8 years

 The other day, actually the day before our anniversary (so when I say the other day, what I mean is 3 mos ago) Rich started drawing on my toe with a pen.  It felt kind of good...like a foot massage.  I told him he should just keep drawing.  So he made this little mural on my nasty, callused feet.  I thought it was kind of cute...our love tree, with our initials.  Strangely enough, I thought it was a very cute way to commemorate our anniversary.  We have been married for 8 years  That is longer than I spent at Grammar #2 (my elementary school).   Longer than I spent in college and graduate school.  Longer than I have lived in one house. I have been with Richard as long as I was in elementary and middle school combined.  It is really interesting to think about things with that perspective, those times of my life were huge developmentally...I mean I learned cursive AND went through puberty. When I think of the last 8 years it feels like it has just flown past, but I guess a lot has happened in those 8 years too.  I still feel like I am a young newly wed.  It has been a great 8 years and I am glad we celebrated by having Rich draw our love tree on my foot.  I am sorry you had to look at a yucky pic of my FOOT.  Don't worry I will post pics of Charlotte to make this post something nice to look at.

For those who don't recognize our Halloween costume was from Despicable me.

Interior decorator extraordinaire

Don't you love these two holiday arrangements from Pottery Barn?

 So the other day I was flipping through the latest Pottery Barn Catalog and I was coveting all the amazing home decor and their style and pizzazz of arranging every little detail.  As I looked at the shelves or table tops with multiple items stacked together and crowded onto the space to make it look so complete, and I thought, "dude, (that is how I talk to myself in my inner monologue) you should make some arrangements like that on your book shelves."  Then I looked up and realized I already had.  Your jealous, I know.  I am available for hire for all of your home decor needs.

And for the grandma's (Charlotte's and ours):

Look who is learning to feed herself!

Hanging around

  She has turned everything into a purse.  If she can slip her little arm through a hole in something, she carries it around like a purse.

Grocery basket

Toy bucket

Kindle case

Her swimming suit

Momma's sandal

Mammie

Mammie is staying with us for a week.  Charlotte has a blast with Mammie.  

Lately Charlotte has been doing this high pitched screaming (it is pretty obnoxious).  She walks around the house making this noise.  Mammie said in a very sweet voice, "oh very nice Charlotte.  Are you practicing for Walmart?" Then the next day when she was doing it again, Mammie said, "oh charlotte that is beautiful...is that 'Walmart in B flat'?"  

 Mammie says, "you are so sweet.  I gotta stick around long enough to teach you to cuss."

 Mammie showed Charlotte that she can help in the kitchen by pulling a chair up.  Now anytime I am doing something in the kitchen Charlotte is grunting and puffing to drag her chair over.

full

We have taken so many pictures of Charlotte that our storage capacity has maxed out on iPhoto.  There are new pictures of her, but they are safely being stored on my camera until I find a way to get more pictures on my computer.

Also, I would like to note that I am not pregnant.  This Friday a co-worker said, "it is Friday, be happy."  Another chimed in and said, "a three day weekend even!"  I think I grunted at them....it is the civil thing to do.  The first said, "you really should cheer up."  This time I grunted with a glare.  She asked, "what is your deal?  Are you pregnant or something?  You are always in a pissy mood lately."
Nope....not pregnant.  I laughed about it and realized I probably needed a vacation.  Then I came home and recounted the story to Rich and he said, "oh good it's not just me..."  Now, at this point I SWEAR he paused to decide how to proceed.  He swears there was NO pause and he completed the statement "....that is always in a bad mood."

To all who are getting to enjoy our not-so-sunshiny attitude lately, I apologize.  We are happy...really we are... but trying to decide what to do with your future while still living in a very busy present is hard work.  Sometimes I am grouchy.  Sometimes Rich is grouchy.  Charlotte really likes Sesame Street and Oscar is grouchy.  Luckily, she loves all of us.

Stuff

There is a smell in the air that only comes when sun is just over the horizon in the early summer mornings.  The smell is that of satisfaction that you are about to enjoy a morning run  If I could assign a color to the smell it would be "spring green".    The smell takes away the resentment I had for my alarm that was blaring 10 minutes previous.  The smell tells me it will be worth it.  For 6 weeks I was walking out the front door and smelling that smell then walking crest-fallen to my car for the drive to gym.  I would pout every time I would see somebody jogging.

Thankfully 2 weeks ago (I started this post 2 weeks ago) I was able to start running again.  IT IS GLORIOUS!!  I am sort of obsessed with running.  Morning runs are awesome and I am so glad to be back and not pouting every morning.

In other news, today a new couple in our ward invited us over for dinner.  Charlotte needed a diaper change, so I took her into the bathroom.  After I cleaned her up and went to grab the diaper, she quickly  rolled over and stood up.  I was getting the diaper laid out and asking nicely for charlotte to lie down.  She looked me in the eye and started peeing on their rug!!  I was shocked and started saying, "no no no."  She smiled really big and finished "juicing her lemon"(as my MIL would say).  OH MY GOODNESS!  I was so embarrassed.  As I rolled the rug up, I realized this rug was brand new!  I had to walk out and tell these people..."uhhh so sorry, my baby just urinated on your rug." Oh and by the way thanks for inviting us to dinner...bet you are glad you did.    

We had a birthday month in July.  I really wanted to do a super sentimental post about Rich and his 30th birthday.  But it is 11:30...I gotta get to bed.  I will sum it up with this.  RICH IS AMAZING and he is 30!

Charlotte was perfectly willing to dig into the cupcakes on daddy's birthday and emphatically said, "mo mo mo"  while doing the sign for "more".  On her own birthday she didn't want to eat cake. It figures.

 Pin the tail on Rich.  (I didn't get a pic of the kids playing)

 Charlotte turns 1 and I turned 28 on July 9th.

Charlotte and her birthday loot.

Ms New Booty

Ragnar left it's mark on me in the form of a stress fracture. This boot is not only stylish buy keeps my foot warm when it is 103 degrees out. Rich has taken to calling me "booty" and it always makes me think of the song "Ms New Booty" and I start to sing "Booty, booty, booty, booty, rockin' everywhere
Rockin' everywhere
I found you MS NEW BOOTY"

BTW my legs are not as gigantic as they look in this pic.

Charlotte enjoying a strawberry at WaterCountry USA