G.N.O.

All of Tom's siblings are in town this weekend, which has been really fun. But, for me, the most fun thing about having every body together, was that all of us Sisters-in-law and my Mother-in-law had a Girls Night Out. Our dear sweet husbands were kind enough to give us mom's a much needed break. So they kept ALL the kids (9 in all) up at Grammy's and gave us the night off.

It was so fun to just be able to just kick back and have a girls night. We ate "Girl Food," we soaked our feet, and we just gabbed the night away. I loved it! I got to know these ladies so much better. It was like a slumber party for mom's. Only it ended at 11:00. However, I think a slumber party would be sooooo much fun with my sisters-in-law. A weekend retreat! What a fabulous idea!

Thank you Fullmer Men, for giving us such a wonderful Girls Night Out!

Tender Mercy Moment

Do you ever have just a blah day? Where nothing is really wrong, but everything feels crummy? Well that was me today. My kids were grumpy, I was tired, I have not been out of my house in 5 days, and can't get out, because the weather has been less than great, and Tom has had the car. And to top it all off, Tom would not be coming home, because he is taking his scout troop camping (I know crazy to go out in the middle of November, but that is the Scouting Way).

So there I sat on my couch, just feeling sad, almost ready to cry, when all of the sudden my phone rings. I answer it and hear my sweet sister-in-law's happy voice, telling me that they just happen to be in town, and were wondering if I were up for some visitors. Holy cow, this was exactly what I needed; I honestly feel like I had not talked to an adult in ages. I almost started to cry, to realize that my Brother and Sister-in-law were thinking of me. I know, it may sound pathetic, but I was so touched, and felt very loved at that moment.

So they came over, and hung out for about an hour or so, and it was so fun. I hope they enjoyed themselves. I know I sure did. My brother and I used to hang out all the time, but then we both got married, I moved away, he and his wife both work full time; in short, life happens, and we obviously don't get to hang out as much as we used to. I really have missed that. It was so nice just to have a couple of hours to spend with him and his wife.

Thanks Brad and Kristen. I don't think you will ever know how much your visit meant to me.

You gotta love it

Flashmobs make me happy. In fact, I have a secret desire to be part of one someday. Wouldn't that be awesome. I think that I would smile for a week if I got to be part of one. Any way here is one that I saw today, that really made me smile:

In case you were wondering

If you ever wondered what it would be like if you let a two-and-a-half year-old dress himself, you might get a result like this:Notice the shirt is inside out, and the both the short and the shirt are on backwards. Not to mention, SHORTS!!! In November? Really?

***Sorry about the picture quality. They were taken with my cheep phone.

Daddy Dressed Me

I once thought that Tom had a better sense of style than I do. Now I am not so sure. Here are some samples of some of the outfits he has put Talmage in recently....

Bike Fun

I have been meaning to post about this for a while now....

We are a biking family. 5 years ago, I would have never guessed that I enjoyed biking. In fact, I really did not like it at all. Then, I met Tom, who seemed to bike everywhere he went. Then we moved to Portland, where biking is sort of the thing to do. Tom biked to school nearly every day while we were in Portland, but I did not have a bike, so my biking was minimal. Then one day, we happened upon a bike at a Garage Sale for a really good deal, so we got it. Thus beginning the Biking Era of my life.

We put a little Co-Pilot on the back of my bike, and we would go out for family bike rides all the time, and Owen and I would cruse around Portland running little errands. I even biked to the bank 9 months pregnant.

Anyway, now that we have 2 little monkeys, it was rather hard for all of us to go out for a ride, with just the Co-pilot. So we started looking into Biker Trailors. After a bit or research we decided to get a Chariot, because they are awesome. They are the ultimate Kiddie carrier; Jogger, Biker trailer, Skiing carrage, and a couple of other thing. Plus they have supuer high safery ratings.

Anywho, I decided to get a used one, because, well, it is much cheeper that way. And we LOVE it!!! Owen and Talmage love riding together. Tom and I love that we can go out for rides. And I love that I can take it out running. All and all, I think that it was the best purchace of the summer.

So Smart

Babies amaze me. I am always so surprised at how much they understand. Tal is only 10 months old, but I swear that he is comprehension is super advanced.

One of Talmage's favorite things to do is to climb all over me if I am lying down. Today, the boys were playing in their bedroom playing, so I lied down on the floor to stretch. Tom calls, "Talmage, come get Mommy!"

Next thing I hear is this shriek of elation, and Tal comes tearing down the hall as fast as his little arms and legs will carry him, and tackles me just as I am starting to sit up.

What a funny little guy. I did not realize that he understood language that well yet. What can I say, I a have a brilliant child.