started in Huntington Beach and ended in Silver Strand in San Diego. It spanned 200 miles and about 31 hours (for them.) This is their whole team. Ross, a couple of his brothers and a couple of their friends, and some friends of ours from out here in the desert. Their ages probably ranged from like 25-45. Kinda cool.

Ross and his brothers, Zach and Ben.Zach, after he ran 8 miles at like a 7 min pace in 97 degree weather on a non-support leg (where his team can't give him water) and the Ragnar didn't supply enough--oops! He made it to the finish and nearly blacked out.
The six guys in Ross' van-- half of the team.

And their tally of runners they passed. I hate to think how many of those tallies I would represent if I ran one. And can you believe I'm thinking about it? I'm just assuming that several months will do some magic on my body so it could be physically possible. We'll see about that.

As for Ross, he ran a total of 22 miles in three legs. Two of which were bonus because he got lost on the boardwalk in Mission Beach where one of their signs had blown away. Lucky guy. I cannot IMAGINE tacking on 2 miles to a 7 mile run at the end of a sleepless 31 hour stretch. That's not saying much since I can't imagine running to my mail box right now. But still.

Apparently there were a few holes in Ragnar's organization, but all in all. I'm pretty sure Ross had the time of his life.

It's that time of year!

"Wait-- don't take it yet, I've got dust in my eye." This is what happens when he's leaving us for a bit. Can you see the moisture? Sorry to spill the beans Ross. But I got it on camera.

I normally wouldn't announce it in real time, but my parents are here to play with me and the kids this weekend (coincidentally! hooray-) while Ross is on his annual mancation in Utah. Although he just texted me and said they should change the name to wuss-cation... cause they're all getting old.

I told him I'd make official t-shirts.

So, Kirk took the girls to the zoo today while I snuggled Finn, checked off my to-do list, and tried to get over the fact that a bunch of people talked trash about me yesterday because of this whole poster snafu. That is no fun. Geez louise. Thank goodness it's a new day.

He turned 33 yesterday!

And he's still lookin' flyyyyyy......

A run on the zip line--- when the brakes still needed a little help...

Sometimes I wonder why I'm posting something--- like who on earth I think will care to watch.

And then I remember that we will, later, when it's lost. Because I lose things. And this here blog is one place I can't lose. I've recovered many a recipe from it. If anyone else enjoys Ross riding the zip line and my annoying drum of a laugh in the background-- well then, here you have it. At your lucky little fingertips.

What would we do without him?

My friend Julie told me that once at her house, Sophia stood at the feet of her husband who was doing the dishes, perplexed.

"what are you doing?"

" The dishes.. (seeing an opportunity)… why doesn't your daddy do the dishes?"

"NO---My mommy does the dishes. My daddy jumps on the trampoline with us."

And this is how it goes in our house. I feel like I get the best job. They come to me for snuggles, for rock-a-bye-baby, for love-you's and bandaids and kisses. They color with me and sing with me and read with me (not as much as we should, I won't lie… but it still happens)…. but when the end of the day or the end of the week comes and all I want is to turn my mind off for a few, there's no question who they'll choose to jump on the tramp in triple-digit-heat with them, or chase them in circles around the house, or give them dangerous horsey rides around the coffee table with too many hard corners, or play "I have two teddy bears!" while pretending to sleep on the couch….

And I get to watch from the safe-zone of my kitchen sink. I love being mom.

Ross had kidney stones this morning.

I've never seen him in so much pain... it was awful. He woke up in a little pain at 5 or 6 and went downstairs... I noticed he was out of bed earlier than he needed to be for a Sunday but since I can't really think before 8am, I didn't wonder. Then he calls out at like 7 from downstairs, "Lillie! I need help---", I come out and see him lying on the living room floor--- "You need to take me to the emergency room."

