Kalamazoo was hit with a big ice storm on Sunday evening (which is why Jake's meeting was cancelled). Emily lost power at midnight. It's a pretty hilarious story, actually. She lost power and then her toilet overflowed. She didn't have any candles--all she had was a small flashlight. So she had to clean up the flooded bathroom with just the flashlight between her knees. And then she couldn't have her fan on, which helps block her neighbor's snoring. (A big, black man lives right next door... her apartment is in a big house from the 1860's, so poor insulation between apartments.) So she had to sleep on her couch because the snoring was so loud. And then she woke up in the morning (still no electricity) and couldn't open her car because it was frozen shut. She called my mom crying because she was going to be late for school. My mom then told her that school was closed, lol. Mom and I thought it was a pretty funny story, anyway. :)
Around 39,000 people in the county are without power still. Emily came over in the afternoon and spent the night. We're guessing that her apartment is still without power, so she'll probably spend the night again. Jake's office was closed so he worked from home. He's not a big fan of that because we distract him. He took several breaks to play with us, which was nice.
Lila had a good nap day. Both of her naps were around an hour and a half long, which is unusual for her.
We did showers. We tried setting Lila down in the bath but she freaked out. Was arching her back and hitting her head on the tub. I don't know what the deal is... she hates baths now unless we're holding her in the shower. I wonder if she'll outgrow this. We certainly can't be carrying her for much longer in the shower! She's heavy!
It took Lila a little while to fall asleep, but she did it without nursing. She moaned and talked to herself and eventually passed out laying on her tummy. I read "The Age of Innocence" on Jake's iPhone while she did that. We watched a few episodes of Parks and Rec (we're going to give that show a try). Emily made some cookies. We had an FHE lesson from the church handbook (per Jake's request).
Jake and I have been getting on each others' nerves lately! lol. We're just bugging each other. So we decided to call it a truce for this week. Jake's obsessed with talking about things immediately as they happen, but it's just not helping anything right now, so I suggested that we just stop bringing up annoying things that the other is doing for the rest of the week.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Letters to Lila: 11 months
Dear Lila,
You are 11 months old today, my little munchkin. I can't believe it's been 11 whole months since you joined our family, and I especially can't believe that in just one month you'll be a year old. Before we had you, we were warned over and over that it goes by so quickly. We had no idea how true that was until we had you! Right now you're in bed. Aunt Emily and I are in the living room, Dad is at his weekly church meeting. We had a bad ice storm hit us on Sunday night and Aunt Emily's apartment has been without power since then and it won't be restored until Thursday! So she's camping out at our place, and we're happy to have her. Dad worked from home yesterday and it was so nice to be able to have a little time with him during the day.
I feel like we laid low this month, but we did manage to stay pretty busy. We've done a lot of the standard: spending time with Uncle Mike and Aunt Emily. They like to visit you and play with you. If Auntie Em hasn't seen you for a few days, she tells me she misses you and wants to come over to see you. Uncle Jim, Aunt Angela, and cousin Emily joined us for Sunday dinner. Uncle Dan came to visit once too. We Skype with Granny and Papa (my parents) often and you love that. You get excited and point right at their faces on the screen. You love it when they play with the doggie and when Papa sings to you. You generally love computers--especially "typing" on them. Your favorite button is the Caps Lock because it has a little light on it; you gentle press it with your index finger to turn it on and off. You love to pull my clothes out of my dresser drawer (it's right at your height) and do so at every opportunity. (I don't mind at all--it keeps you occupied while I get ready for the day!) You go with Daddy to visit old people in nursing homes every Sunday, and they love seeing you so much.
Your love of books has grown immensely this past month. You definitely prefer looking at books to playing with toys. We're trying to add more and more board books to our personal library and check them out at the public library for you too. When we sit down to read, I lay out three in front of you and you pick the one you want to read. A lot of times you just like to turn the pages with your little thumb and look at the pictures. Books can hold your interest for a half hour or more.
Your sense of humor has developed a lot this month, too. When Dad and I make funny faces at you (we open our mouths, stick our tongues out, and say, "Blahhh"), you'll open your mouth and say, "Ahh" at us. You play peek-a-boo with us when you have a blanket. Just tonight, before bed, you and I were giggling at each other as we made funny faces together. It was awesome. You really aren't the serious baby you used to be. You're always smiling at us and scrunching up your little nose. You like to wave at us and follow us around the apartment. You're still crawling really well and cruising along furniture. A favorite game of ours right now is helping you practice walking. Dad and I will sit a few feet away from each other on the floor and we'll have you "walk" to us. It is so much fun for us! Occasionally you'll actually take a step or two, but usually you just fall forward and let us catch you. And then we cheer and clap and give you hugs and kisses; you love all the attention and excitement. It's a blast.
You're talking a lot more, though most of it is gibberish still. You say "mama" and "dada" on command. When I ask you where "dada" is, you look around the room for him. You still say "dodd'n" a lot, though we're still not quite sure what it means. It might mean dad or dog. Your new favorite thing to say is "duck-a-din dodd'n." Sometimes when we ask you to say "cock-a-doodle-doo" you will try your hardest to say it.
You had a bad cold this month that lasted a few weeks. It started with a fever--your first one. You were pretty miserable for a while, but you're pulling out of it now. Dad and I were sick too and it was pretty depressing around our house for a while. You have a tooth cutting through right now (your eighth one) and that's made you pretty crabby. We took you to the doctor's for a check-up and you are still above the 97th percentile for both height and weight. At 11 months, you weigh 27 1/2 pounds and are 31 inches tall. You really hate going to the doctor's office, especially being weighed and measured and having your ears checked. You're not a big fan of shots either.
You've become a lot more affectionate with Dad and I. Your version of a hug and kiss involves you pressing your face or forehead against our faces. It's a little uncomfortable on the receiving end, but completely adorable and we love it.
You're starting to become much more opinionated, especially about the things you don't like. You've started hating baths. When we set you in one, you scream and cry hysterically and have started throwing yourself backwards and hitting your head. So lately we've been showering with you and have to hold you the whole time. We sure hope it's something you'll grow out of eventually. You also are still not eating food! I could worry about this a lot, but I've decided to just relax. I don't want to fight about food with you and know that you'll eat when you're ready. We offer you a variety of foods every day, but you are generally not interested. At all. You'll nibble on crackers or chips or noodles still, but you lose interest quickly. You do love to feed Dad with a fork, though. I pray often that you'll start to eat soon. I want you to be healthy and normal and happy.
