ah...memories.

It's been a few days now since we returned home on Sunday. There has been time to run errands, work on the laundry, and get back into the swing of cooking again. (I must get out of the habit of sitting down at the table and expecting someone to bring me food!) We've made a much-anticipated trip to the new house. My eyes have turned from the dazzling sights to which they'd grown accustomed, and I'm growing adjusted to autumn weather as opposed to intense heat. We are getting back to normal, no doubt about it.

I'm not finished posting about our trip, but for now I thought I'd share a list for you....


~Memorable Moments~

• Wishing I had had LASIK done before we went snorkeling.
• Watching an elegant man in a tuxedo staking out seats in the ship's theater, while toting around an empty Gatorade bottle. Incongruous!
• On the beach at Mazatlan (see the photo above), every 40 seconds, if I wanted to buy a bracelet, hat, dress, toy, Corona Beer towel, etc.
• Men in a Mexican band where we were having lunch, performing the song "Brown-Eyed Girl" in Spanish.
• The novelty of being exposed to many of the 56 nationalities represented by the staff on our ship.
• The apparently great flexibility of traffic laws in Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta.
• Sitting on a hammock on a sunny beach while listening to my 4-year-old describe (via cell phone) all the different animals he'd just seen during a visit to the Oregon Zoo with his grandparents. "And...[aside] hey guys...did we see giraffes? Guys, did we see giraffes? [to me] and we didn't see any giraffes today..."

if they could see me now

Greetings from somewhere on the Pacific Ocean!

Jeff and I are having a wonderful time, and I thought I'd sent you a few select photos (in lieu of a postcard of something) from our trip so far.

No, I didn't get a pedicure, or even paint my toenails before setting out on this trip. Yes, I am regretting it.

In happier news, this is a photo of my steak dinner from last night. Grilled flat iron steak, macaroni and cheese, creamed peas and vichy carrots. Yum.

The service staff on this ship is amazing. I can't remember the last time a man pulled out my chair for me. And the waiter shook out the napkin and placed it on my lap, for crying out loud.

Towel animals every night! So fun....

Until next time,

grandma lovin'

My parents came to visit for Labor Day weekend. They live about 8 hours away (if you're driving without children!) so we don't get to see each other as often as we would like. We do alright, though. And Jeff & I have been major slackers because we have not been up to visit them since well before Owen was born. In fact, it's been nearly a year, now that I think about it...oops. We'll have to screw up our courage sometime soon.

Anyway, all the boys have grown since the last time Grandma and Grandpa saw them, but especially Owen. He was still pretty much a bump on a log when they visited us last. Smiling, but still pretty much a bump. These days, he's rolling, getting himself up on all fours, and going after toys when the mood strikes him. He's getting active, we'd better look out!

My mom, especially, seizes just about every chance she has to hold & cuddle with Owen. They were so sweet together. And of course, Owen loved all that attention!