Flashback Friday

Zac, Easter 2005
6 months old





Zac, Easter 2006
1.5 years old

Zac, Easter 2007
2.5 years old




Zac, Easter 2008
3.5 years old

Things that go bump in the night

Dear Little Man,

I remember when your mom used to tell me she was tired. A Sunday afternoon nap was her idea of Heaven.

Now I get it.

That cute little voice that squeals when I tickle you and laughs at my jokes…sounds drastically different at 2am when for some reason your arms fail to work and you are physically unable to reach your comforter draped over the bottom half of your body. The screams we hear from your adorable camouflaged room send the neighborhood dogs into watch alert. The frigid 73 degrees at which your mommy insists we hold the thermostat must send your 36-lb frame into hypothermia paralysis. Bless your little heart.

Trying to establish my new head of household dominance, I swoop from my warm bed to yours in one leap.

Alas, covering you up was a rouse. I’ve tried everything to get you back to sleep, short of putting you on top of the dryer.

You don’t know what you want.
But you know what you don’t want.

Allowing anyone else in the house on the street to fall back asleep would be contrary to all guidelines set forth in the Secrets of Preschoolers handbook.

And when we say, DO NOT GET OUT OF BED AGAIN, what you hear is Please continue to exhaust every effort in your repertoire including but not limited to laying in front of your door screaming, begging for Nana, and (my personal favorite) sweet silence followed by the pitter patter of little feet crawling into bed with us anyway.

You have discovered that your mama’s heartstrings lie in tragic phrases like, “Please be nice to me!” and “You’re hurting my feelings!”

I am stronger, Little Bug Bug.

And until you discover that my weakness would be a willing ear hearing me tell the classic tale of my 2005 11-day trip on Barnes’ Ranch resulting in Big Daddy hanging above the fireplace, you will not have me in your grasp.

Until then, when it’s “my turn” to tend to your every desire at an ungodly hour of night, I will be there without hesitation. After all – you are now my stepson. I’ll always be there for you. And you’re a great tax deduction.

We done got married.

And it was well worth the wait.

Here we are on Day 10, and still cruising right along. Whoever said this marriage stuff was hard?


How it all went down....

Saturday: “Get to the church on time.” (I work best with simple instructions)

Sunday: An unexpected 4 hour lunchtime layover in LA, and Sarah realizing she forgot a bag, leaves us $120 less rich than when we arrived. Which wasn’t very rich to begin with.

Monday: I get teased about reapplying sunblock. I believe the words were, “You’re such a dork.”

Tuesday: Even Sarah’s eyelids are sunburned. I bite my tongue and apply lotion to her scorched skin. Surely this will be rewarded.

Wednesday: We stumble upon Karaoke night. 2 new fun friends and 4 Long Island Ice Teas later, and I’m up there singing Sweet Home Alabama and Friends in Low Places. Way better than Sarah’s version of Natural Woman.

Thursday: I lose the handstand contest.

Friday: Who thought a 7:30am international flight was a good idea?

Saturday: Like, only the best party, like, ever.

Sunday: Who left their cake in the bathroom? And why is red icing smeared on the carpet?

Monday: We realize the immediate need to snap back into reality. Sarah’s keys are nowhere to be found, health insurance paperwork is due, and why can’t the tollway accept pesos?!

Here are some pictures. If you have any from the party to share, we’d love to see them!

The wedding, March 15

The Honeymoon, Cabo San Lucas



How to save money on your honeymoon:
1. Bring your own snacks


2. Eat Ramen Noodles


3. And make your own drinks to sneak into the pool with inconspicuous water bottles.



The obligatory sand writing...

"Honey? Is this guy gonna steal our camera?"

Fun in the Sun

This smile......

...convinces me to spend an unnecessary amount of money on gum (I'm using that term loosely) that tastes more like dog food because the little girls selling it were so "cute."

Setting up for the reception- March 22

This is how 3 year olds wait for the Batman bounce house.

If you've seen my father-in-law and my grandfather-in-law work, you must understand the pressure I am now under.

These guys don't stop!

This cake was the bomb

Our 5-Star chef working his magic on the grill


We haven't developed the wedding cameras yet. You could be the next star on here!

Party Details

We arrived back in the states to several text messages and emails with the same questions:

1. Party starts at 5:30, we'll eat around 6:00, cake around 7:30

2. Dress is nice/casual. Wear a skirt or jeans, you'll fit right in. Unless you're a guy in a skirt and you may or may not stand out. Not that it matters to us because we will love you regardless.

Um... anyways...

3. The more the merrier. Kids are absolutely welcome. Zach picked out a Batman bounce house and the kids menu.

So are dates. Now that we are married, we have no more drama. And we would love nothing more than to hear single-world drama .... from the other side. Bwa-ha-ha-ha.....

Looking forward to seeing you all - call if you need directions!

Last post before wedding! Pictures and a Zach-brag

Saturday is the BIG DAY!! We are ready to get this thing going...

Wedding shower: Check

Marriage License: Check

Wedding Site: Check


Honeymoon Site: Check

My Ring: Check

Sarah's Ring: Check

I can't believe I'm getting married.....

Oh...ahem...I mean, I can't believe I'm getting married!! :)

How many 3 year olds can innocently destruct the tux store with Mommy's bracelets?
He's multiplying!!!

As promised, here is a Zach-brag.

He's taken a break from predicting the accuracy of the spline collocation method for solving molecular orbital equations to read us a book we can relate to.

In all seriousness - this is his first book and, although it's a work in progress, we were really excited!

To conclude...

After the wedding, our blog will be a family blog. So feel free to stop by and drop us a comment here or there.

Our wedding ceremony this Saturday will be intimate and Christ-centered. Our faith in the Lord is, and will always be, the glue that holds us together. We know it is Him that brought us together, and we hope our marriage will bring glory to God and serve as an example to others.
Thanks for your prayers and encouragement on the journey to the altar.

We can't wait to see you on the 22nd! (We'll be the two really tan ones.)

The Pedicure

Sarah had a suspicious smile upon her arrival at my house this weekend.


No. I am a hunter. A gatherer. A modern-day caveman!

And my feet are very sensitive. Not to mention a bit ticklish.











So, someone explain to me how, after a firm denial, I ended up on the couch with Sarah scrubbing my feet with this egg-like contraption.

And then explain to me how.... I actually liked it. I didn't know soft feet would feel so good. Granted, Sarah had to empty out the skin-collecting device multiple times. But I really did like it. It's not like I went to a Salon or anything, right?

I've already started buying fitted button-downs and matching my belt to my shoes. Sarah has me hooked on organic cereal and hor d’oeuvres before dinner (who would deny Triscuits and a cheeseball?). I have willingly clicked past The Outdoor Channel just to check what's on HGTV.

She is surely winning here.

If you happen to see me out getting a mani-pedi, be sure and wave.

Random Acts of Kindness

Imagine my surprise..... returning from a business trip to a newly designed master closet.

Sarah, sweetheart. You love me so well. You are an amazing cook. You excel in parallel parking. You can sew a mean duvet. I even think your handwriting is awesome.

Closets might not be your forte.