10 Year Anniversary-Same husband, same wife, three additional "little people"

May 16th marked ten years of marriage for Brad and I. We've been through a lot of things together, good and bad. Mostly, though, we've grown to love one another more with each passing year.

Oh, and we reproduced. A lot. We're pretty much done with that chapter in our lives. We're ready to move past that and by "move" I mean run so fast away from it, you're going to get whiplash.

We weren't sure what we were going to do or how we would celebrate. We knew we couldn't do a big trip. We knew we didn't have time to organize a big celebration with friends. We knew we were tired, sleep-deprived, and had too much on our plate already to do something grand. So, we opted for what we've grown accustomed to these past two years:

Simple and casual.

Sounds chic, right?

Well, it's really just a reflection of our ability to maximize our laziness while still managing to honor ourselves. Since we didn't get a chance to get married by the church ten years ago, we went ahead and did it on our anniversary. It was just our family priest, the kids, and an empty church.

It was fantastic.

And totally perfect.

And a reflection of Brad and I.

Below are the pictures taken by our photographer for the ceremony, Samuel Prescott Marsh. He's got a lot of talent and his perspective is awesome. I mean, who doesn't love seeing a four year old running up and down the aisle while her parents renew their wedding vows to each other? The shot of the baby boy is also quite awesome. He looks so happy despite being strapped tight into his stroller, eating some cheddar bunnies.

















The "newly" married couple with their offspring:




As an added bonus, a flag was commemorated for the occasion. It hangs proudly on our tallest kitchen cabinet, just out of reach for the "little people" in our lives to admire but not destroy. We're total geniuses.

Scotty + Surgery = Good Times!

Scotty wants to be exactly like his big brother even if it means enduring surgery to get tubes in his ears. Like Sam, he's had a slew of ear infections and so we had to sign him up for ear tubes. His procedure took place two weeks ago and he was a total champ. Everyone in the surgery ward was absolutely enamored with him.

This is what he looked like at 6:25 in the morning, checking in with the nurse. Sam and Izzy decided he should have some "lovies" with him so Izzy let him borrow her blanket and Sam lent him his pillow pet. So cute, I know.



Since we were the first ones in, Scotty got to do lots of exploring before he went into surgery. After getting measured and weighed, we were escorted to our room where he promptly played with the phone and messed around on the computer.






Shortly thereafter, he high-tailed out of his room and joined the nurses in the post-op room where they enjoyed hearing him play with the toilet. Mostly, he flushed the toilet over and over again but no one seemed to care and this mama right here wasn't about to mess with a good thing.




The most fun, however, took place when he discovered that the table in his room could be moved. Folks couldn't stop laughing with that one.




After he was done with the table shenanigans, he decided to try to open every door on the way to his room. All of them were locked which prompted him to look at me, shrug his shoulders and say "uh oh" with his arms thrown up in dismay.






One door finally did open. We entered. I changed into the hospital outfit they gave me and walked him into surgery. I sang some songs to him in Spanish and he was the calmest and sleepiest baby I'd ever seen. The surgery team was in awe of my awesomeness....I could totally tell.




Fifteen minutes later, it was all over.

Farewell ear infections!

Mother's Night

Back in May, Izzy's school hosted an "open house" type evening. They call it "Mother's Night" and students invite their moms to the event and show us what jobs they do and how they work. Since Izzy goes to Montessori school, there are lots of independent-like manipulatives to enjoy. I was pretty amazed with her skill set and how mature she was with everything she did. Clearly, Izzy has ownership of what she's learning and she was super proud to show it to me.

I love my little lady.

8

Sam turned eight in April and this is what he learned and experienced this past year....

1. Life is not fair even if you play by the rules.

2. Sometimes, adults can be real pains in the buttocks.

3. Losing a friend can make you really sad but gaining a friend who has the same interests as you is priceless.

4. His little sister will defend him at all costs-even if it means yelling at their parents and telling them to go to their rooms or getting in an argument with a boy twice her size. She will fearlessly stand by his side.

5. You can make a really huge fire with a magnifying glass.

6. Persistance pays off, especially when you get rewarded for it.

7. Science is cool. Robotics stuff is even cooler.

8. Building something with your own hands and your own design is super-duper.

9. Sports are overrated. Survival skills are underrated and way more awesome than sports.

10. Growing up means more privileges.

11. Starting the car in the morning for your mom, being in control of the radio,and sitting in the front seat make every morning instantly better.

12. Walking home from school with your buddy is a fantastic feeling of independence.

13. Being a good friend is easy. Being a bad friend is also, well, pretty easy.

14. School is work sprinkled with fun.

15. Your family loves you, always and forever, no matter what "rough patch" you may be going through at the time.

It's been a big year for Sam. He's growing in so many ways. Some are real pleasures to experience and others I'd rather do without. He is, however, the awesomest 8-year old I know. Despite some serious stuff at school, he's been a total trooper. He possesses more resiliance, honesty, and love than most. He's also great at forgiveness, especially when I can't handle the kid load at the end of the day. He's a real gem of a young man and I'm very lucky to have him in my life.

We celebrated his birthday with his 6 favorite buddies and a family party with relatives. As usual, he had a blast. We also set up the bunk beds for him and his sister. We still have some decorating to do but, overall, those beds are a big hit!

Happy birthday, Sam! You fill our bucket!