I love you so much Lila. I was thinking recently, since celebrating Valentine's day, how different the concept of love is to me now that I have you. It sounds silly to say, but I'm in love with you. I'm head-over-heels in love with you. Not in a romantic way, of course, but in a special way that only exists between mothers and daughters. When I hear love songs on the radio, I think about you. I look at pictures of you while you're sleeping because I miss having you near me. A few weeks before you were due, I was driving home from grocery shopping and heard the song "Hey, Soul Sister" by Train on the radio for the first time. It's a fun, silly love song, and I knew at that moment it would always be "Lila's song." It was a beautiful spring day, unseasonably warm and the sun was shining. I was so happy driving down the road, because the song made me think of you, my "soul sister" and daughter. I was so happy that I would have a daughter to dance with and play with and spend my days with. And then, after I had you, the words in the song meant so much more to me. "The smell of you in every dream I dream... watching you is the only drug I need... I knew when we collided, you're the one I have decided is one of my kind.." Our souls have indeed collided, Lila, and you are definitely one of my kind.
Hugs and kisses,
Love,
Mama
You are 11 months old today, my little munchkin. I can't believe it's been 11 whole months since you joined our family, and I especially can't believe that in just one month you'll be a year old. Before we had you, we were warned over and over that it goes by so quickly. We had no idea how true that was until we had you! Right now you're in bed. Aunt Emily and I are in the living room, Dad is at his weekly church meeting. We had a bad ice storm hit us on Sunday night and Aunt Emily's apartment has been without power since then and it won't be restored until Thursday! So she's camping out at our place, and we're happy to have her. Dad worked from home yesterday and it was so nice to be able to have a little time with him during the day.
I feel like we laid low this month, but we did manage to stay pretty busy. We've done a lot of the standard: spending time with Uncle Mike and Aunt Emily. They like to visit you and play with you. If Auntie Em hasn't seen you for a few days, she tells me she misses you and wants to come over to see you. Uncle Jim, Aunt Angela, and cousin Emily joined us for Sunday dinner. Uncle Dan came to visit once too. We Skype with Granny and Papa (my parents) often and you love that. You get excited and point right at their faces on the screen. You love it when they play with the doggie and when Papa sings to you. You generally love computers--especially "typing" on them. Your favorite button is the Caps Lock because it has a little light on it; you gentle press it with your index finger to turn it on and off. You love to pull my clothes out of my dresser drawer (it's right at your height) and do so at every opportunity. (I don't mind at all--it keeps you occupied while I get ready for the day!) You go with Daddy to visit old people in nursing homes every Sunday, and they love seeing you so much.
Your love of books has grown immensely this past month. You definitely prefer looking at books to playing with toys. We're trying to add more and more board books to our personal library and check them out at the public library for you too. When we sit down to read, I lay out three in front of you and you pick the one you want to read. A lot of times you just like to turn the pages with your little thumb and look at the pictures. Books can hold your interest for a half hour or more.
Your sense of humor has developed a lot this month, too. When Dad and I make funny faces at you (we open our mouths, stick our tongues out, and say, "Blahhh"), you'll open your mouth and say, "Ahh" at us. You play peek-a-boo with us when you have a blanket. Just tonight, before bed, you and I were giggling at each other as we made funny faces together. It was awesome. You really aren't the serious baby you used to be. You're always smiling at us and scrunching up your little nose. You like to wave at us and follow us around the apartment. You're still crawling really well and cruising along furniture. A favorite game of ours right now is helping you practice walking. Dad and I will sit a few feet away from each other on the floor and we'll have you "walk" to us. It is so much fun for us! Occasionally you'll actually take a step or two, but usually you just fall forward and let us catch you. And then we cheer and clap and give you hugs and kisses; you love all the attention and excitement. It's a blast.
You're talking a lot more, though most of it is gibberish still. You say "mama" and "dada" on command. When I ask you where "dada" is, you look around the room for him. You still say "dodd'n" a lot, though we're still not quite sure what it means. It might mean dad or dog. Your new favorite thing to say is "duck-a-din dodd'n." Sometimes when we ask you to say "cock-a-doodle-doo" you will try your hardest to say it.
You had a bad cold this month that lasted a few weeks. It started with a fever--your first one. You were pretty miserable for a while, but you're pulling out of it now. Dad and I were sick too and it was pretty depressing around our house for a while. You have a tooth cutting through right now (your eighth one) and that's made you pretty crabby. We took you to the doctor's for a check-up and you are still above the 97th percentile for both height and weight. At 11 months, you weigh 27 1/2 pounds and are 31 inches tall. You really hate going to the doctor's office, especially being weighed and measured and having your ears checked. You're not a big fan of shots either.
You've become a lot more affectionate with Dad and I. Your version of a hug and kiss involves you pressing your face or forehead against our faces. It's a little uncomfortable on the receiving end, but completely adorable and we love it.
You're starting to become much more opinionated, especially about the things you don't like. You've started hating baths. When we set you in one, you scream and cry hysterically and have started throwing yourself backwards and hitting your head. So lately we've been showering with you and have to hold you the whole time. We sure hope it's something you'll grow out of eventually. You also are still not eating food! I could worry about this a lot, but I've decided to just relax. I don't want to fight about food with you and know that you'll eat when you're ready. We offer you a variety of foods every day, but you are generally not interested. At all. You'll nibble on crackers or chips or noodles still, but you lose interest quickly. You do love to feed Dad with a fork, though. I pray often that you'll start to eat soon. I want you to be healthy and normal and happy.
I love you so much Lila. I was thinking recently, since celebrating Valentine's day, how different the concept of love is to me now that I have you. It sounds silly to say, but I'm in love with you. I'm head-over-heels in love with you. Not in a romantic way, of course, but in a special way that only exists between mothers and daughters. When I hear love songs on the radio, I think about you. I look at pictures of you while you're sleeping because I miss having you near me. A few weeks before you were due, I was driving home from grocery shopping and heard the song "Hey, Soul Sister" by Train on the radio for the first time. It's a fun, silly love song, and I knew at that moment it would always be "Lila's song." It was a beautiful spring day, unseasonably warm and the sun was shining. I was so happy driving down the road, because the song made me think of you, my "soul sister" and daughter. I was so happy that I would have a daughter to dance with and play with and spend my days with. And then, after I had you, the words in the song meant so much more to me. "The smell of you in every dream I dream... watching you is the only drug I need... I knew when we collided, you're the one I have decided is one of my kind.." Our souls have indeed collided, Lila, and you are definitely one of my kind.
