New Macy Slideshow!

The sun was shining, so we pulled out the cutest sundress Auntie Char gave Macy and took some cute pictures! Check them out on the right or the album is on Picasa

The best bad news ever!

I am so torn. I am crushed, I am ecstatic! Gerald was just invited to a conference in Boston and Macy and I are going with him! That means a whole week with my sister Rachel and her beautiful family! However, this turn of last minute luck comes with a heavy price tag. One of my best friends in the whole world is going to be 3 hours from my home at that very time. I have been looking forward to a fun couple of days with Rachel (my friend, not my sister-- see the irony) since she called last week.
I lead a very boring life, either one of these events could have been sufficient to make my season-- when it rains it pours. But you can only swim in one direction.

Macy on the Big Screen!

We are living in a rice cereal world and Macy is a rice cereal girl!

I learned my lesson, never put the bowl of cereal on the tray of the high chair. The good news is, Macy likes to self feed!

"The President, while riding a bicycle on his vacation in Jackson Hole, came to a sudden arboreal stop"

"You think that the United States is under attack by 1000 cubans in rowboats?"
"I'm not saying I don't like our chances..."

If you get this, I hope it makes you happy. It always makes me happy.

We LOVE Rice Rusks!

So really we just call them cookies, but they are awesome! They melt in her mouth so we don't have to worry about her choking on them. She loves them! I love that she can feed them to herself. We finally have found something she can put in her mouth that I don't have to take back out.

She is becoming such a little ham. Maybe that is because her mama is always holding a camera saying, "Smile!".

We even smile at the camera while we eat our cookies.

So along with the melting in your mouth, comes the sticking to your face when it comes out of your mouth. But I guess we can handle that.


Another funny Macy story, she loves her saucer for playing in and yesterday she crawled from the floor underneath the saucer. It was really cute, until she realized that she couldn't get herself out.

Uh oh, how am I gonna get out of here?

Just another day in the life of my little Macy!

It takes a village

I might be the only one who does it, but I suspect not. When I am doing something poorly, I tend to think of the myriad people in my life who could complete the task better than I. This usually doesn't bother me, or last very long. Usually the web of thoughts that follow keep me entertained until I finish my task to the best of my ability. I am writing this because it happened so many times this weekend I couldn't ignore it.

Friday night pruning trees, hedges, roses, etc., I thought of my cousin Liz who is amazing with plants, landscaping, and all things green. Then I thought of Mail Services, the job she got me, where we worked together for a semester and I worked for the rest of my college career. I also thought of a beautiful, ill-fated Tahitian bridal veil hanging plant Liz gave me and said I could not kill-- Ha! Proved you wrong! So thank you Liz, even though it has been too long since we talked and you live thousands of miles away, you helped me out pruning (read: butchering) my trees.

Saturday evening my new visiting teaching companion called, we were setting up appointments to meet our new sisters. I felt so awkward. The call was so awkward that even Gerald mentioned how painful it was to overhear. I thought of my Angel Grandmother, Saint Willa. I am sure that if Grandma were having that conversation it would have run smoothly, her partner would know that she cared about her and was grateful for her willingness to serve together, they both would have ended the conversation feeling happy, and knowing what they were going to do next. Willa makes everyone she meets feel comfortable and appreciated. So on Sunday when we made the actual visits I tried to channel my Grandma and be graceful, eloquent, and kind. I think I was okay at being kind... I might have aimed too high. I love you Grandma.

Sunday Morning I faced (again) the dilemma that I only like one dress I own. I have lots of nice clothes, I just don't like them on my body-- or, really, I just don't know how to put them together so they will look nice. I thought of my Aunt Charlene. Charlene is one of the best-dressed people of all time. She is stylish, and still has entirely her own style. I love the way she puts things on, puts them together, and accessorizes. She is wild, she is classy, she is beautiful. Someday I will work very hard to look as good as she does everyday. In the meantime, I decided to find an outfit that would match some really beautiful shoes she gave me once when I told her how much I liked them. I still wished I had more of a style to the outfit-- but every time I put on those shoes I feel pretty hot and a little more "Charlene-y". I love you Auntie Char.

I thought of a thousand other people as I went through my things to do. The "village" that raised me is never far from my mind. I wish I was better at thanking people for all they teach me, my sister Ruth is really good at that...