Five Years

Five years ago today, I married my best friend under a canopy of trees and right before a thunderstorm. We celebrated the beginning of our lives together with our family and friends and held each other close throughout the evening. We danced to our song, walked through a showering of bubbles, and drove off into the night. We spent our first night together as a married couple in our very first apartment. What a perfect day!

"In Your Eyes"

by Peter Gabriel

love I get so lost, sometimes

days pass and this emptiness fills my heart

when I want to run away

I drive off in my car

but whichever way I go
I come back to the place you are

all my instincts, they return

and the grand facade, so soon will burn

without a noise, without my pride

I reach out from the inside

in your eyes

the light the heat

in your eyes

I am complete

in your eyes

I see the doorway to a thousand churches

in your eyes

the resolution of all the fruitless searches

in your eyes

I see the light and the heat

in your eyes

oh, I want to be that complete

I want to touch the light

the heat I see in your eyes

love, I don't like to see so much pain

so much wasted and this moment keeps slipping away

I get so tired of working so hard for our survival

I look to the time with you to keep me awake and alive

and all my instincts, they return

and the grand facade, so soon will burn

without a noise, without my pride

I reach out from the inside

in your eyes

the light the heat

in your eyes

I am complete

in your eyes

I see the doorway to a thousand churches

in your eyes

the resolution of all the fruitless searches

in your eyes

I see the light and the heat

in your eyes

oh, I want to be that complete

I want to touch the light,

the heat I see in your eyes

in your eyes, in your eyes

in your eyes, in your eyes

in your eyes, in your eyes

My Sweet, Sweet Baby Brad,

Through the good, the bad, and the ugly - you are there for me.  You keep me calm when I am crazy and you make me laugh.  You help me to relax and to take it easy...to not sweat all of the small stuff.  You are more patient with me than you are with anyone else, and I thank you for that.  You make my life better every day.  Together, with Jack, you have made me a mother...my most cherished gift.  I love you more every day, and I know that together, we can get through anything.  I look forward to everything the future holds for us and to growing old with you.  I love being your wife (yes, even on the days you make me crazy)!

I love you,

Erika

Busy, Busy, Busy (aka - Sunny Cleveland, Part II)

Last Saturday, while we were at the family reunion, Jack was busy, busy, busy.  So busy, in fact, that I actually did very little visiting and eating (so sad!) because I was crazy busy just trying to keep up with a two year old:)  You may notice a change in clothes - remember, we're potty-training. 

At the picnic alone Jack:

swung with Grampy...

and with Daddy...

cuddled with Grampy...

stored Potato Head in the cooler...

(Grammy said, "He's chillin'")

played with the big boys...

found a stick that he loved...

spied on the doggies with Maya...

explored the tunnels at the park...

found a new kind of slide...

played in the SAND...

fed the geese with Daddy...

kept some of the bread for himself...

hugged his third cousin...

and sort of posed for a family photo.

I'm exhausted just thinking about all of that, and he did it without a nap! Needless to say he fell asleep in the car before we left the parking lot, but my goodness, our boy was busy!

On another note, today was Grandpa's birthday.  Jack, Daddy, and I called him this morning to wish him a happy birthday.  Jack is adorable when talking on the phone now (note to self: catch on video), but I still have to relay each message:)  This evening we went out for dinner and then back to Ray and Diane's for dessert, but I forgot my camera:(  I'm thinking I should just leave it in my purse...might make things easier.  Anyway, just wanted to take this extra opportunity to say Happy Birthday, Grandpa!  Hope you had a great day - you deserve it!

Sunny Cleveland, Part I

So I mentioned here that we went to Sunny Cleveland last weekend for my family reunion.  We had a blast, but the visit was way too short.  I wish we lived closer to my mom's family:(

On Friday, we packed up our things and headed to BWI for Jack's first airplane ride.  We'd been getting him excited about it all week, talking about how he was going to ride in airplane and "won't that be fun?" and all of that good stuff, but we weren't really sure how it would go. 

Jack is a champ.  He absolutely loved it! 

Prior to takeoff

Looking out Daddy's window

What a smile!

I'm not good at flying.  At all, in fact.  I hate it.  But as I was white-knuckled and clutching the arm rests like they could save my life during takeoff, Jack happily screamed out for a large section of the plane to hear, "This is so fun!"  I was very glad he was so happy - it made for a much easier flight.

We got to Sunny Cleveland (by the way - I call it Sunny Cleveland because usually it's never sunny when we're there), and it was actually a beautifully, sunny day.  We got our rental car, met back up with our puppies (Ryan and John had kindly driven them to Ohio so as not to have to fly with one baby and two small dogs), checked into our hotel, and headed over to Aunt Kathy's where my parents were waiting for us.  We had a nice, relaxing evening at her house.  Jack didn't relax so much, but the rest of us did.  Jack learned how to roll down a hill, thanks to Aunt Kathy.  Check out these pictures:

And not only that, but I have a video for you as well. 

I may be nearing thirty, but I still know how to have a good time:)  Once we came inside, Jack was able to relax a little more.

He confiscated this stuffed polar bear from Aunt Kathy and Uncle Jack's bed.

Snuggled with Daddy a bit (chewing on his fingers = getting very sleepy)...

and then snuggled with Grampy before heading back to the hotel for a very late bedtime.

It was a very fun night.  More to come about the reunion later on this week!

New Skills

Oh, my word. Look what I just learned how to do. So, so dangerous...

So Far Today

So far today, Jack has:

• given me a kiss on the cheek for no reason at all other than he loves me.
• sung "You've Got a Friend in Me" from Toy Story for the first time that I know of.
• ventured down to his basement playroom by himself to play and then carried a very dead, very disgusting, many-legged bug upstairs and gave it to me saying, "This is gross."
• eaten a strawberry that hasn't been cut off of the green, leafy part (and almost successfully...once he realized you can't eat the green, leafy part).
• used the potty successfully three times without any accidents.
• worn his Woody sheriff's badge and belt around the family room over his pajamas.

I heart him.  What will he do next?

Ryan and John's Engagement Photo Session

So, this weekend we flew to Sunny Cleveland for my family reunion (more to come about that adventure soon, I promise), and while we there, we decided it would be a perfect opportunity to take some great engagement photos of my sister and her hubby-to-be:)  I say "we," but really, I decided...and thankfully, they both went along with it! 

With family under a pavillion and dogs milling about, we headed out about 50 yards away and had at it.  Here are my five seven favorites, but honestly, I think they all came out really well. 

The newly engaged

 

A hand to hold

I love this one!

Colorful

Snuggle close

Subdued colors

A happy couple

John, you are such a good sport!

Ryan, you are going to make such a gorgeous bride!

 

Silent Sunday