Hugs and kisses,
Love,
Mama
Monday, February 21, 2011
Lila's 11-month Stats, Rich the Realtor, the Roaring '20s
Tuesday night, Jake came home all excited because Josh Little referred him to a Realtor. Talked really highly about him. I was hesitant because we've spent a lot of time with Dawn and I really like her. We were set to see 5 houses with Dawn on Wednesday night. We debated for a while wondering if we should cancel with her or tell her, thought maybe she would want us to sign a buyers agreement with her that night. But we decided to stick with it.
I was really hoping that one of those houses would be awesome, but I don't think any of them was "the one." Jake seemed to be getting into it more, though. That's a good thing. We grabbed dinner after we were done and then headed home.
Thursday we spent at home, as usual. Emailed back and forth with Mike a little bit. He's worried about girl stuff, as usual. We told him to calm down, as usual. :) Also called a few banks to find out what their rates/fees were for mortgages. Thursday night we watched The Office and Parks and Rec after Lila went to bed.
Friday afternoon Lila had her 9-month check-up (even though she's almost 11 months... Jake's Maestro insurance didn't kick in until February 15th). Jake met us there. We were there for almost 2 hours. I'm so glad Jake was there--it was so nice having help! Lila hates the doctor's. She cries and cries. The worst parts was when she got her measurements taken and when the doctor checked her ears. Took her a while to calm down after that. Her measurements -- she weighed around 27 1/2 pounds and was 31 inches tall, can't remember her head measurement off the top of my head, but she was above the 97th percentile in all categories. Doctor didn't have much to say about her not eating food yet... so I still don't know where to stand on that issue. Guess I'll do some more reading online. He wanted to check her iron levels since she's not eating food, so we had to get her finger pricked and she didn't like that either. So it was a long and pretty un-fun visit to the doctor's!
Jake worked from home after that, and at 4:45 we left to meet with Rich the Realtor. Jake likes him a lot and wants to continue to work with him. I still don't understand what Rich can do for us that Dawn can't... but if it helps Jake feel more comfortable buying a house, then that's ok. We sent him the list of houses we've seen so far and what we liked/didn't like about them, and found 4-5 more to look at, and we'll do that with him on Thursday evening.
After that we went out for our traditional Valentine's Chinese dinner. We ordered crab rangoon and what is essentially Filipino pancit and it was delish. Lila did well at the restaurant. Sucked on a few crackers and noodles, and a ton of food ended up on the floor underneath her chair. It was a nice date and I'm glad we went.
After Lila went to bed, we watched The Illusionist. It had come from Netflix. Jake Googled it on the way home to find out more about it he'd never heard of it) and said that it was an animated movie! I had sworn that it had Jessica Biel in it. So we were bummed because we didn't want to watch a cartoon. But when we got home I checked and it was the one with Jessica Biel.
Saturday morning we went to the chapel for a little bit to clean; we had been assigned to do that. The Bishop and his wife had gone early and spent 2 hours cleaning so there was barely anything to do when we got there! That was pretty awesome. We went to Kohl's after that to get some pants for Lila (she has outgrown her 18-month pants). We picked up presents for Desiree and Annette's baby showers and a jacket for Jake too.
After Lila's morning nap we went grocery shopping. Lila napped again and then Mike came over and we headed to Candace Laughead's 29th birthday party. The theme was Roaring '20s. We're not particularly close with the Laugheads, but I figured we'd better start going to more things or we're going to stop getting invitations. We were the only ones there for a little while, but after a while there were a ton of people there. So it was fun visiting. Lila sucked on a cracker and a tortilla chip for a while, but didn't actually eat anything. I'm glad we went.
Went home, got ready for church the next day. Lila fell asleep pretty quickly. I was so bored after she went to bed because Jake was doing work stuff. I took a shower and Jake blow dried my hair for me. :)
Church went well. It was our first normal Sunday in a while, because Lila was sick the past 3 weeks. Lila did pretty well during Sacrament meeting. She usually does. She looked at books (she loves turning pages with her thumb--it's so cute--and looking at pictures). I tried giving her some snacks but she was not interested. Primary went well. Jake had Lila the whole time, except for when she pooped and I changed her diaper in the full mother's room. During Sacrament meeting, both Jake and I looked at all the babies and thought about how much we want another one. I've had two periods so far since I started nursing, one in December and January, and after I got one in the beginning of February, we were going to start trying. But, of course, I haven't gotten one this month yet (not pregnant). So, we're just going to be patient and wait it out and trust in Heavenly Father's timing. It will all work out when it's supposed to, just as it did with Lila. And I'm still a little hesitant to get pregnant again because she's not eating yet. So, this is fine.
She fell asleep on the way home, but woke up when we took her out of the car. Jake was supposed to have meetings from 3-5 or 6, but they got canceled because of the weather. We were happy about that! We took a short nap with Lila. She was really cranky and had a really hard time going down for naps yesterday. Her tooth still hasn't come in and she's still sick. Emily came over after that. We Skyped with my parents. Lila really loves doing that. She gets excited to see the dog and she loves it when my dad sings to her. Aunts Jackie and Gina stopped by for a little bit to see the baby. Aunt Jackie and Haille had driven down for the weekend to visit Jenna at GVSU. Jackie came down to see Gina (Haille stayed with Jenna). That was nice. After they left, Jake and I were pretty cranky for the next few hours. Emily was getting on my nerves a bit and we were hungry and dinner took forever to cook. We had Chinese tomatoes/eggs with rice... and Emily added too much water to the rice so it took a long time to cook, and Jake and I were impatient and hungry so we ate it before it had finished cooking, haha. After Emily left, Jake and I decided to just not be crabby anymore, and even though we were a little bit cranky still, it was better. Lila was asleep at around 8, which was good because she was so tired.
So we had a few hours to ourselves before bedtime, and we made it to be early (at around 10:30). We were both pretty tired. Jake's newest thing is studying from the new church handbook's section on the family. He was advised to do it in a meeting. So we've been doing that and he likes it.
I was really hoping that one of those houses would be awesome, but I don't think any of them was "the one." Jake seemed to be getting into it more, though. That's a good thing. We grabbed dinner after we were done and then headed home.
Thursday we spent at home, as usual. Emailed back and forth with Mike a little bit. He's worried about girl stuff, as usual. We told him to calm down, as usual. :) Also called a few banks to find out what their rates/fees were for mortgages. Thursday night we watched The Office and Parks and Rec after Lila went to bed.
Jake worked from home after that, and at 4:45 we left to meet with Rich the Realtor. Jake likes him a lot and wants to continue to work with him. I still don't understand what Rich can do for us that Dawn can't... but if it helps Jake feel more comfortable buying a house, then that's ok. We sent him the list of houses we've seen so far and what we liked/didn't like about them, and found 4-5 more to look at, and we'll do that with him on Thursday evening.
