Games on the Internet

Everyone,

I saw this on Julia's blog and had to copy.

1. Figure the numerical values of the letters in your name:
Safire
3 1 20 8 5 18 9 14 5

2. Add all of the numbers together:83

3.Add the digits of that number together:11

4. Find the post of the first number (step 2) in your blog. If you don't have that many posts, add the digits together again. Keep doing so until the number is smaller than your pathetic number of posts:http://livinginmaryland.blogspot.com/2006/04/peak-season.html

5. Take the digit you noted in step 3, and count that many words into the post:"you"

6. Use the resulting word in a Google Image Search, and select a picture from the first page:

Who knew such an interesting picture could be searched and found? Thanks Julia! That was fun!

I promise I have a Hawaii update for everyone. Just give me a bit to write it all out first (and organize the pictures) and you will have a nice story to read.

Also, we went for Butterfly's 15 month old check up on Tuesday. She weighs 25 pounds, 2 oz and is 32 inches tall. Holy cow we have a long legged baby. She got 2 shots, cried for a second and then proceeded to run out the office smiling at everyone in the waiting room.

She is SUCH a BUSY baby. She is into everything. Over everything, poking it, pulling, pushing, standing on, etc. I feel like I can't keep up with her because it's just move move move all day long. That was great in Hawaii. She kept up. But now that we're home I'm having a hard time filling the day. I'm seriously looking forward to a park trip with my mom's group tomorrow. We need to get out of this house and do something with other toddlers!

Safire

ALOOOOHA!

Everyone,

We are back from Hawaii (and our short stay in The Land of Mexican Restaurants and Car Washes aka Utah) and we had a blast! No details right now. I'm really tired. But never fear readers. You will at least get a picture of our trip. Yes, one single solitary picture. Give me credit...I have over 500 pictures from the trip.

Safire

We're off!

Everyone,

Well, almost off. Hawaii is in 2 days, and we are packing up what seems like the whole house. I never knew how much stuff you would need on a 16 day trip with a toddler. I have to borrow a suitcase from a friend just so we can get all of the toys there and back. It's pathetic. Then I think, oh, I'll just leave some of these toys behind and I hyperventalate at the thought of 11 hour on a plane with a 15 month old and no toys. So I borrow the suitcase and hope that the airline/cruiseline/family don't hate me for how much stuff I'm bringing along. I've decided that I intend to use skycap at the airport. Seriously, I don't think we can haul Butterfly, her stroller, car seat, my bag, her bag, the toy bag and Juice's bag to the front desk. Not to mention the diaper bag, Juice's carry on and I'm sure a million other little things. I don't remember...does sky cap cost? At least my family will be there to help haul everything to the hotel. Hopefully luggage for 7 of us will fit in the rental car!!

I also have a million and one things to do at home. Things like call the shuttle and confirm that they are coming to get us before the sun rises on Thursday. I'd like to clean the house a little, so that it's not a complete wreck when Juice comes back. I need to do the laundry, and the sheets (which for some reason always takes me forever). I need to finish putting stuff on my brand new ipod. (okay, I don't NEED to finish that...I'd like to.) Soot needs a good outing before going into the kennel on Wednesday. Oh, and I need to look out her vaccination reports. I need to run to the bank. I need to make sure we have no milk left in the fridge. I could go on and on.

So instead of boring you, here's a great picture of Juice and Butterfly. I think Juice is a little excited to go to the ren faire this year. What do you think?

Oh! And I am now one of the best blogs on the web, according to this sight here. Interesting!

Until next time (check back in 3 weeks!),
Safire

1826 Days

Everyone,

Juice and I have been married for 1826 days (5 years for those of you who don't want to do the math).

Juice says: "Yay us!"

Honestly I can't believe it's been 5 years. It seems like 2, maybe 3. This week also marks our anniversary of moving to the east coast. We have now been out here 3 years.

Marriage is fun. I recommend it. I love having someone I can tell EVERYTHING to, and who tells me everything in return (except for his work stuff since he has some sort of clearance and couldn't tell me if he wanted to). I love having someone who loves Butterfly as much as I do, and who randomly blurts out, "She is SOOOO cute!" as many times as I do. I love being so close to someone, and knowing that we will be this close forever. I also love finding out new things about him. I wondered when I was younger if I would ever get tired of the person I would marry. I never have. And I hope I never will.

Okay, enough with the sap. On to the presents! I got Juice a new white short sleeved shirt for church (so he can give away his old one...it is too small!), a new tie, and the soldering tool that you see on TV all the time, plus wire cutters/strippers. He teased me all morning that I got him a stripper for our anniversary. Ha ha.

My parents gave us another set of silverware. Yay! We really needed that, and it's convenient that the anniversary gift table states that this is a silverware year. Thanks Mom and Dad!

Juice's present was a big surprise, but a welcome one! I am now the proud owner of a sewing machine. I have been saying, "I could do that if I had a sewing machine" or "That doesn't look too hard to make. Too bad I don't have a sewing machine" for ages. I am so looking forward to using it! Now I have to remember how...

Butterfly's present to us was being a very easy baby today, and being cute and smiley when we went out to dinner.

It's been a great day.

Love,
Safire and Juice

Grandpa Visits!

Everyone,

This passed weekend my Dad was here to visit. Really, he was here because of work but we all know that he truly came to see us. Specifically Butterfly. She's so cute, who wouldn't want to see her?! :)

Anyway, we got to visit Grandpa at his hotel, push the elevator buttons, have Brie cheese (yes, this child has wild taste buds!) and go swimming. Grandpa then came to stay with us for a few days and taught us how to enjoy milk or water or whatever else we're drinking. "Cheers! *drink*lip smack* Ahhhhh!" We also went swimming at our ward's pool and had a BBQ where we ate watermelon for the first time. Yum yum! We then proceeded to play in the giant sandbox covered in watermelon juices. You guess how well that came out. Grandpa helped clean off Butterfly, watched her while Juice and I had an actual date, and came to church with us on Sunday. Monday, Grandpa helped me pick out a new iPod (it's beautiful! and no, I haven't used it yet...you try setting up a very expensive and small piece of shiny-ness with a toddler.) and some new toys for the cruise.

What cruise you ask? I suppose it's time I said. Next Thursday, we fly first class to Utah to pick up my family, and then fly first class to Oahu, Hawaii for 10 wonderful days in paradise. Including a 7 day cruise around the islands. We then send Juice home (for work, poor guy) and Butterfly and I spend about 5 days in Utah visiting new babies. Because there are a lot! I am SO excited.

I'm also fairly nervous about flying 11+ hours with a toddler. I am nervous about the deck of the cruise ship and my toddler. And the time change should be interesting. But I'm excited about swimming with dolphins, spending a day at the beach and going to a luau. Oh, and spending some quality time with my family! This trip has been in the works since Juice and I got engaged, almost 6 years ago. It has changed destinations (first New Zealand, then Japan, then Europe, then Alaska and now Hawaii) and we've added 2 more people since we first started talking about it (Angela, my sister-in-law, and Butterfly). Should be fun!

Until next time,
Safire