playing catch-up.

Paul and I went to a fund raiser for...something...I guess I don't know what we funded, but it was fun. Dancing With The Whittier Stars. One of his fellow Lion's was one of the stars, so we bought the tickets from him and then paid more money to cast our votes for him to win, (he didn't win) but just between you and me, there was a guy dancing who owns a bike shop here in town who I thought did amazingly well, so he may have gotten a few bucks worth of votes from me.We hung out with the family on Memorial Day. Auntie Annie made the kids 'Thing 1' and 'Thing 2' outfits. They are so cute. In the bottom left corner, Garrett is doing his newest "party trick". That's what he does now when you say, "Garrett, where's your chest hair?"I can't get enough of this little ray of sunshine.We went to the park to have a barbecue tonight. We invited Paul's family to join us.And then the things I didn't take pictures of...

Paul wanted me to have a kid-free Saturday yesterday. So my mother in law took me to downtown LA to do some shopping. It's crazy! A 25 minute drive and I felt like I was in a different country. But I got some great fabric, ricrac and beads for super cheap. I'll show you what I make...when I get to it.

Phil's best friend and his family are in town from Seattle for the friend's mother's memorial service. The kids and I went to it, and even though I didn't know the woman, I really enjoyed the service. I like funerals. Is that weird? I guess I married the right guy. (For anyone new or confused, my husband is a funeral director.)

I was talking to the friends wife that night about raising children. We were talking about how the little challenges that come and go in the process seem so overwhelming and never ending when you're going through it, but then when you look back it seems like no big deal, and very short-lived. I needed that conversation that day because I'm smack dab in the middle of one. Garrett thinks that sometime between the hours of 3AM and 5AM is a fantastic time to be wide awake and ready to play. And if I disagree with him, which I always do, then he thinks it's a fantastic time to scream and throw his blankets and pillow out of his crib, and scream some more. One night it was bad enough that he and I ended up in the guest room together, which is where I learned one of his tricks while he was awake and I was faking like I was asleep. Have I told you that I cut the feet out of his sleepers and put them on him backwards so he can't unzip them and strip down? Yeah, I do. But somehow his diapers were still coming off and sliding down into his sleeper and then he'd pee all over. I was about 2 bedding changes away from writing a letter to huggies and then I caught him in the act. My wild child is now pulling his arm out of his sleeve and reaching down into his sleeper to undo his diaper! He did it while I was laying right next to him! So if you're wondering if there is a roll of packing tape in his room now, and if I wrap tape around the waist of his diaper every night, the answer is yes.

I got tired just writing that. So let me end on a better note. My brother, Taylor, who moved to Alaska a couple of years ago and got married last October is moving to St. George, Utah. He and his wife started their 6 day drive yesterday, each driving their own vehicles. Sounds boring. They planned to tow hers but there was a miscommunication at u-haul, and their reserved tow thing wasn't available. Anyway, the better note, my sister in law is pregnant. I'm finally going to be an aunt! My niece or nephew is due mid-November, just a couple days after my Lulu's 1st birthday.