After that we went out for our traditional Valentine's Chinese dinner. We ordered crab rangoon and what is essentially Filipino pancit and it was delish. Lila did well at the restaurant. Sucked on a few crackers and noodles, and a ton of food ended up on the floor underneath her chair. It was a nice date and I'm glad we went.
After Lila went to bed, we watched The Illusionist. It had come from Netflix. Jake Googled it on the way home to find out more about it he'd never heard of it) and said that it was an animated movie! I had sworn that it had Jessica Biel in it. So we were bummed because we didn't want to watch a cartoon. But when we got home I checked and it was the one with Jessica Biel.
Saturday morning we went to the chapel for a little bit to clean; we had been assigned to do that. The Bishop and his wife had gone early and spent 2 hours cleaning so there was barely anything to do when we got there! That was pretty awesome. We went to Kohl's after that to get some pants for Lila (she has outgrown her 18-month pants). We picked up presents for Desiree and Annette's baby showers and a jacket for Jake too.
After Lila's morning nap we went grocery shopping. Lila napped again and then Mike came over and we headed to Candace Laughead's 29th birthday party. The theme was Roaring '20s. We're not particularly close with the Laugheads, but I figured we'd better start going to more things or we're going to stop getting invitations. We were the only ones there for a little while, but after a while there were a ton of people there. So it was fun visiting. Lila sucked on a cracker and a tortilla chip for a while, but didn't actually eat anything. I'm glad we went.
Went home, got ready for church the next day. Lila fell asleep pretty quickly. I was so bored after she went to bed because Jake was doing work stuff. I took a shower and Jake blow dried my hair for me. :)
Church went well. It was our first normal Sunday in a while, because Lila was sick the past 3 weeks. Lila did pretty well during Sacrament meeting. She usually does. She looked at books (she loves turning pages with her thumb--it's so cute--and looking at pictures). I tried giving her some snacks but she was not interested. Primary went well. Jake had Lila the whole time, except for when she pooped and I changed her diaper in the full mother's room. During Sacrament meeting, both Jake and I looked at all the babies and thought about how much we want another one. I've had two periods so far since I started nursing, one in December and January, and after I got one in the beginning of February, we were going to start trying. But, of course, I haven't gotten one this month yet (not pregnant). So, we're just going to be patient and wait it out and trust in Heavenly Father's timing. It will all work out when it's supposed to, just as it did with Lila. And I'm still a little hesitant to get pregnant again because she's not eating yet. So, this is fine.
She fell asleep on the way home, but woke up when we took her out of the car. Jake was supposed to have meetings from 3-5 or 6, but they got canceled because of the weather. We were happy about that! We took a short nap with Lila. She was really cranky and had a really hard time going down for naps yesterday. Her tooth still hasn't come in and she's still sick. Emily came over after that. We Skyped with my parents. Lila really loves doing that. She gets excited to see the dog and she loves it when my dad sings to her. Aunts Jackie and Gina stopped by for a little bit to see the baby. Aunt Jackie and Haille had driven down for the weekend to visit Jenna at GVSU. Jackie came down to see Gina (Haille stayed with Jenna). That was nice. After they left, Jake and I were pretty cranky for the next few hours. Emily was getting on my nerves a bit and we were hungry and dinner took forever to cook. We had Chinese tomatoes/eggs with rice... and Emily added too much water to the rice so it took a long time to cook, and Jake and I were impatient and hungry so we ate it before it had finished cooking, haha. After Emily left, Jake and I decided to just not be crabby anymore, and even though we were a little bit cranky still, it was better. Lila was asleep at around 8, which was good because she was so tired.
So we had a few hours to ourselves before bedtime, and we made it to be early (at around 10:30). We were both pretty tired. Jake's newest thing is studying from the new church handbook's section on the family. He was advised to do it in a meeting. So we've been doing that and he likes it.
A Valentine's Letter from Jake
Dear Rudi,
We have now been married for over 5 years. From our married life, we now have so many memories. I am so grateful that you keep a good journal, because a lot of our memories are stored there; at least the more accurate versions of them. I really think that you are so amazing and am so glad to be your husband. I am glad to be your partner, the one that gets to have you, to know you better than anyone else, and to be equally yoked together with you. I really feel, and come to know more and more, that I truly have married a partner and not a project. I also have grown to rely a lot on you, and to need you. As you know, I'm a guy, so I don't like putting myself out there into a vulnerable spot. Admitting that I need you and rely on you isn't something I do often verbally, but I do. And as I do, I know it is right. I am attracted to and attached to you and love being in this interdependent relationship with you. And so, I have put together a list of some things that you do or you have done that I really appreciate and am grateful to you for.
You take care of so many of my physical needs. You make dinner for us, and I love and appreciate it. I also appreciate that you do this consistently. I love that you are interested in looking for and learning different recipes. It is so nice to have homemade food eaten at home. I love to have meals together in our home. I love it when you just make whatever. But I also appreciate that a couple Sundays ago, when we didn't have dinner plans (because we had a large lunch) you offered to get me cereal for dinner if that is what I wanted. You see, I could easily get myself a bowl of cereal, but it really means a lot to me that you offered to do that for me. And I know there are other times when you offer to do something like that that is simple for me. You take care of this physical need of mine very well.
I very much appreciate it that you do all of the laundry without complaining. I really really appreciate this. I could do my laundry, and know how, but I appreciate that you do this for me; you take care of this physical need for me and I rely on you for it. Every time I open my underwear drawer in the morning when I am getting ready for work and see that it's full, I think to myself, "She is awesome." Sorry for now saying it just then, but you are usually asleep when that happens. But I want you to know that I am very very grateful.
You are such a great mother and take care of Lila so well. I appreciate your hippy-ness in regards to our daughter's sleeping habits. I love her so much, and think we are doing the right thing. And, I don't mind it. I don't like waking up in the middle of the night with her sitting up and crying away, but I know that will pass as she grows; and I want her to know that we are there for her, and love her and will protect her and take care of her. She is such a sweetheart and you are such a great mother for taking so good care of her. I know you put so many hours and hours into just being there for her. Holding her, nursing here, spending so much time (that may be boring) with her. I appreciate this, and we will be so blessed because of it. I really believe that this is part of you providing everything our children will need to be successful in life. God bless you for it Rudi. It is also awesome that you write our daughter a sweet letter every month. That is so thoughtful and kind, and makes a great record of her growing up so fast before our eyes.
