Happy Anniversary (Day 23)

Today marks 8 years of marriage for Joel and me. Never thought we'd be celebrating it in a hospital, but we did and it turned out to be very fun.

Joel's boss, Jen, is one of the nicest, most giving people we know. She went to Texas Roadhouse, one of our favorite restaurants, and bought McDonald's for the kids and brought us all dinner. She also came bearing gifts for all of us- flowers and things to do for me, a Father's Day shirt for Joel, and bubbles for the kids. She took them outside to the pond to eat their food and play with their bubbles so Joel and I could have a private dinner in my room.

The food was so incredibly good, but mostly it was so nice to have a date with Joel. We talked about all the things that happened this year of our marriage, and it's been a good year. We talked about what would happen this next year, and naturally, our baby on the way is the thing we're most looking forward to. In addition to that, I think this next year will bring a lot of changes to our family. Can't wait to see what they are, even though some of them might be hard.

After our dinner date, this kids came back to my room and we just hung out for a while. One thing I've missed since being here is not being able to put my kids to bed, which is funny because when I was home I didn't always love doing that. But tonight I wanted to do some of the things I've missed. We had prayers together, and I read some stories to the kids and then sang their bedtime songs that I sang every night at home. One of Clara's songs is "Away in a Manger," and she always sings it with me. It was so nice to hear her sweet voice singing that song with me again. It warmed my heart to sit on my bed with both my kids cuddled next to me. It gave my heart just what it needed.

Right as they were about to go home, Clara opened the door and the bottom of it bumped her big toe hard enough that her toe started bleeding. She was so sad and while Joel comforted her I found a nurse to fetch some band-aids. As soon as Joel got the band-aid on her toe, she said in a sad little voice, "That's so much better." It was so sad but so cute, and Joel and I both had to cover the smiles on our faces. Thank heaven for band-aids.

Once Clara was better, Joel gave me a big kiss goodbye and took the kids home. It was a very a nice night with my wonderful husband and beautiful kids.

Joel + Gun = Bad News for Birds

This is a family blog, but I rarely post about Joel. Sorry, honey! I'm going to remedy that by telling a story he told me about him as a little boy. I think it's the funniest, cutest story, and it's one that should be written down because it's soooooo Joel.

When Joel was about eight years old, his Grandpa Orton asked him to help him out with a bird problem he was having. Grandpa Orton ran a dairy farm and there were pigeons that kept coming in his barn and making a yucky mess all over. He told Joel he would give him fifty cents for every bird he shot. He left Joel to it and went about his own business.

Later he came back and asked Joel how much money he owed him. Joel said proudly, "Thirty-four dollars."

For you mathematically challenged, that's 68 birds. Apparently Joel finished off the birds inside the barn and then went outside to finish off the rest of Idaho's pigeon and crow population.

I love imagining the look on Joel's Grandpa's face- surprise mixed with some amazement and a little confusion and then the realization that he now owes his grandson thirty-four dollars. Joel's dad wouldn't let him take it. "You're not taking that much money from your Grandfather." They settled for fifteen.

The part of this story that makes Joel beam with pride? Only a week or so before, Grandpa Orton had made the same offer to Joel's cousin who was four years older. He only got two dollars.

I love my cute, gun toting hunk-of-a-man!