Next Milestone: Sitting Up

He's sitting up with ease - wahoo!

Let Them Eat Cake!

One of the best parts about moving to a new place is the wonderful people you get to meet. Today we met a darling family at church, and we immediately hit it off with them. It helped that the family is from Honduras, which is where Mike served his mission, so we had an instant connection. The lovely wife, Yesi, is actually from the exact same area where Mike served (the capital, Tegucigalpa). We ended up having them over for dinner tonight and had such a great time. The wife, Yesi, offered to bring something so I asked if she could supply dessert. They showed up with this big, beautiful cake with strawberry filling. YUM! It seriously looked/tasted something like a wedding cake!! It was so good, and of course she made it from scratch!! Talk about going above and beyond -- and on such short notice.

Anyway, into the evening it came up that it's actually Yesi's birthday today! So we sang to her and ate more cake. Good thing we had cake on hand! :)

The family has two darling girls who were absolutely adorable with Aaron (he got his first kiss!) :) I'm so thankful that we made some friends! It's so wonderful the way things work out. Just yesterday we were talking about wanting to make some friends here in this new place, and it was neat to see it happen so soon. The blessings of attending church! ;) I love the church!

(Sorry the pic turned out dark.)

Amazing Woman!

(Her -- not me!) It's been great to catch up with old friends since being back here. Here's another girlfriend I've known since I was young(er). We grew up down the street from each other, and we attended church together. This dear friend, Jennifer, swung by for a few hours last night. She lives in Philadelphia, but she's in Virginia on vacation visiting her family. She's a resident physician specializing in OB/GYN. She's thinking of furthering her speciality to high-risk pregnancies. I have such successful friends! I'm so proud of Jennifer. She's worked very hard to get to where she is today! We had fun playing catch up, and Aaron loved the company. I think he enjoys seeing a different face occasionally! Notice how big he's getting?? (Hence the name 'Chunks' -- Mike's term of endearment for him.);)

Fun In D.C. At the Cherry Blossom Festival

Spent a wonderful day in D.C. a couple weekends ago. Here we are at the Cherry Blossom Festival on the grounds of the Washington Monument with our backs to the Lincoln Memorial. Mike, Aaron, and I hooked up with my beautiful childhood friend, Gina; her wonderful husband, Amer; and their adorable son, Jarius. We had such a great time! The weather was absolutely perfect. We hit the tail end of the annual festival. Tourists from all over the world descend on D.C. during a two-week period to see the gorgeous blossoms in bloom and to celebrate Japanese culture. Although we missed the "peak", the plants were lovely nonetheless. (Found some great pics online since we missed the window for great photo opps; see below to get a glimpse of how gorgeous these trees are when they're in bloom.)

Most of all it was just great to spend time with this friend I've known for 27 years!! (Does that date me or what?!) Her family is absolutely wonderful! It was fun to finally meet their handsome 9-month-old boy (his eyelashes are gorgeous!) and for them to meet Aaron. We picnicked with some yummy sandwiches Gina packed, and then we ordered dinner back at their place that night.

Gina is a U.S. Foreign Service Diplomat (she's fluent in four languages: English, Spanish, French, and Arabic,) so they're heading to Jordan in the fall. I'm so glad our time in Virginia overlaps by a few months so we can enjoy some time together before they depart. It's so great that we've stayed in close contact over the years -- despite our many comings and goings. There's nothing like a wonderful childhood friend around whom you feel completely comfortable! She's always been very supportive. Thanks for such a great outing, guys! ;) I'm glad our boys can be buddies now!

Which Jane Austen Heroine Are You? (Just for Fun) :)

My friend, Erin, sent me this quiz. Apparently I'm most like Emma Woodhouse of "Emma", portrayed by Gwyneth Paltrow. (Do love her hair!) :)

Here's the description: You Are...Emma Woodhouse!
You are Emma Woodhouse of Emma! You like being the queen of your social circle (small and provincial as it may be), and feel it's your duty to help those less influential than you. You often meddle in the affairs of others, though you do it with a pure heart. You are often deluded in your flights of fancy, but your good intentions and creative spirit make you someone anyone could like.

Hmmm ... :)

Take the Quiz here!

Tagged ... Again

I'm only doing this because I love Heidi so much! :)

10 years ago:
I was finishing up at Ricks College before the big entrance into BYU. :)

Five places I have visited:
Santa Paula, California
Big Island, Hawaii
Panama City, Florida
San Francisco, California
Cooperstown, New York

Five things on my to-do list:
Work on freelance article
Clean out the car
Exercise at some point today (thanks to wonderful suggestions provided by you guys, I now have no excuses ... )
Read scriptures
Shower

Three bad habits:
I tend to procrastinate ...
I'm stubborn.
I'm not as consistent as I'd like to be.

Five things you may not know about me (and probably don't want to know!):
I love to shop and find good deals (but most of you probably knew that!)
I'm obsessed with sunflowers (love Vincent van Gogh's image - I want to display it when we get into a house!), picture frames, and being (trying to get) organized.

I love decorating.
My new love is avocados.
I love hand-me-downs; they always refresh a wardrobe.
I love shoes. That was six!

Next, I tag Meredith. She always makes interesting lists!

Exercise Ideas, Anyone?

Besides walking outside, does anyone have any ideas for exercise when you're in a small space?? There isn't really room for an exercise ball or a treadmill in here. What do you guys do to stay active and fit? I'm trying to lose this belly and just generally get in better shape!! It helps that we have a small kitchen, cause we're not buying lots of snacks and stuff (no place to put them). Any ideas are welcome. :) Maybe I just need to invest in a pair of roller skates ... ;)

He's A Little Boy!!!

We love spring for obvious reasons. Check out the blue, blue sky in this picture! This was a perfect day for a walk outside.

Aaron may only be six months old, but I hardly feel like he's a "baby" anymore. I feel like he has instantly become a little boy. While he may not be crawling around yet, he can easily get from A to B in a few swift rolls. And he doesn't use words yet, but he can jabber up a storm in his sweet baby talk and laugh with the best of 'em. He grabs at everything he sees and sticks anything he can get his hands on in his mouth (don't worry, just toys and such.) It's getting harder to contain him!

Thankful for this entertaining bouncer that provides hours of enjoyment for the mobile little guy. This is the best toy ever. The Fisher-Price safari jumperoo. Parents: YOU NEED ONE. :) Aaron loves to bounce, bounce, bounce in it. It's a great toy for getting all that restless energy out of his system and for strengthening his leg muscles! It's also loaded with all kinds of interesting toys and plays music, too. (Of course it does!) It's a good solution for our living situation since our townhouse is small and there's not a whole lot of room for him to roll around.

It's the next best thing to being outside. :) He's a great little boy. We're loving him!

p.s. Another Reason To Love Ukrop's

Just have to add that we swung by Ukrop's yesterday to pick up a few items and were able to park in the space designated for "Expecting Moms and Parents With Infants." I haven't seen stork parking since I lived in Utah, and I love it! It's such a wonderful service to those who have that extra load to carry -- whether in the belly or in the car seat.

Okay, enough about Ukrop's. But don't be surprised if I apply to do p.r. for them someday!! ;)