I also appreciate that you have made an effort to get good books fr her . I know reading books is so important and will help her learn good habits. I remember going to the library as a kid, and that was lots of fun. I mostly went for picture books, and never really grew out of that, so I'm glad Lila and I can read so many of them together these days. Thanks for getting all of these books! And thank you for encouraging me to spend time with Lila. I really love her and want to make sure that I give her all the love and attention that she needs from her father to be successful and happy too.
I appreciate that you're focused on what is important for our family. Thank you for the idea about not using computers at night until Lila goes to bed, or on Friday nights. I know we don't always follow the idea fully, but when we do, I know we are blessed for it. I love spending actual face to face time with you and our daughter. You are an ideologue for marriage and family. I know that I am lucky to have you for it.
I love that you are so well studied in the scriptures and words of the prophets, the words of life. I can rely on you to find the right words, wisdom and counsel when our friends and family are in need. For example, all the inspiring words you found for Mike when going through his divorce and on. I adore that you are such a good person for people to turn to when they need strength. You are a source of strength to so many people, and to me. Lila and I (and all our children to come) are so lucky to have you in our lives.
I really feel that you carry 100% of your share of the weight in this marriage and that is why I honestly feel that we have the best love and the best relationship that there is. I am so grateful for you and all that you do, and am so happy that we get to be together forever.
You are my greatest blessing,
Love, Jake
We have now been married for over 5 years. From our married life, we now have so many memories. I am so grateful that you keep a good journal, because a lot of our memories are stored there; at least the more accurate versions of them. I really think that you are so amazing and am so glad to be your husband. I am glad to be your partner, the one that gets to have you, to know you better than anyone else, and to be equally yoked together with you. I really feel, and come to know more and more, that I truly have married a partner and not a project. I also have grown to rely a lot on you, and to need you. As you know, I'm a guy, so I don't like putting myself out there into a vulnerable spot. Admitting that I need you and rely on you isn't something I do often verbally, but I do. And as I do, I know it is right. I am attracted to and attached to you and love being in this interdependent relationship with you. And so, I have put together a list of some things that you do or you have done that I really appreciate and am grateful to you for.
You take care of so many of my physical needs. You make dinner for us, and I love and appreciate it. I also appreciate that you do this consistently. I love that you are interested in looking for and learning different recipes. It is so nice to have homemade food eaten at home. I love to have meals together in our home. I love it when you just make whatever. But I also appreciate that a couple Sundays ago, when we didn't have dinner plans (because we had a large lunch) you offered to get me cereal for dinner if that is what I wanted. You see, I could easily get myself a bowl of cereal, but it really means a lot to me that you offered to do that for me. And I know there are other times when you offer to do something like that that is simple for me. You take care of this physical need of mine very well.
I very much appreciate it that you do all of the laundry without complaining. I really really appreciate this. I could do my laundry, and know how, but I appreciate that you do this for me; you take care of this physical need for me and I rely on you for it. Every time I open my underwear drawer in the morning when I am getting ready for work and see that it's full, I think to myself, "She is awesome." Sorry for now saying it just then, but you are usually asleep when that happens. But I want you to know that I am very very grateful.
You are such a great mother and take care of Lila so well. I appreciate your hippy-ness in regards to our daughter's sleeping habits. I love her so much, and think we are doing the right thing. And, I don't mind it. I don't like waking up in the middle of the night with her sitting up and crying away, but I know that will pass as she grows; and I want her to know that we are there for her, and love her and will protect her and take care of her. She is such a sweetheart and you are such a great mother for taking so good care of her. I know you put so many hours and hours into just being there for her. Holding her, nursing here, spending so much time (that may be boring) with her. I appreciate this, and we will be so blessed because of it. I really believe that this is part of you providing everything our children will need to be successful in life. God bless you for it Rudi. It is also awesome that you write our daughter a sweet letter every month. That is so thoughtful and kind, and makes a great record of her growing up so fast before our eyes.
I also appreciate that you have made an effort to get good books fr her . I know reading books is so important and will help her learn good habits. I remember going to the library as a kid, and that was lots of fun. I mostly went for picture books, and never really grew out of that, so I'm glad Lila and I can read so many of them together these days. Thanks for getting all of these books! And thank you for encouraging me to spend time with Lila. I really love her and want to make sure that I give her all the love and attention that she needs from her father to be successful and happy too.
I appreciate that you're focused on what is important for our family. Thank you for the idea about not using computers at night until Lila goes to bed, or on Friday nights. I know we don't always follow the idea fully, but when we do, I know we are blessed for it. I love spending actual face to face time with you and our daughter. You are an ideologue for marriage and family. I know that I am lucky to have you for it.
I love that you are so well studied in the scriptures and words of the prophets, the words of life. I can rely on you to find the right words, wisdom and counsel when our friends and family are in need. For example, all the inspiring words you found for Mike when going through his divorce and on. I adore that you are such a good person for people to turn to when they need strength. You are a source of strength to so many people, and to me. Lila and I (and all our children to come) are so lucky to have you in our lives.
I really feel that you carry 100% of your share of the weight in this marriage and that is why I honestly feel that we have the best love and the best relationship that there is. I am so grateful for you and all that you do, and am so happy that we get to be together forever.
You are my greatest blessing,
Love, Jake
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
My Valentiny
One of my nicknames for Lila is Tiny. So yesterday I called her my Valentiny.
To celebrate, Jake got off of work a little early and got me a card. Emily had come over when she was done with her lab practical for A&P. Lila woke up from a nap when Jake got home. We left shortly after for dinner with Brady and Kelsey; they picked us up and we drove to Great Lakes Shipping Co., their favorite restaurant. It was our first time out without Lila since Maestro's Christmas party, and only our third time leaving her with a babysitter. Dinner was great! Lots of laughs, good company. Jake and I got a few appetizers and split a burger. Brady and Kelsey got their traditional (and favorite) chicken cordon bleu. Talked a lot about them moving back. Brady has applied to a lot of jobs in the area. They're not very happy in Twin Falls and want to be back near family and friends, hopefully before August when they have baby #2. Brady has a phone interview with Stryker on Wednesday, so Jake helped him prepare for that. Kelsey's pretty sad and discouraged about their situation, so we're all going to keep praying for it to improve and for them to sell their townhome and to get a job here in Kalamazoo.
It was really nice being out without Lila! She did great with Mike and Emily. When we got back, Mike was making dessert and Lila was in her pajamas. Kelsey's mom was watching Cooper and he was in bed already so they hung out with us. Lila took a while to fall asleep... she's had a hard time this week, since she's been sick. She passed out though, finally, and slept from 9:30-1am or a little later, which is pretty good for her, actually.
