One Fine Morning...

Saturday morning dawned bright, crisp, and clear. Trent's previously planned annual trip to the Adirondaks was unexpectedly cancelled and we found ourselves with a whole day with nothing but time to enjoy each other and the beautiful weather. After catching up on some sleep, fitting in our morning run, and getting a little gussied up (it's always nice to dress up a little and then catch my husband checking me out), we ventured forth to a new festival that we had never been to before. The festival was like the many others we've attended. It was, yet again, out in the boonies of Upstate to a place we'd never heard of. This time the celebration was in honor of--what else--apples and pumpkins. Put 'em together and you get the Apple Umpkin Festival, invented around 1986 by Mrs. Willa Barker who wanted to give her town something to celebrate. First of all, here's my new hair cut. It might be the first one that I like since moving to NY. Lillian is shown here cud...

I have been teaching early morning seminary for a grand total of two weeks now. Long enough, I figure, to sit back and take a preliminary assessment on how it's all going. I have to be honest here. When first I received this calling, I said, "OH NO!" and promptly burst into tears and threw my hands to my face in shock and fear. I peered through my fingers and my tears to my Bishop who was looking at me with a bit of confused awe and said to him, "ARE YOU SURE?" (my reaction, I assure you, was truly as dramatic as I'm making it out to be.) He nodded "yes" and a little whisper in my soul told me that he was right. The bad news is, I  have a history of reacting in the aforementioned fashion when it comes to learning about new things that God asks of me. The good news is, I usually get over it in a couple of days, and then I feel pretty chagrined about responding, again, with waterworks and dramatics instead of calm and peaceful faith. Thank good...

I just got back from a run. The sky was a crystal clear blue. Autumn has just begun and the trees are beginning a gentle descent into hues of brilliant red and gold. The air was crisp, but not cold. It was perfect. AsI ran, Natalie Merchant sang in my ears what felt like a perfect anthem, not only for the moment, but for the life I am so blessed to lead right now: These are days you'll remember never before and never since, I promise will the whole world be warm as this and as you feel it, you'll know it's true that you are blessed and lucky.... these are the days that you might fill with laughter until you break these days you might feel a shaft of light make its way across your face and when you do you'll know how it was meant to be see the signs and know their meaning it's true.

Did I ever tell you the story of the first time I made brownies in front of Trent? It was our third date.  We had just finished rollerblading and we came back to my apartment for a chat afterward. Actually, I was hoping the night would end in a kiss--our first--and so I was trying to extend the evening a bit. Let it be known now that I was not disappointed. I invited Trent in, he sat at the barstool at the kitchen counter, I stood opposite of the counter, deciding that yep, I really was liking him very much. I asked him if he wanted some brownies. He said yes. I got out a brownie mix. I mixed up those brownies. I poured them in a pan. Then I put them in the oven. And then, in a moment that has gone down in history, I called to my roommate, "Melinda! How do you turn on this oven?" That's how awesome I was at cooking. Trent's jaw dropped a little at my lack of skill; well, more figuratively than literally. He tells me now he just decided that we would be really skinn...

Lillian turned one yesterday. And it was a celebration to remember! The first big event of the day: painting a plate at "Color Me Mine" Lillian hadn't ever picked up a paint brush, but it didn't matter. We painted and smiled for the camera. Then she filled her diaper with a smell that lingered And upset the fine olfactory senses of her dad. So we hurried and finished the plate. It was fun with a little something smelly-special thrown in. Then it was time to get the house ready for her big party. Friends came from near and far. Lillian showed off her fancy clothes from Grandma (thanks mom!) Her fancy shoes from Ella (thanks, Trish!) And her fancy black eye courtesy of the bathtub. Lillian welcomed all her friends to her couch. Including her new singing frog--also named Lily- Who sings in English and Spanish. Because we are bilingual like that. We ate cupcakes. We ate a lot of other food too. Then we opened presents. So many fun toys! It was the best birthday, ever. Unt...

The first night after Lillian was born I had a crazy nurse. She was a bent over Chinese woman with a thick accent, expert in her care of Lillian and totally oblivious to me. Now, that is really not as sad as it sounds. I didn't want much to do with her, nor she with me. Our arrangement worked out fine for both of us. Well, sort of. Being the brand new mom that I was, I wanted to do what I was supposed to do (still do, in fact). In my mind, what I was supposed to do was have Lillian in the room with me. I was supposed to nurse her expertly from the first moment we laid eyes upon each other. I was supposed to be awesome. Well. I was not awesome, nor did I end up having Lillian in the room with me over night. When that nurse brought Lillian into my room for a feeding at 2:30 a.m., try as I might, I couldn't figure out how to feed her. And so, I lied. Let the truth now be known. I lied my face off. The nurse came back in and said, "How much you feed the baby, honey?...