I was worried the ER would have a long wait and lots of crazies like it does in the movies, so we decided to do the Urgent Care instead. Unfortunately they didn't open 'till 8, which left Ross throwing up and writhing in pain on the bathroom floor for an hour. Then after waiting at the door to be the first patient in, they took one look at him and his sweaty, ghostly white face and told us to go to the Emergency Room. (It was that or his pajama pant, holey t-shirt and sockless running shoe look.) Either way, bummer.

They took him right in at the ER, and by the time I took the girls to a friend's house and came back, he was lying in a hospital bed calm and peaceful. No moving or wincing or moaning or WRITHING... that really is the only word that describes it. I touched his arm to see if he was awake and he opened his eyes --"they've got me on some wicked good drugs." Oh the miracles of medicine. I was so grateful.

They took him in for a cat scan and then dosed him up a little more when he was still having a bit of pain. Then again--- peace. Ahhh....

The Doctor came in and explained that the biggest one, a 5mm stone had just passed through his something-or-other (the painful part- some tubes below the kidney but before the bladder?) and the worst was over. Phew. There are a few more in his kidneys still but they're little and hopefully won't cause pain like the last one.

So he's had like a dozen glasses of water today and lots of rest and some good drugs and we're CROSSING our fingers that it's over. Cross yours too?

The luckiest.

Today, this boy, my best friend of all time--- turns 32. So here you have it.

32 reasons I got LUCKY:

1. He still saves me the last bite.

2. He likes chick flicks

3. But he's MANLY. For reals.

4. He tells me I'm beautiful (with really good influction and tone.)

5. He knows... or has learned-- how much influction and tone matter to me.

6. He supports me in this photography thing so much--- If you were all scratching your heads as

to why I hadn't figured out that I stink yet, it'd be because of him. His fault-- my personal cheerleader.

7.He has hair on his chest.

8. He cries when he bares his testimony.

9. Or gives a talk in church.

10. Or witnesses a milestone with the girls.

11. Or when they catch the bad-guy in "The Mentalist."

12. He's rather tender.

13. He lives with JOY. My mother-in-law put it this way the last time we were at her house and

it hasn't left me. This is why he makes my life so happy. He makes himself happy--- he OOZES happiness.

14. He pretends he doesn't notice when I've added some holiday (holiday being used freely... as it can happen at any point in the year) pounds.

15. He believes in working hard, to play hard. And maybe the second part wins out JUST often enough.

16. He's a straight arrow. A rule follower--

17. and yet doesn't/couldn't/wouldn't judge a soul.

18..Which means more times than I'd like to admit, he's reminding me softly (as I'm caught gossiping) that I don't know the whole story and it's none of my biz-nass.

19. He'll stay on the couch by my side until I'm ready to close the lap-top and go to bed, even if he's been asleep for hours.

20. He always checks the windows, doors, and alarm at night. Even AFTER those hours asleep on the couch and even in his zombee state.

21. In our first house, we had a middle-of-the-night earthquake, and he had me swooped up and into the doorway before I had fully awaken. True story.

22. Last night we had another earthquake and he bolted up and put his arm over me. Apparently he's aware of the extra holiday pounds afterall.

23. He would rather be a father whose daughters KNOW him (and because of that, know themselves) than the most rich and powerful man in the world.

24. He's loyal--- to me and anyone he's ever known.

25. He's still got a jaw that makes me look a little longer than I should at this point. I think he's ho--ot. (that's "hot" not "hoot.")

26. Although, he is a hoot-- he just gets funnier with age.

27. His eyes are like the ocean, and for this reason, I'm glad he's got inSANELY strong genes. Because my daughters' are the same. And that just might be the reason I love photography so much.

28. He's got the perfect amount of nerd in him.

29. He's a dreamer, and yet easily pleased. So he'll always be thinking ahead and moving us forward... but will enjoy every phase along the way.

30. His chest is strong and broad, and seeing our newborn girls snuggled up on him might be a favorite image of all time.

31. He loves our Savior.

32. He chose me-- and makes me feel like nothing could have deterred him from that. He chose me even after I was an awful little 21-year old and he shouldn't have. He's all of these wonderful things and he makes me feel like he was always meant to choose me.

Like, I said. I got lucky.