ten on tuesday

1. Jay & I most definitely did not have the same thing last week. Poor Jay is still suffering from the effects of what we found out to be campylobacteriosis. He is really doing much better but still feels fatigue & weakness. Plus it's just really gross when you start reading how one contracts the lovely condition. I don't envy him the symptoms but the 7 pound weight loss would be welcome.

2. My baby turned 11 months old yesterday. He is getting very big and chubby since he quit nursing. This seems to be the trend with my kiddos. His vocabulary consists of three words: Mama, Dada, & Hi.

3. I am over the cold snap we've been having. I am trying really hard to be content but I long for sunny, warm weather.

4. Jay's parents are coming to visit this week. It has been quite a while since we've seen them. I think it was last July.  The kids are always very excited when Mimi & Papa come. And Jay and I always have a good time as well.

5. I get a garden this year! Jay is going to till me some ground and fence it in. Raised beds & a greenhouse will have to wait until next year but I am more than excited about having a fenced in garden. It is something I have wanted since getting married. There has always been some reason that it just wasn't feasible but this is my year! We intend to make it happen. Of course, the best of intentions die hard around this place so we will see how it works out. Thankfully my parents are quite the gardeners so I have been picking their brains about it.

6. Rowan starts soccer today. He is so excited about it. I am hoping that he isn't setting his expectations too high. I have mixed emotions about sports. They seem to suck so much time away from the family & put pressure on kids to win, win, win. Yet, on the other hand, the family gets to support & cheer on the player & it is a really good way to learn how to work together instead of independently. It is also a good way for my kids to get interaction with others and a potential ministry for them. I am glad to hear that his coach will be a really nice, godly guy that has been involved in a lot of our church functions.

7. This Friday is our tenth wedding anniversary. I cannot believe that it has been that long. We plan on a weekend away in Leavenworth. Thanks to my baby sister we get to go kid-free! I went once as a little girl but hardly remember what it was like. I don't think Jay has ever been there so it should be a fun experience for the both of us.

8. I think my new enemy is clothes shopping for my kids. Rhett & Rowan are pretty much taken care of due to hand-me-downs but Adam & Avril are a challenge. It is hard to find decent clothing. I realize that I am picky and I don't want them to look like bums but even when I completely lower my standards I can scarcely find a thing. Everything in Avril's size is either expensive or it looks like it was dropped in from 1986. The 80's are not the fashion statement I want my daughter making at three years old. And the neon stuff is just so....well, neon. And then there is the skater style for the boys. Tight to the ankle jeans, skulls, chains, & doofy shoes. Or you could always dress them in stuffy polo shirts and too short, creased leg slacks and they could get beat up walking around town here in hick Ville. Grrr. It's frustrating.

9. Jay found out that one of the hernias he had operated on last year needs to be operated on again because it is not fixed. Now he just needs to decide when he can take 4 weeks off of work again for the recovery. Poor guy.

10. My crock pot bit the dust. It never seems to cook anything all the way through anymore so it's time for a new one. I guess it did its job for ten years so I can't complain. Maybe I can get a slightly bigger one this time as our family eats a lot more than it did 10  years ago.