We were up till 1am talking with Brady and Kelsey. Mike and Emily stayed a while too. It was really nice to just sit and talk with people... especially Kelsey. Especially because I'd been sick and stuck in the house the whole previous week. Talked about babies and weight gain/loss and pregnancy, etc. Talked about when they move back, how awesome it will be. :) Parties in the backyard, trips to the beach, letting our kids play together.
Today was good. I was definitely tired in the morning, but I've made it through the day just fine. Lila got up at 8:30, went down for a short nap at 11:30. We made it to Jake's office at 1 for lunch. It was so nice to see him during the day. It was our first time to see him at his new office. We had sandwiches and leftovers for lunch. Jake called Melissa to ask about mortgages. He called a lender. I went up to his office to see it (I like being able to picture where Jake spends most of his time).
After that, I picked up Emily and we drove to Richland so I could talk to the lender and get pre-approved. It took a half over. Lila slept for maybe 15 minutes of it; Emily stayed in the car with her (yay for Emily!). So this is all becoming more real. I'm very excited to see the houses tomorrow. I really hope one of them works out.
Got home, tried to get Lila to nap but failed. Jake got home at 5:30. We had dinner, talked about the mortgage info and what we'd be able to afford. I left for my 6:30 Primary meeting and to drop Emily and my library books off. Jake stayed home with Lila and got ready for his 7:00 stake meeting.
It was the first time we'd met in maybe 3 weeks? So it was good to meet! I really like those women and I love my calling. So Jake will be gone late, I'm sure. They have pretty big/important business going on right now. I really can't believe how busy we are... seems like there's rarely time to rest and relax. I guess that's what the Sabbath is for, right? Except I think this Sunday Jake has a lot of meetings...
Anyway, time to read my book now. Life is good.
To celebrate, Jake got off of work a little early and got me a card. Emily had come over when she was done with her lab practical for A&P. Lila woke up from a nap when Jake got home. We left shortly after for dinner with Brady and Kelsey; they picked us up and we drove to Great Lakes Shipping Co., their favorite restaurant. It was our first time out without Lila since Maestro's Christmas party, and only our third time leaving her with a babysitter. Dinner was great! Lots of laughs, good company. Jake and I got a few appetizers and split a burger. Brady and Kelsey got their traditional (and favorite) chicken cordon bleu. Talked a lot about them moving back. Brady has applied to a lot of jobs in the area. They're not very happy in Twin Falls and want to be back near family and friends, hopefully before August when they have baby #2. Brady has a phone interview with Stryker on Wednesday, so Jake helped him prepare for that. Kelsey's pretty sad and discouraged about their situation, so we're all going to keep praying for it to improve and for them to sell their townhome and to get a job here in Kalamazoo.
It was really nice being out without Lila! She did great with Mike and Emily. When we got back, Mike was making dessert and Lila was in her pajamas. Kelsey's mom was watching Cooper and he was in bed already so they hung out with us. Lila took a while to fall asleep... she's had a hard time this week, since she's been sick. She passed out though, finally, and slept from 9:30-1am or a little later, which is pretty good for her, actually.
We were up till 1am talking with Brady and Kelsey. Mike and Emily stayed a while too. It was really nice to just sit and talk with people... especially Kelsey. Especially because I'd been sick and stuck in the house the whole previous week. Talked about babies and weight gain/loss and pregnancy, etc. Talked about when they move back, how awesome it will be. :) Parties in the backyard, trips to the beach, letting our kids play together.
Today was good. I was definitely tired in the morning, but I've made it through the day just fine. Lila got up at 8:30, went down for a short nap at 11:30. We made it to Jake's office at 1 for lunch. It was so nice to see him during the day. It was our first time to see him at his new office. We had sandwiches and leftovers for lunch. Jake called Melissa to ask about mortgages. He called a lender. I went up to his office to see it (I like being able to picture where Jake spends most of his time).
After that, I picked up Emily and we drove to Richland so I could talk to the lender and get pre-approved. It took a half over. Lila slept for maybe 15 minutes of it; Emily stayed in the car with her (yay for Emily!). So this is all becoming more real. I'm very excited to see the houses tomorrow. I really hope one of them works out.
Got home, tried to get Lila to nap but failed. Jake got home at 5:30. We had dinner, talked about the mortgage info and what we'd be able to afford. I left for my 6:30 Primary meeting and to drop Emily and my library books off. Jake stayed home with Lila and got ready for his 7:00 stake meeting.
It was the first time we'd met in maybe 3 weeks? So it was good to meet! I really like those women and I love my calling. So Jake will be gone late, I'm sure. They have pretty big/important business going on right now. I really can't believe how busy we are... seems like there's rarely time to rest and relax. I guess that's what the Sabbath is for, right? Except I think this Sunday Jake has a lot of meetings...
Anyway, time to read my book now. Life is good.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Cooper's Party, Sunday Funday, Cassandra
Friday was a long day. I was feeling so sick. Jake got home around 6 or later. He went to work that day intending on coming home at like 1:30 or 2, but had to stay to meet a deadline. He didn't tell me because he didn't want me to be disappointed if it didn't happen. Oh, how I would've loved that!
We went out to eat because I needed to get out of the house... I would've gone crazy if we hadn't! The only two times I went out last week was to the library on Tuesday and house-shopping on Wednesday. So, we went out, even though we all felt pretty bad. We went to Panera on West Main. Lila had fun watching all the people--she'd been stuck inside all week too. She even ate a potato chip. :) After that we stopped at the Stake Center to pick up the food we'd ordered from the YW fundraiser: a fruit pizza and chocolate covered strawberries. Then stopped at the KUB to drop a check off from the stake. Mike and Emily were there at the activity. We went home. After the activity, Mike and Emily went to Main Street Pub and were there till like 1am. I'm so glad that they're friends now. Mike got to talk about Cassandra and Emily talked about Shane.
Saturday morning, Jake had to get up early and go to the Worldwide Leadership Training at 8. He came home and hung out a little bit, then went to the KUB to unlock it for Brady and Kelsey so they could set up for Cooper's party. He came back to pick us up and then we headed back to the KUB for the party. It was Cooper's first birthday! They flew here on Friday and are spending a week here. The party was so nice! It was Brady's first time meeting Lila and we hadn't seen Cooper in 6 months. I can't believe the babies are already turning one. Mike was there. The best part of the party was when the four babies who were there played with all the presents together. It was adorable. Lila was the youngest, but the biggest. :) It was fun to see how different the babies all were from each other, their personalities. Holly (Kelsey's friend and Addy's mom) was saying that Addy is already turning into a "diva." (I think a lot of that has to do with parenting. ;)
After that we came home. Lila took a nap. Jake and I watched a movie, Knight and Day. We went grocery shopping (ran into Desiree at Walmart again, oddly enough), came home, did showers and bedtime. Jake was in bed by 10:30, but I stayed up till midnight reading.
