Rebecca,

Tomorrow will be our fifth anniversary. You are the most remarkable woman that I have ever met … and … the most beautiful woman that I will ever meet. How lucky I am that you chose to share your life with me.

We became friends quickly when we met and then dated for a mere 5 months before I asked you to become my wife. It was so easy to make that choice about you in such a short time … I knew what I wanted in my life … that you were perfect for me, and that I loved absolutely everything about you. I’m so glad that we rushed into things.

When we met, you had a business career well under way. I have no doubt that you could have taken that career in various directions with great success because of your intelligence, your charm, your warm way with people, and your determination to do things the right way.

Now, 5 years later, with our boys having turned into young men, we have 3 girls together that are under the age of 5. So you made the unselfish decision to put a hold on your career and devote yourself to raising our three daughters. I will always be grateful for that … and so will our girls when they are older and can have an appreciation for the choices involved. I am also grateful that I have been able to watch you become a Mom again. You are so good at it and it seems to come naturally to you.

My life with you has been such an adventure and it doesn’t seem possible that we have only been married for 5 years. I love you more than words can express. My heart will always belong to you and I will never stop trying to make your life as wonderful as possible.

-Tony

Calling all armchair psychologists!

I'm in a hurry. I have to run into a store to pick up a few things, but when I turn into the parking lot my back tire gets stuck on a curb, and no matter how hard I pedal I can't seem to get past it. I finally have to get off and move my tricycle over and then get on and go again. Finally, I make it into the store. There's a very sharply dressed lady staring at me (I am definitely NOT sharply dressed). I get my things and then exit the upscale store I'm in -- with the lady still looking at me. I'm starting to get angry, but I keep my head down as I head out to my transportation and hook the shopping bag over the handlebars. Who is she to look at me like that? What...does she think she's better than me just because I ride a tricycle? I keep thinking about how far I have to go and the fact that it's going to be dark soon and that the girls will need dinner. I get on and then look up. And who is next to me? The very sharply dressed lady...on HER tricycle. We smile at each other and cruise out of the parking lot. She turns right to head up a hill towards her destination, and I cross six lanes of traffic to get to the opposite sidewalk and then start sailing down a big hill really fast (thinking maybe I will make it home before dark), which feels great. Then I wake up!

Any ideas? Am I mentally unstable? Or do I just have some sort of inferiority complex?

Check out the hair!

What Elizabeth looks like after her hair is combed out and moisturized and before we put it in pony tails... Don't you love her smile?

Prayers for Derrek and Samantha

Please think of Derrek and Samantha today as they're going through a rough time. An ultrasound Monday revealed that the baby did not have a heartbeat and Samantha would miscarry. They are at the hospital today, and Sam is having a D&C. I know many of my blogging friends have experienced infertility or miscarriages and know how hard this is for them. It's easy for people to say things like "it happens a lot" or "they can try again" or the often thought but hopefully not spoken "it wasn't really a baby yet." But it was a life that they were planning for, their baby, and now it's gone. I was at the doctor with Samantha on Monday when she found out, and her heart was breaking. I'm heartbroken for them and for the grandchild we have lost.

Does the cold weather bother them?

I'm often asked whether the cold weather bothers our Ethiopian girls. Well, it's 18 degrees outside today, and here they are! I guess the answer is no...

Adjunct Post Regarding Pain Meds!

Follow up to yesterday's post...

The pain meds are NOT nice after all! I wrote yesterday's post about 45 minutes after taking the meds. I was feeling all fuzzy and warm and mellow. Then they really kicked in and I spent the entire day with my foot hurting PLUS my stomach feeling sick, shivering, and itching all over! Only good side to it is that I didn't eat much of anything, so maybe I counteracted the previous day's binge on sushi, wine, and chocolate.

Today I don't care if it feels like an ENTIRE TRAIN ran over my foot -- I am NOT taking those pain pills!

Sushi + Wine + Air Mattress = Pain

Yesterday afternoon the girls went to Dad and Beth's house to spend the night. Woo hoo! Mommy and Daddy get the night off! I get to go on a date with my handsome hubby! I took extra time with my hair and make-up and even put on perfume. We had a glass of really good wine, then went out for some awesome sushi, then came home and had some music, dessert wine with chocolate, and a fire in the fireplace.

Sounds really romantic, right? Well, I thought so, so I decided we should blow up the air mattress and sleep in the living room in front of the fire. Ambiance, you know? So, I went upstairs and got the air mattress and pump, and then fell down the stairs -- end of romance. We slept (yes, slept) on the air mattress for a couple of hours and were miserably uncomfortable (and cold once the fire went out) and then got up and went to our bed where I stayed awake all night (and kept Tony awake too with my tossing and turning) because my foot hurt like crazy.

Then, if that's not enough non-romance, we spent the morning going to the emergency room to have my foot x-rayed. It's not broken, but I have a sprained big toe that is black and blue and feels like a dump truck ran over it. The pain meds are nice though.

Our anniversary is next weekend, so maybe we can try the "romantic evening" again -- only this time without the air mattress.

Can they read?

Well, they think they can read! Tony often reads "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?" to the girls. They have most of it memorized and love it that they're reading the book. Actually, it won't be long before Nora and Ruby are reading for real! They're getting really good now at sounding out simple words and can tell me what letter most words start with by sounding them out!

Pile O' Pugs

Kids are napping, dogs are napping - I think it's time for my nap!

P.S. We actually have four pugs. Jack just wasn't in this pile o' pugs.

Nora is teaching her sisters to eat with chopsticks!

Nora spent the first three years of her life eating with chopsticks, so she's really good at it. Our litttle Ethiopian eaters are learning....