End of July/August/September catch-up

I'm not going to make any cute/sarcastic comments this time about how I am a pathetic blogger and that it's been months since my last...I'm just going to blog. Period.

My husband comes home in 5 days after having been gone now for 25. If there were words to express how excited I am for this Thursdayto come, I would share them, but there aren't...so I'll stay quiet while my heart, my head, my soul, and my daughter count down the days til his return.

While he's been gone, I've realized that there about 784 things that I take for granted that my precious husband does for me on a routine basis that I rarely, if ever, acknowledge. Maybe even more than 784. But I've captured images of 14 of those 784+ things that I want to share with you, 14 that have been at the top of the list these last 3 weeks. I wish I could say that I'll never take them/him for granted again. I'm sure though that once he's back doing his daddy/husband/claim rep deeds, I'll quickly lose my appreciation (though I'll try NOT to). So while it's in the forefront of my mind, and while I'm desperately pining away for my beloved, I'll record them here so he/I can remember how truly amazing he is.

He regularly helps me keeps the sink empty of dirty dishes by loading/unloading the tons of dishes accumulated in no time at all.






He inspires me to cook. Which up until this week, I maybe had done once or twice in the prior several weeks. I have NO motivation to cook for myself and Liv is picky these days so doesn't much care for anything I cook, either. Needless to say, Moe's, La Bamba, Firehouse, and Lui's have become our most frequented spots. That is, up until this week when I was reprimanded by my doctor and cooked at home Mon, Tue, Wed, Fri, and had leftovers on Saturday (Thursday we ate at a friend's house.)




I hate making telephone calls, whether to the pizza guy, the repairman, whatever...and Jeremy usually takes care of all of that. I've had to make so many phonecalls, I'd be fine to toss mine into the nearest body of water for all eternity.

The bug problem. Not my thing at ALL. Jeremy is always so quick to come running when he hears either myself or Olivia scream when we see (or even think we see, or just think about at all) a spider, bug, etc. He is such a good protector of our family.

Mail. This is about 1/100 of the mail we've gotten these past 3.5 weeks. Most of it has ended up in the big green can in the driveway, but Jeremy takes care of all the bill-paying. Hope I didn't throw away anything too important...




FLEAS. Disgusting to admit, they've become the primary occupants of our house. After 3 different men coming to spray inside, outside, all sides of our house (all of which I had to communicate with over the dreaded phone), 3 frontline treatments to the dog ($20 a pop), a new flea pill that was supposed to work miraculously ($19), two exhausting flea baths (for the dog, not me, though I could probably have jumped in too), and bombing the house with some toxic treatment that thankfully Reeves took care of, though the fleas are not nearly as numerous, they still are thriving. What to do? I don't know. Once again, my husband usually manages to solve those problems, not me.





This is so sad to admit, but I RARELY have to put gas in my car. I know it's so minor, but I'm now so much more grateful for the fact that my husband always keeps my car full of gas. I think the fumes might be getting to me...just kidding.





Mowing our lawn. Yet another task we have had to hire out for, but one my husband does without complaint when he is around. And for which I should weekly say a great big "Thank you, my love!"

It's got to be a funny sight for my neighbors to see me hauling this enormous green can, the big recycling bin, and my even bigger belly up the driveway every Wednesday night and back down again on Thursday morning. And I always feel like if I don't do it all simultaneously (with the recycling bin stacked on top of the trash can) that I'm being ineffecient. Thanks honey for this one as well. It's a dirty and stinky job, I now know.

Picking up heavy things. We had to get EVERYTHING off the floor throughout the house when the guys came to spray for the fleas, so this too my husband would usually do without hesitation. I found myself slowly making progress but quickly grateful for Jeremy's strength and presence.

Our nighttime routine. I am so thankful that 9 times out of 10, Jeremy and I are both in the bed reading books, singing songs, and saying prayers with Olivia before she heads off to bed. And I really miss this, us all being together at 7:45 each night winding down the evening.

Discipline. This is our popping stick (not a torture device) and I'm reminded of how thankful (sorry I keep using that word) that Jeremy and I are on the same page and both involved and participate in correcting Olivia and trying to teach her obedience, to God and to us, her parents.

Laundry. Like the dishes, Jeremy is constantly helping me process the loads and loads that we manage to accumulate in a week's time.

Feeding the dog. Minor, again, I know, but just another thing that he does without complaining or keeping score, and one more thing I'd rather not have to do.

So, 14/784 reasons why my husband is the absolute best...I could go on and on.

Other than that, I'm 26 weeks+some odd days pregnant with baby Jude, due 01/09/09 but will have him by c-section probably the 2nd or 3rd day of the new year. I ordered and received all the nursery bedding and am excited to pick paint colors and get decorating.

Olivia is enjoying school. She only goes two days a week but each day when I pick her up, she talks and talks about who was there, what they did, books they read, her playground buddies. I'm thrilled that she's so excited about school. This is her on the first day back in September:

Back in August, the last time Jeremy was gone for work, my mom, Liv and I made a trip to Lake Seed in the mountains of Georgia for a little getaway at my Uncle Bob's lake house. We had a great time on the boat, swimming, tubing, just getting away.

Olivia supposedly "driving" Uncle B's boat.

Not so sure whether she likes it or not, she laughed half the time and cried the other half; she's crying as we're loading her back into the boat, and steps up on the boat and says "I loved riding on that float with Granna." Huh, fickle thing.

Olivia admiring her Granna and Aunt Kay tubing. What a couple of cool chicks.

Enjoying her time away.

Two of my very favorite girls.

Olivia giving Mommy and Baby Jude a little love.

My sweet girl.

This week, I had the Gigglygirls at my house and we had a blast. For more than 2 out of the 3 hours, we stayed outside and enjoyed the BEAUTIFUL weather. Playing with sidewalk chalk...

Painting mini-pumpkins...

Having a picnic snack: (I laid out this giant blanket and told the girls to sit on it while I ran inside to grab the snacks. When I came back out, they were all three sitting as close as they possibly could get in one little corner of the blanket. They can't get enough of each other.)

Going on special missions to collect tons of...

PINECONES

Taking turns with who would pull the wagon...

Tricycle rides..

Hugs...

More hugs...

Berry collecting...




And catching some rays.

These girls are absolutely an answer to my prayers...the best friends a little girl could have.

And that's been our summer in a nutshell.