Sunday, yesterday, was a long day but a very good one. We woke up early for church. Jake and I made French toast for breakfast. We sat with Brady/Kelsey/Cooper during church. Most of the time, the guys were in the foyer with the babies. Kelsey and I whispered a lot. It's so fun having them here. They took me and Lila home after sacrament (which was longer than usual because it was ward conference). Jake was at church till almost 3 for meetings. I was sad that he was gone so long. I didn't feel good and just wanted my hubby home.
Emily arrived a little before Jake got home. He'd stopped to pick up some board books from Craigslist on the way home. Lila loves books now. She definitely prefers books over toys. She loves turning pages and looking at the pictures.... but mostly she loves turning pages. She'll sit for a long time reading with me.
I love Jake.
Jim, Angela, and Emily (niece) arrived precisely at 3:30. We were really surprised (and amused) that they showed up exactly when they said they would. Jim has been infamous for being at least an hour late for family get-togethers. Jim was the one who suggested we get together. He and Angela just took a trip to Columbia to visit her family. They brought back souvenirs for us. Mike came too. We had pizzas for dinner. A few frozen and a few homemade. The homemade ones took a long time to make. Dessert was the fruit pizza we bought, it was really good.
Afterwards, people played on the iPad. Emily and Mike helped clean up. We were all so stuffed. Jim and Jake talked business--Jim's business isn't doing so well and Jake encouraged him to stand up for himself if needed. He and Angela still seem very happy together, which is great. Emily (niece) had fun playing with Lila. Jake and Mike prank texted cousin Savannah; she'd put her phone number on her Facebook status, asking for people to text her.
Emily left and so did Jim/Angela just as Brady and Kelsey (and Cooper) arrived. We had so much fun with them. It was funny to see Cooper crawling all over the place--he's got a lot more energy than Lila! And of course it was so fun visiting with Brady and Kelsey. We always end up giggling so much when we're with them. We haven't really hung out with them since summer '09 when they came to visit. Jake told them about his butt surgeries. Mike stayed till late and we all talked about Cassandra and his "relationship" with her. Gave him advice. (More on that later.) We played Euchre. The guys won. They were here till midnight. The babies went to bed so we got a few hours without them. It was so fun. We really hope they can find a job here soon.
So, about Mike. He found out Thursday that Cassandra would be coming to town this weekend. He was a little bitter because she still hadn't written him back; he hadn't heard from her in almost exactly a month. Saturday morning he went to Ultimate Frisbee as planned and at the beginning, she said hi and that was it. And then as he was getting into his car and she was getting into her's, she said, "Hey Mike! You going contradancing tonight?" He said, "Uh, I don't know." She said, "Well, let me give you a hug then in case I don't see you there." So they hugged and left. Weird, right?
So then for the rest of the day he debated whether or not he should go contradancing. He had planned on it up until he found out Cassandra would be there. (He kind of likes her 21-year-old sister Sammi, but I think it's only because he likes Cassandra.) Emily wasn't planning on going either, which made him want to go less, because he didn't want to show up by himself. Finally, at around 7pm, he called Emily and said, "Hey, let's go, and if it's lame we can just leave." And she said, "Oh, ok!" and he picked her up and they went. He danced with Cassandra's friend/roommate from Canada, Michelle, and both of her sisters, but never danced with Cassandra. He said it was an accident, but also probably he did it purposefully because subconsciously he's a little mad at her. The last dance was a waltz, and he was dancing with Savannah (Cassandra's 15-year-old sister) and Savannah starts to ask, "So, why didn't you---" and then stops mid-sentence and wouldn't tell Mike what she was going to ask. But we all think she was going to ask why he didn't dance with Cassandra.
Mike was pretty confused about the whole situation, so when Brady and Kelsey were here, we all talked about it for a long time. lol. Like maybe an hour or more. He finally decided to write her an email, because he had all these questions and was going a little crazy (not really, but a little). So we said that as long as the email was short and not desperate/needy, it would be fine. Finally, after a lot of debating about what he should say, this is what he sent her:
And ten minutes later(!), this was her reply:
We think it's possible that Cassandra may have found out that Mike is divorced. There was a lot of really good momentum before she left for school, and then it fizzled out so quickly, that that's a very possible reason. But maybe now that her sisters have spent time with him and know that he's a pretty cool guy, and after seeing him this weekend, maybe she's feeling ok about it? Who knows. Kelsey told Mike last night (and I've thought this all along but never told Mike) that she would act the same way (be freaked out a little) if she found out a guy she kind of liked was divorced.
Anyway. Now he's even more confused, but happy that she wrote back. Here's what he texted me this morning after I asked if he was still in shock:
He liked that. Mike is so... funny. He over-analyzes like a girl. Brady pointed out that he needs a lot of reassurance. Yeah, he really does! And I don't blame him: he was cheated on and his wife left him. But he was even like that before he got married, too. I'm just glad we can all be there for him. I have never seen him so happy and healthy before. He's lost so much weight, probably 30 pounds, and has a new wardrobe that he looks great in. He really feels and I do too that Heavenly Father is blessing him and that important things are happening in his life; Heavenly Father is in control.
We went out to eat because I needed to get out of the house... I would've gone crazy if we hadn't! The only two times I went out last week was to the library on Tuesday and house-shopping on Wednesday. So, we went out, even though we all felt pretty bad. We went to Panera on West Main. Lila had fun watching all the people--she'd been stuck inside all week too. She even ate a potato chip. :) After that we stopped at the Stake Center to pick up the food we'd ordered from the YW fundraiser: a fruit pizza and chocolate covered strawberries. Then stopped at the KUB to drop a check off from the stake. Mike and Emily were there at the activity. We went home. After the activity, Mike and Emily went to Main Street Pub and were there till like 1am. I'm so glad that they're friends now. Mike got to talk about Cassandra and Emily talked about Shane.
After that we came home. Lila took a nap. Jake and I watched a movie, Knight and Day. We went grocery shopping (ran into Desiree at Walmart again, oddly enough), came home, did showers and bedtime. Jake was in bed by 10:30, but I stayed up till midnight reading.
