A really good day.

I don't have any pictures to post of my day today, but I just have to say how happy I am to have spent the day with my BFFs, Charline and Brandon!  Riley got to have a day with Grandma Kathie, just in the nick of time since baby's coming soon, and I believe I am beginning to bore my wicked smart 3 year old.  I'm just not quite as exciting as 12 other 3 year olds, 2 teachers, centers, art projects, playgrounds, walks around Horizon High School...especially since it's like Africa hot!

Anyway, today we reinstated the annual Brandon and "Work Wife" (that's me) back to school shopping trip!  Laura asks me to take B shopping for work clothes because she hates shopping with him.  After a 2 year hiatus, we were excited to get going!  We picked up Char and our first stop was at Shane Co. to help B pick out an anniversary gift for Lovely Laura!  Then we had a yummy lunch, thanks B!

Truly, the point wasn't the shopping, although that was fun.  The point was having a fun day with my buddies.  I needed it!  Brandon had to drag Char and I away from the baby section at JC Penney, and we did talk B out of a hideous fluorescent green and blue striped dress shirt at Macy's, where we also offended a salesman with our disdain for the overabundance of white linen suits.  Seriously, who wears these?  Don Johnson? 

 There was also a run-in with a floral dress at Target that inspired Brandon to want to order tacos at Casa Bonita...not sure what that's about, but I do know that I laughed so hard I nearly peed. 

I sure am glad I have such amazing friends to be silly with!  The world needs silly these days.

This evening we had a nice little family outing to Target to get all the last-minute baby gear we needed and Riley's school supplies.  I know, suburban bliss, right?  Well, we finally feel "ready," and are getting more excited by the day!  We tested out the new monitors, set up the bouncy seat and CD player, and got all the diapers and wipes loaded up...just a week to go!  

So Cute!

Our little guy is going to be so stylin'!  Check out some of the cute little items that some of our friends and family have given us...

Uncle Keith and Auntie Holli got the first pair of shoes!  I love these, Riley wore shoes like this up until and even after he started walking, they're the best for little developing toes!

All set for the Bronco season, thanks to Ann!!  Ann is my former teaching partner and will be subbing for me from August until October.

Charline saw these and couldn't resist!  I think Auntie Char Char is going to spoil our little guy rotten!

Auntie Peachie (My cousin Michelle) sent this clever little outfit back in December when we announced the upcoming bundle! 
Too cute!  I love it!  Thanks everyone!

My how he's grown!

Today I pulled out the baby tub for the little guy.  I can't seem to find the little padded headrest/sling thingy, but I'm sure it's around here somewhere.  Riley was intrigued, and decided he needed to test it out to make sure that it's going to be ok for "his baby."  I had to take a picture and compare it to when he was a tiny guy!

Below, one of his first baths at home!

And now!  Just a slight difference!

Our last quiet weekend...

We realized that this past weekend was going to be our last low-key quiet weekend for a while!  Next weekend we're off to the Springs for the U.S. Senior Open, and then the weekend after that is baby time!  Here are a few pics from the weekend:

Riley and Steve did some yard work.  Riley likes to help water the garden.

Then it was time for a little baseball...



Last night the Laura and Brandon invited us over for dinner, always a gourmet choice!  We were excited because we hadn't seen the Lanes in a while and they live right down the street!  Brandon grilled up some fabulous steaks and asparagus, and opened a lovely bottle of wine.  Steve even liked the wine, which is rare!  It was awesome!

After dinner Brandon showed Ri his new guitar.  Riley was mesmerized!  He used his baseball bat to imitate his talented F'Uncle B!
Riley even got to test it out!
It was nice to relax just before life is about to get crazy again!

T-Minus 2 weeks!

Eeek!  We have two weeks until new baby Marsh is scheduled to make his arrival into the world!  For those of you who don't know, we are scheduled for a c-section on 8/8/08, what I'm told is a most auspicious number if you're into numerology!  Wow!!!

Sick Dude, Sick

I'm just going to start this post off by saying I'm REALLY REALLY SORRY!  Since this is our "family blog," Steve has requested, no, insisted that the following pictures be posted and commented upon.  So here we go...

The other night I was wiped out, so Steve said he'd cook dinner.  Actually cook, which means not ordering out, or making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich (since we were out of jelly).  We had frozen chicken breasts in the freezer, so Steve decided he was up for the challenge.

He pulled out one of the flash-frozen breasts and burst into laughter.  He holds it up and says, "This one is yours!"  Then tosses it in the pan and smothers it in barbecue sauce.  I'll leave you to your imagination:

Below is the cooked version.  I did eat it, because I was starving at that point, and just tried not to think about it.
I'm so sorry.  Either you got a good laugh out of it, or you're totally disgusted.  Probably a combo of both!  As Stacey Sterne likes to say, "sick, dude, sick!"

Necklace obsession!

Charline is the root of my new art obsession!  We've started making pendants out of Sculpey clay, which can be baked, painted, and glazed.  It's nice an lightweight, and virtually unbreakable!  Over the past few weeks I've made a ton...I'm thinking that while I'm on maternity leave I can get Christmas gifts taken care of!!! Wheee!

