My Valentine

Isn't he cute?

Jed and I have been celebrating V-day for 12 years now.

The best Valentine's Day was the day he asked me to marry him.

The worst (the only bad day) was the year o' the gas-station singing gorilla. I know, I'll never let it go. It's okay its lost now.

Here we are seven years later, still celebrating.

He always includes a card with his presents and never forgets the roses.

But most importantly, he is my best friend AND dear to me in so many big and small ways. Big being, hello, he is the father of my children. Small being, he shares his pillow and tolerates my need to compulsively scratch at my dry, desert, winter flesh.

He makes me happy, knows how to calm me when I am angry, listens to whatever crazy thing I ramble about and is thoughtful. One year for Valentine's day he sent me, from half-way around the world, giant zip-lock bags filled with hugs and kisses banners (the little white flag that sticks out of the chocolate.) I still have them.

He knows me well. Well enough that he doesn't try to control my rages at the insurance lady anymore, it ends badly for everyone. Well enough that he makes the children disappear when he sees that "look in my eye." Well enough that he picks out clothes and shoes for me and they fit better and look nicer than anything I would ever pick out on my own.

I know you love your valentine too and I promise my mushy quota for the year is now filled. Isn't it nice to be loved?

We're Freezing Around Here

Saturday the kids and I were basking in 70 degrees of soul-warming sunshine. The cats were banished to the great outdoors during the night and Jack wore only underwear around the house.
Yesterday a monstrous wind began to blow "from the nort" (-jara) and combined with my failure to put the sprinklers back into hibernation, we have the great Wheeler ice age. I haven't seen icicles like this since the great...actually I don't think I have ever seen icicles in Logandale like this, well except in my mom's faulty freezer.

Guess we will be playing inside today. I think Jack's 4-wheeler is frozen in place.

Bad Habit

It seems they have inherited my bad habit of reading at the breakfast table. (I blame it on the good ol' college days.)

Jack is enjoying bopping "Little Bunny Foo Foo" and

Jara is retelling "Moose Tracks," much to Jack's delight.

I think some food was consumed in the making of this literary moment.

Aloha

Jed and I escaped to the little island of Oahu last week. Braving a 5 1/2 hour flight in order to do so. I survived, barely. While there, we felt it necessary to immerse ourselves in the culture of the land, do every activity possible, and eat at all the famous places while getting lost multiple times, even with Jed's girlfriend (the gps and her annoying accent.)

Here is our list of top spots...

Waimea Falls-Tropical, lush, beautiful pool to swim in at the base of the falls. What more could you ask for?

Polynesian Cultural Center: Here Jed and I are paying pilgrimage to the statues of ancient civilization, to ensure a long and productive life.

The night show is what really makes this place worth it. I am now considering a career in fire baton twirling. oooo

Hanauma Bay: A popular snorkeling destination where you will actually see fishies, big, tropical fishies and possibly sharks and that is why I watch from the beach.

Kailua Beach and surrounding islands for the kayak adventurer in all. I figured I could pound the sharks with my paddle, of course they would probably laugh and munch it in two, but I felt considerably less vulnerable due to the fact that I wasn't directly in the water. We were able to see a sea turtle while paddling, he was very friendly and unable to snap my paddle like a toothpick. Have you detected the underlying fear here?


This is what I do, I stop and sniff the hibiscus. Jed is the adventurer I am the observer and shaved ice eater. Is that not the biggest snow cone you have ever witnessed? It was tasty, so tasty.

Board on famous Waikiki beach and the North Shore. Bucket list-check. Isn't he naturally talented and wonderful at everything?

Hike Diamond Head Crater. I'm still trying to catch my breath from this one. The straight up staircase of 50+stairs at the end, before the winding 2 flight staircase, after the previous 50+ flight of stairs just about killed me. We sat at the top for a very long time "admiring the view." (i.e. resuming a normal heart rate.)

Laie, Hawaii temple. Completely serene and beautiful.

Last but not least, Giovanni's Famous Shrimp Shack. With enough garlic and butter piled on your shrimp to allow the gourmet roach coach cuisine to linger in your mouth for days.

Here, Here, and Over There

EVERYWHERE!

That is where I have princess stickers.
The last straw, for some reason, was on the obviously white wall protector behind the door. You know, that unnamed thing that keeps your 4-year-old from throwing the door through the wall. The last sticker-free section of my home, visibly contaminated. Right in my line of vision, staring at me from every piece of furniture I own.
Whyyyy? The uniformity of my beautifully, boring brown wall was broken up my a very large magical pink and purple tiara.
Magical is not my thannng.
Purple and pink is not my thannng(Even when I was a small child programmed by Barbie to like these colors I did not) My childhood bedspread had BROWN cats on it, brown not, gulp, pink!!!
I tolerated, am still tolerating, Ariel and Jasmine smiling at me every time I stomp on them to throw my clothes in the dryer.
I stare at "princess", tattooed upside-down on my counters at least once a week, it's semi-hidden.
I allow for my daughter to express her creativity through adornment of princess stickers on the wall by her bed.
BUT
Princess-tiara-purple-and-pink-plague is being sent for all time, in a wadded up ball, to the trash can, never to resurface and rear its ugly head over my living room again.
The evil queen does not tolerate rivalry.

The Big Day

Jordan and Chelsey 12.30

Weddings are wonderful,

unless you are a two-year-old boy rebelling against your tie and sweater vest,

a time to reflect on your own love

a fairy-tale come true

merging of families


and downright

EXHAUSTING.

Happy Wedding Day!

Resourceful

He's naughty but he's cute.

Jack has been utilizing the step-stool lately to aid in his devious endeavors, like eating cookies for breakfast, and climbing up on the computer desk, naked. (no picture)

I hide the stool, he finds it.

I find the stool in strange places. My closet, the window, my bed wherever he needs it most.

And, as you can tell from the picture, he is quite proud of himself.