Sunday, yesterday, was a long day but a very good one. We woke up early for church. Jake and I made French toast for breakfast. We sat with Brady/Kelsey/Cooper during church. Most of the time, the guys were in the foyer with the babies. Kelsey and I whispered a lot. It's so fun having them here. They took me and Lila home after sacrament (which was longer than usual because it was ward conference). Jake was at church till almost 3 for meetings. I was sad that he was gone so long. I didn't feel good and just wanted my hubby home.
Emily arrived a little before Jake got home. He'd stopped to pick up some board books from Craigslist on the way home. Lila loves books now. She definitely prefers books over toys. She loves turning pages and looking at the pictures.... but mostly she loves turning pages. She'll sit for a long time reading with me.
I love Jake.
Jim, Angela, and Emily (niece) arrived precisely at 3:30. We were really surprised (and amused) that they showed up exactly when they said they would. Jim has been infamous for being at least an hour late for family get-togethers. Jim was the one who suggested we get together. He and Angela just took a trip to Columbia to visit her family. They brought back souvenirs for us. Mike came too. We had pizzas for dinner. A few frozen and a few homemade. The homemade ones took a long time to make. Dessert was the fruit pizza we bought, it was really good.
Afterwards, people played on the iPad. Emily and Mike helped clean up. We were all so stuffed. Jim and Jake talked business--Jim's business isn't doing so well and Jake encouraged him to stand up for himself if needed. He and Angela still seem very happy together, which is great. Emily (niece) had fun playing with Lila. Jake and Mike prank texted cousin Savannah; she'd put her phone number on her Facebook status, asking for people to text her.
Emily left and so did Jim/Angela just as Brady and Kelsey (and Cooper) arrived. We had so much fun with them. It was funny to see Cooper crawling all over the place--he's got a lot more energy than Lila! And of course it was so fun visiting with Brady and Kelsey. We always end up giggling so much when we're with them. We haven't really hung out with them since summer '09 when they came to visit. Jake told them about his butt surgeries. Mike stayed till late and we all talked about Cassandra and his "relationship" with her. Gave him advice. (More on that later.) We played Euchre. The guys won. They were here till midnight. The babies went to bed so we got a few hours without them. It was so fun. We really hope they can find a job here soon.
So, about Mike. He found out Thursday that Cassandra would be coming to town this weekend. He was a little bitter because she still hadn't written him back; he hadn't heard from her in almost exactly a month. Saturday morning he went to Ultimate Frisbee as planned and at the beginning, she said hi and that was it. And then as he was getting into his car and she was getting into her's, she said, "Hey Mike! You going contradancing tonight?" He said, "Uh, I don't know." She said, "Well, let me give you a hug then in case I don't see you there." So they hugged and left. Weird, right?
So then for the rest of the day he debated whether or not he should go contradancing. He had planned on it up until he found out Cassandra would be there. (He kind of likes her 21-year-old sister Sammi, but I think it's only because he likes Cassandra.) Emily wasn't planning on going either, which made him want to go less, because he didn't want to show up by himself. Finally, at around 7pm, he called Emily and said, "Hey, let's go, and if it's lame we can just leave." And she said, "Oh, ok!" and he picked her up and they went. He danced with Cassandra's friend/roommate from Canada, Michelle, and both of her sisters, but never danced with Cassandra. He said it was an accident, but also probably he did it purposefully because subconsciously he's a little mad at her. The last dance was a waltz, and he was dancing with Savannah (Cassandra's 15-year-old sister) and Savannah starts to ask, "So, why didn't you---" and then stops mid-sentence and wouldn't tell Mike what she was going to ask. But we all think she was going to ask why he didn't dance with Cassandra.
Mike was pretty confused about the whole situation, so when Brady and Kelsey were here, we all talked about it for a long time. lol. Like maybe an hour or more. He finally decided to write her an email, because he had all these questions and was going a little crazy (not really, but a little). So we said that as long as the email was short and not desperate/needy, it would be fine. Finally, after a lot of debating about what he should say, this is what he sent her:
Hey, it was nice to see you this weekend. Michelle said she's going to the Valentine's dance in Lansing on the 18th. Are you going too?
Mike
And ten minutes later(!), this was her reply:
Hey Mike!
yeah, it was good to see you too! I didn't actually know if I'd be able to come down until Thursday, I'm glad I got to. we'll have to meet up at one of those again though, because we never got to dance a contra.
I'm not going to the dance in Lansing, my family is coming to visit canada and we're heading up to Belleville, so I'll miss it. Are you going? I hear it's going to be really good.
Frisbee was awesome! do any of your other young men come? how are they doing?
-Cassandra
We think it's possible that Cassandra may have found out that Mike is divorced. There was a lot of really good momentum before she left for school, and then it fizzled out so quickly, that that's a very possible reason. But maybe now that her sisters have spent time with him and know that he's a pretty cool guy, and after seeing him this weekend, maybe she's feeling ok about it? Who knows. Kelsey told Mike last night (and I've thought this all along but never told Mike) that she would act the same way (be freaked out a little) if she found out a guy she kind of liked was divorced.
Anyway. Now he's even more confused, but happy that she wrote back. Here's what he texted me this morning after I asked if he was still in shock:
Ha! A little. Haven't responded yet. I was super excited about all this, but it kind of wore off in the last hour as I was considering future possibilities with her. But, that isn't going to change my current plans anyhow. I wish I was a seer so that I didn't have to spend so much time trying to interpret the feelings I get. I'd rather just have a vision of what my future will be like. I was about to send my mom a text this morning relative to Cassandra. But then I got this feeling that said, "Don't send it. Waste of time. She's not the one." So... that's weird. Maybe that was just self-doubt? Or one of those feelings that is conditional upon a given time frame? Or it was legit, and I just don't want it to be that I actually felt that feeling. So, for now I'm still planning on writing back and I still want to see her again and date her more... just with less vigor now. I'm so weird. But, I suppose this is all for the best.
My response to that was:
Maybe the Spirit is just telling you to take things slow and to be a little cautious. Because of how you got that prompting with Kalina that everything would work out with her... part of that prompting was true.
He liked that. Mike is so... funny. He over-analyzes like a girl. Brady pointed out that he needs a lot of reassurance. Yeah, he really does! And I don't blame him: he was cheated on and his wife left him. But he was even like that before he got married, too. I'm just glad we can all be there for him. I have never seen him so happy and healthy before. He's lost so much weight, probably 30 pounds, and has a new wardrobe that he looks great in. He really feels and I do too that Heavenly Father is blessing him and that important things are happening in his life; Heavenly Father is in control.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)