Below are my most recent creations:

When mom was here last week, we "arted" with Charline, and she made the pendants below.  I love that her creations are so colorful and wacky.  Mom is such a talented artist!  She was inspired by the glass artist, Dale Chihuly, who is totally incredible.  Check out the link on the side.  He has an exhibit at the Bellagio in Vegas and is currently being featured at the DeYoung Museum at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, and mom had just visited it the previous weekend when she was in SF for my cousin David's wedding.  One of the pendants she made isn't here because she had already strung it and taken it home with her.  But she left the others for me to string.  I hope she likes them!!
Below are the first ones I made.  I love them, but I am now excited about trying to use more color!
A conglomeration!
Love it!  Creativity feeds my summer-addled mind!

Little Brothers!

Have you ever seen this video?  It is the cutest thing ever!  I couldn't embed it because that has been disabled, but when you get a chance, copy and paste the link below!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OBlgSz8sSM

The Cutest Tumble!

I've posted pics of my cousin Michelle's little girl, Sarah Renee, before...we went to her Christening back in April.  Today Michelle sent me a little video snip of Sarah, who is practicing sitting up!  It's the cutest thing ever!  Her little crazy hair is starting to lay a bit flatter, but I've never seen a baby with so much hair!

Free Entertainment!

The new shopping center near us has a great little playground, and best of all, a sprinkler park!  It's a little plaza area with spouts that shoot up from the ground and in arcs across.  It's great free entertainment on a hot summer day!  Riley and I headed over there today to play.  

He loved it...especially jumping on top of the big spouts that shot straight up out of the ground...

And stomping on the grates...
...but most of all he liked the ones that shot up in arcs.  Now, he wasn't the only kid doing this, but he kept straddling it so it shot up and looked as though he was peeing!  I would have been embarrassed if it wasn't so funny!  Check out the videos below...

There were several groups of mommies with their kids, and they were prepared with extra chairs, snacks, toys, etc.  It's an interesting phenomenon to watch, I've noticed that they tend to roam in packs.  I admire stay-at-home moms, especially since I'm only one for 3 months out of the year, but I am exhausted by the end of July!  At least I managed to bring a towel and an extra pair of shorts and underpants for my soaking wet boy!

In the first clip, all of the big spouts shoot up, and Riley is chasing them.  I just noticed that there is a little boy who decided to join in the chase.  At the end, Ri takes a digger!  He was tough, though, neither of us noticed the scrapes on his leg till after we got home!

The second clip is of Riley "enjoying" the arching spouts.  He thinks it's hilarious that it looks like pee.  All boy...ALL boy.

Cool at the Pool!

Riley got to go in the deep end at swim lessons last week!  With a life jacket and his swim teacher, of course!  He wasn't a huge fan, though.  He loves being in the water as long as he can touch the bottom, but if not, he's not so sure its his thing!

Later in the day we went back to City Pool with Julie and the twins, Lindsay and Lilly, and Gran-Gran and I.  He was a big fan, as usual!
Check out the studly muscles!

Our Fuzziest Friend

While mom was here with Aretha, we reached some near-record heat.  We filled up the kiddie pool for Riley, and when he was done, we didn't empty it out right away.  I looked out the window to see Aretha splashing around in there by herself, chasing after the little golf whiffle balls.  She is too, too cute!

Finally!  Melo and Aretha basically played until they collapsed, then napped and did it all over again!
What a face!!

The Little Things

I have a lot to be thankful for in my life...a lot of big things, like an amazing family, a job I love (most of the time), incredible friends, a nice place to live...

But sometimes it's good to stop and be thankful for the little things.  One thing I'm thankful for is Burt's Bees Belly Butter and Mama Bee Leg Creme.  I know, it sounds like a commercial.  But without them, I'd be a stretch-mark covered, Restless Leg Syndrome-y mess!  

So thanks, Bees!  

What a big belly you have!

I asked our family photography pro (and sister-in-law), Holli, to take some belly pics for us yesterday.  I didn't do this when I was pregnant with Riley, and I wish that I had.  I think Hols did a fantastic job!  We had fun "tweaking" them and converting them to black and white on iPhoto, and I felt kinda pretty! :)  As you can see, Riley's already in love with his baby brother!  Enjoy!

My baby brother is in there!

Man, he's getting big!

Giving brother a kiss!  Riley is the one who pulled up my shirt...wasn't sure how I felt about bare belly pics, but it's pretty cute!

Daddy giving the little guy a pat!

Our family of four!

Holli spied the orange Gerbera I had in a vase in the kitchen and wanted to get creative.  I love the contrast of the orange and white!

Artistic!  I played around with the edge blur on this tilted pic, it's one of my faves!  I really can't decide which I liked best, that's why I put so many!

By the way, the pendant on the necklace I'm wearing is one of the Sculpey creations that Charline and I have become obsessed with making!  Uh oh, a new art project to add to my list!

Holli, thanks so much for giving us your wonderful talent!  You've got to get a portfolio going!

Holli's Assistant

Good photographers have an assistant...someone who goes along and helps set up shots, and often takes the candids that happen in between the posed shots.  Riley is that assistant!

Belly close-up...

Only problem is, he gets a little sidetracked.  Laying in the grass, taking pics of the sky, and toes, of course!
Behind the scenes!